Startup PlayMG Corp. Unveils Sleek New Pocketable MG Device as First Dedicated Portable Gaming System for the Android Market -- Available Holiday 2012

 

The Launch of an MG Kickstarter.com Campaign Gives Early Adopters a Chance to Pre-Order & Support PlayMG's Mission to Affordably Provide 'More Game' in the Traditionally Pricey Portable Gaming and Mobile Space

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - August 28, 2012) - PlayMG™ Corp., a new startup comprised of electronics, game and social industry veterans who have come together to fuel the redesign of gaming™ and bring "more game" affordably into people's lives, announces MG™ -- the first dedicated portable Wi-Fi gaming system for the massive 60,000-plus Android freemium app games market. MG's big 4" touchscreen, rounded corners and grip and exclusive new features cater to the heaviest segment of game users -- 63 million U.S. kids under 18 years-old, 39 million of which do not yet have smartphones.

"Like the music business before it, the gaming industry is experiencing a dramatic digital transformation, where emerging 'app based gaming' is becoming the dominant method of playing and purchasing games," said Chris Choi, PlayMG Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer and President of ACTScom USA, Inc. and its cellular phone research and design house in Korea. "The MG's price will mean some kids will be able to enjoy app gaming for the very first time, and parents will be happy to discover the MG will mean their kids are finally going to stop asking to borrow their smartphones and tablets."

By eliminating the need to purchase expensive data plans or packaged games, the MG does not carry the high total costs traditionally associated with smartphones and portable gaming devices. With a competitive suggested retail price of $169.00, each MG will include both preloaded games and a cash credit toward future game purchases.

Knowing the competitive category it is up against, both in the digital app and handheld gaming space, PlayMG has focused all of its resources and efforts into making sure the MG delivers on a solid dedicated app-based gaming experience, and at a price people can afford. The MG runs on Android 4.0 -- Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), which means many of the great game apps designed to operate on ICS can be fully experienced on the MG, unlike many of the mobile devices locked into data plans by service providers that haven't upgraded.

"We kept the startup of our company and the MG system close to the vest until we felt we could announce it in all its glory after extensive R&D and multiple rounds of prototype testing," said Choi. "Our approach has meant we can be more nimble and innovative than the 'Big Guys' because we aren't stuck with their large overhead costs, legacy businesses and slow corporate structure."

 MG Topline Features: First Dedicated Portable Gaming Device for the Android Market

•  Built in Wi-Fi allows entry into the unlimited world of low cost and free app gaming
•  Big 4" touchscreen encased in a sleek and sturdy "pocketable" game-centric design: rounded corners and grip provide a perfect hold on the gaming experience
• 4GB built in memory with SD port for expandable memory ability: add SD cards and download and save as many games as desired
•  Proprietary MG Origins Avatar System: as gamers use the MG, they gain points, customize and unlock the origin story of their own personal gaming companion
•  MG Family Collaboration System: includes the "DebitSmart" Digital Wallet and "Remote Trust" notification functions
•  Preloaded games and cash credit toward game purchases
• 1.3 Megapixel Front-Facing Camera and ability to shoot and play video
• Stereo Headset Jack
• Operating on ICS; includes new Face Unlock security feature

 

PlayMG™ Corp. is a startup formed in 2012 comprised of electronics, game and social industry veterans who have come together to fuel the redesign of gaming™ and bring "more game" affordably into people's lives. PlayMG is the visionary creator of MG™ -- the first dedicated portable Wi-Fi gaming system for the Android freemium app games market. Learn more at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/playmg/mg-first-portable-gaming-system-for-the-android-ma?ref=live and www.PlayMg.com. Also visit PlayMG on Facebook atfacebook.com/mgmoregame to help spread the 'more game' word.

