Archive for February, 2009
Bluff Online Poker Challenge Begins Sunday March 1
Bluff Online Poker Challenge Begins Sunday March 1
Over 20 top online poker players are set to duke it out to prove who the best player while chasing poker stardom
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) February 28, 2009 — BLUFF Magazine’s Bluff Online Poker Challenge (BOPC), sponsored by Lock Poker (www.lockpoker.com), is set to kick off this Sunday, March 1st with a field full of top online poker players all vying for the chance to be on the cover of the poker industry’s leading publication.
The challenge will have over 20 of the world’s top online poker players including 2008 BLUFF Magazine Online Poker Player of the Year David “The Maven” Chicotsky as well as Shaun “shaundeeb” Deeb, Kevin “BeLOWaBOVe” Saul and Lock Poker qualifier Jeffrey “Duralast” Romano.
“We’ve got the best players in the world raring to go,” said Eric Morris, publisher of BLUFF Magazine. “Over the next 31 days we’ll see who’s got the skill and the discipline required to come out on top.”
Lock Poker held an exclusive qualifier during the month of February where Jeffrey “Duralast” Romano collected over 50,000 frequent player points to claim the exclusive invitation to compete with this elite group.
Each player begins the competition with $200 and has the entire month of March to build their bankroll playing in multi-table tournament and sit-n-goes exclusively on LockPoker.com. The winner is determined by the player who shows the greatest return. Players will not be permitted to reload their account at any time and once the initial $200 is gone players are eliminated from the BOPC.
The winner of the BOPC will be featured on the cover of a future issue of BLUFF Magazine while the first and second place finishers will each receive a team entry to an upcoming Dream Team Poker event.
The Complete BOPC Field
Garrett “GBecks” Beckman
Brandon “any2cantu” Cantu
Russell “RDCRSN” Carson
David “The Maven” Chicotsky
Phil “USCphildo” Collins
Shaun “shaundeeb” Deeb
Brian “Devo” Devonshire
Ari “Bodog Ari” Engel
Brett “Bhanks11” Hanks
Brian “Sno0oman” Hawkins
Maria “Femme on Felt” Ho
Brett “gank” Jungblut
Adam “AJunglen” Junglen
Soren “Kongsgaard” Kongsgaard
Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon
Eric “Rizen” Lynch
Chris “moorman1” Moorman
Jeffrey “Duralast” Romano
Kevin “BeLOWaBOVe” Saul
Esther “Etay” Taylor
Matt “Plattsburgh” Vengrin
Tom “SBRounder” West
Tim “Tmay420” West
Jeff “Yellowsub” Williams
James “KrsyKanuck” Worth
The BOPC begins March 1st and runs through until Midnight on March 31. Fans can follow all the action through the daily scoreboard and video blogs from the players at http://www.bluffmagazine.com/bluff-poker-challenge and http://www.lockpoker.com/challenge.
About Bluff Media
Bluff Media, LLC is the publisher of BLUFF Magazine, America’s leading poker publication, BluffMagazine.com, the leading website for poker news and player rankings as well as FIGHT Magazine, the fastest growing mixed martial arts magazine in the United States. In 2007 Bluff Media was recognized by Harrah’s Entertainment Inc as an industry leader when the two companies formed a digital publishing alliance allowing Bluff Media to be the exclusive provider of online and radio coverage of all World Series of Poker-branded events on a global basis.
About Lock Poker
Lock Poker is quickly becoming an innovator in the poker industry, focusing on creating the best online poker experience. Lock Poker is a licensed online poker room based in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles and is a member of the Cake Poker Network, one of the fastest growing poker networks online.
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Contact Information
Lock Poker Media
Lock Poker
http://www.lockpoker.com/challenge/
18002845952
Celebrate International Women’s Day at Bingoday.com
Celebrate International Women’s Day at Bingoday.com
The online Bingo Hall, Bingoday.com is holding big celebrations for their female players to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.
(PRWEB) February 28, 2009 — 2009 sees the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, a global celebration where women all over the world can express themselves and where tradition states that men are to honour the women in their lives with flowers and small gifts. The industry leading online bingo (http://www.bingoday.com/) site, Bingo Day has also decided to honour the women in their lives with a special week-long promotion.
