SA: Farmers feeling the heat

AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2009
SA: Farmers feeling the heat

By Larine Statham

ADELAIDE, Feb 2 AAP - Grape growers are watching their income shrivel right before
their eyes, with some losing up to 70 per cent of this season's harvest in South Australia's
ongoing heatwave, the state Farmer's Federation says.

Farmers have been desperately trying to get enough water on their crops and shade their
stock during six straight days of temperatures above 40 degrees celsius.

"We're seeing reports that as much as 70 per cent of some fruit has been damaged by
the sun," federation president Peter White said.

"I was told the other day by one (grower) that you can actually see the fruit, the
juice start to boil inside it and then it just shrivels up."

Mr White said the scenario was ironic given that in December an increase in rain prompted
growers to expect that at the end of the season they would be left with a surplus of grapes.

"There was concern that there would be half a million tonnes of grapes this year that
they couldn't find a home for ... and we were predicting as much as 30 to 40 per cent
would be left on the vines," he said.

"I think Mother Nature has dealt a bit of a hand and sorted that out.

"Until we actually see the vintage and the grapes come off, we're not going to know
the full extent of the damage."

Mr White said while the sweltering temperatures had killed off some grapes entirely,
the quality of others that survived the six consecutive 40-plus degree days would almost
certainly mean the price being paid for those grapes would drop.

Mr White said some growers would bring their harvest forward to prevent grapes over-ripening.

"But some regions and varieties manage the heat better than others," he said.

It is understood some sheep and cattle across the state have died as a result of the hot weather.

"It's a bit like human beings - the fit ones and healthy ones can put up with a fair
bit," Mr White said, adding that a lack of water and feed for stock had impacted on their
ability to survive the conditions.

"Certainly though, most producers try to do whatever they can to minimise the impact
on their animals and it's in their own best interest to do so."

AAP lcs/apm

KEYWORD: HEAT SA FARMERS

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

MiCTA Hires E-Rate Central to Provide E-Rate Consulting Services to Members

Wireless News
05-18-2011
MiCTA Hires E-Rate Central to Provide E-Rate Consulting Services to Members
Type: News

MiCTA, a national non-profit cooperative purchasing organization, has selected E-Rate Central to provide E-Rate consulting services to its eligible members. MiCTA's Master Service Agreement will enable E- Rate eligible MiCTA members to purchase exceptional E-Rate consulting services at a discount.

Using MiCTA's Master Service Agreement, E-Rate eligible MiCTA members may contract for complete E-Rate consulting services from E- Rate Central. MiCTA's cooperative purchasing model delivers competitively bid contracts that provide significant cost savings to its members and eliminates their need to conduct their own competitive bidding processes.
"MiCTA is delighted to welcome E-Rate Central as a MiCTA vendor," said Tim von Hoff, COO of MiCTA. "The E-Rate program is vitally important to our eligible K-12, rural healthcare and library members," says von Hoff. "Being able to offer E-Rate consulting services from E-Rate Central will enable our members to take advantage of significant discounts on telecommunications and Internet services."

The MiCTA Master Service Agreement with E-Rate Central is effective through April of 2013. "E-Rate-eligible members will realize significant benefits from MiCTA's relationship with E-Rate Central," said von Hoff. "We look forward to working with E-Rate Central and our members to help them acquire highly cost effective telecommunications and Internet services through the federal E-Rate program."

MiCTA represents thousands of higher education, K-12, healthcare, library, governmental and charitable entities. Nationally, MiCTA seeks to resolve common voice, video and data issues, provide helpful information, participate in legislative and regulatory telecommunications advocacy, and negotiate discounted purchase contracts for telecommunications and technology services for its members.

E-Rate Central is a specialized educational consulting firm dedicated to streamlining the E-rate application and funding process for schools, state education departments, educational service agencies, and libraries. E-Rate Central has almost 300 E-rate applicants nationwide.

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

Copyright 2011 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
n/a

WA:Radical cancer treatment 'helped wife'

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2011
WA:Radical cancer treatment 'helped wife'

PERTH, Aug 30 AAP - The man who helped set up two radical cancer treatment centres
in Australia has told a Perth coronial inquest he still believes the treatment program
works.

Keith Preston said he helped Dr Hellfried Sartori establish centres in Darwin and Perth
between 2004 and 2005 after the controversial cancer treatment helped his late wife.

Mr Preston told the coronial inquiry on Tuesday that his partner of 34 years had been
diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was given just six weeks to live when he decided to
try alternative treatments.

He says his wife lived another 10 years thanks to various unconventional treatments,
eventually dying after blood seeped into her lungs while in Thailand after receiving Dr
Sartori's treatment in 2004.

The treatment involved the administration of substances such as cesium chloride, magnesium
sulphate and potassium chloride.

Mr Preston said an autopsy revealed that the radical treatment had worked to remove
most of the cancer previously spread through his wife's stomach and other parts of her
body.

"The pathologist told me the cancer was dead," he said.

Mr Preston said Dr Sartori had seemed "very knowledgeable" and described his wife's
death as "just rotten bad luck".

After his wife's death, Mr Sartori decided to set up a centre in her honour and helped
Dr Sartori spread his treatment ideas in Australia.

"(Dr Sartori) was desperate to get his treatment up and running," Mr Preston told the .

Mr Preston said he was was told by Dr Sartori, and believed for himself, that the treatment
had had a "good" success rate in the United States and that if anyone who did not recover
from the cancer it was likely to be due to post-treatment care.

He said he believed that there was a "big possibility" that patients could overcome
cancer if they followed the treatment.

"They come good so quick that they're in with a chance ... you've always got a chance
until you're dead," he said.

Asked if he still thought the treatment was good, Mr Preston replied: "I would take
it if I had to."

Deputy State Coroner Evelyn Vicker is investigating the deaths of Sandra McCarty, 53,
from Victoria, Pia Bosso, 68, from NSW, Perth woman Sandra Kokalis, 52, Deborah Gruber,
42, from New York, and Perth man Carmelo Vinciullo, 29.

The five, who all had severe forms of cancer, underwent Dr Sartori's treatment program
at the Perth home of Dr Alexandra Boyd in 2005.

All four women died about two weeks after being rushed to hospital with various symptoms,
including gastrointestinal bleeding and seizures.

Mr Vinciullo began treatment in May 2005 but stopped after he felt unbearable pain.

He died that July following respiratory failure.

The inquest continues.

AAP anr/mm/hn/

KEYWORD: SARTORI

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

Sybase 365 Unveils IPX Services for RIM's BlackBerry Infrastructure

Wireless News
02-19-2011
Sybase 365 Unveils IPX Services for RIM's BlackBerry Infrastructure
Type: News

Sybase 365, a subsidiary of Sybase, Inc., a company focused on mobile messaging and mobile commerce services, announced the availability of its suite of IPX (IP eXchange) services for RIM's BlackBerry Infrastructure.

Sybase 365 provides connectivity between RIM's BlackBerry Infrastructure and mobile operators around the world using the secure private Sybase IPX 365 network. The global service gives mobile operators a scalable and cost-efficient solution for connecting to the BlackBerry Infrastructure.
The Company said the Sybase IPX 365 network is designed to serve both fixed and mobile network operators with the quality of service and security required in the conversion to IP networks. The full suite of IPX 365 services includes global data roaming (GRX), SMS and MMS messaging hubs, IPX Voice and roaming signalling -- all run over a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network.

"With the proliferation of smartphones worldwide, connectivity is a key service for mobile operators, who historically had to connect their customers using international private circuits or through a secure tunnel over the public internet," said Howard Stevens, senior vice president, International Operations, Sybase 365. "By hosting connectivity to RIM's BlackBerry Infrastructure through an IPX network, which is vastly superior to the public internet, the service is more scalable and efficient."

