Calibrus, Inc. Announces Launch of Ground-Up Redesign of Its Social Expression Site JabberMonkey.com, Integrating Its Provisional Filed Patent Video Chat and Video Navigation
TEMPE, Ariz., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Calibrus, Inc., located in Tempe, Arizona, a development company in Social Online Networking and Mobile Applications and leader in Third Party Verification Services (TPV), today announced the launch of the redesigned Social Expression site JabberMonkey.com. JabberMonkey is a social expression that allows any individual to express their opinions on any subject. With enhancements to look and navigation, the improved JabberMonkey integrates cutting edge SEO URL formatting and their provisional filed patent Video Chat and Video Navigation.
With this launch, the team at Calibrus brings together an extremely user friendly interface that showcases not only the Video Scroll Control and video chat functions but their seamless integration with the design and feel of the JabberMonkey site. With no applications to download, the JabberMonkey site offers full video chat capabilities without the compatibility downsides inherent in applications requiring a downloaded component for functionality. By showcasing Calibrus' video chat function, JabberMonkey.com displays the company's technology in a working environment with an ease of use and quality not available in an in-browser environment.
While the new JabberMonkey offers these features, the inherent purpose of all these developments is for revenue generation for the JabberMonkey platform. Behind the scenes, built into the platform, is an SEO friendly environment. As each user generated post and response shows up on the JabberMonkey site, a unique URL is created. Each URL is created using a format which incorporates key words related to the UGC (User Generated Content) in the post. This allows search engines to immediately incorporate the UGC posted on JM and enhance the search engine ranking in a real-time environment. While this type of URL creation is the mainstay of many news sites in their story specific URL creation, the use of it in individual posts as done in the JabberMonkey environment allows Calibrus to maximize the ad revenue potential of the site while UGC as is being created. By example, when a topic is timely, breaking news or sports event, the ability to dynamically create URLs with key words specific to the posts allows services like Google Ad Words to offer up content relevant advertising which is much more time relevant and produces higher click through rates and revenues for JabberMonkey.
Calibrus, Inc. C.E.O. Jeff Holmes said, "The new look and navigational design elements of the JabberMonkey site is a result of focus group research conducted over several months. The feedback we have received on the redesign has been extremely positive. We are excited to begin attracting users to JabberMonkey, allowing them to express themselves on topics or current news events which they care about or have an emotional connection and enjoy communication tools such as free video voip calling with any friend in the world."
ABOUT CALIBRUS - Calibrus, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CALB) develops products and services in Social Online Networking, Mobile applications, Third Party Verification, Hosted Call Recording and IVR Services. Calibrus operates the JabberMonkey website (http://www.jabbermonkey.com), a premier site for expressing and gathering public opinion on a global scale. For more information on Calibrus visit the Calibrus website at http://www.calibrus.com.
Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, continued acceptance of the Company's products, increased levels of competition for the Company, new products and technological changes, the Company's dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Calibrus, Inc.
Calibrus, Inc.
CONTACT: Eric Miller, Investor Relations of Calibrus, Inc., +1-720-220-0037, emiller@calibrus.com
Jenn-Air Partners With Elle Decor Magazine for Inaugural Designer Showhouse
BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Jenn-Air, maker of high performance luxury appliances, has partnered with Elle DEcor magazine as the exclusive kitchen appliance sponsor of the magazine's inaugural designer showhouse. The showhouse, a 5,000 square-foot mansion, located in the St. Francis Wood neighborhood in San Francisco, will be open for public tours Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November 13 -21.
"We're excited to be partnering with Elle DEcor on this design project and look forward to seeing it brought to life in both this showhouse setting and the pages of the magazine," notes Juliet Johnson, manager of brand experience for Jenn-Air. "Considering Elle DEcor's luxury orientation and stature in the world of design, Jenn-Air is a perfect fit."
The latest Jenn-Air® line includes high performance wall ovens with the most powerful convection elements on the market. An advanced 7-inch, glass-touch screen on the ovens is the largest of its kind and features a touch-anywhere, full color LCD display with an interactive, image-driven Culinary Center that helps cooks achieve desired cooking results. Pro-Style® gas and dual-fuel freestanding ranges, available in 30- 36- and 48-inch configurations, provide all the power needed for high temperature cooking with 20,000 BTU PowerBurners, the highest in the industry*. Select range models also feature the advanced 7-inch color LCD touch screens for easy access to a host of features organized in an intuitive tab format.
Additional appliances in the collection include downdraft cooktops available in a unique duct-free configuration and built-in microwave drawers. Fully-integrated flush built-in refrigerators and reengineered dishwashers also are part of the latest Jenn-Air brand collection.
"The kitchen was designed for those who enjoy entertaining and want high end appliances that deliver on both performance and looks," says interior designer Palmer Weiss. "The feel of the kitchen is clean without being sterile. I think that you want an uncluttered workspace in the kitchen so I've added pops of quality details, such as a mosaic tile backsplash from Ann Sacks that add warmth and personality without being too busy."
In addition to the completely remodeled kitchen and breakfast area, the five-bedroom, six-bath home features three floors of designed spaces including a main floor with a grand entrance foyer and spacious living and dining rooms. The upstairs features a master bedroom suite, children's bedrooms and a large home office. The lower level is almost completely dedicated to a large, multi-media family room.
The 1911 home has undergone a massive renovation to bring it into the 21st century. Sustainable elements have been woven into the entire project including insulation, heating, a smart lighting system with LED lights and Silestone countertops. Where possible, original materials - such as flooring, doors and fixtures - were preserved and re-used. The home is also the first house in San Francisco to utilize SRS Energy solar panels that are the same size and shape of the terra cotta roof tiles.
Since the introduction of the first self-ventilated cooktop in 1961 and downdraft ventilated range in 1965, Jenn-Air brand has consistently grown its reputation as a technology and design innovator. Its selection of style options includes two distinct stainless steel collections and two cutting edge finishes: Floating Glass and Oiled Bronze. From downdraft cooktops, wall ovens and professional-style ranges to dishwashers, refrigerators and such entertaining essentials as warming drawers, built-in ice machines and wine cellars, Jenn-Air brand offers a complete line of major kitchen appliances. To learn more about the Jenn-Air® appliance collection, please visit JennAir.com.
About the Elle Decor Showhouse
The Elle Decor Showhouse will be open to the public weekends from November 4 through November 21. Visiting hours are 10am to 4pm; admission is $30. For more information, visit http://www.elledecor.com. Proceeds from the ELLE DECOR Showhouse will benefit San Francisco's Junior League, which, since its inception in 1911, has provided the community with millions of volunteer hours and more than $22 million in direct community grants, advocacy and membership training and development.
About ELLE DECOR
ELLE DECOR, the #1 brand in the shelter category, is where style lives. A continually evolving resource for affluent homeowners passionate about living well, the brand is the preeminent producer of stylish home design on every platform. Fresh, glamorous and inspiring, ELLE DECOR unlocks the door to the world's most stylish spaces, providing access to intriguing tastemakers, fashionable furnishings; must-have objects and clever idea that help our readers/users make their lives more beautiful, one room at a time. ELLE DECOR and ELLEDECOR.com - the preeminent online destination for design enthusiasts - offer inspiration and expertise to 2.5 million print and online readers each month. The ELLE DECOR brand has an influence that reaches 8.9 million readers worldwide with 23 ELLE DECO publications in 27 countries. ELLE DECOR is published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (hfmus.com), a company of Lagardere Active.
SMC Networks Joins OpenSMA Program of Companies Committed to Home Security, Monitoring and Automation (SMA)
IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- SMC Networks today announced it is among the first companies to join the newly formed OpenSMA industry program, officially launched October 26, 2010. OpenSMA is an industry program committed to the growth and development of the Home Security, Monitoring and Automation (SMA) market, started by SMC partner, uControl. OpenSMA is focused on open, technology-agnostic standards and a collaboration of the widest variety of players who power the Digital Connected Home. The OpenSMA program will foster complete compatibility and integration across all members' products and services.
The first partners in OpenSMA include: Centralite, Comporium, Ember, Massillion, NewWave Communications, SMC Networks, The Weather Channel, and uControl. The newly launched OpenSMA website (http://www.OpenSMA.com) will be the hub for announcements--such as new members, as well as event details, white papers and member news. OpenSMA membership information can also be found at OpenSMA.com.
"We are very pleased to be a founding member of OpenSMA and feel that it is important to help pioneer standards for the SMA market with our partners," said Greg Fisher, CTO for SMC. "We believe that a wide variety of companies working together to deliver the Digital Connected Home experience will greatly benefit consumers. OpenSMA provides a diverse and expansive ecosystem of companies and technologies that will create the Digital Connected Home that people want."
With today's announcement, SMC officially joins OpenSMA in the Platform Hardware provider category. The program includes a wide variety of companies across many different industries, organized into vertical segments including Service Providers, Lifestyle Devices, Apps, Infrastructure and Platform Hardware like SMC.
SMC markets an innovative line of fully integrated Zigbee-based Home Security, Monitoring and Automation products under the SMC Ruby brand name. SMC Networks is one of the first providers of next generation Home Security, Management and Automation (SMA) solutions to be tested to ANSI/UL Standard(s) and receive an ETL Listed Mark. The SMC Ruby family of SMA products includes a Touchscreen device and several innovative sensors and controls that combine to deliver a fully-integrated SMA experience.
The recently launched OpenSMA website (http://www.OpenSMA.com) is the hub for details about the program, announcements--such as new members, as well as event details, white papers and member news. OpenSMA membership information can also be found at OpenSMA.com. To get more information on OpenSMA or SMC's Ruby family of SMA products, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.smc.com or call 1-800-SMC-4YOU.
About SMC
SMC Networks is headquartered in Irvine, California. SMC is a specialist in providing high-quality, reliable Customer Premise Equipment to Service Providers. As the only approved vendor to 12 of the top 14 Service Providers in North America, we design products for both commercial and residential applications. We focus on delivering the best range of innovative wireless and wired solutions for our customers that drive revenue, are highly reliable and require little support. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.smc.com or call 1-800-SMC-4YOU.
