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Pioneer Announces Q3 & 9-Month Losses; Cuts FY2013 Forecast from Profit to Loss

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Pioneer LogoIn what is turning out to be a very rough earnings season in Japan, Pioneer Corp. announced yesterday its results for the third quarter and nine-month periods of fiscal year 2013 which ends March 31, 2013. Both Q3 and the 9-month periods showed losses, with the YTD loses increasing substantially to ¥9.8 billion ($105 million) down from a loss of ¥6.6 billion. As a result of this, the company has cut its FY2013 forecast from a profit of a ¥1 billion ($11 million)  to a loss of ¥4 billion ($42.8 million)…a surprising ¥5 billion change of fortune.

Due to the company’s deteriorating business, the Board of Directors has ordered a significant restructuring including salary and bonus cuts for executives and employees. The company has also said it will cut jobs.

Why has Pioneer’s business shifted so dramatically? See more details below… [Read more…] about Pioneer Announces Q3 & 9-Month Losses; Cuts FY2013 Forecast from Profit to Loss

Yamaha Board Orders Major Restructuring; Revises FY2013 Forecast Downward to Break-Even

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BREAKING NEWS

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Yamaha Corporation announced yesterday in Japan that its Board of Directors has ordered a major restructuring of the company’s domestic operations – in one case merging eight separate operating subsidiaries into one. The company has also released results for FY2013 through the third quarter ending December 31, 2012 and revised its annual forecast downward from a profit to break-even as a result of extraordinary charges related to the restructuring as well as sales and profit declines.

See details on the dramatic steps Yamaha’s Board is taking to try and improve efficiency & profitability… [Read more…] about Yamaha Board Orders Major Restructuring; Revises FY2013 Forecast Downward to Break-Even

Ube Launches Indiegogo Campaign to Crowdfund the Manufacture of 10,000 Wi-Fi Smart Dimmers

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Ube_logo_largeStart-up Ube, the new company founded by former CEDIA CEO Utz Baldwin and partners, offers an all-new mobile device-optimized, cloud-based home control technology bringing new power – and new simplicity – to the masses. This new technology could be a highly disruptive game changer with a re-conceived business model that just might gut the heart of the highly lucrative residential systems installer market. Or not…

Today, Ube [pronounced YOU-bee] announced their first major step forward in the wake of their stunning technology show win at last fall’s DEMO 2012 in which the company received the People’s Choice Award earning them $1 million in media from the show’s promoter. Ube has begun a campaign on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo to raise funds so that the company can manufacturer their first 10,000 Wi-Fi smart dimmers. The company also announced a BETA test program open to residential A/V electronics installers and integrators.

See more on this fascinating first product Ube is launching on Indiegogo…and on the special “BETA” test program for integrators and installers… [Read more…] about Ube Launches Indiegogo Campaign to Crowdfund the Manufacture of 10,000 Wi-Fi Smart Dimmers

Bob Brown Joins Thiel as Interim COO and Board Member

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Photo of Bob BrownIndustry veteran Bob Brown, known to many from his long tenure as President at Lenbrook America, has joined Thiel Audio as a member of their board of directors. Brown will also, effective immediately, begin serving as the company’s interim Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Thiel, as we recently reported, is in the middle of an exciting revival as the result of its recent purchase by a consortium of Tennessee investors led by current CEO Bill Thomas.

See more on this interesting new development for Thiel… [Read more…] about Bob Brown Joins Thiel as Interim COO and Board Member

Sony Hires Army of 400 Experts to Send to U.S. Retailers to Sell Sony TVs

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Sony logo on screen at CES press presentationTrapped by their own newly strengthened mandated pricing programs, and a commitment to grow sales profitably, Sony Corp. has resorted to deploying a wave of 400 company employees into the field to sell Sony televisions at U.S. retailers. The move is said to be a way to try to stimulate Sony TV sales without resorting to retail discounting.

Smart strategy? Or is hiring 400 TV ‘experts’ really just thinly veiled discounting?… [Read more…] about Sony Hires Army of 400 Experts to Send to U.S. Retailers to Sell Sony TVs

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Toyota’s Innovative New Use for Recycled Prius Batteries

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Toyota logoEvery year, 6,000 large, expensive, and depleted batteries, recycled by auto dealers all over the country, pour into Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan. The batteries have been pulled out of Prius automobiles as they are replaced by car dealers who then return them to the manufacturer for recycling. And given the growing popularity of the Prius, this rate will almost certainly continue to rise over time.

What to do with them? Toyota has ingeniously figured out a way to refurbish them, reconfigure them, and resell them back to the very dealers who had returned them. How do they do this?

See the ingenious power management system that Toyota will offer its dealers, made from old Prius batteries… [Read more…] about Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Toyota’s Innovative New Use for Recycled Prius Batteries

While Others Go Small, Panasonic Goes Big with 20-inch Tablet

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Graphic of Panasonic LogoFor those of you who were at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this month: Did you see the new tablet introduced by Panasonic? Featured during the Panasonic press conference as an example of Panasonic’s innovation, the company showed a new tablet computer launching it into the tablet computer fray which is dominated by the Apple iPad…with a rapidly growing Samsung with its Galaxy Note and Tab lines nipping at its heels.

But does this new Panasonic tablet have a market?… [Read more…] about While Others Go Small, Panasonic Goes Big with 20-inch Tablet

Belden Launches Line of ‘Traceable’ Category Patch Cables

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Belden logoBelden, Inc. announced today it was launching a line of unique traceable Bonded-Pair patch cables to help users and installers to quickly and easily identify network connections. The cables could be a real time-saver for sophisticated system installations involving multiple network connections by providing installers a simple and fool-proof method of verifying paired connections.

See more on this interesting product introduction… [Read more…] about Belden Launches Line of ‘Traceable’ Category Patch Cables

Is It Time to Start a Deathwatch on the Industry’s Annual CES?

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strata-GEE's Show Report LogoIt is now late January and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is well into our rear-view mirror. Yes, as in other years, there has been a flood of publicity and tons of articles on gadgets introduced at the show. The show’s promoter, the CEA, has already crowed about the event being the biggest ever and all seems well. Or is it?

See the warning signs that the CEA seems to be ignoring… [Read more…] about Is It Time to Start a Deathwatch on the Industry’s Annual CES?

In Wake of Weak iPhone 5 Sales, Apple Cuts Parts Orders by 50%

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Apple, Inc. LogoFrom the looks of it, Apple’s iPhone 5 launch may have been a bit of a dud. Several news services such as Bloomberg News and the Nikkei in Japan are reporting that the company has cut orders to its suppliers for parts by as much as 50%. This moves follows a report that the company quietly cut production schedules on the iPhone 5 last month by 30% and suggests that the latest incarnation of iPhone is selling poorly – or at least below expectations based on initial order levels.

See more about this dramatic turn of events for a critical product for Apple… [Read more…] about In Wake of Weak iPhone 5 Sales, Apple Cuts Parts Orders by 50%