San Francisco, U.S.A. – 4G World 2012 Conference and Expo, the only conference and expo covering the entire ecosystem of next-generation 4G mobile broadband technologies, have opened the call for entries for its annual Best of 4G Awards program. The Best of 4G Awards will recognize those that are driving innovation and the adoption of 4G mobile broadband. Winners will be announced at the annual 4G World conference being held from October 29 to November 1, 2012 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The Best of 4G Awards program includes a wide range of categories and is open to all members of the mobile ecosystem (including those not attending, supporting or participating in the 4G World Conference and Expo). An independent panel of judges, comprised of the industry’s leading analysts and academics, will review all submissions and select finalists and winners.

Award categories for this year’s Best of 4G Awards include:

• Mobile Broadband Technology Innovation
• RAN and Small Cell Technology Product
• 4G Smartphone and Tablet Product Innovation
• 4G Deployment (2012) by an Operator
• 4G Innovation by an Operator
• User Experience and Policy Management Solution
• Mobile Cloud Enabler
• Mobile Backhaul and Core Network Innovation
• Impactful M2M Application or Solution
• Solution for Spectrum Optimization
• Best ‘Connected Life’ Application or Solution
• Mobile Innovation by a Start-up

A product, service or solution may be submitted in multiple categories, with one entry per applicable category. The submission fee for each award entry is US$195. For more information on the Best of 4G Awards program, including details on award categories and links to the online submission form, visit http://www.4gworld.com/chicago/events/best-of-4g.php.

The call for entries closes on September 7, 2012. Finalists will be announced on September 25, 2012. Winners will be announced at the 4G World 2012 Awards Reception being held at the 4G World Conference and Expo on Monday, October 29, 2012.

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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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Philadelphia, U.S.A. — The Intellectual Property & Science division of Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, has announced partnership with Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) to host the SciELO database on Web of Knowledge(SM), the world’s most powerful search and discovery platform.

This partnership will help bring greater visibility and improved access to research from emerging economies, particularly Latin America, the Caribbean, South Africa, and developed Latin-language areas including Spain and Portugal. The SciELO database will be integrated into Web of Knowledge, enabling researchers to review and analyze relevant regional content alongside top-tier international literature.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with SciELO. This will not only enhance the reach of the important research taking place in Spanish-speaking developing countries, but it will also bring new depth to our own data,” said Keith MacGregor, executive vice president at Thomson Reuters. “Researchers around the world will gain new insights into the impact of the works emanating from these regions.”

Currently, SciELO publishes about 40,000 new articles every year from over 900 open access journals from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain andVenezuela. The addition of SciELO to Web of Knowledge will follow a similar model to that of the Chinese Science Citation Database, which has been hosted on Web of Knowledge since 2008. Both databases are part of the ongoing content expansion at Thomson Reuters, to spotlight regionally relevant scholarly literature and identify influential authors and research within rapidly developing research centers.

“Supported by the Brazilian fund agency Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) since its inception in 1998, SciELO is one of the earliest initiatives to provide open access to scientific literature. The agreement with Web of Knowledge opens new horizons in SciELO’s mission to enhance the visibility of the science done in Latin America, Spain and Portugal,” said Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, scientific director of FAPESP.

“It’s our mission to overcome the distribution and dissemination barriers that scientific journals from developing countries face by increasing the accessibility of locally generated scientific information,” saidAbel Packer, SciELO coordinator. “Giving research in Latin America and other developing areas increased prominence within Web of Knowledge means that the contributions of our researchers will be a more visible part of the global scientific discourse.”

Image Courtesy of  HolgerRings

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Orlando, U.S.A. – AAA‘s newest app, AAA Mobile, bundles services for motorists, such as mapping and gas price comparison, as well as member-exclusive benefits including roadside assistance and discounts.

The new app available for iPhone and Android-compatible devices combines the AAA Discounts, TripTik Mobile and Roadside apps into one app creating the perfect companion for any motorist. AAA Mobile delivers a complete mobile experience for members; centering around help at the roadside, travel plans and getting the latest discount at your favorite store with AAA’s Show Your Card and Save program.

“AAA is dedicated to evolving with our members by providing them with the latest ways to stay informed and access all their AAA membership provides,” says Marshall L. Doney, AAA National Vice President, Automotive, Financial Services and e-Business. “We are very pleased to be able to provide this new app to our members and future members. The new AAA Mobile app will provide a convenient solution to those members looking to maximize their membership benefits on the go.”

Available now for free in iTunes and Google Play app stores, the AAA Mobile app features include:

• Road Service Request (app identifies location)
• AAA member discounts
• AAA Approved Auto Repair locator
• Gas station locations and updated gas price information
• Diamond Ratings for AAA Approved hotels and restaurants
• Hotel booking capability powered by Travelocity
• Listings for AAA Approved attractions and campgrounds
• AAA branch office locations
• TripTik® travel planning with interactive maps and directions
• Instant battery replacement quotes
• Electric vehicle charging station locations
• Join AAA

AAA Mobile is available to all mobile users; however some services and benefits are only available to AAA members such as roadside assistance and discounts. The app was launched as an update to the current AAA Discounts app in the iTunes and Google Play (formerly Android Market) app stores.  Any user who has the AAA Discounts app downloaded on their phone should have been notified that an update was available.

When updated, the AAA Mobile app will replace AAA Discounts on their phone.  The current AAA Roadside and AAA TripTik Mobile apps will soon be updated to display a message that these apps have been replaced with AAA Mobile, download the new app, and delete AAA Roadside and AAA TripTik Mobile apps.

Smartphones with mobile applications are valuable tools before a vehicle is in motion; however, they greatly increase motorist distractions when used while driving.  Distracted driving can have deadly consequences.  AAA urges motorists to minimize distractions behind the wheel by not using wireless devices, such as cell phones with mobile applications, while driving.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. Members and non-members can visit AAA on the Internet at AAA.com.

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Google believes that technology has the power to expose and dismantle global criminal networks and has decided to take action. They have organized a forum in the United States to help the authorities and different civil organizations to find a solution to fight the different criminal organizations.

The company  explained that violent illicit networks, which include organized crime, narcotics, terrorism and cyber crime, represent a trillion dollar problem that affects every society in the world and takes thousands of innocent lives each year.

The search engine mentioned Mexico’s case in which in only 5 years 50,000 people have died as a result of the war for territory between the rival drug cartels. Google is convinced that these violent illicit networks have a devastating and financial impact on every nation.

Google is willing to help find solutions for humanity’s biggest problems; recently the company launched Google Ideas which is a “think/do tank that convenes unorthodox stakeholders, commission’s research, and seeds initiatives to explore the role that technology can play in tackling some of the toughest human challenges.”

Google Ideas first focused on counter-radicalization; last year they organized the Summit Against Violent Extremism to try facing this problem. Which had pretty good results, the most important product that came out of this summit is called Against Violent extremism, which is a “ network of former violent extremists, survivors of violent extremism, NGOs, academics, think tanks, and private sector executives who share a common goal: to prevent youth from committing violence.”

The internet giant stated: “Violent extremism is one of the world’s most significant unanswered challenges, from the gangs of San Salvador to the violent Islamist extremists of Quetta to far-right fascists around the world who constitute the violent white power movement.”

Now  Google Ideas is focusing on violent illicit networks, the search engine is trying to find a solution to dismantle and expose the different criminal organizations. In the past months Google has been working with people fighting on the front line in order to understand how these criminal organizations really function.

The company firmly believes that “as illicit networks grow in scope and complexity, society’s strategy to reduce their negative impact must draw on the tremendous power of technology.” That’s why Google, in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations and the Tribeca Film Festival, organized “Illicit Networks: Forces In Opposition.” Google explained that “too often illicit networks are seen only in the silos of those who study them. This summit aims to break down those silos by bringing together a full-range of stakeholders, from survivors of organ trafficking, sex trafficking and forced labor to government officials, dozens of engineers, tech leaders and product managers from Google and beyond.”

