News

App Superstore Appitalism.com Spreads the Love This Valentine's Day With 'Love' Button and Free Love Apps

App Consumers can now do more than just "Like" their Favorite Apps, they can Tell their Friends and the World which Apps they "Love"

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Appitalism.com, the first site to combine a social community with an online app store for all devices, is celebrating Valentine's Day this year with the launch of the "Love" button and its Free Love Apps list.

Appitalism has supplemented the popular "Like" button with the thumbs-up icon with a much more exciting "Love" button, illustrated with a luscious red lips logo. Clicking on the red lips lets consumers easily share their love for their favorite apps across all of their social networks. The new "Love" button debuted for Valentine's Day and will now become a permanent feature on Appitalism so that consumers can easily highlight and share those apps that are on their "must have" list that they couldn't live without.

In another boast for app lovers everywhere, on February 14th, Appitalism will feature a range of ordinarily paid apps and games for no charge. The Free Love Apps list offers some of the most popular premium app titles including Pacman for Android, Doodle Jump and Mafia Wars New York for BlackBerry and Snake Revolution for regular mobile phones.

"The Appitalism.com team couldn't think of a better time of the year to show our appreciation towards our app savvy customers," said Simon Buckingham, Chief Appitalist at Appitalism. "Both features, the Love button and Free Love Apps, will ensure our visitors get the best digital apps and content shopping experience ever."

Appitalism is the world's first app "superstore" that spans more than a dozen platforms and brings all the apps and digital content together under one roof. Appitalism is 100 percent community curated through member ratings and reviews to help consumers discover the best content possible. Participation in the Appitalism community earns App Rewards which turn into App Cash in real-time, and which can be used as part or full payment for the digital content hosted on the Appitalism website or its mobile optimized sister site at app.sm. To join the community and discover a diverse array of digital content apps -- visit Appitalism.com, fuel for your digital life.

About Appitalism.com

Appitalism.com combines a social community with an online store, enabling consumers to discover, discuss and download digital media from a catalog of over ten million premium apps, songs, books, games and videos compatible with a broad range of digital devices including smartphones, tablets, PCs and eBook readers. Simply put, there is no better way to discover and download apps and digital content than on Appitalism.com

SOURCE  Appitalism.com

Appitalism.com

CONTACT: Clint Cantwell, +1-212-999-5585, ccantwell@5wpr.com

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

Top Politicians on the Wikileaks Off-Shore List Named Through iPhone Cartoon Application

KYIV, Ukraine, February 14, 2011/PRNewswire/ --     Today a US based animation company Mupotoon LLC announced the release of
the first ever animated series for iPhone, which will bring the iPhone users
a hilarious, sidesplitting tongue-in-cheek look at the world's biggest
political news of the day. It's a short animated spoof on global leaders and
events shown through the mix of music, politics and cartoons.

    The first episode of Mupotoon, now available to iPhone users through
iTunes Store, is dedicated to the controversy surrounding the list of
tax-evading celebrities, handed over recently to Wikileaks founder Julian
Assange by a former Swiss banker Rudolf Elmer. According to Mr. Elmer, whom
the British newspaper the Guardian called the "most important and boldest
whistle-blower in Swiss banking history, the list contains offshore account
details of 2000 prominent people.

    In the released episode Julian Assange releases the names of the famous
tax-evading celebrities and dignitaries and puts Vladimir Putin, Silvio
Berlusconi and Nicola Sarcozy on the verge of a mental breakdown.

    "Any political news, no matter how serious, can, and I
believe should be looked at from a humorous perspective", said Mupotoon LLC's
Creative Director Yuriy Sak. "Mupotoon is a combination of music, politics
and cartoons".

    In 2009 Mupotoon LLC released its pilot animated film
"Barack Obama. The Secret of Nobel Peace Prize" which premiered in Oslo,
Norway, on the day when the US President and the main character of the
cartoon Barack Obama received a much debated Nobel Prize for Peace. The
cartoon, which humorously dispelled the myths surrounding the unexpected
decision of the Nobel Prize Committee, was warmly received by the
international press and European viewers.

    "The main idea behind our latest brainchild - the animated political
comedy on iPhone platform - is to deliver to iPhone users the most important
news in the most entertaining format", said the applications' producer
Gennadiy Kurochka. "We hope that our animated satirical take on the events
that shape the world today will be popular due to Mupotoons' subtle and at
the same time provocative sense of humour".

    Download Mupotoon to get a daily fix of the funniest global news
reports and razor-sharp political satire.

    Mupotoon Episode 1 is available at: iTunes Store: http://goo.gl/gkf1g

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/mupotoon?feature=mhum

Source: Mupotoon LLC

For more details please contact Yuriy Sak at info@mupotoon.com or call on +380-63-725-2222

Anderson Seafoods Announces Grand Opening of E-Commerce Business

ANAHEIM, Calif., Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Anderson Seafoods, "America's most trusted seafood source for over 30 years," is proud to announce the grand opening of our Retail E-Commerce business, a nation-wide program which delivers premium hand-selected fresh and frozen seafood products right to your door, overnight.  Orders placed Monday through Thursday before 1:00 p.m. (west coast time), will ship to arrive the following morning by 10:30 a.m.

Anderson Seafoods has teamed up with UPS to offer CARBON NEUTRAL shipping as an option.

If you've ever experienced great seafood at your favorite restaurant which was "a cut above," it most likely came from Anderson Seafoods. Our on-line store features an unparalleled assortment of Fresh, Frozen, Smoked Seafood and Entrees as well as Specialty Items, guaranteed to please even the most discernable palate.  We will be offering regular specials, with our featured selection this month to include Chilean Seabass, Snow Crab Cocktail Claws and Fijian Opah.

Anderson Seafoods has established its own network of direct sources for fresh and frozen products from around the world including Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, the Pacific Northwest, the East Coast, Asia and South America, and all are HACCP-approved sources.  Anderson Seafoods was established in 1979, with the goal of providing premium seafood products and superior service in the retail and food service arena. Starting from a small family venture in Orange, California, Anderson Seafoods has evolved into a full-scale, state-of-the-art operation and is recognized as a leading authority in the seafood industry.  Core services include importing, processing, portioning and distribution of all varieties of Fresh, Frozen and Live seafood products. Our facilities are USDC (United States Department of Commerce) inspected and are HACCP-approved.

For more information contact us at: 1 (855)-654-FISH or, log on to: http://www.shopandersonseafoods.com

    Alberto Andrade
    1 (855)-654-FISH
    contactus@andersonseafoods.com

SOURCE  Anderson Seafoods

Anderson Seafoods

CONTACT: Alberto Andrade of Anderson Seafoods, 1-855-654-FISH, alberto@andersonseafoods.com

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

And the internet will already be using HTML5 for some time before that. The HTML5 final release will be in 2014 and WHATWG wants to move to versionless living specifications. That doesn't work.

Quote

Likely by the end of 2011, the W3C will issue a second last-call version and begin a second round of refinements.

In the second quarter of 2012, a new phase begins, in which "implementors" of the specification--browser makers, essentially--provide feedback. During this phase, the W3C concentrates on a suite of thousands of tests to see if implementations of HTML5 really do get the same results when interpreting a Web page's code.

The culmination of this phase is a "candidate recommendation" of the HTML5 spec and at least two "interoperable implementations"--in other words, two different browsers that produce the same results on the test cases. The implementors' feedback is scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2014.

Thankfully, W3C handles the specification naming and such.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20031673-264.html

LG Electronics, Designer Marc Bouwer Bring 3D Projector to New York Fashion Week

LG 3D Projector Struts its Technology to Create Immersive Runway Experience

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to advanced commercial 3D display technology from LG Electronics, Marc Bouwer made history again by presenting his 2011 Fall collection for the first time in 3D video during the acclaimed fashion designer's invitation-only show featuring former Victoria's Secret® model Selita Ebanks at the SOHO House in New York City on Sunday night.

The LG Electronics USA Commercial Displays Division outfitted the SOHO House's screening room with LG's cutting-edge CF3D projector, which uses movie-theater-style 3D glasses allowing celebrities and other VIP attendees to experience Bouwer's incredible 2011 fall line in a bright, crisp and clear 3D video. Marchon3D(TM) Eyewear provided the premium, fashionable, and elegant polarized 3D glasses for the show. Bravo Media shot and rendered the entire fashion show.

"Last year we broke with the status quo by only presenting our show online and we felt a 3D show was a great way to keep pushing the envelope this year," said Bouwer, American couturier. "LG's projector offered the right 3D technology with robust picture quality and a clarity that allowed me to introduce my new line through an unforgettably immersive experience."

CF3D - Bring the Theater Experience Home

LG's versatile CF3D is the world's first Full HD Dual Engine Single Lens 3D Projector featuring an outstanding brightness rating of 2,500 ANSI-lumens for 2D viewing and 1,250 ANSI-lumens for 3D content and a high contrast ratio of 7,000:1.

Other 3D projection systems use two separate projectors - one for each eye. The CF3D has the two projection engines built into one unit, reducing the space and size required to display 3D content from a single projector. The advanced LCOS based system creates the polarized stereoscopic image pair within the unit and projects the two images simultaneously for maximum brightness. The CF3D projector minimizes ghosting via improved and more rapid polarization, resulting in 3D content that has higher resolution and improved definition. To view 3D content, a 3D Blu-ray Disc player (or other 3D program source) and silver screen are required and sold separately.

"The exhilaration and action that 3D technology brings outside the walls of a theater is transforming the way we view and seek entertainment," said Dr. Nandhu Nandhakumar, vice president, advanced technology, LG Electronics. "Our partnership with Marc Bouwer's fashion show is a testament to the expansion of 3D into new markets to create an exclusive experience anywhere you look."

About LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics USA Commercial Displays serves customers in the lodging and hospitality, digital signage, systems integration, healthcare, education, government and industrial markets. Based in Lincolnshire, Ill., with its dedicated engineering and customer support team, LG Electronics USA Commercial Displays delivers business-to-business technology solutions tailored to the particular needs of business environments. LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force in consumer electronics, commercial displays, home appliances, mobile communications, and air conditioning & energy solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.LGSolutions.com.

* Design, features and specifications subject to change without notice.

* For a small percentage of the population, the viewing of stereoscopic 3D video may cause discomfort such as dizziness or nausea. If you experience any of these symptoms, discontinue using the 3D functionality and contact your health care provider.  3D glasses required and sold separately.

SOURCE  LG Electronics USA, Inc.

LG Electronics USA, Inc.

CONTACT: John Taylor, +1-847-941-8181, john.taylor@lge.com, or Katie Busch, +1-312-397-6025, katie.busch@lg-one.com, both of LG Electronics USA

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

Sakar Acquires Tech Product License for Nickelodeon's Hit Live-Action Comedy Series Victorious

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sakar International and Nickelodeon Consumer Products (NCP) will release a line of consumer electronics and accessories inspired by Victorious, the network's hit live-action comedy starring Victoria Justice.  Victorious, a co-production with Sony Music, follows Tori Vega (Justice) as she unexpectedly finds herself navigating life at an elite Hollywood performing arts high school.  Since its launch last April, Victorious has been the #1 program in its timeslot on all TV with tweens 9-14 and teens 12-17, reaching 15.1 million tweens and 11.4 million teens each quarter.

"Victorious is a breakout hit andoffers a great opportunity to tap into the show's loyal fan base and strong musical core," said Manuel Torres, Senior Vice President, Global Toys, Video Games & Consumer Electronics, NCP.  "Sakar's extensive line of electronics allows fans to unleash their creativity, express themselves and share digital content. This new line of Victorious products will inspire and entertain kids."

More than 20 branded SKUs inspired by the music- and tech-filled series will begin shipping this fall, ranging from MP3/4 players, boomboxes and karaoke machines to text messengers, doorbell answering machines, digital cameras and portable DVD players.

All Victorious-branded electronics products will be available exclusively at Toys 'R Us this fall before being released for wider distribution. Non-electronic merchandise, such as computer sleeves and gaming accessories, will be sold through multiple channels immediately.

"Almost every kid wants to be a star.  That's why Victorious resonates with this demographic and why the opportunity to offer brand extensions is so appealing," said Liza Abrams, Sakar Vice President of Licensing. "This is an ideal platform for the branded consumer electronics that have become our specialty as well as an important extension of our relationship with Nickelodeon properties." 

The agreement comes two years after Sakar was licensed to produce an extensive line of branded tech toys and consumer electronics inspired by Nickelodeon series' iCarly, Ni Hao Kai-lan, SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer,and Go, Diego, Go!  Strong reception for those products has included an award from Parent Tested Parent Approved Media Inc. for the Dora the Explorer Talking Digital Camera.

Prototypes of Sakar's Victorious-branded products can be seen at Booth #2445 at the Toy Fair 2011 show that opens today in New York.

Sakar's licensing portfolio also includes other top-tier brands such as Kodak, Made for iPod, Crayola, LeapFrog, Sanrio's Hello Kitty, The Biggest Loser, The Weather Channel, Spiderman, Batman, EA SPORTS, Gummy Bears, and Mattel's Monster High.

Victorious follows teenager Tori Vega (Justice) who attends the prestigious performing arts high school, Hollywood Arts.  From her first day at the school, Tori feels out of place among the amazingly talented students, especially mean diva Jade (Elizabeth Gillies, Broadway's 13).  But with the help of her older sister Trina (Daniella Monet, A Fairly Odd Movie,Nancy Drew) and new friends including the musically gifted Andre (Leon Thomas, August Rush, Broadway's The Lion King, iCarly), brooding bad boy Beck (Avan Jogia, Spectacular!), eccentric Cat (Ariana Grande, Broadway's 13) and lovable but psychologically scrambled ventriloquist Robbie (Matthew Bennett). Tori realizes that she was born to perform and that entertaining people not only makes her happy but may change her life. The series features original music performed by Victoria Justice and the ensemble cast.  Victorious is created and executive produced by Dan Schneider (iCarly, Zoey 101, Drake & Josh).

