Consumer Electronics Daily News

Earbud Yo-Yo Makes Its Debut at CES

On January 6th at CES Unveiled, Covington Creations will introduce the Earbud Yo-Yo, its latest gadget, to the media. CES Unveiled is a venue designed to bring consumer products companies in direct contact with the media attending and covering the events of the Consumer Electronics Show. It is a venue for the media to see the newest and latest products before the show opens.

The Earbud Yo-Yo is an audio cable organizer invented by Julie Johnson Barkley to organize the earbuds supplied with iPod’s, MP3 players and smart phones.

Covington Creations LLC, located in Houston, Texas has an exclusive license to manufacture and sell the Earbud Yo-YoTM. The Company has inked a deal with Grand Dynasty Industrial Co. of Taipei, Taiwan to make and package the Earbud Yo-YoTM. Regarding sales, the Company expects to receive the first shipment of Earbud Yo-Yo’s in early January 2009 and it is also in discussions with several product distribution companies regarding fulfillment.

The Earbud Yo-Yo will initially be sold online at www.covington-creations.com and www.theearbudyoyo.com.

HP Launches New Home Server for PCs, Macs

HP today launched a home server designed for use with both Windows and Mac computers. Based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server platform, the HP MediaSmart Server ex485/ex487 is a central repository for automatically backing up and accessing digital music, videos, photos and documents from multiple computers on a home network.

The MediaSmart Server automatically organizes files across all PCs, streams media across a home network and the Internet,(2) and publishes photos to popular social networking and photo sharing sites.

“A growing number of digital-savvy households have both Windows and Mac computers, with hundreds and sometimes thousands of media files and documents scattered across these devices,” says Jason Zajac, Vice President of Strategy, Worldwide Attach Group, HP. “The HP MediaSmart Server protects, stores and organizes this content from anywhere on a network so consumers can access and share it any place they are connected.”

HP MediaSmart Server ex485/ex487 features include:

• HP Media Collector: conveniently schedules the MediaSmart Server to copy and centralize digital files and libraries from networked PCs
• Media Streaming: remotely streams photos and music to any Internet-connected PC or Mac
  Server for iTunes: centralizes iTunes music libraries on the server for playback to any networked Mac or PC running iTunes
• HP Photo Publisher: easily upload photos to Facebook®, Picasa™ Web Albums and Snapfish(3)
• HP Photo Viewer: allows easy sharing of photos with friends and family
• PC Hard Drive Backup: backs up networked PCs via the Windows Home Server backup feature
• Mac Hard Drive Backup: backs up Macs running Leopard using Apple Time Machine software
• Server Backup: duplicates designated shared folders to a separate hard disk drive
• Online Backup: duplicates designated folders to Amazon’s S3 online backup service for an additional layer of protection
• Smart Power Management: can schedule times for server to go to “sleep” and “wake up,” saving on energy costs
• Processor: Intel® Celeron®, 2.0 GHz 64-bit. Two gigabytes (GB) of 800-MHz DDR2 DRAM now standard on MediaSmart Server
• Expandability: additional drives can be added for up to 9 terabytes (TB)

Manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the HP MediaSmart Server ex485 with 750 GB of hard disk storage is $599 while the HP MediaSmart Server ex487 with 1.5 TB is $749. For more information, visit www.hp.com/go/mediasmartserver.

Fry's Electronics VP Fired After Alleged Fraud

Retailer Fires Executive Ausaf Umar Siddiqui After IRS Alleges $65 Million Kickback Scheme

Fry's Electronics has terminated its Vice President of Merchandising and Operations Ausaf Umar "Omar" Siddiqui after the IRS accused the executive of using an elaborate kickback scheme in place and allegedly pocketing more than $65 million from vendors, The Los Angeles Times reports.

The IRS contends that Siddiqui, 42, set-up a shell company to hide payments from five Fry's vendors, which he also allegedly cut side deals with at higher prices than the retail chain would have. According to the LA Times, the IRS was tipped off to the scheme by a Fry's employee who found spreadsheets detailing the activities in Siddiqui's office.

Siddiqui was arrested at the company's headquarters last week, and made an initial appearance in a San Jose federal court earlier this week. He has been released on $300,000 bond.

