Sony DADC's LOOT Entertainment To Showcase Fluster Cluck at E3
Cheeky Extraterrestrial Title Arrives to Earth Summer 2014
CULVER CITY, Calif., June 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony DADC's LOOT Entertainment, a leading interactive entertainment company, announced today the impending release of Fluster Cluck on the PlayStation®4 (PS4(TM)) computer entertainment system. Answering online speculation behind the game's title, Fluster Cluck takes players on an out-of-this-world, cosmic adventure riddled with fast-paced challenges, unusual intergalactic beings, and quite a few flusters to keep gamers coming back for more. Slated for official release to the PlayStation®4 game store in summer 2014, Fluster Cluck will be available to play during E3 June 10-12, 2014 exclusively at the Nyko booth (LA Convention Center West Hall, booth #5010).
Players come to the aid of two lowly Chikkin Koop employees, Pimento and Cornichon, to help them "chikkinize" everything in sight in hopes of realizing their dream of being promoted to middle-management. The fast-paced time-trial, action shooter game features single and multi-player modes that have players gathering resources by abducting cows, camels, zombies, and battling enemies as they strive to unlock new equipment and climb the corporate ladder.
"Since the dawn of videogames, memorable adventures are those that feature high degrees of competition and challenge. Fluster Cluck is one of those games," said David Sterling, Managing Director, LOOT Entertainment. "In addition to an engaging single player campaign, Fluster Cluck also features a riotous local multiplayer mode for up to four players which will have gamers smacking the 'cluck' out of each other, both on screen and off."
Sony DADC and LOOT Entertainment invite gaming professionals to play Fluster Cluck, at the Nyko booth (LA Convention Center West Hall, booth #5010) at E3, June 10-12, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. For more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/FlusterCluckGame or http://www.youtube.com/FlusterCluckGame
About LOOT Entertainment
LOOT Entertainment is a group of interactive entertainment developers at Sony DADC New Media Solutions that create experiences and products for all game platforms, most notably PlayStation Home. LOOT's diverse and talented developers have come from prestigious studios such as Activision/Treyarch, Sony Computer Entertainment, and Electronic Arts, and, combined, have shipped millions and millions of successful titles. Their award-winning products for PlayStation Home include games, premium personal spaces and a myriad of ornaments and costumes. Follow LOOT on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/LOOTent and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/LOOTEntertainment.
About Sony DADC New Media Solutions
Sony DADC New Media Solutions provides complete digital supply chain solutions to power a new era of media consumption. Major film studios, broadcasters, music labels, game companies, software providers, and other content providers rely on us for innovative technology to keep pace with rapidly evolving consumer demand and emerging multichannel distribution models. Our market insight, proven expertise across both physical and digital media, and strategic partnerships throughout the industry enable us to provide unmatched end-to-end services that deliver the speed, efficiency, and quality required by today's digital media businesses and the audiences they serve. For more information, please visit newmedia.sonydadc.com.
Zebra Imaging and the Reprographics Services Association (RSA) Partner to Bring 3D Visualization to the AEC Community
AUSTIN, Texas, June 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Zebra Imaging, Inc., the world's foremost provider of 3D holographic prints, announced today the creation of a strategic partnership with the Reprographic Services Association (RSA) to help serve the rapid expansion Zebra is experiencing with Architecture, Engineering and Construction Companies (AEC). The RSA is a dynamic network of over 80 companies with more than 185 locations across North America. Member companies are dedicated to servicing the AEC industry with traditional and innovative product and services. The RSA gives Zebra an incredible expansion of points of presence across the U.S. market. It's a natural extension of the use of 3D imaging in architecture, engineering and construction, which industry experts expect client use of 3D imaging to increase by 50 percent by next year.
Mark Beilman, Executive Director, Reprographic Services Association, states, "The RSA is excited to partner with Zebra Imaging to bring this innovative technology to the AEC Industry. We see a myriad of applications that will aid the Design and Build process through the enhanced visualization that this product provides."
Zebra technology provides an effective solution to quickly and easily create full 3D holograms from the vast array of digital files. They can be created in a fraction of the time and cost of today's alternatives (physical models, 3D prototypes, solid terrain modeling) and are a strong complement to 2D blueprints.
Holograms are rendered from CAD models that clients already produce for 2D renderings and animated fly-throughs. They can also be created from a vast array of "capture" techniques, such as laser scanning or oblique photography. Whether in the early stages of investment approval, zoning approval or post-approval marketing, 3D visualization can give clients a real idea of what the structure would look like, presenting precise dimensions and finely rendered structural information.
A holographic image of an architectural building or design provides a three-dimensional view no glasses required. Where physical models of structures typically cost $10,000-$20,000 and can take three to four weeks to produce, Zebra's 2-square-foot full color 3D hologram costs $1299 and can be produced within a couple of hours. It's a natural step for visualizing design between a 3-D rendering and a physical model. Holograms are robust, easy to handle and transport. Updates and multiple copies can be easily produced and sent out to stakeholders at a single location or multiple locations and shipped anywhere in the world.
"Our clients regularly use Zebra's holograms to either bypass entirely the need to create a solid model, or as tool to augment their projects, using channeling and annotation to show features that can't be seen in any other way," said Chuck Scullion, President and CEO of Zebra Imaging. With holographic technology, it's possible to peel away different layers, to have different views, to see the interior. So there's a lot more value to having a holographic image than a solid model."
About Zebra Imaging
Zebra Imaging, Inc. designs, develops and manufactures state-of-the-art 3D holographic displays for a variety of 3D visualization applications.
About the RSA
Formed in 1988, the Reprographic Services Association (RSA) is a North American Member Owned Cooperative of 80 companies with more than 185 locations. Member companies are dedicated to servicing the AEC industry with traditional and innovative product and services. RSA shareholders are located in geographical markets of all sizes and provide goods and services to a vast array of customers in Architectural, Engineering, Construction, Mining, Energy, Advertising, Surveying, Mapping, Legal and other varied businesses.
SOURCE Zebra Imaging, Inc.
Zebra Imaging, Inc.
CONTACT: Jennifer Stowe, 512-251-5100, jstowe@zebraimaging.com
Colorful Group, In Partnership with Chaintech and JD.com, Unveils All New Products at Computex
The electronics maker aims to build first-class game hardware brand
TAIPEI, June 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Colorful Group, in partnership with JD.com, hosted a new product release conference named "Fuse and Gather" on June 3, 2014 Taipei time at Taiwan Computex, one of the world three most influential electronics expos. At the event, Colorful Group unveiled its upcoming suite of new products as well as several concept products, in a move to display its technical strength at the conference. Colorful Group has extended the product family behind the iGame brand to include motherboards and computer cases with the aim of building a first-class game hardware brand.
The iGame branded high-end game motherboard product series was showcased to the public for the first time at Computex, targeting high-end players, the same segment that is targeted for the graphic card. The motherboards, with a different model for each game - iGame Ymir and iGame Ymir-U, maintains the DNA of the original iGame Ymir, including features such as the classical iGame pure power supply (I.P.P.) and the "excessive" silver plating technology (SPT). Intel's newly released Z97 flagship chipsets are installed on the motherboard, making it the top-level product in terms of hardware configuration currently available in the market. Apart from the basic configuration, the newly-released iGame motherboard has been equipped with Gamer Voice, an audio system specially designed for game players, delivering superior game sound effects with an eye on the increasingly important game voice quality. Moreover, the motherboard has employed network cards from the Killer E2200 family, in a move to effectively decrease the online game delay and improve the game player's user experience.
Along with iGame motherboards, Colorful Group is also announcing news about iGame computer cases. Named the Mammoth, the iGame computer case comes in the shape of a full-sized tower and a supporting dual PSU, reflecting the shape of many a graphic card. The computer case is tailor-made for top players who love MOD. The most prominent highlight is its huge size and the functionalization of the inner space, which can accommodate 3 rows of 360ml water-cooled tubes, enhancing the fun of MOD playing. The case is entirely made of aluminum, with some plates as thick as 8mm. The front face of the computer case can be unfolded like a pair of wings in flight, while side plates are made of highly transparent stalinite. The stunningly cool appearance lives up to high-end player's pursuit of the perfect computer case. Designed with the suggestions from professional players built in, the iGame mammoth MK- I, one of the key products being released within this series, highly conforms to iGame player's the customized concept of many iGame players.
All the key products that were showcased at iGame's release conference are all new items developed through brand extension, an important approach that Colorful Group is adopting in 2014 to further expand into game player market. The aim of growing the iGame product family is to have an integrated hardware product that allows for the building of a seamless experiencing environment so that users can have a richer experience. Several new iGame graphic cards were released at the conference as well, such as iGame's flagship iGame 780Ti Kudan, iGame 750 Buri-Slim and iGame 750 Buri-LP. Furthermore, Colorful Group also unveiled two concept products, 780 6G-Liquid graphic cards using only water to cool down and graphic cards with modular coolers that can be easily assembled. These 2 new graphic cards demonstrate Colorful Group's solid strength in hardware technology.
The Colorful Group has also announced a tie up with Chaintech Technology Corporation and JD.com to execute its international marketing strategy. JD.com, China's largest independent e-business provider, will be Colorful Group's partner as it enters the international market. JD.com's strong sourcing and logistic supply chain plus its pending plan for a logistics network on a global scale will enable Colorful Group's products ordered through JD.com's site where goods can be bought with no geographical restrictions to move rapidly from JD.com's warehouses into the hands of clients in Taiwan or any other destination around the world.
Colorful Group, In Partnership with Chaintech and JD.com, Unveils All New Products at Computex
The electronics maker aims to build first-class game hardware brand
TAIPEI, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Colorful Group, in partnership with JD.com, hosted a new product release conference named "Fuse and Gather" on June 3, 2014 Taipei time at Taiwan Computex, one of the world three most influential electronics expos. At the event, Colorful Group unveiled its upcoming suite of new products as well as several concept products, in a move to display its technical strength at the conference. Colorful Group has extended the product family behind the iGame brand to include motherboards and computer cases with the aim of building a first-class game hardware brand.
The iGame branded high-end game motherboard product series was showcased to the public for the first time at Computex, targeting high-end players, the same segment that is targeted for the graphic card. The motherboards, with a different model for each game - iGame Ymir and iGame Ymir-U, maintains the DNA of the original iGame Ymir, including features such as the classical iGame pure power supply (I.P.P.) and the "excessive" silver plating technology (SPT). Intel's newly released Z97 flagship chipsets are installed on the motherboard, making it the top-level product in terms of hardware configuration currently available in the market. Apart from the basic configuration, the newly-released iGame motherboard has been equipped with Gamer Voice, an audio system specially designed for game players, delivering superior game sound effects with an eye on the increasingly important game voice quality. Moreover, the motherboard has employed network cards from the Killer E2200 family, in a move to effectively decrease the online game delay and improve the game player's user experience.
Along with iGame motherboards, Colorful Group is also announcing news about iGame computer cases. Named the Mammoth, the iGame computer case comes in the shape of a full-sized tower and a supporting dual PSU, reflecting the shape of many a graphic card. The computer case is tailor-made for top players who love MOD. The most prominent highlight is its huge size and the functionalization of the inner space, which can accommodate 3 rows of 360ml water-cooled tubes, enhancing the fun of MOD playing. The case is entirely made of aluminum, with some plates as thick as 8mm. The front face of the computer case can be unfolded like a pair of wings in flight, while side plates are made of highly transparent stalinite. The stunningly cool appearance lives up to high-end player's pursuit of the perfect computer case. Designed with the suggestions from professional players built in, the iGame mammoth MK- I, one of the key products being released within this series, highly conforms to iGame player's the customized concept of many iGame players.
All the key products that were showcased at iGame's release conference are all new items developed through brand extension, an important approach that Colorful Group is adopting in 2014 to further expand into game player market. The aim of growing the iGame product family is to have an integrated hardware product that allows for the building of a seamless experiencing environment so that users can have a richer experience. Several new iGame graphic cards were released at the conference as well, such as iGame's flagship iGame 780Ti Kudan, iGame 750 Buri-Slim and iGame 750 Buri-LP. Furthermore, Colorful Group also unveiled two concept products, 780 6G-Liquid graphic cards using only water to cool down and graphic cards with modular coolers that can be easily assembled. These 2 new graphic cards demonstrate Colorful Group's solid strength in hardware technology.
The Colorful Group has also announced a tie up with Chaintech Technology Corporation and JD.com to execute its international marketing strategy. JD.com, China's largest independent e-business provider, will be Colorful Group's partner as it enters the international market. JD.com's strong sourcing and logistic supply chain plus its pending plan for a logistics network on a global scale will enable Colorful Group's products ordered through JD.com's site where goods can be bought with no geographical restrictions to move rapidly from JD.com's warehouses into the hands of clients in Taiwan or any other destination around the world.
