Secure Path Technology Inc. (SPHT), a data services company for the media and entertainment industry, today announced a multi-year ISAN code registration agreement with NBC Universal (NBCU).

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WORCESTER, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (OTCBB: ACTC – News ), a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it will present at the LD Micro Conference on Thursday December 3, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. (PST) at the Luxe Hotel in Los Angeles. ACT’s Chairman and CEO, William M. Caldwell IV, will present a corporate overview and provide an update on clinical activities. The Company recently filed an IND application with the FDA to initiate a Phase I/II multicenter study using embryonic stem cell derived retinal cells to treat patients with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD),. The Conference brings together 75 presenting companies with over 100 institutions focused on investing in small and micro cap companies across a breadth of industries. About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. is a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit http://www.advancedcell.com . Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the company’s periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended September 30, 2007. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Follow this link: Advanced Cell Technology to Present at LD Micro Conference in Los Angeles (Business Wire)

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DALLAS, Nov. 24, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BeaconEquity.com announces an investment report featuring Origin Agritech Ltd. (Nasdaq: SEED – News ). The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and pertinent industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision. The investment report on Origin Agritech Ltd. (Nasdaq: SEED – News ) should be of particular interest to other crop seed and agricultural companies: Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON – News ), Syngenta AG (NYSE: SYT – News ) and Bunge Ltd. (NYSE: BG – News ). It is available at: http://www.beaconequity.com/i/SEED Get our alerts BEFORE the rest of the market. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BeaconEquity Origin Agritech Limited (SEED) is a technology-focused crop seed company serving mainland China. The Company’s activities include specialization in the research and development, production, and sales and marketing of crop seeds (corn, rice, cotton and canola) throughout the People’s Republic of China. SEED, together with State Harvest Holdings Limited, conducts operations in China primarily through its People’s Republic of China (PRC) Operating Companies. In the report, the analyst notes: “The corn hybrids, which SEED produces and distributes include self-developed Aoyu, Deyu series, and some other licensed hybrids, can be classified into two categories, conventional and specialty corn. To date, 68 corn products have entered into state or provincial trial, among which 45 products obtained government approval including 12 with state approval. The Company’s Linao 1 and Yuyu 22 were awarded ‘Houji Golden Prize’ and ‘Second Prize for State Advance Science & Technology’ respectively. “The Company’s corn hybrids cover the spring planting region in northeast, central and southwest, and the summer planting region in Yellow river and Huai river and central area of China. SEED’s sales area covers all corn producing areas from northeast to southwest. Sales volume is among Top 3 in the mainland market.” To read the entire report visit: http://www.beaconequity.com/i/SEED See what investors are saying about these stocks at: http://www.stockhideout.com/ BeaconEquity.com is one of the industry’s largest small-cap report providers. Beacon strives to provide a balanced view of many promising small-cap companies that would otherwise fall under the radar of the typical Wall Street investor. We provide investors with an excellent first step in their research and due diligence by providing daily trading ideas, and consolidating the public information available on them. For more information on Beacon Research, please visit http://www.BeaconEquity.com Beacon Equity Disclosure DO NOT BASE ANY INVESTMENT DECISION UPON ANY MATERIALS FOUND ON THIS REPORT. We are not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser either with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or with any state securities regulatory authority. We are neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. Beacon Equity Research nor its affiliates have a beneficial interest in the mentioned company; nor have they received compensation of any kind for any of the companies listed in this communication. The information contained in our report is not an offer to buy or sell securities. We distribute opinions, comments and information free of charge exclusively to individuals who wish to receive them. Link: Beacon Equity Issues Technical Trading Overview for Origin Agritech Ltd. (GlobeNewswire)

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By Ryan Vlastelica NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Tuesday, ahead of data on third-quarter GDP and consumer confidence and following a strong advance in Monday’s session. The preliminary estimate on gross domestic product growth, November consumer sentiment data as well as the September Case/Shiller housing price index could provide insight into how firmly a recovery has taken hold. “The data is going to be the market driver today, and after the rally we had yesterday, investors are waiting to see what the data comes in at before they jump in one way or the other,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners in New York. “The market’s momentum is still to the upside, so if the data is better than expected, we could see another strong rally.” Hewlett-Packard Co reported a quarterly profit that matched its preliminary results late Monday, and said that while the economy remained challenging, it saw signs of a recovery. H.J. Heinz Co posted a drop in second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, but lifted its full-year profit view. Analog Devices Inc and Brocade Communications Systems Inc both reported quarterly results that beat expectations late Monday. Analog Devices also forecast higher profit margins. Investors have been closely watching the technology sector, which is generally considered one of the first to recover from recession. S&P 500 futures rose 2.3 points and were modestly above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures were up 2 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.25 points. In overseas markets, Hong Kong and China stocks fell, with the Shanghai composite index off 3.5 percent, dragged down by banks. European stocks were little changed, though financials were pressured. Kenneth Feinberg, the Obama administration’s pay czar, is being pressed by federal officials to relax executive compensation restrictions at American International Group Inc for 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. U.S. stocks snapped a three-day losing streak on Monday, as stronger-than-expected home sales data fueled optimism while a weaker dollar boosted commodity-linked stocks. Read the original post: Futures flat ahead of data, after HP results

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WASHINGTON (AFP) – Google is acquiring Web display advertising startup Teracent, the Internet giant announced on Monday. The financial terms of Google’s purchase of the San Mateo, California-based Teracent were not disclosed. Google said the transaction is expected to close this quarter. “We’ve been busy releasing new features and products to help improve display advertising on the Web for everyone,” Neal Mohan, Google’s vice president for product management, and engineering director Joerg Heilig said in a blog post. “We believe that Teracent’s technology fits neatly into these efforts.” Google said Teracent can pick and choose from thousands of creative elements of a display ad in real-time and tweak images, products, messages or colors for factors like geographic location, language or the time of day. “This technology can help advertisers get better results from their display ad campaigns,” Mohan and Heilig said. “In turn, this enables publishers to make more money from their ad space and delivers Web users better ads and more ad-funded Web content,” they said. Google, based in Mountain View, California, has been on a buying spree lately and announced earlier this month that it was buying smartphone ad specialty firm AdMob in a 750-million-dollar stock deal. Google hopes AdMob will help it more effectively extend its lucrative Internet advertising domain into the booming world of mobile devices. See the rest here: Google buying display ad startup Teracent

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China Mobile (NYSE: CHL – News ) will be the first mobile operator to sell the much-talked-about Dell (NasdaqGS: DELL – News ) smartphone. The Mini 3i, as its is called, is a slim, touch screen smartphone to be supported by China Mobile’s new OPhone and Mobile Market platforms. {”s” : “aapl,chl,dell,nok,rimm”,”k” : “c10,l10,p20,t10″,”o” : “”,”j” : “”} The 3.5-inch widescreen is intended to create a big-screen experience, adding to the clarity of images and videos. The Mini 3i is compatible with lot of applications like e-mail platforms and office productivity software. This new smartphone was produced through a year-long collaboration with China Mobile and also Dell is making substantial investment in smartphones. Dell’s entry into the smartphone segment looks like a logical progression, as the company is already manufacturing and rolling out reasonably priced netbooks in the market. However, Dell is a late entrant into the market, unlike its peer Apple Inc. (NasdaqGS: AAPL – News ), which has already grabbed a large share of smartphones such as iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. As per the technology research firm Canalys, third quarter 2009 worldwide smartphone shipments grew 4% year on year, to 41.4 million units. Nokia (NYSE: NOK – News ) maintained its worldwide smartphone leadership position with a 40% share of the market, up from its year-ago position, but down 5% from the previous quarter. Research In Motion (NasdaqGS: RIMM – News ) was in second place, with a market share of 21%, almost flat sequentially. Apple’s market share was 18% in the third quarter, up from the 14% share in the second quarter, with significant improvement in the iPhone 3GS supply across many countries. HTC retained the fourth position with a 5% share. Dell’s third quarter results were not very encouraging, with revenue, gross margin and EPS declining on a year-over-year basis. Dell suffered from the PC market slowdown. Although there are signs of recovery in this market, the smartphone market is expected to witness much stronger growth rates. Therefore, Dell’s decision to enter this market at this point is a big positive. Although initial revenue may not be substantial, the company would benefit from the growth trends, if its smartphone is well accepted. We believe that there is no reason why Dell phone should not gain popularity, considering Dell’s history of innovation — although the success rate could vary as competition is intense. We believe that even if Dell is able to capture a small share of the smartphone market, the additional growth opportunity would be substantial. China Mobile was a natural choice for Dell to launch its smartphone in the country. China Mobile has a registered capital of RMB 51.8 billion and assets of over RMB 700 billion. The company is aggressively developing the mobile communications industry in China and the company Listed among the Top Fortune 500 companies. CHINA MOBILE HONG KONG LIMIT (CHL): Read the Full Research Report DELL CP (DELL): Read the Full Research Report APPLE INC (AAPL): Read the Full Research Report RESEARCH IN MOTION LTD (RIMM): Read the Full Research Report Zacks Investment Research     Read more from the original source: China Mobile to Market Dell Phone (Zacks.com)

