]]> http://svenontech.com/2012/03/28/in-stat-shows-mobile-market-to-rule-chip-consumption/feed/ 0 http://svenontech.com/2012/03/26/will-the-new-ipad-with-lte-force-carriers-to-better-plans/ http://svenontech.com/2012/03/26/will-the-new-ipad-with-lte-force-carriers-to-better-plans/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:03:37 +0000 Sven Rafferty http://svenontech.com/?p=10027

Now that LTE has landed onto the iPad, true broadband has finally arrived to the most popular tablet on the market. It didn’t take long, however, for many to find out that the new Retina display could also be a negative feature to the new lightening fast third-generation iPad. With the new high-definition screen came the ability to view HD video. More detail means more bytes which means less time. The Wall Street Journal reported that Brandon Wells picked up his iPad on a Friday and proceeded to stream March Madness the next day. In just two hours, he had reached the limit of his plan. Wells $30 plan gave him 2GB of data. To continue watching on his iPad without the aide of Wi-Fi, Wells would have to paid an additional $10 per 1 GB. Naturally Verizon refused to comment on Wells quick evaporation of his broadband allotment but suggested he simply pay for a more expensive plan that would have given a little more than two hours of additional viewing pleasure. It also suggested he use Wi-Fi when possible. What’s the point of LTE then?

Jason Perlow over at ZDNet touches on this new problem and reminds his readers that he warned of this very issue a year ago in late 2010. Perlow points out that when Netflix supports HD with its pending updated app, things will only become worse. He does a very good job of explaining the issue at hand and why the new iPad eats up so much more data than the previous versions.

While Android tablets and smartphones have been riding the LTE wave for over six months on the Verizon network, their small numbers in sales have put little stress on Big Red or much attention to those running out of broadband quickly. Further, Android tablets do not have any HD content to pull out of the cloud as does the iPad. But now, everything’s about to change.

Apple sold an astonishing 3 million iPads opening weekend. That’s 1 million iPads a day. Essentially, Apple sold more third-generation iPads in a few hours than all Android tablets sold in 2010. This sets the stage for a large pool of LTE users who will first become unpleasantly surprised like Wells and then brew up some anger. The majority of users will opt for the $30 per month plan and may up to the $50 plan to garner some more streaming time. Unfortunately, this will only give users a bit more than twice of what they originally had and without changing their viewing habits, this will not even get them past a weekend without running out “time”. Overage fees will surely take a, um, byte out of many pocket books and its sure to stir up some frustration.

Personally, I think the most interesting development from all of this is how Verizon basically bragged about how LTE would allow it to do data better for less when it began rolling out LTE in early 2010. Why? Because 3G networks and its predecessors were designed for voice, not data. With “4G”, things would be much better due to the fact that it was made specifically for data. Yet little change in cost of plans or amount of data – if any – were seen. Instead Verizon and AT&Ts greed and oligopoly give them full reign to continue in this fashion.

So what can be done? Regulation could occur as is the knee-jerk reaction from public out cry. There could be a consumer revolt causing a campaign of users to come together and force change from the carriers. The third and least likely answer would be competition. Between T-Mobile and Sprint on near extinction, it’s only a matter of time for AT&T to figure out how to acquire one of them the second time around with Verizon getting the left over. The other alternative is to simply not purchase an LTE version of the iPad but with Wi-Fi not as widespread as cellular connections, that choice isn’t a good one.

I think we will see pressure from services such as Netflix, Google (YouTube), and other providers that will be effected on its bottom line. It may be a few years before real pressure occurs but with the new iPad, this time table may be sped up. We’ve already seen big names such as Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings make complaint about data caps which is just the beginning. More will become vocal in the coming years if not months. Really, it will be these people that will be our advocates for more broadband on our iPads and other devices for less cost.

Apple personally invited select members of the press to announce its new iPad which it called “awesome” and “revolutionary”. At the conclusion of the 90-minute Apple love fest, it was obvious from many tech blogs and traditional outlets that the Kool-Aid had been liberally consumed with posts of something amazing. I wasn’t fooled.

