Ecko Unltd. Named As CES Innovations 2012 Design And Engineering Award Honoree

MIZCO International’s EckoUNLTD. product marketing division today announced that it has been named an International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for its new Spray™ Bluetooth speaker. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 32 product categories.

The Spray is the newest addition to the Ecko UNLTD.SOUND line of powerful, stylish mobile audio products from MIZCO International. It is the ultimate Bluetooth speaker for use with iPods, iPhones, iPads, laptops and PCs, and all Android, BlackBerry and Windows smartphones. With two full-range high-output 40mm drivers delivering 3W each and two 45mm passive radiators, it can fill a room with high-fidelity audio or bring music to the outdoors thanks to the high-capacity Li-Ion battery that provides up to 10 hours of play time.

Utilizing Bluetooth 2.1 technology the Spray pairs with any Bluetooth device up to a maximum range of 30 feet, includes a built-in microphone that enables hands-free calling with any Bluetooth cell phone and has a 3.5mm line input for direct connection to any music player or smartphone. The Spray’s dome twists to control volume and skip to the next or previous song, and the Spray’s nozzle is a button that controls the play/pause and call functions.

The Spray has a high gloss black finish and includes a high-density metal grille. The high capacity Li-Ion rechargeable battery is user-replaceable, so owners can carry spare batteries to provide virtually unlimited playtime.

Graffiti has played an important role in Marc’s creative vision ever since he first glimpsed the vibrantly painted subway trains rumbling through New York City. In designing a Bluetooth speaker that looks and feels like a Spray paint can, he is sharing a part of his history and paying homage to those artists who came before him.

“Marc Ecko and Mizco have brought a new level of fashion, function and features to the consumer electronics industry with the Spray, giving consumers the chance to hear the colors sound can make, and we are proud to have that recognized by the CEA,” said Steve Kops, Executive Vice President of Sales for the EckoUNLTD. line at MIZCO. “The EckoUNLTD. line of mobile device accessories will continue to grow and introduce today’s consumers to Marc’s unique fashion style.”

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. The Best of Innovations honor is awarded to the products with the highest judges’ scores and will be featured in the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase at the 2012 International CES.

EckoUNLTD.’s Spray will be displayed at the 2012 International CES, which runs January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Honorees will also be displayed at CES Unveiled: the Official Press Event of the International CES from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, January 8 in the Venetian Ballroom of the Venetian.

The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:

• Engineering qualities, based on technical specs and materials used
• Aesthetic and design qualities
• The product’s intended use/function and user value
• Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive
• How the design and innovation of the product compares to other products in the marketplace

Products chosen as an Innovations honoree reflect innovative design and engineering of the entries. Examples may include the first time various technologies are combined in a single product or dramatic enhancements to previous product designs.

Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering honoree products are featured on www.CESweb.org/Innovations, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, designer, description, photo and URL.

The advent of low-cost, easy to install flexible digital displays, coupled with the imminent 100 percent smartphone adoption rate, heralds the start of a new age in public “one-to-one” targeted advertising, predicted NanoLumens® President & CEO Rick Cope in a feature presentation made today on the opening day of the 2011 Customer Engagement Technology World (www.cetworld.com) conference and exhibition in New York.

“The full commercialization of flexible digital displays is now a practical reality, which means it is now cost effective to deploy flexible displays that are movable, lightweight, energy efficient, durable and easily serviceable in just about any location,” Cope asserted. “Coupled with the coming 100 percent adoption of smartphones, this heralds a new era of one-to-one marketing, allowing an entire population of mobile device consumers to interact with marketing displays in literally any location—public events, transit centers, conferences and exhibitions, airports, malls and even in stores.”

NanoLumens, the pioneering company that last year introduced the world to large format flexible digital display technology, today introduced an expanded line of flexible and non-flexible displays at CETW. As digital signage displays become larger, cheaper, more energy efficient, and easier to install and maintain, they will increasingly replace static advertising in malls, airports, convention halls and transit centers, offering marketers an unprecedented opportunity to engage consumers and offer more than purely traditional advertising.

