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

The answer appears to be yes, Creative Channel Services (CCS) says. Its survey of store-level CE retail sales associates shows 80% are failiar or very familiar with connected TV.

More than 45% of retailers also feel customers will prefer to spend around $250 on a set-top box rather than a new internet-enabled TV, blu-ray player or home theatre system.

The top reason given on why consumers will invest in connected TV is "to have a unified multimedia experience"-- 53% of survey participants rate consumer interest as "very interested".

Streaming video rates 2nd (51%), web surfing 3rd (40%), using online applications 4th (35%) and listening to music 5th (34%).

When it comes to whether connected TV will replace customers' cable and satellite services, 53% of retailers feel it won't for at least another 5 years. 28% think it will in 3 years, and 22% say it will as early as in 2 years' time.

CCS says retail salespersons can drive the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and help move new products in consumers' living rooms.

A CCS consumer survey shows just 31% of customers familiar with the technology. Only 17% say they might purchase a connected TV solution in 2011.

Go CCS: 80% of Retail Salespeople Say They Are Familiar with Connected TV

DisplaySearch predicts increasing growths in brightness and battery life for pocket projectors for the next 2 years.

Models available next year will all be over 20 lumens, and 200 lumen models will be released in 2012

By 2011 all models will have over 1 hour of battery life, while DisplaySearch expects 4-hour battery life models in 2012.

The company says current product introductions advance on these trends.

3M has 2 new models with up to 20 lumens brightness and 2-hour battery life at standard mode-- the MPro 160 and MPro 180. Both models use SVGA SCOS microdisplays, and the MPro has a 2.4" LCD touch screen interface.

In comparison 3M's MPro 110 (from ) had only 10 lumens brightness.

Meanwhile Philips announces 3 new PicoPix models-- the PPX-1430, PPX-1230 and PPX-1020. All have 400:1 contrast ratios, 20-30 lumens brightness and integrated 2.5 hours battery (on 1230 and 1430 models). Philips uses field-sequental SVGA LCOS micordisplays for its PicoPix line.

Go Pocket Projectors Advance in Features, Brightness and Battery Life

Owle's Bubo is an iPhone 3GS/4 camera stabilisation and accessory shoe mount. It features an interchangeable 37mm wide angle lens (0.45x wide angle/macro lens combination), stability control and an adjustable Vericorder microphone.

The company says Bubo improves the iPhone's video recording capabilities with better colour saturation, contrast, sharpness and sound, as well as reduces "hand jitter".

Construction is in solid aluminum.

The Bubo comes with 2 female tripod mounts on each of its 2 hand-grips. It also has a cold-shoe mount for attachment of lights or microphones. Users can also thread extra cold-shoe mounts in the tripod mounts.

Go Owle Bubo

Gartner reports WW mobile phone sales total 417m units for Q3 2010, with Smartphones at 19.3% ( up 96% over 2009).

The world's top 3 mobile device makers remain Nokia, Samsung and LG-- only with reduced market share (28.2%, 17.2% respectively).

Apple surpasses RIM's, taking 4th place with 3.2% market share. In W. Europe, iPhone sales double Y-o-Y-- making Apple the 3rd largest vendor in the overall devices market.

Symbian rules the smartphone OS market, but Android continues to inch towards to top spot. Symbian's market share is at 36.6% (falling from Q3 2009's 44.6%) while Android's is rising at 25.5% (from Q3 2009's 3.5%).

More regular product releases, new platform entrants and new device types fuel accelerated platform evolution; Gartner says platforms failing to innovate quickly will lose developers, manufacturers, potential partners and ultimately users.

Gartner expects tablet impact on mobile device sales to be tested in 2011, as tablet sales should reach 54.8 million in 2011.

Go Gartner: Smartphone Sales Increased 96%