Krell Industries LLC formally announced today it has hired Walter Schofield as its new Chief Operating Officer. Schofield is fairly well known in the audio community, in fact, Krell refers to him as an “industry veteran.”
Archives for 2018
Parent of Mission & QUAD Signs Deal with DTS
DTS announced this week that is has signed on International Audio Group (IAG), parent company of Mission and QUAD, as a new hardware partner in the DTS Play-Fi whole-home audio ecosystem. IAG joins a growing sphere of major brands supporting the DTS multi-room, wireless music system.
See more on this new DTS/IAG partnership… [Read more…] about Parent of Mission & QUAD Signs Deal with DTS
Editor Ted Green Appears on ResiWeek
Seems like my good friends over at AVNation.tv didn’t learn their lesson! Once again, they invited me back to participate in a new episode of their popular ResiWeek podcast, hosted by Matt D. Scott (he insists on including the “D” in his name for some reason).
Read on to see what topics we discussed & get a hint on why the episode title is “Just Do It”… [Read more…] about Editor Ted Green Appears on ResiWeek
The Top 3 Integration Trade Media Groups Were All Acquired in Last 12 Months
Just What the Heck is Going On Here?
On Tuesday we learned that select properties of EH Media – owner of CEPro, Commercial Integrator, Security Sales & Integration, Campus Safety and others – had been acquired by Emerald Expositions (the new owner of the CEDIA Expo). Earlier this year, U.K.-based Future plc, a global media company, acquired U.S.-based NewBay Media – parent of Residential Systems, Sound & Video Contractor, AVTechnology and others. And almost exactly one year ago, IFA – producer of the largest consumer electronics trade show in the world (held in Europe) – “partnered” or acquired a significant stake in NAPCO Media’s consumer technology division – parent of Dealerscope, Technology Integrator, and Connected Design.
So that’s three of the top custom integration trade media companies all acquired within the last 12 months. What the heck is going on here?
It’s crazy days in the CI trade media world… [Read more…] about The Top 3 Integration Trade Media Groups Were All Acquired in Last 12 Months
Randy Blanchard, ex-ADI, Takes Audio Role at Vanco
Vanco International LLC, a provider of AV and accessories products, announced this week that Randy Blanchard has joined the company as its new Director of Audio Products. Among other things, Blanchard will oversee the company’s Pulse Audio and Beale Street Audio brands. Blanchard joins the company after a 13½-year career with ADI.
See more on Randy Blanchard and Vanco… [Read more…] about Randy Blanchard, ex-ADI, Takes Audio Role at Vanco
Study Shows People Value Their Data Over Their Car
After years of shocking privacy breaches and the more recent Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, consumers are becoming more and more concerned about the security of their personal data. This attitude is reflected in new privacy research survey in which a majority of respondents said they viewed their personal data as more valuable to them than even their car.
See this surprising upgrade in consumer concerns about their personal data… [Read more…] about Study Shows People Value Their Data Over Their Car
Are You Prepared for the Coming Recession?
Five Steps to Take Now to Protect Your Business
Occasionally, I’ll chat with an integrator or other industry colleague about that ugly shared nightmare experience, otherwise known as the recession of 2007-2009. This recession, unlike others in the past, zeroed in like a torpedo on the residential construction market and dramatically reshaped the custom integration industry. For those of you joining the industry since that time, you dodged the bullet…but you also missed the lessons that survivors were forced to learn in order to keep afloat.
Why you need to prepare now for the next recession… [Read more…] about Are You Prepared for the Coming Recession?
Monoprice: King of Cut-Rate Cables, Expands
Intros ‘Carbon Collection’ of Home Décor Items
Monoprice, the company most successful at pursuing a low-price, cut-rate strategy in regards to cables, adapters, and accessories, and the bane of many upscale cable companies in the consumer electronics space, has continued to grow and expand, now adding housewares and home goods to their growing assortment.
See more on what Monoprice has been up to recently… [Read more…] about Monoprice: King of Cut-Rate Cables, Expands
Amazon Horror: Alexa Users Not Using Voice to Shop
A new report by The Information has roiled Amazon, punching a hole in the concept that users of their Alexa-powered smart speaker devices will use them to buy billions of dollars of goods through voice ordering. According to sources from inside Amazon, the company is disappointed that only about 2% of users of their devices use them for voice-enabled shopping – a result that throws shade at the company and industry analysts who predicted a tsunami of voice-powered purchases. The company’s spokesperson disputes the report.
See what we’ve learned about Amazon’s voice shopping experience… [Read more…] about Amazon Horror: Alexa Users Not Using Voice to Shop
SEC Rejects Monster Cryptocurrency Filing, Notes ‘Serious Deficiencies’
Monster Changes: Prez/COO & Auditor are Terminated, Three-Man Board is Now Only One
In June, after significant outreach by many Strata-gee readers, we posted our take on the Monster Products, Inc. (Monster) S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in which Monster sought to launch its own Monster Money cryptocurrency in a major shift in the company’s direction. This SEC filing by Monster was at the end of May, and our story [see: Is Monster Money a Massive Mistake?] was posted June 13th.
We have just discovered that days after our story appeared, Monster received an SEC staff letter dated June 15th titled “SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES.” But that’s not all we discovered…
