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MeloQuest Announces Fun, New Mobile Musical Adventure Game That Teaches Kids/Teens Real Piano Skills

MeloQuest

​ MeloQues t today announced the first availability of its new mobile musical adventure game ​Keys & Kingdoms​ (iOS, Mac, PC) in the Apple App Store. Keys & Kingdoms ​ is an exciting new game for boy and girl gamers ages 6-15. In addition to popular features found in other games including player development, side quests, dungeons, puzzle rooms, enemies and bosses, MeloQuest’s ​Keys & Kingdoms​ teaches gamers musical skills including how to play popular songs and patterns on the piano as they proceed through the games’ exciting levels. Also, ​Keys & Kingdoms​ adapts to the skill level of the player allowing each individual to develop at his or her own speed. Players can also create their own music using the game’s unique crafting system. “More than 80 percent of kids drop out of private piano lessons in the first few years and that’s a real problem,” said Graeme Winder, CEO/Founder, MeloQuest. “With ​Keys & Kingdoms,​ kids and teens now have a fun, new way to learn to play the piano and build their musical skills and confidence like never before!” MeloQuest Game Features: ● Can be played on Mac, PC and iOS mobile devices ● Anyone can play – no musical experience necessary ● Users can learn to play a song on the very first day ● Makes piano lessons fun—The more kids/teens play the game, the more songs they will master ● The game builds piano skills based on the proven MeloQuest teaching method to learn to play very quickly with amazing results ● Mastering songs in the game allows players to unlock the “Scroll Mode” and play those songs easily on a real piano ● Can be played in airplane mode Pricing and Availability A free 30-day trial version of ​Keys & Kingdoms i​s now available in the Apple App Store to download onto iOS devices or computers. After 30-days, adventure gameplay can continue for a $9.99 monthly subscription fee. MeloQuest also offers game packages complete with a MIDI keyboard controller (which enhances the experience although it is not absolutely necessary to play the game). For more about these game packages, please visit www.keysandkingdoms.com The team involved with MeloQuest is a “who’s who” of interactive entertainment and musical talent including: Brian Hodous— ​Ex-CCO of gaming giant Activision Blizzard​ ​Inc​ ​and founder of the successful ​Guitar Hero ​game series with $2 billion + in sales revenue alone. Wyeth Ridgway, CTO (Leviathan Games)—​ Leviathan has been a trusted name in developing and building games for many of the top-grossing brands and franchises (Star Trek, South Park, EA Sports, Capcom, Sony, etc.). Wyeth has 25+ years as CTO/CEO in gaming development. Graeme Winder, CEO/Founder—​ Successful music school owner (six locations) with more than two decades as a music educator, film composer, music producer and innovator in new music learning methods and techniques. About MeloQuest MeloQuest is an interactive entertainment company based in Boulder, Colo, whose first game, ​Keys & Kingdoms​ is the first role-playing game for kids 6-15 that creates real musical skills. Called “Zelda Meets Guitar Hero,” the game is now available on Apple and Android App Stores. For more information about MeloQuest, please visit ​www.meloquest.com Contact Details Scott Robertson +1 949-212-7096 scott@robertsoncomm.com

July 13, 2020 10:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Challenger Team Gen.G Esports Pulls Off Surprising Win During the Pulse Valorant Invitational Finals

