Successful mobile app publisher, Focus Multimedia, has announced a charming and unique new action-puzzle game, Squashies World, for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Developed by award-winning studio The Game Creators, Squashies World asks players to rescue the stranded Squashies – a collection of cute, cool and colourful characters – after their world is turned upside down by a tornado.

The Squashies are desperate to return to the world where they live. Players must work out how to save the Squashies by squashing together characters of the same type until there are none left in the level. The game uses intuitive squashy touch controls to aim the characters around the playing field. The quicker the player clears a level, the more points they are awarded.

Each of the hand-crafted levels offers a different challenge, and a variety of obstacles stands in the player’s way. Barriers, force fields, windmills, sticky walls and other devious devices all conspire to thwart the Squashies on their journey home. Fortunately, easy-to-learn controls allow the player to concentrate on honing their skills and steadily progressing through the vividly coloured levels.

“We wanted to put out an action-puzzle game that really makes the most of the touch screen,” said Rick Vanner, Business Development Director for The Game Creators. “We’ve found that players really enjoy the elasticity involved in pinging the Squashies across the screen.”

“Squashies World is ideal for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch gamers seeking a blast of fun,” said Grant Hughes, Director of Focus Multimedia’s fdigital mobile label. “It’s a very addictive game with intuitive controls, vibrant visuals and sneaky puzzles, and it will quickly hook casual players.”

Squashies World relies on skill, accuracy and speed. The characters’ actions are accurately physically modelled to create an unlimited variety of bouncy movements. With a specially-commissioned soundtrack and cartoon-quality sound effects, Squashies World is a rich gaming experience that will bring a smile to players’ faces.

Squashies World is available now for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, via Apple’s iTunes App Store. Android users can download the app from the Google Play store.

A new Squashies World video trailer and first screenshots are available for press to download and post online now at: http://www.fdigital.com/app/squashies-world/.

Squashies World is a unique partnership with Swizzels Matlow Ltd., the UK’s largest family-owned independent confectionery business, to mark the launch of their new range of gums. Squashies Sweet shop favourites – Love Hearts, Drumstick Lollies, Double Lollies and New Refresher chew bars – have been given a soft makeover by Swizzels Matlow and transformed into the new Squashies range.

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After a year of scorched-earth process of legal action, a nine-person United States jury in San Jose, California last week found that Apple’s biggest rival Samsung has infringed six of the seven patents for Apple mobile devices — the big issue of the trial. The jurors also confirmed the validity of all seven of Apple’s innovative patents, many of which covered the design of the iPhone. The United States jury ordered the South Korean company to pay Apple $1.05 billion in damages, less than half of the amount Apple attempted to obtain. Apple had sought nearly $2.75 billion in damages, claiming Samsung had illegally copied four design and three software patents.

Apple Inc. filed its patent infringement lawsuit in April 2011, occupying a vast number of the United States’ highest-paid attorneys to demand $2.75 billion from its giant smartphone rival. Samsung Electronics Co. fired back with its own lawsuit claiming that the Californian company infringed five of its own patents and demanded $399 million. Samsung’s lawyers supported that Apple was trying to prevent Samsung from accomplishing legitimate competition. However, the verdict favored Apple since the jury rejected all of Samsung’s claims against the Californian company.

The jurors needed less than three days to deliver the verdict, causing some surprise, considering the complexities of the case. The nine-person jury was asked more than 600 questions during their deliberation. The jury decided that Samsung had illegally used Apple’s tech innovations in some of its own products, such as the ‘bounce-back’ feature when a user scrolls to an end picture and the ability to zoom texts with tapping a finger.

Harold McElhinny, Apple’s lawyer, claimed that after iPhone’s launch in 2007, the South Korean company was facing a design crisis and thus company’s executives decided to illegally take advantage of the revolutionary device’s success. Besides the billions Apple sought for damages, the company’s attorneys also demanded that Samsung pull its most popular mobile devices and computer tablets from the United States market.

Of course Samsung’s lawyers argued that the company had not done anything illegal. The South Korean tech giant was only giving customers what they wanted: smart phones with big screens. They claimed that Samsung’s manufacturers did not infringe on Apple’s software and design patents, though, according to them, many of Apple’s revolutionary patents were actually concepts or ideas stolen from Sony Corp. and other companies. According to Samsung’s lawyers, Apple’s products may be great but that does not mean the company has a monopoly on the design of phones with rounded corners.

Apple’s legal victory in California did not give the company’s legal team many reasons to celebrate, because the effect of the verdict on the other legal battles between the two companies outside of the United States still remain unclear. The U.S trial was only the first part of this historic patent battle, as both companies have pursued legal actions in eight other countries including South Korea, Japan, Australia, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

Last Friday, Samsung won a motherland court ruling. According to Judges in Seoul, Samsung did not infringed the design patents for iPhone, but they said that the Korean company did violate the patent on the ‘bounce-back’ feature. Judges also decided that Apple infringed on Samsung’s wireless technology and both companies were ordered to pay damages.

Yesterday, a United States Judge set a court date for December 6 in order to hear Apple’s request for a permanent ban against Samsung’s mobile devices. Apple claimed to have eight devices it will demand for a permanent sales ban on.

While Apple and Samsung have both pursued legal actions against each other’s manufacturers, experts say this is not a battle between Apple and Samsung. The real target is Google. The truth is Apple and Samsung are using courts in order to help them negotiate and set prices for cross-licensing agreements.

The two tech rivals are trying to figure out whose intellectual property is worth what. Samsung has emerged as one of Apple’s greatest competitors, becoming the leading smartphone-making company thanks to Google. It was Google that gave Samsung and other phone makers the Android mobile operating system for free. In the end it is going to be a battle between the two operating systems.

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Fort Lee, New Jersey — The National Inflation Association issued the following statement about the multi-platform revolution that is beginning this week at the London Olympic Games: On August 5th, tens of millions of Americans were upset about being unable to be among the billions of people worldwide to watch Usain Bolt’s 100 meter Track & Field gold medal victory live on TV.

One of NBC’s main reasons for not airing Olympic events live on TV in the U.S. is the fact that NBC recognizes the London Olympic Games as the beginning of the U.S. multi-platform revolution. All Americans who own a laptop, desktop, iPhone, or iPad, and are subscribers of any cable, satellite, or telco TV service, had the ability to authenticate their Internet-connected device and watch Usain Bolt race live using NBC’s ‘TV Everywhere’ web site and iTunes apps.

NBC reported that 1.3 million Americans watched their live ‘TV Everywhere’ stream of Usain Bolt’s race. This was NBC’s second most popular multi-platform live stream during the London Olympic Games so far, with only the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team gold medal victory surpassing it with 1.5 million live streams across all platforms.