G-Technology® To Demonstrate New Storage Solutions For 2K/4K Workflows At Cine Gear, Booth #S 315A
SAN JOSE, Calif., June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- G-Technology, a leader in delivering premium storage solutions for audio/video production, photography and the creative professional market, will demonstrate new storage solutions, including the new G-RAID® with removable drives, and the award-winning Studio Line (G-SPEED® Studio and G-RAID Studio) and Evolution Series(TM) with the new G-DRIVE® ev 220 external storage module. Whether capturing, transferring, or editing digital content, G-Technology solutions enhance performance, capacity, style and reliability for 2K/4K video, photography and other content creation workflows.
WHAT: G-Technology demonstrating at Cine Gear Expo 2014
WHERE: The Studios at Paramount, Los Angeles, Booth # S 315A on Stage 32
PRODUCT SHOWCASE DETAILS:
-- New G-DRIVE ev 220, part of the Evolution Series: Put greater speed,
capacity and flexibility into your creative workflow with the G-DRIVE ev
220--a USB 3.0 hard drive with transfer rates up to 220MB/s. Use it
alone or with the Evolution Series G-DOCK ev for the flexibility and
expandability for today's creative professional workflow. The new
G-DRIVE ev 220 will be available in June with an MSRP of $349.95 for
2TB.
-- New G-RAID with Removable Drives: Extending G-Technology's flagship
G-RAID line, this new solution is a high-performance removable
dual-drive storage system. With transfer rates of up to 330MB/s, the
G-RAID is configurable in RAID 0, RAID 1, or JBOD, and features USB 3.0,
eSATA, along with FireWire for ultimate flexibility. The G-RAID ships
with two removable 7,200RPM hard drives, complete in an all-aluminum
enclosure. Now available, the G-RAID has an MSRP of $1,199.95 for 12TB,
$749.95 for 8TB and $449.95 for 4TB.
-- Studio Line: In addition to showcasing the G-RAID Studio, G-Technology
is also highlighting the G-SPEED Studio, a hardware RAID 4-Bay
Thunderbolt 2 storage solution and winner of the Best Storage of NAB
2014 award from Videomaker Magazine. Configurable in RAID 0, 1, 5, and
10, the G-SPEED Studio features Thunderbolt(TM) 2 technology for
ultimate speed. With sustained transfer rates of up to 700MB/sec and the
ability to daisy-chain via dual Thunderbolt 2 ports, this RAID solution
ships with enterprise-class hard drives and is designed to support
multistream compressed 4K and 2K workflows. Both the G-SPEED Studio and
G-RAID Studio are now available.
WHEN: June 6-7, 2014
EXHIBIT HOURS: Friday, June 6, 2-9pm and Saturday, June 7, 10-5pm. Visit the G-Technology booth for a chance to win a G-DRIVE ev 1TB; must be present at Cine Gear to win.
SESSIONS: "On the Couch" with Nino Leitner, sponsored by G-Technology and POST Magazine. The latest and greatest in gear, tips, and workflow are discussed with guests in a casual setting. In addition, G-Technology will be giving away a G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt 2TB at the June 6(th) session; must be present in screening room to win.
-- Friday, June 6, Screening Room 5, 2:45-3:45pm with Director of
Photography, Alex Buono and Editor Adam Epstein of the Saturday Night
Live Film Unit
-- Saturday, June 7, Screening Room 5, 2-3pm with Hurlbut Visuals' Shane
and Lydia Hurlbut
Stay connected with G-Technology:
G-Technology's roots are deeply ingrained in delivering premium storage solutions for audio/video production, photography and the professional content creation market. From storing, transferring, editing and distributing content, G-Technology makes the workflow simpler, better and faster. G-Technology's high-performance portable and desktop drives, flexible transfer/edit solutions and fast RAID systems are all built for professional content creation environments where performance and reliability are paramount. Because G-Technology holds itself to the highest standards, its products can be found in premier production and post-production facilities worldwide.
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About HGST
HGST, a Western Digital company (NASDAQ: WDC), develops innovative, advanced hard disk drives, enterprise-class solid state drives, external storage solutions and services used to store, preserve and manage the world's most valued data. HGST addresses customers' rapidly changing storage needs by delivering intelligent storage devices that tightly integrate hardware and software to maximize solution performance. Founded by the pioneers of hard drives, HGST provides high-value storage for a broad range of market segments, including Enterprise, Cloud, Data Center, Mobile Computing, Consumer Electronics and Personal Storage. HGST was established in 2003 and maintains its U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hgst.com.
One GB is equal to one billion bytes, and one TB equals 1,000 GB (one trillion bytes). Actual capacity will vary depending on operating environment and formatting.
G?Technology external hard drives serve as an element of an overall backup strategy. It is recommended that users keep two or more copies of their most important files backed up or stored on separate devices or online services.
G-DOCK ev and Evolution Series are trademarks and G?Technology, G-RAID, G-SPEED and G-DRIVE are registered trademarks of HGST, Inc. and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Thunderbolt is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Panasonic A500 Captures Rare "Two-Point Goal" By Soccer Superstar Neymar Jr.
NEWARK, N.J., June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic teamed up with Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar da Silva Santos Junior (aka Neymar Jr.) to promote the launch of the new HX-A500 Wearable 4K Video Camera -- the world's first 4K/30p (25p) Wearable Camera. During a recent video shoot with the A500, Neymar Jr. captured his own amazing skills from a unique point-of-view perspective.
During the shoot, the production team challenged Neymar Jr. to score a different kind of goal on a different kind of net taking a stunning display of skills to a whole new level. Panasonic today released 4K footage taken by the A500 from Neymar Jr's own perspective as he took on the challenge. You can see what happened next - and view exclusive behind the scenes footage of the entire video shoot - at bit.ly/njrA500.
Available now at http://bit.ly/ShopPanasonic, Panasonic's HX-A500 enables you to shoot scenes that put viewers right there, in the thick of the action. The main recording unit is separate from the lens unit, allowing the user to mount the lens at eye level for hands-free shooting. Small and lightweight, the lens unit is comfortable to wear, making it easy to shoot casual sports action or to capture the expressions of your family at play. The HX-A500 features stunning 4K/30p (25p) image quality, allowing you to capture crystal clear video you can play back with the heightened realism of 4K technology.
The A500 also enables the user to quickly and easily upload and share their videos via their Smartphone or tablet. Designed to produce clean and clear low-noise videos, the A500 comes standard with an LCD and other key features that improve operability making every adventure easy to capture.
About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Newark, NJ, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. The company offers a wide range of consumer solutions in the U.S. including products from VIERA Smart Life+ Screen, Blu-ray players, LUMIX Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Home Audio, Cordless Phones, Home Appliances, Wellness and Personal Care products and more. To learn more about our products, visit http://bit.ly/ShopPanasonic. Follow Panasonic on Twitter @panasonicUSA.
SOURCE Panasonic
Panasonic
CONTACT: Chris De Maria (Panasonic), 201-348-7182, christopher.demaria@us.panasonic.com ; Jamie Hodin (Cohn & Wolfe), 212-798-9796, jamie.hodin@cohnwolfe.com
ChipSiP Introduces "SiMEye Smart Glass" and "Smart Home Server" to Stimulate Real-time Information Service Business
TAIPEI, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ChipSiP Technology Co, Ltd. (Taiwan: 3637), the leading company in turnkey SiP solutions (System in Package), showcases "SiMEye Smart Glass" and "Smart Home Server" at Computex Taipei 2014. George Tai, President of ChipSiP, points out, "The two tiny devices, designed by system miniaturization technology, features instant access to information and real-time communications that allow users to enjoy a smart life on the go with the 'real-time' and 'mobile' information service."
Featuring live updates for everyday's activities and line-of-sight information, ChipSiP provides a booth tour guide for visitors via SiMEye Smart Glass, which can display videos and audio linked to exhibit images in line of sight. Such great development can be applied to other scenario of exhibitions, museums and tourist attractions. More smart features of SiMEye Smart Glass include visual world sharing in real time, a live view chat with your family and friends in a remote distance, the standard Android platform to allow users to download their favorite apps right away and enjoy the wearable entertainment, instant access to information anytime, anywhere through any cloud service, phone calls and message management in real time without taking phones out. The SiMEye Smart Glass can be operated by either hand gesture or touchpad.
ChipSiP will launch a portable VR (Virtual Reality) Head Mounted Display model soon among its smart glass family. With optimized design in weight and size, gamers will be able to enjoy immersive virtual reality entrainment at any place.
Additionally, ChipSiP introduces "Smart Home Server" to address an optimistic outlook on seamless flow of information for daily life. The Smart Home Server is designed to serve as the hub of a smart home, which highlights remote intelligent services including smart TV connection, media content sharing across multiple devices over wireless, home cloud data access, storage and management, instant access to home network, remote home security monitoring and video recording; power energy control and management, family healthcare management. Connecting to the single and Android-based Smart Home Server, home members can enjoy media streaming, live home surveillance, auto control of home appliances and health monitoring via mobile devices from anywhere in the house or on the go.
VTech® Welcomes 4th Generation Children's Learning Tablets To Award-Winning InnoTab® Family, Including First To Feature Android(TM) Learning Content
Fastest InnoTab Yet, Android Tablet Offers Children Best of Both Worlds
CHICAGO, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- VTech® (http://www.vtechkids.com), a world leader in age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children, today announced the addition of three new children's learning tablets to the award-winning InnoTab® family: InnoTab® MAX, its fastest Wi-Fi tablet yet, featuring a powerful multi-core CPU and a high resolution 7" display, and its first to feature Android(TM) learning content; InnoTab® 3S Plus, featuring Wi-Fi and now with free access to VTech Premium Kid Connect(TM) for tablet-to-mobile communication; and InnoTab® 3 Plus, an affordable first learning tablet. These 4(th) generation learning tablets further establish VTech as a leader and innovator in tablets designed from the ground up with children's innate needs in mind. These needs are reflected not only through a tough, kid-friendly design, but also through kid-smart, educator-approved content.
"We are thrilled to introduce the newest and finest generation of InnoTab tablets to our family of award-winning tablets. InnoTab MAX uniquely combines our expert-endorsed learning library with carefully selected educational Android apps, offering the widest variety of curriculums to provide a superior learning tool that grows with a child and makes learning fun," said William To, President, VTech Electronics North America. "As pioneers in the children's learning tablet category - the first with Wi-Fi, first with a messaging app and now our first with Android content, we are confident we are continuing to deliver the unmatched quality, age-appropriate, educational tablets parents have come to expect from VTech as the one-stop learning authority."
Headlining VTech's new introductions is InnoTab MAX, the company's most powerful and versatile tablet yet, and its first to feature Android learning content. With more than 200 hand-picked, educator-endorsed Android learning games and access to more than 650 age-appropriate Learning Software and Apps through VTech's Learning Lodge(TM) app store, as well as VTech's rich library of cartridges, InnoTab MAX offers the best of both worlds. InnoTab MAX is a complete electronic learning aid that grows with a child from ages three to nine and beyond, bridging the gap for parents considering a children's learning tablet but also looking for rich Android content. Additional features of the InnoTab MAX include a 7" high-resolution display, kid-safe Wi-Fi and an enhanced version of VTech Premium Kid Connect.
"Curated collections, like those provided by VTech in its new tablet, offer a great solution where parents can know that these apps are not only safe for the devices they are on, but they are also fun, age-appropriate and embodied with learning principles," said Dr. Eric Klopfer, VTech Expert Panel member and Platform Learning Expert.
InnoTab MAX and the entire line of kid-safe, kid-friendly InnoTab tablets is designed to withstand physical wear and tear from kids, and each is value-packed with features and content designed exclusively with a child's unique educational needs in mind. The new InnoTab 3S Plus features a Rechargeable Power Pack at no additional charge as well as kid-safe Wi-Fi, VTech Premium Kid Connect and 16 apps. InnoTab 3 Plus includes a Rechargeable Power Pack plus 12 apps - a $75 value - making it an affordable kids' first learning tablet. The new tablets offer premium features for unsurpassed value as compared to competitive children's learning tablets.
About VTech®
VTech(®) is a world leader in age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children. As a pioneer in the learning toy category, VTech develops high-quality, innovative educational products that enrich children's development and make learning fun. With a rich, almost 35 year history, VTech has not only established itself as a learning authority but also consistently remains at the forefront of innovation with award-winning products such as the InnoTab(®) 3S Wi-Fi Learning Tablet, one of the first children's learning-based tablets with Wi-Fi, MobiGo(®), V.Reader(®) and V.Smile(®). The Learning Lodge(TM), VTech's comprehensive app store, features a robust library of more than 650 educational and entertaining games, e-Books, music and videos with engaging age-appropriate content across the widest variety of curricula, with content expanding to offer even more titles. The company also has a broad range of award-winning infant and preschool products available in 24 different languages worldwide, with more than 100 new products introduced every year. In order to further strengthen VTech's position as a learning authority, the company's Expert Panel, with esteemed experts in reading, language arts, science, math and child development, consult on new product introductions and Learning Lodge content.
