EU Bodies Deliver Universal Phone Charger Standards

Two European standards bodies delivered standards for a universal micro USB phone charger, which will let Europeans use one charger for multiple phones.

The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) this week released charger standards for data-enable mobile phones, or phones that can be connected to a computer.

The Commission expects the first common chargers and mobile phones compatible with the new standards to hit the European market in early 2011.

In June 2009, more than a dozen mobile phone makers – including Apple, Nokia, and Research in Motion – agreed to standardize on the micro USB plug in Europe. It received the backing of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in October 2009. The European Commission then handed down a mandate in December 2009 requiring CENELEC and ETSI to deliver common charger standards. The groups have now delivered on that requirement.

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Apple Removes WikiLeaks Program From App Store.

Apple Inc., a California-based consumer electronics giant said it had removed a program from its popular App Store that allowed users to view information from the WikiLeaks website, as well as its Twitter feed, using Apple’s iPhone and iPad mobile devices.

WikiLeaks recently published a raft of U.S. diplomatic cables, prompting the ire of U.S. government. Apple isn’t alone in cutting off access to WikiLeaks or halting business transactions with the group behind the website. Amazon.com Inc. shut down WikiLeaks’ account on its Web servers, while eBay Inc. unit PayPal, Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. are preventing people from using their services to donate money to the group.

Apple, which voids the warranty of its products if unauthorized apps are loaded onto them, has a history of “disappearing” apps. Earlier this year, the company began removing adult-themed apps, even though it had already approved them for sale. It also approved – and then removed – a game called “Baby Shaker” that generated a raft of bad publicity for the company.

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Microsoft to Reveal New Version of Windows

Microsoft Corp., feeling pressure from hit products like Apple Inc.'s iPad, is crafting a new operating system that deviates from the software giant's heavy reliance on chip technology pioneered by Intel Corp., according to people briefed on Microsoft's plans.

The company next month plans to demonstrate a new version of its widely used Windows operating system that targets low-power devices and adds support for chips based on designs from ARM Holdings PLC as well as the x86 chip technology offered by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices Inc., these people said. Microsoft will discuss the software at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January, though it isn't expected to be available for two years, they added.

According to two people close to Microsoft, the company has had a project for some time to create a version of Windows running on ARM-based microprocessors. One of those people said the effort is part of a broader push at Microsoft to make Windows more "modular" so that pieces of the operating system that are unnecessary for smaller, low-power devices like tablets can be easily stripped away to make the software perform snappily on the gadgets.

The strategy is similar to the one Apple has employed with iOS, the lightweight operating system for iPads, iPhones and other devices that is derived from Apple's full-blown Mac operating system for traditional computers.Microsoft's plans for the new operating system were reported earlier by Bloomberg.

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Sony Starts Music Service in U.K., Ireland

Sony Corp. opened an online streaming-music service in the U.K. and Ireland and said it will roll out the platform to other major markets next year, as it looks to try to catch up with rivals such as Apple Inc. in linking electronics to digital content.

The electronics and entertainment conglomerate said that its Music Unlimited service, which opened in the U.K. and Ireland on Tuesday, will be available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other European countries next year, though the company didn't offer details.

The Tokyo-based company will offer subscriptions to a library of six million songs. Unlike Apple's iTunes service, which sells copies of music and movies that are stored on hard drives or device memory, Sony's service will deliver the songs over the Internet to PlayStation 3 consoles, Bravia television sets, Vaio computers and other Sony products.

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Senior Analyst interviewed at TelcoTV 2010

Brett Sappington, Senior Research Analyst from Parks Associates recently spoke at TelcoTV 2010. IPTV Magazine caught up with him to interview him for the IPTV blog.

How Access Providers Can Keep Broadband Customers – Research on Services that Increase Subscriber Retention!

There are some services that access providers can offer that increase subscriber retention rates. Brett Sappington from Parks Associates explained to me at TelcoTV that their research of 3,000 homes shows that some access providers are losing competitors to alternative access providers while other access providers are keeping their subscribers longer. In their report, bundled services increases customer retention by 20% and increases average revenue per user (ARPU) by over 11%.