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NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) — Which insiders are selling and buying chunks of stocks? Below are lists of the top 10 open-market insider purchases and sales filed at the Securities and Exchange Commission Friday as ranked by dollar value. Company executives and directors are in the best position to assess the attractiveness of their firms’ shares, and here is how many of them are voting their wallets! Please note, however, that these are factual lists, not buy and sell recommendations. Dollar value is only one metric to assess the importance of an insider transaction. Key to Titles: A=Assistant, AI=Affiliated Investor, AO=Accounting Officer, BD=Business Development, BO=Beneficial Owner, CAO=Chief Accounting Officer, CB=Chairman, CCO=Chief Compliance Officer, CEO=Chief Executive Officer, CFO=Chief Financial Officer, CIO=Chief Information Officer, CO=Compliance Officer, COO=Chief Operating Officer, CT=Controller, CTO=Chief Technology Officer, DIR=Director, F=Founder, FO=Financial Officer, GC=General Counsel, HR=Human Resources, IO=Information Officer, IR=Investor Relations, LO=Legal Officer, MD=Managing Director, O=Officer, OO=Operating Officer, PR=President, PT=Partner, REL=Relative of an insider, SEC=Secretary, SH=Shareholder, SO=Sales Officer, TO=Technology Officer, TR=Treasurer, TT=Trustee, VCB=Vice Chairman, VP=Vice President, X=Ex Officer or other title displayed. Follow this link: Prospect Capital CEO Buys $936K Worth (TheStreet.com)

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PASADENA, Calif., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ — Research projects in the areas of Mathematics and Materials Science scored the highest marks this evening, as Lynnelle Ye of Palo Alto, California and the team of Ryan Lindeborg of Laguna Niguel, California and Andrew James Swoboda of Oakton, Virginia received the top honors at the Region One Finals of the 2009 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation’s premier high school science competition. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO ) Tonight’s winners will receive thousands of dollars in college scholarships and be invited to compete at the National Finals in New York City on December 3-7, where the winners of six regional competitions across the United States will vie for scholarships ranging from $10,000 to the top prize of $100,000. The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board. “These students have just earned their place among the nation’s greatest high school scientists,” said James Whaley, President of the Siemens Foundation, based in Iselin, New Jersey. “Each year, the students’ work becomes more impressive, and in a record-setting year such as this one, their achievements become even more outstanding. We are proud to welcome them into our family of Siemens Scholars and look forward to their participation at the national finals in New York City.” The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of distinguished judges from the California Institute of Technology, host of the Siemens Competition Region One Finals. Individual Winner Lynnelle Ye, a senior at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, California won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for her Mathematics project in the field of game theory. Game theory is applied in fields ranging from economics to engineering to study systems where individuals compete in a shared environment. The project, titled Chomp on Graphs and Subsets , studied games in which two players take turns to eliminate nodes or edges of a graph. The player to remove the graph’s last node wins the game. The aim of the research was to understand the best possible strategy for playing this game and to determine which player will win from each starting graph when each plays her best possible strategy. “Ms. Ye demonstrated a good understanding of prior research. She was able to build on tools developed by earlier researchers to solve a number of interesting open cases,” said Dr. Michelle Effros, Professor of Electrical Engineering, at the California Institute of Technology. “Even seemingly simple games like graph chomp can be strikingly difficult to analyze mathematically. Studying this type of question helps us to build tools for reasoning about strategic behavior in more complicated environments.” Ms. Ye is the 2008 China Girls Math Olympiad gold medal winner, garnering the highest score on the USA team that year. She is also a three-time Math Olympiad Summer Program (MOSP) qualifier and two-time attendee. She has qualified for the USA Math Olympiad three times, and been named to her school’s Science Olympiad team since 2007. Ms. Ye has additionally qualified for the Research Science Institute. She has been President of her school’s Math Club since 2007, and has served as Coach for the Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School MathCounts since 2006. Ms. Ye’s dream job is to become a Professor of Mathematics when she completes her studies, as it is one of her top passions. She notes that her interest in the field was piqued when she somewhat accidentally qualified for her middle school’s MathCounts team in sixth grade. Ms. Ye worked on this project with her mentor Mr. Tirasan Khandhawit, a Graduate Student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Team Winners Ryan Lindeborg, a sophomore at Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, California, and Andrew James Swoboda, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, won the team category and will share a $6,000 scholarship. The team’s Materials Science project, titled Optimization of Platinum Nanoparticle Deposition on Nafion Membranes , looked at a novel method to maximize efficient platinum catalyst loading and enhance the performance of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Among other findings, the research showcased a method to decrease the use of platinum – a very expensive metal – within the PEM fuel cell by 50%, thereby making the technology more economical as well as more scientifically approachable. “The team research was impressive because it created a pathway to a better and more efficient operation of this particular fuel cell, which is a good problem to be thinking about given the changing energy landscape,” said Dr. Julia R. Greer, Assistant Professor of Materials Science at the California Institute of Technology. “In addition to having a very clean, clearly described and well analyzed research, the teamwork here was impressive, which demonstrated a very important trait the students share with true scientific research teams to the judges.” Mr. Lindeborg is active in the International Project Outreach Community Service Program. He has competed and won the Regional, State and National Improv Team Competition: Destination Imagination activities. He serves as the CIA Director for the Junior State of America State Cabinet, and is also the President of his school’s Amnesty International chapter. He is an active member of Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Miracle Network, Junior State of America, Family Assistance Ministries, Second Harvest Food Bank, Special Camp for Special Kids, Students Run the Los Angeles Marathon and the Friendship Shelter. Mr. Lindeborg is also Scholar Athlete with the highest GPA in his class, and also plays the saxophone. His dream job would be to work as an Orthopedic Surgeon, where he can combine sports and medicine. Mr. Swoboda is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and was a representative for FroshComm (Student Government for entering freshmen). He was also his high school’s alternate for the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership team. Mr. Swoboda is a member of his school’s Varsity Soccer Team, the Team America Rocketry Challenge group, and is an active Club Soccer player and team Captain. His dream job is to be a Lead Design Engineer at Apple, as he has always had a keen interest in figuring out how things work and how to make them work better. He has published “ What Seniors Write at America’s Best High School, ” a non-profit book of college application essays written by seniors at his high school, and is currently working on the third edition. The team’s mentor for this project was Mr. Jonathan Burk, a Graduate Student in The University of California in Santa Barbara, California. Regional Finalists Regional Finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. Regional Finalists in the individual category were: Alex Han, The Harker School, San Jose, CA David Liu, Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA Tito Thomas, Troy High School, Fullerton, CA William Zhang, La Jolla High School, La Jolla, CA Regional Finalists in the team category were: Cassandra Buru and Jian Liu, Northview High School, Johns Creek, GA William Han and Frank Zhao, Westview High School, Portland, OR Samantha Piszkiewicz and Nicolai Doreng-Stearns, Laguna Beach High School, Laguna Beach, CA Katherine Wang and Sreetha Sidharthan, Interlake High School, Bellevue, WA The Siemens Competition The Siemens Competition was launched in 1998 to recognize America’s best and brightest math and science students. In another record-setting year, 2,151 students registered to enter the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology in 2009 – more than ever before – for a total of 1,348 project submissions – a 14% increase in project submissions over 2008 figures and more than a 12% increase in the number of registrations. Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists at six leading research universities which host the regional competitions: California Institute of Technology? Carnegie Mellon University? Georgia Institute of Technology? Massachusetts Institute of Technology? University of Notre Dame? and The University of Texas at Austin. Winners of the regional events are invited to compete at the National Finals at New York University in New York City, December 3 – December 7, 2009. Visit www.siemens-foundation.org on December 7, 2009 at 9:30 am EST to view a live webcast of the National Finalist Award Presentation. You can also log into and follow the Siemens Foundation on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/SFoundation ) for the latest information and announcements throughout this year’s competition. About the Siemens Foundation The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math in the United States. Its signature programs, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, reward exceptional achievement in science, math and technology. The newest program, The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, encourages K-12 students to develop innovative green solutions for environmental issues. By supporting outstanding students today, and recognizing the teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, the Foundation helps nurture tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. The Foundation’s mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens’ U.S. companies and its parent company, Siemens AG. For further information, visit www.siemens-foundation.org . The College Board The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of more than 5,700 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT(®), the PSAT/NMSQT(®) and the Advanced Placement Program(® )(AP(®)). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns. For further information, visit www.collegeboard.com . Read more from the original source: Mathematics and Materials Science Research Take Top Prize at Nation’s Premier High School Science Competition (PR Newswire)

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Mathematics and Materials Science Research Take Top Prize at Nation’s Premier High School Science Competition (PR Newswire)