 

CONTACT:

Kris Ellenberg

Helene Sheeler-Johnson

PR@PlayMG.com

Kris: 310-430-1772

Helene: 623-570-2759

Additional images and press materials available at playmg.com/mediakit.zip

 

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

South China Morning Post Launches a Brand New SCMP.com

 

HONG KONG--(Marketwire - August 31, 2012) - Hong Kong's premier English language newspaper South China Morning Post launched today its newly rebuilt and redesigned website, SCMP.com (HKSE: 583).

The site, which continues to be largely subscriber-only access, has been brought up to date with significantly enhanced and more frequently updated content, more intuitive navigation, easier social sharing and smarter article links. A key new addition includes the availability of an optimized mobile edition at m.scmp.com, which can be accessed by subscribers on any internet-enabled smartphone.

Further content enhancements include a powerful easy to search archive service that gives readers instant access to 10 years' or 750,000+ articles. For more recent searches, an innovative new feature is the Homepage time machine, which enables users to view each day's homepage exactly as it was seen up to seven days prior. 

Photos play a prominent role in the new site. Aside from a generally more visual presentation and a longer page length, the new SCMP.com features a large format photo gallery that is updated real-time and provides themed photojournalistic essays and easy search options. South China Morning Post's award winning infographics will also capitalize on the new SCMP.com's more visual and interactive design capabilities.

Social media plays a stronger role in the new site, which aside from enabling easy share on Facebook, Twitter and Google +, will also introduce a major cast of new bloggers including a blog in English language from China's number one blogger Han Han, whose irreverent views of China affairs and the youth generation have captivated a huge online following. 

South China Morning Post's Digital Editor, Wang Feng, was newly appointed in April this year to spearhead the content direction for the site. Previously an editor for Thomson Reuters Chinese News Service and an International Editor at Caijing magazine, Wang Feng was hired to deliver quality regional news 24/7 to an audience of Hong Kong and China watchers all over the world. 

He remarked; "Our new site is not only built on a much more robust platform, giving our readers a better experience, it's also packed with more content. Content that's been designed especially for online to capitalize on the latest visual and presentation capabilities."

"Now we can tell our stories in a richer and more graphic way, and drive readers to stories that are more relevant to them. We'll be right at the point of action and deliver news more rapidly. We'll tap the pulse of the community through social sharing. We'll also be providing a better email notification system, with a morning newsletter to highlight the day's headlines, an evening newsletter to succinctly wrap up stories as they've transpired through the day, and breaking news alerts. Readers can also check out what topics are trending online and in the social sphere."

Mr Robin Hu, SCMP Group's CEO, commented, "We are very excited to introduce the new SCMP.com. This is a much improved site with considerable potential to grow locally and overseas, especially given the global demand for news in our region. Online readers are increasingly used to paying for quality content, and we have been running a successful subscription model since the site originally launched in 1996. We believe the site offers excellent value, and together with the new mobile edition, plus Print and iPad editions, we now have a deeper portfolio of products which each deliver valued content and a unique experience."

The site can be viewed at www.scmp.com, the mobile version at www.m.scmp.com and a full product tour can be seen at www.scmp.com/reborn.

Photo
http://release.media-outreach.com/i/598

Company Logo
http://release.media-outreach.com/i/180 

About SCMP Group Ltd and South China Morning Post
SCMP Group Limited (HKSE: 583) is a leading newspaper and magazine publisher in Asia. Its flagship publication, South China Morning Post, is Hong Kong's world renowned English language newspaper and has the city's most affluent and influential readership. First published in 1903, the newspaper has developed an enviable reputation for authoritative, influential and independent reporting on Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Available in print, iPad™ and online through scmp.com and e-reader editions, South China Morning Post reaches a global audience with daily breaking news, insightful analysis and opinion, multimedia articles and interactive forums. Striving to maintain the highest standards among the world's quality newspapers, the South China Morning Post receives constant international recognition. It received 55 awards in 2011 for excellence in editorial, marketing and technical capability. Other publication titles of the Group include the Sunday Morning Post, the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar and CosmoGirl! magazines. For more information, please visit us at www.scmpgroup.com.

