Compare Local Cable TV Providers with New Search Website BundleMyBills.com

Austin, TX  (Profitable.com)  Home service comparison site BundleMyBills.com is improving the way online shoppers find local cable TV providers and services. Utilizing Saveology.com’s advanced proprietary technology, BundleMyBills.com is now providing users with tools that enable them to search by state, city or their own address to find and compare cable TV providers across the country.

The user-friendly search tools serve two important, simultaneous purposes says BundleMyBills.com Operations Manager Ace Elliott. “Users not only get the most up-to-date information about which cable TV providers are operating in a specific service area, they also get side-by-side comparisons which makes it much easier to weigh all the available options.”

By targeting a certain area online shoppers can rule out cable TV providers that aren’t offering services in their neighborhood and focus just on those that do. This eliminates the need to seek out service area information for each cable TV provider. “It’s not always easy to figure out where a cable TV provider operates using their own websites,” adds Elliott. “After you provide your address some providers immediately start trying to make the sale and they certainly aren’t going to tell you about competitive offers from other local cable TV providers.”

In addition to search and comparison tools, BundleMyBills.com also provides users with a guide that gives users tips on how to find the best cable TV providers and prices regardless of where they live. The site also provides information on fiber optic and satellite TV services.

To search for cable TV deals in your area or to find out more about specific cable TV providers like Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications, please visit: BundleMyBills.com

About BundleMyBills.com

BundleMyBills.com offers customers the latest tools in the home service comparison shopping. Powered by Saveology’s proprietary technology, BundleMyBills.com gives consumers the ability to do a side-by-side comparison of plans and prices from the top providers within their local area. The company has brought together leading national and local providers so consumers can accurately weigh all of their options before signing up for a service. As an authorized retailer of DISH Network, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, AT&T, Cox Communications, Verizon, ADT, Protect America and more BundleMyBills.com is able to offer online shoppers the very best deals on the market.

Paris  (Profitable.com)  Gameloft, a leading publisher of digital and social games, has announced a lineup of 12 pre-loaded games for iPads available to the Australian air carrier Jetstar passengers as part of their new in-flight entertainment program. 5 titles will be available from December onwards : Real Football, Shrek Kart, Avatar, UNO™ and N.O.V.A.: Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance.

The remaining 7 titles, GT Racing: MotorAcademy, Brain Challenge, Blokus, Ironman 2, Let’s Golf 2, The Settlers and Asphalt 5will follow in the first quarter of 2012.

“Gameloft’s philosophy is to make video games accessible to the widest audience possible byconstantly seeking new avenues to reach and interact with consumers,” said Michel Guillemot, President and Founder of Gameloft. ”As Jetstar uses some of the most innovative technology available to enhance its customers in-flight experience, we look forward to partnering with them to offer one of the mostimmersive gaming experience to ever appear onboardan aircraft.”

“Jetstar is proud to be the first airline in the world to entertain its customers with cutting-edge iPad technology revolutionizing the in-flight entertainment experience for its customers.” added Bruce Buchanan, Jetstar Group Chief Executive Officer.

As the new in-flight entertainment program is rolled out over the coming weeks on selected Jetstar flights, including Australian domestic, trans Tasman and short-haul international flights between Australia and New Zealand, passengers will have the option to rent iPads when flying longer than 2 hours for A$10 to A$15 per flight.

For more information, please visit our company website at http://www.gameloft.com.

About Gameloft

A leading global publisher of digital and social games, Gameloft® has established itself as one of the top innovators in its field since 2000. Gameloft creates games for all digital platforms, including mobile phones, smartphones and tablets (including Apple® iOS and Android® devices), set top box, connected TVs and consoles. Gameloft partners with leading international brands such as UNO®, Spider-Man®, James Cameron’s Avatar™, Ferrari® and Sonic Unleashed®. Gameloft also operates its own established franchises, such as Real Football, Asphalt™, Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus and N.O.V.A Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance®. Gameloft is present in all continents, distributes its games in 100 countries and employs over 4,500 developers.

Gameloft is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA).

Press Contact:

Jessica W. Lewinstein
+1-415-265-5725
Jessica.Lewinstein@gameloft.com

Los Gatos, CA  (Profitable.com)  Mark/Space, Inc., the leading developer of phone and tablet synchronization solutions for PC and Mac, today announced the availability of the new Welcome Home to Android application for customers who are new to the Android platform. Welcome Home is a comprehensive one-time set-up tool, offering customers who are transitioning from a BlackBerry or iPhone, a fast, easy and complete way to set-up a new Android phone with their info and media.

“Switching to a new phone should be painless,” said Brian Scott Toney, Mark/Space Director of Sales and Business Development. “Android has skyrocketed to be the number one OS, so we created a tool that gets customers who are new to Android loaded up in minutes instead of hours. We capture their workout playlist, vacation photos from their old phone, video they shot of their friends, even info and media from their computer.”

The Welcome Home to Android application gathers media and personal information from an old phone and from a PC or Mac computer, then moves it to a new Android phone. It encompasses:

Personal Information
* Contacts
* Calendar
* Tasks
* Notes

Media and More
* Music and iTunes playlists
* Photos and photo albums
* Videos (MP4, MOV, AVI)
* Bookmarks

“Many people considering a switch to Android this holiday are worried about losing data,” said Brian Scott Toney, Mark/Space Director of Sales and Business Development. “Welcome Home includes how-to videos that walk customers through setup to ensure they get all the info they want, whether it’s on their old phone or their computer.”

Mark/Space is offering the Welcome Home application to customers transitioning from a BlackBerry or iPhone. The desktop application runs on Windows PC or Mac computers, and the mobile app works on Android phones running Android OS 2.1 or higher. The Welcome Home app includes English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, and is available now for US$9.95 at http://www.markspace.com/welcome-home.

About Mark/Space Inc.

Founded in 1990, the Los Gatos, California-based company Mark/Space, Inc., http://www.markspace.com, develops and markets award-winning mobile, desktop and cloud-based synchronization software, including Fliq, GoGadget and The Missing Sync family of products that synchronize Windows and Mac computers with mobile devices, smartphones, readers and tablets from Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, HP, HTC, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, RIM, Samsung, Sony, Sony Ericsson and others.

Follow Mark/Space on Twitter (http://twitter.com/syncexperts), and the Mark/Space blog (http://blog.markspace.com).

GoGadget is a trademark of Mark/Space, Inc. Mac and iTunes are trademarks of Apple, Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Los Angeles, CA  (Profitable.com)  Paramount Pictures and Funtactix, a worldwide developer and publisher of online worlds and social games, today announced the launch of Mission: Impossible The Game the official social game based on the Mission: Impossible movie franchise from Paramount Pictures. Mission: Impossible The Game is available now on Facebook at https://apps.facebook.com/mission-impossible.

Mission: Impossible The Game casts players in the leading role of an underground secret agent who must assemble a team of covert agents, unlock state-of-the-art gadgets and equipment and collect classified intel through secret rendezvous in order to build an outfit ready to complete elaborate operations in exotic locales around the world.  Featuring eight exciting stories, over 200 missions and set in 50 global locations, Mission: Impossible The Game truly captures the essence of what it means to be part of the Impossible Missions Force.

“Mission: Impossible The Game goes well beyond a typical social game and brings an unprecedented level of detail and authenticity,” said Sam Glassenberg, CEO of Funtactix.  ”It allows fans of the action-packed Mission: Impossible movies to create an agent in the official M:I universe and live a life of espionage and covert operations with their real-life friends as accomplices.”

“Integrating unique experiences and rewards into the Mission: Impossible game is an exciting new way for Paramount to interact with the Facebook community and build on the excitement for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in an organic way,” said Amy Powell, President, Insurge Pictures & Paramount Digital Entertainment and Executive Vice President, Interactive Marketing for Paramount Pictures.

Through Paramount Pictures, Mission: Impossible The Game players are offered an innovative new way to immerse themselves in the franchise and upcoming release of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol within the game.  In the coming weeks Mission: Impossible The Game will be the preeminent location for movie fans to celebrate the upcoming movie Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol with the launch of exclusive items and giveaways that include:

• A chance to win tickets to the U.S. premiere of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
• A chance to win a hometown screening of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol for you and 30 of your friends
• A Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol themed game level
• Movie passes to Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol
• Signed movie posters, hats and t-shirts from Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol
• Mission: Impossible Blu-Ray DVD sets
• View movie trailers and exclusive clips

Full details and restrictions on these prizes and how to enter are available in the Official Rules provided in the game.  No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

Mission: Impossible The Game is developed and published by Funtactix and marks the second game collaboration with Paramount Pictures.  In March 2011 the companies teamed up to release Rango: The World, the online multiplayer game that launched day-and-date with Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies animated feature film Rango.

For more information about Funtactix and Mission: Impossible The Game, please visit www.MissionImpossibleTheGame.com.

About Funtactix

Founded in 2006, Funtactix is a pioneer in web-based gaming. Led by industry veterans, the Funtactix team champions a streamlined production approach: delivering highly-innovative gaming experiences on rapid production timelines with tight community iteration.  Funtactix works with leading entertainment companies to deliver visually stunning, microtransaction-based online games and worlds around leading media franchises, unlocking the value of IP assets in a way that is loyal to the brand. The company’s achievements include release of the first in-browser multiplayer action gaming universe (Moondo) in 2008, and in 2011, the first online game to launch day-and-date with a feature film (Rango: The World) as part of a multi-title deal with Paramount Pictures. Funtactix also holds a multi-title deal with Warner Music Group to create and release online multi-player social games for select Warner artists.  Funtactix is backed by Jerusalem Venture Partners, and is based out ofNew York with development studios in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Los Angeles.

For more information about Funtactix, please visit: www.funtactix.com.

About Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Mission: Impossible

This holiday season, two-time Academy Award®-winner Brad Bird directs, with producers Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams, the action-packed spy adventure Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

Blamed for the terrorist bombing of the Kremlin, IMF operative Ethan Hunt is disavowed along with the rest of the agency when the President initiates “Ghost Protocol.”  Left without any resources or backup, Ethan must find a way to clear his agency’s name and prevent another attack. To complicate matters further, Ethan is forced to embark on this mission with a team of fellow IMF fugitives whose personal motives he does not fully know.

Tom Cruise returns in the starring role as Ethan Hunt and is joined by an international cast that includes Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway, Anil Kapoor and Lea Seydoux. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is directed by Brad Bird, in his live action film debut, and written by Josh Appelbaum & Andre Nemec. Cruise, who produces the Mission: Impossible films, is joined by producers J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk. The film will be co-financed by Skydance Productions. Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Paul Schwake and Dana Goldberg are the executive producers.

San Jose, CA  (Profitable.com)  With more than 250 million Android handsets in use around the world, the platform has established its dominance in the smartphone marketplace. Yet developers of the over 300,000 apps in the Android app market still face significant hurdles trying to make money from their Android creations. To help solve this problem for Android developers, PaymentOne Corporation® (www.paymentone.com), a global leader in mobile payments, today announced the availability of its PayOne Mobile SDK with Android One Click API, the easiest way for developers to monetize premium and freemium Android apps.

