AllThingsD » gadgets

Beauty-in-a-Box Company Birchbox Will Ship Lifestyle and Tech Products for Men

Lauren Goode — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:45:54 +0000

A New York start-up that has been building a business on oversized samples of beauty products for women is now turning to the other team, with deliveries of grooming products, lifestyle goods and consumer-tech gadgets for men.

Birchbox.com, a subscription service that ships monthly mystery boxes containing a handful of beauty products for $10, has just launched a men’s section of its Web site. Now, guys can sign up and, for $20 a month, get their own “Birchboxes.”

While most of these boxes will be comprised of items like shaving cream and socks, the brains behind Birchbox plan to add a fair share of tech in there, too, after a pilot Birchbox project for men that included Skullcandy headphones was well-received.

Products shipped in the boxes will include RumbaTime watches, Pokket Mixers and detachable Bookman Lights, Birchbox says, with more lifestyle and gadget-y items planned for the future.

Birchbox has nabbed about a hundred thousand subscribers since its launch in September 2010. It also snagged $1.4 million in seed funding from Accel Partners and First Round Capital just a month after its launch.

Co-founder Katie Beauchamp, who launched the company with Harvard Business School bud Hayley Barna, says the company is growing — and not just in subscribers. Birchbox also has an e-commerce portal where an estimated 40 percent of box subscribers go on to buy full-sized products. E-commerce revenue is now six times what it was a year ago, Beauchamp says.

In addition to the e-commerce portion of the Birchbox Web site, Beauchamp and Barna have hired eight writers to come up with product-specific content that supplements what’s in a Birchbox. By including limited descriptions and how-tos in the boxes, the crafty company wants to drive more people to that content online.

As someone who has received a couple of Birchboxes containing stuff that left me scratching my head, I can attest to the fact that some products do require additional explanation. The items shipped are determined by the company and can’t be hand-picked by the subscriber, though Birchbox says the company is getting better at personalizing the Birchboxes based on info provided by subscribers.

It’s an interesting model, one that has seen a fair amount of copycatting, and one that Beauchamp describes as more of an e-commerce “discovery” model rather than a traditional e-commerce business.

Take Zap! Tech Geeks, Starved for More Battery Power, Give Themselves a Charge.

Geoffrey A. Fowler and Ian Sherr — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:49:12 +0000

Any geek can tell you that battery life hasn’t kept up with gadget innovations. But not to worry: Inventors are figuring out how to turn geeks into batteries.

While most gadget lovers hunt for empty wall sockets to charge their devices, Kevin Bartholomew just plugs his cellphone into his hip. That is where he keeps a nine-inch device looped around his belt that converts the kinetic energy of his motion into enough power to keep his devices running.

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Glooko Raises $3.5M for Diabetes Logs

Liz Gannes — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:01:15 +0000

Mobile diabetes-management company Glooko has raised $3.5 million more in a Series A round from its impressive list of investors, which include Chamath Palihapitiya’s Social+Capital Partnership, Bill Campbell, Vint Cerf, Judy Estrin and Andy Hertzfeld. The Palo Alto, Calif., company sells a $39.95 cord that connects to blood glucose meters and feeds data to a free iPhone app. The promise of the company is to elevate the geek hobby of quantifying oneself to the next level — health care.

Inside the CES Lost & Found

Lauren Goode — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:57:58 +0000

A couple of days ago, just before I headed to the theater at the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino for our AllThingsD FootBallmer dual-blog, I realized I had misplaced my laptop charger. It sent me into a mild panic.

How would I survive CES?

Fortunately, I was able to locate a spare charger (they’re not hard to find in the vicinity of the Consumer Electronics Show). But in case some Good Samaritan had returned it, today I made a trip to the CES Lost & Found.

I made my way down the crowded central hallway at the Las Vegas Convention Center to a dark, elevated booth. A security dispatcher was sitting on a chair in front it; two others worked inside the forbidding-looking structure.

In order to inquire about the lost item, I had to stand on tiptoe and speak through a hole in the protective glass — as if I were making a bank deposit or talking to a cabbie back in New York. A dispatcher shook her head at me through the window when I asked if a charger had been brought in.

No luck for me.

But for most CES-goers, it seems, all is not actually lost: The Lost & Found department at CES has a better than 50 percent return rate, according to the security dispatcher, whose name is Olivia Huguet. During a conference like CES, she said, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority fields about 50 misplaced items a day.

“It depends on what’s going on, obviously. If it’s not so busy, people don’t bring in as many things,” Huguet said. “We try to return every item, even after CES is over. We take the time to investigate if there’s some way to identify the owner.”

“We get a lot of iPhones. Tons of iPhones,” Huguet added. “We’re able to return almost every one. But we get other things, too.”