About Sakar International

Sakar International Inc. designs and manufactures a wide range of technology, toy, and consumer electronic products. Founded in 1977, the company is the manufacturer of Vivitar camera equipment and accessories, a market leader in youth electronics, and a producer of licensed products for leading consumer brands. Products range from digital cameras and camcorders with related accessories to computer, iPod, GPS and gaming accessories, binoculars, MP3 players, clock radios, gift and toy electronics. The company is privately held and headquartered in Edison, N.J. For more information, visit http://www.sakar.com.   

About Nickelodeon Consumer Products

Nickelodeon Consumer Products manages the world's third largest licensing business, representing leading properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, and managing merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

Nickelodeon, now in its 31st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids.  It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years.  For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE  Sakar International

Sakar International

CONTACT: Molly Antos, +1-847-415-9327, mantos@sspr.com, for Sakar International

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

New Book Series Showcases Scientific Breakthroughs Enabled with Parallel Computing

Morgan Kaufmann and NVIDIA Collaborate on the "GPU Computing Gems" Series

BURLINGTON, Mass., Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Data computation has been called the "third pillar of science," alongside the ancient pillars of logic and observation, and upon which future scientific breakthroughs will rest.  Morgan Kaufmann, a global leader in cutting-edge computing content, today announced the availability of the first volume in a new book series that will showcase how advanced parallel computing techniques are revolutionizing scientific research.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-book-series-showcases-scientific-breakthroughs-enabled-with-parallel-computing-116156079.html

The GPU Computing Gemsseries was developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, the world leader in visual and parallel computing.  Graphics processing units (GPUs), which were invented by NVIDIA, have revolutionized data computation and are playing a key role in enabling leading researchers and academics to drive the next wave of scientific discovery.  The GPU Computing Gemsseries will provide practical techniques and real-world examples straight from the leading minds in GPU-based research, demonstrating how new parallel computing techniques can be harnessed within different domains to enable new scientific breakthroughs.

GPU Computing Gems: Emerald Edition is the first volume in the series, and is available today from key book retailers and e-tailers.  Visit http://mkp.com/gpu-computing-gems for more information.

Computational scientists increasingly utilize GPUs for computational-intensive applications to achieve dramatic improvements in processing power, efficiency and power consumption.  The challenge for developers in the new arena of scientific research is learning how to program systems that effectively use these concurrent processors to achieve these goals, and GPU Computing Gems was created to provide real-world tips and guidance to assist researchers.  Each chapter presents techniques used in leading research, designed to be accessible to others in multiple fields and disciplines, allowing knowledge to cross-pollinate across the GPU spectrum.

GPU Computing Gems: Emerald Edition will focus on how GPU computing can be applied to:

    --  Scientific Simulation
    --  Life Sciences
    --  Statistical Modeling
    --  Emerging Data-Intensive Applications
    --  Electronic Design Automation
    --  Ray Tracing and Rendering
    --  Computer Vision
    --  Video and Image Processing
    --  Signal and Audio Processing
    --  Medical Imaging

Editor-in-Chief Wen-mei W. Hwu, the Walter J. ("Jerry") Sanders III-Advanced Micro Devices Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Coordinated Science Laboratory of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has assembled the leading researchers in parallel programming and gathered their solutions and experiences in one volume under the guidance of expert editors.

The second volume, titled GPU Computing Gems: Jade Edition, will also be edited by Wen-mei W. Hwu, and will gather experts from eight critical GPU computing domains:

    --  Programming Tools and Libraries
    --  Financial Modeling
    --  Engineering Simulation
    --  Environment Methodology
    --  Interactive Physics Simulation and AI for Games and Entertainment
    --  Numerical Algorithms
    --  Parallel Algorithms
    --  Data Structures

The Jade Edition will be published in June 2011. Both titles are part of Morgan Kaufmann's Applications of GPU Computing series. Additional books will follow in 2011 and beyond to help researchers and developers leverage GPUs to improve application speed and efficiency.

About the Editor-in-Chief

Wen-mei W. Hwu is the Walter J. ("Jerry") Sanders III-Advanced Micro Devices Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Coordinated Science Laboratory of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From 1997 to 1999, Dr. Hwu served as the chairman of the Computer Engineering Program at the University of Illinois. Dr. Hwu received his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests are in the areas of architecture, implementation, and software for high-performance computer systems. He is the director of the OpenIMPACT project, which has delivered new compiler and computer architecture technologies to the computer industry since 1987. He also serves as the Soft Systems Theme leader of the MARCO/DARPA Gigascale Silicon Research Center (GSRC) and on the Executive Committees of both the GSRC and the MARCO/DARPA Center for Circuit and System Solutions.

Now Available

GPU Computing Gems: Emerald Edition

Wen-mei W. Hwu, Editor-in-Chief

ISBN: 9780123849885; e-ISBN: 9780123849892

February 14th, 2011 | Hardcover | 900 pp

EUR 53.95/USD 74.95/GBP 45.99

Coming in June 2011

GPU Computing Gems: Jade Edition

Wen-mei W. Hwu, Editor-in-Chief

ISBN: 9780123859631; e-ISBN: 9780123859648

June 21st, 2011 | Hardcover | Pages 900

EUR 53.95/USD 74.95/GBP 45.99

Additional information, including sample content and online webinars:http://mkp.com/gpu-computing-gems

ABOUT MORGAN KAUFMANN

Morgan Kaufmann has been bringing the knowledge of experts to the computing community since 1984.  Our goal is to provide timely yet timeless content to research and development professionals, business leaders and IT managers, everyday practitioners, and academia.  We publish textbooks and references in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Networking, Computer Architecture, Computer Graphics & Game Development, Data Management & Business Intelligence, Software Engineering, and User Experience & Human Computer Interaction.  For more information, visit mkp.com.

ABOUT ELSEVIER

Elsevier Science & Technology Books has provided award-winning, leading-edge data and education resources to information professionals worldwide. By delivering world-class solutions both in print and online, Elsevier S&T Books is proud to play an essential role in some of the most distinguished scientific and technology communities in existence today. From economics and public health to microbiology and genetics, we have a wide variety of books and ebooks online for you to choose from.

ABOUT NVIDIA

NVIDIA (Nasdaq: NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The Company holds more than 1,700 patents worldwide, including ones covering designs and insights that are essential to modern computing. For more information, see http://www.nvidia.com.

SOURCE  Elsevier

Video:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-book-series-showcases-scientific-breakthroughs-enabled-with-parallel-computing-116156079.html
Elsevier

CONTACT: Dan O'Connell, Publicity Manager, MK/Elsevier Science & Technology Books, p: +1-781-313-4726; c: +1-978-944-2879, d.oconnell@elsevier.com

Web Site: http://mkp.com/gpu-computing-gems

comScore Releases Inaugural Report, 'The 2010 Mobile Year in Review'

Report Highlights 2010 Mobile Trends in U.S., Europe and Japan

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released The comScore 2010 Mobile Year in Review. This inaugural report recaps key trends in the mobile landscape in 2010 throughout the U.S., Europe (EU5) and Japan. The report highlights important components of the mobile market including device trends, smartphone adoption, browser/application usage and mobile content consumption, with a look at how marketers can utilize the mobile medium in 2011.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)

"2010 was a game-changing year for the mobile industry," said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile. "Smartphone adoption, 3G penetration and unlimited data plans drove a surge of mobile media consumption across geographies and deepened the integration of mobile devices into everyday life. And, the coming year has the potential to be even more exciting. As the mobile ecosystem continues to develop, including progress in mobile advertising and commerce, it's clear that mobile is destined to become an increasingly important platform for digital marketers across all industries."

To download a complimentary copy of The comScore 2010 Mobile Year in Review, please visit: http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2011/2010_Mobile_Year_in_Review

Mobile Media Consumption Intensified in 2010

Smartphones aggressively penetrated the mobile market in 2010, driving an escalation in mobile media consumption by subscribers worldwide. Technological innovations enabled an extraordinary number of new capabilities for mobile devices, even expanding the definition of what it means to be 'mobile' through the introduction of tablets, e-readers and other connected devices. As more subscribers access the mobile web in 2011, it will become essential for marketers to reach this rapidly-expanding segment of consumers.

comScore's report provides insight into the year's most important trends. Key findings highlighted in the report include:

    --  Smartphone adoption accelerated in both the U.S. and Europe. U.S.
        smartphone adoption reached 27 percent of mobile subscribers in December
        2010, an increase of 10 percentage points from the previous year, while
        European adoption reached 31 percent, also up nearly 10 points versus
        year ago.
    --  Network quality and cost of monthly plan were the top 2 purchase
        consideration factors for mobile subscribers in the U.S. and UK.
    --  Nokia was the top OEM in the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain. Samsung took
        the top spot in the U.S. and France, and also ranked in the top three in
        the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.
    --  36 percent of mobile Americans and 29 percent of Europeans browsed the
        mobile web in December 2010, with access through an application reaching
        34 percent of Americans and 28 percent of Europeans. Across regions,
        mobile browsing and application usage is growing in the range of 7-9
        percentage points per year.
    --  More than 75 percent of mobile subscribers in Japan are connected media
        users (used their browser, accessed applications or downloaded content)
        far surpassing the U.S. and European countries in this regard. Japan
        also saw nearly 10 percent of its mobile audience make a purchase with
        their mobile wallet in December 2010.
    --  Over the past year the number of mobile users that accessed a social
        networking site at least once a month via their mobile device increased
        by 56 percent to nearly 58 million users in the U.S. Even stronger
        growth occurred in Europe, with a 75-percent increase in the number of
        users over the last year to 42 million in December 2010.

comScore mobile experts will be presenting insights from the report via live webinar. Please see below for session dates and geographic focuses.

    --  The 2010 Mobile Year in Review webinar presented by Jeremy Copp, VP
        mobile for comScore and Alex Kozloff, mobile manager, IAB UK.  Thursday,
        March 10 from 11:00AM - 12:00PM GMT. This webinar will examine the
        trends in Europe and the UK for mobile devices, mobile consumer
        behaviour and mobile media usage. For more information and to register,
        please visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/707838273
    --  The 2010 Mobile Year in Review webinar presented by Mark Donovan, SVP of
        mobile at comScore. Tuesday, March 15 from 1:00PM - 2:00PM EDT. The
        webinar will focus on trends in the U.S. mobile market as well as
        include important analysis of mobile trends in Europe and Japan to
        provide insight on the global mobile landscape. For more information and
        to register, please visit:
        https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/867594321

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics. For more information, please visit http://www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

Follow us on Twitter

http://twitter.com/comScore

http://twitter.com/gfulgoni

SOURCE  comScore, Inc.

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
comScore, Inc.

CONTACT: U.S. Media, Sarah Radwanick, +1-206-268-6310, press@comscore.com, or EMEA Media, Berit Block, 0044 203 111 1758, worldpress@comscore.com, both for comScore, Inc.

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

John Hancock Launches i-Illustrate, a New iPad Mobile Application

-- Producers Now May Generate Insurance Illustrations Directly Through Their iPad

BOSTON, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock today launched a new application, i-Illustrate, which allows producers to generate life insurance illustrations with their iPads.

This new app, one of the first of its kind in the industry, provides producers with an immediate and more convenient way to generate illustrations for John Hancock's Universal Life, Survivorship Universal Life, LifeCare and Term Life products.

John Hancock's i-Illustrate provides producers with:

    --  Simple navigation--combining many JH Illustrator features with the
        iPad's easy navigation and multi touch screen;

    --  Illustrations that can be emailed directly from their iPad;

    --  Automatic product and version updates; and a

    --  Convenient log-on using their existing JH SalesNet password.

"John Hancock is committed to providing our distribution partners with the tools, products and services that make it as easy to do business with us as possible," said Steve Finch, President, John Hancock Life Insurance. "With the i-Illustrate app for the iPad, we are offering a whole new level of efficiency and convenience to the mobile agent."

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were $475 billion (US$478 billion) as at December 31, 2010.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at http://www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at http://www.johnhancock.com.

SOURCE  John Hancock Financial

John Hancock Financial

CONTACT: Brian Carmichael, +1-617-663-4748, bcarmichael@jhancock.com

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

John Hancock Annuities Launches New 'Retirement Talk' Module

New Video Focuses on Couples Planning for Retirement

BOSTON, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Annuities has launched a second module of the integrated 'Retirement Talk' marketing program, giving advisors another simple way to connect with clients who are looking for ways to enhance their retirement security.

The new Retirement Talk module introduces options that help couples planning for retirement ensure that their income will last for the duration of two lives. It features a client-friendly educational video that addresses the emotions that many couples are experiencing after the roller-coaster markets of the last few years, and how they believe it has impacted their plans for retirement. The video complements John Hancock's original highly successful Retirement Talk video, which demystified annuities and the role that guaranteed lifetime income options may play in a well-rounded retirement portfolio.*

The videos plus a wealth of support material, including an interactive income planning calculator, is available at http://www.jhretirementtalk.com, and also in CD format.

"We're very excited to add this new module to our Retirement Talk program," says Tom Mullen, Chief Marketing Officer, John Hancock Annuities. "The program is aimed at broadening the appeal of annuities in today's marketplace by shifting the focus away from technical discussions around complex annuity concepts, and towards the product's core solution -- guaranteed lifetime income. It also offers ways for advisors to present this solution to clients in simple, everyday terms."

"Our wholesalers have found advisors very receptive to using the Retirement Talk program in their practice because of the reach it offers," says Mike Treske, President of John Hancock Annuity Distribution. "Watching prototypical investors explain how an annuity fits into their portfolio helps clients better understand how a John Hancock Annuity can help strengthen their own retirement strategy."

Retirement Talk videos are packaged with a brief message and suggested follow-up actions for the client to consider. An Advisor Guide provides suggestions on identifying clients who may benefit from the program, and offers talking points to address during client meetings. Customizable client letters are also available. The entire program may be presented by authorized advisors in CD format or via a client-approved micro web site, http://www.jhretirementtalk.com, where authorized distributors and their clients may view the video and related material.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. For more than 120 years, clients have looked to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$475 billion (US$478 billion) as at December 31, 2010.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial may be found on the Internet at http://www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at http://www.johnhancock.com.

