Fed: Rudd visits school ahead of cabinet meeting

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2009
Fed: Rudd visits school ahead of cabinet meeting

SYDNEY, Feb 17 AAP - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has made a whistlestop visit to a south-western
Sydney primary school ahead a community cabinet meeting in the area later on Tuesday.

Mr Rudd called into Minto Public School, near Campbelltown, where he mingled with kindergarten
and Year One students inside their classroom.

He helped one young girl with her colouring-in before assisting a boy trace around
shapes on the floor of the room.

"It's good to see you doing all this work with ... shapes and colouring in between
the lines," Mr Rudd told the composite class.

"I could never do that when I was young."

Mr Rudd also discussed with principal Vicky Craze (Craze) what project the school would
like funded under his government's $42 billion stimulus package.

Replacing the demountable library, which he also toured, was on the list.

Mr Rudd left the school after about half an hour to attend a cabinet meeting ahead
of Tuesday night's community cabinet meeting in Campbelltown, where he and other ministers
will field questions from local residents.

AAP nr/evt/jlw

KEYWORD: CABINET RUDD

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

BAIDU.COM SET UP JOINT VENTURE WITH NTT DOCOMO

AsiaInfo Services
07-06-2011
Baidu.com Set up Joint Venture with NTT DoCoMo

BEIJING, Jul 06, 2011 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- Although Baidu.com Inc. (Baidu.com, NASDAQ: BIDU) suffered a loss of CNY 700 million during the three years it expanded the market in Japan, the company decided to further develop in the Japanese market. It is reported that Baidu.com established joint venture with the largest mobile operator in Japan, NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (DCM, NYSE: DCM) at the beginning of this year.

According to the agreement, DCM will subscribe the equity of the newly established joint venture with the total value of USD 22.50 million by two times. Baidu.com and DCM will finally hold an 80% equity and 20% equity of the joint venture respectively. The joint venture will mainly provide mobile added value services and multiple kinds of digital contents.

Japan has always been one of the most advanced and most mature wireless application markets in the world. This is not the first time that Baidu.com expands the Japanese wireless market. Early in September 2009, Baidu.com had announced to promote wireless search service facing Japanese customers.

Source: www.sina.com.cn (July 06, 2011)

KEYWORD: BEIJING INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Internet & Online Services & Media SUBJECT CODE: Internet & Online Services
Internet Search Engines
SinoCast China Business Daily news
loss
market
venture
operator
equity
wireless

Copyright 2011 AsiaInfo Services (via Comtex). All rights reserved

FED:Diary Events, Wednesday December 7, 2011

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2011
FED:Diary Events, Wednesday December 7, 2011
EVENTS LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AND LOCAL TIME UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED:


ADELAIDE


1030 - Cancer Council to launch its annual summer campaign urging people to be sun smart.

Interviews with council chief executive Brenda Wilson and melanoma survivor Donna Schwartz.

Info: Alana 8291 4119.


BRISBANE


1130 - Innovation in Australia: People Making the Difference, Brisbane Convention and
Exhibition Centre. Contact: 02 6277 7580.

1200 - Drew Hutton, President of the Lock the Gate Alliance, appearing in Dalby Magistrates
Court over CSG protest.

1230 - Indigenous Justice Strategy launch live stream http://www.phizTV.com
1900 - Katter's Australian Party address. Dalby RSL, Drayton St, Dalby. Contact: Scott
Barrett 0434 740 698/3267 7799.

- International Gas Symposium (Dec 7-8). Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Contact:
3224 5982.


CANBERRA


0945 - ABC Garran to re-launch as Goodstart Early Learning this follows announcement by
Kate Ellis in mid November that ABC Centres will be re-branded. 15 Robson St Garran.

Contact: Melanie Loy 0488 714 871.

1015 - High Court judgment to be delivered in Moti V The Queen. High Court. Contact: Hanna
Jaireth 0415 144 283.

1215 - Who's Afraid of Human Rights? a presentation by Jon Stanhope. Theatre, Parliament
House. Contact: Senate Procedure Office 6277 3074.

1230 - Michael Devereux, President of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries addressing
"Make it in Australia - why car manufacturing matters". National Press Club. Contact:
Reception 6121 2199.

1730 - No Honour in Killing: Art makes visible buried truth a presentation by Niilofur
Farrukh, Director if Research at Foundation for Museum of Modern, Art History Documentation
Centre. Karachi. Hedley Bull Centre, Theatre 1. Contact: cais@anu.edu.au


DARWIN


- No items listed.


HOBART


- No items listed.


MELBOURNE


- Victorian parliament sits.

- Toyota launches new model Camry.


PERTH


- No items listed.


SYDNEY


1000 - Federal Small Business Minister Nick Sherry and Qantas CEO Alan Joyce to address
the Australian Tourism Export Council's annual meeting. Hilton Sydney, George Street.

Contact: Julie Smith 02 8262 5501, 0421 029 353.

1030 - Ron Delezio, Steve Waugh, David Campbell and others to attend Take 5 Magazine's
Brave Kids awards. Terrace Room, Australian National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray St, Darling
Harbour. Contact: Kate Kirsten 0450 360 743.

1030 - Oasis' Drive for Life. Oasis Youth Support Network, 365 Crown St, Surry Hills.

Contact: ceo@carsguide.com.au
1330 - Cricket great Steve Waugh to launch celebrity cricket charity match Battle of the
Smashers. Drummoyne Oval, Bayswater St, Drummoyne. Contact: Sharon Kelly 0449 953 070.

1830 - Dymocks to launch new web-based publishing service to allow Australians to create
their own books. Dymocks Sydney, 424 George St. Contact: Christine Nguyen 0415 129 630,
Annike 0411 425 549.

- NSW Auditor-General Peter Achterstraat to release his financial audit reports on government
agencies in education and community sectors. Contact: Barry Underwood 02 9275 7220, 0403
073 664.


SPORT


CRICKET - One-Day Cup - to January 25
VIC v QLD, MCG

CRICKET - Sheffield Shield - to March 20
WA v SA, WACA - to December 8
NSW v TAS, Manuka Oval - to December 9

SOCCER - A-League 2022/12 season - to April 22
Week 9 - to December 7
1930 - Sydney FC v Perth Glory, Campbelltown Std

BASKETBALL (Women's) - WNBL - to February 18
Rnd 10 - to December 11
1930 - Bendigo v Bulleen, Bendigo Std, Vic

SAILING - ISAF World C'ships & Olympic qualifying event - to December 18
Perth, WA

HOCKEY (Men's) - Champions Trophy - to December 11
[competing nations: Australia/Great Britain/Spain/Germany/Sth Korea/The Netherlands/Pakistan/New
Zealand], Auckland, NZ
Rest day

HOCKEY - Australian Country Under 21 Oceania Pacific Cup - to December 14
[competing nations: Australia/Fiji/Papua New Guinea/Samoa/New Zealand], Suva, Fiji

SURFING - ASP Specialty Event - to February 28
Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau, Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

GALLOPS -
Warwick Farm
Sale
Gawler
Eagle Farm
Ascot
New Zealand
Hong Kong
Sth Africa
UK

TROTS -
Geelong
Shepparton
Parkes
Redcliffe
New Zealand

GREYHOUNDS -
The Gardens
The Meadows
Angle Park
Rockhampton
Shepparton
Albion Park
Nowra
Cannington
Ballarat
New Zealand

AAP RTV ra/crh

KEYWORD: DIARY EVENTS WED DEC 7, 2011

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Daylight saving ends on Sunday

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2011
FED:Daylight saving ends on Sunday

SYDNEY, April 2 AAP - The clocks go back an hour on Sunday when daylight saving ends
in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT and South Australia.

The change officially takes effect at 3am, when the time will become 2am.