Let’s take a look at what was really updated in the next-generation iPad. The CPU was bumped from the A5 to the A5X which includes a quad-core graphics processor. The camera was upgraded to 5-megapixel with an ƒ/2.4 aperture and a five-element lens. The Retina display with 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution was added which now supports 1080p video. Bluetooth 4.0 technology and a microphone were also added. If you’d like, you can also now opt for “4G” LTE. So it’s obvious, let’s list this:

• A5X with quad-core graphics
• 5-megapixel with an ƒ/2.4 aperture and a five-element lens
• Retina display with 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution
• Bluetooth 4.0
• LTE

In contrast to the Droid offering from ASUS, Toshiba, and Samsung, Apple has not set a wide distance between it and the competition. Certainly, the Retina display is impressive, I will not discount it, but revolutionary? Maybe two years ago with the release of the original iPad or even possibly last year but not this year. No, I think the word Apple missed was expected.

Speaking of expected, LTE showed up and Apple’s PR machine tried to spin that by stating it supported more networks than any other device in the world. To a world that only knows one new one, um, LTE, that claim means little. No, I think the proper word needed here was tardy.

Well, what about the camera you ask? 5-megapixel. ASUS’ announced Transformer Pad Infinity 700 will sport 8-megapixel, LED flash, HD video, and f2.2 aperture. Let’s see, that is 3-megapixels better, some light for dark situations, and a wee bit more light to let into that lens. Even Toshiba’s Excite X10 LE matches the new iPad plus an LED flash. Heck, Apple even beat itself with the iPhone 4S optics. Let’s see, the word Apple needed to describe the camera was…lackluster.

One would point out the quad-core system-on-a-chip graphics A5X and it’s stellar performance for video games. The demos given were striking to say the least and I would agree. The graphics are stunning and even breathtaking at times but in light of Apple’s amazing and dazzling marketing skills in whole, again, it’s not profound enough to warrant the show given it. My choice word here is overblown.

That leaves Bluetooth 4 and ironically it’s my favorite feature. I have been completely dismayed by previous incarnations of Bluetooth and Apple’s implementation of it. Since purchasing my iPhone 4S, Apple has finally nailed it. Connections are precise and consistent. Audio quality is dramatically improved in both sonic and clearness. In short, Bluetooth 4 rocks and only the iPad has it for tablets. Is that far-reaching? No but impressive just the same. My selection here is well-done.

The summary of the findings here, if we are to be honest, is that the new iPad has no true innovation. It is a mere small step in improvement. I will not discount the screen, the graphics, and retained battery life, but I also will not join the silly dernier cri as it struts down the Milan runway.

Apple is well crafted down to who it chooses to cover these events. It leaves nothing to chance and does very well for itself by controlling everything. Unfortunately, the man behind the current will be revealed and many will remove the Apple Illusion Glasses from their nose and see clearly. I fear for Apple that it will carry on with this pace while Google does what Microsoft did to Apple in the 80s and pass right by it while – gasp shall I even write this? – Microsoft innovated. Sure, it copied the Mac but Microsoft did push the envelope while Apple kept patting itself on the back. Google, too, has copied Apple and it’s hungry. It has successfully overtaken the smartphone market and now it can concentrate on tablets. True innovation is coming.

Apple today announced its third-generation iPad which it simply calls, “the new iPad”. Putting heat on the competition, the new iPad will include the much anticipated Retina display. Apple boasts on its web page, “The Retina display on the new iPad features a 2048-by-1536 resolution, 44 percent greater color saturation, and an astounding 3.1 million pixels — in the same 9.7-inch space.” That is an improvement of 4 times over the iPad 2, which sticks around at the 16GB level with a $100 slashed from its price. Powering the Retina display will be the leaked news of the A5X quad-core CPU that is “twice as fast as the Tegra 3″ claimed Apple today in San Francisco. Added to the front display is a new iSight camera and on the rear a 5-megapixel one that incorporates the iPhone 4S ƒ/2.4 aperture and a five-element lens. This allows the new iPad to capture 1080p video. You can now upload that video on one of many carriers LTE network if you opt for the 4G $130 premium option. Siri sneaks into the new iPad but not by name. Dictation envelopes itself into the new iPad which Apple suggest you can now, “Write an email. Send a text. Search the web. Or create a note. And do it all with only your voice.”

