Continued from Part 1, Part 2 of our interview with John Andrus of Livi Design focuses on answering the question of how the Casetop product will be repaired, replaced and if there are accessories in the works. Addressing reader and prospective kickstarter backers who have questions about the quality of the product, John Andrus will also go into how long the product is expected to last and where he gets his experience from. The design of the Casetop is versatile and the timeline is solid, especially with the research done on connectivity with current generation smartphone devices.

Toonari Post (TP): How are you ensuring that your product is of the highest available quality?

John Andrus (JA): I have been in the tech industry repairing laptops, using laptops, taking them apart for 10+ years. I know them inside and out, and what makes a good laptop. We’ll be working with established factories that perhaps have made laptops before, but not like this. We’re using osmeon. I’ll be on the ground floor inspecting the process completely to make sure it meets the correct standards and that each one comes off the line looking and working good. Dragon Innovations has a ton of experience dealing with factories and negotiations, and we are completely comfortable with their experience.

TP: What will be available in terms of repairs for the Casetop?

JA: Everything. Every single part can be replaced by the end user, as long as are a bit DIY. If they don’t want to fix anything themselves, we will have a $10 install fee, plus shipping there and back to replace any part for the customer. We will be charging OUR cost for replacement parts. Also, if yours is damaged beyond reasonable repair, we’ll buy back the parts that are still good from you and give you store credit for a new one!

TP: Are you eventually going to look into a line of Casetop accessories?

JA: Yes, totally. We’re planning on 40 Frontbar options to be released a couple months after shipping the Casetop orders to backers. We already have preliminary partnerships with Speechware for a dictation Frontbar, and LinuxonAndroid for a whole Linux computer Frontbar.

We are also going to be looking at user upgrades, such as better screens, outdoor screens, more batteries, etc.

TP: What is your timeline as of now and how do you plan on fulfillment of all the orders?

JA: 1-2 months of production design, betas, etc

1 month of production line ramp up

1-2 months of final production, shipping, packaging

We’re shooting for December if we are successful with our Kickstarter. We do not need any circuitboard R&D or display technology. We can hit our goals, and will try to do so as the 1st priority.

TP: Current generation users will want to know about Galaxy S3 and S4 connectivity as well as for the Note 2. I remember mention that they are MHL connected? What sort of connectivity S3 users expect to have?

JA: Yes, you’re right about using MHL, but Samsung decided to make their own MHL for just two phones. The Galaxy S3 and Note 2. The S4 works out of the box but you need a ’11-pin MHL to 5-pin MHL’ converter that we’ll be selling for the GS3 and Note 2 to work. It’ll be under $20 and you can get it from a lot of sources, not just us. If you search that phrase in quotes there, you’ll have a lot of options.

TP: What can you tell me about safeguarding the Casetop for future use? How sure are you that your current set of connectors will be applicable for the next 10 years? 

JA: Basically the answer is that much like HDMI has been around for 15 years already and it isn’t going to stop any time soon. Also, MHL has just begun being used and it is also estimated to last at least 10 years. Changing cable standards is like changing direction on a moving ship, it takes a long time. One of our secrets, though if it does change, is the Frontbar technology. It allows us to add things like Apple’s Airplay wireless video with no difficulty and other ‘active’ technologies to simply another Frontbar model. So the answer is twofold. Number one, standard cables last a really long time in the market; as more people who use it, the harder it is to replace the cable standard. Second, the Frontbar technology allows us to expand the Casetop even further. We have 17 planned Frontbar models right now, how many more will be created! So, even if I wasn’t 100% sure how long the connectors would last (which I am), the Frontbar is our way forward too.

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The changing face of technology and mobile electronics in particular means that today a cellphone has the capability to write, save and send entire drafts worth of writing. They can play richly colored high definition movies and process huge amounts of gaming data. The only problem is that screens are smaller than a tablet and so are the keyboards. Until now.

John Andrus of Livi Design is currently kickstarting a project using the power of the smart phone called the Casetop. Relying on the mass availability of smartphones, the Casetop is a 12 inch screen connected to a laptop battery that is missing the processor. The smartphone is then plugged into an existing series of adapters in the Casetop sliding frontbar and becomes the processor for this on the go smart device. Smaller than a traditional laptop, while still using a 720p resolution screen and charging the smart phone while in use, the Casetop changes the way consumers use computer technology at home, at the office or on the go.

Toonari Post was able to contact John Andrus about his project.

Toonari Post (TP): Give us more detail into what your product does. You’ve said online that you want to replace the net book?

John Andrus (JA): The Casetop replaces a normal laptop for the majority of the population, and unlike laptops it’s completely upgradable. Simply buy a new phone and you have just upgraded your Casetop for free! No normal laptop lets you do that, and certainly no netbook. Apple doesn’t even let you upgrade the memory on its new laptops! It also replaces extended batteries, as 30 hours of battery life is 15 TIMES the life of a standard laptop. And it lasts 3-4 TIMES longer then a laptop. You can use it for around 10 years! All for $250? That’s why we say it’s inexpensive.

TP: What are the dimensions of the standard front bar version as opposed to a side mounted version?

JA: The dimensions are the same in all areas, except the side mounted version adds 4-5mm on the bottom of the Casetop and 1mm to the side (when closed). 152 more mm when open on the side.

TP: Would a side mounted version require a heavy redesign to move the ports around?

JA: No, the side mounted version simply requires a new Frontbar (which you can choose for free). The cables will reach all areas, and have been designed to support side mounted Frontbars.

TP: You’ve mentioned sustainability, education and businesses that will be impacted. What are the real world applications for the Casetop?

JA: 1. Note taking, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and other business applications work perfectly on the Casetop, but your mobility is increased a lot. It’s lighter than some notebooks, and if you don’t have to carry any powercords or anything, it’s a lot easier to manage.

2. You can watch close to 9 movies without charging! Camping anyone?

3. Charge your phone away from the mains power. If you’re in the bush, charge your phone every evening if you wish, it’ll give you at least 6 FULL charges from empty.

4. Sustainability: Reducing E-Waste is the number one thing the Casetop does. No more netbooks being thrown out after 2 years, this causes a ton of e-waste. If you use the Casetop for even just 8 years, you have saved 3 additional laptops from landfills.

5. Sustainability: Less waste by not being obsolete. You can upgrade your phone and not throw out any Casetop accessories or the Casetop. That’s big.

TP: What do you envision Casetop doing for the future of technology?

JA: 1. I believe the Casetop will force manufacturers to think of the consumer and reducing e-waste again. Apple doesn’t even allow memory upgrades any more, and doesn’t let you replace the battery!

2. People will assume that universal accessories are possible, and wanted. Manufacturers will try to maintain standards, like TV manufacturers do.

3. Cars can integrate the technology for storing radio settings, seat settings, power limits for teenagers all into your phone using the same technology.

4. New versions of the Casetop could fold into a fraction of its size to fit in your pocket, and we have that technology today.

TP: What keyboard options are being considered at this time?

JA: 1. QWERTY

2. AZERTY

3. Other keyboard types that have the same key locations as QWERTY, with stickers.

TP: How does the Casetop charge its large 6 cell laptop style battery? How long will it take to charge?

JA: The Casetop will take at least 2 hours to charge with our laptop-style barrel-type charger. This can be improved in the future, and we may work on that for the Kickstarter Backer versions. We actually have 10 prismatic cells, so we can possibly charge each cell simultaneously. This means 1 hour tops.

TP: I’d still like to have more concrete answers as to how big Casetop is. Is it a 12 inch or 14 inch screen?

JA: The Casetop is going to be almost as thin as a macbook air, and it’s an 11.1 inch screen, so probably a 12 inch bag is good.

TP: What options are you currently considering for the pro models?

JA: We are considering thicker plastic, more metal in the construction, we are also looking at more cables and longer cables too. And black. Perhaps an extra Frontbar if we can swing it.

Part 2 of our interview with John Andrus talks about how the Casetop is designed for durability, production time frames and future-proofing the Casetop design.

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Research in Motion’s http://www.rim.com / (RIM) supply dramatically dropped during the after-hours sales, following Blackberry’s recent release of its plans to change the process of charging fees. RIM announced they lost subscribers for the first time in the recent quarter as Blackberry usage dropped from over 80 million to 79 million. According to the Canadian company, new smartphones are prepared to be launched next month, making the latest devices crucial to the company’s survival. In addition, RIM’s stocks declined to 10.4 percent, repudiated to generate more revenue from telecommunication companies, once the new Blackberry 10 devices are released. “Other subscribers who do not utilize such services are expected to generate less or no service revenue,” RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said. “The mix in level of service fees revenue will change going forward and will be under pressure over the next year during this transition” he added.

However, Canaccord Genuity (http://www.canaccordgenuity.com) analyst Mike Walkley said that the BlackBerry 10 will alter RIM’s services revenue model radically. According to InMobi, “In fact, 52 percent of BlackBerry users in North America plan to purchase an iPhone 5.” RIM had recorded to have had 80 million subscribers three months ago. In a study conducted by Kelkoo, nearly 20 percent of all Blackberry owners are planning to switch platforms soon due to service interruption. Additionally, another 42 percent are considering shifting phones because of a faulty router which RIM recognized as “core switch failures”, and internet connection on Blackberry units were also intermittent. Over 245 million Americans use the internet, and half of the percentage is noted to be online players at internet gaming portals such as PartyPoker.com. Online poker sites attract frequent poker players for a fast and entertaining experience, almost similar to playing in a land-based casino.

Poker has several popular variations, giving players the option to choose the game they want. Stud poker used to be the only version available and later on other varieties surfaced and became prominent, including 5 card stud and 7 card stud, Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha hi-lo. Texas Hold’Em was the highlight game in the 1970 World Series of Poker and became customary a year after. It is by far the most sought after poker game today and is frequently played at hundreds of online poker rooms and land-based casinos around the world. The World Series of Poker is the most recognized competitive yearly poker tournament. It is held in Las Vegas and originated in Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in the 70s. The winner of the event bags a WSOP bracelet and a cash prize according to the participation and buy-in amounts. The competitive tournament became famous and has grown in stature and acquired new host of poker players.

