Consumer Electronics Daily News

Verizon Wireless to Offer New iPad on March 16

Verizon Wireless today announced it will offer the new iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G nationwide on Friday, March 16. Verizon Wireless will offer all models of iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network with speeds up to 10 times faster than previously available on 3G. Additionally, Verizon Wireless is supporting the Personal Hotspot feature of the new iPad so users can share their fast network connection with up to 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB.

The third generation iPad is a category defining mobile device that features a stunning new Retina display, Apple's new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video.  It also still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G is world-ready, allowing users to connect to fast networks worldwide when they travel.

"Customers have been enthusiastic over the iPad on our 3G network and we expect even more excitement for the new iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network," said Tami Erwin, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. "With more and more customers depending on their iPad for business, as well as personal use, it is important that they have a network that delivers high speed and reliability, nationwide."

Customers can buy the new iPad at all Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at verizonwireless.com/ipad beginning Friday, March 16. For complete details on pricing and availability please visit www.verizonwireless.com/ipad.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Walmart to Unlock America’s Favorite Movies with Exclusive Disc-to-Digital Service

It’s time to unlock your DVDs America! The freedom to watch your movies any time, any place is here! Walmart is giving physical DVD/Blu-ray collections across the country a second life by turning them into digital movies. The nation’s largest home entertainment retailer is the first to announce an exclusive in-store disc-to-digital service which gives movie lovers the freedom to watch their DVD/Blu-ray collections from Internet-connected devices, including televisions, tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and more. The service is powered by VUDU, the industry-leading video streaming service.

Walmart, in partnership with the major Hollywood studios: Paramount Home Media Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, is increasing the value of movie ownership for its customers. Starting April 16th, 2012 in more than 3,500 stores, Walmart customers will be able to bring their DVD and Blu-ray collections to Walmart and receive digital access to their favorite titles from the partnering studios. An equal conversion for standard DVDs and Blu-ray discs will be $2. Standard DVDs can be upgraded to High-Def (HD) for $5.

The appetite for enjoying movies is strong and growing. Walmart wants to help movie lovers download or stream their movies when they want and where they want. Walmart asked thousands of customers their thoughts regarding movie ownership. Customers want to own physical Blu-rays and DVDs and customers also want to have digital access to those same movies for convenience. Customers also cited accessibility, security, affordability, and simplicity as key decision factors for wanting a digital solution. Walmart listened and is delivering America’s first disc-to-digital service.

“Walmart is helping America get access to their DVD library,” said John Aden, executive vice president for general merchandising, Walmart U.S. “Walmart Entertainment’s new disc-to-digital service will allow our customers to reconnect with the movies they already own on a variety of new devices, while preserving the investments they’ve made in disc purchases over the years. We believe this revolutionary in-store service will unlock new value for already-owned DVDs, and will encourage consumers to continue building physical and digital movie libraries in the future.”

Walmart Entertainment’s Disc-to-Digital Service Powered by VUDU: How it Works
The process to convert previously-purchased DVD/Blu-ray movies to digital copies is quick and simple:

• Bring your movie collections from the participating studio partners – Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal and Warner Bros. – to your local Walmart Photo Center.
• A Walmart associate will help you create a free VUDU account.
• Tell the associate how you’d like your movies converted:
  • Convert a standard DVD or Blu-ray movie for $2; or,
  • Upgrade a standard DVD to an HD digital copy for $5.
• Walmart will authorize the digital copies and place them in your VUDU account. No upload is necessary, and you get to keep your physical discs.
• Log onto VUDU.com from more than 300 Internet-connected devices to view movies any time, any place.

Walmart Entertainment supports UltraViolet, the movie industry’s initiative currently in its beta phase that allows consumers to put their purchased movies into a cloud-based digital library and keep track of them safely and securely.  Walmart is able to offer customers the ability to watch and purchase UltraViolet-enabled titles directly from VUDU. These enhancements to Walmart Entertainment’s services are the first of their kind from a major retailer and mark an important milestone in the expansion of digital home video ownership.

