Magisto And Discovery Bring 35 Million Users Into The Wild Nature Of Storms, Sloths And Dinosaurs
Discovery Footage Now Available for Mash-up Into Magisto Personal Videos; Cable, Online Brand Accesses New Audience
NEW YORK, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Magisto, the cloud-based mobile video platform, today announced that through a new alliance with Discovery Digital Networks, the original web video division of Discovery Communications, consumers can now mash-up Discovery Digital Networks' video content with their own Magisto videos, marrying for the first time branded, professional video with personal video footage and photos.
This collaboration lets consumers tell their own stories mashed up with Discovery Digital Networks content, enhancing their storytelling and inserting the brand deep into consumers' personal stories.
The alliance represents a new way for Discovery Communications, the world's number one pay TV programmer, to use existing digital-native content to reach 35 million Magisto consumers in a highly engaged medium, and signifies a growing opportunity for brands to empower their customers and make them brand ambassadors.
It also offers media companies in general a new way to leverage existing content, turning viewers into co-creators of new content and converting the traditional television and online models into a collaborative exercise where viewers and producers partner to create new content.
"Magisto's user base has grown exponentially over the past year, and video storytelling is crossing into mass adoption with the base of 1.75 billion global smartphone users, as announced by eMarketer. Content owners like Discovery are recognizing the rapidly expanding potential and the new voice of personal video," said Reid Genauer, CMO of Magisto. "Discovery Digital Networks is exploring uncharted territory by opening up their expansive content library and inventing a new hybrid class of personal, video narrative. They are elevating the retelling of life experiences and redefining the role of professional media content in social media."
The announcement marks the launch of the "Wild Nature" custom Magisto theme created with proprietary Discovery Digital Networks video. The custom theme will allow Magisto users to "mash up" their personal photos and videos with nature footage from the Discovery archives, creating content that transforms personal memories and experiences into a new form of social programming.
The currently available Discovery Digital Networks video includes scenes from extreme weather and other natural phenomena. Future releases will incorporate footage of 3D life-like dinosaurs and sloths from Discovery Digital Network's upcoming Sloth Week, which debuts in June.
"Media today is about the conversation, not the megaphone. At Discovery Digital Networks, we know that engagement around our videos is as important as watching them," said Jim Louderback, GM of Discovery Digital Networks. "Curation and remixing add depth and context to our narrative in ways we never even contemplated. That's why we're so excited about working with Magisto to help our viewers co-mingle their stories with ours. And the results speak for themselves: 800,000 Discovery Digital branded travel movies created and over 5,000,000 views in just two short months!"
Magisto employs A.I. driven technology that analyzes and automatically edits and produces raw video and photos to recreate life experiences and personal memories for their vast network of 35 million users. Magisto and Discovery Digital Media launched a Discovery travel theme in January 2014, which has been used to create more than 800,000 Discovery branded travel videos, which have collectively garnered more than 5 million views.
Personal video continues to grow more robust, offering consumers much more than simple messaging apps or cumbersome editing platforms that force consumers to mimic professional videography editors and directors. Magisto, which has enjoyed skyrocketing consumer downloads in the last six months, has been at the forefront of the technological inventions, introducing features that make capturing consumers' life experiences seamless and easy.
About Discovery Digital Networks
Discovery Digital Networks (DDN) produces and distributes digital-native programming for today's millennial audiences. With a robust portfolio of original video networks, including Revision3, TestTube, Animalist and The DeFranco Network, DDN delivers weekly and daily episodic shows enjoyed by loyal, passionate fans and anchored by engaging personalities. Discovery Digital Networks is a division of the world's leading nonfiction media company, Discovery Communications.
About Magisto
Driven by artificial intelligence and simple user experience, Magisto is a cloud-based mobile technology service for creating and sharing beautiful quality personal movies. It automatically selects the most compelling moments from ordinary videos and photos and, like an expert video editor, weaves them together to convey a story with customized styles and music. Magisto is used by millions of customers and can be accessed across iOS, Android, the Amazon Appstore for Android and the Web, and is the highest-rated video creation app in the Google Play and iOS App Stores.
The company is funded by Horizons Ventures, Magma Venture Partner, Qualcomm Incorporated, through its venture capital arm, Qualcomm Ventures, and SanDisk Ventures. The company maintains its headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel with offices in New York and California.
Contact:
Paula Batson
917-873-8294
paula@magisto.com
@peebb
OR
Patrick Ward
720-407-6062
patrick.ward@104west.com
OR
Kate Delmonico
240-662-6513
kate_delmonico@discovery.com
UL Becomes Authorized Test Laboratory for Wi-Fi Alliance®
NORTHBROOK, Ill., May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a global safety science leader, has successfully completed the Wi-Fi Alliance(®) process to become an independent Authorized Test Lab (ATL), accredited to perform certification testing services for a global roster of Wi-Fi Alliance members.
Effective immediately, UL can perform the baseline tests for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) ac, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) n, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) WPA2(TM) Protected Management Frames. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program assures tested and proven interoperability among Wi-Fi(®) devices. This certification gives users confidence that Wi-Fi products bearing the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo have passed rigorous interoperability certification requirements. UL is currently working on completing Wi-Fi certification for the entire Wi-Fi Alliance Test Suite by the end of 2014.
By becoming a Wi-Fi Alliance ATL, UL customers no longer have to go to multiple labs for performance, conformance and interoperability. Additionally this accreditation is a natural extension of UL's established leadership in the 60 GHz testing space through the WiGig Alliance, which merged with Wi-Fi Alliance in early 2013. UL has worked closely with equipment manufacturers in regard to the development and validation of the WiGig (60 GHz) test plan for more than five years and hosted several related Plugfest events sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association.
"Successfully completing this Wi-Fi Alliance authorization is an essential element as it relates to our strategy for providing the wireless industry with a single source testing solution," said Mike Kuo, North American Regional General Manager for UL's Consumer Technology Division. "UL is already recognized as a leader in OTA, Bluetooth, Wireless Charging, SAR and RF performance and conformance testing."
In addition to this recent authorization, UL has been an Authorized Test Lab for the WirelessHD Consortium since 2009 and a contributing member of the WiGig Alliance since 2011.Company executives from UL also participate in Wi-Fi Alliance's Health Care Marketing Task Group and CSEP's (Consortium for SEP 2 Interoperability) Technical and Marketing Groups.
For more information about UL testing and certification capabilities for the telecommunications industry, please visit http://industries.ul.com/wireless
About UL
UL is a premier global independent safety science company that has championed progress for 120 years. Its more than 10,000 professionals are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working and living environments for all people. UL uses research and standards to continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety needs. We partner with businesses, manufacturers, trade associations and international regulatory authorities to bring solutions to a more complex global supply chain. For more information about our certification, testing, inspection, advisory and education services, visit http://www.ul.com/.
CONTACT: Richard Hammer
Marketing, Consumer Technology Division
UL LLC
510.771.1125
Allview is Launching X2 Soul, the Thinnest Smartphone, on the European Market
BRASOV, Romania, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Allview, the number 1 Romanian smartphones and tablets brand, is launching the X2 Soul
smartphone today on the European market. With a thickness of only 5.55 mm, the new device
stands at the top classification of the thinnest phones in the world.
The phone's revolutionary dimensions were obtained by using the latest technologies.
X2 Soul is made out of 98% metal and glass, being covered on both sides by a thin layer of
Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (0.55 thickness on the front side and 0.40 mm on the back). X2
Soul is the ideal gadget for technology addicts, the 2,300 mAH battery offering the
autonomy of up to 10 hours of talk time.
"The strongest hardware components and the newest technologies were put together into
a device of only 5.55 mm thickness, without compromising its performance," said Allview's
General Manager, Lucian Peticila.
The new device has a 5 inch full HD Super Amoled display, Octa Core processor, 16 GB
internal memory, 2 GB RAM and two cameras of 13 and 5 MP respectively.
The powerful Octa Core MediaTek MT6592 processor, together with the Mali 450 GPU,
offers premium performance in games and advanced multi-tasking.
"The MT6592 is part of our commitment to providing high performance yet cost-effective
solutions, accelerating the global demographic transformations that are driving the new
Super-mid market. As a 'True' Octa-Core smartphone platform, the MT6592's eight cores are
fully scalable and capable of clock speeds of up to 1.7GHz in the AllView X2 Soul for
excellent performance-per-Watt, so users can now effortlessly do multiple things at once,
for maximum utilization of their smartphones," said MediaTek's Senior Director, Arthur
Wang.
X2 Soul comes with a main 13 MP Sony IMX 135 camera with Auto Focus and LED Flash. The
5 MP front camera offers an 95-degree ultra-wide angle which allows full body self
portraits.
X2 Soul is available in two colours (black and white) and can be purchased at a price
of 333 Euros.
Adder Technology Supplies High Performance KVM Solution to Warner Bros. De Lane Lea
CAMBRIDGE, England, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Adder brings flexibility and reliability to Soho mixing stages
Adder Technology [http://www.adder.com ], the high performance keyboard, video and
mouse (KVM) specialist, has successfully completed an installation of its AdderLink
Infinity range at Warner Bros. De Lane Lea in London.
The deal was facilitated through Adder Technology's reseller, IP Performance, who
selected the AdderLink Infinity based on the client's twin requirements for greater
flexibility and reliability. Adder supplied three AdderLink Infinity systems (featuring
high performance IP-based KVM) to Warner Bros. De Lane Lea for use in the upgrade of
legacy equipment in three suites in its Soho facility.
AdderLink forms the central KVM infrastructure for all three rooms and enables
engineers to quickly and easily reconfigure the mixing stages based on the individual
requirements of its different customers.
Pierre Ketteridge, Technical Pre-Sales Consultant at IP Performance explains: "With
audio suites being hired out on a daily and weekly basis, bespoke configuration is key to
meeting the requirements of each new customer. It is therefore important that set-up can
be accomplished easily to save both time and money. As the management tools are so user
friendly, the AdderLink Infinity enables engineers to complete the configuration quickly
and simply."
Through Adder's high performance, IP-based KVM matrix, the computers can be placed
outside of the suite, in a server room, freeing up space within the critical environment.
Customers at the studio typically work with the Avid Pro Tools package and Adder's
technology enables them to pick up their project from any screen in the studio, without
having to move workstations, and with no loss of quality.
In addition to versatility, the AdderLink Infinity encourages collaboration and
enables the sharing of control between machines while delivering excellent video quality
and USB-based interactions, which is of particular benefit in applications such as audio
mixing for film and television.
About Adder Technology
Adder Technology [http://www.adder.com. ] is a leading developer and thought leader in
connectivity solutions. Adder's media networks, extenders and keyboard, video and mouse
switch solutions enable the control and distribution of IT systems around the world. The
company distributes its products in more than 60 countries through a network of
distributors, resellers and OEMs. Adder has offices in the United States, United Kingdom,
Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, China and Singapore.
Online backup provider, IDrive, launches New Express Service for Faster Cloud Sync
LOS ANGELES, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- IDrive Inc., a leader in online backup, today announced its new IDrive Express for Sync service that uses a physical drive to ship large amounts of data to users' cloud accounts in order to eliminate bandwidth usage, which slows upload speed, and provide faster data syncing capabilities.
The online, offsite backup provider is offering this new service, free of charge to both business and personal accounts, to give users with high data volumes a faster way to sync their files. Once a user requests and receives an Express Sync drive (up to 3TB), they simply select the data from their devices to add to the Express Sync drive and ship the physical drive back to IDrive where it is then transferred from the device to secure servers and can be accessed from the user's cloud account.
Once transferred, users can selectively sync files across all linked devices. The service is especially beneficial for users who are in need of getting terabytes of data to the cloud within 5-7 days, as this physical shipment and upload process is significantly faster than syncing data across a regular internet connection. "Currently, within the cloud sync community, there are no other companies offering a solution to users that focuses on syncing data to the cloud faster," says Raghu Kulkarni, CEO of IDrive. "With the recent launch of our Sync functionality, we had users requesting that their data sync up faster, so we created Express Sync."
Data remains safe throughout the transfer process, stored and encrypted with military grade 256-bit AES encryption and the option for a private key. Currently available to customers in the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and the UK, the IDrive Express for Sync service is free, available once a year for Pro Personal users and three times a year for Pro Business users. Subsequent service requests will be subject to the $59.95 charge.
