Consumer Electronics Daily News

Swiggle Mobile Game App Now Available

Shore Digital announces today the release of Swiggle^®, the latest mobile app brought to market by this mobile web and digital marketing company.

Swiggle is a compelling new game where players score points by connecting tile game pieces by linking lines. The new app is available for free in iTunes and Google Play for use on iPhone, iPad, and Android smart phones and tablets.

Players can play against friends or random opponents, or play in single player mode against the Swiggle Bot. Swiggle plays like other popular tile games, but uses swiggly lines instead of letters and words, making Swiggle a truly international game.

"It's just a matter of keeping the lines connected and using the bonus squares wisely," said David Mair, Swiggle inventor who has invented hundreds of board games. "Swiggle is an addictive light strategy game that is easy to learn, yet provides advanced players the opportunity for a highly challenging game experience."

Swiggle Features:

• Connect the swiggly lines on game pieces to score points
• Place tiles on bonus squares to multiply points
• Double your score for your turn with the 2X multiplier
• Peek ahead to see which game pieces will be served next
• Automatically share your wins to Facebook
• Play friends from Facebook, your contact list or random opponents
• Play single player mode against the Swiggle Bot
• Pass and play mode allows two players to play on one device
• Easy sign in with email or Facebook
• In-game chat to chat with your opponent
• Push notifications with custom Swiggle notification sound
• Tap feature to nudge your opponent to play faster
• Your games follow you on any of your devices
• Share on Facebook, Twitter, text and email
• Available in iTunes and Google Play

Akron Children's Hospital Launches Mobile App for Childhood Cancer Survivors

Akron Children's Hospital, with funding from Hyundai Hope on Wheels, is giving childhood cancer survivors the resources they need to live a healthy adult life.

Through CancerLateFX, a free, personalized mobile app and website, childhood cancer survivors can get educational information, tips, tools and resources to keep them informed and healthy throughout their adult lives.

Each year, about 13,500 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer, according to the Children's Oncology Group. Although the number of diagnoses has not declined in nearly 20 years, the overall survival rate has increased from 10 percent from just 40 years ago to nearly 80 percent today.

The same treatments responsible for higher survival rates can also lead to adverse long-term health outcomes, referred to as late effects. Common late effects of childhood cancer encompass broad areas, including growth and development, organ function, reproductive capacity, secondary cancers and psychological disorders.

"Various cancer-related groups provide educational materials, but they are written primarily for healthcare professionals and often provide too much information for young adults," said Stephanie Savelli, MD, director of the Cancer Survivorship Program at Akron Children's Hospital. "We designed the CancerLateFX app to help educate childhood cancer survivors and improve health promotion."

The Children's Oncology Group estimates there are approximately 350,000 adult survivors of pediatric cancer in the United States. And three out of five who survive children's cancer suffer late-effects.

Akron Children's new mobile app and website aims to help this population by increasing the understanding of late effects and prevention measures in young adults, while building self-advocacy and self-care once a survivor has left the pediatric system.

Instead of providing general health guidelines, the app generates content based on a person's symptoms and medical history. CancerLateFX also uses the survivor's cancer type and specific medications/treatments to introduce goals, prevention tips and talking points that can be further explored with the user's current healthcare provider.

The website and mobile app were developed with funding from the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Grant program, which donates $6.8 million per year in the form of $100,000 research and programmatic grants awarded to nonprofit institutions across the country.

For more information, visit www.CancerLateEffects.org or download it (CancerLateFX) from the app store on your iPhone or Android smartphone. 

Apple Inc. Will Provide Full Consumer Refunds of At Least $32.5 Million to Settle FTC Complaint

Apple Inc. has agreed to provide full refunds to consumers, paying a minimum of $32.5 million, to settle a Federal Trade Commission complaint that the company billed consumers for millions of dollars of charges incurred by children in kids' mobile apps without their parents' consent.

Under the terms of the settlement with the FTC, Apple also will be required to change its billing practices to ensure that it has obtained express, informed consent from consumers before charging them for items sold in mobile apps.

"This settlement is a victory for consumers harmed by Apple's unfair billing, and a signal to the business community: whether you're doing business in the mobile arena or the mall down the street, fundamental consumer protections apply," said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez.  "You cannot charge consumers for purchases they did not authorize."

The FTC's complaint alleges that Apple violated the FTC Act by failing to tell parents that by entering a password they were approving a single in-app purchase and also 15 minutes of additional unlimited purchases their children could make without further action by the parent. 