In the 48 hours leading up to Usain Bolt’s 100 meter gold medal victory, NBC reported that an additional 1 million pay-TV subscribers authenticated their Internet-connected devices. This increased NBC’s total ‘TV Everywhere’ devices authenticated by consumers for the London Olympic Games across all platforms up to 7.6 million. So far, 7.6% of America’s 100 million pay-TV subscribers with the right to authenticate their multi-platform devices, have successfully gained access to live streams of every single Olympic event, with NBC streaming as many as 40 events live simultaneously.

NBC is also making available an archive for authenticated multi-platform ‘TV Everywhere’ users that offers a total of 3,500 hours of prerecorded London Olympic events.NIA recognizes the fact that Americans have fallen in love with their smartphones and tablet devices. With the new multi-platform revolution now officially underway, Americans will no longer be forced to watch TV in their living room.

Americans who are pay-TV subscribers will now be able to watch any TV programming, at any time, from any location, on any platform! This could create billions of dollars in value for pay-TV companies and their subscribers between now and the end of 2012.

NIA recently accumulated 2% ownership in Synacor, Inc., a publicly traded company with multi-platform authentication technology that is making it possible for NBC to provide their ‘TV Everywhere’ coverage of the London Olympic Games, by authenticating for NBC the pay-TV subscribers of nearly 40 pay-TV companies, including 12 of America’s 25 largest multi-channel programming distributors including Dish Network, Charter Communications, SuddenLink, Mediacom, and CableOne! Synacor recently reported 58% revenue growth last quarter, which validates the huge growth ahead for companies that deliver ‘TV Everywhere’ services across multi-platforms.

If you are looking for ways to capitalize on NBC’s hugely successful multi-platform coverage of the London Olympics and the multi-platform revolution that is now underway, please be sure to download NIA’s brand new free 58-page educational ‘TV Everywhere’ report by going to: http://inflation.us/tveverywhere.html

NIA’s brand new in-depth report talks about how this is the biggest fundamental shift for the TV industry since the invention of color TV. NIA believes that multi-platform offerings of ‘TV Everywhere’ services could potentially create billions of dollars of wealth in the U.S. for leading pay-TV companies. NIA’s report is the most important report ever released about the future of cable, satellite, and telco TV services in America.

Image Courtesy of  Denis Kuvaev / Shutterstock.com

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Beijing, China — Tipard Studio, the top-ranking provider of professional DVD/video converters and transfer software, newly updated their iPad 3 Transfer Platinum. With this essential and outstanding application, users can easily manage their iPad 3 (The New iPad) files and rip DVD movies to iPad 3.

Tipard iPad 3 Transfer Platinum is a professional iPad 3 manager, which can Transfer music/ movie/ Pictures/ TV Shows/ Podcasts/ iTunes U/ eBooks/ Camera Rolls/ Ringtones/ SMS/ Contacts/ Voice memos/ Camera shot files from your iPad 3 to PC or iTunes for backup. Moreover, you can add movies, songs, photos, ringtones, ePub and PDF files from PC to iPad 3 without complicated syncing. With the Back up function, you are enabled to copy messages from devices to PC or import contacts exported from Incredimail.

Apart from the basic transferring function, Tipard iPad 3 Transfer Platinum can also rip DVD movies or convert a vast range of audio/videos to iPad/Pod/iPhone compatible music/movies, including M2TS, MTS, AVI, MPEG, WMV, DAT, TS, MPV, NSV, MOV, QT, H261, H264, WMA, AAC, AIF, AIFF, AC3 and so on. Moreover, you can create customized iPhone ringtones from various audio/videos. Plus, numerous editing functions are provided for you to make personalized videos to share with your friends or family on your iPad 3.

More practical managing functions are updated to bring you better user experience. With ID 3 function, you are allowed to add your photo to be the album cover, input the Artist, Composer, Album name, song name, composing time and add lyrics to every song. With My Cache function, you do not need to keep your iPad 3 connecting to PC with this iPad 3 transfer converting unsupported file to device compatible format. My Cache function can save the output file on PC. With preview function, you can preview music/movies/photos with a built-in resizable media player. More interesting features are waiting for you to have a try.

In a word, Tipard iPad 3 Transfer Platinum will be your best assistant in your multimedia life. It is available for only $45. For more details and to get the free trial version, please visit: http://www.tipard.com/ipad-3-transfer-pro

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Wolverhampton, England — Drivers of unreliable cars, parents of teens, and everyone who has ever found themselves feeling vulnerable in an unfamiliar place, rejoice: Call4Help, a new app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, lets users call people they trust for assistance — even if they have no idea where they are.

Released this week by Toffa International, Call4Help pinpoints the caller’s location for the recipient of the call or text. It’s accurate to within a few feet, giving the recipient a satellite-view Google Maps location, latitude/longitude coordinates, and an address for the caller.

Call4Help features phone, text and e-mail “quick buttons” that can be quickly and inconspicuously pressed if needed. With one tap, the phone button dials the caller’s preferred contact; the text and e-mail buttons send a message that is automatically populated with a request for assistance, followed by the sender’s detailed location information.

The app is easy to set up. Once downloaded, the user enters the name and number of the person he or she wants to call for assistance should the need arise. Multiple contacts can be added to the text and e-mail quick buttons, and additional contacts can be added to the app’s “Emergency Numbers” section.

Call4Help can also come in handy for anyone who is lost but doesn’t want to call for help. The app’s “My Current Location” button shows a real-time view of the phone on Google Maps. As the phone moves, the app shows the user moving on the map, making it easy to tell whether one is headed to a main road or a dead-end.

“Call4Help is a simple app with the potential to save lives — or at least bring peace of mind to users and their loved ones,” stated Chris Jukes, Toffa International CEO. “Not many people can say they’ve never run into car trouble or found themselves in an uncomfortable situation with no idea of where they are. Call4Help uses Google Maps and smart phone technology to call in the cavalry and get the user to safety.”

Call4Help is available on the Apple App Store for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Click here to download.

About Toffa International

For 16 years, Toffa has been a leading developer of synchronization software for mobile devices. Its GooSync is now the market leader for Google synchronization. Products now in the design stage at Toffa include iPhone and Android applications. Despite the company’s quick, steady growth, Toffa continually provides highly personal, direct service to customers, representing countless sectors and industries but sharing the common need for efficient, reliable communications. Learn more at http://www.toffa.com.

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Tucker, Georgia, U.S.A. – With the launch of Gas Guru from YP, those on the go have a new companion when trying to find cheap gas and other necessities while on the road. Whether on a daily commute or summer road trip, the free mobile app can help users save money and sanity, by powering quick decisions about where to fuel up or make a pit stop for everything from coffee to a cash machine.

Rising gas prices are a pain at the pump, but finding fuel isn’t the only headache. Many apps for hitting the road are limited to information on gas prices and forget about all the stops in between. The time, gas and money wasted while circling around searching for cheap gas, a quick bite on the way home or an auto shop can add up. This is why Gas Guru is a must download.

