Daily Finance

That practice, however, seems much more likely to eventually impact the higher-priced cable and even DirecTV customers as the savings from eliminating Dish is simply not as large. That said, for all the media hype surrounding the idea that customers will ditch cable and satellite services in droves, in reality, that has yet to happen.

"In 2014, U.S. cable, satellite, and telco TV are expected to end the year with 103.1 million subscribers, up just a smidge from 102.5 million ...read more

When Netflix first brought us streaming video, it was the service more than the device that got people talking. Now, as dedicated streaming video devices continue to invade the mainstream, a new study from Parks Associates has revealed that Roku is the primary device of choice in more homes than Apple TV; Google's Chromecast is likely too recent an entrant to the space to have achieved meaningful market penetration.

The data

According to Parks Associates, a recent study ...read more

According to research firm Parks Associates, 45% of consumers surveyed expressed interest in the Surface before the pricing was announced. This same survey was conducted after the $599 bundled keyboard price was announced, and only 21% of respondents were still interested.

According to IHS, the same $599 bundled package cost $287 to build. That fancy keyboard-cover-case, which retails for $119, is estimated to cost $16 in parts. This is a great divergence from the company th ...read more

Remember when Siri was the revolutionary feature in every Apple (NAS: AAPL) iPhone 4S? Despite its problems, users seem happy with the voice-activated personal assistant -- a recent Parks Associates survey found that nearly three-quarters of its users are satisfied with its features, with more than half reportedly "very satisfied." Many would like to see Siri's functionality brought to their TV or other devices.

From the article, "An Unexpectedly Vocal Threat to Apple's Siri" b ...read more

Meanwhile, as smartphone users become more dependent on applications, they will be more willing to put up with mobile advertisements, creating an opportunity for marketing companies and applications developers, Parks Associates said in a separate report today.

About half of consumers between 18 and 54 years old say they don't mind or are indifferent to mobile ads, while those older than 54 or slightly less receptive, Parks Associates said.

As a result, North American mob ...read more

Google TV, the search giant's most headline-grabbing recent initiative, is designed to achieve what, to date, has been a maddeningly elusive goal for big tech companies: The fusion of Internet and TV programming. It's also another direct challenge to Steve Jobs & Co., whose Apple TV product has been an uncharacteristic flop.

"There's a big opportunity here for Google to embed its technology into televisions," says Kurt Scherf, a principal analyst at research firm Parks Associat ...read more