2012 International CES Is Coming Fast

Gadgets and Gizmos, previews of the latest & upcoming electronic products, and cutting edge innovations will be unveiled at the 2012 International CES, Tuesday, January 10- Friday, January 13, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While more than 2,700 exhibitors prep to reveal the newest in consumer electronics, each year, the International CES attracts the “who’s who” of the technology and related industries, including high level executives from the entertainment, wireless and consumer electronics (CE) industries. Plus all the key industry and corporate buyers use CES as a means to compare and evaluate new products. That is right, before you see it in Best Buy or Wal-Mart, we see it here first.

This is because CES features key product categories, including automotive electronics, audio, computer hardware and software, digital health and fitness, video, entertainment/content, content distribution, lifestyle electronics, connected home products, Internet-basd multimedia services, digital imaging, emerging technology, electronic gaming, wireless and wireless devices, and telecommunications infrastructure.

Join me here in the upcoming days for some very cool previews of what we will see and what new gadget will be the the one to get in 2012.

Shoppers buy Electronics in droves during Black Friday

Electronics were among the most purchased items over the Thanksgiving weekend, with nearly half of all shoppers buying technology, according to interim results from the Black Friday Weekend survey by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® and CARAVAN®. The survey showed that nearly 118 million Americans will shop this weekend (Thursday through Monday).

Once again, consumer electronics (CE) trailed only clothes as the most popular gifts purchased this weekend. Nearly half of all shoppers (48 percent) bought or will buy CE from Thursday through Monday. The survey examined shopping habits, intentions and expectations from Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, through Cyber Monday, Monday, November 27. More than 60 percent of shoppers were purchasing clothes during that time frame. Toys are also a popular gift this weekend.

CEA’s 18th Annual CE Holiday Purchase Patterns Study showed the average consumer will spend an all-time high of $246 on electronics gifts this year, up six percent from last year and representing one -third of all gift spending.

The Black Friday Weekend survey found the most popular day to shop was Friday, although the entire weekend, including Thursday and Monday, was or will be busy shopping days. Through Friday, nearly 118 million people reported they had shopped on Thursday or Friday or had plans to shop Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Black Friday and Saturday were the most popular (intended) days to shop with 27 percent and 25 percent, respectively, of individuals shopping on those days. Thanksgiving Day was also popular, with 11 percent shopping on Thursday.

“Black Friday shopping has fast become a Thanksgiving weekend tradition, like football or a post-Turkey dinner nap, for millions of shoppers,” said Shawn DuBravac, CEA’s chief economist and director of research. “The holiday shopping season got off to a strong start as many hit the stores or went online to kick-off their holiday shopping as soon as they finished Thanksgiving dessert. These bargain hunters were able to find the deals they were after.”

Consistent with CEA’s earlier holiday forecast, the Black Friday Weekend survey showed the most popular electronics purchased/planned to purchase this weekend were:

• Digital Cameras

• Video game consoles

• Accessories (such as cables and cases)

• Televisions

• Notebook/laptop computers

• Smartphones

• MP3 players

• e-Readers

• Tablet computers

Mass merchants were again the most popular place to shop during the Black Friday weekend. Roughly 77 percent of those who had already shopped, as of Friday, reported shopping at a mass merchant. When including individuals’ shopping intentions for the rest of the weekend, that number rises to 81 percent. Department stores, electronics stores and online retailers were also popular shopping destinations. Nearly half of shoppers (46 percent) who bought electronics purchased their CE device online.

Most consumers were happy with the deals they found this weekend. Of those who shopped, 69 percent rated the deals and sales as good or excellent. When it comes to electronics, 61 percent said the deals and sales were good or excellent. More consumers also said the deals they found in stores were better than online, with 60 percent rating in-store deals as good or excellent versus 35 percent for online.

“Electronics continue to be the must-have gifts of the holiday as consumers are allocating more of their overall gift budget to buy the latest, innovative technologies,” said DuBravac. “Mature product categories, such as televisions, digital cameras and MP3 players, fared well this weekend as unprecedented price points proved too tempting for shoppers to ignore.”