Contact your financial advisor or visit http://www.jhannuities.com for more information, including product and fund prospectuses that contain complete details on investment objectives, risks, fees, charges, and expenses, as well as other information about the investment company, which should be carefully considered. Please read the prospectuses carefully prior to purchasing. The prospectuses contain this and other information on the product and the underlying portfolios.

*The guarantee is backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and does not apply to the investment performance or safety of the underlying portfolios.

This material was prepared to support the promotion and marketing of variable annuities. John Hancock, its distributors, and their respective representatives do not provide tax, accounting, investment, or legal advice. Any tax statements contained herein were not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used for the purpose of avoiding U.S. federal, state or local tax penalties. Please consult your own independent advisor as to any tax, accounting, investment, or legal statements made herein.

Venture Annuities and the optional riders, which are available for an additional fee, are not available in all states; product features may vary, subject to state regulation. Variable annuities are not FDIC insured, are long-term contracts designed for retirement purposes, and are subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of principal. Charges may apply to amounts taken in excess of the withdrawal amount available without a withdrawal charge during the surrender charge period. All withdrawals reduce the death benefit, optional benefits, and contract value. In addition, withdrawals of taxable amounts will be subject to ordinary income tax and, if made prior to age 59 1/2, a 10% IRS penalty tax may apply. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

Venture Annuities are issued and administered by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), Bloomfield Hills, MI, which is not licensed in New York. In New York, Venture Annuities are issued and administered by John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York, Valhalla, NY. Venture Combination Fixed and Variable Annuities are distributed by John Hancock Distributors LLC, member FINRA.

    Not FDIC       Not Bank        May Lose    Not a       Not Insured by Any
     Insured       Guaranteed      Value       Deposit     Government Agency

0211:1315503

SOURCE  John Hancock Annuities

John Hancock Annuities

CONTACT: Brian Carmichael, +1-617-663-4748, bcarmichael@jhancock.com

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

Ixonos Showcases an Innovative Android Solution With Inspiring User Experience at Mobile World Congress 2011

HELSINKI, February 14, 2011/PRNewswire/ --     Ixonos, a world leader in creating wireless technologies, software and
solutions for mobile devices and services, showcases its broad Android
capabilities at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on 14-17 February
2011.

    Ixonos demonstrates an innovative Android-based multi-window solution,
which runs on various popular hardware platforms. The solution is
demonstrated on a tablet developed by Aava Mobile as a multi-window system,
which enables the use of several applications simultaneously, for example the
viewing of messages and calendar side by side.

    "The multi-window solution brings Android user experience to a whole new
level. Running the solution on a device with a 7-inch or bigger screen allows
for new efficiency in handling daily tasks. The user can now see the whole
workspace at one glance and run multiple applications at the same time,"
explains Mr Vesa Metso, Director, Key Customer Accounts, Android, at Ixonos.

    Ixonos has also made the multitasking user experience available on a
dual-screen configuration. This takes multitasking use cases even further by
enabling the device to be used like a laptop, with a touch pad QWERTY
keyboard below the second activity window, or as a highly-advanced two-screen
tablet, where both screens are used either for different activities or the
activity is expanded across both screens.

    "Multitasking is a functionality people expect from superior user
experience and two-screen tablet devices are now debuting the market. With
our solution, multitasking is the norm for tablets. Moving from one
application to another is quick and easy, and the user can move applications
or activities from one screen to another. This truly takes efficiency to new
heights," Mr. Metso adds.

    The multitasking solution has been developed at Ixonos' Android
Competence Centres in Europe, demonstrating Ixonos' deep know-how of Android
components and modules.

    Links:

   
    - Ixonos' website: http://www.ixonos.com

    - Mobile World Congress: http://www.mobileworldcongress.com (Ixonos
      booth: Hall 1, #1E19)

    - Ixonos Online Press kit at MWC2011:
      http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/public/kit/IxonosMWC11

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Ixonos (http://www.ixonos.com) is an ICT services company creating
innovative solutions for mobility, social media and digital services.
Together with our customers we develop products and services which let people
enjoy inspiring digital experience, anyplace, anytime. Our client
organizations benefit from new business opportunities and new productivity.
We have offices in Finland, China, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain,
Slovakia and the U.S. Ixonos Plc is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. The
company's turnover in 2010 was 84.9 M EUR and operating profit 5.3 M EUR.

   
    For more information, please contact:

    Ixonos:

    Vesa Metso, Director, Key Customer Accounts, Android,
    tel. +358-40-522-8611, vesa.metso@ixonos.com;

    Tapani Stjernvall, Director, Key Customer Accounts,
    tel.+358-40-765-6508, tapani.stjernvall@ixonos.com;

    Nigel Alexander, EMEA Sales Director,
    tel. +44-783-148-5081, nigel.alexander@ixonos.com

Source: Ixonos

For more information, please contact: Ixonos: - Vesa Metso, Director, Key Customer Accounts, Android, tel. +358-40-522-8611, vesa.metso@ixonos.com; - Tapani Stjernvall, Director, Key Customer Accounts, tel.+358-40-765-6508, tapani.stjernvall@ixonos.com; - Nigel Alexander, EMEA Sales Director, tel. +44-783-148-5081, nigel.alexander@ixonos.com

deCarta Launches Free White Label Mapping APIs as Alternative to Google Maps API

Enabling LBS app developers to put their brand and ads on maps while generating new sources of revenue

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- deCarta, Inc., a leading global provider of location based services (LBS) technology, today announced its next generation mapping Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that provide a free service for web and mobile developers who want to offer maps and local search under their own brand.  Many developers today use maps from Google, which constrain those developers to Google's business model. deCarta's new APIs provide a comprehensive set of mapping, routing and local search services that allow these developers to leverage their own content, their brand and their business model.

As maps, location and local search become increasingly important components of the mobile experience, it is critical that developers and publishers who are concerned with customer retention, value chain control, and possible competitive threats from the large search engine companies not rely on those same competitors for services. deCarta's new APIs give them this capability, offering a comprehensive set of services including several new enhancements:

    --  API services for free maps
    --  Brand-friendly terms for logo placement
    --  Flexibility to use third party ad networks
    --  A new cross-platform HTML5 mapping API to leverage mobile browsers
    --  Local search advertising- a unique revenue opportunity for North
        American developers

The new free service is designed to parallel the Google Maps service with important differences.  Unlike Google's service, developers may use deCarta's APIs to put free maps in both paid applications as well as free applications.  In addition, deCarta's Premium API service will provide developers with more generous page view transaction allowances than the competition's 'Premier' service.

"deCarta's new APIs offer a highly customizable LBS solution for developers," said Greg Sterling, principal Sterling Market Intelligence and senior analyst Opus Research. "The packaging of search, local data, high quality maps, navigation and even relevant local ads is comprehensive and unique in the market."

Unlike other maps API providers who impose legal restrictions or termination of service for removing or obscuring their logo, deCarta is a white label solution that allows customers to place their own brand on the map.  The developer no longer has to share branding space with a potential competitor.

Developers are free to use the ad network of their choice with the maps - on the same page, or even in the maps themselves without restriction.

For developers who want to monetize their apps with relevant local advertising and receive unlimited maps API transactions, deCarta will offer an industry first option for integrated local search advertising content in the form of sponsored business listing, monetized through clicks and calls. Under this service plan, developers will receive 70 percent of the advertising revenue. deCarta's launch partner for this service in North America is xAD. xAD brings together the largest network of local search and business listings in North America, capturing more than one million national brands and local businesses, to provide developers and publishers the largest pool of local advertisements. These ads are location based, contextually relevant and optimized to produce the highest revenue based on xAD's proprietary local ad scoring technology.

deCarta has also launched a new HTML5 API that provides JavaScript developers with a means to deploy mapping apps with the performance expected of native applications across multiple mobile and desktop platforms. This can save considerable development time and expense associated with developing native applications for the various popular operating systems.

Additional enhancements to deCarta's iOS and Android APIs give developers all the tools for mapping, geocoding, routing/directions, etc., in one convenient and consistent set of APIs.  Developers can build integrated local search applications that allow the user to move from search results to a map to directions without having to leave the original application resulting in more elegant application design and better user engagement.

"There is a growing realization among developers and publishers that 'free' maps from Google actually come at the cost of the core elements of the value chain: brand loyalty, customer retention and advertising revenues," said J. Kim Fennell, President and CEO of deCarta. "Our goal with these new APIs is to offer our customers an alternative that allows them more flexibility to pursue their own business objectives."

About deCarta

deCarta is the leading provider of white label LBS and Local Search solutions for mobile network operators, handset OEMs, Local Media companies, Ad Networks, and application developer/publishers.  deCarta's technology includes: brand-able applications, APIs, search engine, content indexing, and core geospatial platform functionality that let customers completely control the user experience of their location-based services.  deCarta technology is used in leading applications for mapping, navigation, local search, mobile advertising, social networking, and enterprise.  For more information on deCarta, please visit http://www.decarta.com.

About xAD, Inc.

xAD connects local businesses to mobile consumers. xAD is the largest local mobile search and advertising network in the United States. The company's patented mobile optimization technology identifies who, what, and where an end user is, and serves the most relevant click, call and check in based advertising. xAD publishers and advertisers benefit from the scale and reach of the LocalAdXchange(TM) platform that manages billions of search and ad requests with the largest combined network of more than one million local and national performance-based advertisers. For more information on xAD, visit http://www.xAD.com.

SOURCE  deCarta, Inc.

deCarta, Inc.

CONTACT: Honcho PR, Amanda Slayton-Joslin, amanda@honchopr.com, +44 (0)7774 601059

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

Driver Clint Bowyer, Kroger and Totino's Team Up for Augmented-Reality Racing Video Game

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It's a dream come true for the "kid" in all of us - pizza and a video game, together inside the same box! Totino's announced today an exclusive promotion with the Kroger Family of Stores, allowing consumers to use their Totino's pizza box to play an exciting and challenging augmented-reality video game starring Sprint Cup driver Clint Bowyer. The game will be prominently displayed on specially marked Totino's boxes sold exclusively at the Kroger Family of Stores beginning Feb. 13.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110214/LA46819LOGO)

Fans of all ages will be able to enjoy a tasty Totino's pizza and then simply use the actual Totino's box to activate the "Get Behind the Wheel" augmented-reality video game via their computer webcam. The Totino's box acts as the steering wheel to maneuver the car along the track. To view the game, visit http://www.Racefans.Daytona500.com and click on the Get Behind the Wheel banner ad.

"The interactive technology enhances the consumer's experience with Totino's," said Drew Jameson, Customer Promotions Marketing Manager for General Mills. "As a proud sponsor of Clint Bowyer's Sprint Cup Series car, we are excited to build on our partnership by creating this augmented-reality video game available exclusively at the Kroger Family of Stores. Families can enjoy a great pizza followed by game night!" 

Augmented realitycombines real and virtual worlds and is interactive in real time. The augmented-reality world is triggered by the use of a "marker" - a black and white square - that the consumer's computer webcam registers to launch the game.

The player controls Clint Bowyer's No. 33 General Mills car in a race to get him from his home to the Daytona 500 in the fastest time possible, so that Bowyer doesn't miss the big race. Bowyer provides the voice-over for the game, as players must avoid obstacles along the way, including oil slicks, garbage cans and construction cones that will increase their overall time. In addition, players can pick up "speed boosts," which will blast them through the race at accelerated speeds.

"I wish I could eat Totino's pizza during some of these 500 mile races," said Bowyer. "How many people drive 500 miles without eating something?  I can't wait to play this game."

The specially marked Totino's box will provide players the ability to control the car's steering left or right, while they can use their mouse to change gears to adjust the speed.  High scores are recorded in a local and global scoreboard, urging the player to try again to beat the fastest time.

There is also a mini-game within the game. When players arrive at the "pit stop," they attempt to fill Clint's car with as many Totino's pizzas and pizza rolls snacks as possible, which raises the player's fuel meter and "fuels" Clint. Without the pizzas, the player will run out of gas and Bowyer's car won't make it to the race.

The microsite that hosts the augmented reality game will also include an instant win sweepstakes that will deliver four lucky fans to the 2012 Daytona 500. Two players will be randomly selected to win a 3-day, 2-night trip for two to attend the 2012 Daytona 500 and take a pit and garage tour. To view Official Rules, please visit http://www.Get-Behind-the-Wheel.com.

For consumers without webcam access, there will be an option of playing the game using keyboard controls. The game will be available for online play through May 31, 2011.

Clint Bowyer has driven the No. 33 General Mills Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series since 2009. General Mills, which owns and distributes the Totino's brand, has been a proud sponsor in Sprint Cup Series racing since 1998.

ABOUT TOTINO'S

Totino's® Pizza Rolls® snacks and Totino's Pizza are America's number one selling frozen hot snack and pizza.  Totino's and Pizza Rolls are brands of General Mills.  One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Yoplait, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2010 global net sales of US$16 billion, including the company's $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales.  For company information, visit http://www.generalmills.com.  For Totino's information, visit http://www.totinos.com.

ABOUT THE KROGER FAMILY OF STORES

The Kroger Family of Stores, the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 334,000 associates who serve customers in 2,461 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including The Kroger Family of Stores, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The Company also operates 784 convenience stores, 375 fine jewelry stores, 954 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. The Kroger Family of Stores, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about The Kroger Family of Stores, please visit www.the Kroger Family of Stores.com.

ABOUT CLINT BOWYER

General Mills is a primary sponsor of Richard Childress Racing's No. 33 Chevrolet Impala SS with Clint Bowyer behind the wheel. Bowyer finished 10th in the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup. He recorded two wins, seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes during the season. For more information about Bowyer, please visit http://www.ClintBowyer.com.

SOURCE  General Mills

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110214/LA46819
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
General Mills

CONTACT: Rob Kremer, Leader, +1-678-507-1041, for General Mills

Web Site: http://www.Racefans.Daytona500.com

Postal Services Go Mobile With Escher's Distributed Solution

BOSTON, February 14, 2011/PRNewswire/ --

    - 'Mobile for Retail' a Reality for the First Time and Helps
Posts Take Their Services to New Markets

    Global postal counter automation expert Escher Group has launched a
mobile solution that takes services traditionally found in post offices and
delivers them in new locations - in shops, hotels or directly to the
customer's doorstep.

