e-readers

Tablets
March 19, 2012
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FAA taking a ‘fresh look’ at the use of personal electronics on planes

By on March 19, 2012 at 6:50 PM.

FAA taking a ‘fresh look’ at the use of personal electronics on planes

Kindles and iPads have moved into the mainstream, and by the end of 2012 it is predicted that more than 40 million eReaders and 60 million tablets will be owned in the United States. When it comes to traveling, unfortunately, consumers are often forced to use traditional forms of entertainment — physical books and magazines – due to the dated rules enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration. Those rules, however, may be about to change. Laura J. Brown, deputy assistant administrator for public affairs for the FAA, told The New York Times on Sunday that the agency has decided to take a “fresh look” at the use of personal electronics on planes. The last time the administration performed testing was in 2006, long before the iPad was introduced, and it does not plan to include smartphones in the possible revisions. Read on for more. More →

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Business
February 13, 2012
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NPD: Apple ends 2011 as No.1 brand, Best Buy top retailer

By on February 13, 2012 at 4:30 PM.

NPD: Apple ends 2011 as No.1 brand, Best Buy top retailer

Consumer technology hardware sales in the United States fell 0.5% percent in 2011, ending the year just shy of $144 billion according to market research firm The NPD Group. Roughly 60% of all sales were from PCs, TVs, tablets, eReaders, mobile phones and video game hardware, NPD said. Computers generated the most revenue with nearly $28 billion or roughly 20% of sales, with tablets and eReaders doubling sales to $15 billion in 2011. For the second year in a row, Apple led all consumer electronics brands and was the only one to increase sales during the holiday quarter, posting a 36% year-over-year increase. The Cupertino-based company accounted for 19% percent of all sales, almost double second-ranked Hewlett-Packard. Best Buy was the top retailer for the second year in a row, followed by Walmart and Apple respectively, with Staples and Amazon tied for fourth place. Online, direct mail and TV shopping channel sales increased 7% and accounted for 24% of all sales, up from 22% in 2010. Read on for NPD’s press release. More →

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Business
February 6, 2012
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Amazon reportedly plans to open a retail store this year

By on February 6, 2012 at 5:35 PM.

Amazon reportedly plans to open a retail store this year

Amazon is preparing to open a retail store in Seattle within the next few months, according to a report from Good eReader. Amazon is apparently looking to open a small boutique rather than a large shop in an effort to test the market. The store would feature the Amazon Exclusive book line and the company’s popular eReaders and tablets most prominently according to the rumor. Amazon’s headquarters is located in Seattle, which is known as being fairly tech savvy and may be the perfect location to gauge interest in such an endeavor. The company has reportedly already contracted the design through a shell company and it is expected that the first location will open ahead of the holiday season this year. More →

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Tablets
January 23, 2012
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Tablet and e-book ownership nearly doubled during holiday season

By on January 23, 2012 at 1:40 PM.

Tablet and e-book ownership nearly doubled during holiday season

Pew Research conducted a pre-holiday survey among people age 16 and older between November 16th and December 21st, and two additional surveys of adults age 18 and older in January. The data found that during the holiday gift giving season, sales of tablets and eBook readers nearly doubled from 10% to 19%. In the same time frame, the number of Americans owning at least one of these devices jumped from 18% to 29%. More than 33% of those living in households earning more than $75,000 a year own a tablet, with almost a third of those with college educations or higher owning the device. The eReader data revealed that more woman own the devices than men and those with both a high level of education and income showed the highest percentage of ownership. More →

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Tablets
March 29, 2011
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IMS: Tablet market to continue hurting PC makers through 2011

By on March 29, 2011 at 6:03 PM.

IMS: Tablet market to continue hurting PC makers through 2011

Market research firm IMS Research on Tuesday said the growing market for tablets and eReaders will continue to have a significant impact on portable PC sales this year. The report shows that the 2010 holiday season capped off a massive fourth quarter for tablets and eReaders. eReader shipments in the quarter were up 90% over the third quarter and 116% year-over-year to 5.1 million units, with Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s NOOK the biggest winners. Led by Apple’s iPad, tablet shipments were even more impressive in the fourth quarter. The tablet market grew 124% in the quarter, with 9.4 million units shipped. Apple led the market with a 78% share, followed by Samsung. This impressive performance only represented 8% of the portable PC market in 2010, however, but IMS foresees a tablet explosion this year. The firm predicts tablet shipments will grow 242% to 58 million units in 2011, which will account for 23% of the portable PC market. Hit the break for the full press release. More →

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Mobile
February 17, 2011
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Connected device sales will grow 77% to 39 million in 2011, Berg Insight says

By on February 17, 2011 at 2:37 PM.

Connected device sales will grow 77% to 39 million in 2011, Berg Insight says

In a report titled Emerging Wireless Consumer Devices published this month by Berg Insight, the firm claims that sales of connected consumer devices will grow 77% in 2011. Berg estimates that 22 million consumer devices with embedded cellular connectivity were sold in 2010, and that number will nearly double in 2011 to 39 million. In 2015, Berg thinks over 270 million connected consumer devices will be sold globally, representing a compound annual growth rate of 65%. The category, as defined by Berg, includes devices with integrated cellular connectivity such as tablets and eReaders, and it excludes cell phones. The firm also notes that connected portable gaming consoles such as Sony’s NGP will be a new and significant entrant into the category later this year.

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