Online poker tournaments can now be accessed through RIM’s advanced apps and internet. “We believe the company has stabilized and will turn the corner in the next year,” Heins said. He stressed that the company’s cash holdings has increased by $600 million in the quarter to $2.9 billion, even after supporting the company’s reorganization costs.

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New York, U.S.A. – New York City commuters lose one-and-a-half days per year waiting for delayed trains and buses according to analysis and a new infographic from moovit, the free, crowd-sourced, real-time public transportation app which launches in New York this week. Commuters travelling into New York’s Penn Station from Staten Island are the most affected, with average delay time of up to 8.8 minutes, followed by Queens (7.4 minutes) and the Bronx (5.6 minutes) on their daily commutes. Brooklyn and Manhattan commuters suffer average delays of up to 3.5 and 3.2 minutes respectively. The new infographic detailing these findings and analysis can be seen on the moovit website.

According to moovit’s analysis of MTA data, the 2012 Straphangers State of the Subways Report Card and moovit’s proprietary data, the average annual time New Yorkers spend waiting for delayed public transportation amounts to a fifth of the total time they spend on public transportation each year (12.5 days).

Moovit will be launching in New York City this week on the iOS (Apple) and Android mobile platforms to enable commuters to claim back at least  15 hours of those one-and-a-half-days spent waiting for delayed buses and trains each year. The application uses real time data from individual commuters who have also installed the app to provide minute-by-minute information about train and bus speeds and locations, providing alternative routes in case of delays and enabling commuters to get to their destinations faster.

The free app will also let commuters share additional information about their commute, such as whether their bus or train is over-crowded and the reasons for their delays. moovit also provides commuters step-by-step guidance and alerts when it is time to get off at the next stop.

Since releasing its beta version earlier this year, moovit has amassed over 300,000 users. The app launched in the US in beta six weeks ago, adding 100,000 new users just last month across twenty cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, Madrid,  Rome, and Tel Aviv among others. Analysis of real-time commuter-sourced information from the app’s 300,000 users has shown that commuters using the app have on average been able to cut the amount of time they would otherwise spend waiting in delays by 43 percent.

Nir Erez, CEO, moovit commented, “New York is one of the world’s busiest cities with an equally convenient and complex public transportation system. Faced with a number of possible routes to work each morning and a backdrop of regular delays, the average New Yorker spends the equivalent of an entire weekend each year just waiting for their delayed bus or train to get to its destination.

Delays will always be an unwanted aspect of travel, but we are launching moovit in New York City to help commuters give each other real-time information on viable alternative travel options and help the fight to reclaim as much lost time commuting as possible. Essentially, we want to put the control of the New York City commute back in the hands of the commuter.”

Moovit is a free app available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Image Courtesy : Littleny / Shutterstock.com

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Santa Clara, U.S.A. — Ferrotec USA is excited to announce the launch of Pashadelic onto the App Store. Compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, this unique crowd sourced photo spot scouting & photography sharing portal gives users the power to connect with a global community of photo lovers.

Users have whatever they need to scope out all the best spots to snap shots and share awesome photo spots they discover daily around them.

The idea behind Pashadelic is simple. Mobile savvy photography lovers get together in the app, share their favorite photo spots while taking their own awesome photos. Users simply connect and browse through the app to see where all the best tagged photo spots are. The best locations to snap photos naturally bubble to the top and Pashadelic’s GPS integrated map lets all users know where they are and how to get there.

Completely free and 100% crowd-sourced by unbiased photography enthusiasts, Pashadelic lets users tag everything from landmarks and wild areas to specific neighborhoods. Since Pashadelic automatically geo-tags all it photos, users can easily find the locations they are looking for. Get ready to discover the preeminent photo location forum on iOS, share photos with a network of users that love to snap pics as much as you do, and get it all done from a single easy-to-use hub from anywhere.

Pashadelic is currently available for download on the App Store for Free in the Photo & Video category.

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Santa Monica, U.S.A. — The Recording Academy and Curalate have teamed for “Pin Your Way To The GRAMMYs,” — a first-of-its-kind social media promotion offering Pinterest members the opportunity to share exclusive GRAMMY images. For the first time, The Academy is partnering with Curalate, the premier marketing platform for visual sites such as Pinterest, for this unique experience, which will launch December 13 and run through January 16, 2013.

Fans of the GRAMMYs on Facebook can click the “Pin Your Way to the GRAMMYs” tab to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win two tickets to the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 10, 2013, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

With more than 13 million social media comments made during last year’s telecast, the GRAMMYs achieved the honor of having the biggest social media event in the history of television at the time. Now, the GRAMMYs will make history again by being the first awards event to leverage Pinterest to connect with fans.

“The GRAMMYs remains focused on connecting fans, not only with their favorite artists, but with each other,” said Evan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer of The Recording Academy. “The exclusive images on Pinterest will allow fans to show their love of music in a creative way.”

Apu Gupta, CEO of Curalate, said, “We are proud to power this unique promotion. Music has always been about emotions. Images are no different. Together, Curalate and The Recording Academy will make the GRAMMYs the first awards event to leverage Pinterest. In doing so, we will give fans new ways to express their love for music, the artists and the GRAMMYs.”

Images for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards ad campaign, “#TheWorldIsListening,” debuted online on December 13. Exclusive photos will only be seen on the official GRAMMY Pinterest page.

For updates and breaking news, please visit www.grammy.com , and The Recording Academy’s social networks on Twitter and Facebook

Image Courtesy : S_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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San Diego, U.S.A. — PacketVideo announced on December 12 that the company’s Twonky Beam product, a free app that lets users discover and transfer online video content from a  tablet or mobile device to a television with the touch of a button, now works with the Xbox 360 game console and Roku streaming players. With the addition of these popular products to the existing lineup of devices that support Twonky Beam, including Apple TV, AT&T U-verse, multiple models of connected televisions, and legacy DLNA devices, Twonky Beam now works with well over 90% of connected living room media devices.

Twonky Beam enables users to easily “beam” online and personal video content from a PC, Android or iOS device to the living room with the simple press of a button. Unlike proprietary solutions that only work within a closed environment, Twonky technology is an open solution that works across brands, operating systems and industry standards to bridge the gap between mobile devices and the living room.

“Twonky Beam offers the best of both worlds for today’s connected consumer. Tablet and mobile devices have become enormously popular for the discovery and consumption of video content, and that trend shows no sign of slowing down,” said Jerome Rota, Senior Vice President of Consumer Products and Services at Packet Video.

“We believe that the so-called ‘second screen’ will soon become the hub of the consumer media experience, but we also know that video content is best enjoyed in the living room on the big screen. With Twonky Beam, anyone can discover and access content on a tablet or smartphone and then seamlessly enjoy that content on the television through great products like the Xbox 360, Roku and Apple TV.”

Twonky Beam is part of Packet Video’s full suite of connected home products, which includes the flagship Twonky Server software. Twonky Beam is available as a free download from the Apple App Store or Google Play. For more information on Packet Video products and solutions, visit www.packetvideo.com

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St. Louis, U.S.A. — If you’ve ever wondered what you or your friends and family would look like as cats, download the new Friskies “Catify Yourself” app and start creating, posting and sharing your funny Cat-ified photos with friends and family today.

A leader in apps and tablet games for cats and humans, the new, free Friskies “Catify Yourself” app allows you to send photo messages to your friends from a cat-like you. The iPhone app is easy to use and free from the App store now. You can also use “Catify Yourself” on the Friskies Facebook page. Start Cat-ifying, and share your photos on the Friskies Facebook page for the opportunity for your photo to become the Friskies “Catify Photo of the Day.”

Watch our ‘how-to’ video, or just get started by choosing one of the cat background templates. The background templates feature cats with toys or in playful poses. And just in time for the holidays, Friskies offers special holiday-themed templates for those ready to take Cat-ification to a very merry place by surprising their friends and family with Cat-ified holiday e-greetings.

Once you’ve chosen a template, take a photo of yourself or choose one from your camera roll, and add a caption from the list. Friskies offers dozens of funny captions to fit a variety of expressions and situations including “Awkward,” “Somebody a grouchy bear today?” “I’ll explain later,” “Can you pick up some paper towels on the way home?” and “Do you feel as good as I look?” With so many possible combinations of fun backgrounds, quirky captions and your photos, final Cat-ified photos can range from hilarious to cute to just plain strange.

“Cats have incredible sensory abilities and playful imaginations. We’re fascinated by them, and this app lets us have fun with the idea of what it would be like to be cats for a while, at least in photos, and share those photo moments with family and friends,” said Shawn Brain, assistant brand manager for Friskies. “We’ve enjoyed a lot of laughs creating Cat-ified images of ourselves, but seeing people’s reactions when they receive Cat-ified photos is just as much fun. We can’t wait for people to try it out and start sharing.”

In addition to sharing with family, friends, and on Facebook with Friskies, images created with the “Catify Yourself” app make great mobile phone wallpaper or social media profile pictures. Create and upload photos to share with us anywhere you’d use a photo of yourself, including Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and even LinkedIn.

Friskies offers a variety of free tablet and mobile games and apps for cats and humans, including “Cat Fishing” for cats on iPhone and Android mobile and tablet platforms, and “You vs. Cat,” the first Friskies game you can play with your cat, for Android and iPhone tablets.

For more information about Friskies Games for Cats, search your App Store for “Friskies” and please visit www.GamesforCats.com.

Image Courtesy : Friskies

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New York, U.S.A. — Kids Discover, creator of award-winning reading products for children ages 6-12, announces a New interactive reading experience for kids available now for the iPad.

