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We recently returned from CES 2011 with our first exhibition since our “pre-launch” display at CES 2009. Merely walking in the door at CES is enough to cause a spike in brainwaves…and blood pressure. But exhibiting there is quite an undertaking for a small company like ours. The 2011 experience caused us to look back on the long and winding road we’ve traveled since our last CES foray two years ago.
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CES 2009 was well before our beta and retail product launch. We were fresh-eyed, full of vigor and eager to show the Vue concept to the tech world. The 2011 edition of CES was our opportunity to roll-out our Gen 2 stuff and show the tech universe that we hadn’t been resting on our laurels. This time, we had a few more lines around the eyes and were more seasoned with stories of the where/what/how’s of Vue. In ’09, the full-scale consumer concept of Vue was unproven on a mass scale. In ’11, we were gratified to have several Vue users stop by our booth and tell us how they were using their system.
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Bringing new technology to the mass market is often quite a journey. We were a small company at our previous CES…and we’re still a small company, with big partners now. We were honored to be part of a much larger company this year, displaying our wares as part of the spacious Qualcomm exhibit.
As the famous philosopher Indiana Jones once said, “it’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” Seems like we’ve covered a lot of miles since our first CES…and we’re just gettin’ warmed up.
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Vue Gen 2 is here – featuring motion detection cameras!
In the year since Vue introduced easy-to-install wireless video monitoring, we listened to user feedback and have now integrated many of the top requests into our new Gen 2 systems.
The top request was for cameras with motion sensors. But it wasn’t that easy. Vue technology was always designed to be completely WIRE-FREE. And integrating a motion sensor requires more power. The new Vue CM Motion Detection Camera is still wire-free, utilizing a 2-cell design. Installation is still incredibly easy with no wires, no power cords, no software…no hassles.
The entire camera and system line also features a fresh new look with a luminous pearl gray finish. People may glance at a Vue camera on the wall and wonder if it’s art or technology. It’s both!
Vue has evolved. And we adhered to the original precepts of designing a completely wire-free remote video monitoring system while making it attractive enough to integrate nicely into homes and offices.
The launch of Vue Gen 2 is truly moving. We appreciate the valuable feedback and insights of our many users. We sincerely thank you and wish you a Happy New Year!
Looking to add a new furry member to the family? Avaak is teaming up this month with Adopt-A-Pet.com to make animal adoption more rewarding than ever!
From November 17 till December 15, 2010, anyone who adopts a dog or a cat through Adopt-A-Pet.com’s free online service can enter to win a “New Parent” care package featuring a one-year supply of dog or cat food (sponsored by Purina), a six-month supply of topical flea and tick control treatment for dogs or cats, and the award-winning Vue personal video network. We’re very proud to partner with Adopt-a-Pet.com—a non-profit pet adoption charity that helps shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies connect their homeless pets with adopters online—and look forward encouraging hundreds of families nationwide to “paws” and give thanks this winter by bringing home a pet in need.
The contest is easy, and fun:
- Simply search for a dog or cat via Adopt-a-Pet.com’s free search function from now till December 15 and look for an ideal match. Once found, click “Print Pet Info” on the left-hand side of the page and save to later verify proof of adoption, then proceed in contacting the shelter or rescue group to bring your new family member home.
- Once the adoption is complete, log on to our Contest Entry Page and fill out the short form to be entered to win one of four prize packages.
Two lucky grand prize winners will receive:
(1) A 12-month supply of dog or cat food, sponsored by Purina
(2) A six-month supply of topical flea and tick control treatment for dogs or cats
(3) One Vue personal video network, a wireless camera system that provides the easiest way to remotely check-in on new pets from any Internet browser and many smartphones
In addition, two lucky runners up will receive:
(1) A 12-month supply of dog or cat food, sponsored by Purina
(2) One Vue personal video network
The official contest will run from 12:00 a.m. on Nov. 17 to 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 15. Winners will be selected at random and notified via e-mail. All winners must provide verification of adoption to claim their prize.
So don’t delay, “Paws” to make this holiday season a memorable one by adopting your new dog or cat through Adopt-a-Pet.com. Visit the official contest page to enter.
The arrival of Labor Day marks the end of the dog days of Summer – or the “Dock Days of Summer” for boat lovers. Many Vue users have told us how they rely on their wireless personal video network to remotely check on their coveted watercraft.
According to one Vue user who placed the cameras at their second home, the wire-free battery-powered cameras were a definite benefit.