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ — Research projects in the areas of biophysics and chemistry scored top marks this evening, as Ruoyi Jiang of East Setauket, New York and the team of Xiao (Cathy) Zhou of Flushing, New York; Israt Ahmed of Woodhaven, New York; and Stephanie Chen of Bayside, New York received the highest honors at the Region Four Finals of the 2009 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation’s premier high school science competition. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO ) Tonight’s winners will receive thousands of dollars in college scholarships and be invited to compete at the National Finals in New York City on December 3-7, where the winners of six regional competitions across the United States will vie for scholarships ranging from $10,000 to the top prize of $100,000. The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board. “These students have just earned their place among the nation’s greatest high school scientists,” said James Whaley, President of the Siemens Foundation, based in Iselin, New Jersey. “Each year, the students’ work becomes more impressive, and in a record-setting year such as this one, their achievements become even more outstanding. We are proud to welcome them into our family of Siemens Scholars and look forward to their participation at the national finals in New York City.” The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges from Carnegie Mellon University, host of the Siemens Competition Region Four Finals. Individual Winner Ruoyi Jiang, a senior at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, New York won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for his biophysics project that investigated the molecular basis of a prominent mechanism of chemotherapy drug resistance. The project, titled Targeting Loop Dynamics in Beta I/Beta III Isotype Tubulin: The Application of In Silico Techniques in Combating Chemotherapy Drug Resistance , uses state of the art computational techniques to develop a molecular understanding of how Taxol functions to kill tumor cells. “Mr. Jiang’s results allowed him to predict the long range effects of drug binding on the structure of that protein,” said Dr. Gordon Rule, Professor in the Department of Biological Science at Carnegie Mellon University. “The technique was validated using Taxol, showing that his computational results are consistent with experimental data. These results suggest that this method may have an important contribution in the development of a new class of pharmaceuticals.” Mr. Jiang has placed at a variety of science competitions including the National Science Bowl. Mr. Jiang received an Honorable Mention in the Toshiba ExploraVision Competition as well as recognition for his involvement in the Science Olympiad. He is editor of his school newspaper, Kaleidoscope, and a member of the Science Bowl Team. His favorite subject is AP Physics. Mr. Jiang hopes to become a research lab director upon completion of his studies. In addition to his academic accomplishments, he spends his free time doing volunteer work at Stony Brook University Hospital. He enjoys playing the violin and tennis and loves to draw. He also speaks fluent Mandarin. Mr. Jiang worked on this project with his mentor, Dr. Carlos Simmerling, Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York as well as Dr. George J. Baldo, Director of InSTAR in East Setauket, New York. Team Winners Juniors Cathy Zhou and Israt Ahmed of Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows, New York along with their teammate Stephanie Chen of Stuyvesant High School in New York City won the team category and will share a $6,000 scholarship. The team’s archeological project titled ESR Dating “Early Men” and Their Tools at Pradayrol, France and Ainikab I, Russia: “So Easy a Caveman Can Do It!” may provide new insights into hominid migration out of Africa. The team’s dating results allow us to understand how hominids migrated through Europe and adapted to rapid climate change and the species with which they interacted. “The team dated one site in Russia in the Caucasus Mountains that documented some of the earliest hominid migration out of Africa into Europe and Asia. In another site in France, they documented evidence of Neanderthals at a date earlier than previously known,” said Dr. Ruth Fauman-Fichman, Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of History at Carnegie Mellon University and Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh. “The students spent many arduous hours preparing samples in the laboratory for their dating technique. This required them to integrate information from many areas. Archeology requires both enthusiasm for the subject and the ability to spend long hours in the laboratory and this team did both,” she said. Ms. Zhou’s favorite subjects are biology, physics, math, world history and English. She’s currently taking AP Chemistry. Since 2007, she has been in the Junior ROTC as an Academic Team Member and Regional Competition Participant, scoring third place in the Academic Bowl, as well as serving on the Fencing Team. She is a member of the Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Science Research Institute and former Treasurer of her school’s Media Production Club. Ms. Zhou would like to invent innovative technology that would improve environmental quality or space explorations. Thus, she plans to study environmental engineering or astronomy, upon entrance to college. In 2008, Ms. Zhou volunteered at Councilman John Liu’s office in Flushing. She has been playing the flute for four years, and in her free time, she enjoys rollerblading and ice skating. She also rejoices in ballroom dancing, as well as exploring the Great Outdoors and water rafting. Ms. Zhou speaks fluent Mandarin and is also studying Spanish. Mr. Ahmed lists English, physics, world history, government and biology as his favorite subjects in school. His interest in government and history is evidenced by his participation in AP Government and his leadership role as President of his school’s Global Warming Awareness Club. Like Ms. Zhou, he is a member of the RFK Science Research Institute. He hopes to one day become both a geneticist and a neurologist, in order to use the potential of stem cells to help cure diseases. Mr. Ahmed enjoys dancing in his free time, specifically, Pop and Locking and the basics of break dancing. In his free time he plays tennis and is involved with video editing and production. He was born in Bangladesh and speaks Bengali, Japanese, Spanish, Hindi and Latin. Ms. Chen’s favorite classes include AP Biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and English. She is also a member of the RFK Science Research Institute, and a member of Stuyvesant High School’s Biology Olympiad, Problem Solvers and Young Arts Society. She is active in her school’s German Club as well as the Japanese Culture Club. She plans to become a heart surgeon upon completion of her studies. Beyond her academic pursuits, Ms. Chen is very passionate about art, fashion design, modeling, and charity. Specifically, she is a member of iDesign and Charity a La Mode, both fashion design clubs. She is a member of Cosplay Club, Neo Gokuraku (an anime club) and Stuy Build, a community service club. In her spare time, Ms. Chen draws anime and designs clothing, and also plays piano and alto saxophone. She speaks Spanish and Mandarin, and is currently teaching herself German and Japanese. The team’s mentor for this project was Dr. Bonnie Blackwell, Research Scientist at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Dr. Blackwell also directs the Robert F. Kennedy Science Research Institute. Regional Finalists Regional Finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. Regional Finalists in the individual category were: Cynthia Chen, The Brearley School, New York, NY Joshua Pfeffer, North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, Great Neck, NY Jason Shieh, The Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY Kevin Zhao, Ward Melville High School, East Setauket, NY Regional Finalists in the team category were: Shaunak Bakshi and Peter Massey, Manhasset High School, Manhasset, NY Erica Chung, Bergen County Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology, Hackensack, NJ; and David Park, Herricks High School, New Hyde Park, NY Jiayi Lin and Ellis Darby, New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math High School, New York, NY Anirudh Nandan, Los Alamitos High School, Los Alamitos, CA; Salonee Shah, W. Tresper Clarke High School, Westbury, NY; and Michelle Leonetti, Long Beach High School, Lido Beach, NY The Siemens Competition The Siemens Competition was launched in 1998 to recognize America’s best and brightest math and science students. In another record-setting year, 2,151 students registered to enter the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology in 2009 – more than ever before – for a total of 1,348 project submissions – a 14% increase in project submissions over 2008 figures and more than a 12% increase in the number of registrations. Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists at six leading research universities which host the regional competitions: California Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Notre Dame; and The University of Texas at Austin. Winners of the regional events are invited to compete at the National Finals at New York University in New York City, December 3 – December 7, 2009. Visit www.siemens-foundation.org on December 7, 2009 at 9:30 am EST to view a live webcast of the National Finalist Award Presentation. You can also log into and follow the Siemens Foundation on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/SFoundation ) for the latest information and announcements throughout this year’s competition. About the Siemens Foundation The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math in the United States. Its signature programs, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, reward exceptional achievement in science, math and technology. The newest program, The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, encourages K-12 students to develop innovative green solutions for environmental issues. By supporting outstanding students today, and recognizing the teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, the Foundation helps nurture tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. The Foundation’s mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens’ U.S. companies and its parent company, Siemens AG. For further information, visit www.siemens-foundation.org . The College Board The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of more than 5,700 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT® and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns. For further information, visit www.collegeboard.com . Continue reading here: Biophysics and Chemistry Research Honored at Nation’s Premier High School Science Competition (PR Newswire)

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Biophysics and Chemistry Research Honored at Nation’s Premier High School Science Competition (PR Newswire)