Hulk Hogan’s Main Event Now Available For Xbox Kinect

Majesco Entertainment’s Hulk Hogan’s Main Event, the controller-free wrestling game is now out for the Xbox 360 Kinect. It features all the movement-based wrestling action you could possibly ask for. Warning just don’t get too close to the TV. It’s not that real!

Wrestling games go back to the 1980′s game systems like SNES and for a longtime topped all video games selling charts.

No it’s back better than ever with no more controllers, welcome to the 21st Century.

“Hulkamaniacs everywhere should get off the couch and rule the ring with Hulk Hogan’s Main Event, where I’m going to teach you all to perform for the crowd and compete in the ring as wrestling superstars,” said Hulk Hogan.

Additional Hulk Hogan’s Main Event features include:

Create your king of the ring by choosing from different body types, faces, hair styles, tattoos, gear and more.
Choose from nine thrilling venues including the Backyard, Uprising and Inferno stadium.
Xbox LIVE Leaderboards showcase ‘Stunt of the Day’ and ‘All Time Best Stunts’ from players nationwide.

Multiple Gameplay Modes extend the challenge:

o Campaign: Work your way from backyard matches to the big stage while keeping the crowd on their feet.

o Head-to-Head: Take turns delivering punishing combos with help from a friend.

o Quick Stunt: Practice any extreme stunt before primetime in the ring.

o Hardcore: Fight tough-to-beat opponents under the extreme difficulty setting.

o Tutorial: Learn basic moves and special stunts to win the match.

o Replay Highlights: Relive your best stunts in slow motion to revel in your glory days.

Developed by Panic Button LLC and rated T for Teen, Hulk Hogan’s Main Event only on Kinect for Xbox 360 is now available for the suggested retail price of $49.99. To watch the launch trailer and find out more, please visit http://www.hulkhogansmainevent.com/. Video game review coming shortly on this website.

iPhone4S, Same Case, New Inside

BREAKING NEWS

iPhone4S – Same case, newer inside. That’s right people no iPhone5 yet, just a major internel upgrade.

The iPhone 4S will run faster, thanks to a slew of new components: It’ll sport a dual-core A5 processor that’s twice as fast as the chip powering the iPhone 4, and the graphics chips are fully seven times faster, the company said. It also and has new mobile software that can sync content wirelessly, without having to plug an iPhone to a Mac or Windows machine.

iPhone4S – Black and white versions 16GB: $199, 32GB for $299, 64GB for $399.
The 3GS and iPhone 4 will live on. The 4 is now $99 for 8GB. The 8GB 3GS will be free — on contract.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S start this Friday, the 7th. Available on October 14th. In the US it’ll be Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint

Apple also announced that iOS 5 would be available on October 12, for iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2, and 4th generation iPod Touch. The new software adds several important features that Apple has seen on other smartphones, including:

Notifications are now consolidated in one place, more like Android (Wait copying another platforms best, hmm)
iMessage: this service is like BlackBerry Messenger for iOS, allowing you to send unlimited free messages pushed to all iOS devices, via both 3G and WiFi, including text, photos, videos, locations and contacts
Reminders app is location aware, that means it will bug you when you’re near what you need to do. I call it nagging!
Twitter integration into iOS makes it easy to tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps.
Safari updates, reading list function strips out article saves it to list you can read later, syncs between iOS devices
Tabbed browsing on iPad
Mail updates, adding rich formatting, indentation, moving addresses, flaggingNewsstand, a custom app for all your magazine and newspaper subscriptions background downloads for new issues
Camera app now includes a lock screen shortcut, double-tap on the home button and you can take a pic.
Game Center now has over 67 million accounts, updated to add photos of friends, achievement points, friend recommendations
Wireless OS updates, activate without plugging in to a computer. No more White Wires.!!!!!

Story developing

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Wii: Story Details and Characters Revealed

Nintendo has revealed new details about the introductory storyline and game play in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which will launch exclusively for the Wii system on Nov. 20. The enhanced motion controls of the Wii Remote Plus (or Wii Remote controller with a Wii MotionPlus accessory) and Nunchuk controller allow for deeply immersive puzzle-solving challenges in this latest addition to the iconic Zelda franchise.

This new game – one of the biggest in the history of Nintendo software development – will also feature new story elements that lay the foundation for the events that occur in the rest of the series. This includes the creation of the Master Sword, an ancient and powerful weapon that has been a constant in the 25-year history of the Zelda series.

