Author - Jerry Paxton

Sexiest CES Product Ad?

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VOCO, a company that is premiering some streaming audio & video products at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, has sent out two provocative and head-turning product showcase ads featuring their… products. While they may have won some CES Innovations awards already, we are giving them the “Sexiest CES Product Ad” award.  Basically, when I see these two images, technology is the last thing on my mind – 🙂 Enjoy!

Oh, here is the second one…

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Elite: Dangerous Makes Kickstarter Goal

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3rd January 2012.  Cambridge, UK:  Frontier Developments (“Frontier”) is delighted that its Kickstartercampaign for the ‘Elite: Dangerous’ game has reached its funding target of £1.25M attracting over 21,000 backers.

“Thank you to everyone who helped us reached that total – it’s incredibly heartening and uplifting to see so many people supporting Elite: Dangerous,” said David Braben, CEO of Frontier and co-author of the original Elite. “The help, feedback and ideas given and the enthusiasm shown has been remarkable, vividly illustrating the power of the community which is a force to be reckoned with in today’s connected society.  This has made us even more determined than ever to produce a game worthy of such support and engage even further throughout development.”

The Kickstarter project <gp_link type=”http” loc=”//kck.st/YN6rVC”>http://kck.st/YN6rVC is still accepting pledges until midnight GMT/7pm EST on Friday 4th January 2013 as the team pushes towards stretch goals of Mac support and increased numbers of playable ships, in response to requests from the community.  A PayPal payment option is also available via Frontier’s website elite.frontier.co.uk which will continue to accept contributions  after the Kickstarter project closes.

The Elite:  Dangerous Kickstarter campaign has generated over 100,000 comments so far on the project’s page, which Frontier believes is a current record for the site.

David Braben will be hosting a Reddit AMA at 5pm GMT/noon EST today.

Elite:  Dangerous is due for release on PC in March 2014.

ARCHOS Unveils TV Connect

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Denver, CO – January 03, 2013 – ARCHOS, a pioneer in multimedia portable devices, is pleased to announce the ARCHOS TV connect, the only multi-touch “AndroidTM on TV experience” for your apps and games. The ARCHOS TV connect turns any HDTV into an Android powered smart TV providing the full Android ecosystem with a specially designed TV Touch remote.

The TV connect allows you to control your TV just like a tablet – tap, swipe, zoom in, zoom out, select or type. With the TV connect users will be able to play games, stream videos, video chat in HD, email friends or surf the web all from their big screen TV. The ARCHOS TV connect runs Android 4.1TM ‘Jelly Bean’ and will be available starting in February, 2013 for $129.99.

“As a pioneer in multimedia Android devices, we wanted to create a bigger, better way to enjoy Android,” says Henri Crohas, Founder and CEO of ARCHOS. “The ARCHOS TV connect provides users with a multi-touch, multi-media Smart TV experience powered by AndroidTM.”

Revolutionary TV Touch remote – A smartly designed remote for every task

  • Pointer – Allows you to control your TV just like you would your tablet with a tapping and/or swiping motion
  • Full multi-touch gesture support – Control your apps easily with zoom in, zoom out and rotate with ARCHOS developed unique gesture controls
  • Full keyboard with Android shortcuts – The TV touch remote includes a full keyboard and Android shortcut keys including a key for voice controls and voice typing

Play Android Games on your TV – Critically acclaimed games at your fingertips

  • Thousands of games available on your TV – Choose from over 700,000 apps and games on Google PlayTM
  • Dual thumb sticks and buttons – Play all your favorite games with full gaming controls and dual analog thumbsticks
  • ARCHOS Gaming Mapping Tool – Map the controls of games to the buttons and controllers of the remote for playing virtually any game on your TV – as recently introduced on the GamePad

Turn your TV into a Smart TV – Get a full web experience on your current HDTV

  • Internet – Surf on the net from a big screen
  • Online video streaming – Stream videos directly on your TV through YouTubeTM, Daily motion and other video applications
  • Emails – Send and receive emails or share photos from your Facebook page with friends

HD video calls – Connect with a group of friends or family members on a big screen