Daylight saving will begin again on Sunday, October 2 at 2am, when clocks will be put
forward one hour.

Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not have daylight saving.

AAP bc/nb/msk

KEYWORD: DAYLIGHT

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:'Cancun deal will compel big emitters'

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2010
FED:'Cancun deal will compel big emitters'

Climate Change Minister GREG COMBET says an agreement reached in Mexico on the need
to cut carbon emissions will lead to major emitters cutting their pollution.

More than 190 countries represented at the United Nations-led talks have agreed to
seek deep cuts in carbon emissions .. which science links with global warming.

While the agreement isn't binding .. Mr COMBET says it will lead to major polluters
.. like the US and China .. taking steps to cut their emissions.

He says the Cancun agreement is an important step towards achieving a comprehensive
international agreement.

AAP RTV saj/sw/

KEYWORD: CLIMATE COMBET (CANBERRA)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Abbott backs changes to baby bonus

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2010
FED:Abbott backs changes to baby bonus

Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT has backed Labor's plan to make the baby bonus scheme
and family tax benefit payments more flexible.

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD today announced new regulations to allow eligible parents
to access 500 dollars of the nearly 53-hundred dollar baby bonus upfront .. in addition
to the first instalment.

Labor also plans to simplify arrangements for advance payments of family tax benefits
.. allowing a family with two children under 12 a maximum advance payment of 625 dollars
.. with an overall maximum amount of one-thousand dollars.

Mr ABBOTT says he's inclined to support the changes .. which would come into effect
on July 1 next year and cost the government 54-million dollars over four years.

AAP RTV kms/rl/jkl/crh

KEYWORD: POLL10 GILLARD (CANBERRA)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Tasmanian cricket selector stood down pending court case

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2009
WA: Tasmanian cricket selector stood down pending court case

Former Tasmanian Tigers cricketer GLENN HUGHES has been stood down as a state selector
after an incident that has led to him facing charges in Perth.

Cricket Tasmania has confirmed the 50-year-old younger brother of former Test captain
KIM HUGHES has been stood down from the three-member selection panel .. pending the resolution
of charges against him.

West Australian police only say HUGHES is facing two charges over an incident in Perth
last month.

The charges are expected to be heard in Perth Magistrates Court in March.

AAP RTV was/wz

KEYWORD: HUGHES (PERTH)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

ACT: Main stories in today's Canberra newspapers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2009
ACT: Main stories in today's Canberra newspapers

CANBERRA, Aug 13 AAP - The main stories in today's Canberra Times:

Page 1: Authorities begin to recover the bodies of 13 people who died in the Kokoda
Track plane crash. The federal government's emissions trading scheme risks destroying
public willingness to cut emissions by making individual efforts irrelevant, a policy
think tank says. The captain of HMAS Sydney made "almost inexplicable" errors of judgment
which led to the boat's sinking in 1941. A man who died in Canberra's new jail yesterday
pleaded for bail on medical grounds three weeks before his death. The federal government
plans to strengthen Australia's terror laws to give greater powers to police and create
new terrorism offences.

Page 2: Australia has seen a record rise in consumer confidence, increasing 3.7 per
cent in August to levels just below its 2007 average.

Page 3: China appears to have dropped its claims of espionage against Rio Tinto executive
Stern Hu, but he could still face seven years in prison.

World: Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi plans to appeal against her detention
by the ruling junta.

Finance: BHP Billiton's annual profit has dropped for the first time since the company
was created eight years ago from a merger.

Sport: NSW State of Origin prop Justin Poore will lead St George Illawarra against
the Raiders at Canberra Stadium on Saturday after having a dangerous throw charge downgraded.

AAP srj/sn/

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS ACT

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Search for missing woman hampered by weather

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2009
NSW: Search for missing woman hampered by weather

SYDNEY, April 2 AAP - A woman has been missing in rugged bushland south of Sydney for
two days, but authorities have had to postpone their search due to weather conditions.

The doctors' news website 6minutes.com.au reported Dr Margaret Carman, 55, went walking
on a bush trail near her Otford home on Tuesday afternoon.

Dr Carman, who is a GP, was reported missing when she failed to turn up for work at
a northern Wollongong medical centre on Wednesday morning.

More than 40 people including members of the State Emergency Services, Rural Fire Service
and police rescue squad combed the Bulgo Beach area and several bush and coastal tracks
near Dr Carman's home on Thursday in an attempt to find her.

Due to surf conditions, a police spokeswoman said a water search was not able to be undertaken.

The search for Dr Carman had been postponed pending weather conditions, with heavy
rain slowing search efforts, the police spokeswoman said.

AAP bc/srp

KEYWORD: CARMAN

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Gillard mum on where schools money will go

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2008
FED: Gillard mum on where schools money will go

CANBERRA, Aug 31 AAP - Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard will not say where
extra funding for schools will go.

Last week Prime Minister Kevin Rudd outlined the next step in the government's "education
revolution" saying Labor would withhold funding from the states unless they introduced
league tables for schools.

Today Ms Gillard offered little more detail, saying negotiations were ongoing.

"I think we can all think of pockets of disadvantage in major cities and in regional
centres and they're the kind of areas we want to assist," Ms Gillard told Network Ten.

"We're absolutely focused on making sure every school in this country is a great school."

The government is offering an extra $500,000 for disadvantaged schools which will go
into improving the quality of teachers, among other areas.

Ms Gillard rejected accusations her chief influence in the league table plan, the New
York education system, had been a dismal failure with not one school in the city in the
top 200 schools in the US, according to a survey.

"Joel Klein's model has made a difference to those pockets of poverty and disadvantage,"

Ms Gillard said.

Mr Klein is the chancellor of New York City's education department and has shut underperforming
schools in the past.

"When you see a model that is working in some of those tough suburbs in New York, I
think you've got to take notice of it," Ms Gillard said.

AAP pv/jm/bwl

KEYWORD: SCHOOLS GILLARD

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Woman found tied up in park - suffering exposure

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2008
NSW: Woman found tied up in park - suffering exposure

Police say a woman's been found tied up at a park in Sydney's inner-west early today.

Police found the woman in Ashfield Park on Parramatta Road at about 6.30 am (AEST)
.. and say she was conscious when she was found .. clothed and bound.

She's yet to be formally identified or interviewed .. but police believe she may be
a 29-year-old woman reported missing from Ashfield on Sunday.

The woman's been taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a stable condition .. suffering
exposure.

A crime scene has been established at the park and police are hoping to interview the
woman later today.

Anyone with information's being asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

AAP RTV kd/wjf/tm

KEYWORD: PARK (SYDNEY)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: $17 million spent advertising Work Choices

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2007
Fed: $17 million spent advertising Work Choices

CANBERRA, Dec 21 AAP - The former Howard government spent more than $17 million last
financial year advertising its highly-controversial changes to workplace laws.

The figures are contained in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations annual report.

MORE pv/rl/de

KEYWORD: WORKPLACE ADVERTISING

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: 12yo may admit kidnap, torture and kill threats, court told

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2007
WA: 12yo may admit kidnap, torture and kill threats, court told

By Liza Kappelle

PERTH, Aug 15 AAP - A 12-year-old boy is likely to plead guilty to kidnapping a 13-year-old
schoolmate, torturing and threatening to kill him with four other young boys, a Perth
court has been told.

The five boys, aged between 12 and 14, allegedly whipped their victim with branches,
punched him and threatened him with an axe over a six-hour period in June this year.

They also are accused of pushing him into a makeshift grave and throwing dirt on him.

Four of the five boys appeared in the Perth Childrens Court today.

Lawyer Curt Hofmann (Hofmann) for one of two 12-year-old boys said he needed more time
to consider the three charges against his client of deprivation of liberty, threatening
to kill and assault causing bodily harm.

"There is a strong likelihood he will plead guilty on the next occasion," Mr Hofmann
told the court.

