East Coast Buffalo Wild Wings Franchisee To Install ELAN g! Control Systems in Seven New Locations

First it was Buffalo Wild Wings on the west coast and now it’s Buffalo Wild Wings on the east coast. Stephen Sullivan Jr., a partner of The Antsul Group, is opening seven new Buffalo Wild Wings locations throughout New Jersey and will use the ELAN g! Control System in each of them to control 50-plus TVs, the lighting systems and surveillance cameras.

“When we opened our first Buffalo Wild Wings in New Jersey in 2009, we had a fully-capable control system installed — or so we thought,” said Sullivan. “After using it for a couple of months, we realized what a hassle it was to keep walking over to the equipment rack to change the channel every five minutes. We want our restaurants to be absolutely the best they can be, both for our employees and for our customers. So before we began construction at our second location, we met with the team at Serious Audio Video, and told them we wanted to control the TVs from an iPad and our iPhones.”

Casey S. Johnston, President of Union City & Hoboken, New Jersey-based Serious Audio Video Inc., knew there was only one solution to satisfy Sullivan’s needs — the IP-based ELAN g! Control System. As soon as Johnston showed Sullivan the g!Mobile app on an iPad, Sullivan knew they had to have it. The ELAN g! System is built around an intuitive GUI that works similarly on all matter of devices, whether using an iPhone, iPad, laptop, an On-Screen-Display (OSD) on a TV, or even on a POS (point-of-sale) terminal.

“Casey came in and showed us the g! iPad app, and we were blown away,” said Sullivan. “We didn’t know there was a system like this. It not only makes managing our 50-plus TVs easy, it also lets us control our lighting and watch our security camera feeds remotely, which is huge for us since we’re opening so many new locations. Now I’m going to be able to check on our Bridgewater restaurant while I’m at another grand opening 50 miles away. Finally, I don’t have to think, ‘I can’t be in two places at once.’ I can be in seven places at once!”

The Antsul Group’s new Bridgewater Buffalo Wild Wings location features 35 50-inch and three 60-inch LCD HDTVs, eight 100-inch projection screens and one 200-inch projection screen. The system streams audio and video from 12 sources, including DirecTV, cable and music services. The control devices include an iPad, all the POS terminals and an ELAN TS-7 touch panel that is built right into the rack in the control room. The brain of the system is the ELAN HC-6 controller, which handles information from 60 IR talk-back emitters. The audio system distributes to three zones and a total of 41 Community Pro speakers, including ceiling-mounted “cloud systems”, which include a large subwoofer surrounded by four speakers.

“With all of the technology in our restaurant, it could be overwhelming to try to manage it all, but our new control system really lessens the workload,” said Sullivan. “The ELAN g! Control System makes everything smoother and faster, so it allows my managers to focus on the staff and making sure we have the happiest customers. After all, keeping our customers happy is the whole point.”

Sullivan is one of the first Buffalo Wild Wings franchisees to incorporate the ELAN g! Control System, along with a California owner who recently began using the system in three of his locations. And now Johnston believes that more restaurant and business owners will begin to see how this affordable, modular control system can benefit their businesses.

Johnston is so confident in the ELAN g! System that he is building a customized ELAN g! showroom at the Serious Audio Video corporate office in Union City, and he wants the system to be his main automation and control product for both residential and commercial applications. “The ELAN g! Control System brings everything together. It works in the home, and it works in doctor’s offices, restaurants and hotels. Now that everyone is familiar with touch screen devices, the simplicity and familiarity of this system really make it the one to beat. And it’s become so affordable that customers don’t need to be convinced, they just need to be shown.”

Available starting at $1860 for a single-room, four sub-system control solution, the ELAN g! Series Control System can be expanded quickly and cost-effectively to enable whole-home control of every room appliance. ELAN g! provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Sunfire Dealers Live Large This Summer

Sunfire®, a leader in the design and manufacture of hi-fidelity home theater audio products, today announced an exciting Dealer/Consumer promotion for summer 2011, featuring its new Dynamic Series line (SDS) of affordable high-quality subwoofers.

From June 1 through August 31, home theater enthusiasts are invited to take part in the ”Live Large with Sunfire” promotion and upgrade their home theater setup. Through this special offer, buyers can purchase a Sunfire SDS10 10” sub for the price of an SDS8 8” sub, or they can go even larger and purchase a Sunfire SDS12 12” sub for the price of an SDS10 10” sub!

The “Live Large with Sunfire” promotion is available to all authorized Sunfire dealers, who can then pass it on to their customers who respond to the program. Consumers can purchase a maximum of two SDS subwoofers on this promotion.

The promotion will be supported by advertisements, direct emails to 200,000 consumers and email blasts specially developed for Sunfire dealers to market the promotion within their own customer base.

