Google has been involved in lots of sci-fi projects building products secretly in its Labs and Self Driving Cars is one of such Google’s highly ambitious projects. Last month we disclosed how the Technology Giant is testing the self driving cars on the secret racecourse to make the experiment mainstream. But today Google has gone one step further and has announced that its cars now driven 300,000 miles without a single accident under computer control.

It’s not clear though how many of these 300,000 miles were driven on Google’s secret racecourse.

The Google project uses Toyota Priuses equipped with sophisticated technologies like a range of cameras, radar sensors and laser range-finders to see traffic; Google Maps to navigate routes, as expected.

According to today’s update, Google also plans to let some of the team’s members drive the cars solo for their daily commutes. Until now, pair of human drivers was always in the cars, ready to take over in case of any malfunction, although Google says it is now ready to start using just one human per car.

The company also just added a Lexus RX450h to its Prius fleet.

In the past, the Google’s says its robot cars have driven from the Googleplex in Silicon Valley to Santa Monica in LA, gone “down [San Francisco's famously twisty] Lombard Street, crossed the Golden Gate bridge, navigated the Pacific Coast Highway, and even made it all the way around Lake Tahoe” — as announced in Google blog two years ago.

Google is creating some disruptive Technology here. It is bringing us closer to the day when we’ll be able to sit back, relax and operate our Laptops during our commute. But the company also admits it has a long way to go.

“To provide the best experience we can, we’ll need to master snow-covered roadways, interpret temporary construction signals and handle other tricky situations that many drivers encounter,” writes Chris Urmson, the driverless car team’s Engineering Lead, in a blog post. “For now, our team members will remain in the driver’s seats and will take back control if needed.”

There have been some accidents that involved Google’s self-driving cars in the past. All of these, however, took place while humans were in control of the cars.

Square entered into a very important deal today. The Payment processing service announced that they’ve partnered with Starbucks.

Beginning this fall, Square will take responsibility of processing all U.S. credit and debit card transactions across 7,000 locations of Starbucks.

Square users will also be able to locate a nearby Starbucks in the Square Directory on their iPhone or Android smartphone.

Starbucks will be investing $25 million in Square for the company’s Series D financing round, which places the Company at a $3.25 billion valuation. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, will also be joining Square’s Board of Directors.

The partnership means more to Square as it will place the Jack Dorsey headed Company into the mainstream, allowing it to attract millions of local Starbucks customers on the way to work.

Taking a look at the profitability of both the Companies at present, the Seattle-based coffee company stands at $3.3 billion in revenue, last quarter while Square announced that the company is now processing $6 billion in annual sales. The new partnership is only going to raise the revenue figures for both the Companies.

New Pay with Square users who frequent Starbucks will also be able to find new merchants within walking distance, too.

In the near future Starbucks may also integrate the Square Directory into its own apps. If Pay with Square functionality is also integrated into the Starbucks mobile app it could have an impact on Apple and its Passbook app when iOS 6 launches later this year.

Co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey has assured all top merchants meanwhile that Square isn’t diverting its focus from small businesses but rather, the partnership will boost Square merchant awareness across the board.

Jack Dorsey’s email:

I am pleased and proud to announce that today Starbucks signed up for Square.

Square began with a really simple idea: everyone should be able to accept credit cards. It should be easy and free to get set up, it should use simple technology people already own, and, most importantly, it should instantly adapt to any size business—from the person chasing a dream to the largest organization on the planet. By embracing Square, Starbucks has validated these ideas as powerful tools—not just for small businesses, but for smart businesses.

It’s amazing to think that Starbucks began as a single coffee shop in Seattle. The concept of taking a good idea and helping it grow is not foreign to them, and Starbucks doesn’t just view Square as the simplest way to accept payments. They see an opportunity to extend and accelerate a model they grew up with: the idea that business is local and that community plays a vital role in job creation and economic vitality. When Starbucks builds the Square Directory into their apps and in-store Digital Network, it gives Square new visibility, driving more customers to opt-in to Square. And with nearly 7,000 Starbucks stores soon accepting Square, these new payers will be able to find your business (including coffeehouses) and pay with their name, building community and creating value.

Our customers make us who we are, and we are proud of every single one of you—including our newest. Our promise to you remains the same: build simple, affordable, and fast tools that level the playing field for everyone. Thank you for helping us build Square. And please share your thoughts and tweets; I’m listening.

As Howard Schultz says: #Onward,

@jack

Written By: Mike Lamardo

Entertainment centers in homes use to be notorious for top-box set after another, with cables and wires going here and there. Though the TV screen would remain the primary place for eyes watch, few can deny the eyesore that exists around the TV. Luckily just yesterday, Verizon and Samsung just announced Tuesday this week that the FiOS app would be available on all Samsung Smart TVs as well as Blu-Ray players.

For users that are subscribed to Verizon FiOS - the network stream – the app allows them to be able to access certain channels as well as on-demand movies without any new set-top box. It should be known that there are only twenty-six channels available on this platform for now, as a representative of FiOS TV  said that the first selection of channels were believed to be the most popular.

Also, these 26 networks are only available if the user is already subscribed to a package that already includes them. But the options are not just limited to this, since the app will enable access to some 20,000 movies as well as a continuously circulating selection of shows on Flex-View. Users who want to get the FiOS app will be able to download it from the Smart Hub app store

What is significant about this app is how much tangible material actually gets taken away. Most services that provide this level of selection inevitably comes with some sort of box or in the case of a DirecTV and others, a satellite dish, though the benefits of that stand on their own. Entertainment does not seem to have been met with this kind of minimalist technology, and the rate in which everything is getting smaller and lesser, this just shows that Samsung and Verizon does not want to get behind the curb.

The introduction of the app could also mean that Samsung has a chance to stay in the game for the rest of the year as the battle against Apple continues to play out. While tablets seem to be a sustained issue for the company, this kind of entertainment option could gain the attention of consumers looking for something new as the holiday season approaches in television.

