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www.wifihifi.ca | February/March 2015
PM42710013
BLACK AS NATURE INTENDED
The LG OLED TV has been named the best TV to date by CNET.
OLED pixels function individually to emit brilliant colours – and can go
completely dark. This allows our TVs to create images that are crisper, sharper,
and more realistic. Additionally, because there's no need for backlighting, our
OLED TVs are incredibly slim – and with a subtly curved screen, they mimic the
stunning shape of theatre screens for a true cinematic experience at home.
LG.com
Screen image simulated. ©2015 LG Electronics Canada Inc. All rights reserved. “LG Life’s Good” is a registered trademarks of LG Corp., Inc.
All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
“OLED TV: Best. Picture. Ever.”
LG 55EC9300 - OLED TV review - 9/16/14
CONTENTS |
16
February/March 2015
06
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
08
SHORT BITS | What’s hot, cool, and trending in consumer tech.
16
VIDEO AT CES | Ne Plus Ultra: TV’s Next Leap Forward
TV makers are bringing to market UHD models that can display high-dynamic-range and
wide-colour-gamut pictures; while Netflix plans to offer HDR content. Standards are still in flux,
but the end result will be greatly enhanced viewing experiences.
By Gordon Brockhouse
20
Getting Smarter
24
24
AUDIO AT CES | The Beat Goes On
As CES 2015 clearly demonstrated, home audio is a vibrant and multi-faceted category,
encompassing segments as diverse as multi-room music, compact lifestyle audio, home theatre
surround sound, two-channel hi-fi and high-res digital audio.
By Gordon Brockhouse
32
DRONES TAKE FLIGHT AT CES
Will 2015 be the year of the drone? We take a look at what was at CES from market leaders like
DJI and Parrot, as well as newcomers like Hexo+, and examine the category’s potential for growth.
By Christine Persaud
34
32
CES: AUTOMOTIVE | Automotive at CES: CarPlay, Android Auto, and the Driverless Car
The Detroit Auto Show has nothing on CES when it comes to high-tech auto announcements.
From CarPlay and Android Auto, to full dashboard displays, and cars with no driver required,
there was plenty to see in automotive at CES.
By Ted Kritsonis
38
MOBILE WORLD | Charging, Portable Audio & Wearables at CES 2015
The wireless accessories space keeps growing, and this year, we saw significant feature set advances
in three areas: portable charging devices, Bluetooth audio, and wearables.
By Christine Persaud
46
34
CES: CONNECTIVITY | CES 2015: Headphones, DIY Smart Home Automation
& Video Streaming
DIY home automation is getting smarter, video streaming higher quality, and headphones
wireless, as evidenced by this year’s CES, which showcased an abundance of new products
and technologies in all three key categories.
By Ted Kritsonis
52
TALKING SHOP
This month’s column highlights different perspectives on Target Canada’s closure,
a look at key issues impacting Canadian retail, and the latest in industry appointments
and distribution partnerships.
By Wally Hucker
62
38
4
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HOW DID YOU GET HERE? | Michael Holmes
Michael Holmes, Director of Category Management for Worldlynx Wireless LP, Bell’s largest
independent dealer, has a long history in the industry, having worked with some of the most
influential names in the Canadian retail game.
As told to John Thomson
At Totem, we live for music and we strive to go further, to keep on innovating and defining new acoustic possibilities. That is our drive. With passion, applied
expertise and a lot of listening, we’ve developed deep-rooted skills for attaining the maximal dynamic potential with the purest musical rendering. To sidestep
oversized solutions, we created a wide family of compact, agile and responsive speakers that truly brings music to life. / Discover yours at totemacoustic.com
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
THE YEAR AHEAD
WE ARE A MONTH INTO 2015 and many of us continue to work on
our resolutions: we’re hitting the gym, eating and drinking less, and
trying to get to bed earlier. Some of us are wearing a fitness tracker
for the first time. We’re learning that taking 10,000 steps every day is
tougher than it sounds, and our ratio of deep to light sleep really is
affected by wine consumption.
PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
John Thomson
Cell: 416-726-3667
[email protected]
@john__thomson (that’s 2 underscores)
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
With CES now behind us, few would argue that January is truly a
tough month to run on all cylinders. Coast-to-coast, the weather is
blah; and too much of our time seems to be spent on follow-up instead of any meaningful push
forward. But then comes February and we begin to feel revitalized. We start looking ahead to the
year with real energy and begin mapping out business opportunities in earnest. If January is a
month to stabilize, then February is a month to strategize. And that’s what this issue is all about:
mapping out the year ahead.
A record 3,600 exhibitors participated in CES 2015. This issue is loaded with the stories that grabbed
our attention. We have divided the issue by category: Gordon Brockhouse covers audio and video;
Christine Persaud gives insight on wearables, mobile accessories and drones; while Ted Kritsonis
shares what he saw in automotive tech, home automation, video streaming and headphones.
Our writers all have their own interests, and draw their own conclusions on what they saw. But if
you read the issue cover-to-cover, you will notice a common theme: that we are entering a new
phase of the connected world. We’re all part of a network of faster, smaller, brighter and smarter
devices bombarding us with data, some of it useful, some of it fun, some of it meaningful, and
some of it just noise.
With any evolving product, foundational knowledge and hands-on experience certainly makes it
easier to comprehend the latest edition; but some categories are so new that there’s no history to
guide us. Drones and 3D printing are just two that come to mind. We intuitively know that there
are business opportunities to be had, but what is it beyond the obvious?
For 2015, we are excited to propose a series of “WiFi HiFi Lunch and Learn” lectures where we
can get experts in their field to share their version of the big picture. The first installment will take
place in the spring and will focus on 3D printing. We are big believers that any occasion for our
industry to get together for a meaningful face-to-face discussion is only a good thing. Maybe you
are a manufacturer or a distributor of the next big thing. If so give us a call and let’s see how we
can bring a group together to learn how your product will change the world.
We have said it dozens of times but it is always worth repeating; the magic in the consumer
electronics industry is that nothing ever stops evolving. We hope that this issue will provide both
inspiration and direction. Sometimes the best resolution is just to make a change. For 2015, the
products on offer give you an abundance of opportunities to turn this into a fantastic year.
As always, thanks for reading.
John Thomson
[email protected]
Christine Persaud
[email protected]
@ChristineTechCA
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Gordon Brockhouse
[email protected]
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
David Topping
RETAIL EDITOR
Wally Hucker
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTORS
Vawn Himmelsbach, Ted Kritsonis, Frank Lenk,
Steve Makris, David Susilo
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT
James Campbell
[email protected]
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS
Cathy Thomson
[email protected]
Melsa Media Inc.
194 Robinson Street
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 1G3
Advertising Inquiries:
John Thomson
[email protected]
LET’S STAY IN TOUCH!
Website: www.wifihifi.ca / www.wifihifi.com
Twitter: twitter.com/wifihifimag
Facebook: facebook.com/wifihifimag
Copyright 2015. WiFi HiFi is a registered brand of Melsa Media Inc.
and is published ten times each year. All rights reserved. The contents
of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part
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Publications Mail Agreement Number: PM42710013
Business Number: 81171 8709
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SHORT BITS
The newest products from the business of digital.
Sound in the Ground: In Mipow’s Playbulb series
(Cesium) is a speaker bulb and a candle. So the natural
progression is, what else, but an outdoor speaker.
Called the Garden, it comes with a root to secure it
into the ground. It’s solar-powered, with a rechargeable
battery as well. As would be expected, it’s water and
weatherproof. Scheduled availability is just in time
for summer – April – at a price point in and around
$50 each. Mipow.com
Baby Remote: The Mamaroo is a baby swing that glides seamlessly
up and down and side to side to mimic the motions of being in a mama’s
arms. What makes it high-tech is the capability to plug in a mobile device
and play music through its built-in speakers. Or, just play a soothing
tune or sound from a pre-loaded library – from birds to sounds of the
womb. The Mamaroo 2 adds another cool element to the equation – an
LCD panel and a mobile app that will allow Mom (or Dad) to control the
swing from afar, without coming up close and causing baby to stir. Using
the app, everything from the motion type to speed and volume can be
controlled remotely. 4moms.com
Turn it Up!: Retailing for $40,
UltraLink’s BitStream BT-42
headphone amplifier (Gentec
International) has one 3.5mm
input jack and two output jacks, so
two people can listen simultaneously.
It also features microphone and
remote pass-through for Android
and iOS devices. Weighing 8.5g,
it will deliver 10 hours of playback per
charge from the built-in rechargeable
battery. The BitStream BTS-300 USB
DAC/headphone amp ($110, shown
here) connects to PCs and Macs,
as well as Android devices with mini
USB audio pass-through. It supports
resolution from 44.1kHz/16 bits to
192kHz/24 bits, and delivers 300mW
output. Ultralinkaccess.com
Wash in the Sink: Ever have to soak an item of clothing in the
The Helpful Case: OK, so every
protective phone case is helpful. But
this one from Urbanears is actually
named as such, meant specifically
for those who often travel via public
transit. It has a slim plastic shell with
a rubber coating, and a hidden slot
inside for a transit pass. This way, you
don’t have to worry about losing the
card - unless, of course, you lose your
phone, too. And you can hold your
phone up to an RFID scanner to gain
entry, without having to take the pass
out. It will come in seven colours: Black,
Dark Grey, Tomato, True White, Chick,
Jam and Mint, and will be available
starting March 24. Urbanears.com
8
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sink before washing it to help get out tough stains? Most people
have, and most homes actually don’t have a sink in the laundry
room. Samsung is trying to make this process easier with its new
ActivWash line of washing machines, which come with a sink
built right into the top so you can pre-treat an item with water
jets and a scrubbing surface. Once done, it opens up to drop both
the clothing and water into the drum for a full wash. Pretty clever!
Available this spring. Samsung.com
Open a Bottle & Charge: There have already been
bottle openers built into the back of smartphone cases.
And now, the concept has been combined with portable
charging in the Kanex GoBuddy (Atlantia), a bright,
pocketable charger that can also double as a bottle
opener. There are microUSB ($20) and Lightning ($25)
versions in various colours, both of which can charge
at 2.4 amps. And, of course, pop open your favourite
beverage at the same time. Beer, anyone? Kanex.com
Blockbuster performance
for your home theatre.
Projected image simulated.
H O ME ENT ER TAINMENT
PROJECTORS
Go really BIG! Up to 25x larger than a 60” TV screen.
Epson® high-definition projectors take home theatre entertainment to a whole new level.
Bring movies, games and sporting events to life like never before with true-to-life colour, images
up to 300" and the vivid realism of 3LCD technology. Plus, remarkable contrast ratios deliver
stunning detail for an incredible viewing experience.
www.epson.ca
* Compared to leading 1-chip DLP Home Entertainment Projectors. Epson 720p projectors are 3x Brighter; Epson 1080p projectors are
consistently 2x and up to 3x Brighter. Based on NPD data, July 2011 through June 2012. Colour brightness (colour light output) measured
in accordance with IDMS 15.4. Colour brightness will vary depending on usage conditions.
SHORT BITS
The New Shoebox: Forget about storing old photos
in a shoebox, CDs in an album, and having a digital music
collection fill up your computer’s hard drive. Samsung’s new
T1 portable drive is the size of a business card, and can store
1 TB (yes terabyte!) of data – from music to movies, video
clips, photos, and documents. Sure, there’s always the cloud.
But it’s also nice to have a tangible place to store everything.
The sleek package will cost US$600. But you’ll be able to
store every bit of content you could possibly imagine, and
then some, for easy access from anywhere. Samsung.com
Mount Any TV You Want: Using the modular
A Bolt of Misfit Light: Known for its activity
trackers, Misfit (Hitfar Concepts) is now entering
the growing lighting market with Bolt, its
wirelessly-connected 60-watt light bulb with a
20-year life that you can control from your Misfit
Flash wearable device. It’ll sell for $50 each, or in
a set of three for $130. Misfitwearables.com
BT8310 multiscreen mount from Rocelco, you
can mount pretty well any TV you want, in any
way, including into a recessed wall. It works with
screens up to 110 lbs., in portrait or landscape
orientation, and with VESA mounting patterns
from 200x200mm to 400x400mm. There’s a push
open and close system for quickly accessing
inside for servicing, plus security screws to avoid
an accidental release of the screen; and tool-less
micro adjustments with eight knobs for aligning
multiple screens. Using an optional screen-specific
spacer kit, either readily available or custom built
in two weeks, can help reduce installation time
with multi-screen video walls. As a bonus, the
spacer kit can be re-used for multiple installations.
$800 Rocelco.com
A Sucker for Suckers: Everything is smart these days, and Blue Maestro is
starting the new generation early with a smart pacifier called the Pacif-i that has
a temperature sensor built-in so you can see if baby might be running a fever.
Though – let’s get real – smart parents will still use a real thermometer for a
more accurate reading. It also has an alarm that can alert parents to its location if
baby manages to toss it when you’re not looking, or if you’ve misplaced it during
a massive crying fit. It’s a silly idea, but chances are the Pacif-i will find its way in
many a gift bag for the expecting mom. $40 Bluemaestro.com
Access Granted: The Dog & Bone LockSmart keyless
Blackout, Buddy?: Find yourself in a blackout and can’t
locate a flashlight or, ironically, the battery is dead? Given
the circumstances, a solar-powered one won’t do you much
good. Hand-cranks are good, but it can be a lot of work for
just a few seconds of light. Eton’s Blackout Buddy H20
is a cute, miniature flashlight that’s activated by a widely
accessible source – water. Dip it in daily to get up to 72 hours
worth of brightness that’ll at least get you around the house
until electricity is restored. $8 Etoncorp.com
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entry Bluetooth padlock is a clever way to ensure the
security of your bicycle, shed, or other items without
having to use a key. It works with an iOS or Android app,
which unlocks it via the push of a button. You can give
someone else access on a schedule (e.g. every Monday), by
limiting the number of opens they have, or one-time entry.
Within the app, you can also see a history of who unlocked
it and when. The lock itself is a hardened steel shackle, and
the battery can run for up to two years when dormant,
then recharge when it needs a boost. Available in the first
half of this year, pricing is TBA. Canadian distributor is
Hitfar Concepts. Dogandbonecases.com
RACK UP PROFITS
WITH
Now with LCD Thermostat Control Panel to automatically
set cooling fan start and stop temperature.
Rocelco Racks conform to all industry standards for 19” A/V racks in 600x600mm configuration.
Available Rocelco Rack sizes include 18U, 27U and 42U.
Packed flat to save on freight and storage, and easy installation and assembly on site.
We can supply racks fully assembled at extra cost.
Complete rack includes frame, all vertical & horizontal rails, front glass door, rear metal door, two side panels, four braked castors,
two locks with keys, two UL listed fans, LCD control panel, assembly hardware & instructions (shelves not included).
Stocked accessories include shelves 2U 16”, 2U 18”, 5U 20”, blank panels 2U, PDU (6-outlet power strip for racks).
We also stock Canada’s biggest selection of Consumer and Commercial
Flat Panel Mounts and Mobile Carts – call for our full dealer catalogue.
24 Viceroy Road, Concord ON L4K 2L9
Phone: 905-738-0737 | Toll-Free: 1-800-387-9101 | Fax: 905-738-0396
[email protected] | www.rocelco.com
SUPPLYING THE AUDIO-VIDEO TRADE SINCE 1962
SHORT BITS
The Kinetic Desk Causes a Stir: Standing office
desks are great. But let’s face it – we all want to sit at
least some of the time. The Stir Kinetic desk, created
by a team of Apple, Disney, and IDEO alumni, tries to
deliver the best of both worlds by intelligently and
seamlessly transitioning between a seated and standing
position, either through a reminder when it senses you
should be standing based on activity levels, or when
you manually push a button. Integrated into the desk is
a touch panel that delivers statistics, such as how much
standing vs. sitting time you’ve had. It uses a thermal
sensor to detect your presence. There’s also built-in
cable management, with two cable ports with four
AC and two USB ports each. Stirworks.com
Bridge to Your iPhone: Anyone who owns an iPhone understands
the frustration when you’re on vacation or at an event and get the
dreaded notice that you’re out of storage space when you try to snap
a photo. The clever Leef iBridge Mobile Memory USB device plugs into
the Lightning connector and acts as additional storage for the phone.
You can transfer files from the iPhone to the Bridge, play files directly from it,
and take photos directly to it. The best part? You can also do the opposite – load
content onto the drive from your computer, for example, then plug it into the
iPhone and transfer them to your device. It’s also a great option for backing up
content should you not wish to fork over the dough for an iCloud account.
16, 32, 64, 128, and 256GB versions range in price from US$60 to $400. 2leef.com
Get Behind the Box:
Many of the devices we connect
to the Internet are prone to
hacking; but unlike PCs and
Macs, they can’t be protected
with anti-virus software. The
Bitdefender Box is intended to
protect the Internet of Things
from malware. The Box connects
to your home router, and blocks
traffic that could compromise
smart appliances, smart TVs,
game consoles, thermostats
and other connected devices.
It can also protect mobile
devices when you’re away from
home, so they’re not subject to
vulnerability in public hotspots.
US$200, including one year of
service. Bitdefender.com/box
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Gluten-Free: Allergic to gluten?
Or just want to eliminate it from your
diet? Panasonic’s SD-YR2500 bread
maker has a short-rise function that
lets users bake gluten-free foods
using a variety of recipes. It’s the only
bread maker that monitors ambient
temperature and adjusts baking
accordingly. There are 16 baking
modes, including settings for white
bread, French bread, pizza dough
and pasta dough. It automatically
dispenses yeast at the optimal time
in the baking process. There’s also
a washable raisin and nut dispenser
that adds those ingredients evenly
and at the ideal time. Available in the
spring; price TBA. Panasonic.ca
Green Thumbs Up!: The Edyn Garden Sensor and Water Valve
make it easier to maintain a vibrant, healthy garden. The sensor
(US$100) monitors light, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and soil
nutrients, and sends this information to an iOS app via Wi-Fi. The app
will give you a report on the state of your garden, and provide guidance
on maintaining plant health. The water valve (US$60) fits standard
garden-hose attachments and sprinkler systems, and automatically
waters plants based on instructions from the garden sensor. It can also
be triggered manually from the Edyn app. Both products are solarpowered, with rechargeable batteries so they keep working when the
sun’s not shining. Available this spring. Edyn.com
The Phone With Two Fronts: The Yota phone is touted as the
“phone with two fronts” – it has an e-ink display on its back that can be
used to access everything from e-mails, calls, messages, weather apps
and Twitter so you avoid unnecessary battery drain by using the colour
screen when you don’t really need to. For instance, while I’m not going to
watch a video on the Yota’s back screen when I have a stellar, full-colour
high-resolution display on the front, do I really need the sharp display
to reply to an e-mail, check the weather forecast, or send a Tweet? The
phone, which runs stock Android, claims to offer up to six days of battery
life per charge (more realistically about two) when using the back e-ink
screen. Price is approx. $600, depending on carrier. Yotaphone.com
SHORT BITS
Fountain in a Pot: The Parrot Pot takes the Flower Power plant
sensor (Erikson Consumer) to a new level. It’s a full-sized pot that can
house your plant, with a reservoir that can hold up to two litres of water,
then automatically hydrate your plants, fountain style, when needed.
