Earlier this year we reported that Walmart was prepping a new streaming stick under its affordable ‘Onn’ brand. The big-box retailer is yet to release details of that product, but now another Onn media streamer has shown up on Walmart’s website.
First reported by 9to5Google, the official listing for the ‘onn. Android TV UHD Streaming Device’ promises 4K and Dolby Audio support, as well as Chromecast built-in and Google voice controls for the princely sum of $29.88.
As you can see, this version is a streaming ‘box’ rather than a ‘stick’ and has a slightly different remote with dedicated buttons for YouTube Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max. (The leaked photo of the streaming ‘stick’ showed it with an Amazon Prime Video shortcut.)
Spec-wise, the new box is just what you’d expect from a budget-friendly streamer that runs Google’s Android TV. There’s support for WiFi 5, an HDMI port (for video output) and a micro USB connection (for charging).
There are plenty of 4K streaming sticks already on sale around the $50 mark, with the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Roku Streaming + both proving popular choices at the moment. But at less than $30, Walmart’s onn. Android TV UHD Streaming Device could give consumers another tempting proposition (and rival brands a sleepless night or two).
The device isn’t available to purchase yet – Walmart shows it as “Out of stock” – but the fact that the listing is public points to a launch in the near future. Perhaps we’ll see this model joined by the rumoured Onn streaming stick? Over to you, Walmart.
Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP) — the ambitious smart home partnership that will see Apple, Apple, Google, Samsung, the Zigbee Alliance, and dozens of other companies work together on an open standard — has gotten a new name: Matter.
The rebranding comes ahead of the first Matter certifications, which are set to arrive before the end of 2021. The new branding and logo are designed to help make it easier for customers to tell which devices work with Matter’s unified system, with the logo set to appear on future hardware products.
Image: Connectivity Standards Alliance
The goal of Matter is deceptively simple: make sure you’re able to use your smart home devices with the voice assistant (or assistants) of choice, whether that’s Apple’s Siri / HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant. At launch, Matter will run on Ethernet Wi-Fi, Thread, and Bluetooth Low Energy.
Other big companies, like Philips Hue, are on board: the company has already promised to release a simple software update in the coming months that will make all of its past and present products compatible with Matter once it launches.
It’s an ambitious goal, which could vastly simplify the confusing parts of smart home setup — assuming companies are willing to put in the work to issue software updates and integrate the standard into their current and future products.
As part of the announcement, the Zigbee Alliance (which created the Zigbee standard for interconnected smart home gadgets) has announced that it’ll rename itself to the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) as it expands to focus more on projects like Matter in addition to the existing Zigbee network.
Solar and wind energy growth soared in 2020 and is on course to keep catapulting upward. Last year, renewable sources of electricity grew faster than they have since 1999. That rapid rise is far from a one-off event, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), which said today that the “exceptionally high” growth in 2020 is the “new normal.”
It’s yet another signal that renewable energy is elbowing out competition from fossil fuels, at least when it comes to electricity. New renewable energy capacity — primarily solar and wind — made up a whopping 90 percent of the power sector’s growth globally last year, according to the IEA, an intergovernmental organization that was founded to monitor the world’s oil supply but now also tracks renewable energy. The agency forecasts renewables to again account for 90 percent of the power sector’s expansion in 2021 and 2022.
That transition to renewable energy for electricity falls in line with many countries’ goals on climate change. President Joe Biden, for example, aims to get the US power sector running completely on clean energy by 2035. Electrifying buildings and transportation so that they can use solar and wind instead of oil and gas is one way governments and the private sector have moved to slash greenhouse gas emissions.
“Wind and solar power are giving us more reasons to be optimistic about our climate goals as they break record after record,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said in a press statement today.
Renewable electricity capacity grew by 280 gigawatts last year. The uptick amounts to a 45 percent rise in renewables last year compared to the year before. The IEA expects another 270 to 280 GW to come online this year and again in 2022.
Governments and companies purchased renewable energy at “record-breaking” rates last year, according to the IEA, and their appetite is still growing.Amazon proclaimed itself the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the world in December 2020, beating out former record-holder Google, and it now has 8.5 GW of renewable energy capacity globally. The IEA’s estimates for global renewable electricity growth over the next couple of years are now more than 25 percent higher than previous estimates it made just six months ago.
My first case mod started when I prepared to attend my first LAN party, PDXLAN 2019 in Ridgefield, Washington. I had seen a couple of simple mods done by others that inspired me to mod my computer before attending. I opted for a very low budget build with a few older components, handmade parts and only using simple tools like scissors, razor blades and paint.
The concept came from my enjoyment of Initial D, a Japanese street racing manga series. More specifically, I liked the yellow Mazda FD3S RX-7 driven by the character Keisuke Takahashi. I decided that the color scheme for mod would be black and white like the manga with yellow highlights for the car.
Components List
CPU
Intel i5-3570K
Graphics Card
EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB SSC
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H
RAM
8GB G.SKILL Ripjaws F3-12800CL9S-4GBRL
SSD
Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
Cooling
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo and Corsair LL Series RGB Fans
Power Supply
EVGA 650
Body Work
Set on having Japanese manga incorporated into my build, I sourced several books which I knew had the RX-7 in them. My idea was to create side panels consisting of interesting scenes from the manga featuring the RX-7, and these would be easiest to apply if the computer case had relatively flat panels that I could fix these panels onto. With that in mind, I settled on the black EVGA DG-77 as a fitting case given its flat panels and tempered glass side. I removed the paint on the tempered glass with a razor blade and was left with a perfect canvas.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I cut down the manga volumes into individual sheets and sorted them into several piles based on what was on the page: Pages I liked, those with the RX-7 on them, backgrounds, funny character scenes, etc.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I took a trip to my local big box store and grabbed inexpensive bottles of acrylic paint in several shades of yellow that looked like they might match the color I wanted. (I have learned through experience that the paint bottle is rarely accurate to the color once it dries.) I put a glob of each paint on some paper and let it dry before picking the winner. I then took the pages of manga with the RX-7 on them and hand-painted each car yellow.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I didn’t want all the scenes on each page; I only wanted the very best or most fun ones. So, I cut out each scene, text, car or character from the pages with an exacto knife. This was definitely time-consuming, but the result was better than I could have hoped for, as the finished panels were made up of all my favorite parts!
