Celebrity Guests Mingle at CES - Personalities from film, sports, music, broadcast and other areas will be guests at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show which opens tomorrow in Las Vegas. Six Grammy-winning producers - the names behind the hits - will demonstrate 5.1 surround sound mixes and tell behind-the-scenes studio stories at the CES South Plaza. Included are Elliot Scheiner, Al Schmitt, Ed Cherney and George Massenburg. Invitation-only events: Monster Cable's Dealer Awards - Rod Stewart; Samsung - Bon Jovi; Gibson Guitar - Ike Turner & Les Paul.
Monster Fiercely Defends Its Name - Speaking of the Monsters, the cable and accessories maker has filed lawsuits and trademark infringement claims against dozens of unrelated companies for using the word monster in their names, products or services. Their attorney reports he has registered more than 50 trademarks covering a wide variety of products - including food, furniture and clothing. Among Monster's targets are Hansen Beverages' Monster Energy drink, Walt Disney for its hit movie "Monsters, Inc.," and a small clothing store in Camas, WA, named MonsterVintage.
Dolby Laboratories at CES - Dolby will feature a new booth layout at CES illustrating how various Dolby technologies impact the entertainment experience in the home and car. Included will be a focus on Dolby Digital Plus - the new enhancement to audio delivery in both broadcast and packaged media formats. In their main theater leading multichannel audio entertainment with both Dolby Digital Plus and MLP Lossless will be demonstrated.
Home Electronics Were Hot This Holiday Season - Electronic items of all sorts are enjoying unprecedented popularity among consumers today. Under pressure from Wal-Mart and online dealers selling electronics at low prices, AV dealers throughout the country are re-vamping their stores and trying to change the way discerning customers buy their electronics. Some plan to install sensors that trip instant demos of surround sound systems and plasma screens, and most are offering skilled installers to put a home theater system into a consumer's house. The CEA expects consumer electronics sales in the U.S. to surpass $108 billion for 2004 - an 8% increase over 2003.
Jan.
5, 2005 
