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Sony Makes It Official – We Are OLED

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Sony's Kazuo HiraiIt was a strange press conference as compared to those held by Sony in the past – only one speaker (Kazuo Hirai) who methodically gave a summary of the new models the company was launching at this CES. The whole press event lasted a mere 24 minutes. No Hollywood movie stars…no musical performances…no custom video clips…no movie clips…no cars driving on the stage. Just the Sony CEO calmly listing the new models. In fact, at one point, Hirai introduced Sony US President Mike Fasulo who stood and waved to the audience – then was told to sit down and not steal Hirai’s spotlight. Strange…

But there was one really big star of the conference – the company announced the new Bravia OLED TVs, a major expansion of the OLED camp.

See more on Sony’s OLED announcement…and other new models… [Read more…] about Sony Makes It Official – We Are OLED

Thiel Launches Multiple New Products at CES

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thiellogoThiel Audio, in a series of press releases on their website, announced multiple new products to be launched at this week’s CES in Las Vegas. Some of these new products are being launched under the Thiel brand name, while others are being offered under the Aurora brand – a brand that was originally created for a 4K music venue at the company’s headquarters in Nashville, TN.

This launch represents what the company hopes will be the next chapter in the troubled brand’s long-running saga.

See more on Thiel’s new models… [Read more…] about Thiel Launches Multiple New Products at CES

Technology Integrator Prints Its Last Magazine

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Technology Integrator logoCalling 2016 “a year of transition,” NAPCO Media announced yesterday that it has printed its last Technology Integrator (TI) magazine – deciding to withdraw from print media and reinvent itself into an online-only property. The move has been rumored for weeks, and in an online post yesterday attributed to the “TI Staff”, the company made the news official.

See more on what’s going to happen with Technology Integrator… [Read more…] about Technology Integrator Prints Its Last Magazine

Apple Wins Holiday Smartphone Wars

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Flurry Analytics logoIn new research from Flurry Analytics, Apple clearly won the battle for holiday shoppers smartphone dollars. Based on activations of smartphones and tablets during the period of 12/19-12/25, Apple took a healthy 44% bite out of the market…well ahead of second place finisher Samsung (21%), who has struggled in the wake of a battery-blowup scandal. But when compared to last year…some surprises emerge.

See more on this research, released just days after the holiday season… [Read more…] about Apple Wins Holiday Smartphone Wars

Sharp Strikes Again – Terminates LCD Panel Supply to China’s Hisense

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Sharp Parent Foxconn Appears to be Playing Global Hard Ball

Hisense logoJust days after we told you about Sharp’s decision to stop supplying LCD panels to global TV leader Samsung – a decision that shocked many in Japan – apparently, they’ve done it again. The Nikkei in Japan is reporting that panel pricing negotiations have apparently broken down between Sharp and China’s Hisense Group with the parties unable to agree on a fair price. As a result, Sharp has notified Hisense it will also stop supplying them with panels in 2017.

The industry is positively buzzing about these power moves by Sharp… [Read more…] about Sharp Strikes Again – Terminates LCD Panel Supply to China’s Hisense

Power Move: Sharp to Terminate LCD Panel Supply to Samsung

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‘Samsung Scrambling to Find New Sources’ – Looks to LG

Samsung logoThe media in Japan positively exploded this week with the shocking news that Sharp has notified Samsung it will no longer supply the world’s top seller of LCD TVs with the panels they need for their sets. Samsung was Sharp’s largest customer, but in a shocking power move, after negotiations broke down – Sharp said no deal.

Could this be a sign of a new Sharp, now that it’s part of Foxconn? [Read more…] about Power Move: Sharp to Terminate LCD Panel Supply to Samsung

Voice Control: Time to Jump In…or Wait?

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In Wake of CEDIA, Industry Debates How Hot Voice Control Is

Scene showing Alexa voice controlOne of the keynote presentations at CEDIA 2016, was from Amazon – the monster online retailer. Amazon executive Charlie Kindel introduced the custom integration attendees to the Amazon Echo, Tap, and Dot…essentially Internet appliances that all feature their Alexa voice control technology. Then, late in the presentation, Kindel announced the company has developed a way for Alexa to interface with home systems – and even forged integration partnerships with Lutron, Crestron, Control4 and others.

And just like that, CEDIA 2016 became the voice control show… [Read more…] about Voice Control: Time to Jump In…or Wait?

Readers Pick Our Top Ten Stories of 2016

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Grahic of Top TenAs the end of the year rapidly approaches, it’s a great time to look back on 2016 to remember the big stories of the year. Some of these stories were ultimately eclipsed by subsequent ones – and some of them will continue to resonate through 2017 and beyond.

See which stories our readers picked as the Top Ten of 2016…

[Read more…] about Readers Pick Our Top Ten Stories of 2016

Twist – Simple Smart Home Light Bulb & Speaker

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Photo of TwistProducts designed to address the simple smart home market continue to be introduced at a dizzying pace – most of which will end up in the dust bin of not-so-useful, not-so-innovative app-controllable nonsense in the future. But every once in a while we stumble across items that catch our eye, and Twist is one of those.

What is Twist? If you can screw in a lightbulb, you can have a smarter home lighting and wireless audio solution.

See more on Twist, a smarter smart home solution… [Read more…] about Twist – Simple Smart Home Light Bulb & Speaker

Cyber Monday was Big, But is It Losing Its Mojo?

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Photo of shoppersOh I know…you’ve been reading all of the press about how Cyber Monday was the biggest online shopping day ever this year. So how can we be suggesting it’s losing momentum? Well, according to new data analyzed by eMarketer, that appears to be exactly the case.

So which days are gaining ground on Cyber Monday?

Read on to find out what day or days are gaining on Cyber Monday… [Read more…] about Cyber Monday was Big, But is It Losing Its Mojo?