Guide to Consumer Electronics News and Trends

Put the latest consumer electronics to work in your business

By Denise Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Sign up for consumer electronics newsletters

These newsletters can keep you informed on the latest developments and trends in the home electronics industry. Newsletters also feature new products by consumer electronic companies. Additionally, many newsletters offer reviews of new products.

I recommend: The Consumer Electronics Online News is a weekly newsletter subscription service that features trends in the consumer electronics business. Intel offers a newsletter to help keep you posted on the latest consumer electronics news and trends.

Read consumer electronics news and trends blogs

Blogs and online news sources cover consumer electronics from both the consumer and trade angle. Many online consumer electronics retailers include a blog as part of their website. These blogs are a great way to stay on top of the latest news and trends in the consumer electronics industry.

I recommend: TWICE (This Week in Consumer Electronics) is an authoritative source for electronics retailers. For a well-respected blog on the latest in consumer electronics, try Engadget. One of the major consumer electronics retailers, Circuit City, offers a blog to help you understand and use a variety of consumer electronic brands that they carry. You can read the latest consumer electronics news and trends from Best Buy, a leading consumer electronics company. They offer a blog with RSS feeds so you can get the latest updates as they become available.

Join consumer electronics trade associations

These organizations can provide invaluable insights into the trends taking place in the home electronics industry. By reading trade magazines and newsletters from these trade organizations, you can be one of the first to know about new consumer electronics products.

I recommend: Join the Consumer Electronics Association. It has over 2,200 consumer electronics companies as members. Its annual Consumer Electronics Show is the largest in the world. Another good trade association is the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association. Depending on the level of membership you choose, you can acquire a lot of information about consumer electronics news and trends.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't let the flash and dazzle of fancy advertising lure you into buying consumer electronics for your business that you can't use. If the home electronics item sits on the shelf after you purchase it because you can't find a use for it, it's a waste of money.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Shop different consumer electronic brands for equipment you use in the office every day

Just about any small business owner and professional needs to copy, fax, print, shred, calculate and work at a computer. If available space limits your ability to buy a separate printer, copier and fax machine, and only a few people would need regular access, consider combining them. Computers and associated monitors seem outdated almost as soon as you buy them, and if it's been a year since your last monitor, you'll like the selection and prices available now.

I recommend: To hit all price points in your search for a copier/printer/scanner, start at NexTag and compare prices. If you need a new computer monitor or any other consumer or home electronics, take advantage of Circuit City's free shipping and low-price guarantee.

Make your mobile life easier with equipment from electronics stores

When you're out of the office making a presentation, driving to a meeting, waiting in a doctor's office or staying home with a sick child, you can still accomplish work-related tasks. Owning your own projector and laptop lets you dry run presentations anytime and anywhere. Using your own equipment to give presentations at someone else's place of business frees you to focus on the presentation instead of wondering when they last changed their projector's light bulb and if everything's compatible. Additionally, other electronic devices/equipment allows you to keep working even when you're not in a work setting.

I recommend: Check out the 2.9-pound View Sonic projector at Monitor Outlet and then visit Super Warehouse to price laptops you can use for presentations or lightweight Notebook PCs you can use in the doctor's waiting room. You can also check out digital voice recorders that will keep you from forgetting everything you remember when there's no paper, pen or computer at hand; start your search at Just Recorders.

Stop by any consumer electronics business and find a way to indulge yourself at the office

If your budget allows, you can find some great ways to pamper yourself and relax before you head home at the end of a long, stressful day.

I recommend: If you frequently feel stressed and frustrated, check out the hand-held biofeedback Stress Eraser from The Sharper Image. Better yet, imagine the possibility of a calm rush-hour drive home each night after you first relax in one of the massage chairs offered by Massager Machines & More.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you spend money at a consumer electronics store, check to see if any of your existing devices and equipment already perform the task you want to accomplish. For example, some MP3 players can double as voice recorders, too. If you don't have an MP3, consider leaving yourself messages on your own cell phone.

Guide to Making the Most of Consumer Electronics

Save money on consumer electronics and get the features you need

By Denise Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find the best consumer electronics for your business

It may not be the most famous name or model. To find out the best way to get the best value for your electronics dollar, read the reviews of consumer electronics posted on leading review websites. These reviews can give you ideas of ways to get the most value from your consumer electronics.

I recommend: CNET is an excellent source of non-biased reviews of consumer electronic brands. Retrevo can give you reviews of items, such as digital cameras, made by the leading consumer electronics companies. As an added service, they can also provide manuals and buyer’s guides to help you decide if a product is right for your business.

Buy consumer electronics products that can multitask

Some products do more than one thing. Those are the best ones to consider for making the most of your consumer electronics budget. For some home electronics products the possibilities are endless.

I recommend: Tradekey offers consumer electronic industry products that serve multiple functions. For example, it has a large selection of digital voice recorders from leading consumer electronic companies that serve as MP3 players, radios and flash drives as well. VIZIO televisions come with a VGA connection that allows you to connect your desktop or laptop computer to your television. In effect, this turns your television into a LCD projector.

Consider professional installation of the consumer electronics in your business

Flat screen televisions look nice when placed flush against the wall. But it takes special skills to hang these heavy televisions and hide the cords. Professional installers also take the time to make sure remotes work properly with any peripheral devices you may have.

I recommend: Circuit City, one of the leading consumer electronics retailers, offers their Firedog service, which is a professional team of electronics installation experts. The Geek Squad from Best Buy can help you get your home electronics properly installed in your office as well.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you choose to have consumer electronics professionally installed, check the installers' credentials and references, as well any professional certifications. Because professional installers may need to cut holes in your drywall to hide the cords of electronic equipment, they should have adequate carpentry skills as well as electrical skills.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Region codes

Region codes are encrypted onto DVD discs to prevent them from being played in regions other than where they were intended to play. Different regions are assigned their own code. If DVDs don't contain a region code, they're called region 0 DVDs and can be played in any region. DVD players that are modified to be region-free or code-free will be able to play all discs no matter what their coding is.

I recommend: Firebird-Systems examines region codes and their purpose.

Consumer Electronics Association

The Consumer Electronics Association is the trade association for many companies in the consumer electronics industry, including manufacturers, distributors, installers and online retailers.

I recommend: Find out how the Consumer Electronics Association serves its members.

ecycling

Ecycling refers to the recycling of electronics to preserve landfill space and ensure that hazardous materials are disposed of properly. Ecycling includes refurbishing electronics, donating them or separating the materials and recycling as many of them as possible. Companies and individuals that donate electronics are usually eligible for tax deductions.

I recommend: The EPA educates consumers and businesses on the importance of ecycling and offers options for ecycling opportunities.

Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC)

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is a nonprofit organization that sets standards for digital television. The organization exists to advance digital TV broadcasting and to encourage compatibility with other media.

I recommend: Marketing opportunities and benefits of membership are described by the Advanced Television Systems Committee.

PVR and DVR

A personal video recorder (PVR) or digital video recorder (DVR) are electronic devices that store video in internal memory in a digital format.

I recommend: Abby'sGuide explains some of the uses of PVRs and DVRs.

Electronics Representatives Association

The Electronics Representatives Association is an advocate of consumer electronics manufacturers. It hosts educational programs and activities for industry representatives. It also offers low-cost training for members.

I recommend: Get more information from the Electronics Representatives Association.