“The toughest challenge any developer faces is how to make money from their apps,” said Brad Singer, executive vice president of PaymentOne. “Freemium is a great business model to engage consumers, and we enable developers to remove all friction at the point of purchase while maintaining a highly secure transaction. In a world where every connected device is ‘commerce ready,’ PaymentOne’s SDKs continue to optimize the payment process for the specific device, platform, media and user experience.”

By adding the simple Android One Click API from the PayOne Mobile SDK in their code, Android developers can begin making money from app downloads and in-app purchases made over the PaymentOne network, spanning more than 70 countries and 3.5 billion consumers. PaymentOne pioneered direct carrier billing and no-credit-card-required payments, and has been innovating simple user experiences that deliver secure “fraud-proof” transactions for more than a decade.

PaymentOne has already processed in excess of $5 billion direct to carrier billings with micro transactions typical of in-app purchases. The company, which has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau for its customer support, also features the fastest merchant payout rate in the industry.

Designed for minimal disruption, the PayOne Mobile SDK is the ideal payments platform for mobile applications. The SDK’s Android One Click API enables the easiest possible in-app payment method:

• Consumer clicks a “get more <item>” button which triggers the payment process
• Through the One Click API, the app automatically identifies the mobile phone number
• A text message containing a validation code is then sent to the phone, and the app automatically pulls the code from the message
• The purchase then appears on the customer’s bill

By eliminating the need for users to enter long strings of text to provide their name, number, billing address, credit card information and PIN into the 2-inch screen, PaymentOne keeps the user in the app and eliminates room for error and the frustration of a separate multi-step checkout process.

King of Trivia, an Android game developed by Silmaril.in (www.silmaril.in), leverages the PayOne Mobile SDK to offer mobile payments through PaymentOne to players of its multi-faceted social trivia game.

“We didn’t want King of Trivia players to be hassled with entering their personal credit card information while they are engaged in-game,” said Ashok Varma, Silmaril.in founder and CEO. “The PaymentOne Android payment process is truly a one click experience. Users don’t have to enter their phone number or even a PIN code; the app does it all. Using mobile payments powered by PaymentOne also expands our market globally, and allows our audience of gamers that make in-app purchases to include non-credit card users and those who just aren’t comfortable sharing their private information.”

The PayOne Mobile SDK and Android One Click API are free for developers to use. A transaction fee based on a percentage of each transaction is assessed to merchants. To start using the PayOne Mobile SDK and Android One Click API for your mobile app, contact developer@paymentone.com to set-up your developer account.

About PaymentOne

PaymentOne Corporation is the global leader in mobile payments and carrier billing, making it easy and convenient for consumers to charge digital purchases from any connected device to their mobile, broadband or home phone bills. Digital merchants, publishers and content providers have leveraged PaymentOne’s Carrier Network of 1200 telecom operators in 70 countries – reaching over 3.5 billion consumers – to generate more than $5 billion in new incremental revenue. PaymentOne’s ability to deliver the highest monetization for its merchants and its first rate customer service have earned the company the lowest client churn rate in the business. Profitable and privately held, PaymentOne is based in the Silicon Valley. For more information visit www.PaymentOne.com.

Fort Worth, TX  (Profitable.com)  Bargain hunters searching for the best holiday deals need not wait for Black Friday to get in on the hottest offerings of the season. RadioShack, a leading national retailer of innovative technology products, services and accessories, will offer more than 25 different mobile phones, including models from Verizon Wireless, Sprint and AT&T, free Nov. 20–23 with a qualifying new or upgrade two-year plan and data pack*.

As the nation’s mobile authority, RadioShack’s blitz of more than 25 free phones will provide customers with the ultimate value and the personal service the company is known for. Customers taking advantage of this offer will be able to sleep in on Black Friday morning knowing they already received some of the best values of the holiday season.

“To kick off the holidays, RadioShack is offering many of our top-selling handsets for free to give qualifying customers the broadest selection and maximum savings they are looking for,” said Scott Young, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for RadioShack Corp. “Coupled with the savings from Trade & Save along with our 24/7 mobile support, RadioShack’s pre-Black Friday free phones promotion is the strongest example of our commitment to providing customers with unsurpassed value and service for their mobility needs.”

Here are some of the phones customers who visit their participating local RadioShack may find in store:

Verizon Wireless

• Samsung Stratosphere™
• DROID INCREDIBLE 2 by HTC
• LG Enlighten™
• Pantech Breakout™
• LG Cosmos™ 2
• Pantech Hotshot™

AT&T

• HTC Inspire™ 4G
• Samsung Infuse™ 4G
• MOTOROLA ATRIX™ 2
• LG Thrill™ 4G
• Samsung Evergreen™
• Pantech Breeze™ II
• LG Phoenix™
• HTC Status™

Sprint

• LG Marquee™
• Kyocera Milano™
• Samsung Conquer™ 4G
• Samsung Transform™ Ultra
• Samsung Trender™
• Sanyo Vero™
• LG Optimus™
• Samsung Replenish™

RadioShack customers can also take advantage of additional savings through RadioShack’s Trade & Save** program, which allows them to trade in an old mobile device or other retired technology and immediately apply the appraised trade-in value toward a current purchase. Consumers can appraise their device at http://www.RadioShack.com/tradein and then bring their device to the store to have the appraisal confirmed and complete the trade.

Customers will also receive RadioShack’s Mobile Product Support (MPS) service. This free service is available with any mobile phone purchase at any of RadioShack’s nearly 4,500 U.S. retail locations and includes free expert support for as long as they own the phone. The 24/7 mobile support is accessible via phone, live online chat at RadioShack.com, email or in online forums. In addition, a Mobile Product Support mobile app is available for download in the Android Market for all Android devices. A mobile app for iOS devices is planned for release in early 2012. Read more about Mobile Product Support at http://www.RadioShack.com/MobileProductSupport.

For reporters and media who want more information about RadioShack’s free phone promotion or to learn more about holiday savings, visit http://www.RadioShackHolidays.com.

*Credit approval, activation, early-termination and other fees apply. AT&T requires $15/mo.+ data pack. Sprint requires $10/mo. Premium Data add-on. Verizon requires $30/mo.+ data pack. See associate for details.

**Appraised value will be given as a store credit, which may be applied instantly to your purchase. Products must be in working condition and able to “power on” in order to be appraised. Appraisal is offered at the sole discretion of The Shack Trade & Save Program and is based on the device’s condition, applicable processing fees and trade in of any included chargers, cables or other accessories. All trade-ins are final. Not available where prohibited by local law. See participating stores for details.

About RadioShack Corporation

RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) is a leading national retailer of innovative mobile technology products and services, as well as products related to personal and home technology and power supply needs. The Shack® offers consumers a targeted assortment of wireless phones and other electronic products and services from leading national brands, exclusive private brands and major wireless carriers, all within a comfortable and convenient shopping environment. RadioShack employs approximately 33,000 people globally, including a team of friendly and helpful sales experts who have been recognized for delivering the best customer service in the wireless industry. RadioShack’s retail network includes approximately 4,670 company-operated stores in the United States and Mexico, 1,490 wireless phone centers in the United States, and approximately 1,120 dealer outlets worldwide. For more information on RadioShack Corporation, please visit www.radioshackcorporation.com; to purchase items online, please visit www.radioshack.com. RadioShack® and The Shack® are registered trademarks licensed by RadioShack Corporation.

Bloomfield Hills, MI  (Profitable.com)  That’s Biz, a leading online restaurant marketing firm, introduced their Facebook Like Us Love Us application for restaurant fan pages just thirty days ago and has already hit 2000 monthly active users. Designed exclusively for restaurants, Like Us Love Us is the only solution that puts the information restaurant customers want to know on one tab.

“We use the Like Us Love Us application on several of our resort pages,” said Loren Gray Director of eCommerce for Ocean Properties. “We have looked at a lot of tools and Like Us Love Us is unique in its ability to limit offers and track customer usage. Their practical use of QR codes allows us to redeem promotions with simply a smartphone at our resort restaurants.”

The Facebook Like Us Love Us application is the result of That’s Biz developers creating Facebook applications for restaurants over the past three years and observing what works with the customer. In addition, this past summer That’s Biz completed a survey of thousands of restaurant customers and asked them why they visit and like a restaurant fan page.

“We also like how we can give our customers access to our website information right from Facebook,” Gray continues. “Everything on one tab makes it more convenient for our customers and gets them to visit our page more often.”

That’s Biz offers two versions of Like Us Love Us. Restaurant owners are in full control over the number, level, and redemption of promotions in both versions. They decide whether they need to promote more likes for their page and whether the offers should be restricted. The enhanced version of Like Us Love Us leverages a restaurants website and makes the information one click away from their Facebook page.

Dave Gonynor CEO of That’s Biz concludes, “We know customers check the Like us Love Us tab often because according to Facebook Insights data customers visit the Like Us Love Us tab as much as they do the wall.”

Restaurant owners can watch the attached short video and see how it works. They can also visit the That’s Biz Facebook page which has links to restaurant pages across the country that are using the application.

That’s Biz has a special Introductory Offer that runs through December of 2011. Check it out by clicking on Like Us Love Us for Facebook.

About That’s Biz:

That’s Biz provides email marketing, Facebook marketing and online survey services for thousands of restaurant locations across North America. For more information visit http://www.thatsbiz.com

Madrid, Spain  (Profitable.com)  AppTones, The Sound of Messages has launched version 1.0.5 of their social networking iPhone app, an upgrade based on user feedback that features enhanced chat functionality and a more intuitive user experience.

“We listened to our users and rolled out this new version that makes the messaging process a lot simpler,” says Gabriel Marro, AppTones Chief Architect. “For example, we have a chat function now, where you can select your sound and icon directly from the chat page.”

Users find AppTones to be an exciting substitute for traditional text messaging – it is the only social networking iPhone app to send and receive iMedia Messages. Message packs include pre-recorded sounds and icons and pre-written lines of text that can be combined to send humorous or dramatic messages at a single touch. Users can also write their own text, combining them with sounds and icons or not as they choose. With the new chat functionality, all the features are available on one page, which also shows your previous conversations with that contact. In this new format, composition, sound selection and pairing are simple.

“With AppTones, you can say ‘I love you’, ‘happy birthday’, ‘good luck’, and much more in a unique and unexpected way that is sure to grab someone’s attention,” Wolfgang Haselwander, AppTones Content Guru, said.

Another highlight – because AppTones works through the phone’s browser, users can send and receive unlimited texts, even internationally, for free. And sharing with friends is easy; AppTones automatically connects users with other AppTones users in their contact list, and makes it simple to invite friends to join them.

“We are really excited about this new version,” explains Wolfgang Haselwander, “because it makes AppTones even easier to use, and even more fun.”

