Hillcrest Labs Named CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree in Two Product Categories

NEW YORK and ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillcrest Labs today announced that two of its products, the Freespace® MotionEngine™ and Scoop™ pointer, have each been named as International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards Honorees in two different categories.

The Freespace MotionEngine is a fully featured motion software stack that is the core of the company's patented Freespace motion product line, which enables a new generation of natural user interfaces for consumer electronics products. The Freespace MotionEngine is the same software embedded in the new line of Roku 2 streaming media players and LG's Smart TVs. Primary uses of the MotionEngine include: TV remote controls, game controllers, smartphones, tablets, and more.

The Scoop pointer is a second-generation in-air mouse with 6-axis motion control, which interfaces wirelessly to any PC, Mac®, or USB HID compatible device through a USB dongle. It allows users to control browsers, games and other apps with simple hand motions on a variety of connected devices. The Scoop is an OEM reference design for companies that need a complete off-the-shelf device for their customers and is available in a version optimized for TV viewing or as a handheld wireless presenter.

"We are honored that two of Hillcrest Labs' products have been named as 2012 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award Honorees and are delighted to have received this prestigious recognition three years in row," said Dan Simpkins, CEO and founder of Hillcrest Labs. "New products like the Freespace MotionEngine and Scoop pointer are the result of constant innovation and I'm proud of my team's ability to continuously deliver competitively priced, high performance motion solutions to our customers."

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 32 product categories.

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the producer of the International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. The Best of Innovations honor is awarded to the products with the highest judges' scores and will be featured in the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase at the 2012 International CES.

Hillcrest's Freespace MotionEngine and Scoop pointer will be displayed at the 2012 International CES, which runs January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Honorees will also be displayed at CES Unveiled: the Official Press Event of the International CES from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, January 8 in the Venetian Ballroom of the Venetian.

The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:

• Engineering qualities, based on technical specs and materials used
• Aesthetic and design qualities
• The product's intended use/function and user value
• Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive
• How the design and innovation of the product compares to other products in the marketplace

Products chosen as an Innovations honoree reflect innovative design and engineering of the entries. Examples may include the first time various technologies are combined in a single product or dramatic enhancements to previous product designs.

Innovations 2012 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.

Additional information about Hillcrest Labs can be found at www.hillcrestlabs.com. Follow Hillcrest Labs on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kylobrowser or Twitter at www.twitter.com/kylotvbrowser.

About Hillcrest Labs:

Hillcrest Laboratories (a.k.a. Hillcrest Labs) sells natural motion technology and software applications to consumer electronics manufacturers, service providers, and consumers that enable unique, interactive digital media experiences for TVs and other digital media devices. Hillcrest Labs sells and licenses its in-air pointing and motion control technology, called Freespace®, for use in a wide range of consumer devices including remote controls and game controllers for Smart TVs, streaming media players, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, PCs, and tablets. Companies that have licensed Hillcrest Labs' technology for use in their products include: Eastman Kodak, LG Electronics, Logitech, Roku, SMK, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Universal Electronics (UEI), and others. For consumers, Hillcrest Labs also offers the Kylo® browser, a free Web browser for TV. Hillcrest Labs has received numerous awards and recognitions including the prestigious CES Innovations Honoree Award multiple times, PC World's 100 Best Products and Greatest Tech Designs, Popular Mechanics' Editors Choice, ECN's Reader's Choice Tech, and many others. For additional information, visit www.hillcrestlabs.com.

Hillcrest Labs, Freespace, MotionEngine, and the Scoop are trademarks of Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Hillcrest Labs