Consumer Electronics Daily News

Mobile World Congress 2014 To Become World's Largest Certified Carbon Neutral Tradeshow

 The GSMA today announced that the 2014 Mobile World Congress will be the world's largest tradeshow certified to have a zero carbon footprint. The GSMA will certify Mobile World Congress as carbon neutral through the internationally recognised PAS 2060 standard; official certification will be awarded once the event is completed and official data on emissions can be obtained.

"For several years, the GSMA has had climate change initiatives underway at Mobile World Congress in order to reduce the impact of the event on the environment. These initiatives have focused heavily on reducing waste in printed materials, encouraging the re-use and recycling of materials at the venue, utilising digital signage and electronic tools and working with Fira Barcelona, exhibitors and local partners to minimize the carbon footprint of the event," said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. "This year, we have increased our environmental commitment by working to not only reduce the emissions of the event, but to go one step further and certify Mobile World Congress 2014 as carbon neutral."

The upcoming Mobile World Congress will generate approximately 150,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e); it is estimated that 14 per cent of carbon emissions related to Mobile World Congress are associated with the venue and operation of the event, while 86 per cent result from attendees travelling to the event. To achieve carbon neutrality, the GSMA will first undertake activities to reduce the carbon footprint and will then purchase carbon credits to offset any remaining emissions. Carbon credits purchased by the GSMA will fund several CER (Certified Emission Reductions) projects certified by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including a hydropower project in China and a wind energy project in India, among others.

To achieve certification of Mobile World Congress as carbon neutral, the GSMA is undertaking the following steps:

• Work with an independent certified consultant to measure the total carbon footprint of the event, including all attendees, exhibitors and the GSMA's own carbon footprint under Publicly Available Specification 2050:2011 (PAS 2050:2011);
• Implement a carbon management plan to reduce the event's carbon footprint;
• Purchase carbon credits in order to offset the emissions that could not be avoided or lowered through reduction initiatives; and
• Obtain official certification under the international standard PAS 2060, verifying the process through an independent audit.

It is expected that the GSMA will finalise the process to achieve certification by June 2014.

"Once this process is complete, Mobile World Congress will be largest tradeshow in the world certified as carbon neutral under the PAS 2060 international standard," continued Hoffman. "More importantly, our pursuit of this certification underscores our focus on ensuring that our actions create value for our industry and preserve and protect the environment."

Get Involved at Mobile World Congress 2014
Mobile World Congress will be held February 24-27, 2014 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. For more information on the 2014 Mobile World Congress including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress (#MWC14) on Twitter @GSMA or on Facebook www.facebook.com/mobileworldcongress.

The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona from 2013 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital encompasses programs and activities that span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com.  

Westone Wins Digital Trends 'Best Of CES 2014' Award for the All New Signature W60 Earphones

Westone's W60 was awarded Digital Trends 'Best Of CES 2014' Award in the headphone category. The new Signature W-Series W60 was chosen as the best out of five other nominees in the headphone category to claim the top spot. 

"We are thrilled that our Westone W60s won the coveted "Best Headphones" in the Digital Trends 2014 Best of CES awards," said John Lowrey, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "The W60s represent an entirely new apex in the in-ear headphone space, and we were confident that the sound offered with six armature drivers would be a show stopper. It's a huge honor to be recognized in the competitive high-end headphone category as the best of the best." 

About Award Winning W60:

The Signature W-Series features Westone's proprietary balanced armature drivers and advanced crossover designs. The W60 features 6 balanced armature drivers and multistage crossover designs that yield sonic purity that is unrivaled in universal monitors at any price level. The six driver products are firsts for Westone in universal earphones.

The new signature series feature the first ever W60 models and offer unmatched performance for music lovers and audiophiles. Combining a state-of-the-art design with elite performance drivers and crossovers for audio lovers, the new Signature W-Series is designed to continue the award winning success and acclaim of the Westone lineup while adding state of the art audio performance combined with superior design for improved comfort and fit.

The W-Series is supplied two replaceable cables, the EPIC cable for easy replacement or custom cable selection as well as an Apple MFi cable with 3-button controls and integrated microphone. An Android control cable is available as an accessory. The new connector is compatible with all the new Westone cables including the ADV reflective cable and the new UM Pro cable. The EPIC replaceable cable is constructed of high-flex, ultra-low resistance tensile wire, reinforced with a special aramid fiber, and braided for ultimate durability, acoustic transparency, and isolation from mechanical cable noise. The new audiophile connector makes this cable solution conveniently user-removable, upgradeable and replaceable.   

The W-Series features interchangeable anodized aluminum faceplates (red, blue and charcoal included), straight EPIC replaceable cable, replaceable MFi cable and MIC, Executive Monitor Vault, weather resistant travel case, and five sizes of patented STAR™ and True-Fit™ Tips. With Westone True-Fit™ technology, Westone combines 50+ years experience with in-ear applications that has yielded a low-profile, lightweight, universal earpiece which delivers maximum comfort and in-ear coupling for dynamic music listening.

Mio Global Receives Envisioneering's Innovation and Design Award at CES

 Mio Global, makers of the Mio ALPHA and Mio LINK, today announced it has been chosen to receive an Envisioneering and Showstoppers Innovation and Design Award for its continuous, wrist-worn heart rate monitoring technology. Announced at 2014 International CES, the Mio LINK uses the same patented electro-optical cell technology as featured in the award-winning Mio ALPHA heart rate sport watch.