About OpenSMA:
Launched in the Fall of 2010 by uControl, OpenSMA is an industry program committed to the growth and development of the home security, monitoring and automation (SMA) market. OpenSMA is focused on open, technology-agnostic standards and a collaboration of the widest variety of players who power the Connected Home. OpenSMA members comprise service providers, platform hardware makers, lifestyle device companies, application developers and infrastructure players. The OpenSMA program fosters complete compatibility and integration across all members' products and services, all of which are built on uControl's SMA platform. Members include companies like Comporium, Ember, Radio Thermostat, SMC Networks, Time Warner, and OpenSMA founder uControl. For more information on OpenSMA, visit http://www.opensma.com or follow @opensma on Twitter.
Fashion Without Borders - DF Designs Goes Global With Amazon.co.uk
NEW YORK, November 1, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
Just in time for the holidays, DF Designs has "set up shop" on
Amazon.co.uk to offer its unique clothing lines to customers in nine European
nations. DF Designs (http://tinyurl.com/38c9mpm), a small, U.S. web-based
clothing company, is among the first chosen by Amazon.co.uk to offer fashion
online to customers abroad in its new direct-to-consumer site.
"Amazon.co.uk is making it possible for DF Designs to market on an
international scale with an ease that would have been impossible just a few
years ago," said Joseph Nicholson, CEO of DF Designs. "By allying with
Amazon.co.uk, we can offer our unique clothing line directly to consumers in
the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, the
Netherlands and Portugal," said Nicholson.
DF Designs has selected the dozen most "universal" patterns of Pookies(R)
brand drawstring pants to stock and sell on Amazon.uk, along with its
best-selling DreamCatcher II sleep shirt and three long dressing gowns
(Double Play, Platinum Dreamliner and Trans Pacific Traveler).
DF Designs was the brainchild of "serial entrepreneur" Joe Nicholson.
Almost from the launch of its clothing line three years ago, DF Designs
received numerous requests from consumers in the UK and across Europe but
shipping costs and the complex customs process made it an impossible task.
"Working with Amazon.co.uk and the U.K.-based Fulfillment by Amazon service
makes it possible for us to process our customers' orders in a cost-effective
and efficient manner," said Nicholson.
- Add IPv6 to Your Network Instead of Replacing IPv4
The awareness of the importance of the next generation Internet Protocol
version 6 (IPv6) has been spread, but the actual IPv6 implementation in the
business IT environment has been progressing slowly. Currently, only .01
percent of the global IPv6 addresses have been allocated.
IPv6 was introduced to solve the problem of IPv4's address exhaustion.
Due to the massive increase in the number of users, the geographical needs of
Internet expansion, and the growing number of Internet-enabled applications
on the market, the pool of IPv4 addresses has already dwindled down to only 5
percent and is expected to run out sometime in 2011.
The scarcity of IPv4 address space will force applications to work in a
very complex environment with mechanisms that provide local addressing, such
as IP address conversion, pooling and temporary allocation techniques.
Furthermore, insufficient address spaces will restrict the introduction of
applications, and innovative new services that can be rolled out across both
business and home networks.
IPv6 quadruples the numbers of network address bits from 32 bits (in
IPv4) to 128 bits, which provides the necessary address for future growth.
However, the benefit of IPv6 is not just another upgrade of IPv4. IPv6
provides enough IP addresses to connect every networking device on Earth
(including smart phones, vehicles, cameras, motorway signs, or TVs) with a
unique IP address, instead of the reuse of IP addresses that IPv4 forces us
to nowadays. In addition to the benefits of larger address space, IPv6
includes other benefits such as auto configuration that eases the effort of
network administration and built-in IPSec for security, which were not
defined in IPv4 and mobility features.
Clearly, transitioning to IPv6 is becoming more important for the
long-term business health so that enterprises can remain competitive, grow
and manage risks.
However, some reasons have suspended enterprise's IPv6 deployment. The
most significant one is that most enterprises do not see immediate needs for
investing time and money in IPv6 deployment during a recession with the
pressure not to spend money. Moreover, technologies such as NAT are used to
extend the IPv4 address exhaustion. Since enterprises still have adequate
IPv4 space, there is not any particularly compelling reason to change.
Currently IPv6 is lacking in application and has not brought any new business
opportunities, it currently only serves as a solution to address deficiency.
It is believed that migration from IPv4 to IPv6 will not happen
instantaneously. The result means that IPv6 and IPv4 would co-exist on
business networks for some time before IPv6 totally takes the lead. As the
analysts already pointed out, it's not yet time for enterprises to jump into
IPv6 replacement. Although an IPv6 migration lacks of a compelling deadline,
enterprises should get ready and prepare step-by-step for the challenge an
eventual IPv6 deployment would involve - from the budget to the deployment
strategy - to successfully meet the goals of a network migration.
Even though we've seen more and more ISPs accelerating the migration to
IPv6, they will remain IPv4 compatible for some time. Japan is the most
proactive country to start the IPv6 implementation. In 2001, NTT Com started
providing full-scale operations of the IPv6 Internet access service. In the
US, Verizon is targeting 2011 for offering a commercial IPv6 service for its
FiOS customers, and Comcast just announced that it is starting IPv6
production-level network trials. In Europe, the European Union plans
widespread IPv6 deployment by 2010. The European Commission intends, by 2010,
that 25% of its users "should be able to connect to the IPv6 Internet and
access their most important content and service providers." It is obvious
that very soon there will be more ISPs readying their networks for IPv6 in
production mode, not just as trial mode. Therefore it is just a matter of
time that businesses without IPv6-ready networks will lose connectivity with
the rest of the world. Even if businesses manage to remain connected during
the IPv4-to-IPv6 transition, not being IPv6-capable means that they will be
missing out on some services that will run only on IPv6.
Therefore, it is very important that organizations start planning their
transition to IPv6. The IPv6 deployment is a long-term project that needs to
be carefully planned. Presently, we would suggest enterprises to add IPv6 to
their networks without replacing IPv4. Enterprises could use trails to
gradually figure out which IPv6 transition mechanisms will work the best. For
example, a separate IPv6 gateway is relatively easy to use for connection
from IPv6 environments in the early deployment to reduce the impact and cost
on the existing network.
There are two key points that users need to bear in mind for the IPv6
transition. One is that any network deployment now should be IPv6 enabled.
Second is that the backbone infrastructure needs to support IPv6 in order to
meet the demands of future IPv6 services. Early planning will help
organizations to get ready for a fundamental successful IPv6 transition, and
let them take advantage of the next generation of Internet.
D-Link IPv6 Updates
D-Link has been designing and implementing IPv6 since 2005, and has
incrementally integrated IPv6 into its product portfolio. D-Link has begun
the transition to IPv6 by participating in the 'IPv6 Logo Testing Program' to
ensure that its products support transitional technologies and provide IPv6
connectivity. D-Link's IPv6 ready devices have completed the "IPv6 Ready Logo
Phase II" certification. Till date, D-Link has more than 21 models that have
passed the "IPv6 Ready Logo Phase II" certification. There are more than
5,000,000 units of D-Link IPv6 ready routers that have been sold worldwide.
D-Link's Managed Switch provides a complete IPv4-IPv6 solution, which allows
enterprises for a seamless communication during transition and future demand.
All new D-Link routers currently ship with the "IPv6 Ready Phase II"
certification and logo.
D-Link has IPv6 support in its switches, routers and wireless access
points. We will continue to enhance and deliver more IPv6 features into
product updates to help enterprises take advantage of the IPv6 technology.
About D-Link:
D-Link is the global leader in connectivity for small, medium and large
enterprise business networking. The company continues to strive towards
excellence as an award-winning designer, developer and manufacturer of
networking, broadband, digital electronics, voice and data communications
solutions for the digital home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO), Small to
Medium Business (SMB), and Workgroup for Enterprise Environments. With
millions of networking and connectivity products manufactured and shipped,
D-Link is a dominant market participant and price/performance leader in the
networking and communications market. D-Link ME Headquarters is located in
Dubai, the UAE, Jebel Ali Free Zone South, P. O. Box 18224, Tel.: +971-4-880-
9022, Fax: +971-4-880-9066. For general inquiries, contact:
info.me@dlink-me.com or visit our website: http://www.dlink-me.com.
Press Contact:
Nicole Maria Meier
D-Link Middle East
Tel.: +971-4-880-9022
Fax: +971-4-880-9066
E-Mail: nmeier@dlink-me.com
HOUTEN, The Netherlands, November 1, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- The Dutch company A-solar has developed a series of Apple licensed solar
chargers for iPhone. A-solar combines the latest solar and battery technology
in their products. The high quality solar chargers for iPhone are equipped
with energy efficient solar cells which can charge the li-ion battery. Not
only can the internal battery of the solar charger for iPhone be recharged by
sun but also by USB. When there is no sunlight available you can still charge
your iPhone using the stored energy from the charger.
Since Apple launched the iPhone, more than 52 million iPhones have been
sold worldwide. "We get a lot of feedback from our customers who say they are
very satisfied with the usability and capabilities of the iPhone. However, a
complaint often heard is that the battery of the iPhone runs out of energy
quickly. Not surprising when iPhone users are calling, sending SMS, reading
e-mail and twittering all day long." says Ralph Both, director of A-solar.
The solar chargers for iPhone are ideal when you go on a business or
holiday trip, as more and more people depend on their iPhone. The big
advantage is that the A-solar chargers are easy to carry because they are
small and lightweight. So from now on the Apple iPhone can easily be
recharged by the power of the sun. The A-solar chargers for iPhone are
compatible with the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4.
Company Profile
A-solar is a manufacturer of mobile energy solutions. They are
constantly developing new portable solar products. The company supplies the
retail market as well as the promotional market. Their products are
available through various (online) shops in the Netherlands, Belgium,
Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.
Source: A-solar
For more information or to request images in response to this press release, please contact: Monique Both-van Wijk, Telefoon: +31-30-635-48-00/ Mobile: +31-6-15-031-570, Email: monique@a-solar.nl
Additional Spectrum Expected to Improve Connectivity and Performance of 3G Voice and Data Applications
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* today announced the completion of a key initiative in its ongoing efforts to enhance the wireless capacity and performance of its 3G mobile broadband network throughout the Rochester area. As a result of this upgrade, local customers are expected to experience improved 3G wireless voice and data connectivity and performance, especially during peak hours.
