Empower Technologies Granted U.S. Design Patent on Vehicle Expansion Dock March 4, 2009 – Richmond, BC Canada – Empower Technologies (TSX.V: EPT) is pleased to announce the Company has received a patent certificate from the US Patent Office for a design patent (US Patent Number US D586,348 S) titled “Vehicle Expansion Dock”. This patent is part of a series of patent applications titled “Smart Vehicle Dock” and “Vehicle Expansion Dock Base”. The “Vehicle Expansion Dock” design patent along with the patent pending applications “Smart Vehicle Dock” and “Vehicle Expansion Dock Base” are an important invention. This invention facilitates a new and improved docking system for any vehicle to integrate personal portable electronic devices such as PNDs (Portable Navigation Devices), PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), PMPs (Personal Media Players), cellular phones, smart phones and myriad of portable devices. The Company believes vehicles will act as the portal to many personal portable devices carried by people today. The docking station(s) will be the single most important point of contact for personal portable devices to integrate with a vehicle's powerful onboard information and communication system for services such as charging, internet access, wireless communication, and content sharing. At the same time, the vehicle can also leverage the services and functions offered by the portable devices such as multimedia content, navigation, cell phone, and email. With this new design patent, Empower will re-evaluate its options to further its sales and marketing reach into the automotive industry. Empower had previously entered into a navigation software development agreement in 2007 with Navigon, Inc. and in 2008 entered into a volume software licensing agreement with Navigon. The development kit and the software subsequently delivered by Navigon to Empower did not meet the specifications set out in the agreements. Accordingly, Empower delivered to Navigon notice of termination of the 2008 Navigon Agreement by reason of Navigon's failure to meet its obligations. Navigon has claimed that it is owed license fees under the agreements. Empower is of the opinion that it owes no amounts to Navigon under the 2008 Navigon Agreement because Empower did not receive the services from Navigon for which it contracted. The Company is also pleased to announce Ms. Amy Chan has accepted the appointment as Acting Chief Financial Officer and at this time, the Company has been handling investor relations internally.
About Empower Technologies™ Founded in 2000, Empower Technologies (TSX.V: EPT) is an innovative company that brings the power and flexibility of the LEOs® (LinuxDA™ Embedded Operating System) to the dynamic embedded computing Industry and the emerging Intelligent Appliance Market, through their development of Linux-based operating software, embedded system technologies and solutions. The products and services that form the base of its business activities include an embedded system development platform for LEOs®, based on Texas Instruments™ embedded CPU platform, that fulfill the needs and demands of developers and the embedded computing Industry. Empower is continuing to develop LEOs® and newer versions of embedded CPUs in line with Texas Instruments™. By uniting top professionals from within the computer industry and developing quality partnerships and strategic alliances, Empower is committed to being the leading developer of Linux-based operating software and embedded system technologies and solutions for electronics manufacturers and developers. Empower's brands are “LEOs®”, “LinuxDA™”, Linux-based embedded operating systems and “PowerPlay™”, smart consumer electronics.
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