Consumer Electronics Daily News

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Form Strategic Partnership to Advance World-Class Digital Reading Experiences for Consumers

Barnes & Noble Inc. and Microsoft today announced the formation of a strategic partnership in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary, which will build upon the history of strong innovation in digital reading technologies from both companies. The partnership will accelerate the transition to e-reading, which is revolutionizing the way people consume, create, share and enjoy digital content.

The new subsidiary, referred to as Newco, will bring together the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble. Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in Newco at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new subsidiary, which will have an ongoing relationship with the company’s retail stores. Barnes & Noble has not yet decided on the name of Newco.

One of the first benefits for customers will be a NOOK application for Windows 8, which will extend the reach of Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore by providing one of the world’s largest digital catalogues of e-Books, magazines and newspapers to hundreds of millions of Windows customers in the U.S. and internationally.

The inclusion of Barnes & Noble’s College business is an important component of Newco’s strategic vision. Through the newly formed Newco, Barnes & Noble’s industry leading NOOK Study software will provide students and educators the preeminent technology platform for the distribution and management of digital education materials in the market.

“The formation of Newco and our relationship with Microsoft are important parts of our strategy to capitalize on the rapid growth of the NOOK business, and to solidify our position as a leader in the exploding market for digital content in the consumer and education segments,” said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Microsoft’s investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business.”

“The shift to digital is putting the world’s libraries and newsstands in the palm of every person’s hand, and is the beginning of a journey that will impact how people read, interact with, and enjoy new forms of content,” said Andy Lees, President at Microsoft. “Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them. We’re on the cusp of a revolution in reading.”

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft have settled their patent litigation, and moving forward, Barnes & Noble and Newco will have a royalty-bearing license under Microsoft’s patents for its NOOK eReader and Tablet products. This paves the way for both companies to collaborate and reach a broader set of customers.

NewCo

On January 5, Barnes & Noble announced that it was exploring the strategic separation of its digital business in order to maximize shareholder value. Barnes & Noble is actively engaged in the formation of Newco, which will include Barnes & Noble’s digital and College businesses. The company intends to explore all alternatives for how a strategic separation of Newco may occur. There can be no assurance that the review will result in a strategic separation or the creation of a stand-alone public company, and there is no set timetable for this review. Barnes & Noble does not intend to comment further regarding the review unless and until a decision is made.

Additional information will be contained in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by Barnes & Noble.

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft will host an investor call and webcast beginning at 8:30 A.M. ET on Monday, April 30, 2012. To join the webcast, please visit: www.barnesandnobleinc.com/webcasts.

Verizon Wireless Announces New Prepaid Plans

Verizon Wireless today announced the availability of a new prepaid plan beginning May 1, offering unlimited talk and text messaging, as well as 1 GB of data for $80 per month.  This monthly plan, available on the prepaid Samsung Illusion™, provides customers with an affordable, flexible option to take advantage of the nation's largest, most reliable 3G network without the commitment of an annual contract.  The Samsung Illusion prepaid package will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $169.99.  In the coming weeks, the Samsung Illusion prepaid will also be available at Best Buy®, Target®, RadioShack and Walmart.

Additionally, starting May 1, customers can purchase a prepaid Verizon Jetpack™ 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi® 4510L and take advantage of new prepaid Mobile Broadband plans.  With the prepaid Jetpack, customers can now create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously.  Prepaid 4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans are as follows:

• $15 for 250 MB of data weekly
• $60 for 3 GB of data monthly
• $90 for 10 GB of data monthly

The Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4510L prepaid package will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $129.99.  In the coming weeks, it will also be available at Best Buy, RadioShack and Walmart.

From keeping in touch with friends to surfing the Web, Verizon Wireless gives customers the power and flexibility to stay connected with no annual contract to America's largest and most reliable high-speed wireless network.  For more information on prepaid plan offerings, visit www.verizonwireless.com/prepay. 

For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. 

Pioneer Introduces Its Most Powerful Internal BDXL/BD/DVD/CD Recordable Drive

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today unveiled the BDR-2207, Pioneer’s most powerful and full-featured drive. The internal SATA drive can read and write to all BDXL™ disc formats, including BD-R and BD-RE triple-layer 100GB media, BD-R quad-layer 128GB media, as well as conventional recordable Blu-ray Disc™ (single-layer 25GB media and dual-layer 50GB media). In addition, the drive features PowerRead™ and Pioneer’s PureRead2, Auto Quiet mode, QuickStart, and Peak Power Reducer technologies.

