Web-enabled TVs sweeping CES

After the full day of press conferences preceding the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), there's one big trend that keeps coming up from every electronics company hawking their wares to the press corps. They all are cranking out TVs that can easily link up to the web.

While we've seen a trickle of attempts, plans and half-hearted hookups to the internet in the past couple of years, this year at CES, that trickle has turned into a torrent. Web connectivity is at the top of the hype list for Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba. Why are they all so eager to make it easy for TV viewers to access online content from their living rooms?

That's easy: because viewers want it. A Toshiba executive told us that of all the consumers able to connect to RSS services using Toshiba's Internet-connected TVs, an astonishing 25% of them connected and began receiving feeds. That's a remarkable acceptance rate for technology that didn't even exist a couple of years ago. Because of such heightened interest, we think in a matter of two to three years, it'll be hard to find a TV that doesn't have these web-enabled features.

Sure, people could go to websites using their computers in what's commonly called a "lean forward" experience, but what about going to many of those same web destinations in the living room, when they're kicking back in "lean back" mode? People are changing, and so are websites. Web content is not all "lean forward" content any more. Examples? Think YouTube videos, websites offering full TV episodes in HD, and Netflix replacing truckloads of red envelopes with reliable electronic bandwidth and a website.

Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp are becoming increasingly interested in that sweet concept, which reflects a larger trend: all television is headed this way. Why settle for 500 channels of cable TV when you can have 5 million channels on the web? Manufacturers such as Sony, LG, Samsung and the other giants know this, and they're making it easy for users to snag this content right from a TV set with no computer in sigh

WHAT’S NEW IN FLOWER ARRANGING TRENDS?

Flower trends can come and go almost as fast as trends in the fashion world. Different "looks" go in and out of style. Particular colors get hot - while others just cool down.

To find out what’s new in floral and flower arranging trends, the Dutch are a good place to start. More flowers come from - or pass through - Holland than any other country in the world.

"Trends start in many pockets of the world - but the best ones tend to sweep the globe," says Mieke Stap, a floral design expert at the International Flower Bulb Center in Hillegom, the Netherlands, who stages international photo shoots year-round. Following is Ms. Stap’s list of top floral style trends to watch for during the spring-blooming season when bulb flowers such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, lilies, Star of Bethlehem (ornithagalum), Persian buttercups (ranunculus), and grape hyacinths (muscari) are at peak availability.

ingle Color Concepts - A hot trend in Europe and espoused here by such lifestyle arbiters as Martha Stewart: the monochromatic look achieves a special lushness by repeating one color in mixes of all-the-same kind of flowers, or various types of flowers in closely-related hues. Arrangements are often densely packed with flowers.

Outside-In Arrangements - Here, both the stems and the flowers appear totally INSIDE clear vases so the flowers appear "under glass" as if in a jeweler’s or museum case. The vase envelopes the flowers completely, with the flower tops aligned near the upper rim of the vase. Water is kept low, and topped off regularly.

Repeat Performances - This is a style designed to show off the singular shapes of particular flowers. Groups of identical containers are featured, each holding one perfect flower. How many containers? Anything goes - more than three and as many as you choose. Continuity creates unity.

Low-Slung & Topsy-Turvy - With appealing results, trend-setting designers are choosing to flip-flop the traditional design formula of 1/3 vase topped by 2/3 stems and flowers. The new topsy-turvy look is bottom heavy, with the vase occupying the lower 2/3 of the arrangement, and the flowers just cresting over the top.

A Different Twist - Designers with deft hands have adapted hand-tied bouquets, in which stems are carefully angled in a spiraling fashion, to create free-standing arrangements that stand on their stems in plates or bowls of water. While it appears that the flowers are standing upright without support, the water and tied stems provide just enough oomph to hold the flowers up.

Sunglasses for 2010

Don't wait for summer to buy a new pair of sunglasses. It's almost here, so it’s the perfect time to get in the mood. Find latest trends in Sunglasses for 2010 and choose your new style.

