Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

One nation, on camera: Internet-connected doorbells promise security but raise privacy alarms

Once a futuristic luxury, internet-connected home cameras have become reasonably common — and relatively cheap. Around 33 million American households — 27% — now use the cameras, according to an estimate from Parks Associates, a consumer technology market research firm.

For consumers, the benefit is clear: Constant or near-constant surveillance that can catch burglars in the act and provide clarity on anything that happens outside their homes. But with these systems almost always relying on cloud-based storage and analysis, many technologists have noted that they are ripe for abuse, particularly as they become more complicated and attached to increasingly advanced analysis systems.

In Guthrie’s case, it appears that even without the requisite subscription plan to have the Nest camera fully operational, it did record and transmit video of someone coming to her door the morning of her disappearance.

From the article, "One nation, on camera: Internet-connected doorbells promise security but raise privacy alarms" by Kevin Collier

Previously In The News

Best Buy sees growth thanks in part to connected devices

Meanwhile, Best Buy's push into services and its increasing assortment of smart-home devices—which are now in one out of four U.S. households with broadband Internet, according to researcher Parks Ass...

43% Plan To Purchase A Smart Home Device This Year: Study

“Having smart home devices pre-installed in the home creates an immediate opportunity to demonstrate specific value propositions in safety, energy management and convenience,” stated Patrice Samuels,...

TV Platforms Benefit From Easy Cancellation Policies

Month-to-month digital media analysts continue to follow “churn” issues — entertainment consumers who drop or add services. A 2018 Parks Associates report says about 18% of U.S. broadband households c...

The Streaming Video-on-Demand War Is Going to Get Bloody

Brett Sappington, an analyst with Parks Associates, a market research and consulting company, says that though annual cancellation rates among traditional cable and satellite distributors hover around...