With fiber-optic technology like Verizon Fios, and the recent introduction of Google Fiber, the future of gadgetry could in a strange way mean fewer gadgets. The success of something like the FiOS has yet to be seen however.

About the Author: Mike Lamardo is a writer on tech, science, music industry and more for a variety of blogs and websites.

The New iPhone is about to launch on Wednesday, September 12th at an Apple event in San Francisco along with the new 7 inch iPad mini, the updated version of the current iPad 3, iPod Touch and iPod Nano. The Reports of its Designs are already out with the Phone expected to have upgraded software, hardware and features including a faster processor and LTE connectivity, smaller 9-pin dock connector, larger screen, thinner body and NFC support.

9 Pin Dock Connector in place of the previous 30 Pin Dock Connector

All signs are pointing to a smaller dock connector in the iPhone 5 or the new iPhone.

9to5 Mac reported that Apple will be replacing its current 30-pin connector with a new 9-pin dock connector in the next generation of iPhones.

Not only Phones, the Cupertino based Company will update all of its iOS devices in September to support the new connector.

A smaller connector would make it impossible to use existing speakers, docks, and chargers without the use of an adapter converting it back to the traditional 30-pin, something that Apple will likely make available.

The new pin connector will have an impact on the accessory industry, but it will also allow Apple to squeeze in new technologies into its future devices.

Larger Screen, Thinner Built.

According to the sources, the new iPhone would have a taller display with a screen that can accommodate additional five rows of apps.

The details were revealed in a beta build of iOS 6 provided to developers.

Take a look at the Video below:

The upcoming iPhone’s screen measures in at 4.065-inches, compared to the 3.61-inch screen found on the iPhone 4S.

The screen also abandons the iPhone’s current aspect ratio, taking it from 3:2 to 16:9.

The Phone is also 10% thinner than the iPhone 4S.

The forward-facing camera on the phone will be repositioned to right above the earpiece on the phone rather than to the left where it currently resides.

LTE Connectivity and Faster Processor.

In addition to some huge exterior changes, the iPhone 5 is also expected to have some undated specs under hood including a faster processor and LTE connectivity.

Anyone who’s used an LTE phone can tell you it’s a huge leap in connection speed over 3G technologies, which are what current iPhones all have.

There’s simply no way the iPhone 5 doesn’t have LTE. The connections give a speed boost to all data tasks — from watching HD videos to downloading email attachments.

NFC and Passbook

NFC has been the most looked forward to feature in the iPhone. The the extremely short-range wireless tech enables mobile payments and other interactions like exchanging Music, Photos , Business cards, getting information about the product or a service, check-ins, Liking on Facebook and lots more just by bringing two NFC enabled devices in a close proximity ao that they can almost touch each other.

 This feature is becoming so commonplace on phones that it’s hard to see Apple ignoring it yet again. In addition, many see Apple’s introduction of Passbook in iOS 6 as its first step into the mobile-payments space. Apple needs to have NFC in the next iPhone if it hopes to have any real influence there.

No Youtube and Google maps

On Monday this week, the iOS 6 beta release revealed that Apple would be removing the YouTube app –- a staple of the iPhone since its initial release in 2007 –- with the next generation of the iconic handset. The company has already acknowledged that it will be replacing Google Maps in iOS 6 with its own mapping application with 3D capabilities.

Apple is on a roll at the moment, confidently moving OS X updates to the same yearly schedule as iOS updates, and beginning the process of bringing Retina displays to the Mac.

There are some doubts however whether the Company will announce an upgrade to the current iPad or a new mini iPad.

The iPhone 5 is expected to release in the retail Stores on Sept. 21st.

Pinterest, announced Wednesday that it has opened its doors to anyone who wants to join dropping its invite-only policy.

The site has begun open registration. The social network previously allowed users by invitation only. Users can now sign up for the social photo sharing website without waiting for an invitation, according to Pinterest’s official blog. They can register using their email addresses, or log in with their Facebook or Twitter accounts.

"We're thrilled to announce open registration," Pinterest said in a blog post Wednesday. "For those of you who haven't joined Pinterest yet, this means you can sign up without waiting for an invite ... In addition to using your Facebook or Twitter login, we're also opening registration so you can sign up with just your email address."

 “We’re really excited to have the capacity to offer Pinterest to more people and if you’re a Pinner with friends who’ve been waiting on the sidelines, we hope you’ll let them know,” the blog added.

"This tactic of adding exclusivity upon launch of a social network is not a new thing," said Rob McNair, a social media analyst from mycleveragency.com.

"Google+ adopted [it]… creating a people-referral engine and as a result built pent-up demand from the everyday user that wanted to give it a try."

Pinterest is a social scrapbooking site. You can create different pinboards in your account of by pulling in images from around the Web. If you spot an image or a thoughtful quote - you can grab it and add it to your board.

Your Followers who follow your pinboards can repin their favorite images and comment on them.

The site is a collection of collections, which offers a look into the worlds of fashion, travel, cooking, Tattoos, Architecture, Quotes, religion and lots of other topics.

The site is one of the fastest-growing social networks online. Reports suggest that Pinterest is the third-largest social network in the U.S., after Facebook and Twitter. It is also looking to expand into overseas markets, such as France, Germany and Japan.

In May, Pinterest raised $100 million in a round of funding that values the company at $1.5 billion today.

Don't you love taking quizzes and  test your intellectual capacity. It's one of the most entertaining and constructive activities that is enjoyed by most of us. Ever wondered who creates most of these quizzes for you? The credit goes to the ProProfs which is the largest repository of public quizzes and assessment tools on the web today.

Biggest Brands and Universities are taking the help of this California based Startup to help them create seamless training courses for their employees or Students. Coupled with sophisticated features and algorithms, ProProfs' advanced quizzes, elearning courses and Tracking Dashboard are helping Businesses,Educators and Students looking to increase their productivity.

"We are the Largest Quiz makers offering assessable and high end enterprise solutions," says Sameer Bhatia, CEO and CoFounder at ProProfs.

