Nintendo of America declined comment on media reports that cited a leaked internal email from Japan retailer Media Land in saying the Wii U will be released Nov. 18 in North America and Nov. 25 in Japan. Nintendo has only said the Wii successor will ship by the end of 2012. It was likely waiting to announce the release timing and pricing at E3 in June. Its prior two home consoles, the Wii and GameCube, each shipped in mid-November in North America, ahead of the Black Friday shopping weekend.
Big MaMa Earth Entertainment, a children’s environmental education company, has become the first such organization to land certification as an e-Stewards Enterprise, said the Basel Action Network, which runs the e-Stewards program. The certification means that Big MaMa Earth has pledged to use only e-Stewards-certified recyclers to dispose of its e-waste, BAN said. Big MaMa Earth also has agreed to promote responsible e-waste recycling through its “Learning Experience” program, which teaches children, families and corporations environmental awareness, BAN said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released its Trade Newsletter for the 2012 second quarter. The newsletter provides and update on Re-engineering Dumping efforts, CBP's Text/Apparel Policy division meetings around the U.S. and expectations for information on the final tuna quota limit. The newsletter also said the COAC will meet in Savannah, Georgia in May.
Paperwork burdens imposed by changes to the FCC Lifeline order will outweigh the benefits claimed by the FCC, Smith Bagley Inc. said in comments to the Office of Management and Budget (http://xrl.us/bmzxfj). SBI, which operates wireless networks covering approximately 70,000 Lifeline customers in tribal lands, takes issue with rules requiring the 90-day re-certification of temporary addresses, the self-funding of biennial audits and inclusion of fine-print regulatory disclosures in all marketing materials. “The FCC has failed to adequately and accurately calculate the expected burdens of these requirements, and has failed to show how these requirements are not redundant or excessive in light of other program protections in place,” SBI said Thursday.
Sony Computer Entertainment America will roll out three new “freemium” games on its PlayStation Home social game platform between now and summer, it said Wednesday. Freemium titles are games that have no up-front cost, but charge for optional add-on content. The new titles will further expand PS Home’s “core experience” that launched in November with new games and genre-based districts, SCEA said. The new titles are Cutthroats: Battle for Black Powder Cove (released Wednesday), No Man’s Land (spring) and Mercia, developed by Lockwood Publishing (summer). SCEA said the first title is the largest multiplayer experience in PS Home to date, allowing up to 24 gamers to battle aboard pirate ships. The game is free to play, but users wishing to expand their ship’s offenses can purchase virtual coins to use for upgrades, it said. No Man’s Land is “arguably PS Home’s most ambitious title yet,” offering gamers “the most advanced shooter experience the platform has ever seen,” it said. Mercia is PS Home’s first multiplayer role-playing title and will give gamers “the deepest” role-playing game “experience available on the platform,” SCEA said. The company is also launching a new “Adventure District” for gamers to explore on PS Home, it said.
Sony Computer Entertainment America will roll out three new “freemium” games on its PlayStation Home social game platform between now and summer, it said Wednesday. Freemium titles are games that have no up-front cost, but charge for optional add-on content. The new titles will further expand PS Home’s “core experience” that launched in November with new games and genre-based districts, SCEA said. The new titles are Cutthroats: Battle for Black Powder Cove (released Wednesday), No Man’s Land (spring) and Mercia, developed by Lockwood Publishing (summer). SCEA said the first title is the largest multiplayer experience in PS Home to date, allowing up to 24 gamers to battle aboard pirate ships. The game is free to play, but users wishing to expand their ship’s offenses can purchase virtual coins to use for upgrades, it said. No Man’s Land is “arguably PS Home’s most ambitious title yet,” offering gamers “the most advanced shooter experience the platform has ever seen,” it said. Mercia is PS Home’s first multiplayer role-playing title and will give gamers “the deepest” role-playing game “experience available on the platform,” SCEA said. The company is also launching a new “Adventure District” for gamers to explore on PS Home, it said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) review on e-Manifest: Trucks. It provides information on how to store account information in the ACE, mandatory exemptions, submitting an e-Manifest, in-bond shipment information, etc.
Officials from Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency reiterated the details of the "Beyond the Border" action plan during townhall meetings in Niagara, NY and Toronto on February 28-29, 2012. The presentations describe specific actions and 2012-2014 target dates to achieve goals such as: (i) common data elements for advance cargo screening; (ii) mutual recognition of air cargo security programs for passenger aircraft; (iii) attempted alignment of Canada’s Customs Self Assessment (CSA) and the U.S. Importer Self Assessment (ISA) programs; (iv) assessment on ways to move wood packaging material inspections away from the border; etc.
TPV Technology shipped 12.7 million LCD TVs in 2011, short of its revised 15 million unit forecast, as “lackluster economic conditions” dampened demand for sets in developed countries, the company said. TPV lowered its projected 2011 TV shipments to 15 million units from 18 million in November (CED Nov 1 p3).
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., failed to gain unanimous consent to pass his bill (S-1945) to allow cameras in the U.S. Supreme Court. The majority whip asked to pass the bill under express procedures requiring unanimous consent on the Senate floor late Wednesday. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., objected because he said it “would be inappropriate” to pass it without a “full debate.” The Supreme Court’s decision last week not to allow recording of the upcoming healthcare arguments (CD March 19 p16) shows why passing legislation is so important, Durbin said. The high court won’t break its “antiquated tradition” even for a case with as much interest as healthcare, he said. “The most powerful court in the land is inaccessible to the public and shrouded in mystery.” Sessions said the justices have opposed opening the court to cameras and Congress should respect that opinion.