Consumers can take advantage of the “Live Large This Summer” promotion by locating the nearest Sunfire dealer at www.sunfire.com and making a qualifying purchase through any online or brick-and-mortar authorized Sunfire dealer.

The Sunfire Dynamic Series 8”, 10” and 12” subwoofers are available for an MSRP of $400, $500 and $600 respectively. The Dynamic Series features the perfect blend of form, function and performance. They are the ideal choice for systems where small size, high fidelity and high output are required. Sunfire's new digital amplifier delivers 400 to 600 Watts of cool running peak output in the three models, offering unprecedented performance at these price points. Each subwoofer features a Sunfire-designed woofer and acoustically matched passive radiator – twice the speakers for twice the bass. The DS family is the first Sunfire line built around energy efficient Sunfire Class-D amplification utilizing Sunfire’s FFD™ technology and also features an efficient .5W standby power mode.

With an optional 2.4GHz subwoofer wireless transmitter and receiver, available for an MSRP of $80 each, the addition of a new subwoofer is simple, without any new wires needed. A single transmitter can support up to two receivers for two subwoofers.

Northcentral University Expands Its Scottsdale, Arizona Campus for the Seocnd Time in 12 Months

Less than one year after the opening of its first 8,000 square foot enrollment center in Scottsdale, Ariz., Northcentral University, a global leader in 100% online higher education, today announced it is expanding the size of its Scottsdale campus with the opening of a new 55,000 square-foot location at 8667 East Hartford Drive. According to Northcentral University Chief Marketing Officer Ron Hendricks, the new location will initially be the base for 130 enrollment advisers and tuition planners, as well as a number of support departments.

“When we opened the Scottsdale enrollment center in June 2010 we thought we had enough space to accommodate our growth, which was projected to include a staff of between 60 to 100 counselors,” explained Hendricks. “The reality is that our rate of growth is far surpassing our initial projections and we expect to employ over 250 people here in Scottsdale by the end of 2012. The majority of the positions will be for admissions, enrollment and tuition planners.”

Northcentral University has been growing and expanding at a dramatic rate. Over the last three years, the University’s enrollment has doubled to nearly 10,000 students, the vast majority of whom are mature working professionals enrolled in masters and doctoral degree programs. Northcentral University offers Doctor of Business Administration degrees in 18 areas of study, more than any other university in the country. In March 2011, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT) pre-approved the University’s doctoral MFT Supervision Methods Course. This was the second major recognition accorded to Northcentral University’s Marriage and Family Therapy degree programs. Earlier in March, the California Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) approved its Marriage and Family Therapy master’s degree program. In doing so, Northcentral became the first university based outside of the state of California to meet the rigorous standards established by the BBS.

ELAN® Debuts 10” In-Wall Color LCD Touch Screen Featuring “Touch And Swipe” Design And Built-In Video Screen For Television Viewing

Following the recent introduction of its expanded line of ELAN HC Series System Controllers for its g! Control System, ELAN Home Systems today introduced a new 10” in-wall color LCD touch screen to its award-winning family of user-friendly g! system interfaces. The new ELAN TS10 Touch Screen will be delivered to dealers beginning in June, according to Joe Lautner, ELAN Manager of Business Development & Product Management.

“The new TS10 Touch Screen provides dealers and consumers with the ultimate touch screen experience,” Lautner said today. “It combines a ‘touch and swipe’ design with a larger Active Matrix LCD screen for viewing television through the analog video feature, and larger easy-to-read icons for aging eyes. It’s ideal for watching television in the kitchen or the bathroom.”

The ELAN TS10 Touch Screen features composite video for viewing TV sources or cameras, a 16:9 wide screen format, backlit hard buttons for commonly used functions, built-in speaker and microphone for messaging, simple IP connectivity for communication, non-volatile flash memory, quick & easy programming, compatible with all ELAN controllers, easy retrofit installation, optional backbox and preconstruction brackets (sold separately), and a screen saver mode that can display photo. The TS10 ships standard with a white frame, but it is also available in almond, light almond, ivory, and black.

The g! family of interfaces is ELAN’s breakthrough series of touchscreen devices and applications that put total entertainment and control right at a consumer’s fingertips. No matter what is being controlled – the home, office, restaurant & bar, conference room or classroom — this exciting group of g! interfaces enable users to control everything in a fast, powerful, and, most importantly, intuitive way. Each one of ELAN’s handheld, mobile, or in-wall interfaces has the uniform g! look and feel creating a consistent user experience that is both familiar and satisfying. Users simply touch one of the fun g! interface icons and they’re in immediate control of their media, lighting, climate, security, video and much more.

In addition to the new TS10 Touch Screen, the ELAN family of interfaces includes the award-winning HR2 handheld remote control that is the ultimate merger of television remote and home control, the TS7 and TS2 7” and 2” Touch Screens, and the g! mobile applications for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. The ELAN g! System also provides interfaces for PCs and On-Screen Displays allowing for entertainment and home control from a television.