Kids Discover for iPad is compatible with all generations of the iPad, including the iPad mini, and features interactive 3D models, animations, HD video, audio, high-res photos, and fun activities that will engross kids (and parents) for hours.

“We’ve taken our core mission, which is to create a compelling learning experience for kids, and re-imagined it for the iPad,” says Ted Levine, Director of Digital Development at Kids Discover. “We recognized a need among parents and teachers for highly-interactive educational apps that can get kids excited about reading, so we developed a product that would take advantage of the tactile properties native to iPad while retaining a strong focus on reading and learning.”

To celebrate the launch, Kids Discover is making a complete issue — Galaxies — available for free in the Apple App Store. “We believe that experiencing a full issue is the best way to demonstrate the value of Kids Discover for iPad. Once kids and parents experience Kids Discover in this new format, we’re confident they will want more,” says Levine. “And, as with our print products, there are never any ads, keeping Kids Discover a protected space for children.”

Current titles include Antarctica, Washington, D.C. and Galaxies, while upcoming titles include Ancient China, Simple Machines, Extreme Weather, Lewis & Clark and Cells.

Kids Discover for iPad is available monthly and can be purchased by annual subscription for $19.99 or monthly for $1.99. In-app purchases can also be made for individual titles at $2.99.

For more information visit www.kidsdiscover.com

Image Courtesy : Courosa

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Portland, US.A. — The holiday shopping season is nearly in full swing and survey results announced by CashStar, the digital gifting and incentives company, show that online Americans are shopping from their mobile devices in mass numbers, sometimes from unexpected places.

The survey found that more than 38 million online adult Americans admit to having shopped online while on the toilet. It also found that convergence is happening in unexpected ways with almost 17 million shopping via a mobile device while standing in the retailer’s physical store. The survey, which was conducted online nationwide by Harris Interactive on behalf of CashStar from November 6-8, 2012 among 2,104 U.S. online adults aged 18 and older, examined the strange or odd places U.S. adults have used computers or mobile devices to shop online.

“Smartphones and tablets have enabled consumers to shop and gift on-the-go in more ways and places than ever before,” said David Stone, co-founder and CEO of CashStar. “The retailers who have been paying attention and catering to where and how consumers want to shop by mobile-optimizing their e-commerce sites and offering mobile eGift Cards will reap the rewards this holiday season and have a jump on the competition going into 2013.

Retailers on the CashStar platform whose eGift Card website is optimized for mobile have seen 3,700 percent more sales from mobile devices this year than retailers whose sites are not mobile-optimized. Why? Because the experience is so much better, faster, and easier for consumers.”

The CashStar Mobile Online Shopping Survey also found some other surprising shopping trends:

• The strangest places consumers have shopped? Bringing physical and online retail together – More west coasters indicated that they were inclined to do this than people in other regions of the country.
  • Do not disturb -Men were more inclined to shop while on the toilet than women.
  • Shopping and driving – Despite the danger, more than four million Americans have still shopped online while driving a car.
  • Just checking email at the conference table? – More than nine million Americans admitted they have secretly shopped while in a business meeting.
• Milk, bread, and that new flat screen –More than seven million Americans have filled their grocery and online shopping carts at the same time; they have shopped from their mobile device while at the grocery store.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CashStar from November 6-8, 2012 among 2,104 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. Calculation based on U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 Census, which estimates there are 237,744,632 million adults ages 18+ residing in the United States: 237.7M  x  0.16 = 38M have shopped online while on the toilet

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. — On November 15, ITV announced the launch of the world’s first animated storytelling app with British and American Sign Language. The Signed Stories app is designed to make reading fun for all children.

“ITV is proud to be creating a digital product which every child can enjoy. Anytime, anyplace viewing is becoming the norm and we believe that all children should be able to enjoy the mobile digital world,” said Adam Crozier, Chief Executive Officer at ITV.

The Signed Stories app is fully accessible in sign language, subtitles, narration, animation and music. It aims to make books easier to read for children with deafness and those with special educational needs including autism, Asperger’s, dyslexia and Down Syndrome.

“This project is near and dear to my heart because my niece Gabriela is hearing impaired,” said Paul Buccieri, Managing Director of ITV Studios International and President and CEO ITV Studios America. “We are proud to have the app available in North America with Keith Wann and Peter Cook presenting the stories. Signed Stories helps serve those who have serious hearing and special needs and this is a wonderful initiative for me personally, and for ITV Studios America to be associated with.”

As part of the app, ITV is creating digital versions of a wide range of award-winning picture books in partnership with leading children’s publishers. On its first release, the app will feature books suitable for early years and primary school children, including contemporary stories, updated folktales and fairytales exclusively from international book publisher, Child’s Play.

“In 2008, we embraced wholeheartedly the opportunity to work with the Signed Stories website, and we’re delighted and honored to be chosen by ITV as their launch partner for this exciting new venture,” said Neil Burden, publisher and CEO at Child’s Play.

“These apps continue and further our attempts to make our publishing as accessible and inclusive as possible.  They stand out from the myriad of book-based apps currently published for children in that they have manifestly useful and engaging content, outstanding production values and, perhaps most of all, genuine purpose.”

Two of the leading American Sign Language (ASL) storytellers - Keith Wann and Peter Cook - present the stories for the North American market, which includes the United States and English-speaking regions ofCanada.

“The mixture of sign language and technology is incredible and opens the door for more access to learning. As a native user and advocate of ASL literacy I was honored to be a part of ITV’s Signed Stories app and to give back to the community I grew up in,” said Keith Wann, ASL Storyteller.  “My 2 and 4 year old hearing children love sharing the signed stories app with their deaf grandmother and in return they share laughter and learning together!”

The Signed Stories app will initially be available on iOS devices including the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The app will be available through Apple’s App store from October 16, 2012 - it will be free to download and includes a free version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. All books featured within the app will be individually priced. To download the App, search “Signed Stories” in the iTunes App Store or follow this link, http://bit.ly/PxHtJc.

Users are able to customize the app to suits their individual needs. Parents, caregivers and teachers can benefit from the app’s guidance notes on how to get the most out of each book. The app also comes with a free British Sign Language or American Sign Language video dictionary, which grows each time a new book is downloaded. The iPad app also carries free games inside each story download.

The app was user tested by deaf children, children with special educational needs and parents before its launch. It was produced by ITV SignPost, the company’s specialist sign language production house in Gateshead, UK, and designed by Newcastle-based media company Komodo Digital.

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Dallas, U.S.A. — On November 6, AT&T announced the availability of three new smartphones in its growing Windows Phone 8 portfolio. Beginning November 9, AT&T customers will be able to purchase the Nokia Lumia 920 for $99.99 and the Nokia Lumia 820 for $49.99. Before Thanksgiving, customers can pick-up the Windows Phone 8X by HTC with 16 GB of memory for $199.99. Additionally, AT&T revealed an exclusive version of the Windows Phone 8X by HTC with 8 GB of memory in California Blue and Limelight (yellow) for $99.99.

Starting November 7, the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 will be available for pre-order at www.att.com/lumia920 and www.att.com/lumia820, respectively. The unrivaled leader in Windows Phones, AT&T has sold more Windows Phones than any other carrier.

“Our Windows Phone portfolio features the best designs for the fantastic experience of Windows Phone 8,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices and Developer Services, AT&T Mobility. “Combine that with very exciting prices and our customers have lots of good reasons to choose Windows Phone this holiday season.”

Nokia Lumia 920

The Nokia Lumia 920 includes the latest advances in Nokia PureView imaging innovation. The 8.7-megapixel camera features advanced floating lens technology, dubbed ‘optical image stabilization’ which helps eliminate blur by compensating for hand movement while photos or videos are being shot. The camera in Nokia Lumia 920 can take in five times more light than typical smartphones to capture top quality photos and videos in low light.

In addition to its 2000mAh battery – the largest battery Nokia has put in a smartphone – the Lumia 920 includes built-in wireless charging capabilities for an easy, convenient way to get more out of every day. For a limited time and while supplies last, AT&T will also include a wireless charging plate – free of charge – with each purchase of a Lumia 920.

The Lumia 920′s 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ ClearBlack display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass and is optimized for readability in the brightest light conditions, even outdoors on a bright day.  In addition to its durable, scratch-resistant, curved display, the Lumia 920 also has a new sensitive touchscreen that lets you type with fingernails or while wearing gloves.

Available in red, white, black, yellow and cyan, the Lumia 920 is available for pre-order beginning November 7 at www.att.com/lumia920 for $99.99 with a two-year agreement.

For more information, please visit www.att.com/lumia920. A look at the Lumia 920′s features in action is available in this video.

Nokia Lumia 820

The Nokia Lumia 820 is a snappy, mid-range smartphone that delivers high-end performance in a compact package. It features the same unibody look and feel as high-end Lumia smartphones – including a ClearBlack display and new sensitive touchscreen – in an attractive design that supports exchangeable shells. These exchangeable shells, which are sold separately, are available in range of colors and features, including wireless charging.

The Lumia 820 offers the same exclusive content as the Lumia 920, including Nokia Drive, a turn-by-turn voice navigation solution, Nokia Music, a free music streaming service and Nokia City Lens, an augmented reality application that uses the phone’s camera viewfinder to provide information about points of interests in the surrounding area.

The Nokia Lumia 820 comes in black and is available for pre-orders beginning November 7 at www.att.com/lumia820 for $49.99 with a two-year agreement.

For more information, please visit www.att.com/lumia820.

Windows Phone 8X by HTC

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC boasts a pure unibody design perfectly sculpted with a dramatic taper that feels thin in your hand and its stunning 4.3-inch 720p HD display (1280 x 720 pixels) brings photos, video and Web pages to life.

The 2.1-megapixel, 88 degree, ultra-wide front-facing camera is able to capture self-portraits of you and the faces of up to four friends all at once. The 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture allows you to capture great photos and videos – even in low light. As the first-ever Windows Phone 8 smartphone with built-in Beats Audio technology, this device gives users authentic, studio-quality sound. The device has a unique audio amplifier that powers the 3.5mm audio jack and speaker to provide improved sound for music, video and even gaming.