Part of the inspiration behind creating Proprofs was the lack of availability of online tools to help Students in preparing for major tests like a SAT or other IT Certifications.

"We noticed that students preparing for IT certifications and other high profile educational tests couldn’t share documents," explains Bhatia. "So we decided to create a simple and engaging tool  without requiring users to download or learn expensive software," he adds.

The Company's product portfolio today includes Quizzes, Trainings and Courses, Polls, Surveys, Flashcards, Games, elearning tools for IT Certifications and SAT.

Quiz Maker

The Company created the largest library of  ready-made question bank and quiz templates to help users instantly leverage pre-written questions.

“Our free database of question examples helps users create the best quizzes possible for their individual needs whether they’re an HR manager, instructor, marketer or educator," explains Bhatia.

Analytics and Dashboard

The Analytics provides real time reports and statistics on the difficulty level of each question, time taken to complete the test, quiz popularity, location of quiz takers & more.

It's again a great tool in identifying knowledge gaps, tracking performance and helping instructors or educators create more efficient and productive quizzes.

"Our Analytics provide intelligent insights allowing you to go back and improve your courses," informs Bhatia.

With Quiz Maker, ProProfs is offering the same powerful features that come with enterprise solutions for a fraction of the cost. Users can create public quizzes for free, or pay a low monthly fee for additional privacy and reporting features.

"We've received a good traction with Quiz maker," he adds.

Training maker

ProProfs Training Maker offers the options of adding videos, pictures, articles, powerpoint & documents (word or pdf) in the courses. It also integrates well with the quiz maker allowing the user to import quizzes directly into their courses with one click.

Proprofs Technology

Instructors also find it difficult to take offline content online or downloading online content to use it offline. Proprofs' technology allows instructors to upload PDF or Word docs, which can then be converted to a webpage automatically - or also provides instructors with "Allow Download" option so that content is available offline.

 "We want it to work magically," quips Bhatia.

Mobile Friendly

"Mobile is a big part of our strategy and we believe in anytine anywhere learning," says Bhatia. ProProfs supports multiple platforms and browsers. So the quizzes can be accessed from multiple devices, facilitating anytime, anywhere learning.

The Tool works on all operating systems including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac or Linux.

Quiz Maker even converts any user uploaded documents into HTML5 so they can be loaded seamlessly across mobile devices.
"The challenge for instructor is to cater to multitude of devices, browsers, screen sizes & operating systems that the learner may be on. At ProProfs, we simplify that process so any course or quiz created once works across all devices," explains Bhatia.  

Some of the other Cool features offered

Custom Certificate: The site creates custom certificates with your branding & signature and score.

Embed Quiz on Website: The feature allows you to provide a link to your hosted quiz, or embed the entire quiz on your website or blog.

Languages: One of the other interesting features of the online learning tool is that the quizzes can be created in over 50 languages.
Customized Quizzes: Create a quiz in practice mode, fun mode or test/exam mode.

Viral exposure: You can also create viral exposure for quizzes by sharing them on Facebook, Twitter or other Social networking sites.

Public or Private: You are given an option to make your quizzes public or private.

Notification: You get notified when someone takes your quiz.

Proprofs' customers include Fortune 500 Companies like Sony, Dell, Cisco, Adobe, Ford, SAP,  and Universities like Harvard, Yale, Phoenix among many others.

From comprehensive web based learning tools to customer support, ProProfs offers a very intuitive user experience every step of the way.

"In near future we see ourselves working on knowledge apps that exist in the educational space," says Bhatia.

Technology Digital interviewed Argos about its predictions for the Popular Toys during Christmas, integration of Technology into these toys, the Company's prediction for the Retail industry and its Social media strategy as it continues to build its online presence stronger. Read on.

TD: What is interesting is to learn that most of these toys incorporate latest technology and interactive elements which make them more enjoyable. What are your thoughts on it?

Argos: Technology and interactivity are playing a key part in toy product development, however, in many cases these elements are being used in conjunction with traditional themes. For example, Twister is a classic family game but has now evolved into Twister Dance – where players learn dance steps to music by stepping on the coloured spots.  Another classic, Disney’s Cinderella doll, now has light-up and musical features. And global success Furby has returned with a digital makeover – the original was groundbreaking in its interactivity but it has moved to a new level by incorporating even more interactive elements alongside the latest tablet technology.   

TD: Christmas 2011 also saw interactive toys selling big. Do you feel the Classic Design Toys are losing their popularity compared to the interactive and motorized Toys?

Argos: Definitely not - our list of top toys still includes a number of classic design toys, and some of these now incorporate the latest technology.  Best selling brands like Lego & Chad Valley are still amongst our best sellers and continue to grow in popularity through the generations.  We believe the toys that will stand the test of time are those which offer great value whether it be from a classic play or by including the latest technology.

TD: Being one of the Top retailers in the UK, what are your thoughts about the current Retail Scenario?

Argos: We recognise that times are tough for many of our customers and that’s why our focus is very much on ensuring we offer a wide choice of toys available which present quality and value for money for parents. We have a number of permanent offers in place on toys such as two for £15 and two for £30 to help spread the cost and continue to launch new deals and promotions over the next few months to ensure we remain competitive and help customers’ money stretch further for Christmas. We also have top toys under £10 this Christmas.

TD: Argos is doing very well through both its Retail and Online Stores. What is the future of Online Retailing according to you?

Argos: Online transactions now represent more than 40 per cent of Argos’ total sales, with our Check & Reserve service offering customers the ability to check stock and prices on the move or from home and collect their item from store at a time to suit them.  We will continue to focus on the ongoing development of our multi-channel capabilities as we recognise this is a key growth area across the retail industry, and we are working hard to further improve this.

TD: It’s great to see Argos having an active presence on Social networking and bookmarking sites. Do you feel Social media is playing an important role in attracting and engaging consumers?

Argos: Social media is important for our customers, so our presence there is vital. Through our activity on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest we’re having a much warmer and more interactive conversations with customers – which is really good for building brand loyalty and, our business.

