With all that’s going on in the world of politics – or perhaps because of what’s going on in the world of politics – two senators are calling for an investigation of the Smart TV industry, citing concerns about a potential compromise of privacy for users of which they are unaware. This move is in response to news that emerged a few weeks back suggesting that Smart TV makers were tracking users viewing, unbeknownst to them.
Financial
Gibson, Protected from Creditors, Still Loses Money
News of Gibson’s $10M Monthly Loss Gives Some Pause
Gibson Brands, Inc. declared bankruptcy on May 1, 2018, thereby placing themselves in Chapter 11 protection from creditors. Now under the guidance of bankruptcy court, the company buys itself time to put a plan together to present to the judge offering a path out of bankruptcy for the company. During this time, debts are frozen until the judge determines the final disposition – a disposition that typically includes some level of payment to debtors, both secured and unsecured.
So how is Gibson doing? According to a story by the Nashville Post, Gibson posted a loss of nearly $10 million in May – its first month under bankruptcy court protection from creditors.
See more on the bumpy bankruptcy road upon which Gibson finds itself… [Read more…] about Gibson, Protected from Creditors, Still Loses Money
NY Times Tech Reporter: Cryptocurrency ‘Scams are Everywhere Online’
We did NOT say that Monster Money was a scam in our article. We DID say that cryptocurrencies are risky, risky investments to be approached with caution. The prevalence of several large scams in the supposedly safe world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies serve as a stark reminder of this need for extreme caution when investing in something new.
See more on this cryptocurrency cautionary tale in today’s Times… [Read more…] about NY Times Tech Reporter: Cryptocurrency ‘Scams are Everywhere Online’
Is Monster Money a Massive Mistake?
Earlier this month, news broke – erupted really – that Noel Lee and Monster Products had filed a Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch an ICO or initial coin offering. Their plan is to mint a new cryptocurrency called Monster Money, with an initial authorization of 500,000,000 Monster Money Tokens, of which, 300,000,000 will be offered to investors at a dollar each. This move, which seems out of the blue, caused a lot of speculation as to just what is going on at Monster – is this desperation…chutzpah…or something even darker?
Initially, Strata-gee was just going to let this story pass by. However, so many readers reached out asking for our perspective on the story that it was impossible to ignore it any longer. See our take below…
Is Monster Money a major opportunity…or a massive mistake?…
Gibson Hits a Sour Note with Philips & Creditors
Gibson, as Strata-gee previously reported, filed for bankruptcy protection on May 1st in a pre-negotiated package with principal noteholders of the company’s substantial debt – debt that was now in default. But while that deal suggested a smooth path for the case through the bankruptcy court, it did not take into account the position of unsecured creditors, and especially Philips who describes itself as the largest unsecured creditor in the matter.
See more on the discord in Gibson’s bankruptcy proceedings… [Read more…] about Gibson Hits a Sour Note with Philips & Creditors
9 Years After Recession, Americans Still Feel Frugal
My grandparents lived through the Great Depression (1929-1939) and it changed their lives forever. As kids, we used to think they were weird. They never threw anything away. Bent nail? “I can hammer it straight again!” Small amount of left-over paint? “You can add thinner and turn it into plenty of white wash.” Hole in a sock? They would darn it! Clearly, dealing with that time of great financial distress changed forever the way they felt about money, spending, and saving.
Since the last recession in 2009, Gallup has been conducting a poll on Americans’ attitude on spending. Read on to see the results – they just might surprise you…
See the results of the latest Gallup poll showing American frugality continues… [Read more…] about 9 Years After Recession, Americans Still Feel Frugal
Sonos Cuts Nearly 100 Employees or 6% of Staff
BREAKING NEWS
Sonos Inc. confirmed late yesterday that it has cut 6% of its staff, or 96 employees, just days before a highly anticipated public offering expected as early as next month. The cuts are said to have been across all department and at all levels.
See more on what we know about the Sonos staff cuts… [Read more…] about Sonos Cuts Nearly 100 Employees or 6% of Staff
Painting the Gibson Bankruptcy by the Numbers
We have been closely following – first Gibson Guitar and then Gibson Brands – from their decision in 2012 to shoot for the stars by using OPM (other people’s money) to make highly leveraged…and highly questionable…acquisitions of various consumer electronics brands (a category in which the CEO and his team had no experience) to their recent 2018 bankruptcy. Gibson was trying to diversify their musical instrument business into something that now former CEO Henry Juszkiewicz called a music lifestyle brand. Instead, they wound up in bankruptcy.
Let’s look at what some of the numbers in the Gibson filings reveal… [Read more…] about Painting the Gibson Bankruptcy by the Numbers
Leon Acquires Terra Speakers, Expanding Assortment
Leon Speakers announced this week that it has acquired Terra Speakers in a transaction that is said to offer Leon a greatly expanded portfolio of high performance products targeted for the outdoor and commercial segments. The company says this acquisition provides “new residential and commercial business opportunities” with a company renown for rugged, all-weather outdoor speakers.
See more on this Leon and Terra transaction… [Read more…] about Leon Acquires Terra Speakers, Expanding Assortment
Docs Show Gibson Bankruptcy Bigger Than You Think
Founded in 1894, it is a mark of their long-term brand success that Gibson has become such a large and far-flung international organization. In a cursory review of documents submitted to the court as part of their bankruptcy filing shows, legendary performers such as Muddy Waters, BB King, Elvis Presley, Pete Townsend, Keith Richards, Duane Allman, Elvis Costello, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Dave Grohl, Joe Bonamassa all used various Gibson products that, in some cases, became a signature of that performer. And yes, the bankruptcy filing promotes these iconic names.