Like the Flower Power, it also intelligently analyzes the conditions,
and advises you when your plant is in need of nourishment, or other
adjustments. Parrot.com
I, Robot: Toronto-based Spin Master Ltd. has introduced a kit for
building robots under the iconic brand Meccano, which it acquired
in 2011. The Meccanoid G15 KS can be assembled into many different
configurations, including humanoid and animal robots, as well as
copters and vehicles. In addition to 550 polycarbonate parts, the kit
includes two motors, six arm servos, two head and neck servos, two
bidirectional motor-driven feet, and two LED eyes that light up in
500 different colours. After you’ve created your robot, teach it to move
using a programming function called “Learned Intelligent Movement”
(LIM), or use its motion-capture function to teach it to copy your
gestures. The Meccanoid also has voice recognition, and can respond to
spoken commands; or program Meccanoid to tell jokes and recite facts.
Control it via the free iOS or Android app. $400. Meccano.com/meccanoid
HomeKit Power: Capitalizing on
the popularity of Apple’s HomeKit,
Incipio (Erikson Consumer) has
created the Direct Wireless Smart
Power Strip, which has ports for
powering up three standard devices,
and one port specifically for powering
up a smart device. Once plugged in,
you can remotely control said device
from your iPhone using HomeKit.
You can toggle the port to turn it on
or off using Siri voice commands. It’s
just one of many HomeKit-enabled
devices that Incipio (and others) are
bringing to market $60 Incipio.com
Let Me Take a Selfie: Maker of the popular iPhone camera lens
attachment, Olloclip (Atlantia) has created the Selfie 3-in-1 lens, which
comes with a lanyard so you can wear it around your neck then snap it off
and place it on your phone once you’re ready to take a selfie. It can take
fisheye, wide-angle, or extreme closeup macro pics, and works with both
the front and rear cameras of your device. It comes with three colourful
pendants to clip onto. $80 Olloclip.com
Organize the Day’s Moments: Forget a wearable device that will snap
a photo or record video at the touch of a button - the second-generation
Narrative Clip 2 wearable camera clips to your clothing and constantly
snaps photos throughout the day, then organizes them into moments.
You can view the photos in the Narrative app, which also has a social aspect.
New to this version is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a 90-degree lens that can capture
8MP photos, and improved light sensitivity for low-light settings. A modular
clip allows you to wear it as a necklace, or pinned to a jacket, but always
capture images at the right angle. $200 Getnarrative.com
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Apple Device Multitasking: If you’re often multitasking with
your Mac, iPhone, and iPad, Kanex (Atlantia) has an ideal wireless
keyboard in the Multi Sync, which can connect to up to three
Bluetooth devices at once, with convenient buttons on the top left
for toggling among them. Made of aluminum and slim-designed,
it has that Apple feel to it. There’s a rechargeable battery, and
microUSB for using it in a wired setup as well. Additionally, it adds a
numeric keypad to the equation – something missing with standard
Apple keyboards. $100 Kanex.com
NE PLUS ULTRA:
TV’S
NEXT LEAP
FORWARD
BY GORDON BROCKHOUSE
16
www.wifihifi.ca
ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS about CES is the
way it offers a glimpse into the future: not just new
technologies that will shape people’s lives in new
ways, but the evolution of current technologies. At
CES 2015, major CE vendors gave some tantalizing
glimpses into the way TV is going to evolve over
the next couple of years.
You can distill the biggest change to three
single letters: HDR, short for high dynamic range.
That refers to TVs that can display a wider range
of brightness levels than today’s models, and
content that can take advantage of that capability.
The result is a picture with more detail in dark
and bright regions, not just luminance detail,
but colour detail as well. In dark areas, you’ll see
deep colours, not just blacks and greys. In bright
areas, you’ll see highlights with colour, rather
than objects that are clipped to white.
Let’s add three more letters to our alphabet
book: WCG, short for wide colour gamut, that is,
VIDEO AT CES
Netflix are working together to bring HDR
content to Sony TVs.”
The theme was repeated throughout the day.
Making an appearance at Sharp’s press conference was Wally Pfister, a cinematographer (and
now director) whose credits include Inception,
Memento and Moneyball. Subtleties like dynamic
range, colour gamut and resolution are vital
aspects of the viewing experience, he noted.
“It’s an essential part of my job to put the best
possible picture on the screen. If you consider
cinematographers and directors as chefs, these
subtleties are the seasoning.”
At Samsung’s press conference, Colourist
Stephen Nakamura spoke of viewing remastered
scenes from Exodus: Gods and Kings (one of his
many production credits) on a new Samsung
UHD television. The way the set conveyed specular highlights on warriors’ armour in the battle
scenes, and the emerald sea against a stormy sky
in the climactic Red Sea scene, was “amazing”
Nakamura said.
Looking at the UHD exhibits around CES, it
was easy to get caught up in the excitement. In
one impressive display, remastered scenes from
Life of Pi, where the protagonist Pi Patel and the
tiger Richard Parker are adrift on the Pacific after
a shipwreck, were shown on Samsung’s new UHD
televisions. In a nighttime scene, stars sparkle
against a black sky, and nocturnal marine life is
visible below the surface of the ocean. The brilliant
daytime scene was every bit as compelling, with
detail preserved in the bright sky and surf, and
also in the white lifeboat and tarpaulin.
video content with a wider range of colours than
today’s HD broadcasts and Blu-ray discs offer.
That will let viewers see shades, like the red of a
London bus or the green of a California highway
sign, that can’t be properly rendered under the
current HD system.
As I’ve written before, expanded dynamic
range and colour gamut can make a profound
contribution to the viewing experience, easily as
significant as quadrupling resolution from HD
to 4K. Taken together, these three components
will make Ultra High Definition (UHD) television
a much more compelling proposition. Certainly,
that was the view of the directors, cinematographers and service providers who made guest
appearances at pre-CES press conferences.
BEYOND 4K
One of those speakers was Greg Peters, Chief
Streaming and Partnerships Officer for Netflix Inc.,
who appeared at LG’s 8:00 a.m. press conference
and Sony’s 5:00 p.m. event. Speaking at the LG
presser, Peters said his company is “doubling
down” on UHD for 2015. Last year, it offered
content in 4K, such as Season Two of its own
series House of Cards. This year, Netflix will offer
in-house series, including Marco Polo, in 4K and
HDR: the UHD full-meal deal in other words.
Peters spoke of viewing scenes from Marco
Polo colour-graded for HDR on an LG 65” OLED
UHD television. “It was absolutely stunning,”
he said. Peters praised the way this television
rendered the “beautiful landscapes, stunning
vistas, nail-biting battle scenes; the exquisite
detail in the sets and costumes.”
During the Sony press conference, Peters
spoke again of the potential of UHD images with
4K resolution and HDR imagery. “This increased
spectrum of brightness adds tremendously to
the viewing experience,” he said. “Sony and
THE STORY
At CES, TV manufacturers announced Ultra
HD displays that support high dynamic
range and wide colour gamut imagery.
Netflix plans to offer in-house content like
Macro Polo in Ultra HD. And high dynamic
range is an integral part of the new Ultra
HD Blu-ray format.
Content providers and industry experts
believe that high dynamic range and
wide colour gamut enhance the viewing
experience even more than 4K resolution.
UHD will be delivered via OTT services like
Netflix, so fast and responsive smart-TV
platforms are important.
February/March 2015
17
VIDEO AT CES
THE HARDWARE
Getting attendees excited about new technology
is the point of CES, because that’s what makes
people want to buy new products. And the large
vendors had plenty of covetable products on
display, many of them using exotic technology.
Not surprisingly given its leadership in OLED, LG
is promoting OLED as ideally suited for UHD video.
The company is making a US$6 billion investment
in expanding its OLED production capability.
Shipping in March, Samsung’s flagship 9500 series UHD TVs
are available in 65”, 78” and 88” sizes. They employs fullarray LED backlighting with local dimming and quantum-dot
technology, resulting in superb colour and contrast.
In the U.S., LG will offer seven OLED models in
2015, all of them UHD sets; they’ll be available in
55”, 65” and 77” sizes. In Canada, LG will continue
with its 55” OLED 1080p TVs until June, said Kevin
Andrews, Brand Communications Lead for LG
Electronics Canada Inc., during my booth tour.
UHD OLED televisions will start shipping in the
summer and fall. The flagship, a flexible 77-incher
that can be switched between curved and flat
configuration, will arrive late in the year.
LG will offer 34 other UHD models this year,
including a ColorPrime series that uses quantumdot technology to expand colour gamut by 30%.
That technology will come to Canada this year,
Andrews said.
Quantum-dot displays have the same operating
principles as LCD TVs, whether CCFL- or LEDilluminated. But their light sources are different.
Along with blue LEDs, they have microscopic
semiconductor quantum dots that absorb the
blue light and re-emit light of different colours.
Some of the blue light passes through, but one set
of quantum dots produces red light and another
set produces green light. The combination forms
a broad-spectrum white light source, allowing for
expanded colour gamut.
Other manufacturers are adopting the technology as well. Samsung will have four series of
quantum dot TVs for 2015, which the company
is marketing under the acronym “S’UHD.” They
will begin arriving in Canada in March. The first
three series are edgelit models. Available in
55” and 65” sizes, the 8500 series features flat
screens and quad-core processors. The 9000
series includes 55” and 65” models, while the
9100 series is a 78-incher; all of them with eightcore processors and curved screens. At the top
of the line is the curved 9500 series, available in
65”, 78” and 88” sizes, all with full-array backlighting and local dimming.
Hisense has also adopted its acronym for
quantum dot displays: ULED, short for “Ultra
LED.” The technology will be used on its H10 65”
television, a curved model with full-array backlighting and 240-zone local dimming. It will be
available in Canada this summer at a projected
MSRP of $3,700.
During LG’s pre-CES press conference, Greg Peters, Chief
Streaming and Partnerships Officer for Netflix Inc. (left)
announced that Netflix would offer in-house series
such as Marco Polo in Ultra High Definition in 2015.
This was music to the ears of Tim Alessi, LG Electronics
USA’s Director of New Product Development for Home
Entertainment Products (right). “OLED is ideally suited
for next-generation HDR content,” he stated.
Sony used quantum dot technology in 2013
on some premium HDTVs, adopting the term
“Triluminos” to highlight their expanded colour
range. For 2015, Sony will have eight UHD
televisions with the Triluminos feature; but
this is now implemented conventionally, with
phosphor-treated LEDs. The key new feature
on these new televisions is the 4K X1 processor,
which the company says improves colour,
contrast and clarity on 4K and HD content.
Sony will also offer a 75” flagship model with its
X-tended Dynamic Range Pro feature, and a 65”
set with X-tended Dynamic Range; this feature
uses the X1 processor to maximize contrast.
The TVs that Sony was most eager to talk about
are the X900/X910 series, available in 55”, 65, and
75” sizes. Due for shipment in Canada in early
At Samsung’s pre-CES conference, Colourist Stephen Nakamura spoke of viewing remastered scenes from Exodus: Gods and Kings on a new Samsung UHD television. The way the set
conveyed highlights on warriors’ armour in the battle scenes, and the emerald sea against a stormy sky in the climactic Red Sea scene, was “amazing,” he said.
18
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AQUOS 4K
Sharp Electronics is proud
to announce that we have
been named as a 2015 CES
Innovation Award Honoree.
ULTRA HD
Our most amazing AQUOS yet. Packed with state-of-the-art
picture technologies to offer you the full beauty of Ultra HD
(3840x2160) resolution, the THX 4K certified AQUOS 4K brings
together unmatched picture quality, large screen sizes
and the most advanced smart TV platform for the ultimate
entertainment experience.
©2015 Sharp Electronics Corporation. Sharp, AQUOS, and all related trademarks are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Sharp Corporation and/or its affiliated companies. UD27U Model shown.
The CES Innovation Awards are based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges.
CEA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given.
Sharp.ca
VIDEO AT CES
summer, these edgelit displays are only 4.9mm
deep at their thinnest point, and can be hung on
the wall like a picture. Electronics are in the base,
and cable connectors are covered, allowing for a
beautifully minimalist presentation.
Sharp showed three new series of UHD televisions that will ship in North America in the
first quarter, starting with a 43-incher that will
retail for US$750. The top UH30 series is THXcertified, and has a proprietary feature called
Spectro Rich Colour that delivers 20% wider
colour gamut than conventional HDTVs.
Coming in October is an 80-inch model that
employs Sharp’s pixel-splitting and Quattron
technologies, resulting in a display with 66 million
sub-pixels. The result is resolution that’s 167%
greater than conventional UHD televisions. This
“Beyond UHD” television also features Spectro
Rich Colour and full-array LED backlighting, and
can produce 100% of the DCI (Digital Cinema
Initiatives) colour space. Whereas the UHD TVs
Sharp is launching in the spring have eight-bit
processing, the “Beyond UHD” model has 12-bit
processing, allowing for HDR images.
Panasonic will have four series of UHD televisions in 2015. Available in 55” and 65” sizes,
the flagship CX850 series employs wide-colour
phosphor technology. Along with new LED
backlighting and colour filtering, that results in
expanded colour gamut (98% of the DCI colour
space on the 65-incher, 90% on the 55-incher).
Local Dimming Pro provides deeper blacks,
and Studio Master Drive gradation correction
enhances shadow detail, Panasonic says. The
new TVs also incorporate colour lookup tables
with 8,000 registry points (compared to 100 on
conventional TVs) to maximize colour accuracy.
Pricing and availability info is TBA.
All the new UHD televisions from all the major
manufacturers support the HEVC (H.265) codec
used by Netflix for 4K streaming, and the VP9
codec being used to stream 4K video on YouTube.
Also universal is the presence of HDMI 2.0 connectivity with HDCP 2.2 copy protection, which will
allow new TVs to connect with future components
that provide 4K content with high frame rates,
enhanced colour and expanded dynamic range,
while providing the security that Hollywood will
demand for this content.
SETTING STANDARDS
Delivering on the UHD promise will require new
content with wider dynamic range and broader
colour gamut than the current Rec.709 standard
for HDTV allows. Promulgated by the International
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GETTING SMARTER
For 2015, TV makers continue to refine their smart TV platforms, and increasingly using software
from third parties. The trend gained momentum a year ago, when LG unveiled its new webOS
smart TV system, based on the webOS operating system it purchased from Hewlett Packard in
2013. Last year, LG sold over five million webOS-equipped TVs worldwide, said Kevin Andrews,
Brand Communications Lead for LG Electronics Canada Inc., during a booth tour at CES.
At CES 2015, LG announced webOS 2.0. On
“ The real idea [about
most new models, webOS 2.0 will run on multiwebOS 2.0] is blurring
core processors, with 50% faster startup and
the lines between smart
faster task switching than version 1.0. Support
TV and live TV. It’s all
for 4K streaming is built into webOS 2.0. The
about content now.”
new version also incorporates a “My Channel”
Kevin Andrews
feature in the launcher bar; when selected,
Brand Communications Lead,
it displays listings for the viewer’s favourite
LG Electronics Canada Inc.
channels. The initial status of this feature
remains unclear for Canada, Andrews said. “We have to look at EPG [Electronic Program Guide]
providers for Canada,” he explained. But the overall trend is clear. “The real idea is blurring the
lines between smart and live TV. It’s all about content now.”
In 2015, Samsung will have a smart-TV suite based on a version of Linux called “Tizen.”
Features include a mobile-to-TV function that lets users shoot content from their mobile
device to the big screen. Speaking at his company’s pre-CES press conference, Wonjin Lee,
Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics, said smart is becoming “a standard feature,”
and will soon be taken as a given by consumers. “When was the last time someone said, ‘I’ve
got a colour TV at home?’” he asked rhetorically.
Panasonic is using Mozilla’s FirefoxOS as the foundation for its 2015 Life+Screen smart TVs. The
system integrates viewers’ favourite content from linear TV, connected devices and applications
into a single gateway. Features include a program guide that provides recommendations based
on past viewing and lets viewers search for content across different services.
Sharp and Sony are both adopting Android TV, which among other things lets viewers run
Google Play apps on the big screen; control the television from a phone or Android watch;
shoot content from YouTube, Netflix and other sources to the TV from a tablet, smartphone,
PC or Mac; and search for content by voice. For 2015, Sharp’s step-up and premium UHD TVs
will feature an updated Smart Central suite; Android TV is one of the features of Smart Central
4.0. Sony’s 2015 TVs will boot up with Android TV running.
Smart features might seem unrelated to the main topic of this feature – the continuing
evolution of UHD – but it’s not. The first sources of 4K and HDR content are OTT services like
Netflix; and these are delivered to the TV via its internal smart capabilities.
At CES, Netflix Inc. announced its “Recommended TV” program, with a logo that will help
consumers “identify smart TVs that offer better performance, easier menu navigation and new
features that improve the experience for Internet TV services.”
Speaking at Sony’s pre-CES press conference, Greg Peters, Netflix’s Chief Streaming and
Partnerships Officer, praised the way Sony’s 2015 TVs have “the Internet as its core,” rather
than the Net being “a feature bolted onto the side.”
Regardless of the source, Sony’s 4KTVs deliver Canada’s game in
unprecedented detail and colour. With over 4 times the resolution of
conventional Full HD, watching hockey will never be the same.
sony.ca/4ktv
®Sony and BRAVIA are registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. All other trademarks
are trademarks of their respective owners. Screen images are simulated. A.E. & O.E.
VIDEO AT CES
Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 1990, Rec.709
allows for resolution to 1,920 x 1,080 pixels with
frame rates as high as 60Hz (1080p60); eight-bit
quantization for each red, green and blue subpixel; peak brightness of 100 nits; and colour
gamut that encompasses 35.9% of visible colours.
Sony’s X900-series
UHD televisions are
only 4.9mm deep
at their thinnest
point, making them
appear to float in air.
They can be hung
flush on the wall
like a picture.
Standards for display of HDR/WCG images in
movie theatres have already been developed
by the Society of Motion Picture and Television
Engineers (SMPTE); but none exist for TV. Current
video standards are based on now-ancient CRT
technology. Today’s flat-panel TVs have far outstripped the Rec.709 standard. The best UHD
televisions can produce a wider range of colours
than Rec.709 allows, and peak brightness levels
that exceed 500 nits, even when the display is
calibrated to the correct white point of D65
(rather than being left in touch mode). At higher
white points, some TVs approach 1,000 nits peak
brightness. To exploit the capabilities of the best
of today’s TVs (not to mention tomorrow’s), we’ll
need something that goes way beyond Rec.709.
That process got a major boost on eve of
CES 2015, with the announcement of the UHD
Alliance. Members include DirecTV, Dolby Labs,
LG Electronics, Netflix, Panasonic, Samsung,
Sharp, Sony, Technicolor, 20th Century Fox, Walt
Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Entertainment.
