- AVI-SPL to be acquired by 26North
26North has announced it will be acquiring a controlling stake in AVI-SPL from Marlin Equity Partners and other selling shareholders. Marlin and select shareholders will retain a minority interest in the company, while financial terms were not disclosed. AVI-SPL, which serves over 86% of the Fortune 100, delivers mission-critical audio-visual, collaboration solutions and experiential technology that power the modern workplace, spanning installation, integration, and managed services across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and the Asia-Pacific regions. “AVI-SPL exemplifies the kind of business we seek out at 26North—resilient, essential, and built for long-term growth,” said Mark Weinberg, Head of Private Equity at 26North. “It operates in an expanding market, holds a leadership position, and serves a diversified, blue-chip customer base.” This marks 26North’s third investment by its Private Equity platform, following its 2024 acquisitions of ArchKey Solutions and Onelife Fitness. It is the strategy’s first transaction in the technology, media, and telecommunications sector.
- Anker recalls over 1 million power banks
Anker has issued a massive recall affecting over 1 million power banks sold in the US between June 1st, 2016, and December 31st, 2022. The company says that the affected model, Anker PowerCore 10000 (model A1263), “may pose a fire safety risk due to a potential issue with the lithium-ion battery.” It has been determined that the battery’s propensity to overhead can lead to melted plastic, smoke, and fire. According to the US Product Safety Commission, (CPSC) Anker has been made aware of 19 reports of fire and explosions caused by the defective chargers, which included minor burn injuries and over $60,000 of property damage. As a result, Anker urges the public to stop using the affected units immediately, and is offering a free replacement. Those with Anker PowerCore 10000 units with eligible serial numbers can visit Anker’s website for their free replacement. Anker and the CPSC recommend those with affected models look up local guidance on how to dispose of their chargers.
- DARPA breaks record for wireless power transmission
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced that, via a series of recent tests in New Mexico, it has set multiple new records for wirelessly transmitting power over a distance. As part of DARPA’s Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program, a team was able to record a 30 second transmission of more than 800 Watts of power over a distance of 5.3 miles. The agency goes on to state that over the course of the test campaign, it was able to wirelessly transmit over a megajoule of energy. For reference, DARPA states that “previously, the greatest reported distance records for an appreciable amount of optical power (>1 microwatt) were 230 watts of average power at 1.7 kilometers for 25 seconds and a lesser (but undisclosed) amount of power at 3.7 kilometers.” This means that the agency was able to achieve more than double the energy transfer over double the distance. These new tests were conducted in a manner that required the transmission to pass through the thickest part of the atmosphere, as the team wished to replicate less-than-ideal scenarios that may be encountered in the field.
- Why the auto industry is moving away from Android Auto and Apple Carplay
Once heralded as the future of in-car AV, the auto industry has spent the latter half of the last decade slowly distancing itself from mobile platforms like Android Auto and Apple Carplay. In an era where in-car navigation was scarce and lackluster at best, the ability to pair a vehicle with the driver’s mobile device to control everything from entertainment to weather alerts caught on quickly. However, native support for these programs is starting to dwindle with each year, with notable manufacturers such as Tesla and General Motors opting for their own platforms. The reason for this trend, it turns out, has less to do with the programs themselves and more to do with your data. When a driver opts to use Apple Carplay or Android Auto instead of a vehicle’s native infotainment system, the user’s data is harvested and stored by that platform and its associated company instead of the car manufacturer. As the lines continue to blur between cars and personal electronics, this data has become more valuable to auto companies.
- HDMI Forum launches HDMI 2.2
The HDMI Forum announced the release of HDMI 2.2 during an online press conference, revealing new details about the updated standard. These include a higher 96Gbps bandwidth and next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology for a wide range of device applications. Higher resolutions and refresh rates are supported including up to 12K@120 and 16K@60. Additionally, more highquality options are supported including uncompressed full chroma formats such as 8K@60/4:4:4 and 4K@240/4:4:4 at 10-bit and 12-bit color. “Ultra96” is a feature name that manufacturers are encouraged to use to indicate a product supports a maximum of 64Gbps, 80Gbps or 96Gbps bandwidth in compliance with the HDMI 2.2 Specification. Products that market or display the Ultra96 feature name require the Ultra96 HDMI Cable to ensure a product’s maximum bandwidth is properly supported. The new Ultra96 HDMI Cable supports up to 96Gbps and all HDMI 2.2 applications. The current Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable is applicable for system configurations supporting up to 48Gbps maximum bandwidth. The Ultra96 HDMI Cable, just like the Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable, is part of the HDMI Cable Certification Program requiring each model length to be tested and certified and display a Certification Label.
- FAA to finally upgrade air traffic control from Windows 95 and floppy disks
“The whole idea is to replace the system. No more floppy disks or paper strips,” acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told the House Appropriations Committee earlier this week, outlining a plan to update the nation’s Air Traffic Control system. As reported by Tom’s Hardware, the FAA’s appeal to the House Appropriations Committee reflects the desire to replace infrastructure that is not only outdated, but unsustainable. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also commented,”This is the most important infrastructure project that we’ve had in this country for decades. Everyone agrees — this is non-partisan. Everyone knows we have to do it.” Duffy claims that the Transportation Department’s goal is to have this overhaul finished within four years, while industry experts doubt this timeline is possible. Part of the the project’s complexity is the 24/7, critical nature of the Air Traffic Control system, making it impossible to shut the whole system down at once to replace. Still, the FAA put the call out to companies who say they are up for the monumental task, including announcing several ‘Industry Days’ that would allow companies to showcase their technologies to the Transportation Department.
Derek Wiley is the content producer for Sound & Contractor and TWICE. Chiefly having a production background, Derek is quickly becoming a Pro AV enthusiast. When not writing, he enjoys all things gaming, music, and live events.
Subscribe
For more stories like this, and to keep up to date with all our market leading news, features and analysis, sign up to our newsletter here.
