Consumer Electronics Daily News

Launch of GoalWorthy: A Social Game for Life Goals and New Year's Resolutions

CrossComm, Inc. announced today the launch of GoalWorthy.com, a free social game for discovering new life goals, earning points for life achievements, and sharing life victories with family and friends. In addition to the GoalWorthy.com website, the GoalWorthy iPhone and Android apps are available as free downloads for playing GoalWorthy on-the-go.

GoalWorthy uses social media and gamification to create a unique goal-setting experience. Users play by accepting real-life goals from the GoalWorthy community or by contributing their own goals. They can also use GoalWorthy to follow their friends' goal activity and provide encouragement. Players determine the worth of a goal using a voting system and as a goal receives more "worthy" votes, the points awarded to players upon achievement of that goal increases as well. The continued earning of points will cause a player's life to "Level Up." The GoalWorthy platform integrates seamlessly with Facebook, and GoalWorthy users can suggest goals and gift badges in recognition of achievements to their Facebook friends.  

"Our society spends a tremendous amount of time and energy on video games. As a gaming enthusiast myself, it would be great if we could channel some of that enthusiasm into achieving real world goals that matter to ourselves and our communities and Level Up our real lives." says Don Shin , CrossComm CEO. "Social media is an inherently powerful platform for personal goals as we tend to try harder when others are watching, and support from our community is essential for overcoming life's challenges. With the New Year approaching, we hope GoalWorthy will help our players have more fun in setting New Year's resolutions with their friends."

iPhone App Link : https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/GoalWorthy/id580656247

Android App Link : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goalworthy.android

Apple to drop patent claims against new Samsung phone

Apple Inc. has agreed to withdraw patent claims against a new Samsung phone with a high-end display after Samsung said it was not offering to sell the product in the crucial U.S. market.

Apple disclosed the agreement in a filing on Friday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California. Representatives for both Apple and Samsung declined to comment.

Last month Apple asked to add the Galaxy S III Mini and other Samsung products, including several tablet models, to its wide-ranging patent litigation against Samsung.

In response, Samsung said the Galaxy S III Mini was not available for sale in the United States and should not be included in the case.

Apple won a $1.05 billion verdict against Samsung earlier this year but has failed to secure a permanent sales ban against several, mostly older Samsung models. The patents Apple is asserting against the Galaxy S III Mini are separate from those that went to trial.

Samsung started selling the Mini in Europe in October to compete with Apple's iPhone 5. In its filing on Friday in U.S. District Court, for the Northern District of California, Apple said its lawyers were able to purchase "multiple units" of the Mini from Amazon.com Inc's U.S. retail site and have them delivered in the United States.

But Samsung represented that it is not "making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing the Galaxy S III Mini in the United States." Based on that, Apple said it agreed to withdraw its patent claims on the Mini, "so long as the current withdrawal will not prejudice Apple's ability later to accuse the Galaxy S III Mini if the factual circumstances change."

The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc. vs. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al., 12-630.

Originally reported on Reuters.

Massive Dynamics Finalizing Arrangements to Offer a New Next Level WEB 4.0 Android Computing Tablet

Massive Dynamics, Inc. announced today that company management is executing final arrangements to offer a new breakthrough computing tablet that works on the Google Android operating system. Company management believes this move will give Massive Dynamics access to the potential 210 million tablets forecast by Digitimes to be sold in 2013. According to the forecast, 70 million tablets will come from companies other than Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics and Microsoft Corp. With that size of market available for a Massive Dynamics entry, management believes this new tablet can capture a sizeable portion of these estimated 2013 sales.

According to management, this new tablet is in line with the company's focus on lucrative new WEB 4.0 technology as it can receive information and instructions without its user having to touch the tablet or use a peripheral device of any kind.  