From the 2nd March, Bingo Day will be offering a week of doubled deposit bonuses to all their members. A 50% up to £100 deposit bonus (http://www.bingoday.com/bonus.html) will be rewarded throughout the week on each deposit made, instead of the 25% bonus that is usually offered.
“We wanted to give our players a special present for International Women’s Day, not just our female players – after all, giving presents is the tradition of the holiday”, explained Casino Manager Ted Cunningham. “The bonus offer will run for an entire week, giving our members the opportunity to play to their hearts content, with the extra bonus money they will receive”.
Bingo Day has recently been running a host of unique promotions, including an “Eat Free for a Year” promotion. It was reported that an “Energy Buster” promotion was also highly successful for the online bingo site, where Rosemarie M. of Canada won the chance to have her household bills paid for throughout the year.
About Bingo Day:
Bingo Day offers a Welcome Deposit Bonus of 200% up to £200 to new members and offers additional player incentives and a thriving community section. Bingo Day provides a safe and secure gaming environment, powered by the latest in Playtech technology. Bingo Day is exclusively promoted by Euro Partners (http://www.europartners.com/), the world’s largest e-gaming affiliate program.
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Contact Information
Brian Johnson
Bingo Day
http://www.bingoday.com/
0800-047-0602
European Style Penny Auctions Hit the United States, Beware of Scam Sites
European Style Penny Auctions Hit the United States, Beware of Scam Sites
Zoozle.com opens bidding to their European-style, online penny auctions and points out shady competitors. Zoozle’s goal is to bring the fun reverse auctions, found in Europe, home to America — in an honest and fair way. “If people bid right in a fair environment, like Zoozle, they can find bargains at over 90% off on TV’s, laptops, cameras, video games, watches, and more.”
(PRWEB) February 27, 2009 — Zoozle.com opens bidding today in European-style, online penny auctions and points out sketchy competitors. Opening only to United States residents, Zoozle’s goal is to bring home the fun reverse auctions found in Germany, Britain, Estonia, Latvia and around Europe, in a honest and fair way — no shady business. The reverse auction styles were brought to the west coast by a European company, but shady and unfair tactics keep the auctions running for days on end. Other competitors are straight up scam artists and shill bid auctions with auto bidders.
Zoozle, LLC was formed in late 2008 and purchased a “turnkey” reverse auction web app. It was quickly realized that anyone using the software package received was indeed running a scam site, and shill bidding their own auctions. The software came with an ‘Autobid’ feature and instructions for the site admin to set fake user names and autobid timing from the back end. The feature can be disabled.. but when disabled, the sites critical functions, like bidding, did not work properly.
According to Craig Pratka, part owner of Zoozle.com, “The auction software required over four months of re-development to bring it up to par for legit auctions, and right now only has the basic features.” Zoozle.com is launching today with penny auctions and will later reveal other exciting auction styles.
In addition to the scam sites out there, consumers need to be aware of other sketchy business practices with international sites. Auctions are seemingly separated by country, but at closer look, they have identical auction IDs and users bidding across all “independent” international sites. This allows bidding to go on excessively long as bidders in different time zones compete and keep the clock going throughout the day.
All items sold on Zoozle are new, and not sold peer to peer like eBay. Bidding on Zoozle only costs 50 cents per bid. The competition’s bid prices are around a dollar per bid. The bidding fee is to cover costs as most auctions close for only a few dollars. Each bid placed extends the auction clock by 15 seconds and raises the price by a pennny, so bidders compete to be the final bidder.
Zoozle donates 10% of all profits to charity. For additional information, see http://www.zoozle.com
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Contact Information
Craig Pratka
Zoozle, LLC
http://www.zoozle.com
516-205-6713
10-Year-Old Author Releases Interactive eBook for Kids Taking Reading, Fun and Learning to the Next Level
10-Year-Old Author Releases Interactive eBook for Kids Taking Reading, Fun and Learning to the Next Level
Alexis Marcionette, 5th grade student from Florida, has signed a deal with K-8 online learning company BigIQkids.com to release her first book “”UGH…You Again!” in eBook format complete with interactive graphics, “click to hear” word functionality and built in reading comprehension and vocabulary quizzes.
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 — Elementary school can be tough. Kids are faced with lots of homework, grade conscious parents and the pressures of making friends. In “UGH….You Again!” debut 10-year-old author Alexis Marcionette offers comical insight into one student’s struggle when her WFE (Worst Friend Ever) suddenly moves back to town. Will “Alexis” once again be forced to be friends with the goody-goody Vanessa? And, will a revolutionary science project doom Alexis for the rest of her school days?
