Consumer Electronics Daily News

Tiesto to Make His Videogame Debut in DJ Hero 2

Coming in October, virtual DJs and MCs throughout the universe will fire up two turntable controllers and a microphone and mix it up with Tiesto—one of electronic music's defining artists, DJs and producers—in "DJ Hero 2."

Having worked with the likes of Muse, Justin Timberlake, Jonsi from Sigur Ros, Flo Rida, Sean Kingston and Three 6 Mafia, performed for billions of fans at the opening ceremonies of the Athens Olympics and headlined the Coachella and Bonnaroo music festivals among others, Tiesto has earned his status as the world's hottest DJ. The GRAMMY nominee will be spinning for a new audience as he takes to the virtual ones and twos, delivering a pair of pulse-pounding exclusive mixes and joining the ever-growing roster of playable characters, including Deadmau5, David Guetta, DJ Qbert and others.

" 'DJ Hero 2' is all about bringing people of different backgrounds, ages and music tastes together to have some fun DJing their favorite music. The way the music comes together is fresh and unique and as a DJ, I couldn't ask for more than that," said Tiesto. "I am excited to be involved with this medium and to be contributing to a great game with an amazing soundtrack."

"From touring the globe and working with some of the world's most visionary artists across five hit albums, to performing at the biggest clubs and the hottest festivals, Tiesto is one of the biggest DJs in the world," said Tim Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs, Activision. "We've assembled a cast of the biggest and best DJs and having Tiesto bring his unique style adds incredible flavor to the best soundtrack in entertainment."

First Quadricopter for Video Games

Parrot, wireless peripherals for mobile phones, and Brookstone, specialty retailer of unique gifts, pre-launched the Parrot AR.Drone. The AR.Drone (available in the U.S.) is a unique quadricopter using augmented reality and piloted with an iPod touch, an iPhone or an iPad. U.S. fans of the AR.Drone can now place orders exclusively at Brookstone.com.

The AR.Drone, which will retail for $299, will begin shipping to customers Sept. 3. It will also be available exclusively in Brookstone stores through Oct. 31, where consumers will be able to experience the one-of-a-kind quadricopter in-person.

Content of the box

-- AR.Drone with internal hull

-- 1 external hull

-- 1 battery

-- 1 battery charger and 4-pin mains adapter

-- 1 set of stickers

-- 1 quick start guide

The AR.Drone combines real and virtual worlds to offer an unparalleled gaming experience. A front camera broadcasts and streams what the AR.Drone is seeing onto the iPod touch, iPhone or iPad screen and provides the opportunity for augmented reality games.

"The Parrot AR.Drone offers an entirely new flight and gaming experience," said Brookstone CEO Ron Boire. "It's the first flying vehicle you can control with your iPod, iPhone or iPad. Brookstone is proud to be the first store in the U.S. where customers can purchase the AR.Drone. We're going to make a lot of pilots very happy throughout the fall and holiday season."

YOU: Having A Baby! App Now Available

Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, launched their YOU: Having A Baby! App on the App Store. The app provides expectant mothers with advice and information about their pregnancy from conception through infancy and offers content from the best-selling book of the same name published by Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, in an easy-to-use Q&A format perfect for the iPhone and iPod touch.

In addition to content from Drs. Oz and Roizen, the app creates a central hub for answers to expectant mothers' pregnancy-related questions, offering personalized daily nutritional reminders for maintaining a healthy pregnancy based on their due date, images of fetal development phases, and the ability to add content such as doctors' appointments as well as important telephone numbers.

Developed by Sharecare.com, a new website organizing and answering all the questions of health, this is the first app to be based on one of the books in the "YOU" series by Drs. Oz and Roizen, published by Free Press. YOU: Having A Baby!, which was also written with Dr. Margaret L. McKenzie and other experts, delves into all of the pregnancy basics, from fertility to infant care, topic-by-topic, and provides biological and physiological information about hormones, digestion, morning sickness and other maternal-fetal interaction.

The YOU: Having A Baby! App is available for $1.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Program Pilots High-Tech Tools for Chevrolet Salespeople

Chevrolet reports that the automaker is the first car manufacturer to pilot a sales app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad which allows salespeople to help customers research trim levels, options and financing and search vehicles in dealer inventory. A nationwide rollout to Chevrolet dealers is expected this fall.

The Chevrolet Dealer app features the entire line of Chevrolet cars, trucks and crossovers. It allows a salesperson to work with a customer to pick interior and exterior colors, search for a matching vehicle in the dealership's inventory and look up offers that can be applied to the purchase or lease.

