среда, 29 февраля 2012 г.
FED:States to commit more mental health funds
AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2011
FED:States to commit more mental health funds
Mental health experts believe the states and territories will cough up more cash for
early intervention programs following a leaders' meeting in Canberra.
It's also expected that COAG will announce a timeframe for establishing a new 32 million
dollar national mental health commission and a 10-year reform roadmap.
Both were flagged in this year's federal budget and could be up and running by the
end of the year.
Former Australian of the year PATRICK MCGORRY says following the GILLARD government's
first payment on mental health in the May budget it's now up to the states and territories
to get on board.
AAP RTV jcd/pjo/nap
KEYWORD: COAG MENTAL (CANBERRA)
� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
NSW: Dumped candidate says he has paid the ultimate price
AAP General News (Australia)
02-23-2007
NSW: Dumped candidate says he has paid the ultimate price
SYDNEY, Feb 23 AAP - A NSW Liberal Party candidate dumped for sending a smutty joke
text message says his reputation has been smeared by a personal attack from people he
thought were friends.
Brenton Pavier was yesterday disendorsed as Liberal candidate for the NSW Central Coast
seat of Wyong after party leader Peter Debnam became aware of the text message.
According to Fairfax newspaper reports, the message, which Mr Pavier sent to friends
around Christmas, apparently said: "The video you have ordered about how to have sex with
men with …
NSW:Man critical after potato gun discharges
AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2011
NSW:Man critical after potato gun discharges
SYDNEY, April 23 AAP - A man is in a critical condition after being shot in the head
with a potato gun in a forest in central western NSW.
The 24-year-old man was camping with friends in Gurnang State Forest, south of Oberon,
when a potato gun discharged, striking him in the head about 2am (AEST) on Saturday, police
said.
The man was airlifted to Westmead hospital in a critical condition.
Police are investigating the incident.
The air-pressurised gun is designed to shoot potatoes and other projectiles.
AAP bc/ajw
KEYWORD: CAMPING
� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
--Easy Voyage grabs land Germany, UK
Internet Business News
02-03-2011
--Easy Voyage grabs land Germany, UK
INTERNET BUSINESS NEWS-(C)1995-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS
3 February 2011 - France-based online travel agency Easy Voyage announced today the acquisition of British and German price comparison websites DealChecker and TravelJungle and UK marketing agency FSI Travel for some EUR10m (USD13.6m) in total.
Easy Voyage eyes a revenue of EUR32m in 2011, against EUR17.5m in 2010 and hopes to boost its audience to 6m unique visitors from the current 4m.
The company targets to rank second in Europe in its field after rival TripAdvisor, a unit of US Expedia (NASDAQ:EXPE).
Easy Voyage expects the volume of business generated through its sites to reach EUR1bn by 2012 and EUR1.5bn by 2014, versus EUR450m in 2010.
((Comments on this story may be sent to info@m2.com))
(Copyright M2 Communications, 2011)
FED:Gillard sorry for lost soldier=6
AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-2010
FED:Gillard sorry for lost soldier=6
Ms Gillard said there was "no advice" to suggest Australians were being specifically targeted.
AAP sld/sb/bwl
KEYWORD: AFGHAN AUST GILLARD 6 CANBERRA
� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
FED: Curtin Air Base re-opened for asylum seekers
AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2010
FED: Curtin Air Base re-opened for asylum seekers
By Cortlan Bennett
PERTH, April 18 AAP - The federal government will re-open a detention facility at WA's
Curtin Air Base in a bid to ease overcrowding and potential conflicts at Christmas Island.
Federal Immigration Minister Chris Evans on Sunday said the base, 40km southeast of
Derby in Western Australia's far north, would be readied immediately to hold 200-300 Sri
Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers whose applications for refugee status have been suspended.
"As a result of (last week's decision to suspend) applications for asylum seekers from
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, we'll be opening a new immigration facility at the Curtin Air
Base," Senator Evans said.
"Previously it's been used for this purpose and initially we'll be upgrading the facility
to accommodate that cohort of persons who have had their asylum claims suspended.
"We need to find an appropriate secure facility to deal with these asylum-seekers.
"I expect the centre to be operational following completion of the initial upgrade."
Senator Evans said the first group of asylum-seekers, who are subject to a three-month
suspension for Sri Lankans and a six-month suspension for Afghans, would be moved from
Christmas Island detention centre to Curtin as soon as the upgrades were finished.
Meanwhile, more asylum-seekers would be moved off Christmas Island to other detention
centres on the mainland to ease overcrowding at the north-west facility.
"We will be moving (60) single males on a positive pathway to the immigration centre
in Darwin," Senator Evans said.
"We're also moving off the island a group of unaccompanied minors - they'll be going
to the immigration facility at Port Augusta (South Australia)."
Senator Evans said "a couple of hundred or so" people would be moved off Christmas
Island "in the next week or two".
"We have had an increase in numbers, that has put pressure on us in terms of timeliness
of decision-making, just by weight of numbers," he said.
Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum-seekers moved to Curtin would remain there until the current
suspension of their claims was reviewed, according to Senator Evans, who did not rule
out them being granted refugee status later.
"We'll continue to process the people not subject to the suspension," her said.
Senator Evans said he did not know the final cost of expanding Curtin, but said it
would be "considerable".
"We will have to invest considerably in the centre," he said.
Initially, Curtin would be able to hold 200-300 asylum-seekers, Senator Evans said,
and would open "within weeks, rather than months".
AAP csb/it
KEYWORD: BOAT CURTIN UPDATE
2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
The main stories on today's 1700 ABC 702 news
AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2009
The main stories on today's 1700 ABC 702 news
SYDNEY, Dec 3 AAP - Main stories in today's 1700 ABC 702 news:
- Kristina Keneally or Frank Sartor are set to challenge NSW Premier Nathan Rees at
a caucus meeting tonight.
- Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the coalition won't finalise its policies until
the new year.
- An interest rate war has emerged between two of the major banks following this week's
rate rise.
- Former federal MP Bruce Baird has recommended new laws to protect international students
coming to Australia to study.
- Health authorities want people to take advantage of the free swine flu vaccine for
children before the next flu season.
- A woman whose bullying complaint caused former NSW minister Tony Stewart to be dumped
has been acquitted of assaulting her husband.
- New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has changed his mind and announced he'll attend
the Copenhagen climate change summit.
- Top US officials have begun selling President Barack Obama's new strategy in Afghanistan.
- The National Retailers Association says the latest sales figures show sales remain sluggish.
- FINANCE
- SPORT
AAP RTV wf
KEYWORD: MONITOR 1700 ABC 702
2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Vic: Medic hurt as four rescued from stricken yacht
AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2009
Vic: Medic hurt as four rescued from stricken yacht
MELBOURNE, April 26 AAP - A paramedic was injured as he helped winch four people to
safety from a stricken yacht in Bass Strait, off the Victorian coast.
Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the vessel had demasted in stormy weather
40 nautical miles (about 70km) off Orbost, in Victoria's far east.
Victoria has been lashed by a cold snap, with high winds and hail.
A MICA ambulance helicopter was called to the scene from the Latrobe Valley about 3.15pm
(AEST) on Sunday.
"Apparently the vessel was on its maiden voyage and the skipper built the yacht himself,"
Mr Mullen told AAP.
The four people aboard the yacht were aged between 30 and 65.
The paramedic was hurt as the fourth passenger was winched from the boat.
"He has somehow injured his leg. It doesn't appear to be fractured but it's very sore,"
Mr Mullen said.
The four yachties arrived at the East Sale RAAF base, near Sale, about 6.20pm.
They were transferred to hospital in Sale.
"They were all OK, but one has hypothermia," Mr Mullen said.
The paramedic will be taken to the Traralgon Hospital for treatment.
The departure point and destination of the yacht is not known.
AAP jrd/ht/
KEYWORD: YACHT
2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Vic: Australians spend up big the week before Christmas
AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2008
Vic: Australians spend up big the week before Christmas
Retailers around Australia are bracing themselves for the last minute Christmas rush
over the next few days .. as more than half of all shoppers complete their yuletide purchases.
Australian Retailers Association chief executive RICHARD EVANS says more than 60 per
cent of buyers leave their shopping to the last minute .. and the main culprits are men.
Mr EVANS says after a year of slow sales .. retailers are expecting shoppers to spend
more than 37 billion dollars this Christmas .. and hope to see some of the money rolling
in from the federal government's stimulus package.
AAP RTV md/wz/psm/
KEYWORD: XMAS SHOPS (MELBOURNE)
2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
WA
AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2008
WA:
The pilot and crewman of a Squirrel helicopter have had a lucky escape .. after their
chopper crashed near the West Australian mining town of Paraburdoo this morning.
Police say the chopper was carrying out surveying duties when a device it was towing
got tangled in the rear blades .. 15 kilometres west of the town.
The pilot and crew have no serious injuries.
AAP RTV jp/af/ibw
KEYWORD: CRASH (PERTH)
2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
FED: Warning of potential shift to use of killer drug
AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2008
FED: Warning of potential shift to use of killer drug
By Karlis Salna
CANBERRA, April 7 AAP - The death of a 20-year-old Canberra man from the illegal designer
drug PMA has raised concerns among doctors of a possible shift in drug use towards the
"more lethal" substance.
The man, who was recently admitted to Canberra's Calvary Hospital with a suspected
overdose of MDMA, died 10 days after ingesting paramethoxyamphetamine, which goes under
the street name PMA, Death or Dr Death, and which is often passed off as ecstasy.
He suffered kidney and liver failure as a result of taking the drug.
The death of the man, believed to be the first case of fatal PMA poisoning in the ACT,
has raised concerns of greater use of the dangerous substance because of reduced availability
of other recreational drugs.
Calvary Hospital's director of intensive care Paul Lamberth, in a letter to the Medical
Journal of Australia, warns the reduced availability of pseudoephedrine, used in the production
of other illegal drugs such as ice and speed, may encourage greater use of PMA.
Dr Lamberth said the use of pseudoephedrine in illicit methamphetamine manufacture
had been reduced as a result of retail restrictions under the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's
"pseudo watch" program, introduced in 2005.
"However, PMA is made from the readily available and unmonitored precursor, anethole,"
Dr Lamberth warns.
"A market shift in drug use towards the more lethal PMA because of reduced availability
of pseudoephedrine would be a cause for concern."
Dr Lamberth also warns that because PMA had a slower onset of action than MDMA, there
is a risk of additional doses being taken while users await the drug's effects.
The effects of PMA include an increase in energy, visual hallucinations, a general
change in consciousness, pupil dilation and increased blood and body temperature.
It can also increase blood pressure and pulse rate, cause laboured breathing, nausea
and vomiting as well as convulsions, coma and death.
There have been a number of highly-publicised deaths related to the drug in recent
years, including that of 20-year-old Sydney woman Annabel Catt, who died of a PMA overdose
after attending a concert in Sydney in 2007.
It is also reported that an Adelaide man and a Sydney teenager died after taking the
drug in October 2004.
Six people reportedly died after taking the drug in South Australia between September
1995 and January 1996.
AAP kms/rl/sp
KEYWORD: PMA
2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Qld: Lib leaders step aside
AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2007
Qld: Lib leaders step aside
BRISBANE, Dec 4 AAP - The Queensland Liberal Party has confirmed leader Bruce Flegg
and his deputy Mark McArdle have stepped aside to allow a vote on their replacements.
As the party's eight MPs continued to meet at a Brisbane hotel to discuss a standoff
over who will lead them to the next election, they released a statement confirming the
leadership positions had been declared vacant.
"It has been unanimously decided to declare all positions vacant for the Queensland
parliamentary Liberal team," the statement said.
"Today's discussion has been frank and open.
"Progress is being made and discussion will continue until a resolution is reached."
The meeting is expected to continue until 5pm (AEST) and resume in the morning if no
resolution is reached by that time.
AAP gd/pjo/cjh/cdh
KEYWORD: LIBERALS QLD FLEGG
2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Fed: Rupert Murdoch endorses Kevin Rudd as future PM
AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2007
Fed: Rupert Murdoch endorses Kevin Rudd as future PM
CANBERRA, April 21 AAP - Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch has endorsed Labor leader Kevin
Rudd, saying he would make a good Australian prime minister.
Mr Rudd met for a one-hour private meeting with Mr Murdoch at the News Corporation's
New York headquarters today but the meeting was extended when the pair decided to have
dinner together at a local restaurant.
Channel Seven reported that when asked if Mr Rudd would make a good prime minister,
Mr Murdoch replied "Oh, I'm sure."
Mr Murdoch has previously given his public support of world leaders who went on to
win their elections, including Britain's Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair and US President
George W. Bush.
He also has been a supporter of Prime Minister John Howard but would not say if Mr
Howard should step aside.
"We'll have to see and make a judgment at the end of the year," he said.
Mr Rudd will return to Australia on Monday from his first overseas visit as opposition leader.
Mr Rudd has met with US government officials and business leaders and yesterday addressed
the prestigious left-wing thinktank The Brookings Institution.
In his wide-ranging speech on the Australia-US alliance, Mr Rudd urged the United States
to ratify the Kyoto protocol and said the economic potential of the relationship with
China for both Australia and the US was great.
"Australia's challenge, therefore, as with the United States, is to maximise our common
economic interest with China while robustly asserting, both publicly and privately, our
continuing points of difference and disagreement," he said.