“Those of us with tenure in the digital display industry excitedly look forward to the day when the individually targeted advertising envisioned in Minority Report becomes a viable reality,” Cope said today. “But marketers need to be careful. Bombarding customers with specifically tailored ads can potentially be counter-productive and make people feel as if their privacy is being invaded. The best marketers will realize that there is a much larger opportunity than in-your-face advertising—spontaneous public customer engagement.”

The solution, Cope says, is to offer people a chance to interact. “If a certain display always ran nothing but advertising, how long would it take for it to become simply another forgettable tree in the urban landscape? The burden is on us to give people a reason to look at the digital displays.

“Providing something valuable such as news, weather, entertaining video clips, an interactive poll or an opportunity to get an instant coupon are all completely possible when smartphones are the norm. People can simply take out their smartphone and instantly interact with the display via Bluetooth, apps or QR codes. To borrow from another science fiction film, Starship Troopers, the future of digital display advertising could include a simple question: ‘Would you like to know more?’ Consumers could then interact using voice commands, hand gestures or a smartphone to receive special offers, detailed product information, browse their website or even talk with a live representative via video chat. Then the advertiser can measure when the coupon is used, how long the user spends on the website, and which advertising locations generate the most traffic or best user interactions.

“And these innovative advertising techniques aren’t a departure from current advertising initiatives, but rather an extension of currently utilized technologies. The servers full of customer and demographic data, the capability for personal identification and the ability to market based on proximity to stores and restaurants become even more valuable when you can persuade the customer to take part in an engaging advertising experience.”

According to Cope, if done correctly, these advertising experiences may actually drive people to seek out the displays so they can interact one-to-one or even one-to-many. “The possibilities really are endless. Imagine a 60-second ad where several people can use their smartphones to answers trivia questions about a company, store or product, or a ‘Spot the Difference’-type game that rewards the participants with an offer or coupon. Add these innovative public customer engagement opportunities to videos, the ability to link to Web sites and Facebook pages, and the increased level of tracking and data-mining possible, and it becomes clear that soon, we may achieve success beyond our wildest dreams with personalized, interactive advertising.”

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.

First introduced in 2010, NanoLumens 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. The revolutionary NanoFlex display shattered the traditional usage limitations of large format digital displays. 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.

In addition to being ultra-lightweight and energy efficient, NanoLumens displays feature a seamless, super bright edge-to-edge picture quality 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.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, NanoLumens, Inc. (www.nanolumens.com) is a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development and component design for unique flexible displays that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry. NanoLumens has built a portfolio of more than 20 international families of issued and filed patents on its flexible display technology that effectively address the commercial market void between relatively small flat-panel displays and huge, limited application LED boards. NanoLumens technology is not constrained by standard sizes and shapes, or by the size, noise and cost issues associated with commercial LED products.

Custom Integrator Creates A Stealth Whole-House Audio System Using Niles In-Wall And Rock Speakers

When designing a whole-house audio system for a 14,000 square foot residence, many integrators use a mishmash of different speakers from several manufacturers, each with different characteristics, abilities and styling, resulting in an inconsistent listening experience and design aesthetic from room to room. Mike Flanagan of Overland Park, Kansas-based Home Systems by Design believes in giving his clients a consistent high fidelity audio experience with components that can be hidden from view, which is why he chose to outfit this 14,000 square foot, 16-audio zone home with 72 Niles® in-wall, in-ceiling and outdoor rock speakers.

Most of the home’s speakers are from the Niles ceiling-mount DS series, which was introduced in 2001 and features Niles’ patented Directed Soundfield technology. This unique technology resolves architectural issues such as cathedral or vaulted ceilings, alignment with in–ceiling lighting, or a plasma display over a fireplace that leaves no space for a center channel speaker. They are perfect for home theater environments and surround sound systems, and they also perform very well in whole-house distributed music applications. Their flexibility enables installers to direct the sound where it needs to go to achieve optimal acoustic performance.

