Warren Buffett said the meeting he and Bill Gates had in Beijing with 50 Chinese leaders in business and philanthropy “was a complete success,” according to a release from the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation.
“We had a terrific exchange of views, and learned a great deal about the good work that is already underway,” Buffett said, according to the e-mailed release. “Today’s generation of successful entrepreneurs has the chance to lead and inspire giving for generations to come.”
Buffett, 80, is depleting his fortune, estimated by Forbes magazine at $45 billion, through donations. He has pledged the bulk of his wealth to the Gates Foundation and makes annual gifts to charities seeking to ease hunger, boost education in the U.S. and promote access to abortions. He joined Bill Gates to start the Giving Pledge initiative to elicit greater gifts from billionaires.
Buffett said this month that he wasn’t going to China to pressure people to make donations. The billionaire said in a letter that he didn’t know if the Giving Pledge was the right approach for Chinese philanthropists. Some wealthy Chinese declined an invitation to attend a private gathering with Gates and Buffett in Beijing, Chinese-language newspaper Economic Observer reported.
Buffett, chairman of Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said yesterday that China will have to find its own approach to large philanthropy. Gates, co-founder and chairman of Microsoft Corp., thanked attendees for their time, candor and insights.
The 90 minute meeting yesterday evening at the Chateau Lafitte hotel was moderated by Yang Lan, a Chinese talk show host, and was fllowed by a reception. The foundation won’t make the guest list public, according to the release.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
New Product for Plastics Industry
American Nano Silicon Technologies, Inc. (ANNO 2.00, 0.00, 0.00%) ("ANNO" or "the Company"), a leading manufacturer and distributor of micro nano silicon based products, announced today that the Company plans to launch its new product offering - non-halogen phosphate flame retardant additive for plastic industry. The new application of micro nano silicon developed by the Company's R&D center has passed the stringent flame retardancy standard test and the Company is designing a production line that will ultimately yield production of approximately 30,000 tons per year. The first of these production lines, which will immediately yield up to 5,000 tons of production capacity, will begin construction in October 2010 with the remainder expected to be completed by the summer 2011. The Company expects that upon completion the 30,000 ton production line will yield $35 MM in revenue with $12 MM in net profit annually.
In 2009, the annual global production of plastic material was over 300 million tons with an annual demand for flame retardant additives in excess of 24 million tons. When exposed to flame, the Company's non-halogen phosphate flame retardant product is a shown to be comparatively less toxic, with lower smoke density and minimally invasive odor when compared to its competitor's products. Additionally, the Company's non-halogen phosphate flame retardant additive features a lower specific gravity, lower loading levels and non-blooming help to exemplify the overall cost savings that benefit the user from importing products.
"The introduction of this non-halogen phosphate flame retardant additive once again reinforces our Company's commitment to technological innovation," Mr. Pu Fachun, the CEO of the Company commented, "being applied as a non-halogen phosphate flame retardant additive creates another commercial performance advantage for micro nano silicon as an ultra fine crystal structured chemical material. We believe American Nano has the potential to become the industry leader in high performance flame retardant additives. " Mr. Pu continued, "We are committed to protecting the environment by developing environmentally friendly products. All of our products are based on emerging technology and are an important contribution to improving consumer safety while being environmentally friendly."
About American Nano Silicon Technologies, Inc.
American Nano Silicon Technologies, Inc., through its 95%-owned subsidiary, Nanchong Chunfei Nano Silicon Technologies Co., Ltd., is engaged in the business of manufacturing and distributing micro-nano silicon based products. While the Company's micro nano silicon based products are focused on the concrete and non-phosphate detergent industries, micro nano silicon (TM) is adaptable to and widely used in many consumer and industrial products, including: laundry detergent, petrochemical, plastics, rubber, paper, ceramics and water treatment materials.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of American Nano Silicon and its subsidiary companies, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the continued demand for American Nano Silicon Technology, Inc.'s products, American Nano Silicon Technology Inc.'s ability to sustain growth for the balance of the year, and its ability to generally meet all of its objectives. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including all business uncertainties relating to product development, marketing, and concentration in a small number of customers, raw material costs, market acceptance, future capital requirements, and competition in general as well as other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in the Company's filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, American Nano Silicon Technology, Inc. will not update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
In 2009, the annual global production of plastic material was over 300 million tons with an annual demand for flame retardant additives in excess of 24 million tons. When exposed to flame, the Company's non-halogen phosphate flame retardant product is a shown to be comparatively less toxic, with lower smoke density and minimally invasive odor when compared to its competitor's products. Additionally, the Company's non-halogen phosphate flame retardant additive features a lower specific gravity, lower loading levels and non-blooming help to exemplify the overall cost savings that benefit the user from importing products.
"The introduction of this non-halogen phosphate flame retardant additive once again reinforces our Company's commitment to technological innovation," Mr. Pu Fachun, the CEO of the Company commented, "being applied as a non-halogen phosphate flame retardant additive creates another commercial performance advantage for micro nano silicon as an ultra fine crystal structured chemical material. We believe American Nano has the potential to become the industry leader in high performance flame retardant additives. " Mr. Pu continued, "We are committed to protecting the environment by developing environmentally friendly products. All of our products are based on emerging technology and are an important contribution to improving consumer safety while being environmentally friendly."
About American Nano Silicon Technologies, Inc.
American Nano Silicon Technologies, Inc., through its 95%-owned subsidiary, Nanchong Chunfei Nano Silicon Technologies Co., Ltd., is engaged in the business of manufacturing and distributing micro-nano silicon based products. While the Company's micro nano silicon based products are focused on the concrete and non-phosphate detergent industries, micro nano silicon (TM) is adaptable to and widely used in many consumer and industrial products, including: laundry detergent, petrochemical, plastics, rubber, paper, ceramics and water treatment materials.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of American Nano Silicon and its subsidiary companies, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the continued demand for American Nano Silicon Technology, Inc.'s products, American Nano Silicon Technology Inc.'s ability to sustain growth for the balance of the year, and its ability to generally meet all of its objectives. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including all business uncertainties relating to product development, marketing, and concentration in a small number of customers, raw material costs, market acceptance, future capital requirements, and competition in general as well as other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in the Company's filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, American Nano Silicon Technology, Inc. will not update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Mesa Arizona Gets $3 Million for Education
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded Mesa a $3 million grant to boost the community’s low college completion rate.
Mesa is one of just four cities to get the funds, along with New York, San Francisco and Riverside, Calif.
Locally, the city and educators are working on how they can double the number of low-income youths who get a college degree within a decade. Only 8 percent of low-income residents in Mesa have a degree by age 26. The effort is headed by the city, Mesa Community College and the Mesa Unified School District.
Mesa has higher high-school graduation rates than the state or nationwide average, said Joe O’Reilly, the director of student achievement support research and evaluation for Mesa schools. But more and more jobs require a college degree or other training.
“Just getting them out of high school isn’t enough,” O’Reilly said.
While 86 percent of students surveyed say they’ll attend college, only 56 percent actually do. Educators also want to reduce the number of students who quit college for various reasons.
The United States has fallen behind other countries, even some developing nations, in terms of college education, said Shouan Pan, president of Mesa Community College.
“If America wants to be a superpower so to speak, maintain our leading status or even our daily quality of life, we have to dramatically increase the proportion of citizens who have post secondary education,” Pan said.
The city, MCC and Mesa schools have worked for the Gates Foundation grant since 2008. The city got a $250,000 grant in October to start developing a plan. That effort resulted in this grant, which will span three years.
The city has worked for two years with Mesa Community College and the Mesa Unified School District to get more low-income youths in college — and to stay until they get a degree.
Mesa City Manager Chris Brady said the plan involves targeting specific demographics and focusing efforts on those least likely to attend college.
The weak economy won’t prevent the effort from working, Brady said, because it should involve less money than it does a change in how the community approaches youths.
“It’s more about the choices they make and why they make them,” Brady said.
Mesa sees the grant as a potential boost to economic development. The city is trying to recruit colleges, and higher numbers of college-bound students will make the area a more attractive market.
With college graduates making almost twice the income of high school-only graduates over a lifetime, they’ll pay more taxes and be more likely to invest in the city’s aging neighborhoods.
“These are the people who, if we don’t give them the tools to get post-secondary education, they become a burden to the city,” Pan said.
Mesa is one of just four cities to get the funds, along with New York, San Francisco and Riverside, Calif.
Locally, the city and educators are working on how they can double the number of low-income youths who get a college degree within a decade. Only 8 percent of low-income residents in Mesa have a degree by age 26. The effort is headed by the city, Mesa Community College and the Mesa Unified School District.
Mesa has higher high-school graduation rates than the state or nationwide average, said Joe O’Reilly, the director of student achievement support research and evaluation for Mesa schools. But more and more jobs require a college degree or other training.
“Just getting them out of high school isn’t enough,” O’Reilly said.
While 86 percent of students surveyed say they’ll attend college, only 56 percent actually do. Educators also want to reduce the number of students who quit college for various reasons.
The United States has fallen behind other countries, even some developing nations, in terms of college education, said Shouan Pan, president of Mesa Community College.
“If America wants to be a superpower so to speak, maintain our leading status or even our daily quality of life, we have to dramatically increase the proportion of citizens who have post secondary education,” Pan said.
The city, MCC and Mesa schools have worked for the Gates Foundation grant since 2008. The city got a $250,000 grant in October to start developing a plan. That effort resulted in this grant, which will span three years.
The city has worked for two years with Mesa Community College and the Mesa Unified School District to get more low-income youths in college — and to stay until they get a degree.
Mesa City Manager Chris Brady said the plan involves targeting specific demographics and focusing efforts on those least likely to attend college.
The weak economy won’t prevent the effort from working, Brady said, because it should involve less money than it does a change in how the community approaches youths.
“It’s more about the choices they make and why they make them,” Brady said.
Mesa sees the grant as a potential boost to economic development. The city is trying to recruit colleges, and higher numbers of college-bound students will make the area a more attractive market.
With college graduates making almost twice the income of high school-only graduates over a lifetime, they’ll pay more taxes and be more likely to invest in the city’s aging neighborhoods.
“These are the people who, if we don’t give them the tools to get post-secondary education, they become a burden to the city,” Pan said.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Charity Football Game
George Steinbrenner was probably smiling down over the New Meadowlands Stadium Saturday.
The scrumptious smells of tailgating - everything from burgers to jumbo shrimp - in the parking lot led to thousands packing the new stadium to see Morgan State blast Howard University, 20-3, in the 39th annual New York Urban League Football Classic.
The Football Classic was the brainchild of Steinbrenner and legendary Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson, who created the annual game as a charity for disadvantaged students.
The Football Classic debuted at Yankee Stadium in 1971 and was played there till 1986, before changing venues to Giants Stadium. As legend has it, sustained damage to Yankee Stadium's field one year prompted the change. But the move wasn't a bad thing for the Football Classic, as it added the popular tradition of tailgating to the annual event.
The nonprofit New York Urban League continued Saturday what Steinbrenner and Robinson first developed, with Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Mary J. Blige honoring 20 scholarship winners during halftime. "I never got a chance to go to college, so to have me say, 'Finish school, go to college' and have me be the poster child for that, I'm so cool with that," Blige said. "I love that. It's a beautiful (stadium) ... look at this place."
Reshaude Miller returned an 89-yard interception for a touchdown to give Morgan State a 17-0 lead with 4:03 remaining in the second quarter. Howard managed only a field goal before halftime and Morgan State never looked back. "We tried to get the players into the stadium (Friday), so they could get it all out of their system," Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley said about dealing with his team's excitement of playing at the new home of the Giants and Jets. "Then that night we chastised them and told them they're not here to look at the walls or number of TVs."
It worked. The Bears' 17-3 halftime lead sent many ticket-holders to the parking lot to indulge in the tailgating. From the looks of several empty sections in the stadium during the second half, there were more people partaking of the tailgating than in their seats for the remainder of the game. "When people see enough of the game, they tend to take advantage of the other aspects of the Football Classic - whether it be tailgating or our vendors," said NYUL president & CEO Arva Rice. "Whether it be the attendance, Mary J. Blige's appearance, the bands, we couldn't be happier."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2010/09/26/2010-09-26_urban_league_scores_a_td.html?r=sports#ixzz10gGSPEuT
The scrumptious smells of tailgating - everything from burgers to jumbo shrimp - in the parking lot led to thousands packing the new stadium to see Morgan State blast Howard University, 20-3, in the 39th annual New York Urban League Football Classic.
The Football Classic was the brainchild of Steinbrenner and legendary Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson, who created the annual game as a charity for disadvantaged students.
The Football Classic debuted at Yankee Stadium in 1971 and was played there till 1986, before changing venues to Giants Stadium. As legend has it, sustained damage to Yankee Stadium's field one year prompted the change. But the move wasn't a bad thing for the Football Classic, as it added the popular tradition of tailgating to the annual event.
The nonprofit New York Urban League continued Saturday what Steinbrenner and Robinson first developed, with Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Mary J. Blige honoring 20 scholarship winners during halftime. "I never got a chance to go to college, so to have me say, 'Finish school, go to college' and have me be the poster child for that, I'm so cool with that," Blige said. "I love that. It's a beautiful (stadium) ... look at this place."
Reshaude Miller returned an 89-yard interception for a touchdown to give Morgan State a 17-0 lead with 4:03 remaining in the second quarter. Howard managed only a field goal before halftime and Morgan State never looked back. "We tried to get the players into the stadium (Friday), so they could get it all out of their system," Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley said about dealing with his team's excitement of playing at the new home of the Giants and Jets. "Then that night we chastised them and told them they're not here to look at the walls or number of TVs."
It worked. The Bears' 17-3 halftime lead sent many ticket-holders to the parking lot to indulge in the tailgating. From the looks of several empty sections in the stadium during the second half, there were more people partaking of the tailgating than in their seats for the remainder of the game. "When people see enough of the game, they tend to take advantage of the other aspects of the Football Classic - whether it be tailgating or our vendors," said NYUL president & CEO Arva Rice. "Whether it be the attendance, Mary J. Blige's appearance, the bands, we couldn't be happier."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2010/09/26/2010-09-26_urban_league_scores_a_td.html?r=sports#ixzz10gGSPEuT
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Car Auction for Charity
The second 2011 model Chevrolet Camaro Convertible to roll off the production line was auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson Car Collector Auction in Las Vegas on the afternoon of Friday, September 24. Because General Motors has yet to reveal the 2011 Camaro Convertible to the public, the 2007 Camaro Concept is the actual car on display at the auction block.
Barrett-Jackson indicates the sale price of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible at $225,500 and includes the buyer’s commission from the auction sale. Another Camaro at the sale brought a lot excitement to the auction, a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Custom Coupe with 650hp. It sold for $385,000 with proceeds going to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
The winning bidder will receive the second sample produced for consumer sale (General Motors will keep the first sample product for its historical collection). The winner of the auction will become the first consumer to own a 2011 Camaro Convertible, months before it arrives at dealerships and before it is even shown to the public. This means they will have the added pleasure of being able to personalize the car to their unique requirements.
The soft-top Chevrolet Camaro Convertible will be available at car dealerships a few months from now, right before the production year 2011.
General Motors and local dealer Greg Heinrich, owner of Fairway Chevrolet in Las Vegas, will donate auction proceeds to the YMCA of Southern Nevada.
The Barrett-Jackson Car Collector Auction opened on Thursday, September 23 and will run for three days, to Saturday September 25.
Barrett-Jackson indicates the sale price of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible at $225,500 and includes the buyer’s commission from the auction sale. Another Camaro at the sale brought a lot excitement to the auction, a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Custom Coupe with 650hp. It sold for $385,000 with proceeds going to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
The winning bidder will receive the second sample produced for consumer sale (General Motors will keep the first sample product for its historical collection). The winner of the auction will become the first consumer to own a 2011 Camaro Convertible, months before it arrives at dealerships and before it is even shown to the public. This means they will have the added pleasure of being able to personalize the car to their unique requirements.
The soft-top Chevrolet Camaro Convertible will be available at car dealerships a few months from now, right before the production year 2011.
General Motors and local dealer Greg Heinrich, owner of Fairway Chevrolet in Las Vegas, will donate auction proceeds to the YMCA of Southern Nevada.
The Barrett-Jackson Car Collector Auction opened on Thursday, September 23 and will run for three days, to Saturday September 25.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Help Selling Your Home
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Auction.com, the global leader in real estate auctions, is set to launch a unique California homeowner program that will change the real estate sales process forever. For the first time, homeowners can sell their house on Auction.com and pay only a 1% listing broker commission upon sale. This innovative opportunity opens first in San Diego on September 25, 2010. Auction.com receives millions of online visitors, the most in the nation, and over 20,000 homes on Auction.com sold in the last year alone. The high online traffic of Auction.com dramatically increases the opportunity for homebuyers to sell their property in 90 days or less – half the time of a traditional 180-day listing contract.
Drew Lieberman, a former eBay Vice President, is heading the new real estate auction model with Alex Davis, a prominent multi-million dollar Beverly Hills broker.
“We’ve created a new platform for sellers to sell their houses faster, easier and achieve market pricing with lower fees and complete control,” says Davis, Auction.com’s Managing Director.
Once the online listing is created, Auction.com incorporates important elements of the traditional real estate sales method such as broker commissions, open houses and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), coupled with the innovative elements of the online format.
Additionally, Auction.com leverages its massive international marketing campaigns to drive qualified buyers globally. This program creates an opportunity for multiple buyers to set a fair market value by bidding for properties up to their highest potential.
“Nothing like this has ever been done before,” Davis says. “This is the future of the Real Estate industry as it integrates social media, global outreach, and the power of competitive bidding.”
Auction.com
Established in 1990 as REDC, the company pioneered the model for modern real estate auctions and transformed into the comprehensive real estate services company. Auction.com established industry dominance by selling over $8 billion in real estate assets at auction since 2007. The company’s success is based on the aggregation of real estate assets that are marketed and sold in large format auctions across the country and online. Auction.com is headquartered in Irvine, California.