There are no more official meetings on Mr Rudd's agenda, but he is expected to meet
with a New York football team, the Magpies, in a social event tomorrow.
A spokesman for Mr Rudd confirmed that he would not meet with US Democrat candidates
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as suggested.
AAP sld/jt/bwl
KEYWORD: RUDD MURDOCH
2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Main stories in ABC's World Today
AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2006
Main stories in ABC's World Today
SYDNEY, Dec 20 AAP - Main stories in ABC's World Today:
* Victorian Court of Appeal orders Jack Thomas to stand trial for the second time on
terrorism-related charges. Decision based on statements he made to media outlets before
he was convicted on February 26. His convictions were quashed on the basis his statement
to police was made under duress, but the court today ruled his statements to the media
were voluntary and a basis for retrial. Likely he will remain on bail.
* Frenchman Willie Brigitte, who is suspected of planning terrorist attacks in Australia
may have been an even bigger player in the world of international terrorism. He will face
trial in France next year on charges of helping supply false identity documents used by
killers of Ahmad Shah Massood, an Afghan war chief fighting the Taliban who was murdered
just two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
* British government today vehemently rejecting an assessment by a leading thinktank
that's found Britain's decision to back the US-led war in Iraq was a terrible mistake
that seriously impaired the UK's ability to influence global policy. The analysis also
found the British government received very little from the Bush administration in return
for its support and Prime Minister Tony Blair had little influence over the US president.
Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer says what the Iraqi people think is the only
important consideration.
* Rallies being held across Australia against the decision not to charge a police officer
with the death in custody of a Palm Island man known as Mulrunji. Queensland Premier Peter
Beattie goes to face the angry island community later this afternoon and is expected to
make an announcement following legal advice about what he can do. Lawyer for Mulrunji's
family says they are entitled to justice, and wants a review by the NSW DPP.
AAP ajc/was
KEYWORD: MONITOR WORLD TODAY
2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
NSW: Oldfield to quit politics after being pushed to the brink
AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-2006
NSW: Oldfield to quit politics after being pushed to the brink
One Nation co-founder and independent New South Wales MP DAVID OLDFIELD says he's quitting
politics because it's bad for his health.
Mr OLDFIELD says he won't stand for re-election in March .. because politics has pushed
him to the brink mentally and physically.
He says politics is an ugly, ugly business .. which has made him put on weight .. drink
too much .. and lose sleep.
AAP RTV nr/wjf/psm/
KEYWORD: OLDFIELD (SYDNEY)
) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Second ex-NAB trader sentenced to jail
AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2006
Second ex-NAB trader sentenced to jail
By Jeff Turnbull
MELBOURNE, April 6 AAP - A second former National Australia Bank (NAB) foreign exchange
options dealer was handed a jail term today for his part in a $329 million unauthorised
trading scandal that rocked the bank two years ago.
Gianni Gray was sentenced to 16 months jail and was ordered to serve eight months,
before being released on good behaviour.
Gray had pleaded guilty to three charges of dishonestly using his position to gain
advantages for himself and others.
Victorian County Court Justice Geoff Chettle said Gray was involved in fictitious profits
totalling $178.56 million between September 2003 and January 2004.
Gray, 36, will join behind bars his former head of the trading desk, Luke Duffy, who
is serving a minimum 16 months on similar charges.
Two other traders, David Bullen and Vince Ficarra, have pleaded not guilty to falsely
inflating trading profit results and will go to trial on April 19.
Justice Chettle told Gray, of Port Melbourne, that he committed "a calculated and sophisticated
fraud" but had shown genuine remorse, had pleaded guilty and would give evidence later
this month against his two former colleagues.
He said Gray, who had been based in London, and the other traders, had hidden and camouflaged
the true trading position of the desk so as to avoid management scrutiny.
"You did it to protect your well paid job and falsely claim to the bank that you had
met your budget," Justice Chettle said.
Gray, who stood with his head bowed as the sentence was read out, had repaid a Stg36,000
($A80,000) bonus he received from NAB.
Justice Chettle said Gray had co-operated with the investigating authorities, including
the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC),
auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers and NAB.
"You made a statement in March to co-operate and give assistance when Mr Bullen and
Mr Ficarra come to trial," the judge said.
"You said Luke Duffy had proven to be a good team leader but as history shows he was
one of the worst risk managers ever."
He said Gray's plea of guilty and true remorse entitled him to a substantial reduction
in sentencing and he had excellent prospects of rehabilitation.
He said Gray was not the architect of the criminal scheme and was the least culpable.
Justice Chettle said if Gray, who has been working as a pizza maker and painter at
the Williamstown navy docks, had not co-operated he would have imposed a 26 month sentence
with a minimum 15 months to be served.
ASIC said the case demonstrated that employees who hold positions of trust and responsibility
will be held accountable for dishonest conduct, especially where both the employer and
shareholders are deceived.
The foreign exchange trading scandal, which cost NAB $326 million, triggered a clean-out
of the bank's management from the board level down.
AAP jxt/klm/sd
KEYWORD: NAB TRADER NIGHTLEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)
2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
понедельник, 27 февраля 2012 г.
France Telecom names new chief from inside
International Herald Tribune
03-01-2005
Didier Lombard, a senior executive at France Telecom, has been named to succeed Thierry Breton as chief executive, and the new leader will face two mammoth tasks: Pay down towering debt and secure the company's position as Europe's No. 2 operator in a fast-shifting telecommunications landscape. ''We will resolutely follow our strategy as an integrated operator,'' Lombard, 63, said in a statement posted on the company's Web site on Sunday, when the appointment was announced. Breton, 50, was named finance minister on Friday after a housing scandal engulfed, then toppled, his predecessor, Herve Gaymard, 44. Breton is widely credited with bringing France Telecom, the centerpiece of France's privatization project, back from the brink of collapse. His earlier-than-expected departure still could stir anxiety among investors about the company's priorities and Lombard moved swiftly late Sunday evening to assuage any jitters. Lombard, until Sunday senior executive vice president for technologies and strategic partnerships, vowed to ''continue to follow the path of operational excellence while respecting our financial commitments.'' Analysts said France Telecom's board had opted for continuity by appointing Lombard, a mentor to Breton and a mastermind behind France Telecom's turnaround. ''Lombard and Breton have been an effective duo and Lombard should continue the existing strategy focused on innovation and transformation,'' said Lars Godell, principal analyst for European telecommunications at Forrester Research. ''The board seems to have made a decision based on expertise and not just politics, which is always a danger in France.'' Lombard is an engineer and his technical background dovetails with France's current focus on embracing risk and promoting growth. Lombard also served for a decade in government, where his ties could ease France Telecom's relations with unions as well as help the company to win favorable tariffs. Breton, who was in charge at France Telecom for two and a half years, is widely credited with turning around the company's fortunes after a liquidity crisis in 2002 that was triggered by the stock market's downturn but rooted in an acquisition spree under Michel Bon, the former chief executive. A key part of Breton's strategy has been overhauling a complacent corporate culture by offering incentives to researchers to produce new technologies and encouraging executives from Wanadoo, the company's Internet unit, and Orange, the mobile unit, to collaborate. Breton cut the company's debt by 28 billion, or $37 billion, and returned it to profit after it notched up a loss of 20.7 billion a French record in 2002. Profit last year was 2.8 billion, down from 3.2 billion in 2003. Breton also oversaw a partial privatization that brought the government's holding below 50 percent for the first time. But financial analysts warn that the company is only two years into an ambitious three-year restructuring plan and that it is too early to tell how well France Telecom has weathered the recent crises or if the company has the right formula to sustain profitability. ''France Telecom has come a long way in dealing with some of its most daunting internal problems,'' said Marc Laporte, general manager for technology consultants IDC in France. ''Now everyone's watching whether France Telecom continues its aggressive innovation and how it will compete across Europe.'' A spokesman said Sunday evening that France Telecom would set new targets until 2008 during the first half of this year. France Telecom was the world's most heavily indebted company when Breton took the helm. Since then, the company has sold some assets, integrated others, raised cash and cut costs. Its debt stood at about 44 billion at the end of 2004, down from a high of over 70 billion. Breton's tenure cheered shareholders, who saw their stock more than triple in value. The shares traded in Paris down 19 cents early on Monday, at 23.03.