About IDrive
IDrive Inc. is a privately held company specializing in cloud storage, online backup, file sharing, remote access, compliance, sync and related technologies. Core services include IDrive®, IBackup®,RemotePC(TM) and EVS for developers. The company's services help over 2 million customers back up over 45 Petabytes of data.
SOURCE IDrive Inc.
IDrive Inc.
CONTACT: Matthew Harvey, matthew.harvey@idrive.com, (818) 251 - 4200 x127
Cadence Announces New Integrated Solution for Rapid Die-Package Interconnect Planning
Enables concurrent optimization of multi-fabric elements, leading to lower cost and higher performance
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadence Design Systems, Inc., a leader in global electronic design innovation, today announced a new integrated solution to significantly cut down die-package interconnect planning time from weeks to days by reducing iterations between silicon and package design teams. The solution, built on Cadence(®) OrbitIO(TM) technology, also shortens the time to converge on the physical interface between the die and package up to 60 percent, all within the context of the full system.
Building on its leadership position for co-design in the implementation stage, Cadence OrbitIO technology is used earlier in the design cycle to provide rapid interconnect planning of high-performance interfaces across multiple fabrics. As part of an overall co-design solution, Cadence OrbitIO technology provides seamless integration with Cadence SiP Layout and the Cadence Encounter® digital implementation platform. This integrated solution allows design teams to clearly communicate design intent throughout the flow, resulting in better decision-making, fewer iterations and shorter cycle-times. It can enable fabless semiconductor or systems companies to evaluate package route feasibility, and allows them to communicate a route plan to their package design resources, whether it is to an internal group or to an outsourced assembly and test (OSAT) provider.
"The Cadence OrbitIO global view of system connectivity helps Faraday reduce the time required to converge on the optimal die bump to package ball pad assignment," said Dr. Wang-Jin Chen, senior technologist of Faraday. "The combination of connectivity optimization and route feasibility functions helped us produce a route plan resulting in two fewer package layers with all DDR signals implemented on a single package layer."
Cadence (NASDAQ: CDNS) enables global electronic design innovation and plays an essential role in the creation of today's integrated circuits and electronics. Customers use Cadence software, hardware, IP, and services to design and verify advanced semiconductors, consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications equipment, and computer systems. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world to serve the global electronics industry. More information about the company, its products, and services is available here.
Vietnam Operator AVG, Along with Samsung & SMIT, Launches IDTV+CAM Solution
HANOI, Vietnam, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Vietnam's largest private pay TV operator, An Vien Television (AVG), along with SMIT, the leading operations platform provider for secure distribution of paid content, and Samsung, the world leading TV manufacturer, jointly launched to provide IDTV+CAM solutions to Vietnamese audience.
The solution, which includes Samsung's integrated digital TV (IDTV), AVG's HDTV programs and SMiT's conditional access module (CAM), is facility embedded inside the IDTV allowing the subscribers' interactive watching experience without the need for a set-top box (STB).
AVG is the first Pay-TV operator offering IDTV+CAM solutions in the Vietnam market. The new TV program packages will be bound with Samsung's all-in-one set. As AVG's CAM supplier, SMIT offers the latest CI+CAM to provide maximum protection for the content security and stronger hardware support for compliance with functions that may be available in the future, including but not limited to VOD, PVR, Time-shift, etc.
"Deploying Pay-TV service via IDTV and CAM platform is a step that has never been taken by others in the Vietnam market before," said Mr. Tran Cong So - Deputy General Director of AVG: "We are glad to cooperate with Samsung and SMIT to provide our customers with an easy and convenient way to enjoy Pay-TV services."
"The IDTV+CAM mode enables operators to provide their customers with a more convenient way of enjoying digital TV, which has been preferred in Europe for years," said Ms. Brenda Bai, General Manager of Sales Department at SMIT. "SMIT will continually work hard on the promotion for the IDTV+CAM mode to make TV viewing easier for more subscribers around Southeast Asia Market."
About AVG
An Vien Television (AVG) is a leading private digital TV broadcaster in Vietnam. As the pioneer in seeking and applying the world's latest digital technologies, AVG is the first in Vietnam to successfully apply the SFN (Single Frequency Network) technology and DVB-T2 (Digital Video Broadcasting - Second Generation Terrestrial) together with MPEG-4 compression standard to its broadcasting infrastructure. By applying these modern technologies, AVG has contributed the best Pay-TV service to Vietnamese TV market and saved a lot of the nation's frequency resources as well.
As a leading company in technology, Samsung makes all possible to everyone. Never stop innovating and exploring, Samsung creates changes in television industry, smart phone and tablet, notebook, camera, digital home appliance, LTE connection, printer, hospital equipment and LED lighting solution. Samsung currently has 286,000 employees working in 80 countries and our annual revenue is 261.7 billion USD. For more details, please visit http://www.samsung.com/vn.
About SMiT
SMiT is a global-leading operation platform provider of secure distribution of paid content. In the broadcasting industry, SMiT is a famous provider of customized Conditional Access Modules (CAM). Besides, SMiT is also an end-to-end platform provider for secure distribution of OTT paid content in the internet industry, offering operators and content providers flexible OTT-based solutions.
SMiT was founded in 2003 and its headquarters are located in Hong Kong. It has branches in Shenzhen, Beijing, Munich, and Silicon Valley. Currently it has about 400 employees.
BullGuard Unveils Industry-leading Mobile Security App
LONDON, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Smart protection for Android phones and tablets
- Antivirus ensures 24/7 protection against the rising tide of malware aimed
at Android devices
- Antitheft protects against loss and theft with remote lock, wipe and locate
features
- Simple one-tap up to 100GB mobile data backup to protect important information
- Remote control of devices with Mobile Security Manager
- Powerful parental controls allow discreet monitoring of a child's device
- Call Manager blocks unwanted calls, spam numbers and messages
This cutting-edge app delivers next generation security to protect users against a
wide range of threats and offers industry-leading defence to safeguard against the damage
than can arise from loss or theft.
BullGuard Mobile Security offers an array of powerful tools unmatched by competitors.
It's easy-to-use, provides intuitive operation and doesn't drain batteries. It delivers
comprehensive protection and ensures that important data is kept safe from prying eyes.
The app also includes BullGuard Mobile Security Manager, a web-based platform that
provides remote access to devices, and answers the problems of safeguarding data faced by
today's mobile users.
KEY FEATURES of the all new BullGuard Mobile Security & Antivirus app
- Antivirus
Antivirus protects against malware, adware and trackware to keep a phone safe and
nuisance-free. It features an ultra-fast cloud-based AV engine that has minimal impact on
battery power and ensures that the very latest virus signatures and definitions are
utilised to scan a device without requiring regular updates or user intervention. An
automatic scan checks apps as soon as they are installed and immediately notifies users if
malicious or suspicious code has been detected. A manual full scan can also be carried out
providing a complete summary of current phone status. Remote monitoring of virus events is
also available through the web-based BullGuard Mobile Security Manager.
- Antitheft and Remote Control (lock, wipe, locate, alarm)
Comprehensive Antitheft tools offer robust protection if a device is lost or stolen.
Features include remote lock and unlock of a device, GPS locate, remote data wipe, and a
Scream function to help locate a device in the immediate area. If someone tries to change
the SIM card the device automatically locks or wipes data. All of these features are
accessible via the Mobile Security Manager on any internet enabled device.
- Mobile Backup with one tap
BullGuard Mobile Security also includes a backup module to safeguard important data.
One-tap backup safeguards key data such as contacts, calendar and SMS information. This
backup feature provides a secure online drive with capacities of up to 100GB. Users can
also easily transfer data between a mobile device and computer ensuring swift and
trouble-free access to backup content on the move.
- Remote control of devices with Mobile Security Manager
BullGuard Mobile Security Manager is a web-based interface that allows users to view
information and reports on various aspects of the software from any internet enabled
device, as well as control many of the features remotely. It offers device monitoring for
messages, voice calls and installed apps, and can show antivirus activity and the data
backed up from your mobile device. It also offers control over antitheft commands,
including remotely locking, wiping and locating a device, or activating a scream command
to locate it in the immediate area.
- Parental Control and monitoring
A powerful Parental Control module helps safeguard children. Parents can discretely
monitor SMS messages, calls and pictures, and view applications that are installed on a
child's device. They can also activate GPS tracking to locate a device. Remote management
of these features provides parents with discreet real-time, flexible monitoring and
control.
- Spam blocker
A Call Manager tool can be used to automatically block numbers from call history,
contacts lists or manual entries via a blacklist. A short code block option also halts
spam messages typically sent from numbers that contain five digits or less, with a
whitelist available to allow certain numbers as users see fit.
Everything you need from a Mobile Security app
"BullGuard Mobile Security is an industry-leading product developed from detailed
research into people's smartphone security needs. As such, it provides comprehensive and
unbeatable protection for mobile users," said Alex Balan, Head of Product Management at
BullGuard.
"It provides users, including parents with young children, with all the protection
they need. It's easy to use, works quietly but effectively in the background and
importantly has minimal impact on system resources and battery life."
BullGuard Mobile Security is available as a 15-day trial for three devices. The full
Premium suite consists of a one year subscription for up to 5 devices, including up to
100GB of storage on the backup drive. It's available as a free download from the Google
Play Store from May 2014. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bullguard.mobile.mobilesecurity
About BullGuard:
Launched in 2002, BullGuard is one of the fastest growing antivirus and mobile
security brands. Today, its product portfolio also includes award-winning antivirus,
premium 24/7 protection, web-based identity and social media protection that works across
all devices, as well as PC and mobile backup software solutions. BullGuard's philosophy
has always remained the same - to combine technical excellence with a genuine
understanding of consumer needs, creating simple, easy-to-use products that deliver
complete protection, and to enable customers to control and manage their digital
footprint.
For two consecutive years (2012 and 2013), BullGuard Internet Security has won a
coveted "Best Buy" award from Which?
Marvell Solidifies Leadership in SSD Market with Introduction of PCIe SSD Controller Supporting SATA Express
With SATA Express connectivity, the new Marvell 88SS1083 SSD controller enables simple migration from SATA to PCIe and drives new ecosystem with 1GB/s IO speed
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) today announced the launch of its new 88SS1083 PCI Express (PCIe) solid state drive (SSD) controller --a two-lane PCIe Gen2 SSD controller. With performance transfer rates up to 1GB/s, Marvell's 88SS1083 controller allows SSD manufacturers to offer PCIe SSD at price parity to SATA SSD. The Marvell 88SS1083 is the industry's first controller to be fully compliant with the SATA Express standard, which leverages the most popular PCIe interface and brings in low latency, dual-lane support and 1GB/s data transfer rate.
The new 88SS1083 controller also supports Separate RefClock with Independent SSC (SRIS), a critical feature as it eliminates the need for an expensive shielded cable for minimizing noise and instead allows for a cost-effective SATA Express cable. SATA Express host can connect either high-performance SATA Express SSDs or traditional SATA devices at similar accessory costs.
"Improving performance while maintaining low power becomes more important than ever, especially for today's ultrathin notebooks and tablets," said Rajan Pai, Vice President, Sales and Field Applications Engineering at Marvell. "The new 88SS1083 allows SSD OEMs to offer higher performance, PCIe-based SSD solutions at similar prices to SATA and is quickly becoming the controller of choice for global OEMs. Marvell is proudly pioneering a new generation of high-performance and low-power silicon solutions that is driving our industry forward."
"SATA Express is a breakthrough interface for internal storage and will ignite demand for fast SSDs. ASUS has worked closely with Marvell to unleash the full true performance of SATA Express and to ensure the best compatibility. SRIS-enabled SATA Express technology has been carefully engineered into selected ASUS 9 Series motherboards-- and we expect this standard will breed many new and exciting devices," said Joe Hsieh, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of ASUS Motherboard Business Unit and Desktop Business Unit.