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In most manga and comic books, the panels on a sheet are separated by hard, straight lines so I wanted my panel to have a clean, straight design. I used a piece of string and some tape to test the design I had in mind. It would allow me to still be able to see inside the case and hide some areas of the case interior that I didn’t want to be visible. I took some measurements off this string and I had a rough layout for my side panels.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Now the fun could begin. I got a beat-up table at a used furniture store for very cheap so that I could use the glass top as a perfectly flat surface that, after a few layers of paste wax, would prevent epoxy from sticking to it.
I then put blue tape down in the shape of the panel dimensions I needed, being sure to leave a couple inches of excess on all sides. After that, I could start laying out some of the manga cutouts that were painted with the yellow paint. I wanted these to be dispersed relatively evenly across the panels entirely.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I then went through the piles of cutouts and filled in all of the empty spaces. This took a surprisingly long time before I was happy. I didn’t want any of them tipped too much or overlapping too much, so it turned into a jigsaw of fitting cutouts as efficiently as I could to fill in the empty space. But the time spent led to results that were worth the effort.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I then made a mistake that almost ruined the entire panel. In hindsight, it was unnecessary, and I should have just skipped the step. I used Mod Podge to glue the panels to one another and to seal them so they wouldn’t shift around when I poured a thick layer of two-part epoxy over all the manga that I had laid out.
Mod Podge is a good glue for sealing paper projects and things like that, but I did not expect that as it dried it would create these large ripples in the thin manga paper. The goal was a perfectly flat panel and, at this stage of the project, it looked terrible. I had no choice but to push on with the project and hope the epoxy coat would cover the rippled manga. You can see these ripples clearly in a photo further down in this article.
Using a two-foot level, I leveled the table that the glass and project sat on. I planned to pour epoxy over the entire panel and, if the table were not perfectly flat the epoxy would just flow to the lowest point. This would make the panel thicker on one side than the others and might not even cover all of the manga sheets to make a perfectly smooth surface. Another trick I used was to create a dam of sorts around the perimeter of the panel with hot glue. One thick bead of hot glue around the edge would be enough to contain the epoxy I was going to pour onto the panel.
For the next part, I used a small 16-ounce kit of clear casting and coating epoxy resin that I bought from Amazon for cheap. I mixed up the parts thoroughly with a popsicle stick in a disposable drinking cup. Mixing epoxy completely is extremely important as any unmixed part A or B will never cure, and if you mix air bubbles into the epoxy you may have bubbles trapped in your clear coat. Stirring slowly and spending an extra minute mixing helps guarantee a successful epoxy pour. I mixed for a couple of minutes, being sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the cup and then proceeded to pour it over the manga panel.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The epoxy is thick like honey, so I used a silicone squeegee to spread the epoxy across the panel. Gravity leveled the epoxy and removed any lines left by the squeegee. You can also see clearly the contrast of the rippled manga panel and the healing properties of a thick coating of epoxy.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
There will always be some air bubbles that will float to the top of the epoxy. These can be removed easily with a hot air gun, butane or propane torch. I prefer a torch as the hot air gun can push the liquid epoxy around a bit if you are too close to the surface.
Keep the torch flame far from the epoxy surface, and in a sweeping motion, wave the flame across the entire epoxy surface. You will clearly see the bubbles on the surface pop from the heat of the flame. Remember to never stop moving the flame as the epoxy can burn.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I let this cure for a couple of days so the epoxy was fully hardened before handling the panel or attempting to pull the sheet off of the waxed glass surface. It came off the glass easily and I moved the panel to a cutting mat so I could begin cutting the three pieces that would be adhered to the computer case.
The tools I needed for this were a utility knife and a metal ruler covered with green painters’ tape so it would not scratch the epoxy. I started with light cuts to establish the cutting line and worked up to harder cuts until I made my way through the panel.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With the panels cut to size, I glued them to the case with silicone from the hardware store. It sticks well to glass and if I ever want to swap the side panels, it can be cut away with a razor blade. The last detail I needed for these side panels was a finished edge.
I wanted a nice black edge like the borders on the page of a manga. So, I got some thin strips of black acrylic. I was able to chamfer the edge cleanly by dragging a utility knife on edge along the corner of the acrylic. Using painters’ tape as a clamp, I stuck these on with a little gel super glue.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I colored the other edges of the manga panels with a black permanent marker to finish the job.
Amazon’s Alexa has a voice familiar to millions: calm, warm, and measured. But like most synthetic speech, its tones have a human origin. There was someone whose voice had to be recorded, analyzed, and algorithmically reproduced to create Alexa as we know it now. Amazon has never revealed who this “original Alexa” is, but journalist Brad Stone says he tracked her down, and she is Nina Rolle, a voiceover artist based in Boulder, Colorado.
The claim comes from Stone’s upcoming book on the tech giant, Amazon Unbound, an excerpt of which is published here in Wired. Neither Amazon nor Rolle confirmed or denied Stone’s guess, which he says is based on conversations with the professional voiceover community, but Rolle’s voice alone makes for a compelling case.
Listen to the videos below: the first an advertisement for Cherry Creek North, “Denver’s premier outdoor retail destination,” and the second an introduction to Hapyn, a social app that seems to now be defunct (its Play Store entry was last updated in 2017). You can absolutely hear Alexa’s reassuring tones in Rolle’s voice. Or, to be more precise, you can absolutely hear where Alexa’s reassuring tones come from when listening to Rolle.
Here’s how Stone writes up the process in selecting Alexa’s voice:
Believing that the selection of the right voice for Alexa was critical, [then-Amazon exec Greg] Hart and colleagues spent months reviewing the recordings of various candidates that GM Voices produced for the project, and presented the top picks to Bezos. The Amazon team ranked the best ones, asked for additional samples, and finally made a choice. Bezos signed off on it. Characteristically secretive, Amazon has never revealed the name of the voice artist behind Alexa. I learned her identity after canvasing the professional voice-over community: Boulder, Colorado–based voice actress and singer Nina Rolle. Her professional website contains links to old radio ads for products such as Mott’s Apple Juice and the Volkswagen Passat—and the warm timbre of Alexa’s voice is unmistakable. Rolle said she wasn’t allowed to talk to me when I reached her on the phone in February 2021. When I asked Amazon to speak with her, they declined.
