Rebecca Day

The digital component of CES will extend beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jean Foster, CTA senior vice president-marketing and communications, at the CES Unveiled New York event Wednesday at the Rainbow Room. “When you actually allow people to join digitally, we can reach many, many more people, so that will be an ongoing part of the show.”

The “perfect storm” of components shortages, strong consumer demand and supply-chain bottlenecks is impeding growth in home audio, said Futuresource analyst Chris Bull on the company’s virtual Audio Collaborative 2021 event Thursday. No relief is in sight before at least 2023, he said.

Summit Wireless lowered 2021 profit guidance in its Q3 report Wednesday from the outlook it gave in August, citing component shortages that required some customer product redesigns, in turn causing disruption associated with about $500 million of revenue. CEO Brett Moyer said revenue would have been significantly higher without the component shortages. The stock closed 16.5% lower Wednesday at $2.40.

Sports-based virtual MVPD fuboTV topped 1 million subscribers, it said in its Q3 shareholder letter. It announced two international acquisitions as part of a global expansion. Year-over-year total Q3 revenue grew 156% to $156.7 million, ad revenue 147% to $18.6 million, accounting for 12% of total Q3 revenue in the quarter, and subscription revenue jumped 158% to $138.1 million. Net loss in Q3 fell to $105.9 million from $274.1 million in the year-earlier quarter. Shares closed 23.2% lower Wednesday at $25.47.

Xperi posted better-than-expected revenue and earnings in Q3, but the company shaved full-year top-end revenue guidance by $10 million to $890 million as supply chain constraints continue to affect product shipments, management said on the company’s Monday earnings call.

Google’s entry into the OEM navigation market is giving Google Maps “an even greater strategic advantage,” said Strategy Analytics Monday. “The transition of Android from simply a smartphone projection solution to a full embedded operating system has really shaken up the infotainment and navigation segment,” said analyst Edward Sanchez. Google’s “aggressive entry into the automotive space has been a real wake-up call for the legacy players in this market,” said analyst Richard Robinson. Those who thought the company’s ambitions in the segment ended with Android Auto were “mistaken,” said Robinson: “It’s a whole new game now, and the key to success will be ongoing innovation.” Ford, General Motors, Honda, Renault-Nissan and Volvo/Polestar publicly committed to Google Automotive Systems, being called “Google Built-In," Sanchez emailed. The platform is "rapidly gaining popularity with OEMs," he said. Android "is not necessarily synonymous with Google” on ownership and curation of the technology stack, said Sanchez: "Harman’s Ignite platform is Android-based, but allows the OEMs to have greater control of the curation and management of the stack, data and app ecosystem."

The COVID-19 pandemic turned the TV world on its ear in a short time, and the industry is grappling to learn which trends will stick and how to address the many challenges, said panelists on Digital Media Wire’s virtual Future of Television conference Monday.

Shares of Universal Electronics Inc. hit a 52-week low Friday before the stock closed 16.6% lower for the day at $35.70 after a bleak Q3 earnings report Thursday. Revenue grew only 1.4% year on year to $155.6 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30; it had a net loss of $1 million vs. net income of $6.2 million due to components shortages and logistics delays.

Supply chain constraints took a 5%-7% bite out of potential Q3 revenue for Snap One and will have a similar impact in Q4, said Chief Financial Officer Mike Carlet on a Thursday earnings call. Components shortages, manufacturing and shipping led headwinds for the company in the quarter.

CTA’s return to New York Nov. 11 to honor inductees into the 2021 Consumer Tech Hall of Fame will require COVID-19 vaccine proof, said confirmations emailed Thursday. Vaccine verification will be required through photo ID and one of four methods: CTA’s partnership with the Clear Health Pass, the NYC COVID Safe App, New York’s Excelsior Pass or a physical Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination card, CTA said. “Proof of a negative COVID-19 test is not permitted for admittance to this event,” it said. The trade group is following state and local guidelines and CDC recommendations and asks that attendees “wear a mask during the event when not eating or drinking.” The Clear Health Pass we downloaded using the CTA code tied to the Hall of Fame dinner expires Dec. 4. It wasn’t clear if the pass could be updated to be used as proof of vaccine at CES in Las Vegas Jan. 5-8. CES didn't respond to questions. 2021 honorees at the event are Mike Fasulo, Sony Electronics; Nancy Klosek, Dealerscope; Bill and Barbara Pearse, Ultimate Electronics; and Roberta Williams, Sierra Online. The event wasn’t held in 2020 due to the pandemic and those inductees will also be honored Thursday: Vint Cerf, developed TCP/IP; Frank Conrad, Westinghouse; Peter Fannon, Panasonic; Kazuo Hirai, Sony; and Robert Kahn, Developed. This year’s event will also recognize the 2021 and 2020 Innovation Entrepreneur Award (IEA) honorees celebrating a leading executive, business and an exceptional startup in the consumer technology industry: James Mault, Nuheara and Roybi for 2021; Vicki Mayo, re:3D and Nuro for 2020, CTA said.