In addition to SATA Express compliance, the new 88SS1083 controller was designed with 28nm low-power process technology, minimizing its power consumption. As low power becomes a key factor when deploying SSD, the 88SS1083 controller's support for DevSleep and L1.2 PCIe low power state provides another level of power management when the drive is almost completely shut down, allowing devices to be always on and always connected without reducing battery life. Additionally, the NAND flash controller design is based on the well-established Marvell IP and can scale to support 15nm NAND flash.
Key features of Marvell's new 88SS1083 PCIe SSD controller include:
-- New GB/s SATA Express that replaces 6Gb/s SATA storage
-- SRIS for SATA Express connectivity and L1.2 support for ultralow storage
power management
-- New IO design for cost-effective cabling and compliance with 2014 PC
chipsets
-- Gen 2x2, 28nmAdvanced NAND flash controller for new 1znm NAND flash and
Toggle 2/ONFI 3 at 400MT/s NAND IO support
The 88SS1083 is currently sampling to lead customers and is scheduled to be in mass production in Q4, 2014. Marvell's latest SSD controller technologies will be showcased at COMPUTEX, being held June 3 - 7, 2014, at the Grand Hyatt Taipei Taipei, Residence One.
About Marvell
Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a global leader in providing complete silicon solutions and Kinoma® software enabling the "Smart Life and Smart Lifestyle." From mobile communications to storage, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud infrastructure, digital entertainment and in-home content delivery, Marvell's diverse product portfolio aligns complete platform designs with industry-leading performance, security, reliability and efficiency. At the core of the world's most powerful consumer, network and enterprise systems, Marvell empowers partners and their customers to always stand at the forefront of innovation, performance and mass appeal. By providing people around the world with mobility and ease of access to services adding value to their social, private and work lives, Marvell is committed to enhancing the human experience. For more information, please visit http://www.Marvell.com.
Marvell, M and the M logo are registered trademarks of Marvell and/or its affiliates. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
For Further Information Contact:
Marvell Media Relations
Sue Kim
Broadcom Announces Bluetooth Smart Chips for Peripheral Devices
SoCs Target Array of Products including Remote Controls, Keyboards and Mice
IRVINE, Calif., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
News Highlights:
-- Designed to reduce overall OEM costs in broad category of companion
devices
-- Enable voice search capabilities for home entertainment remote controls
-- Enable successful connections for the latest keyboards and mice with new
and previous generation computing devices
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today introduced two new Bluetooth(®) Smart systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) that are cost-effective for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and enhance the consumer experience with home entertainment and mobile computing technology. For more news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom.
The ubiquitous presence of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth inside digital TVs, over-the-top (OTT) boxes, set-top boxes (STBs), PCs and tablets is leading to a parallel demand for smart devices such as remote controls, keyboards and mice. Broadcom's new Bluetooth Smart chips, the BCM20734 and BCM20738, apply the company's connectivity expertise to this growing market.
The BCM20738 is Broadcom's latest Bluetooth Smart product that lowers the overall bill of materials (BOM) for OEMs in a wide variety of peripherals. The BCM20734 reduces the cost of voice search capabilities on next-generation remote controls for OEMs by integrating analog to digital convertor (ADC) support directly on the Bluetooth Smart chip. It is also the first chip to support both Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Classic, enabling high performance even in connected homes with heavy traffic between devices. Consumers can enjoy a seamless connection and ideal experience between a new Bluetooth Smart-enabled keyboard or mouse and an existing PC, even if the model of the PC only supports Bluetooth Classic technology.
"Broadcom continues to innovate in the expanding Bluetooth Smart ecosystem," said Rahul Patel, Broadcom Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Connectivity Combos. "The new Bluetooth Smart chips for remote controls and peripherals are the ideal complement to our industry leading combo-chips in today's connected home products, delivering an enhanced experience to consumers at an affordable cost to OEMs."
Key Features:
-- BCM20734 is the industry's first dual-mode chip that enables keyboards
and mice to interact with computing platforms over either Bluetooth
Smart or Bluetooth Classic
-- BCM20734 integrates ADC support for voice search capability and reduces
the BOM for OEMs
-- BCM20738 offers OEMs a low-cost solution for single-mode Bluetooth Smart
devices
-- BCM20734 and BCM20738 do not require a second crystal to stay connected
during longer periods of device inactivity for additional reduction in
system cost
-- BCM20734 and BCM20738 application development kits (ADKs) enable
developers to create varied applications
-- BCM20734 and BCM20738 support Windows and Android host devices
Availability
The Broadcom BCM20734 and BCM20738 Bluetooth Smart chips, reference designs and ADKs are currently sampling with customers.
For ongoing news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom, read the B-Connected Blog, or visit Facebook or Twitter. And to stay connected, subscribe to Broadcom's RSS Feed.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®. For more information, go to http://www.broadcom.com.
Broadcom(®), the pulse logo, Connecting everything® and the Connecting everything logo are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
Contacts
--------
Press Investors
Perrin Cox Chris Zegarelli
Public Relations Sr. Director, Investor Relations
408-922-7855 949-926-7567
pcox@broadcom.com czegarel@broadcom.com
SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Mobile & Wireless
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060609/BROADCOMLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Mobile & Wireless
Broadcom's WICED Smart SoC Increases Security and Adds iBeacon Support for Growing Internet of Things Ecosystem
New Chip Improves Data Protection and Enhances Indoor Location Experience
IRVINE, Calif., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
News Highlights:
-- On-chip security dramatically increases privacy across expanding number
of connected products
-- Support for iBeacon technology enables faster proximity detection and
identification
-- Integrated software offers A4WP Rezence(TM) wireless charging support
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today introduced a new Bluetooth(®) Smart system-on-a-chip (SoC) into its Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED(TM)) family, adding advanced security features and iBeacon technology support for the widening Internet of Things ecosystem. For more news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom.
The steady rise in data sharing across smartphones, tablets, wearables, home appliances, healthcare products, sensory applications and more has raised privacy concerns. Broadcom's BCM20737 helps protect sensitive information with its new low-cost, low-power WICED Smart chip. The new SoC includes RSA 4000 bit encryption and decryption support, addressing the most critical security threats and ensuring user data is securely coded during transfer.
The BCM20737 chip and Broadcom's full portfolio of Bluetooth Smart solutions support iBeacon technology for better device detection and identity. iBeacon is a technology Apple introduced with iOS 7 that uses Bluetooth Low Energy and geofencing to provide apps a whole new level of micro-location awareness, such as trail markers in a park, exhibits in a museum, or product displays in stores. Users can, for example, instantly find their car keys by activating a smartphone application that detects a low-power transmitter on the keys.
The WICED Smart SoC also includes native support for A4WP Rezence(TM) wireless charging. According to ABI Research, the average U.S. household has more than 10 devices that need to be charged and recharged for normal operation. As the first chip vendor to offer a Bluetooth Smart chip with wireless charging support, Broadcom is paving the way for an expanding list of products that can be easily charged in the home or on-the-go.
"Broadcom continues to build on its WICED success by tackling privacy concerns and keeping data safe with our new Bluetooth Smart chip," said Brian Bedrosian, Broadcom Senior Director, Embedded Wireless, Wireless Connectivity. "In addition, support for iBeacon is critical to Broadcom as the technology has seen strong adoption and is quickly gaining momentum in retail stores, sports venues, airports and more. By delivering top-shelf security and support for iBeacon, we are accelerating product development for our customers so that they can focus on creating the next wave of innovative applications in the evolving Internet of Things ecosystem."
"Advanced security in Bluetooth chips is becoming increasingly important to protect products from being hacked and to encrypt data being sent between products," said Philip Solis, Research Director, ABI Research. "2.7 billion Bluetooth-enabled products will ship this year - 20 percent more than 2013 - as more people connect accessories to mobile devices and PCs. Broadcom's Bluetooth Smart product can help reduce the risks these connections pose to consumers."
Key Features of the WICED Smart Chip:
-- Encryption, decryption, certificate signing, verification and various
algorithms for increased privacy
-- Support for iBeacon technology
-- Support for A4WP Rezence(TM) wireless charging
-- Integrated software to enable direct connect to NFC tag
-- Support for up to eight simultaneous master/slave connections
-- Support for audio over Bluetooth Smart enables voice capabilities for
toys, remotes and more
-- Highly integrated ARM Cortex M3 applications processor for reduced
solution size and cost
-- Superior receiver sensitivity for maximized range and coverage for
Bluetooth peripherals
-- On-chip, multi-channel ADC for measuring sensor inputs, battery level
and more
-- Onboard stack with many profiles embedded, eliminating the need for an
external stack
-- Support for universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART), serial
peripheral interface (SPI) and Broadcom serial control interfaces for
communication to external nonvolatile memories, peripheral integrated
circuits (ICs) and sensors
Availability
The Broadcom BCM20737 is currently sampling with evaluation boards (EVBs) and software development kits (SDKs). Visit http://community.broadcom.com to learn more.
For ongoing news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom, read the B-Connected Blog, or visit Facebook or Twitter. And to stay connected, subscribe to Broadcom's RSS Feed.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®. For more information, go to http://www.broadcom.com.
Broadcom(®), the pulse logo, Connecting everything®, the Connecting everything logo and WICED(TM) are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
Contacts
--------
Press Investors
Perrin Cox Chris Zegarelli
Public Relations Sr. Director, Investor Relations
408-922-7855 949-926-7567
pcox@broadcom.com czegarel@broadcom.com
SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Mobile & Wireless
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060609/BROADCOMLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Mobile & Wireless
Say Hello to Ringo: The Smart International Calling App; No Wi-Fi Required
LOS ANGELES, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
New easy-to-use mobile app saves big on international calling, delivering
best-in-class call quality and reliability
Ringo, a new international calling app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices, is
now available - making international calls simple and inexpensive. Whether you are a
business user, an international traveler, or living abroad, Ringo is affordable and easy
to use. It offers landline call quality at a fraction of the cost when compared to
traditional long distance calling and VoIP services. Ringo is a simple and inexpensive way
to keep in touch with colleagues abroad.
To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:
Ringo calls do not use the Internet, Wifi or data. Making a call using the Ringo app
is identical to making a call through a wireless carrier in terms of quality, and yet
costs lower than even popular calling apps, and significantly lower (up to 1/10th) than
traditional carrier prices . With over $95 billion spent per-year on international
calling, Ringo could mean huge cost savings across the globe.
"Staying connected with colleagues and friends abroad should be convenient, reliable
and most importantly, low-cost," said Bhavin Turakhia, CEO of Ringo. "Ringo makes
international calling easy and won't make you think twice about connecting with loved ones
or conducting business because of our carrier grade call quality and low costs."
Additionally, Ringo will launch with an 80 percent discount on calling rates to United
States mobile phones. Ringo will offer an unprecedented rate of $0.003 per minute to US
mobile phones, which is 90 percent cheaper than popular calling apps.
"The US receives over 35 billion voice minutes per year, amounting to billions of
dollars spent annually" said Turakhia. "US calls made through Ringo could potentially save
over a billion dollars for consumers without compromising the call quality."
The Ringo app routes calls in a similar fashion to a regular carrier, without using
the Internet, and the origination number continues to appear as the caller ID. This means
calls are not affected by fluctuations in internet connectivity that often lead to audio
delays, loss of quality and dropped calls.
At launch, Ringo will be available to users in the following 16 countries, who can use
Ringo to make international calls to any destination worldwide at an affordable cost.
- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Singapore
- Spain
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States
About Ringo
Ringo is an international calling app that uses a unique call flow to provide
best-in-class call quality at costs lower than other popular calling apps. Ringo calls do
not use the Internet, wifi or data and are instead use regular phone lines. Ringo is
unlike any international calling apps available today and is unparalleled in cost,
convenience, simplicity and reliability. Ringo is available for download on iOS, Android
and Windows smartphones and at Ringo.co.
Tagetik is an Exhibitor at the SAPinsider Financials and HANA 2014 Conferences
LUCCA, Italy and NICE, France, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Tagetik's Performance Management software integrates with SAP(R) ERP, SAP
NetWeaver(R) Application Server, and SAP HANA(R) increasing Finance
and IT productivity while reducing integration costs by up to 30%
Tagetik, a global provider of enterprise software solutions for performance
management, disclosure management, financial governance, and business intelligence, which
has an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with SAP (NYSE: SAP) and whose
software is SAP certified as powered by SAP HANA, today announced that it is an exhibitor
of SAPinsider's Financials 2014 [http://www.financials2014.com ] and HANA 2014
[http://www.hana2014.com ] conferences.
