ADDISON, Texas, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bar Louie has partnered with Seattle startup graZie Mobile to revolutionize virtual gift giving. They have developed a mobile app that allows Facebook users to send, receive and request Bar Louie drinks from their Facebook friends.
How many times have you heard the familiar phrase, "the next round is on me," says Bar Louie, CEO John Neitzel. "We wanted to come up with a fun interactive way for guests to combine the ultimate pastime of enjoying a celebratory cocktail with the power of social media."
The Bar Louie Mobile Drink App available for free download for iPhone users through the Apple App Store can be used in several ways. Users may check-in to Bar Louie and post their special occasion on their Facebook wall for friends to see, search through a list of their Facebook friends to send them a drink, or redeem Bar Louie drinks sent to them.
In addition to being able to select any Bar Louie location in the U.S., users are also able to select what drink they'd like to send their friends. After the transaction is processed, the value turns into a virtual gift card allowing the guest to redeem for any menu item of their choice.
"We will continue to release updates and enhancements to the Bar Louie Mobile Drink App," says Neitzel. "Future versions of the app will be Android compatible and extend beyond the Facebook platform."
About Bar Louie
The eclectic bar and restaurant made famous for its handcrafted signature martinis, has an undeniably excellent selection of menu items such as small & large plates, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches and burgers. While beer and wine connoisseurs will be impressed with the extensive selection of imports, microbrews and over 20 wines by the glass, cocktail drinkers will revel in signature martinis, mojitos and margaritas made from the highest quality ingredients, fresh fruit and hand squeezed juices. Bar Louie is dedicated to remaining a local bar that delivers unforgettable experiences to every guest. Whether gathering with friends or unwinding with a cocktail, Bar Louie guests have come to expect remarkable service and reliable experiences that keep them coming back over and over again. For more information about Bar Louie visit barlouieamerica.com.
About graZie Mobile
Provides a lead generation and marketing SaaS mobile solution, which connects Customers, to bars and restaurants. graZie creatively leverages social media and gamification to create a one-to-one marketing and selling relationship, based on users context and interests.
Contact: Hillary Shahbabian
(214) 845-4773
hshahbabian@blro.net
SOURCE Bar Louie
Kontagent Launches New Mobile Apps for On-the-Go Access to Mobile Analytics
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kontagent, the leading mobile customer intelligence solution provider, today announced new iPhone and iPad apps that provide additional channels of access to the company's kSuite analytics dashboard. Kontagent customers can use the apps to log into their kSuite accounts, and check on the health of their businesses while they're on the go. Kontagent is among the first mobile analytics providers to make this information available on mobile devices.
In addition to logging into Kontagent's Web-based dashboard, Kontagent customers now have the option to use the new apps for visibility into the status of their mobile business initiatives. Executives, marketers and product managers can use the apps to check key performance indicators (KPIs) of their businesses, such as unique visitors, average mobile session lengths, mobile marketing campaign performances via installs and average revenue per user. Users can also generate trend-line charts that visually convey mobile business patterns by week, month or any other interval. Kontagent customers use the insights derived from kSuite to make data-driven design decisions that increase user acquisition, engagement, retention and monetization of their mobile apps, and ultimately improve their businesses' bottom lines.
"It is a multiscreen world. As a result, mobile-savvy businesses know it is no longer enough to limit their products and services to one device. Similarly, it is no longer enough to provide business analytics from only a desktop," said Jeff Tseng, CEO and co-founder, Kontagent. "Mobile devices have massively shifted customer expectations, and we're helping businesses use data to meet these expectations. With our new kSuite mobile apps, we're doing the same thing: meeting the needs of our increasingly mobile customer base. Our apps bring vital information to users whenever and wherever they need it in order to facilitate monitoring, decision-making and control over their mobile businesses."
Throughout 2012, mobile Web traffic to the kSuite dashboard increased nearly 165 percent; Kontagent customers were often accessing it via mobile devices. To meet this growing demand, the company says it created native apps so its customers could have quicker, more streamlined access to their analytics. In testing, on-the-go executives responded positively, spending an average of 60% more time in the new Kontagent apps than on the mobile website.
"Kontagent is creating an entirely new category of mobile intelligence," said Michael Carpenter, CEO, Ruby Seven Studios. "Kontagent's analytics solution gives mobile businesses the hard data they need to make mission-critical decisions. Very few companies understand the technical challenges of capturing and analyzing data across multiple platforms, and how to use that data to improve their multiscreen experiences. Kontagent is a partner with years of domain experience in social and mobile apps. Their own kSuite apps are examples of how businesses can use data to engage an audience that is always connected. It's great that I can easily check my app's performance when I am sitting at the table, waiting on the plane, standing in line at the grocery store--basically anywhere, anytime."
Today, more than 100 Kontagent employees on three continents focus exclusively on building and supporting enterprise-class intelligence solutions that help mobile and social businesses understand their customers better. The team includes dozens of on-staff data scientists who work directly with customers to interpret their user data, providing them with a deep understanding of how the metrics can be used to modify app design for maximum business impact. Kontagent clients include hundreds of notable companies, including Telenav, Smugmug, Deluxe Corporation, Turner Broadcasting, EA and Ubisoft.
About Kontagent
Kontagent is the leading mobile customer intelligence solution provider for social and mobile application developers, marketers and producers. Kontagent tracks more than 1,500 applications, over 250 million monthly active users and in excess of 150 billion events each month for customers around the globe. The company's proprietary platform, kSuite, has been built from the ground up to harness deep data pattern visualization and analysis that provides customers with valuable, actionable insights. Armed with this data, and combined with Kontagent's team of data scientists, customers have the power to better measure and optimize their customer economics and build more profitable enterprises. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices in Toronto and London. For more information, visit http://www.kontagent.com / http://www.twitter.com/kontagent.
SOURCE Kontagent
Kontagent
CONTACT: Lisa Kornblatt, SS|PR, +1-847-415-9330, lkornblatt@sspr.com
Mesh Networks Releases HomeNet Intelligent Router Video To Demonstrate Better Internet Solutions
New video highlights several key features of the HomeNet router and showcases its capabilities in order to demonstrate the state-of-the-art technology built into the device, which allows users to increase the quality of service they receive from their Internet provider.
HOUSTON, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mesh Networks has released a video ( view at http://www.homenetrouter.com) to help educate consumers on the benefits and features of the HomeNet Intelligent Router. The video highlights several key features of the HomeNet router and showcases its capabilities in order to demonstrate the state-of-the-art technology built into the device, which allows users to increase the quality of service they receive from their Internet provider.
"Having slow internet because of an unmanaged network is something that most households dread," said Matthew Druckhammer, Field Sales Technician for The Mesh Networks. "The HomeNet router eliminates this problem by allowing the customer to have complete control of which device gets how much Internet, resulting in a much more efficient network environment."
The HomeNet router does this by allowing the user to set bandwidth per device either on a schedule or in real-time. This allows users to fine tune their home networks and enable their networks to run at peak efficiency.
"HomeNet wireless routers can help manage your home network by providing an easy way to manage your bandwidth," said Matthew. "It offers a way for you to control all the wired/wireless devices and users on your network and allocate bandwidth speed accordingly."
The Mesh Networks is currently conducting a Beta Test for the HomeNet router. The Beta is an opportunity for The Mesh Networks to fine tune the HomeNet router into a device that customers will not only want to use, but enjoy using.
"We are very excited about the launch of the HomeNet router and moving toward full-scale production," said Leon Hubby, President and CEO of The Mesh Networks. "Our goal with the HomeNet router is to ensure that everyone is able to have the best possible Internet experience, by allowing them to decide where their bandwidth goes. Now the customer can determine what their level of quality of service is, not the Internet provider, and with an efficient home network that is now possible with the HomeNet router."
WINDSOR, Conn., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Repairing or rebuilding a car is rarely a simple process, but eEuroparts.com has just added a great new feature to simplify the parts buying process. "My Projects" allows you to categorize the parts you need into separate Projects, letting you easily keep track of everything you are working on in one organized place.
For example, let's say that you own a 2004 Saab 9-5 2.3L Turbo and you need to replace your oil filter. Your car also happens to need work on the exhaust system. My Projects allows you to create two separate Projects: "Exhaust" and "Oil Filter." Simply set your Vehicle Selector to 2004 Saab 9-5 2.3L Turbo and search in the Exhaust category to find your clamps, nuts, bolts, and other Saab parts, and instead of clicking Add to Cart, click Add to My Projects. Choose which Project you'd like to add the item to and the part will automatically appear under that Project.
Everything you need to replace your exhaust system is now organized under your Exhaust Project, which allows you to easily double check which parts you have, change quantities, and add them all to your Cart with one click. Change the Vehicle Selector to Filters and select the oil filter you need. Save those items to your Oil Filter Project and they can be added to your Cart with a simple click of the Add To Cart button.
My Projects allows you to save your Projects and return to them whenever you need the parts. My Projects also saves any Projects you already purchased so you can go back and reference exactly what you needed for a particular job. Another great feature of My Projects is the automated email notification. Often times a part you need for a particular job will be a hard-to-find special order item that may not be in stock. If that is the case, you can choose to have My Projects automatically notify you when the part becomes available.
eEuroparts.com(®) delivers the most extensive, accurate, and easy to navigate European automotive catalog in the industry. We carry specialty OEM, aftermarket, original, and genuine European auto parts from over 300 manufacturers, including Akebono, Bosch, Brembo, Elring, FAE, Mann, Nissens, NuGeon, ScanTech, Wurth, Zimmerman, and more.
