Rebecca Day

Comcast will be the first company to incorporate GreenPeak’s ZigBee RF4CE remote control chipset when it ships its next generation of HD set-top boxes in November, Ross Gilson, senior engineer, told us at CES. Comcast demoed the technology at the Zigbee Pavilion at CES, showing how the RF benefits of remote control technology are expected to streamline the cable remote control setup process for consumers. Because Zigbee is two-way communication, consumers won’t have to go through a tedious setup process to find the right code for their TV. When they hit the right one, a tone confirms the right model has been selected. The Zigbee cable remote will communicate by RF to the set-top and then by infrared to the TV, he said. The two-way communication also allows cable companies to add a remote locator button on the box which sends a signal to the remote to beep. The second benefit of the Zigbee technology is upgradeability, Gilson said. When TV companies update database codes, the information can be pushed to the set-top through a firmware upgrade. Gilson said the box will be deployed system-wide but wouldn’t name the manufacturer.

Despite some TV manufacturers’ strong preference for active-shutter 3D, eyewear maker Oakley will not introduce active 3D glasses, Chris Petrillo, category manager, told us at CES last week. The company does have eyewear that incorporates electronics including a built-in MP3 player and Bluetooth headset, but the downsides of active-shutter technology in the 3D viewing experience outweigh the benefits, Petrillo said. He cited interference issues with competing infrared signals in a room, sunlight and backside glare. “Everything interrupts IR,” he said, “and there’s no peripheral vision.” The company showed a pair of $120 passive 3D glasses at CES. The glasses incorporate the company’s corrected lens technology that’s said to maintain the proper left and right eye alignment, said Petrillo.

LAS VEGAS -- The video industry is putting great faith in the Ultraviolet video content sharing solution to stop the hemorrhaging in recorded video sales, but many issues loom, months before its midyear launch, according to retail, studio, distribution, CE and technology executives speaking at a panel sponsored by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) at CES.

LAS VEGAS -- The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) delivered a 2011 roadmap for its Ultraviolet digital content purchasing solution Thursday. The system is designed to enable consumers to buy digital content that’s viewable on home and mobile devices for “wherever, whenever” access. At CES, the cross-industry consortium announced technical specs and a licensing program enabling studios, distributors, and device and application makers to begin developing UltraViolet-based offerings for consumers. DECE said the UltraViolet Account system infrastructure, developed by Neuter and now operational, will be available to support the launch of UltraViolet products and services in mid-2011.

Samsung at its CES booth is showing nine pairs of sample prescription-ready 3D glasses under glass and plans to bring a model to the U.S. market in the second half, a company spokeswoman told us. The glasses were designed by eyewear company Silhouette and models feature color frames and styles “you would want to wear out,” she said. Using RF technology, the glasses weigh less than a pound and have the battery positioned at the end of the temple to help balance weight, she said. It was unclear whether the glasses use Zigbee RF technology. A battery gauge on the side of the temples indicates remaining power, and an energy-management feature automatically powers on the glasses when motion is sensed, she said. Samsung is working with an optometrist in Korea to determine the proper lens positioning of the prescription lenses that will clip to the 3D glasses’ frames. The glasses are active-shutter types, the spokeswoman said, reaffirming Samsung’s position that active-shutter technology provides the best 3D viewing experience. The glasses’ temples are flexible, enabling users to mold the products to their ears and temples for a comfortable fit, she said. The spokeswoman couldn’t tell us whether glasses like those coming to the U.S. are selling in Korea. Samsung also showed a wireless induction charger that powers up to four pairs of 3D glasses simultaneously. Users place the 3D eyewear on a tray for charging. Price and shipping information were not available.

Energy management could be the killer app that finally pushes appliance makers into the connected home. Control4 said Thursday that Sub-Zero is the latest company to join the Control4 partner program, enabling consumers to tie Sub-Zero freezers and refrigerators into their home control systems. Control4 President Glen Mella said that the driving force for appliance makers is demand-response programs from utility companies that charge consumers differently for peak and nonpeak energy usage. Consumers can use their Control4 systems to program a refrigerator to make ice when energy is less expensive, he said. The partnership, covering Wolf ovens and Sub-Zero refrigerators and wine-storage units, is the first combining the companies’ appliances and home automation. Although the concept of an “Internet refrigerator” isn’t new, Mella said current trends including consumers’ interest in energy management, concerns over safety and security in the home and effortless entertainment are making connected appliances more relevant. With a connected oven, the user can have an alert sound through the home’s audio system when the temperature has reached a pre-heat setting, he said. Owners of the wine storage unit can receive alerts when temperature or humidity settings change or someone opens the unit without permission.

Barnes & Noble has released the Android developers’ kit for NOOKcolor, according to Claudia Backus, director of developer relations, who demonstrated several Android apps for us at Digital Experience Wednesday in Las Vegas. The apps will be available to NOOKcolor users exclusively through the Nook store on the Barnes & Noble website, she said. Apps won’t be available in January, she said, but she wouldn’t provide further timing details other than “early this year.” The demo unit packed about 10 apps. Backus said “there will definitely be more than 10 available” at launch.

Kodak showed a 3D software solution for inkjet printers Wednesday at Digital Experience ahead of CES. The 3D feature will be embedded in Kodak’s Home Center printer software this year, printer product manager Tom Bentz told us. The software uses a camera inside the printer to “move the image three inches and take the shot again,” Bentz said. Users can view the 3D images with anaglyphic glasses, he said. The company is still deciding “how best to distribute the feature,” he said, including how to price it and whether printers will ship with simple 3D glasses. The feature will be available on Home Center software throughout the line.

"Video will be the next voice,” Cisco CEO John Chambers said at a CES news conference Wednesday introducing his company’s Videoscape connected TV platform. Cisco says that by 2014 more than 90 percent of consumer Internet traffic will be video, and the amount of video will expand sevenfold. The Videoscape architecture -- which Chambers said centers not on boxes and hardware but on software, network and partnerships -- is designed to bring together digital TV and online content with social media and communications “to create a unified, networked entertainment solution.” Chambers spoke of anytime, anywhere content driven by video that will “reinvent the TV experience.” He showed a multitasking TV allowing users to answer phone calls, send and receive video e-mails and watch sports while bringing up related statistics, buying sports gear with the TV remote and communicating about the game with friends on a social networking site. He said the open platform uses the cloud, the network and client devices to deliver new video experiences over the Internet. Devices in the chain include a Videoscape media gateway to integrate voice, linear and online video, high-speed data, Wi-Fi and network traffic routing and an IP set-top box supporting all video formats and delivery methods. Those include pay TV, broadcast, premium channels, VoD and the Web and Videoscape software clients that extend the experience to home and mobile devices including connected TVs, tablet PCs and smartphones. Chambers said Cisco is working with several major global service provider customers, including Telstra in Australia, to enable video experiences through the Videoscape platform.

Canadian loudspeaker maker Paradigm Electronics is introducing a new brand called Paradigm Shift at CES that’s targeted at a younger demographic. The brand will comprise powered loudspeakers, earbuds, headphones and gaming headsets, Marketing Director Mark Ailing told Consumer Electronics Daily. The 28-year-old company, known for high-quality loudspeakers at affordable prices, has a target market of 25-34-year-olds for its traditional loudspeaker line, Ailing said. With the new line, the company wants to create brand loyalty that will grow with customers as they advance in income level and audio sophistication.