When I asked what the strangest item is she’s seen so far at CES, she shrugged. “Nothing too off-the-wall. Some tripod case today. But other times, we get everything. We’ve gotten hearing aids, we’ve gotten teeth. Entire sets of teeth. Sometimes we even see drugs.”

No comment on whether visitors try to reclaim those.

CES NOTEBOOKS:

Microsoft Beefing Up CeBit Presence Even as it Pulls Back on CES

Inside the CES Lost & Found

And You Thought Jawbone UP Was Going to Miss the CES Party!

CES Notebook: The Constant Search for Power and Vegas’ Worst-Kept Secrets

Complete CES coverage

Walt and Katie Take a Tour of CES (Video)

Walt Mossberg and Katherine Boehret — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:38:22 +0000

Walt walks the CES floor with Katie, and finds less “newness” at this year’s event, noting that the absent Apple looms over the show.

[ See post to watch video ]

Barnes & Noble Focuses on E-Books

Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:45:27 +0000

Meet Barnes & Noble Inc., software company.

As reading moves ever faster from hardcovers and paperbacks to electronic gadgets, the retailer is attempting to reinvent itself as a seller of book downloads, reading devices and apps.

The shift was never clearer than last January, when a small group of experienced book buyers at the company was called in and dismissed. Barnes & Noble’s buyers were once book-selling royalty, minititans whose taste played a pivotal role in deciding which books danced up the charts.

For the bookseller there was little choice. It needed to invest in the future.

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Go-Go Gadget Economy

John Paczkowski — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:15:08 +0000

After a disappointing 2009, the consumer electronics industry grew 13 percent in 2010 and is expected to grow another 10 percent this year to $964 billion, according to a new forecast by the Consumer Electronics Association. And, if the year turns out better than expected, consumer electronics sales could surpass $1 trillion in 2011. “I’m bullish,” Consumer Electronics Association analyst Steve Koenig said on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show. “That number is truly within reach. It’s clear that global retail sales of tech products have rebounded. Tech is at the vanguard in leading the recovery.”

Not Really "Made in China"

Andrew Batson — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:00:53 +0000

One widely touted solution for current U.S. economic woes is for America to come up with more of the high-tech gadgets that the rest of the world craves.

Yet two academic researchers estimate that Apple Inc.’s iPhone–one of the best-selling U.S. technology products–actually added $1.9 billion to the U.S. trade deficit with China last year.

How is this possible? The researchers say traditional ways of measuring global trade produce the number but fail to reflect the complexities of global commerce where the design, manufacturing and assembly of products often involve several countries.
“A distorted picture” is the result, they say, one that exaggerates trade imbalances between nations.

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Talking 4G, iPhone and More With AT&T's Glenn Lurie

Ina Fried — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:05:38 +0000

For years, AT&T’s Glenn Lurie has focused on his company’s most important product–the iPhone.

But, like the company, Lurie has broadened his view of the world, particularly as all signs point to AT&T soon having to share the iPhone with Verizon, at minimum.

In a video interview with Mobilized just after his onstage appearance at D: Dive Into Mobile, Lurie said the iPhone remains the company’s flagship, but said he is also focused on Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7. Beyond that, he said he looks forward to a day when most of the gadgets on the shelves at Best Buy have some sort of wireless connection–either directly to the cellular network or to another device that is connected.

As for the iPhone, Lurie said he expects that even if Apple were to start selling the phone through another carrier, AT&T would still be able to offer it.

“It’s a very, very important device and it will continue to be for us,” Lurie said. “If anything ever changes, I expect that relationship to continue.”

That said, Lurie went on to say that the company is focused on a broad lineup that includes the BlackBerry Torch, Android devices and Windows Phone 7 models.

Here’s the video:

[ See post to watch video ]

Japan No Longer Home For Panasonic?

Juro Osawa — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:09:39 +0000

In Japan, if you buy a map of the world, it will probably have Japan right at the center–-with the Eurasia continent to the left, and the Americas to the right.

That’s what the world used to look like to the country’s electronics makers. But now, Panasonic Corp., like many of its Japanese peers, is drawing a new map.

“We now view Japan as just one of the regions of the world,” said President Fumio Ohtsubo at a press briefing in Tokyo last week. “We need to get rid of the notion of a ‘domestic’ market.”

As part of its new business plans announced last week, the company said it will do away with the current distinction between “domestic” and “global” segments of its consumer products marketing operations.

Even after a number of Japanese consumer electronics brands, like Sony and Panasonic, expanded globally and became household names around the world in the 1980s, Japan was always very much home turf, where they developed and manufactured most of their gadgets and appliances before shipping them overseas. And the country’s fairly large population of more than 120 million, its robust economy and the wealth of its consumers meant the domestic market was too important to ignore.

