Radio: Founder and CEO, Jonathan Kessler, on Hand Eye Technologies' Smartphone-Driven ITV Platform

San Francisco-based start-up, Hand Eye Technologies, has developed a software platform, called Hand Eye Interactive Technology (HIT), which enables viewers to use their camera-equipped smartphones to interact with highlighted hotspot objects on the TV screen (note: according to the company, the technology works with almost any video display system, including projection displays and computer monitors, in addition to LCD and plasma TV sets). The platform generated quite a bit of buzz when it debuted at The TV of Tomorrow Show 2009 in March. The complete HIT system consists of client software resident on the smartphone device used for on-screen targeting, and server software resident on the set-top box or other device controlling the TV or video display. According to the company, patent-pending image processing technology ascertains the specific on-screen object that the viewer is pointing to, determines screen location, and discerns potential and possible actions for each encoded on-screen object. Uses for the HIT system, which also features bookmarking capabilities, include tcommerce, interactive advertising and product placement.

In this recorded episode of [itvt]'s talk radio show, "The TV of Tomorrow Show with Tracy Swedlow," Hand Eye Technologies' founder and CEO, Jonathan Kessler, provides an in-depth overview of his company and its technology. Topics covered include the company's business plan, its funding, the advantages it claims for smartphone- over remote control-driven interaction, the current state of the smartphone ecosystem (standards, carriers' attitude towards innovation, etc.), and much, much more.