Consumer Electronics Daily News

Apple Launches iPad

Magical & Revolutionary Device At An Unbelievable Price

 

Apple® today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch™ display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds— thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

iPad features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction. The precise Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web on iPad an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. Reading and sending email is fun and easy on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard. Import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. Watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD or flip through pages of an e-book you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

iPad runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. The iTunes® Store gives you access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 11 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 8,000 films including over 2,000 in stunning high definition video. Apple also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device. The iBookstore will feature books from major and independent publishers.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWork® for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With Pages®, Keynote® and Numbers® you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.

iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable, so you can sync all of your contacts, photos, music, movies, TV shows, applications and more from your Mac or PC. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

iPad’s brilliant 9.7-inch, LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle. The highly precise, capacitive Multi-Touch display is amazingly accurate and responsive whether scrolling web pages or playing games. The intelligent soft keyboard pioneered on iPhone takes advantage of iPad’s larger display to offer an almost full-size soft keyboard. iPad also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard.

 

iPad is powered by A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A4 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 10 hours.* Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan.**

iPad comes in two versions—one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced breakthrough 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with easy, on-device activation and management.

Continuing Apple’s dedication to designing and creating environmentally responsible products, each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

Apple today released a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for iPad, so developers can create amazing new applications designed to take advantage of iPad’s capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability 

iPad will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date. iBookstore will be available in the US at launch.

*Apple tested wireless battery life by browsing web pages and receiving email over an AirPort® network, never letting the system go to sleep during the test, and keeping the display at half brightness. This is a typical scenario of use on the go, resulting in a battery performance number that is very relevant to mobile users.

**A properly maintained iPad battery is designed to retain 80 percent or more of its original capacity during a lifespan of up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

For more information, visit Apple.

iLuv Unveils A Full Line Of Apple iPad Accessories

 

iLuv, the leader in providing the most appealing, innovative, and relevant products for PMP and smart phones, is pleased to announced a new line of creative graphic designed cases and a line of sleeves for Apple’s new iPad that offer a world of color and style with protection. Ranging from casual fabric cases to leather cases to silicone cases, this series of Apple iPad inspired cases presents a great protective solution for any new iPad owners. iLuv will also offer a line of protective water resistant neoprene sleeves for new iPad owners starting in February. The sleeves will feature two front cover pockets for accessories and a secure lip that will keep your iPad protected while on the go. The entire line of new Apple iPad accessories will be available starting in February.

The iLuv line of fashion designed cases made in a variety of material and color options for iPad will include:

• iCC806: Leather Case available in black or pink– $39.99
• iCC805 Casual Fabric Case with Band Holder in three color options– Retail $39.99
• iCC803 Ultra Think Clear Case – Retail $29.99
• iCC804 Ultra Thin Case with Tatz Graphics in pink, red or black– Retail $34.99
• iCC802 Flexi-Clear (TPU) Case with Dot Wave Pattern – Retail $29.99
• iCC801 Silicone Case in a variety of colors – Retail $24.99
• iCC1190 Clear Protective Film– Retail $14.99
• iCC1191 Glare-free Protective Film– Retail $19.99
• iCC1192 Mirror type Protective Film– Retail $19.99

“We are thrilled to be one of the first companies to introduce a line of protective and vivid color designed cases for the new iPad announced only yesterday. We want to offer owners of the Apple products the opportunity to express themselves with color and style while also protecting their favorite gadget, which is why we are also introducing a line of sleeves for iPad owners” says Howard Kim, the Marketing Manager at iLuv.

iLuv also offers a comprehensive line of other accessories for iPhone and iPod owners that will function with the new iPad. These accessories range from remote control earphones to portable chargers and charge/sync cables. Below are just a few of the accessory options iPad owners will find at iLuv. 