 

Media Contact
SCMP Group Ltd
Email: communications@scmp.com

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

SolarWinds Launches SolarWinds Firewall Security Manager Adding Powerful Firewall Analytics and Management to the Company's IT Management Portfolio

New Product Addresses the Need for an Affordable, Easy-to-Use, Multi-Vendor Solution That Helps IT Pros Reduce the Time and Complexity of Managing the Firewall Security and Change Process

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - August 31, 2012) - SolarWinds® (NYSE: SWI), a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, announced today that it is launching a new product, SolarWinds Firewall Security Manager (FSM), which adds easy to use, multi-vendor firewall management to its growing portfolio of IT Management products. The new SolarWinds Firewall Security Manager has all of the power and features that IT pros need, and will be priced starting at $1,295, making it one of the most affordable firewall analytics and management solutions available. SolarWinds FSM also integrates with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM) to offer a more complete change management experience.

"We believe that SolarWinds Firewall Security Manager extends our tradition of leadership in the network management space. Like our other products, SolarWinds Firewall Security Manager offers our unique value proposition: designed to meet the IT professionals' needs with a rich and powerful feature set, great user experience, and a price significantly below that of the competition," said Kevin Thompson, SolarWinds' President and CEO. "As security and compliance challenges continue to evolve with advances in IT technology and business requirements, we will continue to respond to our customers' needs, developing and releasing new products that solve their problems easily and affordably."

The security of a company's network is a critical concern for any IT manager, and firewalls are an integral part of the security apparatus. However, the rules governing those firewalls are increasingly complex and difficult to manage. In a recent SolarWinds survey* of IT professionals, over 150 respondents listed the following problems as the primary drivers of anxiety around the security of their firewalls:

·         79 percent are concerned about firewall rules that are retained beyond their useful period

·         67 percent struggle with the lack of documentation of the rules and their business purpose (i.e. Why do we have this rule?)

·         54 percent say that conflict between rules causes significant issues, compounded by the fact that those conflicts are hard to find and fix

·         54 percent struggle with rules that nobody understands but are maintained out of worry or fear

Of those respondents who do not currently do firewall audits, the number one reason behind this decision was a lack of time or resources.

SolarWinds FSM provides easy-to-use, integrated firewall analytics and management at a price that is dramatically below other competitors in the market and with a functionality set that addresses the key issues in managing firewalls and router security and management:

·         Ensuring that existing rules are effective and do not overlap

·         Alerting users to changes in rules that break security policy

·         Enabling users to test rule changes offline prior to rolling them out

·         Ensuring that changes to rules don't break policies

·         Generating security audit reports

SolarWinds FSM offers built-in integration with SolarWinds NCM, enabling the import of firewalls and routers managed in SolarWinds NCM directly into SolarWinds FSM.

SolarWinds Firewall Security Manager highlights:

·         Automates security audits using over 120 customizable, out-of the-box checks based on standards from NSA, NIST, SANS and more

·         Analyzes firewall and router configurations and logs to isolate redundant, covered and unused security rules and objects

·         Models how a new rule, or change to an existing one, will impact your firewall policy or break end-to-end connectivity without touching production devices

·         Simplifies firewall troubleshooting and change management for your multi-vendor, Layer 3 network devices

Pricing and Availability

SolarWinds Firewall Security Manager is designed for IT professionals and priced to make it accessible to nearly any size organization. SolarWinds FSM is available now and pricing starts at $1,295, with the first year of maintenance included. For more information, visit the SolarWinds website or call 866.530.8100.

* The SolarWinds-sponsored survey was conducted on June 26, 2012, via an online survey service. The survey was sent to nearly 10,000 IT professionals, resulting in 155 completed surveys.

