On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

According to DisplaySearch Q4 2011 LCD 3DTV panel shipments total 7.8M with 26% Q-o-Q growth-- with 2011 3DTV panel shipments reaching 21.2M, or 10% of total LCD TV panel shipments for the year.

As a result panel makers are predicting strong 138% Y-o-Y growth for 2012 3D panel shipments, or 50M units shipped with a penetration rate of 21.6% of all LCD TV panel shipments.

“As brands continue to promote 3D, end-user awareness and interest is growing. While there are still concerns about the lack of 3D content and services, as well as end-users' needs, LCD TV panel makers have pushed 3D capability via lower prices and the introduction of new, cost-effective technologies,” the analyst says.

Shutter glass technology accounts for 6.2% of total 2011 LCD TV shipments while patterned retarder shipments make 3.9%, with DisplaySearch forecasts saying 2012 penetration rates will increase to 11.6% for shutter glass and 10% for pattern retarder.

The WW tablet market is seeing "stronger-than-expected" growth across many regions IDC reports, with global Q4 2011 shipments reaching 28.2M units with 155% Y-o-Y growth. Shipments for the whole year total 68.7M.

As a result, IDC revises 2012 shipments forecasts from 87.7M to 106.1M units.

According to the analyst, Android makes strong gains in Q4 2011, thanks to low-cost offerings such as the Amazon Kindle Fire--- Android market share reaches 44.6%, up from 32.3% in Q3. On the other hand, the iOS grip on the market slips from 61.6% in Q3 to 54.7% for Q4 2011.

Best Buy names former Starbucks Chief Information Officer Stephen Gillett as executive VP and head of digital and global business services, starting from March 14.

The announcement arrives days after the departure of Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens from the retailer.

Gillett will be overseeing BestBuy.com and other e-commerce efforts, such as the integration of online sales with struggling brick and mortar outlets. His CV includes experience with Yahoo, CNet Networks and Sun Microsystems, as well as Starbucks-- where he headed the launch of Starbucks Digital Networks, an in-store digital network created in partnership with Yahoo.

He is also well known on the virtual World of Warcraft universe, where he is described as "one of the most innovative Guild Masters."

Gillett says Best Buy "has a unique and compelling advantage because it touches customers in so many different ways" when it comes to integrating stores, digital, mobile and social media within a multichannel offering.

Go Best Buy Names Former Starbucks Executive Stephen Gillett EVP and President, Best Buy Digital and Global Business Services

Wearable displays have often been referred to as "Head Mounted Displays" because of their bulky size and clunky appearance. Now Vuzix launches SMART Glasses Technology after years of internal development and a recent licensing deal with Nokia.

SMART Glasses Technology starts with a compact display engine capable of high contrast and brightness for outdoor use. The output is then relayed into a 1.4 mm thick polymer waveguide lens with input and output hologram structures on the surface which squeezes the light down the waveguide and then 2-dimensionally expands the image back into the user’s eye.