Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI), a medical products manufacturer who also owns audio products maker Sound United, said this week that a U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) Administrative Law Judge in Washington D.C. has ruled that Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has violated Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 by importing and selling models of their Apple Watch that incorporate light-based pulse oximetry technology that infringes on two of Masimo’s patents. Apple first introduced its pulse oximeter sensor in their Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020 and continues to incorporate it into models up to the current series.
Apple
Masimo, Sound United Parent, to Expand Denon’s HEOS System

Company Finally Gives a Glimpse of Its Sound United Strategy
In what may turn out to be the best test yet of Masimo’s long-term plans for Sound United, the company announced today that it is launching an expansion of HEOS, the wireless home system initially developed by the company’s Denon division as part of a whole-home wireless music system. When Masimo acquired Sound United back in February of this year, Denon’s “cloud-connected home ecosystem” was one of the items it specifically mentioned as what attracted them to make the acquisition.
With today’s announcement, the company says that the launch of this “…expansion of the HEOS platform [will] provide a robust and always-on connection to the Masimo Health secure cloud.”
See more on this latest announcement by Masimo
[Read more…] about Masimo, Sound United Parent, to Expand Denon’s HEOS SystemTiny Koss Scores Big Win over Giant Apple in Patent Dispute Settlement

Expects $10-$14 Million in Licensing Fees in Current Quarter
Back in August 2020, I told you about Koss Corporation filing patent infringement claims against Apple Inc, Bose Corporation, PEAG LLC (JLAB Audio), Plantronics, and Skullcandy. It seemed like an improbable journey for the relatively small specialty headphone maker, but they plunged ahead anyway confident that their wireless audio patents had been unfairly infringed.
This week, after two years of legal battles that had intensified in 2022 and on the eve of a jury trial with mighty Apple, Inc. the two parties reached an agreement settling all disputes in a deal that looks really sweet for Koss.
See more on the big win for Koss
[Read more…] about Tiny Koss Scores Big Win over Giant Apple in Patent Dispute SettlementTech Takes a Trillion-Dollar Thumping

We’re ‘…Experiencing a Seismic Shift’ Says Uber CEO
More and more evidence continues to emerge suggesting that the economy is undergoing a fundamental shift, a turn if you will, that will at least slow economic growth – and may lead to recession. Perhaps the clearest indicator of that is the turn taken by tech, which has lost a trillion dollars in value in just three days of trading on the stock market. For the last two-plus years, tech was the driving force behind a dramatic economic expansion during the pandemic. What is happening now?
See more on what is happening with Tech
[Read more…] about Tech Takes a Trillion-Dollar ThumpingAs Companies Have Employees Return to Office, Is This the End of Remote Work?

What Will the Impact of This Trend Be on Custom Integration?
With COVID now seemingly in decline, on Monday Google employees (Googlers?) began the process of returning to work at the company’s various headquarter and other office locations around the country. The company is requiring they work at least three days a week in the office, continuing to work remotely for the other two.
Google is hardly alone in pulling employees back to the office, Apple employees return next week and most major companies have announced dates for office life to begin again. Will this kill remote work and have an impact on the custom integration business?
Read more on this new return to work period
[Read more…] about As Companies Have Employees Return to Office, Is This the End of Remote Work?Sputtering Supply Chain Hit Again – Surge of COVID in Vietnam Closes Factories

Brands Like Apple, Samsung, Nike & Adidas Have Been Forced to Close
In a new hit to the supply chain, top brands report that they have been forced to close down factories in Vietnam as the country struggles with a COVID resurgence of surprising resiliency. Notable brand names like Samsung, Nike, Adidas, Apple, Coca-Cola have all at one time or another over the last 90-days been forced to close some or all of their factories as employees came down with the illness.
See more on this new supply chain disruption…
[Read more…] about Sputtering Supply Chain Hit Again – Surge of COVID in Vietnam Closes FactoriesSonos Stock Slammed on News Apple Stores Drop the Line

Lost 7% of Value in After-Hours Trading
Bloomberg News reported late on Monday that Apple is dropping Sonos [NASDAQ: SONO] and other non-Apple branded products from their stores. The news of Sonos losing such a major customer caused their stock to derail in after hours trading, down almost 7% in value at one point. On Tuesday, Sonos stock price closed down 3.2% as Wall Street digested the news.
See why Apple stores are dropping Sonos…
[Read more…] about Sonos Stock Slammed on News Apple Stores Drop the LineAppeals Court Rules Against Monster & Noel Lee; They Must Pay Beats $14+Mil

This long and complex series of intertwined legal actions between Monster LLC (and all other Monster related parties) and Beats Electronics LLC (and all other Beats related entities) seemed to be winding down. Back in 2016, I reported on the lower court ruling in favor of Beats who had filed several motions for summary judgment. It seemed as though this was the end, but in 2018, more actions ensued.
Now, 5 years in, have we reached the end?…
[Read more…] about Appeals Court Rules Against Monster & Noel Lee; They Must Pay Beats $14+MilSmall Headphone Specialist Koss Corp. Attempts to Slay Giants Apple, Bose & Others in Court

Milwaukee, WI based Koss Corporation (NASDAQ:KOSS) last month launched a significant litigation effort against several major industry brands in an effort to assert and protect its IP portfolio rights. On July 22, 2020, Koss filed lawsuits against each of Apple, Inc., Bose Corporation, PEAG LLC dba JLAB Audio, Plantronics, Inc., and Skullcandy, Inc. Each of these auspicious brands, Koss says, are infringing on their patents covering wireless headphones and speakers.
See more on this audacious move by Koss…
[Read more…] about Small Headphone Specialist Koss Corp. Attempts to Slay Giants Apple, Bose & Others in CourtLG Adds Apple AirPlay 2 & HomeKit to Select TVs
Says It’s the First Global TV Maker to Support HomeKit

LG Electronics announced today that starting tomorrow Apple AirPlay and HomeKit will be available on its 2019 Thinq AI TV line. The company says this makes them the first global television manufacturer to support HomeKit.