Satellite broadband provider ViaSat has selected Boeing to develop and build its new geostationary orbiter, a satellite that will put even the impressive might of its recently launched ViaSat-1 to shame. The two companies said they will jointly design and build the new satellite and are planning to launch it into high-Earth orbit in mid-2016.

ViaSat-1 has already won numerous praise as satellite marvel, boasting a total capacity of 140 Gbps, which it uses to provide its Exede broadband service in remote and rural areas in the U.S. as well as to supply internet connectivity to JetBlue airplanes. The new satellite, aptly named ViaSat-2, is expected to double ViaSat-1’s capacity and greatly expand the provider’s coverage in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Central America (ViaSat-1’s beams today skip over large parts of the Rocky Mountains and Western Great Plains).

The satellite hasn’t been without controversy, though, as ViaSat is switching out suppliers. Space Systems/Loral built ViaSat-1, but the two became embroiled in litigation after ViaSat accused the aerospace company of absconding with its intellectual property when it built a competing satellite for Hughes Network Systems.

That satellite became EchoStar 17, doesn’t have quite the capacity of ViaSat-1, but Hughes is using it to go head to head with ViaSat in the rural broadband market. Its Gen4 service offers speeds of 10-15 Mbps to customers, while ViaSat’s Exede service clocks in at about 12 Mbps.

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The Beekman Group said Thursday that it has recapped NorthStar Alarm Services. Financial terms were not announced. NorthStar’s founder, Jason Christensen, and the current management team, which will continue to lead the company and maintain a stake, took part, Beekman says. Orem, Utah-based NorthStar is a security alarm company.

PRESS RELEASE

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Beekman Investment Partners II, LP (“Beekman”) today announced that it has led the recapitalization of NorthStar Alarm Services, LLC (“NorthStar” or the “Company”), a leading provider of residential security alarm installation and monitoring services with more than $1.0 million of recurring monthly revenue. Beekman partnered with NorthStar’s founder, Jason Christensen, and the current management team, who will continue to lead the Company and maintain a significant ownership interest.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Orem, Utah, NorthStar has grown rapidly in recent years, and is currently one of the 40 largest security alarm companies in the United States. NorthStar generates alarm contracts through an internal sales force, which is complemented by a 24-7 support staff and a team of well-trained technicians and professional consultants. Service offerings include intrusion alarms, fire alarms, video surveillance, life-safety devices and home automation products.

Jason Christensen has led NorthStar from inception to becoming a nationwide platform within the alarm industry. Jason commented, “I am extremely excited to partner with The Beekman Group to pursue the next phase of growth for NorthStar. Beekman has a strong track record of partnering with management teams to support the growth initiatives of middle market companies and its industry partner relationships have significant expertise in the residential alarm monitoring industry, having supported the growth of numerous successful platforms.”

John G. Troiano, Beekman’s Managing Partner and CEO, stated “The Beekman team has been interested in the security alarm industry for several years and we found an extremely attractive platform in NorthStar. We are excited to partner with NorthStar’s management team and value not only the successful growth already achieved, but the culture of integrity, accountability and service that Jason has built from top to bottom in the organization.”

About The Beekman Group

The Beekman Group is a leading private equity firm dedicated to bringing financial and operational resources to lower middle-market companies. Beekman’s team consists of experienced private equity professionals, as well as a select group of Industry Partners, who are leading executives in Beekman’s targeted industry segments. This Industry Partner approach to investing is the cornerstone of Beekman’s investment strategy — creating value through accelerating growth in partnership with small and middle-market management teams. For more information, please visit www.thebeekmangroup.com.

About NorthStar Alarm Services

NorthStar Alarm Services, LLC, a top home security provider and authorized dealer of Honeywell Security Products, provides the most technologically-advanced and user-friendly home security systems on the market. Having the equipment, relationships, and reputation that families have been able to count on since 2000, NorthStar continues to grow and protect residents in more than 20 states across the U.S. With a 24-7 support staff, Rapid Response monitoring, well-trained technicians, and professional consultants, NorthStar Alarm exists to provide security and peace of mind through quality products and superior service. For more information, please visit http://www.northstaralarm.com.