By leveraging Web 2.0, BigIQkids.com brings “UGH…You Again!” to life in full, online digital format complete with turning pages, engaging interactive illustrations and the wit and humor today’s kids enjoy.
This is not an audio book but a proper, web based chapter book that allows children to read at their own pace by utilizing electronic bookmarks and a proprietary text-to-speech engine for “click to hear” individual word functionality.
For assessment purposes, built into this eBook is a reading comprehension test and vocabulary building exercise with the results emailed directly to parents and teachers. “BigIQkids.com is staying true to our philosophy that learning can be fun, interactive and inclusive. We are thrilled that Alexis appreciates these ancillary learning tools and we’re looking forward to her next book and building a series of children’s eBooks,” says Jake Manning, VP of Business Development at BigIQkids.
To preview the first 2 chapters of “UGH…You Again!” and test the reading comprehension and vocabulary building functionality, please visit http://www.BigIQkids.com/eBook/Book1/preview.html
About BigIQKids
BigIQKids empowers parents and teachers with interactive lessons, standards based testing and dynamic assessment focusing on the mastery of core elementary concepts: spelling, math, vocabulary and geography. Created by instructional technologists for students who want to be online and learning, BigIQKids has become an integral component in the daily academic pursuits of over 30,000 students.
PO Box 1662
Ponte Vedra, FL 32004
USA
Media Contact:
Jake Manning
Telephone: (904) 686-1541
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Contact Information
Jake Manning
BigIQkids
http://www.bigiqkids.com/eBook/Book1/
904 686 1541
House-Kidder Entertainment Announces U.S. Video Game Tournament Offering $1,000,000 Prize
House-Kidder Entertainment Announces U.S. Video Game Tournament Offering $1,000,000 Prize
The NCAA Football 09 $1,000,000 Challenge, sponsored by House-Kidder Entertainment, is a new nationwide Tournament that will allow U.S. video gamers to compete using the NCAA Football 09 video game on the Xbox 360 for a Grand Prize that could be as much as $1,000,000.
Wynne, AR (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 — The NCAA Football 09 $1,000,000 Challenge, sponsored by House-Kidder Entertainment, is a national tournament that gives NCAA Football 09 video gamers the chance to compete against each other in single-elimination competition on the Xbox 360 game system for a shot at a Grand Prize that could be as much as $1,000,000. The actual amount of the prizes will be determined based on the number of participants in the Challenge.
The inaugural Challenge will be limited to 65,536 participants nationwide and is open to US residents eighteen years of age or older who pay the one hundred fifty dollar entry fee. A portion of the proceeds from the tournament will be donated to Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center located in Memphis, TN, and a second National Charity to be named in the next few weeks.
The Challenge will feature 64 Preliminary Session Tournaments in 32 major metropolitan cities around the United States. Preliminary Session Tournament cities include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia and 26 others. For a complete list of Challenge cities visit the Challenge’s official website at http://www.housekidder.com.
The winner of each Preliminary Session Tournament will win a cash prize and an expense paid 6 day/5 night vacation to Orlando, FL this summer to compete against the other Preliminary Session winners in the Championship Finals. The winner of the Championship Finals will win a Grand Prize that could be as much as $1,000,000 depending on participation in the Challenge.
The Challenge is now accepting entries and registration will remain open until April 5, 2009. Actual Tournament Sites, Dates, and the Prize Package amounts will be announced on the Challenge’s Official Website no later than April 11, 2009.
When asked why they are sponsoring the Challenge, Jon House, Tournament Organizer, said “We thought that this would be a fun way to raise money for Le Bonheur’s. Plus, it would be cool for the winner of the Challenge to be able to tell their parent’s ‘See, I wasn’t wasting all that time playing video games!'”
For additional information about the NCAA Football 09 $1,000,000 Challenge please contact Jon House or visit the Challenge’s official website at http://www.housekidder.com. EA Sports, Electronic Arts, Xbox and Microsoft have no Involvement, Participation or Sponsorship of the NCAA Football 09 $1,000,000 Challenge.