  • HD webcam – ARCHOS TV connect is equipped with an HD webcam for High quality video calling
  • LED notification – LED lights notify you when you have an incoming calls while watching TV
  • Compatibility with all popular video calling apps – Video chatting with Skype or Google TalkTM as a family from your sofa has never been easier

Multimedia Player – The ARCHOS TV connect includes the critically acclaimed ARCHOS Media Center applications so you can finally get control of your home media content, including:

  • Best video codecs and format support – Read all your favorite video files with format and codec support including H.264 decoding in full 1080p HD
  • Media Center Library – Tailor-made UI with automatic jacket, synopsis and subtitle download as well as library organization even for files stored elsewhere on your home network
  • Easy home streaming – Stream your media content over your home network either through WiFi or Ethernet
  • The right connections – Features HDMI (cable included), full USB host and micro SD slot
  • Google™ Certified with Full Access to shop on Google Play™ – With over 700,000 applications, get all your favorite Android content on your TV including books, music, magazines and movies

ARCHOS at CES 2013 – Come experience the ARCHOS TV connect first hand during CES 2013 in Las Vegas, NV from January 8-11. In addition to the TV connect, ARCHOS will be showing off its new line up of tablets which include the recently announced GamePad and new entrants to the ARCHOS Elements line – the dual-core Titanium range and the quad-core Platinum range, both of which feature tablets with stunning 2048×1536 resolution IPS screens. The ARCHOS booth is located in Central Hall (15322) of the Las Vegas Convention Center.For more information about the ARCHOS TV connect or ARCHOS at CES visitwww.ARCHOS.com.

Mad Catz Unveils GameSmart Initiative

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San Diego – January 3, 2013 – Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (NYSE MKT: MCZ) announced today GameSmart, a technology initiative that moves smart devices one step closer to delivering a core gaming experience similar to a gaming console or gaming computer.  GameSmart control products will function through the Bluetooth® Smart stack, will be game and hardware independent, and will have a smart device app to provide additional functionality.  By utilizing Bluetooth Smart, GameSmart devices will feature simplified setup, longer battery life and universal compatibility.  In addition, GameSmart offers game developers and game publishers standardization, ease of implementation and scalability when enabling controller and console-like accessory functionality in mobile games.

“Smart devices have made considerable inroads in delivering all forms of entertainment including games, music, movies, books, and social media.  Mobile gaming is a vibrant and exciting space and we don’t see controller-based games replacing touch screen games, we expect them to enhance and enlarge the smart device gaming experience to include the living room experience.  There are a number of point-to-point solutions in the market today that provide proof of concept, but the industry needs an agnostic operating system solution to provide standardization, ease of implementation and scalability,” said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc.  “With our long history in the gaming industry, Mad Catz has the technical capability, product breadth, global distribution, and developer and publisher relationships that uniquely position our company to make this ambitious initiative a success.  We believe the GameSmart initiative fits perfectly with our long-term strategy of designing innovative products for passionate gamers.”

Mad Catz intends to launch a full range of GameSmart products, including game controllers, gaming mice, gaming keyboards, headsets, and other specialty controllers.  The GameSmart products will also be app-enabled to provide additional functionality.  The first wave of GameSmart products will be announced at CES 2013 and are expected to launch shortly thereafter.

Additional information available at: www.madcatz.com/gamesmart

MSI Rolls Out New Products for CES 2013

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City of Industry, Calif. – January 3, 2013 – MSI Computer Corp, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, announces the availability of the Slider S20 Ultrabook Convertible, a clever blend of portability and performance featuring a slide out keyboard, Windows 8 and Intel® Core i5 processor.

The Slider S20 is the perfect companion for business travelers, students and all users seeking computing power without sacrificing portability and battery life.  Equipped with state-of-the art components, including a16:9 1920×1080 full HD 10-point touch screen, 8GB of DDR3 memory and 128GB of SSD storage, the Slider S20 weighs 2.2 lbs. and is less than 1 inch thick for lightweight on-the-go computing.

“Many users prefer the mobility of a tablet, but still need the processing power of an actual laptop computer,” said Andy Tung, vice president of sales for MSI US.  “MSI’s S20 Ultrabook Convertible solves that problem by combining the best of both worlds, giving users the choice of using it as a tablet or as a laptop.”