Pulse Valorant Invitational

Pulse Esports Gaming Arena today announced the shocking results of the inaugural Pulse Valorant Invitational, featuring 16 of the world’s top Valorant esports teams: challenger team Gen.G Esports beat Cloud9 in the finals, winning $6,000, after Cloud9 eliminated the heavyweight TSM the day before. During the three-day online tournament, Cloud9 first eliminated TSM in a huge upset that came down to the wire on Saturday, July 11. The last-minute win catapulted Cloud9 into the finals, but the team ultimately lost to the unexpected winner, Gen.G Esports, in the finals on Sunday, July 12. Gen.G Esports survived the semi-finals after being down five match points and then went on to beat Cloud9, after the team won two consecutive games, once the magic touch of the team’s new roster ran out. Cloud9 still took home $3,000 for coming in second. The exciting twists and turns of nail-biting games that resulted in a dream come true for one challenger team were an ideal way to celebrate the launch of the Pulse Esports Gaming Arena, New York City’s first dedicated esports tournament/league space. The new company hosted the tournament in conjunction with United Way of New York City, in an effort to also raise awareness of the non-profit’s dedication to helping low-income New Yorkers make ends meet and lead self-sufficient lives. “These were super exciting games, to say the least, and we couldn’t be happier that happy the inaugural tournament was such a huge success,” said event partner Northern Arena CEO Carl Edwin Michel. “We are also thrilled that the tournament simultaneously put a spotlight on the great work that the United Way of New York City is doing for New Yorkers in need.” The three-day tournament started at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT on Friday, July 10, and was streamed on the Pulse Esports Arena Gaming twitch channel and Ginxtv UK, reaching an estimated total of 55 million households worldwide. "After the comeback, after the first map on bind, we were just feeling it and super confident," said Gen.G Esports Player EFFYS. “Even if it’s not your best map and you’re not fully prepared on it, if everybody is hitting shots and comms on point, it doesn't really matter at the end of the day.” The Pulse Invitational was powered by Northern Arena, THESPIKE.GG, and presented by MAP Esports Network's, EsportsFuturi™, Empowering customers and companies to support disadvantaged kids and communities. The event is sponsored by AGX pay mobile app, and also by AKracing, All city Artists apparel, & DBD Esports. The Pulse Esports Gaming Arena will be located in the heart of New York City and is designed to be used by publishers/developers, professional teams and gamers from any gaming culture or community. To see the arena, visit https://youtu.be/KeqoRlvvZY0 . For more information, visit https://pulsearena.gg . The Pulse Valorant Invitational is an esports tournament sponsored by Pulse Esports Gaming Arena, New York City's first dedicated esports tournament/league space. The inaugural Pulse Invitational gathered 16 of the top Valorant teams from around the world for an epic online tournament. These players competed for three days in July, 2020 for a $10,000 prize pool, and helped raise money for the communities that United Way of New York City serves. For more information, visit https://twitter.com/pulse_arena or https://pulsearena.gg . Contact Details Dan Cybak +1 347-870-9402 dan@pulsearena.gg Company Website https://pulsearena.gg/

July 13, 2020 08:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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SynaVoice SOL completes three sold-out sessions!

SynaVoice SOL

SynaVoice SOL, a pop-up virtual camp for high schoolers has completed its third straight week of sold-out sessions. SynaVoice SOL features unique topics not typically found in a high school curriculum. The camp provides exposure and a resume-building experience that informs each student's college, career, and life choices. The camp is available to all and is need-blind. SynaVoice SOL fosters interesting conversations and provides college-student counselors to act as role models for the diverse group of campers. There is still time to register for the final three sessions at SynaVoice SOL. Sponsor a camper for SynaVoice SOL here. SynaVoice LLC is a woman-owned consultancy providing strategic communications, training, customer outreach, market research and insights to both federal and corporate clients. SynaVoice SOL is a pop-up, virtual camp for high school students providing exposure to new ideas, concepts, and skills for high school students that inform their college, career, and life choices. Contact Details Julie Rothhouse +1 703-401-2340 Julie@SynaVoiceSOL.com Company Website http://www.synavoicesol.com

July 13, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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D-Squared Media Announces Production and Release of “Saving the Iraqi Jewish Archives”