The ELAN g! Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g! Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN Touch Screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Individual "apps" for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks, and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.

Best-Selling Author Dr. Michael Dyson to Deliver 2011 Commencement Address at Northcentral University

593 Learners, 120 of whom are expected to be present, will be awarded degrees on June 11, 2011 at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona.

Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree will be awarded to Dr. Michael Dyson in recognition of his outstanding community contributions.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, named by Ebony one of the 100 most influential black Americans and the author of sixteen books including April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Death And How It Changed America, Holler if You Hear Me, Is Bill Cosby Right? and I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King Jr. will deliver the commencement address to the 2011 graduating class of Northcentral University on June 11, 2011 at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Dr. Dyson is currently University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University and a contributing editor to TIME magazine. He lives in Washington, D.C.

In recognition of his outstanding community contributions, the Board of Trustees of Northcentral University has also decided to award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Dr. Dyson at the commencement ceremonies.

“We are honored to have Dr. Dyson address our 2011 graduating class of Learners,” Dr. Clinton Gardner, President of Northcentral University said today. “As one of the nation’s most influential writers, educators, and critical thinkers, Dr. Dyson embodies the ideals of success and accomplishment that we strive for every day at Northcentral University. Rising from a factory worker who started college at age 21 to being named one of America’s 100 most influential black Americans by Ebony magazine, Dr. Dyson’s life highlights the opportunities that quality higher education offers. Dr. Dyson will speak compellingly about hard work and self-confidence in a way that, I believe, will inspire our graduates to go forth into the world to make their own unique and valuable contributions to humanity.”

Dr. Michael Dyson is an American Book Award recipient and two-time NAACP Image Award winner. He is the author of sixteen books, two of which went on to become New York Times bestsellers. He taught at Princeton University while earning his Master’s and Doctoral degrees there. He received his Ph.D. in 1993.

In a special pre-commencement ceremony to be held June 10 at Northcentral University in Prescott Valley, three graduates will be presented with the University’s coveted Dissertation of the Year awards:

• School of Business and Technology Management: Thomas Thompson “Assessing the Determinants of Information Technology Adoption in Jamaica’s Public Sector Using the Technology Acceptance Model;”

• School of Education: Jennifer Thomson “The Relationship Between Student Achievement and Multilingualism: A Quantitative Causal - Comparative Study;”

• School of Behavioral and Health Sciences: Judy Kelly “Efficacy of Hypnosis for the Treatment of Comorbid Chronic Pain and Insomnia in Older Adults.”

Northcentral University’s Commencement 2011 will take place from 10:00AM until noon on June 11, 2011 at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Tim’s Toyota Center is located at 3201 North Main Street. The commencement will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at noon. A reception will immediately follow at the center. To reserve a seat, prospective attendees are asked to call Justyna Woods at (928) 541-8152 or email her at jwoods@ncu.edu by June 1, 2011.

About Northcentral University: Since its founding in 1996 Northcentral University (www.ncu.edu) has pioneered a distinct approach to online Undergraduate, Graduate, and Post Graduate education that is dedicated to teaching individuals rather than classes. Combining the power of the Internet with an unparalleled faculty-mentoring program, Northcentral offers students the flexibility to cost-effectively study on their own schedule using their own individual style while receiving personalized attention from course instructors whenever it is needed. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the for profit, 100% online university currently serves over 8,000 students worldwide, offering Bachelor, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, and Behavioral and Health Sciences.

Sunfire Introduces A Universal Wireless Subwoofer Kit

Sunfire®, a specialist in the design, manufacture and marketing of luxury home theater products for the worldwide custom specialist and retail markets, today introduced its Sunfire Universal Wireless Subwoofer Kit. Comprised of a receiver and transmitter, the Kit is compatible with any third-party manufacturer’s powered subwoofer and eliminates new wires — making the placement of a subwoofer anywhere in a room easier than ever before.

“The key to bass performance is the same as the key to real estate – location, location, location,” said Mark Weisenberg, General Manager of Sunfire. “Having a hard-wired subwoofer limits where it can be placed, and improper placement can decrease the quality of the bass. With our new universal wireless subwoofer kit, homeowners can now place their sub wherever it sounds best, not just where it is convenient.”

Available immediately for a suggested retail price of $80 each, the SDSWITX Wireless Transmitter and SDSWIRX Wireless Receiver allows consumers to place a subwoofer near any electrical outlet, up to 25 feet from the audio source, enabling them to find the optimal placement in most rooms. For even more bass punch and fidelity, one transmitter can support two receivers for two separate subwoofers. And with digital signal transmission, the audio signal is reproduced with 100 percent accuracy.

