In an announcement out of Hong Kong and reported on by Bloomberg News and others, TCL Multimedia, the large Chinese manufacturer of mostly inexpensive televisions, has announced it has obtained the rights to the Onkyo brand name which it intends to use to create Smart AV products. The company says it has the rights to the Onkyo brand globally, in all markets except Japan.
Brands
Options Narrowing as Gibson & KKR Talks Fail
We learned last week that talks between Gibson Brands and deal making king KKR Credit Advisors fell apart in a dispute over “the appropriate consideration for the various parties involved,” according to a statement from Gibson Brands. As yet another bail-out opportunity slips by them, Gibson Brands sees their options narrowing, with an August deadline on a required financial restructuring of more than $500 million of debt rapidly approaching.
See more on this dire situation at Gibson Brands… [Read more…] about Options Narrowing as Gibson & KKR Talks Fail
Lutron Partners with SnapAV for OvrC-Enabled RA2 Select
BREAKING NEWS
SnapAV announced today that it has partnered with lighting kingpin Lutron to offer a special version of their RA2 Select repeater, part of an entire RA2 Select system, that has been natively integrated into SnapAV’s OvrC remote management system. The agreement between the two of them is said to have been taken with the goal of “expanding the market for smart lighting control.”
See more on this new partnership between Lutron and SnapAV… [Read more…] about Lutron Partners with SnapAV for OvrC-Enabled RA2 Select
Polls: Facebook Faces a Major Trust Crisis
Stunning Reversal for Once-Loved FANG Brand
Facebook finds themselves square in the middle of a political and public relations fire storm, as news of the firms connection to Cambridge Analytica and the harvesting of the personal data on at least 50 million Facebook users, including perhaps you and I, have recently received a lot of news coverage. Now word comes via two new polls that the company’s brand has taken a serious hit in the eyes of their users and former fans.
See more on these latest polls about Facebook from Reuters/Ipsos… [Read more…] about Polls: Facebook Faces a Major Trust Crisis
LumaStream is a Star…An Energy Star, That Is
LumaStream announced today that they have achieved Energy Star certification on select models, a notable milestone for the young provider of low-voltage LED lighting solutions. The company says their 481-485 series architectural downlights used with the Trinity 12 450mA DMX power supply were thoroughly tested and awarded the Energy Star certification – a program that is popular with many energy-conscious consumers today.
See more on this LumaStream development… [Read more…] about LumaStream is a Star…An Energy Star, That Is
Tributaries’ Industry First 10-Meter HDMI Cable Certified 18G
Tributaries announced today that it offers a historical first – a passive 10-meter HDMI cable that has been certified by DPL Labs and ISF as offering a true 18Gbps data speed for genuine 4K/60 HDR performance. According to the company, this cable, known as the UHDT Titan Passive, is the longest passive HDMI cable certified by independent testing labs as reliably offering a true 18Gbps level of performance.
See more on Tributaries new, long-run, passive HDMI cable… [Read more…] about Tributaries’ Industry First 10-Meter HDMI Cable Certified 18G
A 2-Time Win-a, Wally Whinna Sells Allnet to SnapAV
A Dramatic Shift in SnapAV’s Strategy
SnapAV announced today that it has acquired Allnet Distributing, the Chicago-based distribution company owned by Wally Whinna, who years ago sold a distribution company to Ingram Micro as part of their acquisition of AVAD. This makes Whinna a two-time winner, having created two distribution companies and selling them off, likely for a handsome profit – this time to industry powerhouse SnapAV.
See more about this latest acquisition by SnapAV… [Read more…] about A 2-Time Win-a, Wally Whinna Sells Allnet to SnapAV
Apple & Google Brands Drop Big in Latest Survey
A Drop So Surprising that Reuters Deems it Newsworthy
Reuters is reporting that the Apple and Google brands both saw precipitous drops in their brand reputation in the latest version of an annual survey conducted by the respected Harris Poll. At the same time, and perhaps offering a dire warning, Amazon came in at number one (again!) and Tesla saw a big jump in their brand reputation.
See more on the somewhat surprising results of this latest brand survey… [Read more…] about Apple & Google Brands Drop Big in Latest Survey
Two New Questers of Perfection Join AudioQuest
AudioQuest announced today that it has added two new members to its North American sales management team. These new sales professionals are David Penrod and Krista Haughey.
See more on these new members of the AudioQuest team… [Read more…] about Two New Questers of Perfection Join AudioQuest
Gibson, After Light Pruning, Plans Global Layoffs
Hundreds of Employees Facing Pink Slips
Gibson Brands, a major provider of musical instrument and consumer electronics products, is in the midst of a widely reported liquidity crisis. With more than $500 million dollars in notes coming due late this summer, the company is seeking a knight in shining armor to ride in on a white horse with a big bag of money to refinance the company’s crushing debt.
To make the company appear attractive to a lender or investor, at the end of February the company sold off its shuttered Cakewalk division and laid off about 15 employees from its famous Custom Shop. Now we learn the company is planning more substantial layoffs across the board.
