All items written by audioXpress Staff
Nielsen Acquires Music Metadata Service Gracenote for $560 Million
December 20, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

Nielsen Acquires Music Metadata Service Gracenote for $560 Million

Nielsen announced it has entered into an agreement with Tribune Media Company to purchase Gracenote, the industry’s premier provider of media and entertainment metadata, including the music metadata provided to all major digital music services, including Spotify and Apple iTunes. With this transaction, Nielsen will acquire the data and technology that underpins the programming guides and personalized user experience for major video, music, audio and sports content.
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New NFC Forum Specifications Enable Near Field Communication Devices to Communicate with Broader Range of Devices and Tags
December 20, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

New NFC Forum Specifications Enable Near Field Communication Devices to Communicate with Broader Range of Devices and Tags

The NFC Forum announced the availability of three adopted and one candidate technical specifications, following approval by the Board of Directors. Significant enhancements to these specifications include the addition of Active Communication Mode (ACM) for Peer-to-Peer Mode (P2P) communication, support of NFC-V Technology compatible to ISO/IEC 15693 and the introduction of the NFC-V based Type 5 Tag allowing NFC devices to communicate with a broader range of devices and tags.
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ams Expands its Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Technology Portfolio with Incus Laboratories Acquisition
December 20, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

ams Expands its Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Technology Portfolio with Incus Laboratories Acquisition

ams is closing out the year with another acquisition to boost its leadership in audio sensors and active noise cancellation (ANC). The company will acquire Incus Laboratories Ltd, a UK-based privately-held provider of intellectual property (IP) for digital active noise cancellation in headphones and earphones. Incus’ design tool suite and acoustic characterization technology, allows ams to offer easier OEM implementations.
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Powersoft Boosts Engineering Capacity in North America, with Appointment of Gino Pellicano
December 20, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

Powersoft Boosts Engineering Capacity in North America, with Appointment of Gino Pellicano

Powersoft has appointed Gino Pellicano to the newly created position of Applications Engineer. In his new role, Pellicano will report to Kurt Metzler, U.S. Sales Director, Powersoft, effective immediately. The position increases Powersoft’s outreach and support capacities for its branded rackmount amplifiers as the global company looks to build on its engineering capabilities across multiple regions.
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QSC Announces Q-SYS Platform Software Release to Support AES67
December 19, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

QSC Announces Q-SYS Platform Software Release to Support AES67

QSC, a member company of the Media Networking Alliance (MNA), has announced that it will incorporate support for AES67 in its Q-SYS Platform with the forthcoming Q-SYS Designer v5.3 software release. Introduction of support for the networked audio interoperability standard will allow audio distribution between Q-SYS and other systems supporting AES67 without additional hardware.
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Primacoustic Launches New Website Featuring Expanded Educational Content
December 19, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

Primacoustic Launches New Website Featuring Expanded Educational Content

Primacoustic announced the launch of their new website featuring a streamlined user experience that customizes to the individual user’s needs, a brand new blog section announcing the latest product news and featured applications as well an extensive library of educational resources. The site retains the very popular online room calculator/quote feature from the previous site.
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MUSIC Appoints Van Williamson to Lead Installed Sound Market Efforts
December 19, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

MUSIC Appoints Van Williamson to Lead Installed Sound Market Efforts

We’ve not heard much from Uli Behringer’s ventures for almost all of 2016, except for the fact that MUSIC has been hiring and restructuring all its world operations, centered on expanded manufacturing facilities in China. Now MUSIC confirmed the appointment of yet another ex-Harman executive, this time to lead its Installed Sound efforts.
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PreSonus Releases DAW Control Surface FaderPort 8
December 16, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

PreSonus Releases DAW Control Surface FaderPort 8

The project was unveiled some time ago by PreSonus and its now finally available. As PreSonus explains, although a keyboard and mouse are tried-and-true DAW-control devices, they’re far more effective when used in tandem with the FaderPort 8’s precise tactile control over mix and automation functions. With 8 touch-sensitive, motorized, 100 mm faders and 57 buttons covering 78 different functions, users can quickly zoom in on audio files for editing and make adjustments with the touch of a finger.
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Denon Unveils New AH-D7200 Flagship Reference Over-Ear Headphones
December 16, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

Denon Unveils New AH-D7200 Flagship Reference Over-Ear Headphones

Denon has announced the new AH-D7200 flagship over-ear headphones designed for the most demanding audio enthusiasts, combining innovative technologies and carefully selected materials for the finest in private listening. The new Denon AH-D7200 headphones feature new FreeEdge nano-fiber drive units and real walnut housings, combined with Japanese-developed soft synthetic leather ear-cushions.
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Arrow Electronics and Conexant Systems Collaboration on Development of Amazon Alexa-Enabled Smart Home Products
December 15, 2016 by audioXpress Staff

Arrow Electronics and Conexant Systems Collaboration on Development of Amazon Alexa-Enabled Smart Home Products

Arrow Electronics has entered into a preferred global agreement regarding Conexant Systems’ audio and voice technology solutions. Arrow is not only distributing, but also sourcing components and providing technical design support for Conexant’s AudioSmart 2-Mic Development Kit for Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS).
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