News

MobiLife Introduces MyTymz for Mobile Journaling

MyTymz is the only mobile journal with deep integration of location-based capabilities that is private by design, public by choice

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MyTymz, a free, digital journal for the iPhone - was introduced today at the O'Reilly Where 2.0 Conference. The unique app from MobiLife, Inc. (makers of DeHood) enables users to capture their life privately and securely with text, photo, voice, video and location. Users have the choice of sharing moments with confidants by email, publicly on Facebook or with the world on Twitter. The rest is locked away and double protected by an in-app password and PIN.

MyTymz is the only private mobile journal with deep integration of location-based capabilities. The user is able to attach their experiences to locations by visiting a place and checking in or creating an entry. All notes, videos and audio posts are automatically geo-tagged and positioned on their map. To-Do lists can be quickly created with task alerts in less than three taps. Getting organized and keeping track of a day's journey has never been so simple.

"For some people, their lives are an open book, for others there's MyTymz. It is private by design, public by choice for millions of people," explained Babak Hedayati, CEO of MobiLife. "MobiLife's focus is on creating mobile products that make life on the go easier. While our first product, DeHood, concentrates on social networking for local communities, MyTymz is made for the individual."

Beta testers have raved about MyTymz. Kimani McDonald said, "As a new mom, I love this product. Besides capturing the memorable moments of my baby's life, I can keep track of her sleep routines, vaccinations and weight gain. This is now an indispensable tool."

According to Robert Watkins, a budding actor, "I love to exercise and I used to keep track of my workouts in a notebook, but it was impossible to see my progress. With MyTymz I can add pictures to see the changes in my body and weight. I already can't live without it."

With to-do lists, location and privacy wrapped in, MyTymz aims to make life on the go easier.

Users can:
- Organize daily activities with simple to-do lists and task alerts
- Monitor health issues, diet and fitness routines
- Track weight, shape and appearance using the forward facing camera (only on iPhone 4)
- Catalog favorite places, exceptional meals and memorable moments by starring them; and
- Search moments in their life, instantly

Features include:
- To-do lists with task alerts
- Geo-tagged entries
- Map
- Photo, text, audio and video entries
- Share on Facebook
- Share on Twitter
- Share via Email
- Star favorite entries

About MobiLife

MobiLife makes real time location based social networking mobile apps for consumers and businesses. We leverage our configurable modular platform to quickly build our apps and those of our business partners. We have developed applications such as DeHood for communities and many others in the areas of business, travel, music, media, and training. Accelerate your time to market and get your complete solution through MobiLife. For more information visit http://www.mobilife.co.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com.  For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE  MobiLife, Inc.

MobiLife, Inc.

CONTACT: Lou Covey of MobiLife, Inc., +1-650-366-8212, lou@MobiLife.co

Web Site: http://www.mytymz.com

AT&T Adds 1.6 Million Emerging Device Connections in 1Q; Surpasses 12 Million Total Devices Mark

Emerging Consumer and Business Device Leadership Enables AT&T to Mobilize Everything for Customers: eReaders, Tracking Devices, Photo Frames, and More

AT&T Supports More than 1,000 Wireless Specialty Devices: Solidifies Leadership in Wirelessly Connecting eReaders, Netbooks, Personal Navigation Devices, Other Consumer Electronics

DALLAS, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T*, the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, announced more than 7 million connected devices have been added to the AT&T network in the past six quarters. The total first quarter emerging devices growth, which includes 1.3 million connected devices as well as embedded computing devices, was 1.6 million. Embedded computing devices include tablets, netbooks and laptops, and are included in either the company's postpaid or prepaid subscriber categories.

The total number of emerging devices, including postpaid and prepaid embedded computing devices, connected to the AT&T network - both for consumers and businesses - exceeds 12 million.

AT&T has certified more than 1,000 wireless specialty consumer and machine-to-machine devices - such as eReaders, netbooks, digital photo frames, personal navigation devices, and home security monitoring and smart grid devices - for use on its wireless network. AT&T opened a dedicated emerging device certification lab in Austin in September 2009 to serve as the hub for testing network compatibility, data performance and audio quality for a broad range of non-traditional, wirelessly-enabled devices. The lab also manages field tests for these devices in markets across the country.

In addition to an already leading portfolio of emerging and connected devices, AT&T has announced plans this year to support several new devices, including:

    --  AT&T announced an agreement with Ford Motor Company to wirelessly
        connect the Ford Focus Electric, Ford's first all-electric passenger
        car. Announced in January at the 2011 International CES, the new Focus
        Electric enters production at the Michigan Assembly Plant in late 2011.
    --  AT&T will provide the nationwide network connection for Acer's first 4G
        tablet, the Acer Iconia Tab A501, beginning this summer. The 10 inch
        Acer Iconia Tab A501 will feature the Android 3.0 operating system with
        Android Marketplace, and an NVIDIA Tegra 250 1GHz dual core processor
        with integrated graphics for the fastest HD gaming, web and multimedia
        experience.
    --  During CTIA, AT&T announced an agreement to provide wireless
        connectivity for the BlueLibris personal monitoring device. The
        BlueLibris small wearable device allows real-time communication with an
        adult or child wearing the device through call-center capability.
        BlueLibris plans to add, subject to any required regulatory approval,
        near real time monitoring of patient physical activity and physical
        information collected from other peripheral devices.
    --  AT&T and Georgia-based startup E3 Greentech announced at CTIA 2011 an
        agreement to provide wireless access to a central unit, the E3
        Intelligent Bridge located in the home, to help homeowners and property
        managers optimize their energy use by automatically reducing energy
        waste.
    --  AT&T will wirelessly connect EmFinder's EmSeeQ® device, a single
        purpose wireless device that upon activation dials 911 and reports its
        location directly to emergency responders. The EmSeeQ is useful for
        individuals with medical impairments that make them prone to wandering,
        including those with autism, Down syndrome or Alzheimer's disease. It
        can only be activated by the EmFinders operation center at the request
        of the caregiver.

The AT&T wireless network enables consumers and business customers access to a range of new, innovative solutions and applications that help make their lives and workplaces more efficient and productive. The AT&T emerging devices portfolio includes consumer electronics devices, rugged handsets and laptops for industrial environments. In addition, AT&T's machine-to-machine applications help enterprises and governments to track, monitor, maintain and manage their remote assets to optimize asset utilization and mobilize their business processes.

"For emerging devices, AT&T remains the network of choice by committing to collaborate with consumer electronics manufacturers in the emerging devices ecosystem in order to drive innovation and growth," said Glenn Lurie, president of emerging devices, resale and partnerships, AT&T. "We've developed the infrastructure to help electronic manufacturers quickly bring their products to market, creating new business models, offering new pricing structures for customers who purchase emerging devices, and continually expanding our mobile network capabilities to support the long-term growth of these devices."

AT&T created its emerging devices organization in 2008 and has emerged as the clear industry leader in one of the wireless industry's fastest growing areas. Recognizing the growing demand for emerging device solutions in the enterprise market, AT&T also formed the Advanced Mobility Solutions Group in May 2010. The group delivers advanced mobile applications and solutions for both traditional and emerging devices to businesses, governments and organizations of all sizes.

"We see accelerating interest in mobile-driven business transformation, leveraging both machine-to-machine and mobile applications solutions for core business process evolution across all industries," said Chris Hill, Vice President, Advanced Mobility Solutions. "In the past quarter we have seen significant demand for our mobile integrator services, including global M2M solutions, as well as delivering configured mobile applications to transform our customer businesses."

For more information on AT&T Emerging Devices, visit http://www.att.com/edo. The site includes an AT&T Connection Kit, a Device Certification On-Boarding Tool, and information to help prospective business allies determine the right business model, network options, product specifications, and potential customer care and distribution solutions.

For more information on AT&T's enterprise mobility portfolio, visit http://www.business.att.com/enterprise/Portfolio/mobility-services/

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Largest Wi-Fi claim based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See http://www.attwifi.com for details and locations.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at http://www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE  AT&T Inc.

AT&T Inc.

CONTACT: Sue McCain of AT&T Corporate Communications, +1-404-986-1799, sue.mccain@attnews.us

Web Site: http://www.att.com

EveryScape Debuts UScapeit, a Free, Fun iPhone & iPad App for Creating & Sharing 3D Panoramas

UScapeit uses your iPhone's video to create & share 3D "scapes" of places and experiences

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- EveryScape, a pioneer in immersive advertising, today announced UScapeit, a free iOS mobile app which lets people capture multi-panoramic 3D experiences - "scapes" - using their device's video and share them via email or Facebook. UScapeit works with all video-enabled iOS devices including the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, the new iPod Touch and iPad 2.

Unlike other panoramic photography apps that capture a single panorama, UScapeit shoots groups of 360 degree panorama "scapes", creating fully immersive experiences of the locations captured. Now travelers can snap and share panoramas of vacation spots with family and friends, brides-to-be can capture and share scapes of potential party venues with their fiance or mother-in-law-to-be, house hunters can scape the many properties toured in one day for later review and comparison, and parents can share their kids' latest accomplishments. The possibilities for scaping and sharing are endless. Anyone viewing the scape - via email, Facebook or on their iOS device - can explore the 3D image as if they were there in-person. To see examples of scapes, check out http://www.UScapeit.com.

UScapeit is developed by EveryScape, the market leader in interior panorama capture and distribution, whose technology is used to capture and distribute fully-navigable 3D experiences of high-end properties like Pebble Beach and The Breakers, as well as to promote local businesses on Microsoft's Bing local search engine.  Now, with the launch of UScapeit, anyone with an iOS device with video capabilities can tap this same technology to scape their favorite destinations. Moving forward, the app will incorporate more of EveryScape's advanced features to help users create sophisticated and navigable scapes.

"UScapeit is like a time machine and teleportation device all rolled up into one free app," said Jim Schoonmaker, CEO of EveryScape. "For anyone who has ever thought 'I wish you could be here', UScapeit fills the void by capturing both the place and the experience in a way that is more compelling than a static photo and more interactive than video. Your friends will not only see the interesting places you go and the cool things you do but can also explore them as if they were right there with you."

Panorama capture is made easy with UScapeit simply by turning the mobile device around in a circle. For ease of use, EveryScape takes care of processing the video and converting it into a scape. Just push the upload button, and the shareable scape is delivered back in minutes.  Two how-to videos can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PfoTttJ7w and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp5YLUrjvyQ.

UScapeit is available now as a free app via the iTunes store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uscapeit/id430071770?mt=8&ls=1.

About EveryScape, Inc.

EveryScape is a pioneer in immersive advertising. Just as websites gave local businesses a front door, EveryScape's immersive ads open the door and invite visitors to come in, look around, and stay awhile. EveryScape invented the technology that transforms 2D still photos of a local business into a new 3D online presence that allows people to "walk around" and explore as if they were there in person. By mimicking a businesses' real-world retail presence, immersive ads provide instant answers to otherwise subjective questions regarding local businesses - answers that cannot be answered by text and flat imagery alone. EveryScape is enabling immersive search through a distribution network of leading portals, including Microsoft BING as well as through their own visual dining guide, EveryScape Eats!, available online and as a free iPhone application.

