Ethertronics EtherModule 1.0™ was named a finalist in the “Enterprise Solution – M2M, Sensors, RFID & NFC” category of CTIA’s annual Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Awards competition. The CTIA E-Tech Awards honor the industry’s most innovative new wireless products and services in mobile apps, consumer electronics, enterprise and vertical markets, and networks. Winners will be announced at CTIA 2013™, taking place May 21-23, 2013 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Ethertronics’ EtherModule 1.0 offers a highly modular and optimized wideband self-tunable antenna solution for wireless vendors designing M2M products. As a turnkey, plug-and-play, active antenna system module, EtherModule 1.0 combines Ethertronics’ advanced antenna architecture with its EtherChip 1.0™ tunable capacitor for easy integration by wireless product designers – minimizing the need for additional engineering design and getting products to market faster. Its compact size and ability to cover a wide range of frequency needs – from 100 MHz up to several GHz covering 2G, 3G, 4G cellular as well as Bluetooth, ISM, WiFi and ZigBee bands – make it ideal for M2M devices.

“On behalf of the Ethertronics team, I would like to thank CTIA, judges of the E-Tech Awards and our peers in the industry for recognizing our EtherModule 1.0 solution as a significant innovation in the wireless industry,” said Laurent Desclos, president and CEO at Ethertronics. “By combining expertise from our three divisions – antennas, systems and chips –we are able to provide designers with a way to differentiate their products and stand-out in a competitive market.”

Nearly 300 entries were judged by a panel of highly respected industry experts, reporters and analysts. Submissions were scored on innovation, functionality, technological importance, implementation and overall “wow” factor. E-Tech winners, including Best in Show and Online Pick will be announced at the awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 22 at 2:00 p.m. PDT at CTIA’s Exhibit Innovations Stage on the trade show floor within CTIA World, booth #5646.

To learn more about EtherModule 1.0, visit http://ethertronics.com/products/M2M/.

Between now and May 20, website visitors may vote for the “Best Online Pick” at www.ctiashow.com/awards. CTIA 2013 show attendees will vote on-site via text message for entries in the E-Tech Awards display to win “Best in Show.”

To get smarter about CTIA 2013 or to register, visit www.ctia2013.com.

Emergent, LLC, an award-winning small business and IT solutions provider, today announced the successful novation of Information Engineering Technology’s ECS III Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) administered by National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC).

Emergent’s solutions will be available to the Government through ECS III Contract # HHSN263999900464I. Leading IT providers, such as Adobe, Google, Red Hat, and Symantec are available on the contract along with other solutions in Mobility, Collaboration, Open Source, Security and Cloud Computing.

ECS III streamlines ordering and procedures to save time, money and resources for all federal agencies acquiring hardware, software, networking and telecommunications equipment, scientific research stations, warranty, support, and maintenance. ECS III provides agencies with a secure, web-based RFQ system for delivery order competition, management, awardee selection and notification. Delivery orders are placed directly by agency with end-to-end management by the procuring Contracting Officer. Customized terms, conditions and additional products and services can be easily added to delivery orders. ECS III fees do not to exceed .5% with a $10,000 cap per delivery order, modification or exercise of option. ECS III offers a 1-hour response to any contractual, technical or procedural question and free on-site training.

Agencies can use ECS III to procure IT products and services from simple commercial hardware and software items to integrated applications and enterprise services to strategic sourcing efforts.

“The Office of Management and Budgets is recommending GWACS and Schedules to agencies in order for them to save money through IT Strategic Sourcing,” says Greg Christensen, President of Emergent. Adding the ECS III GWAC to our existing contract vehicle portfolio enhances our ability to offer strategic sourcing solutions to federal agencies.”

An overview of the ECS III contract can be found at: http://nitaac.nih.gov/nitaac/contracts/ecs-iii

About Emergent

Emergent is an award winning Value Added Reseller (VAR) and GSA Schedule Holder (GS-35F-0119W) providing comprehensive IT solutions including product acquisition, consulting and training services. The company specializes in total solutions solving business challenges leveraging its unique specializations in the areas of Business Intelligence, Collaboration, Cloud Computing, Security and Open Source. Emergent offers complimentary technology solutions with strategic vendor partners including Adobe, Cisco, Google, Red Hat, Symantec and VeriSign, among others within the government, commercial, education and healthcare sectors. For more information, visit http://www.emergent360.com

The head of a growing technology development firm announced today that one of its premier products, the active protection system (APS) known as Iron Curtain, successfully defeated all threats during recent U.S. government testing.