Apple offers many kids' apps in its App Store that allow users to incur charges within the apps. Many of these charges are for virtual items or currency used in playing a game.  These charges generally range from 99 cents to $99.99 per in-app charge.

The complaint alleges that Apple does not inform account holders that entering their password will open a 15-minute window in which children can incur unlimited charges with no further action from the account holder. In addition, according to the complaint, Apple has often presented a screen with a prompt for a parent to enter his or her password in a kids' app without explaining to the account holder that password entry would finalize any purchase at all.

The rapidly expanding mobile arena has been a focus of the Commission's consumer protection efforts. In addition to its consumer protection enforcement activity in the mobile sphere, last year, the FTC issued staff reports addressing mobile payments and providing recommendations for the mobile industry on how to protect consumers as new and innovative payment systems come into use, advocating improved privacy disclosures in the mobile environment, and addressing advertising disclosures in the context of mobile devices.

In its complaint, the FTC notes that Apple received at least tens of thousands of complaints about unauthorized in-app purchases by children. One consumer reported that her daughter had spent $2,600 in the app "Tap Pet Hotel," and other consumers reported unauthorized purchases by children totaling more than $500 in the apps "Dragon Story" and "Tiny Zoo Friends." According to the complaint, consumers have reported millions of dollars in unauthorized charges to Apple.

The settlement requires Apple to modify its billing practices to ensure that Apple obtains consumers' express, informed consent prior to billing them for in-app charges, and that if the company gets consumers' consent for future charges, consumers must have the option to withdraw their consent at any time. Apple must make these changes no later than March 31, 2014.

Under the settlement, Apple will be required to provide full refunds, totaling a minimum of $32.5 million, to consumers who were billed for in-app charges that were incurred by children and were either accidental or not authorized by the consumer. Apple must make these refunds promptly, upon request from an account holder. Apple is required to give notice of the availability of refunds to all consumers charged for in-app charges with instructions on how to obtain a refund for unauthorized purchases by kids. Should Apple issue less than $32.5 million in refunds to consumers within the 12 months after the settlement becomes final, the company must remit the balance to the Commission.

RoyalCactus Now Hits the Apple AppStore with Jelly Glutton

RoyalCactus™, a French producer of casual Facebook games, has today announced the release of its first mobile game on iOS, Jelly Glutton. Specifically designed for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms, Jelly Glutton is already a popular match-three puzzle on Facebook (https://apps.facebook.com/jellyglutton/).

Jelly Glutton is RoyalCactus' flagship game, counting a total of 15 million players and 1 million daily active users; part of the company's portfolio of six successful Facebook games. With launch of the mobile division, RoyalCactus players can continue to enjoy the game on any iOS device, with Android platforms following a little later in the year.

François Pacot, CEO and co-founder of RoyalCactus, said: "We are excited and proud to release our first game on mobile. Over 60 percent of Facebook's users connectfrom their smartphones, and delivering our games on mobile allows us to embark on the next critical component of our growth strategy, with more releases planned for 2014."

To accelerate the move to mobile, Pacot has hired Erwan Maigret as Head Of Mobile. Maigret is a seasoned engineer and entrepreneur with award-winning experience in both entertainment and mobile over in California. "It is a great challenge to join such a fast growing company with already proven products. Jelly Glutton for iOS hasalready notched 200k downloads in under a month. This is a natural move for me, using the best of my experience and network from DreamWorks and Curious Hat."

Availability:

Jelly Glutton from RoyalCactus is immediately available as a FREE iPhone app on the Apple App Store. To download, visit:https://itunes.apple.com/app/jellyglutton/id700693070

Follow Jelly Glutton on Facebook/Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/jellyglutton or http://www.twitter.com/JellyGlutton

Cloud Video Surveillance Mobility Award Won by Smartvue Corporation

Smartvue Corporation, a cloud video surveillance company, today announced it won the Mobility Award for Mobile Video Surveillance presented at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show.

The official CES event was judged by over 60 analysts from firms such as Gartner, IHS, Frost & Sullivan, Strategy Analytics, Current Analysis, and Yankee Group, as well as journalists and editors from Forbes, Chicago Tribune, TMC, ComputerWorld, RCR Wireless, Consumer Reports, and Network World. Judges were tasked to select the most innovative solutions in the mobile and wireless industry.

"Compass Intelligence is proud to honor and recognize innovators, technology leaders, and companies advancing the wireless industry," states Stephanie Atkinson, CEO and Founder, Compass Intelligence. "This esteemed winners list represents the future of wireless, M2M, and eco-friendly products and services. The consensus from industry experts makes the Compass Intelligence Awards a true industry recognition for vendors and service providers."