Customer service is an integral part of our social media activity and our team of Argos Helpers have worked hard to extend our customer services offering into this area. We’ve given customers a new channel through which to contact us that fits into their lifestyles, even when they are on the go.

Enjoy the Video from Argos below:

As the 2012 Olympics celebrated its Closing Ceremony yesterday, it is already being missed by the fans and the viewers across the world. But Instagram will share all the beautiful memories with you. The Photo- sharing site has been the social media star of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The social networking site has captured the inspiring moments for the sports fans. Users of the wildly popular mobile app including the popular athletes have shared just over 100,000 photos from the Games over the past two weeks.

Athletes have given a look into the behind-the-curtain shots, Fans have shared photos from venues and landmarks, and to share memories with friends who aren’t in London.

Over 650,000 photos have been posted with the #olympics hashtag, while more than 263,000 have been uploaded with the #london2012 hashtag. Even more impressive and unsurprisingly, a whopping 27,000 photos have been shared with the hashtag, #michaelphelps.

If the medals have to be awarded to the Stadiums then the Olympic Stadium picks Gold, with more than 7,600 photos posted. Next comes Wembley Stadium with more than 3,500 photos posted from the Games’ main soccer spot. The Olympic Park Basketball Arena takes bronze, with over 2,300 shares.

The social media tracking tool VenueSeen, which has been keeping tabs on every public Instagram photo posted from Olympic sites has shred this Data.

Check out the infographic below for more cool findings:

Our favorite Wall-crawling hero completed 50 Years of Action, Drama, Humor, Romance and more importantly saving the world. The Superhero who is feared by the criminals of New York and loved by the fans of Marvel Comics celebrated 50th anniversary this weekend.

Spiderman aka Peter Parker was released to the world back on August 10, 1962 in Fantasy #15.

Since then there have been number of movies made on this superhero which have raked in billions of dollars and his Comics are still cherished as a collector’s item.

So don’t be surprised to know that the most pricey Spiderman comic is valued at $1.1 million and it would cost more than $5,600 each year to insure it.

We’ve been on all his adventures experiencing the joy, the love, the passion and the kindness along with him. As kids many of us secretly wished that he would come and save us from our childhood fears, embarrassing moments while growing up and our school assignments.

We’ve also seen many variations of this all-time favorite comic book and movie character over the last 50 years.

A cool infographic by MoneySupermarket.com shows how Spidey has evolved over the years, especially when it comes to flaunting new suits, from his classic lycra and spandex suit with web shooters under his wrists, to an iron suit given to him by Tony Stark (Iron Man).

Over the period of 50 years, many famous faces have made cameo appearances in the Spiderman comic books. The six best faces of those appearances include, the former President Abraham Lincoln, the creator of the comic Stan Lee, The Tonight Show host Jay Leno, Saturday night Live Cast, the current President Barack Obama and Stephen Colbert.

There have been five women in Peter Parker’s Life till now.

The First Spiderman movie in a new era of Comic book films was released in the year 2002 featuring the American Actor Toby Maguire who remained the face of Peter parker until Spider-Man 3.

2012 saw the release of the latest movie on the superhero called the Amazing Spider-Man and featuring the British Actor- Andrew Garfield. The Sequel to this movie is expected to release in the year 2014.

Spidey is also a hot topic of discussion on social media sites. According to the research conducted by analytics company Networked Insights, Spiderman was recently named the most popular Marvel character on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Check out the Infographic:

As the 2012 Olympics celebrated its Closing Ceremony yesterday, it is already being missed by the fans and the viewers across the world. But Instagram will share all the beautiful memories with you. The Photo- sharing site has been the social media star of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The social networking site has captured the inspiring moments for the sports fans. Users of the wildly popular mobile app including the popular athletes have shared just over 100,000 photos from the Games over the past two weeks.

Athletes have given a look into the behind-the-curtain shots, Fans have shared photos from venues and landmarks, and to share memories with friends who aren’t in London.

Over 650,000 photos have been posted with the #olympics hashtag, while more than 263,000 have been uploaded with the #london2012 hashtag. Even more impressive and unsurprisingly, a whopping 27,000 photos have been shared with the hashtag, #michaelphelps.

If the medals have to be awarded to the Stadiums then the Olympic Stadium picks Gold, with more than 7,600 photos posted. Next comes Wembley Stadium with more than 3,500 photos posted from the Games’ main soccer spot. The Olympic Park Basketball Arena takes bronze, with over 2,300 shares.

The social media tracking tool VenueSeen, which has been keeping tabs on every public Instagram photo posted from Olympic sites has shred this Data.

Check out the infographic below for more cool findings:

LEGO, the Danish toymaker, is celebrating its 80 years of toy creation with an animated video about the company's history for all to enjoy, just like their toys.

This short film, which can be found on YouTube, is sure to invoke feelings of nostalgia in every adult who loved the plastic brick toy as a kid.

The 17-minute video describes LEGO through the eyes of its founders, who make up three generations Christiansens: Ole Kirk Christiansen, who created the company in 1932, his son Godtfred, LEGO's second owner, and current owner Kjeld, the founder’s grandson.

Kield takes through Lego’s journey from wood to plastic toys, the evolution of the signature interlocking brick and rebuilding the Company after two burned-down factories.

The Video also reveals that the name Lego comes from the Danish for “play well” is “leg godt.” Coincidentally, Lego means “I put together” in Latin.

There are endless possibilities of creativity with LEGO toys. Christiansen family continued to diversify their product line and bring a whole new meaning to lego.

The LEGO story is full of lessons vital to run and grow a successful company. Just like Apple, some key takeaways from the LEGO story are the importance of making ideas come to life, and quality products.

LEGO also has a nice timeline on the corporate part of their site.

Enjoy the full video to learn more:

Google is known to spoil its employees with all kinds of perks including free food and fitness classes to laundry service, car washes, and free haircuts among many others.