The introductory storyline includes the following:
• Introduction: The new game’s storyline begins in Skyloft, an island town suspended high in the sky, on the day before young Link is to compete in a major bird-flying competition. The winner of the contest will earn the honor of taking part in a special ceremony with Zelda.
• Link and Zelda: Friends since childhood, Link and Zelda have always shared a special bond. Events in the new game will add even more depth to their relationship.
• Groose: Link’s nemesis at school, Groose, plays a significant role in the early moments of the new game. This bully of a character not only threatens Link’s chances to win the bird-flying competition, but he also reveals a jealous streak toward Link and Zelda’s special bond.
• Fi: Early on in Link’s new adventure, he encounters Fi, the spirit of the powerful Goddess Sword. Fi’s guidance proves to be crucial as Link goes forth on a challenging quest that will ultimately result in the creation of the Master Sword.
• Zelda’s father: Gaepora, Zelda’s father, is the headmaster of Link’s school. As such, he has knowledge of the history and legends of Skyloft.

More details about the game’s storyline and features will be revealed prior to its Nov. 20 launch.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be available as a standalone game, $59 or as part of a limited-edition bundle that also includes a gold-colored Wii Remote Plus controller for $69. Additionally, every copy in the early production runs of the game will come packaged with a special music CD containing orchestral arrangements of select songs that will be performed at the upcoming The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert.

For more information about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, visit http://zelda.com/skywardsword or http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/QeN8TUXNTFFoys-wPlDdQbEPs1XxySY1

2011 Holiday Travel Forecast: Thanksgiving and Christmas Airfare and Hotel Prices Down Slightly in the U.S.

As summer fades into fall, you simply can no longer deny the rapidly approaching holiday season. And for travelers, now’s the time to start planning! To help get you started, the Fareologists at Bing have worked their magic by identifying the best deals on flights and hotels to get you where you need (or want!) to be this holiday season.

Below are some highlights from the 2011 Holiday Travel Forecast, which can be found here, with information also available on the Bing Travel Blog.

Domestic airfare is expected to be down 1.4 percent overall, with tickets averaging $302, as opposed to $306 last holiday.
Holiday hotel costs are staying virtually flat for 3 and 4 star hotels, but 5 star hotels are down 8 percent from last year.
Holiday flights to Europe have increased nearly 9 percent – from $860 in 2010, to an average of $936 this year.

While the overall travel forecast is looking relatively merry this season, the biggest savings lie in the hands of those willing to let the destination and date dictate their holiday travel plans. The Bing Travel Fareologists offer tips travelers looking to escape to someplace warm, someplace European or someplace luxurious while still saving money:

Celebrate in the sun. A traditional white Christmas might not be available in Florida, but getaways to the Sunshine State and other warm weather destinations are extra cheap this holiday season, with airfares to Ft. Lauderdale down 21 percent from last year and hotels in Las Vegas down almost 16 percent this year.
Affordable hotel stays. Travelers won’t have to skimp on their hotel stay this season, as prices for five-star hotels are down more than eight percent from last year, with the biggest savings found on luxury hotels in Cancun, Mexico; Las Vegas, Nev. and New York, N.Y.
Making international trips fit your budget. Overall, flights to Europe have increased on average, from $860.56 last year to $936 this year – nearly a 9 percent jump from the last holiday season. While airfares to Europe have generally increased across the board, Madrid represents the lowest average ticket price destination in Europe this holiday.
Don’t let Thanksgiving Travel Gobble Up Your Cash. The week of Thanksgiving is undoubtedly a crazy travel week, but the Bing Travel Fareologists note that shifting your departure dates could save you some serious cash. For example, by traveling the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and returning the Sunday after, you could save 8 percent from traveling Tuesday to Saturday.

Above are just a few tidbits of what you can expect this holiday season. For top destinations this holiday season, see below. Keep in mind that airlines do offer last-minute travel deals and bundled travel packages throughout the year – it’s a good idea to check Bing Price Predictor and Hotel Rate Indicator frequently to see what’s available. Even better – set up Bing Travel Alerts so you can know-on-the-go.

Happy traveling!

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