About iLuv

iLuv Creative Technology provides the most appealing, innovative, and relevant products for PMP and Smart phones that contributes to the enrichment of consumers lives. The iLuv AppStation, Speaker/Charging Station with iLuv Application, iEA15 iPod Remote Adapter and the iAD115 Micro USB Car Charge were recently recognized as CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Award Honorees in the Portable Multimedia Accessories, the Headphone Product and the In-Vehicle Accessory categories.  The iLuv i1166, iMM9500, iMM183, iSP200 and i303 were recognized as CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award Honorees including the “Best of Innovations 2009” for i1166 in the Portable Multimedia Accessories Product category. 

For more information, visit iLuv.

Cypress Demonstrates Tablet-Sized Capacitive Touchscreen With True Multi-touch All-point Capability

Video Release Shows Leading-Edge Prototype 14-inch TrueTouch™ Capacitive Touchscreen Actively Tracking Unlimited Finger Touches

 

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:CY) today demonstrated a tablet-sized capacitive touchscreen technology with unlimited finger tracking capability. Cypress has released a video, available at www.cypress.com/go/tabletvideo, which features a demonstration of a user manipulating multiple pictures on the screen simultaneously. The technology, based on Cypress’s industry-leading TrueTouch™ touchscreen solution for smaller-size portable electronics, will power touchscreens between 7 and 17 inches with full multi-touch support.

“With the current buzz around tablet PC products, this technology is one of the hottest new capabilities from Cypress”

The inclusion of multi-touch support in the Windows 7 operating system has opened up the large laptop, netbook and tablet PC market to touchscreen interfaces. Multi-touch capability is a key requirement for enabling designers to develop innovative applications and ways for the user to interact with his or her PC.

“With the current buzz around tablet PC products, this technology is one of the hottest new capabilities from Cypress,” said Dhwani Vyas, vice president of the User Interface Business Unit at Cypress. “Our TrueTouch touchscreen solution was the industry’s first to offer multi-touch all-point tracking of unlimited fingers for the mobile phones and our extension of this technology into the emerging market of medium and large screen touchscreens is a natural place for Cypress to provide technology leadership again. We continue to break new ground with features and capabilities that empower designers to bring their user interface visions to fruition.”

Cypress’s TrueTouch family of devices enables designers to create new usage models for products such as tablet PCs, notebooks, netbooks, mobile handsets, portable media players (PMPs), GPS systems and other products. TrueTouch technology provides the industry’s most flexible touchscreen architecture, allowing designers to implement differentiated features with Cypress’s legendary noise immunity based on patented capacitive sensing technology for flawless operation in noisy RF and LCD environments.

About Cypress

Cypress delivers high-performance, mixed-signal, programmable solutions that provide customers with rapid time-to-market and exceptional system value. Cypress offerings include the flagship PSoC® programmable system-on-chip families and derivatives such as PowerPSoC® solutions for high-voltage and LED lighting applications, CapSense® touch sensing and TrueTouch™ solutions for touchscreens. Cypress is the world leader in USB controllers, including the high-performance West Bridge® solution that enhances connectivity and performance in multimedia handsets. Cypress is also a leader in high-performance memories and programmable timing devices. Cypress serves numerous markets including consumer, mobile handsets, computation, data communications, automotive, industrial and military. Cypress trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol CY. 

For additional information, visit Cypress.

Momocat Studios Introduces Cogitate For iPhone 3G/3GS & iPod Touch

Rubik’s Cube®-Style Puzzle Game Challenges Powers of Logic and Speed!

Momocat Studios, an independent developer of iPhone™ software, today introduced Cogitate, a 2D puzzle game for the iPhone 3G/3GS and iPod® Touch. Inspired by the 1980s puzzle sensation Rubik's Cube®, Cogitate features an intuitive interface with dozens of unique patterns to challenge a player’s logic and speed. Cogitate is available on the Apple iTunes App Store at (http://itunes.apple.com/app/cogitate/id335686162?mt=8) for $1.99.

“How hard can it be to write an iPhone game?”

