Strategy in TECH...
HTSA, the Home Technology Specialists of America buying group, announced today that Jon Robbins, its current Executive Director, is leaving the organization. Robbins has held this role since he first assumed it in December of 2015.
Marantz announced this week two new audio products that seek to advance its position in high-performance audio, along with modern usability designs to complement today’s user lifestyle. The new models include the Model 70 Integrated Amplifier (for international markets) and the CD 70 CD Player (for the U.S. market).
In a communication with dealers this week, Nice North America, the global holding company for many important custom integration brands, announced it has pulled out of the CEDIA Expo 2026. The company says this is a “strategic” move as it seeks to focus its marketing investments on “initiatives that deliver greater value…”
AVPro Edge, part of the AVPro Global family of brands, announced today that it has refreshed its popular MXnet switch lineup with the new P-Series. The company says that its MXnet 1G switches are its best-selling switch line. With the new MXnet P-Series, the company looks to push scalability to new heights.
Back in 2023, Strata-gee did a series of stories on Audio Research Corporation, a high-end tube amplifier manufacturer widely respected in the high-end community, but then going through financial struggles. In fact, when we last visited the Minnesota-based company, they had entered into a legal/financial process known as Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC), a form of receivership that is an alternative to bankruptcy. We revisit them now for an update.
In an announcement that shocked dealers, Dynaudio announced today that it intends to exit the North American market and shift its priorities to other global markets offering “the strongest strategic opportunities.” With this decision, the company will be permanently closing its U.S. subsidiary sometime in the “fall of 2026.”
I wish you and your entire family a VERY HAPPY 4th of July, 2026 – celebrating America’s birthday and recognizing 250 Years of Independence.
For a few months now, we’ve been seeing a moderation in enthusiasm on Wall Street for Artificial Intelligence (AI) investment. On several occasions, a major tech company would announce a new multi-billion-dollar investment to acquire chips or other AI technology…or to build huge data centers to train LLMs…only to see their stock value crash. In a nutshell, investors are coming to believe that there is no way AI can hit a level of success great enough to repay the now trillions of dollars of collective investment by big Tech to create it.
Then, this week, Ford Motor Company announced it would rehire more than 300 engineers who had been let go to turn their jobs over to AI. Ford admits its AI ambitions failed and has rehired these “graybeard” veteran engineers with decades of experience to improve product quality.
Crestron Electronics, a global leader in smart home and home automation, announced this week that Configure Pro, originally announced a few months ago, is now available. This is great news for Crestron integrators, as the all-new system configuration platform is a substantial upgrade over the previous Crestron Home Setup application and offers greater approachability, easier and faster operation for more efficient and consistent installations, and so much more.
The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the US. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that sales of new single-family homes in May dropped for the second straight month. Many analysts believe this is a sign of a more enduring economic slowdown.
