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Dealing with COVID-19: Uncertainty? Yes, But Prepare for Return to Normality
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!
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COVID-19 and Trade Shows: Don't Panic Until Instructed
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.
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The Road to USB4 ...and a New USB Audio Device Class!
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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The True Potential of True Wireless Earbuds
by Vincent Nallatamby

The True Potential of True Wireless Earbuds

This article from Vincent Nallatamby, CEO of Tempow, a Paris-based startup discusses the potential of Bluetooth LE Audio to improve true wireless stereo applications. Tempow is a research and design lab focused on pushing the limits of Bluetooth technology. The company's first product, the Tempow Audio Profile (TAP) is an updated Bluetooth protocol allowing any Bluetooth chip to stream audio on multiple Bluetooth audio outputs simultaneously. The company also released a Bluetooth Software Stack for LE Audio, the next generation of Bluetooth audio.
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Never Stop Disrupting. Good Enough Is Never Enough!
by Joao Martins

Never Stop Disrupting. Good Enough Is Never Enough!

Post-CES 2020 Impressions. "CES is over but we’re just getting started!" That’s the optimistic vision propagated by many companies who just attended the gigantic Las Vegas event and they leave without really knowing if it was a success or not. Because this is no longer the old days when audio companies would leave CES with their order books filled. Currently, all you have are “contacts” and “great meetings” and little else to backup the promises of future business. And that’s the most important game after all at a show like CES. That and the media hallo effect that new product presentations might have caused.
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Is Direct to Consumer the Future for Hearing Aids?
by Peter Cooney

Is Direct to Consumer the Future for Hearing Aids?

At first glance, the reason for the decision to allow the sale of OTC hearing aids in the US is clear. The market for hearing aids is going to be driven by over-the-counter sales, according to the latest research from analyst SAR Insight & Consulting. This assertion is given weight by the news that Bose — a market leader in home audio, headphones, and automotive audio systems —is the first company to be FDA approved for a patent on OTC hearing aids. As a result, many companies are diverting their attention to the medical hearing aid market.
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Audio Collaborative 2019: More Audio Market Facts, Trends and Predictions
by Joao Martins

Audio Collaborative 2019: More Audio Market Facts, Trends and Predictions

Promoted every year by the market research firm Futuresource Consulting, Audio Collaborative 2019 full-day conference on November 7 was invaluable, with Futuresource's leading market analysts and researchers sharing some of the latest stats and trends on the topics in the agenda, combined with great panels and in-between keynotes. This is the fourth - and last - of my reports, originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter.
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Audio Collaborative 2019: Two Key Audio Trends and What to Expect
by Joao Martins

Audio Collaborative 2019: Two Key Audio Trends and What to Expect

Promoted every year by the market research firm Futuresource Consulting, Audio Collaborative 2019 full-day conference on November 7 was invaluable, with Futuresource's leading market analysts and researchers sharing some of the latest stats and trends on the topics in the agenda, combined with great panels and in-between keynotes. This is the third of my reports, originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter.
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ISEAT 2019 - International Symposium on ElectroAcoustic Technologies - A Report from the Center of Global Speaker Manufacturing
by Mike Klasco

ISEAT 2019 - International Symposium on ElectroAcoustic Technologies - A Report from the Center of Global Speaker Manufacturing

Loudspeaker engineers have few choices for professional forums. The Audio Engineering Society (AES) is an outstanding international organization although not entirely focused on speakers. ALTI (formerly ALMA) is loudspeaker-centric but does not have a strong base in China. And although you may not have heard about iSEAT, for most Chinese speaker engineers that is their preferred professional organization. The International Symposium on Electro-Acoustic Technologies (ISEAT), founded in 2007, is held every two years and has successfully conducted six sessions.
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Audio Collaborative 2019: The Professional Loudspeaker Market
by Joao Martins

Audio Collaborative 2019: The Professional Loudspeaker Market

Promoted every year by the market research firm Futuresource Consulting, Audio Collaborative 2019 full-day conference on November 7 was invaluable, with Futuresource's leading market analysts and researchers sharing some of the latest stats and trends on the topics in the agenda, combined with great panels and in-between keynotes. This is the second of my reports, originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter.
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