We’ve pinged Amazon and Rolle to confirm her involvement in creating Alexa, but don’t expect to hear much back. If the company isn’t interested in confirming Stone’s account, it suggests this is a bit of history they’d rather not draw attention to, for whatever reason.
Providing the voice for such a ubiquitous product can have its own drawbacks, too. The original voice artist behind Siri, Susan Bennett, revealed herself in 2013 (after seeing an article from The Verge dissecting the process behind the creation of synthesized voices, incidentally) but said she’d been wary about being associated with Siri. “I was conservative about it for a long time […] then this Verge video came out […] and it seems like everyone was clamoring to find out who the real voice behind Siri is, and so I thought, well, you know, what the heck? This is the time,” Bennett told CNN.
Of course, although we can hear both Bennett and Rolle’s voices in their AI doppelgängers, it’s impossible to say without inside knowledge exactly what traces of the original remain. Creating a synthetic voice starts with real audio samples, but this data is exhaustively quantized and remastered to such a degree that answering the question of whether the final product is the same as the original is best reserved for the shipbuilders of Theseus.
What is, fun, though, is listening to the other examples of Rolle’s voiceover work on her website. Although she offers a restrained performance in the videos above, she’s much more animated and lively in other commercial samples. It really shows how, despite the ever-increasing sophistication of Alexa’s voice, it still lacks the range of the real thing.
Many Amazon listings for two major electronics sellers have mysteriously disappeared as of Monday afternoon, and it’s unclear exactly what might be going on.
Here are a few screenshots from Aukey’s Amazon page, taken shortly after 12PM ET on Monday. Aukey is a major seller of chargers, portable batteries, and more, but its Amazon page has a whole lot of blank product boxes and products listed as “currently unavailable.”
A section of Aukey’s largely empty Amazon page.
Only two Aukey cables listed here.
Many Aukey products are “currently unavailable.”
And if I search “Aukey” on Amazon, the top results are for two massage guns, a home oven, and a keyboard — not chargers or cables.
Mpow, another big seller known for headphones, car mounts, and more, similarly has an Amazon page filled with “currently unavailable” listings.
A section of Mpow’s Amazon page.
It’s not clear why Aukey’s and Mpow’s listings have disappeared. Their disappearance is particularly weird when I can see that listings from other big sellers in the accessories space, including Anker, Belkin, RAVPower, and Satechi, appear to be working as normal as of Monday evening.
Aukey and Mpow have not responded to requests for comment.
Amazon would not confirm or deny whether it had removed these items — but it did provide a statement in response to our question that at least suggests these companies may have had some funny business going on:
We work hard to build a great experience for our customers and sellers and take action to protect them from those that threaten their experience in our store. We have systems and processes to detect suspicious behavior and we have teams that investigate and take action quickly.
We have long-standing policies to protect the integrity of our store, including product authenticity, genuine reviews, and products meeting the expectations of our customers. We take swift action against those that violate them, including suspending or removing selling privileges. We take this responsibility seriously, monitor our decision accuracy and maintain a high bar. We have an appeals process where sellers can explain how they will prevent the violation from happening in the future or let us know if they believe they were compliant. Our teams are based in our Seattle headquarters and around the globe in order to provide sellers with 24/7 support via email, phone, and chat in more than 15 languages.
Amazon is rife with scams, and the company puts a lot of resources into fighting them — Amazon just today revealed that it blocked more than 10 billion suspected bad listings before they were ever published in 2020, for example. Aukey and Mpow aren’t exactly small third-party sellers, though, which make their disappearing listings even more mysterious.
Last week, an unconfirmed report from antivirus review website SafetyDetectives apparently revealed how some Amazon vendors figured out a quiet way to solicit and pay for fake five-star reviews — something that’s obviously against Amazon’s rules. While it’s not clear if the missing listings are connected in any way to the report — which does not name vendors who may be participating in the practice — we found two accounts describing how Mpow used review-soliciting tactics similar what was uncovered in SafetyDetectives’ article, and XDA Developers journalist Corbin Davenport said that an Aukey standing desk he’s reviewing included a message offering $100 in exchange for an “honest review.”
Walmart appears to be getting into the streaming devices with the Onn Android TV UHD Streaming Device, according to a new listing on its website (spotted by 9to5Google). The company’s new streaming box (in this case, really more of a flattened cube) is currently listed for $29.88 but is also “out of stock” — which could be due to the fact it hasn’t been officially announced yet.
According to Walmart’s page, the Onn Android TV UHD Streaming Device can, unsurprisingly, stream in 4K and play “Dolby audio” — although there are no other specifics shared. The small device runs Android TV, connects to a TV over HDMI, and comes with what looks like a Google Assistant-enabled remote with dedicated buttons for YouTube, Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max.
Walmart’s streaming device is a fairly unassuming black square.Image: Walmart
Design-wise, as 9to5Google notes, Walmart’s streaming device shares a lot of similarities with Google’s developer device, the ADT-3, albeit with Walmart’s electronics brand, “onn,” slapped on top. The remote that accompanies the Onn also seems to be using a new Google design that’s been rumored to come with a host of new Google TV products in 2021.
The Onn Android TV UHD Streaming Device has more dedicated streaming service buttons.Image: Walmart
Walmart has been in a multiyear competition with Amazon over basically all forms of shopping online and off, so muscling into the streaming device market with what’s essentially a Fire Stick competitor shouldn’t be surprising. For Walmart, the streaming space has standardized and streamlined enough that it’s probably comparatively easy to come out with a cheap streaming cube, stock it in thousands of stores, and let customers do the rest.
It’s hard to not put Walmart’s device in the context of TiVo’s apparent exit from the streaming device space. Streaming sticks and boxes are increasingly becoming a game for big companies who can reach the scale and low costs that smaller companies can’t keep up with. They also tend to have a better handle on software — for Xperi, the TiVo brand’s current owner, Google integrating universal search aped the big feature that differentiated it from the competition.
The TiVo Stream 4K launched for $70, only to later drop to $39 in what seems like a bid to compete with the likes of the $50 Chromecast with Google TV, the $40 Roku Streaming Stick Plus, and Amazon’s $50 Fire Stick 4K. Assuming $30 is the Onn Android TV UHD Streaming Device’s actual price and it’s actually worth using, Walmart may be poised to start yet another race to the bottom.