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC will be available in two models – California Blue with 16 GB of memory for$199.99 and an AT&T exclusive in California Blue or Limelight (yellow) with 8GB of memory for $99.99.

For more information, please visit www.att.com/8xbyhtc.

For the 2012 holiday shopping season, AT&T will be the only U.S. carrier to offer new Windows 8 tablets to their customers. Samsung ATIV smart PC offers customers the blend of PC capability with the convenient tablet form factor. Beginning November 9, the ATIV smart PC will be available in AT&T company-owned retail stores nationwide and online at www.wireless.att.com.

AT&T customers have access to the nation’s largest 4G network, covering 285 million people (4G speeds not available everywhere). AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. That means AT&T customers are able to enjoy a widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G experience on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas. With smartphones on other carriers’ networks, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you may be on a much slower 3G network.

Image Courtesy : Nokia

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Hartford, U.S.A. — The Web Marketing Association judges will select the best online apps of 2013 in 86 industries as part of their 11th annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. Companies or agencies wishing to nominate their work for consideration may do so at http://www.iacaward.org before the deadline of January 31, 2013.

“Online apps are an effective advertising tool to build brand awareness and engage consumers where ever they may be,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The IAC Awards provides an opportunity to show the world your expertise in this emerging field. It’s also a great marketing opportunity for the winners to promote their work to senior management, customers and prospects”.

The 2013 international Internet Advertising Competition Awards are open to all organizations and individuals (advertising and interactive agencies, corporate marketing departments, etc.) throughout the world involved in the process of developing Internet advertising. Entries may be submitted online at http://www.iacaward.org. The deadline for entry is January 31, 2013 and will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium.

In addition to online apps, IAC Awards will be presented within each of the industry categories and advertising formats such as:

Social Media
Web sites (including microsites and landing pages)
Online ads (including banner, pop-up or interstitial)
Rich media ads
Email message campaign
Online newsletter campaign
Mobile apps and websites
Integrated ad campaign
Online Video
Ads the client did not choose

“We believe that winning an industry specific award is more valuable to the participant. It allows the participants to be judges against their peers, just like in the marketplace,” said Rice.

The 2012 Best of Show for Interactive Applications went to Wendy’s and The Kaplan Thaler Group for Beef Equity – Here’s the Beef, which also won Best Food Industry and Interactive Application and Best Restaurant Interactive application.

Past top winners in Interactive Application format include:

Interactive agencies that win multiple awards will also be in the running for Top Agency Award. In a change from prior years, each entrant will be awarded points based on the level of award for each award received. A Best of Show will be worth 5 points, Best of Industry 3 points and each Outstanding award 1 point. The agency with the most points will be awarded the Top Agency Award.

In an effort to recognize those organizations that demonstrate exceptional development skills across multiple entries, agencies that win more the 6 awards will also be recognized with an Outstanding Advertising Developer award from the Web Marketing Association. In 2012, ten agencies won this honor.

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2013, and winners will be notified by e-mail in March, 2013. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet advertising professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web advertising. Past competition judges have included top executives from leading corporations, institutions and media organizations such as Arc Worldwide, BGT Partners, Brunner Digital, Campbell-Ewald, CNN News Group, Deep Interactive Asia, Digitas, EuroRSCG 4D, Google, IBM Interactive, imc2, JWT, LeapFrog Interactive, Mass Transmit, McCann Worldgroup, Razorfish, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Tectis, TMP Worldwide, Universal McCann Interactive and Wunderman / Y&R.

The 2013 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by Burst Media, BGT Partners, PR Newswire, ExactTarget, EContent Magazine, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio and Website Magazine.

A complete list of past winners can be found at the IAC Award Website.

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. —  Anderson Merchandisers, one of the nation’s distributors of prerecorded music, movies and books, is now a significant player in the digital world with the creation of Anderson Digital.

Anderson Digital, was launched with the acquisitions of SoPeachi Entertainment and Vanguard Cinema, two firms already well established in the digital content distribution and aggregation space. The LA-based Anderson Digital starts with a library of more than 5,000 TV shows and 1,000 feature films.  With these acquisitions, Anderson Digital launches with distribution capabilities in all segments of the digital marketplace, both domestically and internationally.

Anderson Digital will provide its content partners extensive reach and direct access to the leading digital, cable, and satellite, hotel, and mobile platforms. Current customers include not only the world’s largest digital music provider, but also companies including Amazon, CinemaNow, Hulu, Netflix, Sony Entertainment Network, Toys”R”Us Movies, VUDU and Xbox Video.

“With the industry increasingly moving into the digital world, it is important to us to have a digital presence that can both complement and enhance our capabilities,” said Anderson CEO Charlie Anderson.

Anderson Digital will be run by its Managing Partners, Freyr Thor and Steve Lyons. The company provides a full suite of digital content aggregation and distribution services including not only delivery and artwork, but also digital restoration, artwork, ingestion and transcoding.

Thor has more than 20 years experience in entertainment distribution. As the founder of Vanguard Cinema and a co-founder of SoPeachi Entertainment, he is recognized as an expert in emerging digital platforms. Thor holds degrees in both literature and creative media as well as an MBA. He grew Vanguard to an independent cinema leader with more than 1,000 distributed indie titles. He is also the founder of the Indie Talent Awards.

Lyons has more than 17 years of experience, much of it focused on distribution, business development and new venture launches. In addition to his role as co-founder of SoPeachi he was also the founder of GoGoPop, which provided development of an online and mobile video platform focusing on children. Lyons has served as a Senior Vice President at both Sony Picture’s Home Entertainment and Ascent Media.  He holds a MBA degree from the University of Southern California.

“We are excited to extend Anderson Merchandisers’ distribution and service capabilities to now include digital distribution to all the premium digital platforms, and to be working with Steve Lyons and Freyr Thor in continuing their great leadership in expanding our customer offerings,” said Bill Lardie, President,Anderson Merchandisers.

“This is great news for current and potential customers,” said Steve Lyons, Managing Partner of Anderson Digital. “This enhances our ability to provide unprecedented access to both digital and physical distribution allowing our content partners to get their shows to market through an ever growing number of platforms.”

Anderson Digital Managing Partner Freyr Thor adds, “Bringing these three quality companies together under one umbrella makes us all stronger and better able to offer our clients service and value. We are all excited about the possibilities.”

The new company also starts with excellent content partners including ARC Entertainment, Big Idea Entertainment, Classic Media, Mendelson/ Paws Productions (Garfield and Friends), XLrator Media and 343 Industries/Microsoft Studios.

Image Courtesy : TF28 ❘ tfaltings.de

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London, England –  On October 29, Misys launched mobile versions of its award-winning trade finance and cash management products to help its banking customers meet the growing demand from their corporate customers for these services.

In a survey into global transaction banking trends, results published on October 29, almost half of all responding bank representatives stated that mobile channel development for their corporate customers was a priority for the next 12 months and nearly two-thirds had it as a priority on which to focus in the next three years.

“The majority of consumers make payments, transfers and view statements online and increasingly via mobile devices,” states Tim Tyler, Global Product Manager at Misys. “With this being the norm for consumers, corporate treasurers and transaction banking professionals now expect all their services from banks to be available to them via the same channels as their personal banking services. Misys Mobile for Transaction Banking will allow banks to enhance their service offering to their customers through this additional channel, providing another way in which users can view and manage transactions whenever they require and irrespective of their location.”

The first solution available for licence in the product portfolio is Misys Mobile for Trade Services. This will enable banks to improve the service they provide their corporate customers, giving them better access and visibility via mobile devices to all their trade finance transactions. Trade finance professionals will be able to manage their trade obligations far more effectively than before and review and approve trade transactions. They will have better visibility and control of invoices payable, issued Letters of Credit or any other trade instrument.

The solution from Misys is available via any mobile phone, tablet or smartphone, including BlackBerry, iPhone or Andriod. Banks offering their customers this service will maintain their competitive edge at a time when customer service is critical.

Image Courtesy of  gailjadehamilton

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London, England – With a whole world of new technology on the market, it has never been easier to kit out your living room and make a top of the range entertainment space without spending a fortune. Whether it is a 3D TV with surround sound or the latest games console, if you’re sick of parts disappearing or you do not know which of your children last snuck the mp3 player into their bedroom – had you thought about getting an electronic device that’s part of your upholstery?

Your sofa is no longer just for sitting!

These days looking for a couch is about more than just comfort and colour – CSL’s new range of sofas offers innovative additions to keep you entertained. With many models on the market there’s something to cater for any taste, whether you’re looking for the ultimate in controllable comfort, a cinema experience in your home or a model to play your music, there’s a CSL sofa for you.

For those of you who want to feel like you’re visiting the flicks, then the Tarantino range offers authentic cinema seating in your own home. From storage space and cupholders for your drinks and snacks, to power recliner seats so you can sit back and relax at the push of a button. These luxurious leather sofas come in a range of colours so they will suit any style of decor. Sizes extend from two to five seaters, so whether your house is home to a couple or a large family, there is a Tarantino sofa for you.

If music is more your thing then CSL’s Sound Sofas offer you stylish comfort in stereo. With a dock for your iPod and a slot for your SD card, you can pop on a playlist without leaving your seat, enjoy the tunes through three high-quality speakers stowed away in your sofa and have your iPhone to hand at all times as the dock even charges.

And if you’ve got it bad for gaming, immerse yourself in the action by using the bluetooth connection to create and all-round audio atmosphere while you play.

So when you want to add a little luxury to your lounge choose one of the new high-tech models for a sofa you can really show off.

For more information on the full range of sofas on offer please visit http://www.csl-sofas.co.uk or walk into one of our sofa stores.

