Palo Alto Networks enlisted X-Files actress Gillian Anderson to star in a "Zero Trust with Zero Exceptions" ad campaign aimed at bringing “everyday cyber risks to the forefront of public awareness,” said the cybersecurity company Monday. “With the world working from anywhere, using applications that are hosted in multiple clouds or data centers, the cyber attack surface has expanded significantly," said Palo Alto CEO Nikesh Arora. "The first generation of zero trust cybersecurity solutions can't keep up and are inconsistent. With this campaign we sought to highlight the urgency around cybersecurity.” The campaign debuts this week and will run across digital media for the next year.
Sonos is skimming 20% off the price of its portable Move ($399) and Roam ($179) voice-controlled speakers in a summer promotion running through June 12, it emailed Wednesday. It’s one of the few promotions the company has run since supply chain constraints began straining inventories during the COVID-19 demand surge. Sonos Chief Financial Officer Brittany Bagley said on a November earnings call (see 2111180049) the company wouldn't run its typical Q4 holiday promotions due to manufacturing shutdowns and component shortages that were expected to continue into 2022. Also Wednesday, the company rolled out via a software update Sonos Voice Control, the on-device voice service built from its purchase of Snips in 2019. The control feature, voiced by actor Giancarlo Esposito, works alongside Amazon Alexa, and is accessible via the trigger phrase, “Hey, Sonos.” Sonos continues to offer Google Assistant control, but the Sonos and Google voice assistants can’t be used together, a customer support rep told us. We were able to use Sonos Voice Control on our Alexa-enabled Sonos One speaker Thursday, but we could use Sonos to access music only from our Apple Music account, not Spotify or Pandora. The company said last month it will add control for other music services in the future. The Sonos community webpage lists commands available for Sonos Voice Control.
Skullcandy announced a collaboration with the To Write Love on Her Arms nonprofit, saying Wednesday it will donate a portion of sales of its Crusher Evo wireless headphones to help the organization fund LGBTQIA+ mental health problems. The $210 headphones are available exclusively through Skullcandy.com, the company said.
Epson and Warner Bros. teamed up on an outdoor movie package sweepstakes featuring an Epson Mini EF12 three-chip LCD projector (valued at $999) and a Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore digital movie ($29). Entries will be accepted through June 13. Four random drawings will be held by July 13, said the companies Tuesday. The Android TV projector, with Yamaha sound, requires a wireless internet connection of 5 Mbps or higher, they said.
LG launched a limited-edition Star Wars-themed OLED evo TV in collaboration with Lucasfilm, emailed the TV vendor Thursday. The 65-inch C2 model, with a Star Wars-inspired user interface, aesthetics, packaging and “gallery of Star Wars content,” will be limited to 501 units in the U.S., said the company. It's on display at the Star Wars Celebration fanfest Thursday-Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center. A price hasn’t been set for the TV, said a spokesperson, not commenting on where the TV would be sold. The non-Star Wars version of the C2 evo is $2,299 at lg.com.
Electronics trade-in company Gazelle is offering a 10% bonus on all cellphone trade-in offers, it emailed Thursday in a graduation promotion. “The online market for pre-owned cell phones is thriving,” said the website Thursday, saying consumers who sell their old phone to Gazelle have a “good chance” they will get enough in return for a “sizable down payment” on a recent model phone. A 256 GB iPhone 13 Pro Max had a trade-in value of $997.70 Thursday, with the 10% bonus. A new version of the phone was selling for $1,199 at Apple.com.
Crestron is sponsoring the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team as a regional partner for all North American races, beginning with the Miami Grand Prix Friday. The partnership grew from an installation of Crestron technology at the team’s Brackley, U.K., headquarters, the automation company said Wednesday. Mercedes-AMG engineers, designers, IT teams, pit crews, factory technicians, business operations teams and executives used Crestron’s Flex Digital Workplace platform for video conferencing during the 2021 Formula 1 season, it said.
Charter Communications substantiated one of the Spectrum internet service advertising claims challenged by AT&T, and agreed to modify or discontinue others, the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division said Wednesday. It said the "most consistent download speeds" claim was backed by Ookla data and an FCC report. Charter agreed to modify or drop other claims about AT&T throttling and data caps and Spectrum being more reliable than AT&T and offering better gaming performance, it said.
Crosley Radio announced Wednesday a Record Store Day promotion tied to nine local indie record stores in seven states and online. Consumers have a chance to win a Crosley C100BT turntable ($279) by visiting Zia Records, Phoenix; Newbury Comics, Boston; Vinyl Renaissance, Overland Park, Kansas; Rhino Records, Claremont, California; Monster Music, Charleston, South Carolina; Guestroom Records and Cardinal Record Co., Louisville; Cactus Music, Houston; and Josey Records Dallas. It's also giving away two C100BTs online. The online contest ends May 15. The vinyl industry had $1 billion in sales last year for the first time since 1986, said the Recording Industry Association of America. A preview of a MusicWatch study, due for release May 5, shows 18 million consumers 13 and older bought vinyl last year, up 27% from 2020, emailed the research firm Wednesday ahead of Record Store Day. Some 71% bought new records, 67% used; 95% expect to continue buying the format this year, it said, citing a March survey of over 1,400 consumers. About 38% of vinyl buyers have been building their collection for over 10 years and “value the authenticity and ‘warmth’ delivered by the medium," MusicWatch said. A third of turntable owners said they plan to upgrade their record player or other audio equipment next year. 60% of vinyl buyers are aware of Record Store Day and more than half of them plan to visit a physical shop or online site during that time, it said.
Rent-A-Center plans a grand opening Saturday for a store in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, its 44th in the state, it said Tuesday. The event will include a give-away of one LG 86-inch smart TV valued at $1,899. No purchase is necessary, it said. The chain will contribute $1,000 to Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri, it said.