Archive for 2011

HOUSTON – With the mercury dropping the winter chill is expected to bring in cold temperatures ranging from the upper 20s to the lower 30s. It is important to remember that a pets age, breed or illness may affect how he or she tolerates the cold winter months. The Houston SPCA advises that it is best that all pets live indoors due to these unpredictable weather conditions.

Provide proper shelter for pets whether they live indoors or outdoors. Indoor pets should have their beds or crates placed in a safe and warm place that is away from drafts. Outdoor pets should have a well-insulated house that is wind-resistant, waterproof and elevated off the ground so wind and moisture cannot seep inside. Install a door flap to protect against drafts and gusts of wind. Extra blankets and straw will also help to increase a pets warmth. Room and floor heaters should be kept away from pets, as they are an obvious fire hazard and can cause serious injuries as well.

Make sure to provide fresh, clean water for pets every day. Outdoor pets need to consume between 25 to 50 percent more calories than usual because the cold weather tends to deplete their energy. Make sure to talk to a veterinarian to learn what is right for a pet.

A vehicle can act as refrigerator in the winter. Never leave a dog or cat alone in a vehicle during the winter months as they will freeze to death.

Keep cats indoors during the winter. Not only can outdoor cats freeze, but they sometimes sleep under the hoods of vehicles to stay warm. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. Give an outdoor cat a chance to escape by banging loudly on the car hood before starting the vehicle.

Anyone with a short-haired breed of dog should consider getting him or her a sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly to keep him or her warm. Never shave a dog down to the skin in the winter months as a longer coat will provide more warmth.

Dogs and cats are attracted to the sweet smell and taste of antifreeze, which contains ethylene glycol. A tiny lick can kill a dog or cat, so make sure to check vehicles for leaks on driveways or gutters. Keep containers tightly closed and clean up spills immediately. Check with local retail stores for pet safe antifreeze.

Rat and mouse poisons are commonly used during the winter months. Place them out of reach, as they can cause fatal bleeding or kidney failure in pets. 

The Houston SPCA encourages everyone to be especially mindful of pets this winter and to keep telephone numbers for the veterinarian and a local emergency veterinary service in a convenient location. 

On the Web:

Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals –  http://hspca.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/homepage_new

Tags:

Dec 31
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Pets category  

With millions of gamers spending countless hours slaying fire breathing dragons within Skyrim, the gaming industry made an astounding amount of money during November 2011.

Based off data released by consumer market research firm NPD on Friday, the gaming industry had a very profitable November due to sales of games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Totaling just over three billion dollars, approximately 58 percent of that figure is attributed to software sales. Software sales are up by 16 percent over the previous year, but hardware sales are down by nine percent due to slowing Wii sales and accessory sales are down approximately 34 percent over November 2010. After the NPD numbers were released today, Microsoft released a statement that the company sold about 1.7 million consoles in November and approximately 60 percent of those sales happened on Black Friday.

While Activisions Modern Warfare 3 and Bethesda Softworks Skyrim easily took the number one and two spots respectively, Electronic Arts Battlefield 3 and two Ubisoft games, Assassins Creed: Revelations and Just Dance 3, rounded out the top five. Other popular games during November include sports franchise Madden NFL 12, Sonys popular adventure game Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception, THQs sandbox title Saints Row: The Third, Nintendos The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Warner Brothers popular sequel Batman: Arkham City. According to NPD, sales of Skyrim in November brought Bethesda Softworks within about half a million units of matching lifetime sales of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Batman: Arkham Asylums lifetime sales figure is also very close to being beaten after just two months of Arkham City sales.

In a related story, gaming social network Raptr stated in a blog post that Skyrim is the most played game of 2011 with just being on the market for a period of four weeks. While Modern Warfare 3 has more total playtime due to sheer volume of sales, the average Skyrim player has about 23.5 hours of playtime in the game and the average gaming session runs nearly three hours long.

Tags:

Dec 31
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Industry category  

  • E-mail story
  • Post a comment
  • iPodfriendly version

The scream from the basement was guttural.

I thought one of the kids had injured themselves severely. But as luck would have it, it was just another pocket pet incident. Pocket pet is a term used to cover a wide range of pets. Mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, etc. Our first was a hamster that the kids just had to have. Someone gave us the little guy, but without much of a cage. He was in a small fish aquarium. The wife didn’t like the size being so small so she made a trip to our local pet store to buy the full rig. Big cage, exercise ball, tubes to run through, food and water feeders, chew toys and who knows what else.