At each level, Cogitate presents players with an arrangement of colored tiles, forming a pattern which is quickly scrambled. Players must slide the rows and columns of tiles to rearrange them in the original pattern before the time limit runs out. Each level presents the player with a more complex pattern, which is scrambled even more than the last. If solved quickly, or with fewer moves than were used to scramble the pattern, players will earn bonus points and additional time for solving further levels. As levels progress, the bonus points earned increase dramatically.

Key features:

• Intuitive iPhone interface uses finger swipes to slide rows and columns
• Dozens of unique patterns
• Four difficulty levels
• Online leader boards for each difficulty level (powered by OpenFeint)
• More than 800 OpenFeint achievement points to be earned
• Funky soundtrack, or play your own music in the background

For a video demonstration of Cogitate, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGb03l8THJk.

Cogitate is also available in a LITE version, which is available at itunes.apple.com/us/app/cogitate-lite/id340845832?mt=8.

About Momocat Studios

Momocat Studios is an independent developer of iPhone software based in Melbourne, Australia. Founded by Sam King Coward, a software developer and avid iPhone enthusiast, he unwittingly started what became Momocat Studios in July 2009 when he wondered to himself "How hard can it be to write an iPhone game?" As a lover of computer games, writing an iPhone game independently was empowering for Sam, and drives the ongoing development of existing and new titles for Momocat Studios. The name "Momocat Studios" is a tribute to Momo, a dear friend of Sam's for 10 years who passed away in 2009 from stomach cancer.

For additional information, visit Momocat Studios.

Optomec Introduces Aerosol Jet Display Lab System For Next Generation Touch Screen & Display Applications

New Product Will Be Launched at FlexTech 2010 Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., Feb. 2-4, Booth #306

 

Optomec announced today that the company will introduce its new Aerosol Jet Display Lab system at FlexTech in Phoenix, Arizona, February 2-4. The Display Lab is an ideal platform for developing next-generation display products. The system is equipped with Optomec’s patented Aerosol Jet technology enabling high resolution deposition of a wide variety of materials including conductive nano-particle inks, insulators, dielectrics, polymers, adhesives and other advanced materials used to fabricate display products. With an expanded work envelope, the Aerosol Jet Display Lab system enables printing on a wide variety of flexible and rigid substrates, up to GEN 2 size.

The Display Lab system is available from Optomec now. A number of customers in Asia, including a leading industrial electronics research institute and a leading touch screen company, have already purchased and taken delivery of their Aerosol Jet Display Lab systems. The system is being used today by these companies to develop applications such as bridge/jumper circuits for bus lines on ITO/Glass, edge circuits for handheld displays, and fully printed Thin Film Transistors. To download a datasheet on the Aerosol Jet Display Lab click here.

The benefits of the patented Aerosol Jet Direct Write technology are its multi-material, fine line (<10 um) printing capability which eliminates many process steps/costs associated with current photolithographic and vacuum based display manufacturing processes. Also, the Aerosol Jet Print Engine can be integrated into automation platforms to meet high volume display production requirements. Multi-nozzle dispensing heads can be configured to meet specific end-user throughput needs. The additive process employed by Aerosol Jet technology reduces environmental impact by minimizing waste and chemicals that are prevalent in traditional electronics’ manufacturing processes.

Dr. Mike Renn, Director of Optomec’s Advanced Application Lab, will be presenting in the “New Approaches for Flexible Electronics” track at the conference and will be available to discuss Aerosol Jet capabilities. Dr. Renn’s presentation, titled “Aerosol Jet Printing of Carbon Nanotubes,” will provide an overview of Aerosol Jet deposition capabilities and will discuss the benefits of this innovative technology for display, as well as for other printed electronics applications.

About Optomec

Optomec is the world-leading provider of additive manufacturing systems for high-performance applications in the Electronics, Biomedical, and Aerospace & Defense markets. These systems utilize Optomec’s proprietary Aerosol Jet® technology and LENS® powder-metal fabrication technology. The company has a global customer base of industry-leading manufacturers. 

For additional information, visit Optomec.

