Week in review: 3-D TVs, PCs and ATMs

Last weekend’s East Coast windstorm interrupted my plans to post a week-in-review piece, so this column includes two weeks of articles.
Panasonic started selling the first high-definition 3-D-ready televisions last week. They’re 3-D “ready” because there is no 3-D content yet to watch on the sets.
Video game companies GameStop and KongZhong and PC seller Systemax reported quarterly earnings.
I also had the opportunity to chat with Donald Wetzel of Dallas – the inventor of the automated teller machine.
The following is a roundup of my stories from Investor’s Business Daily at Investors.com and Click, IBD’s Tech Blog.

National Day of Unplugging? No way after power outages from “Treemageddon” windstorm in N.Y., N.J. and Conn. last weekend. (March 19, 2010)

Video game retailer GameStop gaining market share as industry sales decline. (March 18, 2010)

KongZhong CEO says Kong is “well positioned” to be one of the leading Chinese video game companies. Chinese wireless entertainment firm up 23% Wednesday on strong earnings and guidance. (March 17, 2010)

U.S. retail video game sales down 15% in February. Microsoft and Take-Two are standouts in lackluster month. (March 11, 2010)

Once a top PC brand, Compaq now a rounding error in consumer preference survey. (March 10, 2010)

Meet the inventor of the automated teller machine: Donald Wetzel (March 9, 2010)

PC seller Systemax beats views, gets an assist from resurrected brands CompUSA, Circuit City. (March 8, 2010)

Just a year ago, OLED TVs were the hot thing. Now, it’s 3-D TVs. (March 8, 2010)

500 channels and nothing on in 3-D. Panasonic and Best Buy team to offer 3-D TV to consumers starting Wed. March 10. Panasonic 3-D TVs must be “future proof” because there’s no 3-D content available yet. (March 8, 2010)

Photo: Art from KongZhong’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game “Loong.”

Week in review: Apple iPad launch date set

The media hype surrounding Apple’s iPad tablet computer is growing again now that the company has set April 3 as the U.S. launch date for the product.
I contributed to the hype with stories and blog posts this week. Sorry.
The following is a roundup of my stories from Investor’s Business Daily at Investors.com and Click, IBD’s Tech Blog.

Apple stock hits new high on iPad launch date news. (March 5, 2010)

Ancestry.com looks to benefit from link to NBC genealogy show “Who Do You Think You Are?” (March 4, 2010)

Apple's iPad poised to dominate the e-book reader market and topple Amazon.com’s Kindle, according to survey by ChangeWave Research. (March 4, 2010)

Consumers don’t care what tech pundits think; They still want to buy Apple's iPad. (March 4, 2010)

How is Apple’s iPad like a platypus? Great quote from analyst. (March 4, 2010)

PC sales outlook improving. Mobile PCs could account for 70% of sales in 2012, up from 55% in 2009. (March 4, 2010)

Survey: Initial demand for Apple's iPad outpacing that of the iPhone before its launch three years ago. (March 4, 2010)

Apple takes legal aim at HTC, with Google in the crosshairs. (March 3, 2010)

Video game design schools flourishing thanks to rise of independent developers. Microsoft is nurturing independent developers for Xbox Live. (March 2, 2010)

Electronic Arts’ marketing for “Dante’s Inferno” video game covers all nine circles of hell. EA could use a hit. (March 1, 2010)