Apple also updated the Apple TV, again much to expectations. Newly found is support for 1080p video. You will be able to view full HD quality videos from iCloud via the iTunes store as well as other sources. To celebrate the better resolution, a new look was also added with buttons in place of text to navigate between Netflix, MLB, NHL, iTunes, Settings, and so forth. There was no mention of this new interface making an appearance to existing Apple TVs.

Both the new iPad and Apple TV will be available on March 16th, my birthday if anyone’s interesting in gifting one for me, with pre-orders being taken today.

Briefly mentioned, as if a black sheep, was the iOS 5.1 update. Tim Cook only stated that Siri now understands Japanese and that it would be available today.

Microsoft's announcement that Windows 8 would soon be along to render Windows 7 obsolete was doubtlessly met with collective groans of frustration.

After spending considerable sums of money training employees to understand all the “enhancements” and “ease of use” improvements that Windows 7 provided over Window XP, many employers and IT managers felt that it was much too soon to deal with a new operating system.

One aspect of Windows 8 that does appear at first glance to be very positive will be the ease of using Cloud Storage as a way to securely back up files and documents without relying on on-site hardware, who everyone knows seems to be capable of crashing at the most inopportune time.

Another thing that looks very promising is the integration with mobile devices where the interface will be identical, making it very intuitive for users to switch between devices.

If beta tests of the new Windows operating system are any indication, however, it does seem to appear that Microsoft is poised to hit one out of the park that may influence PC users to forgive Microsoft for Windows ME and Vista.

It certainly does appear that cloud storage is the trend of the future, and Windows 8 will facilitate this trend toward making it easy for users to be mobile and productive without the necessity of accessing company servers in order to get the information they need in order to be productive and collaborate with other employees.

While there are certain to be bugs and other issues for early adopters of Windows 8, just as there have been with early releases of previous Windows operating systems, it seems as though Microsoft has gained valuable motivation from looking in the rear view mirror and seeing Apple getting closer and closer, which can only benefit PC users that need to get up to speed quickly without needing to reinvent the wheel with every new operating system.

Apple has taken on quite a few volleys of catapulted insults from the Android community for its closed model concerning applications. Apple’s response for the interest of the iPhone user community is its main concern. These measures are for the protection of those using Apple iOS devices, it tells the critics. For the most part, this can be verified by the many studies showing the malware infection rate to be much higher on Android while it is near extinct on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. However, in recent weeks, Apple has come under a new threat of attack from within its beloved users.

Recently, it was discovered that a popular social media app, Path, had uploaded the complete address book of the user to Path’s servers without any notification or authorization. Path apologized for the matter once it was caught with its pants down and quickly resolved the mistake with an update to the AppStore that removed all users address book uploads on Path’s servers and asked for permission to upload them, again.

Path is not the only application taking your private information and using it for its own gain. Popular applications such as Foursquare (Email, Phone Numbers, withoug warning) and Instagram (Email, Phone Numbers, First, Last, without warning) have also been found to steal your data by Paul Haddad, the developer behind the popular Twitter client TapBot. Of course once the cat was let out of the bag, these two applications were updated with stronger and clear warnings. Other applications have also come under the spot light for such practices in the last week as well.

So, the question really is, what other applications are stealing my private information without my knowledge? Why isn’t Apple enforcing it’s own rules not to do this which is explicit in its developers terms of use? Steve Jobs told the D8 Conference in 2010, “No, Silicon Valley is not monolithic. We always have had a different view on privacy than some of our colleagues in the Valley. We take privacy extremely seriously.” Yet all these applications made it through Apple’s stringent approval process AND stayed in the AppStore once the vulnerabilities were discovered. Interestingly enough, Apple has done a wonderful job of insuring tether applications either do not make it to the AppStore or are quickly removed once discovered in the wild.

I think what Jobs really meant is it takes its carrier relations more serious than anything. Again, look at the contrast to Apple’s quick response to applications that circumvent carrier data plans terms of use over Apple’s own privacy policy. AT&T has been very vocal against tethering and hot spot applications and Apple has been quick to insure AT&T continues its nickle-and-dime game like a brown nosed kid working his way up the corporate ladder. I understand this is business and you need to keep your partners happy; however, if your immortal co-founder makes such a big deal about privacy, shouldn’t you be as diligent if not MORE than you are for something that doesn’t harm any ones personal lives?

