MHL – Now That’s Music to My Ears!
By Stacey-Lee Messam, MHL Program Manager
April 4, 2013
Karaoke brings people together – whether it’s a crowded bar or in a private room, and with the smell of smoke and sweet perfume. Once that microphone is in your hands, you feel like a star, even if it’s for a brief moment. It’s a rush where you can be Hunter Hayes, Rihanna and Adam Levine if you just close your eyes and let the music take you. Now whether you actually sound like them is debatable, but it’s all in good fun!
Karaoke has come a long way since its LaserDisc days of the 1980s. Nowadays, your mobile phone is like a technological Swiss Army knife. It’s your set-top box, game console, personal assistant, and babysitter. So why wouldn’t it be your karaoke machine too? Apps like Spotify offer karaoke versions of popular songs that are mostly music with some backup vocals.
MHL technology takes that same streaming technology to the next level. Connect your smartphone to your big screen television or home theater using MHL and all of your smartphone’s content can be displayed. New karaoke apps such as Red Karaoke also show the accompanying lyrics across the big screen as the song plays out of the TV speakers or sound system. If the HDTV is MHL enabled, you can use the TV remote to control your smartphone and navigate the apps. You can also take advantage of the front-facing camera on your phone to capture your fabulous crooning self or record your friends belting out songs to use as blackmail material later (I jest!).
In fact, MHL will actually be at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, April 5-7. Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan are hosting the awards and it will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The MHL team will be brushing elbows with celebrities in The Gifting Lounge. This year, we’re doing a karaoke demo, where we’ll be singing all of the latest country songs, and encouraging performers, presenters, and award nominees to belt out some vocals too! Everyone loves a cover song at award ceremonies, right? We will be live tweeting from the event, and that includes pictures, so be sure to follow us @MeetMHL.
So tell us – is MHL music to YOUR ears – and what’s karaoke’s future thanks to this technology? Will bar owners and AV installers add wireless microphones and additional flat panel screens since it’s so low cost? Will more homes transform into private karaoke lounges at night and on the weekends sans red leather couches and disco balls? Whatever the outcome may be, I’m excited about the next time I can be Pink, even if it’s just for a moment!
Guest Blog: MOGA Mobile Gaming System
March 12, 2013
If you're reading this, we assume you already know about the magic that is MHL technology, and how it allows you to display high-def audio and video to your TV while also charging your phone!
So, let's chat about taking your mobile gaming experience to the next level. Because - let's face it, we are all on the go these days. This means accessing more info and entertainment from our mobile devices. If you're going to be gaming on the go, the MOGA Mobile Gaming System is a must-have.
What's MOGA? Let's get you in the know. Simply put, MOGA is the best game experience anywhere. Anywhere. Not only is there the state-of-the-art, portable controller (for Bluetooth enabled Android devices running 2.3 or higher), there is the MOGA Pivot App to easily help you find the latest MOGA Enhanced games on your phone or tablet. Now, add in an ever-growing library of amazing titles where each game is enhanced by its developer to take full advantage of the MOGA control schematics. All of this boils down to you, the gamer, finally being able to fully immerse yourself in the mobile gaming experience.
Here's a great example. Take a mobile game like Guild Software's 3D space-themed MMO Vendetta Online. So, you have this totally engrossing open-world universe (In. Your. Pocket.) just waiting for you to explore (and plunder!). Fantastic, you have it on the go with instant access whenever and wherever you want it. Still, no matter how engaging a game is, when you have your fingers on the screen, there is a barrier. There you are, frantically trying to finesse subtle movements for real-time combat from your touchscreen, and trying not to drop your precious device at the same time. Yeah…we know how that is…
Now, in walks MOGA. Flip open the MOGA Arm, slide your phone into the grip (holds phones up to 3.2" wide), and launch the game. Suddenly Vendetta Online is transformed into a more traditional console-style gaming experience, only you can take it wherever you go. Dual analog sticks, shoulder triggers and four action buttons make all the difference as you engage in the twitch style PvP.
And, thanks to MHL, the gaming excitement doesn't need to end when you get home. You've been playing on your phone or tablet on your daily commute, walk through your front door and - bam! - connect to your TV via MHL, and you are ready to pick back up where you left off, still playing with MOGA. Plus with up to 18 hours of battery life, you'll have plenty of time to build your space empire. The Moga controller, with MHL, delivers a quality, untethered gaming experience.
For more information about MOGA, please feel free to visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blog, or subscribe to our YouTube channel
Where’s my Cape? My girls have gymnastics tonight…
Guest Blogger: Krista Ladd, Director Social Media Marketing at Silicon Image
March 5, 2013
I am a professional woman in a dress and heels by day and a Super Mom in yoga pants and a sweatshirt by night (and weekends too!). I have two beautiful girls - 6 and 4 years old - who keep me so busy that I barely have a moment to myself, but boy do I love to show them off!
I'm not one of those moms who talks about her kids non-stop, but if you ask me how my kids are doing, well, then you've just opened one big Pandora's box. I'll show you pictures of our trips to the park, gymnastics, and soccer along with videos of our princess dress-ups and nightly dance parties. And if you're really lucky, maybe I'll show you some of the hundreds of candid shots I have.
My kids' lives are kept on my Android smartphone. All those great pictures and home videos are stored on this tiny device - like a vault of memories. Just because I'm Super Mom doesn't mean that I carry my SLR camera and camcorder around with me everywhere I go. My superhero arsenal is reserved for other mission-critical things like Band-Aids and hairbands.
Up until now, when I showed off these life moments I had to pass my smartphone around and repeat my stories over and over again like a broken record - "at the park, on our bike ride, etc., etc." - and just like what happens when I have to repeat myself with my kids, I get a little annoyed when I have to repeat myself with adults.
What solved my problem and let me share treasured photos and videos with others quickly and easily? Three letters: MHL. When my friends are over, I simply connect my phone to our HDTV and show everyone how cute my kids are in high-def. The same is true when I go to the homes of our family and friends. And my parents! Don't even get me started. They always want to see the latest pictures of the kids, and they're even more thrilled when they are shown on the big screen…it's almost like they're right there with us.
This also happens when I hang up my cape and head to the office for my day job. When my co-workers see my kids plastered all over my walls, a lot of them will ask me how they're doing. That's when I connect my smartphone to my monitor and show them the latest pictures and update them on the girls' most recent funny antics.
Take it from this working mom, MHL is a great way to share your life's moments and, as all you other moms out there know, there's a lot of moments to share. When I am not proudly showing my pictures and videos and instead just want to sit in silence, I get to use MHL to pacify my kids…..but THAT'S for my next blog. :-)
Up…up…and away! - KL