D-Squared Media

D-Squared Media today announced the production and release of a new advocacy documentary about the survival of the Iraqi Jewish Archives, over 20,000 documents and personal artifacts rescued in 2003 by U.S. soldiers from the basement of Saddam Hussein’s secret police headquarters in Baghdad. “Saving the Iraqi Jewish Archives: A Journey of Identity,” a feature-length film (56 minutes) is fourth in the series about Iraq’s Jewish community, culture and history, produced over 25 years by D-Squared Media, a full-service production company in New York City. To view a trailer, go to: https://vimeo.com/437180481/bd0925d059 The new documentary was co-directed by D-Squared Media Founder Adriana Davis and long-time client Carole Basri, an American attorney descended from prominent Iraqi-Jewish families. The two have collaborated on all films in the Iraqi Jewish series which have brought a deeper recognition of the community and its history. “Saving the Iraqi Jewish Archives” is the first documentary to introduce images of the archives while telling the story of their discovery, rescue and, as yet, undetermined future. It utilizes first person accounts and rare news footage of 1969 Iraq, including the hangings of nine Jews in a Baghdad public square. “This is a story of miracles many times over,” said Ms. Davis, Co-Director, Producer, Co-Writer and Editor of the film. “First, the archives were discovered by a confidential informant,” she added. “Then they survived the wars in Iraq, and an arduous restoration process by the U.S. National Archives. Now, the fact that they are finding their way to the people whose names and images are on the material is unbelievable. A significant portion of the material rescued is personal including school records from the main Jewish school in Baghdad, wedding and birth registers, religious books and Torah scrolls. Interview subjects, many of whom escaped Iraq, became emotional and expressed shock at discovering their names and images among the thousands of documents thought long ago destroyed. “What if you lost your high school diploma, marriage license and children’s birth records?” asked Ms. Davis. “Or at least you thought you did, but then they were found? Wouldn’t you want them back and preserved for future generations to learn who they are and where they came from? Iraqi Jewish Activists Worldwide say “Don’t Send These Items Back to Iraq” The archives, currently in the U.S. and partially digitized, risk being returned to Iraq at any moment -- unless the worldwide Iraqi Jewish community is able to create a groundswell of support to preserve them. “Without access to the archives, the 2,700-year story of Iraq’s Jews is in danger of being lost,” warned Ms. Davis. “It is essential for this material to survive so the presence of Jews in Iraq will be irrefutable.” Along with personal recollections, the film includes interviews with representatives from B’nai B’rith International, JIMENA, a former Department of Defense official, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, and American Sephardi Federation. The culmination of the film is a call to action, offering potential solutions to the fate of the archives, while making it clear that sending the archives back to Iraq would be disastrous. In addition to public screenings, the filmmakers seek private showings to members of Congress, the Executive Branch and the State Department, all of whom can play a role to save the archives. An official selection of the 23rd New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival, the film’s scheduled premiere on March 17, 2020 was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. A rescheduled online screening is expected this summer. Dates for other festivals and online streaming of the film are underway. For more information about the film, go to: www.SavingIraqiJewishArchivesFilm.com About D-Squared Media and Adriana Davis D-Squared Media was founded in 1995 by Adriana Davis to provide consistent and exceptional video production management, writing, editing, communication and voice acting/casting services. D-Squared clients include health-care, finance, advertising, engineering, broadcasting, lifestyle, legal and publishing firms. The company has also produced the company has produced socially-relevant documentaries, television and radio programs. Ms. Davis and her company produced and co-directed three previous films in the Iraqi Jewish series – “The Life of Frank Iny” (1999), “Searching for Baghdad” (2001) and “The Last Jews of Baghdad” (2005). The trilogy has screened at over 80 premiere film festivals in the US, Canada, Israel and Europe and has been featured on PBS and JLTV. D-Squared Media has also produced “Play It By Ear,” a romantic comedy starring Academy Award Winner® Rita Moreno, which has screened at film festivals in the U.S. and is currently seeking theatrical distribution. The movie was written, directed and produced exclusively by women. Ms. Davis has worked as a production manager, field producer and assignment desk editor for numerous network and cable TV and radio outlets. She is also a voice over talent with commercial and corporate credits and has directed voice actors in the U.S., UK and elsewhere. Ms. Davis is a frequent panel guest at independent filmmaking, women entrepreneur and voice acting seminars throughout the country and is a native New Yorker. For more information about D-Squared Media, go to: www.dsquaredmedia.com/ Contact Details Andrew Blum +1 917-783-1680 ajbcomms@gmail.com Company Website http://www.dsquaredmedia.com/

July 10, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University Hosts Diversity & Inclusion Webinar

LEVICK

Wake Forest University’s Center for the Study of Capitalism will host a July 15 webinar titled, “Doing the Right Thing: How Companies Lead in the New Age of Diversity & Inclusion.” The event will focus on potential diversity and inclusion initiatives for businesses currently rethinking their policies and communications tactics. The panel’s evolution was prompted by the recent focus on the Black Lives Matter protests that have generated far more conversation than all other social issues – abortion, immigration, gun control, #MeToo – combined . The panel will be hosted by the Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University, a research and teaching center and a trusted source of information about well-functioning democratic capitalism. The panel will be hosted by Richard Levick, Chairman and CEO of LEVICK and Executive Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Capitalism. Webinar panelists include: Neil Foote, Foote Communications Kurt Bardella, LEVICK William Ide, Akerman Chris Jackson, Ipsos Derede McAlpin, LEVICK “Since the murder of George Floyd and the Battle of Lafayette Square, diversity and inclusion have dominated our society’s debate in ways they haven’t since the great Civil Rights movement of the 1960s,” Levick said. “All the CEOs, general counsels and board members we have spoken with recognize this historic nature of this moment and tell us ‘We want to do the right thing, but we don’t fully know what or how.’ This webinar is designed to provide the pathway.” While some companies have made significant changes to their policies policy to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement and the public’s outcry for corporate action, many are still asking how and what to do while others are unnecessarily immobilized by past actions or inactions. The webinar will include communications and legal experts who will examine the internal and external changes that companies need to adopt given societal upheaval. For more information on the webinar, visit https://capitalism.wfu.edu/events/doing-the-right-thing-how-companies-lead-in-the-new-age-of-diversity-inclusion/ About the Center for the Study of Capitalism The Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University is a research and teaching center and a trusted source of information about well-functioning democratic capitalism. Contact Details Maria Stagliano +1 404-245-0899 mstagliano@levick.com Company Website https://www.levick.com