Operator benefits of Sybase IPX service for connecting to RIM's BlackBerry Infrastructure, as described by the Company, include:

-Service quality and availability Sybase IPX 365 network is engineered for high performance and resiliency. Contrary to private line circuits, if there is a fault anywhere in the network, it will simply result in packets being rerouted without loss of service. And unlike the Public Internet, performance parameters for packet loss and latency are guaranteed.

-Security Sybase IPX 365 network is completely isolated from the Public Internet, providing a highly secure environment, designed and managed according to best industry practice.

-Scalability Sybase's solution for connecting to RIM's BlackBerry Infrastructure is highly scalable. Mobile operators can upgrade the bandwidth within the capacity of the port at which they are connected to the Sybase IPX 365 network.

-Cost efficiency Connectivity to RIM's BlackBerry Infrastructure is provided as a separate VPN over the Sybase IPX 365 network, in addition to the other IPX services including Sybase GRX 365, Sybase IPX Voice and Roaming Signalling. This means a cost-efficient use of network connectivity.

More information:

www.sybase.com/365

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

Copyright 2011 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
n/a

FED:Editorials, Saturday December 4, 2010

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2010
FED:Editorials, Saturday December 4, 2010

SYDNEY, Dec 4 AAP - Julia Gillard needs to listen to former prime minister Paul Keating
and some-time treasurer of NSW Michael Costa, The Weekend Australian says in its editorial
today.

Pandering to the Greens and deferring to union demands will never win enough votes
to replace those Labor will lose by abandoning the broad centre of politics.

It would be far better for Labor to stand its ground, even if this meant defeat in
the house, than to give in to the Greens and unions.

After losing the 1975 election, the party thought out what it should do in government.

The result was the best Labor administration in Australia's history, which stayed in power
by ignoring vocal minorities and reforming the economy.

It is a lesson the Gillard government should consider.

As Mr Costa puts it: "If Labor is to emerge rapidly from its malaise, it must in many
ways go back to the future and wholeheartedly embrace the Hawke-Keating project of continuous
reform."

Melbourne's The Age says the coalition picked the mood of Victoria's voters and Labor
needs to understand why.

Ted Baillieu and the coalition judged shrewdly in running a campaign focused ob Labor
failures, while Labor miscalculated by relying on a perception that John Brumby had a
substantial personal following.

Premier Baillieu should proceed cautiously. When great change has been promised, implementing
it correctly is all the more important.

Mr Baillieu should also be willing to adjust the government's agenda according to changing
circumstances.

For Labor, the greatest challenge in the coming months will be resisting the temptation
to which parties so often succumb when going into opposition after a long period of incumbency.

The Sydney Morning Herald says with a World Cup or without it, football's future is
bright in Australia.

It is underpinned by an immensely strong participation at junior level.

Football is the most popular organised sport among boys up to the age of 14 and soccer
also has a particularly strong following among girls.

Even though some may drift to other sports as they grow up that early experience gives
football a large potential market.

That is what counts. What happens away from the pressured and slightly sour atmosphere
of football's pinnacle body - out in the sunshine each weekend on playing fields across
this country - is what really changes lives for the better.

Sydney's The Daily Telegraph says despite throwing more than $45 million and considerable
star-power into our bid to host the 2022 World Cup, Australia was blown aside by oil-rich
Qatar.

Our $45 million won us exactly one lousy vote from FIFA's selection committee.

The bigger issue now is how to maintain morale among Australia's soccer players and
administrators.

We have games to play and World Cups to compete in.

First step - rebuild our ageing Socceroos so we can run Qatar, among other nations,
off their legs in Brazil four years from now.

Melbourne's Herald Sun says Australians are within their rights to question FIFA's
selection system which picked the tiny Arab emirate as host for the 2022 World Cup.

The emirate is constantly under attack for its dismal human rights record, especially
the violent and degrading treatment of women, who are generally discriminated against
and treated as second-class citizens.

There will be an examination of the $46 million Australia spent in its bid to host
the cup, which attracted just one vote.

"It is also hoped a thorough and urgent investigation will be launched into international
soccer's governing body, and the duplicitous actions by some members and the largesse
dished out to buy votes," the newspaper says.

Brisbane's The Courier-Mail says outside of the state's wonderful nurses, doctors and
others, there is so much about Queensland Health that is appalling.

The department treats the state's Right to Information laws more like Right to Hide
Information, conjuring a series of options that would enable it to hide information from
RTI applicants and, therefore, the people of Queensland.

Premier Anna Bligh and the struggling Health director-general Mick Reid can dress up
their reaction in any way they like to defend the department, but it can only be hoped
this is for spin because surely they don't believe what they're saying.

AAP jxt/rs

KEYWORD: EDITORIALS

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

Qld: Pedestrian struck on highway north of Brisbane

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2010
Qld: Pedestrian struck on highway north of Brisbane

A pedestrian has been hit by a vehicle on the Bruce Highway north of Brisbane.

Police say the pedestrian's in a serious condition after being struck about 9.30 this
morning at Burpengary.

Motorists are being warned to expect delays.

AAP RTV tnf/jmt

KEYWORD: PEDESTRIAN (BRISBANE)

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

NSW: NSW to foot bill for fixed water charges

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2009
NSW: NSW to foot bill for fixed water charges

EDS: Takes in ke Water NSW.



SYDNEY, Dec 14 AAP - NSW taxpayers will foot the fixed water bill charged to hundreds
of drought-stricken farmers, saving them about $2.3 million, the state government says.

Premier Kristina Keneally announced the water relief on Monday while touring drought-affected
areas in central NSW, where she visited a farm at Cowra and Wyangala Dam, which is perilously
close to being dry.

Ms Keneally said the measure, which will help 600 Lachlan Valley irrigators, was part
of the government's commitment to help farmers adjust to reduced water availability.

Fees would be waived for general security licence holders who receive a zero water
allocation for the third consecutive year, limiting the unpopular practice of charging
farmers for water they haven't used.

The latest drought figures paint a bleak picture across NSW, with 80.8 per cent of
the state now in drought - up from 73.6 per cent in October - with a further 14.8 per
cent considered marginal.

"The Lachlan Valley is in the geographical heart of NSW and is at the centre of the
drought crisis currently gripping nearly three quarters of the state," Ms Keneally said.

"I want people of regional NSW to know that their plight is at the forefront of our minds."

The Lachlan Valley extends from Crookwell in the east to Ivanhoe and Oxley in the west,
north to Parkes and Condobolin and south to West Wyalong.

The region had endured drought for nine consecutive years, resulting in dangerously
low water supplies, Water Minister Phil Costa said.

"Wyangala Dam can hold almost 2.5 times the volume of water in Sydney Harbour, but
is down to just 4.5 per cent of capacity - the lowest on record for this time of year,"

Mr Costa said.

NSW Farmers Association president Charles Armstrong, who accompanied Ms Keneally on
her two-day drought tour of NSW, welcomed the announcement.

"The burden of fixed water charges that can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars
every year is exacerbating an already difficult situation," he said.

"This move will help alleviate the adverse impacts of the ongoing drought on regional
communities dependent upon the irrigated farming sector, as well as farm families struggling
through this unprecedented drought."

But the NSW opposition criticised the time taken to provide assistance, saying it had
advocated a similar move three months ago.

"We welcome the government's announcement on fixed water charges, albeit the fact that
we had to drag them kicking and screaming to this decision," opposition industry spokesman
Duncan Gay said.

Mr Gay called for a review of fixed water charges across the state.

"The current system that we operate under, where people can pay for a number of years
for water that they don't get, is ridiculous," he said.

AAP ab/evt/jl

KEYWORD: DROUGHT

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

Fed: Swine flu vaccine may be out early, says Roxon

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2009
Fed: Swine flu vaccine may be out early, says Roxon

By Jon Pierik

MELBOURNE, Aug 5 AAP - The federal government would be keen for a quicker than expected
rollout of a swine flu vaccine if early test results are favourable, Federal Health Minister
Nicola Roxon says.