Cypress Offers TrueTouch Touchscreen Driver For Android Phones; Joins Open Handset Alliance

Free I2C Touchscreen Device Driver Supports Single-Touch and Multi-Touch Signals on Popular Android Platform

 

 Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:CY) today introduced a touchscreen device driver supporting the Android™ mobile handset platform, and announced that it has joined the Open Handset Alliance™. The I2C interface driver for Cypress’s flexible, robust TrueTouch™ touchscreen solution gives manufacturers of handsets based on Android or other Linux operating systems an easy and quick path to delivering high-performance touchscreen interfaces. The driver supports single-touch and multi-touch signaling and is backwards compatible for applications written in earlier versions of Android.

“Cypress is pleased to bring the unmatched design flexibility, accuracy and performance of the TrueTouch solution to members of the Open Handset Alliance for development of full-featured Android handsets.”

The Open Handset Alliance is a group of more than 60 technology and mobile companies working to offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience. The Open Handset Alliance developed Android, the first complete, open and free mobile platform. Android features an operating system, middleware and key mobile applications. As a member of the Open Handset Alliance, Cypress will work with other members to contribute to continued development and success of the Android platform for mobile devices.

“The Android platform is rapidly gaining popularity, and our new driver has already enabled customers to rapidly integrate TrueTouch touchscreen controllers into Android-based phones coming to market,” said Dhwani Vyas, vice president of the User Interface Business Unit at Cypress. “Cypress is pleased to bring the unmatched design flexibility, accuracy and performance of the TrueTouch solution to members of the Open Handset Alliance for development of full-featured Android handsets.”

Cypress’s TrueTouch family includes single-touch, multi-touch gesture and multi-touch all-point offerings. Cypress was the first company to introduce multi-touch all-point functionality, which can track an unlimited number of touches. This capability enables designers to create new usage models for products such as mobile handsets, portable media players (PMPs), GPS systems and other products, and has been in mass production since 2008. TrueTouch is the industry’s most flexible touchscreen architecture, which allows designers to implement differentiated features and make last-minute design iterations without board changes.

Cypress recently announced its next-generation high performance TMA300 multi-touch all-point family. This controller provides best-in-class scan times for true multi-finger touch and superior signal-to-noise ratio for the most demanding touchscreen applications. Additional information about the TrueTouch solution is available at www.cypress.com/go/TrueTouch.

The flexible TrueTouch solution allows customers to rapidly develop leading-edge solutions without having to buy turnkey modules. They have a choice of using touch sensors (glass or film) and LCDs from preferred partners, and can develop innovative mechanical designs ranging from flat to curved surfaces of varying thickness. In addition, TrueTouch devices offer Cypress’s legendary noise immunity with patented capacitive sensing technology that enables flawless operation in noisy RF and LCD environments.

For more information on the Open Handset Alliance, visit www.openhandsetalliance.com.

About Cypress

Cypress delivers high-performance, mixed-signal, programmable solutions that provide customers with rapid time-to-market and exceptional system value. Cypress offerings include the flagship PSoC® programmable system-on-chip families and derivatives such as PowerPSoC® solutions for high-voltage and LED lighting applications, CapSense® touch sensing and TrueTouch™ solutions for touchscreens. Cypress is the world leader in USB controllers, including the high-performance West Bridge® solution that enhances connectivity and performance in multimedia handsets. Cypress is also a leader in high-performance memories and programmable timing devices. Cypress serves numerous markets including consumer, mobile handsets, computation, data communications, automotive, industrial and military. Cypress trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol CY.

For more information, visit Cypress.

SoundHound 3.1 Allows Users To “Hound” That Song Even Faster; Adds Four New User-Requested Features Including Industry’s First Pandora Radio Integration

Launches New Website and $4.99 Promotional Price

SoundHound today announced the launch of SoundHound 3.1 which introduces the industry’s first integration of Pandora radio stations based on any song or artist identified by SoundHound’s instant music search and discovery application on iPhone. In addition, the new version enables instant searching upon startup and faster responsiveness so users can “Hound” that song even faster. Users can also now access artist tour date information in search results.

