Consumer Electronics Daily News

Wacom Announces New Technology for Digital Inking

Wacom is introducing a new language to support digitization of handwriting, notetaking and drawing. Its WILL, Wacom Ink Layer Language, will become a new standard that will allow users to work across OS, hardware platforms and cloud services to create a seamless digital inking experience across every mobile device and ecosystem, according to Wacom.

Wacom has been a leading supplier of pen tablets and interactive pen displays. Wacom has contributed to the evolution of creative: digital expressions, digital imaging, industrial design, games and movies. Creative professionals across the world are exploring and pioneering new horizons in digital expression. Wacom's pen technology also enables smartphones and tablets to offer unique pen features for ideation and note-taking in a mobile environment

WILL guarantees cross compatibility of ink data that enables users to freely communicate and collaborate across hardware, ecosystems, as well as the cloud. WILL will bring digital inking to people as the most powerful tool of personal creativity and expression.

Technological Background

WILL is delivered by Wacom to partners as a Software Developer's Kit (SDK) to integrate into their hardware or software, ecosystem or enterprise infrastructure – enabling everyone to speak the same universal inking language. WILL will also come with an ink engine with a variety of graphical tools and features that will run consistently on most existing platforms. Its innovative ink data format is an abstract language that describes strokes independent from any particular input technology. WILL contains a set of development Application Programming Interfaces (API), to make use of hardware features. This, in particular, is one of the strengths that Wacom has developed over 20 years in pen input technology.

WILL: Open for Partnership

Being a high level referential framework - a computer language - WILL is open to different input technologies including finger touch, various Wacom pens, as well as third-party pen technologies. Upcoming Wacom technologies will also include WILL support as an integral part of their feature set.

Wacom has a long history of collaboration with a broad range of industry partners to deliver best in class solutions for business users and consumers alike.

Wacom invites hardware manufacturers, software and service providers, as well as system solution providers; to join the initiative and help their users benefit within the broad range of applications that they provide.

In addition to individual note taking, idea sharing and group collaboration; WILL could be used to create an unlimited canvas space for global brainstorming, collaboration and project management.

As WILL will allow the integrating of metadata, one could also include a security certificate in a solution as well as enhanced ink-based workflow solutions on mobile platforms. Consumers will be able to share and memo on their travel diary, sign POs, integrate pictures and also show their location in mapping applications and services.

For further information about Wacom, see also www.wacom.com.

IBM Challenges Mobile Developers to Create Apps Powered by Watson

IBM today launched the IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge (www.ibmwatson.com), a first of its kind, global competition to encourage developers to create mobile consumer and business apps powered by Watson. IBM announced the challenge at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where the company is demonstrating its mobile and Watson capabilities.

The program, being driven by the newly formed IBM Watson Group, aims to encourage developers to spread cognitive computing apps into the marketplace. The IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge will encourage developers around the world to build sophisticated cognitive apps that can change the way consumers and businesses interact with data on their mobile devices. Through this initiative, mobile developers can take advantage of Watson's ability to understand the complexities of human language, "read" millions of pages of data in seconds and improve its own performance by learning.

Over the next three months, the global challenge invites mobile developers and entrepreneurs to share their best ideas to build and develop mobile apps into prototypes. Three winners will join the Watson Ecosystem Program. The winners will work with IBM's recently launched global consulting practice, IBM Interactive Experience to receive design consulting and support from IBM experts to develop a viable commercial app.

The IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge is part of the IBM MobileFirst strategy to help businesses of all sizes adopt mobile technology to better engage with customers and extend their businesses to new markets. The news also represents the latest milestone in the newly formed IBM Watson Group to fuel an ecosystem of developers, start-ups, tech companies and venture capitalists building Watson powered apps as part of the Watson Developers Cloud. 

Using natural language processing and analytics, Watson processes information akin to how people think, representing a major shift in an organization's ability to quickly analyze, understand and respond to Big Data. Watson's ability to answer complex questions with speed, accuracy and confidence is transforming decision making across a variety of industries, including health care, financial services and retail.

