The rise of connected devices has brought about an increased interest in home automation amongst consumers. Readers looking for a brief background on the various home automation (HA) technologies can peruse our primer piece from last year. HA technologies have been around since the 1970s, but the costs (mainly due to the technology's complexity and the necessity for custom installers) have kept it out of the reach of the common man. However, the usage of Wi-Fi in HA devices has suddenly made the technology more accessible. Sigma Designs is known for its video decoder chipsets, but they have been trying to transform into a one-stop shop for 'powering the new digital home' by making some strategic acquisitions. One of these was the 2008 purchase of...