The new bill attempts to limit the growth of hazardous waste in New York landfills by requiring manufacturers to accept used electronics from consumers. Manufacturers must pay $5,000 to register with the program, and an additional $3,000 each year in reporting fees to report to the state how much material they have recycled.

The bill does allow manufacturers to charge a fee to businesses with more than 50 employees or non-profit organizations with more than 75.

The state legislation would trump New York City’s e-waste recycling program, which has been challenged by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). Panasonic, LG Electronics, Sony and Samsung have objected to the New York City law,arguing that requiring companies to collect used equipment from the homes of consumers in city’s in which they may only have a minimal presence imposes an undue burden. The group has estimated the program will cost companies over $200 million a year.

“The gap between these two has been narrowing, and Nokia is facing a significant threat of being overtaken by Samsung in Western Europe in 2010,” Jeronimo said.

The West European home market has been the key for Finnish Nokia to build its global success, and investors are looking closely at Nokia’s market share development on the market.

Total cellphone sales in Western Europe rose 5 percent from a year ago to 46.8 million phones in the September quarter, increasing for the first time after five straight quarters of declines, IDC said.

Sales of smartphone rose 2 percent from the previous quarter, boosted by growing sales of Apple’s iPhone and Research in Motion’s Blackberrys.

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Operators pushed market share of cellphones running Google’s software a little higher in September quarter in Western Europe, but consumers showed little interest toward them, research firm IDC said on Saturday.

Android has won attention in the mobile industry lately, with Motorola and Sony Ericsson choosing it for their new top models.

Market share of smartphones running Google’s Android operating system (OS) rose to 5.4 percent from 4.2 percent in July-September in Western Europe, a key area for the smartphone market.

“Consumers steer clear of Google’s OS and sell-out is below everyone’s expectations. Consumers recognize the Google brand, but still do not understand what Android is,” IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo said in a statement.

“The lack of devices available didn’t help to raise awareness, though this is expected to change, with more handsets from LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, and other vendors hitting the market soon,” Jeronimo said.

Last month Gameloft, one of the largest cellphone game makers, also bashed Android saying it and other software developers were cutting back investment in developing games and other applications for the platform.

Global market leader Symbian — used extensively by Nokia — continued to be the leading operating system also in Western Europe, controlling 48 percent of the market.

This groundbreaking new program is designed to provide companies with a new source for independent, third-party green claims validation. Underwriters Laboratories, a world leader in product safety testing services, launched UL Environment, a wholly-owned subsidiary aimed at providing guidance and clarity of environmental claims to both the consumer and manufacturer.

UL Environment has validated claims for LG’s award-winning SteamWasherTM WM3001HWA and popular 47LH90 LCD TV by performing a variety of laboratory tests. UL Environment purchased LG products from U.S. retailers prior to testing. The SteamWasher was evaluated based on energy and water savings, while the LCD TV was tested for overall energy consumption – both in on mode power and standby modes.

Testing results found that the LG SteamWasher uses a minimum of 50 percent less water and energy than Energy Star® requirements effective July 1, 2009 and exceeds 2011 requirements for energy consumption by at least 35 percent and water consumption by at least 40 percent. The LG LCD TV uses a minimum of 70 percent less energy than required by Energy Star 3.0 requirements in standby mode, while using a minimum of 40 percent less energy in the on-mode than Energy Star 3.0 requirements.“Using this comprehensive UL Environment third-party testing program to validate environmental claims such as energy and water efficiency will instill further confidence in our products’ performance and will help maintain consumers’ confidence in voluntary programs such as Energy Star,” said Teddy Hwang, President of LG Electronics USA.

LG intends to expand its participation in the UL Environment program to cover other product lines, from refrigerator-freezers and dish washers to plasma HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players.

Steve Wenc, President of UL Environment added, “By applying solid science and more than a century of testing expertise, UL Environment’s validation program brings a new level of confidence to consumers to make informed purchase decisions when shopping for energy efficient products. We commend LG’s leading role as the first appliance and consumer electronics manufacturer to participate in this consumer program.”

UL Environment applies a rigorous, independent testing process to the testing of environmental claims and allows manufacturers that successfully pass the tests to apply the UL Environment service logo on product packaging and marketing materials. This not only protects consumers, institutions and businesses, it also reinforces the credibility of companies that produce products with substantiated environmental claims. Validation also helps companies differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded “green” product space.