The events take place at the NiceAcropolisConvention Center in Nice, 21-23 May 2014.
Attendees will learn proven methods for continuously improving and transforming key
financial processes and how Tagetik is taking advantage of SAP HANA to bring Finance to
the next level of Performance Management and Financial Analytics.
"Our goal is to leverage the best technology on the market to deliver the best
solution for our customers, and for this reason partnering with SAP HANA is a natural
choice," adds Manuel Vellutini
[http://www.tagetik.com/about/management/manuel-vellutini?utm_source=pr&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=pr%2Bpr%2B2013results ]
- executive vice president, chief operating officer at
Tagetik. "Our OEM agreement with SAP means continued cooperation between SAP and Tagetik
to exploit the great power of SAP HANA technology. We believe finance can benefit
significantly from this technology and are working closely with the SAP OEM team to
continually expand the value that Tagetik powered by SAP HANA(R) delivers to both Finance
and IT."
- Leverage the power of SAP HANA for in-memory financial analytics
- Improve business user experience with single sign-on to SAP portal
- Shorten the data load and financial consolidation/reporting processes
- Increase finance and IT productivity through automated integration
- Mitigate ETL risks with built-in business logic and security
- Reduce integration consulting costs by up to 30%
- Simplify the IT infrastructure
About Tagetik
Tagetik is one of the fastest growing global software companies in the Performance
Management industry, with operations in more than 30 countries and over 600 customers
worldwide. Tagetik delivers enterprise solutions while providing a 'boutique' experience,
resulting in the highest level of client satisfaction in the industry.
With deployment options in the cloud or on-premises, Tagetik 4 provides robust
functionality for budgeting, planning, forecasting, consolidation, close, reporting,
profitability analysis, disclosure management, financial governance, and business
intelligence - all from a single, unified platform. By moving to a unified financial
solution, Tagetik customers have dramatically increased organizational efficiencies,
reduced risk, saved money and improved their companies' bottom lines.
SAPinsider, published by WIS Publishing, is the premier source of information on
products, services, and strategic initiatives coming from SAP and its partners. More than
250,000 customers in 61 countries rely annually on education and training materials from
WIS Publishing to optimize their investments in SAP solutions. WIS Publishing is the
publisher of SAPinsider, insiderPROFILES, and the SAPexperts knowledgebases, and is the
producer of SAPinsider conferences and seminars and the Insider Learning Network. For more
information, visithttp://www.wispubs.com
[http://www.wispubs.com/sap/conferences.html?utm_source=WIS&utm_medium=PR&utm_campaign=spk ]
.
SAP is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and several other countries. WIS
Publishing is not affiliated with SAP AG or any of the SAP AG group of companies.
Business Objects, BusinessObjects and the Business Objects logo are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Business Objects in the United States and/or other countries.
Business Objects is an SAP company.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective
companies.
Help Dad Stream the Dream this Father's Day with Epson's Home Cinema 2000 2D/3D 1080p Projector
Projecting High-Definition Movies, Sports, Games and More up to 300 inches for Under $850, the Home Cinema 2000 Brings Dad's Favorite Streaming Media to Life
LONG BEACH, Calif., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Big content and big screens come together this Father's Day with the Epson(®) PowerLite(®) Home Cinema 2000 3LCD projector and the newest crop of media streaming devices. Whether dad is a TV binge-watcher, sports fanatic or casual gamer, the versatile Home Cinema 2000 can bring an immersive, full HD 1080p big-screen experience to the living room with effortless connection to today's popular media streaming devices including the Amazon Fire TV, Apple(®) TV, Google Chromecast, or Roku(®) Stick.
"Big screens are no longer just for viewing Blu-ray(®) movies in dedicated home theater rooms," said Jason Palmer, marketing manager, Epson America. "It's easier than ever for dad to stream his favorite content with a Home Cinema 2000 projector and a set-top or plug-in streaming device no matter what part of the house or yard he's in. With two HDMI connections, one of which is MHL-enabled, users can seamlessly connect their device to watch and play on screens up to 300-inches for a unique and amazing experience."
The Home Cinema 2000's compact design and built-in adjustment tools help dad enjoy his favorite streaming media this year:
-- Big-Screen Sports and Gaming: Dad can stream sports live from hundreds
of network channels and root for his team on a giant screen with 1,800
lumens of color brightness (color light output) and 1,800 lumens of
white brightness[i] for stunning color in any genre. And even if Dad may
have lost a step or two, he can still show his kids that he's got game
on the court, rink or gridiron with the Home Cinema 2000 and a
Wii((TM)), Xbox(®) or PlayStation(®).
-- Barbeques and Blockbusters: Father's Day kicks off the summer in mid
June, along with a season full of afternoon barbeques, picnics, and
other outdoor festivities with family and friends. Equipped with
built-in sound, easy set-up tools and HDMI inputs, the Home Cinema 2000
makes setup easier than ever for backyard or rooftop movie nights the
entire neighborhood can enjoy.
-- Binge-Watching Marathons: Whether it's "Game of Thrones," "House of
Cards," "Breaking Bad," or any other guilty pleasure, Netflix, HBO Go
and Amazon Instant are fueling binge-watching habits across platforms.
Using the Home Cinema 2000, families can hunker down with dad to enjoy
hours upon hours of their favorite shows, and catch never-before seen
details on an immersive big-screen.
More about the Home Cinema 2000
The Home Cinema 2000 comes equipped with an MHL-enabled HDMI port providing instant access to the latest movies, TV shows, live sporting events, and videogames from MHL-supported devices. In addition, the projector features built-in sound with the capability to add speakers, enabling users to enhance any movie experience. The Home Cinema 2000 uses 3LCD, 3-chip technology for brilliant images with true-to-life color and includes six pre-set color modes to optimize clarity on specific content.
Availability and Support
The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 2000 ($849 estimated retail price) is available through select e-tailers and the Epson online store. The projector comes with Epson's top-of-the-line service and support, including a two-year limited warranty with toll-free access to Epson's PrivateLine(®) priority technical support, 90-day limited lamp warranty, and free two-business-day exchange with Extra Care(SM) Home Service.
About Epson
Epson is a global innovation leader whose product lineup ranges from inkjet printers and printing systems, 3LCD projectors and industrial robots to sensors and other microdevices. Dedicated to exceeding the vision of its customers worldwide, Epson delivers customer value based on compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies in markets spanning enterprise and the home to commerce and industry.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 73,000 employees in 94 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates. Epson America, Inc. based in Long Beach, Calif. is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: http://www.Epson.com.
EPSON and PowerLite are registered trademarks and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. PrivateLine is a registered trademark and Extra Care is a service mark of Epson America, Inc. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.Copyright 2014 Epson America, Inc.
[i] Color brightness (color light output) and white brightness (white light output) will vary depending on usage conditions. Color light output measured in accordance with IDMS 15.4; white light output measured in accordance with ISO 21118
FPC Launches the FPC1150, the World's First Home Button-Touch Fingerprint Sensor for Android Smartphones
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Fingerprint Cards (FPC) is today launching the FPC1150, the world's first touch
fingerprint sensor specifically developed to be mounted as a home button on the front side
of an Android smartphone or tablet. The FPC1150 is rectangular in shape and less than half
the size of the previously announced FPC1020.
The rapid availability of the FPC1150 is the result of an accelerated pace of product
development in FPC that has been made possible by the cooperation with Anacatum Design AB,
the Swedish ASIC and analog IP development company recently acquired by FPC. Thanks to the
small size and attractive design resulting from several packaging options of the FPC1150,
it is now possible for the first time for smartphone OEMs to integrate a touch fingerprint
sensor mounted as a home button on the front side of the device. This contrasts with the
previously announced FPC1020 and FPC1021, which were designed with the objective of being
mounted on the back side of the device.
In order to satisfy the size constraints of a home button-sized touch fingerprint
sensor, new cutting-edge methods have been applied to enable the industry-leading
performance provided by the FPC1150. To ensure fast time to market and leading
performance, the FPC1150 reuses the industry-leading sensor design of its predecessors,
the FPC1020 and the recently announced FPC1021, allowing for ultra-low power consumption,
highly attractive and customizable industry design and strong resistance to wear and tear.
The touch fingerprint sensor capability combined with the small size of the FPC1150 offers
excellent ease of use, enabling mobile device OEMs to use the FPC1150 as a home button for
secure and convenient user verification. The FPC1150 supports the Android(TM) and
Windows(TM) operating systems.
Complete FPC1150 LGA prototypes have been verified in FPC's development sites and the
first deliveries of engineering samples to customers will start shortly. Thanks to the
highly scalable architecture of FPC's touch fingerprint sensor technology, which enables
extensive reuse of the FPC1020 technology currently being shipped for integration in
commercial devices, mass-market manufacturing of the FPC1150 will start as early as the
third quarter of 2014.
Jorgen Lantto, Executive Vice President, CTO and Head of Strategy & Product Management
at FPC, comments: "The FPC1150 is FPC's most significant product launch to date. Using the
FPC1150, smartphone and tablet OEMs can now for the first time integrate a touch
fingerprint sensor as a home button mounted on the front of the device without having to
compromise the industrial design of the device, and yet deliver the ultimate experience in
secure user authentication. This announcement is confirmation that FPC is delivering new,
highly competitive products at an accelerated pace, and our objective with the FPC1150 is
to secure and strengthen our position as the global number one supplier of touch
fingerprint sensors for smartphone and tablet OEMs."
About Fingerprint Cards AB (publ)
Fingerprint Cards AB (FPC) markets, develops and produces biometric components and
technologies that through the analysis and matching of an individual's unique fingerprint
verify the person's identity. The technology consists of biometric sensors, processors,
algorithms and modules that can be used separately or in combination with each other. The
competitive advantages offered by the FPC's technology include unique image quality,
extreme robustness, low power consumption and complete biometric systems. With these
advantages and the ability to achieve extremely low manufacturing costs, the technology
can be implemented in volume products such as smart cards and mobile phones, where
extremely rigorous demands are placed on such characteristics. The company's technology
can also be used in IT and Internet security, access control, etc.
Fingerprint Cards AB (publ) discloses this information pursuant to the Swedish
Securities Market Act (2007:528) and the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act
(1991:980). The information was issued for publication on May 21, 2014 at 08:00 am CET.
Important information
Issuance, publication or distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions
could be subject to restrictions. The recipient of this press release is responsible for
using this press release and the constituent information in accordance with the rules and
regulations prevailing in the particular jurisdiction. This press release does not
constitute an offer or an offering to acquire or subscribe for any of the company's
securities in any jurisdiction.
For more information contact:
Johan Carlstrom, CEO Fingerprint Cards AB (publ), +46(0)31-60-78-20,
investrel@fingerprints.com
Getac X500 Fully Rugged Mobile Server and X500 Fully Rugged Notebook are Upgraded with Blazing Speed
Simultaneous Upgrades to CPU, Graphics, and WLAN Drive a Giant Leap Forward in Performance
MELBOURNE, Australia, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Getac, an international manufacturer of professional rugged computing products, today rolled out next generation models for its X500 Fully Rugged Notebook and X500 Fully Rugged Mobile Server. Incorporating all new upgrades, the X500 Fully Rugged Notebook is equipped with the latest generation of Intel's Core(R) processor in addition to more memory, the newest 802.11ac WLAN technology, and an advanced graphics card. Its CPU processing power is 55% higher than the previous generation X500 with a 286% improvement in graphics processing power. Not to be outdone, the new X500 Fully Rugged Mobile Server sports an upgraded processor, memory, and graphics card, and its high efficiency in outdoor data storage and rapid server deployment tasks creates powerful synergies.
âIn Australia, professional users in the national defence, public safety, and industrial sectors are now increasingly incorporating cloud computing and the Internet of Things into their operations. Growing numbers of government organizations and private enterprises have a need to be able to construct outdoor ad-hoc command centres during emergencies,â says Andrew Yu, Senior Product Manager at Synnex Australia. Following the upgrade, the processing power, storage capacity, expandability, and ruggedness of X500 Fully Rugged Notebook and X500 Fully Rugged Mobile Server are able to even better complement the strategic capabilities of front line command & control centres. We are very honoured to introduce these two Getac products to professional users in the Australia and New Zealand regions.