EveryScape is headquartered in Newton, Mass. and is venture backed by SK Telecom Americas, Dace Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Draper Fisher New England, Draper Atlantic and Launchpad Venture Group. Find out more at http://www.everyscape.com.

SOURCE  EveryScape

EveryScape

CONTACT: Christina Guilbert Klaubert, InkHouse for EveryScape, +1-781-791-4561, everyscape@inkhouse.net

Web Site: http://www.everyscape.com

Cobridge Communications Launches Home Phone Service in New Roads, LA.

Unlimited local and long distance offers residents a new choice.

NEW ROADS, La., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cobridge Communications, a new provider of residential and commercial television, internet and telephone services, announced today the launch of its residential digital phone service in the New Roads area.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/CG86560LOGO)

Cobridge Voice, the company's new digital service, offers unlimited local and long distance calling to anywhere in the United States.  It includes voicemail, caller ID, call blast and other popular features, all of which users can manage through a dedicated and secure webpage.

Cobridge Voice can be bundled with both high speed internet and cable TV for as less than $80 a month - or with internet alone for less than $50 a month -  for a full year, without a contract. Through June 30, 2011 customers receive free installation with any Cobridge Voice bundle - a value of almost $150.  There is no cost for the equipment and most current phone systems are compatible.  Customers may add additional lines for just $9.99 more per month.

Cobridge purchased the New Roads system from Charter Communications in October 2010, and deploying phone service is just one step in a series of planned upgrades for the area. Cobridge has plans to introduce other services including Digital Video Recorder (DVR) and High Definition (HDTV) to New Roads as well as other markets throughout the remainder of 2011.

"Cobridge is committed to bringing our customers more and better choices for in-home entertainment and communications," said company founder and CEO Scott Widham. "People in the New Roads community want more choices and Cobridge will deliver rich content and services at compelling prices. We're making significant investments to upgrade the systems we acquired from Charter to provide a strong line-up of cutting-edge services such as Cobridge Voice."

Current or potential residential customers interested in Cobridge services may call 1-855-COBRIDGE (1-855-262-7434) for further details.

About Cobridge Communications 

Cobridge Communications provides telecommunications services including state-of-the-art television, high-speed internet, telephone, and business class services. Cobridge operates primarily in rural and suburban markets across seven states. For more information, please visit http://www.cobridge.net.

SOURCE  Cobridge Communications

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/CG86560LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Cobridge Communications

CONTACT: Hank Belz of Cobridge Communications, communityrelations@cobridge.net

Web Site: http://www.cobridge.net

Maxthon 3 Releases Next Generation of Long-Time Favorite Features

SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The latest release of the browser Maxthon 3, announced today, makes the Windows browser easier to use and more versatile by improving on many of the long-time favorite features of Maxthon users.

"The most powerful, easy-to-use speed-demon of a browser just took another step ahead and away from its competition," said maxthon CEO Jeff Chen. "We wanted to take a fresh look at some community favorites, especially URL aliases," Chen finished, smiling.

Among the new-again features in Maxthon 3.0.22.2000 are improved versions of:

URL Alias: The user can assign a simple-to-type alias, such as "lovecats" to replace a long URL name prone to typos, such as "ifyoulovecatsandhavethemaspets.com."

URL Hot-keys: User may also assign URLs to hot keys so that surfing to "ifyoulovecatsandhavethemaspets.com" is no harder that typing Ctrl+P.

Resource Sniffer: Originally designed to sniff out the real filenames behind YouTube videos so they could be downloaded directly, the improved Resource Sniffers now includes videos, music, and images, setting them up for downloading from the current page onscreen or from all the pages in a site.

Compact Mode and Multi-column Display for Favorites Bar: Users with more favorites that can clearly be displayed in a simple drop-down list will appreciate Maxthon's ability to condense the display of favorites or to wrap favorites into several columns.

The newest version of Maxthon 3 also adds: new skins, support for 3rd-party downloaders, the ability to choose what tool bars to display, and improved import and export capabilities, including the ability to handle guest users' data in a separate cookie environment.

Try Maxthon 3 today.

http://dl.maxthon.com/mx3/mx3.0.21.1000.exe

About Maxthon (http://www.maxthon.com/)

Beijing-based Maxthon Ltd. is software and web services company best known for its superior web browsers which continue to set new standards for simplicity, speed and security. Each month more than 130,000,000 people use Maxthon's web browser in 120 countries across the world. Maxthon has also brought its best-of-breed browsing to the Android platform.

Try Maxthon Mobile for Android today.

http://dl.maxthon.com/mobile/Maxthon_for_Android.apk

    CONTACT:

    Ron White
    210-683-1444
    ron.white@maxthon.com

SOURCE  Maxthon

Maxthon

Web Site: http://dl.maxthon.com/mobile/Maxthon_for_Android.apk

Gameloft Launches its First 3D FPS on Facebook - N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance: Elite

PARIS, April 20, 2011/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --     Gameloft, a leading global publisher of digital and social
games, released one of its flagship franchises in an original Facebook
version titled N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance: Elite. This game is the
first established FPS franchise to be developed specifically for this social
network.

    "For over 10 years, Gameloft has established itself as the
leading developer on all mass-market platforms for downloadable video games,"
said Michel Guillemot, President of Gameloft. "With this in mind, we've
expanded our reach to include games for social networks. This also
illustrates our resolve to be closer to our fans on all platforms of their
choosing."

    Immersive games on social networks offer players a gaming
experience that simulates that of a traditional PC game with identical
controls, but with greater accessibility and more complete community support.

    Players can create friend lists and share their progress and
rewards. The monetization system also offers players freedom as they can play
the game for free or choose to upgrade their access to abilities and
battlefields by purchasing various items such as armor, weapons or
accessories like the jetpack and radar.

    After Green Farm, N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance: Elite
is the latest Gameloft title on Facebook. Thanks to its development and
publishing capabilities, Gameloft plans to launch an entire lineup of titles
covering all genres for social networks this year.

    Experience the game yourself at
http://apps.facebook.com/novafps

    About Gameloft

    A leading global publisher of digital and social games,
Gameloft(R) has established itself as one of the top innovators in its field
since 2000. Gameloft creates games for all digital platforms, including
mobile phones, smartphones and tablets (including Apple(R) iOS and Android(R)
devices), set top box, connected TVs and consoles. Gameloft partners with
leading international brands such as UNO(R), Spider-Man(R), James Cameron's
Avatar(TM), Ferrari(R) and Sonic Unleashed(R). Gameloft also operates its own
established franchises, such as Real Football, Asphalt(TM), Modern Combat 2:
Black Pegasus and N.O.V.A Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance(R). Gameloft is
present in all continents, distributes its games in 100 countries and employs
over 4,000 developers.

    Gameloft is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN:
FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA).

    For more information, please visit http://www.gameloft.com.

Source: Gameloft

Gameloft Contact: Aude Fouquier, European Communications Director,  Tel +33-1-58-16-20-40,  Mail: aude.fouquier@gameloft.com

Overstock.com Launches a Discounted Vacations Section on Its Website

New Platform Offers Deals on World-Class Resorts and Hotels

SALT LAKE CITY, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Overstock.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSTK) (short cut: O.CO) announced today that it will now offer deep discounts on vacation getaways. Overstock Vacations provides customers unbeatable deals on luxury getaways around the globe. To learn more visit vacations.overstock.com

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110120/LA32935LOGO)

Overstock Vacations offers between 30 and 40 vacation deals at any given time, with new getaway options offered bi-weekly.

"Overstock Vacations' deals are deeply discounted and run the gamut from romantic ocean destinations to family-friendly resorts," said Stormy Simon, SVP of Customer Experience at Overstock.com. "We're selling world-class packages at prices only Overstock can offer."

Hotels and resorts looking to attract new customers and offer limited-time offers can use Overstock.com as their premier booking platform. Overstock Vacations has partnered with Rovia, LLC Travel, a leader in the travel industry, to bring Overstock.com customers vacation packages at the value they have come to expect.

About Overstock.com

Overstock.com, Inc. (short cut: O.CO) is a Savings Engine offering brand-name merchandise at discount prices. The company offers its customers an opportunity to shop for bargains conveniently, while offering its suppliers an alternative inventory distribution channel. Overstock.com, headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market System and can be found online at http://www.overstock.com and http://www.o.co. Overstock.com regularly posts information about the company and other related matters on its website under the heading "Investor Relations."

Overstock.com® is a registered trademark and Overstock Vacations(TM) is a trademark of Overstock.com, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the number, value, location and timing of vacation packages offered. Our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, or any amendments thereto, and our other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission identify important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections, estimates or forward-looking statements.

SOURCE  Overstock.com, Inc.

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110120/LA32935LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Overstock.com, Inc.

CONTACT: Media, Roger Johnson, +1-801-947-4430, rojohnson@overstock.com, or Investors, Kevin Moon, +1-801-947-3282, kmoon@overstock.com, both of Overstock.com, Inc.

Web Site: http://www.overstock.com

VisitFranklin.com Launches History Tour iPad App

Explore the History of Franklin with Free iPad App, Six Walking Tours; WCCVB Offers iPads for Rent to Visitors

FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- History in Franklin has boldly embraced high tech. Today, the Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau (WCCVB) launched a new iPad application, the Franklin Tour app, which offers visitors a fun, interactive way to discover the history, architecture and stories that make up Franklin's Great American Main Street experience.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/DC86566)

The Franklin Tour app is a map-based, GPS-enabled walking tour with a real-time "you are here" feature. App users can walk any or all of the six different tours or simply download the app from anywhere in the world to enjoy the same tours in the privacy of home. This feature allows users to experience the tour from the comfort of a coffee shop or local deli in the event of inclement weather. The stories and photos will come to life on the iPad.

The Franklin Tour includes more than 260 images, many of which are historic photos of the buildings on tour. The app features six tours:  Great American Main Street, Art & Antiques, Haunts & Headstones, Historic Homes of Hincheyville, Battle of Franklin and Margin to Main. Each loop is outlined in a different color on the map. A column of informational "badges" on the left side of the screen features community information from various downtown and preservation organizations.

The WCCVB has the solution for those who don't own an iPad by making a limited number of them available for rent from the Visitor Center.  An introductory price of $10 for each iPad rental will be charged and a security contract must be completed. The iPads are available during visitor center hours only.

The new app, created by Geoki, is free and available to download at the iTunes Store, giving everyone the opportunity to explore Franklin on a local, national and international level.  Because the app is a reference for all things Franklin, it is another useful planning tool for visitors, offering access to the electronic version of the official Williamson County Visitor Guide. In addition, the program gives users the opportunity to "share" their experience through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Yelp.

"Our vision was not just to create a free iPad tour application for iPad owners, but to make this tour available to any visitor by having iPads for rent," said WCCVB Executive Director Mark Shore. "We believe this sets Franklin apart from other communities offering tour apps."

The Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau (WCCVB) is the official destination marketing organization for Williamson County and Franklin, Tennessee, located south of Nashville. The WCCVB promotes the Williamson County area, city of Franklin and local historic assets to visitors across the state, the U.S. and worldwide. For additional information on all there is to see and do in Franklin and Williamson County, contact us by phone 615.791.7554, fax 615.550.2707, toll free 866.253.9207, on the web at http://www.VisitFranklin.com or by mail 108 4(th) Avenue South, Suite 203, Franklin, TN, 37064.  FIND YOURSELF IN OUR STORY.

Geoki specializes in mobile media production for tourist and historical attractions.   The company's most recent product, a tablet-based geo-location app, features the town of Franklin, Tennessee, and surrounding Williamson County.   With more than 100 points-of-interest, the app brings historical photos and narratives to life with a rich, touch-based, moving map interface.   Geoki is the official digital storyteller for The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, and has a popular tour of San Francisco Bay's Alcatraz Island.   Other projects are in development.  Based in the creative environment of Austin, Texas, Geoki is run by Mark Dewey, a veteran technology executive and journalist.

SOURCE  Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/DC86566
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau

CONTACT: Susan Andrews, The Andrews Agency, susanandrews@andrewsagencypr.com, +1-615-242-4400

Web Site: http://www.VisitFranklin.com

InboxQ to Partner with Seesmic's Popular Twitter App

Lead-Generating Q&A Tool and Social Media Monitoring Giant to Evolve How Businesses Engage on Social Stream

SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- InboxQ, an innovative web service that mines Twitter for sales leads, has announced a strategic partnership with Seesmic, a leading developer of social management monitoring tools, to integrate InboxQ's customer acquisition tool into Seesmic's Twitter monitoring application.

This integration will allow Seesmic's large base of business users to easily access InboxQ directly from the company's Twitter client, adding a social lead generation element to Seesmic's brand-building Twitter app. InboxQ forwards a realtime stream of questions from Tweeters related to a specific business, product or interest, alerting businesses to opportunities where they can use their expertise to solve problems and build relationships with potential customers.

"Helping people online is the best way to find customers or enlarge your community," said Loic Lemeur, CEO of Seesmic. "InboxQ makes it really easy to answer questions on Twitter based on search terms that are relevant to your business. Now, with the Seesmic Desktop plugin you get a full application to start generating leads today."

"Working with an industry leader like Seesmic to make our tool available to all their customers aligns with our strategy of integrating our product anywhere businesses are using Twitter," said Joe Fahrner, InboxQ Co-Founder and CEO. "Brand managers know they need to be on Twitter, but there's no playbook for this type of marketing. Our partnership with Seesmic is the next evolution of how businesses can benefit from social media."

More than just a means to provide customer support, InboxQ's method of searching Twitter for product and topic specific questions helps identify customers who are deep in the purchase cycle or conversion funnel. Using InboxQ, businesses can develop a more direct ROI strategy around Twitter than just merely measuring re-tweets and other tactics that don't necessarily lead to customer acquisition.

"Seesmic and InboxQ are developing must have features for business users trying to have maximum leverage of social media for their brands", said Jeff Clavier, the Managing Partner of SoftTech VC with stakes in both companies. "Their collaboration will offer huge benefits to their users, and I am obviously pleased at the portfolio synergy."

For more information about InboxQ, visit http://www.inboxq.com. To learn more about Seesmic, go to http://www.seesmic.com.

About InboxQ

InboxQ was founded by Joe Fahrner and Jason Konrad in 2009 after realizing there were lots of questions being asked by people on Twitter, but few were receiving useful answers. In fact, most Tweeted questions go completely unanswered. We also saw that lots of businesses were having a hard time finding ways to engage with Twitter users. Most available solutions are limited to basic keyword searches which return lots of unrelated Tweets or false positives.

InboxQ solve both of these problems. We help increase the likelihood that askers will get great answers to their questions. At the same time, we alert businesses to compelling engagement opportunities where they can use their expertise to help solve a problem and potentially win new customers.

InboxQ is powered by a small, hyper-productive team based in San Francisco that likes to use really complex technology to build very simple products that solve real problems.

About Seesmic

Seesmic is a social management application that offers high-quality, easy-to-use tools for building your brand online. Founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco, our mission is to help people manage their online life, no matter what platform they're on at any moment. We offer an array of products to help achieve this goal, including Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, Web and Desktop applications. Over 5 million people all over the world have downloaded our various applications to date. To try Seesmic for yourself, visit seesmic.com.

SOURCE  InboxQ

InboxQ

CONTACT: Lisa Kornblatt of SS | PR, +1-847-415-9330, lkornblatt@sspr.com, for InboxQ

Web Site: http://www.seesmic.com

Unified Communications as Cloud Software

ANDTEK's Cloud Computing Services Offer Easy Access to the World of Modern Communication at Calculable Costs

MUNICH and HALLBERGMOOS, Germany, April 20, 2011/PRNewswire/ --     ANDTEK GmbH realizes unified communications services as cloud
applications. This way companies can use unified communications services in a
flexible, location independent way, immediately and as required at calculable
costs - without needing their own infrastructure or IT competence.

    ANDTEK's cloud applications concern unified communications software of
the existing product range like e.g. manager/assistant services, integration
of complete corporate databases as well as contact search within corporate
and address databases. Same are offered in virtualized corporate environments
now and are supported for private corporate clouds.

    In addition the Munich-based unified communications specialist develops
so-called dashboards as new cloud services (call statistics, status of all
phones within the company, detailed information about the caller). These
dashboards largely do without manufacturer-specific interfaces and are thus
independent from cloud suppliers in the future.

    The cloud applications are mainly realized as "private clouds", i.e.
supplier and user are within the same company. This way any problems being
relevant to confidentiality will be avoided. The entire communication process
is done encrypted and additionally protected via access.

    Enough resources can be provided even for peak periods. In case of
increasing performance needs the computing environment can be extended fast
and easy.

    Billing is done in relation to applications, i.e. services suppliers buy
the requested applications and can resell or rent them.

    ANDTEK's service gives companies the opportunity to offer unified
communications services as Software as a Service (SaaS) and thus already use
existing cloud services. The platform independent architecture allows a fast
and straightforward integration into different cloud environments.

    For text copy and pictures please visit http://www.fuchs-pressedienst.de

   
    Press Contact:

    Fuchs Pressedienst und Partner
    Phone: +49(0)8231-6093536
    info@fuchs-pressedienst.de

Source: ANDTEK GmbH

.

Qwiki App for iPad Now Available on the App Store

The Information Experience Moves Off The Web

SAN FRANCISCO,April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Qwiki, Inc.today launched the Qwiki App for iPad on the App Store.

Qwiki CEO and Co-Founder, Doug Imbruce, says, "The Qwiki App allows users to fully experience Qwiki's benefits: dynamic information consumption that saves time and increases relevancy. The app is the first step towards fulfilling the company's vision of creating a consistent information experience across multiple platforms."

The Qwiki App moves beyond the Qwiki.com experience by using location-based capabilities to explore the world around the user. The intuitive Qwiki format is truly brought to life on the iPad.

Imbruce says, "Qwiki is especially useful for presenting location-specific content. Our rich, summarized format is ideal for information consumption on-the-go."

The Qwiki App beautifully weaves multiple sources of content into a cohesive presentation suitable for any platform. Users can currently browse over 3 million Qwikis with new topics added daily.

The Qwiki App is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore/.

About Qwiki, Inc.

Qwiki was co-founded by entrepreneur Doug Imbruce and Internet industry pioneer Dr. Louis Monier (founder of AltaVista).  The company's technology transforms data into interactive, rich-media narratives, delivering an "information experience." Qwiki debuted in September 2010 at the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference, where it won the TechCrunch Disrupt Cup.  The company has raised a total of $10.5 million in funding to date.  To learn more, please visit http://www.qwiki.com. Twitter: @Qwiki. Facebook: http://qwi.ki/fITVSS.

Press Contact:
CeCe Cheng
press@qwiki.com

SOURCE  Qwiki, Inc.

Qwiki, Inc.

Web Site: http://www.qwiki.com

USAN Unveils Portal to Help Enterprises Track Fast Moving Cloud-based Contact Center Technologies and Trends

NORCROSS, Ga., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- USAN, Inc. a 20+ year pioneer in hosted and cloud-based contact center technologies today unveiled a new website designed to help Enterprises keep track of fast moving developments in cloud-based contact centers.

The new site Hosted Contact Center News (http://www.hostedcontactcenternews.com) provides a crystal clear view into cloud-based contact centers and the technologies that power them including hosted IVRs, Dialers, ACDs, and the best practices for ROI, deployment, security and integration.  Visitors can review the latest news and information from around the web, digest articles from USAN and other contributing thought leaders, and even keep tabs on the latest Twitter posts related to the contact center cloud.

"USAN began developing hosted contact center solutions in 1989 long before anyone referred to it as the cloud," said Steve Walton, USAN's President & CEO.  "With so much discussion of the cloud and the dramatic shift from premise solutions to hosted solutions, we thought the timing was right for us to launch Hosted Contact Center News and help enterprises navigate the evolving world of cloud-based contact center technologies."

An essential guide for customer service and technology leaders, Hosted Contact Center News is the best way to keep up with the latest developments in this fast moving industry.  And with options to receive updates on the web, via e-mail, or on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/hostedccnews), Hosted Contact Center News makes it easy for enterprises to decide how and where to integrate the cloud into their contact centers.

About USAN

Since 1989, USAN has been perfecting customer touch points by providing enterprises and carriers with hosted and cloud-based contact center solutions that connect people with information more quickly and intuitively, increase customer loyalty, and reduce operational costs.  USAN improves the way organizations engage customers by synchronizing critical real-time data with back-end processes and driving individualized customer interactions across multiple communication channels (voice, Web, IVR, chat and social media). USAN's solutions represent the next step in Business Process Management (BPM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, enabling smarter and more consistent customer experiences that leverage partner and market-driven opportunities.  For more information, visit http://www.usan.com.

SOURCE  USAN

USAN

CONTACT: Tim McCurry, Director of Marketing, +1-770-849-3009, Tim.McCurry@usan.com

Web Site: http://www.usan.com

Specialty Reports, Inc. Covers All Bases with Online Vehicle History Reports and Mobile App Products for the Auto, Powersports, and RV Industries

NEW YORK, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sparta Commercial Services, Inc. (OTCQB: SRCO) and its subsidiary, Specialty Reports, Inc. announced today that its family of online products introduced over the past several months will now be featured at a new website: http://www.specialtyreports.com.

The four online products developed and now offered by Specialty Reports are:

    --  Cyclechex for motorcycle history reports;
    --  CarVINReport for auto history reports;
    --  RVChecks for Recreational Vehicle history reports; and
    --  SpecialtyMobileApps for customized mobile phone apps appealing to retail
        powersports, auto, and RV dealers throughout the country.

The initial product developed and released by Specialty Reports was Cyclechex.com. An online source for motorcycle history reports was launched in August 2010 and so far has sales in twenty-two countries, as well as all 50 U.S. states.