The BDR-2207 is packaged with CyberLink® software that gives users the ability to play standard Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D titles on correctly configured computers, as well as author and record high-definition Blu-ray Disc content and standard-definition DVD content.

“Consumers do so much with their computers that we wanted to create a drive that does pretty much everything you’ll need, whether it’s saving data or playing back content,” said Steven Cohn, director of Optical Sales for the Home Electronics Industrial Department at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “Plus, the BDR-2207 is extremely fast and powerful to match the processing capability and speed consumers are used to with today’s computers.”

BDR-2207 Advantages:

• PowerRead – Through its PowerRead feature the BDR-2207 provides smoother movie playback when a disc is marked with fingerprints or has minor surface scratches. When the drive is not able to read through these obstructed areas of a disc, it will quickly move forward to the next available data point, resulting in smoother Blu-ray and DVD movie playback.¹
• PureRead2 – Clicking or popping sounds that might normally occur due to minor scratches and fingerprints on CDs can be prevented on some discs with the drive’s PureRead2 technology, which allows the drive to dynamically adjust its optical playback settings through the use of a unique algorithm.¹
• Auto Quiet Mode – The drive also features an Auto Quiet mode that minimizes its operating noise based on the type of use. The rotation speed changes to a quieter mode (slower speed) when watching Blu-ray and DVD titles or listening to conventional audio CDs.
• QuickStart – The amount of time between inserting a disc and the disc being ready for use has been reduced by up to 42% over previous generation models.²
• Peak Power Reducer – Some computers do not provide enough power to the drive during operation. In the case of a write operation, an error will occur and cause the disc to become useless. To prevent this, the Peak Power Reducer feature, when enabled, monitors the power and can reduce the drive’s peak power to ensure stable operation.
• Bundled Software – For additional convenience, the BDR-2207 is bundled with the following CyberLink software: PowerDVD™ 10 BD3D, PowerDirector® 9 and Power2Go® 7.

The Pioneer BDR-2207 will be available in early May with a suggested retail price of $99.99

More details can be found at www.pioneerelectronics.com/drives.

¹ Not guaranteed to read discs in all conditions or under all PC environments.
² When compared with the 2206/206 models.

Pacific Controls Launches Router Integrated Controller G-360

Pacific Controls, a leading global provider of ICT enabled managed services and converged engineering solutions for buildings and infrastructure projects, today launched the next generation Router Integrated Controller G-360, as an embedded gateway for Managed Services.

The revolutionary product, launched at the Tridium Niagara Summit 2012 in Las Vegas, is designed for system integrators and OEMs to realize the potential of Cloud enabled managed services for their products and services spectrum enhancement at an extremely competitive price.

"The G-360 fulfils the requirement of the industry for a small footprint, high-end controller with inbuilt router, GPS and 3G radio to deliver device to enterprise services on the cloud, at a competitive price," said Dilip Rahulan, Executive Chairman, Pacific Controls.

He added: "The device becomes secondary to the value it brings to the customer and the service becomes the means to cultivate an ongoing customer relationship. The G-360 will enable a new era of router integrated communication to enable seamless real time data acquisition and management.

The G-360 connects remote sites and systems to Pacific Control Galaxy, the Enterprise Service Delivery Platform, to enable smart services. G-360 provides a fully integrated device to enterprise functionality in a single, low cost package.  G-360 connects local measurement and control systems in remote sites to Galaxy, over either 3G Cellular Radio or Direct IP Connection.  Local connections supported are for BACnet - IP or MSTP and Modbus-TCP or RTU so the most common measurement and control systems in use in buildings can be connected. The BACnet integration engine in the device provides comprehensive alarming history and time schedule capabilities.

Communication to Galaxy uses the oBIX standard. Sedona framework is integrated with G-360 which supports using application kits in writing optimum control algorithms.G-360 is configured to run Pacific Control Gbots, the innovative remote service delivery technology that is unique to Pacific Controls Managed Service Business.

The G-360 is enabled for seamless inbuilt communication possibility to interface with Galaxy. This interface will further discover enormous opportunities to get assets and machines to be connected for enterprise management. Subscribers of Pacific Controls Managed Services such as Measurement and Verification, Energy Analysis, Carbon Footprint Analysis, Fault Detection and Diagnostics, Continuous Commissioning will be able to receive further large sized price advantage in terms of discounted initial capital expenditure models as well as cost amortized programs.

