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

Hon Hai (part of Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer) acquires 45% of Hitachi Displays.

Hitachi Displays is a Hitachi/Canon joint venture focusing on IPS (in plane switching) and LTPS (low-temperature poly-silicon) technologies for small and medium size LCD manufacture.

Indications suggest Foxconn's Hitachi Displays investment includes plans for a new Gen 5.5 fab (using IPS and LTPS technologies) for smart phone and small/medium panel production.

Hitachi is the initial patent and technlogy owner of IPS-- a technlogy Apple uses for its mobile products. It is also a technology leader in IPS (for wide viewing angle) and LTPS (for high resolution).

Analysts at DisplaySearch say Foxconn sees rapid growth in notebook PC, tablet and smart phone manufacture-- and it manufactures iPads and iPhones for Apple.

Thus the deal starts to make a lot of sense. Hitachi Displays supplies the technology and patents, Foxconn the supply chain, business scale and capacity.

Go Foxconn Acquires Hitachi Display-- Why?

Go Hitachi in Discussions with Hon Hai on LCD Business Cooperation

DisplaySearch says 21% of 2010 W.W.TV shipments consist of IPTVs-- a marketshare to continue growing over the next 3 years.

The analyst predicts global IPTV numbers will reach 122 million units by 2014.

Emerging markets are to play a key role in the segment's growth-- E. European sales should grow from 2.5m in 2010 to over 10m in 2014.

DisplaySearch expects the IPTV market to split into 2 categories-- basic sets (with enchanced broadcast services like Hbb.TV and YouView) and Smart TV (with configurable apps, sophisticated search and advanced user interfaces).

Google's take on Android-powered Smart TV should be joined by other operating systems in 2011, inclluding Linux (MeeGo). DisplaySearch says Google TV is not consumers' dream Smart TV-- but is a good lead into what works.

Go DisplaySearch Quarterly TV Design and Features Report

Motorola claims its next tablet will be the first running Android 2.4, also known as Honeycomb.

As the next version of Google's OS, Honeycomb is oriented for tablet devices as well as smartphones. Other Android tablets on the market run Android 2.2 or below.

The Motorola Honeycomb tablet is supposed to have an NVidia dual core 3D processor (possibly the company's Tegra 2) and videochat-- at least as confirmed by Google VC Andy Rubin at D:Dive into Mobile.

Other rumours also suggest a 5MP back-facing camera, 7" and 10" versions, a gyroscope and 3 network options (UMTS, CDMA and LTE).

Meanwhile tech blog Engadget reveals a yet unnamed Toshiba Android tablet-- one that's also Tegra 2-powered and is to run on Honeycomb. More news will certainly come out in a few days on these-- and many other-- tablet devices at CES 2011.

Watch Tablet Evolution Presented by Motorola

Go Toshiba Announces Tegra 2-Powered Android Tablet

Da-Lite says its table top Pico Screen is ideal for pico projectors.

The lightweight projection screenis easy to set up-- all it involves is pulling the case's 2 halves apart and placing it on a stand or table, with no latches or feet to worry about.

When expanded, the screen has a maximum 30" viewing area. Its case is only 19" long when closed.

The Da-Lite Pico Screen is also standard with Video Spectra 1.5 gain screen material.

Go Da-Lite Pico Screen