Launched in March 2011, CarVINReport.com and RVChecks.com offer valuable vehicle history reports for cars and RVs, respectively. Cyclechex.com, CarVINReport.com and RVChecks.com produce their vehicle history reports based upon the 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number that every production vehicle in the world has embedded somewhere on the vehicle.

Launched recently, SpecialtyMobileApps.com offers an innovative new mobile app platform that allows dealerships to easily and quickly develop their own customized mobile apps at a fraction of the traditional cost of development, implementation and maintenance.

Commenting on the rapid achievements of Specialty Reports, Anthony Havens, CEO of Sparta and Specialty Reports said, "From the beginning, we wanted Specialty Reports to be an incubator for innovation, bringing new and valuable products to market whenever and wherever we identified a need. We wanted our products to either fill a void or compete with similar products but with better quality and lower pricing. We're proud of the outstanding progress we've made in such a short period of time and excited about the future of Specialty Reports."

About Sparta Commercial Services, Inc.

Sparta Commercial Services, Inc. is a New York-based, nationwide financial services company offering financing and leasing products to consumers and retail powersports dealers. Sparta also serves municipal and governmental agencies nationwide with its Municipal Lease Program, which offers financing for essential equipment for the law enforcement and emergency response communities.

Our subsidiary, Specialty Reports, Inc., is in the business of offering value-added online tools to consumers and dealers in the automotive, powersports, RV, motor home, and marine industries.  SpecialtyMobileApps is the fourth product offering of Specialty Reports, Inc. and provides dealers and consumers with a highly customizable Smartphone application.  The first three products (Cyclechex Motorcycle History Report, RVchecks, and CarVINreport) offer online access to title histories and salvage information for various classes of previously owned assets.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are valid only as of today and we disclaim any obligation to update this information. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to potential future losses, obtaining, satisfying terms of, and amount of credit lines, competition, financing and commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, management of potential growth, system interruption, consumer and industry trends, limited operating history, and government regulation. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the Company will be achieved. Further information regarding these and other risks is described from time to time in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available on its website at: http://www.sec.gov

SOURCE  Sparta Commercial Services, Inc.

Sparta Commercial Services, Inc.

CONTACT: Dick Trotter, COO of Sparta Commercial Services, Inc., +1-212-239-2666

Web Site: http://www.specialtyreports.com

CourseSmart Launches the First eTextbook Application for Android Devices

-- "CourseSmart for Android 1.0" Provides Superior eTextbook Access for All Devices Running the Android Operating System --

SAN MATEO, Calif., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CourseSmart, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course materials, further expanded its mobile footprint today with the launch of CourseSmart for Android 1.0, a mobile application specifically designed for the Android Operating System (AOS). Students and faculty across the country can now access all of their eTextbooks on their AOS-enabled smart phones, netbooks and tablets.

"Increasing demand for mobile access to eTextbooks coupled with the exponential growth of Android-run devices has led to record numbers of students and faculty embracing mobile devices across their institutions," said Sean Devine, CEO of CourseSmart. "The Android application is another example of the importance of our device-agnostic mobile strategy, ensuring all students and faculty can enjoy a superior eTextbook experience on devices they choose to own."

CourseSmart for Android 1.0 leverages the unique capabilities of the devices running the AOS to provide a truly advanced eTextbook experience, including the ability to:

    --  Search for a topic within a single book or across an entire eTextbook
        stack and access the table of contents;
    --  Zoom in on text and graphs;
    --  Scroll through or jump to individual pages;
    --  Read eTextbooks in landscape or portrait mode;
    --  View, add and edit text notes.
    --  Enjoy anytime, anywhere access to 90 percent of all core higher
        education textbooks in use today; and
    --  Shop for additional books at up to 60 percent off using a specialized
        AOS version of CourseSmart's website

Compatible with the most popular Android-run devices, including the Motorola Droid, Samsung Fascinate, HTC Droid Incredible, HTC Droid Eris, HTC myTouch 3G Slider, HTC Evo and Samsung Galaxy 7, the first Android tablet, the application has been extensively tested by students and faculty prior to release.

"The App was very easy to use and figure out. The layout and organization was well thought out and simple. I love that I can now access my books from anywhere," said Carlisa Mikels, Bachelor of Science in Psychology Candidate at the University of Houston-Victoria.

"Knowing that the App is built for phones and tablets, I was impressed. It was easier to select books, and they displayed nicely in the Galaxy Tab," said Pete Rottier, Center for eLearning Instructor at Cleveland State University.

The CourseSmart for Android application is available for free from the Android Market and can be accessed at http://www.coursesmart.com/go/mobile. Additionally, in an effort to protect the student, faculty and institutional users of our App, CourseSmart's mobile privacy policy has been certified by TRUSTe.

About CourseSmart

CourseSmart provides eTextbooks and digital course materials that improve the higher education learning process by offering instructors and students a unique combination of the right course material, anywhere, any-time access and a low cost. As the world's largest digital course materials supplier, CourseSmart has a rapidly growing digital library of more than 90% of core higher education textbooks offered as eTextbooks, the same titles produced by major publishers in print and recommended by faculty across North America. The company's eTextbooks can be purchased for up to 60% less than print texts and offer users the ability to print what they need as well as search and copy and paste features which help to streamline students' studies. Additional information can be found on the company's website: http://www.coursesmart.com.

Media Contacts:Gabrielle ZuckerKwittken & Company(646) 747-7143coursesmart@kwitco.com

SOURCE  CourseSmart

CourseSmart

Web Site: http://www.coursesmart.com

Protected Mobility(TM) Launches ProtectedSMS(TM) for Android Phones

Secure, encrypted text messaging now available for BlackBerry and Android handsets

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Protected Mobility(TM), a Virginia-based mobile security company, announced the release of ProtectedSMS(TM) for Android smartphones today, enabling BlackBerry and Android users to exchange secure, encrypted text messages with individuals who have installed the software. Unlike other secure texting solutions that require a subscription through a third-party security gateway, ProtectedSMS is a handset-to-handset solution that keeps privacy in the control of users and works across all networks and carriers. ProtectedSMS installs in seconds and is as easy to use as sending a text message.

Developed for law enforcement, government and corporate professionals who require secure and convenient message protection, ProtectedSMS utilizes AES 256 FIPS 140-2 compliant encryption, and is available via individual and enterprise licenses. Protected Mobility's key management and encryption process enables easy transfer of existing client applications to a secure mobile platform. An iPhone version of ProtectedSMS will be available later in Q2 2011 along with tablet and iPad versions. Individual licenses are $49.95 per user, with a free 14-day download available at http://www.protectedmobility.com/trial.

Government, Financial Services and Healthcare Sectors Validate Need for Secure Texting

Just four months after launching its maiden product, Protected Mobility already has pilots underway with first responder, law enforcement and defense agencies in the government sector, and with leading financial services and healthcare companies in the commercial sector. These enterprises leverage the dual capabilities provided by ProtectedSMS to both confirm identity (trusted source) and protect message content (encryption) in a manner transparent to the user. "Our early law enforcement users confirmed the market opportunity we developed Protected Mobility technology to fulfill," says Bill Marlow, founder and CEO of Protected Mobility. "Until now, people on the front lines of government and industry couldn't use text messaging without putting themselves or confidential information at risk."

The number of text messages sent globally tripled between 2007 and 2010, from 1.8 trillion to a staggering 6.1 trillion, with more than 3.5 million messages sent per minute in the United States, according to ITU World Telecommunications. The Pew Research Center found in May 2010 that 72% of U.S. adult cell phone users send and receive text messages.

Current security gaps make text messages vulnerable to interception, spoofing (changing sender ID) and modification. Compromising the privacy and confidentiality of text message communications, once the domain of highly skilled hackers, is now inexpensive and very easy today. These increased risks pose a significant threat for professionals engaged in government, law enforcement and corporate activities where security is critical for protecting confidential information, personal safety and facilitating emergency communications when limited capabilities are available. These same risks threaten disruption of one-to-one and one-to-many messaging applications currently in development for financial services, healthcare and disaster recovery.

ABOUT PROTECTED MOBILITY(TM)

Protected Mobility(TM) is a privately held mobile security technology company based in Virginia. The company develops highly reliable and scalable security solutions for protecting mobile communications that are easy to install, use and manage. Protected Mobility currently offers ProtectedSMS(TM) for secure, encrypted text messaging for BlackBerry and Android smartphones, with an iPhone version releasing in Q2 2011. To learn more, visit http://www.protectedmobility.com.

SOURCE  Protected Mobility

Protected Mobility

CONTACT: Mark Felton, +1-240-277-6611

Web Site: http://www.protectedmobility.com

IABC Cleveland Hosts Marketing to Mobile Users Lunch Program May 12

CLEVELAND, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As mobile devices continue to grow in popularity, organizations that interact most effectively with mobile users will enjoy a distinct competitive advantage. Learn about the strategic ways that organizations can increase engagement with mobile customers and benefit from first-mover status during a May 12 lunch program hosted by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Cleveland.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20070517/IABCLOGO )

Michael Schwabe, marketing professional and Account Manager at the Cleveland-based integrated marketing agency thunder::tech, will discuss the unique aspects of marketing to mobile consumers, including tactics used by mobile marketing innovators. The presentation will include such topics as location-based services and applications; free applications that can create buzz for product releases; and the value of Short Message Service (SMS) messaging to generate instant engagement. He also will address the legal and privacy requirements that apply to mobile device marketing.

The program will be on Thursday, May 12, at The City Club (The City Club Building, 2nd floor), 850 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with opportunities for networking. The presentation will begin at noon.

Register online at iabccleveland.com or contact Pam Tallant, chapter administrator, at 216-226-7013. Cost: $27, IABC Member; $39, Non-Member; $12, Member-in-Transition and Students.

Parking is available at the City Club for $2.25. Bring your parking stub with you for validation. Visit http://www.cityclub.org/AboutUs/ParkingDirections/tabid/170/Default.aspx for additional parking information.

For updates on IABC events and other news, fan us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ClevelandIABC or connect with us through LinkedIn.

Founded in 1970, the International Association of Business Communicators provides a professional network of more than 15,200 business communication professionals in more than 80 countries. The local Cleveland chapter includes nearly 130 members who support the highest professional standards of communication and drive innovation in the communication field. Visit http://www.iabccleveland.com/.

SOURCE  IABC Cleveland

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20070517/IABCLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
IABC Cleveland

CONTACT: Betsy DuWaldt, +1-508-560-2293 (M), betsyduwaldt@gmail.com

Web Site: http://www.iabccleveland.com

Luxand's New Mirror Reality Technology Immerses Users in Augmented Reality

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, April 20, 2011/PRNewswire/ --     Luxand, Inc. introduces Mirror Reality, a facial feature recognition
technology that makes augmented reality possible. The heart of the Mirror
Reality technology is a new recognition engine that can identify 66 unique
facial features based on a single still picture of a human face. Offering
best-in-class recognition quality, competitive performance, and an
unprecedented number of facial features that can be recognized, Mirror
Reality has huge potential in the entertainment industry. Mirror Reality is
patent pending and is open for licensing to Web and software developers as
well as to entertainment and movie companies.