Version 1.0.5 is free for a limited time, but will soon be priced at $1.99. Download directly to your iPhone from the App Store, or online at iTunes. For more details, visit the AppTones website at http://apptones.net.

About AppTones: Based in Madrid, Spain, AppTones, S.L is a new social networking app for iPad and iPhone that allows users to send free text messages that combine custom or pre-written text with surprising sounds and colorful icons.

Five Best Practices to Increase Mobile Advertising Success

San Francisco, CA  (Profitable.com)  Mobsmith (http://www.mobsmith.com), a turnkey mobile advertising platform for advertisers and publishers, released five best practices today to help advertisers better engage and convert their customers through their mobile devices. Mobsmith observed trends and patterns within its mobile campaigns that best engaged consumers on their smartphones, and based its observations on proprietary aggregated data and metrics generated by campaigns running on its platform across iOS, Android, mobile web and apps during 2011.

“Mobile is a powerful channel to reach customers on the go, however it is also still relatively new to many smartphone users. It is important to test and fine tune campaigns in order to best understand how mobile users engage with particular brands and their campaigns, and to know what advertisers and agencies need to adjust in order to achieve their marketing goals,” said Ingrid Lestiyo, CEO and co-founder of Mobsmith. “While analyzing our data, it became clear that making a few key modifications – like capturing the user’s attention and delivering key messages within the first 16 seconds of a video clip – nets significant gains in engagement and conversion.”

The Mobsmith five best practices to increase mobile advertising engagement include:

1.    Calls to action must be clear and kept to a minimum: Trends show that a user’s action rate drops off significantly when presented with more than three calls to action. “Watch video, See how, Try now”, and other direct call to action approaches increased engagement by 40 percent.

2.    Videos should be 30 seconds or less: The average video view time across all Mobsmith campaigns was 30 seconds, and half of the video view times were 16 seconds. Hence, advertisers need to capture a user’s attention and deliver key messages within the first 16 seconds of their video clip.

3.    Advertisers should utilize at least one “non-immediate” call to action in ads that have more than one call to action: 37% of actions taken by users are non-immediate, so advertisers should not ignore the importance of non-immediate actions taken by users. Actions like “Email this to me, Email to a friend, Send me a text reminder”, and others generate clicks and long tail engagement, especially for ads with offers or information about a product or service. Users see an ad on the go, but want to share it, and/or have easy access to view it later on their phone.

4.    Banner teaser and moderate animation increases engagement by 40 percent: Rich media attracts attention, but it has a negative effect when done to excess. In other words: skip the flashing text and dancing people. The combination of a clear banner teaser such as “Watch video, See how, or Try now”, with a minimalist, one-time animation of text and image, or an animated video thumbnail teaser attracts the attention of users without compromising their experience. An A/B test of this approach versus static banners revealed a 40 percent lift in mobile ad engagement.

5.    Location, location, location: Geo-targeting and dynamically adapting ad creative to the user’s location (e.g. automatically showing driving directions or different product offers by location) increased click-through engagement by 27 percent.

According to a new report by eMarketer, “Mobile Advertising and Marketing: Moving to the Mainstream”, mobile advertising spend projections will reach $1.8 billon by the end of 2012, growing a healthy 47 percent in the coming year. A majority of the growth will be attributed to search and display (banners, rich media and video) ad units, in addition to the continued adoption of smartphones, tablets and mobile Web usage. A key factor pushing mobile advertising toward the mainstream is that mobile Web access is fast becoming more the norm than the exception, making mobile a greater imperative more than ever for marketers.

About Mobsmith

Mobsmith (http://www.mobsmith.com) is the ultimate turnkey mobile ad-serving platform for agencies, ad networks and premium mobile publishers across the mobile web and iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone 7 mobile applications. The Mobsmith platform powers the full mobile advertising value chain including: ad-serving and targeting, creative tools, as well as tracking, analytics and forecasting. Mobsmith’s customers include Netshelter Technology Media, BabyCenter, TripIt, AOL, Universal McCann, and Starcom Mediavest among others.

For premium publishers and ad networks, Mobsmith provides a full end-to-end mobile direct sales platform that enables sales teams to drive higher CPMs and close rates. For agencies, Mobsmith gives the ability to scale and lower the cost of mobile ad execution by providing a one-stop shop to serve and measure mobile campaigns across all media channels.

Founded in January 2010, Mobsmith is a privately held company based in San Francisco and backed by Blumberg Capital and XG Ventures. Follow us on Twitter or learn more at http://www.mobsmith.com.

Salt Lake City, UT  (Profitable.com)  It seems counterintuitive, but when it comes to employee blogs, sometimes the best posts contain moderate criticism of corporate policy, service or even products, says a new study from the University of Utah.

That is the surprising conclusion of a paper co-authored by Rohit Aggarwal, assistant professor of Information Systems at the university’s David Eccles School of Business. He notes that while some companies have reprimanded or even fired employees over “negative” posts, others have adopted policies tolerating or even encouraging criticism.

In “Blog, Blogger, and the Firm: Can Negative Posts by Employees Lead to Positive Outcomes?” which has been accepted for a forthcoming edition of the Information Research Journal (http://isr.journal.informs.org), Aggarwal contends that “our analysis suggests that negative posts act as a catalyst and can exponentially increase the readership of employee blogs.”

Visitors to corporate/employee blogs do not expect to see anything but positive commentary on company products and services. Critical commentary is seen as reflecting integrity of employees and honesty and openness from the company about their products or services.

“There is some merit in allowing negative posts” by company blogging policy-setters, suggest Aggarwal and coauthors Ram Gopal and Ramesh Sankaranarayanan of the University of Connecticut and Param Vir Singh of Carnegie Mellon University. “Permitting a few negative posts to increase readership should be a good strategy.”

Aggarwal and his colleagues also found that while a few negative posts served to season perceived legitimacy of corporate/employee blogs, too many negative blogs can reverse that initial, favorable reaction from readers. In other words, all things in moderation – including online criticism.

“We found that the optimal percentage for negative posts is about 15 percent to 20 percent,” Aggarwal says. “Beyond that, you may get more readership but there also is more negative impact on the company in terms of reputation and possibly sales.”

So, what does the research suggest for executives in the process of drafting or re-writing their policies on blog content? In a word: vigilance.

“We are not advocating, for instance, that a firm should actively encourage its employees to post negative comments on their blogs. Firms may not choose to restrict certain types of negative posts, which is different from actually encouraging negative posts,” the paper states.

That said, Aggarwal adds that his research suggests that companies should be more open toward “allowing employees more freedom to write and freedom to express” even as they “track blogs to see what the ratio of negative posts is to positive ones.”

A high negative-to-positive blog post ratio can also serve as a canary in a coal mine, allowing a company to proactively react to brewing discontent among employees. “If the (negative) ratio is too high, they can talk with those employees about their concerns. But while they should monitor those blogs, they should not stifle all criticism.”

You can read Aggarwal’s paper in full by visiting http://bit.ly/empblogs.

About the David Eccles School of Business

Founded in 1917 in Salt Lake City, the David Eccles School of Business has programs in entrepreneurship, technology innovation and venture capital management. Emphasizing interdisciplinary education and experiential learning, it launched the country’s largest student-run venture capital fund with $18.3 million (the largest in the United States), and is home to the Pierre Lassonde Entrepreneur Center and the Sorenson Center for Discovery and Innovation. Approximately 3,500 students are enrolled in its undergraduate, graduate and executive degree programs. For more information, visit www.business.utah.edu.

Contacts

(Profitable.com)  PDFWordConverter.net today announces PDF to Word Converter, a new freeware utility that enables the user to convert a PDF document to an editable DOC format quickly and accurately. The program offers a three-step conversion process, support for batch processing and exceptionally accurate output. PDF to Word Converter is immediately available for download from http://www.pdfwordconverter.net

Whether in the office or at home, users sometimes have to deal with restricted PDF documents that they want to convert to DOC because they need to edit, or reuse their content in their own documents. Quite often such files are protected against copying, modifying, or printing. Retyping a document from scratch takes time and efforts that could be put into more important tasks. Of course, there are some expensive programs the user has to buy to convert PDF to DOC but PDFWordConverter.net has just introduced a new freeware utility called PDF to Word Converter that performs conversion to DOC quickly, accurately and, most importantly, for free.

PDF to Word Converter lets the user convert single and multiple files in three steps. To convert to DOC, it’s necessary to add a file or a batch of files to the program, select the output folder and click “Start Converting Now”. Using its sophisticated document analysis and conversion engine, PDF to Word Converter processes files with much accuracy, preserving the layout, text and images, so the output looks like a mirror copy of the original, only in DOC. Restricted PDF files are decrypted automatically and their content becomes editable again. No Microsoft Word software is needed because the new program relies entirely on its own engine for Word conversion.

PDF to Word Converter runs under Windows ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7.

The program is available for free at http://www.pdfwordconverter.net

About PDFWordConverter.net

PDFWordConverter.net is a technology startup by a creative team. The company specializes in conversion software for home and corporate users. Apart of PDF to Word Converter, the development team is also working on several new converters, so a lot of new cool and free software is to come soon. For more information about the company and its projects, please visit http://www.pdfwordconverter.net

Dubai, UAE  (Profitable.com)  NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world, has been selected by Ford Motor Company to be their exclusive map supplier for the Sync MyFord Touch.  The agreement positions NAVTEQ as the map data provider for the SYNC with MyFord Touch SD-card based navigation system in North America, South America, Middle East, Russia and Europe.  NAVTEQ® maps powers more than 24 million in-vehicle navigation systems worldwide.

MyFord Touch featuring NAVTEQ map data is scheduled to launch on multiple 2013 Ford and Lincoln vehicles in North Americaearly next year with expanded features such as NAVTEQ Voice, Speed Limit information, Enhanced Junction View Content, 3D Landmarks, and NAVTEQ Traffic Patterns™.  The North American launch will be followed by the systems launch in South America, Europe, Russia and the Middle East. The available navigation system will also be equipped with some of NAVTEQ’s state of the art content specific to each respective region.

The NAVTEQ map is collected and built using a comprehensive step-by-step process. At every stage, there is a central focus on creating accurate and precise data.  NAVTEQ’s primary goal throughout the collection process is to capture data as it exists in the real world.  Equipped with specialized tools, NAVTEQ’s Digital Mapping Operations team collects and verifies street geometry and up to 260 attributes such as one-way streets, turning lanes, speed limits and information pertaining to points-of-interest.

“NAVTEQ’s comprehensive automotive grade quality and the consistency of our global specification enables consumers to get the best route through their MyFord Touch navigation system” said Jeff Mize, Senior Vice President, Sales & Business Development, NAVTEQ.  “Providing superior location data combined with exceptional support is an invaluable competitive advantage we provide to our customers.”