The X500: A Master of Expandability Upgraded to Blazing Fast Speeds
The second generation X500 Fully Rugged Notebook is equipped with a latest generation Intel Core(R) i5-4300M or Core(R)i7-4600M processor. Using Turbo Boost technology, the CPU can dynamically raise its clock speed from 2.9GHz to 3.6GHz, and system memory is expandable up to a maximum of 16GB. The 15.6-inch Full HD (1920x1080) sunlight-readable multi-touch panel combines with a GeForce(R) 745M 2GB discrete graphics card to provide users with clearer, smoother image processing effects. This notebook can easily carry out many tasks simultaneously and gather large amounts of data.
The Getac X500 has incomparable expandability. A wide assortment of I/O ports allows users to extend the usage scope of the computer by connecting more peripheral devices and carrying out more tasks. This is the industry's first rugged computer to be completely equipped to military standards. Without going through any kind of customization process, users can have a completely tailor-made military-grade range of I/O ports and avoid the long and tedious waiting process that accompanies customization. The X500 provides two gigabit Ethernet ports, two RS232 serial ports, four USB ports, Express Card and PCMIA expansion slots, and both VGA and HDMI video output ports. The add-on expansion unit can also support either two PCI Express cards or two full-sized PCI cards for extreme customization needs.
The X500's ruggedness has passed military MIL-STD-810G, MIL-STD-461F, and IP65 certifications as well as ANSI certification. The X500 has passed standard fungus testing and has been demonstrated to have excellent anti-fungal properties. It can be deployed in extreme temperature environments ranging from -20 degree Celsius to 55 degree Celsius, and the product's detachable fan design works to effectively shorten the time required for maintenance.
The X500 Mobile Server: Further Upgrades to Ruggedness, Portability, and Performance
The X500 Fully Rugged Mobile Server is the world's first server-class laptop to take a portable yet rugged form factor. Weighing in at approximately 8.6kg, its volume is comparable to the size of a briefcase. It represents a perfect fusion of portable computer and server. After this upgrade, the X500 Fully Rugged Mobile Server's CPU processing power has increased by 136% compared to the previous generation, while graphics processing speed has risen by nearly 286%.
The new X500 mobile server is equipped with the latest Intel Core(R)i7-4800MQ processor. The system's maximum memory has been increased from 16GB to 32GB. The graphics controller makes use of the high-end NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT745M 2GB discrete graphics card. With respect to communication capabilities, 802.11ac WLAN is provided, and support for RAID level 0, 1, and 5 configurations allows for optimization of data storage capacity and prevents data loss while handling data in any harsh environment. The computer's expansion slots can accommodate up to five shock-resistant hard drives, providing storage space for a 5TB RAID array.
The X500 Fully Rugged Mobile Server is powered by Microsoft Windows Server 2012, which provides network load balancing and fault tolerance, two types of server clustering technologies that work to guarantee system reliability and uptime. The mobile server is also equipped with two gigabit Ethernet ports to guarantee expandability through server cluster deployments.
The second generation X500 Fully Rugged Notebook and the second generation X500 Fully Rugged Mobile Server have officially begun. For more information on these products, please dial 1300 100 104 and consult a Synnex Account Manager or visit Getac's official website at http://www.getac.com.au.
Media contact
Chi Wing Chan
+613-8540-8852
About Getac
Getac Technology Corporation, a key subsidiary of MiTAC-Synnex Business Group (2013 consolidated revenue 26.4 billion USD), was established in 1989 as a joint venture with GE Aerospace to supply defence electronic products. Getac's business coverage includes; rugged notebooks, rugged tablet PCs and rugged handheld devices for military, police, government, communications, manufacturing and transportation applications ranging from fully rugged to commercial-grade rugged. Getac's strong R&D capabilities allow it to provide a high level of customisation and all-aspect hardware-software integration solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.getac.com.au
About Synnex
Synnex Australia Pty Ltd is the largest ICT distributor in the Australian market, providing quality branded computer and telecom products, components, peripherals, imaging and printing, consumables, networking, storage, software as well as volume licensing.
Synnex Australia commits ourselves as a world-class leader in ICT distribution. Through our established strategic partnerships with leading ICT manufacturers, we are dedicated to offering our customers a wide range of products and solutions backed by comprehensive infrastructure, knowledgeable support, competitive pricing and superior services.
Synnex Australia Pty Ltd is a division of Synnex Technology International Corporation, the largest IT distribution company in the Asia Pacific region and ranked third largest worldwide. In Australia, we are servicing over 7,000 resellers, all business types in the IT industry businesses including SME Resellers, System Integrators, Computer Retailers, Original Equipment Manufacturers, Corporate Retailers, National Retailers and VARs. For more information, please visit: http://www.synnex.com.au
FPC Launches the FPC1150, the World's First Home Button-Touch Fingerprint Sensor for Android Smartphones
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire / -- Fingerprint Cards (FPC) is today launching the FPC1150, the world's first touch fingerprint sensor specifically developed to be mounted as a home button on the front side of an Android smartphone or tablet. The FPC1150 is rectangular in shape and less than half the size of the previously announced FPC1020.
The rapid availability of the FPC1150 is the result of an accelerated pace of product development in FPC that has been made possible by the cooperation with Anacatum Design AB, the Swedish ASIC and analog IP development company recently acquired by FPC. Thanks to the small size and attractive design resulting from several packaging options of the FPC1150, it is now possible for the first time for smartphone OEMs to integrate a touch fingerprint sensor mounted as a home button on the front side of the device. This contrasts with the previously announced FPC1020 and FPC1021, which were designed with the objective of being mounted on the back side of the device.
In order to satisfy the size constraints of a home button-sized touch fingerprint sensor, new cutting-edge methods have been applied to enable the industry-leading performance provided by the FPC1150. To ensure fast time to market and leading performance, the FPC1150 reuses the industry-leading sensor design of its predecessors, the FPC1020 and the recently announced FPC1021, allowing for ultra-low power consumption, highly attractive and customizable industry design and strong resistance to wear and tear. The touch fingerprint sensor capability combined with the small size of the FPC1150 offers excellent ease of use, enabling mobile device OEMs to use the FPC1150 as a home button for secure and convenient user verification. The FPC1150 supports the Android(TM) and Windows(TM) operating systems.
Complete FPC1150 LGA prototypes have been verified in FPC's development sites and the first deliveries of engineering samples to customers will start shortly. Thanks to the highly scalable architecture of FPC's touch fingerprint sensor technology, which enables extensive reuse of the FPC1020 technology currently being shipped for integration in commercial devices, mass-market manufacturing of the FPC1150 will start as early as the third quarter of 2014.
Jorgen Lantto, Executive Vice President, CTO and Head of Strategy & Product Management at FPC, comments: "The FPC1150 is FPC's most significant product launch to date. Using the FPC1150, smartphone and tablet OEMs can now for the first time integrate a touch fingerprint sensor as a home button mounted on the front of the device without having to compromise the industrial design of the device, and yet deliver the ultimate experience in secure user authentication. This announcement is confirmation that FPC is delivering new, highly competitive products at an accelerated pace, and our objective with the FPC1150 is to secure and strengthen our position as the global number one supplier of touch fingerprint sensors for smartphone and tablet OEMs."
About Fingerprint Cards AB (publ)
Fingerprint Cards AB (FPC) markets, develops and produces biometric components and technologies that through the analysis and matching of an individual's unique fingerprint verify the person's identity. The technology consists of biometric sensors, processors, algorithms and modules that can be used separately or in combination with each other. The competitive advantages offered by the FPC's technology include unique image quality, extreme robustness, low power consumption and complete biometric systems. With these advantages and the ability to achieve extremely low manufacturing costs, the technology can be implemented in volume products such as smart cards and mobile phones, where extremely rigorous demands are placed on such characteristics. The company's technology can also be used in IT and Internet security, access control, etc.
Fingerprint Cards AB (publ) discloses this information pursuant to the Swedish Securities Market Act (2007:528) and the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act (1991:980). The information was issued for publication on May 21, 2014 at 08:00 am CET.
Important information
Issuance, publication or distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions could be subject to restrictions. The recipient of this press release is responsible for using this press release and the constituent information in accordance with the rules and regulations prevailing in the particular jurisdiction. This press release does not constitute an offer or an offering to acquire or subscribe for any of the company's securities in any jurisdiction.
For more information contact:
Johan Carlstrom, CEO Fingerprint Cards AB (publ), +46(0)31-60-78-20, investrel@fingerprints.com( mailto:investrel@fingerprints.com )
Grabit Inc. Announces Partnership with Shirai Electronics for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Handling
Shirai to offer Grabit's electroadhesion grippers for inspection systems and PCB loading applications
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and KYOTO, Japan, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Shirai Electronics, a leading supplier of inspection and handling systems for the printed wiring board (PWB) manufacturing industry, and Grabit Inc., an industrial automation and material handling solutions company, are announcing the launch of electroadhesion-based (EA) grippers for bare and flexible printed circuit board handling. Shirai will be demonstrating the new grippers in booth East 4 4G-18 at the JPCA Show, June 4 - 6, in Tokyo, Japan.
"Grabit is delighted to partner with Shirai to take our gripper product technology to the printed circuit board handling industry," said Charlie Duncheon, CEO and cofounder of Grabit Inc. "Our innovative gripper technology and Shirai's industry expertise offer increased productivity and expanded capability to PCB manufacturers."
Grabit's patented electroadhesion technology enables completely new solutions in robotic parts handling, parts fixturing, warehouse logistics and conveying systems. Electroadhesion is a highly-flexible, ultra-low energy technology that enables the secure handling and release of parts that are difficult to manage using current technology. Electroadhesion eliminates the need for bulky, energy-intensive conventional vacuum grippers, or expensive part specific fixtures.
"By using Grabit's real-time, configurable grip and release profiles, Shirai's EA grippers can improve PCB loading reliability and productivity by ensuring the grasp of only a single component, and eliminates unnecessary delays during system changeovers," said Michinori Matsuura, Director of Business Development at Shirai Electronics. "In addition, Shirai's EA grippers provide PWB manufacturers expanded capabilities by offering a single configuration to handle a variety of rigid PCBs and delicate, next-generation flexible printed circuits."
About Grabit, Inc.
Grabit Inc., a SRI International spin-off company, is poised to revolutionize the multi-billion dollar material handling market with its patented electroadhesion technology. Electroadhesion is an electrically controllable adhesion technology that requires ultra-low power consumption. The technology was developed and patented within the SRI Robotics Program. Grabit manufactures material handling solutions for textiles, printed circuit boards (PCBs), parcel shipping and warehouse logistics. Grabit's products include grippers, fixtures, and smart conveyors. These products enable new applications and deliver customer-validated direct and dramatic benefits to the bottom line with unprecedented flexibility, performance and low operating costs. For more information visit http://www.grabitinc.com
About Shirai Electronics Industrial Co. Ltd.
Shirai Electronics (JASDAQ), established in 1970, is a leading global supplier of printed wiring board (PWB) with production facilities in Japan and China. In addition, Shirai provides innovative solutions in PWB inspection systems. Shirai's VISPER AVI (Automated Visual Inspection) systems allow PWB manufacturers to maintain the highest level of reliability and quality. Shirai is launching electroadhesion grippers (EAG) to increase the productivity and expand the capabilities of printed circuit board (PCB) loading systems. To learn more about Shirai Electronics and the VISPER AVI, visit: http://www.shiraidenshi.co.jp/homepage/en/index.html
CacheBox Application Acceleration Software on Data Analytics Workload Delivers 111x Performance and a 99% Reduction in Latency
Testing completed with CacheADVANCE(TM) Application Acceleration Software on mongoDB using Toshiba PX02SSF 12G SAS SSD
SAN CARLOS, Calif., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CacheBox, Inc. has announced the addition of Toshiba's PX02SSF 12G SAS SSD to the company's Hardware Compatibility List. The PX02SSF joins other enterprise SSDs that CacheBox has qualified for use with CacheADVANCE(TM), CacheBox's unique application acceleration software that enables significant improvements in application throughput and processing with no disruption to a company's compute or storage infrastructure.