2005 Copyright International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com
Leading International Marketing and Software Developer for the Wellness Industry Engages Fusion Labs for New Product Web Infrastructure.
Living Naturally LLC. has contracted with Fusion Laboratories Inc. to provide Internet provisioning and hardware management services. Fusion Labs will be assisting Living Naturally with their IT infrastructure that will support their new product roll-out our expansion of their recently completed web based solution set.
"We see this as a very strategic relationship. Fusion Labs is a true end- to-end technology partner that can provide a real mission critical environment for our applications," Glenn Field, Chief Executive Officer, Living Naturally remarked. "As we continue to grow our organization, issues like high end web security and disaster recovery are key requirements. Fusion Lab's investment in equipment, processes and technologies ensure that our infrastructure will be secure, reliable, and scalable. Additionally, this alliance expands the landscape of our solution set to offer turnkey management of our supply side partner's existing IT infrastructures," Mr. Field concluded.
"We are excited to be rolling out our new products to the industry on the Fusion Lab hosting platform. Living Naturally's growing business requires not only a Service Provider with flexible, secure collocation and hosting capabilities but also one that can provide hardware, software, network services and provisioning capabilities -- Fusion Labs fits the bill," said Frank Brooks, Chief Technology Officer, Living Naturally.
"Living Naturally decided to utilize our combination of specialization and expertise to help them avoid extensive investments in technology, methodologies, and people. Fusion Labs is a good match for Living Naturally because we've worked with many clients facing similar challenges and know exactly what it takes to deliver on their expectations," commented Mark Hall, Chief Business Officer, Fusion Labs.
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Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Investor's Eye Column.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Apr. 25 -- What a confusing market!
For a couple of days, it looked as if investors had finally decided it was crazy to buy overpriced pharmaceutical, technology and Internet stocks. Instead, they gave manufacturing and other cyclical stocks a try. Then, after a few days of bargain hunting in manufacturing, energy and chemical stocks, investors returned to their old ways -- piling back into the stocks that have dominated the market for months.
Although investors cooled to cyclicals, they didn't abandon them. And since they've also been dabbling in long-neglected small-caps optimists have speculated that the market is becoming a less dangerous place for investors because more than a handful of stocks are getting some action.
But the move back to the old pattern of buying hot stocks regardless of their price is raising concern. Although some analysts suggest it's time for investors to throw some money into value and small-cap funds, the future is murky. Some don't think the market will really change until after a major correction.
"It's perplexing," says Claudia Mott, small-cap analyst for Prudential. "People are starting to spread their wings, and it looks like money is trickling down to small caps."
But she's guarded: "My concern is that this is another one of those head fakes." Even if it's not, she doesn't think this marks the beginning of a multiyear cycle in which small caps will outperform other stocks. "I think it's just a catch-up rally," she says, noting that the future may appear clearer after a couple of weeks.
Oakmark large-value fund manager Robert Sanborn, on the other hand, thinks "this last week marks the very beginning of a seismic shift" that will favor the value stocks he puts in his funds. However, he thinks the change will show up in fits and starts.
Sanborn, like other value fund managers, has had a rough time holding on to investors impatient with low-priced cyclical stocks. Value stocks have badly trailed growth stocks since 1994.
"People have been mindlessly buying what's previously gone up," Sanborn says. "They've been a group of lemmings." But he's so sure the trend is ending that he's been shorting Internet stocks. It hasn't worked for him so far, but he doesn't think he's the person taking chances with a risky strategy.
The people buying Internet and overvalued tech companies "have received a gift from God," says Sanborn. "They should be thankful and take this opportunity to sell and buy something else."
But information being digested by Wall Street is anything but clear.
Cyclical stocks like Caterpillar do well when the economy is strong. Obviously, if countries are in recessions, demand for products -- including those from the United States -- is down. When economic conditions improve, manufacturing picks up. So analysts are trying to determine whether Asia and Latin America are really on the mend.
Moody's analyst John Lonski said last Thursday that "perhaps the worst is over." Initial earnings reports for 1999's first quarter "hint of an improved performance for U.S. corporations," he said.
Lonski has sampled revenue reports from about 500 companies -- 37 percent of the market. In the sample group, sales from the last quarter have grown about 6.2 percent compared with the previous quarter's 2.2 percent.
"There are definitely signs that profits and revenues are on the upswing," he says. Yet, "in the end, corporate performance will probably not be as robust as our initial data indicates."
Deutsche Bank Chief Economist and Global Strategist Edward Yardeni is more skeptical. "Stock investors, who've aggressively bid up the stock prices of chemical, paper and aluminum companies in recent days, are making a leap of faith in a global industrial recovery that commodity traders are not yet willing to make," he says. "The United States is booming, but I expect continued weakness in Europe and Japan."
He also thinks global production is recovering more quickly than demand, so excess supply will continue to be deflationary in many markets.
In the meantime, while investors try to figure out if cyclicals are real bargains, warnings continue on the 10 giant companies that have been driving the rise in the Standard & Poor's 500.
Morgan Stanley analyst Byron Wein notes that the traditional measures analysts have used to determine fair stock prices have been discarded. "Book value, cash flow and even revenues have little relevance to the total value investors are willing to assign to a corporation," he says.
