Consumer Electronics Daily News

MetroGames Heads to the Mobile Games Industry

After delivering some of the most popular games on Facebook and other social networks, MetroGames has decided to take a new step towards becoming a strong player in the mobile games industry.

So the MetroGames team brings us Plock, a game that over six million users have played on Facebook. The game is easy to play and includes a great new feature: You can now shake your iPhone or your iPod touch to rearrange the blocks and increase your chances of a higher score.

"We are striving to become one of the main providers in the mobile games arena," said Damian Harburguer, CEO at MetroGames.

With this move, MetroGames begins working on platforms that will allow the company to deliver a wider variety of features, resulting in superior interactivity and enhanced end-user experience. 

And there's much more to come.  The company is now developing more games for mobile platforms, all to be released before the end of 2010.

Furthermore, by 2011 the mobile games team at MetroGames will release dozens of new exciting games for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android.

You can watch the Plock launching video below:

 

Spooky Halloween Adventure

Gaia Interactive announced Grave Danger! – Gaia's 2010 Halloween game. The eagerly awaited event attracts thousands of gamers each year for an opportunity to battle evil ghosts and other ghoulish terrors.

Players in the game will be tasked with freeing the souls haunting a neglected cemetery. For decades the Omnidrink Corporation has been dumping toxic waste into the graveyard next to its factory.  The toxic sludge has created a barrier that is preventing the souls of the dead from reaching their final resting place. Only one man stood up against the company, working tirelessly to discover a chemical compound that will break the spell. Gamers will join the clever scientist in battling corporate misdeeds to free imprisoned souls.

"Our audience enjoys games with smart, sassy social commentary," said Mike Sego, CEO of Gaia Interactive. "This new adventure brings fun social game mechanics into an exciting environment of beautiful Halloween-themed visuals, and continues our tradition of massive holiday events."

Now in its sixth year, this is one of the most popular holiday events on the site. There were more than 470,000 players last year, with Gaia awarding 16 million virtual items to participating gamers. Grave Danger! is available on Gaia Online through November 8, 2010. Gamers can earn Gaia Gold to purchase Halloween-inspired virtual goods as well as traditional items in the Gaia marketplace.

Help battle evil ghosts and send these souls to their proper resting place by participating in Gaia Online's Halloween adventure at Grave Danger.

 

New Minigame Website KIFreeGames.com

KingsIsle Entertainment launched a new website which enables visitors to play some of the most popular minigames found in Wizard101. KIFreeGames.com will feature an assortment of free online games, providing Wizard101 fans the opportunity to play their favorite minigames using almost any modern Web browser connected to the Internet. Additionally, KIFreeGames.com will reward players with free game codes that they can redeem for items and gold in the Wizard101 universe.

"We're always looking to bring fun new offerings to our community," said Fred Howard, Vice President of Marketing at KingsIsle Entertainment.  "KIFreeGames.com is another great way for players to stay connected to the worlds of the Spiral."

At launch, KIFreeGames.com features three of the most popular minigames from Wizard101 and more minigames are on the way. Games currently featured on KIFreeGames.com include the following favorites: 

Dueling Diego – Put your dueling skills to the test against the evil gobbler pirates and other tough enemies in Dueling Diego!

Doodle Dug – Tunnel your way through the dirt and avoid trouble to collect gemstones in Doodle Dug!

Sorcery Stones – Exercise your brain and perfect your reaction times to complete the crazy puzzles in Sorcery Stones!

In Wizard101, kids and families enter the magical world of Wizard City as student Wizards setting out to hone their skills, cast spells and summon powerful creatures to fight evil forces. The characters and worlds of Wizard101 are influenced by literature, history and pop culture, giving the game a depth and quality appreciated by families and players of all ages.

Consumers Ready for Wave of Internet TV Freedom

The ability of consumers to watch TV, videos, sports, or a movie when and where keeps growing.  Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube first brought our favorite movies, TV shows and video clips right to our fingertips on our computers. Today, these features, plus Video-on-Demand, can be accessed on your TV through your DVD/Blu-ray player, cable box and even your gaming console (Xbox, PS3, Wii and so forth). 

