NILES® IntelliControl® ICS Audio System Now Offers Whole Home Control Via ELAN® g!

The Niles® IntelliControl® ICS platform, the custom installation industry’s leading multi-room audio system with more than 15,000 installations, will now be able to connect to the ELAN® g! control system, opening the door for Niles ICS dealers and customers to enjoy the benefits of whole home automation controlled by an iPad and iPhone. The announcement of this technology co-integration was made today by Mark Terry, President of The AVC Group, who said that this was the first step forward in the Group’s long-term product development strategy.

“This initial integration of the Niles ICS system with the ELAN g! control platform makes it possible for our loyal base of Niles ICS customers to immediately access the benefits of whole home automation featured in the ELAN g! control system,” Terry said today. “While this is significant in its own right, it is a more significant statement about The AVC Group’s commitment to pursue a long-term complementary product development strategy while maintaining the strength and integrity of each individual brand.”

According to Terry, and for the first time since its introduction in 2005, the Niles ICS system will now allow consumers to control its six streaming sources by an iPad and iPhone. Second, Niles ICS dealers who qualify to sell ELAN g! systems will now be able to offer both installed and new ICS customers an affordable bridge to the home control of television, lighting, climate, and other functions via the ELAN g! system. Third, qualified ELAN dealers will now have the opportunity to offer their customers another option for streaming content, including native Pandora® Internet Radio.

According to Niles President Mike Detmer, “Niles has always stood for the best, easiest to install architectural audio wherever consumers live, work, and play. For some time, our dealers have requested IOS control for the ICS system. Today, in conjunction with our sister brand ELAN, we are able to cost-effectively provide this capability to our dealers, enabling them to upgrade the more than 15,000 ICS systems they have installed since 2005 while offering them entry into a new revenue opportunity — home control.”

According to ELAN President Paul Starkey, “This integration of the Niles ICS platform with the ELAN g! platform makes a great combination package for a lot of our dealers and the speedy installation of both systems will be immediately attractive to dealers.”

The Niles IntelliControl ICS System is a unique whole-house audio distribution system that incorporates iPods, Sirius|XM Satellite Radio, Pandora Internet Radio, Rhapsody, AM/FM radio, HD Radio, and TV, CD and DVD sources. Users can access their personal music libraries and terrestrial, satellite and Internet radio sources through intuitive, easy-to-use in-wall touchscreens and touchpads, handheld remotes and portable touch screens that provide full source, song, station and playlist information. The heart of the IntelliControl ICS System is the GXR2 Modular MultiZone Receiver, the first ever receiver to use interchangeable input modules to accommodate any input sources and support up to 30 distinct zones of audio.

Available starting under $2,000 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. 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.

The AVC Group Consolidates Sales Rep Network to Provide Dealers With 'One Source' Contact for ELAN®, Niles®, Xantech®, Sunfire® and Aton Brands®.

In a move designed to provide dealers with a single point of contact for its iconic custom installation brands, The AVC Group today announced the implementation of a new consolidated independent sales rep network that enables qualifying dealers to have ‘one source’ access to more than 1700 products and system solutions offered by its ELAN®, NILES®, Xantech®, Sunfire®, and ATON® brands.

According to Mark Terry, President of The AVC Group, the current network of 45 independent rep firms will now be reduced to 15 firms each of whom will carry all five of The AVC Group brands. It is expected that this new sales rep organization will maximize the effectiveness of the recently introduced AVC Advantage program, which combines focused, complementary brand offerings with automatic incentive, rebate, and support programs. “As a company we are totally committed to the business model of using independent sales rep firms as our front line sales force,” Terry emphasized. “The implementation of a consolidated rep organization is the next logical step forward in our long term plan to provide dealers with a greater array of opportunities to sell more system solutions to a larger and wider range of customers,” Terry said. “This new organization empowers dealers to meet more customer requirements than ever before, allowing them to offer a truly complete range of system and product offerings at every price point.”

In fact, according to Terry, the consolidated rep organization introduced today benefits every entity involved in the sales process — dealers, distributors, reps, and The AVC Group. For dealers, the new organization provides a single point of contact for all five AVC Group brands while allowing them to access bundled and tiered programs and incentives. “We will be able to provide our dealers and distributors with complete and complementary systems solutions — more than 1700 different products,” Terry emphasized. “Our dealers will now enjoy a greater, more powerful relationship with a single manufacturing partner.

For the sales reps in the new organization, the new structure delivers an entirely new level of efficiency with features such as one-stop training, one sales meeting, one commission check, and one business methodology. “At the same time,” Terry emphasized, “the new consolidated sales rep network offers reps the ability to finally offer every dealer a complete price performance range of solutions. Every dealer call they make will be much more likely to result in a sale and that reality will significantly increase their income.”

