Strategy in TECH...
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.”
UPDATE: See the latest news that broke the day after this story was posted at the bottom of this story…
The Masimo vs. Apple saga continues as the ban on Apple Watch models that the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) declared infringed on multiple Masimo Corp. (NASDAQ: MASI) patent claims is now in full force as the Biden Administration declined to veto the USITC decision. Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) hopes for a presidential intervention countermanding the USITC ban from taking effect were dashed as the Presidential Review period expired at the end of Monday – yes, Christmas Day – with no action taken by the White House.
Speaking for the Biden Administration Tuesday morning, Katherine Tai, the U.S. Trade Representative said the government “decided not to reverse the ban following careful consultations.” With that, the Apple Watch ban took full effect.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced that this week it was preemptively removing certain models of its Apple Watch line from its online store on Thursday, and from its physical retail stores by December 24th. The products affected by this action are the Series 9 and Ultra 2 Watch models which include pulse oximetry technology that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined infringed on patents held by Masimo Corp. (NASDAQ: MASI).
One of the hottest displays at this year’s CEDIA Expo 2023 was the AVA, Inc. booth where the young company was launching its new Cinema Remote. I was there and the booth was consistently packed with integrators interested in its new remote. In fact, I named AVA as one of my top stories of the Expo as a promising newcomer.
From my conversations with several integrators, I believe AVA wrote a lot of preorders for the Cinema Remotes at the show, as its unique design and clever features were indeed attractive. Now I have learned that the company’s first shipment of remotes has been delayed.
Savant Systems, Inc., a leading provider of control, home automation, smart home, and smart power solutions, announced on Monday that it has acquired the assets of J Geiger Shading, a leading provider of architecturally conscious shading products. The two companies have had an ongoing association for several years now, and this new transaction brings J Geiger products under the Savant umbrella.
Sonance surprised us at CEDIA Expo 2023 with the launch of an all-new Visual Experience line of architectural loudspeakers. Embodying several true innovations, and available in both Sonance and James versions, the Visual Experience line will supersede the highly successful and award-winning Visual Performance series – a series that was a best-seller for most Sonance integrators.
Well, another CEDIA Expo is in the books and we return to our daily duties and launch into a new Fall season full of promise…and concerns. What were the big stories of this year’s edition of Emerald’s (a public, for-profit company that owns the show) CEDIA Expo? Well, I’ve scanned several summations from others in the media and it almost seems like we attended different Expos. Here’s what I think they are…
The crowds on Day 2 of CEDIA Expo 23 were equally as impressive, if not more so, as they were on Day 1. I had a mid-day meeting at the Snap One booth and as you can see in the image above, I couldn’t even get into the booth! Of course, I can only give you my impressions as there is no official count as I write this, but to my eyes it sure looks like attendance is going to be a pleasant surprise when Emerald announces the final count.
Snap One, a leading manufacturer of a diversified group of custom integration (CI) brands, announced on the eve of CEDIA Expo 2023 that it is “increasing investments in software research and development (R&D)” for the purpose of enhancing the “performance, reliability, and scalability” of its solutions to yield “more efficient backend processes and better user experiences.” The release goes on to note the importance of software for the residential and commercial custom integration industries.
Well, the question I posed yesterday as to whether we’d see CEDIA Expo 2023 attendance up or down as compared to the show last year appears to have been answered. Aisles and booths were filled on Day 1 of the event, suggesting that CEDIA Expo 2023 attendance is not only ahead of last year’s numbers…but perhaps well ahead. So it seems we are all on a Rocky Mountain High.
But was there anything interesting to look at on the show floor? See some of the items I found interesting…