App features make navigating everyday, on-the-go needs quick and easy:

The app can help find cheap gas nearby at a glance. Unlike other apps that simply list gas prices, Gas Guru calculates and highlights the best prices at stations nearby. Users can see prices by gas grade in either map or list view. No more filling the tank and discovering afterward that you could have saved a couple of bucks down the road.

The app will also compare gas prices at frequent locations. Gas Guru can be personalized to save locations like “home,” “work” or other favorite places, to easily compare the latest prices with a flick of the finger and quickly decide whether to fuel up now or later.

Daily detours are also quick and easy. Find restaurants, coffee, auto repair, roadside assistance, or ATMs nearby with a single tap. Search results are displayed alongside gas stations making it easy to lay out a plan for your stops. Call or get directions to your selected destinations.

“We developed Gas Guru to address a clear need for a mobile companion to make decisions about roadside necessities easier,” said David Williams, vice president of product management at YP. “Since we added a gas price feature to our flagship YP local search app last year, we’ve seen triple digit search growth for not only gas prices, but auto-related categories overall. This new purpose-based app expands our local search insights and technology platform to address the unique needs of those on the go.

Smartphone users, download the free location-based app from Google Play or iTunes.

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Dispite the not so impressive lineup from EA’s shooters and other respective genres, probably the biggest event from the Press Conference was their sports games. It was clear that EA Sports has put a lot of time and effort into their sports games to really leave a mark this year at E3.

First, EA announced Madden 13. Powered by the Infinity Engine, Madden 13 shoots for the most realistic physics engine to date. Madden 13 also introduces Connected Career, which combines various career modes from past games and integrates them into an expansive social network career campaign. In Connected Career, the player chooses between a variety of players, from the current roster to popular legends, and works to level them up by completing various tasks to earn experience (XP). Players also have the option to retire their player if they feel they want to change their position, where players will still retain their XP and status.

Players can also manage their team via PC, tablet, or iPad, and can keep up to date on events, status updates, or high scores through the direct twitter feed built into the game. Madden 13 really seems to bring a new life into the sports genre. Also for the Madden series, EA announced Madden Social, a free-to-play Madden game for facebook and various mobile devices. Madden Social is set to launch in the fall.

EA Sports also announced their next game in the FIFA franchise with FIFA 13. The FIFA series promises a new, more in-depth feel to the world of soccer (football outside the US) by incorporating the moves and reflexes of Lionel Messi, one of the world’s greatest soccer players. By incorporating Messi’s playing style, FIFA 13 promises to be one of the most realistic soccer games to date. As for returning fans, those who have FIFA 12 data retain their XP and recieve bonus supplies upon installing FIFA 13. FIFA 13 offers a connection to FIFA games on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

EA announced that EA Sports and the UFC will be coming together to release future UFC games through EA Sports, a big break for the UFC in the gaming industry. The future looks bright for the UFC for breaking away from THQ (Toy Headquarters) and joining up with one of the biggest sports game developers of all time.

This year is going to be a hard act for EA to follow, because EA has recently been announced as the worst company in the United States next to previous winners such as AIG and BP. More details about EA’s worst company award can be found here. This year does seem to be the year for EA Sports. With so much involvement in the social aspect of their sports games, and the recent acquisition of the UFC franchise, this year’s lineup of EA Sports games may finally be more than just a glorified DLC expansion of the sports genre.

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Apple Inc (AAPL) chief executive officer Tim Cook renounced a dividend worth $75 million declared by the company. Apple Inc recently declared a regular cash dividend after almost 17 years since the last disbursement of dividends to its shareholders in 1995.

The technology giant will pay a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share from July.

The company said that in filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Cook opted-out from getting any dividend, and had asked the company to exclude him from dividend payout program.

‘This strikes me as another important signal Tim Cook is sending that Apple’s user-friendly product image is now to be matched by a social-friendly corporate image” said Stephen Davis, corporate governance professor at Yale university.

Apple disclosed this unexpected, strange plan in the month of March 2012, to distribute a 100 billion cash pile generated over the period of 17 years, and through strong sales of iPhone and iPods.

Another most striking fundamental aspect of Apple Inc, is its height of innovation. It literally created a new market for items that invited enormous change in the industry. Technological evolution within this organization transformed the fate of industry and consequently Apple itself.

A high dividend payout company signals that there is nothing much that can be done by investing in new geography or technological advancement for a new production facility. Nothing can be done that expands the top-line in the short-term.

On the contrary, what Apple did is not a faint of heart, but a true measure of how far determination at management level can pull fortunes in customer favor. Apple launched a series of products ranging from cell phones to handy music players, from iPods to Mac, building a rocky track and painting a rough patch for its competitors.

Non-dividend paying companies will be pro-actively engaged in investing activities or will be in pipe-line for grabbing new opportunities, effectively strengthening the top-line. Thus, investors feel comfortable parking money with such firms.

All that matters is how far an organization is successful in utilizing or putting cash into the most profitable pool that brings fat revenues and increased market competency.

Apple rewarded its shareholders in both forms so far; it satisfied them with cash dividend and by innovation.

Since then Apple shares have dropped to $562 each making the company worth $525 Billion. However, earlier this year Apple’s shares touched a high of $644 surpassing $600 Billion market value of the firm.

Image Courtesy of  Songquan Deng / Shutterstock

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The Concussion Assessment and Response: Sport Version (CARE-Sport Version) is a new app from PAR that helps athletic trainers, team physicians, and other health care professionals assess and respond to a potential concussion—one of the most common yet serious medical situations for athletes at all levels.

From the instant a player is injured, the app guides users through a series of questions and activities that helps rule out a cervical spine injury, evaluate concussion signs and symptoms, and assess cranial nerve function. Designed for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android device or tablet, the app is now available for download from the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace.

The CARE-Sport Version app features:

• The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), which evaluates an athlete’s ability to maintain postural stability, providing important information about loss of balance in an injured athlete.
• The Sideline Assessment of Concussion (SAC), which assesses the mental status of the athlete—it addresses orientation, immediate memory, concentration, and memory recall.
• A Graded Symptom Checklist (GSC), which enables users to track the severity of post-concussion symptoms during the athlete’s recovery process.
• A Return-to-Play Guide, which helps protect athletes from further injury by guiding them through a gradual daily physical exercise routine that tests their tolerance for exertional activity.
• A Concussion Information Section, which helps ensure that users have a comprehensive understanding of concussions as well as the function of the CARE-Sport Version.
• The ACE Post-Concussion Home/School Instructions, an instructional page that users can share with non-medical personnel, including coaches, parents, and athletes, to guide early management of the athlete following a concussion.

