CES 2013: Launch.it to Power Startup News from Eureka Park

New York-based startup Launch.it has partnered with the Consumer Electronics Association to create a news platform for exhibitors at the Eureka Park TechZone, the startup innovation section of CES located in The Venetian. “Launch.it will provide a central spot for startups to publish their news and contact information at CES, as well as provide detailed analytics about visitors,” reports VentureBeat.

“Our big vision is a free self-publishing platform to unlock the news,” says Trace Cohen, president and co-founder of Launch.it. “We want to be the biggest searchable database [of news]… almost to disintermediate Google.”

“For its customers, Launch.it offers a bunch of useful features, including: a Wiki-like environment to allow customers to easily update their news, Facebook comments, the ability to buy and test out services, and the ability to let media and investors ‘follow’ companies for instant news updates,” notes the post.

The father and son company powers news sites for 300-400 companies and has partnered with Ultralight Startups and ShowStoppers, which manages product showcase events.

The ETCentric team will be reporting live from CES in January with plans to cover Eureka Park and any relevant news items coming from Launch.it and the CEA.

CES 2013: Will We See Any Notable Audio Tech This Year?

Besides an interesting push for wireless in 2011 with AirPlay adoption and a few compelling Bluetooth-equipped devices, Engadget suggests the Consumer Electronics Show hasn’t seen too much exciting in the audio realm over the last few years. In its preview of CES 2013, the tech blog doesn’t expect anything “exceptionally innovative on a widespread scale,” but notes a few items worth watching.

“You can count on a bigger assortment of wireless solutions, and likely the first big showing of the end of days for the speaker dock — excluding anything that Apple’s Lightning connector might make its way onto,” reports Engadget. “Still, the idea of the dock can live on with additions like Qi inductive charging, as we’ve seen from the likes of JBL and TDK already.”

More celebrity-endorsed headphones are expected, and major companies like Sennheiser will join the fray with headphones “in the $100 to $400 range with street-focused looks and audiophile DNA.”

The Las Vegas Convention Center will include space featuring HiFi audio, “with many boutique brands showing off their latest and best — usually with price tags to make your wallet cringe.”

“What has us really excited, though? We’re hearing talk that transparent speaker technology is poised to make a comeback,” notes the post. “Imagine the shell of your tablet, smartphone or laptop also serving as an essentially invisible speaker. Aside from the prospect of even svelter devices, the tech has the potential to sound miles better than the tinny-sounding speaker drivers most of our gadgets currently use.”

Check back with us in January, when the ETCentric reporting team promises to post any surprises we run across in new audio tech.

CES 2013: CEA Chief Discusses Top Trends Expected in January

Last year’s Consumer Electronics Show broke attendance records, with more than 156,000 people descending upon Las Vegas. This January, the 2013 show is expected to match last year’s attendance and set a new record in terms of show floor space, with more than 1.85 million square feet of booths and exhibits.

“Every day brings more good news. We are bigger than last year, in terms of our footprint. That’s how we measure the size of the show in the trade-show world,” explains Consumer Electronics Association chief exec Gary Shapiro, who anticipates more than 3,300 exhibitors. “The thing I’m really excited about is the startup area,” notes Shapiro. “We did a deal last year for Eureka Park and we thought we’d have 30 companies. We had 100, and this year we have 140.”

Shapiro expects CES to be packed despite Microsoft’s absence. The company has traditionally given the opening keynote to kick off the show, but will be replaced this year by Paul Jacobs, CEO of mobile chip maker Qualcomm.

“That change is symbolic, as Microsoft represented the PC industry, while Qualcomm generates billions on the strength of smartphone and tablet chip sales,” reports VentureBeat.

Anticipated trends include touchscreen, gesture and sensor tech; wireless wallets; Ultra HD 4K TVs; 3D printing and cloud-based services. This year’s show will also feature an increased presence in terms of digital health, green technology and the automotive industry (including connected cars and electric vehicles).