Service quality exceeds price in customer satisfaction as 35% of satisfied bundled customers are unlikely to switch to another provider despite possible cost savings. These satisfied bundled customers are willing to pay 11% more for their services on average. Bundled services include Internet, voice, wireless voice, and television services. These and other key discoveries in the report show that subscribers are willing to pay a premium for “one-stop” bundled services if the right services and conditions are offered.

Sales of Apple TV To Top 1 Million

Apple Inc. says sales of its redesigned set-top box will likely top 1 million units later this week. The device allows consumers to download TV shows and movies, and stream them to high-definition televisions, eliminating the need for late-night trips to the rental video store.

Apple TV owners are clearly TV junkies. The consumer electronics giant says they’re renting and purchasing over 400,000 TV episodes and over 150,000 movies per day.

The approaching one-million landmark highlights Apple TV’s transition from experimental project to potential business, though it remains so small analysts aren’t currently publishing estimates of its impact on Apple’s results. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has even called Apple TV a “hobby” and the set-top device has since taken a back seat to the company’s booming gadget business.

At its current rate, the $99 Apple TV on track to reach the million mark in as little as 84 days. That’ s an impressive accomplishment given the iPhone took 74 days to reach the same milestone.

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Using 'Likes' for Gift Ideas

Companies such as Amazon.com Inc. and Etsy Inc., a site that sells handmade and vintage goods, are making gift recommendations for individuals by tapping into the trove of comments and preferences collected by social-networking giant Facebook Inc.

The social-shopping efforts are all in an experimental phase, but the goal is to change how consumers discover and choose products—and increasing their likelihood to click on the buy button.
The latest retail efforts focus on using Facebook's platform—where outside sites can tap into Facebook user information with their permission. Since last holiday season, more than half of the top 25 retail sites have integrated with Facebook's platform, the company says.

eBay Inc. launched "Group Gifts," which allows users to split the cost of a present with their Facebook friends by logging into eBay with their Facebook credentials.

For Facebook, the goal is to expand its reach on the Web and make its networks more useful. Facebook says it gives retailers some ground rules about how they can use its data—no spamming, for instance.

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Amazon’s Kindle hits Millions already this quarter

Electronic retailing giant Amazon.com has never revealed how many units of its Kindle ereaders it has sold, always offering vague glowing statements that the Kindle is the company’s “most gifted” item and that Kindles continue to set sales records. However, without knowing how many Kindles the company selling, all those statements are almost meaningless: after all, if you sell three devices on quarter, selling four devices the next quarter is a 33 percent increase in sales!

Amazon dropped a hint about how many Kindles it is selling: the retailer claims to have sold “millions” of Kindles in the first 73 days of the holiday quarter, and furthermore that holiday quarter sales to date surpass the total of all Kindle sales for 2009. It’s still not a specific number, but it means that Amazon has sold at least two million Kindles so far this quarter—and that number is only going to go up as the end-of-year holidays loom closer.

Third-party estimates of Kindle sales for 2010 have generally hovered around the 4 million unit mark, although Citigroup’s Mark Mahaney recently increased his estimate of 2010 Kindle sales to 5 million, and forecast Amazon will move 8.4 million Kindles in 2011.

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Dialog Semiconductor Chip Adds 2D to 3D Conversion to Mobile Devices

Swindon-based British company Dialog Semiconductor has created a chip that can perform real-time 2D to 3D conversion for mobile devices, including phones and tablets. The DA8223 also contains a parallax screen driver that, when combined with a parallax barrier filter, will create 3D images to be viewed without glasses.

It works by analysing each 2D video frame and creates a layered depth map, bringing forward foreground objects and sending backgrounds to the rear of the image - creating depth perception. Then, each image pixel is mapped to left or right as applicable, and is sent to the correct eye via a parallax barrier filter. Also, as the chip is hardware driven, it makes no demands on the device's processor.

The chip will be available to mobile device manufacturers in 2011, with samples coming early on allowing products to hit mass production for the latter half of the year.