    Immersing in Augmented Reality

    Used in a variety of applications, the Mirror Reality technology
redefines reality by altering the way people look. For instance, human faces
in photographs can be completely transformed. In addition, real-time
animation support can transform webcam streams into amazing augmented
reality; for example, pointing a webcam at a person or a group of persons can
mutate them, making everyone appear twenty years older or look like zombies.

    The core tech uses sophisticated and fully automated facial recognition
technology that can identify 66 unique facial features without requiring
painted indexing marks on the face and without the need to perform a manual
selection of facial features. With powerful hardware, the new technology
makes possible the application of virtual enhancements to faces in real time.
Mirror Reality dedicates eleven identification points to each eye and
fourteen ID points to the mouth, even distinguishing individual lips. This
attention to detail allows for extremely realistic face morphing, what Luxand
calls "augmented reality."

    The Mirror Reality technology has been used by Luxand in many
entertainment projects. Accordingly, augmented reality created by this new
technology can be previewed by exploring various Luxand online entertainment
projects, such as In20Years.com (which makes people appear twenty years
older), MakeMeZombie.com (which makes humans look like zombie creatures), and
PicTreat.com (which makes human faces look more appealing by removing small
imperfections and applying virtual makeup). These projects use augmented
reality technology to manipulate and enhance human faces in still shots.

    Today, the Mirror Reality technology is available for licensing to the
general public. Luxand is making licenses available to software and Web
developers as well as to companies in the entertainment and movie industries.
Licensing terms may vary with intended use. Prospective customers are
encouraged to contact the company to obtain a quote.

    About Luxand, Inc.

    Founded in 2005, Luxand, Inc. is a privately held hi-tech company
developing various facial feature recognition and transformation tools.
Performing scientific research in artificial intelligence and biometric
identification has allowed the company to develop technologies and release a
complete set of tools and libraries that perform fully automatic recognition
of human faces and their features. Today, the company markets a broad range
of face recognition solutions to the online entertainment industry. Luxand
technologies are used at online entertainment portals, chat rooms, and movie
Web sites around the globe.

    More information about the Mirror Reality technology and augmented
reality applications is available at http://www.luxand.com/augmented-reality
.

    Contact: Nikolay Ageev, +1(800)471-5636, ageev@luxand.com

Source: Luxand, Inc.

Contact: Nikolay Ageev, +1(800)471-5636, ageev@luxand.com

RadioShack Expands Mobility Strategy With New Tablet Arrivals

Tablets from RIM, Motorola and Velocity Micro available in April

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- RadioShack® continues to extend its mobility strategy with the arrival of an expanded line-up of tablet computers arriving in stores beginning April 19. With the addition of three more tablet devices, The Shack offers customers a diverse range of exciting choices in this dynamic personal technology category.

RadioShack's assortment of next-generation tablets will include the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook from RIM, starting at $499.99; the 10-inch Motorola Xoom for $599.99; and the Android-powered 7-inch Velocity Micro T103 Cruz tablet for $199.99, an affordable entry-level choice for newcomers to the tablet landscape. These devices join other recent iconic arrivals to The Shack's tablet category; overall prices for Wi-Fi and carrier-connected devices range from $499.99 to $729.99. Selection varies by location, so check with your nearby RadioShack store for availability.

"Customer preferences for tablet purchases are lifestyle-driven, as they are for other important mobility decisions," says Scott Young, executive vice president and chief merchandise officer for RadioShack. "That's why we're adding to our assortment by offering our customers a broader selection of tablets with a range of comfortable sizes, exciting features, popular operating systems and aggressive prices. In our stores, the leading tablet options are easy to find, easy to shop and easy to compare, assisted by a well-trained team equipped to help you choose the right tablet for your lifestyle needs."

RadioShack's expanded tablet offering is complemented by a one-of-a-kind mix of stylish, sophisticated and practical accessories and service plans, enabling customers to protect, power and optimize daily use of their tablets on the go.

The Shack's Trade & Save program allows customers to trade in used electronic devices to ensure a great deal on a new tablet. For more information on Trade & Save and to appraise eligible used electronic devices, please visit http://www.radioshack.com/tradein for more information.

About RadioShack Corporation

RadioShack is a leading national retailer of innovative mobile technology products and services, as well as products related to personal and home technology and power supply needs. The Shack® offers consumers a targeted assortment of wireless phones and other electronic products and services from leading national brands, exclusive private brands and major wireless carriers, all within a comfortable and convenient shopping environment. RadioShack employs approximately 35,000 people globally, including a team of friendly and helpful sales experts who are recognized for delivering the best customer service in the wireless industry. RadioShack's retail network includes 4,695 company-operated stores in the United States and Mexico, more than 1,265 wireless phone kiosks in the United States, and approximately 1,220 dealer outlets worldwide.  For more information on RadioShack Corporation, please visit http://www.radioshackcorporation.com; to purchase items online, please visit http://www.radioshack.com. RadioShack® and The Shack® are registered trademarks licensed by RadioShack Corporation.

SOURCE  RadioShack Corp. - G

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000518/DATH047LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
RadioShack Corp. - G

CONTACT: RadioShack Corporation, +1-817-415-3300, media.relations@RadioShack.com

Web Site: http://www.radioshack.com

BATS Multicast Data Feed Now Available Via Interactive Data 7ticks

KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BATS Global Markets, a global stock market operator, today announced the availability of its Multicast PITCH real-time depth of book data feed for all of its U.S. markets via ultra low latency exchange and order routing connectivity services provided by Interactive Data 7ticks.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100701/CG29735LOGO)

Members of the BATS BZX and BYX Exchanges and BATS Options that are connected to the BATS trading platform can access Multicast PITCH via the Interactive Data 7ticks network. 

"We are pleased to provide the exchange and order routing connectivity services that allow exchange members to utilize BATS' Multicast PITCH data feed," said Joe Bigane, managing director, Interactive Data 7ticks. "The combination of BATS solid technology base and Interactive Data 7ticks' expertise offers the electronic trading community an alternative low-latency exchange connectivity solution."

The BATS Multicast PITCH data feed provides real-time depth of book quotations and execution information and is just one of the free market data feeds offered by BATS.

"Furthering our commitment to an open connectivity model, we are pleased that Multicast PITCH is now available to BATS members and market data vendors that connect to BATS' world-class platforms through Interactive Data 7ticks," said Chris Isaacson, chief operating officer of BATS Exchange. "These members and market data vendors can begin receiving the Multicast PITCH feed immediately for fast, efficient access to BATS market data."

For more information about the BATS market data feeds and connectivity, please review our Market Data Products and Connectivity Manual. For more information, members can contact the BATS Trade Desk (913.815.7001, tradedesk@batstrading.com) or their sales director.

About BATS

BATS Global Markets (BATS) is a leading operator of stock and options markets around the globe. BATS operates two stock exchanges in the U.S., the BATS BZX Exchange and BYX Exchange; BATS Options, a U.S. equity options market; and BATS Europe, an FSA-authorised multilateral trading facility in Europe. Each of these marketplaces is powered by BATS' innovative and proprietary technology that was developed by a dedicated core team of market and technology professionals, catering to the needs of the broker-dealer and trading community. The company is headquartered in the Kansas City, Mo., area with additional offices in New York and London. BATS ... Making Markets Better.

About Interactive Data Corporation

Interactive Data Corporation is a trusted leader in financial information. Thousands of financial institutions and active traders, as well as hundreds of software and service providers, subscribe to our fixed income evaluations, reference data, real-time market data, trading infrastructure services, fixed income analytics, desktop solutions and web-based solutions. Interactive Data's offerings support clients around the world with mission-critical functions, including portfolio valuation, regulatory compliance, risk management, electronic trading and wealth management. Interactive Data is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts and has over 2,400 employees in offices worldwide.

For more information about Interactive Data, please visit: http://www.interactivedata.com

SOURCE  BATS Global Markets

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100701/CG29735LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
BATS Global Markets

CONTACT: Media (U.S.), Stacie Fleming, +1-913-815-7193, comms@batstrading.com, or Media (Europe), Kelly Bailey, +44.207.012.8950, comms@batstrading.com, both of BATS Global Markets

Web Site: http://www.batstrading.com

Streetline Launches Smart Parking App in Fort Worth's Sundance Square

Visitors and residents to benefit from real-time guided parking in the heart of historic Sundance Square

SAN FRANCISCO and FORT WORTH, Texas, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --Streetline, Inc. today announced that downtown Fort Worth has deployed its smart parking platform including its free smartphone app "Parker" - giving the city's residents and visitors real-time insight for finding open parking spaces along West 4th Street in Sundance Square.

The new pilot program gives visitors to Sundance Square the ability to download Streetline's free app "Parker" onto their iPhone and see an instant map pinpointing sections of West 4th Street that have parking available - with icons noting more than four spaces available (plenty of parking available), more than two spaces available (some parking), or less than two spaces available (limited parking). The app also delivers information about parking space time limits, pricing, and whether meters take credit cards or coins. 

"We are excited to introduce Streetline's 'Parker' app to the City of Fort Worth," said Zia Yusuf, CEO of Streetline. "As one of the fastest growing cities in America, we applaud the city's efforts to make life easier and more convenient for its residents and visitors. Implementing smart parking programs like Streetline's are a key step in creating more efficient, intelligent, and sustainable cities."

"Streetline's guided parking app 'Parker' is an invaluable service for visitors and residents to Fort Worth's Sundance Square," said Peter Elliott, Fort Worth Parking Manager. "We want  to progressively minimize and eventually eliminate the hassle of finding parking, and advanced technologies like Streetline's are a key part of our ongoing efforts to understand the application of the latest parking technology to make Fort Worth one of the most livable cities in the nation."

The "Parker" app is based on Streetline's patented smart parking platform that detects the presence of a car through a network of ultra-low power wireless sensors located in each parking space. This information can be easily transmitted back to smartphones and web applications that give drivers a live, accurate picture of open parking spaces across the city. The innovative new smart city system helps cities, airports, universities and private organizations reduce costs, increase efficiencies, and alleviate the environmental impact of traffic caused by drivers circling the block while they look for parking.

Parker is available now as a free download from Apple's App Store on iPhone or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore.

Fort Worth hosts more than 5.5 million visitors each year. Downtown Fort Worth is less than 30 minutes from Cowboys Stadium and Texas Motor Speedway, and features more than 50 restaurants, offering everything from fine dining to casual fare as well as movie theatres, museums, art galleries, retail shops and specialty boutiques. Fort Worth has been widely recognized for its outstanding quality of life and was recently ranked as one of the nation's top 10 most livable cities.

