Stampede Announces Plans To Bring Its 2012 Big Book Of AV Tour To 13 Cities In The U.S. And Canada

Seeking to make its 2012 Big Book of AV Tour (BBOAV) even bigger and more successful than its just completed 2011 tour, Stampede, the leading value-added distributor of professional audio video solutions, today announced plans to bring its phenomenally popular Big Book of AV Tour to 13 cities in the United States and Canada in 2012. What’s more, Stampede said it will double the length of each day’s exhibit hours and increase the number of on-site training programs.

“Our 2011 Big Book of AV Tour was the biggest, most successful tour in the three year history of the program,” Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today. “Frankly, given the fact that we hit nine cities and educated several thousand attendees during the 2011 tour, it’s going to be a challenge to make the 2012 tour even bigger and better — but we have the programs underway that will do just that.”

According to Kelly, increasing the number of cities visited, doubling the length of each day’s exhibit hours, increasing the number and variety of on-site training programs, opening up the tour to more end users, and making affordable video conferencing a centerpiece of every tour stop will help strengthen the BBOAV Tour as the largest event of its kind in North America.

“We’re thrilled that the Big Book of AV Tour continues to grow and reach more dealers each year,” Kelly said. “This tour provides dealers across the country a chance to experience the latest AV technologies and equipment and learn not only how to use them, but also which ones to use for each unique job. When coupled with our Stampede University live training events on topics such as 3D technology, touch technology and digital signage, The Big Book of AV Tour is a dealer’s one-stop event for staying up-to-date on everything AV.”

The Big Book of AV Tour supports and extends the reach of the company’s The Big Book of AV, The Ultimate Audio/Video Resource Book. The 2011 tour offered a chance for dealers to see live projector and display demonstrations and take part in Stampede University live training events on topics such as 3D technology, touch technology and digital signage. In addition, dealers in attendance had the opportunity to become CTS and DSCE certified.

Published each year by Stampede, The Big Book of AV contains more than 800 pages and features thousands of products that are ideal for home theaters, schools, houses of worship and just about any venue. The book offers buyer tips for selecting the right AV equipment and recommends products to enhance the performance of displays and projectors. The book also includes a Manufacturer Resource Section with contact info for every featured brand and a glossary of commonly used AV industry terms to help dealers understand the latest technology language. The Big Book of AV is also available for free online at www.bigbookofav.com and is now compatible with iPhones, iPads and Android mobile devices.

Attendees of the 2011 tour saw the latest solutions from a variety of vendors including Atlas Sound, Avteq, BenQ, Casio, Chief, Epson, Gefen, Hall Research, Hitachi Solutions, Kramer, Lumens, Mitsubishi, Mustang, NEC, Optoma, Peerless, Perfect Path, ProSales, TechGlobal, Samsung, Severtson Screens, Sharp and Sony.

About Stampede
Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,” an 816-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

NanoLumens Begins Worldwide Delivery of Expanded Line of Flex And Non-Flex Displays

Following on the heels of its debut at the recent CETW 2011 Show in New York, NanoLumens®, developers of the world’s first large format flexible digital display, today commenced worldwide deliveries of its expanded line of Flex Displays as well as its first line of Non-Flexible Displays.

“The era of fully commercialized digital wallpaper is now underway,” said NanoLumens President & CEO Rick Cope. “Now any indoor or outdoor surface can be turned into a powerful communications platform — while eliminating virtually all of the weight, installation, energy, and cost efficiency issues associated with traditional large format digital displays.”

NanoFlex™ and NanoWrap™ flex digital displays remain the only solution of their kind. They conform to fit any surface, are thin, lightweight, energy efficient and can be mounted as easily as a work of art. The revolutionary flex display technology shattered the traditional usage limitations of large format digital displays.

NanoSlim™ and NanoShape™ non-flexible displays, available in 6mm, 5mm, and 4mm pixel pitches, offer customers a more cost-effective alternative when flexibility is not a requirement.

According to Cope, NanoLumens is the only company able to reliably manufacture ultra-thin and lightweight, easy-to-install and maintain, seamless 6mm pixel pitch flexible digital displays in virtually any shape or size to meet each customer’s unique requirements.

The company’s patented display technology, which allows customers to select from 4mm up to 10mm pixel pitches (depending on the model), promises to transform the way marketers engage their customers indoors and out of doors in every type of trade show, retail, hospitality, stadium, arena, transportation and public event environment. The NanoWrap display gives advertisers the ability to utilize columns for 360-degree advertisements like no one has ever seen before. The display can be mounted on any column with at least a 28-inch diameter.

