Russound launches a new keypad design with the SLK (Single Line Keypad)-- providing individual zone control for your customers' C-Series MCA-C3 and MCA-C5 multiroom audio systems.

It includes a white backlit LCD panel with a 5-character display listing current source, volume level and system status information.

Users can also power the room's system on/off with a single soft-touch button, and even turn off all zones by holding down the power button for 4 seconds (just like with all Russound systems).

Available in x5 different colours, the keypad also features an IR receiver for direct control and IR repeating.

Go Russound C-Series

The Samsung Galaxy One Tablet Projector Concept is just a design concept at this point, but a convincing one at that (look at photos in link below).

It’s a combination of three characteristics from three different devices. It has the mobility of tablets, the widescreen of desktops, and the power of a laptop.

It’s 305x195x14 mm.Adding a back kick-stand and projector, the device gets additional presentation functionality by coming bundled with Windows 8.

Concept designers are Laura Hong and Charles de Belizal.

Go Galaxy One Tablet Projector Concept

Researchers at Disney Research and Carnegie Mellon University believe touching is good-- creating Touché, a system embedding touch-based controls in objects such as doorknobs, seats and tables.

Touché uses Swept Frequency Capacitative Sensing (SFCS), a technology derived from modern smartphone touchscreens. It recognises a wide range of different gestures, with each gesture (tapping, pinching, grasping) having different "capacitative profile" to trigger different functions.

The technology appears fairly simple to implement-- it uses a single electrode connected (even via Bluetooth) to a processor, and needs no metallic surfaces to operate. It even detects gestures through water.

A proof of concept video shows a number of interesting concept designs, including a smart doorknob with different functions (such as showing messages or automatically locking up) depending on how one touches it and a sofa dimming the lights when one reclines on it for a length of time.

However our favourite concept is a system teaching children how to eat cereal, complete with cutlery detection and alarming noises.

The researchers say gesture classification accuracies range at 99%, and are already achievable with current technology. Guess SFCS technology will find use sooner, rather than later?

Go Touché

Microsoft announces Media Center for Windows 8 will be available as an add-on-- a digital purchase one does through "Add Features" in the Control Panel.

Media Center comes free in Windows 7 Premium and Pro.

Apparently the price covers royalty costs of codecs supporting broadcast TV (DBV-T/S, ISDB-S/T, DMBH, and ATSC), VOB file playback and DVD playback. A codec all versions of Windows 8 do support is Dolby Digital Plus.

In case you are wondering the standard Windows 8 standard Media Player does not play DVDs and Blu ray discs. But that is what 3rd party software is for, right?

Microsoft still has to announce pricing for Media Center.

Go Making Windows Media Center Available in Windows 8

Key Digital unveils Compass Control-- a fully integrated iOS-based control system aiming at both HomeAV and ProAV markets.

Controlling devices via RS-232, IR or TCP/IP Compass Control allows installers to use bi-directional IR, 2-way RS-232 with feedback and 2-way TCP/IP, together with control via relays and sensors.

Key Digital claims setup takes as little as 1 hour, through the use of Compass Navigator PC software.

The Compass Control base system consists of the KD-MC2500 Master Controller and the Compass Control iPad app. The Master Controller is the heart of the control system, carrying up to x8 IR or RS-232 ports and TCP/IP/LAN networking control support.

It also allows IR learning and has x2 sets of switchable contacts for the relay control of external equipment.

System expansion products include the KD-WPCW (white) and KD-WPCB (black) in-wall iPad charging and connection mounts.

Compass Control has driver support for the following brands-- Aprilaire, Boston Acoustics, ClearOne, Denon, Furman, ICRealtime Security Solutions, iPort, Key Digital, LG, Lutron, Luxul, Marantz, MechoSystems, Onkyo, Panamax, Primeview, Russound, SurgeX and Wolfvision.

Go Key Digital Compass Control

Control4 launches the HC-250-- a sleek small form-factor controller ideal for single-room control systems or as a universal remote replacement.

It allows users to browse large media libraries, activate lighting controls and even control an entire house from their TV instantaneously.

Carrying a 1GHz processor, the HC-250 uses Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity and fits easily behind TVs, on shelves or in a rack.

It supports both digital audio and video over HDMI (x2 audio outputs-- x1 analog, x1 HDMI-- plus x1 analog audio input) and offers integrated Wireless-N wifi and ZigBee for high-performance wireless networking.

A USB port allows outboard connection to external storage, while control comes through support for up to x4 IR (or x4 IR and x4 serial) devices.

Go Control4 HC-250 Controller