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O.C. HDTV maker Vizio sued by MIT over patents
Submitted on 05/23/12, 02:54 PM | Click Here for the full article: OC Register
O.C. HDTV maker Vizio sued by MIT over patents
Vizio Inc., Irvine maker of high definition TVs and other electronic devices, is being sued on claims of infringement on four patents held by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Boston university lists about 150 Vizio models as violating its patents in the lawsuit filed in Massachusetts federal court. The suit said the patents, issued in 1993, 1995 and 1996, cover digital televisions, Blu-ray disc players, home theater and audio systems.
MIT has filed a separate patent infringement lawsuit against Funai, which makes Phillips, Magnavox, Sylvania, Emerson, Funai and Symphonic products.
Vizio officials have not yet responded to a Register request for comment.
MIT said in the lawsuit that it offered Vizio a license for the technology, but Vizio refused. MIT also said that other unnamed companies are licensing the technology, which university researchers have worked on since the 1980s.
90 Million Homes Worldwide Will Employ Home Automation Systems by 2017, Finds ABI Research
Submitted on 05/21/12, 01:18 PM | Click Here for the full article: ABI Research
90 Million Homes Worldwide Will Employ Home Automation Systems by 2017, Finds ABI Research
New subscription-based home automation offerings are rapidly transforming the way consumers will monitor, secure, and control their homes. Long the preserve of more expensive, custom-installed technology, home automation is moving into the mainstream, with companies such as ADT, Comcast, Verizon, Lowe's, and many others all adding home automation to their customer services.
A number of factors are driving the new entrants into the market. Connectivity is one key factor. Not only are there currently high home broadband penetration rates, as well as the potential for embedded cellular connections to connect systems, but also smartphone applications allow consumers to control and check their homes from wherever they are. As connectivity options make the home automation systems more useful, market changes are also making home automation more affordable. A traditional large up-front installation and equipment purchase is increasingly being replaced by monthly subscription offerings - often bundled alongside already existing services.
Report: Home energy management market to surpass $2 billion by 2020
Submitted on 05/17/12, 11:49 AM | Click Here for the full article: Telecom Engine
Report: Home energy management market to surpass $2 billion by 2020
Even as deployments of smart grid infrastructure have accelerated in recent years, the home energy management (HEM) market has struggled to gain traction. Numerous trials have led to only a few cases of industry deployments and to anemic rates of consumer adoption. According to Pike Research, that is starting to change, and over the remainder of the decade momentum will build in this nascent market. In its new report, Pike Research predicts that the global annual shipments of standalone HEM systems will grow from a quarter million in 2011 to nearly 4.7 million in 2020, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.3%.
Combined revenue for all HEM segments will grow from a base of $93 million in 2011 to more than $2 billion in 2020, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts.
Dolby Announces World's First Implementation of Dolby TrueHD 5.1 in Online Music Distribution Service
Submitted on 05/14/12, 12:57 PM | Click Here for the full article: Dolby Laboratories, Inc
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) announced today that e-onkyo music, the high-quality music distribution service managed by Onkyo Entertainment Technology Corporation, a subsidiary of Onkyo Corporation, will be the first online music distribution service to feature Dolby® TrueHD 5.1-channel surround sound. Expected to launch on May 30, 2012, in Japan and in fall 2012 elsewhere in the world, this service will enable users to download music from 100 album titles (about 1,000 tracks) in Dolby TrueHD 5.1-channel surround sound. The new Onkyo® A/V receivers (AVR) TX-NR818 and TX-NR717 will support the service.
The e-onkyo music service began in August 2005, with DRM-free music (music without digital copyright protection technology) and DSD format music distribution added in 2010, and featured a high-quality distribution of music by the rock group Queen in 2011. Now, with lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1-channel surround sound, the music service will provide consumers with high-quality audio at reduced download times and file sizes.
Nest Learning Thermostat Now Available at More Than 500 Lowe's Stores, Lowes.com
Submitted on 05/10/12, 09:47 AM | Click Here for the full article: Nest
Nest Learning Thermostat Now Available at More Than 500 Lowe's Stores, Lowes.com
Nest Labs, Inc. (nest.com) announced today that the Nest® Learning Thermostat™ is now available in more than 500 Lowe's Companies, Inc., (NYSE: LOW) stores across the country, as well as on lowes.com. Lowe's - the second-largest home-improvement retailer in the world - will feature Nest in its new Innovation merchandising displays in-store, which bring the best new products in home improvement to life with interactive end caps. To purchase or check local availability, visit lowes.com.
"There's a natural affinity between Lowe's and Nest," said Erik Charlton, Nest vice president of sales and marketing. "Both companies are committed to supporting DIY-minded customers seeking quality products. Most Nest owners choose to install the Nest Learning Thermostat themselves - and complete installation within 30 minutes - so it makes sense for them to buy from Lowe's, a great retailer that supports its customers' ingenuity and pride in their homes."
AT&T making big investment in home monitoring
Submitted on 05/07/12, 10:37 AM | Click Here for the full article: Reuters
AT&T making big investment in home monitoring
AT&T Inc (T.N) is making a big investment in a nationwide wireless home monitoring service that could potentially add $1 billion to its annual revenue as part of the No. 2 U.S. mobile operator's ongoing effort to expand beyond cell phones.
It is planning a service called "Digital Life" to monitor homes for everything from water damage to burglaries and to let customers remotely do things like adjust temperature or unlock doors, using an Internet connection.
The service, of which AT&T will start trials this year, involves sensors and cameras linked to a central home system that connects wirelessly to AT&T monitoring centers, said Glenn Lurie, the AT&T executive spearheading the project.
Parks Associates reports over 50% of U.S. Households want to connect pay-TV services to YouTube
Submitted on 05/03/12, 09:47 AM | Click Here for the full article: Parks Associates
Parks Associates reports over 50% of U.S. Households want to connect pay-TV services to YouTube
According to international research firm Parks Associates, 59% of U.S. broadband households want access to on-demand YouTube content through their pay-TV service, with the growing number of smart TVs and connected devices driving interest in online video options. Parks Associates will present new smart TV and connected consumer electronics research, with new content strategies to capture consumer interest and new revenues, at CONNECTIONS™ at TIA 2012, June 5-7 in Dallas, Texas.
Parks Associates reports over 80% of viewers interested in YouTube opt for a free, advertising-based offering, leaving few willing to pay to view YouTube content. However, the research firm notes, YouTube is investing in more original and professional content, with a growing lineup of channels and new functions such as Channel Search. By creating a more TV-like experience, YouTube enhances its value proposition to viewers, advertisers, and pay-TV providers.
HomeOS: Microsoft Works on Bringing Smart Homes to the Masses
Submitted on 05/01/12, 11:22 AM | Click Here for the full article: Time Techland
HomeOS: Microsoft Works on Bringing Smart Homes to the Masses
HomeOS aims to be a “PC-like abstraction,” where connecting a new light or ceiling fan to the system is as simple as plugging a new mouse into your computer. Users would have an app store for device controls and for finding new devices compatible with their set-ups.
Microsoft Research isn’t the first group to focus on a centralized system for home controls. Standards groups such as Z-Wave and Zigbee Alliance already offer common systems for controlling lights, thermostats, security alarms and other devices. But as Microsoft argues, these systems still don’t allow enough communication between devices, so for instance, you might have a conflict where an energy management system wants to open your windows, while a security system wants to close them. The alternative is to buy a line of products from one company that are designed to work together, but then you’re locked into that company’s devices.
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