Xantech Virtually Eliminates Programming: Xantech To Introduce QuickConfig Mode Function For Its MX88 Multi-Zone Audio/Video Controller at InfoComm 2011

Underscoring its commitment to developing meaningful innovations that provide simple solutions for installers and end users alike, Xantech, the company that invented the concept of extended IR control for audio/video systems, will introduce its Xantech QuickConfig™ installation/configuration mode for its MX88 IP-enabled multi-zone audio/video controller at INFOCOMM 2011 in Orlando, Florida, at Booth #1255.

QuickConfig eliminates the tedious programming process that can literally take days with other supplier’s products, and reduces it down to as little as 10 minutes. By employing QuickConfig, the installer can instantly configure the MX88 for multiple zones and sources throughout a residence without the need of an external computer to program the system. The MX88 can be used to control every aspect of the home theater including audio/video, lighting and drapes. Additionally, it can be programmed to control the air conditioning/heating system, home security and video surveillance cameras.

Xantech President Graham Hallett stated, “For the past 40 years, Xantech has been and continues to be at the forefront of control technology and how it shapes, and is shaped by, industry trends. We are now seeing increasingly complex A/V and IT systems in a growing number of places, and simpler, more intuitive control solutions and setup protocols are an absolute necessity. As A/V control systems evolve, Xantech continues to give users products that make their lives easier. Whatever your system components, you turn it on; we make it work.”

QuickConfig mode lets installers do all programming of sources and zones directly via the MX88’s keypad or Xantech’s new SmartPanel™ LCD touchpanels. For the home theater, sources can include Xantech audio/video components or those from other manufacturers. QuickConfig also easily configures sources that have metadata, so information such as song title, artist and genre is clearly displayed.

Unlike other installation/configuration software of this caliber, absolutely no separate PC is required. It is extremely intuitive and straightforward, guiding the installer one-by-one through the system components and manufacturer codes, much like programming a universal remote control device. With QuickConfig, the MX88 is usable out of the box, as it requires far less setup and configuration time than other protocols, and no additional time needs to be spent mastering the software. QuickConfig also configures the MX88’s iPad interface, further enhancing the unit’s capability.

About the Xantech MX88 Multi-zone Audio/Video Controller
The MX88 allows a user to control an entire Xantech multi-zone audio/video system using an Apple iPad®. An integrated audio/video distribution and control tour-de-force, the network-ready MX88 combines a 50W x 16-channel/8-zone amplifier and highly efficient auto-sensing universal power supply with advanced automation control capable of up to 16 Serial ports with the use of Xantech’s RS232 1x8 serial routers, and 17 selectable IR ports, as well as IP communication and two-way interface with an iPhone®, iPod® touch or iPad.

Xantech’s iPad integration approach uses an existing WiFi network to interface the MX-series controller to the iPad (or any networked web-browsing device), serving up a web application embedded in the MX88’s architecture. System control and status monitoring can all be accessed within a wired or wireless immediate LAN environment, or remotely over the Internet. Full metadata, menu navigation and even content graphics and album art are all transitioned from media source to the iPad through the Xantech audio/video controller itself. The MX88 is perfect for residential or commercial multi-zone control applications.

As impressive as the MX88’s audio and video performance is, the controller excels in another performance parameter so vital today: environmental friendliness. The MX88's engineering and design incorporate a wide range of technical improvements to make it a leader in the area of a more eco-friendly, ideal power consumption-versus-output ratio. The unit is built around an exceptionally intelligent and highly-efficient “greener” power supply with 100V-240V automatic voltage selection and advanced low-power consumption mode. On-board Intelligent Power Management circuitry provides positive external device control (through video and current sensing) over all 8 source input components connected to the unit, enabling the MX controller to manage the status of any of them — turning them OFF when not needed, for example. The controller’s all-digital amplifier section is a model of conservation, operating at nearly three times the power and heat efficiency of conventional audiophile amplifier circuits while maintaining full fidelity.

In The Age of The "RoboCop", Training Is Still Stuck In The Past, Says The Response Network

As every aspect of contemporary law enforcement moves fast-forward into the Age of the RoboCop, training remains mired in the past — a fact that, if not corrected to meet today’s budget and liability realities, will soon threaten the readiness of America’s law enforcement professionals, according to Bradley J. Naples, President & CEO of The Response Network, creator of the law enforcement community’s only 100% online in-service training portal, PoliceCommunity.net.

"From command centers to the inside of the patrol car, every aspect of contemporary law enforcement is being transformed by the latest advances in 21st Century technology," Naples said today. "And yet, for some reason, we remain firmly anchored in the early 20th Century when it comes to providing our law enforcement professionals with in-service training that is cost-effective, consistent from officer to officer, and based on the very best subject matter experts. This is starting to change, thanks in part to the enormous pressures budget cuts are placing on agencies, posts and departments, all of whom must find viable new ways to deliver more and more training, more and more cost effectively.”

