New research results released this week on the smart home market were wildly bullish on the recent impressive growth of the segment, as well as the continuing prospects for growth in the future. The survey, sponsored by PlumChoice, Inc (a technical services provider for IoT and cloud brands) and the Z-Wave Alliance (a consortium of companies promoting Z-Wave wireless technologies), offers a deeper view of the market’s momentum with some surprisingly positive results.
Lawsuit: Bose is Spying on You and Selling Your Personal Info
A lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court in Northern Illinois against Bose Corp. alleging that the popular brand is spying on consumers, collecting personal usage data, and selling or otherwise using this data for profit. All of this, the suit claims, is done in violation of various Federal and State privacy laws and with no warning or notification to the consumer.
See more on this lawsuit against Bose… [Read more…] about Lawsuit: Bose is Spying on You and Selling Your Personal Info
In International Expansion, James Loudspeaker Appoints UK Dist.
James Loudspeaker announced today that it has appointed Pulse Cinemas as its distributor for both the U.K. and Ireland. A custom installation and home cinema specialist, Pulse’s team of twelve professionals spread out to service the region’s A/V dealers and custom integrators.
See more on this international expansion by James Loudspeaker… [Read more…] about In International Expansion, James Loudspeaker Appoints UK Dist.
THX Joins Streaming Video Alliance
THX announced this week that it has joined the Streaming Video Alliance, an organzation that addresses ongoing video streaming issues through the development of best practices. THX says it is “uniquely qualified to make significant contributions to the Alliance.”
See more on THX and the Streaming Video Alliance… [Read more…] about THX Joins Streaming Video Alliance
Toshiba Announces ‘Substantial Doubt’ on Ability to Continue
An Industry Giant Stumbles, Then Falls; Can It Get Back Up?
Toshiba, once the embodiement of Japanese industrial might offering everything from rice cookers to nuclear reactors, has released financial results for the first three quarters of the current fiscal year and it’s not good. For the first time in the over-century old company’s history, the results announcement warned of doubts about the company’s ability to continue as a “going concern.” And that wasn’t the only bad news included in the report.
See the stunning news about Toshiba’s dire circumstances… [Read more…] about Toshiba Announces ‘Substantial Doubt’ on Ability to Continue
As We Suspected, The Deal is Off Between LeEco & Vizio
Less than a week after we questioned whether Chinese manufacturer LeEco would be able to actually complete its proposed $2 billion acquisition of Vizio, we received a note from a Vizio-connected official, saying that “the merger agreement to acquire Vizio will not proceed…” Given our report last week, this shouldn’t be a big surprise to Strata-gee readers…and it certainly was not to us.
But where do things between LeEco and Vizio go from here? Read on… [Read more…] about As We Suspected, The Deal is Off Between LeEco & Vizio
Emerging Trend: UHD over IP Video Distribution
When it comes to sophisticated AV system installations, integrators have been forced to choose from a panoply of incompatible, proprietary matrix systems from a group of control manufacturers. These systems are complex and require specific programming protocols unique to them.
Then, at this year’s ISE, everything changed…
See how UHD over IP is rapidly emerging as the new standard in CI video distribution… [Read more…] about Emerging Trend: UHD over IP Video Distribution
Five Practices of Effective Leaders
Perhaps the greatest issue that many of us face in our career is the challenge of leading people. People are complex. People are multi-dimensional. Each person is unique and requires a different type and amount of interaction and support. But as the current issue of Sales and Marketing Magazine notes, if you are a manager – a leader – then you need to “Lead or Get Out of the Way.”
See the five key practices of effective leaders… [Read more…] about Five Practices of Effective Leaders
And You Thought Samsung Bought Harman for Car Audio
Will Use Harman Audio Tech as Smartphone Differentiator
In November 2016, we learned that Samsung had acquired Harman International Industries in a deal valued at $8 billion. At that time, everyone pretty much assumed the deal was all about automotive audio – and area that inside-Samsung sources had identified as a market the company sought to penetrate. Now we learn that it wasn’t just about cars.
See a newly emerging strategy that Samsung plans to use Harman for… [Read more…] about And You Thought Samsung Bought Harman for Car Audio
LeEco Just Missed Its Payroll, Can It Still Buy Vizio?
Bloomberg is reporting that Chinese mega brand LeEco missed its normal payroll at the end of March, telling employees it would pay them a few days later. While this is a situation that is not unfamiliar to many small business owners, LeEco is anything but your typical small business owner. They are supposedly in the final stages of a $2 billion acquisition of major TV brand Vizio.
But if LeEco can’t make their own payroll…how can they still buy Vizio?