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When many think of the continent of Africa, words such as famine, disease, poverty, short life spans and little to no healthcare and poor technological advancement come to mind. However, as of recently, Africa, and Uganda in particular has made great strides toward better living for its citizens as technology in Uganda is growing at a rapidly fast pace.

“Uganda has been ranked among the top three countries with advanced technological and innovation capabilities in Africa,” according to a study conducted by Martin Prosperity Institute of the U.S. And, as Uganda has been known for decades for its high infant and maternal mortality rates, an advanced ultrasound has finally made it’s way to the country in order to help pregnant women and their newborns survive in addition to a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery.

An expanding project known as ‘Imagining the World’ (ITV), based at the Kamuli Mission Hospital, is helping to get ultrasound technology into the country’s health centers.

Andrew Green, a reporter for the ‘Voice of Africa,’ stated, “Until two years ago, health workers at Kamuli Mission Hospital could not even tell a woman if she was carrying twins because there were no ultrasound machines. As a result, women and their families would not know they needed to be near health facilities that can handle complicated pregnancies when it came time to give birth.”

The project is providing ultrasound equipment to the hospital at low costs, so even those who are below the poverty level can still receive basic image scans. “Then the images are compressed and distributed via text message or e-mail to district-level health workers, who examine the images and identify potential problems.

Specialists in the United States provide backup opinions. Health workers are informed early enough that a woman facing a difficult birth can be directed to a higher-level health facility,” according to Dr. Alphonsus Matovu, the medical director of the Kamuli hospital. But before the women can come to Kamuli to receive an ultrasound, they must be screened for a series of health tests, including, HIV, malaria, and anemia, which could affect the outcome of a woman’s pregnancy.

As of last week, ITV has set up new ultrasound equipment in eight more health care facilities, which is estimated to cost 10,000 dollars per facility. Prior to Uganda having access to ultrasound technology equipment, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported that, “for every 1,000 live births, at least 63 infants die before their first birthday in Uganda.

Many of those deaths come from complications that could have been predicted by ultrasound technology. The situation also contributes to the country’s high infant mortality rate, with 310 out of every 100,000 women dying in childbirth.” Because of the great success of this project, ITV is looking into providing prenatal care in other impoverished areas of the world including South America and Asia.

Image Courtesy of  uusc4all

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San Diego, U.S.A – The subject of pornography is not a common topic of conversation in the K-12 industry, but Gaggle is changing that at ISTE (National Educational Computing Conference) 2012 with talk of their Anti-Pornography Scanner (APS). The APS is a sophisticated tool used to detect pornography in electronic communications and on websites. The scanner looks at embedded and attached images and URL’s to determine whether an image is pornographic. In 2010, Gaggle set out on a major effort to improve the accuracy of the APS and reduce the incidents of false positive results.

Gaggle offers the highest degree of CIPA compliance of any collaboration tools provider and is the only system that meets the CIPA requirement to block “visual depictions that are obscene; child pornography; or are harmful to minors.”  With the sophistication of the APS, Gaggle is able to weed out the majority of the offensive material that is shared peer-to-peer. This enables students to focus more on their class work using the tools within the Gaggle system.

Just over half of the current Gaggle student users are between the ages of eleven to fifteen, and unfortunately there is sharing of inappropriate content between these users. Gaggle Senior Software Engineer, Jeremy Loss says, “At Gaggle, we have our finger on the pulse of the K12 market and what they are sharing. We are constantly filtering millions of images and with that we are able to define inappropriate content in this domain.”

Gaggle developers are now working to refine the filtering of mirror shots, personal photographs taken by cell phone camera in a mirror. These pictures, referred to as “sexting” are often taken in an inappropriate context and shared between young adults. This type of behavior may be inevitable, but the Gaggle APS is constantly evolving to improve cyber safety, protect students from bad decisions, and help them learn to be a good digital citizen.

“Computers only do exactly what you tell them to, and creating software that does something as intuitive as detecting inappropriate content is a great challenge,” explains Jeremy. “The combination of sophisticated technology and Gaggle’s decades of experience with K-12 has allowed us to create something that can contribute enormously to providing a safe environment for learning.”

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Sydney, Australia — The tsunami of disruptive technological change sweeping the publishing industry is an opportunity, not a crisis, and magazines must reinvent themselves if they are to not only survive, but thrive.

So argue the publishers of COSMOS, the celebrated science magazine, who today launched an innovative iPad edition – the first of a series of planned multi-platform products. The iPad edition is the result of nine months of development and testing, and represents a complete reconceptualization of the print magazine.

“It’s not good enough to just produce a print replica on the iPad,” said Wilson da Silva, editor-in-chief of COSMOS. “You need to completely re-imagine what a magazine is editorially, which is what we’ve done, but also maintain a clear narrative structure throughout. The functionality of the iPad is fundamentally changing the game, and only those who capitalise on this will prosper.

“The media has been overly concerned with advertisers for too long. Now that ad revenue is declining, many publishers are cutting back on editorial resources – and that’s a mistake. What the industry needs to do is refocus on the fundamentals: their readers. At COSMOS, our revenue has always come mostly from readers rather than advertisers. Hence, we’re excited about a world where creating engaging narrative content that readers want, and are willing to pay for, is the name of the game, because that’s been what we’ve excelled at for years.”

On the iPad, this means not just providing excellent content at lower cost, but also the seamless integration of video and animation, live updates, multiple layers of reader interaction and a cross-platform approach to engaging audiences.

“If anything can save quality journalism, it will be the readers who are willing to pay for excellence in writing, photography and design. And those readers, who engage with magazines more than any other medium, will attract the advertisers – which is the way it should be,” said da Silva.

COSMOS, which celebrates its 7th birthday with the June 2012 issue, specializes in long-form features and lush design. The winner of 45 journalism and publishing awards – including Magazine of the Year awards twice in its native Australia – it has developed a strong following around the world. Based in Sydney, its content is nevertheless global in scope, attracting authors such as Richard Dawkins, Margaret Wertheim, Steven Pinker, Paul Davies and Simon Singh.

Founded by scientists and media professionals who believe in the transformative power of clear and engaging writing, it is now set to take on the world with the launch of its iPad edition.

“What COSMOS has done on the iPad platform is both innovative and itself disruptive,” said Dr Alan Finkel, the Chancellor of Monash University in Melbourne and the chairman and co-founder of Cosmos Media, the magazine’s publisher.

“We’ve not only re-imagined COSMOS for the iPad, but will be boosting frequency, creating bonus iPad issues, giving print subscribers free access to the iPad editions, as well as free access to the complete digital archive. I don’t think any other publisher has so completely overhauled its business model.

“COSMOS has done so because we’ve set our sights on the future. We’re preparing not just for the eventual demise of print, but looking to take a dominant position in the emerging tablet market. We aim to be the world’s number 1 science magazine in five years,” said Finkel.

The COSMOS Magazine app, launched today, runs on the powerful Oomph digital publishing platform created by Mogeneration, a successful Sydney-based developer of over 100 iOS and Android apps who worked closely with the COSMOS team to push the boundaries of functionality.

“The iPad is changing the media industry in unpredictable ways – in our case, for the better,” said Kylie Ahern, CEO of Cosmos Media. “The App Store is global, so the iPad edition of COSMOS –which has always been global in outlook – can suddenly tap an international market. COSMOS can compete with the world’s leading science magazines on an equal footing: at a compelling price and available as soon as it is published, without the delays and cost of shipping and distribution from Australia, which the print issue has had to face.

“That’s why we’ve doubled our editorial staff in the past six months, and have completely overhauled our business strategy. For us, print is now just another platform. And we have a raft of new iPad, digital and online products set to launch in the next 18 months,” added Ahern.

The COSMOS Magazine app is free, and readers can also download a complete issue free from the App Store. Individual copies of each monthly edition can be purchased for US$4.99 each, and annual subscriptions for US$24.99.

