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Volume 9, Issue 16 — August 29, 2012
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Samsung May Yet Win After $1 Billion Patent Case Loss
By Bob Synder
rAVe Europe Editor A U.S. federal jury in San Jose awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages from Samsung for infringing on six patents.
In a patent case that may alter the high tech landscape, the jury decided Apple's patents are valid. The jury believed Apple did not violate any of Samsung's patents. They also concluded Samsung willfully violated a series of Apple's patents related to the software and design of mobile device
Samsung will, of course, challenge the jury’s decision, so courtroom drama could continue for years, amplified by the dozens of lawsuits/countersuits in 10 countries between Apple and Samsung.
This defeat will dent Samsung's $21 billion cash pile, but in a strange turn… this case may actually benefit Samsung. Not as much as if it won, but a $1 billion defeat will only be a hiccup in the grinding growth of the Korean giant.
The damages equal less than half the $2.5 billion compensation Apple sought and that’s just 1.5 percent of annual revenues from Samsung phone and tablet business that generates around 70 percent of the group’s net profit of $4.5 billion (last fiscal April-June 2012). It's a tough write-off — but it's a write-off that won't be felt even three years from now.
Sure, Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone could also be banned from sale in the United States, but probably this large OEM maker ALREADY has planned non-patent infringing devices should the ban came into place.
The massive publicity from the “Patent-Case-of-the-Century” actually gave Samsung and its brand more recognition. The cruel truth of consumer purchasing is that the case educated consumers that Apple products have a cheaper rival. Not only in America but in other markets abroad, the Samsung brand has gained new recognition as a near-equal to Apple rather than as Apple’s OEM supplier.
Apple's win may affect other rival phones using Google's Android operating system more than it hits Samsung. Samsung may have to pay Apple around $10 royalty per phone, squeezing margins for those Android-loving smartphone makers who don’t have enough margin (like Samsung) to absorb the extra cost. So Samsung may end up with less competition and a faster-out-of-the-gate bounce-back from being first through the court battles with Apple.
Some industry pundits argue that Apple’s victory will only serve to force competitors to leapfrog and create new categories of products, more difficult to defend against than the Apple-imitation now in play,
And this litigation could end up with Apple and Samsung entering a cross-licensing agreement, creating a nearly impenetrable two-party walled-garden in the smartphone market.
No wonder Steve Jobs felt doubly betrayed by Samsung. The first betrayal was in March 2010 when the first line of Galaxy S touchscreen phones came out. The second betrayal was in October 2010 when Samsung turned down Job’s offer to let them have a $250 million royalty-bearing license for this category of device because Samsung was a strategic supplier to Apple. (Samsung, with true Asian business logic, figured it could avoid paying and still come out ahead. And it may yet.)
"This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple's claims," Samsung said in a statement.
Samsung will be at IFA Berlin this week (see photo), showing “premium square” displays and their transparent displays as well as smartphones and tablets.
And if you expected tears in Korea over this "defeat," you’ll be disappointed. It may even behoove Samsung to prolong the case by appeal, staying in the limelight while negotiating better terms, and meanwhile rolling out its replacement non-patent infringing devices.
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Why Doesn’t Every Integrator Get It?
By Amy Fulton
rAVe BlogSquad It is amazing how many people don’t see the value in investing in marketing. It annoys me since I am so passionate about it. With that being said, I am lucky enough to work for a company that believes in our brand and our commitment to position ourselves to our clients as a leader in the industry.
Did you know that marketing your company doesn’t have to be hard or expensive? With a little creativity you can generate some serious interest that can lead to additional traffic, more customers and new opportunities.
I think it is so important right off the bat to determine the company’s vision. It is key that a marketing director understands what the objectives are, plus the vision and goals of the brand. Successful companies must have the confidence in that person to let them spread their wings and fly with it. Nothing is worse than holding back creativity because of the inability to trust and empower employees. Establishing the brand with consistency across the board with everything from proposals, brochures, website, etc. is essential, and if in the right hands, marketing can position your company in a whole new light.
Self-Promote. Everyday there are amazing things that you and your staff do to enhance your brand and image that you probably don’t even realize. Somebody needs to spread the word! Trust me, your current and future clients want to hear your success stories, your community outreach and the personal side of your company. Open the door to your communication. Take advantage of guest opportunities to be interviewed for articles in trade publications or speaking engagements. Make the time. It is a free way to get your name out there and use these articles to help educate your clients after they have been printed.