The article breaking down the Digitimes data can be seen at http://bgr.com/2012/11/26/tablet-sales-2013-notebook-pc-sales/

More information about breakthrough technology and products that Massive Dynamics develops and sells may be seen at www.MassiveDynamicsCorp.com

MEMS Industry Group Showcases MEMS And The Consumer Experience At 2013 International CES

MEMS Industry Group (MIG), a global industry organization with more than 150 member‐companies and partners, today announced a micro‐electromechanical systems (MEMS) conference track at the 2013 International CES. Featuring a keynote by Klaus Meder, president of Bosch Automotive Electronics, and industry panels designed for consumer‐electronics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs), the MEMS conference session will help attendees to explore some of the most exciting commercial applications of the ‘miniature intelligent machines’ that are  changing the ways in which consumers interact with the digital world.

Mr. Meder will kick off the half‐day MEMS conference session on January 8, 2013 with the keynote, “The MEMS Generation: Why Miniature ‘Machines’ are changing the User Experience with Everything.” “MEMS innovations are moving the auto industry toward cars that drive themselves and meet the connectivity needs of today's consumer,” said Mr. Meder. “The MEMS industry has successfully leveraged the extensive knowledge base and manufacturing processes that we perfected in automotive to advance MEMS for consumer markets. Today MEMS is helping to promote an interconnected lifestyle, allowing interactive automotive systems—as well as smartphones and tablets—to communicate with one another and most importantly, with the consumer.”

“Shipping by the hundreds of millions in smartphones, tablets, game controllers, notebooks, digital cameras and health/fitness apps, MEMS devices enable augmented reality applications, indoor navigation, immersive video‐game play, heart rate/blood pressure monitoring, e‐reader  displays, improved voice communications, and so much more,” said Karen Lightman, managing director,MEMS Industry Group. “As consumer electronics become even more integral to our daily lives, CE manufacturers are turning to the MEMS industry to support new functionality that consumers are expecting and demanding at record levels. The 2013 International CES allows MIG and our members toengage directly with the CE industry. We invite CES attendees to register for our half‐day MEMS conference session, where they can gain insight from our speakers.”

For More InformationMIG Managing Director Karen Lightman and executives from the MEMS conference session are availablefor interview during the 2013 International CES, January 8‐11, 2013, Las Vegas, NV. The MEMS conference session takes place January 8, 2012, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Las Vegas  Convention Center (LVCC) North Hall, Room N264.MIG is also hosting a MEMS TechZone, featuring MEMS suppliers, end‐user companies and partners thatare demonstrating the capabilities of MEMS in consumer applications. The MEMS TechZone is located at
the LVCC South Hall 2, Booth 25321.

Genesis Line Source Loudspeakers Two Decades at International CES

Genesis Advanced Technologies, manufacturer of high-end luxury loudspeaker and amplifier systems will be exhibiting in the High Performance Audio Showcase at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Suite #29-119, The Venetian, Las Vegas, January 8th to 11th 2013.

“This year is the beginning of our second decade in business,” said Mr Gary Leonard Koh, President and CEO of Genesis. “To mark the occasion, we will debut the linesource Genesis 2 Junior at CES – it is the biggest of our products that will fit through the door of our suite!”

The advantage of a line-source loudspeaker is that sound pressure level falls off at -3dB for every doubling of distance away from the loudspeaker instead of -6dB as with a point source loudspeaker. Hence, a point-source and a line-source loudspeaker with the same sensitivity at 1m will have a 6dB difference at 4m. The line-source loudspeaker will have double the sound pressure level at the listening position.

“Being a line-source, the G2jr is quite unique among loudspeakers generally available to the average consumer and it has several advantages,” continued Mr. Koh. “Because small changes in distance make less of a difference in sound pressure level with line sources, it has a sweet-spot that accommodates a couple or a family instead of just one person. Also, at the usual listening distance, it will be twice as efficient as the equivalent point-source loudspeaker. This makes the G2jr sound more dynamic and louder with the same amplifier power, or more capable with lesser powered amplifiers.”