The vaccine is being trialled at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 240 healthy adults,
with participants receiving two doses of the vaccine three weeks apart.

Blood tests will measure the immune system's response.

Ms Roxon says she hopes the results will be available within weeks.

"We are working very closely, of course, on the plans for the rollout of the vaccine
as soon as that becomes available," she said on Wednesday.

"We'll be looking at any early test results that come back from the trials to see if
it's possible to make a decision to provide the vaccine at an earlier date.

"I have made it quite clear that if the early results are positive, and we can be confident
the vaccine is safe, that we would make such a decision."

A trial of the vaccine on 400 children is expected to begin in all capital cities this month.

Ms Roxon said that to date nationally there had been 74 deaths of people who had tested
positive to the Influenza A(H1N1) virus.

She said the median age of those who had died was 51, compared to 83 for those who
had "regular seasonal influenza".

There are 409 people in hospital across Australia with the virus, including 121 in
intensive care.

Ms Roxon said the latest figures also showed 80 per cent of all flu cases reported
had symptoms of the swine virus - up from between 70 to 76 per cent.

"It's clear to us that this flu is the dominant flu this season," she said.

"To date, we do feel confident that our mitigating efforts are having some impact but
we know that we have a number of weeks still to go where this is likely to put more pressure
on many hospitals and still continue to peak for some time."

Ms Roxon could not rule out the number of cases rising even as the peak winter season
draws to a close.

"It's still important for us to remain vigilant," she said.

"We are not through the flu season yet. We have seen overseas the cases have continued
beyond the flu season."

AAP jfp/pmu/jnb/cdh

KEYWORD: FLU ROXON WRAP

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

Vic: Police call for patience from agitated residents

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2009
Vic: Police call for patience from agitated residents

MELBOURNE, Feb 11 AAP - Victoria Police have again pleaded for bushfire survivors who
want to get back into their devastated communities to be patient.

Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana said a large investigation taskforce was sifting
through the towns trying to identify victims while another 150 detectives backed them
up in in the field.

"The disaster victim identification team, operating primarily at Marysville and Kinglake,
has a big job ahead of them, - it's a very difficult process and will take a long time
to identify the deceased," Mr Fontana said.

"I know people would like to get access back into these areas but it is a critical
point for us because some of these areas are still dangerous."

He said VicRoads advise there are no markings on the road, pavements have been damaged
and road signs have been melted through the ferocity of the fire.

"The issue of allowing people back into some of these areas is going to take a while
because we have to ensure the roads are safe and there are curfews in some areas because
it is not safe to drive at night," he said.

On Tuesday, anger and frustration began to boil over in the bushfire-ravaged Kinglake
district as residents demanded they be allowed to return to what's left of their homes.

The evacuees who sought sanctuary in Whittlesea said they were being denied the chance
to return home for the first time since Saturday's inferno erupted.

Authorities said they had little choice but to continue to refuse them entry beyond
impenetrable police roadblocks because of the ongoing dangers of fire, falling trees and
powerlines.

The first wave of Kinglake residents returned to their homes under escort on Wednesday.

AAP jxt/gfr/cdh

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC COMMUNITIES

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

Oly: Seven confirms Rice signing

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2008
Oly: Seven confirms Rice signing

The Seven Network has confirmed it has signed up triple gold medallist STEPHANIE RICE.

RICE .. whose two individual golds and a relay gold were achieved in world record times
in the Olympic pool .. will be the Australian flag bearer at tonight's closing ceremony
in Beijing.

Seven says the 20-year-old swimmer's first on-air role will be on Make Me A Supermodel.

There's no official word on dollars .. but the deal's reported to be worth about 800
thousand over two years.

AAP RTV jmt

KEYWORD: OLY08 SEVEN RICE (BEIJING)

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

Fed: Teenageer leads police on car chase

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2008
Fed: Teenageer leads police on car chase

CANBERRA, April 18 AAP - An unlicensed teenage driver has led police on a car chase
that reached speeds of up 150km/h in Canberra.

The 15-year-old youth drove a vehicle with three other passengers through a police
traffic stop on Cotter Road in Canberra's south about 12.30am (AEST) today.

A short time later the vehicle was spotted by police travelling north on Coppins Crossing
Road where again the driver failed to stop as directed.

The vehicle continued along William Hovell Drive and into the northern suburb of Higgins
where it stopped and its four occupants fled.

The pursuit lasted approximately five minutes with speeds reaching up to 150km/h in
a posted 90km/h zone.

The driver was arrested a short time later.

He was then breath tested, allegedly recording a result of 0.042, more than twice the
.02 legal limit.

Police will allege the youth is an unlicensed driver and his vehicle was unregistered
at the time.

He will face ACT Children's Court on drink-driving and traffic offences at a date yet
to be fixed.

AAP rl/jfm/bwl

KEYWORD: CHASE

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

NSW: Storm insurance claims swell to $200 million

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2007
NSW: Storm insurance claims swell to $200 million

SYDNEY, Dec 14 AAP - Insurance claims following Sunday's devastating storms in Sydney
have swollen to more than $200 million.

The council areas of Penrith, Blacktown, Baulkham Hills and Hornsby, in Sydney's west
and north, have been declared natural disaster zones by the NSW government after being
hammered by hail and gale-force winds.

"In the past 24 hours the estimated claims cost has increased to around $201 million,"

Insurance Council of Australia chief Kerrie Kelly said in a statement today.

"Approximately 33,500 claims have been received to date by the general insurance industry.

"Policy holders who have been affected by the recent storms, and who have not yet contacted
their insurer, should do so before carrying out major repair work and more importantly,
before contacting third parties to undertake any repairs."

Ms Kelly said insurance companies were responding to claims as quickly as possible
but that repairs would be completed depending on the availability of construction workers
and trade supplies.

AAP ad/was/jt

KEYWORD: STORMS NSW

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

Esmertec Signs On to UIQ Alliance Partner Program

Wireless News
06-16-2007
Esmertec Signs On to UIQ Alliance Partner Program

WIRELESS NEWS-June 16, 2007-Esmertec Signs On to UIQ Alliance Partner Program (C)2007 10Meters - http://www.10meters.com

Esmertec announced that it has joined UIQ's Alliance partner program to offer Esmertec's Jbed Advanced Java Multi-tasking Virtual Machine (MVM) to UIQ customers globally.
The availability of Jbed integrated on the UIQ platform will enable UIQ Technology to offer its customers a platform on which various applications and services such as internet browsing, 3D gaming, payment services or Bluetooth can be created and deployed across multiple devices.

Esmertec said that its Jbed Advanced software platform powers various mass-market handsets world-wide and enables developers to create cool, new applications and services for the next-generation of mobile phones, which meets the end users' demands for customized handsets and enhanced user experiences. Combined with Jbed Advanced's Multi-tasking feature, it is possible to run several Java applications on a smart phone simultaneously and switch between them like on a PC.

UIQ is a user interface and software development platform based on Symbian OS, especially designed for advanced, media rich mobile handsets. Currently 5 handsets from Sony Ericsson and Motorola are based on the latest version of UIQ. By integrating Jbed Multi- tasking JVM on the UIQ platform, OEMs get a flexible and backwards compatible platform on which new Java applications can be added continuously and run without compromising on consistency, quality and performance across a range of Java-enabled handsets, bringing benefit to both operators and Java developers. In addition, the Jbed platform offers UIQ way to integrate additional JSRs, components and features to the UIQ platform, meeting the next-generation MSA (Mobile Service Architecture) umbrella standard (JSR-248).

"Esmertec is recognized for its high quality and performance Jbed Java Virtual machine with over 120 million shipments on mobile handsets world-wide," said Carina Lindberg, Head of Partner Management at UIQ Technology. "We are therefore pleased to welcome Esmertec in our UIQ Alliance program and are confident that we can provide our customers highly customizable all-in-one platforms in the future."