For more information, click here.

SanDisk Named CES Innovations Honoree

SanDisk Corporation has been named an International CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for its 16GB microSDHC™ and Memory Stick Micro™ (M2)™ mobile phone memory cards. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the trade press in order to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products.

SanDisk’s 16GB microSDHC and M2 mobile memory cards are the world’s largest removable storage capacity for mobile phones. These fingernail-sized memory cards allow consumers to take advantage of the many storage-intensive features offered by today’s portable handsets, such as music and video playback, photo and video recording functions, gaming and GPS applications. In addition to mobile phones, consumers can use the 16GB microSDHC and M2 memory cards in a variety of other devices, including video cameras, GPS receivers, or MP3 players with microSD™ slots such as SanDisk’s Sansa® players.

SanDisk’s 16GB microSDHC and M2 mobile phone memory cards will be demonstrated at the 2009 International CES in South Hall 30659. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase will also feature displays and honorees by product category at the Sands Expo and Convention Center Booth 72062.

DBL: Gaming Products Top Sellers During Holiday Season

DBL Distributing LLC, one of the largest and fastest growing distributors of consumer electronics in North America, today announced record breaking performance for the gaming product segment during the 2008 holiday season.

Not only has the DBL’s gaming product segment doubled in sales over 2007, DBL experienced a 173 percent increase in sales over Q3 of this year. These impressive numbers are driven by a new and improved product assortment and an impressive list of quality gaming manufacturers. Some of the top selling products for this holiday season include Wii™ light sabers, Wii™ charging stations, Ion’s drum kits for Xbox 360™ and PS3®, Saitek PC flight sticks and Thrustmaster’s Ferrari branded racing wheels.

With the gaming industry experiencing continuous double-digit growth and unprecedented sales performance, DBL continually looks for partnerships to further expand their gaming accessory product assortment to meet the growing demand for high quality console and PC gaming accessories. Recently, DBL added Razer peripherals to their PC gaming product assortment. Razer is a worldwide leader in PC gaming technology and tops the charts with the most innovative products every year. Another addition to DBL’s product assortment includes NXG Technology. NXG, a well respected cable manufacturer, will be launching a new line of high-performance gaming cables for all gaming platforms in early February.

For more information on DBL’s gaming product selection or to place an order, call 800-733-6766 visit www.dbldistributing.com.

CES Preview: Digital Imaging Innovations

Canon, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus and the Digital Imaging Showcase Create Huge Digital Imaging Presence at the 2009 CES

International CES will feature the top companies and latest new products in digital imaging, including a dedicated Digital Imaging Showcase and the Spotlight on Imaging event and conference session.

"Digital imaging is a vital component in new consumer technology devices across multiple product categories, and it is also a powerhouse category in its own right," says Karen Chupka, Senior Vice President, Events and Conferences, CEA. "The strength of the digital imaging category will be on display throughout the 2009 International CES with the Digital Imaging Showcase, Spotlight on Imaging and conference sessions focused on this fundamental technology market."

Digital imaging remains an important technology segment for consumers, as total revenues from digital imaging products are forecasted to reach $6.8 billion in 2009, up from $6.5 billion in 2008. The Digital Imaging Showcase, located in South Hall 3 at the LVCC, will be a major destination at the 2009 CES. Attendees will experience the hottest products from 50 digital imaging exhibitors across more than 24,000 net square feet of space, a 50 percent increase from the 2008 Digital Imaging Showcase.

Spotlight on Imaging, co-produced by Picture Business, is scheduled for Friday, January 9, in the LVCC South Hall and will showcase tabletop displays featuring the latest digital imaging technologies, as well as retail-specific education sessions. The event also will feature CEA's Digital Imaging Division Reception.

The 2009 International CES will feature more than 200 conference sessions, with a variety of sessions focused on digital imaging including:

• Digital Imaging: Beyond the Megapixel - Digital cameras now have smile detection, high dynamic range, low light flexibility and even geocoding. Learn how manufacturers can market to, and connect with, the consumers who are now purchasing their second, third and fourth generation digital cameras.
• The Digital Shoebox: New Options for Consumers - With consumers snapping more photos than ever before, the problems of what to do with all of those images are beginning to spawn new options for manufacturers. What are the primary forms of digital storage, and what are the best options for protecting precious memories from hard drive crashes?