Bluesound has refreshed its excellent Node 2i music streamer and Powernode 2i streaming amplifier. The next generation of the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning devices or now boast new DAC designs, more powerful processors, and touch panel controls with presets. They simply carry the original Node and Powernode monikers.
For the uninitiated, the Node is a music streamer that works either as a source in a hi-fi system or with active (or powered) speakers, like the Award-winning Audiolab 6000N Play. The Powernode, meanwhile, has amplification built in and just requires a pair of speakers, like the Award-winning Marantz PM7000N.
The former has a new DAC that can decode both hi-res 24-bit/192kHz and MQA files and feeds coaxial, optical, USB Type-A and, giving it TV system appeal, HDMI eARC inputs. There’s also RCA inputs and a 3.5mm headphone jack, plenty of music streaming service support courtesy of wi-fi and Apple AirPlay 2, internet radio and aptx HD Bluetooth (which is two-way, meaning it can wirelessly receive Bluetooth files for playback and send whatever it is playing to Bluetooth headphones or speakers). Naturally, the Node can also work in a multi-room environment with other BluOS kit.
As well as having a touch control panel with presets providing shortcuts to your favourite music, the Node can be voice controlled using voice assistants like Apple Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
The Powernode has a very similar skillset to the Node – all the BluOS streaming features, digital connectivity including HDMI eARC, and MQA support, for example – but with the addition of a built-in amplifier. The amp delivers 80 watts per channel, up from 60 watts on the previous model.
The Bluesound Node costs £549 ($549) and the Powernode £849 ($899) – slightly up from the launch prices of the previous-gen models. Both are available to pre-order now for shipping in June.
MORE:
Check out the best multi-room systems
Read our full Bluesound Node 2i and Powernode 2i reviews
Full explainer: Multi-room audio: everything you need to know
Voice control isn’t the sole preserve of wireless smart speakers, you know. Barking “Alexa, open Just Eat” at your Echo Dot (or other Alexa speaker), or “Hey Google, what’s in my calendar for today” to your Google Assistant speaker just for the joy of hearing that your schedule is clear, is now commonplace. But using spoken word to command the main music system in your home – your serious, great-sounding hi-fi setup – may not seem so natural. It may be a jump many audio enthusiasts are reluctant to take, even. But give this a moment’s thought, music lover, because verbal control over your hi-fi might be just what your household needs.
Here, we explain the various ways in which you can have voice control as part of a hi-fi system, whether you are keen to use Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Assistant or Apple’s Siri platforms, and whether you want to bring your a traditional ‘dumb’ system into 2021 or are looking to invest in a new set-up with virtual voice assistance at its core…
(Image credit: Amazon)
Add voice control by connecting a smart speaker
One of the easiest routes to giving your vintage hi-fi system a voice is by connecting an external smart speaker to it.
Add Alexa The Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker comes with its own built-in driver under its little spherical fabric jackets, but you can beef up its audio by making it play through the speakers in your sound system instead. (Amazon launched a speaker-less Echo Input device a few years ago for this very purpose, but it’s now been discontinued.) This may be handy, but note that audio quality will be limited here.
The Echo Dot offers wired and wireless connectivity, and will work with just about any integrated amp, receiver, soundbar or pair of active speakers with a 3.5mm aux input or Bluetooth connection. With either connection, all of the audio – including Alexa’s verbal answers – will play through the connected speakers in your system.
The diminutive, cheap and cheerful Amazon Echo Dot has a 3.5mm output, which means you can wire it to any receiver, integrated amp or powered speaker with a 3.5mm input. Alternatively, it features built-in Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) Bluetooth, meaning you can connect it wirelessly to any Bluetooth-enabled receiver, speaker or soundbar.
Best Alexa speakers 2021
Add Google Assistant Want Google Assistant to run the show instead? Similarly, you can pair a Google Nest Mini* (Google’s version of the Echo Dot) over Bluetooth for voice commands and music to play through your Bluetooth-toting system. However, it does not have a 3.5mm output.
*Older Google smart speakers, such as the Home Mini, can also do this.
Best Google Assistant speakers 2021
How about hi-fi with Alexa or Google Assistant integrated?
As we’ve explained, almost any receiver, integrated amp or powered speaker with a 3.5mm input or Bluetooth connection will essentially ‘work’ with Alexa (or Google Assistant, for that matter), if you’ve already got an Alexa- (or Google-) powered device to physically or wirelessly connect it to.
Products with Alexa and*/or Google Assistant baked in, however, do not require you to already own and connect a third-party smart device. These products – ‘smart’ themselves – have integrated microphones to pick up your commands, and run Amazon’s voice software internally, rather than simply being able to work with the technology. These are, for now, more or less limited to wireless ‘smart’ speakers, though.
*Some wireless speakers are platform agnostic and support both Alexa and Google Assistant, such as the Sonos One.
How about the Amazon Echo Link/Amp or Sonos Amp?
(Image credit: Sonos)
If it’s an Amazon Echo device, that means Alexa must be built in, right? Wrong. The Echo Link and Echo Link Amp – Amazon’s music streamer and music streaming amplifier respectively – don’t have integrated microphones so still need a third-party Alexa device, such as an Echo Dot, connected to be obey commands and be part of voice-controlled music groups throughout your home.
Similarly, the Sonos Amp – which you may well think would be voice controllable – doesn’t have an in-built microphone for voice control. It will, however, respond to voice commands issued to connected Alexa-, Google- and Siri-powered devices, including, naturally, the Sonos One.
Sonos: everything you need to know
Multi-room hi-fi platforms with Alexa support
If you’ve yet to buy a hi-fi system and want to get one that puts voice assistant friendliness at its core, there are now several hi-fi and home cinema components that have Alexa-friendly multi-room platforms built in. These include those based on Yamaha’s MusicCast, HEOS by Denon, and BluOS, all of which offer an enhanced Alexa experience when a third-party Alexa device (like an Amazon Echo) is connected to them through specific Alexa ‘skills’.
MusicCast MusicCast is a wireless multi-room audio system built into several Yamaha AV receivers, soundbars and wireless speakers. It allows these devices to be connected together through your home wi-fi network and controlled by an app on your smartphone or tablet. By adding Alexa through a third-party Alexa speaker, you can kick back on the sofa and simply ask for music on your MusicCast AV receiver.