There are different proposals for what a new
standard should look like, but it will certainly
include expanded colour gamut, likely the DCI’s
P3 colour space, which encompasses 53.6% of
visible colours, and wider dynamic range, with
10-bit encoding and peak brightness levels to
1,000 nits.
The Dolby Vision system for HDR/WCG imagery
goes further, allowing for peak brightness of
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10,000 nits. This far exceeds the capability of any
current TV, or any we’re likely to see in the near
future. But Dolby Vision also calls for a hardware
component that maps this HDR content to the
capabilities of the display. The appeal of Dolby
Vision for studios is “grade once, visualize
anywhere,” explained Roland Vlaicu, Senior
Director, Broadcast Imaging at Dolby Labs, during
an off-site presentation at CES. That lets studios
create a single version for display in cinemas and
HDR/WCG-capable UHD TVs.
Dolby Vision got a boost at the show with the
announcement by Warner Bros. that it planned
to colour-grade its 2015 titles for Dolby Vision,
and would also regrade titles from its back
catalog. This content could be delivered by OTT
or VOD services.
UHD will also be delivered on packaged media.
Panasonic showed a prototype UHD Blu-ray
player at CES. The Blu-ray Disc Association has
already announced that the spec for Ultra HD Bluray, as the next-generation format is called (i.e.
not “4K Blu-ray”), will be finalized by mid-year. It
will employ the H.265 codec that Netflix is using
for 4K streaming. Besides increased resolution,
Ultra HD Blu-ray will include a mandatory open
HDR spec, but will allow for optional formats,
including Dolby Vision. Ultra HD Blu-ray players
and titles are expected by the holiday season. The
players will be compatible with standard Blu-ray
Discs and DVDs.
On both streaming services and discs, the
enhanced colour and dynamic range will be
packaged as meta-data. Because this meta-data
is ignored by standard HDTVs and players, the
new content will be backward-compatibile with
older hardware, though of course viewers will
not see the HDR/WCG version.
Coming from Sharp in October is an 80” “Beyond 4K”
television that employs the company’s pixel-splitting and
Quattron technologies, delivering resolution that’s 167%
greater than conventional UHD televisions. It also features
Spectro Rich Colour and full-array LED backlighting, and
can produce 100% of the DCI colour space.
Panasonic’s top-of-the-line TC-65CX850 65” Ultra HD
television employs wide-colour phosphor technology.
Along with new LED backlighting and colour filtering,
that results in expanded colour gamut.
MORE TO COME
While neither the UHD nor Ultra HD Blu-ray specs
have been finalized, it’s very unlikely that there
will be any kind of format war. True, there are
different proposals for encoding and delivering
UHD content. But in a post-CES interview,
Joel Silver, President of the Imaging Science
Foundation, said he was very reassured by the
fact that Dolby and Technicolor, both of whom
have UHD/WCG platforms, are participating in
the UHD Alliance.
Silver expects different UHD schemes will
co-exist peacefully, much as Dolby and DTS do in
the audio world. When they’re buying a Blu-ray
Disc, consumers don’t have to worry whether
it has a Dolby TrueHD or DTS:Master Audio
soundtrack, because their hardware will play
either format with hardly any user intervention,
or none at all. He expects the same to be true of
UHD video.
“We’re not looking at a format war,” Silver
comments. “We’re looking at partners in an
alliance. I’m seeing all the ducks lining up:
product, content creation and distribution. We
have products now shipping with HDMI 2.0 and
HDCP 2.2. That was a huge obstacle.”
And Silver is hugely excited about the potential
of UHD. “UHD gives us more of the two things
ISF thinks are the most important: contrast and
colour. You can see that across the room.”
There’s more to come from UHD, Silver adds.
“The next step is sports at 120 frames per second.
The day you see tennis or soccer at 120 is the day
you no longer accept 1939 speeds,” he notes,
referring to the 30Hz frame rate that has been
part of the North American TV system for 75 years.
“The roadmap for UHD extends beyond 2020,”
Silver continues. “UHD is just starting to show its
multiple facets.”
BRING THE WORLD
CLOSER
Hisense Ultra HD 4K TV delivers four times the resolution of Full HD TV. Experience immersive entertainment
in your living room that rivals movie theatres. As screen sizes get larger, every pixel counts when it comes to delivering
the finest picture quality. With over 8-million pixels, every seat is the ‘best seat in the house’.
www.hisense-canada.com
4K, Quad-core 4K solution, H.265, Smart, HDMI2.0, Anyview Cast
Photo courtesy of Dynaudio
THE BEAT GOES ON:
Digital
Audio
at
CES
BY GORDON BROCKHOUSE
WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES like wearables vying for attention, audio may not exactly be at the
centre stage of CES. But as this year’s event made clear, it’s a vibrant category, and a multi-faceted
one as well, encompassing segments as diverse as wireless multi-room music, compact lifestyle audio,
home theatre surround sound, serious two-channel hi-fi and high-res digital audio.
And of course, there’s portable audio. CES introductions in that category included audiophile
portables that support high-res playback, as well as portable headphone amplifiers and DACs, and of
course headphones, all of which we’ll cover in our April issue. Here, my focus is on home audio.
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WIRELESS, ACTIVE
It’s not often that a single product exemplifies
a whole set of trends at once, but at CES 2015,
one product did. Devialet’s Phantom Implosive
Sound Centre encompasses lifestyle audio, multiroom music, high-res digital audio and serious
two-channel hi-fi in one egg-shaped enclosure.
The Phantom is a self-contained active powered speaker, but that’s not how the French
manufacturer is marketing it. “We call it the
Phantom Sound Centre, because it’s for people
who don’t know about amplifiers and speakers,”
said a company representative at the off-site
demonstration in the Mirage Hotel.
You can use a single Phantom on its own to
fill a large room with monaural sound. And I do
mean “fill.” There are two versions, both with a
front-firing coaxial midrange/tweeter and dual
opposing side-firing woofers. The Phantom
(US$1,990 each) has internal amplifiers with 750
watts peak power, and can produce 99dB at one
metre. The Silver Phantom (US$2,390 each) is the
same size and weight, but its internal amplifiers
can deliver 3,000 watts peak power, for 105dB
maximum SPL. Specified frequency response is
16Hz-25kHz ±2dB.
AUDIO AT CES
Each Phantom has an optical digital input for
connecting an external component. It also has
a built-in Wi-Fi, so you can beam music wirelessly from a computer or mobile device running
Devialet’s Spark app.
It’s unlikely that many purchasers will use the
Phantom in standalone mode. Add the Dialog
Wi-Fi Sharing Centre (US$329), and you use the
Spark app to create a Phantom system for almost
any application. In one room, two Phantoms
can be paired together for stereo playback;
and up to seven Phantoms can be grouped for
surround sound. You can also deploy Phantoms in
different rooms for whole-home music. Up to 24
Phantom speakers can be combined in whatever
configuration you desire.
Digital audio, with up to 192kHz/24-bit resolution, can come from any computer or smart
device running the Spark app. In addition, audio
from a component connected directly to one
Phantom can be played through other Phantoms.
The Dialog creates two private Wi-Fi mesh
networks, one for the household, and another
for guests. The Phantom and Dialog also have
Gigabit Ethernet ports and support for Powerline
networking for additional connectivity options.
This a serious hi-fi component, capable of jawdropping performance, as I discovered listening
to an explosive trailer for Star Trek: The Force
Advances, along with various musical selections.
The Phantom is visceral and dynamic; but also
capable of rendering musical subtleties.
It employs the French company’s ADH hybrid
amplifier design, which combines Class A and
Class D amplification, the former supplying
voltage, the latter current. Devialet says this
topology combines the refinement of Class
A and efficiency of Class D amplification. The
Phantom also incorporates SAM (Speaker
Amplifier Matching), which uses a mathematical
model of the drive unit to optimize response.
Devialet’s Phantom Sound Centre has 750 watts of power,
and can produce 99dB SPL. It can be used standalone, or
configured for multi-room or surround-sound use.
Every Focus XD speaker has a receiver for the
Dynaudio Hub, which has analog, optical, coaxial
and USB inputs. You can connect your music
sources to the Hub, and stream them to Focus XD
speakers at up to 96/24 resolution.
Like Dynaudio’s Xeo active speakers, the new
Focus XD speakers can be configured for multiroom use. Each speaker has a three-position switch
on the back for specifying the zone where it’s
placed. Each of the three zones can be controlled
independently; or they can be grouped together.
The Focus 200 XD, 400 XD and 600 XD will be
available in March from Gem-Sen, Dynaudio’s
Canadian distributor, for $8,700, $13,700 and
$18,600 per pair respectively.
WIRELESS SURROUND
Dynaudio’s new Focus XD wireless active speakers have a
dedicated 150-watt amplifier for every driver. Crossover
and EQ functions are performed in the digital domain.
The Phantom will be available in Canada from
Plurison, Devialet’s Canadian distributor, in May;
Canadian pricing TBA.
Dynaudio’s Focus XD series of active speakers
look more conventional, and its multi-room
capabilities are more basic. But the sound is
glorious. The top model is the Focus 600 XD, a
four-driver, three-way floor-stander, with each
driver powered by its own 150-watt amplifier.
When I visited Dynaudio’s exhibit in the Venetian
Hotel, the Focus 600 XD was playing one of J.S.
Bach’s suites for solo cello, and I was bowled
over by how natural and dynamic the speaker
sounded on this demanding music.
There are two other models: the Focus 400
XD, a three-driver, 2.5-way floor-stander, and
the Focus 200 XD, a two-way monitor speaker.
On both models, each driver has a dedicated
150-watt amplifier.
All models have analog and coaxial digital
inputs. The coaxial input supports resolution to
192kHz/24 bits. Signals from the analog input
are converted to 192/24. Thereafter, everything is
processed in the digital domain. The active digital
crossover can perform very precise filtering,
taking into account driver behaviour. And there’s
a selectable DSP-based room EQ function to
compensate for the speaker position.
You can connect a digital or analog source to
one speaker, then send audio to the other channel
through a wired (coaxial digital) or wireless
connection. Resolution is 192/24 with a wired
connection, or 96/24 wireless.
At its LVCC exhibit, Klipsch (Gentec), which is
celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, unveiled
its new flagship Reference Premiere Series. The
series includes three floor-standers, three centre
channels, two surrounds and two monitors, and
has just begun shipping in ebony and cherry
finishes. It incorporates several improvements
over the Reference II series, including a redesigned
phase plug on the titanium tweeter to broaden
dispersion, and compressed molded horn with
90x90-degree Tractrix geometry for smoother
highs and wider sweet spot.
Coming to Canada in May is the Reference
Premiere Atmos series, which includes a tower
speaker with built-in upfiring two-way Atmos
height speaker, plus an add-on height-channel
module designed for use with non-Atmos
THE STORY
Unlike video and smartphones, in audio
there are a host of small specialty brands
that continue to push the envelope.
Mainstream brands like LG, Panasonic,
Samsung and Sony are making a serious
push into home audio, and taking some
unexpected directions.
Audio companies are adopting wireless
technology not just for whole-house
music distribution, but for surround
sound as well.
For wireless audio, manufacturers are
adopting new platforms like DTS Play-Fi,
WiSA and Google Cast for Audio.
February/March 2015
25
AUDIO AT CES
Polk Audio; Gold Peak Electronics (parent of KEF
and Celestion); Gibson (which owns the Onkyo,
Pioneer and Teac home audio brands); and
Monitor Audio.
MORE MULTI-ROOM
Coming late this summer, Klipsch’s Reference Premiere
Wireless speaker system distributes sound from a wireless
surround hub to multiple channels wirelessly. The system
is based on the WiSA (Wireless Speakers and Audio) spec,
which allows for systems from 2.0 to 7.2 channels.
Reference and Reference Premiere speakers.
The horn loading of the tweeter provides the
directivity needed for the Atmos height channel
without compromising bandwidth, Klipsch says.
Canadian pricing is TBA.
For me, the most interesting announcement
from Klipsch was the Reference Premiere
Wireless system. Instead of multi-room music,
this series is intended for surround sound. Based
on the WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio) spec,
the system includes the RP-440WF tower speaker,
RP-440EC centre channel, RP-140WM monitor
speaker and RP-110WSW subwoofer, all of them
active self-powered models with real walnut
cabinets, and of course horn-loaded tweeters.
The speakers incorporate WiSA-compliant
wireless receivers that communicate with the
RP-HUB1 smart distribution hub. The hub basically
functions as the home-theatre preamp/processor;
but it works wirelessly, sending digital audio to
the powered speakers at up to 96/24 resolution.
It has four HDMI inputs, analog and optical digital
inputs, and Bluetooth aptX connectivity.
WiSA systems are scalable from 2.0 to 7.2 channels. Setup and day-to-day control is performed
with a free app. Similar to current AV receivers,
the hub automatically configures the system,
and sets levels and delay times.
WiSA products are interoperable, so users can
mix-and-match brands. Right now, the only company shipping WiSA speakers is Bang & Olufsen.
Klipsch will launch its WiSA system in late summer
or early fall; pricing TBA.
Other brands could soon join them. Members
of the WiSA Alliance include Anthem, Paradigm
and MartinLogan; Definitive Technology and
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The WiSA membership list shares several brands
with another wireless platform: DTS’s Play-Fi
multi-room music system. At CEDIA last fall,
Definitive Technology and Polk both introduced
Play-Fi products. At CES 2015, Paradigm showed
its own Play-Fi lineup; and announced plans
for Anthem and MartinLogan Play-Fi products.
Play-Fi products are interoperable, so users can
assemble a Play-Fi system with products from
different vendors.
Play-Fi distributes music over the home’s
existing Wi-Fi network. A Play-Fi system can have
up to 16 zones. Play-Fi lets users stream music
from iOS and Android devices using a free app,
and also from Windows PCs.
The free Windows app will sync to one Play-Fi
product. For US$14.95, consumers can download
an HD version that can sync to up to four Play-Fi
products. The Windows app can stream music
from any service or music library on the PC.
Android and iOS devices can stream to up
to four Play-Fi products simultaneously. Up to
eight Android and iOS devices can be connected
to a Play-Fi system at the same time. Using the
Android or iOS app, users can stream music
resident on the device, Internet radio, a limited
number of streaming services (including Deezer,
SiriusXM and Songza) and from DLNA servers on
their home network. Play-Fi supports high-res
PCM audio to 192kHz/24 bits, and allows two selfcontained powered speakers to be configured as
a left-right pair for stereo operation.
Paradigm’s Play-Fi products have a unique
feature: built-in Anthem Room Correction. All
models ship with a pen microphone. Consumers
(or integrators) can use ARC to compensate for
room acoustics.
Sold under the Paradigm Shift sub-brand, the
system includes two powered stereo speakers,
the PF 600 and PF 800, and a 100-wpc amplifier,
the PF AMP, all scheduled for late spring in
Canada. The PF 600 has a built-in amp rated at
200 watts RMS, while the larger PF 800 has a
2x115-watt RMS amplifier. Estimated MSRPs are
$600 each for the PF 600, $800 each for the PF
800, and $500 for the PF AMP.
Scheduled for late spring delivery, Paradigm’s
Wireless series of multi-room music products includes
an amplifier and two powered speakers, all based
on DTS’s Play-Fi platform.
THE HEAVYWEIGHTS
Sonos’ huge success in wireless multi-room
audio has clearly caught the attention of mainstream audio brands. Last year, Bose, Denon,
Harman/Kardon and Lenbrook launched their
own wireless music systems, and now several CE
heavyweights are jumping into the fray.
LG and Sony are both adopting Google Cast
for Audio, which was announced on the eve of
CES. Google Cast for Audio lets users shoot audio
from streaming services to supported wireless
speakers. Supported services include Spotify,
Pandora, iHeart Radio, rdio, Songza, TuneIn and
Rhapsody. With Google Cast, you can use the
service’s streaming app on an iOS or Android
LG’s MusicFlow Smart Wi-Fi lineup includes three soundbars, including the HS9 shown here, plus three powered speakers
and an outdoor speaker. Powered speakers can be mated with soundbars to form a surround system, and speakers can be
deployed in different zones for multi-room sound.
The
SoundBar
REVOLUTION
started with a
ca.yamaha.com
Dealer inquiries: [email protected]
Sound
Projector
AUDIO AT CES
Samsung’s WAM7500 omnidirectional speaker uses Ring
Radiator technology to emit sound in all directions. The
Wi-Fi-equipped speaker can be deployed in different
zones for multi-room sound, and grouped with Samsung’s
new soundbars for surround sound.
device, or the Chrome browser on a PC or Mac,
to cast music to a Google Cast wireless speaker.
The speaker, rather than the device, pulls music
from the cloud; so there’s no battery drain on
your device. The device essentially functions as a
remote control, allowing you to choose and skip
songs as you normally would.
In addition to supporting Google Cast for Audio,
LG’s Music Flow Smart Wi-Fi products work with
the company’s Music Flow app, which lets users
configure a wireless multi-room system to meet
their needs. The Music Flow lineup includes three
Wi-Fi soundbars, three powered Wi-Fi speakers
and a battery-powered Wi-Fi speaker. All are
NFC-equipped, and can automatically take over
playback from a mobile device when the device
is within a foot of the speaker. You can pair two
Wi-Fi powered speakers with a Wi-Fi soundbar to
create a complete surround system with a single
button, then disconnect if you want to use the
speaker somewhere else.
Sony announced two Google Cast-capable
Wi-Fi speakers, and a Google Cast-capable
soundbar. Slated for spring delivery, the SRS-X99
and SRS-X88 both support high-res playback
to 192/24, as well as DSD 64. The 7.1-channel
HRS-ST9 soundbar, which comes with a wireless
sub, has HDMI 2.0 connectivity and HDCP 2.2
support, so it will work with forthcoming Ultra
High Definition source components. All three
models work with the company’s SongPal Link app
for iOS and Android, which lets users dynamically
assign speakers to different zones in the home.
All three models feature Sony’s LDAC circuitry.
This allows high-quality music playback via
Bluetooth, Sony says. Bandwidth is three times
that of conventional Bluetooth.
Sony is also incorporating Google Cast into its
STR-DN1060 and STR-DN860 AV receivers, which
ship this spring. The new receivers also feature
HDMI 2.0 connectivity with HDCP 2.2 support,
AirPlay compatibility, and support for high-res
playback (including DSD).
At CES, Samsung announced the formation
of an audio R&D centre in Valencia, CA. Heading
the Samsung Audio Lab is Allan Devantier, a
Canadian ex-pat whom Samsung recruited away
from Harman. It looks like an impressive facility;
the picture of Devantier that Samsung flashed on
the giant screen during its press conference has
an anechoic chamber in the background.
The first products to come out of the facility
are two wireless speakers that use “Ring
Radiator” technology to emit sound in all
directions. The stand-mounted WAM7500 and
portable WAM6500 can be used singly, grouped
into pairs for stereo, or matched with one of the
company’s Wi-Fi soundbars for surround sound.
They can also be placed in different rooms, and
be used as part of a whole-home wireless music
system. Canadian shipments are slated for June
or July, says Tamer Osman, AV Category Business
Manager for Samsung Electronics Canada Inc.
