ACME AtronOmatic Releases Bandana - The Gaydar App for the iPhone/iPad/iPod
ORLANDO, Fla., July 1 -- ACME AtronOmatic, a software development company, has released their newest application, "Bandana - The Gaydar App" for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, a cool social networking application for the Gay and Bisexual community.
The application employs a patent-pending method that uses the device's Bluetooth radio to broadcast a special signal that can be picked up by other nearby users with a similarly-equipped device. The end result turns your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch into an actual "gaydar detector" with a range of up to 100 feet.
"What gay man hasn't at one time thought, 'Wow, wouldn't it be great if there was some kind of gaydar detector that would tell you if someone was gay or not'," says Oscar Flemming, lead developer at ACME AtronOmatic. "With this app in your pocket, you can have exactly that."
The free application, now available on the iTunes App Store, allows users to create a public profile along with a photo. Then, in order to use the gaydar feature, the user starts the app, turns on their "gaydar beacon", and places the device in their pocket. Whenever they walk within range of another user also running the app, the device will "ping" or vibrate (depending on the device's volume settings) to let you know that another gay person is nearby. A quick check of the display shows the profile of the user (or users) in range.
"It's perfect for those occasions when you're out in a public setting, say a gym, or a grocery store, a concert ... or even a subway, and you want to know if anyone else nearby is playing for your team," says Flemming. "Want to know if that hot guy you just passed in the airport is gay? Break out your Bandana!"
The application can function in areas without Internet connectivity; any contacts made with the Bluetooth radio are stored offline, and can be reviewed later when the network is available. This allows the device to function in places like a subway or other location where Internet access is not available.
Aside from the gaydar feature, the app also supports profile browsing and private one-on-one chatting commonly found in other gay-oriented apps. Users can further customize their profile by selecting "interests", allowing users to search for profiles based on matching interests.
The app also has a "confirmed gay" feature, allowing users to configure privacy settings such that their gaydar signal is only detectable by other "confirmed gay" users. In order to become a "confirmed gay" user, you must be approved by an already-existing "confirmed gay" user.
Bandana - The Gaydar App is available now on the iTunes App Store.
ABOUT ACME ATRONOMATIC
ACME AtronOmatic is a software development company, creating applications for Internet and mobile platforms in the business and social-networking arena. For more information on Bandana or ACME AtronOmatic, contact Oscar Flemming via email to press@netbandana.com. Website: http://netbandana.com/
Source: ACME AtronOmatic
CONTACT: Oscar Flemming, +1-321-206-0914, ext. 2419,
press@netbandana.com
WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that the following voluntary recall alert was posted in cooperation with the firm listed below. Recalls can be viewed at http://www.cpsc.gov.
Company Name Product Name Quantity Hazard
The battery cell can short-
Tekkeon Inc. of External laptop circuit and overheat, posing a
Tustin, Calif. battery About 500 fire hazard to consumers.
SetFocus Adopts Mirial Technology to Drive its "Borderless Business" Initiative
MILAN, July 1, 2010-- Mirial announced today that SetFocus, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
for Learning Solutions, chose a set of its desktop video conferencing
products to meet its growing need for delivering distance training,
recruiting remote students and staff and conducting virtual sales training
and staff meetings.
As a provider of instructor-led IT training, SetFocus has been delivering
its unique curriculum both in physical classes and through a virtual training
solution. The use of innovative online learning infrastructure has given
SetFocus the opportunity to its offer courses at more times, to more people,
in more locations, without investing in additional classroom facilities or
incurring significant travel expense.
"The need of giving students and teacher the same experience expected
from face to face program pushed for the use of products enabling high
quality synchronous audio/video communication" commented Cristoforo Mione, VP
Marketing for Mirial "Mirial desktop video conferencing products are indeed
designed to offer the smoothest experience in a simple and effective way".
Thanks to Mirial technology, any user with a webcam and a PC or Mac can
take advantage of HD visual communication and collaborative work for
interactive training and communication within the enterprise.
"SetFocus has been using video-conferencing in our training and daily
operations for over five years" said Michael Simmons, President of SetFocus.
"Our students and staff depend on it daily for communication and
collaboration. The quality and simplicity of Mirial technology will allow us
to more easily and effectively deploy the solution to our growing number of
students and corporate clients, enhancing our efforts to continue to build a
borderless business".
Mirial (formerly DyLogic) is one of the world's premier providers of
cutting-edge products for audio and video communication over convergent
networks, and a pioneer in software-only desktop video conferencing since
1999.
The company portfolio includes a comprehensive set of products enabling
hosted interactive audio/video services on IP networks and professional SD
and HD desktop video conferencing.
Since 1997, SetFocus has been a leader in selecting, training and placing
Microsoft professionals nationwide. SetFocus identifies skills gaps and
develops programs that directly train and source skilled professionals to
meet the immediate hiring needs of its partners. A Microsoft Gold Certified
Partner for Learning Solutions, SetFocus employs a unique hands-on learning
curriculum and a combination of services to help organizations grow. SetFocus
has ranked among the Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies in America for the
last three years and has been a recipient of the 2009 New Jersey's Smart
Workplace Platinum Award.
For more information, SetFocus can be reached at +1-886-91-TRAIN and
through its website, http://www.setfocus.com
Axial Exchange Partners with MuleSoft to Release Open Source Healthcare Interoperability Platform
Streamlines Patient Information Delivery across Modern Communication Channels
RALEIGH, N.C., July 1 -- Axial Exchange, an emerging leader in healthcare IT, today announced a partnership with MuleSoft, the Web Middleware Company, to release a new open source healthcare interoperability platform called Axial 360(TM). Built on MuleSoft's Mule ESB, the world's most widely used open source enterprise service bus, Axial 360 enables interoperability among disparate health IT systems within or beyond an institution's firewall. Axial 360 (TM) is a core subsystem behind Axial Alerts(TM), a real time messaging platform which synthesizes clinical information and delivers the information to key healthcare stakeholders.
"Axial Exchange is helping to fundamentally change the healthcare industry by lowering the costs and difficulties of integrating and securely sharing medical information," said Chris Purpura, vice president of corporate and business development at MuleSoft. "The Axial 360 platform represents an ideal partnership of technology from the leading open source integration platform, combined with deep industry experience from the Axial Exchange team."
Axial has released Axial 360 as a free open source download for use by the broader healthcare community. Axial 360 is not only the interface engine that powers Axial solutions, but it is also intended as an open platform for the broader ecosystem of health IT vendors and in-house developers.
"We're at the beginning of a generation-long retooling of the world's health IT infrastructure, and low cost, standards-based interoperability is key to the success of this effort," said Matt Mattox, CTO of Axial Exchange. "This is an ideal job for open source middleware. A strong track record in mission-critical environments and its active developer community makes MuleSoft an ideal partner for Axial in bringing open source interoperability to healthcare. "
The Axial 360 health care interface engine and connector library is fully open-source and is hosted as a Google Code project, with full documentation. For more information, visit the Axial 360 project site at http://code.google.com/p/axial360/. Mule ESB is fully open-source and is available at http://www.mulesoft.org/.
About Axial Exchange
Axial Exchange allows heath care systems of all types to share data in order to solve key clinical and business problems. Whether ensuring people can securely access their electronic health records across providers or notifying primary care physicians when patients enter an emergency room, the company's software enables doctors, labs, hospitals and other providers to securely and privately exchange electronic health information among the various systems within their organizations and affiliates outside of their practices. By offering health care enterprises 360-degree interoperability, Axial provides an essential element for health information exchange today and positions its clients to face new challenges tomorrow.
Media Contact for Axial Exchange:
John Casey
jcasey@axialexchange.com
919.576.9988
About MuleSoft
MuleSoft is the Web Middleware Company, providing enterprise-class software based on the world's most popular open source application infrastructure products, Mule ESB and Apache Tomcat. With Mule ESB and Tcat Server, MuleSoft brings an ideal combination of simplicity and power to today's web applications. Its products boast more than 1.5 million downloads and over 2,500 production deployments by leading organizations such as Walmart.com, Nestle, Honeywell and DHL, as well as 85 in the Global 500 and 5 of the world's top 10 banks. MuleSoft is headquartered in San Francisco with offices worldwide.
For more information: http://www.MuleSoft.com, or email info@MuleSoft.com.
Follow us on Twitter: Mulejockey
Media Contact for MuleSoft:
Cara Porchia
cara.porchia@MuleSoft.com
415.755.8523
Source: Axial Exchange
CONTACT: For Axial Exchange: John Casey, +1-919-576-9988,
jcasey@axialexchange.com; For MuleSoft: Cara Porchia, +1-415-755-8523,
cara.porchia@MuleSoft.com
Verizon Completes Spinoff of Local Exchange Businesses and Related Landline Activities in 14 States
Spun-Off Entity Then Merges With Frontier Communications, Resulting in Frontier Shares Issued to Verizon Stockholders
NEW YORK, July 1 -- Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) ( NASDAQ: VZ) today announced the completion of the spinoff of the shares of New Communications Holdings Inc. to Verizon stockholders.
New Communications held defined assets and liabilities that were used in Verizon's local exchange businesses and related activities in 14 states: Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin -- and in portions of California bordering Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.