IBM has advanced Watson from a game playing innovation into a commercial technology. Delivered from the cloud and able to power new consumer and enterprise apps, Watson is 24 times faster; smarter, with a 2,400 percent improvement in performance; and 90 percent smaller than the original system.

Named after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, Watson was developed in IBM's Research labs and is now being accelerated into market by the new IBM Watson Group. As part of the group, IBM is investing $1 billion to introduce a new class of cognitive computing services, software and apps, and investing $100 million to spur innovation for software application providers to develop a new generation of Watson powered solutions.  

For more information or to apply to participate in the Challenge, click here.

Watch Disney, Pixar, And Marvel Movies With Disney Movies Anywhere

The Walt Disney Studios today unveiled its exclusive cloud-based digital movie service, Disney Movies Anywhere. This all-new app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Web experience enables consumers to discover, purchase, manage, and watch movies from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel at home and on the go. iTunes is the premier digital movie provider for Disney Movies Anywhere.

The debut of Disney Movies Anywhere coincides with the digital release of Disney's hit film "Frozen" and features Disney's library of over 400 active digital titles. In addition, for a limited time, Disney Movies Anywhere users who activate and connect their Disney Movies Anywhere account to their iTunes account will receive a free digital copy of Disney•Pixar's animated classic "The Incredibles."

"Disney Movies Anywhere offers an exceptional consumer experience built around some of the most beloved and popular entertainment brands in the world," said Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios. "This unique technology underscores Disney's commitment to meeting our consumers where they are with the content they want, and we're thrilled to debut with iTunes, the  number-one digital media retailer in the world."

With an easy-to-use interface, consumers can explore live-action and animated films from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel; watch exclusive content and bonus features; preview upcoming offerings; and more. Users can simply connect their iTunes account to their Disney Movies Anywhere account to begin populating their Disney digital movie locker and watch movies online and on their devices. Featuring simultaneous access on multiple devices, Disney Movies Anywhere enables consumers to stream and download Disney movies on their iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Apple TV (through iCloud or using AirPlay). In addition, Disney Movies Anywhere functions as a streaming movie service when users log in to the website on their desktop or laptop computers (Mac or PC).

Since 2008, Disney has included codes in select DVD and Blu-ray products redeemable for digital copies of Disney, Pixar, and Marvel films. Users can now redeem these codes through Disney Movies Anywhere, and Digital Copy titles previously redeemed in Disney Movie Rewards or via iTunes will automatically be active in both Disney Movies Anywhere and iTunes once a user logs into Disney Movies Anywhere and connects their iTunes account. Additionally, for the first time, consumers can now earn Disney Movie Rewards points for their digital purchases through Disney Movies Anywhere going forward.

Disney Movies Anywhere's functionality is built upon Disney's proprietary digital rights locker, KeyChest.

The Disney Movies Anywhere App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.appstore.com/disney. Sign up is also available through the Disney Movies Anywhere website.

New Transmedia Hub Offers Storytellers the Ability to Mix Written Word with Video Game Mechanics and Social Media

What do you get when you mix narrative and social video game mechanics with  a streaming service? The future of storytelling! Transmedia Story Stream is a revolutionary new platform that allows storytellers to create story worlds that can include written word, video, audio, casual games, and live events. Within Transmedia Story Stream, fans can immerse themselves in their favorite story world and earn points, rewards, digital badges, and collectibles that can be shared with friends. Mixing the power of video games and social media into a narrative allows for a transformed reading experience.  

The Transmedia Story Stream platform is being built on the Pubsoft HTML5 publishing ecosystem, which allows storytellers to implement a direct sales system for their digital products. Having a direct sales system for digital products means creators can now own their audiences, which brings down the long-term cost of marketing and allows a storyteller inventive opportunities to directly engage their fans.

"As a transmedia producer and author, I got tired of chasing my audience across multiple websites (Amazon, Apple, GooglePlay, YouTube, etc.)," notes Karen Snyder, Lead Visionary and UI Designer for the Transmedia Story Stream. "And the marketing dollars! Each site wants me to spend money to promote them, yet I cannot directly touch my audience to reward or engage fans. And what of the convergence of media? Each site seeks to split my story into separate silos even though consumers are mixing entertainment habits as never before. As I encountered these problems, I resolved to find a solution. What about a connected book? One that was alive with people and offered ways to immediately reward a fan for engaging with the story? With Pubsoft's assistance, Transmedia Story Stream is the solution to solving distributor gaps and empowering other storytellers to extend their stories to meet the demands of today's audience."