Drew Lieberman, a former eBay Vice President, is heading the new real estate auction model with Alex Davis, a prominent multi-million dollar Beverly Hills broker.
“We’ve created a new platform for sellers to sell their houses faster, easier and achieve market pricing with lower fees and complete control,” says Davis, Auction.com’s Managing Director.
Once the online listing is created, Auction.com incorporates important elements of the traditional real estate sales method such as broker commissions, open houses and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), coupled with the innovative elements of the online format.
Additionally, Auction.com leverages its massive international marketing campaigns to drive qualified buyers globally. This program creates an opportunity for multiple buyers to set a fair market value by bidding for properties up to their highest potential.
“Nothing like this has ever been done before,” Davis says. “This is the future of the Real Estate industry as it integrates social media, global outreach, and the power of competitive bidding.”
Auction.com
Established in 1990 as REDC, the company pioneered the model for modern real estate auctions and transformed into the comprehensive real estate services company. Auction.com established industry dominance by selling over $8 billion in real estate assets at auction since 2007. The company’s success is based on the aggregation of real estate assets that are marketed and sold in large format auctions across the country and online. Auction.com is headquartered in Irvine, California.
Friday, September 24, 2010
DMV Cited for Excellent Website
MVD Online, New Mexico's Web site for the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), was selected by the Center for Digital Government as one of the nation's top Web sites, receiving a Digital Government Achievement Award for utilizing best practices in the government-to-citizen category.
Each year the Center for Digital Government's Digital Government Achievement Awards recognize outstanding agency and department Web sites and projects at the application and infrastructure level. This is just one way the organization continues its work as an international research and advisory institute on the use of information technology in government.
"The MVD Online represents the best in government-to-citizen state Web sites," said Cathilea Robinett, executive director of the Center for Digital Government. "Each year, state and local governments continue to make strides towards implementing better access and more efficient Web delivery of public services."
"We're pleased with this Award that recognizes our continued commitment to improve customer service and provide easy and practical online options to our customers," said Michael Sandoval, Director of the Motor Vehicle Division.
The MVD was honored for providing a comprehensive online resource for citizens, including features to improve their experience while conducting business with the MVD:
-- Citizens can renew vehicles online and save a trip to a local office.
-- "Fill, Print and Go" forms are available that can be completed online and taken to a local office to expedite their service.
-- Visual images of acceptable documents are displayed to properly prepare for a visit to an office.
-- Maps that direct citizens to field offices as well as other MVD-related locations.
-- Wait times can be viewed to know when shorter lines are available.
These services were developed through a major Web site redesign that aimed to assist customers both online and at local field offices. The response to the new site has been outstanding; the number of visitors to MVD Online, www.mvd.newmexico.gov has more than doubled since it was launched in December.
About MVD.NewMexico.gov
MVD.NewMexico.gov is the official Web site of New Mexico's Motor Vehicle Division. The collaborative effort between New Mexico's Motor Vehicle Division and New Mexico Interactive provides online services and improves public access to government information. New Mexico Interactive is part of eGovernment firm NIC's /quotes/comstock/15*!egov/quotes/nls/egov (EGOV 7.98, -0.09, -1.12%) family of companies.
About NIC
NIC Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!egov/quotes/nls/egov (EGOV 7.98, -0.09, -1.12%) is the nation's leading provider of official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. The family of NIC companies provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3,000 federal, state, and local agencies that serve 98 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.
SOURCE: New Mexico Interactive
Each year the Center for Digital Government's Digital Government Achievement Awards recognize outstanding agency and department Web sites and projects at the application and infrastructure level. This is just one way the organization continues its work as an international research and advisory institute on the use of information technology in government.
"The MVD Online represents the best in government-to-citizen state Web sites," said Cathilea Robinett, executive director of the Center for Digital Government. "Each year, state and local governments continue to make strides towards implementing better access and more efficient Web delivery of public services."
"We're pleased with this Award that recognizes our continued commitment to improve customer service and provide easy and practical online options to our customers," said Michael Sandoval, Director of the Motor Vehicle Division.
The MVD was honored for providing a comprehensive online resource for citizens, including features to improve their experience while conducting business with the MVD:
-- Citizens can renew vehicles online and save a trip to a local office.
-- "Fill, Print and Go" forms are available that can be completed online and taken to a local office to expedite their service.
-- Visual images of acceptable documents are displayed to properly prepare for a visit to an office.
-- Maps that direct citizens to field offices as well as other MVD-related locations.
-- Wait times can be viewed to know when shorter lines are available.
These services were developed through a major Web site redesign that aimed to assist customers both online and at local field offices. The response to the new site has been outstanding; the number of visitors to MVD Online, www.mvd.newmexico.gov has more than doubled since it was launched in December.
About MVD.NewMexico.gov
MVD.NewMexico.gov is the official Web site of New Mexico's Motor Vehicle Division. The collaborative effort between New Mexico's Motor Vehicle Division and New Mexico Interactive provides online services and improves public access to government information. New Mexico Interactive is part of eGovernment firm NIC's /quotes/comstock/15*!egov/quotes/nls/egov (EGOV 7.98, -0.09, -1.12%) family of companies.
About NIC
NIC Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!egov/quotes/nls/egov (EGOV 7.98, -0.09, -1.12%) is the nation's leading provider of official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. The family of NIC companies provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3,000 federal, state, and local agencies that serve 98 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.
SOURCE: New Mexico Interactive
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Ecommerce Solutions Company Gets New Software
CAMPBELL, Calif., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Rainmaker Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMKR), a leading global provider of ecommerce solutions and telesales services that drive more revenue for clients and their channel partners, today announced the signing of a one-year agreement for training with a new client, Splunk, a leading provider of operational intelligence software used to search, monitor, and analyze live streaming IT data as well as terabytes of historical data.
Under the program, Rainmaker will deploy its ViewCentral SaaS ecommerce solution for selling and managing customer education revenue to support all aspects of Splunk's customer training programs in North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
Rainmaker's CEO Michael Silton commented, "We are delighted that Splunk has chosen to deploy our industry leading ViewCentral SaaS ecommerce solution to support their education initiatives. ViewCentral automates the online sales, marketing and administration of classes, helping our clients maximize their revenue and profits from the sale of paid customer education programs."
About Splunk
Splunk is the world's leading Operational Intelligence software used to monitor, report and analyze live streaming IT data as well as terabytes of historical data – located on-premise or in the cloud. Almost half of the Fortune 100 and more than 1,800 enterprises, service providers and government organizations in 70 countries use Splunk to improve service levels, reduce IT operations costs, mitigate security risks, and drive new levels of operational visibility. For a new approach to IT, visit http://www.splunk.com, or visit http://www.splunk.com/download to download a free copy.
About Rainmaker
Rainmaker Systems, Inc. is a leading global provider of ecommerce solutions and telesales services that drive more revenue for clients and their channel partners. Rainmaker provides subscription and service contract renewals, robust ecommerce solutions, lead development, training sales, and call center services. Rainmaker provides these services on a consistent, global basis supporting multiple currencies and language capabilities. For more information, visit www.rmkr.com or call 800-631-1545.
NOTE: Rainmaker Systems, the Rainmaker logo, and Sunset Direct are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other service marks or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to Rainmaker as of this date and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results could differ materially from current expectations. Among the important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are our client concentration, as we depend on a small number of clients for a significant percentage of our revenue, the possibility of the discontinuation and/or realignment of some client relationships, general market conditions, the current difficult macro-economic environment and its impact on our business, as our clients are reducing their overall marketing spending and our clients' customers are reducing their purchase of services contracts, the high degree of uncertainty and our limited visibility due to economic conditions, our ability to execute our business strategy, our ability to integrate acquisitions without disruption to our business, the effectiveness of our sales team and approach, our ability to target, analyze and forecast the revenue to be derived from a client and the costs associated with providing services to that client, the date during the course of a calendar year that a new client is acquired, the length of the integration cycle for new clients and the timing of revenues and costs associated therewith, our ability to expand our channel hosted contract solution and drive adoption of this solution by resellers, potential competition in the marketplace, the ability to retain and attract employees, market acceptance of our service programs and pricing options, our ability to maintain our existing technology platform and to deploy new technology, our ability to sign new clients and control expenses, and the financial condition of our clients' businesses, and other factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.
Under the program, Rainmaker will deploy its ViewCentral SaaS ecommerce solution for selling and managing customer education revenue to support all aspects of Splunk's customer training programs in North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
Rainmaker's CEO Michael Silton commented, "We are delighted that Splunk has chosen to deploy our industry leading ViewCentral SaaS ecommerce solution to support their education initiatives. ViewCentral automates the online sales, marketing and administration of classes, helping our clients maximize their revenue and profits from the sale of paid customer education programs."
About Splunk
Splunk is the world's leading Operational Intelligence software used to monitor, report and analyze live streaming IT data as well as terabytes of historical data – located on-premise or in the cloud. Almost half of the Fortune 100 and more than 1,800 enterprises, service providers and government organizations in 70 countries use Splunk to improve service levels, reduce IT operations costs, mitigate security risks, and drive new levels of operational visibility. For a new approach to IT, visit http://www.splunk.com, or visit http://www.splunk.com/download to download a free copy.
About Rainmaker
Rainmaker Systems, Inc. is a leading global provider of ecommerce solutions and telesales services that drive more revenue for clients and their channel partners. Rainmaker provides subscription and service contract renewals, robust ecommerce solutions, lead development, training sales, and call center services. Rainmaker provides these services on a consistent, global basis supporting multiple currencies and language capabilities. For more information, visit www.rmkr.com or call 800-631-1545.
NOTE: Rainmaker Systems, the Rainmaker logo, and Sunset Direct are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other service marks or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to Rainmaker as of this date and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results could differ materially from current expectations. Among the important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are our client concentration, as we depend on a small number of clients for a significant percentage of our revenue, the possibility of the discontinuation and/or realignment of some client relationships, general market conditions, the current difficult macro-economic environment and its impact on our business, as our clients are reducing their overall marketing spending and our clients' customers are reducing their purchase of services contracts, the high degree of uncertainty and our limited visibility due to economic conditions, our ability to execute our business strategy, our ability to integrate acquisitions without disruption to our business, the effectiveness of our sales team and approach, our ability to target, analyze and forecast the revenue to be derived from a client and the costs associated with providing services to that client, the date during the course of a calendar year that a new client is acquired, the length of the integration cycle for new clients and the timing of revenues and costs associated therewith, our ability to expand our channel hosted contract solution and drive adoption of this solution by resellers, potential competition in the marketplace, the ability to retain and attract employees, market acceptance of our service programs and pricing options, our ability to maintain our existing technology platform and to deploy new technology, our ability to sign new clients and control expenses, and the financial condition of our clients' businesses, and other factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tigers Filmed at High Altitude
LONDON — A television crew filmed a "lost" population of tigers living at a higher altitude than any others known, raising hopes of linking isolated groups of the big cats across Asia, the BBC said Monday.
The cats were spotted roaming in the hills in the remote Himalayan nation of Bhutan by a conservationist and a team from the BBC's Natural History Unit at a height of 4,100 metres (13,450 feet), said the broadcaster on its website.
"Tigers are thought of as jungle creatures and there is pressure on their habitats from all sides. Yet we now know they can live and breed at this altitude which is a safer habitat for them," said tiger expert and conservationist Alan Rabinowitz, who led the expedition.
The team set up hidden cameras wedged into gullies and trees for six weeks to capture the first hard proof that the animals could live at such high altitude, following earlier anecdotal evidence, the BBC said.
The footage shows a male tiger and a female tiger at 4,100 metres and other tigers living at 3,000 metres, it added. Colour footage shows one tiger sniffing the air, while a night shot shows one of the animals prowling.
The female is lactating, suggesting they are breeding, said BBC cameraman Gordon Buchanan, who set up the camera traps that automatically filmed any creature that moved in front of them.
He said he was "convinced that there must now be cubs somewhere on this mountain."
"This is such a significant discovery for tiger survival," he said. "The fact they can live here is just so important, for tigers in the wild, for their future."
Rabinowitz said the discovery would boost an ambitious plan for a "corridor" across Asia in which tiger populations are safe from humans.
"Bhutan was the missing link in this tiger corridor," he said.
Conservation group WWF says numbers of tigers have plunged to fewer than 3,200 from 100,000 over the past century.
Thirteen "tiger-range" countries are to meet in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in November to discuss plans to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.
The cats were spotted roaming in the hills in the remote Himalayan nation of Bhutan by a conservationist and a team from the BBC's Natural History Unit at a height of 4,100 metres (13,450 feet), said the broadcaster on its website.
"Tigers are thought of as jungle creatures and there is pressure on their habitats from all sides. Yet we now know they can live and breed at this altitude which is a safer habitat for them," said tiger expert and conservationist Alan Rabinowitz, who led the expedition.
The team set up hidden cameras wedged into gullies and trees for six weeks to capture the first hard proof that the animals could live at such high altitude, following earlier anecdotal evidence, the BBC said.
The footage shows a male tiger and a female tiger at 4,100 metres and other tigers living at 3,000 metres, it added. Colour footage shows one tiger sniffing the air, while a night shot shows one of the animals prowling.
The female is lactating, suggesting they are breeding, said BBC cameraman Gordon Buchanan, who set up the camera traps that automatically filmed any creature that moved in front of them.
He said he was "convinced that there must now be cubs somewhere on this mountain."
"This is such a significant discovery for tiger survival," he said. "The fact they can live here is just so important, for tigers in the wild, for their future."
Rabinowitz said the discovery would boost an ambitious plan for a "corridor" across Asia in which tiger populations are safe from humans.
"Bhutan was the missing link in this tiger corridor," he said.
Conservation group WWF says numbers of tigers have plunged to fewer than 3,200 from 100,000 over the past century.
Thirteen "tiger-range" countries are to meet in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in November to discuss plans to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
New Drug Under Development
LITTLETON, Colo., Sep 20, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Zynex, Inc. (ZYXI 0.47, -0.03, -6.00%) , a provider of pain management systems and electrotherapy products for medical patients with functional disability, announces that its newly formed wholly-owned subsidiary, Zynex Monitoring Solutions Inc., is developing a device for monitoring of central blood volume for use in operating rooms, detecting blood loss during surgery and detecting internal bleeding in the recovery room. A provisional patent has been filed for this unique application, which could serve a currently untapped market of safer surgeries and safer monitoring of patients during recovery.
Thomas Sandgaard, Zynex's CEO, comments: "We already have data confirming the conceptual design and our on-going engineering and prototyping efforts are showing very promising progress. At this early stage, we are also finding that this technology can be used for other applications in cardiac monitoring, and we will continue to explore those options, as stand-alone devices or combined with the blood volume monitoring. We will continue to increase the staff and resources in Monitoring Solutions in order to launch an exciting line of products as soon as possible. We hope to add other complementary technologies, while we initially share some resources with the existing business of electrotherapy products in Zynex Medical, such as clinical research, quality assurance, accounting, purchasing, etc. We are very excited that our initial development effort is showing such positive progress and look forward to further developing a line of products and a strong organization for Monitoring Solutions."
About Zynex
Zynex, Inc. (founded in 1996) engineers, manufactures, markets and sells its own design of electrotherapy medical devices in two distinct markets: standard digital electrotherapy products for pain relief and pain management; and the NeuroMove(TM) for stroke and spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Zynex's product lines are fully developed, FDA-cleared, commercially sold, and have been developed to uphold the Company's mission of improving the quality of life for patients suffering from impaired mobility due to stroke, spinal cord injury, or debilitating and chronic pain. Zynex has also announced the development of two new business units, Zynex Monitoring Solutions and Zynex NeuroDiagnostic.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this release are "forward-looking" and as such are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary significantly from the results expressed or implied in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the need to obtain additional capital in order to grow our business, our ability to engage additional sales representatives, the success of such additional sales representatives, the need to obtain FDA clearance and CE marking of new products, the acceptance of new products as well as existing products by doctors and hospitals, larger competitors with greater financial resources, the need to keep pace with technological changes, our dependence on the reimbursement from insurance companies for products sold or rented to our customers, acceptance of our products by health insurance providers, our dependence on third party manufacturers to produce our goods on time and to our specifications, implementation of our sales strategy including a strong direct sales force, the uncertain outcome of pending material litigation and other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Risk Factors" section of our 10-K Report for the year ended December 31, 2009.
SOURCE: Zynex, Inc.
Thomas Sandgaard, Zynex's CEO, comments: "We already have data confirming the conceptual design and our on-going engineering and prototyping efforts are showing very promising progress. At this early stage, we are also finding that this technology can be used for other applications in cardiac monitoring, and we will continue to explore those options, as stand-alone devices or combined with the blood volume monitoring. We will continue to increase the staff and resources in Monitoring Solutions in order to launch an exciting line of products as soon as possible. We hope to add other complementary technologies, while we initially share some resources with the existing business of electrotherapy products in Zynex Medical, such as clinical research, quality assurance, accounting, purchasing, etc. We are very excited that our initial development effort is showing such positive progress and look forward to further developing a line of products and a strong organization for Monitoring Solutions."
About Zynex
Zynex, Inc. (founded in 1996) engineers, manufactures, markets and sells its own design of electrotherapy medical devices in two distinct markets: standard digital electrotherapy products for pain relief and pain management; and the NeuroMove(TM) for stroke and spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Zynex's product lines are fully developed, FDA-cleared, commercially sold, and have been developed to uphold the Company's mission of improving the quality of life for patients suffering from impaired mobility due to stroke, spinal cord injury, or debilitating and chronic pain. Zynex has also announced the development of two new business units, Zynex Monitoring Solutions and Zynex NeuroDiagnostic.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this release are "forward-looking" and as such are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary significantly from the results expressed or implied in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the need to obtain additional capital in order to grow our business, our ability to engage additional sales representatives, the success of such additional sales representatives, the need to obtain FDA clearance and CE marking of new products, the acceptance of new products as well as existing products by doctors and hospitals, larger competitors with greater financial resources, the need to keep pace with technological changes, our dependence on the reimbursement from insurance companies for products sold or rented to our customers, acceptance of our products by health insurance providers, our dependence on third party manufacturers to produce our goods on time and to our specifications, implementation of our sales strategy including a strong direct sales force, the uncertain outcome of pending material litigation and other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Risk Factors" section of our 10-K Report for the year ended December 31, 2009.