"Chevrolet Dealer allows us to spend less time behind our desks and more time on the showroom floor with our customers," said Joel Smith, Retail Operations Manager at Hendrick Chevrolet in Cary, N.C., where the pilot began July 9. "Our customers have been wowed when we are able to show them video and help them choose options, all on the iPhone."

The app also allows salespeople to submit and retrieve quotes so they can help customers find and buy the vehicle they want anywhere in the showroom, on the sales lot, or even when they aren't in the dealership.

Chevrolet recently announced the Chevrolet Showroom shopping app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, which allows users to research and locate the car, truck or crossover they desire. Once a vehicle has been located, users can save it to their device and share it with friends and family via e-mail or Facebook.

AutoViews360 Utilizes Mobile Technology

AutoViews360.com is following communication experts' advice in using smartphone mobile technology for their dealer clientele.

Telecom industry analysts have recently reported that smartphones are one of the fastest growing technology segments in the U.S. economy. Sales for mobile devices have produced consecutive double-digit growth over the last 24-month period.

In March, Mike DeCarlo of TechSpot.com reported that mobile technology usage grew an astounding 193 percent last year alone. Forrester Research Analyst Charles Golvin noted that nearly one in every three U.S. adult mobile phone subscribers uses a smartphone device, which is up from one in five less than a year ago.

"When industry experts agree on this type of data, then it's time to get on board," states Tom Determan, Owner of AutoViews360.com, "especially when your business is information-driven."

Employing smartphone technology gives AutoViews360 dealers a genuine advantage over dealers who only utilize a static website. Society today is quickly becoming ultra high-tech as people are using mobile technology to stay current with news, weather and sale information. As a result, mobile devices are becoming an extremely important player in automotive advertising.

Determan's company works closely with the used car industry providing dealers with advanced easy-to-use multi-media advertising. As a result, independent car dealers receive the mobile technology perks from AutoViews360—perks that enhance their customers' buying experience even before they drive on their lot.

TripAdvisor and Nokia Team Up to Empower Even More Travelers

TripAdvisor joined up with mobile giant Nokia. The partnership includes Ovi app for Nokia's Ovi Store, and integration of the TripAdvisor service into Nokia's Ovi Maps.

The TripAdvisor for Nokia app allows travelers to search for popular hotels, restaurants and attractions in their vicinity, as well as find the cheapest airfares available. The app is available in 12 different languages, giving travelers around the globe a localized TripAdvisor experience.

With the tap of a finger, Nokia users can now find and filter hotels and attractions by rating, distance and price. Travelers can also post reviews while they're on the road and their experiences are still fresh.

"Our collaboration with Nokia further strengthens our commitment to providing trusted and valuable travel advice at home or on the go," said Steve Kaufer, TripAdvisor founder and CEO. "We are thrilled to launch TripAdvisor for Nokia which gives even more travelers a new way to access the more than 35 million traveler reviews and opinions available on TripAdvisor."

As part of the agreement, a dedicated TripAdvisor service will also be integrated into the popular Ovi Maps environment.

"The ability to find the best places around you is a key advantage of connected mobile services. The TripAdvisor integration means Nokia users get immediate access to the latest user reviews of the restaurants, hotels, and attractions in their immediate area, or anywhere else in the world they may want to discover while on the go. Global free drive and walk navigation on Ovi Maps means that once you find that great place, you are sure to get there hassle-free using Ovi," said Robert Rogers, Senior Manager, Ovi Publish.

Intrado to Deliver Next-Generation 9-1-1 Text Messaging Products and Services

The Enterprise Mobility Solutions business of Motorola announced an alliance with Intrado, the leading provider of 9-1-1 technology solutions, to deliver next-generation 9-1-1 text messaging enabled products and services.

As agencies move toward wider adoption of NG9-1-1 capabilities, a new approach is needed to fully realize the unprecedented access to non-verbal communication, such as citizen text messaging. Working closely with mutual public safety customers, Motorola and Intrado are combining their expertise with innovative new technologies to further advance public safety services and emergency response. The two companies will initially focus on a citizen text messaging trial to enable access for individuals who may have speech or hearing disabilities. The result of this trial will help inform how citizen text messages are best integrated as public safety agencies move toward NG9-1-1 services. In June 2009 Intrado launched the first text messaging solution to successfully deliver text messages directly to 9-1-1 and has continued to enhance that solution in preparation for broader deployment across the public safety community.