“The ribbon midrange and ribbon tweeters have far less mass than conventional cone transducers. This allows the music lover to listen to music at a lower volume but with the same clarity and dynamics, allowing for late-night listening in a family room without bothering the rest of the family,” said Ms Carolyn Koh, COO of Genesis.

Measuring over 6-foot tall and weighing 220 pounds, the G2jr features a 48-inch midrange ribbon, a line-array of Genesis ring-ribbon tweeters, and twin 12-inch servocontrolled amplified subwoofers per channel.

Happy Days for Shoppers

Rumors abound in the CE marketplace that the $99 SRP Android tablet is on its way from multiple suppliers. Look for them as early as the first quarter of next year.

Coupled with this, there are more retailers who've decided to enable WiFi throughout their stores to assist customers in doing the online price and product research they insist on doing anyway. 

Come next year, we'll have a choice of stores where we can go to see what's on display, take our cute little tablet from our purse and log on to make sure that we're getting exactly what we want at the price that works for us and then hand over a credit card and pay a roving cashier without ever having to stand in line at a cash register. Happy days indeed.

Westinghouse Digital Showcases 110 inch LED Ultra-High Definition Television at CES in Las Vegas

Westinghouse Digital, one of the leading LED and LCD TV manufacturers in the U.S., will be introducing a line of next-generation UHDTVs (Ultra High Definition) including a 110 inch model at the Consumer Electronics Show, held in Las Vegas, NV January 8-11. The new models will combine the best of what's achievable in today's most cutting-edge display technologies, with Westinghouse's world-renowned value and performance, and will set a new standard for accessible high-end functionality in home theater reproduction.

"Our new UHDTV lineup, and the value that it offers to consumers, will change expectations across the entire TV marketplace," says Rey Roque, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Westinghouse Digital. "Westinghouse Digital was at the forefront of providing 1080p TVs to consumers and now is positioned to provide Ultra High Definition TVs to a broader market. We believe that consumers will be amazed by the experience they can expect from these displays and delighted with the affordability."

The new Westinghouse lineup of UHDTV (also called 4k) displays feature the highest picture quality currently achievable in consumer-level video equipment at 3840 x 2160 pixels of resolution. This is double the resolution (both horizontally and vertically) of todays best 1080p HDTVs, or 4 times the number of pixels. In addition to conventionally sized 50-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch models with native 120 Hz refresh rates, the lineup will be spearheaded by an enormous 110-inch display that will literally put a theatrical experience into the home.

The new Westinghouse Digital UHDTVs will be available in the 50, 55 and 65-inch screen sizes in Q1 of 2013. The 110-inch model will be available as a custom order in Q1 of 2013.

Ainol Electronic Launches New Tablet Product Featuring Actions Semiconductor's Owl Series ATM7029 Chipset

Actions Semiconductor Co., Ltd., one of China's leading fabless semiconductor companies that provides comprehensive portable multimedia and mobile internet system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for portable consumer electronics, and Ainol Electronic Co., Ltd., a leading brand Consumer Electronics (CE) company based in Shenzhen, China, today announced the introduction of the Ainol Novo 10 Hero, a 10.1" Tablet product featuring the Owl Series ATM7029 chipset from Actions Semiconductor. 

Actions' ATM7029 chipset supports Android^TM 4.1(Jelly Bean) operating system and will also support the upgrade to Android^TM 4.2. With the ARM® Cortex^TM multi-core CPU, multi-core 3D GPU, full spec 1080p video encode/decode engine and USB2.0/3.0 PHY integration, the ATM7029 provides unprecedented levels of performance and power efficiency.

"As a leading Consumer Electronic brand in China, we are proud of the partnership with Actions Semiconductor. It's really exciting to be the first one who delivers products integrating Actions' ATM7029 chipset," stated Mr. Zaimin Wang , General Manager of Ainol. "In the fast-paced consumer electronics business, time-to-market and innovation is critical for solution providers, and more important, to our end-user customers. Through the high performance of the ATM7029 chipset, we believe our customers will enjoy the complete user experience of our product," concluded Mr. Wang.

