MediaNews rolled out an online database app from Caspio Inc. to underpin the Web sites of The San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, The Detroit News, (Los Angeles) Daily News and The Denver Post. Other papers in the group will also use the software, MediaNews said.

www.caspio.com
 

CanWest Mediaworks Publications Inc. tapped NewspaperDirect’s SmartEdition technology for its ten local metro newspapers, and one national daily newspaper.

www.newspaperdirect.com

Sun-Times Media Group Inc. signed an agreement with AnswersMedia for the company to provide co-branded HD video programming from its Answers TV network across Sun-Times Media Group’s Web sites. Sun-Times Media Group owns more than 100 papers in the Chicago region including its flagship publication the Chicago Sun-Times.

The first channel of AnswersTV programming that The Sun-Times News Group will tap into will be their culinary arts offerings entitled “FoodAnswersTV”.

www.answersmediainc.com
 

Ottaway Inc. newspapers The Portsmouth (N.H.) Herald, The Times Herald-Record in Middleton, N.Y. and The Standard-Times in New Bedford, Mass., are each using Trumba Corp.’s Connect software to promote local and regional events.

The app allows visitors to search for events by name or scroll through months, and to add events to their personal calendars and forward them to others. www.trumba.com

Cox Newspapers Inc. said it will expand its use of Pluck Corp.’s BlogBurst software to papers including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post and Dayton (Ohio) Daily News.

The Austin (Texas) American-Statesman was the first Cox paper to roll out BlogBurst, making the app available to readers in 2005.

www.pluck.com
 

The Journal Register Co. signed an agreement in principle with AdStar Inc. to use its e-Commerce platform and Web-based Ad Sales app to power online classified ad sales at JRC newspapers. AdStar will begin immediate deployment at the Daily Local News in West Chester, Pa., and later in the summer will install the apps at other JRC papers.

www.adstar.com
 

E-paper technology took a step forward with the introduction of a 14.1-inch flexible color E-paper display by Korean manufacturer L.G. Philips LCD.

The display, based on electronic ink from E-Ink Corp., can produce up to 4,096 colors, the vendor said, and can be viewed from a full 180 degrees.

The display is equivalent to an A4 sheet of paper and uses a stainless metal foil substrate to ensure durability and protection against heat.