As Netflix and similar online streaming services gain in popularity, premium channels like HBO and Showtime are seeing a decline in paying viewers. A new report from researcher NPD Group reveals that the number of household subscribers to pay TV channels has dropped by 6 percent over the past two years, while streaming subscription services have increased by 4 percent. Many see this change as part of the migration from the expensive bundled options of cable. Continue reading Are Premium Channels Losing Customers to Streaming Sites?

Phablets — smartphones with screens larger than 5.5 inches — could grow to become a multibillion dollar market in the coming years. Initially ridiculed by some analysts, the ‘phone-tablets’ are experiencing unexpected success with consumers in global regions such as East Asia. Juniper Research forecasts phablet shipments will increase by 100 million units over the next four years (20 million shipped last year). By 2018, Juniper expects manufacturers to ship 120 million units per year. Continue reading Phablets Poised to Become Multibillion Dollar Market by 2018

The concept of “literary Netflixes” has been gaining momentum in the past few months. Oyster, a book subscription service that launched four months ago, recently raised $14 million to expand. Many members of the publishing industry are cautious about adopting a subscription model for e-books because they believe it could cannibalize sales and devalue books. However, Oyster notes that despite the apprehension, it has been signing publishers and already has a library of more than 100,000 titles. Continue reading Will Books Follow Music and Video with Subscription Model?

We saw a number of compelling wearable solutions at CES this month. Now Google has a new project in the health realm of wearables, a smart contact lens for diabetics to help monitor their glucose levels. The lens measures those levels with tears, using a tiny wireless chip and glucose sensor embedded in the lens. Prototypes can generate readings every second, and Google is even looking into inserting LED lights that could alert contact lens wearers to glucose levels that are either too high or too low. Continue reading Google Working on Contact Lens to Monitor Glucose Levels

According to a new report from eMarketer, 4.55 billion people worldwide will use a mobile phone in 2014, while the global smartphone audience is expected to reach 1.75 billion (it surpassed the 1 billion mark in 2012). The report also suggests that smartphone adoption will dramatically increase through 2017. Nearly two-fifths of all mobile phone users are projected to use a smartphone at least monthly this year. That’s close to one-quarter of the total worldwide population. Continue reading Global Smartphone Audience to Reach 1.75 Billion This Year

In the past seven years since the iPhone was introduced, consumers have enjoyed free apps in exchange for their data being sold to marketers. However, a new study shows that the average consumer would rather pay a small price for their apps to keep their personal information private. A study by economists at the University of Colorado found that consumers were willing to spend a little more on apps to protect their personal data, and this amount is determined on the amount of data at stake.  Continue reading Will Most Customers Pay for Apps That Protect Their Privacy?

Yesterday we reported that Gartner projects the Android operating system will reach 1.1 billion users in 2014. Meanwhile, Actix reports that in terms of data usage, the three most used phones in Europe and North America in 2013 were the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4. In additional milestone news, Apple reports that its App Store customers spent more than $10 billion in 2013. During December alone, the App Store earned more than $1 billion in sales and experienced nearly 3 billion total app downloads. Continue reading Apple Announces its App Store Sales Top $10 Billion in 2013

Thought leaders are looking beyond smartphones in anticipation of smart cities and smart nations. The Internet of Things — or what Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers refers to as the Internet of Everything (IoE) — presents a $19 trillion revenue opportunity. “Think of the change the Internet brought into our lives, and imagine that 5- to 10-fold over the next decade,” Chambers shared in a Tuesday keynote address at the Venetian during CES. Continue reading Cisco CEO John Chambers Heralds Trillion Dollar IoE Boom

Some 73 percent of online adults now use a social networking site, while 42 percent now use multiple social networking sites, according to new figures released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. In terms of number of users, Facebook remains the dominant platform, but an increasing number of consumers are diversifying onto other services such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter. In addition, Instagram users are nearly as likely as Facebook users to check in daily. Continue reading Social Media Update: 73 Percent of Adults Access Social Networks

According to a new Broadband Media Intelligence report by IHS, 86.1 million U.S. households had broadband Internet access at the middle of 2013. That figure represents a 70.2 percent penetration of American households. IHS estimates a 71.3 percent penetration by the end of the year, up from 69.6 percent the previous year. IHS also forecasts coverage will reach 74.1 percent by 2017 (about 94.7 million homes). Cable is currently the leading mode of access. Continue reading IHS Says More Than 70 Percent of U.S. Homes Have Broadband

IDC reports that the first time, Android has reached more than 80 percent market share for global smartphone shipments. Third-quarter numbers indicate that 261.1 million smartphones were shipped worldwide, of which 81 percent run Google’s operating system. A Strategy Analytics study released last month revealed similar findings. Samsung currently holds the lead for phones running Android. Additionally, Windows Phone shipments jumped 156 percent year-over-year. Continue reading Worldwide Growth for Android and Windows Phone Shipments

A common discussion about wearable technology is whether consumers will actually want to wear products like Google Glass. A survey among consumers commissioned by technology writer Jessica Lessin indicates that more people believe they might be more likely to own Apple’s smartwatch than they would Google Glass. A large number of respondents, however, also indicated they didn’t think they were likely to own either. Continue reading Survey Suggests Consumers Prefer Smartwatches Over Glass

A new study from the journal of Molecular Psychiatry explores the impact of video gameplay on the brain’s gray matter, which is responsible for muscle control, memory, and language and sensory perception. Researchers from Berlin’s Max Planck Institute for Human Development and St. Hedwig-Hospital gathered adult subjects to play a game, “Mario 64” on Nintendo’s DS system, in order to analyze the potential effect of gameplay on the brain. Continue reading Study Suggests Video Game Playing May Increase Brain Size

According to a new report from online content distribution service ShareThis, photo site Pinterest is currently the fastest-growing platform for online content sharing. Data analyzed across more than 120 social media channels and two million websites indicates that sharing via Pinterest grew 19.2 percent in the last quarter, while sharing grew via LinkedIn by 15.1 percent and on Facebook by 14.7 percent. The report also suggests that sharing on Twitter fell 7.6 percent. Continue reading Pinterest: Fastest Growing Platform for Online Content Sharing

Media consumption continues as an integral part of the American lifestyle. According to a USC report released last week, Americans are voraciously consuming media via TV, radio, phone and computer, which led to an average consumption of 63 gigabytes per person per day last year. In 2012, total U.S. media consumption averaged 1.46 trillion hours, an average of 13.6 hours per person per day. By 2015, average media consumption is expected to reach 15.5 hours a day per person. Continue reading Media Consumption to Average 15.5 Hours Per Day in 2015