VTech Electronics North America, LLC is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. VTech Electronics Limited is headquartered in Hong Kong with distribution globally. VTech is the largest supplier of ELPs from infancy to preschool in the U.S. and Western Europe.
InnoTab MAX has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.
UserTesting Launches Fastest User Testing Service for Unreleased iOS Apps
Mobile Developers Can Now Upload an Unreleased iOS App in Minutes and Get User Feedback in Hours
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, UserTesting launched a new mobile app testing service that enables iOS app developers to get fast user feedback on their products, even before they ship in the app stores. Now developers can receive video and audio feedback from real users within hours of submitting a test, avoiding costly focus groups and speeding time to market.
"In the super-competitive mobile economy, developers need to move fast but also get their apps right on first release. The only way to do that is by testing continuously," said Philip Constantinou, vice president of product at Evernote. "Employing UserTesting is like looking over a user's shoulder. It lets me quickly and easily get user feedback, resolve problems, and move on with development."
UserTesting streamlines every aspect of testing a mobile app--from creating the test, to distributing the app to testers, to the delivery of the completed videos. It is ideal for delivering quick answers to problems that commonly derail mobile app developers, such as:
-- Quickly settling disputes within the team, or with a client, about UX
and features
-- Watching people use your mobile app, to test user journeys and overall
usability
-- Ensuring that icon and button designs are easily understood
-- Avoiding bad reviews by evaluating user reactions before an app goes to
the app store
"In the past, testing a mobile app on users meant scheduling individual tests or focus groups, an expense of thousands of dollars and weeks of prep time," said Michael Mace, mobile strategist at UserTesting. "Testing iOS apps has been especially difficult. UserTesting takes care of all of that. A developer just defines the test through an online form, uploads the app, and we take care of everything else."
About UserTesting
UserTesting provides the fastest and most affordable web, desktop and mobile app testing in the market. The company gives marketers, product managers and UX designers on-demand access to users in their target audience, who deliver audio, video and written feedback on websites or apps in less than one hour.
Used by the top 10 web properties in the U.S., UserTesting has run hundreds of thousands of usability tests. UserTesting is headquartered in Mountain View, CA. User panels are currently available in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. For more information, visit http://www.usertesting.com.
Brighterion Announces New Version of their Real-time Smart-analytics Suite
SAN FRANCISCO, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Brighterion is proud to announce the release of version 7 of our real-time smart-analytics suite powered by our cognitive computing platform; the world's most comprehensive artificial intelligence and machine learning solution that predicts, infers and makes intelligent, real-time decisions.
Brighterion's smart-analytics suite allows businesses to quickly identify marketing strategies that drive measureable results out of insights derived from customer characteristics, attitudes and behaviors. Powerful automation tools allow organizations to quickly and reliably evaluate the likelihood of specific outcomes, using their familiar, enterprise-wide data.
Brighterion's solutions represent a quantum leap forward in smart-analytics which is successfully applied in retail analytics, real-time cross-channel fraud prevention (identification of previously unknown fraud schemes), credit risk and delinquency prediction, chargeback prevention, behavioral device identification, AML detection, and real-time data breach detection.
This new achievement highlights Brighterion's outstanding ability to lead the industry. At Brighterion we believe that Big Data and analytics is a catalyst to help clients become more competitive and grow their businesses. "This release is the result of the constant efforts of our engineering team," said Dr. Akli Adjaoute, Founder and CEO of Brighterion. "We are confident this release will provide great benefits to our customers by helping them harness the power of Big Data to gather knowledge and act on the insights to transform their business." This accomplishment further confirms Brighterion's role as the leader in predictive analytics.
About Brighterion:
Brighterion offers cutting edge artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies that meet various industry's needs such as: Financial, Big Data, Homeland Security, Social Data, Search Engine, Marketing, Healthcare, etc.
Brighterion products are trusted by the industry leaders: the largest retailers, issuers and acquirers, the world leader in the homeland security market, 6 of the top 10 global banks and hundreds of clients worldwide.
Brighterion has won enterprise-wide acclaim for its technological leadership. We received several awards including the Fraud Prevention Innovation World Series Award, the Payment Security Product Excellence Award and the Best Analytical Solution Award.
Regis University to Open Region's First Dedicated College of Computer & Information Sciences
College will offer 12 degrees in computer, information sciences, and health care fields
DENVER, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Regis University is making a move to meet the growing demands of the expanding computer industry by opening a new College of Computer & Information Sciences in fall 2014.
Regis University offers programs that cater to busy professionals, including flexible options for obtaining bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or academic certificates in these areas of study:
-- Computer Science
-- Computer Networking
-- Computer Information Systems
-- Health Care Informatics and Information Management
-- Business Technology Management
-- Database Technologies
-- Information Assurance
-- Software Engineering
-- Systems Engineering
-- Data Sciences
The College of Computer & Information Sciences is the first college in Colorado dedicated to the field. Currently, 1,950 students are enrolled in computer science-related fields at Regis. Regis also provides graduate certificates in information assurance; information assurance policy and management; agile technologies; cybersecurity; mobile software development; software engineering; systems engineering; health information management; and software engineering and database technologies.
The computer and information technology field is projected to add more than 800,000 jobs by 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2018, it is estimated there will be 2.4 million STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) job openings. Additionally, health care professionals will take advantage of intersecting health informatics and management degrees, an ever-increasing field of study and requirement for health care agencies.
"We are thrilled to announce this news and excited about the enhanced role we will play in positioning students for success in this fast-growing field. By creating a dedicated college of study, we can expand upon our already strong leadership and offerings of computer information and sciences courses and continue to meet the needs of this rapidly changing industry," said Father John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J., president of Regis University.
The new college opens fall 2014, and students can enroll now. It will be housed primarily at Regis' northwest Denver campus off 50(th) and Lowell. The university is in the process of hiring a founding academic dean.
Regis pioneered an innovative, dedicated online learning cloud platform that provides constant access to the latest software and technology, ensures continued educational evolution and enhances student learning outcomes. These efforts enable students to focus on a big-picture approach to the field while equipping them to affect real change at their organizations.
Regis is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education as designated by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The university engages industry experts, government and academia to prepare thousands of new students for careers in computer information and science industries.
Regis University, inspired by its Jesuit Catholic heritage, has been committed to academic excellence, personal development and community engagement since its founding in 1877. Based in Denver, Colo., Regis provides a values-based liberal arts education offering professional certifications and degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels.
Tizen Developer Conference Culminates With Introduction of New Devices, Device Profiles, Developer Tools and Internet of Things Roadmap
Capacity Number of Attendees Witness the Unveiling of the World's First Tizen Smartphone, New Tizen IVI System and Tizen Smart Television SDK
SAN FRANCISCO, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tizen Developer Conference (#TDCSF14), the world's largest event focused exclusively on the growing developer ecosystem around the Tizen open source operating system for converged devices, today marked the closing of the third-annual TDC event in San Francisco. The event saw a record number of developers and media attendees witness the official unveiling of the world's first Tizen smartphone, the Samsung Z, set to launch in Q3 of 2014 in Russia. A number of other new device prototypes, software, device profiles and developer tools were also on display at the event.
-- Keynote from the Tizen Technical Steering Group unveiling the Samsung Z
smartphone--Imad Sousou of Intel and JD Choi of Samsung, co-chairs of
the Tizen Technical Steering Group, kicked off the conference with the
unveiling of the Samsung Z smartphone, which was demonstrated for the
first time ever during the keynote and shortly thereafter in the TDC
2014 Tech Showcase.
-- Tizen In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) 3.0--Tizen IVI 3.0 was displayed in
a pair of automotive demonstrations featuring a Chevrolet Corvette and a
Land Rover SUV. Leading up to TDC, Intel Corporation announced its
Intel® In-Vehicle Solutions module, which is optimized to run Tizen IVI
and is being used in development with several additional automotive
manufactures.
-- Tizen Smart Television Software Development Kit and Prototypes--Just
prior to TDC 2014, Samsung announced the release of the Tizen SDK for
Samsung smart televisions that allows developers to extend their native
Tizen apps and HTML5 web apps to the television and Internet of Things
(IoT) ecosystem. Samsung showcased Tizen TV prototypes at the event,
including 65-inch curved screen and flat-screen models running the Tizen
operating system.
-- Connected Home and Fitness Demonstrations--Other Samsung demonstrations
at the event included WiFi and Bluetooth connected devices managed by
the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Neo, including interactive control and
management of connected lighting, vacuums, air conditioning units and
entertainment systems.
-- Tizen Partner Program Growth and Development--Tizen's Partner Program
continues to grow, with the announcement of 37 new partners leading up
to the show. A number of Tizen partners had news announcements around
the conference, including appbackr, Atooma and FocusMotion.
"Open source is the engine that drives innovation in the technology industry and has become a ubiquitous agent of change across many markets," said Brian Warner, Tizen project manager at Linux Foundation. "The Tizen project is helping continue this trend by driving innovation into new markets, like automotive, home electronics, appliances and wearables, bringing a common software and development layer to the broader IoT ecosystem. The Tizen platform promises to make it easy to connect the converged device ecosystem for end users, while empowering developers to extend their innovative applications across a number of new connected device categories."
TDC 2014 delivered a number of major announcements across the Tizen open source platform, creating momentum that the growing ecosystem will look to continue at the newly announced Tizen Developer Summit, slated for Shanghai, China.
About Tizen Developer Conference
The Tizen Developer Conference is an annual event hosted and produced by the Tizen Technical Steering Group. The conference brings together thousands of developers from around the world to learn about the latest commercial devices, device profiles, platform updates and ecosystem milestones. The 2014 event will took place in early June with the next annual event being planned for the first half of 2015. Interested developers, media and other Tizen stakeholders can check http://www.tizen.org to see when the event will next take place.
About Tizen
Tizen is an open source project managed by the Linux Foundation. The goal of the project is to build and support a cross-architecture, open source software platform that spans across multiple mobile and "Internet of Things" device segments, including smartphone, tablet, Smart TV, wearables, appliances, netbook and in-vehicle infotainment systems. For more information on the Tizen Project, please visit http://www.tizen.org.
Spansion Eliminates Need for Batteries and Fuels a Greener Internet of Things with Energy Harvesting Solution
Unveils New Power Management Integrated Circuits and Design Tools
SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Spansion Inc. (NYSE: CODE), a global leader in embedded systems, today announced a new family of power management integrated circuits (PMICs) for energy harvesting that can enable a greener Internet of Things (IoT) by eliminating the need for or extending the life of batteries in a multitude of IoT devices from individual wearable electronics to the nodes in wireless sensor networks.
Energy harvesting is the process of capturing and storing energy from ambient sources--including light, vibration and temperature changes--and converting this energy to electricity to be used in place of or to supplement battery power. Battery maintenance can be expensive and batteries can be difficult to replace, unreliable, present a danger to children¹ and produce greenhouse gases. Natural resources such as solar, vibration, and thermal variations are inexhaustible, green sources of energy that can be harvested to fully power or extend battery life in embedded applications.
"Spansion has a long-standing commitment to the environment and has been recognized globally and formally as a green partner by customers, governments and industry watchdogs for our policies, processes, and results in reducing waste and resources," said Tom Sparkman, senior vice president of Spansion's Analog Business Unit. "Our customers can say goodbye to battery usage in their next-generation electronics. Coupled with our low-power MCUs and the energy-budget calculator in the Spansion Easy DesignSim(TM) support tool, the Spansion Energy Harvesting PMICs offer a differentiated solution that can help our customers offer more eco-friendly devices across a broad spectrum of applications."
The Spansion Energy Harvesting family includes the MB39C811, an ultra-low-power buck² PMIC with dual input that enables efficient harvesting from both solar and vibration energy; and the MB39C831, an ultra-low-voltage boost PMIC for solar or thermal. The Spansion Energy Harvesting family of devices works seamlessly with Spansion FM0+ microcontrollers (MCUs), ultra-low-power microcontrollers (based on the ARM® Cortex®-M0+ core) for industrial and cost-sensitive applications with low-power requirements.
The Spansion Easy DesignSim(TM), a comprehensive online design support tool with the industry's only energy-budget calculator, simplifies application design by calculating the energy-budget balance while providing a recommended bill of materials (BOM) list that can be purchased online.
Industry Support
Spansion has a strong ecosystem of energy harvesting and storage device partners around the globe.
"Spansion's Energy Harvesting PMICs will bring a positive impact to the IoT market. These PMICs harvest natural energy to enable wireless sensor terminal/node to operate without batteries," said Atsushi Hitomi, department head of EDLC Business Unit of TDK. "Combining Spansion's solution with TDK EDLC, Amorphous Silicon Film Solar Cell and RF modules, we can enable wireless sensors to connect to the network everywhere and accelerate cloud-based services."
