Venice, Italy, June 2012...  While it’s well known that the city of Venice’s transport infrastructure relies heavily on its canals, not many people are aware of the sometimes tenuous relationship Mother Nature has on this arrangement. The canals, which carry thousands of gondolas, launches, barges and water buses daily, are subject to tidal conditions and therefore constantly changing.

High tide levels mean reduced headroom under bridges, and the city’s transportation often needs to be re-routed. When pavements and other pedestrian areas disappear under water, raised walkways may need to be erected. The city’s population and its large number of commuters are used to these changes, but accurate, timely information about the tides is important to keep daily life on track.

To that end, a powerful audio system based around Community R-Series loudspeakers has been installed as part of a flood warning system for the city of Venice. Located in fifteen bell-towers in central Venice and at a further fifteen locations on outlying islands, the loudspeakers play a series of alert and musical tones that inform residents of the coming tidal levels, so that they can plan accordingly. The system, supplied by Prase Engineering, was specified by audio consultant Ing. Umberto Nicolao and installed by Verona-based S.T.A.S.

The loudspeaker system is one of many ways the city of Venice’s Previsioni E Segnalazioni Maree (Tidal Forecasting and Signalling Centre) is utilizing technology to keep city residents and working commuters informed. (The city also maintains a website, a toll-free phone line, touchscreen information kiosks, and even a smartphone app.) An old siren-based audio system had also been used for many years but it was increasingly less reliable, due to mechanical deterioration, and it could only broadcast one alert signal. The new multi-tone audio system uses a specially designed version of Community’s R.5 loudspeaker, designed precisely for the power, frequency response and dispersion required. Size was also critical in being able to deliver and mount the loudspeakers in some of the ancient towers where they were to be deployed. And of course, Community’s legendary weather resistance was also a factor in selecting the R-Series.

This new approach to a centuries-old challenge was a custom project for city planners, as well as the system designers, installers and for Community. Its implementation has already made a tremendous impact on the daily flow of traffic around this busy city, improving the lives of commuters and residents alike.

###

Community Professional Loudspeakers is a manufacturer and supplier of professional audio equipment.  Since 1968, Community has led the pro-audio industry with technological innovations which have become industry standards. Today, Community offers over 150 professional loudspeaker products, including installed loudspeaker systems, weather-resistant outdoor loudspeaker systems, ceiling loudspeakers, high level voice paging systems, and portable entertainment systems.  

Visit www.communitypro.com for more information. 

BenQ’s Blue Core Laser Projectors Honored With Commercial Integrator BEST Award and ProjectorReviews.com Best In Classroom Award; SH960 Large-Venue Projector Takes Home Rental & Staging Systems/InfoComm Installation Product Award

IRVINE, Calif. — June 21, 2012 — BenQ America Corp. today announced that the company received three awards for its advanced projectors at InfoComm 2012. The LX60ST and LW61ST blue core laser projectors were honored with the Commercial Integrator BEST Award in the category of “Conference/Classroom Projectors.” The LW61ST was also presented with a “Best In Classroom” Award by ProjectorReviews.com. The SH960 large-venue projector was the winner of a 2012 Rental & Staging Systems/InfoComm Installation Product Award in the category of “Best Video Projection — 5,500 Lumens or Less.”

“InfoComm 2012 was both a fun and amazing show for BenQ, and we are thrilled to have received these prestigious awards,” said Lars Yoder, President at BenQ America Corp. “Our LX60ST, LW61ST, and SH960 projectors are packed with innovations designed to optimize the price to performance ratio, while providing exceptional brightness. This is especially important in applications such as education, where budgets are tight, and performance is critical. We are honored that our products are recognized by the Commercial Integrator BEST, ProjectorReviews.com Best In Classroom, and Rental & Staging Systems/InfoComm Installation Product Awards.”

The Commercial Integrator BEST Awards recognize products and services that help Commercial Integrator’s readers run their businesses better and more profitably. A panel of commercial industry experts, including editors of Commercial Integrator and leading integrators, judged the entries in each of 62 categories based on creativity, innovation, ease of installation or implementation, and business benefits. In the category of “Conference/Classroom Projectors,” they chose BenQ’s LX60ST and LW61ST, the first short-throw education projectors to feature BenQ’s blue core light engine.

