Hillcrest Labs' Kylo™ Web Browser for TV Named as CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Award Honoree

NEW YORK and ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillcrest Labs today announced that it has been named an International CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for Kylo™, the free Web browser for television. 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 35 product categories.

The Kylo Web browser for TV was developed for the millions of consumers who view online content on their PCs or Macs® connected to the TV. Kylo lets users access sites across the Internet, with a browser that was designed to provide optimized presentation of websites for viewing from a distance in the living room, family room or dorm room. The Kylo browser works with any mouse, but is ideal for use with Hillcrest's Loop pointer, the award-winning, in-air mouse that is powered by Hillcrest's Freespace® in-air pointing and motion-control technology. The Kylo Web browser for TV is available for free via download at www.kylo.tv. The Loop pointer is available for just $69 as part of a current promotion via Hillcrest Labs or Amazon.com at www.hillcrestlabs.com/loop.

"It is a great honor to be named as a CES Innovations Award Honoree for the second year in a row, first for our groundbreaking Loop pointer, and now for our Kylo TV browser," said Dan Simpkins, founder and CEO of Hillcrest Labs. "The combination of the Kylo TV browser and Loop in-air pointer lets consumers access the full Internet on TV and is an easier to use alternative compared to most costly over-the-top video peripherals."

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. It is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the producer of the International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow.

Hillcrest's Kylo browser will be displayed at the 2011 International CES, which runs January 6-9, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase will feature honorees by product category in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center and will also be featured at CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES on Tuesday, January 4.

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 Innovations honorees 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 2011 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.

About Hillcrest Labs:

Hillcrest Laboratories (a.k.a. Hillcrest Labs) sells products 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 pointing technology, called Freespace®, for use in a wide range of consumer devices including remote controls, PC mice, and game controllers. Companies that have licensed Hillcrest Labs' technology for use in their products include: LG Electronics, Eastman Kodak, Logitech, and Universal Electronics (UEI). For consumers, Hillcrest Labs sells the Loop™ pointer, an in-air mouse for TV that lets users control an onscreen cursor with a flick of the wrist and navigate the Web or their home media content on TV. Hillcrest Labs also offers the Kylo™ browser, a free Web browser for TV.

Hillcrest Labs has received numerous awards and recognitions including the CES Innovations Award, PC World's 100 Best Products and Greatest Tech Designs, Popular Mechanics' Editors Choice, ECN's Reader's Choice Tech, and many others.  Based in Rockville, Maryland, Hillcrest Labs was founded in 2001 by Dan Simpkins.  The company is funded by NEA, AllianceBernstein, Columbia Capital, and Grotech Ventures.  For additional information, visit www.hillcrestlabs.com.

All product and service names listed in this release remain property of their parent companies and do not indicate official support or endorsement for the Kylo browser, Loop pointer or Hillcrest Labs.  All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Hillcrest Labs, Freespace, the Loop pointer, and the Kylo browser are trademarks of Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.

SOURCE Hillcrest Labs