by Bob Archer | Jul 24, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications
It may not be the dog days of summer but not only is the electronics industry in a lull period, but so are most industries.
People are on vacation and in many cases, “staycations.” The World Cup is over—congratulations to Spain—and now sports fans turn their eyes to the start of American football and the beginning of training camps. Baseball fans are gearing up for the playoffs, and the NHL and NBA will soon start their seasons.
Getting back to the electronics industry, this week’s KMB Communications Technology Week in Review will look at items from Yahoo, Boston.com, LinkedIn, AVNirvana.com, eCoustics, and Bloomberg News.
These news items will look at topics such as the opening of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odessey;” World Cup viewership, the Paramount merger with Warner Bros, Value Electronics’ TV Evaluation Shoot Out, paid music subscriptions, and new Apple computing products.
KMB Communications Technology Week in Review Summary of News:
- com has news on the winners of the Value Electronics TV Shootout
- eCoustics posted a story on the increase of paid music subscriptions
- LinkedIn states that legal challenges are holding up Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery
- Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to revamp its MacBook and iMac products to meet the demands of AI
- com has published the viewership numbers of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina
- Yahoo is reporting on the results of the opening weekend box office sales of the latest Christopher Nolan movie, “Odyssey”
KMB Communications Tech Week in Review Looks at the Residential Technology Market
One of the biggest dealer events in the country is Value Electronics’ annual TV Shootout. Covering the 2026 Value Electronics TV Shootout, AV Nirvana has a story that breaks down the products that competed and the judging methodology Robert Zohn of Value Electronics employed.
We won’t give away the winners in this look at AV Nirvana’s coverage of the event so click the link to find out how the competition between the video category’s top manufacturers went.
Picking up research from Futuresource Consulting, the eCoustics’ post states global consumer spending on recorded music rose 8.6% to just over $47 billion in 2025.
In the story, the author, Ian White, points out that global paid music subscriptions have reached the figure of 865 million, which represents an increase of more than 71 million paid subscribers.
White goes on to emphasize in the story that even with the growth of paid music subscriptions, consumer spending on physical media grew by 7% in 2025.
National and Global Electronic News
Starting the weekly news cycle off, Linkedin posted a story on the status of the Paramount-Warner Bros merger.
According to the story, the closing of Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery has been put on hold for at least 14 days. The delay, the story continues, is the result of a legal challenge from 12 state attorney generals that include California.
Linkedin says U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin has scheduled a hearing in early August to rule on whether the delay should be extended.
Moving onto what seems like KMB Communications’ weekly Apple item, Bloomberg posted a story on plans to redesign MacBooks and iMacs to keep pace with the demands of AI.
The story reports that with AI driving interest in computers, Apple is preparing to launch new versions of every Mac computer. Bloomberg says Apple’s latest computers will start with entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro models that will use the new M6 chip. The company will also introduce its first new iMacs in two years.
This year’s World Cup hosted by the United States has been a huge win for America. Europeans, Australians and other international visitors have experienced cities such as Boston, Miami, Dallas, New York and Los Angeles, and what makes each of these cities unique.
The result has been World Cup fever that not only has captured the attention of those tourists, but also Americans. For proof of just how invested Americans were in the World Cup, Boston.com has published a post that says the championship game between Spain and Argentina was viewed by approximately 60 million Americans on Fox and Telemundo.
In total, Boston.com adds that Fox averaged nearly 8 million viewers for its 104 World Cup broadcasts across its properties, which includes Fox, FS1, and Tubi. This number is more than double from the tournament in 2022, which averaged about 3.6 million viewers.
The final KMB Communications Technology Week in Review story comes from Yahoo.
Picking up a story from Variety, Yahoo posts that Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” pulled in more than $124 million during its opening weekend. Yahoo via Variety points out that despite being nearly a three-hour movie, the opening revenues check in as the third highest total this year behind “Toy Story 5” with its $159 million and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” that opened with a figure of $131 million.
The movie stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, as well as Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya.
Later in the story it is noted the success of “The Odyssey” follows a string of flops that include “Supergirl,” “minions and Monsters,” and the live-action version of Disney’s “Moana.”