But the latest perk announced by the Company will blow your mind. According to a recent report, the latest perk for Googlers extends into their afterlives.

Google recently rolled out death benefits for its employees.  If a passes away while under the employ of the search giant, their surviving spouse or domestic partner will receive a check for 50% of their salary every year for the next decade. Even more surprising, a Google spokesperson confirms that there’s “no tenure requirement” for this benefit, meaning most of their 34 thousand Google employees qualify. 

The Benefit covers only U.S. employees right now according to Forbes

The surviving spouse or partner of a deceased employee will also acquire vested stock benefits, and children will receive $1,000 a month until the age of 19 (or 23 if the child is a full-time student).

The oldest Googler is currently 83.  But the Chief People Officer Laszlo Bock says that the Company doesn’t think about the employees’ age. “For someone who fits a certain profile—say, an aging parent to take care of, or kids or grandkids to support–whatever your cluster of needs are, we do our best to discern the best package of perks and programs to meet them,” he explains.
Google said it is granting this perk because it is the right thing to do, taking the responsibility of the employee’s family needs if an unforeseeable event were to occur — even if there is no direct benefit to the business.

Although it might help in attracting and retaining candidates and staff, Google said that is not the reason why it implemented the benefits.

“It turns out that the reason we’re doing these things for employees is not because it’s important to the business, but simply because it’s the right thing to do. When it comes down to it, it’s better to work for a company who cares about you than a company who doesn’t. And from a company standpoint, that makes it better to care than not to care,” says Bock.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooks who have the desire but not the space to bring the tools of restaurant chefs into their own kitchens now have the option of a 30-inch commercial-style dual fuel range from KitchenAid that recently earned the top rating from a leading consumer magazine.  Like the brand's other top ranked 36-inch commercial-style dual fuel range, the 30-inch model offers precise, powerful gas burners, Even-Heat™ electric convection and the unique option of steam-assist technology.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120725/DE46119 )

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/DE41498LOGO-b )

"Our 36-inch model has consistently earned high marks in the commercial-style range category and we're happy to offer cooks yet another top performer in a smaller configuration," notes Beth Robinson, senior manager of brand experience for KitchenAid.  "Consumers looking for the same powerful performance often found on larger models will appreciate all that our 30-inch models have to offer."

Features on the KitchenAid® 30-inch commercial-style dual fuel range include the industry's most powerful burner among leading brands.  The 20,000 BTU Ultra Power™ Dual-Flame Burner offers the versatility to go from intense searing to a low simmer.  Additional burners include two 15,000 BTU professional burners and a 5,000 BTU simmer/melt burner.  Electronic ignition enhances reliability for lighting burners while infinite-heat controls provide countless intermediate settings between low and high for added cooking precision.  

To promote even cooking on all racks of the oven, an Even-Heat™ True Convection System uses a hidden heating element, a fan and a bow-tie shaped baffle to consistently circulate air heated by the element.  An EasyConvect™ Time and Temperature Conversion System automatically converts conventional times and temperatures to their convection equivalents.  Other features include convection bake, broil and roast, a bread proofing option and a Sabbath mode. A large glass-touch oven display features a responsive, easy-to-use interface designed for easy cleaning.  

"For cooks who want to bring even more professional tricks of the trade into their own homes, we also offer this model with steam-assist technology," says Robinson.  "Injecting steam into the cooking cycle helps retain moisture in everything from roast chicken, fresh fish and vegetables, and eliminates the need for manual misting or water baths when baking breads, cheesecakes and custard based dishes."  

Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks.  Today, the KitchenAid brand offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars.  Cook for the Cure®, the brand's partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, is now in its eleventh year and has raised over $8 million to help find a cure for breast cancer.  To learn why chefs choose KitchenAid for their homes more than any other brand*, visit www.KitchenAid.com or join us at http://facebook.com/KitchenAid and http://twitter.com/KitchenAidUSA.

* Based on a 2012 survey, KitchenAid was found to be the home kitchen appliance brand chosen most often by members of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

SOURCE KitchenAid

SHENZHEN, China, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- MiPow astounded the red dot jury at "red dot award: product design 2012". After an evaluation process lasting several days, it received one of the coveted awards, assigned by the 30-member expert jury. Creative heads and manufacturers from all over the world had submitted 4,515 designs altogether to the renowned product competition. With their high design quality, Power Tube 5500 & Power Tube Shake 2600 dazzled and inspired the experts. They received the globally sought-after red dot for the fine design language in the their back-up batteries.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120725/CN44337)

MiPow was founded in 2010 by Stanley Yeung, a young Hong Kong designer. Over the past two years, the company has made a name for itself by stunning industry observers with scintillating designs and a high standard of product quality that has helped it capture a considerable share among other brands in the market. Most importantly, MiPow won TWO 2012 red dot product design awards with their first entry. Undoubtedly, these precious awards mainly show the world that a lot of Chinese manufacturers and brands have jumped out from the creative boundary of imitation and have focused more on originality and creativity. Through gorgeous products and acute market insight, these companies, which include MiPow, have been highly recognized both at home and abroad.

Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of the red dot design award, pointed to the high quality level of the competition: "The most distinguished products of the respective branch of industry faced up not only to the tough competition this year again, but also to the critical eye of the jury. The experts thoroughly examined, tested and evaluated each individual entry applying the highest standards. With their performances, the laureates did not only demonstrate an extraordinary design quality but they also showed that design is an integral part of innovative product solutions. At this high level, the winners are able to increase their potential for success on the market considerably by purposefully using our design prize." 

The award-winning products in the red dot design museum

Featuring over 1,500 products in an area of more than 4,000 square meters, the red dot design museum accommodates the world's largest permanent exhibition of temporary design. From July 3-29, 2012, it again invites the world to attend a special exhibition showcasing a collection of award-winning products. At "Design on stage – winners red dot award: product design 2012," enthusiasts can admire the latest trends at close range. Touching is explicitly requested. Thus, visitors can truly experience the prize-winning design of Power Tube 5500 & Power Tube Shake 2600 by MiPow Ltd. live in the breathtaking atmosphere of the one-time boiler house of the Zeche Zollverein, a former coalmine.

