While the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has just launched and making its way to premium handsets, new rumors suggest that Google is preparing to launch the next major build of its mobile platform as early as next quarter.  DigiTimes is saying that Google is likely to launch Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) in the second quarter. While details are still limited, the report claims Android 5.0 will again focus on tablets and introduce some improvements to the current mobile OS.

Google’s next-generation Android OS will feature a new dual-boot function. Jelly Bean will reportedly be optimized for tablets and it will integrate Google's Chrome system functions to push dual-operating system designs.  Google is supposedly planning to encourage vendors to build dual-boot devices, which would be able to run both Android 5.0 and Windows 8.  This is in response to Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform coming soon.

Reports also suggest Google may be looking at the notebook and netbook markets with Android 5.0.   Android 3.0 Honeycomb was a tablet-only OS, and Google then unified its mobile platform with Android 4.0, which is optimized for both smartphones and tablets. This new report seems to suggest Google is shifting the focus of Android 5.0 back to tablets and maybe even to notebooks in light of Chrome OS’s slow adoption.

Android 5.0 may already be facing challenges, however, as the report claims Google’s Android partners are turning conservative about Android 5.0, due to Android 4.0′s slow adoption thus far. A number of vendors are currently working on updating their recent devices to Android 4.0, and several Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphones and tablets will be unveiled later this month at Mobile World Congress.

If the rumors are true, Google could be pushing Android fragmentation to new heights with Jelly Bean. Vendors like Motorola plan to roll out Android 4.0 updates for their devices over the course of the second and third quarters, and Ice Cream Sandwich may already be obsolete by the time it finally arrives on these smartphones and tablets.

David Novak is an internationally syndicated columnist. His column, the GadgetGUY, appears in over 120 newspapers around the world each week, enjoying over 3 million in readership. He's also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, PC Magazine, Popular Science, Newsweek, GQ, and more. The GadgetGUY has his pulse on everything related to new gadgets, computers, camcorders, car tech, cameras, gaming, TVs, computers, wireless devices, media devices, cell phones, home appliances, wearable technology, sports science, power tools and gadget news.

MentorMob comes to the rescue

MentorMob, the young startup based in Chicago is a free platform that allows users to organize the best content from the Internet in a step-by-step format and share it with those seeking information.

The site curates the best online content and organizes it into an easy to use playlists. Basically, you spend more time learning and less time searching.

The idea sounds similar to the one created by Wikipedia, but it is not. Wikipedia, with its crowd-sourced content doesn’t really encourage learners to truly evaluate information but MentorMob does.           

MentorMob is for the individuals looking to learn a new skills like learning a new language, salsa dancing, poker, snowboarding, cooking, or gain knowledge/ information on topics ranging from Technology, Politics to Finance, Fitness and lots more; You can find all about it on this stunningly cool site in the form of organized web pages, videos, audios, images called Learning playlists. Getting access to MentorMob is like joining V.I.P. version of the Internet where you skip all the junk and get access to the best and the right content at the right time.

The Inspiring Conceptualization

About five years ago, the Chicago based Vince Leung, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at MentorMob and Kris Chinosorn, Co-founder and Chief Executive “Mobster” (as he fondly calls himself) started working on a social networking project they called Big Groups, and included a button called “Mentor Me”--that would connect the information seekers with those having it and they hit the nail there: “We realized early on, ‘There’s something here,’” Chinosorn told Fast Company. “Within a week and a half, we completely pivoted the company” and the result was MentorMob.com.The Founders have definitely got a winner here.

The Company got the required push after both the Chicagoans Vince and Kris came to the Valley and entered the Tech Bunch Disrupt competition in California.

The former invitation-only project which was conceptualized over a year ago attracted 1,000 registered users on its launch day itself. However the founders kept refining the site since then.

Today, MentorMob has been successful in creating this social movement where you can learn online from millions of people from anywhere in the world not confined by location.

Why is MentorMob unique

“Web 1.0 was about search engines containing poor content and dominated by Google, Web 2.0 is about Socialization, Youtube, blogging and user-generated content and Web 3.0 will be all about actual curation of all this information,” explains Vince.

MentorMob is different and offers unique service by providing in-depth learning on topics and not just throwing a link at you compared to the sites such as Delicious, About.com and Ehow that barely scratch the surface while providing information on a topic.

The site is focusing on user experience and wants it to keep it as simple and yet slick as possible. The Company also offers a widget feature where you can embed the Playlists you’ve created on MentorMob into your blog, website, or a LMS (learning management system). The site has also build MentorMob Pro accounts, which boast special analytics and privacy upgrades among other new features.

And the fact that the site has managed to create a successful community of people willing to spend time to teach others about topics is very impressive.

Creating a Playlist

Creating a Playlist is simple and easy process. Once you log-in you can not only create, edit and update Learning Playlists, but also save the progress, review playlists and message members and also share the Playlists with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site.

Once you click on a playlist, the “steps” in the playlist are shown on the left, while the content is displayed on the right. The creators of the playlist can add notes and information to their heart’s content.

Each sub category of Playlists known as a Mob is maintained by volunteer editorsknown as Mentors and continually gets improved upon.

So it’s just a matter of grabbing the URLs of a web page, videos or pdfs and putting it in the right place in the Learning Playlist.

The cool thing is someone in Asia can be learning from Playlist that was created by folks from North America, Europe or Australia and this way MentorMob has reached millions across the globe. You would  feel thankful in the end towards the users who created this step by step learning process and saved you the time that you would have taken to find all these material.

A ratings system on the site also allows users to gauge the playlist’s quality based on other user’s experiences.

