Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment has joined forces with tech whiz John Boucard of Infinite Machines, LLC to introduce a new line of high tech gizmos and toys targeting tweens, collectors, comic book fans and gaming fanatics.  Utilizing Boucard's Footnote technology, POW! and Infinite Machines will soon introduce POWER PATROL, a new line of digital jewelry and wearables capable of storing and actually transferring digital super powers attained in a secret online game to a set of Power Patrol Rings that can be worn by fans wishing to emulate superheroes or super villains.  The electronic rings can transfer data back and forth from ring to ring, thus unlocking new powers, games, points and missions for the player or players. 

The Power Patrol Rings interact with the Power Patrol Website, which can only be secretly accessed by those possessing rings or recruited by a member of Power Patrol.  Ring-wearers playing the game can wirelessly receive and activate 'secret missions' from Stan Lee himself, and these missions could be digitally embedded in everything from trading cards, internet Websites, movie theaters, posters, fast food outlets or even in a DVD.  In addition to the Power Rings, the two companies are developing various other interactive products including posters, comic books, and action figures.

Although the initial press release does not provide a clear look at the business model for this venture, there appear to be numerous ways for the two companies to cash in while avoiding the highly competitive and increasingly crowded massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) marketplace.  By luring players to a fast food franchise to pick up extra powers and by charging for the gizmos and allowing potential players to play for free, the Power Patrol initiative could both create revenue and find favor with tweens -- certainly the concept of a ring with magical powers has a lot of resonance with both comic book and fantasy fans.