“After this latest round, where the system hit and killed 100 percent of the shots in a very demanding test series, the only rational conclusion is that the system simply works,” said Keith Brendley, CEO of Artis, LLC, developer of Iron Curtain. “We proved not only that Iron Curtain defeats threats and saves lives, but the risk from collateral damage is minimal, especially when compared with the alternative.”

Brendley said that the system protects military vehicles and other assets by intercepting threats such as rocket-propelled grenades inches from the vehicle and rendering them inert, even if the threat was fired from extremely close range. Iron Curtain uses two independent sensors, radar and optical, high-speed computing, and tightly controlled countermunitions to minimize the false alarm rate and provide extraordinary system effectiveness and reliability.

“In addition to these compelling test results, Iron Curtain has an approved safety architecture as unanimously recommended by the Joint Services Weapons Safety Review Board. These accomplishments along with our cost studies show that this system is affordable and ready to integrate today,” said Brendley.

The system’s radar was developed by Mustang Technology Group in Plano, Texas. BAE Systems integrated the system onto a combat vehicle as a system demonstrator for government testing.

Mark Signorelli, a BAE Systems executive, said, “We evaluated many active protection systems. Iron Curtain was selected because of its test history, maturity, robust capability against many types of threats, and safety to personnel outside the vehicle. Clearly, the outstanding result from these tests vindicates our decision. The BAE protection systems team picked the best APS in the market, and then did an excellent job in integrating it with our platform.”

Retired Army Gen. Walter “Skip” Sharp, former head of U.S. and U.N. forces in Korea, said, “The threat posed by small rockets and missiles is very real in places such as Korea and around the globe. When I first heard how Iron Curtain shoots down threats just inches from the vehicle, my reaction was, ‘No way!’ But after I examined the data and witnessed a live fire demonstration, I was convinced. It defeats a real threat, and I can’t see any technical, safety or affordability reason why this shouldn’t be deployed today and save lives.”

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Expeditionary Warfare, Brian Detter, said, “This is clearly a life-saving technology, and the testing demonstrates it is ready to be included in existing ground vehicles and those under development, such as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. Currently, there is no plan to include APS, and modifications can be made which preserves this capability at very little cost.”

About Artis, LLC

Artis is privately held and a partially owned subsidiary of Plasan U.S. Founded in 1999, the company specializes in advanced concept development of technology supporting defense and security markets. Its focus includes advanced real-time information systems, with an emphasis on distributed sensor and actuation networks operating at extremely high speeds.

In line with its May Best New Restaurants issue, Chicago magazine announces its partnership with TableSAVVY, an innovative dining reservation system that provides last-minute access to restaurant offerings via web and mobile platforms. Beginning today, restaurants can post same-day seating availability at tableSAVVY.com, allowing diners to book reservations for a $5 service fee and receive 30 percent off the food portion of their meal—no paperwork or coupon necessary.

“Chicago magazine is already known as a premium destination for news and information about restaurants in greater Chicagoland,” said Sean McClure, co-founder & VP of strategy at TableSAVVY. “With TableSAVVY, we can help satisfy their audiences’ hunger and spontaneity, as well as help restaurants efficiently manage reservations and offer seating opportunities easily and instantly. It’s the perfect partnership.”

Eager diners can sign up for TableSAVVY at chicagomag.com to review their options. Restaurants already on board include the Levy Group (Spiaggia, Cafe Spiaggia, Fulton‘s, Bar Toma), Rockit Ranch (Sunda, Rockit, Rockit Burger Bar, AyChiwowa, Dragon Ranch), Element Collective Group (Nellcote, RM Champagne, Old Town Social), and Prasino, to name a few.

“We know that our readers love exploring the fine dining available throughout Chicago,” says Rich Gamble, general manager/publisher of Chicago magazine. “It’s our job to help them navigate the best the city has to offer, not only through our content but also through various solutions like TableSAVVY. We like the concept, are proud supporters of all things Chicago, and are excited to champion such entrepreneurial efforts coming out of 1871′s digital start-up hub.”

The TableSAVVY partnership is just one of many recent digital initiatives from Chicago magazine. Earlier this year, the publication launched a “Best of Dining and Drinking“ mobile app for iPhones and Android devices and a tablet app, available in the Apple iTunes Store and coming soon to Google Play. The tablet app is a one-stop shop showcasing Chicago‘s Web-exclusive content, curating the top Chicago social-media conversations, and housing the digital version of the magazine. The free app allows subscribers to read the digital replica of the print magazine. Non-subscribers can access the app’s digital-only content, with single-issue purchases also available. In February, Chicago also launched a partnership with Gold Star, giving readers of their culture pages greater access to tickets for cultural events.

