Most Clicked CEA SmartBrief Stories
1. Garmin presents alternative to the touch screen
CEA SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Garmin has developed a controller knob for vehicles as an alternative to touch-screen controls for infotainment systems. The controller has multiple sensors that help minimize the driver's need to look at a screen to change radio stations or perform other distracting actions. CEOutlook.com (05/24) Engadget (05/22)
2. Amazon debuts "Never Before on DVD" store
CEA SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Amazon has launched a service that will offer custom DVD copies of about 2,000 movies and TV shows that have not been released on DVD, under agreements with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Lionsgate, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Home Media Magazine (05/23) Home Media Magazine (05/23)
3. Google's Page points to Motorola's hardware value
CEA SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
In the aftermath of Google's closing on its purchase of Motorola Mobility on Tuesday, industry observers pointed to Google CEO Larry Page's emphasis on the hardware aspects of his new division rather than the thousands of wireless patents the company has acquired. Some had speculated that Page would shed the hardware division, but observers now say that's unlikely. Also, advertising and marketing executives expressed concern about Google's increasing control over Android devices. Meanwhile, a handful of top Motorola executives have joined former Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha in exiting the company. ReadWriteWeb.com (05/22) GigaOm (05/22) MediaPost Communications (05/23) All Things D (05/22)
4. 5 things to know before purchasing a sound bar
CEA SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Consumers should know five things about sound bars before purchasing and installing one in a home theater, Matthew Moskovciak writes in this blog post. A sound bar could block your television's remote control if it is placed in front of the TV on a stand, he notes. Also, many sound bars don't have remote controls of their own, and many models don't have front-panel displays, he says. CNET (05/23)
5. NeuroSky headset lets people control games with their minds
CEA SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
About 1,700 software developers are employing NeuroSky's MindWave Mobile headset as a controlling interface for video games and other applications, according to this article. The $129 headset is sensitive to brain waves and wirelessly transmits digital information derived from them to computers and other devices. Wall Street Journal, The (05/28)
6. ITU advances draft standard for ultra-HD TV
CEA SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
The International Telecommunication Union is moving forward with a draft standard for ultrahigh-definition television, which promises to offer picture quality much sharper than that of current HDTVs. There are two levels of quality for UHDTV, which ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré says will represent "an earth-shaking development in the world of television." Broadcasting & Cable (05/24)
7. Lawsuits are filed over DISH Network's DVR with ad-skipping feature
CEA SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
DISH Network is suing the major broadcast networks, and three of the networks are suing DISH over the company's new digital video recorder. The DVR, known as the Hopper, includes a feature that allows viewers to skip advertisements in some recorded shows with the press of an on-screen button. Wall Street Journal, The (05/24) Home Media Magazine (05/24)
8. TVs can serve as switching devices for sound bars
CEA SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
A television set can function as a switcher for multiple devices, connecting a sound bar with Blu-ray players, DVRs, game consoles and media boxes, this article says. It describes how to set up the connections, while noting that most TVs don't have audio-only inputs, which could complicate the process of connecting the sound bar to a Squeezebox Touch or similar devices. CNET (05/25)
9. Samsung rolls out Galaxy S III to eager fans
CEA SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Samsung Electronics got the jump on Apple today by launching the Galaxy S III, the sequel to its wildly popular flagship smartphone, bringing the handset to 28 countries in Europe and the Middle East. Vodafone UK said pre-orders for the S III outnumbered those for any previous Android device. Samsung also has launched Music Hub, its streaming-audio competitor to Apple's iTunes. Music Hub carries a catalog of 19 million songs in its cloud locker. Reuters (05/29) Pocket-Lint.com (U.K.) (05/29) Bloomberg Businessweek (05/29)
10. Dragon Drive takes the iPhone out of cars' telemetry systems
CEA SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
Nuance Communications wants to enable car owners to use Apple's Siri voice-recognition system without buying an iPhone by providing its Dragon Drive platform to carmakers. The technology would allow drivers to perform tasks by simply talking, without the need to recall keywords. Nuance also says Dragon Drive will allow iPhone users to push a button on their steering wheels to communicate with the system, rather than issue the voice commands through their cellphones. The company hopes this step will reduce distracted-driving incidents. CNET (05/22)
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