Consumer Confidence Dips

Latest report from the Consumer Electronics Association and CNET's Index of Consumer Technology Expectations shows that consumer confidence dropped more in the electronics sector than the general economy. Ask Circuit City what they think.

The CEA's Index of Consumer Technology Expectations dropped 7 points since last month, dropping to 78.3. This is a 13% drop since this same time last year.

See what the director of research had to say about the report.

Makin' a List, Checkin' it Twice

Grab a pencil and paper - it's time to make a list. What are the top ten things you are wishing for this year? The results of a recent CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) survey will surprise you. Blew me away, actually.

Black Friday has come and gone, along with the first full weekend of holiday shopping. 25 million more people hit the stores than did last year. Most folks were out buying clothing (how boring!) while 36% were buying consumer electronics. The survey indicated that four of the top ten items of those surveyed were electronics devices.

See what else was on the list, and more interestingly, see where electronics fell on the list.

Survey Says: Electronics Market Has Room for Upgrades

We love market surveys.  No, really, we like knowing where our households fit into the average, and whether we're up on the latest trends. Who doesn't want to appear "normal," right?

A new study by market research company The NPD Group looked at market saturation in consumer electronics, and found that there are still opportunities for growth as folks replace and upgrade their electronics gear.

The report found that the average U.S. household has an average of 21 consumer electronics devices, such as computers, digital campers, and DVD players.  DVD player are in 85 percent of US homes. It seems that people are interested in up-converting DVD players to go with their new high-def TVs.

What else did the survey say?

Consumer Spending Rising?

While evidence of slow economic times still abound (Anyone want to buy my house? Bueller?) it seems that consumer spending in technology is rising.

A report looked at the results of two surveys conducted byt the Consumer Electronics Associate and CNET. "While still depressed on a year-over-year basis, consumers are showing some signs of confidence as the summer closes," the report said.

Guess I should have taken statistics instead of calculus in college, but it does look promising.

Analog Upgrades for Phono Cartridges

This one goes in the "Not Dead Yet" folder. In this day of DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD, SACD, DVD-Audio and other high-resolution audio formats, you might think that turntables are completely obsolete.  Au contraire. Hit any late-night club and you'll see that turntables are still quite popular. As such, the Consumer Electronics Association has started reviewing the standard for measuring the performance of phono cartridges. Want to help?

Got That Spreadsheet for Me?

Don't be surprised if it's not Excel your co-workers are watching on their PCs over the next few days. A survey conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association and the Sports Video Group shows that 38 percent of sports fans expect to download and watch a game--at no cost--over the next few years. That's up 10 percent from last year.

This year's NCAA March Madness, which began today, would be a good time to start. CBSSports.com is showing all 63 games for free on NCAA March Madness On Demand. The 640 x 360 widescreen video viewer is hardly high-def viewing at its best--even jerky at times--but it's more than passable. It sure beats watching second-quarter sales projections.

 

Drive Time Goes Up, So Does Spending on Car Electronics

If you're like most Americans, you spend 17 hours a week in your vehicle. That's a lot of time behind the wheel, which is why 38 percent of the driving population is planning to buy and install a CE device in their ride this year.

It's not what you think. What's surprising about those numbers, compiled by the Consumer Electronics Association, is that it's no longer car audio or video that's leading the drive to aftermarket mobile electronics sales. The most sought-after product for 2008, according to the CEA survey, is a remote car starter of all things. Fifteen percent of respondents said they planned to buy a remote starter in the next 12 months, followed by in-dash navigation systems at 13 percent. Car alarms came in third at 12 percent.