In case you didn’t know, Alexa provides capabilities (called ‘Alexa Skills’) that enable us to create a more personalised experience according to the kit we own, which can be downloaded from the Alexa Skills store, or simply by saying “Alexa, enable [skill name].” Since said skills are cloud-based, they don’t take up space on your device, so there’s no limit to the amount you can enable. There are two Alexa skills that work with MusicCast: the MusicCast Smart Home skill and the MusicCast skill.
The MusicCast Smart Home skill brings standard Alexa commands such as power on/off, volume control and play/pause/skip to the party. To turn on the AV receiver in your living room, you just say, “Alexa, turn on the Living Room.”
The MusicCast skill goes beyond the basics, giving you control of unique MusicCast functions, like linking/unlinking rooms and direct access to playlists and favourites. In order to access the MusicCast skills, you need to add “ask MusicCast to” after the “Alexa” wake word (or whatever your wake word is): for example, “Alexa, ask MusicCast to link the Living Room to the Kitchen.”
(Image credit: Future)
BluOS
An operating system developed by NAD Electronics and its sister brand Bluesound, BluOS sits at the core of connected products from those two brands, plus Dali and Monitor Audio.
To add Alexa voice control to your BluOS multi-room system, simply download the BluOS Voice Control skill in the Alexa app and link your BluOS-enabled products. You can then tell Alexa to play songs or playlists from subscribed services like Amazon Music, Tidal and Deezer, adjust volume levels or pause what’s playing with a single voice command.
BluVoice is the voice-control interface (or trigger word) that acts as the intermediary between BluOS and a compatible voice assistant, so BluOS owners can ask their Echo device: “Alexa, ask BluVoice to play new songs on Tidal”.
DTS Play-Fi Similarly, to use Alexa with DTS Play-Fi hi-fi products, you’ll need to ask a connected Alexa-supporting speaker to play music, which it can then do across the rest of your compatible Play-Fi products.
HEOS When it comes to the HEOS platform, we’d point you towards the What Hi-Fi? 2020 Award-winning Denon AVC-X3700H (above). It’s an 8K-ready home cinema amplifier, but those intending to use it for music playback can also take advantage of the AVC-X3700H’s hi-res audio decoding of files up to 24bit/192kHz and double-speed DSD. Most importantly – in regards to voice control, at least – there’s a HEOS Home Entertainment skill to enable in the Alexa app, which means you can control all of your HEOS-enabled devices by conversing with Alexa through.
HEOS-based Denon and Marantz kit that supports AirPlay 2 can also benefit from Siri voice control when controlled by an iOS (iOS 11.4 and later) device, too. Which leads us to…
Can I voice control my system using Siri?
In a word, yes – as long as something in your system supports AirPlay 2.
While Apple’s Siri voice assistant is integrated into the Apple HomePod or HomePod Mini smart speakers, other speakers (such as the Sonos One) and streaming systems (such as the Bluesound Powernode 2i and KEF LSX) rely on AirPlay 2’s connection to your iOS device to speak to Siri. You simply have to Open the Apple Home App on your iPhone or iPad and select ‘Add Accessory’ to add, group and then voice control your device over Siri.
However, Siri’s usefulness is more limited than Alexa’s and Google Assistant’s, only allowing you to directly ask to play music that’s either on Apple Music or stored locally on your iOS device. You can ask to play from Spotify too, but you’ll need to say “on Spotify” after your request.
MORE:
See our pick of the best smart speakers 2021
Or the best multi-room systems 2021
Starting from scratch? Read up on the best hi-fi systems 2021
Last May, TiVo attempted to muscle in on Roku and Amazon with an HDMI streaming dongle of its own — the $70 TiVo Stream 4K, which traded in the company’s traditional live TV + DVR functionality for the likes of Sling TV, Netflix, HBO and YouTube. It now appears that attempt was so unsuccessful, the company’s planning to abandon its Android TV dongle efforts entirely.
Xperi Holdings CEO Jon Kirchner explained in an earnings call (via Zatz Not Funny) that it no longer feels it can compete using Android TV — the company likes to think its differentiator is a content guide that surfaces and lets you search for shows and movies across a variety of apps, but now that Google’s already baked something like that into its new “Google TV” layer on top of Android TV and sells it for just $50, TiVo doesn’t see much of a future there.
Here’s Kirchner, as transcribed by Seeking Alpha:
Sure, so originally as we approached the combination, we have done a lot of planning around kind of a three phase approach, starting with the Stream 4K product, which is a dongle that attaches to TVs, moving into an embedded application, where we’ll be let’s say the preferred user interface choice on a broader platform but originally around the notion that it would live on top of Android TV.
And then thirdly, going all the way into a much deeper embedded solution, embedded OS where we’re a bigger provider, where we’re really the sole primary interface for the broader content search and discovery and engagement. What has changed is last fall, Google came out and said that they intend to go beyond their core OS level offering and really get into the UX business, and in so doing it eclipses one’s ability to I think reasonably be an alternative that might otherwise live on their lower level platform.
Instead, says Kirchner, he wants to embed TiVo smarts directly in TVs — a strategy that’s worked pretty dang well for Roku, and where Amazon has been competing with Fire TV Edition sets for a few years, too.
Here’s the thing, though: while the Stream 4K was well-reviewed, it wasn’t the user interface that reviewers liked. Some of its most glowing reviews called it cluttered or confusing compared to the competition, and most concluded that it was just fine compared to slicker offerings from Roku and Amazon at or under that price. TiVo dropped the starting price of the Stream 4K to $50 at launch, and reduced it to $39 in December after Google’s $50 Chromecast had arrived.
Whether you’ve fully committed to the smart home ecosystem or are just dabbling in the space for the first time, picking up a smart speaker is a no-brainer for most people. If you haven’t yet grabbed an Amazon or Google smart speaker, however, Adorama is taking $31 off the Google Nest Mini as part of its latest flash sale through Sunday, May 9th. Simply use the promo code EXTRAOFF11 at checkout to knock an additional $11 off the listed sale price and receive free shipping.
Like its predecessor, the Google Nest Mini offers a range of voice-activated features, only with bolder sound, capacitive touch zones, and an improved design that allows you to hang the device on your wall. At the core of the fabric-lined puck is Google Assistant, which allows you quickly set reminders, stream music, control your smart lights, and carry out a range of other tasks with nothing more than a quick “Hey, Google.”