Contacts

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SimpleTuition said Thursday it has closed a $4 million Series D funding round. The round was led by previous investors Atlas Venture, Flybridge Capital Partners and North Hill Ventures. Boston-based SimpleTuition provides tips, advice, and interactive tools to help students pay less for college-related expenses.

PRESS RELEASE

BOSTON, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — SimpleTuition, Inc., a leader in providing tools and resources that help students pay less for college-related expenses and be smarter about how to manage their student debt, today announced it has closed a $4 million Series D funding round. This round of funding was led by previous investors Atlas Venture, Flybridge Capital Partners, and North Hill Ventures. The new funds will be used to fuel the growth of SimpleTuition’s three core businesses – student loans, textbooks and rewards – with investment in product development, marketing and business development.
Each year, SimpleTuition helps millions of students and their parents make informed decisions about paying for college with its private student loan comparison tool. In 2012, SimpleTuition acquired ValoreBooks, an online textbook marketplace which offers low prices on new and used textbooks as well as rentals. ValoreBooks has realized tremendous growth since its acquisition and continues to expand into new categories including electronic and textbook buyback.
SimpleTuition also recently launched SmarterBucks®, a revolutionary rewards program that helps students pay back their loans faster and for less by automatically applying SmarterBucks rewards as extra payments to the principal of any student loan. SmarterBucks membership is growing rapidly and the company is focused on finding new and innovative ways for its customers to earn SmarterBucks rewards.
“SimpleTuition continues to find new ways to help students throughout the lifecycle of paying for college,” said Kevin Walker , Co-Founder and CEO of SimpleTuition. “This begins before freshman year, when students are planning on how to pay for college, and can extend well beyond graduation when graduates are overwhelmed by student loan payments. We see an opportunity to help alleviate these pain points, and that includes helping students with understanding what it means to take on student debt, how to handle major college-related expenses, and how to manage their student debt.” Walker continued, “This funding will help us keep up with the growth that our businesses are experiencing.”
About SimpleTuition
SimpleTuition helps more than 10 million students a year afford higher education. The company provides tips, advice, and interactive tools that ensure students plan better for college costs, pay less for college-related expenses, and be smarter about how they manage and pay back their student loans. In addition to its private loan comparison tool, SimpleTuition.com, the company operates ValoreBooks, SmarterBucks Rewards, and SmarterBank. SimpleTuition is headquartered in Boston, Mass., and is funded by Atlas Venture, Flybridge Capital Partners, and North Hill Ventures. For more information, visit SimpleTuition.com.

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Turtles have homes too, and Google wants to show us how they live: Google Ocean Program manager Jenifer Austin Foulkes and Unterwater Earth founder Richard Vevers gave a fascinating talk Thursday about the company’s Underwater Streetview project, showing how divers use special cameras and explaining why the project is so important.

Google launched Streetview for the world’s oceans in cooperation with Underwater Earth the at the end of last year, and has mapped a total of six sites so far, including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia as well as reefs in Hawaii and the Philippines. Vevers explained that his organization’s Catlin Seaview Survey has been using divers carrying custom-made cameras that shoot photos every three seconds, with divers being able to cover about two kilometers during every expedition.

That’s slow — maybe too slow. The world’s coral reefs are receding quickly, which has been one of the main motivations behind the project. “We set up our project to reveal the reefs of the world,” Vevers said, adding: “People don’t want to protect anything they can’t see.”

However, Verers said showing off the beauty of coral reefs to the world is only “half the story.” The project has also been working on image recognition technologies, with the goal of mapping species and giving scientists around the world access to new material to work with.

So why did Google get involved with the project? Foulkes said that it wasn’t driven by commercial motivations, but freely admitted that it was also about showing off the capabilities of Google Maps. One example: Vevers’ team uses Google’s business photos tool, which is meant to give stores the ability to upload panoramic photos, to create its underwater photospheres.

Vevers’ plan is to capture and reveal all of the world’s coral reefs within the next three years. “We feel this is very much a race against time,” he said. That’s why the project now wants to enlist amateurs in its quest as well. Divers can simply use their cell phones in water-proof cases and then upload their photospheres to Google Maps. And he urged volunteers to become active soon: “What happens in the next ten years is likely going to affect our oceans fo the next 10,000 years.”

