Research firm, Strategy Analytics, has published a new survey report titled “Consumer Imperatives for Digital TV Media Browsers” which found that Wii-style, motion-sensing TV remotes may be the next big thing for browsing media applications in next generation TVs. The survey also found that wireless PC-style keyboards came in a close second with traditional TV remotes coming in third. Bad news for voice control TV technologies. Respondents considered voice control “the least appropriate option” for TV navigation. MORE »

It wasn’t that long ago that Microsoft introduced Surface to public. Originally, it was thought that it was going to be rolled out to consumers in some fashion and to businesses for infotainment purposes. As luck would have it, only hotel chains, cellular service providers, casinos, and other companies have been able to get there hands on these touch screen computer tables. Well, that may soon change. According to istartedsomething.com, Microsoft has been surveying some of its users to gage interest on a hypothetical consumer variation of the Surface table codemamed “Oahu.” In the survey, Microsoft details how Oahu would work, common uses, and example form factor applications. Interestingly, the company is pegging the price point to $1,499. Below are some snippets from the survey. MORE »

Among the top designated marketing areas (DMAs), San Francisco, Miami and Los Angeles are the most connected cities, based on home networking adoption, according to new research from MultiMedia Intelligence. A wired or wireless home network allows consumers to connect multiple PCs and printers, and to share Internet access among computers. MORE »

More than 70% of DVR owners say that they cannot live without their DVR, according to a new survey commissioned by NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV.

NDS is the world leader in DVR technology. Over 18 pay-TV operators located all over the world have chosen NDS solutions to bring the unique capabilities and flexibility of the DVR to their subscribers, and there are more than 13.1 million NDS-powered DVRs in households around the world today.

NDS wanted to know how DVRs are changing people’s lives. The statistics and trends detailed in the NDS DVR Report demonstrate the importance of the DVR’s role in the lives of consumers of all ages. MORE »

In a new survey by Parks Associates, roughly two-thirds of U.S. and Canadian broadband households reported regular use of a PC to play music while at home, and one-third said they use a television to listen to music. MP3 players ranked equal to TVs, with one-third of households using these platforms for music, in the new report titled Digital Media Habits II. MORE »

Mindset Media, an online ad network that enables brand advertisers to reach millions of people with the personality traits that fit their brands, released today a Mindset Profile(TM) of avid technology consumers, which the company generated from a recent study conducted using Nielsen’s Online panel.

How does a technology gadget get picked up by the masses? If you are Apple, you’re hoping the reduced price of the iPhone 3G will help push your product into the mainstream. But in a recent study, Mindset Media explored if there were characteristics beyond traditional demographics that might predict which consumers were likely to be enthusiastic adopters of technologies. The results show it may be a case of wiring.

The study, fielded in March among 25,000 respondents, revealed that people who eagerly snap up the latest techno gadgets, like cell phones, flat screens and computers, have a distinct Mindset Profile, or set of psychographic traits. Interestingly, these traits are not driven by age, gender, or income. MORE »

Cable, satellite TV and now even telephone companies have been heavily promoting a variety of new services, ranging from high-definition video to movies on demand. But communications industry leaders believe the best way to attract and keep customers is by providing the fastest Internet speeds, according to a new Pike & Fischer Broadband Advisory Services survey. MORE »