“Another big draw will be anything connected to Apple,” explains VentureBeat. “Apple employees are coming, but Apple traditionally doesn’t exhibit or speak at CES. But the iLounge section devoted to Apple-related products built by other companies is now going to have 440 companies across 120,000 square feet.”

Research Team Develops LCD Display That Fits on Contact Lens

  • Researchers at the Ghent University Centre of Microsystems Technology in Belgium have developed a new contact lens that displays letters and symbols on its lens.
  • “Prior to this point, researchers have only been able to create a LED lens that displays a single pixel,” notes Digital Trends.
  • “However, the technology behind this new development offers the ability to display a large range of pixel sizes as well as a significant volume of pixels on a LCD display.”
  • “Normally, flexible displays using liquid crystal cells are not designed to be formed into a new shape, especially not a spherical one,” explains Professor Herbert De Smet, head researcher on the project. “By using new kinds of conductive polymers and integrating them into a smooth spherical cell, we were able to fabricate a new LCD-based contact lens display.“
  • Conceptually, the lens tech could be used to display scrolling text messages or emails sent to a smartphone, even GPS driving directions. The technology could also enable adaptive lenses that lighten or darken, similar to glasses that feature light-transitioning material.
  • Medical applications might include limiting light access after eye trauma or allowing more light to a damaged eye during the healing process following surgery.

CBS Plans Week-Long Super Bowl Programming Across Platforms

  • In an effort to fully leverage the biggest ratings generator of the year, CBS plans to launch nearly a week’s worth of Super Bowl XLVII programming leading up to the February 3 game in New Orleans.
  • Multiplatform coverage and 15 different shows are planned across CBS News, CBS Sports Network, Showtime, syndication, daytime and late-night.
  • “If you have the biggest event on television, it’s important to maximize that value, not just for the sports division but for the rest of corporation as well,” says Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports.
  • “‘CBS This Morning’ will broadcast from New Orleans Thursday through Saturday,” notes The Hollywood Reporter. “‘The CBS Evening News’ with Scott Pelley and ‘CBS Evening News Saturday’ will broadcast from Jackson Square Friday and Saturday.”
  • Additionally, Super Bowl-related programming is planned for shows including “Face the Nation,” “The Talk,” “The Late Late Show,” “Inside the NFL,” “Lead Off,” “Rome” and others.
  • While McManus explained the push will be expensive, “he was quick to point out that CBS will make money on the game — which is nearly sold out of ad inventory at an average cost of $3.8 million for a 30-second spot — up from $3.5 million last year,” reports THR.
  • The Super Bowl has set new ratings records each of the last three years (last year drew more than 111 million viewers). “Of the five most-watched telecasts in TV history, four are Super Bowls,” according to the article.

Apple and Google Unite for $500 Million Bid on Kodak Patents

  • Apple and Google have teamed to offer more than $500 million to purchase Eastman Kodak’s patents out of bankruptcy, according to people familiar with the matter.
  • “The two companies, competing for dominance of the smartphone market, have partnered after leading two separate groups this summer to buy some of Kodak’s 1,100 imaging patents, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process is private,” reports Bloomberg.
  • Unlikely partnerships are not uncommon when they involve patent sales, since companies hope to avoid potential infringement litigation. Last year, a group including Apple, Microsoft and RIM acquired more than 6,000 Nortel patents for $4.5 billion.
  • “Apple and Google learned a lesson from the Nortel auction,” suggests Richard Ehrlickman, president of IP Offerings, a patent brokerage and consulting firm. “They have decided to come together in this process to reduce the cost of purchasing the Kodak patents, while meeting their business needs.”
  • The patents relate to capturing, manipulating and sharing digital images. “Kodak obtained commitments for $830 million exit financing last month, contingent on its sale of the digital-imaging patents for at least $500 million,” notes the article.
  • Kodak stated in court documents that the patents may be worth $2.21 billion to $2.57 billion. The company noted it has generated in excess of $3 billion in revenue by licensing digital-imaging patents to companies including Samsung, LG, Motorola and Nokia.