For even more options, Apple and Google have recently jumped into the Internet TV foray by offering systems that will allow you to access similar content plus additional Internet content through your TV.  No more catching up on missed TV shows or instantly watching a video from your favorite website on a computer screen right?  Wrong.  All of the Internet TV options mentioned have a glaring problem: 

Dolphin Consumer Systems has announced "The Wave," a simple solution to what consumers want: the freedom to be able to watch videos, TV, sports, and movies how you want to watch them.  We refer to it as "bringing a wave of freedom to the TV." 

With no monthly fees, a small box easily installed by or behind a TV in minutes, and open access to the Internet, you will be able to catch up on those shows you missed, view the incredible content many networks and sports broadcasters now offer online only, and even play your favorite casual games on the "big screen.” When not using the system, your TV will change into a giant digital picture frame with your favorite photos.  Having complete control of your entertainment has never been so easy!

 

Contactless Credit Cards Rolling Out in UK

MBNA, Europe's largest credit card lender, begins a two-year program to roll out contactless credit cards for its millions of UK customers.

MBNA's commitment means that more than five million MBNA-issued credit cards will have contactless technology by the end of 2011. That is in addition to around 10 million contactless enabled credit and debit cards already in the UK market—a total that could rise to 25 million by 2012.

MBNA will support the evolution of contactless payments in the UK by ensuring all new and replacement MBNA credit cards are compliant with the simple-to-use payment function. To use the card, customers simply touch the card at payment terminals that display the contactless symbol, without the need to enter their PIN number.

"We are committed to offering simplicity, added value and choice in all of our products and services—enabling our customers to use contactless payments is a fantastic example of making that commitment a reality."

An MBNA survey of more than 1,000 credit card users reveals that the public is overwhelmingly positive about contactless technology and the benefits it gives them—notably speed and ease of use.

Eighty percent of those surveyed agreed it would help save time in queues when paying for items, and 69 percent believe the emerging technology will make their lives easier and benefit consumers (63.5 percent) and businesses (78 percent).

Customers do not need to do anything, as their new or replacement cards will be automatically converted to contactless when they are re-issued.

 

 

AuraSound Industry Leading LCD TV Audio Solution

 
 
AuraSound has announced multiple leading embedded speaker solutions for ultra slim LCD TVs. Based on patented technology, the solution comprises of ultra thin speakers with dual voice coils and a flat subwoofer. This provides ultra high performance, making it ideal for tomorrow's ultra thin LCD TVs. The products are scheduled to ramp up production volume next month.

"I am very excited about our latest leading audio solution," stated Mr. Harald Weisshaupt, AuraSound CEO and president. "The outstanding performance of these embedded speakers coupled with our industry leading TV soundbar product reinforces our overall leadership in the TV audio space. With the fast emerging trend for slimmer TVs, excellent audio performance has become a challenge based on physical space requirements, and we are proud to be a leading audio company to address this challenge. The response from the world's leading TV OEM brands on this new product has been excellent."

AuraSound has over 20 years experience specializing in the design and manufacturing of high-end speakers, consistently providing people with an optimal audio experience. AuraSound's broad range of products include high-quality drivers for TV's and laptops, state-of-the art subwoofers and tactile transducers.

myChevrolet and OnStar MyLink Apps

Owners of 2011 Chevrolet models can now access their vehicle information and OnStar services right from their smartphones. The myChevrolet and OnStar MyLink applications, available as free downloads, provide drivers with unprecedented connectivity to their vehicles from their Android or Apple iPhone device.

Features of the apps, also available on Buick, GMC and Cadillac models, fall into three categories: location-based services, vehicle-specific information, and OnStar connectivity features.

The location-based services include a parking reminder that allows drivers to save their parking location to a GPS-enabled map, set a timer to track how much time they have on the parking meter, and even add a note or photo with details about their parking location. If they return to a flat tire, the driver can use the app to request roadside assistance or to locate the closest Chevrolet dealership and schedule a service appointment.

Vehicle-specific information is accessible after scanning the vehicle identification number using the smartphone camera. These features include searchable content for the most commonly accessed information in the owner's manual, such as directions saving radio presets. The app also provides explanations of warning lights and indicators on the vehicle instrument panel at the touch of a button. 

Through OnStar's unique connection to the vehicle, owners can send remote vehicle commands such as unlocking or locking the doors, and starting the engine. In addition, owners can access key diagnostic information, including fuel tank level and range, remaining oil life, current and recommended tire pressure and lifetime average miles per gallon.

myChevrolet and OnStar MyLink are currently available for download, free of charge, from Apple, or from Android.