Finally, for The AVC Group the new structure allows the Group to make sure it always has “A” level reps in every single sales territory. It also allows the Group to more effectively develop and implement a long-term systems solution product strategy that benefits all of its dealers while ensuring that the Group’s brands are not squeezed out of a channel or used to leverage a competitor. “It also allows us to act quicker in the market, offer more comprehensive training and be more efficient with our resources. The bottom line is that everyone benefits, including the customer and that’s the most important priority for all of us.”

While the implementation of a consolidated independent sales rep network bodes well for the future of The AVC Group, dealers, and consumers, it is a significant change that does affect some long established relationships. “Unfortunately this type of action requires that we part company with many extremely qualified, talented and loyal Reps through no fault of their own. I want to thank these firms for their many contributions over the years. Without their effort and success, our brands would not be the leaders that they are today. I wish each and every one of these firms continued success in the future.”

The new independent sales rep organization is comprised of the following firms: Audio Associates Corporation (South Plainfield, NJ), Electronic Marketing Associates (Raytown, MO), High-Tech Network (Smyrna, GA), Market Share Inc. (Bellevue, WA), New Age Marketing (Manvel, TX), ProMark Marketing (Santa Clarita, CA), RS Pro Sales, LLC (Cincinnati, OH), SLAMCO (Chanhassen, MN), Sound Tech Marketing (Golden, CO), Tandem Marketing, Inc. (Elk Grove Village, IL), The Jarmac Group (Taunton, MA), TWC Michigan, Inc. (Trenton, MI), and Zone Pacific Sales (Sacramento, CA).

Technology Rental Company HD House Stays The Course After Theft of $255,000 of Equipment Thanks to Specialized Insurance from Take1

Sometimes when a company does everything right, following all the correct protocols and procedures and taking all the necessary precautions, unforeseen situations still arise. For Miami-based HD House, a rental company that specializes in very high-end HD film production equipment, this was a hard lesson to learn—but thankfully one with a happy ending. In January of 2011, HD House experienced a rental company’s worst nightmare: a new customer, whom they fully vetted and researched, stole $255,000 worth of their equipment in a single day.

“We checked his background, ran a credit check, read through the company’s entire Web site, and we even called the company’s insurer to confirm they held an active policy,” said Tony Perez, CEO of HD House. “We’re in the business of loaning top-of-the-line cameras, lenses, computers and accessories that can be worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, so we take the security of our inventory very seriously. We were shocked when we learned that this customer had stolen the identity of a reputable UK film producer, going so far as producing false identification and taking out a real insurance policy in order to commit fraud.”

When HD House filed a claim with the client’s insurer, the claim was denied because the policy was purchased with the intent to commit fraud. But this is where the happy ending comes in.

Less than 90 days before the fraud occurred, HD House had signed on with Take1 Insurance, which has specialized in insuring the live and non-live entertainment industries for more than 25 years. HD House’s new policy with Take1 didn’t save them money compared to their prior insurer, but they liked that it had been custom-tailored to the specific needs of an equipment rental company. Point in case: within hours of filing this claim with Take1, the wheels were turning on what ended up being a full payment of $255,000.

“As we were evaluating the risk profile of HD House, it quickly became clear they had outgrown their prior insurer “ said HD House’s insurance broker, Matt Kleinjan of the Jules Berlin Agency. “One of our key concerns was the collusion risk—i.e., how do we make certain their equipment is properly covered while it is out in the Care, Custody and Control (CCC) of a customer. We never like to rely entirely on the customer’s insurance, as it is often inadequate. In the case of fraud, the customer’s insurance is completely moot. HD House recognized this risk and fortunately made the decision to move their insurance program to Take1.”

“This was a highly sophisticated fraud,” said Scott Carroll, executive vice president of Take1. “The criminal stole the identity of a producer from the UK who had a solid credit history and a reputable industry background, then he took out a fraudulent insurance policy for the real company, making it extremely difficult to detect he was an imposter. HD House did its due diligence and followed very rigorous vetting procedures before agreeing to loan the equipment to this new customer.”

According to Carroll, “Take1’s inland marine policy is broader than most of our competitors concerning fraud or misrepresentation, often times referred to as collusion coverage. Most insurance companies severely limit coverage in this area, especially with regard to fraud or collusion committed against the insured. In our opinion,” Carroll said, “this broad language and the excellent claims handling capabilities of our primary carrier gives our insureds an added advantage when fraud is committed against them.”

HD House’s previous insurance company would have only been obligated to cover $140,000 of the loss as a maximum, and may have even tried to deny the claim completely, according to Carroll. “Luckily for HD House, they had Take1 on their side.”