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San Francisco, U.S.A. — Each year tens of millions of neighbors participate in National Night Out (NNO), the annual, nationwide crime prevention event, created by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). This year NATW is partnering with Nextdoor, the free and private social network for neighborhoods, to help residents plan NNO events and come together to build stronger, safer and happier neighborhoods all-year long.

“Like National Night Out, Nextdoor’s mission is to bring back a sense of community to the neighborhood. Neighborhood spirit is a powerful weapon in our fight for a safer nation,” said Nirav Tolia, CEO and Co-founder of Nextdoor. “When neighbors connect, good things happen. More specifically, neighbors who get to know each other, look out for each other.”

Since its launch less than a year ago, Nextdoor has quickly been adopted by over 2,700 neighborhoods in 48 states. Nextdoor is a private and secure way to quickly connect everyone in the neighborhood, easily report suspicious activity, share recommendations, and organize community events such as National Night Out.

All Nextdoor members must verify their address to help create a safe and trusting environment where members feel comfortable sharing online the kinds of things they would be okay sharing in person.

“Nextdoor is a perfect match for National Night Out organizers and participants. Nextdoor uses the power of technology to connect neighbors, bring a community together and build safer neighborhoods,” said Matt Peskin, Executive Director of National Association of Town Watch.

“In preparation for their August 7th event, we encourage community organizers to use Nextdoor to spread the word about NNO events. Nextdoor also makes it possible to easily extend a sense of community all year long with private social networks designed just for the neighborhood,” continued Peskin.

To help facilitate organizational activities around NNO, Nextdoor also announced today the launch of its “Groups” feature. Nextdoor Groups enable two or more neighbors to create a dedicated area of their Nextdoor website to easily communicate about common interests, topics or hobbies.

Neighbors can create Nextdoor Groups for any number of reasons such as bringing together residents of a specific block who wish to plan an NNO block party, mommy or new parent groups, HOA members, neighborhood watch or even for dog owners. It is common for several NNO events to take place within a given neighborhood and Nextdoor Groups allows members to create a forum for conversations pertaining to their individual events.
Image Courtesy of  Vacclav / Shutterstock.com

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Campbell, U.S.A. - The Society for Information Display (SID), the leading global organization dedicated to the advancement of electronic display products and technology, have announced the winners of the second annual Display Week Best in Show Awards. These awards highlight the most significant new products and technologies showcased on the exhibit floor during this week’s 49th annual SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, currently underway at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The Best in Show Awards are being presented during the annual SID awards luncheon at Display Week, where the winners of the venerable Display Industry Awards are also being honored.

Open to all 2012 Display Week exhibitors, this year’s Best in Show winners are:

• Dimenco’s unique eye-tracking, auto-adjusting stereo 3D display and large-area, multiple-view 4Kx2K display (Booth #848)
• Fraunhofer IPMS-COMEDD’s AMOLED microdisplay with integrated photosensor, which could be applied for next-generation eye-tracking devices (Booth #1371)
• LG Display’s 55-inch AMOLED TV with white OLEDs and oxide backplane in a thin form factor (Booth #143)
• Ocular LCD Inc.’s 17.0-inch Crystal Touch: TRUE Multi-Touch projected capacitive touch panel that supports 16 simultaneous touch points (Booth #855)
• Samsung’s 55-inch AMOLED TV with RGB OLEDs and LTPS backplane, and the Smart DualView® feature (Booth #163)

Selected by an independent panel of display experts, the Best in Show winners are chosen for the significance of their development and/or product and for their ability to generate excitement within not only the display industry, but also among the general public and global media and analyst communities. This year’s five winners were selected from more than 180 exhibits that were demonstrating the innovations that continue to drive the display industry.

According to Robert L. Melcher, chair of the Best In Show awards, “The importance of recognizing the best and latest innovations in our ever-evolving space cannot be overstated. The technologies that debut at Display Week year after year have gone on to revolutionize the consumer electronics industry countless times over. We believe that the range of innovation exhibited this year represents another key chapter in that evolution. On behalf of SID, I would like to congratulate this year’s Best in Show winners.”

SID’s Best in Show Award qualifications include prototypes and manufacturing processes, as well as products, but are only awarded to Display Week exhibitors. The criteria used by the committee members to evaluate the exhibit material included: timeliness and significance to the display industry among the products, prototypes, processes and technologies exhibited; and creative use of audio, visual or other effects presented; or new materials highlighted.

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Washington, U.S.A. – NASA is seeking proposals from accredited U.S. universities focused on innovative, early-stage space technologies that will improve shielding from space radiation, spacecraft thermal management and optical systems.

Each of these technology areas requires dramatic improvements over existing capabilities for future science and human exploration missions. Early stage, or low technology readiness level (TRL) concepts, could mature into tools that solve the hard challenges facing future NASA missions. Researchers should propose unique, disruptive or transformational space technologies that address the specific topics described in this new solicitation.

“Both science and human deep space missions pose serious challenges that require new, innovative technological solutions,” said Space Technology Program Director Michael Gazarik at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Radiation, thermal management and optical systems were all identified in the National Research Council’s report on NASA Space Technology Roadmaps as priority research areas. This call seeks new ideas in these areas.”

Space radiation poses a known danger to the health of astronauts. NASA is seeking proposals in the area of active radiation shielding (such as “shields” of electromagnetic force fields surrounding a spacecraft to block incoming radiation) or new, multifunction materials that are superior to those that exist today are sought. NASA also is interested in new technologies for active monitoring and read-out of radiation levels astronauts receive during long space trips.

Current space technology for thermal management of fuels in space is limited. NASA is seeking early-stage technologies to improve ways spacecraft fuel tanks and in-space filling stations store cryogenic (very low temperature) propellants, such as hydrogen, over long periods of time and distances. NASA also is seeking novel, low-TRL heat rejection technologies which operate reliably and efficiently over a wide range of thermal conditions.

The next generation of lightweight mirrors and telescopes requires advanced optical systems. NASA is seeking advancement of early-stage active wavefront sensing and control system technologies that enable deployable, large aperture space-based observatories; technologies which enable cost-effective development of grazing-incidence optical systems; and novel techniques to focus and detect X-ray photons and other high-energy particles.

NASA expects to make approximately 10 awards this fall, based on the merit of proposals received. The awards will be made for one year, with an additional year of research possible. The typical annual award value is expected to be approximately $250,000.

Image Courtesy of  NASA

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NEW YORK, U.S.A. – Customers have always been fickle, but never before has it been so easy for them to channel discontent into social-media campaigns with potentially disastrous consequences for companies. In The Conference Board Review cover story, “Anger Management,” writer John Buchanan explores how technology has helped spur “a massive power shift,” emboldening consumers to express their outrage. Still, counsels Buchanan, there’s plenty that organizations can do to keep their customers from turning on them.

“The kind of business move that used to generate mild grumbling and then grudging acceptance,” writes Buchanan, “now brings immediate denunciations, viral social-media protests, front-page headlines, and the worst fate of all: being made an example of.” Buchanan points out three companies – Netflix, Verizon, and Bank of America – which recently suffered the wrath of unhappy customers. He illustrates how and why changes in policy quickly snowballed into major PR debacles for these organizations.

It’s not just bad management decisions that can spark massive consumer revolts. It’s often a lack of empathy, explains Buchanan. While this is hardly a novel complaint, what’s different now is the ability of consumers to connect through social media, create a firestorm, and force companies to take notice and, many times, alter policy. What might begin with one dissatisfied tweet can quickly turn into an avalanche of negative publicity for an organization.

“Companies have to realize that the business environment has changed,” Buchanan writes. “But they haven’t yet. And they haven’t realized how intense the consumer anger is.” By doing a better job of listening to their consumers, businesses might be able to avoid backlashes.

For example, executives should interact more with customers, online and in the field. And companies should engage their PR departments more when making decisions that will impact consumers. Unfortunately, Buchanan points out that market research is “a discipline that has been devalued at a time when managers wrongly believe that they can grasp customer sentiments by having a summer intern monitor tweets and Facebook posts about the company’s brands.”