“I have been selling and installing Niles speakers since they entered the residential market more than 30 years ago, and I have never received a single complaint,” said Flanagan. “The superb sound quality keeps the men happy, and the fact that Niles in-wall and in-ceiling speakers are nearly invisible makes the women even happier! And the DS series speakers give the homeowners the best surround sound experience possible with ceiling-mount speakers, which no other manufacturer can match.”

The gem of this system is the media room, which features a 180” 2.35:1 Stewart Filmscreen, a Sim2 LED projector, nine Niles Stagefront speakers and two 15-inch subwoofers, with all the speakers hidden behind paneling—a completely invisible 11-speaker surround sound system! The media room has 12 motorized leather recliners and a full bar in the rear with additional seating for four. It is the ultimate room for hosting parties or fundraisers, which the homeowners plan to do. Home Systems by Design even set up the video system so what is playing in the theater can be rebroadcast throughout the whole house, making it perfect for showing house-wide messaging during the fundraisers.

According to the homeowner, “Home Systems by Design really came through for us and gave us exactly what we wanted. The audio system sounds great throughout the whole house, especially in the theater, and you’d be hard pressed to point out every speaker because they blend into the walls and ceilings so well. When we watch a movie in the media room it really feels like we are at the movies, which is amazing.”

There are 13 flat screen TVs throughout the home, four with surround sound systems, and they can all play content from six DSS receivers, three Apple Mac Minis, two cable boxes and a 400-disc Blu-ray changer. There are also three local Blu-ray players.

The ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System is also integrated with the home’s LiteTouch lighting system, security system and 10-camera surveillance system are also integrated with the ELAN g! system, giving the family total control over their living environment. The homeowners can be access and control the system through seven ELAN TS7 7” touch screens, seven ELAN HR2 remotes, four iPads and two iPhones.

Home Systems By Design builds custom home audio/video and home control systems to meet their customer’s exact needs and budgets. Since opening in 1992, they have worked with a large network of builders in the Kansas City, Kansas Metro Area and come so highly recommended that they get nearly 85 percent of their business from customer referrals. For more information, please visit www.hsbd.com.

Leading Continuing Care Community Brightens Its Emergency Preparedness With Sentina LED Lighting

 At a continuing care retirement community like Westminster Canterbury Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, the staff take every measure and precaution to provide their residents with the utmost in care, quality and safety. After experiencing an extended power outage due to Hurricane Irene, the management team at Westminster Canterbury Richmond purchased 675 Sentina rechargeable LED lights to install in more than 600 residences throughout the community.

According to Bob Cox, Vice President Support Services at Westminster Canterbury Richmond, “After losing power for 30 hours during Hurricane Irene, we spoke with our residents and learned there was a need to expand our emergency lighting system from hallways and common areas into the bedrooms and private residences. We recognized that the cost to install additional generators and emergency power was excessive. So with input from our residents we explored the alternatives and discovered that with Sentina plug-in LED nightlights, that can also be used as flashlights, we can provide an effective, energy-efficient solution to improve the safety and quality of living for our residents for a fraction of the cost of installing generators.”

After researching the benefits of LED lighting and comparing the products available, they chose Datexx’s Sentina LED-92M four-way emergency lights with sensors that detect motion, darkness and power outages. The Sentina LED-92M simply plugs into a wall socket and performs for pennies per day. The light activates only when approached, when in darkness or in a power outage. At all other times the light remains off, with no need to turn off a switch or unplug the light. When taken out of the electrical outlet, the light operates as a rechargeable emergency flash light for up to eight hours, which means there are no batteries to worry about.

