TWICE News

• Circuit City Assigns Mathews New Title
  
  by Alan Wolf, February 21, 2007
  Richmond, Va. — David Mathews, Circuit City’s new operational point person, has been given the title of merchandising, services and marketing executive VP.
  
• NPD: CRT TVs Win Super Bowl XLI
  
  By Greg Tarr, February 20, 2007
  Port Washington, N.Y. — Despite the huge growth in flat-panel TVs in recent months, direct-view CRT sales paced all other display technologies in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, according a report just issued by market researcher The NPD Group.
  
• SanDisk Cuts Jobs, Pay
  
  By Greg Scoblete, February 20, 2007
  Las Vegas — Citing an “industrywide” deterioration in flash-memory component pricing, SanDisk announced job cuts and pay reductions.
  
• Brightpoint To Merge With European Dangaard
  
  By TWICE Staff, February 20, 2007
  Plainfield, Ind. — Brightpoint, nationwide distributor of wireless devices, is planning to merge with Dangaard, a distributor of mobile phones throughout Europe.
  
• Nikon Intros ’07 Coolpix, Keeps Wi-Fi Cam In Fold
  
  By Greg Scoblete, February 20, 2007
  Melville, N.Y. — While Kodak and Canon have backed off their wireless offerings, Nikon introduced its second Wi-Fi-enabled model capable of sending image e-mails directly from the camera last week.
  
• XM, Sirius Merger Gets Rolling
  
  By Doug Olenick, February 20, 2007
  New York — Consumer choices and corporate cost savings were the two primary reasons cited today by XM and Sirius Satellite Radio execs for the proposed merger of the two companies; however, the merger will create several technical and programming issues that need to be overcome.
  
• Funai To Make Blu-ray Player
  
  By Greg Tarr, February 20, 2007
  Tokyo — Funai, the Japanese manufacturer of value-oriented consumer electronics products, said it plans to introduce a Blu-ray Disc player for OEM distribution by the end of the year, according to Japanese newspaper Nikkan Koyo Shimbun.
  
• XM, Sirius Announce Merger Plan
  
  By Amy Gilroy, February 19, 2007
  New York — Capping months of rumor and speculation, XM and Sirius announced yesterday they will merge with Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin to become CEO and XM chairman Gary Parsons to become chairman of the new company.
  
• Cynthia Upson, Leading CE PR Exec, Dies
  
  By TWICE Staff, February 19, 2007
  Arlington, Va. — Cynthia Saraniti Upson, longtime employee, consultant and friend to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA),passed away Saturday, Feb. 17, following a battle with lung cancer. She was 49.
  
• Dell Tabs Motorola's Garriques As CE Pres
  
  By TWICE Staff, February 16, 2007
  Round Rock, Texas – Ron Garriques has resigned as Motorola's executive VP and president of the company’s mobile devices division, and been named president of Dell’s global consumer products group, effective Feb. 19.
  
• Robert Adler, Co-Inventor Of Wireless Remotes For TVs, Dies At 93
  
  By TWICE Staff, February 16, 2007
  Boise, Idaho — Dr. Robert Adler, co-inventor of the wireless remote control for television among many accomplishments and contributions to the consumer electronics industry, died of heart failure, here, Feb. 15. He was 93.
  
• Abt Signs On For Escalate Retail’s Merchandising, Inventory Service
  
  By TWICE Staff, February 16, 2007
  San Diego — Escalate Retail, a provider of customer-focused software solutions, reported today that Abt Electronics has implemented Escalate Retail’s merchandising and inventory solutions.
  
• iLuv Intros iPod Accessories
  
  By Lisa Johnston, February 16, 2007
  Port Washington, N.Y. — iLuv has introduced the iLuv i182 video recording dock, which is designed to enable users to record real-time video content to their iPod player or a variety of other portable digital media and devices.
  
• iPod-Docking Sound Bars Coming
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, February 16, 2007
  St. Charles, Mo. — Auvi Electronics is combining two relatively new concepts, the iPod hi-fi station and the bar-style virtual-surround system.
  
• LCD TV Sales Up 134% In 2006
  
  By Greg Tarr, February 16, 2007
  Portland, Ore. — LCD TV unit and dollar volume more than doubled in 2006, as the result of aggressive price reductions throughout the year, according to a market report from Quixel Research.
  
• White Action Jacket From DLO Bows
  
  By Lisa Johnston, February 16, 2007
  Charleston, S.C. — Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) announced a new addition to their Action Jacket family of sport cases, the Action Jacket for iPod Shuffle in “brilliant” white.
  
• Study Says GPS Improves Driver Safety
  
  By Amy Gilroy, February 15, 2007
  Concord, Mass. — TomTom said new research found that using a GPS device improved driver safety rather than impeding it.
  
• Wal-Mart Names Cast To Head U.S. Business Strategy; Vazquez Promoted
  
  By TWICE Staff, February 15, 2007
  Bentonville, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores has promoted Carter Cast, who will lead the U.S. business strategy function for the company, and named Raul Vazquez his successor as president/CEO of Walmart.com.
  
• Vidikron Adds 65W” PDP
  
  By Greg Tarr, February 15, 2007
  Union City, Calif. — High-end home theater display manufacturer Vidikron has added a 65W-inch 1,080p plasma monitor to its expanding flat-panel TV lineup.
  
• InfoTrends: 16 Billion Digital Prints By 2009
  
  By Greg Scoblete, February 15, 2007
  Weymouth, Mass. — Digital print volumes will grow from 13.2 billion in 2005 to 16 billion by 2009, according to a new report from the research firm InfoTrends.