by Bob Archer | Dec 5, 2025 | Blog, Magnetar Audio
Just like a holiday turkey, this week’s KMB Comm Technology Week in Review is stuffed— skipping the carb-laden stuffing—the KMB weekly wrap-up for the week of Dec. 1-5, is however, chock full of the latest industry and national news.
With 2025 winding down and everyone looking forward to the rest of the holiday season the news cycle for the next couple of weeks will be busy. Keeping pace with holiday news cycle, KMB Comm has found compelling items from the smart home and commercial AV industries, as well as relevant national news.
What’s Happening in the Residential Technology Market
Starting with some product news from Residential Systems, the publication has an item on the new Magnetar MK II series of products. The publication points out the new product line made its debut at the 2025 CEDIA Expo show and it includes a choice of two models.
To learn more about the Magnetar MK II products, click here.
Over at CE Pro, the publication looks at the dealer software category with its software deep dive feature. Some of the deep dive’s findings include the massive leap in adoption of AI technologies, and the growing use of cloud-based software products.
To see the complete story from CE Pro, go to the link here.
Moving onto the audiophile world, the publication Future Audiophile recaps the recent Capital Audiofest home audio show.
Check out the show report here.
Wrapping up KMB Comm’s Technology Week in Review’s look at the residential market, Technology Designer has a nice story on Tommy’s Place.
Located on Cape Cod, the publication explains this facility provides a place for kids fighting cancer. Tommy’s Place also houses these kids’ families, and Technology Designer says the property features lots of gear from Snap One, including SunBrite TVs and Episode speakers.
The year-long project was handled by Adam Zell and the team at Boston Automations. Here is the entire story.
What’s Happening in the Commercial Technology Market
Shifting gears to the commercial AV industry, the AVNetwork website had a couple of noteworthy items.
The first item from the website is its annual SCN Top 50 Systems Integrators 2025 list. This year’s list resembles past years according to the site. SCN states that AVI-SPL remains the top company, and other content associated with the list includes a Q&A with former Diversified CEO Eric Hutto.
To learn more about the SCN list of top 50 commercial AV companies go here.
The other AVNetwork story to make KMB Comm’s Technology Week in Review is a digital signage case study with NowSignage delivering digital menu board solutions for the national pizza chain Little Ceasars.
To read this Hot-N-Ready item, click here.
KMB Comm Look at National News for Dec. 1-5
Widening the KMB Comm news scope, the past several years Spotify subscribers have looked forward to the streaming service’s annual end-of-year usage report. A story from Yahoo reports that on Dec. 3, the service launched its Spotify Wrapped to its 713 million users.
According to the story, new features added to Wrapped this year include the ability for users to see their, “listening age” and for them to compete in a “Wrapped Party.”
Other services, including Apple Music offer similar types of year-end reports. In the case of Apple Music, the service calls its year-end product, “Apple Music Replay.”
These year-end reports provide data on what songs users listened to most often, as well as users’ most popular albums each month, and their overall most popular artists for the year.
Concluding the KMB Comm Technology Week in Review for the week of Dec. 1-5, LinkedIn is reporting that gas prices fell to their lowest levels in four years.
LinkedIn news points out the national average now sits at $3.00 per gallon. Further down in the LinkedIn post there are White House figures that state these reduced prices could save consumers $200 per year.
Here is the LinkedIn story.
To see the previous week’s KMB Comm’s Technology Week in Review, click here.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Dec 3, 2025 | Blog, KMB Communications, Kordz, Leon Speakers, Somfy, SONOS
On the surface gift giving sounds easy, but for the person that seemingly has it all, gift giving can be difficult. Unless of course, they are living a smart home lifestyle.
Because of the nature of technology with it always moving forward, staying on top of the latest technologies and trends can be a losing battle, particularly in the fast-moving smart home industry.