About Streetline, Inc.
Streetline's mission is to make smart cities a reality through the use of sensor-enabled mobile and web applications. As the leading global provider of smart parking solutions to cities, airports, universities and private organizations, Streetline's pioneering technology connects citizens with critical information to improve the way they live and work, while making cities more efficient and lessening their environmental impact. Streetline is a privately held company headquartered in San Francisco, Calif. with smart parking deployments in cities across California and New York. For more information visit: http://www.streetlinenetworks.com.

SOURCE  Streetline, Inc.

Streetline, Inc.

CONTACT: Annika Jensen-Lamka, +1-415-516-3530, annika@sparkpr.com, for Streetline, Inc.

Web Site: http://www.streetlinenetworks.com

StrongMail's Patented Burst Email Delivery Technology Attracts Daily Deal Site Customers

Email service provider enables daily deal and flash commerce sites like FamilyFinds, HauteLook and Joss & Main to deliver millions of dynamically personalized sales event emails in minutes

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- StrongMail, a leading provider of online marketing solutions for email marketing and social media, today announced a significant increase in customers for its burst email delivery technology, which is powering a rapidly expanding list of popular daily deal and flash commerce sites, including FamilyFinds, Joss & Main, HauteLook and Privalia.  These companies are turning to StrongMail for its unique ability to reliably deliver millions of personalized daily sales event messages in a matter of minutes.

For many daily deal sites, email marketing campaigns drive 70 percent or more of the traffic to their daily sales events. Ensuring that that these messages get delivered in a short window before the start of each sales event is critical for driving sales and customer satisfaction. With limited inventories and short sales windows, any delay or failure in these critical email alerts can cause customers to miss out on desired sales and lose interest in participating in future events. Customizing daily alerts based on member preferences and prior purchases is also important given the influx of daily deal sites competing for consumer attention.

"Joss & Main is all about delivering to our members a daily dose of affordable luxuries for the home, and email is one of our most important means of communicating," said Mitra Morgan, Chief Curator at Joss & Main.  "Every one of our members wants to find out what's on http://www.jossandmain.com at exactly 11am.  In order to keep it fair, we have to reliably deliver millions of emails in a very short time window.  We gave a very stringent set of performance criteria to our email marketing team, and they selected StrongMail."

StrongMail's patented burst email delivery technology gives companies access to a dedicated high-performance email delivery engine that is optimized to assemble and deliver millions of personalized messages in less than 10 minutes.  In addition to providing companies with this essential speed and reliability, StrongMail enables daily deal sites to easily scale their email delivery to accommodate member growth.  StrongMail's unique pricing model also offers the lowest total cost of ownership of any top tier email service provider.

"The strong demand we're seeing from the burgeoning daily deal sector is being driven by our unique ability to get messages delivered at exactly the right time to drive maximum participation," said Scott Ollivier, vice president of product management at StrongMail. "We offer these daily deal companies dedicated, high burst rate systems that are free from the performance limits often encountered with traditional ESP platforms, where the competition for computing resources at critical times of the day has a real impact on time-sensitive delivery of offers.  Basically, we give them the control they need to get highly targeted messages delivered on time - and at a fraction of the cost of competing providers."

About StrongMail Systems, Inc.

StrongMail enables marketers to forge meaningful, profitable and long-lasting connections with their customers through email marketing and social media. Offering a comprehensive suite of technology and services, StrongMail takes a fundamentally different approach to traditional email service providers that offers many unique advantages to brands. StrongMail's dedicated online marketing solutions offer the lowest total cost of ownership of any enterprise email marketing solution and easily integrate with customer data sources to help marketers improve the performance of their email marketing campaigns. StrongMail's email and social CRM agency provides industry-leading strategic and creative services to help marketers listen, learn, engage and influence best customers. It's these differences that have led Fortune 2000 brands to switch to StrongMail. Learn more at http://www.strongmail.com or via the links below.

Newsletters: http://www.strongmail.com/site/subscribe/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StrongMail

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/StrongMail

Blogs: http://www.strongmail.com/resources/blogs/

SOURCE  StrongMail Systems, Inc.

StrongMail Systems, Inc.

CONTACT: Annabel Teng, Eastwick Communications, +1-650-480-4049, strongmail@eastwick.com, for StrongMail

Web Site: http://www.strongmail.com

Energy Flair Fuels Online Energy Efficiency Competition

Users can now see how their average energy bill compares to others

DALLAS, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy Flair, an online competition to save energy at home, has added a new feature to show how energy efficient a household is relative to others. Users can see how their average electric and gas bills compare to the real-time averages of three groups of people: their Facebook friends who are also using Energy Flair, all Energy Flair users, and other households in their state.

Usage and cost averages are calculated using data from participants who upload electronic copies of their electric and gas bills. The site only displays group averages, so others will never know how much a specific individual is using or spending. Users can, however, compete with individual Facebook friends for the most Energy Flair, digital badges that are earned for year-over-year reductions in energy usage.

Energy Flair Co-Founder and Product Manager Rajesh Nerlikar explains, "Keeping up with the Joneses is hard to do if you can't see what they're doing. That's the problem with energy bills - they're invisible to others and rarely come up in conversations. With Energy Flair, you can see how green you are relative to others based on actual energy consumption. Sure, we know that the amount of energy a household uses depends on a lot of factors, but comparing your average energy bill is one more way we're helping you measure your energy efficiency."

About Energy Flair

Energy Flair is a free online service that teaches people how to use electricity and natural gas more efficiently, tracks their household energy consumption over time and rewards them for reducing their energy bills with digital badges called Energy Flair. Individuals can join the competition by creating an Energy Flair account in less than a minute using either their email address or Facebook account.

For more information, readers can visit http://www.EnergyFlair.com or email support@energyflair.com.

SOURCE  Energy Flair

Energy Flair

CONTACT: Rajesh Nerlikar of Energy Flair, +1-512-799-7771, rajesh@energyflair.com

Web Site: http://www.EnergyFlair.com

"The Ultimate Winner" to Premiere Exclusively on Youku

Young Directors Launch Their Careers Online

BEIJING, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Youku.com Inc. (NYSE: YOKU), China's leading Internet television company, will host the exclusive premiere of the new film The Ultimate Winner on April 21. The 30-minute short is a co-production of Youku, China Mobile, and the "Chopsticks Brothers" -- the directors of the short film Old Boys, which won the hearts of audiences around the country last year as part of Youku's "11 Degrees" New Media Film Project.

A partnership between Youku and the China Film Group and GM Chevrolet, the "11 Degrees" project sponsored ten short films last year, and will produce a feature-length film later this year. Through the "11 Degrees" project, Youku partnered with promising young directors to create films that aimed at engaging the site's young, professional viewers -- and with a total of approximately 86 million views to date, the films promoted in the project appear to have succeeded. Old Boys was the runaway hit of the series, with more than 32 million views, 800,000 "thumbs up" votes, and 88,000 comments on Youku since it premiered in late October.

Similar to Old Boys, The Ultimate Winner will make its debut online, first appearing exclusively on Youku before becoming available on other platforms. In a recent interview, the Chopsticks Brothers spoke enthusiastically about the potential of online media for filmmakers. "I want to stick with online video," said Xiao Yang -- one half of the duo. "It allows me to make films that express what I want, and it doesn't have the limitations or the more exacting demands of feature-length movies."

The Chopsticks Brothers are not the only "11 Degrees" directors to build upon their online success. Pi San, the director and animator behind Miss Puff's Goldfish Bowl, another "11 Degrees" title, launched the ambitious, marketing-supported 104-episode Miss Puff web series in early April. The first episode has been viewed more than 1.8 million times to date, and GM and Lenovo have signed on as sponsors of the series. Zhang Yaguang, director of The Boxer's Secret, recently finished production on his first commercial film, and L.I. director Zhang Yadong has said that he will partner with Youku again on his next film. Yin Lichuan, the well-known poet who wrote and directed Ai, is also at work on her first feature-length film, in which she has invited the Chopsticks Brothers to play supporting roles.

"We are proud to have been able to work with so many talented young writers and directors to help launch their careers," said Frank Wei, Senior Vice President of Youku. "'11 Degrees' wasn't our first project with young filmmakers -- that would have been Lu Zhenyu's Hip-Hop Office Quartet, China's first web serial -- and it won't be our last, either. We have faith in the power of the web as a launch pad and passion for helping artists tell their stories."

"Youku Original has been a critical element of our branding strategy and a key differentiation from other companies," said Victor Koo, Chairman and CEO of Youku. "Content is strategically important for us, and we will continue to invest in content -- both in content that we produce ourselves, and in copyrighted content that we license from rights holders."

Youku Original is a key part of the Company's content strategy, which pursues a combination of licensed professionally produced content, self-produced content from Youku Original, and user-uploaded content.

About Youku:

Youku.com Inc. is China's leading Internet television company. Our Internet television platform enables users to search, view and share high-quality video content quickly and easily across multiple devices. Youku, which stands for "what's best and what's cool" in Chinese, is the most recognized online video brand in China. Youku's American depositary shares, each representing 18 of our Class A ordinary shares, are traded on NYSE under the symbol "YOKU."

    Contact Information:

    Media Relations:

    Jean Shao
    Director, International Public Relations
    Youku.com Inc.
    Tel:     +86-10-5885-1881 x7128
    Email: shaodan@youku.com

    Investor Relations:

    Ryan Cheung
    Corporate Finance Director
    Youku.com Inc.
    Tel:     +86-10- 5885-1881 x6090
    Email: ryan.cheung@youku.com

    Caroline Straathof
    IR Inside
    Tel:     +31-6-5462-4301
    Email: caroline.straathof@irinside.com

SOURCE  Youku.com Inc.

Youku.com Inc.

Wacom Introduces Bamboo Stylus for iPad

Design, ergonomics and natural feel deliver premium writing and sketching experience to iPad users

VANCOUVER, Wash., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Drawing on its experience and pedigree achieved through the development of professional and consumer pen tablets and interactive pen displays, Wacom® today announces Bamboo(TM) Stylus, a new input device created specifically for use with the Apple® iPad®. Bamboo Stylus offers an intuitive and natural way to experience note-taking, sketching, drawing, and other forms of creative expression on the iPad.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/SF85688-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/SF85688-b)

A Stylus with Style 

The authentic and satisfying feel of the Bamboo Stylus is achieved through subtle design elements, such as a sophisticated black and silver design with satin-textured metal body and balanced weighting. The tip of the stylus is 25 percent narrower (6mm vs. 8mm) in diameter than some of the other most popular solutions on the market today.  Combining ergonomic comfort and a firmer feel, the Bamboo Stylus offers a premium digital inking experience for handwriting notes, highlighting text, editing documents, drawing, sketching and much more. 

"A great deal of thought went into the look, feel and weight of the stylus," said Rick Peterson, Director of Consumer Brands at Wacom Technology Services, Corp. in Vancouver, Washington.  "We want users to take pride in owning a Bamboo Stylus for its quality craftsmanship and input capabilities as well as its stylish looks."   

