The Consumer Electronic Association’s most clicked links.

1) Apple’s tablet: What will the device mean for app developers?
With Apple set to finally draw back the curtains from its tablet device Wednesday, the device is expected to bring a new dimension to portable applications by providing developers with a larger screen to unleash their creativity. “The larger screen really plays to the imagination and clearly gives app developers a new kind of canvas,” said Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. New York Times, The (01/24) Network World (01/22) Reuters (01/22)
 
2) Cable choice proven to be more important than expected
Cable choice can have a real effect on a home-theater system, according to the author, who set up a test jig to prove this surprising point. “I would have never believed that short cables less than 3 meters can make or break the job, but by being able to change video signal integrity with our test jig, we got a true handle on how these systems respond to different cables and receivers as separate elements of the total system,” he wrote. CEPro.com (01/21)
 
3) DisplaySearch: Sales of 3-D and Web-enabled TVs to skyrocket
Shipments of television sets that are 3-D-ready will escalate dramatically, from 1.2 million units this year to 64 million in 2018, according to new figures released by DisplaySearch. The research company also is predicting big things for Web-enabled TVs: sales will hit 70 million units by 2012, a significant boost from the 15 million sold last year. CEPro.com (01/20) Dealerscope (01/20)
 
4) Sharp attempts revolutionary rethink on TV color
Sharp in March will begin rolling out new TVs under its Aquos brand that attempt to alter the way people have viewed TV color for decades by adding a fourth color to the long-held red-blue-green model. By adding yellow, the company says, the sets will be able to display more than a trillion colors, including some that are difficult to show on LCD TVs. Wall Street Journal, The (01/27)
 
5) Sources: Apple will look for iPod-like success with tablet device
Apple’s anticipated tablet device will offer users access to TV, magazine and textbook content in a way that is similar to how the company’s iPod device transformed how people listen to music, according to sources quoted in this report. The tablet is expected to be representative of chief Steve Jobs’ philosophy of packaging and distributing high-quality content as opposed to user-generated fare, this report claims. Wall Street Journal, The (01/21)
 
6) HDMI Cables: What’s the difference and what do they do for me?
HDMI stands for high-definition multimedia interface. It transfers audio, video and control commands over a single cable, giving you a high-definition connection. HDMI connects it all from TV screens to cable and satellite boxes, game consoles, PCs, audio/video receivers, DVD players, projectors, monitors and camcorders. Each new version of HDMI seeks to bring clearer pictures, sharper images, brighter colors, faster refresh rates and the highest audio performance possible. Learn more about your HDMI cables on DigitalTips.org.
 
7) Apple shines in Q1 on iPhone, Mac sales
Apple’s fiscal first-quarter results wowed analysts as the company reported a 32% gain in revenue and 50% in profit from a year earlier as iPhone shipments more than doubled and Mac computer sales increased 33%. Executives cited gains in Europe and emerging markets as key factors in selling 8.7 million iPhones during the quarter. “What this demonstrates is the strength of Apple’s brand in good and bad times,” said Bill Kreher, an analyst with Edward Jones. Sales of iPods declined 8% while iPod Touch shipments jumped 55%. The company said little about tomorrow’s expected debut of its tablet. Wall Street Journal, The (01/25) PC World (01/25) ClipSyndicate (01/25) Computerworld (01/25) Wall Street Journal, The (01/25)
 
8) LG’s CRT TV mixes old-school charm with advanced technology
PC World (01/25)
 
9) Apple working on touch screens that don’t need to be touched
Electronista (01/26)
 
10) Oppo debuts a scaled-down, less-expensive Blu-ray player
Oppo has debuted the BDP-80 Blu-ray player, a scaled-down version of its BDP-83 device. The BDP-80, which is expected to retail for $289, lacks the ABT2010 video processor, the aluminum faceplate and some audio capabilities of the BDP-83; but it costs about $210 less. Engadget (01/25)