The answer to the community’s needs lies with the Internet, according to Naples. “The vast majority of today’s officers have been raised on the Internet and are very Internet centric in virtually every other part of their lives,” he asserted. “As an educational delivery vehicle, the Internet is a proven, robust, secure and reliable platform. It is the perfect way to deliver training courses, creatively and cost-effectively.”

According to Naples, a large number of law enforcement professionals are already utilizing the Internet to achieve their general education goals, as is witnessed by the explosive growth in for-profit online universities. “The same goals and objectives can be achieved for in-service training and that’s what PoliceCommunity.net is designed to deliver — superior quality in-service training courses that are as engaging as they are educational.”

It is becoming clear, Naples explained, that online education and training is actually a more effective method than in-person face-to-face training, where individual performance isn’t as easy to measure. For law enforcement, where a day of face-to-face training seminars means a day an officer is off the streets, online on-demand training makes even more sense, giving departments the flexibility to deploy the officers if needed rather than be shorthanded while also paying for travel costs to attend an in-person training session.

Naples believes it is only a matter of time before every commanding officer in the nation sees the value of online in-service training. “The climate in law enforcement today consists of smaller budgets, more technology, and more young officers who grew up on the Internet and mobile technology. Some senior law enforcement professionals remain skeptical of the value of online in-service training simply because it is new and they are used to paying for seminars and travel costs, and they think good training has to be expensive. But the new reality clearly demonstrates that, through the Internet, training doesn’t have to be expensive anymore.

“To break the acceptance barrier, online training must incorporate appropriate elements from Hollywood and the gaming industry,” Naples asserted. “It must engage, connect with, motivate and make officers passionate about their field. With our customizable and specialized courses, we provide law enforcement officers an exciting, accurate training experience. And best of all, because our program is available anywhere, anytime, it can actually make officers want to learn.”

PoliceCommunity.net currently offers nine general subject domain courses representing more than 50 hours of in-service training, with three more courses scheduled to come online before the end of this calendar year, and an additional ten courses now in-progress.

All of the general courses can be customized to meet the needs of each subscriber, from major city agencies to rural law enforcement POSTS, and integrated with all local policies and directives. No other online training solution provides for this complete integration of national subjects with local directives in a solution that can be administered and tracked by the subscribing agency. The portal is available to law enforcement officers for an annual subscription of $74.95.

Over the last year large and small law enforcement agencies have endorsed the PoliceCommunity.net training concept including the Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan Police Department, the Virginia Beach, Virginia Police Department, the Newport News, Virginia Police Department, the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff's Office, the Saint Augustine, Florida Police Department, the Saint John's Sheriff's Department, the Clayton, Ohio Police Department, the Park Ridge, Illinois Police Department, the Aberdeen, South Dakota Police Department, Ocean City, Delaware Police Department, the Story County Sheriff's Department in Ames, Iowa, and the Lincoln, New Hampshire Police Department, among others.

The Response Network’s training programs are endorsed by the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP), Brit Insurance, The FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Association of Public Safety-Communications Professionals (APCO).

ELAN Family of g! System Controllers Adds Two Models Designed for Entry Level, Can/Wall Mount Residential and Light Commercial Applications

Reinforcing its commitment to provide dealers with a complete range of ELAN® g! system configuration options, ELAN Home Systems today announced the introduction of two new system controllers to its family of on-wall, can-mount, and rack-mount controller series that feature integrated serial ports, IR ports, relays, sense inputs, and audio outputs — the new ELAN HC4 and HC8 System Controllers which are available for delivery within 30 days.

According to Joe Lautner, ELAN Manager of Business Development & Product Management, “These two controllers round out the family of g! controllers integrating the best in control systems and entertainment. The HC4 and HC8 are the wall and structured wire can-mounted solutions for a dealer’s g! installations. The new controllers are built for easy installation in the ELAN Structured Wire cans. The HC4 is a 4 port compact controller with onboard streaming audio capability, video out for an On-Screen-Display, IR, relays, and sense inputs. The HC4 is perfect for smaller systems with the power to expand. The HC8 is a full-featured controller with 8 serial ports, 2 streams of digital audio and includes IR, relays and sense inputs. The HC8 includes a 500 GB hard drive to store security video, music, and photos. The HC8 and HC4 are ideal for non-rack mount applications in the home, vacation property or business. The HC4 is also a great base station for the new HR2 remote to create the most powerful remote solution available.”

Supporting all g! applications and interfaces, and incorporating the company’s latest Version 5.2 g! software, the new ELAN HC4 and HC8 controllers are designed for both residential and commercial installation environments, where control and security are high priorities, as well as for second homes where security is of paramount concern to homeowners.

Now available in 4, 6, 8, and 12 port models, the ELAN HC System Controllers are part of the world’s most advanced, easy-to-install user-friendly entertainment and control system — the ELAN g! Series. Compatible for use with third-party systems and components, the ELAN g! Series offers the touchpads, touchscreens, handheld remotes, precision panels, and multi-zone/multi-room controllers needed to integrate every function of a home or business into a single intuitive system.

