By Katherine Rutkowski

Following a fender bender in a 14-year old Geo Prizm, I was in the market for an econo-box with decent gas mileage and adequate safety features. Call me Rip Van Winkle, but I was amazed at the techno-marvels available in the compact and subcompact classes. The Toyota Matrix above has a moonroof – hallelujah – and headlights that turn on and off automatically, windows and doors that don’t require manual labor, not to mention ABS and side-curtain airbags. Sure, these are modest expectations, but I dislike driving and have a commute that is a fraction of the typical 16.5 hours Americans spend in their vehicles each week.

Then too, my in-vehicle media demands are plain. Give me NPR for short drives, and a few music or audio-book CDs on the new multi-disk changer for longer trips and I’m happy. The story changes when my high-school senior drives. She wouldn’t pull out of the driveway without her engraved iPod Nano and Blackberry Pearl. And, if my husband had chosen the car, it would be loaded with bells and whistles. An in-dash navigation system, back-up camera and car alarm would make the list, as would satellite radio. Three people, three demographic clichés. Beep, beep, beep.

Popularity: 5% [?]

By Deb Kassoff and Colleen Gorman

Deb’s Perspective

With less than four feet between our workstations, my colleague Colleen and I chat daily about things ranging from work to our personal lives. We recently had a discussion that involved both – does working at CEA influence the gift choices we make for our own friends and family?

According to CEA research, when it comes to the next gift-giving holiday – Mother’s Day – only 12 percent of people reported that they intend to purchase a CE product for their mom. But that same study revealed that one-third of mothers are interested in receiving a token of their children’s gratitude in the form of a CE gadget, gizmo, or hot new product.

So I’m starting to wonder if I’ve gotten it wrong all these years by falling into the group of people who think Mom would be pleased with the typical flowers or card, or maybe a nice dinner. While I’ve never considered my mother CE-savvy – this is a woman who, if I asked her for her email address, would tell me that she would have to check with my father and get back to me – maybe I just haven’t put enough thought into what user-friendly CE product I could give her that could make her life a little easier and bring a smile to her face every day.

Colleen’s Perspective

On the other hand, my Mom loves every new gadget that she can get her hands on. She has often beaten my sisters and me to the punch by buying herself a new toy before we get a chance to get it for her. In just the last month, she bought a new (pink) digital camera and a laptop without even mentioning that she was planning on making these big purchases.

So, what are three daughters to do when their mother is so CE savvy that we can’t stay a step ahead of her? Last year, a study produced by TWICE revealed that the digital picture frame category grossed more than $12 million in the week prior to Mother’s Day – beating even Black Friday revenues. So maybe the thought this year is not the big gift, but a smaller CE one that complements her new digital camera and also gives her the opportunity to show off her favorite topic of discussion – her grandchildren.

The Daughters’ Conclusion

When we look at our moms with their different CE habits, what do they have in common? CEA research shows that women use some CE products more than men: TVs, 98 vs. 95 percent; cell phones, 95 vs. 93 percent; and digital cameras, 89 vs. 86 percent. Doesn’t it seem like CE products present the perfect opportunity to surprise Mom with something that she really wants instead of another bouquet of flowers? The government census reveals that there are 82.8 million moms in the U.S. What will you surprise your mom with on Mother’s Day?

Popularity: 16% [?]

By Steve Kidera

In my last blog entry (scroll down to read the masterpiece), I wrote about the two great loves in my life…sports and HDTVs. My dad, who shares my love of sports, commented my next entry should be about a (hypothetical) man who lives in a house with one other person, they own four TVs combined but the wife won’t let him go high-def.

While I learned a lot of what I know about sports from my dad, he’s learning a lot about the joys and benefits of HD from me. If he can convince my mom, which is no walk in the park,  to upgrade their TV, then he’ll likely join the growing number of American households with at least one HDTV.

New data released this week by CEA shows that HDTVs have the potential to penetrate half of U.S. homes by the end of the year. The study also shows that the average U.S. household reports spending $1,405 on consumer electronics products in the past 12 months. That’s $120 more than the previous 12 months.

Some, like yours truly, spend more than the average household (thanks American Express for reminding me of it every month). But I’m also a household of one (thanks mom for reminding me of that every month) and, unlike my dad, don’t need to convince anyone before making my purchase. With my tax rebate on the way and my economic stimulus payment not far behind, I’m not wondering if I’ll spend $120 more on consumer electronics this year, I’m wondering what I should buy? I’m open to suggestions.