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vivendi CEO Jean-Marie Messier told a jury Friday he made mistakes in his troubled bid to turn the French water company into a global media giant, but he never misled shareholders about the risks. AP – Jean- Marie Messier, former Chairman and CEO of French conglomerate Vivendi exits Manhattan federal court with Crystal Delaval … {”s” : “cmcsa,viv”,”k” : “c10,l10,p20,t10″,”o” : “”,”j” : “”} Messier said he strove in good faith to build the company, but he didn’t foresee technological limitations and worldwide financial problems that contributed to its near-bankruptcy in 2002. “Some of my management decisions turned wrong, but fraud? No. Never. Never. Never,” he said, testifying in a federal lawsuit filed for thousands of investors who say Vivendi hid its worsening finances. Vivendi was mainly a water company when Messier became its chief executive in 1996. An investment banker who had specialized in media and communications interests, he embarked on a buyout binge that included the Universal film studios and music label in the United States, European pay-TV station Canal Plus, a French publishing arm and a major French cell-phone operator. Messier became a star of the French business world. But the acquisition spree saddled the company with billions of dollars in debt, and its shares lost more than 80 percent of their value between 2000 and 2002, when Messier was forced out. Vivendi nearly went bankrupt before selling many of its businesses to survive. The investors say executives knew the company was in trouble but kept shareholders in the dark. Their lawyers have contrasted internal documents warning about the company’s problems with public assurances that it was in good shape. The company’s lawyers have said it always had enough cash and credit to pay its bills and always followed accounting rules. Messier told the court he envisioned Vivendi blending entertainment with such communications technology as cell phones. But the ideas proved to be ahead of the technology of the time, and the company was jolted by such events as the financial shock following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, he said. “Yes, there were risks. There’s always risk when you try to implement a strategy,” he said, testifying in English rather than his native French. “But these risks, they were disclosed.” Claims that he duped investors, pushed the company to the brink of ruin and engineered losses for shareholders are hurtful and “outrageous,” he said. “I did my best, my very best. And sitting here today, I’m just sad it did not prove to be enough,” he said. Messier, 52, is expected to continue testifying for several days. He now runs a financial consulting business. Separately, Messier and other former top executives were ordered last month to stand trial in France on charges of misleading investors. Meanwhile, Vivendi SA is currently weighing whether to sell its 20-percent stake in NBC Universal in a deal that would help clear the way for Comcast Corp., the biggest U.S. cable TV operator, to create one of the world’s most powerful media companies. Follow this link: Ex-Vivendi CEO: I made mistakes but never misled (AP)

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By Clare Baldwin and Phil Wahba NEW YORK (Reuters) – Investors bet on growth in the IPOs of a Chinese hotel chain and an online education company on Friday, but were less enthusiastic about a spin-off of mining giant Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto’s U.S. coal-mining spin-off, Cloud Peak Energy Inc (NYSE: CLD – News ) edged down in its debut on the New York Stock Exchange after its initial public offering fell short of expectations on concerns the money raised was going to the Anglo-Australian parent company rather than for its own growth. By contrast, the shares of both Chinese economy hotel chain 7 Days Group Holdings Ltd ( SVN – News ) and online education company Archipelago Learning (Nasdaq: ARCL – News ) rose as much as 15 percent. The shares in Global Defense Technology & Systems Inc (OTC BB: GTEC.OB – News ), which drew 74 percent of its 2008 revenue from contracts with the U.S. government, were nearly flat on Nasdaq. Analysts said the company could suffer if the government cuts defense budgets. Cloud Peak stock closed down 1.1 percent on Friday, but investors lapped up the shares of 7 Days and Archipelago Learning, with 7 Days closing up 13.6 percent and Archipelago Learning ending the day 13.8 percent higher. Historically, IPOs have risen about 10 percent to 12 percent in their debuts, according to Thomson Reuters data. “IPO investors are used to having growth,” said Matt Therian, an analyst with Connecticut-based investment firm Renaissance Capital. “Cloud Peak is really tied up in coal prices. It’s kind of a murkier growth outlook for this company.” Gillette, Wyoming-based Cloud Peak raised about $459 million in its IPO on Thursday, but it priced at $15, below its expected range of $16 to $18. Cloud Peak shares opened at $14.50 on the NYSE, more than 3 percent below the IPO price and fell as much as 6.7 percent before recovering to close down 1.1 percent on Friday. “The Cloud Peak deal was really a divestiture by Rio Tinto. The cash streams in coal are predictable … It’s not a real sexy industry and it depends very much on energy prices,” said Morningnotes.com founder Ben Holmes. Analysts said 7 Days and Archipelago benefited from strong growth potential. On 7 Days, Therian said: “They’ve gone from five hotels in 2005 to almost 300 now.” Therian said private equity-backed on-line education company Archipelago Learning has a significant backlog of business. Archipelago raised about $103.1 million in its IPO. Earlier this week, fast-growing network security provider Fortinet Inc (NasdaqGM: FTNT – News ), whose sales rose 18.8 percent in the first part of the year, had one of the best debuts of the year, with a 33 percent rise. Cloud Peak is the third-largest U.S. producer of coal and owns surface mines in Wyoming and Montana. Almost all the proceeds from its IPO will go to Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO.L – News ; ASX: RIO.AX – News ), which will retain a 48.3 percent stake, leading to investor push-back, analysts said. Cloud Peak was the seventh spin-off this year in a total of 46 IPOs. Typically, IPOs by spin-offs are well received as the companies are better known to investors, who believe the new company can tap into the parent’s resources, but Cloud Peak is the fifth carve-out in a row to fall below its IPO price. This week was one of the busiest for U.S.-listed IPOs this year, as companies rushed to get deals over before the Thanksgiving break. There are currently no IPOs scheduled for pricing. (Reporting by Clare Baldwin and Phil Wahba; editing by Andre Grenon) Continue reading here: Rio’s Cloud Peak down in debut, others fare better (Reuters)

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By Clare Baldwin and Phil Wahba NEW YORK (Reuters) – Investors bet on growth on Friday, bumping up shares in two newly listed companies with strong trajectories while remaining neutral or down on two others whose prospects are murkier. Mining giant Rio Tinto’s spin-off Cloud Peak Energy Inc ( CLD.N ) edged down in its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday after its initial public offering fell short of expectations on concerns that the money raised in the IPO was going to its parent company rather than its own growth. Shares in Global Defense Technology & Systems Inc ( GTEC.O ) which drew 74 percent of its 2008 revenue from contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, rose slightly in early trades on the Nasdaq. Analysts said the company could suffer if the government cuts defense budgets. By contrast, shares in Chinese economy hotel chain 7 Days Group Holdings Ltd ( SVN.N ) and on-line education company Archipelago Learning ( ARCL.O ) rose by double digit percentage points. “IPO investors are used to having growth,” said Matt Therian, an analyst with Connecticut-based investment firm Renaissance Capital. “Cloud Peak is really tied up in coal prices. It’s kind of a murkier growth outlook for this company.” Gillette, Wyoming-based Cloud Peak raised about $459 million in its IPO on Thursday, but it priced below expectations. The U.S. coal miner’s shares opened at $14.50 on the New York Stock Exchange, more than 3 percent below the IPO price and fell as much as 6.7 percent. Cloud Peak recovered and was at $14.70 on the New York Stock Exchange, down 2 percent. “The Cloud Peak deal was really a divestiture by Rio Tinto. The cash streams in coal are predicable … It’s not a real sexy industry and it depends very much on energy prices,” said Morningnotes.com founder Ben Holmes. But investors lapped up shares in 7 Days and Archipelago Learning. 7 Days rose 15.2 percent while Archipelago Learning was up 14.2 percent. Analysts said 7 Days and Archipelago benefited from strong growth potential. “I think investors are bullish on where this market is going,” said Therian. “They’ve gone from five hotels in 2005 to almost 300 now.” Therian said private equity-backed on-line education firm Archipelago Learning has a significant backlog of business.  Continued… Read more: Rio’s Cloud Peak IPO edges down, 3 other IPOs up

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By Rodrigo Campos Reuters – A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, October 14, 2009. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid … {”s” : “dell”,”k” : “c10,l10,p20,t10″,”o” : “”,”j” : “”} NEW YORK (Reuters) – Weaker-than-expected results from computer maker Dell and homebuilder D.R. Horton helped push stocks lower on Friday as Wall Street headed for its third straight day of losses. After the benchmark S&P 500 index has jumped 20 percent so far this year, investors were reassessing the global economic outlook and saw few reasons to make big bets. Dell Inc (NasdaqGS: DELL – News ), the No. 3 personal computer maker, slid 9.8 percent to $14.32 a day after it reported a 54 percent drop in third-quarter profit and sales that missed estimates. Investors have been watching the technology sector closely after a big run-up, with the S&P information technology sector ( ^GSPT – News ) soaring more than 70 percent from its March lows. The technology sector has been expected to share better than others as the recovery takes hold. But on Thursday, tech shares were pummeled after an analyst made bearish comments on semiconductors. “When you see (technology shares) rolling over, you know there’s a problem. That’s not a sign of a healthy market,” said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Shelton, Connecticut. She said tech and bank shares must be a part of a strong market rally. “We’re not writing the obituary for this market, but it is consolidating, getting far more careful. It is prudent to take some money and some risk off the table.” The Dow Jones industrial average (DJI: ^DJI – News ) lost 47.83 points, or 0.46 percent, to 10,284.61. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index ( ^SPX – News ) fell 6.89 points, or 0.63 percent, to 1,088.01. The Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq: ^IXIC – News ) dropped 18.21 points, or 0.84 percent, to 2,138.61. D.R. Horton Inc (NYSE: DHI – News ) tumbled 13.6 percent to $10.58 after the homebuilder reported a fourth-quarter loss that was wider than expected and said market conditions were “still challenging. The Dow Jones home construction index (DJI: ^DJUSHB – News ) declined 4.6 percent, the largest daily decline this month. Dow component General Electric Co (NYSE: GE – News ) and Vivendi SA (Paris: VIV.PA – News ) were at least $1 billion apart in their valuation of Vivendi’s stake in NBC Universal, the Financial Times reported, dampening hopes of a swift sale. GE shares shed 1.8 percent to $15.48. Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS – News ) declined 1.4 percent to $170.46 after the Wall Street Journal reported large shareholders have asked the investment bank — on track to award employees the biggest bonuses in its history — to pass more profits to investors. A Goldman spokesman said major shareholders had not contacted the company about lowering its bonus pool. Hess Corp (NYSE: HES – News ) shares rose 2.2 percent to $58.87 after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock. Hess was one of the few rising shares in the energy sector (SNP: ^GSPE – News ), which slipped 1.2 percent. (Editing by Kenneth Barry) Here is the original post: Wall St slips on weak corporate results (Reuters)