SOURCE: Zynex, Inc.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Raising Money by Fishing
The Lady Bass Anglers Association's Main Street Mission Charity Team Tournament today on the waters of Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle was a huge success as 19 boats participated in this fundraiser for Russellville's Main Street Mission. This inaugural LBAA Charity Tournament raised $1835 plus numerous canned goods donations for the Main Street Mission.
Pam Duvall, public relations director for the Main Street Mission said, "Anytime an organization does this for us, we are so appreciative of it. Thank you all so much." Today's check for $1835 was the largest charitable contribution ever given to the Main Street Mission.
Now, turning to the fishing side of Saturday's activities Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA) pro's Robin Babb and Sheri Glasgow combined their efforts to bring in a five fish limit weighing 14.87 pounds. Their catch netted them a $1,000 first place prize. Babb and Glasgow also picked up another $200 as they were the highest placing team with a woman angler.
"The fish right now are relating to the main lake," Glasgow commented. "There are some areas that we had on the main lake that had little flats of grass that had pods of grass in them. We would get in those areas and throw the frogs around the mats."
"We came and practiced a few weeks ago together, so I felt I knew what she (Glasgow) would do," Babb added. "We were just very fortunate, and I want to say a special thank you to each and every person who came out and fished with us today. We wanted to fish with you and we're so thankful that you came and wanted to fish with us."
Babb and Glasgow's limit came on the River 2Sea's Bully Wa frog.
Wayne Dixon and Jared Allen also brought a limit to the scales and their bass weighed 14.04 pounds and secured second place for them. LBAA pro's Debbie Kemp and Gail Wood came in third with a limit weighing 13 pounds. Kemp, only 24 hours earlier was crowned the Champion of the LBAA 2010 Lake Dardanelle Kickoff Tournament.
Taking fourth was Lad Shannon and Kevin Hartman with five bass weighing 12.58 pounds while Donnie Cobb and Von Kensey had five bass weighing in at 12.32 pounds that gave them fifth.
The father and son team of Tim and Dillon Davis earned $200 for being the highest placing team with a youth under 12 years of age.
The Main Street Mission is located at 1110 E. Second Street, in Russellville and for more information call them at is 1-479-968-8303.
Host lodging for the LBAA Lake Dardanelle Kickoff Tournament has been provided by the Best Western Inn located at 2326 N. Arkansas Avenue, Russellville, Arkansas 72802-2218. Phone 1-479-967-1000.
Partners with the Lady Bass Anglers Association for the Lake Dardanelle Kickoff Tournament are: Russellville Tourism and Visitor's Center, Sure Life, Kick'n Bass, Rayjus, Castaway Graphite Rods, West Kentucky LED, Nite Owl Media Productions, River Runner Baits, Moors Resort and Marina, Ray Barga and Associates Inc., Sportsmen's Edge Triton Boat dealership, SHE Outdoor Apparel, Todali Lures, Necessity Jigs, Triton Boats, Dave Stewart's Big Bass Guide Service, North Texas Marine Triton dealership, Legend Boats, Bass Cat Boats, Phoenix Boats, Skeeter Boats, Arkansas Tournament Fishing, and Fleck's Hand Poured Baits.
Pam Duvall, public relations director for the Main Street Mission said, "Anytime an organization does this for us, we are so appreciative of it. Thank you all so much." Today's check for $1835 was the largest charitable contribution ever given to the Main Street Mission.
Now, turning to the fishing side of Saturday's activities Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA) pro's Robin Babb and Sheri Glasgow combined their efforts to bring in a five fish limit weighing 14.87 pounds. Their catch netted them a $1,000 first place prize. Babb and Glasgow also picked up another $200 as they were the highest placing team with a woman angler.
"The fish right now are relating to the main lake," Glasgow commented. "There are some areas that we had on the main lake that had little flats of grass that had pods of grass in them. We would get in those areas and throw the frogs around the mats."
"We came and practiced a few weeks ago together, so I felt I knew what she (Glasgow) would do," Babb added. "We were just very fortunate, and I want to say a special thank you to each and every person who came out and fished with us today. We wanted to fish with you and we're so thankful that you came and wanted to fish with us."
Babb and Glasgow's limit came on the River 2Sea's Bully Wa frog.
Wayne Dixon and Jared Allen also brought a limit to the scales and their bass weighed 14.04 pounds and secured second place for them. LBAA pro's Debbie Kemp and Gail Wood came in third with a limit weighing 13 pounds. Kemp, only 24 hours earlier was crowned the Champion of the LBAA 2010 Lake Dardanelle Kickoff Tournament.
Taking fourth was Lad Shannon and Kevin Hartman with five bass weighing 12.58 pounds while Donnie Cobb and Von Kensey had five bass weighing in at 12.32 pounds that gave them fifth.
The father and son team of Tim and Dillon Davis earned $200 for being the highest placing team with a youth under 12 years of age.
The Main Street Mission is located at 1110 E. Second Street, in Russellville and for more information call them at is 1-479-968-8303.
Host lodging for the LBAA Lake Dardanelle Kickoff Tournament has been provided by the Best Western Inn located at 2326 N. Arkansas Avenue, Russellville, Arkansas 72802-2218. Phone 1-479-967-1000.
Partners with the Lady Bass Anglers Association for the Lake Dardanelle Kickoff Tournament are: Russellville Tourism and Visitor's Center, Sure Life, Kick'n Bass, Rayjus, Castaway Graphite Rods, West Kentucky LED, Nite Owl Media Productions, River Runner Baits, Moors Resort and Marina, Ray Barga and Associates Inc., Sportsmen's Edge Triton Boat dealership, SHE Outdoor Apparel, Todali Lures, Necessity Jigs, Triton Boats, Dave Stewart's Big Bass Guide Service, North Texas Marine Triton dealership, Legend Boats, Bass Cat Boats, Phoenix Boats, Skeeter Boats, Arkansas Tournament Fishing, and Fleck's Hand Poured Baits.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Indian Works to Cure Baldness
MUMBAI: A medical couple in Hyderabad, Debraj Shome and Rinky Kapoor, claim that their home-grown invention, QR 678, could arrest the most stubborn cases of hairfall. Balding could be a thing of the past, says Dr Kapoor, a dermatologist attached to Apollo Hospital.
The couple say their invention required four years of research, passing through various stages of development in the laboratories of the Tata Memorial Hospital, IIT Mumbai and Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad. "If there is no research paper on it yet," says Dr Shome, "it is only because we have still not patented the molecule, which is basically a mix of many growth factors."
Each of the doctors' 700-odd patient pool underwent five to eight shots priced at of Rs 5,000 each. Indipop singer Anaida is one of the Mumbai celebrities who zips down to Charminar city every three weeks for a shot. Haircare is big business in India. Plastic surgeon Dr S Keswani says hair transplant is the fastest growing sector, second only to liposuction, in India's cosmetic surgery charts.
Dermatologist Dr Satish Bhatia, who practises out of his Cooperage clinic, started the European treatment around three months ago. " Stem cells are known to take on the role of skin, bone and muscle. We use stem cells derived from fatty tissues that already know their role and won't grow into tumours," he says. His concoction is imported from Italy, costing Rs 25,000. "If the patient wants own stem cells to be derived from own fat cells, then cost goes up four times," he adds.
Dr Bhatia believes growth factors and stem cells are the next big things in hair care. "People are sick of hair transplants, which have a bushy appearance and look artificial. One of 10 persons undergoing a transplant complains of side-effects such as swelling and infection. So stem cell injections that cause local swelling and redness for only 48 hours are welcome," he adds.
Read more: At Rs 5000 a shot, QR 678 helps lost hair grow back - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/At-Rs-5000-a-shot-QR-678-helps-lost-hair-grow-back/articleshow/6581995.cms#ixzz0zwtnht6Q
The couple say their invention required four years of research, passing through various stages of development in the laboratories of the Tata Memorial Hospital, IIT Mumbai and Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad. "If there is no research paper on it yet," says Dr Shome, "it is only because we have still not patented the molecule, which is basically a mix of many growth factors."
Each of the doctors' 700-odd patient pool underwent five to eight shots priced at of Rs 5,000 each. Indipop singer Anaida is one of the Mumbai celebrities who zips down to Charminar city every three weeks for a shot. Haircare is big business in India. Plastic surgeon Dr S Keswani says hair transplant is the fastest growing sector, second only to liposuction, in India's cosmetic surgery charts.
Dermatologist Dr Satish Bhatia, who practises out of his Cooperage clinic, started the European treatment around three months ago. " Stem cells are known to take on the role of skin, bone and muscle. We use stem cells derived from fatty tissues that already know their role and won't grow into tumours," he says. His concoction is imported from Italy, costing Rs 25,000. "If the patient wants own stem cells to be derived from own fat cells, then cost goes up four times," he adds.
Dr Bhatia believes growth factors and stem cells are the next big things in hair care. "People are sick of hair transplants, which have a bushy appearance and look artificial. One of 10 persons undergoing a transplant complains of side-effects such as swelling and infection. So stem cell injections that cause local swelling and redness for only 48 hours are welcome," he adds.
Read more: At Rs 5000 a shot, QR 678 helps lost hair grow back - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/At-Rs-5000-a-shot-QR-678-helps-lost-hair-grow-back/articleshow/6581995.cms#ixzz0zwtnht6Q
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Yahoo Introducing New Products
Yahoo, in the midst of a corporate turnaround effort, is planning to speed up the pace of new product and feature rollouts, pledging an accelerated roadmap that will see rapid iterations to its core services, including search andemail.
Blake Irving, who recently joined Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) as chief product officer, spoke of the company's evolving strategy at an event this week Yahoo dubbed "Product Runway." Irving touted Yahoo's global computing infrastructure that supports the massive traffic to the company's content and services, reminding his audience that Yahoo remains one of the premier brands on the Web.
He also noted the strong ties between Yahoo's research labs and product divisions, explaining that Yahoo benefits from healthy collaboration between the two sides of the house, which in many IT firms effectively operate as silos.
At the same time, he acknowledged that Yahoo needs to do more, both to impress its advertisers and retain consumer loyalty with a swifter pace of innovation and more relevant, personalized content.
"With great technology and great technologists and great labs, you know, there's an opportunity for us to do things better, frankly," Irving said.
"You're going to see things from us over the course of the next year -- course of the [next] year and a half, three years, five years -- that are going to feel a little different to you. We're going to be iterating much more frequently than we do today."
Those changes will begin this fall, with Yahoo detailing plans for upgrades to its core search and email platforms.
In search, Yahoo is billing the fall rollout as one of the "most significant updates" to its search service, which has seen its market share erode in recent years. By one analyst firm's measure of U.S. search queries, Microsoft's search engine eclipsed Yahoo for the first time last month
Yahoo plans to stock its search results for popular or trending queries with a variety of content formats presented in a streamlined, easily navigable layout. Searches for popular entertainment topics or individuals will present results organized by images, news stories, videos, tweets and other types of information, presenting users with an array of one-click bars to display the results in the format of their choosing. Yahoo will offer a similar presentation for news items.
Those new features will roll out as Yahoo continues to transition its search-engineering operations over to Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) technology as part of a long-term revenue-sharing agreement between the two companies. Yahoo has sought to defuse speculation about its exit from the search market through the partnership, explaining that it will continue to innovate and improve the user-facing layer of its search engine, even if it no longer has a hand in maintaining the underlying infrastructure.
Yahoo is also planning a redesign of its email service, which currently serves some 281 million global users. Later this fall, Yahoo expects to release a beta version of a new, streamlined inbox, boasting a faster response time and new integrations with social services Facebook and Twitter.
The company is also planning to roll out new advertising formats that enable marketers to customize their creatives with messages more precisely tailored to users. A crucial pillar of the company's efforts on the advertising front will be to glean more information about its users' interests and preferences.
Currently, roughly half of the 600 million monthly visitors to Yahoo are logged in when they visit one of the company's sites, Irving said. Yahoo is now "striving for 100 percent authentication," he said, explaining that the company will begin accepting login credentials from Facebook, Twitter and other open ID schemes.
"The vision is bringing personal meaning to the Web," Irving said. "Using insights and data, we're going to understand what brings personal meaning to individuals on the Web. And that doesn't just mean owned-and-operated sites. It means across the Web."
Kenneth Corbin is an associate editor at InternetNews.com, the news service ofInternet.com, the network for technology professionals.
Blake Irving, who recently joined Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) as chief product officer, spoke of the company's evolving strategy at an event this week Yahoo dubbed "Product Runway." Irving touted Yahoo's global computing infrastructure that supports the massive traffic to the company's content and services, reminding his audience that Yahoo remains one of the premier brands on the Web.
He also noted the strong ties between Yahoo's research labs and product divisions, explaining that Yahoo benefits from healthy collaboration between the two sides of the house, which in many IT firms effectively operate as silos.
At the same time, he acknowledged that Yahoo needs to do more, both to impress its advertisers and retain consumer loyalty with a swifter pace of innovation and more relevant, personalized content.
"With great technology and great technologists and great labs, you know, there's an opportunity for us to do things better, frankly," Irving said.
"You're going to see things from us over the course of the next year -- course of the [next] year and a half, three years, five years -- that are going to feel a little different to you. We're going to be iterating much more frequently than we do today."
Those changes will begin this fall, with Yahoo detailing plans for upgrades to its core search and email platforms.
In search, Yahoo is billing the fall rollout as one of the "most significant updates" to its search service, which has seen its market share erode in recent years. By one analyst firm's measure of U.S. search queries, Microsoft's search engine eclipsed Yahoo for the first time last month
Yahoo plans to stock its search results for popular or trending queries with a variety of content formats presented in a streamlined, easily navigable layout. Searches for popular entertainment topics or individuals will present results organized by images, news stories, videos, tweets and other types of information, presenting users with an array of one-click bars to display the results in the format of their choosing. Yahoo will offer a similar presentation for news items.
Those new features will roll out as Yahoo continues to transition its search-engineering operations over to Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) technology as part of a long-term revenue-sharing agreement between the two companies. Yahoo has sought to defuse speculation about its exit from the search market through the partnership, explaining that it will continue to innovate and improve the user-facing layer of its search engine, even if it no longer has a hand in maintaining the underlying infrastructure.
Yahoo is also planning a redesign of its email service, which currently serves some 281 million global users. Later this fall, Yahoo expects to release a beta version of a new, streamlined inbox, boasting a faster response time and new integrations with social services Facebook and Twitter.
The company is also planning to roll out new advertising formats that enable marketers to customize their creatives with messages more precisely tailored to users. A crucial pillar of the company's efforts on the advertising front will be to glean more information about its users' interests and preferences.
Currently, roughly half of the 600 million monthly visitors to Yahoo are logged in when they visit one of the company's sites, Irving said. Yahoo is now "striving for 100 percent authentication," he said, explaining that the company will begin accepting login credentials from Facebook, Twitter and other open ID schemes.
"The vision is bringing personal meaning to the Web," Irving said. "Using insights and data, we're going to understand what brings personal meaning to individuals on the Web. And that doesn't just mean owned-and-operated sites. It means across the Web."
Kenneth Corbin is an associate editor at InternetNews.com, the news service ofInternet.com, the network for technology professionals.
Friday, September 17, 2010
U.S. Census Reports 7 Million Lost Health Care
The U.S. Census Bureau today indicated that 7 million Americans last year lost health insurance that they'd received through their employment.
Employer-sponsored plans are the No. 1 source of health insurance in the nation.
Census data released today said 50.7 million Americans lacked health insurance in 2009, from 46.3 million in 2008. That was the highest number of uninsured since the bureau began collecting such information in 1987.
The decline in employer-based health insurance use is primarily due to job loss during the recession.
Employer-sponsored plans are the No. 1 source of health insurance in the nation.
Census data released today said 50.7 million Americans lacked health insurance in 2009, from 46.3 million in 2008. That was the highest number of uninsured since the bureau began collecting such information in 1987.
The decline in employer-based health insurance use is primarily due to job loss during the recession.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Students Were Creative During Summer Vacation
Commonwealth Elementary School students were able to utilize their creative skills over the summer as they became inventors of fantasy creatures, games, and other items through a week-long enrichment program called Camp Invention. The program promotes life-skills such as problem-solving and teamwork through hands-on creativity and is geared for students entering grades 1-6. One of the most popular stations for students was “I Can Invent III,” which allowed them to break apart machines to see how gears, magnets and other components work inside.
Students then used those items and other recycled material to produce a new invention that created a chemical reaction when completed.
Students then used those items and other recycled material to produce a new invention that created a chemical reaction when completed.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Intel Introduces New Apps for Netbooks
-Intel(R) AppUp(SM) center for netbooks now generally available, with new Adobe AIR applications, Microsoft Silverlight, and support from Asus, Best Buy, Croma and Dixons.
--New Intel(R) Atom(TM) E600 SoC series creates amazing developer flexibility for markets such as car entertainment, Internet phones, and smart grid devices.
--Intel also outlines forthcoming Intel(R) Atom(TM) processor CE4200, the next-generation CE SoC that enables 3-D-TV video, "sync-and-go," and power-saving capabilities for smart TV experience.
--NOTE TO EDITORS: multimedia is available at www.intel.com/newsroom/idf.
During keynote presentations today at the Intel Developer Forum, Intel Corporation executives outlined several software- and hardware-related efforts as the company intensifies its System-on-a-Chip (SoC) product plans based on the Intel(R) Atom(TM) processor family.