About House-Kidder Entertainment:
House-Kidder Entertainment is a new company that was formed specifically to organize the NCAA Football 09 $1,000,000 Challenge to raise money for Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center. With the successful conclusion of the inaugural event the company intends to sponsor more video game tournaments to raise money for charitable organizations.
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Contact Information
Jon House
House-Kidder Entertainment
http://www.housekidder.com
870-945-0843
888.com Now Accepts PayPal
888.com Now Accepts PayPal
Online Gaming giant now accepts PayPal as a method of depositing and withdrawing money from players’ accounts.
Gibraltar (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 — 888.com (http://www.888.com/), the multi award winning, stock exchange listed gaming company, announced that as of today customers would be able to use PayPal* to deposit and withdraw funds into and out of their 888.com accounts.
PayPal is a safe, free, simple and secure way to send and receive money online without sharing financial information, and those using this method will be able to send money in the way that suits them best; through their credit cards, via bank accounts or account balances.
PayPal has over 70 million active accounts in 190 countries and regions and the company helps protect its members credit card information with industry-leading security and fraud prevention systems. PayPal enables global ecommerce around the world by dealing in 19 different currencies.
Matt Robinson, 888.com’s VP Brand Marketing said:
“Enabling our customers to use the universally renowned PayPal payment procedure is a further example of 888.com keeping our customers at the centre of all decision making processes. We consistently challenge ourselves to reach the highest performance level we can, and we continually question the ‘way we do things'”
“This strategic alliance with PayPal is yet another clear example of putting customers first and it provides them with yet another way of depositing and withdrawing funds from their 888.com accounts. PayPal is available across all of 888.com’s sub brands, including 888poker, 888casino and 888sport.”
* PayPal is available worldwide and in all major currencies, however the use of PayPal for gambling purposes is restricted to the following countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and UK. PayPal accounts can be funded by credit cards, debit cards and directly from bank accounts, however, for gaming purposes only credit card and debit cards transactions will be allowed in real time. Bank account funded transactions can be used, if the user has an instant, i.e. credit card / debit card attached to their PayPal accounts.
For further information, please contact Gill Carter at +00-350-200-49800 or newscom @ 888.com
Notes to Editor:
888.com is the World’s No.1 online casino. It has millions of members worldwide who enjoy its casino, bingo and poker rooms and receive an online gaming experience like no other. Founded in 1997 – 888.com this year celebrates its 12th anniversary – by pioneers of the online gaming industry, 888.com has developed a strong brand grown by cutting-edge marketing through offline sponsorships, poker events, online collaborations and continual upgrading of its flagship online products; 888.com Casino, Bingo and Poker. 888.com’s goal is to provide quality entertainment to people who enjoy gambling, by giving them the opportunity to do so in a safe, fun, fair, regulated and secure environment. Its clients are its assets and it continually makes every effort to establish customer satisfaction by building relationships via service, honesty, advice and trust – with every member.
888.com operates under a license granted by the Government of Gibraltar for the purposes of operating an online casino and poker room. 888.com has adopted the code of conduct of the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), of which it is a member. 888.com is operated by Cassava Enterprises (Gibraltar) Ltd.
A registered company incorporated and located in Gibraltar (company registration number 83961). The company has other offices around the world and employs over 750 employees. 888.com can be used in 22 different languages in 176 countries worldwide. A leading force in the gaming industry since 1997, 888.com continually strives to be the No.1 site. It was a founding member of eCOGRA, an independent standards authority for the industry committed to protecting online players around the world. It continually donates to UK and global charities and is working even harder on its CSR messages as well as promoting eCOGRA and providing an international framework of best operational and player practice requirements enforced through inspections, reviews and continuous monitoring by global audit companies.
888.com recently announced its first acquisition; the bingo business and assets from Globalcom. 888’s bingo brand – 888ladies – has become a brand leader within a very short time, winning awards and delivering a strong community. Further to the new site offerings and following significant technological investment, 888.com has recently embarked in to new on-land ventures; partnering with key brands to deliver specific propositions. Its first partnership, announced late 2006, is an innovative cooperation with Rileys snooker and pool clubs for which 888.com uses its online poker capabilities to power http://www.rileyspoker.com. 888.com has also recently launched mobile, in-flight, and in-hotel casino where customers can access their favourite games, not only from their computers but from mobile phones and televisions too.
