SONOS INTRODUCES THE PLAY:3

SONOS INTRODUCES THE PLAY:3

Sonos has just introduced the SONOS PLAY:3, the compact, all-in-one Sonos player with wall-to-wall HiFi sound. Users can start with one PLAY:3 in any room and expand wirelessly over time. In the process, bringing a world of music to every room of the home. The PLAY:3 and all your music can be controlled from anywhere via the free Sonos Controller Apps for Mac, PC, Android, iPhone and iPad. The PLAY:3 is ideal for any room where you want music and versatile enough to work both vertically and horizontally. The PLAY:3 is available globally beginning today for $299.

“PLAY:3 gives music fans an incredibly easy way to listen to all the music on earth,” said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. “PLAY:3’s innovative design sets a new bar for Hi Fidelity audio in a compact package and makes it simple to amplify the music experience in any room of the home.” PLAY:3 is connected to the Internet, giving you access to your entire digital music library and unlimited supply of Internet music including: AUPEO, iheartradio, Last.fm, MOG, Napster®, Pandora®, Rdio®, Rhapsody®, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Spotify, Stitcher SmartRadio™, TuneIn, Wolfgang’s Vault, and more.                                                     Other features of PLAY:3 include:

• Sonos HiFi sound: 3 integrated speakers and 3 dedicated digital amplifiers provide crystal-clear, wall-to-wall sound.
• Innovative, smart-directional design: Internal sensor detects if the speaker is positioned vertically or horizontally and modifies the speaker’s output to ensure clean, balanced, room-filing sound in any position.
• Multi-room: Put several PLAY:3s around your home and enjoy perfectly synchronized all-over-your-home music.
• Stereo pairing: Add two PLAY:3s to the same room and enjoy even bigger sound with each playing a dedicated Left or Right channel.

The PLAY:3 features three Class-D digital amplifiers and three drivers - one tweeter and two 3” mid-range. One passive, rear-firing bass radiator for rich sound. The cabinet features volume and mute control. PLAY:3 dimensions are 5.2 x 10.5 x 6.3 in. (132 x 268 x 160 mm)/ 5.7 lb (2.6 kg).

In other news today, Sonos makes it even easier and more affordable to get started with Sonos. Sonos has lowered the suggested retail price of the BRIDGE to $49. BRIDGE connects directly to your router and initiates SonosNet, the world’s most robust wireless music network. This gives you the freedom to place the PLAY:3, or any other Sonos players, anywhere in your home.

Additionally, today’s launch features an update to Sonos Software. Along with support for PLAY:3, Sonos Software v3.5 adds several improvements to the Sonos Controller for Android, including the option to install the app to SD cards and localization in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Swedish. FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For more information about Sonos or to locate an authorized Sonos dealer in your area, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.

ThinkFlood releases the RedEye Pro

ThinkFlood releases the RedEye Pro

ThinkFlood, the company behind the RedEye and RedEye Mini, have just released the RedEye Pro. The RedEye Pro goes beyond the home theater control of the original RedEye and allows users to manage a wide variety of equipment, including lighting and security systems, HVAC, pumps and sprinklers, and more. The RedEye Pro still lets control the system with a PC, a smartphone, or a tablet.

The RedEye Pro comes equipped with:

Eight (8) dual-purpose 3.5mm infrared emitter/contact closure sensor ports

Four (4) contact closure relays

Two (2) RS-232 ports

Four (4) USB ports

10/100 Ethernet (via RJ45 with an internal switch)

802.11 b/g Wi-Fi

Probably due the more involved setup, the RedEye Pro is only available through authorized dealers and custom integrators.

During the month of April, ThinkFlood is offering a loyalty trade-in program for customers who purchased a RedEye product from their website prior to April 1, 2011.

For details about the trade-in program, please contact sales@thinkflood.com or call +1 617-299-2000, option 2.

Pioneer introduces new AV Receivers and new Apple Apps

Pioneer introduces new AV Receivers and new Apple Apps 

Pioneer introduced four new audio video receivers today: the VSX-521 ($249), VSX-821 ($349), VSX-921 ($449) and VSX-1021 ($549). All of Pioneer's receivers come with a free USB/video cable for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch that enables playback of audio, video and photos. The top of the line VSX-1021 though has new features like: Apple’s AirPlay, DLNA 1.5, Internet Radio, and compatibility with Pioneer's own custom apps: iControlAV2 and the Air Jam. AirPlay (which requires iTunes 10.1 or later and iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 4.2) allows users to listen to their iTunes music library through their home theater system and see the album art and song information on their TV. DLNA 1.5 enables streaming audio and control from compatible networked or portable devices. vTuner allows access to thousands of internet radio stations around the world. The new iControlAV2 App enables control of volume, bass, balance and room settings. When used with an iPad, all four controls are available on one screen. The app will also control any compatible Pioneer Blu-ray player. The Air Jam App when paired with the AS-BT200 Bluetooth adapter, allows up to four devices to be paired with the receiver via Bluetooth. Each user can then cue songs to create a collective playlist. Each connected device will display the list of songs added by all users and the device each song will play from. The Air Jam App will also keep the list of songs from each session on each device for future purchase through the iTunes Store.