The boy was remanded to reappear on September 5.

Lawyer Vesna Amidzic (Amidzic) said her client, the 12-year-old alleged ringleader,
pleaded not guilty to four similar charges.

He was ordered to reappear on September 24.

Lawyers for two other boys, aged 13 and 14, entered not guilty pleas on behalf of their
clients to deprivation of liberty, threatening to kill and assault causing bodily harm.

They were ordered to reappear on September 24.

A fifth boy, aged 13, will reappear in the court on September 14.

AAP lk/jt/bwl

KEYWORD: BULLY

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Rudd insists Iraq withdrawal doesn't mean US will leave

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2007
Fed: Rudd insists Iraq withdrawal doesn't mean US will leave

SYDNEY, Feb 16 AAP - Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has accused the Howard government
of being dishonest in suggesting Labor's plan to withdraw troops from Iraq would lead
to the US abandoning the strife-torn country.

Mr Rudd has proposed a staged withdrawal of the 500 Australian combat troops in Iraq
based around the normal troop rotations every six months.

His plan has been attacked by key government ministers who have likened Labor's plan
to dumping a mate.

But Mr Rudd today said that when it comes to standing by your mates "we all know that
every now and then mates get it wrong".

"If those 500 combat forces come out on the basis of the staged withdrawal strategy,
the prime minister's argument is then 140,000 Americans then come out immediately. It
doesn't actually logically follow," Mr Rudd told the Seven Network.

"Four other American allies - Italy, Japan, other countries, Netherland and Spain -
have taken all their troops out.

"There has been no withdrawal of American forces."

Mr Rudd said Australia would look to provide other assistance to Iraq, including border
surveillance technology and keeping the 900 non-combat troops in the region.

He said that while he was a life-long supporter of the alliance with the US, Australia
had other responsibilities closer to home.

"You've got the Solomons going to hell in a hand basket, you've got problems in Tonga,
you've got problems in Fiji, who knows what is going to happen in Papua New Guinea," Mr
Rudd said.

But Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Joe Hockey said Labor's talking
about a possible deadline for troop withdrawal was playing into the hands of the insurgents.

"We have to say that we will only leave when the job is done, we've got to support
our friends as well," Mr Hockey told the Seven Network.

"America are our mates, they've made huge sacrifices for us in the past, we have to
stand by America when they are in trouble as well, that is what mateship is about."

AAP nr/klw/cdh/sp

KEYWORD: IRAQ RUDD

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Pigeon fight sees feathers fly

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2006
Vic: Pigeon fight sees feathers fly

Police in Melbourne say five people have ended up in hospital .. and four others were
treated for minor injuries .. after a brawl over a bird .. the feathered kind.

They say they're questioning nine people over the incident at Roxburgh Park in Melbourne's
north today.

It's alleged a fight broke out between two neighbouring families .. over ownership of a pigeon.

Four men have been taken to the Northern Hospital and another to Royal Melbourne ..

all in stable conditions.

Police investigations are continuing into the incident.

AAP RTV ce/gfr/tm/bart

KEYWORD: PIGEON (MELBOURNE)

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Main stories in today's Sydney newspapers = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2006
NSW: Main stories in today's Sydney newspapers = 2

THE AUSTRALIAN:

Page 1: A massive $1-billion roads package to fix the nation's deadly highways will
be announced in next month's budget as a pre-election downpayment designed to restore
the popularity of the Nationals; Two of the last surviving Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels will join
the pre-dawn Anzac service north of Wollongong; Petro Georgiou believes his landslide
election victory in the seat of Kooyong is a win for his support of asylum-seekers; Australian-led
security forces lock down the Solomon Islands parliament.

Page 2: Big tax cuts in the May budget could force interest rates up half a per cent.

Page 3: Sugar-filled soft drinks will be banned from school canteens in Victoria next year.

World: A tough-talking Shi'ite politician was asked to form a government of national
unity in Iraq yesterday, ending four months of political deadlock (Baghdad).

Finance: Multiplex will make a bid for vindication in a London court this week when
it argues that its former subcontractor, Cleveland Bridge, was at least partly responsible
for the horrendous problems that have dogged its rebuilding of the iconic Wembley Stadium.

Sport: The multimillion-dollar Gitea deal pushed Rugby Union to the brink of another
revolution, with NSW and the ACT exploiting their financial muscle.

More tr/rs

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS NSW 2 SYDNEY

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

VIC: Main Stories in today's Melbourne newspapers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2005
VIC: Main Stories in today's Melbourne newspapers

MELBOURNE, Aug 22 AAP - The main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers:

HERALD SUN

Page 1: An Australian cocaine dealer has given police the names of his celebrities
customers. Olivia Newton-John's boyfriend, Patrick McDermott, is missing.

Page 2: Pope Benedict XVI announced that Sydney will host the World Youth Day in 2008.

Page 3: A fire killed an elderly couple who were unable to escape their home.

World: Israeli troops continued to remove the last remaining Jews from the Gaza strip
in what is an historic operation.

Finance: Mitsubishi Australia has reported a $588 million loss in the past year.

Sport: Western Bulldogs still have the chance to make the AFL finals but face tough odds.

MORE jat/ao

KEYWORD: FRONTERS VIC

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Petris Technology Appoints Former U.S. Department of the Interior Executive.

Business/Energy Editors & High-Tech Writers

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2001

The appointment of Walt Rosenbusch as Vice President of e-Government for Petris Technology was announced today. Mr. Rosenbusch most recently served as Director of the Minerals Management Service at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he was directly responsible for the management of federal mineral revenue and outer continental shelf (OCS) leasing and administration programs. He was also named the Department of Interior's official representative to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission in 2000.

Mr. Rosenbusch brings to Petris more than 20 years of public and private sector experience and expertise in all aspects of federal and state oil and gas upstream regulatory activities. Specific areas of expertise include federal and state public land management, federal and state regulatory accounting (tax and royalty), public law and policy development, administrative law, auditing, training and public sector consulting.

"Petris is very fortunate to bring someone on board with the impeccable reputation and industry stature of Walt Rosenbusch. His expertise in upstream regulatory issues, from leasing, exploration, development and production to revenue reporting on federal and state land, add unprecedented value to the services Petris brings to the marketplace," said Petris CEO Jim Pritchett.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (BBA/Accounting), Mr. Rosenbusch also worked as Senior Tax Manager at Ernst & Young's Houston office, where he was practice leader for their Energy Service Team for state and local tax services planning. Other professional positions Walt has held include: Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the U.S. Department of the Interior; Deputy Land Commissioner for Energy Resources, Division Director for Royalty Management and Compliance and Royalty Audit Manager at the Texas General Land Office, and Senior Tax Auditor for the Texas Comptroller.

Rosenbusch says, "My focus as Director of the Minerals Management Service was to promote 'best business practices' by encouraging the development and implementation of innovative practices and new technology. As Vice President of eGovernment at Petris Technology I will continue this focus by working with state, federal and local government as it relates to the oil & gas industry as well as with industry and its relationship with government to bring innovative software product solutions, as well as consulting services, to government and industry that will support data acquisition and data management for the technical end user and executive throughout the regulatory life cycle of a hydrocarbon asset."

Petris Technology is a software development and services company focused on the needs of the energy and natural resource industries. Formed in 1994, the company develops and markets software products and services that support the data acquisition and data management needs of the technical end user throughout the entire life cycle of a hydrocarbon asset. Petris is privately held and has experienced a 100% growth rate for the past four years. Petris' Internet address is http://www.petris.com/.

Visit http://www.petris.com/newsevents/news_release3.htm to download a headshot of W. Rosenbusch.

JUDGE BARKS AT MICROSOFT JAVA WITNESS MUGLIA.