He uses IBM as an example. When he analyzed the high-fliers in the Standard & Poor's 500 on April 6, he found IBM ranking only 10th in the index even though it had once been the dominant stock in the index. Wein noted that recently America Online was ranking above IBM in market value. Investors were willing to pay a price 638 times America Online's earnings to own that stock. But they were only willing to pay 28 times IBM's earnings.
"Hardware capability is no longer what matters most," Wein notes. "Relative newcomers have pushed major industrial companies employing hundreds of thousands of people, with enormous asset bases far down the list."
In terms of revenue, General Motors is the second-largest company. Its sales totaled $154 billion in 1998, but investors didn't seem to value that as much as the potential of companies like America Online to someday make a lot of money. GM's market value ranks only 46th in the Standard & Poor's, far below AOL. The Internet company ranked ninth, despite sales of only $2.6 billion for 1998.
Since investors are valuing the high-fliers on the basis of future hopes rather than any current demonstration of earnings power, Wein says investors must "keep a watchful eye out for signs of competitive pressures."
Gail MarksJarvis' column, Investor's Eye, appears on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at gmarksjarvis@pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-5488.
Visit PioneerPlanet, the World Wide Web site of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, at http://www.pioneerplanet.com
воскресенье, 26 февраля 2012 г.
Over 500 Attendance at Chicago's First ASP Conference Signals Intensifying Interest in Web Enabled Services.
Business Editors
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2000
Braving the season's first bona fide blast of winter, over 550 members of Chicago's high tech community were warmed by enthusiastic industry leaders gathered to address dramatic changes facing the software industry.
The January 20th conference at the Hyatt Regency Chicago was the Chicago Software Association's (CSA) first event of 2000. Sponsored by Geneer and Exodus Communications, the conference -- tagged &uot;Software Breaks out of the Box: Transforming an Industry&uot; -- was designed to educate regional technology companies on the challenges of a market shifting quickly from a product-based to an ASP (Application Service Provider) or web-based e-Services model.
Speakers at the event represented vendors supporting the ASP market (including FutureLink, Citrix Systems, Data Return, Storage Networks, and USinternetworking), as well as pioneering companies already delivering e-Services (Bank One, Oracle BOL, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards, and Orbit Commerce). A keynote address from Peter Boit, Vice President of Microsoft's eCommerce Business Solutions Group, reinforced Microsoft's support of the ASP model. Topics addressed covered both business and technology issues and included strategic partnering, service level agreements, billing approaches, client care, leveraging current software investments, scalability, and security.
Ken Pedersen, Vice President of Strategy for Geneer, noted that, &uot;Last year, IDC predicted that 1999 would be the year of the 'new Internet'. From what we've seen at this conference, it's obvious that we're in the midst of a major transformation. With all the press about ASP and software delivered as a service, some companies may think they're already late with their own plan. Well, not true. This market is still in its infancy. At Geneer, we're so convinced that this is the future of software that we've made built-to-order design, development, and hosting of ASP-ready applications the heart of our business.&uot;
The Chicago Software Association, www.csa.org, is a regional association dedicated to fostering collaboration within the software and IT community, promoting the information technology environment, and influencing public policy. The CSA includes all of Illinois and a 150 mile radius around Chicago (including southern Wisconsin, SW Michigan, and Northern Indiana), and is a private, not-for-profit 501(c) 4 corporation.
Established in 1984, Geneer, www.geneer.com, is a pioneer in the development of built-to-order, business-to-business web-based services. Serving the Internet technology needs of vertical marketing entrepreneurs and product management executives in start-ups to Fortune 100 companies, Geneer is a rapidly growing, 150-person Internet Professional Services firm with production and consulting operations in its suburban Chicago campus headquarters. Geneer's client base includes AT&, Dow AgroSciences, Celarix.com, e-merge.com., Appointments1-2-3.com, Lucent Technologies, AC Nielsen, Omron Electronics, and Boeing Corporation.
Full Sail University Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for New On-Campus Educational Facility.
Winter Park, FL (PRWEB) July 23, 2011
On Friday, July 22, 2011, Full Sail University held a groundbreaking event to celebrate the start of construction on the university's latest on-campus facility, an 86,000+ square foot design-build project. Full Sail President Garry Jones was joined on stage by Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, and also in attendance were Florida State Senator Thad Altman, City of Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley, Winter Park City Commissioner Steve Leary and representatives from the firms involved in the project's design and execution.
The modern, two-story educational complex will house 475 faculty and staff as well as add additional film/television soundstages and classrooms to the university's 191+ acre, 110+ studio campus. With an expected completion date of Spring 2012, the facility will complement the university's January 2011 expansion into the Gateway Center in downtown Orlando where 200+ Full Sail online administration and support team members occupy the building's tenth floor.
"I'm amazed at how Full Sail has blossomed over the past 30 years to become an education Mecca where students from all over the world turn their passion for entertainment media into a career," said Mayor Jacobs.
Through a design-build process, Full Sail collaborated with LAMM & Company Partners and Blankenship Architects, Inc. to renovate and expand a former Albertson's grocery store, left vacant during Albertson's 2009 downsizing. Included in the $10+ million dollar project is the renovation of the building's facade that will feature 309 linear feet of blue glass which, according to Stella Posada, Full Sail's Senior Vice President of Image, Design and Development, will "merge the cohesive color palette that is found throughout the campus."
"I congratulate Full Sail on the kickoff to their new construction project and commend the institution's leadership for their $10+ million investment in this facility," said Florida Governor Rick Scott. "The ability for one of Florida's finest institutions to expand is a direct result of student demand for leading post-secondary education such as the type offered by Full Sail.
As a result of that demand, the institution has hired nearly 450 faculty and staff since January 2010 and their additional projected need for 550 employees over the next 18 months is impressive from an economic development standpoint for Florida; and, it is a testament to the institution's international brand and appeal," added Governor Scott.
About Full Sail University:
Since 1979, Full Sail University has been an innovative educational leader for those pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. With over 34,500 alumni, graduate credits include work on OSCAR(R), Emmy(R) and GRAMMY(R)-winning projects, best-selling video games, and #1 grossing U.S. concert tours. Full Sail's 191-acre campus and online education platform proudly welcomes over 13,000 students from 50 states and 49 countries. Full Sail currently offers a total of 37 Associate, Bachelor, and Master campus degree and online degree programs including: Computer Animation, Creative Writing for Entertainment, Digital Arts & Design, Digital Cinematography, Education Media Design & Technology, Entertainment Business, Film, Game Art, Game Design, Game Development, Graphic Design, Internet Marketing, Media Design, Mobile Development, Music Business, Music Production, New Media Journalism, Recording Arts, Recording Engineering, Show Production, Sports Marketing & Media, and Web Design & Development. Full Sail received the 21st Century Best Practices in Distance Learning Award from the United States Distance Learning Association; was named the 2008 "School/College of the Year" by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges; The Harvard of Game Schools by Tips & Tricks Magazine; one of the Top Five Game Degree Programs in the world by Electronic Gaming Monthly; one of the Best Music Programs in the country by Rolling Stone Magazine; and one of the Best Film Programs in the country by UNleashed Magazine.