"We're excited to be a part of this project because we see the potential for growth. How many of us have played online social and casual games like Words With Friends or Candy Crush for hours without realizing it? What if games such as those were incorporated into some of our favorite story lines, like Twilight, and Harry Potter? What if participating in different activities provided different additional parts of the story that could only be unlocked by experiencing it in a different way? We don't want to diminish the traditional narrative form so much as we want authors to have the ability to add to it," said Heather Wied, Marketing Director for Pubsoft.

Initially the platform will be open to the romance genre author. The romance audience, women aged 35-54 years, are the dominant casual video game players. This audience of social game players ties in perfectly with romance ebook readers. Transmedia Story Stream will provide a way for authors to merge the current entertainment habits of romance readers into one enhanced story experience. Eventually, the platform will be open to other fiction genres.

The platform is now seeking storytellers who want to join in the future of storytelling. Authors can register accounts to begin alpha testing to refine product development. (http://www.kazapme.com/join-the-future.html).  The Transmedia Story Stream team will also be launching a Kickstarter campaign in early 2014.

LG Electronics Launches Android Developers' Device Loaner Program

 LG Electronics is expanding its LG Android Developers' Program with a new device loaner program that officially launches today.

The loaner program was previewed at last week's LG Android Developers' VIP event in San Francisco, where a new software development kit (SDK), the LG QRemote SDK, was officially introduced.

The hundreds of developers who attended the LG Android Developers' Workshop had the opportunity to experience the award-winning new LG G2 superphone, check out the LG QRemote SDK and learn more about the overall LG Android Developers' Program.

"When multiple developers followed up after the event, thanking LG for 'doing it right,' we know we're giving them what they want," said Cecilia Son, LG's head of mobile developer relations in North America. "By providing the Android developer community with a new SDK and the latest LG devices to test their apps on, we're living up to our brand promise, 'with LG, it's all possible.' We're giving them the tools to help inspire some great new apps — ones we expect to see on the LG App Store very soon."

The new LG Device Loaner Program for Android developers consists of a simple three-step process: registration on the LG Device Loaner Program website (http://goo.gl/Xa7A3L), completion of a brief order form designating the desired LG device, and return shipping at the conclusion of the 30-day loan period. The LG device loaner program is provided free of charge to the developer community, with the exception of return shipping costs that are covered by the developer.

Supporting the hot new flagship LG G2 superphone and other LG Android devices, the new LG QRemote SDK (http://developer.lge.com) contains the library, documentation and sample codes that enable developers to create their QuickRemote apps to control multiple electronic devices such as TVs, cable set-top-boxes and audio systems, and even air conditioners. This SDK provides developers with open apps necessary to develop IR (infrared) remote sensor-enabled applications.

Developers can create the customized IR remote control apps for certain groups of people such as children or seniors and also add a macro button that enables both TV and cable set-top-box to power on with just one click.

The LG G2 — available on all major U.S. carrier networks — offers a perfect blend of intuitive design, intelligent features and powerful software that empowers consumers to make the most out of their desired smartphone experience. With user-friendly LG features like QuickRemote, owners can easily use G2 as a remote control for TVs, appliances and other devices.

The LG G2 is a stylish and pocket-friendly device with a super-slim body for comfortable one-hand gripping and an expansive 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display delivering near edge-to-edge viewing. For the personal photo enthusiast, LG G2 is equipped with a unique rear-key that makes snapping selfies easier than ever and an impressive 13 megapixel Full HD camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for ensuring every close up is blur-free without having to pause when in motion.

For more ideas about how LG G2 can make your smartphone experience a little more interesting and for pricing and availability information, visit www.lg.com/us/mobile-phones/g2.