The G-360 is being priced at USD450, which will give a crucial decisive edge to product distributors and system integrators to compete and deliver solutions in the marketplaces.

Ethertronics' New Double Shot Molding Technology Shrinks Smartphone and Tablet Antenna Volumes by 15 Percent

Ethertronics, a leading technology company enabling innovative antenna and RF solutions to deliver the best connected experience, today announced Ethertronics Double Shot Molding technology. This advanced manufacturing technique enables device OEMs to leverage the trend toward ultra-thin smartphones and tablets by minimizing the amount of space required for antennas.  

Conventional double-shot manufacturing techniques produce antennas that are 1 mm thick. Ethertronics' Double Shot Molding technology reduces the antenna's thickness to 0.8 mm, freeing up space for more components in the mechanical stack-up – all with no performance tradeoffs and at a cost comparable to conventional manufacturing techniques. This equates to a volume reduction of 15 percent in a conventional form factor for the antenna's space.  

Ethertronics' Double Shot Molding solution also allows complex 3D antenna designs, including radius curvatures, to maximize the limited amount of space available inside today's increasingly slender smartphones and tablets. This flexibility enables OEMs to create innovative form factors that stand out in the marketplace without compromising performance.

"Our advanced Double Shot Molding technology gives device OEMs a convenient, cost-effective way to meet operator and customer demands for compact, high-performance tablets and smartphones," said Sung Ki Jung, vice president of advanced mobile technology and GM of Korea at Ethertronics. "No other commercial manufacturing technique provides Double Shot Molding's combination of cost, performance, and design flexibility. This technology is the latest example of how Ethertronics gives OEMs the solutions they need to stay competitive."

Ethertronics' double shot molding technology is more than just a manufacturing breakthrough. This technique is the next step in Ethertronics' evolution to an active antenna and RF system company by enabling the integration of more components within the volume of the antenna – offering greater flexibility in terms of vertical integration.

Antennas utilizing Ethertronics' Double Shot Molding technique are immediately available to OEMs, with commercial wireless devices expected to hit the market in the first half of 2012. 

CEA Names Industry Leaders to Be Inducted into CE Hall of Fame

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA^®) today announced the 2012 class of inductees into the Consumer Electronics (CE) Hall of Fame. The CE Hall of Fame, created in 2000, honors the leaders in the consumer technology industry who have shaped and advanced innovation.

The inductees this year include company founders and inventors, those who fervently promote technology, gifted marketers and the retailers that educate and deliver products to consumers. They all share a passion for innovation. The 2012 class of inductees was selected on February 22, 2012, in New York City by a panel of media and industry professionals, who judged the nominations submitted online by manufacturers, retailers and industry journalists.

“This elite group of leaders has laid the foundation that our industry continues to build upon,” said CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. “Their vision, drive to excel and enthusiasm have helped to create the innovative CE products and services that have improved the lives of consumers worldwide. It is a pleasure to recognize this prestigious group.”

The 12 new honorees will be inducted into the CE Hall of Fame during CEA’s Industry Forum to be held in San Francisco on October 14-17, 2012. During the event, CEA will host an awards dinner to honor the 2012 CE Hall of Fame class on Tuesday, October 16 at the Westin St. Francis. More information about registering for CEA’s Industry Forum and attending the Hall of Fame dinner is available at CE.org.

Following are the 2012 members of the CE Hall of Fame in alphabetical order:

• Willard Boyle and George Smith – inventors of the charge-coupled device (CCD) at Bell Labs
• Robert Briskman – inventor of satellite radio
• Richard Citta – creator of the VSB digital TV transmission standard
• Bjorn Dybdahl – founder of consumer electronics retailer Bjorn’s
• Douglas Engelbart – inventor of the computer mouse and HTML
• Charlie Ergen – founder of satellite companies Echostar and Dish Network
• Larry Finley – founder of the International Tape Association (now the International Recording Media Association)
• Fansy and Henry Harold Gregg – founders of consumer electronics retailer HH Gregg
• In Hwoi Koo – founder of LG Corp.
• Byung-Chull Lee – founder of Samsung Electronics

To read the 2011 CE Hall of Fame booklet from last year’s dinner, visit: CEVision.org. Complete inductee bios will appear in the 2012 booklet as well as online.

