Had an interesting conversation with a reporter earlier this week on the topic of “green tech.”  Green tech has always been one of those loosely defined segments of consumer tech.  Many want to box it concretely – but increasingly green is a story of relativism instead of absoluteness. Many (dare I say most) consumer electronics products today have lighter shades of green.  Their singular or primary purpose might not be to lower one’s carbon footprint, but by providing a unique service or offering they might indirectly also provide environmentally beneficial results.

In a few weeks I’m speaking briefly on a call with executives at Korn/Ferry – the world’s largest executive recruiting firm. My remarks will cover major trends in the consumer tech space and how the global search for talent will be impacted.  For several years now, I’ve talked about companies reaching to create a 360 degree solution. Today the drive towards a 360 degree solution is pronounced. In some corners of consumer tech it is no longer simply a nice approach – it is an integral part of competing in that segment. So how does this impact talent acquisition?

The following was published in January 2008:

Throughout the history of the consumer technology industry, the home has remained the hub for content. Today, households consume 75 percent of their total video content while at home. Even portable devices aren’t straying far. With 66 percent of consumers using their portable MP3 players and digital media players in the home, more consumers are using their portable players there than anywhere else.

But consumer interests are changing. Consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable with the portable and mobile environment and they are mixing more content into their mobile experience. For example, while few consumers are currently watching television content on their portable devices, 38 percent indicate an interest to do so in the future.

The following was published in Dealerscope in November 2007:

The first International CES debuted 41 years ago. Since then technology has made great strides, introducing a plethora of innovative products that not even George Orwell could have predicted. The 1970s were the information decade. The average household owned just 1.3 technology devices, and consumer technologies were largely used to receive information. Families gathered around a television or radio at a set time for the latest news and entertainment.

The 1980s introduced the productivity decade. The technology industry unveiled the mobile phone and the personal digital assistant (PDA). The fax machine took off and software began leveraging the awesome power of the personal computer.

Earlier this month I was in Hong Kong for a few days.  Hong Kong is one of those classically fabulous international cities. Here are a few of my favorite things from past trips:

Taxi ride from the airport: The second I arrive at HKG I look forward to descending the ramp to the taxi stands. The red cabs signaling Hong Kong Island, the green for Kawloon and the new territories and the blue for Lantau are the first signs that you are in Hong Kong.

Custom tailors: I had my first custom suit made in Hong Kong on my first trip to the city.  Everyone should have a Hong Kong tailor and you really can’t come to Hong Kong without leaving with custom clothing.

The following was original published in CE Vision Magazine. You can download the full issue here.

The presence of electric vehicles at CES continues to grow with 2011 setting records on multiple fronts. As gas prices rise and show little sign of retreating any time soon, interest in electric vehicles will continue to peak in the years ahead. Here is some math to consider.

First, electric vehicles are good for domestic economic growth. Remember, economic growth in the U.S. is measured by GDP which consists of consumption + investment + government spending + exports – imports. Every dollar we import counts against domestic growth as we measure it under GDP. This includes things like lumber from Canada, consumer electronics from Asia or oil from the Middle East. If we replace vehicles that use traditional combustion engines with electric vehicles we presumably need to import less oil. We replace that oil demand with electricity demand that is created (and consumed) here in the U.S.

Adding an electric vehicle to a household should reduce the gasoline consumption of that household significantly, but it will conversely increase the electricity consumption. A single electric vehicle will increase electricity consumption by a third to one-half and two electric vehicles will consequently increase the electricity use for that household from 60 percent to possibly double the electricity use of that household.

