iPatrol, a provider of home-monitoring solutions for the smart home, announces the availability of your own personal security robot they call Riley. Riley is an app-controlled Wi-Fi enabled roving security that patrols your house in the evening and alerts you via a notification if there is an intrusion.
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LeEco, the Netflix/Apple/Tesla of China, Acquires Vizio
Le Holdings Co. Ltd. (LeEco), a Chinese company with unusual multi-business aspirations, announced this week that they had acquired Vizio, a U.S. manufacturer of affordable televisions, in a deal worth $2 billion. The deal will serve as LeEco’s entry into the U.S. market with its unusual mix of products.
See more on this deal which will bring a whole new line of technology to the U.S… [Read more…] about LeEco, the Netflix/Apple/Tesla of China, Acquires Vizio
Email Marketing Remains Tops For SMBs
Eye-Popping Effectiveness Stats
Market researcher eMarketer reports that the latest research on marketing trends for small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) – and in this case, retailers – shows that email marketing remains the top tactic for both customer acquisition and retention. This research, pushes back the notion expressed by some, that email is losing momentum.
See more on why you should be using email to attract and retain customers… [Read more…] about Email Marketing Remains Tops For SMBs
Remember When Crestron Said It Was Pulling Out of CEDIA Expo? Surprise!
BREAKING NEWS
Even Bigger Surprise: Who Crestron Has Partnered With
We have learned from multiple sources, and now confirmed with the company, that leading control systems provider Crestron will in fact have a presence at the upcoming CEDIA Expo this September in Dallas, TX. This news will come as a surprise, perhaps even a shock, to many considering that just a few months ago, the company announced its departure from the residential custom integration industry’s biggest annual event.
But perhaps a bigger surprise is with whom they’ve chosen to partner… [Read more…] about Remember When Crestron Said It Was Pulling Out of CEDIA Expo? Surprise!
With BluOS, is Lenbrook the Apple of High-End Distributed AV?
Company Expands BluOS into NAD Line, Expanding Its Options
Back in the Fall of 2013, we told you about the birth of a new brand called Bluesound – a new networkable, high-quality wired and wireless multiroom music system. Almost simultaneously, and in response to the obvious success of Sonos we suspect, new systems from Bose, D&M Holdings (HEOS), and Lenbrook were all introduced. But Lenbook officials maintained that their system had an advantage over most of the other systems – they had created their own operating system called BluOS.
And now BluOS is expanding in very interesting ways… [Read more…] about With BluOS, is Lenbrook the Apple of High-End Distributed AV?
Horns Now Available from Chane Music and Cinema
A dramatic new high-end line of loudspeakers, Horns by Auto-Tech, is now available from Chane Music and Cinema, the newly appointed North American distributor/retailer for the brand. The brand offers five different systems, each of which features the use of “well-tried” horn technology. Paul Klipsch would be proud!
See more on Horns by Auto-Tech… [Read more…] about Horns Now Available from Chane Music and Cinema
Pokemon Go Hits Major Milestone, Already
Now On More Smartphones Than Twitter
This morning we learned a stunning statistic – Pokémon Go, that new game that incorporates augmented reality and that is all the rage right now – has hit an impressive milestone. According to data from MFour Mobile Research, Pokémon Go is now on more Android smartphones than Twitter.
Why is this stunning? Read on to find out… [Read more…] about Pokemon Go Hits Major Milestone, Already
New Large Freshman Class at ProSource
ProSource announced this week the addition of 21 new members, a fairly large freshman class, even for the organization that bills itself as the “largest audio, video and integration buying group in the country.” According to the organization, this freshman class is worth about $43 million in total retail sales.
See who joined ProSource… [Read more…] about New Large Freshman Class at ProSource
Look Out Nortek, Here Come the Lawyers
Acquirer Melrose Offers a Peek at Its Plans
The ink is barely dry on their agreement to be acquired by Britain’s Melrose Industries PLC, and already Nortek Inc. finds themselves the subject of multiple investigations by several major law firms who have publicly notified shareholders this deal may not be a good one for them. It is not clear if these law firms intend to take action yet, but if so, it could be a complicating factor in the transaction.
See who is stepping up to investigate Nortek… [Read more…] about Look Out Nortek, Here Come the Lawyers
Nortek Sold to British Investment Company
BREAKING NEWS
The summer continues to heat up with the second major acquisition announcement in two days. Melrose, PLC, a UK-based investment company that buys underperforming companies, improves their operations, and then resells them, has acquired Nortek, Inc. in a deal that pays Nortek shareholders $86 per share – a 38% premium over yesterday’s closing price. The deal, an all-cash offer, is expected to close by the end of August.




