Digital Lifescapes

According to findings from the latest market study by Juniper Research, new analysis has revealed a high growth surge expected in the emerging Smart Wireless Accessory sector. The new study found that shipments of app-enabled smart wireless accessories will approach 170 million by the end of 2018, compared to over 18 million this year. At that time the market will be dominated by consumer electronics (CE) and fitness accessories, although in the longer run healthcare smart wireless accessories are expected to gain most traction. Emerging Consumer Electronic Markets Juniper noted that significant growth is expected across a very wide breadth of applications, comprising areas as diverse as video eyewear, baby monitoring, home security & monitoring and TV transmission equipment. "The actual take up of CE smart wireless accessories will depend on whether companies succeed in creating accessories that will capture the imagination of the consumer," said Nitin Bhas, se...

The global aftermarket of accessories and services for mobiles phones has experienced consistent growth, with the smartphone category setting new market upside targets. The other related sector to watch will be media tablet accessories. According to the latest marekt study by ABI Research, smartphones will drive $20 billion in aftermarket accessory revenues in 2012 -- accounting for more than half of the $36 billion that all aftermarket mobile handset accessories will produce. By 2017, smartphone accessories will grow to $38 billion in revenues, while feature phone accessory revenues decline to $12 billion. "The increasing penetration of smartphones is driving a shift in accessory design toward smart accessories that drive higher levels of consumer interaction, product value, and brand recognition," says Michael Morgan, senior analyst, devices, applications and content at ABI Research . For new market entrants, developing brand recognition is paramount in capturing ma...

Google announced the most anticipated mobile phone since the Apple iPhone launch. The Nexus One is based on Google's open source mobile operating system (Android), and their OS has clearly received strong support from manufacturers and mobile operators. In-Stat says that it believes the smartphone stakes are high. Gone are the days when the basis of competition was solely defined by hardware. Software is becoming the key in defining the user experience. However, the focus is now shifting from the OS to the device application software. In fact, enabling third-party applications has increased importance in the competitive mobile OS landscape. In-stat believes that when independent software developers create or port-over applications, that can greatly impact the success of the handset platform and the market opportunity for the carrier. If, however, a particular mobile phone OS does not garner enough independent developer support, then the result could be disastrous. In fact, as ment...

With over three billion devices shipped in 2008 alone, USB is the most successful electronic device interface ever, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. Fueled by new SuperSpeed technology, also known as USB 3.0, and continued adoption across computing, communication and consumer devices, over 4 billion USB-enabled devices will ship in 2013 -- representing a 6.6 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) compared to 2008. Highlights from the In-Stat study include: - Digital TVs with USB will grow to 140 million units shipped in 2013. - USB-enabled LCD PC monitors will grow to about 70 million units, propelled by a CAGR of over 150 percent. - Blueray DVD players with USB will see a CAGR of over 90 percent. These growth segments will complement the enormous volume of markets such as handsets, where internal USB capability can be found in more than 1 billion units shipped annually, and where USB ports are becoming much more common. "USB dominates its traditional applicat...

Demand for PC-TV tuners has fallen off from the 2008 levels due to the worldwide economic recession, according to the latest study by In-Stat. Perhaps broadcast signal reception quality is also still an issue -- that was my prior personal experience with analog tuners. The market also faces fundamental challenges, including slow consumer demand, increased competition from online television and other programming sources, and lower prices due to a shift from hybrid analog/digital tuners to digital-only tuners. One hopeful development is that Microsoft's Windows 7 and the new version of Media Center will apparently include better connectivity solutions for PC-TV Tuners. "Opportunities for growth will be for hybrid analog/digital tuner manufacturers to increase share by lowering prices, or for new entrants to leapfrog the analog and hybrid segments by aggressively targeting the emerging digital-only segments, albeit with lower margins," says Gerry Kaufhold, In-Stat analyst. I...

The U.S. market for PC accessories and related peripherals, software, and services continues to represent a substantial opportunity for PC vendors, independent software developers, peripheral makers, and critical component suppliers. IDC's third annual survey confirms that, within the first 12 months of making a PC purchase, U.S. consumers over the age of 18 spend an average of $0.87 on additional PC-related purchases for every $1 dollar they spent on a PC. Small businesses with less than 100 employees spend an average of $284 per PC on other products and services that enhance usage and productivity, while securing their computing environment. On the consumer side, the most common product category purchased is software, for both desktop and notebook buyers, with a majority of respondents purchasing anti-spam and/or security software. Over half of survey respondents tend to buy accessories in retail stores at the time of purchase, with the second most common choice being retailers...

At the CES 2009 event, earlier this year, there was no shortage of iPod accessory makers, cell phone case manufactures and companies making add-on solutions for every gadget you can imagine. As the proud owner of a new 4th generation Apple iPod nano -- a gift from a family member -- I was on the lookout for useful accessories that would improve my mp-3 player usage experience. That said, two products caught my attention. The nano player is small and thin, and it looks really delicate -- it's the kind of item that would be easy to damage, especially if dropped on a hard surface. Clearly, there's lots of ways to protect this little device from harm, and I chose the Impact Series case from OtterBox . This thin, skin-like design that's made from silicon rubber provides protection against bump and shock to your device. The nano controls and connector slot are all accessible through the case, and the inner corners are designed to dissipate impact away from your music player. I r...