“Now, any surface can become a compelling display surface as simply as hanging a mirror,” Cope emphasized. “This product line is going to forever change the rules of the game when it comes to creative customer engagement.”

In addition to being ultra-lightweight and energy efficient, NanoLumens displays feature a seamless, edge-to-edge picture quality (up to a brightness of 5,000 nits) that can be viewed from any angle or any distance without color shift or picture drop-off. Designed and engineered to be energy efficient, NanoLumens displays consume significantly less energy per-square foot than conventional digital displays. Further underscoring their commitment to eco-friendly technology, the NanoLumens displays are composed of up to 50% reclaimed materials, and are completely recyclable. What’s more, some new NanoLumens displays can be serviced from the front, making maintenance easier than ever before possible.

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. NanoLumens’ technology also received the 2011 Breakthrough Technology of the Year Award at the American Technology Awards.

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

New Line Of *EckoUNLTD. Earbud Headphones Available For Holiday Shopping

Mark Ecko is giving holiday shoppers something to get really excited about this year. The trend-setting fashion designer, multimedia artist, and technology entrepreneur today announced that his first line of groundbreaking *ECKOUNLTD. earbud headphones are now available in limited quantities at www.ecko.com.

Ecko emphasized the importance of mobile devices and his eagerness to share this new line of earbud headphones with consumers this holiday season, saying, “I can’t imagine life without my gadgets. From my phone to my laptop I am totally dependent on my gear to keep me informed, entertained, and connected. For me mobile technology is not just a bunch of cables and ports.”

Six new earbud headphone styles — “Zone,” “Chaos II,” “Stomp,” “Lace,” “Zip,” and “Chain” — will be available in limited quantities beginning on November 22, 2011 at www.ecko.com, under an exclusive licensing agreement with Mizco International’s (www.mizco.com) DIGIPOWER Division. Each new style lives up to its respective name, featuring a fusion of fashion and function unique to each series. Suggested retail prices range between $12.99 and $39.99.

The “Zone” earbuds feature the iconic *ecko Rhino on the outer surface of the earpieces. Available for $12.99, in black, red, green, and yellow, the earbuds include a one-meter cable compatible with iPods, iPhones and Android smartphones and three sizes of ear-piece gels.

“Chaos II”, available for $14.99, in black, red, blue, and purple, features the *ecko Rhino on the outer surface of the earpieces, a 1 meter cable, inline microphone, controls for the iPod, iPad and iPhone, and three sizes of ear-piece gels.

Available for $19.99, the “Stomp” earbuds feature the iconic Ecko Rhino on the outer surface of the earpieces. Available in black, white, blue, and pink, the earbuds feature a flat 1.2-meter cable with an inline microphone and controls compatible with iPods, iPads, iPhones and Android smartphones. The earbuds include a convenient travel bag, and three sizes of ear-piece gels.

The “Lace” earbuds, available for $24.99, feature a nylon, shoelace style cord, available in black, white, red, and purple. The earbuds feature an inline microphone, controls for iPods, iPads and iPhones, three sizes of ear gels and a convenient travel bag.

The new “Chain” and “Zip” earbuds merge Ecko’s reputation for street-conscious fashion with utilitarian function. Featuring a beaded, dog-tag chain cord design, the “Chain” earbuds are available for $39.99 in black, red, blue, and pink. The “Zip” earbuds feature a functioning zipper cord, and are available in red, white, blue, and gold/black, for $29.99. Both styles of earbuds feature an inline microphone and volume control compatible with iPods, iPhones, and Android smartphones, as well as a convenient travel bag and three sizes of ear-piece gels.

Luxury Yacht Builder Sets Sail With The Niles ICS System!

SanJuanYachts to install Niles ICS System in every new 48-foot SanJuan48 yacht and the company’s new show boat, and make the system available to every client on every yacht model they build.

The Anacortes, Washington-based luxury yacht builder, SanJuanYachts, has a simple vision — redefine what a motor yacht can be from bow to stern. They focus on one yacht, one customer at a time, and they believe that every yacht should be a work of art. This philosophy drives everything they do. It’s who they are. It is why for instance, every material, system, machine and fixture encountered from bow to stern is chosen for its singular performance and beauty — and it is why they have now decided to install the Niles® Intellicontrol® ICS System in every new 48-foot SanJuan48 yacht they build!