PAR’s CARE-Sport Version app was developed by concussion experts Jason Mihalik, PhD, CAT, ATC, Assistant Professor at the Matthew A. Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and Gerard A. Gioia, PhD, Director of the Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Image Courtesy of   sportgraphic / Shutterstock.com

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AT&T announced on February 07, 2012 that its AT&T U-verse for iPad App, which makes it easy for users to connect their iPad to their TV for an even better viewing experience, is available on the App Store.

Recent studies indicate that the majority of tablet owners use their device simultaneously while watching TV, and with this app users can link their iPad to their choice of any U-verse TV receiver and access several great new features like:

• Extra content and information about the TV show you’re watching, including series overview, episode synopsis, photos, cast and crew information, related TV shows and more.
• A full-featured, intuitive U-verse remote control with channel, guide, DVR, interactive app and on-demand controls, eliminating the need for extra (or lost) remotes throughout the home.
• Advanced search functionality to help you find the content you want.
• Recommendations on what to watch with ratings and reviews.
• Ability to share information about what you are watching with friends on Facebook.

And while you’re on the go, you can:

• Watch hit TV shows and movies over any Wi-Fi connection. Choose from a library of popular content based on your U-verse TV package, including shows and movies from STARZ, ENCORE, TBS, TNT, truTV, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, with more choices added on an ongoing basis.
• Access the U-verse programming guide and DVR scheduling, similar to the functionality available on the U-verse app for iPhone and iPod touch.

You can view a video demo of the app here.

“Today, we are taking our best in class TV experience and taking it to a whole new level by joining two very powerful platforms: your TV and iPad,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility.

“With our new app, AT&T U-verse customers have access to incredible functionality to make the TV experience much richer, from superior search and control functionality, to fresh content that tells you more about what you’re watching, to the ability to share what you’re watching with your friends through social networks. And, when they leave the home, our customers can take the U-verse experience with them.”

Using the U-verse IP platform and in-home U-verse Wi-Fi network, customers can link the app to any U-verse TV receiver in their home. Using a simple one-time set up process for each U-verse receiver, customers just tune to channel 9301 and go through intuitive steps to name their U-verse receivers using a default name like “living room” or “bedroom,” or create a personalized name, to enable the functionality and features.

AT&T U-verse TV was the fastest growing TV service in the country in 2011 and is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider. AT&T U-verse TV ranked “Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the North Central, South and West Regions,” according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Studies(SM).

The AT&T U-verse for iPad App is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

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MyFlare, the most advanced mobile emergency response system, is now available for iPhone and Android in Spanish! Peace of mind wherever you go, MyFlare Espanol cleverly employs the essential resources on a smartphone – 911, text e-mail, GPS, audio and video – with just one touch of a button to provide users additional personal safety and faster emergency response.

MyFlare Espanol acts as a personalized digital flare gun by performing ALL of the following actions instantly, automatically, simultaneously and continuously in order to give users the help they need when they need it most, whether they’re in distress or a more significant emergency:

• Instantly calls 911 or the user’s designated non-911 emergency contact
• Automatically sends a MyFlare Espanol Message via SMS text and e-mail to 10 of the user’s pre-selected MyFlare Espanol Contacts, alerting them that the user’s in trouble, including the user’s current and ongoing GPS location
• Automatically and continuously delivers the user’s text and e-mail messages every three minutes to the user’s pre-selected contacts with an updated GPS location
• Simultaneously sends 20-second optional video recordings capturing the user’s present environment, which are attached to the delivered e-mails every few minutes
• Instantly blasts an optional police siren continuously, except when the phone is not in use

MyFlare Espanol’s all-in-one functionality is simple and simultaneous — critical in a potentially life-threatening situation. The GPS, as well as all of the information sent from MyFlare Espanol, can be indispensable to a user fleeing an emergency, or worse, getting abducted, and will prove helpful as evidence in legal proceedings.

MyFlare Espanol has established partnerships with other safety leaders in the field, including Global Rescue, a world-renowned medical assistance organization, Richard Bloom, one of the country’s top personal safety experts, and Hispanic boxer Marlen Esparza, a 2012 Olympic hopeful and safety activist.

Barry Haimo, CEO of MyFlare Espanol, said, “Unfortunately, there is often insufficient time in an emergency to communicate with 911, and only some 911 dispatchers will investigate scenarios where 911 is called but the victim cannot communicate. MyFlare Espanol gives smartphone users the peace of mind knowing that there is additional reassurance in all emergencies.”

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Audiobooks.com announced recently the launch of the first unlimited cloud-based audio book service. For $24.95 per month, users can take advantage of unlimited cloud-based audio content via an Android or Apple mobile device with no need to return audio books, no long-term contracts and no time constraints on audio book use. Audiobooks.com features several technical innovations that are unavailable from any other audio book source.

Since it’s a cloud-based service, Audiobooks.com allows users to instantly access thousands of popular titles from anywhere using an Internet-enabled mobile device such as an iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone or tablet. There are no storage constraints because the content resides on the cloud, and users can access and play audio books instantly with no downloading necessary.

Users can mark their place in an audio book and resume listening at the same spot from any Android or Apple device, laptop or home computer without using a browser plug-in or special application. This innovative new feature enhances the user experience and is only available through Audiobooks.com’s proprietary cloudmark sync technology.

Now users can enjoy as many audio books as their schedules permit for an affordable monthly charge. The consumer-friendly Audiobooks.com subscription service allows users to cancel at any time.

“The introduction of an unlimited, cloud-based audio book service allows Audiobooks.com to once again revolutionize the audio books industry,” said Sanjay Singhal, Chief Executive Officer. “We believe our ability to empower users to listen from anywhere using a mobile device, the cloud-based bookmarking function and the affordable access to unlimited service of thousands of bestsellers will transform the way customers use audio books.”

The Audiobooks.com concept was developed in 2011 by a team of audio book enthusiasts who are committed to achieving marketplace leadership by delivering superior value to audio book customers. Learn more at Audiobooks.com.

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Club Med – the world’s leading all-inclusive brand with more than 80 resorts worldwide – proudly launches its innovative application for the iPhone and iPad, allowing consumers to discover, share and book their ideal Club Med vacation from anywhere in the world.

The iPad application features an original 360-degree virtual tour of Club Med resorts by holding your iPad in front of you and moving it left and right as if you were walking through the property. Providing views from the over-water suites at Club Med Kani in the Maldives and the ski school at Club Med Peisey Vallandry in the French Alps to the circus trapeze at Club Med Ixtapa Pacific in Mexico and the international tennis academy at Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Florida, Club Med offers the perfect getaway at your fingertips.

“The team is excited to bring the Club Med application suite to market as it’s the most interactive way to display our resorts and immerses potential guests into the unique Club Med experience,” said Jerome Hiquet, Vice President of Marketing and Digital for Club Med North America. “Our objective was to develop the most user friendly iPad and iPhone applications that appeals to all potential and past guests.