In order to maintain map data of the highest automotive quality grade, NAVTEQ’s mission is to keep up with changes in the real world.  NAVTEQ has proven that driving the roads is a key differentiator that provides the highest quality database.  NAVTEQ’s geographic analysts drive millions of miles annually in order to capture and validate the road network and location-based content as it exists in the real world.  Operating from 200 offices in 54 countries throughout the world, NAVTEQ’s team of geographic analysts has the local knowledge needed to provide superior accuracy of our maps. Because the road network and content are constantly changing, local presence is critical to change detection and verification-two essential factors in maintaining NAVTEQ’s stringent automotive grade quality standards.

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of location content in the form of maps, traffic and places data that enables navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world.  NAVTEQ supplies precise, comprehensive location content to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions.  The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 5,800 employees located in 200 offices in 54 countries.

For more information on NAVTEQ, please visit http://corporate.navteq.com. This NAVTEQ press release and other news is available at http://press.navteq.com. Join NAVTEQ on Facebook at facebook.com/NAVTEQCompany and Twitter at @NAVTEQ.

NAVTEQ and NAVTEQ Traffic Patterns are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.

New York, NY  (Profitable.com)  Mobile users can try EyeBrights products simply by taking a self-portrait with a camera-enabled mobile phone and sending it to eyebrights(at)agm(dot)tw as an MMS/picture message or email. The mobiSHADES mobile service immediately analyzes the user’s facial structure and returns an image displaying an EyeBrights™ eye-wear selection superimposed on the user’s facial image. The mobiSHADES service then provides links to a mobile site where more quality EyeBrights™ eye-wear models can be selected for display on the user’s photo.

While the mobiSHADES service is remarkable in its ability to immediately and accurately show users how they look in a particular style or color of EyeBrights™ reading glasses using ordinary feature phones as well as smart phones and it doesn’t stop there. mobiSHADES allows customers to share their images on social media platforms where they can ask friends to vote for the best-looking style. Additionally, mobiSHADES provides a quick-purchase mobile e-commerce platform with unique security features.

“We love the fact that anyone can now virtually try on our various styles of eyebrights™ to see what looks best for their face as well as how to turn them on and off”, said David Ropes, Co – Founder of eyebrights™.

The mobiSHADES application is a development of Mobius image recognition software, which has been used worldwide in a variety of mobile applications from advertising to food security and anti-counterfeiting technology.

“We think mobiSHADES will help EyeBrights™ to enter the mobile market quickly and securely,” said Mobius International CEO Aram Kovach. “All Mobius applications are flexible and designed to satisfy the needs of mobile users as well as the retailer or producer because Mobius does not require anything more than a camera-enabled mobile phone. In the case of EyeBrights™, we’ve matched the service with the power of social media, which helps customers make better choices and provides EyeBrights™ with a new and powerful market reach. In addition, once a user completes their first mobiSHADES experience, EyeBrights™ will also be able to follow up with the user with special offers or other sales-building information.”

The sophisticated mobiSHADES mobile image recognition system determines the capabilities of the mobile device that has sent the image, and returns content that is best suited for that particular device. For example, a “smart phone” user will receive access to high quality, optimized video and still images, whereas a “regular” mobile phone will receive video and images at file sizes and resolutions that are in line with its capabilities.

Mobius image recognition service is free to registered members, requires no downloads, and works internationally across all mobile devices and service providers. Mobius also responds in the primary language of the country where a call originates. Users pay only the charges associated with their mobile phone service contract.

For more information visit http://www.EyeBrights.net and http://mobishades.mobiusworld.me.

About: EyeBrights™

EyeBrights are a product of Vision Group LLC. EyeBrights are licensed from Waters Industries under U.S. Patent #’s 6,612,695; 6,863,416; 7,104,670 and 7,377,664.

About: CompEx, Inc.

CompEx, Inc., the parent company of Mobius International the image recognition technology in mobile commerce] which provides comprehensive integrated web solutions to solve the complex connectivity problems facing today’s organizations. Based in Columbus, Ohio, CompEx, Inc. is a privately-funded company formed in 1992 as a technology brand of global invention and vision to develop solutions for new business ventures. CompEx specializes in interactive mobile marketing, web and mobile application development, business intelligence, infrastructure/security, and digital data management. Our innovative thinking, knowledge and systematic work methodology enable us to provide our customers with timely and highly effective solutions.

For more information about CompEx, Inc. or Mobius, contact our US Headquarters (877) 829-0536 or visit mobiusworld.me or mobiSHADES.MobiusWorld.ME

New York, NY  (Profitable.com)  Hotlist (http://www.Hotlist.com), the social planning and discovery platform, has released a slew of advanced features and sleeker interface for their website and iPhone app. The tech startup aims to simplify the way friends coordinate plans and discover what will be happening today, tomorrow, and throughout the week at millions of venues worldwide.

Hotlisters can now take “virtual peeks” into venues hours or days in advance to see Facebook profile photos of the expected crowds, details of upcoming events, male: female ratios, and which of their Facebook friends (even if they’re not Hotlist users) plan to attend.

Hotlist has also launched a new social coordination tool, named “Planner,” which allows users to quickly determine the best time and place for a get-together with invited Facebook friends. Built for ease and speed, Planner helps friends coordinate more effectively than email, phone calls, text messages, and even Facebook.

Hotlist aggregates public plans in order to show users which places will be trending nearby. Users receive even more personalized social recommendations based on the friends, places, events, and brands they follow.

Already named one of the Top 100 Websites of 2010 by PC Magazine and nominated for Best Location-Based Service at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, Hotlist now seems poised to become the first major application to help people plan their offline social lives.

“Hotlist is the first location-based service to completely focus on simplifying people’s social lives. Our goal is to leverage the connective power of social media and smartphones to encourage real-world interaction,” said Chris Mirabile, co-Founder and CEO of Hotlist.

Available for free download in the Apple iTunes Store, Hotlist is the first app to use over 100 million people’s plans to provide social information on over 2.7 million venues in more than 40,000 cities. Hotlist makes social decisions easier by pulling public data from Facebook and Twitter and customizing it for each user based on their social preferences.

Additional Information:

Hotlist Promo Video: http://www.hotlist.com/promo

Hotlist Media Kit: http://www.hotlist.com/mediakit

About Hotlist

Hotlist puts you in the right place, at the right time by making it easy to coordinate with friends and discover what people are planning at millions of places worldwide. Hotlisters use their smartphones, computers and tablets to see which places are trending nearby. By following People, Places & Interests, you receive even more personalized social recommendations about what’s happening today, tomorrow and throughout the week. Staying in the loop has never been easier! While there are a lot of factors that go into having a stellar time, it’s usually not about where you are as much as who you’re with. On Hotlist, you can take virtual peeks into places hours or days in advance to see which friends plan to be there (even if they’re not on Hotlist), event details, girl/guy ratios, and Facebook profile photos of the expected crowd!

Think of Hotlist as the friend at the party you call to ask “Hey, how is it?” Except we know everyone and always pick up.

Plan. Follow. Socialize at http://www.Hotlist.com.

Contact:

Elisabeth Murphy, Zito Partners
Tel: 631.838.7964
Email: Elisabeth@zitopartners.com

Bob Zito, Zito Partners
Tel: 908.546.7447
Email: Bob@zitopartners.com

Merrimack, NH  (Profitable.com)  The results are in, and the gift experts at Brookstone have announced four hot buying trends this Holiday season. The product development company and specialty retailer is seeing a strong attraction to four key product categories, ranging from app control and iPad tablets to massage and merry-making.

“We’re seeing a continuation of the home entertaining trend and have several winning products sure to be the hit of the party,” said Brookstone CEO Ron Boire. “With 300 gifts under fifty dollars and hundreds more on Brookstone.com, shoppers are sure to find clever gifts for everyone on their list for a great value at Brookstone.”

Holiday Gift Trends at Brookstone for 2011

Total App-Control

App-controlled vehicles have achieved techno-nirvana by successfully combining the live-action toys with streaming video and night vision. Here’s the rundown on this year’s best app gifts.

Rover Wireless Spy Tank

It’s the video-streaming, night-vision wireless tank that’s taking over holiday wish lists across the nation. Drives by iPod touch®, iPhone® or iPad® device using free downloadable app. For ages 14 and up. $149.99

Parrot® AR.Drone™ Quadricopter

Built-in Wi-Fi connection, accelerometer and gyroscopes let pilots fly it using an iPod touch, iPhone, iPad® or Android™ device using free downloadable app. Built-in video cameras let the pilot view the flight from the AR.Drone’s perspective. For ages 14 and up. $299.99

Wi-Fi Racer

Ready, set… GO! This app-controlled 1/10-scale racecar generates its own Wi-Fi. Drivers can steer the racer using the accelerometer on their iPod touch, iPhone, iPad or Android devices. Beginner, advanced and expert driving modes keep things interesting. For ages 14 and up. $99.99

Tankbots

Tankbots are mini vehicles that can be driven via Apple iOS or Android™ devices. Infrared obstacle detection and an autonomous personality mode to explore terrain and navigate through mazes, and even duel each other. Available in multiple colors. For ages 8 and up. $29.99 each

Soulo™ Karaoke—Wireless Microphone with Pitch Control

Soulo takes the music in any iPad, iPod touch or iPhone device, strips out the vocal, and then lets anyone be the star of the show. Soulo streams lyrics onto the screen and uses real-time pitch enhancement to keep less-than-professional singers in tune. $99.99

Hot Gifts for iPad Lovers

More iPad users in the world means more people trying to personalize and accessorize. Brookstone is the gift destination for the tablet lover on everyone’s list.

Bluetooth® Keyboard Portfolio  

Foldover portfolio has a built-in Bluetooth® wireless keyboard that lets iPad users type with wild abandon. In cool new colors.$99.99

Brookstone® Boombox    

Lose the cassettes not the swagger. This portable stereo lets people “share” music with everyone on the block… just by docking their iPad tablet. $129.99

Hot for the Host

Brookstone is happy to announce that the party is back with a vengeance. Here’s what’s coming to parties this year.

Automatic Wine Opener with Built-in Foil Cutter

Corks (and foils) have met their match. Thirsty guests will be impressed by how quickly this opener lets them get to their wine. It’s placed over the bottle, a twist removes the wine foil, and then a push of the button removes the cork. Cordless and rechargeable. $49.99

Vinturi® Wine Aerator

Guests may think the wine is more expensive than it really is. This handheld device instantly “breathes” wine as each glass is poured, enhancing flavor and bouquet. Available for red or white wines and for liquors. From $39.99

Obol®, the Never-Soggy Cereal Bowl

If adult beverages aren’t the main attraction at the party, Obol® makes a great conversation-starting gift for your hosts (or their kids). This very modern-looking bowl has two sections—an upper area for cereal (or holiday cookies), and a lower reservoir for milk. One swoops a scoop of cereal onto a spoon, then swoops into the milk for the perfect crispy bite every time. Also great for soup and crackers or chips and salsa. $19.99

Feel-Good Gifts

Feel-good gifts like massagers, slippers and memory foam pillows are always popular during the holiday season.

