TechCrunch

Today, Roku and Amazon dominate U.S. connected device market share, where the two companies are tied with an approximate 36% share, per the most recent Parks Associates data (via CNBC). Apple TV and Chromecast trail at 12% and 8%, respectively, and everyone else in the “other” category amounts to a 6% share.

From the article, "Comcast and Charter team up to launch a new streaming platform for US consumers" by Sarah Perez.

Roku isn’t only maintaining its lead as the top streaming media player device in the U.S., it’s increasing it. That’s the conclusion from the latest industry report out today from market intelligence firm Parks Associates, which states that 37 percent of streaming devices in U.S. households are Roku devices, as of the first quarter of this year.

From the article "Roku is the top streaming device in the U.S and still growing, report finds" by Sarah Perez.

Parks Associates home energy management data released in March 2016 show 70 percent of households with smart-energy devices report saving money due to reduced energy consumption. However, the research firm noted challenges for vendors selling smart-energy devices based on cost savings, as 83 percent of U.S. broadband households do not know the price they are paying for electricity.

From the article "Smart Home Technology Must Work Harder To Create Smarter Consumers" by Rober ...read more

Alongside support for apps and games and Siri, the Apple TV ships with a new remote that includes physical buttons, motion controls support, and a glass touch surface at the top.

But its the new remote that’s making gaming so interesting on the new device – with Wii-like motion controls and support for multiplayer gaming, players can do things like swing the remote to bat a baseball, for example.

The remote works over Bluetooth 4.0, rather than infrared — so no line of s ...read more

With the smart home market growing, the focus is shifting to the seamless connectivity of different products under one platform rather than the quality of hardware construction. At the same time, automation is driving technology to react to human interactions — rather than us reacting to it.

Wink, an app connecting various smart home devices, launched more than 2,000 display booths today in nearly 2,000 Home Depot stores. Next week, Staples will roll out the expansion to its ...read more

In a statement today, Parks Associates Research Analyst Pietro Macchiarella said it’s interesting to see the study proving that mobile games, which are fueled by powerful hardware and operating systems, are now beginning to compete for the very same couch that was once owned outright by console gaming. “The growth in tablet penetration will have an enormous impact on the size of the mobile gaming market,” the analyst concluded.

A separate study conducted by Parks Associates, ...read more