Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

AI and smart homes: We may not notice the future

Security experts have always known that potential end users are not always ready for what is available to make their homes more secure. That dynamic often emerges from discomfort with what is new and unknown. Brad Russell, a research analyst at Parks Associates, based in Addison, Texas, describes that discomfort as “friction”—and he suggests that it has been around longer than we realize. Parks Associates is a market research company specializing in emerging consumer technology.

“New technology always comes with friction,” said Russell. From his perspective, however, the security industry has seen “a reduction in friction between technology and usage.”

The gap closes, he said, “If I can just call [my device] rather than use three or four buttons … now you’ve got the ‘wow and delight’ factor. It sounds cliché but it’s true—fun, easy, convenient.”

From the article "AI and smart homes: We may not notice the future" by Kenneth Z. Chutchian.
 

Previously In The News

Can YouTube TV Get You to Cut the Cord for $35 a Month?

Even so, TV-curious tech companies keep trying. In recent years, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon.com have considered taking a crack at the market. “In the next six months, we’re going to see a major bake...

Amazon Syncs Alexa With Ecommerce App

By breaking into consumers’ smartphones, Alexa can now compete more directly with Apple’s Siri, Ok Google, Facebook M, and Microsoft’s Cortana. (Samsung is also reportedly developing its own voice ass...

Samsung Claims Its New Bixby Out-Assists Siri

Today, 40% of smartphone owners already use digital assistants, according to a recent survey conducted by Parks Associates. Not surprising, millennials are most likely to partake (46%), but -- as t...

Why Brands Like HBO and WWE Are Flocking to Streaming Subscription Services

In the history of TV—all 75 years of it—there has never been a time when so much content has been so readily available to watch. But with the average cable package now topping $103, according to Le...