Brookstone® Body Bean

It’s a high-tech update on the beloved hot water bottle that’s cordless and rechargeable. It’s great for soothing aches and pains, tired muscles, and for just keeping warm on a chilly day. $34.99

3-in-1 Heated Wrap—with Body Bean

Pairs a cordless Body Bean with versatile body wrap that holds the Bean against the lower back, neck and shoulders, or anywhere else soothing warmth is needed. $49.99

Active Sport Handheld Massager

Brookstone is finding that athletes and other active people are using handheld massagers to soothe and loosen up muscles before and after workouts. The Active Sport Massager packs plenty of massaging horsepower and has 3 interchangeable massage heads that let users target specific areas or enjoy all-over relief. $69.99

Tempur-Pedic® Comfort-Step Slippers

Revolutionary Tempur-Pedic® slippers deliver maximum comfort with a pressure-relieving breathable material, while the durable hard sole is ideal for around the house and quick trips out to the mailbox. “The best slippers I’ve ever owned … I would never think about wearing another type of slipper now.” - Susie, Brookstone Customer Review $49.99

Brookstone, Inc., is an innovative product development company and specialty retailer of unique gifts. Brookstone operates 300 stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico. Typically located in high-traffic regional shopping malls and airports, the stores feature unique and innovative consumer products. The Company also operates a Direct Marketing business that includes the Brookstone catalog and an e-commerce website at Brookstone.com. Fans of the Company are encouraged to Like Brookstone on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Product prices and availability subject to change without notice.

Contact:
Kristina Lynch
Tara Ink
+1-305-864-3434 ext 153
kristina@taraink.com

Seattle, WA  (Profitable.com)  Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that the Kindle Fire Newsstand will offer over 400 full-color magazines and newspapers. Kindle Fire customers who subscribe before March 1, 2012 will also receive an exclusive free three-month trial of 17 Condé Nast magazines, including Vanity Fair, GQ, WIRED and Glamour. Kindle Fire, which ships next week, is a new class of Kindle that brings the same ease-of-use and deep integration of content that helped Kindle re-invent reading to magazines, movies, TV shows, music, apps, games, books and more. Magazines and newspapers look beautiful on Kindle Fire’s 7” vibrant multi-touch color touch-screen that delivers 1024 X 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi and 16 million colors in high resolution. Kindle Fire Newsstand customers will be able to enjoy their favorite magazines in rich, glossy, full-color from publishers such as Condé Nast, Meredith, and Hearst. Interactive editions with built-in video and audio are also available for many magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens, Allure and Self. To learn more about the Kindle Fire Newsstand, visit www.amazon.com/kindlefirenewsstand.

“We think Kindle Fire customers will love the beautiful, intuitive reading experience we’ve built for their favorite magazines such as Us Weekly, The New Yorker, and Reader’s Digest,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content. “The response from publishers has been overwhelmingly positive and they are excited to make their magazines and newspapers available on Kindle Fire, and we’re adding new titles all the time.”

“We’re excited to work with Amazon to give Kindle Fire owners access to our magazines digitally,” said John Loughlin, EVP/GM, Hearst Magazines. “Kindle Fire’s beautiful touch-screen creates a great experience for readers, who will be able to enjoy magazines like Cosmopolitan and Esquire in a full-color, glossy format.”

“We are very pleased to be working with Amazon and getting our content to an even wider audience,” said Monica Ray, Executive Vice President, Consumer Marketing, Condé Nast. “Their Newsstand will provide the kind of access and ease-of-use consumers value and demand.”

“Meredith has worked with Amazon to create Kindle Fire optimized interactive apps, so readers can enjoy videos, how-to diagrams and more while reading magazines like Better Homes & Gardens and Parents,” said Liz Schimel, Chief Digital Officer, Meredith. “We think readers will love the experience of discovering our magazines in this new way on Kindle Fire’s beautiful full-color touch-screen.”

Kindle Fire offers more than 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, magazines, apps and games, as well as free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync for books and movies, a 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand, vibrant color touch screen, a powerful dual-core processor and Amazon Silk – Amazon’s new revolutionary web browser that accelerates the power of the mobile device by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services Cloud – all for only $199. Customers also enjoy a free month of Amazon Prime giving them access to Prime Instant Video with 13,000 movies and TV shows available for unlimited streaming and the new Kindle Owners’ Lending Library where Kindle owners can now choose from thousands of books to borrow for free including more than 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers – as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates.

Customers in the U.S. can pre-order Kindle Fire at www.amazon.com/kindlefire and it ships November 15. For high resolution images and video of the all-new Kindle Fire, visit www.amazon.com/kindleimages.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. The new latest generation Kindle is the lightest, most compact Kindle ever and features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight. Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes – still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch 3G is the top of the line e-reader and offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch, with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle Fire is the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon Silk (Amazon’s new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser), vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Delray Beach, FL  (Profitable.com)  Online travel retailer, iCruise.com® announced today the launch of its mobile cruise website, http://m.icruise.com.  The new site provides real time cruise pricing and booking capability and offers much of the same functionality as the company website www.iCruise.com, but optimized for hand-held mobile devices.

The iCruise® mobile website features an easy to use layout with comprehensive information on more than 20 cruise lines, 200 ships, and 12,000 itineraries.  Additionally, the iCruise® mobile website includes ship amenities, public room photos, port information, and complete online pricing and booking on 10 cruise lines including Royal Caribbean Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

“The number of people visiting our websites from mobile devices is growing,” said Uf Tukel, Co-President and co-founder of iCruise.com® parent company WMPH Vacations, “Clearly clients are changing – not only in how they search and buy cruises, but how they communicate as well.  We want to give them the tools they need to make it easy and convenient to work with us in any way they want.”

This is the third initiative in mobile cruise retailing from iCruise.com.  Its CruiseFinder™ iPhone and Android apps are the most popular and comprehensive mobile cruise apps in the travel industry.  Both are available as free downloads on the iTunes Appstore and in the Android Marketplace or at the company’s website at www.iCruise.com/mobileapps

About www.iCruise.com

iCruise® is a unit of WMPH Vacations, an award-winning global cruise and travel retail company headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida.  WMPH also operates www.CruiseCheap.com,www.EuropeCruises.com, www.AlaskaCruises.com, www.HawaiiCruiseOutlet.com, and www.RegentCruises.com.

For More Information Contact:
Uf Tukel – President WMPH Vacations
Tel:  (800) 427-8473 ext 7844 -  Email:  Uf.Tukel@WMPH.com

Navigating a Night on the Town Made Easier with New Android Apps

Redwood City, CA  (Profitable.com)  Imagine standing on a busy street corner in the nightlife district of an unfamiliar city. You want to find someplace to have a good time, but you’re not sure where to go. A new series of QuickClick apps from Marketimpacts.com makes finding places to go as easy as on button tap.

The QuickClick Locale Series offers a number of apps, each focused on a specific need. Apps for a night out include:

• Nightlife
• Restaurants
• Fast Food
• Casinos
• Coffee
• Dessert
• Gas Stations
• Parking
• ATMs

“There are times when you need information very quickly and easily” said Don Cowan, the lead QuickClick apps developer and Director of Software Engineering at Marketimpacts.com. “We designed these apps to deliver instant results with as little as one click. People can mix and match our apps to give themselves a custom group of easy to click icons.”

“We put a lot of effort into designing the user interface” said Cowan. “If you need to enter some extra information, such as the type of cuisine for a restaurant, it can all be done on just one QuickClick screen.”

“Studies, and our own experiences, have shown that the popularity of an app is directly correlated with how quickly it can be learned and used. QuickClick apps are designed around these needs.”

According to statistics on the Android Developers Console, downloads of the QuickClick apps are growing at a rate of 20% month over month and they have been installed in over 50 countries.

QuickClick Apps are available for download on the Android Market and more information can be found on the QuickClick Apps web page. To find the apps from a smartphone or tablet, search the Android Market for “QuickClick Apps”.

The Marketimpacts.com team develops software for smartphones, tablets and PCs.
Marketimpacts, QuickClick and Locale are trademarks of Arelinda Technology Group, Inc.
For more information, visit http://www.marketimpacts.com.

Lyon Station, PA  (Profitable.com)  East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc., and its subsidiary Ecoult, announces the launch of Public Service Co. of New Mexico’s (PNM) Prosperity Energy Storage Project in Albuquerque, NM. This project integrates an Advanced VRLA (Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid) and UltraBattery energy storage solution with a separately installed 500 kW solar plant. Its purpose is to provide simultaneous voltage smoothing for consistent energy levels and peak shifting to deliver energy when it’s needed the most.

East Penn, through its subsidiary Ecoult, is bringing these breakthrough technologies to market as complete energy storage solutions and modules ready for custom integration. Ecoult engineered and integrated the energy storage system, and developed the Smart Grid platform that controls both the batteries and the power conversion system.

“This is an exciting time to be in the energy storage business. Advanced lead acid batteries can play a major role in solar and wind systems, smart grid technology, and other applications as well. The energy landscape is evolving, and we’re well positioned to change with it,” stated Sally Miksiewicz, CEO of East Penn.

This project was achieved with the collaboration of many key partners, led by PNM and including the Department of Energy Smart Grid Storage Demonstration Program, the University of New Mexico, Northern New Mexico College, Sandia National Laboratories, and Electric Power Research Institute. Ecoult also worked with a number of US manufacturers who supplied critical components of the project, including S&C Electric Company that provided a Purewave™ PCS for power conversion and grid integration, Sea Box, Inc.’s contract services for assembly of containerized components, Peterson Panel’s power panels, and KTR Associates’ interconnection design.

John Wood, CEO of Ecoult stated, “We thank our partner US manufacturers for their dedication in bringing this project online in less than a year, PNM for hosting the demonstration, and the US DOE for financially supporting the project. Together this team is demonstrating the multiple Smart Grid benefits of electrical energy storage, and its role in the electric grid of the future.”

This is the first of 16 Smart Grid energy storage demonstrations funded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to go live.

Additionally, East Penn with Ecoult is commissioning a second site partially supported with ARRA funding, located at its Lyon Station, PA manufacturing campus. This will be a 3MW site and will provide continuous voltage smoothing using the UltraBattery. It will serve a secondary application of 1 MWh for demand management for 1 to 4 hours.

Advanced VRLA batteries feature a design enhancement to East Penn’s Deka Unigy VRLA battery technology that has been proven as an industry leading product for telecommunication and data center applications. This enhancement protects the battery from accelerated deterioration while performing multiple cycles in Partial State of Charge (PSOC) applications.

The UltraBattery combines the advantages of the Advanced VRLA with the advantages of an asymmetric supercapacitor. This enables the optimal balance of an energy storing lead-acid battery with a quick charge acceptance, power discharge, and longevity of a capacitor, which is critical for High-Rate PSOC applications.

Both advanced types of VRLA batteries are virtually 100% recyclable and made in the United States.