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Tramec, which is backed by MacLean Investment Partners, has acquired both Sloan Transportation Products and HEBCO Products. The seller was Qualitor. Financial terms weren’t announced. Holland, Mich.-based Sloan provides original equipment quality air and electrical components to the heavy-duty tractor and trailer industry. HEBCO, based in Bucyrus, Ohio, makes screw machined brass fittings for vehicular applications. Angle Advisors provided financial advice to Qualitor.

PRESS RELEASE
Angle Advisors is pleased to announce that Tramec, LLC (“Tramec”) a holding of MacLean Investment Partners (“MIP”) has acquired both Sloan Transportation Products, Inc. (“Sloan”) and HEBCO Products, Inc. (“HEBCO”) from Qualitor, Inc. (“Qualitor”). Angle Advisors acted as the exclusive investment banking advisor to Qualitor in completing this transaction.

Based in Holland, Michigan, Sloan is an ISO certified company serving the heavy-duty tractor and trailer industry as a single source provider of original equipment quality air and electrical components. Sloan is recognized as a leading supplier of quality heavy-duty truck and trailer products to original equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket. The company has one of the industry’s broadest product offerings for the tractor and trailer replacement market, including air and electrical delivery components, lift gate cylinders, hose clamps, gladhands, brass fittings, water pumps, oil filler caps, dipsticks, and air compressor discharge hoses. HEBCO Products, based in Bucyrus, Ohio, is a niche manufacturer of screw machined brass fittings for vehicular applications.

Gary E. Sullo, President of Tramec, noted, “The addition of Sloan to the Tramec group of companies significantly expands our product portfolio and enhances our presence in the heavy duty marketplace. Sloan provides an exceptional level of customer service and their expertise in manufacturing and aftermarket distribution will benefit customers across all Tramec companies. Sloan is an excellent strategic fit with the Tramec business located in Iola, Kansas and will be integrated into one company, Tramec Sloan, LLC, that will be under the leadership of myself and Thomas Bronz, President of Tramec Sloan, LLC.” Thomas Bronz stated, “Our management, sales and operations teams look forward to providing service excellence to Tramec and Sloan customers, under the new name Tramec Sloan, LLC, with increased manufacturing capabilities and our vast combined product portfolio.”

Scott Gibaratz, Chief Financial Officer of Qualitor, commented, “Our management team at Sloan has performed at an extremely high level and they are excited to leverage Tremac and MacLean Investment Partners’ extensive resources to continue to grow the business. The transaction will also allow Qualitor to focus its resources on its expanding automotive brake hardware and wiper blade business units. We would also like to thank the Angle Advisors team who executed a seamless and highly competitive process. We at Qualitor are ecstatic with the result of this transaction and found Angle’s industry expertise critical to the marketing process.”

Based in Southfield, Michigan, Qualitor is a leading diversified supplier of aftermarket safety and wear parts for the automotive and heavy duty truck industries. Qualitor provides wiper blades and auto care accessories (Pylon) and brake hardware and related components (International Brake Industries) to the automotive aftermarket. Qualitor is a portfolio holding of HCI Equity Partners. For additional information, please visit www.qualitorinc.com.

Tramec, LLC was formed in May 2008 with the merger of Tramec Corporation, Iola, Kansas, a family owned business that was founded in 1980 to service the heavy-duty tractor and trailer markets, and MacLean Crewson of Buffalo, New York. Tramec, LLC companies include Tramec Continental-Aero, Tramec Hill Fastener, Tramec HDSS, Stemco Crewson and Tramec Sloan, LLC. Tramec LLC supplies a diverse range of highly engineered components to the heavy-duty tractor and trailer OEM and aftermarket sales markets, along with the general industrial fastener market. The company’s product portfolio includes: automatic brake adjusters, air brake connectors and fittings, brake hose assemblies, pressure release valves, electrical connectors and components, specialty fasteners and a diverse range of truck and trailer components and accessories. For additional information, please visit www.tramec.com.

Angle Advisors, with offices in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and China, specializes in mergers and acquisitions with a particular emphasis on the vehicular and industrial sectors. The firm’s 33 professionals have completed 83 M&A transactions since the beginning of 2009 for multinational corporations, privately-held companies, private equity funds, and public sector clients. For additional information, please visit www.angleadvisors.com.