The ever-evolving nature of smart home living provides an evergreen level of opportunity for family members and friends to find gifts for the hard to buy for people in their lives. Whether it’s something simple like a Netflix gift card to ease those streaming subscription burdens or something more elaborate, here are some suggestions to help family and friends lead a more tech-savvy lifestyle in 2026:
6 Smart Home Products for a Holly Jolly Holiday
Epson QB1000 4K Projector: The QB1000 is a part of the company’s recently released high-performance Q Series of products. Epson specifies the QB1000 to produce up to 3,300 lumens of color and white brightness to allow the projector to reside in dedicated home theaters and multipurpose rooms. The projector also provides HDR10+ compatibility, and technologies such as the company’s Epson QZX Picture Processor.
Kordz ONE Outdoor Speaker Cable: At the recent 2025 CEDIA Expo show in Denver Kordz featured several new products that included the ONE Outdoor Speaker Cable. Designed for use as an above-ground connectivity solution, the 14AWG speaker cable utilizes a UV-resistant outer jacket. Internally, the cable employs OFC copper connectors, and the company says the smart-home friendly outdoor cable is packaged in easy-to-pull boxes to facilitate termination in the field to allow for efficiency when setting up outdoor AV systems.
Leon Speakers Ente SoundTile: Leon Speakers is a defining smart home audio manufacturer, and a good example of the company’s heritage can be found with its Ente SoundTile. Combining art with audio, the product features a set of stereo speakers with the option of Sonos amplification. Homeowners can choose the Ente SoundTile’s artwork and the option of LED lighting to discreetly integrate audio into home environments.
Somfy Motorized Awnings: Earlier we noted the increase in popularity of outdoor technology solutions. Somfy’s Motorized Awning solutions are a good example of bringing the benefits of smart home living to outdoor spaces. Somfy’s motorized awnings offer users protection from the elements, and the products can be activated through a simple button push.
Sonos Ace Headphones: Often overlooked by music fans, the high performing Ace headphones offer a combination of active noise cancelling, immersive audio (Dolby Atmos), and the ability to complement users’ existing Sonos’ systems. The competitively priced headphones also provide up to 30 hours of battery life, and a choice of Bluetooth, USB-C, and 3.5mm connection options.
The Sonos Ace headphones are the perfect complement for smart home audio and travel. (photo credit: Sonos)
Torus Power TOT Series: The Canadian company’s compact line of power isolation and filtration products can bolster the performance of smart home components that include networking and AV gear. The TOT components like the rest of the Torus Power product line employ isolation transformers to eliminate line noise issues. The TOT Mini is rated at 7 amps, and it can be used with projectors, TVs, source components, and network products. The TOT Max is rated at 15 amps, and it can be used with amplifiers and subwoofers.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Nov 26, 2025 | Blog, PR & Communications Tips
Increasingly when the calendar turns to November, a growing number of people are now treating Thanksgiving Day as a full week off.
Using this trend as a starting point, it is a slow week in the world of residential and commercial electronics, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t noteworthy news items populating the world wide web.
This holiday edition of the KMB Comm Technology Week in Review features a good mix of content headlined by KMB Comm’s leader Katye Bennett and her column for Residential Systems on how to use voicemail as a more effective business tool.
Click here to read the column.
Over at CE Pro, long-time publication contributor Jeff Boccaccio takes a look why the power component within the HDMI 2.1b standard isn’t more popular. Boccaccio asserts the option within the standard has been underutilized since its introduction and he breaks down why manufacturers haven’t utilized the option more.
See what the HDMI format expert has to say about HDMI Cable power here.
Over on the commercial side of the electronics industry, Commercial Integrator posted a story on PPDS and the company’s 2026 ISE Show plans that include AI-ready Philips Signage products.
Go here to read the complete story.
Focusing on the audiophile hobby, FutureAudiophile.com provides an in-depth review on Fender’s collaboration with MoFi on the MoFi X Fender Vintage Turntable Special. To learn more about this $2,995 turntable click this link.
KMB Comm Recaps the Week in National News
A quick tour of the national news cycle finds a couple of stories on LinkedIn. Apple is constantly in the news cycle and this week there is some good and bad news from the tech giant.