At the same time, it’s not only consumers that are scrutinizing and reacting to marketing decisions. Increasingly, boards are second-guessing management and judging leaders by how well they cater to and respond to customer demands. Ultimately, the message is clear: Pay attention to your customers.

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Amsterdam, Netherlands – AVG Technologies, the provider of Internet and mobile security to approximately 108 million active users, has released its Q1 2012 Community Powered Threat Report. The report highlights the growing use of mobile devices to connect with social networks and how this is fast becoming a preferred method for cyber criminals to spread malware, particularly on those devices running Android.

Yuval Ben-Itzhak, Chief Technology Officer at AVG, said: “We detected a big increase in the use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to target Android users. Cyber criminals are finding it very convenient to distribute their malware straight to a mobile device via these networks.

The growth of the Android platform has been phenomenal, which has not gone unnoticed with cyber criminals who have discovered it to be a lucrative target for their malware. In 2011, Google had to remove over 100 malicious apps from the official Android market, Google Play.”

Social networks have become a key source of information and communication. Twitter now has more than 140 million active users^[1]; and Facebook has over 845 million users^[2], with some analysts expecting that figure to reach 1 billion this year^[3]. The result: targeting those who use Facebook is like targeting around 14 per cent of world’s population or approximately 43 per cent of global internet users.

Consider also that there are over 300 million Android phones already activated, with over 850,000 Android phones and tablets added to that number each day^[4], and it is clear these two trends combined result in a new threat: infecting Android devices using social networks.

Most mobile devices are tied into operator billing systems making monetization of malware a lot more effective than on traditional computer systems. All the attackers need to do is trick users to install a malicious app on their device through which they can then gather cash using the phone companies’ billing systems by utilizing premium SMS services. In many cases, this is done by charging low amounts on an infrequent basis so users don’t even notice.

The Q1 2012 Community Powered Threat Report includes examples of this:

• On Facebook, all it takes for a cyber criminal to attack is to set up a fake profile which downloads malware to a device and randomly invite Facebook users.
• On Twitter, a cyber criminal creates a spam profile and then posts tweets containing shortened hyperlinks to malware using trending hashtags. The way in which Twitter works makes sure the tweet appears on the top of many people’s Twitter feed.

About the report

The AVG Community Protection Network is an online neighborhood watch, where community members work to protect each other. Information about the latest threats is collected from customers who participate in the product improvement program and shared with the community to make sure everyone receives the best possible protection.

The AVG Community Powered Threat Report is based on the Community Protection Network traffic and data collected from participating AVG users over a three-month period, followed by analysis by AVG. It provides an overview of web, mobile devices, spam risks and threats. All statistics referenced are obtained from the AVG Community Protection Network.

AVG has focused on building communities that help millions of online participants support each other on computer security issues and actively contribute to AVG’s research efforts.

To download the summary of the Q1 2012 Community Powered Threat Report:http://www.avg.com/filedir/news/AVG_Community_Powered_Threat_Report_Q1_2012_summary.pdf

To download the full Q1 2012 Community Powered Threat Report:http://www.avg.com/filedir/news/AVG_Community_Powered_Threat_Report_Q1_2012.pdf

Visit the AVG Newsroom at: http://www.avg.com/press-releases-news

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KAE a leading strategic marketing and research consultancy and Toluna, a global pioneer in online polls, surveys and opinions have teamed up to release a major new study illustrating how large manufacturers could lose out if Apple launches a physical TV set.

Overall, the study highlighted that 25% of consumers in the US find the idea appealing and would buy it once it becomes commercially available – compared to 30% in the UK. Consumers that already own at least one Apple device are more likely to buy an Apple TV set, 2 in 5 (US 38% – UK 43%) find the idea appealing and would purchase should the product become available.

Lee Powney, Chief Commercial Officer at KAE said: “The huge potential of an Apple TV set, although impressive, should not be seen in isolation. Such a move would be an incredibly powerful extension of the iOS platform, accessed via a more compelling device option than Apple’s current offering (Apple TV).

It would create new monetisation opportunities for developers and accessory manufacturers by bringing the Apple experience further into the home. This would strengthen both the ecosystem and the benefits that consumers derive from owning many differing Apple devices. Will Apple do this? The pressure to maintain the lion’s share of preference from ecosystem members and create additional device-to-device interaction benefits for consumers means it should do this, and must do this.”

Sony, Samsung and LG are the market-leading brands most likely to suffer should Apple decide to launch its mooted Apple TV concept. In the UK, a sizeable 38% of current Sony TV owners and 36% of Samsung TV owners claimed they find the idea of an Apple TV appealing and would buy one. In the US, the brand most at risk from the concept is LG, where 3 in 10 (31%) of owners would be likely to convert should an Apple TV become available.

Approximately 3 in 5 US consumers questioned who were very likely to buy the TV said they trust Apple to produce a high quality TV set (59%), a sentiment echoed by UK consumers (62%). Design also features highly in respondents’ reasons to purchase with over half of all those likely to buy claiming that Apple’s reputation in ground-breaking design would no doubt also be used in TV (52% in US and 58% in the UK).

MD of KAE, David Rankin,: “Although this wave of research looked only at the USA and UK, we believe that the greatest revenue opportunities in 2013-15 for an Apple TV set are clustered in the ‘home territories’ of Apple’s TV competitors – i.e. Japan, Korea and China. We’re excited at the prospect of measuring that potential and the impact that success will have on Apple’s share price.”

Consumers were asked which features they felt an Apple TV set would be equipped with: The top anticipated feature for potential customers of the unconfirmed Apple TV set is similar for both countries, which is the ability to connect to the internet (73% in the US & 75% in the UK).

The other top features selected by potential US customers were running apps on TV (44%) and the ability to synchronise automatically with other Apple devices (41%). For the UK market the other two main features expected were the ability to synchronise automatically with other Apple devices (47%) and for the device to be 3D enabled (41%).

This survey is the latest in a series by KAE conducted to assess Apple’s potential to extend into new categories. To view previous research please visit http://tinyurl.com/84uozly 

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Power plant services represent a growing market that offers steady revenues and solid growth, in contrast with the much more cyclical market for new-build power stations. Fastest growing regions of China, India and ASEAN to account for almost quarter of the market by 2017, but China will not overtake the USA before 2025.

In the developed regions of Europe and North America, the main drivers are ageing power capacities that need replacing and, linked to this, the growing adoption of gas-fired generation.

Key drivers in emerging markets are rapid electricity demand growth, and industry privatization and liberalization which, in turn, push outsourcing of services. In the developed world, meanwhile, utilities struggling with skills shortages are also increasingly relying on outsourced services.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan World Power Plant Services Markets finds that the markets earned revenue of $27.40 billion in 2011 and estimates this to reach$35.41 billion in 2017.

“Global growth in electricity demand is a key driver behind the growth of the power plant services market,” notes Frost & Sullivan Industry Director Harald Thaler. “As electricity demand rises, new generating capacities are added to the system, which in turn, require servicing.”

The services market is, however, forecast to grow somewhat more rapidly than electricity demand. The global correlation, comparing forecast growth for both indicators, is 1.55.

Whilst the services market is forecast to grow by 4.2% between 2010 and 2017, world electricity demand growth will be 2.7% over that same period. Greater outsourcing and the increasing proliferation of gas-fired technology, where reliance on the equipment providers for servicing is high, are major contributory factors.

“Geographically, the balance of power in the power plant services market will gradually shift towards the emerging economies, as they progressively liberalize not only their power but also their gas markets,” remarks Thaler. “Such trends will allow for a much greater penetration of modern gas-fired plants which attract higher outsourced maintenance spend.”

The fastest-growing regions will be the emerging Asian giants of China, India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Their combined share will rise from 18.1% in 2010 to 23.4% in 2017.