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Microsoft to Announce New Slates Aimed at the iPad

A decade ago Bill Gates, founder and former chief executive of Microsoft, presented a new class of computing to the world: a tablet PC that offered a fully functional computer with the “intuitive aspects of pencil and paper.”

Since then, Microsoft has struggled to gain traction with a slate-like device, yet each year the company announces new products, software or operating systems that try to promote a world of Windows-based slate computers.

Next month, at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft will give it another try, presenting a slew of new slates that it hopes will offer some competition to the Apple iPad, which has quickly become the leader in this market.

According to people familiar with Microsoft’s plans, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, is expected to announce a number of these devices when he takes the stage at C.E.S., showcasing devices built by Samsung and Dell, among a number of other manufacturing partners.

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Increasing online viewership intensifies competition

As U.S. video viewers increase their multiplatform viewing habits, advertising firms’ demand for an integrated tool to measure both TV and online video viewing will intensify over the next year. A new report, Cross-Platform Ad Metrics & Reporting, shows 71 percent of U.S. broadband households access videos online, compared to 87% who watch traditional TV content. Younger audiences, ages 18-34, are even more inclined to watch online video, with 88% watching online compared to 90% who watch traditional TV.

Online video viewing is approaching parity with traditional TV, especially in key audience segments, which is increasing pressure on the top firms to develop a comprehensive tool to quantify and evaluate the impact of online video content. Right now, Nielsen, Kantar Media, TiVo, Arbitron, and Rentrak are the primary cross-platform digital video audience measurement firms in the U.S.

Mixed media are increasingly important to a key and growing segment of consumers, and companies need to get ahead of this trend with cross-platform metrics in order to assess, assign, and evaluate the overall media mix. Nielsen plans to release an integrated TV and online video product in 2011, but it is unclear how the industry will receive the combined video metric and, more importantly, if the firm will meet its expected deliverable goal. In Cross-Platform Ad Metrics & Reporting, Parks Associates lists universal metric definitions, standards, and data collection methods as necessary to ensure industry-wide adoption of a new metric.

Cross-Platform Ad Metrics & Reporting provides a competitive analysis of the leading digital TV and online video audience measurement firms in the U.S. The study employs a competitor analysis framework, using competitor profiling, to determine which digital video audience measurement firms are strategically positioned to provide an industry-recognized, cross-platform digital video audience metric standard. In addition to the competitor analysis, the report examines multiplatform video usage trends based on key audience demographics.

Kaleidescape BD Server Begins Shipping

Movie server company Kaleidescape has begun shipping the industry’s first Blu-ray Disc movie server, which can rip and stream high-def copies of discs throughout the home when paired with Kaleidescape’s M500 or M300 players.

Priced at just less than $1,500, the server must be connected to a player and the discs must remain in the server.

The server displays high-resolution cover art along with a brief synopsis of a film, as well as other movie details.

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Parks Associates presents new “Global Consumer Research on Femtocells” at Femtocells Americas

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates, will present key findings from a recently completed global study on femtocells on behalf of Femto Forum at the Femtocells Americas 2010 Conference during the session, “Global Consumer Research on Femtocells” on Tuesday, December 14th at 9:50 AM, in Miami, Florida.

Femtocells can have a major impact on consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Among U.S. consumers likely to change operators in the next 12 months, 44% were very likely to reconsider if their current operator offered a femtocell. The new research from Parks Associates reveals over 50% of U.S. broadband households find femtocells appealing.

The primary driver for femtocell interest is improved in-home coverage. Important secondary drivers include increased mobile handset battery life, faster mobile broadband, advanced femtocell services, and home-zone calling tariffs.

Rumors of a New PlayStation Portable

There are increasing rumors of a new PlayStation Portable with wireless capabilites. While neither Sony or Sony Ericsson have confirmed its existence, videos of the device have been circulating online.
Other analysts have called it dead on arrival. We believe instead that this device will be very appealing to a relevant share of consumers. Thanks to the strength of the PlayStation brand and its alleged graphics capabilities, the new PSP will capture the attention of gamers looking for something more than a smartphone. It is undeniable that so far casual games have been dominating the mobile gaming space while core gamers have been underserved.

