Consumer Electronics Daily News

Sprint Customers Can Pocket Up To $600 a Year By Referring Family & Friends To America’s Most Dependable 3G Network

In These Tough Economic Times, Sprint’s Referral Rewards Program Now Provides Most Lucrative Offer Among National Wireless Carriers

Now through Oct. 31, Sprint is expanding its popular Referral Rewards Program, giving customers the chance to earn a $50 Visa Debit Card – up to $600 a year for 12 referrals (or 12 new lines activated) – when they encourage new customers to sign up with Sprint. Once they switch, new customers will receive their own $25 Visa Debit Card for each new line activated. Additionally, for the first time, the Referral Rewards program includes new customers who sign up for mobile broadband connection cards. The changes make Sprint’s referral program the most lucrative referral rewards offer available among the national carriers today.1

New Sprint customers will quickly learn first-hand the buzz they’ve been hearing about the “new Sprint”:

• Worry-free individual and family plans that offer huge savings, such as Sprint’s Simply EverythingSM plan, which saves customers $1,200 over the comparable plan for AT&T’s iPhone, and more against Verizon’s smartphone and PDA pricing over a two-year period.2
• America’s most dependable 3G network3, which was recently named most reliable network over Verizon and AT&T in a 13-city test by PC World. It's also faster in more places than AT&T’s 3G network4 and has more than 20 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, based on square miles.5 No one has a larger voice calling area.
• Award-winning phones – such as the Palm® Pre™ – and a variety of features such as Nextel Direct Connect®, which provides customers access to the nation’s largest push-to-talk community; One Click, which allows users to customize and access their favorite phone content in one easy step; and Sprint Navigation, which provides turn-by-turn driving directions, 3D moving maps, and real-time traffic alerts.
• Commitment to customer service through programs such as Ready Now, which helps customers get the most from their devices by providing personalized training on phone setup and features at Sprint stores nationwide.

“The single most important element in choosing a company to do business with – including a wireless service provider – is a recommendation from someone you know and trust,” said John Carney, Sprint’s senior vice president of consumer marketing. “Sprint wants to show its appreciation and commitment by offering customers a ‘thank you’ for their confidence and support as well as for sharing their satisfaction with their Sprint experience with family and friends.”

The Sprint Referral Rewards program originally launched in 2001. For more information and complete program details visit, www.sprint.com/referafriend.

For additional information visit Sprint.

World’s First Ultra-Thin Integrated Bluetooth Headset, MOGO TALK Introduced By Newton Peripherals

MoGo Talk Models for Mobile Phones to Follow

Newton Peripherals, the leader in integrated mobile peripherals, today introduced MoGo Talk, the world’s first ultra-thin integrated Bluetooth headset for notebooks. The MoGo Talk model available today at www.mogostore.com, stores and charges inside a laptop’s express card slot, and brings consumers the convenience of always having a charged headset for Skype, VoIP calls and mobile telephony calls.

“We looked at all the Bluetooth headsets on the market, from boutique manufacturers all the way up to Jawbone and Plantronics, and found that even with their great audio quality and noise suppression, consumers are challenged to charge and store their Bluetooth headsets,” said Stuart Nixdorff, CEO of Newton Peripherals. “All Bluetooth headsets on the market today are inconvenient to use; nobody wants to take a call only to find a dead headset; and nobody wants to carry a pocket full of cables, chargers that accompany a bulky headset. What good is a headset if it’s not charged or feels uncomfortable in your pocket?”

MoGo Talk is designed to be the most comfortable Bluetooth headset on the market. Most headsets use a combination of an uncomfortable earbud and earloop. MoGo Talk takes a fresh approach to headset design using neither a traditional earbud nor earloop; instead, MoGo Talk uses a flexible, thin rubber eartip that conforms to the ear, creating a seal that blocks out noise and comfortably secures the MoGo Talk in place.

This MoGo Talk model is the world’s first headset designed with OEM computer manufacturers in mind as distribution partners. Manufacturers of notebooks are now integrating mobile broadband into their notebooks and netbooks and require a new series of mobile peripherals to support VoIP calls. Dell, Acer, Lenovo and Hewlett Packard are reshaping their accessory businesses to meet the requirements of the new mobile professional who demands size, convenience and quality.