Spansion(R), the Spansion logo, MirrorBit(R), Easy DesignSim(TM), and combinations thereof, are trademarks and registered trademarks of Spansion LLC in the United States and other countries. ARM and Cortex are registered trademarks of ARM Limited. Other names used are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
1. Button cell batteries are attractive to small children and often
ingested. In the past 20 years, although there has not been an increase
in the total number of button cell batteries ingested in a year,
researchers have noted a 6.7-fold increase in the risk that an ingestion
would result in a moderate or major complication. LItovitz, Toby;
Whitaker N, Clark L, White NC, Marsolek M (June 2010). "Emerging
battery-ingestion hazard: clinical implications." Pediatrics 125 (6):
1168-77. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3037. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
2. A buck converter or buck regulator is a voltage step down and current
step up converter.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060118/SFW077LOGO
Axell Wireless Scores Seamless Mobile Coverage for Football Fans in Brazil This Summer
CHESHAM, England, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Extensive in-building coverage systems are supplied to stadia hosting
Brazil's upcoming high-profile global sporting events
Axell Wireless, the worldwide provider of wireless coverage solutions and the company
behind the successful in-venue coverage at the London 2012 Olympics, has supplied DAS
[http://axellwireless.com/products/usa/fiber-das-systems-usa ] (distributed antenna
systems) for multiple stadia in Brazil allowing fans to further enjoy and share their
experience of the country's upcoming large sporting events on social media via seamless
mobile data coverage.
Working closely with leading partner RFS [http://www.rfsworld.com ] (Radio Frequency
Systems), Axell has helped to deliver cellular mobile phone coverage to sporting venues in
Brazil, including the Maracana stadium and the Mineirao stadium: two of the country's
largest stadia with a combined capacity of over 141,000. The sophisticated in-building
coverage solution ensures the thousands of spectators at these high-profile sporting
events can share the experience with friends and family via their mobile devices without
any service degradation.
Matt Thompson, Vice-President of Sales - Americas, Axell Wireless said: "Deploying one
of the most sophisticated DAS networks in the world for the London 2012 Olympic Games
[http://axellwireless.com/press-and-events/press-releases/axell-wireless-enables-uk-operators-to-triumph-at-london-2012-olympic-games ]
prepared us well for these projects in
Brazil. The stadium environment is unique in many ways when it comes to designing and
installing a wireless coverage network, and the insight we gathered during London 2012 has
meant we can supply a world-class communications system that will support the fans during
upcoming major sporting events".
A stadium environment [http://axellwireless.com/solutions/campus-stadia ] poses
significant challenges when designing an in-building network as the traffic has a number
of unique characteristics. Large volumes of uplink traffic, as well as huge peaks and
troughs, are created as spectators and fans share pictures and videos on social networking
sites as the action happens inside the stadium. In addition to this, spectators inside a
venue are static, meaning coverage has to be delivered across all seating areas at all
times. Further, wireless coverage systems for stadiums are designed with multiple base
station sectors to ensure sufficient capacity to support all the spectators. Handling the
overlap with the external macro network also requires careful planning and implementation.
The partnership of Axell Wireless and RFS are well placed to deal with these
challenges. "We are proud to be able to work with the team at Axell to bring comprehensive
wireless coverage to these world class venues," said Peter Raabe, Global Product Line
Director for Transmission Lines and Wireless Indoor Solutions, RFS. "Thanks to our strong
local RFS presence in Brazil and our proven capability and expertise to provide RF design,
commission and deployment services, combined with first class products, our solutions are
very well suited to such a large-scale and complex endeavour."
The venues now benefit from a state of the art optical DAS simultaneously supporting
five different mobile operators and providing 2G, 3G, and 4G coverage.
About Axell Wireless
Axell Wireless is a global leader and manufacturer of wireless coverage solutions for
both cellular and public safety applications. Part of engineering and technology giant
Cobham plc, Axell Wireless employs over 250 people, has its headquarters in Chesham, UK
and operates from a network of 16 offices across the globe. Axell Wireless has an enviable
track record spanning 40 years, having supplied coverage solutions for many environments
including road and rail tunnels, metros, small and large buildings, stadiums, remote or
rural environments and transportation systems including railways and aeroplanes. Axell
Wireless' DAS systems are in place in The Pentagon, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority, Department of Homeland Security Campus, and the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels in
New York. http://www.axellwireless.com
RadioShack and PCH Announce RadioShack Labs to Support Startups and Boost New Product Innovation
FORT WORTH, Texas and SAN FRANCISCO, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
RadioShack Labs to Offer New Retail Model
Featuring Concepts from Makers and Inventors with Reduced Time to Market
PCH and RadioShack today announced the launch of RadioShack Labs, a collaboration to
support inventors and startups that will promote product innovation and provide a path
from concept to production to distribution. PCH is a respected leader in product
innovation with robust experience bringing distinctive products to market. Through its PCH
Access division, PCH helps startups and inventors overcome the hurdles of logistics and
get their products in the hands of consumers.
As part of the relationship, RadioShack intends to offer select PCH Access companies
special retail terms, and create a direct path to up to 2,000 RadioShack stores and
preferred positioning on radioshack.com. With PCH, RadioShack plans to implement a
direct-to-store model for select products, reducing inventory requirements and increasing
inventory turn in stores. RadioShack Labs is designed to enable innovative startups to
sell to a significant market and will provide considerable consumer awareness through
marketing promotion, as well as strong retail and online presence. By the end of year,
RadioShack plans to have these products in a dedicated space in-store.
"It's long been our belief that innovation and collaboration go hand-in-hand. As we
transform RadioShack, it's important that we simplify and streamline the channels that
encourage inventors and entrepreneurs to join us in the retail environment," said Joe
Magnacca, chief executive officer of RadioShack. "We see so many exciting consumer
products coming from startups and we want these differentiated products in our stores.
Traditionally, big retailing requires big inventory, but we can improve our supply chain
and be a more nimble partner."
Magnacca continued, "PCH has a proven track record of bringing unique ideas and
products to market. We have been closely collaborating with them since January of this
year. With the combination of new retail terms that support innovative startups, and PCH's
experience in manufacturing, packaging and delivering product direct to stores, we believe
we can rejuvenate our retail offerings."
"Every day we talk to startups and see new products," said Liam Casey, founder and
chief executive officer of PCH. "But the retail model, which demands large capital in the
channel, doesn't typically work for startups and this hurts innovation. Together with Joe
and the RadioShack team, we looked at removing the barriers that prevent unique products
from getting on to shelves, and as a result created a partnership that supports product
innovation, while freeing up capital that would otherwise be tied up in the inventory
channel."
Through its established program, PCH Access, PCH has brought unique products to market
such as LittleBits, the popular modular electronics kits, which will be in select
RadioShack stores in late summer.
Ayah Bdeir, founder and chief executive officer of LittleBits, said, "This
announcement is a big deal for hardware startups. Ever since we launched LittleBits, we've
received calls from big box retailers wanting to carry our products, and we've said no
because we didn't want to deal with the inventory burden, the return policies and the
financial exposure. Plus, I've been wary about the amount of time agreements take to put
in place. I think a startup friendly retail partner has the potential to transform brick
and mortar by bringing in new talent and a much needed breath of fresh air."
Appeal to Makers and Inventors: How to Collaborate
In addition to products that come through the PCH Access program, RadioShack Labs
invites new product ideas from innovators, inventors and makers. To learn more about how
to collaborate with RadioShack and PCH, go to http://www.radioshack.com/RSLabs.
Inventors can submit information and a notice will be sent when the site is live and ready
to take ideas in the coming weeks. Once an idea is submitted, it will be reviewed and
feedback will be provided on whether there is a potential fit. The goal is to identify
dozens of new products per year, and to use the PCH Access program to turn concepts into
products ready for national retail.
"We are continually inspired by the incredible creativity that is coming out of the
maker and inventor communities, and wanted to find a way to further our collaboration. New
ideas shouldn't be sacrificed for outdated retail models, so our goal is to change the
model, and open new channels for ideas. With PCH's support we have the manufacturing,
packaging and distribution network to bring these products to life," said Magnacca.
About RadioShack Corporation
RadioShack (NYSE: RSH) is a leading retailer with more than 27,000 knowledgeable
associates focused on connecting consumers with personalized solutions and discovering
what's possible through the latest in consumer electronics. The company's updated product
assortment incorporates national brands, industry-leading private brand products, mobile
devices and wireless carriers. Customers can shop leading brands in headphones and
speakers, wearable technology, smart toys and DIY supplies, connected home, power
accessories and home entertainment at http://www.radioshack.com, or at one of the more
than 4,000 locations in 30 countries. Find RadioShack on Facebook
[http://www.facebook.com/radioshack ], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/radioshack ],
Instagram [http://instagram.com/radioshack ], and YouTube
[http://www.youtube.com/radioshack ].
About PCH International
PCH International creates, develops, and delivers the world's best products for the
world's best brands. PCH offers transparent, sustainable product development and supply
chain management services to a diverse range of customers, from Fortune 500s, to
entrepreneurs and startups. PCH was founded in 1996, and is headquartered in Cork,
Ireland. The Company's product innovation hub, Lime Lab, and its hardware startup
incubator, Highway1, are based in San Francisco, California. They serve customers
globally, as does PCH Access, focused on providing robust supply chain services to
startups around the globe. In January 2014, PCH acquired ShopLocket, an ecommerce platform
for entrepreneurs. PCH also has significant manufacturing, packing and fulfillment
operations in China, and retail distribution channels through its subsidiary TNS
Distribution based in Dublin, Ireland. Pchintl.com [http://www.pchintl.com ]
SoftBank Mobile and Aldebaran Unveil "Pepper" - the World's First Personal Robot That Reads Emotions
TOKYO and PARIS, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
SoftBank Group companies SoftBank Mobile Corp. ("SoftBank Mobile"), Japan's leading
mobile operator, and Aldebaran Robotics SAS ("Aldebaran"), the world leader in humanoid
robotics, announced the joint development of "Pepper", the world's first personal robot
that can read emotions. Pepper, which incorporates variety of technologies and
capabilities, will be commercially available in Japan from SoftBank Mobile in February
2015 for a base price of JPY 198,000*.
From June 6, 2014, visitors to the SoftBank Omotesando and SoftBank Ginza stores will
be able to enjoy talking and interacting with Pepper, the newest member of the SoftBank
crew. SoftBank Mobile plans to subsequently station Pepper at more of its stores
nationwide.
To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:
A new robot, and new businesses to emerge: robot apps
Pepper is a humanoid robot that takes his surroundings into consideration to react
pro-actively using proprietary algorithms. Pepper also comes equipped with capabilities
and an interface that enables communication with people, including the latest voice
recognition technology, superior joint technology to realize graceful gestures, and
emotion recognition that analyzes expressions and voice tones. With these technologies,
people can enjoy communicating with Pepper in a natural way, just like they would with
friends and family. In addition, Pepper can make jokes, dance and amuse people thanks to a
wide variety of entertainment capabilities, some of which were developed in cooperation
with Yoshimoto Robotics Laboratory, Inc., a Yoshimoto Kogyo Group company. Capabilities
that help Pepper evolve by learning through daily interactions with people are also being
planned for the commercial launch timing.
Furthermore, a variety of applications created by developers around the world, robot
apps (programs that can be incorporated into Pepper's various capabilities, including
motion, conversation and sensors) are scheduled for expanding Pepper's capabilities. The
Aldebaran software development kit (SDK) will be provided for creating robot apps, and in
September 2014, a Tech Festival in Tokyo is under planning to provide technical
specifications, development methods and other details.
A meeting of shared visions
At its Next-30 Year Vision announcement in 2010, the SoftBank Group expressed its
interest in robot technology as a means to enhance quality of life. With Aldebaran, it
found a company creating kind and emotional robots that can communicate with people and
meet their emotional needs. With both companies sharing a common vision, SoftBank made its
first equity investment in Aldebaran in 2012, subsequently making it a SoftBank Group
company.
Masayoshi Son, Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Corp., commented, "Since foundation, we have
followed our corporate philosophy of 'Information Revolution - Happiness for everyone.' To
realize our vision, we have made a new entry into the robot business with the aim of
developing affectionate robots that make people smile. Using emotion engines and Cloud AI,
which evolves with collective wisdom, we're making this happen. As our first entry, we are
pleased to offer the world's first personal robot that reads emotions, Pepper, which we
developed with Aldebaran."
"For the past nine years, I've believed that the most important role of robots will be
as kind and emotional companions to enhance our daily lives, to bring happiness,
constantly surprise us, and make people grow," said Bruno Maisonnier, Founder & CEO of
Aldebaran. "The emotional robot will create a new dimension in our lives and new ways of
interacting with technology. It's just the beginning, but already a promising reality.