By Dan Jones Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson lost his patience with Microsoft Corp's Robert Muglia in court last Friday and shouted at the witness as he tried to push the envelope by continuing with an answer after the Judge had told him not to. The tumultuous exchange occurred during lead government attorney David Boies cross-examination of Microsoft's Java man. Boies was asking about a May 14, 1997 email from Bill Gates in which the CEO stated that he was "hardcore about NOT supporting JDK 1.2." Boies asked if Muglia took Gates' statement in the email seriously. Muglia said, "we take Bill very seriously, in general." Boies followed by asking the witness what he thought Gates meant by the statement. Muglia argued at length over the meaning, saying that it wasn't clear exactly what Gates had meant. At this point the exasperated judge interrupted, saying, "I read it as saying he doesn't like the idea of supporting it, I don't think it can be read any other way...So let's not argue about it." Undaunted, Muglia resumed his interpolations of the meaning of the email, his voice rising in pitch as he put forward other meanings. The furious Jackson cut him off in mid-sentence, yelling, "No, stop. There is no question pending!" Still visibly riled, Jackson told Muglia that his counsel would offer him a chance to put his point across when it came to the redirect. This exchange was the high water mark of a breakneck cross-examination by Boies of Microsoft's actions in the Java sphere. The government argued that Microsoft set out to muddy the waters of the cross-platform language - polluting and fragmenting the language with native Win32 code, forcing developers to use their version of Java. Muglia said that from the fall of 1995 he had seen Java as a "major threat" to the Windows business, claiming that Sun Microsystems Inc's Java "platform" was especially worrying because it could make "everything that our platform did irrelevant." The court was shown an October 1997 internal Microsoft presentation in which one of the stated goals was to "kill cross-platform Java by growing the polluted Java market." Muglia dismissed the document saying that it had been written by a temporary employee at Redmond and had not gone beyond her immediate management. However, when Boies returned to the document in his wrap-up he proved that at least one other person at Microsoft had seen it. The document had been produced for the trial from Russ Arun's files. Muglia said that the employee might have worked with Malone. Boies then produced a 1997 internal email string - written in part by Malone - concerning Microsoft's posting on the internet of sections of Sun's JDK 1.1 - something they were contractually obligated to do. Throughout his time on the stand, Muglia had insisted that Sun, not Microsoft was to blame for Redmond not supporting version 1.2 of the developer's kit. Muglia claimed that Sun had violated its contract and not sent Microsoft copies of JDK 1.2 to distribute. But the email string gave some idea of Microsoft's view of the Sun product. The email, entitled "posting RMI bits on MSDN" had James Van Eaton writing to Brad Abrahams and Russ Arun that he had posted sections of JDK 1.1 on the net but that, "There will be no entry in the index for this file - they'll have to stumble across it." He gave an extremely obscure URL and continued, "in this directory I'd say its pretty buried." Arun replied, "Awesome." Muglia claimed that Arun had no responsibility for posting and that the code they were talking about was a beta version. Boies then pointed out later in the email string that Van Eaton, Abrahams and Eaton had been asked by Charles Fitzgerald to "sit on" the posting until October 1, 1997 - the release date of JDK 1.1. Van Eaton wrote back that he had complied with this request. Muglia had to agree they were talking about a finished product but protested that, "I had specified that I didn't want it hidden." But was he aware there was a proposal that the code be hidden, Boies asked. "Yes I was," Muglia said. "No furth er questions," Boies said. The trial will now recess for over a month, before resuming with the rebuttal witnesses.

AUBURN RESEARCHERS PASS MILESTONES FOR PATENTS, LICENSE AGREEMENTS IN VARIETY OF FIELDS.

AUBURN, Ala. -- The following information was released by Auburn University:

Auburn University researchers set university records last year for the number of U.S. patents and license and option agreements.

During 2010, Auburn earned 25 U.S. patents, beating the second highest mark of 19 in 2007, and secured 25 new license and option agreements. Auburn researchers also cited 105 new invention disclosures, almost reaching the university's top score of 110 four years ago.

New patents and inventions are in fields as diverse as advanced materials, biotechnology and environmental sciences.

"Auburn researchers develop ideas through rigorous analysis, design and testing," said John Mason, associate provost and vice president for research. "They complete the process by putting that concept to work in the marketplace, whether it's to improve the human condition, create economic opportunity or add understanding of the world around us."

The recently released 2010 Auburn Research annual update describes progress in Auburn's research programs and profiles several university experts working closely with private industry and government.

Cyber-security, or protecting sensitive material that travels over the Internet, is one of the university's many growing research programs, according to Mason. Auburn researchers strengthen information assurance technologies and processes used by industry and government. Scientists on the main campus work closely with the university's Huntsville Research Center to design cyber threat solutions for defense agencies and aerospace industries.

The Auburn Research Park continues to expand alongside the university's research programs. In 2010, the park added an MRI Research Center. According to Tom Denney, who directs the center, the facility houses the most advanced clinical MRI, a 3 Tesla, and will soon add one of the world's few 7 Tesla machines, used only for advanced medical research.

"The center unites expertise in engineering and health with one of the most powerful diagnostic tools available," Denney said. "Improving cardiovascular health and advancing neuroscience are just two of the many promising medical developments we see in the future."

The Auburn Business Incubator opened its doors in the park in May. Groundbreaking for the Center for Advanced Science, Innovation and Commerce is slated for this fall.

Contact: Brian Keeter, (334) 844-4650 (bck0001@auburn.edu), or

Mike Clardy, (334) 844-9999 (clardch@auburn.edu)

Posted by Wire Eagle

Tech progress impressive in Kenya.(ECONOMY)(ON COMPUTERS)(Column)

Byline: Mark A. Kellner, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

ONGATA RONGAI, Kenya -- This booming suburb of Nairobi, about 45 minutes from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, is growing so rapidly that land prices have multiplied exponentially in the past eight years. In the past six years, population here has doubled to 1 million people.

But that's not the only change a visitor to Kenya will notice, particularly, as in the case of your columnist, when it's been 12 years since his last visit.

The differences start at the airport: In the international arrivals section, the huge advertising signs no longer shout Microsoft, but rather Safaricom, one of the dominant local cell carriers. Mobile phones and data are the big thing here. (Though Microsoft needn't worry - its products seem to have a very comfortable foothold here.)

That said, there was a fair amount of Apple Inc. products to be seen. At the conference where I was privileged to share some thoughts on news writing, about one-third of the participants were using Macs; several iPads were in view. Even more iPads could be seen in international travel. I counted about a dozen on the flight from Washington to Brussels, and a good number from there to Nairobi.

And high-speed Internet is crucial. At the conference center, we had excellent access via Ethernet and a local Internet service provider, except when the fiber-optic cable to this booming area was cut on a Tuesday morning. It took a few hours, but by nightfall service was back to normal.

You might think having such access in a place such as Kenya is a luxury. And while it is, there was also a practical need. I had hoped to use Apple Inc.'s Keynote software for presentations; in fact, I had to have it for some of my work. But the copy on my computer was somehow corrupted, and a replacement was needed. No disc was handy, so to Apple's online App Store I went. Some $20 and a couple of download tries later, I was up and running, and able to complete my tasks. The software ran perfectly, and the fact that I was about 10,000 miles from Apple's headquarters made no difference when purchasing the needed product.

That just wouldn't have been possible here a dozen years ago, when dial-up was all the rage and an Internet cafe at Nairobi's famed Carnivore restaurant (now denuded of its more exotic dishes, I'm told) was a sign of massive progress. Now, it's fiber-optics and Ethernet. Wow.

If Internet access is power, so, too, is electrical power, especially for handheld phones and the like. The PowerSkin case for the iPhone 4, from XPAL Corp., which can be had for $59.99 at online seller Amazon.com, is a lifesaver. With it, my phone never loses power (or so it seems), and the case adds some extra protection for the iPhone itself. A pass-through cable charges the battery and the phone from a USB port and allows you to sync the phone with your computer. All told, a great deal.