In a recent PCMag.com review, Jamie Lendino wrote “MoGo Talk's earpiece sounded surprisingly full, no doubt due to the headset's interesting speaker design. Voice calls were crisp and clear in both directions.” Lendino continued with “There's no direct competition for the unique MoGo Talk, though there are other great Bluetooth headsets on the market. The Editors' Choice Plantronics Voyager Pro and the Aliph Jawbone Prime are at the top of the class, but they're huge in comparison.”

MoGo Talk follows on Newton Peripherals’ tradition of designing the best wireless peripherals for the mobile lifestyle. This first MoGo Talk model joins Newton Peripherals’ line off ultra-thin peripherals, which also includes the MoGo Mouse, an award winning 5 mm thin Bluetooth mouse that also stores and charges inside a laptop. Integrated mobile phone versions of MoGo Talk for iPhone and BlackBerry® and other phones that piggyback on the back of a phone and can charge with it, are expected to be released by Newton Peripherals in the coming weeks.

For additional information visit Newton Peripherals.

Shazam Launches On The BlackBerry Storm Smartphone

World renowned mobile music discovery application now available for the popular touchscreen smartphone

Shazam, the world’s leading mobile music discovery provider, announced the release of Shazam on the BlackBerry® Storm™ smartphone. Shazam, which has supported BlackBerry® smartphones since launching on BlackBerry App World™ on April 1, is now compatible with the award-winning BlackBerry Storm. The application features full SurePress™ touchscreen support and is available to BlackBerry Storm smartphone users in the U.S., UK and Canada.

“Since launching on BlackBerry this April, we have maintained our status as one of the most frequently downloaded applications on App World,” said Andrew Fisher, CEO of Shazam.

“BlackBerry Storm users have voiced their eagerness for Shazam and this type of demand highlights the worldwide popularity Shazam has achieved through our mobile music discovery application. We’re thrilled to continue delivering the applications and features our customers want.”

BlackBerry Storm smartphone users will be able to choose from a free, basic version of Shazam with limited functionality or a full-featured version for $4.99 or £5 (one-off fee depending on location). The full-featured version includes unlimited Tags, Tag charts, recommendations for similar tracks, biographies of artists, reviews of tagged music, discographies and the option to buy and share discovered music. Shazam is currently offering a free, seven-day trial of the full-featured version.

All of Shazam’s applications for BlackBerry smartphones are now available for download directly from Shazam’s mobile Website (by typing http://is.gd/IWHh in the BlackBerry browser) and on BlackBerry App World (www.blackbery.com/appworld).

About Shazam Entertainment

Shazam is the world’s leading mobile music discovery application - enabling consumers to experience and share music with others across mobile devices and the internet. Since its launch as the first mobile-specific service to help users discover new music seven years ago, Shazam has created a new way for users to connect to each other through their music tastes and preferences.

Headquartered in London England, Shazam’s solutions enhance the music strategies of more than 75 carriers across 60 markets globally, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Vodafone. It has deployed across multiple platforms such as iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Symbian and Java.

The Shazam Tag Chart, generated by the company’s mobile music recognition service, is constantly referenced by the music industry as a true indicator of market interest in pre-release material and a monitor of the hit potential of a track or artist.

Shazam’s successes have been recognised through numerous awards, including the Mobile Entertainment Award for Best Music Service Provider.

The Shazam name and symbol are trademarks of Shazam Entertainment Limited.

For more information visit Shazam.

VIZIOSoft Partners With MegaPath To Deliver Leading-Edge Voice & Data Services

Partner Leverages MegaPath's Duet Service to Provide Cost-Effective, Feature Rich VoIP Solutions for Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses

MegaPath, Inc., the leading provider of managed IP data, voice, and security services in North America, has announced that VIZIOSoft, a minority-owned company offering first-class, cost-effective e-commerce, IT outsourcing and enterprise VoIP solutions, is reselling MegaPath's Duet™ voice and data service to small-to-medium sized business (SMBs) customers.

“Our partnership with MegaPath enables us to deliver leading enterprise-class voice and data services that increase customer productivity and save money,” said Omar Akram, Co-founder and President of VIZIOSoft. “In addition, MegaPath's commitment to service is unparalleled. The installation team ensures that the integration is seamless and there's no impact to our customers' ability to maintain business as usual. For our SMB customers, this is a huge selling point.”

Duet is already at work for VIZIOSoft's customer Velocity Athletics, facilitating communication between its clothing production facility in the Philippines and the company's U.S.-based locations in Jacksonville, Fla. and Las Vegas. Duet also delivers enterprise-class capabilities, including key features that simplify call transferring and voicemail access that allow employees to perform as if they are in the same location.