The kids thought it was the greatest. They were small and sleeping in our downstairs bedrooms with the new pet seeming to be happy in his new digs. Little did they know his only desire in life was to get out of that cage. It seemed impossible but he chewed out of that cage right through the plastic. When he did get out he went rogue. He would bite like a wild animal and go crazy when he was loose when captured. It became a nightly affair to find him in the basement, catch him with my fireplace gloves on, fix the hole in the cage, then see how long it took for him to escape again. The kids called this game “Mouse Hunt,” and that was before the movie of the same name came out.

So, back to the scream. He chewed out again but this time had been gone for three weeks. My son kept telling us he could hear sounds from the walls at night, but I assured him it was just the house shifting. That is until the night of the scream. The oldest daughter had gotten up in the middle of the night to go the bathroom. While sitting on the toilet, the hamster ran right across both of her feet in the dark. He was still alive living in the store room and the walls. Shortly after that he was never seen again, that is until the water heater needed replaced years later. I didn’t mention it to the kids. I quietly buried his mummified remains in our pet cemetery.

He was the first, but certainly not the last of our pocket pet experiences. Next was a hedge hog named “Sonic,” of course. He was an interesting little guy, unless you tried to hold him. He would roll up into a ball with all his quills’ sticking out like needles. The kids would hold him in those same gloves I used for the fire place. They caught him grubs and bugs and took good care of him.

The newness wore off and then the girls read that hedge hogs anoint themselves with spit and foam on their quills. He was “gross” after that so I gave him away to a breeder I knew. Next came “Double Blessing,” the theologically named Guinea pig from the Christian School. He had been there all his life till his teacher retired. Then he needed to find a home. The statements you get in these situations are always the same. “You’re a vet, so you must love animals, so I gave the class Guinea pig to your daughter to take home as a pet.”

There is no good way out, so you end up with a new pet. By this time we had acquired all the various cages needed for these guys. We had the four-foot by four-foot cage with all the amenities. Watering station, several types of food bowls, and enough cedar chips the guys feet never touched the bottom of the cage. Compared to mice, rats, gerbils and hamsters, the pig was a pretty good pet. We had him so long he seemed like part of the basement.

But in the end that was his undoing. He seemed to live in one corner of his cage more than anywhere else. It was closer to the wood stove and always warm in that spot. He would get active at times and run all around, especially for leftover veggies from the table. Having a pig was like having a composter in the basement. He ate about anything along with his pellets.

They are maintenance free but for nail trims and teeth checks. I don’t know how long he lived, but he was ancient as far as pigs go. But lo, after a very busy week at the office, and preparing for a staff members wedding, I had paid little attention to Double B. I had placed his food and water in his cage each day but had failed to notice he hadn’t moved out of his corner in some time. Just before we left for the wedding, I went down to the basement to see why he wasn’t moving around more. You didn’t have to be a vet to figure this one out. He was dead. He apparently had died of old age some days or weeks before. As the little boy said in Dumb and Dumber, “I just thought he was real quiet.” He had desiccated in the heat of the basement and was perfectly preserved in his corner. A taxidermist could not have done better. The middle daughter made the mistake of asking me at the wedding how Double B was, and like an idiot, I told her he was dead. I wont go into details but at she still holds that one against me.

I don’t miss the basement smelling of mouse urine or cedar chips, but it was fun to share all the little pets with my four kids as they grew up. These types of pets don’t cost a lot to keep, yet provide some interesting interaction. I’m a grandfather now, and I suspect one of the grandkids may ask the same question their parents did: “Can we keep him, please? Please?” They will give in and start their own pocket pet adventure.

