Yep, you read that right. Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) today announced that they have launched an impressive looking 16-channel distribution amplifier aimed at the custom integration channel. Long deemed by many to be the king of Hi-Fi stereo sound, the company is making a power move into a decidedly integrator mainstay category. So say “Welcome” to the new CDA-16…
Technology
SnapAV Expands Offerings by Adding Ring Products
SnapAV announced this week that they are expanding their distribution line card by adding Ring products to their online portal, as well as in their Local Pro Stores in the U.S. The company will distribute not only the regular Ring line, but also their X Line, which is reserved for professional installers only.
Learn more about Ring at SnapAV…
[Read more…] about SnapAV Expands Offerings by Adding Ring ProductsGlobal Chip Shortage Forces Cuts to iPhone Production
Foxconn, a Taiwanese company said to be the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics and Apple’s biggest supplier, announced on Tuesday that due to the global shortage of semiconductors they have been forced to reduce production of iPhones. It was a surprising admission of just how extensive the chip shortage has become – that it is impacting Apple, one of the biggest companies in the world with virtually unparalleled buying power.
See more on chip shortage impacting iPhones…
[Read more…] about Global Chip Shortage Forces Cuts to iPhone ProductionDisaster Strikes Supply Chain Again – Another Chip Factory Destroyed by Fire
Once again, disaster strikes at the heart of the supply chain as reports are only now emerging about another factory destroyed in a major fire on March 19th that forced yet another semiconductor (chip) fabrication plant (fab) off-line. The fire took out the first floor of the Renesas Electronics factory in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan – just north of Tokyo, according to a report by the Nikkei.
See more on another factory destroyed by fire…
[Read more…] about Disaster Strikes Supply Chain Again – Another Chip Factory Destroyed by FireDigital Audio Consumption Grows, Even in a Pandemic
In new data from eMarketer, we learn that digital audio continues to grow even in the wake of a global pandemic. And by grow, they mean that the time users spend listening to this type of content continues to increase. Early in the pandemic, this didn’t necessarily look like it would be the case, as homebound consumers turned to traditional TV or social media (or both) leading many researchers to suggest digital audio would lose some ground.
See what happened with digital audio during the pandemic…
[Read more…] about Digital Audio Consumption Grows, Even in a PandemicSamsung Warns Chip Shortage Now Impacting Mobile Phone & Computer Biz
Supply Chain Problems are Expanding into More Products
More evidence is emerging of the possibility of an economically significant impact from a stressed supply chain that has hit the global supply of integrated circuits (chips) hard. First felt in the automotive segment, now Samsung is warning that the global chip shortage is impacting smartphones and personal computers.
See more on the Samsung warning…
[Read more…] about Samsung Warns Chip Shortage Now Impacting Mobile Phone & Computer BizLG Prevails in First of Three Patent Lawsuits Against TCL
LG Electronics (LG) announced last week that they had prevailed in a patent infringement lawsuit they had filed against Chinese powerhouse TCL Communication Technology Limited and two other affiliated European entities in Germany. While this is just one of three suits brought by LG, it’s the first argued, resulting in a winning decision.
See more on the lawsuits between these two giants…
[Read more…] about LG Prevails in First of Three Patent Lawsuits Against TCLVanco Feels the Need, the Need for Speed, in New HDMI 2.1 Cable Line
Vanco continues to impress me with their wide assortment of solution products needed and used by integrators every day. But they aren’t just an outlet for useful tools and gadgets – they also know how to push the envelope in core product performance. No better example of that exists than their latest announcement of the launch of a new line of Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cables.
These cables aren’t just fast…they are certified fast by HDMI themselves.
See Vanco’s latest line of Ultra High Speed HDMI cables…
[Read more…] about Vanco Feels the Need, the Need for Speed, in New HDMI 2.1 Cable LineAmazon Readies Entry into Step-Up Smart Home Control Market
Amazon Looks to Compete with Control4 & Others
Amazon.com Inc.’s secretive tech innovation development center, called Lab126, is said to be working on a more robust, step-up smart home control solution designed to be mounted into the wall, in a bid to take share in the custom integration channel. The move, first reported by Bloomberg News, is designed to take on major players such as SnapAV’s Control4 and other “professionally installed smart home control” providers.
But will it cannibalize their own Echo Show line?
[Read more…] about Amazon Readies Entry into Step-Up Smart Home Control MarketSavant Integrator Summit Celebrates 2020 & Kicks Off 2021 with Big Ideas
At the end of January, Savant held their popular annual Integrator Summit – its 15th summit ever…but its first such summit held online as a virtual one. In a Zoom meeting with industry media following the summit, President J.C. Murphy recapped the event which is held privately with only Savant integrators in the room.
Savant had a lot to talk about.