Skyo Offers Students "Extra Credit" and More Savings
New Website Features Make it Easy for Students to Save on Textbooks
OAK BROOK, Ill., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Extra credit can be a lifesaver in the classroom, and now Skyo.com is taking it to textbooks. The online retailer announced today it would offer even more ways to make buying textbooks fast, easy and cheap through its Extra Credit program and other new features.
Skyo's Extra Credit is a simple equation; when students buy more books, they save more. Students who rent or purchase two books automatically save an extra 5% off the total price of their order. Students looking for even more bonus points can buy or rent 4 or more textbooks to get 10% off. And, no coupon codes are required - the Extra Credit savings are automatically applied.
"When you get all of your books on Skyo, we give you extra credit in the form of savings," said Noel Burkman, Director of eCommerce for Skyo.com. "In the classroom, extra credit can bring a "C" to an "A", and on Skyo, it makes it even easier to save."
Students shopping on Skyo will also have access to:
-- Expanded Course Search: Students at more than 1,000 schools can now shop
for all of their books with one easy click. Instead of shopping for
required materials one at a time, students simply input their course
schedule into Skyo's course search and their book list and shopping cart
are automatically populated. Students can review all of their required
materials in one place, and select from new, used, rental and digital
options.
-- More titles: Skyo is adding more textbook titles to its inventory this
month, giving students even more ways to save. Digital titles will
nearly double, giving students access to the largest selection of new,
used, rental and digital textbooks available online.
-- Flexible options: Other online textbook retailers require full semester
rentals and restrict highlighting and note-taking. But Skyo is built for
the way students want to purchase their textbooks, with a variety of
options like flexible textbook rental periods to make it easy for
students to extend their rentals.
Any student at any school can use Skyo for cheap textbook options; students simply visit Skyo's website, provide their school information, search for their books and purchase. Skyo provides an easy, secure shopping experience and offers a 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee.
About Skyo
Skyo is a new online textbook shopping experience built for the way students shop. Skyo gets students the cheap textbooks they want, in the format they want, when they want them. No one else gives students an experience that is as affordable and hassle-free. Skyo gets students their textbooks - fast, easy and cheap.
EPAM Acquires Digital Strategy and Execution Firm, Empathy Lab
Strengthens Position as Global Provider of End-to-End Digital Services and Multi-Channel Solutions
NEWTOWN, Pa., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EPAM Systems, Inc., a leading provider of complex software engineering solutions and a leader in Central and Eastern European IT service delivery, today announced it has acquired Empathy Lab, a digital strategy and multi-channel experience design firm.
Founded in 2005, Empathy Lab is a recognized leader in both eCommerce and Digital Media and Entertainment. Empathy Lab most recently launched Horizon Online for Liberty Global, one of the most advanced multi-device TV-Everywhere applications. Empathy Lab has also recently helped relaunch http://www.RedCross.org, transforming their digital experience using best-of-breed retail strategies and technologies, helping to advance their mission by mobilizing the power of their volunteers and the generosity of donors through the digital medium. Empathy Lab's other clients include AIG, Sentara Health Systems, CHUBB, NBC Universal, TJX, DirecTV, PepBoys, Avon, Philosophy, Comcast and many other leading brands.
Arkadiy Dobkin, CEO and President of EPAM said, "We are excited about the acquisition of Empathy Lab, which complements our strong capabilities in global delivery of software engineering services with the proven expertise in two important growth areas - development and execution of enterprise-wide Commerce initiatives and transformation of Media consumption and distribution channels. In addition to strengthening our Travel and Consumer and Business Information and Media verticals, Empathy Lab brings significant expertise in digital marketing strategy consulting and program management."
"Empathy Lab matches our investment criteria for strategic fit, accretion and manageable execution risk. As part of our ongoing growth strategy, we will continue to evaluate opportunities to deepen our industry expertise and technology capabilities necessary to deliver complex mission-critical solutions," continued Dobkin.
Empathy Lab CEO Kevin Labick said, "We believe Empathy Lab's strategy and experience design services, along with our deep understanding of enterprise eCommerce and video platforms paired with EPAM's world-class engineering solutions uniquely positions us to drive unparalleled ROI for Fortune 500 organizations world-wide."
About EPAM Systems
Established in 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. provides software engineering solutions through its leading Central and Eastern European service delivery platform. Headquartered in the United States, EPAM employs over 8,100 IT professionals and serves clients worldwide from its locations in the United States, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Belarus, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Poland.
EPAM is recognized among the top companies in IAOP's "The 2012 Global Outsourcing 100," featuring EPAM in a variety of sub-lists, including "Leaders-Companies in Eastern Europe." The company is also ranked among the best global service providers on "The 2012 Global Services 100" by Global Services Magazine and Neogroup, which names EPAM "Leaders-Global Product Development" category.
Empathy Lab is a leading digital strategy and execution firm focused on delivering breakthrough strategies and experiences that drive business success across all connected devices for Fortune 500 and fast-growth organizations around the world. Empathy Lab's clients include Liberty Global, the American Red Cross, Avon, Comcast, DirecTV, TJX, NBCU, Nintendo, Rogers Communications, Lions Gate, Sony, Chartis / AIG, Chubb, Reed Elsevier, and Philosophy.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MyLife.com(®) ("MyLife"), the website thatenables over 60 million members to connect to and manage all their social and email accounts, monitor their online information and make new connections all in one place, today announced it has moved its corporate headquarters to a new Westwood location to support its growing staff and business. Located at 1100 Glendon Avenue in Los Angeles, the 19,000 square foot facility offers MyLife employees shared space for cross functional teams, large conference and media rooms, and access to a number of perks and amenities.
"Shortly after announcing the launch of our Social Dashboard, we've already hit two million users," said Jeff Tinsley, CEO of MyLife. "Our staff continues to grow along with our business and the new office supports that growth. We're excited to be in a cutting edge space that offers plenty of perks as we continue to innovate and create the best products to help consumers manage their lives online."
Employees at MyLife will now have access to a number of centrally located Westwood businesses and services, including the landmark Fox Theatre, mass retailers and grocery stores from Target to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, leading restaurants, the Westwood farmers' market each Thursday and easy access to the 405 freeway.
In addition, MyLife's employees will also enjoy perks, including:
-- Monday bagel breakfast and catered lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays
-- Fully stocked snack bar and refreshment fridge
-- Discounted memberships to two area gyms, Equinox and LA Fitness
-- Two lounges, including an entertainment center and flat screen TVs
-- Discounts at area hotels
The new building is owned by Equity Office Properties and is home to other tenants including Front Line Management, LRN, Wilshire Media, and TechSpace.
Current open positions can be viewed here. For more information about MyLife, visit http://www.mylife.com.
About MyLife.com®
MyLife.com ("MyLife")( )is the simple way to connect with everyone that matters, all in one place. Eliminating the need to visit multiple services, MyLife provides the one place for users to access their social networks and email accounts in a simple dashboard, allowing members to manage and monitor one online identity while providing an easy search to find the people they need in their life. MyLife users can also easily control their profile presence across the Web, build and monitor one online identity including many profiles, and make personal and professional connections by searching over 700 million profiles through the site. With over 60 million users, and growing fast, MyLife is based in Los Angeles, CA. To view MyLife's newest television spot, please visit http://youtu.be/LcOTV3i2DiY. More information can be found at http://www.mylife.com.
Joe Doucet Studio Launches New Physics-Based Mobile Game, Piece Corps, Promoting Diversity and Inspiring Creativity With User Generated Levels
Create Levels, Share Experiences and Save The Universe with Friends in Piece Corps, Available for iOS and Android
SEATTLE, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, Joe Doucet Studio, announced the launch of Piece Corps, a new physics-based mobile game for casual gamers of all ages. Piece Corps is free to download in the iTunes App Store and from Google Play.
Piece Corps unites its players and characters through unique abilities and crafty problem solving skills to overcome challenging levels of schoolyard madness. Players can also control their own game play by creating new levels and sharing with friends, Facebook and the whole Piece Corps community.
The Piece Corps characters are a group of daring, young girls who protect the powerful "Book of Dreams". Unfortunately, the Evil Scientist has stolen it for his own wicked bidding! So it's up to the Piece Corps to band together using their unique abilities against enemies of all kinds to get the book back safely and save the universe.
"Piece Corps is more than a physics-based mobile game. It empowers imagination and creativity by supplying the tools for players to create their own levels to be shared within a global Piece Corps community," said Joe Doucet. "Also, by leveraging the unique abilities of these diverse characters, we want to show the promise of uniting through differences, to work together to achieve common goals."
Key Features:
Who Are The Piece Corps?
Players can select one of five unique Piece Corps characters: Djane, Bundi, Meana, Deevah, and Martia. Each character possesses three distinctive abilities to help solve complex and challenging levels. Mix and match from more than 125 different character combinations to best tackle each puzzling level. For example, players can use Djane's giant stereo to stun enemies with a blast of music, or protect your chosen character in her pursuit to save the Piece Corps friends with Martia's impenetrable force field.
Quirky Enemies & Allies
The Evil Scientist has enlisted the help of the Wicked Lunch Lady, Foul Janitor, Criminal Coach, and the Malicious Little Hall Monitors to stop the Piece Corps from recovering the "Book of Dreams"!
Finish an entire pack to free and unlock a Piece Corps friend to help you along the journey. Players should also always be on the look out for allies like the Powerful Principal, Special School Nurse, and Cute Crush, who all aid the Piece Corps cause.
Create Levels. Share with the World.
Piece Corps gives players a chance to be a part of the game. Every player is encouraged to put his or her creative juices to work by building customized levels to share with the global Piece Corps community. Every level is a playable work of art, which other players can rate and share as their favorite user-generated level.
Piece Corps will be available for Amazon, Kindle and in the Mac App Store coming soon.