"We are delighted that UIQ has recognized our expertise in the mobile telecommunications industry and chosen us as UIQ Alliance member," said Jean-Claude Martinez, CEO of Esmertec. "We look forward to working together with UIQ in the future enabling our common customers to benefit from an all-in-one platform solution."

Esmertec will be sharing its knowledge about Java platforms and their possibilities at the Jazoon event, a Java developer conference in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday June 24, 14hrs CET. Nicolai Finke, Product Manager, will speak about Opening closed Feature Phone Platforms using Java.

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

((Distributed via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com))

(Copyright M2 Communications Ltd. 16, 2007)

NSW: Car chase ends on Sydney rail line

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2007
NSW: Car chase ends on Sydney rail line

SYDNEY, Feb 1 AAP - A man in a stolen car has led police on a chase through Sydney's
east which ended when the driver crashed through a metal fence and landed on rail lines.

Officers spotted the stolen Jaguar sedan at 11.40pm (AEDT) last night driving south
along Botany Road, Botany, police said.

Police gave chase along several local roads to Banksia Street.

At the end of the street the Jaguar hit an embankment then crashed through a metal
security fence and landed heavily on a freight train line.

Police immediately arrested the 41-year-old man at the wheel, who sustained minor cuts.

He was charged with taking and driving a conveyance, reckless driving and driving with
an expired licence.

The man was refused bail and will appear at Waverley Local Court later today.

AAP sk/ks

KEYWORD: CHASE

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

Fed: Centrelink problems show fed govt's incompetence

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2006
Fed: Centrelink problems show fed govt's incompetence

KIM BEAZLEY says widespread privacy breaches by Centrelink employees are another demonstration
of administrative incompetence by the federal government.

19 Centrelink staff have been sacked .. and 92 resigned .. after 790 cases of inappropriate
access to the records of welfare recipients were discovered.

The opposition leader says the problems at Centrelink follow on from administrative
bungles in the immigration and defence departments.

He says that after 10 years in government .. the coalition has no excuses for the privacy
breaches at Centrelink.

AAP RTV pj/hn/ibw/bart

KEYWORD: CENTRELINK BEAZLEY (SYDNEY)

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

Fed: Injured cyclist hasn't forgiven driver of car

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2006
Fed: Injured cyclist hasn't forgiven driver of car

EDS: Embargoed until 0001 AEST Monday April 17, 2006



SYDNEY, April 17 AAP - One of six Australian cyclists hit by a car during a training
ride in Germany in July says she hasn't forgiven the car's driver for causing the accident
that killed squad mate Amy Gillett.

Louise Yaxley, 24, told ABC's Enough Rope program she is "struggling" with the fact
that the driver of the car has never apologised.

The 19-year-old driver ploughed into the cyclists near the town of Zeulenroda, 80km
south of Leipzig, in July last year.

She was fined 1,440 Euro ($A2,320) and had her driving licence revoked for eight months
for causing the accident, in which Gillett was killed.

Yaxley, from Launceston in Tasmania, and Alexis Rhodes, 20, from Kersbrook in South
Australia, were last to return home after spending a month at the University Clinic in
Jena.

Rhodes' injuries included seven broken bones in her back and chest trauma but she recovered
sufficiently to compete in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games last month.

Yaxley sustained a puncture wound to her abdomen, chest trauma, a dislocated elbow
and severe abrasions to her arms and legs.

She says she is hopeful, but not convinced, that she will one day get back on a road bike.

Yaxley said when she was in hospital in Germany she remembers reading a letter in broken
English from the driver which "sort of attempted to apologise but it went around apologising".

"The only thing I am struggling with is the fact that ... she's never apologised to
us," Yaxley told Enough Rope.

"It (the letter) never actually said I am sorry for what had happened."

Asked whether she had been able to confront her lack of forgiveness, Yaxley said: "No,
I haven't".

"But I know that every day she ... has to wake up to the realisation of what she's
done ... every day she's reminded of it."

Yaxley said she was disappointed the driver only lost her licence for eight months.

"I find (it) hard ... that she lost her licence for eight months and it's now eight
months and I still can't drive, if you know what I'm saying," she said.

Yaxley says deep down she doesn't really believe she'll be able to get over her injuries
and get back on a bike, although it remains her major aim.

"I don't think I will make it," she said.

"(But) I hope to prove myself wrong.

"The other day I dreamt that I actually rode for the first time and that was pretty
pretty inspiring.

"My dream (is) ... to get back on the bike. That's pretty simple but yeah."

Rhodes says she remembers the day of the accident and has clear memories of Gillett.

"I was riding next to her, she was just so happy and so excited to be there and I mean
it sounds weird but she was, she was just different," she told the program.

"Amy was quite an intense person and she just seemed to be so relaxed and so calm."

AAP smb/was/sco/nf

KEYWORD: YAXLEY (EMBARGOED)

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

Vic: Semi-trailer overturns spilling barrels on freeway

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2005
Vic: Semi-trailer overturns spilling barrels on freeway

MELBOURNE, Dec 18 AAP - A semi-trailer has overturned, spilling 20 barrels of liquid
across the Tullamarine Freeway in Melbourne's north-west.

The accident happened at 6.15pm and, in spite of the chaos, the driver was uninjured,
a police spokeswoman said.

She said the accident happened between the Western Ring Road and Melrose Road with
outbound traffic heading towards the Hume Highway blocked.

The liquid, which has spread over the freeway, is yet to be identified.

AAP hmg/sd/

KEYWORD: TRUCK

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

Qld: Calls for justice as Doomadgee laid to rest

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2004
Qld: Calls for justice as Doomadgee laid to rest

The son of CAMERON DOOMADGEE yesterday led his 3,000-strong community in a funeral
march before they laid his father to rest, amid calls for justice over the death in custody
on Palm Island.

ERIC DOOMADGEE's father's death three weeks ago on the north Queensland island has
become a catalyst for nationwide protests calling for deaths in custody to end after 300
islanders rioted.

The streets of the island emptied yesterday as hundreds of mourners converged on a
church in the foot of the island hills to bid farewell to the islander they describe as
a humble martyr.

Aboriginal leader MURRANDOO YANNER led a procession carrying the Aboriginal flag down
the same street on which rioters had pelted rocks at police two weeks ago as they burnt
down the police station, barracks and court house.

A second autopsy report into Mr DOOMADGEE'S death is yet to be released.

AAP RTV ap/jv/wz

KEYWORD: DOOMADGEE (PALM ISLAND)

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

smaller companies market

smaller companies market (SCM) A market for the stocks and shares of unlisted securities in Ireland.

Yucatan and Quintana Roo may apply entry tax to cruise passengers.

MEXICO CITY, Jan 28, 2003 (Cronica/Corporate Mexico by Internet Securities, Inc. via COMTEX) -- Authorities in the eastern states of Quintana Roo and Yucatan are studying the possibility of applying an entry tax on cruise passengers in the Mexican Caribbean, reported Fernando Garcia of the Quintana Roo Caribbean Hotel Association.The proposal originated in a meeting carried out halfway through January in Cozumel, although the matter has been debated in both Costa Rica and Puerto Rico."We need a legal instrument that balances the tax conditions of the hotel and cruise sectors, as part of the public coastal policy in the whole Caribbean region," said Garcia.More than 1,000 cruise ships arrive in the Mexican Caribbean each year, with Cozumel being the main destination, with some 500 ships docking annually.

URL:              www.securities.com 

Copyright 2003 Internet Securities, Inc., all rights reserved. A Euromoney Institutional Investor Company.

News Provided by COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com)

JOHN BARNES SIGNS FIVE FIGURE DEAL AS PUNDIT FOR TOTOPOOLS.COM.

With Pictures

Attention Sports Desks

PR Newswire, London, August 16. This press release is transmitted on behalf of totopools.com

With the football season about to kick off it's time to put your football knowledge to the test, put your money where your mouth is and log on to the hottest new football gaming website around, totopools.com - guaranteed to revolutionise football pools as we know it.

