Trender Research™

Technology meets people.

Trender Research™ covers consumer technology trends by combining expert analysis with the voice of everyday people.

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Welcome to Trender Research

Introduction from Brian Mahony, CEO Trender Research, Inc.
Welcome to Trender Research! Trender Research is a market research and consulting firm that covers the use of technology-based devices and services by everyday people. Trender Research is dedicated to capturing the voice of not just the technically adept, but demographic groups that are often overlooked by established market research firms and the developers of new gadgets and services--- read more...

Personal Technology News

High-Tech Grocery Lists

Cranky Consumer tries few services that aim to make shopping a piece of cake: grocery-list mobile apps.

Quicken on the Mac

Walt Mossberg answers a reader's question on using a Windows version of Quicken on the Mac.

Raising the iPad's Productivity Level

IPads and other tablets are being used every day for productivity tasks once reserved for laptops. Walt Mossberg looks at apps that attempt to emulate the features of Office.

An Old Start to a New Windows

Walt Mossberg reviews Start8 and Pokki, two products that restore the Start Menu to Windows 8.

iTunes You Can Use

For people who are puzzled over fine points of iTunes, Katherine Boehret offers some ways to improve the way they use the digital-download source.

Tech News

App Smart: Phone Timer Apps Help You Stay on Schedule

Apps for Apple and Android phones act as countdown timers; many can keep track of multiple events at one time.
       


Gadgetwise Blog: Earbuds Designed for Women, Not in Pink

The audio company Koss is making headphones for women that are one-third smaller than men’s.
       


Gadgetwise Blog: A Fitting Screen Protector for the iPhone 5

Trü Protection is trying to simplify the process for applying screen protectors to the iPhone 4 and 5 with a mounting system intended to automatically align a phone and a screen protector.
       


Gadgetwise Blog: App Adds Smartphone Features to a GPS

Garmin’s Nuvi GPS now links to the iPhone using an app to add functions to the GPS. But some of those added functions cost extra, and some may not be worth the expense.
       


Tool Kit: Swindles and Spam, Lurking in Your Search Results

A little caution when using a search engine can help you steer clear of fraudulent merchandise and keep out of the clutches of spammers.
       


 

Trender Posts

Getting closer to cutting the cord completely

My daughter's friend was over the other day talking about her favorite shows and my daughter had no idea what she was talking about. It was then that I realized that my kids have already cut the cord from channel surfing the major channels. For about 3 years now, the majority of our content comes from Netflix, with a bit more from Amazon, Hulu, and YouTube, or directly from ABC.com, etc.

 

My kids have been mostly raised on documentaries and movies. My sons love "Famous Tank…

Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on February 12, 2013 at 2:14pm

Remaining Upside Opportunities for Pay-TV Services

The legacy pay-TV services market can now be divided into two distinct groups. First, those regions where the market is fully saturated and customer churn is the primary activity. Second, the developing nations where local pay-TV providers can still find new customers willing and able to pay for their offerings.



According to the latest market study by ABI Research, the global pay-TV market added nearly 47 million new customers in 2012 -- reaching a total of 864 million…

Continue

Posted by David H. Deans on December 25, 2012 at 1:49pm

What is the future of location based services?

Everything today is in context. You can't read a news story, talk to a neighbor, watch a sporting event, or plan a vacation without understanding context. Who you are. Where you want to go. Your habits. Your friends and family. Finances. You name it.

 

So it is no surprise that advertisers for a long time have figured out that understanding the context of their target audience is worth more to them that just a static list of names and addresses. And in today's mobile world,…

Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on January 16, 2012 at 10:14pm

Wireless speakers

Why can’t I use these speakers to play music from my computer?



      I’m sitting in my room at my parent’s house, watching the NBA playoffs on TV. Above my TV, I have 2 fairly large speakers that are hooked up to a relatively old stereo. The idea: convert these 2 unused speakers into wireless speakers that I can use from my computer.