Another good deal, and also priced at $59.99 is the iFrogz iPad 2 Summit case (http://bit.ly/ljJ4jv). This leatherlike flap includes the Smart Technology that brings an iPad 2's screen to life when opened, and the flap folds back to provide a viewing stand for the iPad screen. The plastic part is solid and offers access to all of the iPad's ports. It's excellent protection and a great value, in this reviewer's opinion.

I didn't have the courage to add a Weekly World News-themed skin to my MacBook Pro before I left, but the removable plastic skin, developed by MusicSkins.com with a special vinyl from 3M Corp., offers scratch protection and more than a little personality.

Price is $30, and, hey, for a little fun, it's worth it.

* Send email to mkellner@washingtontimes.com.

Verizon Launches Personalized FiOS Service Bundles With More Choices and More Flexibility; Customers Can Create Bundles to Fit Their Digital Lifestyles.

M2 PRESSWIRE-June 6, 2011-: Verizon Launches Personalized FiOS Service Bundles With More Choices and More Flexibility; Customers Can Create Bundles to Fit Their Digital Lifestyles(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:06062011

NEW YORK -- Recognizing that all digital lifestyles are not the same, Verizon has created new options for customers to personalize their FiOS service bundles to best meet their individual voice, broadband and home-entertainment needs.

Previously, consumers were limited to the Internet speeds and number of TV channels assigned to specific FiOS bundles and price points. With this change, consumers will be able to choose and mix services to customize their bundles -- at a cost of just $5 to $10 a month in additional incremental charges. Discounts are also available to new customers who order triple-play bundles online.

"For some customers, broadband Internet speed is more important than a lot of TV options; for others, robust TV rules the household; and some customers want it all," said Mike Ritter, Verizon chief marketing officer for consumer and business services. "Now, our FiOS customers have more options for personalizing their Internet or TV services to satisfy all their needs."

All the new FiOS-only choices include Verizon's Worry-Free Guarantee of no term contract requirement, a premium installation and in-home demonstration, plus a follow-up satisfaction call. Customers can visit www.verizon.com to see if FiOS service is available to them, and to easily and conveniently build and order their bundles online. Two-year term contracts are required when Verizon Wireless service is added to any bundle.

Verizon's new, flexible service choices give customers the freedom to build a personalized bundle of FiOS Digital Voice, Internet and TV service that fits their individual needs. For example, consumers who are well-established in their lives and have active careers could find social networking and a lot of video and photo uploading more important than top-tier television programming. In this case, consumers can start with a triple-play bundle at $99.99 per month that offers broadband Internet speeds of up to 15 Mbps (megabits per second) downstream/5 Mbps upstream, and for $5 more per month increase their speed to 25 Mbps/25 Mbps.

If they add an additional $5 more per month ($109.99 total per month), they gain access to 35 Mbps/35 Mbps broadband Internet speeds - and can enjoy 233 TV channels including more than 50 in HD.

Some young families might find that 15 Mbps/5 Mbps speeds are plenty for their Internet needs - but the more TV, the better. In that case, they can select the triple-play bundle at $99.99 per month, and for an extra $10 per month ($109.99 total per month) move up to a FiOS TV service with 324 channels including 80 in HD. For $10 per month more ($119.99 per month), they can enjoy 391 channels with more than 100 in HD.

And for those customers who want it all, Verizon continues to offer a triple-play bundle with 35 Mbps/35 Mbps and 391 TV channels for $129.99 a month*. Customers can also choose combinations of $5 and $10 increments added to the monthly starting price of $99.99 to create a bundle somewhere in between.

New customers who order online can go to Verizon's featured bundles page , click on the Bundle Builder link and, for a limited time, receive a $10 per month online discount on their triple-play bundle. Verizon Wireless customers adding a new FiOS bundle or FiOS customers adding a qualifying Verizon Wireless calling plan can receive up to a $10 per month discount on their bundle. Verizon's One Bill and a two-year contract are also required for the additional discount. Customized FiOS double-play bundles are also available.

Hispanic households can also customize bundles, starting with Verizon's La Conexion and Spanish-language bundles. More information is available at Verizon's new Spanish-language FiOS site, http://enciendetefios.com/ .

For more information or to start building a bundle, consumers can also call 1-800-VERIZON ( 800-837-4966 ).

* All prices shown are for qualified new customers, represent base bundle pricing and do not include costs for additional set-top boxes, premium channels, other customer preferences, local taxes and fees. Base pricing may vary from market to market as does the total number of HD channels by market.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 104 million total connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com .

Media Contact:

Bill Kula , APR, 972-718-6924

Bob Elek , 813-978-6786

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

NHS PATIENTS TO BENEFIT FROM NEW IPAD TECHNOLOGY.

LONDON -- The following information was released by the Central Office of Information (UK):

Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, and leading figures from health charities today launch the UK's first online health tracker that lets patients track their recovery live and provides essential data to help shape clinical decisions in the NHS.

Health secretary, Andrew Lansley, shows his support for the latest touch-screen technology, putting patients at the centre of care, by attending the launch of this innovation in mobile health.

HealthUnlocked Tracker is being trialled at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH). The on-going pilot will measure the effectiveness of spinal surgery over a prolonged period, gathering essential data in an efficient and user-friendly way.

HealthUnlocked Tracker is the UK's first online patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) system lets patients record their progress in real time in-clinic using an iPad. The patients use the same system at home to track their progress over the internet.

Benefits of HealthUnlocked Tracker include:

a- Doctors and nurses access the live system instantly to assess a patient's progress

a- Surgeons track the value of the operations they carry out

a- Hospitals and commissioners can quantify the benefits of different types of operations

a- An estimated 300 new outpatient appointment slots per consultant surgeon per year could be created in the RNOH

a- 95% of patients prefer the new online process to the traditional pen and paper method.

a- Traditional methods of reporting on PROMs have rarely been accessible in a clinic - this system allows best use to be made of the information.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:

"This is a great example of how healthcare innovation can make a real difference to patients' lives.

"We want to modernise the NHS because we believe that patients deserve the best and most innovative treatments available. We are committed to creating an environment in the NHS where new medical technologies like this can flourish."

Mr Matthew Shaw, Consultant Spinal Surgeon at the RNOH and the lead surgeon in the trial, explains:

"Having accurate information at my fingertips about my patients' recovery is groundbreaking. It ensures that I can quickly get to grips with their perspective and provide them with first-rate healthcare. As well as saving me time it will also create new insights about spinal surgery for the NHS as a whole."

Using these online instruments for reference RNOH consultants also plan to integrate them into follow-up. Matthew Shaw says:

"Some patients with very rapid recoveries require less intensive follow-up than those with slower or more problematic recoveries. This gives me more flexibility to assess this in advance, and better tailor my time to my patients' needs."

Dr Matt Jameson Evans, co-founder of HealthUnlocked says:

"All my experience as a surgeon in the NHS made me want to shake up the system and put patients at the heart of it and that's what this online tracking does. We've started with spinal patients but the potential is huge as the new tracking works with all types of disease. Our goal is that 50% of all UK patients with chronic disease have access to the new online health tracker and manage their progress online by 2016."

Speaking at the launch Simon Davies, Chair of Cancer52, comments on the future potential for the online health tracker for cancer patients:

"We welcome any initiative which could improve outcomes for patients with less common cancers and believe that this new tracker will do just that. Understanding how current patients are being treated and getting their feedback will help build better services in the future. Cancer52 will be encouraging its patient support group member charities to get involved."