Ex- England and Liverpool star John Barnes has joined the TotoPools team as their very own football pundit utilising his football knowledge to predict results providing tips to help online gamers spend their money wisely.

Football pools have always been a traditional part of the Saturday football experience but now with the launch of TotoPools.com, gone are the days of filling in your coupons and having them collected at your door by an old dear! TotoPools looks set to reinvent the UK's football pools by bringing them to a younger, technology-savvy football fan through Internet, mobile and interactive TV services.

The UK has seen a massive increase in the popularity of online gambling with new audiences finding it more accessible than traditional channels such as the bricks and mortar shops and door-to-door pools collectors. The market has grown dramatically with 7.4 million people estimated to gamble online around the world by 2005.

Whether you're at work or at home simply log onto the site at http://www.totopools.com, register and make your predictions, it's that simple. With every game played contributing to the prize pool, you could be raking it in for a minimum investment of only 75p.

Like football, love totopools -

Luck's Got Nothing To Do With It!

Ex England and Liverpool Star John Barnes's Top Tips for the first games of the season...

Charlton V Everton

home win

Derby V Blackburn

Draw

Leeds v Souhtampton

Home win

Leicester v Bolton

Home win

Chelsea v Newcastle

home win

Liverpool v West Ham

Manchester United v Fulham

Home win

Middlesborough v Arsenal

Away win

Sunderland v Ipswich

Home Win

Tottenham v Aston Villa

Home Win

Brnsley v Nottingham Forrest

Home win

Birmingham v Millwall

Home win

Coventry v Wolves

Home Win

Norwich V Manchester City

Away Win

Note to Editors

Two pictures accompanying this press release will shortly be available in the PR Newswire folder on the PA Bulletin Board. There is no charge for using the pictures.

How our CliCode works.

YOU may have seen the little black and white squares containing seemingly random patterns in our Motoring supplement recently and wondered what it's all about.

They're called QR (Quick Response) codes and offer an interactive experience marrying print and online media. It's our way of offering our tech-savvy readers a new and exciting way to enhance their reading experience.

We don't always have space in our newspaper to publish more than one or two pictures of any new vehicle, which is why we offer photo galleries on our sister website, www.motoring.co.za.

Here's where the beauty of the QR code (supplied to us by CliCode) comes in. Instead of having to type out a long web address in your phone's internet browser, you simply open the i-nigma application (which reads the code), point your cellphone camera at the CliCode and it takes you straight to the online picture gallery or video.

It works best with smart phones but is compatible with many other internet-enabled camera cellphones too, and all you have to do to get connected is a one-time free download of the i-nigma software from www.clicode.mobi.

So get connected and check out today's online galleries of our exclusive test of the beautiful Ferrari 458 Italia supercar, the new Audi Q3 compact SUV which makes its world debut, the new single-cab Volkswagen Amarok , and the striking BMW 640i Convertible.

Car-makers put on their brakes.

There were no flying cars or other awesome technologies at this year's Detroit auto show, as manufacturers facing a steep drop off in sales focused on fuel efficiency and fewer frills. Bankruptcy is still a very real possibility for car firms, so real that Asian automakers say they are re-evaluating their US supply chains. "The supply base is a big concern," John Mendel, vice president of automotive operations for American Honda said. "Even in good years we'll have a dozen sales, consolidations, bankruptcies." And this year is expected to be an incredibly bad year, with US auto sales forecast to fall by up to three million vehicles to between 10.5 and 12 million units. That follows an 18 per cent drop in sales last year in the sharpest decline in 29 years. Sales have hovered at between 16 and 17 million vehicles for the past decade and have not been below 12 million since the recession of 1982, when the US had 74 million fewer people than today. So most auto-makers were focused on showing their new line ups of long-awaited electric and hybrid cars, expected to hit showrooms as early as mid-2009 through to 2012. And some rehashed technologies - such as cars that park themselves or keep drivers from straying into oncoming lanes, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Chrysler and General Motors (GM) were especially restrained because they wanted to show US taxpayers what they will get for their $13.4 billion bail-out of the two Detroit-based auto makers, not fanciful technologies, said analysts. Others are concerned about a global recession, and aimed to push pragmatism over splendour. "The themes of this year's show were restraint and fuel efficiency, and more low-key," said Tom Libby, an industry analyst with JD Powers and Associates. "There was a lot of emphasis on hybrids because that's the next shift in their product lines - making more fuel efficient vehicles." If the 2009 North American International Auto Show seemed a bit "sombre", he said, it's because car-makers "couldn't be seen spending lavishly" while clamouring for government aid to avoid ruin. "They're trying to get that message across because that's what the US government wants them to make," he said, in the case of Chrysler and GM. "I don't think they're ignoring other technologies, but they're under extreme pressure to satisfy Congress right now." GM showed off the production version of its electric Chevrolet Volt, Chrysler its concept 200C sedan, and Daimler rolled out its concept car BlueZero, slicing and dicing it to show journalists the inner workings of battery-powered cars. Toyota meanwhile launched its third generation Prius, which boasts 50 miles per gallon and Ford announced plans for several electric and hybrid vehicles to be launched over the next four years. However, unrestrained luxury cars are still selling well, despite the doldrums in the global auto industry. If you happen to have a million dollars to spend on a car, for example, Mercedes could make you one of the "happy few" to be offered a chance to buy one of only 75 new SLR "Stirling Moss". The new SLR, which goes on sale starting in June, will be reserved for owners of previous SLR models - which sold for as much as $300,000 - and them alone, said a Mercedes spokesman at the Detroit auto show. The nouveaux riches, recent lottery winners and the like, can thus only dream of getting in the driver's seat. In a market in dramatic decline, high-end brands such as Bentley, Maserati, Lamborghini, Jaguar, Maybach and Rolls Royce are still posting strong sales, up eight to 50 per cent, notably in emerging markets such as Eastern Europe.

2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Lions, tigers, & bears--oh my!(TECHtalk)(email and phishing)

Last time I wrote about Facebook and social media, but I also led with predictions and commentary regarding Apple's then unannounced iPad 2.1 was right about a few things. Only a few weeks after I wrote my article, Apple released its newest touch-table, and it did feature a built-in camera--two of them even (yes, it has front as well as rear-facing cameras). But where I had hoped and others predicted that support for Adobe Flash would accompany the debut, sadly we all were disappointed.

No, I haven't broken down and purchased the newer version--there just were not enough new features or benefits to warrant buying one. But don't get me wrong: I still love my iPad--I'll just wait on Apple to include better cameras and hopefully support of Adobe's Flash before buying another model.

In this article, I focus on how to avoid the pitfalls of being connected on the Web, of using e-mail, and of conducting business via the Internet. Hopefully I can help inform and equip you with information and resources so you are safe and smart in today's swiftly changing technology landscape.

Software Solutions?

But, before I get started, I share this information out of the University of Washington. A press release dated April 7 describes two research teams and projects that have developed software solutions for people with disabilities: "Free software makes computer mouse easier for people with disabilities."

As the population ages, more people are having trouble with motor control, but the University of Washington team has invented two mouse cursors that make clicking targets a whole lot easier. And neither requires additional computer hardware--just some free, downloadable software. The researchers hope that in exchange for the software, users [will] offer feedback.

Now, who doesn't like something that is free? PAT readers would likely be interested in one of these projects, the Angle Mouse, software that helps slow down cursor movements when it nears an intended target and can help people with motor impairments achieve more accuracy and fewer corrective movements. Describing the solution here doesn't really do it justice, so don't miss the video (URL provided below) by Jacob O. Wobbrock, an assistant professor in the Information School and who leads the AIM Research Group. For more information:

Watch the video about Angle Mouse: http://depts.washington.edu/aimgroup/proj/angle/anglemouse.mov.

For more information about Angle Mouse, visit http://depts.washington.edu/aimgroup/proj/angle.