Apple either needs to use the same blind eye for tether apps as it does for privacy concerns or stand behind its publicly spoken policy. Put up or shut up, Apple.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., December 14, 2011— As global LCD TV brands ramp up production for the Q4’11 holiday period, LCD TV production is nearing a record high. Of the TV brands surveyed by NPD DisplaySearch for its MarketWise – LCD Industry Dynamics report, production reached a record high of 19.8 million units in October, and is expected to maintain that level in November.

Even though production for most global TV brands typically slows down in November, LCD TV production is expected to be sustained as Chinese TV brands, aiming for monthly shipment growth in November and December, prepare for the Chinese New Year holiday. November is estimated to be the highest record with 19.9M units built by the surveyed brands globally. “In addition to supply chain pull-in for upcoming holidays, we expect Chinese TV brands to fight for market share to make up for shipment targets missed in the beginning of the year,” said Deborah Yang, Research Director for NPD DisplaySearch.

TV demand outlook is turning positive for unit volume in the near term, but the focus is on inexpensive and simple-feature sets. TV brands, including leading global vendors, are planning to carry new TV sizes and low-specification LCD TVs to create business opportunities and drive traffic in 2012. Yang added, “Prices for Black Friday may not influence the market very much, but the price points of new emerging sizes together with simple-feature TV sets cannot be overlooked. These are likely to lead to confusion in the product and value proposition.”

Despite strong sell-through results in North America and China, LCD TV brands are cautiously controlling their inventories. For December through February, LCD TV brands are planning to reduce production to prevent overstocking for the slow season in Q1’12. Global LCD TV production plans of surveyed LCD TV brands will fall to 13.4M in January. LCD TV panel suppliers will need to continuously control their capacity utilization in the coming months, even as panel prices stabilize.

Shortages of hard disk drives (HDDs) caused by the flooding in Thailand are expected to last until Q1’12, impacting production of notebook PCs and LCD monitors. In particular, NPD DisplaySearch foresees mobile PC brands cutting low-margin mobile PC production (netbook PCs or 15.6” mainstream models). “From the beginning of Q2’12, there is a possibility that mobile PC production volumes could increase significantly as a result of channel refilling and new 2012 model launches,” added Yang.

Monitor brands that have high attach rates to desktop PCs or have higher presence in the China market are being impacted strongly by the HDD shortage and the slowing demand outlook, while stand-alone monitor brands are less affected. However, in the China DIY (PCs built by consumers) market, demand is weakening due to increases in HDD prices.

In addition to LCD TVs, the NPD DisplaySearch MarketWise – LCD Industry Dynamics report tracks mobile PC and desktop monitor applications for large-area TFT LCD panels. The report delivers concise, relevant information for decision-makers who need to quickly understand the entire large-area TFT LCD supply chain. Presented in a dashboard format, the report highlights the status of every aspect of the supply chain, from components to the end-market, covering the ever-changing dynamics of panels, brands, capacity, production, prices and more.

For more information about the report, please contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452 or e-mail contact@displaysearch.com or contact your regional NPD DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan or more information.

In Q1’12, panel makers are expecting to increase glass input by 5%, to 39.8 million square meters. The forecast capacity utilization is 77% in Q1’12, which is 7% higher than previously expected. This is partly based on expectations that prices have bottomed out in this cycle. Also, panel makers are planning for new models, such as larger size multi-function monitor panels, ultra-slim notebook PC panels, new TV panel sizes including 39”W, 43”W, 48”W and 50”W with cost effective CCFL and LED backlights, and slim bezels. However, with 2012 market demand still unclear, panel makers foresee the possibility of adjusting capacity utilization again in Q1’12.