"In our view, the partnership with the leading brand, Ainol, is a major milestone for Actions Semiconductor as we are one of the first companies in China to provide the multi-core CPU SoC beyond dual CPU solution to the Tablet market," commented Dr. Zhenyu Zhou , CEO of Actions Semiconductor. "ATM7029 is the first chipset of Actions' Owl Series. Ainol's decision to utilize our ATM7029 chipset for its Novo 10 Hero Tablet affirms their confidence in the integrity and performance of our products. Together, Actions and Ainol will satisfy the needs of our customers by delivering tablet products with the best price-to-performance ratio. We are excited about this product introduction and our continued work with numerous OEM and design house partners to develop new solutions utilizing our ATM7029 technology," concluded Dr. Zhou.

BLU Products announces the VIVO 4.65 HD, as follow up to VIVO Series of smartphone devices with Super AMOLED Displays

BLU Products, one of the fastest growing mobile phone manufacturers in the world, announced the new VIVO 4.65 HD, as a big brother to the already popular and bestselling VIVO 4.3 which launched earlier this year.  Improvements on the VIVO 4.65 HD, include an increased screen size to 4.65", as opposed to 4.3" from the previous model, as well as improved display resolution with an HD Super AMOLED display, and increase to 1GB of RAM.

"We are thrilled as we continue to add to the successful series of VIVO smartphone devices using Super AMOLED Technology displays, resulting in remarkably bright and vivid color reproduction, with the best viewing experience available on a mobile phone today," said Samuel-Ohev-Zion, CEO of BLU Products.  "BLU is determined to continue to bring the best technology and specs available on mobile devices, with several incredible product launches coming in the first half of 2013."

The VIVO 4.65 HD, continues with its predecessor's design language, which features no physical hardware buttons on the front to ensure a seamless elegant design, and is run by a MediaTek MT6577 dual core 1.2 GHz Cortex™-A9 CPU with 3G/HSPA connectivity, running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Operating System. Additionally, the VIVO 4.65 HD is designed to deliver high-end multimedia capability, with an 8MP autofocus camera, and HD video recording and playback. The highlights of the phone include the rich viewing experience of the brilliant HD Super AMOLED 4.65" Display, along with true dual SIM capability allowing both SIMs to be active and receive calls simultaneously.

The unlocked VIVO 4.65 HD will begin shipping to major US Retailers in January of 2013, with an MSRP of $299.99 and will soon follow through Latin America, and parts of Asia.

Americal.com Offers DVD Burners at Affordable Prices

Online retailer, Americal.com, is offering affordable prices on all DVD burners just in time for the holiday season.

While burners can be found in countless laptops and desktop PCs, those that will be duplicating DVD and Blu Ray will want to find dedicated devices that can quickly and affordably create copies without the hassle. This often means finding single-purpose technology that utilizes the cutting edge features that make these projects easier than ever. With these duplicators, users will find themselves saving time and money over time, and this is why many customers are now turning to the affordable warehouse prices that are now offered by Americal.com.

For more than 30 years, Americal.com has been providing the public with the data storage products that they need for their personal or commercial use. Along with a wide array of burners that range from just a single target to 15 targets, this trusted company offers DVD double layer spindles, CD-R media products, CD DVD cases, digital audio CD R and much more. With over 90 percent of their online products in their warehouse, they can also provide same-day shipping on all orders that are made before 5 pm. Customers can also rest assured in their purchase with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on their entire stock.

Finding affordable products to duplicate, categorize, and store CDs and DVDs can be a time-consuming process for those that are unsure of where to look. This is why many are now turning to Americal.com with new low prices on all DVD, Blu Ray media, and CD duplicators.

You can call (800) 288-8025 or visit http://www.americal.com for more information.