Amid predictions of billions of additional Internet-connected devices going online, Renee James, senior vice president and general manager, Intel Software and Services Group, and Doug Davis, vice president and general manager, Embedded and Communications Group, discussed the expansion of these processors into high-growth areas including netbooks, tablets, CE, embedded, and smart phones.
James: The Best Experiences Are Created on Intel Architecture
During her keynote at Moscone Center West in San Francisco, James outlined how tightly integrated and optimized software and platforms will deliver new levels of performance, along with fresh capabilities and the importance of creating an innovative experience across the personal computing continuum -- from PCs to smart phones to tablets and cars, as well as any number of Internet-connected consumer devices.
Emphasizing a seamless experience across operating systems, James introduced general availability of the Intel(R) AppUp(SM) center netbook app store for consumers. The Intel AppUp center includes both free and paid apps for entertainment, social networking, gaming and productivity, optimized for a netbook's mobility and screen size. To encourage consumers to try new applications, Intel AppUp provides "try before you buy" solutions, encouraging consumers to purchase apps they otherwise might not have. The launch was also marked by the availability of Adobe* AIR applications, as well as apps from companies including Accuweather*, Barnes & Noble*, Funkitron*, Gibson Guitars*, iWin*, Kaplan*, KONAMI*, and Lifetime*.
In an effort to reach netbook owners worldwide, James announced agreements with Best Buy*, UK-based Dixons* and India-based Croma* to outfit each retailer with the Intel AppUp center -- pre-installed on netbooks the stores sell, as well as available for current netbook owners to download online. Similarly, James announced plans from ASUS* to ship its version of the Intel AppUp center on netbooks, the "asus app store," starting in October.
During her keynote, James highlighted the Intel AppUp Developer Program, designed to drive innovative applications for end users and new revenue opportunities for independent developers and software vendors with programs such as the Intel Million Dollar Development fund. Rick Vanner from The Game Creators was recognized as winner of the "Most Innovative Application" in the Intel Atom Developer Challenge for his game titled, "Goals." James also introduced the "On Intel AppUp" ISV identifier, designed to help developers promote their applications on Intel AppUp center.
James acknowledged seamless experiences are only part of the equation. Open operating systems -- such as Intel and Nokia's* MeeGo*, hosted by the Linux Foundation -- allow developers to create, invent and innovate. Pointing to contributions from industry leaders, James discussed MeeGo ecosystem momentum, highlighting a variety of MeeGo-based devices and how third-party software developments and the upcoming MeeGo Web runtime, to be released in October, will make it easier to write applications for these devices. Internet TV pioneer Amino* also joined James onstage to demonstrate how the company is taking advantage of the flexibility and openness of MeeGo to deliver an innovative MeeGo-based smart TV solution.
Davis: Smart, Connected, Transformed Experiences
Discussing the important role the Intel Atom brand plays in delivering intelligent computing to connected devices everywhere, Davis outlined the complete Intel Atom processor line and how the company is delivering solutions based on Intel(R) architecture beyond the PC. Davis also emphasized how Intel Atom processor-based solutions can provide the ideal platform for Internet connectivity, intelligence, and ease of design with customer port of choice.
During his keynote, Davis launched "Tunnel Creek," a new Intel(R) Atom(TM) E600 SoC processor series developed specifically for embedded applications such as in-vehicle infotainment systems for cars, smart grid devices and IP media phones. The SoC integrates additional capabilities onto the chip and features an open interconnect for added flexibility. Making it easier to design and customize with these new products, Vendors including OKI Semiconductor*, Realtek Semiconductor* and STMicroelectronics* will offer interconnect chipsets, and other companion silicon offerings from Dialog Semiconductor*and ROHM Co.* will regulate voltages and synchronize clocks, according to Davis.
Davis went on to unveil details of an upcoming new configurable Atom processor, codenamed "Stellarton." The processor consists of the Atom E600 processor paired with an Altera* FPGA on a multi-chip package; which provides additional flexibility for customers who want to incorporate proprietary I/O or acceleration and enabling developers to differentiate their designs by reacting quickly to changing requirements.
Davis also introduced the Intel(R) Atom(TM) processor CE4200, formerly codenamed "Groveland," which is designed to help seamlessly integrate the Internet experience with TV.
The SoC includes 3-D support, H.264 high-definition encoding capability for usage models such as "sync-and-go" between networked consumer electronics and portable devices, and multiple input stream support to enable the design of cost-effective home gateway appliances. To help address regulatory requirements, the SoC features smart power management capabilities that automatically help to turn off parts of the chip when not in use. A software development kit and familiar tools for integrating applications is also available which OEMs can re-use across products, cutting development time. Davis announced ADB*, Samsung*, Sagemcom* and Technicolor* plan to build set-top boxes based on the new SoC.
Microsoft*, Dell* and Visteon* joined Davis on stage during his keynote. Microsoft announced they have ported Windows* Embedded Standard 7 and Windows Media Center on Intel architecture and demonstrated prototype devices from Acer* and ASUS. Dell previewed their upcoming Intel Atom processor-based Dell convertible mobile device, expected to be available later this year. Visteon demonstrated the use of the E600 series processor in a next-generation automotive infotainment platform. Davis also highlighted mobility products based on the upcoming Intel SoC, codenamed "Oak Trail." Touting Intel's port of choice message, mobile device demonstrations included an ExoPC* running Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 7, a WeTab* running MeeGo* and a Cisco Cius* running Android*.
About Intel
Intel (INTC 18.72, -0.02, -0.11%) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.
Intel, the Intel logo and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. KONAMI is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. * Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
SOURCE: Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation
Suzy Ramirez, 503-264-0996
suzy.m.ramirez@intel.com
Claudine Mangano, 408-765-0146
claudine.a.mangano@intel.com
--New Intel(R) Atom(TM) E600 SoC series creates amazing developer flexibility for markets such as car entertainment, Internet phones, and smart grid devices.
--Intel also outlines forthcoming Intel(R) Atom(TM) processor CE4200, the next-generation CE SoC that enables 3-D-TV video, "sync-and-go," and power-saving capabilities for smart TV experience.
--NOTE TO EDITORS: multimedia is available at www.intel.com/newsroom/idf.
During keynote presentations today at the Intel Developer Forum, Intel Corporation executives outlined several software- and hardware-related efforts as the company intensifies its System-on-a-Chip (SoC) product plans based on the Intel(R) Atom(TM) processor family.
Amid predictions of billions of additional Internet-connected devices going online, Renee James, senior vice president and general manager, Intel Software and Services Group, and Doug Davis, vice president and general manager, Embedded and Communications Group, discussed the expansion of these processors into high-growth areas including netbooks, tablets, CE, embedded, and smart phones.
James: The Best Experiences Are Created on Intel Architecture
During her keynote at Moscone Center West in San Francisco, James outlined how tightly integrated and optimized software and platforms will deliver new levels of performance, along with fresh capabilities and the importance of creating an innovative experience across the personal computing continuum -- from PCs to smart phones to tablets and cars, as well as any number of Internet-connected consumer devices.
Emphasizing a seamless experience across operating systems, James introduced general availability of the Intel(R) AppUp(SM) center netbook app store for consumers. The Intel AppUp center includes both free and paid apps for entertainment, social networking, gaming and productivity, optimized for a netbook's mobility and screen size. To encourage consumers to try new applications, Intel AppUp provides "try before you buy" solutions, encouraging consumers to purchase apps they otherwise might not have. The launch was also marked by the availability of Adobe* AIR applications, as well as apps from companies including Accuweather*, Barnes & Noble*, Funkitron*, Gibson Guitars*, iWin*, Kaplan*, KONAMI*, and Lifetime*.
In an effort to reach netbook owners worldwide, James announced agreements with Best Buy*, UK-based Dixons* and India-based Croma* to outfit each retailer with the Intel AppUp center -- pre-installed on netbooks the stores sell, as well as available for current netbook owners to download online. Similarly, James announced plans from ASUS* to ship its version of the Intel AppUp center on netbooks, the "asus app store," starting in October.
During her keynote, James highlighted the Intel AppUp Developer Program, designed to drive innovative applications for end users and new revenue opportunities for independent developers and software vendors with programs such as the Intel Million Dollar Development fund. Rick Vanner from The Game Creators was recognized as winner of the "Most Innovative Application" in the Intel Atom Developer Challenge for his game titled, "Goals." James also introduced the "On Intel AppUp" ISV identifier, designed to help developers promote their applications on Intel AppUp center.
James acknowledged seamless experiences are only part of the equation. Open operating systems -- such as Intel and Nokia's* MeeGo*, hosted by the Linux Foundation -- allow developers to create, invent and innovate. Pointing to contributions from industry leaders, James discussed MeeGo ecosystem momentum, highlighting a variety of MeeGo-based devices and how third-party software developments and the upcoming MeeGo Web runtime, to be released in October, will make it easier to write applications for these devices. Internet TV pioneer Amino* also joined James onstage to demonstrate how the company is taking advantage of the flexibility and openness of MeeGo to deliver an innovative MeeGo-based smart TV solution.
Davis: Smart, Connected, Transformed Experiences
Discussing the important role the Intel Atom brand plays in delivering intelligent computing to connected devices everywhere, Davis outlined the complete Intel Atom processor line and how the company is delivering solutions based on Intel(R) architecture beyond the PC. Davis also emphasized how Intel Atom processor-based solutions can provide the ideal platform for Internet connectivity, intelligence, and ease of design with customer port of choice.
During his keynote, Davis launched "Tunnel Creek," a new Intel(R) Atom(TM) E600 SoC processor series developed specifically for embedded applications such as in-vehicle infotainment systems for cars, smart grid devices and IP media phones. The SoC integrates additional capabilities onto the chip and features an open interconnect for added flexibility. Making it easier to design and customize with these new products, Vendors including OKI Semiconductor*, Realtek Semiconductor* and STMicroelectronics* will offer interconnect chipsets, and other companion silicon offerings from Dialog Semiconductor*and ROHM Co.* will regulate voltages and synchronize clocks, according to Davis.
Davis went on to unveil details of an upcoming new configurable Atom processor, codenamed "Stellarton." The processor consists of the Atom E600 processor paired with an Altera* FPGA on a multi-chip package; which provides additional flexibility for customers who want to incorporate proprietary I/O or acceleration and enabling developers to differentiate their designs by reacting quickly to changing requirements.
Davis also introduced the Intel(R) Atom(TM) processor CE4200, formerly codenamed "Groveland," which is designed to help seamlessly integrate the Internet experience with TV.
The SoC includes 3-D support, H.264 high-definition encoding capability for usage models such as "sync-and-go" between networked consumer electronics and portable devices, and multiple input stream support to enable the design of cost-effective home gateway appliances. To help address regulatory requirements, the SoC features smart power management capabilities that automatically help to turn off parts of the chip when not in use. A software development kit and familiar tools for integrating applications is also available which OEMs can re-use across products, cutting development time. Davis announced ADB*, Samsung*, Sagemcom* and Technicolor* plan to build set-top boxes based on the new SoC.
Microsoft*, Dell* and Visteon* joined Davis on stage during his keynote. Microsoft announced they have ported Windows* Embedded Standard 7 and Windows Media Center on Intel architecture and demonstrated prototype devices from Acer* and ASUS. Dell previewed their upcoming Intel Atom processor-based Dell convertible mobile device, expected to be available later this year. Visteon demonstrated the use of the E600 series processor in a next-generation automotive infotainment platform. Davis also highlighted mobility products based on the upcoming Intel SoC, codenamed "Oak Trail." Touting Intel's port of choice message, mobile device demonstrations included an ExoPC* running Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 7, a WeTab* running MeeGo* and a Cisco Cius* running Android*.
About Intel
Intel (INTC 18.72, -0.02, -0.11%) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.
Intel, the Intel logo and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. KONAMI is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. * Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
SOURCE: Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation
Suzy Ramirez, 503-264-0996
suzy.m.ramirez@intel.com
Claudine Mangano, 408-765-0146
claudine.a.mangano@intel.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Algeria Looking for Partnerships in Oil and Gas
Algerian oil minister Youcef Yousfi said his country will gradually impose technology transfer on foreign companies who want to invest in the country.
Yousfi told the government newswire APS in Canada where he is taking part in a business conference, “our priority in the future for all sectors of activity is to work with partners of would assist us in the construction of facilities in Algeria mainly in oil and gas”
The Algerian minister stressed the necessity to have partnership in oil and gas industry to provide for technology transfer and not only sale and purchase deals between partners. He asserted that this principle will be gradually imposed on investors in the oil and gas industry.
Yousfi told the government newswire APS in Canada where he is taking part in a business conference, “our priority in the future for all sectors of activity is to work with partners of would assist us in the construction of facilities in Algeria mainly in oil and gas”
The Algerian minister stressed the necessity to have partnership in oil and gas industry to provide for technology transfer and not only sale and purchase deals between partners. He asserted that this principle will be gradually imposed on investors in the oil and gas industry.
Monday, September 13, 2010
New Golf Glove Invented
But inventor Skip Henry used a putter to make his discovery.
An avid golfer for the past seven years, Henry said he was getting ready to tee off at Hidden Meadows Golf Course in Northport on Sept. 16, 2007, when he grabbed his golfing glove.
It was in such poor shape that Henry told his golfing partner that if he managed to put it on, he would have to keep it on for the whole round.
When he finally got the well-worn glove on, he noticed it had a large hole over the palm area. Many might have tossed such a glove in the garbage without a second thought, but it gave Henry an idea.
Normally, golfers wear a leather glove to get a firm grip on their clubs, enhancing their ability to make solid contact — and thus more accurate shots — with a full swing from the tee or the fairway, or even with shorter swings closer to the green. But they typically remove the glove when they get to the green to get a better feel when using a putter. The putter isn’t likely to slip in the hands, because the putting stroke doesn’t create the torque that a full swing does.
Henry said as he golfed that day, he became convinced that a glove that offered the grip needed for drives while also allowing the free feeling needed for putts might be something golfers would appreciate.
He started developing his idea to make a golf glove whose palm area could be snapped on and off.
An avid golfer for the past seven years, Henry said he was getting ready to tee off at Hidden Meadows Golf Course in Northport on Sept. 16, 2007, when he grabbed his golfing glove.
It was in such poor shape that Henry told his golfing partner that if he managed to put it on, he would have to keep it on for the whole round.
When he finally got the well-worn glove on, he noticed it had a large hole over the palm area. Many might have tossed such a glove in the garbage without a second thought, but it gave Henry an idea.
Normally, golfers wear a leather glove to get a firm grip on their clubs, enhancing their ability to make solid contact — and thus more accurate shots — with a full swing from the tee or the fairway, or even with shorter swings closer to the green. But they typically remove the glove when they get to the green to get a better feel when using a putter. The putter isn’t likely to slip in the hands, because the putting stroke doesn’t create the torque that a full swing does.
Henry said as he golfed that day, he became convinced that a glove that offered the grip needed for drives while also allowing the free feeling needed for putts might be something golfers would appreciate.
He started developing his idea to make a golf glove whose palm area could be snapped on and off.
Inventor Working on New Air Bag
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Between 1990 and 2008, 180 children were killed by deploying passenger side airbags; however, during those same years more than 550 children died from heat stroke because they were left in hot cars.
In fact, in the three year period from 1990 to 1992, before airbags were required, there were only 14 known heat stroke related deaths. But now because of passenger side airbags most young children travel in the back seat and there have been 113 known fatalities just in 2007 through 2009 alone.
Three Central Florida men are hoping to lower those numbers; they have invented a car seat that tells you when you left your child in the car.
It's called the "CARE seat" - Communication And Reminder Enhanced car seat.
Rob Nottage from Lake Mary has been working on the CARE seat for years.
"I heard a story of two children left unattended and both of them died,” said Nottage. “It broke my heart,"
Nottage and his buddy Rob Munch along with friend Kevin Miller put their heads together to come up with the care seat alert system. It's basically a modified car seat wired to send alerts to your vehicle. The five-point seat belt buckle on the car seat has a sensor-- which is connected to the car's electrical system to let parents know when they've left their child in their car.
The trio has been in talks with a major car seat component manufacturer. They say it may be a couple years before we see this type of technology in our cars, but Nottage says so far the feedback's been good.
"They seem like they are on board with incorporating this type of technology,” he said. “If the vehicle manufacturers are interested in it."
In fact, in the three year period from 1990 to 1992, before airbags were required, there were only 14 known heat stroke related deaths. But now because of passenger side airbags most young children travel in the back seat and there have been 113 known fatalities just in 2007 through 2009 alone.
Three Central Florida men are hoping to lower those numbers; they have invented a car seat that tells you when you left your child in the car.
It's called the "CARE seat" - Communication And Reminder Enhanced car seat.
Rob Nottage from Lake Mary has been working on the CARE seat for years.
"I heard a story of two children left unattended and both of them died,” said Nottage. “It broke my heart,"
Nottage and his buddy Rob Munch along with friend Kevin Miller put their heads together to come up with the care seat alert system. It's basically a modified car seat wired to send alerts to your vehicle. The five-point seat belt buckle on the car seat has a sensor-- which is connected to the car's electrical system to let parents know when they've left their child in their car.
The trio has been in talks with a major car seat component manufacturer. They say it may be a couple years before we see this type of technology in our cars, but Nottage says so far the feedback's been good.
"They seem like they are on board with incorporating this type of technology,” he said. “If the vehicle manufacturers are interested in it."
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Fantasy Football is Big
Mark St. Amant was at a crossroads. The 36-year-old associate creative director at Keiler & Co., a Farmington, Connecticut, advertising agency, was finding it difficult to balance his workload with his fantasy football team. So he quit his six-figure-salary job for the chance to win a $700 prize.
“I’d been playing in an office league since the late ‘90s and never won,” St. Amant says. “I came close a few times, but it was an always-a-bridesmaid thing. I realized this job was draining my time and preventing me from winning.”