For more information:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer+Receivers 

To purchase Pioneer products:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Where-To-Buy

Keith Pereira

AMX added to the GSA contract of Blue Tech

AMX has been just been added to the Government Services Administration (GSA) IT Schedule 70 and NASA SEWP IV contract of systems integrator Blue Tech. This allows federal governments as well as the NASA SEWP (Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement) GWAC (Government-Wide Acquisition Contract) to work closely with Blue Tech to obtain pre-approved IT and AV solutions from AMX. 

AMX was the first control manufacturer to pass the rigorous JITC Information Assurance (IA) Certification test administered by the DoD, which ensures that AMX control and switching equipment can operate to maximum benefit on the Defense Information Systems Networks (DISN) and remain secure. AMX has also earned the Certificate of Networthiness (CoN) from the U.S. Army for its Resource 

For more information about AMX’s government solutions: 

http://www.amx.com/markets/government/

Keith Pereira

Apple announces iPad 2 and iOS 4.3

Apple announced the much anticipated iPad 2 today. The new tablet's design is 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter than the original version. The iPad 2 improves on the iPad by upgrading from the single core A4 processor running at 1Ghz to the new dual-core A5 processor. It also has a front-facing VGA camera for video chat and self portraits as well as a rear-facing camera that can shoot HD video at 720p. The iPad 2 will be available in black or white and 3G models will be compatible with both AT&T’s and Verizon’s 3G networks. The iPad 2 will be available on March 11 in the US

To coincide with the announcement of the ipad 2 Apple has released iOS 4.3 which will include: faster Safari mobile browsing, iTunes Home Sharing, enhancements to AirPlay, and a personal hotspot feature for sharing an iPhone 4's cellular data connection over Wi-Fi.

For more information:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

http://www.apple.com/ios/

To purchase an Ipad 2:

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad/start?mco=OTY2ODA0NQ

Keith Pereira

Crestron releases its new Core 3 OS controllers

Crestron releases its new Core 3 OS controllers.

Crestron has just released its new Core 3 OS controllers. These new controllers come in three variations, the MC3, PMC3, and the PMC3XP. The MC3 is Crestron’s new entry level controller. It is powered by a new IT based generation of processor architecture and operating system called Core 3 OS. Crestron describes Core OS 3 as: “real-time, preemptive multi-threaded/multitasking kernel; Transaction-Safe Extended FAT file system, which supports up to 10 simultaneously running programs”. This enables the new 3 series controllers to, among other things, process more information at a faster rate than the previous generation controllers. While 2 series controllers required an external gateway to communicate with infiNET EX wireless devices, the MC3 now has an integrated infiNET EX wireless gateway. This new controller is also fully compatible with Crestron’s extensive line of touch panels and handheld remotes. However, Crestron also offers a host of alternate ways to control the MC3. iPhones and iPads can be used as touch panels using the Crestron Mobile Pro control app (available from the iTunes store). Apple computers can control the MC3 using Crestron’s Xpanel. Web browsers can also be used to control the MC3 through the use of Crestron’s e-Control 2.  The MC3 can even be accessed outside of its home network by using the myCrestron Dynamic DNS service. The MC3 has a 128KB L2 cache,  256MB RAM, and 2GB Flash memory storage (expandable up to 1TB). Its connections include: one 10/100 Ethernet port, one Cresnet port, three USB 2.0 ports, two RS-232 ports, five infrared/serial output ports, one infrared/serial input port, one audio in port, one audio out port, one video out port (composite and component), two relay ports, and two contact/logic input sensing ports. It also has a built in IIS v.6.0 Web Server and is IPv6 ready. Best of all, despite all of the power of the MC3, it only consumes a very green 24 Volts of DC power.

The PMC3 is a version of the MC3 that interfaces with all remotes, touch panels, dimmers, switches, and devices from the Prodigy line. The PMC3 improves on the previous PMC2 model with its new Core 3 OS, a built in infiNET EX gateway, an extra USB 2.0 port and a set of audio and video ports. The RS232 connections have also been improved, the PMC3 now uses standard DB-9 connectors instead of terminal block style connectors. While the PMC2 was limited to one controller per system, the PMC3 now has support for multiple controllers in a single system. Each PMC3 can handle a maximum of 18 user interfaces, 24 lighting zones, and 100 wireless devices. However, should a system ever become large enough to present a challenge to a single PMC3, additional controllers may be added to distribute the load. The PMC3 is available alone or as part of a PAK, which are kits that include a PMC3, a Prodigy handheld remote or touch panel, STIRP IR emitters, a USB cable, and a power supply.

The PMC3-XP is essentially the same controller as the PMC3, with however one major difference. While the PMC3 can only interface with Prodigy devices, the PMC3-XP provides a “seemless bridge” between Prodigy and the rest of Crestron’s line of products. This controller would be ideal for a someone who would like to start with a Prodigy system today, but would like to have the option to expand the system to include Crestron devices in the future.  It is also an excellent solution for someone who owns an existing Prodigy system and would like to integrate Crestron devices into the system. It would only require upgrading from the existing Prodigy controller to a PMC3-XP.

Look for a review of these processors as soon as one becomes available.

For more information click here:

http://bit.ly/fRgsFf

If you are interested in purchasing Crestron products: 

www.crestron.com/salesreps or 1-800-237-2041

Keith Pereira