“We chose the Sentina LED-92M specifically because it has several functions and features that provide added safety for our residents,” Cox continued. “We wanted a light that could be bright when needed, but also serve as a muted nightlight, and then could be unplugged from the wall and used as a flashlight without the need to replace batteries. After all, what good is a flashlight if it sits in the closet for five years and has dead batteries when you need it most? Also, the motion and power outage sensors make these better than normal lamps in some ways, because our residents don’t need to flip a light switch to turn them on if they wake up in the middle of the night. And because they are LED lights, they cost very little to operate and will last basically forever, saving us a tremendous amount of money in the long run.”

According to Datexx President Mei Noguchi, “Sentina LED lighting products can help retirement and continuing care communities ensure the safety of their residents by providing bright lights that are simple to use and always there when they need them. The cost-effectiveness makes these lights the ideal solution for communities of any size on any budget, and they are a simple way to increase the quality of care.”

Through the ministry efforts of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and the Presbyterian Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, Westminster Canterbury Richmond opened its welcoming doors to residents in 1975, providing secure independent living combined with a continuum of care. It is now one of the largest non-profit single-site continuing care retirement communities in the United States. Located in Richmond Virginia, the community has more than 1.2 million feet of living space and is home to more than 900 residents.

Headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey, Datexx is a leading manufacturer and marketer of innovatively-designed, affordably priced products that help consumers manage their time and money. For more than 15 years, the company has proudly met the needs of smart consumers seeking smarter living solutions. To date, more than 20-million consumers have joined the Datexx family of satisfied customers.

Stampede Named Distribution Partner For Sony Video Conferencing in Canada

Stampede, the leading value-added distributor of professional audio video (ProAV) solutions and the exclusive U.S. distributor of Sony Video Conferencing equipment, today announced it has been named the exclusive distributor of the same Sony line in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon Territory.

“Our U.S. dealers have enthusiastically embraced Sony Video Conferencing. They have discovered that this line enables them to make further inroads with clients who want to take advantage of the efficiencies of video conferencing,” said Kevin Kelly, President and COO of Stampede. “We now look forward to giving our Canadian dealers the same opportunity to grow their business.”

Since 2007, the Sony go-to-market strategy has been designed to utilize a focused, dedicated distribution organization that can deliver exceptional market and partner response. Sony expanded on that direction in Europe in 2010, and now recognizes Stampede as the best choice to grow market share in Canada based on their success in the United States.

The existing Stampede Toronto office will be the new home for the Canadian division of Stampede’s Visual Communications Group.

About Stampede
Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, NY-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 visit www.stampedeglobal.com.

Stampede Takes High-Quality, Low-Cost Sony Video Conferencing On The Road!

Dealers looking to integrate high-quality, low-cost video conferencing into their end-of-year product line offerings will have a chance to do just that — but only if they sign up now to attend Stampede’s upcoming Big Book of AV Tour 2011 Dealer Shows events in Houston, Texas at the House of Blues on November 9 and Phoenix, Arizona at the Comerica Theatre on November 11. If they do, they will have a hands-on opportunity to see Sony Video Conferencing system solutions in action — and learn how they can offer it to their customers for less than $100 per month.

"Our dealers are challenged to find new value added programs to bring to their customer base, and low-cost, high-quality video conferencing is now affordable enough for them to make it available to all of their customers," explained Kevin Kelly, President and COO of Stampede. Stampede became the exclusive North American distributor of Sony Video Conferencing products in March 2011 when it acquired Spire Global. "And now we are making all the capabilities of a Sony Video Conferencing System available in a new breakthrough lease program that costs customers under $100 per month. Think about it— not only will our dealers be able to provide a valuable new capability to their customers, they will be empowered to do so at a tremendous savings. At the same time, dealers will have an opportunity to sell their customers additional products that complement a video conferencing system."

Dealers interested in attending the Dealer Demo events in Houston and Phoenix can register today at www.bigbookofavtour.com.