Stay in touch with the Piece Corps community and their latest news:
Piece Corps is created by Joe Doucet and Richard Hinzel of Joe Doucet Studio in association with Emmy® award-winning writer Jennifer Yale and award-winning entertainment producer Elsie Choi, and leveraging the Sirqul API's.
As a designer, inventor, artist and auteur, Joe Doucet's work deftly hybridizes function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer's thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics, whether that be for brands, their product portfolios or for a broader social context.
Doucet's work has been exhibited numerous places internationally, including the London Design Museum and the Biennale International Design in Sainte-Etienne, while his awards include a 2010 World Technology Award for Design, a Good Design Award in 2008, was named the first ever AvantGuardian for Design in 2009 by Surface Magazine and holds more than 30 patents for his designs and inventions.
Press Contact:
Ronjini Mukhopadhyay
PR For Joe Doucet Studio
Ronjini@TheSilverTelegram.com
(949) 295-9779
This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
Fulton Innovation Gives An Early Preview Of Wireless Power Demos Being Shown At The 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show
Fulton Shows a Mobile Phone Charging from a Tablet without Wires
ADA, Mich., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fulton Innovation the creator and exclusive licensor of eCoupled(TM) intelligent wireless power, is providing a glimpse into the latest technology developments in wireless power being demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 8-11, 2013. A taste of the new developments around two-way charging using the Qi global standard for wireless power being shown at CES can be seen in a short video clip at: bit.ly/VSzTpF.
Fulton's CES exhibit will include wireless power demonstrations of two-way power transfer, simultaneous multiple device charging, interactive printed electronics, spatial freedom, and real-life applications of wireless power in the home. Specific details of the demos will be announced at the show.
Fulton has been working in wireless power since 1998, and its technology can be found in Qi-compatible phones from Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, LG, HTC, and more, all of which will be on display at CES. As a founding member of the Wireless Power Consortium (www.wirelesspowerconsortium), Fulton will be supporting the WPC and its member companies at the show with additional technology demonstrations.
Fulton Innovation's CES suite is located at S116 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It will also be demonstrating prototypes at the Pepcom DigitalExperience media event on January 7, 2013 at the MGM Grand Hotel.
About Fulton Innovation and eCoupled Technology
A subsidiary of Alticor Corporation, Fulton Innovation is dedicated to commercializing new and innovative technologies that improve the way we live, work, and play. Fulton is working with a wide range of industry-leading companies to integrate wireless power technology into infrastructure and electronic devices to enable consumers to live a truly wireless life.
The engineers behind eCoupled have been developing, advancing, and perfecting the technology for over 13 years. eCoupled technology has been incorporated into the Amway eSpring(TM) water purification system for over 10 years.
Amway employs more than 20,000 people worldwide, including over 800 scientists, engineers, and technicians. Alticor reported 2011 sales of more than $10.9 billion. It is headquartered in Ada, Michigan and has operations in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide.
For additional information, please visit ecoupled.com.
Related Links:
Fulton Innovation technology website
Video of wireless power preview for CES
Twenty-five Percent of PC Owners May Switch to Other Devices, Reports the Center for the Digital Future and Bovitz, Inc.
For one-quarter of computer owners, their current PC may be their last.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Twenty-five percent of computer owners say they may not replace their PC when their current machine becomes unusable, signaling a possible trend of consumers becoming PC-less because they switch to a tablet or a similar device, according to a national survey conducted by the Center for the Digital Future in collaboration with market research and strategy firm Bovitz, Inc.
"We are seeing a major change in how a large percentage of Americans view their computing needs," said Jeffrey I. Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
"In only a few years, the explosive growth of tablet adoption has created significant shifts in how, when, and why Americans go online," Cole said. "Clearly, more computer users are ready to make the switch to a PC-less lifestyle by moving to tablets and other devices."
Survey participants were asked: "Many people are questioning whether they need a personal computer given all the things they can do on their smartphones and tablets. When your current personal computer becomes unusable, how likely are you to replace it with another personal computer?" In response, 4 percent of users said they definitely will not replace their personal computer with another PC, 6 percent said they probably will not, and 15 percent said they might or might not replace it.
The findings on PC use [see a graphic here] are the first results reported from the center's upcoming annual report on the impact of the Internet in America, which will be released in February 2013.
Mobility cited as a major reason for change
Why will some Americans become PC-less and switch to a tablet or similar handheld device? More than half of PC owners who intend to switch cite a tablet's mobility as a reason they will change (54 percent). Thirty-eight percent said that with a tablet they "can basically do everything I did on a personal computer," and 34 percent said a tablet was easier to use than a PC.
And although tablet manufacturers hype style and trendiness, only 15 percent of users said they would switch to a tablet because it is "cooler or stylish."
With multiple responses possible, other reasons cited for adopting a tablet-only lifestyle are: comfort (26 percent), cheaper (22 percent), desire for apps (19 percent), greater functionality (19 percent), and "PCs take too long to boot up" (15 percent).
Equal percentages of both genders are likely to give up their PC for a tablet: 50 percent for men, and 50 percent for women.
Why continue using a PC?
However, three-quarters of computer users said that they will replace their current computer with another PC when their current machine becomes unusable. When those users were asked why they would not switch to a table or similar device, 66 percent said a PC is more comfortable to use than a tablet. Fifty-eight percent said they need a screen larger than what is available on other devices, and 56 percent said a PC is better for complex tasks, or they need a keyboard or mouse.
Other reasons to continue to use a PC instead of a tablet or similar device include the need for software available on PCs (43 percent), the need to regularly back-up data (28 percent), and worries about the security of other devices (25 percent).
Is the PC dead?
These changes, as well as even lower prices for tablets that industry analysts predict for next year, will lead to an even larger shift toward tablet use, Cole said. In the center's 2011 study, "America at the Digital Turning Point," Cole predicted that over the next three years, the tablet will become the primary tool for personal computing needs -- not just for a quarter of Americans, but for almost all computer users.
"Use of a desktop PC may well dwindle to only 4-6 percent of computer users -- computer-assisted designers, heavy-duty number crunchers, full-time writers, and college students while they are in college -- and laptop use will probably decline as well," Cole said.
"The tablet is an inviting gadget," said Cole. "The desktop PC is a 'lean forward' device -- a tool that sits on a desk and forces users to come to it. The tablet has a 'lean-back' allure -- more convenient and accessible than laptops and much more engaging to use. For the vast majority of Americans, the tablet will be the computer of choice by the middle of the decade, while the desktop PC and even laptops fade away."
However, Cole said the tablet is not yet established as a full-fledged computing tool.
"The tablet has yet to prove its full functionality," he said. "As more ambitious work on a tablet becomes possible as software choices grow, more users will move to tablets. Until then, we will see growing desire to move to tablet-only computing, but our findings show almost three-quarters of computer users are not yet ready to make the complete change. The industry talks about the tablet taking over, but for now there is still a substantial market for traditional PCs."
Questions about tablet adoption were included in the center's Topical Survey, a new supplement to the main Digital Future Project. Conducted in August, the Topical Survey interviewed 989 Internet users from an online consumer panel, covering issues such as privacy, social media usage, use of technology at school, stress with technology, and social norms regarding the presence of technology in social settings. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
The Center for the Digital Future
The Center for the Digital Future created the Digital Future Project, one of the longest-established and most comprehensive studies that explores the influence of the Internet and online technology on Americans. Since 2000, the project has examined the behavior and views of a national sample of Internet users and non-users. The center also created and organizes the World Internet Project, which includes the Digital Future Project and research with 37 international partners.
Bovitz, Inc.
Bovitz is a design-driven research and strategy firm that seeks to go beyond answering business questions to drive innovation. Bovitz works with brands to find new ways to connect to customers with innovative products, services, packaging, and promotions that create demand, drive repeat business, and generate brand loyalty. Bovitz's approach reveals the context of the consumer experience and produces ways to improve it and profit from it.
The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is a national leader in education and scholarship in the fields of communication, journalism, public diplomacy and public relations. With an enrollment of more than 2,200 students, USC Annenberg offers doctoral, graduate and undergraduate degree programs, as well as continuing development programs for working professionals, across a broad scope of academic inquiry. The school's comprehensive curriculum emphasizes the core skills of leadership, innovation, service and entrepreneurship and draws upon the resources of a networked university in a global urban environment.
CONTACT: Justin Pierce, 310-962-6001
SOURCE USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
World's Largest Electronics Manufacturing Company Buys 8.88% of GoPro, Foxconn Founder and CEO Terry Gou to Join GoPro's Board
SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GoPro® announced today that Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd, the world's largest electronics manufacturing company also known as Foxconn, has acquired an 8.88% full-diluted stake in GoPro for $200 million, valuing the company at $2.25 billion. GoPro makes the world's most versatile cameras, enabling people to capture and share immersive and engaging footage of themselves during their favorite activities. Terry Gou, Foxconn's Founder and CEO, will join GoPro's board. Notable products manufactured by Foxconn include Apple's iPhone®, iPad®, Sony PlayStation®, and Microsoft Xbox®.
"Needless to say, we are over the moon to have Terry Gou and Foxconn join us on our mission to scale GoPro into one of the great enabling companies of our time," said GoPro Founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman. "Foxconn and GoPro see a future where personal content capture and enjoyment will play an increasingly important role in our lives and we're excited to combine efforts to strengthen GoPro's position in that future."
Terry Gou added, "I saw a great opportunity in investing in GoPro, not only the company's product lines but also the man who is running the company. The first time I saw Nick Woodman, I immediately knew he was an outstanding entrepreneur who has the caliber to be very successful in this business. And together with Foxconn, the outlook of this company is even brighter as we commit to helping it achieve its fullest potential."