      After doing a little research on wireless speakers I was not impressed. Most of the conversation is focused on surround sound or home…

Continue

Posted by Brian on May 15, 2011 at 11:00pm

Netflix Takes Aim at the Cable Guys, With a Promise to Start Firing Tomorrow. What's Next for You?

Netflix, which is fighting with the cable guys and telcos over streaming video costs, says it will publish a ranking of the best broadband performers. Or in other words: Netflix says it will tell some broadband customers that the...http://tiny.cc/ky5kn            Read the full story

Posted by JL Henry on January 26, 2011 at 7:22pm

Technology, Media and Telecom Outlook for 2011

Informa Telecoms & Media recently revealed the top ten anticipated trends during 2011 -- for the telecoms and media sectors -- at its annual Industry Outlook event in

London, England.



"We have identified the key trends across our research areas that we

think will shape the converging global telecoms and media markets over

the next 12 months. In addition, our annual industry survey gave us some

insight into how the…

Continue

Posted by David H. Deans on January 3, 2011 at 12:55pm

Can Roku Compete in an OTT World with Google and Apple devices?

There has been a lot of discussion about the impact Google and Apple's new Internet TV devices will have on the market. In short, they will certainly spread the OTT message to more people and drive competition, innovation, more content relationships, and lower prices. But how will they change the landscape for existing devices such as Roku?



Roku has done a great job combining the key features of an Over the Top video solution for the masses: low price, simple UI/remote, easy set-up,… Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on October 3, 2010 at 7:03pm

New Over the Top (OTT) Video Study: Trender Research Predicts 7 Percent of Households Will “Cut the Cord” on Pay TV Subscriptions by 2012

Full announcement here: http://www.trenderresearch.com/page/ott-video-report



Thanks to everyone who provided data and perspectives for this report. I think you will find this the most comprehensive analysis of this fast-moving industry.



Westford, MA, — Trender Research™ Inc. (www.trenderresearch.com), a consumer technology market research and… Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on August 8, 2010 at 7:45pm

Digital Security Thought Leaders Highlight Evolving Trends in a New Report by Trender Research

Concern for identity theft and rise of social networking and mobile applications have changed view of online safety and driven the development of comprehensive security suites.



Westford, MA, — Trender Research™ Inc. (www.trenderresearch.com), a market research and consulting firm that combines expert analysis with the voice of everyday people, announced a new Trender Thought Leaders report for the digital security industry. The… Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on July 27, 2010 at 12:30pm

OTT Video Adventures Part 5: Cutting the Cable Cord on Pay TV Sports and News

While my dear sweet wife Kirsten seems to be hedging on giving up on our Pay TV service from Comcast, I am doing one last reflection on over-the-top (OTT) video content before we jump into evaluating our hardware options. My focus for this week is a pretty big one and one of the key areas of concern in switching to an Internet-based TV watching… Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on July 15, 2010 at 11:30pm

Healthcare Thought Leaders Predict the Impact of Technology in a New Report by Trender Research

Amidst major policy reforms, industry luminaries and a focus group of everyday people are optimistic that technology can substantially reduce costs and improve patient care.





Westford, MA, — Trender Research™ Inc. (www.trenderresearch.com), a market research and consulting firm that combines expert analysis with the voice of everyday people, announced a new Trender Thought Leaders report for the healthcare industry. The… Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on June 8, 2010 at 7:30pm

Comparing Hybrid OTT/Pay TV Solutions on Opposite Sides of the Pond: TV Everywhere and Project Canvas

It is becoming increasingly clear that the flood gates for OTT video—that is TV and movie programming over a broadband Internet connection—have opened and are forcing traditional television service providers and movie studios to build profit tributaries off this rolling river or risk having many of their paying subscribers swept away. The industry is determined not to remake the mistakes of their brethren in the music business and is therefore trying to be proactive. The most promising of these… Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on May 3, 2010 at 9:22pm

WHDI Podcast: Can WHDI Become the Video Version of WiFi?