In an ever-changing industry, Chicago‘s mission is to deliver experiences to readers beyond the pages of the magazine, while demonstrating and maintaining a continued commitment to high-quality journalism, as shown most recently by the magazine’s finalist nominations in 3 national, 7 city/regional, and 14 local journalism awards competitions. Winners of the journalism competitions will be announced in May.

For more information about TableSAVVY, contact support@TableSAVVY.com.

About Chicago magazine
Chicago magazine is the largest monthly city magazine in the country, with a circulation of more than 150,000.

About Chicago Tribune Media Group
Chicago Tribune Media Group publishes the Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago Tribune as well as related print and interactive media serving Chicagoland such as RedEye, Hoy, Triblocal, TheMash, chicagotribune.com, triblocal.com and metromix.com.

For more information about Chicago magazine, visit www.chicagomag.com/press

TapSense, a leading mobile marketing platform, announces that it will offer recommendations and complimentary consulting to marketers following the end of Apple’s acceptance of apps with UDID (Unique Device Identifier) on May 1^st, 2013. This week, apps that collect UDID information will no longer be accepted by Apple, following major concerns and pressure from privacy advocates as UDID did not allow consumers to opt out from mobile ad tracking.

Gregory Kennedy, VP Marketing, TapSense comments: “It’s great news that UDID is finally being phased out and marketers should be excited about the new IFA alternative, which has been available since the release of iOS 6 last year. For a long time, many advertisers have found themselves in a legal gray area as the compliance guidelines have been unclear. Marketers now have the clarity they have been looking for and we anticipate advertising on iOS to increase significantly because of this.”

Apple’s IFA alternative is built into iOS 6 and users can opt out of any tracking method by changing a setting at the device level. The device level solution also puts iOS ahead of the PC web, where legal compliance with ad tracking has to be handled on a site-by-site basis via cookies.

Now that Apple’s IFA is available for marketers, TapSense offers the following tips on how to get the most out of app conversion tracking:

1. Understand user Lifetime Value (LTV): Conversion tracking lets you understand an acquired user’s LTV and focus on getting users who spend in your app.
2. Avoid Software Development Kit (SDK) conflict: With one conversion tracking SDK in your app you can avoid the headaches of managing multiple SDKs.
3. Work with multiple publishers: With conversion tracking in place you can easily work with new publishers, ad networks and other third parties.
4. Acquisition deduplication: Don’t pay twice for the same user from different networks. Conversion tracking attributes users to the right source.
5. Focus on iOS: With the legal gray area surrounding UDID now clarified, you can track all your advertising campaigns with confidence.
6. Get better ROI: With conversion tracking you can optimize your marketing by channel and creative to reduce your cost per acquisition.
7. Improve your product: Follow users through the conversion funnel and identify the drop off points so your team can correct them.
8. Get back to marketing: With Apple’s IFA and the right conversion tracking in place, marketers can stop worrying about tech issues and get back to doing what they do best – marketing.

TapSense is happy to answer questions from marketers and provide consulting on how to make their analytics and mobile marketing work with Apple’s IFA. Questions should be directed to help@tapsense.com.

For more information on TapSense, please visit: http://www.tapsense.com

For more information or an interview with a senior TapSense executive, please contact:

Dan Gamble
Hotwire PR
1-415-971-7938
Dan.gamble@hotwirepr.com

About TapSense
TapSense creates tools to make mobile marketing simple. Their flagship product, M3 Cloud, is an enterprise platform that allows marketers to do conversion tracking, monitor multi-channel funnel analytics and optimize campaigns directly to revenue. TapSense boasts over 40 customers, including: Fab, Trulia, HotelTonight, Poshmark, Pocket Gems, and Tiny Co.

TapSense was founded in 2011 and is based in San Francisco, California.

To learn more, visit: www.tapsense.com

Attivio, Inc. the leader in unified information access (UIA), has been positioned in the “Visionaries” quadrant in Gartner’s April 25, 2013 “Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Search,” recognized as one of the most influential market analyses for organizations seeking to evaluate software. According to Gartner, “Visionaries address the keen desire of enterprises to pursue consumer-class search experiences with fresh capabilities and flexibility. They understand that chasing the ‘Google experience’ is not sufficient, but that providing search features that allow for better collaboration, application development, and innovative means of finding and working with content is particularly valuable.”