Gas turbines account for the largest share of the services market, globally. Their share will expand, albeit slowly, as ongoing coal-fired investments based on increasingly sophisticated supercritical technology fuel growth in emerging economies. This will partly offset the strong growth in gas-fired generation in some other parts of the world.

“Unlike in the market for new-build power plants, where China has been the leading world market for some time, the country’s position in the power plant services market is much more modest,” concludes Thaler. “Frost & Sullivan forecasts that in the lucrative services market, China will not overtake the USA before 2025.”

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Three school student teams in the fifth through eighth grades have been selected as the winners of NASA’s second annual Spaced Out Sports challenge. The students designed science-based games that will be played by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The games illustrate and apply Newton’s laws of motion by showing the differences between Earth’s gravity and the microgravity environment of the space station. The challenge is part of a broader agency education effort to engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities.

To design their game, students use up to five items from a two-page list of objects aboard the ISS. The list includes such items as socks, exercise putty, bungees, cotton swabs, tape, rubber bands, zipper-top bags, chocolate-covered candies and drink bags.

Students at Pierremont Elementary MOSAICS Academy in Manchester, Mo., earned the top prize with their game “Starfield.” In this activity, astronauts will travel through a course to gather “power stars” and throw them through a “black hole target.”

Second-place honors went to students at East Brook Middle School in Paramus, N.J., for their “Outstanding Obstacles” game. It calls on astronauts to race through obstacles including “hair band shooting” and “ring toss.”

Third-place winners were students at Tyngsborough Middle School in Tyngsborough, Mass., for their “Learning Takes You around the World” game, in which astronauts will propel through rings, collecting slips of paper.

“Congratulations to the 2012 Spaced out Sports winners,” said Leland Melvin, associate administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington and two-time shuttle astronaut. “By combining solid STEM skills with imagination and teamwork, these students have demonstrated that they have what it takes to be our next generation of engineers and designers.”

The Spaced Out Sports challenge is a NASA Teaching from Space activity and was first offered in 2010. Using an accompanying curriculum, teachers lead students through a study of Newton’s laws, highlighted by hands-on activities and video podcasts featuring NASA scientists and engineers explaining how the laws are used in the space program.

“The three top games were selected but everyone really is a winner in this challenge,” said Katie Wallace, director of NASA’s Stennis Space Center Office of Education near Bay St. Louis, Miss., where the challenge and accompanying curriculum were developed. “Every student involved wins by learning more about science and establishing an educational foundation that will serve them well throughout their careers and life.”

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Sweden has recently begun moving away from paper money, favoring instead money of the electronic kind.  Not to say the country has completely eliminated the need for physical money, but bank notes and coins make up a meager 3 percent of the Swedish economy, contrasting with a 7 percent average for the rest of Europe and 7 percent for the United States.

In major cities, public modes of transport have stopped taking cold, hard cash.  Tickets are instead bought in advance or with a text message from a cell phone.  These businesses are not alone.  Many other businesses now accept only cards, and a few banks no longer handle physical money in any way, preferring to profit from electronic transactions.

Even churches have made the jump, with many now accepting cards when worshipers make donations. Many have expressed concern at the technological jump.  Those that prefer coins and bills are worried about the complexities that appear with such an economy.

The young and others may have a good grasp on technology, but for the elderly in rural parts, these new methods present all sorts of problems.  Many do not even have credit cards, and most of those that do, do not understand how to withdraw money or use their card in many transactions.

This move to digital money, however, has undeniable benefits.  There is now much less room for shadow economic activities, like concealing profits when tax season comes in Sweden, especially when compared with the rest of Europe. In Italy, Prime Minister Mario Monti has moved towards limiting cash transactions to payments of up to one thousand pounds.

Another beneficial effect is a reduced number of robberies in cash-holding organizations. The number of bank robberies went from 110 in 2008 to 16 in 2011, the lowest since data began to be recorded 30 years ago. Robberies of security transports have also lessened.

Not that this switch has not caused any problems. Cyber-crime is on the rise, with the number of reported crimes up from 3,304 in 2000, to the astronomical 20,000 in 2011.

Oscar Swartz, the creator of Sweden’s first Internet provider, Banhof, thinks that a digital economy also complicates matters of privacy, due to electronic trails resulting from transactions.  “One should be able to send money and donate money to different organizations without being traced every time,” he says.

It is unlikely, however, that physical money will be completely phased out anytime soon.  A much more likely possibility is that it will slowly play less of a role in the economy, though not disappearing completely anytime soon.

Sweden was ranked number one in the Global Information Technology Report, first shown at the World Economic Forum in January, for the second time in a row. The Economist Intelligence Unit listed Sweden first in 2010, in its most recent digital economy rankings. These rankings track how much countries have integrated information and communication technologies within their economies.

In 1661 Sweden was the first European country to introduce bank notes to its people, a move that very much helped all countries move forward.  Now, as the country phases them out, could they be on the right track once more?

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As access to skilled workers becomes increasingly vital to the U.S. economy, AT&T is launching a quarter-billion-dollar campaign to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college, and to ensure the country is better prepared to meet global competition

AT&T Aspire, already among the most significant U.S. corporate educational initiatives with more than $100 million invested since 2008, will tackle high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school through a much larger, “socially innovative” approach.

Social innovation goes beyond traditional philanthropy – which typically involves only charitable giving – to also engage people and technology to bring different approaches, new solutions and added resources to challenging social problems. The greatly expanded effort centers on a new, $250 million financial commitment planned over 5 years.

To build on this commitment the centre will use technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways, such as with interactive gamification, Web-based content and social media. The company will also tap the innovation engine of the AT&T Foundry to look for fresh or atypical approaches to educational obstacles.

Finally, AT&T Aspire will capitalize on the power of personal connections in the form of mentoring, internships and other voluntary efforts. The Aspire effort already has impacted more than one million U.S. high school students, helping them prepare for success in the workplace and college.

“Working towards an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation’s workforce,” AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment during a keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit.

The Washington, D.C., event convened by America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises, The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University and the Alliance for Excellent Education brings together nearly 1,200 U.S. leaders to discuss progress and challenges in ending the high school dropout crisis.

Lacking a high school degree is a serious issue in the United States, where one in four students – more than 1 million each year – drops out, according to a March 19, 2012, report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America’s Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Education experts believe that the lack of a high school degree significantly worsens job prospects in a rapidly changing, increasingly sophisticated job market. And, if dropouts find jobs, they earn less. On average, a high school dropout earns 25% less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 57% less than a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

The situation poses a serious risk to American competitiveness as corporations struggle to find talent, especially in the math and sciences fields. The dropout rate, along with inadequate training and education, is keeping many high-paying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs from being filled. And the situation is expected to worsen as STEM jobs grow a projected 17% by 2018. Workers in these positions typically earn 26% more than those in non-STEM positions.

Although the problem is serious, there are signs of progress according to the report issued on March 19, 2012. According to the report High school graduation rate increased by 3.5% nationally from 2001 to 2009.

“It will take all of us working together and supporting the hard work of the education community to continue to improve graduation rates and preparedness for careers and college,” Stephenson said. “American business has an enormous stake in the success of our students. It’s time to commit more innovation and resources to the task.”

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Texas Instruments (TI) announces actress, scientist and author Mayim Bialik as brand ambassador and spokeswoman for TI-Nspire CX math and science learning technology. TI and Bialik hope to inspire teens, the future generation of scientists and mathematicians, to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in their studies and future careers.

The partnership is a perfect match between TI, a longtime advocate and funder of STEM initiatives that drive innovative education programs for students and teachers, and Bialik, who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and is passionate about math and science education. Bialik also uses her degree to foster a passion for the sciences by teaching biology and chemistry in her spare time, and through her acting role as a biologist on TV’s No. 1 math-and-science-based comedy.