About SolarWinds

SolarWinds (NYSE: SWI) provides powerful and affordable IT management software to customers worldwide from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses. In all of our market areas, our approach is consistent. We focus exclusively on IT Pros and strive to eliminate the complexity that they have been forced to accept from traditional enterprise software vendors. SolarWinds delivers on this commitment with unexpected simplicity through products that are easy to find, buy, use and maintain while providing the power to address any IT management problem on any scale. Our solutions are rooted in our deep connection to our user base, which interacts in our online community, thwack, to solve problems, share technology and best practices, and directly participate in our product development process. Learn more today at http://www.solarwinds.com.

SolarWinds, SolarWinds.com and thwack are registered trademarks of SolarWinds. All other company and product names mentioned are used only for identification purposes and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACTS:

Investors: 
Dave Hafner 
Phone: 512.682.9867 
ir@solarwinds.com 

Media:
Tiffany Nels
Phone: 512.682.9545
pr@solarwinds.com

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Audyssey Expands Its Premium Television Audio Suite

 

Four New Technologies Now Available to Manufacturers

BERLIN--(Marketwire - August 30, 2012) - Audyssey, a global leader in audio technology for the home, automotive, mobile and theater markets, today announced at the IFA Tradeshow in Berlin a major update to Audyssey Premium Television, the company's suite of audio technologies that help TV manufacturers improve sound quality. Audyssey Premium Television now includes Audyssey's sound personalization technologies.

"Audyssey up to now has focused on solving the most challenging acoustical problems in TVs to provide a reference listening experience," said Chris Kyriakakis, CTO of Audyssey. "With these new technologies we are now moving to the next level: adapting to the preferences of the listener and the differences in the listening environment."

Audyssey's Premium Television has added four audio technologies, each designed to address a specific aspect of TV listening preferences:

Audyssey Spatial enables a wide surround sound experience using the television's standard stereo speakers. Audyssey applies a decade of spatial perception research and award-winning movie theater and home AVR experience to create the most natural sounding and immersive surround experience from just two speakers.

Audyssey Voice Clarity uses psychoacoustics to enhance the perception of voice so that dialogue is easier to understand. This is especially useful in low volume listening situations or in noisy environments that make voices unintelligible.

Audyssey Room Match adjusts the television's sound to better match the listening space. For example, televisions sound different in the living room, bedroom and kitchen. Room Match tailors the listening experience by compensating for the type of room and location of the television.

Audyssey Personal EQ allows listeners to customize TV sound to their personal preference. Options such as Tilt control and manual equalization provide users a wide variety of personal control and customization.

Audyssey Premium Television is now available to TV manufacturers. Consumer products incorporating the new Audyssey Premium Television are expected in 2013.

 

About Audyssey
Established in 2002, Audyssey is the industry leader in research-based audio technologies that correct acoustical problems to improve the sound quality of any device or listening environment. The company's technologies are integrated into home theater products, automobiles, TVs, mobile phones and movie theaters from industry-leading manufacturers. Audyssey also produces a line of speakers and audio docks with wireless connectivity to suit today's digital lifestyle. For more information, visit http://www.audyssey.com or follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/audyssey.

 

Contact Information

 FOR MORE INFORMATION:

 John Snedigar
Faultline Communications
john@faultlinecomms.com
408-705-7518

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Audyssey Quietype Silences Your Keyboard, Improves Telephony

 

New Technology Perfect for Today's Multitasking Professionals  

BERLIN--(Marketwire - August 30, 2012) - Audyssey, a global leader in audio technology for the home, automotive, mobile and theater markets, today announced a noise-reducing technology designed specifically for keyboards. Audyssey Quietype removes the typing noise that is so prevalent during computer conference calls and makes multi-tasking easier, while minimizing the disruption to fellow participants.

"Keyboard clicking noise is one of the most difficult to remove because it has very different characteristics than other background noise," said Chris Kyriakakis, Audyssey's CTO. "Past attempts at removing it introduced too many artifacts so we had to dig deep into our research toolbox to develop a solution that preserves the quality of speech."