Thanks to Pepper, the future begins today and we want all of you to be a part of it."
*Displayed price excludes tax. Optional plans necessary for life with Pepper are
scheduled.
Main features of Pepper (planned)
- Judges situations with an array of sensors, incorporates proprietary
algorithms to control applications autonomously
- Estimates emotions based on expressions and voice tones using emotion
recognition functions
- Over 12 continuous hours of battery life
- Articulates gracefully with a high degree of freedom thanks to proprietarily
developed joints
- Can acquire various types of information and synchronize with cloud-based
databases through an Internet connection
- Uses sensors to avoid collisions and has autobalance to prevent falls, among
other various safety features
- Capabilities are expandable by installing various new types of robot apps
- Aldebaran's software development kit (SDK) will be provided for a wide range
of applications, from simple movements to advanced customization using widely
available programming languages
Dimensions 1210mm (height) x 425mm (depth) x 485mm (width)
Weight 28kg
Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 30.0Ah/795Wh
Operation time: approx. over 12hrs (when using at
Battery shop)
Mic x 4, RGB camera x 2, 3D sensor x 1
Sensors Head Touch sensor x 3
Chest Gyro sensor x 1
Hands Touch sensor x 2
Sonar sensor x 2, Laser sensor x 6,
Legs Bumper sensor x 3, Gyro sensor x 1
Degrees of motion
Head (2degree(s)), Shoulder (2degree(s)) (L&R), Elbow
(2 rotations) (L&R), Wrist (1degree(s)) (L&R), hand 5
fingers (1degree(s)) (L&R), Hip (2degree(s)), knee
(1degree(s)), base (3degree(s))
Moving parts 20 Motors
Display 10.1-inch touch display
Platform NAOqi OS
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz
Networking Ethernet x1 (10/100/1000 base T)
Motion speed Up to 3km/h
Climbing Up to 1.5cm
About Aldebaran Robotics SAS
Founded in 2005 by Bruno Maisonnier, and with offices in France, China, Japan and the
United States, Aldebaran designs, produces and sell autonomous humanoid robots in order to
contribute to the well-being of humans. Today over 5,000 NAO, our first product, are
utilized throughout the world as research and educational platforms in 70 countries.
Aldebaran brings together more than 500 people that are involved in the development and
production of the robot. Aldebaran is a SoftBank Group company, with SoftBank owning an
78.5% equity interest. For further information, visit http://www.aldebaran.com
The SoftBank Group comprises the pure holding company SoftBank Corp. (TSE:9984) and
its more than 1,300 subsidiaries and affiliates that offer a comprehensive range of mobile
communications, fixed-line communications and Internet services. With Sprint joining in
July 2013, the SoftBank Group became a leading global carrier that now has over 100
million subscribers. Maximizing synergies across its Group companies worldwide, SoftBank
aspires to realize lifestyle innovation through IT. The SoftBank Group is also encouraging
the adoption of clean and safe energy through its business activities. To learn more,
please visit http://www.softbank.jp/en/corp
- Aldebaran, Pepper name and logo, and NAOqi are registered trademarks of
Aldebaran Robotics SAS in France and other countries.
- SoftBank, the SoftBank name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks
of SoftBank Corp. in Japan and other countries.
- Other names of companies, products and services that appear are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies.
SMIC and Brite Creates New Network Platform SMIC-ASIC.com
SHANGHAI, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Brite Semiconductor (Shanghai) Corporation ("Brite"), a leading IC design and turnkey service provider, and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981), China's largest and most advanced semiconductor foundry, today jointly announced the launch of their first innovative network services platform SMIC-ASIC.com. Established by Brite and supported by SMIC and Brite, the key purpose of the platform is to build a professional network community in the semiconductor industry. SMIC-ASIC.com has multiple functions, ranging from the delivery of ASIC information, to supporting engineering, technical and business related enquires. This platform also provides reference materials on every step of the ASIC design flow and addresses a new business model in IC design service.
In the era of Internet and information, one common difficulty encountered by fabless IC design companies and system houses is how to derive reliable information and efficient services to shorten the production cycle.
SMIC-ASIC.com is a dedicated semiconductor website for IC design and service. It combines instant Q&A service, network marketing, ASIC knowledge, on-line evaluation, etc. The 24-hour customer care function will provide a complete real time interactive service both online and offline. Customers can register for membership by logging into http://www.smic-asic.comand obtain further information.
In this platform, customers will find many useful information tools such as:
-- Technical Center - This service provides customers a powerful learning
resource, ranging from IC specifications and definitions, system
verification methodologies, to the technical flows of IC design and
manufacturing.
-- Project Evaluator - This service provides reference materials for
developing an entire ASIC project, covering information on project
scheduling, cost estimations, design methodologies, foundational IP
introduction file downloads, and partnership selections.
-- Information Exchange - A Bulletin Board System (BBS) enables customers
to freely create topics of discussions, share opinions and views, and
provide comments and suggestions to SMIC and its preferred partners.
-- Q&A - A real-time on-line service system that enables customers to raise
technical or non-technical ASIC related questions and receive quick and
professional responses.
"As one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world, SMIC will deliver more value-added offerings in addition to our current advantages in technologies and services," said Dr. Tzu-Yin Chiu, chief executive officer & executive director of SMIC, and chairman of Brite Semiconductor, "Brite Semiconductor is one of our most important design service partners. The newly launched innovative SMIC-ASIC.com service platform provides a communication window for our mutual customers to obtain their required services. Through this platform, both SMIC and Brite will improve competitiveness with a more open and efficient service."
"We are happy to bring out the new interactive platform of SMIC-ASIC.com for our ASIC customers and SoC designers based on SMIC's technologies. The benefits of this platform are to solve the questions during the design period, provide real-time communication among the product chain, early mutual discussion from the stage of design concept, co-work on the specification definition, etc. These will certainly shorten the development cycle in an obvious way. The English version of SMIC-ASIC.com will also appear in the near future. I believe this platform will satisfy our customers with its efficient and reliable service," said Dr. Charlie Zhi, president and CEO of Brite Semiconductor.
About Brite Semiconductor
Brite Semiconductor is a world-leading ASIC design services company, providing customers with ULSI ASIC/SoC chip design and manufacturing services. Brite Semiconductor was co-founded by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation and Open-Silicon, as well as venture capital firms from China and abroad. As the strategic partners, SMIC and Open-Silicon provide Brite Semiconductor with strong technical and manufacturing support. Targeted at 90nm/65nm/40nm and high-end SoC design services, Brite Semiconductor provides flexible turn-key service from RTL/netlist to chip delivery, and seamless, low-cost, and low-risk solutions to customers. For more information, please refer to the Brite Semiconductor website: http://www.britesemi.com
About SMIC
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China. SMIC provides integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 28-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm mega-fab in Shanghai; a 300mm mega-fab in Beijing and a majority owned 300mm fab for advance nodes under development; a 200mm fab in Tianjin; and a 200mm fab project under development in Shenzhen. SMIC also has marketing and customer service offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong. For more information, please visit http://www.smics.com.
Safe Harbor Statements
(Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995)
This document contains, in addition to historical information, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on SMIC's current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. SMIC uses words like "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project" and similar expressions to identify forward looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of SMIC's senior management and involve significant risks, both known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors that may cause SMIC's actual performance, financial condition or results of operations to be materially different from those suggested by the forward-looking statements including, among others, risks associated with cyclicality and market conditions in the semiconductor industry, intense competition, timely wafer acceptance by SMIC's customers, timely introduction of new technologies, SMIC's ability to ramp new products into volume, supply and demand for semiconductor foundry services, industry overcapacity, shortages in equipment, components and raw materials, availability of manufacturing capacity, financial stability in end markets and intensive intellectual property litigation in high tech industry.
In addition to the information contained in this document, you should also consider the information contained in our other filings with the SEC, including our annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on April 14, 2014, especially in the "Risk Factors" section and such other documents that we may file with the SEC or SEHK from time to time, including on Form 6-K. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on our future results, performance or achievements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this document may not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated or, if no date is stated, as of the date of this document.
SMIC Contact Information:
English Media
Michael Cheung
Tel: +86-21-3861-0000 x16812
Email: Michael_Cheung@smics.com
Chinese Media
Angela Miao
Tel: +86-21-3861-0000 x10088
Email: Angela_Miao@smics.com
SOURCE Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation
Introducing Dirac Unison(TM), an Entirely New Approach to Sound Optimization
UPPSALA, Sweden, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Dirac Unison sound optimization technology sets the bar for automotive and high performance audio manufacturers seeking to deliver a lifelike listening experience to consumers
Audio technology provider Dirac today announced the unveiling of Dirac Unison, a highly advanced sound optimization technology for automotive applications as well as high performance audio and home theater systems. Beyond the boundaries of traditional digital room correction and passive room treatment, Dirac Unison precisely unites the output of the speakers in a way that will astonish listeners in any environment.
Dirac Unison uses acoustic measurements to create an active acoustic treatment of the listening space. The technology jointly optimizes the loudspeakers and features a completely new kind of bass management, which is automatically matched to the room and the loudspeakers. With Dirac Unison, the loudspeakers and room act cohesively rather than as individual elements that interfere with each other.
Volvo Car Group is the first licensee to use Dirac Unison, making the technology available in the all-new Volvo XC90 with the Bowers & Wilkins audio system. Dirac Unison co-optimizes the loudspeakers in frequency, time and space for the best possible bass integration and clarity, and enables recreation of individual acoustic environments from certain performance venues. With the touch of a button, occupants can be immersed in the acoustic likeness of Gothenburg Concert Hall, located nearby to Volvo's headquarters and acclaimed by many artists as one of the world's best concert halls.
"We have witnessed a recent surge in interest for advanced technologies focused on the natural and accurate reproduction of sound," explained Dirac CEO Dr. Mathias Johansson. "It is exciting for us to add Dirac Unison to our portfolio of technologies, further enabling our licensees in their quest to satisfy consumer demand for superb sound," Johansson added.
Dirac Unison is Dirac's most advanced sound optimization technology and is available exclusively through high performance audio and automotive manufacturers. For more information, please see http://www.dirac.com
About Dirac Research AB
Dirac Research is a Swedish audio research firm specializing in high-performance digital sound optimization, room correction and sound field synthesis. The company was founded by researchers from the Signals & Systems Group of Uppsala University, Sweden. With Dirac's patented toolbox for efficient and accurate audio system optimization, customers such as Volvo Cars, BMW, Bentley, Rolls Royce and Datasat Digital Entertainment have achieved dramatically improved sound quality and a shortened time-to-market. Dirac Research maintains offices in Sweden, Tokyo, Detroit, Seoul and Shanghai. http://www.dirac.com
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 427,000 in 2013 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.
As of December 2013, Volvo Cars had over 23,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company's main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China).
Introducing Dirac Unison(TM), an Entirely New Approach to Sound Optimization
UPPSALA, Sweden, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Dirac Unison sound optimization technology sets the bar for automotive and high
performance audio manufacturers seeking to deliver a lifelike listening experience to
consumers
Audio technology provider Dirac today announced the unveiling of Dirac Unison, a
highly advanced sound optimization technology for automotive applications as well as high
performance audio and home theater systems. Beyond the boundaries of traditional digital
room correction and passive room treatment, Dirac Unison precisely unites the output of
the speakers in a way that will astonish listeners in any environment.
Dirac Unison uses acoustic measurements to create an active acoustic treatment of the
listening space. The technology jointly optimizes the loudspeakers and features a
completely new kind of bass management, which is automatically matched to the room and the
loudspeakers. With Dirac Unison, the loudspeakers and room act cohesively rather than as
individual elements that interfere with each other.
Volvo Car Group is the first licensee to use Dirac Unison, making the technology
available in the all-new Volvo XC90 with the Bowers & Wilkins audio system. Dirac Unison
co-optimizes the loudspeakers in frequency, time and space for the best possible bass
integration and clarity, and enables recreation of individual acoustic environments from
certain performance venues. With the touch of a button, occupants can be immersed in the
acoustic likeness of Gothenburg Concert Hall, located nearby to Volvo's headquarters and
acclaimed by many artists as one of the world's best concert halls.
"We have witnessed a recent surge in interest for advanced technologies focused on the
natural and accurate reproduction of sound," explained Dirac CEO Dr. Mathias Johansson.
"It is exciting for us to add Dirac Unison to our portfolio of technologies, further
enabling our licensees in their quest to satisfy consumer demand for superb sound,"
Johansson added.
Dirac Unison is Dirac's most advanced sound optimization technology and is available
exclusively through high performance audio and automotive manufacturers. For more
information, please see http://www.dirac.com
About Dirac Research AB
Dirac Research is a Swedish audio research firm specializing in high-performance
digital sound optimization, room correction and sound field synthesis. The company was
founded by researchers from the Signals & Systems Group of Uppsala University, Sweden.
