Last week at the CES Unveiled event in New York City, the CEA announced the winners and honorees of its 2011 Innovations Awards. To see all the winners, visit the CES website.

It was a pretty exciting announcement for us at Caster as several of our clients were recognized as honorees for this prestigious award. The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. It is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA^®), the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow.

Autonomic Controls Mirage Media Server

Autonomic’s Mirage Media Server enables users to store and access their fractured music collections on a central storage device that enables immediate playback and synchronization with new media.

The Mirage Media Server is the perfect solution for music lovers on the go as an entire music collection, regardless of size, is now portable thanks to the individual, secure, Internet storage locker.

Paradigm’s MilleniaSub

The MilleniaSub boasts the Paradigm Reference label and brings with it a heritage of the line’s award winning performance and world class sound.  The MilleniaSub boasts some firsts for the line too; its amplifier has Paradigm’s first wireless receiver, and is compatible with Paradigm’s new PT-2 wireless transmitter, so no more long RCA wires to worry about. Usually subwoofer positioning such as on a wall or under furniture isn’t recommended due to the unavoidable and detrimental acoustic loading of the system. Fortunately this subwoofer is also equipped with Paradigm’s PBK kit to equalize out all the acoustic challenges. Paradigm provides the consumer with all the equipment necessary to mount or hide the sub whatever way they please. Consumers will truly appreciate the flexibility of being able to place the MilleniaSub anywhere in the home and still receive high-quality sound.

MartinLogan’s ElectroMotion ESL

This bold loudspeaker series establishes a new benchmark for price verses performance. Pushing thin film transducer technology to its limit, the ElectroMotion Series floorstanding loudspeaker, the ElectroMotion ESL (EM-ESL), will feature the most affordable full-size XStat™ electrostatic transducer ever designed. Starting under $2,000 per pair (US), the EM-ESL represents a bold new direction for electrostatic loudspeaker design.

A unique XStat™ electrostatic transducer was developed for the EM-ESL reducing the gauge thickness of the panel’s steel stators which makes the panel is so visually transparent it nearly vanishes when you’re sitting and listening. Proprietary Vojtko™ filtering technology seamlessly blends audio output from the high- and mid-frequency electrostatic panel to the low-frequency woofer for a flawless performance.

Control4’s OS 2.0

In a Control4 enabled smart home, OS 2.0 allows users to control security, lighting, temperature, music and video and more from any TV, dedicated Control4 touch screens or with a mobile device such as an iPhone or iPad. Packaged with OS 2.0, remote monitoring enables full home control directly over the Internet network with the same full featured, easy-to-use interface that is available over local home networks. It includes email notifications for homeowners alerting them to any event of interest (i.e. garage door left open, attempted access with invalid code on a deadbolt lock, etc.) along with full home control of lighting, thermostat, and even A/V devices over the internet.

Control4’s 7” InfinityEdge Touch Screen

The Control4® 7” InfinityEdge™ Touch Screen is an in-wall touch screen that provides total home control with edge-to-edge capacitive glass. Affordable price, new optional intercom feature and a sleek design make this touch screen a breakthrough solution for the whole house.

Control4’s Intelligent Home Energy Management in partnership with Eragy

Intelligent Home Energy Management is a software system designed and developed by Eragy that works seamlessly with the Control4® platform. Eragy’s home energy monitoring and management application allows homeowners to monitor and manage their homes energy consumption right from their Control4 interface. Eragy’s applications are available to Control4 dealers and homeowners via Control4’s 4Store Application Marketplace.

IOGEAR GKM571R

IOGEAR’s 2.4GHz Multimedia Keyboard with Trackball, Scroll Wheel and Backlight LED has been designed for ultimate A/V interaction and convenience.  The 2.4GHz enabled, palm-sized Keyboard allows the end user to interact with their home theater set up from up to 33 feet away, all from the comforts of their home living space. 

Weighing in at only 1.26 lbs, the compact keyboard comes with a built-in optical trackball with three DPI settings – 400, 800 or 1200 – and has built-in left and right mouse buttons and a scroll wheel. Adding to the multitude of functions, the keyboard has 19 multimedia hotkeys conveniently placed allowing the user to access email, volume control, play/pause, My Computer, Calculator, Media Player and the web browser – all from the push of a button. 

IOGEAR GKM581R

IOGEAR’s 2.4GHz Wireless On-Lap Keyboard with Optical Trackball and Scroll Wheel is engineered for ergonomics, aesthetics and mobility, allowing the end user to freely interact with their media server / home theater PC / computer and HDTV set up from the comfort of their lap. The keyboard has a slip resistant design and is contoured specifically for optimal lap sitting from a distant of up to 33 feet, enabling comfortable interaction with multimedia content on a home theater PC, computer or HDTV set up.