According to Shawn Lee, Senior Analyst for NPD DisplaySearch, “Increasing production does not necessarily increase shipments, as panel prices are close to cash costs in many cases. However, improved inventory and price outlooks, as well as the launch of new panel models, are leading panel makers to be more optimistic.” Lee added, “Other factors leading to the increased production forecast include the need to increase utilization rates in order to cover depreciation costs, and the fact that new panel producers in China are starting to ramp up their fabs, contributing to the increased input. Lee concluded, “After a long oversupply period, panel makers are still cautious about glass input and utilization rates, and they do not plan to increase utilization to more than 80% in Q1’12.”

Tablet Panel Production on the Rise, While Mini-Notes Slide

In mobile PC applications, panel makers plan to decrease production of mini-note PC panels while increasing production of tablet PC panels, with area production of tablet PC panels expected to double from Q1’11 to Q2’11. Panel makers are also reshaping their tablet PC panel production strategies, with Sharp using its Gen 8 fab to produce tablet PC panels with oxide TFT backplanes, and Samsung, LG Display, and Sharp producing tablet PC panels with more than 200 pixels per inch.

Other panel makers, including AUO, Chimei Innolux, BOE, CPT and HannStar, are planning to apply more production resources to tablet PC panels in 2012. Although Gen 5 and smaller fabs will mainly produce mini-note and tablet PC panels, more than half of these will be produced in Gen 6 and Gen 8 starting in Q1’12.

The NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area Production Strategy Reportoffers the industry’s most complete view of large-area panel production by analyzing panel makers’ quarterly production plans. Subscribers receive production plans by application in different generation fabs, with granular detail down to the size by aspect ratio and by country. With 100% coverage of panel makers, the Quarterly Large-Area Production Strategy Reportprovides reliable information and insight needed to evaluate production strategies, understand current capacity, spot key supply trends before it is too late and manage inventory. Please contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, e-mail contact@displaysearch.com or contact your regional NPD DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan for more information.

About NPD DisplaySearch
Since 1996, NPD DisplaySearch has been recognized as a leading global market research and consulting firm specializing in the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. NPD DisplaySearch provides trend information, forecasts and analyses developed by a global team of experienced analysts with extensive industry knowledge and resources. In collaboration with The NPD Group, its parent company, NPD DisplaySearch uniquely offers a true end-to-end view of the display supply chain from materials and components to shipments of electronic devices with displays to sales of major consumer and commercial channels. For more information on NPD DisplaySearch analysts, reports and industry events, visit us at www.displaysearch.com. Read our blog at www.displaysearchblog.com and follow us on Twitter at @DisplaySearch.

About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit www.npd.com and www.npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter at @npdtech and @npdgroup.

Apple made a big splash at its iPhone 4S keynote with the introduction of Siri, the voice assistant Apple integrated into the iOS from its acquiring of Siri 18 months earlier. I remember when the Siri app first arrived and I dwell upon how little it worked for me when it was 1.0. Now that Apple was able to throw money, in both purchase and development, at Siri and has taken its time with presenting the updated version, I was excited to see what 2.0 would be like. Well, first we were told it was a beta, not a revised version. Second, it no longer would run on anything but an iPhone 4S due to the need for a hefty processor (which has since been proven wrong with the many hacks floating around the Internet.) But that commercial shown at Moscone Center definitely made it look like it was going to be the sweet deal nevertheless.

Now, I wasn’t expecting perfection from Siri when my white 32GB iPhone 4S arrived at my door step via UPS upon the day of release. No, I had used Android’s voice-to-text without much success and, again, the original Siri app wasn’t all that impressive. In short, my expectations were honestly low.

After removing the phone from its packaging and activating it on the third attempt – third time’s the charm, AT&T – I of course asked Siri if I would need an umbrella tomorrow even though it was sunny and in the 80s outside. Siri responded with the weather for the next week. My family and I then went on to ask it more of the silly questions such as what is the meaning of life and what do yo look like.

When it came time time to really test it, this is where the shine began to fade. I attempted to text my wife a short message to which it understood who my wife was but didn’t even have any of the text for the message. I tried again and then it got it. Well, most of it. The end of the message was just chopped off as if I hadn’t even said it and the last two words were incorrect. I chalked it up to a busy day for Siri as this was her/his debut.