With Dirac's patented toolbox for efficient and accurate audio system optimization,
customers such as Volvo Cars, BMW, Bentley, Rolls Royce and Datasat Digital Entertainment
have achieved dramatically improved sound quality and a shortened time-to-market. Dirac
Research maintains offices in Sweden, Tokyo, Detroit, Seoul and Shanghai. http://www.dirac.com
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most
well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 427,000 in 2013 in about
100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding
(Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999,
when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was
acquired by Geely Holding.
As of December 2013, Volvo Cars had over 23,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head
office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in
Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company's
main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu
(China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China).
The newly debuted Flip Chip COB makes Lextar's COB the widest product line in the industry
HSINCHU, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lextar Electronics Corp., a vertically-integrated LED company from Taiwan, will showcase its COB (Chip-on-Board) "Nimbus" series that feature high CRI (90), LM-80 quality and Hot Color Targeting (see note 1). The Company will also release Flip Chip COB : "Nimbus-P" series. Lextar has deployed the widest COB product line in the industry and it will debut this new COB collection at 2014 Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition starting from June 9(th) in Guangzhou, China.
Lextar's COB "Nimbus" series, ranging from 4 watt to 75 watt, can be widely applied to various lighting applications including bulbs, spot lights, downlights, and bay lights. It delivers condensed light output without multi shadow, giving high quality light and making a good choice for commercial and professional lighting. Lextar's Nimbus offers three services, including high CRI, LM-80 high quality and Hot Color Targeting, to enhance added-value to its customers.
Lextar also debut its latest Flip Chip COB: Polaris (Nimbus-P) series, a new extension of Lextar's flip chip package for lighting application. Nimbus-P series not only bears better over-drive capability but also intensifies product stability by using ceramic substrate. To add to that, it minimizes LES (light emitting area) therefore features high lumen density. The LES can be reduced by 50% compared to that on conventional COB; hence this product is especially suitable for professional lighting where high brightness and concentrated lighting angle are necessary, such as PAR lamps and track lights.
"The launch of Nimbus-P has demonstrated Lextar's technology through its vertically integrated operation; it also delivers the excellence of Lextar's COB line," noted Francis Wong, Director of Lighting Business Unit of Lextar. The Company also provides customers a selection of COB including professional use, high quality and cost-effective models, as well as peripheral solutions that contain lenses, reflectors and holders supplied by global brands. Apart from the Nimbus COB series, Lextar will also debut various new products and technologies including high-voltage LEDs, AC-in DOB (Driver on Board), CSP (Chip Scale Package) module and so forth. Lextar's GILE exhibition event site: http://lextar.com/promote/2014_GZ_Component(EN)/index.html
Note 1: Normally LED fixtures operate at a high temperature of 85 degree Celsius. To help earn sufficient time for further product design and measurement for customers, Lextar offers "Hot Color Targeting" that provides the simulated data at the temperature of 85 degree.
The newly released product picture can be downloaded here
Any use of photographs must cite the source thereof is from Lextar Electronics Corp.
About Lextar Electronics
Lextar Electronics Corp. (TAIEX 3698), founded on May 23, 2008, is a subsidiary of AU Optronics. It specializes in manufacturing high-brightness LED epi wafers, chips and packages, as well as energy-saving and smart lighting products. The range of applications includes LCD backlighting, LED light module, LED light source and luminaires. Lextar officially acquired LightHouse Technology Inc. in March 2010, and Wellypower Optronics in February 2013. The company now houses nearly 3,500 employees and its headquarters is in the Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan. Its manufacturing plants are located in the Hsinchu Science Park, Hukou Industrial Park and Chunan Science Park in Taiwan, and Suzhou and Xiamen in China. Lextar's turnover in 2013: USD 462 million. Corporate website: Lextar.com
For more information, please contact media relations:
Fiona Chiu
Corporate Communications
Lextar Electronics Corp.
Tel: +886-3-5658800 ext 1894
Fax: +886-3-5638319 ext. 501894
Email: Fiona.Chiu@Lextar.com
SoftBank Mobile and Aldebaran Unveil "Pepper" - the World's First Personal Robot That Reads Emotions
TOKYO and PARIS, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
SoftBank Group companies SoftBank Mobile Corp. ("SoftBank Mobile"), Japan's leading
mobile operator, and Aldebaran Robotics SAS ("Aldebaran"), the world leader in humanoid
robotics, announced the joint development of "Pepper", the world's first personal robot
that can read emotions. Pepper, which incorporates variety of technologies and
capabilities, will be commercially available in Japan from SoftBank Mobile in February
2015 for a base price of JPY 198,000*.
From June 6, 2014, visitors to the SoftBank Omotesando and SoftBank Ginza stores will
be able to enjoy talking and interacting with Pepper, the newest member of the SoftBank
crew. SoftBank Mobile plans to subsequently station Pepper at more of its stores
nationwide.
A new robot and new businesses to emerge: robot apps
Pepper is a humanoid robot that takes his surroundings into consideration to react
pro-actively using proprietary algorithms. Pepper also comes equipped with capabilities
and an interface that enables communication with people, including the latest voice
recognition technology, superior joint technology to realize graceful gestures, and
emotion recognition that analyzes expressions and voice tones. With these technologies,
people can enjoy communicating with Pepper in a natural way, just like they would with
friends and family. In addition, Pepper can make jokes, dance and amuse people thanks to a
wide variety of entertainment capabilities, some of which were developed in cooperation
with Yoshimoto Robotics Laboratory, Inc., a Yoshimoto Kogyo Group company. Capabilities
that help Pepper evolve by learning through daily interactions with people are also being
planned for the commercial launch timing.
Furthermore, a variety of applications created by developers around the world, robot
apps (programs that can be incorporated into Pepper's various capabilities, including
motion, conversation and sensors) are scheduled for expanding Pepper's capabilities. The
Aldebaran software development kit (SDK) will be provided for creating robot apps, and in
September 2014, a Tech Festival in Tokyo is under planning to provide technical
specifications, development methods and other details.
A meeting of shared visions
At its Next-30 Year Vision announcement in 2010, the SoftBank Group expressed its
interest in robot technology as a means to enhance quality of life. With Aldebaran, it
found a company creating kind and emotional robots that can communicate with people and
meet their emotional needs. With both companies sharing a common vision, SoftBank made its
first equity investment in Aldebaran in 2012, subsequently making it a SoftBank Group
company.
Masayoshi Son, Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Corp., commented, "Since foundation, we have
followed our corporate philosophy of 'Information Revolution - Happiness for everyone.' To
realize our vision, we have made a new entry into the robot business with the aim of
developing affectionate robots that make people smile. Using emotion engines and Cloud AI,
which evolves with collective wisdom, we're making this happen. As our first entry, we are
pleased to offer the world's first personal robot that reads emotions, Pepper, which we
developed with Aldebaran."
"For the past nine years, I've believed that the most important role of robots will be
as kind and emotional companions to enhance our daily lives, to bring happiness,
constantly surprise us, and make people grow," said Bruno Maisonnier, Founder & CEO of
Aldebaran. "The emotional robot will create a new dimension in our lives and new ways of
interacting with technology. It's just the beginning, but already a promising reality.
Thanks to Pepper, the future begins today and we want all of you to be a part of it."
*Displayed price excludes tax. Optional plans necessary for life with Pepper are
scheduled.
Main features of Pepper (planned)
- Judges situations with an array of sensors, incorporates proprietary
algorithms to control applications autonomously
- Estimates emotions based on expressions and voice tones using emotion
recognition functions
- Over 12 continuous hours of battery life
- Articulates gracefully with a high degree of freedom thanks to proprietarily
developed joints
- Can acquire various types of information and synchronize with cloud-based
databases through an Internet connection
- Uses sensors to avoid collisions and has autobalance to prevent falls, among
other various safety features
- Capabilities are expandable by installing various new types of robot apps
- Aldebaran's software development kit (SDK) will be provided for a wide range
of applications, from simple movements to advanced customization using widely
available programming languages
Dimensions 1210mm (height) x 425mm (depth) x 485mm (width)
Weight 28kg
Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 30.0Ah/795Wh
Operation time: approx. over 12hrs (when using at
Battery shop)
Mic x 4, RGB camera x 2, 3D sensor x 1
Sensors Head Touch sensor x 3
Chest Gyro sensor x 1
Hands Touch sensor x 2
Sonar sensor x 2, Laser sensor x 6,
Legs Bumper sensor x 3, Gyro sensor x 1
Degrees of motion
Head (2degree(s)), Shoulder (2degree(s)) (L&R), Elbow
(2 rotations) (L&R), Wrist (1degree(s)) (L&R), hand 5
fingers (1degree(s)) (L&R), Hip (2degree(s)), knee
(1degree(s)), base (3degree(s))
Moving parts 20 Motors
Display 10.1-inch touch display
Platform NAOqi OS
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz
Networking Ethernet x1 (10/100/1000 base T)
Motion speed Up to 3km/h
Climbing Up to 1.5cm
About Aldebaran Robotics SAS
Founded in 2005 by Bruno Maisonnier, and with offices in France, China, Japan and the
United States, Aldebaran designs, produces and sell autonomous humanoid robots in order to
contribute to the well-being of humans. Today over 5,000 NAO, our first product, are
utilized throughout the world as research and educational platforms in 70 countries.
Aldebaran brings together more than 500 people that are involved in the development and
production of the robot. Aldebaran is a SoftBank Group company, with SoftBank owning an
78.5% equity interest. For further information, visit http://www.aldebaran.com
The SoftBank Group comprises the pure holding company SoftBank Corp. (TSE:9984) and
its more than 1,300 subsidiaries and affiliates that offer a comprehensive range of mobile
communications, fixed-line communications and Internet services. With Sprint joining in
July 2013, the SoftBank Group became a leading global carrier that now has over 100
million subscribers. Maximizing synergies across its Group companies worldwide, SoftBank
aspires to realize lifestyle innovation through IT. The SoftBank Group is also encouraging
the adoption of clean and safe energy through its business activities. To learn more,
please visit http://www.softbank.jp/en/corp
- Aldebaran, Pepper name and logo, and NAOqi are registered trademarks of
Aldebaran Robotics SAS in France and other countries.
- SoftBank, the SoftBank name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks
of SoftBank Corp. in Japan and other countries.
- Other names of companies, products and services that appear are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies.
NTT Resonant Aggressively Expands Applicable Smartphones for "Remote TestKit"
TOKYO, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
- "Remote TestKit" Cloud-based App and Site Verification Service; International Smartphones, Including India's Micromax, Added for Global Verification -
NTT Resonant Inc. has added a host of new smartphones applicable to "Developers AppKitBox - Remote TestKit ("Remote TestKit," http://appkitbox.com/en/testkit)," a cloud-based smartphone app and site verification service. The 11 latest models of smartphones newly added to the "Remote TestKit" lineup include those for the Indian market and popular models for the U.S. market. Additional 11 latest Japanese models will be provided to its lineup this summer. "Remote TestKit" is already provided in the Japanese, U.S. and Chinese markets. In addition, we will aim for the Indian market which holds many smartphone developers.
Developers can test from their desktops their apps and sites by foreign-made handsets which are difficult to get in their home countries. Moreover, "Remote TestKit" will continue to be improved to meet developers' needs, including the addition of iOS7 models and functional enhancements.
1. Latest smartphones added to lineup
We will start to add the latest Japanese models, 2 Indian models, 2 U.S. models and 4 iOS7 models. "Remote TestKit" provides a truly global verification environment supporting about 270 smartphones of 240 models.
Newly added smartphones
- GALAXY S5 SC-04F (NTT docomo)
- GALAXY S5 SCL23 (au)
- Xperia(TM) Z2 SO-03F (NTT docomo)
- AQUOS ZETA SH-04F (NTT docomo)
- Xperia(TM) ZL2 SOL25 (au)
- AQUOS Xx 304SH (Soft Bank)
- Disney Mobile on docomo SH-05F (NTT docomo)
- ARROWS NX F-05F (NTT docomo)
- Nokia X (RM-980)
- MICROMAX A117 CANVAS MAGNUS
- HTC One M8 *USDC
Newly added iOS7 smartphones
iPhone5C
iPhone5S
iPhone5
iPad mini
2. New functions
- Smartphone-returning function for ThriftAPI
Many users required the function of returning smartphones in ThriftAPI. Users can return handsets immediately after testing them and rent new ones. Previously, users were able to return smartphones only every 30 minutes. The new function enables users to continue testing without any waiting time.
- Power reboot function
Users can now reboot smartphones to verify their apps. For example, they can verify their application settings after rebooting.