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SEOUL (AFP) – GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Co. said Friday it had started shipping new mini cars to Europe as the South Korean unit of US auto giant General Motors Co. seeks to expand global sales. GM Daewoo, acting as General Motors’ global mini car development centre, said it will ship the “Matiz Creative”, the fourth generation of GM Daewoo’s popular “Matiz” mini car series, under the name “Chevrolet Spark”. The South Korean unit will export 20,000 units to Europe by the end of the year and begin selling the car early next year. It did not say what the vehicles would priced at. In the first 10 months of this year, GM Daewoo’s total vehicle sales including exports and domestic sales plunged 41.2 percent from a year ago to 457,955 units as demand dried up due to the global financial crisis. Read this articl e: GM Daewoo says mini cars to hit European market

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HOUSTON, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ — Twenty-five Senior Design Teams competed for prizes Thursday night at Rice University’s Brown School of Engineering Elevator Pitch Contest. The purpose of the contest was to get students to think about the commercial viability of their designs before building prototypes. Teams had 60 seconds to pitch their design project to an audience of local venture capitalists and business leaders. They were judged on their ability to sell their project in a 60 second pitch. Students had to describe the market need or problem solved, design functionality, market viability and revenue potential. “It’s one thing to have a great idea, it’s quite another to convince a room of seasoned venture capitalists that your idea is worth a second thought and that’s exactly what these students did,” said Tom Kraft of the Houston Technology Center. “Over several weeks, we coached students on how to get their ideas off the drawing board and into the marketplace and it all begins with a solid pitch.” The competition was organized by Dr. Maria Oden, Director of the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK), and Professor in the Practice of Engineering Education in Bioengineering, along with Dr. Gary Woods, Professor in the Practice of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Dr. Marcia O’Malley, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. The Houston Technology Center provided lectures and individual coaching to students throughout the semester in preparation for last night’s event. Rice Alliance sponsored cash awards for the winning teams: 1st Place Winner – $1000 cash : Team Spatial Suspenders : Accelerating the fight against cancer into the third dimension Project Description: Using nanotechnology to facilitate large scale three-dimensional cell cultures in order to grow more clinically relevant tumor samples for evaluating cancer treatments. Team Members: Christopher Bertucci, Elizabeth Figueroa, Vani Rajendran, Joseph Rosenthal, David Sing Senior Design Project sponsored by: n3D Biosciences 2nd Place Winner – $500 cash: Team Owl Eye: Combating a dangerous silence Project Description: Developing a low cost, rugged, low-power vital signs monitor for use in developing world clinics. Team Members: Iris Chu, Joanna Jan, Celestine Shih, Monika Sun, Cortlan Wickliff Senior Design Project sponsored by: Beyond Traditional Borders Team Owl Eye also received recognition by the Houston Technology Center for the most commercially viable project. They won year-long passes to HTC’s Technology Champions meetings. 3rd Place Winner – $250 cash: Team IBD: Electrifying blood detection Project: Developing a technology to non-invasively detect the potentially critical condition of internal bleeding during cardiac catheterization procedures in real time. Team Members: Alex Arevalos, Marissa Brower, Andy Chang, Thomas Segall-Shapiro, Joel Khan Senior Design Project sponsored by: Dr. Mehdi Razavi and the Texas Heart Institute About the Houston Technology Center Houston Technology Center (HTC), a business accelerator and the largest technology business incubator in Texas, accelerates the commercialization of emerging technology companies in the Greater Houston area. A 501©(3)non-profit organization, HTC assists Houston-based entrepreneurs within several key sectors: Energy, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Nanotechnology and NASA/Aerospace technologies, by providing in-depth business guidance, access to capital and service providers, and entrepreneurial education. For more information, visit www.houstontech.org . Connect with us: www.houstontech.org Media Contacts: Kelly Weber Houston Technology Center (832) 476-9235 kweber@houstontech.org Here is the original post: Rice University Engineering Students Pitch Projects to Local Venture Capitalists (PR Newswire)

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo Inc. is jumping on the Twitter bandwagon in its latest attempt to get people to use its Internet search engine more frequently. Beginning Thursday, Yahoo will mine the short messages posted on Twitter to find fresher information about hot topics. Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. had earlier announced plans to incorporate Twitter messages into search results, but Yahoo said it will be the first among them to include such “tweets” on its main search results. The addition comes at a pivotal time for Yahoo. The company, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is bogged down in a three-year financial slump partly because it has losing ground in the lucrative Internet search market to Google and, to a lesser extent, Microsoft. The Twitter twist is the latest sign of Yahoo’s resolve to spice up its search results even as it prepares to lean on Microsoft for most of the technology powering its search engine. That transition is scheduled to begin next year. Microsoft so far is listing Twitter results in a special section of its search engine, Bing. Google, the Internet’s search leader, also plans to include Twitter’s chatter in its search results, but has yet to say when that change will occur or how it will do it. Yahoo is relying on Twitter to highlight the latest news about specific subjects. When a user enters a search request tied to breaking news, Yahoo will top the results page with four tabs — one for direct links to news sites, one for photos, one for video and one dedicated to Twitter. Clicking on a Twitter tab will show news links posted by Twitter users. Some of the links will be drawn from Twitter accounts set up by the news media, such as CNN and The Associated Press, while others will be pulled from people pointing out a story they find interesting. Yahoo is relying on its own algorithms to identify the tweets containing the most relevant information. Twitter’s own search engine, by contrast, shows results in chronological order and doesn’t focus exclusively on posts containing news links. This probably won’t be Yahoo’s only foray into “real-time” search — a term used for indexes consisting of the freshest information posted on the Web. Yahoo also is experimenting with data from several other real-time search services, such as OneRiot. Twitter isn’t being paid any money for access to its posts because Yahoo is relying on free tools to get them, said Larry Cornett, Yahoo’s vice president of consumer products. Microsoft and Google haven’t said how much they are paying Twitter in their respective deals. Twitter, based in San Francisco, has generated little revenue since its 2006 inception, yet private investors recently estimated the startup’s market value at about $1 billion. The lofty appraisal stems from Twitter’s rapid growth. Nearly 60 million people worldwide now use the service to share their thoughts in 140 characters or less, according to comScore Inc. At the end of last year, 4 million people were regularly using Twitter. As its reach has extended, Twitter has turned into a prized resource for search engines trying to monitor what people are talking about. Other Internet companies such as LinkedIn Corp. are latching on to Twitter in other ways. LinkedIn, which runs a Web site for business networking, recently began letting users to simultaneously update their posts on Twitter and LinkedIn. Although its Web site remains among the most visited on the Internet, Yahoo has been hurt by more trendy hangouts such as Facebook that are luring away Web surfers and advertisers. Yahoo also has been struggling in Internet search. Its engine remains the Web’s second most popular behind Google’s, but its share has been shrinking for years and now it appears some users may be defecting to Bing, which Microsoft has been promoting heavily since its June debut. Here is the original post: Yahoo jumps on Twitter bandwagon to improve search (AP)