With these apps they can discover the best of Club Med spirit wherever, whenever. As a new structural ecosystem, it’s important for Club Med to launch into the mobile space now, and to integrate mobile as a key and consistent component in our global marketing strategy to better accommodate today’s consumers in the digital space.”

Club Med collaborated with Phonevalley, a leading mobile communication agency and part of Publicis Group, to develop these user-friendly apps. ”We were enthusiastic about this opportunity to work with a brand like Club Med on this application,” said Alexandre Mars, CEO of Phonevalley. ”We were able to create a quality experience for shoppers to discover the Club Med resorts in a unique capacity much different from the standard vacation booking apps.”

Consumers can discover their dream Club Med vacation in just a few scrolls by exploring more than 80 resorts through photos, videos, descriptions and 360-degree virtual tours. The comparison function helps potential guests choose between resorts based on their personal preferences, from luxury to golf and eco-friendly to winter sports. Guests are then able to share what they like with family and friends while also planning and booking a trip.

The “Click to Call” button quickly connects consumers to an experienced Club Med travel advisor for over the phone booking. For those that can’t make up their mind, the “Shake and Escape” function allows you to shake your iPhone for destination ideas complete with sound.

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A new partnership between Wire-Free LED and Ellumiglow.com brings to market the most exciting Club Lighting technology in 2012. This new product can save companies time, money and completely revolutionize the way most event companies do business. By breaking free of current wired technology, it frees up countless hours of tedious set-up and take-down time.

With this new technology, now stage lighting can be installed in literally seconds. High quality, wireless, long-lasting, versatile lighting fixtures have finally arrived.

New Wire-Free LED Par Can technology uses high output LED RGB, RGBA, and RGBW, TruWhite lighting fixtures to provide exceptional lighting quality, combined with simplicity. Capable of producing nearly every color in the spectrum, these Club Lights come with over 100 beautiful preset colors, and even produce TRUE White. Wire-Free LED Par Cans can be controlled with a smart color remote, by DMX, manually, or even with an iPhone.

High output Wire-Free LED Lights put out the same output as a typical par 56, but are rated for use for 80,000 to 100,000 hours. These high output bulbs last so long, if they were on for 24 hours a day, they wouldn’t need replacing for over 11 years. Versatility is another key element in the Wire-Free LED lineup, as all fixtures can be mounted on trussing, placed on the floor or table, and even mounted to the wall or ceiling in seconds.

Assembled in the USA, new high-quality DJ Lighting fixtures are starting to show up in elite nightclubs, and quickly becoming a necessity among event lighting companies. With high performance lead acid internal batteries, these fixtures stay lit for 6-12 hours without the need of any cables.

When finished, the lights are placed neatly back into the charging flight case and can be charged together as a group. Charging Flight Case is durable for a life on the road and keeps the Wire-Free LEDs charged, safe and ready for their next event.

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Gazelle (www.gazelle.com), the nation’s largest consumer electronics direct-to-consumer reCommerce service, announced January 13 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the results of a survey that polled show-floor attendees to reveal connections between mobile phone ownership and one’s outlook on life.

The survey aimed to draw a correlation between one’s level of optimism or pessimism and the smartphone and tablet one owns. The results were particularly telling and, amongst the juiciest of findings, the survey pointed to the fact that 29% of iPhone owners expect the best in uncertain times, 3% more than the next set of users (Android).

The study also showed that 33% of BlackBerry users hardly ever expect things to go their way, suggesting an overall malaise amongst BlackBerry users.  Research also found that iPhone users were particularly resilient in these tough economic conditions with 36% saying they don’t get upset too easily, even during difficult economic times.

Because Gazelle accepts hundreds of thousands of consumer electronic trade-ins each year, the company serves as a unique barometer of U.S. consumer electronics consumption habits.  Gazelle is using CES to celebrate collective consumer love for gadgets and to better understand, with a twist, the sociology behind certain Smartphone and tablet users.

Below is a more in-depth look at how Apple, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone users view their life outlook:

iPhone and iPad users are optimistic, calm and also social

• In uncertain times, 29% of iPhone users and 60% of iPad users expect the best
• 52% of iPhone users and 58% of iPad users are always optimistic about their future
• 25% of iPhone users and 26% of iPad users don’t get upset too easily
• 65% of iPhone users and 52% of iPad users enjoy their friends a lot

Android users are generally optimistic and active

• 28% of Android smartphone users and 36% of Android tablet users are always optimistic about their future
• 48% of Android smartphone users and 64% of Android tablet users think it’s important to keep busy
• 31% of Android smartphone users and 55% of Android tablet users often expect more good things to happen than bad
• 18% of Android smartphone users and 27% of Android tablet users don’t get upset too easily

BlackBerry users are pessimistic and uneasy about their future

• 33% of BlackBerry users believe if something can go wrong for them, it will
• 33% of BlackBerry users rarely count on good things happening to them
• 16% of BlackBerry users hardly ever expect things to go their way
• 0% of BlackBerry users usually expect the best

“Who knew that Apple users had such a promising outlook on life, while BlackBerry owners hardly expect things to go their way?” said Israel Ganot, co-founder and CEO of Gazelle. “Our survey aimed to celebrate the passion many at CES have for their gadgets and the latest and greatest trends in consumer electronics.

One of the reasons for the rapid growth of the reCommerce industry is that many have recognized the value possessed by used electronics and the lucrative benefits of trading in one’s gadgets for cash.”

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivyfield/

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ZeptoLab, creators of the award-winning game “Cut the Rope”, in conjunction with Ape Entertainment, developers of the hugely popular “Pocket God” digital comic series, is proud to announce ‘Om Nom,’ the lovable character from the game, is now a comic-book hero in his very own app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Millions of the game’s fans have fallen in love with the adorable, green monster and now, through the new comic series, they can learn more about Om Nom and his fascination for candy.

“The comic book is just the first step in broadening the reach of the Cut the Rope brand,” said Misha Lyalin, CEO of ZeptoLab. “Starting with plush toys, apparel and accessories, we see significant opportunities to build our licensing and merchandising business and bring Om Nom into homes around the world.”

The ‘Cut the Rope: Comic’ series begins in a quaint, little town where opportunity sometimes knocks, but in thirteen-year-old Evan Coulton’s case, opportunity leaves a plain and uninteresting box on his doorstep. Of course, the surprise contents inside are anything but plain and uninteresting.

Before Evan realizes what’s going on, both his kitchen and his life have been turned upside down by a little, green monster with an endless appetite for sweets. Om Nom’s sugar levels leave him either high on energy or lazily collecting more candy, as he and Evan discover just how much they have in common. Fans can follow the adventures of Evan and Om Nom as trouble unfolds in one of the most anticipated new comic series today.

“With millions of fans around the world playing Cut the Rope, the new comic series provides the first glimpse into the story of Om Nom,” said Semyon Voinov, co-founder, ZeptoLab. “Ape Entertainment shared our vision for extending the brand into the comic world and the result is a compelling story for all ‘Cut the Rope’ fans to enjoy.”

