Just in case folks were wondering when all our publishing sites would see those “big improvements”, as part of the Newsroom Network transition… we’re ready to provide more specifics.

Our plan, as originally announced, was to complete the Newsroom Network spin-off by the end of the year. We’re on-track to complete that. However, by the end of the month, the sites will be operating under the Newsroom Network umbrella. That’s right… we’ll have the public face of the transition done by the end of October.

We know you’re also all curious about Full Circle. November will kick off both the shipment of our first Dev Kit release, and the unveiling of our branding. No more cheesy Full Circle code-name!

We’re happy to roll out the first three MechaWorks Crowdsource projects. Go check them out.

As they say, breaking news changes everything. With significantly more gadget news on CentralGadget.com today than expected… we had to draw a line in the sand somewhere.

The good news is that we have the first few Crowdsourcing projects finalized, and they’ll be online shortly. Sorry we couldn’t get those projects out precisely on the 16th, but you can take this time to check out the HP DreamScene coverage on CentralGadget.com, as well as our iPhone OS 3.1 jailbreak coverage on PhoneNews.com.

And yes, we’re a PwnageTool mirror as usual…

Update: Sorry folks, it’s going to be one more day. I could point at the legal team complaining, but, well, we’re too busy to point fingers… it just has to get done.

We’re on-site at GDC Austin, ready to sit down with developers and talk Full Circle.

And, we’ve got a surprise for attendees… every badge at the show has Full Circle written all over it. Photos later today, but safe to say that we’re getting the word out about Full Circle.

Want to meet at the show? Email me or contact our press room.

We’re also hard at work on getting our first Crowdsourcing projects online, we’re currently aiming for those to go online some time tomorrow.

Today we announced what MechaWorks has really been working on behind-the-scenes… well, since day one of MechaWorks.

We’ve been building a video game console. And, we’ve code-named it Full Circle: The world’s most powerful console.

You can read all the announcement info at the Full Circle Product Page, where you’ll find the liveblog, photos, and Dev Kit information for developers.

We’re also announcing today that what we’re known for, our great news sites, will be spun off into a separate company, Newsroom Network. You’ll find more about the transition here.

Obviously, you’re going to have a lot of questions. And, we aren’t going to get everything right on day one. We need your questions and your feedback. So, please, follow us on our new Twitter feed. Ask any question there, and the whole team will work to answer as many of them as possible. If Twitter isn’t your thing, you can also subscribe to our blog (the RSS feed URL hasn’t changed).

What’s next for us? We’re packing our bags for GDC Austin, where we’re going to be talking directly to developers, and getting them excited about Full Circle.

Don’t forget, we’re going to need your help to convince developers that open, cross-platform, cloud gaming is the way to go. So, stay tuned, we built MechaWorks for Full Circle. And, we want to thank those early adopters that tuned into all our sites. Without you, it would have taken far longer to get all this off the ground.

We’ve announced that we’re announcing a gadget. Now, we’re telling you when we’re going to announce it. It’s slated for September 10, starting at 10 AM, in Sunnyvale.

Because seating will be limited, this will pretty much be a media-only event. But, we always make room for our readers. So, we’re going to give away 10 seats to you, our readers.

To win one of those seats at our announcement, you’ve got to guess what gadget we’re building. And, the contest ends if it leaks out, so don’t hold back on your entry waiting for a leak. If nobody gets it, we’ll pick the 10 closest entries.

Entry Suggestions:
For example, too general: Something that prints money.
And, for example, too specific: An open sourced replication of the iPod.
Just right: A brand new car!
(And no, it isn’t any of the above).

How to Enter: Send your guess to keynote-contest-su09@mechaworks.com by August 30th. Also, please note that these are considered un-obligated, unsolicited idea submissions… the lawyers made us say that.

To members of the media media: Don’t feel snubbed if you haven’t gotten an invite yet. We’re working on it. If you want an invite, email pr@mechaworks.com

SUNNYVALE, CA – MechaWorks today launched PhoneCashback.net. The site is a new service meant to help consumers save a little bit more on each phone purchase.

The web site has partnered with the national carriers, and is meant to defer the high costs associated with buying a phone in-store. By using cashback, carriers save money, and now so do consumers.

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless have partnered with PhoneCashback.net directly, and Sprint phones are being sold via a strategic partnership with LetsTalk.com. All Sprint phones are available, including the new Palm Pre.

