CSR plc (LSE:CSR)(NASDAQ:CSRE) today announced that NEC CASIO Mobile
Communications has deployed CSR’s CSR8000TM connectivity
platform along with CSR SynergyTM for Android software for
its innovative new MEDIAS Android smart phone for winter 2011/12. The
MEDIAS is the first Android phone capable of connecting via Bluetooth
Low Energy (BTle) to a variety of low-power peripherals and accessories,
such as the new NEC CASIO Mobile Communications "Remoppi”. The Remoppi
is a small CSR-powered key ring remote that enables users to find lost
phones or keys, and be alerted to incoming email or calls when their
phones are out of reach.
"CSR was the only provider who could offer an innovative solution with
everything we needed to quickly and seamlessly deliver connectivity with
low-power consumption for our new smart phone and accessories,” said
Mitsuhiro Hirashima, General Manager for NEC CASIO Mobile
Communications. "This offering is one of a great many new innovations
made possible by Bluetooth low energy that will change the way consumers
interact with their mobile handsets, and make life more convenient for
them.”
CSR Delivers Connectivity
The connectivity for the new MEDIAS is provided via the CSR8811TM
Smart Ready Bluetooth 4.0 device and is the first commercially available
Android smartphone to support the Phone Alert Status, Proximity, FindMe,
Alert Notification and Time Bluetooth low energy profiles, which make it
possible to connect to a number of new peripheral devices in use cases
where battery life was previously a concern. Examples include: proximity
tags such as the Remoppi; wrist watches that connect wirelessly to smart
phones for time synchronisation or notification of incoming calls and
last for years on the same battery; heart monitors that keep you in the
zone when going for a run; and pedometers and other sporting devices
that relay relevant information to users’ phones and more.
Many Bluetooth Low Energy accessories coming to market – including the
NEC CASIO Mobile Communications Remoppi – are developed using CSR
µEnergy® single-mode Bluetooth Low Energy platform’s CSR1000TM.
The CSR µEnergy single platform has been optimised to support only
Bluetooth Low Energy features, allowing products to not be limited by
size constraints, but be cost-effective and power-efficient to run for
years on a single-coin cell battery. The platform offers single-mode
chips that complement CSR8000 dual mode offerings to provide a complete
range of Bluetooth Low Energy solutions - making CSR one of the few
companies that delivers an end-to-end Bluetooth Smart and Smart Ready
solution.
CSR was the first company to qualify a Bluetooth low energy software
solution for Android, with its CSR Synergy for Android product. The
latest version of Android OS, as it stands today, does not yet have this
Bluetooth low energy (BTle) software support built in. The CSR8811 is
used in conjunction with CSR Synergy for Android systems software to
enable the BTle support for the MEDIAS. The package speeds and
simplifies the integration of multiple wireless technologies, speeding
time-to-market and reducing development cost by including everything
from low-level transport drivers, advanced connectivity stacks to high
level UI add-ons for Android. The combination of the CSR8811 and CSR
Synergy for Android enables NEC CASIO Mobile Communications as well as
other third party application developers to innovate with their own
unique BTle applications, bringing a richer feature set to end-users
more quickly and seamlessly.
"The new NEC CASIO Mobile Communications MEDIAS smartphone represents an
early example of how new-generation connectivity solutions and Bluetooth
standards are helping to expand the application variety and usefulness
of digital devices in fundamental ways,” said Ahmet Alpdemir, Senior
Vice President for CSR Mobile. "The pairing of the MEDIAS smartphone
with the Remoppi solves a frustrating challenge - losing cell phones or
keys - and is one of many ingenious and truly helpful new use cases
we’ll see over the coming months.”
About NEC CASIO Mobile Communications, Ltd.
NEC CASIO Mobile Communications provides innovative mobile handsets for
major wireless providers in Japan and the U.S.A. The company was
established in 2010 after spinning off from NEC Corporation’s mobile
handset business. Later that year, it merged with Casio Hitachi Mobile
Communications Co., Ltd. a joint venture between Casio Computer Co.,
Ltd., and Hitachi, Ltd. NEC CASIO Mobile Communications aims to build an
enriched communication linked society utilising mobile handset solutions
crafted from imagination and creativity. For more information, go to http://www.nec-casio-mobile.com/
About CSR
CSR is a global provider of innovative silicon and software solutions
for the location-aware, media-rich, cloud-connected world. Our platforms
are optimised for the automotive navigation and infotainment,
digital cameras and imaging, connected home infotainment and wireless
audio markets. We provide solutions to complex problems in the
audio-visual, connectivity and location technology domains across a
broad range of markets, with a technology portfolio that includes GPS/GNSS
systems, Bluetooth®,
Wi-Fi®, FM, NFC, aptX ® and CVCTM
audio
codecs, JPEG, MPEG, H.264 imaging, IPS printing, microcontrollers,
DSPs and broadband receivers. CSR's technology solutions and market
platforms enable its customers to deliver a superior user experience and
are adopted by leaders in the auto, computer, home and mobile markets.
More information can be found at www.csr.com.
Keep up to date with CSR on our blog,
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains certain statements (including, statements
concerning plans and objectives of management for future operations or
performance, or assumptions related thereto) that are 'forward-looking
statements' within the meaning of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 in relation to the future performance and
outlook of CSR's connectivity platforms and software solutions, their
performance characteristics in customer's products, as well as other
future events and their potential effects on CSR. These forward-looking
statements can be identified by words such as ’will,’ ‘deliver,’ 'to
enhance,’ ‘to enable,’ and other similar expressions regarding the
performance characteristics of CSR’s products and solutions, and their
potential effects on CSR. Any future release of CSR's connectivity
platforms and software solution or related products or modifications to
such products’ capability, functionality or features are subject to
ongoing evaluation by CSR and its customers, and may or may not be
implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by CSR and
should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. Such
forward-looking statements represent the current expectations and
beliefs of management of CSR, and are based upon numerous assumptions
regarding CSR’s business strategies and the environment in which CSR
will operate and therefore involve a number of known and unknown risks,
contingencies, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond
the control of CSR, including, but not limited to, those detailed from
time to time in CSR’s periodic reports (whether under the caption Risk
Factors or Forward-Looking Statements or elsewhere), which are available
at the SEC’s web site http://www.sec.gov.
Each forward looking statement speaks only as of the date hereof. CSR
does not undertake to release publicly any updates or revisions to any
forward looking statements contained herein, otherwise than required by
law.
Bluetooth® and the Bluetooth logos are trademarks owned by Bluetooth
SIG, Inc. and licensed to CSR.
Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access®, WPA®, WPA2®,
Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ and Wi-Fi Multimedia™ are trademarks of the Wi-Fi
Alliance.
Android® is a trademark owned by Google Inc.
MEDIAS™ is a trademark owned by NEC Casio Mobile Communications, Ltd.
Other products, services and names used in this document may have been
trademarked by their respective owners.