“I relied on my Texas Instruments graphing calculators while earning my neuroscience degrees, so it is exciting for me to join TI in inspiring and supporting students and educators through the use of TI-Nspire math and science classroom technology,” Bialik said. “I’m a firm believer in fostering interactive learning environments for students. I also understand the importance of advancing science, technology, engineering and math and hope to inspire future generations of scientists.”

The partnership kicks off on March 2, with Bialik attending TI’s 24th Annual T3 International Conference in Chicago, Ill., where nearly 2,000 educators from around the world will gather to learn innovative and effective ways to teach with technology and improve student success in math and science.

At night, Bialik joins TI for a special event where TI will donate more than $40,000 of TI-Nspire CX math and science classroom learning technology and teacher professional development to two local Chicago Public Schools. Each school will each receive a TI-Nspire CX Navigator System, TI-Nspire CX math and science handhelds, and professional development and coaching to ensure ongoing success using the technology.

Bialik also will headline the conference’s Welcome Reception, where she will speak to teachers about her passion for learning and teaching science and her own experience with TI classroom technology. On Saturday, Bialik will meet with educators and conference leaders during professional development sessions.

“We are excited to collaborate with Mayim because of her unique credentials as a real-life scientist and teacher, not to mention her role playing a biologist on one of today’s most popular TV shows,” said Melendy Lovett, president of TI’s Education Technology business and senior vice president of Texas Instruments. “She’s passionate about inspiring young learners to pursue science and math and is a great role model for students and a perfect ambassador for TI Nspired Learning.”

TI has invested more than $150 million in the past five years to support STEM education and research, working to actively engage students in technology and STEM education initiatives.

For more information about Texas Instruments:

• Follow TI on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TICalculators
• Follow TI on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TICalculators
• Visit TI on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TexasInstrumentsCalc
• Visit TI online: education.ti.com

Image Courtesy of   Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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On February 27, at Mobile World Congress, Mobidia Technology, a leading provider of device-centric, mobile data solutions, and Informa Telecoms & Media, a leading analyst firm, jointly released new research that provides important and compelling insights into worldwide Wi-Fi usage by smartphone users.

For the first time, Mobidia is providing mobile operators and the wider mobile industry ecosystem with an understanding of consumer behavior surrounding data usage on all the networks to which smartphones frequently connect, including mobile home networks, roaming networks and Wi-Fi networks. By looking at this behavior, Mobidia and Informa have been able to draw the following conclusions among others:

• Total data usage on smartphones is much higher than generally reported throughout the industry. In fact, the conclusions show that Wi-Fi data consumptions exceeds cellular by a factor of two-to-one and that Wi-Fi accounted for 70 percent of all smartphone-originated traffic within the sampled user base.
• Across the global smartphone user base sampled, 91 percent of smartphone subscribers use Wi-Fi for data usage purposes.
• It is clear that, for an overwhelming majority of smartphone users, Wi-Fi is employed as the primary data connection of choice.

“We were quite surprised with the findings,” said Mobidia Vice President of Marketing Chris Hill. “Not only did we find that data usage on smartphones was much higher than the typical 100 – 500 megabytes average monthly usage that is often cited, but we also found that Wi-Fi usage often outpaced mobile usage by as much as six-to-one in some countries.”

Mobidia’s data makes it clear that measurement of cellular-only usage patterns is only part of the picture when it comes to how consumers are using data. In fact, Informa’s analysis reveals that a cellular-only measurement of user demand can understate smartphone-originated traffic by a factor of several multiples in the world’s most advanced Wi-Fi markets.

“Building small-screen access revenues into a $100 billion annual market is already a considerable achievement, but today’s mobile data market is arguably still in the early stages of development,” said Thomas Wehmeier, Informa principal analyst. “Indeed, mobile data pricing models prevalent in the market today lag years behind the advanced segmentation seen in the mobile voice market.

Fulfilling the industry’s future growth potential by driving smartphone and data adoption into today’s untapped customer segments will require operators to build an in-depth understanding of all aspects of customer behavior in order to deploy sustainable and profitable pricing models. And Mobidia’s solution can provide the information to help enlighten that understanding.”

Informa and Mobidia collaborated to analyze data collected in January 2012 from tens of thousands of global smartphone users to determine data-usage trends. This data was collected on a strictly anonymous and opt-in basis from a sample of the more than 600,000 people who have downloaded Mobidia’s smartphone application, My Data Manager. The data sample represents smartphone users from more than 600 mobile operators worldwide.

Informa’s findings and conclusions based on Mobidia’s data are fully outlined in a whitepaper titled “Understanding today’s smartphone user: Demystifying data usage trends on cellular & Wi-Fi networks.” In addition to Wi-Fi usage data, the whitepaper also provides interesting insights into time-of-day usage patterns, top app usage, and the frequency of SIM swapping across different networks and geographies.

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ERT, a global technology-driven provider of health outcomes services and customizable medical devices to biopharmaceutical sponsors and Contract Research Organizations (CROs), announced on February 15, 2012 the launch of a new corporate website to further elevate its market and thought leadership position.

Complementing the company’s commercial growth in the last 18 months, web traffic to ERT’s website increased by 41% from June 2010 to October 2011, as visitors sought further detailed information about ERT’s comprehensive range of Cardiac Safety, Respiratory and ePRO solutions. To access the new website, visit www.ert.com.

The newly created website has been designed to reflect ERT’s position as a company offering unrivaled processes and scientific expertise to collect, analyze and report on clinical data. This is done in order to support the determination of health outcomes critical to the approval, labeling and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products.

Created to provide a new online customer experience, the website provides enhanced content and improved navigation in order to give visitors a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of ERT’s services and expertise in the health outcomes research field. Providing in-depth information on ERT’s distinctive cardiac safety, respiratory and ePRO solutions, visitors are also able to learn about ERT’s clinical consulting services, which offer essential scientific and regulatory expertise in order to ensure quality trial data.

ERT’s commitment to making valuable resources available to patients and clients is fully realized by the new website. Leveraging the research of ERT’s experts and other thought leaders, the site offers a resource center that provides continually updated links to articles, white papers and webinars, in addition to up-to-date news stories.

Featuring images and quotes from both junior and senior staff throughout the website, the new aesthetic enables users to see the human side of ERT and familiarize themselves with the experts and dedicated staff that support their research every day.

John Blakeley, Chief Commercial Officer, comments: “Our traditional markets are changing and we felt strongly that a new online presence was needed to better support our Sponsors and our CRO partners. This new site provides a valuable resource center that allows relevant stakeholders to access industry specific information and case studies.”

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Many non-financial benefits of smart grid upgrades are as compelling as those that can save consumers money, according to second-wave findings of the SGCC Consumer Pulse Study, a national survey of U.S. energy consumers conducted for the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) by Market Strategies International.

The Wave II survey, a follow-up to the initial study begun in August, was conducted with live interviewers by telephone from November 12 to December 6, 2011. A national RDD (random digit dialed) landline and cell phone sample was used. To qualify, a respondent had to be over the age of 18 and a head of household.

The sample design included an oversample of key ethnic and age groups to ensure full representation of the population. Data were weighted by age, ethnicity, gender and region to align with the US national population. The margin of error for the total sample size of 1,003 is +/- 3.1 percentage points at a confidence level of 95%.

Survey participants were asked to rate the importance of seven potential benefits of smart grid and smart meters, including ease of connecting renewable energy sources to the electric grid, reduced outages, new cost-saving rate plans, fewer new power plant investments, increased quality of power delivery, availability of near real-time energy use information and more accurate billing. Critically, each benefit was found to be important to 80% or more of respondents.

“We found that the most commonly-discussed benefits like cost saving and greater power reliability, while important, represent only a part of a broader spectrum of smart grid and smart meter benefits that are appealing to the average consumer,” said SGCC Executive Director Patty Durand. “To achieve greater impact upon a diverse customer base, utilities should take care to bring these other benefits into their marketing messages.”