The network enhancement adds new layers of frequency, also known as "carriers," to more efficiently manage available spectrum and increase 3G capacity at local cell sites. The expansion helps manage ever-growing demand for mobile broadband services by allocating more network resources for AT&T's 3G network.
"Demand for wireless bandwidth is growing rapidly, whether it's for sharing video and photos with friends, watching a movie, checking the latest scores, or keeping your business mobile with a smartphone, netbook or other on-the-go devices," said Robert Holliday, vice president and general manager, AT&T upstate New York. "As part of the Rochester community, we're always looking for new opportunities to provide an enhanced customer experience and our continued investment in the local wireless network is just one way to accomplish this."
"Delivering dependable wireless coverage for consumers and business customers who need to stay connected is our ultimate objective," said Hal Lenox, president, AT&T New York. "Our ongoing investments in this critical part of the state will help us ensure that our customers have access to the wireless services that help drive economic growth."
Wireless data traffic on the AT&T network has grown more than 5,000 percent over the past three years, largely due to the increasing popularity of advanced smartphones and the performance of AT&T's 3G network. AT&T has the nation's fastest mobile broadband network.
The expansion of spectrum for 3G use is one of many ongoing network initiatives planned to enhance coverage and capacity across the country. AT&T recently upgraded 3G cell sites nationwide to High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2. Future plans include another upgrade to HSPA+ technology at the end of this year followed by the initial deployment next year of LTE, the next-generation of wireless technology. These advancements, when combined with an ongoing initiative to increase the number of high-speed backhaul connections to cell sites, are a part of AT&T's strategy to provide customers with an enhanced mobile broadband experience, both today and in the future.
AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, providing access to voice service in more than 220 countries and data service in 200 countries. AT&T also offers voice and data roaming coverage on more than 140 major cruise ships, as well as 3G services in more than 125 countries.
AT&T also owns and operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network** with more than 23,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to more than 125,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements. Most AT&T smartphone customers get access to our U.S. Wi-Fi network at no additional cost, and Wi-Fi usage doesn't count against customers' monthly data plans.
For more information about AT&T's 3G coverage in western New York or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure coverage quality of coverage from a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark.
For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
** Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See http://www.attwifi.com for details and locations.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE®magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT. Find us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at http://www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.
SOURCE AT&T Inc.
AT&T Inc.
CONTACT: Kate MacKinnon of AT&T Inc., +1-508-271-8442, kate.mackinnon@att.com
YP.com (sm) Enables Users to Experience More, Share More and Save More This Halloween Season
YP.com (sm) users can login with Facebook® to get quick and easy access to their favorite treats
GLENDALE, Calif., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Need an excuse to experience more? New local and seasonal tips shared weekly on AT&T Interactive's YP.com encourage users to live just a little bit more - even if it means a daredevil culinary adventure this Halloween. Through a new integration, those who want to treat their friends to these tips and tricks on YP.com can more easily share content and login with Facebook to write business reviews.
The addition of new consumer features, such as new local and seasonal tips featured on YP.com closely follows the introduction of the new YP(sm) brand and image-based homepage encouraging users to discover local businesses. This fall, the millions of consumers who rely on YP(sm) products to navigate their local lives can find local costume shops, make reservations for a devilish dinner or explore local events. Here are some tips to get them started:
Experience More - Let YP.com (sm) be the guide to seasonal and local tips to live more
-- Daredevil Eats in Your Town: From fried scorpion toast to stir-fried
crickets - who knew Halloween could be the perfect occasion for a
culinary adventure (beyond candy corn). Dish up courage this October 31
(or any other day) and pay a visit to a local restaurant serving up
scarily delicious dishes: Halloween food ideas. Prefer to stick to your
favorites? Default to search for other top restaurants nearby.
-- More Ways to Get in the Halloween Spirit: Movie-inspired costumes for
kids, ghost-hunting destinations and do it yourself costumes for groups.
Rely on YP(sm) products for last-minute party planning and local
businesses that can help along the way: Halloween Inspiration.
-- Free is Always in Style: Fall, winter or summer, access to free stuff is
always relevant. Check out YP.com's list of top 10 free attractions
across regions to live a little more....for free: Top 10 Free
Attractions Across America .
Share More - Have a voice and stay connected, even on the go
-- Easy login with Facebook: Whether users have a YP(sm) user name already
or not, they can now login to YP.com with their Facebook login
information. Ready to start? Register on YP.com.
-- Share Your Thoughts: By claiming a YP(sm) user name, users can share
their opinions on the best costume shops or dentist (post-candy
overload) through user reviews. In fact, through Nov. 19, sharing can
even lead to major prizes as part of the Review More. Win More.
sweepstakes.
-- Sharing editorial content: Love the top 10 list of movie-inspired
costumes and photo galleries on YP.com? Users can now share editorial
content featured on the YP.com homepage with just a couple clicks.
-- Update a listing: Last year's Halloween pop-up store, moved again? Users
who have a piece of handy information on a specific business are
welcomed to update a listing by clicking "Add or edit this business
information" on a business' profile page.
-- Sharing on the Go: Write reviews and share businesses, events and more
while on the go on YP apps across major mobile platforms.
Save More:
-- Local Deals: YP.com users can filter search results by "coupon" to find
local businesses offering savings opportunities.
-- Time is Money: With comprehensive business information including
business video profiles, maps, directions and user reviews, save time by
discovering local all from YP.com.
Keep tabs on the current YP(sm) ad campaign "Click Less. Live More (sm)" and YP(sm) products on YP on Facebook.
*AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
*Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
About AT&T Interactive
AT&T Interactive, a subsidiary of AT&T Inc, is an industry leader in creating local search products that encourage consumers to discover and engage with local businesses across three screens - online, mobile, and TV. YP.com, AT&T Interactive's flagship web property, attracts over 30 million monthly online unique visitors (1). YP.com is also accessed by millions of users each month via the mobile web. AT&T Interactive consumer apps have a pre-activation presence or have been downloaded through digital app stores on over 40 million mobile phones.(2)
AT&T Interactive's robust local ad network helps advertisers grow their business and distributes ads to a distinguished list of top publishers whose presence spans online, mobile and TV. AT&T Interactive's wide range of local ad products such as premium listings, performance-based advertising, and search engine marketing provides advertisers an opportunity to increase their presence among consumers who are looking for a local business.
AT&T Interactive products are supported by over 5,000 media consultants from the AT&T Advertising Solutions organization and other select resellers. To learn more visit AT&T Advertising Solutions.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE®magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at the AT&T Web Site. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at AT&T Newsroom, and as part of an RSS feed at AT&T RSS Feed. Or follow our news on Twitter @ATT. Find us on Facebook at the AT&T Facebook to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at AT&T Small Business Facebook to discover more about our small business services.
Hastings Entertainment to Host Call of Duty: Black Ops Midnight Release Parties
AMARILLO, Texas, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Hastings Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: HAST), a leading multimedia entertainment superstore retailer, today announced its plans for chain-wide midnight parties surrounding the release of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops video game. Fans are encouraged to join their local Hastings store for a midnight release party on Monday, November 8, 2010. Festivities will begin at 10:00 p.m. local time, and fans can countdown to the release at Midnight. Hastings will offer Call of Duty: Black Ops for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS.
Call of Duty: Black Ops, the seventh installment in the first-person shooter series, branches off from the WWII and "Modern" theme and will be set in the Cold War era. Gamers will have thirteen missions to complete in the single-player campaign as well as forty different types of weapons available to choose from. As throughout the rest of the series, fans will also enjoy the immense multiplayer campaign in the game. Fans enjoying the festivities and awaiting the release of the game will be able to take advantage of special promotions on used CDs, books, video games, and movies. Customers who purchase the game at the midnight release will receive a free video game rental coupon and can receive $5 off the purchase of the Call of Duty: Black Ops strategy guide.
To find out more about the Call of Duty: Black Ops midnight release party in your area, visit or contact your local Hastings superstore. You may also visit us online at http://www.goHastings.com to find out more about your local store and upcoming events.
About Hastings
Founded in 1968, Hastings Entertainment, Inc. is a leading multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of new and used books, videos, video games and CDs, as well as trends and consumer electronics merchandise, with the rental of videos and video games in a superstore format. We currently operate 146 superstores, averaging approximately 25,000 square feet, primarily in medium-sized markets throughout the United States. We also operate a new concept store, Sun Adventure Sports, in Amarillo, Texas.
We also operate http://www.goHastings.com, an e-commerce Internet Web site that makes available to our customers new and used entertainment products and unique, contemporary gifts and toys. The site features exceptional product and pricing offers. The Investor Relations section of our web site contains press releases, a link to request financial and other literature and access our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
CONTACT: Dan Crow, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hastings Entertainment, Inc., +1-806-677-1422
MedSolutions Offers Free CME Credit Imaging Safety Webinar for Physicians
Third installment in webinar series provides primary care physicians, pediatricians with guidance on radiation risk and test selection.
FRANKLIN, Tenn. and BOSTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- MedSolutions (http://www.medsolutions.com), a leading provider of medical cost management services, is collaborating with Tufts Health Care Institute and the Office of Continuing Education at Tufts University School of Medicine to offer a free educational webinar designed to assist primary care physicians and pediatricians in utilizing high-tech imaging studies appropriately.
"Doing the Right Thing: Diagnostic Radiology, Radiation Risk, and Patient Safety," is scheduled for Tuesday, November 2, from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST. Presenters Samson Munn, M.D., associate radiologist in chief of Tufts Medical Center, and Niamh Carroll, M.D., an internist and adult primary care physician at Tufts Medical Center, will provide information to help primary care physicians identify the relative radiation exposure of different imaging modalities and select the most appropriate modality for specific patients and conditions. Participants will also learn to apply tools and techniques, such as provider-based guidelines and insurer-based reviews and incentives, to inform and manage the use of high-tech imaging.
The webinar has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(TM). Physicians in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania can earn risk management CME credit.
"Research shows that more than 25 percent of CT and MRI scans ordered by primary care physicians are inappropriate(1) - exposing the patient, at least in the case of CT, to potentially harmful radiation while bringing no diagnostic benefit," said Gregg Allen, M.D., chief medical officer of MedSolutions. "By collaborating with Tufts on this webinar to educate physicians about the radiation risks associated with different imaging modalities and encouraging the use of evidence-based guidelines in their selection process, we believe we can limit patient exposure to unnecessary radiation."