Over the next few weeks, I used Siri in the truck, in my home, in stores, in offices. I used it in many different environments and pretty much received consistent results. Poor ones. My truck gave me the worse and I attribute that to the cabin noise since I have a large Ford F-250. My wife’s Yukon isn’t much better with its Flowise pipes so results were about the same there as well. In a quiet environment, such as my bedroom, the accuracy was improved but not by much. To gain near perfect accuracy, I found I had to be holding the phone near to my mouth, about a foot or two, angled with the mic toward me, and not to use conjunctions such as you’ll. When using this method, I obtained near 90% accuracy. But the problem with this is that it’s more like a lab than real life.

Let me be clear, I did not just use the iPhone 4Ses built-in microphone or supplied wired headset. I also employed the use of third-party hands-free sets such as my Alpine IVA-W505 (my review), SuperTooth buddy (here’s that review), and the Magellan Premium Car Kit (yup, reviewed that, too.) I live in California where it has some of the most stringent laws against distracted driving so I engage technology to help me be safe and avoid unneeded fines. In reality, one would presume this is the point of Siri as we watch the jogger run along the bay with Treasure Island in the background. Siri is our assistant when our hands and eyes are busy doing other things.

What it comes down to is the best place to use Siri is not the best place to use Siri. The most common place to use Siri, chatter filled offices or noisy homes, gives you the most common errors. I also found myself flustered many times when speaking to Siri and correcting myself mid-sentence and boy did that make things even worse. From what I gather speaking to my other Siri using friends, I’m not the only one that suffers from the same tongue-tie issue. Part of it is that our brain thinks we need to sound like a robot when speaking to Siri but the other part is Siri needs to recognize human short comings and prevail as well.

I have also noted the lack of punctuation. If I speak more than a single sentence, even with proper pause, Siri doesn’t get the period. It either ends taking my dictation or makes a run-on sentence. I have discovered that I can state the needed mark, such as period or question mark, but it doesn’t always get it. If I give Siri too much, either via the Siri interface or the Mic icon on the keyboard, it will simply double beep and translate what I have said up to that point. Sometimes, it comes up completely blank! This leads me to wonder about the articles I’ve read on ZDNet and the Sun Times by Andy Ihnatko that claim they dictated the entire article to Siri. I would sure love to see a video of that because I really do not think it’s possible without much interaction with the Home or Mic button. Maybe I’m missing something but Apple is well known for it’s ease of use and Steve Jobs was found of saying, “It just works”.

What it comes down to is that Apple has advertised something that really isn’t. Sure, these keyword tips help your accuracy but note how short the sentences are.

Going back to that jogger and the way he made a meeting so natural and so easy, this is what Average Joe and Mom Consumer will see. They don’t watch keynotes. So how much higher will their expectations be than mine? Apple has done well with its products in the last decade from the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad, and I’m certain Siri is what will set the next decade for Apple, but beta or not, Siri needs to get it and get it quick.

By Lindsay Sakraida, Features Director, dealnews

December is a month when you almost can’t avoid shopping. You may have skipped Black Friday, overwhelmed by the offers, hype and crowds. But the holiday season is a different beast all together, with gifts from loved ones, friends, and people you barely know, coming at you from all angles. Make the season that much easier and more enjoyable by shopping wisely. It’s always easier to cope when you know you’re getting a good deal.

That’s why we poured over the extensive dealnews archives of sales, coupons and individual products from the past few seasons to guide you in your quest for the savviest purchases in December. Here’s what we found.

Buy a Bike, Use it Later
For many of our northernmost readers, it may be treacherous to go bike riding in the winter, but you should consider purchasing a bike this month all the same. While other months might have seen greater volume of deals, we saw the most Editors’ Choice-level bargains during the month of December last year. Otherwise, the next time we saw a substantial number of deals and sales came in May.

Get Good Deals on Toys by Waiting
Finally, it’s the best time to buy holiday toys! Almost. As we’ve mentioned before, many toys will hit their lowest price points of the season the closer we get to Christmas. However, if the opinion of many friends and family members is any indication, most consumers are eager to get their toy shopping out of the way early. In that case, if you can just hold out until the 14-day period before Christmas, you’ll improve your chances of getting the best deals on these items.

