Consumer electronics, gadgets and digital entertainment have redefined virtually every aspect of how we live our lives.  What's on the horizon for flash-memory hard drives, ultra-thin TVs, GPS units and digital music players?http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorWed, 03 Dec 2008 22:42:36 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/43849/downturn-derails-dells-turnaround.html?refid=rss_all_defaultShifting consumer demand and the sagging economy spell trouble for Dell's turnaround strategy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Founder Michael Dell had been making progress since returning to the company last year with a two-pronged rescue plan, but weak sales mean his goals of cutting costs at the low end of the PC market while developing high-end gadgets are starting to conflict.http://www.newser.com/story/43849/downturn-derails-dells-turnaround.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 28 Nov 2008 1:56:23 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/43539/smile-nfl-youre-in-3-d.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe NFL is embracing new technology and exploring the possibility of broadcasting games in 3-D, the Wall Street Journal reports. Select industry insiders and executives have been invited to watch the Dec. 4 Chargers-Raiders game live at private screenings in theaters in LA, Boston, and New York. "We want to demonstrate this and let people get excited about it." says an NFL exec.http://www.newser.com/story/43539/smile-nfl-youre-in-3-d.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 24 Nov 2008 15:57:08 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/43333/tiny-tubes-may-trumpet-end-of-bulky-loudspeakers.html?refid=rss_all_defaultYou may soon be able to add paper-thin speakers to that flat-panel TV, the Economist reports. Scientists have used ultra-tiny carbon nanotubes to make a transparent film that produces sound identical to a signal-carrying current that passes through it. If the technology can be made commercially viable, you might be saying goodbye to those heavy speaker cabinets in your home entertainment center.http://www.newser.com/story/43333/tiny-tubes-may-trumpet-end-of-bulky-loudspeakers.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 21 Nov 2008 12:10:45 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/43201/storm-proves-worthy-rival-to-iphone.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe BlackBerry Storm hits the US tomorrow, with the iPhone squarely in its sights. The new smartphone is an interesting mix of traditional BlackBerry and the hugely popular Apple gadget, with a few twists, Walt Mossberg writes for the Wall Street Journal. The keyboard is the Storm's calling card: "The entire glass display is one large button, mounted on a mechanical substructure that allows it to be depressed when pressure is applied."http://www.newser.com/story/43201/storm-proves-worthy-rival-to-iphone.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 20 Nov 2008 11:56:05 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42957/hang-onto-that-blackberry-barack.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThis weekend was full of stories about how Barack Obama will have to give up his beloved Blackberry as president—but that’s wholly unnecessary, writes Stephen Wildstrom in BusinessWeek . The only good reason to dump the phone would be because it's a timesuck, but “Obama has shown himself to be nothing if not disciplined,” Wildstrom notes. Other arguments to lose it are “specious” or misinformed.http://www.newser.com/story/42957/hang-onto-that-blackberry-barack.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 18 Nov 2008 10:15:29 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42862/gadgets-have-consumers-crying-for-help.html?refid=rss_all_defaultDigital technology plays a key role in the lives of most Americans, but it's often too complex, frustrating, and prone to failure, a study by the Pew Research Center finds. Nearly half of consumers said they regularly need help setting up a device, learning how to use it, or solving problems, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . Among researchers' findings:http://www.newser.com/story/42862/gadgets-have-consumers-crying-for-help.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 16 Nov 2008 23:55:42 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42780/amazon-leads-charge-against-clamshell-packaging.html?refid=rss_all_defaultStories of angry and even injured customers have inspired companies to ditch sealed clamshell packaging for easy-to-open alternatives, the New York Times reports. Amazon leads the pack, working with suppliers to ship products in plain cardboard boxes ahead of the holidays. Even some offline companies, which rely on clamshells to guard against theft, are seeking out alternatives.http://www.newser.com/story/42780/amazon-leads-charge-against-clamshell-packaging.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSat, 15 Nov 2008 13:40:20 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42766/tech-sector-short-circuits.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA sudden slowdown has sent the tech industry into a slump so severe some are comparing it to the dot-com bust, the New York Times reports. The sector was confidently chugging along as recently as September but last month saw orders for both business and consumer tech rapidly plunge—"like flicking a switch," according to one analyst.http://www.newser.com/story/42766/tech-sector-short-circuits.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSat, 15 Nov 2008 2:03:13 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42245/circuit-city-files-for-bankruptcy.html?refid=rss_all_defaultCircuit City Stores has filed for bankruptcy protection today, about a week after it said it would close 20% of its stores. The electronics retailer, based in Richmond, Va., has struggled as nervous consumers spend less and credit tightens.http://www.newser.com/story/42245/circuit-city-files-for-bankruptcy.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 10 Nov 2008 8:14:29 CST