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The artist/NFL wid receiver previously known as Chad Ochocinco is a wanted man in the County of Broward, which is probably best known for being the area Fort Lauderdale resides in. The news comes thanks to a TMZ.com exclusive, and apparently, the warrant stems from the mess that was his marriage to Evelyn Lozada, and the domestic violence conviction that came with it. Apparently, Johnson failed to appear in front of his probation officer, and the warrant was issued on May 7 of this year.

While Johnson has yet to undergo the process that is due to him, if he is found to be in violation of his sentence, he could find himself behind bars. Of course, we’re still a little ways off from that happening, but the wheels are certainly turning, and the ball is now in the previous Cincinnati Bengal’s court. Speaking of which, his Twitter account gives us a clue as to his current whereabouts:

Chilly in Pasadena

— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) May 16, 2013

The news of the warrant represents simply another chapter in what has become the meteoric fall of once-really-good NFL wide receiver. Yes, Chad’s mouth wrote much bigger checks than perhaps his ability should have allowed, but he was, for a time, a top-tier NFL wide receiver, something the following video demonstrates (if you’re not a rap fan, you may want to turn the volume down).

Sadly, that seems like a long time ago.

Active Life Scientific has raised a $500,000 Follow On Series A round of financing. New and existing investors, including follow on investment by members of Tech Coast Angels, filled the round. Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Active Life Scientific is a life science research and diagnostic tools company.

PRESS RELEASE

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — Active Life Scientific, Inc., a life science research and diagnostic tools company, today announced a $500K Follow On Series A round of financing. The round was filled by new and existing investors, including follow on investment by members of Tech Coast Angels, the largest angel investment group in the country.
Active Life is developing next generation medical tools to cost effectively address the growing problem of degenerating and stiffening tissues – a leading cause of frailty. The company’s technology, Reference Point Indentation (RPI), is the latest breakthrough from world-renowned inventor Dr. Paul Hansma . Active Life’s products are currently being sold to scientists and are under development for physicians to directly measure tissue physical properties inside a living body. Previous to RPI, similar tests required an invasive biopsy and destructive testing in an advanced laboratory, and as a result were rarely performed.
“Tech Coast Angels are confident in our reinvestment into Active Life and the vast potential of the Company,” stated Mike Panesis , Vice Chair of the Tech Coast Angels (TCA) and President of TCA’s Central Coast Network. “The platform nature of their technology is extremely interesting. The technology fills important needs in numerous markets including life science, medicine, animal science, consumer products, and more.”
“Modern medicine is successfully extending the duration of life to new levels. At Active Life, we are focused on extending and improving quality of life,” stated Davis Brimer , Active Life’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are honored to pursue this goal with the support of top-notch, sophisticated investors.”
About Active Life
Active Life Scientific, Inc. develops life science research and diagnostic tools with previously impossible ability to quantify physical properties of tissues without the need for an invasive biopsy. Frailty and diseases linked to degenerating or stiffening tissues, or tissue physical properties, are currently assessed using surrogate endpoints. Active Life’s Reference Point Indentation introduces an unrivaled direct, in vivo measure of tissue physical properties. The Company’s products are based on world renowned inventor Dr. Paul Hansma ‘s latest breakthrough, Reference Point Indentation.
About Tech Coast Angels
Tech Coast Angels is an angel investor network in the United States and one of the leading sources of funding to early-stage companies in Southern California. Since its inception in 1997, TCA members have focused on building valuable companies, personally invested nearly $119 million and helped portfolio companies attract more than $1.4 billion in additional capital, mostly from venture capital firms. TCA members give companies more than just capital; they also provide counsel, mentoring and access to an extensive network of potential investors, customers, strategic partners and management talent. TCA has more than 250 members, including its venture capital affiliates, in five networks in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Westlake/Santa Barbara, and the Inland Empire.

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Sprint and HTC are releasing their first update over-the-air for the HTC One. This update, labeled version 1.29.651.10, includes BlinkFeed improvements, a new Sprint Zone client, and improved back and home key sensitivity.

The most notable of these is the improved key sensitivity. Users have complained that the capacitative back and home buttons were not properly reacting due to the touch targets being placed too close to the screen. This update is supposed to increase the size of the touch targets, hopefully fixing the problem for HTC One users. The update is expected to be rolled out to customers in stages, beginning today. To check for it, you can go to Settings -> System Updates -> HTC software update -> Check Now.