“We’re committed to providing the most complete and easiest to use music service to our user so we can continue to lead in instant music search and discovery.”

Existing users of SoundHound for iPhone will receive the 3.1 upgrade free of charge. For new users, SoundHound 3.1 carries a limited-time introductory price of $4.99 in the US (and comparable prices internationally), over 25 percent off of the regular price for version 3.0.

Today SoundHound also launched the company’s new website www.sound-hound.com . You can find informative demo videos here: www.sound-hound.com/index.php?action=s.videos.

This significant update to SoundHound includes instant lyrics, artist info, full iPod integration, and SoundHound’s exclusive Underplayed chart. SoundHound 3.1 now adds:

• Pandora station launching (US only): An industry first, SoundHound now includes links to launch Pandora radio stations based on any song or artist.
• Tour Dates: SoundHound expands its supercharged artist info to include tour dates. Now, users can see where their new favorite artist is performing and when – in addition to the artist’s top songs, bio, similar artists, and YouTube videos.
• Instant listening on startup: Now, users can set SoundHound to start listening immediately after launching to get results as quickly as possible. (iPhone Settings… SoundHound… Listen on start.) It’s a user-requested addition to the world’s fastest, most versatile music identifier, which can source a song playing from a speaker in as little as four seconds, and even works on sung or hummed searches.
• Even better responsiveness: SoundHound 3.1 has been optimized to return results even faster than before when searching immediately after opening the app.

“We have a very active user community and we’re delighted to be able to incorporate their suggestions resulting in four new features for SoundHound version 3.1,” said Keyvan Mohajer, SoundHound’s Chief Executive Officer. “We’re committed to providing the most complete and easiest to use music service to our user so we can continue to lead in instant music search and discovery.”

About SoundHound

SoundHound is a sound search technology and applications company headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. Its mission is to make sound and speech the preferred means to search and navigate information on mobile or IP connected devices. SoundHound is the creator of Sound2Sound™ Search Science, a proprietary methodology that searches sound against sound, bypassing traditional sound to text conversion techniques even when searching text databases. The result is improved accuracy, faster response time and increased scalability. SoundHound has numerous partnerships with global companies including leading device manufacturers and operators that are leveraging Sound2Sound™ Search Science for their respective platforms.

SoundHound is backed by leading Silicon Valley investors, including Global Catalyst Partners, TransLink Capital, Walden Venture Capital and JAIC America. For more information, visit .

For more information, visit SoundHound.

The Recording Academy Selects AEG Digital Media To Power Live Streaming For The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards

Live Video Streaming Offers Unprecedented Coverage of VIP Events Leading up to Music’s Biggest Night®

The Recording Academy® has selected AEG Digital Media, the leading provider of complete webcast management, production and media services, to power extensive live streaming programming of events in celebration of the 52nd Annual GRAMMY® Awards. Ushering in a new era of digital distribution for the music industry’s marquee event, The Recording Academy is offering fans worldwide an unprecedented opportunity to experience and participate in exclusive, 24-hour live coverage of All Things GRAMMY from Jan. 29-31 at GRAMMY.com.

“Working with AEG Digital Media allows us to further execute on our digital strategy including the 'We're All Fans' GRAMMY' ad campaign by enabling extensive, high-quality, live participatory programming to music fans all over the world”

The Recording Academy will program, produce, capture and distribute this compelling and thrilling content to a live global audience from www.grammy.com and select distribution partners directly from AEG Digital Media’s state-of-the-art digital broadcast operations center housed within L.A. Live (AEG’s $2.5 billion, 4 million square foot entertainment district which also houses the GRAMMY Museum®).

AEG Digital Media will provide access to its industry-leading engineering facilities featuring an extensive HD encoding farm, broadcast quality control room, professional editing suites and digital distribution platform. AEG Digital Media’s expert production staff, with an unmatched history in enabling the internet’s most viewed live events, will provide ongoing technical production consulting, facilities and expertise throughout all aspects of this industry-changing event.

