Strategy in TECH...
Last week, we got the latest read on consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan’s (U of M) Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS), and it was not a pretty picture. According to the preliminary report for April, consumer sentiment dropped another 11% this month, extending a decline, U of M says, that began with the onset of the Iran war. This places the current reading about 9% below the reading for April 2025.
This is the lowest reading ever recorded in the history of this survey since 1946…
Netgear announced that it has received conditional approval on its routers from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This approval from regulators, the company says, means that dealers and consumers can rest assured that it is safe to buy, sell, and use Netgear routers which are now exempt from the recently announced ban on foreign-made routers by the U.S. government.
Who else has received FCC conditional approval?
Sound United brand Denon, now part of Harman International Industries, Inc., which itself is part of Samsung Electronics, has launched a new audio/video receiver (AVR) called the AVR-S980H that seeks to deliver an uncommon blend of audio excellence with simple, intuitive setup, and ease-of-use, along with flexibility and configurability to meet the varied needs of today’s consumers. The announcement sets a high bar, but the features and specs of the new Denon AVR-S980H suggest it clears that bar with ease.
Samsung Electronics just reported an incredible operating profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 that surged a much-stronger-than-expected 755% year-over-year. Even so, the company felt compelled to warn investors that the conflict in the Middle East is clouding the view of the future.
Long-time leading loudspeaker brand M&K Sound has selected Audio Collective Group as its exclusive U.S. distributor. The appointment is said to be effective immediately.
On Tuesday, we learned that Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is laying off hundreds of employees from its film studio, TV studios, and division HQ, according to a report in the Hollywood Reporter (HR). The reason behind the company’s move is said to be an effort by CEO Ravi Ahuja to refocus the company on “certain core growth areas, while pulling back in other places.”
In a huge deal between two power tech players – Japan’s Sony Corporation and China’s TCL Electronics Holding Limited – TCL is set to become the majority owner of Bravia, Inc., a new holding company that will consist of Sony’s TV and audio business units. It is a deal that may ripple through the industry, as other brands may seek to mimic Sony’s move to jettison its hardware properties in order to transform themselves into a more profitable software, content, and services company.
Kaleidescape, the industry’s leading provider of high-fidelity movies and high-performance movie streaming devices, is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Since 2001, the company has excelled in providing movie lovers with the best-looking and sounding movies. It’s a remarkable milestone when you consider that over that time, the company flirted with its survivability as the industry initially strongly resisted the idea of allowing homes across America to copy digital copies of movies to home servers.
But the company eventually found a legally safe path forward, overcoming the controversies and becoming the leading provider of high-fidelity movies at home.
Dr. Steve Weber was building a home in Colorado, and he needed an integrator to design and install the home’s automation system. Although he didn’t know it at the time, the result of that experience would alter the course of his career.
This week, I ran across yet another in a long line of critical articles about the unreliability of Smart Home technology. This one, from the New York Times, stings a little more, as it updates the well-worn path of complaints about home automation technologies, with a still-uncomplimentary perspective on new A.I.-enabled versions. The blunt conclusion: the Smart Home “Still Doesn’t Work.”