Stampede’s new leasing program runs through December 31, 2011 and is designed to provide dealers with an unprecedented opportunity to put high quality video conferencing within the reach of their entire customer base.

According to Kelly, the base model in the lease program is the PCS-G50 at $99 a month. The five-year lease also includes a five-year service and support contract and the offer of a $1 buy-out.

Stampede’s annual Big Book of AV Tour is the largest dealer show program in North America. The 2011 tour will visit 12 cities, feature more than 35 industry leading manufacturers, offer comprehensive information and education programs to more than 1,000 dealer attendees.

In addition to learning about Sony Video Conferencing, attendees will be able to see 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, Severtson Screens, Sharp and Samsung.

About Stampede
Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, NY-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 NanoFlex Screen Keeps Thousands of Attendees Informed and Organized at UK's GAMEfest 2011

When UK audio visual provider PSP (www.pspav.com) was contracted to provide large digital signage for navigation and information display at GAMEfest 2011, they knew that the NanoLumens® 112” NanoFlex™ display was the perfect solution. The annual week long gaming expo was hosted by GAME, Europe’s leading videogame retailer (www.game.co.uk) at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, England from September 16-18, 2011.

GAMEfest is an exclusive event for loyal GAME Rewards Card holders that welcomes some of the top names in gaming such as Nintendo, EA and Activision to exhibit their new games and new technologies. The first three days of GAMEfest served as an internal conference for the hundreds of GAME & GAMESTATION store managers, and the next three days the show floor was open to thousands of card-carrying GAME customers.

According to PSP’s Project Planner Gareth Hill, “With thousands of people attending, and three entire halls of the NEC in use, it was imperative to provide the best possible displays for navigating the show floor and communicating the timings of various activities taking place each day.

“This was the first time we have used the 112” NanoLumens screen at a live event, and it is a great product,” Hill emphasized. “We selected the technology largely due to the brightness of the display and its weight—at just 90 pounds it was very easy and quick to install, and the 6mm pixel pitch and brightness meant that it could be seen from all the way across the exhibition hall.”

Because the NanoLumens NanoFlex™ display is so lightweight and durable, it can be installed much faster and more easily than comparably sized displays. And it is perfect for outdoors or large rooms because of its extreme brightness. In addition to being ultra-lightweight and bright, NanoLumens displays can be viewed from any angle or any distance without color shift or picture drop-off.

“There is an increasing demand for high quality, large scale digital platforms at events and exhibitions, whether their application be wayfinding and information giving or advertising and brand awareness. It’s great to have access to new, innovative options for these purposes, and the NanoLumens NanoFlex display really delivers, with specialist flight cases and accessories that make it simple and cost effective to incorporate into the event environment.”

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.

According to NanoLumens President & CEO Rick Cope, “Convention hall owners and show producers are now realizing the unique benefits of the NanoLumens display technology. With the ability to move NanoLumens displays to where they will have the most impact, quicker installation times, reduced manpower requirements and significant energy savings, we offer convention hall owners, show producers and exhibitors the most customizable and profitable digital signage displays available today.”

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.

PSP (www.pspav.com) provide state of the art Audio Visual Equipment and Specialist Project Management solutions for live events. Whether your event is for 50 or 50,000 people we have the expertise to deliver your event. Specializing in large screen projection and display, cameras and vision control, sound and lighting, set and stage design and graphics. PSP's Birmingham and London offices enable us to service clients both nationally and internationally. PSP have a dedicated team of exceptional Project Managers whose technical knowledge is unrivalled. We will work alongside your team to deliver the best possible solution for your event.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, NanoLumens, Inc. (www.nanolumens.com) is a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development and component design for unique flexible displays that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry. NanoLumens has built a portfolio of more than 20 international families of issued and filed patents on its flexible display technology that effectively address the commercial market void between relatively small flat-panel displays and huge, limited application LED boards. NanoLumens technology is not constrained by standard sizes and shapes, or by the size, noise and cost issues associated with commercial LED products.