The 
increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets has prompted doomsayers to (once again) begin the deathwatch for laptops and desktops.
The consumer technology market has come a long way since August 1977, when RadioShack introduced the TRS 80, the market’s first complete, preassembled small-computer system. The Level I basic came with 4K of RAM, a monitor, a cassette, and all needed cables and adaptors. It sold for $599.95.
Spending 
on consumer electronics is expected to top $250 per shopper this holiday season and, according to the Consumer Electronics Assn., 76% of gift-giving adults plan to give a gadget as a present. That doesn’t mean finding the right item is an easy task, though. To help out, Variety offers up a few ideas that are bound to please even the most discriminating tech-lover.
When 
it comes to the holidays, gadgets perennially top people’s wish lists — and retailers are happy to oblige.
Shoppers will spend an average of $252 on consumer electronics this year, according to a Consumer Electronics Association forecast, with 76 percent of gift-giving adults planning to give a gadget as a present. Sorting out the hot items from the ones destined to end up in the clearance bin — or at a garage sale — isn’t easy, though.
If you’re looking for a perfect tech gift for a friend or loved one, click ahead for suggestions that can’t miss.
Vizio is 
betting consumers are sick of black bars when they watch movies at home.
The TV manufacturer, known for its lower-priced screens, is introducing its CinemaWide line of sets at CES today, eschewing the 16:9 widescreen for a 21:9 aspect ratio, preferred by filmmakers.
With more than 2,700 companies displaying 
new products at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, there’s a lot of competition for attention. While many are fighting for a coveted “Best of Show” nod, that label is too often given to products that simply have a “cool” factor but won’t necessarily have a lasting impact.
So as we’ve wandered the floor this year, we’ve kept our eyes open for items that can have a momentous impact on their market segments. Here are a few gadgets we think will move beyond novelty status.
[Reporting from Las Vegas’ CES, Gamasutra editor-at-large 
Chris Morris looks at video games’ presence at the major electronics show, examining how the show hints at the blossoming of a post-console future for games.]
For a trade show that’s not about video games, there sure are a lot of people talking about and playing them here at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show.
OnLive, Kinect and Playstation are being discussed nearly as much as tablets, 3D TVs and cameras. It’s some of the clearest proof yet showing that as video games evolve and grow, the industry is moving closer and closer to the world of mainstream entertainment.
Streaming movies directly to Internet-enabled 
TV sets has already become familiar, but manufacturers are about to begin adding top-tier videogames to their bag of tricks — which could prove to be a fundamental shift in the vidgame industry.
OnLive, a cloud-based game streaming service that has been making headlines for the past few months, announced Tuesday that it has struck a deal with Vizio that would put the service on all 2011 model HD TVs and Blu-ray players as well as forthcoming smart phones and tablets from the company.
OnLive, one of the most promising 
streaming game services, has just become a legitimate threat to consoles.
The cloud-based gaming company today announced it has signed an alliance with Vizio to bring OnLive to that company’s TVs and mobile devices.
Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog
OnLive, one of the most promising streaming game services, has just become a legitimate threat to consoles.
The cloud-based gaming company today announced it has signed an alliance with Vizio to bring OnLive to that company’s TVs and mobile devices.
Chris Morris: Journalist 