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Health Net Inc. announced Wednesday that it is investigating a healthcare data security breach that resulted in the loss of patient data, affecting 1.5 million customers. The Woodland Hills, Calif.-based managed healthcare provider said the lost files, a mixture of medical data, Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information, were collected over the past seven years and contained on a portable external hard drive, which was lost six months ago. The company said the healthcare data was not encrypted, but was formatted as images and required a specific software application to be viewed. The hard drive contained data on 446,000 Connecticut patients. The company reported the breach Wednesday to State Attorneys Generals offices in Arizona, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. Health Net said it was beginning the data security breach notification process of sending out letters to its customers. The company said it expects to send notification letters the week of Nov. 30. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said he was investigating the matter and why it took Health Net six months to report the healthcare breach. “My investigation will seek to establish what happened and why the company kept its customers and the state in the dark for so long,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “The company’s failure to safeguard such sensitive information and inform consumers of its loss — leaving them naked to identity theft — may have violated state and federal laws.” Blumenthal said the hard drive also contained financial data, including bank account numbers. He is seeking coverage for comprehensive, long-term identity theft protection for those customers affected by the breach. Health Net provides medical coverage for approximately 6.6 million people and its subsidiaries operate in all 50 states. In a statement, the company said the breach took place in its Connecticut office. So far there have not been any reports of fraud tied to the missing data.. “Health Net will provide credit monitoring for over two years – free of charge – to all impacted members who elect this service, and will provide assistance to any member who has experienced any suspicious activity, identity theft or health care fraud between May 2009 and their date of enrollment with our identity protection service,” the company said. It is the second time in a month that a healthcare provider lost customer data. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut reported a stolen laptop was to blame for a breach compromising the personal information of 850,000 doctors, therapists and other healthcare professionals. Security experts have long been advocating that enterprises deploy encryption on laptops and other devices that contain sensitive data. Still, all the technology in the world won’t end employee mistakes and carelessness, said Mike Rothman an analyst with Security Incite. “You can do full disk encryption and all sorts of things to protect the device, but you are still fairly constrained by user sophistication,” Rothman said. “You have to start asking questions from a process standpoint relative to why this stuff was on an external drive in the first place.” In reality you could turn off all USB ports on your devices, but that could hinder employee productivity, Rothman said. Security always gets back to making sure you have the right processes and policies in place and the right training and awareness so that employees understand what those policies are and ways to audit those processes, he said. Experts say encryption should be used as a last resort when all other security policies and processes fail. While many enterprises have focused on encrypting laptops at the endpoint, encryption can be a bit trickier for portable hard drives and other removable media. If the drive is being shared between different systems people need to have some way to access the key, said Ramon Krikken, an analyst at the Burton Group. “A lot of these portable hard drives are older without built-in encryption and to the extent to which you can easily deploy encryption has been a challenge for enterprises,” Krikken said. Some USB makers market the devices with built-in encryption software. In 2008, Seate Technology extended full disk encryption technology to all its enterprise-class hard drives. The company also began pushing for standards for hard drive encryption in storage systems. Nagraj Seshadri, head of product marketing at Utimaco the encryption software division of Sophos Plc, said healthcare organizations need to be just as responsible as financial firms when it comes to protecting data. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act earlier this year with the enactment of The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act). It imposes notification requirements on healthcare businesses and includes fines for failing to notify potential victims of a breach. The Department of Health and Human Services also published preliminary guidance for encrypting health information. While encryption indeed be tricky in the datacenter where speed is more essential, many higher risk organizations are investing in endpoint encryption, Seshadri said. “Any responsible company would have done some kind of risk assessment and determined wherever healthcare information is stored there needs to be an information security plan, because that is fundamental step,” Seshadri said. “This incident seems to reflect that something has slipped through cracks.” See the article here: Health Net healthcare data breach affects1.5 million

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NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures are pointing toward a lower opening Thursday following the lead of overseas markets and ahead of a weekly report on unemployment. Asian markets were mostly lower amid fresh worries about the financial sector as Japan’s biggest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, said it plans to raise $11.2 billion to shore up its balance sheet. European markets were also lower. Investors looking for a signs of an improving U.S. economy will focus Thursday on the Labor Department’s weekly unemployment report. An unexpected drop in home construction kept investors on edge about a recovery and helped push U.S. stocks lower Wednesday. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development increased its forecast for economic growth in 2010 in its 30 member countries, but cautioned any recovery will be slow and bumpy because of high unemployment. The Paris-based group said unemployment is not expected to peak until the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011. The weekly report on jobless claims is expected to show workers seeking unemployment benefits for the first time rose by 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 505,000 last week, according to economists polled by Thomson Reuters. The report is due out at 8:30 a.m. EST. The modest increase would come after claims fell by 30,000 in the previous two weeks. A job recovery is likely to be slow, but traders have been focused on any signs of improvement after the unemployment rate eclipsed 10 percent last month. Consumers worried about their jobs have cut back on spending, which has slowed a recovery. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of all economic activity so investors are looking for any signs that shoppers are more likely to start spending again. Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 75, or 0.7 percent, to 10,329. Standard & Poor’s 500 index futures declined 10.40, or 0.9 percent, to 1,098.10, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 13.00, or 0.7 percent, to 1,787.50. Investors will also get a private reading on the U.S. economy later Thursday. Economists predict the Conference Board’s index of leading economic indicators likely rose 0.5 percent, which would be the seventh consecutive month of growth. However the results show only a modest recovery taking place. The report is due out at 10 a.m. EST. Stocks slipped modestly Wednesday after a disappointing report showed home construction fell 10.6 percent in October to an annual rate of 529,000 units, well below the pace of 600,000 forecast by economists. Building permits, a key indication for future activity, slid 4 percent. Worse-than-expected forecasts from the technology sector also weighed on the market. The Dow and S&P dipped 0.1 percent, while the Nasdaq fell 0.5 percent. Meanwhile, bond prices were little changed Thursday. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, was unchanged at 3.37 percent compared with late Wednesday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, rose to 0.03 percent from 0.02 percent. The dollar mostly rose against other major currencies, while gold prices declined. Overseas, Japan’s Nikkei stock average fell 1.3 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain’s FTSE 100 was declined 0.2 percent, Germany’s DAX index fell 0.4 percent, and France’s CAC-40 declined 0.5 percent. See the original post: Stocks futures indicate lower opening (AP)

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(This guest post originally appeared at the author’s blog ) JP Morgan continues to favor the risk trade.   They see the recovery continuing into 2010, jobs recovering and the reflation trade continuing to work well .  Their outlook is little changed over the last few weeks.  They see the short dollar/long beta trade performing well: Fixed income: Open short in 2-year USTs. Within EMU, we overweight Ireland and Italy but we prefer to position for this through CDS. Equities: Asset reflation favors the high-risk, high-beta parts of the equity market. Credit: European credit 2010 outlook—stay overweight Financials focusing on Lower Tier II, Tier I issued in 2009, and distressed Financials within HY. FX: We stay short USD medium term and focus on crossrates where interest rate markets looked mispriced. Alternatives: Stay short oil, but long base metals and agricultural products. With economic data coming broadly in line with expectations, asset reflation and risk premia compression have become more important forces for equity markets. Asset reflation favors the high-risk, high-beta parts of the equity market, i.e., small caps versus large caps, cyclicals versus non-cyclicals, and EM versus developed markets. In addition, money flows are beginning to favor the equity trade as hedge fund flows and mutual fund flows increase: Retail flows into equity funds picked up this week. We need to wait for a few more weeks to see if a new trend is emerging. Retail investors have been reluctant buyers of equities so far and have deployed most of their excess cash into bonds. In contrast, the tactical flow remains supportive for equities as equity hedge funds appear to have been steadily increasing their equity exposure since April. The 21-day rolling beta of equity long-short hedge funds with respect to the equity market reached its highest level since January 2008. Within the beta trade, they like energy and technology to outperform: We stay long Energy and Technology across sectors. An analysis of US sector performance following seven major market bottoms since 1974 shows that the best two performing sectors were Energy and Technology in the 6th to 12th month following the market bottom. Indeed, since Sep 9, six months following the equity market bottom, both Energy and Technology have outperformed MSCI World with Energy being the best performing sector. (Picture via Flickr user roadside pictures ) Follow this link: JPMorgan: Keep Shorting The Dollar, And Keep Betting On High-Beta, Risky Stocks

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JP Morgan continues to favor the risk trade.   They see the recovery continuing into 2010, jobs recovering and the reflation trade continuing to work well .  Their outlook is little changed over the last few weeks.  They see the short dollar/long beta trade performing well: Fixed income: Open short in 2-year USTs. Within EMU, we overweight Ireland and Italy but we prefer to position for this through CDS. Equities: Asset reflation favors the high-risk, high-beta parts of the equity market. Credit: European credit 2010 outlook—stay overweight Financials focusing on Lower Tier II, Tier I issued in 2009, and distressed Financials within HY. FX: We stay short USD medium term and focus on crossrates where interest rate markets looked mispriced. Alternatives: Stay short oil, but long base metals and agricultural products. With economic data coming broadly in line with expectations, asset reflation and risk premia compression have become more important forces for equity markets. Asset reflation favors the high-risk, high-beta parts of the equity market, i.e., small caps versus large caps, cyclicals versus non-cyclicals, and EM versus developed markets. In addition, money flows are beginning to favor the equity trade as hedge fund flows and mutual fund flows increase: Retail flows into equity funds picked up this week. We need to wait for a few more weeks to see if a new trend is emerging. Retail investors have been reluctant buyers of equities so far and have deployed most of their excess cash into bonds. In contrast, the tactical flow remains supportive for equities as equity hedge funds appear to have been steadily increasing their equity exposure since April. The 21-day rolling beta of equity long-short hedge funds with respect to the equity market reached its highest level since January 2008. Within the beta trade, they like energy and technology to outperform: We stay long Energy and Technology across sectors. An analysis of US sector performance following seven major market bottoms since 1974 shows that the best two performing sectors were Energy and Technology in the 6th to 12th month following the market bottom. Indeed, since Sep 9, six months following the equity market bottom, both Energy and Technology have outperformed MSCI World with Energy being the best performing sector. Source: JPM Go here to see the original: JP MORGAN: REFLATION FAVORS THE HIGHEST RISK, HIGHEST BETA EQUITIES