Looking at the good news, LinkedIn citing a report from Bloomberg, says that Apple is planning a major upgrade for its iOS27 operating system. As part of the Bloomberg report according to the story, will be a focus on AI technologies.
Check out the post here.
Wrapping up this week’s KMB Comm’s Technology Week in Review look at national news is another LinkedIn post on announcements to keep an out on this week for those interested in the latest economic news.
Here are the news items LinkedIn says to keep an eye on.
Finally, since Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season, Boston.com did a roundup of holiday TV specials. The Boston-based site, which is part of the Boston Globe runs down classics such as “Frosty the Snowman,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
The full post on Boston.com can be found here. For those wondering, the 1974 classic, “The Year Without a Santa Claus,” it has already run on TNT, but it is available for rental and purchase on services such as Amazon Prime.
Happy Thanksgiving from KMB Communications.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Nov 21, 2025 | Blog, KMB Communications
On the cusp of the annual Thanksgiving Day holiday the smart home or custom installation industry is gearing up to take some much needed and welcomed time off.
Just because the holiday is rapidly approaching however, it does not mean the market is resting on past accomplishments. The team over at CE Pro has been busy traveling covering events such as Total Tech Summit (TTS) and buying group events like HTSA’s Fall 2025 show.
Recapping the buying group event, Nick Boever from CE Pro says HTSA asserts the industry is still moving forward, despite the turbulence of the economy. Boever also states that AI was a major talking point for the nearly 100 group members that attended the event.
Here’s Boever’s full run down of the HTSA Fall 2025 event.
Looking at some product news, Residential Tech Today reported on the newly announced Kaleidescape Mini Terra Prime. The publication points out the latest Kaleidescape product is engineered to deliver the same level of performance the company is known for, but in a smaller form factor to make it more homeowner friendly.
Check out the story on Kaleidescape’s new Mini Terra Prime here.
Going deeper into the industry’s favorite topic—products—Residential Systems ran through its Best of Show awards program. Citing more than 50 products, the winning products ranged from control and lighting solutions to surround sound processors, and MicroLED displays.
Here is the complete list of winners from Residential Systems annual awards program.
Over in the world of commercial AV, the staff at Commercial Integrator covered an item on a Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group installation that featured equipment from Epson. The article looks at some of the challenges the famous show presented to the technicians installing the AV system and how they overcame those obstacles.
The story can be found here.
KMB Comm’s Look at National News
A new report published by LinkedIn says that October’s unemployment figures offer a mixed bag of results. According to the story, unemployment increased slightly to 4.4%. The story notes the figure is caused from a combination of permanent job losses and people quitting their jobs.
What is surprising continues LinkedIn, is the economy did pick up nearly 120,000 jobs, which is a number above estimates.
LinkedIn adds the next job reports is expected in mid-December. Here is the post from LinkedIn.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Nov 20, 2025 | Apex Technologies, Blog, Kordz, Leon Speakers, SONOS, Torus Power
One of the most underappreciated American holidays is Thanksgiving. The fourth of July, Christmas, Labor Day and Memorial Day are popular because of gift giving, cookouts and beer. Naturally, people love to celebrate those days for all those reasons and more.
Thanksgiving however, is taken for granted in many cases. Kids are home from college, families gather or they simply stay home to enjoy a day of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pies, cakes, cookies, and adult beverages with no second thought.
What makes Thanksgiving great is that regardless of whether you are a sports fan or not, you’re likely to turn to the TV and home AV system for some entertainment. Of course, the National Football League (NFL) offers a full schedule of football from about 1 p.m. to about 11:30 p.m., so that solves the question of entertainment for many people, but what options are there for those people that aren’t football, hockey or basketball fans.