To learn more about Walmart Entertainment’s new services and to view an animated demonstration please visit: www.walmartstores.com/entertainment

 

2012 Sandbox Summit@MIT Explores the Mobile Revolution and Its Role in Children's Play

From toddlers to tweens, life is an ebook, ready to download. Kids can - and do - play, connect and communicate 24/7.  The 2012 Annual Sandbox Summit, April 17-18, will make sense of what this real-time technology is teaching our kids and what their usage is teaching us. Taking place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the country's most respected academic institutions, Sandbox Summit will bring together experts in the areas of children's media, gaming, toys and mobile to share the latest research and newest devices, and open a dialogue about the role of mobile in our future

"Bringing together the best minds from both academia and media giants like Disney Publishing Worldwide, Nickelodeon and Microsoft, Sandbox Summit fosters two days of information sharing and engaging dialogue," said Scot Osterweil, Creative Director, MIT Education Arcade.  "Our goal is to stir the pot – speakers ask tough questions and challenge us to think about how media is evolving and affecting this generation and the next."

Opening keynote speaker Rex Ishibashi, CEO of Callaway Digital Arts, will address the state of play. Colleen Macklin, Associate Professor in the School of Art, Media and Technology at Parsons The New School of Design and Director of PETLab, will discuss how the art of game creation is evolving in her keynote address on Wednesday.

"I see game design not just as an art form, but as one of the new liberal arts of the 21st century," said Macklin. "However, making games is challenging and full of complexity – demanding new forms of thinking and problem solving."

Conference Highlights

• In his presentation "A is for App. B is for Book. C is for Choice," Russell Hampton, president of Disney Publishing Worldwide, will explore how digital technology is reshaping children's relationships with reading to create interactive and immersive experiences.
  
  
• Using research from the latest Cassandra Report, Allison Arling, Senior Director of Strategic Innovation at The Intelligence Group, will discuss Gen Y and Z's digital "Sixth Sense" and their expectations of digital and physical integration in her presentation, "The Kids are Alright: Research from the Field."
  
  
• Sandbox Summit interactive workshops will once again be a feature of the conference as presenters share best practices for the development of apps and games while inspiring teachable moments. Highlights from the eight workshops include:
  
  
  • Jeremy Roberts, Director of Technology for PBS KIDS Interactive, and Laura Nooney, Sr. Interactive Producer for the WGBH Educational Foundation, partnering to present "So you think you can make an app," which will explore the use of cutting-edge technology to inspire learning among preschoolers.
    
    
  • "Harnessing the Mass Appeal of MMOs" with Eric Klopfer, Associate Professor, Director of the MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program, Director of the Education Arcade, will share best practices from the MIT Education Arcade project using the development of an MMO to teach high school students science and math.

Conference attendees will also have unprecedented access to new and not-yet-released products at the Showstoppers cocktail reception to be held at the Microsoft NERD center.

Sponsors
The 2012 Sandbox Summit is presented by the MIT Education Arcade and Comparative Media Studies department, and sponsored by Parents' Choice Foundation, Toy Industry Association, Inc., The Microsoft NERD Center and Women in Children's Media.

Registration is currently open at SandboxSummit.org.

Over 60% of U.S. Tablet Owners Use Device Weekly to Listen to Music, Driving Growth in Networked Home Audio Products

Parks Associates reports over 60% of U.S. tablet owners use the device weekly to listen to music, and these consumer habits will drive deployment of home audio products with embedded networking technologies. The research firm's report Networked Audio Products: Market Update says audio product manufacturers will add networking in order to connect their products to popular mobile devices and streaming services such as iTunes and Pandora.

"The continuing popularity of music services is pushing consumers to find new ways to enjoy their growing libraries of audio content," said Kurt Scherf, VP, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "Consumers are using products such as smartphones and media tablets for music access and playback, and they want ways to distribute that content around the home. Networked audio products give them the ability to have a high-quality multiroom music experience."

By 2016, over 90 million home audio units, almost 60% of a worldwide market that includes A/V receivers, MP3 speaker docks, sound bars, and home theater systems, will ship with embedded networking solutions such as DLNA and Apple's AirPlay.

Scherf notes that Apple's decision to license its wireless music distribution technology – AirPlay – and DLNA's (Digital Living Network Alliance) uptick in use among vendors are among the key technology trends positively impacting growth. As manufacturers expand their networked audio products to point-to-point solutions such as MP3 speaker docks, lower-cost external speakers, and Internet radios, they will be well-positioned to take advantage of digital music consumption trends.

