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Actively Smart True Wireless Earbuds: How to Augment Your Hearing

September 3, 2020 by Joao Martins

Actively Smart True Wireless Earbuds: How to Augment Your Hearing

IFA 2020, in Berlin, Germany, was "the first major global fair for consumer and home electronics" to physically take place since the pandemic. This limited push to promote a trade show again, lead some major consumer electronics companies and brands to converge their announcements in the week from September 1-5, with showcases streamed to the world live from the Berlin exhibition grounds. Some announcements were relevant to the audio industry and included the Qualcomm press conference, which used the opportunity to launch its latest Adaptive ANC platform, an important step towards smart true wireless earbuds.

New Digital Behaviors: A New Calendar for the Audio Industry

August 21, 2020 by Joao Martins

New Digital Behaviors: A New Calendar for the Audio Industry

With the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic effects, in the same way as many retailers' business and entire distribution models have been disrupted, consumer behavior changes are also affecting the manufacturers' calendars in general. The industry is no longer depending on massive industry events that in the past have determined important product launch and promotion cycles.

The Intelligent Microphone: The Next Generation of MEMS Microphone Technology

August 6, 2020 by Mike Klasco

The Intelligent Microphone: The Next Generation of MEMS Microphone Technology

At the end of July 2020, audioXpress ran a product release on Vesper's VM3011 intelligent digital micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphone. Its claim to fame is a power saving architecture that enables battery standby life that otherwise would be unattainable without the "smarts." There are another half-dozen developers working on integrating all sorts of capabilities within the MEMS mic package. This article, originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter, discusses those developments.

Sonos Settles Another Patent Infringement Case and Agrees on Multi-Year Licensing Deal with Lenbrook

August 3, 2020 by Joao Martins

Sonos Settles Another Patent Infringement Case and Agrees on Multi-Year Licensing Deal with Lenbrook

Sonos and Lenbrook Industries reached a settlement in Sonos’ patent infringement lawsuit against Lenbrook regarding the Bluesound wireless audio systems. Undisclosed terms include a multi-year licensing deal associated with all BluOS enabled solutions worldwide. This announcement comes after a patent infringement deal was also settled with Sound United regarding the Denon HEOS solutions. Sonos continues to fight in court against Google to protect its wireless audio patents.

CTA Confirms CES 2021 Will Be A Digital-Only Virtual Experience

July 29, 2020 by Joao Martins

CTA Confirms CES 2021 Will Be A Digital-Only Virtual Experience

To much concern all across the global technology industries, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced CES 2021 – January 6-9, 2021 – will be an all-digital experience. Meaning, there will be no CES 2021. There will just be more webinars and online "things," which no show promoter has found out until now what they are, who they are for, and how much are they worth. Certainly not for a strong B2B show like CES. Anyway, given the global pandemic situation, it was all predictable.

Speech Quality in Conferencing Scenarios: Understanding All Optimization Requirements

June 25, 2020 by Hans W. Gierlich

Speech Quality in Conferencing Scenarios: Understanding All Optimization Requirements

While on the one hand, we experience the benefit of having communication possibilities anytime and anywhere and use all types of communication platforms allowing us to interact in virtual conferences without being present physically - we also experience significant variations in communication quality, especially when being involved in virtual meetings. The question is: What is communication quality and which factors distinguish good communication quality from poor communication quality?

Online Events Business: What's the Alternative to a Trade Show?

May 21, 2020 by Joao Martins

Online Events Business: What's the Alternative to a Trade Show?

Event and trade show promoters still have a business - and it has nothing to do with media, content, or education. They are not supposed to try and do what companies should do themselves, much less become a sort of "closed-circuit broadcaster," social media booster, or podcast promoter. Talking to a closed circuit is exactly the reason why companies need a trade show: to break the loop. That is also the reason why companies need media - to amplify their messages and reach new buyers and markets.

Dealing with COVID-19: Uncertainty? Yes, But Prepare for Return to Normality

March 19, 2020 by Joao Martins

Dealing with COVID-19: Uncertainty? Yes, But Prepare for Return to Normality

This is temporary. Anticipate changes. Plan for different rules. Remember, as with the virus hit, everything can change in just a few days. This global effort to contain the virus will require a six-month effort at a minimum, but things will gradually return to normal and at different paces. Things will start changing after just two weeks. You want to be ready to respond to the markets that recover first. The last problem you want to face is things returning to normality and not being prepared for it!

COVID-19 and Trade Shows: Don't Panic Until Instructed

March 5, 2020 by Joao Martins

COVID-19 and Trade Shows: Don't Panic Until Instructed

While waiting for the end of the COVID-19 outbreak, follow the relevant authorities' reports and wait. Use the available time to reorganize, focus on product development and other essential bench and back office activities, and get ready for a full-force return at a later date. In short, keep doing your job. Yes, we're all staying put for a while. But let's use the time to work and make sure we can go back to the next trade show and we can all hug and greet one another without fear.

The Road to USB4 ...and a New USB Audio Device Class!

February 7, 2020 by Joao Martins

The Road to USB4 ...and a New USB Audio Device Class!

This year, I was really looking forward to meeting with the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the support organization for the advancement and adoption of USB technology, and discuss their projects for the USB4 Specification, the really big, gigantic update story on that front (at least in consumer electronics) since CES last year. The USB-IF announced the publication of the latest and greatest USB4 specification in September 2019, offering a major update to the USB architecture that complements and builds upon the existing USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 architectures. This article was published originally in The Audio Voice 264 newsletter, February 6.

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