Perion Releases New PhotoJoy App for iPad and iPhone - MarketWatch (press release)

TEL-AVIV, Israel, Jan 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- PhotoJoy, a Perion /quotes/zigman/99528/quotes/nls/peri PERI -2.74% brand, and photo discovery and sharing tool, announced the release of PhotoJoy+, a new app for the iPad and iPhone that helps people discover, share and enjoy digital photographs on their mobile device in new and exciting ways.

PhotoJoy+ incorporates personal photos stored on your mobile device and combines them with photos that friends and family have posted on Facebook in high-quality animated 3D designs. This new mobile app brings the PhotoJoy experience that more than 2.2 million consumers have downloaded on their desktop, directly to the Apple device allowing them to relive special moments and discover photos that have been forgotten, in a fun and exciting way on their iPad or iPhone. The free application is available for download at the Apple App Store.

"The new PhotoJoy app offers an emotional experience for users allowing them to view and share personal photos and Facebook pictures in a single, easy to use mobile app. After rediscovering an old photo or forgotten memory, users can email, post and comment on Facebook right from their mobile device with a touch of the screen. Sharing memories with family and friends on the iPad and iPhone has never been easier," said Boaz Levin, New Product VP at Perion.

"Our target demographic, which includes Second Wave Adopters (SWAs) over the age of 40, is among the fastest growing group of users adopting smartphone and tablet technology -- offering useful, simple and easy to use apps on the mobile phone is another meaningful way Perion brings technology to our underserved market of SWAs," Levin added.

About Perion Network Ltd.

Founded in 2000, Perion /quotes/zigman/99528/quotes/nls/peri PERI -2.74% is a digital media company that provides products and services to consumers to help make their everyday life simpler and more enjoyable. Focusing on an underserved market of second wave adopters who value their time online, Perion offers a growing portfolio of easy-to-use products. The Company's products include: IncrediMail Premium, an award winning e-mail product sold in over 100 countries in 10 different languages; Smilebox, a leading photo sharing and social expression product and service that lets customers quickly turn life's moments into digital creations to share and connect with friends and family in a fun and personal way; PhotoJoy, a photo discovery and sharing screensaver & wallpaper product; and Fixie, a PC optimization product. For more information on Perion /quotes/zigman/99528/quotes/nls/peri PERI -2.74% , visit www.perion.com .

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains historical information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the business, financial condition and results of operations of the Company. The words "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "should" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views, assumptions and expectations of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, potential litigation associated with the transaction, risks that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations and the potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the proposed transaction and in integrating the acquired business, the distraction of management and the Company resulting from the proposed transaction, changes in the markets in which the Company operates and in general economic and business conditions, loss of key customers and unpredictable sales cycles, competitive pressures, market acceptance of new products, inability to meet efficiency and cost reduction objectives, changes in business strategy and various other factors, whether referenced or not referenced in this press release. Various other risks and uncertainties may affect the Company and its results of operations, as described in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including its annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2010. The Company does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Source: PERION NETWORK LTD.

SOURCE: Perion Network Ltd.

                    KCSA Strategic Communications          Rob Fink, 212-896-1206          rfink@kcsa.com            

Copyright Business Wire 2012

/quotes/zigman/99528/quotes/nls/peri

Volume: 2,084

Jan. 24, 2012 10:04a

/quotes/zigman/99528/quotes/nls/peri

Volume: 2,084

Jan. 24, 2012 10:04a

/quotes/zigman/99528/quotes/nls/peri

Volume: 2,084

Jan. 24, 2012 10:04a

Feeding Time is Coming to iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch Devices in March 2012

Toronto, ON (PRWEB) January 24, 2012

Incubator Games announces Feeding Time, a quirky, whimsical puzzle game coming to iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch devices.

Feeding Time centers on a unique but intuitive eating mechanic where players match various animals with their favourite snacks. Compete against friends and global leaderboards, or enjoy a more casual experience as you unlock new areas and powerups. With the proper attention, no critter will ever go hungry again!

Feeding Time is slated for release on the Apple AppStore in March of 2012.

The full game announcement can be found on our website at: http://www.incubatorgames.com/index.php/20120117/feeding-time-is-coming/

A trailer video is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBsbGEdZvxE

In addition, the same trailer can be downloaded from: http://www.incubatorgames.com/press/Feeding_Time/FeedingTimeTeaserTrailer.mp4

About --
Incubator Games is a small Canadian video game studio focused on creating fun and rewarding titles for online, mobile, and digital distribution.

# # #

Restaurant.com iPhone App Serves Up Dining Deals On the Go - MarketWatch (press release)

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Restaurant.com iPhone mobile app, now available in Apple's App Store, gives diners the ability to scan nearby dining options, purchase a paperless savings certificate and redeem it for money off their bill...all on an iPhone.

"Restaurant.com experienced its most successful year in 2011, serving up record savings for millions of diners and nearly $400 million in revenue for the restaurant industry," said Restaurant.com President and Chief Marketing Officer Christopher Krohn. "In 2012, we are deploying mobile technology to build on this success, making it more convenient for our customers to save money when dining out and generating greater revenue than ever before for restaurants across the country."