MentorMob ensures that the Quality of Content is maintained

The site is a collaborative platform run by the community and the Company’s content managers ensure that the community doesn’t indulge in vandalism or that the playlists on the site are not duplicated and contain false information. “If someone tries to edit the playlist, the author is notified,” explains Vince.

Playlist editors also reduce the amount of misleading educational resources a search engine would present. If users wish they also have the option to “privatize” the Learning Playlists so only they can edit it.

MentorMob received the Illinois Technology Association 2011 CityLights Award, which is presented to businesses that support technological growth through collaboration for the state’s community, according to the ITA website.

Partnerships with Businesses and Teachers

The Company offers use of MentorMob for free, but it is advertisement supported. “We also have a second product generating revenue that is B2B,” says Vince. This Software as a Service (SaaS) model can be used as learning tool by organizations to train their employees.

“We collaborate with large corporations (in cloud) who have all this large amount of information available at all the different places. Using Mentormob, organizations can create playlists including videos, presentations, pdfs to train their employees or just to keep in touch with their franchises which are spread across the world. This saves a lot of their time too,” adds Vince.

The Company has also partnered with several educators and teachers recently from the “top 5 enrollment universities” who are keen on using MentorMob playlists into their curriculum. The students are encouraged to create Learning Playlists by researching themselves.   

Rising popularity

The Company doesn’t really indulge in promoting its site. It’s just word-of-mouth, education blogs and the readers of the blog that help spread the word about the site. Multiple different communities, universities, non-profits, corporations and various other groups have come together and gained from the site.

I would say MentorMob’s a very beautiful and novel concept that allows and inspires you to learn what you want to learn and teach anything you love online. You may not want to miss out on the opportunity to get your hands on the best content on the web and help out others or build friendships in the process.

“We’re in the process of building a prototype with never been seen before learning tools, so stay tuned for that,” concludes Vince.

For now, Check out the video here:

Brooklyn tourists and residents can access Fort Greene Park's Wi-Fi near the visitor's center. The additional Central Park site joins Mineral Springs, Tavern on the Green and AT&T's seasonal Summer Stage deployment at Rumsey Playfield. Visitors to the Central Park Zoo will have access to AT&T Wi-Fi by the main entrance, food court and central garden areas.

"This initiative has been a huge success and we're thrilled that visitors to New York City's most popular parks can stay connected all year round," said Tom DeVito, AT&T vice president and general manager for New York and New Jersey. "We look forward to bringing even more parks online in the coming months so that more smartphone and tablet users can take advantage of this service."

The launch is part of a five-year digital initiative with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the City of New York to provide free Wi-Fi at 26 locations in 20 New York City parks across the five boroughs. In addition to Fort Greene Park and Central Park Zoo, New Yorkers can now access free AT&T Wi-Fi at many other park locations across all five boroughs including:

• Herbert Von King Park
• McCarren Park Field House
• Pier 1 and Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Prospect Park Picnic House
• Astoria Park
• Tompkins Square Park
• Marcus Garvey Park
• Clove Lakes Park
• Battery Bosque and Ferry Landing at Battery Park
• Thomas Jefferson Park
• Joyce Kilmer Park
• Mineral Springs, Tavern on the Green, Rumsey Playfield in Central Park
• Devoe Park

AT&T operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network** with nearly 30,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers, including more than 650 hotspot locations in New York's five boroughs.

For more information on AT&T Wi-Fi locations and instructions on how to connect, visit AT&T Wi-Fi Access.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic.  A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- I.M.G.-represented Rapper G-SCOTT has signed to Str8 Slammin', the indie recording label spearheaded by rapper Freddie Gibbs along with rapper/engineer D-Edge and DJ Roc. 

Scott will release his Str8 Slammin' debut entitled "Weekend in Las Vegas" this spring. "HA$H," the first single off WLV, was released this January and has been making its way around the blogosphere. The music video will premiere February 16 on Scott's YouTube Channel. 

"He's from the same area we're from," says D-Edge. "We heard some songs from him one day and have been fans since. He's the best of the new artists coming from the 219. No one will be disappointed and we expect a lot from him." 

Once an aspiring video game designer, the Gary, Indiana native who also still currently attends Indiana University Northwest, has been buzzing on the hip-hop scene since 2009 after a series of well received mixtapes, most notably "Scott Bailey vs. The World" and "The Michael G. Scott EP."

Together, both mixtapes amassed over 10,000 downloads with popular singles "Folded" and "Good Morning" totaling over 40,000 YouTube views.  Scott has also opened for the likes of Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Willie The Kid, Chip The Ripper, Travis Porter and more recently opening for Freddie Gibbs at select dates. 

"G-Scott's word play is what caught my attention. He's very articulate and has very good content. I think he's definitely somebody to look out for in 2012," says Freddie Gibbs.

Watch the "HA$H" music video here: 
http://www.youtube.com/user/BlockStarzProduction/featured

Download "HA$H" here: 
http://hulkshare.com/5spbaipb45lr 

www.Twitter.com/GScottKing / www.Facebook.com/gscottbbb

SOURCE I.M.G.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/frostsullivan/54725/

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120215/MM52746 )

"PGi is positioning iMeet as a browser-based virtual meeting room application supporting video, which essentially brings the benefits of meeting face-to-face online to anyone and everyone," said Frost & Sullivan Principal Telecom Analyst Ronald Gruia. "PGi is perfectly positioned to be the provider of choice in an already growing segment of the videoconferencing hosted services market: desktop videoconferencing."

