Strategy in TECH...
This week we learned that the Sonos, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO) plans to launch a new product into a new “multibillion-dollar” product category – strongly rumored to be headphones – has hit a snag, despite its best efforts. Company management has been enthusiastically talking up this diversification into an entirely new category for months – suggesting it will add at least $100 million to revenues this year. But now…those plans have had a monkey wrench thrown into them…
This week, Josh.ai held a significant launch of several new products, app improvements, and new integrations as it continues its journey from a voice interface into a full system control provider. While a voice update was part of this announcement, it felt deemphasized as the company pursued a greater role in the industry as a full control solution provider by launching a richer app user experience (UX), the introduction of a touch panel interface, and a round of new integrations.
The Nikkei is reporting a robust revival in Japan of sales of prerecorded analog cassette tapes, a format once thought dead and gone. Now, the report says, the humble cassette tape “is experiencing a renaissance, charming a new generation of music enthusiasts with its nostalgic appearance and distinctly warm and rich sound.”
Cambridge Audio, a funky, music-centric audio brand based in London whose tag line is “Made by Music” announced today a successor to its award-winning CXN V2 (the first streamer ever inducted into the What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame) called the CXN100. Saying it is a “true generation step up in sound quality” the CXN100 brings a fresh design, new higher-grade components and is said to deliver added functionality and better overall value.
Crestron Electronics, a leading industry supplier of smart home and next-gen workplace technology, announced today in Barcelona, Spain at the ISE 2024 show that its popular DM NVX AV-over-IP solution is approaching one million units installed – a major milestone achieved in just a few short years. The company salutes the integrators and their projects incorporating the technology for propelling widespread adoption of DM NVX around the country and the world.
Sonos [NASDAQ: SONO] announced this week that it will launch an all-new 8-inch in-ceiling speaker that it designed in conjunction with Sonance. Part of the company’s Architectural lineup of speakers, this new model extends both the size and the range of performance of the line.
Sometimes, those things most valuable in life – like air, for example – are unimportant to us until that moment we need it. For example, it does not occur to us that we rely on a safe, efficient, clean source of power until a big storm – a hurricane, tornado, forest fire, etc. – cuts it off. Mango Power offers a portable battery/inverter power station that will protect your access to clean battery-generated AC power…enough power to get you through most events…as well as enhance many other activities.
Shelly Group AD (formerly Allterco Robotics), a maker of a range of task-specific IoT devices and smart building solutions under the Shelly brand, announced today that it is launching a new Gen3 series of devices at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2024. Shelly offers an innovative line of devices primarily targeted at the DIY hobbyist market, but devices that are increasingly being embraced by integrators as handy problem solvers in the field.
Wow! It’s crazy that 2023 is now just about behind us, and what a dramatic and dynamic year it was! What were the key themes of the year? At the beginning of the year, I think most would say their greatest concern was the economy and their least concern was the tech industry. Yet the year turned out to be almost the exact opposite of that.
Fyne Audio, a U.K. manufacturer of advanced high-end audio loudspeakers based in Scotland, has appointed Harmonia Distribution as its distributor for the United States market, effective immediately. Harmonia, formerly known as Upscale Distribution, said in an announcement that it is proud to have been selected by Fyne, a manufacturer that represents a blend of the best of “contemporary and traditional designs.”