Notes to editors

For further information contact:

Holly Brace - PR for HealthUnlocked

Email: hbrace@schwartzcomm.co.uk

Tel: 020 8090 4214 / 07534 409 680

Dr Matt Jameson Evans - Co-founder HealthUnlocked

Tel 0845 6802072 or 07968 701992 email matt@healthunlocked.com

1. About the Pilot

The assessment combines the EQ5D, a standardised instrument to measure health outcomes, and the Oswestry Disability Index, a tool used to quantify spinal pain. Over one hundred patients are using HealthUnlocked in RNOH to date, and it is anticipated that 3,000-4,000 patients at RNOH will benefit from it each year.

2. About the Technology

The technology has been developed by HealthUnlocked, a UK company founded by NHS doctors to develop web-technology to aid patient tracking and improve surgery outcome measures. Initial development of the system was supported by grants from Spire Healthcare, Baxter Healthcare, K2M, Synthes, and kspine.

3. About HealthUnlocked:

HealthUnlocked is a UK company founded by NHS doctors that develops web-based technology to aid patient-patient and patient-doctor communication. Its diverse range of tools allow patients to access information about their local hospitals, communicate with other patients and support groups, and provides clinicians with in-clinic patient output monitoring systems. All of these aim to support, engage and track patients with chronic diseases in order to improve care. More information can be accessed at www.healthunlocked.com.

4. About the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital:

The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital s the largest specialist orthopaedic hospital in the UK and is regarded as a leader in the field of orthopaedics.

The Trust provides a comprehensive and unique range of neuro-musculoskeletal healthcare, ranging from acute spinal injuries to orthopaedic medicine and specialist rehabilitation for chronic back pain sufferers.

Contact Anna Fox - Communications and Foundation Trust Liaison Officer

Anna.Fox@rnoh.nhs.uk Tel: 020 8909 5349

5. About Cancer52

Cancer52 is an alliance of more than 40 organisations working to address inequality and improve outcomes for patients with less common cancers. Cancer52 was so named when it was launched in 2006 because 52 per cent of UK cancer deaths were from less common cancers. But recent statistics show that that figure has increased to 53%. 'Less common' cancers (cancers which fall outside the 'big four' of breast, bowel, lung and prostate) were diagnosed in nearly 140,000 people and accounted for 46% of new cancer cases in 2007; and nearly 83,000 (53%) of all cancer deaths in 2008

Contact Jane Lyons

jane.lyons@cancer52.org.uk Tel: 07831 683307.

BEIJING KEEPS CLOSER WATCH ON CHINESE USING THE INTERNET FOR ANY ACTIVITIES DEEMED AS THREATENING.

WASHINGTON, DC -- The following information was released by Radio Free Asia:

Authorities in Beijing have set up a formal police team to monitor Internet security, boosting its rank to just below the level of the municipal police department as a whole, official media have reported.

"In the information age, the police department ... began to build up its Internet security work last year," official media quoted police department officials as saying.

During last year, Internet security departments had been set up at municipal level and at county level within the greater metropolitan area, according to a news report on top news provider Sina.com.

The Internet security branch had recruited from among top officials and police officers with specialist knowledge, it said.

The scheme is being piloted in Beijing, and is expected to expand to other provinces and cities at a later date.

Peter Guo, a blogger and online activist based in the southeastern port city of Xiamen, said the upgrading of the Internet security service reflects an expansion of powers and an increase in spending granted by the government.

Guo said the targets of the Internet security team would primarily be Chinese who use the Internet for any activities the government see as threatening.

"Of course this service will be aimed at netizens," Guo said. "It shows they are stepping up Internet controls."

Crackdown follows 'Jasmine' calls

The most recent crackdown on dissent in China began following anonymous online calls for a "Jasmine" revolution, inspired by recent uprisings in the Middle East.

Rights groups say dozens of activists, lawyers, and cyberdissidents have been detained, sent to labor camp, or sentenced to jail terms for subversion.

Last week, the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) group warned that 17 people-including artist Ai Weiwei-who are being held incommunicado in a recent crackdown on dissent are at risk of being tortured.

Spending on domestic security this year has outstripped the military budget for the first time, and Guo said controls over online activists are unlikely to be relaxed soon.

"They have given [domestic security] greater powers and more funding ... The profile of Internet surveillance will only continue to get higher," he said.

China has imposed a complex system of blocks, keyword filters, and human censorship known collectively as the Great Firewall, or GFW, on its 457 million netizens.

Pro-government messages

Netizens routinely point to pro-government messages appearing on discussion forums, blog comments, and microblogging services, saying the commenters-the so-called "50 cent army"-are in the pay of the ruling Communist Party.

Political activists repeatedly complain that their e-mail accounts are attacked by hackers they assume to be working for the government.

One Beijing-based Internet service provider, who declined to be named, agreed.

"The promotion of the service to deputy bureau level will probably mean they hire more staff and get more money," he said.

The social action website Change.org has said it is under continuing attack from hackers after it hosted a petition calling for the release of detained artist Ai Weiwei that garnered more than 90,000 signatures last month.

Attackers traced to China launched distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks which temporarily brought down the site, the site's editor said on April 20.

Over the May Day holiday, China's cabinet, or State Council, ordered media organizations to counter the image of China as a hard-line regime by giving front-page coverage to an article about Internet controls imposed by overseas governments.

"All websites are requested to continue effectively organizing positive on-line guidance related to the development and surveillance of the Internet," according to a directive issued April 30 and translated by the California-based China Digital Times (CDT).

"Regarding the related special topic, "Exposing Internet Management Abroad," during the May Day period all websites are requested to continue implementing the requirements by prominently placing this topic on website front pages," the directive said.

Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

Value Payment Systems Offers Illinois Taxpayers the Lowest Convenience Fees on Illinois Tax Payments.

Value Payment Systems' New Authorized Illinois Tax Payment Services Make Paying Taxes with a Debit or Credit Card Online and via the Phone Less Expensive for Illinois Taxpayers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Value Payment Systems today announced that it has made paying taxes to the State of Illinois, with a debit or credit card, less expensive for Illinois taxpayers. Through Value Payment Systems' Authorized Illinois Tax Payment Web site and phone service, located at www.payILtax.com and 888-9-PAY-ILS (888-972-9457), taxpayers can make personal tax payments to the Illinois Department of Revenue with their MasterCard[R] credit, MasterCard debit, Discover[R], American Express, and VISA[R] credit cards for only 2.29% of their tax liability amount.

In addition, taxpayers can pay their Illinois taxes with a VISA[R] consumer debit card for a fixed convenience fee of only $3.95. The new fixed $3.95 convenience fee saves taxpayers over 80% when making a $1,000 tax payment (details). No other authorized Illinois tax payment provider offers taxpayers a fixed fee for VISA[R] consumer debit card payments.

Through the www.payILtax.com online tax payment service and the 888-972-9457 phone service, taxpayers can make tax payments for the following State of Illinois tax types:

* Individual Income Tax

* Estimated Tax

* Extension Payment

* Prior Year Tax

"It's easy, fast and convenient," said Scott Slusser, CMO of Value Payment Systems. "Given the current economic climate, we believe that finding ways to lower the cost of electronic payments is the right thing to do for both the Illinois taxpayer and the government."

About Value Payment Systems

Value Payment Systems provides electronic payment products and services to various industries including government and property management. Value Payment Systems' comprehensive e-payment services encompass a wide array of payment channels including the Internet, phone and point of sale. For more information, visit www.valuepaymentsystems.com.

Google's Chrome OS begins in netbook PC market.(operating system, personal computer)(Brief article)

Taipei, Nov. 26, 2009 (CENS)--Debuting its first PC operating system Chrome, Google, the world's largest Internet search engine operator, is going to zero in on the netbook PC segment as its strategic step into the global OS industry to fend off Microsoft.