Social Bandwidth: Karma Launches its Mobile Virtual Network

  • Karma, which originally launched in Amsterdam before relocating to New York City, is hoping consumers will engage in a unique social experiment involving a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).
  • “This new data-only MVNO wants you to open your mobile broadband connection to all comers, turning your private 4G wireless modem into a public hotspot anyone can log onto,” reports GigaOM. “It sounds crazy, but there are rewards for your altruism: The more data you share, the more you receive.”
  • Karma began accepting orders last week for its $79 WiMAX hotspot, which taps into Clearwire’s 4G network in 70 cities.
  • “For that price you get free shipping and 1 GB of data that doesn’t expire. You can buy more bandwidth for $14 a gig, but if all goes according to Karma’s plans, it might be a while before you have to,” notes the article.
  • Users are initially offered 100 MB of free data when they connect to an owner’s hotspot. Karma customers could potentially accumulate nearly unlimited free data by leaving the hotspot activated in public areas.
  • Guests can use the 100 MB in one sitting or over multiple sessions. “Karma tracks data use by tying you back to a Facebook account,” notes the article. “Once that 100 MB is used up, though, it’s gone. You can either sign up as a Karma customer or bid the service farewell.”
  • FreedomPop, Fon and Open Garden are among others experimenting with social bandwidth and collective networking.
  • “But Karma sees social bandwidth as more than just a marketing tool. Rather, it’s a more efficient way to deliver mobile data,” explains GigaOM. “What’s really revolutionary about Karma is how it’s decoupling the service from the device. It’s possible to be a paying Karma customer without ever owning a hotspot — you just latch onto whatever Karma Wi-Fi signal happens to available at any location.”

Excite 10 SE: Toshiba Releases 10-Inch Jelly Bean Tablet for Only $350

  • Toshiba’s new 10-inch Excite 10 SE tablet will be available starting tomorrow for $350.
  • The new tablet will ship with Android 4.1, a Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, an AutoBrite HD screen featuring 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and stereo quality speakers.
  • “Our Excite family of tablets continues to grow with options to suit a wide range of consumer needs, from portability and gaming to versatility and power,” explains Carl Pinto, VP of marketing for Toshiba America. “We designed the Excite 10 SE to be a full featured tablet that offers a pure, Android Jelly Bean experience, while maintaining an attractive price point.”
  • The Excite 10 SE is 0.4-inches thick and weights 22.6 ounces. Additional features include a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera with auto focus and digital zoom, a front-facing HD camera, microSD and Micro USB ports, Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi capability.
  • “Toshiba touts its Excite 10 SE to offer the best 10-inch tablet experience for that price, as most larger-sized slates begin at around $400,” reports Digital Trends. “Asus’ Transformer Prime is one of the few 10-inch tablets that fall in that price range, sporting a price tag of $345.”
  • “The low price will certainly give Toshiba an advantage, but in an industry so saturated it can be tough to compete with the likes of Apple or Google.”

Amazon to Offer Kindle Fire Subscription Service Featuring Content for Kids

  • Amazon has announced a new subscription service aimed at children who use the Kindle Fire. The service is scheduled to roll out as part of a software update in the coming weeks.
  • FreeTime is a feature that offers parental controls for how children use the tablet. Amazon is adding a subscription service to FreeTime, that offers unlimited access to kid-friendly content.
  • “FreeTime Unlimited, announced Wednesday by the e-commerce giant, will bring together all the child-friendly content available for the Kindle Fire tablets — encompassing books, games, educational apps, movies and TV shows — into the walled garden of the existing FreeTime feature, offering unlimited access for $4.99 per child or $9.99 per family,” reports Digital Trends. “Prime members can sign up for slightly less: $2.99 and $6.99 respectively.”
  • Parents can create a Kindle Fire profile for their children based on their age and gender. FreeTime also creates time limits “so their eyes don’t turn rectangular through overuse.”
  • FreeTime Unlimited will feature content from providers such as Chronicle Books, DC Comics, Disney, HIT Entertainment, Nickelodeon, PBS and Sesame Workshop.

