The Kansas City Star

These are among the ethical questions still to be addressed about the appropriateness of companies tracking the physical activity of employees, said Harry Wang, a researcher for Parks Associates who has been studying the market. With wearable devices, collecting more sensitive information is likely to bring tougher government oversight, he said.

“There will be high levels of privacy, security and compliance requirements,” Wang said. “There will be high expectations from cons ...read more

Apparently the economy’s doing all right and the game industry is poised for a big rebound, following this month’s launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Some 40 percent of broadband-connected households plan to buy a new game console this holiday season during which they’ll spend more than $1,000 on gadgets, according to a forecast by the Parks Associates research firm.

From the article, "Xbox One vs. PS4 vs. Wii U: Game console shopping tips" by Brier Dudley.

Although the pay-TV industry does not disclose numbers on how many of its 100 million subscribers have signed on to a TV Everywhere-type service, a survey by marketing firm Parks Associates revealed that less than 20 percent even know about it.

"If this is designed to be cable's tool to fight over-the-top services, the lack of awareness really negates its effectiveness in defending their subscriber base," said Brett Sappington, a research director at Parks Associates.

Fr ...read more

About 8 percent of Internet users have uploaded a video to the Net, according to a study released Thursday by Parks Associates. The study noted that video uploading is almost as popular as online gambling.

From the article "Internet video: You’ve come a long way, baby," by David Hayes.

Welcome to the small new world of home theaters. Once the playthings of gearheads and the wealthy, home theaters are going slim and affordable as manufacturers try to attract a new breed of casual buyers. They're no longer limited to specialty audiovisual shops, either. Home theaters are sold at most big electronics stores in the area, even furniture outlets such as Nebraska Furniture Mart and Benchmark.

“For under $2,000 — actually for under $1,500 — you can get yourself a ...read more

The ability to cut the cord to local telephone companies could drive broadband adoption in the United States, according to Parks Associates.

A white paper by the research firm found the average narrowband household could capture a net savings of $8 per month if it upgraded to broadband and began using an Internet-based telephone service.

“If (Federal Communications Commission) regulatory changes cause the cost to increase by just a few dollars per month, the incentive to ...read more