Tags:

Dec 30
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Pets category  

  • Kayla Bell bull;
  • Originally published December 9, 2011 at 11:18 pm, updated December 9, 2011 at 11:18 pm
  • A pup thrives on the affection showered on her by Danielle Flores, who was touring the Dorothy OConnor Pet Adoption Center. The Academics for Life class for special needs students at Victoria East High School brought presents for the pets.
    Buy This Photo rel=prettyPhoto[kb_east_pets_121011_160422]>
  • Holding hands as they tour the Dorothy OConnor Pet Adoption Center, two students in the Academics for Life class for special needs students participated in a Presents for Pets program.
    Buy This Photo rel=prettyPhoto[kb_east_pets_121011_160422]>
  • Kendel Vargas pets a little dog awaiting adoption. Vargas is in the Academics for Life class for special needs students at Victoria East High School.
    Buy This Photo rel=prettyPhoto[kb_east_pets_121011_160422]>
  • Brian Cantu interacts with a lively dog while his Academics for Life class tours the Dorothy OConnor Pet Adoption Center.
    Buy This Photo rel=prettyPhoto[kb_east_pets_121011_160422]>
  • HOW TO DONATE

  • Items: Dog and cat toys, beds, treats, bleach, paper toys, Joy soap, high efficiency Tide laundry soap, trash bags and gift cards.

    No food donation because the center uses prescription diet food for shelter animals.

    Where to donate: The Dorothy …

  • SHOW ALL raquo;

    • Tags:

Dec 29
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Pets category  

WASHINGTON – The wind-power industry is pushing to get its favorite federal subsidy extended amid concerns that the programs expiration next year could halt the expansion of the fastest-growing renewable electricity source in the US

For nearly two decades, wind power has benefited from the production tax credit, a federal incentive providing 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour to companies for new wind capacity for the first 10 years its online. The industry says the credit has helped wind account for 35 percent of all new US power capacity in the last four years while making the zero-emissions source cost-competitive with coal and natural gas.

With the credit set to expire after Dec. 31, 2012, wind energy expansion may slow if a politically polarized and budget-cutting Congress doesnt approve an extension.

A recent report from IHS Emerging Energy Research, an independent research group in Cambridge, Mass., said expiration would cause wind-power installations to decrease from 5.6 gigawatts a year since 2005 to 2.3 gigawatts a year from 2013 to 2016 and leave wind vulnerable to competition from low natural-gas prices.

Fundamentally, the industry is not ready to stand alone, said Matt Kaplan, wind-energy analyst with IHS, whose report says the tax credit has been fundamental to wind developments growth since the late 1990s.

The wind-energy trade group wants Congress to extend the credit now and not wait until late next year. Rob Gramlich, senior vice president for public policy at the American Wind Energy Association, said uncertainty already has led some site developers and turbine-component makers to scale back their 2013 plans because they have to make business decisions now.

State mandate

A bipartisan group of 24 governors in July called for extending the credit by up to seven years. Gramlich said he was optimistic that Congress would act because both parties like policies that provide tax relief to businesses without imposing mandates.

But Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., told his colleagues in a letter last week that he would introduce a bill to eliminate all energy tax credits, including the wind PTC. He called his bill a reasonable approach to ending the decades-long practice of trying to pick winners and losers.

Industry, rushing to build while the credit is certain to be around, could add a record high 10.5 gigawatts in generating capacity next year, up from 6.5 gigawatts in 2011, the IHS report projects. A gigawatt can power hundreds of thousands of homes.

Huge expansion next year means that comparable measures of wind installations will suffer in future years, dropping to 6.6 gigawatts in 2013 with the credits extension and to less than 2 gigawatts without it, the report projects.

Because everyone is rushing for 2012 and expediting their build plans, we will see some sort of drop in 2013 even if there is an extension of the tax credit, just because of the uncertainty thats already been created, Kaplan said. He added that developers have canceled some projects for 2013 because theyre unable to get them done in 2012.

The report also predicts wind development wouldnt rebound from the credits expiration until the late 2010s when state programs mandating certain levels of renewable electricity ramp up.

The credit has temporarily lapsed in the past. Wind installations decreased 73 to 93 percent each of the three years the tax credit lapsed in the 2000s, according to the wind-energy group.

Industry wants the extension to last multiple years to smooth the accordion-like market resulting from recent lapses, said Greg Efthimiou, spokesman for Duke Energy Corp., a Charlotte, NC, company adding wind capacity in South Texas. Duke will sell the power to Austin Energy and San Antonio-based CPS Energy.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, indicated he supports a multi-year extension. You cant just do it year by year – that does not work, he said.

Texas is the top wind-energy-producing state, with 10.1 of the nations 42.4 gigawatts of wind-generating capacity through June 2011, Gramlich said.

Iowa ranks second and California third.

State mandate

Wind power in Texas, already buoyed by the tax credit, got a boost in 1999 when Gov. George W. Bush signed a bill mandating that utilities provide a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources. Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill in 2005 strengthening the program.