For 2015, Samsung will offer five soundbars
with multi-room capabilities, including curved
models that match the company’s curved televisions. In the spring, Samsung is introducing a
new version of its Multiroom app. Multiroom 2.0
Sony’s HT-ST9 7.1-channel soundbar/sub package supports Google Cast for Audio, allowing users to cue up music from
their favourite streaming services. You can use Sony’s SongPal Link app to make the HT-ST9 part of a whole-house
wireless music system.
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has a simpler interface and setup process than the
first version, Osman says, and lets users create a
whole-house music system without a central hub.
Another heavyweight moving strongly into
audio is Panasonic; but that company is taking
quite a different direction with its revived
Technics brand. In a suite at the Venetian Hotel,
Panasonic demonstrated two different systems,
both of them aimed squarely at the enthusiast
end of the market.
Last September, Panasonic announced plans to revive its
Technics audio brand. At CES, Panasonic demonstrated
a Premium Technics system costing US$5,500 and a
Reference system costing US$55,000.
Priced at US$55,000, the Reference R1 system
includes the SR-R1 floor-standing speakers; the
SE-R1, a massive (54kg) dual-mono power amp
rated at 150wpc; and the SU-R1 network audio
player/DAC/preamp, with support for PCM to
192/24 as well as DSD 64 and DSD 128. In addition
to balanced and unbalanced outputs, the SU-R1
has a pair of proprietary Technics Digital Link
connections that send left and right audio data, as
well as control data, to the power amplifier, which
performs volume control immediately before
digital-to-analog conversion.
The Premium C700 system carries a more downto-earth price tag of US$5,500. It includes the
SU-C700, a 45-wpc integrated amp; the ST-C700
network audio player/DAC, which supports PCM
and DSD high-res audio; SL-C700 CD player; and
SB-C700 monitor speakers, which employs a flat
coaxial driver with a 6.5” woofer and 1” dome
tweeter that act as a point source.
Components in both systems will be available
individually. The Reference system was playing
when I visited the Technics suite; and it sounded
very impressive. But given the general preference
of audiophiles for boutique brands, how will
they react to this launch? “We look at Technics
as a boutique brand,” Barry Murray, Director of
Marketing of the AV Group at Panasonic Canada
Inc., responded to this question. “Our intention is
to reestablish it as an audiophile brand.”
AUDIO AT CES
SPECIALTY BRANDS
Throughout the show, the floors at the Venetian
Tower housing specialty audio exhibits were
jammed. Most exhibitors were showing twochannel hi-fi; but there was some home theatre
as well. I’ll look at these products first.
Last fall, Arcam (Erikson Consumer) introduced
its Solo bar soundbar/subwoofer system, and at
CES, the Canadian-owned U.K.-based company
showed two new lifestyle systems. The Solo
Movie has a universal Blu-ray player (with
support for DVD, CD and SACD playback), four
HDMI 1.4 inputs, and five channels of Class G
amplification. The Solo Music is similar, but is a
2.1-channel system with HDMI connectivity.
PSB’s Alpha VS21 sound base is a self-contained powered
two-channel system with dual 4” woofers, 2” midrange
drivers and 1” dome tweeters and 100 watts of amplification, mounted in a wood enclosure.
PSB (Lenbrook) announced the Alpha VS21
sound base, a two-channel system with 4” woofers,
2” midrange drivers and 1” dome tweeters,
mounted in a braced MDF enclosure. This is an
active system, with each driver having its own
dedicated amplifier. Total power is 100 watts RMS.
Shipments began in January. Along with optical,
coaxial and analog inputs, the VS21 has Bluetooth
streaming. And it has built-in Dolby Digital
decoding, with a mode for late-night viewing.
In two days, there was no way I was going to
get to all the suites at the Venetian. But here, in
alphabetical order, are some of the new products
at the suites I did get to.
Bryston was demonstrating its new Mini T
three-way bookshelf speaker. “I wanted to do a
true classic three-way speaker, instead of trying to
get a two-way to do bass,” said Bryston V.P. James
Tanner. A priority was a good blend between the
drivers; and based on listening to several pieces
of acoustic music, I’d say Bryston has achieved
that goal. Not only was the sound immediate and
dynamic, it was completely seamless and natural.
Retail is $2,800 per pair in vinyl and $3,195 per
pair in veneer.
In a corner of the Bryston suite were three
digital accessories in mini chassis: the BUC1 USB
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converter, BOT1 CD transport (for CD playback
and ripping to Bryston digital players), and BPS3
power supply for Bryston’s mini accessories.
Cambridge Audio’s new CX series (Plurison)
includes two Class AB integrated amplifiers with
optical and coaxial digital inputs, the 80-wpc
CXA80 and 60-wpc CXA60, plus the CXC CD
transport and CXN network music player/DAC.
The CXN has optical and coaxial inputs and
outputs (but no USB input), as well as balanced
and unbalanced analog outputs, and supports
streams to 192kHz/24 bits. It’s AirPlay-compatible
and also allows wireless streaming via Bluetooth.
GoldenEar Technologies’ new Triton Five
tower speaker is a larger version of the Triton
Seven, but has greater bass extension and
dynamic range. Six-inch mid-woofers are mounted
above and below the High-Velocity Folded Ribbon
tweeter on the front of the narrow enclosure; on
the sides near the bottom of the enclosure (for
better room coupling) are four 8” planar sub-bass
drivers. MSRP is US$1,998 per pair.
Monitor Audio showed its new Gold series,
which ship in Canada in mid-February. Refinements
over the previous Gold GX series include tighter
tolerances on the C-CAM (Ceramic-Coated
Aluminum-Magnesium) tweeter for improved
transparency, and a new dimpled structure on the
cone of the mid-bass driver for greater bass extension and dynamic range.
Also at the Monitor Audio suite were new separates from Cyrus Audio, which like Monitor Audio
is distributed in Canada by Kevro International.
The Cyrus Stereo 200 is a Class D amp, but
with a toroidal analog power supply. The hybrid
Meridian’s Explorer 2 DAC/headphone
amplifier supports the company’s
MQA technology, which uses a process
called “encapsulation” to encode
music with very high timing accuracy
and wide dynamic range. During CES,
Meridian announced that the lossless
streaming service Tidal planned to
offer MQA-encoded music.
At CES, Bryston demonstrated its Mini T three-way
bookshelf. “I wanted to do a true classic three-way
speaker,” says V.P. James Tanner, “instead of trying to
get a two-way to do bass.”
design offers the efficiency of Class D topology,
but provides better control and bass response at
high SPLs, says Sheldon Ginn, Vice President of
Sales and Marketing for Kevro.
Simaudio, which celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2015, showed a new DAC in its Moon Nēo
Series. The Moon Nēo 280D offers similar functionality to the more expensive 380D, including
support for streams to 384kHz/32-bit PCM and
DSD up to DSD 256 via USB, and has refinements
such as galvanically isolated USB input to minimize noise. It will be available in Canada in March
for $2,200 MSRP.
STREAMING
While it’s tempting to get caught up in the gear,
the goal of all this stuff is music. Throughout the
AUDIO AT CES
fall, there was all kinds of buzz around Tidal’s
lossless streaming service, which arrived in
Canada shortly after CES. I’ve signed up, and
heard immediately what the buzz is about.
Tidal does not use lossy compression, so what
you get is CD-quality. As this article was being
finished, I hadn’t had time to do a careful comparison between Tidal and locally stored music; but
my initial take based on a few hours of listening
Lionel Goodfield, Director of Public Relations and
Marketing for Simaudio, in an exhibit at CES celebrating
the company’s 35th anniversary. The Nikko tuner, Aiwa
cassette deck, Thorens turntable and Sima amplifier
all date from the early 1980s.
is that it sounds just as good. I’ll have a review of
the service on wifihifi.ca by the time you read this.
And the service promises to get better.
During CES, Meridian Audio announced that
Tidal will adopt Meridian’s MQA (Master Quality
Authenticated) technology by the end of the first
quarter. MQA uses a process that Meridian calls
“encapsulation” to encode music with very high
timing accuracy and wide dynamic range. The
technique is based on psychoacoustic research
that shows how humans identify and locate
sounds. Timing accuracy to within a few microseconds is important for delivering an authentic
experience, Meridian says.
Meridian is offering MQA decoding capability
on some new products, including the Explorer 2
headphone amp/DAC. But MQA decoding can
also be implemented in other ways, such as player
apps. The format is backward-compatible; if no
decoder is available, music plays in CD-quality.
MQA files can be delivered inside any lossless
container, including FLAC, ALAC and WAV. Along
with the audio data, the file contains meta-data
that instructs the decoder how to create an exact
reconstruction of the original analog signal. MQA
Arriving in March for $2,200, Simaudio’s Moon Nēo 280D
DAC supports playback of PCM files to 384kHz/32 bits, as
well as DSD to DSD 256.
works with all master recordings from 44.1 to
768kHz sampling frequency.
MQA is much more efficient than encoding
music with high bit depths and sampling rates,
Meridian says. The company compares highresolution formats to “putting music in a bigger
box, most of which is empty.” Coupled with the
Tidal announcement, MQA has the potential to
deliver high-resolution listening experiences via
streaming, but at data rates that won’t push you
against your Internet provider’s bit cap.
This is exciting news, because it promises to
make high-res playback more readily available.
And like other developments at CES, it shows
how vibrant the audio category remains.
HEXO+ CAPTURES ATTENTION
DRONES
TAKE FLIGHT at CES
BY CHRISTINE PERSAUD
DID YOU FEEL LIKE SOMETHING was buzzing above you at every turn this CES? It probably was.
Drones – otherwise known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs for short) – of all shapes, sizes, and
kinds were being demo’d on – er, above – the show floor. In fact, this year was the first that CES set
aside an entire space for drones. “That’s a sure sign that the product category has arrived in a big way,”
says Kevin Kelly, President & COO, Stampede Presentation Products, Inc.
Kelly believes that 2015 will be the year that drones – which he calls the logical next-generation
extension of the radio-controlled airplane and helicopter – officially become a mass-market enthusiast
phenomenon. “A huge number of Americans grew up flying these aircraft, and we believe that many
of them will become drone enthusiasts as adults.”
Stampede distributes the DJi line in Canada – a leader in the market. But there are also plenty of
up-and-comers looking to grab a piece of the airborne pie.
Others will help encourage more customers to
come on board. HEXO+ received over US$1.3
million in funding via a Kickstarter campaign, far
above its initial $50,000 goal, for what it calls an
autonomous aerial vehicle that lets you shoot
video with Hollywood effects using the app. It’s
the app itself that really sets this device apart.
Other models, like the Inspire 1, offer autonomous
flying capabilities. But with the HEXO+ app, you
can not only set the camera to follow you, always
keeping you at the centre of the frame, but also
have it automatically pan out or dolly in to a shot,
show a 360-degree view, among other custom
effects to add some flavour to the footage. Once
you set parameters, just let it fly and it will do as
you’ve instructed as you go about a run, down
the ski slopes, or whatever other activity you
wish to capture. It can fly for up to 15 minutes
per charge, and uses a GoPro camera. The idea,
a company rep tells WiFi HiFi, is that anyone can
use it right out of the box – there’s no previous
flight training or experience required in order
to capture Hollywood-like footage. The HEXO+
received a Best of CES award.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR DJI: THE INSPIRE 1
UAV enthusiasts are salivating over the Inspire 1, a $2,900 drone that can shoot 12MP stills and video in
4K resolution with a full, unobstructed 360-degree view. It boasts a new motor and lightweight design,
and features like optional dual-operator control for sharing your vision with a friend; 7-shot-per-second
burst mode; and Adobe DNG RAW support. Viewer Positioning technology holds an accurate position
indoors, even when GPS is unavailable. Sensors determine the device’s location and altitude, then
lower the legs automatically for landing.
An intelligent power management system shows live battery information, and estimates the time
to return home based on your location. The battery reports the voltage of each cell, total lifetime
charges and discharges, and overall health and status. Maximum flight time is 18 minutes, and it
can communicate from up to 2 km away – much further than the 700 metres for the Phantom series.
There’s also a new “follow me” function that can capture video of a moving object without having
to manually control the drone’s flight path. Features of the partner mobile app include live HD view,
dynamic home point that refreshes every three seconds, auto-takeoff and landing, flight telemetry,
manual mode, and a live map and radar. You can also customize the controls.
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HEXO+ drone with
3D gimbal mount for GoPro
NEW FROM PARROT
In addition to a new line of Mini Drones, Parrot
also showed off its SkyController for the
Bebop drone, which can be used on its own as
a standalone remote, or with a smartphone or
tablet docked inside and synced to the device
for additional control. The SkyController has
two joysticks: one on the right for angles at
180 degrees, and one on the left for FPV mode
when used with the compatible glasses (sold
separately.) The Wi-Fi-device helps extend the
communication range of the Bebop so you can
control it from up to 2 km away. And it even has
a foldable sunshade to cover your device from
direct sunlight.
UP-AND-COMERS
Others boast unique features to help set them
apart in the growing market.
Zano incorporates gesture control with its new
drone, which will respond in kind as you tilt your
phone or tablet left, right, forward, or backwards.
Onscreen slide bars control rotation and altitude.
Focusing on the entry level is Hobbico’s cute
mini Proto-X that can fit in the palm of your hand.
Selling for $30, it can fly for about eight minutes,
and is operated via a similar-sized remote. It’s a
great gift item for kids, or those looking to experiment with aerial vehicles. The Micro Drone 3.0
is also a mini-sized UAV that takes selfies (excuse
me, “dronies”) to a whole new level, literally. It
shoots 720p video and can be expanded with
expansion packs.
The Trace drones let you stream footage live
online. The Tracer1 camera can click into a number of self-controlled motorized accessories,
including the Flyr1 quadcopter (which offers a
half hour of fly time per charge), and the Driver1,
a 4WD all-terrain electric vehicle. Video can be
live-streamed via social media, and/or hosted on
the Trace Website, after it has been edited if the
user so desires.
An interesting feature with the Ghost Drone
by EHang, Inc., a company formed by a group of
flying enthusiasts, is the auto return function that
brings the device back home if it loses communication with the control G-Box. This drone can fly
Parrot Sky Controller and Bebop drone
Proto-X, the world’s smallest quadcopter
for up to 23 minutes, and can be controlled by
rotating and tilting your smartphone. Compatible
with GoPro, tap on a spot on a map to automatically initiate flight there. When the horizontal
distance between Ghost and the user surpasses
three metres, it will fly faster to keep up.
What’s especially cool about the Airdog drone,
which, like the others, also has auto follow modes,
is its foldable body that makes it easy to transport
in a bag or backpack, or tuck away when it’s not
being used. It can be controlled via an armbandmounted remote.
Kelly believes that the commercial use of drones
will continue to evolve with more applicationspecific drones coming to market over the next
two to three years. We might see an ambulance
drone, for example, or – as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos so
famously envisioned – a delivery drone.
But issues and regulations remain to be finalized in North America, and that will pose some
roadblocks to more widespread use, particularly
for retail. Still, Kelly feels that the commercial use of drones is “inevitable.” The National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has created
a drone pavilion for its 2015 show, indicating its
support for the category. And while the Federal
Aviation Administration currently prohibits the
unauthorized use of drones for deliveries, it is
extending waivers or Certificates of Authority
(COAs) to companies. “We expect that more
diverse applications of drone technology will
proliferate as restrictions ease,” says Kelly.
GOING COMMERCIAL
It was hard not to miss the massive drones on
the show floor, some securing full-sized, professional cameras, like the Harwar Mega A8GH4,
a V-shaped, four-axis, eight-rotor flying drone
specifically designed for filming and television;
or the eXom by senseFly (a Parrot company), a
quadcopter made specifically for civil engineers
and surveyors for performing inspections and
close mapping of projects.
Harwar Mega A8GH4 UAV system
FLYING HIGH
So will 2015 be the ‘Year of the Drone?’ Research
and Markets valued the global UAV market at
US$6.762 billion in 2014, and predicts it will rise
to $10.573 billion by 2020. In October of last year,
Business Insider Intelligence estimated the size
of the commercial drone market to be 12% of
the $98 billion in cumulative global spending of
aerial drones over the next decade. Kelly feels the
growth could be even faster should regulatory
agencies finalize their rules concerning licensing
and training.
Going forward, he expects to see innovations in
safety, helping flyers avoid crashes; as well as fleet
control – managing a multiple drones at once
from the cloud. “The latter,” he opines,” will play a
huge role in commercial use once approved.”
From commercial opportunities, to potential
to reinvigorate the consumer digital imaging
space, drones are helping take consumer tech to
new heights. That’s literally and figuratively.
February/March 2015
33
AUTOMOTIVE
AT CES:
CARPLAY,
ANDROID
AUTO
and the
DRIVERLESS
CAR
THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY was as much a
part of the headlines as any other category at
the 2015 International CES in Las Vegas. The connected car is becoming more of a reality, fueled
in large part by the integration of mobile devices.
There’s still plenty to sort out. But connected
cars will be a crucial cog in the wheel known as
the Internet of Things, IoT for short. Much of what
was on display in the automotive space, especially
in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention
Centre, centred around emerging technologies,
including deeper mobile integration and less
focus on traditional aftermarket upgrades. We also
saw the debut of Android Auto, and a spotlight
on Apple’s CarPlay, to go along with advances in
driverless cars and smartwatch integration.
APPLE CARPLAY
One problem the auto industry has had for a
long time is the lack of standardization for infotainment and mobile device integration, and
OEM reluctance to cede any level of control over
the dash to outsiders – especially behemoths like
Apple and Google. Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s
Android Auto were both announced in 2014
to great fanfare. That isn’t surprising since iOS
and Android are the two most widely adopted
mobile platforms in North America. Streamlining
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Photo: John Thomson
BY TED KRITSONIS
the user experience for the millions of drivers
armed with those devices makes a lot of sense.
The automakers have largely failed in that
regard, and several have made commitments to
adopt both platforms. But none of the 10 OEMs
on the show floor actually demo’ed them – it
was aftermarket manufacturers Pioneer and JVC
Kenwood that took the reins instead.
Pioneer emphasized both platforms with two
vehicles in its booth: one with a CarPlay head unit
installed, and the other running Android Auto.
Pioneer was the first to bring CarPlay to market in
the fall with its SPH-DA120 with AppRadio 4, and
has committed to launching another five head
units with the platform built-in starting in March.
In a hands-on demo, it was clear that CarPlay
looks a lot like iOS visually, with the use of the
same icons and fonts, and an overall similar
user interface. At a fundamental level, though,
it’s been designed to utilize Siri as the primary
communication method. When Apple updated
iOS to version 8.0, one of the features was the
ability to activate Siri hands-free by simply saying
“Hey Siri” when it was plugged into a power
source. While the iPhone must be plugged in to
the head unit for CarPlay to work, Siri’s handsfree integration is a staple feature in Apple’s
automotive platform. Steering wheel controls
can be installed and integrated in older vehicles,
but newer ones that already have them can be
used to activate Siri as well.