The iMeet marketing initiative has been largely viral and involved free trials to bolster acceptance among early adopters, supported by a multimedia awareness campaign. The pricing models are a mix of flat rate and license fee, with additional charges for add-on applications. The goal is to augment the adoption of videoconferencing services throughout enterprises, above and beyond telepresence or video rooms, and deliver superior quality of experience (QoE), along with the simplicity and efficiency of Internet-based tools.

While there are already informal "prosumer" applications that are readily available for free, the QoE in PGi's iMeet and GlobalMeet solutions makes them the conferencing solutions of choice among mid- to enterprise-level companies. The cost effectiveness, ease of use, and mobility of PGi's products provide high quality customer experience for all companies, big and small. iMeet, in particular, has gained a reputation for being simple, personal and mobile.

"Since most laptop models come with front-facing cameras, a light client that leverages collaboration alongside audio and video conferencing can be very useful in increasing enterprise-wide awareness and adoption of videoconferencing," notes Gruia. "PGi's meeting tools not only fulfill this requirement, but have also caught the eye of cost-conscious enterprises with their hosted pricing model."

In addition, the cloud-based model penetration in small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will grow over time, providing PGi with considerable opportunities, as SMBs in the United States represent about 56 percent of the total workforce (65 million workers).

PGi's iMeet product offers users their own personal meeting room online that combines videoconferencing, audio conferencing, social networking and file sharing. iMeet's mobility suite for the iPhone and iPad provides users the essential tools for meeting on the go.

"Given that desktop videoconferencing adoption remains relatively low, we believe that the market is ripe for this type of solution: a robust, enterprise-class application that requires no downloads, takes few desktop/laptop resources and can deliver a compelling end-user experience," observed Gruia.  "Adoption of the hosted model by SMBs is expected to grow solidly over time, with the resulting impact on market share being pretty significant."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that demonstrates the most insight into the needs and product demands of its customers. The recipient company optimizes its product line by leveraging products with the various price, performance and feature points required by one or more market segments.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About PGi
PGi has been a global leader in virtual meetings for 20 years. Our cloud-based solutions deliver multi-point, real-time virtual collaboration using video, voice and file sharing technologies. PGi solutions are available via desktops, tablets or mobile devices, helping businesses worldwide be more productive, mobile and green.  PGi has a global presence in 25 countries and an established base of more than 35,000 enterprise customers, including 75% of the Fortune 100^™.  In the last five years, we have hosted more than 725 million people from 137 countries in over 65 million meetings. For more information, visit us at http://www.pgi.com.

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

Applicasa, a one stop shop, server side solution for mobile app developers has announced that they will support startup companies by offering a full server side for their app, completely free of charge.

The 'Start-App' program aims to encourage innovation by removing the massive cost of server side setup for startups. By registering for the 'Start-App' initiative at http://www.applicasa.com/StartApp.aspx, developers can gain access to the full server solution, and it will remain totally free of charge up to 100,000 app downloads.

Applicasa provides a variety of tools including simple database creation, custom queries as well as a full CMS for management of updates, beta version deployment and push notifications. With Applicasa's easy to use user interface and customized SDK, the whole process of building a server side takes less than 10 minutes.

"We believe in helping startups to get their business moving. Server side development is one of the most time consuming and expensive parts of any mobile app development. We are a startup, so we understand how hard things can be - we want to give something back to the developer community - the Start-App program is our way of helping" - says Lior Malenboim, CEO at Applicasa.

Once a successful app reaches the 100,000 user mark - the developer can transition to one of Applicasa's paid plans, starting at $199 a month. As anyone who has developed an app will testify, this is a fraction of the cost of a manual server side solution.

Applicasa currently supports iOS and has plans to launch an Android solution in April 2012. Its service is hosted over the cloud, providing scalability and growth for the developer's apps.

About Applicasa

Applicasa was founded in mid 2011 out of a desire to deliver a better solution to mobile app developers than was currently available. The company founders, Lior Malenboim and Tzvi Kopetz bring vast experience to the platform; have themselves worked in the online and mobile app development sector for a number of years.

Applicasa exists to take the pain out of building a mobile app. By offering a complete server side solution, the developer can focus on building great apps.  For qualified startups Applicasa is offering a free back end, fully customizable solution including hosting. To find out if you qualify please contact the team on startapp@applicasa.com.

The company is based in Israel, but has a global reach and partners across the world.

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Tzvi Kopetz or Lior Malenboim, please call

Wes Rogers | t: +1-404-969-6849 | m: +1-912-506-0869 | wes@claritycomms.com

SOURCE Applicasa

MADISON, Wis., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- WealthCounsel, a nationwide organization of tax, estate, and business planning attorneys, announced the first of its 2012 semiannual updates to the WealthDocx® estate planning software system. The updates are the result of a comprehensive and substantive review process designed to maintain WealthDocx as the industry's most robust, relevant, and practice-friendly document drafting system on the market.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120216/CG54826)

"The Winter 2012 Enhancement marks the beginning of our journey to review all of our document systems to ensure they are stylistically consistent," said Matthew T. McClintock, J.D., CEO of The WealthCounsel Companies.  "In addition to bringing clarity and consistency to the Revocable Living Trust system, the Winter 2012 Enhancement includes a number of 'business-friendly' technical revisions to the LLC Operating Agreement." 

McClintock explained that the hallmark of the WealthDocx drafting system is the collaborative input of thousands of seasoned practitioners throughout the country, each having his/her own language style.  In addition to substantive improvements to legal strategies in the system, the semiannual WealthDocx updates will address any language inconsistencies from numerous contributors to provide the highest level of consistency and readability. The result, said McClintock, is improved power and flexibility for attorneys and an unparalleled level of client-friendly writing within a drafting system that has been vetted by practitioners in all 50 states.

