What Will They Think of Next?: Facebook Photos go Straight to Digital Frame

eStarling's WiFi digital photo frame now works with the Facebook.com social networking Website: enter your Facebook log-in information into the eStarling frame management Website just once. Then any time thereafter, photos you post to your Facebook account will automatically appear on your photo frame, as long as it's connected to the 'net. Photos that you friends upload can also be set to appear on the frame.

While this is a great way to keep families and friends up-to-date on your going's on (especially if they aren't techie enough to take and display their own images), this is also a great way to play jokes on people. Imagine setting a frame back home to display embarassing photos of your spouse while you know he/she has friends over. The possibilities are endless!

In addition to Facebook, the eStarling photo frame is also compatible with Photobucket; RSS feeds from sites like Flickr, Picasa, and AOL; and text messages from compatible mobile phones. Another neat feature is that the frame has its own e-mail address, so images can be sent to it directly from PCs or mobile phones (a filter is said to "protect against unwanted photos").

Tech Gift Ideas for Dad

Since I discussed tech ideas for mom last month for Mother's Day, it's only fair that I take a look at some gadget ideas for dads for this upcoming Father's Day. While moms might covet items that help organize her life and preserve memories (digital photo frames, universal remotes, and the like), dads are probably looking for high-ticket items that will make them the envy of the neighbourhood. Future Shop conducted a survey that found high-definition flat-panel TVs topped dads lists this year, along with portable GPS devices (who knew?), and Blu-ray players. Here are a few, expanded suggestions.

HDTV: Dads love TV, and many also love sports, so a big-screen, flat-panel display is likely on the gift-seeking list. Look for one with features like high-definition resolution, and 120 Hz refresh rate (for accurately capturing those fast-moving sports scenes). If your dad is a golfer, you might want to look into Sharp's Drivers for Dads promotion, which affords a customized golf driver with the purchase of any AQUOS TV at 46" or larger.

Camcorder: On family outings, dad is usually the guy with the camcorder in hand, filming mom and the kids. There are tons of neat, new models on the market today from companies like Canon, Panasonic, Sanyo, and JVC that record to hard drive, or even flash memory card. A current promotion from JVC provides up to $200 off the price of a Share Station DVD burner when purchased along with one of the company's latest camcorder models. Another neat DVD burning device is the DVDirect from Sony, ($229.99) which can connect to virtually any source via composite, component, S-video, USB, etc., and burn the content to a DVD R/RW disc.

Universal Remote Control: Just as mom can appreciate a universal remote control at home, so can dad. One of my favourites is the Harmony One, which is easy to use and set-up. I suggested pre-programming this for mom, but dad might appreciate the chance to tinker around with one himself.

Bluetooth Headset: If dad is a businessman, or constantly on-the-go, he might appreciate a Bluetooth headset that makes it easy to make and receive calls without having to rifle around for his cell phone. Show him how to pair it with his phone once, and it'll automatically pair each time thereafter. Alternatively, you might want to look into a Bluetooth speakerphone device that can clip to a visor in the car for making and receiving calls conveniently while driving. This accessory is of even greater importance these days as many provinces are beginning to ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving.

iTunes Canada Gift Card: I'll bet at some point, you got your dad an iPod, didn't you? Now that movies are available through the iTunes Canada store, you might want to look into getting dad a gift card so that he can load up his iPod with tunes and the latest movies for watching on-the-go.

Subscription to High-Def Channels: A lot of people I know who have flat-panel TVs but don't subscribe to the channels do so because they feel it's a "rip-off" that you have to pay extra (they obviously don't quite understand all the differences just yet between standard-definition and high-definition content). With that said, how about forking over the extra monthly fees for a year so that dad can get all the high-def sports and programming he wants?

Mobile Phone: Chances are that the phone dad currently has is an old clunker that he's had for years. Sign him up for a brand spanking new phone (simple function model) that will help him better stay in touch.

Copyrights Might Kill Our Hockey Song

The CBC has decided not to renew its contract with the composer of the Hockey Night in Canada theme song. All across Canada, hockey fans are bowing their heads and pumping their fists in anger. To many, it's almost like saying that the country is going to replace its National Anthem. So why the reason behind the decision?