Leverage your happy customers. Utilize your good relationship — ask to develop case studies and have professional photography done. Trust me, you need a professional photographer! Amazing photos will open up many doors so make the investment.
As integrators, we have great opportunities to grow beyond our small marketing budgets to team up with our supporting manufacturers and industry publications. Let’s face it, it is a win-win situation. They want to be in front of your clients as much as you do. Manufacturers as well as magazine editors are ready to support your efforts, and I have not run into a situation yet that when presented with a fresh idea they are not willing to support it. Get creative and reach out…what is the worst that can happen? They say no?
Social Media is always a hot topic for me. It is the wave of today. Wake up… it is the way we communicate now. InfoComm was an entirely new experience for me this year. I was able to meet in person with so many people that I have met through social media that I communicate with every day. Without this resource, I would have never met or learned or expanded my network. Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube. These are the platforms people use to get their information. If you are not involved, you should be. Reaching out to the masses and expanding your brand to the public is part of the mix. Every day we are gaining new opportunities that come from social media both within our industry and the outreach to clients — six degrees of separation.
E-marketing is another tool that is cost effective and gets information out. Monthly newsletters have been effective for us. I have to imagine that others would feel the same. Once a month, clients get a recap of some fresh new products, latest industry news — they see our personal side of who we are (we are more than just AV, we care about our clients and what they need). All of these things are creating an image, a brand — the image that I want our clients to relate to when they see our name. We are a resource of information for them, and through this medium they gain knowledge and confidence. Our open rate is pretty high and every month something results, whether a box sale, a bid request, a service call — it makes all the hard work worth it.
On the same note, I also do one internally every month. I think it is important to find a way to communicate to our staff all the happenings that go on within our company, we are not all under the same roof. We not only highlight big sales, completed jobs and messages from our president, but we again show our personal side. Everything from births of babies, charities and sporting events, company picnics, vacation pictures. It is a connection — it might be a small connection, but it bonds us as a company, as a family.
Events are a favorite of mine. I guess I am the girl that loves to socialize, so it comes with my personality. I think they are an important part of the mix, and from two perspectives. One is client appreciation and the other is new business development. Both are important in their own ways. Our client appreciation events are not to make money (well, to be honest, everything we do is to make money), but it is more about continuing to build and foster a good working relationship. It shows our clients that we are a sound company and we care about our clients. We might not close a deal one month later, but if an event and networking event goes well, they will remember us; they will spread the word to others that we are a company they want to do business with. As far as I am concerned, that is a win all around.
New business development events are equally as important. It gives us the opportunity to present our offerings to new prospects, to begin the process of growing their confidence in our ability to provide them the right solution or service offerings. We do this on so many levels. We have a new business development woman who attends networking events, luncheons, seminars, trade shows, etc. We recently did a speaking lunch and learn at ILTA, which is the International Legal Technology Association. The event proved to be highly successful and has opened their eyes to new solutions and a company that can provide them. These opportunities are priceless for growing your name throughout the marketplace.
It's also critical to keep your website up-to-date. If you are researching a company or have a need, what is the first thing you do? You look them up online. Everything we do goes back to our website. It is our billboard. What we can offer, photos of recently completed projects, product offerings, blogs, ways to contact us, news and events — it is all there. Before they even need to reach out, it is all there. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Blogging kind of falls under PR. Blogging opens a lot of doors for conversation. It doesn’t need to be 100 percent technical or a white paper. It just needs to be someone’s opinion of what they think. I love that about blogging. I want to read something light and maybe learn something from someone else’s experience. I take it for what it is. We blog about advanced technical topics, but the Marketing Chick needs to understand it before I push it out.
I can go on and on and on. These are just a few things that we cover in our marketing department. I love my job because it is something new every single day. I am creating a brand that I believe in. There are a ton of topics I didn’t even cover, but this blog would be WAY too long and you probably have already lost interest. Marketing is a key function in presenting your company to the public in the right eye. Make the investment, see the value and respect those who do it well.
Amy Fulton is a member of the rAVe BlogSquad. Find more of her blogs here.
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Share Article Back to Top Selecting the Proper Screen Material for Your Application
By Digital Projection, Inc. Have you ever used a screen material other than white for a projection application? If so, what color? Light gray, dark gray, or even black? What effect does screen color have on your projected image? What about the effect of the screen surface and material from which the screen is made?
