From Bowls to Bears, Verizon Wireless' 3G Network Gets Better Every Day
Investments Enhance the Nation's Largest, Most Reliable 3G Network
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The biggest sporting event of the year, a rare moment in natural history, expanded coverage in mountain states - Verizon Wireless' ongoing enhancements to the nation's largest and most reliable 3G wireless network continue to touch customers and bring key moments to life.
Football fans, nature lovers, skiers and snowboarders rejoice. Last week alone, Verizon Wireless enhanced its 3G network across the country, from the site of the big game in Texas to snow country in the Rockies.
For starters, Verizon Wireless network technicians in Dallas, Texas have been preparing to ensure peak performance for the upcoming football championship game. In anticipation of higher voice calling and data use volumes around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Verizon Wireless network teams have enhanced coverage in and around the stadium, at related venues, as well as all thoroughfares leading to and from these locations.
In Utah and Idaho, new Verizon Wireless cell sites enhance coverage in Salt Lake City and Ketchum, gateways to some of the northern Rockies' most popular winter resorts, making wireless calling, text messaging and surfing the Web on the Verizon Wireless high-speed 3G network fast and easy.
In addition, the strength and reliability of Verizon Wireless' 3G network allowed a worldwide audience to watch live video of Lily the Bear as she prepared to give birth in Minnesota. Verizon Wireless provided a PC card and unlimited data service to connect a variety of highly developed equipment that are being used to monitor the bear, including high-tech cameras, back-up power techniques, unique deep cycle batteries, and much more.
Verizon Wireless' network enhancements are part of the company's aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand for voice and data services. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $65 billion in its nationwide network since it was formed - $6 billion on average every year.
More Information Available
-- Follow VZWNetwork on Twitter for ongoing network updates, enhancements
and information.
-- See video footage of Verizon Wireless' year-round network preparations
across the country on YouTube and in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia
Library.
-- Find additional network announcements in the Verizon Wireless News
Center.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
SOURCE Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
CONTACT: Tom Pica, Verizon Wireless, +1-908-559-7516, Thomas.Pica@verizonwireless.com, http://twitter.com/VZWNetwork
CompuTaught Provides Live Online Advanced Appraisal Courses
New Instructor-Led Online Classes Promote a Traditional Classroom Experience Through the Convenience of a Personal Computer
STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CompuTaught, part of Cengage Learning and a leading developer of computer-based real estate education, today unveiled a new series of live, instructor-led, advanced appraisal courses that will be offered online via WebEx.
The new online courses feature CompuTaught's standard online registration, administration and learning management support systems while combining real-time instruction with WebEx's synchronous, interactive delivery, bringing a live classroom experience to the student's personal computer. These live, online appraisal courses have gained both International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC) and Appraiser Qualification Board (AQB) approval and will be delivered in accordance with individual state regulations.
With all of the features of an onsite classroom and more, the courses feature a virtual classroom environment with audio, video, screen and document sharing, chat and other interactive elements, with instant access to required course materials. To aid with testing and engagement, the classes also include incremental assessment exams which are reviewed live by the instructors to ensure understanding. Courses include random individual student inquiries throughout the duration to verify student identity and engagement. In addition, students receive information on scheduling the proctored final exam for the course (if required).
"Moving through this digital age, the traditional classroom is shifting and a recent growth in online education is giving us the opportunity to transform the way we teach and deliver content," said Dave Shaut, vice president, CompuTaught. "These new live courses combine the trusted reliability of our computer-based real estate and appraisal education with the convenience of live instruction. We strive to continually evolve with our ever-changing customers and provide them with the most convenient and cost effective ways to work toward their real estate and appraisal education goals."
The first course to be introduced, Statistics, Modeling and Finance, will be offered on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8. The course will be led by Certified General Real Estate Appraisers and award-winning instructors Mark A. Munizzo and Lisa Virruso Musial. This course comes at an important time for the industry, as Bradford Technologies' Appraisal Industry Predictions for 2011 indicate that certified residential appraisers and other real estate professionals are searching for courses on statistics, applied regression and advanced valuation skills to stay current or advance their career. As CompuTaught builds its catalog of advanced appraisal courses offered online, the following classes will become available in coming months:
-- General Report Writing and Case Studies
-- Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies
-- General Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use
-- General Sales Comparison Approach
-- General Site Valuation and Cost Approach
-- General Income Approach
"As the first to offer live, online, advanced-level appraisal courses, CompuTaught is continuing to establish itself as a pioneer in distance learning for the real estate professions," said Bud Hunsucker, vice president, business development and school operations, CompuTaught. "These courses will give appraisers and real estate professionals easy access to a quality education by covering topics that are hard to find locally, helping to advance the careers of its students."
"Many students operate under the false impression that online learning is inferior to a traditional classroom," said Sam Martin, educator, certified appraiser and creator of samthetutor.com. "In fact, according to a recent white paper from the U.S. Department of Education, online courses are just as effective as conventional classroom instruction, proving these new courses from CompuTaught as a convenient and interactive alternative for students who are seeking state approved education."
For more information on the new courses, CompuTaught's Educational Referral Network program or other online or computer-based courses offered, please visit http://www.computaught.com or http://www.cengage.com.
About CompuTaught
CompuTaught, part of Cengage Learning, is a market leader in the computer-based real estate learning market. In 1989, CompuTaught was the first in the country to offer state-approved real estate licensing courses on computer and continues to be the leading developer of computer-based education for the real estate and appraisal professions. It currently distributes its courses through more than 300 independent schools, with about 50,000 enrollments annually. For more information on CompuTaught, please visit http://www.computaught.com.
About Cengage Learning
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. The company's products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and professional development, increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes. Cengage Learning's brands include Heinle, Gale, Wadsworth, Delmar, Brooks/Cole and South-Western, among others. For more information on Cengage Learning please visit http://www.cengage.com.
Nomad Editions Announces Official Launch; Releases First Four Editions of Digital Weeklies
First-of-their-kind digital weekly publications for iPhone, iPad and other mobile devices officially launch
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nomad Editions, a new media company producing first-of-their-kind digital weekly publications designed exclusively for mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPad and other platforms, today announced its official launch--marked by the debut of its full digital platform and the first complete wave of weekly titles--Real Eats, Wide Screen, Wave Lines and BodySmart.
The response generated by the content released in advance of this launch has been highly positive, with several thousand subscribers already registered for the Nomad Editions platform ahead of official launch date.
In addition to the official launch of its first four titles, Nomad Editions has announced it will be working with National Geographic Traveler to prototype a digital weekly based on updated archival material and photography. If successful this new product will be a brand extension of National Geographic Traveler and marketed through Nomad Editions' newsstand.
Led by former Newsweek President Mark Edmiston and media veterans with decades of combined experience, Nomad Editions employs cutting edge technology to drive a unique subscription-based business model in which the content creators share substantially in the revenue generated by their work. Nomad Editions represent a new media form designed from the ground up to be consumed on smartphones and tablets. Every Nomad Edition delivers original, high quality content that combines the capabilities of the online world with the traditional virtues of expert storytelling in words and pictures.
Nomad Editions employs Treesaver, developed by designer Roger Black and former Microsoft engineer Filipe Fortes that uses HTML5 to automatically format the content of each edition to fit any browser and optimize the user experience across multiple devices.
Following the release of its Editorial Roster of award-winning media professionals and the creation of the Custom Media division led by former Inc. Magazine editor Chris Leach, Nomad Editions has solidified its rich platform. Under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief John Benditt, Nomad Editions consistently generate high-quality content for a diverse array of topics such as food, film, surfing and intelligent weight control. More issues on subjects such as personal finance, dogs and wine will be launched in the coming months. The first full wave of Nomad Editions includes:
Real Eats - Stories behind food, edited by Sean Elder whose work appeared in New York, the New York Times Magazine, Details, Vogue, Elle, Men's Journal, National Geographic, Premiere, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Redbook and Glamour. Content debuted on Dec. 3, andrecent stories include three men on a mission to find the best barbecue below the Mason-Dixon line, one man's dream of bringing the bagels of his Brooklyn youth to the adopted land of his grandparents, and a modest proposal for bringing reasoned discourse to our society through the dinner table.
Wide Screen - Provides insight behind the movies that matter, edited by Glenn Kenny, a renowned American film critic who is the former editor of Premiere magazine and contributing writer to many publications. Content debuted on Dec. 8, andrecent stories include a two-part roundtable from a roster of top critics on the best films of 2010 and what to look forward to in 2011, an appreciation of Joan Fontaine's greatest film, and an exploration of whether endless access to selective cinematic riches makes geeks of us all.
Wave Lines - All you need to know about surfing and the surf industry edited by Jon Cohen, a trusted surf blogger at ESPN.com. Content debuted on Dec. 3, andrecent stories include an inside story of coming this close to winning a major surf competition, a report on how surfers age, and an investigative report on the battle over a prime piece of surf real estate in Baja.
BodySmart - Will be launched on January 26. It will offer, in easily accessible form, with great writing and illustration, the latest conclusions validated by science for maintaining your health and fitness. In particular, BodySmart will focus in on intelligent weight loss, an area where new science has a lot to say and where much of the conventional wisdom is wrong.
"The launch of Nomad Editions marks a major step forward in how media content will be consumed in the digital age," said Mark Edmiston, CEO of Nomad Editions. "For the first time ever, readers now have a platform that they can trust for a high-quality, enjoyable and interactive reading experience that was designed specifically for their mobile device of choice. We're very pleased with the positive reception we've received from our subscribers in advance of today's launch, and look forward to developing additional publications that service special interest areas in a multitude of subjects beyond these four titles."
"Editorially, Nomad Editions is an exciting adventure in creating an entirely new form of publication," said editor-in-chief John Benditt. "Our goal is to find passionate, literate, expert editors and collaborate with them to realize their visions. We've made a very good start on that with our first three editions--strong voices, smart content--and we intend to keep adding new Nomad Editions at a good clip right through 2011. For me, it's a great pleasure to work with editors and writers of the caliber that we've recruited to Nomad."
Readers can register at NomadEditions.com to receive unlimited access to all Nomad Editions for 30 days. After this initial trial period, readers can subscribe to one or more titles for $6 per three month period. Each Nomad Edition covers one niche subject and contains approximately 20 to 30 minutes worth of content for the average reader. All editorial content will be archived and searchable on the Nomad Editions web site. For more information, including instructions on how to register for free one-month trial subscriptions to Nomad Editions' digital weeklies, please go to http://www.nomadeditions.com.
About Nomad Editions: Nomad Editions is a unique media marketplace that provides readers with digital publications on a wide range of subjects, developed specifically for mobile devices. High-quality editorial and rich multimedia capabilities are enhanced by new technology that automatically formats content onto the web browser of any mobile device, ensuring easy engagement and mobility on this new media format. Founded by Mark Edmiston, former Newsweek President and long time media investment banker, and media veterans Marjorie Martay and Jock Spivy with renowned designer Roger Black as Design Director--Nomad Editions uses a subscription-based business model where editors, writers and contributors are fairly compensated for their creativity.
SOURCE Nomad Editions
Nomad Editions
CONTACT: Matt Rizzetta, North 6th Agency, Inc., mrizzetta@north6thagency.com, +1-917-398-0818
Debuts short, absorbing digital books designed to communicate a single idea
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --TED, the nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, today launches TEDBooks, an imprint of short nonfiction works designed for digital distribution. Shorter than traditional books, TEDBooks run 10,000-20,000 words each, long enough to explain a powerful idea, but short enough to be read in a single sitting. TEDBooks are available today from Amazon.com as Kindle Singles (http://www.amazon.com/kindlesingles)
"The success of TEDTalks has demonstrated that millions of people around the world are hungry to absorb new ideas," said TED curator Chris Anderson. "But not everyone has the time to go out and read an entire book on an interesting subject. TEDBooks fill that gap. Their shorter format allows someone to see an idea fleshed out in a satisfying way -- without having to set aside a week of reading time."
"Our goal with Singles is to allow compelling ideas to be expressed at their natural length. TEDBooks fit nicely within that mission," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. "TED has a great history of bringing important ideas to a wider audience, and we expect TEDBooks will add to that legacy."
The first three TEDBooks are written by TED speakers, and expand on ideas voiced from the TED stage, furthering the reach of a single idea, discovery or vision. These three titles are available for download from Amazon today as Kindles Singles, with more to follow shortly:
-- Nic Marks, The Happiness Manifesto: How Nations and People Can Nurture
Well-Being
-- Gever Tulley, Dangerism: Why We Worry About the Wrong Things, and What
It's Doing to Our Kids
-- Juan Enriquez and Steve Gullans, Homo Evolutis: Please Meet the Next
Human Species
TED's mission is to facilitate the sharing of great ideas. With their short, punchy format, TEDBooks will empower a new type of author: people who have something really important to share with the world, but who are too busy to author a long-form book. For where a traditional book might take a year to write and a year to publish, a TEDBook can be written in a month and published shortly after.