Technology diffusion has a geographic component. A neighbor buys a new technology— be it a computer or an electric vehicle—and some of the first to notice are those most intimately associated with that individual. These are frequently neighbors, family, coworkers or other individuals in overlapping social circles. They likely live in relatively close proximity to one another, creating a geographic factor as technology diffuses from one party to the next. In the case of electric vehicles, this geographic component might be exacerbated in the earlier years because some of the vehicle manufacturers are restricting the markets where the vehicles can initially be purchased. Driving Demand Where might we see high electric vehicle adoption in the future? Basic accounting suggests electric vehicles are most financially lucrative in areas with the lowest electricity prices. The average retail price for electricity in the U.S. is roughly 12 cents per kilowatt/hour. Many of the states with the lowest electricity rates are in the western U.S. Another factor likely to influence electric vehicle demand is average miles driven. The fewer daily miles driven, the more cost advantageous an electric vehicle becomes. According to somewhat dated information from the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) that has presumably not changed in relative terms, individuals in the western U.S. travel the least during the year. While we don’t have daily miles driven, these figures likely provide a good proxy and highlight another positive attribute to western states when it comes to identifying future electric vehicle demand.

Because electric vehicles can be expensive, household income also will play a role in diffusion. As you might surmise, above average household incomes are typically correlated with higher electricity costs. Only nine states have above average household incomes and below average electricity prices. Many of these states are in the West where miles traveled are relatively low. These include Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The other states not in the western U.S. are Iowa, Minnesota and Virginia. There are a variety of intangible characteristics that will influence electric vehicle demand and the subsequent impact and timing they have on the U.S. economy. If I was making the call today, I’d watch the nine states listed above.

This week Barnes & Noble upgraded the software running on their Nook Color e-reader tablets. Users can now access apps, have email pushed to the device and watch flash videos.

There are a variety of reviews on the web (see: here, here, and here) discussing the anticipated update so here I’ll take a differ tack and discuss two things: what we learn about the evolution of technology in the Nook and what it means for adjacent categories like tablet computers (as opposed to tablet e-readers).

While their initial foray into personal electronics with the original nook might have been more than just an experiment, B&N moved relatively quickly onto the Nook Color. The original Nook was launched in November 2009 and while it was largely sold out during that introductory holiday season, there was likely very little opening stock available. By June 2010 the price had been cut consistent with pricing cuts across the entire e-reader category. Within a year of the initial Nook launch, B&N had a higher-end, full color screen e-ereader tablet and the Nook line collectively was “the company’s biggest bestseller ever in its nearly 40-year history.”

The following was published in Dealerscope Magazine in December 2010:

The last three years have been a volatile period in the history of consumer electronics. While a recovery is slowly taking shape, I believe the next few years will offer as much change as the in the last year or so. Here are a few trends worth watching:

Store-within-a-Store Model Expands
In the late 1990s, Apple’s presence within major retailers began to change, ultimately transforming into the now familiar store-within-a-store model. This gradual transformation pulled Apple products together within the store. Instead of merchandizing Apple products within the category where the products would sit next to similar devices, Apple products were increasingly merchandized next to other Apple products. The retail presence for Apple changed from an existence within categories to one of brand. As the Apple ecosystem of products expanded, so too did Apple’s store-within-a-store presence.    While this trend has yet to catch-on widely within the U.S., it is starting to emerge outside of the U.S. for other brands. We’ll see this trend accelerate in the U.S. and beyond.

To create a 360-degree experience (a combination of hardware, software and ecosystem) for consumers, companies are highlighting how the interoperability of their different devices can provide a seamless experience for the end-user. The store-within-a-store model is also expanding slowly as the more traditional categorical view recedes. When devices move away from conventional category definitions, brand becomes the natural organizational default.

Through the first three quarters of iPad availability, Apple sold 3.4 million, 4.3 million, and 7.33 million iPads respectively for a total of 15.03 million units through the first nine months.   The estimates for Apple’s second quarter iPad sales are all over the board.  For example, JP Morgan is expecting 5.3 million, RBC Capital is expecting 7 million, some are calling for something comparable to the 7.3 million sold last quarter, and Credit Suisse is estimating 7.84 million for the quarter.  Estimates of 13 analysts compiled by Bloomberg averaged 6.1 million units for the quarter.

My personal forecast of around 4 million for the quarter – made in December 2010 – is clearly on the low side.  At the time I expected a quarter-to-quarter sequential decline because the first calendar quarter is seasonally weak and that trend has been more pronounced in recent years.  More, I expected a new iPad launch that would slow gen one unit sales while at the same time production shortages would limit sales of gen two unit sales.