About GoPro
GoPro makes the world's most versatile cameras, enabling people to capture immersive and engaging footage of themselves during their favorite activities. GoPro's HERO line of wearable and gear mountable cameras are used collectively by more consumers, professional athletes, and video production professionals than any other camera in the world. Based in San Mateo, California, GoPro's products are available in more than 30,000 stores in over 100 countries worldwide and direct via GoPro.com.
GOPRO®, HERO®, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Woodman Labs, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company, product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their rightful owners.
The two companies completed the deal earlier today, with Ozmo's proprietary
technologies helping to bolster Atmel's already wide ranging patent portfolio, putting it
in an envious position when compared to its rivals. Ozmo have been developing an ultra-low
power Wi-Fi solution in recent months, and these developments are the ones thought to be
the driving force behind the deal.
Atmel will now have the sufficient technology to accelerate its much awaited entry
into the consumer electronics supply chain. Ozmo's innovations are currently used in all
manner of low-energy products, such as digital thermostats and headsets. According to
Atmel CEO Steve Laub, the company looks forward "to supporting Ozmo's existing customers,
expanding sales of their Wi-Fi Direct products...and integrating their IP".
The deal will see ARRIS pay Google-owned Motorola Mobility around $2.35 billion in a
mixture of cash and stock, with investors praising the new owners for conducting the sale
on a debt free basis. Google is set to receive around 15% of ARRIS' total shares as part
of the deal.
ARRIS will now have the technology and assets to provide a one of a kind end-to-end
broadband video solution, boosting its product offering whilst also improving its patent
holding position. The acquisition is expected to see the company's total revenue reach
around $4.7 billion, as well as 500 customers in 70 countries.
The latest results demonstrate a rapid expansion in the website's fortunes over the
past 12 months, on a site which aims to improve the health of US citizens through
innovative social gaming technologies. Users can access the platform through their browser
or by downloading the bespoke iOS app, although there is a paid version for business
owners who wish to assess the health of their employees.
Hubbub has already helped thousands to improve their health, with users boasting of
weight loss, cholesterol reduction and lower blood pressure.
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New ZTE Android(TM) Smartphone Joins the Ranks of MetroPCS' Affordable 4G LTE Line-up
ZTE Avid(TM) 4G allows consumers to do more at a tremendous value
DALLAS, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS), along with ZTE Corporation (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ) ("ZTE"), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today introduced its second 4G(LTE) Android 4.0-powered smartphone priced at $149, the ZTE Avid(TM) 4G. With no annual contract, tax and regulatory fee-inclusive service plans and feature-rich smartphones, MetroPCS continues to deliver the most value to its customers throughout the holiday season and into 2013.
The Avid 4G is available with any of MetroPCS' standard 4G(LTE) service plans which range from $40 - $70 per month, and for a limited time with promotional plans including 4G(LTE) for $30 and unlimited 4G(LTE) for $55.
"The Avid 4G offers consumers a feature-rich smartphone at an excellent price," said Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE USA. "ZTE is committed to helping people connect and share in meaningful ways, and the Avid 4G is a great example of that mission."
The Avid 4G features 4G(LTE) connectivity, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, a crystal-clear 4" touchscreen and is powered by Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), allowing consumers to get the most out of their smartphone and applications from Google Play. Adding to that are the 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and VGA front-facing camera, which make it easy to video chat, capture images and quickly share with friends and family.
The Avid 4G is also the latest MetroPCS 4G(LTE) smartphone to support joyn(TM) by MetroPCS, which provides consumers with a unified and intuitive way to share their content with enriched services like integrated instant messaging or chat, WiFi and video calling. The official joyn app can be downloaded via Google Play and the @metro App Store(TM). The Avid 4G also supports MetroPCS' 4G(LTE) Mobile Hotspot service for an additional monthly charge.
The Avid 4G is available today at local MetroPCS stores or online at http://www.metropcs.com for $149 plus tax.
About MetroPCS Communications, Inc.
Dallas-based MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS) is a provider of no annual contract, unlimited wireless communications service for a flat rate. MetroPCS is the fifth largest facilities-based wireless carrier in the United States based on number of subscribers served. With Metro USA(SM), MetroPCS customers can use their service in areas throughout the United States covering a population of over 280 million people. As of September 30, 2012, MetroPCS had approximately 9.0 million subscribers. For more information please visit http://www.metropcs.com.
About ZTE USA
ZTE USA is a subsidiary of ZTE Corporation (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions. ZTE USA is dedicated to making quality communications technology accessible to all. The company draws on more than 25 years of experience and research investment to deliver smart, affordable, quality choices for infrastructure and mobile data device customers nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.zteusa.com and follow @ZTE_USA.
About ZTE
ZTE is a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions with the most comprehensive product range covering virtually every sector of the wireline, wireless, service and terminals markets. The company delivers innovative, custom-made products and services to over 500 operators in more than 140 countries, helping them to meet the changing needs of their customers while achieving continued revenue growth. ZTE's 2010 revenue led the industry with a 21% increase to USD10.609 billion. ZTE commits 10 percent of its revenue to research and development and takes a leading role in a wide range of international bodies developing emerging telecoms standards. A company with sound corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, ZTE is a member of the UN Global Compact. ZTE is China's only listed telecom manufacturer, publicly traded on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ). For more information, please visit http://www.zte.com.cn.
SOURCE MetroPCS Communications, Inc.
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100714/DA34639LOGO-b http://photoarchive.ap.org/
MetroPCS Communications, Inc.
CONTACT: Drew Crowell, GolinHarris for MetroPCS, +1-972-341-2581, dcrowell@golinharris.com; or Jim Mathias, Director, Investor Relations, MetroPCS, +1-214-570-4641, investor_relations@metropcs.com; or Anna Hughes, Ogilvy Public Relations for ZTE USA, +1-202-729-4156, anna.hughes@ogilvy.com
WatchGuard XTMv Virtual Firewall Solution Certified for Artisan Infrastructure
UTM Appliance Vendors Partner to Provide MSPs and Service Providers with Comprehensive Security Services
SEATTLE, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in business security solutions, and Artisan Infrastructure, the wholesale Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider, have partnered to enable solution providers and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) with the only best-in-class UTM virtual firewall appliance. WatchGuard's XTMv device allows MSPs to offer a variety of security services such as web content filtering, application control, anti-virus, intrusion prevention systems, reputation enabled defense, spam blocker. The solution also features extensive logging and reporting, centralized management, and drag and drop VPN provisioning.
Following certification, WatchGuard XTMv is now available for deployment through Artisan Infrastructure's Certified Solution Ecosystem program. The WatchGuard XTMv features all of the security and networking services found in the appliance hardware and now supports high availability and mirroring for redundancy in the virtual environment, while Artisan's Cornerstone vPDC enables solution providers to deploy and manage their own suite of cloud solutions.
"Working closely with WatchGuard to certify the XTMv is a huge benefit to the channel community and a great addition to our Certified Solution Ecosystem," said Steve Williams, vice president of corporate development at Artisan Infrastructure. "Though our partners always have the option to bring their virtual appliance of choice, WatchGuard is an industry favorite and we have never lost sight of that fact; we couldn't, too many partners actively campaigned for the XTMv's certification. With certification behind us, its ease-of-use and the industry following which WatchGuard enjoys, we anticipate a rapid adoption rate by the HTG community and mutual partners at large."
"We are excited to be included in Artisan Infrastructure's Certified Solutions Ecosystem database," said Dave Taylor, WatchGuard's vice president of corporate strategy. "With this partnership and certification, it will provide our valuable MSSP customers a seamless integration of Artisan Infrastructure's services and WatchGuard's reliable security options."
WatchGuard partners will continue to purchase licenses through their existing programs, while Artisan Infrastructure partners will have virtual appliance templates available to facilitate deployment.
About Artisan Infrastructure Inc.
Artisan Infrastructure is the wholesale Infrastructure-as-a-Service provider. The company delivers infrastructure on demand to a global network of more than 250 service providers from fully redundant, geographically diverse, SAS 70 Type II data centers. Partners include national and international managed service providers, systems integrators, software developers, communications providers, PaaS, SaaS and value added resellers. Through Cornerstone, Artisan's virtual Private Data Center (vPDC) platform, partners maintain complete autonomy, control, security, and visibility when building their own private and public cloud solutions. Cornerstone scales from single site, secure multi-tenant environments to highly complex dedicated infrastructure on multiple continents. With Artisan Infrastructure, partners eliminate the capital expense of building and maintaining best-of-breed, infinitely scalable, infrastructure while minimizing operational and engineering overhead. A neutral ecosystem of independent software vendor templates allows immediate turn up, trial and deployment of cloud solutions faster and more affordably. For more information contact the company at 512-600-4300 or http://www.artisaninfrastructure.com
About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
Since 1996, WatchGuard® Technologies, Inc. has been a global leader of business security solutions that solve real world security problems. WatchGuard provides easy-to-use but enterprise-powerful protection to hundreds of thousands of businesses worldwide. The WatchGuard family of threat management devices provides network, application and data protection, with unparalleled levels of manageability, usability, and visibility. WatchGuard products are backed by WatchGuard LiveSecurity® Service, an innovative support program. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Wash. with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit http://www.watchguard.com.
WatchGuard is a registered trademark of WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners.
Contacts:
Dave Taylor
WatchGuard Technologies
(206) 613-661
Dave.Taylor@watchguard.com
Jeremy Bartram
Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications
206-264-024
jbartram@rhstrategic.com
INFRAWARE Launches Sefirah, Korea's #1 Mobile Game, Globally
- Tops in Korea's leading app store surpassing legendary RPG games in just five days
- Available now on iTunes App Store for US$2.99
- Innovative RPG mobile game features thrilling story, lifelike graphics
SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its success in Korea surpassing legendary RPG games just five days after its launch, INFRAWARE today announced the global release of the action-packed RPG mobile game, Sefirah, on iTunes App Store for US$2.99. The breakthrough quality of Sefirah further grows INFRAWARE's reputation as a technology innovator in mobile social game development and publishing.