In order to quickly boost popularity of Chrome OS in IT (information technology) and related industries, Google has released the OS's source code free of charge to hardware developers. So far, globally leading PC brands, including Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba, have moved to develop new notebook PCs and netbook PCs to be installed with the newest OS.

In fact, Google's ambition to venture into the PC OS industry emerged early this year when Acer launched its Timeline series netbook PC at Computex Taipei 2009, which is the world's first netbook PC installed with Google's Android OS. Presently, Android has been vastly used in smartphones. Succeeding in extending its business into the OS industry in the form of launch of Timeline, Google confidently debuts Chrome.

Google claims that Chrome's boot time is only three seconds, the speediest among existing OS, and the system is developed based on the cloud computing concept and hence will automatically store users' computer data in online servers. Insiders believe that the OS, with the cloud-computing feature, is very likely to bring revolution to the industry and threaten Microsoft's Windows in the future. At the moment, Microsoft commands over 90% of the global market for PC OS, with its newest OS Windows 7 just on the product shelf.

Viewing the growing trend of netbook PCs worldwide, Google opines that a good OS should be developed to meet users' increasingly intense need for access to the Internet and Chrome will differ from Windows in such a way.

Leominster and Fitchburg, Massachusetts Residents to Benefit From Verizon Wireless Network Expansion.

Investing to Stay Ahead of Growing Demand for Wireless Voice, Multimedia and Internet Access

LEOMINSTER, Mass., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local residents in Worcester County, Verizon Wireless has activated a new cell site. The new site increases wireless data coverage and capacity along Routes 2 and 31 in Leominster and Fitchburg, Massachusetts, as well as the surrounding area.

Verizon Wireless has invested more than $48 billion since it was formed to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services like BroadbandAccess and V CAST. Regionally the company has invested over $2.2 billion into its New England network. As the wireless carrier with America's largest 3G network, every Verizon Wireless cell site in New England provides wireless broadband connectivity.

"We've always believed that even the most advanced cell phone is only as good as the network it runs on," said director for Network Systems Performance for Verizon Wireless, Richard Enright. "We continue to aggressively invest into our wireless networks across New England to increase coverage and capacity for our customers."

BroadbandAccess offers computer users the nation's most reliable high-speed wireless mobile broadband network, operating at average upload speeds between 500 and 800 kbps, and download speeds between 600 kbps and 1.4 mbps over Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess with EV-DO Revision A network. V CAST brings video clips of TV shows, music on demand and other multimedia services to wireless phones.

The company's 'nation's most reliable wireless network' reputation is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country who inspired the "can you hear me now" national advertising campaign. Nationally, these test men and women drive more than 90 specially equipped vehicles almost 1,000,000 miles annually on Interstate, U.S. and state highways as well as major roads and surface streets in high-population areas, based upon U.S. Census counts, to confirm that voice calls and data connections are successful on the first attempt and stay connected. Vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically make more than three million voice call attempts and more than 16 million data tests annually on Verizon Wireless' network and the networks of other carriers.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 83.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/ . To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

CONTACT: Michael Murphy of Verizon Wireless, +1-781-932-1213, Michael.murphy@verizonwireless.com; or David Thomson of Thomson Communications for Verizon Wireless, +1-978-808-7700, David@thomsoncommunications.com

Web Site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/

GBP27 billion pounds: the cost of peace of mind for burgled Britons.

M2 PRESSWIRE-12 March 2008-Intamac Systems: GBP27 billion pounds: the cost of peace of mind for burgled Britons(C)1994-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:12032008

* Burgled Britons spent GBP27 billion in the last five years to feel safe in their homes.

* 28% had to move house to get away from their violated homes.

* For the majority, fortifying their homes with locks, lights and alarms was the only option.

* Neighbourhood spirit across the UK is waning - over half claimed that they didn't believe their neighbours would respond to their burglar alarm if it went off.

* 10% no longer go out after dark.

Burgled Britons have spent a staggering GBP27 billion pounds in the last five years in an attempt to regain peace of mind following a break-in. That's just one of the findings of a recent ICM nationwide survey, commissioned by Intamac Systems, which examined the measures taken and costs incurred by UK householders to feel safe in their homes in the aftermath of a break-in.

While many speak of the emotional burden caused by a burglary, few realise the financial implications, as victims take the steps they think necessary to feel safe in their homes again - something not covered by home insurance policies.

For a large proportion of people surveyed, it was too late - nothing could make them feel safe in their home again. The thought of criminals being in their home was too much to bear, and so almost one third of those surveyed packed up their possessions and moved home.

Peace of mind was not something that those questioned felt was being offered by the surrounding community. In a sad indictment of neighbourhood support across the UK, 22% added a burglar alarm following a break-in, yet over 60% believed that their neighbours or passers-by would not respond should their alarm go off. Only 11% were 'very confident' that someone would.

For others, fortifying their home after the event was paramount, with 46% adding extra locks, 42% adding outdoor security lights and 37% changing the locks on the doors to their home. Over 10% of those questions decided to put extra 'bite' into securing their home and hoped that buying a dog would deter would-be thieves. In addition, one in ten decided to shut out the outside world by erecting a high fence around their property.

David Rimmer, spokesperson for leading home and SME security monitoring company Intamac systems, which commissioned the research said, "While we have tried to put a figure on peace of mind, it seems that feeling safe in your own home is priceless. We talk about our homes being our castles, but after a break-in, the householder's relationship with their home dramatically changes, with many striving to regain the apparent air of safety and normality they enjoyed before the experience. Those surveyed have gone to great lengths to achieve this, with some sadly having to turn to counselling sessions and 10% even taking to staying in after dark.

"We were also astounded at the high numbers (60%) who didn't have faith in their neighbours to come to their aid should their alarms go off."

Other key facts from the survey include:

* One in four homes has suffered a break-in.

* Before being broken into, half of those surveyed viewed security as very important; this figure dramatically rises to 84% after a break-in.

* Prior to being burgled, 38% believed they would never need to secure their home.

* Wales is the place where you are least likely to be broken into (9 out of 10 homes have not been burgled), while London is the place you are most likely to be burgled (1 in 3 Londoners homes have been broken into).

* 21% of people burgled were at home sleeping at the time of the break-in.

"Unlike traditional bells-only systems, Intamac provides a home monitoring and messaging service through the Internet. So whenever there is a suspected break-in, you and your nominated contacts (friends or family) will get an automated messaging - voice call, mobile text message or e-mail in real time. This means that home owners can take control of the situation and take the appropriate course of action in a timely manner - whether they are at home, at work or on holiday," concludes Rimmer.

The security product is available now through global partners such as Cisco, BT, Yale and IAG - and through leading retailers such as Homebase and PC World or by visiting www.intamac.com

Notes to Editor:

*Burglary Survey, conducted by ICM, February 2008.

GBP27 billion calculation - the figure has been established by using national average based on prices February 2008, gathered from the north of England, the Midlands and the greater London area. All prices are basic level entry prices - e.g. changing of locks; replacement of windows; insurance premiums; the entry level CCTV system etc. Once all prices were compiled, they were added together for a national total. In this case a billion is a 1000 million.

About Intamac

Intamac Systems Ltd www.intamac.com is the market leader in the field of Internet accessed monitoring and control. Founded in 2000, and based in Northampton UK, the company has developed an Internet-based platform and communications infrastructure enabling systems and appliances to be networked using the Internet. As the 'Digital Home' and business environments become increasingly automated, Intamac is providing global companies and their customers with a range of powerful new services, and the ability to monitor and control their property remotely from the Internet or mobile phone.

Intamac was named in the Red Herring Europe 100 in 2006 and Fierce WiFi's annual Fierce 15 list for 2006 as well as being short listed for the Innovation and Creativity Category at the 2007 Sharp Edge awards. Kevin Meagher, Intamac Systems CEO was named as a finalist in the Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) awards 2007, and has recently received a Ruben d'Honnuer accolade for Entrepreneur of the Year and Business Innovation of the year at the European Business awards.