The red dot design award

The red dot design award, whose origins reach back to the 1950s, is carried out in three disciplines: the "red dot award: product design", the "red dot award: communication design" and the "red dot award: design concept". In 2011 alone, more than 14,000 entries from over 70 countries were registered. The award – the red dot – has established itself internationally as one of the most appreciated quality seals for outstanding designs.

For further information please look at: www.red-dot.de/press

For more about our products, please log on to our official website: www.mipow.com

Or follow our twitter/facebook.

Eddie Pang
+86-755-2912-1469
eddie.pang@mipow.com

SOURCE MiPow Ltd.

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Perla Group International Inc., (Pink Sheets: PERL) a leader in the international military, police and security solutions sectors, announced that the final outstanding documents necessary to upgrade its listing to CURRENT status on the OTC Market Tiers was submitted this morning.  The company expects OTC Markets to approve its submission and upgrade its listing in a timely manner.

Perla Group International also announced that in conjunction with its new transfer agent, Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, it has begun the application process to become DTC eligible. DTC eligibility will greatly improve the speed and efficiency during the transfer of Perla Group International stock. The application and approval process is expected to take several weeks.

"These events are significant milestones for our company," stated Charles D'Alberto, Perla Group International CEO. "Our shareholders can have confidence that we will do everything necessary in order to grow Perla Group into a world class company."

The company also announced two new orders for armored buses by an oil company working in Nigeria. The orders were booked in the month of July and should be shipped to Nigeria in August.

Additionally, Perla Group announced that the release of the much anticipated, new Sentinel APC vehicle has been very well received. The new design is lighter and more powerful than its predecessor with the capability to transport up to 10 passengers.  Mr. D'Alberto commented, "We are currently in discussions with several interested parties and expect to announce new sales of the Sentinel APC in the near future."

For additional Information:

Call 954-495-4600, send email inquiries to investor@perlagrp.com, or visit www.perlagrp.com

About Perla Group International
Perla Group International is an emerging leader in the international military, police and security solutions sectors. It was established with the vision to become the industry's leading turnkey solutions developer and services provider. Perla Group's success is built on a combination of trust, backing and support of top industry specialists and a talented team's unwavering commitment to service excellence. With its four divisions: Perla Telecoms, Perla Aviation, Perla Armored Cars and Perla K-9 Services, it places Perla Group in a unique position to service many of its existing clients with multiple value added services and thereby attract key new clients.

"Safe Harbor Statement" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements in the Release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results, events and performance could vary materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Perla Group International Inc.

DALLAS, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Darkroom Software has launched a new build of Darkroom version 9.1.  Improvements include new camera drivers, new printer drivers, new features, and fixes.

New Camera Drivers
Nikon D4, D800
Canon 5D Mark III, EOS 1DX, EOS 650D/Rebel T4i

New Printer Drivers
DNP DS40, DS80, DSRX1
Fuji DL600, Fuji LP5700

New Features
Can Export Order Data including photo email addresses
Digital Media enhancements

• Can now use custom watermark
• Can now edit settings when used with Autoprint
• "Create Digital Media" menu option can now be disabled

Receipt Printing

• Can print order ID as barcode on receipt
• Darkroom variables now work in detailed receipt text

Event Presentation mode changes

• Can click to see large preview of cart item
• Can easily remove cart item from preview

Fixes
Auto print proof / receipt buttons fixed
Photo Email: Now works on saved photo in workshop
Assembly Edition

• Package barcodes enhanced for Windows 7
• Can now create PSPA output with custom image size
• Query fixes

New Build Links

The following are the links to download the new build.  The build is free of charge to all Darkroom 9.1 users.

Core:

http://cdn.darkroomsoftware.com/updates/drcore/Latest_Active/SetupDRCE1934.exe   

Pro:

http://cdn.darkroomsoftware.com/updates/drpro/Latest_Active/SetupDRPro1934.exe

Assembly:

http://cdn.darkroomsoftware.com/updates/drae/Latest_Active/SetupDRAE1934.exe

Upgrade

Upgrades are available to 9.1 for users on previous versions of Darkroom.  Upgrade prices are Core $195, Pro $345, Assembly $895.  http://www.darkroomsoftware.com/buy

Press Release Graphics

Software Boxes: http://www.darkroomsoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/boxes.jpg

About Darkroom

If you are serious about photography, Darkroom is the ONLY software that delivers 100% of the functionality necessary to grow your business.  Darkroom has been an industry leader for over a decade and helps businesses of all sizes incorporate a profitable photography workflow.  For more information please contact: 800-517-4522, sales@darkroomsoftware.com, www.darkroomsoftware.com

©2012 Darkroom Software, LLC. All rights reserved.  

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact
Becky Tate
Director of Marketing
800.517.4522 x108
becky@darkroomsoftware.com

SOURCE Darkroom Software

ATLANTA, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Actress, singer and entrepreneur Selena Gomez is partnering with Case-Mate as a part of its upcoming "Right Case, Right Occasion" marketing campaign. Gomez will showcase Case-Mate's line of fashion-forward smartphone and tablet cases in an integrated marketing campaign that will include broadcast, digital, and social media-based programming.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120725/NY46110)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110112/NY28848LOGO)

Case-Mate is the international design company known for creating fashion-forward accessories that protect, adorn, and enhance mobile technology. The upcoming integrated marketing campaign will feature a powerful roster of fashionable, celebrity trend-setters who will inspire Millennials to outfit their smartphones and tablets with cases that complement their various styles and individual personalities.

"Fashion has become a huge part of my life, and I want to share this experience with all of my fans," said Selena Gomez. "I'm really excited about partnering with Case-Mate; they have so many stylish and beautiful cases that I can switch out and use to accessorize any outfit."

Over the past several years, Selena has built a successful apparel line, Dream Out Loud, at Kmart and recently launched a fragrance line. The fun-loving superstar has millions of adoring fans around the world along with a massive social media following.

