Hillcrest Labs Celebrates Dads and Grads With $49 Promotion of the Loop(TM) Pointer

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In advance of Father's Day and graduation ceremonies across the country, Hillcrest Labs today launched a special $49 promotion for its award-winning Loop™ pointer, an in-air mouse designed for the millions of consumers who enjoy viewing online content on their PC or Mac® connected to a TV. The Loop will be available for $49 starting today – a fifty dollar savings from its usual price. It can be purchased via Hillcrest Labs or Amazon.com.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100503/SF97156)

Recent research reports indicate the growing popularity of people using their TVs as display screens for their computers. In Deloitte's, "State of the Media Democracy Survey Fourth Edition," December 2009, the firm found that 74% of Millennials (ages 14-26) would like to connect their televisions to the Internet. In Forrester Research's report, "How Consumers Get Online Video to The TV," June 8, 2009, the firm estimates that nearly 9 million homes in the US watch at least some online video on a TV set in a typical month. With the iconic Loop pointer, dads and graduating seniors have an engaging new way to search, browse, and navigate the Web on TV.

"Parents, relatives and friends of graduating seniors know how integral the Internet is to the daily lives of these young people. As such, the Loop pointer makes a unique, affordable gift for graduates who will rely on their computers as a primary source of entertainment in their dorm rooms or their living rooms," said Chad Lucien, vice president of Freespace® products at Hillcrest Labs. "The Loop pointer is also an ideal gift for the tech-savvy dad this Father's Day. In addition to controlling online content on the TV screen, the Loop is a unique, eye-catching device that can be used in the lecture hall or the board room."

The Loop pointer allows users to control an on-screen cursor with the flick of their wrist and target individual pixels and links on the screen with ease. Users can relax comfortably, hold the Loop pointer in any position, and control their favorite online video sites, software programs, photo sites, music sites, and more. The stylish in-air mouse was named a CES 2010 Innovations Award Honoree and is powered by Hillcrest's patented Freespace technology. Incorporating Freespace in-air pointing and motion-control technology enables the highly precise Loop pointer to distinguish between intentional and unintentional movements and gives users the freedom to move around the room at a range of up to 30 feet. To use the Loop pointer, consumers simply plug a small, USB 2.0 transceiver that is included with the product into a compatible computer or device. As with a conventional mouse, no special driver software is required for use on a PC or Mac.

While the Loop can be used with any variety of software or Internet browsers, it is ideal for use with Hillcrest's free Kylo™ Web browser for TV. Kylo lets users visit any site on the Web with a browser that was specifically designed to be viewed from a distance in the living room or dorm room. The Loop and Kylo provide dads and grads with an affordable and compelling new way to view and interact with online content on a PC or Mac connected to the TV.

The Loop pointer is available for purchase at www.hillcrestlabs.com/loop or www.amazon.com. The Kylo browser is available for free via download at www.kylo.tv. Additional details about Hillcrest Labs are available at www.hillcrestlabs.com.

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: Eastman Kodak, Logitech, Universal Electronics (UEI), and ZillionTV. 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 Loop pointer, Kylo browser 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