3. Exhibiting "Remote TestKit" at "HP (R) Discover 2014 Conference"
NTT Resonant will exhibit "Remote TestKit" at the "HP (R) Discover 2014 Conference", held from June 10, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the U.S. We will demonstrate "Remote TestKit" at Jamo Solutions' booth. We will also exhibit our integrated product of "M-eux Test" provided by Jamo Solutions and "Remote TestKit" by NTT Resonant. We will give visitors a 10-hour "Remote TestKit" trial ticket free of charge.
Dates: Tuesday, June 10, to Thursday, June 12, 2014 *
Venue: Jamo Solutions (booth 3833), Venetian Palazzo Hotel and Resort, Las Vegas
4. NTT Resonant's Future Developments
NTT Resonant will continue to expand the variation of countries and models. We will accelerate our globalization on the basis of our global strategy.
Developers AppKitBox - Remote TestKit
URL: http://appkitbox.com/en/testkit
* It can be accessed from either a Windows or Mac PC.
* Company, service and brand names indicated herein are the registered trademarks or trademarks of respective companies.
ChipSiP Introduces "SiMEye Smart Glass" and "Smart Home Server" to Stimulate Real-time Information Service Business
TAIPEI, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ChipSiP Technology Co, Ltd. (Taiwan: 3637), the leading company in turnkey SiP solutions (System in Package), showcases "SiMEye Smart Glass" and "Smart Home Server" at Computex Taipei 2014. George Tai, President of ChipSiP, points out, "The two tiny devices, designed by system miniaturization technology, features instant access to information and real-time communications that allow users to enjoy a smart life on the go with the 'real-time' and 'mobile' information service."
Featuring live updates for everyday's activities and line-of-sight information, ChipSiP provides a booth tour guide for visitors via SiMEye Smart Glass, which can display videos and audio linked to exhibit images in line of sight. Such great development can be applied to other scenario of exhibitions, museums and tourist attractions. More smart features of SiMEye Smart Glass include visual world sharing in real time, a live view chat with your family and friends in a remote distance, the standard Android platform to allow users to download their favorite apps right away and enjoy the wearable entertainment, instant access to information anytime, anywhere through any cloud service, phone calls and message management in real time without taking phones out. The SiMEye Smart Glass can be operated by either hand gesture or touchpad.
ChipSiP will launch a portable VR (Virtual Reality) Head Mounted Display model soon among its smart glass family. With optimized design in weight and size, gamers will be able to enjoy immersive virtual reality entrainment at any place.
Additionally, ChipSiP introduces "Smart Home Server" to address an optimistic outlook on seamless flow of information for daily life. The Smart Home Server is designed to serve as the hub of a smart home, which highlights remote intelligent services including smart TV connection, media content sharing across multiple devices over wireless, home cloud data access, storage and management, instant access to home network, remote home security monitoring and video recording; power energy control and management, family healthcare management. Connecting to the single and Android-based Smart Home Server, home members can enjoy media streaming, live home surveillance, auto control of home appliances and health monitoring via mobile devices from anywhere in the house or on the go.
MobileTREC Partners with InfoSonics for First Ever Smartphone Equipped with Next-Gen Safety Capabilities
DALLAS, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MobileTREC today announced their partnership with InfoSonics Corporation to offer the world's first smartphone pre-equipped with MobileTREC's patented mobile safety platform.
The partnership kicked off with the launch of the verykool® s505, which InfoSonics announced on May 21, with plans for future handset collaborations in the works. This is the first fully integrated mobile safety solution that provides users with a family locator service, GPS sex offender locator, a Threat Level index, as well as essential E911 call and text routing with delivery of vital medical information to 911.
Jerry Morrison, MobileTREC CEO explained, "This partnership comes at a critical time for family safety. Despite 1 out of every 16 Americans being victimized annually, the country continues to experience public safety budget cuts. Even more alarming is the ever increasing risk of social media exposing teens to sexual predators. In fact, suspected child exploitation crimes have increased 500% since 2009. These are just a few reasons why we built our personal mobile safety platform -- to provide a means to protect our families in a way that traditional, single-point-of-contact safety solutions can't."
With MobileTREC's solution, simply press the "Help" button on your phone anytime that you feel uncomfortable and it will alert your family, friends, and neighbors by push, text, and email, and it connects you to their 24/7 Emergency Response Center (ERC). Then, if needed, MobileTREC's ERC can connect you to the nearest 911 operator via their patented E911 routing which keeps your call inside the E911 network. Unlike other emergency alert services that route calls through the non-emergency network, MobileTREC sends your call through the actual E911 network which is specifically for emergencies. More importantly, MobileTREC's proprietary platform provides 911 with your precise location along with your important medical and identification information.
Other features include Community Intelligence that indicates danger zones and safe zones before you enter them, and personalized safety network alerts for friends and family. And, when calling for help isn't an option, MobileTREC's the only platform to provide users with text-to-911 routing.
About MobileTREC
MobileTREC is a Dallas-based company providing a family of next generation mobile safety technology and services. The company is committed to equipping people with the best personal mobile safety technology available, protecting the public, strengthening communities, and reducing criminal opportunity. Parties interested in partnering with MobileTREC to distribute their proprietary mobile safety solution or looking for additional information can contact the company through their corporate website at http://mobiletrec.com/.
Media Contact:
Kris Morrison
MobileTREC
kris.morrison@mobiletrec.com
Are women drivers 'Fast & Furious'? New York tech start-up, Dash, analyzed 5,000,000 miles of driving, to discover America's best - and worst - drivers.
NEW YORK, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- What do women, Volvo drivers and Rochester, NY all have in common? They each represent the best drivers in their category, according to a new report from NYC-based tech start-up, Dash, which analyzed a snapshot of five million miles driven by American car owners.
Dash has a mobile product (Dash - Drive Smart) that makes any car a 'smart car'. It analyzes driving behavior of the user with over 300 metrics in real time, including factors like speeding, hard breaking, acceleration, idling and fuel efficiency, as well as road conditions and weather. This is compiled into the 'Dash Score', out of 100.
Which drivers are 'Fast & Furious'?
Dash analyzed five millions miles of driving in early 2014 and found fascinating results:
-- Battle of the sexes?
-- While men are marginally better drivers than women (score: 82 vs.
79), they are also 2 x as likely to stop short, and 3 x as likely to
over-accelerate.
-- Cars brands in 'pole position'?
-- No surprise, but Volvo drivers get the best scores (95), followed by
Porsche (94) and Mazda (93). In the luxury category, Audi (93) beats
BMW (86), with Mercedes lagging (86). Dishonorable mention goes to
Jaguar, with a dismal score (64).
-- Cities with the most 'jerks' on the road?
-- Rochester, NY drivers proved to be the nation's best, with
Elizabeth, NJ the worst. Their neighbors in Hoboken, NJ were
consistently the fastest drivers in the country, while Dallas, TX
were real 'jerks' on the road, with six times more hard breaks than
the national average.
-- Where do the 'tree huggers' drive?
-- LA drivers are the greenest, with an average 37 Miles Per Gallon
(MPG), vs. the US average at 24 MPG.
-- Is your whip called 'KITT'?
-- 'Bullet' is the most popular nickname drivers gave their car,
followed by 'Big Red' and 'Beast'. 'Taco', 'Ol Busty' and 'Betty'
also proved popular.
Dash works by connecting your smartphone to your car using a low cost, self-installed device, called an On-Board Diagnostic unit (OBD II, which retails as low as $10 on Amazon). The device works on any car on the road since 1996. Dash helps drivers improve their driving, making the roads safer, greener and more social. Dash drivers can save an average of $1,500 per year on running costs.
The service connects to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google and Smart Things, as well as SMS alerts for family, friends and colleagues.
Dash - Drive Smart is available for Android (iPhone this summer) in the USA and internationally in Canada, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Dash has been downloaded in over 100 countries.
Read more about Dash, recently named 'Startup to Watch in 2014' by Entrepreneur.com.
About Dash
Dash Labs, Inc. is a private company, headquartered in New York City.
The CEO of Jedox AG, Kristian Raue, has sold his shares in Jedox AG and is leaving the
firm he established with his wife in 2002. Raue's shares have been bought by the financial
investors eCAPITAL Partners and Wecken & Cie. The running of the firm will pass seamlessly
to its directors, Matthias Kramer and Bernd Eisenblatter.
Jedox AG was established in Freiburg in 2002 by Kristian and Gabriele Raue as a
software company for business intelligence solutions. Since its first year of business,
the company has been a continuous success story. Within 12 years, Jedox AG, based in
Freiburg, had created over 100 highly skilled jobs. The sales figures rose continuously at
high double-digit growth rates. In spite of major investments in research and development,
the firm broke even.
In 2013, Jedox AG gained international recognition with the "Cool Vendor" accolade
from GARTNER, the internationally renowned firm of analysts. In 2014, Jedox AG was awarded
the IT INNOVATION PRIZE by the SME Initiative. One of the main factors in Jedox AG's
success was its research cooperation with Freiburg University with regard to the use of
graphic cards (GPU) to speed up database queries.
Kristian Raue says he is leaving because he sees himself as a founder of start-ups and
a serial entrepreneur. "My strength is establishing high-tech start-ups and accompanying
the initial growth phase until the firm has between 50 and 100 employees. I use clear
technical and commercial vision to build up companies. Once a business can stand on its
own two feet, you have to be able to let go as the founder and hand over the next stage of
growth to the established management team."
Prior to Jedox, Kristian Raue had established Graphitti Software GmbH in 1991 and
Intellicube Software AG in 1997. After rapid growth, he successfully managed both
companies until he left.
"Kristian Raue's powers of innovation and vision were crucial factors in the success
of Jedox AG. We thank him for all his work and the great commitment he and his wife have
shown. We wish Germany had more founders like him," said Thilo Schmid, Chairman of the
Supervisory Board of Jedox AG. "Jedox AG, as an internationally recognised technology
leader, is now in an excellent position to profit from the steady growth in demand for
self-service business intelligence solutions," says Dr Paul-Josef Patt, CEO of eCAPITAL
Partners AG and member of the Supervisory Board of Jedox AG. "We are looking forward to
continuing to work closely with the Board to increase the associated growth potential."
About Jedox:
Jedox AG with its head office in Freiburg im Breisgau is one of the leading providers of
self-service business intelligence, analytics and performance management solutions. In
addition to software and support, its range of services also includes implementation and
maintenance. The Jedox Academy also offers modular courses and training. Since release
5.0, the company's software is available for the first time as a free basic version and a
fee-based premium version. http://www.jedox.com
Words With Friends creators form new studio, debut virtual reality game at E3
The game is being developed exclusively for Oculus Rift
MCKINNEY, Texas, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Bettner, best known as the co-creator of "Words With Friends", today announced his new company Playful Corp. will debut their first virtual reality game, "Lucky's Tale", at the upcoming E3 video game convention in Los Angeles, California. "Lucky's Tale" is being developed exclusively for the Oculus Rift platform under a newly announced partnership between Playful Corp. and Oculus VR Inc. Playful is one of the first studios to officially partner with Oculus to create content exclusively for the Rift.
"Virtual reality -- I mean truly accurate, comfortable virtual reality -- is the most important thing to happen to interactive entertainment in decades," said Bettner, who serves as Playful's CEO. "I know it sounds like exaggeration, but it's impossible to explain what this is like to someone who hasn't experienced it for themselves. Your brain is convinced that you are somewhere else, that you are in another world. I have worked my entire career to get to this moment, to create something like this."
Founded in January 2013 (under the original name Verse Inc.), Playful Corp. is an independent studio comprised of the core team of developers that created the highly successful game "Words With Friends" and launched the "With Friends" brand in 2009. In addition to "Words With Friends", this veteran team's credits span multiple hit PC and console franchises, including "Age of Empires", "Halo Wars", and "Starcraft".
"Oculus is committed to bringing the best and most innovative content from developers large and small to our new platform. We are delighted with our new partnership with Playful," said David De Martini, Head of Worldwide Publishing at Oculus.
Playful has two games in development, "Lucky's Tale" created in partnership with Oculus, and "Creativerse", an open-world sandbox game which Playful plans to bring to the Rift after initially launching on the Steam digital distribution platform later this year.
Lucky's Tale is a platforming adventure game experienced in the 3rd person perspective -- unconventional for a VR title. Playful and Oculus have confirmed a fully playable demo will be showcased at the Oculus booth #5222 West Hall.
"This is not a port. We've made something new, from scratch -- a made-only-for-VR game," Bettner said. "The result is unexpected and surprisingly delightful. A platformer in VR? It's a totally new experience, not what typically comes to mind when you think of what a VR game can be. I can't wait to see how people react when they get to play it for the first time at E3."
Anyone interested in following Playful's progress can join them online:
-- Facebook: http://facebook.com/playfulcorp
-- Twitter: http://twitter.com/playfulcorp
About Playful Corp.