“The ‘Cut the Rope: Comic App’ is much more than a pages-to-pixels app – it’s an experience that taps into the power of iOS and unleashes the world of Om Nom to fans across the globe,” said David Hedgecock, CEO of Ape Entertainment. “We believe this is the exact direction that will satiate comic-book fans’ appetite in the digital age, as well as offer a reason to continue coming back to the App Store as well as local comic shops.”

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Apple has officially announced its latest iPhone and it’s not an iPhone 5. The latest upgrade to the iPhone family has been dubbed the iPhone4S. The highly anticipated announcement came on October 4^th from Apple Headquarters in Cupertino, California in front of a packed auditorium full of high level executives and members of the press.

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, was the first of several Apple executives to address the eager crowd.  Cook’s portion of the presentation was a bit lackluster it focused mainly on the history of Apple since introducing the iPod 10 years ago, public reaction to the launch of Lion OS X, and the integration of iPads in educational and workplace settings.

It was a testament to how far Apple has come in such a brief time span; while truly extraordinary this was not the  story people were interested in. Cook’s presentation was oddly void of anything iPhone related, with the exception of an off the cuff hint that iPhone news would come later in the presentation.

The logical guess would be that Cook in his first keynote address as CEO would deliver news of a new iPhone. However Cook threw a curve ball and deferred to Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of worldwide product marketing, to usher in the iPhone 4S. Schiller, a regular presenter at Apple keynote addresses, very subtly broke into the new iPhone news after reeling off some updates about the iPod Nano and iPod Touch.

There were several new but otherwise bland features introduced for iPhone 4S they included an 8 megapixel camera, 1080p filming capability, and inclusion of the A5 processing iPad2 chip into the iPhone. Each new feature is a technological step in the right direction, but none are close to being “blow-away”, the term used by Apple presenters several times during the presentation.

There were some more impressive upgrades as well, including a new antenna system which intelligently switches between two built-in transmitters to optimize call quality and data transfer speeds, boasting faster download and upload speeds on par with 4G, and the inclusion of CDMA and GSM chips which allows the 4S to be compatible on all networks across the globe making it a “world” phone.

Even these failed to possesses that familiar Apple wow factor that leaves you wondering how in the world did they do that. With the iPhone 4s presentation coming to a close, Apple had one last chance to blow our collective minds. The job of showstopper was left up to the highly rumored voice recognition feature, Siri.

Siri is being marketed as having your very own interactive intelligent personal assistant in the palm of your hand. Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President of iOS Software, demoed the new feature by saying, “What’s the weather like today?” and Siri spoke the current forecast in Cupertino; this garnered a huge applause from the crowd.

Even more impressive than being able to tell you the weather Siri can compose and dictate email, set timers, look up contacts, create notes, search the web, and search Wikipedia. Siri is definitely an impressive feature, but at the same time it’s not Apple jaw dropping impressive.

It’s destined to be a feature that it is cool for a while, but not one that makes scores of people camp outside of Apple stores the week before launch. The iPhone 4S will be available for pre-order on October 7^th and hit retail stores on October 14^th. It will be available in black and white, 16GB for $199, 32GB for $299, and 64GB for $399. It will also be available on AT&T, Verizon, and for the first time Sprint.

This puts some validation in reports made by the Wall Street Journal that Sprint purchased 30 million iPhones over the next four years. It is interesting to note that Cook shied away from former Apple CEO’s Steve Jobs trademark “One More Thing” statement, a move that is being preemptively being dubbed the “Cook-tease”.

Who knows, maybe this keynote was one big Cook-tease for what we really want, an iPhone 5.

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With the failure of the Obama administration to extend its fiscal policy and redeem the American economical illness, people have now fervently placed their hopes in the lap of the Federal Reserve Bank. The American economy is currently going through a rough phase riddles with unfortunate events that has infused pessimism in the system.

Americans are believed to be as pessimistic about the U.S economy as they were during the Great Depression; this shows in key readings of the consumer confidence data. In august the consumer confidence index plunged to its lowest level since April 2009. Consumer confidence index is the degree of optimism consumers have about the overall state of the economy.

It generally indicates the financial situation of the people and their confidence about their future earnings. In a situation like this where rising unemployment and mild lob losses on a constant basis lowers the probability of stability in future income, consumers eventually lose buoyancy and start reducing their spendings.

The consumer confidence index, also sometimes referred to as the expectation index, that dropped 23 point from 74.9 to 51.9 in July. The month of August saw the steepest fall since the heydays of the early recession in 2007.

Jobs in crisis

The darkening outlook of US economy is due to the debt ceiling debates, falling employment, irregular stocks and the downgrade by S&P. With spending cuts and the gloomy jobs outlook, the chances of a sooner-than-expected recovery remains a distant dream.

In a top job-killing list, prepared by CNN Money, Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street giant, took second place; Goldman recently axed 1000 jobs as a part of their cost-cutting effort. Technology giant Cisco Systems also announced a cut of 6500 employees. Top defense supplier to pentagon, The Lockheed Martin said it has laid off 6500 employees and counting.

Research in Motion, maker of Blackberry, also slashed 2000 employees or nearly 10 percent of its workforce. Once the leader in North America Smartphone market, the company finds that sales are waning since Apple launched its new iPhone. With fiscal alternatives drying up there has been a diversion of attention towards the Federal Reserve (FED).

At the two-day FED annual forum at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Bernanke did not give any hints about another round of economic stimulus, but said that the central bank would do all to help boost recovery. Jesse Cole, head of Merlin Institutional group, said “Bernanke really indicated that the central bank has a lot more tools and weapons at its disposal to stimulate the economy.”

Hopes are sky high since the FED chief used his Jackson Hole speech last year to lay the groundwork for a second round of bond purchases. Earlier in December 2008, the FED chief expanded the meeting for two days and lowered the benchmark interest rate to near zero from 1%

Roller-coaster ride

Recent budget outlooks from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provided further proof that the U.S. should be serious about dealing with debt. CBO wants to make about about striking a balance in the efforts to tamp down the debt burden and tanking economic growth.

Not surprisingly, Bernanke echoed a similar voice when he said policymaker should be more careful with current economic recovery and fiscal headwinds that may come up in time. The macro economic situation is difficult with the current high unemployment rates, the high gasoline prices,the  debt mountain, and shrinking alternatives.

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The year 1984 signified for Apple the beginning of a new era, where Big Brother rules were extraordinarily turned upside-down by a computer too small to do computing. Perhaps the computer was small, but the vision was great enough to grow beyond making — to satisfy a growing and developing market within mainstream technology.

Steve Jobs’ resignation from his lifework brings back the story of a most valuable commercial. 1984 won’t be like “1984” was the final statement of the Apple commercial that introduced the Macintosh. The outstanding determination and belief of Steve Jobs introducing the commercial predicted the success of a company and a man.

