New York Times

The effect on the companies’ bottom lines remains unclear, but a study by Parks Associates, a research group, found that sharing cost the streaming video industry $500 million in 2015.

One reason the companies appear hesitant to police the passwords harder: Freeloaders could become the next customers.

From the article "As ‘Game of Thrones’ Returns, Is Sharing Your HBO Password O.K.?" by Daniel Victor.

The changes are especially noticeable at Hulu, which is owned by parents of the very television networks — Fox, ABC and NBC — threatened by changes in the way we watch TV. Hulu has set itself apart by offering new TV episodes faster than its rivals; making viewers wait longer could limit its appeal.

"Hulu's DNA has been recent episodes of TV shows," said Glenn Hower, an analyst at the research firm Parks Associates.

From the article "TV Producers May Start Making You Wai ...read more

Regardless of the motivation — coolness, environmental concerns or pocketbook savings — sales of energy-related smart home products are rising rapidly. According to the research firm Parks Associates, 10 million smart thermostats, plugs, power strips and lights were sold last year, valued at $850 million. By 2017, Parks predicts, that market will nearly double to 19 million products worth $1.6 billion.

From the article "Homes Try to Reach Smart Switch" by Steve Lohr.

Quirky stands to benefit substantially from the smart-home market, especially if Wink can accelerate the growth of the business.

Demand is picking up. Sales in eight major categories of networked home products — led by lights, thermostats and video cameras — are expected to reach 25 million units and $3.5 billion by 2018, up from 11 million units and $1.4 billion last year, according to Parks Associates, a research firm.

And Google’s purchase of Nest for $3.2 billion thi ...read more

Some Internet privacy organizations think this effort doesn’t go far enough and research has found that three years on, only a small percentage of consumers know about AdChoices.

Parks Associates, a market research company, showed that from 2011 to 2013, consumer awareness of the icon rose only one percentage point — from five to six percent, said Heather Way, an analyst at Parks Associates.

From the article, "Blocking the World’s Advertising Annoyances."

People have had cameras aimed at things like garage doors and ocean views for years. But cameras that transmit images over the Internet have become significantly smaller and cheaper in recent years and easier to set up — a natural formula for widespread consumer adoption.

The number of homes in the United States with private security cameras increased by about five million last year, to 15 million homes, according to Parks Associates, a research company. A similar increase i ...read more

She’s apparently not wrong about that. John Barrett, director of consumer analytics at the Parks Associates research firm, recently surveyed 482 iPhone owners. “Although there were some mild frustrations, most people really like the service,” Mr. Barrett said. Of those surveyed, he said, 55 percent gave Siri a high rating, 21 percent said it was quite satisfactory, and only 10 percent were completely dissatisfied.

From the article, "With Apple’s Siri, a Romance Gone Sour" by ...read more

American homes are getting smarter, at least when it comes to using energy, a consumer research firm reports. By 2020, some 60 percent of homes in the United States will have some type of smart energy management system, according to estimates from the firm, Parks Associates. Still, adoption has been slower than some companies had hoped.

From the article, "Cracking the Smart Energy Market" by Jim Witkin.