“I had them pointed at different areas around the house and also at my boats so that I could check on them (make sure they’re still floating, covered, etc.) from home.” He added, “It was great since I do not have power on my dock I was finally able to position a camera down there to view the boats.”
A sailing enthusiast told us how he uses Vue to monitor his sailboat from 1,000 miles away.
“The marina I am in has high-speed wireless Internet and I networked my boat and connected your cameras,” he described. “I gave your specifications to the marina ISP provider and they said your automatic feed cycle plus low bandwidth requirements were very compatible with their system,” he continued. “I like the product so much I have ordered an additional 4 cameras that I plan to mount on the boat so I can view critical system functions.”
“I’ve been using the Vue cams to keep a remote eye on our lakehouse property while we are away during the week,” another Vue user related. “One cam is set up inside with a view of the Great Room. A second Vue cam is set in a window with a view of the dock. I can check and make sure that the boat is OK, especially after storms. But mostly I just look out at the lake wishing I was there,” he wistfully commented.
Vue is the perfect monitoring system for all kinds of enthusiasts. Tell us if you’re sitting in your office watching your garage full of Harleys on remote video and whistling Born to be Wild. Or maybe you’re humming Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay while staring at the lake…tearfully.
On a holiday like Independence Day, it’s easy to be cute and write about how Vue lets you “declare your independence from wires!” But today we’d rather use this space to salute our users who are serving in far away places to help preserve our independence.
We are humbled that Vue is being utilized by all kinds of people for all kinds of personal situations. We’ve heard a few stories from military families about using Vue to check in from halfway around the world to see what’s happening back home. One such user took the time to write in, and we’d like to thank him with a mini-profile.
In his civilian job, Dr. Jeffrey Snyder is Deputy First Class, Aviation/Tactical, with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, Florida. He graciously took the time to send us an email about how he uses Vue. His note arrived shortly before his overseas deployment as 2LT, Operations Officer in the US Army Reserve.
“Upon opening the box from the mail, I was literally connected and watching my home on my computer and iPhone within five minutes,” Dr., or 2LT Snyder wrote. “The picture quality is awesome and the flexibility is second to none.”
Only days later, he let us know that, “I just installed (if you can even call it that) two more cameras in the house and have full coverage of the areas I need most…almost too easy!”
Jeffrey and wife Dimitra related a funny story about a special use for Vue with their dog Bravo.
“I figured out that if the phone rings, Bravo gets up to see if it is the door. So if I see him on the couch (which is frequent), I call the house so he gets up to see if it happens to be the doorbell. Your fine cameras are also keeping the ‘couch hair factor’ down to a minimum!”
As a small technology company immersed in the details of launching a new consumer product, it’s gratifying to hear how people are using your little product as an integral part of their lives. We love hearing how users benefit from seeing their families and their stuff from anywhere…even the other side of the world as Jeff (we’re now on a friendly first name basis) conveyed to us.
“I must reiterate my extreme pleasure for your fine product, look forward to expanding my cameras, and will gladly tell all of my friends about your wonderful product. I am breathing a bit easier knowing that even though I will be deployed to the other end of the world, I will be able to be an active member of my family’s security and well being. Thank you again!!!”
No…THANK YOU, Jeff! And on this patriotic holiday, thank you and all our military forces for your service to our country!!
As the intensity of the World Cup ramps up, it seems that San Diego is THE most exuberant soccer TV market in the US. In a blog posting by Bruce V. Bigelow at xconomy.com, he cites San Diego as not just a hotbed of innovation, but also of the FIFA games. He reports that Nielsen rated San Diego as the No. 1 US market for the three televised US matches.
It’s not surprising, when you stroll through a food court in heart of Sorrento Valley, the home of the San Diego Tech Center, and home of Vue. It’s a cross-section of humanity as the tech community lures the best and brightest tech talent from across the globe to bask in the SoCal sun and engineer cool mobile phones and electronic devices. Soccer jerseys are practically de rigueur tech valley uniforms these days…along with the ubiquitous hoodies.