Attivio’s Active Intelligence Engine® (AIE®) combines the power of enterprise search, BI and big data analytics for strategic applications and solutions that can be deployed on-premise or in the cloud. Attivio AIE maximizes the return on customers’ information assets by powering solutions that integrate multiple disparate information sources to improve sales performance, delight customers, ensure compliance, minimize risk and drive productivity.

“We believe our position at the highest point on the ability to execute axis of Gartner’s ‘Visionaries’ quadrant speaks to the innovation, growth and successful results our clients are realizing,” commented Ali Riaz, CEO at Attivio. “We remain focused on creating the most complete access and interpretation of businesses’ information assets.”

“Enterprises need powerful search technology that brings clarity to complexity,” stated Sid Probstein, CTO of Attivio. “Attivio’s technology integrates all related content and data matching a single query, with no advance data modeling, no ‘flattening’ of data tables and, thanks to our patented query-time JOIN capability, no pre-defined query requirements.”

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Attivio
Attivio’s unified information access platform, the Active Intelligence Engine® (AIE®), redefines the business impact of our customers’ information assets, so they can quickly seize opportunities, solve critical challenges and fulfill their strategic vision.

Attivio integrates and correlates disparate silos of structured data and unstructured content in ways never before possible. Offering both intuitive search capabilities and the power of SQL, AIE seamlessly integrates with existing BI and big data tools to reveal insight that matters, through the access method that best suits each user’s technical skills and priorities. Please visit us at www.attivio.com.

The U.S. Navy has awarded a local company a contract valued at $389,380 to develop a prototype software-protected server capable of deterring tactical cyber attacks.

“This project will provide the Navy and others with tactical cyber security to help protect vital systems,” said Arun Sood, CEO of Clifton-based SCIT Labs.

The nine-month contract was awarded by the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), based in San Diego, and is designed to be the first of a possible two-phase development effort.

SCIT, short for Self-Cleansing Intrusion Tolerance, shifts the typical intrusion management focus from avoidance to reducing the losses resulting from an intrusion. The technology is designed to clean the server as often as once a minute to ensure stability in performance while enhancing protection from attack.

“Intrusions are inevitable,” said Sood. “We are focused on strategies to work through attacks while limiting losses. We make it much harder for intruders, and through forensic analysis we also find out quicker that a system is under attack,” he said.

Retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, said, “SCIT technology shifts the cyber security focus from vulnerability elimination to consequence management. If successful, this technology will have broad implications and applications.”

Brian Detter, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Expeditionary Warfare, said, “Warfighters who put their lives on the line need to know that their mission-critical systems operate safely and effectively, and the SCIT solution could provide important safeguards.”

About SCIT Labs:

Founded in 2007, SCIT Labs, Inc is a spin-off from George Mason University, and has successfully competed two previous government development contracts.

New commissioned research conducted by Forrester Consulting identifies key challenges marketers continue to face regarding data management to reach today’s hyper-connected consumer. Uniting cross-channel customer data and activity within a comprehensive data environment remains a common goal; however, the study reveals that many marketing leaders continue to struggle when it comes to a customer-centric approach. Without a high level of data cohesion, it is difficult to provide the level of personalization, cross-channel consistency and real-time relevance that today’s consumers expect from the brands they engage. The lack of a comprehensive dataset also limits the reliability and effectiveness of analytics and other key metrics.

To address these issues, Knotice is sponsoring a live webinar, featuring special guest Forrester Research Principal Analyst Joanna O’Connell. This one-hour event will go deeper into the details of Forrester Consulting’s research, “A Customer-Centric Strategy Requires a Revamp of Current Data Practices,” (April 2013, commissioned by Knotice), exploring data intake and personalization challenges across channels, touchpoints, device types and more. The event will also offer trends, tips and best practices to overcome the challenge of unifying data across channels for customer-focused messaging and richer insights.

During the webinar, participants will learn:

• Steps to revamp their current data management approach around the customer;
• How today’s top marketers are approaching the challenges as they shift toward a customer-focused, data-oriented approach;
• Why having all that data isn’t enough – how it can be more useable and actionable within a data management platform to leverage for the greatest value;
• How to maintain relevant communications to both known and anonymous consumers who engage with brands online;
• Why targeting across iPads can be difficult, including ways to overcome real mobile challenges;
• Case-study examples on what’s working – and what’s not working – when coordinating advanced personalization across email, website, mobile and display;
• Trends and key recommendations to solve for data intake challenges, with exclusive access to information not found in the original report, and more.

There is no cost to participate, but registration is required.