“LG’s focus on environmental issues has resulted in a global environmental vision,” Hwang said, “Across our broad product portfolio, we have incorporated eco-design strategies to reduce the environmental impact of a product’s development, production, and circulation, along with reduced use of hazardous materials and enhanced efficiency of resources and recyclability.”

Analysts say Huawei Technologies is increasingly competing on quality, not just prices, especially in Europe. Above, a Huawei convention booth.
As the telecom industry emerges from the global economic slump, European telecommunication-gear companies—global market leader Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson; Nokia Siemens Networks, a joint venture between Finland’s Nokia Corp. and Germany’s Siemens AG; and Paris-based Alcatel-Lucent SA—are likely to face increased pressure from world No. 2 Huawei in their own backyard.

Huawei, which like smaller peer ZTE Corp. is based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, was founded 1988, and revenue and earnings have risen steadily.

Its sales increased to $18.33 billion last year, the latest figure available, from $5.98 billion in 2005, while profit rose to $1.15 billion from $681 million.

While European vendors have, to some extent, been able to keep these low-cost Chinese rivals at bay through superior equipment, Huawei is growing quickly both because it offers lower prices than most rivals and because the quality of its equipment is getting better, said analyst Scott Siegler at research firm Dell’Oro, based in Redwood, Calif. “When we talk to service providers that use Huawei’s equipment, we have been told that it is excellent technology, he said.”

Huawei’s share of the global infrastructure market almost doubled in revenue terms to 20.1% from 10.9% in the third quarter from a year earlier, leaving behind Nokia Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent, according to Dell’Oro.

In the same period, Ericsson’s market share remained largely flat at 31.6%. Nokia Siemens’s share of the market fell to 19.4% from 23.7%, and Alcatel-Lucent’s, to 13.1% from 14.3%. ZTE remained the fifth-largest vendor, but its market share rose to 6.8% from 4.2%.

It is in Europe where the battle is really heating up. Norway’s largest telecom operator, Telenor ASA, this month selected Huawei to supply its new Norwegian wireless network, replacing gear supplied by Ericsson and Nokia Siemens.

The six-year contract, which includes services and maintenance, was handed to Huawei on the basis of several criteria, including price and technical specifications, Telenor Norway Chief Executive Ragnar Karhus said.

The quality of Huawei’s equipment has improved and the company is now “completely in line” with the European vendors in terms of technology and services, Mr. Karhus said.

Last week, Huawei won another European deal, to upgrade Belgacom’s radio-access networks under a long-term agreement. Belgacom is Belgium’s largest telecommunications operator.

Telecom operators typically sign contracts with equipment vendors running for several quarters or even years, and this could slow the entry of new vendors to some extent.

Still, operators across Europe are expected from next year onward to gradually introduce equipment based around a fourth-generation standard known as Long Term Evolution. This should give the Chinese vendors another opportunity.

“We expect the transition to 4G will allow Huawei to gain momentum in Europe,” Goldman Sachs said in a recent note to investors. “Clearly there are rising competitive risks in Western Europe.”

That risk was spelled out clearly by Nokia Chief Financial Officer Rick Simonson, who said recently there is increasing price competition “primarily from the Chinese competitors ZTE and Huawei.”

Telenor’s Mr. Karhus said Huawei supplies particularly effective multibase stations, which support several transmission frequencies and technical standards in the same box, increasing operators’ flexibility.

Nokia Siemens in October posted a 21% drop in third-quarter revenue from a year earlier and said it will lose more market share this year than expected, even as it gave a more positive outlook for the overall market.

As Nokia Siemens is consolidated in Nokia’s balance sheet, it has a significant impact on the handset maker’s financial performance. Nokia reported a worse-than-expected third-quarter loss after it booked a €908 million ($1.36 billion) goodwill impairment on the joint venture because of “challenging competitive factors and market conditions” in the network-infrastructure business.

Huawei has so far had much less success in overseas regions outside Europe, including in the big U.S. and Japanese markets. Last year, the Americas contributed only 12% of the company’s contract sales, compared with 47% from Asia Pacific and 41% from Europe, Middle East and Africa, according to Huawei spokesman Ross Gan.

Due in part to political sensitivity, it has been difficult for Huawei to gain a foothold in North America and Japan, the world’s third-largest telecom-equipment market, after the U.S. and China, said analyst Tina Tian at research firm Gartner Inc.

The U.S. government last year blocked Huawei from buying U.S.-based networking-equipment company 3Com Corp. because it had government contracts to provide security software.