Immediately following the spinoff, New Communications merged with Frontier Communications Corporation (NYSE:FTR), resulting in Verizon stockholders collectively owning approximately 68 percent of Frontier common stock immediately after the merger.
Verizon stockholders are receiving one share of Frontier common stock for every 4.165977 shares of Verizon common stock they owned as of June 7, 2010. This is equivalent to approximately 0.24 shares of Frontier common stock for each share of Verizon common stock owned as of June 7, 2010. Verizon stockholders are receiving cash in lieu of any fraction of a share of Frontier common stock.
The total value of the transaction to Verizon and its stockholders is approximately $8.6 billion. Verizon stockholders are receiving $5.247 billion in Frontier common stock (based on the valuation formula contained in the merger agreement with Frontier), and Verizon has received $3.333 billion in value, primarily through a $3.083 billion special cash distribution. Consolidated Verizon debt is also being reduced by $250 million, representing debt that was borrowed from third parties by former Verizon subsidiaries that became Frontier subsidiaries through the spinoff and merger.
No Effect on Verizon Stock Certificates
Holders of Verizon common stock are not required to pay for shares of Frontier common stock they receive in this transaction, and they also retain all of their shares of Verizon common stock. This means that Verizon stockholders are not being asked to surrender their shares of Verizon common stock in the spinoff or the merger, or return their Verizon stock certificates.
Two-Way Trading in Verizon Through Close of Business Today
Beginning June 3 and continuing through the close of business today, there have been two markets in Verizon common stock on the New York Stock Exchange and The NASDAQ Stock Market. A "regular way" market included the right to receive shares of New Communications common stock to be converted to Frontier common stock, and an "ex-distribution" market excluded this right. Shares have traded under the symbol "VZ wi" on the NYSE and under "VZ.V" on NASDAQ in the ex-distribution market.
Verizon has been advised by the NYSE and NASDAQ that regular way trading under the symbol "VZ" includes the right to receive Frontier common stock through the close of business today. Similarly, ex-distribution trading in Verizon common stock under the symbols "VZ wi" and "VZ.V" will continue through the close of business today. As a result, if a Verizon stockholder sells shares of Verizon common stock under the symbol "VZ" through the close of business today, the Verizon stockholder will continue to be selling both his or her shares of Verizon common stock and the associated right to receive shares of Frontier common stock in the merger of New Communications and Frontier.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)(NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 93 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
Source: Verizon Communications
CONTACT: Bob Varettoni, Verizon, +1-908-559-6388,
robert.a.varettoni@verizon.com
ImLive.com Joins the Mobile Social Networking Family
NEW YORK, July 1 -- With the current trend of accessing the internet by mobile phone and the increasing onset of mobile social networking, ImLive.com has taken their successful formula of video chat and has launched ImLive Mobile by using cutting-edge technology that enables the optimal live video chat experience to Mobile for their 21+ million members.
The Mobile Revolution is estimated to be worth $4 billion and given its ease of use and privacy; it is no surprise that the number of users accessing the net via their cell phones is increasing at an explosive rate. According to Morgan & Stanley, by 2015 the number of users surfing through Mobile is expected to surpass desktop. Facebook, MySpace and Twitter users among others already have the privilege to be able to get connected through their mobile phones, with a reported 400 million Facebook users choosing this as their preferred option to access this social network.
ImLive.com while already being the leading video chat webcam site is now offering the convenience and freedom to its members by being able to video chat through their mobile phones and enjoying the entertainment that ImLive.com offers from literally anywhere, at any time and in any place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Alexander Garcia, CEO of the ImLive group, stated, "Our large and growing member base has increasingly come from new internet traffic sources such as social network and dating sites. We decided the time was right to expand our product base and offer a full range solution that enables members to access our large number of experts when it suits them best. Mobile video chat represents one of the industry's most vibrant and exciting sectors and we are happy to be at the forefront with the introduction of ImLive Mobile."
To join ImLive Mobile click here
ImLive.com was founded in 2002 and is today the leading webcam chat arena on the internet. ImLive.com serves as an online community to thousands of affiliates, 30,000 thousand expert hosts and over 21 million members from all around the globe. Membership is free to all over the age of 18 years.
Addition of Capital Media Group Enhances Digitek Computer Products Position as the National Wholesale Leader of Imaging Products, Data Storage Media and Accessories
DULLES, Va., July 1 -- Digitek Computer Products (Dulles, VA), a leading national wholesaler of imaging supplies, data storage products, printers and accessories, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Capital Media Group (Gahanna, OH), a national wholesaler of data storage media products and accessories.
"Both companies have deep roots within the reseller and SMB marketplace in the United States with a shared vision to bridge the critical link between manufacturers and resellers, bring value to the distribution chain and provide their industry leading logistics capabilities to the reseller market," said Paul Martorana, CEO for Digitek Computer Products. "We will continue our pursuit of new opportunities and solutions in the imaging and data storage markets to bring more value to our customers and suppliers."
"Digitek and CMG have developed a close-working relationship and have a similar culture. Our collective strengths will create an optimal customer experience whether dealing directly with our team or through our state-of-the-art online tools," said Tony Somers, President Capital Media Group.
The combination of Digitek and Capital Media Group creates a leading force in the wholesale market. Together, they deliver a broader, more robust product portfolio, becoming a stronger business partner and reinforcing their commitment to enhance customer and supplier value. Digitek will retain the Capital Media facility in Gahanna, Ohio thereby giving Digitek a fourth sales and distribution center.
About Digitek: Digitek Computer Products is one of the largest privately owned distributors of IT products and imaging supplies in the country. Digitek invests heavily in technology to simplify ordering via web, XML and through our personal account managers. Digitek has distribution centers in Virginia, Illinois, Ohio and California with the ability to reach over 97% of the US population in two days or less. Please contact Digitek Computer Products at 888-353-0301 with any questions or visit our website at http://www.digitek.com
Show Classic Menus and Toolbars on Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010
HAIKOU, China, July 1 -- Addintools releases Classic Menu for Office Professional Plus 2010, which is bug-free and has excellent features. The software is designed for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, including Classic Menu for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher, and InfoPath.
Despite its powerful functions, the Ribbon interface in Office 2010 is more similar to 2007, frustrating some ordinary 2003 users. They have to waste a lot of time searching for tool bars, charts, forms, and so on. Now users who can't adjust themselves to the new interface will have the best choice -- Classic Menu for Office Professional Plus 2010.
The application works by adding a "menus" tab in the ribbon interface. Click it, you will get the familiar Office 2003 toolbar and menus back. With the application, users can position the Office 2003 interface along with the new one, or completely hide the latter. Furthermore, users can add menus and toolbars to the innovative Quick Access Toolbar function and freely operate Office without the Ribbon. The frequently used commands can be assigned to the toolbar, or all the menus are put under a single pull-down list.
To deploy the application to organizations is easy and automatic, which largely increases employees' productivity. Users need not worry about new features that will be missed through the classic style menu. New functions and improved commands are kept in the classic menu, which will ease the transition from Office 2003 to Office 2010. The language support is ideal for international organizations, because it is available in all languages that Microsoft Office supports, including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese and so on. Users can get a free download of this software at http://www.addintools.com/ .
Once installed, users can enjoy the fun of taking back the classic interface and keyboard shortcuts. It is possible to browse toolbars and menus without remembering the shortcuts.
Classic Menu for Office Professional Plus 2010 is fully compatible with all suites of Microsoft Office 2010 (32 bit). Licensed users are entitled to free minor updates and priority technical support for two years. Anyone who is not satisfied with the products can get a refund within 60 days.
Overstock.com Announces Major Upgrades to Club O Customer Rewards Program
SALT LAKE CITY, July 1 -- Overstock.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSTK) today announced major upgrades and improvements to the company's Club O program. Club O is Overstock.com's customer rewards program providing members with valuable discounts and exclusive promotions. The upgrades to the program include earning five percent in reward dollars to be used towards future Overstock.com purchases, including gift cards at Overstock.com. Now members can combine Club O Rewards Dollars with other Overstock.com coupon offers. They will also receive free shipping on orders over $25 made up exclusively of books, media, movies and games. To learn more visit http://www.overstock.com/club-o/19492/static.html?TID=D:FOOT_MOD_C .
Members will have access to member-only invitations to product previews, exclusive sales and shopping events and direct access to the company's exclusive Club O Rewards Customer Care Team.
"Every one of these upgrades came as a direct result of Club O member feedback," said Overstock.com SVP of Marketing and Customer Care Stormy Simon. "The new program is designed to maximize savings, provide valuable perks and promote an even more exceptional service experience to these very important Club O customers."
Under the new program, Existing Club O members will immediately receive these program improvements and upgrades and newly interested customers can sign up for a one-year Club O membership for $19.95.
About Overstock.com
Overstock.com, Inc. is an online retailer offering brand-name merchandise at discount prices. The company offers its customers an opportunity to shop for bargains conveniently, while offering its suppliers an alternative inventory distribution channel. Overstock.com, headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market System and can be found online at http://www.overstock.com/. Overstock.com regularly posts information about the company and other related matters on its website under the heading "Investor Relations."
