Digital Lifescapes

Wireless fourth-generation (4G) mobile network subscriber adoption will escalate in 2012 -- as a variety of 4G-enabled mobile devices, such as USB dongles, smartphones, media tablets, 4G portable hotspots, and wireless broadband CPE modems, are shipping this year. "4G devices are expected to generate 87 million in unit sales in 2012, that's up 294 percent year-on-year,” states Jake Saunders, vice president of forecasting at ABI Research . According to their latest market assessment, the lion’s share of the global market is now backing LTE as service provider and vendor support has fallen away from the WiMAX fourth generation wireless network standard. Observing the success of 3G cellular services, ABI analysts believes that it is clear there is a natural evolutionary demand from end-users, both business and consumer, to jump onto the 4G data bandwagon. However, there are still some teething issues that will need to be resolved. Some operators in Western Europe have st...

As the number of consumer electronic (CE) devices and their capabilities continue to evolve and converge, many require significantly more communication bandwidth to provide the quality interactive experience users have come to expect. SuperSpeed USB brings significant performance enhancements to the ubiquitous USB standard, while remaining compatible with the billions of USB-enabled devices currently deployed in the market. The additional throughput is required to accommodate the need to transfer large digital media files between devices. According to the latest market study by NPD In-Sta t, they now forecast that SuperSpeed USB-enabled device shipments are on a fast track and will surpass 1 billion in 2014, that's up from 70 million in 2011. "Because the throughput of SuperSpeed USB, ten times that of high-speed USB, is not required in some devices, adoption will not initially be as broad as for full- and high-speed USB," says Brian O’Rourke, Research Director at N...

Wi-Fi connectivity has taken on new meaning within the connected home, as more IP-enabled consumer electronic devices reach the marketplace. Meanwhile, broadband service providers and retailers are introducing Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities in all types of social venues and in-store surroundings. Expect to find Wi-Fi availability in more places, used in a variety of new applications, during 2012. In the first quarter of 2011, worldwide revenue for the Wi-Fi network equipment market remained relatively flat compared to Q1’11 -- staying at $1.6 billion, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . Continuing a trend, 802.11n remains the fastest growing Wi-Fi technology with shipments rising 17 percent from the previous quarter, while revenues grew nearly 7 percent. “In terms of total unit shipments, TP-LINK is number one, leading the way with a 26 percent market share,” says Brad Shaffer, Analyst at In-Stat. NETGEAR has overtaken D-Link for the number two spot with ne...

The transition to SuperSpeed USB (also known as USB 3.0) is occurring more rapidly than previously anticipated -- due primarily to quicker integration of the new interface standard into core logic chipsets. Yet, low-/full-speed (USB 1.0) and high-speed (USB 2.0) will remain relevant for the near future as well. Low-/full-speed will remain the communication interface of choice in mice and keyboards, and high-speed will remain in many PC peripheral and consumer electronics (CE) multimedia applications. According to the latest market study by In-Stat , USB will grow at 7.4 percent through 2015 with most of that growth being fueled from SuperSpeed devices which will have an impressive CAGR of 178 percent over that same time period. "Because the throughput of SuperSpeed USB -- 10 times that of high-speed USB -- is not required in some devices, adoption will not initially be as broad as for full- and high-speed USB," says Brian O'Rourke, Research Director at In-Stat. ...

Wireless network modem shipments in 2009 topped 72 million units, a significant growth over the 46.4 million units shipped during 2008. According to the latest market study by ABI Research , both volumes pale in comparison with the expected 93 million units expected to ship in 2010. The overwhelming majority of these modems are found in the USB dongle form factor rather than embedded in their host devices. "Many new mobile broadband networks are being deployed right now," says ABI Research principal analyst Jeff Orr. The HSPA and HSPA+ protocols, as well as 4G WiMAX and LTE, are luring new broadband service subscribers who want their existing computing and communications devices to be enabled for those networks. Orr adds, "We find that new computer sales with embedded modem modules are being adopted between 9 and 12 months after the new network services launch, while USB modems are an immediate upgrade opportunity." ABI practice director Kevin Burden says, ...

USB connectivity has been extremely successful in the digital still camera and digital camcorder markets. Most people want to use it to transfer images to PCs, to store video recordings, or to print their pictures. As picture file sizes increase with digital camera image resolution, and as camcorders move from standard-definition (SD) to high-definition (HD), the desirability of SuperSpeed USB becomes even more apparent, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . As a result, adoption of SuperSpeed USB into digital cameras and camcorders will be much more rapid than other CE device segments -- with penetration levels reaching 50 and 60 percent respectively, by 2014. "SuperSpeed USB can move 25GB of data in 70 seconds, the same amount of data would take nearly 14 minutes using high-speed USB,” says Brian O’Rourke, Principal Analyst. This dramatic leap in download times makes the adoption of SuperSpeed USB into digital camcorders and cameras a natural migration. In-st...