Still, Huawei’s Mr. Gan said the company expects business momentum to continue in North America and Japan, adding that its main competitive strength is still to provide services at a lower total cost of ownership.

In the U.S., it provides telecom equipment and services to Cox Communications Corp. and Clearwire Corp.

Robert Fox, chief branding officer of Huawei’s branding division, said in a recent interview that next year it hopes to add 600 employees to its 900 existing staff in North America. Globally, it has more than 87,500 workers.

Despite its rapid growth, it will still take some time before Huawei approaches the position of market leader Ericsson, which has expanded its presence in North America through the acquisition of Nortel Networks Corp. assets and has won a number of large service contracts with operators including U.S.-based Sprint Nextel Corp.

Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent earlier this year also won a major contract to supply Verizon Wireless with its fourth-generation wireless network. Vodafone Group PLC has a minority stake in Verizon Wireless, which is majority owned by Verizon Communications Inc.

Dell announced plans in August to sell smart phones and other mobile devices with wireless partners. The company also is combining its consumer and small- and medium-sized business groups, David Frink, a spokesman for Round Rock, Texas-based Dell, said today in an e-mail.

The unit led by Garriques, who once ran Motorola Inc.’s phone business, will focus on developing more wireless products, Frink said. Chief Executive Officer Michael Dell is expanding into new businesses to revive sales after posting five quarters of declines, with Acer Inc. overtaking it in the latest period.

Dell is selling a Mini 3 smart phone with China Mobile Ltd., and also plans to sell through a Brazilian unit of America Movil SAB by the end of the year. The company hired Garriques, 45, almost three years ago to lead a new consumer unit after failing to win PC orders from home buyers.

The combined consumer and small-business division will be led by Steve Felice, who now runs small business, Frink said. The company also has two other business groups, one devoted to large enterprises and the other for government agencies.

Patent-Pending.

Pre-Order Today at www.fastmac.com. They cost only $9.99 each.

This item is currently waiting on final UL Approval. It is scheduled to begin shipping in early 2010.

TruePower’s custom power outlet solution includes two Universal Serial Bus (USB) charge ports in addition to the two standard three prong power outlet ports. Perfect for charging any USB powered device including- mobile, iPod, iPhone, PDA, MP3, PSP, MP4 player & digital camera.

Specifications:
Input voltage: AC 100 to 240V 50/60Hz
USB input current: 80mA
Output voltage: USB: DC 5.0V 600mA
Operation temperature: -15 to 45 Degrees Celsius
Relative humidity: < 95%
Air pressure: 86 to 106kPa

Installation:
This item can be installed on any existing wall outlet.

We will have an installation video available shortly so that you can see exactly what is involved and if this is something you feel comfortable doing on your own or if you will need assistance.

Please also note that the USB ports only draw power when something is physically connected to the port. Truepower doesn’t want a vampire port that continually sucks and wastes power when not in use so this was one of the features on the top of our priority list during the design phase.

If you have any questions about this specific product please contact mlowdermilk@fastmac.com.

Panasonic President Fumio Ohtsubo said in an interview with the Bloomberg news service this week that growing consumer interest in more efficient products has led Panasonic to decide to develop new core businesses.

“Our growth is not enough . So we want to change our fighting ring from our current categories to a different field,” Ohtsubo told Bloomberg.

The company plans to offer home energy management systems, as well as develop existing interests in lithium ion batteries for electric cars, solar panels, and smart appliances.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the world’s leading plasma-TV manufacturer is getting rid of its star product.

As one of its green product ideas, Ohtsubo told Bloomberg about a system in development that would allow people to monitor the electricity generation of their solar panels and the electricity use of their home appliances through their television sets.

One can’t help but wonder if Panasonic’s interest in a new core business was in any way influenced by the U.S. Department of Energy’s decision to curb Energy Star seals for supersized televisions. Very large televisions could fall out of favor if an increasingly energy-conscious public relies on the Energy Star seal when deciding which products to purchase for their home.

It also remains to be seen if this means Panasonic is going to abandon its plasma TVs in favor of the increasingly popular LCD and LED-based LCD televisions. Panasonic already does make LCD televisions, in addition to plasmas.

Amazingly, the feature worked pretty well in our tests, and we hope to see similar automatic turn-offs in future televisions–as long as irate couch potatoes don’t flood Sony’s customer service call centers to complain of malfunctioning TVs. Otherwise the Sony uses about as much power as a typical LCD–it’s nowhere near as miserly as the LED-backlit Sharp’s LC-LE700UN series, for example.