    MobileRiposte(TM) is so versatile and easy to use that it promises to
open new markets for postal operators and heralds a new future for the
postman: as a provider of a broader range of products and services rather
than simply a deliverer of mail.

    Whilst consumers have become increasingly used to interacting with postal
organizations through mobile devices - for example, signing for deliveries on
handheld track-and-trace devices or buying train tickets onboard using mobile
credit card terminals - many devices are specific to a single purpose or
cumbersome when interacting with back-office systems.

    In contrast, by employing the intuitive Windows Mobile operating system
and by capturing data in a way that integrates seamlessly with the
organization's back-office, Escher's MobileRiposte(TM) enables a full range
of services to be delivered from a single handheld device with the same
security and reliability of that achieved in post office branch offices.

    MobileRiposte(TM) helps post offices expand their services into new
markets including retailers and other business premises; offering their
customers a wider choice of locations to acquire services traditionally
provided only in the post office - including payments, phone top-ups, foreign
exchange and tickets.

    For example, with MobileRiposte(TM), post offices can provide hotels with
a complete standalone foreign currency application, whereby hotels offer
guests currency exchange at the prevailing rate at the time the transaction
occurs - instead of using less accurate, fixed daily rates. This allows the
post office to compete more effectively with banks and high street currency
exchanges and gives hotels a whole new line of business.

    Easy interaction; always available

    MobileRiposte(TM) is ideal for disconnected networks or where
connectivity cannot always be guaranteed, such as remote offices that have
limited bandwidth. Because MobileRiposte(TM) uses broadly available GPRS or
GSM mobile connectivity, branch services can be delivered anywhere, any time
- a vital competitive tool for post offices in the face of other web-based or
mobile services. MobileRiposte(TM) also offers other significant benefits,
most notably:

   
    - A graphical user interface that is simplicity itself and mimics the
      broader Riposte(R) interface that is relied upon throughout the world
      to deliver retail service.

    - Robust design for connectivity over mobile communications networks.
      Optimized for GPRS and GSM, the software is designed to expect and
      tolerate failure so that the service never suffers.

    - Access to a broad range of transactions that goes beyond the normal
      mobile applications - including letter or package tracking, retail of
      tickets and gift cards, bill payment, banking services and currency
      exchange.

    - Consolidation and reconciliation of all transactions into a central
      location for reconciliation and analysis with third party systems.

    Escher Group President and Chief Executive Liam Church said: "As
organizations seek ways to reach customers in the way that customers want to
be reached, mobile devices are becoming more and more important. But, in
terms of organization, many systems leave much to be desired."

    "MobileRiposte(TM) integrates many applications in a way that's a help -
not a hindrance - for operators during their busy working day and, crucially,
it doesn't cause more work in the back office."

    At present, many mobile devices record transactions in non-standard
formats, which means that data must be re-inputted to meet accounting needs
or for reporting to third parties. However, as Liam Church noted: "By using
established transactional coding, MobileRiposte(TM) provides a practical
back-end solution as well as a revenue-generation front-end one. With its
unique award-winning intuitive interface, MobileRiposte(TM) makes 'mobile for
retail' a reality for the first time."

    About Escher Group Limited:

    With a history of over 20 years in providing solutions for counter
automation, Escher has developed a unique understanding of the business of
Posts across the globe and its R&D efforts continue to provide innovative
technological solutions. Escher helps to cost-effectively modernize and
streamline the Posts' offer of a trusted, secure and inclusive communication
service between businesses, consumers and government. For more information
visit http://www.eschergroup.com

Source: Escher Group

Escher Group Limited: 12 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210, USA, Telephone: +1-857-366-9500, Fax: +1-857-366-9522, Email: info@eschergroup.com; Media Enquiries: James Tate, The Henley Group International, Graffix House, Newtown Road, Henley on Thames, Oxon RG9 1HG, England, Tel: +44(0)1491-570-970, Fax: +44(0)1491-575-327, Email: james@henley.co.uk

Sakar Expands Super Hero Lineup with Two New Marvel Movie Properties, 'Thor' & 'Captain America: The First Avenger'

License Agreements with Marvel Entertainment for Walkie Talkies & Other Electronics

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Adding to its portfolio of Super Hero licenses, Sakar International today announced the Q2/Q3 availability of branded electronics based on Marvel Studios' upcoming "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger" action/adventure movies. The products are being developed under license agreements with Marvel Entertainment, marking the sixth collaboration between the two companies.

"Thor," with a May 6, 2011 release, stars Chris Hemsworth as the title character, a once-disgraced warrior who goes to battle with his powerful hammer Mjolnir to save mankind. The cast also includes Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins. Sakar's Thor-branded products will include:

    --  Walkie talkies molded in the shape of Thor's hammer
    --  Black light decoders
    --  "Look and listen" binoculars with attached headsets
    --  Flashlights
    --  Adventure kits
    --  Nintendo DSi gaming kits with a hammer-shaped stylus
    --  Gaming cases
    --  Digital and video cameras

"Captain America: The First Avenger," with a July 22, 2011 release, features Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, a frail young man who is transformed through a scientific experiment into a masked super soldier with special powers that he uses to do combat against evil forces in Europe. Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving and Stanley Tucci also star. Emblazoned with the patriotic red, white and blue branding of the World War II-era comic book original, Sakar products complementing the storyline will include:

    --  A CB radio walkie talkie
    --  Night vision goggles
    --  A sonar listening device with headset and receiver
    --  A spy watch
    --  An MP3 player
    --  Gaming kits and cases including a Captain America-shaped stylus
    --  Digital cameras

Sakar previously developed branded products for Marvel's "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2," and "The Incredible Hulk" films as well as the "Spider-Sense Spider Man" line.

"Both Thor and Captain America feature iconic characters with unique super powers that lend themselves to an incredible array of highly engaging consumer product applications that we are sure will inspire some of the 'must have' merchandise for next year," said Paul Gitter, President of Consumer Products for North America, Marvel Entertainment. "Sakar's products will play an important part in our license program for these two properties."

"The American public loves super heroes, and Marvel is among the best keepers of the flame. That's why we embraced the opportunity to work on the Thor and Captain America franchises," said Liza Abrams, Sakar Vice President of Licensing. "The products now under development will appeal both to boys star-struck by the superhuman characters they see on the screen and to the many collectors of all ages who remain fascinated with all things super hero."

Sample items from Sakar's "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger" product lines can be seen at Booth #2445 at the Toy Fair 2011 show that opens today in New York. The products will be sold in the U.S. and Canada beginning in March and May, respectively.

About Sakar International

Sakar International Inc. designs and manufactures a wide range of technology, toy, and consumer electronic products. Founded in 1977, the company is the manufacturer of Vivitar camera equipment and accessories, a market leader in youth electronics, and a producer of licensed products for leading consumer brands. Products range from digital cameras and camcorders with related accessories to computer, iPod, GPS and gaming accessories, binoculars, MP3 players, clock radios, gift and toy electronics. The company is privately held and headquartered in Edison, N.J. For more information, visit http://www.sakar.com.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit http://www.marvel.com.

SOURCE  Sakar International

Sakar International

CONTACT: Molly Antos, +1-847-415-9327, mantos@sspr.com, for Sakar International

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

Echoworx Previews Mobile Encryption Platform at RSA Conference

First to Deliver Email Encryption Across Multiple Platforms; Centralizes Encryption Management for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- (RSA Conference) -- Echoworx Corporation, (http://www.echoworx.com) the leading provider of managed encryption services for complete enterprise email and data protection, will preview its new Mobile Encryption Platform at the RSA Conference taking place this week.

The Mobile Encryption Platform, which will be available to the Echoworx partner channel in mid-March 2011, is the first enterprise encryption platform designed specifically for private mobile communications. As a cloud-based solution, it enables integration with all major mobile operating systems including iOS, Android and BlackBerry OS with native apps. Incoming and outgoing communications are automatically encrypted at the source without the need for user intervention.

"The Mobile Encryption Platform is the only global solution that enables encryption for all the major mobile device platforms," says Michael Ginsberg, President and CEO of Echoworx. "As it embraces a cloud-based model, data in motion or in use by mobile users is always encrypted and safe. This promises to deliver huge benefits for today's enterprises; and represents a significant sales opportunity for our partners."

According to Ginsberg, the ubiquitous use of mobile devices in the enterprise translates into less control and increased risk. "IT managers simply can't control security on unprotected wi-fi networks. In addition, escalating iPhone and Android usage by mobile workers means that every phone is potentially a business device and therefore a danger to security. Business leaders realize that the old way of managing encryption on a platform-by-platform basis simply won't work. What we offer is a simple yet highly secure strategy that keeps sensitive information off devices by moving data to the cloud and securing it at its source where it can't be reached by unauthorized users." 

As an addition to the Echoworx suite of existing email encryption offerings, the Mobile Encryption Platform will provide partners with an unprecedented array of security capabilities to offer their customers. "If you just look at the demand we're getting for mobile encryption alone, the numbers are staggering," Ginsberg says. "Mobile encryption comes up in just about every conversation we have. I had a request for 800 seats recently from a business that had a large contingent of Android users. It's clear that today's enterprises want and need this kind of protection for their mobile communications; and Echoworx is looking forward to working with our partners to support those customers."

About Echoworx Mobile Encryption Platform

Echoworx Mobile Encryption Platform is specifically designed for user integration with all major mobile operating systems including iOS, Android and BlackBerry OS with native apps. Once launched users can download the iPhone, BlackBerry or Android app from the Apple Store, BlackBerry App World or directly from Echoworx. The apps will support iPads, iPhones, RIM devices including Playbook, Android tablets and more. Plans are also in place to add Windows capabilities in the near future. It ensures confidentiality and user authenticity by applying identification and authentication processes based on the most stringent security standards available.

About Echoworx

Echoworx Corporation is the leading provider of managed encryption services for complete enterprise email and data protection. The company is an encryption service provider of choice for, Symantec, AT&T, Verizon, McAfee, BT, Intermedia and Apptix among other global enterprises. Echoworx provides a SaaS (software as a service) model; it is built on best-of-breed technology and reduces encryption complexity for the end user. With Echoworx, organizations can protect their email and data without changing their day to day workflow and can easily send encrypted documents and digitally signed email messages to anyone in their address book. For more information: http://www.echoworx.com

    For More Information:

    Lizanne McReelis
    Echo Communications
    O: +1.647.438.5414
    C: +1.416.846.5385
    E: lizanne@echo-communications.com

    Or

    Sharon Miller
    VP Marketing
    Echoworx
    miller@echoworx.com
    +1. 416.226.8603

SOURCE  Echoworx Corporation

Echoworx Corporation

CONTACT: Lizanne McReelis, Echo Communications, O: +1-647-438-5414, C: +1-416-846-5385, lizanne@echo-communications.com; Sharon Miller, VP Marketing, Echoworx, +1-416-226-8603, miller@echoworx.com

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

SenSage Catalyzes Evolution of SIEM Market Through Creation of 'Open Security Intelligence'

New Community Invites Security Industry at Large to Discuss and Advance Best Practices for Using Open Security Analytics, the Next Phase of Security Event Monitoring & Management

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Security BSides San Francisco & RSA Conference 2011 -- SenSage, Inc., a leading provider of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, today launched a new community, Open Security Intelligence, intent on shaping how open access to security data in SIEM and log management systems may be leveraged to drive enhanced understanding and continuous improvement of information security operations. In pursuit of industry-wide progress on Open Security Intelligence, SenSage invites the security community at large, including its customers, partners and other interested parties to visit our new, dedicated web portal - http://www.opensecurityintelligence.com - and engage in an open dialogue about the evolution of security event monitoring and analysis. SenSage is presenting on the topic of "Open Security Intelligence" at Security BSides today at 3pm PT.

Nearly a decade old, SIEM and log management technologies have matured over time and are now widely adopted among organizations seeking to maintain compliance and respond to security incidents. Unfortunately, most SIEM and log management products are limited in their ability to mine large quantities of data and isolate the insights necessary to make informed security decisions. SenSage is launching the Open Security Intelligence community to help organizations everywhere improve the process of mining security data and driving these insights.

"Large enterprises and government agencies need to be able to drill down, across, through and around security events to better understand security effectiveness and to prioritize security improvements," said Joe Gottlieb, President and CEO of SenSage. "While security operations centers continue to put forth 'best efforts' to catch incidents in real-time, there is an increasing acceptance that we must learn from attacks that have already succeeded so we can reduce the chances of them happening again. SenSage has launched the Open Security Intelligence dialogue to help organizations share best practices and vital information to make continuous security improvements."

Much like financial industry analysts that have used data mining tools and techniques to uncover market trends and model new products, progressive security organizations are hiring and developing security "quants" to mine their event data and pinpoint insider threats and inside-out cybercrime plots. These security analysts must scour through their organizations' event data to better understand vulnerabilities, threats, tactical security effectiveness and strategic process evolution. Business Intelligence tools are well established and represent the technology of choice for these analyses and interactive dashboards - an industry commitment to Open Security Intelligence will make them available for use by the enterprise and government security quants that require the most flexible and powerful access to security data.

"Today's generation of security management tools constrain an end users' ability to drill down and analyze security data, which is necessary to drive informed incident response and continuous improvement efforts intended by compliance regulations," said Andrew Hay, Senior Security Analyst at The451Group. "Organizations must understand where they are most vulnerable, where they have been hacked, and why. SenSage's Open Security Intelligence initiative is an innovative way to help organizations everywhere improve the process of mining security data to find the right information."

"At Deluxe, we are constantly evolving our security practices for improved efficiency and effectiveness," said Dan Ritari, Vice President of Enterprise Information Risk Management at Deluxe Corporation. "We have already established a powerful capability to reduce risk through centralized collection and analysis of security events. We are now working with SenSage to leverage the Open Security Intelligence approach to enhance our executive dashboards, facilitate ad-hoc analysis and pursue the efficiencies of self-service for compliance inquiries. With Open Security Intelligence, SenSage is not only paving the way for the future of SIEM and log management, but they are also igniting an important industry dialogue that will offer the security community real benefits."