Source: Sprint Community

Come comment on this article: Sprint HTC One receiving OTA update to fix key sensitivity

Did you hear about the new version of Android? No? That’s because there isn’t one, at least not in the traditional sense.

Although it was widely expected that Google would introduce Android 4.3 during Wednesday’s Google I/O keynote this week, it didn’t happen. Instead, more than three hours were spent talking about new services — a music subscription and multiplayer gaming — with developer tools that tie Android and Chrome together. These services and new developer tools actually help Google to update Android many of the 900 million Android activated devices without adding more fragmentation challenges brought by new a new software version.

Android enthusiasts are likely disappointed by any news on the Jelly Bean software front, leaving people like Computerworld’s JR Raphael wondering: What happened to Android?

I try to be as platform-agnostic as possible, but I’m certainly considered a member of the Android enthusiast crowd. And like others, I was disappointed when no new Android version appeared. I also felt let down with a lack of new hardware, but that’s another story. But I’m a consumer, so these thoughts make sense. And Google I/O is a developer event; not a consumer conference.

It turns out that every developer I’ve informally spoken with at Google I/O is actually relieved that Android 4.3 doesn’t exist yet. Note, it likely will arrive soon, as an updated Bluetooth stack for Android is coming arriving in the “coming months” with support for Bluetooth Smart and Smart Ready devices. So why would developers be happy there’s no new Android version?

I can think of a couple of reasons. First, with a new Android version would come what Google calls an API level. Typically, new APIs and services are supported in the new version and these aren’t supported on devices with older software. But by offering new APIs and services now — which is exactly what Google did during day one of I/O — existing devices can take advantage of the new features. The new Hangouts app, Google Play Music All Access, and Google Cloud Messaging are good examples. Sure, some of these will require at least Android 4.0 but none of them require Android 4.3.

Second, developers told me they’re tired of taking heat for their apps not being supported on certain versions of Android. Adding another version would only make things potentially worse in that area, not better. Simply put: the features that Android is lacking, according to developers, are getting added through the new services that Google is releasing. And these new functions aren’t adding to any lingering fragmentation challenges.

Frankly, Google has iterated Android relatively quickly in order to make it comparable to iOS in terms of design and usability. That’s good, but it came at a great cost: The pace of software change has been faster than hardware change. I don’t mean in the power and functions of hardware: Chips of all kinds have improved just as quickly as software. But consumers don’t switch devices that quickly, often waiting 18 to 24 months to upgrade a phone, for example.

Google can slow the pace of Android versions while improving the platform at the same time with this approach. And it can also allow more time for hardware makers and carriers push Android updates out, helping to get more users on the most current version of Android. While all this happens, consumers will also help the process, by upgrading to newer phones with Android 4.0 or better. Looking at the situation this way, it was actually a smart move for Google to focus less on the version of Android and instead improve the platform for developers and consumers with better APIs.

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Paul Shane, the British actor who became famous for his role on the show “Hi-De-Hi!” has died after a brief illness. He was 72 years old.

Shane actually got started in showbiz in an unlikely way; after a mining accident at the age of just 27, he sang in small pubs in the ’70s and was eventually offered television roles. His biggest role was that of entertainer Ted Bovis on the popular BBC series “Hi-De-Hi!”

Linda Kremer, Shane’s agent, had this to say about her client and friend:

“Paul Shane was a consummate professional, a true gentleman, a good friend, and a joy to work with over the past 15 years. He didn’t suffer fools, always maintained his sense of humour, never stinted on the time he gave to his fans. He lightened my life and I’ll miss him enormously.”

Shane is also being remembered on Twitter today by those who knew him and those who grew up watching him.

Very sad to hear about the passing of Paul Shane. A comedy genius full of joy, talent, and charm. ‘Goodnight campers.’

— westendproducer (@westendproducer) May 16, 2013

Sad to hear of Paul Shane’s passing – really loved him in Hi-De-Hi #massivepartofmychildhood

— Aled Jones (@realaled) May 16, 2013

I remember watching the first ever episode of Hi de Hi and just loving him. RIP PaulShane.

