Revelers Around the World Can Take Part in The Times Square New Year's Eve Festivities With Free, Official App For Apple and Android Devices

NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to the incredible response from New Year's Eve revelers, the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, organizers of Times Square New Year's Eve, along with their partners, Toshiba and Livestream, have launched the 2012 official Times Square Ball App, specially designed for Apple and Android mobile devices (images and demonstration video at http://timessquareball.net/app/). The free app is designed to put you up close and personal with the New Year's Eve Ball in Times Square, no matter where you are in the world.

The 2011 New Year's Eve celebration marked the launch of the first official Times Square Ball App, which was downloaded more than 174,000 times, across 163 countries, within a two-week period.

• New Year's Eve revelers sent more than 30,000 personalized cards to friends and family, directly from the app. The most popular card, the rainbow Times Square Ball, was shared more than 6,000 times, and as a result of its incredible popularity, it has been chosen as the face for the 2012 official Times Square Ball App.
• More than 75,000 photos were submitted through the Times Square Ball App over the course of the New Year's Eve festivities. Those photos were also shared across revelers' Facebook and Twitter accounts and viewed more than 70,000 times. The photos with the most likes were featured on the Toshiba Vision screen at the top of each hour throughout the 2011 New Year's Eve festivities.

Among the app's many features is the LIVE, six-and-a-quarter-hour, commercial-free mobile stream of New Year's Eve in Times Square powered by Livestream, including musical performances just before midnight and live throughout the night, and the ability to participate in the celebration. Toshiba, the Times Square New Year's Eve official Countdown Sponsor, is providing a unique opportunity for users of the app to see their photos on the Toshiba Vision sign directly below the Times Square Ball on New Year's Eve. These are just a couple of ways that the app will convey the unique buzz of Times Square, before and when the Ball descends on New Year's Eve. Apart from the big night, the app will be a year-round source of entertainment and information about the non-stop excitement that makes Times Square the "Crossroads of the World." 

"Our first app in 2010 showed the tremendous enthusiasm around the world for a fully connected global New Year's Eve experience, and this year is going to take things to the next level," said Jeffrey Straus, president of Countdown Entertainment. "The new and improved app enables people in New York and around the world to celebrate the New Year together as the clock ticks down to midnight in Times Square. Wherever you are in the world, the app will give you a dramatic and interactive way to ring in 2012."

Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, continued, "New Year's Eve is an occasion for reflection, celebration and hope. The app allows people across the world to embrace the idea of engaging with those themes through their mobile devices no matter where they happen to be. We look forward to an even deeper level of engagement with the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball now that viewers around the world can see the ball in the palm of their hand."

The Times Square Ball App is now available worldwide for free download through Apple's App Store for iPhones or other Apple devices or via The App Market for Android phones and devices. The app can be found in Entertainment, Travel, and News categories.

"We're thrilled to be introducing the next edition of the phone app that offers even more ways to be a part of the excitement of New Year's Eve," said Eddie Temistokle, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications & CSR, Toshiba America, Inc. "Wherever you are on that special night, in the heart of Times Square or anywhere in the world, count on this app to put you in the middle of the New Year's Eve experience."

"New Year's Eve 2012 marks the third year Livestream brings the celebration in Times Square to revelers around the world in real-time," said Max Haot, co-founder and CEO of Livestream. "Our partnership with Toshiba and Times Square New Year's Eve enables us to deliver high-quality video streams of this one-of-a-kind moment through the Times Square Ball App to everyone with a mobile device."

Here are some of the 2012 app features:

• Tweet @TimesSquareBall for the chance to see a reply to or a retweet of your greetings for the New Year scroll on the home screen of the 2012 official Times Square Ball App.
• Send New Year's Eve cards with personalized greetings with photos from the app to friends, family and followers on Facebook, Twitter and via email.
• Submit your New Year's photos for friends, family and other revelers to vote on via the app, on Facebook and Twitter. The photos with the most votes will be showcased on the Toshiba Vision sign atop One Times Square directly beneath the Waterford Crystal New Year's Eve Ball on December 31. Photos with the most votes will be posted at the top of each hour from 7 p.m. through 11 p.m., and displayed for the world to view during the live show.
• Watch live streaming of the Times Square Ball and Toshiba Vision screen atop One Times Square throughout the year as well as the highlight promo and other exclusive video content.
• Customize your Toshiba Countdown Clock on your app's home screen with your personal photo and time zone.
• Check-in via Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter to find out how far away you are from Times Square.
• Discover everything you need to know about the Times Square New Year's Eve Celebration, including the history, news, weather, photos, relevant maps, and live show schedule.
• After the last of the New Year's Eve confetti is swept from Times Square, the app will continue to be a year-round source of Times Square news, events and entertainment. 

The Times Square Ball App was produced by Monday Sessions Media, developed by HAAS/crea, and streaming components developed by Livestream LLC.

Device requirements:

• Apple products: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad. Required iOS 4.2 or later. 6.6 MB (size of App)
• Android products: Required Android 2.2 or later. 6.6 MB (size of App)

App images and a demonstration video are available at: http://timessquareball.net/app/

Spokespeople are available for in studio, live, tape, or telephone interviews
For more information about Times Square New Year's Eve, visit www.TimesSquareNYC.org.
For more information about the Times Square Ball visit www.TimesSquareBall.net.

About Times Square New Year's Eve

The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment are the organizers of Times Square New Year's Eve. The Times Square Alliance works to improve and promote Times Square so that it retains the energy, edge and distinctiveness that have made it an icon of entertainment, culture and urban life.  Countdown Entertainment, which represents the owners of One Times Square, and the New Year's Eve Ball, is an event marketing and management company specializing in the Times Square area.

About Toshiba
Toshiba is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 490 companies, with 203,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.3 trillion yen (US$77 billion). Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.com.

About Livestream

Livestream is the market leader for real time event coverage. With simple to use technology, our service allows anyone to broadcast live to the web, as well as being the top destination for live content from around the world. Our content partners include Facebook, The New York Times, ABC News, CBS News, Associated Press, HBO, AT&T, PepsiCo, Electronic Arts, Adidas, The Academy Awards, Warner Bros. Records, Paramount Pictures. Livestream operates with over 120 full-time staff members in 5 offices — in New York, Los Angeles, Bangalore, Brazil and the Ukraine. The service is available for free (advertising-supported) or as a feature-rich, monetizable, premium subscription for business.

SOURCE Toshiba