To perfectly complement its performance, MSI also designed the Slider S20 for easy connectivity, with a Jackson Peak Wireless adapter, Ethernet, 2 USB3 ports, Bluetooth capability, mini HDMI-out connector and an integrated 720P HD webcam.  The Slider S20 will be available in Q1 2013 for $1,199.99 MSRP.

For more information on the Slider S20, MSI’s entire family of mobile solutions, visit http://www.msimobile.com

FELTaudio Unveils Portable Modular Audio System

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LAS VEGAS – Jan. 3, 2013 – FELTaudio, a pioneer in sound management, unveils the world’s first portable modular audio system for mobile devices at the 2013 International CES. This sleek system provides a hassle-free solution for on-the-go premium audio experiences. The set consists of two patented interchangeable Bluetooth-enabled audio products – REWIND, which houses premium quality earbuds with a retraction cable management system, and PULSE, the world’s smallest multi-functional Bluetooth speaker.

Both the REWIND earbud cartridge and the PULSE speaker quickly and conveniently pair with Apple, Android and other Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, including desktops, laptops and even your car audio system. REWIND and PULSE also come with a clip that can be attached to gym shorts, a seatbelt or backpack strap, or used as a stand. For Apple users, FELTaudio also created specially-designed protective cases for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch that conveniently attach to the REWIND earbuds and PULSE speaker so that you can grab your device and bring your audio wherever you go.

PULSE speaker
The FELTaudio PULSE speaker is a slim yet incredibly versatile Bluetooth speaker and portable conference calling device. The rechargeable speaker’s sturdy construction and design are complemented by impressive sound quality. The PULSE’s compact size makes it pocketable and ultra-portable, plus it comes with a patented polycarbonate stand and clip that make it simple to mount or clip the speaker wherever you are. The PULSE speaker connects to your mobile device in just seconds and includes an integrated omni-directional microphone to make conference calls simple and more effective. You can even clip the speaker to your car visor or seatbelt for hands-free calls on the road, or clip it to your pocket to share your music while you’re walking, riding your bike or at the park with friends. 
The PULSE speaker features a sync button for ease of use, and comes in snow crash white, black out and ash gray. The PULSE speaker snaps onto FELTaudio cases to take a ride on the back of your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, so that you’ll always know exactly where the speaker is and be ready to share your music or calls with the touch of a button. PULSE also includes its own carrying satchel. 

REWIND earbuds

This sleek Bluetooth-enabled system houses premium quality earbuds with FELTaudio’s patented cable management system. The retractable flat-wire earbuds unwind and rewind seamlessly, providing you with a tangle-free, slack-free and hassle-free experience. REWIND earbuds pair with all of your Bluetooth devices within seconds and allow wireless freedom up to 40+ feet from your device, phone, laptop or desktop. With integrated volume controls and skip and answer buttons on the earbud cartridge, and a microphone on the earbud cord, you will be in control of all audio experiences at the touch of a button.
The REWIND system connects onto all of the FELTaudio mobile device cases so that the premium earbuds are always handy and easy to find.  Flat cables keep the earbuds tangle-free while delivering exceptional sound quality. The REWIND earbuds feature 9.2mm drivers housed in an acoustically engineered surround to provide crisp, clear highs and deep pounding bass. The earbud cartridge has built-in power controls and a microUSB port for easy charging, so that you know your earbuds are ready to go when you are. 
The REWIND earbuds are available in:
•    Snow crash white with gray cables and black chrome earbuds
•    Black out with black cables and black chrome earbuds
•    Ash gray with gray cables and black chrome earbuds
FELTaudio Cases
FELTaudio’s specially-designed protective cases for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch conveniently attach to the REWIND earbuds and PULSE speaker so that you can grab your device and bring your audio wherever you go. Comprised of resilient polycarbonate with a soft felt interior lining, the cases ensure your devices are elegantly shielded from daily wear and tear. The cases can be used with or without the audio cartridges, and allow for access to all ports and controls while providing superior protection and style. Case color choices include white, black and warm gray. 
The FELTaudio portable modular audio system will officially debut at CES Unveiled at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 6, 2013. The system is now available for pre-order at www.feltaudio.com. FELTaudio will also showcase the full product line at the Levin Consulting Meeting Area, South Hall 2, MP25358.