Children are beginning to use laptops and other electronic devices at younger ages, according to a survey.
EW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Children are drawn to newer technology and pick up electronics at earlier ages than ever before, a report released Tuesday said.
The average age that children begin using such devices is 6.7 years old, down slightly from 6.9 years old in 2006, but a huge jump form 8.1 years old in 2005, the year NPD Group began tracking ages.
Zeroing in on the kids
The number of devices in a household has declined in the past two years, and the percentage of children with their own electronic devices has also fallen, even with electronics usage beginning at earlier ages.
However, the survey found that the number of children who own newer technology such as portable digital media players, portable video games, and digital cameras modestly increased in 2007. More established devices like cell phones and DVD players also showed growth among young children.
Children are being exposed to electronics such as televisions and desktop computers as early as 4 or 5 years old, the survey said.
"Kids are drawn to the latest and greatest digital devices just as their parents are," Anita Frazier, an analyst with the NPD Group, said in a statement. "They appear to have no fear of technology and adopt it easily and without fanfare, making these devices a part of their everyday lives."
Some newer technologies such as TV-to-computer devices and satellite radios have failed to catch on with the younger tech-set. Sales of older devices, like film cameras and karaoke systems, continue to fall out of favor when compared with digital cameras and cell phones, the consumer research group reported.
Children were observed using electronic devices, on average, about three times a week. According to the report, children use kids' versions at a younger age, and more frequently, than the adult versions. Top of page
http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/05/technology/electronics/index.htm?postversion=2007060514
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Marvell-Based Consumer Electronics Devices Now Feature Seamless Integration with BitTorrent
Marvell(R) 88F5182 SoC Optimized for the Internet's Leading Content Delivery Protocol
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Marvell MRVL, the leader in storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions, today announced that BitTorrent, Inc. has delivered an optimized software solution for the Marvell(R) 88F5182 system-on-chip (SoC) platform, to be made available for consumer electronics devices such as network attached storage (NAS) devices, set-top boxes, and media vault solutions. Consumer electronics manufacturers that utilize the BitTorrent-certified 88F5182 chipset in their devices will now have the ability to provide a complete media solution featuring compatibility with BitTorrent, the global standard for high-quality content delivery on the Internet.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Marvell MRVL, the leader in storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions, today announced that BitTorrent, Inc. has delivered an optimized software solution for the Marvell(R) 88F5182 system-on-chip (SoC) platform, to be made available for consumer electronics devices such as network attached storage (NAS) devices, set-top boxes, and media vault solutions. Consumer electronics manufacturers that utilize the BitTorrent-certified 88F5182 chipset in their devices will now have the ability to provide a complete media solution featuring compatibility with BitTorrent, the global standard for high-quality content delivery on the Internet.
"There is a growing demand for consumer electronics devices that enable BitTorrent. By coupling BitTorrent with our high-performance SoCs, Marvell is providing a complete digital solution to our customers that will facilitate consumer access to rich multimedia content and data," said Paramesh Gopi, vice president and general manager of the Embedded and Emerging Business Unit, Communications and Consumer Business Group at Marvell.
Designed to power a truly integrated digital experience in the home and small-to-medium-sized businesses, Marvell media vault SoCs deliver unprecedented levels of performance and ease of use on a variety of leading NAS and consumer electronic devices. Marvell SoCs feature a CPU, peripherals, and controllers in a single integrated package, enabling the convergence of storage, networking, and smart media processing for a digital lifestyle. Additional features include a quality-of-service (QoS) architecture that prioritizes real-time audio and video traffic, and a superscalar pipeline that enables high-end imaging applications such as laser printing.
"With an installed base of over 150 million BitTorrent users worldwide, the next generation of Internet-connected devices are integrating BitTorrent to ensure a simple and seamless digital entertainment experience for consumers," said Ashwin Navin, president of BitTorrent, Inc. "Optimizing BitTorrent to work with Marvell silicon at the component-level not only provides manufacturers high-performance and quick time-to-market, but takes full advantage of the entertainment content and commercial content delivery services offered by BitTorrent."
