There are plenty of whispers of Google planning their own "Nexus" tablet for later this year when the Ice Cream Sandwich variety of Android is ready to go, but the consumer ease-of-use that Amazon can offer will likely trump anything Google puts out there.
Companies that had focused mainly on improving the technical quality of their products have started to notice that, for many consumers, "ease of use, continuous availability and low price" are more important.
As French consumers ease back on spending, that could hurt both euro-area manufacturers and the overall (already ailing) economy.
"I'm not suggesting that our industry can't be trusted, but we want to put the consumer at ease," said Mr. Crum.
The rapid advancement of the technology for making industry products contributes consumer the ease of making a suitable choice and own desirable tastes.
They said Japanese companies risk becoming too obsessed with sophisticated engineering, to the point that they overlook points that appeal to consumers, like ease of use and design.
Indeed, many economists are counting on the federal spending and on various small windfalls for consumers to ease the recession in the months ahead.
The jump in business investment reinforced expectations that capital spending would lead the economy higher this year even as consumer spending eases from last year's tax-cut-fueled surge.
The economy continued to show little sign of inflation as consumer prices eased marginally in September, while consumers provided a glimmer of hope for the retail sector, government reports said on Friday.
Peter Bolton King, global residential director at RICS, said the housing market was "starting to thrive once more" – amid rising consumer confidence, easing credit conditions and lack of supply – with mixed implications.
