Technology is getting faster, smarter and more portable than ever — we can hardly keep up with it all! This week for Merchandise Monday, take a peek at some of the most recent gadgets from our favorite tech brands.
It’s only Day Two of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, but Hinda’s merchandise team has already reported back with lots of great pictures and info about the cool new tech they’re seeing on the show floor. Here are just a few of the highlights – in no particular order – with more to come!
Samsung®’s Galaxy Tab® S display featuring Marvel’s Avengers
Relatively new to the US market, TCL has been doing extremely well at Hinda. The company offers affordable price points and its line of Roku TV is hot. Here TCL is showcasing its Curved 4K TVs.
Load up your own beverages with the Chill personal soda machine from Hisense.
Not just a camera company anymore, Canon® showcases its Connected Home.
The Polaroid Fotobar offers “Instant Printification.”
Virtual Fitting Solutions from Toshiba
Headphones are big at Panasonic®!
Crosley®’s old-school booth proves vinyl is popular as ever.
Check out our Facebook page for more images from the show floor at CES!
We know you’re not quite recovered from your sugar coma, but the end of Halloween signals the three Ss of the holiday season - shopping, shopping and shopping! Before you head out in the cold and snow to hit the hot and crowded malls, take a peek at what we’re anticipating being some of the most popular items and categories of the 2014 season.
From fashion and fragrances to fitness and fun (yes, there are a lot of Fs) you’ll find something great for everyone on your list – all ages, interests and price points! And remember – while you’re busy running around, making lists and shopping ‘til you drop, there’s no harm in picking up a little something special for yourself! Hey, you earned it!
FASHION
Citizen® Ladies' Two-Tone Stainless Steel with Swarovski® Bezel Watch
Add some sparkle this season with the Swarovski® Bezel Watch. It features a two-tone stainless steel bracelet, a round 26mm case with Swarovski crystal bezel, mother-of-pearl dial with gold-tone stick indices, minute track, day and date window and luminous hands.
Citizen® Men's Black Dial Stainless Steel Watch
Industrial detailing sets a masculine tone on this watch by Citizen®. It features a stainless steel bracelet, round 38mm case, black textured dial with silver-tone Roman numerals, date window, stick indices, three hands and logo, quartz movement and is water resistant to 100m.
FITNESS
Fitbit® Flex™ Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband
Drop those holiday pounds with Fitbit® Flex™. Wear this slim, stylish device all the time and get the motivation you need to get out and be more active. It tracks steps, distance and calories burned and shows you how you’re stacking up against your daily goals.
Garmin vívofit™ Fitness Bracelet
vívofit™ learns your current activity level, then assigns an attainable daily goal. As you meet your milestones, vívofit will adjust your goal for the next day, gradually nudging you toward a healthier lifestyle. Earn virtual badges and view your progress at the Garmin Connect™ online community.
FRAGRANCE
Georgio Armani Acqua Di Gio 1.7-oz. Men's
This fragrance for men is a scent of freedom, full of wind and water – perfect harmony of salty sea water and sunny Mediterranean warmth play on the skin. Bitter citrus, rosemary and spices are softened by a woody base with a warm, musky trail.
Marc Jacobs Daisy
Always elegant, always enchanting, but not too serious, Daisy is a sparkling floral bouquet, spirited and fresh, wrapped in comfort and warmth with vintage edge. Sophisticated with a touch of whimsy, violet captures the eclectic, timeless flavor of Marc Jacobs' groundbreaking feminine designs.
FUN!
Bose® QuietComfort® 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones
Enjoy your favorite holiday tunes like never before with Bose®. Proprietary Active EQ and TriPort® technologies give the music you love a deep, clear sound. At the same time, noise cancelling technology monitors the noise around you and cancels it out, helping you focus on what matters.
iLive™ Bluetooth® DUO Wireless Headphones + Speaker
Fill your head – and the world – with music. With the flip of a switch, Duo transforms from headphones into a portable speaker system. Listen wirelessly with Bluetooth® or attach the included audio cable to listen to non-wireless devices, offering amazing versatility.
LG 49/55-inch Smart 3D LED UHDTV with WebOS, 2160p
Watch your favorite holiday classics on the 49” or 55” Smart 3D LED UHDTV, which pairs the stunning clarity of ULTRA High Definition with elegant Cinema Screen design. Witness the breathtaking quality of both 4K and near-4K: the Tru-ULTRA HD Engine converts your SD/HD video to near-4K resolution.