St. Amant is not the only Type-A fantasy extremist. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, there are 30 million fantasy players in the U.S. and Canada -- 54 percent more than two years ago. Most of them are pretty good at their jobs: According to a 2009 study by the University of Mississippi, the annual household income of a fantasy sports consumer is $92,750, Bloomberg Business Week reports in its Sept. 13 edition.
Outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimates that American companies might be losing as much as $1.5 billion in productivity during an average football season because of fantasy sports.
Some offices are taking action. Last October four employees at Fidelity Investments in Westlake, Texas, were let go for alleged participation in a fantasy football league, which was deemed a violation of the company’s anti-gambling policy.
Underground Football
Rather than disappearing from the workplace, some fantasy football leagues are going underground. Kevin Alansky, a 38- year-old former telecommunications marketing director, compares today’s fantasy football leagues to “Fight Club,” the 1999 movie -- based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk -- about a secret cult where men meet in basements and beat the hell out of each other.
“It’s become like a secret fraternity,” Alansky says. “You can talk about it, but don’t talk about it publicly. It’s not perceived as professional. If you want to move up the corporate ladder, your fantasy football allegiances have to become more hush-hush.”
Alansky says he was once told by a senior executive at his company that any involvement in an office league could damage his reputation. “He actually asked me to stop playing,” Alansky says. “I didn’t, but whenever I talk about it now, I’m always looking over my shoulder to see who’s listening.”
In fantasy football, team owners pick real NFL players for their teams, then compare their players’ statistics to determine winners of games.
Into the Light
Not all league members are living in the shadows. Shergul Arshad, 40, a director of business development at Cambridge, Massachusetts-based shopping website StyleFeeder.com, has been playing in office fantasy leagues since the early 1990s. His only problem with today’s fantasy football is that the Internet has made the sport too accessible.
“Before the Internet, you had to compile player stats manually,” he says. “I once called the Detroit Lions’ front office to find out if Herman Moore was injured and would be playing that weekend. But now, with all the online tools, it’s almost like my 7-year-old and 9-year-old could draft a team and be competitive.”
He compares fantasy football’s current popularity with fair-weather fans of the Boston Red Sox who wear pink hats to games.
“Sox fans are turned off by these bandwagoners who come in and buy their pink hats and pretend that they know what they’re talking about,” he says. “I feel the same way about fantasy football. There are so many people who suddenly got interested, and they’re just poseurs.”
Harder Working
Some workers cite specific evidence that fantasy football actually makes them work harder. Kyle Kadane, an information technology manager who once worked for a telecommunications company in Overland Park, Kansas, says that his former co- workers involved in fantasy football were sometimes the first ones to arrive at work in the morning.
“One week there were a lot of injuries in the NFL, and a few players had some really monster games,” he says. “So the next morning, there were two dozen guys in the office at around 6:45 a.m. making new drafts for their fantasy teams.”
The result, he says, was that they got an earlier jump on the day.
Dustin Ashby, the commissioner of the World Championship of Fantasy Football -- a league with a $300,000 grand prize -- said the positive attributes of fantasy sports are underestimated. “It’s a healthy game,” he says. “It bridges the gap between top-level executives and mailroom clerks. And that creates social dialogue and breaks down barriers of communication. It really does create a community in the workplace.”
Something Special
There is something special about an office-based fantasy football community. St. Amant learned that lesson firsthand. After quitting his job to focus on fantasy football didn’t pan out (his teams still didn’t win), he used his newfound free time to think and strategize about … fantasy football. He wrote several books on the subject and became a frequent guest on ESPN. It wasn’t until years later, when he’d returned to advertising full-time, that he won his first fantasy league title.
“I guess that’s kind of ironic,” St. Amant says. Or maybe it’s just proof that fantasy football, like anything in life, is more fun when you’re being paid to do something else.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Spitznagel in New York at jkelly101@bloomberg.net
“I’d been playing in an office league since the late ‘90s and never won,” St. Amant says. “I came close a few times, but it was an always-a-bridesmaid thing. I realized this job was draining my time and preventing me from winning.”
St. Amant is not the only Type-A fantasy extremist. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, there are 30 million fantasy players in the U.S. and Canada -- 54 percent more than two years ago. Most of them are pretty good at their jobs: According to a 2009 study by the University of Mississippi, the annual household income of a fantasy sports consumer is $92,750, Bloomberg Business Week reports in its Sept. 13 edition.
Outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimates that American companies might be losing as much as $1.5 billion in productivity during an average football season because of fantasy sports.
Some offices are taking action. Last October four employees at Fidelity Investments in Westlake, Texas, were let go for alleged participation in a fantasy football league, which was deemed a violation of the company’s anti-gambling policy.
Underground Football
Rather than disappearing from the workplace, some fantasy football leagues are going underground. Kevin Alansky, a 38- year-old former telecommunications marketing director, compares today’s fantasy football leagues to “Fight Club,” the 1999 movie -- based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk -- about a secret cult where men meet in basements and beat the hell out of each other.
“It’s become like a secret fraternity,” Alansky says. “You can talk about it, but don’t talk about it publicly. It’s not perceived as professional. If you want to move up the corporate ladder, your fantasy football allegiances have to become more hush-hush.”
Alansky says he was once told by a senior executive at his company that any involvement in an office league could damage his reputation. “He actually asked me to stop playing,” Alansky says. “I didn’t, but whenever I talk about it now, I’m always looking over my shoulder to see who’s listening.”
In fantasy football, team owners pick real NFL players for their teams, then compare their players’ statistics to determine winners of games.
Into the Light
Not all league members are living in the shadows. Shergul Arshad, 40, a director of business development at Cambridge, Massachusetts-based shopping website StyleFeeder.com, has been playing in office fantasy leagues since the early 1990s. His only problem with today’s fantasy football is that the Internet has made the sport too accessible.
“Before the Internet, you had to compile player stats manually,” he says. “I once called the Detroit Lions’ front office to find out if Herman Moore was injured and would be playing that weekend. But now, with all the online tools, it’s almost like my 7-year-old and 9-year-old could draft a team and be competitive.”
He compares fantasy football’s current popularity with fair-weather fans of the Boston Red Sox who wear pink hats to games.
“Sox fans are turned off by these bandwagoners who come in and buy their pink hats and pretend that they know what they’re talking about,” he says. “I feel the same way about fantasy football. There are so many people who suddenly got interested, and they’re just poseurs.”
Harder Working
Some workers cite specific evidence that fantasy football actually makes them work harder. Kyle Kadane, an information technology manager who once worked for a telecommunications company in Overland Park, Kansas, says that his former co- workers involved in fantasy football were sometimes the first ones to arrive at work in the morning.
“One week there were a lot of injuries in the NFL, and a few players had some really monster games,” he says. “So the next morning, there were two dozen guys in the office at around 6:45 a.m. making new drafts for their fantasy teams.”
The result, he says, was that they got an earlier jump on the day.
Dustin Ashby, the commissioner of the World Championship of Fantasy Football -- a league with a $300,000 grand prize -- said the positive attributes of fantasy sports are underestimated. “It’s a healthy game,” he says. “It bridges the gap between top-level executives and mailroom clerks. And that creates social dialogue and breaks down barriers of communication. It really does create a community in the workplace.”
Something Special
There is something special about an office-based fantasy football community. St. Amant learned that lesson firsthand. After quitting his job to focus on fantasy football didn’t pan out (his teams still didn’t win), he used his newfound free time to think and strategize about … fantasy football. He wrote several books on the subject and became a frequent guest on ESPN. It wasn’t until years later, when he’d returned to advertising full-time, that he won his first fantasy league title.
“I guess that’s kind of ironic,” St. Amant says. Or maybe it’s just proof that fantasy football, like anything in life, is more fun when you’re being paid to do something else.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Spitznagel in New York at jkelly101@bloomberg.net
Friday, September 10, 2010
Check Out Shoebuy.com
BOSTON, Sept 09, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Shoebuy.com (www.shoebuy.com), one of the largest retailers of footwear, accessories and related apparel on the Internet and an operating business of IAC (IACI 25.96, -0.24, -0.91%) , announced today that new member requests are topping 5,000 a day at its newest website, events.shoebuy.com. Shoebuy Events offers private flash sales on a members only basis featuring unmatched savings of up to 90% on leading brands such as Rockport, Aerosoles, Heys USA, Crocs, Dr. Martens, Florsheim, Kangol, Johnston & Murphy, Timberland, Timbuk2 and others. These new Shoebuy members join the millions of shoppers that already shop Shoebuy.
Founded in the midst of the dot-com boom, Shoebuy.com is one of the few Internet companies to emerge successfully from that period and has become one of the most heavily-visited apparel shopping sites in the U.S. with over 6.5 million shoppers a month, and over 1,000 brands, 800,000 products, and $3.5 billion of inventory available to purchase.
Shoebuy Events is the latest in a series of new businesses that leverage Shoebuy's proven business model, robust technology platform, vendor relationships, and ecommerce expertise. In the past year, in addition to Shoebuy Events, the company has launched designer.shoebuy.com, a site that offers a specialized shopping experience and design-focused products, Shoebuy.co.uk, addressing the UK marketplace, and ProductExpress.com, which provides free overnight delivery on a broad selection of shoes and accessories. The company recently unveiled an iPhone app, enabling shoppers to enjoy all of the traditional Shoebuy features from their mobile devices. Shoebuy.com also replicated its business model in another product category with the November launch of FloraFlora.com, an e-tail flower supersite.
"With our portfolio of over 1,000 great brands, millions of loyal customers, and a decade of ecommerce expertise, Shoebuy Events is uniquely positioned to deliver tremendous value to both shoppers and manufacturers," says Scott Savitz, CEO of Shoebuy.com. "Listening to our customers has always been the most important factor in our success and we are hearing a lot of excitement about our private sale business from both our shoppers and our brands. Shoebuy Events has proven to be a great way to generate a lot of fun viral-based attention and at the same time to move very large quantities of product in one 48 hour event."
Shoebuy Events is only available to registered members and features offers that are unmatched anywhere on the web. All products and pricing that are featured on the site are reviewed to ensure that all offerings always represent the best deal available on leading styles of shoes, bags, apparel, and accessories.
Shoebuy.com was created with one overarching purpose: to revolutionize how people shop for products online while keeping the customer the number one priority. Shoebuy Events furthers that tradition.
About Shoebuy.com
Shoebuy.com is one of the largest retailers on the Internet focused on all categories of footwear and related apparel. Shoebuy.com offers over 800,000 products from 1,000 brands including adidas, Aerosoles, Allen-Edmonds, Bass, Born, Bostonian, Brooks, Clarks, Crocs, Dockers, Donald J Pliner, Dr. Martens, Easy Spirit, ECCO, Fila, Florsheim, Franco Sarto, Hush Puppies, Jessica Simpson, Johnston & Murphy, K-Swiss, Keds, Mephisto, Merrell, Mezlan, Naturalizer, New Balance, PUMA, Reebok, Rockport, Sebago, Skechers, Softspots, Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, and many more. Shoebuy.com also operates Bagsbuy.com, which represents all categories of bags including handbags, backpacks, luggage, baby gear, briefcases and laptop bags, Product Express which makes available over 10,000 products with free overnight shipping for the customer who needs the product now, and designer.shoebuy.com which offers a specialized shopping experience and design-focused product from over 200 top designer brands. Shoebuy.com is an operating business of IAC.
Founded in the midst of the dot-com boom, Shoebuy.com is one of the few Internet companies to emerge successfully from that period and has become one of the most heavily-visited apparel shopping sites in the U.S. with over 6.5 million shoppers a month, and over 1,000 brands, 800,000 products, and $3.5 billion of inventory available to purchase.
Shoebuy Events is the latest in a series of new businesses that leverage Shoebuy's proven business model, robust technology platform, vendor relationships, and ecommerce expertise. In the past year, in addition to Shoebuy Events, the company has launched designer.shoebuy.com, a site that offers a specialized shopping experience and design-focused products, Shoebuy.co.uk, addressing the UK marketplace, and ProductExpress.com, which provides free overnight delivery on a broad selection of shoes and accessories. The company recently unveiled an iPhone app, enabling shoppers to enjoy all of the traditional Shoebuy features from their mobile devices. Shoebuy.com also replicated its business model in another product category with the November launch of FloraFlora.com, an e-tail flower supersite.
"With our portfolio of over 1,000 great brands, millions of loyal customers, and a decade of ecommerce expertise, Shoebuy Events is uniquely positioned to deliver tremendous value to both shoppers and manufacturers," says Scott Savitz, CEO of Shoebuy.com. "Listening to our customers has always been the most important factor in our success and we are hearing a lot of excitement about our private sale business from both our shoppers and our brands. Shoebuy Events has proven to be a great way to generate a lot of fun viral-based attention and at the same time to move very large quantities of product in one 48 hour event."
Shoebuy Events is only available to registered members and features offers that are unmatched anywhere on the web. All products and pricing that are featured on the site are reviewed to ensure that all offerings always represent the best deal available on leading styles of shoes, bags, apparel, and accessories.
Shoebuy.com was created with one overarching purpose: to revolutionize how people shop for products online while keeping the customer the number one priority. Shoebuy Events furthers that tradition.
About Shoebuy.com
Shoebuy.com is one of the largest retailers on the Internet focused on all categories of footwear and related apparel. Shoebuy.com offers over 800,000 products from 1,000 brands including adidas, Aerosoles, Allen-Edmonds, Bass, Born, Bostonian, Brooks, Clarks, Crocs, Dockers, Donald J Pliner, Dr. Martens, Easy Spirit, ECCO, Fila, Florsheim, Franco Sarto, Hush Puppies, Jessica Simpson, Johnston & Murphy, K-Swiss, Keds, Mephisto, Merrell, Mezlan, Naturalizer, New Balance, PUMA, Reebok, Rockport, Sebago, Skechers, Softspots, Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, and many more. Shoebuy.com also operates Bagsbuy.com, which represents all categories of bags including handbags, backpacks, luggage, baby gear, briefcases and laptop bags, Product Express which makes available over 10,000 products with free overnight shipping for the customer who needs the product now, and designer.shoebuy.com which offers a specialized shopping experience and design-focused product from over 200 top designer brands. Shoebuy.com is an operating business of IAC.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Internet Business Software Solutions
ATLANTA, Sept 08, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Internap Network Services Corporation /quotes/comstock/15*!inap/quotes/nls/inap (INAP 4.36, -0.04, -0.89%) , a leading provider of end-to-end Internet business solutions, and ecenta, a leading global consulting firm specializing in advanced projects involving implementation of SAP(R) solutions, announced today that Internap's Performance IP(TM) and Managed Hosting solutions will be utilized as the foundation for ecenta's new hosted contact center solution. Internap will provide a highly reliable and fully managed hosted infrastructure and IP connectivity enabling "anytime, anywhere" deployment of ecenta's hosted contact center based on SAP Business Communications Management.
ecenta's hosted contact center solution is specifically designed for small to medium enterprise (SME) customers that plan to deploy advanced contact center services with features and scalability that match their evolving business needs, allowing them to maximize productivity and improve service response times. The solution enables fast and easy deployment, flexibility to accommodate a distributed workforce, and the ability to grow quickly as business requirements change.
"Our new solution delivers competitive advantages to SME customers through integration with SAP applications, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and flexible, on-demand, customer service solutions," said Amit Venugopal, board member at ecenta. "We needed a hosting provider with a worldwide presence and a proven track record of performance and reliability. Internap's IP routing and Managed Hosting solutions truly enable our business in a way that no other partner could deliver. Most importantly, we now offer the ability to achieve service transparency for our customers through a highly predictable network at a competitive price."
"ecenta is creating a unique delivery model that changes the way enterprises consume services anywhere in the world in a faster, easier manner," said John Freimuth, vice president of Managed Hosting at Internap. "Internap's combination of high-performance IP routing and Managed Hosting provides the uptime and connectivity that enables a positive user experience for ecenta's customers, thereby ensuring that its differentiated delivery model performs at the highest possible level."
Internap's integrated solutions leverage the company's patented Managed Internet Route Optimizer(TM) (MIRO) network optimization technology, which selects the best path for Internet traffic by analyzing network characteristics like latency, packet loss and route stability and is backed by a 100 percent availability uptime service level agreement. Internap's Managed Hosting portfolio includes managed servers and managed storage along with data protection services, virtualization products, managed network products and advanced monitoring with 24/7 live customer support.
About ecenta
ecenta is a products and consulting firm specialized in complex projects involving the implementation of SAP Business Suite software, the SAP Customer Relationship Management application and the SAP NetWeaver(R) technology platform. As an SAP services partner, ecenta excels in the implementation and customization of SAP Business Communications Management software, business intelligence solutions, SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management, SAP NetWeaver Process Integration, the SAP Composite Application Framework tool and the SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal. ecenta's consultants have over a decade of experience in areas such as running or operating an interaction center with SAP CRM, providing CRM services and sales support, supporting help-desk processes, as well as providing integration with the SAP ERP application and other external systems.
About Internap
Internap is a leading Internet products and services company that provides The Ultimate Online Experience(R) by managing, delivering and distributing applications and content with a 100% uptime reliability service level agreement. With a worldwide platform of data centers, managed Internet services and CDN, Internap frees its customers to innovate, improve service levels and lower the cost of IT operations. Thousands of companies across the globe trust Internap to help them achieve their Internet business goals. For more information, visit http://www.internap.com/.
SAP, SAP NetWeaver and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements related to the features, functionality and performance of our products and services and the benefits our customers are expected to receive from them. Because such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the actual performance of our services and products as well as those of our customers; our ability to respond successfully to technological change; the availability of services from Internet network service providers or network service providers providing network access loops and local loops on favorable terms, or at all; failure of third party suppliers to deliver their products and services on favorable terms, or at all; failures in our network operations centers, data centers, network access points or computer systems; our ability to provide or improve Internet infrastructure services to our customers; and our ability to protect our intellectual property, as well as other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statement for any reason.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100205/CL49469 )
Media Contact: Investor Contact:
Drew Miale Andrew McBath
Davies Murphy Group, Inc. 404-302-9700
781-418-2438 ir@internap.com
internap@daviesmurphy.com
www.daviesmurphy.com
ecenta's hosted contact center solution is specifically designed for small to medium enterprise (SME) customers that plan to deploy advanced contact center services with features and scalability that match their evolving business needs, allowing them to maximize productivity and improve service response times. The solution enables fast and easy deployment, flexibility to accommodate a distributed workforce, and the ability to grow quickly as business requirements change.