"Selena Gomez was selected for our campaign because she personifies the Case-Mate brand," said Shashi Reddy, Case-Mate's Founder and CEO. "She's a role model to young fashionistas everywhere, and she knows how to stay true to her own personal style."

The campaign is set to air beginning in September 2012.

About Case-Mate:
Case-Mate is the leader in design of fashion-forward accessories for mobile technology and tablets. Since 2006, the company has helped consumers express their individual style with products that protect, adorn and enhance their mobile devices. Working with top designers from around the world and using cutting-edge materials, Case-Mate's team of technology and design aficionados has created an extensive repertoire of mobile and tablet cases right for any style and every occasion. For more information, visit http://www.case-mate.com.

Follow @CaseMate on Twitter and Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CaseMate.

SOURCE Case-Mate

LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- YouTube has been injected with a heavy dose of sensuality after the release of a new social network's provocative video campaign, coinciding with their worldwide launch. Huntcha, Facebook's "sexiest application," recruited major stars to lend their lips to one of the hottest campaigns of the year. 

Directed by the startup's twin founders, Cristobal and Sebastian Zegers, the videos feature star, singer, and top model Kat Graham, member of the Teen Choice Award 2012 winning cast of "Vampire Diaries"; April Bowlby, Alan's gorgeous girlfriend from "Two and a Half Men"; and Kika, a blonde-bombshell swimsuit model. This is only the beginning of what the world will see from Huntcha now that the male version of the campaign is coming soon -- so be prepared! 

The social network that connects secret admirers aims to be recognized as the "sexiest Facebook app," setting it far apart from traditional dating sites. According to co-founder Sebastian, "Huntcha is a tool that helps win hearts. It's similar to wearing certain clothes or a special perfume in order to attract the person you like."

About Huntcha

The premise of Huntcha rests in its tagline – "discover if you're the secret love of your secret love." Users can add up to any nine people from Facebook to their secret list; if two users mutually add each other to their secret lists, a Match is made and Huntcha privately lets those people know.

Huntcha was born out of a creative session in the founding brothers' Santiago-based advertising agency, where brainstorming revolved into the follow-through of what is now Huntcha. The saucily sexy site was launched in Chile in October, 2011 and was received with fervor, garnering 20,000 users in the first month and propelling the Chilean version of the "kissing campaign" to nearly half a million YouTube views in less than a week. 

Links

Kat Graham video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkvlkOFRHmk
April Bowlby video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1vxs1HPlqA
Kika video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_-RJwE2GhY

Huntcha.com

Huntcha YouTube Channel

Huntcha for iPhone

Huntcha for Android

Contact:
Monica Escobar / Dario Molina 
The 3 Collective
(213) 617-3640  
monica@the3collective.com
dario@the3collective.com
www.the3collective.com

SOURCE Huntcha

PALO ALTO, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Badgeville, The Behavior Platform and global gamification leader, today announced an exclusive partnership with PeopleBrowsr, the social media data company, as the only gamification solution which can incentivize and reward specific user behavior across Facebook, Twitter and other leading social sites. This extends Badgeville's Behavior Platform to not only track user behavior occurring across the brand's own ecosystem of websites and internal applications, but also across the social graph independent of these experiences. The is the first time that specific actions occurring directly on Facebook and Twitter can be captured and rewarded within a gamification platform.

"Smart gamification is fundamentally a data challenge, where the more information you are able to track on user behavior, the more powerful your program becomes at moving the behavior needle," said Kris Duggan, CEO, Badgeville. "The exclusive partnership with Peoplebrowsr enables us access to a whole new level of information around user behavior in very public and valuable experiences."

By incentivizing specific and explicit social behaviors, businesses can increase awareness of new products and content, as well as drive participation in high-value social campaigns. Peoplebrowsr offers a level of transparency between the company and user, allowing companies to state exactly what a user must do in order to level up or earn a reward. This level of behavior-to-reward transparency, which is common in successful gamification programs, increases the total number of valuable behaviors performed.

Using the Behavior Engine, Badgeville customers can then leverage smart gamification elements such as Points, Achievements, Levels and Missions to reward valuable behaviors performed by their most influential customers across these social networks – in addition to the core behaviors they already reward on their own websites and applications.

"Our partnership with Badgeville represents an exciting opportunity in integrating social signals into gamification reward systems that drive interactivity across a company's digital experiences," said Jodee Rich, CEO, PeopleBrowsr. "There should be no barriers to sharing and engaging in social media, so we are thrilled to partner with Badgeville's Behavior Platform to drive growth in interactivity and content sharing on the open social net."

For example, if a customer creates a Facebook post that mentions a particular product favorably or tweets about it on Twitter, she will earn a "Social Butterfly" achievement that recognizes her contributions next time she interacts with that company's website or mobile application. A company could also create a mission which rewards employees for completing a series of tasks such as sharing important content like company announcements and job openings.

Key behaviors that PeopleBrowsr delivers into The Behavior Platform include:

• Tweets, replies, mentions, and follows (Twitter).
• Posts, mentions, likes, shares, event invitations (Facebook)
• Blog posts across the web
• Posts and replies to discussion forums

With PeopleBrowsr's robust social media analytics, combined with Badgeville's Behavior Analytics, companies have rich data needed to understand how to engage and reward their most influential users.

The integration is in beta for current customers of PeopleBrowsr and Badgeville, and will be generally available in Q4. To learn more, please contact partners@badgeville.com.

About Badgeville
Badgeville (www.badgeville.com), The Behavior Platform, is the leading provider of gamification and social engagement solutions for world-class businesses, enabling companies in virtually every industry to influence and measure user behavior. Companies and organizations from across the globe are using our award-winning Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution to increase customer loyalty, user engagement and employee performance. With 175 customers, Badgeville brings Game Mechanics, Reputation Mechanics, and Social Mechanics to world-class companies including Deloitte, EMC, Universal Music, Samsung, CA Technologies, Dell, Bell Media, NBC, The Active Network, and Recyclebank. Founded in 2010, Badgeville is based in Menlo Park, Calif. And has offices in New York and Europe. Follow @Badgeville to learn more.

