"apps" articles

The most recent issue of the  Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology published results of a randomized clinical trial evaluating the impact of fitness tracker usage on consumers’ activity levels and health benefits. The trial, taking place in Singapore and involving 800 participants over a 12-month period from 2013 to 2014, found that fitness trackers, such as Fitbit, do not raise activity levels enough to improve health. Even when employers offer financial rewards, the outcome...

On July 5th, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued its opinion on whether password sharing violates the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). I read the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit opinion on password sharing , and I suggest you do as well. Judge McKeown and Judge Reinhardt make compelling and insightful comments. For those of you who don’t have the time or energy to read it yourselves, I’ve summarized the major points: The case which...

Nintendo has garnered a lot of attention over the past week, not just because of app downloads, but also in revenue gained from storefront businesses looking to lure customers by luring Pokemon. Restaurants around the world are turning into Pokemon gyms, and paying on a cost per visit basis, meaning that Nintendo's profits are dependent on heavy foot traffic above all. However, once enthusiasm wanes, Pokemon Go becomes about gameplay, and in that respect, it is not unique. Pokemon...

The BroadbandTV Event , co-located with the FTTH Connect, was where Tier two and three providers of fiber broadband internet service came to learn about content. I was privileged enough to moderate a panel on the Evolution of OTT with Robert Saunders (President & co-founder of Skitter TV) , Chris Lavin (CTO of ONE CONNXT), and Chris Beatson (CTO of NeoNova Networks). Millennials are always brought up in any discussion about over-the-top video services, and...

According to Parks Associates’ consumer data, about 9% of Apple smartphone users have used Apple Pay, 1  and only about 3% use it regularly. 2 2015 was “the year of Apple Pay” according to Tim Cook. Apple’s failing to gain adoption, right? 3 No. Apple is focused on gaining merchant adoption before gaining consumer adoption. Here’s evidence that Apple’s focus for Apple Pay is not on consumer uptake: Apple’s iPhone 6, the first Apple phone that allows consumers...

Apple will host a “Spring Forward” media event on March 9, 2015 and many industry watchers, including myself, expect the iconic brand to officially introduce its Apple Watch for its fans to pre-order. For almost 6 months, Apple has drummed up marketing about the Watch and the media has been teased with conflicting details from official sources and unofficial “leaks;” by March 9, everything will be in the clear. The most intriguing question that I have is Apple’s marketing...

As the connected car space heats up, startups are joining major players from various industries in jumping into the market. Leading tech giants like Apple and Google, mobile carriers like AT&T and Telus, and major digital media companies like Pandora and ESPN are staking their claims to the dashboard. Last week, another new player jumped into the connected car market. Mojio , a start-up based in Canada, launched its connected car solution, which consists of a mobile app, a 3G...

Fitbit launched three new products today, branded as Charge, Charge HR (heart rate monitoring), and Surge . With Charge HR, Fitbit finally brings the heart rate monitoring function to its popular fitness trackers, a nice upgrade to people’s fitness experience. The most interesting one is Surge, which bills itself as a sports watch with GPS, heart rate sensors, and a touch screen for caller ID and text alert. Is it a smart watch? It certainly has some smart features and its...