Bruce spoke with a few CEOs of San Diego tech and life sciences companies about their World Cup enthusiasm. One of those he interviewed was Gioia Messinger of Vue parent company, Avaak…
— Gioia Messinger, founding CEO of Avaak, which specializes in Web-based video technology, tells me, “I am a fan because I grew up in Latin America [Bolivia] so soccer is in my blood. I am predicting Brazil or Argentina as the ultimate winner.” With the 2006 World Cup finalists France and Italy both knocked out in first-round competition, she adds, “You could argue that this is the best World Cup ever for Latin American teams.” Messinger, who was attending the Red Herring North American 100 conference at the Hotel del Coronado, says all of the TVs in the hotel were tuned to the U.S.-Algeria match Wednesday, and “the whole room erupted” at the conference when the U.S. scored. (Gioia, who made a presentation about Avaak at the conference, says her company also scored when Avaak was named as one of the “Red Herring 100″ for North America.)
Read Bruce’s full blog entry at xconomy.com.
No matter how you look at it, Dad deserves something special for Father’s Day. And this week only, you can give him a Vue 2-camera system at a $50 discount!
Dad is always telling you he has eyes in the back of head…and now he can have them anywhere at anytime with tiny Vue wireless remote video cameras. He can put one in the garage to check up on his “toys.” How about one in his hobby shop so he can watch paint dry…literally. Or one in the “man cave” to keep an eye on his classic vinyl collection.
Vue also lets him see backyard batting practice live from the office. Could Grandpa use a Vue wireless camera system to see what he’s missing with the kids? There are so many uses, let your imagination run wild.
But here is a little warning about getting Vue for Dad – setup and camera mounting is so easy that he can’t really call it a project. If he has a high-speed internet connection, he will be viewing live streaming video from any computer browser or iPhone in mere minutes. But that leaves more time for big projects like the new bathroom faucet.
Hurry…the $50 savings will expire at midnight on Father’s Day! Just visit our secure Online Store, add a Vue 2-camera system to your cart, and the discount will automatically be applied at checkout. It’s that easy!
Busy days. Busy schedules. Busy families. The summer “vacation” may actually be a busier time for many people. And Vue can help!
Point a Vue wireless camera at the backyard to watch the kids take batting practice while you’re still at work. Stuck in traffic on your way to the cookout? See if the burgers are ready yet – remotely on your iPhone with a quick view of the Vue “grill cam.” Make sure the pool guy shows up when he’s supposed to.
 - Image by zisk0 via Flickr
Lazy days. Hazy days of summer. Check in at the beach house to see how the waves are rolling. Take a look at the lake dock to see how the boat fared in the last storm. You can do that with Vue.
Vue even travels with you so the family left behind can see what they’re missing. Toss a Vue system in your suitcase and you can easily set it up in any hotel room with an internet connection. Since Vue cameras are completely wireless, it’s very easy to place them so you can check your room from a computer browser or iPhone while you’re out. Or set up a time-lapse recording to make sure everything stays safe in your room.
What can you do with your Vue during the busy days…lazy days…vacation days of summer? Tell us.
UPDATE: Woops! Looks like the parade veered from its published route and turned a block before it was supposed to. So although the Vue cameras were ready and streaming, we unfortunately weren’t able to bring you footage from the actual parade. But, we hope you enjoyed the view of the ocean!
How about a dog’s eye view of a pet parade…LIVE! Vue was designed to let people “see what they’re missing.” And that’s especially true for live events like birthday parties, anniversaries, an epic backyard croquet match…or a pet parade in downtown La Jolla, CA.
This Sunday, May 23rd, the second annual La Jolla Pet Parade will take place to benefit SNAP – the Spay Neuter Action Project. Vue will be streaming two live cameras to give viewers both a street-level and sky view as the parade passes by. The pets and owners are expected to pass the Vue location about 11:30 AM PDT with the parade lasting less than an hour. This year’s theme is “the beach” so you may see dogs with surfboards and cats with sunglasses.
Take a look to see this live event at VueZone.com/petparade…dude!
That means absolutely nothing…except that you’ll say “Wow” about the $50 savings this week when you give Mom a Vue system for Mother’s Day!
You know Mom loves her garden. She loves her pets. And she especially loves her kids! Vue lets her see all the things she loves anytime…from any computer or iPhone.
Maybe Mom would love to see her Mom, too. Vue wire-free cameras are easy to install to check on Grandma. Make sure she’s getting around every day and taking her medication. See if her caregivers are showing up on time and doing their job.
But hurry…the $50 savings will expire at midnight on Mother’s Day! Just visit http://vuezone.com/momsday2010 to take advantage. Then Mom will say “Wow” when she gets to see all the stuff she loves with Vue!
The Vue Product Team
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