CEA Applauds Obama Administration’s Move to Challenge China on Rare Earth Restrictions

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^® today applauded the Obama Administration on its plan to challenge China on rare earth minerals at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Since 2010, rare earth commodity prices have risen sharply when China took actions to control its supply, which represents more than 90 percent of global demand.

“CEA today welcomes the Obama Administration's announcement that it will challenge China at the WTO,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “If China wants to be a world player in trade, it needs to behave like one. For far too long our member companies, particularly small companies manufacturing here in the United States have been bearing the cost burden of China's unfair practices. We welcome this move and the goal of diversifying the sources of these important minerals used in consumer electronics products.”

National Science Foundation Recognizes NYU-Poly Professors Hai Li and Oded Nov with CAREER Awards

Two more members of the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) faculty have joined the prestigious ranks of those honored with the National Science Foundation's CAREER Award. Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Hai Li and Assistant Professor of Technology Management Oded Nov both received awards this month.

The CAREER Award is the National Science Foundation's top accolade in support of junior faculty who stand to assume significant leadership roles in their fields.

"We congratulate Professors Li and Nov for being selected by the NSF as among the most promising young teachers and scholars in the nation," said NYU-Poly Provost Katepalli Sreenivasan. "Their awards mean that roughly one-third of NYU-Poly's eligible faculty members are conducting research under these prestigious grants – a testament to the energy and intellectual climate at NYU-Poly."

Li will receive $450,000 over a five-year period to fund the optimization of a new method of on-chip memory storage applicable to everyday devices like cell phones and computers, as well as large-scale data centers and servers used by major corporations.

Her research addresses an ongoing design challenge in consumer electronics products: how to balance the demand for increased memory capacity with the desire for ever-smaller, faster devices. Li's work will focus on developing a highly efficient emerging memory technology called spin-transfer torque random access memory, or STT-RAM, as a replacement for traditional flash memory, which requires an electrical charge to store data.

"STT-RAM offer several advantages to today's memory storage," explained Li. "Because static random access memory, or SRAM, uses electrical charges, it is power-intensive and easily disturbed, making it a less stable method of memory storage. STT-RAM uses stable magnetic energy to store memory directly on the chip, so we'll be able to create high-density, high-speed memory with low power requirements."

Nov's research aims to transform technology-mediated social participation — the ways in which humans use social technologies for collaboration and collective action. 

Just as information about a person's genetic profile can aid in the development of targeted medical treatments, an understanding of users' motivations and personality traits can be used to develop individually-tailored, theory-driven system and interface design aimed at increasing participation in technology-mediated social efforts. Nov's research will focus on online citizen science projects, which tap the participation of everyday individuals to contribute to scientific research.

"Web-based citizen science projects have shed light on everything from the migration patterns of butterflies to objects in our solar system," said Nov. "Our work will apply tenets of social psychology to develop and test methods of enhancing participation in citizen science research and making it more effective."  Nov will receive a $500,000 award to conduct his research over the next five years.

Other NYU-Poly faculty members who are conducting research with CAREER Award grants are Yong Liu, associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, and Maurizio Porfiri, associate professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.

Neato Robotics Launches Pet and Allergy Vacuum Cleaner

International Home and Housewares Show and Newark, Calif. -- Neato Robotics®, a Silicon Valley company that pioneers new technologies and products to free people from household chores, today announced a new automatic vacuum cleaner that's designed especially for pet owners and allergy sufferers. The Neato XV-21, which works on all floor types, includes a new bristled brush to improve the pick-up of pet hair, dander and fibers and allows the vacuum cleaner to run more quietly than previous models, especially on hardwood floors. A new filter, which is cleanable and designed for long-term use, provides increased airflow and suction power that allows the Neato XV-21 to pick up and retain more than three times the fine dust particles of the company's standard filter.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recommends vacuuming frequently and reducing the amount of pet dander, fur and feathers in the home as two simple steps to help prevent allergy outbreaks. A 2011 study by Quest Diagnostics found that allergies are on the rise in the U.S. with one in five Americans now being affected. Allergies to dust mites, pet dander, ragweed and other allergens now account for more than 17 million visits to the doctor per year, according to the report.