SES Unveils IP-based in-home Distribution of Satellite TV Signals

SES, together with leading industry partners, announced the introduction of SAT-IP, a new IP-based satellite reception technology that demodulates and converts satellite signals to IP for further in-home distribution to any IP-enabled device.

Unveiled at the annual SES Industry Days, the SAT-IP communications protocol is established as a new standard for satellite in-home distribution. A live demo of SAT-IP multiswitches showing the distribution of satellite programmes over various IP-based infrastructures (CAT5 Ethernet, Power Line, Plastic Optical Fibre and WiFi) was presented to more than 200 industry experts from consumer electronics manufacturers to broadcast platform operators at the two-day conference.

In a SAT-IP environment, IP-enabled devices such as tablets, PCs, laptops, smartphones, Connected TVs, game consoles and media players will be able to receive satellite programming. This means that consumers will be able to enjoy the benefits of watching TV programmes on different devices and screens. With SAT-IP, large varieties of satellite offers including the most important lineup of HD channels will be accessible for consumers on IP-enabled devices in highest and original satellite picture quality and without using internet connectivity. SAT-IP will become an official standard which is open to all manufacturers and allows them to develop a neutral environment of multiple devices. Current prototypes already allow for the reception of up to eight programmes on eight different screen devices at home.

Thomas Wrede, Vice President Reception Systems, said: “SAT-IP is a quantum leap for the industry and the TV viewers and shows SES' role in pioneering technological developments in the media and TV industry. We see how consumers are increasingly complementing their TV viewing experience with alternative devices. With SAT-IP, we put ourselves at the top of the trend and ensure that viewers can watch satellite TV potentially on any IP-based device at home and with an unrivalled flexibility when they move around. Our new way of connecting devices will allow millions of consumers to enjoy satellite TV on multiple screens with the highest convenience and quality. With SAT-IP, we also give an important impulse to the industry, creating an open standard that allows manufacturers to realise innovative distribution solutions."

The first SAT-IP based products are scheduled to be available later this year.

The renowned SES Industry Days, currently in its fifth year, is a platform for the industry to come together and share and develop new ideas. The event offers opportunities for industry leaders from all around the world to shape the next generation of technologies for satellite reception and distribution.

The Greatest Characters from the PlayStation Library Converge to Fight in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced the release of PlayStation® All-Stars Battle Royale, available for PlayStation®3 (PS3™).  Developed by SuperBot Entertainment, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is the ultimate four-player brawler, influenced by some of the greatest PlayStation themes and characters of all time. Spanning the entire PlayStation universe, players will select and control the likes of iconic characters such as Kratos, Sweet Tooth, Parappa, Fat Princess, Colonel Radec, and Sly Cooper among others. Additionally, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will include a line-up of special characters from some of the game industry's top third party developers and publishers. With a host of playable characters, special attacks, themed stages, and mash up music, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale pits players in a deep fighting game that draws inspiration throughout the colorful PlayStation universe.

"PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale delivers a veritable encyclopedia of PlayStation's rich gaming history," said Guy Longworth, Senior Vice President of Marketing, SCEA. "This game is a celebration for fans of PlayStation and we are excited to deliver the most comprehensive brawler available."

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale gives players access to a wide variety of PlayStation characters and ties in the excitement of a four player, full screen brawler.  Players can fight in a variety of configurations, including versus matches for four, team battles, special practice modes, and team up with friends to take on players online.  Online battles will deliver a new set of challenges, including Tournament mode, Special Event Battle, and Custom Matches.  In Tournament, players are matched online to gain experience and special awards.  Special Event Battles allow SuperBot to set match parameters daily, and players earn experience points towards an overall leaderboard based on performance.  Players can also arrange customized matches with their own rules. 

Environments and music are drawn from the rich and varied history of PlayStation titles, then thrown together in unique mash ups that showcase each property in a new setting.  The mash up elements will introduce a secondary IP to an existing theme, allowing situations where characters and environments from completely different PlayStation IP can interact during a match.  The in-game music, composed by John King of the Dust Brothers, will also stay true to the mash up theme by incorporating a mix of various IP soundtracks throughout. 

In addition to a rich and deep online multiplayer experience, players can engage in several single player modes including Combat Trials and Arcade mode.  In Combat Trials, players not only learn the basics of the game but perfect their skills through hundreds of unique challenges.  Additionally players can play through a fixed level progression with prizes in Arcade mode. 