To solve these questions, Digital Projection International’s (DPI) Application Support team projected video in an ambient lit room onto a screen that was white on one side and gray on the other (see figure below).
The left side of the screen is matte white while the right side of the screen is a dark shade of gray. In this ambient lit environment, the gray screen material produced a more vivid image. The gray side of the screen uses a material with angular reflective properties (see description below). The fact that the material is gray helps to preserve black level, even in the presence of ambient light. This increases the perceived contrast of the image, making it look as if it has more detail and resolution than the white section of the screen, which appears more washed out. Screen selection plays an important role in how you design for a projection application, so let’s take a closer look at these material types.
A matte white screen is typically described as having either unity gain or a gain of 1.0, and is an evenly diffusive material. That means when light from the projector reflects off the screen, it diffuses evenly in all directions (see figure below). However, it is important to note that when ambient light reflects off the screen it also diffuses evenly in all directions including back at the audience, therefore making the image from the projector look dim or washed out.
Angular reflective screen material, which is typically dark gray, is often a better choice when designing for ambient light applications. With an angular reflective material, light hitting the screen reflects at an opposite angle. Projection light bounces almost straight back to the audience, while ambient light at more extreme angles bounces away from the audience (see figure below).
For projectors to be an effective solution for media rooms, careful selection of the screen material is vital. DPI performed preliminary testing with angular reflective screens and the results indicated the following rule of thumb: Two thousand lumens of light output produces great looking images on 16 square feet of screen material in venues with typical ambient lighting. Two thousand lumens per 16 square feet equates to 125 foot-lamberts, if the screen was unity gain.
Put another way, for typical general-use ambient light environments:
- A 2500-lumen projector will produce great imagery on a 6' x 3.375' angular reflective screen.
- A 4500-lumen projector will produce great imagery on a 8' x 4.5' angular reflective screen.
- A 7000-lumen projector will produce great imagery on a 10' x 5.625' angular reflective screen.
- A 10,000-lumen projector will produce great imagery on a 12' x 6.75' angular reflective screen.
- A 16,000+-lumen projector will produce great imagery on a 14' x 8.875' angular reflective screen.
Typical general use ambient light environments are defined as multiple types of indirect artificial lighting, but no direct light falling on the screen, and no sunlight pouring into the room.
Although this is just a rule of thumb, we think it provides a good guideline.
This article was reprinted with permission from Digital Projection, Inc.
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Seeking Validation
By Lee Distad Following the wiring phase, the next and arguably the most important step in any installation is testing and validating the lines and connections. Because of that, reliable testers are a critical tool.
While a lot of testing can be accomplished with an off the shelf multi-meter from the hardware store, including checking voltage, and testing the impedance of speaker lines in some cases, more specialized tools are necessary.
For coax lines, simple RG-6 tone testers comprise a sender, and a receiver. Connecting the sender to one end, installers can then use the receiver to determine which coax termination on the other side of the house it belongs to.
Network cabling requires more even more thorough testing. With their multiple conductors, Ethernet cables are the most likely to be incorrectly terminated (I know that I’ve screwed up my share), leading to all kinds of hassles if not identified. That’s where an Ethernet line validator becomes crucial.
There are plenty to choose from, and integrators should invest in the best the can afford. One example is the VDV PRO from Ideal Industries. It supports testing of RJ-11/12, RJ-45, Coax F, BNC and RCA connectors. In addition to Pass/Fail, it displays wire errors including Open, Short, Miswire and Split Pair and can also report on the cable’s length. It’s available from online supply companies starting at around $240.
Oddly enough, despite the fact that there are now quite a few HDMI field validators available, very few of the integrators I know use them. More than one has joked that in cinema room jobs, they use the fact that there’s picture and sound as validation that the cable isn’t broken. In addition, in terms of distributed video, Crestron’s DigitalMedia HDMI matrix hardware has its own internal validation and warning system that eliminates the need to test multiple HDMI lines manually.
Although it’s still more common in commercial installations, fiber optic networks have been appearing in some residential projects too, and thus enters the need for fiber validators. There aren’t many on the market, at least yet, but Ideal’s MULTIMODE MICRO ODTR is a good example. It features the ability to sweep cables on pre-programmed wavelengths to test for shorts and dead zones, and then report on the location of the fault. It’s compatible with interchangeable fiber adapters with a wide variety of configurations, and has a USB connection to download reports to thumb drives or PCs. At an average price, depending on configuration, of $10,000 (yes, ten thousand dollars), it’s really only a worthwhile investment for integrators who are going to be running thousands of feet of fiber on their projects.
