Viewpoint
TWICE Editor-in-Chief Steve Smith discusses the latest headlines that ae affecting the consumer electronics industry.
Calif. Should Not Set Nat’l CE Energy Policy
As you probably have heard, the California Energy Commission (CEC) is about to decide to accept proposed restrictions on power use by TVs sold in that state. Tuesday the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) submitted final comments to the CEC regarding the restrictions. Some non-Californians may say, “Who cares?” Anyone in the other 49 states should, because you don’t have a ...... Read More
Comments (3)Riding The Media Bus With Panasonic’s Perry
When you go to CEATEC or travel with one manufacturer or another during a trip to Japan you rarely have one of the top U.S. executives to ride along on the media bus and take part of the tour. But, that’s what happened a couple of weeks ago when Bob Perry, executive VP of Panasonic Consumer Electronics North America, traveled with the U.S. media members the company invited to Japan. In the ...... Read More
Comments (0)TWICE Presents Its Excellence In Retailing Awards
In a year where plenty of retailers have told TWICE, “Flat sales are the new growth curve” - or words to that effect - more times than anyone would care to hear, you’d think that it would be tough to find retailers of any stripe, especially CE retailers, to honor. The CE industry didn’t go on vacation this year just because the worst recession since the Great Depression ...... Read More
Comments (0)CEATEC ’09 May Illustrate An Industry In Transition
SOMEWHERE ABOVE THE PACIFIC - I’m returning to New York from an eventful week in Japan. In covering this business over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to go to cover CEATEC, held just outside of Tokyo, more than a half-dozen times. I was invited by Panasonic to attend this year, mainly to see its 3D HD introduction at CEATEC. If you’ve been visiting twice.com, receiving o ...... Read More
Comments (1)CEATEC Also Showcases Unique, Odd Displays
A cellphone with a wooden casing. Robots that move based on the movements of schools of fish. Battery-powered cars highlighted by consumer electronics manufacturers. And a singing robot that looks like a young girl. So this year’s CEATEC show, being held here at the Makuhari Messe convention center, a town just outside of Tokyo, isn’t just about 3-D HDTV. The unique, curious and ...... Read More
Comments (0)Best Buy’s Dunn: HDTV In Its Early Stages
All the talk at the Best Buy Holiday Media Day was about its fourth-quarter plans and projections. But since we had the opportunity to talk with the chain’s CEO Brian Dunn this past Wednesday in New York, I asked him what product opportunities the industry may provide down the road, such as in 2010 and 2011. Specifically, I asked if he thought CE product introductions in the near future m ...... Read More
Comments (1)Industry Signposts
Maybe it is lingering effect of being in a recession for too long, or the pressures of preparing for the fourth quarter, but here for your consideration are a few items that illustrate the mood and trends flowing through the industry now. Crystal Ball Cloudy On CE’s Q4 Surveys that were released last week provided a foggy picture on holiday sales. A CEA-CNET poll said “consumer confi ...... Read More
Comments (0)Phones (?) At CEDIA Expo
In preparation for any major show in CE that highlights new products, members of our editorial staff will usually pop in my office when there is surprise introduction news by a supplier.In this case it was executive editor and our resident video expert Greg Tarr in early August in preparation for our coverage of CEDIA Expo. He came in and said, “Guess what Panasonic’s big introductio ...... Read More
Comments (0)CE Pricing: An Open Letter To The Industry
The last thing this industry needs is a “price war” right about now. But that’s what may be happening if you believe all the industry chatter in recent weeks.Accusations from both suppliers and retailers that predatory pricing may be the rule in flat-panel TVs and other key categories this holiday season are the talk of the industry. The culprits in this battle are, allegedly, ...... Read More
Comments (5)Reflections On CEDIA Expo In Atlanta
CEDIA Expo concluded its first show in Atlanta last week with many key major suppliers, custom installers and retailers in attendance.I say that upfront because, as with any trade event I’ve ever covered, one of the top subjects is always attendance. CEDIA reported that attendance was 20,000 for the show, 12 percent down from last year. It also reported that there were more than 400 exhibit ...... Read More
Comments (0)CEDIA Expo, Then & Now
The custom-install channel - installers, upscale retailers, distributors, reps and suppliers - all converge on Atlanta this week to attend CEDIA Expo, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.I remember comments around the birth of the show, like the one attributed to Triad Speakers’ Steve Colburn on the CEDIA Expo Web site. At the first show, he overheard “a couple of suits” ...... Read More
Comments (1)Efforts To End Texting & Driving Intensify
A story in today’s Wall Street Journal outlines plans by U.S. regulators of all stripes to stop texting and driving. The story quotes CTIA stats about a boom in texting in a three-year period - from 110.4 billion in December 2008 up from 9.8 billion in December 2005. Bravo to CTIA for saying in the story that it supports banning texting while driving. The story outlines the challenges in ba ...... Read More
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