Check out UW's AIM Research Group at http://depts.washington.edu/aimgroup.

Avoiding the Bad Guys

So, did my title "Lions, Tigers,& Bears ... "attract your attention? Hopefully it did. My article is really about spam, phishing, and computer viruses. All are equally bad guys you want to avoid.

Spam (1) is the use of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately-While the most widely recognized form is e-mail spam, the term is applied to similar abuses in other media.

Flushing (2) is a way of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as user names, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

A computer virus (3) is a program that can copy itself and infect a computer. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability.

The inspiration for this article came from a forwarded e-mail 1 received from a relative. Why is it that my family (and a few other friends) find it so easy to forward all those chain e-mails, jokes, prayers, funny videos, and inspiring slide shows? And just so you know, I dispose of 90% of them without even reading them--so don't even try!

The e-mail sent to me contained a link to a video of a bartender doing some fancy maneuvers mixing drinks. The title must have attracted my attention; it was that 10% of the time I read a forwarded e-mail.

Well, I clicked on the video link, immediately noted the bartender was Russian, looked at the URL and saw it was an Adobe Flash video hosted on a server in Russia (.ru), and quickly closed my browser and got out of there. Why, you ask? No, I am not a bigot who targets Russians; I am just well informed that Russia has earned its reputation as a spam-source country (see Spam Sources by Country (4).) Additionally, I know that clever hackers and others with malicious intent have exploited Adobe Flash in the past; I just didn't want to take a chance.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Living with a disability doesn't make us immune to spam, phishing, or computer viruses. Facts indicate that people have tried to exploit disability communities via attempts at phishing. In a blog post, Anna documents that "In a new twist on nasty behavior, scammers are actively trying to trick the disabled and other supporters of the disabled community (5)"

7 Tips for Combating Spam, Phishing, and Viruses

* Don't be afraid to ignore e-mails. It's not rude to throw them right into the trash. Tell your friends and family you don't read forwarded e-mails that do not include a personalized message to you.

* Credit-card companies, banks, and online services like PayPal do not send messages addressed to "Account Holder." E-mails from institutions that don't use your proper name are probably attempts at phishing. Think about it: Why would you get e-mail from Chase Bank if you've never had an account there? If you do get an e-mail from your banking institution, make sure it has your name and account information before clicking on the link. If you receive phishing e-mail and have time, report it. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) (www.us-cert.gov/nav/rcport_phishing.html) is collecting phishing e-mail messages and website locations to help people avoid becoming victims of phishing scams.

* Turn on and adjust your spam filter. Most e-mail programs today, even webmail ones, feature spam filtering. Be sure yours is turned on and you follow the instructions on how to adjust it to keep your inbox free of unwanted clutter.

* Be sure to run a virus check frequently and keep your software up-to-date. Virus-check software is essential when you're connecting to the Internet or receiving e-mail. Ask your computer specialist what would work best for you--most computers today come outfitted with free software.

* Keep all your software up-to-date. Many software updates you are notified about--e.g., from Microsoft, Apple, Mozilla, Adobe, etc.--are initiated because software vulnerabilities have been identified and fixed. Do not delay updating your software on a regular basis, as this, too, will keep you safer.

* Check and ensure it's a secure site. When shopping online, banking, or conducting any transaction that requires security, be sure it's a secure site. The quickest way to tell is by looking for the "S" in the URL; secure sites all start out "https."

* Have password strategies. Using the same password everywhere can get you into trouble if there's a breach on the site where you're registered. A recent news story was about Sony and its gaming platform having been shut down because hackers broke in and accessed user accounts and information. Having unique passwords for websites will protect you; changing them often protects you further.

Summary

As I shared in my last articles summary, the bottom line is to be smart. Educate yourself about phishing, computer viruses, and spam. And again, be careful about what you post, write in e-mail, the websites you visit, and links you click.

Using a computer is fun and productive, but being careless can lead to headaches and heartaches.

Next Time

I've never written about holiday gift ideas, so next time I will. And as always, send your insights, suggestions, or questions for Tech Talk by e-mailing me at Dr.Larsen@buyvet.com.

REFERENCES

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_%28electronic%29

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing

(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus

(4) www.m86security.com/labs/spam_statistics.asp

(5) www.thespeciallife.com/disabled-targeted-in-email-scams.html

KURT LARSEN, EdD

m8 Capital Announces $10million Investment In Video Calling Technology Leader Aylus Networks; North Bridge Venture Partners and Matrix Partners join m8 Capital in $16million total investment.

M2 PRESSWIRE-June 16, 2011-: m8 Capital Announces $10million Investment In Video Calling Technology Leader Aylus Networks; North Bridge Venture Partners and Matrix Partners join m8 Capital in $16million total investment(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:16062011

London, -- m8 Capital, the mobile-focused venture fund, announced today a $10million series D investment in Aylus Networks, the Westford, MA based enabler of video communication services over mobile networks. Joseph Kim, General Partner of m8 Capital, will be joining the Aylus Board of Directors.

m8 Capital is joined in this funding round by Aylus Networks' existing investors Matrix Partners and North Bridge Venture Partners. The total invested in this round is $16million.

As front-facing cameras continue to proliferate across smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops, video calling is expected to grow rapidly over the coming years. However, current video calling is limited to proprietary networks and isolated "silos".

For video calling to become widespread and "mainstream", people must be able to make video calls the way they currently make voice calls, across any device and across any network.

Aylus Networks, founded in 2005 by industry pioneer Shamim Navqi, provides technology and platforms that enable video calling across networks and devices, and also allow rich media to be built into the call. The investment announced today will help fund further development of the product, and extend sales operations globally.

Aylus' technology will serve both mobile carriers as well as OTT (Over The Top) service providers in harnessing true interoperability. For example, it would allow a video call to place between an iPad and an Android mobile phone, or a video call to be placed from a landline US carrier to an Asian mobile carrier network.

"We expect video calling to grow exponentially in the coming years, with adoption rates similar to those of SMS," said Joseph Kim, General Partner of m8 Capital. "We're thrilled to be supporting the Aylus team in bringing to market their vision of seamless video calling available to everyone, everywhere."

"The dawn of video becoming the new voice is upon us," said Mark Edwards, CEO Aylus Networks. "The emergence of powerful video-ready smartphones and tablets, high-speed mobile networks, and consumers becoming accustomed to video calling on the desktop establishes the ideal conditions for the mass adoption of mobile video calling. For video calling to be a mass-market phenomenon it needs to be offered as a seamless add-on option to a voice call. People should be able to add or drop video from a call, leave a video voicemail, and roam while on a video call, just as they do now with voice calling. In addition, video calling services should be interoperable with other video calling services on different device platforms, and between networks and communities of users. This requires the kind of market leading video infrastructure platform Aylus has built."

For more information, please contact:

m8 Capital Chris McCafferty chris@kaper.uk.com +447801 109654

Aylus Networks Cathy Clarke cathy@cncassocs.com

Notes to Editors

About m8 Capital

m8 Capital invests exclusively in mobile technology. Mobile technology is changing everything we do. Mobile technology is enabling services, products and information to be more pervasive, more relevant, and more convenient. London-based m8 Capital looks to support entrepreneurs and their companies that are positioning themselves to be at the forefront of all things mobile. Previous investments include mobile payment technology company, Masabi, and German mobile M2M automation firm SCHAD.

About Aylus Networks

Aylus Networks, Inc. helps mobile operators and over-the-top (OTT) service providers transform their business models so that they can take back control of their networks and find new and innovative ways of monetizing the broadband mobile Internet. Aylus' unique, innovative, software-based core infrastructure technology provides a competitive edge for mobile video and multimedia communication service offerings. As video overtakes voice & data on mobile networks, products from Aylus Networks help mobile operators and service providers increase revenues and grow ARPU with new media services, while also enabling them to proactively manage the quality of the multimedia services they deliver. With Aylus, video and other rich media can become an integral part of the voice call or communication session. Aylus helps OTT providers extend their offerings with Premium services that help monetize their business. For more information visit www.aylus.com.

