Ford‘s gone soft…. on Microsoft, that is. A new partnership between Microsoft and Ford’s Sync vehicle have created a dynamic duo. The two companies collaborated to deliver a system that is a fully integrated voice-activated, in-car entertainment platform. This platform will enable you to watch, call and listen to anything as you drive (let’s not forget about keeping our eyes on the road and our hands on the wheel, right?). This product will be delivered to the public—don’t know when, where or how. Small businesses that use the system can post their Microsoft material on line, via Windows Office Live, as it allows for web collaboration in an office environment. If you’re interested in all of the above, you’ve got to sign up and wait for a release at the end of this year. However, (here goes)… those who have already signed up for the system got an email asking them to (oh, surprise) keep waiting.
FRANCE 24, a French 24-hour cable news network, has selected the Genesis Networks fiber infrastructure to provide a permanent video link between FRANCE 24’s U.S. news bureau at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the channel’s Paris headquarters. This link is for broadcast of North American news content to the European viewing audience. In addition, Genesis Networks is facilitating occasional-use transmissions of live news shots from Jerusalem and New York. The links provide FRANCE 24 with a turnkey and highly dependable solution for its U.S. coverage. From the NYSE, the FRANCE 24 bureau is connected to the Genesis Networks point of presence (POP) in New York for seamless delivery of news content to the FRANCE 24 headquarters. Plus, the agreement with Genesis Networks includes all required video and audio transmission hardware in New York and Paris, standards conversion from NTSC to PAL at the NYSE, and 24/7 monitoring and technical support via Genesis’ network operations center. Genesis Networks also provides a fiber link from JCS, a major Jerusalem-based production house, to the FRANCE 24 headquarters for delivery of occasional live feeds covering news of the Middle East—New York, New York
The CONTAC-TT table-top system control keypad with color touch screen has debuted from Niles Audio. This product is specifically designed to complement the company’s IntelliControl ICS whole house distributed audio/video system. CONTACT-TT offers a table-top control option that has a built-in integrated display on a hi-res 3.5-inch color touch screen with LED backlighting. All of the necessary metadata to scan, select and play program material from a variety of menu-based digital audio sources (such as the iPod, Sirius and XM satellite radio, HD Radio and more) is available so users can see everything needed to operate their system intuitively. There are seven backlit hard keys, a “party” mode that turns on any zone in the house, and a built-in infrared sensor for complete control of the IntelliControl ICS system and all connected audio and video sources—Miami, Florida
The 2007 “Gear of the Year“ award has been presented to OmniBus Systems for their OmniBus iTX by the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) during their Media Excellence Awards in London. iTX was commended for its approach to production and playout by a panel of 16 judges who represented media companies from around the world. They were impressed by the energy-saving potential iTX offers as well as the scalability and integration of functions to allow operators to take control. Launched in 2006, OmniBus iTX has been adopted by broadcasters and companies such as CBS, DirecTV, Chellomedia, Turner Broadcast, CNN and Microsoft. The Media Excellence Awards’ Gear of the Year Award is the only technology innovation award offered by the AIB—London, United Kingdom
The best production product, which receives the SATISFECIT award at SATIS 2007, has been announced—’tis the new AJ-HPX3000 camera from Panasonic. This award recognizes innovative products that solve problems and make one’s daily work easier, and/or the award is offered for the product that best represents a dramatic improvement in cost effectiveness. The AJ-HPX3000 is designed for high-end digital production of commercials, sports, docs and movies and comes equipped with five P2 card slots as well as a side-mounted 3.5-inch color LCD monitor. Other features include interchangeable lenses, high-density 2.2-million pixel CCDs for full HD (1920x1080p) 10-bit res and advanced 14-bit digital processing. There’s more information target=”_blank”>via this link.
Viacom Inc. owns MTV Networks and the latter’s branded “Rock Band” video game is, apparently, leaving retail shelves at a rather accelerated rate. MTV purchased game developer Harmonix in September of last year and that firm is also working on additional music-centered titles. As part of the rhythm-based game sector, the title’s main competitor is the extremely popular “Guitar Hero 3“, the latest Activision iteration of their mainstay music-based video game. According to the research firm NPD, they estimate some 1.4 million copies shipped in six days and Activision garnered $115 million in sales of their title during the title’s first active sales week.