Right Time for the "Write" Tool

While touch is the primary input method for the iPad, the stylus has definitely found its place among users, enriching the way they interact with the iPad. The additional functionality of the Bamboo Stylus brings a more accurate and precise way to take notes in meetings and classroom settings, or to sketch out rough ideas while on the go.  For example, users can improve their input experience with numerous applications developed for iPad, such as Penultimate(TM) for note-taking and Autodesk® SketchBook® Mobile for sketching needs.   

"The stylus can perform creative tasks that our fingers and touch displays are just not built to handle well," Peterson said.  "Users will find that the new Bamboo Stylus provides the accurate pointing and inking requirements they need to supplement touch input."

Bamboo Stylus Availability and Pricing

Bamboo Stylus ($29.99 USD) is expected to be available in mid-May at many national consumer electronic retail outlets.  Online shoppers will be able to find Bamboo Stylus at Amazon or at Wacom's online store.

About Wacom

Since 1983, Wacom's vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world's leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom's intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashions and designs around the world and provides business and home users with the ability to explore digital content creation in a comfortable, natural way. Today, millions of customers use Wacom pen input technology to express their creativity.

For more information, please contact:

Douglas A. Little
Sr. Public Relations Manager
Wacom Technology Corp.
360-896-9833 x174
douglas.little@wacom.com

SOURCE  Wacom

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/SF85688-a
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/SF85688-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Wacom

AutoVantage Launches Mobile Website with LocateMe® GPS Technology

Members can Quickly Access Roadside Assistance without Even Providing Their Location

STAMFORD, Conn., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for the busy summer season on America's roadways, AutoVantage, a complete roadside assistance service, today announced a unique benefit that allows its members, with one click from their mobile device, to summon roadside assistance without even having to know their location.  The new AutoVantage mobile website allows members with mobile devices to access AutoVantage's 24X7 roadside assistance through the "click to call" feature on the site, and activates Road America's LocateMe® GPS technology that communicates the member's location to AutoVantage.  The new mobile website and LocateMe technology will simplify the process of calling for assistance and accelerate AutoVantage's already industry leading response times. 

"We believe that the first thing a stranded driver does is reach for their cell phone, so we're aiming to eliminate any barriers to getting help to them in the quickest, and most efficient way possible," said Brad Eggleston, GVP of AutoVantage.  "In the event of a breakdown or an accident, we are taking advantage of GPS and mobile technology on devices that many of our members use in order to make the process of requesting our roadside assistance even easier and quicker."

From the AutoVantage mobile website, AutoVantage members click to call on the roadside assistance tab and are then immediately connected with an AutoVantage representative at the company's toll free roadside assistance number who will first confirm that the member is in a safe location. The member's location is automatically transmitted via the LocateMe® GPS technology to the representative, and is then communicated to any one of the 30,000 service vehicles available in the AutoVantage fleet.  This process makes it easier for the service provider to locate the AutoVantage member's vehicle.  The new mobile website and LocateMe® GPS technology are free to all AutoVantage members.

The LocateMe® technology was developed and is being provided by Road America, for AutoVantage working with AT&T, and is now available to members using any of the major service carriers.

This latest upgrade is just one of the many advantages to AutoVantage membership, which includes home and auto lock-out protection; service center discounts; a hotline providing access to an independent mechanic for estimates and advice; rental car discount codes and coupons; road benefits and discounts on hotels and auto rentals; a new car evaluation and new and used car research tools.

For more information about AutoVantage, please visit http://www.autovantage.com.

About Affinion Group

As a global leader with more than 35 years of experience, Affinion Group enhances the value of its partners' customer relationships by developing and marketing loyalty solutions. Leveraging its expertise in customer engagement, product development and targeted marketing, Affinion provides programs in subscription-based lifestyle services, personal protection, insurance and other areas to help generate increased customer loyalty and significant incremental revenue for more than 5,550 marketing partners worldwide, including many of the largest and most respected companies in financial services, retail, travel, and Internet commerce. Based in Stamford, Conn., the company has approximately 3,900 employees throughout the United States and in 12 other countries, primarily in Europe, and markets in 16 countries globally. Affinion holds the prestigious ISO 27001 certification for the highest information security practices, is PCI compliant and Cybertrust certified. For more information, visit http://www.affinion.com.

About Road America

Road America is a preeminent provider of private label and co-branded roadside and vehicle related services for insurance companies, OEM manufacturers, automotive service contract companies, and other corporations and associations.  Since 1978, they have set the standard for providing high quality assistance services in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico to more than 22 million customers of their 120 major corporate clients.  For USA and Puerto Rico services, Road America provides 24-hour assistance from their Response Centers located in Miami, Florida and Columbus, Georgia.  Canadian services are provided through the Road Canada Response Center in Cambridge, Ontario.  Road America is a wholly owned United States subsidiary of MAPFRE, one of the major European auto insurers, with worldwide revenues in 2010 of over $25 billion US.

SOURCE  AutoVantage

AutoVantage

CONTACT: Mike Bush, Affinion Group, +1-203-956-8038, mbush@affinion.com

Web Site: http://www.autovantage.com

Synology Announces Its Latest Professional 4-Bay DiskStation, the DS411+II

REDMOND, Wash., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Synology America Corp. announced the release of the DS411+II, the successor to the DS411+. Like its predecessor, the high-performance DS411+II runs the renowned DiskStation Manager (DSM) 3.1.

Supporting 3TB drives, the DS411+II offers up to 12TB of storage in a desktop configuration. The storage can be configured in a variety of volume types, including Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) for automated volume management. It is slated to release for under $670.

"At a price point just above the DS411+, this new model offers even better performance," said Joshua Wise, Product Manager at Synology America Corp. "This just underscores Synology's commitment to offering maximum value."

DSM 3.1 offers users an intuitive desktop-style interface to help users minimize the learning curve for management. Running entirely within a browser, it simplifies remote access and administration.

DSM 3.1 offers a number of business-friendly features:

    --  Multiple Volumes on RAID to maximize control over storage
    --  Access control lists (ACLs) to offer granular control of file
        permissions
    --  ADS support allows for integration with domains up to 100,000
        user/groups

For more information on the DS411+II, see here: http://www.synology.com/us/products/DS411+II/index.php

About Synology

Founded in April of 2000, Synology Inc. is a leader in next-generation Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers for the home and small to medium-sized business markets. Specializing in both hardware and software for network attached storage devices, Synology products are feature-rich, easy-to-use, energy-efficient, reliable and affordable. All Synology product investments are enhanced with product warranties, free software upgrades and 24/7 online support. Visit http://www.synology.com for more information.

Synology has a global presence with regional offices in the US (Redmond, Washington), the UK (London, England) and Taiwan (Taipei).

Press Contactmarketing.us@synology.comSynology America Corp.425.818.1587 http://www.synology.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE  Synology Inc.

Synology Inc.

CONTACT: Doug Self, marketing.us@synology.com, Synology America Corp., +1-425-818-1587

Web Site: http://www.synology.com

U.S. Branding Group Introduces CORalytics(TM) Tracking Software for Their USB Insert(TM) Paper Webkeys

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology-driven marketing solutions company, U.S. Branding Group, LLC has officially launched CORalytics(TM) Tracking Software that can now be used exclusively with their patented USB Insert(TM) paper webkeys.

According to U.S. Branding Group president and CEO, Rich Butler, "CORalytics(TM), which stands for Capturing Online Responses, is the seamless use of a dynamic, powerful webkey analytics software program that is supported by a state-of-the-art statistical Web platform. This enables marketers, advertisers, and product managers to visualize who, where, how and when USB Insert(TM) webkey conversions are happening, giving them the power to take control of their promotional and educational webkey campaigns and thus increase ROI."

Butler explains that CORalytics(TM) captures page views, while tracking unique visitors and analyzing page views per visitor. The software easily identifies entry and exit pages while monitoring visitor duration per page. This data reporting uniquely identifies the usage of a webkey campaign.

CORalytics(TM) also provides reports on global users by country, and maps users by region and city. This tracks demographic interests and provides focus marketing by location.

In addition, Butler goes on to say, "Touch Mapping is yet another software feature and an innovative way to custom view visitor's interaction with Web pages, in other words, to see exactly where they click on a website, page by page. Touch Mapping allows you the ability to see user interactions, lending valuable insight into Website information architecture and usability."

CORalytics(TM) is a proprietary offering of The U.S. Branding Group, LLC and is available exclusively with USB Insert(TM) webkeys.

About U.S. Branding Group, LLC

The U.S. Branding Group, LLC is an innovator, creator, and manufacturer of technology-driven marketing solutions with offices in North America, UK and Hong Kong. Their latest patented technology combines the world's smallest nano webkey with any physical print media, brochures, direct mail, even magazine inserts, seamlessly connecting users to exclusive landing pages or microsites.

For more information about CORalytics(TM) and USB Insert(TM) print collateral webkeys, visit: http://www.webkey.com or http://www.CORalytics.com, or contact: Rich Butler, Managing Director, or Cory Williams, Director of Technology & Product Development, phone: 561-966-8070 or email: info@usbinsert.com or cory@usbinsert.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE  U.S. Branding Group, LLC

U.S. Branding Group, LLC

Web Site: http://www.CORalytics.com

Browse, Shop and Share Catalogs on the iPad with New Mobile Shopping App, "Catalog Spree"

Catalog Spree Changes the Way People Shop: Wrapping together the Best of Mobile, Web and Beautiful Catalog Layouts at the Swipe of a Finger

SAN FRANCISCO, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Padopolis today announced the general availability of its new iPad application, Catalog Spree, a brand new catalog shopping experience for the iPad. The first shopping app to fully integrate the catalog experience with mobile shopping, Catalog Spree's virtual marketplace delivers a beautiful, fast and engaging place for consumers to quickly shop, share and flip through a variety of catalogs, including DwellStudio,Serena & Lily, Tea Collection, NapaStyle, Filson and Artful Home, to name a few. Going far beyond any app from a singular retailer, Catalog Spree for iPad loads instantly and allows people to make purchases from multiple retailers, while also saving and socializing favorites on Facebook. Visit our website to see a video demonstration of Catalog Spree.

Reading this on the iPad? Click here to download the app!

Don't forget to join our Facebook community and follow us on Twitter!

"Catalog Spree was designed to give today's mobile shopper exactly what they want: everything and anything, immediately with a magical user experience," said Catalog Spree co-founder and CEO Joaquin Ruiz. "Much like the iBooks experience, people will have their favorite catalogs at their fingertips when using Catalog Spree. Shoppers will also have the chance to discover great new stores that offer exactly what people are looking for, all from one app on their iPad, Catalog Spree."

The Wall Street Journal reported that in 2010, there were more than 20 billion catalogs mailed in the U.S. alone. That averages out to approximately 200 catalogs annually per household. People generally love flipping through these catalogs, but until today, consumers seeking a way to virtually browse their favorite catalogs were forced to download countless applications from individual retailers. Catalog Spree makes browsing catalogs as easy as a swipe of a finger - the same process popularized on the iPad for reading a book, daily newspaper or for viewing photos. Catalog Spree is dedicated to creating a beautiful and rich shopping experience, and is the only catalog app offering an entire "mall" of retailers, as well as the option to subscribe to new catalog releases, in some cases even before they arrive in mailboxes.

