ComputerWorld

Range has quadrupled in Bluetooth 5, so users shouldn’t have to worry about getting closer to their smart devices in order to control them. Also, things like home security systems – one of the most common starting points for smart-home systems -- will be able to talk to other Bluetooth 5 devices around the house, Parks Associates analyst Tom Kerber said.

From the article "Bluetooth 5 Is Out: Now Will Home IoT Take Off?" by Stephen Lawson.

This transition will not be easy for primary care doctors, because the U.S. healthcare industry has limited experience. Parks Associates' 2015 survey data shows that among people with chronic conditions, only 12% have a team of three or more providers involved in patient care, and among people with three or more chronic conditions, only 28% have a team of three or more providers. At the same time, the primary care physician is the most trusted provider type that consumers want t ...read more

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently, and for the first time, set a timetable for accelerating its payment reforms. It announced that by 2018, half of its Medicare reimbursement will shift away from fee-for-service (FFS) to alternative payment models. These alternative payment models can be found in new care practices such as accountable care organizations (ACO) and Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH).

What surprised me a little is that CMS also sha ...read more

Still, the failure of the Nexus Q contained the kernel of a clever idea: What if you stripped away the interface of a streaming TV device, and instead relied on the phones and tablets we already use so often? Not only would this be simpler than a clunky, button-laden remote, it would also require less processing power on the device itself. The resulting product could be smaller, cheaper and in many ways easier to use than any other device on the market.

That product was Goog ...read more

Roku, which first shipped its own set-top box for streaming Internet content in 2008, announced at CES 2014 that it has partnered with Hisense and TCL of China to bring to market HDTV models ranging in size from 32-in. screens to 55-in. screens. All models will include built-in Wi-Fi and deliver the full Roku experience, plus traditional broadcast television channels. Users will get Roku's Channel Store, which boasts 1,200 streaming services, many of them developed by broadcast ...read more

A slightly-smaller percentage of American families plan to buy a tablet during the holiday sales season than last year, a market research company reported today.

According to Dallas-based Parks Associates, 29% of 2,500 U.S. households surveyed said that a tablet was on their to-get gift lists, down from 32% in the same period of 2012.

But tablets remain the hot-ticket item in consumer electronics, said John Barrett, director consumer analytics at Parks -- and Apple's iPa ...read more

The new pro Macs have been a long time coming and will likely scoop up many sales within Apple's pro markets. This is confirmed in the latest Parks Associates surveey which shows these, conjunction with the other recently upgraded Macs, are now the most popular desktop brands, supplanting Dell on Christmas wish lists.

"Apple topped the list of intended brands for desktop purchases for the first time this year," said Parks Associates' Director of Consumer Analytics John Barre ...read more

Online retail giant Amazon is looking to release a set-top, video-streaming device in time for the holidays that would likely sell for close to cost.

According to the Wall Street Journal, sources briefed by Amazon said the company is working to release the device for the shopping season.

"Based on discussions I've had with other folks in the industry about what they're offering...in terms of hardware they're going low cost," said Brett Sappington, director of research at ...read more