Popular as task-specific sub-room systems especially useful in offices, dens,and home offices…the executive micro-system has been used and appreciated by millions for many years now. In fact, here at Stratecon, we listen to one in our office frequently. We used to listen to it every day, but as more and more of our listening became associated with digital music via Apps like Spotify or Pandora, or any of a host of Internet radio stations…our more traditional desktop system just didn’t have the right stuff.
Marketing
The DaVinci Group Adds New Sales & Distribution Partners
The DaVinci Group (TDG) announced that it has added new partners to its sales representative and distribution network, expanding its sales force backbone to help better serve dealers and integrators as the company continues to grow. The Ontario, CA-based company launched at the end of last year and says it has experienced rapid growth through the end of 2013. This growth continues to accelerate as the company brings more regions on board,
See which reps and distributors have joined TDG as well as what regions they serve… [Read more…] about The DaVinci Group Adds New Sales & Distribution Partners
CES 2014 – The Year of the…? (Insert Your Favorite Gadget Here)
When I was little, I came home from school one day, excited to tell my mother about all my new friends. One-by-one, I named each of them, calling each one “my best friend.” When I finished, I’ll never forget what she said. “If they’re ALL your best friend, then you don’t have a BEST friend.”
The Consumer Electronics industry over the last few years and continuing into this year – has fallen into a troubling state of highly fragmented technology trends. It is in this environment – the absence of any clearly defined, overall technology trend – Gary Shapiro and the CEA try to field their annual technology exposition known as the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
So what was the big tech innovation at CES?…Well, it’s complicated… [Read more…] about CES 2014 – The Year of the…? (Insert Your Favorite Gadget Here)
Gibson Brands Goes ‘Back to the Future’ to Celebrate 120 Years
Gibson Brands took advantage of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to make a bit of a show of their own to celebrate 120 years in business. The company, which serves up 23 different brands of musical instruments, professional audio products and, more recently, consumer electronics products, chose a unique way to mark the occasion by going “Back to the Future.”
See more on how Gibson chose to celebrate their 120-year anniversary… [Read more…] about Gibson Brands Goes ‘Back to the Future’ to Celebrate 120 Years
Amazing! Sony CEO Admits Company Failings – Says ‘Wow’ is Future
Sony’s CEO Kazuo Hirai gave a relatively compelling keynote presentation that was in stark contrast to their rather dry Mike Fasulo and unemotional press conference. Not only was Hirai dynamic and at times, emotional even – he competently and capably articulated a new and strong vision for the company based on the Japanese word “kando” and the English word “wow.”
See the surprising twist in the Sony CEO’s presentation…including a moment that NO other Sony CEO would ever dare to try…admitting past product failures… [Read more…] about Amazing! Sony CEO Admits Company Failings – Says ‘Wow’ is Future
At CES: Samsung Shifts Emphasis from Smart TVs to Smart Home
Samsung’s press day conference was the most unusual we’ve seen with everything from a product that caused an audible gasp of amazement from the crowd…to one of their celebrity presenters running from the stage in mid-presentation. But we believe we detected a subtle but significant shift with their TV business being less prominent and more in balance with the company’s other products such as their appliance, computer, and mobile businesses.
See more on our initial impressions of Samsung below… [Read more…] about At CES: Samsung Shifts Emphasis from Smart TVs to Smart Home
Panasonic Gives the Back Seat to Consumers, at the Consumer Electronics Show
One of the bigger surprises on Press Day (the day before the show opens) at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was the Panasonic press conference. We were quite surprised when Panasonic opened their press conference at the consumer electronics show, talking at length about their non-consumer businesses.
Their official tag line at the event…Panasonic A Better Life. A Better World…seemed very generic and not particularly entertainment linked. But the more interesting tag phrase that we heard several times throughout the presentation was – Panasonic is more than a TV company…seemed to suggest that the company was distancing itself from its consumer TV business. Or at least, re-prioritizing their business segments as they spent the first several minutes of their presentation talking government, security, and commercial applications for Panasonic technology.
See more from this surprising Panasonic presentation… [Read more…] about Panasonic Gives the Back Seat to Consumers, at the Consumer Electronics Show
Not Just Another Pretty Face – CEDIA’s New Website Means Business
On Monday, CEDIA launched an all-new website that represents a dramatic leap forward from their previous offering and provides a much more accessible way for members and other “customers” (more on this later) to learn, communicate, and manage their relationship with the trade group. A complete overhaul, CEDIA’s Senior Director of Public Relations & Marketing Jamie Riley told us in a phone interview that this website has been under intensive development for two years.
See CEDIA’s new website – a major overhaul for members…AND for the association… [Read more…] about Not Just Another Pretty Face – CEDIA’s New Website Means Business
Redbox, Once a Blockbuster Buzzsaw, Finds It Must Now Cut Itself
Outerwall, Inc. (f/k/a Coinstar), owner of Redbox – the national video rental kiosk powerhouse – made several surprising announcements on Tuesday that suggest the company is dealing with some serious business issues. First, the company announced that Redbox division president, Anne Saunders, has left the company. And second, the company said that it would make significant cuts to its staff…and to other projects.
How significant did Outerwall say the staff and project cuts would be? See more below… [Read more…] about Redbox, Once a Blockbuster Buzzsaw, Finds It Must Now Cut Itself
Smart! Spotify Streamed to Your Smartphone is Now Free; Now Offers Led Zeppelin
Spotify, the popular music sharing app, announced today that it will offer streamed music to smartphones for free (ad-supported), starting today. Spotify has long offered this capability on desktop computers for free (again supported by advertising), but had required a paid subscription (ad free) for mobile devices. Now…everything changes.
The company also announced that it has exclusively licensed the rights to stream music from rock icons Led Zeppelin…also starting today.