To learn more about KMB Communications and its clients, go here.
by Bob Archer | Jul 20, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications
Years ago, during a conversation with Walter Schofield, who currently is a partner with the 2WA Group, he fondly recalled times in his youth when friends would sit around and listen to records.
Schofield mentioned those experiences because at the time he believed that digital music and products like the Apple iPod while great for reigniting interest in music, were eliminating those group listening sessions.
Looking back, Schofield was right about those communal listening experiences, and now that physical media is making a comeback, it should be no surprise, those group listening sessions are also making a comeback.
Unlike the days of Schofield’s youth, today’s generation Z is taking a cue from Japanese culture. Gen Z is helping to revitalize communal listening by going to Japanese Kissa (kissaten) listening bars.
Japanese Kissa bars fuel communal listening:
- Gen Z is reviving group listening sessions by going to Japanese Kissa bars
- Japanese Kissa bar popularity peaked in the 1970s but its popularity is growing as physical media experiences a resurgence
- Japanese Kissa Bars can be found across the country and across the globe
- Components and price points allow for lots of choices without compromising sound quality
- Music fans don’t need to go to a Japanese Kissa bar to create group listening experiences
Japanese Listening Bars Bring Communal Listening to the Masses
According to a recent story from Smithsonian Magazine, Gen Z are skipping the dance clubs and instead going to Japanese Kissa listening bars.
The story by Claire Turrell points out that Gen Z are going to these establishments, drinking cocktails and coffee, and taking part in curated music listening sessions. Turell says in the story the first Japanese listening bars or ongaku kissa were first introduced to the public about a century ago.
By the 1970s she continues, these communal listening facilities played a variety of rock and jazz music, and the trend seemed to have reached its peak. More recently however, global interest in vinyl, has sparked a resurgence in Japanese listening bars.
Today, these kissa listening bars can be found everywhere from Tokyo and Berlin, to New York, Boston and other major cities. The Smithsonian Magazine story notes that major business is hopping on the communal listening bandwagon. Turrell states in her write up the Italian fashion brand Valentino opened a pop-up listening bar in New York and the Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch introduced its Hidden Grooves listen room.
Following a similar idea, The Lightning Society in New York is working with the technology integration firm OneButton to outfit its facility in gear from Sonos, Leon Speakers and Sonance. The concept for the Lightning Center is employing is to take the communal listening experience a step further by creating what it says are immersive listening experiences.
Finding a Japanese Kissa Listening Experience Near You
Someone doesn’t need to be in the Gen Z demographic to enjoy the fun of a communal listening experience in a Japanese listening bar.
An article from July 2025 on the WBUR website in Boston suggests to locals several locations in which someone can enjoy communal listening experiences. Taking the WBUR story national, here are some locations across the U.S. where music fans can meet with fellow music lovers to bask in the glow of vinyl within an intimate setting:
Boston:
- Temple Records, Downtown Crossing
- Vinyl Index, Union Square Somerville
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston Seaport
New York:
- Tokyo Record Bar, 127 MacDougal Street
- All Blues NYC, 87 Walker Street
Washington, DC:
- Kuro Listening Bar, 3632 Georgia Avenue NW
Chicago:
- Wax Vinyl Bar and Ramen Shop, West Town
- Charis Listening Bar, Bridgeport
Atlanta:
- Stereo ATL, DeKalb Avenue
- Himitsu, Buckhead
Dallas:
- ShyBoy Hi-Fi, 1313 Main Street
Petoskey, Mich.:
- Malted Vinyl, 316 E. Mitchell Street
Montana:
- Shapes Hi-Fi Bar, Florence Building, Missoula
Seattle:
- Shibuya Hi-Fi Vinyl Bar, 4912 Leary Avenue NW in Ballard
Las Vegas:
- Pachi-Pachi, 211 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Suite 120
- Vinyl Room, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd.