Like any good story, Apple was brought to life under the humblest of circumstances. Built on passion, youth and a courage to experience, what was thought not worth for a resounding name, Apple became one of today’s leading companies. Selling a Volkswagen and a programmable calculator, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak conceived the first version of Apple.

They first met at a Hewlett Packard internship and continued to collaborate while being members of the Homebrew Computer Club, both highly passionate about electronics. Seeing things differently and always bringing in personal experiences, the two created the fundaments of present technology: Macintosh, iTunes, iPhone, iPad — could you imagine life without them?

What defined their success is not reserved to passion. Steve Jobs quit Oregon’s Reed College, but took classes in calligraphy to improve his sense of aesthetics. Steve Wozniak understood that more lied beyond the screen and keyboard.

Jobs did not rest with simple solutions when he needed to facilitate the interaction between human and computer — we owe him the mouse and the object-oriented interface. “One was more the engineer- technologist, one wanted to do things,” said Wozniak in an interview.

Steve Jobs has aligned his love for Apple equal to his family: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do” and perhaps that constituted the key element for such a professional and precise way to succes.

Meanwhile, even people outside the regular Apple fan base respect the innovator. Steve Jobs mastered the introduction of 1984 because he saw behind simple things: he saw consumerism beyond technology. We might say that the two friends designed the future of technology.

At the time of his resignation, Jobs recognizes that “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of (…) But I don’t have any skeletons in my closet that can’t be allowed out.” Success meant backsteps as well. After a period of withdrawal from Apple, he came back more energetic and weighted in experience — from 1997 he led Apple to new heights.

But these accomplishments were possible through team effort. He has stated that the company persists through the “ideas, not hierarchy.” In the moment of stepping down, he proudly announces his trust in the next generation. Apple’s temporarily CEO Tim Cook received great recommendations from Steve Jobs. Success should be safe when the one leaving is convinced he passed his knowledge and vision on.

Steve Jobs has been called a mentor for Apple’s new generation and for any young entrepreneur, and surely his statement is encouraging: “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

The year 1984 launched the success af a vision which after 27 years is still highly acclaimed. Steve Jobs never settle: even his resignation is viewed through the lens of his debut.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/farber/

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Five Chinese non-governmental organizations have accused Apple of adding to environmental degradation by using suppliers with known histories of environmental violations. The American company also faces strong criticisms for undermining social responsibility as its suppliers have been involved in serious work-related accidents and deaths.

A report released on Wednesday, which calls Apple out for taking “advantage of the loopholes in developing countries’ environmental management systems,” is threatening to cast a big shadow on Apple’s image.

One of the co-authors of the report Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, has been outspoken in several media outlets about Apple’s apparent disregard and unresponsiveness. The coalition of environmental groups has requested the help of businesses to map the companies’ impact on local communities;

Apple shied away from contributing to the report. Several electronics brands, including Samsung, Nokia and LG outsource all or part of their manufacturing. These orders are then picked up by suppliers with factories in, among other countries, China.

According to the New York Times, Apple spokesman Steve Dowling responded on Wednesday that the company had been aggressively monitoring its supply chain regularly.

“We require that our supplier provides safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made,” Dowling said.

But at the same time, Apple has, according to GOOD magazine, defended its ranking in the environmental groups report as a result of their suppliers’ actions — not theirs. CNN reported that the Apple company found 80 facilities where storage and handling of hazardous chemicals was not done properly during the 2010 audit.

According to Apple’s own report, the company had requested the non-compliant facilities to correct their mistakes and document these processes but nowhere does it say if the request was granted.

Apple’s market share in China has grown exponentially and the busiest Apple store in the world is located there. Yet their presence in the mainland has caused controversy. Despite keeping their suppliers under wraps, the company has faced multiple production challenges.

The New York Times reports that one of Apple’s biggest suppliers was hit by a suicide wave among workers at several mainland facilities last year while an explosion at fire at another plant in southwest China in May killed two and injured more than a dozen.

Apple is not the only company to face harsh criticism for taking advantage of the Chinese system — several multinational corporations have, according to the New York Times, been accused of employing child labour, violating local labor laws and polluting water resources and land.

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Microsoft has announced the release of their Windows phone 7.5 “Mango.” It will be released in September. This anticipated phone is set to include almost 500 new features.

A Feature of the phone makes it easier to stay in touch with friends and family, by integrating a new method of communication known as threads. With threads you can see if your friends are online on any social media platform.

These networks are intertwined in order to simplify conversations between friends. For example, if a friend starts up a conversation via Facebook and is no longer available on that particular site, then there are other services listed where that person can be contacted through, if they happen to be logged on elsewhere.

Multitasking is also very simple on the Mango phone. While running an application, the user simply holds the back button, and a screen displaying all the open apps springs up. He or she can then pan over to the open application of their choice.

Internet Explorer, quoted by the Corporate VP of Windows Phone, is said to be blazing fast, faster than the internet service provided on iPhone, Blackberry, and Android phone. Along with speedy internet, Windows included a new feature called Local Scout.

This feature tracks your location and makes suggestions of places to eat, activities nearby, shopping areas and highlights of areas that should not be missed. This feature will make searching for entertainment a lot easier for customers.

There are now more than 30,000 apps available in Microsoft’s App Hub but it still has a long ways to go to catch up to Apples App store with 420,000 Apps and Googles 250,000 Android Apps.

It was only about a year ago Microsoft launched their first version of the Windows phone 7. The phone received positive reviews but failed in the market after the release of several android phones and updates to the Apple iPhone. Microsoft has worked hard and has made many improvements to their smartphone in such little time.

International Data Corporation expects this phone to be a high competitor against Android and iPhones, predicting a market share of 20.9 percent by 2015.

pcruciatti / Shutterstock.com

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Mobile campaigns can be divided into two types – pull or push campaigns. A pull campaign works as part of a larger media campaign since the campaign has to be advertised using other means. The organization might use email, television, the Internet, or billboards to advertise a mobile marketing campaign.

The user responds to a call to action by texting a certain keyword or message to a common short code. On the other hand, a push campaign requires an initial opt-in database of mobile numbers, although organizations should be aware that the Mobile Marketing Association’s Code of Conduct stipulates that users must opt in to a campaign in order to contact.

Since push campaign do not require additional marketing in other media forms, they are easier for an organization to set up and manage if the organization already has a database of constituents.

However, in order to reach a successful mobile campaign, a non-profit organization needs to take many strategic steps into consideration. Jenifer Snyder, Executive Director of The mGive Foundation, an organization that solicits contributions in all states working to enhance the mobile giving ecosystem, came up with some essential tips for non-profits hoping to start their own text-based initiatives.