The information gained from these advanced battery projects will be a key component in furthering its integration into the commercial marketplace for wide spectrum of potential applications. Advanced VRLA and UltraBattery’s current ability to serve the grid, renewable energy, and HEVs has the potential to have immediate impacts on cost effective energy conservation and clean energy generation. Ecoult’s energy storage solutions are further proof of these implementations in action.

East Penn is a leading manufacturer of high quality lead-acid batteries and accessories for the telecommunications, UPS, automotive, commercial, marine, and motive power markets. The company’s quality and environmental systems for its entire 520-acre complex have been certified to ISO 9001:2008, ISO/TS 16949:2009, and ISO 14001:2004 requirements. For more information, contact East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc., Lyon Station, PA 19536 or visit the company web site at www.dekabatteries.com.

Ecoult, a subsidiary of East Penn, is a leading supplier of energy storage solutions based on advanced lead-acid batteries including the hybrid energy storage device UltraBattery. Ecoult provides complete Energy Storage Solutions & Modules that are ready for custom integration and are utilized to provide cost effective, long life solutions for power conditioning and energy storage applications for wind and solar farms, grid ancillary services, and remote area power systems. Visit the company web site at www.ecoult.com for more information.

Contacts:

Inka Schrader
Email: inka.schrader@ecoult.com
Tel: +61-2-9241-3001

Chicago, IL  (Profitable.com)  “Going green” typically means making eco-friendly choices, but in November it highlights the color and turns the spotlight on National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM).  NRPM is a public education campaign symbolized by the color green, and is spearheaded by the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) and the National Network for Youth to raise awareness about the youth runaway crisis in America and to educate people about prevention and solutions.

“The runaway issue has been a silent crisis too long, and this November we need to get Americans talking about it,” said Maureen Blaha, NRS executive director. “The truth is that prevention is possible and help is available.”

To bring greater understanding of this problem, individuals and organizations throughout the country are planning activities during November, including:

• Social Media Day of Action: On Nov. 1, people are encouraged to wear green socks, upload photos of it to Facebook, and tweet these photos while using the hashtag #NRPM2011. NRS will tweet runaway prevention facts throughout the day and host a webinar on the long-term effects of running away, which will stream live at http://ustre.am/E3CP at 12:30 p.m. CT/1:30 p.m. ET. Questions for the panel can be tweeted with the hashtag #NRPM2011.
• Green Light Project: Americans can show support of runaway and at-risk youth by shining a green light on their front porches. This year, Wrigley Field in Chicago is getting involved and promoting 1-800-RUNAWAY and www.1800RUNAWAY.org on its marquee on Nov. 2. Agencies such as Family Connection, Inc., in Alabama and the Huckleberry House in Ohio will hand out green socks and light bulbs to community members.
• Spirit of Youth Benefit: This Chicago event is NRS’ annual fundraiser to recognize individuals and organizations that help to keep America’s runaway, homeless and at-risk youth safe and off the street. The 2011 Spirit of Youth award recipient is artist and civil rights activist Cyndi Lauper, who took part in last year’s Green Light Project. The Cyndi Lauper True Colors Fund will be honored at the benefit on Nov. 18. This year’s platinum sponsor is United Airlines, and the gold sponsors are Carlton Technologies, Chicago Tribune, Greyhound Lines and Radio Flyer.

For more information, visit www.1800RUNAWAY.org.

San Francisco, CA  (Profitable.c0m)  Osann IP Consulting has announced the auction of a patent portfolio for smart phone video messaging at the ICAP Patent Brokerage Fall 2011 Live IP Auction on November 17th in San Francisco.

Video calls now exist, and features like Skype’s “video snapshot” enable still images to be combined with a video call. US Reissue Patent No RE42210 describes such combined calls including saving them in the manner of voicemails today. The acquisition of Skype by Microsoft raises the probability that video-voicemails according to this invention will be available on smart phones in the future.

In addition to storing video-voicemails, realtime video-voice conversations are optionally recorded for later retrieval in order to document a conversation or because a party in the conversation is not able to view the images in realtime. While the sending party will normally use a conventional smart-phone with digital camera, the receiving party may view video-voicemail images on smart phones or a variety of devices with high-resolution displays including a conventional PC/Laptop/Tablet connected to the Internet providing a 10x higher resolution experience.

For friends and family, the Video-Voicemail paradigm provides an easy way to communicate image and video information while maintaining a communication paradigm that is familiar, basically that of phone calls and voicemails. While shopping, a person might call a friend or family member to show videos and images of items they are considering, while the receiving party views the information for comment and approval.

Mobile phone communication among workgroups is used by most businesses that require frequent communications among individuals at different locations in a local area – for the most part, businesses in the construction industry. Video-Voicemail enables a manager, foreman, or responsible person to better track the progress at a variety of locations and effect swift problem resolution or avoidance. The ability of a foreman to view or anticipate problem areas – using this IP – adds tremendous value.

Entitled “Video-Voicemail Solution for Wireless Communication Devices”, the original application was filed on March 22, 2002 and initially issued in 2006 as US Patent No 7,092,735. A reissue application was filed in 2008 and issued with broader claims on March 8, 2011 as Re-issue Pat No RE42210. Pending Re-issue Continuation Application No 13/018,314 is included in the auction lot with claims focused on communication paths and display resolutions, covering scenarios currently emerging in the video messaging arena.

The Video-Voicemail IP lot should be of interest to Mobile Service Providers, Smart Phone Manufacturers, and Software Companies providing platforms for mobile communications. Forward citations for this lot include: Sony, LG Electronics, NEC Electronics, and Sprint Nextel. To find out more about this unique IP portfolio, the IP Auction event, and the patents being offered, contact: Dean Becker at (561) 309-0011 or Dean(dot)Becker(at)us.(dot)cap(dot)com.

About Robert Osann and Osann IP Consulting:

Robert Osann is an Intellectual Property consultant, inventor, and veteran of five venture-backed startups. He was the founding CEO at two VC-funded startups and a co-founder at three others. With equal experience in both engineering and marketing, he is also an inventor with 36 US Patents issued and more than 20 applications pending. Since 2007, he has sold 6 US patents and 9 pending applications in four transactions to three different buyers, including the sale of a Smart Phone patent portfolio at the Ocean Tomo Fall IP auction in 2007. Visit http://www.silaero.com.

About ICAP Patent Brokerage:

ICAP Patent Brokerage is a division of ICAP plc and the world’s largest intellectual property brokerage and patent auction firm. Visit http://icappatentbrokerage.com/forsale.

Santa Clara, CA  (Profitable.com)  Shipments of tablet PCs with ARM processors are expected to grow 211% Y/Y in 2011 to 59.9 million units, while tablet PCs with x86 processors (typically used in notebook and netbook PCs) are not expected to experience strong growth until 2013, according to the newly-launched DisplaySearch Tablet Quarterly report. Similarly, Windows 8, which is also associated with mobile PCs, is not expected to take significant share until 2013. Global tablet shipments are expected to reach nearly 330 million units by 2017, up from less than 60 million units in 2011, so this market segment provides significant growth opportunities.

“The tablet PC and notebook PC markets are on a collision course as both product categories continue to evolve and improve on their respective weaknesses,” said Richard Shim, DisplaySearch Senior Analyst. “As such, each product category will influence the other over time. Still, the incumbent platforms have inherent advantages in the early years.”

More brands will challenge Apple for a share of the tablet PC market and are expected to experiment with the various platforms available to them in the market. PC brands are likely to gravitate toward the familiar—Windows and x86 platforms—with some branching out towards the ARM platform as well. The emergence of Amazon as a tablet hardware vendor introduces even more non-Windows and non-x86 thinking into the tablet PC ecosystem, requiring players like Microsoft and Intel to catch up to the changing landscape of consumer computing.

“Although several processor architectures could be used to power tablet SoCs, the rich software ecosystem of the ARM architecture built around smart phones is proving to be a key differentiating factor,” according to Jim McGregor, Chief Technology Strategist for In-Stat, an NPD Group Company. “Unlike notebook and netbook PCs, where consumers have chosen products based on the processor or PC vendor, consumers of new mobile devices care more about what they can do with the devices, which is associated more with the device applications and services.”

Ultimately the developer community and the apps they create will play a significant role in the success of any emerging platform.

The new DisplaySearch Tablet Quarterly report tracks quarterly changes in tablet PC products and strategies and forecasts the impact of those changes on the market. It covers the changing landscape of screen sizes, features that are expected to be included and excluded in future tablets, and operating systems, including these highlights:

• Cellular connectivity could be a potential catalyst for shipment growth and will be an influential technology in the growth of the tablet category. The share of tablets with embedded cellular connectivity will reach about 10% in 2013 and will exceed 25% by 2017.
• Many display manufacturers are transitioning tablet panel production to larger plants, Gen 6 and Gen 8, which will lead to greater panel capacity for tablets. This transition could affect pricing.

For more information on this report, please contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, or contact(at)displaysearch(dot)com or contact your regional DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan.

About DisplaySearch

Since 1996, DisplaySearch has been recognized as a leading global market research and consulting firm specializing in the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. DisplaySearch provides trend information, forecasts and analyses developed by a global team of experienced analysts with extensive industry knowledge. In collaboration with The NPD Group, its parent company, DisplaySearch uniquely offers a true end-to-end view of the display supply chain from materials and components to shipments of electronic devices with displays to sales of major consumer and commercial channels. For more information on DisplaySearch analysts, reports and industry events, visit us at http://www.displaysearch.com. Read our blog at http://www.displaysearchblog.com and follow us on Twitter at @DisplaySearch.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com and http://www.npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter at @npdtech and @npdgroup.

New York, NY  (Profitable.com)  There’s an old adage that says, everyone has a soul mate. Thanks to a new dating site, there’s a way for singles to find the exact kind of person they really want.

“Whether you are looking for an ugly people dating service, wealthy matchmaking or other adult online dating service, we have an online dating community that is perfect for you,” said Aaron Fraser, spokesman and developer of gothamdatingpartners.com. “We offer dating for all walks of life, wealthy people, dating by race, attractiveness, religion, and more.”

Fraser added that gothamdatingpartners.com is the mother site of 11 additional websites that will ultimately lead visitors to a dating portal of their liking, such as prisonhookup.com, lovenotlust.com, whitepeopledate.com, Donsanddivasdating.com, faithfullover.com, wealthypeopledate.com, and more.

What sets this dating service apart from everyone else on the market, Fraser said, is that it offers a $99 lifetime membership, which costs less than a yearly membership at any of the major dating websites.  “That’s $99 bucks for life,” Fraser said.

The launching of the dating sites could prove to have perfect timing.

According to a recent study by The New York Daily News, about one in five people who have used online dating sites have gone on to marry someone they met via the Web. The study also concluded that 94 percent of those who used online dating sites were satisfied enough to go on a second date.

Gothamdatingpartners.com, which was developed after Fraser found himself homeless, and without a companion to share his ups and downs with, prides itself on making the first connection, quick and easy.  “It is easy to connect with members of our ugly people dating service, millionaire dating website and other services,” Fraser stressed. “You can send a message or send a card on the profile of the member you want to contact. You can browse free online personals dating profiles and read our online dating guide as a guest.”