Los Angeles:
- Gold Line, Highland Park
- Vinyl Room, Hollywood Palladium
With the popularity of physical media surging, Japanese listening bar patrons can listen to newer artists such as Chappell Roan and classic artists like David Bowie. (photo credit: KMB Comm)
Listening Bar Etiquette
Not surprisingly, anyone familiar with Japanese culture knows how steeped the Japanese are in etiquette. Arguably, the most famous etiquette the Japanese have shared with the world is the moral code of the samurai: bushido. The communal listening environments of Japanese kissa bars may not be as strict as bushido, but there are rules of etiquette patrons are asked to follow.
If these listening bars sound like a place of interest, there are a few rules to follow:
- It is recommended to order some type of drink whether it be coffee or some adult cocktail.
- Keep conversations to a minimum, and speak in softer tones
- Stay seated.
- Many Japanese listening bars have “no phone” rules that include no image posting.
- Don’t touch the gear—ownership has made investments in turntables, speakers, amplifiers and preamplifiers and they don’t want patrons touching the components.
- Try to keep groups small with no more than a few people.
Of course, if someone has a turntable, amplifier and speakers, who’s to say, that music lovers can’t host communal listening parties in their homes. Equipment shouldn’t be the hurdle, these listening parties can be hosted using high-performance modern components from companies such as Sonos, Victrola, and U-Turn Audio.
Or, if someone wants to assemble a classic system that mimics the solutions used in the kissa bars back in the 1970s, manufacturers such as McIntosh, JBL, Thorens, Luxman, Accuphase, and Linn Products are still available.
Additionally, there’s always the option of going to resources such as Reverb.com, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to find authentic vintage gear from the previously mentioned brands, as well as classic brands like Dual, Sansui, and Acoustic Research.
Regardless of whether a system consists of modern gear, classic brands or vintage components, Vinyl is back and so is communal listening and kissa bars. Audio has come full circle.
To learn more about KMB Communications clients, click this link.
Classic components like this Thorens TD-160 can be found on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and Reverb.com. (photo credit: KMB Comm)
by Bob Archer | Jul 17, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications
For all the talk about politics and the economy in 2026, it may be surprising to some people the renaissance home audio is experiencing.
This week’s KMB Communications Technology Week in Review, provides several examples of just how well home audio is faring this year. Component sales while tough to follow, seem like they are going well with many new stereo and home theater products hitting the market.
The home AV market is also evolving, driven by young consumers that are buying physical media—and people are once again engaging in group listening sessions. Sure, headphones, streaming media and YouTube remain popular, but vinyl, CDs and communal listening are making a comeback.
Pulling from a range of websites, this week’s KMB Communications’ Tech Week stories come from sources that include YouTube, CE Pro, Residential Systems, eCoustics, Tudum by Netflix, and SVConline.
KMB Communications Technology Week in Review July 13:
- Sweetwater commits to expansion into consumer electronics
- Most popular Netflix movies for 2026
- Physical media sales are climbing
- Audio Advice Announces the dates for its 2026 consumer event
- OpenAI working on AI technologies for smart home applications
- Elon University introduces an immersive audio research room
KMB Communications Look at Residential Technology News
Starting the week is news from the musical instrument industry retailer Sweetwater. The hugely popular Ind.-based store that is known for its sales engineers and customer service is committing to home AV.
In a video posted to YouTube, Sweetwater walks viewers through its musical instrument retail rooms including dedicated rooms for electric guitars, pedals, basses, drums, audio production and more.
Sweetwater also highlights its immersive audio room in the facility. The custom room design features 9.4.4 immersive audio with acoustical design, architectural speakers, and Sweetwater stresses that it is starting a new YouTube channel at sweetwaterhomeaudio.
Tudum by Netflix has published a story on the streaming service’s 10 most popular movies of 2026. Titles in the list include the thrillers, “Thrash” and “Apex,” as well as the family movie, “Swapped,” and the Ben Affleck and Matt Damon movie, “The Rip.”
Next on the list of KMB Communications’ technology week in review items comes from the home technology website eCoustics.
Citing research from Luminate’s 2026 Midyear Report, the eCoustics’ story reports that U.S. CD sales grew 16% to more than 16 million units over the first six months of 2026. The story notes that vinyl sales also increased, but only at a rate of 2.4%.
eCoustics says that K-pop collectibles fostered a large portion of these sales, but even without K-pop’s contributions, CD sales still would have increased nearly 7%.