“We strive to build the exact yacht that each customer desires, so when a customer came to us and requested we put in the Niles ICS System, we happily obliged,” said co-founder Donald Campbell. “He had used the system in his home and really loved it, so he wanted that same experience in his new SanJuan48. Our team installed the system for the first time with incredible ease, and we soon understood what the owner loved about the system. In fact, we’re so confident in the ICS System that we are installing in our new company show boat. I don’t know any other yacht builders that are using this amazing audio system, but I’m sure they’ll all be rushing to offer it once they see it on display in our show boat.”

“The clean, professional design and appearance of the Niles ICS System and the Contact interfaces are things that we noticed right away. Our installers were able to quickly and easily install and set up the system, and then learn how to use it within minutes. Our previous system used high-end car audio decks in each room and therefore didn’t have centralized control or look as clean as the Niles system. We are going to use this system from now on in every new SanJuan48 we build. The ability to simply integrate streaming music services like Pandora, Rhapsody and Sirius|XM goes above and beyond our previous system and is definitely a feature that new buyers want.”

The Niles ICS System on this SanJuan48 has five zones of audio, each with a stereo pair of speakers. Music and audio sources include am/fm radio, Sirius|XM Satellite Radio, iTunes through an Apple Airport Express, and audio from two 20” and one 26” Samsung LCD LED TVs, each connected to an Apple TV media device. The system is controlled through three Niles Contact touch screen interfaces and two Niles Single in-wall control panel. Internet is provided through a 4G Mobile Hotspot. The system’s layout will be used as a template for future 48-foot yachts.

With a simple, intuitive user interface that is displayed on Niles in-wall Contact panels, accessing an incredible range of music sources has never been easier. With the Niles ICS System, users can connect to their iTunes libraries, digital music files, Pandora Internet radio, Rhapsody, Sirius|XM Radio, and all traditional audio sources including CD players, DVD and Blu-ray players, iPods, am/fm radio and their computers or tablet devices. The Niles Multi-Zone GXR2 Amplifier makes it easy to access the whole home (or yacht) from one interface, giving users complete control over their entire audio experience, from home theaters to outdoor music.

What’s more, by integrating an ELAN Home Controller into the Niles ICS System, it can be controlled by iPhones and iPads through the ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System. SanJuanYachts plans to offer this popular and familiar control interface with every ICS System they install.

ELAN g! Entertainment And Control System Now Supports The Chinese Language

ELAN® g! now features a full 5,800 simplified Mandarin Chinese character set across all TS touch screens, HR2 remote control, computer interface, on-screen display, iPhone and iPad user interfaces.

ELAN will demonstrate Chinese Character integration at CEDIA Shanghai 2011 (Nov. 23 - 25), International CES 2012 in Las Vegas (Jan. 10 - 13, 2012) and at ISE 2012 in Amsterdam (Jan. 31 – Feb. 2, 2012).

Reinforcing its commitment to meet the growing Chinese market demand for its entertainment and control system solutions, ELAN® Home Systems today announced that its revolutionary g! system now supports a full 5,800 simplified Mandarin Chinese character set — a milestone achievement that is expected to immediately impact sales throughout this rapidly growing residential and commercial market for ELAN.

According to ELAN Home Systems President Paul Starkey, the company will demonstrate the g! system’s Chinese language support across all of its interfaces—TS touch screens, the HR2 remote control, computer interface, on-screen display, iPhone and iPad interfaces at the CEDIA Shanghai Expo taking place Nov. 23-25, 2011 at the Shanghai International Convention Centre, at the International CES 2012 at The AVC Group’s Hospitality Suite 2876 in the East Tower of the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and at ISE 2012 at Stand 1N73 at The Amsterdam RAI in The Netherlands.

“The Chinese market is the second fastest growing market for g! systems outside of the United States,” Starkey said today, “and it is about time that the g! system more completely meets the lifestyle needs of our valued residential and commercial Chinese customers. By featuring a full 5,800 simplified Mandarin Chinese character set, we will be able to meet more of our customers’ needs in the region. At the same time, we can now also support metadata from iPod and MP3 sources.”

With the addition of Chinese, the ELAN g! entertainment and control system now supports a total of seven languages: English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French, Italian and Swedish.

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.