With the Restaurant.com App for iPhone, consumers can:

Find unparalleled restaurant savings using the app's "Deals Near Me" geolocation feature, or search for restaurants by ZIP code or city.

View restaurant menus, descriptions, photos, hours of operation and other information.

Purchase and redeem Restaurant.com Gift Certificates 100 percent digitally by showing the on-screen certificate to their server in the restaurant. No printing or paper certificates needed.

Use the iPhone's built-in mapping technology for directions to their dining destination.

Restaurant.com iPhone app users can filter restaurant search results by city, distance, price and cuisine type. Then, consumers simply choose a restaurant, purchase a gift certificate and enjoy the savings.

"American consumers are increasingly relying on mobile technology to make choices about their dining and entertainment options," said Krohn. "One of Restaurant.com's goals in 2012 is to help the restaurant industry embrace this trend and bring diners and restaurant owners together in greater numbers despite the sluggish economy."

About Restaurant.comRestaurant.com helps deepen relationships and create lasting memories one dining experience at a time. The company offers savings at more than 18,000 restaurants nationwide with more than 45,000 daily gift certificate options. Restaurant.com brings family and friends together to relax, converse and enjoy dining out. Restaurant.com has helped customers save more than $2 billion since the Arlington Heights, Ill.-based company was founded in 1999.

SOURCE Restaurant.com

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Apple iPhone 4S, iPad Focus of Earnings Results - eWeek

Apple’s quarterly earnings, due Jan. 24, will offer a crucial first glimpse into the performance of not only its iPhone 4S but also how well its Pad franchise fared over the holiday season against Amazon’s Kindle Fire and other tablets.

“The critical number is going to be the iPhone number,” Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told the Wall Street Journal Jan. 23, referring to how financial analysts and investors will view Apple’s overall results. He forecasts quarterly sales of some 30 million.

Although the iPhone 4S bears significant aesthetic similarities to its predecessor, the iPhone 4, it boasts certain new featuresâ€"most notably Siri, a “digital personal assistant”â€"that made it a must-have for millions of customers soon after its October release. In addition to Munster, other analysts have suggested that the iPhone 4S sold strongly through the holiday season, but Apple’s official numbers will make that theory concrete.

Analysts will also be watching the iPad numbers for any softness in sales, particularly in relation to previous quarters’ growth. Although the iPad continues to dominate the tablet market, Amazon’s Kindle Fire tabletâ€"a full-color device capable of displaying e-books and playing multimedia contentâ€"proved a popular option among holiday shoppers.

During the conference call that will almost certainly accompany those earnings results, analysts will press Apple executives for any news of its upcoming projects. And Apple being Apple, those executives will absolutely refuse to respond. Nonetheless, the rumor mill suggests that the company is gearing up for the early-year unveiling and release of the iPad 3, which could feature a higher-resolution screen than the previous two iterations.

Later this year, Apple could face significant tablet competition when rival manufacturers unveil the first tablets running Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8. In addition, companies ranging from Microsoft to Google will do their utter best to make 2012 the year their respective smartphone platforms gain more market share. That will make it an ultra-competitive 12 months for Apple; the earnings results Jan. 23 could give it added momentum for the battle ahead.

Follow Nicholas Kolakowski on Twitter 

Mark W. Smith: Apple aims to update student textbooks via iPad - Detroit Free Press

The textbook -- that sturdy, time-honored educational stalwart -- is primed for a serious makeover.

Apple last week took the wraps off an initiative it hopes will revolutionize the textbook by giving K-12 students a more interactive experience.

And it has has inked deals with three top traditional textbook publishers -- Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Building off the success of the iPad, Apple showed off a set of sleek, interactive textbooks that allow students to play videos and interact with graphics.

Interactive and digital textbooks are not new, but Apple's program is ambitious enough to begin to move an industry that has gone largely unchanged for decades.

And when Apple makes a bid for a platform like this, the targeted industry usually takes note. Apple has already changed the way we download music with iTunes and has made smaller inroads into the television and movie industries.

Apple has sold e-books since the launch of the iPad, but has struggled to make a dent in a market controlled by Amazon and its army of Kindle users.

Apple's ace here, though, is the iPad, which has shown to have particular utility in the classroom. There are 1.5 million iPads in use in educational institutions today, Apple says.

Zeeland Public Schools in west Michigan embarked on an initiative last fall that will eventually put an iPad in the hands of every student in grades 3-12. In the Upper Peninsula, the Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw school district has a similar program. And numerous Michigan districts have smaller programs that include a stack of iPads that can be moved from classroom to classroom.

Publish through iBooks

With the launch of its new interactive textbook platform, Apple has also released a publishing tool that will allow anyone to write, design and publish a book.

It's called iBooks Author and it's a free download through the Mac App Store. There is no version for PCs.

Anyone familiar with Apple's suite of desktop publishing programs -- Pages, Keynote, Numbers -- will be at home in iBooks Author.