Moving onto Residential Systems’ story on the N.C.-based specialty/custom integration company, Audio Advice’s upcoming home audio show.
In the post, Residential Systems says Audio Advice Live returns to the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel on Aug. 7-9. The event, which is now in its fifth year will spotlight products such as loudspeakers, amplifiers, projectors, TVs, turntables, headphones and more. The event will feature more than 60 experience rooms with more than 10 Dolby Atmos immersive audio systems.
Big Picture Technology News Items
Taking a broader look at the technology integration industry, the next KMB Communications Tech Week in Review item comes from CE Pro.
The trade publication picked up a report from Bloomberg that alleges, OpenAI is set to enter the consumer electronics market with a portable AI companion that is designed to act as a smart home controller.
CE Pro in its post points out the product is designed to become more personalized as homeowners use it by learning users via emails and conversations.
Finally, Sound & Video Contractor (SVConline) has posted a story on an immersive audio room at Elon University.
SVConline says a new audio room has been launched in the Arts West facility within the school. Built from the ground up the story notes, the space is designed around the Dolby Atmos immersive audio format.
Associate professor of music Todd Coleman admits in the story the school needed a quality listening space to help with music education.
“The music department had no dedicated listening environment that was like a classroom-sized space of high quality,” says Colemen in the story. “We have the built-in generic AV stereo speaker set up in our classrooms and computer lab, but those rooms cannot play back audio beyond two-channel stereo recordings, and the rooms are not acoustically treated for detailed and nuanced listening, whether in stereo or surround formats.”
To learn more about KMB Communications’ clients, click here.
by Bob Archer | Jul 14, 2026 | D-Tools, News
For Immediate Release
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RENO, Nevada – July 14, 2026 — D-Tools, the Integration Business Platform for the technology integration industry, today announced D-Tools Cloud Release #100. The milestone release delivers 66 improvements, more new capability than any release since the platform’s 2018 debut, spanning payments, sales reporting, inventory, and project drawings. Many of the improvements came directly from customer requests, and together they make D-Tools Cloud faster, clearer, and more complete at every stage of the integration business lifecycle.
“This release ships more meaningful new functionality than at any other point in our history,” said G Paul Hess, CEO of D-Tools. “It’s a clear marker of our commitment to elevate D-Tools Cloud from a set of point tools into the one platform that supports every part of running an integration business, from the first sales conversation through design, fulfillment, service, and cash flow.”
Next-Day ACH Funding Accelerates Cash Flow
Cash flow is the lifeblood of a small business. Even profitable integrators can struggle when cash isn’t on hand as bills come due. Release #100 attacks that problem directly with Accelerated ACH Deposits, a new next-day funding option in D-Tools Payments. Once enabled and a client’s ACH payment is verified, funds arrive in one business day instead of four, closing the gap with credit-card settlement speed. This is a global setting which includes confirmation dialogs and invoice status badges and carries a processing fee of 0.80%.
Release #100 also sharpens invoicing clarity: paid invoices now show clients their own payment-method details, and invoice summaries have been redesigned across digital and PDF formats to clearly break out totals, payments, fees, refunds, and balance due. A new QuickBooks Online and Xero filter shows at a glance which invoices have been pushed to accounting, and which still need to be linked, across Purchase Orders, Change Orders, and Billing, reducing the risk of duplicate or untracked entries.
Sales Reporting Integrators Can Trust
Release #100 improves sales reporting for better visibility. Opportunities now display an overall total, the Opportunity Dashboard includes subscriptions, and the “won” flow accounts for service contracts and subscriptions alongside one-time project revenue.
The Sales Results module receives the largest set of upgrades: a new default “Total” revenue view that combines project, service contract, subscription, and service call revenue without double-counting; new date-range presets; a cleaned-up Lost Opportunities gadget; and a new drill-down Details view exposing the underlying opportunities, service calls, and change orders behind any number. Sales Forecast receives parallel improvements, including clearer labels, an improved 12-month projection window, corrected tooltips, and subscriptions now folded into forecast totals.
