Yes, the holidays are finally here! And with them comes the glorious opportunity to spend time with family and friends and kick back a little. I wanted to take a moment and share some thoughts on Holidays 2021.
Large Exhibitors Pull Out of CES 2022 Due to Increasing COVID Infections
BREAKING NEWS> Amazon, T-Mobile, Facebook, Twitter, & More Pull Out of CES 2022
**SEE BELOW FOR STORY UPDATE** – On Tuesday, several large exhibitors independently announced that they would be pulling out of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), scheduled to start the week-after-next in Las Vegas, NV. The reason given for these pull-outs was the rapidly spreading COVID-19 infections due to the emerging hyper-infectious Omicron variant. Major brands, such as Amazon, Meta Platforms (Facebook), T-Mobile and more said the rapidly changing COVID situation caused them to consider the safety of their teams and other attendees of CES 2022 – a major indoor event.
See more on this exodus from CES 2022…
[Read more…] about Large Exhibitors Pull Out of CES 2022 Due to Increasing COVID InfectionsHuge 6-Fold Jump in Omicron Infections in One Week; Ready for a New ‘Normal?’
Remember back in 2020 when as the stressful year unfolded, we would wistfully daydream about the day when this coronavirus pandemic would come to an end and we’d get “back to normal?” We thought that would happen, like, in 2021. Then 2021 came along and the deadly Delta variant of COVID-19 emerged. “Normal” had eluded us once again.
Enter Omicron which looks to complicate 2022. I think it’s time to forget about getting back to what used to be normal and make sure you and your company are ready for a new “normal”…
See more on Omicron and a new ‘normal’
[Read more…] about Huge 6-Fold Jump in Omicron Infections in One Week; Ready for a New ‘Normal?’Amazon Music Unlimited Now Available on AURALiC Streaming Models
Specialty audio maker AURALiC, Inc. announced today that it has partnered with Amazon to offer Amazon Music Unlimited on all streaming products. A dramatic announcement that brings literally millions of songs to AURALiC end users.
Learn more about Amazon Music Unlimited and AURALiC
[Read more…] about Amazon Music Unlimited Now Available on AURALiC Streaming ModelsToday in Malaysia, Intel CEO Warns Chip Shortage Will Last to 2023
Speaking at a press conference in Malaysia today, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said that the global chip shortage will last until 2023. Gelsinger pointed to the fact that demand keeps expanding, even as the industry struggles to bring more production online to fill the demand.
See more on how Intel sees supply chain issues continuing
[Read more…] about Today in Malaysia, Intel CEO Warns Chip Shortage Will Last to 2023November Residential Housing Starts at Highest Level in Eight Months
In a new report on residential housing construction by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, overall housing starts in the month of November snapped a three-month slide and took their biggest jump since March of this year. Both the overall construction starts and those for single-family dwellings had their best month in the last eight months. This was a surprise…
See more on the surprising housing starts numbers
[Read more…] about November Residential Housing Starts at Highest Level in Eight MonthsRed Alert for Multiplex Owners, Almost Half of all Moviegoers are Gone
And Many of Them are Gone for Good
Market researchers are sounding the alarm as new research indicates that almost half of all moviegoers are no longer buying tickets to see movies at the theater. They say theater owners must “‘urgently’ rethink the experience.”
Where have all the movie fans gone? Read on to find out…
[Read more…] about Red Alert for Multiplex Owners, Almost Half of all Moviegoers are GonePart 2 of Strata-gee Interview with New Crestron CEO Dan Feldstein
Supply Chain, CEO Role, Going Public, a Better Partner
Last week I wrote about my opportunity to attend the inaugural Creston Next Road Trip in Boston in November. One of the most interesting parts of that experience was having the opportunity to interview new Crestron CEO Dan Feldstein. Crestron, one of the biggest players in the custom integration game, was founded by Dan’s father, George Feldstein (who passed away in 2014) and I was interested in learning more about how the new CEO saw the world and his top priorities and opportunities for the company.
In this Part 2 of that interview, we learn how the company is dealing with the industry-bedeviling supply chain issues, why it will never go public, how Dan views the CEO’s role, and how the company seeks to be a better business partner.
See Part 2 of my interview with Crestron CEO Dan Feldstein
[Read more…] about Part 2 of Strata-gee Interview with New Crestron CEO Dan FeldsteinCrestron – The Next Generation: My Interview with New CEO Dan Feldstein
How He Came to be CEO and Where He’ll Pursue Growth
Last month I had the opportunity to attend the first-ever Crestron Next Road Trip event held in Boston, MA. The company is using the Road Trip as a replacement for the lost CEDIA Expo 2021 where they and around 150-200 other companies pulled out in the face of rising COVID infections. It is designed to offer integrators an opportunity to view its many new recently introduced products, take a variety of training courses, and get a preview of some future technology.
But most importantly for me, I was granted an opportunity for an unrestricted interview with Crestron’s new CEO, Dan Feldstein. The interview was originally scheduled for 30-minutes but actually ended up lasting more than an hour and a half, as our vigorous conversation covered a lot of ground – including big topics, such as how Feldstein came to be the company’s new CEO, and what market areas he believes offer the greatest growth opportunity for the company.
See my interview with Dan Feldstein, Crestron CEO…
[Read more…] about Crestron – The Next Generation: My Interview with New CEO Dan FeldsteinWhat Amenities Do Million Dollar Home Buyers Desire? ‘Wellness’ Tops the List
‘Wellness’ is Most Requested Amenity by Luxury Buyers
In a recent interview in a business newsletter, James Harris of the reality TV show Million Dollar Listing chatted about the latest trends in the luxury home market. The interview offered some interesting insights on the most desired amenities by today’s luxury home buyer, aka the primary target client for most custom integrators. Of the long list of available options, wellness is said to top the list as today’s most desired amenity.