The all-in-one keyboard incorporates basic keyboard and mouse functions, while enhancing them with built-in left and right mouse buttons and an optical trackball with 1000 DPI resolution for ease of scrolling directly from the keyboard, eliminating the need for a separate component. In addition, the keyboard has 13 multimedia hotkeys for quick access from Internet Browser, My Computer and Windows Media Player with track and volume controls. End users will find the conveniently placed left-click button ideal for precise single-handed navigation as they interact with a variety of multimedia content from the comfort of their sofa.

In the tech PR world, a new calendar year brings more than just poorly sung versions of Auld Lang Syne and sloppy kisses. Not long after the champagne corks are cleaned up; technology enthusiasts, AV dealers, media, B and C-level celebrities, manufacturer representatives and us PR folk swarm sin city for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), an orgy of gadgets, home theater gear, gaming and automotive bliss exclusively for those in the industry, until now.

CES attendance increased 6% in 2010 after a recession-pillaged 2009, and the mothership Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® is confident it will continue to climb. To boost awareness of CES and the CEA in general, a new consumer program has been created promising member discounts, insider info and even beta testing opportunities most knuckle-dragging plebeians will never get to experience (unless they have $49).

To be clear, the CEA Tech Enthusiast Membership (CEATE) initiative is a smart move by the group, especially given the opportunities for market research, crowd sourcing and even legislative action. Technology plays a major role in everyday life, now there’s an official club with major organizational backing to prove it.

Accounts representing the #CEATE are already stirring the waters on Twitter and Facebook, but the big early splash involves two campaigns. The first 2,000 early adopting enthusiasts pay only $29 for the first year, instead of the standard $49. Not enough? The first 1,000 also receive never-before, never-again consumer access to the CES show floor on Sunday, January 9, where they can dine on real convention center cuisine, collect stress-relieving tchotchkes or just pretend they’re Walt Mossberg for a day.

The second major push includes a video contest geared at finding the Ultimate Tech Enthusiast. Whether you’re a lifelong video gamer with all 46 Mega Man iterations or a devoted audiophile who’s coffee table is made of old subwoofers, this could be the opportunity for you. Some rules, apply, ultimate winner receives VIP trip to Vegas for the show while runners-up receive Newegg.com gift cards and lifetime CEATE memberships.

It’s easy for folks in the consumer electronics industry to take the CES experience for granted. The hours are long, the venues are sprawling and we deal with the business and media side of technology throughout the year, depriving some allure. Yet every year, when I tell friends who work for mortgage companies, hospitals, schools or law firms my work-related travel plans for January, they’re tinged with jealousy and inevitably ask me to scout some obscure product, or grab them a 3D TV.

It’s hard to say whether people will pay $49 for closer relations with the Consumer Electronics Association, but there’s good reason to have an active presence courting and engaging consumers. The CEA has clearly put a lot of work into the initiative and I look forward to seeing where it goes. Hell, I’ll even treat the Ultimate Tech Enthusiast a trade show smoothie.

@PRnick

Control4, a leader in affordable IP-based home control systems today announced that it has been named an International CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for three of its products, OS 2.0, 7” InfinityEdge™ Touch Screen, and Intelligent Home Energy Management in partnership with Eragy. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 35 product categories

Control4^® OS 2.0 is a powerful second generation software platform that offers control of multiple devices and systems in the home, including lighting, security, entertainment equipment, and energy management.

The Control4® 7” InfinityEdge™ Touch Screen is an in-wall touch screen that provides total home control with edge-to-edge capacitive glass. Affordable price, new optional intercom feature and a sleek design make this touch screen a breakthrough solution for the whole house.

Intelligent Home Energy Management is a software system designed and developed by Eragy that works seamlessly with the Control4® platform. Eragy’s home energy monitoring and management application allows homeowners to monitor and manage their homes energy consumption right from their Control4 interface. Eragy’s applications are available to Control4 dealers and homeowners via Control4’s 4Store Application Marketplace.

“The combination of Eragy’s software applications and the Control4 platform empower homeowners to take control of their energy usage” said Mark Komanecky, Eragy’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We’re honored that CES has recognized our efforts in providing energy saving systems to consumers.”

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. It is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow.

Control4’s OS 2.0, 7” InfinityEdge™ Touch Screen, and Intelligent Home Energy Management will be displayed in the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase at the 2011 International CES, which runs January 6-9, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Products chosen as Innovations honorees reflect innovative design and engineering of the entries. Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering honoree products are featured on www.CESweb.org/Innovations, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, designer, description, photo and URL.