Home AV Streaming Options for the Thanksgiving Holiday
Focusing on the NFL game action on Thanksgiving, the slate of football begins with the Green Bay Packers vs the Detroit Lions at 1 p.m on Fox. Following the Lions game, the Dallas Cowboys will then play the Kansas City Chiefs at 4:30 p.m. on CBS. Wrapping up the trio of games are the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Baltimore Ravens at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.
Moving onto the streaming services, here are some movies and TV shows to check out on your home AV systems:
HBO Max: The latest “Planet of the Apes” movie, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” is now available on the service along with popular series that include, “It Welcome to Derry,” and “The Chair Company.”
HBO Max also has movies such as “Elf,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” and “Weapons.”
Disney+: The popular streaming service offers a wealth of content that is sure to provide a workout for a home AV system. Some of those titles include “The Fantastic 4: First Steps,” “Zootopia,” and “Avatar: The Way of the Water.”
Naturally, Disney+ provides a host of holiday titles such as, “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie” and “Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.”
Prime Video: Amazon’s streaming service is available to anyone with a Prime account, and it offers a range of live sports, movies, documentaries, and TV shows. Some of the latest content options from Prime Video include the series “King Conqueror” and “Hazbin Hotel.” Movie options include classics such as “Uncle Buck,” recent blockbusters such as “Spider-Man: Coming Home,” and rental titles like “One Battle After Another.”
Netflix: Netflix, the largest streaming service is now offering shows such as “Death by Lightning,” “The Beast in Me,” “Stranger Things,” and the “Last Samurai Standing.” Movie choices include “Frankenstein,” “The Thursday Murder Club,” and “The Marksman.”
Component Recommendations to Foster Food Coma TV Binging
One of the fun things that attracts people to home AV as a hobby and/or as a means of entertainment is the fact that it provides an array of options to deliver those entertainment options.
Price while a factor is not the sole point in determining a home AV purchase. Ease-of-use, industrial design, and size are also factors. With these factors in mind, here are a few suggestions that can be used to help homeowners achieve their home AV entertainment goals:
Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar: The fully featured Arc ($1,099 retail) is a popular choice for homeowners that want immersive audio in a solution that provides a room-friendly footprint. The Dolby Atmos immersive audio soundbar can be paired with other Sonos components such as its Sub 4 subwoofer and Era 100 speakers. An additional benefit with the Sonos ecosystem is that beyond its home theater capabilities, it also provides homeowners with the ability to stream and playback music as part of a whole-house audio system.
Leon Speakers TIMBRE TI44UX Speakers: The Mich.-based audio company Leon is known for its one-off custom speaker products, as well as its combination of design and audio technologies. The TIMBRE TI44UX ($2,750 per pair) is available in a list of standard finish and grille options, and the speakers are backed by Leon’s custom finish program. Internally, the speaker utilizes a 4-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter, and the speaker can be used as part of a full immersive audio system or as part of a stereo or 2.1 system when combined with a subwoofer.
Quantum Media Systems XDR4 8K Extreme LED Wall: At the top end of the home theater market there has been growing momentum for the use of custom video walls in home spaces. Quantum Media Systems’ newly announced XDR4 8K Extreme Video Wall is a custom solution that professional integrators can utilize to meet the performance goals of luxury consumers and enthusiasts. The XDR4 8K Extreme LED wall delivers DCI compliant images using proprietary image processing and panels that employ a 0.7mm pixel pitch.
Epson Lifestudio Flex Projector: Retailing for a price of about $780, the Lifestudio can be used to project images as large as 150 inches on walls and projection screens. The compact and affordable Epson projector incorporates the Google TV smart services operating system (OS), and it delivers 1080p HD images at brightness levels up to 700 lumens.
A couple of other points of interest that homeowners should consider for their home AV systems include power protection and quality infrastructure. Products from respected manufacturers such as Torus Power and Kordz, provide proven reliability and performance in environments such as recording studios, luxury home cinemas and other similar environments.
Check out this luxury theater installation from Global Wave Integration: From Set to Sofa: Quantum Media System’s DCI-Certified Video Wall Delivers True Hollywood Magic at Home
