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But if you must have 4K movies and you already default to iTunes for your movie purchases, then you might as well upgrade to the Apple TV 4K. The device’s high price tag is partially subsidized by Apple’s promise to upgrade all your iTunes-purchased HD movies to 4K. These theater-quality flicks will also be sold at HD prices going forward. So that’s something.

“The most significant part of this announcement is the range of 4K content Apple has lined up for the launch,” said ...read more

Nearly 40% of broadband households in the United States with an insurance policy would switch providers in order to obtain smart home products as part of a new insurance service, new research by Parks Associates shows.

Titled “Insurance Opportunities in the Connected Home,” the report also notes that more than 80% of those likely to switch insurance providers are also likely to purchase smart home products with prevention features.

From the article "IoT Research: Consume ...read more

Research from Parks Associates found Roku was strengthening its lead in the streaming media player space, cornering 37 percent of the market, while Apple trailed behind Amazon’s Fire TV, and Google’s Chromecast, with only a 15 percent share. Apple TV’s price point is still well above that of competitors, which gives it a disadvantage. Though one promising development on the content front is more 4K movies becoming available in the iTunes store.

From the article "Apple Debuts ...read more

A large majority (73%) of U.S. broadband consumers express a desire to keep tight control over access to their personal data, with nearly half being very concerned that someone will access the data without their permission, according to a new report by Parks Associates.

In terms of trust, only 5% of broadband consumers ranked pay-TV providers as trustworthy. Here’s how they rank as the most trustworthy companies:

62% -- Home insurance provider
59% -- Security monitorin ...read more

New research by Parks Associates reveals that 42 percent of new security installations include a smart home device such as a door lock, light or thermostat.

“We’ve seen this number grow from 24 percent in 2014 and estimate it to grow beyond 50 percent by 2018,” Dina Abdelrazik, research analyst, Parks Associates, told Security Systems News in an email interview. Parks also found that between 50 and 60 percent of smart safety and security devices are acquired as part of a hou ...read more

“Over 26% of U.S. broadband households currently own a smart home device and 442 million connected devices will be sold in the U.S. by 2020,” according to Brad Russell, senior analyst with Parks Associates. “Solutions that enable wide-ranging interoperability are best positioned to succeed.” Lynx MiND is OCF (Open Connectivity Foundation)-compliant and based on the IoTivity framework. Once embedded with the Lynx MiND Engine - a gateway, NAS, wireless router or STB will function ...read more

Apple still needs to play catch up. As of the end of March, Apple has about 15 percent of the set-top box market, coming in behind Roku, Amazon and Google, according to a report from Parks Associates.

Apple TV 4K, starting at $179, will be available to order September 15 and will ship a week later. The TV app will also be coming to Australia and Canada, as well as France, the UK, Germany, Norway, and Sweden by the end of the year.

From the article "Apple edges deeper int ...read more

LG has also implemented Sensory's TrulySecure Speaker Verification and TrulyHandsfree wake word so phones can have added security through voice, and wake on command with low power activation that doesn't drain the battery. These technologies also run on device, ensuring that voice biometric data and the spoken wake word are never sent to the cloud.

"The power of familiarity is revealed in user interface preferences. Facial recognition currently has lower familiarity than mor ...read more