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You've Got Mail, Mike Arrington: AOL Buys TechCrunch

Peter Kafka — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:33:17 +0000

And now it’s official. The details we really want–how much–aren’t out yet, but I’m betting they’ll show up soon. Meantime, here’s the press release:

AOL TO ACQUIRE TECHCRUNCH NETWORK OF SITES

Leading Authority on Tech News Will Expand AOL’s Growing Offering of World-Class, Audience-Relevant Content

San Francisco, CA, September 28, 2010 – AOL Inc. [NYSE: AOL] today announced that it has agreed to acquire TechCrunch, Inc., the company that owns and operates TechCrunch and its network of websites dedicated to technology news, information and analysis. TechCrunch and its associated properties and conferences will join the AOL Technology Network while retaining their editorial independence, further bolstering AOL’s position as one of the world’s leading providers of high-quality, tech-oriented content. The announcement will be made on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, CA.

Founded by Michael Arrington, TechCrunch operates a global network of dedicated properties from Europe to Japan, as well as vertically-oriented websites, including MobileCrunch, CrunchGear, TechCrunchIT, GreenTech, TechCrunchTV and CrunchBase. The TechMeme Leaderboard ranks TechCrunch as the No. 1 source of breaking tech news online, followed by AOL’s Engadget.*

“Michael and his colleagues have made the TechCrunch network a byword for breaking tech news and insight into the innovative world of start-ups, and their reputation for top-class journalism precisely matches AOL’s commitment to delivering the expert content critical to this audience,” said Tim Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL. “TechCrunch and its team will be an outstanding addition to the high-quality content on the AOL Technology Network, which is now a must-buy for advertisers seeking to associate their brands with leading technology content and its audience.”

Heather Harde, Chief Executive Officer of TechCrunch, said: “TechCrunch and AOL share a motivating passion for quality technology news and information, and we’re delighted about becoming part of the AOL family. This represents a compelling opportunity to extend the TechCrunch brand while complementing the great work of sites like Engadget and Switched. Our contributors, and our audiences, can look to the future with excitement about what we can build when we have the significant resources of AOL behind us.”

Michael Arrington, Founder and Co-Editor of TechCrunch, said: “Tim Armstrong and his team have an exciting vision for the future of AOL as a global leader in creating and delivering world-class content to consumers, be it through original content creation, partnerships or acquisitions. I look forward to working with everyone at AOL as we build on our reputation for independent tech journalism and continue to set the agenda for insight, reviews and collaborative discussion about the future of the technology industry.”

TechCrunch also hosts industry-leading conferences and events, including The Disrupt series, The Crunchies Awards and various meet-ups worldwide. These conferences bring together industry innovators, entrepreneurs and financing sources to exchange ideas, forge new relationships and discuss the current and future industry trends.

“Engagement with thought leaders is as important to AOL as our engagement with our contributors, audiences, publishers and advertisers, and TechCrunch’s conferences and websites will give us a promising, additional springboard to join and amplify these conversations. We’re committed to quality in everything we do at AOL, and look forward to working with Heather, Michael and the TechCrunch team to extend the brand,” said David Eun, President of AOL Media and Studios.

The AOL Technology Network consists of AOL’s tech-oriented properties including Engadget, the Web magazine about everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics; Switched, which covers the intersection of the digital world with entertainment, sports, art, fashion and lifestyle; TUAW, the unofficial Apple weblog; and DownloadSquad, the weblog about downloadable software and other computer subjects. The AOL Technology Network ranks in the top five for tech news according to comScore Media Metrix, August 2010 data, and leads the top five in average time spent and average visits per user.

This acquisition will further AOL’s strategy to become the global leader in sourcing, creating, producing and delivering high-quality, trusted, original content to consumers. TechCrunch will remain headquartered in San Francisco, CA, as a wholly owned AOL unit. Deal terms were not disclosed.

The ABCs of E-Reading

Geoffrey A. Fowler and Marie C. Baca — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:14:45 +0000

People who buy e-readers tend to spend more time than ever with their nose in a book, preliminary research shows.

A study of 1,200 e-reader owners by Marketing and Research Resources Inc. found that 40 percent said they now read more than they did with print books. Of those surveyed, 58 percent said they read about the same as before while two percent said they read less than before. And 55 percent of the respondents in the May study, paid for by e-reader maker Sony Corp., thought they’d use the device to read even more books in the future. The study looked at owners of three devices: Amazon.com Inc.’s (AMZN) Kindle, Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPad and the Sony (SNE) Reader.

While e-readers are still a niche product just beginning to spread beyond early adopters, these new reading experiences are a big departure from the direction U.S. reading habits have been heading. A 2007 study by the National Endowment for the Arts caused a furor when it reported Americans are spending less time reading books. About half of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure, it found.