Consumer education about smart grid remains vital, results show, as awareness and understanding are still lacking. 51% of consumers, a number unchanged since September 2011, say they have never heard the term smart grid, and another 21% say that they have heard the term but don’t know much about what it means.

The majority of consumers who are familiar with smart grid concepts have positive feelings about it. Consumers become increasingly favorable toward the technology after receiving more information about it.

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The cycle of domestic violence affects nearly one in four women, one in nine men, and over 3 million children across the country.  In 2011, Verizon invested more than $22 million as part of its longstanding commitment to domestic violence prevention and awareness.

Part of the money donated by Verizon in 2011 included more than $4.2 million in cash grants from HopeLinefrom Verizon to nearly 450 domestic violence prevention and awareness programs across the country.  In addition to contributions through HopeLine, the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, awarded $10 million in grants in 2011 to nonprofit organizations that support those affected by domestic violence.

Verizon Wireless, through HopeLine, provided more than 29,000 phones with a total of 87.1 million minutes of wireless service to shelters and agencies nationwide for use by clients – enough minutes to stay connected nonstop for 165 consecutive years.

Of the 1 million phones collected, nearly 24,000 were properly disposed of using environmentally sound methods – keeping more than 59 tons of wireless phones and batteries from entering community landfills.  For the fifth consecutive year, Verizon Wireless collected more than 1 million no-longer-used wireless phones through its HopeLine from Verizon program.

“Domestic violence is a silent epidemic that affects our entire society–regardless of race, education or socioeconomic level,” said Marquett Smith, vice president of communications for Verizon Wireless.  ”To combat this serious issue, Verizon leverages its technology and resources to help victims and continue the battle against domestic violence.”

Through HopeLine, Verizon’s phone recycling program, the company collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any carrier and puts them to work in the community by turning them into support for domestic violence survivors.  Phones collected through HopeLine recycling drives are either refurbished and sold or recycled, and proceeds are donated to organizations that work against domestic violence in the form of cash grants and prepaid Verizon Wireless phones for survivors.

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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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Innumerous accounts of discomfort with security of mobile social networks for gay guys, like Grindr, have prompted the makers of Hornet, a brand new, second generation network, to make security and safety front and center of their app design.

This starts but is not limited to the next most important item after use of condoms to control the spread of STD, the knowledge of one’s HIV status and a reminder to frequently re-test, especially if the person is sexually active on gay social mobile networks.

Based on the positive experience of websites in Asia, Hornet is the first to introduce the “Know your Status” KYS campaign to mobile social networks for gay people.  In their profile, positive or recently tested guys will get a special marker, so that users are prompted to enroll in this purely voluntary campaign for a safer environment.  Once a test comes up for renewal, Hornet reminds people to get tested again, or their KYS status lapses to unknown.

Unlike most other gay SNS and Grindr, Hornet uses an HTTPS secure connection and SSL certificates as known from your Online Banking.

In addition, Hornet has integrated innumerous safety and security features into its app.  Unlike most other gay SNS and Grindr, Hornet uses an HTTPS secure connection and SSL certificates as known from your Online Banking.  It also gives users full control over a private portion of their picture uploads, so that broadcasting one’s profile in their neighborhood can be more controlled than an entirely open experience or map-based displays, making them vulnerable to hate crimes.

Within any app system that stores data, there are vulnerabilities, but apps like Grindr can make some easy improvements to move forward with security.  Hornet encourages the entire app community to make improvements and migrate in this direction, so that users can browse in a more secure environment, making our message today about bringing the ease of online dating to more users and sharing the market in a secure way.

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Consumer Watchdog called on President Obama to use the State of the Union message to endorse baseline privacy legislation and support “Do Not Track” regulations that would give consumers control of whether their information is gathered while they use the Internet.

“You recently expressed your commitment to maintaining freedom of expression on the Internet. Consumer Watchdog shares that commitment. Just as important, however, is protecting online privacy. Indeed, without adequate privacy protection freedom of expression ultimately is undermined,” wrote John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project.

The open letter to the president continued:

“When you, your wife or your children go online you are all tracked, usually without your knowledge and consent. What you and other people click on, purchase, or share with others is compiled, analyzed and used to build a profile.

The online data gathered about people is often used to target advertising, but can also be used to make assumptions about them in connection with employment, housing, insurance, and financial services; for purposes of lawsuits against individuals; and for government surveillance.

At the moment there are no state or federal limits on what information can be collected, with whom it can be shared, how long it can be retained or how it can be used. Unlike most other countries, there is no baseline privacy law in the United States. People have virtually no meaningful way to control how data about them is gathered or used…”

“As you know, both the Commerce Department and the Federal Trade Commission will soon issue reports recommending online privacy policies. Industry is lobbying to make these proposals as ineffective as possible, but people should have meaningful privacy protections. I urge you to use the State of the Union message as a vehicle to call for privacy legislation based on the Fair Information Practices principles and that would also provide for a so-called ‘Do Not Track’ mechanism.”

A “Do Not Track” mechanism is a method that allows a computer user to send a clear, unambiguous message that one’s online activities should not be tracked, Consumer Watchdog said. There are a number of ways this could be accomplished. In fact the “Do Not Track” concept is technology neutral.

It is any method that sends the message to Websites a consumer visits that one’s activities should not be tracked. Simply put, “Do Not Track” is like posting a “No Trespassing” sign on your property. Legislation is necessary so the “Do Not Track” message is honored, the nonprofit public interest group said.

The letter continued:

“Giving Americans a visible, uncomplicated choice to stop Internet companies from tracking us online will not end online advertising, but it will force advertisers to respect our personal boundaries. If that means fewer targeted sales of Viagra or shady mortgage refinance schemes, so be it.

“The ‘Do Not Track Me’ movement is so important because it sets the principle and precedent of the first real governmental limits on the Wild West of Internet data mining. It establishes our right to be online without being tracked and makes clear the Internet has become a necessity of life that government must protect.

“Privacy violations are not victimless. Identity theft has run rampant because so much of our personal information is available in so many places. Teenagers are particularly at risk because they tend to share too much information online. And our jobs, familial relationships and friendships can be jeopardized if information about our medical condition, sexual preferences or lifestyle choices is evident and available to anyone who can see the advertisements on our computer screens.”

Consumers are uncomfortable with online tracking and targeting, Consumer Watchdog said. A poll conducted by Grove Insight for Consumer Watchdog in July 2010 revealed that 90 percent of Americans wanted more laws to protect online privacy, 86 percent favored the creation of an “anonymous button” that allows individuals to stop anyone from tracking their online searches or purchase, and 80 percent wanted a “Do Not Track Me” feature for online companies that would be administered by the Federal Trade Commission.

“A ‘Do Not Track’ mechanism would give consumers better control of their information and help restore their confidence in the Internet. That’s a win-win for consumers and business. I urge you to endorse privacy legislation and ‘Do Not Track’ during the State of The Union message,” Simpson concluded.

Randall Stevens / Shutterstock.com

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While K-12 schools around the country search for funding to provide iPads to every student, an education researcher in North Carolina has found that even a single iPad can make a huge difference in the classroom.

The results of her experience with student teachers at Wake Forest University appear in the December/January issue of Learning & Leading With Technology, the magazine of the International Society for Technology in Education.

“Because they’re truly part of the digital generation, our pre-service teachers and the K-12 students they teach have a natural aptitude for tablet devices,” said Kristin Redington Bennett, an Assistant Professor of Education at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Though iPads can cost more than $500 with 3G access and a budget for apps, Bennett said, “Don’t discount the device because of its price. We found that just one iPad allowed teachers to design creative lesson plans tailored to individual learners.”

One of her pre-service teachers even used the iPad to solve a problem with a disruptive student who made trouble in the reading center every morning. When the teacher showed the student how to download books on the iPad, he read with focus for 20 minutes each morning – a goal he had not achieved until then.