About BitTorrent
BitTorrent is the global standard for delivering high-quality files over the Internet. Millions of users worldwide are using BitTorrent's leading peer-assisted content delivery platform to publish, discover and download digital entertainment content quickly, easily and securely. Founded in 2004, BitTorrent is a privately held company backed by venture capital firms, Accel and DCM (formerly known as Doll Capital Management). The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information, visit http://www.bittorrent.com.
About Marvell
Marvell MRVL is the leader in development of storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions. The company's diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, wireless and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure including enterprise, metro, home and storage networking. As used in this release, the terms "company" and "Marvell" refer to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries, including Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. (MSI), Marvell Asia Pte Ltd (MAPL), Marvell Japan K.K., Marvell Taiwan Ltd., Marvell International Ltd. (MIL), Marvell U.K. Limited, Marvell Semiconductor Israel Ltd. (MSIL), Marvell Software Solutions Israel Ltd., and Marvell Semiconductor Germany GmbH. MSI is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and designs, develops and markets products on behalf of MIL and MAPL. MSI may be contacted at (408) 222-2500 or at http://www.marvell.com.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
This release contains forward-looking statements based on projections and assumptions about our products and our markets. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," and their variations identify forward-looking statements. Statements that refer to, or are based on projections, uncertain events or assumptions also identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of results and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Some risks and uncertainties that may adversely impact the statements in this release about the products described in this release include, but are not limited to, the performance, capabilities and adoption of products and the ability of products to facilitate consumer access to multimedia content and data. For other factors that could cause Marvell's results to vary from expectations, please see the sections titled "Risk Factors" in Marvell's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 29, 2006 and other factors detailed from time to time in Marvell's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements.
Marvell(R) is a registered trademark of Marvell or its affiliates.
Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
For Further Information Contact:
Diane Vanasse
Marvell Media Relations
408-242-0027
dvanasse@marvell.com
Lily Lin
BitTorrent, Inc.
Director of Communications
415-568-9007
lily@bittorrent.com
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=PR&Date=20070604&ID=6993156
High-tech TV means low-tech trash
WASHINGTON — As new high-definition televisions fly off store shelves, millions of old sets soon could be flying into the trash.
A major change to broadcast television in 2009 — the conversion from analog signals to all digital — is expected to send many Americans to the store for new TV sets. That could mean a flood of outdated TVs, which contain lead-encased picture tubes and other hazardous material, heading into landfills.
"There's going to be an e-waste tsunami that hits America," said John Shegerian, chief executive of Electronic Recyclers in Fresno, California's largest electronics recycler.
Lawmakers and environmentalists already are concerned about the amount of technology waste — laptops, iPods, printers and other gear — in dumps.
So far, TVs have been less likely to end up in landfills than other electronics, recycling experts say.
Although cellphones, computers and other gadgets generally get thrown out or given away when people upgrade, TVs tend to hang around the house if they still work. They're used to play video games or to watch DVDs, or they get plugged into the cable system or hooked to rabbit ears to serve as an extra set.
The latest U.S. census figures indicate that the average household had 2.5 television sets in 2004, a 25 percent increase since 1990. In all, there were 268 million TV sets.
"There's a lot of different uses," said Parker Brugge, environmental counsel with the Consumer Electronics Association. "That's why the number of televisions in consumers' households keeps going up."
But the calculus that leads people to hang on to old TVs could change Feb. 18, 2009.
That's the day a federal law will require all TV stations to start broadcasting only in digital. Tens of millions of old analog TVs will need to be hooked to a cable or satellite box, or fitted with a special converter, to display the new signals.
"That conversion is going to trigger the reality that even if it's working, even if I turn it on and the screen lights up, this is a device that's incompatible with the current technology," said Mark Murray, executive director of Californians Against Waste, a Sacramento-based environmental group focused on recycling. "I do think we'll see a wave of new discards."
Issue under study
How big a wave is unclear. "There is going to be an impact, but what the full extent is we're not entirely sure," said Lanny Clavecilla, a spokesman for the California Integrated Waste Management Board, which is studying the issue.
Consumer-electronics manufacturers are trying to stem environmental fallout. As part of its effort to inform the public about the digital-TV transition, the Consumer Electronics Association has touted its recycling Web site, www.mygreenelectronics.org, which helps people find places to drop off old TVs and other devices.