SenSage will be exhibiting at RSA this week at booth #523 and invites the security industry at large to come by and learn more about how to get involved in the Open Security Intelligence community.  You can also find the community on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/OpenSecIntel and on Twitter at @OpenSecIntel.

Earlier this month, SenSage announced the general availability of SenSage 4.6, which includes new capabilities to integrate with third-party business intelligence (BI) tools and dashboards, as well as customized reporting and improved security analytics for comprehensive Security Intelligence.  SenSage 4.6 is immediately available. More information on the product can be found at: http://www.sensage.com/collaterals/documents/SenSage_4-6_Datasheet.pdf

About Open Security Intelligence

Open Security Intelligence is what the security industry needs from Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems. The time has come to turn proprietary security information into versatile security intelligence through open data access and analysis. Security analysts want security data mining. Executives want security dashboards. Risk managers want key risk indicators. And everyone wants root cause analysis and continuous improvement. Business analysts have enjoyed these capabilities for over a decade, thanks to standards-based interoperability between Business Intelligence tools and Business Data Warehouses. Why can't security organizations leverage the same approach? The purpose of this community is to support the industry dialogue necessary to shape the benefits, address the challenges and catalyze the evolution needed to realize the promise of Open Security Intelligence. Join the conversation at http://www.opensecurityintelligence.com

About SenSage

SenSage®, Inc. delivers unified Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and log management systems that are open to all event data types, scale to petabytes, minimize storage costs and perform sophisticated data analysis. Hundreds of customers worldwide leverage patented Security Intelligence solutions from SenSage to identify, understand and counteract cyber-threats, fraud and compliance violations. SenSage partners include Cerner, Cisco, EMC, McAfee and SAP. For more information, visit http://www.sensage.com or follow us on Twitter: @SenSage

To join the Open Security Intelligence community, please visit http://www.opensecurityintelligence.com .

SOURCE  SenSage, Inc.

SenSage, Inc.

CONTACT: Michelle Schafer, Merritt Group, +1-703-403-6377, schafer@merrittgrp.com

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

NextLevel Internet Offers SAS 70 Type II Compliant Data Center in North San Diego

New facility delivers greater power density, advanced cooling technology and increased scalability

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NextLevel Internet, Inc., a leader in mission critical Internet access, today announced that the company has opened access to a new, secure, SAS 70 Type II compliant data center in Rancho Bernardo, CA. The expansion to the new World Trade Drive Data Center follows the relocation of NextLevel Internet's headquarters to North County San Diego in September 2010. NextLevel Internet provides business-to-business co-location, Internet, hosted voice, and managed data services for organizations of all size.

The Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) 70 is an internationally recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).  SAS 70 Type II compliance certifies that NextLevel Internet's data center has adequate controls and safeguards in place when hosting and processing data for the company's clients.

"Our new data center was designed to allow our customers to place their servers and data in a secure co-location with redundant generators, redundant power and a very large amount of multi-homed bandwidth," said Jerry Morris, founder of NextLevel Internet. "We provide services to companies whose loss of Internet connection will result in the loss of life, money, or reputation.  By operating out of a data center that is SAS 70 Type II certified, we ensure that our data center upholds the stringent standards for controls and safeguards that our compliance regulated customers require."

The new facility delivers greater power density, advanced cooling technology and increased scalability versus previous data centers. The 88,000 square foot data center is built with an environmentally friendly air filtration system that can use external air to cool the facility when air quality matches certain optimal humidity and temperature parameters.

Upon opening, NextLevel Internet had moved approximately 60 clients to the new physically secure site that features biometric scanning, video surveillance, appropriate seismic controls and very early smoke detection apparatus (VESDA).

"NextLevel Internet's new data center in Rancho Bernardo has exceeded our expectations regarding security, power density, scalability and bandwidth options," said Sean Andrew, Director of Technology Services for MILLS Solutions, an MSP Division of MILLS Communications. "With our expedited time frame to install, things went very smoothly and we found everyone on the NextLevel Internet team to be friendly and more than accommodating in meeting our time sensitive installation needs."

For organizations that would like to request more information on NextLevel Internet's business-to-business co-location, Internet, hosted voice, and managed data services, please visit http://www.nextlevelinternet.com.

About NextLevel Internet

Founded in 1999, NextLevel Internet is a business-to-business voice, Internet, co-location, and managed data services provider that matches its customers' needs with the highest quality deliverables and customer service available.  The company specializes in providing service to companies whose loss of Internet connection will result in the loss of life, money, or reputation.

NextLevel Internet provides only the best clear channel connectivity direct to a fully redundant Tier 1 Internet backbone with unbeatable value.  NextLevel Internet is managed and operated 24/7 by seasoned Internet and data professionals who understand that impeccable service is paramount.  Certified engineers (CCNA(TM), CCNP(TM), MCSE(TM)) and highly trained personnel handle all client requests from complex design and build-out to simple routing, DNS, IP allocation, router replacement, and tail circuit issues directly and immediately.  NextLevel Internet monitors its network connections through its Network Operation Center (NOC) 24x7x365 using active and passive polling systems.

For more information on NextLevel Internet, call 858-836-0703 or visit http://www.nextlevelinternet.com.

SOURCE  NextLevel Internet, Inc.

NextLevel Internet, Inc.

CONTACT: Ronnie Manning of Mynt Public Relations, +1-619-822-2239, rmanning@myntpr.com, for NextLevel Internet, Inc.

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

AuraSound Introduces Sound Station -- the World's First Universal Media Player

Sound Station Uniquely Melds Audiophile-Grade Sound System With 7-Inch Color Touch Screen, Internet Radio, iPod Docking Station, Video Player

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- AuraSound, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ARUZ) unveiled today the innovative Sound Station, a high-performance media player which at last unleashes the full potential of digital media. By combining an audiophile-class acoustic design with a 7" color screen and a full array of state-of-the-art connectivity features, it is the first true Universal Media Player.  It uniquely combines into one elegant compact design the features of multiple devices, including Internet Radio, iPod/iPhone docking, digital picture frame, alarm clock, FM radio, and video player. It is a complete integrated solution, and does not require a computer to set up or operate. The product will be available next month initially via selected retailers in the U.S. and Europe, with global expansion to follow.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110214/CN42538 )

The Sound Station was designed to deliver maximum audio integrity for music purists. Instead of encumbering music with processing effects which distort the original recording, it utilizes advanced amplifier and driver technology to cleanly recreate the full spectrum of sound as the artist intended. Featuring proprietary long-throw woofers for incredible bass response and optimized tweeters for precise sound staging, it is engineered to handle any musical style with ease and fill the room with thundering lows, clear vocals, and crisp soaring highs.

With a 7-inch color screen and powerful sound system, the Sound Station is a stunning movie and video player. The large touch screen also gives the Sound Station unrivaled ease of use, allowing music and movie lovers to quickly and easily select media for playback, or search for Internet radio stations with an intuitive on-screen touch keyboard. A built-in upgrade capability makes the Sound Station a "living, learning machine" and ensures that it will never become obsolete. New features will be made available regularly by AuraSound for easy upgrades, simply by touching an onscreen button. 

"Just as we have done with the success of our industry leading TV Soundbars in the U.S. retail market, our Sound Station gives people an uncompromised music listening experience. It offers superior sonic performance, a gorgeous design, and an unprecedented level of functional integration by combining multiple different products into one complete, simple and sleek box," Harald Weisshaupt, CEO & President stated.  "The initial customer response has been outstanding and we are hard at work fulfilling demand. The innovative features reinforce our commitment to elevate the user experience in the digital living room." 

Contacts for Additional Information

    Asia Pacific/    Pete Andreyev
     Japan           (pandreyev@aurasound.com)
    U.S.            Vaughn Rhodes (vrhodes@aurasound.com)
    Europe          Ove Kristensen (ove@tandis.no)

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because they involve both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond the control of AuraSound. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those relating to the AuraSound's long-term strategic objectives. Actual events, performance or results could differ materially from the anticipated events, performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISIONS REGARDING OUR COMPANY, WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO READ THE SECTION ENTITLED "RISK FACTORS" IN OUR MOST RECENT ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K, WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED AT http://www.SEC.GOV.  We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About AuraSound, Inc.   

AuraSound has almost 25 years experience specializing in the design and manufacturing of high-end speakers, consistently providing people with an optimal audio experience. AuraSound's broad range of products include high-quality drivers for TV's and laptops, state-of-the art subwoofers and tactile transducers. AuraSound's products are based on patented and proprietary NRT® Drivers, BassShakers, Line Source tweeters and more. With their recent acquisition of ASI Audiotechnologies, they have added an industry leading TV soundbar business, additional proprietary transducer technology, application specific amplifier designs, and award winning ID designs. For more information visit the company web site at http://www.aurasound.com.

    Contact:
    Pete Andreyev
    Executive VP, Sales & Marketing
    AuraSound, Inc.
    + 852 6194-8333 (Hong Kong)
    + 86-156-2607-8084 (China)
    pandreyev@aurasound.com

SOURCE  AuraSound Hong Kong Ltd

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110214/CN42538
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AuraSound Hong Kong Ltd

CONTACT: Pete Andreyev, Executive VP, Sales & Marketing of AuraSound, Inc., + 852 6194-8333 (Hong Kong) or + 86-156-2607-8084 (China), or pandreyev@aurasound.com

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

UL Unveils Framework for Certifying Resiliency of Network & Data Center Products

UL expands service offering to include testing & certification of IT security products to provide level of confidence in a device's resiliency

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- UL, a world leader in advancing safety, today announced the release of a new framework for certifying the resiliency of network and data center products. UL 2825 marks the first deliverable in response to recently introduced U.S. legislation requiring independent certification of network and security-related product performance and protection.

New IT security legislation introduced in the state of Texas enacted an IT infrastructure resiliency law in 2010 designed to hold IT device manufacturers accountable for product claims through an independent and thorough validation certification process. Pending legislation in several other states, as well as possible attention at the U.S. federal government level, will require independent resiliency certification of network and security products.

Standard Requirements of UL 2825

UL 2825 sets standard requirements by which network infrastructure devices are evaluated against published vulnerabilities that affect a particular device.  The device is expected to continue to operate as intended while subjected to exploits of published vulnerabilities.  In order to accomplish this, UL has standardized on BreakingPoint cyber tomography machines (CTMs) when testing & certifying IT devices against the UL 2825 framework.

"The world faces a new type of safety threat designed to exploit weaknesses inherent in deployed IT equipment, potentially undermining the public's trust in these devices," stated Bob Jamieson, UL's Commercial Director of Operations, Life Safety & Security industries.  "UL, as a benchmark of trust, has worked with industry and with safety stakeholders to publish an appropriate framework for testing a device's resiliency.  Additionally, after carefully evaluating companies and products necessary to perform the appropriate testing to UL 2825, we felt that BreakingPoint provided the product, solutions and cyber security experience to best meet our needs."

Becoming UL 2825 Listed

To achieve UL 2825 certification, network and data center devices must undergo a battery of assessments that closely mirror the high stress conditions seen in production networks.  Using the BreakingPoint line of cyber tomography machines, UL will assault these devices with Internet-scale network conditions including high-stress user load and real-world application traffic and live security attacks updated on a monthly basis.  UL will then measure the resiliency of the IT devices, as compared to the manufacturer's published metrics, and should the devices meet the appropriate requirements, publicize certification results for use by state and federal governments, enterprises, service providers and consumers. This system of evaluation is ideal for equipment manufacturers to certify the resiliency of all products, as well as each time that product undergoes an update.  UL 2825 covers servers, routers, firewalls, universal threat management (UTM) devices, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and converged network server equipment.

For more information about the requirements of UL 2825 and UL's growing cyber security service offering, please visit the industries section on http://www.ul.com, or contact Ken Modeste at 1-847-664-2659. For more information about UL's complete portfolio of Life Safety & Security service offerings contact Ferd DeVoss at +1-877-ULHELPS ext. 42614 or ferdinand.devoss@us.ul.com.

About UL

UL is a premier global safety science company with more than 100 years of proven history. Employing more than 6,800 professionals in over 96 countries, UL is evolving the future of safety with five distinct business units - Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, Verification and University - to meet the expanding needs of customers and the global public. For more information on UL services, visit http://www.UL.com.

SOURCE  UL

UL

CONTACT: Joe Hirschmugl, Media Relations Manager of UL, +1-847-664-1508, Joseph.Hirschmugl@us.ul.com

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

P.I.Works Enables Reliable Communication to Millions of Mobile Subscribers in 11 Countries

ISTANBUL, February 14, 2011/PRNewswire/ --

    - A Global Exporter of Technology, P.I.Works Provides Mobile Network
Operators the Ability to Offer Reliable Communication Services. P.I.Works'
Solutions Enable Mobile Subscribers to Enjoy Voice Calls Without
Interruptions While Also Being Able to Transfer Data at Much Faster Rates

    P.I.Works provides network optimization solutions that enable mobile
network (GSM) operators around the world to provide uninterrupted service.
P.I.Works solutions are at the forefront of the 3G and 4G technologies that
provide continuous and high-quality voice and data transfer. One of
Endeavor's High-Impact Entrepreneur Companies, P.I.Works provides services to
16 operators in 11 countries.

    Achieving an annual growth rate of almost 100% from the day it was
established, P.I.Works achieved a turnover of 2.5 million USD in 2009, and
was included in the "Bilisim 500" list that ranks the best IT companies in
Turkey. The company grew by 400% in 2010, and has an aggressive target of
1000% growth by 2013.

    P.I.Works CEO Basar Akpinar  says the following about their success
story: "We leveraged our vast experience in the telecommunications sector to
offer innovative and cost-effective network performance solutions that would
provide the end-user with the best service. Within the last 5 years, our
achievements have far exceeded our targets. As a recognized brand on an
international level, our long-term objectives are to expand our availability
and become quoted on NASDAQ."