Parks Associates Releases a New White Paper - The Connected TV and Video Experience: Recommendations, Search, and the User Interface

The user interface (UI) has emerged as a key factor in the success of the connected home.

This new white paper by Parks Associates examines its evolving role as consumer habits change and multiple connected devices enter the home.

UIs must meet these challenges while also taking on new roles as platform mediator and new revenue source.

Download this new white paper today.

Netflix Signs Streaming Deal for ABC, Disney

Netflix Inc. inked a licensing deal with Walt Disney Co. that allows for online video streaming of ABC television network and the Disney and ABC Family channels.

Netflix has been expanding its streaming offerings, signing deals with content providers such as NBC Universal, and has said its members are watching more content streamed over the Internet than on discs delivered by mail. It recently launched its first streaming-only subscription plan in the U.S., continuing its embrace of online streaming as the rise of digital film distribution continues to shake up the industry.

Under the agreement, relevant programming will be available on Netflix no earlier than 15 days after the initial telecast. Disney Channel and ABC 4Family movies such as "High School Musical" will also be available.

Netflix has consistently reported improved profit as it attracts subscribers and expands its library to compete with DVD kiosks and new digital players. In October, it reported third-quarter earnings rose more than it expected. Its stock has more than tripled this year.

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No Longer Tiny, Netflix Gets Respect- And Creates Fear

After years as a bit player in entertainment, Netflix Inc. is being eyed for a new role by Hollywood: industry hulk.

The Silicon Valley company has successfully expanded its mail-order DVD rental service to delivering video online. Meantime, the rise of Internet-connected TVs and disc players means that Netflix's electronically streamed movies and TV shows are reaching living rooms, not just computers.All that poses a potential threat to the traditional way consumers watch movies and TV: cable, phone and satellite systems.

Netflix had 16.9 million subscribers at the end of September, up 52% from a year earlier. Meantime, over the past two quarters, the number of U.S. households that subscribe to cable and other paid TV services fell for the first time since the dawn of cable—by about 335,000 households out of about 100 million, according to data provider SNL Kagan.

Netflix's growth surge—at a time of weak DVD sales and increasingly fragmented TV audiences—prompts concern among movie and TV studios as well as other technology companies. One big worry is that the company could end up dominating the electronic distribution of movies and TV the way Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store dominates music.

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Sony selling HDTV with built-in PlayStation 2

U.K. electronics retailer Richer Sounds is now selling a 22-inch Sony HDTV with a PlayStation 2 built in. According to its Twitter feed, the retailer started offering the product to its customers last week. It sells for 200 pounds, or about $300.

Dubbed the Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300, the set sits atop the built-in PlayStation 2. The HDTV boasts 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports (although two of them are USB 1.1), and two Ethernet connections. The set itself features a 1,366x768 resolution, meaning no 1080p for full HD fans.

But it's the PlayStation 2 integration that makes this product so interesting. Not only can gamers play PS2 titles on the device, but since the PlayStation 2 was backward-compatible with original PlayStation titles, users can also play the oldies on the television.

Although the KDL-22PX300 isn't the first set to feature a built-in console--a device called the Divers 2000 featured a built-in Sega Dreamcast--it's certainly on a short list. And Sony's decision to offer the PlayStation 2 in a set speaks to the longevity of the console.

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Technicolor Develops 3D Certification Program

Technicolor wants to be sure 3D is comfortable to watch.

With that in mind, the company has introduced a 3D Certification program aimed at broadcasters and network service providers, to ensure that 3D material meets minimum quality requirements before it is delivered to consumers. The foundation of the service, dubbed Technicolor Certifi3D, is an in-house developed 3D analysis software tool.

Technicolor's new 3D analysis software was developed by its Research and Innovation team. Utilizing the left and right source masters, the software is designed to build a 3D model in real time giving an accurate pixel count for objects that are too close or too far away from the viewer that would result in discomfort. It also automatically detects and flags conflicts with the edges of the TV screen, another source of discomfort for 3D in the home.

