Sonos

SONOS, short for "silicon–oxide–nitride–oxide–silicon", more precisely, "polycrystalline silicon"—"silicon dioxide"—"silicon nitride"—"silicon dioxide"—"silicon", is a cross sectional structure of MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor), realized by P.C.Y. Chen of Fairchild Camera and Instrument in 1977. This structure is often used for non-volatile memories, such as EEPROM and flash memories. It is sometimes used for TFT LCD displays. It is one of CTF (charge trap flash) variants. It is distinguished from traditional non-volatile memory structures by the use of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 or Si 9 N 10 ) instead of "polysilicon-based FG (floating-gate)" for the charge storage material. A further variant is "SHINOS" ("silicon"—"hi-k"—"nitride"—"oxide"—"silicon"), which is substituted top oxide layer with high-κ material. Another advanced variant is "MONOS" ("metal–oxide–nitride–oxide–silicon"). Companies offering SONOS-based products include Cypress Semiconductor, Macronix, Toshiba, United Microelectronics Corporation and Floadia .

Sonos, Inc. is an American audio equipment manufacturer headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. The company was founded in 2002¹ by John MacFarlane, Craig Shelburne, Tom Cullen, and Trung Mai. Sonos has partnered with over 100 companies that offer music services, including Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, MOG, QQ Music, YouTube Music, Deezer and Amazon Music. Sonos products work with the three major voice assistants: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri, although the last is currently only supported through Apple's Home app. In 2019 Sonos acquired Snips SAS, a privacy-focused AI voice platform for connected devices with the goal to bring a music-specific assistant to its devices. Sonos partnered with Audi to provide premium sound systems in several of their entry-level and compact models. The Sonos Premium Sound System can typically be found in the following vehicles, available as an option or standard on higher trim levels, Audi Q4 e-tron (and Sportback), the first vehicle to feature the Sonos audio system. Audi A3 (and RS3) available as part of Audi's Technology Pack. Audi Q3, upgradable to a 15-speaker Sonos system via the Technology Pack. Audi A1 and Q2, included as available premium upgrades in smaller Audi models. File:Old sonos.png|Original Sonos logo, used from 2002 and replaced in 2011. File:Sonos-company.png|Second logo, used until 2014 as part of the rebrand by Bruce Mau Design. File:Sonos 2015-Logo.png|Current logo. It is bolder than its predecessor while retaining the same font. The word is a palindrome and the logo a rotational ambigram. ==Product line== store in Orlando, Florida]] ==Key people== ===John MacFarlane=== John MacFarlane is an American entrepreneur and executive. In 2002, he co-founded and became the CEO of Sonos. He served as its CEO and board member until stepping down in 2017. MacFarlane graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in electrical and electronics engineering. He then went to the University of California, Santa Barbara for a master's degree in the same discipline in 1990. After leaving college, MacFarlane created a messaging system that he sold to companies such as AT&T through his own company, Software.com. There, he met Craig Shelburne. Eventually, Software.com merged with Phone.com and became Openwave, a new company based in Redwood City, California. However, the company failed, and both MacFarlane and Shelburne left in the early 2000s. Afterward, MacFarlane moved down to Santa Barbara, California. In 2002, MacFarlane co-founded Sonos, an audio equipment company, with Shelburne, Tom Cullen and Trung Mai. He immediately became its CEO. Due to their existing wealth from Software.com, MacFarlane and his co-founders were able to independently fund Sonos and not rely on investment. In 2005, Sonos unveiled its first product, the ZP100 music player, and continued to develop audio equipment suited for digital music and streaming. In January 2017, MacFarlane stepped down from the CEO position as well as his position on the board, though he remained at Sonos afterward in an advisory capacity. In a blog post, he cited that he wanted to spend more time with his family, specifically due to his wife's battle with breast cancer. He also stated that he wanted to focus more on Sonos' programs in science and mathematics education, and the music and tech industries. Additionally, MacFarlane remarked that his departure from Sonos was delayed due to a recent pivot in product strategy following Amazon's release of its Echo speakers. After his resignation, Sonos president Patrick Spence succeeded MacFarlane as CEO. ==References==

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