 

Verizon Socked with Record Fine

By Lorrie Baumann

The Federal Communications Commission has announced that Verizon Wireless will be paying $77.8 million in a fine and customer refunds for "mystery fees" charged to customers over the past several years. The total includes a $25 million payment to the U.S. Treasury and $52.8 million in refunds to approximately 15 million customers who were charged $1.99 per megabyte pay-as-you-go data charges that customers incurred for several reasons from November 2007 to the present.

Verizon is also prohibited from charging its customers the incorrect fees in the future, and the company has agreed to take steps to prevent future unauthorized data charges. Customers who do not receive a refund but believe they had unauthorized data charges may appeal and reach resolution within 30 days.

Verizon Wireless is required to inform the FCC of any unresolved complaints. Verizon must also launch several customer service programs to provide more information and options to consumers. These include offering data blocks to any customer who doesn't want to see those charges on their Verizon bill. The company must also provide explanations of the pay-as-you-go charges and the tools that are available to reduce them, must offer an online video tutorial to explain their bills, and must offer more training on pay-as-you-go charges to Verizon Wireless' customer service representatives.

Emoze Enterprise Server Now Supports iPhone

Emoze announced that it now supports the Apple iPhone as part of its enterprise software platform. Long a front runner of the consumer smartphone market, the iPhone has many features which make it an attractive business tool. Emoze Enterprise Server is already available for WinMobile and Symbian mobile operating systems and now extends its smart management tool to the mail functions and personal information management of iPhone mobile devices, providing business owners the control and handle of iPhones as secure business tools.

According to Gartner, the iPhone has captured 14 percent of the world smartphone market; however, managing an iPhone alongside other mobile devices can prove challenging to IT managers in organizations. Emoze solves this dilemma. Once an iPhone is added to the Emoze Enterprise Server, the system administrator is able to control and manage the iPhone in addition to all the other handsets in the organization.

Support for the iPhone is fast and simple. There is no need to download additional software to the device. IT managers do not need to compromise the organization firewall by opening new ports or changing the active directory scheme.

Moshe Levy, CEO of Emoze, says, "Business today requires instant access to e-mail, contacts, and calendar events anytime, anywhere, and smartphones have become a "must-have" in most companies. The iPhone offers this connectivity along with a wealth of customization, style and support, which is the reason why more business people want the iPhone as their business device. We are proud to be tapping into this market, allowing businesses to better manage iPhones as their primary devices safely, securely and easily. Our software allows for this change and we intend to offer soon the same support for Android devices."

Brookstone Announces Hot Trends for Holiday 2010

The gift experts at Brookstone announced three hot buying trends in the developing 2010 holiday season.

Gift Trend #1: Upgrading to Mobile Tech

"Demand for mobile technology gifts continues to grow rapidly—particularly for items that interact with the Apple iPad tablet," said Brookstone CEO Ron Boire. "We're also seeing a surge in sales of mobile chargers for iPhone devices and smartphones."

Leather Case with Bluetooth Keyboard

This sleek leather portfolio case protects the iPad tablet and has a built-in Bluetooth wireless keyboard for power-typing e-mails and blog posts.

iDesign Power Speaker

The desktop system has the great big sound. Docks iPad, iPod and iPhone devices.

360 Degree Stand

This pivoting stand rotates, swivels and adjusts to hold the iPad tablet at any angle. It's perfect for viewing movies, web surfing, reading e-books—and anytime one wants to use the iPad tablet hands-free.

Gift Trend #2: Fly Me to Planet Wow

"We believe that our helicopters, including the Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter, will be very popular among all age groups."

Gift Trend #3: Don't Touch That—Gifts Against Germs

 "We're seeing a lot of activity for UV sanitizing lights, as well as for our CandyMan Motion-Activated Candy Dispenser, which helps people avoid sharing germs in office candy bowls."

CandyMan Motion-Activated Candy Dispenser

Automatically dispenses an adjustable portion when hand is placed under the motion sensor. Hands-free operation helps prevent spread of germs at home and at work.

Violight UV Cell Phone Sanitizer

It’s a compact desktop holder for phones that uses UV light to kill up to 99 percent of certain surface bacteria—without chemicals.

UV-C Sanitizing Wand

At work, in hotel rooms, even in restaurants—this cordless, portable wand kills up to 99.9 percent of certain bacteria on surfaces.