Looks like the Android tablets are starting to sneak up on Apple in the tablet arena. According to the latest Strategy Analytics report Android tablets have increased their share of the market by 10%, up to 39%, in the fourth quarter. Leading the growth for the Android systems is the Amazon Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tabs and Asus tablets. Tablet shipments (both Apple and Android based tablets) reached 27 million units shipped during the fourth quarter, that is a 150% increase from 2011.

These are all products featured at this year’s CES. The Consumer Electronic Show is the equivalent of 31 football fields full of emerging technology. This show never ceases to amaze me. There is quite a bit to see and comprehend in only 3 days. This year there was not a major focus on new categories. What I saw was several enhancements to existing categories. It appears to be the year of personal connection. Many manufacturers demonstrated how you can incorporate several of your electronic devices to communication with each other. Upload pictures/movies from your phone or camera to your TV, tablet or PC, etc.. Have your washer machine or dryer text you and tell you it is time to switch the clothes to the dryer. Now if they could just fold and put away for you.

My list of notable products from this year’s show;
• Samsung 55” OLED TV one of the largest of its kind in the market
• Sony’s Crystal LED display TV (approximately 600-million LED lights)
• Toshiba glasses free 3D TVs
• Sharp Freestyle Portable TVs – seriously you can take your TV anywhere (within 98’ of home base)
• Swiss Army Knife with a solid state drive (SSD)
• Ultrabooks, Ultrabooks, Ultrabooks – seems like everyone is coming out with the Ultrabook. A super thin, lightweight notebook to compete with Apple
• Apps, Apps, Apps – if you can think it, it is probably already out there and available for download
• Razor Fiona gaming tablet – conceptual at this time. Will run on Windows 8 with a $1000 price tag
• Roku streaming stick – turn your TV into an internet streaming device
• Phablet – Samsung is introducing the Samsung Galaxy Note. A cross between a phone and tablet
• OnLive – a free app that turns your iPad into a Windows PC desktop. Giving you access to games and Windows office
• Toshiba’s super thin tablet – only 7.7m and will run on the Android 4 platform (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Coming soon – 4G for cars. OnStar has partnered with Verizon to bring 4G to your family car
• Waterproof, Dustproof and Shockproof HD video and digital cameras. Many include live streaming and GPS tagging
• And finally Life Technologies unveiled a DNA sequencer designed to decode an entire human genome in a day for $1,000 by the end of 2012. This one scares me.

With electronic devices changing so quickly some may be wondering what is the best way to discard the old.   Do my old electronics have any value, should I resell, should I donate to someone who could use them, where can I drop off products to be recycled?  All great questions and all depend on what the old electronic item is that you have to dispose of. Best Buy and Staples offer a cash-back program. Recyclebank allows you to earn points for recycling. Gazelle.com has paid out over $25M for used consumer electronics. Close the Gap refurbs your old computers and sends them to underprivileged individuals in Africa.

To help you decide what is best for you visit the following like for a variety of options.

http://greenergadgets.org/recycling-responsibly.html

At the end of September Sharp introduced their 80-inch Aquos LED TV.   This giant LED-lit flat screen television featuring Aquos technology will be the largest consumer available television, at the time of it’s release.   The 80” LED also feature Sharp’s signature Quattron quad-pixel technology. This means that a fourth color, yellow, is added to the traditional red-blue-green display.  The 1080p X-Gen LCD display also consumes less energy than standard CCFL LCD televisions.    Sharp also offers  60” & 70” LCDs.

These multimedia devices are designed for on the go, with small dimensions and lightweight designs.

What can you do with a tablet;

• internet access
• send and read emails
• read a book, write a book
• listen to music
• watch videos and movies
• take and send pictures
• beat the Angry Birds
• video chat
• create and review documents
• and so much more….

Not sure which one is right for you.   Click here to help you decide.

All Star offers several tablets to choose from in our reward programs.