The webinar is the third in a series designed to increase physician knowledge of appropriate and evidence-based use of high-tech imaging studies, encourage an epidemiological approach to testing, and promote effective communication with patients. Previous installments, including "Outpatient Abdominal Imaging: Timing and Techniques for Diagnosis," and "Spine Imaging: Timing and Techniques for Lower Back Pain," are available online at no charge.
"By giving physicians the information and tools to support an evidence-based decision-making process, we can improve quality and patient safety while reducing unnecessary costs," said Rosalie Phillips, MPH, executive director of the Tufts Health Care Institute.
Using independently validated savings methodologies, MedSolutions specializes in quality-driven, intelligent cost management of medical services for commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid payors. The company maintains management contracts for more than twenty-seven million individuals nationwide. Using robust data, predictive intelligence technology, and evidence-based clinical expertise, the company's innovative solutions extend beyond Radiology Management to other areas of medical specialty, including Oncology, Cardiac Imaging, Sleep, Ultrasound, and MedSolutions' groundbreaking Premerus(SM) Diagnostic Accuracy program - the nation's first solution for reducing diagnostic error rates to improve the quality and cost of care. MedSolutions has been recognized for outstanding customer service and effective call center management by the International Customer Management Institute and for three consecutive years by the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Award. Visit http://www.medsolutions.com.
(1) Journal of the American College of Radiology, March 2010
Contact: Rebecca Kirkham
Lovell Communications Inc.
(615) 297-7766
ISLEWORTH, England, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Sky is giving customers the chance to share theultimate TV experience with their friends by hosting their very own Sky+HD Party.
Each host will be given one complimentary film to watch in stunning high definition from a choice of three new movie releases from Sky Box Office HD worth 3.91 pounds, plus a 10 pounds M&S voucher to kick off the party in style.
Sky+HD customers have a choice of three films to choose from - Inception, Sex and the City 2 and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore - shown exclusively from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th December.
To qualify for the offer, party hosts need to set up their Sky+HD party and invite three or more friends, who must accept their online invitations by 5pm on 16 November. Friends must be over 18 and cannot be members of the same household.
The Sky+HD party host and their guests will get closer to the explosive action of a Hollywood blockbuster with the sharper detail and superb quality sound of Sky high definition.
Those wishing to host a Sky+HD party need to be an existing Sky+HD customer whose HD viewing card goes active before 14th November 2010 are eligible for this offer. All friends must accept their invitations online by 5pm on 16th November and the parties will need to take place on one day between Friday 10th and Sunday 12th of December 2010.
The Sky+HD Party offer is subject to availability and limited to the first 19,000 parties.
About Sky
Sky operates the most comprehensive multichannel, multi-platform television service in the UK and Ireland, reaching over 9.9 million homes. Sky continues to break new ground with its own portfolio of channels: Sky 1 combines its commitment to UK production with the best of the US; Sky Arts is the UK's only dedicated arts channel brand; Sky Sports is still raising the bar in sports broadcasting; and Sky News remains a pioneer in television news. Sky also works with dozens of other broadcasters on the satellite platform, online and on mobile. Sky is now leading the UK into the age of high definition television with Sky+ HD and launched Europe's first 3DTV channel, Sky 3D, this October. The company is also the UK's fastest-growing broadband and home phone provider.
Sky+HD PR contact:
Victoria Etaghene
Sky Consumer PR Executive
BSkyB
Grant Way
Isleworth
TW7 5QD
020 7805 3000 http://www.sky.com
CrimeReports.com, San Jose Police Department and Logitech Join Forces to Enhance Next-Generation Public Safety Tools
Program leverages 'crowd-sourced' information, including camera registration to reduce, prevent and solve crime
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CrimeReports.com, the leading provider of online crime mapping, anonymous tipping and crime analytics tools, today announced the launch of a complete suite of community collaboration and crime fighting tools in collaboration with the San Jose Police Department and Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI).
The newest release from CrimeReports.com is an online social utility called Neighborhood Central that facilitates a secure dialogue between citizens, community groups, businesses and law enforcement about local crime activity and community policing. The service creates opportunities for users to take an active role in protecting themselves and their communities, allowing them to easily create map-based neighborhood groups online, and then collaborate with neighbors and leverage existing social networks to contribute and share localized, community safety-related information.
Among the new features is the ability for community members to register privately owned, public property-facing security cameras. Registration preserves the unilateral ability of citizens to own and control the cameras while providing the SJPD with information about whom they may contact for valuable recordings. Participating residents can choose to register their Logitech Alert digital video security system at CrimeReports.com, giving community members and law enforcement access to another essential piece of crime-fighting information. CrimeReports.com supports the registration of Logitech Alert systems anywhere in the U.S. and is working to roll out similar programs with law enforcement agencies across the country.
"We are excited to be the first law enforcement agency to support this new technology, which allows community members to participate in proactive public safety at whatever level they choose," said Rob Davis, Chief of Police, San Jose, California. "Vigilant community members are one of our most important and effective allies in preventing and fighting crime. By applying innovative technology from CrimeReports.com and Logitech, San Jose's residents will be able to work with law enforcement officers and with one another to share information in the on-line and social spaces they already use each day."
"These advances to the CrimeReports.com platform enable communities to forge partnerships with governments and private companies to solve problems in new and innovative ways. We are fortunate to be working closely with the San Jose Police Department and Logitech to maximize input from the public to prevent and solve crime," said Greg Whisenant, founder and CEO of CrimeReports.com. "We continue to enhance and optimize the Neighborhood Central platform to best serve law enforcement and the public, and we encourage residents to visit the site, check out their neighborhood and participate - the more involvement we have on the site, the better equipped law enforcement is and the safer our communities will be."
"We're thrilled to collaborate with CrimeReports and the City of San Jose to bring residents the tools that can help them keep their community safe," said Eric Kintz, vice president and general manager of Logitech's video business. "By enabling residents to easily share potentially critical video captured with Logitech Alert digital video security cameras, we're looking forward to helping law enforcement and private citizens band together to fight crime."
Partnering with over 1,600 law enforcement agencies, CrimeReports is the #1 crime map and anonymous tip network in North America. It offers the largest and most accurate resource for timely, street-level crime and sex offender information on the web. The CrimeReports network offers a family of affordable, easy-to-use software tools created to help law enforcement agencies understand crime trends, share up-to-date information with the public, and receive actionable intelligence from the community. Empowering them to make informed decisions and help improve community safety, citizens can access the integrated crime map, create or join neighborhood groups and collaborate with other citizens and local law enforcement free at http://www.CrimeReports.com. CrimeReports services are offered by Public Engines, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.CrimeReports.com
SOURCE CrimeReports
CrimeReports
CONTACT: Scott Kinzie of CrimeReports, +1-801-828-2712, scott@crimereports.com
Spectrum Control Completes Acquisition of Summit Instruments, Inc.
FAIRVIEW, Pa., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Spectrum Control, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPEC), a leading designer and manufacturer of custom electronic products and systems, announced today that it has acquired all of the outstanding common stock of Summit Instruments, Inc. ("Summit"). Dick Southworth, Spectrum Control's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are very pleased to complete this transaction, which expands our Sensors and Controls Business to include inertia components and systems. These custom products, which are used in numerous military and commercial applications, will provide a natural complement to our existing precision position sensors and advanced thermal products. Our Company remains totally committed to continuously expanding our product capabilities, through internal R&D and strategic acquisitions like Summit."
About Spectrum Control
Spectrum Control, Inc. is a leader in the design, development and manufacture of high-performance custom electronic solutions for the defense, aerospace, communications, and medical industries worldwide. For more information about Spectrum Control and its products, please visit the Company's website at http://www.spectrumcontrol.com.
SOURCE Spectrum Control, Inc.
Spectrum Control, Inc.
CONTACT: Investor Relations, John P. Freeman, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Spectrum Control, Inc., +1-814-474-4310
AT&T Upgrades Retail Presence in Hampton Roads With New Retail Locations in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg
Grand Re-Opening Celebrations at Remodeled Locations, Offering Hands-On, Interactive Experience
HAMPTON ROADS, Va., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- To address the growing demand for advanced wireless data products and services, AT&T* is celebrating the grand opening of two recently relocated stores that offer shoppers an innovative high-tech, interactive shopping experience.
The store locations have a state-of-the-art, hands-on design to engage customers and provide a "try before buy" sales environment. Trained sales consultants can provide demonstrations of a wide range of wireless products and services. Shoppers can also test out the latest smart phones, quick messaging devices, and learn how to get the most out of social networking or GPS navigation services on an AT&T device.
"The new design showcases our wide portfolio of advanced wireless voice and data products in an innovative way that lets customers touch and feel today's exciting new services before they make their selection," said Erika K. Thompson-Kemp, vice president and general manager of AT&T in Virginia and West Virginia.
The Virginia Beach store located at 4725 Virginia Beach Boulevard is led by wireless veteran Harold Rose and has a staff of eight consultants who can assist consumers and businesses with device selection, technical assistance and customer support. The Williamsburg store is located at 5226 Monticello Avenue and has a team of seven consultants led by store manager Sam Lheureux. Hours of operation for both locations are Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
AT&T operates 50 AT&T-owned retail locations in Virginia. AT&T's products and services are also available at a number of other authorized dealers and national retail locations.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE®magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at http://www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
Jawbone Expands on its Best Selling ICON Headset with New EarWear Collection
Award-winning Jawbone ICON introduces striking new designs and expanded features via MyTALK
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Jawbone®, a leader in personal technology and innovator in Bluetooth®, today announced its EarWear® Collection - four meticulously-crafted designer editions that expand the best-selling ICON line of headsets. The EarWear Collection is now available for pre-order on http://www.Jawbone.com and at select retailers in November.
The ICON EarWear Collection offers industry-leading intelligence, ease of use, personalization, and sterling sound quality all in striking designs suited to a consumer's unique style. Inspired by and named after fashion textiles - Cashmere, Denim, Mesh, and Suede - each EarWear headset has been specially crafted with exacting attention to details.
"The ICON is our most successful product ever because people really want to wear it," says Yves Behar, Jawbone's Chief Creative Officer. "The EarWear Collection builds on this ethos, giving consumers an even broader range of colors and textures to accommodate the most discerning tastes. With Jawbone's industry-leading intelligence, the EarWear collection is truly a marriage of innovative form and function."