888.com has been named EGaming Awards Online Casino three times in the last four years, and won 2008 Best Online Operator Award, as well as being named Best Online Casino at the UK Gambling Awards, and Best Betting and Gaming and Operator of the Year at the 2008 Leisure Awards. 888.com also landed the 2008 Gambling Online Magazine Top Casino award and its internal magazine, Eight, won the prestigious Most Effective Membership title at the 2008 APA Effectiveness Awards. Offline activity sits side by side the online business, complimenting 888.com’s position as the leading authority in gaming entertainment. 888.com is the main sponsor of Sevilla FC and sponsors Shane Warne from the world of cricket.
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Contact Information
Gill Carter
888.com
http://http:/www.888.com/
+350 200 49800
Prepare to do Battle with New iPhone App – Fastego
Prepare to do Battle with New iPhone App – Fastego
A lethal game of capture the flag.
Winchester, MA (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 — Victory is in the palm of your hand if you can capture the flag without getting blown up. Fastego, the new iPhone application from GoToTheBoard.com combines strategy, deduction and risk for a battle sure to challenge both novice and veteran digital gamers.
Fastego works on both the Apple iPhone® and iPod® touch. Players simply set their preferred level of play, arrange their soldiers and ‘rage against the machine.’ Advance the right combatant and you live. Send out a weak soldier and you die. Forget where your opponent’s bombs are hidden and you might as well go home.
“We designed Fastego as a classic strategy game for all generations, said GoToTheBoard.com President Jared Carlson. “It instantly engages your competitive side and it’s great for de-stressing or filling a few minutes with mind-testing fun.”
Fastego is now available for download at the App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303654767&mt=8) for $0.99. More game information is also available at Fastego.com (http://www.Fastego.com).
GoToTheBoard is a start-up company with experience in intellectual networking, consulting and game and application development. Several games and applications for the iPhone® and iPod® Touch are currently under development.
Apple, iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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Contact Information
Jared Carlson
GoToTheBoard.com
http://www.fastego.com
781-706-0079
Network Redux Selected to Host Instant Action’s New Browser-Based Game Platform
Network Redux Selected to Host Instant Action’s New Browser-Based Game Platform
Portland, Oregon hosting provider Network Redux has been chosen to host the browser-based InstantAction 3D game platform.
Portland, OR (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 — Network Redux LLC, a hosting provider based in Portland, Oregon, has been chosen to host the Garage Games InstantAction 3D game platform.
InstantAction enables game developers and publishers to put their games online, so that players can simply log on through their web browser and start or join a game. The games are streaming and require no client software downloads. InstantAction can support complete versions of just about any full-scale, high quality game. Currently InstantAction provides nine free games for users to play. Game sessions have unique URLs, which means players can rejoin sessions from any browser in any location.
Network Redux and Garage Games have been working together for the past 18 months to prepare for the launch of InstantAction, which took place this Tuesday, February 24th.
“Hosting the InstantAction platform requires a large array of managed services,” says Network Redux president Thomas Brenneke, “dedicated servers, load balancers, virtualized environments and continuous data protection are just a handful of the core components we provide this platform. High availability is also paramount, where technologies such as VRRP, link aggregation and data replication play a significant role in the network we have designed.”
Network Redux operates two secure data centers where it deploys and manages its own vendor-certified hardware, currently specified as: Dell PowerEdge 2950 servers with 8×2.5Ghz Xeon (E5405) quad cores, 32GB Memory, 6×450GB SAS-15K RAID-10 storage (hot swappable), and dual redundant hot swappable power supplies.
Connectivity is through Time Warner Telecom, Level 3 Communications and Integra Telecom, using the BGP4 routing protocol to provide redundancy between the three primary upstream providers.
For more information contact:
Thomas Brenneke
Network Redux LLC
123 SW 12th Ave Suite 227
Portland, Oregon 97209
503-274-9905
About Network Redux, LLC
Network Redux is a developer-focused provider of managed Linux hosting solutions, with primary operations in Portland, OR.
For information about InstantAction: http://www.instantaction.com
For more information about GarageGames: http://www.garagegames.com
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Contact Information
Thomas Brenneke
Network Redux
http://www.networkredux.com
503-274-9905
WCPE “Preview!” Features Han-Na Chang
WCPE “Preview!” Features Han-Na Chang
Interview with Young Cellist Airs Sunday, March 1, 2009
Wake Forest, NC (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 — TheClassicalStation.org (http://theclassicalstation.org/) announces today that its weekly program “Preview!” will feature an interview with Cellist Han-Na Chang. The interview can be heard during the station’s Sunday, March 1, 2009 program that airs from 6-9 p.m. ET.