"In a world where application performance and scale means everything, a cost effective solution that deploys and scales users in minutes instead of months is what the industry needs to achieve high return on investment," said Lorenzo Salhi, CacheBox, CEO. "We are pleased that Toshiba's enterprise class SSDs have been added to our hardware compatibility list."
George Bouchaya, Vice President and CTO at Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. said, "CacheBox's innovative CacheADVANCE software can help customers get the most out of their investment in storage while helping to drive the adoption of SSDs in the enterprise."
CacheBox's internal testing of CacheADVANCE shows significant performance improvements and latency reductions over hard disk storage with mongoDB, and enables customers to realize the most cost effective solution for bridging the application requirements of performance and capacity.
CacheAdvance is a software-only, application centric solution that removes application input/output (IO) bottlenecks in a targeted manner. It works by monitoring application IO requests and intelligently determines which data to accelerate to provide optimal performance and user experience.
About CacheBox, Inc.
CacheBox is a privately funded, early stage global company with offices in Silicon Valley and Pune, India that is focused on using its advanced application centric architecture to vastly improve application performance. The CacheBox team includes software and storage industry veterans from top-tier companies. For more information, visit http://www.cachebox.com
New USB Counter / Timer DAQ Devices from Measurement Computing
4 or 8 channels with our most advanced Counter / Timer functionality
NORTON, Mass., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Measurement Computing Corporation, the value leader in data acquisition, today announced the release of two high-speed USB Counter / Timer DAQ devices available with four or eight counter I/O.
The USB-CTR Series feature high-speed pulse counting with a 48 MHz maximum input frequency. Resolution is programmable up to 64-bits, with an aggregate scan rate of 8 MB/sec.
These new devices offer some of the most advanced counter / timer functionality available in USB DAQ today. Supported high-level input modes include totalize, period measurement, pulse-width measurement, and timing measurement. Four independent PWM timer outputs and 8 digital I/O are also provided. Timer output channels can operate continuously or for a specified pulse count, with duty cycle and period changeable on-the-fly. Counter and digital channels can also be scanned synchronously. Flexible edge, level, direction, and debounce settings allow the counters to better adapt to user signals.
USB-CTR Series features:
-- 4 or 8 counter I/O
-- 48 MHz maximum input frequency
-- Programmable resolution up to 64-bits per counter
-- Aggregate scan rate of 8 MB/s
-- Supports the following counter input modes:
-- Totalize
-- Period measurements
-- Pulse-width measurements
-- Timing measurements
-- Debounce filter circuitry
-- Four PWM timers
-- Eight digital I/O
-- Synchronous high-speed reads of digital and counter inputs
Software options include comprehensive support for Visual Studio® and Visual Studio® .NET, DASYLab®, and NI LabVIEW(TM).
The four channel USB-CTR04 is priced at $359, and the eight channel USB-CTR08 is priced at only $429.
About Measurement Computing
Measurement Computing is the market leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of value-priced data acquisition hardware, and test and measurement software solutions for both programmers and non-programmers. More information about Measurement Computing is available on the Web at http://www.mccdaq.com.
Acromag's New Rugged COM Express Type 6 Modules Feature Intel Core i7/i5 4th-Gen CPUs and Removable Memory
Acromag's new XCOM-6400 is a ruggedized COM Express module offering high-performance, low-power multi-core processors and a unique SODIMM hold-down that allows users to upgrade memory
WIXOM, Mich., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Acromag's XCOM-6400 COM Express Module provides a high-performance processor in a package that is small, light, and very power-efficient. The XCOM-6400 is a Type 6 Basic COM Express module that is available with a choice of Intel's 4th-generation Core i7 or i5 Haswell CPU and Intel's 8-Series QM87 PCH chipset, formerly known as Lynx Point. The XCOM-6400 provides heat sink capabilities not available on traditional COM Express designs. Conduction-cooled rails establish a new design opportunity for carrier cards. An innovative SODIMM hold-down method ensures secure connections while still allowing users to remove or upgrade the memory. Additional heat management technologies include heat spreader plates plus options such as cooling fins and a fan. Ruggedly designed for use in defense, aerospace, and industrial applications; this COM Express module features an extra-thick circuit board, advanced thermal management, and extended operating temperature ranges.
"This module sets a new standard for thermal management, shock and vibration by implementing a combination of conduction cooling rails and SODIMM hold down mechanism. Soldering down the memory is no longer necessary," explained Joseph Primeau, Acromag's sales and marketing director. A screw-down latch securely fastens the memory in place to prevent it from shaking loose and also serves as a conduction plate to help wick away heat. Removing the latch provides user access to two memory slots that support up to 16GB of high-speed DDR3L available in 1 x 4GB, 2 x 4GB, and 2 x 8GB configurations.
The 4th generation of Intel's Core i5 and i7 processors (codename Haswell) delivers many enhanced capabilities for media, graphics, security, and power management. Huge performance improvements were made for floating-point-intensive computations which are critical for digital signal and image processing applications like radar and sonar. Enhanced graphics enable smoother playback of high-quality images. Better power efficiency reduces heat and allows smaller, lighter, more portable designs. Acromag offers a high-performance quad core i7 CPU (2.4GHz, 47W) and more efficient dual core i5 CPU (1.6GHz, 25W).
The platform controller hub is Intel's 8-Series QM87 PCH chipset (codename Lynx Point) which provides faster connectivity and flexibility with integrated I/O technologies. For graphics, the module uses an Intel integrated graphics processor with support for a 3x digital display interface (DVI or DisplayPort) and eDP interface (x2). Audio is supported through an HDA interface. The LAN Port is a Gigabit Ethernet Medium Dependent Interface (MDI). Other I/O interfaces include four SATA III ports (6 Gb/s), a PEG / general-purpose PCIe x16 interface with bifurcation/trifurcation support, four USB 3.0/2.0 ports, and four USB 2.0 ports. Users can access the SPI bus, LPC bus, SMBus (system), and I2C (user). There are also four general-purpose outputs and four general-purpose inputs. Security and encryption capabilities are facilitated through use of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM).
About Acromag
Acromag has designed and manufactured measurement and control products for more than 50 years. They are an international corporation with a world headquarters near Detroit, Michigan and a global network of sales representatives and distributors. Acromag offers a complete line of embedded I/O products including bus boards, mezzanine modules, wiring accessories, and software. Industries served include military, aerospace, manufacturing, transportation, utilities, and scientific research laboratories.
Microsoft introduces Surface Pro 3: the tablet that can replace your laptop
Pre-order beginning 12:01 a.m. EDT May 21.
NEW YORK, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, Microsoft Corp. introduced Surface Pro 3 -- the lightweight tablet that packs the power and performance you expect from a laptop.
Surface Pro 3 is a tablet and a laptop: multiple processor, RAM and storage options intersect with a sleek design that, with a simple snap or click, transform the device from a perfectly balanced tablet to a full-functioning laptop and back again -- all in a beautiful package that is 30 percent thinner than an 11-inch MacBook Air. Its stunning 12-inch display and new, continuous kickstand provide the screen real estate and multiple viewing angles people need for work and play. And the new Surface Pen -- completely redesigned with form and function in mind -- delivers a precise, luxurious drawing and note-taking experience with a single click of the pen.
"So many people carry both a laptop and a tablet but really want just one device that serves all purposes," said Panos Panay, corporate vice president, Microsoft Surface. "Surface Pro 3 is the tablet that can replace your laptop -- packing all the performance of a fully powered laptop into a thin, light and beautifully designed device. You'll love being able to carry a single device for your next class, workday or weekend getaway knowing you have all the power you need."
Surface Pro 3 and Surface accessories
Surface Pro 3 features a 12-inch full HD display, 4th-generation Intel(®) Core(TM) processor options, amazing click-in keyboards, and a multiposition kickstand that goes from movie mode to working mode and all the way to writing mode. Because it runs Windows 8.1 Pro, people can run the desktop software they rely on, including Microsoft Office(1), multitask with side-by-side windows, and use it at work. Surface Pro 3 delivers the best writing and drawing experience with Surface Pen included and an amazing new capability where with just a click of the pen, Surface launches a fresh page in OneNote, so you can capture your thoughts immediately -- as quickly as a pen and piece of paper. And it delivers big-screen entertainment anywhere with the larger, full HD screen, the kickstand, great speakers with Dolby(®) Audio enhanced sound, and up to nine hours of Web-browsing battery life.
New Surface accessories like the improved Surface Pro Type Cover will take Surface Pro 3 from tablet to laptop in a snap. The new premium Surface Pen with pressure sensitivity enables a more natural writing experience, while a full-size USB 3.0 port, microSD card reader and Mini DisplayPort allow for quick file transfers and easy connections to a range of peripherals.
Coupled with additional optional accessories, including a new Docking Station for Surface Pro 3 and a Surface Ethernet Adapter, Surface Pro 3 has all the features and capabilities of a complete laptop. The new Surface accessories can be found here.
Surface Pro 3 for business
With the introduction of Surface Pro 3, our commitment to business has never been stronger. Since introducing commercial availability less than a year ago, Surface has expanded into 31 commercial markets, celebrating new customers along the way. Surface Pro 3's versatile features allow commercial customers to deploy a laptop replacement that delivers the power, manageability and security they need to conduct business with confidence. Companies such as BMW Group, The Coca-Cola Company and LVMH - Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton have already committed to purchasing and deploying the device as one of the choices inside their organizations.
"Surface Pro 3 is a truly innovative device that will replace both a tablet and a powerful laptop," said Mario Muller, vice president IT infrastructure, BMW Group.
Microsoft is proud that these esteemed brands are adopting Surface Pro 3 to harness the promise of mobility to transform their customer experiences.
Pre-order and availability
Starting at an estimated retail price of just $799, Surface Pro 3 will be offered in multiple configurations featuring 4th-generation Intel(®) Core(TM) i3, i5 and i7 processors. Specs are available here.
Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro Type Cover and Surface Pen will be available for pre-order((2)) starting May 21 at 12:01 a.m. EDT through Microsoftstore.com, Microsoft retail stores and select third-party retailers. Commercial customers should speak to their authorized reseller.
Beginning June 20 in Canada and the United States, customers can visit Microsoftstore.com, Microsoft retail stores, select third-party retailers and commercial resellers to purchase Intel(®) Core(TM) i5 Surface Pro 3 and select accessories. Additional configurations will become available during August, and additional accessories will be available in the next few months.
By the end of August, Surface Pro 3 and select new accessories will become available for purchase in 26 additional markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Some information relates to a pre-release product, which may be substantially modified before it is commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.
(1) Microsoft Office sold separately
(2) Excluding China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan
Cat® Rugged Range of Mobile Accessories Available in Egypt, KSA and UAE
LONDON, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Bullitt Mobile Ltd., worldwide licensee of Cat(R) phones and accessories announced
today that JoVi Tronix will be the exclusive distribution partner for its accessory
portfolio across the Middle East. The range of built tough, made to protect mobile
accessories offer stylish protection for the latest iPhone 5S, iPad Air and Samsung Galaxy
S5.
The Cat accessories are exclusively made from SAIF[TM], an active material with unique
shock and impact absorption properties. SAIF is able to change its nature depending on the
speed at which it is asked to react to impact. The material is flexible to touch but will
stiffen upon impact.
"Our range of protective yet stylish cases is revolutionary in shock absorption and
impact protection, thanks to the exclusive use of SAIF material. Not only do they provide
enough protection to prevent damage to the phone from drops of heights up to 1.8m, they
also allow for complete access to all of the features of the phone, unlike other, bulkier
cases. We're excited to broaden the availability of the range with this partnership with
JoVi Tronix." said Severine de Maximoff, Accessories Business Manager, Bullitt Mobile Ltd.
The Cat Rugged accessories are available with prices starting at $24.99 for the ACTIVE
UTILITY(R) range. The more stylish, ACTIVE URBAN(R) range that boasts metal elements at
the edges of the casing costs $34.99. Both cases offer the ultimate protection against all
the major shocks and drops that smartphones are subject to on a daily basis.
The Cat accessory portfolio including the new S5 case will be on display at Distree
Middle East [http://www.distree-me.com ].