ICON Gets Even Smarter via MyTALK
The EarWear Collection, along with all Jawbone ICON headsets, can be updated with new apps via the web ensuring that users have the very latest technologies. Just sync ICON directly to the industry-first MyTALK online platform - mytalk.jawbone.com - to update and personalize with apps, upgrades, and the latest software.
And no more hassling with headphones, pausing, or turning down your media to accept phone calls. ICON's innovative Bluetooth technology allows you to seamlessly and discretely stream music directly from your smartphone, iPod or any other A2DP-enabled Bluetooth device. Users can now be fully connected to all their audio and phone calls through the ICON headset, all wirelessly, with a design that is distinctly personal.
The new EarWear Collection is available today for pre-order online at http://www.jawbone.com for $99.99. Jawbone ICON is available at major cellular carriers and electronics retailers and the EarWear Collection will become available in November.
About Jawbone (aka Aliph)
Established in 2006, Jawbone is committed to changing the way people communicate by providing high-quality personal audio through unmatched simplicity, customization and design. Creator of the award-winning Jawbone ICON Bluetooth headset and military-grade NoiseAssassin technology, Jawbone delivers products that continue to breathe new life into its mobile users' lifestyle through ever-changing software and wearability. Privately-held and headquartered in the heart of San Francisco, Jawbone is proud to share its products with more than 20 countries worldwide.
The winner of numerous consumer awards, Jawbone is part of the permanent collection at various museums including New York MOMA.
TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- "You've just entered another dimension - a dimension of insects, a micro dimension, where milkweed bugs, assassin bugs, crickets and fruit flies crawl, walk or fly side by side to show off features that are the envy of the insect world and quite possibly beyond." This isn't the opening narration of the late 1950s television series "The Twilight Zone," but the introduction of a video announcing the 2010 Ugly Bug Contest.
Last year's Ugly Bug Contest attracted insect enthusiasts from around the world. Some 8,025 insectophiles cast their vote for their favorite ugly bug. This year, voters will have until Dec. 15 to show their support for the bug they deem the most fascinating, unique, or downright detestable. Until then, each bug's fate hangs in a virtual balance.
The adaptation of the Twilight Zone theme for this year's video is well-suited for a contest whose contenders, all somewhat alien to a human viewer, resemble creatures one might see on the show. The house cricket, for example, with its passion for decayed insects while dining, resembles a flesh-eating zombie; while the assassin bug, whose beak-like mouthparts inject toxic saliva into its prey, becomes multiply monstrous in multifaceted eyes of insect victims.
Other creatures determined to be crowned the ugliest bug of 2010 include the earwig, flour beetle, fruit and house flies, male ant, milkweed bug, jewel wasp and yellow dragonfly. The video is at http://askabiologist.asu.edu/video/ubc2010.
The annual contest, now in its third year at Arizona State University, was created by Marilee Sellers of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. For 10 years, it was a local fixture - part of the Flagstaff Festival of Science and the Mount Campus Science Day. In 2008, Sellers teamed up with ASU's Charles Kazilek to bring the competition to the Web.
The contest is housed online in connection with ASU's popular children's science education website "Ask A Biologist" created by Kazilek, director of technology innovation and outreach in ASU's School of Life Sciences, in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Sporting the moniker "Dr. Biology," Kazilek says the contest not only provides a chance for individuals to become engaged in viewing insects, but is also a great opportunity for learning to occur.
Visitors to "Ask A Biologist" have access to downloadable wallpapers, a poster and coloring pages. The site also houses modules designed to improve students' basic reasoning skills and a variety of experiments and "how-to" projects. Additionally, viewers find stories about scientists and their career paths. The entire website activities offer students of all ages insight into the capacious field of biology, says Kazilek.
The creators of the Ugly Bug Contest added something new to the contest this year: the True Bug Story. The story teaches visitors that the word "bug" has a very specific usage within entomology, says Kazilek. The tale also explains that while all bugs are insects, not all insects are bugs. "True bugs" belong to a very specific subset of insects and the contest allows viewers to see some of them up close, explains Kazilek.
Each of the contest's 10 competitors has a personal photo and biography on the website, complete with details such as its size, weight and Latin, genus and species names. The biographies also include interesting facts about the insects, which range from the enlightening to the somewhat frightening.
The images of the insects are taken using a scanning electron microscope, which allows viewers to explore a magnified view of the competitive world of bugs - a world that would otherwise be unattainable with the human eye. Viewers are provided with colorful mug shots of the bugs, as well as the original black-and-white images of the bugs as actually seen through the microscope. The two contrasting images provide viewers a kind of before and after view that few can see outside of a laboratory.
Bugbook, another new feature of the contest, gives viewers a look at bugs as they've never been seen before. Modeled after the homepage of the social networking site Facebook, Bugbook is filled with the bug's own status updates and comments to each other. The comments reveal each bug's personal thoughts about the contest, while giving viewers some unique insights into the life of a bug. "What's on your mind" comments include some of the bug's thoughts on the current results of the contest.
With more than 400 votes, the jewel wasp was leading in the polls. Also known as Nasonia vitripennis, this winged stinger is one of the spookiest critters in the contest. The jewel wasp lays its eggs inside a living host. As the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the host from the inside out.
Will the jewel wasp win the title of Ugly Bug Champion 2010? Only the public can decide. To seal this bug's fate, a vote can be cast at http://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/ubc. There, a new, real-time tabulation feature will show how each vote is counted toward making "some lucky bug's dream come true," says Kazilek.
Last year's champion, the snake fly, might be considered by some far less fearsome in the insect world in comparison to the jewel wasp. Kazilek admits that his favorite bug this year, the yellow dragonfly, resembles a character one might see in the Disney movie "Monsters Inc."
When asked what draws people to the competition, which has already received almost 1,800 votes, Kazilek said: "Most people don't have a scanning electron microscope. The contest presents an opportunity to see these insects up close in a way that you typically are unable to."
The Ugly Bug Contest offers an intimate look at some of the insects who inhabit our world and who are often overlooked, he says. While one main objective of the contest is to allow visitors to become engaged in science, Kazilek notes that another goal is "capturing the imagination."
The contest is sponsored by Northern Arizona University Imaging and Histology Core Facility, Dow AgroSciences, and ASU's International Institute for Species Exploration, School of Life Sciences and W. M. Keck Bioimaging Laboratory.
This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com.
SOURCE Arizona State University
Arizona State University
CONTACT: Charles J. Kazilek, +1-480-965-1710, kazilek@asu.edu, or Carol Hughes, +1-480-965-6375, or +1-480-254-3753 cell, carol.hughes@asu.edu, both of Arizona State University
Verizon FiOS to Feature Multiple 3D Films This Year
Ten 3D Movies Will Be Featured on FiOS TV Video on Demand, With More to Come
NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- During the next two monthsVerizon FiOS TV customers will have a chance to see more 3D programming, with the launch of 10 feature films on demand. Beginning with the premiere of "Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore" on Nov. 16, and ending with "Disney's A Christmas Carol" and "Step Up 3D" in December, Verizon will make a series of video-on-demand titles available in 3D throughout the next two months. More titles will follow early next year.
The seven other 3D films, which will be available beginning Nov. 16, are: "Chicken Little," "Bolt" and "Meet the Robinsons" from Walt Disney Pictures, and "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "Under the Sea," "Deep Sea" and "NASCAR" from Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.
"Verizon is continuing to develop 3D experiences for our FiOS TV customers, and now that includes access to video-on-demand titles available at their convenience," said Tricia Lynch, director of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon. "This selection of 3D movies allows our customers to see what 3D on FiOS TV is really like - with the advanced picture quality and sound that makes FiOS the ultimate home-entertainment experience."
The 3D VOD movies are available to all FiOS TV customers across the country who have a 3D television set, 3D glasses and a high-definition set-top box. FiOS TV customers can find the 3D movies in the "High Definition" VOD folder, under HD 3D and the "Movies" VOD folder under 3D Movies.
The launch of these 3D movies marks Verizon's latest major 3D initiative this year. On Sept. 2, Verizon exclusively produced and broadcast the first televised National Football League game in 3D, the preseason match-up between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. And on July 10 and 11, the company broadcast the first Major League Baseball games in 3D, between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners.
The 3D movies join FiOS TV's leading VOD service, which includes 18,000 monthly titles. In addition, FiOS offers a broad collection of programming, with more than 520 all-digital channels including up to 140 HD channels. FiOS also provides next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social networking, news and entertainment widgets; remote DVR management via broadband or cell phone; and more.
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 more than 93 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
LANSDOWNE, Va., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the online video platform company VOPED has announced the launch of its new Pay Per View System, which will be unveiled at the Streaming Media West online video trade show in Los Angeles, California, beginning November 1st.
Combined with the online video platform company's suite of applications, the new Pay Per View System has the potential to provide greatly increased revenue from Live Events and Video On-Demand content. The VOPED Pay Per View (PPV) system is integrated into the video platform, easing the activation for online publishers, and it allows for customized pricing and subscriptions through the platform Management Console.
"With our new turnkey Pay Per View System as a part of VOPED's online video platform, the potential for our clients is huge, and we're very excited about the launch," said VOPED Founder and President Mark Serrano. "It's no secret that online video is driving growth on the Internet, but the real question is how to monetize this trend. With this new system VOPED has opened the door for businesses and organizations of any size to offer Pay Per View videos and events online," Serrano continued. "And when we say 'turnkey,' we mean it; with our newly redesigned Management Console, it just couldn't be any easier."
About VOPED
VOPED is a privately-funded company founded in 2007 and based in the Dulles Technology Corridor region of northern Virginia. The company specializes in delivering dynamic, state-of-the-art, online video platforms and services for publishers and websites featuring video content. VOPED continues to develop and release the most affordable and functional online video applications to service the needs of a growing base of customers seeking high-performing and profitable online tools and services. Learn more at http://www.VOPED.com. Follow VOPED on Twitter.com/VOPED or Facebook.com/VOPED.
SOURCE VOPED
VOPED
CONTACT: Matt Bennett, Office, +1-703-858-0199; Cell, +1-831-238-0950, matt@VOPED.com
ATLANTA and NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Definition 6, A Unified Marketing Agency, today announced it has launched Def6Video (http://www.def6video.com), a website dedicated to the agency's video and audio production and post-production operations in its New York City office.
