SHARP’S AQUOS NET BRINGS INTERNET CONTENT, REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS, TO AQUOS®
LCD TVS AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON
AQUOS LCD TV Becomes the Center of the Technologically-Advanced Household With Revolutionary
AQUOS Net
Las Vegas, January 7, 2008 –
Sharp, a worldwide leader in
flat-panel Liquid Crystal Display Televisions, changes the way consumers interact
with their television with the introduction of a revolutionary service that provides
customized Web-based content as well as real-time customer support directly on the
AQUOS television. AQUOS Net is a gateway, available through the Ethernet jack on
the television, to several unique services, and will be available on the new SE94U
and D74U AQUOS HDTV series, both being introduced at CES 2008. By integrating broadband
Internet access on the AQUOS Net enabled TV, users can view independently supplied
Web-based content that can be viewed in full screen or split screen.
"With AQUOS Net, Sharp is opening up a world of display possibilities for consumers,"
said Bob Scaglione, senior vice president and group manager, Product and Marketing
Group, Sharp Electronics Corporation. "AQUOS Net provides the ultimate in convenience,
and we intend to allow users access to important information like stock quotes,
the local weather and even the ability to receive instant advice and help to maintain
the optimal picture on their television - all without ever having to leave the TV."
Web-based Content for Live Internet Viewing
AQUOS Net enables connection to personalized content. Using this service, viewers
can configure "widgets" to check everyday information, with a push of a button on
the television’s remote control, in either full screen or split screen. Upon the
launch of AQUOS Net, Sharp intends to provide consumers with access to content from
the following providers, each will be showing AQUOS Net applications at Sharp’s
CES booth:
WeatherBug®
WeatherBug streams live neighborhood weather information to millions of consumers
and hundreds of government agencies, including the National Weather Service, from
the largest, most precise weather network in the world. These live, local weather
conditions are delivered via the Internet from a worldwide network of WeatherBug
Tracking Stations, weather sensors and cameras primarily based at neighborhood schools
and public buildings. Using AQUOS Net, users can customize their WeatherBug widget
to receive live, local weather information and camera images, daily and weekly forecasts,
live Doppler radar, and severe weather alerts for multiple locations by entering
the appropriate zip code. WeatherBug (http://www.weatherbug.com
and http://www.weatherbugprofessional.com)
is a brand of AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (http://www.aws.com).
NASDAQ
NASDAQ.com is the Web site for The Nasdaq Stock Market that allows users to track
stocks, market activity and market news. NASDAQ is the largest U.S. equities exchange.
With approximately 3,100 companies, it lists more companies and, on average, trades
more shares per day than any other U.S. market. It is home to companies that are
leaders across all areas of business including technology, retail, communications,
financial services, transportation, media and biotechnology. NASDAQ is the primary
market for trading NASDAQ-listed stocks as well as a leading liquidity pool for
trading NYSE-listed stocks. For more information about NASDAQ, visit the NASDAQ
Web site at www.nasdaq.com
UCLICK
uclick is a leading digital entertainment provider offering a broad mix of popular
comic strips for the web and mobile phones. uclick delivers entertaining comics
and games to hundreds of online clients, including major consumer and news portals
such as Yahoo!, MSNBC.com, New York Times, washingtonpost.com, CNNi, USA Today and
AOL. Their mobile division brings comic books, manga, illustration, photography,
video and games to mobile consumers worldwide. Their feature lineup includes top
brands such as Garfield, The Boondocks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TOKYOPOP,
USA Today, Pat Sajak, Mary Engelbreit, Wyland and many more. uclick's products are
available through the GoComics website, top U.S. carriers and leading distributors
worldwide. uclick is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, the leading syndicate
and publisher of humor books and calendars in North America. For more information
on uclick, visit www.uclick.com.
AQUOS Gallery
The AQUOS Gallery allows users to view beautiful high-resolution
1080p images of scenery and nature, provided by Sharp, in a slideshow format. This
feature could provide a backdrop while entertaining guests during a party, essentially
transforming the TV screen into a large piece of art.
Since AQUOS Net is customizable and upgradeable Sharp will be adding new content
services. For example, at CES, Sharp will also be showing AQUOS Net applications
from the following providers:
GalleryPlayer
GalleryPlayer, the leader in high definition art and photography for HDTV displays,
delivers a wide variety of rights-protected, premium content that will transform
any screen into a window on the world’s most exotic places and creatures, a frame
for the rarest masterpieces, or a seat right on the 50 yard line of your favorite
team. GalleryPlayer’s imagery provides high-class, personal expression to HDTV screens
of any size. With an ever growing library of full 1080p high definition imagery
you can enjoy nature, sports, and entertainment photography, not to mention renowned
works of art, from world-class content partners, including: The Museum of Modern
Art, National Geographic, Getty Images, and The New York Times.
