Consumer Electronics Today

From cellular phones that have GPS Navigation systems to digital picture frames that display over 100 photographs each, consumer electronics today are nothing like we have seen before. Slim LCD monitors that can be mounted on ceilings are replacing bulky television sets. DVD players that replaced VHS tape players are now being replaced by Blu-Ray. Can you remember when 8-tracks were replaced by cassette tapes?

30 years ago, people would have thought you were crazy if you said you were going to "burn a CD". They probably would have thought you were about to handle fire! At that time, none of your classmates even knew what the internet was! Consumer electronic technology is like life itself-- it's constantly evolving.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), "the consumer electronics industry continued to grow in 2008 despite the economic downturn." Reaching a new high of $172 billion, the CEA showed a 5.4 percent increase in shipment revenues for 2008. "In 2009, overall, CEA projects that domestic shipment revenues will essentially remain flat at $171 billion, a decrease of 0.6 percent over 2008" (CEA). This is not bad at all when compared to other industries, such as the fine arts, florist’s shops, hardware stores, and clothing stores.

Anita Campbell, editor of Small Business Trends, wrote, "sales are down nearly 15%" for small florists shops. According to Sandra Guy, writer for Chicago Sun-Times, retail analysts predict that 73,000 retail locations will close in the first half of 2009 after 148,000 stores shut down in 2008.

With the continuous emergence of new electronic innovations, the consumer electronic industry should not suffer as much as these other industries. One product, according to the CEA, that continues to carry the consumer electronic industry is digital TV displays. "As the transition to digital television nears, unit shipments of DTVs will approach 35 million in 2009," says the CEA, "an increase of nearly 6 percent over 2008 shipments." About 77 percent of the DTV units bought are LCD displays, the top choice of consumers.

Other electronic innovations continue to shape today’s society. Text messaging has created new universal jargon, including LOL (Laugh Out Loud) and BRB (Be Right Back). Some of the funniest commercials out there are ones from Cingular and AT&T. Check out this one at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySR3hpieiQc.

People are becoming more concerned about the impact of text messaging on society. CBS news published an interview in Technology Wire called "Teens Addicted to Text Messaging" that revealed parents' serious concern about their kid's use of instant text. Text messaging has not only become a new way for communicating; it has become a new subculture, but teenagers are using it so much that parents are worried it could affect their kids' social development. According to CBS, some are worried that students will gain bad writing habits and lose personal "face-time" with people. However, Child Psychologist Lawrence Balter believes that text messaging could be a positive thing. Balter says sometimes it's easier for kids to convey something to somebody through text because it could be embarrassing for them to do so face-to-face. More and more phone companies have been catering to the popularity of text messaging by providing new plans that include unlimited text and new phone models that have full keyboards similar to those of computers. According to Myrateplan.com, some of the most popular cell phones today are the Samsung Eternity, AT&T Quickfire, LG Vu, Samsung Behold, LG enV2, Apple iPhone, Blackberry Storm, HTC Fuze, Samsung Omnia, and LG Incite--all of which have a working QWERTY keyboard.

The innovations of phone businesses cannot be stopped. Cell phones have become miniature cameras, TVs, GPS systems, and fully enabled computers. Let's see what comes out next!



References:

Campbell
Web site: http://smallbiztrends.com/2008/12/5-small-retail-industries-suffering-this-holiday-season.html/

CEA
Web site: http://www.ce.org/Press/CurrentNews/press_release_detail.asp?id=11666

Guy
Web site: http://www.suntimes.com/business/1353883,CST-FIN-retail30.article

MyRatePlan.com
Web site: http://www.myrateplan.com/hot_phones/

Technology Wire
Web site: http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/software-services-applications-internet/10566332-1.html