Qualcomm's latest purchase will mean better connected devices for everyone

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Qualcomm has announced that it's to acquire Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) for approximately £1.6 billion (around $2.5 billion).

But what does this mean for us, the humble consumer? Well Qualcomm is heavily involved in the Internet of Things - connected devices and appliances to you and me - and its latest acquisition comes with some rather useful tech.

Steve Mollenkopf, chief executive officer of Qualcomm, said "The addition of CSR's technology leadership in Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart and audio processing will strengthen Qualcomm's position in providing critical solutions that drive the rapid growth of the Internet of Everything, including business areas such as portable audio, automotive and wearable devices."

All your devices are belong to us

While Qualcomm doesn't actually produce any hardware itself, it does provide the platform for manufacturers to build their systems on to ensure they play nicely with other devices using the same protocols, be it a fridge, your car, a smartwatch or an air conditioning unit.

Looking ahead then, and this deal could see more of our every day appliances becoming connected to one another as home, office and life automation takes another step towards reality.

So ready your kettle, plug in your toaster and set your washing machine to spin - possibly for the last time - as in the future they may be doing it all for you.

• Samsung may be plotting an Internet of Things takeover, too