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Tag: logitech

  • Logitech's HDTV Webcam Enables Home Theater Skype Connection

    Logitech has long led the industry in wireless technology, with a mouse and keyboard sure to be found in most offices and homes in America. Now they’re launching pushing into new wireless territory with the TV Cam HD, a webcam that can be mounted on your home theater system.

    The TV Cam HD is a fully standalone device that comes stock with Skype built in. You place it on top of your current HDTV and log on to your Skype account wirelessly through your home network. And with the remote control, you can take care of the whole process from the comfort of your couch.

    Logitech didn’t rush this latest device, and the details prove that out. The wide-angle lens is a Carl Zeiss, and you’ll find four internal microphones to allow for group conversations. The inclusion of Skype on the TV Cam HD sets this release apart from prior Logitech releases such as the standard TV Cam., which required an HDTV set that was compatible with the camera and already installed with Skype. That became a problem, as many of the biggest HDTV brands, such as Samsung, Panasonic and LG, offer sets that do not support webcams on their own.

    Other popular integrated video conferencing units include the Biscotti and the Tely Labs TelyHD. The former works with Google Talk, and the latter with Skype. But Logitech’s version integrates so seamlessly with HDTV units that it may give those competitors some serious fits moving forward.

    Consumers can grab the TV Cam HD starting this month for $199, making it middle-of-the-pack as far as pricing. But if you spend a great deal of time on Skype and want to experience it in full HDTV quality, the purchase will be more than worth it.

  • Logitech Teams Up with GN Netcom on Unified Communications Solutions

    Logitech is teaming up with GN Netcom to fuel the Unified Communications market. As a first step in their collaboration, the two companies have entered into a distribution agreement under which Logitech will offer select products from the award-winning line of Jabra headsets and speakerphones through distribution channel partners in North America.

    The two companies also plan to roll out the offering globally as well as collaborate on the development of future audio peripherals for UC.

    As part of the initial agreement, Logitech will begin offering select Jabra headsets and speakerphones for Unified Communications, beginning in July 2011. Logitech will offer the Jabra products, which will be co-branded “Logitech powered by Jabra” as part of a portfolio of audio and video business solutions for UC.

    The products Logitech will be offering are currently certified to work with Avaya, Microsoft Corp., Cisco and Polycom under the Jabra brand. Logitech plans to confirm certifications with these partners as well as others for the “Logitech powered by Jabra” headsets and speakerphones.

    According to Roopam Jain, principal analyst at Frost and Sullivan, with LifeSize meeting rooms, Logitech webcams and ‘Logitech powered by Jabra’ headsets, Logitech is leveraging its strong brand and simplifying deployment and support for customers. “With the convergence of VOIP and video conferencing in unified communications solutions, we see a significant opportunity for Logitech to be a full solution provider,” he said.

    “This collaboration with GN Netcom will enable Logitech to be a full solution provider for Unified Communications,” said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer. “Businesses will now have a single company for a full range of UC solutions – from the meeting room with LifeSize video conferencing end points and infrastructure products to PCs, Macs and tablets with Logitech webcams, headsets and speakerphones.”

    “Jabra is already a leader in the UC space and we will continue to market the full range of Jabra branded solutions for Unified Communications. The agreement with Logitech enables GN Netcom to further expand the presence of Jabra products in North American sales channels,” said Mogens Elsberg, chief executive officer of GN Netcom. “We believe this agreement will lead to more people using Jabra headsets and speakerphones for their UC solutions.”

  • LifeSize Video Center Introduces Mobile HD Video Streaming

    LifeSize, a division of Logitech, has just announced HD video content streaming on mobile devices using LifeSize Video Center. According to the company, now organizations can benefit from "greater communication reach and flexibility" by using HD video streaming, recording and auto-publishing to make video content available to teams working remotely on mobile devices, such as iPads and iPhones.

    Today, mobile devices are everywhere. According to Frost & Sullivan, 2010 enterprise-level shipments for tablets worldwide was 600,000 units and is expected to go up to 49.1 million in 2015. LifeSize claims that the latest version of itsVideo Center helps organizations address the need for workers to have mobile access to live and on-demand video content such as executive updates, business presentations, sales meetings, training sessions, lectures and data.

    New features of LifeSize Video Center include:

    · Mobile Streaming: Users can access live and on-demand HD video content not only on a PC, but on a variety of devices, including an iPod, iPhone or iPad connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. Videos are accessed through the native Web browser, which requires no additional software installation.