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BOSTON (AP) — American Express Co. is buying Revolution Money for about $300 million to keep up with trends in electronic payments, where new security features and online transaction options are shaking up traditional models. Wednesday’s deal pairs American Express, a credit card provider tracing its roots to 1850, with a two-year-old startup. Revolution Money offers payments authorized at checkout counters with a PIN number, with about 1 million merchants participating in the service. To reduce potential for identity theft, Revolution Cards have no name, signature or account number. St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Revolution also offers MoneyExchange, a person-to-person service to send and receive money among friends and family, and among people using social and instant messaging networks. “Acquiring Revolution Money is one step in expanding our reach in emerging payments, and one of the many we expect to take, but an important one,” American Express Chairman and CEO Kenneth Chenault said in a conference call. Revolution Money founder Jason Hogg said the acquisition by New York-based American Express will allow his company “to scale our technology and business years faster than we ever could on our own.” Hogg will remain Revolution Money’s president and CEO once the transaction closes early next year, subject to regulatory approval. Revolution Money will become an American Express subsidiary, folded into its new Enterprise Growth unit. Revolution Money’s majority shareholder and chairman, Ted Leonsis, will advise American Express on its strategy for expanding into payment products geared toward online use and mobile devices. “We can drive this technology and set of applications to a mass consumer audience, as well as large and growing online merchant community,” Leonsis said. Janney Capital Markets analyst Thomas McCrohan said in a research note that the acquisition allows American Express “to go into new markets with a lower-cost product without compromising the premium image associated with American Express-branded cards.” Revolution Money’s products, McCrohan wrote, face a “chicken-or-egg” problem in which merchants wish to see broad consumer acceptance of the cards before they accept them for transactions, and vice versa. Revolution Money was established by AOL co-founder Steve Case’s Revolution LLC in 2007. Besides offering a new payment option, the company’s cards qualify customers for discounts and other incentives from participating merchants. Customers’ accounts on its MoneyExchange program are FDIC-insured. That program also offers a prepaid card linked to accounts that can be used for offline payments, or to withdraw cash from ATMs. American Express’ Chenault said his company’s initial focus will be spreading Revolution Money’s offerings across the United States, with eventual hopes of taking products overseas. A key objective will include introducing existing American Express customers to alternative payment systems, rather than having them go outside the company’s payment network. Shares of American Express rose 11 cents to $41.47 in midday trading. Here is the original post: American Express to buy Revolution Money for $300M (AP)

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NEW YORK, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Brean Murray, Carret & Co. will hold its second annual China Gaming and Media Conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Beijing on Monday, December 7 & Tuesday, December 8, 2009 . During the conference institutional investors will have access to executives from approximately 20 public and up-and-coming private companies in the Online Gaming and Media Space, as well as Private Equity and Venture Capital investors. The conference will feature 2-full days of presentations and panel discussions led by company executives, followed by an open floor Q&A. Presenting Companies (subject to change) are as follows: AirMedia Group Inc. (AMCN); China Digital TV Holding Co., Ltd. (STV); China Finance Online Co. Ltd.(JRJC); China Game (HK.8317); China Mass Media (CMM); Focus Media Holdings Ltd. (FMCN); Gamania Digital Entertainment Co. Ltd. (6180.TWO); Giant Interactive Group, Inc.; Kingsoft (3888.HK); KongZhong Corporation (KONG); Kunlon; NetDragon (0777.HK) VERBAL; Perfect World Co., Ltd (PWRD); Redgate; SinoMedia Holding Ltd. (0623.HK); The9 Limited (NCTY); Touchmedia; VisionChina Media, Inc. (VISN); Xinhua Sports and Entertainment Limited (XSEL) The two keynote panel luncheon discussions include “Globalization of the Industry – Emergence of China as a gaming superpower” on Monday, December 7, and “Evolving sophistication of China media buyers – what does it mean for the ad channels mix” on Tuesday, December 8. Admission is complimentary but pre-registration is required. For more information on the BMC China Gaming and Media Conference web site or other events please visit the website at http://www.breanmurraycarret.com/conferences.asp . About Brean Murray, Carret & Co.: Brean Murray, Carret & Co. is a research-driven boutique investment bank and asset management firm, dedicated to Small and Midcap growth companies and their investors. BMC focuses on delivering high quality investment ideas and investment banking services to institutional and corporate clients in the following 5 verticals: Consumer Products and Retailing, Healthcare, Natural Resources, Technology and private/publicly traded Chinese Companies. Services include equity research, investment banking, institutional sales and trading, and asset management. Headquartered in New York City, the company also maintains offices in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Beijing, China. For more information on the company, please visit www.breanmurraycarret.com . See the article here: Brean Murray, Carret & Co. China Gaming and Media Conference (PR Newswire)

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TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) is proud to host a premier line-up of innovative visionaries as keynote speakers in its one-day forum December 2, 2009 at the Design Exchange in Toronto. CIX is a one-day high-tech forum showcasing Canadian technology-based innovations while bringing together key industry experts to share inspiring ideas and success stories. The event includes keynotes, facilitated networking, roundtable discussions and educational sessions to help entrepreneurs develop their companies. It is also a platform for further meetings and discussions related to Canada’s innovation agenda. In addition, CIX will feature Canada’s Top 20 Most Innovative Companies and delegates will vote on the “Canadian Innovation Leader.” The conference keynote sessions features some of the industry’s leading technology visionaries. Highlights include:   •   9:00 – 9:30 a.m. – “You Can Make Gold and Other Myths About Innovation” Speaker: Bill Buxton , Principal Researcher – Microsoft Research As a principal researcher at Microsoft Corporation, Bill Buxton splits his time between research and making design a fundamental pillar of the corporate culture. During this session, Buxton will help the audience understand the realities of innovation by examining past successes and failures of today’s innovations.   • 11:30-12:00 – “The Growing Role of Governments in Venture Capital” Moderator: Rick Nathan , Managing Director – Kensington Capital Partners Speakers: º Jacques Bernier, Head – Teralys Capital Fund º Rod Charko, CEO – Alberta Enterprise In today’s market, Governments have become the major source of capital, directly and indirectly, behind most of the venture funding in Canada. Who are these key players and how do investors access their funds? What is the appropriate role for Governments to play in the Canadian venture market? How does Government participation affect those funds who receive it, and the market as a whole? How do US and other non-Canadian funds interact effectively with these sources of capital?   • 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. – “Meet the Strategic Investors and Acquiring Executives” Speakers: º Claudia Fan Munce , Managing Director and Vice President – IBM Venture Capital Group and IBM Corporate Strategy º Peter Rokkos , Partner and General Counsel – Comcast Interactive Capital º Chris Wormald , Vice President Alliances – Research In Motion º Nitin Kawale , President, Cisco Systems Canada Moderator: John Ruffolo , Leader of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications – Deloitte   Find out who is acquiring, purchasing and partnering with innovative companies and what they are looking for from a trade sale, partner, or licensor.   • 1:30 – 2:00 p.m. – “US Investors: The View From America” Speakers: º Dave Furneaux, Founder & Managing Partner – Kodiak Venture Partners º Charles Lax, Managing General Partner – GrandBanks Capital º Andrew Lipsher, Partner – Greycroft LLC º Larry Marcus, Managing Director – Walden Venture Capital Key venture investors from the US gather to give us their views on innovation and help us understand what they’re looking for and how they would engage with Canadian companies.   • 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. – Sir Terry Matthews , Chairman – Mitel, Wesley Clover and March Networks presents closing remarks for CIX. Sir Terry Matthews is the owner of the worldwide Communications Systems division of Mitel, and the Mitel name. Terry is a major investor in Mitel Networks Corporation, a company focused on providing next generation Unified Communications solutions, and holds the position of non-executive Chairman. Terry also serves as Chairman or Director for a number of high technology companies including Bridgewater Systems, March Networks, Solace Systems and Counterpath Corporation.   To register for any of the speaker series or workshops, visit www.canadianinnovationexchange.com for more details. Media interested in being accredited for any of these events, please e-mail rsvp@jivecommunicaitons.ca About Achilles Media: Achilles Media is a business-to-business facilitation company and an international events management company serving the television and digital media industries. Achilles Media enables business community members to succeed by facilitating relationships and knowledge share. Our portfolio includes the organization of prime international events, up to the minute news, as well as training and development initiatives. www.achillesmedia.com See the article here: Canadian Innovation Exchange Highlights Technology Visionaries As Keynote Speakers (Business Wire)