Hybrid Inventory Right-Sizes Tracking for Every Product
Not every stocked product warrants an individual serial number and QR label. Hybrid Inventory gives integrators accurate tracking without over-managing low-value stock, letting them mix Units tracking (individual asset records) and Pools tracking (quantity only) at the individual product level instead of forcing an all-or-nothing choice across the catalog. Hybrid Inventory builds on Inventory Asset Management (IAM), the award-winning per-unit tracking solution D-Tools Cloud launched earlier this year.
A new Product Tracking Mode lives on the product itself and can be switched individually or in bulk, with a change-guard dialog that protects data integrity by blocking any mode switch while a product has assets or quantities allocated, checked out, or reserved, and explaining why. Nearly every inventory workflow now handles both modes side by side, including checkout, check-in, stock transfers, quantity adjustments, service-call allocation, bulk updates, and project-item reservation, with color-coded pills marking the distinction at a glance. CSV import and export support mixed catalogs in a single file.
Interconnect Diagrams Deliver Client-Ready Project Documentation
Release #100 makes the Interconnect Diagrams module, launched last fall, more branded, flexible, and production-ready for client-facing documentation:
- Documentation and branding: a new customizable Cover Page provides a reusable, editable first page for project documentation; the Title Block Editor gains a dedicated canvas toolbar; and a new Title Block Manager centralizes creating, editing, sharing, and defaulting title blocks account wide.
- Faster drawing workflows: users can now create multiple distinct wired connections between the same two devices. A new Connection View scopes a diagram to specific systems and locations for focused AV and network documentation.
- Tighter output and integration: diagram exports now use a standardized filename format across PDF and PNG, and proposals can open Plan View diagrams with the correct title block already applied, directly from quote and opportunity attachments. This tightens the link between design work and the proposal a client actually sees.
New D-Tools Cloud Status Page Delivers Real-Time Service Transparency
Alongside Release #100, D-Tools has launched a public status page at status.d-tools.cloud, giving customers real-time visibility into the health of D-Tools Cloud applications, APIs, integrations, and document services. The page displays live operational status for each core service area, 90-day uptime history, and a full incident and maintenance log. Customers can subscribe to receive notifications via email, SMS, Slack, or Microsoft Teams the moment an incident is created, updated, or resolved, reinforcing D-Tools’ commitment to reliability and transparency as more integrators run their entire business on the platform.
Availability
D-Tools Cloud Release #100 is available now to all D-Tools Cloud subscribers. For more information or to schedule a demo, visit www.d-tools.com.
ABOUT D-TOOLS, INC.
D-Tools, Inc. is the Integration Business Platform for the technology integration industry. Its System Integrator (SI) and D-Tools Cloud platforms support sales, design, project management, and service operations for over 8,000 companies across 90-plus countries. For more than 27 years, D-Tools has helped integrators build more efficient, more profitable businesses. Follow D-Tools on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Tim Bigoness, D-Tools – (925) 270-4102 – timb@d-tools.com
Katye McGregor Bennett, KMB Communications – (406) 446-1283 – katye@kmbcomm.com
All products, product names, trademarks, and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
by Bob Archer | Jul 13, 2026 | Apex Technologies, Blog, KMB Communications
It used to be that home theater was the signature system of the technology integration market. That was then however, and today the market is driven by lighting technologies, including fixtures, lighting control and shades.
Given the obvious differences between the home theater and lighting categories, it would be easy to say these solutions have nothing in common. As the saying goes, “au contraire,” as both home theater and lighting systems can suffer from problems related to low-quality power.
Some of the problems poor power can introduce to a home include the limiting of system performance and system life. Conversely, the investment in clean power enables products and systems reach their performance threshold, while extending product life.
Clean Power Points of Interest:
- A study finds the U.S. lighting category is expected to grow from almost $7 billion in 2025 to more than $19 billion by 2032.