The sound isn’t as robust as, say, the Google Nest Audio, but this marks the lowest price we’ve seen on the Nest Mini this year. It’s even available in two colors, chalk or charcoal.
Google Nest Mini
Google Nest Mini
$19
$49
62% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Nest Mini is Google’s smallest Assistant smart speaker, and it can fit almost anywhere in your home. Through Sunday, May 9th, Adorama is offering an additional $11 off the sale price at checkout with promo code EXTRAOFF11.
$19
at Adorama
If you’re looking for additional Mother’s Day gift ideas — and don’t mind opting for in-store pickup — we’ve also rounded up a set of eclectic ideas, from bath balms and AirPods to a classic pair of sandals.
Tile has announced that it’ll be launching support for Amazon Sidewalk — the company’s local, Bluetooth network — on June 14th, allowing Amazon’s Echo devices to strengthen Tile’s network.
The two companies had already announced plans for Tile to join Sidewalk last fall, but today’s announcement gives an actual date and details for the integration. The addition of Tile support comes just a few days after Amazon is turning on Sidewalk support for compatible Echo devices in the US on June 8th, too. Also getting access to Sidewalk are Level’s smart locks, which will be able to leverage Sidewalk to directly connect to Ring doorbells, allowing the locks to be used even when outside of Bluetooth range.
According to Amazon, Sidewalk uses a combination of “Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the 900 MHz spectrum, and other frequencies” to allow devices to communicate without Wi-Fi. Devices that support Sidewalk — including a variety of Echo and Ring gadgets — can serve as “Sidewalk Bridges” that work together as access points to the Sidewalk network (think of them almost like individual points on a neighborhood-wide mesh router system).
When Tile joins Sidewalk, its trackers will be able to be found using Amazon’s network in conjunction with Tile’s existing Bluetooth network, making it even easier to find your missing devices. Additionally, Tile is expanding support for Amazon’s Echo smart speakers by allowing users to see the Echo device to which the missing tag is closest. It’s not quite on the level of the hyper-localized tracking of an ultra-wideband network, though.
The news also comes as Apple launches its own AirTag trackers, a direct competitor to Tile’s. Apple’s trackers rely on a mixture of the company’s Find My network — which leverages the Bluetooth capabilities of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices — and its ultra-wideband radio technology to help locate missing tracking tags.
Tile has recently criticized Apple’s trackers, claiming that Apple is using its control over its hardware and software stack for unfair advantages that third-party companies (like Tile) are unable to access.
A new phase of the historic union vote by Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama begins today. The news kicks off with an appeals hearing where the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) will contest the results of the election.
“Things are not over,” says Veena Dubal, a law professor at the University of California, Hastings. “We all need to be continuing to pay attention to this part.”
Earlier this year, after a months-long union busting campaign, workers voted 1,798 to 738 against forming a union. The decision was hailed as a crushing blow to the labor movement. But experts say the election was always going to be hotly contested. Even if RWDSU won, Amazon would almost certainly have fought the results, and the process would still have ended up in an appeal.
That wasn’t clear from the media coverage, which treated the election as the apex of the labor movement. “I think that it’s fair to say that very few people in labor actually thought that this was going to be a win,” Dubal says.
Witness testimony begins Monday, with RWDSU presenting evidence on each of its 23 objections. These range from Amazon installing a ballot collection box at the warehouse (allegedly giving the illusion that it controlled the vote) to threatening workers with pay cuts.
If RWDSU is successful, there would likely be another election, Bloomberg reports. But regardless of the outcome, Dubal says the campaign has already succeeded in spreading awareness. “The role that the Bessemer drive played was in part an attention getting campaign and a way to get America to look at the conditions in these warehouses,” she says. “It was still a very, very important drive, representing a cultural shift in people thinking about and talking about Amazon.”
The campaign also laid bare Amazon’s union busting tactics — typical for many companies — like bombarding workers with anti-union messages and requiring them to attend captive audience meetings. “Amazon has left no stone unturned in its efforts to gaslight its own employees,” RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum said in a statement, which The Verge previously reported. “We won’t let Amazon’s lies, deception and illegal activities go unchallenged.”
Many of the tactics Amazon used are legal under current labor law. While the National Labor Relations Act is supposed to protect workers’ rights to organize, companies rarely face significant consequences for union busting.
That could change if the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (also known as the PRO Act) passes. The legislation would ban companies from holding captive audiences and it would establish fines for those that violate workers’ rights.
Dubal says that’s partly why the appeal hearing matters. “It’s imperative that we continue to pay attention to this,” she says. “It’s a learning moment. We are learning what is legal and illegal. We’re learning what companies do to suppress organizing. This needs to be public knowledge so that we understand why a law like the PRO Act is so important.”
(Pocket-lint) – Sonos offers multiple speakers within its portfolio, but as great as they are, none had been portable, none had been water-resistant, and none had offered Bluetooth audio support. The Sonos Move, however, changed all of that.
While Sonos previously focused on offering speakers designed for the home that require mains power and use a mesh Wi-Fi network to talk to each other, the Sonos Move was the first portable Bluetooth smart speaker marking the beginning of Sonos outside of the home.
Move was first, but since its release, there is also now the smaller, and more portable Sonos Roam to consider if you’re in the market for a Bluetooth Sonos speaker. You can read our full Sonos Roam review separately, but here we are focusing on the larger, more powerful, Sonos Move.
Sonos Move vs Sonos Roam: What’s the difference?
Design
IP56 water- and dust-resistant design
Capacitive touch controls
Integrated handle
Measures: 240 x 160 x 126mm
Weighs: 3kg
Sonos plays close attention to design and all its latest speakers – from the 2015 Play:5 to the Sonos Arc – share similar design features, like capacitive touch controls, black and white colour options and plastic detailing.
Pocket-lint
The Sonos Move has the same design ethos as these newer Sonos speakers, with rounded edges, capacitive controls and an almost identical top to the Sonos One – albeit oval shaped and with repositioned controls – but it raises the stakes when it comes to durability.