Take1’s specialty program has designed inland marine coverage, among other specialty coverages for the entertainment industry, that automatically applies everywhere in the world, without the need for additional riders or endorsements. It eliminates co-insurance, thus protecting 100 percent of the insured value of the equipment covered; provides automatic replacement cost valuation; allows for separate limits in key individual coverage areas like owned equipment, equipment rented from others, equipment in the insured’s Care Custody and Control (CCC), and equipment in transit; flood coverage for equipment in transit; and blanket limits that eliminate the need for clients’ to itemize each and every piece of equipment, cable, LED panel, etc. being covered.

Founded in 2008 by two industry natives, HD House is a high definition and digital cinema rental house and solutions provider serving the film and television community in South Florida and beyond. In addition to providing high-end equipment rental packages and talented technicians, the company recently celebrated the grand opening of their new three-wall hard cyclorama studio in Miami. With this state-of-the-art addition, HD House continues to provide an unprecedented level of technical and personal support to ensure every client achieves the highest level of production value on each and every shoot. 

About U.S. Risk Insurance Group

U. S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. is a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas. Operating 12 domestic and international branches, it offers a broad range of products and services through its affiliate companies, which include U.S. Risk Underwriters, U.S. Risk Brokers, Lighthouse Underwriters, LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Omnisure Consulting Group, Oxford Insurance Brokers, Ltd. (London), Goss Reinsurance Brokers, LLC, and NovaPro Risk Solutions, LP.  Its entertainment division, Take1, has served as the official endorsed insurance provider for the last 15 years INFOCOMM, the leading association of A/V communications industry professionals.

 

Cellular Innovations Three-In-One Travel Chargers Named Best New Product By Convenience Store News

The Cellular Innovations division of Mizco International today was awarded a Best New Product Award by Convenience Store News for its Three-In-One Travel Chargers. The award will be presented to Mizco on October 3, 2011 at the NACS Show in Chicago, Illinois.

“The Three-In-One Travel Chargers are the perfect solution for space constrained convenience stores,” Sam Mizrahi, Executive Vice President, Mizco International, said today. “With this line of chargers, we are able to provide the convenience of a car charger, home charger and USB charger for computer charging in one single product.”

The line of Three-In-One Travel Chargers feature two models. The ACP-APP includes connectors for iPhones, iPods, and iPads, as well as a three-foot long stereo audio cable for connecting a phone to a car or stereo auxiliary input port. The ACP-CELL model includes connectors for the six most common cellular phone models, including Blackberry and HTC Smartphones, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and LG cellular phones. “The ACP-CELL is like having 18 SKU’s in one package,” states Mizrahi.

Both models feature environmentally friendly packaging that features “Try Me” access to all connectors, free connector tips for life, and a lifetime warranty.

Xantech's New Red/95, Green/85 and Blue/25 Series IR Kits Awarded 2011 EXC!TE Award by CustomRetailer Magazine

Xantech, the company that invented the concept of extended IR control for audio/video systems, today was awarded a 2011 EXC!TE Award by CustomRetailer Magazine for its new Red/95, Green/85 and Blue/25 Series IR kits. The award will be presented to Xantech on Sept. 8 at the 2011 EXC!TE Awards Party at CEDIA Expo 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“Change is the one constant in both the audio/video industry and our lives,” commented Xantech President Graham Hallett. “Changes in entertainment systems range from flatscreen panels to all-digital TV content delivery, and now 3D is part of the mix. Changes in how we live include sweeping progress in energy efficiency and greater demands on living spaces. All this, in turn, places greater demands than ever on IR control systems. As the pioneer and leader in that field, Xantech has the special responsibility of continuously advancing the state-of-the-art.  Our new series does exactly that for IR control, and sets the new standard for the rest of the industry.”

Continued Hallett, “What that means for installers putting in A/V systems is this: everything they need to stay at the leading edge of IR control technology comes in a single box from Xantech. And if they ever encounter an IR problem that Xantech can’t solve, nobody can. It’s that simple”

Xantech’s new IR systems are designed for this challenging new environment. Explains Graham Hallett, “We now differentiate the kits by range and sensitivity instead of by type of television, and we simplified the selection process through our three-tier color-coded packaging system. Our Red/95 series has our highest level of interference-rejection circuitry, working with all types of TV’s and lighting at ranges up to 120 feet. Our Green/85 series is our most versatile kit, and works with all TV’s and lighting up to 80 feet. And our Blue/25 series is an outstanding value in IR control when the need is simply to control a traditional TV display under traditional lighting conditions.”

