littleBits, the award-winning company that empowers kids to be inventors, today announced the launch of its Droid Inventor Kit, which enables kids to create their own Droid. An integral part of the global launch of Disney and Lucasfilm's Force Friday II, the Droid Inventor Kit brings Droids to life, inspiring imagination and invention for kids around the world. Kids can easily create and power up their own mechanical companion using littleBits electronic Bits--along with the free Droid Inventor app--to send their creation on more than 17 special Star Wars missions, complete with authentic Droid sounds from the Star Wars films. As they unlock new capabilities and level up their Droid Inventor skills, kids can also learn how to create their own custom R2 Units and experiences, combining play with real hands-on learning.
“Today we are continuing a global inventor movement that empowers young people to participate in a story that inspires them to be creators, not just consumers of technology,” said Ayah Bdeir, founder & CEO of littleBits. “We’ve created a gender-inclusive product that celebrates kids’ own self-expression and ingenuity, while showcasing the same characteristics of imagination, grit and invention that are embodied in the Star Wars franchise.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8170651-littlebits-droid-inventor-kit-star-wars-kids-toys-stem/
Kiehl’s Since 1851, the 166-year-old skincare company, has used its fleet of iconic motorcycles to raise funds and awareness for AIDS research and awareness for the eighth year in a row. Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR, a charitable motorcycle ride from Minneapolis to Nashville, July 31 to Aug. 7, has already raised more than $125,000 for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and fundraising will continue through August.
Kiehl’s President Chris Salgardo and amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost led the 1,200 mile, 8-day journey, accompanied by actors Tyler Posey, Gilles Marini and Ian Bohen, tattoo artist Luke Wessman, and TV hosts Anthony Carrino and Grant Reynolds. Over eight days, the riders participated in nine public events, meeting customers and educating about HIV/AIDS research.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8160451-kiehls-liferide-for-amfar-aids-research-liferide8/
New home shoppers can now use augmented reality to visualize what their potential new home may look like on their land before they break ground thanks to the release of an innovative new app. Clayton, a Berkshire Hathaway company and one of America’s largest homebuilders, announces the release of Home Previewer®, an iPhone® compatible app that allows shoppers to envision what a home may look like in 3D on their future home site. The free app is available for download from the App Store®.
“We’re pleased to be one of the first builders to introduce augmented reality to the digital home buying journey,” said Kevin Clayton, CEO of Clayton Homes. “Our homes now offer custom designs, innovative features and energy efficient upgrades. We are committed to being a leader in innovation for the home building community and will continue to develop the kind of technology that will support our customers throughout the experience.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8011651-clayton-launches-home-previewer-mobile-app/
Mexico has seen rapid growth in its meetings industry, reporting a 10.4% increase of business in the first two months of the year when compared to the same period in 2016, announced the Mexico Tourism Board. According to the International Association of Congresses and Conventions (ICCA), Mexico now ranks 5th in the Americas in terms of the number of hosted events, which have now reached 182 world congresses and more than 300,000 meetings in 2016. These numbers are a direct result of Mexico’s global initiative to position and promote Mexico as Latin America’s leader in the world congress arena.
“Our world-class conference facilities, accommodations, and welcoming community are the drivers behind Mexico's continued growth and its recognition as a top global industry player in the meetings and events space,” remarked Hector Flores, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board. “Additionally, Mexico's strong commitment to increasing air connectivity allows us to facilitate travel from all corners of the world.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8128751-mexico-tourism-meetings-conferences/
Most Americans appear hopeful and optimistic about aging according to a new, national study from Parker, one of America’s leading aging services organizations that this year celebrates its 110th anniversary. Key findings from Parker’s “Aging in America Survey”—which examines the nation’s changing attitudes and opinions around growing older in the U.S.—include:
• A vast majority of Americans (71%) do not fear or worry about aging very much or at all.
• More than half of those surveyed (62%) believe that 80 is not too old to serve in government, run a marathon, be CEO of a Fortune 500 company, teach a class, or practice yoga.
• Those surveyed were evenly split (49% each) in describing the experience of growing older in America today with positive words (e.g., “hopeful,” “relevant,” “vibrant”) vs. negative words (e.g., “scary,” “depressing,” “lonely”).
• Nearly two-thirds (59%) of Americans feel that not enough technology innovation focuses on the lifestyles of older people.
• While 38% of Americans feel the most positive thing about getting older is gaining more experience and wisdom, only 1% believes it is acquiring greater wealth and material goods.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8100251-parker-aging-in-america-survey-anniversary/
Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, commemorated its 50-year anniversary by awarding $150,000 in total grants to three organizations that share its goal to improve healthcare: The American Red Cross, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and Autism Speaks.