MechaWorks has conducted several pilot programs on its flagship mobile news site, PhoneNews.com. These pilot programs have helped fine-tune the new service to handle thousands of wireless orders per hour, as well as strengthen direct relationships with each national carrier.

“In today’s tough economy, getting an extra $30 back on the purchase of a phone can make the difference.” said Christopher Price, MechaWorks CEO. “By ordering online, customers can avoid nearly all mail-in rebates, and cash back is distributed online without anything to mail in.”

PhoneCashback.net will also be tightly integrated into PhoneNews.com, enabling consumers to get news and discounts on phones simultaneously. The service fully supports both prepaid and postpaid devices already.

For press photos, media contacts, and other information about MechaWorks, please visit http://www.mechaworks.com/press-room/

About MechaWorks
MechaWorks is a new startup focusing on new innovations in publishing, software, and consulting. Bucking the trend of the current economy, the startup is actively recruiting new staff, with dozens of available positions.

Got a question about PhoneCashback.net? Can’t find the answer on our press page? Just reply to this message, and we’ll get an answer for you.

Within the next month, we’re going to be announcing a lot of changes. Here’s a first wave. First, many MechaWorks sites will be rebranded. New names, more staff, same quality coverage. Certainly not all the sites, but we’ve got a solid brand growing, and we want to make a few changes now that will reinforce its future growth. More details on that in early September.

MobileEdition is getting back on track, and we really apologize for the delay. We expect Apple to approve MobileEdition within the next month or so, and we’ll also have some additional announcements in the coming weeks for it too.

And, finally, the big one… MechaWorks has been building a gadget. Very quietly, very stealth-mode, and something we hope a lot of you will like. Most of the people at MechaWorks don’t even know what it is… only that we haven’t been goofing off when we delegate all of our duties away. We’re announcing it in early September as well, and we’ll have a lot of details about that shortly.

We figured we’d announce that we’re announcing something, since, well, we’re in the news business… we know how stuff leaks out.

P.S. MechaWorks will have a new homepage soon. Blog isn’t going anywhere… just moving to a tab on the front page.

After six years of being on the web, MechaWorks is finally going social.

The focus for this event will be on WordPress, the software that powers the core of all MechaWorks sites. We’re hosting the first Silicon Valley WordPress meetup, and we hope to make it a recurring thing. It’s one way we can help give back to the technology that has helped us grow so much, over the past couple of years.

But, even if you aren’t WP-Savvy, don’t let that stop you from showing up! Your fearless CEO and Editor-in-Chief will be there, and we’ll also be taking a brief bit of time to show off all the job openings that we have, as well as a few details about cool new stuff MechaWorks is working on. It’s open-ended, a way to get bloggers out from under their computer desks… but generally about great technology.

Oh, and of course, free coffee for everyone that shows up. Coffee is just as important to us at MechaWorks, just like any other technology that keeps us awake.

The meetup will take place Sunday, July 19 from 3 to 5 PM, at Red Rock Coffee in Mountain View. Seating there is limited, but if we fill up fast we can move the event somewhere else nearby.

Since we are on the theme of WordPress for this event, if you’ve got some great blog, or just a cool way WordPress makes your life better… drop us an email and we’ll see if we can fit in some showcasing.

Please do RSVP for the event, at the link below. Red Rock has a capacity of just under 60 people, so we do need to know how many to expect.

MechaWorks.local Meetup 01 – Silicon Valley WordPress Meetup + Coffee

Today, we’re taking the wraps off of PhoneCashback.net.

PhoneCashback.net is a major expansion to our existing cashback offerings, which we introduced last year on PhoneNews.com. The new service will expand to cover all national carriers. While other sites tell you what plan is right for you, PhoneCashback.net focuses on actually saving you money through the entire process.

Customers can chose any phone and plan, including prepaid options. The cashback is redeemed by completing a simple form after checking out from the wireless service provider. Customers can save up to $30 instantly off the price of each new line of service. Even customers simply upgrading their phone can save even more by visiting PhoneCashback.net first.

The service is currently in a short soft launch cycle. Additional price-matching tools will be deployed shortly, thus allowing consumers to quickly price-match various online retailers, and then get cashback off of the lowest price. The service already supports direct sales from the major carriers. Finally, the service will also add support for Sprint Nextel phones on July 14th.