Stock Up on Kitchen Items Once Again for Holiday Cooking
Last month, we noted that November was perhaps the best month to buy cookware, but the strong sales and discounts largely carry over into December, for about 20 percent more cookware and kitchen deals than average.

Even though the overall volume of deals last year was down in December from November, December held strong with Editors’ Choice-level deals, and even slightly edged out November in this department. Look for top offers from Macy’s, Kohl’s, Amazon, FoodSaver, Williams Sonoma, and JCPenney.

Tools and Hardware Deals for Dad
Last year, both November and December were excellent months to buy tools and hardware items, matched only by the month of July for Editors’ Choice offers. November this year however proved to be significantly less thrilling in this department, with about 50 percent fewer top-shelf deals. We’re hoping though that December will deliver like it did last year, with significant discounts on wrench and screwdriver sets, drills, lawn-care tools, and more.

It’s a Great Time to Buy Christmas Decorations! (After Christmas, That Is)
At this point, it’s almost common knowledge that holiday decorations see their greatest discounts after the holiday in question has passed, and this is no different for Christmas. If you wait until literally the day after Christmas, you’ll see discounts of 50 to 70 percent off from stores like West Elm, Home Depot, Sears, Crate & Barrel, and Macy’s. If you absolutely must buy a fake Christmas tree before the 25th, look to Walmart and Kohl’s for extremely inexpensive options.

Blu-ray Movies Make Budget-Friendly Gifts
As we noted last month, November — and specifically around Black Friday — is a great time to get inexpensive Blu-ray disc movies, but this good fortune extends into December. While we saw a slight drop-off in top-shelf deals last year (there were about 20 percent fewer Editors’ Choice offers in December than there were in November), the cumulative discounts were still much better than any other month for the rest of the year. That means movies and TV shows may be an ideal gift for everyone on your holiday shopping list.

Put Off Buying a Wall Calendar
You may see some modest discounts this month and early in 2012 that will entice you to purchase a calendar, but the first significant sales we’ll see on these items come at the end of January and beginning of February. (You can of course see even bigger discounts the longer you put it off, but you actually want to use the calendar, right?)

Bad Timing for Jewelry
Sorry, boyfriends and husbands of the world. As our Media Editor put it during last week’s podcast, “Big Jewelry” has you in a corner this month. Jewelry just doesn’t see its best discounts of the year before Christmas, so if you haven’t already purchased in advance, you might not be getting a great deal. You could always try to get around this by using a broad department store or apparel coupon and apply it to the store’s jewelry selection, if it applies. (Macy’s frequently excludes jewelry from these offers.)

Like Jewelry, Watches Don’t See Best Discounts… But There’s Hope
Just like jewelry, watches don’t see their best discounts of the year during the holiday season, likely because so many shoppers feel more compelled to buy them in December. But unlike jewelry, there’s a small trend toward decent deals for watches before the clock strikes Christmas. Around mid-month, we began to see a few Editors’ Choice offers that featured significant price cuts. Be sure to keep an eye on the deal-a-day sites that specialize in watches, like ChronoShark and World of Watches.

Time to Look into Top-Brand HDTVs
Black Friday is over, so it’s time to forget about TVs, right? Wrong. We saw some rock-bottom prices on numerous sets during the post-Thanksgiving shopping holiday, but many of the best prices were from off-brand manufacturers. And though we saw some choice name-brand deals last week too, they were generally more than their off-brand counterparts in the same size-category. But according to a recent feature, top-brand sets will approach prices that are comparable to Black Friday during the mid-December to February time period. It may be a good time to set an email alert for your favorite manufacturer and screen size, so you can catch those prices when they hit the site.

Opt for Desktop Replacements this Month
Despite its proximity to Black Friday, December has never been an ideal month for buying a laptop. In fact, dealnews data shows that for the past three years, laptop prices for a 15″ to 16″ dual-core system have gone up (from November) an average of seven percent in December. That’s not to say all hope is lost. If your Christmas list still includes a laptop you might want to check out deals on desktop replacements (systems measuring 17″ or more) as prices on those systems dropped 40 percent (from November’s lowest price) in December of last year. And with the influx of laptop deals we saw this past Black Friday, we wouldn’t be surprised if a few solid deals trickle into December. Just don’t expect them to be the year’s best.