You Fight Like A Girl: Kickstarter Launch Of Massively Multiplayer Online Game

Two young Atlanta entrepreneurs, Aartiee Lallwani and Brianna Przybysz, who have never released or developed a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) before, have launched Realms of Goldesia. The first game of Lallwani's and Przybysz' company, Aarianna Publishing, Realms of Goldesia appeared live on Kickstarter on October 9.

Realms of Goldesia is a fast, battle-intensive narrative-based interactive adventure with memorable characters spanning multiple timelines and dimensions and a multitude of realms.  Players can inhabit avatars that feel love, fear, dreams, drive, and power with the same fervor of people making their way through ancient, modern-day and even future worlds.

Realms of Goldesia features a unique gamer-designed Katagon combat engine, a procedural combat and freenav system based on years of research into martial arts kinematics, culled down to their most elemental components.  These moves are then integrated into a series of constraints and scripted controls that allow for a near infinite set of natural motion and martial arts-styled movements that range from slow speed to lightning quick with almost no lag from start to finish.

Realms of Goldesia is set in a deep texture of multiple timelines and a large number of characters and realms that each player can explore, control and change by the choices and actions they and their fellow gamers make.

"Both Aartiee and I were heavily influenced by our older brothers at a young age who submerged us in video games here in the U.S. and with Aartiee in India," said Przybysz.  "In our other business start-ups, we had employees who actually came to work dressed as their favorite game characters.  We knew we had to get into this business," added Przybysz.

"People raise an eyebrow when they find out that two women are behind an M-rated game," said Lallwani.  "But, hey, we're human too, and who doesn't like a good fight over a beautiful woman.  Determination, fighting for a cause at all cost and sexual desire are raw human emotions.  We all have them, men and women, and we want to be part of all of those emotions."

Lallwani's talents were recognizable at an early age when, at the age of 14, she wrote the script to one of the most popular movies ever in India.  She sold the rights for $5,000 to help support her family along with a release to never associate any involvement with the movie again.

Przybysz' passion for art and design was evident from the age of three when she asked her parents for a drafting table.  She also forged a bond with her two brothers playing video games such as Mortal Kombat and F-Zero.  Brianna also had an instinct for making money to supplement her struggling family's income.  By the time she was 15, Brianna's eBay business was so successful that the company shut down her operation. So, it was natural that she would eventually make her mark in business management and in turn inspire others to become successful. 

Aarianna Publishing went the Kickstarter funding route not only to give gamers the opportunity to support the construction and engineering of this interactive universe but also to help determine the creation and direction of the game's characters, levels and realms.  So, each investor can potentially have a stake in the development of the game's overall look, characters, play schematics and ultimately, its success.

One of the more attractive ROG reward tier premium awards is the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. The first 75 investors who commit at the $250 level will receive the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset development kit, a $300 value, when Realms of Goldesia is released.  Aarianna Publishing is fully committed to incorporating Oculus Rift's technology in an advanced version of ROG when the final game is released, though the exact details are yet to be determined.

Realms of Goldesia, with its multiple layers of realms, worlds, dimensions and timelines will still function as one ecosystem.  Events will be dictated by the actions, behaviors, attitudes and alliances of the individual gamers.

Kickstarter fund raising for Realms of Goldesia began on October 9, 2013.

Device Takes a Smart Approach to Nutrition

By Lorrie Baumann

 A company called The Orange Chef has invented a way to make cooks smarter in the kitchen by providing them with real-time information about the nutritional content of the food they're preparing and how that fits into their nutrition goals.

Prep Pad by The Orange Chef Company is, at its heart, a kitchen scale with a brain. It bridges the gap between what kitchen scales do, which is to tell the user the weight of what's on them, and what home cooks very often really want to know, which is the nutritional value of that food.

“It's allowing for the first time consumers to have complete access to the nutritional value of what they're preparing and serving in real time,” said Michael Tankenoff, Marketing Director for The Orange Chef Company. “The research that we've done talking with consumers has told us that people don't have access to this information and yet it's important to them. Many of them are going to extremes to monitor their fitness level, but they don't have the information about calories and carbs for their cup of Cheerios. They've never had absolute real-time access to that information until now.”