What: Knotice Webinar: “Reaching Today’s Customer Requires a Revamp of Current Data Practices”

Who: Featuring special guest Joanna O’Connell, Principal Analyst, Forrester Research Inc. along with Brian Deagan, co-founder and CEO Knotice;

When: Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 at 2 PM ET

Where: Register now at http://www.knotice.com/webinar/

About Knotice
Knotice (pronounced “notice”) is a provider of data management, actionable analytics, and digital messaging solutions with offices in Seattle and Akron, Ohio. Our on-demand marketing software and agency services help marketers maximize the ROI of their addressable digital marketing – digital communications that are addressable to an individual. With our proprietary platform, we pioneered the ability to seamlessly unite customer data, analytics and message delivery – all from a single profile-based platform. In addition to technology, Knotice provides a comprehensive offering of marketing services, including strategy and planning, agency-style creative services, custom development, analytics, advanced reporting, and business intelligence. For more information, visit: http://www.knotice.com.

Nearly half of commuters self-reported texting while driving in a recent poll¹, and 43% of those who did called it a “habit.”

Commuters are texting and driving even more than teens – 49%¹, compared to 43%². And the problem has gotten worse. Six in 10 commuters say they never texted while driving three years ago.

So while efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of texting while driving are working – 98% of commuters surveyed said they know sending a text or email while driving isn’t safe – there’s clearly more work to be done to change behaviors.

Survey sponsor AT&T* is calling on employers to help end texting while driving by taking action during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, and beyond. It’s asking businesses to join the more than 165 organizations already engaged in the Texting & Driving-It Can Wait movement, and to use the policies, technologies and communications materials available free at att.com/itcanwait to help move their employees beyond being aware of the danger to making a personal commitment not to text and drive.

“Businesses can help keep their employees and others on the road safe by encouraging responsible behavior behind the wheel, including obeying all laws related to the use of electronic devices,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. “We also encourage all businesses to consider joining the ‘It Can Wait’ movement to end texting while driving. Together we can help turn the tide on this serious issue.”

Through It Can Wait, AT&T has reached millions with the insight that most text messages are trivial, and no text is worth dying for. It has made the dangers of texting and driving real and personal by giving thousands of people hands-on experience with driving simulators and sharing the heart-wrenching stories of people – like Jamie Nash in this video – whose lives have been forever changed by texting-while-driving accidents. More than 1.3 million personal commitments never to text and drive have been made at ItCanWait.com, through Facebook, text-to-pledge, tweet-to-pledge or at events.

“Through the It Can Wait movement, AT&T is collaborating with employers, nonprofits, law enforcement, educators, legislators, professional associations and government agencies nationwide,” said AT&T Senior Executive Vice President and Global Marketing Officer Cathy Coughlin. “I’m confident, together we can save lives by encouraging millions more to make the personal commitment never to text and drive.”

For more information, please visit www.ItCanWait.com.

¹ Commuter survey conducted by ResearchNow on behalf of AT&T
http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/pdf/twd_commutor_survey.pdf

² Teen survey conducted by Beck Research on behalf of AT&T http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/txting_driving/att_teen_survey_executive.pdf

*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 internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, 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.

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.

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:LF), the leader in educational entertainment, today announced six of its learning games won Parents’ Choice Spring Video Game Awards. Disney Phineas and Ferb won a “Silver Award;” Letter Factory, Brave and Learn to Read Ultra eBooks, Adventure Stories and Fairy Tales, won “Recommended Awards;” and Disney Jake and the Never Land Pirates won an “Approved Award.” To date, LeapFrog products have received more than 80 awards from The Parents’ Choice Foundation. Each game is available in LeapFrog’s extensive library of learning games, apps, eBooks, videos, music and more for the #1 kids’ learning tablets, LeapPad1™ and LeapPad2™, and learning video game systems, Leapster Explorer™ and LeapsterGS™.

The Parents’ Choice Awards were established almost 30 years ago and designed to help parents recognize the best products for their children, including content such as games, apps and eBooks. During testing, the Parents’ Choice Awards committees evaluated top-quality products that entertain, teach, stimulate the imagination and inspire creativity.

“We are thrilled with the continued recognition our learning solutions receive from The Parents’ Choice Foundation,” said John Barbour, chief executive officer at LeapFrog. “Our highly experienced team of learning experts was involved in every step of the design and development process to ensure each of these games were engaging, age-appropriate and packed with learning. We are extremely proud to receive these coveted awards acknowledging our games as the highest quality educational video games for kids.”