TEDBooks will also tap into changing reader behavior. By making ideas accessible in a way that matches modern attention spans, TEDBooks aim to stimulate and satisfy the curiosity of a new generation of time-constrained knowledge-seekers. With fewer hours in the day to read, people can finish a highly focused TEDBook on a single plane flight or morning commute.
Added Anderson: "The world of ideas has never been more interesting. I look at the community of people who've given a TEDTalk and see hundreds of possibilities for mini-books that would make a fantastic contribution to our shared conversation about the world's future. I can't wait to get them out there, and I can't wait to read them!"
With a list price at $2.99 each, TEDBooks are available for download as Kindle Singles (http://www.amazon.com/kindlesingles) from Amazon. Customers can purchase these books and read them on Kindle devices, on iPads, iPod touches, iPhones, Macs, PCs, BlackBerrys, Windows Phones and Android-based devices. To learn more about TEDBooks, visitors can go to: http://www.ted.com/pages/tedbooks.
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. At TED, the world's leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Two major TED events are held each year: The TED Conference takes place every spring in Long Beach, California (along with a parallel conference, TEDActive, in Palm Springs), and TEDGlobal is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.
TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide.
TED2011, "The Rediscovery of Wonder," will be held February 28- March 4, 2011, in Long Beach, California, along with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs, California. TEDGlobal 2011, "The Stuff of Life," will be held July 11-15, 2011, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.
Buzztime Launches Android Phone Application for its Trivia Bar Games
CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN), a leading social entertainment and integrated marketing platform for bars and restaurants, announced that the company is further tapping into the smart phone category with the release of its new downloadable application for Android owners. Effective today, registered players can download the Buzztime application from the Android marketplace and use their Android phones when playing Buzztime bar games.
In 2010, Buzztime introduced its revolutionary iPhone application to millions of owners of the popular phone. This year, Buzztime continues the push into the smart phone category by releasing a version for Android owners. Both applications, developed by the interactive social gaming company, offer players an exciting new way to enjoy Buzztime games. With this application, each smart phone becomes a Buzztime Mobile Playmaker which mimics the function of Buzztime's traditional game console, the Playmaker®, in a graphically engaging and simple way. The Android phone application allows players to register for and connect to Buzztime, find locations, and play their favorite sports, trivia and card games.
"Buzztime continuously looks to bring innovation to our players and partners with new technology and exciting games," noted Michael J. Bush, president and CEO, NTN Buzztime, Inc. "The company's Android phone application further deepens our ability to attract the ever growing smart phone market and invite them into the Buzztime game universe. We continue to provide our players with improved experiences and our bar and restaurant clients with added value."
"I was amazed at how easy it was to set up the app and get started. Everything works as promised, making for quick and painless game playing," said Scott Webster from Android Guys. "The simple and intuitive interface keeps participants from getting overwhelmed or distracted. I might be biased, but I'd prefer to use my Android smart phone as opposed to the Playmakers offered at the restaurant. I also like that everyone in my party can play along without cluttering the table top or waiting for equipment."
Buzztime employs its network of 3,900 bars and restaurants to strategically reach targeted audiences in a unique way. Additionally, Buzztime engages more than 1,500,000 players who participate in 50,000,000 bar trivia, cards and sports games each year on its network.
Buzztime provides clients with branded sports and interactive bar games that align with the brands' marketing campaigns; live hosted trivia tournaments throughout the United States; and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives through Buzztime's social networking and e-mail marketing campaigns.
About Buzztime
NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN) is a leading bar and restaurant social entertainment and integrated marketing platform. Trusted by approximately 3,900 and restaurants in North America since 1985, Buzztime integrates trivia, card and sports games with in- and out-of-venue messaging and communication tools. With over 1,500,000 registered consumers and more than 50,000,000 games played each year, Buzztime players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition. With Buzztime entertainment and marketing solutions, bars and restaurants attract new customers, turn casual visitors into regulars, and give guests a reason to stay longer. For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit http://www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Forward-looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management's current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about penetration of the smart phone market, improved user experience, added value and number of locations, players and games. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include the risks of adverse economic conditions, failure of customer and/or player demand, lower market acceptance or appeal of both existing and new products and services by particular demographic groups or audiences as a whole, termination of partnership and contractual relationships, the impact of competitive products and pricing and technical problems or outages. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.'s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Don Williams
Williams Group Public Relations
760-707-4589
don@williamsgrouppr.com
Iconix Brand Group, Inc. Unveils Candie's Spring 2011 Advertising Campaign Featuring Actress Vanessa Hudgens
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICON) unveiled today its spring 2011 multi-media advertising and marketing campaign featuring actress Vanessa Hudgens for its junior brand, Candie's®. Vanessa Hudgens is an award-winning actress and recording artist known for her starring role in the High School Musical movie series. Hudgens is following the highly successful Candie's campaigns with superstar Britney Spears. Candie's is sold exclusively at Kohl's Department Stores nationwide (NYSE: KSS) and Kohls.com.
"Ever since I saw Fergie do the ads for Candie's, I fell in love. It's such an honor to be a Candie's girl," commented Vanessa Hudgens. She added, "We had a blast shooting the campaign, one of my favorite sets was using the diner countertop as a runway, it's definitely not every day I get to do that."
The campaign was shot at the Pink Motel in Sun Valley, CA by fashion photographer Tony Duran. In classic Candie's style, Hudgens poses playfully in the motel's diner dancing on the counter, outside with a neon sign holding balloons and in one of the motel's rooms having a pillow fight. The marketing campaign was created by the Iconix in-house marketing team.
Dari Marder, chief marketing officer, Iconix Brand Group, stated, "Candie's enjoyed a fantastic partnership with Britney Spears these past two years and for 2011, we proudly introduce our newest Candie's girl, Vanessa Hudgens, ushered in by none other than Britney herself. The campaign creative was inspired by Twitter with Vanessa offering fans behind the scenes-like photos and sound bites about each shot."
The campaign will debut in March issues of fashion and lifestyle magazines such as Seventeen, Teen Vogue and Cosmopolitan and Kohl's marketing vehicles such as outdoor billboards, in-store graphics, tab, online and direct mail.
Julie Gardner, Kohl's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, stated, "Vanessa Hudgens is relevant in today's pop culture and a style icon. We are very excited to feature her in our spring Candie's campaign and are confident she will resonate with our young shoppers who want great style at a great value."
Hudgens will make personal appearances on behalf of Candie's as well as attend a launch party for the brand. She will star in the upcoming films Beastly and Sucker Punch this spring.
While serving as the Candie's spokesperson, Vanessa will be tweeting from the Candie's Twitter page, giving Candie's followers a behind the scenes glimpse into her world. Her tweets will all contain a "- Vanessa" at the end. To follow Vanessa and Candie's follow @Candiesbrand on Twitter and become a fan of Candie's on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/candies.
Past Candie's spokespeople include Britney Spears, Fergie, Hilary Duff, Jenny McCarthy and the Dixie Chicks.
About Iconix Brand Group, Inc: Iconix Brand Group, Inc. owns, licenses and markets a growing portfolio of consumer brands including CANDIE'S (R), BONGO (R), BADGLEY MISCHKA (R), JOE BOXER (R) RAMPAGE (R) MUDD (R), LONDON FOG (R), MOSSIMO (R) OCEAN PACIFIC(R), DANSKIN (R) ROCA WEAR(R), CANNON (R), ROYAL VELVET (R), FIELDCREST (R), CHARISMA (R), STARTER (R) and WAVERLY (R). In addition, Iconix owns an interest in the ARTFUL DODGER (R), ED HARDY (R), ECKO (R), MARC ECKO (R), ZOO YORK (R), MATERIAL GIRL(TM) and PEANUTS (R) brands. The Company licenses its brands to a network of leading retailers and manufacturers that touch every major segment of retail distribution from the luxury market to the mass market in both the U.S. and worldwide. Through its in-house business development, merchandising, advertising and public relations departments Iconix manages its brands to drive greater consumer awareness and equity.
About Kohl's: Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. Kohl's operates 1,089 stores in 49 states with a commitment to environmental leadership. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl's has raised more than $150 million for children's initiatives nationwide through its Kohl's Cares(R) cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit http://www.kohls.com.
Contact:
Tara Levy
Iconix Brand Group
Public Relations Director
212.730.0030/ tlevy@iconixbrand.com
Vicki Shamion
Kohl's Department Stores
Senior Vice President of Public and
Community Relations
262.703.1464/ Vicki.shamion@kohls.com
SOURCE Iconix Brand Group, Inc.
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110126/NY36312 http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Iconix Brand Group, Inc.
CONTACT: Tara Levy, Iconix Brand Group, Public Relations Director, +1-212-730-0030, tlevy@iconixbrand.com; Vicki Shamion, Kohl's Department Stores, Senior Vice President of Public and Community Relations, +1-262-703-1464, Vicki.shamion@kohls.com
New Version of NetSuite Software Company Edition Automates Renewal Management
End-to-End Solution for Subscription Renewal Management Supports All Types of Revenue Models
SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N), the industry's leading provider of cloud-based financials / ERP software suites, today announced a new version of NetSuite Software Company Edition designed for software companies grappling with the challenges of managing an array of varying revenue models, including the most complex processes for supporting recurring revenue management streams. The new software brings automation and real-time visibility to the management of renewals, billing and complex contract management. By unifying these typically disparate processes into one software product, NetSuite delivers end-to-end contract renewal management software that reduces errors, enhances close rates, limits churn and brings a new level of efficiency to billing and revenue management processes.
This latest version of NetSuite Software Company Edition cements NetSuite's position as the leading cloud ERP software for today's most cutting edge and fastest growing software companies. Today, NetSuite software runs critical business processes for hundreds of the industry's leading software companies, including RightNow Technologies, LogMeIn Inc., SuccessFactors, CA Technologies and SolarWinds. For more information, please visit http://www.netsuite.com/renewal-management.
NetSuite Ideal Fit for SaaS Companies
While the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model is far outpacing the older on-premise model, the tools available today to help SaaS companies manage key revenue and contract management processes are woefully inadequate. Today, many companies still rely on highly inefficient, spreadsheet-driven manual processes. NetSuite Software Company Edition eliminates the need for spreadsheets by providing a completely integrated and automated system that combines subscription renewals, billing and complex contract management with the company's award-winning financial management suite.
"Winning software companies today are choosing NetSuite to run their businesses," said Jim McGeever, NetSuite COO. "There's no other product on the market that combines the productivity and cost-savings benefits of cloud computing with the deep functional capabilities software companies need to run efficiently and scale."
The new capabilities in NetSuite Software Company Edition are available as an add-on module to NetSuite's core ERP suite. Key features include:
-- Renewal Automation - Reduces the manual effort typically associated with
the renewals process and enables customers to automatically generate
renewal transactions based on a pre-defined window, such as 90 days
before expiration.
-- Uplift and Discount Management - Enables increased pricing granularity,
flexibility and discounting both during the creation of a contract and
the upsell process.
-- Reporting and Visibility - Real-time dashboards provide critical key
performance indicators (KPIs) such as recurring revenue, renewal
pipeline and upsell as well as analysis of customer and contract types.
-- Revenue Recognition - Provides flexibility to separate revenue
recognition from billing milestones, a critical requirement for some
companies to meet new revenue recognition guidelines.
Breach is available online and in retail stores for an incredibly low price
RALEIGH, N. C., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Atomic Games, a developer of simulations for US military and intelligence agencies and a pioneer in military action games, announced today its seminal game, Breach, is available today for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. Breach costs 1200 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 or is available for $19.99, or less, on Windows PC through major retailers nationwide, Steam®, and Direct2Drive®. It has been rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB.
"We are proud to release an original title that has the quality and innovation of a major retail game at a price anyone can afford," said Peter Tamte. "By using technology originally built for Six Days in Fallujah, Breach offers features no one else can match at any price. Our destruction and cover systems will forever change the way games are played."
Breach is unlike any other game. It is the first military shooter to use precise and massive destruction to change the very nature of multiplayer combat. Combined with an advanced cover system where players can use cover even while it is being destroyed around them, Breach enables real-world tactics never possible before now. Breach offers this destruction and active cover system all in a package that costs less than US$20.00.
Headquartered in Raleigh, NC, Atomic Games creates simulations for the world's leading military and intelligence organizations and pioneers new kinds of military and action video games.
For more information on Atomic Games please contact us at the number above or visit our website at http://www.atomic.com.