The Prep Pad device works in conjunction with an iPad app called Countertop, to which it connects through a wireless Bluetooth 4 connection. To start using the system, the user creates a profile in Countertop, similar to the profile that a user would create with a Fitbit and its app. After the user tells Countertop the profile information, including age, gender and physical activity level, the app consults its huge database of information and comes up with a profile that fits the user's information together with U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary recommendations. From there, the user can modify that profile according to personal dietary restrictions and nutritional needs. “It starts you out with a rough profile, but everyone's different,” Tankenoff observed. “We've completely broken down the barrier in terms of access to this information for the consumer.”

Once that's done, the cook uses the Prep Pad to keep track of ingredients as they're added to a dish. The scale measures each ingredient as the dish is composed and uses its database of information about a wide range of raw ingredients and scannable supermarket products to calculate the impact of that dish on the user's nutritional intake. “As you keep adding multiple ingredients, the device keeps a running list of what's in the dish. You can add or subtract items as you go along, and the Prep Pad will accommodate those changes to create a real-time nutritional profile,” Tankenoff said. “The weight of the food is irrelevant. What people care about is the calories, the carbs, the information that people need to know.”

Once the dish is complete, the Countertop app gives it a score to let the user know how it has affected the user's profile goals. Then that information can be shared, if desired, with others in the user's social networks or with, perhaps, a nutritionist or doctor.

The Prep Pad is encased in a unibody aluminum case that's the same quality of material that Apple uses on its Mac computers, and the scale top is made of dishwasher-safe wood fiber composite that's safe for food. It's nonporous and doesn't harbor bacteria, and it's very easy to maintain. The Prep Pad can tolerate up to 15 pounds of food on its scale, with plus or minus 1-gram accuracy.

The system will be reaching the market in November through The Orange Chef website at www.theorangechef.com and over the course of the next several months, it'll be available through other retailers. The system is currently available only for iOS devices, but the company plans to make apps for other major platforms in the future. Prep Pad retails for $149.95.

 

Sherwin Williams Hops on the Google Glass-Wagon

For decades, Resource, the largest independent digitally-led marketing agency in the country has connected consumers with brands using next-gen technologies, and today the agency is releasing a Google Glass application for a major consumer brand.

ColorSnap® Glass developed by Resource for Sherwin-Williams, North America's largest single-source supplier of high-quality paints, lets consumers instantaneously act on color inspiration by adding a digital layer right before their eyes. Resource developed ColorSnap Glass as part of Google's Explorer program; an exclusive group of innovators selected by the company to shape the future of Glass. Still in beta and available for download at www.colorsnapglass.com, the new application joins a suite of award-winning digital tools developed by Resource for Sherwin-Williams that has fundamentally changed the way consumers discover and select color.

"Resource Lab is a technology accelerator that ideates and fast-tracks breakthrough consumer experiences using the latest digital technologies. We're enthusiastic about the possibilities that Google Glass gives our clients to connect with consumers in unobtrusive ways," said Dan Shust, Vice President of Innovation at Resource. "Wearable technology is the next frontier in mobile computing and ColorSnap Glass and other consumer-focused applications will play a large role in the acceptance and adoption of the new technology."

For seven years, Resource and Sherwin-Williams have successfully launched numerous digital and personalized consumer experiences using the latest technology. Most notable is the 2009 launch of the original and highly-successful ColorSnap mobile application. Named by Advertising Age as one of the Top 10 Branded Apps of the Decade, the application has been downloaded more than one million times. And while ColorSnap Glass is also designed to help consumers explore color, the new application streamlines the original version, elevating features best suited for wearable technology.

"We're committed to harnessing the latest in technology in order to create superior experiences for our customers," said Ellen Moreau, Vice President of Marketing Communications at Sherwin-Williams. "Cutting edge applications like ColorSnap Glass elevate our brand and keep us top of mind with consumers by bringing color inspiration to life in a fun and engaging way."

As part of the test and learn approach to developing Google Glass applications, Resource and Sherwin-Williams will be seeking consumer feedback about ColorSnap Glass at www.colorsnapglass.com. Resource CEO Kelly Mooney says it's an essential part of the development process.

