Archived News

The New York Times reported Friday that T-Mobile will beat other carriers to the punch in offering a mobile phone using Google’s Android platform. Android was developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of mobile carriers, handset manufacturers, software developers and others, using an open source license.

CustomRetailer magazine has extended the deadline for nominations for its annual EXC!TE Awards, which celebrate which products have generated the most excitement over the past year. Products with shipping dates between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15 are eligible for awards.

LG Electronics announced Thursday that they had appointed M. Rothman & Co. Inc. to distribute its CE line in the New Jersey and New York metro area. LG products will be featured with M. Rothman’s current product line-up at Rothfest ‘08, M. Rothman’s annual dealer show, which will run September 23 to 24 at their Ramsey, N.J. headquarters. Said M. Rothman VP Sales Brian Dietz, “We are proud to represent the LG line and be a part of the LG family. We look forward to a long, productive, and profitable marriage between our companies. It is timely that our new partnership starts at the beginning of the important 4th quarter and we anticipate a successful start.”

Savant’s Craig Spinner shows off the company’s new multi-touch interactive coffee table at Digital Downtown. Watch the video here.

The CEDIA Expo Pre-Show Product Showcase, presented by CustomRetailer, has launched, presenting an array of products that will be featured at this year’s show. The site gives users the opportunity not only to view products before arriving at the Expo, but also to contact in advance vendors whose products interest them. They can also view a map of the show floor and discuss their finds in a forum hosted by CustomRetailer.net. Products are organized by company and category and a link to the site is featured on the CEDIA Expo home page (www.cedia.net/expo).

Subject to Change, by Peter Merholz, Brandon Schauer, David Verba and Todd Wilkens (all of design firm Adaptive Path), is required reading for anyone looking to gain a competitive edge in a feature-saturated market.  The book argues that, at the end of the day, it’s not the product or service offering the most features or even the best value that wins, but the one offering the best user experience.

CustomRetailer’s Maureen Jenson speaks to California Audio Technology’s Louis D. Sall at Digital Downtown. Check out the video here.

If you’re looking to move forward, first gear is a lot better than reverse.

The new fall edition of CEDIA’s Electronic Lifestyles magazine debuts in September featuring 14 “Interiors” along with relevent columns, departments and features direct mailed to each and every CEDIA member plus 30,000 architechts, interior designers and builders and is designed to communicate the excitement of technology in the home. There is bonus distribution of this new magazine at EXPO and it will be on sale at the CEDIA Bookstore at EXPO. Order your copy here.

CustomRetailer’s Maureen Jenson interviews Audio Command Systems’ Eric Schmidt at Digital Downtown. Check out the video here.