With the Neato XV-21's ability to automatically clean homes on its own with no human assistance, allergy sufferers can avoid allergens in the air caused by cleaning that can sometimes trigger reactions. Customers can easily set an automatic cleaning schedule for the Neato XV-21 to clean every day, keeping homes neat and healthy and carpets well-groomed. It vacuums close to walls and corners, avoids bumping into furniture and returns automatically to its base to re-charge itself.

"Our customers have increasingly asked us for a better way to pick up even more pet hair, dander and fine dust in their homes," says Warren Flick, CEO of Neato Robotics, Inc. "The Neato XV-21 delivers on that market need with a combination of increased suction power and airflow and more than three times the fine dust pick-up of our standard filters. We continue to focus on delivering new, innovative products that save customers time and keep homes neat, clean and healthy."

The Neato XV-21 is available in Misty White with purple highlights and is designed to automatically and intelligently clean homes on a daily basis, ensuring clean floors and more free time for its owners. Using smart path planning and a methodical back-and-forth cleaning pattern, it thoroughly cleans all types of floors and creates that neat, "just cleaned" look on carpets.

Availability and Pricing

The Neato XV-21 will be available for purchase for $429 M.S.R.P. at the end of April through the Neato Robotics website and an expanding list of retail partners. 

New Private Cloud Printing Features Eliminate the Hassle of Installing Drivers and Let Users Print From Anywhere

Print Manager today announced the availability of Print Manager Plus® WebAdvantage Suite Option 2012 for organizations that need to control user printing and printing security, whether printing locally or remotely through the Internet.

This new version of the most simple and powerful internet-based Release Station on the market comes with Remote Printing features, which allows any organization to create its own Private Print Cloud.

Print Manager CEO, Mr. Bill Feeley states; "The new features in WebAdvantage Suite have been built for customers' existing Windows infrastructure, so ease of installation and setup is minimal. Creating a way for users to easily print directly into their organizations network remotely via the Internet is the future of cloud printing."

The WebAdvantage Suite is an Add-On Option to Print Manager Plus; it is composed of web-based tools that allow organizations to implement users' printing flow and accounting without the hassle of adding new hardware, cash machines, kiosks or card swipe systems.

Web Printing

WebAdvantage Suite can be placed anywhere there is a web or intranet connection. Users will be prompted for their existing login details; from there they can print via the web, view their print job's metrics, choose to print, delete, or even pay for their jobs from an existing balance with PayPal or Credit Card.

Private Print Cloud features include:

> Enables Driverless printing of many common document types. Solution allows users to upload a document, select a printer and submit without needing to install any driver.
> Supports Windows, Mac, Linux and virtually any other operating system running a Web Browser.
> Seamless Windows Printing features integration.
> Supports any printer type, make or model on your network.
> Supports printing the following Document Types:

* PDF Files .pdf
* Images .jpg, .gif, .png, .tif, .bmp, .wpf, .emf
* Documents .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .wps
* Spreadsheets .xls, .xlsx, .csv
* Presentations .ppt, .pptx

> A new PrintLater™ feature allows print jobs to be stored and printed at a later time.

For more information on Print Manager Plus and WebAdvantage Suite or to download a fully functional evaluation follow the link below: http://www.printmanager.com

BBC Worldwide Transports Doctor Who: Worlds in Time Into Commercial Launch

BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment and Games today announced the official launch of Doctor Who: Worlds in Time (DoctorWhoWIT.com), the first-ever browser-based, free-to-play multiplayer online game based on the popular television series. Created in partnership with Three Rings, the award-winning developer of persistent online worlds Puzzle Pirates and Spiral Knights, the game transports fans and gamers alike on a journey throughout the boundless Doctor Who universe.

Doctor Who: Worlds in Time offers something for everyone, including an intriguing narrative for sci-fi followers and serious gamers and stimulating missions for game enthusiasts looking for a quick pick-up-and-play game. After preparing the TARDIS, players travel to various immersive worlds (including Ember, Mars and New New York) and work together to defend civilization against infamous villains (including the Weeping Angels, Cybermen, Daleks, Autons, Oods and Zygons) bent on creating chaos and destruction in the universe. Since the open preview launch in December 2011, the BBC and Three Rings have worked to make more Doctor Who environments available, as well as introduce additional virtual items and create deeply engaging communal features.