Definition 6 has been providing video, post-production and sound engineering services through its award-winning Creative Bubble subsidiary since August 2009 when it acquired the company. The agency regularly works with clients HBO, Showtime, Nickelodeon, USA Network and Sesame Street on a variety of projects, including post-production and sound engineering, as well as creating original content from script to screen.
"We've been part of the Definition 6 family for more than a year now and it's made a significant, positive impact in our ability to serve our long-time customers better," said Rob Ortiz, Managing Director of the agency's video services operations. "We look forward to continuing our track record of producing the highest quality work for our clients under the Definition 6 name."
At its annual Halloween Party last night, appropriately themed 'Metamorphosis', the agency announced it would be officially rolling the Creative Bubble brand into Definition 6.
"Our video and audio expertise enhances our ability to operate as a unified marketing agency," said Michael Kogon, CEO of Definition 6. "Rob and the Creative Bubble team have done an exceptional job building an A-list client base for Creative Bubble, by delivering the highest quality work. As Definition 6, we'll continue to help clients tell their stories across all available media formats and devices - which is essential to delivering unified marketing experiences."
Def6Video.com showcases the agency's talent and body of work around video and audio production, sound engineering and motion design. For more information on Def6Video, visit: http://www.def6video.com.
SOURCE Definition 6
Definition 6
CONTACT: Jeremy Porter, +1-404-870-0323 x279, jeremy.porter@definition6.com
Sears Holdings Launches AdYourWay, New Personalized Online Shopping Solution
Personalized Advertising Solution Helps Customers Manage Their Lives, Save Time and Money
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears Holdings today announced the launch of AdYourWay, a revolutionary new shopping tool that gets to know customers and personalizes the shopping offers that they receive. By combining the powerful marketplace product selection with personalized content and customized recommendations, AdYourWay helps customers manage their lives to save both time and money.
"We're living in a customer-controlled retail environment and it is imperative that we continue to reinvent the company through technology and innovation to improve our relevance with our customers," said David Friedman, SVP and president, Marketing, Sears Holdings. "AdYourWay is a unique shopping tool that puts control back into the hands of our customers, allowing them to manage and organize both the products and the offers that interest them."
From a single personalized page on Sears.com, and soon to come to Kmart.com, AdYourWay allows customers to receive personalized product recommendations based on previous purchases and product searches. Once a customer is logged into Sears.com or Kmart.com, AdYourWay technology works to provide customers with deals and offers on products of interest and those that are relevant to their lifestyle.
Through the unique "Follow" functionality, shoppers can select a desired item and set up e-mail alerts for price drops. By selecting a product from any page, customers can submit the price they want to pay for the item, how frequently they want to be notified of the price changes and receive e-mail alerts whenever the price changes. All of the followed items can be viewed, easily accessed and managed from a personal AdYourWay page.
"We're turning traditional advertising on its head with AdYourWay," said Friedman. "AdYourWay improves the lives of our customers and is an expansion of Sears' online capabilities that help serve as the foundation for strong connections with them now and into the future."
Reinforcing its reputation as a pioneer in the interactive marketing space, Sears Holdings' has signed on with iAd, Apple's new mobile advertising network. With iAd consumers can engage with rich, interactive ads on their iPhone or iPod touch without leaving their current app. The Sears iAd campaign will launch soon.
Sears has also signed on with AdKeeper, which gives Sears customers absolute control to engage with online ads on their own time and terms while sharing the hottest Sears products, just in time for the holidays.
Along with AdYourWay, these are all examples of how Sears Holdings makes life and shopping easier for customers, expanding the possibilities of the customer shopping experience and making it more efficient than ever.
Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, consumer electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at http://www.searsholdings.com.
SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation
CONTACT: Tom Aiello of Sears Holdings, +1-847-286-7387, tom.aiello@searshc.com
Westchester Public Relations Firm Creates New Model for Online PR
Cut-It-Out Communications Includes Three Pillars of Web Site Development, Search Engine Marketing and Social Media
HARTSDALE, N.Y., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Cut-It-Out Communications, Inc. (http://www.cioediting.com), a Westchester public relations agency specializing in the incorporation of online activities in traditional PR programs, today announced it has created a new model to increase client visibility based on web site development, search engine marketing and social media.
The model emphasizes the use of internal blogs residing on a client's web site; coding in .asp and online media rooms; and campaigns to create deep links and an interwoven online footprint. The company is certified in advanced search engine marketing; was recently named an all-star by Constant Contact, a prominent email marketing firm; and is ranked #1 for the geo-targeted search term, "Westchester County public relations."
Willy Gissen, President of Cut-It-Out Communications, said, "The goal of online PR is exactly the same as traditional PR -- to increase client visibility. And the Google ranking algorithm responds in the same way, too, by rewarding the creation of original and creative content. That forms the perfect opening for public relations firms who have focused almost exclusively on that very task for print publications."
The Cut-It-Out model offers many unique elements. All web sites are coded in asp instead of html to facilitate site renovation. Internal blogs, residing on a client's web site, are used to create deep links -- inbound connections to interior pages of a site. Google emphasizes this type of inbound link, clickable text on another site pointing to your own, in its search engine ranking pages (SERPs).
Other aspects of the Cut-It-Out model include a prominent online media room for all publicity generated, with a link on a web site's top navigation bar for the journalist's convenience. Corporate presence on social media sites are linked with each other as well as the organization's home page to create a customized online web.
Free apps for iPhone and Android platforms also available for Buick, GMC and Cadillac combine convenience of smart-phone applications with power of OnStar
DETROIT, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning today, owners of 2011 Chevrolet models can access their vehicle information and OnStar services right from their smart phones. The myChevrolet and OnStar MyLink applications, available as free downloads, provide drivers with unprecedented connectivity to their vehicles from their Android or Apple iPhone device.
"This is a great example of how we are focusing on smart technologies that address customers' needs," said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet marketing. "With myChevrolet and OnStar MyLink apps, customers can search their owners' manual, find their parking spot, and even unlock their car - right from their phone."
Features of the apps, also available on Buick, GMC and Cadillac models, fall into three categories: location-based services, vehicle-specific information, and OnStar connectivity features.
The location-based services include a parking reminder that allows drivers to save their parking location to a GPS-enabled map, set a timer to track how much time they have on the parking meter, and even add a note or photo with details about their parking location. If they return to a flat tire, the driver can use the app to request roadside assistance or to locate the closest Chevrolet dealership and schedule a service appointment.
Vehicle-specific information is accessible after scanning the vehicle identification number using the smart-phone camera. These features include searchable content for the most-commonly accessed information in the owner's manual, such as directions saving radio presets. The app also provides explanations of warning lights and indicators on the vehicle instrument panel at the touch of a button.
In addition, myChevrolet integrates with the OnStar MyLink app to access exclusive OnStar technologies. Through OnStar's unique connection to the vehicle, owners can send remote vehicle commands such as unlocking or locking the doors, and starting the engine. In addition, owners can access key diagnostic information, including fuel tank level and range, remaining oil life, current and recommended tire pressure and lifetime average miles per gallon. The diagnostic information is current as of the last vehicle start, giving OnStar subscribers an up-to-date health report of their vehicle anytime they need it.
About General Motors - General Motors, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 208,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at http://www.gm.com.
SOURCE General Motors
General Motors
CONTACT: Monte Doran, Chevrolet Communications, +1-313-665-4243, Mobile +1-313-348-2317, monte.doran@gm.com; Jim Kobus, OnStar Communications, +1-313-665-2791, Mobile +1-248-765-7928, jim.kobus@onstar.com
IBM Awards Powerful Computing System to University of Lugano for Research to Create Future Workload Optimized Systems
IBM and University of Lugano to collaborate on multi-core technology research
LUGANO, Switzerland and ARMONK, N.Y., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Today IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced a Shared University Research (SUR) award in the form of a modern high-end server to the University of Lugano, Switzerland, to advance the design of future computer systems and applications for multi-core processors. The powerful new computer, an IBM Power 755, will be used to investigate how future computer systems can best be optimized as part of a three-year research collaboration with IBM Research - Zurich.
"This teamwork is game changing," said Dr. Piero Martinoli, President of University of Lugano. "It is increasingly important, pushes the boundaries of science and is beneficial for society, even in the difficult years of economic uncertainty. We are glad to collaborate with one of the most important research organizations in the world."
IBM and the University of Lugano will collaborate on research aimed to create future multi-core computer systems that are holistically optimized in terms of performance and energy efficiency - from the processor to specific applications, such as data analytics, that are rapidly gaining in importance for business, industry and society.
Researching the computer of tomorrow
Every business process has different requirements in terms of information technology (IT). The needs of the individual processes or applications determine how computer system workloads are defined. For example, powerful IT systems with extremely short response times are needed to process transactions, whereas archiving of enterprise data requires large and efficient storage systems. The development of so-called workload-optimized systems is an important emerging trend in IT.
"Virtualization on all levels and the transition to cloud computing models, in which companies obtain IT services in a flexible manner from a cloud provider rather than expanding their own IT infrastructures, offers great potential for holistic optimization of vital applications," explains Dr. Matthias Kaiserswerth, Director of IBM Research - Zurich. "Our research collaboration with University of Lugano will focus on building scalable and efficient end-to-end computing solutions to enable companies to increase their productivity while saving time and cost."
Hardware and software optimization
The research collaboration will mainly focus on novel, trend-setting, highly innovative applications, including data analytics, Web 2.0, cluster applications and applications in virtualized environments. In the three-year project named POEM (Performance of Emerging Workloads on Multi-cores), the scientists will use comprehensive performance analyses and simulations to gain insight into the complex, application-specific dependencies in the entire stack - from application to run-time environment and hardware - and identify potential bottlenecks.
Based on these investigations, the researchers will develop a methodology for efficient and dynamic performance analyses. Ultimately, the project is expected to yield important insights and tools to advance the co-design of future computer systems and software applications that are optimally aligned.
The IBM Power 755 rack-mounted server features IBM's POWER7 technology and is designed to handle high performance computing applications and analytic workloads. It is ENERGY STAR qualified to help clients become more environmentally efficient.
