CEVA Acquires Hillcrest Labs Intelligent Sensor Technologies Business from InterDigital

CEVA announced the acquisition of the Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc. (Hillcrest Labs) business from InterDigital. Hillcrest Labs is a leading global supplier of software and components for sensor processing in consumer and IoT devices, and the acquisition extends CEVA’s connected technology portfolio with highly complementary sensor processing technologies that have powered more than 100 million devices.

Consumer appetite for premium headphones continues to grow, with global revenues rising five times faster than shipments in Q1 2019, according to the latest market tracker report from Futuresource Consulting. As the CE Team at Futuresource highlights in its latest update of the Worldwide Headphone Market Report, headphone market revenues have reached $5.9 billion. True wireless maintained its ascendance, outperforming all other form factors with growth of 223% in units and 188% in value.

What can you do when the market gets crowded in a category were sales didn't even take off that much? For a mass-market consumer-oriented brand like JLab Audio there's only one solution: stick to the essential and pack the best possible design and features in the cheapest product possible with decent specifications. The San Diego-based brand launched their JBuds Air True Wireless Signature Earbuds, which feature 14-hour battery life and custom EQ settings and will retail at an M.S.R.P. of only $49.99.

Artificial intelligence (AI), voice-recognition technology and fast connectivity – critical ingredients for smart speakers, smart home technologies and smartphones – will help spur overall U.S. consumer technology industry revenue to $377 billion in retail revenues in 2018, a six percent increase, according to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The mid-year update of CTA’s flagship report, U.S. Consumer Technology Sales and Forecasts, also shows whole home Wi-Fi solutions and wireless earbuds will each cross the $1 billion wholesale revenue milestone for the first time this year.