ProjectorReviews.com presented the “Best In Classroom” Award (Non-Interactive Projector) to BenQ for the LW61ST as part of its 2012-2013 Classroom Projector Report: Best School Projectors for K-12 Education. For the report, ProjectorReviews.com editors based their selections on 16 recently reviewed projectors plus 60 other recommended projectors for school use, paying close attention to the products’ special features and image quality performance.

Offering an ultra-high 80,000:1 contrast ratio, the blue core light engine utilizes a laser light source rather than a traditional mercury lamp. The result is up to 20,000 hours of reliable brightness, complete elimination of lamp replacement costs, and a 90 percent reduction in light source power consumption. BenQ’s blue core light engine-driven SmartEco Advanced(TM) technology optimizes the units’ light source system to deliver exceptional brightness, longer life, and greater energy efficiency.

This year’s Rental & Staging Systems/InfoComm Installation Product Awards showcased the most innovative products introduced in 2011. The winners in each category were selected by Rental and Staging Systems’ readers after a month of voting. In the category of “Best Video Projection  5,500 Lumens or Less,” they chose BenQ’s SH960 large-venue projector.

Designed for use in the most demanding settings, the SH960 projector boasts a stunning Full HD 1080p native resolution and 5500 ANSI lumen ultra-high brightness for brilliant images. The SH960 is equipped with a 3000:1 contrast ratio and a native 16:9 aspect ratio with a full 1.07 billion-color palette. The projector’s dual-lamp design allows users to opt for maximum brightness or choose an eco-mode that extends lamp life by up to 30 percent. H+V Lens Shift technology gives users flexibility in projector placement, allowing the focal point of the lens to be adjusted in venues where dead-center placement isn’t possible.

More information about the BenQ LX60ST, LW61ST, and SH960 projectors is available at www.BenQ.com.

# # #

About BenQ America Corp.
BenQ America Corp. is a leading innovator of digital lifestyle products, providing an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company offers a broad range of projectors and monitors for any application and market — education, home, gaming, corporate, government, and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability, and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive digital whiteboards for classrooms, 3D-ready projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, or LED backlight monitors for professional gaming, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers, and retailers.

The BenQ digital lifestyle stands as a cornerstone of the company’s mission of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity, and aesthetic design with engineering. It is this commitment that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling DLP(R) projector brand worldwide, as well as the No. 1 name in short-throw projectors.

More information is available at www.benq.com.

About BenQ Corporation
BenQ Corporation, a leading provider of networked digital lifestyle devices, is a multifaceted company with strengths in product design, visual technology, and mobile technology. BenQ offers an unrivalled breadth and depth of products and integrated technologies across platforms through the brand promise of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” including digital projectors, LCD monitors, LCD TVs, digital cameras, eBook readers, mobile Internet devices, storage devices, and human interface devices such as mice and keyboards.

About BenQ Group
The BenQ Group comprises companies that operate independently while sharing resources and leveraging synergies among them. The BenQ Group companies include BenQ Corporation, AU Optronics Corporation (in the top three of the world’s manufacturers of large-size TFT-LCD panels), Qisda Corporation, Darfon Electronics Corporation, BenQ Materials Corp., BenQ Guru Software Co., BenQ Hospital, BrightView Corp., Cando Co. Ltd., Daxin Materials Corp., Darwin Precisions, Ltd., Dazzo Technology Corp., Forhouse Corp., SiPix Imaging, Lextar Electronics Corp., Raydium Semiconductor Corp., BenQ Medical Technology Corporation, and Wellypower Corp.

All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

PR Link: www.ingearpr.com/BenQ/120621.zip

Image Link: www.ingearpr.com/BenQ/LX60ST.zip

Image Link: www.ingearpr.com/BenQ/SH960_Front.zip

ENDS

Fairfield, NJ–– Middle Atlantic Products is introducing the Reference Series, a furniture rack that embodies the company’s continued commitment to innovation in rack design and functionality. The first in a new category of equipment mounting products, this sleek furniture rack is optimized for efficient, reliable integration and convenient mobility of presentation and communications equipment.

Designed expressly for use in high-visibility areas in corporate, municipal and higher education environments, the Reference Series incorporates architecturally-focused aesthetics, including three standard finishes not previously available to the industry. It is engineered with internal steel gussets for structural rigidity and bolt-thru easy-gliding casters for dependable transport. An integrated cable entry and spool system offers a convenient method to wrap cables inside the rack when not in use, enabling easier travel between rooms.

