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

Why Cell Phone Service From Your Cable Company May Make Sense

"Plans from Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile are generally much less expensive than comparable plans from the major mobile brands," says Kristen Hanich, senior analyst at the market research firm Pa...

Watch, Meet Smartwatch: Fossil And Misfit Think They're A Perfect Match

Harry Wang, director of mobile and health products research at Dallas-based Parks Associates, said the digital fitness tracker is the fastest-growing category in the connected health device market, an...

21 Smart Speaker Superpowers

Almost unheard of as recently as five years ago, smart speakers are on their way to becoming as ubiquitous as the microwave. As of early 2019, a third of U.S. homes with high-speed internet access had...

Antenna Users: Rescan to Keep Getting Free TV

If you're just getting started with free, over-the-air TV, you're in good company. Even many consumers who have switched to streaming video services, such as DirecTV Now or Sling TV, use an antenna fo...