Google Launches Native YouTube App for iPad and Update for iPhone 5

  • Google has released its own YouTube app for the iPad, in addition to an update for the iPhone version.
  • When iOS 6 was launched by Apple in September, iPad users lost their native YouTube app. Google’s new YouTube app will give iPad users the option of not relying on third party apps.
  • “The company’s video streaming app has also been optimized for the iPhone 5’s larger display and beefed up with other new features, and is available now for download from the iTunes store,” reports Digital Trends.
  • “The new iOS YouTube app now allows videos to be streamed from your mobile device to an Apple TV, incorporates improved playlist management, and claims to start videos more quickly and play them more smoothly,” adds the post.
  • Additional features include include VoiceOver, that offers an alternative search method; clickable links in video descriptions; and a new sidebar for settings.
  • “The overall experience with the new iPad app is smooth and navigation simple,” notes Digital Trends. “However, it’d be good to have an option in settings to change the size of the thumbnails in order to show more videos on the main home screen, as only five are visible as things stand. Of course, it’s no hardship to scroll down the list but a bank of smaller thumbnails for easy scanning would be welcome.”
  • According to the post, more than a quarter of YouTube videos are currently viewed on a mobile device.

Apple Expands the Worldwide Reach of iTunes Store to 119 Countries

  • Apple has announced the expansion of its iTunes platform into 56 new countries, including India, Russia, South Africa and Turkey.
  • The expansion, which nearly doubles iTunes’ worldwide footprint, is a response to growing competition in global markets from rivals including Microsoft, Google, Spotify and Netflix.
  • “But while competition is increasing, Apple still benefits from its vast reach,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “ITunes remains the juggernaut in the digital media world, with more than 400 million users and more than half the market for music downloads.”
  • With this expansion, the iTunes Store now reaches 119 countries, while the company’s App Store is available in 155 countries. The news comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Apple has released the most significant update to iTunes since the software’s debut.
  • “However, Apple’s iTunes still doesn’t offer a streaming subscription service, an increasingly popular method of consuming both music and video by paying a fixed subscription every month, rather than buying individual songs, albums and films,” notes WSJ.
  • Apple faces competition from streaming service Netflix, Microsoft’s recently launched Xbox music, and the new Google Play online store that features Google’s entire media catalog.
  • “The expansion of the service to developing countries underscores Apple’s belief that these markets are ready for electronic distribution of media, and that Apple has sold enough iPhones, Macs and iPads on these markets to justify the effort, said Adrian Drury, media analyst at London-based research firm Ovum.”

Sony PS3 Now the Largest TV-Connected Platform for Netflix Streaming

  • It’s been three years since Sony introduced the Netflix streaming service to its PlayStation 3, and this week the two companies announced that the gaming system is the most popular option for consumers accessing the service in their living rooms.
  • “PS3 is our largest TV-connected platform in terms of Netflix viewing, and this year, at times, even surpassed the PC in hours of Netflix enjoyment to become our number one platform overall,” explains Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. “PS3 is a natural fit for Netflix in terms of developing and first deploying our most advanced features. We can transparently update our application with new features on a daily basis.”
  • Netflix often turns to the PS3 to test new features. For example, Sony’s console was the first to offer 1080p video with 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus surround sound from Netflix, the post play feature, second screen controls and subtitles.
  • “To this day, the PS3 provides next-generation Netflix options, such as the recent addition of a voice assistant (Max) that asks the user a series of questions to assist with the selection process,” reports CNET.
  • “The shift in favored devices comes a year and a half after Nielsen Research announced that computers and the Nintendo Wii held the top spot as a Netflix streaming device at home,” adds the post. “According to Nielsen’s 2011 research, more than 42 percent of those surveyed used a computer, 25 percent streamed through a Wii, and only 13 percent utilized a PS3 to view the service during that period. Things can sure change in a year.”