The furniture rack includes many features designed for reliability including attractive front ventilation optimized for passive airflow with an optional specialized blower when active cooling is needed. Its generous 23� interior width provides additional space for cables and device mounting, which can be aided by an optional LeverLock™ tool-free cable management kit.

The Reference Series furniture rack accommodates most screens up to 32� with an optional mount, offers 23� of useable depth and is available in 16, 20 and 24 rackspaces.

For more information about the Reference Series and Middle Atlantic Products, please click to www.middleatlantic.com or call 1.800.266.7225.

Fairfield, NJ––Middle Atlantic Products is introducing Series Protection, the fastest responding series type surge suppression available in the industry. This patent-pending technology provides instantaneous protection of AV systems from damaging surges and is available in a newly introduced family of power distribution units.

Series Protection was designed with robust non-sacrificial circuitry that ensures system reliability. It also helps ensure noise-free AV systems by protecting connected equipment without contaminating the system ground. Every model in the Series Protection suite automatically disconnects devices from sustained over- and under-voltage events. All units also perform automatic recovery after these events, minimizing system downtime.

The new line of Series Protection power products includes other industry firsts: a Hardwired model as well as Half Width models that require minimum space without compromising functionality. Full Width rackmount models for 19� enclosures are also available. In addition, the company is expanding its RackLink™ Power Management System offering to include models incorporating Series Protection technology.

The addition of Series Protection makes Middle Atlantic’s power protection offering the most diverse in the market, with a variety of options meeting the widest range of project requirements and budget needs. The company continues to develop power products in Protection and other key areas including: Monitoring and Control, Distribution, Battery Backup and Separately Derived Systems.

For more information about Series Protection and Middle Atlantic Products, please click to www.middleatlantic.com or call 1.800.266.7225.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 2012: Symetrix has announced a full-featured and flexible teleconferencing solution with the launch of a four-channel AEC card for use with the company’s SymNet Edge modular I/O DSP platform. The new AEC card provides optimum wide-band intelligibility while offering flexible system configuration to meet today’s business and educational teleconferencing needs.

“Teleconferencing systems that use the new SymNet Edge AEC input card will deliver noticeably more intelligible, natural sounding audio than was possible with previous-generation systems,” said Paul Roberts, CEO at Symetrix. “The new four-channel card works flexibly within a larger SymNet Edge system, offering four mic/line inputs, a discrete reference input per channel, and zero-latency direct outputs per channel for local reinforcement. The AEC processing may be applied to the cards’ direct physical inputs or to any input routed to the card from within the SymNet Edge system. This more

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 2012: Antenna and wireless products manufacturer RFvenue (InfoComm Booth #C11542) unveiled three new products on Wednesday, marking the one-year anniversary of its first antenna product, the Diversity Fin. CEO Chris Regan announced two new extensions of the popular dual element antenna system, including an EU version covering 470-790 MHz and also matte white and matte black architectural versions.

RFvenue also showed its new four-channel antenna distribution system which can interface with any brand wireless microphone receiver, and provide DC power distribution functions from a high-quality internal power supply, eliminating extra power modules. Other additions to the RFvenue product line include high-quality, American-made, mounting equipment, and a 2.4 GHz long-range helical antenna for extended range performance for new digital wireless microphones and production communication systems.

Also shown at RFvenue’s booth is its newly designed UHF ceiling antenna for more

Eclipse and V-Series Key-panels Cover Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Accession to the Throne

LONDON, JUNE 19, 2011 ─ Clear-Com®, a global leader in critical voice communication systems, is pleased to announce that its Eclipse Median digital matrix intercom and V-Series key-panels played an integral role at the recent Diamond Jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the English throne. Delta Sound, a U.K.-based provider of sound design, equipment rental and sales, and communication systems and services, employed three Eclipse Median intercoms and more than a dozen V-Series user control panels to facilitate fast, reliable communications between the event’s sound, lighting, pyrotechnics, security and stage-management production teams.