While the design of the Sonos Move clearly resembles the Sonos portfolio, it offers an IP56 water and dust resistance and it is one tough little cookie – although it’s not actually that little. Sonos says the Move can withstand pretty much every obstacle life might throw at it, whether that be sand, water or a drop on concrete, and while we didn’t fancy testing the last of those, it’s clear this speaker is able to hold its own.
To achieve this, the bottom of the device is silicone with a clear coat of paint over the top to deter dust. Everything inside has been considered, too, from a custom-made polycarbonate basket case reinforced with glass for the mid-woofer, to the colour of the Move itself – it is Shadow Black and not just plain, absorbant black to take UV exposure into account. We had it outside in 25C with the sun shining directly on it for several hours but it didn’t feel too hot as a result. There’s a Lunar White model too, which are the same colour offerings as the Sonos Roam.
Pocket-lint
As we say, though, this portable speaker is not small. It’s wider and taller than the Sonos One and it weighs a hefty 3kg – so you’ll need a pretty decent-sized backpack to lug it around. The point is that you can bring it wherever you want, whether that’s your garden, the beach or a camping trip. At this scale we suspect it’ll be nearer to the home, for a garden party, while the smaller Sonos Roam is more suited to the park or beach.
On the rear of the Move is a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth toggle switch, a power button and a pairing button – the last of which all Sonos speakers except the Roam offer. The buttons are all positioned on an inward slant that allows for the convenient integrated handle – which is built into the design, rather than a separate strap or handle – to exist within this design format.
When the Sonos Move is on its Loop Dock charging cradle it looks like any other Sonos speaker and blends into the home. You’d never know it was portable from the front, giving it an element of surprise about it. If you’re thinking about buying a permanent in-home Sonos speaker but might want to occasionally take it out and about then we can see why this design makes perfect sense, though the same can definitely be said for the Roam too.
Pocket-lint
A USB Type-C port sits below the integrated handle and the buttons, as well as two charging pins below that for the Loop Dock – which the Sonos Move snaps into place on.
Hardware & Specs
Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy
AirPlay 2 support
45W power
The Sonos Move delivers 45W of power, coupled with Bluetooth for audio streaming capabilities rather than needing a mesh-connected device. The Sonos One, by comparison, doesn’t offer Bluetooth for audio streaming (only for quick setup), making the Move the first Sonos speaker to offer the technology, followed by the Roam.
Pocket-lint
The Sonos Move also supports Apple’s AirPlay 2 – as per the Roam, Arc, Beam, One, Play:5, and the Sonos One SL (the voiceless version of the Sonos One) – which allows for easy streaming from an Apple device without the need to open the Sonos app. It’s quick, convenient and it offers Apple users integration with Siri for voice control too.
The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth toggle switch on the rear of the Sonos Move allows users to switch the speaker between modes – something the Roam does automatically. When the Move is ready to pair, the LED light on the top flashes blue then goes solid blue when pairing is successful. We paired our Apple iPhone 11 at the time of review with it in a matter of seconds and switching between the two modes is virtually instant, making it pain-free, even if the Roam does make this element more seamless.
Pocket-lint
The power button, meanwhile, allows users to switch the Sonos Move off entirely, otherwise it will stay in a low power mode when not being used – useful for quick wake-up if it’s grouped with another Sonos speaker or an alarm is set, for example.
Features
Automatic Trueplay
Alexa and Google voice control
The Sonos Move functions as a typical Bluetooth speaker when in Bluetooth mode, allowing users to send music to it via a paired device, as you would the Ultimate Ears UE Megaboom 3, for example. In Bluetooth mode, the Move isn’t controlled via the Sonos app, with the control shifted to your device and the streaming service you are using instead.
When not in Bluetooth mode, the Move functions as a traditional Sonos speaker, but it appears with a battery indicator in the Sonos app. Functioning as a traditional Sonos speaker means you can group it with other Sonos speakers, control it through the Sonos app and access all the features that come with that app, including compatibility with over 100 music streaming services, stereo pairing and customisation of equalisation levels (EQ).
Sadly, you can’t use two Sonos Move speakers in a surround setup, as you can with all other Sonos speakers except the Sonos Roam, which also doesn’t offer the feature. Read our Sonos tips and tricks to learn more about the features offered by the Sonos system as a whole.
The Sonos Move also offers a feature called Automatic Trueplay. Trueplay is a software feature Sonos introduced with the Play:5 in 2015 and it allows users to tune their Sonos speakers according to its surroundings using an Apple iOS device. You can read all about it in our seperate feature.
Best speakers for PC gamers 2021: All the sound and RGB lighting you could ever need
By Adrian Willings
·
Automatic Trueplay uses the four built-in microphones on the Sonos Move to listen to the sound produced by the speaker and tune it automatically according to its surroundings, making for a much simpler process than the original (where you had to walk around the room waving your iOS device up and down slowly, yep, really).
Pocket-lint
The Automatic Trueplay feature was introduced on the Move to combat the issues of moving a speaker from outside to inside and still ensuring it sounds good. An accelerometer helps the Sonos Move detect when it has been moved, allowing it to adjust itself within around 30 seconds to what it deems as the best for its new surroundings. You can turn it off in the Sonos app if you don’t want it though.
Additionally, the Sonos Move supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice control. As with the One, Beam, Arc and Roam, which offer the same control, you can’t have both assistants setup at the same time – but you will be able to switch between them as you please, as well as turn the microphone off (an LED light on the top of the Move indicates when the microphones are on). You can also choose to have Alexa on one compatible Sonos speaker and Google Assistant on another if you want.
When the voice assistants are setup, you get almost all the same features you would an Amazon Echo or Google Home or Nest speaker device, bar a couple, meaning you’ll be able to ask Alexa or Google anything you like, such as set a timer or alarm, control compatible smart home devices, or find out about your day or commute.
Pocket-lint
Voice control is only available when in Wi-Fi mode (AKA standard Sonos mode), but don’t mistake this for only when docked on the Loop Dock. For us, we get Wi-Fi in our garden at home and therefore we could use Google Assistant on the Move in the garden during a BBQ with friends, which was great.
Sound and performance
Two Class-D digital amplifiers, tweeter and mid-woofer
10 hours battery life
Replaceable battery
The Sonos Move has a downward-firing tweeter at the top of the speaker, coupled with a mid-range woofer inside. For those wondering why the company has used a downward-facing tweeter, Sonos told us it was to achieve evenly dispersed sound; there’s what the company calls a Wave Guide inside to enable this to happen.
