about-electronics.eu

MSNMoney: Nuance Communications said thursday that Ford Motor Co. has integrated Nuance speech technologies in several new European car models.

Nuance said the technology is part of a system which allows drivers to navigate the car’s phone, cruise control and audio systems using the human voice.

The system enables drivers to place calls, enter an address to a navigation system, select a desired temperature, and control the audio system with a voice command, according to Nuance.

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Easier motoring: Having recently grabbed Europe’s top gong in the in-car, audio-visual stakes – In-Car A/V Head Unit of the Year – Clarion is showing no signs of let-up in the development of cutting edge in-car entertainment, with the launch of its intuitive VRX578RUSB multi-media masterpiece.

Featuring DVD R/DVD RW, CD R/CD RW, MP3, WMA and AAC file playback, as well as USB and optional iPod control, the new VRX578RUSB is the easy-to-use answer for getting the most out of multi-media in-car.

A fully motorised 7” touch panel control glides effortlessly upon command from the elegant single DIN housing. Once open, a sensibly styled ergonomic control panel, makes speedy navigation of the range of audio and multimedia functions on offer a breeze, whilst Bluetooth connectivity makes it safer than ever to stream voice calls via a mobile phone on the move.

The VRX578RUSB’s hideaway USB terminal allows for the link-up of portable MP3 players and subsequent access to 255 folders, each supporting 15,000 tracks, whether they’re MP3, WMA or the iTunes-friendly AAC files.

Equipped with the industry’s latest method of video compression, “DivX”, the VRX578RUSB is more than capable when it comes to video playback.

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BBC News: A majority of EU transport ministers have approved the multi-billion euro Galileo satellite navigation project.The decision was made without the backing of Spain, which had demanded that it host a ground station for the network of 30 orbiting satellites.

Ministers had until the end of year to reach an agreement. The system is supposed to be in operation by 2013.

Questions remain about its cost but supporters say it will create jobs and cut dependence on the US GPS service.

The Commission had said that if agreement was not reached by the end of the year, the project would essentially be dead.

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The Register: Venturer Electronics’ promised cut-price HD DVD player will finally go on sale on 29 December, but you’ll have to switch on your TV to buy one. The SHD7001 will only be sold through the QVC home shopping channel.

Venturer launched the player back in September, pledging to make the machine available to buy by Christmas. The SHD7001 is capable of playing DVDs and HD DVDs at HD resolutions of 720p or 1080i.

For a “limited period”, the player will come bundled with HD DVD copies of Hulk and Troy, Venturer said. It also comes with an HDMI cable, though the player provides component-video and composite-video outputs too. There’s a 10/100Mb/s Ethernet port on the back for link HD DVDs to online content, and both digital optical and analogue audio outputs.

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NaviGadget: Google Maps for Mobile’s new feature called ‘my location’ just got announced today. It is a new feature that puts a blue dot on Google Maps showing where you are. The best part is that it does not require your mobile device to have GPS hardware. If you do, that’s OK, Google Maps will use that information for your blue dot. But if you don’t it will approximate where you are using the cell tower you are connected to at the time – in which case you’ll get a light blue circle around your dot.

If you do have a GPS-enabled device, My Location can actually complement it. My Location kicks in faster than GPS in most cases, so you can access your location even faster on the map. It also works reliably indoors (unlike GPS) and doesn’t drain your phone battery at the rate that GPS does.

Here are the currently supported phones:

• Most Java-enabled (J2ME) mobile phones.
• Palm devices with Palm OS 5 and above.
• All color BlackBerry devices.
• Windows Mobile devices with Windows Mobile 2003, 5.0 and above.
• Symbian Series 60 3rd edition devices.

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Absolute Gadget: Surveys often state the bleeding obvious, and a new study from purveyor of fine batteries Energizer about what gadgets we want for Christmas is not that much different. According to the research, plasma tvs and the Wii top the list of must-have Christmas presents.In second place is the Nintendo Wii (assuming you can get your hands on one). The survey found that just under a third (30 per cent) of 16-24 year olds would choose a games console compared to nearly half of 25-34 year olds (42 per cent). The poll shows computer games are now more popular than ever with older generations.

According to Michael Brook, who edits some other gadget publication, the Nintendo Wii and the iPod, have thrown the electronic goods market wide open. 

“The launch of the Wii has had the biggest influence this year,” said Brook. “It’s completely re-written the rule book on computer gaming. While the X-box and Playstation were battling it out for a predominantly teenage market the Wii snuck in through the back door.”

Brook said that the Wii “opened up the market to people who just wouldn’t have been interested in gaming before.”

