Perhaps the biggest trend in consumer electronics right now is the ability for devices to talk to and share information with each other – not just computers and phones, but all electronic and digital devices, from tiny sensors that can monitor energy usage in a house through to major electro-mechanical appliances such as washing machines and cars.

As consumers, we increasingly inhabit a technology-driven, hyper-connected world where the physical environments we move through and live in are becoming more intelligent, controllable and responsive to our needs. We talk about this development as being enabled by the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT), but for the consumer, it simply means smarter ways of living.

Much of the technology that underpins this hyper-connected world is effectively invisible to the consumer, but without companies such as NXP constantly innovating to expand the capabilities of the IoT, the smart life wouldn’t be possible. In particular, NXP’s semiconductor solutions are at the heart of three of the biggest issues that the IoT presents:

Security – safeguarding the data carried over and generated by the IoT, building on NXP’s leadership in Identification and security technologies
Connectivity – ensuring that devices operating across multiple standards can talk to each other seamlessly
Power – making the hyper-connected world as energy efficient as possible

So what better place to exhibit and demo our most innovative and exciting applications in these areas than at the 2013 International CES show. Our theme at the show is ‘Secure Connections for a Smarter World’, whether those connections are being made at home, on the move or in the car – ultimately, our mission is to enable consumers to securely access and control their environment wherever they are.

Bringing the smart home to life

NXP’s vision of the smart home really comes to life with our intelligent home network solutions. With interoperability vital for the success of the IoT, the breadth and depth of NXP’s portfolio means that we are uniquely positioned to connect and secure the communications standards driving it. For example, we can create smart lighting systems where every light bulb has its own IP address, enabling home illumination to be precisely controlled and dimmed via smartphone, tablet or PC.

Not only is our home network solution self-healing, but it operates at an incredibly low power level for the ultimate in energy efficiency. And for an even greener home network, we’ll be showing an energy harvesting solution which enables every flick of the light switch to generate enough power to transmit the radio packets needed to control a smart light bulb.

NXP is also making entertainment smarter and more exciting in the home. We’re delivering new experiences in gaming – for example, taking physical gaming figures and transposing them into virtual worlds via RFID, while introducing gaming controllers that use magnetic motion for the most precise control ever. And with NXP’s silicon tuners found in 13 of the 15 biggest brand TVs, we’re also leading the revolution in interference-free connected television.

Cars that talk and think

Another exciting area of IoT innovation is the ‘connected car’. Our car-to-X communications solutions are helping to create an intelligent transport system by wirelessly connecting in-vehicle networks to the traffic infrastructure. Road signs and cars can ‘talk’ to one another to regulate the flow of traffic and warn drivers of hazards up ahead, significantly reducing the number of road accidents. In addition, connected cars that ‘think’ can help the driver to select the best, most energy-efficient route to a destination.

We will also be showcasing our recent co-investment with Cisco in Cohda Wireless, a leading specialist in wireless communication. Pooling the expertise of the three companies is another important step in advancing intelligent transport systems and car-to-X communications, and making the IoT a reality for the automotive industry.

NXP is also pushing the boundaries of in-car entertainment at CES 2013, with next generation digital radio solutions that significantly improve performance and reception.

New experiences on the move

The smart phone and tablet is unlocking new ways of interacting with the world around us, wherever we are. For example, as the leader in NFC, NXP is helping to bring the bricks and mortar shopping experience right up to date with secure and convenient in-store NFC applications. And as NFC expands the dynamic nature of the mobile user experience, NXP is making this experience as secure as possible – for example, NXP will demonstrate how to authenticate a tablet and its users just by tapping it with an NFC-enabled smartcard, ensuring that all transactions on the move are secure and tamper-resistant.

But that’s not all. NXP is also making mobile devices more fun with a solution that delivers the ultimate in micro speaker performance, producing the best sound you’ll ever hear playing out from a mobile phone or tablet, with full-range clarity and minimal distortion. It’ll blow your mind, not your speakers.

Our commitment to innovation

As well as enabling the hyper-connected world today, NXP is constantly innovating to fulfil the future needs of consumers in the IoT. For example, a key technology that the company is previewing at CES 2013 is the latest in wireless charging. NXP is also one of the smartphone ecosystem leaders that has joined the Power Matters Alliance supporting wireless charging standards. This technology is gaining momentum and is vital for the continued expansion of the IoT – as more and more devices become connected, the ability to wirelessly charge these devices will significantly simplify the management of the IoT and enhance the overall user experience.

Other future innovations we’ll be previewing include advanced EV battery management and smart LED lighting systems. The EV battery management solution is a new sensor-less system that reduces battery pack cost and increases the accuracy of charge status in electric vehicles. The smart LED lighting system also uses a sensor-less temperature sensing technology for improved color tuning and dimmability as well as enabling an overall system cost reduction.

We believe that it is vital that companies such as NXP continue to innovate to make our hyper-connected world as secure, seamless and energy-efficient as possible – and as the world’s greatest showcase for consumer-focused technology, CES 2013 is the perfect place for us to exhibit our latest solutions in the IoT market.

NXP is exhibiting at CES 2013, booth CP8

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