The requirement, coupled with the credit, provided certainty there was going to be demand for the wind, so that was attractive to investors, said Josh Linn, a fellow with Resources for the Future, a Washington-based nonprofit environmental-research group. Texas actually has surpassed the requirement, Linn said.

But wind power faces another hurdle: The industry says it needs more transmission lines to get the power from rural generating facilities to population-dense areas.

Texas is one of the most proactive states in adding transmission, Kaplan said. He cited the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones program, through which Texas is adding enough lines from the western part of the state and the Panhandle to eastern cities to increase the states wind capacity to 18.5 gigawatts.

Texas, when it comes to transmission, is clearly the US leader, said Jimmy Glotfelty, executive vice president of Clean Line Energy Partners, a Houston-based interstate-transmission company with projects outside Texas.

puneet.kollipara@chron.com

Tags:

Dec 29
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Industry category  

Ill always remember the panic at my sisters house one Christmas when Captain, her beloved mutt, made his bid for freedom and went missing.

My siblings carried out a lengthy manhunt or mutt-hunt, rather to no avail.

Finally, spent from hours of searching the neighborhood, everyone collapsed in the living room, hoping that Captain would return.

Just then, we heard scampering and a thump on the front porch.

My sister ran to the door, in front of which stood Captain, pleased and panting. He looked perfectly elated, victorious even, with a fat, greasy ham bone between his teeth and a healthy sprig of pine tucked haphazardly behind his black, furry ear.

No one was sure where he had been, but it was clear he had had a fantastic time.

What we didnt realize then was how fortunate we were that he survived his festive fete.

Holiday festivities and visitors can fill a home with love and good cheer. But with them comes potential for inadvertent illness and injury to pets. Pet owners should be aware of possible pitfalls and take precautions amid the merrymaking.

Pets on the lam

Dr. Tara Cumley, a veterinarian at the Animal Health Clinic of Funkstown, said dangers to pets abound during holiday gatherings. Chief among them is pet escape.

Around the holidays, people have a lot of visitors who dont know the dog or cats habits, Cumley said. They may not be closing gates, for example, and the pets may accidentally get out.

As a result, Cumley said she commonly sees pets who have been hit by vehicles around the holidays.

Pets underfoot

Other visitor-related mishaps occur even when pets dont escape. An increased number of people in the home equates to an increased risk of a pet being trampled underfoot.

I see a lot of accidents even just with recliners, Cumley said. Pets will be on peoples laps and then get down. The person wont realize (the pet) is not all the way down yet, and theyll get a little leg stuck in the recliner.

Pets under the weather

In addition to accidents, Cumley said she frequently treats pets during the holiday season for ailments of another nature. Namely, illnesses caused by people food.

Ham, or any fatty food, for that matter, can cause mild to fatal pancreatitis in canines. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. While some dogs can tolerate fatty table foods, Cumley said others are more prone to problems digesting it.

Chocolate, depending on the kind, can be the kiss of death for dogs. It adversely affects the gastrointestinal system and can cause cardiac arrhythmia in plain terms, an irregular heartbeat.

Bakers chocolate is the worst. It can cause severe toxicity. Its a big deal, Cumley said. If your dog gets into bakers chocolate, you need to get him in to the vet.

By being aware of potential dangers, Cumley said pet owners can take reasonable steps to ensure holiday gatherings are merry and bright.

Decorating tips to keep pets safe:

Tags:

Dec 27
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Pets category  

During the five years to 2016, IBISWorld, the nations largest publisher of industry research, forecasts that the Veterinary Services industry will benefit from increasing pet ownership, escalating demand for animal products and favorable legislation. These factors will contribute to revenue growing 3.8% per year on average to $35.4 billion, which includes growth of 2.9% in 2012. The growth in demand for veterinary services through 2016 will primarily be driven by demand for services for companion animals. While there will be moderate increases in the demand for veterinarians from public practice sources (veterinarians who work with the government to prevent animal-borne disease and injuries), these increases will be relatively small. The landscape will continue to change as consolidation picks up and female veterinarians increasingly enter the industry.