Loopdeedoo™ Spinning Loom Kit
Design friendship bracelets and make them in minutes with the Loopdedoo™ spinning loom. It's fast, easy and fun. Just wrap the threads around the Loopdedoo device, turn the knob, guide the thread and minutes later it’s done! Make necklaces, anklets, belts and more for almost instant holiday gifts!
Playvisions® Sands Alive! Deluxe Set
Consisting of all-natural ingredients, the sensation of Sands Alive! is similar to cookie dough yet totally dry to the touch. Pack it hard to make roads, then lift it up and watch it flow. Mold it into hard, durable shapes and with a soft touch, it will break apart and appear to move, almost as if it were alive!
The annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) took place from January 7-10 in Las Vegas, and Hinda’s merchandising team hit the show floor to seek out the latest and greatest from the world of consumer electronics. This year, it seems innovations are cropping up in every area of tech, from digital cameras and smart TVs to mobile and sports and fitness. While it’s a little too soon for us to tell which of the newest items we’ll be adding to our ever-growing assortment, we’re excited to share what we learned about what you can look forward to in 2014 and moving forward!
A shift is taking place in the world of digital cameras and camcorders. The rise of smart phones and their superior camera quality have decreased the need for separate digital cameras. Leave it to tech manufacturers like Canon® and Samsung® to offer the features you love about your smart phone, like Internet connectivity, social media sharing capability and rear-facing cameras, right on their latest models. Along these lines, companies like GoPro®, Garmin®, Sony® and Polaroid have all developed a line of action cams – a rapidly growing camera category all its own.
Recent advances in TV technology have turned passively watching into a full-blown lifestyle. In 2014, streaming technology is offered as an embedded feature on TVs. For example, Roku has partnered with select brands to offer Roku TV, which is built-in, eliminating the need for a separate streaming device. And what better way to enjoy all your favorite TV than on the latest 4K television? Companies like Sony and Samsung are now offering the ultra-crisp, life-like picture, which is becoming more mainstream and affordable. Look for massive displays and curved or bendable screens!
We’ve all been there - you’re out with friends or on a trip and forgot your charger. Now your phone’s dead and you can’t snap great pics or check-in via social media. What to do? Never fear, mobile charging is emerging as a category all its own, with companies like Mophie and Intel® offering devices strictly for keeping your favorite gadgets fully operational, making the concept of a dead battery obsolete. In fact, CES predicts that by 2017, the market will reach $7.16 billion, making wireless charging one of the most important categories in consumer electronics.
Have you seen the new movie “Her” starring Joaquin Phoenix and the voice of Scarlett Johansson? Did you think it was a little futuristic and far-fetched? Well, we may not be too far away from our homes talking to us. The “Internet of Things” category is starting to catch on, with companies like Nest®, Belkin, LG and Samsung jumping on the connected-home bandwagon. This year, stand-out items included a smart toothbrush and sleep monitor that can be controlled via apps, cloud-connected smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and plans for 4G-connected car models from Audi, BMW and Chevrolet.
One of the newest technologies on display this year was 3D printing. While it’s still a little too pricey for personal use, it’s becoming a bit more mainstream as businesses are finding various uses for the technology. For example, 3D printing is great for creating physical samples of products and 3D scale models of buildings and designs. Another example of using 3D printing for business? Food! CES exhibitor ChefJet showcased its ability to print using sugar and chocolate to create 3D-printed cake toppers and pastry decorations. What will they think of next?
Another up-and-coming category is wearable technology. By now everyone has seen Google Glass, the wearable computer concept worn on the face like a pair of glasses. It seems the wearable tech trend is only getting stronger with the idea that anything we can put on our bodies can have a wired version. From smart watches and contact lenses to smart onesies for babies, IMS Research expects the wearables market to ship out 171 million units by 2016, up from just 14 million in 2011, according to CES.
Last but not least, sports and fitness are two categories where technology is really starting to make waves. Devices like swing monitors for golf, tennis and baseball and GPS systems for cyclist are being manufactured by Sony, Reebok, Schwinn and other companies to help improve performance and maintain safety. In the fitness realm, heart rate and activity tracker wrist bands from companies like Garmin, Fitbit® and Polar® and sweat-friendly earbuds from Sol Republic and other brands are just two of the recent developments in fitness that are making it easier and more fun to be fit!
There’s nothing like fresh, new technology to kick off the New Year! Of course, this is just a sample of the many brands and exhibitors present at this year’s CES. And as we mentioned, we’re not sure yet which of these new gadgets we’ll add to our assortment in the coming months. However, we can say with confidence that we’re just as excited as you to see what new technology 2014 brings. So be sure to stay tuned to Hinda Blog for all the latest updates and merchandise news!
