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<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>A sonic boom: will the fast-growing mobile electronics field resonate with traditional distributors and retailers?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">No volume knob is left unturned</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">"It's an area that a lot of our retailers are maybe going to focus on a little more," says Hays from Columbus <strong><a href="https://medium.com/@carspeakerland/how-to-choose-top-best-car-speakers-on-the-market-c1f141e4706">best car speakers under 100</a></strong> & Accessories. In the past, retailers and expeditors kept separate designations, but the lines have become more blurred, he adds.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Boyle says the majority of Visteon's mobile electronics business goes through expeditors.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Survival is key in the mobile electronics marketplace, because the mom and pop 12-volt shops--which comprise about 50 percent of the market, Spoonhower estimates--face fierce competition from all directions, whether it's big box retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City or the Internet.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/UlH4Rai.jpg" /></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The distribution channels in this marketplace aren't exactly cut and dry, as some retailers and installers buy directly from suppliers. Hays says his company buys at least 95 percent of its products directly from electronics manufacturers.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">There are also a number of WDs throughout the country that specialize in electronics.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Wires are one of the motorist's worst enemies when it comes to mobile electronics. Entertainment and navigation are centered around a number of wireless protocols, but the most discussed these days appears to be Bluetooth, which is a standardized language for communication among portable devices.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">With Bluetooth, a phone, an iPod and a car's stereo all can "converse" and interact, creating a smooth performance for the driver.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">"It is only a matter of time before virtually all (portable) devices are Bluetooth enabled," MERA states in its July 2006 Industry Forecast.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The association also poses Bluetooth as a significant opportunity, as there will be a large quantity of used vehicles in the marketplace in three to five years without Bluetooth, along with a higher consumer awareness of the technology.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Though Bluetooth has a smaller operating range than other wireless protocols, it's ideally suited for the in-vehicle environment because it can handle robust applications that demand more power.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Going beyond vehicle electronic infotainment, the larger consumer electronics industry is absolutely massive. Ask any cab driver in Las Vegas, the trade show hotbed of the United States, which trade show is the biggest and most lucrative from their standpoint, and they'll tell you without question it's the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held this month.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RELATED ARTICLE: <a href="https://www.scoop.it/t/how-to-choose-best-car-speakers-6x9-inch-6-5-inch-6x8-inch-4-inch">Best car speakers brands</a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The electronics industry is one that simply can't be ignored.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Competitive standpoints aside, to successfully compete in this arena, as in others, you must ultimately look to the consumer. Because one thing resonates loudest with those we interviewed: The future of mobile electronics is in the consumers' hands, and the end user is firmly secured in the driver's seat.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">RELATED ARTICLE: Portable navigation sales exceed expectations in Europe.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">European sales of portable navigation devices outpaced even the most optimistic of forecasts in 2006, as 8.5 million units were sold last year, according to a report published by Research and Markets.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The more intriguing news behind the sales number is the fact that only 2.1 million embedded navigation units were forecast for the European OEM market in 2006, the report adds. Strong consumer demand appears to be fueling a savvy aftermarket for portable navigation in all corners of the world.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The U.S. market for these devices is anticipated to follow the lead of European and Asian markets. As more features are added to portable navigation, like real-time traffic and accident reports for commuters, expect U.S. demand for these items to surge in upcoming years.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">RELATED ARTICLE: Hard disk drives the automobile.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">It's a well known fact that vehicles are becoming more computerized, and now Toshiba is literally putting the PC in the car.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The company's hard disk drive (HDD) provides memory storage, offering a true digital experience in the automobile.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">"I think we're talking about the hard drive being a permanent resident of the car," says Scott Wright, product marketing manager for Toshiba Storage Device Division, a component of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/mX8J9Y5.jpg" /></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The company's new 40 GB automotive-class HDDs are a fifth-generation product with robust specifications (an operating temperature range from -30 to 85 degrees Celsius, humidity control and an operating altitude of 4,300 meters) and will serve as a backbone for rear-seat gaming, digital video players and programming from cable or satellite downloads, among a number of other applications.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The hard disks will begin to show up first in navigation and in-car jukebox systems, says Wright. "These have lived in luxury models in Europe and Japan for some time," he adds. "They typically start in luxury models and work their way down.".</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">If the screen is used for TV reception or DVD play, the monitor should be installed so the features are operable only when the vehicle is in park or when the parking brake is applied, according to the associations' position. MERA also offers a liability release that a video player/DVD installer can have a driver sign, absolving the installer from responsibility in the case of an accident. Visit www.merausa.org.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">RELATED ARTICLE: Electronics selling tips: A hands-on approach is always the best.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">If you plan to implement mobile electronics into your storefront, follow some of these guidelines:</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">* "A hands-on demonstration is always the best sales tool," says Scott Wright, product marketing manager for Toshiba Storage Device Division, part of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. "But you can also use the Web to sell. Take your customers to the manufacturer's website and show them an online demo, product sheets and support areas. This will help validate the brand's reputation in the eyes of the customer and will let them know you're familiar with that manufacturer's product, site and strengths."</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvdX_9IyZ_s">Best car speakers</a> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">* For some of the more complex items, a working display or diagram will help your customers break down the jargon into language they can understand.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">By Chris Miller, Senior Editor</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Miller, Chris</p>
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