Event Report:

Arkados Chips and Software Power New and Innovative Products at CES 2007!

Entertainment continues its march into the digital realm. Never was it more obvious than the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show -- the largest CES ever.

With the slogan "Content. Technology. And everything in between," CES 2007 heralded a new age of digital entertainment where content, internet, networking, and consumer electronics combine to create a new digital world in today's living rooms, and all other rooms of the house.

After the recent CES, the Consumer Electronics Association issued a press release saying that "a new convergence of CE devices emerged on the show floor, combining existing product categories with new digital content and services to create unique, multi-functional products."

Arkados provides the digital transport backbone to help bring this market to fruition.

Arkados semiconductors and software provide the manufacturers of consumer electronics products with turnkey solutions to get products to market quickly. Embedded with HomePlug powerline communications technology, Arkados solutions provide unprecedented ease-of-use and setup, and according to the HomePlug alliance, enable greater coverage and reliability than wireless solutions.

There are several facts that point to a new -- and large -- converged market in consumer electronics:

• Apple recently announced that they expect to ship the 100-millionth iPod to market in 2007. This follows the announcement that the past quarter saw 21 million iPods sold -- double the shipments of the same quarter last year.
• Many music aficionados are now storing their entire music library on a small portable MP3 player
• The whole-house music market, usually the domain of high-end customers only, is taking advantage of new digital distribution technologies to enable easy-to-install whole-house audio solutions. Arkados envisions that the high-end whole-house music market might indeed grow to include a more mainstream focus, further broadening the marketplace.

Arkados is leading this wave with the first reference design that can deliver whole-house music from a iPod using HomePlug powerline technology. This is a real application with tremendous growth potential.

Members of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance had a tremendous presence at CES 2007, with a strong percentage of the alliance's 70+ members displaying HomePlug-based products. Notably, longtime HomePlug BoD-member Sharp displayed HomePlug AV PLC Adapter to transport HDTV content to a Sharp AQUOS high-definition television.

The pictures below show the products that may come to market quickly, further enabling the dream of the digital home.  

	The HomePlug Powerline Alliance is an international organization that specifies and promotes powerline communications technology. The alliance selected two demonstrations that incorporate Arkados silicon and software. Using the products demonstrated by these prototypes, consumers will be able to use a connected iPod dock that not only recharges an iPod, but it also uses the power lines to transmit synchronized audio to speakers located throughout the house. Because Arkados uses an approach nicknamed ArkTIC (Arkados Total Integration Concept), consumer electronics manufacturers can use our chip to incorporate a host of optional features, such as LCDs that display artist and title information, remote control, synchronized light shows, integrated web servers, and more.
The second demonstration selected by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance displayed a surveillance system that uses HomePlug-certified cameras and a video out module that connects the surveillance video feed. When broght to market, consumers will use these products to connects a variety of video feeds to existing televisions. The module can also be used for Digital Picture Frames, and video streaming applications like IPTV.
	Using products designed by GigaFast Inc. consumers will be able to distribute audio around a house by using HomePlug technology and Arkados chips. These devices, the PE881-TX and PE881-RX adapters, transmit and receive home audio using any existing sound source and receiver. Arkados Direct-to-Speaker technology offers synchronized music to be played throughout the house.
Using products, prototypes of which were demonstrated by Good Way Technology, consumer will be able to use an iPod powerline docking station and powerline audio adapters, which connect to traditional speakers. The Arkados implementation of HomePlug technology transfers the music from the iPod, and delivers it to speakers throughout a home over conventional electrical wires.
	PAC Technology showcased their DRD PureSound technology working together with Arkados reference designs. Several reference designs are planned that will couple DRD’s patented DSP technology with Arkados solutions for the two companies’ collective OEM and ODM customers. Consumers will benefit with greater sound quality from a variety of speakers.
Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) displayed the Arkados AI1100-VP100 in their private suite. The joint reference design showcased a flexible video platform using ADI's Blackfin® processor to support a wide variety of video applications and the Arkados AI-1000 chip to provide connectivity. Streaming video, video monitoring for security applications, and a slideshow mode for digital picture frames can be embodied with an advanced set of features that will allow consumers to enjoy a variety easy-to-use video products and services.
	With these new products from Channel Vision, consumers can add internet radio and other audio sources to existing audio systems or send output to powered speakers in remote locations of the home. Embedded inside, Arkados chips and software enable music to be played and controlled from remote areas of the home, enabling whole-house music.