Image Courtesy of  CSL sofa

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. — Alicia Keys and AK Worldwide have teamed up with Bento Box Interactive, to create a one-of-a-kind immersive storytelling app, entitled The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee. Centered on a touching story, the app encourages exploration through music, journaling, games, rewards and more. Underscored by Alicia Keys’ original music and inspired by Keys’ own relationship with her Nana, the app tells the story of a relationship between a young girl (LeeLee) in New York City and her wise and mystical grandmother (Mama Mae).

The app has been created to redefine the classic storytelling experience for children and parents utilizing interactivity and animation within innovative tactile features to engage them within the story and immerse them into the world beyond the pages of a book.  Combined with stylized art direction and beautiful animation, Mama Mae’s magical adventures from her journal provide empowering life lessons to LeeLee and drive the app’s unique interplay.

Co-produced by AK Worldwide and Bento Box Interactive, the new app is available for download from the Apple App Store for the iPad, iPhone and iTouch on October 25 for $3.99;  and shortly after on other devices and platforms. The characters and stories for the app were created by Alicia Keys, DJ Walton and Jessica Walton with the innovative App technology and platform developed by Bento Box Interactive and animation produced by the Bento Box team.

“I feel it’s so important to tell the story of Mama Mae and LeeLee through an app because this has the potential to really bring everybody together in an interesting way,” said Keys. “Mama Mae is a character that is partially born from the spirit of my Nana, who instilled in me all of the values that still guide my path to this day. As technology continues to advance, I feel it is so important to continue growing and fostering those indelible relationships as children tap into the digital landscape. The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee has the potential to enrich the way children, parents and grandparents participate in each other’s lives.”

“This is a very proud moment for all of us at Bento Box Interactive,” said Scott Greenberg, CEO Bento Box Interactive. “We are absolutely thrilled to collaborate with such a great storyteller in Alicia Keys and her amazing team. Alicia keenly understands technology and its great potential for engaging the iPad generation. Together, we’ve opened the door to a new kind of storytelling experience. With music, games, journaling, rewards, and so much more all in one app we are charting a course for the next generation of readers. We are incredibly excited to share The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee with the world.”

The first story in the app titled “Blue Moon,” challenges users with true-to-life obstacles which empower children to face their fears, break free from limitation, and open themselves to unearthing their love for adventure and discovery within. This first story is highlighted by the song, “Follow the Moon,” composed and produced by Keys.

Throughout the app and the series of story-packs, all music is produced and scored by Alicia Keys including the main theme song “Unlock Yourself,” which is composed and performed by Keys and serves as a central theme reminding children to be true to themselves and follow their dreams.

Additional story-packs, featuring the magical adventures within Mama Mae’s journal, will be released within the app’s bookshelf in the future on a regular basis. Each story-pack will also populate the interactive environment of LeeLee’s 3D animated bedroom with additional original content that encourages users to explore and “unlock” all the possibilities.

The pristine functionality of the app’s design allows for seamless transitions between the series of stories and the interactive world of LeeLee’s bedroom that enables the reader to immerse within the story’s experience. Through Mama Mae’s wisdom and the app’s compelling features, children can explore new worlds with the touch of their fingertips.

To access a trailer of the app, please visit the link: http://www.youtube.com/embed/IbNfdFhNZrY

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. — 15% of online buyers intend to purchase the iPad Mini immediately after its launch, according to the latest poll by Bizrate Insights, a company that tracks consumer sentiment across its network of online buyers. The top reason cited for not purchasing is a lack of a defined need, as reported by over 39% of respondents.

Bizrate Insights launched questions on purchase intent of and primary reason for not purchasing the iPad Mini on October 23, 2012. The survey is being conducted via the Bizrate Insights survey platform and offered to online buyers immediately after purchasing from the Bizrate Insights Network of over 5,200 ecommerce retailers in the US and Canada. The purchase intent question was answered by 705 online buyers and the reason for not purchasing question by 582 online buyers as of 5:15pm PT on October 24, 2012.

“Bizrate Insights harnesses its ability to tap into and broadcast consumer sentiment on current and relevant topics to help ecommerce grow,” stated Hayley Silver, Vice President of Bizrate Insights, a division of Shopzilla, Inc. “Some have interpreted the initial percent of intended iPad Mini buyers as low and others as high. For context, we saw a lower number in 2011 around the introduction of the iPad 2—with the same top reason cited for not purchasing. These numbers today would indicate that Apple has another huge hit on its hands.”

About Bizrate Insights

With over 16 million surveys collected in 2011 from over 6,300 retailers worldwide, Bizrate Insights is a source of verified customer-generated seller ratings and reviews in North America, helping both online retailers and consumers make informed decisions. Bizrate Insights’ core solutions are free, allowing retailers of all sizes to build best-in-class customer experiences, gain competitive intelligence, and attract more qualified traffic from top search engines. Visit www.bizrateinsights.com to learn more about our solutions, used by over 40% of Internet Retailer Top 500 retailers, as well as thousands of smaller boutiques.

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London, England – From October 25, LOVEFiLM, an Amazon company and a film subscription service, will offer thousands of movies and TV shows available for streaming on the all-new Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire, including ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, ‘Karate Kid’ and ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’.

Kindle Fire HD is already a top seller on Amazon worldwide and offers an enhanced viewing experience through its stunning customised HD display, the fastest Wi-Fi, dual stereo speakers and exclusive Dolby audio, powerful processor and graphics engine and 11 hours of battery life.

LOVEFiLM is deeply integrated with the all-new Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire and allows users to instantly stream and interact with thousands of movies and TV shows using Kindle’s sophisticated features to enhance the viewing experience, including:

• Watch List

Users can plan their viewing experiences by creating an unlimited playlist of movies and TV shows which can be accessed on demand at the users’ convenience.

• Whispersync Technlogy

Powers the LOVEFiLM Pause and Resume function that keeps track of the last location in a video so viewing can be resumed from exactly the same spot on any LOVEFiLM device. This means film fans can, for example, start watching something on their Kindle Fire HD, pause the movie or TV show, and return to it on the PS3, without having to search for their place.

• X-RAY For Movies

“X-Ray for Movies”, is a new feature that revolutionises the movie experience by bringing the power of IMDb directly to movies on Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD, accessible with a simple tap.

Without ever leaving the movie, customers can look up any actor in the scene or movie, see what other movies they have been in and view photos, biographies and more. X-Ray for Movies is exclusive to the Amazon ecosystem.

IMDb, an Amazon company for 14 years, is the #1 movie website in the world with more than 160 million monthly unique visitors worldwide.

Both the all-new Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire will come with a month’s free subscription for new LOVEFiLM users in the UK. These users will be able to login to LOVEFiLM quickly and easily using their Amazon account details. In the near future, existing LOVEFiLM members will also be able to link their accounts together, creating a simpler single login experience.

Jim Buckle, Managing Director at LOVEFiLM, said: ”Every Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire in the UK comes with seamless integration of LOVEFiLM, giving users access to thousands of movies and TV shows. This is a huge moment for LOVEFiLM and continues to expand our multi-platform offering – delivering the very best content onto the most popular devices, which can only be great news for film and TV fans.”

Jorrit Van der Meulen, VP Kindle, Amazon EU, added: ”The minute customers turn on their Kindle Fire HD they will have instant access to our vast content ecosystem of apps, games, songs, books and magazines, plus thousands of fantastic movies and TV shows from LOVEFiLM. When combined with our unmatched cross-platform interoperability and standard-setting customer service, we’re sure UK customers will love Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire.”

The all-new Kindle Fire HD is only £159 and is available now at http://www.amazon.co.uk/kindlefirehd

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Wayne, U.S.A. — As Rovio Entertainment and Lucasfilm gear up for the November 8 worldwide debut of the new Angry Birds Star Wars app, Toys”R”Us stores and Toysrus.com are ready to serve as the ultimate retail destination for consumers nationwide hoping to explore “A Galaxy Far, Far Away” with a new line of plush, board games, launchers and more.

Gamers, collectors and pop culture enthusiasts eagerly awaiting the mashup of these two beloved properties in the virtual world, have already been flocking to Toys”R”Us to purchase select toys and games featuring fan-favorite Angry Birds characters as iconic heroes of the classic Star Wars saga before they’re available anywhere else.

“For decades, products based on the Star Wars franchise have been perennial favorites at Toys”R”Us, and ever since Angry Birds toys were first introduced two years ago, fans have visited our stores across the country for hands-on, feathered fun,” said Lisa Harnisch, Senior Vice President, General Merchandising Manager, Toys”R”Us “We know that bringing together the critically acclaimed Angry Birds app with the epic space franchise of Star Wars offers irresistible appeal, and we’re thrilled to bring the combination of the two properties to life through toys, games and other great products for our customers nationwide.”

Starting with the Early Angry Birds Package, Jenga Death Star Game and the AT-AT Attack Battle Game from Hasbro, these hot new items are currently rolling into Toys”R”Us stores. Following is a sampling of Angry Birds Star Wars toys that are available at Toys”R”Us:

Angry Birds Star Wars AT-AT Attack Battle Game

With the AT-AT Attack Battle Game, kids can stack, launch and destroy. This set includes 21 blocks which can be used to create the signature AT-AT, a lightsaber launcher and 12 Angry Birds Star Wars Figures, including two that are exclusive to this set! Players can also unlock content in-app with a special code in each pack. No batteries required. Ages 5 and up. Available now at Toys”R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com.

Angry BirdsStar Wars Early Angry Birds Package

Just like the original Star Wars Early Bird pack from 1977, this pack features the same four characters from the movie saga. This time our rebel heroes have beaks, wings and a bad attitude about the Empire’s evil pigs. Now, kids can take aim with a lightsaber and launch into fun with R2-D2 Egg, Luke Skywalker Bird, Princess Leia Bird, Chewbacca Bird, two blocks and one lightsaber launcher. No batteries required. Ages 5 and up. Available now at Toys”R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com.

Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga Death Star Game

Players can unleash the birds to help destroy the Death Star with Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga Death Star Game. By pulling back the X-Wing Fighter to launch an epic squawk attack with Luke, Han Solo or Chewbacca birds, kids can knock the pigs’ block off and destroy the Death Star. Players can also unlock content in-app with a special code in each pack. No batteries required. Ages 8 and up. Available now at Toys”R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com.

Koosh Angry Birds Star Wars Jedi Slingshot

Little adventurers can “use the Force”and transform into heroic Jedi Knights with this easy-to-use toy. With one swift pull and release of the sling, preschoolers can launch the included Luke Skywalker Bird Faceball at the Darth Vader Pig target. No batteries required. Ages 4 and up. Available at Toys”R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com beginning October 28.

Angry Birds Star Wars Plush Assortment

Enthusiasts everywhere can bring the fun of the birds home in super soft, intergalactic form! These plush characters come in two sizes, five or eight-inch, and include Luke Skywalker Bird, Princess Leia Bird,Darth Vader Bird, Han Solo Bird and Storm Trooper Bird. No batteries required. Ages 4 and up. Available at Toys”R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com beginning October 28.

Toys”R”Us stores nationwide will dedicate prominent space to this exciting new product line with Angry Birds Star Wars merchandise showcased prominently in-store throughout the holiday season. The company also named Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga Death Star to its list of 2012 Holiday Toy Trends, representative of a “Rad” Return from the 80′s, one of the company’s top toy-buying trends of the season.

A Flagship Presence for Feathered Fun at the Crossroads of the World

Earlier this month, Toys”R”Us partnered with Rovio and Lucasfilm to host an event at the company’s international flagship store, Toys”R”Us Times Square in New York City, where customers were introduced to Angry Birds Star Wars and the app-inspired merchandise for the very first time. The all-new collection – from Halloween costumes and board games, to launchers and plush characters – was displayed throughout the day, providing fans a sneak peek of what’s to come, plus the opportunity to meet the creators of Angry Birds and take photos with an oversized, plush Chewbacca Bird.

Serving as the ultimate destination for tech-savvy consumers’ favorite feathered characters, the company recently unveiled a permanent Angry Birds boutique at Toys”R”Us Times Square. Featuring graphics of Angry Birds characters and other images reminiscent of the game, anchored by an eye-catching 20-foot-tall tower of stacked boxes with a King Pig perched on top, customers won’t be able to miss this dedicated space, filled with hundreds of Angry Birds products, including the latest Star Wars introductions.

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Elgin, U.S.A. – National Gift Card (NGC), an international marketer of gift cards and gift card fulfillment solutions, announced on October 24 that it is partnering with InComm, a prepaid product and transaction services company, to offer a suite of gaming and music entertainment eGift cards for businesses to use for their promotions and incentives programs. The recipients of these electronic gift cards can then redeem them immediately online or print them out to use at a retail location.

NGC and InComm recently completed integrating their eGift card fulfillment and distribution capabilities via an application programming interface (API) to allow NGC real-time access to InComm’s suite of popular gaming and entertainment eGift card offerings. In turn, InComm expands its B2B incentive programs, reaching into new segments such as schools and the fundraising marketplace. InComm now has access to NGC’s rapid fulfillment and ordering capabilities, enabling them to sell and process bulk eGift cards.

“We are honored to partner with InComm, a leader in the prepaid industry. This partnership solidifies NGC’s commitment to offer the most complete digital eGift card offerings in the B2B space. Gaming and content eGift cards will be a great complement to any reward, loyalty, and incentive program,” says Rick Rubin, NGC senior vice president of strategic partnerships

“Gaming is one of the major growth areas for prepaid products, especially as consumers increase their play time via mobile devices and tablet computers, and brands integrate gaming aspects into their marketing and loyalty programs,” said Dave Etling, InComm vice president of business and product development. “InComm is dedicated to offering convenient, secure products that suit the needs of the modern customer, and this partnership with NGC is an ideal way to accomplish that while expanding our reach into the B2B market.”

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Vancouver, U.S.A. —  Wacom’s digital notebook application, Bamboo Paper, is now available on Google play. Building on the application’s huge success among iPad users, the launch of Bamboo Paper for Android provides a new and exciting way for this group to share ideas and concepts on a smartphone by combining Wacom’s intuitive application and natural-feeling pen.

As of October 25, more than 4 million iPad users already enjoy the digital notebook qualities of Bamboo Paper. Following this success, Wacom has launched Bamboo Paper for Android — a free digital notebook app that allows mobile device users to create and collaborate through handwritten notes, sketches and doodles. Bamboo Paper makes using Wacom’s Bamboo Stylus family or any stylus that come with smartphones much more fun, allowing creativity to take place on the move. The app is initially available for the Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy SIII with more devices to be added at a later date. Note taking, sketching and doodling has never been easier or more intuitive on an Android device.

Bamboo Paper continues to push Wacom’s Bamboo brand mission forward, offering visual thinkers a way to construct and share ideas digitally. It provides an interface that is natural, fun and easy to use. Being one of the first apps by Wacom, Bamboo Paper adds a new element to the existing range of input devices (Bamboo Stylus range and Bamboo pen tablets) and gives users a very natural “pen and paper” experience.

As with all Bamboo products by Wacom, Bamboo Paper takes advantage of Wacom’s experience and expertise in pen-based input by offering a natural writing and sketching tool. Ideas become much more lively when using a Wacom pen, providing realistic inking and a fluid interface to make quick notes, sketches or drawings.

Bamboo Paper for Android is available as a free download in Google play and Samsung Apps.

Download the Bamboo Paper app here.

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Basking Ridge, U.S.A. — More than half (52 percent) of all U.S. Consumers surveyed say Internet service is their home’s most important utility, according to the first in a series of tech consumer research surveys, called the Verizon FiOS Innovation Index: Borderless Lifestyle Survey. And if you have an Internet-connectable device with you at all times whenever you leave your home, there is a good chance that you are one of the nearly 40 percent of Americans that the Index identified as “borderless consumers.”

Verizon believes the Borderless Lifestyle is a result of the convergence of wired and wireless broadband networks, and the unique user flexibility and personal empowerment that converged services enable. The Borderless Lifestyle is about eliminating the old technology boundaries that used to separate networks and service platforms, home and work, allowing customers to connect and accomplish what they want or need to do, whenever they wish, wherever they are, using the device that they prefer.

“As the borderless consumer segment continues to grow, so will the need to identify, understand and anticipate what consumers truly want in their increasingly connected lives – today and in the future,” said Eric Bruno, vice president of FiOS strategy and development for Verizon.

Home is the Hub of Digital Life

The FiOS Innovation Index found that while borderless consumers are well-equipped for anytime, anywhere online engagement, their digital activities – communication, entertainment and commerce – still revolve around their physical home.

The Index will periodically examine trends in connectivity, device adoption and user experiences that are shaping consumers’ lives and driving innovation in the connected media and services industries. The index will provide insights into large-scale trends for adults living in the U.S. and explore how they are using advances in technology and innovation to live a life more connected and without borders.

Who are Borderless Consumers?

Borderless consumers are found in every ethnic and age group – from millennials to generation X, baby boomers and the mature generation – though 18-to-34 year-olds constitute the greatest number of borderless consumers. Many are college educated, own their home, and nearly half of them earn $75,000or more annually.

If you are also motivated to make technology and connectivity upgrades, and are interested in enjoying the benefits of a digital smart home, you are definitely among the 39 percent of U.S. Adults that are living the Borderless Lifestyle.

The study also found that women (53 percent) outnumber men (47 percent) in the borderless consumer segment.

According to the FiOS Innovation Index, 82 percent of borderless consumers are interested in using network services like cloud-based data storage to access to their data files using any device, from any location, at any time.

The vast majority (90 percent) look forward to the day when every connectable device in their house can seamlessly interconnect and work together – via their in-home network or online.

All borderless consumers (100 percent) share a common motivation to make technology and connectivity upgrades to enjoy the full benefits of boundary-free living.

The Index also indicates that regardless of whether or not an individual is a borderless consumer, more than half of all survey respondents combined (60 percent of borderless consumers and 46 percent of non-borderless consumers) considered their wired Internet service to be the most important utility in their home.

All Consumers Still Love Watching Live TV

While over-the-top (OTT) video consumption continues to drive Internet traffic growth, its use varies among viewers, depending on their content appetite. While streaming video is primarily adopted by 18- to 34-year-olds across all types of content, the majority of all borderless consumers (89 percent) – and non-borderless consumers (90 percent) – still prefer watching shows on their TVs, according to the survey.

“The broadening appeal of anywhere, anytime connectivity is blurring the boundaries that used to separate the home from everywhere else we go every day, and the Borderless Lifestyle Survey offers clear evidence of that,” said Ruchir Rodrigues, vice president of technology for Verizon.

“Between smartphones, tablets, laptop and desktop computers, and connected TVs and game consoles, consumers want the benefits, convenience and intuitiveness of a connected life and smart home,” Rodrigues said. “This presents a huge innovation opportunity to the technology community as we all pursue the development of new products, apps and services that expand and enrich our borderless lifestyle experience.”

The Verizon FiOS Innovation Index: Borderless Lifestyle Survey was conducted in the U.S. on behalf of Verizon by Harris Interactive on September 7-11 and polled 2,292 adults aged 18 and over. The online survey was not based on a probability sample and therefore cannot be used as an assessment of the general population; nor can a theoretical sampling error be calculated.

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Pittsburgh, U.S.A. — The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is developing a free mobile application to be used in Pittsburgh’s parks. Funding is being provided by UPMC Health Plan and the app will be designed by the Pittsburgh-based firm Deeplocal. The app will provide information to help users navigate and enjoy Pittsburgh’s five largest city parks: Schenley, Frick, Highland, Riverview and Emerald View. The app will be in the testing phase this fall and winter, and is expected to launch in spring of 2013.