The KDL-VE5 also offers very good picture quality for a standard LCD, but on the downside, it charges a hefty premium over the step-down KDL-V5100 series–the only major differences between the two are styling and the VE5’s presence sensor. If you’re prone to forgetting to turn the TV off, however, the KDL-VE5 might be able to make up the difference in a few years.

New data from an ABI Research survey points to a major need for greater cell phone security for enterprise devices.

The survey included 250 senior executives in the United States and revealed that, while the executives recognized the security vulnerabilities posed by cell phones— with 41 percent saying they believed mobile phones to be more vulnerable to interception than e-mail, and 39 percent saying that phones are equally as vulnerable as e-mail — few had devices with adequate protection in place.

While ABI found that 79 percent of organizations discuss sensitive or confidential information over the phone at least weekly, and 51 percent daily, only 18 percent of organizations have “explicit mobile voice call security solutions in place,” ABI wrote in a Dec. 3 statement.

Worse, 55 percent of respondents in IT roles said that their organizations had mobile voice call encryptions solutions in place. After looking into the matter, however, only 18 percent actually did.

“Effective e-mail security has become routine but our research shows most businesses do not apply anything like the same level of robust security to cell phone calls,” Stan Schatt, an analyst with ABI, wrote in the report.

“Equally concerning is that a significant number of people who identified themselves as being responsible for cell phone voice call security incorrectly believe the organizations’ mobile calls have been protected when they have not,” Schatt continued. “This perception that they are protected when in reality they are not suggests a serious hole in the information security of many businesses. It is important that companies take urgent steps to review their measures for countering this growing corporate risk area.”

Should the findings fall on optimistic ears, ABI describes a project devised by German hackers that came to light this summer and showed them to be working on a code table that would enable them to crack the encryption of GSM mobile calls — which is 80 percent of the world’s mobile calls.

“This codebook is planned to be freely available within the next six months, and significantly lowers the bar for everyday hackers to crack GSM calls using only a high-end laptop,” ABI wrote in the statement.

Intercepting radio waves, according to ABI, is not the way that the security of a call can be breached. “Interception risks occur at various segments along a call path, which may involve multiple network operators in a variety of countries each having a different levels of security measures and risks,” the research firm wrote in the statement

ABI performed the study on behalf of Cellcrypt, which provides mobile phone security solutions.

“Companies that do not [act on the need for mobile phone security] are exposing themselves to attack,” wrote ABI’s Schatt

Unlike Lenovo’s screen and a half effort (the Thinkpad w700ds), the 280 by 210 by 19~42 mm (11 by 8.26 by 0.75~1.65 in) DZ features two full 10.1 inch LED backlit screens with 1024 by 600 pixel resolution on each. This benefits gamers and business users alike by offering a single standard display, a dual ultra-wide-screen single display or two independent workspaces sitting side by side. The display can also be turned 180 degrees to allow comfortable keying via an external keyboard or for outward video display.

Secure fingerprint access to the system can be set up courtesy of a scanner to the right side of the screen. Separate mouse, pointing device and screen rotation functionality can all be found surrounding the screen along with a 1.3 megapixel webcam and digital mono microphone for quick and easy videoconferencing.

Onboard memory ranges from the supplied 1Gb to 4Gb maximum via two slots. The device features 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN as well as Ethernet and Bluetooth 2.1. There are three USB 2.0 ports, a 3-in-1 media slot to handle the SD, SDHC and MMC cards and plus a MicroSD slot.

The 11.1V lithium ion battery is claimed to provide some four and a half hours power between charges which should be more than enough to watch a few of your favorite TV shows via the built-in tuner. Realtek HD audio provides quality sound through stereo speakers or headphones and stereo audio input is also catered for via an input socket at the front of the unit.

As well as the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, Kohjinsha also throws in some software including Presto PVR to allow recording and playback of TV content, CyberLink PowerDVD, McAfee Security Center, the EI Office 2009 suiteand ebi Book Reader.

While we’re still to see a similar offering promised by gScreen, the DZ is available now from Kohjinsha’s Japanese website for 79,800 Yen (about US$923 at time of publication).

This is an excellent idea. Now we don’t have to buy two computers to feel like a Star-trek character.