Overstock.com® is a registered trademark and Club O(TM) is a trademark of Overstock.com, Inc.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the type of special deals, promotions and products offered to Club O members. Our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, or any amendments thereto, and our other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission identify important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections, estimates or forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Roger Johnson, +1-801-947-4430, rojohnson@overstock.com, or
Investors, Kevin Moon, +1-801-947-3282, kmoon@overstock.com, both of
Overstock.com, Inc.
Vail Resorts Launches New 'Echo' Web Site Outlining the Company's Comprehensive Efforts on the Environment, Social Responsibility and Community Engagement
BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 1 -- Today, Vail Resorts launched the Vail Resorts Echo web site, VailResortsEcho.com, to better educate and engage guests and employees about the Company's comprehensive sustainability efforts aimed at both protecting the beautiful natural resources that surrounds the resorts and helping build stronger communities. Vail Resorts Echo encompasses environmental stewardship, charitable giving and community engagement.
"We are thrilled to launch the new "Echo" web site. The new site provides a wealth of information on Vail Resorts' goals and ideals of our entire corporate stewardship effort for our stakeholders," said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer for Vail Resorts. "Making the Echo information accessible to everyone online helps support our goal that Vail Resorts Echo will continue to reverberate positively in the places where we live, work and play for generations to come."
VailResortsEcho.com gives employees and guests a place to learn about Vail Resort's charitable and operational programs that help the environment and build stronger communities, including important non-profit partnerships and the company's commitment to these initiatives. Some highlights include:
-- The Company's focus on healthy forests and clean water through its
partnership with the US Forest Service and the National Forest
Foundation on the Hayman Restoration Partnership, the state's largest
forest restoration project, and one of the largest public-private
partnerships of its kind in the country.
-- Target 10%: The Company's program that aims to significantly reduce
energy consumption with a stated goal of a 10 percent reduction by the
end of 2010.
-- Vail Resorts partnership with the National Forest Foundation, the
non-profit arm of the U.S. Forest Service, that has raised $1.7
million since the program's inception in 2006 for local conservation
projects.
-- Important information for non-profits interested in learning more
about the Vail Resorts grant process.
-- Pictures, video and stories about our employees and their dedication
to volunteering. In the last year, Vail Resorts employees donated more
than 2000 collective hours.
Focus on Employees
VR Echo will continue to engage employees as part of the Company's corporate stewardship efforts. A special section dedicated to employees only, The Employee Echo Center, will help the Company better engage employees to be a part of Vail Resorts' corporate stewardship efforts. The new site gives employees a place to learn about the non-profits that are important to them, share stories and view pictures of employees truly making a difference. In addition to the information that the Company is sharing with guests and community partners, the Employee Echo Center section will help employees in each of our locations find opportunities to volunteer in community activities and provide feedback on the Echo program.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc. is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, the Heavenly Ski Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is http://www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is http://www.snow.com.
Source: Vail Resorts, Inc.
CONTACT: Kate Lessman of Vail Resorts, Inc., +1-303-404-1871,
klessman@vailresorts.com
Pixazza Launches New Version of Shopdot Service Offering Branded, Hosted Storefronts for Publisher Websites
Storefronts Allow Consumers To Browse Sites By Category, Popularity, Designer or Celebrity
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 1 -- Pixazza Inc., a web service that is changing the way consumers interact with images on the web, today announced the new version of its Shopdot (shop.pixazza.com) ecommerce offering. Pixazza created Shopdot to provide its growing network of publishers with hosted, branded storefronts designed to showcase the unique looks and styles most popular with its viewers.
Today, Pixazza is rolling out several new features to provide a more engaging and exciting shopping experience for consumers by enabling them to browse by:
-- Popularity - Check out the products most clicked on by other viewers.
-- Designer - View the entire selection from any designer with a single
click, whether it's Puma or Donald Pliner.
-- Products - Shop by category, including bags, shoes, hats, dresses and
more.
-- Seen Recently - See the latest looks that have appeared most recently.
-- Seen Frequently - Find new trends by browsing similar looks seen on
multiple celebrities.
For publishers, Shopdot storefronts now offer search engine optimization pairing products with the images of people wearing them. These new features provide publishers with an even greater opportunity to increase page views, add incremental e-commerce revenues, re-circulate traffic and create sponsorship opportunities.
"Our publishers consider storefronts an excellent way to further engage their audience by satisfying their viewers' appetite for the latest styles and trends," said Bob Lisbonne, CEO of Pixazza. "The beauty of a Shopdot storefront is that it brings together publisher's existing images with the products our experts have already selected and presents them in a permanent storefront location."
Founded in 2008, Pixazza, Inc. is changing the way consumers interact with images on the web. By enabling consumers to simply mouse over images to learn more and see related products, Pixazza has pioneered the use of images as real estate for brand advertising and ecommerce. Through its network of leading publishers, Pixazza currently serves more than 19 million unique visitors per month at a rate of 5 billion image views per year. Developed by technologists from Netscape and LiveOps, Pixazza's platform combines Internet and crowdsourcing technology to deliver the optimal content relevant to online images. Pixazza is a private company funded by August Capital, CMEA Capital, and Google Ventures, with offices in Mountain View, CA. For more information, visit http://www.pixazza.com.
Source: Pixazza, Inc.
CONTACT: Jody Kramer, +1-650-906-9842, Jody@Kramerpr.com for Pixazza,
Inc.
TPP Launches New RoHS and REACH Data Services with its Compliance Management Module and Compliance Complete Service
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla., July 1 -- Total Parts Plus' Compliance Management Module (CMM) is a web-based tool which empowers OEM's to produce and present their customers with completed environmental compliance reports on their products. Reports can be generated in IPC-1751, IPC-1752, JGPSSI (Japan Green Initiative), and any future format required by the OEM's customers. Product compliance data can also be extracted in custom formats for analysis through the tools user friendly report generation function. "Customers requested a cost effective and user friendly solution for environmental compliance reporting and the CMM tool met both cost and functionality targets established during the concept development phase of the project," stated Peter Robinson, VP of Total Parts Plus.
TPP's Compliance Complete Service is a hosted, turn-key environmental compliance solution which collects, maintains, and manages RoHS and REACH material declaration data for OEMs. "Customers are asking for a complete environmental compliance solution which would allow their engineers to be free of the compliance headache and keep them free to work on design and manufacturing issues," declared Robinson. "The Compliance Complete Service is the answer."
These solutions are offered as a cost effective alternative to the high cost of using internal resources with embedded enterprise-wide software for Environmental Compliance Reporting. Currently TPP has compliance documents on over 3 million parts in our data library. All of Total Parts Plus' resources and services are based in the United States - we do not outsource.
About Total Parts Plus:
Total Parts Plus specializes in environmental compliance and obsolescence management solutions in the form of data content, web-based solutions and hosted services. Total Parts Plus' suite of products and services provide information and reporting for RoHS Compliance, REACH/SVHC, Japan Green Initiative (and more), Obsolescence Management, Alternate Equivalents, Alternate Sourcing, PCN Alerts and Life Cycle Predictions. All of TPP services are based in the United States - nothing is outsourced. For more information, please visit http://www.totalpartsplus.com
Source: Total Parts Plus
CONTACT: Keith Biggs, CEO, Total Parts Plus, +1-850-244-7293 ext 231,
tppsales@totalpartsplus.com
Largest Catholic dating site continues strong growth
PITTSBURGH, July 1 -- CatholicMatch.com, the largest provider of online dating for Catholics, has acquired the assets of TraditionalSingleCatholics.com. The integration of the niche site is effective today.
The acquisition brings CatholicMatch another wave of expansion in a year of record growth. "Organic growth in 2010 has been very strong," said Co-Founder Brian Barcaro. "The recession has not deterred Catholics searching for a mate and may have increased it. The sex abuse crisis roiling the church has not deterred Catholics from seeking like-minded, faith-filled spouses. They have even more to discuss in our community forums and seem more committed than ever to help the Church and their fellow man. That said, we're always looking for opportunities to expand through market consolidation. This one just made a lot of sense."
TraditionalSingleCatholics.com was launched four and a half years ago to serve single Catholics with specific needs and preferences. It elicited a flood of grateful emails: "Thank goodness you're there. It's so nice to go to a place where you don't have to explain yourself and everybody's on the same page." Others wrote: "Sometimes you feel like you're out there all alone, and this site provided a much-needed source of support."
The staff of TraditionalSingleCatholics.com assures its members they'll be in good hands at CatholicMatch. "They'll have access to so many more services than we could ever provide: 38 forums, three live chats, a sophisticated in-line instant message system, a temperament test and the largest community of Catholic singles online."
CatholicMatch has learned how to execute a seamless acquisition, having acquired CatholicDaters.com in 2007 and SingleCatholics.com in 2008. "Our colleagues recognize our leading community and very talented staff," Barcaro said. "It's heartening to get their vote of confidence."
Reaching out to Catholic singles is a vital and often neglected mission. More than 22 million Catholic singles - a record high - currently live in the United States. "At CatholicMatch, we try to really nourish them, not just by aiding their quest for a mate, but by providing a powerful, supportive community," Barcaro said. "We live by our slogan 'Grow In Faith, Fall In Love.' And that's usually the order it happens. For every proposal we hear about, there are dozens of stories of spiritual growth sparked by our site."