As we all know, wireless is unlikely to handle everything you need on a project, so that means running lines, which furthermore means testing those lines. Like everything else, the right tools make the job easier.
Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs
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Share Article Back to Top This Month from rAVe's BlogSquad Back to Top New Distributor Energy Squad to Offer Only GreenAV Products A new distribution company was announced today, Energy Squad, which will focus on offering environmentally-friendly equipment to the custom install market. Energy Squad will offer products such as LED lighting, home automation systems, AV equipment, HVAC, energy management solutions and more.
Energy Squad will also work with its vendors and partners to develop environmentally-friendly products designed to address the specific needs of the custom installation industry. It will also offer educational opportunities to its customers and the industry.
"We have seen how limited professional systems integrators are when it comes to finding resources to provide them with information on the latest in environmentally-friendly products," said Jonathan Stovall, founder and CEO of Energy Squad. "Energy Squad grew out of our desire to help fill that void based on our passion to promote the growth of green technology products and services. Now, integrators will have a trusted distribution partner that they can turn to for exclusive green tech products, service, education and support. At Energy Squad, we are green tech."
Authorized Energy Squad dealers can have products shipped anywhere in the U.S., with select purchases qualifying for free freight.
Energy Squad will make its official debut to the custom installation industry at CEDIA EXPO 2012 (booth #1221, shared with Rosewater Energy), held September 6-8 in Indianapolis, Ind.
Energy Squad’s assortment of environmentally-friendly products will be available beginning Q4 of 2012.
For more information, go to http://www.energysquad.com
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Share Article Back to Top Nortek Combines Brands into One Nortek, Inc. just announced the formation of Core Brands, a new group that combines 10 of the company's formerly independent audio, power management and control brands operating within its Technology Solutions segment.
Including Nortek's Aton, BlueBOLT, Elan, Furman, Niles, Panamax, Proficient, SpeakerCraft, Sunfire and Xantech brands, Core Brands has more than 190 years of combined experience in the residential, commercial and professional markets and over 4,300 direct customer accounts in multiple distribution channels in the U.S. and worldwide.
This is something that rAVe founder Gary Kayye suggested that Nortek should do in an open letter to them this past May that you can read here: https://www.ravepubs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7870&Itemid=182
Core Brands will be based in Petaluma, Calif., with offices in Carlsbad and Riverside, Calif., and Marblehead, Mass. Bill Pollock, who has served as president of Panamax, will lead Core Brands. Dave Keller, vice president of sales and marketing for Panamax/Furman, will handle worldwide sales. Keith Marshall, president of SpeakerCraft/Proficient, will be in charge of channel management, and Paul Starkey, president of Elan, will lead marketing for all brands.
"The formation of Core Brands reflects the strategic refocusing currently taking place as we pursue new markets and new opportunities to serve our dealers, channel partners and end users," said Nortek President and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Clarke. "We expect that combining the unique capabilities of each of these 10 formidable brands will deliver new and powerful benefits they can only achieve as a group."
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Two Perfect Networking Opportunities CEDIA EXPO is the industry’s rendezvous and provides the perfect opportunity to get face-to-face time with old industry connections (and new ones). Be sure to register and plan to attend two great events that are ideal to touch base with industry friends and peers.
EXPO After Hours Party: Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012
Join CEDIA as we close out the first day of CEDIA EXPO 2012. Sometimes it’s nice to relax and kick back a few drinks after a productive day at the show. The After Hours Party will feature live music from Cousin Roger, food and drinks. Whether you want to hold a meeting with a client or vendor, catch up with industry friends, or simply kick up your heels and have a good time, the EXPO After Hours Party is the place to do it.
Electronic Lifestyles® Awards Celebration: Saturday, September 8, 2012
Now in a new format, this year’s celebration fosters an environment ideal for networking, camaraderie, and inspiration. This celebratory party will focus on honoring the technology and design excellence of innovative companies within the electronic systems industry, while also giving attendees a great opportunity to socialize with winners. Live music, food, and beverages the Electronic Lifestyles® Awards Celebration is a great place to network and meet new contacts for all types of EXPO attendee.
