Osaka, Japan-based Onkyo Corporation says it has set a new global growth strategy that will focus on launching portable music players and headphones, thanks largely to resources it received in its acquisition of Pioneer’s home AV division. In an interview appearing in Japanese media, Onkyo President Munenori Otsuki said the world is entering “the age of portable music players.”
Manufacturers
Samsung Removes Its Brand Name From Smartphones Sold in Japan
Samsung Electronics has taken the unusual step of selling smartphones in Japan that do not bear the Samsung brand name. We’ve never heard of this before, but if you want a Samsung smartphone in Japan, you have to purchase a “Galaxy” smartphone.
Why has Samsung removed their brand name from smartphones sold in Japan? See more… [Read more…] about Samsung Removes Its Brand Name From Smartphones Sold in Japan
JVC Kenwood Restructuring Produces Profits, But Sales Slide Continues
JVC Kenwood Corp. released a summary of results for their fiscal year 2015, the year that ended March 31, 2015, and we continue to see positive profit results from their rather dramatic company-wide restructuring that had them abandoning many consumer categories and refocusing on more commercial enterprises. But we also see a continued and persistent slide in sales that shows no sign of slowing down.
So just how did the company fare last year? See below… [Read more…] about JVC Kenwood Restructuring Produces Profits, But Sales Slide Continues
Autonomic Announces URC Total Control Compatibility
Autonomic Controls, Inc. announced today that it has launched a driver that integrates its popular MMS-2A and MMS-5A Mirage Music Players with the URC Total Control system. Combining one of the most popular high-resolution music player & lossless streaming systems with one of the most popular control systems is bound to be a hit with integrators, AND make their lives much easier.
See more on this announcement from Autonomic… [Read more…] about Autonomic Announces URC Total Control Compatibility
Whew! First Hurdle Cleared: Banks Say They’ll Help Sharp
If you’ve been holding your breath, waiting to see what is going to happen to troubled Japanese giant Sharp Corp., you can now relax and exhale. The first significant hurdle the company faced on their race to survival appears to be cleared. Media in Japan is now reporting that Sharp’s two banks will support it through a restructuring with a ¥200 billion convertible loan.
But these bank loans come with strings attached. Read on to see what these are… [Read more…] about Whew! First Hurdle Cleared: Banks Say They’ll Help Sharp
Sharp Expected to Report 200 Billion Yen Loss
BREAKING NEWS
In a new report out of Japan today, Sharp Corp. is said to be preparing to report a loss of “more than 200 billion yen” or about $1.66 billion, when they finally release their fiscal year-end results. This report is based on unnamed sources and appeared in the Nikkei.
See more on this rather dramatic news out of Japan… [Read more…] about Sharp Expected to Report 200 Billion Yen Loss
Showing the Power of Software – Latest TiO Update Expands Capabilities
We have been reporting on TiO and its various predecessor permutations (Colorado vNet, 3vNet, ACTP) for some time now. TiO, which stands for Turn it On, is an interesting hybrid of software and hardware enabling an incredibly flexible home automation system that strikes a balance between easy operation, system capabilities, user experience (UX) and powerful performance.
TiO is app driven and also has a proprietary system software solution . And now the company shows us the power of a strong system software foundation with an “update” that dramatically expands the systems capabilities.
See more on how this upgrade expands the TiO capabilities… [Read more…] about Showing the Power of Software – Latest TiO Update Expands Capabilities
Apple’s Smartwatch: A Magnum Opus? Or A Major Oh-Oh?
But is this time – with this product – going to be different for Apple?… [Read more…] about Apple’s Smartwatch: A Magnum Opus? Or A Major Oh-Oh?
Kaleidescape’s Latest VP of Sales is Out After Only 8 Weeks
BREAKING NEWS
In a development that, depending on your viewpoint, is either very shocking – or not surprising at all – we learned on Wednesday that Kaleidescape Vice President of Sales Mark Weisenberg has left the company. Even in a company known for turmoil at the Sales VP position – this is an unusually quick turnaround. We originally announced Weisenberg’s appointment as Kaleidescape VP of Sales in an exclusive SYNCH newsletter at the end of January…just eight weeks ago.
What the heck is going on at Kaleidescape? And why did this happen so suddenly?… [Read more…] about Kaleidescape’s Latest VP of Sales is Out After Only 8 Weeks
Stunning Stories of Impending Doom Swirl Around Sharp
In just the last two days, Japanese and U.S. press outlets are releasing a slew of stories of Sharp Corp.’s impending doom in the form of a restructuring announcement that isn’t expected to be officially released until May. Nonetheless, multiple reports have emerged from a wide range of media sources including the Nikkei and Reuters news services with a relatively wide range of estimated job cuts – all citing unnamed sources.