About CatholicMatch, LLC
CatholicMatch.com is the largest online community for Catholic singles seeking marriage, friendship, and religious discernment. After 10-years CatholicMatch has provided a uniquely Catholic experience for the community it serves. While staying true to the teachings of the Catholic Church, CatholicMatch has distinguished itself by reaching a broad spectrum of Catholics in the pews understanding the each person is at a different place in their faith journey. CatholicMatch now reaches 96 countries while having served over a half million people.
For more company information or to set up and interview please contact:
Christina Ries, Public Relations
media@catholicmatch.com
or call 651.245.7323
Ingram Micro Announces System ArchiTECHS Invitational, Launches New Resources for System Builders
Leading distributor's system builder community offers new programs to help channel partners maximize their growth potential
SANTA ANA, Calif., July 1 -- Committed to partner success, Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM) today announced its 2010 System ArchiTECHS Community Invitational. During the event, which will be held July 14-16 in Dallas, Ingram Micro will launch exclusive new business-building programs and present special offers designed to accelerate member growth.
Themed "Defining the Layers of Success," the three-day event will bring together more than 125 system builders from across the U.S. to share best practices, learn more about trends and opportunities, and identify new ways to grow their businesses. The event agenda will focus on innovation, collaboration, business improvement and understanding the impact of new technologies and IT services. Space is limited for the annual Invitational, with Registration remaining open only through July 2.
"Now, more than ever, the System ArchiTECHS community is positioned to deliver new ideas and approaches that will set the stage for member success both in the short and long term," says Tom Hogan, Senior Director, Components Division, Ingram Micro. "With the help of our System ArchiTECHS council, we've revamped the community to add more value and brought to bear new business-building solutions that will have a profitable impact on the business of our members."
The event kicks off with technology demos by key Ingram Micro manufacturer partners and a keynote address from Ingram Micro North America's Executive Vice President Paul Bay. Attendees will also gain first-hand information on the community's new Tech Support Test Drive Program, which launches July 14 and provides System ArchiTECHS members with access to Ingram Micro's world-class, cross-trained technical support team at no cost for 60 days. Members who attend the Invitational will get an extra 30 days of access at no additional charge. This offer, which is valued at more than US$500, will help system builders grow their business by teaming with Ingram Micro's highly skilled technology experts for pre- and post-sales and technical support.
"We're confident that Tech Support Test Drive will provide members of the System ArchiTECHS community a great means to jump-start their business through the second half of the year," says Hogan.
System ArchiTECHS is also providing further value by leveraging advanced business intelligence capabilities to ensure that the most targeted and highest-performing IT channel partners are taking part in the community in order to achieve maximum growth potential for the group.
"Ingram Micro has done a great job of listening to the needs of its system builder channel and acting upon them," says Tarun Bhakta, CEO of Vision Computers, Inc., based in Norcross, GA. "The new Tech Support Test Drive Program addresses one of the major pain points system builders face when growing their businesses -- ramping up their technology expertise. As a long-standing member of the community, I can say with confidence that attending the System ArchiTECHS Invitational is a great way to gain valuable knowledge, make strategic connections, and reach new heights in the system builder marketplace."
System ArchiTECHS Attendees Receive Special Offers
For the first time in the event's history, Ingram Micro will feature a "show special" desk available throughout the Invitational. This desk will offer community members attending the event the opportunity to take full and immediate advantage of the multitude of deals now available through System ArchiTECHS at a reduced cost.
As a vital link in the technology value chain, Ingram Micro creates sales and profitability opportunities for vendors and resellers through unique marketing programs, outsourced logistics services, technical support, financial services, and product aggregation and distribution. The company serves more than 150 countries and is the only global broad-based IT distributor with operations in Asia. Visit http://www.ingrammicro.com/.
China Construction Bank and Ecommerce Leader DHgate.com to Launch Online Microloans Program for Small Businesses
BEIJING, July 1 -- China Construction Bank (CCB) and leading online wholesale marketplace DHgate.com yesterday signed a strategic cooperation agreement, marking the beginning of a pioneering microloan initiative. The initial phase of this partnership will see the joint development of a new line of credit products designed to help China's international export-oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs) overcome financing barriers.
The "eMicro" network of credit products leverages DHgate.com's transactional data to evaluate a business's order opportunities, rather than relying on traditional credit criteria. The new scheme not only lowers the entry barrier for SMEs and provides incentives to improve their quality and service for the international market, it also gives international buyers a wider variety of product options.
"We are very pleased to partner with China Construction Bank to provide microloans, which are essential to online business growth. For the majority of DHgate.com's SME suppliers, this will undoubtedly help drive business innovation, benefitting our larger international community. This microloan program has a very real social impact," said DHgate.com's CEO Diane Wang.
Opening Opportunities through Online Microloans
SMEs across the world often fail to meet conditions that banks traditionally require for successful loan applications. As their champion, DHgate.com is continually developing services which support their progression, both in China and around the world.
In this initial phase, registered suppliers on DHgate.com will be eligible to apply for the "eMicro" finance products; products which use more practical criteria to assess credit worthiness and control risk. DHgate.com will be able to facilitate the loans by accumulating application submissions to CCB, analyzing sellers' transactional data and credit records, and working with CCB's online credit check systems.
The traditional fixed costs of processing loans of any size and term is considerable. The "eMicro" network of products will match international export-oriented SMEs with faster access to financing. Under this pioneering line of microloan products, transactions will take place completely online. Resources needed to process loans will be minimized and funds will be credited into sellers' accounts in real-time.
"Internet banking is the foundation through which we provide customers full access of our online financial services operation platform. This breakthrough reduces the risk of bank credit for SMEs, and staff concerns about higher transaction costs," said CCB's Wholesale Business Director Gu Jing Pu.
Beyond China to the Global Marketplace
"We were the first online marketplace to facilitate cross-border transactions between China and the rest of the world and we continue to lead through innovation with this series of financial products. We see a world without limits and offering these microloans in China is just the first step. Once we have proven the model's effectiveness, there is no reason why this program can't be rolled out to offer the same opportunities to our international small business users," said Diane Wang.
As China's fastest growing B2B ecommerce platform, DHgate.com helped global SMEs complete over USD$300 million in trade in 2009. According to industry estimates, the online export market is expected to reach USD$10.2 billion in the next three years. To help SMEs benefit from the trend, in addition to the microloan initiative DHgate.com will launch a range of services and products aimed at empowering small businesses. Their supplier training program, which educates Chinese suppliers in best practices and services etiquette, was launched this year and will roll out to international trade businesses in the near future. Additionally, DHgate.com is planning to launch a network of Trade Assistance Centers across China and in major locations throughout the world.
The "eMicro" line of credit products will be formally launched in August.
About DHgate.com
DHgate.com is a leading online marketplace for the world's small and medium size businesses and the largest China-based wholesale trading platform. Founded in 2004 by former Joyo.com CEO, Diane Wang, DHgate.com serves over 2.8 million registered buyers from 230 international locations and in excess of 400,000 China-based sellers. Offering over 20 million product listings at any one time, DHgate.com facilitates thousands of successful transactions per day. DHgate.com now employs over 400 full-time employees and generates annual transaction volumes well in excess of USD$300 million. DHgate.com received the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China 2009 award.
Source: DHgate.com
CONTACT: Iris Yee of DHgate.com, +86-10-8202-8870 x8293, iris@dhgate.com
China TMK Battery Systems Inc. Signs Distribution Agreement with US based Alexis Power Supply, Inc.
SHENZHEN, China, July 1 --
-- Marks major milestone in TMK's strategy to become a premier supplier of
Ni-MH based "intelligent battery," back-up power supply systems
-- Applications include telecommunications, solar, railroad and traffic
control systems
-- Market opportunity driven by need for new and replacement installations
of more reliable, less-toxic alternative to conventional lead-acid
batteries
-- Shipment of initial order expected to commence by October 2010
China TMK Battery Systems Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: DFEL) ("TMK" or the "Company") (formerly, Deerfield Resources, Ltd.), a China-based manufacturer and distributor of customized rechargeable battery solutions to global consumer product companies, announced today that it has signed a 5-year, exclusive distribution agreement with Nevada-based Alexis Power Supply, Inc. ("Alexis Power") and has commenced commercial production of proprietary, rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery packs to be used as back-up power supply sources for multiple industrial applications. Alexis Power will market and distribute the batteries in the US and other targeted international markets. Shipment of the initial order under the agreement is expected to commence by October 2010.
TMK and Alexis Power will focus initially on the telecommunications market, by introducing large-frame NiMH-based back-up power solutions to replace existing lead-acid battery products, in addition to targeting new installations at both remote and central telecommunications facilities. Alexis Power, which was founded by industry veterans, maintains existing relationships with AT&T, Verizon, Frontier and other major telecommunication-focused distributors in the US and abroad. The management team has worked with TMK during the past two years to design and develop products focused on meeting specific customer applications. Alexis will leverage its distribution warehouse and service facility in Reno to sell TMK products directly and through a network of established dealers and distributors. TMK and Alexis Power are also collaborating to introduce new back-up power solutions to the solar, railroad and traffic control industries, where Alexis maintains existing relationships, in addition to performing market analysis on other synergistic verticals.