Some 11 million Americans are expected to own at least one digital reading gadget by the end of September, estimates Forrester Research. U.S. e-book sales grew 183 percent in the first half of this year compared with the year-earlier period, according to the Association of American Publishers.

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Google Buys LabPixies

John Paczkowski — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:45:11 +0000

Google has acquired its first Israeli company, Web and mobile applications outfit LabPixies. Among the first companies to build gadgets for iGoogle, LabPixies ranks as the personalized homespage service’s top developer. No surprise, then, that Google (GOOG) would snap it up to juice social app development in the iGoogle ecosystem.

Said Google’s Dan Loeb, “We are looking forward to working with Labpixies to develop great web apps and leverage their knowledge and expertise to help developers and improve the ecosystem overall.”

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, though Israeli financial news site TheMarker pegs LabPixies’ purchase price at about $25 million.

A Deal on a Haircut? That's What Friends Are For

Katherine Boehret — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:19:29 +0000

Last week, I went to my hair salon and paid half of what I usually spend because of a deal that I—and more than 2,000 other people—bought online two months earlier. When I bought the deal, I suggested it (via email) to two friends, who each bought it and I was rewarded with two $10 credits. I used those to buy a deal at a local restaurant that gave me $40 toward food and drink for just $20. And the cycle continues.

Welcome to the world of group buying, Internet style, where the power of the Web can be utilized to offer surprisingly large discounts to a sizable number of people for things they actually want to buy.

Many of the group-buying sites work by negotiating deals with local merchants and promising to deliver crowds in exchange for discounts. The sites differ from other buying sites in how they work and what they do to reward users who share deals.

Several of these group-buying sites are available nationwide, mostly in big cities. I focused on Groupon.com, which is available in 42 cities, and LivingSocial.com, which works in 13 cities. Both are popular in Washington, D.C., where I live, though others may be more well-known in your area. If group-buying sites aren’t popular near you yet, they may soon start working there thanks to business models that allow them to work in all sorts of locations.

Other sites offer similar or slightly different selling techniques. Woot.com, a pioneer of group buying on the Web, started in 2004 by specializing in flash sales, selling a different item each day for just 24 hours or until it sells out. The site evolved from a wholesale distribution company and is known for its focus on selling technology gadgets. Another site called Tippr.com works in Seattle (not D.C., where I live, so I can’t yet use it) and uses a patented technology that makes discounts bigger as more people join a deal. New York-based Gilt.com and Ideeli.com focus on selling high fashion items at less expensive prices and can offer deals that last longer than a day.

Here’s how sites like Groupon and LivingSocial work: They ask retailers in a city to offer steep discounts ranging from around 50% to 90% off on things that would appeal to locals. Examples include 79% off spa services, 54% off at paintball, 57% off at a restaurant with Malaysian cuisine and half off for doggie day care. The site lists one retailer a day and takes a portion of the revenue generated by a deal. (Groupon usually takes half while LivingSocial takes between 30% to 50% depending on the arrangement with the merchant.)

Some sites, like Groupon, will only make the deal official if a certain number of people purchase it, while LivingSocial and others offer the deal regardless of how many people buy it.

People can be notified of these deals by signing up for daily emails from the site or by checking social networks like Twitter and Facebook. They may then purchase deals by logging onto the group-buying site and printing vouchers from the site. With most sites, you’re buying a deal for at least half off the real cost (i.e. paying $20 for $40 at a restaurant).

Both Groupon and LivingSocial will work with iPhone apps. Once downloaded, users can enter their login credentials into these apps so they can access that account’s purchased deals, allowing them to show the coupon on the iPhone at the establishment to get the deal.

Each deal comes with restrictions. For example, most of them expire within about six months or so (the date is printed on the coupon voucher and saved in your online account so you don’t forget). Some deals restrict the number of coupons per person, like the way my salon’s deal restricted people from buying more than three coupons; if three were purchased, they all had to be used in the same visit.

Since these sites work best when many people use them, they use a rewards system to motivate people to tell their friends about the deals they’ve bought. If someone shares Groupon with a friend using a special referral Web link, that friend must sign up for the site within 72 hours of clicking on the link. Then, when that person makes a purchase, the original sharer gets a kickback of $10 in Groupon credit to use toward future deals. This won’t work if the invitee isn’t a first-time Groupon customer.

LivingSocial’s rewards system works a little differently. If you buy a deal and share it with friends using a special Web link, you can get the deal free of charge if three friends use that link to sign up for the site and buy the deal. Separate from that, LivingSocial encourages users to invite friends to simply sign up for the site. If the invitee signs up, he or she gets $5 toward deals. If he or she purchases a deal, the original inviter also gets $5 toward deals.