Unlike other automated document drafting systems, WealthDocx documents are written in first-person active voice, using plain English. Clients appreciate the ability to readily understand the language used to craft their legacies and they experience peace of mind knowing that their heirs will as well.

About The WealthCounsel Companies

The WealthCounsel Companies help estate and business planning attorneys and other wealth professionals serve clients more efficiently, more competently, and more profitably. Celebrating its 15th year in the marketplace, WealthCounsel® is a membership-based organization of thousands of estate and business planning attorneys located in all 50 states.  As the cornerstone of The WealthCounsel Companies, WealthCounsel® is the publisher of the WealthDocx® trust and estate planning software system and shares ownership in ElderCounsel and The Advisors Forum.

SOURCE WealthCounsel

WARRENDALE, Pa., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zenith Infotech, an international company that specializes in delivering innovative business continuity, cloud computing solutions and telepresence for IT service providers, unveiled the latest in their series of Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) product line - the Zenith BDR-G12.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090519/LA19770LOGO)

This high-performance backup disaster recovery appliance with virtualization has been designed to provide a reliable and flexible way to backup data onsite and virtualize a server in case of emergency – at price points affordable to any client.

The Zenith BDR-G12 enhancements include:

• Storage capacity starts at 750GB up to 9TB
• Replication ratio of up to 25:1 BDR-to-BDR
• Built-in StorageCraft's® ShadowProtect™ with "Headstart Restore" to perform a LIVE Bare Metal Restore
• Ability to have a centralized reporting console
• Event alerting feature that integrates with any remote monitoring and management (RMM) tool or general monitoring application.
• Offsite storage that can replicate to:
  • a BDR-G12 located in customer's own data center
  • a BDR-G12 located at Dacentec, Inc. Datacenter
  • a Virtual Private Vault at Dacentec, Inc. Datacenter
• Emergency remote and onsite virtualization

By enhancing what is already a very reliable solution, Zenith is proud to continue its commitment to provide leading-edge technology to the SMB market. "The BDR-G12 is the finest and most comprehensive BDR solution with unparalleled features, the industry's leading proven track record, and the most intense data integrity checks of any other backup solution," says Richard Reiffer, vice president of cloud practice at Zenith Infotech.

Zenith Infotech has worked closely with its partner base through pre-testing and collaborative design to significantly reduce costs and increase the benefits to their clients. "The new BDR-G12 units will allow us to provide additional control, growth and functionality for our current footprints and enable us to pursue larger new opportunities," says Mike Noordyke, president of systems division at Trivalent Group, a Zenith partner.

For more details on the benefits of the Zenith BDR-G12, please visit www.zenithinfotech.com/bdrg12

About Zenith Infotech

Zenith Infotech an international company that specializes in delivering innovative business continuity, cloud computing and telepresence for IT service providers. Our U.S. headquarters is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Learn more at www.zenithinfotech.com.

SOURCE Zenith Infotech

"Megabus.com is always looking for ways to better serve our customers, and this mobile app is a great tool for our passengers and our company," said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com. "Megabus.com has become the travel option of choice and this is just one more way we're striving to provide the best customer service possible."

The app – the only official megabus.com application - is available for iOS and Android platforms. Once downloaded, users can input their origin and destination cities and the times they are traveling to confirm what time their bus will arrive.

Megabus USA is available at this time to passengers traveling on megabus.com's Midwest and Southeast routes.  Northeast routes will be added soon.  Current cities available for tracking include: Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Birmingham, Champaign, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Des Moines, Detroit, Gainesville, Indianapolis, Iowa City, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Madison, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Mobile, Montgomery, Nashville, Omaha, Orlando, St. Louis and Toledo.

Megabus.com, a subsidiary of Coach USA, launched in April 2006 and is the largest intercity express bus service provider in North America, transporting more than 15 million travelers.  In addition to low fares, megabus.com offers customers environmentally-friendly buses, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and restrooms.

Visit http://bit.ly/ym5NRf to view the app and visit www.megabus.com for additional information about the service, schedules, arrival and departure times and fares.

SOURCE megabus.com

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20061010/NYTU194LOGO )

The switchover to the new ICD-10 coding system is now less than two years away.  Organizations that haven't already begun preparations for the switch to the new coding system risk significant revenue shortfalls through denial of claims and compliance issues when the deadline arrives.

As a fun, timely and informative reminder of the impending deadline, HCCS is making available an ICD-10 Countdown Clock with Integrated CMS ICD-10 Twitter Tweets.  The clock displays the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the ICD-10 implementation deadline of October 1, 2013.  In addition, the clock displays the last three ICD-10 relevant tweets coming from the CMS Twitter account.  No login or account on Twitter is required.

To see an example of the ICD-10 Countdown Clock, visit www.hccs.com

To download the clock for use on your own website or blog, go to http://www.hccs.com/ICD-10_Countdown/

HCCS provides a library of online ICD-10 coding courses to assess and educate physicians, coders, billers and other staff members in documentation and coding for ICD-10.  The courses are accredited by AHIMA and AAPC.  For information about the HCCS ICD-10 Medical Coding and Compliance Training library visit the HCCS website or contact HCCS at info@hccs.com.

About HCCS
HCCS is the leading provider of effective online training courses and learning management systems to healthcare facilities. HCCS has provided over 3 million hours of compliance and competency training courseware to hospitals, teaching facilities, medical schools, health plans and other healthcare entities. http://www.hccs.com (516) 478-4100 or (877) 933-hccs.

SOURCE Health Care Compliance Strategies, Inc.