Initially, the certification program will be available in London and Los Angeles. Eventually the service would be available worldwide.

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Sony, Nikon, SanDisk plan faster Compact Flash cards

Sony, Nikon and SanDisk have developed a new specification for CompactFlash memory cards that promises photographers the ability to continuously shoot high-quality RAW images, they said Tuesday.

The proposed new format, which doesn't yet have a name, supports data transmission at up to 500MBps, the three companies said in a joint statement. This is roughly three times faster than CF6.0, the latest version of the CompactFlash-card format that was announced in mid-November.

The new format proposed by Sony, Nikon and SanDisk is not just intended for cameras. Use of the PCI Express interface should also speed up transfer of images from a card to a personal computer.

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Is Cloud Gaming the Future?

Yet another company, GameString, is about to launch a cloud gaming service. According to their website, it will give gamers access to 3D games on their browsers as well as the possibility to share gameplay with other people on the Web.

OnLive is already on the market with a solution that enables players to access games remotely through PCs or proprietary micro-consoles.

Gaikai, another company that offers cloud-based gaming, wants to revolutionize game advertising by offering demos that can be played immediately in a browser, without any download.

Is cloud gaming the future for the videogaming industry?

If these solutions are commercially successful, they will up-end the gaming market by making expensive consoles and PCs unnecessary for hardcore gaming. Also, if broadband providers support these services and package them with their offerings, these new gaming companies will be able to reach critical mass in a few years. However, we do not believe that cloud based gaming will ever replace game consoles, which have become powerful media hubs that offer much more than gaming. More likely, cloud-based gaming will be yet another option for people interested in games who have less time and money to spend on traditional boxed games.

Microsoft eyes leap back into TV: sources

Microsoft Corp is about to jump back into the TV game. Only this time, it may aim at cable, satellite and phone companies.The software powerhouse has held talks with TV networks to create a new subscription-based TV service on its Xbox gaming console that would rival efforts by Google Inc, Apple Inc and Netflix Inc, sources told Reuters.

Microsoft's latest explorations after investments in MSNBC and WebTV come as efforts to redefine living room entertainment have accelerated in the past year, with technology companies seeking to offer lower cost alternatives to pricey pay-TV subscriptions.

One scenario under consideration by Microsoft is to create a new TV service on its Xbox gaming console that would establish a "virtual cable operator." The service would charge a monthly fee for access through the Xbox to networks such as ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, ESPN or CNN, according to two sources familiar with the plans.

Other options include allowing cable subscribers to use the Xbox to watch shows with more interactive functions. Viewers could, for instance, message with friends over the console while viewing their favorite shows.

News of Microsoft's plans come as the pay-television industry are moving to allay investor concerns that consumers are fleeing expensive subscription packages for cheaper online services operated by companies such as Netflix Inc and Hulu, which both charge $7.99 per month for streamed shows and movies. The phenomenon is called "cord-cutting."

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Acer Jumps Into Tablet Fray

As the rise of tablets threatens its low-cost laptop business, computer maker Acer Inc. unveiled plans to begin selling tablets that run either Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. software.

The Taiwan company said it will release three touchscreen tablets next year. The first, based on Microsoft's Windows platform, will have a 10.1 inch screen and be released in February. The company will also release two tablets using Google's Android platform in April, one with a 7-inch screen and one with a 10.1-inch screen.

Acer is the latest personal-computer maker to join the tablet bandwagon after Apple Inc.'s iPad, released in April, attracted strong consumer demand. Samsung Electronics Co. has begun selling a Google-based tablet with a 7-inch screen. Other companies, including BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. and Hewlett-Packard Co., have announced plans to introduce tablets to compete with Apple's product.