CONTACT: Claire Walker, IntamacTel: +44 (0)870 1117 234e-mail: cwalker@intamac.comWWW: http://www.intamac.comLena Ahad, media relations, Technology PRTel: +44 (0)7908 725 212e-mail: Lena@technologypr.eu

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ACS Wins IT Outsourcing Contract Extension With Railinc Corp.

DALLAS, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. , a premier provider of business process outsourcing and information technology solutions, announced today that it has been awarded an extension of its information technology (IT) outsourcing contract with Railinc Corp., the largest, single source of real-time, accurate interline rail data in the North American transportation industry.

ACS has been running Railinc's mainframe and network environment, and hosting midrange components for the company since April 2002. These services will continue under the terms of the three-year contract extension. The extended agreement highlights ACS as a highly sought-after IT provider among some of the country's largest and most technologically advanced companies.

"We leverage the talents of companies such as ACS to broaden our technology review and exposure to global best practices," said Todd Bolon, VP of IT at Railinc. "ACS helps us manage our high transaction volumes with exceptional speed and accuracy, and provides us with state-of-the-art hosting and management capabilities. Railinc continually reinvests dominant portions of our revenue back into our IT infrastructure to ensure we have the best available blend of hardware, software, and people resources to support our customers. Our partnership with ACS helps us maximize this investment."

Bolon said that Railinc also conducts in-depth discussions with industry analysts, IT leaders, and vendors to uncover and adopt the most reliable and secure systems available on the market, and that ACS is at the leading edge of technology expertise and capability.

"Our ongoing work and achievements supporting Railinc are a testament to ACS' capabilities, and to Railinc's enduring commitment to technology reinvestment and best-in-class systems for customer support," said Ann Vezina, Group President of ACS Commercial Solutions. "ACS excels as a leader in handling complex IT infrastructure environments, and large volume data management and storage requirements. We are very pleased Railinc has extended our collaborative partnership."

ACS will continue to deliver services for Railinc from its Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, data center.

Railinc (http://www.railinc.com/ ) is the largest, single source of accurate, real-time interline rail data in the North American transportation industry. Railinc is the supplier of time-tested products and services like Umler/Emis, TRAIN II, Interline Settlement, Railcar Accounting, Steelroads, RailSight, and EDI connection services. These systems and services support railroads, shippers, equipment owners, and suppliers along every link of their supply chains. Class I, short line, regional railroads, and transportation professionals alike use Railinc's tools and information to manage and analyze their rail traffic.

ACS, a global FORTUNE 500 company with more than 55,000 people supporting client operations reaching nearly 100 countries, provides business process outsourcing and information technology solutions to world-class commercial and government clients. The Company's Class A common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ACS". ACS makes technology work. Visit ACS on the Internet at http://www.acs-inc.com/ .

The statements in this news release that do not directly relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company's control. As such, no assurance can be given that the actual events and results will not be materially different than the anticipated results described in the forward-looking statements. Factors could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. For a description of these factors, see the Company's prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filing. ACS disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future event, or otherwise.

CONTACT: investor relations, Warren Edwards, Executive Vice President- Chief Financial Officer, +1-214-841-8082, or warren.edwards@acs-inc.com , or media, Lesley Pool, Senior Vice President-Chief Marketing Officer, +1-214-841-8028, or lesley.pool@acs-inc.com , both of ACS, Inc.

Web site: http://www.acs-inc.com/ http://www.railinc.com/

The state of radio--the start of a revolution.(industry forecast)

There are some 282 million unique radio listeners in the US, according to Dan Mason, former president of Infinity Radio and current advisor to iBiquity Digital. That's roughly 94% of the population.

Over the past several years the radio industry has undergone several major changes. Now, in addition to AM and FM, consumers can tune into satellite radio or listen to thousands of Internet radio stations. They can listen to radio at home, in the car, on their MP3 player and even on some cell phones. With the satellite services, they can take the receiver with them. With home networking, they can listen to Internet radio in rooms where there's no PC.

During a panel about the evolution of radio at the Digital Media Conference, Dave Ulmer, director marketing for Motorola Media Solutions, told the audience he likes the idea of device convergence, but said that it's important to avoid the "toaster oven" syndrome--you have a toaster, you have an oven, but when you put them together, you get a lousy toaster and a lousy oven. Camera phones are a good example of successful convergence. Consumers buy camera phones, but still purchase standalone digital cameras as well.

According to Ulmer, Motorola has become a company with three distinct units--cell phones, home networking solutions and automotive solutions. About a year-and-a-half ago it decided how it could get all three to work together, with the major result being the iRadio, a service that lets consumers take their favorite music--from their own digital collections or Internet radio--wherever they go. The idea is to offer users a "continuous radio experience," such as picking up a song in the car at the exact spot where they stopped it on the home stereo.

The mobile handset of the future, according to Ulmer, will have a phone, storage, a music player, stereo-quality sound and Bluetooth support. Motorola has had a phone with the RealNetworks media player on the market since last year. It has since announced an "iTunes" phone and recently announced handsets that will support Windows Media.

With all these new choices, the consumer is more in control of his media decisions than ever before. Ulmer believes that the consumer is gaining control the in the same way that happened with television with cable, satellite and on-demand programming. He called it "me-casting," the ability to choose exactly what I want to watch or listen to. With traditional broadcasting, Ulmer said, the user has to listen to whatever content the broadcaster wants to provide.

Ulmer quoted some Motorola research that found that when people first get an iPod, they pretty much stop listening to the radio. Six months later, however, their radio listening time increases by 25% because they want more new music. With the radio, they can discover new music without having to pay for a service or buy a CD or song download.

Another New Option

Rather than focus on where consumers can listen to music, Srivats Sampath, founder and CEO of Mercora, build a company that expands what they can listen to. Essentially, Mercora took "peer-to-peer and made it legal," said Sampath. Instead of letting subscribers download music, Mercora works with a broadcasting method, turning it into a potentially worldwide Internet radio network.

Mercora's IM Radio lets users search, find and legally listen to music provided by individual Webcasters from around the world in near-CD-quality sound. According to Sampath, it currently broadcasts eight million songs a day.

Whenever a song is played, the company pays royalties to SoundExchange, a performing rights organization that collects royalties for sound recordings played over nontraditional radio systems. SoundExchange collects royalties from Internet and satellite radio broadcasters as well as cable and satellite TV music services.

The rights available to Mercora listeners depend on the country the user lives in. By year-end, said Sampath, it will be a "legal radio broadcast network" in seven or eight countries.

For radio fans wanting more than AM or FM but don't need the thousands of "channels" offered on Mercora, they can join the millions of folks who've turned to satellite radio.

According to Lee Abrams, chief programming officer of XM Satellite Radio, his company has 70% of the US market coast-to-coast. It also recently got approval to offer its services in Canada. XM, like its competitor Sirius, offers roughly 150 channels in all sorts of genres from rock music to talk radio.

Three decades ago, FM radio came on the air and took a huge chunk of the market away from AM by offering stereo sound, a wider variety of music and fewer commercials. XM's vision, said Abrams, is for the company to "have the same effect on FM that FM had on AM."

What's Next?

According to Sampath, radio used to be a "lean back experience," where the listener would lean back and enjoy the music. Now, thanks to the ability to listen on a PC, the listener can search for and discover the music he wants to listen to, making it a "lean forward" experience. Now, he said, the listener can listen to "what I want, not what you want to give me."

With all the new gadgets and music services out there, consumers are often stunned into indecision, what Motorola's Ulmer called the "deer in headlights effect." Ulmer believes that the industry will sort itself out--that the "iconic products" that survive the upheaval will be around for a long time. "But for now, it's a mess," he said.