Coordinating the different activities that took place over the Diamond Jubilee weekend, including a concert featuring more than 30 performers, a flotilla on the Thames River and a royal procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, was a massive undertaking. It required precise coordination and organization on the part of event organizers and production teams, which is why Delta Sound installed a 112-port Clear-Com Eclipse Median with several V-Series panels in the Jubilee’s event control room. The system, which features eight built-in interface module slots for easy interfacing with third-party systems, allowed event workers on walkie-talkies to communicate with workers on the V-Series panels in the control room, adding greater efficiency to the overall production.

Delta Sound deployed another Clear-Com Eclipse Median, along with a large number of V-Series control panels, for the Diamond Jubilee concert, which took place in front of Buckingham Palace. For the concert, Delta set up V-Series panels in the center of the traffic circle in front of the palace, on its roof and in its back garden. This allowed the sound, lighting, video and stage-management teams working the concert to coordinate their efforts. A highlight of the concert was a set by the ska band Madness where stunning, giant visuals of past English kings and queens, as well as images of typical British-style row houses, were imposed on the palace. Workers used the V-Series panels to ensure the visuals were projected as the band played its hit “Our House.� A third Eclipse Median, along with a dozen V-Series panels, were used by security operations during the Royal Family’s procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

“We found the Clear-Com system to be very straightforward to use, which is important when it comes to coordinating an event of this size,� says Phil Kidd, Delta Sound’s Project and Comms Manager. “The Eclipse Median systems and V-Series panels were easy to set up and we didn’t have to spend much time training people to use them. We also liked the ease of interfacing with other communications systems, such as the walkie-talkies used along the route of the royal procession. Overall, the systems worked very well for us.�

Clear-Com’s Eclipse family of digital matrix intercoms provide a flexible and scalable foundation for point-to-point and group-based multi-connections, supporting up to as many as 3120 user connections on a networked system platform. The Eclipse Median, which comes in a 6-RU frame that houses two CPU and eight matrix slots, with eight built-in interface module slots, is uniquely designed for mobile flight-case systems or any production environment where rack space is limited.

Fully compatible with the Eclipse systems, Clear-Com V-Series panels are a comprehensive set of advanced, fully programmable digital key-panels that come in rotary, pushbutton, or lever key form. The V-Series panels feature cutting-edge Digital Signal Processing, 10-character OLED display, international-character support, 8-shift key, and Listen Again memory. All V-Series panels can be connected to the matrix system via digital AES3, Co-ax, RJ-45, or over standard IP.

About Clear-Com®
Clear-Com, an HME company, is a global provider in professional voice communications systems since 1968. We develop and market proven intercom technologies such as Analog & Digital Partyline, Digital Matrix, Wireless and Intercom-over-IP systems for critical communication applications in broadcast, performance venues, military, government and enterprise markets. Recognized for our legacy of intercom innovations, production teams around the world have come to depend on Clear-Com for clear, reliable and scalable communications solutions. For more information, please visit www.clearcom.com.

About HME
HM Electronics, Inc. is a diverse group of companies providing solutions that enhance productivity and customer service in markets including restaurants, sports and professional audio. Founded in 1971, we sell, service and support products in 89 countries worldwide, via company-owned offices in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and China, and an extensive network of HME-authorized distributors, dealers and service agents. Every day quick service restaurants take over 24 million orders using HME systems. With the recent acquisition of Clear-Com, HME is the world’s leading provider of professional intercom systems. To learn more, visit www.hme.com.

For the more than ten million passengers who rely on transit in Champaign, Illinois, and the surrounding areas, the new Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (CUMTD) control room provides peace of mind as dispatchers monitor and respond more quickly to activities en route with a large Christie visual display wall.

As part of its Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the CUMTD’s newly-built, larger headquarters includes a control room equipped with 10 state-of-the-art Christie FHD551-X LCD full-HD flat panels –ideal for control room solutions requiring larger, brighter video walls for a clearer view of information.

“The new Christie video wall is at the center of information sharing. It’s on 20 hours a day, seven days a week to monitor bus activities in the city,� noted Karl Gnadt, director of market development, CUMTD. “Christie’s flat panels are reliable and provide excellent image quality.�

Zdi, Inc, the systems integration company headquartered in Normal, Illinois, who won the contract commissioned by the CUMTD, partnered with AECOM to design the new control room, and selected Christie’s solutions and visual display products. “It’s the quality of the products, the ease of installation and the service that I knew I would get from Christie that made the decision easy. They were all spot on, and we will definitely use Christie products again,� said Jay McArdle, lead engineer with Zdi, Inc.

