Avoca VIP Music Edition System Introduced

Fast, Convenient, User-Friendly New System Brings Voice Control and Voice Search to Home Listening and Personal Music Collections

Avoca Semiconductor Inc. (Avoca), a leading designer of voice-enabled user interface solutions, will launch its new VIP Music Edition™ at the CEDIA Expo in Denver, Colorado, Sept. 4th, 2008. The new Avoca system is an extraordinary residential music control system designed for living rooms and fast, convenient, transparent use. It turns a CD collection into a fully, immediately accessible digital library through a unique touch-and-talk interface that delivers the best available system for conveniently operating and enjoying home music collections.

The VIP Music Edition consists of a VIP Music Player, a wireless VIP Music Companion (MC™), and the unique Say it-Play it™ control interface. The Music Player plays CDs on a slot-loading, front-panel CD Player, stores a copy in lossless digital format in its built-in hard drive, and plugs into any stereo or audio system via RCA or optical cable connections. Once a CD is loaded into the Music Player’s disc storage, building a digital library becomes as easy as simply listening to the music.

The VIP Music Companion is a wireless handheld controller equipped with Avoca’s touch-and-talk interface and a large, bright 3.0 x 2.25-inch touch-screen. The screen provides a portable browsing list of its owner’s music library by genre, artist, album, or track. By touch or voice, users can control their audio environments, from anywhere in a home, without depending on a direct line of sight to the Avoca Music Player, or to the TV to see a music list.

The Say it-Play it Interface on the MC Controller responds to simple, intuitive voice commands like: “Play The Eagles,” “Play the Boss,” “Set volume to 8,” “Display by Artist” and “Queue Yesterday.” The responsive voice control makes browsing music collections fast, convenient and fun, while bypassing the menu trees and avoiding the delays of traditional interfaces. Users can also attach nicknames or shorter names to music items, making them even more convenient to select.

“Consumers already love Avoca’s new system,” said Avoca President Iain Scott. “Millions of CD collections out there are underutilized, yet they contain treasured memories. Our VIP family of products provides advanced technology designed for residential living spaces, including dedicated music rooms, not the computer corner. The VIP Music Edition makes it easy to slip in a CD, play your music, and create an advanced digital music entertainment system while having fun with family and friends.”

Early customers have found the VIP Music Edition a pleasure to use. “The Avoca system works like a charm!” said Larry Sargent from Ottawa, Ontario. “It provides the best audio convenience & performance I could imagine. And we all enjoy having the voice search interface.”

The VIP Music Edition is available now from authorized Avoca dealers at suggested prices starting at $3,990. It can be seen with Avoca’s other innovative products at Booth 1095, Denver Convention Center, during the CEDIA Expo show, September 4-7, 2008.

About Avoca
Avoca Semiconductor Inc., based in Ottawa, Ontario, is a designer of systems with Voice Control & Search Technology (VCST), a new category of user interface technology that helps individuals find, select, and enjoy their digital media, and control other home electronics. In 2006, Avoca won an IEEE Ottawa Section Award for innovation in developing the Avoca VIPTM family, its voice interface platform solution. In 2007 Avoca was chosen among early stage companies as one of the 2007-08 winners in the competition for Canada’s Top 10 Technology Companies. This competition is organized annually by OCRI, the globally respected Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation. More information can be found at www.avocasemi.com.