Both Groupon and LivingSocial put a lot of emphasis on choosing deals that will serve as city guides to the hip and fun activities going on around town. Groupon divides some of its 42 cities into areas: For example, Washington, D.C., is divided into The District, Northern Virginia and Montgomery County—three unique zones that locals will appreciate seeing listed separately.

Not every deal is successful on group-buying sites. Groupon’s idea of selling tours of Gary, Ind., shortly after Michael Jackson’s death didn’t convince enough buyers to want to visit the King of Pop’s hometown. LivingSocial admits that some of its deals were too specific to be popular, like a dog-training class that didn’t fetch enough buyers. The site’s CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy says there might not have been enough people with new dogs at the time of the deal.

If you haven’t tried one of the many group-buying Web sites and you live in an area where they’re available, you’ll want to check them out—or find someone who already uses them to invite you so you can both get rewarded.

Edited by Walter S. Mossberg.

Write to Katherine Boehret at mossbergsolution@wsj.com

Buying in Numbers

With most group-buying Web sites, getting more people to buy into the deal gets you a better discount.

Site Name	Number of Cities	Rewards for Sharing With Friends	Type of Deals	iPhone App
Groupon.com	42	$10 for you if new invitee joins and buys a deal	Hip city locales and activities	Yes
LivingSocial.com	13	Free deal if 3 friends buy it; $5 to invitees who sign up; $5 to you if they buy a deal	Hip city locales and activities	Yes
Tippr.com	1	Deal gets better as more people buy it	Hip city locales and activities	No
Woot.com	online	None	Technology gadgets	Yes
Gilt.com	online	$25 for each invitee who buys	High fashion	Yes
Ideeli.com	online	$25 for each invitee who buys	High fashion	No

CES: Mark Cuban on 3-D, HD, LSD

Lauren Goode — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:03:06 +0000

Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban is in Las Vegas to take a look at all the technology that’s being showcased this week at CES. He sat down with The Journal to talk about which gadgets he’s looking forward to seeing, why he thinks 2-D-to-3-D video processors are a “cheat,” and what exactly he was thinking when he compared 3-D to LSD.

The Wall Street Journal: What are you looking forward to seeing at CES this year?

Mr. Cuban: Anything 3-D-related, anything cellphone-related, but I’m particularly interested in seeing what types of products are being made for interactive television. Also, I’m curious what companies’ plans are for DTV spectrum, what happens if the FCC takes it back, what if they don’t take it back, and what kind of opportunities that would present.

I always like to walk through the small booths, just to see if there’s something that surprises me. Maybe they couldn’t afford a big booth, but they have something really interesting. I won’t spend a ton of time going through the big ginormous companies other than to visit friends.

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CES: The Things We Carry

Lauren Goode — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:16:08 +0000

There is a certain irony in the amount of consumer, pro-sumer and professional gadgetry used to report on electronics.

With 2,500 exhibitors showcasing thousands of new products this year, it’s nearly impossible to see it all. CES 2010 also boasts the greatest number of new booths added–330–than any year prior; and “preview” events, meant to give journos mere glimpses of the madness, are showing over 100 demos.

The single most-used word employed by veteran tech reporters, and even some company executives, when asked their thoughts on the event: “overwhelming.” Followed by: “Wear sneakers.”

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Insider Pushes Ma Bell Beyond Just Phones

Niraj Sheth — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:35:37 +0000

Glenn Lurie spends most days thinking up ways to put cellphone chips everywhere but phones. Picture frames, computers, even children’s toys. He dreams up new, untested calling-rate plans and develops strategies to put stodgy AT&T (T) atop new and unproven markets.

Mr. Lurie is in charge of a bet AT&T Inc. is making that wireless services for new gadgets could substantially increase its $124 billion-a-year business. The secretive group–AT&T won’t disclose the group’s budget or staff size–is on a mission to entrench the nation’s largest phone company in services for new wireless devices.

A number of these devices, such as e-readers and netbooks, are already on store shelves. AT&T has jumped into the nascent market and taken an early lead by supporting more devices than competitors. Last week, it disclosed a deal to carry on its network an electronic-book reader from British start-up Interead Ltd., adding a fifth e-reader to a lineup that already includes Amazon.com Inc.’s (AMZN) Kindle and Barnes & Noble Inc.’s (BKS) upcoming Nook.

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Katherine Boehret on "Martha" Today

Kara Swisher — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:51:19 +0000

Although BoomTown is still in a tryptophan coma of turkey, I will not be missing one of our All Things Digital columnists on “The Martha Stewart Show” today.

That would be Katherine Boehret of The Mossberg Solution, who will be appearing on the television program this morning (check times for your area) to talk tech gadgets with Martha.

For those who do not know it, Martha is actually a geek in disguise. I met her at a Consumer Electronics Show more than a decade ago, where she was hanging with top nerds. And she has been a regular note-taking attendee of our D: All Things Digital conference over the years too.