— Tracy Ann Oberman (@TracyAnnO) May 16, 2013

RIP Paul Shane I adored you in Hi-Di-Hi great comedy actor lost!!

— Lisa Jane riley (@Reallisariley) May 16, 2013

RIP Paul Shane. His Pebble Mill appearance scarred us all. With brilliance.youtu.be/ZJvGdOC6D1Y

— David Easson (@DavidEasson) May 16, 2013

I’m genuinely sad at the death of Paul Shane. He was a huge part of my childhood and had a really endearing way about him! RIP Ted!

— Kosmic Kris (@KosmicKris) May 16, 2013

San Francisco-based awe.sm said Thursday that Fred McIntyre has joined the company as CEO. Jonathan Strauss, awe.sm’s co-founder and founding CEO, has taken on the role of head of product development. Strauss will continue to lead the company’s product, strategy, and engineering efforts. The company’s software is designed to allow developers to add social-media performance tracking to their websites and online applications.

PRESS RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–awe.sm, the leading platform for measuring the financial performance of social media marketing activity, today announced that Fred McIntyre has joined the company as CEO.

McIntyre is a technology and media veteran who has held senior leadership roles at AOL, Last.fm, and CBS, with responsibility for building brands, growing audience, and increasing revenue for some of the industry’s biggest video, music, web, and mobile properties.

“Fred has solved the real-world problems awe.sm’s customers face,” said Mark Suster of GRP Partners. “Having found product/market fit, we knew now was the time to accelerate the growth engine.”

awe.sm’s customer list includes Zynga, Playdom, Topspin Media, Maker Studios, Groupon, and hundreds of other leading brands and developers.

“Our customers are tired of the vanity metrics of likes and followers. They want to measure bottom-line performance metrics that translate into real dollars,” said awe.sm CEO Fred McIntyre. “awe.sm’s products spoke to the marketer in me.”

awe.sm co-founder and founding CEO Jonathan Strauss has taken on the role of Head of Product Development and will continue to lead the company’s product, strategy, and engineering efforts.

“I am exceedingly proud of the team, technology, and business we’ve built over the last four years, and I am more excited than ever about the opportunity ahead of us,” said awe.sm co-founder Jonathan Strauss. “As we’ve grown, it became clear to me that we needed a full-time CEO to handle scaling the business while I focused on making our products even more awe.sm.”

About awe.sm

awe.sm measures how social marketing leads to more signups, purchases, and other business goals that drive real financial results. Its customer base includes well-known brands in technology, media, and retail who care about bottom-line results. awe.sm has raised $6.5 million in VC financing led by GRP Partners and Foundry Group with participation from investors including kbs+ Ventures, Neu Venture Capital, Social Leverage, and Apricot Capital. The company was founded in 2009, and is based in San Francisco, CA.

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Concrete Software wasted no time incorporating Google’s new gaming service into their title PBA Bowling Challenge. Multiplayer support was a function users had been requesting for the highly rated game and the new game service enabled Concreate to quickly incorporate that feature into their title. Concrete’s decision to take advantage of the new game service may be a harbinger of how Google’s game service will serve both players and developers. According to Keith Pichelman, CEO of Concrete Software:

“…finding a multiplayer service that would meet our needs proved to be difficult. We were very fortunate that the release of Google Play game services happened to coincide with our plans for the game. We were able to integrate quickly and easily with their services to give our users the ability to bowl in one-on-one, real-time matches against their friends.”

In addition to the multiplayer support that came with yesterday’s update, players also get access to leaderboards, achievements, and daily challenges with a single Google+ login required. PBA Bowling Challenge joins several other games supporting the new framework. The game is free, so check it out using a download link after the full press release.

Concrete Software Releases Multiplayer Update to PBA® Bowling Challenge for Android

(PRLEAP.COM) Minneapolis, MN – May 16, 2013 – Concrete Software, developers of rock solid mobile games, and the Professional Bowlers Association are pleased to announce addition of Multiplayer in PBA Bowling Challenge on Google Play™.

Following an outstanding initial release, leading to over 2.8 million downloads and a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on the Google Play store, a long-awaited multiplayer update to PBA Bowling Challenge has finally arrived.