Atomic Games and Atomic Games logo are registered trademarks of Atomic Games, Inc. All other company or government agency names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Video and Screenshot Assets may be found at: www.breachgame/press.com
For further information, please contact
---------------------------------------
Atomic Games Media:
David Tractenberg
(310) 453-2050 x111
david@tractionpr.com
SOURCE Atomic Games
Atomic Games
CONTACT: David Tractenberg, +1-310-453-2050, ext. 111, david@tractionpr.com, for Atomic Games
Committee Focuses On Best Practices and Standards Around Interactive Voice Services In Mobile Marketing
BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- During the MMA CBP Forum (Consumer Best Practices) held today in Florida, the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association) (http://www.mmaglobal.com) announced the formation of the MMA Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Committee. The Committee's objectives are educating the marketplace, creating best practices and building standards around the effective use of interactive voice services in mobile marketing. As mobile marketing continues to become more refined and engaging to consumers, interactive voice response (IVR) services are being used with greater frequency and the MMA wants to help guide its use for the benefit of both marketers and consumers.
"With the increasing use of interactive voice and the audio channel in mobile marketing, the time has come for mobile marketers to share our experiences, develop best practices and create guidelines to best use this medium to successfully deliver marketing communication and create broad acceptance by consumers," said Michael Becker, North America Managing Director of the MMA. "The goal of the IVR Committee is to oversee the development of these standards, communicate them to the industry and support their use in the marketplace."
The MMA IVR Committee is scheduled to meet for the first time in the middle of February. The committee will be open to MMA members who are interested in participating in the development of guidelines, best practices, educational workshops, open forums and other relevant information to further the reasonable use of IVR based mobile marketing. The Committee will be co-chaired by Dennis Becker from CommerceTel Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: MFON), a leading provider of mobile marketing technology that has been at the forefront of providing voice and IVR services in conjunction with text messaging to mobile marketing campaigns.
"We are honored to be selected to help lead the MMA's IVR Committee. It will be a great opportunity to speak to the mobile marketing community about our experiences with adding interactive voice to their campaigns," said Dennis Becker, CEO of CommerceTel.
To learn more about the IVR Sub-Committee, call 855-MMA-4IVR.
About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association representing all players in the mobile marketing value chain. With more than 700 member companies, the MMA is an action-oriented organization with global focus, regional actions and local relevance. The MMA's primary focus is to establish mobile as an indispensable part of the marketing mix. The MMA works to promote, educate, measure, guide and protect the mobile marketing industry worldwide. The MMA's global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit http://www.mmaglobal.com.
NComputing Re-Writes Computer Lab Economics With Launch of Classroom in a Box
Transforms Economics and Deployment of Computer Labs : up to 75% Less Lifecycle Cost Compared to PCs
REDWOOD CITY, California, January 26, 2011/PRNewswire/ -- NComputing, a global leader in desktop virtualization, today unveiled a
vertical market expansion strategy, and availability of its first vertical
market solution, NComputing Classroom In A Box. Designed specifically for the
education market, Classroom In A Box is a complete, pre-tested and validated
desktop virtualization solution based on the company's virtual desktops and
vSpace virtualization software. It comprises all the software infrastructure,
hardware, peripherals, OS environment, and services an education institution
needs to set up a computer lab at a fraction of the cost of traditional PC
deployments.
Because NComputing Classroom In A Box comes with all peripherals, virtual
desktops and software pre- tested for compatibility and integration, it
requires minimal set up, support or maintenance. As well as significant
savings on initial purchase price compared to PCs, it delivers on-going cost
savings of up to 90% lower energy costs and 75% reduction in maintenance and
support. Classroom In a Box comes with NComputing virtual desktop devices and
vSpace virtualization software which transforms the typical virtual desktop
structure from one user per virtual machine to thirty users per virtual
machine. Important to the education market, NComputing Classroom In A Box
supports both Windows and Linux platforms.
The impact of damage, loss or theft of desktop devices is minimized due
to the low replacement cost of the virtual desktop hardware; and data and
student security is enhanced due to the fact that internet filters,
applications and data reside on the server not on the client. Because of the
small footprint size of NComputing virtual desktops, it helps solve the
problem of cramped classrooms and labs. Plus, truly green computing
environments are created that produce vastly less e-waste and up to 90% less
energy consumption.
Commented Jim McHugh, NComputing SVP global marketing "We already account
for 15% of shipping K12 desktop access devices in the US; we're involved in
one of the world's largest 'desktop for every child' initiatives in Macedonia
with a deployment of 200,000 NComputing devices in schools throughout the
country; and in the last three years alone we have provided computing access
to 18000 schools around India. No one gets education like we do. Classroom In
A Box captures all our knowledge and expertise of what's most useful and
important to education and makes it available in the most cost effective and
simple to deploy manner."
NComputing Classroom In A Box is available immediate from leading
education technology distributors. For more information and configuration
options http://www.ncomputing.com/classroom-in-a-box
About NComputing: NComputing, Inc. is the fastest growing desktop
virtualisation company in the world with over 20 million daily users in 140
countries.
Source: NComputing
Media contact: Steven Fielding : Rainemakers/BondPR, steven@rainemakers.com , +1-415-848-2626.
ignitAd Launches Self-service Ad Optimization Solution for Publishers
ignitAd Introduces the First ad Optimization Solution With Proprietary Bid Optimization Management Technology Which Enables Publishers to Optimize Their Bidding & Generate Greater Revenue Through Predictive Analysis & Advanced Bidding Technology
TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
ignitAd (http://www.ignitad.com), the intuitive self-service ad optimization solution provider, is announcing the launch of its ad optimization solution featuring Bid Optimization Management(TM), a proprietary predictive analysis and advanced bidding technology that helps publishers increase their advertising revenue.
To date, the company has secured $2 million in funding led by DFJ Tamir Fishman Ventures and JVP Media Labs.
ignitAd provides a user-friendly and transparent self-service ad optimization solution that auctions any publisher's available display ad inventory across ad exchanges, ad networks and other demand-side partners. By making ad optimization intuitive and efficient for publishers of any size, ignitAd is creating new content monetization opportunities for its demand-side partners.
What differentiates ignitAd's ad optimization solution from others in the online advertising market is its Bid Optimization Management technology, which is based on a proprietary predictive analysis and advanced bidding algorithms. By forecasting demand patterns at various price points using advanced predictive analysis algorithms, ignitAd's Bid Optimization Management technology can proactively predict the highest paying advertising source for each impression, thereby achieving optimal revenue for the publisher.
For ad networks, ad exchanges and demand-side partners, the ignitAd solution provides an extended reach along with complete publisher transparency and visibility, ensuring that every ad can be traced to the very page of web content on which it ran.
"We were instantly impressed by ignitAd's excellent service, which got us started on the yield optimization process in no time," said Mr. Eyal Halimi, co-founder and CEO, ArticlesBase.com, a top-300 ranked publisher. "The technology resulted in much more consistent performance over all of our impressions."
"We've tried other leading yield optimization solutions, and chose ignitAd due to their better results," added Halimi.
"With the greatest opportunities in display advertising available on a broad range of publishers, ignitAd's Bid Optimization Management and predictive analysis technology facilitates ad price optimization for each individual publisher, enabling us to turn any publisher into a premium publisher," said ignitAd CEO and co-founder Assaf Roth.
About ignitAd
ignitAd provides the intuitive self-service ad optimization solution for increasing yield for publishers of any size. Bid Optimization Management(TM), the company's proprietary predictive analysis and advanced bidding technology, can proactively predict the highest paying advertising source for each impression by forecasting demand patterns at various price points across all demand sources, thereby achieving optimal revenue for publishers. For ad networks, exchanges and DSPs, ignitAd provides a completely transparent ad optimization platform. ignitAd is backed by two highly distinguished VCs - JVP (http://www.jvpvc.com) and DFJ Tamir Fishman (http://www.dfjtamirfishman.com). The company was founded by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and executives coming from a number of successful companies including Celebros, FixYa, 888.com, and Certagon. For more information about Ad Optimization from ignitAd, please visit http://www.ignitad.com.
RSA Gives Small- and Mid-Sized Organizations Enterprise-Class Alternative to Risky Reliance on Passwords
EMC Security Division to Deliver RSA® Authentication Manager Express - Proven Multi-factor Security in Convenient Solution Optimized for SMBs
BEDFORD, Mass., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- RSA, The Security Division of EMC (NYSE: EMC) announced RSA(® )Authentication Manager Express, its newest strong authentication solution designed to meet the cost and convenience requirements of SMBs. The same risk-based RSA technology used to protect millions of online transactions every day and more than 250 million identities worldwide is being made available in a package that businesses of any size can use.
Today's organizations are faced with the challenges of an increasingly mobile workforce, stricter regulations, and advanced threats that target sensitive information and intellectual property. Both industry researchers and real-world security breach events have demonstrated for years that weak, password-only protection is no match for savvy cybercriminals and cannot be considered an effective method of preventing unauthorized users from accessing company resources.
RSA( )Authentication Manager Express is a risk-based and on-demand authentication system designed for organizations to provide up to 2,500 end users with secure access to data and business applications through SSL Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and online portals. The system employs an intelligent risk engine engineered to provide invisible, behind-the-scenes protection of web-based resources against unauthorized access. Users continue to employ their standard username and password. Security is stepped up when the risk engine detects abnormal behavior, requiring users to correctly answer personal challenge questions and/or enter SMS- or email-delivered one-time pass codes before access is granted.
"There has always been a need for strong authentication in small and mid-size organizations, yet adoption has been slow because most offerings have fallen short of meeting the cost and convenience needs of these customers," said Sally Hudson, Research Analyst at IDC. "Previous enterprise-class solutions have traditionally been too costly to deploy and manage for smaller organizations; cheaper alternatives lacked end-user convenience and didn't provide multi-layered protection. RSA Authentication Manager Express combines the best of RSA's expertise and innovation in enterprise and consumer authentication technology to provide the right balance of security, simplicity and features required by smaller organizations."
"Strong authentication has become a business requirement that is often mandated by regulations which apply to organizations of every size," said Tom Corn, Chief Strategy Officer for RSA, The Security Division of EMC. "Building on more than 25 years of innovation and leadership, we've engineered the RSA Authentication Manager Express solution to provide enterprise-class identity protection and security while also meeting vital ease of deployment, cost and end-user convenience requirements of SMBs. The solution also demonstrates a compelling model and vision for securing access to web-based applications and resources using smart phones and mobile devices that have become a mainstay for business end-users."
Easy Transition from Password-only to Strong Authentication
RSA( )Authentication Manager Express helps organizations ensure the highest confidence that only approved users are accessing data and applications without inconveniencing them. The solution offers an easy way for organizations - including those that have never deployed multi-factor authentication in their environments - to implement a stronger and more secure alternative to password-only protection within a solution that is easily installed and requires near-zero ongoing management.
Additional benefits:
-- Proven technology that can be tailored to an organization's resource
constraints, risk tolerance, and the profile of its users
-- Layered approach for added strength of security; is invisible to
end-users unless authentication is outside of established policy
-- Nothing for end-users to manage making it ideal for employee, partner
and client/customer use cases. Seamless integration with leading SSL
VPNs and Web Servers requiring minimal IT resources
-- Audit capabilities help organizations track what users are accessing to
meet changing compliance regulations; canned reports help simplify
proving compliance
"By adding an authentication solution based on RSA Authentication Manager Express to our portfolio, we anticipate being able to offer even more valuable services to both existing and new customer bases," said Richard van der Graaf, Security Consultant, CISSP, at Netherlands-based Vosko Networking B.V., a member of the RSA SecurWorld Partner Program. "In particular, we expect that organizations in the public sector - such as hospitals and local governments - with relatively small user numbers and straight-forward online security requirements, will appreciate the simplicity and ease-of-use of the solution."
"Most authentication solutions are geared towards the enterprise, but this platform is appliance-based and much more accessible for mid-market organizations," Morten Ekeroth Stenfeldt, Product Manager & Team Leader, IT Security at Denmark-based Distributor SEC DataCom A/S. "Being quick and simple to deploy as well, it's a compelling offering for mid-sized businesses and we look forward to helping our resellers engage with them by providing new security solutions based on RSA Authentication Manager Express."
"RSA Authentication Manager Express is another great example of RSA innovation that will help us meet strong demand from our mid-market customers for an industry-leading strong authentication solution designed specifically for them," said Justin Mescher, CTO of Chicago-based Integrated Data Storage Solutions. "RSA's product is cost-competitive, implements seamlessly into almost any IT environment and is designed to be one of the easiest ways to add another layer of security to resources that require end-user remote access. Coupled with an expanded set of RSA SecurWorld reseller training resources and benefits, we expect RSA Authentication Manager Express will help us drive new interest among mid-market customers that were previously hesitant to consider strong authentication solutions priced and designed for larger enterprises."
RSA Authentication Manager Express will be generally available in March 2011 through authorized RSA resellers and distributors. More information can be found online at: http://www.rsa.com/node.aspx?id=3843.
About RSA
RSA, The Security Division of EMC, is the premier provider of security, risk and compliance management solutions for business acceleration. RSA helps the world's leading organizations succeed by solving their most complex and sensitive security challenges. These challenges include managing organizational risk, safeguarding mobile access and collaboration, proving compliance, and securing virtual and cloud environments.
