28/12/2021, 17:15 Consumer electronics - Wikipedia

Consumer electronics
Consumer electronics or home electronics are electronic (analog or digital) equipment
intended for everyday use, typically in private homes. Consumer electronics include devices used
for entertainment, communications and recreation. Usually referred to as black goods due to
many products being housed in black or dark casings. This term is used to distinguish them from
"white goods" which are meant for housekeeping tasks, such as washing machines and
refrigerators, although nowadays, these would be considered black goods, some of these being
connected to the Internet.[1][2] In British English, they are often called brown goods by
producers and sellers.[3][n 1] In the 2010s, this distinction is absent in large big box consumer
electronics stores, which sell both entertainment, communication, and A home
washingofficemachine
devices andis a A crowd of shoppers in the
kitchen appliances such as refrigerators. home appliance used to wash flatscreen TV section of the big
laundry. The term is mostly box consumer electronics store
Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the
applied to machines that use Best Buy
broadcast receiver. Later products included telephones, televisions, and calculators, then audio
water as opposed to dry
and video recorders and players, game consoles, mobile phones, personal computers
cleaning or and MP3
ultrasonic
players. In the 2010s, consumer electronics stores often sell GPS, automotive
cleaners. The user (car
electronics adds
stereos), video game consoles, electronic musical instruments (e.g., synthesizer
laundry keyboards),
detergent, which is
karaoke machines, digital cameras, and video players (VCRs in the 1980s and 1990s, followed by
sold in liquid or powder form,
DVD players and Blu-ray players). Stores also sell smart appliances, digital cameras, camcorders,
h h
cell phones, and smartphones. Some of the newer products sold include virtual reality head-
mounted display goggles, smart home devices that connect home devices to the Internet and
wearable technology.

In the 2010s, most consumer electronics have become based on digital technologies, and have
A Radio Shack consumer
largely merged with the computer industry in what is increasingly referred to as the
electronics store in a mall
consumerization of information technology. Some consumer electronics stores, have also begun
selling office and baby furniture. Consumer electronics stores may be "brick and mortar" physical
retail stores, online stores, or combinations of both.

Annual consumer electronics sales are expected to reach $2.9 trillion by 2020.[5] It is part of the wider electronics industry. In turn,
the driving force behind the electronics industry is the semiconductor industry.[6] The basic building block of modern electronics is
the MOSFET (metal-oxide-silicon field-effect transistor, or MOS transistor),[7][8] the scaling and miniaturization of which has been
the primary factor behind the rapid exponential growth of electronic technology since the 1960s.[9]

Contents
History
Products
Trends
Industries
Manufacturing
Electronic component
Software development
Standardization
Trade shows
IEEE initiatives
Retailing
Service and repair
Mobile phone industry
By country
Environmental impact
Rare metals and rare earth elements
Energy consumption
Standby power
Electronic waste
Health impact
See also
References
Notes
Further reading

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While consumer electronics continues in its trend of convergence, combining elements of many
products, consumers face different decisions when purchasing. There is an ever-increasing need
to keep product information updated and comparable, for the consumer to make an informed
choice. Style, price, specification, and performance are all relevant. There is a gradual shift
towards e-commerce web-storefronts.

Many products include Internet connectivity using technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
EDGE, or Ethernet. Products not traditionally associated with computer use (such as TVs or Hi-
Fi equipment) now provide options to connect to the Internet or to a computer using a home
network to provide access to digital content. The desire for high-definition (HD) content has led A modern flat panel, HDTV
the industry to develop a number of technologies, such as WirelessHD or ITU-T G.hn, which are television set
optimized for distribution of HD content between consumer electronic devices in a home.

Industries
The electronics industry, especially meaning consumer electronics, emerged in the 20th century and has now become a global
industry worth billions of dollars. Contemporary society uses all manner of electronic devices built in automated or semi-automated
factories operated by the industry.

Manufacturing

Most consumer electronics are built in China, due to maintenance cost, availability of materials,
quality, and speed as opposed to other countries such as the United States.[34] Cities such as
Shenzhen have become important production centres for the industry, attracting many
consumer electronics companies such as Apple Inc.[35]

Electronic component

An electronic component is any basic discrete device or physical entity in an electronic system
used to affect electrons or their associated fields. Electronic components are mostly industrial
Gramophone factory in Hannover-
products, available in a singular form and are not to be confused with electrical elements, which
Nordstadt
are conceptual abstractions representing idealized electronic components.

Software development

Consumer electronics such as personal computers use various types of software. Embedded software is used within some consumer
electronics, such as mobile phones.[36] This type of software may be embedded within the hardware of electronic devices.[37] Some
consumer electronics include software that is used on a personal computer in conjunction with electronic devices, such as
camcorders and digital cameras, and third-party software for such devices also exists.

Standardization

Some consumer electronics adhere to protocols, such as connection protocols "to high speed bi-directional signals".[38] In
telecommunications, a communications protocol is a system of digital rules for data exchange within or between computers.