The ELAN g! Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices including TVs, touchscreens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touchscreens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Individual "apps" for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.

Xantech To Mark 40 Years of Innovation And Two Millionth Installation Milestone at InfoComm 2011

Underscoring its commitment to provide commercial and residential dealers and installers with the broadest array of the critically important ‘hidden electronics’ that make other electronics work, Xantech will mark 40 years of innovation, and its two millionth installation milestone, at INFOCOMM 2011 next month with the introduction of a new generation of AV control system solutions at Booth #1255 in the Orlando Convention Center.

“From IR to IP, no other company even comes close to offering the range and depth of control solutions that we do,” asserted Xantech President Graham Hallett. “For 40 years Xantech has worked closely with custom installers and consultants to develop unique insights into the design, integration, and control of a wide variety of AV systems in every conceivable kind of commercial and residential installation. This is why so many designers and installers begin and end every project with Xantech. Put simply, we make everything they need to make everything else work! That’s why, to date, Xantech solutions are featured in more than two million installations worldwide.”

This relentless commitment to innovation will be evident everywhere at Xantech’s INFOCOMM 2011 booth, where the company will showcase, among other solutions, additions to its WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller (pictured right) that integrates numerous Xantech technologies into one versatile system with multiple RS232 ports, IR ports, relays, digital I/Os and two discrete LAN ports. “It’s designed from beginning to end to keep any conference room, classroom, or corporate AV system in full control either on its own or through any web-enabled device,” explained Xantech Director of Business Development Rick Seegull. “And now, with our new Xantech Web Designer Software, integrators can easily create web control pages to be served by the WIC1200 onto iPads, tablets, or any web enabled appliance for seamless control.”

When interfaced with Xantech’s CWTC10 10.4” WiFi touchpanel or their new line of SmartPanel LCD Controllers (or Apple’s new iPad), the WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller can send messages back to the touchpanel allowing for text display, numeric display, volume and indicator bars, ON/OFF indicators and more, for full real-time data display.

Equally innovative is the Xantech ISM4 Intelligent System Manager, which automatically monitors and controls the power states of up to four IR components. “Customers simply have to turn on their display device and the ISM4 does the rest,” Seegull explained. “It powers up each individual component and makes sure they all stay in sync. It features full IR and RS232 for control, monitoring, and sensing audio, video, current, light, voltage, or any heartbeat of any type in a single unit.”

For the residential market, Xantech is also introducing a number of new products. “Xantech has a solution for every level of home control, from the single room home theater, to multi-room flexible control, to whole home automation” Hallett emphasized.

The BDX TT Bluetooth Interface (pictured left) provides a full-fidelity, reliable wireless connection between an A/V system and any handheld Bluetooth A2DP-enabled device such as a smartphone, iPad, PC or tablet — wherever consumers store and manage their music and media.

The DinkyLink DL85K is our most versatile IR control kit and works with all TV’s and lighting up to 80 feet. Unlike other IR repeater systems, it works with plasma, LCD or LED TVs; with compact fluorescent lighting (CFL); with all satellite and digital cable boxes.

The MX88 Multi-Zone Audio/Video Controller (pictured right) is engineered for iPad®, Xantech keypad and Xantech SmartPanel™ LCD touch-screen control. It features a highly efficient 50W x 16-channel/8-zone digital amplifier; a smart auto-sensing universal (100V to 240V) power supply with advanced automation control, and up to 16-Serial ports and 17 selectable IR ports. No dedicated apps needed.

Xantech’s history of innovation is second to none in the industry. Its long list of industry-firsts include the first in-wall infrared receiver module, the first peephole infrared receiver module, the first infrared sender amplifier, the first infrared receiver using surface-mount technology and the first learning in-wall keypad.

ELAN Home Systems Introduces "Killer Combo" Home Control Solution

Reaffirming its commitment to put the benefits of home control within the reach of every homeowner, ELAN Home Systems today introduced a “killer combo” control solution that can start as a single-room solution and expand to control the entire house or apartment. The package combines ELAN’s award-winning HR2 multimedia-and-home-control remote with the new HC4 four sub-system Home Controller into one packaged solution that carries a suggested retail price of $1860. The system is available for immediate delivery to dealers.

According to ELAN President Paul Starkey, “This new, affordable control package promises to make home automation and control a reality for every homeowner, whether they integrate a single room or the whole house. By pairing our groundbreaking HR2 remote with the HC4 Home Controller, we have created a killer combo that makes selling home control easier than ever for dealers and installers.”

With the HR2, the world’s very first combination multimedia-and-home-control remote, and the new HC4 Home Controller, controlling everything in a room or an entire house – from the lights to the heating to the TV – has never been simpler. The ELAN g! Control System is compatible with many industry-leading brands that homeowners have come to trust, making the system easy to sell, easy to install and easy to use.