Envisioneering's Innovation and Design Awards recognize products that are better, faster, lighter, more stylish, cooler, or greener than everything else out there. Inventors, technologists, psychologists, marketers, industrial designers and researchers at The Envisioneering Group review each product to determine which are the most innovative.

"This year's CES has been one to remember," said CEO of Mio, Liz Dickinson. "Across the board, innovative new devices and products have been revealed, and it's truly an honor to be a significant part of driving that innovation. The new Mio LINK is one of a kind—we're bringing accurate continuous heart rate monitoring that replaces chest straps to consumers at an affordable price."

The new Mio LINK transmits data using Bluetooth® Smart (4.0) to connect to fitness apps including the new Mio GO app, and using ANT+ to connect to sport devices. By connecting Mio LINK or Mio ALPHA to the new Mio GO app, the user's heart rate data drives the interactive experience, and the effort and difficulty of the terrain are reflected in the speed of the training video.

According to its website, Envisioneering is world-renowned for its objective assessment of new technologies, product and services embodiments, and the talents who drive them to market. Mio ALPHA was also recognized last year as a Health and Fitness honoree of the CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering. Mio continues to expand its line of wrist-based heart rate monitors and sport watches with the launch of Mio LINK and the introduction of its ecosystem including the mobile app Mio GO.

For more information about Mio GO and Mio LINK, visit the Mio Global website at www.mioglobal.com. Starting in March 2014, the Mio LINK will be available for purchase and the Mio GO app will be available for download for iPads/iPhones from the iTunes app store. 

Consumer Electronics Daily News in Print at CES

High-end Audio Seen at the Venetian

January 7 issue of Consumer Electronics Daily News in print

January 7 issue of Consumer Electronics Daily News in print

January 7 issue of Consumer Electronics Daily News in print

VUZIX Announces 2014 CES Innovations Award

 Vuzix® Corporation today announced that its breakthrough V720 video headphone is the winner of two 2014 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards in the "Headphones" and "Wireless Handset Accessories" Product Categories.

This is the tenth consecutive year Vuzix has won a CES Innovation award and increases the total to 16 awards received over that time, including "Best of Innovation" last year for the highly-acclaimed M100 Smart Glasses.

The V720 are high-performance headphones with HD video screens that provide a huge fold-up 720p display to immerse the viewer in an incredibly detailed, lifelike video experience that is like watching an IMAX® movie. Ideal for games or movies which can be enjoyed with great audio, the V720 can even be used as a desktop display replacement. The V720 video headphones easily connect to PCs, mobile phones, tablets and game consoles and provides full support for 3D HDMI content.

"Vuzix is incredibly excited to have won our 16^th CES Innovation Award," said Paul Travers, CEO of Vuzix. "These awards showcase Vuzix' leadership in both product design as well as core technologies including our new waveguide optics, co-developed with Nokia®. Our decades of innovation in both the augmented reality and personal display categories have led to several milestone product lines focused on the exploding wearable tech markets. 2014 promises to be a great year for Vuzix – and this CES award is only the beginning."

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NYNE Announces Speakers to be Showcased at CES

NYNE will unveil its next generation of speakers at CES 2014. The new lineup consists of four portable Bluetooth speakers designed to make life more enjoyable by letting consumers take their music with them and share it anytime, anywhere. The 2014 line will be showcased at CES in Central Hall Booth #11626.

"We are excited to show our redesigned portable Bluetooth speakers at CES," said Arman Arami, President of NYNE. "With improved features such as near field communication (NFC), built-in charging banks and built-in microphones, as well as new color combinations, each speaker is stylish and functional for a variety of lifestyle applications. This next generation of products continue our tradition of providing customers with audiophile quality sound at affordable prices, backed by a one-year warranty."

NYNE Bass - The Outdoor Performer

Featuring 20 watts of output power, the NYNE Bass is the largest speaker, yet remains portable with a hidden carrying handle. With Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, a 3.5mm aux-in port, built-in microphone, built-in USB charging, and 10 hours of playtime, the Bass is perfect for campers, tailgaters, beach goers and outdoor parties. In addition, the Bass comes with an international AC adapter with four international plugs for traveling.

NYNE TT - The Travel Companion

Light, easy to transport with a carrying case with shoulder strap, and an included international AC adapter with four international plugs, the NYNE TT is the perfect companion for travelers. The TT is packed with 16 watts of powerful sound and features Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, a 3.5 mm aux-in port, built-in microphone, built-in USB charging and 10 hours of playtime.

NYNE Cruiser - The Sports Buddy

Designed for your next ride, the NYNE Cruiser comes with handlebar clips that can mount on to your bike, exercise machine, or even your baby stroller. With Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, a 3.5mm aux-in port, built-in microphone, built-in USB charging, 10 hours of playtime, and 10 watts of output power, the Cruiser livens up any ride.

NYNE Mini - The Anywhere Accessory

Small and affordable with a carrying case with spring loaded hook, the NYNE Mini portable speaker is designed for tweens and teens and features Bluetooth 2.1, a 3.5mm aux-in port, built-in microphone and 5 watts of power. Users can express their personal style by choosing from five different color combinations.

The new NYNE series will be available in Q1 2014 for prices ranging from $49.95 to $149.95.