"Worlds in Time offers players a multitude of elements and opportunities to socialize," said Robert Nashak, Executive Vice President, BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment and Games. "From introducing beloved characters and progressive storylines to presenting additional guild play, our goal is to become the largest Doctor Who community ever assembled, while also being an enjoyable experience for all players."

While Doctor Who: Worlds in Time is free-to-play, ,players can enrich their gameplay and hasten their progress through the purchase of Chronons, which help them to customize their avatars, complete mini-games, build new contraptions and more.

"I have been a fan of Doctor Who since I was a child, so developing this game with BBC Worldwide is a dream come true," said Daniel James, CEO of Three Rings Design, Inc. "Like the Doctor, we have our own mission, to provide Doctor Who fans an experience matched only by the wondrous TV series, and casual gamers a warm opportunity to discover the marvelous world for themselves. It's exciting to see the Doctor Who universe come to life in such a unique way."

Doctor Who, one of BBC Worldwide's flagship brands, is the longest-running science fiction series in the world and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2013. It's the story of the Doctor, the mysterious traveller in time and space, who has saved the universe so many times. The Doctor is a Time Lord, one of a legendary race of powerful beings whose job it is to observe and record, but never interfere. 2011 was the biggest year ever for Doctor Who on BBC AMERICA with record ratings and mass critical acclaim. The series broadcasts in more than 70 million homes and On Demand across all major digital platforms.

Business Operations Impacted by Widening IT Skills Gap

Eight in ten organizations say their business operations are impacted by gaps in the skill sets of their information technology (IT) staffs, according to new research published today by CompTIA, the non-profit association for the IT industry.

The dynamic, fast-changing nature of technology and a lack of training resources are the biggest factors contributing to the skills gap, CompTIA's State of the IT Skills Gap study reveals. To close the gap, a majority of companies surveyed say they intend to devote more resources to training.

"Even as the importance of technology to business success grows exponentially, few organizations are exactly or even very close to where they want to be with technology utilization and staff skill levels," said Terry Erdle, executive vice president, skills certification, CompTIA. "These gaps are hampering business success."

The CompTIA study shows that IT skills shortcomings impact staff productivity (cited by 41 percent of responding companies), customer service and engagement (32 percent) and security (31 percent). It also impacts speed to market for IT businesses at a higher rate (34 percent) than other industries (20 percent). Profitability is also affected, with 23 percent of small companies feeling the pinch on the bottom line compared to 15 percent of large and medium firms.

"Millions of businesses are clearly not where they want to be when it comes to optimizing their utilization of technology and in the skill levels of their IT staffs." Erdle said. "Even modest improvements in these two areas would yield tremendous benefits in operational efficiencies, business productivity and economic growth."

Erdle is scheduled to speak later today on the IT skills gap issue at the National Association of Workforce Boards Forum 2012  in Washington, D.C.

IT Priorities Provide Clues to Skills Needs

Companies say their IT workers come up short in skills in both existing core areas such as security, data storage, refreshing aging equipment, improving network infrastructure and disaster recovery and business continuity; and emerging areas such as business process automation, mobility, collaboration and virtualization.

"With core technologies, new options for their usage translate to the need for more and different skills," said Amy Carrado, director, market research, CompTIA. "Emerging areas will require IT staff and end users to have sufficient new knowledge bases and skill sets to maximize the return on technology investment."

Nearly six in ten organizations (57 percent) intend to address their IT skills gap challenges by training or retraining existing staff in areas where skills are lacking.

"The expected commitment to more education is an encouraging sign," Erdle said. "IT professionals have a strong propensity for lifelong learning and skills enhancement, so the large majority will welcome the opportunity to broaden their knowledge. An investment in new IT education and training will deliver strong return on investment to the business's bottom line."

CompTIA's State of the IT Skills Gap study is based on a survey of 502 U.S. IT and business managers involved in managing IT or IT staff for their organizations. The survey was conducted between Dec. 15, 2011 and Jan. 23, 2012. The complete report is available at no cost to CompTIA members who can access the file at CompTIA.org or by contacting [email protected].