In our latest podcast, we chat with Leslie Chard, President of WHDI, LLC. In it, we talk about WHDI’s release of the new WHDI 1.0 specification, and what this means for the industry. Click here to listen and read on for our thoughts.



For over the top video (and for that matter any home HD video/media) to truly achieve mainstream adoption, it needs to find its way to the TVs… Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on April 7, 2010 at 8:00am

SXSW 2010: Free-Market for Earned Media

My big take-away from the South-by-Southwest (SXSW) Interactive festival this year was a further validation that big media companies -- traditional publishers of print content in particular -- are still searching for a way to halt their collective slide into eventual insolvency.



Surely, given their vast resources, the very best big publishers are capable of evolving their business model. At least, that's their hope for the future. But, how does an… Continue

Posted by David H. Deans on March 18, 2010 at 11:00am

Social Networks, Education, and Bullying

WiredSafety Logo



New Hampshire State Representatives have sponsored a bill to update and improve the state's anti-bullying laws. According to the Portsmouth Herald’s January article this bill could make a stronger more up-to-date law that takes cyber-bullying into account.… Continue

Posted by Michael Whalen on January 25, 2010 at 6:00am

Technology Media Telecommunications (TMT) 2010 Outlook

Certainly, 2009 was full of challenges for the Technology, Media and Telecoms sector, but I remain upbeat regarding the upside market opportunities in 2010.



Why am I optimistic? The public Internet continues to be a disruptive force that's transforming and reshaping the new world order within the Global Networked Economy.



In particular, the emergence and continued development of low-cost IP Video… Continue

Posted by David H. Deans on December 31, 2009 at 3:57pm

Robot Dance Competition in Tokyo: Get Your Computational Groove On!

For all of you robot afficiandos, you have to check out the recent "ROBO-ONE GATE INTERNATIONAL ROBOT EXHIBITION 2009" that took place in Tokyo. It really is amazing how far robots have come. I am especially impressed by some of the side-to-side moves, the ability to get up from a fall, and how well coordinated the dance moves are to the music. There is still a lot of work to do to make robots mainstream, but the technology at least seems to be… Continue

Posted by Brian Mahony on December 9, 2009 at 8:30am

USDA Telemedicine Grants Announced

USDA announced that 111 projects for $34.9 million in grants will to go to 35 states to increase to expand access to healthcare services in rural areas. The funding will be provided through USDA's Rural Development's Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program (DTL). The program's goal is to help expand telecommunications, educational resources, and computer networks throughout rural communities. The funds are part of USDA's annual budget.



Some of the specific funding examples… Continue

Posted by Joyce Pellino Crane on December 4, 2009 at 7:18pm

Telemedicine Device Market to Reach $3.6 Billion According to New Study

The market for telemedicine devices and services will generate $3.6 billion in annual revenue within five years, a new study claims. The study by the Silver Spring, Md.-based research firm Pike & Fischer, says mobile-services companies, such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and… Continue

Posted by Joyce Pellino Crane on December 4, 2009 at 6:59pm

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broket is now a Trender at Trender Research™
Mar 21
Brian Mahony posted a blog post

Getting closer to cutting the cord completely

My daughter's friend was over the other day talking about her favorite shows and my daughter had no idea what she was talking about. It was then that I realized that my kids have already cut the cord from channel surfing the major channels. For about 3 years now, the majority of our content comes from Netflix, with a bit more from Amazon, Hulu, and YouTube, or directly from ABC.com, etc. My kids have been mostly raised on documentaries and movies. My sons love "Famous Tank Battles" and…See More
Feb 12
Profile IconCaitlin R, mosher, Kel Pic and 2 more joined Trender Research™
Feb 12
David H. Deans posted a blog post