For the 95 and 85 series, Xantech delved into five technology elements to perfect IR for the next generation of entertainment systems: Error Correction circuitry ensures the most faithful reproduction of the original IR signal that present technology allows. Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuitry allows a Xantech IR receiver to constantly study the ambient light level and automatically re-calibrate its own sensitivity to more accurately discriminate the correct signal and reject unwanted noise. Sophisticated Adaptive Filtering circuitry enabling the receiver to more electively “look” at an IR source while rejecting unwanted frequencies. Native Carrier Frequency Transmission circuitry (95, 85 & 25 series) to accurately process the original “pure” carrier frequency, eliminating noise and interference, and transmitting the original IR signal in its correct form to the rest of the system; 

In addition, the 95 series packs an IR element with even higher sensitivity and reception angle, giving it a wider operating window, better off-axis response and longer range — perfect for larger living environments, or in conditions with unusual amounts of light interference. Finally, the overall build quality (95, 85 & 25 series), as Xantech using the highest quality components and precision manufacturing separates Xantech from competitive IR products.

The three new lines of IR kits are available with four receiver styles to fit practically any control application. The DL/DinkyLink^™ surface-mount is the industry's best-selling design for easy, unobtrusive mounting on any TV set frame or other component, and is now available with color-change sleeves for unobtrusive mounting on black, white or silver units. The HL/Hidden Link Designer-style receiver is a tabletop design for placement on entertainment equipment racks or components and is also available in black, white or silver. The ML/Micro Link peephole or bullet design is intended for in-wall or in-ceiling installations, and in speakers with a suitable knockout feature, and ships with brass, white and black bezels for easy concealment. Lastly, the Decora^®-style receiver is intended for low-voltage mounting bracket or J-Box installations for in-wall retrofit or other applications.

For more information on Xantech’s full range of products, please visit www.xantech.com.

Sunfire Atmos Awarded 2011 EXC!TE Award By CustomRetailer Magazine

Sunfire®, a specialist in the design, manufacture and marketing of luxury home theater products for the worldwide custom specialist and retail markets, today was awarded a 2011 EXC!TE Award by CustomRetailer Magazine for its new Sunfire Atmos subwoofer. The award will be presented to Sunfire on Sept. 8 at the 2011 EXC!TE Awards Party at CEDIA Expo 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“The Atmos sets a new bar for small, powerful, accurate subwoofers. It is relevant for today’s consumers who demand high performance and reliability out of a small cabinet,” said Mark Weisenberg, Sunfire General Manager. “Our engineers started from scratch and developed a incredibly tough aluminum enclosure that accommodates the tremendous air pressure generated by the woofer.”

CustomRetailer Magazine presents its annual EXC!TE Awards to the best products available to the industry. Each year, CustomRetailer invites nominations of products that stand out for being innovative, high-performing and solutions-oriented for the custom installation professional. Past winners stand out as particularly impressive, considering the unique challenges custom installers face every day on the job. The impact these products have had on the industry is felt in the installers' productivity, the dealers' profitability, the clients' satisfaction and the industry's vitality.

The Atmos features a custom designed 6.5” woofer paired with a unique new asymmetrical cardiod surround, allowing over 1.5” of excursion. Resembling the variable thickness of the human heart, the surround provides superior control of the 6.5” driver, reducing distortion and increasing fidelity and reliability. The Atmos outperforms many 10” and 12” models.

Quietly containing the monstrous, cool running 1400W amplifier using Sunfire’s exclusive Tracking Downconverter technology required space-age engineering, which is why Sunfire used FEA (Finite Element Analysis) to design the Atmos, including the aluminum cabinet and the drivers as well as redesigning the Tracking Downconverter amplifier. This patient attention to detail gave the Atmos unequalled fidelity and high output, all out of an impossibly small aluminum extruded cabinet.

ELAN TS10 10" In-Wall Touch Screen Awarded 2011 EXC!TE Award by Custom Retailer Magazine

ELAN Home Systems today was awarded a 2011 EXC!TE Award by CustomRetailer Magazine for its new TS10 10” in-wall touch screen interface for the ELAN g! Home Control System. The award will be presented to ELAN on Sept. 8 at the 2011 EXC!TE Awards Party at CEDIA Expo 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“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.”

CustomRetailer Magazine presents its annual EXC!TE Awards to the best products available to the industry. Each year, CustomRetailer invites nominations of products that stand out for being innovative, high-performing and solutions-oriented for the custom installation professional. Past winners stand out as particularly impressive, considering the unique challenges custom installers face every day on the job. The impact these products have had on the industry is felt in the installers' productivity, the dealers' profitability, the clients' satisfaction and the industry's vitality.

The new ELAN TS10 Touch Screen also 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.

Sunfire SDS-12 Named Best European Home Theater Subwoofer in 2011-2012 EISA Awards

Sunfire®, a specialist in the design, manufacture and marketing of luxury home theater products for the worldwide custom specialist and retail markets, today was awarded the European Imaging and Sound Association’s 2011-2012 EISA Award for Home Theater Subwoofer for the Sunfire SDS-12 subwoofer. The award will be presented to Sunfire at the 2011-2012 EISA Awards ceremony at the Adlon Hotel on September 2 as part of IFA Berlin.