Many reports state that the network has simply decided to "move in a new direction". But others have dug up information about a lawsuit the composer filed against CBC based on the unauthorized use of the tune beyond the scope of the original license agreement. Reportedly, CBC has license to use the song, composed by Dolores Claman in 1968 and used in partnership with the sport since then, in all Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts in Canada. So when the network decided to use it in the UK, and in "various other productions", Claman cried violation.

In an age where music composers are trying desperately to get their creations heard and recognized, isn't this situation slightly insulting? What has music come to when an inspirational tune that has brought joy to millions of Canadian citizens for 40 years could be lost because the creator did not get every penny of her $500/air play agreement? We'd be naive to think that money isn't a motivator (and a necessity) in music: one needs to be compensated in order to have the means to keep the creative juices flowing. But after 40 years, one could argue that the copyright for that song belongs to Canada, not to Claman. You'd hope she'd be proud of this, but apparently not so, seeking $2.5 million in "damages".

But on the flip side, if CBC's decision to squash the tune is in direct response of her actions (the new license deal supposedly included the exact same terms as always, with no increase in price or difference in usage rights), then they aren't any better than Claman. Granted, $2.5 million is a large sum, not to mention legal fees if the network fights the suit. But is the money worth it to keep Canadian viewers happy?

It's clear that issues of copyright and DRM as a whole aren't helping foster creativity nor secure the rights of music owners. It's just, more and more, being used as a means to grab money from individuals and companies. Meanwhile, we have struggling artists giving their music away online who would kill for the kind of positive association that this theme song has (or perhaps had?) If only music were still about bringing joy to people and not cashing in every way one can...

Does Recession Mean Increased Interest in Technology?

I have said many times that, in a recession, consumer electronics is likely the one category that won't suffer as much as the others. Today, a study commissioned by Blockbuster reports the same. Why? When people don't have as much disposable income, they stay home. What do they do at home? Watch TV or movies, play videos game, and surf around on the 'net.

So while the restaurant, vacation, and other like recreational industries are suffering, consumer electronics are becoming more central to people's daily lives. Granted, while people are watching more TV at home (87% of survey respondents said they would be using their home theatre more often in the coming months) they aren't exactly spending more money: your cable/satellite bill doesn't go up if you watch more TV, unless you opt for pay channels. But this means that consumers might become more aware of new technologies as they place more focus on digital entertainment. They might learn about channels they don't have and look into subscribing (I'm saving hundreds of dollars by not eating out every Friday anymore, so what's another $5/mo. tacked onto my cable bill?)

As lagging consumers stare at the old clunker of a TV in the middle of the living room that they didn't spend so much time with before, they might even start thinking of upgrading. If you're watching it more now, that justifies the purchase, right?

Of course Blockbuster hopes that this increased interest in "staying home" will also amount to lots and lots of movie rentals. It probably will. And hopefully once the recession has passed, consumers will look to invest in a fancy new home theatre so that they can enjoy these movies, as well as regular TV programming, and even video games, in all their glory.

Blu-ray Awareness Picking Up

As more and more consumers in the U.S. are jumping on the HDTV bandwagon (especially in wake of the country's transition to digital TV), the familiarity with Blu-ray is also increasing. The NPD Group reports that awareness in the technology has jumped 10% in the past year, from 35% to 45% of HDTV owners. Despite this, only 6% said they would buy a Blu-ray device in the next 6 months (9% for existing HDTV owners).

"With HDTVs now in approximately 40 million U.S. households, that percentage translates to a pool of almost 4 million potential BD player buyers," said Russ Crupnick, Entertainment Industry Analyst for NPD.

The study reiterates what many others have said over the past few months: that customers are still quite happy with their standard-definition DVD players. However, as the life-cycle of these devices come to an end, it's safe to assume that many of those looking for a replacement will invest in a Blu-ray player rather than another standard DVD product. This will rely, of course, on the hope that, by then, the pricing of both Blu-ray hardware and software comes down to a point that the average consumer deems the technology an "acceptable" alternative.

In the meantime, what can retailers and manufacturers do to help ramp up interest in the category? The first recommendation is obvious: demonstrate the benefits of Blu-ray over standard-def fare in your store via a side-by-side comparison. What would make most sense is to do so with an upconverting standard DVD player rather than an old, $50 model: using the latter will only convince the customer that you think he's an idiot. Any consumer that's really interested in getting the best picture quality will need to be convinced that Blu-ray is better than a higher-end upconverting player.