Know The Rules
In order to launch a mobile campaign, organizations must have 501©(3) non-profit status, file a form 990 demonstrating an annual budget of at least $500,000, have been in operation for at least a year and report all of its expenses to the public.

“However, with non-profit organizations that can’t have a half a million dollar annual budget, MobiPledge and Momares are one of appropriate solutions designed specifically for small non-profits with shorter histories” said Jenifer Snyder.

Build Your Foundation
It’s a fact that a mobile campaign can do much more than just ask for money. Before your organization thinks about a fundraising campaign, you need phone numbers. Consult with your provider or with other organizations that have used mobile campaigning to determine the number of people you can expect to participate in your campaign.

A strong database is one of the most important aspects to consider before launching a mobile campaign. Once you have collected a large group of phone numbers and organized the lists, it’s time for your organization to kick off the campaign.

Engage
Your key task is to turn your campaign goals into reality by figuring out how to reach your audiences and get them to participate. Do not send an immediate request for money without making a good first impression of your organization and your mission.

Remember that with your marketing effort, you can appeal to your subscribers’ emotions and then lead them join your mobile campaign.

Think Big
“Big events with big audiences are the best opportunity to solicit text message donations. Because text campaign seek micro-donations, the moment your non-profit has its largest captive audience is best to launch a campaign” Jenifer Snyder emphasized.

Think Outside the Box
Mobile messaging is about interaction, not just a one-way pitch. This offers your organization a unique opportunity to find volunteers for specific events or inform people about rally. Your organization should concise that mobile campaign is not only to solicit donations but to do much more.

Don’t Oversaturate
Snyder claims that 85% of text messages are read within 15 minutes of being received. This mean that there is a higher chance your audience will read text messages sooner than email in their inbox.

Text messages generally have better conversion rate. Nevertheless, your organization should be aware that the messages can become overwhelming and unwanted .

Try to limit donation inquiries to once a month, followed by a message of appreciation to those who donated. Encouraging ongoing engagement is an effective way to retain your participators.

Know the Limitations
Even though itis likely that a mobile campaign’s advantages outweigh its disadvantages, the non-profit campaigns still need to be aware of their limitations. For example, while this sets a minimum (usually $5 or $10) for donation, it also limits larger donations, unless users want to text 100 times.

With the widespread of mobile technology, a mobile campaign today is a good tool for non-profit organizations.

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With the mass popularity of smartphone devices, nowadays, there is an ever increasing amount of the population with near-constant access to a very powerful, highly refined piece of technology. It’s not as if the basic idea behind the communication aspect of cell-phones is evolving much. People are simply finding more and more that having a powerful device with them at all times can be quite convenient.

Especially, it turns out, for the sake of mobile gaming, a relatively recent statistic published at Flurry.com (a mobile application marketing and analytics company) has revealed.

Revealed in the same blog entry is the fact that there are an estimated 250 million iOS and Android devices around the world, compared “to the 180 million Wiis, Xbox 360s and PlayStation 3s currently on the market.” Given this sort of information, what does this say about who “gamer” is now personified by? To have access to a seemingly endless number of games, one no longer needs to purchase a dedicated gaming machine (e.g. Xbox 360, Wii, Playstation 3, etc.).

Gaming is now a secondary function to a device that many individuals in the Western world clarify as a necessity. Yet, as Flurry.com’s study has shown, people are using their smartphones more and more frequently to game, with as many as 37% of the apps launched by smartphone users being games.

John Carmack, a long-time veteran of game development, recently stated that he believes smartphone devices will soon be “more powerful than the current-gen consoles.” At that point, when games like the ones we now play on consoles can be played on a phone, how will one distinguish “gamer” as a hobby? You may have heard some disambiguation with terms like “hardcore gamer” and “casual gamer” being thrown around, with the latter having a greater inclination toward mobile gaming. But these are also misleading.

What isn’t “casual” about only spending three or four hours a week playing games on an Xbox 360, and what isn’t “hardcore” about those who check up on their iPhones every ten minutes to play a few minutes of a game they’re currently invested in?

Perhaps the next few years will manage to distinguish these two very different types of enthusiasts, as differences in hardware become reduced on the respective gaming platforms, and the decision of gaming software becomes the clarifying criteria.

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For all of you new technology addicts, Apple is bringing you new high technology devices that won’t disappoint you. What can you expect next? The launch of the Iphone 5, new and improved apps, new software and yes, even a new Ipad. Launching around August or September of 2011, Apple will be releasing the Iphone 5, which will be the most advanced phone to come about yet. The Iphone is designed to be a sim-free phone with an eight Megapixel camera, which could could even be as efficient as a digital camera. Instead of having to insert a SIM card into the phone, the SIM card will be embedded in the phone itself. The eight Megapixel camera will be able to take pictures and HD video without the annoyance of getting red eye in a picture. All of the world was amazed after Facetime, which was an app on the Iphone 4 that let you video chat with a camera in front of the phone. Now with the new Iphone 5, Facetime not only works on wifi, but it also works on the 3G and 4G network. This will make international calling capable and possible because of the four antennas that will be built into the phone.

Just released, the Ipad 2 is lighter, thinner, and now has two cameras? The new Ipad 2 is 33% thinner, 15% lighter even smaller, so it fits in your hands just right. The new Ipad has a built in A5 chip, which means it can do everything twice as fast on the web, calls, and games. Graphics are more defined and can upload nine times faster. It is hard to imagine a better quality then the first Ipad, but with all of Apples technology, you have to see it to believe it. Also, just like the new Iphone, the Ipad has a camera in front and in the back. Making the Ipad perfect for Facetime, video recording, and even photobooth which makes the Ipad the smallest compatible computer.

What is the Ipad and Iphone without the applications? Just recently, on June 6, 2011, CEO Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. reveled their new software, Icloud, at the Keynote Address press event. Usually, at this event, Apple announces a new release of an Iphone, but instead, this June, their reveling their new software. The New Icloud technology synchronizes files, music over the internet. Amazon and Google have already tried to accomplish this, but licensing and property issues got in the way. Therefore, both companies’,Cloud software, only let a user upload music and share with those it chooses. Apples Icloud software will allow users to “scan and match” which scans a music library from a label and matches it with the music stored.

There are new apps for Iphones, that are launched almost everyday. Now, 350,000 apps later, you can basically accomplish everything you need to do on your Iphone or Ipad without even leaving your seat. Mint personal finance, Nike training club, and ImapmyRide are just some of the new apps for the Iphone. These applications are automatic finance managers, bike routing apps, and personal trainers. It is hard to find a company nowadays without an application for an Iphone or Ipad. Is Apple going too far? A lot of people are expecting technology to take away the ability of people to physically and emotionally connect. With any of apples technology, you can talk, see, and accomplish anything you need to do without actually doing it. Is this good or bad? That’s for you to decide. Apple Inc. somehow and someway will always advance their technology, get on the Apple train before you cannot catch up.

Image Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/acaben/

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