"We believe that this agreement with Alexis Power Supply marks a key inflection point in our business and is a critical step in our strategy to become a leader in the market for innovative new back-up supply solutions," stated Henian Wu, Chairman and President of TMK. "While we continue to witness increased demand for our environmentally friendly rechargeable batteries used in consumer products, this agreement represents our move to aggressively capitalize on large growth opportunities in the $5 billion global Ni-MH market. We expect that our new offerings, such as our intelligent, back-up battery solutions, which address new market verticals such as the telecommunication infrastructure grid, will meet a significant market need."
Alexis Power plans to price TMK's proprietary Ni-MH batteries at approximately 20% higher than lead-acid batteries and offer an eight-year warranty on them, based on the known benefits of Ni-MH batteries and additional benefits offered by TMK. Ni-MH batteries provide a superior return on investment, due to less maintenance costs and a significantly longer lifespan, for the Ni-MH end-user. Current industrial lead-acid batteries used for back-up storage are environmentally hazardous, have a relatively short life span ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 years, have high failure rates, especially in extreme temperature climates, and are a challenge to test and maintain. The need for alternative power solutions is significant due to the limitations of traditional power sources, ongoing cost to maintain and replace, and the mounting government pressure globally to address the issue of toxic waste disposal. Ni-MH batteries are non-toxic and have a life span of up to 10 years, making them an ideal replacement solution for a variety of mission critical applications. Furthermore, TMK's proprietary remote monitoring system will provide users with real-time access to power levels, thus improving the quality of maintenance and decreasing on-going service costs. The batteries will also be equipped with emergency shut-down during critical periods, which will protect the cells and increase life-span.
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to team up with China TMK Battery Systems, Inc. to deliver a superior, rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack that we expect will establish the benchmark of back-up power solutions for multiple industries," commented Rex Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Alexis Power Supply, Inc. "We believe that Ni-MH battery packs for the telecommunications industry, solar, railroad and now traffic control industries will help lead the revolution toward mass deployment of environmentally-friendly and longer lasting power solutions in the United States and other international markets."
As a result of the agreement, TMK plans to increase its maximum production capacity from 200,000 battery cells per day to 300,000 battery cells per day, with the addition of two Ni-MH production lines with operations starting in July 2010. Upon commencement of the two additional Ni-MH production lines, the Company expects to reduce the utilization rate of the current production lines from 90% to 75% in order to increase efficiency in its aggregate production.
About China TMK Battery Systems Inc.
Based in Shenzhen, PRC and founded in 1999, TMK manufactures and distributes high rate discharge Nickel Metal Hydride ("Ni-MH") multi-cell batteries in its manufacturing facility located in Shenzhen, China. TMK maintains a diverse roster of large, consumer-focused clients with major production facilities in China. TMK works with its clients throughout the product design cycle to develop and integrate reliable and long-lasting rechargeable power solutions for widely used consumer products, which include home appliances, cordless power tools, medical devices, multiple personal communication devices and electric bicycles segments. TMK is also leveraging its capabilities and experience to become a supplier of back-up power solutions to the telecommunications industry and for traffic lighting applications.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of China TMK Battery Systems Inc. and its subsidiary companies. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements" including statements regarding: the impact of the Alexis Power agreement on TMK's business and operations; TMK's ability to fulfill its obligations under the agreement, including its ability to significantly increase its Ni-MH battery manufacturing capacity and quality control procedures in a timely manner to deliver products under the Alexis agreement; the general ability of the Company to achieve its commercial objectives, including the ability of the Company to become a leader in the market for innovative new back-up supply solutions; the business strategy, plans and objectives of the Company and its subsidiaries; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects" or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov/ )
Investor Relations:
HC International, Inc.
Ted Haberfield, Executive VP
Tel: +1-760-755-2716
Email: thaberfield@hcinternational.net
Source: China TMK Battery Systems Inc.
CONTACT: Company: Toby Tu, Secretary, +86-755-2810-9908, or
tobytu@tmk-battery.com; Simon Zhang, simonvan02@gmail.com; Investor Relations:
HC International, Inc. - Ted Haberfield, Executive VP, +1-760-755-2716, or
thaberfield@hcinternational.net
RADCOM's Innovative Real-Time Tracing Application is now Available Also for UMTS and LTE Networks
TEL AVIV, Israel, July 1, 2010-- RADCOM Ltd. (NASDAQ: RDCM) a leading provider of Service Assurance
solutions, announced today that it has now added cellular capabilities to
the capabilities of its innovative QTrace Real-Time tracing application.
The correlation engine has always been one of RADCOM's Omni-Q Service
Assurance solution's strongest points. This correlation is the basis of
RADCOM's successful QTrace application, and is now being used to implement
end-to-end call tracing on UMTS and LTE networks. While some solutions
currently available are only ad-hoc and limited in scope, RADCOM is able to
supply full correlation for all sessions, over all technologies, all networks
and in all domains. This powerful advantage which leverages the QTrace's
abilities, means that 3G UMTS operators are able to see calls in these
complex networks, end-to-end, in real time.
"We are excited to be able to combine the capabilities of QTrace, with
our legacy cellular strengths," said Eyal Harari, RADCOM's VP Products and
Marketing. "The ability to see details of 3G calls end-to-end always excited
our customers. RADCOM is now able to provide this in Real-Time which makes
our advantage even more significant".
About RADCOM
RADCOM provides innovative service assurance solutions for communications
service providers and equipment vendors. RADCOM specializes in solutions for
next-generation networks, both wireless and wireline. RADCOM's comprehensive,
carrier strength solutions are used to prevent service provider revenue
leakage and enable management of customer care. RADCOM's products facilitate
fault management, network service performance analysis, troubleshooting and
pre-mediation with an OSS/BSS. RADCOM's shares are listed on the NASDAQ
Capital Market under the symbol RDCM. For more information, please visit http://www.radcom.com.
Risks Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made herein that use the words "estimate," "project,"
"intend," "expect," "believe" and similar expressions are intended to
identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially
different from those that may be expressed or implied by such statements,
including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions
and specifically, decline in the demand for the Company's products, inability
to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications,
and loss of market share and pressure on prices resulting from competition.
For additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties
associated with the Company's business, reference is made to the Company's
reports filed from time to time with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake to revise or update any
forward-looking statements for any reason.
Contact:
Eyal Harari
VP Products and Marketing
+972-3-766-8248
eyalh@radcom.com
Source: RADCOM Ltd
Contact: Eyal Harari, VP Products and Marketing, +972-3-766-8248, eyalh@radcom.com
Globalpark Strengthens Product Development and Leadership Teams Through Acquisition of WP-Experts
COLOGNE, Germany, July 1, 2010-- Globalpark (http://www.globalpark.com), a leading provider of panel
community and survey software, has acquired award-winning rich Internet
application and business portal designers, WP-Experts. The acquisition adds
manpower and expertise to the software development team, and WP-Experts' two
principals will join the Globalpark executive board.
Through the acquisition, Globalpark strengthens its position as a leading
technology platform for enterprise feedback management. The benefit to
Globalpark clients will be a modular product suite that is easier to
implement into enterprise architectures, and has better usability through
rich Internet applications. Globalpark CEO, Dr. Lorenz Graf, said, "A key
objective in this acquisition has been to increase our agility in adapting
our products to anticipate market needs, to help our clients engage customers
and employees and gain insights that drive better business performance.
Adding international experience to our executive board will also enable us to
grow in international markets."
About Globalpark
Globalpark provides panel community and survey software that enables
organizations to manage what matters across the enterprise. By capturing
feedback and tracking behaviour of customers, employees and partners, they
gain insights that drive better business decisions. By identifying and
empowering influential advocates, they build reputation and extend reach.
Founded in 1999, Globalpark software is German-engineered and
globally-tested by leading brands and top market research institutes,
including: Continental, Daimler, General Mills, GfK, IDG, Nintendo, Sony, TNS
and Warner Music. Globalpark is staffed by renowned research pioneers, with
offices across the US, UK, Germany and Austria.
WP-Experts design and implement custom enterprise portals for
international clients like Bayer, UBS, Generali and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
With a strong focus on Rich Internet Applications (RIA) and Rapid Application
Development (RAD), WP-Experts won a Best Portal award from IBM, and were
finalists for the coveted international Freddy and Webby awards. Started in
2003, WP-Experts has provided over 40 organizations with custom portals
and/or re-architected product development processes, and have co-authored
4 books on enterprise portal architecture and portal software development.
Square Enix Announces Lord of Arcana for PSP(R) System
Multiplayer Action Game Confirmed for North American Release
LOS ANGELES, July 1 -- Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today Lord of Arcana(TM) for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.
Defeat tough enemies and obtain new items and skills with up to three friends, or take on a variety of quests in single-player mode in this latest multiplayer action game from Square Enix. With its simple and intuitive controls, even those unaccustomed to action games can jump right into the fast-paced world of Lord of Arcana.
In addition to Square Enix staff, renowned illustrators from both Japan and abroad have contributed character designs for Lord of Arcana. This amazing collaboration cannot be missed.
This world is called Horodyn, so named for its first king.
At the edge of a village surrounded by a huge forest lies the powerful stone Arcana, the source of all order in the world.
It is said that only one with power can acquire Arcana.