For more information, visit www.cesweb.org.

CEA-CNET: Consumer Confidence Down Slightly in December

Consumer confidence in the overall economy decreased slightly in December, according to figures released today by the Consumer Electronics Association  and CNET. The CEA-CNET Indexes also showed consumers are slightly less likely to spend on consumer electronics (CE) and technology products.

The CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE) reached 167.9 in December, a decrease of 2.1 points from last month. The ICE, which measures consumers’ confidence in the overall economy, is down year-over-year by six points.

“While the new administration may bring hope of an economic turnaround, consumers continue to worry over rising unemployment rates,” says Claudia Haase, CNET’s Director of Research.

Consumer confidence in CE and technology took a much more dramatic dip in December. The CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Technology Expectations (ICTE), which measures consumers’ confidence in consumer electronics and technology, decreased 7 percent, reaching 78.3. Looking at the index the same time last year, it shows a decrease of 13 percent.

“Although we have seen consumer confidence dip lower in the past two years, we were hoping that confidence would rebound or at the very least, remain flat during one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year. Unfortunately, we are also seeing a decline in tech confidence which is tied directly to overall consumer confidence,” said Haase. “For many retailers, the holiday season is the time when they expect to report an increase in sales, but it appears that economic factors may overshadow the expected boost from the holiday season.”

The CEA-CNET Indexes are comprised of the ICE and the ICTE, both of which are updated on a monthly basis through consumer surveys. New data is released on the fourth Tuesday of each month. CEA and CNET have been tracking index data since January 2007. To find current and past indexes, charts, methodology and future release dates, log on to www.CEACNETindexes.org.

Green Plug, CE Partners Showcase Open Systems Power Interface

A year ago, Green Plug burst on to the scene, committed to fixing “the broken power model” – the status quo that sees consumer electronics companies churning out some 2.5 billion incompatible power supplies and burying another 700 million discarded units in landfills annually. Green Plug today announced the lineup of consumer electronics devices that its Greentalk™ technology will power during the www.lunchatpieros.com press demonstration at CES.

Last week, Green Plug and Innergie, developers of the world’s smallest universal power adapter, jointly announced the Greentalk-enabled Innergie mCube90G – the first implementation of the Green Plug protocol. Green Plug’s Greentalk open system universal power interface enables any consumer electronics product to obtain power from any compliant external power adapter.

The Green Plug/Innergie CES demo will showcase a digital media enthusiast's toolkit, centered on an eco-friendly Fabrik SimpleTech [re]drive storage system, Ricoh R10 and GX200 digital cameras, and NEC Personal Products LaVie laptop.

Greentalk technology will also power an HP TouchSmart PC, Panasonic cordless phone, Canon photo printer and camcorder, Linksys wireless router, Westinghouse digital picture frame, portable Dynex DVD player, cordless power drill and several 5V devices, including iPhones and iPods.

These devices were equipped with the Green Plug power interface without vendor intervention -- testimony to the ease of implementing the free, open systems power interface. While each of these products has unique power needs, Greentalk enables all to obtain power from a smart, dynamically adaptable power hub instead of having to rely on separate, incompatible power adapters and battery chargers.

Tivoli Audio 'NetWorks' Points The Way To The Future of Home Audio

NetWorks is a Breakthrough WiFi Audio System That Can Play Any Radio Station, Anywhere in the World, or Music from a Computer in Any Room in the House - 
 

When Tivoli Audio CEO Tom DeVesto and his team of engineers set out to create the next generation of home audio, they began with a simple question: What would the ideal home audio device do? The new Tivoli Audio NetWorks global audio device is the answer to that question. Taking advantage of broadcasting over the Internet, NetWorks delivers crystal-clear reception of thousands of free radio stations, near or far, without the need for a computer. NetWorks allows listeners to tune in to Italian Opera from Milan, rock music from New York City, or Rugby from Australia, any specialty, niche radio station from any location in the world in its native language, and in real time. It also allows access to music stored on PCs from any room in the house through a wireless or Ethernet connection. NetWorks features Tivoli Audio-quality sound as a stand-alone unit, but can be expanded with a stereo speaker, CD player, or subwoofer. And the NetWorks audio system builds upon Tivoli Audio’s reputation as a design leader, offering a choice of furniture-quality hardwood cabinets in Cherry, Walnut or Wenge. The result is an elegantly simple, beautifully designed, yet technologically-advanced NetWorks that points to the future of home audio entertainment. 

