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But the market has radically changed since the arrival of the previous Apple TV box, the all-time leader with 25 million units sold over its lifetime. Roku (10 million units sold as of last year) is a strong player in this area, while Google has made significant inroads with its Chromecast, a $35 stick that plugs into the back of a television for instant access to online videos from the likes of YouTube, Netflix and HBO Now. Amazon has been aggressive, launching both the Fire TV ...read more

One of the first mainstream devices of its kind, Apple TV is a big seller worldwide. Apple has sold 25 million of the boxes in its lifetime, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in March. That beats Roku's 10 million total sold as of last year. Neither Google nor Amazon has released stats for their streaming devices, Chromecast and Fire TV, respectively.

However, Apple TV has been slipping. Last year, its US sales fell to fourth place behind Roku, Chromecast and Fire TV, according ...read more

For Amazon, the introduction of the exclusive service could help it gain more attention in the crowded market of streaming-media players, where it remains a second-tier player. Rival Roku is the leading brand, with 29 percent of sales during the first nine months of last year, followed by Google's Chromecast, taking up 20 percent, then Apple TV with 17 percent, according to Parks Associates. Amazon Fire TV, which went on sale in April of last year, held 10 percent of the market. ...read more

While Uber is forging ahead with its initiatives, tangible safety improvements may take time, said Parks Associates research analyst Tejas Mehta.

"Uber's new safety initiatives are an acknowledgement of the challenges facing Uber as it attempts to bolster its less than flattering reputation when it comes to rider safety," Mehta said. "These initiatives are steps in the right direction, but it will not be smooth sailing for Uber on the safety front. Many of these initiatives ...read more

Venture capitalists' recent investments in Uber "underscore the confidence investors have in Uber's growth," an Uber spokeswoman said. She said additional funding will be geared toward its car-pool feature, which is dubbed UberPool, and launching its service in more cities around the world. The company is currently in more than 260 cities in 54 countries.

Uber is under pressure to introduce new services, such as UberPool, and to do so while continuing its international expan ...read more

AsterRide and a few others, including Shuddle, are part of a growing reaction to assuage customers' concerns. They're beefing up safety features in their apps, such as adding panic buttons and passenger tracking, and they're also looking to create more-secure services with heightened driver background checks and all-female driver fleets. It's unclear how many of these features will become industry standards, but they do represent a turning point in intensified attention to safet ...read more

Meanwhile, over-the-top boxes like Apple TV are surging in popularity. Research group Parks Associates estimates sales of such streaming-media devices will top 57 million worldwide in 2018, nearly tripling from 20 million last year.

From the article "Apple TV's YouTube app gets a rare overhaul" by Joan E. Solsman.

Streaming-media devices continue to grow in popularity amid swiftly shifting competition, according to a new report.

During the first three quarters of 2014, 10 percent of US households with a broadband connection bought at least one streaming-media player, market researcher Parks Associates said Tuesday. The players include set-top boxes and sticks, which plug into HDMI ports, that access scores of channels and services, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus or Amazon Instant Video.