Strategy in TECH...
New research shows that while a majority of internet users own some type of smart device, almost no one owns a smart appliance – even though many manufacturers like Samsung have been pushing the category for a couple of years now. If consumers believe in “smart” technology, what’s going on with smart appliances??
Solid niche player Como Audio launched a new music system at last week’s CE Week called the SpeakEasy. Como Audio owner Tom DeVesto has practically invented the high quality small shelftop system – first at Tivoli, now at Como Audio – a category that most others fill with cheap, low-Fi junk to be sold in your local drug stores. SpeakEasy shows how DeVesto intends to retain their leadership in the arena by adding the latest and greatest technology.
In another example of a practical application of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, at CE Week last week the company B’z T showed a line of children’s clothing with hidden sensors that make your kids truly trackable – in fact they call them “Trackable Ts.” Offering a wide range of styles, colors, and designs, the company has already seen its products picked up by Amazon and other dealers, creating a bit of a buzz.
One of the more interesting conference panels that took place at CE Week last week in the Jacob Javitz Center in Manhattan was a panel called, “Listening in the Living Room: How Smart Speakers are Striving to Be the Next Great Planform.” This panel featured Gary Schultz, Director, Business & Product Development, SDI Technologies Inc, the parent company of iHome and Andrew Vloyanetes, Sonos’s sales manager. The panel was moderated by John Quain, a contributor to The New York Times.
Some of what this panel had to say was in line with what you might expect – they are both pretty high on smart speakers and the category’s conjunction with voice control.
We did NOT say that Monster Money was a scam in our article. We DID say that cryptocurrencies are risky, risky investments to be approached with caution. The prevalence of several large scams in the supposedly safe world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies serve as a stark reminder of this need for extreme caution when investing in something new.
The race is heating up for global leadership in artificial intelligence, considered by many to be the next area of technology that will explode with activity. Many major players here in the U.S., both in Silicon Valley, as well as other places, seek to establish themselves as the leaders in AI.
But where in the world is the greatest amount of money going to fund startups who will drive the development – and ultimately the adoption – of AI? You might be surprised…
AudioControl, a scrappy and innovative maker of electronics solutions for residential, commercial, and automotive applications, said today that it will show its commercial products at InfoComm 2018 taking place next week in Las Vegas, NV. Although the company has been involved in the commercial market for years, this is the first time they’ve displayed at InfoComm in a bid to further build their share of the commercial channel.
Sonos Inc. confirmed late yesterday that it has cut 6% of its staff, or 96 employees, just days before a highly anticipated public offering expected as early as next month. The cuts are said to have been across all department and at all levels.
Yesterday, a major manufacturer who is very influential in the industry announced it was launching a series of “Experience Centers” across the country to help promote its brand. Perhaps you think I’m referring to Control4, who did announce such a program yesterday in partnership with 140 integrators around the country. But no, I’m referring to Amazon.com, who has partnered with one of the largest home builders in this country – Lennar – to build Amazon Experience Centers all around the U.S.
In a new analysis by eMarketer, we learn that Google has made significant inroads into the smart speaker market, causing Amazon’s Echo to begin to lose market share. So far, they remain the number one smart speaker, but projections show continued erosion, as consumers are embracing Google’s, as well as other’s, smart speaker options on the market.