Combining business-critical controls in identity assurance, encryption & key management, SIEM, Data Loss Prevention and Fraud Protection with industry leading eGRC capabilities and robust consulting services, RSA brings visibility and trust to millions of user identities, the transactions that they perform and the data that is generated. For more information, please visit http://www.RSA.com and http://www.EMC.com.
RSA and RSA Authentication Manager Express are either registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other products and/or services referenced are trademarks of their respective companies.
This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ii) delays or reductions in information technology spending; (iii) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (iv) risks associated with managing the growth of our business, including risks associated with acquisitions and investments and the challenges and costs of integration, restructuring and achieving anticipated synergies; (v) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures and new product introductions; (vi) the relative and varying rates of product price and component cost declines and the volume and mixture of product and services revenues; (viii) component and product quality and availability; (viii) the transition to new products, the uncertainty of customer acceptance of new product offerings and rapid technological and market change; (ix) insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; (x) war or acts of terrorism; (xi) the ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; (xii) fluctuating currency exchange rates; (xiv) litigation that we may be involved in; and (xiii) other one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in the filings of EMC Corporation, the parent company of RSA, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. EMC and RSA disclaim any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.
SOURCE EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation
CONTACT: Kevin Kempskie, RSA, The Security Division of EMC, +1-781-515-5915, kevin.kempskie@rsa.com; Alison Parker, The OutCast Agency, +1-212-905-6048, Alison@theoutcastagency.com
Mac-Gray Corporation Announces 'Digital Laundry is Here(TM)' for Multi-Housing Laundry Facilities
Revolutionary Change Point® System Connects Washers and Dryers to the Internet, Provides Unprecedented Financial and Service Transparency, and Sets New Standard of Convenience for Residents
WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mac-Gray Corporation (NYSE: TUC), the industry leader in multi-housing laundry facilities management innovation, today introduced its Change Point® payment and monitoring system. Designed specifically for use in central laundry rooms, the Change Point® system is a significant advancement over the coin-only and laundry-card payment systems that currently operate in multi-housing laundry rooms across the United States.
Change Point® connects washers and dryers to the Internet, giving residents the ability to pay for each wash or dry cycle with a debit card, credit card, or coin, eliminating the chore of finding the correct number of quarters or the need to keep track of or replenish a laundry card. Change Point® also utilizes Mac-Gray's proprietary LaundryView® monitoring system, which has been redesigned to provide new features for the multi-housing market, with robust service and revenue tracking capabilities for the property owners. It also allows residents to check the availability of washers and dryers before going to the laundry room, and to get a text message after their laundry is done. To learn more about Change Point®, please go to http://www.macgray.com.
The combination of Change Point® with the enhanced LaundryView® (version 3.0) allows Mac-Gray to now monitor every aspect of laundry equipment operation, from live reporting of when a cycle is purchased, to enabling the remote detection of malfunctions and automatic dispatch of a technician. Reports that account for each transaction - and include a comprehensive service history - are updated daily and made available to the owner or manager of the property through Mac-Gray's client extranet.
"The introduction of Change Point® represents another important innovation by Mac-Gray and the next generation of service in our industry," said Stewart G. MacDonald, Mac-Gray's chief executive officer. "Change Point® brings an unprecedented level of transparency to the management of laundry facilities. This is good for the clients we serve, good for their residents, and good for our company. Property managers no longer have to wonder how much revenue is passing through their laundry rooms; residents no longer need to hoard quarters or store money on a laundry card; and Mac-Gray is able to provide a truly differentiated and revolutionary product. We expect Change Point® will eventually yield higher utilization and higher operating efficiency, all while driving superior transparency and service."
Mac-Gray offers two configurations of the Change Point® system. One enables residents to pay at a wall-mounted "laundry center" that communicates with the machines using patent-pending technology. The other configuration allows users to pay directly at the machine, using either a debit or credit card, or coin. It was developed in conjunction with Heartland Payment Systems®, combining Mac-Gray's patented LaundryView® monitoring technology with Heartland's card readers and micro-payment processing capabilities. LaundryView® 3.0 now provides the owner or manager with an accounting of all transactions, coin or card, made at each machine. All credit and debit card transactions with both Change Point® configurations are processed through Heartland Payment Systems®.
"The two primary objectives in developing the Change Point® system were to provide our clients with total transparency to their laundry room operation and to give ultimate convenience to their residents. Change Point® achieves both objectives with features and benefits that are unique in the industry," said Bob Tuttle, Executive Vice President, Technology & Information Systems. "Having introduced LaundryView® several years ago for the academic market, we then started developing Change Point® with the aim of bringing that technology, and our experience, to the larger multi-family laundry facilities management market."
"The response to Change Point® has been enthusiastic," said Sheffield Halsey, Executive Vice President, Marketing. "With more than 80% of consumers owning a debit card, the feedback we have received is that Change Point® has made it much easier to pay for laundry. As a result, we are seeing revenue increases at some properties where we have installed Change Point® and eliminated the coin-only barrier to usage. But what people really love about Change Point® is the convenience they get from its LaundryView® component: seeing machine availability and getting a text message when their laundry is done. One property manager told us that his residents responded so well to Change Point® that he wants us to install it across the entire portfolio."
The Change Point® system has undergone comprehensive testing in laundry facilities managed by Mac-Gray. Locations have included apartment properties operated by premiere multi-housing companies such as Archstone, Camden Property Trust, and Equity Residential; as well as testing in laundry facilities in condominiums, off-campus student housing, travel centers, extended stay hotels and resort hotels.
One of the installations was at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando, FL. Bruce Holdsworth, Director of Engineering, commented, "Prior to partnering with Mac-Gray, we were self-operating and laundry was a distraction for us. Mac-Gray has helped us improve the program with Change Point® and our guests have reported that using a debit card is much easier than quarters. And Change Point® gives us the flexibility to increase the vend price in smaller increments in the effort to create more revenue without a drastic increase in costs for our guests."
Another installation was at Camden Lakeside in Brandon, FL, where the Purchasing Manager, Rick Pippin, reported a very enthusiastic response by his sales team to Change Point®. One of the leasing consultants at Camden Lakeside said, "It makes me more confident as a leasing consultant to promote our laundry facilities despite not having washer and dryer connections in the individual residences."
"An important element of the testing was evaluating consumer acceptance of the system. This included user survey work as well as panel research to understand the impact of the system on people's laundering behavior. Universally, people found that Change Point® made the laundry task easier through both its debit / credit card payment feature and the time-saving benefits of LaundryView®," concluded Halsey.
About Mac-Gray Corporation
Founded in 1927, Mac-Gray derives its revenue principally through the contracting of debit-card- and coin-operated laundry facilities in multi-unit housing facilities such as apartment buildings, college and university residence halls, condominiums and public housing complexes. Mac-Gray manages approximately 88,000 laundry rooms located in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Mac-Gray also sells and services commercial laundry equipment to retail laundromats and other customers through its product sales division. To learn more about Mac-Gray, visit the Company's website at http://www.macgray.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding the Company's expectations for higher utilization and higher operating efficiency. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the Safe Harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and is including this statement for purposes of complying with these Safe Harbor provisions. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies and expectations of the Company, may be identified by use of the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "project," or similar expressions. Investors should not rely on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Certain factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, changes in multi-housing vacancy rates, the Company's ability to renew long-term customer contracts, and those risks set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 under "Risk Factors" and in other reports subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts:
Jim Buckley
Executive Vice President
Sharon Merrill Associates, Inc.
617.542.5300
Email: tuc@investorrelations.com
Erin Vadala
Vice President
Warner Communications.
978.526.1960
Email: erin@warnerpr.com
SOURCE Mac-Gray Corporation
Mac-Gray Corporation
CONTACT: Jim Buckley, Executive Vice President, Sharon Merrill Associates, Inc., +1-617-542-5300, tuc@investorrelations.com; Erin Vadala, Vice President, Warner Communications., +1-978-526-1960, erin@warnerpr.com
Highly Anticipated Fantasy RPG Two Worlds II Casts Its Spell Upon Gamers Across North America
MIDLOTHIAN, Va., Jan. 26, 2011 - Leading videogame publisher, SouthPeak Games, today announced that the long-awaited action-RPG, Two Worlds II, is available at retail stores across North America.
Developed by Reality Pump, the game utilizes the brand new GRACE engine, offering a huge world of breathtaking landscapes, powerful enemies and incredible adventure. Designed to appeal to both action-oriented gamers and those looking for an in-depth RPG experience, Two Worlds II features benchmark game-play mechanics. These include flowing, visceral combat, unmatched spell-creation and alchemy systems, full armament upgrades using raw materials from looted items and a fully customizable character skill/class system.
"There aren't many RPGs of this size and quality available, so it's great that we can offer gamers something that fills an underserved gap in the market," said Richard Iggo, Vice President of Marketing at SouthPeak Games. "Two Worlds II has eliminated the issues of the first game and has built upon its strengths to deliver a leading game in the genre. No other RPG can compare to the feature sets that this game has to offer; where else can you find a fully customizable spell creation system offering millions of possible combinations? Players can dive into this massive world and play exactly the way that they want to, which is something that every RPG fan dreams of."
On top of the immersive single-player experience, Two Worlds II includes significant multiplayer components featuring a storyline taking place between the events of Two Worlds I and II. Players can embark on a full-scale online cooperative campaign with up to 7 others, utilizing all of the fantastic game mechanics of single player. On top of the co-op campaign, characters can fight for glory in ranked 1-on-1 and team PvP matches, as well as participate in unique Crystal Capture treasure hunts or look after their own piece of Antaloor in the RTS-inspired Village Mode.
Two Worlds II is now available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system at all major game retailers across North America for a suggested retail price of $59.99. The Windows PC version will follow on February 8th with a suggested retail price of $49.99. Two Worlds II's Royal Edition will be available on February 4th exclusively at Gamestop. Two Worlds II is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.
SouthPeak Interactive Corporation develops and publishes interactive entertainment software for all current hardware platforms including: Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), iPhone and Windows PC. SouthPeak's games cover all major genres including action/adventure, role-playing, strategy, racing, puzzle, sports and edutainment. SouthPeak's products are sold in retail outlets in North America, South and Central America, Europe, Australia and Asia. SouthPeak is headquartered in Midlothian, Virginia, and has offices in Grapevine, Texas and Leicester, England.
SouthPeak's extensive portfolio of over 60 interactive entertainment games spans a variety of platforms and genres including RPG, simulation, FPS, sports, strategy, puzzle and fighting.
For additional information, please visit SouthPeak's corporate website: http://www.southpeakgames.comor follow us on Twitter @SouthPeakGames.
Trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Media Contact:
Aubrey Norris
PR Manager
817-305-0055
anorris@southpeakgames.com
Verizon Kicks Off New York Chinese Lunar New Year Festivities With Launch of Golden Rabbit Games Online
NEW YORK,Jan. 26, 2011/PRNewswire/ --The Year of the Rabbit is almost here, and in the spirit of Lunar New Year Verizon is celebrating with the Chinese community by hosting the Golden Rabbit Games online.
The contest complements the Verizon booths at this year's Chinatown festivities -- the New Year's Day Firecracker Ceremony in Sara Roosevelt Park (Houston and Forsyth Streets) on Feb. 3 and the Lunar New Year Parade & Cultural Festival on Feb. 6. ( )Participants can visit http://www.verizon.com/nychinese to play the Golden Rabbit Games and earn points toward three great prizes and other free gifts redeemable at the festival booths.
The games are simple, engaging and playable by all ages. "Click and Pop" is a speed-clicking game, and "Flip and Match" is a memory game. Players can play one or both games as many times as they like, to earn points. Point-earning potential is unlimited as only a player's highest score will be recorded.
The players with the top three scores at the end of the event will receive one of the following: grand prize - a Samsung Galaxy Tab; second prize - a Motorola Droid X smartphone; third prize - a Motorola Droid Pro smartphone. (Wireless service is not included with any of the prizes.) Get details about the competition and prizes at http://www.verizon.com/nychinese.
Also included on the website are a series of Lunar New Year-themed e-cards, exclusively designed by Verizon for the Year of the Rabbit. These free greeting cards are available to share New Year wishes with friends and family members.
Those visiting this year's Lunar New Year festivities at Sara Roosevelt Park are invited to stop at the Verizon booths for entertaining activities like the Wheel of Fortune game and a Lunar New Year photo booth. Photos taken at the festivities can be downloaded at http://www.verizon.com/nychinese beginning Feb. 9.