Sefirah follows the thrilling story of spectacular wars between countries striving to acquire mysterious ore. With lifelike graphics and compelling content, mobile gamers will enjoy Sefirah's eye-catching battle scenes as they would on a PC or video game console. Sefirah also boasts an easy-to-use UI, as well as robust RPG environment with various mercenary characters, skill sets, and battlefields to choose from.
"With smartphone technology advancing, the high-quality mobile gaming market is emerging rapidly," said Mr. Min Cheol Kwak, CEO of INFRAWARE. "Sefirah was uniquely developed with this trend in mind. Our commitment as a company is to continue to create innovative mobile gaming experiences for our users through a variety of genre titles featuring fun and cooperative play."
INFRAWARE first introduced Sefirah in November at G-Star 2012, an international game exhibition, where it garnered wide appreciation from media and gamers alike. Since launching in T Store, one of the most popular Android app stores in Korea, on November 1, Sefirah leaped to #1 in just five days surpassing popular and legendary RPG mobile games.
Based in Seoul, South Korea, INFRAWARE (KOSDAQ: 041020) is an innovative mobile solution and service company. The company led the mobile web browser market during the feature phone era, providing its solution to phone markers like Samsung and LG. Additional information about INFRAWARE is available at http://www.infraware.co.kr
INFRAWARE Games is an affiliate company of INFRAWARE. The company was established in 2009 to focus on developing games including its first mobile RPG, Sefirah. INFRAWARE Games strives to create a unique game play experience with a lineup of RPG, casual, FPS, SNG and other genre games featuring fun and cooperative play.
AppDynamics Joins the Rackspace Cloud Tools Program
Leading APM solution now available with the Rackspace® Open Cloud
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AppDynamics Inc., the next-generation application performance management solution that simplifies the management of complex apps, announced today its availability on the Rackspace Open Cloud. AppDynamics appears in the Rackspace Cloud Tools Marketplace and offers an OpenStack(®) connector to allow customers to create rules for scaling the application based on performance metrics in the OpenStack interface.
Rackspace customers will be able to take advantage of AppDynamics' auto-scaling feature through its OpenStack connector. This feature will allow customers to create rules in OpenStack web interface to automatically provision and de-provision resources based on performance metrics from AppDynamics, such as response time and load.
"We feel that AppDynamics and its auto-scaling capabilities will help drive greater value for customers. This feature will allow customers to be much more proactive when it comes to dealing with application performance," said Ven Shanmugam, Senior Manager of Cloud Market Development at Rackspace. "AppDynamics' auto-scaling helps customers from having to worry about adding more resources when load increases - they can create rules for AppDynamics and OpenStack to do that for them."
"We're excited to work with Rackspace to provide an APM solution to their customers," said Stuart Horne, Vice President of Business Development at AppDynamics. "Rackspace is a dominant player in the PaaS space, and its customers are using it to build very complex and sophisticated applications. We think we can deliver an important service to these customers - we can deliver deep visibility into these applications, whether they're in the public cloud, the datacenter, or a mix of the two."
To learn more about AppDynamics' features for Rackspace cloud customers, check out AppDynamics in the Cloud Tools Marketplace. To learn more about AppDynamics for other cloud environments, visit their Partners page.
About AppDynamics
AppDynamics is the next-generation application performance management solution that simplifies the management of complex, business-critical apps. No one can stand slow applications--not IT Ops and Dev teams, not the CIO, and definitely not end users. With AppDynamics, no one has to tolerate slow performing apps ever again. AppDynamics customers include Netflix, Priceline, TiVo, AMICA Insurance, Hotels.com, StubHub, Staples, Insight Technologies, and Cornell University. For more information, visit http://www.appdynamics.com.
MIAMI, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Satmetrix is organising the 7(th) Annual Net Promoter Customer Experience Conference. The event will take place in 2013 in Miami from Jan 31st -Feb 1st and it will be the biggest Net Promoter conference ever, with 8 marquee industry thought-leaders, over 30 Net Promoter and Customer Experience case studies, and 600 Customer Experience practitioners.
The main speakers will be the customer loyalty guru Fred Reichheld, Don Peppers, Bobbi Dangerfield of Dell, Joseph Jaffe, Richard Owen, Wendy Lea, Deb Eastman and Charlie Chase of FirstService Brands.
During the 24 breakout sessions, participants can discover NPS and customer experience tips and tricks from brands such as Symantec, Kronos, EMC, Ipreo, TeamHealth, United Rentals, HouseMaster, GE Healthcare, ShelfGenie, G Adventures and many more. This will be a unique opportunity for business people to learn more about the Net Promoter system.
Satmetrix is a leading provider of cloud-based customer experience software for companies worldwide.
Contact:
Sandra Melo
+44 (0)20 7025 2720
This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
McCabe Software Chosen by Leading Video Game Company to Ensure Quality User Experience
McCabe IQ to support online gaming by improving source code testing, uncovering risk
CRANSTON, R.I., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- McCabe Software has announced that one of the world's leading video game companies has selected McCabe IQ to analyze the quality and testing of source code in the company's online tournament gaming software.
McCabe IQ was selected in order to utilize the product's code metrics, advanced visualization, and path coverage to uncover code complexity, target software testing efforts, and improve engineering practices.
"The requirement was to accurately and objectively describe the state of the client's source code at any given point in the product development cycle," says Dale Brenneman, VP of Software Quality Solutions at McCabe Software. "McCabe IQ provides unique insight into the condition of source code, quickly highlighting where the complexity lies, and showing the logical paths through the application that have not been tested. No other software quality management solution can provide that level of analysis."
"Leaders in the multi-billion dollar online video gaming industry recognize the critical importance of releasing software that must not fail," says David Belhumeur, CEO of McCabe. "Our client has identified McCabe IQ as an important tool in achieving that goal. They are in good company with the legion of leaders in other industries who have trusted McCabe solutions for over 30 years."
About McCabe Software, Inc.
McCabe Software, the Software Path Analysis Company, provides Software Quality Management and Software Configuration Management solutions worldwide. "McCabe IQ" is used to analyze and visualize the security, quality, and testing of mission, life, and business critical applications. McCabe Software has offices in the United States and distribution worldwide.
LD Products Recruits Radio Personality Bill Handel to Assist in Pantum Printer Promotion
LONG BEACH, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Having historically been an industry leader in the field of printer ink and toner, in 2012, LD Products began carrying the Pantum printer series as the sole American distributor. Now, LD Products is announcing that radio show host Bill Handel is part of their plan for marketing the new-to-the-US brand of affordable printers. With Handel's years of experience in radio marketing he will be an asset to the print consumables retailer's total marketing strategy to the new line of heavy-duty and affordable printers.
The veteran talk show host has lent his voice to several of LD's promotional campaigns over the years. The new 45 second on air spot will highlight the durability, speed, and low cost of ownership associated with seine technologies' latest offering. Currently being sold on 4 continents, Pantum's new affordable printers are growing their market share in the field of monochrome laser printers with similar, locally-based marketing strategies.
The Long Beach-based web retailer is now implementing a four pronged promotional strategy revolving around the Pantum P2000 series which includes internet, television, radio, and print advertising. Senior marketing manager Anna Kemp revealed, "The Pantum printer is one of the superior machines on the market despite its being brand new, and we felt that lending the weight of a trusted personality like Bill Handel to this effort would be the perfect way to inspire consumer confidence. Bill and his team have been an invaluable resource in previous campaigns and we expect similar success with the Pantum line."
LD Products continues to focus primarily on consumables; however the addition of new affordable printers provides an opportunity for product diversification and vertical integration with a move into hardware. CEO Aaron Leon will look to leverage the success of the Pantum printer as an introduction to the highly competitive printer equipment manufacturing trade. The Bill Handel radio ad will air though Q1 of 2013.
DENSO Develops World's First Integrated, In-vehicle Wireless Cell Phone Charger
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Global automotive supplier DENSO has developed the world's first integrated, in-vehicle wireless cell phone charger, in collaboration with Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions (PLDS). DENSO's Qi-compatible wireless cell phone charger will make its world debut in North America on the 2013 Toyota Avalon Limited as part of the available technology package. The wireless cell phone charger is manufactured at the company's DENSO Wireless Systems America facility, located in Vista Calif.
"Considering the increasing usage of smartphones in vehicle connectivity, we wanted to bring a convenient charging solution to consumers that eliminates cords and connections," said Bill Foy, Vice President, Toyota Sales Group, DENSO International America, Inc. "Also, by utilizing our global network and collaborating with our partner PLDS, we were able to achieve a consumer electronics speed to market - which is always a challenge in the automotive industry."
DENSO was able to meet the rigorous demands of an automotive component in one-third the normal development time without compromising deliverables. With regards to automotive technology, typically it takes three to four years from time-of-conception to implementation; however, DENSO was able to achieve this in eight months.
Qi Standard
The charger is designed to meet the global Qi standard, which was established to ensure compatibility between Qi-compatible phones and other electronics and chargers. Many future smartphones that will launch in 2013 and beyond will integrate a Qi-compatible chip to allow wireless charging without an added sleeve, which is currently necessary for phones that are not Qi compatible.
DENSO is committed to further the integration of consumer electronic technologies for all of our customers to provide safe and convenient driving experiences for drivers.
DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electric, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 35 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs over 120,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012, totaled US$38.4 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9.5 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to http://www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at http://www.densomediacenter.com.
In North America, DENSO's consolidated sales totaled US$6.2 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. The North American DENSO Group employs more than 14,000 people at 28 consolidated companies and affiliates. Of these, 26 are manufacturing facilities located in the U.S, Canada and Mexico.
SOURCE DENSO Corporation
DENSO Corporation
CONTACT: Bridgette LaRose, DENSO International America, Inc., +1-248-372-8266, bridgette_larose@denso-diam.com
Rabbit Shares First Look at Groundbreaking Application for Video Chat and Content Sharing
Founded by digital entertainment pioneers from the videogame and music industries, Rabbit is the first live social platform to deliver video chat with content sharing around an unlimited amount of users
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new company that has developed disruptive technology to transform the way we communicate online, Rabbit today emerged from stealth with initial details of its groundbreaking video chat and content sharing application, available as a closed beta in Q1 of 2013.
Rabbit is the first platform to change video chat from a mere utility to a fun, intuitive and meaningful way to interact with others online. Rabbit is the first and only application that allows you to watch videos, listen to music and share any type of content together. The platform also sets a new industry standard by allowing you to chat just with friends or with an unlimited number of people - including public or private conversations.
Rabbit was founded by four videogame pioneers who saw a need in the market for a new approach to online communications: one that allows synchronous, real-time video chat and sharing of content with small or large groups. They saw that the first generation of video chat applications allowed for small numbers of people to talk together with a limited ability to share content, and there was room to push this to a whole new level by combining current internet infrastructure with cutting-edge gaming, social and VOIP frameworks. And by also applying the principles of massively multiplayer online gaming (MMOGs) and new innovations in product design, the end result is a quantum leap in video chat and social networking.
Rabbit is the brainchild of four gaming and music industry veterans:
-- Philippe Clavel - former CTO of a video game startup and Technical
Director at Sony Online Entertainment and Hands-On Mobile, Clavel is one
of the leading technical minds in MMOGs, specializing in developing
architectures to support multiplayer titles with multiple millions of
users.
-- Gregory Fischbach - a seasoned entrepreneur and early-stage investor,
Fischbach is the former founder and CEO of Acclaim Entertainment and was
President of RCA Records International and President of Activision
International.
-- Stephanie Morgan - former Studio Director at Hands-On Mobile and
producer/designer at ngmoco:), Morgan is a 10-year veteran in game and
application development with multiple award-winning social applications
in the market.
-- Nicholas Reichenbach - an established entertainment software publisher
who's brought over 300+ apps and entertainment products to market over
the past 15 years, Reichenbach is the Chairman of Guestdriven and was
the EVP of publishing at Magmic Games.
"It's time to shake-up how we communicate together online. While video chat tools enable live interaction, they aren't social. Social networks give us new connections, conversations and discoveries, but they're not live," said Stephanie Morgan, co-founder of Rabbit. "With Rabbit, we're using what we learned developing some of the world's most successful social games to revolutionize video chat. The result is a product that is radically different than anything available on the market today."
To get a first look at the application, please visit http://www.letsrabbit.com. For updates on the closed beta launch, please follow Rabbit on Twitter at @LetsRabbit, or Like Rabbit on Facebook at facebook.com/LetsRabbit.
About Rabbit
Rabbit revolutionizes video chat: watch movies and TV shows with your friends, listen to music together, chat with an unlimited number of people, and even meet new ones -- all in a single application.
Munchkin Brings Back Its "Pail it Forward" Diaper Pail Donation Campaign for Second Year
Social Media Initiative Helps Fans Give Back to Friends and Community
NORTH HILLS, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Munchkin, Inc., leading designer and manufacturer of clever infant and toddler products, today announced the re-launch of its successful "Pail it Forward" social media campaign in an effort to reward loyal fans and help nonprofit organizations this holiday season. The month-long viral campaign, which Munchkin debuted last year as a way for fans who love the company's award-winning ARM & HAMMER(TM) Diaper Pail to gift one to a friend, features a new, extra dose of holiday cheer this year?a donation of nearly 500 diaper pails and other babycare essentials to organizations helping babies and children in need.
"We know parenting can have its challenges, and it's often the little things that make the biggest difference, so we are excited to re-launch 'Pail it Forward' to help families in need receive products that our Munchkin fans tell us they can't live without," said Steven Dunn, chairman and CEO, Munchkin, Inc. "This fun campaign celebrates the giving spirit of the holiday season by gifting the ARM & HAMMER(TM) Diaper Pail--a must-have product voted as #1 in odor control by parents all across the U.S.--to both our fans and parents who could use a helping hand."
Munchkin fans can "Pail it Forward" now through Dec. 31 in four simple steps on the Munchkin Facebook page:
1. Like the Munchkin Facebook page.
2. Upload a photo of themselves or their baby with their ARM & HAMMER(TM)
Diaper Pail to Munchkin's page.
3. Write a caption to accompany the photo that shares why they love their
pail or why their friend deserves to receive a pail.
4. Tag the deserving friend in the photo to nominate them to win one of the
Diaper Pails given away each week. All fans who participate will also be
entered to win one of 10 Munchkin prize packs containing key safety,
care, nursery, travel and feeding essentials.
Upon hitting the social media milestone of 200,000 Facebook fans, Munchkin will "Pail it Forward" to four charity organizations dedicated to helping families, including Baby2Baby, LA Diaper Drive, Baby Buggy and Cradles to Crayons. The large-scale donations will consist of Diaper Pails and other essential parenting products from Munchkin's award-winning portfolio.
To learn more about the ARM & HAMMER(TM) Diaper Pail by Munchkin and other parenting essentials, please visit http://www.Munchkin.com.
About Munchkin, Inc.
A privately held, global company headquartered in North Hills, Calif., Munchkin, Inc. creates baby products that excite, delight and make life easier for today's parents. Founded in 1991, Munchkin, Inc. has always placed great emphasis on innovation, redefining what baby products can achieve. As a result, Munchkin has reinvigorated the category with improvements such as a 2-in-1 bottle brush design and White Hot® Technology that lets moms know if the bath water or the car interior is too hot. A strategic partnership with Church & Dwight Co., Inc., the maker of ARM & HAMMER(TM) baking soda, resulted in a line of diapering products that work with pure, natural baking soda, including the ARM & HAMMER(TM) Diaper Pail by Munchkin, winner of the American Baby Bests Award. Munchkin, Inc. has won more than 40 industry awards, including multiple wins of the coveted Target® Corporation Partner Award of Excellence, the ASDA stores partnership award, and the Toys "R" Us 2012 Vendor of the Year award. Endorsed and recommended by sleep and safety experts, medical professionals, toy specialists and parents, Munchkin products can be found at retail outlets internationally. For more information, visit http://www.Munchkin.com.
Tagetik to Sign Distribution Agreement in Portugal With OnGlobal Solutions
LISBON and LUCCA, Italy, December 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
- A new, exclusive distribution strengthen Tagetik's Performance Management reach in
Portugal and Portuguese-Speaking African Countries
Tagetik, a global provider of enterprise software solutions for Performance
Management, Disclosure Management, Financial Governance and Business Intelligence, today
announced an exclusive distribution agreement with OnGlobal Solutions ( http://www.onglobal.pt) to distribute Tagetik's Performance Management solutions and
services in Portugal and PALOP (Portuguese as the official language) countries.
"We are particularly pleased with this partnership," says Joao Byrne, Partner at
OnGlobal Solutions. "We believe that the passion that Tagetik puts in its products and its
customers perfectly addresses our mission to meet and exceed the requirements and
expectations of our customers."
"Tagetik is proud to have OnGlobal Solutions as our exclusive ambassador in Portugal
and PALOP countries," adds Manuel Vellutini - EVP, Chief Operating Officer at Tagetik
(http://www.tagetik.com/about/company/management/manuel-vellutini). "We chose to
partner with OnGlobal Solutions because we share a common mission and values in the
Performance Management space. That is to deliver innovative, high-quality and
cost-effective solutions, and related services, to satisfy the needs of our customers in
managing, controlling, and creating value for their businesses."
About OnGlobal Solutions
OnGlobal Solutions is a management consulting and software solutions implementation
company providing an integrated approach to Business Process Management and Integrated
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Introducing Mobile Rhino: A New Level of Mobile Device Protection with App Convenience
iPhone and iPad insurance plan with 6-Point Protection and unparalleled coverage
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Rhino (http://www.mobile-rhino.com) today officially launched its mobile app that will revolutionize the insurance industry for mobile devices. Offering an unprecedented 6-point protection plan, covering the top concerns of device owners: loss, theft and digital life protection for ID theft and personal privacy. The plan also covers more common issues such as accidental damage, electrical and mechanical malfunctions. Managed through a free downloadable mobile app, Mobile Rhino is available for individuals, families, businesses and schools that need full coverage and protection of mobile devices.
Complete Smartphone/Device Protection
Mobile Rhino was created to answer the need for a true mobile device insurance product for the more than 400 million iPhones and iPads that are now on the market. With only 27 percent of U.S. mobile devices currently covered under a protection plan, millions of devices are left vulnerable to damage, defects, loss and theft. As phones and tablets increase in technology and sophistication, consumers face growing out-of-pocket costs for repairs and replacements.
To address this challenge for consumers, Mobile Rhino developed an insurance plan that covers all generations of iPhones and iPads, with future expansion to offer coverage of other smartphones and devices, such as Android.
"We created Mobile Rhino because our smartphones and tablets are now a basic need. We're so attached to our mobile devices, but the current warranties, service contracts and insurance plans aren't giving owners the full coverage they need," said Dwight Stuckey, creator of Mobile Rhino and president of Stuckey & Company, a provider of specialty insurance. "Warranties have expiration dates that don't outlast the life of a device, and nearly all coverage plans don't cover major incidents such as loss or theft."
