Electronics Sales Increase as Durables Sales Decrease – According to government data just release, Americans are spending more on electronics like flat-screen TVs and iPads and less on durable goods like furniture, washing machines and lawn mowers. Consumers seem to be directing their purchases to eye-grabbing technology and putting more of what’s left into savings. Outlays for TVs, video, phone equipment and computers grew 1.8% in the first six month of this year compared to the first half of 2007. Spending on appliances decreased 3.6% during the same period and spending on furniture decreased 11%. But the electronics boom alone isn’t enough to improve the economy. One economist observed “People have to be able to feel they can spend on big durable goods items and housing, and these are not doing well.”
Blockbuster May Go Bust – Blockbuster may be soon filing for bankruptcy. In July they were delisted from the New York Stock Exchange, and they warned the company may have to liquidate. It seems that getting movies sooner is not enough. One analyst said “Most consumers are motivated by price, are generally unaware of a DVD’s street date, and are likely to discover availability when visiting their local Redbox kiosk.”
Blu-Con Event To Be Highlighted by Avatar Makers – The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) will present its third annual conference concerning Blu-ray disc on November 2nd at the Los Angeles Beverly Hilton. With more than 400 attendees expected, the event brings together creative, marketing and business experts from across the entertainment and electronics industries, and underscores the vital role that Blu-ray plays in today’s home entertainment environment. The conference will kick off with a conversation between James Cameron and Jon Landau about the Oscar-winning 3D Avatar. Special sessions will be held on Blu-ray 3D, BD-Live, classic films on Blu-ray, and networked players. Sessions will also be streamed to DEG’s sister organizations – DEG Europe in London and DEG Japan in Tokyo.
National 3D Demo Days in September – The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and ESPN have announced a weekend of 3DTV programming events and demonstrations in retail locations nationwide September 10-12. Knowledgeable sales staff will showcase the latest in 3DTV with continual 3D programming from ESPN from 10 AM to 11 PM EST. Eight in ten sales associates report the public interest in 3D technologies has increased in recent months and shoppers are expressing a desire to experience sports in 3D. “With a complete 3D system in place – from products to content and distribution – 2010 is the year for this exciting new technology to take off,” said president and CEO of the CEA, Gary Shapiro.
New E-Book Also Plays Music and Movies – Laser has introduced a new multimedia e-book reader which can store thousands of paperless books and photos, but can also display videos and movies in full color and play music. The EB101 ($149.95) has a 5-inch thin Film Transistor screen, 2GB of internal memory, and can handle up to 16GB of additional storage with its microSD memory card expansion. Laser’s Managing Director said “Bookworms are starting to realise the myriad of benefits offered by e-books.” Most other readers on the market do not allow the display of movies in full color as well as listening to music.