“Our new Dynamic Series builds on our history of unique design approach in bending the laws of physics, which results in premium value with unequaled performance, even within this price class,” said Mark Weisenberg, Sunfire General Manager. “We are honored that the European Imaging and Sound Association recognizes Sunfire’s design approach and commitment to selling the world’s best home audio products at all price levels.”

In June each year, the editors-in-chief from all 50 EISA member magazines meet to decide which of products analyzed in their publications during the past year deserve the coveted EISA Award. The six categories under consideration are: Audio, Video, Home Theater, Photography, In-Car Electronics and Mobile Devices.

The Sunfire Dynamic Series’ 12” Subwoofer is the perfect blend of form and function and the ideal choice for systems where small size and high output are required. Sunfire's new digital amplifier delivers 600 Watts of cool running peak output with unprecedented performance at this price point. The SDS-12 features a Sunfire-designed woofer and acoustically matched passive radiator—creating twice the bass than single driver designs at these prices. The DS family is also the first in the Sunfire line built around energy efficient Sunfire Class-D amplification, dynamically adjusting the output of the subwoofer's power supply to suit the requirements of the incoming audio signal. With the inclusion of a low-power standby mode, signal-sensing or always on power option, combined with continuously variable phase, crossover and volume controls set this Sunfire series aside from all competitors in this range.

Other products found in this price range simply focus on the quantity of output over a limited frequency range, and as their power output increases, so does their distortion, limiting the quality of performance to only a few kinds of material. Today’s consumer watches and listens to a wide variety of content – TV, movies, music, games, etc. – using the same system, which demands both quality and quantity. Sunfire engineers designed these subwoofers with the company’s proprietary Frequency Filtration Design™ (FFD), preserving a spectral balance across the entire bass frequency range to deliver superior balance and definition PLUS high output no matter what source material is being used. In subwoofer terms, music demands definition over a wider range of bass frequencies, while movies are equalized for optimum performance at slightly different frequencies to accentuate the special effects— the Sunfire Dynamic Series achieves both. Limited budget, small rooms, big bass - no problem!

Xantech's WIPAD Used for "Light Impressions: A Celebration of iPhone Photography" Exhibit at Alys Beach, Florida-based studio b.

Studio b., located in Alys Beach, Florida, recently opened their groundbreaking exhibit Light Impressions: A Celebration of iPhone® Photography, which features the curated work of 40 iPhoneographers from around the world, showcased on 40 Apple iPad 2® units. “Never before has iPhone photography been exhibited on this scale and with this level of deference,” states studio b. founder/owner and world-renowned photographer Colleen Duffley. With an iPad 2 assigned to each artist, each unit features 13 photos from the artist’s collection, shown in a slide show configuration, looping at different intervals. Another iPad 2 is used to stream the entire show online at studio b.’s Web site. The iPad used as the live feed camera is mounted with a WIPAD Control Interface from Xantech, a leader in the field of audio/video remote control and distribution for 40 years.

Light Impressions was conceived out of Duffley’s enthusiasm for iPhone photography and the belief that this new artistic medium positions everyone with a desire to express their creativity on a level playing field. “iPhone photography is still an emerging art form,” adds Duffley. “I know people are going to be astounded when they see what is being done in the movement. And all on an iPhone – from capturing the image through post-processing. It is really mind-blowing and wonderful. Several attendees have commented that they feel like they’re seeing the future right here at studio b. And it’s a very pure art form – far more about the creativity than about expensive gear or intricate techniques.”

Duffley adds, “It was important to us that we were able to stream the exhibit online to viewers all around the world. The iPad that we were using as the camera needed a secure mounting solution, and Xantech’s WIPAD was the perfect choice.”

Rick Seegull, Xantech Director of Business Development, stated, “We are very proud that studio b. and Ms. Duffley have chosen Xantech’s WIPAD to be employed as part of the Light Impressions exhibit. Colleen points out that the art in this exhibit is not about technical know-how or complicated techniques, and the user-friendliness and high levels of integration of the iPhone and iPad make this new sort of approach possible. That is similar to how we want our users to think of us – user-friendly products that make things work and happen through integration. The technology should be airtight enough to be invisible, and that is part of our philosophy.” With the WIPAD, Colleen was able to securely install the iPad into a public area making sure it will be visually attractive, secure and tamper-proof.

The exhibition will be on display through August and will be open for viewing Thursdays through Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and by appointment all other times.

About Xantech’s WIPAD Control Interface
The WIPAD is a secure and easy-to-install solution that enables an iPad to be permanently flush wall-mounted for use as a touchscreen A/V control interface or standalone iPad use in commercial and residential applications. The unit is designed not only to securely protect the device but also to allow easy access to power, audio output and other connectivity. The WIPAD presents an ideal way to securely mount an iPad so it may be used in a permanent installation. The WIPAD protects the device from unauthorized removal and is designed so power, audio output and other connectivity are preserved. The result: a secure touchscreen interface for any application including single-zone or multi-zone control.

