Osaka, Japan-based Onkyo Corporation says it has set a new global growth strategy that will focus on launching portable music players and headphones, thanks largely to resources it received in its acquisition of Pioneer’s home AV division. In an interview appearing in Japanese media, Onkyo President Munenori Otsuki said the world is entering “the age of portable music players.”
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Kaleidescape Hires Reps
We’ve been hearing for weeks about an effort by media server marker Kaleidescape to quietly hire sales representative companies around the country. Not quiet anymore, Kaleidescape officially announced today that it has augmented its direct sales force with a group of eight independent sales representative companies.
See more on this widely anticipated development… [Read more…] about Kaleidescape Hires Reps
Nortek’s AVC Segment in Q1: Less Loss, But Sales are Still Sliding
Nortek Inc. released their fiscal first quarter results this week and they were mixed at best. The company showed a sales increase to $572.7 million, up 4.5% over the $547.8 million booked in the first quarter of 2014. However, the company saw its net losses increase from $8.6 million last year to $13.9 million in the quarter this year. And when it comes to Nortek’s AV businesses, sales in the quarter declined another 9.5%, although the loss attributable to this segment did show some improvement to less of a loss.
See more on our analysis of the Nortek results… [Read more…] about Nortek’s AVC Segment in Q1: Less Loss, But Sales are Still Sliding
CEDIA is Shopping for a CEO; But is This Déjà Vu?
The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) announced on Monday that it is looking for a CEO to run the trade group. The organization has retained Korn/Ferry, one of the largest and most renowned executive search firms in the country, to conduct a comprehensive search for a new – and judging from the posted profile – heavyweight CEO.
But something seemed a little strange to us about this news out of CEDIA… [Read more…] about CEDIA is Shopping for a CEO; But is This Déjà Vu?
Samsung Removes Its Brand Name From Smartphones Sold in Japan
Samsung Electronics has taken the unusual step of selling smartphones in Japan that do not bear the Samsung brand name. We’ve never heard of this before, but if you want a Samsung smartphone in Japan, you have to purchase a “Galaxy” smartphone.
Why has Samsung removed their brand name from smartphones sold in Japan? See more… [Read more…] about Samsung Removes Its Brand Name From Smartphones Sold in Japan
Wren Goes Universal
Wren Sound Systems earlier this month announced an updated version of their popular V5 wireless speaker system called the V5US. The “US” in the model designation does not refer to the United States, rather, it stands for universal system – and it represents a significant upgrade of the company’s popular system.
See more on just what US means and why it will be popular with consumers… [Read more…] about Wren Goes Universal
JVC Kenwood Restructuring Produces Profits, But Sales Slide Continues
JVC Kenwood Corp. released a summary of results for their fiscal year 2015, the year that ended March 31, 2015, and we continue to see positive profit results from their rather dramatic company-wide restructuring that had them abandoning many consumer categories and refocusing on more commercial enterprises. But we also see a continued and persistent slide in sales that shows no sign of slowing down.
So just how did the company fare last year? See below… [Read more…] about JVC Kenwood Restructuring Produces Profits, But Sales Slide Continues
Autonomic Announces URC Total Control Compatibility
Autonomic Controls, Inc. announced today that it has launched a driver that integrates its popular MMS-2A and MMS-5A Mirage Music Players with the URC Total Control system. Combining one of the most popular high-resolution music player & lossless streaming systems with one of the most popular control systems is bound to be a hit with integrators, AND make their lives much easier.
See more on this announcement from Autonomic… [Read more…] about Autonomic Announces URC Total Control Compatibility
Sporting Goods Retailer Cabela’s Tells Customers to Disconnect from Tech
Company Seeks to ‘Rally Against…Over-Connectivity’
Cabela’s Inc., the world’s largest direct marketer of hunting, fishing, camping and outdoor goods, announced last week that it is partnering with country music star Justin Moore to launch a campaign to encourage their customers to disconnect from tech by supporting a Disconnect Day. Saying, “It’s no secret that a dependence on technology affects individuals and families,” the company plans to launch a multi-faceted effort to encourage consumers to “step away from their devices for a day of their choosing to enjoy outdoor activities.”
See more on how Cabela’s wants you to disconnect from tech… [Read more…] about Sporting Goods Retailer Cabela’s Tells Customers to Disconnect from Tech
Tesla’s Musk Not Only Wants to Power Your Car, but Your Home Too
Residential & Commercial Energy Storage is a Fast Growing New Market
Two separate announcements this week add significant momentum to a rapidly growing market we first told you about three years ago – the residential energy storage market. Now, two new announcements – one from Toshiba in Japan, and the other from home-grown Tesla, dramatically reveal the increasing interest in this all-new market for residential energy storage devices.