According to a survey last year by the trade group, 19 percent of people threw their old electronics in the trash.
The rest either gave them away (55 percent), recycled them (18 percent) or sold them (7 percent).
Shegerian, the recycler in Fresno, says the number of discarded TVs can only increase, as prices on flat-panel TVs drop and the digital conversion leads more people to upgrade.
"You have a new influx of televisions coming into the solid-waste stream," he said.
The Fresno facility processes more than 5 million pounds a month from municipal and private collection sites. Partly because of the anticipated growth in discarded analog TVs, the company expanded to Massachusetts and expects to open facilities in 10 other states in the next 18 months.
Hazardous materials
The Environmental Protection Agency says older sets contain a host of hazardous materials. Most states ban leaded cathode-ray tubes — the technology used to power those TV sets — from landfills.
Cathode-ray tubes are encased with leaded glass to block harmful X-rays created in the picture-making process from escaping. The average picture tube contains 4 pounds of lead.
There are lead solder and cadmium in circuit boards, mercury in switches and brominates in flame retardants used on plastic casings. If dumped into landfills, those materials could seep into underground water.
Next-generation TVs — plasmas and liquid crystal displays — don't use cathode-ray tubes to display pictures.
Since 2005, to provide money for recycling older sets, California has required people to pay a fee of $6 to $10 when buying a device with cathode ray. The program has led to a boom in electronic-waste recyclers.
Earlier last month Minnesota enacted an even tougher law, requiring manufacturers to recycle 60 percent of the weight of the electronics they sell in the state, rising to 80 percent the second year the measure is in effect.
Spreading burden
Manufacturers want the burden of recycling TVs and other electronics to be spread among retailers and consumers, and they would prefer a single nationwide standard, said Brugge, the Consumer Electronics Association spokesman.
The trade group says there are uses for old analog TVs as viewers upgrade to flat-panel digital sets.
But Murray, of Californians Against Waste, thinks that the more people learn about the digital-TV conversion, the less enamored they will be with keeping old sets around.
"You're going to see people not only going out and buying a new TV and discarding the one in the family room, they're going to discard the one in the basement too," he said. "We don't have to wait for this avalanche to take place in 2009 — it's happening right now."
Flextronics buys US rival Solectron for $3.6bn
Consolidation among white-label electronics makers continued Monday as Flextronics, a Singapore-based electronics maker, bought Solectron, a US rival.
Flextronics, which makes products ranging from printers sold by Hewlett-Packard to copy machines sold by Xerox, said it would pay $3.6bn for Solectron, which specialises in higher-end telecoms and computer products.
The cash and stock deal comes amid a period of turmoil in the industry, as the companies that build computers, mobile phones and other electronics equipment on behalf of name-brand clients grapple with fierce price competition and a glut of overcapacity.
Michael McNamara, chief executive of Flextronics, said the purchase of Solectron would allow the company to extend its reach and cut costs.
"It made sense to consolidate the industry," he said. "We have a very strong position right now. We have positive momentum so we are in a position to do something. We viewed Solectron as being very strong operationally with a strong customer base."
The acquisition continues a string of recent transactions by Flextronics. Last year, it bought International DisplayWorks, a maker of liquid crystal displays for mobile phones, for $300m.
In March it sold an 85 per cent stake in Flextronics Software Systems, a software subsidiary, to a consortium of private equity groups led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts for $900m in cash.
The company has also moved jobs to India and Ukraine to cut costs.
The deal with Flextronics comes as Solectron hunts for a new chief executive following the departure of Michael Cannon in February. Mr Cannon left to lead a new global supply chain organisation at Dell, the world's second-biggest personal computer maker.
Shares in Solectron jumped 15 per cent Monday to $3.88 on news of the Flextronics deal. Flextronics' shares dipped 1.3 per cent to $11.55. They had fallen from a high of $12.16 in January.
The fall came in spite of strong revenue growth at the company.
Flextronics reported sales of $18.9bn last year, an increase of 23 per cent over the year before.
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=FT&Date=20070604&ID=6992909
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Consumer Electronics Product - Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Product
Consumer electronics has affected every aspect of our lives with consumer electronics products. Consumer electronics magazine contains regular features on new home electronics and consumer electronics equipment. A kitchen cannot do without consumer electric/electronic items like a Food processor, microwave oven and Blender. Consumer electronics in the field of electronic entertainment offers DVD and CD players. Consumer electronics has brought the home theatre to our living room.