About PeopleBrowsr
PeopleBrowsr is the first social scoring system to provide a comprehensive score for Influence and Outreach, valuing engagement and interaction over follower count.  It is the only influence measurement based on over 1,000 days of social data and to offer completely transparent score calculation. PeopleBrowsr measures influence overall as well as in specific online communities. It celebrates the power of personal influence and generosity at the heart of human relationships - tight groups of friends and subject matter experts. Learn more at http://kred.com

SOURCE Badgeville

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- XBRL US announced today the kickoff of the 2^nd annual XBRL Challenge, a contest to discover the top open source analytical tools that can mine XBRL-formatted corporate financial data from the SEC's EDGAR database.  The contest will award a $20,000 Grand Prize to the top two teams, individuals or organizations that submit the most useful and user-friendly application that conducts innovative analysis of public companies.  The XBRL Challenge is sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the CFA Institute, and WRDS (Wharton Research Data Service). 

Today, over 8,800 public companies file XBRL-formatted financial statements down to the detailed level which makes rich content more available and functional than ever before.  Legislation is pending that would require the use of XBRL-formatted data for reporting on all government program expenditures which could make XBRL-enabled  tools for processing, reporting and analysis even more critical for investors, analysts, regulators, businesses, watchdogs, economists and academics. 

"The AICPA is pleased to sponsor the XBRL Challenge to encourage the development of more tools that will consume corporate data in XBRL format, which significantly improves transparency and investor access to business information," said Barry Melancon, President and CEO, AICPA. 

Last year's XBRL Challenge was won by Calcbench, a web-based application that allows users to extract, analyze and share XBRL-formatted company financial data (http://calcbench.com )

"This is our second year supporting the XBRL Challenge," said Paul Ratnaraj, Director Advanced Initiatives, WRDS, "Last year's winner was a highly functional online tool that set the bar high for this year's applicants.  We look forward to the 2012 contest and some great analytical applications."

XBRL US, the nonprofit consortium for XBRL business reporting, will accept submissions through February 28, 2013, with final judging and awarding of prizes to take place in late March 2013.  As with last year's contest, contestants will be provided technical documentation and given access to the XBRL US database of XBRL financial fundamentals from all public companies.  In addition, this year XBRL US will provide access to a baseline normalization of XBRL US GAAP concepts which will improve the ease of working with the database as well as the usability of the analysis that can be performed.  This year's submissions will be required to perform certain analytical functions such as year-to-year, multi-company comparisons and ratio analysis.   

"Corporate data in XBRL format will clearly benefit investors and analysts, but it may require some standardizing to make it more useable," said John Rogers, President and CEO, CFA Institute, "making that standardization available will help participants create more functional, valuable tools for analysts."

The XBRL Challenge will be judged by a panel of experts drawn from academia, and the investment and technology communities:

• Alfred Berkeley, Vice Chairman, Gentag, Inc.
• Eric Gillespie, Founder and CEO, Poplicus
• Kaitlin Lee, Senior Developer, Sunlight Foundation
• Philip Moyer, Managing Director, Technology Group, Safeguard Scientifics
• Paul Ratnaraj, Director - Advanced Initiatives, WRDS

Individuals, teams or organizations can learn more and enter the XBRL Challenge by going to http://facebook.com/XBRLchallenge .  Updates will be shared on Facebook and on Twitter at @XBRLUS using the hashtag #XBRLCHALLENGE. 

Developers, the media and other prospective contestants are invited to participate in a special briefing on August 1, 2012.  Register to attend at http://xbrl.us/challenge

All final submissions must be received by February 28, 2013.

About the AICPA

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the world's largest association representing the accounting profession, with nearly 377,000 members in 128 countries and a 125 year heritage of serving the public interest.  AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education and consulting.

The AICPA sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination and offers specialty credentials for CPAs who concentrate on personal financial planning, fraud and forensics, business valuation and information technology. Through a joint venture with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), it has established the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation to elevate management accounting globally.

The AICPA maintains offices in New York, Washington, DC, Durham, N.C., and Ewing, N.J. www.aicpa.org

About CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association for investment professionals. It administers the CFA and CIPM curriculum and exam programs worldwide; publishes research; conducts professional development programs; and sets voluntary, ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Institute has more than 108,000 members, who include the world's 99,000 CFA charterholders, in 135 countries and territories, as well as 135 affiliated professional societies in 58 countries and territories. More information may be found at www.cfainstitute.org.

About WRDS and THE WHARTON SCHOOL

Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) is the leading, comprehensive, internet-based data research service used by academic, government, non-profit institutions, and corporate firms. WRDS provides the user with one location to access over 200 terabytes of data across multiple disciplines, such as Finance, Marketing, and Economics. WRDS provides flexible data delivery options, including a simple but powerful web query method, and provides researchers with the ability to reduce their research time and execute strategy development on the powerful WRDS Cloud. Developed in 1993 to support faculty research at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, WRDS has since evolved to become the leading business intelligence tool for a global research community of 30,000 users at over 300 institutions in 27 countries. http://www.whartonwrds.com

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania — founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school — is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The School has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of 88,000 graduates.

About XBRL US

XBRL US is the non-profit consortium for XBRL business reporting standards in the U.S. and it represents the business information supply chain. Its mission is to support the implementation of XBRL business reporting standards through the development of taxonomies for use by U.S. public and private sectors, with a goal of interoperability between sectors, and by promoting XBRL adoption through marketplace collaboration. XBRL US has developed taxonomies for U.S. GAAP, credit rating and mutual fund reporting under contract with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and has developed a taxonomy for corporate actions.  Learn more at http://xbrl.us

Links:

XBRL US web site:  http://xbrl.us

XBRL Challenge Facebook page:  http://facebook.com/XBRLchallenge

SOURCE XBRL US