Remaining Upside Opportunities for Pay-TV Services

The legacy pay-TV services market can now be divided into two distinct groups. First, those regions where the market is fully saturated and customer churn is the primary activity. Second, the developing nations where local pay-TV providers can still find new customers willing and able to pay for their offerings. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, the global pay-TV market added nearly 47 million new customers in 2012 -- reaching a total of 864 million subscribers. "The…See More
Dec 25, 2012
Profile Iconabey luo, Corey Nascenzi, Mike OToole and 2 more joined Trender Research™
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Profile IconMiguel Bissone and Bonnie Optekman joined Trender Research™
Aug 21, 2011
Brian posted a blog post

Wireless speakers

Why can’t I use these speakers to play music from my computer?      I’m sitting in my room at my parent’s house, watching the NBA playoffs on TV. Above my TV, I have 2 fairly large speakers that are hooked up to a relatively old stereo. The idea: convert these 2 unused speakers into wireless speakers that I can use from my computer.      After doing a little research on wireless speakers I was not impressed. Most of the conversation is focused on surround sound or home theatre systems. A couple…See More
May 15, 2011
Brian commented on Ellen Veden's blog post Grilling on the deck - with no wires for great sound!
"These speakers look great. I really wish I had the extra money to purchase them."
May 15, 2011
Zack Swire updated their profile photo
May 6, 2011
Brian Mahony posted a blog post

What is the future of location based services?

Everything today is in context. You can't read a news story, talk to a neighbor, watch a sporting event, or plan a vacation without understanding context. Who you are. Where you want to go. Your habits. Your friends and family. Finances. You name it. So it is no surprise that advertisers for a long time have figured out that understanding the context of their target audience is worth more to them that just a static list of names and addresses. And in today's mobile world, they can't be content…See More
May 6, 2011
Zack Swire is now a Trender at Trender Research™
May 6, 2011
Marlund Chottiner updated their profile
Feb 21, 2011
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Top Tech News

China's Lenovo buys and diversifies to outshine PC rivals

Customers talk to a salesperson about a new laptop at a Lenovo shop in Shanghai By Lee Chyen Yee and Umesh Desai HONG KONG (Reuters) - Lenovo Group Ltd's bold acquisitions in its flagship PC business, a foray into mobile gadgets, and a relatively light debt load are setting it apart from PC rivals as industry shipments take their steepest fall in decades. Lenovo, a sliver away from unseating Hewlett-Packard Co as the world's top PC maker by shipments, posted on Thursday an estimate-beating 90 percent rise in quarterly profit, its fastest in seven quarters. ...


Microsoft confirms indie developers can’t self-publish games on Xbox One

Independent game developers who are excited about selling new games on the Xbox One got some bad news on Wednesday. Microsoft confirmed to ShackNews that independent developers cannot self-publish their own games on Xbox Live Arcade, and are instead required to partner with Microsoft Game Studios or a third-party publisher. The policy is completely different from those employed by Sony and Nintendo. Sony embraces independent developers and welcomes them to create and self-publish content on the PlayStation Network. Microsoft’s upcoming console matches up with Sony’s PlayStation 4 on paper, however there are still some questions that have been left unanswered, such as the ability to play used games.

Vermont puts foot down on patent troll that targeted charities

Earlier this year we learned about a patent holding firm that came up with a novel way of making money by threatening to sue small businesses that allegedly infringed upon its scanner technology patents by using scanners in their offices. Yes, you read that correctly: An entity called “Project Paperless LLC” really has been sending out letters to small and medium-sized businesses demanding licensing fees for using office scanners capable of sending PDFs via email. Ars Technica has now provided us with an update to this story and has found that Project Paperless is just one of roughly 40 shell entities owned by a company called MPHJ Technologies that’s been sending threatening letters out to small businesses demanding that they pay

Ireland says will not be U.S. 'whipping boy' on tax

Apple Operations International, a subsidiary of Apple Inc, is seen in Hollyhill, Cork, in the south of Ireland By Carmel Crimmins and Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's finance minister said the country would not be the "whipping boy" for what he called a flawed U.S. Senate report that said Irish loopholes helped technology giant Apple shrink its tax bill. Ireland has been forced to defend its corporate tax rate after the Senate said on Monday that Apple paid little or no tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits channeled through Irish subsidiaries and that it had negotiated a special corporate tax rate of less than 2 percent. ...


