Insights
Brand: Anchor of the New Omnichannel
Over the past several years, tech retailing has undergone a dizzying course of changes. Just when pundits were finally getting tired of reporting a retailpocalypse, COVID came around to wreak additional havoc on brick and mortar – while ringing up record online sales of CE products for a nation working and playing from home. As…
Read MoreYear Zero: Moving Forward With Matter
This month’s launch event for the Matter interoperability standard was an undeniable high point in the nearly 50-year history of the smart home. Through the decades, we’ve seen plenty of smart technologies come and go, so some skepticism about Matter is probably inevitable. It’s also a mistake. We came back from Amsterdam feeling extremely bullish…
Read MoreGetting a Handle on OTC Hearing Aids
If you haven’t heard that over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids finally hit the market last month, you might be one of the 37 million Americans with hearing loss. On the other hand, if you’ve been watching this category as closely as we have, you already know the huge possibilities for makers and sellers. Winning in this…
Read MoreWhat Are Your Plans For Proptech?
Lately we at bluesalve have been paying close attention to the red-hot market for proptech. Most of the buzz has focused on how these technologies are making it easy to buy, sell, share and manage physical properties. While proptech may be disrupting real estate, banking, hospitality and construction, among other mature industries, we see equal,…
Read MoreVR and the Return of Hardware
Here at bluesalve we’ve been closely watching the evolution of virtual reality for the consumer market. When you’re looking at a genuinely revolutionary technology, you can’t help but get excited about the business possibilities. We believe VR will create the next major product category in consumer electronics. Is your company ready? Where Are We Now?…
Read MoreServing the Audio Prosumer
An old cliche tells us that a rising tide lifts all boats. The home audio industry could certainly use the lift. Over the past two decades, technological disruption has decimated multiple product categories. The tide may be rising again, thanks to shifting market trends and new opportunities for manufacturers. Are you thinking of products for…
Read MoreWill It Finally Matter?
It’s been nearly three years since the heavyweights of the connected world agreed to join forces on an interoperability standard for smart devices. What began as “Project Connected Home Over IP” is finally almost here as the Matter standard. We’re jazzed for the possibilities, cautious on the probabilities, and keeping close tabs on all the…
Read MoreHow Smart Does Your Smart Product Need to Be?
As is true of people, some smart devices are smarter than others. And as is true with people, greater “smarts” in devices usually cost more time and money to produce. Call it the price of education. When building your own smart products and services, how can you best plan for this cost? And how much…
Read MoreWearables vs. Med Devices: Visualizing a Third Way
Hardware and software makers are naturally bullish on the future of consumer-facing wearables for health and wellness. So far, physicians and providers have remained circumspect. It’s been a dozen years since the first Fitbits helped launch the quantified self movement. What have we learned so far and what are the opportunities going forward? Law of…
Read MoreAdvanced Audio Will Revolutionize Digital Therapeutics
We’re all aware of the healing power of music, which is not only a sentiment but a scientific fact. Recent advances in audio technology, particularly spatial audio, are showing great promise in treating a variety of physical, cognitive and emotional health challenges. For audio hardware and software companies, these nascent fields represent welcome opportunities to…
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