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Share Article Back to Top ADAM Audio Introduces Beautiful ARTist Surround System ADAM Audio's new ARTist Series 5.1 Surround system includes a pair of ARTist 6 speakers for the left and right front channels, ARTist Center, a pair of ARTist 5s for the rear channels and an ARTist Subwoofer. ARTist Series speakers are available with a high gloss finish, individual volume controls for balancing the system and tweeter and bass controls to compensate for room anomalies. Inputs include four different types of connections — RCA, XLR, a 3.5-millimeter mini stereo jack and a USB port.
Featuring the same X-ART tweeters as ADAM’s Pro/commercial monitors, ARTist Series speakers also feature electronic crossover and built-in amplifiers for each driver.
Complete specs are here: http://www.adam-audio.com/files/downloads/ARTist_Brochure_E.pdf
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Share Article Back to Top HAI by Leviton Launches Bluetooth Remote Input Module HAI by Leviton announced today its new Bluetooth Remote Input Module (RIM) for the Hi-Fi 2 distributed audio system. The Bluetooth RIM allows wireless devices, such as laptops, tablets and smartphones equipped with Bluetooth, to wirelessly broadcast stored and streaming music throughout a home or business. The device also has an input module for wired devices like radio tuners and DVD changers. Up to eight Bluetooth devices may be used in a single installation to play music from the devices’ Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody, iTunes, Google Music or YouTube playlists.
The Bluetooth RIM connects to the Hi-Fi 2 via a single Cat5 cable, introducing Bluetooth connectivity to a home or business’ distributed audio system via local or remote inputs to deliver music to up to 16 zones.
Get all the specs here: http://www.homeauto.com/Products/products_main.asp
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HAI by Leviton Debuts CFL and LED Dimmer HAI by Leviton just launched a new Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) dimmer. UL listed for both CFL and LED bulbs, the dimmer has the ability to control up to 600 watts.
HAI says the 600W CFL/LED Dimmer (dubbed the 35A00-1CFL) features a special dimming curve that is optimized for CFL and LED bulbs to provide smooth dimming throughout the entire range. The CFL/LED Dimmer also features a minimal brightness level to prevent the bulb from flickering and an auto-off feature, ideal for pantries, closets and other spaces where light is not always needed. A small LED on the switch will blink when the switch is timing out.
The 600W CFL/LED Dimmer is available in almond, light almond, black, brown, grey, ivory and white and uses a standard Leviton Decora style wallplate. Here are the specs: http://www.homeauto.com/Products/products_main.asp
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Share Article Back to Top D-Tools to Launch System Integrator SIX at CEDIA Expo D-Tools, Inc. announced this month the latest version of its award-winning System Integrator software, SIX. D-Tools says this major on-premise release has been updated to increase efficiency and productivity for integrators of low voltage systems. SIX leverages D-Tools’ expanded cloud infrastructure to deliver equipment data, provide partners with direct marketing services and establishes the foundation for future mobile and web-based applications.
D-Tools SIX focuses on performance and ease of use and provides systems integrators and custom installation professionals with a robust solution for creating fast, accurate, data-driven project proposals and client documentation, detailed system designs in either Microsoft Visio or Autodesk AutoCAD, and powerful project management capabilities. Users can download product specifications from D-Tools’ comprehensive database of hundreds of thousands of products and accessories from major manufacturers.
Some of the new features in SIX include:
- Re-designed Architecture — 64-bit support that takes advantage of the latest processors and 64-bit applications natively
- Speed and Performance — Enhancements to the SIX application framework delivers greater performance, stability and scalability
- Re-designed User Interface — Improved navigation and workflow makes it easier target critical elements of the software and increase productivity.
- Integrated Data Management — Tools and functionality geared towards increased efficiency and ease of use
- Cloud Architecture for Data services provides a fast and efficient way to download data from D-Tools comprehensive Data Library
- Expanded Data Library — up to 1,000,000 SKUs from thousands of manufacturers
- Quick Filters and Product Queries for more efficient data management
- Mass Update to quickly apply changes to products, labor items, or packages
- Price Rules can be created to quickly update products and labor SKUs
- Integrated data feedback — request new products, report errors, and vote on data quality.
- New Project Editor — The SIX project editor has been completely re-designed and enables users to add catalog items to projects in a number of ways
- Enhanced Reporting
- RealPic Library of Select MVP Visio Shapes
- D-Tools Connect — The first release of D-Tools integrated analytics and communication system for manufacturers and the D-Tools user community from within the D-Tools System Integrator software environment.
