Selling the 3D Idea to the Public – CE manufacturers are rushing to bring 3D viewing into the nation’s living rooms. The fact that there really isn’t any content quite yet is not slowing things down much. Says one analyst: “The fact that these are also 2D TVs means that if you are looking to buy a TV, you may want to future-proof by purchasing 3D and wait for the content to catch up.” Samsung has 15 different 3D models, with their 55-inch the most popular at $3300. The 3D glasses cost about $150 each. Samsung is working with DreamWorks Animation and the band Black-Eyed Peas in creating and providing 3D content for home viewing. They also hired the Oscar-winning cinematographer for Avatar to do their commercial for 3D. A second commercial promotes the animated 3D film Monsters vs. Aliens. Research has found that over 90% of U.S. consumers are aware of the technology, but only a third have seen it. LG Electronics is heavily promoting its new Infinia series of 3D TVs, which will be in stores in May or June. Sony’s will also be available in June. DreamWorks will convert all its Shrek movies to 3D, and 5000 kiosks are being set up by Samsung in stores for prospective buyers to sample 3D.
Wi-Fi Allergy? – A man in Santa Fe claims to suffer from “electromagnetic sensitivities” cause by cellphones, routers, appliances – in fact any electronics not only in his home but also his neighbor’s. He is suffering from waves of nausea, vertigo, body aches, dizziness, insomnia and heart arrthythmia, and is suing his neighbor – seeking an injection forcing her to turn off all her electronics too. The man, Arthur Firstenberg, also succeeded in getting enough signatures on a petition to stop a plan to add Wi-Fi antennas around Santa Fe. Mainstream scientists and doctors generally object to the idea that microwaves and radio waves from consumer electronics could cause health problems. They say the problem is psychological.
Panasonic Voted Best Consumer Electronics Vendor in Australia – The Choice Heritage Awards found Panasonic Australia the most consistently recommended brand over the past 50 years, beating out both Sony and Philips. Choice is the leading consumer advocacy group in Australia.
Confidence in Consumer Electronics Grows – Although the economy as a whole continues to drop, the CEA-CNET Consumer Technology Expectation index (ICTE) increased last month to 83.6 – up nearly two points from the previous month. Pre-orders for Apple’s iPad sold out. There still seems to be a desire to spend money on consumer electronics, even with the overall cautiousness of most consumers.
Thinnest Wall Speakers So Far? – Definitive Technology has introduced what may be the world’s thinnest high-performance on-wall speaker system for home theaters, the Mythos XTR-50. It is made from aircraft-grade aluminum and is only 1.5 inches thick to match thin LCD and Plasma wall-mounted HDTVs. There are seven drivers on each left and right-channel speaker plus a similar horizontal center speaker for under the screen. SRP will be about $700.