    Mobile Network Operators obtain major savings with P.I.Works

    The network optimization solutions developed by P.I.Works' 45 experienced
team members offer savings of up to 4 USD per subscriber per year for mobile
network operators. Operators utilizing P.I.Works' solutions are able to save
tens of millions of dollars every year depending on their subscriber base and
technology availability.

    About P.I.Works: Established in 2005 with %100 Turkish intellectual
capital, P.I.Works offers mobile network optimization solutions to mobile
network operators worldwide. P.I.Works specializes in GSM, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA
and LTE, and has been empowering mobile network operators with its innovative
and efficient network performance management tools and services. One of
Endeavour selected entrepreneur companies, P.I.Works is working with 16
operators in 11 countries and is providing uninterrupted communication to
millions of subcribers. In addition to the 3 mobile network operators in
Turkey, GSM operators such as AT&T (USA), Northern Cyprus Turkcell, Northern
Cyprus Vodafone, CTM (Macau - People's Republic of China), beMOBILE
(Botswana), Life (Ukraine), Ucell (Uzbekistan), BeST (Belarus), Kcell
(Kazakhstan), NEO (Kazakhstan) and Eagle Mobile (Albania) are among the
customers of P.I.Works. http://www.piworks.net

Source: P.I.Works

For more information: Nayat Muratyan, K2 Public Relations,
Nayat.muratyan@prk2.com, , Tel +90(212)-219-1110

AT&T Lights Up Mobile Broadband Network in Franklin and Fulton Counties

Local Wireless Network Upgrade Extends Access to Advanced Products, Services and Applications for South Central Pennsylvania Residents

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa., Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* today announced the expansion of its mobile broadband network in Franklin and Fulton counties, extending access for advanced mobile services, devices and feature-rich audio and video content to customers in the area.

For this expansion, AT&T's mobile broadband network - the nation's fastest - was added to 20 cell sites. AT&T customers will now experience enhanced voice and data quality throughout the communities of Crystal Spring, Waterfall, Big Cove Tannery, Burnt Cabins, Fort Littleton, Harrisonville, Hustontown, McConnellsburg, Needmore, and Warfordsburg in Fulton County as well as Fannettsburg, Mercersburg, Saint Thomas, and Spring Run in Franklin County. The expansion also boosts coverage on parts of major roadways, such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-70 and Routes 30 and 522.

AT&T is an industry leader in delivering the benefits of mobile broadband networks, devices and applications. With the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities for an amazing wireless voice and data experience.

"Delivering dependable mobile broadband coverage for consumers and businesses who need to stay connected is our ultimate objective," said J. Michael Schweder, president, AT&T Pennsylvania. "Our ongoing investments in Pennsylvania will help ensure that our customers have access to the mobile broadband services that help drive continued economic growth."

"Demand for wireless bandwidth is rapidly growing, whether it's for sharing video and photos with friends, watching a movie, or checking the latest scores on a mobile device while on the go," said Rob Forsyth, vice president and general manager for AT&T in Maryland, Washington, D.C., northern Virginia and portions of Pennsylvania. "With this expansion, our south central Pennsylvania customers can enjoy the nation's best, most advanced mobile broadband experience with emerging devices and tens of thousands of mobile applications."

Today's announcement builds on AT&T's mobile broadband expansion to portions of Franklin County in December 2009 as well as recently adding three new cell sites to the county.

AT&T's mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, providing access to voice service in more than 220 countries and data service in more than 200 countries. AT&T also offers voice and data roaming coverage on more than 140 major cruise ships, as well as mobile broadband services in more than 125 countries.

AT&T also operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network** with more than 23,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to more than 125,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements. Most AT&T smartphone customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost, and Wi-Fi usage doesn't count against customers' monthly data plans.

For more information about AT&T's coverage in south central Pennsylvania or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure coverage quality from a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark.

For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

*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 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. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE®magazine.

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 @ATT. 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.

© 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: Jennifer Clark of AT&T Corporate Communications, +1-202-828-5065, jc167s@att.com

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

Merger Brings Federal Government Talent Management Expert PDRI to SHL

Hiring Reform Experts Now Part of the World's Largest Resource of Talent Assessment Solutions, Data and Expertise

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the merger of two of the biggest talent assessment pioneers, SHL and PreVisor, federal contractor PDRI -- formerly a PreVisor company and now an SHL company -- released a statement describing the impact on their public sector contracts and capabilities going forward.

"We will be able to bring even more resources to the Federal government by leveraging an expanded array of assessment products, tools, and international expertise that is one of the many strengths of SHL," stated Dr. Elaine Pulakos, newly appointed President of PDRI, an SHL Company. "As a result of the January 11th merger, our combined organization employs more I-O psychologists, offering more assessment products and services than any other talent management firm worldwide. That capability will enable PDRI to deliver solutions for even the largest and most complex assessment requirements, which we have seen grow significantly in the federal government space."

As reported in the earlier merger announcement, the combined company will have over 850 employees with a presence in more than 50 countries, and through the merger becomes the largest employer of business psychologists anywhere in the world outside the public sector. With SHL, PDRI now offers its customers access to over 1,000 assessments and a world-class, global consulting practice. These additional resources will assist PDRI in its hiring reform initiatives within the Federal government.

PDRI will remain headquartered in Washington D.C., retaining the name 'PDRI, an SHL Company'. SHL has offices in London, North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia / New Zealand.

For additional information on the merger and the combined business please go to http://www.shl.com/merger.

About SHL

SHL was founded in 1977 and is the global leader in talent assessment solutions, supporting organizations in the selection, performance management and development of people at all levels and across all sectors. Headquartered in the UK but with a presence in more than 50 countries and in more than 30 languages, SHL offers the world's largest portfolio of assessment tools, creating innovative solutions to help organizations increase productivity and gain competitive advantage through improved people performance.  SHL works with thousands of the world's best known organizations. For more information visit the website at: http://www.shl.com.

About PDRI

PDRI offers a full range of human capital, training, and IT services supported by state of the art content delivery platforms and tools spanning all aspects of human capital management. They have successfully developed and implemented assessments in many Federal Government and private sector organizations. Their online testing platform administers any type of assessment and integrates with all applicant tracking systems (ATS) used in the Federal Government. PDRI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SHL, the global leader in talent assessment solutions.  For more information visit the website at:  http://www.pdri.com

SOURCE  PDRI

PDRI

CONTACT: Jesson Burnam, +1-609-279-0050, ext. 104, jesson@resoundmarketing.com

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

Transformers(TM): Dark of the Moon(TM) Video Game Sets the Stage in the Ultimate Battle for Earth

New Game to Feature an Original Prologue Storyline to Upcoming Film and Debut In-Game 'Stealth Force' Conversion Mode

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The next colossal entry in the TRANSFORMERS saga on Earth is on the way as Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Transformers: Dark of the Moon is in development by the critically acclaimed developers at High Moon Studios.  Based on Hasbro's legendary TRANSFORMERS property and featuring a brand-new 'Stealth Force' conversion mode, the game thrusts players directly into an original prologue storyline to experience the ultimate battle between the AUTOBOTS(TM) and DECEPTICONS(TM) that leads into the summer's most anticipated blockbuster film and reveals another face of evil, SHOCKWAVE.

"We couldn't be more excited to expand on the epic movie universe in the Transformers: Dark of the Moon game, and allow fans to experience the gripping events and backstories that occur right before the upcoming film," said Paul Wright, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing.  "The immensely talented group at High Moon Studios are huge fans of the property, and they are thrilled to unveil some new characters from the movie while introducing Stealth Force gameplay that lets players convert to a third form beyond robot and vehicle modes to defeat their enemies in more ways than ever before."

"Activision continues to deliver outstanding video games based on Hasbro's iconic TRANSFORMERS brand," said Mark Blecher, SVP of Digital Media and Gaming, Hasbro.  "We're thrilled to deliver the Transformers: Dark of the Moon prologue video game to TRANSFORMERS fans around the world in anticipation of the film."

The Transformers: Dark of the Moon game allows players to fight through the epic battles on Earth that will shape the events of the upcoming film.  Armed with a brand-new gameplay mechanic, fans will harness the power of Stealth Force to instantly convert to a third, hybrid state that combines the weapons and firepower of robot mode with the agility and maneuverability of vehicle mode.  Set in unique environments around the world such as the Jungles of South America, Siberian military facilities, Detroit Cityscapes and more, the game lets players assume the roles of a diverse roster of everyone's favorite TRANSFORMERS from the movie through a heart-pounding campaign to save mankind.  Additionally, fans can play the game with or against their friends through intense, online multiplayer game modes as their favorite iconic characters.

The Transformers: Dark of the Moon video game is currently in development by High Moon Studios for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.  Behaviour Interactive is developing distinct versions for the Wii(TM) system, Nintendo DS((TM)) and Nintendo 3DS(TM) hand-held systems. 

For more information and to receive exclusive updates about the Transformers: Dark of the Moon video game, visit http://www.transformersgame.com and http://www.facebook.com/transformersgame.

Paramount Pictures will release the Transformers: Dark of the Moon movie nationwide on July 1, 2011.

About Hasbro

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company's world class brand portfolio.  From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY.  The Hub, Hasbro's multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010. The online home of The Hub is http://www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved. 

Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2010 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, http://www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, business models including online and used games, and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality "hit" titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

HASBRO and its logo, TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Game © 2011 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE  Activision Publishing, Inc.

Activision Publishing, Inc.

CONTACT: Kelvin Liu, Publicist of Activision Publishing, Inc., +1-310-255-2213, kelvin.liu@activision.com

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

Fulton Innovation Bringing New Wireless Power Advances to Europe's Mobile Community During Mobile World Congress 2011

Catch a preview of Qi-compliant mobile phones and smart packaging that charges mobile phones while still on the store shelf, all without wires

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fulton Innovation (http://www.fultoninnovation.com), the creator and exclusive licensor of eCoupled(TM) intelligent wireless power announced that it will be attending the Pepcom MobileFocus Global event in Barcelona Spain on February 14, 2011 during Mobile World Congress. For the past several months, Fulton has been working with various partners to bring eCoupled-enabled mobile phones to market this year.  These phones have wireless power capabilities integrated directly into the phone, without the need for adapters or external sleeves.  This new development in wireless power integration is a result of Fulton Innovation's work with the Wireless Power Consortium in developing the Qi global standard for low power, which opens the door for mass commercialization of wireless power.

Fulton will also be showcasing the latest in wireless power integration in packaging by showing a mobile phone box that lights-up and flashes to attract a customer's attention once placed on an eCoupled-enabled store shelf.  The wireless power circuit is printed directly on the box using conductive inks.  The technology can also charge mobile phones wirelessly in their original packaging while sitting on the store shelf, without the need for power adapters.  When a customer purchases a new mobile phone it will be fully charged and ready to use immediately, right out of the packaging. 

Wireless power is about more than just charging the latest in mobile phones and other gadgets. As a leader in wireless power and a trusted partner in innovation, Fulton Innovation continues to work with partners across industries to redefine the ways consumers interact with everyday technology. With eCoupled, information and data can also be transmitted through the technology's unique design and flexibility to work on various surfaces, including glass, wood, and plastic.  Fulton has the ability to charge everything from low power to high power technologies, such as the Tesla electric vehicle which it recently showcased at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (http://bit.ly/hQ3bxI).

"We are excited to have the opportunity to share our latest developments in wireless power with Mobile World Congress and MobileFocus Global attendees in Barcelona," said Dave Baarman, Director of Advanced Technologies for Fulton Innovation. "These are exciting times for wireless power as we continue to work with partners to continually push the boundaries in the ways we can bring wireless power innovation to market. Our integration of eCoupled into mobile phones is an extension of our work with the WPC in making wireless power more accessible through the Qi standard."

Fulton Innovation will be participating at Pepcom's MobileFocus Global to be held at the Five-Star Rey Juan Carlos Hotel in Barcelona, Spain on February 14, 2011. Fulton will be available for media briefings at the Bambu room at B Hotel, directly across the street from Fira Barcelona where Mobile World Congress is being held.

About Fulton Innovation and eCoupled(TM) Technology

A subsidiary of Alticor Corporation, Fulton Innovation is dedicated to commercializing new and innovative technologies that improve the way we live, work, and play.  Fulton is working with a wide range of industry-leading companies to integrate wireless power technology into infrastructure and electronic devices to enable consumers to live a truly wireless life.

The engineers behind eCoupled have been developing, advancing, and perfecting the technology for over 12 years.  eCoupled technology has been incorporated into Amway's eSpring(TM) water purification devices for 10 years, with over 1.5 million devices sold in over 40 countries and territories worldwide to date.

Amway employs more than 13,000 people worldwide, including over 500 engineers and scientists.  Amway has sales of more than $8 billion annually.  It is headquartered in Ada, Michigan and has operations in more than 80 countries and territories worldwide.

For additional information, please visit ecoupled.com.

eCoupled, Fulton Innovation, and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Fulton Innovation.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE  Fulton Innovation

Fulton Innovation

CONTACT: Sharon Barclay of Blue Trumpet Group, +1-617-571-1233, sharon@bluetrumpetgroup.com, for Fulton Innovation

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

Peach New Media Announces Partnership with Higher Logic to Provide Virtual Study Groups(TM) and Mobile Study Groups(TM)

ATLANTA, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Peach New Media, Inc. today announces a partnership with Higher Logic to provide two new product offerings for professional associations and continuing educators called Virtual Study Groups(TM) and Mobile Study Groups(TM). Virtual Study Groups (VSG) combine the powerful media of live webinars and webcasts with the collaborative aspects of online communities. This combination enables associations to deepen their educational efforts through longer-term study groups and courses and takes them beyond the 60-minute webinar.

"Most of our clients who are using VSGs are offering 4 to 6 week courses, charging anywhere from $99 to $900 and including a variety of media: such as weekly study group webinars, assigned on-demand videos, requirements to post in eGroup Message boards, and even weekly quizzes and tests to pass," says Peach COO, Johnson Cook.