We all know that sunglasses were designed to protect eyes from sun, but we also know, many of us wear them as an accessory with our clothing. You can choose a cheap sunglasses, but we often prefer to wear stylish designer sunglasses.

Oakley, Ray-Ban, Aviator, Dior, Armani or Gucci are some of the most popular sunglasses that we obsessed with wearing them. Although we all know that sunglasses are primarily for providing protection to the eyes, we also know that provide us with a fabulous look!

Every year there are different styles of sunglasses and 2010 has plenty of new styles for everyone. Here you will find the hottest sunglasses for 2010.

Hot food trends for 2010

Looking forward to 2010 thefoodpeople expect to see all of the main macro factors including economic, political, technological and environmental to be equally influencing food trends over the next year. As such, the trends that are expected to grow or emerge in 2010 are an evolution compared to 2009.

The trends they expect to see in 2010 include food cocooning, global comfort food and “like our previous generations”. Consumers will attempt to reestablish the heart of the home in the kitchen through more home cooking or at least greater interaction with food, Sunday lunches and informal dinner parties. Why? To make themselves feel good by providing for their families.

In a time when many consumers have changed their shopping status quo’s we expect to see consumers demanding more opportunities to personalize their food products, we’ve seen examples of this in niche areas but expect to see more mainstream customization in 2010.

With in excess of 1.8 billion people now online the researchers expect to see more ifood with web based food products and services. This could include more food by mail, food personalization, more online ordering and reservation, digital people power and perhaps new players in food distribution.

In many countries consumers have spent less in restaurants (with the exception of quick service restaurants) and this might not change noticeably until 2011. As such restaurants will continue to evolve with initiatives such as no reservations, happy hours, main stream pricing and a move towards more local ingredients and recipes. On the subject of local, local food has been around for many years but thefoodpeople expect to see local in every area of food from the farmers market to the global mega brands.

On the back of value and an anti restaurant movement more street food is likely including pop up dining, food trucks and street vendors selling fresh tasty and authentic food without what some believe are the unnecessary overheads of the restaurant environment. Simplicity will have a greater voice in food over the coming year with brands and restaurants alike cutting waffle and selling fewer ingredients for a greater taste delivery.

Despite being hugely dependant in individual consumers ethical values, a surge in planet conscious eating as well as an increase in the backlash against industrialised food is forecast.

The researchers also expect to see a trend towards frozen foods, with the category shaking the cheap and cheerful image of the past, evolving towards freshness locked in, extension of the pantry and total convenience. Another trend involving the re-positioning of a current channel is that of vending, so expect vending to go premium, go hot and go interactive in 2010.

Despite the many counter trends, thefoodpeople expect eating habits and meal times to evolve in the face the 24/7/365 lifestyle with a blurring of meal times, greater reliance on fast food not just for food but also for coffee as well, solo dining and breakfast on the move.

Health will continue to drive food trends in 2010, with a rise in the numbers of products, initiatives and services driving improved national health such as diabetes and heart disease through balance, calories and exercise, even moving towards enforceable limits in some countries. In addition, the UK-based monitors of global food trends expect to see the evolution of products targeted at the health self starters with condition and aliment foods, kid’s health, positive nutrition, DIY doctoring and health mood foods.

As eating habits evolve, drinking habits should follow suit with products targeted at specific target groups with a rise in low / no alcohol beers and wines, micro beers and spirits, in home consumption, demystified wine and cocktails.

Each year certain cuisines have a lesser or greater influence on the food that we eat through TV, magazines, books, chefs, restaurants, products and services. The cuisines that we can expect to be inspired by in 2010 include the Americas (including US, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Peru), French Bistro, Scandinavia, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.

“In summary we expect 2010 to be about - Simplicity; Comfort and feel good; Some scope for customization; Degree’s of planet conciseness; Food cocooning at home; Local across all sectors; Need for treats; A little trade up; Being squeaky clean to gain trust and i-food,” thefoodpeople concluded.