The Wall Street Journal

But most usage is across a relatively limited set of functions, according to consulting group Parks Associates, which surveyed 482 owners of the iPhone 4S, the only device to carry the service.

Those complaints were echoed by Parks Associates, which found that the technology stirred up strong emotions in users; many either raved about or panned Siri in - ...read more

It is unclear whether consumers even know how fast their connection is supposed to be, and providers are often careful to note that promoted speeds aren't always attainable. "Consumers consider the advertised broadband speed only once—when they choose a particular operator and tier of service," says Brett L. Sappington, - ...read more

Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Dallas-based Parks Associates, said, “A big reason is the massive difference in square mileage of the U.S. versus many other countries. South Korea is always brought up in comparison to the U.S., but their population density is so much greater than ours. You have many more - ...read more

Bill Ablondi, analyst with market research firm Parks Associates, said the market for professionally monitored security and home management services in the U.S. could grow from roughly $9.5 billion this year to more than $12 billion in 2015, and - ...read more

This holiday shopping season, the smartphone battle is going mainstream.

Given that smartphones are expected to be one of the hottest-selling items this holiday season, the next few weeks of sales could be key. In an August survey of 2,516 U.S. - ...read more

Even for a fervent media junkie, it's getting easier to drop cable television.

After seeing the trend percolate for several years, market-research firm Parks Associates last December estimated that half a million households had so far cut the cable - ...read more

Smart homes are an idea as old as the Jetsons. But some big companies are betting that the reality will soon catch up to the vision.

Other start-ups are also vying to supply software to monitor and manage such technology, which could be a $5 - ...read more

The cable-cutting trend isn't just being driven by pinched personal budgets. It also comes as younger consumers gravitate to popular and free online video sites such as Google Inc.'s YouTube and Hulu.com, a joint venture between News Corp. and NBC Universal, - ...read more

After more than a decade of disappointment, the goal of marrying television and the Internet seems finally to be picking up steam. A key factor in the push are new TV sets that have networking connections built directly into them, requiring no additional set-top - ...read more

Lesser-known brands are dropping their Blu-ray player prices even further. In early September, Best Buy Co. advertised its Insignia brand Blu-ray player for $229. It also offered to sell the player at just $149 with the purchase of a high-definition TV.
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