"This is a substantial undertaking knowing that expert mobile developers are becoming a scarcity as the job market consumes these talented professionals," says Matt Ramos, Manager of Recruiting for XpertTech.  XpertTech knows that this is just one of the many challenges they will overcome as they look to be the leader in mobile app development resources.  XpertTech is positioning themselves as a leader of job growth in mobile development, as they continually tailor their projects towards some of the most prominent innovators in the mobile space.

A TechNet research paper by Dr. Michael Mandel, senior Fellow, Mack Center for Technological Innovation at The Wharton School in Philadelphia, says that in less than five years the mobile software industry has added 466,000 jobs, 311,000 of them at companies developing apps.

"82% of our clients have said they plan on developing a mobile app in 2012," said Joe Budzienski, Executive Vice President.  "As an app fanatic myself, it's amazing how quickly this industry has evolved; the possibilities are infinite.  To me this is just as exciting as the 'invention' of the internet.  Whether you have just graduated college and have been developing in your dorm room between classes, or have worked as a senior engineer who realized app development was your true calling, we want to speak with you.  The only thing we ask is you live, breathe, and eat APPS!"

XpertTech is currently utilizing all resources at their disposal to discover these talented individuals.  The positions include iOS, Android, and Windows among other mobile app platforms. There are several additional job openings within the organization that range from Javascript Development to Salesforce Administration.

In an economy struggling to pull out of the recession, the hiring of 30 permanent positions is an optimistic victory. "Innovative technologies such as mobile apps will continue to generate thousands of jobs.  It's up to us to keep pushing the limits of technology.  The more we innovate, the more jobs we create, the more we leave behind for our kids," says Joe Budzienski.

About XpertTech, Inc:

For the past decade XpertTech has been helping companies build great workforces by cultivating talent across the globe. Cutting-edge staffing and recruiting capabilities combine client insight, technology and creativity. XpertTech specializes in securing contract and permanent personnel in Application Development and Infrastructure Support positions. XpertTech takes a collaborative 360-degree approach to helping companies find the best, most qualified and innovative employees possible in order to help excel their organization. Since inception, XpertTech has been nominated by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing IT companies in the nation with over 388% growth in the past 6 months.

For more information:
Media Contact
Kelsey Curtis
781-305-3563
www.XpertTech.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XpertTech
Twitter: @XpertTechInc
LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/company/xperttech-inc

SOURCE XpertTech

"Career services support is not only important from a regulatory perspective, but it also can be a valuable differentiator that improves an institution's recruitment and retention efforts," said McMorrow.  "A results-driven career services function takes schools from advisors to true facilitators, enabling them to effectively connect students and employers, comply with federal regulations and increase placement success."

Gainful employment is causing schools to look at career placement in a whole new light.  Colleges and universities that look at the placement lifecycle as a complete loop will be better prepared to assess the following: available opportunities; necessary qualifications; which students meet those requirements; how to connect qualified applicants and employers; when jobs are filled; and ultimately, what long-term career paths students follow.

McMorrow's session, "Taking Compliance to the Next Level: Advance Your Career Placement Practices," is scheduled for Thursday, February 23rd at 3:00 p.m.  McMorrow has spoken at several education conferences, including DETC, AAACE and APSCU.  His article, "Improving the Career Services Value Proposition for Each Student," was published in the November/December issue of Today's Campus.

Additionally, TopSchool will be exhibiting at the ABHES National Conference, which takes place in Las Vegas, February 22-24, 2012.

About TopSchool

TopSchool (www.topschoolinc.com) built the first SaaS student administrative system in higher education to address the key aspects of the student lifecycle. The company's Student Lifecycle Management (SLM) system goes beyond the capabilities of traditional college student information systems, and includes a customizable student portal, easy-to-use CRM and SIS components, and an intelligent reporting suite. Schools can easily manage all student information from recruitment and retention through career placement in a central location, supporting students through enrollment, admissions, academics, finance and career services. TopSchool gives student-centric institutions more control and flexibility in the way they manage student data, empowering them to drive growth, reduce costs and meet accountability requirements.

SOURCE TopSchool

Publicis Modem London launches perspective on the future of Facebook:  http://goo.gl/GAeCu

On February 1, 2012, Facebook announced that it had filed for an Initial Public Offering to take the company public. Valued between $80 and 100 billion and with over $1 billion in profits in 2010, the eight-year old company has dominated the social web across the world.  

But Facebook still has a long way to go. More than $64 billion was spent on digital advertising in 2010, yet Facebook's share was only 3%.  In comparison to Google's 46%, there is plenty of room for growth, particularly when with more than 845 million users, Facebook's user growth has reached a saturation point in many markets.

How will the company maximize the value of every user and continue to grow its share in the digital advertising market?

Publicis Modem believes that the IPO will accelerate Facebook's strategy to keep users 'locked' into the platform in every way possible. From the first Profile to the new Timeline and Open Graph applications, ensuring that users stay on the platform has always been a priority.

With the platform spreading to millions of websites and applications, Facebook will be able to create deeper data profiles of every user. These profiles can then be used to sell highly targeted advertisements and experiences to brands around the world.

How will Facebook's IPO impact brands that are active within the platform? And why do brands need to rethink their social strategies in light of Facebook's new product announcements?

Publicis Modem has outlined Facebook's business, strategy and approach to become the social layer that underpins the entire web. By explaining the implications of Timeline and the Open Graph, we highlight how brands need to alter their strategies and experiences to connect with their consumers. Finally, we predict nine future products that Facebook could launch as a result of their desire to maximize value per user.

The report has been authored by Tyler Turnbull (Joint Head of Planning) and Damien Le Castrec (Planner).