LeapFrog won more Video Game Awards than any other brand in the Spring Parents’ Choice Awards program. Six LeapFrog learning games were honored as the highest quality in children’s media. The Parents’ Choice “Silver Award,” a top honor, was given to Disney Phineas and Ferb for the game’s entertaining gameplay that introduces children to STEM skills. The Parents’ Choice “Recommended Award” was awarded to Letter Factory, Brave and Learn to Read Ultra eBooks, Adventure Stories and Fairy Tales, for their ability to make learning fun and help children develop skills in science, literacy and letter recognition. Disney Jake and the Never Land Pirates was the recipient of the “Approved Award” and recognized as a wholesome product that helps children develop foundational math skills.

“Our testing panels of educators and parents trust that every LeapFrog learning solution will engage children and have a positive impact on their learning potential,” said Claire S. Green, president, The Parents’ Choice Foundation. “As a result, today LeapFrog holds more Parents’ Choice Awards than any other company in the educational entertainment industry. Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Letter Factory, Disney Phineas and Ferb, Brave and Learn to Read Ultra eBooks are excellent examples of age-appropriate entertainment that engage and inspire children to explore new skills through innovative content experiences.”

Letter Factory and Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Disney Phineas and Ferb and Brave (MSRP $24.99) are available for the #1 kids’ learning tablets, LeapPad1 and LeapPad2, and learning video game systems, Leapster Explorer and LeapsterGS. Learn to Read Ultra eBooks, Adventure Stories and Fairy Tales (MSRP $19.99, for children ages 4-6), are available for LeapPad1 and LeapPad2. All games are available at major retail locations and at www.leapfrog.com.

For more information visit www.leapfrog.com.

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. is the leader in educational entertainment for children. LeapFrog’s award-winning product portfolio helps millions of children achieve their potential by delivering best-in-class curriculum through engaging content, fun multimedia learning platforms and toys. The Learning Path, LeapFrog’s proprietary online destination for parents and extended family, provides personalized feedback on a child’s learning progress and offers product recommendations to enhance each child’s learning experience. Through the power of play, LeapFrog’s products and curriculum help children of all ages prepare for school and life success. LeapFrog’s products are available in more than 45 countries and have been used by teachers in more than 100,000 U.S. classrooms. LeapFrog is based in Emeryville, California, and was founded in 1995 by a father who revolutionized technology-based learning solutions to help his child learn how to read. Come see the learning at www.leapfrog.com.

Smart911 today announced the finalists chosen in their national “Be the Face of Smart911″ online photo contest, which aims to represent Smart911 users across the country. From hundreds of submissions, the finalist field was narrowed down to 20 entries depicting citizens who have created a Smart911 Safety Profile, along with the reason why they created theirs. Smart911 is a national public safety service which allows citizens to create a Safety Profile at www.smart911.com with information about their household they want 9-1-1 to have during an emergency call; details a dispatcher can quickly send to responders in the field for fast, more effective service.

“We were overwhelmed with the quality of entries we received,” said Tom Axbey, president and CEO of Rave Mobile Safety, creators of Smart911. “From young to old, in states across the country, we have learned that there are many reasons people create a Safety Profile, but the consistent theme is simply to protect themselves, their loved ones and have additional peace of mind.”

An online vote is now open through April 5 at 5:00 pm EDT at www.smart911.com/photocontest.php. Individuals are encouraged to go online to browse entries which show a photo and reason for creating a Safety Profile, first name, location, as well as the charity they have designated to receive a donation in their name should they be chosen as a winner. Four winners will receive prizes, a donation to the charity of their choice, and be featured on the home page of Smart911.com and in national marketing materials.

A Safety Profile can include data about an individual, family, a residence, even pets, ranging from details on medical conditions, disabilities and special needs to home addresses associated with mobile phones, utilities, emergency contacts and more. As a result, fire crews can be aware of such things as how many people live at a home and the location of bedrooms and gas valves. EMS can know about specific conditions for fast, precise medical treatment. And because profiles can contain photos, in the event of a missing child, police can gain an advantage, receiving critical information in seconds versus hours.

Smart911 is available in 29 states and more than 350 municipalities, protecting millions across the U.S. The service has received many honors, including the “Parent Tested Parent Approved Winner’s Seal of Approval” from North America’s largest volunteer parent testing community. Each Smart911 Safety Profile is private, secure and only available to 9-1-1 call takers during an emergency call. Because it is a national system, a Safety Profile can be delivered with an emergency call in any area of the country if the local 9-1-1 call center is supported by the service.

