The Wall Street Journal recently published a story predicting that the larger big-ticket technologies will remain on the shelves and consumers will instead go home with the latest gadgets this holiday season. As this article and other industry experts predict, the average consumer will purchase more affordable gadgets and less ‘blockbuster’ devices this season.


So what does this mean? Well, consumers, like you, are prepared and willing to spend $300 or less on tech gadgets this year. With most of today’s most popular consumer electronics (CE) products falling into this price category, it looks like everything from netbooks, to the latest e-book reader and high fidelity speakers might top 2009 Christmas shopping lists.

As we reflect on these predictions and the recent CE trends, we believe that IOGEAR’s Wireless Audio / Video Kit (MSRP @ $299.95) is a perfect fit for this year’s gift exchange.

We offer the Wireless Audio / Video Kit which allows users to stream both audio and video content (up to 720p) wirelessly from their PC to their TV up to 30 feet away. Users can eliminate unnecessary cable clutter and enjoy the best of the Web on their larger TVs from the comforts of their couch. This solution truly gives you or the person receiving this gift the ability to stream wirelessly from PC to TV a reality.

What other gadgets are you looking to put under your tree this holiday season?

Cheers,
The IOGEAR Team

Quarter One for 2009 is coming to an end and it’s been an exciting ride thus far in the computer hardware sector.  With computers being such integral parts in our everyday lifestyle, innovations shining through are getting harder to find.  Here’s a roundup of the best, and a look to what the future may bring.

Today’s Innovations

LaCie iamaKey USB Flash Drive.  Why did it take this long to make a flash drive, commonly called key ring drives, to actually be made of metal and be shaped like a key?  Sure many flash drives can be added to a key ring but they are a bit too bulky and often break apart within a few weeks.  5.5 Designers created this flash drive to be made entirely of metal and it carries a full 2-year warranty.  4GB and 8GB models are available with prices starting at less than $20.

Dymo DiscPainter brings a whole new world of wow to your discs.  The art on a CD or DVD is a dying art, but it doesn’t need to be.  When you burn photos or music to disc for a friend, don’t write on the pre-printed label with a market; use plain white discs and the DiscPainter to create a visually stunning presentation.  This is great for personal or professional use and provides quality second to none.

MSI introduces the Wind Top AE1900, the new line of NetTops, or all-in-one computers.  With a 19” 16:9 monitor and enough processing power to handle all needs, it also sports Bluetooth, 1.3MP web cam, Wi-Fi and a built in card reader.  The AE1900 uses 80% less energy than a traditional desktop, while saving you desk space at the same time.  This elegant new computer is leading the back in the crossover sector of Netbooks moving to Desktops, the NetTop.

Stealth’s LPC-625F Fanless Mini PC might just be the perfect media center.  With more video content coming online, homes are gearing up for a better way to watch them.  Hooking up your old PC to the family plasma won’t cut it, they are loud, big and can’t be stored nicely anywhere.  Stealth’s answer is the bring a Core 2 Duo powered computer in a fanless chassis that holds standard 2.5” SATA drives (up to two), integrated HDMI port for easy connectivity to your TV capable of full HD video playback at 1080p, integrated Gigabit Ethernet (wireless is optional), 7.1 Realtek audio and up to 4GB of memory, all packed inside a tiny aluminum chassis.  Hiding this in your media cabinet or behind the TV shouldn’t be a problem.

IOGear Wireless USB Audio/Video Kit makes hooking the family computer or laptop up to the TV so painless even grandma could do it. Watch anything on your hard drive or streaming over the Internet on your TV that’s up to 30’ away in full 720p resolution.  No more running specialized cables every time you want to watch a Hulu or YouTube video on your TV. This product is available to consumers late Q2.

Future Innovations

jMac and jMac Pro Tower are the next generation computers from Apple.  After running out of products to be created with the standardized “i” that Apple has become so famous for, they’ve moved to the next letter in the alphabet.  This new line will feature AMD powered offerings with a standard 16GB of ram for the jMac and 32GB for the Tower.  2TB solid state hard drives will be standard with an option to upgrade to 10TB by early summer.

Nintendo PowerGlove real world Windows powered PC.  Modeled closely after the iconic PowerGlove introduced for the original NES, this new version will offer an Intel Core Trio powered, 4GB RAM and 32GB SSD hard drive all crammed inside the glove.  Wearers will be able to do all normal computer tasks within a 100’ range of their monitors.  Corporate board meetings once filled with half asleep executives and their laptops will be replaced with the same individuals flailing their arms around, controlling the mouse, typing and communicating.  No official word on what function the middle finger will serve.

Self Stick Bluetooth speakers.  These next generation computer speakers are 12” x 12” and about the same thickness as a piece of construction paper and transparent to boot!  An advanced glue technology allows them to stick to nearly anything and be removed without damage to walls, glass or even people.  A built in Bluetooth device receives music from any computer tied to it and broadcasts it without wires.   These super slim speakers utilize whatever they are stuck to as the woofers to generate sound.

No-scratch Laptop.  In a joint effort, Apple has teamed up with a Swiss designer to start production of plastic based laptops that don’t scratch.  This new polymer is also touted to not stain under the palms or on the white keys from excessive use.  Apple is in talks with Dell, HP and several others to license the technology to them as well.  Several makers of laptop “skins” or protective devices are contemplating a lawsuit, since it will essentially make their over-priced products totally unneeded.  Apple said they started to look into this after the 10 millionth Macbook rolled off the lines, ironically it was the same day the received their 9 million, 999 thousand, 998’th complaint email about how easily their products scratch.

Moving forward, the second quarter promises to bring advances in video cards, internal and external storage options and larger, less power hungry monitors.  Should continue to be an exciting 2009!

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If you believed our future innovations… well just look at the date this was posted (April 1)

Chocolates, candy, flowers – while all these are fine and dandy, why not give a loved one something more practical, or even better, something that brings you closer together?

IOGEAR has several recommendations to ‘woo’ your significant other this Valentine’s Day:

GearPower: What better way to say I love you than to make sure you can keep in contact with each other, 24/7? GearPower is a lightweight, portable battery that can charge a variety of mobile devices on-the-go, eliminating the need to plug in to a power outlet. Check it out here.

Portable Media Server Player: Watch movies, view pictures and listen to music with your partner anywhere with this versatile and powerful device! The Portable Media Server Player hooks up to any standard definition TV, HDTV or display and has 120GB of internal memory, meaning it can store up to 34,000 digital photos, 30,000 MP3s or nine hours of Digital Video. Load up on your favorite tunes, couple pics and romantic flicks and snuggle up on the couch – the Portable Media Server Player will take care of everything else!

USB Laptop KVM Switch with File Transfer: Since you’re already connected at the hip, you might as well be connected to each other’s USB ports, right? When you’re on your laptops next to each other in bed (don’t deny it!), sync up with IOGEAR’s USB Laptop KVM Switch, which easily facilitates file transfers so you can share music, pictures and documents quickly and efficiently. It also lets you control the secondary computer, so when your significant other needs troubleshooting, you don’t have to move a muscle – just toggle between screens.

Here’s to hoping Cupid’s aim is on target this year!

XOXO,
Your friends at IOGEAR