At a ceremony at the company’s flagship clinical laboratory in Teterboro, NJ, the company’s chairman, president and CEO Steve Rusckowski presented Health In Your Hands grants of $50,000 to representatives from each organization. Paul Brown, M.D., founder and former CEO of Quest’s predecessor company Metropolitan Pathology Laboratory, Inc. or MetPath, established in April, 1967, was also recognized at the event.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8080751-quest-diagnostics-50th-anniversary/
At just nine miles wide and a marathon-run long (or 26 miles), roughly 16,000 people call Martha’s Vineyard home, but the population swells to 100,000 during the busiest summer months. On this island south of Cape Cod, local organizations like South Mountain Company – an integrated architecture, building, engineering, and renewable energy company – know that thoughtful, responsible use of natural and human resources is key to maintaining the island’s vitality and beauty.
“South Mountain Company is a worker cooperative which means our employees have an ownership stake in the business, giving them the means to make lasting, valuable change where we all live and work – and installing SunPower solar is one way we choose to make an impact,” said John Abrams, founder, CEO and president of South Mountain Company. “We believe that every property South Mountain Company designs and builds should be both attractive and low-impact, producing more energy than it consumes whenever possible.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7706156-sunpower-south-mountain-marthas-vineyard/
TASER International (Nasdaq: TASR), the global leader in connected law enforcement technologies, announced today that it is launching a new program to equip every police officer in America with a body camera and changing its name to Axon (Nasdaq: AAXN). It will also provide supporting hardware, software, data storage, training, and support to police departments free of cost for one year.
“We are going 'all-in' to empower police officers to more safely and effectively do their jobs and drive important social change by making body cameras available to every officer in America,” said Rick Smith, Founder and CEO of Axon. “We believe these cameras are more than just tools to protect communities and the officers who serve them. They also hold the potential to change police work as we know it, by seamlessly collecting an impartial record and reducing the need for endless paperwork. That's why we're giving this opportunity to every single police officer in America.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8012851-taser-rebrand-axon-free-body-cameras/
To coincide with Valentine’s Day, the Ad Council, R/GA and an unprecedented group of brand partners launched, “Fans of Love,” an extension of the iconic Love Has No Labels campaign. The new PSAs, filmed live at the NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando in January, put a twist on the traditional kiss cam by replacing it with an unbiased camera that features all forms of love –friendships, families and romantic relationships– across race, religion, gender, sexuality, ability and age. The goal of the campaign has always been to flood culture with a message of unbiased love, but this year, they’re doing so by actually reframing an iconic part of culture.
“On Valentine’s Day ‘Fans of Love’ highlights that love has the power to bring people together regardless of our differences – a message that is more important now than ever,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “We hope that this new creative will encourage all of us to reflect on our own biases and the role we can play in creating a more accepting and inclusive world.”
Primrose Schools, a national preschool franchise company, is on a positive growth track that now spans six years. In 2016, the company saw year-over-year revenue growth of 13 percent from 2015, strengthening its brand leadership position in the highly competitive early childhood education franchise industry.
Primrose has 342 locations around the country that provide high-quality early education and care to children and families in 27 states. Schools had an average occupancy rate of 87.7 percent, as measured in May 2016. Primrose opened 30 new schools and awarded 46 franchise agreements in 2016, and the company anticipates opening 34 new schools in 2017.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7727754-primrose-schools-available-franchise-locations/
Visionworks and Davis Vision kicked off 2017 continuing their work to raise awareness about the importance of annual eye exams for school-aged children by increasing the number of vouchers and glasses they will donate this school year from 10,000 to 15,000. Through their joint initiative, Let’s Go See has already donated more than 8,300 vouchers since the 2016-17 school year started.
“The Let's Go See program has been instrumental in our efforts to spread awareness of the need for annual eye exams for school-aged children. We feel honored to help families provide eye exams and glasses to their kids, and look forward to continuing our mission,” said Jim Eisen, president and CEO of HVHC Inc., and president of Visionworks.
Between dental checkups, doctor's exams, and everything else parents do to keep kids healthy, children’s vision often gets overlooked. Many parents wait until their child has expressed an issue with their vision before taking them for an eye exam, but according to Prevent Blindness America, 1 in 4 school-aged children in the United States has a vision problem, which if left untreated can affect learning ability, personality, and adjustments in school.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7938651-visionworks-lets-go-see-childrens-eye-health-awareness/
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has revealed its distinctive approach to developing autonomous cars with the introduction of a family of four at the Detroit Motor Show.
The Hain family, from Gothenburg in Sweden, are the first people chosen to take part in a real-life autonomous drive research program using real cars, in real traffic.
“We do things differently at Volvo Cars – we always have,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Car Group. “Our main focus has always been on people and making their lives easier.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8017451-volvo-cars-develop-autonomous-cars/