The app will make Pittsburgh’s parks more accessible and user-friendly, especially to those who are not experienced park users. “The main goal behind this exciting new app is to engage more people in our large parks,” said Meg Cheever, Parks Conservancy President and CEO. “Trails and heavily wooded areas offer some of the best park experiences and opportunities for exercise and enjoyment, but these areas can also be the most daunting for someone not familiar with our large urban parks. We see this mobile app as a real game changer in that regard.”

The app is being funded by UPMC Health Plan as an extension of the Parks are Free advertising campaign, an initiative launched by the Health Plan, Parks Conservancy and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl in 2009 to promote healthy lifestyles through park use. The marketing effort is based on the common belief that active park use leads to a healthier lifestyle and healthier communities.

The partnership between UPMC Health Plan and the Parks Conservancy promotes the City’s parks as a resource for improving the health of the Pittsburgh community. Through this mobile app, the intention is to have a positive impact on increased physical activity and appreciation for Pittsburgh urban green spaces.

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy surveyed its members while creating the concept; information collected drove early functionality of the app. When asked how respondents would use an app in the park, more than 90% of the respondents indicated park trail information and navigation were priorities, making it the app’s main feature. Other desired features include finding restrooms, learning about events in the parks, and reporting park problems.

Teams of Parks Conservancy volunteers are going beyond directional navigation and distance by offering first-person trail descriptions, such as unique views and features, and whether trails are appropriate for bikes or strollers.

City of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl stated, “Our parks are one of the main reasons we have been named a most-livable city, and I am excited about this effort to engage more residents in the health benefits our parks offer. Additionally, the free park app is another example of a strong local partnership doing great things for Pittsburgh. The partnership between the City, the Parks Conservancy and UPMC Health Plan benefits residents as well as visitors to Pittsburgh.”

Deeplocal, a Pittsburgh-based innovation studio that has received international recognition for its work, is designing the mobile app. Deeplocal is internationally known for such unique projects as the Nike Chalkbot, and locally known for projects such as the ParkPGH app, which helps drivers find open parking spaces Downtown.

The Parks Conservancy is offering the public a chance to choose the name of the application by voting for their favorite app name or making a suggestion. The contest is being hosted on UPMC Health Plan’s Facebook page and voting is open until November 15. Participants will be entered to win an iPad with the winner selected by random drawing. To vote, go to UPMCHealthPlan’s Facebook Page.

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Burlington, U.S.A. — Burst Media, a leading online media company and wholly owned subsidiary of blinkx, recently released the results of a survey about preferences and behaviors of sports fans as they relate to sports media. The online study, conducted in September among self-identified sports fans aged 18 or older, revealed that content websites are chipping away at television’s lead as the best source of sports-related information: more than one-third (35.4%) overall say sports sites are best; slightly more (41.3%) say TV is best. And among self-identified devoted sports fans (i.e., those who “love to stay updated as frequently as possible”), sports content sites beat TV as the best source by a notable margin: 45.1% vs. 35.5%.

“Whether it’s consuming original sports content online, sharing likes and tweets with friends, or using a tablet to follow the score, sports enthusiasts have many options to access content,” said Mark Kaefer, marketing director, Burst Media. “And with digital media becoming an increasingly significant part of the total sports fan experience, online publishers and advertisers now have access to a much wider set of platforms and tactics to use to engage audiences.”

Overall, 35.1% of all sports fans—including two-in-three (66.8%) devoted fans—go online at least once per day for sports-related reasons such as to check scores, read sports news, watch sports videos or play fantasy sports games. Nearly one-third (30.4%) of all sports fans say most of their time online is spent reading content versus watching online video. However, among 18-34 year-old respondents, 22.0% say their time is split between reading content and watching online video—a figure that is double the number of sports fans aged 35 years or older who engage in both activities (10.1%).

Tablets and smartphones are emerging as sports content consumption platforms. Among all sports fans, 45.7% use smartphones (such as a Samsung Galaxy) and 31.6% use tablets (such as an iPad) to access online sports content and video at least occasionally. Nearly one-quarter (23.8%) use smartphones and 17.1% use tablets to watch live sporting events.

Sports enthusiasts enjoy multitasking on mobile devices—among devoted and casual fans, 52.6% and 25.1% respectively use a tablet or smartphone to access online sports content while watching sports on television. Two-fifths (39.1%) of devoted fans and 28.4% of casual fans use mobile devices while watching non-sports programming on television—and 12.1% vs. 4.5% of devoted and casual fans respectively go mobile for online sports content while attending a game or sporting event. Interestingly, more than three-in-five (63.6%) men aged 35-44 report accessing sports content on their tablet or smartphone while watching sports on television—beating all other gender and age segments.

Download the full “Sports Fans and Digital Media” Burst Media Online Insights report (PDF) online here.

Image Courtesy of  San Diego Shooter

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Philadelphia, U.S.A. – “Good news for all jobseekers – a new technology designed to seek out employment opportunities for you while you’re having dinner, doing gardening, napping, watching a sporting event, walking your dog, enjoying an evening stroll with your loved one, or doing just about anything you like is finally here,” said Dr. Henry I. Balogun Founder/CEO of PrimeHangout.com.

“Traditional way of looking for a job is to search for it. PrimeHangout’s plan to reverse that tradition is no longer a plan. It is done. From now on, available jobs are going to be looking for qualified candidates. Our goal is to make it easier for anyone interested in employment to find one.”

“Smart Classified otherwise known as sClassified comes with the kind of automation and screening process only technology can deliver and this is just the beginning. The only way to see it is to experience it and the time to register is now.

Registration to use and enjoy PrimeHangout (for any individual as well as businesses) is absolutely free. However, sClassified is extremely affordable and a brilliant way for potential employers to seek out and find the right talent for their business. Any company, regardless of size can log in and post a specific help wanted ad on sClassified. Once the ad is posted, our new technology takes over. Advertisers would be able to see and manage the process from their respective dashboard. There has never been anything like this and there is no comparison,” Henry Balogun emphasized.

As for jobseekers, those elected to be informed about available job openings would start to receive notifications regarding available jobs in any specific area of interest to them complete with specific job requirements. All they need to do is click on the notice to see where sClassified will take them.

PrimeHangout as a social media is uniquely designed and carefully positioned to be different with the intent to look familiar. It is first and foremost a social media platform that allows you to connect, chat, share ideas, photos and videos, blog or simply socialize. The goal of PrimeHangout is to take social media as a platform to the next step. The time has come to make social media something tangible, rewarding, inspiring, user friendly and financially beneficial to users – individuals and corporations.

PrimeHangout is on a mission to continue to give users life-improving quality suite of services. They pride themselves on three core principles: originality of ideas, innovation and creativity. They aim to never stop questioning. Log in and register today. Experience the PrimeHangout difference www.primehangout.com.

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Austin, U.S.A. — The Game Developers Conference Online (GDC Online) concluded on Thursday, October 11 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, having brought together industry professionals and aspiring game developers for three days of insightful sessions, inspiring discussions and various networking opportunities in the areas of online and connected gaming.

In its tenth and final year, GDC Online featured more than 125 lectures, panels, keynotes and roundtable discussions presented by 187 industry-leading speakers and an expo floor with more than 60 exhibitors and 26 sponsors. The Game Developers Conference Next (GDC Next) will be the redesigned successor to GDC Online and will include the App Developers Conference (ADC), a brand new event dedicated to app technology, creation, business and marketing outside of gaming. GDC Next and the App Developers Conference will debut November 5 -7, 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“Wrapping the last edition of GDC Online in Austin this year is bittersweet for us,” said Meggan Scavio, General Manager, UBM Tech. “The conference was once again an incredibly warm get-together of the online game development community to share ideas and celebrate the art and science of connected games. We would like to thank our esteemed and dedicated advisory board members for programming another incredible event – with a special recognition for the two founders of the original conference, Rich Vogel and Gordon Walton, who have served on the advisory board since the inception of the show. We will truly miss the city of Austin, but we are also incredibly excited about our new chapters coming with GDC Next and the all-new App Developers Conference in Los Angeles.”

Highlights of the tenth anniversary edition of GDC Online included a retrospective keynote given Tuesday by this year’s winner of the Online Game Legend Award at the Game Developers Choice Online Awards,Raph Koster. Koster, Legend Award winner for his work on Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, and now VP of Creative Design at Playdom San Diego, celebrated the tenth anniversary of the conference by looking back at a talk he gave 10 years ago during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

In his Design track keynote titled “A Theory of Fun: 10 Years Later,” Koster shared insights about what has changed in the game development community since his first lecture a decade ago. Koster examined what he referred to as the gamification of life with mobile and social games, which have moved far beyond the original experience of connected gaming, and discussed his belief that the pursuit of happiness is necessary and essential to a complete gaming experience, no matter the platform.

On Wednesday, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) president John Smedley gave the keynote for the Business & Marketing track. In his talk, “Free-to-Play: Driving the Future of MMOs,” Smedley offered SOE’s views on the shift in connected gaming to a free-to-play monetization model. He noted that the shift represents changes in technology as well as player tastes, new trends in media and, for SOE, a drive for to produce titles that represent and encourage the evolution of the community.

Also on Wednesday, Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts announced his return to the industry with an the all-new title Star Citizen , currently in development at Roberts’ recently formed Cloud Imperium Games studio, and revealed that contributors to the studio’s crowd-funding efforts for the title will be able to play a version of the game in late 2013, far earlier than its targeted 2014 release date. He noted that his goal was to engage fans directly and remind the industry that the PC is still a boundless platform for innovation in the genre.

GDC Online also played host to two new entries in the now-favorite series of sessions that debuted at the 25th Anniversary edition of GDC in 2011, the Classic Game Postmortems. Damion Schubert, lead designer of the first commercial 3D massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG) Meridian 59, took the stage to share insights on the creation of the benchmark title, while Industry veterans Rich Vogel,Raph Koster and Starr M. Long gave attendees a behind the scenes look at what it took to create theUltima Online.