The IBM Shared University Research (SUR) Award is a worldwide award program designed to promote research in areas of mutual value and interest to IBM and universities. The program targets a wide variety of areas, ranging from life sciences, high-performance computing and energy technology, to digital data protection. The collaboration in an area of significant interest to the university and IBM is expected to foster both knowledge transfer and IT innovation. More information about IBM's university programs is available at http://www.ibm.com/press/university.
CONTACT: Tim Willeford, IBM University Media Relations (USA), +1-914-766-1107, twilleford@us.ibm.com, or Chris Sciacca, IBM Research Media Relations (Europe), +41-44-724-84-43, cia@zurich.ibm.com, or Dr. Giovanni Zavaritt, Media Relations, University of Lugano, +41(0)58-666-4792, press@usi.ch
Decatur Customers Get New TV Service That Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction in J.D. Power and Associates Study
DECATUR, Ala., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ --Decatur residents now have a new choice for their television and communications services powered by advanced technology. AT&T* today announced the launch of AT&T U-verse® services in parts of Decatur, including AT&T U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet and AT&T U-verse Voice. The services will be available for order beginning Monday, Nov. 1.
AT&T U-verse services, which are all delivered over AT&T's advanced Internet Protocol (IP) network, offer a new alternative to cable with a better DVR, better features and apps, and a better TV experience. AT&T U-verse brings together your TV, broadband, home phone and AT&T wireless services - all on one bill - with unique features that provide a new level of integration, convenience and control. And now, AT&T U-verse TV ranks "Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the South, Three Years in a Row," according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008-2010 Residential Television Service Satisfaction Studies(SM).
"Today's expansion of AT&T U-verse reflects our commitment to make the investments necessary to bring consumers in Decatur a new era of true video competition," said Fred McCallum, AT&T Alabama president. "We are thrilled to offer this innovative video choice to Alabama customers. Local residents have asked for more choices in television service and today we're delivering."
"Cable has been the only game in town for too long, and we're excited to change that today in Alabama," said Joe Larussa, vice president and general manager, Consumer & Mobility Markets, Gulf States. "We know Decatur customers want a better choice to break free from cable, and AT&T U-verse is the answer. And we'll continue to make U-verse TV even better for customers with regular upgrades and new cool applications that enhance your TV experience."
More Choice, Advanced Features
AT&T U-verse TV is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider, making AT&T U-verse one of the most dynamic and application-rich services available today, with advanced capabilities that customers don't get from other providers.
Where AT&T U-verse services are available, local U-verse TV customers can enjoy numerous features and applications, including the ability to manage your DVR recordings, and download and watch hit TV shows from a qualifying smartphone with U-verse Mobile; the freedom to manage and playback your recorded programs from a single DVR on any U-verse connected TV in the house with Total Home DVR; the ability to choose and watch up to four of your favorite channels at one time with the exclusive My Multiview app; an extensive High Definition (HD) channel lineup with access to up to 140 HD channels; the ability to program DVR recordings from your Web-connected mobile phone or PC; personalized, on-screen weather, sports, traffic and stock information via AT&T U-bar; the ability to check the current weather conditions and forecasts in any U.S. city with Weather On Demand; and more.
With AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet services, every AT&T U-verse customer or small business broadband user can enjoy faster available speeds. Packages include a range of speeds, with the fastest downstream speeds up to 24 Mbps. All AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet packages include wireless home or office networking capability at no extra cost.
AT&T U-verse Voice is a managed IP-based service that is delivered over AT&T's fiber-rich network. This allows U-verse Voice customers to enjoy great sound quality and reliability, as well as unmatched calling features that integrate with your AT&T U-verse TV, high speed internet and AT&T wireless services. Customers can benefit from a single, combined voice mailbox for AT&T U-verse Voice and AT&T wireless messages; an online portal to manage your call preferences and settings from any PC; an online voice mailbox; the ability to view your incoming calls and voicemail notifications on your TV with Caller ID on TV; the ability to view your Call History on your TV and initiate a call from your PC or TV using Click to Call; and more. All U-verse Voice customers have 911 service.
AT&T U-verse offers multiple combinations of TV, Internet and Voice packages to customize your experience. Standard professional installation is included in most packages, and you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee. You may also view a U-verse Interactive Demo. Additional promotional offers may be available to qualifying customers who bundle U-verse Internet or U-verse Voice service.
For additional information on AT&T U-verse -- or to find out if it's available in your area -- visit AT&T U-verse, call 800-ATT-2020 or visit our Decatur retail store at 1217 Mallard Parkway SE.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE®magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT. Find us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at http://www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse. Call or go to http://www.att.com/uverse to see if you qualify.
AT&T U-verse TV: Residential customers only. Prices, programming and offers subject to change without notice. A one-time TV service activation fee of $29 applies. HD Service: Access to HD service requires $10/mo. HD Premium Tier available for an additional $5/mo. HD channel availability varies by package selected. THDVR: Total Home DVR functionality is available on up to 8 TVs, and requires a receiver for each additional TV at $7/mo. MyMultiview: Channels/content available for viewing in Multiview are based on TV package subscription and additional programming purchased.Limited number of HD channels are not supported for display within My Multiview. U-verse Mobile: Download and watch capability available for select shows and requires select smart phones, Wi-Fi connection, and qualifying U-verse TV plan. Downloaded shows are available for viewing for limited time periods. Ability to browse the TV guide and manage DVR available to all U-verse TV customers. Standard data charges may apply. Mobile Remote Access: AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Account required. Wireless phone with Internet access required and standard data charges may apply. U-bar: AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Account required. Standard Installation Included with Most Packages: Offer ends 11/6/10. Credit qualified customers only. Installation not included with U-basic package. 30 Day Money Back Guarantee: Offer ends 11/6/10. Must cancel all AT&T U-verse services within 30 days from service activation. Adjustment provided for initial installation charges and one month service charges, if paid. Customer is responsible for all additional charges including but not limited to On Demand, Pay Per View, international calls, other pay-per-use features and non-returned equipment charges.
AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet: Internet speed claim(s) represent maximum downstream and/or upstream speed capabilities. Speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Many factors can affect actual speeds including the use of other U-verse services. Credit and other restrictions apply. Purchase of U-verse TV required to order AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet. A $3 monthly High Speed Internet equipment fee will apply.
AT&T U-Verse Voice: U-verse Voice, including 911 dialing, will not function during a power outage without battery backup power. Compatible with many monitored home alarms and medical monitoring systems. Some call information may be blocked or otherwise not displayed, including information for some calls originating outside of AT&T's network and calls carried over facilities that do not transmit Caller ID information. AT&T U-verse Messaging may not be fully compatible with all AT&T wireless voice mail systems. Caller ID on TV requires subscription to U-verse TV and U-verse Voice. AT&T U-verse services are provided by AT&T local telephone companies. Wireless phone with Internet access required and standard data charges may apply.
AT&T U-verse received the highest numerical score among television service providers in the South in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008-2010 Residential Television Service Satisfaction Studies(SM). 2010 study based on 28,489 total responses from measuring 13 providers in the South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX) and measures consumer satisfaction with television service. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in Nov. 2009 and Jan. 2010, April 2010 and July 2010. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
SOURCE AT&T Inc.
AT&T Inc.
CONTACT: Sue Sperry of AT&T Corporate Communications, +1-504-343-2350, sue.sperry@att.com
Norway's Largest Marketplace Website Goes Live With C3's 3D Streets
OSLO, Norway, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- FINN, Norway's largest marketplace for buying and selling goods on the Internet, is now using C3 Technologies' 3D Streets so users of the eBay-like site can quickly find and see a location or local business as they would if they were standing on the street.
"What you're now seeing on the FINN.no site are not the flat, 2-dimentional photos that you get with most other providers," said Mattias Astrom, C3 Technologies CEO. "These are true 3D models so everything on the screen - streets, buildings, trees and objects - is 360 degrees exploreable. It's the world as it really is."
C3 Technologies is the leading provider of 3D mapping solutions, offering photo-realistic models of the world for search, navigation and geographic information systems.
FINN.no (Finn is the Norwegian word for Find), with more than 2.4 million unique users per week - 50% of all inhabitants in Norway - has been using C3's Realistic 3D City Models of 12 Norwegian cities for nearly two years. Now it has added 3D Streets for 10 of those cities using C3's Flash viewer.
Beyond zoom, rotating and seamlessly panning through Norway's streets, C3's 3D Streets makes it possible to show both the address for the photo position of a panoramic image as well as the address for anywhere the cursor is pointed on the screen. This is possible because C3's panoramic images are applied to 3-dimentional depth maps that contain the exact longitude and latitude for every pixel.
"C3 is redefining mapping as you know it today," said Astrom.
C3 Technologies is the leading provider of 3D mapping solutions, offering photo-realistic models of the world for search, navigation and geographic information systems.Since 2007 when it was spun out of the aerospace and defense company Saab AB, venture-backed C3 has redefined mapping by applying previously classified image processing technology to the development of 3D maps as a platform for new social and commercial applications.The Sweden-based company's automated software and advanced algorithms enable C3 to rapidly assemble extremely precise 3D models, and seamlessly integrate them with traditional 2D maps, satellite images, street level photography and user generated images, that together are forever changing how people use maps and explore the world.Experience the world the way is really is, was and could be at http://www.c3technologies.com.
SOURCE C3 Technologies
C3 Technologies
CONTACT: Media Inquiries, Greg Spector, +1-415-717-4666, greg.spector@gmail.com, for C3 Technologies
AuraSound Announces Industry Leading LCD TV Audio Solution
SANTE FE SPRINGS, Calif., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- AuraSound Inc.(OTC Bulletin Board: ARUZ), has announced multiple leading embedded speaker solutions for ultra slim LCD TVs. Based on patented technology, the solution comprises of ultra thin speakers with dual voice coils and a flat subwoofer. This provides ultra high performance, making it ideal for tomorrow's ultra thin LCD TVs. The products are scheduled to ramp up production volume next month.
"I am very excited about our latest leading audio solution," stated Mr. Harald Weisshaupt, AuraSound CEO and president. "The outstanding performance of these embedded speakers coupled with our industry leading TV soundbar product reinforces our overall leadership in the TV audio space. With the fast emerging trend for slimmer TVs, excellent audio performance has become a challenge based on physical space requirements, and we are proud to be a leading audio company to address this challenge. The response from the world's leading TV OEM brands on this new product has been excellent."
