Now that CES is a week behind us and I’ve had some time to put my thoughts together and recover from the dreaded CES flu, I’ll be writing a few blog posts on three big CE products/trends that garnered considerable attention during the show:

1. Connected Cars
2. eReaders
3. 3D-TVs

 I’ll start with a short post on connected cars, as this is really the first year where they received standout coverage: Over 380 in-vehicle technology exhibitors graced CES’ floors this year, Ford CEO Alan Mulally delivered a keynote, and a CEA press release issued before the show claimed that sales of in-vehicle technology topped $9.3 billion in 2009. Yes, you heard correctly, $9.3 billion.

A number of players will profit when more technology finds its way into our cars. Some statistics presented during the show highlight just how much network operators, automotive companies and legislators stand to win. Take a look:

• Network Operators: Demand for voice and data carriage in connected cars will open up a new market for network operators. On average, over 26 million hands-free calling minutes are purchased each month by OnStar subscribers. Alcatel-Lucent’s ngConnect Program prototype also demonstrated what LTE data plans will do for in-car streaming media.
• Automotive Companies: In-vehicle technologies are driving automobile purchases more than many analysts had anticipated. 32% of Ford buyers indicated that Sync was critical or important in their purchase decision when buying a car. What’s more, 70% of customers who participated in Sync demos across the country indicated that they are more likely to buy a Ford vehicle.
• Legislators: Legislators concerned with driver safety will be pleased with some statistics from Nuance, a speech recognition solution provider. Analysis of driver eye movements shows us that drivers keep their eyes on the road 200 to 300 percent more when using speech rather than manual input for tasks like music selection.

Given the diverse set of players in this emerging market, Yankee Group is including a number of questions on connected cars in its updated Consumer Survey. As data begins to come in, expect to see a publication on the subject in the near future.

Not surprisingly, newspapers this morning were peppered with Black Friday statistics. While most are disappointing to those who were hoping for greater consumer spending, some figures on mobile retailing over the three-day Black Friday weekend are sure to raise a few eyebrows:

• Mobile Payments are More Popular: The WSJ reports that the number of mobile online payments made through Paypal on Black Friday is 650% higher than it was last year. 

• Mobile Product Search has Grown: Siva Kumar, the chief executive of TheFind.com (a product search engine), has stated that the number of searches on mobile devices on Black Friday grew from 5,000 last year to 200,000 this year. 

• Price Comparison Shopping Apps are More Popular: ShopSaavy, a comparison-shopping application for the iPhone, has reported that 1 million users scanned at least one product with the App’s barcode scanner over the three-day Black Friday weekend.

Why are mobile devices generating such heavy usage this holiday season? Data from YG’s Consumer survey indicates that the holiday shopper of 2009 will not only be far more price sensitive than his 2008 predecessor, but will also increasingly rely on sales and price comparison tools when he does decide to spend his hard earned dollar.

The Smartphone, with its instant access to pricing and product review information, is emerging as the tool of choice for any holiday shopper looking to curb their spending. If you’re a retailer and you’re not scrambling to develop or improve your Smartphone App for the rest of the holiday season, two recent YG reports on holiday shopping are required reading:

Connectivity Creates Wiser Holiday Gifts for 2009 and Beyond and ‘Tis the Season: Mobile Retailing Will Transform 2009 Holiday Shopping will provide plenty of insight into both mobile retailing and holiday shopping.

Happy Cyber Monday!