“Anything new and different is engaging for kids,” said Nancy Davidson, a senior elementary education major at Wake Forest who used an iPad in her student teaching last semester. “Tracking student growth through apps, pictures, and videos became more efficient for me and more interesting for the children. Using the iPad in class started as a luxury, but quickly became a normal part of their learning process.”

Bennett’s pre-service teachers used the iPads in three ways:

*Comparing students’ progress on identical tasks using the iPads, interactive whiteboards, and desktops to see if the less-expensive iPad would work as well.

*In groups of two or three, working out a problem together. This approach required a set of rules (only one set of fingers on the iPad) and specific tasks for each team member. The group would capture an image of their work and store it in the iPad’s photo album for teacher review.

*For the teacher only, taking the place of other digital displays. One teacher took photos around the school and flipped through as she explained geometric shapes occurring in the school and in nature.

“What often happens in schools is that they purchase this new technology and expect teachers to use it with little training in how to design successful instruction with it,” Bennett said. “My goal is to train our elementary education candidates to graduate from our program with the skills and fluency in the use of mobile technology to support teaching and learning. This has allowed many of our graduates to be leaders in their schools even as a first-year teacher.”

Based on her experience, Bennett recommends these top 10 apps for use with elementary-school students:

1. Google Earth: (all ages) Take a virtual field trip to anywhere through this app that uses global satellite and aerial imagery with a swipe of a finger.

2. DoodleBuddy: (all ages) Students and teachers can use this across all content areas as a whiteboard equivalent to paint, draw, sketch, and write.

3. Story Buddy: (K-2nd) This app allows kids to create, read, and share stories that they create with the iPad.

4. Stack the States: (2nd-6th) An animated, game-based way to learn state locations, capitals, shapes, abbreviations, and nicknames.

5. Geocaching: (3rd-6th) In this global treasure hunting game, participants hide and seek containers, called geocaches, outdoors, then share their adventures online.

6. Numberland HD: (PK-1st) Twin heroes teach numbers using the Montessori Method.

7. Corkulous: (2nd – 6th) This app allows students to collect, organize, and share ideas through notes, labels, and photos.

8. iThoughtsHD: (3rd-6th) This mind-mapping tool can be used to sequence ideas, write mind-maps, organize thinking, and assess interrelatedness.

9. Coin Math: (K-3rd) Students learn both sides of a coin, how to add them, and how to pay for something with the correct coins.

10. StarFall ABC’s: (PK-1st) Students learn to recognize letters and develop skills as they begin to learn to read.

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Red Hill Studios announces the release of the Painting with Time iPad app – the first in a series of remarkable time painting apps – that lets you explore how the world around you changes over time. ”The Painting with Time app makes it fun to manipulate time,” says Red Hill Studios Creative Director Bob Hone. “Your fingers literally paint with time – transforming everyday scenes into amazing time composites.”

This free educational app lets you make leaves magically appear on trees, then paint on the incredible colors of fall. Fill up a tidal pool in Monterey with the incoming tide. Display the shades of San Francisco over a day. Each scene reveals a slow natural process that we cannot normally see.

“People cannot perceive the immense amount of slow change taking place all around us – our brains are not wired that way,” notes Bob Hone, originator of the Exploring Time transmedia concept. “Our visual system evolved to see dangers and avoid being eaten – not detect slow moving events like the tide rising, the passing of seasons, people aging, or changes in climate.

Centuries of scientific discovery helped reveal these patterns of change, and new technologies are continuing to reveal the amazing dynamics of our world. The Painting with Time app is a small window into a vast and growing field of timescale explorations from trillionths of seconds to billions of years.”

The Painting with Time app provides a range of time brushes and special time slicers that let you transform photographic sequences in strange and unique new ways. Paint on layers of time to watch a woman age over 60 years. Discover the amazing retreat of a glacier over decades.

Features:

• 14 carefully crafted time sequences of nature, art, and people
• Painting Time manipulation mode
• Slicing Time manipulation mode
• Eight preset brushes and slicing patterns
• “Mix and Merge” capability to combine a variety of time views within composites

“We’re passionate about helping people view the world in a new way – not just with their eyes, but also with their minds and imaginations,” emphasizes Hone. “Static is an illusion – everything is changing all the time and on many timescales – our bodies, our cities, our world. So future titles in the Painting with Time series will separately explore how people, cities, nature, and the world are changing over time.”

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According to news sources, the Intel Corporation has announced a new $300 million Ultrabook Fund to encourage the aggressive entry of this lightweight, ultra thin category of new laptops into the marketplace to compete directly with the Macbook Air.

Trademarked by Intel, the Ultrabook is estimated to be about 20 mm thick, will utilize Core i5, i7 processors, and is expected to have about 5 to 8 hours of battery life. The product is seen as the industry’s answer to the highly popular, high-end, Macbook Air.

The highly anticipated, ultraportable laptops are expected to make a huge splash in the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, with about 50 new Ultrabook models expected to be introduced during the show, according to news sources.

Microsoft’s new touch-based OS platform, Windows 8, is also expected to fuel the growth of Ultrabooks, which are reportedly expected to reach 40 percent of all laptop sales by the end of 2012, according to Intel.

Intel CEO, Paul Otellini said that Windows 8 would contribute to the success of Ultrabooks once the operating system is released during the second half of 2012. “Starting with Windows 8, you have a mainstream operating system incorporating touch. Our view is that in the ultrabook lines, touch is a pretty critical enabler. When users see that new Windows interface, they’re going to want to touch it. If the screen does nothing, you have disappointed [the] consumer,” Otellini said.

In large part, the new Ultrabooks will be competing on price, with the $300 million Ultrabook Fund expected to help keep down the cost of components and manufacturing expenses.

Otellini stressed the importance of competitive pricing for the new Ultrabooks.

“And in order for us to have an excited consumer at $699 and $799 price points, you have to be able to accelerate the reduction in [touch] cost. That’s the kind of investment we’ll make around the Ultrabook Fund.

With Apple rumored to be releasing a new 15” Macbook Pro “retina” display capable entry to the marketplace during the second quarter of 2012, it may just be that the industry will become more competitive.

Expect the battle for the new laptop category to heat up in earnest in the years ahead. Let us know what you think of the new Ultrabooks, and whether or not you believe they can effectively compete with Apple’s laptops.

Go to Toonari Post on Facebook and give us your opinion or give us a tweet @Toonaripost.

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Chili’s Grill & Bar takes digital integration to the next level by expanding the guest experience beyond the four walls of the restaurant and right into the palm of their hands. With an estimated 142 million smart phones sold this holiday season, new iPhone and Android users as well as smart phone veterans, can now enjoy the new Chili’s app, making location searches, driving directions, updated menu and online ordering available at just the push of a few buttons.

The new apps and mobile site are user-friendly with a clean interface, making it easy for new smart phone users and Digital Natives alike to search for the nearest restaurant with the geo-mapping function. Using the guest’s physical location, the technology allows users to find the phone number, address and driving directions to the closest Chili’s.

“With the constant evolution of technology, our world continues to receive information and entertainment at the touch of our fingertips,” said Edithann Ramey, senior director of marketing for Chili’s Grill & Bar. “Our guests lead busy lives and Chili’s is making it easier for them to enjoy the convenience of our bold menu offerings with these enhanced applications.”

Guests can peruse the menu browser option to choose exactly what they want to ease their hunger pains. Featured items for dine-in and To Go are all at the touch of a button including Chili’s $20 Dinner for 2, where guests select one appetizer and two entrees for one great price, and the brand’s Custom Combinations, which features any two entrees served with seasonal veggies and loaded mashed potatoes.

There are several ways to download the Chili’s app. From an iPhone, go to the App Store and type in a search for “chilis.” Follow the directions once the Chili’s icon pops up. To download the app from a computer, visit the iTunes store at www.apple.com/iTunes, plug in “chilis” into the search box to access the app. From Android Market, search for “chilis” to install the free application. For other smart phone users, simply visit www.chilistogo.com to view the mobile site with the same online ordering functionality as the iPhone and Android app.

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