The Xantech WIPAD measures 12 inches (L) x 9.81 inches (H) x 0.875 inches. (D). The WIPAD cover is secured with four chrome security screws and a slot is also provided for securing the frame with a standard PC locking cable. The design includes speaker vents for the iPad speaker, standard paperclip-sized slots on the top and side for accessing the power and volume control buttons without having to open the frame, and wire management grooves for the synch/power and audio output cables. On the WIPAD rear panel, VESA standard mounting hole patterns allow an easy fit with VESA swivel mounting brackets. Hole patterns on the panel also support mating with North American and European standard metal dual-gang electrical junction boxes for convenient wall mounting.

For more information, please visit www.xantechcommercial.com.

The Travelocity® Roaming Gnome® Now Brings Music to Your Ears

For years the Travelocity® Roaming Gnome® has been recognized far and wide as being synonymous with authentic travel and value. Now the iconic Roaming Gnome takes a giant leap forward into the age of mobile technology with the introduction of the first line of Travelocity Travel Comfort Buds headphones!

Available exclusively from Mizco International under a licensing agreement, the new Travelocity Travel Comfort Buds, which come with a Travelocity Roaming Gnome cord manager and “comfort fit” earbuds, are available at leading retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of only $9.99. The headphones are available in four versions of the Roaming Gnome: the original Roaming Gnome®, Swimmer Gnome, Saxophone Gnome and a Travel for Good® Gnome. Travelers can easily afford to purchase the entire collection and wear each gnome as their mood changes!

The headphones feature new comfort fit technology, as well as a clip fastener for hassle-free enjoyment and easy storage. The Travelocity Travel Comfort Buds can be used on the go and are compatible with smartphones, laptops, and any device with a headphone connection. Travelocity fans are sure to delight in these collectable, well-designed travel earphones, and will love showing them off on their next adventure.

The Roaming Gnome cord manager is made of flexible rubber and conveniently holds excess cord, while the clip fastener secures the cord and clips to shirts or bags. The comfort fit technology and cord management system are designed with travelers of all ages in mind, to ensure safe, comfortable and hassle-free enjoyment of their music.

"Only Travelocity could offer consumers a complete series of collectable, high performance earbud headphones that feature the world famous Roaming Gnome in a variety of styles," explained David Strumeier, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Travelocity Accessories at Mizco International. "The result is a new concept for the headphone category — a true collector's series that is certain to prove to be hugely popular among travelers in general and Travelocity fans in particular."

Mizco Now Delivering Expanded Line of Travelocity® Travel and Mobile Tech Accessories

Marking the second year of its category licensing agreement with Travelocity, Mizco International today announced the immediate market availability of a new Platinum Series of Travelocity branded travel and mobile technology accessories that prominently feature the famous Roaming Gnome®. Mizco Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, David Strumeier, introduced the newly expanded line of premium travel products.

“When Travelocity joined forces with Mizco in January 2010 it marked the first time this iconic travel brand had ever joined forces with a marketer of high quality mobile technology and travel accessory products,” explained Strumeier. “The product line has proven itself in a retail environment with many of our partners. Today, we are expanding our business partnership with the introduction of a new premium line of Travelocity products, the Travelocity Platinum Series. This product line features a wider array of both technology and non-technology related accessory products.“

Available for immediate delivery, the new Travelocity Platinum Series includes Roaming Gnome Travel Comfort Bud headphones, Travel Book Mark and Book Lights, Travel Tech Kit and International Travel Tech Kits, each in two versions for iPhone/iPod or Smartphone users, and Travel Tech Accessory Bags, among others.

“The new Travelocity Platinum Series really fills out the Travelocity line from Mizco,” Strumeier emphasized. “It provides our dealers with a completely integrated range of travel products, from low tech to high tech, at price points that will make them stand-out as impulse buys with all of their travel loving customers. For millions of traveling enthusiasts, the association with Travelocity has become a badge of honor. They simply love to show off their Travelocity Roaming Gnome. Our expanded line of Travelocity products allows them to do that in a wide variety of ways.”

According to Strumeier, Mizco retailers who carry the Travelocity line will benefit immediately from the power of the Travelocity brand name. “The Travelocity name is one of the most highly recognized and regarded consumer brand names in business today. It is a brand that stands for advocacy, innovation and fun. Our relationship with Travelocity now brings these attributes to the product category. When consumers purchase our Travelocity branded products, they travel with the Roaming Gnome prominently featured on both the product and/or the product packaging. This adds tremendous power to the sell-through potential of our products at retail.”