“By removing the cost barrier,” said Starkey, “we hope to give a lot of homeowners their first taste of home control and automation. And what’s great about the ELAN g! System is that when they decide they want to control more than one room, g! is easy to expand and ready to provide complete home automation.”

The sleek ELAN HR2, the company’s first ever remote, features the ELAN g! engine and hybrid use of backlit buttons and a 2.4" OLED touch screen. This provides all the function of hard buttons and a touch screen packaged in a stylish remote that weighs a mere 8 ounces. Nearly a year of development went into the remote's shape and button layout, and that plays out in a very pleasing and easy-to-use button configuration, with a crisp, clear touch display of the g! icon controls. This delivers quick-touch access to media, climate, lighting and security subsystems.

The HC4 Home Controller comes standard with the capability for MP3 and Internet Radio Streaming, a new and improved iTunes feature that allows for simple integration of your iTunes library, 720p video for a g! On Screen Display control interface, climate control, lighting, security, IP cameras, phone integration/messaging, email, Text-To-Speech and screen-saver photo albums. As an IP-based system, it also supports iPod, iPhone and iPad control through the g!Mobile app, which enables full system control from anywhere in the world.

Available starting at $1860 for a single-room, four sub-system control solution, the ELAN g! Series Home Control System can be expanded quickly and cost-effectively to enable whole home control of every room appliance. ELAN g! provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

MidwichHome Appointed as Exclusive UK Distributor for The AVC Group

Moving strategically to strengthen the representation of its ELAN®, NILES®, Xantech®, Sunfire®, and ATON® brands throughout the United Kingdom, the AVC Group has announced the appointment of MidwichHome to serve as its exclusive UK distributor. The deal was unveiled today by Mark Terry, president of the AVC Group, who said that MidwichHome would work closely with Conrad Gonthier, International Sales Manager, Europe at The AVC Group.

“MidwichHome has the exact combination of experience, strategic thinking, and tactical effectiveness to best represent our brands in the United Kingdom,” Terry said today. “Their track record of success working with the world’s leading audio visual and consumer electronics brands speaks for itself. We look forward to working closely with the MidwichHome team to develop and implement innovative sales and marketing programmes that reflect the innovation incorporated into each of our iconic brands.”

Lee Hooker, sales manager for MidwichHome, said: "AVC’s industry-leading brands provide professional installers with a great choice of integrated solutions for audio, video and control applications in residential installations. We have built upon our internal team by the appointment of specialist field-based sales and technical staff to support these new brands. This partnership represents a significant further expansion for Midwich into the custom install market and we are delighted to have reached this agreement to become AVC’s exclusive UK distributor."

The agreement with the AVC Group further strengthens Midwich’s strong position in the custom residential installation and independent retail channels. The distributor already has a strong portfolio of consumer electronics products and represents some of the world’s biggest brand names, including Samsung, Sony, LG Electronics, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp and Pioneer.

Policecommunity.net Law Enforcement Training Portal Reaches 10,000 Subscriber Membership Milestone

Underscoring the impact that engaging and educational online in-service training can have on the global law enforcement community, The Response Network, owner and operator of the world’s first and only 100% law enforcement online training portal, today announced that PoliceCommunity.net has surpassed the 10,000 subscriber membership milestone. What’s more, according to The Response Network President & CEO Bradley J. Naples, the online training portal has achieved this historic milestone less than one year after completing its initial beta testing period.

“As a new generation of Internet-centric law enforcement professionals comes to the forefront of helping to ensure that best practice standards are met for ongoing in-service training, The Response Network’s PoliceCommunity.net training portal is coming to be seen as an effective way for agencies and posts to cost-effectively maintain a state of preparedness. More importantly,” Naples emphasized, “they are realizing that online in-service training can be a compelling experience that is as much entertaining and engaging as it is educational. Our courses deliver that unique combination of engagement and education. It clearly sets us apart in a compelling and cost effective way. In fact, we believe we will double the number of our subscribers further in the next 6-12 months.”

Creating courses that borrow from Hollywood and the gaming industries is a critical determinant of online training’s chances for success. “Everyone knows that, in today’s budget strapped world, traditional face-to-face training is largely inefficient and very expensive. It’s becomes even more difficult to justify when one factors in the value of lost productivity and the inability to measure effectiveness.”

Policecommunity.net currently offers nine general subject domain courses representing more than 50 hours of in-service training, with three more courses scheduled to come online before the end of this calendar year, and an additional ten courses now in-progress. The current nine courses are:

1. Emotional Intelligence for Law Enforcement
2. Community Policing/Customer Service
3. Use of Force
4. Domestic Violence
5. Active Shooter for Public Safety
6. Becoming An Exemplary Peace Officer/Applied Ethics
7. Bloodborne Pathogens
8. Avoiding Ethnic and Sexual Harassment
9. Mental Health for Law Enforcement

All of these general courses can be customized to meet the needs of each subscriber, from major city agencies to rural law enforcement POSTS, and integrated with all local policies and directives. No other online training solution provides for this complete integration of national subjects with local directives in a solution that can be administered and tracked by the subscribing agency. The portal is available to law enforcement officers for an annual subscription of $74.95.