The second recommendation is to offer incentives. People love free stuff, so to include a Blu-ray movie or two with the purchase of a Blu-ray player, or, in the retailer's case, to offer in-store promotions, could help bring attention toward the product category.

Third, make the products easy to use, and tout those features. Consumers that are interested in high-quality video but aren't exactly technophiles, might worry that a Blu-ray player is too complex for them to understand how to use. Show them that this isn't the case.

Finally, carefully outline what is required to fully enjoy a Blu-ray player (i.e. an HDTV and Blu-ray discs; not to mention a favourable audio system) so that your customer doesn't go home disappointed. More important, explain what he can't use one for (e.g. to play old HD DVDs!)

Over time, Blu-ray can make it to become the Compact Disc (or should I say digital download?) of the video world.

What Happened to the "Good Ol' Days" of CE?

I have only worked in this industry for seven years, but any time I'm at an event with dealers, manufacturers, or distributors that have been in the industry since the '70s and '80s, I hear stories from that time. They're always happily referred to as the "good ol' days" of CE: when the moods were lighter, business contracts were written on napkins, and crazy antics went far beyond pulling several all-nighters during CES. Indeed, having heard some of things that went on (none of which will be written here!), I can confirm that the antics were indeed much crazier than they are today. So what happened to those times?

In some ways, our society as a whole has become more liberal. Yet in others, we've become more concerned, afraid, and paranoid about the repercussions of our actions. In other words, people take less risks. Then again, we might feel there's more to lose these days, with arguably more competition in the CE business today than their likely was 20 years ago.

So has the Canadian CE industry become too uptight? Judging from the people I've met and the events I've attended, that answer would be a big, fat "no". But then again, compared to what I've heard from the past, perhaps we've just become a bit more careful. Thoughts?

What Sells a Flat-Panel?

The flat-panel TV market has been heating up over the past few years, due to the benefits this technology offers over traditional CRT (do we even remember what those are anymore?), as well as rapidly advancing technologies that make pictures brighter, sharper, and overall more engaging to the viewer. But what really sells a flat-panel TV these days?

A discussion with an industry member the other day posed this very question. It seems as though the focus has shifted from “speeds and feeds” to aesthetics – thin designs, incorporating colours in the bezels, and “neat” functions like Internet connectivity, compatibility with like-branded devices, and even things like built-in memory card readers or USB ports for instantly viewing digital images or video from a compatible camera/corder. Has this shift happened because the consumers focus more on these aspects of a display, or is it because we’ve reached a plateau in technological development…for now?

Some believe that the increased emphasis is just a strategy for brands to differentiate themselves from one another because we’ve reached a point where so many of them are just so fantastic. Hitachi’s new 1.5-inch thin LCDs certainly turn heads by their gorgeous designs, as do Samsung’s new “Touch of Colour” panels that add a hint of red to the ambience of one’s living room, and LG’s new Scarlet series that focus on style just as much as picture quality. Then we come to companies like Pioneer that, while focusing on classy and sexy designs, also touts the “deep blacks” that its KURO panels can achieve. Granted, every single one of these manufacturers place some focus on technical features: 1080p high-definition picture resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, and various other developments are always listed in marketing or display literature in retail stores.

On the other side of the fence, it can be argued that the “average” consumer, many of whom are finally jumping on the high-def, flat-panel bandwagon, don’t understand, nor care, about specs. They want a TV that looks good, of course, but is that enough to sell them on one? No. They also want the design of the TV itself to fit into their décor, and if that means getting one with interchangeable bezels, or one where you can easily play back photos during family gatherings, so be it. And price will always come into play. But most consumers will be willing to fork over a few extra bucks if a salesperson can provide them with a convincing demo that shows the benefits of one model over another.

Many will admit that women are also playing a more important role in the buying decision of electronics. A recent survey conducted by Sharp Canada reiterated this point, discovering that upwards of 80% of the purchasing decisions are made by women! A Ladies Night in High-Def event I attended recently (organized by Sharp) shed some light on some of the features that women either knew nothing about, or that impressed them the most. You might be surprised by the results.

The truth is, there really is no clear cut answer. Every shopper is different, and one demo that will convince one customer might not convince the other. The important point is to give the customer what he wants, but also make him aware of the alternatives. If, in the end, he wants a flat-panel with top-of-the-line specs over one that simply looks “pretty”, or vice versa, that’s up to him.