Slayers annihilate hordes of monsters so that they could lay their hands on Arcana.
What power does it hold? And to what destiny is one with Arcana bound?
Features
-- Experience authentic multiplayer action from Square Enix, developed
exclusively for the PSP system.
-- Play with up to three friends to defeat tough enemies and reap rewards
together, or tackle a variety of quests in single-player mode.
-- Dive into the fray with simple and intuitive controls that will hook
players of any skill level.
-- Create one-of-a-kind avatars and produce thousands of unique weapons.
The possibilities are endless.
Lord of Arcana is not yet rated. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board website at http://www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. Lord of Arcana will be available at North American retailers for the suggested retail price of $39.99. The release date will be announced at a later time.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S. based wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., a holding company leading Square Enix Group. Square Enix, Inc. publishes and distributes entertainment content under the Square Enix Group's internationally renowned brands such as Square Enix, Eidos and Taito in the Americas. The Square Enix Group includes a global network of leading development studios located in North America, Europe and Japan. The Group boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 97 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 54 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and other well-established products and services.
Magiq Launches Agency-focused On-demand Site Personalization Service That Improves Customer Engagement
NEWBURY, England, July 1, 2010-- Magiq (http://www.magiq.com/) has launched its on-demand
(http://www.magiq.com/) site personalization (http://www.magiq.com/) and CRM
services for marketing agencies. The services are built around a suite of
easy-to-use, pay-as-you-go tools that allow agencies to offer clients dynamic
online personalization (http://www.magiq.com/) and lead generation campaigns
for a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches.
For the first time, agencies can provide clients with the
chance to benefit from the level of personalization and customer engagement
previously only available to large organizations. It avoids the time and
expense of having to employ armies of programmers, analysts and taggers to
implement traditional personalization, CRM and targeted marketing programs.
It automatically captures key events and information such as e-mail address,
organization, location and visitor history, and dynamically personalizes
sites and communications using this data.
"The core principal of Magiq is that it is easy to use. By
utilizing the services, agencies can implement and run online campaigns for
their clients without having to involve their IT teams, or wait for site
updates," explains Malcolm Duckett, CEO at Magiq. "It is quick and easy to
deploy fresh, online campaigns in response to news events, product launches,
customer interests or promotions."
Magiq transforms digital marketing by allowing agencies to
quickly make a client's site dynamically adapt to every visitor, providing
relevant and compelling content. Unlike multivariate testing (MVT) tools, it
allows the agency to exploit its creative skills in campaign and message
design by providing information about each online visitor, their interests
and history with the client's business. This allows the agency to build
tailored campaigns that demonstrate and utilize its expertise rather than
relying on automatic 'dumb' products to make "best-guess" decisions.
About Magiq
Magiq, the on-demand digital marketing company, is dedicated
to helping marketers communicate more efficiently, freely and effectively
with their online customers using data captured from each visitor.
Magiq provides marketers with easy-to-use, cloud-based,
pay-as-you-go, online services that compile and use customers' online
behavior and history to optimize and personalize digital marketing
communications to the individual.
YuuZoo and MT2 Launch Mobile Content Channels in 20 Countries in the Middle East and North Africa
SYDNEY, July 1 -- YuuZoo Corporation, the leading mobile media and payments group with registered users in 164 countries, and MT2, the leading mobile Value Added Services (VAS) company in the Middle East, today announced starting in July 2010 a joint launch of YuuZoo's targeted mobile content and social network channels in 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Ron Creevey, YuuZoo Founder, says: "We are extremely happy to be working with MT2 in the very exciting and fast-growing Middle East & North Africa region. MT2 is the region's undisputed leader in mobile VAS. They will offer their existing user base of more than 25 million people a vast range of our personalised mobile content channels. We are confident that consumers in the region will find our content channels, which offer age-and interest specific mobile content bundled with mobile social networks, very much to their liking."
Naji Bouhabib, CEO of MT2, says: "YuuZoo's unique way of packaging and branding mobile content for all relevant age- and interest-groups, bundling them with mobile social networks and enabling consumers to pay on the fly, creates a user experience where ease of use is similar to switching channels on your TV set. Their world-class content is constantly updated, while their platform recognizes the user's handset and user preferences and offers the user content tailor-made for the handset and consumption pattern. We aim to market the channels through a massive marketing campaign, targeted at our existing 25 million users as well as completely new consumers of mobile services."
YuuZoo Corporation (http://www.yuucorp.com, http://www.yuuzoo.com) operates globally and offers more than 2 billion consumers in Asia, North America, Middle East, Africa and Europe the ability to subscribe to a wide range of content and services that they can download and use on their mobile devices. YuuZoo derives its revenues from a diverse number of avenues, including paid mobile content, mobile advertising, mobile and online payments, franchise management, white label services/application development and IPTV.
Media: To interview YuuZoo founder Ron Creevey, please contact:
Luke Ratcliffe
Markson Sparks!
+ 61 (2) 9699 2000
+61 414 235 801
luke@marksonsparks.com
or
Max Markson
+61 412 501 601
max@marksonsparks.com
Source: YuuZoo Corporation
CONTACT: Luke Ratcliffe, + 61-2-9699-2000, or +61-414-235-801,
luke@marksonsparks.com, or Max Markson, +61-412-501-601,
max@marksonsparks.com, both of Markson Sparks! for YuuZoo Corporation
Ancestry.com Helps Americans Discover Their Patriotic Roots With Launch of New Collection of Revolutionary War Records
60 Percent of Americans Have Ancestors who Lived in America during the Revolution; One in 40 have Relatives who Fought in the War
PROVO, Utah, July 1 -- Sixty percent of Americans (183 million) have ancestors who lived in America during the Revolutionary War, according to Ancestry.com, the world's largest online family history resource. This and other estimations regarding how present-day Americans relate to this country's founding are being made available to celebrate today's launch on Ancestry.com of one of the premier collections of Revolutionary War records. Ancestry.com has added a collection of Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files to its expansive collection of military records.
"It is human nature to want to create connections to the past through our family ancestry," said Christopher Tracy, senior vice president of content for Ancestry.com. "It is wonderful when those personal stories intersect with our shared history as a nation. We hope this new collection will enable millions of Americans to discover their patriotic roots, while inspiring them to explore the rich history of our nation's founding."
In the years during and following the Revolutionary War, the federal government provided pensions for servicemen. The Colonial and U.S. governments also awarded bounty-land warrants to soldiers as an inducement to or reward for service. This new collection of records contains approximately 80,000 application files from officers and enlisted men who served in the Revolutionary War. The documents will be added to Ancestry.com's existing collection of approximately 2 million Revolutionary War records.
"If it wasn't for Ancestry.com, I may have gone through life without knowing of my family's personal connection to two of the Founding Fathers: Thomas Jefferson and George Washington," explained John Campbell of Gibsonia, PA. "Thanks to Ancestry.com, I discovered that my 3rd great-grandfather originally came to America from Italy at the request of none other than Thomas Jefferson, who hired him as his personal vintner in Monticello. He then went on to serve in George Washington's Cavalry."
Millions more stories like this are waiting to be discovered on Ancestry.com. To further demonstrate the deep connection many Americans have to the past and to the birth of the nation, Ancestry.com has found that*:
-- 183 million Americans have ancestors who lived in America during the
Revolutionary War--more than half the U.S. population
-- 7.2 million Americans (one in 40) have an ancestor who fought in the
Revolutionary War for either the British or American side. Of those,
6.3 million (87 percent) have ancestors who fought as revolutionaries
defending America's cause of liberty
-- More individuals would prefer to be related to Benjamin Franklin above
other Founding Fathers (according to an Ancestry.com Facebook poll)
* Numbers derived using U.S. non-immigrant population growth model 1790-2010.
More about the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files
The pension applications included in this collection are the result of the first pension legislation for the Colonies. The legislation, which was the predecessor to our current veterans benefit programs, provided for disability benefits and was enacted in 1776. Service pensions were approved in 1778, and 1780 saw the first pensions for widows and dependents.
The Colonial and U.S. governments also awarded bounty-land warrants to soldiers. Bounty-land warrants assigned rights to land in the public domain to soldiers and their heirs who met eligibility requirements related to their service.
In this collection, Ancestry.com visitors will find a host of compelling information and rich detail that brings each applicant's personal story to life, including information such as the soldier's name, rank, unit, time of service, age, date of birth, residence and sometimes birthplace. A widow's application may also include her maiden name and date and place of her husband's death.
This collection of Revolutionary War records is part of the Ancestry.com U.S. Military Collection, which includes more than 100 million names in records that span the 1600s through Vietnam. For anyone interested in discovering their revolutionary ancestry, visit http://www.ancestry.com/revolutionarywar.
About Ancestry.com Inc.
Ancestry.com Inc. (NASDAQ:ACOM) is the world's largest online family history resource, with more than one million paying subscribers. More than 5 billion records have been added to the site in the past 13 years. Ancestry users have created more than 17 million family trees containing over 1.7 billion profiles. Ancestry.com has local Web sites directed at nine countries, including its flagship Web site at http://www.ancestry.com/.