Traffic.com
Traffic.com, a leading provider of personalized traffic information for U.S. drivers,
provides complete real-time traffic, interactive traffic mapping and custom MyTraffic™
mobile alerting for commuters across the country. Easy-to-use, highly graphical
content provides users with up-to-the-minute traffic conditions featuring metropolitan
area hotspots and patented Jam Factor® roadway congestion measurements. Traffic
details provided include drive times, accidents, construction and local events.
Traffic.com (http://www.traffic.com)
provides detailed coverage of over 100 traffic markets and dynamic content is accessible
via web, mobile, voice, and SMS.
NBC Universal
NBC Universal, a preeminent media company, has teamed up with Sharp to create websites
and text feeds specifically formatted for Sharp televisions to be showcased in a
demonstration at the 2008 International CES beginning Monday, January 7 and running
through Thursday, January 10. As part of the demonstration, NBC Universal will feature
text based news feeds from properties that include NBC Sports, "Access Hollywood,"
and MSNBC directly on Sharp televisions. Attendees will experience sporting news
feeds from NBC Sports, entertainment news from "Access Hollywood," and general news
from MSNBC.
To build the third-party community and upgrade the widgets available to consumers
through AQUOS Net, Sharp is launching an AQUOS Net developer community program that
provides a means for content developers to have their content made available for
TV viewing. To apply for the program, developers can log on to www.aquos.net/developer
to register and be evaluated for the program.
AQUOS Advantage Live for Real-Time Customer Support
To connect to AQUOS Advantage Live, a customer clicks on a designated section of
the AQUOS Net Portal Website, and a unique identifier is generated to identify the
customer’s specific television. The customer is then instructed to contact Sharp’s
AQUOS Advantage support center, and provide the unique identifier to their AQUOS
Advantage Advisor, an expert from Sharp’s AQUOS Advantage customer support center.
After gaining permission from the customer, the Advisor then has access to and control
of a specific set of advanced settings and diagnostics. Not only can the Advisor
assist customers with simple usage related inquiries such as remotely configuring
the customer’s remote control with shortcuts to their favorite broadcast channels,
they can support complex setup issues such as remotely checking to see if the customer’s
Blu-ray Disc™ player is properly connected.
Noted Charles Schaefer, senior vice president and group general manager, Sharp services
and solutions, "AQUOS Net gives Sharp the ability to provide a level of customer
support that is unprecedented in the industry. AQUOS Advantage Live is an extension
of our AQUOS Advantage Program and represents the quickest way, easiest way for
customers to get the answers they need to help maximize their high definition viewing
experience."
In addition, AQUOS Net provides consumers with instant access to important information
about their television. Consumers can find FAQ’s that explain HDMI™, HDTV and other
TV technology-related features, as well as view the user manual directly on the
AQUOS LCD-TV. A "What's New" page will also be available, outlining exciting new
products and news from Sharp.
For more information on Sharp’s industry-leading LCD technology, contact Sharp Electronics
Corporation, Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, N.J. 07430, or call 800-BE-SHARP. For online product
information, visit Sharp’s Web site at
sharpusa.com.
Through AQUOS Net, customers will have access to unparalleled customer support for
their television, including the ability to have dedicated Sharp advisors connect
remotely to their TV to assist in adjusting the TV’s settings and optimizing picture
quality for the best viewing experience. This interactive tool, known as AQUOS Advantage
Live, is easily accessible from the AQUOS Net Portal Website.
About WeatherBug
WeatherBug (weatherbug.com) ensures that individuals, schools, businesses and government
agencies receive the most precise live weather information, the most relevant weather
reports, and the earliest weather warnings to safeguard property, lives and to plan
with confidence. WeatherBug maintains the largest exclusive weather network in the
world. The live, local weather conditions are delivered to millions of consumers
via the Internet and mobile devices, more than 100 state and local government agencies,
including the National Weather Service, and to broadcast television stations, schools,
and businesses.
About AWS
AWS Convergence Technologies (www.aws.com) provides innovative global technology
solutions that profoundly improve the way people and businesses connect, communicate
and use information. Since its inception in 1992, AWS has been building consumer
and business brands, such as WeatherBug and WeatherBug Professional.
# # #
Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation,
a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home entertainment products, appliances,
networked multifunctional office solutions, solar energy solutions and mobile communication
and information tools. Leading brands include AQUOS® Liquid Crystal Televisions,
1-Bit™ digital audio products, SharpVision® projection products, Insight® Microwave
Drawer® appliances, and Notevision® multimedia projectors. For more information
visit Sharp Electronics Corporation at www.sharpusa.com.
AQUOS is a registered trademark of Sharp Corporation
HDMI, the HDMI logo and High Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks of HDMI
Licensing, LLC.