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) December 09, 2011

During the five years to 2016, IBISWorld, the nations largest publisher of industry research, forecasts that the Veterinary Services industry will benefit from increasing pet ownership, escalating demand for animal products and favorable legislation. These factors will contribute to revenue growing 3.8% per year on average to $35.4 billion, which includes growth of 2.9% in 2012. The growth in demand for veterinary services through 2016 will primarily be driven by demand for services for companion animals. While there will be moderate increases in the demand for veterinarians from public practice sources (veterinarians who work with the government to prevent animal-borne disease and injuries), these increases will be relatively small. The landscape will continue to change as consolidation picks up and female veterinarians increasingly enter the industry.

According to IBISWorld analyst, Sophia Snyder, the Veterinary industry in the United States is forecast to continue to expand over the five years to 2016, after remaining resilient over the five years to 2011. During the economic downturn, revenue growth slowed, mainly due to a drop in the number of client visits; however, rising pet ownership and a greater willingness to spend on pet health and wellness helped maintain growth during these years, says Snyder. In the five years to 2011, revenue increased at an average annual rate of 3.2% to $29.3 billion. Growth of 3.6% in 2011 is a marked improvement from 2009 and 2010, but lower than the gains of 2006 and 2007. This trend indicates the negative influence that falling per capita disposable income has had on operators, but it also demonstrates the industrys resilience.

Veterinary service operators have consolidated in an effort to maintain sales in the face of mounting competition from superstores and online retailers that sell pet products and medications. Major companies in the industry include VCA Antech Inc. who operates veterinary diagnostic laboratories and freestanding, full-service animal hospitals in the United States. VCA is based in Los Angeles and was founded in 1986 under the name Veterinary Centers of America. Consolidation has helped operators reduce costs to effectively compete with other providers. Wage costs have also decreased as a percentage of revenue, despite a veterinarian shortage in the United States. This factor is partly attributable to consolidation and a shift in some responsibilities from well-paid veterinarians to administrative staff.

Consolidation is projected to continue during the five years to 2016. During this period, the number of operators is expected to decline another 0.5% per year on average. The rise of larger practices will partly occur because of the mounting number of female veterinarians forecast to enter the work force. This trend will be fostered by continued growth in pet ownership, greater demand for animal products and favorable legislation that will encourage veterinarians to practice in underserved areas.

For more information, including latest trends, statistics, analysis and market share information, download the full report from IBISWorld on the Veterinary Services industry

IBISWorld Industry Market Research Reports Contain:

About this Industry

Industry Definition

Main Activities

Similar Industries

Additional Resources

Industry at a Glance

Industry Performance

Executive Summary

Key External Drivers

Current Performance

Industry Outlook

Industry Life Cycle

Products amp; Markets

Supply Chain

Products amp; Services

Major Markets

Globalisation amp; Trade

Business Locations

Competitive Landscape

Market Share Concentration

Key Success Factors

Cost Structure Benchmarks

Barriers to Entry

Major Companies

Operating Conditions

Capital Intensity

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Annual Change

Key Ratios

Jargon amp; Glossary

Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld

Friend IBISWorld on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189

About IBISWorld Inc.

Recognized as the nations most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.

###

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/12/prweb9028743.htm

Tags:

Dec 27
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Industry category  

Encouragement from the Government for Older people to take a more active part in sports than simply watching on TV or playing FIFA 2011 on the Wii! And good news it is too in these difficult financial times for the young at heart.

Thousands of older people are more active because of Go for Life Grants according to Minister Michael Ring. A total of 906 older groups nationwide will share a sports allocation of EUR300,000. The Irish Sports Council is awarding the money under the eleventh Go for Life National Grant Scheme for Sport and Physical Activity for Older People.The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, announced details of the allocations in Castlebar. The grants help local clubs and organisations to increase opportunities for their older members in recreational sport and physical activities.

This year, over 1,000 applications were received from older peoples groups all over the country. The successful applicants include active retirement associations, senior citizens clubs, ICA guilds, sports clubs, Local Sports Partnerships, day centres and community centres in 26 counties. The grant aid is being used to buy sports equipment and to fund sport and activity programmes.

Making the announcement, Minister Ring said Last year, over 28,000 people participated in physical activity directly funded by this grant scheme. People are staying more physically active and as a result improving their social, mental and physical well-being. This can lead to substantial savings in health and long-term care costs. The grants announced are used by communities across the country to promote physical activity for older people. That certainly is a welcome prospect for older people, particularly in rural areas, to get involved in their locality and feel a lot less isolated.