About Cat devices and accessories
The Cat brand stands for trust, durability, reliability and quality. The Cat DNA is found
in every Cat mobile phone and accessory offered by Bullitt Mobile Ltd. and provides
boundless experience with robust mobility. A new product was created for wireless
communication that meets the great variety of needs of a demanding life.
To find out more about what Cat phones and accessories are made of visit: http://www.catphones.com
Established in 2005, Jovi is dedicated to the smartphone and mobile accessories
distribution. Recently, Jovi have developed their expertise in product management,
marketing & sales across the entire MEA region focusing on value added distribution
services supplying top level brands in telecom and consumer electronics retailers.
Bullitt Mobile Ltd. and Cat phones
CONTACT: Analyst/media contact: David Hayden, Tel: +44-(0)-7768-246021, Email: dhayden@bullitt-group.com
The Lyve Solution Is Here: Introducing LyveHome with the Lyve App and Service
Lyve provides consumers with a new solution for collecting, protecting and rediscovering life memories
CUPERTINO, Calif., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lyve Minds, Inc.(TM)(Lyve(TM)) has announced that its first product, LyveHome(TM), with the Lyve app and service, is available for sale in the US. Lyve's first product offering can be purchased on MyLyve.com.
LyveHome and the Lyve app are powered by a cloud-based intelligent service that enables your devices to talk to one another regardless of platform. The Lyve service distributes your photo and video collection for you, giving you access to it from any of your mobile devices via the Lyve app, keeping protected copies across the LyveHome and other storage you decide to bring into your Lyve account.
As photos and videos are collected in the Lyve app, the Lyve service creates a master index and, with the LyveHome, mobile-optimized versions of each. The full resolution images are safely stored on the LyveHome, and the mobile versions are distributed to your other devices running the Lyve app. When you want to view the original of any photo or video, simply tap on the mobile version in the Lyve app and the full version will be fetched from the LyveHome. The optimization enables the viewing of hundreds of thousands of photos and videos on even a 16GB phone - truly a lifetime of memories at your fingertips, enabling you to rediscover those special moments in your life.
For anyone who has ever lost their favorite photos and videos on a device, ran out of room on their smartphone, or simply didn't have the photo they were looking for in the moment they wanted it, Lyve offers a more complete and simplified solution for managing your most important memories, simply and seamlessly.
"It's not about having a portion of your life with you -- it's about having your whole life with you on the devices that matter the most -- your mobile devices," says Tim Bucher, CEO of Lyve. "Lyve isn't a solution for storing your life's memories. It's ultimately a solution for experiencing, rediscovering and sharing those memories." Wherever you have your personal content stored -- either on an external drive, mobile device, or SD card, Lyve collects and organizes it so you can easily find the memory you're looking for, on any device or storage you decide to use.
The Lyve solution offers the convenience of the cloud with the controlled protection and lower cost of a personal storage device. LyveHome is completely private and in your control, and the Lyve service is built to continuously evolve, with updates to the Lyve app and LyveHome available over the air as new features are released. The Lyve appis available for iOS, Android, and OS X devices with support for Windows coming soon. Additionally Lyve is supported on select Vizio Smart TV's, bringing your life to the big screen.
As featured on CNBC, Walt Mossberg named Lyve "one of the hottest gadgets at CES 2014" for its intelligent technology, ease of use, and sleek design. It's now available for purchase on MyLyve.com. The LyveHome powered by the Lyve service is priced at $299 and includes the Lyve app, downloadable on any number of devices.
About Lyve Minds, Inc.
Lyve is focused on creating the best experience for collecting, protecting and rediscovering consumers' photos and videos. Lyve believes technology should serve us better, and in today's increasingly mobile world consumers require a better solution for enjoying all of life's moments captured across our devices. Lyve provides a complete mobile solution consisting of the LyveHome, an always-on device, and the Lyve app that allows for the movement of photos and videos across devices in one, consistent view. Lyve is a start-up based in Cupertino, CA, and is made up of a proven team who has been a part of bringing to market some of the world's leading consumer products. For more information, visit Lyve's website, MyLyve.com.
SOURCE Lyve Minds, Inc.
Lyve Minds, Inc.
CONTACT: Lauren Bishop, Alison Brod Public Relations, laurenb@alisonbrodpr.com, 212-230-1800
B2B Companies Find Oktopost to be the Best Alternative to Argyle Social
TEL AVIV, Israel, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Oktopost [http://bit.ly/1jN21Wm ] (http://www.oktopost.com), the B2B social media
marketing platform, has now become the number one alternative for Argyle Social's B2B
customers. In April of 2014, Argyle Social announced that it would be shutting down its
social media marketing platform, causing users to begin their search for a new solution.
While other social platforms provide useful features for B2C companies, Argyle's B2B
companies have flocked to Oktopost for its specific focus on their needs.
While Argyle Social serviced both B2B and B2C customers, the company is currently
suggesting that its former users migrate to ViralHeat, a B2C focused social media tool.
Due to a lack of conversion tracking functionality and non-campaign-based social posting,
B2B companies have been unable to find the features they need in ViralHeat.
Oktopost's social media marketing platform is attractive to Argyle's former B2B
customers given its ability to track the KPIs that B2B companies really care about such as
conversions. With the Oktopost's Lead Capture technology, companies can see exactly how
many leads were generated from social media marketing efforts, identify each lead and view
which social posts they initially clicked on.
One of Argyle Social's biggest value propositions was its integration with CRMs such
as Marketo. Oktopost's robust integration with third-party platforms, including Marketo,
Salesforce.com, Act-On and more, lets users follow leads from the top until the bottom of
the sales funnel, and understand exactly how much revenue was generated from social media.
According to Nolin LeChasseur, a Partner at the B2B marketing agency
[http://brainrider.com/?utm_campaign=Oktopost-press-release&utm_medium=PR ] Brainrider,
"When we learned that Argyle Social was closing its doors, we conducted a thorough review
of many alternative tools for social media publishing and analytics. Our assessment
clearly identified Oktopost as the best tool for social media management and measurement
needs. We have also recommend Oktopost to our clients as Brainrider's preferred tool for
social media publishing."
Throughout the coming weeks, the Oktopost team will be hosting special product
demonstrations for Argyle Social customers. To sign up for a free Oktopost demo, click
here [http://bit.ly/1jN21FU ].
Oktopost continues to scale and expand its offering to include more functionality for
social media marketers. With the recent launch of Oktopost's social listening component,
Streams, it is currently the only end-to-end B2B social media marketing platform.
About Oktopost
Oktopost is the first solution to establish the ROI of social media for B2B companies,
bridging the gap between social media and lead generation. Oktopost delivers the true
business value from social media, generating new sales and integrates marketing and sales
in today's social-centric marketplace.
Contact Information
Daniel Kushner
+1 (646) 559-6157
pr@oktopost.com
Mentor Graphics Extends the Capacity, Performance and Breadth of Questa's Portfolio of Formal Based Automated Verification Solutions
WILSONVILLE, Ore., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mentor Graphics Corp. (Nasdaq: MENT), a leader in advanced system verification solutions, today announced the immediate availability of Questa(®) PropGen, the newest product within the Mentor(®) portfolio of formal based automated solutions, as well as enhanced capacity and performance of the Questa product's cutting-edge formal engines, which empower the entire family of automated solutions.
Fully automatic, targeted verification solutions deliver a substantial increase in verification efficacy, saving many man-months of engineering time and saving costly respins. They enable complete and accurate verification of specific design aspects that are difficult or impossible to verify using other verification methods. Questa PropGen is the newest member of this portfolio of solutions, which helps verification teams achieve higher quality in complex SoCs by automating the process of assertion-based verification (ABV).
"Mentor's formal technologies augment our traditional verification flow in many areas," said NamDo Kim, principal engineer, System LSI Division, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. "We have successfully deployed the wide range of Questa applications from fully automatic formal to property checking to improve productivity and design quality."
Traditionally, verification engineers have relied on designers to be motivated to add assertions to their code. Unfortunately, the effort and time required by the designers to write these assertions often prevents designers from creating the assertions that the verification team needs to be successful. Questa PropGen puts the verification team in the driver's seat by enabling them to generate properties automatically using their existing test environments. With the Questa PropGen tool, project teams can experience all the benefits of ABV in their SoC simulation and emulation environments, without the need for time-consuming, manual coding of assertions.
Questa Formal Engines Leap Forward in Performance and Capacity
Questa Formal's ground-breaking new formal engines offer industry-leading performance on tough verification problems. These engines provide the power behind the Questa product's suite of fully automatic formal solutions and formal powered applications. Enhancements to the Questa Formal engines are enabling performance improvements across the family of automated solutions including an impressive 6x boost in Questa CDC, the industry defacto standard solution for clock-domain crossing (CDC) signoff. To complement the full range of verification technologies, Questa Formal solutions and engines are also tightly integrated with both simulation and emulation within the recently announced Mentor Enterprise Verification Platform to provide verification teams the ability to achieve their total verification goals more efficiently with higher levels of quality.
"Formal verification is moving to the mainstream and the technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace," said Vigyan Singhal, president and CEO, Oski Technology. "We are very impressed with the results we have seen with the newly released Questa Formal engines. In customer projects we have seen a dramatic boost in capacity, broadening the scope of problems that can be addressed."
About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronic, semiconductor and systems companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues in the last fiscal year in excess of $1.15 billion. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.
Mentor Graphics, Mentor and Questa are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.
For more information, please contact:
Carole Dunn
Mentor Graphics
503.685.4716
carole_dunn@mentor.com
Avizia Unveils New Clinical Assistant 300 Telemedicine Cart at ATA 2014
New value-priced CA300 cart brings benefits of telemedicine to more organizations, expands patients' access to quality health care.
RESTON, Va., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Avizia, Inc., one of the world's largest telemedicine technology providers, today announced the availability of its CA300. The company is currently showcasing the new telemedicine cart for the first time at the American Telemedicine Association tradeshow in Baltimore. The new product will support general telemedicine use cases, require minimal training and is priced less than the company's flagship Clinical Assistant 700 telemedicine cart, making it one of the most affordable solutions in the industry.
"Telemedicine is sweeping the medical industry and we're helping lead the wave," said Mike Baird, CEO of Avizia, "We often come across organizations that are hesitant to adopt telemedicine because of the high start-up costs associated with today's technology solutions. For those organizations, the new CA300 is the perfect remedy."
The CA300 is an FDA Class I medical device that adheres to international safety standards. The product is easy to use, comes with Wi-Fi or hardwire Internet connections and offers Avizia's new QuickBoot(TM) technology, which quickly wakes up the system when it's ready to be used. The cart is designed to adapt to many different work styles with its adjustable height and various storage options, including a drawer, bin and optional PC cabinet.
"Our vision is to bring telemedicine solutions to practitioners and health care organizations so they can focus on care," said Avizia Chief Medical Information Officer Alan Pitt, M.D. "The CA300 helps us deliver on that vision as we continue to expand our product portfolio."
The CA300 is powered by the Cisco SX20 codec and includes an 8x zoom and 1080p video captured by the Cisco Precision HD camera. The 24" HD LED monitor of the CA300 offers stunning realism for all participants. The system also has built-in ports for connecting peripherals like digital stethoscopes and high-powered telemedicine scopes, such as the Avizia Horus Scope. The CA300 has anti-microbial surfaces and downward facing speakers to reduce contamination risk. Multiple control options, a button touch panel and infrared remote make controlling the system easy.
Avizia has more than 500 customers using its technology in 30 countries worldwide. The CA300 mobile telemedicine system will be shown in booth 4923 at ATA.
About Avizia
Avizia enhances the way people work together through leading-edge video conferencing solutions. Avizia is revolutionizing the world of telemedicine, distance learning and team collaboration by bringing people together and speeding knowledge exchange without barriers. Supported by Cisco technology, Avizia delivers video conferencing that is as easy and powerful as people expect it to be. Add Avizia peripherals, like digital video cameras, to make the system even more useful. Whether people are performing remote medical consultations, delivering a lecture, or discussing a project, Avizia makes the experience feel as if everyone is present. For more information, visit http://www.aviziatech.com.
