At nearly the midpoint of 2019, CE Pro takes a look back at some of the most popular stories of 2019. To be sure, there were “bigger” stories of 2019 that didn't draw throngs of readers, but that's another … story. For now, here are the Top 10 most traffic-generating pieces on CEPro.com for the first half of the year.
1. Blockbuster Merger: SnapAV to Acquire Control4 in $680M Deal
Two of the custom electronics industry's biggest players will join forces under private equity firm and SnapAV parent company Hellman & Friedman, which will become the majority owner of the combined company. SnapAV to buy Control4 in all-cash transaction for $23.91 per share.
2. Sonos Lowers Prices and Announces Accessories
Sonos has lowered the price on its Playbar, Playbase, Sub, and Beam products, and introduced new shelf, stand, and cable accessories.
3. 5 Crucial Tips for Dolby Atmos Setups; 8 Best Demo Scenes
Speaking at the Pacific Northwest Consumer Electronic Expo, Dolby director tells dealers that an all in-ceiling Dolby Atmos system is ‘not the right experience,’ why 5.1.4 is better than 7.1.2, and offers up the five best demo Blu-rays.
4. Why Ring Acquired Mr. Beams: New Ring Smart Lighting System at CES 2019
Ring Smart Lighting system launches at CES 2019 one year after the acquisition of Mr. Beams, maker of quasi-connected outdoor lighting products that Ring is IoT-enabling. Why the proprietary RF and bridge?
5. The Very First Z-Wave 700 Series Home-Automation Product
At CES 2019, Sensative shows flat “Strips” sensor with new 700 Series chipset, boasting 10-year battery life; Silicon Labs shows Z-Wave on Wireless Gecko.
6. CES 2019: Wi-Fi Looked Like a Home-Automation ‘Standard’
Even the most faithful Z-Wave, ZigBee and BLE adopters went W-Fi with new home-automation devices at CES 2019. Adios IoT hubs?
7. Samsung Promotes HDMI 2.1, Big Screens, New Features As 2019 4K, 8K TV Lineup Hits Retail
TV features making their Samsung debut include HDMI 2.1 capabilities, sound that automatically compensates for room acoustics and viewing distance, the Apple TV app, and more.
8. Goodbye Pyng, Hello Crestron Home OS 3: ‘Dramatic Redesign’ at ISE 2019
ISE 2019: Replacing Pyng 2.0, 'Crestron Home' OS 3 is the cloud-driven home-automation platform Crestron designed from scratch for an IoT era.
9. Leviton’s New Wi-Fi Load Center: ‘No One Else’ Integrates Breakers, Lighting, Energy, Automation
Leviton's new IoT Load Center is a circuit box with snap-in breakers (no rewiring necessary) and Wi-Fi connectivity for remote monitoring, diagnostics and control via Leviton smart-home app.
10. Tuya at CES 2019: Biggest IoT Framework U.S. Has Never Heard Of
Chinese home-automation giant Tuya powers more than 100 million smart-home products and is taking the U.S. IoT market by storm, starting at CES 2019.
Bonus
This piece, posted in the middle of 2018, is still a huge draw for CE Pro readers and the broader online community of design and audio lovers.
For Mid-Century Modern Fans, the Most Beautiful Furniture with Built-in Speakers
CE Pro's resident mid-century modern fan Julie Jacobson discovers stunning wood furniture with built-in powered speakers from start-up Meili Audio, custom-made by long-time artisans and audio enthusiasts.
