Hillcrest Labs launches new Web browser for TVs

According to CED Magazine, Hillcrest Labs announced that it has launched a new Web browser for viewing Internet videos on your television. Working with both PCs and Macs that are physically connected to TVs, the Kylo Web browser let consumers visit Web sites of their choosing. This development lets viewers watch Internet content on their TVs from a distance in living rooms or family rooms.

Since viewers can access all types of over-the-top services that are available on the Internet, the Kylo is more of an open approach than “walled gardens” that keep customers in designated areas of the Internet.

While Hillcrest is offering the Kylo for free, the company is hoping it will drive sales of its Loop in-air mouse, which can be used as a remote control, that retails for $99, although Kylo works with a standard mouse.

To read the full CedMagazine.com article, click here.

Smart Grid, Home Monitoring, and Wireless Home Controls

Key Focus of CONNECTIONS™ Conference --

Parks Associates announced the speakers for the Home Controls and Energy Management track at CONNECTIONS™, which includes an opening keynote from Austin Energy’s CIO. Multiple sessions at CONNECTIONS™ will feature executives from energy-focused companies discussing new innovations in home monitoring and controls, Smart Grid initiatives, and wireless home controls.

Andres E. Carvallo, CIO, Austin Energy, will present the Keynote “Building the Smart Grid” on Thursday, June 4. Mr. Carvallo will discuss Austin Energy’s efforts to build its Smart Grid, which will be live by August 2009. This initiative encompasses 440 square miles, 500,000 devices, 100 terabytes of data, one million consumers, and 43,000 businesses.

The panel “New Applications and Services in Home Monitoring & Controls,” June 3 at 1:30 p.m., analyzes consumer demand and revenue opportunities for home systems. Speakers include:

Steve Cashman, Chief Strategy Officer, Exceptional Innovation
Jim Hunter, CTO & Chief Architect, 4Home
Jim Johnson, President & CEO, uControl

Mr. Ablondi will present findings from Parks Associates’ new research project Residential Energy Management: Opportunities for Digital Systems and Services on June 4, 8:30 a.m., followed by “Bringing the Smart Grid to the Smart Home,” which features panelists leading Smart Grid initiatives in the public and private sectors:

Sanket Amberkar, Marketing Manager, Network Systems Solutions, Cisco
Christopher Deutschen, Senior Manager, Product & Business Development, Direct Energy
Dr. Kenneth Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy

“Wireless Home Controls: New Roles and Functionality,” June 4 at 11:15 a.m., examines the trends, market opportunities, and design challenges in embedding wireless capabilities into traditional products. Speakers include:

Michelle Leyden Li, GM, Home Control Business Unit, Zilog
Ken Lowe, VP, Strategic Marketing, Sigma Designs
Mostafa Reza, Product Line Manager, IP Video Solutions Group, Motorola
Parag Sheth, VP, Corporate Marketing, Hillcrest Labs
Eric Smith, CTO, Control4

For the full press release, click here.

CONNECTIONS Advisory Board Members are Confirmed

All advisory board members have been confirmed for CONNECTIONS 2008. Parks Associates and CEA welcome the following participants:

• Chris Ballard, Head of the Device Sector, TMForum
• Kevin Custis, Consumer Electronics Leader, IBM Global Business Services
• John Fisher, Chief Operating Office & Chief Software Architect, PEAK 8 Solutions
• Rob Gelphman, Chair, Marketing Work Group, MoCA
• Paolo Pastorino, Chief Technology Officer, Home Gateway Initiative (HGI)
• Parag Sheth, Vice President of Marketing, Hillcrest Labs
• Bernadette Vernon, Senior Director Marketing Communications, Motorola

Parks Associates representatives also serving on the Advisory Board include: Tricia Parks, CEO; Stuart Sikes, President; Steve Harvey, Director - Global Events; Kurt Scherf, Vice President & Principal Analyst; Elizabeth Parks, Vice President - Marketing; Mindi Sue Sternblitz-Rubenstein, Marketing Manager.

CONNECTIONS(tm) Announces Hillcrest Labs as Diamond Sponsor

Parks Associates and CEA are pleased to announce Hillcrest Labs as a Diamond Sponsor of CONNECTIONS: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase.

Hillcrest Labs enables CE and peripheral manufacturers, service providers, and internet content companies to deliver the most visually engaging and intuitive way to access, discover, and interact with digital media throughout the home.

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase will be held June 24-26 at the Santa Clara Convention Center and will focus on the new business models in broadband sharing, remote management, and other advanced services afforded by these technological advances.