How about you? Are you like my dad and are going to beg for that new HDTV or do you have your eye on another CE product this year?

Popularity: 15% [?]

By Michael Petricone

As a reader of this blog, you know that the U.S. technology industry is driven by exports.  And you also probably know that Congress is inexplicably holding up the U.S. – Colombia Trade Promotion Act which would remove tariffs on American goods going to Colombia (Colombian goods currently enter the U.S. duty-free). 

But how much money is Congress’ intransigence really costing American firms and workers?  Now we know, thanks to the Department of Commerce’s “Colombia Tariff Ticker”.  The news is sobering – nearly a billion dollars in needless tariffs have already been imposed on U.S. goods since the agreement was signed.  And, in a softening economy, Congressional dithering on this agreement is penalizing American workers an astonishing $1.9 million dollars EVERY DAY. 

We hope that Congress looks beyond politics and approves this agreement – we literally can’t afford to wait any longer.

Popularity: 16% [?]

By Megan Hayes

No, it’s not because people in the CE industry are too busy to find romance any other way. In this case it’s the products doing the speed dating. The common attraction for these products is that they connect using HDMI. HDMI makes use of the CEA-861 standard and High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) from DCP LLC. The product speed dating happens twice a year when CEA and DCP co-host each PlugFest event. The 10^th PlugFest event was held last week in Milpitas, CA.

 More than 200 HDMI products converged on a hotel, escorted by their design teams with dating schedule in hand. Starting at 8 a.m. on Monday each video source moved to a room where an HDMI-equipped display waited to pair up. The teams connected their products and ran through basic interoperability tests. On the hour, hotel doors swung open, and the video sources moved on to the next display on their date list. PlugFest events span the entire week in an effort to pair up as many products as possible and stamp out potential design problems.

PlugFests are one tactic of many being used by the industry to address HDMI’s start up problems associated with the lighting-fast adoption of the interface. Training and compliance testing are also part of the arsenal aimed at making HDMI as reliable as component video. HDMI holds the promise of bringing out the best in an AV system with just a single cable. Many in the industry believe we have turned the corner and are starting to see that dream unfold for consumers.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Dateline: October 13^th, 1983 – The first commercial cellphone call is made from the parking lot of Soldier Field in Chicago.

I believe it was the immortal Gordon Gekko from the film Wall Street, who proclaimed over his DynaTac phone while walking on the beach, “Let’s get to work.” CEA will be getting to work in the coming weeks and months to promote the 25^th anniversary of that first commercial cellphone call. Stay tuned for more info on events podcasts and other goodies around this momentous event that forever changed how America lives and works.

By Cat Parsons

Popularity: 24% [?]

By Allison Carney

If everything goes as planned, I will become a first time home-buyer by the end of next year - thanks to CEA’s new Mortgage Assistance Program (Woo Hoo)!

Gary Shaprio, our President and CEO, announced at an all-staff meeting that each employee was eligible to receive $25,000 in the form of a three year forgivable loan, to be used toward a house down-payment. Well, I’ll tell you that my stomach did a little flip flop right then and there. He continued that the loan could be applied toward any house in Arlington County (where our company headquarters are) to promote employees living closer to work.

I have been scrounging pennies (OK, some nickels, dimes and dollars too) trying to save for a down-payment and this offer just lit up my heart, as I’m sure it did to many in the room. Through this new program, CEA is encouraging home ownership and a shorter commute; hence taking less from the environment and reducing commuter pollution.

CEA is at the forefront of a growing trend. According to the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM) Annual Benefits Survey, the number of employers offering employees down-payment assistance has significantly increased over the last seven years. Only three percent of all employers offered any sort of down-payment assistance in 2000, but as of 2007 it has increased to 11 percent.

I couldn’t be happier with this new employee benefit and personally know that people have already started to take advantage of it.

Let’s chat: What sort of stand-out benefits does your company offer?

Popularity: 27% [?]

By Jennifer Bemisderfer

I had the privilege of celebrating Earth Day last week with the country’s top environmentally-minded business leaders and the green movement’s brightest thinkers at Fortune Magazine’s Brainstorm: Green event  in Pasadena, California. It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of the discussion on how to address the world’s environmental challenges, along with visionaries like Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Computer, Vinod Khosla, a prominent green investor, and Ron Gonen, co-founder of RecycleBank.