Source: Ancestry.com
CONTACT: Suzanne Campbell, Sr. PR Manager of Ancestry.com,
+1-801-705-7873, scampbell@ancestry.com
Anthem Resubmits Smaller Health Premium Proposal After Consumer Outrage, State Finding of Major Errors; Shows Need for Rate Regulation Bill Now Before State Legislature
Consumer Watchdog Says Average 15% Rate Could Still be Excessive Under Proposed 'Prior Review' Rate Regulations
SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 30 -- Anthem Blue Cross of California, under fire for substantial math errors in its proposed health premium increases averaging 25%, has made the minimum possible reduction in reissuing its proposed increases, said Consumer Watchdog. The new policy increases average 15%, with a maximum increase of 20%. The decrease, while substantial, does no more than account for the gross calculation errors found by an independent examination of its original rate increase, said the group.
The Blue Cross errors, and similar ones discovered more recently in Aetna rates, show exactly why California needs regulations to require that regulators review health insurance rates before they go into effect, said Consumer Watchdog. A bill sponsored by state Sen. Dave Jones and Assembly member Mike Feuer (AB 2578) would institute such 'prior review,' and could reject unreasonable rates before they went into effect--every year and for every company. The bill, however, faces strong insurance company lobbying in the Senate, and a possible struggle to gain the signature of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"Examining and controlling health insurance rates needs to be the law, not a one-time favor to consumers," said Judy Dugan, research director of Consumer Watchdog. "Since outside actuarial reviews of health rates in California have not been conducted before, no one can say how long these 'mistakes' in the insurers' math have been cheating policyholders of up to thousands of dollars a year. The Department of Insurance should also examine previous years, publish the results and hold insurers to account."
Consumer Watchdog noted that if customers had not demanded help from the state, the original increases would have sailed through without examination. No assessment of health insurance rates is required in California, unlike with auto and homeowner insurance.
Since the passage of Proposition 103 in 1988, property and casualty insurance rates must be approved by the Department of Insurance before they go into effect, and consumers can formally challenge rates. Since the measure's enactment by voters, drivers have saved over $60 billion dollars. California also has highly competitive and still profitable auto and homeowner insurers.
"After this whole episode, where we found that health insurance companies can't even be trusted with a calculator, getting the rate regulation bill passed should be the Senate's highest priority," said Dugan. "The question is whether the insurance lobby's money is still powerful enough to kill such evidently needed regulation."
Source: Consumer Watchdog
CONTACT: Judy Dugan, +1-213 280-0175 (cell), +1-310 392-0522 ext. 305,
or Jamie Court, +1-310 874-9989, both of Consumer Watchdog
TouchSensor Technologies Launches LevelGuard Pump Control Product Line
WHEATON, Ill., June 30 -- TouchSensor(TM) Technologies announced the introduction of the LevelGuard(TM) Home Sump Pump Control, which introduces solid-state Field-Effect sensing technology to the pump and plumbing industries. LevelGuard Home Sump Controls use Field-Effect technology to detect the presence of water in residential sump pits without making direct contact with the fluid. The LevelGuard Home Sump Control is used to "turn-on" and "turn-off" a residential sump pump with more reliable performance than the mechanical float switches they are designed to replace.
"Sump pumps are in use more often than you might think. More than 10% of all basements in the U.S. report some form of water leakage through the foundation. The proper operation of sump pump systems for homeowners is imperative," states Dave Dzioba, TouchSensor's Director of Standard Products. "Plumbers and basement waterproofing professionals report that conventional float switches are the weakest link in those systems. With no moving parts to wear or fail, the LevelGuard(TM) Home Sump Pump Control switch becomes the most reliable element in the system."
Field-Effect's low-power electric field has the unique ability to detect conductive fluids (for example, water) and semi-solid materials without having direct contact. When water enters the LevelGuard field, the sensor detects its presence, determines its state, and activates the pump if needed. TouchSensor's(TM) LevelGuard(TM) brand products utilizing Field-Effect sensing technology are well-suited for sump, lift station, underground vault, wet well and storm water fluid level management applications.
Since their introduction in 1997, Field-Effect sensing technology has been successfully used in a wide variety of consumer applications with nearly 200 million sensors sold. In fluid detection applications, they have become the de facto standard in marine and recreational vehicle applications where fluid sensing, control, and monitoring are a critical need. Field-Effect sensors in sump pump applications have been tested to 1.5 million cycles without failure, and to over 165 million cycles in user interface applications before ending test. Field-Effect has earned the recognition as a proven, reliable, solid-state switching technology.
The MSRP of the LevelGuard Home Sump Control is $115. Both LevelGuard Home Sump Pump Controls and its patented Field-Effect sensing technology are Underwriters Laboratories listed. The switch has a warranty of five (5) years against manufacturer's defects. Please visit http://www.LevelGuardProducts.com to learn more.
About TouchSensor Technologies, LLC: TouchSensor Technologies is the market leader in solid-state Field-Effect switching technology. TouchSensor has produced and shipped over four million input panels used in the consumer durables sector, including home appliances used for cooking, laundry, refrigeration, dishwashing, as well as bath/shower controls. Its technology is also used in commercial applications such as exercise equipment, point of sale beverage dispensers, and automotive applications. TouchSensor has more than 15 patents for its solid-state Field-Effect switching technology. Please visit http://www.TouchSensor.com to learn more.
NetCharts Pro v7.0 Sets New Standard for Delivering 'Embedded BI'
Application Developers Can Now Support HTML 5/SVG with Seamless Translation to Adobe Flash
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 30 -- Visual Mining, a leader in business intelligence (BI) dashboard and data visualization solutions, today announced the immediate availability of NetCharts Pro v7.0. NetCharts Pro continues to be the solution for Java application developers who want to deliver dynamic, interactive charts, graphs and business intelligence within applications, web-browsers, or internet enabled devices.
"For companies looking to integrate dashboards and other visual BI functionality into a web-based application, NetCharts Pro v7.0 provides a technologically robust platform for developers while delivering intuitive visual appeal to end-users," said Michael Locke, Sr. Research Analyst, Business Intelligence, Aberdeen Group.
With NetChart Pro v7.0, Java application developers can integrate charts, graphs, and business intelligence functionality into their applications today-- and tomorrow. The following new features assure Pro v7.0 customers they will stand out from the competition, increase application adoption, and save development time and money:
-- Support for HTML 5 and the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)
specification
-- Real time translation of SVG into Flash for web browsers that are not
yet HTML 5 compliant
-- Emulate all commercial visualization styles and effects, or create
new, unique charts and graphs
-- Compelling new styles including glossy effects, spotlights, shadows,
multiple gradients, and corner styles
-- Enhanced interactivity with build animations, image-based rollover
effects, and legend manipulation
"With the release of NetCharts Pro v7.0, we not only reaffirm our technical leadership but that of our customers, by providing industry leading interactive visualization and business intelligence functionality," said Tristan Ziegler, President and CEO, Visual Mining. "Supporting HTML 5 and SVG, as well as automatically back-porting to Adobe Flash also means NetCharts Pro v7.0 is browser agnostic, thereby enabling developers to focus on functionality within their own solutions rather than worry about the direction or pace of change in web standards."
"NetCharts Pro is great technology. It is easy to use, reliable, and helps us provide incredible value to our customers," said Crispin Panyard, Vice President of Operations for Eyelit. "In fact, we've been so impressed with NetChart Pro, we're looking to add other products from the NetCharts Product Suite, such as NetCharts Performance Dashboards, to help provide even greater customer value."
Also with the release of NetCharts Pro v7.0, Visual Mining is merging its NetCharts Applets product into NetCharts Pro. In accordance with support and maintenance terms, Visual Mining will continue to support older versions of NetCharts Applets. Upon migration to Pro v7.0, NetCharts Applets customers can continue to output Java applets for client-side applications, and will now be able to provide charts, graphs and dashboards as JPG, PNG, SVG and Flash in server-side applications. Visual Mining is also announcing new service offerings to help customers quickly migrate and take advantage of NetCharts Pro v7.0.
To learn more, download a free evaluation copy NetCharts Pro, or become a member of the Visual Mining Partner Program, please visit http://www.visualmining.com.
About Visual Mining
For more than a decade, Visual Mining continues to be a profitable, trusted and valued provider of business intelligence dashboard and data visualization solutions that instantly transform data into actionable business information. Visual Mining's award-winning NetCharts software delivers comprehensive, intuitive, and effective solutions for both developers and business end-users. Visual Mining's support and professional services teams complement their products by providing the expertise to ensure success. Follow us on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/visualmining. Visual Mining: Visualize. Analyze. Capitalize. http://www.visualmining.com
Visual Mining, NetCharts, and NetCharts Performance Dashboards are trademarks of Visual Mining, Inc. Other names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Source: Visual Mining, Inc.
CONTACT: Jessie Brosch of Visual Mining, +1-301-795-2231,
jbrosch@visualmining.com
WD Completes Acquisition of Hoya's Magnetic Media Operations
LAKE FOREST, Calif., June 30 -- Western Digital Corp. (NYSE:WDC) announced today that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of the magnetic media sputtering operations of Hoya Corporation and Hoya Magnetics Singapore Pte. Ltd. for approximately $233 million. The acquisition will support anticipated growth in hard drive demand.
