TWICE News

• Steve Baker To Leave D&M
  
  By Steve Smith, March 7, 2011
  Mahwah, N.J. - Steve Baker, longtime D&M North America executive, is leaving the company as of April 1.
  
• Western Digital To Acquire Hitachi Global Storage
  
  By Doug Olenick, March 7, 2011
  New York - Western Digital today announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase Hitachi Global Storage.
  
• iPad 2 Can Maintain Apple Share: Analysts
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 7, 2011
  New York - The iPad 2's performance improvements and the addition of a Verizon Wireless version will help Apple retain its commanding tablet share in the coming year, analysts said.
  
• Buying Groups Foresee 2nd-Half Uptick For Majaps
  
  By Alan Wolf and Steve Smith, March 7, 2011
  New York - The nation's two largest buying groups, BrandSource and Nationwide, are forecasting moderate gains for major appliances in the second half of the year.
  
• Xpand Named Official 3D Partner At CeBIT
  
  TWICE Staff, March 4, 2011
  Hannover, Germany - Xpand 3D announced it has been named the official 3D partner of CeBIT 2011, being held here this week.
  
• Tablet PCs Impact HDD Market
  
  By Doug Olenick, March 4, 2011
  New York - An iSuppli report is blaming the growth of tablet PCs, which use flash memory for extended storage, as the primary reason for an expected decline in hard-disk-drive (HDD) shipments.
  
• Stampede Gets More Working Capital
  
  TWICE Staff, March 4, 2011
  Amherst, N.Y. - Stampede, a value-added distributor of professional audio video (ProAV) solutions, has inked a new agreement with longtime partner HSBC Bank to provide 75 percent more working capital to the firm.
  
• Gartner Lowers PC Forecast
  
  By Doug Olenick, March 3, 2011
  New York - Consumers are starting to turn away from notebook computers as more web-enabled portable products like the iPad hit the market, Garter said.
  
• Canon Sponsors Copa America Argentina
  
  By Greg Tarr, March 3, 2011
  Lake Success, N.Y. - Canon USA has signed on to become a global sponsor of the upcoming Copa America Argentina 2011.
  
• Sound Advice Re-Opening Showroom
  
  By Alan Wolf, March 3, 2011
  Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - Sound Advice, once Florida's premier A/V specialty chain, will open its first showroom tomorrow since shutting in 2008 with corporate parent Tweeter.
  
• Rockford To Sell Panasonic In-Dash Stereos
  
  By TWICE Staff, March 3, 2011
  Tempe, Ariz. - Rockford Corporation announced it will become the reseller of Panasonic Car Electronics for North America through a partnership with Pana-Pacific.
  
• AT&T Adds Postpaid Plans For iPad, Tablets
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 3, 2011
  Dallas - A day after Apple unveiled its iPad 2, AT&T announced plans to offer a postpaid billing option to join its current prepaid option for tablets equipped with an embedded AT&T 3G modem.
  
• Hawaii Dealers Forming Association
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 3, 2011
  New York - A group of Hawaii-based car audio retailers and sales reps agreed to form an association to promote the courteous use of car audio systems, change the industry's perception in the state, and beat back onerous legislation intended to curb loud sound systems.
  
• Pentax Unveils Optio S1 Digicam
  
  By Greg Tarr, March 2, 2011
    Golden, Colo. - Pentax Imaging unveiled Wednesday its Optio S1 digital compact camera featuring a gem-like finish and advanced, easy-to-use feature set.
  
• iPad 2 From AT&T, Verizon Bow March 11
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 2, 2011
    San Francisco - Apple plans March 11 U.S. availability of an iPad 2 that's 33 percent thinner than its predecessor, but adds several new technologies.
  
• iLuv Gets Going With iPad 2 Accessories
  
  By Lisa Johnston, March 2, 2011
    Port Washington, N.Y. - iLuv was one of the first out of the gate with accessories for the just-announced iPad 2.
  
• DirecTV Belts Out April 3D Offerings
  
  By Greg Tarr, March 2, 2011
  El Segundo, Ca. - DirecTV will further expand its 3D programming options this spring with an exclusive, U.S. 3D broadcast of the full-length opera Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia, and several Hollywood movies, all on the DirecTV Cinema platform.
  
• Polk Offers Sweepstakes For Speaker
  
  TWICE Staff, March 2, 2011
    Baltimore - Polk Audio has begun a month-long sweepstakes that will culminate with one winner receiving the company's new F/X Wireless Surround speaker, a surround-sound plug-and-play unit.
  
• Sony Releases Mainstream AVR Lineup
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 2, 2011
  San Diego - Sony brought the price of key features to lower price points in four new mainstream-series A/V receivers (AVRs) priced at an expected everyday $230 to $500.
  
• Samsung Names Finalists To $1M Tech Awards
  
  TWICE Staff, March 2, 2011
  Ridgefield Park, N.J. - Samsung has named the top five finalists in its nationwide $1 million Solve for Tomorrow contest, which is part of the company's Hope for Children initiative.