I-CAT Makes Music ‘Purrfectly’
Hasbro’s Tiger Electronics plans to make available in Fall 2006 its I-CAT Interactive Music Companion. The I-CAT is a virtual pet, a music accessory and a fashion statement, all rolled into one. For ages eight and up and retailing at $29.99, owners can plug their music systems directly into the I-CAT and music will broadcast through a built-in speaker. Simply petting the I-CAT will allow owners to mix things up and play meows, purrs and “scratch” sound effects with the music.
Owners can also sit I-CAT in front of a speaker or plug it into the headphone jack of any music system and I-CAT will move and groove to the rhythm of the song. I-CAT comes complete with a dual jack so that its owner can plug headphones in and dance along to the music with I-CAT. Either way the owner chooses to listen to their favorite tune, as soon as I-CAT hears music, its face will light up or its ears and head will wiggle and sway with the tune.
Podcast Searching Fast, Easy & Accurate
PodZinger has introduced its podcast search engine (www.podzinger.com) based on 30 years of speech recognition R&D from BBN Technologies. PodZinger has two exemplary features. It displays the text surrounding the search term, so users can skim results the same way they skim text search results to assess relevance and it allows users to listen to the most relevant sections of their search results by simply clicking on any word in the search result and beginning audio playback from there.
From the PodZinger site, users can also subscribe to podcasts, download or listen to them, and even have PodZinger automatically deliver new podcasts on their own topics of interest using standard RSS feeds. Podcasters who have already discovered PodZinger have submitted their podcasts directly to PodZinger for indexing and have placed the PodZinger search box on their sites so their listeners can search their podcasts easily.
E-Arena for Negotiating Meeting Venues
American Express Business Travel is making available the first electronic solution for negotiating corporate meeting venues. The new American Express electronic auction (e-auction) solution brings corporations and hoteliers together in a transparent Internet arena, providing greater visibility into the venue bid negotiation process.
Using the American Express e-auction solution for meetings management is straightforward. First, corporate buyers identify a threshold volume for meetings and events that must be competitively bid via the e-auction tool. For each unique event, American Express Business Travel procurement specialists then initiate a site search based on the client’s stated meeting requirements, preferred supplier strategy and travel policy. Based on the tailored availability report generated, the buyer narrows its venue options down to a short list of suppliers and properties that appear best prepared to provide the value clients require. Finally, American Express hosts the actual e-auction via a secure extranet-site allowing the buyer to customize the bid process and receive a formal offer within minutes.
Free Investment Software
Traders are invited to download the latest release of the Market Toolbox Desktop Financial Portal from Investing Systems. The Market Toolbox features everything from real-time quotes and charts, interactive java charts, links to most of the major markets in the world and to a plethora of financial websites.
The Market Toolbox Desktop Financial Portal features commentary from some of the best traders in the world and even streaming audio from a wide variety of financial webcasts. Get the Market Toolbox free at www.The-Market-Toolbox.com.
Crayola Colors the World of Music
GPX (www.gpx.com) has announced that it will be bringing to market in Fall 2006 its Crayola-branded products, all guaranteed to wake the senses. Children will be able to add their own decorative touches to many of the products. The Crayola line-up will include:
• A 13-inch TV/DVD combo with remote control.
• A Clock Radio with a voice recording feature for a customize wake-up.
• A one-button MP3 Player that allows sharing with a dual headphone jack.
• A CD Boombox that offers a dry erase board for expression, storage compartment and dual headphone jacks.
• A CD/AM/FM radio player, a pocket radio, calculator and On the Go AM/FM water resistant radio.