"Catalogs are the single largest revenue driver for retailers, bringing in over $100 billion a year. Catalogs take the lion's share of many marketing budgets and are one of the three largest publishing industries in the United States--just as big as books and magazines," said Rick Binger, co-founder of Catalog Spree and catalog industry veteran. "Mobile shopping is a relatively new and quickly evolving trend which introduces new solutions for retailers. Catalog Spree provides an easy way for retailers to extend the traditionally strong channels of e-commerce and catalog shopping to mobile."

Catalog Spree changes the way consumers shop. Combining the best of mobile, catalogs and online shopping, Catalog Spree provides consumers who love catalogs the exciting opportunity to have an eco-friendly and spam free experience while flipping through beautiful catalog layouts, from home, the road or anywhere. Without requiring the download of hundreds of separate apps, shoppers enjoy all the benefits of online shopping, in a much more interactive, personal and paperless way.

"At Filson, we want to serve our customers in any way they want to shop. That's why we operate in multiple channels - via our website, a traditional call center, our stores in Seattle and Portland and through a wide distribution network of other retailers. We see Catalog Spree as an opportunity to make Filson products available to iPad users in a very interactive way," said Harold Egler, Vice President of Direct Sales, Filson. "We pride ourselves in producing authentic quality products for the past 114 years. During that time, we have seen a lot of technology changes in retailing - most of them for the better. We expect to see a lot more in the years to come. This is another step in the evolution of shopping online and Filson is proud to be a part of it as a partner with Catalog Spree."

The application is now available for download from the U.S. iTunes store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/catalog-spree/id428274984?mt=8&ls=1. For more information on Catalog Spree, please visit http://www.CatalogSpree.com.

About Catalog Spree & Padopolis

Catalog Spree by Padopolis introduces a brand new catalog shopping experience on the iPad. People can browse and shop in catalogs they love, and discover new brands, all from one app. Catalog Spree is a fast and magical way to enjoy, share, shop and subscribe to promotions on the iPad. Going far beyond any app from a singular retailer, Catalog Spree for iPad loads instantly and allows people to make purchases from multiple retailers, while saving and socializing favorites. Catalog Spree is dedicated to creating a beautiful and rich shopping experience as the only catalog app offering an entire marketplace of retail stores and the option to subscribe to new catalog releases. Catalog Spree changes the way people shop. Combining the best of mobile, beautiful catalog layouts and online shopping, Catalog Spree provides consumers who love catalogs the exciting opportunity to have an eco-friendly and spam free experience while flipping through beautiful catalog layouts from home, the road or anywhere. Without requiring the download of hundreds of separate apps, shoppers enjoy all the benefits of online shopping, in a much more interactive, personal and paperless way. Padopolis raised $1.3 million in seed funding from El Dorado Ventures and Blackberry Partners, with Andrew Jenks as an angel investor. For more information visit http://www.padopolis.com.

SOURCE  Catalog Spree

Catalog Spree

CONTACT: Kim Angell or Andrea Hawley, Schwartz Communications for Catalog Spree, +1-415-512-0770, catalogspree@schwartzcomm.com

Web Site: http://www.catalogspree.com

SAN Storage and RAID - Maximising Efficiency in your Data Centre

LONDON, April 20, 2011/PRNewswire/ --     In running a data centre environment, is any single factor more important
than system reliability? Probably not. After all, without it you have no data
centre. And you have an expensive failure instead.

    System reliability is so vital, entire industries are dedicated to
ensuring it. RAID systems are a fail-safe solution to the problem of disk
failure. In such an instance, data still exists on other disk(s). Mission
critical systems have a fail-over system in place. In the event of any server
or network failure, another system will initiate and thus remain on-line.

    However, despite all modern back-ups and fail-safes, given the very
nature of Windows file systems, they will fragment. If unchecked, this will
and in fact does cause problems to the user, network and the company as a
whole.

    Fragmentation is a calculated liability built into every Windows
operating system, created deliberately with the purpose of utilising disk
space more efficiently. The downside is that it scatters fragmented files all
over the disk, and any disk drive used anywhere for any purpose including
RAID, mirrored systems, or backups is subjected to the harmful effects
caused.

    In the IT world, the fact that fragmentation slows down performance is an
"everyone knows." But what might not be so well known is fragmentation's
impact on system reliability. From boot-up to shutdown, a fragmented drive
can cause problems with almost any system-level action in Windows. A prime
example is the fact that the Windows operating system constantly uses the
disk-based page file - hence, reliable disk operation is critical to reliable
system operation. Fragmentation issues with the page file can cause "out of
virtual memory" errors and can also cause data loss. Elsewhere, a heavily
fragmented Master File Table (the file allocation table used by NTFS, the
Windows file system) can slow the already extended boot process of a Windows
computer.

    SAN Storage and NTFS

    Today, using SANs to meet storage requirements have become the norm, SANs
typically employ a clustered/SAN file system to pool disk arrays into a
virtualized storage volume. This is not NTFS, but rather proprietary
software, provided by a SAN hardware or software vendor. This file system
essentially "runs on top of NTFS", it does not replace it. Keeping in mind
that every file system is a "virtual" disk, stacking one virtual component
over another (i.e. one file system on top of another) is very doable and
increasingly more common.

    What the vendor of a SAN file system does to his file system is
irrelevant to NTFS. Claims that "you do not need to defragment" may be
misunderstood and incorrectly implied to mean "NTFS". It is very possible
that you do not need to defragment the "SAN file system". The expert for that
file system and the source from which you should get setup tips, best
practices, and SAN I/O optimization methodologies is that manufacturer.

    As for NTFS, it still fragments and causes the Windows OS to "split" I/O
requests for files sent into the SAN, creating a performance penalty. Given
that SANs are only ever block-level storage, they do not know what I/Os
relate to what files. Therefore they cannot intelligently spread the
fragments of a file across multiple disks. A whole mass of separate I/Os
writes/reads for fragmented files (which will most certainly be interspersed
with other simultaneous data writes/reads) will be non-optimally spread
across the disks in the SAN storage pool i.e. write more fragments of a given
file to one disk rather than evenly spreading the data across all the disks.

    SAN file system vendors may offer optimization strategies to move data
around the disks as it learns over time - typical data requests are not
properly load-balanced across SAN spindles. Generally speaking, the above
holds true for disk striping as well (RAID). SAN designers or developers
agree that NTFS fragmentation IS an issue and advanced defragmentation is
important ("basic" defragmenters can actually cause worse problems)

    File fragmentation also takes a serious physical toll on hard drives.
Disk head movement is increased by the need to access data contained in
fragmented files. The more disk head movement, the less mean time between
failure (MTBF) will be experienced, shortening the life of the hard drive.

    The old days of scheduled fragmentation are legacy procedures and will
not be effective in today's systems due to the sheer size of disks and
storage. Running the built-in tool is simply not comprehensive enough to reap
the necessary benefits and see the original performance your systems once
boasted. Reliability is required 24/7, regardless of the type of backup,
storage technology (RAID, SAN) used. System up-time is imperative and
reliability is the key. For an all-in-one solution to performance and
reliability issues, download a free trialware of Diskeeper at
http://www.diskeeper.com

Source: Diskeeper Corporation Europe

Media Contact: Dorian Culmer, Email: d.culmer@diskeeper.co.uk, Phone: +44(0)1293-763290

Anite Continues to set the Benchmark for LTE Protocol Conformance Testing

FLEET, England, April 20, 2011/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --     Anite, the global leader in wireless device testing, today
announces that its LTE protocol conformance testing solution - Anite
Conformance Toolset - is the first to be approved by the Global Certification
Forum (GCF) for the certification of devices intended for deployment on LTE
Bands 01, Japan, & 07, Europe. With Test Platform Approval Criteria (TPAC)
having been met for these two new bands, Anite's Conformance Toolset further
extends its capabilities as the only solution available that meets the
industry's stringent test coverage requirements for LTE protocol testing
across LTE bands 01, 07, 13 & 20 and TD-LTE bands 38 & 40.

     (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110420/450123)

    With the recent announcement from the Global Certification
Forum
(http://www.globalcertificationforum.org/WebSite/public/FIRST_LTE_MOBILE_DEVI
CES_ACHIEVE_GCF_CERTIFICATION.aspx) of the certification of the first two LTE
devices, Anite's achievements yet again demonstrate the importance of its
clear leadership in LTE. As more devices become ready for certification
Anite's Conformance Toolset is immediately available to meet certification
requirements ahead of target - taking the lead role in enabling device
manufacturers to bring new devices to market as more network operators across
North America, Asia and Europe accelerate the roll out of LTE networks.

    (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the
space if one exists.)

    "Anite continues to show that it is the global leader in
testing technology for the wireless industry, with the broadest and most
comprehensive conformance test case coverage," said Paul Beaver, Products
Director, Anite. "As the first test equipment vendor to have both FDD LTE and
TD-LTE test cases approved by GCF, we are uniquely positioned to deliver
solutions that enable device manufacturers to rigorously test their next
generation LTE wireless devices. We are working in close partnership with the
manufacturers that are breaking new ground with LTE."

    "In addition to test case leadership, Anite Conformance
Toolset provides unparalleled ease of use, and allows for the automation and
simplification of the test process. This helps our customers take the risk
out of development and also reduces their costs."

    Anite's LTE leadership builds on its comprehensive portfolio
of leading 3GPP protocol solutions. From GSM through EDGE and WCDMA to the
latest HSPA+ standards Anite enables developers to adopt a total end-to-end
test philosophy for all of their wireless testing needs, using proven and
trusted solutions that offer rapid return on investment.

    About Anite

    Anite provides a comprehensive range of critical IT solutions
to the Wireless and Travel sectors across the globe. Listed on the London
Stock Exchange, Anite develops and implements software as well as provides
consultancy, systems integration and managed services to ensure that our
customers operate effectively and securely. By using the latest technologies
to deliver quality and cost-effective solutions, Anite meets customers'
specific requirements and realises tangible results for its clients.

    Anite Telecoms offers rigorous yet simplified device testing,
accelerating new devices to market. A global market leader, Anite has over 20
years of experience providing cutting-edge technology to device
manufacturers, operators and test laboratories. Anite was the first company
to verify LTE conformance test cases in 2009 and has consistently remained at
the forefront of the handset testing industry. Its highly flexible and
reliable software solutions make Anite a key partner to the major Telecoms
manufacturers and operators. With a diverse team focused on exceeding
expectations, Anite draws upon worldwide expertise and is enthusiastic about
the future of LTE.

    Headquartered in the UK, Anite employs around 500 staff in 13
countries across Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East. For more
information, please visit http://www.anite.com

Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110420/450123

Source: Anite Telecoms Ltd

For further information, please contact: Anite Telecoms Ltd, Tel: +44-(0)1252-775200, Email: wireless@anite.com; Editorial contacts: Karolina Eklund, Tel: +44-(0)1252-775245,
Email: karolina.eklund@anite.com;