Hillcrest Labs' Loop Pointer, Ocean Blue's and RNIB's Talking TV Technology Receive Design Awards

Rockville, Maryland-based Hillcrest Labs contacted [itvt] Tuesday to let us know that it has been named an International CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for its flagship product, the Loop pointer. According to the company, the awards--which have been in existence since 1976 and which are sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)--are judged by an independent panel of industrial designers, engineers and journalists, and honor outstanding design and engineering in consumer electronics products across 36 categories.

Hillcrest--which last year secured $25 million in a fourth round of funding and which earlier this year settled a patent infringement lawsuit in which it had claimed that the Nintendo Wii infringed upon three of its patents (see the article published on itvt.com, August 31st)--appears to now be positioning the Loop pointer to take advantage of the emerging OTT/cord-cutting phenomenon: in its promotional materials, it describes it as "an in-air mouse designed for the growing number of consumers who enjoy Internet entertainment on their PC or Mac or connect their computer to a television." The device is notable for its design, consisting of a plastic loop (hence its name) with four buttons and a scroll wheel. It uses Hillcrest's patented Freespace motion control technology to let viewers control an on-screen cursor with what the company claims are "natural" hand motions from any position. The company is currently offering the device for $77 on its Web site and on Amazon.com as part of a promotion. "There are now millions of households in the US where people view Internet content on their computer or connect their computer to the television," Hillcrest founder and CEO, Dan Simpkins, said in a prepared statement. "The Loop pointer provides them with an engaging way to search, browse and navigate their favorite sites or personal media when not sitting at a desk."

Hillcrest's Loop pointer, along with other award winners, will be displayed in an Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (January 7th-10th), and will also be featured at CES's official press event on January 5th.

In related news: Bristol, UK-based digital TV software provider, Ocean Blue Software, contacted [itvt] Tuesday to let us know that Talking TV--a set-top box-based text-to-speech (TTS) technology that it developed in association with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), in order to enable blind and other visually impaired people to use interactive TV services (see the article published on itvt.com, August 10th)--has received an Award for Excellence at the 2009 IABM Design and Innovation Awards. The awards are held annually and are intended to recognize exceptional design and innovation in broadcast and media technology.

According to Ocean Blue, the Talking TV technology has been used to create "the world's first accessible technology solution designed to provide speech/talk based TV programming guides and set-up menus." Ocean Blue and the RNIB worked as part of a consortium that also included STMicroelectronics and TW Electronics. "We are delighted to receive this prestigious award," Ocean Blue CEO, Ken Helps, said in a prepared statement. "There were a record number of entries this year and we faced some stiff competition. RNIB's experience in designing products for the visually impaired, coupled with our track record for developing world-class digital TV software, has resulted in the creation of a truly innovative product. We are extremely proud of our Talking TV technology." Added Steve Tyler: head of innovation and disability access services at the RNIB: "This technology is set to revolutionize the way that millions of people across the world use and enjoy digital TV services. It has been a fantastic experience to work with Ocean Blue and we were thrilled that the work has been recognized by the broadcast and media technology industry." According to Ocean Blue, the Talking TV technology was also shortlisted for a TV Innovation award organized by IMS in the US, and was nominated for a Royal Television Society award.