The ongoing shift to high-definition (HD) video content, from standard-definition (SD), has gained new momentum as the price of low-end HD camcorders continues to decline. The market development from HD video resolution professional-grade to advanced prosumer and then to mainstream consumer devices has been swift. There are several HD Video formats , which are used for video capture and for online video streaming applications. One thing that all HD formats seem to have in common, they create significantly larger file sizes than the prior SD formats. As you capture more video in HD or acquire stock video for your multimedia projects, you'll quickly discover the need for more hard drive capacity. As an example, it takes about 13GB of memory to store one hour of standard definition (DV) video and 40GB to store an hour of high definition (HD) video. File sizes can vary depending on the video codec and bit rate options. Also, whether you store and edit in native (uncompressed) forma...

Wireless modem devices come in a variety of form factors -- including USB modems, PC cards, embedded modules, and wireless routers. Among the external devices, USB modems have become one of the most popular wireless communication products. So popular, in fact, that ABI Research forecasts shipments of nearly 81 million this year. Today, the majority of wireless broadband subscribers enjoying portable connectivity use USB ports. The alternative, the PC Card slot, has rapidly been displaced since the introduction of USB in 2006. "The main reason for USB modem popularity is versatility at a low price," says Jeff Orr, principal analyst, mobile devices at ABI Research. According to the latest ABI Research market study, more than 50 percent of the modem models now available in the market utilize the ubiquitous USB interface. Adds Orr, "USB dongles connect the subscriber to a specific network rapidly and without installing drivers. As new networks using the latest 3G ...

The potential to eliminate slower interface connections -- to save space and allow smaller consumer electronics device designs -- is driving integration of SuperSpeed USB (3.0) into netbooks and other mobile PCs, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . Today, 97 percent of the mobile PC market uses high-speed USB (2.0), however by 2014 In-Stat expects the market to transition completely to SuperSpeed USB. "In the past, new interface technologies were adopted more quickly in desktops," says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. However, the landscape is shifting. Mobile PCs are omitting optical and large hard disk drives, which increases the need for faster interfaces to connect to external storage solutions. This makes SuperSpeed USB a higher priority in mobile PCs. I believe that the accelerated adoption of HD video formats, that produce significantly larger files than SD formats, will create new momentum to quickly utilize faster device connectivity standar...

The introduction of SuperSpeed USB devices in 2009 provided the seeds of dramatic change in the USB market, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . SuperSpeed USB, which offers a ten-fold bandwidth improvement over high-speed USB, will grow to just under 30 percent of the USB interface technology market by 2014, according to In-Stat forecasts. The success of SuperSpeed USB will be limited initially, however. "It will take time for SuperSpeed USB to be integrated into the core logic PC chipset," says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. USB achieved its immense success primarily due to core logic integration, which effectively allowed PC OEMs to offer it for free. Integration is essential before a new USB standard becomes prominent in PCs. In-Stat's latest market study found the following: - More than 3 billion USB-enabled devices shipped in 2009; over 4 billion will ship in 2012. - Nearly 160 million digital TV sets will ship with USB in 2014. - ...

As I’ve mentioned before, I have utilized low-cost USB flash drives for my video content transport applications. Initially, the largest drive that I used had a 4GB memory capacity. Recently, I’ve been using a much larger 16GB drive and discovered that the benefits go beyond storage capacity. The developers of non-linear video editing software recommend that you store the video content that you are editing on a separate drive, to help improve performance. Typically, that meant adding a new hard disc drive to you PC configuration. Transporting in-progress video content requires that you either use an external hard drive designed for mobile apps, or a USB drive (also known as memory stick or thumb drive). In the past your applications were greatly limited by the USB flash drives capacity – and the relative high-cost per gigabyte of storage. As the cost of high-capacity flash drives decreased, that new development has opened up opportunities to apply these devices for more routine v...

With home broadband networking adoption passing 50 percent of households in North America and 13 percent worldwide, the consumer network storage (CNS) market is seeing continued growth. Web-enabled consumer devices, such as TVs and Blu-ray players, are further diversifying the demand and applications for consumer network storage devices, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . "Consumer network storage devices increase the content that can be stored and distributed via the home network," says Norm Bogen, In-Stat analyst. "This increases the value of the entire home network to its users, as well as enabling new applications and capabilities." I've been working on enhancing my own content storage capabilities, and will post a review of a high-capacity USB flash drive shortly. And, I'm in the process of selecting an external mobile hard-drive storage device -- in both use cases, for my video content transport applications. In-Stat's market study f...

The market for digital interface technologies continues to grow. According to the latest market study by In-Stat , USB is still the most common interface on both work and home personal computer (PC) platforms. Other common device interfaces include DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, Bluetooth, eSATA, and 1394 (FireWire). USB Flash cards are still the most commonly connected peripherals. I'm now using a variety of USB storage devices for my multimedia file transportation needs -- I'll share more about my own application scenarios in an upcoming post. "Just because an interface is common, does not mean it is widely used," says Brian O’Rourke, In-Stat analyst. "For example, 1394 was the second most common interface, but is rarely used." HDMI is a less common home PC interface. However, among those few consumers with an HDMI port, a large percentage use it to connect their portable or desktop PC HDMI port to their digital television set HDMI input. HDMI connectivity is the...

