What did you miss at ISE 2012? Our friends at rAVe NOW captured nearly 900 videos and you can search for what you’d like to see…or use these links to categories below to zero on companies or products.
Seeing is Believing: rAVe NOW Videos
- 29. 02. 2012
- Bob Snyder
- Feature
Draper Europe Acquires Awning Manufacturer
- 29. 02. 2012
- Bob Snyder
- Industry news
Draper Europe AB acquires Tvaakersmarkisen, one of the largest awning makers in Sweden as well as a maker of window shades and venetian blinds.
“Awnings are a popular window covering in Europe, due to the high cost of energy,” according to Goran Peterson, MD, Draper Europe AB, “so this was a natural fit for Draper.” Peterson adds, however, there “more than awnings in Draper Europe’s plans.”
During the second half of 2012 Draper Europe will also begin to make interior and exterior window shades using Draper’s proprietary hardware system.
Latest Galaxy Beams Projections
- 29. 02. 2012
- Marco Attard
- Projection and Screens
Samsung refreshes the projector-phone combo at Mobile World Congress 2012 with the Galaxy Beam-- an Android 2.3 handset packing a built-in pico projector.
The most interesting feature, of course, is the projector-- a TI DLP number offering images nHD resolution (640x360) with 15 lumens of brightness, with projected image width of up to 130cm (50-inches).
owering all is a 2000mAh battery, which Samsung says should provide up to 3 hours of continuous projector use on a single charge. It is also not too thick, at just 12.5mm.
Samsung also promises docks (stabilising the phone and boosting sound) should be available "in select markets" sometime in Q2 2012-- once the Galaxy Beam hits the market.
Android Smartphone as Universal Remote
- 29. 02. 2012
- Marco Attard
- Control and Home Media Systems
Lumigon reveals the T2 at Mobile World Congress 2012-- a stylish-looking Android smartphone with an integrated IR remote control and built-in learn functions, making it a universal remote replacement.
Programming the T2's remote control function is apparently as simple as pointing an IR remote at the top of the phone and pressing a button. Lumigon says it even allows gesture-based controls.
The phone carries a 1.4GHz processor, 8MP camera and Bang & Olufsen ICEpower sound. Above the 3.8" display is an "activity button," which Lumigon says users can program to handle shortcuts (such as turning a TV on/off, control the LED flashlight or speed-dial) without unlocking the phone. Android 4.0 powers the device.
The Lumigon T2 should hit select European markets sometime during H2 2012.
Go Lumigon T2
Cisco Wants Out of STBs?
- 21. 02. 2012
- Marco Attard
- Industry news
If one is to believe the New York Post, Cisco wants to sell its Scientific-Atlanta cable STB business, as it is moving the video business entirely towards cloud-based Videoscape technology.
The likely buyers? Private equity firms looking for a low-cust purchase, a NY Post suggests.
Cisco bought S-A back in 2006 for nearly $7 billion-- but NY Post sources claim S-A is currently going "under pressure" following the Q4 2011 earnings report. The company did recently sell a key manufacturing facility in Juarez, Mexico to one of its contract manufacturers.
In reaction to the NY Post, the company denies all rumours in a blog post titled "Cisco Committed to Set Top Boxes." Quoting CEO John Chambers, the blog says "in terms of set top boxes, we [Cisco] are very much committed to this marketplace." However Chambers also points towards plans involving moving from IP-based STBs to the cloud (if not hybrid solutions).
The STB market has gone through a lot of changes recently-- from long-time Cisco competitor Motorola Solutions getting bought by Google to the rise of video-on-demand solutions of the Netflix kind. Over here Cisco supplies the Virgin Media TiVo box and has an exclusive arrangement with ONO in Spain.
Onkyo Goes for the Entry Level
- 21. 02. 2012
- Marco Attard
- Home Theater
Onkyo goes for the first-time customer in 2012-- announcing x4 entry-level AV receivers and x2 all-in-one home theatre packages, all to start shipping from March.
All models in the new receiver range carry InstaPreview (on-screen HDMI source thumbnail previews with fast switching) and Mobile HD Link (MHL) capability, while x3 models carry networking features via ethernet port.
One model (TX-NR616) is also THX Select2Plus certified, using 3-stage inverted Darlington circuitry. Meanwhile the TX-NR515 has Qdeo video processor capable to upscale video to up to 4K resolution, with 7.2 channel audio output.
The home theatre range includes the 7.1 HT-S5500 and 5.1 HT-S3500, both using "Wide Range Amplifier Technology" Onkyo claims reduces signal noise and "provides large amounts of controlled power instantaneously" through discrete output-stage components.
Both systems also include an Audyssey 2EQ room acoustic correction system (with microphone), as well as Audyssey Dynamic EQ sound correction and Dynamic Volume.