For the initial text trial, the interoperability and integration of Motorola's IP-based PremierOne CAD and Intrado's A9-1-1 equipment and technology will be achieved using the ATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions) Emergency Services Messaging Interface (ESMI) standard. Motorola and Intrado support the need for NG9-1-1 standards. As future NG9-1-1 standards evolve and are approved by industry-recognized standards organizations, trial solutions supporting these standards will be considered.

Duracell Launches Portable Universal Netbook AC Adapter

Duracell launched the new 40-Watt Universal Netbook AC Adapter. In keeping with the Duracell Smart Power initiative, the adapter is designed to maximize power efficiency and portability, making it an ideal accessory for today's popular mini-computers.

The demand for netbooks has exploded since first coming to market three years ago. In 2009, worldwide unit shipments of netbooks grew an astonishing 100.8 percent, according to market research firm iSuppli. The Duracell 40-Watt Universal Netbook AC Adapter offers netbook owners a compact and lightweight spare adapter that meets their portability needs. It includes four interchangeable voltage controlling tips to work with hundreds of netbook makes and models including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP/Compaq, Lenovo and more.

The user-friendly tips automatically switch between 12V and 19V, depending on the netbook's power requirement, ensuring that the correct and safe amount of voltage is delivered to the device every time. Weighing in at just nine ounces, the Duracell adapter is among the lightest on the market—making it easy to slip into the pocket, purse or computer bag, mirroring the portability of the netbook itself. It gives users dependable charging capacity at home, the office, school or at the airport—anywhere equipped with a standard AC wall outlet. The adapter is also energy-efficient, drawing less than .5W of electricity when plugged into the wall but not being used to power a netbook.

The Duracell 40-Watt Universal Netbook Adapter is available now at Amazon.com and TigerDirect.com for $49.99 MSRP. It will be available at WalMart.com, CompUSA.com, CircuitCity.com, CDW.com, Buy.com, Newegg.com, PCMall.com, OnSale.com and Zones.com beginning in August.

AMEC Expands with Intergraph SmartPlant Enterprise and SmartPlant Foundation

AMEC, engineering and project management services to the energy, power and process industries, has expanded its use of Intergraph SmartPlant Enterprise design and engineering software for its Canadian oil sands projects and added Intergraph's SmartPlant Foundation solution to manage engineering information for its large CAPEX projects.

As a major provider of services to the Canadian oil sands producers, AMEC provides design, procurement, project delivery, construction management and specialist consultancy across all aspects of extraction and production. With the Intergraph SmartPlant Enterprise solutions for design, instrumentation, P&ID, electrical distribution design and modeling review, AMEC is looking forward to increased productivity and an ability to accelerate projects due to assurance of integrity of engineering data and increased worksharing collaboration.

SmartPlant Foundation will be used as a publish-subscribe hub integrating AMEC's 2-D and 3-D design tools as well as for completing its master tag registry. All of this work is part of the Detailed Design Engineering Phase.

SmartPlant Foundation is the document and data management solution within SmartPlant Enterprise, an integrated solutions suite that provides full design, construction, materials and engineering data management capabilities needed for the creation, safe operation and maintenance, and capital Project Life Cycle Management of large-scale process and power projects. The software's life cycle data management also enables a smoother handover for EPCs to owner operators and for owner operators to more easily maintain, refurbish or modify their plants.

ParkVu Updates to Music WithMe BlackBerry App

ParkVu introduced new features and significant user experience enhancements for the Music WithMe BlackBerry app. Simplifying music listening for a new generation of music lovers who want all their music on their smartphone, anytime, anywhere, Music WithMe wirelessly syncs users' iTunes playlists with their BlackBerry, via a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. No longer tethered to cables or a secondary music playing device, Music WithMe provides an easy way for smartphone owners to have their favorite music with them on the go.

Using a cellular network or Wi-Fi connection, Music WithMe automatically and wirelessly downloads music files from users' iTunes collection to their BlackBerry smartphone. Now with the latest version, BlackBerry owners can track the status of downloads. For each playlist, for example, users can see how many tracks have been uploaded to the cloud and how many have yet to be uploaded from iTunes. In addition, Music WithMe now has the ability to sync music libraries that are stored in network attached storage locations.

Music WithMe allows for remote wireless syncing and, unlike streaming solutions, once music is downloaded. No wireless connection is required meaning no more data is used—saving money and battery power and providing a dependable music listening experience regardless of cellular reception. Tracks are downloaded directly to the BlackBerry memory card and are played as usual.

From within the app, users select which iTunes playlists they want stored on their BlackBerry smartphone. Music WithMe then works with iTunes on the PC to ensure that any changes made to the playlists are automatically reflected on their BlackBerry smartphone.