“It has been our goal to continually bring the most innovative audio devices to market with the quality and high performance that our customers have come to expect from Tivoli Audio,” says Tivoli Audio Chairman and CEO Tom DeVesto. “The greatest challenge in designing NetWorks was in making it simple to use. It combines function and design with the ability to deliver the world of radio broadcasts to any room in the home, offering global audio networking that sounds as good as it looks.”

Accessing AM and FM stations via a Wi-Fi or Ethernet broadband connection, NetWorks connects to thousands of free radio stations worldwide. It easily searches for stations by country, genre, or a station’s call letters. It is also one of the first audio products that is automatically upgradeable to keep continuous pace with rapidly changing technology. NetWorks comes with five pre-sets, but through its exclusive Global Portal can add an unlimited number of Internet stations that can be stored to a “Favorites” list. These would include many HD Multi-cast and DAB stations, previously only available from expensive HD or dedicated DAB receivers. Enter the Global Portal online at www.networks.tivoliaudio.com to add any radio station, chat with a NetWorks community, get the latest NetWorks news, and receive technical help electronically or live from audio experts.

NetWorks is available with or without a digital FM tuner with RDS (where available) to provide continual service when Internet service is unavailable. NetWorks even has the ability to stream music files from a computer via an Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection. NetWorks is compatible with most of today’s popular music formats, including MP3, WMA, and Real Audio. Also included is a USB input to connect a compatible MP3 player or memory stick. Additional features include a virtual analog clock, dual independent alarms with sleep timer and snooze function, compact remote control and easy-to-read four-line by 16 character back-lighted display.

NetWorks employs a full-range 3.5” magnetically shielded driver capable of high quality audio reproduction. For true stereo sound, NetWorks provides a right channel output for the matching NetWorks Speaker, sold separately. A matching CD player and subwoofer are available. As a music system, NetWorks includes stereo headphone, record and subwoofer outputs, and auxiliary and mixing inputs for use with other audio equipment or a computer. 

Other notable features include an adjustable Equalizer and SuperBuffertm, developed exclusively by Tivoli Audio to extend the standard buffer time and virtually eliminate Internet radio station dropouts. The new Tivoli Audio NetWorks Global Audio System measures 5.51”W x 8.74”H x 5.12”D and comes in Walnut, Cherry, and Wenge furniture-grade wood finishes with gold-toned speaker grille. The NetWorks Global Audio System may be ordered direct by calling toll-free at 1-877-297-9479 or visiting the company’s Web site at www.tivoliaudio.com. The retail price starts at $600 for the basic NetWorks, the FM and DAB versions will cost slightly more.

Palm Secures Additional $100 Million Equity Investment from Elevation

Palm, Inc. has announced that Elevation Partners has agreed to make an additional $100 million equity investment in the technology company. Under a definitive agreement reached today, Elevation will increase its investment in Palm by acquiring newly issued Series C preferred stock that is convertible into Palm common stock at a price of $3.25 per share, a 31 percent premium to the closing price of Palm common stock on Dec. 19, 2008.

“The additional capital from Elevation Partners will enable us to put added momentum behind the new product introductions scheduled for 2009 and will provide us with enhanced stability in unsettled economic times,” says Ed Colligan, President and CEO of Palm, Inc. “Elevation has been a great partner to Palm, and we appreciate their continued confidence and support.”

“We believe that Palm is in a position to transform the cell phone industry, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to make this additional investment in the company. Palm has an industry-leading team and an exciting, differentiated product roadmap. We are proud to be associated with the company and look forward to great things from Palm in 2009 and beyond,” stated Roger McNamee, co-founder of Elevation Partners.

The transaction is expected to close by Jan. 31, 2009, subject to customary closing conditions.

For more information, visit www.elevation.com or www.palm.com.