Video: Infinity Ward shows how Call of Duty: Ghost will be its most realistic, immersive game yet

Infinity Ward, the acclaimed developer behind hit games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and the upcoming Call of Duty: Ghost, is looking to bring strikingly realistic models and environments to the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise. The new gaming engine that will debut with Call of Duty: Ghost later this year will deliver a variety of graphical improvements such as enhanced visual fidelity, high-resolution textures and more. The company notes that one of its new technologies, known as Sub-D, greatly improves formerly blocky details by exponentially boosting polygon counts in real-time, allowing for incredibly realistic character models that can show fine hairs, bruising, cuts and even the dirt beneath finger nails. Call of Duty:

Dish on national security PR offensive against SoftBank

The sign in the lobby of the corporate headquarters of Dish Network is seen in the Denver suburb of Englewood By Alina Selyukh and Liana B. Baker WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp is ramping up its Washington-centric campaign to thwart Japanese firm SoftBank Corp's bid for Sprint Nextel Corp, hoping to convince lawmakers and government reviewers that it poses national security risks. On Wednesday, Dish ads appeared in Washington publications the Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, Roll Call and the National Journal as well as online news sites, including Reuters.com. ...


HP's 2Q offers hope even as revenue slump deepens

In this Aug. 21, 2012 photo, the Hewlett-Packard Co. logo is seen outside the company's headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. Hewlett-Packard Co. reports quarterly financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hewlett-Packard is still scrambling to meet the growing demand for more versatile and less expensive mobile devices as a slump in its personal computer sales deepens, but the company's cost-cutting measures and focus on more profitable areas of technology appear to be easing the pain.


Apple, former Washington wallflower, now at center of tax fight

Apple CEO Cook is pictured during Senate homeland security and governmental affairs investigations subcommittee hearing in Washington By Andy Sullivan, Gabriel Debenedetti and Poornima Gupta WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For years, Apple Inc kept a low profile in Washington as it grew into one of the most valuable companies in the world. Now the iPad maker has taken the lead, perhaps inadvertently, on a top priority for U.S. business: simplifying America's tax code. Chief Executive Tim Cook, who was called before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on Tuesday to answer questions about Apple's alleged tax avoidance, used his appearance to plead for an overhaul of corporate taxes. ...


HP raises 2013 outlook as Whitman's plan takes hold

A Hewlett-Packard logo is seen at the company's Executive Briefing Center in Palo Alto By Poornima Gupta SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co raised its 2013 earnings outlook after quarterly results beat low expectations, as CEO Meg Whitman's turnaround plan helped offset shrinking personal computer sales with enterprise computing services. While fiscal second-quarter profit plummeted 32 percent, Wall Street had braced for worse. HP shares gained 14 percent after the company projected full-year earnings per share of $3.50 to $3.60, raising the lower end by 10 cents, and fiscal third-quarter profit that topped analyst estimates. ...


Samsung buys major stake in rival smartphone maker

Samsung has reportedly made a major investment in rival South Korea-based smartphone maker Pantech. Yonhap News was first to report the news and it says Samsung spent roughly $50 million for 10% of the company. Samsung’s motives are unclear, though the deal will reportedly “help further solidify bilateral cooperation in smartphone and other business areas.” Pantech is currently the No.3 phone maker in South Korea behind Samsung and LG, and the new investment makes Samsung the company’s third-largest shareholder behind Qualcomm and Korea Development Bank.

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