Activision Breaks Record as Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Tops $1 Billion

Activision announced yesterday that “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” beat its own record by earning $1 billion in just 15 days (last year’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” reached $1 billion in 16 days).

“‘Black Ops 2’ earned $500 million in the first 24 hours,” reports PCMag. “Since its release, Activision reported that gamers have logged more than 150 million hours playing the game on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.” The game is currently available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Windows PC.

“Last month, millions of fans descended on 16,000 midnight openings at retail store worldwide,” notes the post. “Within 24 hours, ‘Black Ops 2’ was a Twitter trending topic in 23 cities worldwide.”

According to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, the game’s release “has been one of the most significant entertainment events of each of the last six years.”

Since the “Call of Duty” franchise launched nine years ago, Kotick says cumulative worldwide revenues have exceeded the global box office numbers for the top 10 grossing films of 2012.

“This is an incredible milestone for an incredible franchise, and I want to thank every passionate, talented, committed person on our team who made it happen,” added Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg, who referred to “Call of Duty” as an “entertainment juggernaut.”

Verizon Wireless Plans Targeted Ad Service that Leverages User Data

  • Verizon Wireless has announced its new Verizon Selects program that will use location data as well as browser and app usage to create targeted ads and offer users coupons or promotions based on their interests.
  • “Subscribers will then get relevant offers via email, text message, standard mail, or through online and mobile advertisements,” reports The Verge.
  • The company says it will not share customer information with outside parties. However, its “Precision Market Insights program — of which the new program is a part — has recently come under fire for mining data from iOS and Android users,” notes the post.
  • In response, Verizon plans to only track users who opt-in to the program. The marketing initiative launches this week as Verizon Wireless contacts customers directly asking them to participate.
  • “Verizon Wireless will offer customers who opt-in to Verizon Selects a coupon or some other form of reward, most likely from a popular retailer, in exchange for their participation,” explains Verizon. “If a customer chooses not to opt-in, absolutely nothing about their relationship with us changes.”
  • “We are asking customers to opt-in to Verizon Selects because of the types of information being used and because the capabilities provided to third-party marketers gives them the ability to reach customers directly,” notes the company.

Netflix Takes on Pay TV and Streaming Competitors with Disney Deal

  • Netflix and The Walt Disney Co. have agreed to an exclusive licensing agreement that will enable Netflix users to stream movies from the Disney library.
  • “The deal means that if you want to watch a live-action or animated Disney film, you’ll only be able to do it on Netflix and not Amazon Prime or Hulu,” notes VentureBeat. “This is a huge win for hardcore Disney movie buffs, who until now could only purchase digital copies of Disney films or watch them on DVD/Blu-ray.”
  • The deal arrives in the wake of Disney’s announcement that it would shutter its Disney Movies Online service by the end of this year.
  • “Under terms of the agreement, Netflix will gain exclusive streaming rights to all Disney films that hit theaters in 2016,” notes the post. “And while Netflix is currently the only service to have streaming rights to old Disney film content, there was no indication that this will always be the case.”
  • According to the Netflix blog, the deal will include theatrical releases from Disney, Pixar and Marvel starting in 2016. “In the meantime, we’ll have an amazing selection of Disney movies including Disney classics, catalog movies, and popular non-theatrical movies for the whole family featuring beloved characters like Tinkerbell, Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, to name a few.”
  • Netflix’s Just for Kids section is adding titles such as “Dumbo,” “The Aristocats,” “Pocahontas” and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” — while older viewers can look forward to movies including “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl,” “The Sixth Sense,” “National Treasure,” “Phenomenon” and “Quiz Show” in the future.
  • “Disney is the biggest studio yet to make such an arrangement with Netflix,” reports the Wall Street Journal in a related article. “Netflix has struck deals with smaller entertainment companies, including Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc., Weinstein Co. and Relativity Media LLC.”
  • WSJ suggests that Netflix is “ready to rumble with traditional pay TV channels such as HBO and Showtime,” since it outbid Starz for the exclusive rights to offer Disney theatrical releases.