Sharp Announces The Next Generation Of AQUOS BOARD(TM) Interactive Display Systems
Sharp's newest AQUOS BOARD(TM) displays boost effortless communication and collaboration through a range of intuitive features
MAHWAH, N.J., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation announces its new generation of AQUOS BOARD(TM) interactive display systems, which further enables smooth and effortless communication between colleagues, classmates, and others in a wide variety of settings.
The four new interactive display systems have key enhancements from Sharp's original AQUOS BOARD series. Some of the new features include:
-- Simultaneous Writing: Recognizing up to 10 points of contact, the new
line of AQUOS BOARD interactive display systems allows up to four people
to write on the screen at the same time using touch pens or their
fingers.
-- New Display Technology Minimizes Glare and Fingerprints: Protecting the
screen is an anti-glare fiÂlm that works to reduce glare and
reflections while minimizing fingerprint soiling.
-- Faster Touch Response Rate: The new LCD multi-touch displays give users
a more natural experience, nearly eliminating any delay, by refreshing
the position information of the touch pen at a maximum of 200 times per
second. This offers users a drawing speed faster than the original AQUOS
BOARD interactive display systems.
-- Smooth, Highly Responsive Touch Pen - The touch pen gives a smooth
experience that's similar to the traditional dry-erase board experience.
-- Ability to Communicate to Mobile Devices - The AQUOS BOARD can push out
content directly to connected mobile devices. Users can securely overlay
their notes and messages directly onto presentations and save for future
use without affecting original content.
Additional improvements include an expanded number of digital interface ports, an on-screen touch menu and front facing speakers that help provide an intuitive and easy-to-use experience.
"Our first generation AQUOS BOARD displays have been a tremendous success, and have received praise from customers and the industry alike. The AQUOS BOARD line dominates the U.S. Large Format Touch Display Market and the newest release improves on its performance," said Mike Marusic, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Operations, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. "With its enhanced features and functionality that will address customers' changing needs and enable easier collaboration and communication, we are confident that this next generation of the AQUOS BOARD series will help us maintain our position as the leading brand in this category."
The new lineup consists of two 70" class (69 1/2" diagonal) and two 60" class (60 1/16" diagonal) models. Within each size class there is an A version model and a B version model. A significant difference exists between the A and B models, which ultimately increases the AQUOS BOARD's versatility. The PN-L703B/603B have an open platform model, which requires a connection to an external PC. This allows users to operate any Windows-based application they choose to on the board, increasing how users can communicate, collaborate and disseminate information using the display. The PN-L703A/603A models feature a built-in, embedded controller with pre-installed Pen Software for instant start-up and Touch Display Link 2 functionality. A PC is no longer required to use these displays as an interactive whiteboard; making it ideal for environments in which the display must be easily transferred from room to room, or for AV rental applications.
Availability
The PN-L703B and PN-L603B will be available for purchase via authorized Sharp Dealers and Distributors in late May. The PN-L703A and PN-L603A models will be available later this summer.
About Sharp Electronics Corporation
Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation, a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home entertainment products, appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, and mobile communication and information tools. Leading brands include AQUOS(®) LED HD and 4K televisions, Insight(® )Microwave Drawer(®) ovens and Plasmacluster(®) air purifiers. Sharp has been named one of the Most Admired Brands in America and one of the 20 Most Loved Companies globally.
Sharp is the #1 selling brand in the U.S. for 60+ inch Large-Format Commercial Displays through B2B Sales Channels*. Sharp's professional and commercial displays are specially engineered for business applications and are offered in a wide range of sizes. From high-impact displays for digital signage, to our award-winning ultra-thin bezel video walls, to the innovative AQUOS BOARD(TM) interactive display systems, Sharp products help you communicate, collaborate and disseminate information brilliantly.
*According to NPD DisplaySearch Monthly Large-Format Commercial Displays Report, January 2014.
For more information about the complete line of Sharp professional displays, contact Sharp Electronics Corporation, Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, N.J., 07495-1163. For online product information, visit http://www.sharpusa.com/monitors.
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Qualcomm Adds 3D Reconstruction to Qualcomm® Vuforia(TM) Mobile Vision Platform With New Smart Terrain(TM) Feature
-- Major New Release to Vuforia SDK Brings New Levels of Interactivity to Mobile Experiences; Toy Recognition Beta Also Available for Developers--
SAN DIEGO, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., will release a major update to the Qualcomm® Vuforia(TM) mobile vision software platform in the coming weeks. The Vuforia 3.0 SDK will feature Smart Terrain(TM), a new 3D reconstruction capability that brings a new level of interactivity to augmented reality (AR) experiences. Additionally, Qualcomm announced a major enhancement to Vuforia object recognition technology that will soon be available to select developers in a beta program.
Qualcomm first demonstrated this type of technology on mobile by unveiling Smart Terrain technology with a depth-aware camera at the Qualcomm® Uplinq(TM) conference in September 2013. The Vuforia 3.0 SDK will bring Smart Terrain to existing smartphone and tablet devices and will utilize existing cameras. Apps powered by Smart Terrain can enable users to create their own play space where game characters interact with the physical world in ways not experienced before; characters can navigate around, collide with and jump over objects in the user's environment. This technology represents a major breakthrough for AR experiences, bringing a new level of interactivity and authenticity to users.
Also announced today, McDonald's is the first global brand to use the Smart Terrain capability in a commercial application. The McDonald's GOL! Mobile App is a new virtual trick-shot challenge soccer game powered by the Vuforia platform and developed by Trigger and DDB Chicago that enables digital gameplay within real-world environments. "Our digital vision at McDonald's is to bring an entirely new level of everyday convenience and fun to the world, and this Vuforia app is just one example of how we are bringing fun to our customers' lives," said Atif Rafiq, McDonald's Chief Digital Officer.McDonald's has announced that the app will be available worldwide on iOS and Android on May 26.
"Vuforia 3.0 and Smart Terrain represent a significant step forward in vision technology and the creative potential for AR experiences. Smart Terrain gives today's devices a new sense of awareness of the environment, gives users a completely new way to build game worlds, and gives brands an eye-catching way to add digital interactivity to physical products," said Jay Wright, vice president of product management for Vuforia. "This release comes at a time when the award-winning Vuforia platform is achieving noteworthy global traction, recently surpassing the milestone of more than 100,000 registered developers and more than 9,000 apps distributed through the Apple App Store and Google Play."
In addition, Vuforia object recognition technology has been significantly enhanced to support toys including vehicles and action figures. This capability will address the growing need of the toy industry to develop new play interactions that combine mobile devices with physical toys. With Vuforia toy recognition, toy manufacturers and game developers can build a variety of new experiences. For example, kids could activate new app functionality with the purchase of a new toy, teleport a physical toy into a game experience, or experience imaginative play around the toy using AR. Toy recognition will soon be available for select developers in a beta program. Developers can request to participate in the beta program at the Vuforia developer website.
Vuforia is a mobile vision platform that enables apps to see and connect the physical world with digital experiences that demand attention, drive engagement, and deliver value. The platform leverages Qualcomm's mobile technology leadership and provides best-in-class augmented reality experiences. Vuforia is supported by a global ecosystem of more than 100,000 registered developers in 130 countries and has powered more than 9,000 apps for iOS and Android devices. Additional information is available at http://www.vuforia.com.
About Qualcomm Incorporated
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm's licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm's engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Qualcomm Vuforia is a product of Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Qualcomm and Vuforia are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Smart Terrain and Uplinq are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. All Qualcomm Incorporated trademarks are used with permission. Other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Chuck E. Cheese's Introduces Oculus Rift for Birthday Parties in Select Markets
Famed Virtual Reality Headset Takes Birthdays to the Next Level With Chuck E. Cheese's Virtual Ticket Blaster Experience
DALLAS, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Chuck E. Cheese's, the family entertainment leader and number one kid-friendly restaurant, is adding the hottest ticket in gaming to its birthday party packages using the groundbreaking technology Oculus Rift in the Ticket Blaster. "Chuck E. Cheese's Virtual Ticket Blaster Experience" will make its way to select markets beginning today in Dallas and on to San Diego and Orlando later this month.
"Kids today have unprecedented access to game consoles and tablets," said Roger Cardinale, president, CEC Entertainment, Inc. "Our challenge is to deliver an experience not available at home, and there is no doubt virtual reality does just that. Oculus Rift technology is the next frontier in the gaming industry, and we're thrilled to be able to say it's part of the Chuck E. Cheese's lineup."
Birthday parties booked during the six-week test in the three markets will offer the Birthday Star a turn in the virtual Ticket Blaster. The headset uses 360-degree head-tracking technology and features a 3D view so users feel as though they are inside the Ticket Blaster with Chuck E. During the experience, the headset will register the number of tickets collected, which will be fully redeemable at the merchandise counter.
The first store equipped with "Chuck E. Cheese's Virtual Ticket Blaster Experience" will be at 13364 Montfort Drive in Dallas. Later this month will be 15 more locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, six in Orlando, Fla., and eight in San Diego, Calif.
Chuck E. Cheese's originally began working with Dallas-based Reel FX in 2012 on the reimagination of Chuck E. Cheese. Reel FX is a pioneer at the forefront of Oculus Rift virtual reality content, so they were a natural choice to bring Chuck E. into a virtual reality experience and game.
"We believe that virtual reality eventually will be as popular as our handheld devices," said Reel FX founder and Executive Creative Director Dale Carman. "It's a game-changer, and we're investing incredible time and talent into developing content for the Oculus Rift."
Reel FX was an early adopter and supporter of Oculus Rift, dating back to the technology company's initial development and fundraising push through its Kickstarter campaign in 2012. Facebook acquired Oculus VR in March 2014 for $2 billion.
Families are encouraged to book their kids' birthday parties today. For more information and resources about Chuck E. Cheese's party packages, visit chuckecheese.com/plan.
About CEC Entertainment, Inc.
For more than 30 years, CEC Entertainment has served as the nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment and the place Where a Kid can be a Kid(®). The company and its franchisees operate a system of 571 Chuck E. Cheese's stores located in 48 states and eight foreign countries or territories. Currently, 518 locations in the United States and Canada are owned and operated by the company. CEC Entertainment, Inc. and its franchisees have the common goal of creating lifelong memories for families through fun, food and play. Each Chuck E. Cheese's features musical and comic robotic entertainment, games, rides and play areas, as well as a variety of dining options including pizza, sandwiches, wings, appetizers, a salad bar and desserts. Committed to providing a fun, safe environment, Chuck E. Cheese's helps protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check(®).
Chuck E. Cheese's aims to promote positive, lifelong memories inside and outside its stores. In addition to providing a fun entertainment experience for millions of families across the world, Chuck E. Cheese's has donated more than $9.9 million to schools through its fundraising programs. For more information, see the company's website at chuckecheese.com or connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and foursquare.
About Reel FX
Reel FX develops and produces animated films, commercials, and interactive digital and location-based experiences. The company's feature slate, released under its Reel FX Animation Studios banner, includes the Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) themed project TheBook of Life with 20th Century Fox Animation, which will be released in theaters October 17, and an adaptation of the Beasts of Burden graphic novel. Reel FX's first full-length animated feature, Free Birds, was released by Relativity Media on November 1, 2013.
Based out of Dallas, Texas, Reel FX launched its feature-length development and production slate in 2010 after almost 20 years of experience as an award-winning one-stop studio for the creation of animated content including films, special attraction/live venue projects, commercials, and interactive projects for companies including Fox, Warner Bros., DreamWorks Animation and Universal Studios. The studio continues to do short-form work including commercials, music videos, theme park attractions and live experiential animation.
Since starting the development and production of feature films, Reel FX has aligned itself with some of the most recognized and respected names and brands in the entertainment industry for its projects including Free Birds (Jimmy Hayward, Scott Mosier), The Book of Life (Guillermo del Toro, Jorge R. Gutierrez), the Beasts of Burden adaptation (Dark Horse Comics, Andrew Adamson, Aron Warner), Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (Cirque du Soleil, James Cameron, Andrew Adamson, Aron Warner), and a partnership with Strange Weather Films (Andrew Adamson, Aron Warner and Jeffrey Fierson) for animated and live-action movies. For more information, visit reelfx.com.