July 10, 2020 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Current Patent Litigation Costs Are Between $2.3 to $4M - from the BlueIron blog

BlueIron, LLC

Patent litigation in the US has two major stages: claim construction (sometimes called a Markman hearing) and a trial for infringement and damages. In a vast majority of cases, once the claim construction is done, the writing is on the wall and a settlement happens. "With the cost of litigation at an all-time high, patent enforcement and defense insurance makes sure you have the ability to survive," says Russ Krajec of BlueIron, a patent-finance company. The American Intellectual Property Lawyer’s Association (AIPLA) issues a bi-annual survey of IP-related costs . In the latest survey, the claim construction portion of a patent litigation ranges from $250,000 for less than $1M at risk to $2.375M for cases where $25M or more is at risk. For the entire trial, the AIPLA says that for less than $1M at risk, the trial will cost $700,000, while the very high value cases will cost $4M or more. “The AIPLA data says that with less than a million dollars at stake, both parties will have to spend $700K – or a total of $1.4 million dollars to fight a patent lawsuit,” says Krajec. “That is crazy that the expenses are so high.” “Startup companies are always cash-constrained,” continues Krajec. “No startup has the cash reserves required to go up against a Big Tech company that decides they want to use the startup’s technology. Not only does this happen in technology-based companies, but it is standard practice with the life sciences space. Certain big companies find it cheaper to blatantly infringe a startup’s patents and just dare them to sue.” Patent enforcement and defense insurance gives a startup the means to survive patent litigation, yet few startups bother to get these policies. “Most angel investors who are board members require a startup to have director’s and officer’s insurance. Over the last decade there were fourteen patent lawsuits for every individual D&O claim,” says Krajec. BlueIron is a broker for patent enforcement and defense insurance policies, including policies written by Intellectual Property Insurance Services Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky. “IP insurance is the only insurance we sell, as part of our whole patent-based financing options for companies from startups to publicly traded companies.” Schedule a call with BlueIron and see if Intellectual Property Insurance is right for your company. Learn more about Patent Litigation here on the BlueIron blog. Learn more about BlueIron's IP insurance here. The PatentMyth Podcast has an episode on patent insurance. About BlueIron: BlueIron provides IP-related financing for companies from startups to publicly traded companies. BlueIron finances the cost of getting a patent and building patent portfolios, provides insurance for enforcement and defense of those patents, and can provide $2-5M loans using patents as collateral. You can read the BlueIron blog here. About Russ Krajec: Russ Krajec is a registered patent attorney who has been practicing for over 20 years, as well as a podcaster, blogger, and author. His book “Investing In Patents” describes the business criteria used to identify good inventions and good patents. Krajec is the host of the Patent Myths podcast, which looks at IP from a business standpoint. Contact Details Russ Krajec +1 970-776-4355 russ.krajec@blueironip.com Company Website https://blueironip.com

July 10, 2020 08:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Patent Myths from BlueIron: You Should Never File A Provisional Patent Application

BlueIron, LLC

“Provisional patent applications are widely touted as the go-to thing for startup companies or independent inventors, but they are always the wrong thing to do,” says Russ Krajec , CEO of BlueIron , a company providing IP-related funding for emerging companies. A provisional patent application has a lower filing fee than a conventional, non-provisional patent application, and many patent attorneys will do provisional applications for much less than a “full” or non-provisional patent application. A provisional patent application has a one-year deadline to convert to a non-provisional patent application, so many people use this opportunity to add more material to the patent application. Even the United States Patent and Trademark Office suggest that independent inventors use the provisional patent application route. “From a business and economic standpoint, the provisional patent application creates more problems than it solves,” says Krajec, a registered patent attorney. “The provisional application process is designed to delay getting a patent, but in almost every situation, it is better to speed up the process – the exact opposite of the provisional.” The faster a company can get its patent, the faster the company can license and enforce their technology. The faster the patent issues, the more value the company has when it is raising money or getting loans using IP as collateral. “The difference in filing fees between a provisional and non-provisional patent application is about $600. When raising money, a provisional patent application screams to an investor ‘I don’t think this patent application was worth the extra $600 to file it as a non-provisional!’” explains Krajec. “Some sophisticated angel investors see provisional patent applications as ‘angel bait.’ Many entrepreneurs know their patents might be worthless, but they do provisionals to satisfy gullible angel investors.” A low-cost provisional patent application often results in a loss of international filing rights, but always results in a delay in getting an enforceable/licensable asset, and a more expensive patent overall. “Many entrepreneurs are mistaken that just because they filed a ‘thin’ provisional application that they are ‘protected.’ But the actual protection only starts when the complete, non-provisional patent application is filed.” To learn more, please visit the BlueIron Blog "Should I File a Provisional Patent Application" or the PatentMyths podcast episode entitled “The Myth of Provisional Patent Applications” . About BlueIron: BlueIron provides IP-related financing for companies from startups to publicly traded companies. BlueIron finances the cost of getting a patent and building patent portfolios, provides insurance for enforcement and defense of those patents, and can provide $2-5M loans using patents as collateral. You can read the BlueIron blog here. About Russ Krajec: Russ Krajec is a registered patent attorney who has been practicing for over 20 years, as well as a podcaster, blogger, and author. His book " Investing In Patents " describes the business criteria used to identify good inventions and good patents. Krajec is the host of the Patent Myths podcast, which looks at IP from a business standpoint. Contact Details Russ Krajec +1 970-776-4355 russ.krajec@blueironip.com Company Website https://blueironip.com