Pocket-lint
Based on our experience at review and continued experience, the Sonos Move offers a great sound quality for its size and the sound is evenly dispersed. It’s on the bassy side, which is typical of Sonos speakers, but we see that as a good thing compared to other portables that can’t deliver in this regard.
There’s plenty of volume too – which you definitely need when outdoors – and the Move copes well with mid-range, treble and vocals. You don’t get as wide a soundscape as per the Play:5, but the Move sounds better than the Sonos One to our ears. That gives you an idea of its positioning in the range. It’s also more powerful than the Roam, which you would expect.
Sonos claims the battery will deliver 10 hours of music playback. We had the Sonos Move outside on Wi-Fi, on mid-volume for four hours and we only managed to drain the battery to 80 per cent, so we suspect this figure is based on use at louder volumes, thus you might get more out of it.
Pocket-lint
The battery can be replaced too – it will last around 900 charging cycles, which is around three years on average – after which it is recommended to replace it to continue to get longevity out of the device. Sonos offers a battery replacement kit that allows you to do this yourself.
Verdict
We waited a long time to see Sonos launch a portable speaker with Bluetooth streaming before Move was finally revealed. In fact, we asked co-founder Tom Cullen about a portable speaker back in 2015, so it’s something we’ve been pining after for a while and now we have two choices.
The Move is bigger and heavier than we expected, and certainly not cheap, but with its price and size comes durability, toughness and performance – and that’s no bad thing, especially if you actually plan to make use of the Move’s portability. We also suspect many will use it as a sometime portable, not as a constant cart-around speaker.
There are other great portable Bluetooth speakers out there – including Sonos’ own Roam that is far smaller and better designed for constant portability – but there are none quite like the Sonos Move in terms of sound output and features, especially not for those already invested in the Sonos system. It’s the Bluetooth speaker Sonos fans were waiting for.
This article was first published on 5 September 2019 and has been republished to represent its full review status.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Sonos Roam
squirrel_widget_4437410
The Sonos Roam is the second portable, Bluetooth speaker from Sonos. It’s much smaller than the Move and while it isn’t as powerful, it offers some great features like automatic switching between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as a feature called Sound Swap.
Sonos Roam review
Pocket-lint
Sonos One
squirrel_widget_148504
The Sonos One isn’t portable like the Move, nor does it offer Bluetooth audio capabilities, but it is cheaper, it has built-in Google Assistant and Alexa capabilities, and it offers a good sound for its size. Two Sonos One speakers can also be used in a surround setup with a Sonos Arc, Sonos Beam and Sonos Sub.
Sonos One review
Pocket-lint
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
squirrel_widget_145462
The Megaboom 3 is quite a bit smaller and cheaper than the Sonos Move and it doesn’t offer the soundscape as a result of this, but it is completely waterproof, it offers decent bass for its size, and it is more portable than the Move. It’s that last point that’s a big sell here.
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 review
Pocket-lint
JBL Link Portable
Smaller and more compact than the Move, the Link Portable doesn’t deliver the same sound experience as a result, but there are plenty of features, including Google Assistant, AirPlay 2, Chromecast support and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
With the ongoing pandemic and chip shortages still making headlines semiconductor revenue totalled $464 billion in 2020 and will top $522 billion 2021, according to IDC. Despite widespread shortages, sales of chips are going to grow further this year as more devices are getting smarter and more chips are consumed overall. Fuelled by home working and education computing is set to be the main driver of growth as each PC uses dozens of chips many of which are made using an advanced process technology. Meanwhile, shipments of chips for smartphones, consumer electronics, and automotive applications will also be strong.
Global semiconductor revenue increased by 10.8% last year to $464 billion and will grow another 12.5% this year to $522 million because of growth in consumer, computing, 5G, and automotive semiconductors, a new report from IDC says. Shortages of chips will continue through 2021, but since the industry will adopt more expensive chips for a wide variety of applications, sales of semiconductors are destined to grow once again.
Semiconductors for PCs and servers outpaced the overall chip market and grew 17.3% year-over-year to $160 billion in 2020. There were several factors that drove sales of PC and server chips to new heights. Demand for PCs grew rather dramatically last year, which caused shortages. Meanwhile, CPUs and GPUs are made using sophisticated fabrication technologies and therefore are rather expensive. Finally, supply constraints allowed manufacturers to further increase prices of their products. IDC predicts that sales of semiconductors for computing will grow 7.7% to $173 billion in 2021.
“Demand for PC processors remains strong, especially in value-oriented segments,” said Shane Rau, research vice president, Computing Semiconductors. “The PC processors market looks strong through the first half and likely the whole year.” IDC forecasts computing systems revenues will grow 7.7% to $173 billion in 2021.
Chips for smartphones have been a major semiconductor revenue driver for about a decade since the market of handsets was growing rapidly. Last year unit shipments of smartphones dropped by 10%, but since new 5G devices use more expensive SoCs and more chips in general, smartphone semiconductor revenue increased 9.1% year-over-year. IDC believes that sales of chips for mobile phones will grow by 23.3% in 2021 to $147 billion.
“2021 will be an especially important year for semiconductor vendors as 5G phones capture 34% of all mobile phone shipments while semiconductors for 5G phones will capture nearly two thirds of the revenue in the segment,” said Phil Solis, research director for Connectivity and Smartphone Semiconductors.
Chips for consumer electronics totalled $60 billion in 2020, up 7.7% year over year as sales of devices like game consoles, tablets, wireless headsets, smart watches, and set-top-boxes were strong.
“New gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony, continued strong sales of wearables from Apple, and the rise in smart home networks managed by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant will accelerate growth in 2021 to 8.9% year over year,” said Rudy Torrijos, research manager, Consumer Semiconductors.
Shipments of chips for automotive applications recovered in the second half of 2020, but many semiconductors for cars are in tight supply now, a situation that will persist throughout 2021, according to IDC. Nonetheless, automotive semiconductors revenue is expected to grow 13.6% year-over-year, the analysts note.
“Overall, the semiconductor industry remains on track to deliver another strong year of growth as the super cycle that began at the end of 2019 strengthens this year,” said Mario Morales, program vice president, Semiconductors at IDC.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