The ELAN g! system has been awarded a 2011 Residential Systems Magazine RESI Award, a 2011 Custom Retailer Magazine EXC!TE Award, A 2011 CE Pro Magazine BEST Award, as well as a Platinum Level 2011 CEA Mark of Excellence Award by the Consumer Electronics Association and a 2011 Gold Level Electronic House Magazine Product of the Year Award.

NanoLumens NanoFlex Displays Provide Live Video Outdoors At Ontario's 2011 Remembrance Day Ceremony

What are you going to do when you have an outdoor ceremony and need a large, waterproof digital video display that can be set up and taken down quickly? The answer, as APG Displays found, is NanoLumens® 112” NanoFlex™ display. APG Displays, NanoLumens’ exclusive Canadian distributor, supplied two NanoFlex displays to their trade partner Mediaco when Mediaco was called upon to provide a digital video solution for Ontario’s 2011 Remembrance Day ceremony.

Remembrance Day, also known as Armistice Day, is a memorial day that honors all veterans by remembering their selfless courage and commitment on the anniversary of the end of World War I. The 2011 Ontario ceremony featured a speech by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and was held November 11 at the Ontario Veterans Memorial at Queen’s Park, Toronto.

According to APG Displays Vice President David Weatherhead, “When Mediaco came to us and said they needed two outdoor displays large enough to be seen from hundreds of feet away, that could be put up and taken down in a single day, the only solution was the NanoLumens 112” NanoFlex flexible display. It’s the only display that satisfies all the needs of this kind of event—it’s easy to put up quickly because it’s very lightweight, it’s super bright so it can be viewed in direct sunlight, it’s viewable from any angle with no loss in picture quality, it’s durable and waterproof for outdoor applications, and it’s more energy efficient than any other display technology available today. And because the NanoFlex display is compatible with virtually all video input sources, using it as a live video display is just as easy as hooking it up to a DVD player.”

According to Karen Robinson, NanoLumens SVP of Marketing and Sales, “With our lightweight, super-bright displays, event producers can now quickly and easily provide large video displays for short events and multi-day festivals. With the ability to move NanoLumens displays from day to day, reduced manpower requirements and significant energy savings over other display technologies, we offer the most portable, versatile and profitable digital video displays available today.”

First introduced in 2010, NanoFlex™ digital displays remain the only solution of their kind. They conform to fit any surface, are thin, lightweight and energy efficient, and can be mounted as easily as a work of art. NanoLumens is the only company in the world able to reliably manufacture ultra-thin and lightweight, easy-to-install and maintain, seamless 6mm pixel pitch flexible LED displays in virtually any shape or size to meet each customer’s unique requirements.

Designed and assembled entirely in the United States, NanoLumens displays are now available in both flexible and non-flexible frames in four product lines: NanoFlex™ and NanoWrap™ flexible displays; NanoSlim™ non-flexible rectangular displays; and NanoShape™ non-flexible round, square, and triangular displays.

APG Displays’ rental division searches the world for the most innovative, high impact audiovisual products and brings them to special events, meetings and trade shows in Canada and the U.S. We are proud to offer one of the most comprehensive portfolios of cutting-edge large video display solutions, each with customized accessories, specialist technical support, and full system design and installation services. We have worked with some of the largest exhibit, conference and production houses in the business, providing tailored support for each client. We also partner with some of the biggest A/V names in the country with our exclusive Trade Partner Program. APG Displays is a member of MPI, ITRA, TSE, ISES, and Tourism Toronto special event and rental organizations.

'Home For The Ages' With ELAN g! Brings Together Family Members Of All Ages

 The most important aspect of any home entertainment or control system is that everyone who wants to use it can do so easily without training. That’s why this ‘home for the ages’ located in Wisconsin features the ELAN g! Home Entertainment and Control System that is simple enough to be used by family members of all ages.

To give their relatives the best and most relaxing experience during their frequent visits to their new lake home, the homeowners wanted to include a state-of-the-art home entertainment and control system that’s easy enough for anyone to use and powerful enough to control everything in the house, from the TVs to the pool equipment.

“Having everything in our home tied together with the ELAN g! system does is amazing, but the best part is it takes less than five minutes to show someone how to use it,” the homeowner said. “We constantly have guests over and host parties, so there are people of all ages using the system. It’s as easy as using an iPod and the interface is the same no matter what device we use, so everyone in our family jumped right in and loved it!”