Interestingly, there is no Bluetooth connectivity. It will only work when the iPhone is tethered
because the software is driven from the phone,
which also means that any functionality with
apps is almost entirely reliant on data. That may
pose a roaming problem when driving across
the border. Compatibility is also limited only
to iPhones running iOS 7.1 or later, and with a
Lightning port, which means iPhone 5 and later.
Spotify and Rdio are two popular third-party
apps available out of the gate, with the only
THE STORY
Apple CarPlay and Google Android
Auto were both demo’ed by aftermarket
vendors at CES.
Smartphone integration with vehicle
OBD-II ports is growing in sophistication.
Vehicle dashboards are going fully digital
as chipmakers and developers take
interest in the high-tech opportunities.
CES: AUTOMOTIVE
other one demo’ed being iHeartRadio, which
isn’t available in Canada. But more should come
on board as adoption grows.
Pioneer’s five CarPlay models will be available starting in March, including the higher-end
NEX8100 (MSRP US$1,400), NEX7100 (MSRP
US$1,200) and NEX4100 (MSRP US$700).
Kenwood didn’t have a full car demo showcasing CarPlay, but did have a display focused on
its flagship head unit, the DDX 9902S, which will
be able to run Android Auto. Pricing and availability for the unit haven’t been announced yet.
GOOGLE ANDROID AUTO
The fact that both CarPlay and Android Auto are
effectively software platforms means that they
can actually run on the same head units. The
same Pioneer NEX and Kenwood DDX models
that are CarPlay-enabled are essentially equipped
to handle Google’s automotive platform as well.
OEM and aftermarket systems have struggled
to offer the same level of functionality, regardless of the Android phone plugged in. Part of the
reason has been Android’s own fragmentation,
where the last three versions – Jelly Bean, KitKat
and Lollipop – make up the majority of users.
Android Auto seems to be an attempt by
Google to remedy that for drivers, particularly
since current solutions have been unable to
integrate them all. For starters, it will work with
virtually all Android handsets that are running
5.0 Lollipop or above. However, not all Android
smartphones can upgrade to the latest version,
affecting integration in the short term. But there
is no backward compatibility with older head
units. This is unfortunate for current Android
users that are stuck in 4.1-4.3 Jelly Bean or 4.4
KitKat because if there is no option to upgrade
(at least, officially), then there’s no way to use
Google’s new platform in the car.
It works in a similar fashion to CarPlay, though
it doesn’t display icons in a menu grid. Google’s
Android Auto has heavy Google service integration,
including voice recognition to do things like search for
an address, or send text messages.
Aftermarket vendors like Pioneer and JVC Kenwood showcased Apple’s CarPlay (left) and Google’s Android Auto (right)
platforms, which help better integrate the smartphone into the driving experience.
own services are the crux of the interface, with
Maps and messaging tied in closely. Much like
Siri with CarPlay, Google Now voice recognition
is integrated to perform tasks like searching
for an address, point-of-interest or destination.
Hands-free text messages also seem to work the
same way, and the plan is to integrate WhatsApp
into the platform as well.
The demo was limited in many ways at
Google’s behest. It’s not clear what, if any, Gmail
or Hangouts integration there may be in the final
code. In addition, there was little information as
to how third-party apps would be added, other
than that Google will ultimately control the
curating process.
With the first Android Auto units coming
in March, it won’t be long before dealers and
consumers start to see what this new-look
Android is truly capable of.
PARROT DOUBLES DOWN
Pioneer and JVC Kenwood weren’t the only
players getting into the CarPlay and Android
Auto mix. Parrot’s new flagship Asteroid RNB 6
is a double-DIN that will offer both anticipated
platforms out of the box. The unit itself runs on
a modified version of Android 5.0 Lollipop, and
can be used independently of either of the other
two interfaces.
It has a 7” 720p capacitive touchscreen and
will include OBD-II interfacing for gaining realtime data on vehicle performance – intriguing
functionality for something like this. It will also
work with a dashboard-mounted camera to
shoot video and store it in flash memory slotted
into the unit. A connection in the back can also
integrate a backup camera.
Parrot was tight-lipped about whether or not
it will abandon its previous attempt to maintain
an app store like it did with the last Asteroid
units launched in 2013. There’s also no word on
pricing. Availability has been set for the second
half of 2015. That will make Parrot late to the
party – competitors will have already been in the
market for months by then.
MORE MOBILE INTEGRATION
It’s not new to market, but DroneMobile is an
aftermarket kit that extends the ways your smartphone can interact with the car. For example, it
can work with a vehicle’s remote starter or door
locks so that the user can control those functions
using an iPhone, Android or BlackBerry phone.
GPS and security are the other key focuses for
the company. A module that plugs into the vehicle’s OBD-II port can act as a beacon that pushes
location data using Rogers’ cellular network back
to the DroneMobile app on the user’s phone. If
the vehicle has been broken into or stolen, it sends
an alert. The Basic Plan is $50/yr. (or $4.16/mo.),
which covers keyless entry, remote starting and
alarm alerts. The Premium Plan is $120/yr. (or
$10/mo.), and that covers everything in Basic
plus GPS tracking, theft alerts and geofencing.
These are, of course, residual costs from the
three kit options. The Start It system is $500 and
comes bundled with a remote start control module and backup remote transmitter that goes on
a keychain. The Max It system is $550 and adds
a dual-stage shock sensor and theft-deterrent
As the new flagship in its line, Parrot’s Asteroid RNB 6,
which runs on a modified version of Android Lollipop, will
offer support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,
provide real-time data on vehicle performance, and work
with a dashboard-mounted camera to record video and
store it in flash memory.
February/March 2015
35
CES: AUTOMOTIVE
IFTTT. Automatic has no distribution in Canada,
but every feature works in the country, save
for gas prices data, which is a feature that is
provided, by location, in the U.S.
QNX AND NVIDIA
Following a long relationship with Microsoft, Ford’s
new Sync 3 system is now based on QNX technology,
and integrates Apple Siri control.
LED. The DR-3000 is $200 and, essentially just the
OBD-II module, it is meant for vehicles that already
have remote starters and security systems.
Another similar product that may be inching
closer to officially coming to Canada is the
Automatic. It, too, is a module that plugs into a
vehicle’s OBD-II port, and its main feature set is
to push pertinent driving data to an iPhone or
Android phone. That includes location sharing,
tracking, audio warnings for speeding, and
decoding codes for trouble lights that appear in
the instrument cluster.
Automatic has added support for Ford Sync
and IFTTT (IF This Then That), a popular automation app for setting up triggers and actions.
When driving, this might include a trigger like
automatically texting a significant other when
you’re en route home. Though Ford has integrated
Siri into its Sync 3 infotainment system through a
long press of the voice-activation button, it’s not
backward compatible for vehicles running Sync 1
or 2. Automatic’s module fills the gap for much of
the company’s models by utilizing the same long
press feature. The user has the choice between Siri
or IFTTT.
At just US$100 and with no subscription fees,
it’s an intriguing product, and could be doubly so
if there are plans to work with more automakers.
Integration with the Nest Smart Thermostat and
Jawbone UP fitness band are already possible,
and there’s plenty more that can be done using
The Ottawa-based subsidiary of BlackBerry, QNX,
is the middleware man of much of the infotainment space – its technology is involved in over
half of the market’s systems. It showed a concept
Maserati Quattroporte GTS with a fully digital
instrument cluster and large touchscreen on the
dash that all but eliminates physical buttons. The
rearview and sideview mirrors are actually LCDs
that provide a much wider view of all angles
around the vehicle, thanks to a number of cameras installed on the outside. A series of four light
strips running along the end of the dashboard
change colours and reflect off the windshield for
visually detecting objects in front.
This setup was running on Qualcomm’s
Snapdragon 602A processor, which is an automotive-grade infotainment chipset.
Rival Nvidia has been making inroads in the
automotive space as well. It introduced its Tegra
X1 mobile “superchip” that runs a 256-core GPU
with an 8-core 64-bit CPU – a significant amount
of processing power that the company is aiming
more at cars than smartphones or tablets.
These technologies will have a major impact
moving forward as connected cars become more
tightly integrated into the wider IoT trend.
WHERE’S THE DRIVER?
There were other significant automotive technology introductions at CES, like BMW’s driverless
i3 and Mercedes-Benz’s conceptual look at the
F015 Luxury in Motion driverless car, where four
passengers can sit facing each other while being
driven autonomously. Volkswagen showcased a
number of gesture-based features with its Golf R
Touch concept, where functions can be triggered
by simple gestures versus pressing buttons. Ford,
meanwhile, had Sync 3 on display, which now
Fully digital instrument clusters, like these from Audi (left) and QNX (right) are something automakers have been experimenting with for years. They can display anything an infotainment screen would, but are built right into the car itself.
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Don’t believe driverless cars exist beyond Google? MercedesBenz’s squashed that idea with its concept F015, which
it calls “Luxury in Motion:” a driverless car where four
passengers can sit in swivel chairs facing each other, working
away or relaxing as they get from Point A to Point B.
integrates Siri and is based on QNX technology
after a long association with Microsoft. Chrysler
talked up its Uconnect system and its Access features, which include stolen vehicle tracking and
diagnostic information sent to the Uconnect app
on a smartphone.
Like QNX, Nvidia and Qualcomm, Audi showed
off a fully digital instrument cluster in front of
the steering wheel of its driverless A7. Nvidia
showed how Google Street View could be integrated into the cluster. Automakers have been
experimenting for years with digital clusters
that display everything an infotainment screen
would, right down to the music, navigation,
phone calls and messages.
Smartwatch integration was a subject of
conversation between Samsung and BMW and
Volkswagen, as well as LG and Audi, with talk of
more to come from both the automakers and
smartwatch makers. Samsung showed a concept at its booth whereby a driver could tell the
car when he’s ready to go using his smartwatch,
and ask the vehicle to pull around and pick him
up at the front door. It’s like your own personal
valet. It will be interesting to see if Apple has
any similar tricks up its sleeve with its upcoming
Watch and CarPlay.
Last year’s CES foreshadowed much of what
was shown this year. But CES 2015 was very
much a turning point for where the auto industry
stands in the wider world of tech. Connected cars
are becoming, well, more connected. And they
pose interesting opportunities in the world of IoT.
With Apple and Google now getting involved,
there may be greater opportunity for the aftermarket to pounce on the weakness shown by
OEMs that simply can’t keep up with the pace
of mobile. This year, we’ve seen glimpses of that
promise with CarPlay and Android. But next year,
aftermarket vendors will be in a better position to
really follow where the market is going.
TM
Compatible Models
AVIC-8000NEX
AVIC-5000NEX
•
AVIC-7000NEX •
•
AVH-4000NEX
AVIC-6000NEX
•
AppRadio® 4
pioneer-carglobal.com/en/CarPlay
Apple CarPlay is an integrated feature of iOS 7.1 or newer for iPhone® 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 users. The Pioneer CD-IU52 connectivity cable or the Apple Lightning cable
is required and sold separately. *Caution: Read the operation manual and all instructions and cautions before use. Become familiar with any applicable state and local laws. Pay attention to the road,
limit glances to the device, and do not use any feature if it cannot be operated safely and legally in your location and driving conditions. Distracted driving may result in serious injury, including death.
Apple, CarPlay and the CarPlay logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Pioneer and the Pioneer logo are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation. © 2014
Pioneer Electronics of Canada, Inc.
Photo: John Thomson
Photo courtesy of Incipio
CHARGING,
PORTABLE AUDIO
& WEARABLES
at CES 2015
BY CHRISTINE PERSAUD
FROM THE NORTH HALL, to an entire section of fitness and health gear at the Sands Expo, and gadgets
and gizmos littered throughout the South and Central Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center,
mobile was more prevalent at this year’s CES than ever.
And while the major companies are holding out until Mobile World Congress in February to launch
their latest handsets, the accessories category on its own was enough to get folks excited.
Innovation was abundant. But overall, the aim is on better supporting the latest generation of
smartphones and tablets, whether it’s a more sophisticated wearable or a high-capacity portable
charger. With phones becoming more powerful and prevalent in our daily lives, the accessories we
need will require more power, more sophistication, and more diversity.
There are a few distinct areas of growth for the category: elsewhere in this issue, Ted Kritsonis
touches on headphones. Here, I’ll look at three more key market segments: smartwatches and activity
trackers, the wearables category with the most mainstream retail potential today; portable chargers;
and portable Bluetooth speakers.
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I’VE GOT THE POWER
Portable chargers are now a well-established
part of the wireless accessories market. And this
year’s CES shows that we’ve moved on from
pushing the need for these devices to a phase of
feature tweaking. It’s not enough just to have a
portable charger – they need to keep up with the
latest battery-hungry devices, and our increased
usage of them. Greater convenience is also
important. And manufacturers are coming up
with many ways to accomplish this.
MOBILE WORLD
HURRY, LET’S GO!
HIGHER CAPACITY & FAST CHARGING
The first response to this is, logically, to offer
higher capacity batteries that can charge the latest
feature-rich devices more quickly and efficiently.
Scosche’s goBAT 6000 portable charger
(Atlantia) boasts a 6,000 mAh rechargeable
lithium-ion battery with a 2.4 Amp Perfect Charge
USB port, and the 12,000 has an impressive 12,000
mAh battery with two 2.4 Amp ports. They also
solve the issue of being able to bring the charger
virtually anywhere – they’re fully water and
dustproof, and have been drop-tested to meet
or exceed military standards. Each comes with an
aluminum clip ring for attaching it to a backpack.
They’ll sell for US$45 and $80, respectively.
Velvetwire says its PowerSlayer Blu chargers
operate at a more energy efficient speed, and
work with a partner app that tells you how long
you would need to charge the device in order to
get to the battery percentage you need – maybe
you just need to get to 50%, for example, to get
you through the rest of the day. And like any
energy-efficient charger, it shuts off power to
the device once it reaches full capacity. It’s worth
noting that they also employ a new design trend
we saw prevalent across the show floor – stronger
braided cables.
Quick Charge technology, which can charge
a phone fully in as little as 70% of the time of
standard chargers - is becoming a sought-after
feature. This can quickly give you enough of
a charge to last through the rest of the day in
those instances when you urgently need some
emergency power before falling into the red.
One such model with this technology is the
phonesuit Elite 6 battery case, which can
fully charge an iPhone 6 in just two hours. It has
one-finger electrostatic touch on the back to tell
you how much battery power is left. To turn it
off, you must place your fingers and hold for a
few seconds, which helps avoid accidental shutoffs when the phone is in your pocket or purse.
myCharge Style PowerPlus
It comes in 2,200 mAh and 3,000 mAh versions
for the iPhone 6 for $80 and $100, respectively;
and 3,000 (US$90) and 4,200 (US$110) versions
for the iPhone 6 Plus.
NO CABLES INCLUDED...OR NEEDED
One of my biggest pet peeves with portable
chargers is that, with most of them, you have
to bring along your cable. If you forget it, it’s
essentially useless. The industry is moving in the
right direction with a number of new chargers that
have the appropriate connectors built right in.
charging, without the need for cables, or a large
device connected to the bottom. It boasts a slim,
rectangular design that will sit nicely at the bottom
of your phone until you’ve gained a full recharge.
US$70 for the Apple version, US$60 for Android.
In the event that you do still use a portable charger that requires a cable, startup ChargerLeash
has an interesting solution – a technology built
into the cable that beeps to alert you if you’ve
unplugged your phone and forgot to bring the
cable, too. Just place your thumb on it to silence,
or unplug the cable. There are 2.0 Amp versions
for Lightning (US$30) and microUSB (US$20.)
There’s also a two-in-one option for US$35.
Company founder Brian Tedesco tells WiFi HiFi
that he’s exploring building the technology into
other charging cables, including ones for highvalue laptop chargers.
DOUBLING UP:
MULTIPLE DEVICE CHARGERS
Mipow PowerTube
Mipow’s PowerTube line, for instance, comes
with a built-in microUSB or Lightning connector.
The new 3,000 mAh PowerTube 3000 will sell for
US$50; the 4500, a 2.4 Amp battery pack with
microUSB connector, is scheduled for availability
in February at the same price; and the PowerTube
9000, which adds a Lightning connector too, is
priced at US$80. What’s particularly neat about
these is that they work with the JuiceSync app
that allows users to see how much charge is
left in the device, when it reaches 20%, and can
even alert you if you’re about to leave the home
without it. (Mipow products are distributed in
Canada by Cesium.)
The myCharge Style PowerPlus (distributed
by Erikson Consumer) is one of the most stylish
chargers I’ve seen. It comes in a number of
different patterns, and is about the size of a
business card, which makes it easy to slot in a
pocket (the high-tech pocket square, perhaps?)
or purse. Like the Mipow chargers, it has an
integrated microUSB or Lightning connector. It
comes with a 3,000 mAmp battery that provides
1 Amp output for charging a smartphone. If you
need more power, there’s the Hub Mini, which
has 2.1 Amp output, and both microUSB and
Lightning connectors. Pricing is TBA.
Plug the phonesuit Flex pocket charger right
into a compatible Apple or Android device for
Multiple device charging through one unit is also
growing – after all, most of us now take multiple
devices with us, or have many at home that need
charging at the same time - from smartphones to
tablets, wearables, and laptops, for each person
in the family.
Powerocks (Hitfar Concepts) takes that concept
a few steps further with its Jump Starter, which
can charge mobile devices using the 10,800
mAh battery (that’s good for up to five charges
of a smartphone), but is also a handy emergency
tool in the car. Features range from a built-in
emergency light, to a button that will initiate
an alarm and audio calls for help, flashlight, and
even a reinforced corner for smashing through a
THE STORY
Portable chargers are getting better
and better, now boasting higher
capacities, quick charge capabilities,
wireless technology, and new
convenience features.
The activity tracker and smartwatch
market is reaching its peak, with plenty
of new models coming to market.
Portable audio continues to be an area
of growth for the mobile category, with a
particular focus on ultra-portable, rugged,
multifunctional, and waterproof designs.
February/March 2015
39
MOBILE WORLD
GOING WIRELESS
On the Android side, the Qi wireless charging
platform is gaining steam, allowing users to plop
a compatible device atop a charging pad for
instant charging. With items like smartwatches
competing with the smartphone for that single
night table cable, being able to use a multi-device
pad and place both devices down for a charge will
become the expectation.
There were plenty of innovations on the Qi
side at the show. TYLT’s VU (Cesium) is a car
mount that works with Qi devices, making it easy
to charge in the car without having to connect
any cables to your phone.
The OffGrid portable backup battery with Qi
(Q2, $90) from Incipio (Erikson Consumer) has a
4,000 mAh battery and 2.1 Amp output, and can
be recharged using a separately sold Qi wireless
transmitter base; or use the included micro USB
charging cable.