“Multiplayer was the obvious next step for the title,” said Keith Pichelman, CEO of Concrete Software. “It was by far the most user-requested feature and something we had intended to include from the beginning, but finding a multiplayer service that would meet our needs proved to be difficult. We were very fortunate that the release of Google Play game services happened to coincide with our plans for the game. We were able to integrate quickly and easily with their services to give our users the ability to bowl in one-on-one, real-time matches against their friends.”

In addition to multiplayer functionality, the integration of Google Play game services includes full Leaderboards and Achievement systems all through a single G+ login. Concrete Software plans to take advantage of other features, such as cloud saving, in future updates to PBA Bowling Challenge.

PBA Bowling Challenge is available now on Google Play.

About Concrete Software
Since 2003, Concrete Software has been creating your favorite games across all major mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone. Fun, challenging, addictive
– Concrete Software makes rock solid games. Find out how at www.concretesoftware.com.

About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,200 of the best bowlers from 17 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, PBA Regional and PBA50 Tour events. Nearly one million ESPN viewers watch PBA Tour on Sundays during the tour season and thousands around the world watch PBA activities on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s exclusive video streaming service. PBA sponsors include Brunswick, Ebonite International, GEICO, Jack Link’s, MOTIV, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.

Google Play is a trademark of Google, Inc.

Kayla Mueller
Concrete Software

Google Play Download Link

Come comment on this article: PBA Bowling Challenge adds multiplayer support thanks to Google Play’s game service

If you’re browsing Pinterest and you see a specific pin that you know your friend would like, you’ve always been able to send that pin to them. The process was annoying, however, and involved email.

Today, Pinterest alleviates this annoyance with the new send button. You can now send pins directly to your friends and family on both mobile and the web, as long as you both follow each other on the network.

“Just tap Send from either web or mobile to send a pin. You can send pins to fellow pinners (if you both follow each other), Facebook friends, or email contacts. We’ll show you the most recent people you’ve sent pins to for easy access,” says Pinterest. “You can even include a message to give it a more personal touch!”

When you send a pin to another user, they’ll be notified. If they make an action on that pin, including commenting, liking, or repinning, you’ll see that in your notifications as well. It’s a nice little fix to a previously irksome issue.

According to Pinterest, users should start to see the new send option rollout over the next few weeks.

Speaking of notifications, Pinterest finally added them to the mobile experience (both the iOS and Android apps). That update, which launched earlier this week, also brought mentions and improved search to both apps.

Verizon is finally getting its own flagship Windows Phone device in the Nokia Lumia 928. It has many of the same features of the highly praised Lumia 920, but Nokia decided to ditch the polycarbonate chasis in favor of an aluminum one. Does the change make the 928 more resilient?

Everyone’s favorite smartphone murderer, ratedrr, has put Nokia’s flagship smartphones to the test in a head-to-head competition to see if either can survive being shot with a AK47. As expected, both phones don’t survive.

For more ratedrr fun, check out his previous video featuring the Galaxy S4 losing to a sniper rifle.

Tomorrow is a holiday, and one you can celebrate simply by eating.

Jamie Oliver, who won the TED Prize in 2010, has declared May 17 as Food Revolution Day. Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about foodHis vision: that people gather in homes, schools, workplaces and social spaces to share their culinary knowledge, cook together and simply enjoy each other’s company as they chow down and discuss the centrality of food in life. Anyone is invited to host a Food Revolution Day activity — Oliver recommends organizing a potluck dinner, leading a farmers market tour, planting a community garden or throwing a street party. There’s a downloadable activity guide for those interested in hosting an event, and a search engine for those interested in joining one in their area. Anyone is also welcome to get involved by sharing a treasured recipe.

Why Food Revolution Day? Because Oliver has been on a many-year mission to change the way people relate to food. As he explains on the holiday’s website, “Cooking skills used to be passed down from generation to generation, but now millions of people lack even the most basic cooking skills. We need to get back to basics: to cook and eat fresh local produce; to share cooking skills and food knowledge; to join forces within communities and get as many people involved as possible. Food Revolution Day is our opportunity to get the world to focus on the importance of good food and essential cooking skills.”

