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

Home entertainment spending is down by 4% in 2010 as compared to 2009, BTIG Research says.

This is because consumers prefer to rent-- or rather, stream entertainment media from services like Netflix through internet-connected tvs, set-top boxes and blu-ray players.

While blu-ray emerges as the winner in the format wars (with 80% growth in 2010 over 2009). it still loses compared to online distribution.

Rental kiosks and video on demand from cable and satellite distribution are also growing rapidly, by 55% this year.

BTIG says disc-based media sales as well as digital download purchases fall by 11% in Q3 2010.

All of this takes a big bite from both actual purchases and brick-and-mortar rental stores like Blockbuster (which recentlly filed for bankruptcy). Brick-and-mortar rental sales are down by 31.4% in 2010.

Go Home Entertainment Spending Weakening as consumers Shift Toward Rental

TechCrunch awards Maxroam the best hardware startup prize at its 2010 Europa's (European startup awards for European and EMEA tech companies).

Maxroam offers SIM cards customers can use globally, together with a low-cost roaming service. The service covers over 230 countries, and Maxroam says it reduces voice call, SMS and data costs by up to 70%.

Customers know exactly how much they spend via online real-time billing check.

The SIM can be used in any standard GSM mobile phone, smartphone or mobile broadband modem.

Go Maxroam

Go Europas European Startup Awards 2010

Archos, the French device maker, says it has more than 10,000 Android apps available via its AppsLibs store, positioned as an alternative to Android Market.

Archos offers a range of its own Android media devices with screens from 2.8" to 10.1". This manufacturer has proven to be a survivor as an innovative maker of mobile multimedia devices: its initiative in apps is one more proof of its market savvy.

Maybe because its empathy to device makers, its app store has less painful hardware requirements than Android Market e.g.,devices without GPS or integrated cameras are supported without prejudice). AppsLib also supports products with better-spec CPUs, graphics hardware, and memory than standard Android smartphones. It offers payment by PayPal, so apps can be purchased in more than 20 currencies. It supports apps written for tablets with larger displays and screen resolutions

Go AppsLib

No, we didn't misplace a "0." We tend to be self-centered and just don't look outside the usual suspects.

So where is this giant of a show? Tokyo? Beijing? Shanghai?

None of these above, the records were broken once again at Sitex  2010, as more than 900,000 people visited the four-day show at the Singapore Expo and splurged some $52 million on gadgets and gizmos. Among the more popular items were tablet computers, Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation systems and digital cameras.

Now SITEX is in Singapore, an island with 5 million people so apparently nearly 1 out of every 5 people went to look at and shop for consumer electronics. (We have the feeling the visitors are counted per entry not per visitor which may then include repeat visits, but impressive nonetheless.)

Imagine an IFA on Malta and you might have the EU equivalent in impact.  Or, more accurately, a show in Belgium with 1.8 million visitors in 4 days at Heysel (would have to be a beer festival, we think).

But that's the only rub: unlike IFA, CES the Sitex only has 160 exhibitors (and 44 were new ones).

CES had 120,000 or so visitors viewing 2500 exhibitors, a ratio of 48 trade visitors per exhibitor vs. Sitex's 5625 consumers per exhibitor.

Or Berlin's IFA with 235,000 attendees (public and dealers) and 1423 exhibitors...a ratio of 165 attendees to each exhibitor.

You may want to compare IFA's claim that 3.5 billion euros of orders were taken (trade orders) versus Sitex's  $52 million consumer orders ($57.77 per visitor).

Go Sitex