“Working with AEG Digital Media allows us to further execute on our digital strategy including the 'We're All Fans' GRAMMY' ad campaign by enabling extensive, high-quality, live participatory programming to music fans all over the world," said Peter Anton, Vice President of Digital Media, The Recording Academy. “AEG Digital Media provides a cutting-edge digital experience Recording Academy members and fans crave, while maintaining a spectacular level of broadcast quality."

The Recording Academy/AEG Digital Media collaboration will provide millions of fans in over 150 countries behind-the-scenes access to events like the MusiCares® Person of the Year event honoring Neil Young, the official Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute to Industry Icons, the Special Merit Awards ceremony, the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast and the official GRAMMY Celebration After-Party.

About AEG Digital

AEG Digital Media is a full-service, multiplatform, multimedia/media services company specializing in the technical and creative production of music, sports, reality and special event programming throughout the world. AEG Digital Media takes a broadcast approach to streaming media to enable the world’s most watched and most innovative, webcasts and live events. The company creates, produces and distributes content over multiple platforms, including television, mobile and broadband for major brands, broadcasters, sports leagues and media properties, including YouTube/Google, News Corp., Nokia, 19 Entertainment, Procter and Gamble, Penguin Publishing, Nintendo, AT&T, Intel, Comcast, American Express and Viacom. 

About The Recording Academy

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.

For more information, visit AEG Digital or The Recording Academy.

Alpha & Omega Semiconductor Introduces High Output Voltage WLED Backlight Driver

3x3mm White LED Driver Lights Up to 12 LEDs in Series

 

 Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Inc. (AOS) expands its EZBoost™ family with their first white LED backlight driver, the AOZ1950. The AOZ1950 is designed and optimized for providing backlighting solutions for the latest portable devices using medium-sized LCD panels such as netbooks, portable media players, and portable navigation devices.

“The AOZ1950 is an ideal LED driver solution for medium-sized LCD panels. The integrated Trench MOSFET boost switch delivers a higher output voltage than competing devices, allowing 20% more LEDs to be driven for bigger and brighter panels”

The AOZ1950 is a high-performance current-mode boost regulator that operates from an input voltage range of 2.7V to 5.5V. Its integrated AOS Trench MOSFET boost switch allows the device to generate a regulated output voltage as high as 55V with an input switch current of 750mA. The high voltage and low on-resistance boost switch allows the AOZ1950 to power up to 12 LEDs in series. In addition, the AOZ1950 integrates several system safety features such as output over-voltage protection, a “true-off” input switch, short-circuit protection, and a cycle-by-cycle current limit.

“The AOZ1950 is an ideal LED driver solution for medium-sized LCD panels. The integrated Trench MOSFET boost switch delivers a higher output voltage than competing devices, allowing 20% more LEDs to be driven for bigger and brighter panels,” said Alan Moore, Marketing Manager for AOS’ Power IC products. “Additionally, the device’s integrated protection features allow for a more robust system design while at the same time reducing overall external component count.”

Technical Highlights

The AOZ1950 is available in a 10-pin 3mm x 3mm DFN package and operates over the -40°C to +85°C ambient temperature range. Pricing in 1,000 piece quantities begins at US$1.20.

 

About AOS

Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company that develops leading-edge analog power management solutions. AOS offers a wide portfolio of Power MOSFET, Power IC, Analog Switch and Transient Voltage Suppressor products that incorporate advances in device design, silicon, and packaging technologies. AOS’ products meet the ever increasing performance and power efficiency requirements in computing and consumer applications such as portable and desktop computers, digital cameras, cell phones, and LCD TVs. AOS has offices worldwide including the United States, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea.

For more information, visit AOS.