BioWare Austin and Riot Games took home the most wins at the 2012 Game Developers Choice Online Awards on Wednesday night. Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare Austin’s blockbuster massively multiplayer online (MMO) title secured four wins, including the categories for Best New Online Game and Best Online Visual Arts, while Riot Games’ League of Legends received top honors in both of its nominated categories, securing the win for Best Live Game and Best Community Relations.

League of Legends also won its second Audience Award honor. In addition to Ralph Koster’s receipt of the Online Game Legend Award, the awards ceremony also included the induction of Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft was into the Hall of Fame. For additional information about the 2012 Game Developers Choice Online Awards and the complete list of winners, visit the official website for the GDC Online awards at www.gdconlineawards.com.

Content from the 2012 Game Developers Conference Online will be available for download on the GDC Vault at www.gdcvault.com. For more information about GDC Online, please visit www.gdconline.com and to access Official GDC Online photos visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/officialgdc/. More information about GDC Next 2013 can be found at www.gdcnext.com and the App Developers Conference 2013 at www.adconf.com.

Image Courtesy of  Official GDC

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McGraw-Hill Education and Dragonfly, Korea’s leading interactive digital media company, announced on October 12, an agreement to develop a series of interactive e-books to enhance English language learning among K-5 students in Asia. The agreement brings together the world-class content and pedagogy of McGraw-Hill Education’s LEAD21 program, known globally for its efficacy and impact, with Dragonfly’s proven expertise of creating immersive digital entertainment experiences to create a highly engaging and effective learning experience for students learning English.

The new e-book series, scheduled for international release in in early 2013, will be accessible on multiple digital platforms, including the web, mobile devices and IPTV.

“We are delighted to partner with Dragonfly to enhance learning outcomes for students by creating a learning experience that’s truly engaging,” said Angeline Poh, managing director of McGraw-Hill Education Asia. “By bringing together McGraw-Hill Education’s strong educational content and Dragonfly’s know-how in technology, this collaboration gives both companies a unique edge as we work to meet the needs of students and teachers.”

“Dragonfly’s technology expertise and innovation will enhance the learning of English among students in a new and fresh way,” said Park Chul Woo, chief executive officer of Dragonfly. Dragonfly’s online game development expertise includes cutting-edge digital entertainment technologies like augmented reality.

To learn more about LEAD21, please visit www.wglead21.com.

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education is a content, software and services-based education company that draws on its more than 100 years of educational expertise to offer solutions which improve learning outcomes around the world. McGraw-Hill is the adaptive education technology leader with the vision for creating a highly personalized learning experience that prepares students of all ages for the world that awaits. The company has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 65 languages. For additional information, visit www.mheducation.com.

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San Francisco, U.S.A. — Revision3 has announced the launch of a new, tech-focused, YouTube original channel, ‘Tech Feed’. Working with new and existing Revision3 show creators, ‘Tech Feed’ aims to build a robust, tech-focused channel comprised of various shows, short and long format, featuring multiple episodes per day about the latest tech, gadgets and gear, news and commentary, car tech, cyber-crime and security, survival tech, and more.

The main thrust of the programming will be daily tech segments focusing on news of the day, reviews of software and hardware, unboxing of hot new products as well as interviews with leading experts in the tech industry. The segments will feature news anchors, as well as recurring guests such as Patrick Norton and Veronica Belmont, from Tekzilla. In addition, ‘Tech Feed’ will offer 6 individual weekly series that focus on different angles of technology, from news commentary to car tech, cyber-crime and security and survival tech.

“We are excited to launch this original programming for YouTube, our long-standing distribution partner”, said Revision3 CEO Jim Louderback. “Drawing on our existing stable of top-notch online video stars, has given us the ability to develop an unrivaled, premium Tech content destination, with something for every Revision3 viewer.”

Revision3 will leverage existing fans to help build an audience for these new shows – for example, using favorite hosts to make guest appearances and creating contests and promotional campaigns to engage community.

Weekly shows include:

Fact or Fictional with Veronica Belmont - Veronica Belmont, beloved tech maven, Tekzilla host, former CNET star, and current host of Sword and Laser on Geek and Sundry, will look at the cool inventions from your favorite movies, TV shows, books, and comics and ask, “is this really possible?” and, if not, why not? Each episode will feature a piece of technology from pop culture, nominated by the audience. From Hoverboards and Pre-Cogs, to Replicants and Time Machines, Veronica will explore the possible, or impossible link between the invented tech and the real world.

Soldier’s Tech Battlefield - Mark Watson is a trusted tech geek serving in the US Army Reserves. As host of one of the longest running technology demo and review shows, Soldier Knows Best, Mark has amassed a large and loyal fan base since his launch in 2008. In each episode of Tech Battlefield, Mark will compare two popular and/or competing tech devices or software and he’ll give a rundown of the pros and cons. At the end of each episode he will get the audience involved by asking which gadget they think wins, and why.

Driven – Hosted by Jon Rettinger, a well-known expert in the tech world, and host of TechnoBuffalo, Driven will focus on a new car’s exterior/interior design, tech, and functions, as well as its price, drivability, and who it’s for. What are the options and tech, suspension and power, and build quality? How does it drive? Informational and casually entertaining, each episode aims to educate the viewer in an engaging way.  Covering major car shows, industry news, and featuring experts/interviews, Driven will keep the audience abreast of happenings in the industry and will also answer questions from the audience, contemplate future tech in autos, and discuss automotive tech in pop culture.

SuRRvival Gear - Hosted by Richard Ryan, from RatedRR and Totally Sketch, SuRRvival Gear, via Richard, an adventurer, explosive specialist and weapons guru from the back-country of Tennessee, will look at how tech can be used in survival situations.  Each episode will cover tech that range from necessities to wish list items for survival. Richard will demo, review, and test tech in the studio as well as mock survival situations and will feature varied settings, from desert, forest, coastal, snow and other locations.

Threat Wire - Darren Kitchen and Shannon Morse, from Hak5, host a show covering security issues targeted towards the consumer audience, those that can’t be bothered to change their Facebook security settings. This show will cover internet security issues and news from the practical as well as the tinfoil hat angles. In today’s dangerous identity thieving internet environment, this will be a “can’t miss” show.

downLOADED - Each week, journalists, CEOs, media stars and other luminaries from the Bay Area tech scene, and beyond, will sit down at a roundtable and dissect the week’s digital, technical and social news in a live, lightening round format. Hosted by tech journalist, and Revision3 CEO, Jim Louderback.

Revision3’s YouTube channel, ‘Tech Feed’, can be found at www.youtube.com/techfeed.

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Washington, U.S.A — On October 12, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) announced the official launch of ACTEC Wealth Advisor, an iPad application targeted to financial service professionals and other advisors in wealth management. ACTEC Wealth Advisor provides wealth management professionals with mobile access to ACTEC-endorsed resources previously available only to ACTEC members.

The introductory version of ACTEC Wealth Advisor is currently available for complimentary download on the Apple App Store. Future versions of ACTEC Wealth Advisor may include premium content at a subscription rate.

“ACTEC is pleased to offer select proprietary resources as a mobile reference to our members and to those who serve as financial advisors,” said ACTEC President Louis A. Mezzullo. “When on the road meeting and advising clients, we now have more immediate access to some of the tools utilized when counseling individuals and family businesses.”

The app includes convenient access to frequently-cited estate planning statutes presented in state-by-state summaries, relevant tax rates and calculators and insightful articles that examine developing trust and estate issues.

Tools allow users to:

• Search the ACTEC Roster 2012-2013 for the leading trust and estate practitioners in the U.S. and abroad
• Access relevant estate planning statutes presented in state-by-state summaries:Reference AFR (“Applicable Federal Interest Rate”) and 7520 Rates – a continuously updated reference to the monthly 7520 Rates and the AFR Rates for short-term, mid-term and long-term interest rates
  • State Death Tax Tables – a summary of the estate and inheritance tax rules for each state
  • Domestic Asset Protection Trust Statutes – a summary of the laws of those states which have enacted self-settled domestic asset protection legislation
  • No Contest Clauses – a state-by-state summary of the rules regarding the enforceability of no contest clauses in wills and trusts
  • Rule Against Perpetuities – a summary of the differing rules against perpetuities that are in effect in each state
  • UPIA and Modern Portfolio Trust Investment Statutes – a summary of the UPIA rules as modified by those states that have enacted the UPIA, as well as a summary of the laws of the states that have enacted other modern trust investment statutes
  • States with Decanting, Statutes Passed or Proposed – a summary of the rules in those states which have passed, or have proposed decanting statutes to permit the appointment of income or principal or both to a second trust with different terms
  • Bases of State Income Taxation of Nongrantor Trusts – a summary of the rules used in each state to impose state income taxes on nongrantor trusts.
• Calculate “GRATs” – a tool to permit the quick analysis of the feasibility of various forms of Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts under varying assumptions as to amount, interest rate, term and percentage increases in payments
• Monitor current trust and estate developments:
  • Capital Letters by Ronald D. Aucutt –a series of newsletters that provide a unique, inside perspective into the legislative process behind estate tax reform and related transfer tax deliberations of the United States Congress and administrative developments at Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. Aucutt is a partner with McGuireWoods LLP, and a Past President of ACTEC.
  • Musings on Current Events by Steve R. Akers – Musings provide ongoing, succinct summaries of recent developments in trust, estate and tax law. Akers, Managing Director with Bessemer Trust in Dallas, Texas, is a member of ACTEC’s Executive Committee and serves as a member of the Advisory Committee to the University of Miami Philip E. Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning.

To learn more about ACTEC Wealth Advisor, visit www.actec.org/public/wealthadvisorapp.asp. For additional information about ACTEC, visit www.actec.org.

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