For more than a decade, Verizon has provided in-language customer service support in Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean and Vietnamese. Verizon also features in-language websites in Chinese and Korean that provide information on TV, Internet and phone services the company offers. For more information in Chinese on Verizon's products and services, call 1-877-575-7015 or visit http://www.verizon.com/nychinese.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 94.1 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 194,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
SOURCE Verizon
Verizon
CONTACT: Kevin Laverty, +1-425-917-7042, kevin.laverty@verizon.com; or Kunwei Lin (AdAsia), +1-212-871-6886 ext. 173, kunwei.lin@adasia-us.com
Lightspeed Design, Inc. / DepthQ(R) Announces 3D Projector/Polarization Modulator Bundle
Offer Includes the DepthQ® HDs3D-1 Projector, DepthQ® Polarization Modulator and 5 pair of DepthQ® 3D circular polarized passive glasses
BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lightspeed Design, Inc./DepthQ® is pleased to announce the limited release of the NEW DepthQ® 3D Projector/Polarization Modulator Bundle.
This limited time offer consists of a DepthQ® HDs3D-1 Projector, a DepthQ® Polarization Modulator (Small Aperture: 2.75x2.51") and 5 pair of DepthQ® 3D circular polarized passive glasses for a total price of $6500. This is a $2500 discount from the regular price of $9000.
Art Feierman, in his 1/20/11 review for ProjectorReviews.com, said, "The overall image performance of the Modulator resulted in a cleaner 3D picture than the other 3D systems we looked at at the same time." Read Art's entire review titled "Lightspeed's 3D DepthQ Polarization Modulator and Their 3D Projector System" at:
The DepthQ® HDs3D-1 high-definition 3D projector is the 3rd generation of Lightspeed Design's patent-pending portable stereoscopic projectors, offering superior contrast and synchronization for 3D professionals. These projectors leverage nearly two decades of professional 3D knowledge and expertise to deliver the highest quality, most satisfying and hassle-free 3D experience possible.
New to the HDs3D-1 is higher brightness (2700 lumens in 3D mode), an all-digital HDMI input path for unsurpassed clarity and a specialized 3D image sequence optimized for brighter polarized projection. Additionally, these professional-level 3D projectors can easily display 10 ft (3m) wide high-definition images using the latest Texas Instruments DLP® and BrilliantColor(TM) technologies - for wall-filling imagery with stunning colors and a 2100:1 contrast ratio at a truly unprecedented level of price-performance.
The DepthQ® Polarization Modulator electronically switches the polarization orientation of light passing through it. In combination with a polarization-preserving screen and the DepthQ® HDs3D-1 projector, the modulator enables high-brightness, low-ghost viewing using lightweight & comfortable passive 3D eyewear.
The modulator utilizes a unique combination of separate liquid crystal elements bonded together, enabling both high polarization efficiency over visible wavelengths from 400 to 750 nm (predominantly achromatic spectral response) as well as fast transition switching speeds (0.6ms at room temperature) between polarization states at a frequency of 120Hz. Efficient, high-speed switching between the eyes ensures bright, low-crosstalk, flicker-free operation.
To order now and take advantage of this special bundle pricing, contact Lightspeed at http://www.depthq.com/contact.html, sales@lightspeeddesign.com or call our sales department at +1-206-784-1385. Linear polarization available upon request.
The DepthQ® Polarization Modulator is also available in a large size for projectors with apertures up to 7.12 inches (180.85mm) and lamp outputs up to 35,000 lumens for use in large venues including Digital Cinema. If you are interested in larger venue or Digital Cinema applications, please contact Lightspeed at sales@lightspeeddesign.com or call our sales department at +1-206-784-1385.
About Lightspeed Design, Inc.
Lightspeed Design, Inc. / DepthQ®, located in Bellevue, WA, USA, has 17 years experience in 3D film & video production and stereoscopic 3D technology development. Our knowledge and expertise allows us to create immersive, impactful experiences and precise technology solutions for clients such as Mercedes Benz, Microsoft, Disney, IMAX, DreamWorks, NASA, and Intuitive Surgical.
For more information, visit us at http://www.lightspeeddesign.com or contact the company directly at sales@lightspeeddesign.com or +1-425-637-2818.
DepthQ® is a registered trademark of Lightspeed Design, Inc. Digital Light Processing, DLP® and BrilliantColor(TM) are registered trademarks of Texas Instruments.
Press contact:
Chris Ward
Lightspeed Design,
Inc.
+1-425-637-2818
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Lightspeed Design, Inc.
Lightspeed Design, Inc.
CONTACT: Chris Ward, Lightspeed Design, Inc., +1-425-637-2818
CoreMedia Empowers Business Users to Customize Online Customer Experience with CoreMedia 6
New Release Increases Business Value of Online Channels - Web, Mobile, Social Media - with Real-Time Content Orchestration and Intuitive Context Management
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CoreMedia, a leading Web content management (WCM) company, today announced the launch of CoreMedia 6, the latest release of its innovative WCM platform. Purpose built for organizations looking to increase the value of their online channels, CoreMedia 6 enables a more relevant, engaging and "contextual" online experience by delivering the right business data in real-time to the right customer touchpoint, including websites, mobile devices, tablets and TV sets. With this new release, non-technical business users such as marketers and website managers can more easily customize the online experience and anticipate customer preferences and intent by adapting the content or communication "on demand" to each user's unique needs in a way that is context-aware and goes well beyond basic personalization.
According to a report from IT analyst firm, Gartner, "Context-aware computing -- the concept of leveraging information about the end user to improve the quality of the interaction -- can improve business results." The report continues, "Though some components of this concept may already be familiar, such as personalization, Web analytics and recommendations, it is the application of such technologies within a cohesive strategy that allows interactions with users to be even richer and more relevant. Information derived dynamically from the evolving interaction itself can lead directly to a more proactive, well targeted, highly relevant experience that encourages further interaction. In this way, a delivered experience can be converted into an ongoing engagement." (1) CoreMedia 6 was developed with this in mind; to give organizations user-friendly tools that can truly evolve their Web presence to become context-aware in order to meet customer expectations and business goals.
From laptops to tablets, mobile phones and smart devices to social networks, businesses must also integrate support for all devices and customer touchpoints and ensure a consistent experience, even when customers switch access points. To deliver a relevant experience in this cohesive Web environment, WCM software can no longer work in isolation, but must cooperate with adjacent technology such as social networks and internal applications such as ERP, CRM and other backend enterprise systems.
As the only WCM platform focused on contextualization, CoreMedia 6 offers content orchestration and context management capabilities that enable seamless integration with an organization's existing business infrastructure to create contextually relevant content on demand, while empowering non-technical users to go beyond editing and publishing content to websites and craft compelling customer experiences. Specifically designed for marketers, communications professionals and website managers, CoreMedia 6 enables companies to derive more value out of existing customer data locked in enterprise applications by optimizing every Web interaction. Several new and exciting features in CoreMedia 6 include:
-- CoreMedia Studio: Zero-install Web-based environment for business users
to access their content ecosystem and create, test and preview relevant
Web business rules. Enables non-technical business users to anticipate
the customer's preferences and intent by leveraging all available
context information and adapting the content or communication across all
touchpoints.
-- Adaptive Device Delivery: Improved capabilities for an application-like
experience on touchscreen devices such as iPhone, Android, and iPad
through zero-install browser applications and optimized, device-specific
rendering. This allows users to create contextualized experiences for
mobile phones from the CoreMedia Studio editorial interface without
having to rely on IT departments for any changes.
-- Updated Adaptive Personalization Component: Significant updates and new
capabilities, including the intuitive Context Rule Creator for CoreMedia
Studio that enables non-technical users to easily apply business rules
to match content to a customer's situation and preferences. Improved
context profiling allows for processing real-time customer data to
dynamically customize the experience regardless of device or channel.
"Internet Broadcasting provides all the components media companies need to build profitable digital businesses: world-class technology, engaging content and applications and revenue solutions. Everything we do focuses on the twin goals of building consumer engagement and enabling our partners to monetize those audiences," said Jeff Kimball, chief operating officer at IB. "Our relationship with CoreMedia gives IB and our media partners the best foundation for our digital businesses. CoreMedia's combination of world-class technology, culture of innovation and ease-of-use power IB's market-leading publishing platform. I am very excited about CoreMedia 6; its focus on contextualization is the beginning of a fundamental shift in the market where it is now possible to provide the most relevant user experiences on multiple devices in a cost effective way."
"Over the past 14 years, CoreMedia has focused on innovating Web technologies to create a truly connected online world that provides consumers with highly personalized, relevant and real-time content, regardless of the channel or device," said Glenn Conradt, global vice president of Marketing, CoreMedia. "CoreMedia 6 is the next evolution in helping organizations truly maximize their online presence by making it easy to craft a highly customized experience for each and every customer. In 2011, context is king."
Availability
The new CoreMedia 6 platform will be available in March 2011. The CoreMedia Studio has been beta tested by companies like Deutsche Telekom.
To learn more about contextualization, CoreMedia produced an entertaining video explainer available for viewing anytime by clicking here. For more information on CoreMedia 6 please visit the product information page by clicking here.
About CoreMedia
CoreMedia is a leading provider of Web Content Management (WCM) software to organizations demanding engaging, context-driven online experiences for their customers regardless of channel or touchpoint. The company's WCM suite offers unique business value by seamlessly integrating digital and social media assets, increasing editorial productivity and accelerating time to market in complex environments. As a result, businesses can more effectively execute their online strategies to engage users, build customer loyalty and ultimately drive greater revenue and profitability.
Established in 1996, CoreMedia is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, with offices in San Francisco, London, and Singapore. CoreMedia's clients include global brands, such as the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Bertelsmann, BILD, CLAAS, Continental, EPCOS, Deutsche Telekom, Internet Broadcasting, O2, SEAT, Singapore Press Holdings.
(1) Gartner, Inc., Context-aware Computing Will Increase the Impact of Your Online Strategy by Mick MacComascaigh, Bill Gassman, William Clark, Gene Alvarez, 15 September, 2010
SOURCE CoreMedia
CoreMedia
CONTACT: Jeremy Whittaker of CoreMedia, +49 (0)4032558770, jeremy.whittaker@coremedia.com
Entrust Versatile Authentication Platform Receives SC Magazine's 'Best Buy' in Group Test
Entrust IdentityGuard given five-star rating in 'Multifactor Authentication' category
DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, the Entrust, Inc., versatile authentication platform is named SC Magazine's "Best Buy" in the publication's multifactor authenticator group test. Entrust IdentityGuard received five-star ratings in numerous categories, including features, performance, documentation, support, value for money and overall rating.
"The threat landscape is constantly evolving and organizations require an authentication solution that evolves as security objectives evolve," said Entrust President and CEO Bill Conner. "Strong authentication is no longer a luxury, but a requirement to keep the identities of customers, employees and partners safe. Entrust continues to prove that its authentication platform is a proven, cost-effective method of properly securing invaluable digital identities and access to sensitive information."
SC Magazine's 2011 review focused on a solution's ability to address the next level of challenges facing organizations today. The publication found the solution to be a "full offering, well priced" that is "nicely automated" and "very easy to use." With no listed weaknesses it concluded that Entrust IdentityGuard "delivers true, layered multifactor identity and authentication management."
"It is no longer prudent for an organization or an individual protecting sensitive information to rely solely on simple username and password as their only form of protection," said SC Magazine's Michael Lipinski introducing the multifactor authentication group test.
Using the latest release of the platform, SC Magazine also tested Entrust IdentityGuard Mobile -- an innovative mobile identity application that allows organizations to strongly authenticate customers, partners, vendors or users via a smartphone device. During the review, the publication was able to transform a simple Apple iPod into a complete one-time-passcode (OTP) solution. The mobile platform also provides transaction verification capabilities as an effective means of stopping man-in-the-browser malware attacks.
Entrust enables organizations to layer security -- according to access requirements or the risk of a given transaction -- across diverse users and applications. Entrust's authentication capabilities include username and password, IP-geolocation, device, questions and answers, out-of-band one-time passcode (delivered via voice, SMS or e-mail), grid and eGrid cards, digital certificates (in software or on smart cards/USB Tokens) and a range of one-time-passcode tokens.
The Entrust IdentityGuard authentication platform is also a finalist for best "Multi- and Second-factor Solutions" in the 2011 SC Awards for outstanding achievement in information technology security. Winners will be announced at the 14th annual awards gala in San Francisco, Calif., Tuesday, February 15, 2011.
SC Magazine provides IT security professionals with in-depth information through timely news, comprehensive analysis, cutting-edge features, contributions from thought-leaders and some of the best, most extensive collections of product reviews in the business. By offering a consolidated view of IT security through independent product tests and well-researched editorial content that provides the contextual backdrop for how these IT security tools will address larger demands put on businesses today, SC Magazine enables IT security pros to make informed security decisions for their companies.
About Entrust
Entrust provides identity-based security solutions that empower enterprises, consumers, citizens and Web sites in more than 4,000 organizations spanning 60 countries. Entrust's identity-based approach offers the right balance between affordability, expertise and service. For strong authentication, fraud detection, digital certificates, SSL and PKI, call 888-690-2424, e-mail entrust@entrust.com or visit http://www.entrust.com.
Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. In Canada, Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust Limited. All Entrust product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Entrust, Inc. or Entrust Limited. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
YouSendIt application now powering large attachments in Yahoo! Mail
CAMPBELL, Calif., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, big files will be flying first class at Yahoo! Mail. That's because YouSendIt, Inc., a global leader in secure digital content delivery, has partnered with Yahoo! to power the large file attachment application in Yahoo! Mail. Through YouSendIt, Yahoo! Mail users can now send up to 100MB of attachments per email. It's quick, it's easy, it's secure and it's completely free. Video and sound files, big pictures and presentations will now reach their destinations via YouSendIt, the most trusted mover of major megabytes over the Internet.
Over 15 million users and 2,500 corporations have come to rely on YouSendIt to safely share and track the large files that matter most in their digital world. Now, millions of Yahoo! Mail users worldwide will benefit from the same simplicity, security and speed that have helped make sharing files over the Internet an intuitive and essential part of doing business.
"We are excited to welcome Yahoo! Mail users to YouSendIt and look forward to their discovery of its many benefits. Today, we share digital content more frequently than ever before, and the files we exchange are getting larger, richer, and harder to send. As a world-class provider of online communications services, Yahoo! has recognized this trend," said Brian Curry, vice president of product and business strategy at YouSendIt. "Through this partnership, we are putting the file transfer services of YouSendIt right inside the Yahoo! Mail interface where people can find and use them more easily than ever before."
Leveraging Yahoo! Mail's powerful APIs and the Yahoo! Applications Platform, the YouSendIt application is integrated seamlessly with the inbox, enabling people to be even more productive. People can access the app in the Applications area of the new Yahoo! Mail, and after attaching and sending a file, their recipients simply click on a download button within the email to receive it. All files sent through YouSendIt are encrypted, and scanned by the system for virus protection.
Additional security and tracking capabilities, including password protection and download notification, are available through YouSendIt premium services.
About YouSendIt
YouSendIt, Inc. is the number one secure digital file delivery company. More than 15 million registered users and 310,000 subscribers trust YouSendIt to securely send receive and track digital content. Professionals, businesses and government agencies across the world, use YouSendIt to transfer files too large to send via email, eliminating the need for cumbersome FTP sites and expensive overnight carriers. By sending files and attachments through YouSendIt, corporations can alleviate and better manage the acute challenge of ever-expanding email inboxes and overages. YouSendIt integrates seamlessly into the most common desktop tools, including Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, etc. Users can also leverage the service through the YouSendIt Web site or the YouSendIt Express desktop application. YouSendIt Developer APIs are available for corporate customers and partners as well. Visit http://www.yousendit.com or the YouSendIt blog for more information.
Verizon Launches Powerful Combo of Broadband Services With Google Apps for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Cloud-Based Apps Bring Strong Collaboration and Mobility Capabilities to Help Companies Sharpen Their Competitive Edge
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's always-connected online universe, small and medium-sized businesses increasingly require smart technology solutions to speed their business operations and serve customers better. With that in mind, Verizon is combining its leading broadband business services with a broad range of business applications from Google, featuring Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Sites.
This new offering, Google Apps for Verizon, is specifically designed to help smaller companies advertise by providing them with a domain name and domain name e-mail, and to boost their productivity by making cloud-based capabilities available to employees, whether in an office or on the go. With Google Apps for Verizon, customers can directly access from any device the business tools they need to do their jobs and serve their customers more effectively.
Google Apps for Verizon, which provides three free user accounts, is immediately available to businesses that subscribe to a bundle consisting of Verizon Internet service and either Verizon voice or TV service, or both. The bundles with Google Apps are available in Washington, D.C., and parts of 12 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia. Google Apps for Verizon is also available as a stand-alone service to all businesses across the country for $3.99 per month per user.
"Small and medium-sized businesses have been clamoring for a simple, cost-effective solution so they can stay focused on their core business and not waste time figuring out which tools they need," said Monte Beck, vice president of small-business marketing for Verizon. "With Verizon's business bundled packages, which now include Google Apps for Verizon, all the essential functions needed to run a business effectively and efficiently are now easily accessible to our business customers and their employees, anytime and anywhere."
(Click here to view a video on Google Apps for Verizon.)
Google Apps for Verizon also complements other online business-management tools the company offers such as Verizon Websites powered by Intuit, Verizon Online Backup & Sharing and the Verizon Internet Security Suite.
Harnessing the Power of Verizon Business Broadband Services With Google Apps for Verizon
"America's small businesses are vital contributors to our economy," said Paul Slakey, enterprise director at Google. "We're excited to work with Verizon to provide entrepreneurs with the tools they need to get online and run their business."
New bundled solutions customers will also get Verizon's leading security solution to ensure that their intellectual and physical assets are better protected from viruses and other network intrusions. Verizon Online Backup & Sharing (250 megabytes) and easy do-it-yourself website-building software are included in the bundle solutions. Prices start at $59.99 per month* in certain areas with a month-to-month (no term) commitment price guaranteed for a minimum of 12 months or a two-year term agreement with the price guaranteed for 24 months. For more information on Verizon's total business solutions and bundled packages, click here.
The new offering for Verizon business customers includes 25 GB (gigabytes) of domain name e-mail storage per user; Web-based documents, spreadsheets and presentation tools; and instant messaging and more to help small and medium-sized businesses and their employees collaborate seamlessly. All the features can be easily accessed online from any computer, as well as on smartphones and other mobile devices, to get work done in an anywhere, anytime mobile environment.
Verizon business broadband customers also benefit from 24/7 technical support, Wi-Fi access from thousands of hot spots nationwide, and access to the Verizon Small Business Center, which offers small businesses access to news, resources, professional networking and free webinars.
Beck said, "Think of Verizon as a virtual CIO providing the total business solution consisting of all the key productivity tools needed to help business owners meet their business demands, and impress existing and new customers."
To engage with Verizon and its customers, join the conversation at Verizon's Small Biz Blogs and Verizon's Medium Business blog or follow VZSmallBiz on Twitter; or become a fan on Facebook. For more information, call 888-481-0387 or visit http://www.verizon.com/smallbusiness.
* Plus applicable taxes and fees.
Google, Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Google Apps Marketplace, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, Google Docs and Google Sites are trademarks of Google Inc.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 94.1 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 194,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
SOURCE Verizon
Verizon
CONTACT: Ellen Yu, +1-908-559-2818, ellen.yu@verizon.com, or Kevin Laverty, +1-425-917-7042, kevin.laverty@verizon.com
BEIJING, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: KUTV), China's leading online video portal company, announced today that it has launched its beta version of premium content service, titled "Ku6 VIP". Ku6 has been testing this premium service since November, 2010.
Currently, the main contents of Ku6 premium service are sourced from its long-term strategic Hollywood partners - Sony Pictures and Warner Brothers. Ku6 was the first Chinese local video portal to acquire legitimate copyright content from major Hollywood studios. Users can watch Hollywood blockbuster titles such as Sony's 2012 or Warner Brother's Harry Porter series, by paying 2 to 5 RMB per title or 30 RMB per month subscription. Currently Ku6 VIP provides more than 100 titles of genuine and high-definition Hollywood movies to it audience, with new titles being added to the service continuously. In addition to premium movies, the Company also plans to introduce other types of contents, such as popular domestic movies and TV series, animation and live event broadcasting, to this service in the second half year of 2011.
"We believe by establishing long-term strategic partnerships with studios we can better service our users' needs and provide them with more satisfaction. As regulators taking tougher approach to copyright issues and Chinese users more willing to choose genuine and hi-definition contents, we also believe our premium service will win more and more customers in the near future," said Ku6 founder and CEO Kevin Li.
About Ku6 Media Co., Ltd.
Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: KUTV), is a leading online video portal company in China. Through its two premier online brands and online video websites, http://www.ku6.com and http://www.juchang.com, Ku6 provides video information services and entertainment in China.
As a leading online video portal, http://www.ku6.com provides a video platform for sharing and watching user-generated content. It also provides online video news, reports, and other interactive entertainment programs for its users.
Ku6's http://www.juchang.com offers a broad array of copyright compliant content, such as movies, television series, and other video programs sourced from Ku6's global content partners, with all content having high definition quality and fast speeds for seamless viewing. For more information about Ku6, please visit http://ir.ku6.com/irwebsite/index.php
Shanghai Yisheng Network Technology Co., Ltd. ("Yisheng") is one of the leading online audio service operators in China. It provides the complete solutions based on the internet audio system, such as online radio channel, online games built-in radio and other services to its customers. Currently Yisheng has set up about 20 online game built-in radio channels, covering more than 80% of Chinese popular online games. Yisheng is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ku6 Media. For more information about Yisheng, please visit http://www.radio-arts.com/
Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd., changed its name to Ku6 Media Co., Ltd., on August 17, 2010.
Forward-looking Statements
This news release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as "believes," "could," "expects," "may," "might," "should," "will," or "would," and by similar statements. The accuracy of these statements may be affected by a number of business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated, including risks related to: continued competitive pressures in China's internet video and audio portal market; changes in technology and consumer demand in this market; the risk that Ku6 Media may not be able to control its expenses in future periods; changes in the policies in China or the laws governing the operations and content of internet video and audio portal websites; the success of Ku6 Media's ability to sell brand advertising and other services on its websites; and other risks outlined in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's (filed under the name of Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd.) annual report on Form 20-F. Ku6 Media does not undertake any obligation to update this forward-looking information, except as required under law.
Mr. Matthew Zhao (English and Chinese)
Investor Relations Officer
Tel: +86-10-5758-6818 in Beijing
Email: ir@ku6.com
SOURCE Ku6 Media Co., Ltd.
Ku6 Media Co., Ltd.
CONTACT: Mr. Matthew Zhao (English and Chinese), Investor Relations Officer, +86-10-5758-6818 in Beijing, or ir@ku6.com
Kozio Introduces Free Use of kDiagnostics for PandaBoard
Enabling Mobile Device Developers to Explore and Have Full Access to their Boards
LONGMONT, Colo., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kozio, Inc. (http://www.kozio.com) the developer of In-System Diagnostics (ISD), today announced that it has made available free use of their kDiagnostics® Suite, for owners of PandaBoard. PandaBoard is the first open OMAP(TM) 4 applications processor-based mobile software development platform. The Kozio download gives users an interactive guided tour of the inner workings of PandaBoard and the OMAP4430 applications processor from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), along with a full design verification and hardware validation solution. The download is immediately available directly from the Kozio website (http://www.kozio.com/services-and-supports/downloads). Kozio also provides the same expert solution set for customers designing custom devices.
"The PandaBoard development platform is a great solution for mobile software developers," stated Clint Ostrander, President & CEO, Kozio, Inc. "Kozio has been supporting the OMAP 4 platform and its surrounding technologies, including displays, cameras and more, since its inception from board bring-up all the way through to the manufacturing floor. We welcome the opportunity to deliver an unmatched hardware and software integration solution for the first open OMAP 4 processor-based dev board."
In-Depth Exploration of all PandaBoard Technologies
PandaBoard loads and runs kDiagnostics directly from a Secure Digital (SD) card. Users quickly have the power to explore and understand their PandaBoard, verify proper performance, and have full access and control of both low-level hardware and high-level functionality in real-time. Unlike other diagnostic and test solutions, kDiagnostics initializes devices, configures memory, isolates and easily reproduces faults within minutes, and provides other features beyond the boundaries of traditional verification or validation approaches.
Powerful User Interface
Users can browse and run Kozio's library of tests through the click of a mouse. Devices can be programmed easily and quickly, including NOR and NAND Flash memories, and SD cards. Users can read and write memory, peek and poke hardware registers, control GPIO lines, access I2C devices, and configure power resources. Custom commands can be scripted using any text editor. These scripts can perform complex flow control, such as looping and conditional branching using the programming constructs available through the Kozio scripting language.
Free Use
The download for PandaBoard can be installed in just three easy steps.
1. Register, install and receive a license ValidationAssistant on the host
PC
2. Prepare a bootable SD Card that contains the kDiagnostics executable
3. Configure and validate connectivity between the host and your hardware.
Kozio has man-years of experience supporting the OMAP 4 platform from silicon wakeup, through evaluation modules, to customer devices. Kozio is uniquely positioned to support the PandaBoard and all of its surrounding technologies because of the collaborative efforts between TI and Kozio engineering teams. This collaboration has produced complete hardware validation solutions for OMAP and Sitara(TM) processor families and is available as packaged software for customer projects.
About Kozio Technology
In-System Diagnostics (ISD) is a powerful and proven new technology for integrating hardware and software as well as comprehensive verification and validation of electronic products. Unlike other verification and validation tools, it runs on actual hardware and replaces customized test procedures with a standardized extensible solution that significantly accelerates hardware test time. The core of ISD consists of an embedded binary, plus interpreter, that isolates and functionally evaluates device performance at-speed, against engineering design specifications, and over an extended operating range. It installs on bare silicon, is not an OS, and verifies hardware designs without scheduler interrupts or other OS-induced perturbations that may influence hardware performance and/or obscure the source of faults.
