Eric Winkler
Eric Ernest Winkler,
a Swiss physicist, technologist, businessman and manufacturer of consumer electronics and dedicated chess computers, holding a MSc in Physics from ETH Zurich [2], in 1978, along with Peter Auge co-founder of Novag, and in 1979 founder and CEO of SciSys (Scientific Systems) located in Hong Kong, 1987 renamed to Saitek [3].
Acquisitions
Saitek continued the Mephisto trademark after the acquisition of Hegener & Glaser in 1994 [4] and its entire business operations in 2000. At the H&G Extraordinary General Meeting in December 2000, it was decided to change the company's name from Hegener + Glaser AG to Stella Entertainment AG realizing 100% of the shares of the Broadway Musical Management GmbH (BMM), while Winkler concurrently resigned as member of the supervisory board. Stella became insolvent in 2002, partly acquired by Stage Entertainment - the German Mantelaktien-Report by Undervalued-Shares broached the issue [5].
In 2007, Saitek's Branded Products division was acquired at a price of 30 million Dollar by Mad Catz [6], while Winkler continued with his own company, electronics manufacturer Ryder Industries Ltd., Hong Kong, no longer in the dedicated chess computer business [7].
Inventions
Eric Winkler was involved in various patent-registered inventions in the field of dedicated chess computers, for instance the Sensory Electronic Game which includes a board having a number of defined positions each provided with an isotropic field sensor such as a reed switch which has open and closed positions depending upon the presence or absence of a magnetic field, and two sets of playing pieces [8], the Thin Membrane Sensor Board as mentioned by Mike Watters [9], and the Configurable computer input device [10].
Associated People
Programmers
Professional programmers associated with SciSys and Saitek computers:
Business & Chess
External Links
References
- ↑ Eric Winkler - Founder and Chairman of the Board, Ryder Industries (Wayback Machine)
- ↑ Eric Winkler - Founder and Chairman of the Board, Ryder Industries
- ↑ SciSys – Schachcomputer.info Wiki
- ↑ Hegener & Glaser (Mephisto) from ChessComputers.org
- ↑ Der große Mantelaktien-Report (pdf) Sonderreport, December 2007 (German), pp 103. Stella Entertainment AG i. L (ehem. Hegener + Glaser AG), from Undervalued-Shares.com
- ↑ Mad Catz buys Saitek - News at GameSpot
- ↑ SciSys and Novag : The Early Years from Chess Computer UK by Mike Watters
- ↑ Sensory games - Google Patents
- ↑ Other Patents from Chess Computer UK by Mike Watters
- ↑ espacenet - Configurable computer input device
- ↑ List of computers from Schachcomputer.info Wiki contains various manufacturer