Ms. Chang will be interviewed by “Preview!” host Deana Vassar. They will discuss her performance at the Fifth Rostropovich International Cello Competition (1994). Also included in the interview is Chang’s opportunity to study privately with Rostropovich himself. Featured will be her latest album for EMI Classics, cello concertos of Antonio Vivaldi. Chang and her partners, the London Chamber Orchestra with Christopher Warren-Green, recorded the concertos at Abbey Road Studios in June 2008 following a performance at St. John’s Smith Square in London.
“She was just a little angel playing against some of the most fierce and promising artists twice her age,” says Vassar. “It’s so amusing to hear Chang tell about that experience, and the human error that allowed her to compete.”
“Maestro Rostropovich almost had a heart attack when I came on stage,” says Chang. “I was so young and small all he saw was a cello walking across the stage.”
“Preview!” is a weekly feature that airs every Sunday evening from 6-9 p.m. ET and presents the latest in classical recordings and upcoming classical events. WCPE’s live broadcast of Great Classical Music, 24 Hours A Day can be accessed around the globe in several ways: on-line streaming in multiple formats, including IPv6; local cable television systems; and traditional radio broadcasting. A complete list of the ways WCPE is available with instructions for cable and satellite reception can be found at http://www.theclassicalstation.org/listen.shtml.
About WCPE:
With a 30-year history, WCPE is a non-commercial, 100 percent listener-supported, independent station dedicated to excellence in Great Classical Music, 24 Hours A Day. Community-minded business underwriters and foundations are among the 150,000 listeners in the North Carolina broadcast area. General Manager Deborah S. Proctor’s leadership has enabled the WCPE community to include national and worldwide listeners. Other radio stations and cable television systems can rebroadcast Great Classical Music, 24 Hours A Day. WCPE is one of the first public broadcasters to stream on the Internet. WCPE is heard worldwide on the Internet in multiple formats, including the next generation IPv6. Because WCPE receives no tax-derived support, the station conducts two on-air fundraising campaigns and two major mail-out campaigns per year to raise needed operating funds. Quarter Notes, the WCPE Program Guide, is published four times a year as a means to enhance appreciation and understanding of classical music. It is distributed to station supporters and is also available online at http://www.theclassicalstation.org/guide. For more information, visit http://www.theclassicalstation.org or call 1-800-556-5178.
About Han-Na Chang:
Cellist Han-Na Chang has established an extraordinary international career, performing regularly on the most prestigious concert stages of Europe, North America and Asia. She first won recognition for her exceptional musical gifts in 1994 when at the age of 11 she won both the First Prize and the Contemporary Music Prize at the Fifth Rostropovich International Cello Competition in Paris. Since that time, her superb artistry and virtuosity coupled with the astonishing depth of her interpretations have placed Han-Na Chang at the forefront of the world’s new generation of artists. Han-Na Chang has studied privately with both Mischa Maisky and Mstislav Rostropovich. She is continuing her academic studies in philosophy at Harvard University.
Media Contact:
Curtis Brothers
919.556.5178
curtis(at)TheClassicalStation.org
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Contact Information
Curtis Brothers
WCPE FM
http://www.theclassicalstation.org
919-556-5178
Steam Powered Beasts Battle for the Greatest Prize: CG CHALLENGE XXIII, ‘Steampunk – Myths & Legends’
Steam Powered Beasts Battle for the Greatest Prize: CG CHALLENGE XXIII, ‘Steampunk – Myths & Legends’
The greatest stories ever told get the Steampunk treatment. Almost 2000 digital artists created steam powered monsters and mayhem to win over $220,000 worth of prizes.
Adelaide, South Australia (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 — The winners of the CGSociety’s CGChallenge XXIII: ‘Steampunk – Myths & Legends’ have been announced. Digital artists, from many nations, battled to claim the biggest prizes ever offered. Over US$220,000 worth of software and hardware were available in many categories, including Video, Animation, Modeling and Illustration. To win, CG wizards had to give a Steampunk edge to famous stories and legends – to create a future that could have been; an age when steel and steam propel machinery, men and monsters.