"We're steadfast on breaking new ground that uniquely empowers and inspires consumers, which means we have to make them a part of the conversation," said Mooney. "Digital innovation is part of our DNA and we'll continue to be pioneers in the space."

 

Paragon Offers Software Tools for Incompatibility Issues

Paragon Software Group (PSG), the cross-platform technology leader in mobile device and embedded system solutions, announces the launch of a portal hosting a comprehensive selection of essential free or inexpensive tools for users of multiple devices seeking to solve incompatibility issues on consumer electronics.

Users of PCs, smartphones, audio and video equipment, TV sets, DVD players, digital cameras, and camcorders increasingly need to interchange data content between various incompatible systems.To solve the interoperability issue, Paragon Software has developed eight essential tools (seven drivers and a converter) to guarantee full high-performance read/write access to volumes of the most popular file systems (NTFS, HFS+, Ext2/Ext3/Ext4, etc.) under various platforms (Android, Windows, Mac, Linux) where these file systems normally are not supported. 

Paragon Software’s cross-platform tools are based on the company’s exclusive Universal File System Driver (UFSD) technology and enable any device to communicate and share files regardless of its operating system. Beyond access, the tools provide the highest data throughput speeds possible — equivalent to, or exceeding, native performance.

In an engaging, interactive way, the new portal invites visitors to pick two platforms. The portal then suggests the right software to solve the incompatibility issue and gives the user an opportunity to download it.

The cross-platform tools:

NTFS for Mac OS X provides OS X with full read and write access to NTFS with the same high speed as native HFS+ files.

HFS+ for Windows provides full read/write access to HFS/HFS+ partitions on any type of disks (GPT, MBR) under Windows.

NTFS & HFS for Android enables users of Android-based smartphones, handheld media players, digital video and other portable products to utilize storage media formatted by Mac OS and Windows operating systems.

ExtFS for Windows is a free utility designed to eliminate barriers between Linux and Windows operating systems by granting full read and write access to Linux-formatted partitions.

ExtFS for Mac OS X grants full read and write access to Ext2/3/4 partitions under Mac® OS X.

NTFS & HFS for Linux Express grants full read and write access to Mac OS X and Windows partitions under all latest Linux versions.

NTFS & HFS for Linux Pro includes all functionality of the Express edition and additional advanced utilities to create NTFS and HFS+ volumes.

NTFS-HFS Converter is a Windows utility that converts NTFS volumes to HFS+ volumes, or HFS+ volumes to NTFS. This utility consists of a wizard that lets the user select the desired volume for conversion, gives the option to back it up, and then quickly performs the conversion.

The launch of the portal is the latest initiative in Paragon’s support of users of multiple devices seeking the fastest and most reliable software to access data on the otherwise incompatible systems.

Availability:

The portal is available at http://www.paragon-drivers.com

Microsoft Confirms that 8.1 Will Come Loaded with Skype

On the windows experience blog, Ryan Gavin posted that Windows 8.1 users would be receiving "Skype, Right from the Start. We believe that connecting and sharing should be a seamless part of every Windows experience. Over 300 million people today use Skype for the most personal connections in their lives, sharing those everyday moments big and small across messaging, audio and video calling. With Windows 8.1, Skype is included right from (the) Start, making your new Windows device the best way to stay close and connected."

While this move appears to be made for convenience's sake on Windows' part, people are interpreting it as a more sinister move in line with Microsoft's shady entanglement with user privacy. The Kinect camera feature on the Xbox One was a dealbreaker for many, and has since been revised. But when enough people balk at the prospect of Skype-- notorious for monitoring conversations-- pre-loaded on every Windows 8.1 machine, will it change? It's unlikely. According to Techcrunch, "Windows 8.1 isn’t completely locked yet, but it is close. Yesterday Microsoft confirmed that Windows 8.1 will be digitally available on October 17, and will land in stores on the 18th."

On the business end, Microsoft's move to include Skype into Windows 8.1 could bump Skype's usage by double-digit percentage points, bringing its usership into the high millions. 

Read more on the Windows Experience Blog.