It's easy to drag and drop images, videos and text blocks to create a great-looking textbook. Apple has included six templates to get you going.

I was able to take the beginnings of a textbook on social media I'm writing and have it all dressed up in 20 minutes.

Once the book is created, the author is free to give it to anyone he or she chooses. Books can be saved in an iBook format so that they're readable on the iPad or as a PDF, which can be sent to a classroom of students and read on almost any device.

But, and this is a big but, the only way to sell the work created with iBooks Author is through Apple's iBooks store. That language is included in the software's licensing agreement.

In true Apple style, it's an aggressively worded agreement that makes it clear that Apple is expecting its 30% cut of any of the beautiful books produced with its free program.

Cheaper than traditional texts

Increasingly, technology companies like Apple are playing the role of publisher -- even as they work to court traditional publishers that are understandably wary of the iPad-maker's growing clout.

Apple knows that content -- apps, books and movies -- often is the real appeal of a device like the iPad, so it also wants to make it very easy for anyone to contribute.

Amazon, too, has lowered that bar. Through its Kindle Singles program, authors can self-publish works from 5,000 to 30,000 words and make them available to the millions of people with Amazon e-readers.

Amazon also takes a 30% cut of sales.

But the textbook industry is certainly primed for innovation. Most texts run almost $100 and often are a bit outdated.

Apple says it will limit its interactive textbooks to $15.

So far, the selection of these new interactive textbooks is meager -- just eight.

But that number will surely grow as more people experiment with Apple's free publishing tool.

And the best part: no paper cuts.

Contact Mark W. Smith: 313-223-4424 or msmith@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @markdubya.

Untethered jailbreak for iPhone 4S, iPad 2 now available for Windows - TechSpot

Following its release on Mac OS X late last week, the Absinthe untethered jailbreak tool for owners of A5-powered devices is now available on Windows as well. Users with an iPhone 4S running iOS 5.0 or iOS 5.0.1 or an iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 can download the Windows build directly from the Greenpois0n website.

As many of you know very well, jailbreaking allows unsanctioned application to be installed on Apple's smartphone and tablet, and facilitates a number of user interface and system-level tweaks. But getting around the A5 chip's security features proved very difficult, according to the legion of renowned hackers involved.

"The endless war we fight to jailbreak has become more and more difficult with each new device released, and our recent battle against A5 only proved this further," said Joshua Hill, aka p0sixninja, a member of the Chronic Dev Team. He collaborated with researchers from the iPhone Dev Team, such as 'MuscleNerd' and 'Saurik', as well as other independent iOS researchers to come up with a "ridiculously complex combination of exploits-within-exploits" that ultimately enabled them to come with the Absinthe jailbreak tool.

Details about iOS exploits used by the Absinthe A5 software will be released at an as-yet unspecified conference later this year, according to a blog post at the group's website.

To jailbreak your device simply make sure it is running a supported version of iOS (5.0 or 5.0.1 for the iPhone 4S and 5.0.1 for the iPad), then download Absinthe and load it up using the one-click GUI. It's worth noting that although Jailbreaking is legal, the practice is frowned upon Apple and will void your warranty. Absinthe has only been around for a few days so it's also possible you might also run into a bug.

Will Apple's iPad mark the beginning of the end for traditional textbooks? - 89.3 KPCC

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Apple's new iBooks 2 app is demonstrated for the media on an iPad at an event in the Guggenheim Museum January 19, 2012 in New York City.

Goodbye, student backpacks loaded down with expensive, heavy textbooks? Well, goodbye to the heavy part, at least. Apple, which has made a habit of revolutionizing the way we interact with technology, is now turning its digital sights on the venerable analog textbook. Every costly new edition of a textbook means the old one is outdated, so Apple is betting that in the swiftly-changing information age, both the market and the halls of academia are ready for virtual textbooks â€" and that their wildly popular iPad tablet computer is the perfect platform to host them.

Virtual textbooks are portable and easily updated â€" and they can deliver videos, animations, definitions, flashcards, quizzes and interactive content. A pilot program at Amelia Earhart Middle School in Riverside found that students who used digital algebra textbooks on Apple’s iPad in the 2010-2011 school year scored 20 percent higher than their fellow students using traditional textbooks in the California Standards testing in the spring of 2011. But some experts are wary. Apple’s traditional 70/30 revenue split with content providers has ruffled feathers in the music business and Apple’s policies dictate that what is created with Apple software can be sold only through Apple’s iBookstore. Apple says that they can provide digital textbooks for $14.99 or less, but worries persist that cash-strapped schools won’t be able to provide a $499.00 iPad to every student, thereby widening the “digital divide” between school districts in wealthy and poor areas.

WEIGH IN

So are virtual textbooks a leap forward or a different but perhaps equally expensive and more profitable way to help kids learn? Would you prefer a digital version of your old school study aids?

Guests:

Maggie Reardon, senior writer at CNET/CBS Interactive

Jay McPhail, Director of Instructional Technology for Riverside Unified School District