Mobile Rhino's Digital Life protection is unique among mobile device protection plans, with benefits for users that extend beyond device replacement. When a user claims a device as lost or stolen, Mobile Rhino helps them wipe their device, and immediately goes to work by protecting them against ID theft by providing personal privacy monitoring.
For customers whose devices are lost, stolen or so severely damaged that they're unusable, Mobile Rhino provides fast turnaround on replacement devices.
"If a phone is broken, lost or stolen, users want one thing: to get their device back as soon as possible. Mobile Rhino makes that happen within 24 hours," said Stuckey. "After users file a claim on mobile-rhino.com, we rush to get a replacement device of the same model in their hands within 24 hours."
Self-Managed Protection Supported by Industry Professionals
Mobile Rhino insurance is purchased and managed entirely on a user's mobile device through the Mobile Rhino app, available for free in the Apple App Store. Users can cancel coverage at any time through the app without having to interact with a third-party or wireless carrier. All claims are made online at mobile-rhino.com.
Backed by the top underwriters in the industry, Mobile Rhino is the first mobile device insurance program available for sale through licensed insurance agents. Licensed agents wishing to sell Mobile Rhino can become a registered partner at mobile-rhino.com. The agent's clients receive a personalized agent referral code to enter during the sign-up process. This code tracks agent sales and provides a 5% discount to the agent's clients on their premium.
Solving the Coverage Verification Problem
For schools and businesses lending out mobile devices to students and employees, Mobile Rhino insurance offers a solution to avoid facing hundreds of dollars in fees to replace or repair a broken device. Administrators issuing devices in businesses and schools can oversee the coverage of every unit from a central online portal, verifying that devices are protected.
"An increasing number of the licensed insurance agents we work with have approached us about the schools and businesses they have as clients that are seeking a way to issue - and verify - protection for the mobile devices they lend out to students and employees," said Stuckey. "We designed Mobile Rhino to make it easy for administrators to verify what devices are covered."
"Mobile Rhino also offers special pricing for businesses and education," said Stuckey. "No other warranty or insurance plan will cover all that Mobile Rhino covers at the price we offer. We want to pass as much savings onto our customers as possible, especially if their device is owned by a business or school."
About Mobile Rhino
Mobile Rhino, headquartered in Lake St. Louis, Missouri, is a mobile device insurance product offering the most complete protection on the market at the best value. Mobile Rhino provides full 6-Point Protection against loss, theft, mechanical malfunctions, electrical malfunctions and accidental damage, and offers digital life protection. Mobile Rhino is sold and managed through a downloadable mobile app and is the first mobile device insurance product available for sale through licensed insurance agents. Mobile Rhino is underwritten by Chartis/AIG and Sedgwick serves as its third-party claims administrator. Mobile Rhino operates out of Stuckey & Company, a specialty insurance provider based in Lake St. Louis. For more information, visit http://www.mobile-rhino.com.
SOURCE Mobile Rhino
Mobile Rhino
CONTACT: Julia Pitlyk for Mobile Rhino, +1-636-485-0946, Julia@traffic-prm.com
drchrono: onpatient to replace Google Health January 1st, 2013
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Google's decision to discontinue Google Health will go into effect January 1st, 2013, permanently removing access for all existing Google Health users. drchrono, the company providing Free Electronic Health Records to physicians on the iPad, has created a seamless replacement for Google Health. "We're committed to the idea of giving patients control of their health data and being able to manage this data from doctors and other sources in one place," explained drchrono Cofounder and CEO, Michael Nusimow.
Today drchrono officially released onpatient, allowing users to create a personal health record from their Google Health data. This record can be linked to drchrono's free Electronic Health Record platform, a platform currently being used by over 35,000 physicians. "Giving patients access to their health records and allowing them to share this data directly with their physicians corresponds with our long term goal," Nusimow discussed. With 1.5 million personal records created before the public launch, onpatient is easily taking over where Google Health left off.
The primary difference between drchrono onpatient and Google Health is that "onpatient is focused on creating a unique mobile healthcare experience for individuals," explained drchrono Cofounder and COO, Daniel Kivatinos. "A focus on mobile devices also allows for better doctor-patient interaction. For example, a patient can take advantage of the picture and video capabilities from an iPhone and share this with a physician in a HIPAA-compliant manner to monitor progress of a condition or issue. Allowing patients to easily track their medical information makes an individual more aware and accountable for their own health."
Like Google Health, drchrono is bridging partnerships within the healthcare industry. One partnership is with iHealth, a company that provides FDA-approved devices such as the iHealth blood pressure cuff and scale for iPhone, devices that can be used from home. "iHealth is committed to making it convenient for doctors and patients to easily share health information," said Adam Lin, General Manager at iHealth Labs, Inc. "This partnership with drchrono's onpatient personal medical record will make it as simple for patients to share information with their doctor as it is to manage their wellbeing with iHealth's mobile devices."
A personal health record connecting to devices like iHealth's and utilizing mobile applications like iOS Passbook make it easier for patients to keep track of their health. "Passbook is game changing to healthcare; it allows a user to enter, collect, and present data to their doctors all through their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch," further noted Kivatinos. "Our end goal is to remove paper from the doctor-patient relationship, and this is another step in that direction." With onpatient, fumbling with medical forms and searching through paper records is a thing of the past.
About drchrono
drchrono focuses on Apple's iPad, iPhone and cloud computing to build a better healthcare experience. They offer a free EHR platform built on the iPad that is Meaningful Use certified. drchrono is also the first iPad EHR to implement real-time clinical speech-to-text, patient eligibility checks, and iPad based medical billing. drchrono integrates everything doctors need to run their practice, including: medical records, electronic prescribing, medical billing, and patient management. For more information, visit https://drchrono.com.
The drchrono iPad EHR is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by InfoGard Laboratories, an ONC-ATCB, as a complete EHR in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments. drchrono version 9.0 was Stage 1 certified on June 3, 2011. The ONC certification ID number is IG-2492-11-0083.
About iHealth Lab Inc.
iHealth Lab designs and manufactures consumer-friendly, mobile personal healthcare products. The company focuses on delivering easy-to-use products that make it simple for you to test, track, graph, and share your health information regularly. iHealth has developed a suite of personal healthcare devices designed for the iOS mobile platform. Visit http://www.ihealthlabs.com for more information.
SOURCE drchrono
drchrono
CONTACT: Daniel Kivatinos, +1-516-998-8342, for drchrono
Salon.com partners with leading online wine merchant The Wine Spies to launch wine of the day store
SONOMA COUNTY, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wine Spies (thewinespies.com) today announce the launch of an online wine store in partnership with Salon Media Group (salon.com). Each day, the store (salon.com/thewinespies) will feature one carefully curated and attractively discounted wine offer that goes live at midnight Pacific. Wines are selected and reviewed by The Wine Spies, a leader in online wine retailing for nearly six years. The Wine Spies will also conduct the sale and handle shipping and customer service from their wine country headquarters.
Salon.com Director of Communications, Liam O'Donoghue says, "Salon.com readers now have a place to discover the best wines from around the world, hand-selected by The Wine Spies, the leader in online wine curation and fulfillment. The Wine Spies take great pride in their selections - and in their customer service. These were two very important factors when considering our wine retail partner."
"We could not be more proud of this partnership. Salon is a long-recognized leader in the delivery of online news and its American readership is a sophisticated group that fits our own 'fine wine buyer' demographic," said Jason Seeber, The Wine Spies CEO known to the wine trade as "Agent Red".
In celebratory fashion, the new Salon.com wine store will launch with a limited-production sparkling wine by winemaker Virginia Marie Lambrix from her namesake VML Winery in Healdsburg, California. Ms. Lambrix says, "We are thrilled to have had our 2007 Blanc de Noir chosen as the inaugural wine for the launch of the Salon/Wine Spies store. The Wine Spies present wines in a way that no other wine retailer does. They take the time to get to know the wineries that they work with, and their wine reviews are the most detailed anywhere. Cheers! to Salon.com and The Wine Spies on the launch of their new store - just in time for New Year's!"
About Salon
Salon Media Group (Ticker Symbol: SLNM.PK) operates the pioneering, award-winning news site, Salon.com. With an audience of 13 million monthly unique visitors, Salon.com covers breaking news, politics, culture, technology and entertainment through investigative reporting, fearless commentary and criticism, and provocative personal essays. Salon.com has been a leader in online media since the dawn of the digital age and has bureaus in San Francisco, New York City and Washington D.C.
About The Wine Spies
In early 2007, The Wine Spies accepted a mission to scour the world for the finest wines - at unbeatable prices. For over 2000 days since, The Wine Spies have featured one hand-selected, meticulously reviewed wine, each day, available at http://www.thewinespies.com and through a select number of marketing partners.
The Wine Spies are headquartered in Santa Rosa, California. To aid in the vetting of the wines that they showcase, The Wine Spies utilize a tasting panel of wine industry professionals that is comprised of in-house Agents, winemakers and working sommeliers.
The Wine Spies are privately held and self-funded. Profitable and debt-free since their first year in business, they have achieved sustainable growth that will propel them for the next 2000 days - and beyond.
North State Strengthens Focus on Broadband With Divestiture of Wireless Operations
HIGH POINT, N.C., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --North State Communications today announced that it has agreed to sell its wireless operations to AT&T for $23.5 million in cash. North State has provided wireless services through various joint venture arrangements with AT&T since 1994.
