From the High End show now taking place in Munich, Germany, Bluesound and NAD, two specialty audio lines leading the charge into high-res and high quality audio, made several interesting announcements about their efforts. Both brands are marketed here in the U.S. by Lenbrook America.
Manufacturers
Legrand & Samsung Partner on IoT Light Switch
IoT Product Launches are Increasing, From Samsung & Others
Several announcements emerged this week from the Samsung Developer Conference being held in San Francisco – an event that has largely represented the launch of the first wave of Samsung’s assault on the Internet of Things (IoT) market. One announcement that caught our eye is the news that Samsung and Legrand have partnered on a new Thread-enabled lighting switch.
See more on this new IoT light switch and the partnership with Samsung… [Read more…] about Legrand & Samsung Partner on IoT Light Switch
Former Lutron Exec Rick Schuett Joins Echelon as SVP of Sales
Helped Popularize Lighting in the Residential Custom Integration Channel
Former Lutron executive Rick Schuett has joined Echelon Corporation as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, the company announced on Wednesday. Echelon describes themselves as a “control networking company for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).”
See more on this appointment… [Read more…] about Former Lutron Exec Rick Schuett Joins Echelon as SVP of Sales
Sharp Considering Cutting Another 1,000 Jobs
Company Says Idea is Their Own, Not A Foxconn Requirement
Sharp Corp., the embattled Japanese manufacturer best known for LCD flat-panel televisions and soon to be division of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., (a Taiwanese company better known as Foxconn) is said to be strongly considering cutting another 1,000 jobs at the company as a result of continuing poor performance. This would be the third round of significant employment cuts in the last four years.
See more on Sharp’s continuing problems… [Read more…] about Sharp Considering Cutting Another 1,000 Jobs
Dirac Cuts Interesting Deal with Pioneer
Dirac Research, a provider of high-quality room and loudspeaker optimization technologies, announced today that it has reached an agreement with Pioneer Corporation to distribute their digital technologies in the OEM market in Japan. The deal, their first with a relatively mainstream manufacturer, will put Dirac technology in a wide range of products under a wide range of brands.
See more about this milestone agreement for Dirac… [Read more…] about Dirac Cuts Interesting Deal with Pioneer
LG’s Preliminary Q1 Results – Sales Down, Profits Up
LG Electronics, Inc. released preliminary financial results for their first quarter of the 2016 fiscal year earlier this month. The report was very brief, showing only top line revenues and operating profits. But as short as it is…it comes with a bit of a surprise.
See the results for LG as shown in their preliminary report… [Read more…] about LG’s Preliminary Q1 Results – Sales Down, Profits Up
Hitachi Spending Nearly $1B to Launch IoT Research Center in U.S.
Hitachi announced this week that it will invest ¥100 billion ($915 million) building a state-of-the-art research center in the United States to develop Internet of Things (IoT) products and technologies. A significant commitment by the company, with the project expected to take over three years to complete – the facility will be located in Santa Clara, California.
See more on this major R&D center in the U.S. by Hitachi… [Read more…] about Hitachi Spending Nearly $1B to Launch IoT Research Center in U.S.
It Was A Typical System Installation, Until the Client Asked for This…
It was a fairly typical, if slightly larger than normal, system installation for Matt Durbahn of CDI Services in Denver, Colorado. The client was building a home in the countryside outside of Denver and the project called for a whole home automation solution with a media room, technology throughout the home, lighting, HVAC control, outdoor entertainment, security & surveillance, and all that goes with a system like this. Although fairly extensive, none of the client’s requests were unusual.
But then the client asked for something NO ONE has ever asked Durbahn for before…and things just got a whole lot more interesting.
See what the client’s crazy request was, and how the integrator pulled it off… [Read more…] about It Was A Typical System Installation, Until the Client Asked for This…
McIntosh Program to Supply Celebrities Cut Dealers Out
Company Says No Such Program Exists Today
We’ve recently learned about a program at McIntosh Laboratory, Inc., in which the company approached select prominent individuals, such as famous musicians or other celebrities, and provided them with McIntosh products directly, without the involvement of its dealers. The program, according to sources, was launched by Linda Passaro, a former Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for McIntosh when it was part of D&M Holdings. Passaro was terminated in November 2011 by President Charlie Randall, but the program apparently remained in force for some time.
See more on this program that is a sore spot with some McIntosh dealers… [Read more…] about McIntosh Program to Supply Celebrities Cut Dealers Out
New Survey: Apple Watch is a Flop
In a recently released survey by advertising technology company Fluent, more than half of U.S. adults say that the Apple Watch is a failed product…a flop. The study, which surveyed 2,578 adults here in the U.S., clearly suggests that Americans agree with many in the tech industry who have given largely negative reviews of the product. Ironically, at one time, the Watch was thought to be the next big thing from Apple. It may still be…