Rather than jump on the Qi bandwagon,
Mobe-e’s iPhone charge case (Erikson Consumer)
uses the company’s own proprietary induction
Powerocks Jump Starter
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www.wifihifi.ca
EnerPlex Solar Charging Case
technology to wirelessly charge the smartphone, and claims that its case is the lightest
on the market. The $100 case (available Q2)
can be placed atop one of mobe-e’s own mats
for a full 100% recharge. A mat that can fit
three devices sells for $150, or you can grab a
smaller mat, which can also be used to charge
a MacBook mouse, and use that to charge the
phone case, too. It comes with the dock, cable,
and attachable battery for the mouse to enable
wireless charging. It’ll be available at the end
of February.
The JustMobile BakPak (Cesium) is actually not
a case, but it offers a unique system for keeping it
secured to your phone – adjustable rubber bindings that go around the top and bottom of the
iPhone to keep the charger in place. It has built-in
USB, and offers a full recharge of an iPhone.
Mophie’s popular juicepack (Microcel
Accessories) is now available for the iPhone
6 and 6 Plus, offering 100% and 60% charge,
respectively. It boasts impact isolation bumpers,
and now data transfer capabilities.
POWER FROM THE SUN: GO SOLAR
With both the environment and convenience
in mind, solar charging is also an area many
companies are exploring, both in standalone
chargers as well as charging cases.
EnerPlex’s new iPhone 6 battery case (an
iPhone 6 Plus version is slated for the spring) is
just one example. It takes about two hours to gain
a charge, and will charge your phone first before
recharging itself. It will come in black, blue, and
orange. EnerPlex is available through Hitfar.
CHARGE & PROTECT: BATTERY CASES
As with the chargers that have built-in connectors,
having a battery case eliminates the need to bring
along a cable since the charged-up case sits on the
phone itself. And we saw a noticeable growth in
the number of high-capacity charging cases at the
show, particularly for the iPhone 6.
As always, there are unique products that
stand out among the crowd. We caught up
with Prong at last year’s CES in a small booth at
Eureka Park, where its iPhone case caught our
eye with AC wall plugs built into the back that
pop out when you need a charge. This year,
the company, which is now handled in Canada
through The Resource Group, has integrated the
Prong concept into the PWR case that itself has a
built-in battery. There’s a button that shows how
much charge you have left – it takes anywhere
from 2-4 hours for a full recharge of the iPhone
5 (iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models in the works.)
There’s a microUSB port as well should you
prefer to charge that way. The idea is that you
can pull the outer layer of the case off the phone
to charge it in a nearby wall outlet, and still have
your phone protected via the inner layer.
Dog & Bone’s Bakbone wireless charging case
(Hitfar Concepts) comes both with or without the
wireless charging pad. It’s Qi-compatible, shockproof, and military-tested. It sells for the iPhone 6
for $110 with the charging pad, or $90 without.
Photo courtesy of Misfit
windshield in case of an accident. Also included,
as the name suggests, are jumper cables to jump
start your car. The battery will hold a charge
for some time without use, or you can keep it
up front in the vehicle and use it as your main
charging console, connected via the cigarette
lighter adapter.
Griffin has updated the PowerDock with the
new PowerDock Pro (fall, US$130, Cesium) that
boasts a new look, and 12 watts of power for
charging any iOS or Android device. Its built-in
ChargeSensor circuitry matches and delivers the
right rate of charging power to each device for
the fastest charge possible. Each charging bay is
designed to accommodate any smartphone or
tablet without removing its case. And the new
built-in cord-management system, along with the
built-in power supply, eliminates messy cables
for clean desktop or tabletop use. Lift off the top
of PowerDock Pro to reveal hidden cable storage.
WEARABLES
We outlined some of the concerns with wearables
in a full feature in our issue last month, ranging
from bulky designs to short battery life, and a
need for more useful notifications. Products
on display at CES showed that companies are
working furiously to address those concerns.
2015 is poised to be the year when the wearables category really hits its stride. According to
research firm Canalys, more than 28 million smart-
GEAR
UP
FOR WHAT’S NEXT
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MOBILE WORLD
watches are scheduled to ship this year, growing
to more than 60 million by 2017. At an IFA event
during CES, the organization noted that 90 million
wearables overall were sold in 2014, and predicted
five-fold growth over the next four years.
ways beyond the wrist, including as a necklace
pendant. The collection will be available in the
U.S. this spring; Canadian availability has not yet
been confirmed.
IF IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK...
On the activity side, the biggest concerns have
been with getting more accurate data, and being
able to do something with that data. It’s great
to know how many calories you consume, or
what your heart rate is, but more important to
be given information like when you should get
more exercise, or how you should exercise based
on your regular daily patterns. And the sheer
intelligence of the some of the latest wearables
is impressive.
Epson’s Pulsense, for example, can measure
one’s resting heart rate, which can result in more
accurate readings of data like caloric burning.
The user can even set the device to flash when a
target heart rate has been reached.
The Reign from jaybird offers heart rate variability – it will run a two-minute test to tell you
how rested your body is, then create a personal
activity plan based on your sleep to advise when
you should go to bed to function at your best.
Battery lasts for up to five days, it’s fully waterproof, and will sell for $200.
FOR THE SPORTS FANATICS
First and foremost, one of the key things
we’ve realized about wearables – particularly
smartwatches – is that they must be able to
function as, and look like, a watch. If the idea
is for the smartwatch to become mainstream,
it would effectively mean replacing the
standard wristwatch. Which means it has to be
fashionable enough to warrant people tucking
their expensive timepiece for good.
GUESS Connect Watch
One of the best integrations on this front
is the GUESS Connect Watch, and that isn’t
surprising since GUESS is a fashion apparel and
watch company, not a technology firm. GUESS
partnered with Martian (Dream Team Canada) to
develop the Connect, which essentially looks like
a standard GUESS watch, but with high-tech smart
capabilities inside. You can receive notifications
from a connected smartphone, which appear as
scrolling text in a tiny LCD below the watch face.
It works with voice commands via Apple Siri and
Google Now as well. You’ll have to wait for this
one, though, as it won’t be available until the third
quarter, when it will sell for about $350.
LG’s G Watch R switches from the square face
of the previous-generation G Watch to a more
timepiece-like, 1.3” OLED rounded face. With the
Android Wear OS, you can customize the face
to any look you like – maybe you feel analog
one day and digital the next. It’s powered by a
1.2GHz QualComm Snapdragon processor, is dust
and water-resistant, and its 410 mAh battery is
“long-lasting,” says LG.
One of many devices using the Tizen operating
system, the Gear S watch from Samsung has a 2”
curved Super AMOLED screen, 2G/3G, Wi-Fi, and
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www.wifihifi.ca
LG G Watch R
Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, and works with the
Samsung S Health app. It also offers full fitness
support without the need for the phone. It has a
300 mAh battery.
At $280, Sony’s Smartwatch 3 is an Android
Wear device with built-in GPS, 4GB of storage
space, and the ability to pair with a Bluetooth
headset. Users can see data from the Sony
Lifelog app. There are a number of fashion bands
available, it’s waterproof, and offers up to two
days battery.
Aiming to compete with the majors in the
high-priced category is Wellograph, with a $350
device that’s designed to look just like a watch,
made of sapphire crystal, but oddly without any
smart notifications. It’s strictly an activity tracker
that can also check your heart rate. It runs a
readiness test to see if your body has recovered
or if you need more sleep. It has three colour
band options, and can function for up to seven
days on a charge.
Rather than make it look like a watch, Misfit
(Hitfar) positions its device as a secondary one
on your wrist – more like a bracelet than a watch
replacement. Options like the Swarovski Shine
showcase stunning crystals that hide activity
tracking capabilities inside. There are two
versions, including one that’s solar-powered via
patented energy crystal technology to allow for
efficient solar charging via the sun. Like other
Shine devices, it can also be worn in a number of
Sony Smartwatch 3
Misfit Swarovski Shine
Garmin’s vivofit 2 has a move bar and alert
that reminds you to stay active. It learns your
typical activity patterns over time, then proposes
personal daily goals. And it can be paired with a
heart-rate monitor. It offers a battery life of up to
one year.
Garmin’s vivoactive is GPS-enabled for specific
activities, like biking, golfing, swimming, and
running. You can view stats even when away from
your phone, and get smartphone notifications.
The battery life is also great – up to three days in
watch/activity mode, but just 10 hours with GPS.
LifeTrak’s Brite R450 (Curve Distribution)
captures attention with its handy notifications
MOBILE WORLD
that advise you to get up and walk if you’ve been
sitting too long, or get more light. The new GEM
will be the company’s first to offer continuous
heart-rate monitoring, targeted specifically at
serious fitness enthusiasts. It’ll also be wearable
on various spots of the body, not just the wrist.
Magellan is navigating away from its roots
(pun intended) and into wearables with models
like the Echo Fit. As part of its Magellan Active
line, it’s a smartwatch with activity-tracking
capabilities. It works with a number of thirdparty sports app to display and track your
activity, including Wahoo and Runkeeper. And it
operates for three to eight months on a coin cell
battery. Price is $130.
Epson’s Runsense continuous heart-rate
and GPS sports monitors feature the company’s
proprietary bio-sensing, GPS-tracking and motionsensing technologies to help runners of all levels
measure, analyze, compare and share performance
data from their runs. The wristworn device features
a scratch-resistant interactive display that allows
users to tap to scroll through four customizable
screens with real-time data of up to 35 different
measurements, including continuous heart rate,
SIMPLE & FUNCTIONAL
Epson Pulsense
time elapsed, distance, pace, laps, intervals, speed,
calories burned and more.
Fitbit (Microcel Accessories) showcased the
three new models it revealed late last year – the
Surge, Charge, and Charge HR. Most intriguing
of the three is the Charge HR, which offers
continuous heart-rate monitoring using the
company’s proprietary PurePulse optical heart
rate technology that uses safe LED lights to
detect blood volume change on the wrist. With
up to five days of battery life, it also adds a twinge
of smartwatch capabilities by displaying caller ID
information on the screen.
Adults aren’t the only ones looking to get active.
And there are safety applications for wearables
as well. We’ve written about many activity
trackers for kids over the past year from the likes
of Leapfrog and startup Swedish firm Tinitell.
And now, one of the major manufacturers is
jumping aboard. LG’s gizmopal lets a child
call two registered phone numbers and receive
incoming calls from up to four. Mom and Dad or
other caregivers can use the app to locate the
device on a map at any time, and receive alerts
of the child’s location at set times, to ensure he’s
arrived safely home from school, for example. It’s
durable and water-resistant, ideal for kids aged
four and up, and comes in both blue and pink.
An interestingly simple device is the Prompt
Flight sports band from Incipio (Erikson
Consumer), which connects to a device via
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), allowing you to
control music playback and volume from the wrist.
It will also light up in customized colours to let you
know when a notification is coming through – blue
for e-mail, for example, and purple for Facebook.
The long band can easily fit over a jacket sleeve. It
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works with both Android and iOS devices, and will
come in four colours starting Q2 for $75.
Already, wearables are sparking accessories of
their own. Griffin (Cesium) has a full line of sleep/
sports bands for the Fitbit Flex, Misfit Shine, and
Sony SmartBand, along with universal bands,
and caps for the Jawbone trackers. The idea is
to make them more comfortable to wear while
sleeping, or more fashionable. There’s the Ribbon
wristband, for example, which is intended to look
like a woman’s hairtie, which ladies often have
around their wrists. That one sells for $20.
Did you know Intel plays in the wearables
game beyond its über-fashionable MICA? The
company purchased Basis, which makes the
PEAK, a fitness tracker that can monitor one’s
heart rate 24/7, without the need for a chest
strap. A version that adds notification features,
including calls, calendar items, and texts, is
currently in beta. Right now, it works with both
Android and iOS, runs for four days on a charge,
and sells for $200.
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NEXT LEVEL
CES showed us what’s next in wearables, with
everything from technology-enabled clothing
and brain-sensing headbands, to devices like
the Oculus and Samsung Gear VR virtual reality
technologies.
I had the chance to demo Samsung Gear VR,
and wow, what an experience. I watched a gorgeous, summery scene from Vancouver, BC, which
was playing from the 5.7” Super AMOLED screen
of the attached Samsung Galaxy Note 4, in a full
96-degree field-of-view. You get the feeling like
you’re really there, sipping cocktails by the water,
or hiking up a mountain. The most intense part?
Looking down and feeling a twinge of panic as if
you’re about to plummet into the deep waters.
The potential for video games is tremendous.
We’ll discuss the wearables market in more
detail later this Spring.
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PORTABLE BLUETOOTH
SPEAKERS
Portable speakers need to be as compact as possible, rugged, lightweight and ultra-small, offer
great battery life, and stellar sound in that small
package. It’s a lot to ask, but plenty of companies
are making the grade.
You can’t get much more portable than
Divoom’s BlueTune Bean (Cesium), which
boasts added bass for lovers of music genres
like hip hop. It also cleverly integrates a selfie
shutter button, so you can snap photos from a
Bluetooth-connected smartphone right from the
device. At about $25, they come in white, red,
blue, and black.
Aimed at the traveling business professional,
the iui Design PowerGO (Hitfar) is a sleek and sexy
portable 5,200 mAh power bank that doubles as a
Bluetooth speaker and speakerphone, and comes
with a removable “earbud” Bluetooth headset.
The device, which won a CES Innovations Award,
is finished in aluminum metal, and is about the
size of a typical smartphone, easily slotting into a
briefcase or purse. The power bank charges both
your phone and the headset. Once you remove
the headset to use it, it intelligently switches
Bluetooth over to the earbud.
The Eton Ruckus Xtreme ($180) has a built-in
solar panel to gain a charge from the sun, allowing
for constant battery without a power source. It
has a built-in 6,600 mAh battery, and USB input
for directly connecting a device. It can act as a
speakerphone as well.
Versatility is key with the 808 Audio NRG
SP250 Wireless speakers – they’re designed
to fit in a typical car console. About the size and
shape of a Red Bull can, the cylindrical speakers
come a variety of colours for $60 each. The NRG
Glo speakers are $10 more and add a glow ring
around the top perimeter, which can either light
up in a solid colour, or strobe to the beat of the
music. They offer up to 12 hours of play time, and
will be available some time in the second quarter,
via Cesium.
Logitech, which acquired Ultimate Ears,
launched the UE Megaboom Bluetooth speakers
at CES. The US$300 tower-shaped speaker
weighs less than 2 lbs. and provides 360-degree
sound, with a heavy focus on bass. It is waterproof and stain-resistant, and can run for up to
20 hours on a charge. Use the iOS or Android app
to remotely power it on or off, set the alarm, or
customize sound. You can connect two together
for stereo sound.
Shaq revealed the new Monster Superstar
Backfloat (ReSource Group), a fully waterproof
portable Bluetooth speaker that can float flat on
its back. That means you can take it with you into
the pool, at the beach, or in the bathtub if you’re
so inclined.
The latest speaker in Braven’s Bluetooth
lineup (Erikson Consumer) is the 805, which
comes in nine colour options, and with a host
of audio features. The speaker can act as a
speakerphone with a connected smartphone,
and has a noise-canceling mic. It can also charge
USB devices via its 4,400 mAh portable battery
bank. Using TrueWireless technology, the 805
can be paired with a second 805, 850, 855s, 1100,
and BRV-HD speaker for left and right stereo
sound. Colours range from bright magenta and
orange to neutral white, gray, and black. It will be
available in February for $250.
Another all-weather, shockproof model is the
Team Player by Dfy (Hitfar), a Bluetooth stereo
speaker that can cleverly lay flat, or be situated
upright for on-the-go listening. It can function
both as a speaker and a speakerphone with a
connected smartphone, and is water-resistant. It
comes in black or white for US$80.
We’ll be looking at the portable Bluetooth
audio market in more depth in our next issue.
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CES 2015:
HEADPHONES,
DIY SMART
HOME AUTOMATION
& VIDEO STREAMING
Photo courtesy of Brio
BY TED KRITSONIS
WHILE THEY MAY SEEM UNRELATED, categories like headphones, networking, automation and
video streaming all intersect. And they can all be considered “hot” parts of the CE industry today.
The home network is still run by the modem and router. But it’s now home to a much wider net
of connected devices. While headphones aren’t an integral part of that puzzle, they’re a large part of
enjoying the content that funnels through the Internet pipes.
Video streaming with computers, smartphones and tablets has already gone mainstream. And now
home automation is showing up to the Internet party. Once-static appliances and devices like thermostats, door locks, washers, dryers and light bulbs can be controlled, managed and scheduled remotely
from mobile devices, using the power and reach of the Internet.
It’s equally fascinating and alarming. Is such a high level of connectivity safe from cyberattack? It’s
a question that will loom larger in the near future. But for now, convenience is winning. And, as was
evidenced at CES, we’re moving full steam ahead.
THE STORY
Smart home gadgets continue to grow
in number and sophistication, as every
appliance and household activity
becomes “smart.”
Video streaming is maturing faster, with
television now entering a potentially
disruptive phase.
Headphones are still multiplying,
with a growing focus on sporty designs,
and going wireless.
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DIY AUTOMATION GETTING SMARTER
Established DIY automation vendors are upping
the ante as connectivity expands within the
home and out, while upstarts are entering the
fray, too.
One of the most recognizable DIY smart home
products is the Nest Smart Thermostat. Now
owned by Google (though run autonomously)
and distributed in Canada by Staub Electronics,
the company’s first expansion product was the
Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detector.
No new products were announced at CES, but it’s
becoming clear that other vendors are looking
at Nest products with confidence. The recently
announced “Works with Nest” concept has
already snagged some partners. Electric vehicle
charging company, Chargepoint, will use Nest to
regulate charging the car’s battery to avoid higher
time-of-use hydro fees. The Kevo Smart Lock will
interface with the thermostat to adjust to a family
member’s preferred temperature setting once
it knows who’s home. Even VoIP phone vendor,
Ooma, is working with Nest by integrating
both the thermostat and Protect to alert you or
authorities when smoke is detected. It can also be
set to forward calls to your cell phone since the
Nest would know you’re not home.
Ecobee, a rival from Toronto, showcased its
latest smart thermostat, signaling a major
makeover of the product’s design. Despite
being first to market with an app-controlled
thermostat, the company has been playing
catch-up to Nest and Honeywell. The Ecobee3
(MSRP $250) launched in the fall and has since
gone through a series of updates that have made
it a tough competitor, including a remote sensor
to expand the motion sensing range, and a new
partnership with SmartThings, another home
control company.
The same can be said of the Honeywell Lyric,
which launched in mid-2014, and is now part
of an ecosystem that includes a home security
system that includes cameras, motion sensors
and smoke alarms. This integrated setup isn’t
CES: CONNECTIVITY
VoIP provider Ooma is working with Nest to alert you
or authorities if smoke is detected in the home.
Updates to the Ecobee3 include a remote sensor to
expand motion sensing range, and a new partnership
with SmartThings.
D-Link’s new Home Hub connects to your router,
than acts as a bridge for controlling a number of
devices from the mydlinkapp.
Netatmo’s Welcome HD smart home camera has face
detection so you can actually see who has arrived home.
Belkin’s WeMo line has expanded to include
everything from door and window sensors, to
alarms and a keychain for tracking loved ones.
designed to be a walled garden, though there
is little information as to what kind of third-party
support consumers can expect. There is also no
word on pricing and availability as of this report.
