QNX and Gracenote Demonstrate Intelligent Music Navigation and Playlisting for In-Car Consumer Devices

QNX and Gracenote Demonstrate Intelligent Music Navigation and Playlisting for In-Car Consumer Devices

LAS VEGAS, Consumer Electronics Show 2007, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- - QNX Software Systems, the leading OS provider for the in-car infotainment market, and Gracenote, a global leader in digital entertainment technology and content, will demonstrate the latest technologies for navigating and automating the playback of music content on portable and low-end consumer devices connected to a car entertainment system.

Using the high-performance QNX(R) Neutrino(R) realtime operating system, Gracenote will feature their Playlist Plus(TM) embedded playlist generation solution. Playlist Plus is designed for devices such as car stereos that do not have the Internet connectivity, CPU resources, or disk drive storage to support traditional disk or file recognition solutions. Playlist Plus will automatically catalog the contents of portable audio devices connected to the car stereo; normalize the artist name data for easy navigation; associate descriptive information such as genre, era, and origin with each song; and support automatic "More Like This" playlist generation. For instance, users can simply plug in a portable MP3 player or music phone to a Playlist Plus- enabled car stereo, and instantly play just those songs that are most similar to a highlighted or currently playing song.

At CES, Gracenote's Playlist Plus demonstration takes advantage of QNX Software System's powerful new multimedia capabilities - a full-featured embeddable media player and supporting multimedia software that enables device manufacturers to build next-generation digital entertainment platforms. QNX Software System's multimedia solution allows system designers to easily build in intelligent connectivity, full customization, and unparalleled control for portable, in-home, or in-car applications.

"QNX offers the perfect platform upon which partners like Gracenote can deliver sophisticated capabilities for the constrained environments of mobile and automotive devices," said Linda Campbell, director of strategic alliances and segment marketing, QNX Software Systems. "Together, the QNX Multimedia Platform and Gracenote's customizable, automotive-grade playlisting technologies enable a user to experience the ultimate in music personalization - something that the market is demanding more and more."

"Gracenote is pleased to bring our leadership in intelligent embedded music management solutions into new automotive applications with a recognized industry innovator like QNX Software Systems," said Jim Hollingsworth, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Gracenote. "Our experience with digital music and content gained in the automotive, consumer electronics, and content provider industries, coupled with QNX's deep knowledge of the unique characteristics of embedded and in-car devices, makes our partnership ideal for enriching the user experience for digital entertainment."

Gracenote's Playlist Plus together with the QNX multimedia demo can be seen during CES, Las Vegas, January 8 - 11, 2007, South Hall 4, Booth 36058.

About Gracenote

Gracenote is a leader in global digital entertainment technology. Formerly known as CDDB, Gracenote provides businesses with critical embedded software and metadata that enable consumers to better manage, enjoy and discover digital media. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, Gracenote also has offices in New York, Tokyo, Berlin and Seoul. Gracenote's solutions are embedded in leading media players such as Apple iTunes, Yahoo Music Engine, RealNetworks Rhapsody, Napster and AOL Winamp, as well as software applications for Creative and iRiver portable devices. Gracenote's technology powers leading home and automobile consumer electronics brands such as Alpine, Denon and Marantz, Kenwood, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, Sony and Yamaha, as well as international mobile music applications for KDDI (Japan), KTF (Korea), Musiwave (Portugal), Oi (Brazil) and Sony-Ericsson. For more information about Gracenote, please refer to www.gracenote.com/corporate/.

About QNX Software Systems

QNX Software Systems, a Harman International company (NYSE:HAR), is the industry leader in realtime, embedded OS technology. The component-based architectures of the QNX(R) Neutrino(R) RTOS and QNX Momentics(R) development suite together provide the industry's most reliable and scalable framework for building innovative, high-performance embedded systems. Global leaders such as Cisco, DaimlerChrysler, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens depend on QNX technology for network routers, medical instruments, vehicle telematics units, security and defense systems, industrial robotics, and other mission- or life-critical applications. Founded in 1980, QNX Software Systems is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and distributes products in over 100 countries worldwide.

Reader Information
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Email: info@qnx.com

Editorial Contacts
Jennifer Barlow or Bill Keeler
Schwartz Communications
+1 781 684-0770
qnx@schwartz-pr.com

Paul Leroux
QNX Software Systems
+1 613 591-0931
paull@qnx.com

QNX, Momentics, and Neutrino are trademarks of QNX Software Systems GmbH & Co. KG, registered in certain jurisdictions and are used under license. All other trademarks and trade names belong to their respective owners.

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Source: QNX Software Systems

CONTACT: reader information, www.qnx.com, or info@qnx.com, or editorial,
Jennifer Barlow or Bill Keeler of Schwartz Communications, +1-781-684-0770, or
qnx@schwartz-pr.com, both for QNX Software Systems, or Paul Leroux of QNX
Software Systems, +1-613-591-0931, or paull@qnx.com

Web site: http://www.qnx.com/
http://www.gracenote.com/corporate

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