I-play Brings The Hit PC Game Paradise Quest To The iPhone & iPod Touch With Connected Social Features & Micro-Transaction Capabilities

Along with Revolutionary Gameplay Mechanics, this Match-3 Puzzle Adventure Offers a Multi-Platform Gaming Experience

 

I-play, Oberon Media’s publishing division and the world’s leading multi-platform casual games publisher, today launched one of its most successful online games - Paradise Quest - for the iPhone™ and iPod® touch. After captivating more than 5 million online gamers, Paradise Quest will now use social features, in-game micro-transactions and all of the innovative controls of the iPhone and iPod touch, to bring an amazingly original gaming experience to the platform.

“We are very excited to create these type of cross-platform gaming experiences that successfully leverage social and micro-transaction features.”

Paradise Quest brings gamers deep within the Galapagos archipelago where they will embark on a wild puzzle adventure to restore the majestic island of Isabela to its former beauty. Through smooth touch screen controls, players drag and swap objects to make matches on the moving board and unleash powerful forces of nature such as earthquakes and tornadoes. Adding a revolutionary twist to the ever-popular Match-3 puzzle game, all matches in Paradise Quest directly affect the player’s navigation across the board.

Fans of Paradise Quest can now share their experience with their friends. Players can post game achievements and challenge their friends through Facebook Connect. With Multiplayer modes, players will be able compete against their friends in head-to-head challenges or unite forces in Co-Op mode, using WiFi or Bluetooth communications*.

As an exclusive to the iPhone and iPod touch versions, players who want to continue to explore Isabela will also be able to unlock the Paradise Nights bonus pack, which offers 20 new levels as part of an in-game micro-transaction purchase. Players will also find a coupon code in the game, granting them a special discount on the PC version of Paradise Quest and driving even more fans to this best-selling franchise across multiple platforms.

“I-play sought not only to create a captivating game, but also one that connects across platforms and to a player’s social graph,” said Ofer Leidner, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Oberon Media. “We are very excited to create these type of cross-platform gaming experiences that successfully leverage social and micro-transaction features.”

Paradise Quest is available now on the iPhone and iPod touch for $2.99. To purchase, please visit: http://itunes.com/apps/paradisequest. To download the Lite version, please go to http://itunes.com/apps/paradisequestlite

*Multiplayer modes will be available in February, in a free update to the game

About I-play

I-play, the publishing division of Oberon Media, Inc., is the world's leading multi-platform casual games publisher. With powerful franchises and massive distribution across the three most popular entertainment screens -- online, mobile, and interactive television -- I-play content reaches global consumers, and delivers fun, entertaining, accessible content to casual gamers of all ages. I-play's PC publishing division, formerly Oberon Games, is based in Seattle and created the hit Dream Day Series, as well as the first casual games for bestselling author James Patterson and legendary mystery author Agatha Christie, including the Causal Connect 2008 Game of the Year, Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile. I-play's mobile division has delivered some of the biggest selling franchises in the mobile space, including the world's #1 best-selling racing franchise, The Fast and the Furious, based on the blockbuster movies. I-play's interactive television group, formerly PixelPlay, creates and distributes games featuring top brands including Centipede(TM), Missile Command(R), Asteroids(TM), Monopoly(R), Scrabble(R), Boggle(R), and Yahtzee(TM). I-play is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Seattle, San Mateo, London, and Dunfermline, Scotland.

About Oberon Media

Oberon Media, the world's leading multi-platform casual games company, is the first company to deliver global, integrated casual games solutions across three platforms-online, mobile and interactive television and at retail. Oberon game solutions have been adopted by the world's leading digital and media companies, such as Microsoft, AT&T, Verizon, Yahoo!, Electronic Arts, Orange France and NHN. The Game Center combines casual game content, merchandizing and features to fulfill our partners' specific needs. Oberon Media's game publishing division, I-play, works with the industry's best and award-winning game developers to produce the top-selling casual games, which are played across online, mobile, console and iTV platforms in more than a dozen languages. Founded in 2003, Oberon Media is headquartered in New York with offices in North America, Europe and Asia, and is backed by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Oak Investment Partners.

For more information, visit Oberon Media.