System Integrator SIX will officially launch at CEDIA Expo next month in Indianapolis. For more information, click here: http://www.d-tools.com
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Share Article Back to Top Chief Ships iPad Mounts Chief is now shipping its kits designed for integrating iPads into AV environments. The kits include the FSBI2B portable iPad interface, which works with the latest two generations of the iPad. The snap fit is designed for easy removal for the user on the go.
The KRA400B weight plate accessory, also available separately, accommodates the minimum weight requirements of K1-series dynamic mounts. The weight allows the gas spring arms to function ideally with the FSBI2B.
Chief has bundled the portable iPad interfaces with Kontour Series mounts for fast and simple ordering.
- K0W1I2B — Kontour single display pitch/pivot flush mount with FSBI2B portable iPad interface
- K1C1I2B — Kontour single display column mount with FSBI2B portable iPad interface and KRA400B weight plate accessory
- K1D2I2B — Kontour dual display desk mount with FSBI2B portable iPad interface and KRA400B weight plate accessory
Here are all the specs: http://www.chiefmfg.com/Products/K1C1I2B
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Chief Adds Power-Protected Outlet to Product Line Chief announced today the addition of the PX2W, which provides surge protection and power conditioning hidden in an easy-to-integrate power outlet.
Chief has added this industry-first power outlet conditioner to several wall mounting products, which will add power protection to every installation. New mount bundles are available that include the power accessory with the WM2 Series of short-throw projector wall mounts, the Large THINSTALL Dual Swing Arm Wall Mount and the Large FUSION Micro-Adjustable Tilt Wall Mount.
When ordering, look for the "P" at the end of the model number. Learn more at http://www.chiefmfg.com/Series/Powered
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Share Article Back to Top Yamaha Intros Airplay-Capable Home Theater in a Box Yamaha has announced a complete home theatre solution — the YHT-679BL, which is a system in a box offering an Apple AirPlay compatible receiver and a full 5.1 speaker package.
The speakers include two front tower speakers, three compact satellites for the surrounds and center channel and a 6.5-inch 100-watt subwoofer packing Yamaha's Advanced YSTII technology.
The receiver is not only Airplay capable (connecting to iDevices via free Yamaha AV Controller App), but it also handles networked content from Internet radio stations and DLNA-certified devices. It supports HDMI 4K and 3D video pass-through with Audio Return Channel.
Other features include CINEMA DSP 3D (with 17 DSP programs), 192/24 Burr Brown DACs and Yamaha YPAO system calibration, as well as Dolby True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio decoding.
Here are all the specs: http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hometheater-systems/home-theater-package/yht-697/
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Share Article Back to Top Wisdom Audio Hires Two New Team Members Wisdom Audio recently announced the appointment of Luc Guillaume to the newly created position of chief business development officer and Patrick Turnmire to the senior transducer and systems designer position. Both will be instrumental in developing new product solutions that shatter preconceptions while creating new business opportunities, customers and markets.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top ADI Adds Branch Locations in Texas and Michigan ADI announced today it will open two new branch locations that will further expand its North American footprint. The new branches will be located in North Houston, TX and Grand Rapids, MI.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Crestron Promotes Michelle Baker to Showroom Manager Crestron today announced the appointment of Michelle Baker as showroom manager of the newly opened Crestron Los Angeles Design Showroom in the Pacific Design Center. Baker joined Crestron in 2007 as office manager and training coordinator, assisting in the opening of the first Crestron west coast satellite office in Phoenix, Ariz.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top VOCO New Apps for iPhone and Android Released VOCO, makers of a voice-controlled multi-zone media system, has released two new versions of VOCO Controller, a free mobile app for both Android and now iPhone. Each voice/touch app transforms mobile devices into controllers for any VOCO network environment.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top RTI Celebrates 20th Anniversary Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) announced this month that its celebrating its 20th anniversary. RTI was founded by John Demskie out of a one-room apartment in Minnesota and is now known for its line of touch panels, in-wall controllers, remotes and advanced central processors.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe HomeAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100% opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the high-end HomeAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
Don’t like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.
To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter – instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas: Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe Publications has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA, launched in February, 2004.
To read more about my background, our team, and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top Copyright 2012 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – 919/969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe HomeAV Edition contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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