| Although there was a delay in delivering the | | | | Consumer electronics continue to be integrated |
| number of Xbox 360s that consumers demanded | | | | into car design and sold as after market features. |
| for the 2005 holiday season, Microsoft is | | | | Audivox, for example, offers dual DVD players |
| expected to manufacture over 2 million of the | | | | that offer backseat passengers a choice in which |
| gaming consoles in the first quarter of 2006. It's | | | | DVD they each watch, while Panasonic has an |
| estimated that about 1 million Xbox 360s made it | | | | in-dash DVD monitor and receiver. Manufacturers |
| to stores in time for the holidays, so there's a | | | | are also producing after market products to |
| pent-up demand for the console. In addition, | | | | integrate MP3 players and iPods into a vehicle's |
| reported bugs and cooling problems will likely be | | | | sound system. As a result, drivers and |
| worked out in the near future. | | | | passengers no longer have to rely on a CD to |
| | | | bring their favorite tunes on the road. |
| The Xbox isn't the only consumer electronic | | | | |
| hitting the news these days. At the 2006 | | | | Although many developers of video games seem |
| Consumer Electronics Show, a number of | | | | to be waiting until the next generation of gaming |
| manufacturers of cell phones will be honored with | | | | consoles saturate the market, a few recent titles |
| innovation awards. For example, Firefly Mobile will | | | | are noteworthy. Psychonauts is a hit, and for the |
| be honored for their "Mobile Phone for Mobile | | | | role-playing crowd, Jade Empire is the video game |
| Kids," which is specifically designed for tweens. In | | | | du jour for the Xbox. In portable gaming, the |
| addition, Auvi Technologies will be presented an | | | | Sony PSP comes out on top with Grand Theft |
| award for their innovative PHIP100 VoIP-enabled | | | | Auto: Liberty City Stories, while the Nintendo DS |
| cordless speakerphone with a built-in webcam. | | | | offers Mario Kart. |
| | | | |
| CES will also honor a number of innovative | | | | On the whole, consumer electronics continue to |
| computer manufacturers, including Hewlett | | | | improve in reliability and performance, while |
| Packard. HP has two products, the Media Center | | | | becoming increasingly affordable. In all respects, |
| Photosmart PC and the Pavillion desktop PC, | | | | 2006 looks like it will be a stellar year for |
| which combine computing with cutting edge digital | | | | everything from video gaming systems to cell |
| entertainment features. Logitech will be accorded | | | | phones.Chris Robertson is an author of Majon |
| the 2006 Best of Innovations award for its | | | | International, one of the worlds MOST popular |
| customizable computer mouse, which allows the | | | | internet marketing companies on the web. |
| user to change the mouse's weight and balance. | | | | Visit this Electronics Website and Majon's |
| | | | Electronics directory. |