Trade shows

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) trade show has taken place yearly in Las Vegas, Nevada since its foundation in 1973. The
event, which grew from having 100 exhibitors in its inaugural year to more than 4,500 exhibiting companies in its 2020 edition,
features the latest in consumer electronics, speeches by industry experts and innovation awards.[39]

The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) trade show has taken place Berlin, Germany since its foundation in 1924. The
event features new consumer electronics and speeches by industry pioneers.

IEEE initiatives

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest professional society, has many initiatives to advance the
state of the art of consumer electronics. IEEE has a dedicated society of thousands of professionals to promote CE, called the
Consumer Electronics Society (CESoc).[40] IEEE has multiple periodicals and international conferences to promote CE and
encourage collaborative research and development in CE. The flagship conference of CESoc, called IEEE International Conference
on Consumer Electronics (ICCE), is on its 35th year.

IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics[41]

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine[42]
IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE)[43]

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Standby power

Standby power – used by consumer electronics and appliances while they are turned off – accounts for 5–10% of total household
energy consumption, costing $100 annually to the average household in the United States.[54] A study by United States Department
of Energy's Berkeley Lab found that a videocassette recorders (VCRs) consume more electricity during the course of a year in
standby mode than when they are used to record or playback videos. Similar findings were obtained concerning satellite boxes,
which consume almost the same amount of energy in "on" and "off" modes.[55]

A 2012 study in the United Kingdom, carried out by the Energy Saving Trust, found that the devices using the most power on
standby mode included televisions, satellite boxes and other video and audio equipment. The study concluded that UK households
could save up to £86 per year by switching devices off instead of using standby mode.[56] A report from the International Energy
Agency in 2014 found that $80 billion of power is wasted globally per year due to inefficiency of electronic devices.[57] Consumers
can reduce unwanted use of standby power by unplugging their devices, using power strips with switches, or by buying devices that
are standardized for better energy management, particularly Energy Star marked products.[54]

Electronic waste

A high number of different metals and low concentration rates in electronics means that recycling is
limited and energy intensive.[51] Electronic waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices.
Many consumer electronics may contain toxic minerals and elements,[58] and many electronic scrap
components, such as CRTs, may contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury,
dioxins, or brominated flame retardants. Electronic waste recycling may involve significant risk to
workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling
operations and leaking of materials such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes.
However, large amounts of the produced electronic waste from developed countries is exported, and
handled by the informal sector in countries like India, despite the fact that exporting electronic waste
to them is illegal. Strong informal sector can be a problem for the safe and clean recycling.[59]

Reuse and repair

Electronic waste: discarded
E-waste policy has gone through various incarnations since the 1970s, with emphases changing as the electronic equipment
decades passed. More weight was gradually placed on the need to dispose of e-waste more carefully due
to the toxic materials it may contain. There has also been recognition that various valuable metals and
plastics from waste electrical equipment can be recycled for other uses. More recently the desirability of reusing whole appliances
has been foregrounded in the 'preparation for reuse' guidelines. The policy focus is slowly moving towards a potential shift in
attitudes to reuse and repair.

With turnover of small household appliances high and costs relatively low, many consumers will throw unwanted electric goods in
the normal dustbin, meaning that items of potentially high reuse or recycling value go to landfills. While larger items such as
washing machines are usually collected, it has been estimated that the 160,000 tonnes of EEE in regular waste collections was
worth £220 million. And 23% of EEE taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres was immediately resaleable – or would be with
minor repairs or refurbishment. This indicates a lack of awareness among consumers as to where and how to dispose of EEE, and of
the potential value of things that are literally going in the bin.

For reuse and repair of electrical goods to increase substantially in the UK there are barriers that must be overcome. These include
people's mistrust of used equipment in terms of whether it will be functional, safe, and the stigma for some of owning second-hand
goods. But the benefits of reuse could allow lower income households access to previously unaffordable technology whilst helping
the environment at the same time.<Cole, C., Cooper, T. and Gnanapragasam, A., 2016. Extending product lifetimes through WEEE
reuse and repair: opportunities and challenges in the UK. In: Electronics Goes Green 2016+ Conference, Berlin, Germany, 7–9
September 2016>

Health impact
Desktop monitors and laptops produce major physical health concerns for humans when bodies are forced into positions that are
unhealthy and uncomfortable in order to see the screen better. From this, neck and back pains and problems increase, commonly
referred to as repetitive strain injuries. Using electronics before going to bed makes it difficult for people to fall asleep, which has a
negative effect on human health. Sleeping less prevents people from performing to their full potential physically and mentally and
can also "increase rates of obesity and diabetes," which are "long-term health consequences".[60] Obesity and diabetes are more
commonly seen in students and in youth because they tend to be the ones using electronics the most. "People who frequently use
their thumbs to type text messages on cell phones can develop a painful affliction called De Quervain syndrome that affects their
tendons on their hands. The best known disease in this category is called carpal tunnel syndrome, which results from pressure on
the median nerve in the wrist".[60]

See also
Digital electronics
Electronics industry
List of home appliances
Product teardown

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Kevin Sintumuang (2 January 2015). "Tech Etiquette: 21 Do's and Don'ts" (https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-etiquette-21-dos-a
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