For more information about Full Sail, please visit http://www.fullsail.edu
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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/7/prweb8665027.htm
Swiss SRG's general director calls for co-operation in Internet advertising - report.
(ADPnews) - Jun 27, 2011 - Roger de Weck, general director of Swiss broadcasting corporation SRG SSR, called Swiss media houses to co-operate in Internet advertising, he told Swiss papers Tages-Anzeiger and Bund.
According to Weck, this is the only way for companies to face global players such as Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Facebook.
If SRG weakens, Swiss private publishing houses will not get any stronger, Weck said. Google and Facebook have a share of 70% in the online advertising market.
Gambling problem exposed as access grows.
A new paper by University of Calgary psychologist Dr. David Hodgins says the proliferation of gambling opportunities around the world, particularly online, is increasing the visibility of gambling disorders and giving access to people who previously had no exposure to gambling opportunities.
Hodgins, head of the university's Addictive Behaviours Laboratory, says gambling disorders are often found in conjunction with other mental health and substance-abuse disorders. In an online version of the medical journal, The Lancet, Hodgins says the study of problem gambling is relatively recent and further understanding is needed to find root causes and treatment implications.
"Most of our progress in recognizing and understanding gambling disorders has been made in the past 25 years," says Hodgins. "Our knowledge continues to evolve in parallel with a burgeoning availability of gambling opportunities. Internet gambling, for example, is providing around-the-clock home access to several types of gambling activities to an increasing number of people around the world."
The prevalence of gambling disorders worldwide is highly variable, ranging from 1 in 500 people in Norway to as high as 1 in 20 people in Hong Kong. In the USA, about one per cent of the population are pathological gamblers, with a further one to two per cent categorized as problem gamblers.
Gambling problems are often accompanied by other conditions. Pathological gamblers have a four-times increased risk of alcohol abuse and up to six-times increased risk of drug abuse; and also a four-times increased risk of having some kind of mood disorder.
Research suggests that a number of centres in the brain are implicit in gambling disorders, including learning and reward centres. Genetic factors also play a part, with evidence from twin studies suggesting some level of shared risk between identical twins. And environmental factors are clearly part of the risk, including accessibility to gambling, location and type of establishment. Childhood exposure to gambling through parents with a gambling addiction of some level also affects gambling behavior later in life.
Due mainly to shame, denial, and a desire to handle the problem themselves, only one in 10 problem gamblers seeks treatment. Surveys suggest around a third of problem gamblers recover during their lifetime, and that the disorder is transient and episodic in many cases. Many gamblers chose to self-help by doing time-consuming activities incompatible with gambling, and avoiding gambling venues and exposure to temptations.
For those who do seek treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy has proven to be about 60 per cent more effective then no treatment at all. This focuses on modifying distorted perceptions associated with gambling, including overestimating probabilities of winning, illusions of control over the outcome of a gamble, the belief that a win is due after a series of losses (the gambler's fallacy), and memory biases in favour of remembering wins.
No drugs are currently approved anywhere for treatment of gambling disorders, however there have been numerous trials. Testing of drugs used mainly in alcohol and heroin addiction have been show to help reduce the intensity of gambling urges, thoughts and behaviour.
Other interventions, such as Gamblers Anonymous, promote a sense of common purpose and understanding to reinforce abstinence. However, some studies have suggested that adherence to such sessions, can be poor, as can the outcomes. Family therapy, in which close family members are helped to give interventions to their loves ones, can have positive effects but can also be difficult to administer without the direct help of a therapist.
"While substantial progress has already been made, the increased visibility and awareness into gambling disorders is likely to encourage more innovative research in the field and hopefully better treatment," says Hodgins.
Keywords: Addiction Medicine, Asia, China, Hong Kong, Mental Health, Pediatrics, University of Calgary.
This article was prepared by NewsRx Health & Science editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, NewsRx Health & Science via VerticalNews.com.
Apple's iPad 2 Tops Consumer Reports' Tablet Ratings.
After almost a year in which the Apple iPad has been virtually the only game in town in tablet computers, some serious competitors are finally hitting the market. Yet in Consumer Reports latest tests of the 10 most-promising tablet computers, the Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi and 3G topped the Ratings. The full report including Ratings of tablets is available at www.ConsumerReports.org.
In Consumer Reports lab tests, the Motorola Xoom revealed itself as the iPad 2's chief rival. Like the iPad 2, the Xoom boasts a 10-inch screen but adds conveniences that the iPad lacks, including a built-in memory card reader and support for the Flash videos and animations found on many Web sites.
"So far, Apple is leading the tablet market in both quality and price, which is unusual for a company whose products are usually premium priced," said Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor at Consumer Reports. "However, it's likely we'll see more competitive pricing in tablets as other models begin to hit the market."
Consumer Reports tested tablets from Archos, Dell, Motorola, Samsung, and ViewSonic, as well as several models from Apple. Each tablet was evaluated on 17 criteria, including touch-screen responsiveness, versatility, portability, screen glare, and ease of use, and testers found several models that outperformed the rest. The Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi plus 3G (32G), $730, topped the Ratings, scoring Excellent in nearly every category. The first-generation iPad, $580, also outscored many of the other models tested but tied with the Motorola Xoom, $800.
The largest gap in performance among the 10 tested tablets was evident in Consumer Reports' battery-life test, measured by playing the same video clip continually on each tablet and timing how long it played until the battery ran down. The top-scoring iPad 2 lasted 12.2 hours, but the lowest-rated tablet, the Archos 70 Internet Tablet, $270, lasted just 3.8 hours.
Keywords: Electronics.
This article was prepared by Electronics Business Journal editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Electronics Business Journal via VerticalNews.com.
суббота, 25 февраля 2012 г.
NetLine, the Largest B2B Content Syndication Network, Launches Powerful New iPad App.
TradePub.com's Free Business Information & Resources Library Application to Feature Exclusive Content
LOS GATOS, Calif., April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NetLine Corporation, one of the foremost global business lead generation providers, has expanded its mobile content syndication network with the release of its new TradePub.com application for the Apple iPad.
TradePub.com, a division of NetLine, provides free valuable business content for hundreds of industries, including analyst reports, whitepapers, eBooks, trade publications, webinars, tutorials and more. The new mobile app allows users to select and download PDFs directly to their iPad, allowing them to save and read them at their convenience.