Read and download here: http://goo.gl/GAeCu

Contact: Catherine.turner@publicis.com , +44(0)20-78303476

SOURCE Publicis UK

Big Data sets can traditionally take data scientists hours to extract, transform, and load. Jaspersoft ETL significantly shortens the time it takes to connect to Big Data environments, eliminating the latency of other solutions and allowing insights to be uncovered faster than ever before. Jaspersoft ETL is available as part of Jaspersoft BI Suite 4.5, which turns data into actionable information by massively scaling the amount of data enterprise IT and developers can handle and move at one time. By integrating Talend into the Jaspersoft BI Suite, BI Builders can now support all Big Data use cases:

• Providing business users with summary reports and dashboards while analysts can explore data directly inside the Big Data store without having to move it to a relational database format;
• Enabling data scientists native access to MPP analytic databases, NoSQL data stores, and Hadoop Hive and HBase;
• Delivering batch and real-time reporting and analysis of Big Data within a complete BI suite which includes ETL, reporting, dashboarding and analysis; and
• Efficiently processing the breadth of Big Data types which require advanced transformation and loading technologies across a broad spectrum of latencies – from sub-second to scheduled batches and everything in between – enabling fast connectivity to a variety of sources, storage technologies, locations and owners.

"Today's data scientists want options to explore data faster. The Jaspersoft BI Suite with enhanced ETL capabilities for Big Data enables efficient data exploration for a faster generation of reports and better decision-making," said Karl Van den Bergh, Jaspersoft's Vice President of Product and Alliances. "Jaspersoft's new OEM agreement continues our great partnership with Talend to provide the best BI solution in the market for Big Data."

"We are extremely pleased to extend our partnership with Jaspersoft," said Keith Goldstein, Vice President Worldwide Channels and Alliances for Talend. "They are ahead of the market in terms of their support for Big Data, which brings key benefits to our joint customers in helping them to produce cost-effective reports, dashboards and analysis quickly and easily."

For more information on Jaspersoft's Big Data alliance with Talend, please visit http://www.jaspersoft.com/jasperETL.

Online Resources

• The Jaspersoft BI Suite
• Jaspersoft on Twitter
• Jaspersoft on Facebook
• CEO Brian Gentile's Open Book on BI blog

About Jaspersoft
Jaspersoft provides the most flexible, cost effective and widely deployed Business Intelligence (BI) suite in the world, enabling better decision-making through highly interactive reports, dashboards and analytics. By leading in support for cloud, big data, and mobile deployments, Jaspersoft helps its customers deliver on the promise of self-service BI at scale.

Leveraging a commercial open source business model and a Community of over 250,000 registered members, Jaspersoft's open source BI software has been downloaded more than 14.5 million times. Jaspersoft production deployments, in excess of 175,000, power 100,000 data-driven applications spanning 14,000 commercial customers. Jaspersoft is privately held and has locations around the world. For more information visit http://www.jaspersoft.com and http://www.jasperforge.org.   

Media Contact
Jasmine Teer
LEWIS Pulse PR for Jaspersoft
jasmine.teer@lewispulse.com
+1 (415) 321-2348

SOURCE Jaspersoft

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolve Digital Labs, a St. Louis-based digital marketing agency, has assembled a useful resource for novices of Search Engine Optimization. This document, appropriately titled the SEO Guide for Beginners, provides an overview of search engine operations, on-site components of web pages, and various strategies for improving visibility in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Essentially, it is the ultimate resource for the question "How to SEO?"

Derek Mabie, President of Evolve, initially decided to create this downloadable white paper because he noticed that there was a lack of resources available to those interested in learning more about SEO. It also provided the brand with the opportunity to display its expertise on the subject. "We wanted to convey that Search plays a dominant role in marketing," Mabie said. "This document encapsulates the functions and features of search engines so beginners can understand where to start."

Students in particular are enjoying the contents of the SEO Guide. Because the industry is new in comparison to others, SEO doesn't necessarily take precedence over traditional marketing methods in college courses. In reality, though, the subject is increasingly relevant –for this reason, many students of Marketing and Advertising are eager to learn more about SEO as a means of preparing for a successful future. "Search Engine Optimization is an essential skill for today's communications professionals, but it's not always an easy element to explain," said Jill Faulk, professor at Lindenwood University in St. Louis. "Evolve Digital Labs' SEO Guide for Beginners serves as a comprehensive resource.  It gives those new to SEO a tangible grasp on a concept that can often feel abstract at first."

Evolve Digital Labs plans to continue producing valuable content like the SEO Guide for Beginners, focusing on significant changes in the search engines' algorithms and industry trends. "There is so much information to harness and publish," Mabie said. "As long as people are willing to learn, we will keep writing, pushing, and teaching."

Contact: Derek Mabie
derekm@evolvedigitallabs.com
http://www.evolvedigitallabs.com
314-260-7455

SOURCE Evolve Digital Labs

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110126/AQ34470LOGO)

"The SAP Supervisory Board expressed great appreciation for the innovation and technology leadership Vishal has provided," said Hasso Plattner, chairman of the SAP Supervisory Board. "With SAP HANA, which has the fastest growing customer pipeline in SAP's history, Vishal is driving an intellectual renewal at SAP that will shape our future solution portfolio and redefine the IT industry."

Sikka was named a member of the SAP Executive Board in 2010 and heads the Technology & Innovation area. His responsibilities include the SAP technology platform and products, including database, application platform and middleware, collaboration, business analytics and search. He is also responsible for the development of new products and new business areas, including the SAP research, incubation and new products organizations. In addition, Sikka is the chief technology officer (CTO) of SAP, a role he has held since 2007. He is the author of "Timeless Software," which underpins the SAP architecture and innovation strategy.