"Our mission is to make the world a safer place with amazing surveillance technologies," said Martin Renkis, Founder and CEO of Smartvue Corporation. "We are humbled by this recognition and appreciate the award. Our cloud surveillance platform is uniquely designed to natively support the entire range of wireless devices from Apple and Android to Windows and offers the fastest video delivery worldwide."

Smartvue cloud surveillance servers and cloud services start at only $899 and are available worldwide through Smartvue authorized partners such as Dell, Amazon.com and VideoSurveillance.com. Please visit Smartvue.com for a list of global partners.

Evergreen Studios Debuts "Tales of Honor" Multi-platform StoryWorld

Evergreen Studios announces Tales of Honor, a rich multi-platform storyworld based on the New York Times bestselling science-fiction novels, Honor Harrington, by David Weber. Content launching in March and continuing over the next few years will include comics, digital games and apps, webisodes, TV episodes, and a feature film.

Tales of Honor follows the life and times of Honor Harrington, a brilliant genetically engineered female spaceship captain, as she heroically leads her crew through a series of epic political, military, and personal adventures. The stories are set 2,000 years in the future when hyperspace travel has allowed humanity to colonize the far reaches of the universe and are underscored by altruistic themes such as loyalty and leadership. Combined with multi-layered characters, plot twist, and epic space battles, the Tales of Honor series is filled with emotion and intrigue resulting in deeply engaging entertainment. 

"What makes these stories different is their female protagonist's unique narrative perspective and just how grounded and believable they are. By creating a futuristic society that is largely gender blind; we are able to explore the issues of female leadership in the military that are both ground-breaking and especially resonant for today's audience," said Scott Kroopf, Chief Creative Officer, Evergreen Studios. "Weber's storyworld is so cool because it's based in real science, which gives it a feeling of authenticity. Tales of Honor is to Science Fiction what Jason Bourne is to spy movies: realistic, gritty, and action-packed."

A monthly comic will launch the storyworld on March 5, 2014 through publisher, Top Cow (available in comic stores and digitally at TopCow.com). The first mobile game, Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet, will be available on iOS and Android and releases in mid-March.

Evergreen Studios, the company behind Walking With Dinosaurs, currently in theatres, brings a Silicon Valley-based ethos toHollywood storytelling. Using proprietary technology to enhance the creative process Evergreen develops stories whose characters, plots, and ideas can unfold over multiple platforms.

"Having worked 20 years in the software business, I know the key to success is adaptability.  Gauging feedback in the form of continuous consumer engagement allows us to experiment, be flexible and adapt to meet consumers evolving preferences," said Mike Devlin, CEO, Evergreen Studios.

The Honor Harrington book series is a perfect fit for adaptation because of the breath of content, its broad audience appeal, the science and technology focus, and its strong existing fan base. 

The 28 books, including an anthology series, two spin-off series, and a recent young adult series provide a plethora of content for various storylines. Much like the adventures of Jack Ryan in Tom Clancy's novels, Tales of Honor represents the best of hard science fiction with its larger than life characters, complex plotting, big stakes, incisive political and social commentary, and heart-pounding action.

Evergreen's own technological and engineering expertise will make Weber's futuristic technology, weaponry, and space battles "come to life" for that immersive experience. Finally, Honor Harrington novels have active and passionate fans that will serve as brand ambassadors to broaden the appeal to the mainstream.

For more information, go to www.evgstudios.com.

Epson Earns Inside Track Top Honors from Dealers for Sixth Consecutive Year

Epson, the number one selling projector brand worldwide, today announced that for the sixth year in a row, it earned the number one spot for Home Video Display companies in the 2013 Supplier Loyalty Test conducted by inside track. The Supplier Loyalty Test is an annual independent North American survey of consumer electronics specialist retailers and custom installers that grades companies on a range of issues directly impacting dealers, including product innovation and reliability, technical service and training, and distribution and pricing.

"Epson continues to provide dealers with an outstanding video display experience from start to finish as evidenced by this year's survey results," said Gisela Schoell, Editor, inside track. "Moreover, Epson had 29 percent more dealer evaluations than last year, and surpassed every other video vendor in the survey in the number of dealers who evaluated them, underscoring the high brand loyalty Epson enjoys among dealers. I congratulate them on this well-deserved honor."

Epson finished in the top three for 13 out of 16 categories, earning first place in survey parameters assessing dealer support, including Resolution of Service Issues, Quality of Sales Representatives, Just-in-Time Delivery, and Ease of Doing Business. Epson also ranked first in the group on Inventory Turns. Other rankings include second place in Product Innovation, Appropriate Assortment, Distribution Policies that Support Specialists, Product Changes/Price Protection, Specialist Oriented Business Programs, Technical Support, and Dealer Training.