North America accounted for 38% of global Blu-ray player shipments in 2010, according to new data from In-Stat.

Shipment of Blu-ray Disc players is set to replace DVD players during the next five years, reaching 105 million units shipped by 2015, according to new research by In-Stat.

The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based research firm owned by The NPD Group also found that during the next three years, DVD recorders would essentially be phased out completely, save for limited shipments to Japan, according to its Global Blu-ray and DVD Players and Recorders report. Indeed, Blu-ray players connected to the Internet wirelessly continue to represent a major component of consumer electronics devices linking the television to the Web for entertainment distribution.

“Blu-ray recorders will replace DVD recorders and many consumers of recorders will even drop the physical disk media option altogether and instead opt for a player with a large hard drive or digital media storage in which to store [digital video content],” said Norm Bogen, VP digital entertainment with In-Stat.

Other data indicated Japan accounts for the majority of Blu-ray recorders and Europe is the main market for DVD recorders. The Chinese market for Blu-ray has apparently waned, impacted by lower prices offered by the local Chinese CBHD optical disc high-definition standard.

Meanwhile, more than 15% of Netflix subscribers opted for Blu-ray rentals at the end of 2010, underscoring the recent backlash by that service’s subscribers regarding price increases and perceived indifference toward packaged media compared with streaming.

All Star Incentive Marketing  proudly offers a variety of Blu-players in their reward catalogs.

The Sony lineup will have 37 models to choose from, including 32 web-enabled TVs and 23 with 3D features.

Sony is also adding new features to the 2011 TVs, including an enhanced Netflix GUI, which will also be offered to existing BRAVIA customers starting in April. Available via a firmware upgrade, the new experience allows Netflix subscribers to browse and access thousands of TV shows and movies straight from the TV’s remote.

Other new offerings include free movies and TV shows from Crackle; the subscription-based Hulu Plus; snow, surf, skate and wake action via Billabong; live concerts on Moshcam; and more than 100 easy-to-use TV apps via the Yahoo Connected TV Store.

In an economy that continues to struggle, it is critical to hold onto clients and keep them happy because new ones can be difficult to nail down.  Contract renegotiation time can often be dicey but following a few key steps can result in a positive outcome for both parties involved.

1. Review the contract and statement of work periodically – While getting the initial contract signed is important, make sure it doesn’t hide in your file drawer until renegotiation time.  By staying on track over the course of the contract timeframe there are less likely to be surprises when it comes time to renegotiate.  Insuring that you are doing what is agreed upon will likely lend itself to less bumps in the road when you are asking for more budget or less stringent guidelines.
2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – Being engaged in your client’s programs and setting regular meetings and conference calls to gauge success, review processes, make changes, and brainstorm shows that you are on top of things.  Frequent communication allows little room for your client to question how or why something is or is not happening.  In addition, being forthright with information in a timely manner puts you on a fast track for gaining your client’s respect.
3. Pat yourself on the back – While many clients recognize the amount of work that is being done on their behalf, there are often many things that happen behind the scenes of which they are not aware.  Don’t hesitate to compile a list of the “extras” including the associated costs (especially if your company is providing them either at reduced or no cost at all).  These items are the keys to showing the added value that you and your company bring to the table and should not go unstated.  There is a fine line between bragging and simply stated self promotion and it is necessary and important to do the latter to get the things you want from the contract discussions. 

While miring through the legalese can sometimes be draining, contract negotiations don’t always have to be painful.  Take the positive approach and use it as an opportunity to showcase how you and your company have shined.

Just coming back from the 2009 Special Market Dialogue Conference. One main concern discussed for 4th quarter and into 2010 for both the promotional and premium suppliers is the fact that the majority of manufacturers are going to be moving to even more of a real-time inventory stance. Forecasting is going to be key for 2010. Nearly gone are the days of calling a manufacturing and finding 200+ units plus on the shelf.