Boehret, who can match her in that department, is showing a range of products, all centered around the holiday gift theme. Gadgets include the Demy Recipe Reader by Key Ingredient, and more.

Here is a link to the preview for the show (Martha apparently does not embed!), and I will post video clips when they become available.

Sony Bets on Online Push

Daisuke Wakabayashi — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:55:03 +0000

As Sony Corp. (SNE) scrambles to reassert its technological relevance, Chief Executive Howard Stringer is betting on a strategy for the electronics giant that focuses on adding online content to more of its gadgets.

Speaking at the first joint public appearance by Sony’s new management team since a shake-up in February, Mr. Stringer said the Japanese giant is “moving faster than we’ve ever moved” to meet parallel challenges.

Sony is racing to close the gap with technology companies like Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) that have used Internet services to enhance standalone electronics like digital-music players and electronic-book readers. Sony was a pioneer in both only to see it early advantage evaporate without a strong online component.

At the same time, Sony is trying to overhaul its core electronics division, a business encumbered by heavy overhead costs and an inefficient supply chain. This has put the company at a disadvantage to both conglomerates like Samsung Electronics Co. and upstarts like discount TV maker Vizio Inc.

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85 Percent of Mac Switchers Forgot to Toss Windows PC

John Paczkowski — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:51:30 +0000

Approximately 12 percent of all computer-using U.S. households own an Apple (AAPL) machine (a nice jump from nine percent in 2008), and nearly 85 percent of those also own a Microsoft (MSFT) Windows-based PC.

That’s the conclusion of an NPD survey that suggests that Mac households favor multiplatform environments, buy more gadgets and have the higher income needed to afford them.

“While Apple owners tend to own more computers and more electronics devices, there is also a high correlation among Apple owners and more affluent consumer households,” said NPD’s Stephen Baker. “The average Apple household owns 48 CE devices whereas the average computer household owns about 24.” (See chart below; click to enlarge.)

Not a surprise, really. Presumably, if you can afford to purchase a $1,199 laptop or desktop, you can afford to buy an assortment of other gadgetry to go along with it. A couple of other data points worth noting:

66 percent of Mac households own three computers or more, compared to 29 percent of Windows households.
63 percent of Mac households own an iPod. The same can be said of only 36 percent of all computer-using households.

Sadly, NPD’s survey didn’t explore how PCs are used in Mac households or how they ended up there in the first place. Are they leftovers from a PC-to-Mac switch? Are they corporate laptops? Entry-level machines for the kids? High-end gaming machines?

Tablet Schmablet: How About a Mud PC?

Peter Kafka — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:00:46 +0000

The Wondertablet the guys at Gizmodo showed off last night looks cool. But you can’t actually touch one right now unless you know someone very connected at Microsoft (MSFT).

You know what you can touch? Today? How about a PC you control by shoving your hands in a box full of mud?

Seriously. All you have to do is get yourself to New York’s Nolita neighborhood and drop by Gizmodo’s annual gallery show, chock full of cool, weird and often gloriously useless gadgetry.

Among other geegaws on display: An automated pancake maker, some spark-emitting and dangerous-looking Tesla coils, a “Star Trek” tricorder and a videogame that dispenses beer. And, of course, an array of Apple (AAPL) paraphernalia, including some arts-and-craftsy iPhone cases.

The free show, which runs through Sunday, is mostly a labor of love on the part of head gadgeteer Brian Lam. But I gather it’s now making some money, via sponsorships, for Gawker Media’s Nick Denton. (And if that’s the case, I hope Denton uses some of that money to make sure there’s enough power and air conditioning at next year’s gallery. Also maybe some cots for his charges.)

Lam gave me a mini-tour yesterday afternoon, which I filmed with a Flip camcorder. If want to to see for yourself (it’s much less shaky that way), drop by the gallery at 267 Elizabeth Street.

[ See post to watch video ]

Gadgets Show How Much Power Your House Eats

Geoffrey A. Fowler — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:36:03 +0000

Curtailing your home electricity use is a bit like losing weight: You already understand the basics of how to do it, but it’s hard to accomplish without help and motivation. An array of gadgets are vying to serve as electricity personal trainers, monitoring home power use minute by minute, and making you feel guilty about indulgences like blasting the air conditioner.

I have been testing three of these devices, the Power Monitor from Black & Decker Corp., the very similar PowerCost Monitor from Blue Line Innovations Inc., and the more-sophisticated The Energy Detective 5000 from Energy Inc. In my tests, the Black & Decker model provided the most effortless electricity-tracking service. At $99.99, it is also the least expensive.

The devices provide real-time data about how much power you’re using across the house in terms that are easy to comprehend: cost per hour and cost per month. Turn on the microwave and watch the cost jump from 10 cents to 25 cents an hour. Turn off some lights and see the cost drop a few cents.