- Modern home electronics are vulnerable to issues related to poor or inconsistent power
- Modern home systems utilize microprocessors that are sensitive to fluctuations in electrical power
- Apex Technologies US’ four-point approach to clean power: Protection, regulation, isolation, and control
- The investment into quality power is small compared to the investment in premium lighting fixtures and other components
Why Clean Power Matters
For those that believe lighting is only a fad or trend, let’s reassess that opinion. Lighting is not going away. On a global level, a study from MarketsandMarkets states the lighting category is expected to grow from $9.86 billion in 2025 to more than $17 billion by 2030.
In the U.S., research from Data Bridge Market Research estimates the lighting category will grow from about $6.80 billion in 2025 to just over $19 billion in 2032.
To protect the investments homeowners are making in these new, advanced lighting products and systems, Vince Luciani, power products specialist, Apex Technologies US, emphasizes that clean, consistent power is the best way to protect and enhance these solutions.
Looking at the recent history of the lighting market and its evolution, Luciani notes that at one time, lighting systems were not complicated. Modern lighting systems he says have evolved and those complexities make these solutions more vulnerable to power issues.
“Lighting used to be simple: Power flowed through a switch directly to a light fixture. The system was reliable, tolerant of power disturbances, and could last for decades,” comments Luciani.
“Today’s lighting systems are far more complex. LED fixtures are often powered by centralized drivers and controlled through touchscreens, voice assistants, sensors, and automation systems. Commands pass through multiple processors and data networks creating many more potential points of failure than traditional switched lighting.”
Because modern LED lighting systems utilize sophisticated drivers and control processors, some of the issues dirty or inconsistent power can cause include voltage fluctuations such as voltage sags, brownouts, and voltage swells, as well as sustained over voltages, surges, and harmonics. Additionally, low-quality power can cause EMI/RFI noise that causes flickering fixtures, and it can produce unsavory elements like color inconsistencies, random reboots, and communication failures.
Unfortunately, says Luciani, when these problems do develop, homeowners fault the lighting products and systems.
“Many homeowners blame the lighting system when the actual culprit is unstable power,” he points out.
“In reality, the most advanced lighting products are often the most sensitive to power quality issues. Incandescent bulbs were very forgiving and covered up the same power disturbances that have always been present.”
Power is Critical in Modern Homes
To combat low-quality power Luciani recommends a four-step approach: Protection, regulation, isolation, and control.
Luciani admits that there are several means to address clean power that are already popular in technology integration industry, but the above suggested four-step method to power augments these solutions to make them more comprehensive. Adding voltage regulation and isolation to whole-home and point-of-use surge protection can keep voltages consistent and isolate products from cross contamination.
Supporting the four-step approach that Luciani outlines, he advises that dealers should continue to specify IP addressable control products to help solve problems that aren’t power related.
“The benefits [of the four-step approach] are immediate and long-term,” underscores Luciani.
“Lighting systems operate more consistently, dimming performance improves, flicker is minimized; communication reliability increases, and equipment life is extended.”
Getting back to the point of the commonalities that home theater and lighting share, Luciani reiterates the same power issues that affect systems such as AV and networks, also impact lighting.
As homes become increasingly connected, he continues, the reliability of every subsystem within the home depend on the electrical foundation of these homes.
“Clean power is no longer an audio/video luxury—it has become a whole-home infrastructure requirement,” stresses Luciani.
“Log onto a customer’s router and count how many IP addresses are being used. Each one of these devices—in addition to many others in the home—contain a microprocessor that is susceptible to power quality issues that can disrupt daily life if they malfunction.”
Analyzing the investment into clean power he adds pales when compared to the costs of other components within a smart home and that investment protects all the systems within the home.
“When compared to the cost of premium lighting fixtures, centralized drivers, control processors, programming and labor, the investment in proper power protection is relatively small, yet it protects every component in the system,” asserts Luciani.
“The better question is whether it makes sense to invest heavily in sophisticated technology without protection the power source that everything depends upon. Clean power improves reliability, extends equipment life, reduces maintenance costs, and helps homeowners get the full value from their lighting investment.”
To learn more about Apex Technologies US and its product lines, as well as other KMB Communications’ clients, check out this link here.