]]> http://www.ewastejournal.com/dual-screen-laptop-goes-on-sale-in-japan/feed/ 2 http://www.ewastejournal.com/samsung-expects-to-sell-200-million-handsets-in-2009-company-has-sold-40-million-touchscreen-devices-in-2009-compared-with-10-million-a-year-ago/ http://www.ewastejournal.com/samsung-expects-to-sell-200-million-handsets-in-2009-company-has-sold-40-million-touchscreen-devices-in-2009-compared-with-10-million-a-year-ago/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:16:44 +0000 http://www.ewastejournal.com/?p=581 Samsung Electronics, the world’s No. 2 mobile phone maker, gave an upbeat forecast for 2009 mobile phone sales due to sharp growth in touchscreen models, but surging sales may not guarantee higher margins.

Growing competition for market share could put Samsung under pressure to lower prices in the high-margin touchscreen phones, with iPhone’s debut in the domestic market last week set to challenge Samsung and home-town rival LG Electronics.

“Touch phones taking a bigger portion of handset sales will not likely have a significant impact on profitability because makers eventually have to cut prices to appeal to the wider public,” said Hanwha Securities analyst Seo Do-won.

“What we have to set sight on is the smartphone market, in which Samsung is still weaker than Apple, RIM and Nokia (NOK1V.HE). Samsung has strengths in high-function and hardware sides, but is weak in software and services compared with rivals,” Seo said.

Samsung, which trails Finland’s Nokia, said on Monday it was on track to exceed its 2009 mobile phone sales target, with touchscreen models enjoying sharp growth.

It had previously said it aimed to sell more than 200 million phones this year, after selling slightly less than that figure in 2008.

The blockbuster iPhone of Apple made its debut in South Korea recently after local regulators cleared the final hurdle for its sales in a market that is home to 47 million mobile phone users.

With established strength in premium and feature phones, Samsung and LG have recently boosted their smartphone line-ups to compete with Apple and Blackberry maker Research In Motion 

Samsung said its global market share in handsets rose over 20 percent for the first time in the third quarter, with its telecom unit posting a profit margin of 10 percent in the third quarter, unchanged from the second quarter.

Research firm Gartner said this month global mobile phone salesthis year would be roughly on par with 2008 and grow 5-8 percent next year.

Samsung said in a statement handsets adopting full touchscreens would account for about 20 percent of its mobile phone sales this year. In 2008, such phones made up only 5 percent of Samsung’s total sales.

Samsung had sold around 40 million full touchscreen devices between January and November this year, compared with 10 million in 2008.

Feature-packed premium phones and smartphones with intuitive user interfaces have prompted a boom in touchscreen models that allow users to manipulate cellphones more easily.

“Samsung will continue to expand the global full touch phone market by introducing phones tailored to individual regions and user requirement with stylish designs, intuitive UIs and cutting edge features,” JK Shin, head of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Division, said in the statement.

Samsung Mobile Display, Samsung Electronics’ mobile screen venture, expects touchscreens to be adopted by about 50 percent of major portable devices — mobile phones, digital cameras, navigations and digital media players – sold in 2013.

By afternoon, shares of Samsung, also the world’s largest maker of memory chips and flat screen televisions, were up 2.3 percent, in line with the broader market’s 2.5 percent gain.

 Copper for March delivery on the New York Mercantile
Exchange's COMEX division jumped 5.40 cents, or 1.7 percent, to
finish at $3.2310 a lb, its highest level on a settlement basis
since the end of August 2008 on a weekly chart.

 On the London Metal Exchange (LME), benchmark copper MCU3
ended up $145 at $7,075 a tonne, after hitting a session peak at
$7,089 -- its highest since September 2008.

 Copper maintained its early upside momentum after data from the
Institute for Supply Management showed the U.S. manufacturing sector
grow in November, but at a slower rate than expected.
[ID:nN01398224]

 The ISM report was "a bit less-than-expected but overall still a
strong number when added to the previous monthly levels that were
greater than 50," said Tom Sowanick, chief investment officer with
the Omnivest Group in Princeton, New Jersey.

 "Note that the China ISM was also up last night which confirms
that we are in a global recovery," Sowanick added.

 China's manufacturing sector grew at its fastest pace in five
years, laying the foundation for solid economic expansion in 2010.

 "China will continue to provide one level of support along with
the weaker dollar," said Sterling Smith, an analyst for Country
Hedging Inc in St. Paul, Minnesota. "Those two supports working
together keeps things looking very, very strong."

 The dollar slumped against a basket of currencies as risk
appetite improved amid easing concerns about debt problems in Dubai.
A weaker dollar makes commodities cheaper for holders of other
currencies.