Over the last year large and small law enforcement agencies have endorsed the Police Community.net training concept, including the Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan Police Department, the Virginia Beach, Virginia Police Department, the Newport News, Virginia Police Department, the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff's Office, the Saint Augustine, Florida Police Department, the Saint John's Sheriff's Department, the Clayton, Ohio Police Department, the Park Ridge, Illinois Police Department, the Aberdeen, South Dakota Police Department, Ocean City, Delaware Police Department, the Story County Sheriff's Department in Ames, Iowa, and the Lincoln, New Hampshire Police Department, among others.

The Response Network’s training programs are endorsed by the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP), Brit Insurance, The FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the Association of Public Safety-Communications Professionals (APCO).

PoliceCommunity.net is owned and operated by The Response Network Inc. The Response Network's mission is to develop and deliver to law enforcement and public safety professionals a complete curriculum of educational courseware that meets their needs for everything from in-service training to degree granting programs. For more information, visit www.policecommunity.net or call 1-877-288-0451.

America's Favorite Cake Maker Buddy Valastro Installs $100,000 ELAN g! Home Control System to Automate Every Aspect of His New House

America’s favorite cake maker, Buddy Valastro of Carlo’s Bakery, can control and automate every aspect of his $1.3 million, 7,000 square foot New Jersey home, right from his iPhone with the ELAN g! Home Control System.

When Valastro moved in 2010, he didn’t know much about home automation. He had a new music distribution system installed, but that was it. Two days after closing on the house, he was introduced to Chima Gale, owner of 360 Media Innovations, who showed him how the ELAN g! IP-based Home Control System could make his life, and his home, simpler to manage. After a short demo at the set of Valastro’s television show, Gale had him hooked. Now, they have just completed a $100,000 ELAN g! installation that lets Valastro control every aspect of his home from around the globe.

“In today’s world, if you don’t embrace new technology, you get left behind,” Valastro said. “I use state-of-the-art appliances in my kitchens, but had never spent much time thinking about other parts of the house. So I said to myself, ‘I want a space-age house. I want to turn off all the lights with one button before I go to bed, and I want music playing when I walk into the kitchen in the morning.’ The best thing about this system is it took no time at all to learn to use it. My family knows how to use an iPad and an iPhone, so the software feels just like any other app we use on a daily basis. Having all the systems – the heating, lighting, music, and alarms – adjust themselves throughout the day has made everyday life simpler for me and my family.”

And the system doesn’t just turn lights and music on and off. Valastro’s house is fully integrated, so he now has total mobile control over the home’s 68 light switches, four-zone HVAC system, security and surveillance system with 24 cameras, whole-house audio system with 42 ELAN Elios speakers in 17 discrete zones including the master bathroom and three-car garage, and he can even control the pool equipment.

The system is so extensive, you can hardly turn a corner in the house without seeing a touch screen control panel. There are 12 TS7 touch screens that double as digital picture frames, two TS2 touch pads, 4 On-Screen Displays (OSD) on TVs throughout the house, three new iPod touches and two new iPads in addition to the six iPads the family already owned. As if that were not enough, there is a vanishing-mirror TV above the sink in the master bathroom.

“Nobody can deny that the adoption of home control is growing by leaps and bounds, and the home is quickly becoming an extension of our digital lives,” said Gale. “The ability to help someone go from a simple dedicated music distribution system to a full-fledged home control system, accessible from anywhere in the world, is what makes today so exciting for the industry. The fact is that everyone wants home control. With the ELAN g! Home Control System, everyone can have it.”

In fact, Valastro’s appreciation for the ELAN g! Control System will soon extend beyond the home, as he and Gale later this year integrate the g! System throughout Valastro’s brand-new 35,000 square foot command center, a high-volume bakery production facility in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The ELAN g! Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touch pads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room as across the globe.

Carlo’s is a family owned bakery that produces what many say are the best tasting, highest quality wedding cakes, specialty cakes and baked goods in New Jersey. Carlo’s, originally opened by Carlo Guastaffero in 1910, was acquired by Bartolo Valastro Sr. in 1964. Since the untimely passing of Bartolo Sr. in 1994, matriarch Mary Valastro, along with her daughters, Grace, Maddalena, Mary, and Lisa, her son, master baker Bartolo Jr. “Buddy” Valastro, and their spouses have maintained the business. The Valastro’s and their experienced bakers and staff have expanded Bartolo Sr.’s dream and have seen it flourish.  The bakery is located in the heart of Hoboken, New Jersey.