Still being on East Coast time, I woke up early on Earth Day and decided to commune with nature by taking a jog around the Pasadena neighborhood where the conference was taking place. A crudely drawn map in hand, I set out for a modest 1.6 mile run. Unfamiliar with my surroundings and without a compass, I quickly made a series of wrong turns and realized that instead of a quick jog, I was on a five mile loop, with no option but to plow forward.  Afterward, (during the run I was too busy cursing the maker of the previously mentioned map) it occurred to me that my experience on that frosty (did I mention it was really cold?) Earth Day morning may just be analogous to what many companies in our industry are facing as they try to “go green.” Hear me out, here. While corporate executives might think that they can earn some quick environmental cred with strategically placed recycling containers around the office, it’s likely that once the decision has been made to become more eco-friendly, many of these companies quickly find themselves in unfamiliar territory—and, like me, without a compass, the only option to plow forward.

But plow, indeed—CEA’s member companies have addressed going green from every angle: product design, green manufacturing processes, reduction of hazardous materials, use of recycled materials. At the conference, for example, we saw Michael Dell unveil his new, greener desktop computer, which uses 70 percent less energy and is cased in bamboo. Manufacturers and retailers have also stepped up on the recycling side, providing information, resources and services for consumers to recycle their unused devices. With some of the most brilliant and innovative minds in the world on our side, the CE industry is in a wonderful position to effect real change when it comes to our environmental challenges.

But– with apologies to Steven Tyler of Aerosmith– green’s a journey, not a destination. There is always more to be done. The industry might have set out on a 1.6 mile jog and found themselves on a very long road toward environmental sustainability. Instead of turning around and heading home, they’ve embraced these critical environmental issues, not just for a quick win in the media, or a brief spike in sales, but because it’s the right thing to do for their companies, their customers and for the Earth. I’ve met so many devoted men and women in the CE industry who work tirelessly on environmental issues. It’s just one more reason why I’m proud to be a part of this industry and eagerly anticipate what’s to come!

Popularity: 29% [?]

By Shawn DuBravac, the CEA Economist

In February, the U.S. approved a fiscal stimulus plan and it looks like Spain has taken note – recently approving their own fiscal stimulus plan.  In the US, these tax rebate checks will begin hitting mailboxes in May.  Our research suggests that one fifth of U.S. consumers will spend some portion of their rebate checks on consumer electronics and that consumers will allocate these checks to spending or savings relatively quickly. 

Many retailers are looking for ways to get into the mix. Sears and Kmart recently announced a 10 percent bonus to any consumers who convert their rebate checks into gift cards.  I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before other retailers announce their own promotional plans in hopes of steering some of the $112 billion in rebate checks in their direction.  

What are you planning to do with your rebate check?

Popularity: 44% [?]

By Colleen Lerro

My interest (or as some might call it – my obsession) in Guitar Hero began last December when listening to a really bad 80s cover band, my friends and I decided we could definitely rock better than them. Having no idea just how much time Guitar Hero would consume, we decided that it would be an easier route than learning to play an actual instrument. Since then I have played on PS2, PS3, XBox and even purchased a Wii and Guitar Hero III so I could play at home too.

Fortunately, I’m not alone in the numerous hours I spend gaming. A 2006 Gaming Technology Study CEA released showed 26 percent of adult gamers spend more than 10 hours per week on their game console. This compares surprisingly to only seven percent of teens who spend more than 10 hours a week on their consoles. Among adult gamers there is an even balance of male (51 percent) and female (49 percent) players, but specifically in the 25-34 age-group women outnumber men two to one regardless of the gaming platform.

Gearlog posted 10 Signs You May Like Guitar Hero Too Much: Accessories, Mods, and More, and I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn’t own any of the products on the list – maybe I’m not as obsessed as I thought. Then I caught myself wondering where I could buy one of the guitar stands, and hey, a bag to store my guitar in might not be such a bad idea. I also thought about getting Guitar Hero for BlackBerry to pass the time as I metro to work everyday.

OK, so maybe I do have a problem, but Digital Freedom artist Samantha Murphy’s visit to our office last week made me feel a bit better about it. Samantha came to talk about how new artists use our technologies, and when the subject of Guitar Hero came up she said she was “all for it.” If everyone could play an instrument it wouldn’t be special, she said, so she sees no problem in people finding different ways to express their love of music.

Guitar Hero rockers everywhere can be happy that new music is on the way. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will become the first game of the series to be almost completely dedicated to a single band, and Def Leppard has confirmed three of the band’s songs will be on Guitar Hero IV. You can even win your way into the next Guitar Hero. Now that might be taking things a little too far.

Popularity: 49% [?]