"This is a huge step forward for our mobile users. We're thrilled to offer them so much compelling content for free in such a convenient and easy-to-navigate environment," said David Fortino, Vice-President of Audience Development for NetLine. "The addition of offline PDF viewing is of particular importance for professionals on the go."
Partnering with Oracle Corporation (Nasdaq: ORCL), NetLine's TradePub.com iPad sponsorship will enable new iPad users to have exclusive access to contextually relevant Oracle business content.
NetLine offers the lead gen industry's most comprehensive lifecycle customer acquisition platform, integrating e-mail, internet, and social media, and continues to expand its applications for mobile users, giving them broader access to content anywhere, anytime. In July 2009, NetLine partnered with Research in Motion's Viigo business unit to provide the first business content syndication on the Blackberry Smartphone platform. In February 2011, the TradePub.com iPhone app was launched. Android and Windows 7 platforms will soon be released.
"With our newest TradePub.com application for the iPad, NetLine can now reach and captivate an extensive new audience segment, and continue to expand our clients' success beyond the traditional web," said Robert Alvin, CEO and Chairman of NetLine.
About NetLine Corporation
Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, privately-held NetLine Corporation is the industry's premier B2B lead generation provider, with the most comprehensive lifecycle customer acquisition platform. Designed to improve sales performance, NetLine's global reach and quality leads has attracted clients such as Hewlett Packard, Arrow, Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Oracle, VeriSign, SAP and IBM. More information is available at NetLine.com or 408-340-2200.
NetLine and Tradepub.com are trademarks of NetLine Corporation. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE NetLine Corporation
Microsoft 'evaluating Yahoo offer'.
Byline: San Francisco
(Image: yahoo.gif )
Microsoft Corporation is evaluating its offer for Yahoo in light of worsening market conditions, a person familiar with the matter said.
Microsoft has been repeatedly trying to engage Yahoo's board in discussions, the person said.
But the market has deteriorated and changes in Yahoo's business may have dragged down its value below what it was when Microsoft made its $44.6 billion bid for the Internet company on January 31, this person said. The offer is currently worth about $42 billion.- Reuters
[c] Copyright 2007 www.tradearabia.com
Copyright 2008 Al Hilal Publishing & Marketing Group
Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
Continental bracing for name change. (Continental Cablevision Inc.)
Continental Cablevision Inc. will officially change its name to MediaOne in mid-May, and embark on an extensive, multimillion-dollar rebranding campaign.
But, branding experts warn, the cable operator, which was acquired last year by U S West Media Group, has to proceed cautiously and make sure that the benefits of the new company are carefully articulated in a meticulously orchestrated campaign, while at the same time minimizing any losses in brand equity from the old name.
Continental and U S West executives maintained that the downside to the name change will be minimal, and that they will be offset by the benefits of touting a full-service telecommunications company offering a wide array of products, including high-speed-data delivery and telephony.
Jim Schirmer, an 18-year marketing veteran at U S West who has just been named director of brand strategy for U S West Media Group, summed up the repositioning strategy as "a new kind of company offering new kinds of products," such as high-speed Internet access. The benefits include being a "competitive barrier" that would make it difficult for new competitors to come in and steal customers.
But consultants warned that change may unsettle some subscribers, confuse others and even raise their suspicions.
"A name change signals major change," said Clive Chajet, chairman of Chajet Consultancy, a corporate, brand-identity and image-consultancy company based in New York. "If the customer is satisfied, the notion of change is not necessarily good."
"With a cable company, when customers think change, they think bad. Their first reaction is 'Uh-oh, what is the cable company doing?'" said Neil Rosenblum, regional sales director for First Marketing Co., a Pompano Beach, Fla., firm that specializes in producing newsletters for cable systems.
Another warning comes from Alan Bergstrom, president of Atlanta-based brand-consulting firm The Brand Consultancy, who noted that not all brands travel well.
Bergstrom, who thinks the public may find the MediaOne name "too cute," said certain brands don't have the public's "permission" to go beyond the area of expertise that they're identified with, citing the unsuccessful attempt by Levi's to go beyond leisure clothes and sell suits.
"It's not a given," he said, that a cable company can transform itself into a broad-based telecommunications company.
"Telephone companies have a lot of permission to do different things. Cable doesn't have that permission," Bergstrom said.
The irony, of course, is that U S West is a telephone company, and it has already gone through a rebranding process in Atlanta, where the Prime Cable TV system that it acquired there several years ago was renamed MediaOne.
Richard Guha, Continental's senior vice president of marketing, said the re-branding will be a "hard launch," with sweeping changes overnight accompanied by a full-fledged campaign, driven by ads in a variety of media and direct-mail pieces.
"We're going to let people know that we're not a cable company anymore," Guha said. "We have to make it clear that we're going to be a new kind of company, an outstanding service provider and competitive in new fields, positioning ourselves beyond video."
The downside risks, he said, were "fairly limited."
Guha's predecessor, Frederick Livingston, agreed, noting that a name change had been in the works for years, even before the U S West acquisition. While Continental had been a respected name in the industry, he said, consumer research indicated that the public didn't differentiate the Continental name from that of other, less-service-oriented cable companies.
And Livingston added that Continental "never spent a lot of money to establish the brand in the media. A name change like this is not going to be inexpensive, but they're going to be able to spend 20 or 50 times more than had been available previously."
The name change does carry risks of confusing customers, especially if U S West botches the operational tasks, Schirmer conceded.
"If [the repositioning] isn't managed properly," he said, "you shoot yourself in the foot."
The key to success, he said, would be to have consumers make a "cognitive linkage with the company, as well as an emotional linkage." He cited Nike and Harley-Davidson as examples of brands that have been able to forge a strong emotional bond with customers.
Outside branding consultants said Continental could, in fact, make the transition to MediaOne smoothly, provided that they addressed key consumer concerns:
* Continental must successfully explain the benefits of the name change to consumers and reassure consumers that they would be better off under a newly positioned company. To do this, Chajet said, it was important for "every single message in the campaign to reinforce the basic image of the new company," using what he termed "image management" and coordination.
* The MSO must explain not only why the change is taking place and why it will be good for consumers, but it must articulate what the move won't do for them.
"You can't be basic enough," Rosenblum said. "Tell them it won't change their pricing, it won't take away what they've already got, and they'll get the same bill they've been getting. And stress that they'll still be the customers' local company, not a division of some far-off, giant corporation."
Schirmer acknowledged that the name change may result in a "bumpy road" for the short-term.
But in the long run, he said, "the synergies in the business brand will create a higher order of value, and that's a message we can take to Wall Street, as well as to our customers."
AT&T and Starbucks Begin Nationwide Wi-Fi Rollout.
