After several slow news weeks, the technology industry cranked up a heavy cycle of news headlined by big names such as Emerald, Dua Lipa, Google, and Apple.
Noticeably absent and maybe it was due to the level of residential and national news items drawing the attention of the KMB Comm Tech Week in Review, but the commercial market was quiet. In fairness however, the commercial AV industry is gearing up for the annual InfoComm show that is rapidly approaching. Perhaps that side of the industry has its head down in preparation for its showcase event.
Now, let’s look at the technology news that defined the week.
KMB Comm Tech Week in Review’s Look at Emerald’s Acquisition
Ever since the publicly traded events company Emerald entered the technology integration business through its acquisition of the CEDIA Expo and then shortly afterwards, several EH Publishing brands that includes CE Pro magazine, the company has been heavily scrutinized.
In a press release from May 11, the company announced that it had been acquired by Apollo Funds. The press release points out that along with Emerald, Questex was also acquired and together, the new Apollo Funds properties will be used to create a scaled business-to-business (B2B) platform that offers more than 160 events.
Under terms of the deal Emerald Stockholders will receive $5.03 per share. At the time of this write-up, Emerald prices sit at $4.99.
Recently, The Listening Chair posted a review of the AVID HiFi Relveo turntable. The go-to turntable manufacturer from the U.K. has been around since the mid-1990s and the review points out the Relveo offers vinyl fans an opportunity to acquire one of its products for a more approachable price than some of its other turntables.
The review points out $10,995 turntable comes with the Altus V2 tonearm and for the review the tonearm was fitted with an AVID Ionic MC cartridge ($3,000 MSRP) to bring the total cost to near $14,000.
ResearchAndMarkets.com is an international research company and its Smart Home Global Forecast 2026-2032 finds the global smart home market will reach the figure of more than $139 billion by 2032.
The study estimates the market will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from nearly $96 billion in 2026. ResearchAndMarkets.com states this growth will be fueled by continued Internet penetration, as well as the increased adoption of connected devices and energy-efficient home systems.
One interesting discovery in the data finds the smart kitchen is expected to lead market growth. Consumer appetite for smart refrigerators, connected ovens, and voice-enabled cooking assistants will foster the adoption of smart technologies in the home.
A Pop Star Takes on a Global Technology Giant
Starting the week off, Reuters posted a story on the British entertainer Dua Lipa filing a lawsuit against Samsung. The legal action seeks according to the news service, at least $15 million in damages by using her image without permission.
The lawsuit states the global company used a copyrighted image of her on the front of the packaging of TV boxes that were sold in retail. The image the story notes, enabled the company to benefit from what may have seemed an endorsement from her of those products.
Following up on a story that KMB Comm has been keeping an eye on, Yahoo Finance via Reuters is reporting that eBay has rejected GameStop’s $56 Billion bid.
In the story by Reuters, the takeover bid was called “neither credible nor attractive” by eBay as it is four times the size of the gaming retailer. The story points out that GameStop did not respond to request for comments.
The final KMB Comm Tech Week in Review item comes from LinkedIn. The social media website reports that Google announced that it discovered a security issue that was targeted by hackers using AI.
The “Zero-Day Exploit” that is alleged to have been developed in conjunction with AI was thwarted by Google through a patch before the attacks could negatively impact the huge tech company.
LinkedIn asserts the attacks on Google highlights the cybersecurity threats AI pose.
To learn more about KMB Communications clients, click here.