"Our new solution delivers competitive advantages to SME customers through integration with SAP applications, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and flexible, on-demand, customer service solutions," said Amit Venugopal, board member at ecenta. "We needed a hosting provider with a worldwide presence and a proven track record of performance and reliability. Internap's IP routing and Managed Hosting solutions truly enable our business in a way that no other partner could deliver. Most importantly, we now offer the ability to achieve service transparency for our customers through a highly predictable network at a competitive price."
"ecenta is creating a unique delivery model that changes the way enterprises consume services anywhere in the world in a faster, easier manner," said John Freimuth, vice president of Managed Hosting at Internap. "Internap's combination of high-performance IP routing and Managed Hosting provides the uptime and connectivity that enables a positive user experience for ecenta's customers, thereby ensuring that its differentiated delivery model performs at the highest possible level."
Internap's integrated solutions leverage the company's patented Managed Internet Route Optimizer(TM) (MIRO) network optimization technology, which selects the best path for Internet traffic by analyzing network characteristics like latency, packet loss and route stability and is backed by a 100 percent availability uptime service level agreement. Internap's Managed Hosting portfolio includes managed servers and managed storage along with data protection services, virtualization products, managed network products and advanced monitoring with 24/7 live customer support.
About ecenta
ecenta is a products and consulting firm specialized in complex projects involving the implementation of SAP Business Suite software, the SAP Customer Relationship Management application and the SAP NetWeaver(R) technology platform. As an SAP services partner, ecenta excels in the implementation and customization of SAP Business Communications Management software, business intelligence solutions, SAP NetWeaver Master Data Management, SAP NetWeaver Process Integration, the SAP Composite Application Framework tool and the SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal. ecenta's consultants have over a decade of experience in areas such as running or operating an interaction center with SAP CRM, providing CRM services and sales support, supporting help-desk processes, as well as providing integration with the SAP ERP application and other external systems.
About Internap
Internap is a leading Internet products and services company that provides The Ultimate Online Experience(R) by managing, delivering and distributing applications and content with a 100% uptime reliability service level agreement. With a worldwide platform of data centers, managed Internet services and CDN, Internap frees its customers to innovate, improve service levels and lower the cost of IT operations. Thousands of companies across the globe trust Internap to help them achieve their Internet business goals. For more information, visit http://www.internap.com/.
SAP, SAP NetWeaver and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements related to the features, functionality and performance of our products and services and the benefits our customers are expected to receive from them. Because such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the actual performance of our services and products as well as those of our customers; our ability to respond successfully to technological change; the availability of services from Internet network service providers or network service providers providing network access loops and local loops on favorable terms, or at all; failure of third party suppliers to deliver their products and services on favorable terms, or at all; failures in our network operations centers, data centers, network access points or computer systems; our ability to provide or improve Internet infrastructure services to our customers; and our ability to protect our intellectual property, as well as other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statement for any reason.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100205/CL49469 )
Media Contact: Investor Contact:
Drew Miale Andrew McBath
Davies Murphy Group, Inc. 404-302-9700
781-418-2438 ir@internap.com
internap@daviesmurphy.com
www.daviesmurphy.com
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Kissimmee Air Conditioning
KISSIMMEE AIR CONDITIONING is here to make both your residence and workplace more comfy by keeping your heating and air system performing at peak efficiency and hopefully save you some money on your energy bills. Going green does not necessarily mean that you have to begin using your bike to work, or switching off your AC all together.
OUR KISSIMMEE AIR CONDITIONING TECHNICIANS REPAIR ALL BRANDS
Our NATE certified, manufacturer trained as experts are experiend at repairing air conditioners, heat pumps and furnaces by all the major air conditioning suppliers, incliding, York, Bryant, Lennox, American Standard, Rheem, Ruud, and many other high quality manufacturers.
AVOID EMERGENCY CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS
By getting your Kissimmee air conditioning system examined and cleaned regularly, you will avoid expensive repairs. Regular upkeep of your heating and air conditioning equipment may notice small issues that may possibly grow to be large repair bills at some point. So over time it makes it worth while to get your units checked.
KISSIMMEE HEAT PUMP SERVICE
Get Kissimmee heat pump service when you really need your unit to operate at peak efficiency. A busted system costs you more than merely your level of comfort. That busted a/c appliances could be wasting a ton of power, effectively counter-balancing all the money you have saved during the past. Air Conditioning Miami
SO HAVE YOUR KISSIMMEE HEAT PUMP REPAIRED AT THE FIRST HINT OF PROBLEMS
If you do not have a heat pump, call us today to find out what you are missing. You will also meet the requirements for a government energy savings tax credit. When it gets cool, you should know there is a Kissimmee furnace repair contractor you are able to depend on. We recognize all the ins and outs of your Kissimmee furnace, because we have the expertise you require.
All of our assistance techs have ongoing training wants to keep them on primary of their game. We like to keep our customers warm inside the winter plus a properly functioning furnace can add that added insulation to your wallet in case you give us a call when it requirements fixing. We typically come across smart procedures to cut charges whilst not skimping on performace or higher quality of workmanship. So get that extra omph out of one's system, while lowering operating costs nowadays.
KISSIMMEE EMERGENCY AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR
When poor difficulties take area for your Kissimmee fresh air conditioning it is incredibly excellent to comprehend that you've a corporation you happen to be in a position to count on at any time, night or day. We are a leading Kissimmee emergency air conditioning repair specialist. We can have your unit back up and operating in no time, generally due to the fact we are highly trained and care about repairing your heating and cooling software. We know that fixing your Kissimmee emergency air conditioning restore problem swiftly is really a great approach to avoid secondary harm which will maintain your fix charges to some minimum. So to support you and our other clients we provide 24/7 Kissimmee emergency air conditioning restore at reasonable rates. So get best notch Kissimmee fresh air conditioning repair today by calling the number in the best from the internet web page.
OUR KISSIMMEE AIR CONDITIONING TECHNICIANS REPAIR ALL BRANDS
Our NATE certified, manufacturer trained as experts are experiend at repairing air conditioners, heat pumps and furnaces by all the major air conditioning suppliers, incliding, York, Bryant, Lennox, American Standard, Rheem, Ruud, and many other high quality manufacturers.
AVOID EMERGENCY CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS
By getting your Kissimmee air conditioning system examined and cleaned regularly, you will avoid expensive repairs. Regular upkeep of your heating and air conditioning equipment may notice small issues that may possibly grow to be large repair bills at some point. So over time it makes it worth while to get your units checked.
KISSIMMEE HEAT PUMP SERVICE
Get Kissimmee heat pump service when you really need your unit to operate at peak efficiency. A busted system costs you more than merely your level of comfort. That busted a/c appliances could be wasting a ton of power, effectively counter-balancing all the money you have saved during the past. Air Conditioning Miami
SO HAVE YOUR KISSIMMEE HEAT PUMP REPAIRED AT THE FIRST HINT OF PROBLEMS
If you do not have a heat pump, call us today to find out what you are missing. You will also meet the requirements for a government energy savings tax credit. When it gets cool, you should know there is a Kissimmee furnace repair contractor you are able to depend on. We recognize all the ins and outs of your Kissimmee furnace, because we have the expertise you require.
All of our assistance techs have ongoing training wants to keep them on primary of their game. We like to keep our customers warm inside the winter plus a properly functioning furnace can add that added insulation to your wallet in case you give us a call when it requirements fixing. We typically come across smart procedures to cut charges whilst not skimping on performace or higher quality of workmanship. So get that extra omph out of one's system, while lowering operating costs nowadays.
KISSIMMEE EMERGENCY AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR
When poor difficulties take area for your Kissimmee fresh air conditioning it is incredibly excellent to comprehend that you've a corporation you happen to be in a position to count on at any time, night or day. We are a leading Kissimmee emergency air conditioning repair specialist. We can have your unit back up and operating in no time, generally due to the fact we are highly trained and care about repairing your heating and cooling software. We know that fixing your Kissimmee emergency air conditioning restore problem swiftly is really a great approach to avoid secondary harm which will maintain your fix charges to some minimum. So to support you and our other clients we provide 24/7 Kissimmee emergency air conditioning restore at reasonable rates. So get best notch Kissimmee fresh air conditioning repair today by calling the number in the best from the internet web page.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Check Out Yogurt Shops in Kansas City
Is fro-yo a fad or a trend?
The answer may depend on whether you lived through skinny leggings, shoulder pads and big hair.
“It does take us back to TCBY,” says Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for the NPD Group, a consumer research company that tracks what Americans eat.
During the 1980s, TCBY and I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt were the leaders in sweet frozen treats without the premium-ice cream guilt.
“We thought it was the answer to healthy eating,” Balzer says, “but we didn’t lose a whole lot of weight with a banana split made of frozen yogurt.”
Nearly three decades later, frozen yogurt is making a healthy comeback. Fro-yo chains such as Red Mango, Peachwave, Orange Leaf and the independent Kansas City-based Mochi-Yo dot suburban shopping centers.
“It’s crazy how fast they’re popping up. It will be interesting to see who will survive and who won’t,” says Shannon Knopke, a Brookside resident who initially became a “connoisseur of the new yogurt trend” after discovering the Pinkberry chain three years ago on a business trip to Los Angeles.
Alan Stribling credits Pinkberry for jumpstarting the latest yogurt craze. Stribling owns two Yogurtini stores in Kansas City and will open two more — in Lee’s Summit and Overland Park — next month.
Initially Pinkberry tweaked the concept by offering tart flavors from a kiosk.
“Then somebody had the bright idea of putting up a line of machines for a self-serve model, and the concept took off like a rocket,” Stribling says.
Restaurants & Institutions magazine put frozen yogurt on its “Big Menu Ideas for 2009,” and the Red Mango franchise was named by Nation’s Restaurant Newsas one of its five “Hot Concepts” for 2009.
Suhh-weet!
Yes, but if the frozen yogurt of the ’80s tasted like ice cream, fro-yo is tart and tangy, more closely resembling the Greek yogurts sold in supermarkets.
Knopke was so smitten with the tartness of these revamped flavors she packed pints in an insulated cooler and couriered them via Southwest Airlines, so her kids — Madeline, 15; Joseph, 13; and Maura, 12 — could enjoy the coolest of after-school snacks. Now she and the kids visit a yogurt shop about once a week. She even looked into buying a franchise.
Most local yogurt bars feature self-serve machines. Just pull a lever and swirl to your heart’s content. Top green tea, pomegranate or açai-flavored yogurt with a range of DIY toppings, including such unusual finds as mochi balls — a Japanese chewy rice confection vaguely reminiscent of gummy bears — or spicy Thai Sriracha sauce.
“Customers make suggestions all the time,” Stribling says. “We added flax seed and sunflower seeds at their request.”
The new Asian spin extends to the Zen lifestyle vibe conveyed by a combination of cheerful colors, mod furniture and striking minimalist décor.
“They’re so customer-friendly and trendy looking, so they’ve become a gathering place,” Knopke says.
Peachwave
15044 S. Blackbob Road, Olathe
9424 Mission Road, Prairie Village
6936 W. 135th St., Overland Park
www.peachwaveyogurt.com
On a soupy summer night, the driver of a Roberts Dairy truck carts four crates of milk into a Peachwave shop. At 8:30 p.m., it might have been a special delivery. Inside the store, a line of 30 people snakes from the door to the rear wall. Toddlers wear their yogurt. Two teenage girls hold up the line as they use taster cups to sample several flavors. A teenage boy piles his bowl high with a mountain of yogurt and a river of toppings. Across the way, the Ben & Jerry’s shop looks forlorn.
Homebase: Peachwave is based in Edmond, Okla.
Swirly details: Choose between a small or large cardboard cup. Fill it with your favorite flavors. Sprinkle with toppings. Similar to a supermarket salad bar, the yogurt is weighed on a scale at the cash register. Meanwhile, a flatscreen TV flashes a peachy, anime-like cartoon mascot.
Flavors: More than 25, including pistachio almond, green apple, tiramisu and taro, a starchy potato-like tuber. A dozen flavors are available daily.
Unique toppings: Boba bubbles, gelatinous tapioca beads that resemble fish eggs.
Cost: 33 cents per ounce
Decor: The color scheme is lime green and orange. Modular plastic white and orange chairs are scattered around tables for seating. Exposed duct work, pendant lamps and white crinkle lights give a cool vibe. Outdoor seating at the 135th Street location is provided on a terrace overlooking a parking lot.
Mochi-Yo Yogurt Bar
4535 W. 119th St., Leawood
www.mochi-yo.com
Like Hello Kitty before him, Ninja Yo (yes, I assume it’s a guy) is as cute as any swirly headed, yogurt-slurping mascot out there. Cute is a word that is often used to describe the décor of the new wave of yogurt bars.
Looking a lot like a CB2 catalog, the décor is white plastic tables decorated with white vases sprouting orange daisies. A poster advertising mochi balls gives a ring of authenticity to the tightly focused menu. Unfortunately, the mod Mochi-Yo signage on the store’s façade is hard to see at a distance. Look for the Apple Store to guide you.
Homebase: Designed to be a “knockoff” of the successful Pinkberry chain, the store opened in April 2009. For nine months Mochi-Yo was the only yogurt kid on the block; now there’s competition across the street. The single Leawood store is owned by entrepreneur Weston Bergmann, an alum of “Real World: Austin,” and partner Kirk Goza. The website announces plans to expand.
Swirly details: With only four flavors to choose from, the attendant is in charge.
Flavors: Four flavors, including original tart, green tea, plus two rotating flavors.
Unusual toppings: Three flavors of mochi balls, plus Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles and Cap’n Crunch.
Cost: Order 4-ounce small ($2.50), 8-ounce medium ($3.50) or 12-ounce large ($4.50).
Décor: The skinny layout of the shop inspired the Kansas City architecture firm Blue Bike to create a “Mochi Tunnel,” an arching blond wood canopy with a long bench for seating. Park benches and a table with orange flower-petal chairs add a bit of sidewalk seating near a fountain.
Yogurtini
8749 N.W. Prairie View Road in Zona Rosa
4853 Main St.
Two more locations open in September, one in Lee’s Summit and the other in Overland Park. Watch website for address and opening dates.
www.yogurtini.com
A martini glass logo lets you know you’re in the most elegant of the local yogurt franchises.
Another difference: Yogurtini has civilized crowd flow. Most stores work on the organized chaos theory, pushing customers toward machines installed on a back wall. Here, customers enter the store and are funneled into a neat line.
Homebase: The Yogurtini franchise started in Tempe, Ariz. Kansas City is the first expansion site. Alan Stribling, a piano player/singer who often appears at the Raphael Hotel, owns the local stores with business partner Perry Kessler.
The swirly stuff: Placards on the wall tell how many calories and fat each flavor contains per 4-ounce serving. Grab a large (32-ounce, ridiculously big unless you’re planning to share with other members of the football team) or a small (16-ounce) cardboard bowl from the suction cup on the wall. Swirl one or several flavors into the bowl and head for the mammoth topping bar. At the end of the line put bowl on the scale (the weight of the bowl is subtracted). In a clever twist of marketing, Yogurtini posts “recipes” on one wall listing ideas for yogurt and toppings that work well together.
Flavors: The menu has 100 flavors to draw from but features 16 per day. Certain flavors also rotate seasonally, including such holiday favorites as pumpkin spice, peppermint and eggnog.
Unusual topping: 76 toppings, including chunks of cheesecake and brownies, espresso beans, flax seed, sunflower seeds, Sriracha hot sauce.
Cost: 39 cents per ounce
Decor: Sea-foam green walls and sparkling blue-green tiles are a soothing respite from loud oranges and greens. Mod white plastic chairs and tables are spread throughout a large eating area.
Red Mango
5050 Oak St., near the University of Missouri-Kansas City
Location in Tiffany Springs coming soon
www.redmangousa.com
Walk into the front of Red Mango and you can’t miss the “Red Mango vs. the Other Guys” sign.
“We don’t play the name game,” says Johnny Tellez, franchise support manager, “but we want people to know where we stand.” Some brands make their yogurt “in ways not consistent with what the dairy board requires.”
Red Mango touts its Live & Active Cultures seal, issued by the National Yogurt Board.
Red Mango is eager to tap into the “healthy, active lifestyle” market, although Tellez says there is also a contingent of one-uppers who try to eat jaw-dropping amounts in friendly competition.
Homebase: Red Mango started in Westwood, Calif., where there seems to be “a yogurt shop on every other corner.” The UMKC location is owned by comedian Elliott Threatt.
The swirly stuff: The front of the shop handles the smoothie business. Machines at the back pump out frozen yogurt flavors. Customers choose a plastic cup or a plastic foam bowl. Labels next to each flavor give a calorie count per ounce. The creation is weighed at the cash register.
Flavors: There are 30 flavors on the menu; all stores (whether self-serve or behind-the-bar) offer original sweet and tangy, pomegranate with Pom juice, Madagascar vanilla and a limited-time flavor. With other machines available, additional flavors are rotated daily.
Toppings: Fresh fruit (10 to 30 calories per scoop); “Fun and crunchy” (30 to 110 per scoop).
Cost: 39cents per ounce
Décor: The red, black and gray décor is sleek, Asian modern. There are a few tables and chairs, as well as bar seating in back. Outside seating is available.
Orange Leaf
8941 W. 135th St., Overland Park
4260 W. 119th, Leawood
11524 W. 135th St., Overland Park
www.orangeleafyogurt.com
Can you really compare peaches and oranges?
