Universal Electronics expects to sign a U.S. distributor next week ...

in Europe for about 3 weeks, will target the custom installation market in the U.S., Product Development Vp Ramzi Ammari said. The device was unveiled at CES in Jan. and builds on the Nevo 2.0 embedded software that was introduced last year in Hewlett-Packard’s iPaq handheld PC. NevoSL has access to an updatable database of 200,000 infrared codes for 2,400 brands and 175,000 models of CE products and can communicate via IR and wireless. The remote has physical buttons and also features a 3.5” touch screen LCD with 320x240 resolution to display virtual buttons. These buttons can be configured with a CD packaged with it, and connected by USB 1.1 port to a Windows-based PC to create customized channel lists. The NevoSL has 64 MB of RAM, 32 MB flash and a 203 MHz Samsung processor and is compatible with RealNetworks’ Rhapsody music service. While Universal has had discussions regarding developing OEM versions of NevoSL, the device will retain its own brand for now, Ammari said. Universal continues to ship a “fair number” of Nevo 2.0 modules to HP for use in the iPaq Mobile Media Companion rx3000 series, but the device appears to shifting toward a smart phone design, Ammari said. Universal has no immediate plans for a smart phone version of its Nevo software, he said. Meanwhile, Universal has signed an OEM agreement with Brillian to deliver an 8-function version of its Kameleon universal remote for the company’s LCoS-based 65W rear projection TV, Ammari said. The remote will contain a 2-3” electroluminescent screen manufactured by Pelican. It has a similar pact with LodgeNet for a 2-function remote used in hotels and will announce an agreement in Aug. with a “major” CE company, whom Ammari declined to identify. Universal also has moved the focus of subsidiary SimpleDevices, a development firm it acquired last fall, to embedded software for CE products and cable set-top boxes, Ammari said. Universal expects to land initial agreements for SimpleDevices’ embedded software within 2-3 months, Ammari said. SimpleDevices, which Universal acquired for $12.5 million last fall including Rockford Corp.’s 51% stake in the firm, previously marketed Linux- based SimpleWare and SimpleMedia streaming software to CE, PC and automotive OEMs. Rockford deployed SimpleDevices software in Omnifi digital audio streamers, products it continues to sell. Universal has no immediate plans to release the wireless game controller it demonstrated last year with Digeo. While the controllers were integrated with its Extensible Multimedia Protocal technology for wireless gaming, Ammari conceded the market “hasn’t taken off as we expected” and Digeo hasn’t deployed the product.