Blog articles from 10/2008

It had been awhile since I talked to the folks at Bomgar , a company that specializes in "appliance-based software for virtual support." However, I got caught up with them on Monday and got an interesting update. When you look at enterprise or consumer-based PC and other technology support services, companies such as iYogi and PlumChoice (I'm mentioning them because they use Bomgar's solution to establish remote desktop control of PCs), there are a number of options...

After commenting on the TiVo and Nero partnership for PC TV tuners and recording capabilities, I thought it was worth mentioning that Hauppauge has purchased the Pinnacle PCTV tuner produts and related assets from Avid Technology. It looks like Avid is going to go more of the software route and leave the TV tuner hardware business to Hauppauge. Hauppauge has a big European presence, so this will likely strengthen that.

The casual gaming industry, already a billion dollar business, is still firing on all cylinders. Companies focusing on traditional business models such as try and download and subscription services are doing just fine. Big Fish Games recently got $83 million in new funding and Oberon Media got another $20 million to scale its business. As an industry, however, these business models are experiencing slower growth rates. The two high-growth areas are social gaming and flash gaming. These...

I am currently attending Partners Healthcare’s Symposium event held in Boston, MA. On Monday morning, I moderated a panel on the topic of the emerging medical home model. The four panelists are George Chadraoui from IBM, David Hom from David Hom LLC, Vince Kuraitis from Better Health Technologies, and Ediwna Rogers from the Patient Center Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC). This is an extremely important topic as the medical home model could be a disruptive force in the healthcare...

So, if retailers aren't willing to cut prices on flat-screen TVs, they're definitely dropping prices on Blu-ray players, according to today's Wall Street Journal . The article says that entry-level Blu-ray players have dropped below $230 at major retailers, including Target, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy. Some observers think that the price will fall below $150 in time for Black Friday.

In yesterday's Wall Street Journal , Christopher Lawton says that the television experience is about to take a cue from what's been happening with connected game consoles. Both Microsoft and Sony will be launching social networking features that can be accessed through their online gaming services. We tested a number of social-networking-at-the-TV-features in our TV 2.0: The Consumer Perspective report and found that the ability by users to share recorded content with friends and...

Resident demand, faster sales and rentals, and differentiation driving multifamily industry adoption of digital systems and services -- Parks Associates' new research indicates high-tech amenities like broadband, security, and energy controls positively influence the sale and rental of multifamily properties. Multifamily Residences: Opportunities for Digital Systems and Services, a new primary research project of executives managing multifamily properties in the U.S., found nearly...

A couple of new announcements from Sonos, the developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home: Sonos System Software 2.7 gives users access to Pandora and Last.fm stations through Sonos Radio; and There is now a Sonos Controller for the iPhone , which allows the smartphone to act as a Sonos remote controller.