WD® has acquired the facilities, equipment, intellectual property and working capital of Hoya's media sputtering operations, based in Tuas, Singapore, as well as certain related equipment at Hoya's Nagasaka, Japan, research and development facilities. A multi-year commitment of Hoya glass substrate supply related to these operations was included in the agreement.
About WD
WD, one of the storage industry's pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users' data accessible and secure from loss. Its advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and media products.
WD was founded in 1970. The company's storage products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers and retailers under the Western Digital® and WD brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (http://www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning hard drive demand and the anticipated benefits of WD's acquisition of Hoya's media sputtering operations. The foregoing forward-looking statements are based on WD's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including: the failure to integrate successfully Hoya's technology, employees or operations; the impact of recent uncertainty and volatility in global economic conditions; supply and demand conditions in the hard drive industry; actions by competitors; unexpected advances in competing technologies; uncertainties related to the development and introduction of products based on new technologies and expansion into new data storage markets; business conditions and growth in the various hard drive markets; pricing trends and fluctuations in average selling prices; changes in the availability and cost of commodity materials and specialized product components that WD does not make internally; and other risks and uncertainties listed in WD's recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 30, 2010, to which your attention is directed. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and WD undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Western Digital, WD, and the WD logo are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
CONTACT: Bob Blair, Investor Relations, +1-949-672-7834,
robert.blair@wdc.com, or Steve Shattuck, Public Relations, +1-949-672-7817,
steve.shattuck@wdc.com, both of Western Digital
Fitness Intelligence Launches 'MyTriScore' Exclusively at the 2010 Nautica NYC Triathlon
First of its kind triathlon performance scorecard will help competitors analyze and enhance their race performance
NEW YORK, June 30 -- Fitness Intelligence today announced the launch of its triathlon performance analysis scorecard, exclusively debuting at the Nautica New York City Triathlon on July 18, 2010 - the largest urban triathlon in the nation. Nautica NYC Triathlon Performance Scorecard can be found at myTriScore.com, a unique, interactive, social media-enabled performance analysis and training tool designed for triathletes to benchmark their own progress and performance against their peers or a reference athlete in their overall, gender, and divisional fields - all on one dashboard style page.
Compellingly displayed by categories that include stage strength, distance, time, pace, rank, absolute rank percentage by stage, cumulative rank by stage, stage strength percentage and time gap to number one, Fitness Intelligence has developed a scorecard format that, for the first time, allows competitors to see their race results in a comprehensive way; a far cry from the de-facto standard of static race results. By providing triathletes with meaningful points of reference for their performance, the Triathlon Performance Scorecard is a distinctive training tool allowing multi-sport enthusiasts the opportunity to set clearer, more significant triathlon goals and use this insight to improve their athletic performance.
According to John Korff, whose company Korff Enterprises owns the 7th Nautica New York City Triathlon, "The performance scorecard is great for our athletes. It definitely makes training easier and more efficient."
You can follow Fitness Intelligence on Twitter, fan/like them on Facebook and read their blog on WordPress.
About Fitness Intelligence
Fitness Intelligence was founded in 2009 by a small group of age-grouper triathletes and fitness enthusiasts who weren't satisfied with the race results reports that were the industry norm. Together, Paul Kavitz, Lynne Cuppernull and Aaron Kwittken created their own company to develop race analytics tools that provide multi-sport athletes with greater clarity and detail on their race performance, using a proprietary scorecard that precisely sets measurable and attainable performance goals specific to a multi-sport athlete's favorite signature race.
Media Contact:
Haley Dercher
Kwittken & Company
(646) 747-7164
hdercher@kwitco.com
PLEASANTON, Calif., June 30 -- FunMobility today announced the launch of a BREW MP Library for FunMail, their popular visual text messaging app, that vastly simplifies creating a BREW-based FunMail-enabled messaging client.
"BREW MP has proven itself to be an important global mobile platform," said FunMobility CEO Adam Lavine. "By creating a FunMail Library for BREW MP, we make it easier than ever for BREW carriers to launch visual messaging services with their existing messaging service providers."
The BREW MP Library is compatible with the latest version of FunMail, FunMail Messenger 2.1. This version is the first to offer FunMobility's new Magic Photo technology, which adds artwork and special effects to photos based on user's text messages. For example, if someone takes a photo of themselves and texts "Happy Birthday" they will get choices of presents, birthday cakes or confetti that is instantly added to their photos.
FunMail is a next-generation Visual Conversation platform that finds relevant multimedia content for any text message. Users simply enter any message, and the patented FunMail Media Brain analyzes the text and offers relevant visual choices.
FunMail for is now available on Metro PCS and can be downloaded from the @Metro marketplace.
About FunMobility, Inc.
Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, FunMobility is one of America's largest provider of innovative and profitable mobile applications. FunMobility delivers unique, integrated mobile entertainment experiences through best-in-class wireless applications and services that let consumers connect and express themselves through mobile photos, videos, music, graphics and slideshows.
Media contact: Ryan Leach 925-487-8042
Source: FunMobility, Inc.
CONTACT: Ryan Leach, +1-925-487-8042, for FunMobility, Inc.
-- Developer Competition Offers $200,000 in Prizes For the Best Applications --
SAN DIEGO, June 30 -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is challenging the industry's most creative application developers to show their skills by creating the next generation of mobile applications based on augmented reality. Today, the Company announced its inaugural Augmented Reality Application Developer Challenge, an international competition to spotlight the best applications developed using Qualcomm's augmented reality platform and software development kit (SDK). Awards totaling $200,000 are up for grabs and will be awarded to individuals or companies demonstrating the most effective, entertaining and functional new application products.
"Qualcomm is introducing a powerful platform to enable a new class of mobile user interface - one that has the potential to change the way we experience and interact with the environment around us," said Jay Wright, director of business development for Qualcomm. "The Application Developer Challenge is our way of spurring this next wave of innovation, and we are excited to see what developers will create."
Vision-based augmented reality enables mobile applications that merge reality and cyberspace, giving consumers a compelling new interface to the world. For developers, the opportunities provided by augmented reality are opening new markets and extending others, including:
-- Immersive reality gaming that allows 3D game experiences to occur on
real world surfaces
-- Innovative new media and marketing experiences that enable traditional
print media and product packaging to come alive
-- Informational applications that turn complicated instructions and
diagrams into interactive tools for tasks such as setting up a new
home entertainment system, assembling furniture or changing the oil in
your car
Qualcomm's Augmented Reality Application Developer Challenge will commence in Fall 2010 when the SDK is made available for public download. Detailed rules, eligibility criteria and other applicable requirements/conditions for the Challenge will be announced at a later date. Application submissions are scheduled to commence in November 2010 and be accepted through January 7, 2011. From the pool of submitted applications, three winners will be announced at Mobile World Congress 2011 to win cash prizes of $125,000 for first place, $50,000 for second place, and $25,000 for third place.
Additional details on Qualcomm's Augmented Reality Application Developer Challenge, candidate eligibility and submission guidelines are available at http://www.qdevnet.com/ar.
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is the world leader in next-generation mobile technologies. For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, visit Qualcomm around the Web:
Qualcomm Establishes Augmented Reality Game Studio at Georgia Tech
-- Georgia Tech Will Lead Effort to Innovate New Concepts in Augmented Reality Gaming Using Qualcomm Technologies --
SAN DIEGO, June 30 -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) has joined forces with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) to establish the Qualcomm Augmented Reality Game Studio, a research and design center aimed at pioneering new advancements in mobile gaming and interactive media. Located on Georgia Tech's Atlanta campus, the game studio will build upon Qualcomm's newly announced augmented reality platform and related graphics technologies to produce new application concepts and prototypes.
"Georgia Tech continues to be at the forefront of augmented reality innovation," said Matt Grob, senior vice president of engineering and head of corporate research and development at Qualcomm. "For more than 12 years, the university's Augmented Environments Lab has been researching ways to enhance a user's senses by creating interactive computing environments. Now, with Qualcomm's new augmented reality platform, we are working together to further advance the user experience by extending virtual gaming experiences into the real world."
The Qualcomm Augmented Reality Game Studio will be led by acclaimed augmented reality researcher and Associate Professor of Interactive Computing Dr. Blair MacIntyre, director of Georgia Tech's Augmented Environments Lab. The lab is part of Georgia Tech's GVU Center, a world-renowned research center that brings together students and faculty from across the university to study problems at the intersection of people and technology. In collaboration with students and faculty from the Savannah College of Art and Design, MacIntyre will combine the skills and creative insight of students with expertise in augmented reality technology, game development and the arts.
"Powerful processors and sophisticated graphics engines in today's mobile devices have only recently reached the point where they can meet the computing requirements for augmented reality," said MacIntyre. "By collaborating with Qualcomm, we'll have access to both the high-end hardware and core augmented reality technology that will enable us to push the envelope in game development. We are very excited to work with Qualcomm as we explore new frontiers in augmented reality gaming."
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is the world leader in next-generation mobile technologies. For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, visit Qualcomm around the Web:
The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the world's premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News & World Report's top public universities and the eighth best engineering and information technology university in the world by Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities, Georgia Tech's more than 20,000 students are enrolled in its Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management and Sciences.
The GVU Center at Georgia Tech is an interdisciplinary university-wide research center dedicated to the challenge of unlocking and amplifying human potential through technical innovation in computing technologies.