The long reach of home automation is such
that almost every appliance in a home can be
made smart. Brio is a startup that has focused
on making power outlets dormant when not in
use so children don’t suffer accidental shocks.
Like a regular AC outlet, it is user-installable (just
make sure to turn off the circuit breaker). But
has a dormant mode that will supply power only
when needed. It uses internal microelectronics
and IR sensors to confirm that the object being
inserted into the plug is an electrical device, and
not an inquisitive toddler with a screwdriver. It
will ship in May for US$50. The Brio Smart Outlet
(August; US$100) adds the ability to communicate wirelessly with optional water, smoke and
carbon monoxide detectors (US$20, $30 and
$40, respectively), and will send an alert to the
Brio mobile app when it detects danger.
Ring, which was previously branded as
Doorbot, unveiled a redesigned version of its
smart doorbell, though it still has a video camera,
motion sensors and smartphone connectivity as
the core features. The new-look device can now
be installed into existing doorbell wiring or use its
own battery power, and can withstand the outside
elements. Netatmo unveiled its Welcome HD
smart home camera, which includes face detection
for recognizing individual family members in a
home, including a number of privacy settings
specific to each person that can be controlled via
an iPhone.
Belkin’s WeMo line of products has expanded
to include new sensors for doors, windows,
large rooms, alarms and a keychain for tracking
loved ones. A water sensor is another interesting
addition. Attaching it to a water pipe, it can track
pressure and basic plumbing and push that
information over to the WeMo app. While some
sensors may come to market in the spring, others
will come later in the year, and there’s no word
on when, or if, the water sensor will launch this
year. Belkin also showed its WeMo Maker system,
announced late last year, that allows users to
control and monitor any low-voltage electronic
device remotely from a smartphone or tablet.
(Visit the Reviews section on WiFiHiFi.ca for our
review of the Belkin WeMo system.)
D-Link launched a DIY automation device
called the Connected Home Hub (US$80) that
lets you control a number of products over Wi-Fi
and Z-Wave using the mydlink app. Products in
the kit range from water, door, and motion sensors, to a siren. Complementing that is D-Link’s
AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi router, which looks like a
stealth bomber, and will be the first router of the
company’s new 11AC Ultra Performance Series
promising faster Wi-Fi speeds up to a combined
5.6Gbps. It will be available, in black, for an MSRP
of $300.
We’ll look deeper at the DIY smart home and
app-controlled automation trend in an issue
later in the year; plus a dedicated feature on
app-controlled lighting, another growing area,
in the spring.
VIDEO KEEPS ON STREAMING
Netflix is the unofficial king of video streaming
platforms. At CES, the company had a more muted
presence in a hotel suite off the show floor where
they discussed plans to push more 4K Ultra HD
content in 2015. Netflix already offers shows like
House of Cards (Season 2) in 4K. But the real focus at
CES was on Netflix’s plans to add HDR to its video
this year, which should theoretically improve
image quality; as well as a “Recommended TV
Program” that will endorse TVs that run Netflix
easily and efficiently.
But it was Sling that stole the spotlight with
its new Sling TV, an over-the-top streaming live
television service and app that will launch in the
U.S. in Q1, offering consumers a no-contract way
to stream live TV channels starting at US$20/mo.
That base package includes 12 channels, like
ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV,
CNN and Disney Channel, among others. Add-on
packs of extra channels for $5 apiece for kids,
news and sports programming will be offered
over and above the on-demand and pay-perview content.
Despite the fact this is really just the old cable
model in the guise of a streaming platform, it’s
compelling because it covers a wide gamut of
February/March 2015
47
devices. There’s support for iOS and Android, Mac
and PC, Roku players, Google’s Nexus Player, the
Xbox One and Samsung and LG smart TVs. The
service won’t be available in Canada, but there is
no stopping someone in the Great White North
from accessing a subscription by using a VPN service to get around the geo-restrictions. It will be
interesting to see if any of the country’s TV providers might consider offering something similar.
Roku was quiet at CES, though it did announce
that Insignia (Best Buy’s house brand) and Haier
TVs would launch this year with Roku software
built-in. That adds another two TV manufacturers
to the list, with Hisense and TCL having jumped
aboard at last year’s show. More important for
consumers, this will be the year that Roku moves
into 4K resolution. That could come as early as
a new Roku set-top box is launched, though
the company made no mention of it during the
show. But if past launch cycles are any indication,
a Q2 release seems a real possibility.
Plex has something of a cult following these
days as a media streamer and aggregator. And
while it continues to position itself more towards
video, the company announced new features
aimed at music. Streaming music was already
a staple feature of the platform, but now users
will be able to see their music catalogued and
identified using the same Gracenote database
that Apple uses for iTunes. This would enable
Plex to create playlists automatically based on
a song or mood, matching it up with streaming
services like Spotify and Songza that do the same
thing. A partnership with Vevo will also bring HD
Photo courtesy of Parrot
CES: CONNECTIVITY
music videos to the app. This is all a solid step in
the right direction, especially for home theatre
enthusiasts who prefer to use something that
can manage both video and music.
HEADPHONES GETTING SPORTY,
GOING WIRELESS
Health trackers and wearables may have overshadowed the headphones space at CES over
the past few years. But headphone makers are
actually capitalizing on that, and zeroing in on
creating smaller and nimbler models for sports
and active lifestyles.
Monster considers its iSport Super Slim
wireless headphones (MSRP US$130; ReSource
Group) to be “the thinnest in-ear wireless head-
Stealing the spotlight in video streaming was Sling TV, an over-the-top streaming live television service and app that will
offer U.S. customers a selection of streaming TV channels starting at US$20/mo.
48
www.wifihifi.ca
phone in the market,” thanks to a rectangular
battery design. They will work within 50 feet
of the device they’re paired with and play back
audio for at least five hours on one charge.
The partnership with Adidas bore two new
designs in the Response ACT (MSRP US$50) and
Adistar Wireless Bluetooth ACT (MSRP US$150).
And to round out the sporting focus, Monster
announced Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) women’s champion Rhonda Rousey would
be the product ambassador for its Octagon line
of headphones.
SMS Audio’s BioSport in-ear earbuds (MSRP
US$150) are powered by Intel and have biometric
sensors and a heart-rate monitor built-in. These
wired earbuds use the phone’s battery to charge
up the sensors when needed, negating the need
to recharge anything. In addition to the secondgeneration lineup of Star Wars on-ear, over-ear
and in-ear headphones, SMS also added New
England Patriots tight-end Rob Gronkowski
as a brand ambassador, even though NBA star
Carmelo Anthony is the face behind some of
SMS’s models.
After releasing its flagship wireless Zik 2.0 in the
fall, Parrot (Erikson Consumer) has entered the
sporting arena with the Zik Sport, which crams
in some of the same features seen in the Zik 2.0,
including adaptive noise cancelling, a Street Mode
for capturing ambient sounds in busy streets so
users remain aware of their surroundings, and
digital sound processor (DSP) algorithms that are
meant to enhance audio fidelity. But it employs
a smaller, more sport-friendly design. The
headphones were designed in partnership with
French designer Philippe Starck, and the patented
band design is markedly different from what you
might expect with sporty earbuds, but made to
be durable and comfortable during workouts. The
CES: CONNECTIVITY
Zik Sport will be available in Canada some time in
Q4, with pricing TBA.
Going wireless is really the wider trend in the
headphone space, as more and more manufacturers embrace Bluetooth. Sennheiser has cut
the cord for both its Momentum and Urbanite
lines. Aside from a notable design tweak that
now makes them foldable, the new Momentum
Wireless has both noise-cancellation and offers
up to 22 hours of battery life. The Urbanite XL
is aimed at younger consumers and includes
touch-sensitive controls on its cups. There are
four new models under the company’s Sport line
that cover a few different design options, though
A unique feature of the Parrot Zik Sport headphones is the
patented headband design, which is markedly different
from what you might expect in a pair of sporty earbuds.
At US$500, B&O’s BeoPlay H8 are premium, wireless,
active noise cancelling headphones made of aluminum
and leather.
The Phaz Music P2 headphones have a built-in 1200mAh
battery that can be used to charge a phone’s battery
via microUSB.
50
www.wifihifi.ca
they don’t offer the bells and whistles of other
high-profile sport headphones.
House of Marley is also getting into both the
wireless and sporting race, unveiling its Journey
BT in-ear sports earbuds, which should come
to market this summer with an MSRP of US$130.
This is the first truly sports-focused set of earbuds
the company has launched to date, and includes
aptX technology to improve streaming quality
from the devices it’s paired with.
The headphone category has become such
that there are more players than one can keep
track. Urbanears, now owned by Logitech,
unveiled the Plattan ADV Wireless, continuing
the Bluetooth wireless trend for over-ear models.
Muzik claims it has created the first “smart”
headphones with built-in proximity sensors
and an accelerometer for controlling it through
gestures, along with posting what you’re listening
to on Facebook or Twitter with a simple tap. Phaz
Music introduced its P2 over-ear headphones
with a built-in 1200mAh battery that can actually
charge a phone’s battery (iPhones excepted) via
microUSB. Philips has its wireless over-ear Fidelio
M2BT. Bang & Olufsen (Lenbrook) showed its first
set of wireless, active noise cancelling headphones
with the BeoPlay H8, which are made of aluminum
and leather, and run at an MSRP of US$500.
AfterShokz (Microcel Accessories) demo’ed its
Bluez 2 wireless Bluetooth headphones with
bone conduction technology, and mini vibrations
that travel through your cheekbones so you
aren’t fully tuning out the world around you while
jogging, cycling, or performing another sports
activity. Focusing on sound quality, the Wicked
Audio Revolt headphones (Curve Distribution)
are the product of a partnership with Bongiovi
Acoustics, and use Digital Power Station software
to remaster and tune songs so that they are more
accurately reproduced for your listening. They’ll
be available in June for MSRP $250.
The headphones category has become
crowded and even a little confusing. It’s unlikely
that this can continue for much longer without
some consolidation.
We’ll delve deeper into headphones throughout the year, including an upcoming feature on
the latest Bluetooth wireless models with noise
canceling technology.
THE YEAR AHEAD
What these three categories have in common
is connectivity. The smart home is going to be
tied to video streaming in the home in a more
Two new Adidas-designed headphones from Monster
were revealed at the show, including a wireless
Bluetooth model.
The AfterShokz Bluez 2 wireless Bluetooth
headphones use bone conduction technology, and
mini vibrations that travel through your cheekbones
so you aren’t fully tuning out the world around you.
Sennheiser has cut the cord for its Momentum line.
The latest models boast noise cancelling technology,
and are now foldable.
cohesive way moving forward. It’s only a matter
of time before users become accustomed to
setting up an entire home en route to arriving
from a long day at work.
The idea of cutting the cord has a far more literal
meaning in the world of headphones now that
wireless models are going mainstream. Will they
eventually embrace standards like Wi-Fi or AirPlay
so that users can keep the music playing once they
step in or out of their homes? All signs point to yes,
but it’s not clear who will lead the way in such a
cutthroat category.
What is clear is that wires continue to disappear,
and what would have been considered a “dummy”
device is now getting connected to everything
else. And there are no limits. Even a washing
machine, slow cooker, or coffee maker can be
exposed that way. Twenty years on, the Internet
continues to be the single most disruptive force in
the industry. In a good way, of course.
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TALKING SHOP
BY WALLY HUCKER
DIFFERENT TAKES ON TARGET
The end of Target’s Canadian incursion seems to
generate as much anxiety in many people as it did
when Target announced it was coming to Canada.
The giant retailer announced on January 15
that it was closing its 133 Canadian stores. Just
22 months into its first foreign foray, for which
it paid $1.825 billion to HBC for Zellers’ leases,
plus $10 to $12 million per store to renovate,
Target had racked up costs of $7 billion and
saw no chance of stemming the flood of red ink.
Some suppliers may be uneasy as well. (Search
“target suppliers” at WiFiHiFi.ca for a guest blog
with more insight on how suppliers may react
to the closure.)
Target Canada having received CCAA
(Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act)
protection, suppliers can’t sue. They must wait
to see if the US$500 to $600 million from the U.S.
parent to wrap up the business here will cover the
goods and services provided to Target Canada.
Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) has made no
comment on the effect of the closure of Target
Canada. BCE bought Target Canada’s concessionaire for wireless phones and service plans in
late November.
Sobeys has been providing groceries, dairy
products, and frozen food to Target Canada.
“Sobeys can confirm that the loss of this wholesale
account,” says Andrew Walker, Sobeys’ Senior Vice
President, Communications and Corporate Affairs,
”will not have a material impact on our results.”
Whether this is stoic or merely confirms poor sales
at Target remains to be seen.
Smaller concessionaires and suppliers are
likely most affected. A pharmacist operating
independently in a Montreal-area Target store
told the CBC the situation was “catastrophic,”
despite the Brunet pharmacy group to which
he belongs promising a new location. Fearing
a massive rent increase, the pharmacist said the
future is very uncertain for him and his family, as
well as the two other druggists and a technician.
Angella MacEwen, a Senior Economist with
the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) says that,
“in terms of layoffs, this is gigantic.” Target
Canada employs 17,600 workers. Hassan Yussuff,
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www.wifihifi.ca
President of the CLC, which
represents 3.3 million workers,
calls it an “emergency.”
Even some normally probusiness organizations have
expressed some inquietude.
“Last year, we created fewer
than 200,000 jobs,” says Robert
Less than two years after entering the country, Target Canada is getting set
Kavcic, a Senior Economist for
to close its doors here for good.
BMO. “This is 10 per cent of
those jobs…cut on a single day.” Kavcic doesn’t apparel line, and pharmacy and grocery retailers
in the health and beauty aids (HABA) category.
see where these ex-employees could be easily
“For Canadian Tire and Dollarama, we view this
absorbed, given 17,000 is a normal month’s
as a modestly positive development,” says the
increase in jobs.
On the other hand, Ian Lee, an Assistant
report. “Specifically for Canadian Tire, we have
Professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School
found that there were only two major categories
of Business, believes there will be minimal affect of overlap with Target’s assortment: small kitchen
on the job market. “It won’t even show up in the appliances and household essentials.”
Other analysts feel Loblaw and Metro superunemployment numbers, Lee predicts. These
markets, and possibly Sobeys, will benefit. And
redundant workers, he added, will be absorbed
where would the consumer electronics business
into the workforce over the next four months.
Shortly following the announcement, Sears go? “Most of it will go to Walmart,” WiFi HiFi was
told by one Canadian CE insider. “But they weren’t
Canada invited Target employees to check its
doing much, maybe a million per store.”
job offerings online and at pop-up job fairs in
Still, a potential of influx of $130+ million into
stores. Apprised of some cynicism to this offer,
given Sears Canada itself has laid of 2,400+ the Canadian CE market is worth other CE retailers
people in 14 months, Vice President of Corporate trying to grab a piece of the action. Just don’t
Communications Vincent Power tells WiFi HiFi expect any CE retailers to grab for the floor space.
that his company views it as “a win-win” situation On the other hand, Walmart and Loblaws might
duke it out, according to some. The GoodLife
for his company and those workers. Most of
fitness chain based in London, ON has also publicly
those layoffs, he noted, were not on the shop
noted its interest in acquiring the locations.
floor, but support services.
The one group that could benefit greatly is
Most of their 33,000 workers are in-store. “In
retail,” said Power, “the turnover is 30 to 40 per the landlords. Target’s rents average only $12
cent, and we are always looking for experienced per square foot, and some locations are only $5
per. “Walmart would kill to get these sites,” says a
retail personnel.”
CIBC World Markets report. “Loblaw would kill to
Qui Bono?
keep Walmart from getting these sites,” write retail
Which retailers will benefit from Target’s analysts Perry Caicco and team. They note Loblaw
departure depends on whom you ask. According
is very wary of Walmart’s aggressive grocery grabs.
Whether Target’s floor space is enough
to retail analyst Peter Sklar at BMO Nesbitt
Burns, “While Target’s exit means one less major for Walmart or Loblaw is another matter.
competitor in the Canadian retail landscape, Regardless, landlords can try for a windfall divvying up the space.
Target’s impact for many Canadian retailers has
One point made by several observers: Target
been minimal…
“The only retailers under our coverage to Canada’s customers have to shop somewhere,
potentially meaningfully benefit,” continues and their dollars aren’t being pulled out of the
Sklar’s report, would be Loblaw’s Joe Fresh equation.
TALKING SHOP
WHERE’S THE MONEY? ISSUES
AFFECTING CANADIAN CE RETAILING
Where’s the money? It’s a question many retailers
in the CE segment are asking themselves. There
are a number of factors that can – and will – affect
Canadian CE retailing this year. What can dealers
control and what can’t they?
they can’t do anything about interest rates or oil
prices. Other than shopping for refinancing at a
better rate, all we mere mortals can do is enjoy
the low gasoline prices while they last.
Think of the Children
Valuization and Valutising
The Loonie, Oil, and Interest
At this writing, the Canadian dollar dropped to
its lowest level in almost six years. It was down
more than a penny to US$0.8264.
Currency traders are worried about the Bank
of Canada’s trend-setting interest rates, and the
sliding price of oil. The Bank of Canada’s recent
rate cut provides more downward pressure on
the loonie.
Purchases from abroad, as in the case with most
consumer electronics, will require more Canadian
dollars to fulfill. For Canadian retailers, this may
have two bright spots. First, it may somewhat
curtail online purchases from outside the country.
Likewise, foreign travel is more expensive, so
cross-border shopping may decline.
“May” is the operative word, because most
cross-border shopping trips are made by personal
automobile. And gas prices, following the worldwide dip in oil prices, are way down. Toronto had
prices as low as $0.81 per litre in early January,
although they have since risen to about $0.87.
So some cross-border regulars may figure the
savings on gas cancel out the relative increase in
goods bought in the U.S.
Although some analysts point out that $10
The Canadian dollar
has dropped to
its lowest point
in almost six years,
sparking fear
and uneasiness
in many retailers
and suppliers.
a barrel for oil is possible, currently it’s about
$50 a barrel; coincidentally what it was in 2009
when the dollar was in the mid-80-cent range.
However, one oil analyst predicts it won’t be
long before gasoline in the U.S. rockets back up
to $5 per gallon.
Most people don’t have enough spare cash to
invest in the currency market and affect the value
of the dollar or any other currency. Similarly,
54
www.wifihifi.ca
is a big consideration, but it is almost immune
to online competition. Their low price makes
shipping uneconomical.”
Adding a wall of “value electronics” may be a route
worth taking for some retailers: did you know that
Dollarama is quite successful in selling HDMI cables for
$2 and $3, for three and six feet, respectively?
These two new words are as important as they
are ugly. The jaw of the vice president of a very
large retailer dropped when informed that
Dollarama sells HDMI cables for $2 and $3, for
three and six feet, respectively. Get used to it.
That clock can’t be turned back. More than one
CE retailer has gone the dollar store route. By the
end of January, J.M. Saucier will have finished its
electronics liquidation sale. A decades-old name
as a standalone, a member of Groupe Dumoulin,
and most recently Centre Hi-Fi Groupe Select,
Saucier is going into the dollar store business,
with some electronics.