SuperSpeed USB technology will experience broad adoption across a range of PC and related peripherals over the next several years, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. Among peripherals, SuperSpeed USB will be targeted initially at devices requiring high data transfer rates and large data stores -- such as external hard-disk drives and Flash Drives. Other likely target devices include Portable Media Players (PMPs), LCD PC monitors, and digital still cameras. In-Stat projects that attach rates for SuperSpeed USB will grow to over 70 percent in external hard-drives by 2012, with similar attach rates in notebook and desktop PCs. Initial adoption will emerge in 2010. By 2013, shipments of USB 3.0 flash drives will approach 200 million units worldwide. Eventually, mobile phones will be the highest volume segment, simply due to the overwhelming volume phones shipped. Overall, SuperSpeed USB will represent over 25 percent of the USB market by 2013. "SuperSpeed may eventually ...

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...

Shipment of the wireless cellular modems used to connect laptops and netbooks to the Internet indicate that more than 35 million of the devices reached the market in 2008. Of that total, the majority were the external USB modems that mobile operators have been pushing for some time. Continued growth has been bolstered as mobile operators have bundled USB modems with netbooks in subsidized price plans. A further 3.5 million were embedded modems, built into the computers. According to ABI Research principal analyst Philip Solis, "After years of slow growth, the embedded cellular modem market is starting to show signs of life, increasing volumes and exceeding expectations." ABI Research expects that, building on a good showing of 3.5 million units in 2008, shipments of embedded modems will more than double in 2009. Qualcomm and Ericsson have been targeting the embedded modem market directly, positioning their products very competitively against each other. Operators, especially ...

Apparently, 2008 was a growth year for the cellular modem market, as many wireless operators aggressively increased their 3G data service offerings. Consequently, 3G modem manufacturers enjoyed an upswing in demand with shipments reaching 20 million units in 2008, according to the latest market study from In-Stat. Two big trends are the move in form factor to USB modems and the growing emphasis on embedded modems, led by Ericsson and Qualcomm. Embedded shipments will overtake external modem shipments by the end of 2011. The result is increasing price erosion for external clients, especially in Western Europe, where Huawei has become a strong player. "Clearly, here is an instance where CAPEX investments in good times are paying dividends in lean years" says Daryl Schoolar, In-Stat analyst. "Operators continue to move forward with their mobile data subscription initiatives even as the economy suffers. This has put cellular modem manufacturers in a really nice place to be....

After a very long wait, the first stage of what will become the new wireless home office is arriving, according to a market study by ABI Research. Some home office UWB (ultra-wideband) products are now reaching retailer shelves, and more are expected by the end of the year. These are mainly in the wireless USB category, the first major market application for UWB, utilizing wireless USB embedded in devices such as laptop computers, wireless docking stations for those computers, and wireless external hard drives. "The wireless USB docking station seems to be hitting a sweet spot," says ABI Research senior analyst Douglas McEuen. "A number of the more capable laptop models now include native wireless USB. This represents an important step towards creation of the true wireless home office." Apparently, Dell and Lenovo are leaders in UWB-enabled laptops; wireless USB docking stations are available from Kensington and Toshiba, and Imation is expected to release a wireless...

Sprint, the U.S. wireless operator, lowered its mobile broadband prices for using a phone as a modem, but the price for using PC Cards and USB modems are unchanged. Given this change, cellular modem sales are still set to top $22 billion by 2013. ABI Research principal analyst Dan Shey notes, "Customers want mobile broadband experiences like those provided by their PCs, meaning they want the fastest devices. Phones with at least 3G radios threaten cellular modem sales; however shipments of these modems will not exceed 30 percent of cellular handset shipments by 2011." But to truly understand this threat, we must analyze regional penetration of 3G devices. Industrialized countries will see deeper penetration of these higher-priced devices, typically in the hands of business customers. However convenience is important to business customers -- PC Cards and USB modems are far more convenient than phones for broadband connectivity. Adding complexity to the analysis is the growing...

And now 2008 will mark the first year in which shipments of high-speed USB devices will surpass shipments of low- and full-speed USB-enabled devices, according to the latest market study by In-Stat. But the most significant development over the past year in the USB market has been the announcement of SuperSpeed USB, the third major revision of the wired USB specification, the high-tech market research firm says. SuperSpeed is expected to deliver actual throughput of 3 gigabits per second (Gbps), a rate significantly higher than that of high-speed USB. SuperSpeed USB is expected to begin shipping as discrete silicon in 2009, and broad deployment of SuperSpeed USB-enabled products is expected in 2010. SuperSpeed USB will be targeted initially at the PC market and in devices requiring high rates and volumes of data transfer, such as external storage, CE, and communications devices with increasing amounts of storage. The In-Stat research covers the worldwide market for USB. It provides for...