VIZIOSoft also integrated Duet with Velocity Athletics' Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, so that customer contact information is always available when employees need it. By integrating Velocity Athletics' voice and data applications over a consistent solution, supported by T1 connectivity, VIZIOSoft and MegaPath are enabling the customer to increase productivity without increasing resources or overhead.

Ideal for SMBs, MegaPath's Duet supports analog lines, PRI and SIP Trunking, as well as the company's latest service, Duet with MPLS and Managed Security.

• MegaPath's MPLS with Managed Security - combines high-quality voice, security and performance. This integrated solution allows for the consolidation of all corporate communication functions onto a single private network with a single bill, providing significant cost savings over traditional, separate voice and data networks.
  
• MegaPath's Duet PRI and Duet SIP Trunking - are business-grade phone and Internet T1 services delivered over a private, all-optical MPLS network allowing companies to make the most of their existing digital or new IP PBX.
  
• MegaPath Duet analog service - is a cost-effective bundled offering that delivers full-featured, unlimited local and long distance business-class phone and Internet service delivered over a private, all-optical MPLS network.
  

“As one of the leading fully-managed services provider in the U.S., MegaPath's channel partners are a vital component of our business, and our relationship with VIZIOSoft further expands our ability to reach and support new SMB customers,” said Dan Foster, SVP of Sales at MegaPath. “Our goal is to provide customers with enterprise-class capabilities without the overhead, and VIZIOSoft's dedication to customer service is a perfect complement to the MegaPath philosophy.”

MegaPath's Channel Partner Program includes partners who share a dedication to customer satisfaction and providing services that meet business needs. The Company's program consists of four levels that include Referral, Advantage, Master and Reseller. 

For more information on MegaPath's Channel Partner Program.

Best Buy Releases First-Ever Portable HD Radio Receiver

Insignia™ HD Radio™ Portable Player Provides Digital HD Radio Broadcasting On the Go

Best Buy announced the launch of the Insignia™ HD Radio Portable Player, a first-of-its-kind product innovation, which is now available exclusively at Best Buy on July 12.

HD Radio technology is transforming the radio experience in ways never thought possible. It enables FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally, ensuring that listeners will experience clear reception with no audio distortion. Digital broadcasting allows listeners to access – for free – new HD Radio channels and more programming than ever before.

As the first-ever portable HD Radio player, the Insignia HD Radio Portable Player will make it easy for listeners to take the exceptional HD Radio experience on the go. The player offers new and extra FM HD Radio channels with crystal-clear, static-free sound, allowing listeners to take the ultimate sound experience to the gym or for a jog anywhere there is an HD Radio signal.

“The sound quality and LCD screen features of the Insignia HD Radio portable are phenomenal,” said Mike Dahnert, Insignia Portable HD Radio product manager. “Best Buy is proud to be the first to bring such a unique and quality product to our customers.”

“We applaud Best Buy for setting a precedent in the audio entertainment marketplace by offering the first-ever portable HD Radio receiver,” said Bob Struble, President and CEO of iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of digital HD Radio technology for AM/FM audio and data broadcasting. “With new HD2/HD3 digital channels, crystal-clear sound, no subscription fees, and now, thanks to Best Buy, the ability to take digital radio on the go, it’s a total win for the consumer and one more indication that the HD Radio momentum is continuing.”

The built-in, rechargeable Lithium-ion battery on the Insignia HD Radio Portable Player ensures long periods of continuous listening and entertainment, and a full-color LCD screen makes it simple to program your favorite preset stations at any time. A stylish armband and a 3.5 mm jack output make it easy to use the player on the go or in your car. Set up to 10 user-selectable preset memory channels to save and enjoy your favorite stations wherever you go.

For aditional information visit Best Buy.

BioAuthorize Launches Its New yadaBlackBook Application

BioAuthorize Launches Its New yadaBlackBook Application for the iPhone and iPod Touch, Enabling Users to Protect Their Contacts Using Their Voice

BioAuthorize Holdings, Inc. of Scottsdale, through its wholly owned subsidiary, BioAuthorize, Inc., received final approval from Apple, Inc. to launch its next application for the iPhone and iPod Touch, yadaBlackBook™, which allows users to protect and maintain as secret, the content of their contacts by using their voice to authenticate their identity. The application is offered through the Apple App Store at $3.99 per download.