((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)).

CHINESE AUTHORITIES REACT TO DEMONSTRATIONS SEEKING PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL GRASSLANDS.

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

Authorities in China have clamped down on protests in Inner Mongolia by nomadic herders against development of the region's grasslands, arresting dozens and sealing off roads and schools in major towns and cities on Friday, according to current and former residents of the area.

Dolgion Hatgin, a former resident of Shuluun Huh (in Chinese, Zhenglan) banner (county) where the protests took place, but who now lives in Sweden, said he heard about the arrests from his friends and family.

"More than 30 people were arrested Friday in clashes. The people participating in today's protests are from southern Xilingol league [prefecture]. More than 300 people took part. Also three of my best friends were among those arrested," he said.

"Everyone is now just waiting at home and trying to find out what will happen."

The clampdown follows several days of protests by minority ethnic Mongolians in and around Xilinhot city, sparked by the death of a herder, Murgen, following clashes between local herders and mining company truck drivers.

Hatgin said that the local government had announced on television that beginning Friday, no more demonstrations would be tolerated and those who defied the order would be arrested.

"Officials have also closed all middle and primary schools in the area. The police and military are controlling Xilingol league and the local television station is asking people to stay at home."

Tense atmosphere

A Chinese resident of the area, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed the crackdown and said that members of the Han Chinese majority in the banner had been warned to take precautions.

"Work leaders are telling Chinese employees not to go out because the Mongolians may kill us. They are saying to take care of ourselves and our families and that we shouldn't go and see the protests."

The U.S.-based Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) said in an e-mailed news release on Friday that all Mongolian schools in Shuluun Huh banner were under heavy guard by riot police and security personnel.

"Mongolian students who attempted to join the herders' protest have been stopped by the school authorities and riot police," it said.

SMHRIC said more herders were on their way to the main town of Shuluun Huh banner for possible protests.

An official who answered the phone at the Shuluun Huh banner government offices on Friday declined to confirm the report.

A taxi driver from Right Ujumchin (in Chinese, Xiwu) banner, near the northwestern city of Xilinhot, said streets in the banner's main town had been sealed off by police in recent days.

"I didn't see anyone [protesting] today," he said. "There have obviously been repercussions, because they have sealed off the roads and closed some shops."

"They're not letting anyone through."

The tight security was described by some residents to Reuters news agency as "martial law," a term which in Chinese can simply refer to sealed-off streets and a strong security presence.

Concern for grasslands

Local residents and overseas rights groups said the protests appeared to be aimed at protecting the ecology of grasslands and the livelihoods of herding communities.

"There were some students demonstrating here yesterday, mainly against mining operations in the grasslands," the man said. "The mines have stopped production because of the Murgen incident."

But he said those demonstrating were not mostly herders now.

"The herders live in far-off rural areas," he said. "Most of those demonstrating are just ordinary residents."

Almas Simud, a Mongolian resident of Tongliao, a city near where the protests took place, said in a Skype interview on Thursday that his son had been approached by police following the unrest.

"The Chinese security police just came and asked my son questions because he sent pictures to [overseas activists] about the protests."

Subsequent attempts to reach Simud on Friday failed and residents of Xilingol league wrote via e-mail that they feared he may have been arrested.

Residents from Xilingol also wrote that a teacher from the area named Bilik who helped to organize protests had not been seen or heard from since Wednesday.

Reports posted on Internet chat rooms accused Chinese riot police of intentionally driving into protesters, injuring four Mongolian women.

There was no way to verify the content of these reports, however.

Students injured

SMHRIC said 10 Mongolian students were injured in clashes with the riot police during protests.

It said the security clampdown has affected online communications, too.

"In an attempt to control the Southern Mongolians from communicating through the social networking tools, the Chinese authorities are intensifying their crackdown on QQ messaging, Internet chatting, and e-mail communications," SMHRIC said.

"Police raided the residences of several Mongolian Internet chat room administrators in Hohhot, capital city the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and searched for evidence of sending out materials related to the protests," it added.

A video clip of the protests posted on the video-sharing site YouTube showed thousands of people chanting the slogan, "Defend our land, defend our rights!"

The clip was soon removed by China's Internet censors inside China, however.

'Appalling' force

Nahubisgalat, an ethnic Mongolian Chinese national currently living in Japan, said the police had used excessive force against the unarmed protesters.

"The methods used by the Right Ujumchin banner government were appalling," he said. "They sent troops and police to put down the protests."

Murgen's death on May 11 sparked protests by more than 2,000 students and herders in Xilinhot city on Wednesday.

They dispersed after officials promised to bring to justice the driver involved in the incident. But the protests resumed the following day over larger issues such as protection of grasslands.

Currently, ethnic Mongols represent a tiny 17 percent of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's 23 million people, the overwhelming majority of whom are Han Chinese.

Wang Ning, a former resident of Xilinhot now living in Australia, said universities in the regional capital Hohhot had introduced extra exams so as to stop students from joining demonstrations.

"They got this from the SMS messages being sent among Mongolian students in Hohhot, saying that they would have a demonstration on May 30," Wang said.

"That has probably changed now, because the authorities have already put [security] measures in place."

Khereid Khuvisgalt, secretary of the Inner Mongolia People's Party based in Japan, also confirmed the government decision to increase schooling for students.

"In Hohhot all students are required to attend universities and middle schools on Saturday and Sunday. They no longer have the weekend off," he said, adding that authorities had been stepping up the crackdown because of the proximity of the protests to the Chinese capital of Beijing.

Reported by Mihray Abdilim for RFA's Uyghur service, Ding Xiao for RFA's Mandarin service, and Dai Weisen for the Cantonese service. Translated from Uyghur by Mihray Abdilim. Translated from Chinese and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

STATE AID: THE PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING FRANCE'S FOURTH 3G MOBILE PHONE LICENCE DID NOT INVOLVE STATE AID.

BRUSSELS -- The following information was released by the European Union:

The European Commission has ruled that the procedure for awarding France's fourth 3G mobile phone licence in 2009 did not involve any state aid under the EU rules. In the Commission's view, the award was made by way of a transparent and open procedure in accordance with European Union regulations and resulted in a competitive outcome. The Commission has therefore rejected the complaints filed by the three mobile phone operators currently active in the French market.

JoaquE n Almunia, Commission Vice-President in charge of competition policy, said: 'The development of competition is one of the fundamental goals of the European Union's regulatory framework for electronic communications. It would be something of a paradox for a tender held in accordance with that framework, designed to increase the number of competitors and broaden consumer choice, to involve state aid. The Commission is satisfied in this instance that the procedure followed ruled out the granting of any selective advantage to the undertaking selected'.

For ten years France had been trying to bolster competition and foster growth in the mobile phone services market by authorising a fourth operator. A number of failed attempts demonstrated that the conditions previously on offer were dissuasive. In 2009 France therefore decided to subdivide the frequencies initially intended for a fourth operator into three batches and to launch separate calls for tender. The first, in 2009, was set aside for new entrants. The beneficiary, Free Mobile (Iliad SA), was chosen on the basis of a comparative procedure in which qualitative criteria such as the project's coherence and planned national coverage were assessed. Bidders also had to agree to pay a spectrum usage fee, comprising a fixed fee of 240 million and 1% of related turnover.

The three operators already active in the French market - Orange (France Telecom), SFR (Vivendi) and Bouygues Telecom - claimed that the fixed fee was not high enough and thus constituted state aid.

Role as regulator

The Commission, however, found that Member States, when allocating frequencies for mobile communications, act as regulators and are obliged to take into account the goal of facilitating increased competition. It follows from this that any loss in revenue for the State when awarding frequencies does not necessarily constitute state aid.