About Rave Mobile Safety
Rave Mobile Safety is the most trusted software partner for campus and public safety. Used by leading Institutes of Higher Education and State and Local Agencies, the award-winning portfolio of Rave SafeCampus, RaveAlert, RaveGuardian, Eyewitness, Smart911 and SmartPrepare enables millions to feel safe, secure and connected. Rave Mobile Safety is headquartered in Framingham, MA. For more information please visit www.ravemobilesafety.com.

Universal VAT Services (UVS), a global leader in value added tax reclaim services, announces their partnership with Concur (NASDAQ: CNQR), the leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions. Through the partnership, the ‘UVS VAT CONNECT’ solution will allow Concur customers to integrate value added tax (VAT) reporting data within the expense reporting process to uncover lucrative VAT refunds they are eligible to receive. Tax Authorities in many countries refund VAT on business travel expenditures, and the ‘UVS VAT CONNECT’ system is an innovative way to seamlessly identify VAT incurred on expenses during foreign travel. UVS then supports reclaim of the VAT paid on those expenses.

“We are excited to join hands with such a prominent travel and expense industry leader like Concur,” said Sam Shah, Chief Operating Officer of Universal VAT Services. “After more than two decades of successfully reclaiming VAT for top global brands, we look forward to sharing our expertise with Concur customers through this new offering.”

“Expense reports are a prime source of untapped VAT reclaim opportunity which is costing organizations millions of dollars annually,” said Tim MacDonald, EVP of Platform and Data Services at Concur. “Thanks to the unique integration of Concur expense and UVS VAT recovery systems, organizations can gain complete visibility and act on their VAT reclaim opportunity, which can amount to significant savings.”

About UVS
Universal VAT Services is a leading provider of VAT recovery services for companies and academic institutions around the world. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA with office locations in several countries, their innovative team is comprised of financial experts whose primary goal is to seamlessly navigate the various VAT laws of countries around the world. UVS provides maximum VAT recovery results to all of their clients. For more information visit: www.universalvatservices.com.

About Concur
Concur is a leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions. With easy-to-use Web-based and mobile solutions, Concur helps companies and their employees control costs and save time. Concur’s open platform enables the entire travel and expense ecosystem of customers, suppliers, and developers to access and extend the value of the Concur T&E cloud. Concur systems adapt to individual employee preferences and scale to meet the needs of companies from small to large. Learn more at www.concur.com or the Concur blog.

AnyMP4 Studio released major updates to MXF Converter (Windows and Mac version) for worldwide users. The new versions enhance the capability of decoding and upgrade the kernel to handle any MXF file, including P2 MXF videos shot by Panasonic camcorders. The special upgrading feature is that users can convert MXF files to any 3D video with 6X faster conversion speed on Windows and Mac effortlessly.

The world leading MXF Converter App, integrates powerful converting function to help users convert MXF to any popular video format, and import MXF/P2 MXF file to any video editing App like Avid Media Composer, Sony Vegas, and Adobe Premiere for further editing with absolutely faultless performance. With the Mac version of MXF Converter, converting MXF files to any special formats like Apple ProRes, Apple Intermediate Codec, and Avid DNxHD are available. Thus importing MXF/P2 MXF to Final Cut Pro, iMovie, Avid Media Composer, and other Mac video editing Apps will be much easier for anyone. For more info about AnyMP4 MXF Converter, please visit: http://www.anymp4.com/mxf-converter/.

The best MXF Video Converter is capable of converting MXF to 2D video and even 3D video like MP4 3D, MKV 3D, TS 3D, AVI 3D, and FLV 3D at ultrafast converting speed with 100% original video quality. Even beginners easily convert MXF video to MOV, AVI, MP4, MPEG, MKV, WMV, MPEG2, M4V, and FLV, etc. for playback on mainstream digital devices like iPad 4, iPad mini, iPhone 5, iPod touch, Galaxy S4, HTC One, and more.

Magic video editing features of MXF Converter (Windows & Mac):

• Flexible 3D modes — Anaglyph and Split Screen, the Split Screen mode includes Side By Side (Full), Side by Side (Half-Width), Top and Bottom (Full), Top and Bottom (Half-Height).
• Crop video frame for Letterboxing, Pillarboxing, Windowboxing, and Full screen.
• Adjust video effect like Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, and Hue.
• Add text/image watermark to the video and set audio volume.
• Trim video length, and clip video to any segment at will.
• Define Video Encoder, Frame Rate, Resolution, Aspect Ratio, Video Bitrate, and Audio settings.
• Capture favorite moment with built-in Snapshot tool when preview video.