“This application utilizes advanced voice biometrics to maintain the secrecy of your contact list with a solution that is needed by everyone using an iPhone or iPod Touch,” said BioAuthorize president and CEO Yada Schneider.

About BioAuthorize Holdings, Inc.

BioAuthorize Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiary BioAuthorize, Inc. (www.bioauthorize.com), is a hi-tech biometric technology company which has developed a technology solution for e-commerce transactions related to the delivery of voice-enabled payment solution process to merchants and their customers for Internet purchases and the developer of the yada™ line of products for both the iPhone and the Blackberry handheld personal electronic devices.

For additional information visit BioAuthorize.

Introducing AmazonWireless – A New Amazon Web Site Offering Cell Phones & Service Plans

Easy-to-Use Web Site Guides Customers Through the Purchase Process; Rebate-Free Shopping and FREE Two-Day Shipping on All Phones

Amazon.com, Inc. has announced the beta launch of AmazonWireless, a new Web site offering cell phones and service plans, easy shopping without rebate hassles and FREE Two-Day Shipping on a broad selection of phones from AT&T and Verizon Wireless. In addition to expanding selection and adding carriers during the beta test phase, Amazon will be testing different features and gathering input from customers to ensure the best possible customer experience.

“We've taken our eight years’ experience selling cell phones to create a new site that makes a potentially confusing transaction much easier for customers,” said Paul Ryder, vice president of Consumer Electronics for Amazon.com. “The step-by-step purchase process on AmazonWireless makes it easy for customers who already have a plan to upgrade their phones. If you want to establish new cell phone service, we’ve made it simple to find the right phone, service plan and options for your needs. We’ve also eliminated the technical jargon and frustrating rebate paperwork that customers often face when buying a phone.”

AmazonWireless currently offers more than 120 phones, including a great selection of smart phones and the latest models for shoppers on a budget. Customers can shop for phones by carrier, phone feature, price, color and brand. The site’s shopping cart guides customers through each stage of the purchase process, where customers will find familiar Amazon features like bestseller lists, detailed product descriptions and customer reviews.

AmazonWireless is owned and operated by Amazon.com. Customers shop securely with their Amazon.com accounts and benefit from Amazon’s world-class service and security. All phones purchased on AmazonWireless are eligible for FREE Two-Day Shipping.

For additional information visit AmazonWireless.

Inlet Technologies Announces Support For Live Streaming To Apple iPhone

Latest Release of Inlet’s Spinnaker Includes Adaptive Streaming Support, Multi-encoder Synchronization and Audio Enhancements

Inlet Technologies, the leading provider of live streaming and on-demand solutions for digital media, announced today that the company is one of the first encoding technology providers to publicly demonstrate and support live streaming to the Apple® iPhone™. Inlet was the first to showcase iPhone streaming at Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference last month in San Francisco.

Using iPhone OS 3.0 and the latest release of Inlet’s SpinnakerTM live streaming solution, real-time streaming of live sports, news or other events can now reach an iPhone. Additionally, capabilities similar to Apple’s Stream Segmenter will be built directly into Spinnaker, simplifying the customer’s workflow and eliminating additional hardware from the system. The level of interoperability provided by Spinnaker allows content creators to stream live to the iPhone in popular formats including H.264 video and HE-AAC audio. These new advances enable any broadcaster, sports league or entertainment provider to deliver live content to the iPhone with a minimum of effort.

“We are proud to add this to a long list of industry ‘firsts’ from Inlet. By supporting live streaming to Apple’s iPhone, Inlet is once again at the forefront of the digital media revolution. The iPhone is clearly a pervasive consumer device, offering compelling opportunities to reach viewers,” said John Bishop, senior vice president of strategy and business development, Inlet Technologies. “This also reflects our continued commitment to helping companies increase the reach of their content, in any format to any screen, through intelligent media infrastructure solutions.”

Inlet’s Spinnaker family of live streaming appliances delivers stunning picture quality (in HD or SD), allowing content creators to offer viewers a “living room” experience over the Web. Spinnaker supports all of the major formats, including H.264, VC-1, Silverlight and Flash VP6, and allows content creators to stream multiple formats simultaneously from one source. Spinnaker is ideal for live sports, as it can create real-time highlights without the need for additional file preparation. Users can switch between multiple games or multiple camera angles during a single event. URLs or captions, such as scores and statistics, can also be inserted directly into the live stream. Spinnaker also offers calendar-based scheduling (ideal for recurring events), 24/7 reliability, and is designed to be used remotely, in fleets, or locally.

