TWICE.com

New HD Radio Chip Debuts for Factory Radios

Eindhoven, The Netherlands — HD Radio developer iBiquity said a new chip will be available from NXP Semiconductors that will reduce the cost of providing HD Radio in new cars.

• Panasonic Claims 100K Viewing Hours For Plasmas
• Fujifilm Adds HD Video Recording To Holiday Camera
• Small Screens Shake Up PDP Market
• Plus: Web-only bonus content from the TWICE Digital Imaging Roundtable

In response to: Gateway Drops Direct-Sales Operation: Josh Graham, New York, business analyst: "With a substandard brand that does not talk to the customers coupled with their immense lack of innovation, it's no wonder they are going down. In ways of ship-heavy mass-market machines with ultra-low-profit margins, the only way to succeed is to gain cost leadership in the supply chain as Dell has. Direct sales is undeniably one of the most profitable business model[s]. That is if you know what you're doing, you know what your customers want, and you know what the world wants. Products should be the main focus of any company. Look at Apple, Alienware, Nintendo ..."

Industry Voices: Stephen Baker, The NPD Group

Are Things As Bad As They Appear?

Judging by the drumbeat of depressing economic news, one would think that every retail category and every product was in the throes of a recession. However, as has happened in other downturns (and in the upturns as well) consumer technology continues to beat the averages.

While there isn't capacity for an 8 percent or 10 percent year-over-year revenue growth as we saw a couple of years ago, The NPD Group June retail-tracking service showed a 3 percent dollar increase over June 2007, the second consecutive month of positive news, after May's jump of over 7 percent. And this is after five straight months of flat or negative results, stretching back to December.

Most-Read TWICE.com Stories (Week Of Aug. 3-9)

1. Sharp Ships SB Series LCD TVs
2. PRO Group, HES To Team On Strategies, Special Buys
3. Sharp's Japanese BD Decks Add Qdeo
4. LG Maintains Front-Load Lead
5. LG Bows LED LCD TV, CE Recycling Initiative
6. Sony Adds T-Series Cyber-shots
7. DirecTV, Dish Adding More HD Channels
8. Best Buy Opens 45,000-Sq.-Ft. Mall Of America Store
9. PRO Group, HES Give Details On Alliance
10. TSA Sets 'Checkpoint Friendly' Laptop Bag Rules