Playful Corp. is an independent game studio on a mission to bring joy to the world, one game at a time. Located just north of Dallas in McKinney, TX, and originally known as Verse Inc., Playful was founded in January 2013 by the team that brought you "Words With Friends" and the "With Friends" franchise. Visit Playful online at: http://playfulcorp.com.
About Oculus VR, Inc.
Oculus VR, Inc. is revolutionizing the way people experience video games. The company's first product, the highly anticipated Oculus Rift, is a virtual reality headset that allows players to step inside the game. It provides an immersive, stereoscopic 3D experience with an ultra-wide field of view and super low latency head tracking. For more information, visit: http://www.oculusvr.com.
Clarion Launches 'Clarion Builds' Marketing Program Aimed To Engage Car Enthusiasts
Innovative program is Designed to Encourage Fans and Enthusiasts to Fall back in Love with the Automobile
CYPRESS, Calif., June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarion Corporation of America announced today an innovative marketing program called 'Clarion Builds', intended to connect Clarion and its partners to new and existing fans who are car enthusiasts, automotive sports fans, journalists, historians, and anyone with an interest in design and style.
Clarion Builds is designed to serve as a base for Clarion and its partners to tackle unique restoration projects of iconic cars and trucks, as well as other vehicles such as motorcycles and boats in the near future. Through a mix of social and traditional media, Clarion Builds will bring to the fans and followers of the program details associated with each project in their different phases of completion.
"It feels that our collective world culture is falling out of love with the automobile and we're more interested today in our smartphones and tablets, playing games and watching viral videos rather than enjoying what most of us enjoyed when we were growing up such as cars, driving, motorsports, and owning a piece of motoring art," says Allen H. Gharapetian, Vice President of Marketing and Product Planning for Clarion Corporation of America. "Once we remember the fun of owning, driving, and caring for our cars, trucks or anything else that can move us from here to there, chances are that we'll rediscover why they are such an important part of our culture and why we cannot simply treat them as just transportation devices."
The first Clarion Build project launched in June is a complete, ground up restoration of a 1974 BMW 2002, an iconic modern classic that spawned the popular Sport GT category and fueled the sports sedan revolution. Popularly referred to as the O2 rather than its official 2002 designation, BMW sold over 400,000 examples worldwide from 1968 to 1976. Today, the O2 enjoys its iconic status among many car enthusiasts simply because it is not a limited edition prize, horded by wealthy collectors and locked away in air conditioned garages, instead, it is a work of art enjoyed by real car buffs and enthusiasts who love to have fun tossing it around as a driver.
With the support of its partners, Clarion will restore the BMW to its original factory state while discretely enhancing key components and capabilities to bring it up to present day standards. As expected, the O2 will be equipped with the latest in mobile entertainment and connectivity technologies while keeping everything as close to their original theme as possible.
Clarion has designed each Clarion Builds project to be unique and welcomes key partners and industry leaders from across the automotive community to join the program and participate in projects that would benefit from their involvement, time, and know-how. To find out more about the program, visit Clarion Builds at http://www.clarionbuilds.com or follow Clarion on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/clarionusa.
About Clarion
Headquartered in Cypress, California, Clarion Corporation of America is a subsidiary of Japan-based Clarion Co. Ltd, which has been a consolidated subsidiary of the Hitachi Group since 2006. Clarion has been an international leader in car audio and electronics since 1940. The company is engaged in the research, development, engineering, design, manufacturing, sales and marketing of mobile entertainment, navigation, infotainment, communication, safety and security products for the automotive, marine, recreational vehicle, commercial fleet and heavy industry environments. Clarion has been the recipient of numerous excellence awards for design, innovation, support, manufacturing and product reliability from independent organizations. The company has marketing and sales affiliates in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Clarion is located on the web at http://www.clarion.com.
LG Takes Wraps Off Its Latest Premium Smartphone, The Simple And Smart LG G3, In United States
Coming to U.S. This Summer, Highly-Anticipated LG G3 Smartphone Features Predictive Technology, Quad HD Display and Optimized UI
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics has taken the wraps off of its highly anticipated new premium flagship smartphone, the LG G3. Already well received by key wireless carriers around the globe, the LG G3 will begin rolling out this summer with more than 170 wireless carrier partners worldwide, including major U.S. carriers and retailers, such as T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores.
"With the LG G3, we've developed a premium smartphone that provides a one-of-a-kind simple and intuitive user experience," said Morris Lee, senior vice president and head of North American sales and marketing for LG MobileComm, the maker of the acclaimed G smartphone series, LG G Pad 8.3 tablet and innovative, curved LG G Flex smartphone.
"The LG G3's noteworthy innovations - outperforming the impressive advancements of its predecessor, the popular LG G2 - include our new Quad HD display, a first for smartphones in the U.S., our exclusive Laser Autofocus camera for quicker, sharper photos, LG Knock Code for enhanced security and a new optimized user interface with predictive, adaptive technology. We expect these attributes to make LG G3 a top competitor in the premium smartphone category, further solidifying LG's role as a strong Top 3 player in the U.S. market," Lee said.
According to Strategy Analytics' first-quarter 2014 smartphone shipment data, LG holds a strong number 3 market share in the United States. Building on the acclaim of the premium G series, the LG G2 has set the stage for the LG G3's expected widespread success in the U.S., Lee said.
Under the banner "Simple is the New Smart," LG last week celebrated the global launch of the LG G3 in major launch events in six cities on four continents. More than 150 event attendees in New York and San Francisco, and thousands of viewers online, tuned into the live stream of the official global press briefing held in London for the global introduction of LG G3.
U.S. VIPs, analysts and journalists in attendance were among the first in the world to experience the LG G3's 5.5-inch Quad HD display, which provides an unparalleled smartphone viewing experience while being designed to easily fit in the palm of your hand. LG G3's Quad HD IPS display (2,560 x 1,440 resolution) boasts over 3.8 million pixels, four times the resolution of many of today's HD smartphones for incredible, life-like detail.
For the first time, U.S. smartphone aficionados had the chance to experience the LG G3's innovative new features during the hands-on demonstrations in New York and San Francisco.
The world's first smartphone with Laser Auto Focus and Tap to Shoot, the LG G3 allowed them take picture-perfect shots using its 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with OIS+ technology. Alongside the camera demo stations, LG's new, simplified user experience was on display, spotlighting its new Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice and Smart Security features:
-- Smart Keyboard: Adaptive technology learns as you type for faster input
with fewer mistakes. Smart Keyboard reduces input errors by tracking and
analyzing typing habits and intuitively "knowing" what word the user
intended to type. The height of the keyboard can also be adjusted to
better fit the user's hands and position of the thumbs. Individual keys
can also be customized with frequently used symbols for even faster
input.
-- Smart Notice: Like a personal assistant, LG's Smart Notice provides
suggestions and recommendations based on user behavior, phone usage
patterns and location to offer user information when it's needed the
most. Smart Notice can remind you of a call you declined earlier and ask
if you would like to call that person back. If you have a large number
of unused files or apps on the LG G3 taking up valuable space, Smart
Notice will ask if you would like to delete or uninstall them. What sets
Smart Notice apart from other personal assistants is its natural
language capabilities. For example, instead of just displaying today's
temperature and weather forecast, Smart Notice will make a
recommendation such as, "You may want to take an umbrella today since it
will rain this evening."
-- Smart Security: Understanding the importance of maintaining and securing
confidential data when smartphones are shared, misplaced, lost or
stolen, the LG G3 offers a number of enhanced security features such as
Knock Code and Content Lock:
-- Knock Code(TM) enables users to unlock their device with a pattern
of taps. Merging security and convenience, users can create a
personalized code that can be entered anywhere on the screen. With
the LG G3, users have the option of being able to use KnockON to
wake the screen to check the time or enter the home screen directly
via Knock Code.
-- Content Lock* keeps images and video safe and hidden when enabling
the lock feature. When the LG G3 is connected to a PC, Content Lock
prevents file previews so the data is still safe. The locked images
and videos can reside either on LG G3's internal memory or on the
microSD card.
A collection of new premium accessories (sold separately) previewed last week include:
-- Quick Circle(TM) Case: Available in five colors, Quick Circle allows for
simple, one-tap access to six frequently used smartphone functions,
including calls, text messages, music, camera, all without having to
open the case.
-- LG Tone Infinim(TM) (HBS-900): Developed in collaboration with
Harman/Kardon, LG Tone Infinim delivers premium audio quality sound in a
stylish design highlighted by sleek curves and a glossy metallic finish.
The Tone Infinim(TM) provides users with LG's innovative retractable
wire management technology that leaves no exposed wires to tangle. The
Bluetooth stereo is also equipped with a jog button to fast forward and
rewind effortlessly, as well as a sound and vibration alert function to
inform of incoming messages, current time and battery status. While Tone
Infinim is compatible with all smart devices with Bluetooth, it is
particularly optimized for LG's upcoming G3 smartphone. Name Alert(TM),
which announces the name or phone number of the calling party, is one
feature that is only available to G3 owners.
-- Wireless Charger: Compact and ready-to-go, LG's Wireless Charger is
optimized for easy portability. The Wireless Charger is compatible with
Qi's wireless power charging technology, making charging LG G3 even more
convenient.
Key LG G3 Specifications**:
-- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) 801 (up to 2.5GHz Quad-Core)
-- Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
-- Memory: 32GB eMMC ROM / 3GB DDR3 RAM / microSD slot (128GB)
-- Camera: Rear 13.0MP with OIS+ and Laser Auto Focus, Dual LED Flash /
Front 2.1MP
-- Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
-- Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
-- Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.95mm
-- Weight: 149.8g
-- Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps / CDMA
-- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE (APT-X) NFC,
SlimPort,
-- GPS/Glonass, USB 2.0 HS
-- Colors: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy
Red
-- Other: 1 Watt Speaker with Boost Amp, Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice,
Knock Code, Guest Mode,*** etc.
To sign up for more information and to know when LG G3 will be available in the U.S., please visit http://www.LG.com/US/G3. Join in on the conversation on Facebook or follow LG on Twitter @LGUSAMobile using the hashtag #LGG3 to tell us what you think about one of the most highly-anticipated devices this year.
*Some owner content may still be accessible to a user that enables Content Lock.
**Specifications may vary depending on the market.
***Some owner content and information may still be accessible to a user in Guest Mode.
About LG Electronics MobileComm USA, Inc.
LG Electronics MobileComm USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the U.S. sales subsidiary of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, a global innovator and trend leader in the global mobile communications industry. LG is driving the evolution of mobile forward with its highly competitive core technologies in the areas of display, battery and camera optics and strategic partnerships with noted industry leaders. LG's consumer-centric products ? including the flagship premium G Series models ? incorporate unique, ergonomic designs and intuitive UX features that enhance the user experience. The company remains committed to leading consumers into the era of convergence, maximizing inter-device connectivity between smartphones, tablets and a wide range of home and portable electronics products. For more information, please visit http://www.LG.com.
CONTACT: LG Electronics MobileComm USA, Chaz Abbott, 858-635-5232, Chaz.Abbott@lge.com; or LG-One, Samantha Perez, 212-880-5234, Samantha.Perez@lg-one.com
The ever evolving world of call centre headsets and office headsets have seen major
leaps and advances in both technology, aesthetics and ergonomics over the past 5 years.
These advances have mainly been lead by the big players in the headset market such as
Plantronics, Jabra and Sennheiser. This however is changing as a new player on the headset
market is starting to make waves in the UK and are offering another option to the leading
brand equipment.
Axtel are a Poland based company and have a wide reach into the European market
facilitating both call centres and offices across Europe. They are now also starting to
make headway into the UK with their range of cost effective and premium quality headsets
both in corded and wireless versions.
AxTel was launched nearly a decade ago with one goal: offer best-in-class professional
headsets for the call centre and office industry (CC&O). AxTel CC&O headsets and
accessories offer top quality comfort and high performance. All headsets are equipped and
are compliant with the latest technology standards. Constantly aware of market needs the
AxTel brand focuses on developing the elements most important for customer satisfaction:
- Noise cancelling
- Acoustics and audibility
- Ergonomic and wearing comfort
- Robust, solid and aesthetic design
- Overall compatibility (desk phones / PCs)
By constantly responding to market fluctuations and customer expectation, AxTel has
become a known brand on the European market, being associated with Premium products at
affordable prices.
The Axtel headsets as you would expect, also offer a choice from a full range of
cables and accessories to compliment the headsets and to ensure they work perfectly with
main stream phone systems.
The enhanced comfort, durability and sound quality means the Axtel headsets will
definitely start to make an impact in call centres and offices up and down the UK as more
and more people opt for a more cost effective approach than that of the leading brand
alternatives.
If you would like to hear more about Axtel headsets or trial them at your call centre,
please contact Jamie Carter of CC Headsets Ltd at sales@callcenterheadets.co.uk or phone
+44-(0)1273781018 for details.