Availability
Kozio's kDiagnostics download for the PandaBoard, based on OMAP 4 processor featuring dual ARM® Cortex(TM)-A9 MPCore processor support is immediately available.
About Kozio, Inc.
Kozio provides packaged solutions for hardware validation and circuit board testing to leading edge customers across the globe. Our tools are constructed from a library of over a million lines of proven diagnostic code that has been run thousands of times, on hundreds of designs throughout the whole product life cycle. Comprehensive hardware design validations are performed in minutes, not weeks, accelerating time-to-market with reduced risk and better allocation of engineering resources. Whether your application is in Engineering, Manufacturing, or In-Field test, Kozio is the trusted leader in In-System Diagnostics and your fastest path to reliable hardware.
For more information, please contact:
Debra Layton
Director of Marketing
Kozio, Inc.
303.776.1356, ext 117
debra.layton@kozio.co
Trademarks
Kozio, the Kozio logo and kDiagnostics are registered trademarks of Kozio, Inc. kPOST, ValidationAssistant, SequenceRunner, and SequenceReporter are trademarks of Kozio, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
OMAP is a trademark of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners.
SOURCE Kozio, Inc.
Kozio, Inc.
CONTACT: Debra Layton, Director of Marketing, Kozio, Inc., +1-303-776-1356, ext 117, debra.layton@kozio.co
CloudPassage Unveils Halo SVM and Halo Firewall, the First Security Products Built for Elastic Cloud Environments
Cloud-Based Enterprises Can Now Automate Vulnerability Management and Server Firewalls in the Cloud with Unique Security SaaS Product
MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudPassage(TM), Inc., a pioneering security SaaS company, today introduced the Halo(TM) SVM (Server Vulnerability Management) and Halo(TM) Firewall products, the industry's first server security and compliance products purpose-built for elastic cloud environments. These products deliver fast, easy and highly accurate server exposure assessment, configuration compliance monitoring, and network access control - automating the three most fundamental practices for securing servers in public and hybrid clouds.
With today's Halo product introduction, CloudPassage also emerges from stealth mode. See accompanying company launch announcement issued by CloudPassage today at http://www.cloudpassage.com/about/press-releases.
According to Neil MacDonald, VP and Gartner Fellow, the number one concern preventing enterprises from adopting public cloud computing is security. "As organizations shift workloads to cloud-based providers, it is imperative that security isn't weakened," he said. "Like on-premises workloads, organizations need to minimize attack surfaces, patch vulnerable software and ensure security configurations are maintained as workloads move to the cloud. However, unlike on-premises workloads, security policy enforcement in the cloud must be enforceable regardless of location and scalable elastically to potentially thousands of hosts."
Halo SVM addresses server vulnerability management needs with the scalability, speed and elasticity needed for cloud server environments. Built on the innovative Halo architecture, the Halo SVM product is unique in delivering completely accurate server exposure assessment with little impact to customers' server resources. Halo SVM functions quickly and efficiently - thousands of server configuration points are assessed in seconds - enabling customers to maintain continuous exposure and compliance intelligence, even in rapidly growing cloud server farms.
"Security and privacy will continue to be a critical priority for us as we dramatically increase the number of users and venues that Foursquare serves," said Foursquare senior operations engineer David Birdsong. "We need server security that includes nonstop vulnerability management and firewalling - and we need it to automatically keep up with our cloud environment. We have been impressed with the accuracy and performance of CloudPassage, and it has taken very little time to deploy and manage."
The Halo Firewall product controls server attack surfaces by centralizing and automating host-based firewall management, the preferred alternative to traditional enterprise perimeter firewalls.(1) The product provides customers with unified cloud-wide firewall policy management from a graphical web front-end, eliminating the untenable operational overhead and likely errors associated with manual host-based firewall management. The Halo Firewall product automatically updates individual host-based firewall configurations whenever cloud servers are added or removed - including server cloning or cloudbursting operations - with zero intervention by system administrators. The product also transparently addresses the issues of dynamic public-cloud IP addressing, cited by IaaS providers as a complication in cloud server firewall management.(2) ( ) Halo Firewall enables customers to ensure strong, flexible network access control with the ease of management that parallels traditional enterprise firewalls.
Server security fundamentals are critical in cloud environments, especially public cloud servers that must operate without the benefits of traditional enterprise perimeter protection. Recent studies by Verizon Business and the U.S. Secret Service indicate that 95 percent of compromises leading to information and identity theft could have been prevented by basic security configuration, software patching and network access control, basic steps recommended by IaaS providers.(3)
About the Halo Architecture
The unique Halo architecture is the innovation unlocking the unique capabilities of the first two CloudPassage products. This architecture provides high levels of server security automation for multiple security functions while transparently handling the problems associated with securing highly fluid, agile and scalable cloud server hosting environments. Secure, ultra light-weight Halo Daemons are backed by the elastic compute power of the Halo Grid, eliminating resource utilization on protected servers and delivering scalability and elasticity that can keep up with cloud-hosted server farms.
Product Availability and Pricing
CloudPassage offers a free version of Halo SVM and Halo Firewall products, allowing customers to secure an unlimited number of cloud servers. Emerging products and advanced features will be offered as paid upgrades to extend customer capabilities as their cloud infrastructures grow. Both products can be downloaded from the CloudPassage website at: http://www.cloudpassage.com
About CloudPassage
CloudPassage is a security SaaS company offering the industry's first and only server security and compliance product purpose-built for elastic cloud environments. The company addresses the technical challenges of securing highly dynamic cloud hosting environments where consistent physical location, network control and perimeter security are not guaranteed. The company's early product feature set includes server vulnerability and compliance management, and centralized management of host-based firewalls. The technology operates across infrastructure models and seamlessly handles cloud server bursting, cloning, and migration. CloudPassage is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., and is backed by a number of well-known venture capital firms and angels.
(1) "Amazon Web Services: Overview of Security Processes", August 2010, page 4.
(2) "Amazon Web Services: Overview of Security Processes", August 2010, page 13.
(3) "2010 Data Breach Investigations Report", Verizon RISK Team in cooperation with the United States Secret Service, July 28, 2010.
CloudPassage Delivers Industry's Only Security Products Purpose-Built for Elastic Cloud Servers
Founded by Information Security Industry Experts, CloudPassage Emerges from Stealth Mode Today
MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudPassage(TM), Inc., a pioneering security SaaS company, today emerged from stealth mode to unveil the industry's first and only products specifically designed from the ground up to provide security for elastic cloud servers. Now, with CloudPassage, companies can manage their own cloud security by leveraging a single solution that is purpose-built for the cloud and delivers multiple layers of defense for cloud servers.
"Servers in the cloud need to be self-protecting and autonomous to survive the higher exposure level to threats and vulnerabilities," said Srivats Sampath, founder and former CEO of McAfee.com, and an investor in CloudPassage. "Elastic cloud security from CloudPassage is the go-to-security solution for any organization that needs to scale and secure cloud servers."
With today's company launch, CloudPassage also introduced its new product line of cloud security products. See accompanying product launch announcement issued by CloudPassage today at http://www.cloudpassage.com/about/press-releases.
"Customers of our on-demand, enterprise-level email and social media marketing solutions have high standards for protecting their data and supporting their compliance needs," said Tim McQuillen CIO and co-founder of StrongMail. "CloudPassage allows us to clearly communicate in exact technical terms how we secure our environments and deliver compliance verification as frequently as needed."
The ability to create new servers in the cloud within seconds means IT departments can be faster and more agile, but it creates huge security problems. New copies of servers will duplicate all of the vulnerabilities and exposures that already exist, resulting in an increased attackable surface area on a company's cloud server farm.
"Other server protection solutions that work in public clouds require painful deployment and management contortions," said Carson Sweet, co-founder and CEO CloudPassage. "Because dozens of new servers can be created in seconds, through cloning and bursting, vulnerability and firewalling need to be done differently in the cloud; they need to be elastic."
Most compromises can be prevented by simple configuration changes, software patching or better firewall policies; but in an elastic cloud environment, the rate of growth and change are difficult for companies to manage. Prior to CloudPassage, vulnerability management and firewall configurations had to be individually managed on every new cloned or bursted server.
CloudPassage technology is built from the ground up to provide elastic security by automatically securing cloud servers when they burst or are cloned. Once security is set up on one server, all copies of that server created later will automatically adopt those security controls. CloudPassage customers benefit from greatly reduced attack surfaces, lower risk of compromise and improved compliance.
The visionary behind CloudPassage is co-founder and CEO Carson Sweet, a pioneer in information security, who previously served as the Principal Solutions Architect at RSA's financial industry practice, working with companies such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, among many others. The CloudPassage team includes: Talli Somekh, co-founder and executive chairman, who has extensive venture experience and expertise in the commercialization of open source software and its transition to SaaS computing; Brent Bilger, Vice President of Marketing, who has more than 25 years of marketing experience - most of it in networking and security; and Vitaliy Geraymovych, Vice President of Engineering, who has extensive technology development and commercialization lifecycle experience.
About CloudPassage
CloudPassage is a security SaaS company offering the industry's first and only server security and compliance product purpose-built for elastic cloud environments. The company addresses the technical challenges of securing highly dynamic cloud hosting environments where consistent physical location, network control and perimeter security are not guaranteed. The company's early product feature set includes server vulnerability and compliance management, and centralized management of host-based firewalls. The technology operates across infrastructure models and seamlessly handles cloud server bursting, cloning, and migration. CloudPassage is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., and is backed by a number of well-known venture capital firms and angels.
- Babylon launches the brand new Babylon 9 giving users access to a translation community, new features including proofreading and more
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Babylon.com, a world-leading provider of language solutions, today unveiled Babylon 9 - its latest dictionary and translation software.
This new product delivers a revamped, redesigned product with a totally different look and feel that offers a pioneering functionality of interaction with a live translation community -the place for sharing and helping.
"For the past 13 years we have been and are still committed to the language solutions market. Babylon 9 is a result of listening and communicating with our 90 million registered users worldwide. The ease of use of Babylon 9, and the ever growing need for language solutions, will bring it to an even larger audience." Alon Carmeli, Babylon's CEO.
Babylon 9 brings the following new features and enhancements:
Babylon Live Translation CommunityNEW!
Babylon 9 enables participation in its large "Translation Community" of native speakers and professional translators worldwide 24 hours a day! Babylon Translation Community is a tool for users to interact, ask or answer linguistic-related issues or questions related to translation and writing styles.
Spelling and Proofreading NEW!
Babylon speller, grammar checker and proofreader are available to ensure that nothing important has been omitted or skipped. This feature is powered by Ginger Software, one of the leading contextual spell and grammar checker on the market today.
Human VoiceNEW!
The current version includes text-to-speech engine providing male and female voices in over 18 languages.
New Refined User InterfaceNEW!
Babylon 9 has a new, clean and easy to use interface, which is simple but yet with a sophisticated look.
More Languages, More Sources
The new product provides single-click translation in over 75 languages, from some 2,000 information sources, which provide everything, from a simple translation, currency conversion to professional glossaries and slang dictionaries.
Babylon 9 enables immediate translation of documents (MS Word, PDF, Text, etc.), Web page and full text to and from 33 languages
Leading Dictionary Titles
Babylon 9 delivers results from the world's premier publishing houses, such as: Oxford, Britannica, Merriam Webster, Larousse, Pons, Duden, Langenscheidt and many more.
About Babylon.com
Babylon.com is a publicly traded company founded in 1997. The Company is a leading provider of language solutions such as online dictionary and translation software, translation services, language learning solutions, English writing enhancement and more. The Babylon.com user base exceeds 90 million desktop installations in more than 200 countries and territories, supporting 75 languages.
DivX and Sharp® Team to Bring Premier Level of DivX Certification to New Devices
Sharp's 2011 LCD TVs and Blu-ray Disc players to be DivX Plus(TM) HD Certified for easy DivX MKV video playback
SAN DIEGO and MAHWAH, N.J., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --DivX®, a division of Sonic Solutions® (Nasdaq: SNIC), and Sharp Electronics Corporation today announced that Sharp will add DivX Plus(TM) HD Certification to its new LE835 and LE830 lines of AQUOS® Quattron(TM) LCD TVs as well as its new line of AQUOS Blu-ray Disc(TM) players, providing flawless playback of DivX MKV files in 1080p. Consumers who purchase the new Sharp devices will enjoy high-quality playback of DivX Plus HD videos and Hollywood movies in the DivX format directly on the products using any optical disc or through the SD card slot.
Key advanced DivX Plus HD features on the Sharp devices include support for as many as eight subtitle and audio tracks in a single movie file, smooth fast forward and rewind which makes it simple to navigate through a DivX Plus video, and auto chapter points so users can skip between chapters in a video when no chapters have previously been authored.