DVD – a consumer electronic product now offers multi-format playability as well as MP3 and CD playback. It is possible to get a consumer electronic product like DVD player with DTS and Dolby Digital output. Enjoy the freedom of movement while talking on the phone with another consumer electronics product - Cordless telephone. This home electronics product comes with a lot of options like Caller ID, Digital messaging system and Call waiting service.
The Plasma TV is one of the most exciting new consumer electronics products to hit the home theater market in years. By combining an exquisite picture with minimal space requirements, the flat panel Plasma TV has seen its popularity skyrocket. Consumer electronics store offers digital cameras and video games too. Laptops and Tablet PCs as well as LCD Monitors and back projection Projectors can be found at a consumer electronics store.
Consumer Electronics Show
The Consumer electronics show is the world's largest consumer tech show and double the size of any other technology show in North America. More than 22 miles of telephone cable were laid for this consumer electronics show, including cable for WiFi access points. Over 100,000 attendees from more than 100 countries converged at Las Vegas for the consumer electronics show. The consumer electronics show featured 20 technology pavilions, including areas for Bluetooth, MP3 and Internet audio. The consumer electronics show even had a digital car showroom
Auto Electronics - Cheap Car Electronics
A long drive is made soothing when accompanied by enjoyable music. Audio equipments for cars are of various types and can be chosen on the basis of price, quality and performance. They range from mass produced cheap car electronic items to sophisticated equipments that run into hundreds of dollars. Radios and tape players were some of the first car audio electronic equipments to provide this form of entertainment. Technology in auto electronics has advanced a great deal to include CD players with MP3, WMA, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, DVD players, LCD screens, automotive navigation systems, and stereos with ipods, satellite radios, amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers.
Points to consider when installing car audio electronic equipments
Before deciding on the auto electronic equipment for your car, it is important to consider your budget, whether your vehicle can accommodate the systems, the period of time you intend to retain the vehicle and the type of music you listen to. Branded products are usually not cheap car electronic equipments but come with a warranty and are easy to service.
The main components of car audio electronic systems are head units, speakers, amplifiers and input devices. Head units must be user-friendly making it easy to change tracks on a CD and switch radio stations, measure power in RMS, include pre-amp outputs and have theft preventive schemes. Good quality speakers and amplifiers determine the quality of car audio electronic equipments. Video systems can be mounted to the ceiling of vehicles, on headrests or hung between the front seats by straps. Before finalizing on a system it is better to check local laws as they vary from state to state.
Home Electronics Store - Home Theater Electronics
Home Electronics Store
You can pick up a consumer electronics product from a home electronics store. Avail of discount at a home electronics store like Circuit City to get a good buy. Many a home electronics store is also available online. At a whole consumer electronics store, you can find great deals on some popular home electronics products. In fact, wholesale consumer electronics store also offers money back guarantee schemes. Look for technical support when shopping at a home electronics store. Sometimes, scratched or dented products are available at a discount at home electronics stores. These products may have just a skin-deep scratch and will perform just as new. You can check up a consumer electronics magazine to look for discount sales on home electronics.
Home Theater Electronics
Home theater electronics is all about getting a good movie theater experience in your living room. Combine a 31 inch or larger television with a surround sound processor and add a hi-fi DVD player – and you have a home theater electronics system!
A moderately priced home theater electronics package offers new digital technologies and easier product connections. A home theater electronics package comes with a 5-Disc Slot Loading DVD/SACD/CD Changer with Progressive Scan Output, Front and Rear Floor Standing Speakers. A Home theater electronics set also contains a Digital Amplifier and Active Powered Subwoofer Unit with Dolby system that offers you the digital entertainment you've been dreaming of.
Electronic Music
Digital electronic music is rocking the music business. Emerging digital audio formats provide consumers with a wide variety of high quality electronic music. High-end electronic music and audio products continue to bring high-quality life-like sounds. Electronic music continues to foster growth for manufacturers of consumer electronic music products. Electronic music CDs are now available at any home electronic store.
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