Celebrity Baker Buddy Valastro Installs ELAN® g! Control System in New 35,000 Square Foot Commercial Production Center

America’s favorite baker, celebrity chef, and television star Buddy Valastro is taking his world famous brand to the next level with the opening of Carlo’s Bakery Lackawanna, a new, custom designed state-of-the-art 35,000 square foot bakery production center in Jersey City, New Jersey.  The facility is certain to be an employee’s dream, offering Buddy’s staff of professionals brand new appliances and equipment, and giving them full control of their environment through an ELAN® g! Control System installed by 360 Media Innovations.

With up to 100 employees at a time designing, baking, and building custom confections from $2 cupcakes and cookies to $20,000 life-sized designer cakes, there are sure to be different personalities and tastes. That’s why the facility utilizes the ELAN g! Control System to control 65 speakers distributed across 11 audio zones, allowing employees to choose what music plays in their area from two Sirius satellite radio receivers, two AM/FM radio receivers and four iPod docks.

“I work hard, but I also love what I do,” Valastro said today. “And I want our entire working family to enjoy their work, too.  Giving them a cool way to listen to whatever type of music they like will help to build camaraderie and make the workplace a much more comfortable environment.  I love that I’ll be able to address the entire staff at once through the audio system and the emergency safety alerts.”

That’s right, when the boss needs to make an announcement he can use ELAN’s COMM2 phone system to page specific zones or the whole building, automatically muting the current audio source and giving him a quick way to address his team. The ELAN g! system is also integrated with the fire alarm and sprinkler system, so if a fire is detected the system will send an audio alert through all 65 speakers to warn and inform the employees.  To access the ELAN g! controls there are eight ELAN TS7 7-inch touch screens located throughout the building, an ELAN TS10 10-inch touch screen in Valastro’s office, two ELAN HR2 remotes, with up to 22 more HR2s planned for controlling the 24 flat screen HDTVs, and of course he will be able to control it all from his iPhone and iPad, from anywhere in the world.

One of the major benefits of the ELAN g! system is that as soon as he wants to, Valastro can have 360 Media Innovations incorporate additional subsystems to be controlled by g!

“Soon we will integrate the 24 flat screen TVs located throughout the building and as we get used to the new space and evaluate our needs, we may add control for the lights, heating, air conditioning, security system and surveillance cameras,” said Valastro.

According to Chima Gale, President of 360 Media Innovations, the ELAN g! Control System was the best choice for Carlo’s Bakery Lackawanna. “Because the ELAN g! graphical user interface is so easy to use, it’s perfect for this type of commercial installation where a lot of people will be using the touch screens to adjust system settings. It will be simple to integrate additional subsystems in the future, and the already installed paging and safety features add so much value to the audio system that it would have been a waste to use any other product,” he said.

In addition to the bakery floor there is a receptionist area, a conference room, a client consultation room, an office for Valastro and two classrooms where he, his decorators and other guest bakers will offer paid baking classes to the public. Carlo’s Bakery Lackawanna has been shown on “The Cake Boss” several times and will become a regular shoot location for future seasons.

Available starting at under $2,000 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.

NanoLumens' Flex Display Technology Named 2011 Breakthrough Technology of The Year By TechAmerica Foundation

Following on the heels of the market introduction of an expanded line of its NanoLumens Flex LED displays, NanoLumens today announced that it has received the 2011 American Technology Award in the category of Breakthrough Technology from the TechAmerica Foundation, handily defeating Microsoft’s Kinect device. The awards were presented in June at the ninth annual TechAmerica Foundation Technology and Government Dinner, which continued its legacy as a premier Washington, D.C. networking event bringing hundreds of industry, congressional and government leaders together at one venue to celebrate the partnership between industry and government.

NanoLumens, a five-year-old privately-held corporation based in Norcross, Georgia, designs and manufactures patented, ultra-lightweight, energy efficient Flex LED displays in virtually every size and shape that conform to fit the shape of any surface. The technology promises to shatter the traditional usage limitations of large format displays. NanoLumens Flex display technology makes any wall, column, ceiling or window the perfect marketing and video display vehicle.

“In receiving the 2011 American Technology Award for our NanoLumens Flex display technology, we are proud to be recognized as an innovative company with a breakthrough product,” said Rick Cope, President & CEO of NanoLumens. “By combining our ability to produce flexible LED displays in any shape and size with a lower cost of ownership, reduced energy consumption, simplified installation procedure and infinite usage and placement possibilities, our Flex Display Technology represents the future of display technology for all commercial and governmental applications.”

The American Technology Award is the latest honor bestowed upon the company and its Flex Display Technology, which was also featured in Entrepreneur magazine as a 2011 future-proof tech trend and was cited by the Wall Street Journal in its 2010 Technology Innovations Awards.

First introduced in 2010, the NanoLumens LED Flex Display remains the only solution of its kind. It conforms to fit any surface, is thin, lightweight, and energy efficient, and can be mounted as easily as a work of art. The revolutionary NanoLumens LED Flex Display shatters the traditional usage limitations of large format LED displays.

