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

Will the smartphone stop ruling the small screens to instead become the behind the scenes "hub" powering the next generation of wearable computers?

According to the New York Times, both Google and Apple are secretly working on wearable devices-- with the aim to boost the smartphone business, of course.

Google is reportedly hiring specialists from Nokia, Apple and engineering universities as researchers at the secret Google X labs work on wearable peripherals sending and receiving data to and from Android handsets.

Meanwhile NYTimes sources say Apple is prototyping wearable devices-- such as a curved-glass voice controlled (Via Siri) iPod wrapping around the wrist.

There is no mention of when such devices will hit the market (if at all), but some researcher speculate wearable computing will even appear as glasses with built-in displays within the next 10 years.

In the meantime, it is more than realistic to expect the occasional Dick Tracy-style wristwatch computer to grace the market in the (very) near future.

Go Wearing Your Computer on Your Sleeve (NYTimes.com)

The HMV group reports a 40.8% Y-o-Y decline for the half-year period ending October 2011, with revenues totalling £443.3M-- a net loss of £40.6M, up from £37.8M over the same period in 2010.

Total sales for the retailer are also down by 17.6% Y-o-Y, reaching £364.9M.

HMV warns of "material uncertainties" causing concerns for the future, as the current economic situation remains one best described as "wobbly." Earlier this year HMV also sold off Waterstones and HMV Canada.

However HMV says sales are up by 42% in 144 refitted retail outlets focusing on CE retail-- while headphone, speakerdock and tablet sales in such stores are up by 147% since refitting.

As a result the retailer will push the restructuring program throughout 2012, with hopes to deliver a "reshaped store portfolio" while reducing costs.

Go HMV Group Interim Financial Results

No one doubts customer returns are a big issue for both retailers and manufacturers. According to Accenture, purchase returns represent 2-3% of all CE sales in the US, or around 5-6% of manufacturer spending.

This means returns in our industry are bigger than those some other industries...

The analyst also estimates US customer CE returns will total $16.7 billion in 2011-- and only 5% of returns are due to defective products, while the remaining 95% covers either product frustration or buyer's remorse.

In other words, customers are returning perfectly good purchases at retailer and manufacturers' expense. And while the study covers only the US, we're sure the situation is at least roughly similar on our side of the pond.

Being in metrics and logistics itself, Accenture suggest the further use of metrics within the retail sphere-- keeping track of what customers are returning (and keeping!) in order to plot supply chain changes.

Other suggestions include the improvement of return/repair networks, the encouragement of customer feedback, more accurate advertising and more spending on customer service, all in order to spend less on returns.

As the gift-giving season is but a few days away, it should pay to make customers happy-- in the hopes they keep US happy in return!

Go Accenture: A "Returning Problem" Study

Archos hopes to make your customers buy a home phone again with the Archos 3S smart home phone, putting smartphone-style features in a more traditional DECT phone.

The device looks like a regular smartphone, complete with a 3.5" touchscreen and a sleek design. Powering it is Android 2.2 (aka Froyo), allowing for a range of additional features-- web and email access, social networking, media playback (photos, music and video) and even games.

In addition it has name and number memory, hands free option, intercom and RCHOScaller ID functionality.

It is compatible with any ADSL box or phone line, using standard DECT protocols.

Go Archos 3S Smart Home Phone