Mercku Combines Wireless Charging with Internet Connectivity to Launch World’s Most Convenient Home Audio System at CES 2019
WATERLOO, Ontario–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mercku will unveil a Wi-Fi audio system that’s portable, takes up zero space on tables and countertops, and can fill every room in your house with high-quality sound. These independently controlled speaker nodes, named Hummingbirds, are part of the new Mercku Canopy system, which is powered by Mercku’s third-generation mesh Wi-Fi system, the M3. The entire system can be easily controlled within the Mercku app, and consumers will be able to connect Hummingbirds seamlessly to their preferred music app or their own music library. The Mercku Canopy will be on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in the Smart Home Marketplace, booth 41131.
“Hummingbirds fill the gulf in the middle with affordable high-quality audio for every room of your house with zero footprint on your desks, tables, and countertops.”
While many existing Wi-Fi speakers are heavy and require dedicated space on tabletops, the compact Hummingbird nodes are discreet and plug directly into any outlet, giving consumers more flexibility when adding connected audio to their home. With Hummingbirds, music can be played from different phones on different nodes at the same time, ideal for families or even one person moving from room to room.
Each Hummingbird node is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and includes a base that plugs directly into an outlet. The speaker can be detached and moved around the home to add extra speakers for a party or even just surround sound. The speaker magnetically connects to the base and charges wirelessly, delivering up to 10 hours of battery life on a full charge.
“On one end of the spectrum, you have expensive Wi-Fi speakers that clutter up tabletops and on the other you have Bluetooth speakers that are cheap and portable but only pair with one device at a time,” said Blake Jin, Product Lead at Mercku. “Hummingbirds fill the gulf in the middle with affordable high-quality audio for every room of your house with zero footprint on your desks, tables, and countertops.”
The speakers and Mercku Canopy are supported by the next-generation M3 router and new nodes, with world-class performance. Together they form a mesh Wi-Fi system that can cover 6,000 square feet, reaching around walls and through floors to eliminate dead spots, powered by a patented, omni-directional 4×4 antenna system. Upgrades to the mesh system from the previous M2 generation include enhanced power amplifiers, internal systems enhancements, and improved chipset integration, all to bring a more powerful backbone to the Mercku Canopy system.
Mercku’s Canopy system and Hummingbird speakers are also backwards compatible with the M2 Hive mesh system, and all other Mercku products. The Canopy connects these speaker nodes and sets the stage for future technological developments to enhance the smart home experience.
“The Hummingbird speakers rely on Mercku’s patented noise reduction technology to lessen signal interference,” continued Jin. “The result is clear: High-quality audio performance, while maintaining a compact and sleek form factor that fits in any room or setting.”
Interference and frequency noise are a common challenge for Wi-Fi and smart home devices. Audio noise caused by disruptions from TDMA signals and demodulated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals, both operating in the 2.4G frequency band, can generate a static, buzzing sound in speakers or microphones. Over-the-air frequencies (GSM, Wi-Fi, 4G) and signals generated in audio devices, when modulated, can compound the interference, creating even more static buzzing and impairing audio quality. Using Mercku’s noise reduction technology, the Hummingbird speakers are able to maintain their compact form factor while delivering high-quality audio output.
The new Mercku Canopy system will be available at retail and online globally in mid-2019. For more information on Mercku, visit mercku.tech and see the full Mercku Canopy at CES in the Smart Home Marketplace at booth 41131.
About Mercku
Based in Waterloo, Canada, Mercku merges scientific breakthroughs with the latest technologies to seamlessly enrich our daily lives. The company develops solutions for businesses and consumers, including consumer electronics, drone delivery, structural disaster prevention, and IoT solutions. Focusing on wireless communication solutions, Mercku has a proven history working with major telecom providers, wireless companies, and global distributors. The company has expanded operations to many parts of the world and currently has customers in over 40 countries globally.
The company’s tech founders are world-renowned experts with more than 450 patents between them. Their designs for smartphone antennas and satellites are foundations for today’s wireless technology.
For more information, visit www.mercku.tech or follow Mercku on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