    · Automatic Adaptive Streaming: LifeSize Video Center now features automatic adaptive streaming so that a single HD recording from a LifeSize 220TM Series endpoint can be streamed at up to four different bitrates, which means users will always experience optimal video quality especially when working from home, on mobile devices, or in locations with slow bandwidth.

    · Network Storage: Organizations looking to leverage existing storage can now serve on-demand videos from NAS and store a virtually unlimited amount of footage without additional fees, giving IT administrators infinite scalability to meet enterprise needs. Administrators can also control the backup of videos in case of an emergency.

    · API: Using LifeSize Video Center’s API enables easier automation and integration of LifeSize Video Center into third-party systems and tools, such as the company intranet and Learning Management Systems (LMS), so that resellers and organizations can easily customize the video streaming solution for their unique environment.

    "Based on our research, the demand for HD video on-the-go will play a big role in accelerating the adoption of video conferencing technologies in 2011," said Roopam Jain, industry director, conferencing & collaboration at Frost & Sullivan.

    "Tools like LifeSize Video Center present use cases that extend beyond the typical green story and cross-office collaboration. They bring value closer to home by giving professionals access to video content no matter where they need to be and enabling those working the field to leverage video as a visual touch point to their teammates at home base," he concluded.

  • Logitech Delivers Google TV to Living Rooms

    Consumers today have access to an enormous amount of content, delivered by a range of sources and increasingly complex devices. To bring this content together through a single interface on the best screen in the house – the TV screen – Logitech has worked with Google on a line of products designed to create the Google TV experience for the U.S. households with an HDMI-ready TV.

    Google TV brings traditional TV programming together with the entire Internet, with the ability to search across them both.

    Logitech yesterday unveiled Logitech Revue with Google TV, a compact, plug-and-play companion box with its Logitech Keyboard Controller, which together provide control over the Google TV experience and home-entertainment devices. The company’s portfolio of products for Google TV also includes the Logitech TV Cam and Vid HD service for HD video calling, Mini Controller as well as other applications designed for the Google TV platform.

    The box is capable of outputing a 1080p (60fps) signal and comes with with HDMI 1.3a in and out, two USB 2.0 ports, audio optical output (S/PDIF), 10/100BaseT Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n connectivity, the Logitech Harmony IR blaster port, and a built-in Logitech Unifying receiver.

    The box ships with a compact keyboard complete with integrated remote and touchpad, HDMI cable, and one IR mini blaster. There is also a selection of accessories: a $149 webcam, and the Revue-specific version of Mini controller for $129.99, as well as Logitech Harmony app for Android and iPhone.

    The Logitech TV Cam lets you make and receive high-definition video calls on your HDTV – no computer required. It has Carl Zeiss wide-angle autofocus lens with 5x digital zoom and two digital, directional microphones and connects with Logitech Revue box using USB. Together, the Logitech TV Cam and Vid HD software enable HD video calls of up to 720p.

    Available for pre-order on Logitech.com, Amazon.com and BestBuy.com, Logitech’s line of products for Google TV are expected to be available online and in Best Buy stores across the U.S. by the end of October. The Logitech Revue suggested retail price is $299.99. The Logitech Mini Controller will be selling for $129.99, and the Logitech TV Cam for $149.99.

    “Just as we have done with the PC and with home entertainment systems, our role with Google TV is to give people the ability to control and interact with their content and devices with unprecedented ease,” said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer. “With our line of products for Google TV, Logitech will help redefine the user experience in the digital living room.”

    “Logitech Revue with Google TV makes it easy for people to use just one controller to find and enjoy content from a variety of sources – programs from TV providers; the entire Web, including Flash-based games; music, photos and videos from their personal library; and a growing selection of apps,” said Ashish Arora, vice president and general manager of Logitech’s digital home products group. “Logitech not only delivers the Google TV experience for any HDMI-ready TV, but we build on it with exceptional interface devices, control of living room components through Logitech Harmony Link and enhanced experiences such as video calling in the living room.”

    “Google TV combines the power of search, a full Web browser, and Android apps with the TV experience you know and love,” said Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management for Google. “We’re proud to be working with Logitech to launch the very first set of Google TV devices, helping you and me easily access great Web and TV content, all on the same HD screen.”

    “Smart TV delivers a truly integrated experience, with broadcast and the Internet united on one screen,” said Wilfred Martis, general manager, Retail CE, Intel Digital Home Group. “The Logitech Revue brings Google TV to existing televisions, and also offers video calling to provide a new dimension to home entertainment. The smart TV experience requires advanced processing performance, as well as outstanding audio/visual capabilities, and we’re proud that Logitech selected the Intel Atom processor CE4100 to power this revolutionary product.”