"What's really amazing," continues Cook, "is how successful these courses are at attracting registrations and revenue for associations because members are really hungry for deeper courses with more complex information and collaborative opportunities with fellow members. With the VSG format, faculty can require homework assignments, simulations, peer review and so much more that really pulls learners in to the content. "

Association education executives are also indicating that these Virtual Study Groups are more effective because they are scheduled and usually offer limited seating. Jeanne Heaton, CLE Director for the Illinois State Bar Association, says, "We currently use Peach Virtual Study Groups to power a program for our members called 'Basic Skills Virtual Coffeehouse'... it has a big success with our younger members." These scheduled courses offer much more sense of urgency of return-on-investment for education departments over on-demand library because it forces members to schedule and participate rather than procrastinate.

The Virtual Study Group(TM) and Mobile Study Group(TM) platforms are a combination of Peach New Media's Freestone(TM) Learning Management System (LMS) and Higher Logic, LLC's Community Platform and Mobile Membership. "We took the best of the community platform (including Mobile Membership) and combined it with the most powerful tools in the learning system and created a powerful solution that takes online learning to a whole new level," says Cook.

ABOUT PEACH NEW MEDIA

Peach New Media is a leader in online knowledge sharing for associations. We believe that telling stories, providing access to experts and mentors within an industry is a key calling for associations. Serving associations and continuing education providers since 2001, Peach has worked with over 250 professional associations to provide on-going support, professional services, and technology to enable these associations to reach "more people with more content." For more information, please visit http://www.peachnewmedia.com

ABOUT HIGHER LOGIC

Higher Logic provides innovative professional social networking and mobile solutions for associations and nonprofits seeking to increase member retention and generate non-dues revenue. The Connected Community application suite empowers members to share best practices and collaborate - anytime, anywhere. Offer a new dimension of value to constituents with Connected Community's prebuilt integration to leading association management systems and M2-Mobile Membership(TM) smartphone app. Higher Logic delivers solutions so member-based organizations can increase their presence and attract a new generation of global members. For more information, please visit http://www.higherlogic.com.

    Media Contact:

    Natalie Mullen, Director of Marketing
    Peach New Media
    nmullen@peachnewmedia.com
    PeachNewMedia.com
    866-702-3278

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

SOURCE  Peach New Media, Inc.

Peach New Media, Inc.

CONTACT: Natalie Mullen, Director of Marketing, Peach New Media, 1-866-702-3278, nmullen@peachnewmedia.com

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

Wholesale Applications Community Announces Commercial Launch at Mobile World Congress 2011

Mobile Application Developer Alliance Delivers WAC-Powered Storefronts, WAC-Compliant Handsets and Applications

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating its first anniversary at Mobile World Congress, the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) today announced the commercial launch of the organisation. At a press conference today, WAC CEO Peters Suh will be joined by a number of CEOs from the organisation's 68 member companies as he unveils WAC-powered storefronts, demonstrates WAC-compliant handsets and web applications, and provides a view of future developments in WAC.

"In the one year since WAC was initially formed at Mobile World Congress 2010, we have achieved a great deal, delivering against our committed timelines and objectives every step of the way," said Peters Suh, CEO, WAC. "Working together in a unified manner as an industry, we are having a positive impact on the mobile application development ecosystem, providing developers with a simplified method of creating applications and content, and delivering them across operator, handset and operating system. With the commercial launch of operator storefronts, handsets and applications, all based on WAC, we can say that WAC is now officially open for business."

Leading mobile operators from around the world, including China Mobile, MTS, Orange, Smart, Telefonica, Telenor, Verizon and Vodafone are announcing at Mobile World Congress that they are connected to the WAC platform, while the initiative boasts support from mobile phone manufacturers Huawei, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and ZTE. Of the handset manufacturers, both Samsung and LG will be further driving uptake of WAC by ensuring that all devices produced by the two companies that are capable of supporting the WAC runtime will do so.

WAC also today announced that Ericsson has developed and is launching a white-label WAC-enabled storefront that can be easily customised to enable operators to quickly and cost-effectively launch their own WAC storefronts. Further, WAC announced that thousands of web applications are currently available in the WAC-enabled storefronts, including many popular applications and content that end users are downloading today.

The handsets and storefronts launched today are based on the initial WAC 1.0 specification, published in September 2010. WAC also announced the availability of the WAC 2.0 specification, which supports HTML5 web applications with rich multi-media capability, providing developers with an increased set of mobile-specific functionality including file system, calendar and orientation.

Critical to the success of the Wholesale Applications Community is the interest shown by the major brands globally. The success of WAC will be measured not only by take-up from operators, handset manufacturers and end users, but also by the uptake from the developer community and the applications they develop for today's market-leading brands. WAC 3.0, which will be available in September 2011, will allow these brands to deliver even more compelling applications, as developers are able to unlock backend network assets including in-app billing and user authentication.

To demonstrate the benefits of this, WAC today will showcase a WAC 3.0 application developed in conjunction with a leading US-based television network. The application will feature compelling video and music content including ringtones, social networking, messaging and ticketing capabilities. Critically, the application is specifically designed to take advantage of select network APIs, such as user authentication and in-application billing, providing users with the ability to sign in easily and allowing them to make purchases simply and effectively while within the application.

In a statement of future direction, WAC announced that it will enable applications from alternative applications development environments to make similar use of these network assets. This approach is consistent with WAC's goal to reduce fragmentation in the application market and will provide value to applications ecosystems across the mobile industry.

"The demonstration of an application from a major consumer brand, combined with WAC-compliant handsets and WAC-powered storefronts, provides valid proof points to the work undertaken by WAC since its inception," continued Suh. "WAC provides the mobile industry, and more specifically, the mobile application development community, with an effective way to simply and efficiently drive the development and deployment of ground-breaking applications."

WAC Press Conference at Mobile World Congress

WAC will be holding its press conference on Monday 14(th) February at 14:00 in Hall 5, Room 3.  The press conference is open to press and analysts attending Mobile World Congress.

About the Wholesale Applications Community

Launched in February 2010, the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) is an open global alliance formed from leading organisations within the telecoms sector.  Uniting a fragmented applications marketplace, WAC will create an open industry platform that benefits the entire ecosystem, including applications developers, handset manufacturers, OS owners, network operators and end users.

The Wholesale Applications Community will:

    --  Accelerate and expand the market for applications - Simplify application
        development by giving developers the opportunity to write applications
        that can be deployed across multiple platforms and multiple operators,
        and address a potential global market of more than 3 billion users.
    --  Create more compelling applications - Enable developers to utilise both
        device and network capabilities to create the next generation of
        applications.
    --  Provide greater choice for users - Enable portability of applications
        across devices, operating systems and network operators.

Current WAC members are as follows:

Accenture, Adobe, Aepona, Alcatel-Lucent, Aplix, Amdocs, America Movil, ASPire, AT&T, Bell Mobility, Borqs, Bougyues Telecom,Camber Tech Inc (BVI) Limited, Capgemini, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Eyeline,  France Telecom, Fujitsu, GClue, Gemalto, HP, Huawei, Hutchison 3 Group, IBM, Infraware, Innoace, Intel, KDDI, KT Corporation, KT Innotz, LG Electronics, LG Uplus, LiMo Foundation, Minigate, MTS, Myriad Group, Neustar, NTT DOCOMO, Oberthur Technologies, Obigo, Opera Software, Orascom Telecom, Oracle Corporation, Panasonic, Qualcomm Incorporated, Research in Motion, Rogers Communications, Samsung, SanDisk, SAP, SFR, Sharp, SK Telecom, Smart Communications, SOFTBANK MOBILE, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telekom Austria Group, Telenor, Verizon, Vimpelcom, Vodafone, ZTE and the GSMA.

For a list of members and more information, please go to http://www.wacapps.net

WAC Member Quotes

AT&T

"We're excited about where this group is headed," said Randall Stephenson, chairman and chief executive officer, AT&T. "As a founding member, we're encouraged by the momentum WAC has achieved in its first year, and the opportunities ahead are more and more compelling. Roadmap efforts, including driving a common network API strategy, will connect carriers' capabilities with developers' innovations in new ways that will help benefit customers, drive growth and take the apps economy to new heights."

Ericsson

"Ericsson's cloud based eStore is a perfect fit with the strategic intention of WAC to provide a one stop shop for developers to reach millions of consumers. Fully integrated with the WAC warehouse, eStore allows operators to faster launch application storefronts with all types of applications and content," commented Jan Wareby, SVP head of Sales & Marketing at Ericsson and also member of the WAC board.

Huawei

"WAC is a great opportunity and challenge for mobile operators and their suppliers, Huawei is very optimistic about the future of WAC," said Dr. Che Haiping, Huawei Software CTO, "As WAC's BOD observer, Huawei has adopted WAC specifications in our end-to-end solutions, including WAC storefront, WAC-Enabled White-Label-Store, WAC Common Service Gateway, settlement and WAC compliant terminals. In partnership with Philippine SMART Communications, we deployed one of the first WAC-Enabled storefronts and now it is today commercially launched. We are also committed to fully support the development of WAC!"

KT

"If the announcement of WAC was shocking news last year, everyone will be shocked again this year at the speed and execution of WAC. This is a clear demonstration of how much WAC and its members are committed for delivering the promise of building a healthy eco-system for distribution of applications," said Dr. Hyun-Myung Pyo, President of Mobile Business Group, KT Corp and a Board member of WAC. With its showcasing of WAC devices and web apps at MWC, KT is proud to be an integral part of global efforts for fast realization of WAC for All."

LG

"In mobiles as elsewhere, content really is the king, which is why we've worked so hard at developing technologies to improve it," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "WAC will be one of the leading platforms for global app stores, and LG will be right there with it developing even better ecosystems for content."

Orange

"We are excited to enable the distribution of WAC widgets alongside all other applications currently retailed in the Orange App Shop - it is a real indication of how WAC is working effectively and delivering on its promises," said Jean Philippe Vanot Deputy CEO, Orange and Deputy Chairman, WAC. "By taking this step to open our shop to WAC widgets, we are greatly extending the distribution reach of developers, and enhancing the global catalogue of content our App Shop Managers will be able to offer to our customers in each market. And I wish to thank our partners Atos Worldline, Surfkitchen and LG Electronics, who worked hard with us to show you today how WAC and the Orange App Shop can build a compelling value proposition to both developers and Orange customers."

Samsung

"We are pleased to be part of this strategic initiative by operator customers around the global market. Samsung remains committed to providing our customers with higher value and better experience through Samsung's innovative smartphones," commented JK Shin, President, Mobile Division, Samsung. "We will provide full support for both WAC 1.0 and 2.0 on most smartphones to be launched this year, and work closely with other members of WAC to enrich its ecosystem."

Smart

"As a pioneer board member of the WAC, we are proud that Smart is among first operators in the world to deliver on the promise of WAC. In this Mobile World Congress, we are unveiling the Smart Netphone which supports WAC applications on both Android and Brew MP devices," commented Napoleon L. Nazareno, President and CEO of Smart Communications, Inc. Specifically designed for customers in emerging markets, the Netphone enables users to access the internet in affordable, bite-sized amounts.  Ease of use has been enhanced in various innovative ways such as linking widgets to the phonebook.  We hope that the Netphone will thus contribute significantly to making the internet much more accessible to more people in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world."

Telefonica

"Telefonica is committed to WAC in order to drive both the standardisation of technologies and to improve how operators and developers conduct business together," commented, Julio Linares, COO of Telefonica. "Today Telefonica is launching its connection to WAC 1.0, allowing us to distribute thousands of compelling web applications to our customers. Additionally, at the MWC we are demonstrating WAC 2.0, highlighting the evolution of the WAC."

Telenor

"Telenor is committed to the development and distribution of attractive content for mobile phones. In this regard, increased availability and common standards are important success criterias. Our launch of the Telenor tStore in Serbia marks the beginning of a further roll-out in our operations," said Morten Karlsen Sorby, Executive Vice President in Telenor Group and Member of the Board of Directors in WAC.

Vodafone

"WAC continues to make strong progress and we are pleased to support its aims and objectives," said Michel Combes, Vodafone CEO, Europe.

SOURCE  Wholesale Applications Community

Wholesale Applications Community

CONTACT: Phil Rawcliffe, +07889 320159, press@wholesaleappcommunity.com

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

CETECOM Unveils its Application & Content Test Services

- CETECOM USA creates a new software division to support the growing application market -

MILPITAS, Calif., Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CETECOM, a leading independent wireless technology test and certification laboratory, today announced the launch of its application and content test services.  This new division of CETECOM USA is aimed to support carriers, manufacturers and developers with quality assurance testing and project management services for seamlessly functioning software on wireless devices.

CETECOM's application and content services encompass full test execution, problem isolation and reporting for various test types including compatibility testing for carriers, functional testing for manufacturers and performance and content rendering for developers.  The division is headed by Richard Hammer who brings fifteen years of experience in the industry.  His extensive experience in platform software and application testing allows CETECOM to provide its customers with in-depth knowledge and expertise for a successful software launch. 

"The wireless industry is moving rapidly with the advent of 4G networks, popularity of data-centric smartphones and growing M2M market," said Richard Hammer, Director of Application Testing.  "It was apparent that application and content test demand would rise, due to the complexity of ensuring quality software across various platforms.  The services are aimed to offer flexible, scalable and cost effective solutions."

CETECOM's core competency is in conformance testing of 2G, 3G and LTE technologies.  The addition of application and content test services provides an ideal fit with the proliferation of data driven mobile devices.  CETECOM is committed to continually offering its customers with value added services in response to market demands.

More detailed information is available at http://www.cetecom.com/us/en/testing/applications-and-content.html. 

About CETECOM

CETECOM (http://www.cetecom.com) is renowned as a neutral, experienced partner of the telecommunications and information technology industries and offers a unique service portfolio which covers the entire life cycle of a mobile communications product, contributes to the smooth running of products and applications and ensures that they meet international standards.

CETECOM's portfolio includes consulting and training, development of test solutions, validation services, testing in accredited laboratories (LTE, 3G, GSM, Application Enabler, OTA Performance and EMC), field trials, certification and approval handling.