Sikka holds a doctorate from Stanford University in computer science and his background includes work in artificial intelligence, automated reasoning, programming languages and models, and data management and search systems.

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 183,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of Sybase) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

© 2012 by SAP AG. All rights reserved.

SAP and the SAP logo are registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries. Business Objects and the Business Objects logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects Software Ltd. Business Objects is an SAP company. Sybase and the Sybase logo are registered trademarks of Sybase Inc. Sybase is an SAP company. Crossgate is a registered trademark of Crossgate AG in Germany and other countries. Crossgate is an SAP company.

Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:

Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24

United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)

For more information, press only:

Christoph Liedtke, SAP, +49 6227 7-50383, christoph.liedtke@sap.com, CET

Jim Dever, SAP, +1 (610) 661-2161, james.dever@sap.com, EST

SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1 (610) 661-3200, EST; press@sap.com

SOURCE SAP AG

MeetingKing eliminates inefficient note taking and the risk of losing critical information or missing deadlines by capturing, distributing and managing meeting information and action items in real-time.  MeetingKing is a full service solution that enables users to communicate more effectively, collaborate, share documents and track progress on action items. MeetingKing creates a centralized, database for each meeting and offers the ability to link meetings. 

Edwin Siebesma, Founder stated "MeetingKing is unique — because it offers a comprehensive solution for meeting facilitation and management. Being in business operations my entire career, I recognized the need for one, easy-to-use solution to combine meeting information and task management in one central location. We created MeetingKing to enhance the operational efficiency of meetings for businesses, schools, nonprofits, clubs and other organizations."

Key Benefits of MeetingKing include

• Easily captures and archives every aspect of a meeting.
• Automatically publishes and distributes professional meeting agendas, summaries, action items and more.
• One streamlined integrated solution from meeting preparation to task follow-up.
• Ability to take private and team notes and add comments before, during and after meetings.
• Dashboard offers a quick overview of what needs to be done.   
• Action items are automatically added to new agendas in follow-up meetings.
• Combine information from different meetings by using tags.
• No forced adoption; already effective if only meeting organizer has an account.
• Agendas and minutes can be easily published for public organizations, town meetings and clubs.

MeetingKing is free for attendees of any meeting, free to create private one-on-one meetings and free for organizing public meetings (towns, clubs, etc). A Pro account is required for larger private meetings. Special introduction offer is $9.95 per month, multi-user pricing and a 30 day trial are available.

For further information and to create an account visit: http://meetingking.com

Additional press information at http://meetingking.com/press/

About Paracas Solutions LLC 
MeetingKing is developed and published by Paracas Solutions LLC, a privately held company in Connecticut. The founder of Paracas Solutions, Edwin Siebesma, has more than 15 years senior executive experience in both privately held companies as well as publicly traded multinationals. Most recently Edwin was president/CEO of WinZip.

Contact: 
Paracas Solutions LLC 
Edwin Siebesma, Founder 
PO Box 581 
Tolland CT 06084 
Tel: 860 255 8430 
http://meetingking.com

SOURCE MeetingKing

DENVER, Feb. 16, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- CoreSite Realty Corporation (NYSE: COR), a U.S. provider of powerful, network-rich data centers, today announced CSC has launched a 1.5 MW expansion at CoreSite's Boston and Northern Virginia data centers in support of a major global financial services client requirement and the deployment of the company's Trusted Cloud Services offering. Both deployments are fully operational with direct access to CSC Trusted Cloud Services currently available to CoreSite data center customers in Boston. CSC selected CoreSite based on its ability to tailor data center and interconnection products to CSC's specific requirements.

CSC's Trusted Cloud Services include three models that meet enterprise class requirements: off premises public and virtual private, on premises private and hybrid cloud. All cloud models share the same cloud fabric, the Vblock from the VCE Company, a standard rate card and service level agreements. All models are based on the pay-as-you-go pricing model and feature bronze, silver, gold and platinum support tiers. CSC provides infrastructure as a service, software as a service and platform as a service. CoreSite's Boston data center met all of the requirements necessary to facilitate the successful deployment of CSC Trusted Cloud Services including security, compliance, reliability, and network availability.

For more information on CSC's Trusted Cloud Services, please visit www.csc.com/cloud.

"CoreSite provides industry-leading data center services that are validated by professional accreditations and exceed availability targets," commented Nick Wilkinson, president, Market and Product Strategy, CSC Managed Services Sector. "Its ability to quickly tailor solutions specific to our requirements has enabled us to create adaptive extensions to our data center portfolio and deliver data center environments capable of supporting the ever changing, high density demands of today's computing equipment."

"It brings everyone at CoreSite great pleasure to see customers like CSC continue to grow their data center footprint as a result of successful product launches and new business acquisition," commented Tom Ray, CoreSite president and chief executive officer.  "CSC's selection of CoreSite for the CSC Cloud and its ongoing commitment to CoreSite represents the type of relationship we strive to develop with every CoreSite customer."

About CoreSite
CoreSite Realty Corporation (NYSE: COR) is a national provider of powerful, network-rich data centers, efficient interconnection services, and global peering opportunities. More than 700 customers such as Global 1000 enterprises, communications providers, cloud and content companies, financial firms, media and entertainment, healthcare, and Government agencies trust CoreSite to power, cool, connect, and secure their mission-critical IT assets. CoreSite data centers are catalysts for network growth, featuring established industry ecosystems with access to 200+ carriers and service providers resulting in more than 12,000 interconnections under management. The company tailors its data center product to unique customer requirements by way of a flexible offering that includes cage-to-cabinet colocation, private data centers and suites, and a responsive customer service and support infrastructure. CoreSite's portfolio comprises more than two million square feet, including space held for redevelopment and development, across 12 data centers in seven key U.S. economic centers. For more information, visit www.CoreSite.com.

