New York City in June sees temperatures rise in response to the onset of summer and also, hopefully, in response to the launch of the hottest new technologies being shown at CE Week at the Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Building exposition spaces in Manhattan. We awaited this year’s edition with great anticipation as it occurs in the wake of a major change in the show’s backers – and is the follow-up to the surprisingly meaningful show last year.
Industry Trends
Instead of a Wave, Tidal Turns into a Tempest in a Teapot; Another CEO Exits
Tidal Music Service has, for the second time in only a matter of months, dismissed its CEO. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Tidal has dismissed interim chief executive Peter Tonstad who held the position for only about three months. In a statement, they thanked Tonstad for his service.
But Tonstad had a different take on his exit…read on… [Read more…] about Instead of a Wave, Tidal Turns into a Tempest in a Teapot; Another CEO Exits
Samsung Display Launches New Transparent & Mirror OLED Displays
See more on Samsung’s new mirror and transparent digital signage displays… [Read more…] about Samsung Display Launches New Transparent & Mirror OLED Displays
TV Maker Funai Says 2015 is the Year of 4K…Cheap 4K, That Is
Osaka, Japan-based Funai Electric announced earlier this month that it will release a line of inexpensive 4K televisions in the North American market this fall, in time for the region’s major selling season. The company expects this year to be the year when 4K UHD TVs hit it big and they want to be ready to grab market share with their lineup.
Is it time to drive 4K pricing down to attract the masses? Funai says yes… [Read more…] about TV Maker Funai Says 2015 is the Year of 4K…Cheap 4K, That Is
Hitachi Jumps into Wireless Speakers Biz
Hitachi America, Ltd. announced on Tuesday that it has entered the wireless speaker business with three self-contained wireless speaker systems using Qualcomm’s AllPlay technology. According to Hitachi, their new hardware/software “smart media” platform makes it simple for consumers to stream any local or cloud-based media from any type of device via Wi-Fi.
Learn more about Hitachi’s new wireless music system… [Read more…] about Hitachi Jumps into Wireless Speakers Biz
Savant Offers App for Apple Watch
Savant, a leading home control & automation company, announced today that it is making an app available for the Apple smart watch – called, logically enough, the Savant App on Apple Watch. Since Savant is one of the only home automation companies to base their control systems on the Apple operating system, it only makes sense that they would be one of the first in the tech business to offer an Apple Watch app.
See more on Savant’s Apple Watch App… [Read more…] about Savant Offers App for Apple Watch
At Tidal – A Wave of Layoffs & New CEO
Tidal, the music streaming service recently purchased by rap star Jay Z and more than a dozen of his closest music superstar friends, is already feeling the impact of its new ownership. Moving quickly, Jay Z and his team has taken several steps including dismissing the existing CEO Andy Chen and what the company says is a “handful” of other executives from the service.
See more on this rapid and surprising move… [Read more…] about At Tidal – A Wave of Layoffs & New CEO
HTSA & Nationwide Partner to Create HTSN
In a joint release this week from both Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG) and the Home Technology Specialists Association (HTSA), the partners announced the creation of a new entity that they call the Home Technology Specialists of Nationwide (HTSN). The announcement, that surprised many in the industry…and had some scratching their heads trying to see the fit…said that this new alliance will offer new business opportunities for their respective members and vendors. It also, largely due to the size of Nationwide, creates the “largest buying and marketing collaboration” in the industry.
Is this the organization of the future? Or are they just strange bedfellows?… [Read more…] about HTSA & Nationwide Partner to Create HTSN
Hey Retailers – Forget the Millennials, Follow the Money
New data from market researcher Forrester Research Inc. suggests that retailers should forget about trying to attract millennials or other younger shoppers and instead shift gears to reach out to baby boomers. Why? Quite simply, that’s where the money is.
See the interesting results from this new research on buyer trends… [Read more…] about Hey Retailers – Forget the Millennials, Follow the Money
Tidal Narrative Turns from Quality of Sound – to Quality of Royalties
Soon to Face New Competitor in Service Created by Apple and Beats by Dr. Dre
The narrative surrounding Tidal, the latest music streaming service to enter the increasingly crowded music delivery market last year, has taken a new and unforeseen turn with the purchase of the service by Jay Z. Originally conceived as a pay music streaming service offering a higher performance alternative to the ad-driven free services of highly compressed music streamers such as Pandora and Spotify, the Tidal narrative was one of quality. Now?