Steampunk is a thriving fantasy genre, which merges advanced steam age technology with a modern or science fiction setting. It also covers works set in an era where steam power is still widely used, such as 19th century Victorian England. Think Jules Verne, H.G. Wells or Kashuhiro Otomo’s ‘Steamboy’.
The winners of the three main prize categories all showed outstanding technical ability along with world class storytelling skills, and a complete understanding of the genre.
The Image (Individual) Master was awarded to Fabricio Moraes for his ‘Steamnocchio’, a reinterpretation of Pinocchio. “This image just totally nails the steampunk theme,” said judge Leigh van der Byl. “The technical quality is simply fantastic too.” The excited artist replied, “I felt so great and could never imagine I could possibly win this competition, actually I still can’t believe it. I got inspired by so many great artists.”
The Video (Team) Master award went to Bonsaininja Studio for ‘EMET’, a film that was “inspired by the legend of the Golem; telling the story of Rabbi Loew, who created an animated being entirely from inanimate matter to defend the Prague ghetto.” “Epic,” exclaimed filmmaker Anthony Lucas, while Simon Dominic, his fellow judge, said that he felt “like I just stepped out of the cinema.” Philip Straub, from EA, simply said: “Outfreakinstanding!”
The Individual Video Master was awarded to Tyson Ibele’s ‘Hemlock’. Judge Michael Dashow said the film had a “great mood set throughout the entire piece. The lighting, camera-work, and sound were wonderfully effective, and the ending was terrific.” The winning artist said “the competition was very close due to the large number of high-quality entries… this challenge theme allowed for a lot of creativity, and since I’ve wanted to do a film set in the steampunk universe for a while now, it was a perfect motivator.”
“We now have digital artists of diverse skills working together to create astounding works of art and entertainment that are world class,” summed up Mark Snoswell, President of CGSociety. “This is how it should be – it’s not how you create a work, it’s the quality of the finished work and its impact on viewers that is important.”
Prizes were also awarded in Video, Animation, Art Direction, Best Character, Compositing and Editing, Concept Art, Digital Painting, Landscape Matte, Lighting, Modeling, Sculpture, Texture, VFX and Illustration categories.
CGChallenge XXIII was proudly sponsored by BOXX, Autodesk, NVIDIA, Wacom, SOFTIMAGE, Luxology, Pixologic, Craft Animations, SideFX, e-on Software, Corel, Stash Media, The Gnomon Workshop, ImagineFX, Ballistic Publishing, Esperient, and CGSociety.
A full list of winners (http://features.cgsociety.org/story.php?story_id=4936) and their winning entries (http://features.cgsociety.org/story.php?story_id=4936) can be viewed at the CGSociety website as well as details of previous CGChallenges (http://features.CGSociety.org/challenge/).
Judges
The judges came from the game, film and illustration world, and included masters from Blizzard, EA, and the Jim Henson Company. Judges were Michael Dashow , Anthony Lucas , Grzegorz Jonkajtys, Simon Dominic, Brom, Coro, Phil Straub, Brajan Martinovic, Mark Snoswell, Kerry Shea, Leigh A. van der Byl, and Anton Fletcher.
About CGChallenge XXIII
CGSociety, one of the internet’s largest computer artists’ communities, holds regular competitions with many of the world’s best digital artists competing. This, the 23rd CGChallenge, exceeded all past challenges in the quality of entries, number of contestants and the prize pool. 1,966 challengers submitted 9,410 submissions over almost 3 months of collaborative competition. The CGChallenges are work in progress competitions, in which entrants are required to show their work as it develops from concept to completion. They are hosted within the CGSociety online community, attracting enormous attention and feedback from the world’s digital arts community.
About the CGSociety:
The CGSociety is the most respected and accessible global organization for creative digital artists. The CGSociety supports artists at every level by offering a range of services to connect, inform, educate and promote, by celebrating achievement, excellence and innovation in all aspects of digital art. The CGSociety, along with its sister organisation Ballistic Publishing, is a division of Ballistic Media (http://www.ballsiticpublishing.com).
CGSociety website (http://www.cgsociety.org)
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Contact Information
Andrew Plumer
Ballistic Media / CGSociety
http://features.cgsociety.org/story.php?story_id=4936
+61 8 84631866
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