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Pioneer Pulls Out of AV

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BREAKING NEWS

Pioneer LogoIn yet another sign of dramatic changes afoot that will literally change the face of the TECH industry for years to come – news comes out of Japan that Pioneer Corp. is planning to exit the AV business by selling off its entire AV division. This news follows a similar decision made by JVC Kenwood earlier this year to pull out of consumer electronics to focus on more commercial business.

Pioneer is said to be in active negotiations with Funai Electric, a large OEM manufacturer who recently took over Philips video business, as well as other potential suitors.

Does this deal make sense? Or has the AV world gone crazy?… [Read more…] about Pioneer Pulls Out of AV

Alpine to be First to Market with Apple’s CarPlay Console System

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Alpine logoAlpine Electronics will be the first of ultimately several companies to offer a in-car infotainment system based on Apple’s CarPlay system according to a report late last week by the Nikkei. Alpine’s system, which will likely be replicated by others, allows drivers to listen to music, view maps, as well as access other iPhone capabilities.

See more on this new Alpine/CarPlay system that is coming soon… [Read more…] about Alpine to be First to Market with Apple’s CarPlay Console System

Streaming Music is Even More Popular Than You Think

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Spotify home pageJust about every dealer and integrator (and manufacturer, for that matter) is acutely aware of how popular streaming music is with their clients/customers. Now, new industry statistics, reported on by market researcher eMarketer, provides a dramatic indicator of just how popular streaming music has become. And it is likely much more popular than you could imagine.

Just how popular are streaming music services? See below for some dramatic numbers… [Read more…] about Streaming Music is Even More Popular Than You Think

Deconstructing D&M Holdings; Company Sells Calrec Audio and Explores Other Options

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Former CEO Pacor Comments on Brand Acquisition Strategy

D+M Group logoWe learned last week that D&M Holdings, also known as the D+M Group, sold off its Calrec Audio brand to Electra Partners, a London-based private equity company. D&M received £14 million ($23.1 million) for Calrec, a designer of premium audio products and live-to-air consoles for the broadcast market. The move is part of a plan to divest itself of all non-core businesses, CEO Jim Caudill has said in press reports.

See more on the company’s aggressive strategy to unload non-core businesses… [Read more…] about Deconstructing D&M Holdings; Company Sells Calrec Audio and Explores Other Options

Yamaha Updates Popular RX-V Line of A/V Receivers Adding Wireless & Streaming Services

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Photo of Yamaha RX-V777BTYamaha Corporation of America announced this week that it has updated its well-regarded RX-V line of A/V receivers adding several new and popular features such as new wireless capability, a new surround capability, and new streaming services. Included in this update are the 7.2-channel RX-V777BT, RX-V677, RX-V577…as well as the 5.1-channel RX-V477. The company notes that these models embody a rare combination of sound quality, convenience, and accessibility.

See more on this significant update to an already popular line of products from Yamaha… [Read more…] about Yamaha Updates Popular RX-V Line of A/V Receivers Adding Wireless & Streaming Services

What Happened When the Largest LCD Display Company in Japan Went Public? ‘A Disaster’

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JDI logoJapan Display, Inc., the largest manufacturer of LCD displays for smartphones and tablets in Japan, launched their initial public offering (IPO) on Wednesday this week amid great anticipation. It was a big listing – with a total value of $3.2 billion, it was the biggest IPO since Suntory’s food-and-beverage unit raised $3.9 billion in 2013.

So how did Day 1 of their stock offering go? ‘A disaster, no doubt…” [Read more…] about What Happened When the Largest LCD Display Company in Japan Went Public? ‘A Disaster’

Niche Speaker Manufacturer Cabasse Appoints Integra as U.S. Distributor

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Integra_Black_HighRes2In a brief announcement today, Cabasse – a French loudspeaker manufacturer with a small niche following here in the U.S. – announced that it has appointed electronics brand Integra as its “exclusive” distributor for the United States. This new relationship takes effect retroactively to March 1, 2014.

See more on this announcement which some industry observers found strange… [Read more…] about Niche Speaker Manufacturer Cabasse Appoints Integra as U.S. Distributor

CES 2014 – The Year of the…? (Insert Your Favorite Gadget Here)

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Photo of CEA/CES logoWhen I was little, I came home from school one day, excited to tell my mother about all my new friends. One-by-one, I named each of them, calling each one “my best friend.” When I finished, I’ll never forget what she said. “If they’re ALL your best friend, then you don’t have a BEST friend.”

The Consumer Electronics industry over the last few years and continuing into this year – has fallen into a troubling state of highly fragmented technology trends. It is in this environment – the absence of any clearly defined, overall technology trend – Gary Shapiro and the CEA try to field their annual technology exposition known as the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

So what was the big tech innovation at CES?…Well, it’s complicated… [Read more…] about CES 2014 – The Year of the…? (Insert Your Favorite Gadget Here)

At CES: Samsung Shifts Emphasis from Smart TVs to Smart Home

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Photo of Samsung's Curved TV UnveilingSamsung’s press day conference was the most unusual we’ve seen with everything from a product that caused an audible gasp of amazement from the crowd…to one of their celebrity presenters running from the stage in mid-presentation. But we believe we detected a subtle but significant shift with their TV business being less prominent and more in balance with the company’s other products such as their appliance, computer, and mobile businesses.

See more on our initial impressions of Samsung below… [Read more…] about At CES: Samsung Shifts Emphasis from Smart TVs to Smart Home

CES Opens to Press and Already…A Couple of Surprises

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Photo of CEA/CES logoPress Day at CES is – to put it mildly – a bit of a grind. A seemingly never-ending series of scheduled press presentations that are scheduled one hour apart so the press can run from one supposedly 45-minute (of course they all run long) event to the next. The hallways often look more like a mosh pit as reporters, bloggers, and editors push, shove, and elbow their way to the next presentation hoping to get a seat close enough that the presenters don’t look like ants.

It’s easy to become jaded, as one sits through slickly produced, Hollywood-style presentation after another. Rarely, do we get surprised.

But this time…we got a couple of surprises… [Read more…] about CES Opens to Press and Already…A Couple of Surprises