Kenwood licensed in-band on-channel (IBOC) technology from iBiquity Digital and will incorporate it in line of home and car receivers to be introduced at Jan. 2003 CES in Las Vegas, companies said Mon. Kenwood previously was licensee of IBOC technology from USA Digital Radio before it merged with Lucent Digital Radio to form iBiquity. Jan. 2003 date for first IBOC receivers is consistent with timeline described earlier by iBiquity and assumes transmission equipment will be available for debut at April 2002 NAB convention.
Chunghwa Picture Tubes laid off 300 employees at Yangmei, Taiwan, plant as it halted CRT production on 2 lines. It will formally close lines, which produced 17-19” CRTs for PC monitors and 20” for TVs, by year-end and transfer some workers to TFT LCD and plasma display panel factories in Padeh, Taiwan, company said. Yangmei plant will retain two 17” color CRT lines and 1,500 employees, it said.
Senate action on energy bill passed by House that would set strict standby mode power limit on consumer electronics devices was less likely after Sept. 11 attacks. Still, bill sponsors were “still optimistic the Senate will act before the end of the year,” they said. Bill, proposed Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 (HR-4) by House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.), was passed by House Aug. 2 and placed on Senate calendar Sept. 4, days before terrorist attacks that upended agenda of Congress. “If we remain in session until Thanksgiving, as many people predict and expect us to be, I think there is a good chance the Senate will deliver an energy bill,” Tauzin spokesman Ken Johnson said. If Congress adjourns sooner due to “a new threat, then chances are problematic,” he said.
Tight surveillance is in place for pirate copies of movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, $90 million Warner production that is to make theatrical debut Nov. 16. U.K.-based Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) said operation code- named Wizard had been readied to intercept DVD, VHS and Video CD counterfeits from S.E. Asia. Plan includes heightened security for movie prints used in cinemas. To date, no pirate copies of movie have been detected, FACT said.
Best Buy Mon. said it completed acquisition of Future Shop. As result, Future Shop became Best Buy subsidiary as of Nov. 4 and trading of its shares on Toronto Stock Exchange has been discontinued.
Titus Interactive expects to return to profitability or break even next year after cutting its debt through plan to buy back convertible bonds, report from France said Mon. Report said Titus Chmn. Herve Caen told reporters at news conference that game maker believed it could become top 5 global player within 5 years, up from current ranking of 13.
Ruggedized, weather-resistant digital camera will make debut from Casio this month. Company touts new GV-10 (about $329) as dustproof, shock resistant and water resistant. It has 1.23 million pixel resolution, 2x digital zoom lens, weighs 8 oz.
As Harman International moves to expand car OEM business to 65% of revenue by 2006, it said it would lessen reliance on CE products. Car OEM currently accounts for about 50% of overall revenue, trailed by professional and consumer products at 30% and 20%, respectively, Exec. Chmn. Sidney Harman told investors and analysts at company’s annual meeting in N.Y. Mon. As car business grows, CE share is likely to fall in 10-20% range, company said.
Matsushita Battery Industrial said it had produced cumulative total of 100 billion dry cells, 83% of which were manganese batteries, rest alkalines. About 40% were produced in Japan, company said.
Cree has achieved more than 1,000 hours of life from blue laser diode with wavelength about 400 nanometers, company said Mon. Device will be ready for customer sampling by year-end, it said.