In an unexpected TED Prize synergy, Oliver has teamed up with fellow prize-winner JR, who launched the global art initiative Inside Out, to get the word out about Food Revolution Day. Oliver visited JR’s studio and shared a snapshot of himself holding his portrait on Instagram. He also posted an image of JR pasting the poster in Times Square, along with thousands of other portraits.

“Me laid out!! My TED brother @jr pasting the paper & glue in Time Square NYC for his incredible ‘Inside Out project,’” Oliver wrote. “FOOD REVOLUTION DAY is coming this Friday thank you. @jr Can’t wait to do a massive wall for the #insideoutproject.”

Oliver is planning on doing an Inside Out group action, around his message of getting people to eat healthier. Stay tuned for more information.

On the second day of Google’s I/O Developers conference, the company announced the availability of more “glassware” applications for its heavily hyped wearable computing device. Google Glass applications including CNN, Elle, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and Evernote are available now to early Glass adopters, The New York Times reported. The applications join Path and The New York Times’ own app, which were previously the only other third-party apps available for the device. Each application will bring something unique to Google Glass. The CNN application, for example, allows users to be notified with news alerts for a specific topic, while the Evernote app will let users send notes, such as a grocery list, to Glass for reference later on.

It is being reported that NASCAR legend Dick Trickle has died due to wounds suffered by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The news comes from Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department in North Carolina, which is where the former racer resided. Darkening the tone even further, it appears as if Trickle called the emergency responders before turning his gun on himself. WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina reveals:

The incident occurred at 12:02 p.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery on Highway 150 East in Boger City. The Lincoln County Communications Center received a call apparently from the victim that “there would be a dead body and it would be his.”

Attempts to return the call went unheeded. The following commercial is, more than likely, how most were introduced to the driver with the unique:

Trickle was 71 years old.

Jacksonville, Florida authorities this week revealed that police were involved in a shooting in a parking garage at Jacksonville International Airport.

Jacksonville Police Chief Tom Hackney stated that police were following up on a car theft case from earlier this month. Police were able to follow 20-year-old Rodney Lorenzo Addison (pictured) to a rental car return parking garage at the airport and block his car in. The suspect began ramming police cars without regard for the officers standing in front of them in an attempt to escape, causing one officer to fire at the car.

Addison was able to drive away, but the car was later found at a nearby apartment complex. An unidentified 17-year-old male who was in the car with Addison was shot in the leg by the officer in the parking garage. He has been treated at a nearby hospital, and is now cooperating with police. Another unidentified male was in the car during the airport confrontation. Addison remains at large, and is currently wanted for a variety of charges, including some related to attempting to run over police officers. Hackney made it clear that police believe Addison to be dangerous, and possibly armed.

Jacksonville police are currently searching the car the suspect was driving at the time of the incident. Authorities have learned that the car, a white Crown Victoria, was reported stolen on May 9.

The weekend isn’t upon us just yet, but here’s a little project to tuck away for when the Sunday doldrums set in — the New York-based tinkerers/part suppliers at Adafruit Industries have worked up a way to give your old pair of Chuck Taylors a bit of luminescent DIY flair.

The process is pretty straightforward — with about $21 in specialized parts like a small sheet of electroluminescent material and a pint-sized power inverter (I suspect there’s a fair chance you’ve got AAA batteries, sewing needles, and glue nestled in a drawer somewhere) you too can have a pair of Converse that light up in the dark. Adafruit’s Becky Stern says that once everything is put together your shoes will stay aglow for about an hour before starting to dim if you’ve opted to use the slightly smaller CR2032-powered inverter, though you can eke out extra juice by playing with smaller EL panel sizes or using an inverter that runs on AAA batteries instead.

If nothing else, it’s a neat little crash course in cobbling together components and the end result is a pair of sneakers that are sure to catch some attention — just make sure not to get them too wet. First-time makers may not be completely comfortable with the concept of lashing together a gadget with an Arduino and some shields, but a lightweight hack for some light-up shoes may be enough to get them ready for more ambitious hacks to come.

As always, there’s nothing to stop you from peeking at the project tutorial and looking for somewhere else to buy your components. After all, when Adafruit Industries founder Limor Fried chatted onstage with our own John Biggs at Disrupt NY 2013, she said the company isn’t so much a parts vendor as it is an educational tutorial company “with a gift shop at the end”.