Speaking at the announcement, John Treacy, Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council said: Now, more than ever, people need encouragement and engagement. Go for Life has proven over the last ten years to be very effective in persuading older people to become physically active. It has engaged with groups and communities as well as highlighting all the benefits of an active lifestyle to thousands of older people.

Robert Grier, Chairman of the Go for Life Steering Committee acknowledged the support of the Irish Sports Council for the programme and pointed out that Go for Lifes volunteer network of over 1000 Physical Activity Leaders or PALs are the backbone of the programme and were celebrated earlier in the year at Go for Lifes tenth birthday party.

Go for Life is an Age Opportunity initiative which is funded by the Irish Sports Council. At the announcements, Ann Leahy, Assistant CEO of Age Opportunity pointed out that Increasing physical activity among older people can lead to substantial savings in health spending. The Go for Life programme is an excellent demonstration of how modest amounts spent on prevention can save money in the long run while promoting more engaged local communities.

Tags:

Dec 26
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Physical Activities category  

RALEIGH, NCNorth Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue wants the Obama administration to challenge a federal appeals court ruling in California that she fears could one day place additional regulations upon the states forestry industry.

Perdue wrote Friday to Obama chief of staff Bill Daley urging the administration to seek a US Supreme Court review of a 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals decision requiring logging roads to get special environment permits.

The appeals court agreed with environmental advocates that the forest roads create pollution in the form of muddy water during rainstorms. The ruling doesnt apply to North Carolina right now. Perdue told Daley it could harm the states forest and forest products industrywhich generates more than 180,000 direct and indirect jobsif the requirement is ultimately applied nationally.

Tags:

Dec 25
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Industry category  

Heritage Auctions utilizes the cutting-edge Dynamic Imaging platform from LiquidPixels, Inc. to manage images on the worlds most-visited auction house website.

Rochester, NY (PRWEB) December 09, 2011

LiquidPixels, Inc., preeminent provider of rich media solutions for E-Commerce, is pleased to see long-time customer Heritage Auctions in the spotlight with the premier of ABCs The Great Big American Auction (Thursday, December 8, 2011).

Assisted by the experts at Heritage Auctions, star Ty Pennington changes peoples lives by revealing the extraordinary value of what they thought were ordinary finds. The auctioned items will be available to view in exquisite detail on HA.com and on the Heritage Auctions app for iPhone and iPad – an experience enabled by LiquidPixels advanced Dynamic Imaging technology.

For over four years, every image available to members of the Heritage Auctions community has been delivered by LiquiFire, the powerful server-side image rendering engine innovated by LiquidPixels. LiquiFire enables Web users to view and manipulate incredibly high-resolution images at lightning speeds.

For auction bidders, the ability to see the finest detail of an item is crucial. To meet this need, Heritage Auctions uses product images that are thousands of pixels in dimension. Images this size would paralyze Web browsers using standard methods, says Brian Carpenter, Heritage Auctions VP of Information Technology, but LiquiFire handles them effortlessly.

About LiquidPixels, Inc.

LiquidPixels is the leading supplier of advanced Dynamic Imaging solutions. Premium brand companies utilize LiquidPixels as their Dynamic Imaging Partner for Personalized Products, customized E-Mail, Product Configurators, Interactive Zoom, Automated Imaging and Print Production. Built on open standards, LiquidPixels technology seamlessly integrates into existing Web and workflow environments, enhancing product creation and visualization while reducing production costs. LiquidPixels, Incorporated, operates facilities in New York, Massachusetts, and the Netherlands.

About Heritage Auctions

Heritage Auctions is the largest collectibles auctioneer and third largest auction house in the world. We are also the undisputed Internet leader in our field. Our 690,258 registered online bidder-members are a testament to the usefulness of our website, our reputation for professional business practices and our vast expertise in the field of art and collectibles. We give our customers unprecedented access to our services using the latest advancements in technology and by maintaining a strong presence in the collectibles community.

For more information, contact:

David Jones

VP, Sales amp; Marketing

LiquidPixels, Inc.

866-808-4937 x319

djones(at)liquidpixels(dot)com

www.liquidpixels.com

Noah Fleisher

Public Relations Director

Heritage Auctions

310-492-8613

NoahF(at)HA(dot)com

###

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/12/prweb9024579.htm

Tags:

Dec 24
2011

0

Posted by Admin  •  Trackback
Post belongs to the Items category  

« Older Entries