According to Cope, the company’s flexible LED displays eliminate the structural requirements and limitations of traditional large format displays because they are so lightweight, and they are bright enough for any application while consuming significantly less energy than other display technologies.

NanoLumens’ LED Flex Displays can conform to concave and convex surfaces and even wrap around columns. They are made from seamless modules that introduce for the first time the possibilities of displaying in shapes other than squares and rectangles. At less than two inches thick, a 112-inch display weighs less than 90 pounds, making installation as easy as hanging a wall tapestry. By simplifying installation and lowering energy consumption, NanoLumens displays can drastically cut the cost of adding and maintaining a large format display for any application. And because all NanoLumens displays are sealed, fan-less, waterproof and dustproof, they are robust and durable. Compared with other current display technologies, LED technology is brighter, offers higher contrast and saturation, has a longer lifespan and can be repaired much more easily.

NanoLumens Flex Displays offer retail outlets, corporations, hotels, A/V rental companies, malls, transportation centers, stadiums and arenas of all sizes the world’s first lightweight, energy-efficient and completely configurable flexible display solution. The displays are the ideal solution for creating effective out-of-home advertising, exciting and unique trade show exhibits, and turning walls into digital architecture in corporate lobbies or at hotels and airports.

The company’s select installations include a curved-wall installation at NASCAR Media Television Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina, and an outdoor display at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. In addition, the company’s technology has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as a 2011 future-proof tech trend and was cited by The Wall Street Journal in its 2010 Technology Innovations Awards.

For more information about NanoLumens LED Flex Displays, please visit www.nanolumens.com or call (678) 421-9694.

NanoLumens® Appoints APG Displays As Its Exclusive Canadian Distributor

NanoLumens®, the pioneering Norcross, Georgia-based company that last year introduced the world’s first large format flexible LED display technology, today announced the appointment of APG Displays, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, as its exclusive Canadian distributor, effective immediately, according to an announcement made by Rick Cope, President & CEO of NanoLumens, Inc. At the same time, NanoLumens announced that it was expanding its product line with the production of flexible LED displays in virtually any shape and size to meet customer requirements.

“APG Displays has two decades of experience supplying high impact display solutions for the temporary rental and permanent installation of innovative large screen video displays throughout Canada, which is a very important market for NanoLumens,” Cope said today. As Canada’s most complete professional audio-visual services provider, APG Displays delivers a complete solution, from the initial design and specification process right through to on-site technical assistance and troubleshooting. This is exactly the kind of commitment and support that will help drive our market growth in Canada.”

According to David Weatherhead, Vice President of APG Displays, “NanoLumens LED Flex Displays deliver a truly unique value proposition to both our rental and sales customers. NanoLumens' thin, lightweight displays represent years of research and development by some of the brightest minds in the global display industry. The result is a product without compromise whose unique attributes create a range of exciting new possibilities for integrators. Their technology is literally changing the face of our industry.”

First introduced in 2010, the NanoLumens LED Flex Display remains the only solution of its kind. It conforms to fit any surface, is thin, lightweight, and energy efficient, and can be mounted as easily as a work of art. The revolutionary NanoLumens LED Flex Display shattered the traditional usage limitations of large format LED displays.

According to Cope, the company’s flexible LED displays eliminate the structural requirements and limitations of traditional large format displays because they are so lightweight, and they are bright enough for any application while consuming significantly less energy than other display technologies.

NanoLumens’ LED Flex Displays can conform to concave and convex surfaces and even wrap around columns. They are made from seamless modules that introduce for the first time the possibilities of displaying in shapes other than squares and rectangles. At less than two inches thick, a 112-inch display weighs less than 90 pounds, making installation as easy as hanging a wall tapestry. By simplifying installation and lowering energy consumption, NanoLumens displays can drastically cut the cost of adding and maintaining a large format display for any application. And because all NanoLumens displays are sealed, fan-less, waterproof and dustproof, they are robust and durable. Compared with other current display technologies, LED technology is brighter, offers higher contrast and saturation, has a longer lifespan and can be repaired much more easily.

NanoLumens Flex Displays offer retail outlets, corporations, hotels, A/V rental companies, malls, transportation centers, stadiums and arenas of all sizes the world’s first lightweight, energy-efficient and completely configurable flexible display solution. The displays are the ideal solution for creating effective out-of-home advertising, exciting and unique trade show exhibits, and turning walls into digital architecture in corporate lobbies or at hotels and airports.

The company’s select installations include a curved-wall installation at NASCAR Media Television Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina, and an outdoor display at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. In addition, the company’s technology has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as a 2011 future-proof tech trend and was cited by The Wall Street Journal in its 2010 Technology Innovations Awards.

For more information about NanoLumens LED Flex Displays, please visit www.nanolumens.com or call (678) 421-9694.