Last week Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) announced a new CFO to replace current CFO Mike Giannetto, whose retirement was unexpectedly announced almost as an afterthought in a February report of Q1 fiscal results. Late in the text associated with those results, CEO Patrick Spence, in an almost casual fashion, thanked Ginnetto for his service and told investors the CFO was retiring…a total surprise to the market. Sonos stock dropped double digits…and dropped even though the company had reported a record first quarter. (Read my report to see troubling signs within the ‘record’ Sonos quarterly report…)
Brands
Tech Hit Hard in Latest Reputation Index Survey
Privacy Backlash Hits Google, Amazon & Facebook; What About LG, Samsung, Sony?
In a new survey by Reputation Institute on corporate reputation, known as the 2019 RepTrak 100, we see wild swings in tech brands’ reputation with consumer privacy concerns finally appearing to take a major toll. With an overall all-category average reputation rating increase of +0.8 points, technology as a segment saw its collective reputation drop by 1 full point on the scale.
But the news wasn’t all bad – movie king Netflix, Inc. jumped 23 spots to come in at #1 for the first time in their history.
Read on to see how your favorite tech brand fared…
[Read more…] about Tech Hit Hard in Latest Reputation Index SurveyTech IPOs: Lyft, Uber, Pinterest… ComoAudio? Well, Sort Of…
Como Audio, Tom DeVesto’s latest innovative venture and maker of fine streaming smart speaker systems, has launched a funding campaign on Wefunder, seeking to raise between $100,000 to $1,000,000 in equity investment. Investors on the Wefunder site can buy preferred shares of Como Audio stock priced at $2.50/share and own a piece of the company.
You too can become a Como Audio owner…
[Read more…] about Tech IPOs: Lyft, Uber, Pinterest… ComoAudio? Well, Sort Of…HiberSense Hires Channel Sales Manager
HiberSense, an emerging provider of smart residential and commercial climate solutions, announced this week that it has hired Chris Lawson as their new Channel Sales Manager for the US. Lawson will represent the line to residential and commercial integrators as well as HVAC contractors anywhere in the nation.
See more on HiberSense’s new sales manager…
[Read more…] about HiberSense Hires Channel Sales ManagerControl4 Designates New Class of Pinnacle Dealers
Control4 has recognized a new class of 67 dealers whose level of business with the brand has earned them the designation as a Pinnacle status partner. Pinnacle status, Control4 says, is a lifetime achievement that indicates their importance as a highly supportive partner.
See who made the grade as a Control4 Pinnacle dealer…
[Read more…] about Control4 Designates New Class of Pinnacle DealersFirst Time Ever: Asia Files Majority of Global Patents
Huawei Files the Most Individual Patents
Global competition continues to heat up and nowhere is that more obvious than a recent analysis from the World Intellectual Property Organization noting that in 2018 – for the first time in human history – the region of Asia filed the majority of all international patent applications. This new reality suggests that Asia is “rapidly increasing their presence in global innovation,” the report says.
And which company in particular was tops in the world for innovation? WIPO says it was Huawei Technologies, who filed the most patents from a single company in the world.
See more on change in global innovation…
[Read more…] about First Time Ever: Asia Files Majority of Global PatentsShocking Results for Tech in New Brand Reputation Poll
A newly created poll by Axios and The Harris Poll reveals what Americans think of the reputation of the top 100 most visible companies in the U.S. Tech, as you might imagine, was well represented here, and this poll bared a difficult truth for many tech companies…their reputation is crashing.
See the surprising pluses & minuses for Tech companies…
[Read more…] about Shocking Results for Tech in New Brand Reputation PollFamily Members are at Your Door…Or Are They?
Imagine this, you leave work early to grab a quick bite of lunch and get home before your sister, niece, and nephew arrive for a family visit. At lunch, you get a notification from your Ring Doorbell app and see that they’ve arrived early. No problem, thanks to Ring, you can let them in and head out to meet them there.
But is it really your family? Or is it a hacker who has figured out how to hack your Ring Doorbell and is now in your home, emptying it of all of its valuables?
New Ring Doorbell vulnerability discovered…
[Read more…] about Family Members are at Your Door…Or Are They?‘Coming Soon’ – B&W to Launch New ‘Formation’ Wireless Receivers & System
We learned today that Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) is close to launching a new series of products that appear to be under the “Formation” brand or series name. This news broke when MacRumors, a fan blog for aficionados of Apples McIntosh products, noticed a listing on Apple’s online list of sanctioned HomeKit and AirPlay accessories. They dug deeper…
See what MacRumors learned about B&W…
[Read more…] about ‘Coming Soon’ – B&W to Launch New ‘Formation’ Wireless Receivers & SystemOops! Google Doesn’t Mention Nest Secure Has a Microphone Built-In
Eyebrows raised everywhere when privacy-concerned industry watchers discovered that Google had put a microphone in their Nest Secure home alarm system, but failed to disclose that fact. Google says is was simply an “error.” But was it?