Dr. Gordblower’s Museum of Privacy

As soon as Mark Zuckerburg announced that Facebook Timeline for brands would go live on March 30, we pulled out our drawing board and started thinking about how we could have some fun with it! As many of you have suspected, it is privacy as a whole that inspired our new Timeline.

Let’s be honest, privacy is an issue that the public has dealt with for centuries. From outhouses to two-piece swimsuits, it seems the public always has an opinion about how much information should be shared. So, we created a fictitious museum of privacy!

We hope you have as much fun exploring our Timeline as we did creating it. Leave a comment or two on our Facebook page about what privacy issue we should feature next.

May your Timeline live on.

With its game, Swine Flew, Privus Mobile brings fun and flying pigs to iPhone owners

In the mobile gaming world, pigs are one trending topic (see Angry Birds). In fact, gamers can’t seem to get enough of the squealing animal. So what better way to satisfy our fans than to develop a game with flying pigs?! We are so excited to introduce our brand new mobile game, Swine Flew! Because it’s our first game, and we love our readers, we’re giving you an inside look into to the game!

Swine Flew is an addictive game of skill and chance that’s sure to provide you with hours of fun. Featuring flying swine traveling above scenic farmland, players aim to eliminate each pig one by one with the ammunition from one enemy pig. Swine Flew is different from other games because players don’t need to start at level one. In fact, players can start at level 12 and attempt to eliminate as many as 13 pigs. Each level brings a more challenging test of players’ reflexes.

iPhone owners can download Swine Flew from Apple’s App store or iTunes and begin the exciting game in a matter of seconds. We’re offering one free ad-supported application and another without the ads for 99 cents. Both can be downloaded by visiting the App Store on any compatible iOS device.

For more information about our complete line of smartphone applications, visit www.privusmobile.com.

Don’t forget to leave a comment or two and let us know what you think about the game!

March mobile madness: three apps to keep you in the loop

March Madness has officially begun! But unless you’re a college student on Spring Break or work at ESPN you probably don’t get to watch the NCAA tournament games live. Don’t worry, there’s an app for that! In fact, to keep you up to speed with all 67 games—and the office basketball bracket—we have three smartphone apps to get you through the madness.

1. NCAA’s 'March Madness Live' is the king of all March Madness applications! It provides the latest scores, news updates, bracket creators and up-to-the-minute alerts that notify you when a game ends or goes into overtime. Plus, it also has a live chat feature that allows you to post bracket info (and bragging rights) to Facebook and Twitter.

2. ESPN Bracket Bound 2012 is one of the most popular free applications. To keep track of the live bracket just tap "My Bracket" and all of your teams and their scores show up. In addition, news and highlights of games show on the home screen in a slide show. You can also catch details, highlights and players’ statistics on the application.

3. Twitter is a must for sports junkies! With ESPN reporters, bloggers and even players tweeting about the games, it’s the obvious place to catch breaking news. Here are a few we suggest following: sports writers Jeff Goodman @GoodmanCBS and Andy Katz @ESPNAndyKatz tweet scores, highlights and industry insight. North Carolina player Kendall Marshall @KButter5 will provide an inside look from a player’s standpoint, while Sport Illustrated stat man Luke Winn @lukewinn does all the math so you don’t have to! Plus, all of the teams have individual Twitter handles!

Finally, all of the apps are available on both Apple and Android devices. Do you have a favorite sports application? Feel free to share your thoughts (and game predictions) by leaving us a comment or two!

2012: The Year of Mobile Commerce

Forget the dragon; 2012 is the year of mobile commerce!

You may be asking how we know this. For one, mobile applications are quickly growing to become a life force for almost every independent country in the world. This change is enhancing consumers’ capabilities to shop remotely.

In fact, application developers witnessed the rapid growth of shopping apps in 2011. Industry analysts are estimating that the U.S. market could experience more than $200 billion in mobile commerce purchases this year alone.

So, what do this means for you?

Increased mobile security. The security of online stores, and especially mobile security, will likely become more of a focal point in 2012 – both for mobile stores and payment firms that will have to address issues with exposed personal information and financial records. Unfortunately, in exchange for instant access to products, discounts and express service, consumers give up information to stores, and sometimes thieves.

Integration between applications. As smartphone users continue to make purchases from the palm of their hand, application developers are increasing the avenues of monetization already in place. For example, Facebook launched its app so users could access their profiles while on-the-go; however, as the market evolved, developers created Facebook “gifts.” This simple, digital product led to Facebook’s development of an online currency that could be used for an even wider line of digital features and products. Smartphone owners will continue to see more types of non-traditional commerce.

More mainstream sites going mobile. Two mobile applications that caught consumers’ eyes in 2011 include Amazon and eBay. When compared to similar applications, Amazon’s price-check app received one of the highest user satisfaction ratings. eBay’s PayPal also saw a record number of purchases made from its mobile application. More retail sites are developing mobile applications and launching mobile versions of their online stores.

These apps’ growth is not surprising for a world that is online and connected 24/7 by mobile technology. Smartphone owners have proven their willingness to make purchases from their phones and developers will continue creating apps that capitalize on this. These factors combine and create a mobile market that has potential to earn billions of additional dollars in 2012.

New Recommendations for Hands-Free Mobile Devices Suggest Major Change

Earlier this is year we blogged about the expansion of hands-free texting laws across the U.S. Since then, the topic has pervaded local, state and federal agencies, bringing to light the often-overlooked safety concerns surrounding not just texting while driving, but also calling. As the percentage of automobile accidents related to mobile phone usage increases, more regulators and law enforcement officials are questioning whether the devices should even be allowed on the road.

In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board (N.T.S.B.) made headlines in The New York Times recently because of its latest recommendation suggesting something similar.

“No call, no text, no update is worth a human life,” said Deborah A. P. Hersman, chairman of the N.T.S.B., an independent federal agency that investigates driving accidents. The board recommended a ban that includes all hands-free devices. Hersman said she recognized it was a challenging recommendation, as most individuals depend on a mobile phone for communication, but it was the right one.

The agency supported its suggestion with evidence from its investigation of numerous accidents in which mobile phone distraction was a major contributing factor.
Despite the federal recommendation, states have the final say as to whether they want to follow the new safety suggestions or not.

More than 30 states already have hands-free device laws in place including, Calif., Pa., Nev., Maine and Ind.