Electronics, priced up to about $100, are featured at Michel Doyon’s store in Sherbrooke, QC.
Doyon left Centre Hi-Fi Groupe Select about a year
ago to adapt to the dollar store market. In addition to entry-level electronics, his dollar-and-up
store sells Christmas trimmings, housewares,
and other merchandise typically featured in
dollar stores.
This isn’t to say every, or even any, other
CE retailer need convert to a dollar store. But,
suggests one distributor of “value electronics,”
regular CE retailers should consider a value wall,
with products to compete with the dollar stores.
“Consumers already know where to look for TV
deals,” he says. “They are looking for deals on
items like headphones and cables and batteries.
CE retailers have to “valutise” these products.
“There is a great and profitable market for
the $5 to $30 electronics. Not only does it bring
customers into the store, and traffic building
As noted by Ontario CE icon David Johann,
founder of Whitby Audio and David’s Muskoka
Audio, “more people are listening to more music
than ever.”
The trouble is, he notes, most are listening
through phones and pads and pods, and tiny ear
buds. But that downside can be turned around
to introduce the so-called millennials, and
others, to good audio, whether via upgraded
headphones or loud speakers.
“I believe the millennials will have two options
of purchasing electronics,” muses Chris Forbes,
co-owner of McKays Electronic Experts. “Option
one will be online. Option two will be at a local
independent store that not only gives great
service, but matches all pricing.”
“Social media seems to be the best way to
get their attention. We hired a social media
consultant,” he notes, “to take care of this
portion of our advertising. It is very important to
have this done correctly.”
“These stores, as we show in our social media,
also give back to the communities in which
they reside, another known positive which the
millennial generation considers. I am hoping
that by these large stores like Target closing,”
he concludes, “the general public, as well as the
millennials, will view the independent as a more
viable option.”
SONY is closing all of its corporate retail
locations over the winter in both Canada
and the U.S. in order to streamline
operations and focus on partner
relations. It’s an interesting move given
the recent trend toward manufacturer
stores from brands like Apple, Microsoft,
Samsung and Bose. Sony was one of the
first major manufacturers to introduce
a brand-specific retail operation – at its
height, the Sony Store had over 80
locations nationally. The e-commerce
store, www.store.sony.ca, however, will
remain operational, and will accept all
outstanding gift cards.
TALKING SHOP
This year will see the first CES ASIA take
place in Shanghai, China from May 25-27.
Like the International CES in Las Vegas
every January, the show, also produced by
the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA),
will provide access to innovations from
the largest brands around the world, across
a variety of categories, from the Internet of
Things, to 3D printing, robotics and wearables.
Exhibitors represent industries like:
automotive, green technologies, health/
fitness/sports, home entertainment, lifestyle,
mobile, robotics, smart home, video
gaming, video/4K ultra HD and wearables.
The event will take place in the Shanghai
New International Expo Center (SNIEC),
Halls N1 and N2. Currently, registration is
free, but rates will come into effect starting
May 1, and will increase on-site at the show.
Those interested in exhibiting can contact
Brian Moon at (703) 907-4351, or via e-mail
at [email protected].
OBITUARY:
CHARLES TOBIN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
OF OPERATIONS, BEST BUY CANADA
WiFi HiFi is sad to report the death of Charles Tobin, Senior Vice President
of Operations, Best Buy Canada, who passed away in his home in Surrey, BC
in late December, at just 46 years of age. Charles oversaw retail operations
for all of the 200-plus retail stores within the Best Buy Canada, Best Buy
Mobile and Future Shop brands. Among his many responsibilities, he
worked with each brand’s teams to manage sales strategies, elevate
employee engagement and service customers. He also spent two years working as director of sales
for eMachines in California. Charles is survived by his parents Paula and Terry Tobin of Montreal; his
wife Kate and his daughters Emily, Sarah, Jessica and Rebecca. Please consider sending a contribution
to the Lions Gate Hospital – Klimo Clinic; or BC Cancer Agency.
In addition to its new concept store at Toronto
Pearson Airport, THE SOURCE has confirmed
plans for seven consumer electronics vending
machines to be positioned throughout the
airport in early 2015. The vending machines
will offer gadgets like headphones, streaming
audio devices, accessories, and other travel
tech gear from the likes of Bose, Beats,
Samsung and Sony, plus others. The machines
themselves are designed and manufactured
by Mississauga, ON-based Signifi Solutions.
This is part of the retailer’s “aggressive plans
for growth across all channels,” says President
Charles Brown.
GEM-SEN NAMED JL AUDIO’S
DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR
At this year’s CES, Gem-Sen was awarded
Distributor of the Year by JL Audio for its home
audio products.
“We were very excited to receive this award
because it underlines our growth in home audio,”
comments Sal Riina, Gem-Sen’s co-founder and
President. “We are striving to bring the Gem-Sen
level of service beyond our 12 volt roots.”
“Although the numbers spoke for themselves, it gave us great pleasure to be able to
present the Distributor of The Year award to
people whom we count as friends,” adds Andy
Oxenhorn, President of JL Audio. “It has always
been a pleasure doing business with Gem-Sen.”
Based in Concord, ON, Gem-Sen distributes
a number of consumer electronics, multimedia,
and licensed products.
56
www.wifihifi.ca
L-r: George Jenkins, JL Audio’s Director of International Sales; Andy Oxenhorn, President, JL Audio; Sal Riina,
President, Gem-Sen; and Dave Singh, Gem-Sen’s National Sales Manager, JL Audio.
Thank you to all the sponsors who made Canada Night a success!
Save the Date for CANADA NIGHT 2016
Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 7:00pm • Drai’s Nightclub at the Cromwell
TALKING SHOP
WHO WENT WHERE?
Cantrex Nationwide Group’s COO, Jeannine Ghaleb, has been appointed
company president. Ghaleb also retains the role of COO, a position she’s held for
the past two-and-a-half years.
Jeannine Ghaleb
Winnie Leung
Craig Menear has been named Chairman of The Home Depot
by the retailer’s Board of Directors, succeeding Frank Blake,
who has retired as chairman. Menear was appointed president
and CEO of The Home Depot this past November. He is a
17-year veteran of the company, and is the first merchant to
be named chairman and CEO since co-founder Bernie Marcus.
Moneris Solutions Corporation has appointed Winnie Leung
as its new CFO. In this position, Leung will oversee financial Craig Menear
strategy, management, reporting and treasury operations. Her
responsibilities include making investment and borrowing
decisions on behalf of the corporation, providing financial
analysis in support of various business goals, and assessing
the financial impact of acquisition targets. She has over two
decades of finance experience, and joined Moneris in 2011 as
the controller.
Sears Canada Inc. has officially named Ronald D. Boire as its President and CEO after
he has served as acting President & CEO since October 15, 2014. He has previously
held executive and senior roles with Sears and Kmart Formats, Sears Holdings
Ronald D. Boire
Corporation, Brookstone, Inc., Toys R Us, Best Buy, and Sony Electronics Inc.
Web hosting and Internet registrar company Go Daddy is expanding its presence
in Canada, hiring Jill Schoolenberg as its Vice President of Canada to lead the
expansion plans across the country. Schoolenberg has over 15 years of experience
working with leading technology and small business organizations in Canada. She
started her career in marketing with Procter & Gamble, and later transitioned into
technology when she joined Microsoft’s MSN Canada team.
Jill Schoolenberg
To raise $50,000 for children’s cancer research and
treatment, 300 participants of the annual SEARS GREAT
CANADIAN CHILL jumped into the frigid Ottawa River
on New Year’s Day. The polar bear plunge at Britannia
Beach attracted the dippers and their supporters from
the Ottawa-Gatineau region and beyond. As of this
writing in early January, over $45,000 had already been
collected. The money will be evenly allocated between
patient support at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern
Ontario (CHEO), and national pediatric oncology research
initiatives, such as the Sears Childhood Cancer Fellowship.
At the CHEO, the money will help fund programs and
research in the hospital’s Oncology Department. Sears
Canada will host a chilly dip in Toronto on February 16,
the Family Day provincial holiday.
58
www.wifihifi.ca
SQUARE users can now create and send
mobile invoices from their iOS and
Android devices. The new feature allows
a businessperson to select “invoice” instead
of credit or cash on the Square Register
app, and send it out immediately to the
recipient’s e-mail address, from anywhere.
Sending is free, and the transaction fee
remains the same at 2.75% per invoice,
when the customer pays by credit card.
Mobile invoicing is now available on
iOS and Android devices used in Canada,
the U.S. and Japan.
TALKING SHOP
CANADIAN CONSUMER SPENDING ON THE RISE
There’s a silver lining on the Canadian retail situation: Moneris Solutions Corp. confirms that Canadian
consumer spending rose by 3.8% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2014, following three
consecutive quarters of stagnant growth.
Spending across Canada rose by 3.5% in October, 6.1% in November and 4% in December.
Among the provinces, spending rises were strongest in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and
Labrador, which posted gains of 6.8% and 4.9%, respectively. Ontario and British Columbia followed
closely behind, with gains of 4.5% and 4.6%, respectively. Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan posted
growth of 1.1% and 1.7%.
Credit card spending accounted for 63.3% of total spending processed by Moneris, with debit cards
making up 36.7%. Overall spending using credit cards and debit cards increased as well (up 5% and
1.8%, respectively).
Black Friday beat out Boxing Day this year with total sales being 5% higher. The pace of growth was
slower on Black Friday (5.1%) compared to the days leading up to, and immediately following, Christmas.
Growth during December 19-24 was up 7% and 7.9% during December 26-30, compared to the
same periods last year. December 23 was, once again, the busiest shopping day of the year.
However, consumers spent less on entertainment in the last quarter of 2014 than the previous year
(down 0.9%), with the greatest decrease taking place in October (2.5%) followed by November (1.6%)
and a slight increase in December of 1%.
That said, in a separate report, Statistics Canada noted that electronics and appliance stores posted
monthly sales gains – for the sixth consecutive month – of 4.6% in November 2014. And the trend
continues to move upward, thanks to the strength and timing of new product releases.
Hopefully this year, categories like wearables, 4K TVs, headphones, and wireless audio will help
re-ignite the entertainment and electronics category.
New Pickup Points in Canada allow
AMAZON.CA customers to pick up
orders from the Website at Canada Post
locations across the country. Customers
can decide to have an order shipped
directly to their home, or select to pick
it up from one of 6,200 Canada Post
locations. The latter option may be
desirable for those who may not be home
during the day to accept deliveries and
frown upon having a package left at their
doorstep. To opt for package pickup, just
select an Amazon Pickup Point location
as the shipping address
dress
during the checkout
ut
process, and you will
receive a delivery
confirmation e-mail
ail
when the order is
delivered. Then,
just collect the
package at your
convenience.
CONNECTING YOUR BRAND TO TODAY’S CONSUMERS
www.North51.com
• Retail field marketing teams • Brand ambassador demos
• Fixture installation
• Merchandising and audits
• Experiential marketing
• In aisle shopper interaction
TALKING SHOP
WHO’S DOING WHAT?
Microcel Corporation has been appointed Canadian distributor
for three new lines: Sengled intelligent lighting products; the FitBark
activity monitor for pets; and the FWD Powershot advanced sports
sensor for hockey sticks.
The Pulse series of Sengled bulbs have integrated
JBL/Harman multi-channel stereo wireless speakers
hidden within. The models will include a single JBL
stereo LED bulb (Pulse Solo), an integrated Wi-Fi
repeater (Boost), and Snap, which adds a remote
IP camera so you can see who’s at your door.
Prices start at $60. (www.sengled.com)
FitBark ($100) helps owners better understand a dog’s
health, explain changes in behaviour, make better
decisions with a vet, and share moments with friends
and family. (www.fitbark.com)
When connected to a hockey stick,
the FWD Powershot measures the power and speed
of your shot, and the amplitude and execution of
your swing, allowing you to track, improve, and
analyze your goals against your teammates. MSRP $150 (www.quattriuum.com/en/powershot)
Lenbrook Canada has been appointed the
exclusive distributor for the complete portfolio
of Bang & Olufsen’s B&O Play products in
Canada, ranging from full music systems to
portable Bluetooth speakers and headphones.
B&O Play audio gear is designed to appeal
to the digital generation – i.e. the “millennials” – via more
contemporary and playful designs.
Waterloo-based OpenText Corp. has acquired Informative
Graphics Corp. of Scottsdale, AZ. OpenText specializes in the enterprise
information management field. It claims that more than 100,000
customers use OpenText. The purchase price and terms for acquiring
Informative Graphics Corp. (IGC) have not been released.
Sound Developments Ltd. has been
appointed the exclusive Canadian distributor
for Origin Acoustics, a new company founded
by industry veteran Jeremy Burkhardt, most
notably formerly of SpeakerCraft. Origin will
offer over 100 models at launch, including in-ceiling (starting at $300
per pair), in-wall and LCR speakers; subwoofers; a full line of outdoor
and landscape solutions; electronics; and accessories. Highlights include
small-footprint woofers and tool-less mounting. Web sales of Origin
products are expressly prohibited; and a limited number of dealers will be
appointed in each market. Sound Developments introduced the line to
select dealers at launch events in Vancouver and Toronto in December,
including a presentation by Jeremy Burkhardt on luxury selling.
60
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Following initial plans announced late last year for BCE Inc. to acquire
all of the issues and outstanding shares of Glentel Inc. for $670 million,
an agreement has since been reached with rival Rogers to share control
of the retailer with BCE in a 50/50 deal. Headquartered in Burnaby, BC,
Glentel operates 494 retail locations across Canada under names like
Tbooth and WirelessWave. The stores offer wireless products and
services from Bell Mobility, Chatr, Fido, Rogers Wireless, SaskTel and
Virgin Mobile. Though Glentel had originally said its plan was for the
stores to continue to sell devices and plans from multiple carriers,
despite being 100% owned by Bell, Rogers filed an application to stop
the deal from going through. Outside of Canada, Glentel owns, operates,
and franchises approximately 735 retail locations in the U.S., as well
as 147 points of sale in Australia and the Philippines.
SF Marketing Inc. has been appointed
exclusive distributor of Atlantic
Technology for Canada. SFM will
be responsible for re-establishing
Atlantic Technology as a major
player in the distributed audio and
home theatre market in Canada.
Gentec International has been appointed the exclusive Canadian
distributor for the Phottix line of flash lighting and professional
photo accessories. Phottix holds over 40 patents in the photographic
industry, and is noted for its award-winning Odin TTL flash trigger,
the first trigger to feature full TTL and manual power, and flash zoom
control. Some of the latest products include the Mitros+ Radio
TTL hot shoe flash and the Indra500 TTL studio lighting
system. Phottix products are expected to
be available from Gentec at the end
of February. Exact pricing and product
selection will be announced closer
to that time.
NeuLion has purchased DivX for US$62.5 million. NeuLion already delivers
interactive live and on-demand content for over 200 sports organizations,
including the NHL, NBA and NFL. DivX, in addition to compression codecs,
has certification programs for hardware and streaming.
Optoma has acquired NuForce Inc., a California-based manufacturer
of consumer audio products. NuForce products will include home
audio gear to complement
Optoma’s line of projectors,
wireless streaming systems
for use with mobile
devices and headphones,
and digital amplifiers
and DACs.
HOW DID YOU GET HERE?
AS TOLD TO JOHN THOMSON
Michael Holmes
Director, Category Management, Worldlynx Wireless LP, Toronto
“My grade 5 teacher was Toronto Maple
Leafs captain Dave Keon’s mother.”
SCHOOL
St. Anne’s School, Rouyn Noranda, QC (Grades 1 & 4)
Notre Dame School, Noranda, QC (Grades 2, 3 & 5)
Hebert School, Noranda, QC (Grades 6 & 7)
Noranda Catholic High School, Noranda, QC (Grades 9-11)
Ryerson University, Toronto
o
usins in Toront
my sister and co
1972, visiting
“They were long days. I would get to
the club very early and wait in the
caddy shack until it was my turn to
caddy for the Elite Upper Class.”
“My last year in Noranda, I worked
in the copper mine at Falconbridge
Copper for the summer to make
enough money to pay for first year
at Ryerson.”
“They came to Canada and
purchased Woolco. I spent a
year with them and went on
a fantastic Asia buying trip
with the U.S. head office.”
“I applied to Ryerson when I was 16
and got accepted, then graduated in
1977 when I was 19. All through my
years at Ryerson, I wasn’t of drinking
age, which was a drag.”
JOBS
Sold used newspapers to my neighbours and played
1963-1964 | in a make-shift band in front of the Noranda Hotel.
Odd jobs like working at our school watching the archery
“The Imperial Six Movie Theatre
was a lot of fun because I saw
movies for free and worked the
megaphone on Yonge Street in
front of the theatre.”
1965-1971 | club practice and played music at the record hops.
1972-1973 | Golf Caddy, Noranda Golf Club
McDonalds head office (clerical work), McDonald’s
1974-1977 | Restaurants (cooking burgers and fries), Imperial Six
“Every summer I would go
back to Noranda and work
in the mine because the pay
was so good.”
Movie Theatre (seating people, organizing the lines
of customers to purchase tickets, closing the theatre)
Woolco Department Stores, Store Management Training, various
1977-1988 | locations in Ontario; then Store Manager at the location in Ajax, ON
1988-1994 | Woolco Department Stores, Buyer, Automotive
1994-1995 | WalMart Canada, Category Manager, Hardware/Electrical
Business Depot, Category Manager,
1995-2001 | Director of Business Machines & Furniture
2001-2012 | Black’s Photography, Category Manager for Cameras & Accessories
“Within six months,
I was off to Chicago for a
tradeshow, then went to
Germany for a tradeshow
and off to Asia for an
import buying trip.
This was a great position
because I travelled to
tradeshows and went
to Asia twice a year.”
2012-Present | Worldlynx Wireless LP, Director of Category Management
PASSIONS & POINTS
Sunday
g
mornin
pick-up
hockey
“We’re Canada’s largest
independent Bell dealer.”
“Love my family, friends, Montreal Canadiens, all sports (I’m one of those natural
athletes who can play any sport well), restaurants and fine dining.”
“I was a disc jockey for 22 years and love all kinds of music from opera,
jazz, graffiti, rock, pop, house and everything in between”
“I started purchasing real estate back in 2008, and I highly recommend
everyone to get into it. I have a lot of fun and meet many interesting
people. It also helps with a name like Mike Holmes.”
Mike hanging
with his friend
Canadian
Celebrity Chef
Rob Rainford
62
www.wifihifi.ca
LIFE LESSONS
“Work hard and play harder has been my motto through life.”
While in Fl
orida for PM
A, Mike an
vendors an
d several
d retailers
ducked ou
bar to catc
t to a loca
h the 2002
l
Canada vs
Men’s Gol
. U.S.A.
dM
Canada be edal Game at the O
lympics.
at the U.S
. 5–2.
PUT SOME PEP
IN THEIR STEP
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