 Also boosting sentiment was news that the euro zone
manufacturing sector grew from the second consecutive month and at a
faster pace than expected.

 SLUGGISH FUNDAMENTALS

 Industrial metals in recent months have been boosted by flows of
money from investment funds looking for safety in hard assets such
as metals, both precious and base.

 Expectations are that further flows from pension funds seeking
diversification and hedge funds looking to boost their returns will
underpin the market.

 "Funds are perfectly capable of pushing base metals higher, with
new highs for copper and aluminum to be expected if the dollar loses
more ground," VTB Capital said in a note.

 "(But) we still favor a downside correction, as near-term
fundamentals remain sluggish and stockpiles are still rising."

 Stocks of copper in LME warehouses at around 441,000 tonnes are
up 70 percent since July and the highest since April, while stocks
of aluminum at near 4.6 million tonnes are within sight of the
record 4.629 million tonnes seen in September.

 Aluminum MAL3 touched $2,105 a tonne, the highest since Aug. 5
on buying related to activity in options, which give buyers the
right to buy or sell the three-month contract at a fixed price in
the future.

 The metal used in transport and packaging ended up $48 at $2,103
a tonne.

 Option expiry is on Wednesday. There are more than 18,400
outstanding contracts to buy -- far outweighing those to sell --
more than 460,000 tonnes of aluminum at prices between $2,000 and
$2,150 a ton.

 Stocks of nickel rose to 140,646 tonnes, the highest since
January 1995 and only about 20,000 tonnes below the record high of
151,254 set on November 25, 1994.

 Nickel MNI3 ended ended down at $16,295 from $16,400.

 Zinc MZN3 finished up $50 at $2,372 a tonne, after hitting a
session high at $2,392.75, its highest since April 2008. Lead MPB3
ended up $123 at $2,468, having earlier hit $2,470, the highest
since October 21. Tin MSN3 finished flat at $15,200.

Gold bid at $1,208.55 an ounce late in Europe, compared with $1,196.00 

quoted late in New York on Tuesday.

* Bullion hit record highs at $1,216.75 an ounce earlier in Europe as investors bet on higher prices, with funds 

lengthening positions due to expectations for a fresh leg of dollar weakness

and more central bank buying.

* Spot silver bid at $19.18 an ounce against $19.07 late in New York on Tuesday. 

Market supported by gold's gains, earlier rising to $19.41 per ounce.

* Platinum bid at $1,496.00 an ounce from $1,478.50.

* Palladium bid at $387.50 an ounce against $380.00.

ISuppli said promotional prices are 22 percent lower than before Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. ISuppli estimates 6 percent more TV sets will be sold during a seven-day period that began on Black Friday compared with the same period last year.

The average advertised Black Friday price for a 32-inch set was $369, down from $490 before Thanksgiving.

Prices for larger sets were down more modestly, about 7 percent. Manufacturers instead packed better features into the models that went on sale, such as faster refresh rates for a steadier picture, iSuppli said.

Big brands like Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and Sony Corp. offered the biggest discounts because they have had the highest regular prices, according to iSuppli analyst Tina Tseng.

ISuppli’s analysis excludes plasma TVs, another type of flat panel that’s less popular than LCD-based units.

A power outage at a Corning Inc. factory in Taiwan didn’t cause a shortage of glass for TVs as initially feared, iSuppli noted. The outage occurred in October, after manufacturers had already bought components for the sets that went on sale on Black Friday.

Winners in the state’s Waste Reduction Awards Program ranged from tech giants Hewlett-Packard Co, Intel Corp and NEC Electronics America Inc. Hewlett-Packard’s Roseville campus  now diverts 91 percent of its waste material, from recycling cardboard and paper products to reusing bubble wrap. NEC’s manufacturing plant, also in Roseville, last year diverted 82 percent of its solid waste, raising $430,625 in recycling revenue for the company.

Driven by aggressive state mandates, recycling has become a major industry in California. The sector employs 85,000 and produces $10 billion in goods and services annually, according to the waste board.

To make the list of recycling honorees, a company must demonstrate an annual improvement in its waste-reduction practices, according to Beatriz Sandoval, a spokeswoman for the Integrated Waste Management Board.

The agency has been publishing the list since 1993. Because of the breadth of industries represented, there are no set standards for qualifying, Sandoval said. Nearly every company submitting documentation to the agency wins an award.