The Power Monitor

The firms say their customers have, over time, seen drops of as much as 20% in power bills by being more mindful of electricity use and making informed purchases, such as installing efficient light bulbs. The largest drops are often recorded in households that have (power-hogging) electric water heaters, and where the whole family gets involved in monitoring use. An independent Oxford University study in 2006 found that people getting direct feedback on their power consumption reduced use 5% to 15%.

After I began monitoring, my most-recent electricity bill dropped $10 from the month before—but that could also be due to my living in a city where air conditioning isn’t a summer necessity. I find myself thinking more about electricity, and even running back into the house to make sure the lights are out.

The monitors sold by Blue Line and Black & Decker are almost identical, because they’re both manufactured by Canada-based Blue Line. The Blue Line model costs $109, is a bit larger, and features a slightly longer range for the wireless signal that transmits power use from your electric meter.

Connecting these two devices to my electric meter was simple. First, loop a metal belt around the glass dome covering the meter. Then align a sensor attached to the belt on top of the glass to read the data collected by your meter. On my old-style meter, the Power Monitor’s sensor keeps track of how fast a dial rotates. The companies say their products work with about 90% of meters in North America. On a newer meter, the sensor would read a digital port on the front

The sensor you attach to the electric meter wirelessly sends raw data to a digital monitor that is kept inside the house. Before using the monitor, you have to enter data from your electric bill, but finding the right data can be tricky. Black & Decker’s instructions on this are relatively clear, and entering the data into the digital monitor involves a process similar to setting an alarm clock.

The digital monitors, about the size of a large remote control, can sit in one room or travel about the house. A button labeled “tare” on the Black & Decker model helps you calculate how much electricity is being used by any single appliance that you can turn off and on. Press the button and it zeros out the reading.Turn on an appliance and the device calculates its usage alone. I found surprises: My LCD TV uses just $0.02 an hour, while an electric water kettle uses more than $0.20 an hour.

The Black & Decker model features a rudimentary display that only reports the aggregate power use for your house at any given time. It can’t go back and show you changes over time.

But the latest model from The Energy Detective, known as TED, connects directly to a house’s power supply for a more-precise read than the Black & Decker. It comes with software that graphs how use patterns change over time. The TED 5000 costs $199.

But installing TED requires turning off your home’s main power line and inserting a sensor into your circuit breaker—a process that the company says should be done “by qualified personnel only.” I sought help from a friend who has a lot of wiring experience, but after several hours, we were unable to make TED work. My issue was likely a decades-old circuit breaker. The company said my configuration is atypical and that problems like this are rare. A colleague has been using TED for several weeks after hiring an electrician to install it.

While TED 5000 offers many more advanced tools for sleuthing your home’s electricity waste than the other models, all of its sophistication won’t necessarily help the average user do much of a better job remembering to turn off the lights. For most of us, the large cost-an-hour sign on the Black & Decker Power Monitor offers the only feedback we really need.

If you’re just looking to target power-hogging appliances in your house, there are even less expensive solutions. For example, the $24.99 Kill-a-Watt, which I haven’t tested, sits between one appliance and the outlet, and tells you exactly how much power that appliance is using.

And before buying any of these devices, keep in mind that many utility companies are installing a new generation of so-called “smart” meters, which not only measure real-time power use, but also offer two-way communication with the power company to help cut costs. Some will also offer software to help you monitor your power use, and Google Inc.’s nonprofit foundation is already working with power companies on a free service that connects data about your power use into an online widget. Appliance makers are also working on products that can communicate with a central controller to turn themselves up or down, on or off, according to changing prices or conditions.

All three of the monitors I tested should continue to work with most new power meters. While these devices seem downright rudimentary compared to what’s on the horizon, they certainly suffice in the meanwhile to make electricity use more visible.

Walt Mossberg is on vacation.

Write to
Geoffrey A. Fowler at geoffrey.fowler@wsj.com

D7 Video: Greg Harper of Gadgetoff

Beth Callaghan — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:00:33 +0000

Greg Harper is the very definition of a technophile, and in this D7 session he proves it. Armed with a bag stuffed chock full of obscure and never-before-seen gadgets that he managed to sneak past airport security on the way to San Diego, Harper proceeds with a rapid-fire demo of the unique functionality of each one.

[ See post to watch video ]

D7 Tech Demo: What's in Greg Harper's Bag?

Oliver J. Chiang — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:45:45 +0000

In this session of D7, Greg Harper, president of Harpervision and co-founder of Gadgetoff, always sure to bring the novel and the wacky, will present a plethora of gadgets the technophile has collected. Harper says that in total, he brought “$20,000 [worth] of portable tech gadgets.” (Note to the Four Seasons Aviara: Increase security.) He’s known for doing these demos, at which he pulls out one interesting product after another from his cornucopia of gadgetry–to the astonishment of the crowd! Papa Harper’s got a brand new bag, and we’re about to find out what’s inside….

