ResiWeek, a podcast from AVNation.tv focused on the residential audio/visual market, once again invited Strata-gee editor Ted Green to participate on this week’s episode, recorded on Monday, January 9 and hosted this week by AVNation founder Tim Albright. The show, which has a strong bias towards the integration community, is known for its at-times vigorous and at-times humorous conversations with a rotating series of guests commenting on the topics of the day.
Pivot Point
Bridwell Leaves Digital Projection for Screen Innovations
Screen Innovations (SI) announced this week that it has hired Michael Bridwell as its Vice President, Sales and Marketing, a newly created role for the company. Bridwell’s appointment is effective immediately, and he is said to be already at work helping to create “unmatched experiences for SI’s present and future customers.”
See more on Bridwell’s career and new role at Screen Innovations… [Read more…] about Bridwell Leaves Digital Projection for Screen Innovations
Samsung Chairman Named as Suspect by Prosecutors in Political Probe
After a tough 2016, Samsung was likely looking for a little relief in 2017. They’ll have to keep looking because, as the old saying goes, “When it rains, it pours.” Reuters is reporting that prosecutors in South Korea have summoned Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee for questioning in a probe into an influence peddling scheme that may topple the president of the country and offer criminal indictments for some of the players.
Lee has been named as a suspect in the matter.
See more on this widening scandal and the risk to Samsung… [Read more…] about Samsung Chairman Named as Suspect by Prosecutors in Political Probe
Sharp Hit With Pushback; Hisense Refuses to Rescind Licensing Deal
Hisense is Said to be ‘Defiant’
News sources in Japan are reporting that Hisense has fired back at newly aggressive Sharp negotiating tactics, saying firmly it will not relinquish the licensing rights to the Sharp brand name in North & South America, as the company has recently requested. Hisense paid heavily to obtain those rights, and despite the fact that Sharp has asked to terminate the deal, the company has no intention of doing so no matter the offer – or more recently – no matter the threat from Sharp.
See more on this developing Sharp soap opera… [Read more…] about Sharp Hit With Pushback; Hisense Refuses to Rescind Licensing Deal
Sony Makes It Official – We Are OLED
It was a strange press conference as compared to those held by Sony in the past – only one speaker (Kazuo Hirai) who methodically gave a summary of the new models the company was launching at this CES. The whole press event lasted a mere 24 minutes. No Hollywood movie stars…no musical performances…no custom video clips…no movie clips…no cars driving on the stage. Just the Sony CEO calmly listing the new models. In fact, at one point, Hirai introduced Sony US President Mike Fasulo who stood and waved to the audience – then was told to sit down and not steal Hirai’s spotlight. Strange…
But there was one really big star of the conference – the company announced the new Bravia OLED TVs, a major expansion of the OLED camp.
See more on Sony’s OLED announcement…and other new models… [Read more…] about Sony Makes It Official – We Are OLED
Thiel Launches Multiple New Products at CES
Thiel Audio, in a series of press releases on their website, announced multiple new products to be launched at this week’s CES in Las Vegas. Some of these new products are being launched under the Thiel brand name, while others are being offered under the Aurora brand – a brand that was originally created for a 4K music venue at the company’s headquarters in Nashville, TN.
This launch represents what the company hopes will be the next chapter in the troubled brand’s long-running saga.
See more on Thiel’s new models… [Read more…] about Thiel Launches Multiple New Products at CES
LG Display Signs Deal to Supply Sony with OLED Panels
This Could Mean War with Samsung’s Quantum Dot Tech
Korea’s ETNews network is reporting this week that, after weeks of negotiation, LG Display and Sony have signed a comprehensive deal for the supply of OLED panels to be used in new Sony OLED TVs. The deal has been rumored for several weeks now, but ETNews has confirmed that a supply contract has been signed between the parties.
This could mean good things for OLED TV market share… [Read more…] about LG Display Signs Deal to Supply Sony with OLED Panels
Technology Integrator Prints Its Last Magazine
Calling 2016 “a year of transition,” NAPCO Media announced yesterday that it has printed its last Technology Integrator (TI) magazine – deciding to withdraw from print media and reinvent itself into an online-only property. The move has been rumored for weeks, and in an online post yesterday attributed to the “TI Staff”, the company made the news official.
See more on what’s going to happen with Technology Integrator… [Read more…] about Technology Integrator Prints Its Last Magazine
Apple Wins Holiday Smartphone Wars
In new research from Flurry Analytics, Apple clearly won the battle for holiday shoppers smartphone dollars. Based on activations of smartphones and tablets during the period of 12/19-12/25, Apple took a healthy 44% bite out of the market…well ahead of second place finisher Samsung (21%), who has struggled in the wake of a battery-blowup scandal. But when compared to last year…some surprises emerge.
See more on this research, released just days after the holiday season… [Read more…] about Apple Wins Holiday Smartphone Wars
iRule & OnControls Acquired by Kramer Electronics
iRule’s CEO Ben-Gal Talks to Strata-gee About Acquisition
Kramer Electronics, a maker of hardware-centric control solutions for the commercial audio/visual market, has acquired Detroit, MI-based iRule, a fast rising provider of software-based home control and automation solutions – including their OnControls residential line – in a private transaction that closed last Friday, December 23rd. The terms of the deal, including valuation, were not disclosed, but iRule co-founder and CEO Itai Ben-Gal told us this deal was the logical conclusion to a now multi-year relationship between the companies.