In this case, the Commission's investigation showed that the French authorities had taken sufficient precautions to ensure a competitive outcome. The call for tenders was carried out as a transparent process. Since only one undertaking responded to the call, the Commission noted, moreover, that a bidding procedure would probably have resulted in an even lower fee.

For these reasons, the Commission found that the fourth operator did not benefit from a selective economic advantage such as might constitute state aid.

The non-confidential version of today's decision will be made available under case number SA 29191 in the State Aid Register on the DG Competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved. New publications of state aid decisions on the Internet and in the Official Journal are listed in the 'State aid Weekly e-News'.

BizChair.com Announces Warehouse Expansion and Celebrates with Liquidation Sale.

Sean Belnick, the 24-year old entrepreneur & CEO of BizChair.com, announces that BizChair is expanding its warehouse space and growing once again!

(PRWEB) August 4, 2010 -- Young entrepreneur, CEO and graduate of Emory University, Sean Belnick, has announced BizChair.com will be expanding its current warehouse facility and even adding a second warehouse location to keep up with the growing demand for office chairs and office furniture. During this renovation and expansion process, BizChair.com will celebrate its success with a huge Summer Heat Wave Liquidation Sale. With temperatures at record highs throughout the country, BizChair is providing customers with cool deals on a wide variety of office chairs and furniture. Discounts will range from an exceptional 60 to 70 percent off current sale prices to move excess inventory and make room for renovation and new products.

BizChair.com's Summer Heat Wave Liquidation Sale will include a wide variety of popular office chairs and furniture. The liquidation sale will feature budget-friendly furniture including conference tables, printer stands, lap top stands, parsons chairs, DVD storage units, kids chairs, and other office furniture selections.

"As we are nearing the 10 year anniversary of BizChair.com, we have expanded our furniture selection so much that we have reached our current capacity and need to make room for additional inventory. Our Summer Heat Wave Liquidation Sale is a "thank you" to our customers as we renovate and expand our warehouses. In addition, we have branched out into the restaurant, church, and banquet segments. In order to quickly ship items directly to our customers, we plan to keep enough in stock to meet demand. We are still dedicated to giving our customers the best deals and variety on new chairs and furniture," said Founder and CEO, Sean Belnick.

As one of the first and largest online-only office chair and furniture retailers, BizChair.com started from humble beginnings but has grown very rapidly as it continues to see year over year sales growth. Beginning in 2001, then 14-year old Sean Belnick initially ran the business out of his bedroom. By 2004, the company moved to a 40,000 square foot warehouse space, which grew to 100,000 square feet. Then in 2007, the current 327,000 square foot facility in Canton, Georgia was acquired, but the company has already outgrown capacity within three years, requiring an additional 98,000 square feet at another location plus expansion at its current warehouse.

BizChair.com President Gary Glazer said, "We have been able to withstand the changes in market conditions by providing variety, fast delivery and affordable prices. Even in today's economy, the company has gained a 35 percent increase in sales over last year as discount furniture has been a saving grace for a lot of company's budgets and bottom lines."

Currently, the company has outgrown its space and looks forward to building a 149,000 square foot expansion onto its warehouse structure. The new $5 million project is expected to begin within the next four to six weeks and be completed within six months time. BizChair.com President Gary Glazer anticipates that the new addition will create 15 to 20 new jobs. The new space will help BizChair.com continue its dedication to fast free shipping on most items. Continued growth over the years has, once again, supported Belnick and Glazer's decision to increase warehouse capacity.

About BizChair.com:

BizChair.com is an internet retailer of office chairs, office furniture, school furniture, home furniture, medical furniture, and restaurant furniture. The site was founded in 2001 by Sean Belnick as one of the first online only office chair and furniture retailers. BizChair.com's clientele includes the Pentagon, Fox's American Idol, Microsoft, Google, as well as small businesses, churches, organizations and individuals.

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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/bizchair/expansion-and-liquidation/prweb4336004.htm.

IXMICRO Unveils ixTV for 95, 98 & NT -- Not Just a TV Tuner, an Intelligent Application! Delivering on Promise of Microsoft's Broadcast PC Initiative.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 20, 1998--IXMICRO announces ixTV(TM), the first in its line of next generation, multifunctional convergence solutions for the corporate, SOHO and home consumer markets.

Extending beyond the known entertainment value of typical PCTV devices, ixTV delivers a multitude of productivity solutions and brings new utility for TV broadcasts in corporate environments. Conforming to Microsoft's Windows Broadcast Architecture, ixTV establishes any Win 98 PC as "Broadcast PC Compatible" under Microsoft's Windows PC 98 specifications. ixTV is also the only solution of its kind for the Macintosh. ixTV will begin shipping in June for just $99 ESP.

Delivering more than the functionality of standard televisions and VCRs, ixTV utilizes the processing power of the computer, the convenience and flexibility of a software GUI and the abundance of creative content readily available today. ixTV is the first device to bring PCTV and data broadcasting technologies to the Windows NT and Windows 98 environments. An automated digital video and still image capture device, ixTV also offers program transcription using closed captions. In addition, ixTV is the foundation for high quality, affordable videoconferencing. More than hardware, ixTV features user-friendly ixTV Desktop software for superior control over the PCTV desktop.

ixTV consumers will be able to receive push content digitally in half the time of normal Internet downloads using the bundled WaveTop(TM) software from WavePhore, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAVO). WaveTop's technology allows for fast, reliable push delivery of digital content by utilizing existing bandwidth latent in the Vertical Blanking Interval area of standard TV signals. Over 264 Public Broadcasting System stations provide free WaveTop data broadcasts with content provided by a host of popular media providers including CBS Sportsline, Fortune, People, USA Today, Wall Street Journal Interactive, Women's Wire, and ZDNet.

Intel(R) Corporation's Smart Guide, an online TV program directory, is bundled with ixTV providing the most comprehensive inventory of national broadcast and local cable programming available on any platform.

Additionally, ixTV provides compatibility with Intel's Intercast software giving users access to new integrated Web/TV services from many of today's leading broadcasters such as CNN, ESPN, HBO, MTV and NBC. Intercast(R) will be a standard component of Windows 98.

ixTV provides the hardware and software for versatile video digitizing and can be used to capture live video and still images. Bundled with the highly acclaimed Digital Video Producer 5.0 from Asymetrix(R), users can easily record and edit video sequences for business and personal use. ixTV Desktop provides a video source /channel applet that can be launched independent of ixTV Desktop providing access to TV channels while in DVP 5.0 or any desktop video editing application. Bundled with NetMeeting(TM) videoconferencing software from Microsoft(R), ixTV is one of the industry's highest quality, least costly video conferencing solutions (composite/s-video camera not included).

"Video and data broadcast technologies coming to market will completely redefine what TV means to business and home," says Christopher Knight, vice president of graphics marketing at IXMICRO. "ixTV maximizes the capabilities of both PC and TV, creating a superior device for information interchange. ixTV brings consumers to the forefront of these convergence technologies."

Consumers who purchased TurboTV, IXMICRO's first generation TV-tuner and video capture card, can upgrade to this new, full-featured software FREE OF CHARGE with pass code provided by IXMICRO. Download ixTV Desktop software from IXMICRO's Web site then contact customer service at 1.888.467.8282. With proof of purchase and a valid TurboTV serial number IXMICRO will build a unique "pass code" to enable TurboTV consumers to successfully run ixTV Desktop on existing TurboTV boards. -0-

IXMICRO is a world leading developer and manufacturer of 128-bit high performance graphics ASICs and controllers for PC and Macintosh computers, multimedia peripherals and high bandwidth networking solutions. A privately held company, IXMICRO offices are located at 2085 Hamilton Avenue, Third Floor, San Jose, Calif., 95125; Phone 408/369-8282; Fax 408/369-0128. Web site: www.ixmicro.com.

ixTV and ixTV Desktop are trademarks of IXMICRO. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Imagio Public Relations

Julie Moe, 206/625-0252

julie@imagio.com