Strategy in TECH...
Taking place right now in Barcelona, Spain, ISE is a unique show that offers products tailored for both the residential and commercial side of the integration business, as well as for the international market. Of course, many major industry brands that distribute their goods globally are showing there, including these top technology products from the curated selection shown below.
Masimo Corp. (NASDAQ: MASI), a medical products company that also owns audio maker Sound United, notches yet another victory in its continuing conflict with Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) – this time in the form of a favorable ruling from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), which dismissed Apple’s challenges to two Masimo patents on proprietary technology to test blood oxygenation levels. As a result, things are heating up and getting a little more serious for Apple, which Masimo accuses of infringing on its patents to add a health-related feature to their popular Apple Watch products, with no compensation or licensing arrangement with Masimo.
Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) announced this week the availability of upgraded Series 2 versions of two of their popular true wireless in-ear headphones – the Pi7 S2 and the Pi5 S2. In true B&W form, these new models are NOT an example of just the same old wine in a brand-new bottle. Rather, the company has made serious upgrades to the technology, performance, and capabilities compared to the original versions of these headphones making them a great choice for new buyers…and also an attractive upgrade option for owners of the original versions.
On Monday, a federal holiday, VOXX International’s Premium Audio Company (PAC) announced that Oscar Bernardo, its Chief Operating Officer, left the company on December 31, 2022. The company says – in this kind of strange, after-the-fact announcement – that Bernardo left to relaunch the Mirage speaker brand. Mirage is owned by VOXX International, which acquired it in 2006.
Can headphone design really be inspired by a rad-looking “supercar”? Apparently, as high-end, high-performance speaker maker Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), a division of Sound United, announced today a special McLaren Edition of their flagship Px8 reference-grade, over-ear, wireless, noise-canceling headphones.
The company said it created the special model to celebrate its 5-year relationship with luxury, high-performance car manufacturer McLaren Automotive.
This has to rank up there with one of the most spectacular product failures in tech history. According to leaked documents acquired by Insider, Amazon’s “Worldwide Digital” unit – the unit that includes Echo smart speakers, Alexa voice technology, and Prime Video streaming – lost over $3 billion in just the first quarter of this year. It is on pace to lose $10 billion for the year and the company has announced its largest layoffs ever – cutting more than 10,000 jobs…many targeted to hit this division specifically…as Amazon reorients their business strategy.
Masimo Corp. (NASDAQ: MASI), the owner of major audio company Sound United, revealed last week that it had received a favorable ruling against a former employee who was found by the Honorable Judge James V. Selna of the United States District Court of the Central District of California, to have stolen numerous company trade secrets and then employed them in the design of a competitive product and in numerous patent applications. With this conclusion, Masimo earned a long, hard-fought win that gives them positive momentum as they head to court again against a bigger combatant.
Why is this case – Masimo vs. True Wearables – particularly notable? Because alongside this action, Masimo is also suing Apple, Inc. on many of the same issues – a case that has just been incredibly bolstered by the District Court’s ruling against True Wearables and its founder Dr. Lamego.
This post will present some of the top tech stories from CEDIA Expo 2022. You know, covering a trade show like Expo has always been a particular challenge for me. As someone who is always looking for a good story, going to a trade show with hundreds of exhibits is a bit like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose. Nonetheless, I was able to discover several stories I found particularly interesting and I hope you’ll like them too.
NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR), a billion-dollar provider of networking gear for both the consumer and professional markets announced two new powerful wireless access points – one WiFi 6 and another WiFi 6E – targeted for the residential custom integration channel. Along with these new models, the company is also offering powerful professional services, including remote monitoring and management capability and technical support such as placement guidance and network design services.
Just in time for CEDIA Expo this week, top Sound United brand Denon announced new AV receivers, the workhorse of many, if not most, residential systems. Denon launched a new line of 8K AVRs which they say “Elevates the At-Home Cinematic Experience for All.”
