Tech indicators that could point to a coming recession

As a follow-on to the last post I made about how open source could be affected by a recession (a post which has received some excellent comments so far), I got a number of emails and comments from readers regarding the tech indicators might we see that consumer confidence is low and that we're on the brink or a recession. 

First off I feel the need to say that I'm not an economist.  Taking such advice from me is a bit like going to your doctor and asking for help with your fuel injection system.  But nonetheless, I do feel that the tech industry is a good place to watch out for signs that consumer spending is on the decline, and thus that people are tightening their purse strings.

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Here's one company to keep an eye on - Apple.  No one really needs an iPod and if Apple starts to report a decline in sales, that could be a sign that people are worried about their where their next pay check is coming from or how far it might go.  Also, keep an eye on Macs and Mac OS X sales.  These have been on the up for quite some time now and so any change in this upward trend could be significant.

Another indicator is the games industry because again because it's something people can live without.  While games and game console sales are volatile, a sudden drop off in sales (especially of Nintendo, which has been performing strong) could be a warning sign.

A few other things spring to mind that could act as indicators.  First is a decline in HD-related purchases (HD TVs, HD DVD/Blu-ray players, and even discs).  Interest in HD isn't that strong as it is but there's enough sales data to see a decline if it happens.  Another indicator might be a slowing down of PC sales. 

Again, I just want to point out that I'm not saying that a recession is coming.  I tend to believe that while Starbucks coffee shops around the country are still full of people willing to pay over the odds for a caffeine hit, the economy is still pretty strong.

Thoughts?