Jason Thomas, 34, of Houston, said he has always had a fetish for people who most consider unattractive, and is impressed with what the new dating site has to offer.

“This makes it a lot easier for me to find the woman I want even if they feel like they are ugly,” Thomas said. “I’m not the greatest looking person in the world, but ugly people need love too.”  That’s the primary goal of gothamdatingpartners.com and its 11 other feeder dating sites.

“We have a huge database of over 1 million people on each website, which is the largest database of viable dating candidates, “Fraser noted. “All you have to do is click on the dating website that best describes what you are looking for to start on the path to finding that perfect person, whether for one date or the rest of your life.” Unlike the other sites, our database is comprised of real members, real contacts, and who really want to meet someone like you. We also cover all the bases,sites like: match.com, E-harmony,Zoosk, and Plentyoffish.com, have niche markets that shuts out other users from making a viable connection based on their particular likes or dislikes. Aaron Fraser is also considering a run for congress against Charles Rangel, who has occupied his seat in Harlem for forty years. “New blood is sorely needed,” says Fraser.

For more information about dating for ugly people, black people dating, white people, and more, visit http://www.gothamdatingpartners.com
Gotham Dating Partners Inc.
45 East 135th Street
New York, NY 10037
Info(at)gothamdatingpartners(dot)com

Tulsa, Ok  (Profitable.com)  With a 98% SMS text message open rate versus only a 22% open rate for email, according recent findings, Sitter Pals leverages the power of SMS text messaging to quickly and efficiently post babysitting jobs to members’ network of trusted sitters. The addition of SMS text notifications and mobile web access are included in the release of the Premium Membership for parents, among other features. Sitters have free access to Sitter Pals’ mobile website, a vehicle to quickly post, review, and book babysitting jobs for parents and sitters on the go.

Launched in April 2011, Sitter Pals established a social network within which parents connect with the sitters their friends know, trust, and hire. Initially, job postings and communication within members’ networks, allowed parents and trusted sitters to book babysitting jobs within a safe and secure network of friends via email notifications. It is widely reported more than 90% of SMS text messages are opened and read within 4 minutes. Now, with the introduction of SMS text notifications and mobile web accessibility, Sitter Pals connects and books parents with their network of available and trusted sitters in near real time, saving time and frustration often associated with finding a babysitter.

“Nearly everyone’s phone in the US has SMS capability,” Armstrong explains. “and we keep our phones with us at all times.” Armstrong adds “It only makes sense to incorporate SMS text messaging into our functionality, however, this goes well beyond just texting your sitter and waiting for a response. Now you can empower parents and sitters to connect in a way they never have before.”

In addition to increase booking speed, the Premium Membership gives parents access to a host of features including: advanced search options, access to sitters’ reviews, job postings options including one-time and recurring, pet sitting jobs, house sitting jobs, and applicant review before assigning. The Premium Membership is available to new and existing parents at $8 a month or $75 a year. Sitters join and start their networks for free, joining families they know, while connecting with families’ friends.

New York, NY  (Profitable.com)   Skribblr fills the void left by other social networking sites by providing the extra gratification of rewarding users. Users earn points that are then used to unlock site features and content from future partners. Skribblr allows users to meet new people or current friends no matter where they are.

Skribblr emphasizes connection, giving users control over who they allow into the network they build. By sharing fun, creative updates, users can get to learn more about the people they “trace” or follow before engaging in live video chat. Also, updates expire after a week, so users constantly see the latest from their network.

Key Features:

• Personalize posts by adding custom drawings or text
• Record 10 second video status updates
• Top skribbles of the day make it into the featured gallery
• “Trace” friends to follow their posts
• Video Chat face-to-face and text chat simultaneously
• Points unlock more features on the site to customize the user experience within skribblr.com
• Share updates to Facebook and Twitter in one click

Sign Up for your Free Skribblr account at http://www.skribblr.com

About Skribblr.com

Skribblr was founded in 2011 to allow people to get rewarded for sharing. Skribblr offers a fun, creative environment for you to personalize posts and meet new friends.

London  (Profitable.com)  When a company debuts a social gaming app, expectations are that it will perform well. However, House of Fun, the new, free app by Pacific Interactive, now hosts over 700,000 active players since the unveiling on September 13, 2011. The first week alone, user buzz on Facebook caused over 100,000 people to flock to experience the vibrant graphics and interactive gameplay, and Pacific Interactive couldn’t be more pleased with the game’s viral appeal.

Proving how on-trend the House of Fun app truly is, InsideFacebook.com and InsideSocialGames.com have both included House of Fun in recent lists of their fastest growing social media apps. Pacific Interactive also closely monitors the app’s Facebook page, interacting with players, gaining feedback, and tailoring the game to meet the customers’ demands.

“Our team of programmers at Pacific Interactive works incredibly hard to provide such a rich experience for our players. We’re actually changing how the player interacts with the app, instead of just changing the graphics, and we’re thrilled to see that users are enjoying it so much,” said the CEO and Founder of Pacific Interactive.

Social gaming is becoming more popular every day, with over 290 million players looking for the next best app. House of Fun currently offers over 15 varieties of interactive slots, with table gaming coming soon. Loyal gamers clearly like the app too; over 10,000 reviews have been posted to the app’s Facebook page.

“The numbers don’t lie. Our players are really enjoying the unique House of Fun experience! We’d like everyone on Facebook to see what the hype is about. Visit us at http://apps.facebook.com/houseoffun/ and start playing today!” concluded the CEO and Founder.

About Pacific Interactive:

Pacific Interactive is comprised of experienced gaming industry professionals, committed to providing players with an unrivaled social gaming experience. With a number of game options available, players will be impressed with the crisp, colorful graphics, as well as the varied interactive play. House Of Fun is the developer’s latest endeavor, which is available on social media sites like Facebook.

Redmond, WA and Luxembourg  (Profitable.com)  Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) has closed its acquisition of Skype Global S.a r.l. Negotiations of the definitive agreement under which Microsoft would acquire Skype, an Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion were led by investor group Silver Lake and the transaction was originally announced on May 10, 2011. Boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype previously approved the acquisition.

Microsoft and Skype will remain focused on their shared goal of connecting all people across all devices and accelerating both companies’ efforts to transform real-time communications for consumers and enterprise customers. The completion of the acquisition also marks the official introduction of Skype as a new business division within Microsoft.

“Skype is a phenomenal product and brand that is loved by hundreds of millions of people around the world,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “We look forward to working with the Skype team to create new ways for people to stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues — anytime, anywhere.”

Skype CEO Tony Bates will assume the title of president of the Skype Division of Microsoft immediately, reporting directly to Ballmer. The Skype division will continue to offer its current products to millions of users globally. Longer term, Skype will also be integrated across an array of Microsoft products to broaden Skype’s reach and accelerate its growth as a fundamental way people communicate online. Skype employees will continue to be located around the world in offices including Estonia, theCzech Republic, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United States.

“By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we are committed to empowering consumers and businesses around the globe to connect in new ways,” Bates said. “Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype’s goal to reach 1 billion users daily,” Bates said.

Founded in 2003, Skype was acquired by eBay in September 2005, and then acquired by an investment group led by Silver Lake in November 2009. Skype has made impressive progress, developing new products and revenue streams, strategic acquisitions, acquiring the intellectual property powering its peer-to-peer network, and recruiting an outstanding senior management team.

Other members of the selling investor group led by Silver Lake include eBay International AG, CPP Investment Board, Joltid Ltd. in partnership with Europlay Capital Advisors; and Andreessen Horowitz.

The acquisition remains under review in a few countries, and will be completed in those countries when such reviews are closed.

To learn more about Microsoft and Skype, click here.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website.

All information in this release is as of Oct. 14, 2011. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company’s expectations.

New York  (Profitable.com)  LifeWellth, the creator of the leading long-term Personal Finance Advice platform, has announced that the LifeWellth iPad™ app is now available in the iTunes™ Store. The iPad™ app is specially designed for smart consumers who need a long-term plan to reach their financial goals such as retirement, purchasing a home, and saving for college while also building a foundation for lifetime financial security and wellbeing.

“LifeWellth takes a 360 degree look at your finances and goals and then through the app, helps you set and formulate a customized plan to achieve your goals,” said Francisco Prat, Founder and CEO of LifeWellth. “Many consumer investors need secure, independent financial advice and LifeWellth has created the ultimate platform to map out their financial future through specially customized suggestions to reach realistic long-term goals.”

Some of LifeWellth’s noteworthy features include:

• Independence from a Financial Advisor and freedom to chart your own path
• Privacy of information is bulletproof as your data resides on your device
• Investor controls financial destiny by defining the goals and outcomes that matter to them, while tailoring their plan accordingly

Most other players in the market only offer a short-term and day-to-day finance management tool; whereas LifeWellth offers consumers a transparent view of what steps they need to take to reach their long term investment and personal finance goals. The leadership at LifeWellth brings a powerful mix of experience in wealth management and technology to their platform that enables the savvy consumer investor to take control of their financial lives.

LifeWellth will be offering tailored investment solutions in the near future, and will soon be coming to other devices and the Web.

About LifeWellth

LifeWellth is an investment management platform and mobile application that enables consumers to get transparent and trustworthy advice on how to plan for their long-term financial wellbeing. LifeWellth worked with over 400 investors and financial advisors to understand the needs of today’s investor. The dynamic features of the LifeWellth application provides guidance to save for purchasing a home, retirement, college, and long-term financial security.  LifeWellth was founded in 2011 by experienced financial services entrepreneur Francisco Prat. For more information, visit www.LifeWellth.com.

Media Relations Contact:
Teena Touch PR for LifeWellth
415-310-3125
Teena@teenatouchpr.com

Irvine, CA  (Profitable.com)  VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company*, announced today that VIZIO 8″ Tablets will receive a firmware update featuring Netflix as a pre-loaded app, offering Netflix members the ability to enjoy entertainment on a second screen. With the new update, members can simply click on the app already located on the Tablet’s home screen and log into their Netflix account to browse and instantly watch TV episodes and movies.

Streaming instantly via the VIZIO Tablet wherever Wi-Fi is available, the pre-loaded Netflix app makes instantly watching TV episodes and movies on their Tablet more portable than ever.

With more than 25 million members globally**, Netflix is the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows.  For $7.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited TV episodes and movies streaming over the Internet to many different types of devices.

VIZIO Tablet users who also own VIZIO Internet Apps® enabled HDTVs and Blu-ray players can conveniently pause and resume Netflix TV episodes and movies between devices.

“With an abundance of movies and TV shows to offer, Netflix is the ideal application to pre-load on our VIZIO Tablets,” said Matt McRae, VIZIO Chief Technology Officer. “Adding its expansive library to our mobile platform provides consumers with even more entertainment options to conveniently watch while in the comfort of one’s home or while on-the-go.”