In addition to support for streaming to Apple’s iPhone, Spinnaker also includes support for other adaptive streaming protocols, including Microsoft Smooth Streaming and Adobe Dynamic Streaming. Other updates include multi-encoder synchronization and numerous audio enhancements. For more details on this latest release of Spinnaker, visit http://www.inlethd.com/?q=products/spinnaker.

For more information visit Inlet Technologies.

Audio-Technica Introduces Improved ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint® Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Audio-Technica has announced the introduction of its ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint® active noise-cancelling over-ear headphones, which have the same 85% noise-cancellation but incorporate improvements from the previous model to offer better sound quality, comfort and convenience.

The ATH-ANC7b delivers superior audio performance, with a smoother, more natural tonal balance. The headphones provide clear, high-resolution sound, with impactful bass, a detailed midrange, extended treble and accurate imaging.

The earcups have been redesigned for greater comfort, feature generously cushioned padding and fit easily over any ear. In addition, the ATH-ANC7b is supplied with 1.6 m (5.2') and 1.0 m (3.3') detachable cables, and offers easier battery access.

The ATH-ANC7b employs exclusive QuietPoint active noise-cancellation technology that eliminates up to 85% of outside noise. A miniature microphone in each earcup detects environmental noise, and a corresponding sound-cancelling signal is applied. The headphones are ideal for use with the Apple® iPod®, iPhone™ and iPod touch® portable music and DVD players, laptop computers, in-flight entertainment systems and other devices.

The ATH-ANC7b utilizes large-aperture 40 mm drivers for a wide 10 – 25,000 Hz frequency response. The headphones have extremely high 109 dB sensitivity to provide generous volume from any music source. The ATH-ANC7b also works when the noise-cancelling function is turned off, and operates in passive mode without batteries.

The headphones fold for storage and come with two detachable cables, a 1/4-inch adapter, an airline adapter and a hard, durable carrying case.

The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint active noise-cancelling headphones will be available in August 2009 at a suggested retail price of $219.95. They will be available online or in stores at the Apple Store®, Electronics Expo and other Audio-Technica authorized dealers.

Celebrating 47 years of audio excellence, Audio-Technica is renowned worldwide for a broad range of consumer and professional audio products, including high-performance headphones, microphones, wireless systems, turntables and phono cartridges. Winner of numerous industry awards, Audio-Technica designs and manufactures products that set quality, durability and price/performance standards for major concert tours, broadcast and recording studios, corporate and government facilities, theaters, house-of-worship venues, and consumer applications.

For additional information visit Audio-Technica.

Audioboo Integrates SpinVox Across Its Audio Recording And Broadcasting Platform

API Brings Automatic Speech to Text Conversion to iPhone Podcasting and Twitter Posting

Audioboo, which aims to become the `Twitter of the spoken word` through its audio recording and broadcasting platform, and SpinVox, the global leader in voice to content messaging, have announced the SpinVox API (Application Programming Interface) will be used to automatically convert speech to text across Audioboo’s applications - including iPhone podcasting and Twitter posting.

Audioboo was established in March 2009 and already more than one Audioboo audio recording (boo) is being made every five minutes. The Audioboo.fm website is attracting more than 100,000 unique users, RSS and iTunes links every week with over 1,000 hours of audio having been uploaded by the more than 30,000 registered users.

Audioboo CEO, Mark Rock, says: “The deal with Spinvox is of immense importance to Audioboo as we roll out both our API and business model. With the Audioboo API, any developer will be able to build their own mobile and web applications to record to Audioboo and SpinVox integration will be an important addition to that which we can deliver simply and quickly through the SpinVox API.”

“On a wider scale, we have already begun to roll out Audioboo Pro accounts for media companies,” he continues. “These increase the recording time available and add a variety of web-based tools - such as moderation- to help companies manage content. SpinVox integration will be an additional feature for Audioboo Pro, allowing journalists a simple way to record draft articles and have them automatically converted to text and sent to their news desks.”

ITV.com has already used the Pro account for the FA Cup Final, Radio 1 for their Big Weekend event and 6Music with Adam & Joe for Glastonbury 2009.

Christina Domecq, SpinVox co-founder and CEO, says: “Audio has been so ignored for so long, and now Audioboo is doing something fresh and new with it and growing fast as a consequence. Automatically turning their audio input to text will take them to the next stage.”

For additional information visit Audioboo or SpinVox.