"We work very hard to build state-of-the-art products that are backed by an industry-leading service and support network to provide our dealers, installers and their customers with a seamless experience," said Richard Miller, group product manager, Projector Marketing and Development, Epson America. "We are humbled to be recognized by these industry professionals, as they are an irreplaceable part of the channel ecosystem."

Dealers from 43 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces participated in the 2013 Supplier Loyalty Test survey. More information regarding the survey and results can be found at www.inside-track-online.com.  

Blackphone Promises Privacy, Control

Silent Circle and Geeksphone today announced a new Switzerland-based joint venture and its inaugural product, Blackphone, the world's first smartphone placing privacy and control directly in the hands of its users.

Blackphone, powered by a security-oriented Android™ build named PrivatOS, is a carrier- and vendor-independent smartphone giving individuals and organizations the ability to make and receive secure phone calls, exchange secure texts, transfer and store files, and video chat without compromising user privacy on the device.

It is the culmination of several careers' worth of effort from leading figures in the industry, including Phil Zimmermann, creator of PGP; Javier Aguera, co-founder of Geeksphone; Jon Callas, co-founder of PGP Inc. and CTO of Silent Circle; Rodrigo Silva-Ramos, co-founder of Geeksphone; and Mike Janke, CEO of Silent Circle and former US Navy SEAL. 

"I have spent my whole career working towards the launch of secure telephony products," said Zimmermann. "Blackphone provides users with everything they need to ensure privacy and control of their communications, along with all the other high-end smartphone features they have come to expect."   

Blackphone may be seen at https://www.blackphone.ch and visitors may join a mailing list to be kept informed of updates as the launch date approaches.  Blackphone will be available for pre-order beginning February 24, 2014, at Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain.

For more information or to contact Blackphone visit: https://www.blackphone.ch

KongZhong Launches Mobile RPG Game "Kooky Three Kingdoms" to Open Beta Success

KongZhong Corporation successfully released one of its self developed mobile games, Kooky Three Kingdoms, on January 6 to the China market. It was simultaneously released on multiple smartphone game platforms including 360, UCWeb, 91, PP, Peasecod, Duoku and Gfan, etc. On two of China's leading smartphone game channels, 360 and 91, players have given Kooky Three Kingdoms some of the platform's highest ratings, demonstrating the strong market acceptance of the game. As part of the game's open beta promotion, KongZhong invited one of the most popular Chinese music band leaders, Da Zhangwei, to collaborate on the launch, helping to support the game's branding as a premium quality smartphone mobile game. In the first three days after its release, Kooky Three Kingdoms's Baidu index has increased by 600 percent, making it one of most popular mobile games in 2014.

According to data from the Chinese iOS app store, on the third day after launch, Kooky Three Kingdoms has soared to No.7 spot on the overall free application download list, the No.4 spot on the overall game download list and the No.1 spot on the RPG game genre download list.

 

Video Game Marathon Raises Over $1 Million for Cancer Prevention

 Donations to the Prevent Cancer Foundation tallied more than $1 million when the sun came up on Sunday, the end of the non-stop, weeklong "Awesome Games Done Quick," (AGDQ) a video game marathon.

The fourth annual marathon, hosted by Speed Demos Archive, began January 5, with the goal of raising $500,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the only U.S. nonprofit organization solely devoted to cancer prevention and early detection. Over the past three marathons, a total of more than $646,000 was raised to benefit the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Proceeds from AGDQ for the last two years have funded a pair of two-year cancer prevention research grants.

Speed Demos Archive focuses on "speedrunning" or completing video games in the shortest time possible. For AGDQ 2014, more than 500 of the site's community members and friends traveled from across the United States and around the world. At one point, 109,923 viewers were watching the marathon, which was streamed live around the clock. More than 18,000 individual donors made more than 27,400 donations, many bidding on video game prizes donated for the event. The average donation was $37.01. Games like Super Mario, Halo and Legend of Zelda, new and classic favorites, were beaten in record time.

"When the Prevent Cancer Foundation began its relationship with Speed Demos Archive back in 2010," said Jan Bresch, Prevent Cancer's Foundation Executive Vice President and COO, "we knew how dedicated the volunteers and donors to marathon were, but we never imagined this event would raise $1 million to save lives through cancer prevention and early detection. It is a dream come true and we thank this amazing group of individuals for making it a reality." Learn more by visiting preventcancer.org.