CoreSite Investor Relations Contact
Investor Relations
+1 303.222.7276
InvestorRelations@CoreSite.com

CoreSite Media Contact
Mark Jobson, Marketing Director
+1 303.405.1004
Mark.Jobson@CoreSite.com

SOURCE CoreSite Realty Corporation

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Carewise Health announced today that it has earned re-accreditation for five of its programs from URAC, a Washington, DC-based healthcare accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the healthcare industry.  The five programs to receive URAC re-accreditation are:  Case Management, Disease Management, Health Utilization Management, Comprehensive Wellness, and Health Call Center.

"Carewise Health is proud to receive re-accreditation from URAC for these programs," said Rishabh Mehrotra, president and CEO of Carewise Health.  "It takes the hard work and commitment of many team members who are passionate about delivering high-quality health management services to our clients and their employees to make this happen."

Carewise Health specializes in employee health solutions. It helps organizations improve the personal health of employees and control healthcare costs through a full suite of health and wellness programs. 

"By applying for and receiving URAC accreditation, Carewise Health has demonstrated a commitment to quality healthcare," said Alan P. Spielman, URAC president and CEO. "Quality healthcare is crucial to our nation's welfare and it is important to have organizations that are willing to measure themselves against national standards and undergo rigorous evaluation by an independent accrediting body."

URAC offers the largest array of accreditation programs in the United States assessing health plan operations, including but not limited to, network operations, healthcare practitioner credentialing systems, and medical management functions such as utilization management, case management, disease management, and health call center services.

In addition to the five programs listed above, Carewise Health is URAC-accredited in HIPAA Privacy, Consumer Education and Support, Workers' Compensation Utilization Management and Health Website.

About URAC
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting healthcare quality through accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the healthcare system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC strives to ensure that all stakeholders are represented in setting meaningful quality measures standards for the entire healthcare industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

About Carewise Health
Carewise Health helps organizations improve the personal health of employees and control healthcare costs.  Our industry-leading health and wellness programs help members build the skills they need to achieve and sustain optimum health.  Carewise Health has a total of nine URAC accreditations including: case management, disease management, utilization management, workers' compensation utilization management, health call center (nurse line), consumer education and support, HIPAA privacy, health website and comprehensive wellness.  Visit www.carewisehealth.com for more information.

SOURCE Carewise Health

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Federal Trade Commission today issued a staff report showing the results of a survey of mobile apps for children.  The survey shows that neither the app stores nor the app developers provide the information parents need to determine what data is being collected from their children, how it is being shared, or who will have access to it.

"At the FTC, one of our highest priorities is protecting children's privacy, and parents deserve the tools to help them do that," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.  "Companies that operate in the mobile marketplace provide great benefits, but they must step up to the plate and provide easily accessible, basic information, so that parents can make informed decisions about the apps their kids use.  Right now, it is almost impossible to figure out which apps collect data and what they do with it.  The kids app ecosystem needs to wake up, and we want to work collaboratively with industry to help ensure parents have the information they need."

According to the FTC report, Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures are Disappointing, in 2008, smartphone users could choose from about 600 available apps.  Today there are more than 500,000 apps in the Apple App Store and 380,000 in the Android Market.  "Consumers have downloaded these apps more than 28 billion times, and young children and teens are increasingly embracing smartphone technology for entertainment and educational purposes."

The report says the survey focused on the largest stores, the Apple App Store and the Android Market, and evaluated the types of apps offered to children, the disclosures provided to users, interactive features such as connectivity with social media, and the ratings and parental controls offered for such apps.

The report notes that mobile apps can capture a broad range of user information from a mobile device automatically, including the user's precise geolocation, phone number, list of contacts, call logs, unique identifiers, and other information stored on the device.  At the same time, "the report highlights the lack of information available to parents prior to downloading mobile apps for their children, and calls on industry to provide greater transparency about their data practices."

While there was a diverse pool of kids apps created by hundreds of different developers, there was almost no information about the data collection and sharing on the Apple App store promotion pages and little information beyond general permission statements on the Android Market promotion pages.  "In most instances, staff was unable to determine from the information on the app store page or the developer's landing page whether an app collected any data, let alone the type of data collected, the purpose for such collection, and who ... obtained access to such data."

The report recommends:

• All members of the "kids app ecosystem" – the stores, developers and third parties providing services –  should play an active role in providing key information to parents.
• App developers should provide data practices information in simple and short disclosures.  They also should disclose whether the app connects with social media, and whether it contains ads.  Third parties that collect data also should disclose their privacy practices.
• App stores also should take responsibility for ensuring that parents have basic information.  "As gatekeepers of the app marketplace, the app stores should do more."  The report notes that the stores provide architecture for sharing pricing and category data, and should be able to provide a way for developers to provide information about their data collection and sharing practices.

The report notes that more should be done to identify the best way to convey data practices in plain language and in easily accessible ways on the small screens of mobile devices.  The agency will host a public workshop in 2012, in connection with its efforts to update the FTC's "Dot Com Disclosure" guide, about how to provide effective online disclosures.  "One of the topics that will be addressed is mobile privacy disclosures, including how they can be short, effective, and accessible to consumers on small screens."

The FTC enforces the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule.  The Rule requires operators of online services, including interactive mobile apps, to provide notice and get parental consent prior to collecting information from children under 13.  The report says in the next 6 months, FTC staff will conduct an additional review to determine whether some mobile apps were violating COPPA.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC's website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE Federal Trade Commission