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because they involve both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond the control of AuraSound. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those relating to the AuraSound's long-term strategic objectives. Actual events, performance or results could differ materially from the anticipated events, performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISIONS REGARDING OUR COMPANY, WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO READ THE SECTION ENTITLED "RISK FACTORS" IN OUR MOST RECENT ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K, WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED AT http://www.SEC.GOV. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About AuraSound, Inc.
AuraSound has over 20 years experience specializing in the design and manufacturing of high-end speakers, consistently providing people with an optimal audio experience. AuraSound's broad range of products include high-quality drivers for TV's and laptops, state-of-the art subwoofers and tactile
transducers. AuraSound's products are based on patented and proprietary NRT® Drivers, BassShakers, Line Source tweeters and more. With their recent acquisition of ASI Audiotechnologies, they have added an industry leading TV soundbar business, additional proprietary transducer technology, application specific amplifier designs, and award winning ID designs. For more information visit the company web site at http://www.aurasound.com.
Contact:
Pete Andreyev
Executive VP, Sales & Marketing
AuraSound, Inc.
+ 852 9069 9297
+ 86 138 2368 2706
pandreyev@aurasound.com
LOC-AID Brings Mobile Location Platform to Microsoft's Windows Azure Marketplace DataMarket
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- LOC-AID Technologies, Inc., the first and largest mobile location enabler and Location-as-a-Service (LaaS) provider in North America, today announced that Microsoft Corp. has named LOC-AID as a launch partner for Windows Azure Marketplace DataMarket, which was unveiled at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference 2010 on Oct. 28, in Seattle. Windows Azure Marketplace DataMarket now offers LOC-AID's single API and ubiquitous carrier location data.
Windows Azure Marketplace DataMarket, a cloud-based micro-payment marketplace for data and business services is comparable to Apple iTunes or Amazon online retail environments. It is hosted within Microsoft's recently announced Windows Azure cloud-based services platform, creating an open system for users, developers and resellers to transact across a wide range of applications and with tremendous access to vast data resources including U.S. Census data, demographic and consumer expenditures via free and for-fee transaction services.
LOC-AID's ability to locate more than 300 million mobile devices is greater than the reach provided by any other location enabler in the industry. This comprehensive reach to more than 90 percent of all U.S. consumers, is possible because of LOC-AID's extensive mobile subscriber access via all top-tier wireless carrier networks.
"We are delighted to be the only mobile location enabler in the Windows Azure Marketplace," said Rip Gerber, President & CEO of LOC-AID Technologies. "Our partnership directly supports the Windows Azure DataMarket mission to extend the reach of content through exposure to Microsoft's global developer and information worker community."
LOC-AID is one of a select group of Windows Azure DataMarket partners along with Accenture, D&B, Lexis-Nexis, NASA and National Geographic.
LOC-AID offers true ubiquity to mobile developers - the ability to get location data for over 300 million devices, all through a single privacy-protected, CTIA best-practice API. Any company with a privacy-approved location-based service can now locate any phone or mobile device across all of the top-tier carrier networks in North America. A number of large brands, Fortune 500 companies and mobile companies are already utilizing LOC-AID's "Location-as-a-Service" platform and developer services to build and launch innovative location-based applications. Developers can access the single API at LOC-AID's Developer Zone at http://developer.loc-aid.com/
About LOC-AID Technologies
LOC-AID simplifies and manages the complex challenge of locating over 300 million mobile devices for location-based services (LBS). LOC-AID operates the world's largest and most secure mobile location platform and allows mobile developers to locate their customers for enterprise authentication, fraud management and hyper-local marketing, all through a single, privacy protected API. LOC-AID is the only mobile location gateway connected to the largest Tier 1 carriers and partners in the Americas including AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, America Movil, TelCel, Bell Mobility, TELUS, TCS, Microsoft and Qualcomm. Based in San Francisco, California, with offices across North America, LOC-AID also offers a portfolio of location-enablement services including geo-fencing, geo-coding, map appends and location analytics. For more information, visit http://www.loc-aid.com
Babylon.com Announces: Babylon in Every School - As of Today K-12 Educational Institutes are Entitled to Enjoy Babylon Dictionary and Translation Solutions for Free
NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Babylon Ltd., the world's leading provider of language learning solutions and single-click dictionary and translation software, announced today that it has initiated 'Babylon in Every School' - a donation program for schools worldwide, whereby it will donate its software to all K-12 educational institutions so that every child will have access to Babylon's wide variety of languages, dictionaries and resources.
"Our solutions bridge the gap of languages for more than 80 million people worldwide," said Alon Carmeli, Babylon's CEO. "Our generation's mission is to leverage the Internet and technology in order to make it a better world for the younger generation. Bridging the language barriers improves communication and knowledge. We believe that Babylon's project will help today's youth become tomorrow's leaders."
Contributing to education is extremely meaningful to Babylon as this will not only deliver the world to the children, but the children will have the opportunity to express themselves and explore the world.
Babylon's dictionary and translation software offers results from over 1,500 sources in 75 different languages, provides access to premium dictionaries and encyclopedias from the world's most distinguished publishing houses, such as Oxford, Britannica, Merriam Webster, Pons, Duden, Larousse, and many more.
In addition, Babylon provides full text and Web page translation in 33 languages and delivers results in over 25 languages from Wikipedia.org.
About Babylon Ltd.
Babylon.com is a publicly traded company that was founded in 1997. The Company is a leading provider of language solutions such as online dictionary and translation software, language learning solutions, English writing enhancement and more. The Babylon.com user base exceeds 80 million desktop installations in more than 200 countries.
blinkx's Popular Web Channel Now Optimized for Next-Generation Televisions
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- blinkx, the world's largest and most advanced video search engine, today announced the launch of blinkx Beat for Google TV. blinkx Beat, blinkx's popular Web channel of viral videos, has been polished and perfected for the big-screen, lean-back experience of television.
blinkx Beat is a riveting playlist of the latest and greatest online videos--hilarious bloopers, amazing stunts, ridiculous pranks and cute animals--and it will be available in full-screen, with single button control, at http://beat.blinkx.com/googletv. You can replay videos that you like, share them with your friends, or simply sit back and enjoy!
"blinkx Beat was designed and built to be watched like television," said Suranga Chandratillake, founder and CEO of blinkx. "It's an addictive channel of snackable videos which offers an ideal sit-back and surf experience and we're thrilled to make it available through Google TV."
About blinkx
blinkx plc (LSE AIM: BLNX) is the world's largest and most advanced video search engine. Today, blinkx has indexed more than 35 million hours of audio, video, viral and TV content, and made it fully searchable and available on demand. blinkx's founders set out to solve a significant challenge - as TV and user-generated content on the Web explode, keyword-based search technologies only scratch the surface. blinkx's patented search technologies listen to - and even see - the Web, helping users enjoy a breadth and accuracy of search results not available elsewhere. In addition, blinkx powers the video search for many of the world's most frequented sites. blinkx is based in San Francisco and London. More information is available at http://www.blinkx.com.
SOURCE blinkx
blinkx
CONTACT: Nicole Love of Marlin PR, +44 207 869 8328, nicole.love@marlinpr.com; or Tim Turpin of Sparkpr, +1-415-321-1894, tim.turpin@sparkpr.com; for blinkx; or Charles Lytle of Christopher Wren, Citigroup Global Markets Ltd, NOMAD and Broker for blinkx plc, +44 207 986 4000
Huntkey SHIELD H405 Case's First Global Showcase at Huntkey SHIELD Chassis Global Launching Ceremony
SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Huntkey unveils the latest SHIELD case at its global launching ceremony. It attracts lots of IT media and customers worldwide to attend such as CBS ZOL, PC ONLINE, BEAREYES, CBS PC HOME, IT168, IT WORLD, YESKY, COMPUTERNEWS, MICROCOMPUTER, MODERN COMPUTER, PC FAN and etc. It stretches in accord with the subject named "Radiation Protection for the Future".
"The inspiration for the Huntkey SHIELD H405 case is a heavy truck, which stands for power and defense capability. The whole case is designed in matte black color, which provides mysterious, stable, and sturdy visual attack." Mr. Jack Ye, from Huntkey industrial design department shares his created inspiration with audiences. He also said, "The large steel mesh front panel and set-top connector handles reflect our concerns among excellent ventilation, dust and radiation protection and humanized factor."
The Huntkey SHIELD H405 case's radiation protection function is dedicated to the specific groups such as office ladies, business men, game enthusiasts or even pregnant women, etc. who suffer a lot from radiation circumstances like acne, balding and infertility. "The mission of Huntkey SHIELD H405 case is to create a cleaner and safer environment for our customers," Villa Li, Huntkey product manager said.
The highlighted features must be its FIVE-STAR anti-radiation offerings of structure.
-- Framework with single-side baking finish and conductivity cycle to
effectively block the source of electromagnetic radiation
-- The USB3.0 connector rack is wrapped with metal for radiation protection
-- PCI slot and EMI shrapnel and contract point in the back side for better
chassis sealing
-- Removable metal panel in front of the disk drive for flexible radiation
control
-- High-density 0.55cm airways for optimal balance of radiation protection
and ventilation
Besides these, the SHIELD H405 case offers a USB 3.0 connector to ensure more than 10 times the speed of a USB 2.0 connector; 12cm LED fan inside the front panel and TAC 2.0 standard complied provides better ventilation; water-cooled radiator provides more choice for gamers. Moreover, the whole case installation adopts a tool-free design, which provides convenient solution for customers.
Huntkey Enterprise Group, one of the top 5 power supply providers, founded in 1992, is a professional provider specialized in the development, design, manufacturing and marketing of power supplies. The products of Huntkey cover a wide variety, including power supplies (1W~250KW), power systems, computer cases, universal notebook adapters, chargers, power supply converters, power strips, etc. The industrial parks of Huntkey in Shenzhen, Heyuan and Hefei, which cover a total area of over 750,000 square meters, are now the largest IT manufacturing base in China's mainland. Huntkey, with over 7,000 employees, has set up its branch companies in Hong Kong, Japan and Europe. Its clients are found all over the world in more than 30 countries and regions, including Lenovo, DELL, etc.