Motorola to Become Two Companies in 2011 – Next year Motorola will combine its mobile devices and home units into a consumer-focused company, while separating its enterprise mobility and networks units into a company targeted at government and corporate customers. The new devices business, comprising cell phones and able set-top boxes, will focus on the consumer and carrier market, while the enterprise business will cater to the gobvernment agencies buyingh the bulk of its two-way radios and wireless broadband systems. Motorola is especially interested in the possibility of streaming media between their cell phones and TVs.
Founder and Chairman of Harmonia Mundi Dies – Bernard Coutaz, who founded Harmonia mundi Records in 1958, died at age 87 last week in Arles, France. Harmonia mundi began as a classical label and soon took its commercial distribution into its own hands, also distributing other labels. I later diversified into the distribution of independent book publishers, which sector now is 40% of the company’s activity in France. A retail boutique chain was also established, which now comprises 46 shops thruout France and Spain. Eva Coutaz is now Managing Director of HM and will head the company and its six subsidiaries in the U.S., Germany, Benelux, Spain, the UK, and Switzerland – continuing its founder’s legacy.
Slow 3D TV Sales Expected Due to Lack of 3D Content – Several vendors will roll out new 3D HDTVs in the second quarter of this year, but only about 20 new 3D movies will be made available for home viewing by 2011 and regular 3D telecasts haven’t started as yet. About 20 theatrical 3D productions will hit screens by the end of this year. Sony expects to introduce two new 3D TVs and a 3D Blu-ray player next week. Panasonic will eventually be bundling a Blu-ray of Avatar with their Blu-ray player. Next month Disney will release Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in 3D and Warner’s Clash of the Titans is currently being digitally mastered to 3D. Samsung has a relationship with both DreamWorks and Technicolor to further develop 3D display technology.
Crestron Introduces App for Apple’s iPad – A new application for Apple’s iPad has been developed by Crestron for about $500 which is capable of replacing current Crestron touchscreen controllers that cost up to $6000. Transforming the iPad into a full Crestron touchpanel, the app is smart, affordable and works with open systems, and will probably hurt propreitary makers of equipment to be installed by custom installers. The app will also allow for easy management of music and videos on devices such as those from Sonos and Olive, and it can control lighting, room temperatures and content for TVs and entertainment devices.
Wal-Mart Acquires Vudu – Online movie distribution service Vudu was launched in the fall of 2006, but has been unable to interest many consumers in buying its pricey set-top box necessary to watch movies. Retail giant Wal-Mart has been to acquire the struggling digital video store. This is Wal-Mart’s second try to get into the digital video business. in 2007 it partnered with Hewlett-Packare to launch a web store selling downloads of movies and TV shows, but shut down after only ten months. There will be a special Vudu unit for Wal-Mart, and the Vudu software will be embedded in devices sold by other retailers as well as at Wal-Mart stores.
