Yesterday, we reported on an unusual flare-up involving Azione Unlimited, VIA International, and the Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) – initially fueled by a press release from Azione that announced VIA was resigning all buying groups. In the wake of this announcement, we contacted both VIA and HTSA, who suggested that Azione’s release was not accurate.
CEDIA EXPO 2013 Overview and Attendance

CEDIA’s Expo in 2013 returned to Denver, CO, a favorite location for many attendees and exhibitors – a point to which we can attest as so many said so in Strata-gee’s CEDIA Survey over the last few years. So was Denver the panacea needed to get everyone back into a positive state of mind? Was the show everything everyone hoped it would be?
See our thoughts below on EXPO 2013… [Read more…] about CEDIA EXPO 2013 Overview and Attendance
Azione Notifies Market that VIA International Resigns from All Buying Groups – VIA & HTSA Respond
The new retail buying group Azione Unlimited announced today that VIA International – a new mega-integrator made up of six separate integration companies merged into one – has resigned from all buying groups, effective October 1st. The announcement caught our eye as it was only tangentially about Azione (who lost two members as a result), yet offered assertions about VIA’s actions with no apparent participation from anyone at VIA.
VIA…and HTSA…react to Azione’s press release… [Read more…] about Azione Notifies Market that VIA International Resigns from All Buying Groups – VIA & HTSA Respond
Thought for the Week – October 1, 2013
Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life.
Dr. David M. Burns
Niles’ Notable and Nifty CEDIA 2013 Demo
Niles Audio, a division of Core Brands, had an interesting display at CEDIA 2013’s Press Day event. Although the Cynema Soundfield – an in-wall soundbar – had been previously announced, Niles executives Michael Strange and Bill Hensley, presented it in a whole new, and much more meaningful way, with a wall cutaway showing just how unique the product really is.
See our photos of a wall cut-away view of this cleverly designed product… [Read more…] about Niles’ Notable and Nifty CEDIA 2013 Demo
TiO – Turn it On – It Just Might Turn YOU On
Perhaps it is a touch poetic that TiO, the new division launched by Automated Control Technology Partners, and the company that emerged from the ruins of Colorado vNet (then 3vNet) – should launch their exciting new home automation system the year that CEDIA returns to Colorado. We’ve seen the system, and even though we have yet to have the opportunity to operate it (it was a non-powered display) we saw enough to strongly advise that you get to know it…and quickly.
In fact, if you are at CEDIA, we would recommend you set your sights on the Tio booth #3628… [Read more…] about TiO – Turn it On – It Just Might Turn YOU On
GoldenEar Launches New Larger SoundBar and ‘SuperCenters’
GoldenEar, the now 3-year old brainchild of speaker savant Sandy Gross, continues an aggressive product launch schedule announcing both a new larger soundbar and a line of center channel speakers with the rather shopping mall-sounding name of SuperCenters. Like all GoldenEar products, these new models are reserved strictly for GoldenEars’ limited distribution to predominantly specialty dealers and installers.
See more on these interesting new GoldenEar speakers… [Read more…] about GoldenEar Launches New Larger SoundBar and ‘SuperCenters’
Gibson Brands Strikes Again – Seeks to Acquire Cakewalk from Roland
Gibson Brands announced this week that it it has signed a letter of intent with Roland Corp. and Cakewalk, Inc. to acquire Cakewalk Inc., a music software company, for an undisclosed amount. The deal is pursuant to the successful negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement.
And with acquisition, Gibson says it will launch a new brand, Tascam Professional Software to sell the Cakewalk product line. See more on this acquisition below… [Read more…] about Gibson Brands Strikes Again – Seeks to Acquire Cakewalk from Roland
Atlantic Integrated Promotes Pawlowski to VP and Co-Owner
New York metro-area manufacturers representative firm Atlantic Integrated announced today that its director of sales, Mike Pawlowski, has been promoted to vice-president and co-owner of the company. The appointment is effective immediately and provides for a significant expansion of his role within the company.
Learn more about Pawlowski’s new role with Atlantic Integrated… [Read more…] about Atlantic Integrated Promotes Pawlowski to VP and Co-Owner
Thought for the Week – September 23, 2013
His mother had often said, When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. She had emphasized the corollary of this axiom even more vehemently: when you desired a consequence you had damned well better take the action that would create it.
Lois McMaster Bujold, “Memory”, 1996