Audyssey Quietype is a revolutionary technology that significantly reduces noise during conference calls. By isolating specific frequencies and acoustic patterns in keystrokes, Quietype eliminates distracting noises from the conference call. Now, you can type while talking and only your voice will join the conversation.

The technology can be applied to both in-bound and out-bound communications and is an ideal addition to phone conferences, computer conferences and video chat resources like GoToMeeting® or FaceTime®.

Audyssey Quietype is currently available to telephone and computer manufacturers for integration into their products.

                           

About Audyssey

Established in 2002, Audyssey is the industry leader in research-based audio technologies that correct acoustical problems to improve the sound quality of any device or listening environment. The company's technologies are integrated into home theater products, automobiles, TVs, mobile phones and movie theaters from industry-leading manufacturers. Audyssey also produces a line of speakers and audio docks with wireless connectivity to suit today's digital lifestyle. For more information, visit http://www.audyssey.com or follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/audyssey.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

John Snedigar

Faultline Communications

john@faultlinecomms.com

 

408-705-7518

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

The Russell Asia Pacific Index Returned +7.6% Year-to-Date as of August 27th

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - August 29, 2012) - The Russell Asia Pacific Index returned +7.6% year-to-date as of August 27th, including a +1.5% return for the month of August to date.

 

Helping to drive the year-to-date return for the Index includes country constituents Thailand (24.9%), Singapore (24.3%), the Philippines (23.4%), New Zealand (16.1%) and Hong Kong (13.4%).

 

Notably, country constituents China (3.2%), Japan (2.9%) and Indonesia (2.7%) have had the lowest returns year-to-date within the Index. China (-0.2%) and Indonesia (-1.0%) have moved down thus far in August, while Japan has moved upward, returning +2.0%.

 

"We've been writing all year about Thailand and the Philippines leading Asian equity markets given that the market dynamics in these countries can be largely insulated from macroeconomic cycles elsewhere," said Sarah Lien, Senior Research Analyst for Russell Investments. "What is perhaps more interesting to note is the divergence between the returns of China and Hong Kong's equity markets in 2012. Though it is often hard to differentiate between these markets, equity investors have shown a clear preference for Hong Kong."

 

Russell Asia Pacific Index Returns

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     Aug Month-To-Date  Third Qtr-To-Date     Year-To-Date 

Index                As of August 27th  As of August 27th  As of August 27th

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Russell Asia-                                                              

Pacific Index               1.5%               2.9%               7.6%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     Aug Month-To-Date  Third Qtr-To-Date     Year-To-Date 

Country              As of August 27th  As of August 27th  As of August 27th

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Australia                   1.8%               8.7%              12.6%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

China                      -0.2%               0.1%               3.2%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hong Kong                   2.4%               6.1%              13.4%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indonesia                  -1.0%               3.8%               2.7%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

India                       2.2%               1.7%              10.4%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Japan                       2.0%              -0.2%               2.9%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Korea                       0.3%               3.5%               8.1%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malaysia                    1.9%               6.0%              12.0%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Zealand                 1.5%               6.5%              16.1%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philippines                -4.3%              -2.7%              23.4%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Singapore                   0.2%               7.8%              24.3%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thailand                    3.6%               6.6%              24.9%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taiwan                      3.6%               5.0%              10.4%     

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Russell Global Index includes more than 10,000 securities in 48 countries and covers 98% of the investable global market. All securities in the benchmark are classified according to size, region, country and sector. Daily Returns for the main components are available here:http://www.russell.com/indexes/data/daily_total_returns_global.asp

 

Disclaimer: http://www.russell.com/indexes/about/index_alerts.asp#disclaimer

 

For further information contact:
Lauren Goble
lauren@ryanfin.com
+852 9703 9161

 

© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.