July 09, 2020 11:06 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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Accelize Distribution Platform for FPGA-Accelerated Software Optimized for Xilinx Live Video Streaming Appliances

Accelize

Accelize, a global SaaS provider, today announced its distribution platform for FPGA-accelerated software is optimized for video streaming workloads deployed on the Xilinx Real-Time Video Server Appliance reference architectures. Technology advances in block-chain and artificial intelligence and rising adoption of cloud-based solutions, as well as the impact of COVID-19, are driving explosive growth in video streaming. Industry experts expect the global online streaming services market to grow by $150 billion over the next four years. With this growth comes the need for expanded capacity and bandwidth and an increased sense of urgency to manage costs. The Accelize Distribution Platform, combined with the recently announced Xilinx Real-Time Video Server Appliance Reference Architectures, address these issues by enabling high-quality live streaming at the industry’s lowest cost per channel. As a Xilinx Alliance ecosystem member, Accelize supports the scalable and secure deployment of Xilinx video transcoding software with a global SaaS distribution platform, which provides an end-to-end solution for deploying, scaling and monetizing FPGA-accelerated software. “As the volume of video streaming increases exponentially, optimized architectures are becoming critical,” said Donna Yasay, vice president of marketing, Data Center Group, at Xilinx. “We’re all experiencing this today in the current COVID-19 remote work, learn and play environment — the massive increase in concurrent channel usage is taxing service provider business models and driving up bandwidth costs. The new Xilinx reference architectures provide solution providers high-quality video streaming services and maximized cost savings, while the Accelize distribution platform ensures these services can scale.” “The Accelize distribution platform gives developers of high-performance, computing-intensive applications the tools and insight they need to become global SaaS vendors,” said Jean Yves Brena, president and CEO of Accelize. “We provide unprecedented levels of insight, and real-time customer activity, enabling developers to deploy and scale their applications in the way that makes the most business sense, which could be by hours of computation, concurrent nodes, or number of frames encoded.” The Accelize distribution platform is a fully managed SaaS platform for deploying, scaling, and monetizing FPGA-accelerated software for on-premise and cloud application deployment. Based on patented digital rights management technology, the Accelize distribution platform provides the highest levels of encryption and authentication for FPGA bitstreams, 24/7 global runtime licensing services along with deep levels of business intelligence on how the accelerated workloads are deployed. Special Offer Accelize has a new, rebranded website that provides more information on how to leverage the benefits of its distribution platform for FPGA accelerated software. Developers can use the platform for free until reaching $250,000 in revenue. About Accelize Accelize is creating a global distribution platform for FPGA-accelerated software. Its peer-to-peer white-label marketplace makes domain-specific expertise and innovation from FPGA applications and IP core developers easily available to more users. The Accelize distribution platform provides a seamless environment for scaling, monetizing, and protecting intellectual property for FPGA accelerated workloads regardless of the specific FPGA in use. ### Contact Details Antoinette Sottak +1 843-530-4442 toni@wiredislandpr.com Company Website https://www.accelize.com/

July 08, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Survey Reveals Growing Acceptance Around COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Exposure Notification Apps

Metova Inc.

Contact Details Anders Steele +1 323-909-2341 anders.steele@metova.com Company Website https://metova.com/survey-reveals-growing-acceptance-around-covid-19-contact-tracing/

July 08, 2020 07:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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