Hugh Connolly of Lake Forest, Illinois-based HVC Construction Consultants was the homeowners’ representative and in charge of design and development for the home. When Hugh was tasked with putting in a top-of-the-line home entertainment and control system, his cousin Mark Connolly of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Connolly Audio, LLC was his first choice. As first cousins who grew up outside of Chicago within 20 miles of each other, Hugh and Mark Connolly have collaborated on numerous projects throughout the years, both before and after Mark moved to Arizona. In fact, Hugh recently helped Mark design his own home theater in Scottsdale, in which Mark built a professional projection system controlled with the ELAN g! System.

So when the Wisconsin homeowners told Hugh they wanted to install a top-of-the-line home entertainment and control system, Hugh thought of Mark because he knew Mark would deliver every feature and capability the homeowners wanted. Mark flew in to consult and offer his advice, and he quickly developed a rapport with the homeowners and was contracted to design and install the home’s ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System.

“The family knew they wanted a competitively-priced system that gives them full consolidated control of every system in their home—lights, heating, air conditioning, security, surveillance, whole-house audio and video, even the pool equipment,” Mark Connolly said. “And the most important thing was that it be easy to use for everyone in the family, without having to teach them. When I heard all of those words—control everything, easy-to-use, affordable—I knew the ELAN g! System would be the perfect solution. They were thrilled when I showed them that it’s easy enough for them, their kids and their relatives to use with no training.”

And the system really does control everything in the home—seven Aprilaire thermostats, the Lutron lighting system, 24 audio zones that distribute to more than 50 ELAN Elios speakers, eight video zones, the home theater, the Elk Security System, the surveillance system and the Jandy pool controls.

The homeowner wanted a TV alongside the bathroom sink, so Connolly Audio installed an ELAN TS10 10-inch touch screen, which doubles as a TV thanks to its analog video input. Everyone in the family can control the system through another TS10 in the authentic Irish Pub-style bar, two TS7 seven-inch touch screens in the master bedroom and the main basement room, one TS2 four-inch touch pad, an iPad and nine ELAN HR2 remotes—one for every TV in the house! The system is also controllable through the ELAN g! app installed on every computer in the home.

In an effort to keep everything connected and simple to use, Connolly even connected the tennis house, a separate building from the main house located almost 900 feet away. He used cat5 cable to connect the properties so that the two surveillance cameras on the tennis house would be viewable right alongside the two cameras at the main house on the ELAN g! interface.

A walk through the home may only reveal six TVs, but there are two additional flatscreens that were custom installed to be hidden from view! In the great room a painting raises at the touch of a button to reveal an LCD TV built into the wall, and in the master bedroom another LCD TV rises from the base of the bed, giving the owners an uncluttered aesthetic without sacrificing access to their favorite television and movies.

Each of the home’s eight HDTVs can access content from three cable boxes and a Blu-ray player, and any of the 24 audio zones can be set to broadcast music from an iPort iPod dock, Sirius Satellite Radio, am/fm radio or ELAN g!’s own streaming music service, Shoutcast.

The equipment for the system is centrally located in two Slim 5 racks and includes an ELAN HC12 Home Controller, four ELAN S86 Multi-Zone Controllers, four ELAN D12 Amplifiers, one ELAN V85 Component Video Controller, two Panamax BlueBOLT M43Pros and a Panamax BlueBOLT UPS.
The home theater includes a JVC projector and a Screen Innovations Black Diamond screen along and is controlled with an ELAN HR2 remote.

Mark Connolly began experimenting with car audio at the age of 14 and turned his passion for technology and technical perfection into a career that has spanned more than 20 years in the custom installation industry. His expertise has helped him build Connolly Audio 100 percent by referrals, and now he is regularly called upon by industry colleagues to assist on and troubleshoot their installations. He designs and installs full home automation systems and professional home theaters for affluent clients who appreciate his wealth of knowledge and experience, and he prides himself on working closely with clients to deliver the exact solutions they want. Connolly Audio services what they sell, so every client is assured their system will remain as perfect as the day it was completed. With enthusiastic support from his wife Teresa and design assistance from his cousin Hugh, Mark installed a brand new, fully ELAN g!-controlled home theater in his own house that will serve as the client showroom for Connolly Audio.

Available starting at $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 system. 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. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room—or across the globe.

The ELAN g! System has been awarded a 2011 Residential Systems Magazine RESI Award, a 2011 Custom Retailer Magazine EXCITE! Award, a 2011 CE Pro Magazine BEST Award, a Platinum Level 2011 CEA Mark of Excellence Award by the Consumer Electronics Association and a 2011 Gold Level Electronic House Magazine Product of the Year Award.