“The CUMTD required a solution that was up to date and could fit into a challenging space configuration, while providing the pixel density needed to display feeds from 300 new video cameras situated in bus stops, the transfer terminal as well as in maintenance and administration facilities,� said John Stark, Christie’s senior director of Collaborative Visual Solutions. “Christie has a broad range display solutions that lets you monitor, control and interact with all your visual assets – from any source – in real time.�

The Christie FHD551-X is a tiled LCD solution for a wide range of video wall applications, including control rooms, corporate and retail displays, and digital-out-of-home advertising.

This full-HD resolution, narrow bezel, flat-panel display is energy efficient with LED backlighting, and controlled brightness levels that are well suited for indoor environments.

According to Gnadt, “The dispatchers love the new control center, love the screens and their ability to enlarge images and see video feeds more quickly, which increases their response time for all activities.�

InfoComm Booth N651

SMALL AND CONVENIENT OPTION WORKS HAND IN HAND WITH NEW IPAD WALL MOUNT UNIT

Las Vegas, NV – FSR, manufacturer of audio and video switching, control products, and connectivity boxes, is introducing its new IT-CHRG-P2U PoE to USB charger, a power option for the company’s new WE-IPAD2-SLV iPad® enclosure, at InfoComm 2012 in booth N 651. This new charger, an addition to the Company’s IntelliTools accessory line, offers AV professionals relying on iPads for any number of display applications, a simple, yet reliable power solution.

Deriving ample power from a standard PoE network connection, the new PoE/USB Charger, when used alongside the FSR iPad enclosure, offers easy and convenient single-cable Installation. The rear of the iPad enclosure, where the PoE charger sits, offers a symmetrical hole pattern for rapid mounting to a standard 2-gang box, with no electrical drop needed.

“We are excited to introduce both the iPad enclosure and PoE USB Charger,� says Jan Sandri, president, FSR. “With more and more display options being designed around Apple®’s iPad, we are proud to be able to offer our customers these attractive and powerful options. These new cube and wall plate styles, which are debuting at this year’s InfoComm, derive ample power from a standard PoE network connection and do not require PoE+. They can easily be used as an accessory for any iPad version.�

With the PoE/USB charger, AV professionals can power up their iPads from a PoE-Ethernet drop without the need for AC line power. The small cube can easily be mounted in a 2-gang wall box behind the FSR iPad wall mount and the PoE/USB charger will operate and charge the iPad supporting Apple’s charging standard. In addition, the PoE/USB charger will also notify the iPad that it is connected to a charger avoiding annoying pop-ups. The charging side is rated at 5VDC, 2 amps/ 10watts.

iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

About FSR
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions.

FSR complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is a woman owned business. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives. For more information visit www.fsrinc.com.

###

FSR Contact: Jan Sandri
973-785-4347 • sales@fsrinc.com

Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications
Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 • harriet@desertmooncomm.com

InfoComm Booth N651
ENCLOSURE ADDRESSES DIGITAL SIGNAGE APPLICATIONS WITH STYLE AND EASE

Las Vegas, NV – FSR, manufacturer of audio and video switching, control products, and connectivity boxes, is presenting its new easy-to-install WE-IPAD2-SLV iPad® enclosure at InfoComm 2012 in booth N 651 to provide a graceful housing for digital signage applications.

Designed for strength, practicality and elegance, the enclosure fits both the iPad2 and the New iPad providing a secure, yet accessible tamper resistant housing with no visible hardware. Convenient single cable Installation is a breeze using the optional IT-CHRG-P2U PoE to USB charger that derives ample power from a standard PoE network connection. The rear of the casing includes three position horizontal and vertical adjustment holes for mounting in either orientation, as well as a symmetrical hole pattern for rapid mounting to a standard 2-gang box, with no electrical drop needed.

A full view camera port, home button, and speaker port for clear audio are all recessed into a sturdy .090� aluminum case for a sleek look with no visible hardware. Plain face models are also available.

About FSR
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions.

FSR complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is a woman owned business. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives. For more information visit www.fsrinc.com.

iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

###

FSR Contact: Jan Sandri
973-785-4347 • sales@fsrinc.com

Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications
Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 • harriet@desertmooncomm.com