Four in five U.S. TV households have at least one internet-connected TV device, including connected smart TVs, Blu-ray players, video game systems or streaming media devices, reported Leichtman Research Group Friday. That’s up from 74% in 2018. Some 40% of adults in U.S. TV households view TV from a streaming device daily, vs. 29% two years ago, Leichtman said. By age, 18% of viewers 55 and older watch TV on a connected device daily, 48% for ages 35-54, and 55% for ages 18-34, said the researcher. Among those with a connected TV device, 64% own three or more, with a mean of 4.1 per household. Fifty-eight percent have at least one connected smart TV. The nearly 400 million connected TV devices in U.S. don’t include pay-TV set-top boxes that can be used to access content from the internet, said principal Bruce Leichtman.
Autonomous vehicles might only prevent a third of crashes if automated systems drive too much like people, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported. “It’s likely that fully self-driving cars will eventually identify hazards better than people, but we found that this alone would not prevent the bulk of crashes,” said Jessica Cicchino, vice president-research. A national survey of police-reported crashes gave driver error as the final failure in the chain of events leading to more than nine of 10 crashes, and IIHS said Thursday a third of those were the result of mistakes that AVs would be expected to avoid “simply because they have more accurate perception than human drivers and aren’t vulnerable to incapacitation.” To avoid the other two-thirds, they would need to be specifically programmed to prioritize safety over speed and convenience, it said. “Building self-driving cars that drive as well as people do is a big challenge in itself,” said Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller. Such cars need to be “be better than that to deliver on the promises we’ve all heard.”
Customs and Border Protection in Detroit seized 4,600-plus remote controlled helicopter drones worth some $69,000 that didn't meet FCC labeling requirements, CBP said Wednesday. The goods, imported from China and subject to tariffs, were also found to be undervalued by about $62,000, CBP said. The imports "were seized June 1 in conjunction with a previous shipment containing more than $400,000 in counterfeit merchandise" that was taken in late May, the agency said.
The FCC's decades-old prohibition on presale or conditional sale of RF devices, except to wholesalers and retailers, is "past its prime in today’s commercial marketplace," blogged Commissioner Mike O'Rielly Tuesday. Kickstarter presale of devices shows consumers want the option, he said, adding there's no discernable harm if a device is marketed before OK, and delivered to consumers after approval. That would let manufacturers gauge consumer interest before putting money and time into getting regulatory yes, he said. He urged an exception for advertising and retail display preparation purposes to FCC import rules for foreign-made RF devices that haven't received the agency's nod.
OEMs are working to improve reliability and consistency of wireless charging in vehicles, said Strategy Analytics Monday. Qi wireless charging began as a luxury option and is now a rapidly growing market opportunity, it said. Beyond being a convenience feature, wireless charging can be a catalyst for other technologies such as wireless smartphone projection via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that mirrors content onto the vehicle’s center display, emailed analyst Edward Sanchez.
Coherent remains optimistic about “the pending upgrade cycle” to 5G smartphones, said CEO Andy Mattes. “The linkage between thin-flexible OLED screens and 5G capability seems high, driven by the need for larger batteries to occupy more of the device volume as a requirement for powering the shorter-range, higher-frequency antennas.” The chief of the supplier of laser-based microelectronics to panel makers spoke to investors Wednesday evening following results for fiscal Q2 ended April 4.
Samsung's latest stand-alone turnkey security system offers protection for booting, isolated storage and mobile payments, it said Tuesday. The chip is Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 6+ certified, it said. Consumers expect smartphones to be highly secure to protect personal data and enable mobile banking, stock trading and cryptocurrency transactions, said Dongho Shin, Samsung senior vice president-system LSI marketing, calling the S3FV9RR chip a “deadbolt on smart devices." The chip is due in Q3.
Intel is buying Rivet Networks, a provider of software and cloud-based technologies for Wi-Fi networks. The companies partnered to build the Wi-Fi 6-based Killer AX1650, said to deliver speed, intelligence and control for gamers and performance PC users. The Rivet team will be part of Intel’s client computing group, and its key products will integrate into Intel’s PC Wi-Fi portfolio, blogged Chris Walker, general manager of the group. Intel will license Rivet software to customers and develop new solutions for “broader PC connectivity enhancement,” he said Wednesday.
Vuzix now has hands-free voice support for Skype for Business, Zoom and Zoom for Healthcare, for its M400 smart glasses, said the company Wednesday: An operating system update lets users access the apps, enter passwords and join meetings by voice.
Two major smart home manufacturers are integrating with each other's products. Lutron lighting and shading control products will integrate with iOS and Android apps and with Crestron Home touch screens. Crestron software will automatically detect Lutron hardware on the customer’s network. That will help audiovisual dealers “deliver the best user experience” to clients, “regardless of what brand of lighting controls and shades are installed,” said John Clancy, Lutron vice president-residential. "Crestron and Lutron products are used together so often." It's “great news for integrators,” said Chief Operating Officer Franklin Karp of Audio Video Systems in Plainview, New York, in an email to us Monday.