Thanks to their color schemes, Peachwave and Orange Leaf have a definite deja-vu quality. I even overheard a teenage girl remind her boyfriend he was in Orange Leaf — not Peachwave. A plus for both chains: The service is exceptionally friendly, whether the store is packed or virtually empty.
Homebase: The Oklahoma-based chain is scheduled to open more stores in Leawood and Lawrence.
The swirly stuff: Fill your cup. Top it. Weigh it. Need we say more?
Flavors: 30 flavors on the menu, with 16 available daily. Confetti Cake, Red Velvet, Cheesecake and Brownie Batter offer “baked goods” without the calories and fat.
Unusual toppings: A total of 36 toppings, half chilled and half dry. “We’re only limited by our imagination,” says Nick Rogers, owner of two stores.
Cost: 35 cents per ounce
Décor: Leawood location is bright and airy orange with tile walls. Orange and white leather couches provide additional seating.
The fro-yo health lowdown
Yes, frozen yogurt may have fewer calories and less (or no) fat compared to premium ice cream.
But no matter what the come-hither website for your favorite fro-yo company promises with regards to health and nutrition, it’s best to think of it as dessert, not health food.
Remember the episode from “Seinfeld” when Elaine thought she’d discovered the holy food grail, only to gain seven pounds in a week?
“Remember, this is a company who is making a product, and they want you to come back every day,” says Shelly Summar, weight management program coordinator at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
“Frozen yogurt can definitely satisfy that sweet craving we want with fewer calories, and many of the flavors are fat-free,” agrees Mitzi Dulan, a sports nutritionist with the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. “However, you have to watch your portion size. Depending on the size (of the bowl), you can get a lot of calories. Most are also high in sugar.”
So how do you get the most out of your frozen yogurt?
•Look for live cultures: Frozen yogurt is not regulated like yogurt. Some frozen yogurts contain active cultures (lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus), and some don’t. These cultures can help keep your digestive tract healthy.
To help consumers identify a frozen yogurt with live active cultures, the National Yogurt Association ( www.aboutyogurt.com) offers a Live & Active Cultures seal. To qualify, the frozen yogurt must be made by fermenting pasteurized milk (which can include skim milk and powdered skim milk), using traditional yogurt cultures, until the proper acidity is reached. It also must contain at least 10 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture.
The association’s FAQ page indicates freezing does not kill the cultures. If the frozen yogurt has been heat treated, or cultures are added with acidifiers and skip the fermentation process altogether, the amount of live cultures remaining is not significant.
•Read the nutrition labels: Yogurt is naturally low in calories and fat but high in calcium and protein. The same is not necessarily true for frozen yogurts. Most frozen yogurts sold in a grocery store contain 15 percent to 30 percent DV (daily value) of calcium. Plain yogurt and milk typically have 7 to 8 grams of protein. One frozen yogurt we tried had only 1.6 percent DV for calcium and 1.2 grams of protein.
•Choose wisely: Some franchises offer nonfat, no sugar added, nondairy and gluten-free flavors. Skip additional calories by choosing fresh fruit over candy toppings. “Any time you’re adding fresh fruit to it, knock yourself out — unless the fruit is in syrup,” Summar says.
Shannon Knopke, an actress and Brookside mother of three teenagers, discusses topping choices with her kids before going into the yogurt shop.
“The newer places have a lot of candy toppings. We decide ahead of time if we’re going for fresh fruit, or if it’s a treat day,” she says.
•Watch your portion size: Self-serve offers control, but the levers are sure fun to push. And soon you’ve got a tsumani of a swirl, rather than a 1/2 -cup serving.
So how often do you see someone fill their cups with just 3 ounces?
“That’s rare,” says Nick Rogers, owner of two Orange Leaf stores. “The average is about 6 to 10 ounces. But even at that, it’s a 140-calorie dessert.”
At one fro-yo store, an eager child crammed 3 ounces into a 1-ounce taster cup. “As a mom, I sort of like the stores that aren’t self-serve because eyes can be bigger than the stomach for a child,” Knopke says.
Nutrition facts
•Mochi-Yo Yogurt Bar (tart) | 110 calories/4-ounce serving | 3 grams protein | 22 grams sugar | 30 milligrams sodium
•Orange Leaf (plain tart) | 70.4 calories/3-ounce serving | 0 fat | 1.2 grams protein | 13.6 grams sugar | 20 milligrams sodium
•Peachwave (plain tart) | 70.4 calories/3-ounce serving | 0 fat | 1.2 grams protein | 13.5 grams sugar | 20 milligrams sodium
•Red Mango (tart) | 90 calories/3-ounce serving | 0 fat | 3 grams protein | 15 grams sugar | 130 milligrams sodium •Yogurtini (nonfat country vanilla) | 100 calories/3-ounce serving | 0 grams fat | 3 grams protein | 14 grams sugar | 75 milligrams sodium
To reach Jill Wendholt Silva, call 816-234-4347 or send e-mail to jsilva@kcstar.com.
The answer may depend on whether you lived through skinny leggings, shoulder pads and big hair.
“It does take us back to TCBY,” says Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for the NPD Group, a consumer research company that tracks what Americans eat.
During the 1980s, TCBY and I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt were the leaders in sweet frozen treats without the premium-ice cream guilt.
“We thought it was the answer to healthy eating,” Balzer says, “but we didn’t lose a whole lot of weight with a banana split made of frozen yogurt.”
Nearly three decades later, frozen yogurt is making a healthy comeback. Fro-yo chains such as Red Mango, Peachwave, Orange Leaf and the independent Kansas City-based Mochi-Yo dot suburban shopping centers.
“It’s crazy how fast they’re popping up. It will be interesting to see who will survive and who won’t,” says Shannon Knopke, a Brookside resident who initially became a “connoisseur of the new yogurt trend” after discovering the Pinkberry chain three years ago on a business trip to Los Angeles.
Alan Stribling credits Pinkberry for jumpstarting the latest yogurt craze. Stribling owns two Yogurtini stores in Kansas City and will open two more — in Lee’s Summit and Overland Park — next month.
Initially Pinkberry tweaked the concept by offering tart flavors from a kiosk.
“Then somebody had the bright idea of putting up a line of machines for a self-serve model, and the concept took off like a rocket,” Stribling says.
Restaurants & Institutions magazine put frozen yogurt on its “Big Menu Ideas for 2009,” and the Red Mango franchise was named by Nation’s Restaurant Newsas one of its five “Hot Concepts” for 2009.
Suhh-weet!
Yes, but if the frozen yogurt of the ’80s tasted like ice cream, fro-yo is tart and tangy, more closely resembling the Greek yogurts sold in supermarkets.
Knopke was so smitten with the tartness of these revamped flavors she packed pints in an insulated cooler and couriered them via Southwest Airlines, so her kids — Madeline, 15; Joseph, 13; and Maura, 12 — could enjoy the coolest of after-school snacks. Now she and the kids visit a yogurt shop about once a week. She even looked into buying a franchise.
Most local yogurt bars feature self-serve machines. Just pull a lever and swirl to your heart’s content. Top green tea, pomegranate or açai-flavored yogurt with a range of DIY toppings, including such unusual finds as mochi balls — a Japanese chewy rice confection vaguely reminiscent of gummy bears — or spicy Thai Sriracha sauce.
“Customers make suggestions all the time,” Stribling says. “We added flax seed and sunflower seeds at their request.”
The new Asian spin extends to the Zen lifestyle vibe conveyed by a combination of cheerful colors, mod furniture and striking minimalist décor.
“They’re so customer-friendly and trendy looking, so they’ve become a gathering place,” Knopke says.
Peachwave
15044 S. Blackbob Road, Olathe
9424 Mission Road, Prairie Village
6936 W. 135th St., Overland Park
www.peachwaveyogurt.com
On a soupy summer night, the driver of a Roberts Dairy truck carts four crates of milk into a Peachwave shop. At 8:30 p.m., it might have been a special delivery. Inside the store, a line of 30 people snakes from the door to the rear wall. Toddlers wear their yogurt. Two teenage girls hold up the line as they use taster cups to sample several flavors. A teenage boy piles his bowl high with a mountain of yogurt and a river of toppings. Across the way, the Ben & Jerry’s shop looks forlorn.
Homebase: Peachwave is based in Edmond, Okla.
Swirly details: Choose between a small or large cardboard cup. Fill it with your favorite flavors. Sprinkle with toppings. Similar to a supermarket salad bar, the yogurt is weighed on a scale at the cash register. Meanwhile, a flatscreen TV flashes a peachy, anime-like cartoon mascot.
Flavors: More than 25, including pistachio almond, green apple, tiramisu and taro, a starchy potato-like tuber. A dozen flavors are available daily.
Unique toppings: Boba bubbles, gelatinous tapioca beads that resemble fish eggs.
Cost: 33 cents per ounce
Decor: The color scheme is lime green and orange. Modular plastic white and orange chairs are scattered around tables for seating. Exposed duct work, pendant lamps and white crinkle lights give a cool vibe. Outdoor seating at the 135th Street location is provided on a terrace overlooking a parking lot.
Mochi-Yo Yogurt Bar
4535 W. 119th St., Leawood
www.mochi-yo.com
Like Hello Kitty before him, Ninja Yo (yes, I assume it’s a guy) is as cute as any swirly headed, yogurt-slurping mascot out there. Cute is a word that is often used to describe the décor of the new wave of yogurt bars.
Looking a lot like a CB2 catalog, the décor is white plastic tables decorated with white vases sprouting orange daisies. A poster advertising mochi balls gives a ring of authenticity to the tightly focused menu. Unfortunately, the mod Mochi-Yo signage on the store’s façade is hard to see at a distance. Look for the Apple Store to guide you.
Homebase: Designed to be a “knockoff” of the successful Pinkberry chain, the store opened in April 2009. For nine months Mochi-Yo was the only yogurt kid on the block; now there’s competition across the street. The single Leawood store is owned by entrepreneur Weston Bergmann, an alum of “Real World: Austin,” and partner Kirk Goza. The website announces plans to expand.
Swirly details: With only four flavors to choose from, the attendant is in charge.
Flavors: Four flavors, including original tart, green tea, plus two rotating flavors.
Unusual toppings: Three flavors of mochi balls, plus Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles and Cap’n Crunch.
Cost: Order 4-ounce small ($2.50), 8-ounce medium ($3.50) or 12-ounce large ($4.50).
Décor: The skinny layout of the shop inspired the Kansas City architecture firm Blue Bike to create a “Mochi Tunnel,” an arching blond wood canopy with a long bench for seating. Park benches and a table with orange flower-petal chairs add a bit of sidewalk seating near a fountain.
Yogurtini
8749 N.W. Prairie View Road in Zona Rosa
4853 Main St.
Two more locations open in September, one in Lee’s Summit and the other in Overland Park. Watch website for address and opening dates.
www.yogurtini.com
A martini glass logo lets you know you’re in the most elegant of the local yogurt franchises.
Another difference: Yogurtini has civilized crowd flow. Most stores work on the organized chaos theory, pushing customers toward machines installed on a back wall. Here, customers enter the store and are funneled into a neat line.
Homebase: The Yogurtini franchise started in Tempe, Ariz. Kansas City is the first expansion site. Alan Stribling, a piano player/singer who often appears at the Raphael Hotel, owns the local stores with business partner Perry Kessler.
The swirly stuff: Placards on the wall tell how many calories and fat each flavor contains per 4-ounce serving. Grab a large (32-ounce, ridiculously big unless you’re planning to share with other members of the football team) or a small (16-ounce) cardboard bowl from the suction cup on the wall. Swirl one or several flavors into the bowl and head for the mammoth topping bar. At the end of the line put bowl on the scale (the weight of the bowl is subtracted). In a clever twist of marketing, Yogurtini posts “recipes” on one wall listing ideas for yogurt and toppings that work well together.
Flavors: The menu has 100 flavors to draw from but features 16 per day. Certain flavors also rotate seasonally, including such holiday favorites as pumpkin spice, peppermint and eggnog.
Unusual topping: 76 toppings, including chunks of cheesecake and brownies, espresso beans, flax seed, sunflower seeds, Sriracha hot sauce.
Cost: 39 cents per ounce
Decor: Sea-foam green walls and sparkling blue-green tiles are a soothing respite from loud oranges and greens. Mod white plastic chairs and tables are spread throughout a large eating area.
Red Mango
5050 Oak St., near the University of Missouri-Kansas City
Location in Tiffany Springs coming soon
www.redmangousa.com
Walk into the front of Red Mango and you can’t miss the “Red Mango vs. the Other Guys” sign.
“We don’t play the name game,” says Johnny Tellez, franchise support manager, “but we want people to know where we stand.” Some brands make their yogurt “in ways not consistent with what the dairy board requires.”
Red Mango touts its Live & Active Cultures seal, issued by the National Yogurt Board.
Red Mango is eager to tap into the “healthy, active lifestyle” market, although Tellez says there is also a contingent of one-uppers who try to eat jaw-dropping amounts in friendly competition.
Homebase: Red Mango started in Westwood, Calif., where there seems to be “a yogurt shop on every other corner.” The UMKC location is owned by comedian Elliott Threatt.
The swirly stuff: The front of the shop handles the smoothie business. Machines at the back pump out frozen yogurt flavors. Customers choose a plastic cup or a plastic foam bowl. Labels next to each flavor give a calorie count per ounce. The creation is weighed at the cash register.
Flavors: There are 30 flavors on the menu; all stores (whether self-serve or behind-the-bar) offer original sweet and tangy, pomegranate with Pom juice, Madagascar vanilla and a limited-time flavor. With other machines available, additional flavors are rotated daily.
Toppings: Fresh fruit (10 to 30 calories per scoop); “Fun and crunchy” (30 to 110 per scoop).
Cost: 39cents per ounce
Décor: The red, black and gray décor is sleek, Asian modern. There are a few tables and chairs, as well as bar seating in back. Outside seating is available.
Orange Leaf
8941 W. 135th St., Overland Park
4260 W. 119th, Leawood
11524 W. 135th St., Overland Park
www.orangeleafyogurt.com
Can you really compare peaches and oranges?
Thanks to their color schemes, Peachwave and Orange Leaf have a definite deja-vu quality. I even overheard a teenage girl remind her boyfriend he was in Orange Leaf — not Peachwave. A plus for both chains: The service is exceptionally friendly, whether the store is packed or virtually empty.
Homebase: The Oklahoma-based chain is scheduled to open more stores in Leawood and Lawrence.
The swirly stuff: Fill your cup. Top it. Weigh it. Need we say more?
Flavors: 30 flavors on the menu, with 16 available daily. Confetti Cake, Red Velvet, Cheesecake and Brownie Batter offer “baked goods” without the calories and fat.
Unusual toppings: A total of 36 toppings, half chilled and half dry. “We’re only limited by our imagination,” says Nick Rogers, owner of two stores.
Cost: 35 cents per ounce
Décor: Leawood location is bright and airy orange with tile walls. Orange and white leather couches provide additional seating.
The fro-yo health lowdown
Yes, frozen yogurt may have fewer calories and less (or no) fat compared to premium ice cream.
But no matter what the come-hither website for your favorite fro-yo company promises with regards to health and nutrition, it’s best to think of it as dessert, not health food.
Remember the episode from “Seinfeld” when Elaine thought she’d discovered the holy food grail, only to gain seven pounds in a week?
“Remember, this is a company who is making a product, and they want you to come back every day,” says Shelly Summar, weight management program coordinator at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
“Frozen yogurt can definitely satisfy that sweet craving we want with fewer calories, and many of the flavors are fat-free,” agrees Mitzi Dulan, a sports nutritionist with the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. “However, you have to watch your portion size. Depending on the size (of the bowl), you can get a lot of calories. Most are also high in sugar.”
So how do you get the most out of your frozen yogurt?
•Look for live cultures: Frozen yogurt is not regulated like yogurt. Some frozen yogurts contain active cultures (lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus), and some don’t. These cultures can help keep your digestive tract healthy.
To help consumers identify a frozen yogurt with live active cultures, the National Yogurt Association ( www.aboutyogurt.com) offers a Live & Active Cultures seal. To qualify, the frozen yogurt must be made by fermenting pasteurized milk (which can include skim milk and powdered skim milk), using traditional yogurt cultures, until the proper acidity is reached. It also must contain at least 10 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture.
The association’s FAQ page indicates freezing does not kill the cultures. If the frozen yogurt has been heat treated, or cultures are added with acidifiers and skip the fermentation process altogether, the amount of live cultures remaining is not significant.
•Read the nutrition labels: Yogurt is naturally low in calories and fat but high in calcium and protein. The same is not necessarily true for frozen yogurts. Most frozen yogurts sold in a grocery store contain 15 percent to 30 percent DV (daily value) of calcium. Plain yogurt and milk typically have 7 to 8 grams of protein. One frozen yogurt we tried had only 1.6 percent DV for calcium and 1.2 grams of protein.
•Choose wisely: Some franchises offer nonfat, no sugar added, nondairy and gluten-free flavors. Skip additional calories by choosing fresh fruit over candy toppings. “Any time you’re adding fresh fruit to it, knock yourself out — unless the fruit is in syrup,” Summar says.
Shannon Knopke, an actress and Brookside mother of three teenagers, discusses topping choices with her kids before going into the yogurt shop.
“The newer places have a lot of candy toppings. We decide ahead of time if we’re going for fresh fruit, or if it’s a treat day,” she says.
•Watch your portion size: Self-serve offers control, but the levers are sure fun to push. And soon you’ve got a tsumani of a swirl, rather than a 1/2 -cup serving.
So how often do you see someone fill their cups with just 3 ounces?
“That’s rare,” says Nick Rogers, owner of two Orange Leaf stores. “The average is about 6 to 10 ounces. But even at that, it’s a 140-calorie dessert.”
At one fro-yo store, an eager child crammed 3 ounces into a 1-ounce taster cup. “As a mom, I sort of like the stores that aren’t self-serve because eyes can be bigger than the stomach for a child,” Knopke says.