Special Discount availability

In this spring holidays, AnyMP4 announces 25% off coupon code (ANYAPL) for all Windows and Mac Apps. AnyMP4 MXF Converter and MXF Converter for Mac are both currently available for $22.50. All Apps allows users to free download and have a try. Existing users of these products are available for a free update to the new versions by simply using the “Check for Updates Automatically” option within the Apps. Quickly seize this great and special opportunity! Don’t let the grass grow under one’s feet. For more info about discount, please visit: http://www.anymp4.com.

System Requirements for Windows Version

OS Supported: Windows XP (SP2 or later), Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
CPU: 1.2GHz Intel or AMD CPU, or above
RAM: 1G RAM or more

System Requirements for Mac Version

OS Supported: Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 Mountain Lion

Processor: Intel® processor
Hardware Requirements: 512MB RAM, Super VGA (800×600) resolution, 16-bit graphics card or higher.

About AnyMP4

AnyMP4, a software producer, aims to provide the best and world-class solution of converting Blu-ray Disc, DVD and video/audio files. AnyMP4 is dedicated to developing the most powerful multimedia processing software for users all over the world. Our product portfolio ranges from video tools, DVD tools, Blu-ray tools, etc. on both Microsoft Windows and Apple’s Mac OS X platforms. All these software can help you easily solve almost all DVD/Blu-ray/video issues. For more details about AnyMP4, please visit: http://www.anymp4.com.

Choice Hotels International Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world’s largest hotel companies, today announced the launch of SkyTouch Technology, a new division that develops and markets cloud-based technology products to help hoteliers industry-wide improve their efficiency and profitability. SkyTouch Technology launches with the market introduction of SkyTouch Hotel OS, a new property and rate management solution that draws on Choice’s award-winning choiceADVANTAGE property management system for handling reservations, guest stays and rates on any device with an Internet connection.

Under Choice’s development, choiceADVANTAGE has become the most widely used cloud-based property management system in the world, with more than 5,500 successful installations in Choice-branded hotels worldwide.

SkyTouch Hotel OS offers many of the same functions of the choiceADVANTAGE property and rate management platform, as well as the ability to connect seamlessly with other systems used by chain and independent hotels. Choice franchisees will continue to enjoy the exclusive benefits of choiceADVANTAGE, including integration with ChoiceHotels.com, Choice central reservation systems, the Choice Privileges® loyalty program and other Choice systems.

“Since its introduction by Choice Hotels in 2003, choiceADVANTAGE has set the industry standard for ease-of-use, functionality and affordability,” said Stephen P. Joyce, president and chief executive officer of Choice Hotels International. “choiceADVANTAGE has been so effective for Choice franchisees that other hoteliers, including chains and independents around the world, have asked to use it. It’s a big milestone for the company that we can now offer a similar system via SkyTouch Hotel OS.”

“Choice has made significant financial and strategic investments in a broad range of technologies – from emerging mobile platforms to central reservation system delivery – that play to the company’s franchising strengths,” Joyce said. “Those investments have positioned Choice to plant the seeds of new initiatives and accelerate the pace of innovation. We believe that launching SkyTouch Technology as a separate line of business apart from our core hotel franchising operations gives the division the independence it needs to offer custom solutions and high levels of support, service and security to all its users.”

Ric Leutwyler, an accomplished executive who brings decades of experience in the hospitality and technology industries, will lead SkyTouch Technology as division president.

“The industry is looking for affordable, full-featured, above-property solutions that offer proven performance and reliability,” said Leutwyler. “Choice Hotels identified that gap and filled it for its franchised hotels when it developed choiceADVANTAGE. Now the company has created SkyTouch to fill it for chains and independents. Thanks to Choice’s long history of successful technology innovation and the experienced team that joins the SkyTouch Technology division from other divisions of Choice, we’re ready to hit the ground running and immediately provide solutions that hotel operators need without the investment required by other software packages.”

For questions regarding purchasing the SkyTouch Hotel OS for your property, please contact sales@skytouchtechnology.com.

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises approximately 6,200 hotels, representing more than 499,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. As of December 31, 2012, 394 hotels, representing more than 31,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States. Additionally, 88 hotels, representing approximately 7,800 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 20 other countries and territories. The company’s Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands, as well at its Ascend Hotel Collection membership program, serve guests worldwide.

Choice Hotels International offers the Choice Privileges® rewards program. With nearly 17 million members worldwide, it is one of the fastest growing loyalty programs in the travel industry.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. website, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.