Streaming from Netflix continues to grow. It is due to this demand that VIZIO chose to pre-load the Netflix app onto the Tablet. Offering users a media-centric experience, the VIZIO Tablet is a perfect device to enjoy what Netflix has to offer.

* Source: IHS iSuppli Corporation Research Q3 2011 Market Tracker Report of Q1 & Q2 2011.

** Source: Netflix

Android and Android Market are trademarks of Google, Inc.

About VIZIO

VIZIO, Inc., “Entertainment Freedom For All,” headquartered in Irvine, California, is America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company.  In Q2 2007, VIZIO skyrocketed to the top by becoming the #1 shipping brand of flat panel HDTVs in North America and in Q3 2007 became the first American brand in over a decade to lead in U.S. LCD HDTV shipments. Since 2007 VIZIO LCD HDTV shipments remain in the top ranks in the U.S. and were #1 for the total year in 2009 and 2010.  VIZIO is committed to bringing feature-rich consumer electronics to market at a value through practical innovation. VIZIO offers a broad range of award winning consumer electronics.  VIZIO’s products are found at Costco Wholesale, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target, BJ’s Wholesale, and other retailers nationwide along with authorized online partners.  VIZIO has won numerous awards including a #1 ranking in the Inc. 500 for Top Companies in Computers and Electronics, Fast Company’s 6th Most Innovative CE Company of 2009, and made the lists of Ad Age’s Hottest Brands, CNET’s Editor’s Choice, CNET Best of CES 2011 – Television, IGN Best of CES – Television, Bluetooth.org Best of CES, Good Housekeeping’s Best Big-Screens, PC World’s Best Buy, Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice and OC Metro’s 10 Most Trustworthy Brands among many other prestigious honors.  For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit on the web at www.VIZIO.com.

The V, VIZIO, VIZIO Internet Apps (V.I.A.), Theater 3D, Full Array TruLED, Edge Lit Razor LED, 240Hz SPS, 480Hz SPS, Entertainment Freedom and Entertainment Freedom for All names, logos and phrase are registered or unregistered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc.  All other trademarks may be the property of their respective holders.

Vancouver  (Profitable.com)  Karta Mobile has announced the release of version 3.1 of Viira, the popular software application for Getting Things Done with BlackBerry smartphones. The latest software update takes advantage of recent advances in BlackBerry hardware technology to provide users with an intuitive touch-enabled user interface. Users of Viira can now perform key productivity functions quickly and easily with just a tap on the screen of their BlackBerry smartphones.

Enhancements to Viira’s In-Basket are perfectly suited for the collection phase of Getting Things Done® (GTD®) and enable users to view and quickly add tasks, reminders as well as email and SMS communications for further processing and classification into their BlackBerry GTD system. Additional enhancements in Viira 3.1 include the introduction of a Quick Add field to enable the fast input of new tasks and ideas, introduction of project and context priorities as well as a new compact mode to let users fit more of their Viira data on the screen of their BlackBerry smartphone.

Research In Motion Inc., the maker of BlackBerry smartphones, recently made available a number of new device models under the BlackBerry 7 brand. Recent models such as the Bold 9900 and 9930 as well as all models in the BlackBerry Torch series have a touch screen for enhanced interaction while preserving the signature BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. Viira is compatible and fully supported on all modern BlackBerry models.

Karta Mobile has also announced that updates and enhancements available in Viira 3.1 will soon be available in the Viira companion product, the Viira Outlook Suite. The Viira Outlook Suite is the first software solution for Getting Things Done with Outlook to provide seamless wireless synchronization between a BlackBerry client application and an Outlook add-in in order to provide one accessible-from-anywhere GTD-style personal organization system.

“Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” is a best-selling time management book by David Allen that shows readers how to effectively organize their day-to-day tasks and commitments in a stress-free and intuitive way. The principles of the book continue to receive wide-spread media attention to-date and have been embraced by millions of professionals, entrepreneurs and executives worldwide. BlackBerry smartphones and the principles of Getting Things Done are both widely accepted as must-have productivity tools by busy knowledge professionals around the world.

About Karta Mobile Inc.

Karta Mobile Inc. is a Vancouver, BC company that specializes in the creation of business-centric mobile applications. Karta Mobile’s flagship BlackBerry software app Viira is the leading GTD-based productivity application and has received numerous media reviews and positive testimonials. Karta Mobile recently released a version of Viira for Android smartphones.

Contact: contact (at) kartamobile (dot) com
Company website: http://www.kartamobile.com
Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gtdviira

GTD® and Getting Things Done® are registered trademarks of David Allen Company. Karta Mobile and Viira are not affiliated with or endorsed by the David Allen Company. BlackBerry, RIM, Research In Motion and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited. Viira™ is a trademark of Karta Mobile Inc.

Chicago, IL  (Profitable.com)  Big Data analytics pioneer Kognitio today announced that leading global online travel company Orbitz has adopted Kognitio’s WX2 analytic database via Data Warehousing as a Service in the Cloud in support of key marketing initiatives to ensure that it continues to use leading-edge technology that enables travelers to research, plan and book a wide range of travel products.

“At Orbitz, we’re all about innovation,” explains Tony Gray, Director of Business Intelligence Architecture and Operations at Orbitz. “We’re committed to helping our customers find the best travel products and solutions, and we look for the right technology and model to enable that. Kognitio’s service model fits right in with our strategy; by outsourcing the analytical infrastructure piece to Kognitio, our business teams can now analyze large volumes of data from across our business, running complex, massive queries, and get answers to their questions in just seconds and minutes. Before, it would often take days to get a handle on the data even before we could understand it. Now our analysts can almost immediately use the data and drive analytics to find out things that they previously did not know, and use that knowledge to enable the creation of new, leading-edge travel products and solutions.”

A leading brand in its field, Orbitz uses multiple channels to advertise its services, but was faced with the challenge of turning large volumes of complex data from a significant number of data points into valuable information that could serve the business. By using Kognitio WX2, Orbitz can now take information from web channels, demographic and psychographic data, customer segmentation and modeling scores and turn it into actionable intelligence, allowing them to think of new ways of offering the right products and services to its current and prospective client base.

Orbitz chose to deploy Kognitio WX2 via the DaaS model because of the speed of deployment and the scalability that it gives the organization as data volumes grow. Orbitz cited Kognitio’s willingness and efforts to make the company successful as a key differentiator by providing the resilient, high performance analytical environment within a matter of days. Orbitz now benefits from a quick time to market with new and improved products and solutions, knowing that its analysts can take data and the information contained within the business and turn it into actions that are of immense value to the company.

“Our cloud-based Data Warehousing as a Service model has proven that companies whose lifeblood is data can get access to a high performance analytical environment quickly and affordably, and turn that data into valuable, tangible results,” explains Steve Millard, Chief Operating Officer at Kognitio. “We’re delighted that Orbitz has benefited from the cloud-based service, too. Orbitz can now continue its journey on being innovative, and not get sidetracked by internal infrastructure issues. Orbitz represents another Kognitio customer that is benefiting from our Big Data analytics in the Cloud solution.”

About Orbitz Worldwide

Orbitz Worldwide is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to research, plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz (http://www.orbitz.com), CheapTickets (http://www.cheaptickets.com), ebookers (http://www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (http://www.hotelclub.com), RatesToGo (http://www.ratestogo.com) and the Away Network (http://www.away.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Worldwide Distribution (http://corp.orbitz.com/partnerships/distribution) delivers private label travel solutions to a broad range of partners including many of the world’s largest airlines, and Orbitz for Business (http://www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed corporate travel solutions for corporations.

About Kognitio

Kognitio is a long-standing innovator in the data warehousing, business intelligence and analytics markets. The company has pioneered many of the technologies now employed by state-of-the-art data warehouse/BI systems including the industry’s first in-memory analytic database, data warehouse appliance, MPP shared-nothing database, and Data Warehousing as a Service (DaaS) cloud-based solution. Kognitio’s award-winning WX2 product is the industry’s fastest and most scalable analytic database, enabling firms to turn massive amounts of raw, complex data into valuable insight to solve their most urgent business problems. Its clients span many industries including market research, consumer packaged goods, retail, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, gaming, media and utilities. Kognitio is headquartered in Chicago and Bracknell, UK with offices in New York, Raleigh, Minneapolis and other U.S. cities. More information is available at http://www.kognitio.com, on Twitter at @kognitio and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kognitio

Saint Paul, Minn.  (Profitable.com)  How do you turn an ice rink into a hot spot? Just add AT&T Wi-Fi. Starting this season, Xcel Energy Center is the place to be for a personalized hockey fan experience.  Minnesota Wild fans and visitors to the venue now have access to AT&T Wi-Fi from their seats, using any Wi-Fi enabled device.

Xcel Energy Center is the first National Hockey League (NHL) venue to offer AT&T Wi-Fi. Inside the venue, there are 274 Wi-Fi access points covering seats, concession stands and concourse areas. Fans can easily connect to the AT&T Wi-Fi network, and visitors with an AT&T smartphone or device can automatically connect without any log in required.

With the new Wi-Fi service, fans can customize their experience with Mywildnet.com, offering interactive features including:

• Food Ordering: Hungry fans can use the Bypass Lane mobile feature to locate vendors throughout Xcel Energy Center and even place food orders from their seats. Xcel Energy Center is the first venue in this market to use the Bypass Lane.
• Live In-Arena Instant Replays: Minnesota Wild fans attending a game at Xcel Energy Center can access instant replays not shown on TV or the center-hung scoreboard.

“Our fans don’t just watch the game anymore. They tweet about a great play, research player stats, and even post Facebook updates while cheering on the Wild,” said Jim Ibister, Vice President, Facility Administration/General Manager, Saint Paul RiverCentre. “Deploying free AT&T Wi-Fi is our way of showing visitors that Xcel Energy Center is the ideal sports and entertainment venue for the ultimate fan.”

The enhancements at Xcel Energy Center are the latest examples of AT&T’s commitment to providing superior service in the Twin Cities area. Since 2008, the company has:

• Installed more than 80 new cell sites in the Twin Cities area
• Upgraded more than 60 additional cell sites for mobile broadband
• Invested nearly $280 million in its Minnesota wireless and wireline networks.

“One of the best sports venues in the country just got better,” said Karolyn Kirchgesler, President and CEO for Visit Saint Paul.  ”AT&T’s newly installed Wi-Fi Hotspot at Xcel Energy Center makes this facility second to none for in-game amenities for fans.  Having these capabilities puts Saint Paul at a competitive advantage and demonstrates our commitment, as a city, to being a technology leader.”

More about AT&T Wi-Fi

The popularity of Wi-Fi continues to soar as more and more consumers can easily connect from Wi-Fi enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets. AT&T handled 246.8 million connections on its Wi-Fi network in the second quarter of 2011 and has reached almost half a billion connections in the first six months of 2011.

AT&T operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network* with nearly 27,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to nearly 190,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements.

For more information, visit Xcel Energy Center or AT&T Wi-Fi Access.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

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