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Things that I think will be interesting at CES

• Personal clouds and digital lockers
• Internet security, particularly for mobile devices. Location trackers, GPS, etc. Companies such as Lookout
• TV Everywhere on the consumer electronics device. Think of the Virgin Media/TiVo announcement from 12/1/10 or LG Electronics and Orange in France. We will see a ton of service provider announcements regarding their premium video services on connected TV devices.
• Many companies showcasing ways to bring Web content to the TV:

a. Transcoding: ActiveVideo Networks, Clearleap

b. Browsers: ACCESS, Opera, Espial, etc.

c. Flash: Adobe

d. Google Android

e. Yahoo! Connected TV

• Personal storage devices (Rebit, Clickfree)
• Companies copying Flip Video with handheld digital recorders
• Premium tech support services for mobile devices will be a space to watch in 2011
• Premium tech support services for small/medium businesses
• Value-added services from broadband providers: particularly interest in home controls, health, energy, and security monitoring
• Consumer Videoconferencing on the TV

a. Skype on connected TVs

b. Logitech Vid™

c. Cisco ūmi

d. Polycom

e. Vidyo

3D Gadgets Descend on Christmas

Step into any electrical store and you can't escape the way TV manufacturers have designated this to be the 3D Christmas. There are plenty of sets vying for attention, none of which are definitively the best; although, in this area, plasma screens currently seem to have the upper hand over LCDs.

More exciting are the other devices starting to overcome the obstacles inherent in 3D technology. With much of the content, for instance, originating in the cinema, a projector seems a natural way to view it. The LG CF3D shows 3D in a form that can be viewed using inexpensive, lightweight polarizing glasses.

Outside the realm of multidimensional offerings are a couple of other notable gadgets for the home. The audiophile will appreciate the Harman Kardon GLA-55 multimedia speakers, which are as loud as they look, while coffee lovers will envy the compact Miele CM5100 freestanding coffee machine, with its wide variety of easy-to-use programs. Meanwhile, the diamonds around the edge of the £5 million Stuart Hughes iPhone 4 could just solve the phone's infamous aerial problem.

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Motorola enters the connected home market through the acquisition of 4Home

Connected home platform developer 4Home was acquired by Motorola today (12/01/10). 4Home will now become a part of Motorola’s Mobility division; terms of the deal have not yet been announced.

4Home’s solutions include energy management, healthcare monitoring, home security monitoring and entertainment management. 4Home, a Sunnyvale, CA based company, was founded in 2005 and has been a regular participant at Parks Associates’ CONNECTIONS conference. To date the company has raised over $9 million in venture capital funding from Pond Ventures, Parker Price and Verizon Ventures.

Motorola is one of the leading Set-Top-Box (STB) brands and we predict that 4Home’s platform will be embedded on their (Motorola’s) STBs enhancing the company’s offering. We expect more details on the deal to be available soon.

In our opinion this is another great example of a market mover, such as Motorola, building the foundation for the connected home systems and services market to blossom. We have repeatedly stated that there are multiple paths to the connected home. 4Home developed a robust platform and Motorola is well-positioned to deploy it. Other recent examples of companies with market clout getting behind the connected home solutions include cable MSOs Comcast and Rogers, both deploying services based on the iControl/uControl (a recent merger) platform(s).

The bottom line for industry participants is that these firms, and others we expect to hear from shortly, will build awareness of the capabilities monitoring and control technologies can add to consumers’ lifestyles. 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the connected home systems and services market. So much so, that we are formulating a new market intelligence program aimed at characterizing and quantifying opportunities in this arena for manufacturers, service providers, utilities, retailers and a host of technology enablers. Stay tuned

Nokia X7 Gaming Phone Allegedly Surfaces with Four Speakers

Nokia may have a gaming focused phone in the near future based on a possible leak. The X7-00 would have most of the feature set of the E7, including the four-inch AMOLED screen and eight-megapixel camera, but would go all-touch and focus on audio. The design seen by Nokia Saga would have four speakers, one at each corner, and so would be much louder for gameplay or music than its usual one- or two-speaker rivals.

If real, the X7-00 didn't get a release date with the leak. Its next closest opportunity for a major unveiling would be Mobile World Congress in February, but Nokia is known to release many of its non-flagship phones outside of trade shows.

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