AT&T Wi-Fi Service to Be Available Soon in U.S. Company-Operated Starbucks Locations With a Wireless Hot Spot; San Antonio Stores First to Deliver Complete AT&T Experience
SAN ANTONIO, Texas and SEATTLE, Wash., April 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. and Starbucks today announced the beginning of the rollout of AT&T Wi-Fi(SM) service at company-operated Starbucks stores, kicking off a nationwide effort that will continue through 2008. At the 2008 AT&T Inc. Annual Meeting of Stockholders in San Antonio, chairman and chief executive officer Randall Stephenson announced that the companies have already started the deployment of AT&T Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations in San Antonio, making it the first market to deliver the complete AT&T Wi-Fi experience in the U.S.
Also, as of May 1, qualifying AT&T high speed Internet and Wi-Fi customers will have complimentary Wi-Fi access at more than 7,000 Starbucks locations nationwide. For millions of AT&T customers, that means more speed in more places -- and for free -- is on its way.
"With the power of our Wi-Fi network, and through our partnership with Starbucks, we're strengthening our ability to meet the needs of today's mobile consumer virtually anywhere and everywhere," Stephenson said. "Expanding our reach across company-operated Starbucks locations nationwide helps us bridge the gap between our wired and wireless offerings and affirms AT&T's commitment to connect people with their worlds, everywhere they live and work."
"We continue to build on the experience we know our customers expect from us," said Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer, Starbucks. "By partnering with AT&T as our U.S. Wi-Fi provider we aim to deliver a better value, greater convenience and seamless connectivity in a mobility centric world to our customers."
As of May 1, qualifying AT&T customers can connect to the Internet from Wi-Fi enabled company-operated Starbucks locations nationwide by simply selecting "ATTWiFi" after powering up their computers. Free AT&T Wi-Fi service is currently offered with AT&T's three higher-speed residential broadband packages, all small business broadband packages and with all AT&T U-verse(SM) offerings with high speed Internet service.
For other customers, AT&T Wi-Fi service will reach company-operated Starbucks locations on a market-by-market basis throughout the year. The experience will include a mix of free and paid connection options for both frequent and occasional Wi-Fi users and qualifying Starbucks customers. Once AT&T Wi-Fi service is available, customers will be able to shop and surf both Starbucks' and AT&T's respective home pages for products and services.
The initiative brings together two of the most recognizable global brands to create a powerful and convenient online experience for consumers and business customers. The San Antonio launch delivers on the companies' joint commitment to begin the rollout of AT&T Wi-Fi service this spring.
AT&T is the nation's largest Wi-Fi provider.(1) In addition to offering access from more than 17,000 hot spots in the United States, the company provides Wi-Fi access from more than 71,000 hot spots around the world, including roaming locations.
(1) Based on nonmunicipal hot spots available to AT&T customers About AT&T
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/.
(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Note: This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.
About Starbucks Coffee Company
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world. Today, with nearly 16,000 stores and more than 170,000 partners (employees) in 44 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at http://www.starbucks.com/.
CONTACT: Joe Izbrand of AT&T Inc., +1-210-351-2487, ji3746@att.com; or Sanja Gould of Starbucks Coffee Company, +1-206-318-7100, press@starbucks.com
Web site: http://www.att.com/ http://www.starbucks.com/
пятница, 24 февраля 2012 г.
Sex crime registry is expanded: Highway patrol puts offenders' ages, searchable maps on Web.
Byline: Janese Heavin
Oct. 24--An expanded online database now lets the public see not only the name and home address of a registered sex offender, but also where the offender works, what he drives and a detailed physical description.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol updated its online sex offender registry as a result of legislation passed earlier this year that allows the public to have more information about those convicted of felony sex offenses.
"It's a great improvement," said Gov. Matt Blunt, who announced the changes yesterday at highway patrol headquarters in Jefferson City. "It's a more powerful tool for Missouri parents. ... I've used the registry myself as a parent."
The new offender registry includes maps that allow viewers to see offenders who live within 1,000 feet to five miles of an address. There's also more information about the offense, including the gender and age of the victim.
Listing the victim's age should help parents differentiate between different types of offenders, Boone County Sheriff's Detective Andrea Luntsford said.
"The guy who has broken into a home and forcibly raped a child is different than the guy who had sex with his high school girlfriend," she said.
Luntsford said she'd like to see Missouri adopt a tiered system that would classify offenders by the nature of their crimes. In other states, sexual predators are considered a level three, while a level-one offender has been convicted of crimes such as consensual statutory rape.
With the state's updated Web site, more parents might discover that offenders live near them. Those who do will have to decide for themselves how to handle that knowledge, Luntsford said. She tells parents to listen to "their little voices."
"I've had calls from parents who are very upset" if they find out an offender has moved into their neighborhoods, Luntsford said. "I tell them to listen to their inner voice. If they want to walk their kid to the bus, do. ... We want folks to be aware and, if they have age-appropriate children, make them aware. We should be vigilant anyway."
Last Halloween, Luntsford said, one Boone County neighborhood posted fliers warning trick-or-treaters not to go to an offender's home. Warning others of an offender's whereabouts is legal as long as the information included is accurate and already public, she said.
More than 10,000 Missourians are on the state's sex offender registry, including 256 Boone County residents and 132 who live in Columbia.
Blunt also announced yesterday a new telephone number that those without Internet access can call to find out if offenders are in their neighborhoods. Highway patrol employees will field phone calls to the toll-free number -- (888) 767-6747 -- between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Copyright (c) 2006, Columbia Daily Tribune, Mo.
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MELBOURNE IT BOOSTS HALF YEAR PROFIT FIGURES.
MELBOURNE, Aug 22 Asia Pulse - Domain name and internet services provider Melbourne IT Ltd has boosted its half year profit figures and says it expects to do even better in the second half.
Melbourne IT today posted a half year net profit of $A2.18 million ($US1.64 million), up 19.5 per cent on the previous year's figure of 1.82 million.
The company's revenue for the half year increased by 20.4 per cent to $35.1 million from $29.16 million in the first half of 2004.
Melbourne IT's managing director Theo Hnarakis said the profit figure represented the company's fifth half of growth in a row.
Mr Hnarakis said a continued focus on tight cost controls and diversification of the company's services would see profit continue to improve.
"Looking to the second half of the financial year, Melbourne IT expects continued improvement in revenue and profit which will give the company its sixth half of profit growth in a row," he said.
Mr Hnarakis said the company had healthy cash reserves and was in a strong position to continue looking for acquisitions.
Melbourne IT today also announced an interim dividend of three cents, up from two cents in the first half of 2004.
Mr Hnarakis said the company's push to diversify was going well and it had made 14.3 per cent of its total revenue for the half from sources other than domain names, compared to 4.9 per cent in the first half of 2004.
The company's total number of customers has also increased by nine per cent to 230,000.
At 1422 AEST Melbourne IT's shares were down 0.5 of a cent to $1.335.
ASIA PULSE c 22-08 1521