Nutrition facts
•Mochi-Yo Yogurt Bar (tart) | 110 calories/4-ounce serving | 3 grams protein | 22 grams sugar | 30 milligrams sodium
•Orange Leaf (plain tart) | 70.4 calories/3-ounce serving | 0 fat | 1.2 grams protein | 13.6 grams sugar | 20 milligrams sodium
•Peachwave (plain tart) | 70.4 calories/3-ounce serving | 0 fat | 1.2 grams protein | 13.5 grams sugar | 20 milligrams sodium
•Red Mango (tart) | 90 calories/3-ounce serving | 0 fat | 3 grams protein | 15 grams sugar | 130 milligrams sodium •Yogurtini (nonfat country vanilla) | 100 calories/3-ounce serving | 0 grams fat | 3 grams protein | 14 grams sugar | 75 milligrams sodium
To reach Jill Wendholt Silva, call 816-234-4347 or send e-mail to jsilva@kcstar.com.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Happy Labor Day to All
We Americans have celebrated the Labor Day holiday for more than a century. It is an occasion on which we recognize the importance of working men and women in our economy - and in maintaining a way of life that is the envy of billions throughout the world.
Labor Day has been observed during good times and those much worse than we as a nation are coping with now. Sometimes, as perhaps during the Great Depression, there may not have seemed to be much justification for a celebration.
But this year, working men and women have much to celebrate. Throughout our area, tens of thousands have helped companies large and small weather the recession. Often, it hasn't been easy - but we're getting there.
Nationally, the labor force clearly is doing its part to put the economy back on track.
The productivity of American workers, measured by comparing the number of hours worked against the economy's output in dollars, increased 3.5 percent last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was the biggest productivity gain in five years.
Of course, business productivity relies on many factors, including, for example, new technology that allows workers to produce more in less time.
But there is ample evidence productivity gains last year also involved tens of millions of Americans working harder and smarter.
Unfortunately, there is much to do before we can declare "Mission accomplished" in ending the recession. But this Labor Day, we can be guardedly optimistic - in part because of the working men and women who are enjoying a well-deserved holiday. If President Barack Obama and Congress will simply stop wasting the nation's resources and give businesses and their workers a break, the American economy will rescue itself. Working men and women are proving that, as statistics such as those on productivity indicate.
Happy Labor Day!
Labor Day has been observed during good times and those much worse than we as a nation are coping with now. Sometimes, as perhaps during the Great Depression, there may not have seemed to be much justification for a celebration.
But this year, working men and women have much to celebrate. Throughout our area, tens of thousands have helped companies large and small weather the recession. Often, it hasn't been easy - but we're getting there.
Nationally, the labor force clearly is doing its part to put the economy back on track.
The productivity of American workers, measured by comparing the number of hours worked against the economy's output in dollars, increased 3.5 percent last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was the biggest productivity gain in five years.
Of course, business productivity relies on many factors, including, for example, new technology that allows workers to produce more in less time.
But there is ample evidence productivity gains last year also involved tens of millions of Americans working harder and smarter.
Unfortunately, there is much to do before we can declare "Mission accomplished" in ending the recession. But this Labor Day, we can be guardedly optimistic - in part because of the working men and women who are enjoying a well-deserved holiday. If President Barack Obama and Congress will simply stop wasting the nation's resources and give businesses and their workers a break, the American economy will rescue itself. Working men and women are proving that, as statistics such as those on productivity indicate.
Happy Labor Day!
Sunday, September 05, 2010
White House Offered Solar Panels
Solar power at the White House could become a reality, as several solar power enthusiasts and firms have approached President Barack Obama to install panels on the building, according to a USA Today report.
President Jimmy Carter placed 32 solar panels on the White House back in 1979 but the system was later removed.
Bill McKibben and a group of environmentalists plan on giving one of those same panels to Obama later on this month during a "Put Solar On It" roadtrip to Washington.
"We're taking them back to the White House...It's time to put these back up," McKibben said on the Late Show With David Letterman.
President Jimmy Carter placed 32 solar panels on the White House back in 1979 but the system was later removed.
Bill McKibben and a group of environmentalists plan on giving one of those same panels to Obama later on this month during a "Put Solar On It" roadtrip to Washington.
"We're taking them back to the White House...It's time to put these back up," McKibben said on the Late Show With David Letterman.
New Travel Search Engine called Hipmunk.com
Is there room for another search engine for flights? If Hipmunk.com can truly save us time, then absolutely.
What’s hot: Search results are displayed in a radically different format that uses charts and colors to draw users into considering their flight options. The filtering happens visually, rather than through the more time-consuming display of say, Kayak.com, which requires users to check or uncheck preferences on flight times and number of stops.
I particularly like Hipmunk’s “Agony” sort feature, which takes into account the price, duration and number of stops. It’s easy to see which flight would be the least stressful.
I tested Hipmunk for an October round trip between Los Angeles and New York. It returned a great $279 fare on three airlines, matching results from another search site, Travelocity.com. (That fare may no longer be available.)
What’s not: Hipmunk uses only data from Orbitz.com, which means Southwest Airlines is missing from the search results.
— Jen Leo, Special to the Los Angeles Times
What’s hot: Search results are displayed in a radically different format that uses charts and colors to draw users into considering their flight options. The filtering happens visually, rather than through the more time-consuming display of say, Kayak.com, which requires users to check or uncheck preferences on flight times and number of stops.
I particularly like Hipmunk’s “Agony” sort feature, which takes into account the price, duration and number of stops. It’s easy to see which flight would be the least stressful.
I tested Hipmunk for an October round trip between Los Angeles and New York. It returned a great $279 fare on three airlines, matching results from another search site, Travelocity.com. (That fare may no longer be available.)
What’s not: Hipmunk uses only data from Orbitz.com, which means Southwest Airlines is missing from the search results.
— Jen Leo, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Friday, September 03, 2010
California Utilities Move Forward with Solar Power Project
Sep 02, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The California Public Utilities Commission today approved a San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) solar power initiative that provides for 100 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy.
Under the initiative, 26 MW of utility-owned generation would be slated for construction on existing SDG&E property, with the remaining 74 MW to be purchased from independent power producers.
The initiative could more than double the approximately 80 MW of solar power currently generated in the utility's service territory.
The program calls for SDG&E to install and procure renewable solar power using projects primarily in the one to two megawatt range and also provides for PV solar installations ranging from less than a megawatt up to 5 MW. In addition to developing its own local solar projects, SDG&E will solicit power purchase agreements for solar power at other sites in the region.
SDG&E's local solar initiative is designed to compliment the 1 MW or less solar projects currently developed under the direction of the California Solar Initiative.
A megawatt is enough power to serve approximately 650 homes.
According to today's decision, the preferred location of these new solar arrays will help meet anticipated high power demand and/or assist in minimizing congestion on SDG&E's power grid.
"Today's decision reflects the ongoing need for a flexible portfolio of solar resources and options that will help SDG&E derive one-third of its energy from renewable sources by 2020," said James P. Avery, senior vice president, power supply. "This program is beneficial because it further expands our solar power footprint within our service territory and brings that clean, renewable power closer to the areas of greatest demand."
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 840,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help our customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (SRE 53.44, +0.95, +1.81%) , a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.
Media Contact:
Art Larson
San Diego Gas & Electric
(877) 866-2066
www.sdge.com
Financial Contact:
Glen Donovan
Sempra Energy
(877) 736-7727
Email Contact
Under the initiative, 26 MW of utility-owned generation would be slated for construction on existing SDG&E property, with the remaining 74 MW to be purchased from independent power producers.
The initiative could more than double the approximately 80 MW of solar power currently generated in the utility's service territory.
The program calls for SDG&E to install and procure renewable solar power using projects primarily in the one to two megawatt range and also provides for PV solar installations ranging from less than a megawatt up to 5 MW. In addition to developing its own local solar projects, SDG&E will solicit power purchase agreements for solar power at other sites in the region.
SDG&E's local solar initiative is designed to compliment the 1 MW or less solar projects currently developed under the direction of the California Solar Initiative.
A megawatt is enough power to serve approximately 650 homes.
According to today's decision, the preferred location of these new solar arrays will help meet anticipated high power demand and/or assist in minimizing congestion on SDG&E's power grid.
"Today's decision reflects the ongoing need for a flexible portfolio of solar resources and options that will help SDG&E derive one-third of its energy from renewable sources by 2020," said James P. Avery, senior vice president, power supply. "This program is beneficial because it further expands our solar power footprint within our service territory and brings that clean, renewable power closer to the areas of greatest demand."
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 840,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help our customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (SRE 53.44, +0.95, +1.81%) , a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.
Media Contact:
Art Larson
San Diego Gas & Electric
(877) 866-2066
www.sdge.com
Financial Contact:
Glen Donovan
Sempra Energy
(877) 736-7727
Email Contact
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Midstream Service Company Wins Long Term Contract
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD 37.51, +0.02, +0.05%) today announced that its operating subsidiaries have entered into long-term agreements with EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG 89.93, -0.01, -0.01%) to provide a comprehensive package of midstream energy services that will service EOG's growing crude oil and associated liquids-rich natural gas production in the prolific Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. As part of the arrangements, Enterprise will utilize its existing assets and build additional infrastructure to provide EOG with a full range of value-added midstream services for its Eagle Ford production, including crude oil transportation, storage and exchange; natural gas transportation, treating and processing; and natural gas liquids (NGL) transportation and fractionation.
"We are very pleased to contract with EOG, a leader in the development of the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas," said Michael A. Creel, President and Chief Executive Officer. "EOG's need for crude oil, natural gas and NGL midstream services clearly illustrates the advantage of an integrated midstream network with access to attractive markets to maximize the value of its Eagle Ford Shale production."
"The South Texas Eagle Ford has the potential to be one of the largest crude oil discoveries in the United States including the Deep Water Gulf of Mexico, in the last 40 years and we believe we have captured 900 million barrels of oil equivalent, net on our 505,000 net acreage position in the play. Contracting with Enterprise, which brings a comprehensive program of midstream services, is a strategic move for EOG in marketing our production," said Mark G. Papa, EOG's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
As part of its long-term agreements, Enterprise will construct a 140-mile pipeline originating in northwestern Karnes County to transport EOG's crude oil production from the Eagle Ford Shale. The pipeline will extend to its existing crude oil system in Austin County where it will connect to the partnership's Sealy Station. The pipeline, which is anchored by a 10-year, firm transportation agreement with EOG, offers the flexibility to access the Houston refinery market or the Enterprise-operated Seaway Pipeline system that provides a direct link to Cushing, Oklahoma, a major domestic crude oil storage and trading hub. With a capacity of approximately 350,000 barrels per day (BPD), the crude oil pipeline will be large enough not only to meet EOG's requirements, but to accommodate other Eagle Ford producers, many of which are currently in discussions with Enterprise.
Enterprise plans to build central delivery points for receiving crude oil from trucks and gathering pipelines at multiple locations along the crude oil pipeline route. Completion of the crude oil pipeline project is expected in the first quarter of 2012. In the interim, Enterprise is providing crude oil transportation services via trucks until the pipeline is in service.
Enterprise will also provide firm natural gas transportation and processing, as well as NGL transportation and fractionation services to EOG, anchored by seven-year contracts. In support of this initiative, Enterprise has committed to the construction of 52 miles of additional pipeline laterals to complement its previously announced Eagle Ford rich natural gas mainline project. In addition to rich and lean natural gas transportation capabilities, Enterprise will provide EOG with natural gas processing services at the partnership's planned cryogenic gas processing facility. With an initial capacity of 600 million cubic feet per day, the new processing plant is projected to be in service in mid 2012. The NGLs recovered from EOG's natural gas volumes at the new plant will be transported through Enterprise's recently announced 127-mile, 12-inch diameter NGL pipeline to its Mont Belvieu complex where Enterprise will construct a fifth NGL fractionator. Prior to the completion of these new gas processing and NGL facilities, Enterprise will utilize existing capacity in its integrated network of South Texas infrastructure to process EOG's natural gas and to transport and fractionate the NGLs recovered from EOG's natural gas production.
Activity in the Eagle Ford Shale continues to exceed industry expectations as more than 90 rigs working in the play have drilled more than 175 wells to date. Current production from the play is estimated at approximately 300 million cubic feet per day of natural gas and 40,000 BPD of crude oil and condensate.
"Our broad footprint of assets in the Eagle Ford Shale provides us with the foundation to develop infrastructure with the size and scope to meet the needs of producers, and gives Enterprise a competitive advantage in pursuing other opportunities in this growing area," Mr. Creel said.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is the largest publicly traded energy partnership and a leading North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined products and petrochemicals. The partnership's assets include: 49,100 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines; approximately 200 million barrels of storage capacity for NGLs, refined products and crude oil; and 27 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity. Services include: natural gas transportation, gathering, processing and storage; NGL fractionation, transportation, storage, and import and export terminaling; crude oil and refined products; offshore production platform services; petrochemical transportation and storage; and a marine transportation business that operates primarily on the United States inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems and in the Gulf of Mexico. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is managed by its general partner, Enterprise Products GP LLC, which is wholly owned by Enterprise GP Holdings L.P. (EPE 48.90, +0.54, +1.12%) . For more information on Enterprise GP Holdings L.P., visit www.enterprisegp.com.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein that address activities, events or developments or transactions that Enterprise expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including anticipated benefits and other aspects of such activities, events, developments or transactions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including required approvals by regulatory agencies, the possibility that the anticipated benefits from such activities, events, developments or transactions cannot be fully realized, the possibility that costs or difficulties related thereto will be greater than expected, the impact of competition and other risk factors included in the reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Enterprise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. Except as required by law, Enterprise does not intend to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE: Enterprise Products Partners L.P.
"We are very pleased to contract with EOG, a leader in the development of the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas," said Michael A. Creel, President and Chief Executive Officer. "EOG's need for crude oil, natural gas and NGL midstream services clearly illustrates the advantage of an integrated midstream network with access to attractive markets to maximize the value of its Eagle Ford Shale production."
"The South Texas Eagle Ford has the potential to be one of the largest crude oil discoveries in the United States including the Deep Water Gulf of Mexico, in the last 40 years and we believe we have captured 900 million barrels of oil equivalent, net on our 505,000 net acreage position in the play. Contracting with Enterprise, which brings a comprehensive program of midstream services, is a strategic move for EOG in marketing our production," said Mark G. Papa, EOG's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
As part of its long-term agreements, Enterprise will construct a 140-mile pipeline originating in northwestern Karnes County to transport EOG's crude oil production from the Eagle Ford Shale. The pipeline will extend to its existing crude oil system in Austin County where it will connect to the partnership's Sealy Station. The pipeline, which is anchored by a 10-year, firm transportation agreement with EOG, offers the flexibility to access the Houston refinery market or the Enterprise-operated Seaway Pipeline system that provides a direct link to Cushing, Oklahoma, a major domestic crude oil storage and trading hub. With a capacity of approximately 350,000 barrels per day (BPD), the crude oil pipeline will be large enough not only to meet EOG's requirements, but to accommodate other Eagle Ford producers, many of which are currently in discussions with Enterprise.
Enterprise plans to build central delivery points for receiving crude oil from trucks and gathering pipelines at multiple locations along the crude oil pipeline route. Completion of the crude oil pipeline project is expected in the first quarter of 2012. In the interim, Enterprise is providing crude oil transportation services via trucks until the pipeline is in service.
Enterprise will also provide firm natural gas transportation and processing, as well as NGL transportation and fractionation services to EOG, anchored by seven-year contracts. In support of this initiative, Enterprise has committed to the construction of 52 miles of additional pipeline laterals to complement its previously announced Eagle Ford rich natural gas mainline project. In addition to rich and lean natural gas transportation capabilities, Enterprise will provide EOG with natural gas processing services at the partnership's planned cryogenic gas processing facility. With an initial capacity of 600 million cubic feet per day, the new processing plant is projected to be in service in mid 2012. The NGLs recovered from EOG's natural gas volumes at the new plant will be transported through Enterprise's recently announced 127-mile, 12-inch diameter NGL pipeline to its Mont Belvieu complex where Enterprise will construct a fifth NGL fractionator. Prior to the completion of these new gas processing and NGL facilities, Enterprise will utilize existing capacity in its integrated network of South Texas infrastructure to process EOG's natural gas and to transport and fractionate the NGLs recovered from EOG's natural gas production.
Activity in the Eagle Ford Shale continues to exceed industry expectations as more than 90 rigs working in the play have drilled more than 175 wells to date. Current production from the play is estimated at approximately 300 million cubic feet per day of natural gas and 40,000 BPD of crude oil and condensate.
"Our broad footprint of assets in the Eagle Ford Shale provides us with the foundation to develop infrastructure with the size and scope to meet the needs of producers, and gives Enterprise a competitive advantage in pursuing other opportunities in this growing area," Mr. Creel said.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is the largest publicly traded energy partnership and a leading North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined products and petrochemicals. The partnership's assets include: 49,100 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines; approximately 200 million barrels of storage capacity for NGLs, refined products and crude oil; and 27 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity. Services include: natural gas transportation, gathering, processing and storage; NGL fractionation, transportation, storage, and import and export terminaling; crude oil and refined products; offshore production platform services; petrochemical transportation and storage; and a marine transportation business that operates primarily on the United States inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems and in the Gulf of Mexico. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is managed by its general partner, Enterprise Products GP LLC, which is wholly owned by Enterprise GP Holdings L.P. (EPE 48.90, +0.54, +1.12%) . For more information on Enterprise GP Holdings L.P., visit www.enterprisegp.com.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein that address activities, events or developments or transactions that Enterprise expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including anticipated benefits and other aspects of such activities, events, developments or transactions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including required approvals by regulatory agencies, the possibility that the anticipated benefits from such activities, events, developments or transactions cannot be fully realized, the possibility that costs or difficulties related thereto will be greater than expected, the impact of competition and other risk factors included in the reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Enterprise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. Except as required by law, Enterprise does not intend to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE: Enterprise Products Partners L.P.
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