Being a member of numerous specialist bodies, CETECOM is also actively involved in the development and standardization of global specifications for future technologies.

SOURCE  CETECOM

CETECOM

CONTACT: Jennifer Anonical of CETECOM Inc., +1-408-586-6200, pr@cetecomusa.com

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

Ruckus Wireless Unveils Smart Mobile Wi-Fi Portfolio Enabling Operators to Strategically Integrate 802.11 with Cellular Networks

Extensive Radio, Backhaul and Core Gateway Technologies Help Operators Deliver Higher Traffic Density at a Lower Total Cost of Ownership While Paving the Way for 4G Heterogeneous Networks

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS -- Ruckus Wireless(TM) today unveiled a comprehensive product and technology roadmap, including a new category of mobile Wi-Fi gateways, aimed at helping mobile operators cleanly integrate carrier-purposed Smart Wi-Fi technology into 3G and 4G cellular infrastructures.

With these new Ruckus products and technologies, mobile operators will now be able to deliver Wi-Fi services more economically by leveraging their existing mobile core networks to realize immediate capacity relief and enhance the subscriber experience - giving them a head start in the broadband race to create a next generation heterogeneous network footprint.

"What the Internet did to transform how we access content and services, the mobile Internet is now doing to liberate when and where we can get access," said Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless. "Wi-Fi is becoming an integral part of the mobile network fabric that enables this revolution.  Its role in the mobile Internet ecosystem will endure as long as the appetite for access continues unabated, even with LTE becoming a reality," said Lo.

With Wi-Fi embedded in virtually every mobile Internet device, common hotspot services have quickly become a required offering among competitive carriers. Wi-Fi hotspots are also a quick and cost-effective way for mobile operators to inject wireless capacity in areas of high usage, thereby alleviating the pressures on 3G infrastructures caused by the explosion of mobile Internet data traffic.

However, the lack of integration between Wi-Fi hotspots and cellular networks is hampering operators from delivering a seamless and consistent subscriber experience to the exploding population of smartphone and tablet users. Having to maintain separate management and back-end systems over the long term increases operational overhead and limits operators' flexibility in creating new services.

"Ruckus has again innovated new products and technologies that not only streamline Wi-Fi deployment and operations for carriers but will ultimately make it easy for mobile users to move from Wi-Fi to cellular and back without fumbling with network selection and passwords, losing sessions or having to be aware of which wireless technology their devices are using," said Lo.

The Ruckus Mobile Wi-Fi portfolio features a new Wireless Services Gateway (WSG), the industry's first mobile Wi-Fi gateway that acts as a central point of control for Smart Wi-Fi access points while enabling seamless service integration with the mobile core.  Ruckus has also extended its patented BeamFlex smart antenna and Smart Meshbackhaul technologies to enable broad deployment of multi-access, small cell base stations in the future.  The Ruckus Mobile Wi-Fi solution is the ideal foundation for operators looking to:

    --  increase the reliability of unlicensed spectrum Wi-Fi services;
    --  add coverage and capacity at the lowest possible cost;
    --  integrate Wi-Fi with cellular core services over standard 3GPP
        interfaces;
    --  simplify the subscriber experience with auto-provisioning of Wi-Fi
        client devices;
    --  leverage Smart Wi-Fi to supply cost effective backhaul for future
        microcell services; and
    --  enable transparent roaming between Wi-Fi and 3G/4G networks in the
        future.

Introducing the Ruckus Wireless Services Gateway for Seamless Cellular Integration

The new Ruckus WSG is the industry's first Mobile Wi-Fi gateway combining 3GPP WLAN access gateway (WAG) functions and advanced WLAN controller capabilities on a scalable, carrier-purposed platform.

Situated between the Wi-Fi network and the mobile core, the Ruckus WSG interfaces with core AAA systems for client authentication and policy setting.  Supporting a variety of client authentication methods including 802.1x EAP-SIM/AKA, MAC address, and WISPr-based captive portal, the WSG enables a myriad of hotspot business models such as free, usage-based, ad-based, premium and wholesale services.

The WSG also enables seamless mobility across Wi-Fi APs for both SIM-based and non-SIM devices by keeping a local mobility cache, obviating the need to burden expensive core resources with every Wi-Fi mobility event. This is crucial as mobility events may occur within small cell topologies much more frequently than current core systems, designed for macro cellular networks, are able to handle.

Patented automatic client provisioning technology on the WSG allows popular client devices to be automatically configured for access upon service activation.  Subscribers no longer need to sign on explicitly every time they access hotspot services.  This further enhances the experience of the user while maximizing traffic offload for the operator.  Giving operators maximum architecture flexibility, the Ruckus WSG supports the following traffic forwarding options:

    --  local breakout at the AP to offload the entire Wi-Fi data path from the
        WSG;
    --  secure tunnel from the AP to the WSG with local breakout at the WSG, to
        offload Wi-Fi traffic from the backhaul and the core network; and/or
    --  various tunneling options to direct traffic from the WSG to forwarding
        gateways in the mobile core.

The Ruckus WSG also incorporates advanced WLAN controller services critical for the deployment and optimization of large-scale Wi-Fi networks.  Smart Mesh management provides auto-formation, auto-optimization and auto-healing of mesh topologies allowing operators to install APs at locations where wired backhaul isn't available.  Dynamic RF management on the WSG continuously optimizes power and channel settings across downstream APs to mitigate interference and maximize overall network capacity. In high-density locations, automatic load balancing of clients across adjacent APs increases network performance and enhances user experience.

Integrating a carrier-grade Wi-Fi element management system (EMS), the WSG is capable of managing tens of thousands of Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi APs and hundreds of thousands of Wi-Fi clients.  The advanced EMS provides tools for AP auto-discovery and provisioning, capacity planning and management, SLA visibility, advanced Wi-Fi troubleshooting, and trending reports and customized graphs. It also provides an API for integration with existing carrier NMS/OSS systems.

Built on a distributed architecture, Ruckus WSGs can be clustered to provide unmatched linear scalability and resiliency.  Available in the second half of 2011, the Ruckus WSG can process up to 20Gbps of throughput per 2U of rack space and manage up to 10,000 Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi access points.

Reliable Wi-Fi Coverage Now, Add Small Cellular Radios Where and When Needed

The demand for capacity and speed is driving mobile operators towards a heterogeneous network strategy -- augmenting macro cellular networks with many smaller radios in high-density locations.  While the technologies for large-scale heterogeneous networks are still in development, operators can now put in motion a deployment process with Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi.

One of the practical challenges in small cell deployments is site acquisition, a costly and time-consuming process, and literally a battleground for land grab.  By deploying Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi APs today, operators can quickly establish their small cell site footprint.  Future radio deployments can make use of the same mounting positions, leasing arrangement, power and backhaul systems already in place.

The Ruckus Mobile Wi-Fi portfolio brings together the complete collection of indoor and outdoor Ruckus ZoneFlex(TM) APs that can be fully managed by the Ruckus WSG.  All ZoneFlex APs are equipped with patented BeamFlex smart antenna technology for automatic interference avoidance, critical in assuring performance, range and reliability in unlicensed spectrum operations.  ZoneFlex outdoor access points are delivered in form factors that are aesthetically suitable for street-level deployment and packaged for single pole-climber installation.

Cost Effective Backhaul for Small Cells with Smart Meshing

A missing piece of the puzzle in realizing massive outdoor small cell implementations is the backhaul.  Fiber may not be readily available at all the small cell sites.  Microwave backhaul requires line-of-sight which cannot be guaranteed at the street level. Other backhaul methods, such as WiMAX and proprietary wireless, can add significant CAPEX and OPEX when deployed on a large scale.  And self-backhaul, using already scarce licensed spectrum resources, will impact access performance.

Ruckus Smart Mesh offers cost advantages and deployment flexibility that are unmatched by other backhaul alternatives. While it defies conventional wisdom to use inherently unreliable Wi-Fi technology for a part of the network that must be ultra reliable, Ruckus Smart Mesh is unlike any other conventional Wi-Fi backhaul technology, leveraging the following innovations to increase diversity and maximize resilience:

    --  advanced BeamFlex smart antenna technology that enables each radio to
        autonomously steer Wi-Fi signals away from interference and physical
        obstructions to achieve the highest possible data rate while preventing
        packet loss;
    --  intelligent Smart Channels technology that allows the APs on a mesh link
        to continually monitor and fast-switch to the channel with the highest
        capacity in real time to maximize throughput; and
    --  an adaptive Smart Mesh topology system that self-organizes,
        self-optimizes and self-heals to maximize system-level resilience and
        network performance without manual antenna aiming and topology tuning.

Already proven in many carrier Wi-Fi deployments across the globe, Smart Mesh is a basic feature on all Ruckus ZoneFlex indoor and outdoor APs.  A software upgrade to add support for cellular backhaul services will be available in the second half of 2011.

Ruckus Wireless can be found on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ruckuswireless and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/ruckuswireless. The company's blog can be read at http://www.theruckusroom.net. Ruckus also has a YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/ruckuswireless.

About Ruckus Wireless, Inc.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Ruckus Wireless is a manufacturer of advanced "Smart Wi-Fi" technology and wireless LAN (WLAN) systems used by enterprises and carriers around the world. Ranked as the top telecom company in the 2009 Inc. 500 list and named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, Ruckus has developed patented technology that uniquely extends signal range and allows for consistently reliable distribution of delay-sensitive multimedia content and services over standard 802.11 Wi-Fi. Its flagship product line, ZoneFlex, is the first centralized wireless LAN system to combine state-of-the-art Wi-Fi smart antenna arrays and wireless meshing to deliver maximum range and reliable performance at the lowest cost. Leading broadband operators use its MediaFlex multimedia routers to extend wireless digital services such as IPTV throughout subscribers' homes worldwide. Ruckus has raised approximately $51 million from premier investors such as Motorola, T-Ventures, Telus, Sutter Hill Ventures, Mitsui, Sequoia Capital and others. Ruckus Wireless is led by Ms Selina Lo, president and chief executive officer. For more information, visit Ruckus Wireless at http://www.ruckuswireless.com

    Media Contacts
    David Callisch
    Ruckus Wireless
    david@ruckuswireless.com
    +1-408-504-5487

SOURCE  Ruckus Wireless

Ruckus Wireless

CONTACT: David Callisch of Ruckus Wireless, +1-408-504-5487, david@ruckuswireless.com

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

Scanbuy Adds 'Scan & Send' Feature to Give MMS Capable Camera Phones Access to Mobile Barcodes Without an Application

New service 100% compatible with industry standard mobile barcode formats including QR Code, Datamatrix, EZcode and UPC/EAN

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --Scanbuy, Inc. (http://www.scanbuy.com), the global leader in mobile barcode solutions, today announced that it has greatly expanded on its "Scan & Send" service with the addition of MMS support and now supporting all major open barcode formats.  This groundbreaking and industry consolidating capability allows any MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) capable camera phone to leverage the ScanLife technology to scan barcodes without any mobile application. The feature makes standard barcodes accessible to more than 190 million U.S. camera phones.  The system uses standard code formats which can be accessed by the tens of millions of people that already have a barcode scanning application. Scanbuy is currently the only mobile barcode solutions provider offering this complete service.

Users can snap an ordinary picture of a standard barcode, and send it to the ScanLife system by MMS to 43588 or email to scan@scanlife.com.  The Code Management Platform decodes the image as if it was being done by the ScanLife app on a phone and instructs the phone to take the assigned action for that code.  Actions include linking to specified content, like a video, saving contact information, dialing a phone number and many other actions enabled by ScanLife.  If the user's phone supports it, they will also be given an option to download the free ScanLife app to make their future scanning easier and faster.

The Scan & Send system works with QR, Datamatrix, EZcode, and even UPC codes with an autofocus camera.  These devices can access the ScanLife Shopper engine which provides a wide variety of information from product UPC codes like prices, reviews, coupons and more.  Customers that create and manage 2D codes can access ScanLife's integrated analytics platform to gain insight on every engagement.  This solution is being introduced as a U.S. based service available to customers of the top three carriers (Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and Sprint) using the common short code of 43588.  For customers on other carriers, sending the picture via email allows for the same user experience overall with a few more keystrokes.

"The Scan & Send system is a great way to reach feature phone users and allow them to utilize standard mobile barcodes," said Mike Wehrs, CEO and President of Scanbuy. "Scanbuy's technology now allows a brand, agency or retailer to reach at least 80% of today's camera phone users with industry standard barcodes.  The user experience now ranges from taking a picture and sending it (a seven keystroke solution) to a zero click, very fast recognition when using the ScanLife app on the over 190 models of phones that are supported.  Mobile barcode scanning is becoming mainstream with a 1600% increase in traffic in 2010, and tens of millions of users equipped with barcode scanning apps.  This is a perfect time to open the technology to even more users who want to connect from the physical world."

To try the service, an image of a code can be sent to 43588 or scan@scanlife.com, or to get the ScanLife reader, visit http://www.getscanlife.com from a mobile browser. 

About Scanbuy

Scanbuy is the leading global provider of mobile barcode solutions that use the camera phone as the link between the physical world and the digital world. The ScanLife solution consists of a multi-barcode reader application and interoperable Code Management Platform. The technology has been successfully deployed and supported by leading mobile providers and handset manufacturers in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Italy and Denmark. Media companies and marketers use the solution to create and manage measurable 2D barcode campaigns, extending brand engagement onto mobile devices.

Scanbuy has the largest and oldest patent portfolio of any company in the industry, with over 30 patents granted covering the entire solution. The company's investors include Motorola Ventures, Hudson Ventures, Masthead Venture Partners, and Longworth Venture Partners.

For more information on Scanbuy, please visit http://www.scanbuy.com or http://www.scanlife.com.

    Contact:
               Kathrine Dela or Valerie
               Christopherson
              Global Results Comms (GRC)
                                +1 949 608 0276 (ph)
              scanbuy@globalresultspr.com

SOURCE  Scanbuy, Inc.

Scanbuy, Inc.

CONTACT: Kathrine Dela or Valerie Christopherson, Global Results Comms (GRC), +1-949-608-0276, scanbuy@globalresultspr.com

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