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EETimes: Citing poor shipment volumes from Samsung, Sony and others, the OLED market hit the wall in the third quarter, according to a report from DisplaySearch.The low production levels from various vendors left the OLED display industry with revenues of only €52,8 million in the third quarter, down 38 percent from the like period a year ago and down 31 percent from the previous quarter, according to the research firm.

Shipments were 15.5 million units for the quarter, down 32 percent from the like period a year ago and down 22 percent from the previous quarter, according to DisplaySearch

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Electronista: The Blu-ray disc format accounts for nearly three quarters of all HD movies sold in Europe and is contributing to an overall lead for the format, according to new reports from manufacturers. The Blu-ray Disc Association says it has sold about one million movies on the continent compared to about 370,000 HD DVD titles, giving the former standard a 73 percent marketshare. The wider adoption of the format becomes even clearer if PlayStation 3 games are factored in at 21 million units total for Europe, the Association boasts. No games are currently made for the Xbox 360′s HD DVD attachment as the drive is considered strictly optional.

The update is only partly countered by a new report from the opposing HD DVD Promotional Group on the same day. The firm claims to have sold 750,000 players this year, edging out Blu-ray in terms of stand-alone players; however, including the Blu-ray-equipped PS3 tilts the figures in favor of Blu-ray. The HD DVD Group frequently contends that the Sony system is only a game console and does not matter in the final tally despite its ability to play Blu-ray movies.

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c21media: The first Disney-branded channel to be broadcast entirely in high definition will launch on Friday.

Movie channel Disney Cinemagic will be renamed Disney Cinemagic HD and will be broadcast exclusively in France and French-speaking territories by satcaster CanalSat. It marks the entry of children’s and family HDTV channels into the French market.

John Hardie, exec VP and MD at Disney Channels EMEA, said that Disney Cinemagic’s focus on movies made it the ideal platform on which to launch HDTV.

“Using cutting-edge technology to help create and distribute outstanding content is at the heart of everything we do at Disney, and we’re delighted to have launched our first high-definition channel,” he said.

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HiddenWires:

AV and CI companies are increasingly being asked to install high technology in every room inside and outside the home. Aquavision has responded by introducing five waterproof HD Ready LCD ‘in-wall’ televisions. The Series4 high-performance range consists of 17 (4:3), 19, 26, 32 and 40in widescreen sizes.

The most exciting new feature, which no other waterproof television has, is the RS232 control port, enabling the television to be controlled from a compatible touch panel anywhere in the home. The RS232 control port is fully compatible with most home automation control systems including Crestron.

All the new models feature integrated Freeview digital and analogue tuners, a component video, S-Video and analogue PC input, twin HDMI inputs on the AVF-32-4C and AVF-40-C, single HDMI on the 17, 19, and 26 the twin HDMI inputs on the two larger screens, full scart connection and built in games. Image quality is far more superior than any other waterproof TV available offering a contrast ratio of 1600:1 on the AVF-32-4C for outstanding reproduction of detail and depth of images and 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution on most of the new models. The new screens accept both industry standard ‘High Definition’ video formats (1080i and 720p) perfect for watching the latest HDTV and high definition movies.

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Camera Core: There is growing speculation that Research in Motion (RIM) could be developing a new Blackberry to rival Apple’s iPhone.RIM, which is better known for business smartphones, recently moved the Blackberry into the consumer market with the launch of its Pearl handsets.

In an article for Unstrung, Carmi Levy of AR Communications Inc, a Canada-based provider of outsourced communication solutions, commented that RIM’s forthcoming 9000-series could be a strong competitor for the iPhone.

Like the iPhone, the 9000 is expected to feature a touchscreen and enhanced media capabilities. The range will be the first RIM handset without a keyboard, a feature that would be essential for an enterprise-focused device.

RIM apparently planned to launch the 9000 series this year, but the launch has now been delayed until 2008.

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CIO: Greenpeace, the environmental advocacy group, ranks Sony Ericsson as the most environmentally responsible electronics maker while slamming Microsoft and Nintendo for their poor e-waste management efforts as well as for high levels of toxic materials in their electronics products.

On Monday Greenpeace released the sixth edition of its quarterly “Guide to Greener Electronics,” in which it ranks 18 leading electronics manufacturers on their efforts to eliminate toxic substances from their products and other efforts to be environmentally responsible.

The Greenpeace guide considers manufacturers’ efforts to curtail the use of materials such as vinyl plastics (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their products. It also examines the companies’ other efforts, including various product takeback initiatives and discarded product recycling efforts.

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