Session Highlights

[ See post to watch video ]

Live Blog

Kara apologizes for starting up again late: “Carol Bartz just trashed my hotel room.”
Walt and Kara: Greg is sure to be funny and fun. This gadget maniac travels the world collecting the coolest.
Harper comes out to the accompaniment of the theme from “Inspector Gadget.” Apropos.
Harper: Talking really fast–Sony (SNE) camera (HDR TG5V) with GPS built-in.
Walt: Where’s my Red Sox video?
Harper: A complete media server (an MVIX, I think). Kara: It looks like a bomb. Harper: Hook it up to any device! It has many gigs! Etc.! Walt: Why don’t you just use your iPod? Harper: Says something about some headphones being custom-made for his ears…and other stuff.
His Digital SLR is the Canon (CAJ) 5D Mark 2: He likes. Also, here’s a new camera from Panasonic (PC). It goes underwater and shoots in HD. Now, this! A Casio, Exilim FC100, which shoots up to 1000 FPS–watch water drop, one drop at a time.
Now: A GPS system that automatically transmits to satellite. OK, now a water-purifying straw! Its an “Istraw” that freaking purifies your water all on its own. Amazing.
If that’s not enough for you, says Harper (insert an editorial “Uh…”), it’s a flashlight/alarm/smoke detector, from Flare Safe. Even more amazing!
“Astro” Dog Collar: It has GPS so you can keep track of your dog. That’s pretty handy. From Garmin (GRMN).
Portable radio: AM/FM/HD. Walt: I think radio sucks in general.
Harper: Now this doohickey you wear maybe/probably around your neck at the beach registers how much UV you are exposed to. Walt: If you wear this, you won’t get laid. Harper: Maybe you!
Breathalyzer/Bad Breath Monitor: Also a music/video player. It detects bad breath if you blow on it. Listen, I prefer the old fashioned method: someone awkwardly handing me a breath mint. That’s the natural way.
New Mifi!–It’s portable WiFi, from Novotel. Now back to GPS–hidden in my bag is a… drum roll… tracker! No one better steal my bag! Kara: Who? Like terrorists?
Oops, missed something. He’s the Micromachine man. Speaking of whom, he’s now showing a microcomputer of some sort.
Blu-Ray player: It grabs YouTube, Picasa directly, and plays DVD and SD cards. Walt: WiFi? Harper: No. You can take it on the road. Walt snarks about the lousy Panasonic UI. Nice one.
Sony OLED music player: Has noise cancellation–built in; it’s digital noise cancellation. Also has Slacker, which is “Tivo for music.” Walt: Slacker’s on BlackBerry too. And, do you think this will take over the market iPod dominates? Harper: Heh heh, it’s an interesting product. (Translation: No.)
A pocket-projector, the PK 101 from Optoma: Very cute. You can use it when you’re sitting on the plane on the back of the seat of the person in front of you.
And now: A Chinese knock-off of Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone. Typical Chinese. But instead, it says “Welcome” upon loading. Imagine that! Look, the UI is so terribly different! It has mode-switching, which means it too has a built-in video projector. Did the Chinese steal the blueprints for the next-gen iPhone somehow?
Some funky looking mask: For diving, it’s good to up to 100-plus feet. There’s a built-in camera with HD video. Walt: And how scared were the TSA guys? Audience laughter.
Whoa! Harper has some super-spy illegal device that can automatically shut off everyone else’s cellphones. It’s like something out of “Men In Black,” but for cellphones instead of depressed housewives.
Another media server. Is he starting to repeat himself. Kara: one more crazy thing, OK?
Glasses with built-in Blutooth headset.
Kara: Thank you so much. Every year, Greg brings weirder and weirder stuff
And the “Inspector Gadget” theme plays him out. Excellent! On the nose, but just so.

Inspector Gadget: Are Electronic Gizmos Power Vampires?

Ana Campoy — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:27:54 +0000

Cell phones and laptops may seem like pretty minor offenders when it comes to energy guzzling. But as they become ubiquitous all over the planet, their growing power consumption is emerging as a major source of concern for those trying to conserve energy and stop global warming.

Communication gadgets and other consumer electronics burn up 15 percent of all the electricity consumed in households around the world, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. If the use of electronics continues to spread at the current pace, their energy draw could double by 2022 and triple by 2030. At that point, they would absorb as much electricity as all houses in the U.S. and Japan today.

But are electric gadgets vampires or saviors? Telecommuters who would otherwise burn gasoline to get to work, or drivers who get to their destination quicker by using a GPS device are actually saving energy, argues the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Read the rest of this post on the original site