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Truphone releases major upgrade for iPhone app

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Truphone has launched Truphone 3.0, a major upgrade to its mobile VoIP application for the Apple iPhone that dramatically builds upon the success of previous versions of the iPhone’s first ever VoIP application, enhancing users’ instant messaging and account management experience, faster than ever before, and delivering a new standard for call quality.

Among the many improvements in Truphone 3.0 are increased ease of use, speed of function response, intuitiveness and simplicity – all designed to enhance the users’ experience. Further, Truphone has improved voice quality making the app for the iPhone better than it’s ever been before.

Using Truphone’s integrated messaging tool that unifies all IM communities in a single place, users can now simply manage all their IM communication from a single page within the application, eliminating the need to constantly jockey between different applications or even different pages within an application. IM services currently supported include Skype, MSN Messenger, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk.

Similar improvements to Truphone for the Apple iPod touch will be announced soon.

Originally posted on April 26, 2009 @ 8:31 am

Natalie Portman’s MakingOf.com launches

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Natalie Portman and Christine Aylward announced the launch of MakingOf.com, a behind-the-scenes web portal that provides an intimate, fresh look into the process of creating entertainment by the insiders themselves. MakingOf.com went live during the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

“When friends visit me on film sets, I am always reminded how intriguing and lucky it is to experience filming up close,” said Co-founder Natalie Portman. “At MakingOf our goal is to bring that up-close experience to everyone, including the ever-increasing number of self-taught filmmakers, who find audiences for their films using new opportunities for video-sharing online.”

Originally posted on April 25, 2009 @ 6:37 pm

Filed Under: Web

Apartments.com survey reveals renters are going green

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Renters are doing their part to save the environment. During a national survey, more than 65 percent of renters told Apartments.com that practicing an environmentally-friendly lifestyle is a high priority. To conserve energy, 52 percent of renters are turning off lights and computers when not in use, setting air conditioners and heaters on timers and using energy-efficient light bulbs. Twenty-two percent are recycling paper, plastics and electronics.

As peak rental season ramps up around the country, renters are also going “green” during their apartment search. More than 60 percent of renters said they search for apartments that offer environmentally-friendly amenities and 25 percent are willing to pay more rent to live at an apartment community that considers the environment in their day-to-day community operations. This level of environmental consciousness reflects not only how renters live, but could also translate into where they choose to live.

When asked to choose all that apply, renters identified the five most popular amenities offered at their apartment community as:

  • On-site recycling programs (59%)
  • Energy-efficient light bulbs (32%)
  • Low water-flow devices (31%)
  • Energy-efficient windows (26%)
  • Automated and/or paperless processes for online transactions (24%)

Originally posted on April 20, 2009 @ 8:17 am

Filed Under: Web

PinksandGreens.com launches as destination for women golfers

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PinksandGreens.com, an online shop and community for women who love golf, has launched. Featuring chic, fashionable golf apparel in a boutique environment, the PinksandGreens.com website is destined to become a favorite resource for women that want to look good on and off the course.

PinksandGreens was founded by ardent golfer Allison Dorst to fulfill a void in the women’s golf apparel market. Tired of the slightly masculine clothing found in pro-shops or browsing online sporting goods stores to find flattering pieces, Allison created a web destination that offers stylish women’s golf apparel in a fun, interactive shopping environment. The product is shot on active models and is shown from multiple angles, giving you a true understanding of the fit and fabric. Customer ratings and feedback will further help you find pieces that will flatter as well as compliment your game.

Originally posted on April 28, 2009 @ 11:35 am

Filed Under: Web

AOL’s StyleList.com hires experienced journalists and industry experts

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StyleList.com, AOL’s beauty site, is expanding its staff with three industry leaders who will bring top category expertise to the site’s daily style and beauty coverage.

The staff expansion builds on the successful StyleList.com redesign in September 2008, and is consistent with the overall strategy for the AOL, to provide consumers with the highest standard of original editorial content.

The new editorial staff consists of:

Diane Davis, Director: Davis will direct all content development for StyleList.com. Previously, Diane was the lifestyle editor at the Associated Press, where she revamped and directed coverage of food, fashion, home/garden and parenting. She was formerly metropolitan editor at Newsday, overseeing all coverage of New York City news;

Sarah Cristobal, Senior Fashion Editor: Cristobal, charged with running all fashion style coverage, comes to StyleList.com from Harper’s Bazaar’s online destination, Bazaar.com, where she was the founding editor;

Laura Kenney, Beauty Editor: Kenney will oversee all beauty and hair content. Previously, she served as editorial manager at Sephora.com, where she created Sephora’s Beauty and the Blog, YouTube, Facebook and iTunes channels.

Originally posted on April 18, 2009 @ 11:36 am