"Sharp is a global consumer electronics leader, and it's a testament to both our longstanding relationship and next-generation technology that they've chosen to add DivX Plus HD Certification to their 2011 LCD TVs and complete line up of Blu-ray Disc players," said Matt Milne, Executive Vice President and General Manager, DivX. "We look forward to our continued partnership with Sharp to offer innovative home entertainment solutions to their customers."
"We were very happy with the customer feedback we received on our 2010 DivX HD Certified product lines, and so we chose to expand our relationship with DivX to incorporate their most advanced level of certification on our 2011 Blu-ray Disc players and LCD TVs," said Bruce Tripido, associate vice president, consumer electronics marketing, Sharp Electronics Corporation. "For us DivX Plus HD technology is like a stamp of approval, ensuring our customers that they can play their entire video collection including MKV files in a high-quality and secure way."
DivX Plus HD Certification is the premium level of certification available from DivX, awarded to consumer electronics products supporting the optimized playback of all content created with DivX software. Available on http://www.divx.com, DivX Plus Software allows users to create and playback H.264 video in an .mkv file container. DivX Plus HD Certified devices will playback all previous versions of DivX video and DivX Plus HD video files with the .mkv file extension and AAC audio created with third-party tools.
At CES 2011, Sharp introduced new AQUOS Quattron LE835 and LE830 Series LCD TVs which combine Sharp's X-Gen panel with Quad Pixel Technology and edge LED backlighting to deliver a superior and captivating experience. These series will be available in 60-, 52-, 46- and 40-inch screen size classes in the United States this spring. The company's HP25/35/75/205 Blu-ray Disc players will be for sale in the United States in March 2011, the HP35 will be sold in Europe, and the HP25 will be available for the rest of the world later in 2011.
Known for great performance, visual quality, and interoperability on any DivX Certified® device, DivX provides consumers with a comprehensive digital media solution supporting the majority of high-quality Internet video on their TVs or other consumer electronics devices. All DivX devices contain proprietary digital rights management technology and are capable of playing back premium movies in the DivX format from major studios. Global online retailers offering titles in the DivX format include WB Shop, Media Markt, Film Fresh, and Best Buy's CinemaNow, which is powered by RoxioNow(TM).
DivX creates, distributes, and licenses digital video technologies that span the "three screens" comprising today's consumer media environment -- the PC, television, and mobile devices. Over 400 million DivX devices have shipped into the market worldwide from leading consumer electronics manufacturers. DivX also offers content providers and publishers a complete solution for the distribution of secure, high-quality digital video content. Driven by a globally recognized brand and a passionate community of hundreds of millions of consumers, DivX is simplifying the video experience to enable the digital home.
Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation, a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home entertainment products, appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, solar energy solutions, LED lighting and mobile communication and information tools. Leading brands include AQUOS® Quattron(TM) LCD televisions and 3DTVs, SharpVision® projectors, Insight® Microwave Drawer® ovens, Notevision® multimedia projectors and Plasmacluster® air purifiers. For more information visit Sharp Electronics Corporation at http://www.sharpusa.com. Find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.
Sharp, AQUOS and all related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sharp Corporation and/or its affiliated entities.
About Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC) enables digital media from Hollywood to Home. For more than two decades, Sonic products, service, and technology brands, including Roxio®, RoxioNow(TM), DivX®, and MainConcept®, have fueled home entertainment, powered rich digital media functionality on a range of platforms for a variety of partners, and inspired unique personal media experiences for hundreds of millions of consumers. Sonic technologies are now combining to deliver a universal platform for Hollywood Studios, retailers, consumer electronics manufacturers, and PC OEMs that provides consumers instant access to premium entertainment from virtually anywhere. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California. Learn more at http://www.sonic.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This release may contain forward looking statements that are based upon current expectations, including the launch, distribution, and market acceptance of the DivX format. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in Sonic Solutions' annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release should be read in conjunction with Sonic Solutions' most recent annual report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which contain a more detailed discussion of the Company's business including risks and uncertainties that may affect future results. Sonic Solutions does not undertake to update any forward looking statements.
Sonic, Sonic Solutions, Roxio, RoxioNow, DivX, DivX Certified, DivX Plus, and Hollywood to Home are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by Sonic Solutions in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners and, in some cases, are used by Sonic Solutions under license.
Walmart Creates the Ultimate Savings Playbook Just in Time for the Big Game
Retailer Offers Savings Up to $560 on Select HDTV and Blu-ray Player Bundles
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart (NYSE: WMT) announced today Game Time savings on HDTVs worthy of a touchdown celebration. Beginning on Sunday, Jan. 30 through Feb. 5 or while supplies last, football fans can go to their local Walmart and save up to $560 on a Samsung LED HDTV and Blu-ray Disc player bundle. Customers can also enjoy up to $100 savings on additional select HDTVs and up to $40 savings on select home theater systems.(1)
Gathering around the TV for the Big Game: The final game of the season is one of the biggest drivers of HDTV sales(2) with families getting their living room ready to watch the last gridiron clash. Walmart's Game Time HDTV savings (3) include:
Bringing the Stadium Into the Living Room: It wouldn't be game day without the roar of the crowd. Walmart offers savings on home theater systems and a Vizio sound bar so football fans will feel like they are in Dallas for the big game.(3)
-- Vizio High Definition Sound Bar - $98
-- Sony DVD Home Theater System - $198 ($30 savings)
-- Phillips Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System - $288 ($40 savings)
-- LG Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System - $348 ($20 savings)
Walmart also offers a variety of healthy snack options for Game Time parties including veggie and fruit platters, ingredients to make low-fat guacamole and more. Additional information on Walmart's Game Time offers can be found at http://www.walmart.com/gametime.
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) or "Walmart," serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,800 retail units under 59 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine's 2010 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
(1) Products available while supplies last. Prices and availability may vary in Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
(2) Megan Pollack, CEA Spokeswoman, as quoted in Home Theater Gear is a Booming Business (USA Today, 1/4/11)
(3) Products available while supplies last. Prices and availability may vary in Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
Trimble Introduces Next Generation Ranger Outdoor Rugged Handheld Computer
With QWERTY Alphanumeric Keypad, Ultra-Fast Processor, Autofocus Camera, GPS and More
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB) introduced today the next generation Trimble® Ranger(TM) rugged handheld computer. The Ranger 3 series is the latest in a long line of field-proven mobile computers. The Trimble Ranger 3 is ideal for surveying, construction, field service, forestry, mapping, public safety, utilities, and other outdoor or service-related applications.
Designed with a large sunlight-readable VGA display and long-life battery, the Trimble Ranger 3 handheld computer is built tough to withstand the elements while working in the field. The Ranger 3 computer meets or exceeds rigorous military standards for temperature extremes, drops, vibration, humidity and altitude. It carries an IP67 rating, meaning it is sealed against dust and it can survive immersion in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes.
The Ranger 3 series has many built-in capabilities that make it the computing device of choice for data collection and asset management. The integrated GPS receiver, 5 megapixel camera and 1D laser barcode scanner capture asset data that can be geotagged as part of field service and logistics applications. The GPS receiver, combined with electronic compass and accelerometer, provide location, direction and motion data together on one device. Direct data input is supported with the QWERTY alphanumeric keypad and large touchscreen. With integrated 3G GSM WWAN, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® features, the Ranger 3 handheld has the wireless capabilities to connect and communicate with nearby devices, the Internet and corporate networks, enabling mobile applications to synchronize data with office servers and databases from the field.
The Ranger 3 handheld provides mobile application developers with a robust computing platform that enables them to confidently send their applications into the field. With a Cortex-A8 superscalar processor, 8 GB of Flash memory, many integrated features and the flexibility to support additional features, the Ranger 3 handheld has the capabilities to support powerful mobile solutions. The Ranger 3 series includes the Windows Mobile® 6.5 Professional operating system. Trimble also provides a comprehensive Ranger 3 Software Development Kit with a hardware-specific API to use in conjunction with Microsoft development tools and resources.
"The Ranger 3 is the most highly integrated, full featured and reliable generation of Ranger we have built," said Bill Martin, general manager of Trimble's Mobile Computing Solutions Division. "A great deal of experience and teamwork created the Ranger 3. Not only is it the ultimate device for mobile worker productivity, our SDK makes it easy for software developers to quickly take a solution to market."
The Ranger 3 series is expected to be available in February of 2011 from Trimble's Mobile Computing Solutions authorized distributors. For more information about the Trimble Ranger 3 series configurations, visit: http://www.trimble.com/ranger.
About Trimble's Mobile Computing Solutions Division
Trimble's Mobile Computing Solutions Division offers innovative products that enable mobile workers to be more efficient in extreme outdoor and industrial environments. The Trimble Nomad®, Recon®, Ranger, and Yuma® outdoor rugged handheld computers help users collect accurate field data and work more productively in any outdoor or service-related application. Trimble's handheld computers meet MIL-STD-810F military specifications for drops, vibration, immersion and temperature extremes, and with an IP67 rating, are protected against water and dust.
About Trimble
Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location--including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.
ARGYLEtv.com, a Provider of Internet TV Channels From Around the World, is Now Available in 9 Different Languages
The world speaks more than one language, and now ARGYLEtv.com's website is available in more than one language. 9 languages to be exact: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Spanish, and Russian
FRISCO, Texas, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ARGYLEtv.com, a website which thousands use in order to watch TV online for free, is now available in 9 different languages. While offering Internet TV in over 70 different languages from around the world, ARGYLEtv.com has always been presented in English. In a move aimed at making its site more easily accessible to those who do not speak English, ARGYLEtv.com will now provide access to its site in multiple languages.
ARGYLEtv.com has accomplished this by creating a family of sites which mirror the original site's online TV programming, but whose content has been completely translated. These new sites can be accessed directly from ARGYLEtv.com's home page, where you will find links to a French version of ARGYLEtv.com at fr.argyletv.com (TV francaise), a Spanish version at es.argyletv.com (TV en Espanol), a German version at de.argyletv.com (Deutsch TV), Dutch at nl.argyletv.com (Nederlandse TV), Polish at pl.argyletv.com (Telewizji Polskiej), Italian at it.argyletv.com (TV Italiana), Mandarin at cn.argyletv.com (Mandarin TV), and Russian at ru.argyletv.com (Russian TV).
ARGYLEtv.com is still committed to providing the best in French TV, Spanish TV, Italian TV, German TV, Russian TV, Hindi TV, Arabic TV, English TV, and Portuguese TV. However, this move allows for those who do not understand English an easier way to navigate their site. ARGYLEtv.com will continue to provide access to their site in even more languages. Please continue to check ARGYLEtv.com for more information.
ARGYLEtv.com is a small start-up committed to providing high-quality online television broadcasts. Through its website, ARGYLEtv.com (http://www.ARGYLEtv.com), ARGYLEtv.com provides more than 3,000 television channels in more than 70 different languages, from over 130 different countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.ARGYLEtv.com.
Merck Optimizes Compliance and IT Security Using CA Technologies Solutions
MORGES, Switzerland and DARMSTADT, Germany, January 26, 2011/PRNewswire/ --
- Single Sign-On and Security Automation Support Compliance and
Simplified IT Management
The pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck KGaA has opted for security
solutions developed by CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA). The solutions help
simplify procedures associated with the adherence to compliance-related
policies while saving cost, optimizing identity and access management, and
simultaneously increasing system security - all of which further simplify IT
management.
Several thousand employees as well as numerous customers and business
partners require access to Merck's various IT systems. To ensure that no one
has their work impeded and that processes do not come to a standstill, access
must always be managed in real time. Given an existing heterogeneous IT
infrastructure, Merck chose to implement a company-wide Web Single Sign-On
solution combined with a centralized Identity and Access Management system.
They pave the way for expansion and adaptation to additional technologies
such as Role Management and SOA architectures. CA SiteMinder provides a
security infrastructure for companies whereby Merck can grant its customers
and business partners access to Web applications as well as Web sites - in a
secure and efficient manner.
The CA Technologies security solutions control access to systems and
applications across physical, virtual, and cloud environments.
In addition, CA Audit performs compliance verification and ensures
adherence to various compliance-related policies and legal regulations. CA
Role and Compliance Manager helps to efficiently identify roles, certify
authorizations automatically, and set up cross-system policies to ensure the
compliance of identities. These measures decrease costs associated with IT
operations and adherence to compliance directives.
About CA Technologies
CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA) is an IT management software and solutions
company with expertise across all IT environments - from mainframe and
distributed, to virtual and cloud. CA Technologies manages and secures IT
environments and enables customers to deliver more flexible IT services. CA
Technologies innovative products and services provide the insight and control
essential for IT organizations to power business agility. The majority of the
Global Fortune 500 relies on CA Technologies to manage evolving IT
ecosystems. For additional information, visit CA Technologies at http://www.ca.com/.