San Francisco Chronicle

Fitbit wants to maintain its lead in the growing but nascent market for wearable fitness trackers. According to the NPD Group, Fitbit commanded nearly a 70 percent share, far ahead of competitors like Jawbone and Nike. Another study by Parks Associates pegged Fitbit’s share at 40 percent, which was still enough for a healthy lead in the sector.

From the article "Fitbit unveils latest fitness trackers, including a 'super watch’" by Benny Evangelista.

Still, HBO will increase competition for Netflix, said Parks Associates analyst Glenn Hower.

“If HBO can supply a large and diverse library, including their original content, for a price comparable to Netflix, Netflix is going to have a much more difficult time attracting and retaining customers,” Hower said. “Lack of HBO original content has been a criticism of Netflix, and if consumers can get it through an HBO streaming service without a TV subscription, that is where the ...read more

The new stick, which resembles a computer flash drive, should help Roku stay ahead of competitors, especially if rumors of an upcoming streaming media device from Amazon prove accurate, said Brett Sappington, research director for the research firm Parks Associates.

"The thought of Amazon getting into the market is pretty scary," Sappington said.

The Streaming Stick locks plugs into ports on the back or the sides of an HDTV monitor, making it less noticeable compared wit ...read more

Sony's main office remains in Japan, but the 1 million-square-foot campus on Bridgepointe Parkway is the headquarters for development and marketing for the PlayStation platform for all the Americas. While the PlayStation holds the advantage in sales globally, the San Mateo office is key for its future in the lucrative North American market. That's where the Xbox has the edge, said Brett Sappington, director of research for Parks Associates of Dallas.

"With this new platform, ...read more

Kurt Scherf, principal analyst at Parks Associates, called the stick "a game changer" for the smart TV market.

"By reducing the smart form-factor down to thumb drive size and having it powered by the TV itself, Roku is eliminating a couple of big hang-ups for bringing smart TV experiences to end users - cost and ease-of-connectivity," Scherf said in an e-mail. "Plus, you get the aesthetic benefit of not having an unsightly AC adapter powering the unit."

He said the stick ...read more

Kurt Scherf, principal analyst at Parks Associates, called the stick “a game changer” for the smart TV market.

“By reducing the smart form-factor down to thumb drive size and having it powered by the TV itself, Roku is eliminating a couple of big hang-ups for bringing smart TV experiences to end users – cost and ease-of-connectivity,” Scherf said in an e-mail. “Plus, you get the aesthetic benefit of not having an unsightly AC adapter powering the unit.”

He said the stick ...read more

When asked to choose between the $199 Kindle Fire and the $499 iPad, 51 percent of consumers opted for the Amazon product, according to a survey by Parks Associates.

From the article, "IPad-crazed tots spur holiday tablet sales rush" by Adam Satariano,Katie Linsell, Bloomberg News
 

Each year 500 executives focused on innovative consumer technology solutions gather to form CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase. Hosted by the international research firm Parks Associates, this renowned event features presentations by some of the industry's most respected professionals and this year, they've asked Seth Bailey, the CEO of iTOK.NET, to speak at the "Technical Support as a Value-Added Service" session.