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has not yet been rated.  For more information about the title, please visit www.playstationallstarsbattleroyale.com.

Telltale Games' The Walking Dead Releases to Critical Acclaim

Telltale Games and Robert Kirkman, the Eisner Award-winning creator and writer of The Walking Dead for Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics, announced today that the first episode of the game series based on the critically acclaimed comic book series, The Walking Dead, is now available for download.  Players can purchase the PC and Mac versions from the Telltale Games Online Store, as well as Steam and other digital distribution services.  The first episode is also available for download now on PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and will be available Friday, April 27th on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Early critical response to Telltale's first episode of the series has been intensely positive from gaming critics across the web.  In their review, IGN.com awarded the episode an Editors' Choice award, saying, "'A New Day' is one of Telltale's finest games," also stating, "…This is a deeply personal and emotional experience, and that's why it feels so right as a part of this franchise."  The review praised, "…The Walking Dead Episode one has just about everything fans could want."

Other critics lauded the game, with Official Xbox Magazine awarding the game an Editors' Choice with a score of 9 out of 10, saying the episode was, "Slam-bang entertainment," adding that, "Everything just feels right" with its "Striking art style and cinematic presentation."  Website Shacknews said, "The Walking Dead is more than just a great adaptation of a beloved property—it is easily one of Telltale's best games."

Gaming site Polygon gave the game an impressive 9 out of 10, stating, "With choices that matter and intensity to spare, Telltale Games delivers one of its best efforts to date."  Their accolades continued with, "…the first episode of The Walking Dead held me in as I was thrown from one story-twisting, heart-stopping conflict to another, disaster threatening if I looked away from the screen even for a moment."  The reviewer also said that the episode was, "…one of the most intense gaming experiences in my recent memory," and that, "So many games have teased a truly "interactive" narrative, but I can think of none that have delivered this well."

The Walking Dead: Episode One – A New Day is set in the world of Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic book series.  Lee Everett, a man convicted of a crime of passion, has been given the chance for redemption in a world devastated by the undead.  Players will experience life changing events, meet new characters and familiar ones from the original comic, and also visit locations that foreshadow the story of Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes.  The Walking Dead offers a tailored game experience – player actions, choices and decisions affect how the story plays out across the entire series.

Episode One – A New Day is the first of five monthly episodes of The Walking Dead games series and will be available for 400 Microsoft®Points on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360® on April 27th; it is available now for $4.99 per episode on PlayStation®Network, and is available as the first part of a five episode season pass for $24.99 on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store and other digital outlets.

The Walking Dead: Episode One – A New Day is rated 'M' (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language by the ESRB.

iPhone App Downloads Plummet in March, While Mobile Marketing Costs Hold Steady

Fiksu, Inc., the industry's first cost-effective mobile app user acquisition platform spanning the global mobile ecosystem, today reported that mobile app downloads plunged by 30 percent in March, returning to pre-iPhone 4S launch levels. The cost to acquire loyal users dipped very slightly during the month.

The Fiksu App Store Competitive Index (which measures the average aggregate daily download volume of the top 200 free U.S. iPhone apps) dropped by almost two million daily downloads to 4.45 million daily downloads, down from 6.35 million in February.  

The Fiksu Cost per Loyal User Index was the steadiest observed, dropping by less than 1 percent in March to $1.30, from $1.31 in February.  

"With the novelty factor of the iPhone 4S launch and the holidays well behind us, and no other events in March to spark discovery, March's download dip was expected," said Micah Adler, Fiksu CEO. "An unexpected contributing factor could be the decline in the use of robotic install tactics by app marketers responding to Apple's new policy. The decline in competition and steady costs definitely presented app marketers with a ranking opportunity in March, driven largely through the cost-effective conversion of organic users into loyal users."

The Fiksu Indexes measure monthly fluctuations in competition for rank in the Apple App Store, and the cost to acquire loyal users[1], helping mobile app marketers benchmark their performance against industry averages.

For Fiksu's full analysis, visit http://www.fiksu.com/resources/fiksu-indexes#analysis.

Data for the Fiksu Indexes was sourced from among more than 21 billion mobile app actions – such as app launches, registrations and in-app purchases – and more than 280 million downloads recorded by apps marketed via the Fiksu for Mobile Apps user acquisition platform.