"We built a strong wireless business," said North State President and COO Royster Tucker III. "The wireless sale demonstrates the value that our investments and efforts have produced, and will enable us to strengthen our broadband business and expand our data center operations."
North State provides fiber-to-the-home and business services such as advanced TV, ultra-fast Internet connections, and other IP-based services in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region. The company recently acquired Winston-Salem, N.C.- based data management company DataChambers, and announced expansion for this operation with the opening of a 50,000 square foot data center in Raleigh, planned for early 2013.
The wireless transaction, which is expected to close within the first half of 2013, is subject to customary closing conditions, including FCC approval. Charlesmead Advisors is acting as financial advisor to North State in the transaction.
About North State
North State is among the fastest growing data, communications and entertainment companies in North Carolina. The company provides services to consumers and businesses, including advanced television, Internet, voice and data services in the state's Piedmont Triad region. North State is the area's preeminent provider of business communications and data center services. The company operates data centers in Winston-Salem and Raleigh, North Carolina, with a full range of management and monitoring services, collocation and cloud solutions, and backup and recovery options, serving businesses throughout the southeast and eastern U.S.
For more information visit: http://www.northstate.net.
Bob Geller
Fusion Public Relations
(212) 651-4224
bob.geller@fusionpr.com
When It Comes to Delivering Real-Time Online and Local Store Results ShopSavvy Soars Above the Pack with Product Cloud 2.0
New Big Data solution empowers ShopSavvy to provide its millions of monthly active users with more local store choices, improved product information and better prices than any other shopping platform.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ShopSavvy, the world's largest mobile shopping platform, today announced the release of Product Cloud 2.0, the latest iteration of ShopSavvy's proprietary big-data platform that enables the community's millions of active users to easily find real-time pricing, inventory, reviews and other information for more than 20million products. Field testing of top price-comparison apps shows that ShopSavvy consistently displays more local store results as well as online price results and lower prices for a greater variety of products than Amazon Mobile, eBay's RedLaser and other major platforms.
Based on a study of 600 random product searches across popular product categories such as consumer electronics, video games, books, movies, home and family, and office products, ShopSavvy outpaced other apps in the number of results displayed. As an example, with Product Cloud 2.0 ShopSavvy displayed on average 30 percent more local, in-store offers than RedLaser, as well as almost twice as many online price results. This new back-end update continues ShopSavvy's commitment to local commerce and ShopSavvy customers will start to see improvement in results and content immediately.
"Innovations like Product Cloud 2.0 bring much more robust connections to ShopSavvy Marketplace, which allows our retailers to enter and manage their inventory, price and store information directly into our mobile marketplace of retailers," said John Boyd, co-founder of ShopSavvy. "We've been adding around 150 new retailer accounts each month and Product Cloud 2.0 advances our local store results in particular when our customers want convenience and immediacy of buying locally."
ShopSavvy has the best price on new products 67 percent of the time while Amazon has the best prices only 5 percent of the time. The average competitor has the best result only 17 percent of the time. For used products, ShopSavvy has the best price 96 percent of the time, while eBay's RedLaser only has the best prices 12 percent of the time. The average shopping platform has the best prices 9.5 percent of the time.
"Our brand promise to ShopSavvy customers is to provide a neutral and unbiased shopping experience. We are not trying to steer customers to any particular retailer or skew the playing field for one retailer versus another. We are committed to building a healthier and more vibrant marketplace for our customers and leveraging big data technology to help users shop smarter," Boyd said.
Earlier this year, ShopSavvy launched ShopSavvy Marketplace, which empowers retailers of all sizes to list their products for free within Product Cloud; retailers can access the portal at http://retailers.shopsavvy.com. More than 150 new retailers per month add their inventory and price information to ShopSavvy's shopping platform.
About ShopSavvy
ShopSavvy is the leading mobile shopping community, with more than 40 million downloads and millions of monthly active users. ShopSavvy empowers smartphone users to quickly and seamlessly locate, research and buy products at the point of sale. When users scan a barcode or input a product name, they discover where the item is sold locally and online, where it's in stock and at what price. ShopSavvy aggregates product data, deals, ratings and reviews from retailers, partners and its own users to provide the most comprehensive source of information and advice for mobile shoppers anywhere. For advertisers, ShopSavvy delivers hyper-relevant deals, promotions, warranty offers and other UPC/GPS-targeted content to consumers. For more information, visit http://shopsavvy.com.
Altai Technologies Unwires the Copa Claro Nokia Tennis Exhibition Matches in Argentina
HONG KONG, Dec 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Altai Technologies Limited today announced that the Copa Claro Nokia Tennis Exhibition Matches in Buenos Aires, Argentina deployed Altai's Super WiFi Solution for wireless connectivity at the Estadio Tigre Tenis. The Copa Claro Nokia exhibition matches, between Roger Federer vs Juan Martin Del Potro, were a 2-day event held on Dec 12-13, 2012. The exhibition matches created a buzz in Argentina attracting over 40,000 tennis lovers to attend this spectacular event. Multiradio, a leading system integrator in Argentina was awarded the contract to design and build the wireless network using Altai Super WiFi equipment.
Claro was the main sponsor of the event and was responsible for providing WiFi connectivity to the working staff of the exhibition matches for ticket accreditation service as well as the press members that covered the event. Hundreds of journalists attended the event creating a strong demand on outdoor wireless access. Claro selected Altai's Super WiFi technology due to its superior performance and high reliability. The Altai A8, A8Ei, A8i and A2e were installed on a cellular tower to provide stable and high speed WiFi connectivity.
Dr. Bill Wong, CTO & acting CEO of Altai Technologies said, "We are proud to be selected as the technology partner for such an important event. Using cellular architecture similar to GSM, Altai equipment provides significantly larger coverage and higher throughput capacity than standard WiFi access points. Interference is managed through an Adaptive Interference Control system, which allows A8 series Super WiFi Base Stations to co-locate with 2.5G/3G cell sites. As a result, it has greatly shortened the deployment time. As well, most of the site acquisition costs, site rental, wired backhaul costs, radio planning works can be saved."
The wireless network covered the entire 60,000 sq.m., and most traffic was photographers/journalists uploading pictures, videos and news reports together with the ticket validation system. The Estadio Tigre Tenis is located in the town of Tigre, Buenos Aires of Argentina with a maximum seating capacity of 20,000.
The Altai Super WiFi Solution has been proven in both urban and rural applications, tier-one carriers and vertical markets including container ports, airports, hotels, shopping malls, campus in over 60 countries.
About Altai Technologies
Altai Technologies is a high technology company focused on the design, development and marketing of carrier-grade, innovative wireless broadband solutions. Altai has developed its patented long range WiFi technology that can dramatically improve the WiFi signal coverage while minimizing interference from other signals broadcasting within the 2.4GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum. Altai's products are currently deployed worldwide in every major industry including logistic, education, municipal government, network operator, hospitality, manufacturing etc. The Altai Super WiFi Solution is offering a total wireless solution comprising of base station (A8/A8n series), access point (A2/A2e), CPE (C1/U1), access controller and wireless management software (AWMS).
Altai's flagship product, the A8 Super WiFi base station, is being deployed with various WiMax, 3G, CDMA and GSM mobile systems globally for 3G data offloading and city-wide WiFi networks. The Altai Super WiFi Solution has been proven in both urban and rural applications in over 60 countries and regions.
BetVictor Launches Native iPhone App into the Apple Store
LONDON, December 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
BetVictor is pleased to announce that it has recently launched its native iPhone
application into the Apple App Store.
The application is fully native to the iPhone, and has been developed in house by
BetVictor's own team of IOS developers. The App has been launched into the Store following
a 15-month period of development and testing. BetVictor believes that this new application
delivers customers a vastly improved experience on iPhone; it is also available to iPad
users though it is not yet customized for this device.
The key benefits that BetVictor customers will see in the new BetVictor native iPhone
application include:
- An intuitive user journey and experience, with features built to fully
utilize the iPhone's existing technology and behaviour.
- A fully integrated Casino product accessible from within the Application.
- A fully integrated Live Betting section with improved scoreboards and data
feeds.
- Improved market layout including football coupons making multiple betting far
easier.
- Real Time Prices.
- Faster and easier market navigation including the ability to customize your
favourite sports and markets.
- Improved betslip
- Quick and easy access to the Account section with full deposit and withdrawal
functionality.
- Silks and data on all racecards and live streaming of UK and International
racing.
- The ability to easily move between products with the app pausing gameplay
within a product and then returning you to your point of exit.
BetVictor has also upgraded its existing web applications available at http://www.betvictor.mobi so that these products now deliver a superior experience for
those customers betting on an Android device or on a Blackberry. In particular this
upgrade has delivered an optimised tablet offering giving an enhanced experience to all
tablet users. A native iPad application is expected to launch in the first quarter of
2013.
Commenting on the new BetVictor native iPhone application, Chairman Victor Chandler
said;
"I am delighted to introduce the launch of our own native iPhone Application, a
product that has been developed solely for the iPhone rather than a conversion of our web
content. It is something we are extremely proud of and the feedback we have had from our
customers' to date suggests it is a real winner and once again sees us at the forefront of
technological advances in the gaming industry."
About BetVictor
BetVictor is one of Europe's leading and most distinctive betting companies.
Established in 1946 BetVictor has over half a million customers in 160 different
countries. Often described as a visionary Chairman Victor Chandler, who had from an early
stage recognized the growth in international markets, relocated to Gibraltar in 1999 where
he was able to offer sports betting free from the 9% UK tax. In 2006 the Racing Post wrote
Chandler is "arguably the most famous bookmaker in the world" and the company continues to
thrive with a reputation for being pioneers in the gaming industry with a desire and
willingness to meet and satisfy the changing needs and expectations of its expanding
customer base.