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LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rentech, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: RTK) announced today that it has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Beach Petroleum (ASX: BPT – News ) to explore the feasibility of developing a commercial scale facility utilizing Rentech’s technology for the production of ultra-clean synthetic fuels and specialty chemicals from synthesis gas (syngas) derived from Beach Petroleum’s gas resources in the Cooper Basin of Australia. Rentech has developed a patented, proprietary and proven technology that economically converts syngas from fossil and biomass resources into hydrocarbons that can be refined into ultra-clean biodegradable synthetic fuels, specialty waxes and chemicals. Beach Petroleum, an oil and gas exploration and production company, has approximately 1.1 trillion cubic feet of contingent unconventional gas reserves in the South Australian Cooper Basin which could serve as feedstock for a facility producing synthetic diesel and jet fuel, specialty chemicals and fertilizer. In addition to evaluating the development of a potential synthetic fuels and chemicals facility utilizing Rentech’s technologies and Beach Petroleum’s reserves, both companies will evaluate the scope, location, costs and feasibility of such a facility and its operations, products and market opportunities. Commenting on the MOU with Beach Petroleum, D. Hunt Ramsbottom, President and CEO of Rentech, stated, “We look forward to working with a large integrated oil and gas company such as Beach Petroleum for a potential synthetic fuels and chemicals facility utilizing the Rentech Process.” Mr. Ramsbottom continued, “The flexibility of our technology, which can utilize a variety of fossil and biomass resources, enables us to explore deployment opportunities in regions with abundant resources such as Australia.” About Rentech, Inc. Rentech, Inc. ( www.rentechinc.com ), incorporated in 1981, provides clean energy solutions. The Company’s Rentech-SilvaGas biomass gasification process can convert multiple biomass feedstocks into synthesis gas (syngas) for production of renewable fuels and power. Combining the gasification process with Rentech’s unique application of syngas conditioning and clean-up technology and the patented Rentech Process based on Fischer-Tropsch chemistry, Rentech offers an integrated solution for production of synthetic fuels from biomass. The Rentech Process can also convert syngas from fossil resources into ultra-clean synthetic jet and diesel fuels, specialty waxes and chemicals. Final product upgrading is provided under an alliance with UOP, a Honeywell company. Rentech develops projects and licenses these technologies for application in synthetic fuels and power facilities worldwide. Rentech Energy Midwest Corporation, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, manufactures and sells nitrogen fertilizer products including ammonia, urea ammonia nitrate, urea granule, and urea solution in the corn-belt region of the central United States. For More Information Please contact: Julie Dawoodjee, Vice President of Investor Relations and Communications, Rentech, Inc. at 310.571.9800, extension 341, or by email at ir@rentk.com . Read more: Rentech Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Beach Petroleum (Business Wire)

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BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Flybridge Capital Partners , an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in consumer, energy, healthcare and technology companies, today welcomed entrepreneur, analyst, and consumer web expert Nate Westheimer to the firm as an Advisor. Westheimer, who will continue to serve as co-founder and EVP of Product & Technology at AnyClip.com, will work with the Flybridge Capital Partners investment team to support and broaden the firm’s investment activities in the digital media and consumer related markets in the New York region. “We are thrilled to welcome Nate to the Flybridge Capital team,” said Jeff Bussgang, general partner, Flybridge Capital Partners. “New York has a vibrant entrepreneur community which we have had the opportunity to work more closely with over the past year through the First Growth Venture Network and our recent investment in 10gen . Nate’s experience in leading startups, along with his strong network in the New York entrepreneur community through NY Tech Meetup , will be a huge asset to the firm as we continue to strengthen relationships with entrepreneurs in the New York region.” “I have gotten to know the Flybridge Capital team through their mentoring work with First Growth Venture Network and am impressed with their passion for finding and funding talented early-stage entrepreneurs,” said Westheimer. “I look forward to working with them to help find and build the next generation of technology companies in New York.” Prior to AnyClip.com, Nate was the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Rose Tech Ventures , Founder of BricaBox.com, and the Technology Strategist for National Public Media . Nate blogs at innonate.com and guest writes for Silicon Alley Insider , among other outlets. He also serves as the Organizer the NY Tech Meetup , an 11,000 member organization of technologists in the New York City area. About Flybridge Capital Partners Flybridge Capital Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm whose mission is to assist entrepreneurs in growing innovative, global companies. With $560 million under management, the firm is focused on investing in consumer, energy, healthcare and information technology markets and is led by a team with domain expertise and more than half a century of combined experience in venture capital. For more information, visit www.flybridge.com . More: Nate Westheimer Joins Flybridge Capital Partners as Advisor (Business Wire)

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NISKAYUNA, N.Y. (AP) — GE Global Research, the technology development arm of General Electric Co., said Tuesday it will get $2 million federal grant to develop wearable sensors that alert people to chemical weapons and diseases. Radio-frequency identification sensors are commonly used to track materials, including in baggage at airports. GE’s sensors would combine the tracking capability with gas sensors that could detect harmful chemicals in the air. Because they can be smaller than a penny, GE says the sensors could be integrated into identification badges or serve as part of warning systems. GE said it also will develop sensors that can analyze breath and pick up early signs of diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The grant is from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Continued here: GE to develop wearable sensors (AP)

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LONDON, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ — The nascent European marine energy industry is still weathering storms unleashed by the global economic crisis. This market was particularly hard hit by the recession because it relied so heavily on venture capital and private equity investment. But now, it looks as though the UK government and the EU will extend long-awaited lifelines helping companies continue to develop this predictable and abundant energy source that is capable of one day supplying 10 percent of the world’s electricity needs. Government support and new investments are key factors to boost the market. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO ) Frost & Sullivan ( www.power.frost.com ) estimates that if ocean energy technologies continue to be supported and achieve their predicted potential, approximately 3 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity could be available in the EU by 2020. The recession has effectively bottlenecked investment, temporarily slowing down development. In response, the UK government recently announced a raft of rescue measures. The UK Carbon Trust granted 250,000 GBP and 150,000 GBP to Pelamis and MCT respectively to focus on installation and maintenance, while the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund has offered a 22 million GBP grant to wave and tidal developers. A part of a 20 million GBP of venture capital from the budget for low carbon technologies has been earmarked for marine energy technology developers. The EU is also supporting the sector. A consortium led by the Finnish wave energy company AW Energy, signed a 3 million EUR contract with the EU in October 2009 under the CALL FP7 -Demonstration of the innovative full size systems. The project will focus on deploying a 300kW device, known as the WaveRoller, in Portugal for a one year testing period. “Continued government intervention is absolutely necessary to boost the marine energy market,” says Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Gouri Kumar. To a certain extent, this is an inevitable consequence of the fact that the sector is still in the prototype development stage. “Consequentially, the injection of venture capital, private equity or government grants is critical, especially since the financial crisis effectively sank contributions from private investors,” Kumar adds. Now more than ever, government support is imperative. However, such support alone will not be enough to boost the market and push it in the right direction. Investment from venture capital and private equity players would be ideal at this stage, but is unlikely to be extended at sufficient levels until the economy starts to recover. It remains, then, for companies to try to weather the current economic climate. To do so, major players should strive to differentiate the merits of their technology in order to showcase the future potential of the device and solicit enough capital to be able to reach commercialisation. With investors getting pickier these days, the overall environment is becoming much more difficult and competitive. The Copenhagen summit in December may pose further challenges as there is growing concern that it will not be able to produce a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, thereby undermining the carbon markets. “This will have very little effect on the marine energy market in Europe,” explains Gouri Kumar. “Although a high long-term price of carbon will contribute to the growth of the renewable energy sector, there are other factors that will play a greater role in the growth of the industry. The high price and volatility of oil and gas in the future, energy security, the falling cost per kilowatt hour of renewables electricity and the ambitious renewable energy targets set by various governments and regions will collectively continue the push for renewables. The credit crisis and government support are the most important factors affecting the industry at the moment due to the stage of development the market is at.” For more information on Frost & Sullivan’s research on the Marine Energy Market in Europe, please contact Chiara Carella, Frost & Sullivan Corporate Communications, at chiara.carella@frost.com , with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, and country. About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company’s Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO’s Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 35 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com . Contact: Chiara Carella Corporate Communications – Europe P: +44 (0) 20 7343 8314 M: +44 (0) 753 3017689 E: chiara.carella@frost.com http://www.frost.com Continued here: Marine Energy Market in Europe Still Weathering Economic Storm (PR Newswire)

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SANTA ANA, Calif. and ISMANING, Germany, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — SCM Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCMM, Prime Standard: SMY), a leading provider of solutions for secure access, secure identity and secure exchange, today announced results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2009. In the second reporting period following SCM’s merger with Hirsch Electronics Corporation, revenue more than doubled, reflecting the success of the Company’s strategy to increase its revenue by expanding its customer base and market reach through acquisitions and market investment. “We are very pleased with the momentum we are seeing from our merger with Hirsch. Customers around the globe are expressing their interest and enthusiasm, we have new opportunities in every region, and SCM is being recognized as the first company capable of delivering truly converged solutions for network and physical access applications,” said Felix Marx, chief executive officer of SCM Microsystems. “The integration of Hirsch and SCM has proceeded rapidly as we have focused on creating synergies within our sales and marketing organizations to accelerate the acquisition of new customers, expand our mutual distribution channels and introduce new products in target markets.” “Our merger with Hirsch was the first significant transaction of our acquisition strategy and we are working to replicate this achievement with our proposed business combination with Bluehill ID, which our stockholders will vote on in December. Both SCM and Bluehill ID are focused on access control, identity management and RFID technologies and markets, which are important applications that leverage contactless technologies, but each company operates under complementary brands within the RFID and smart card value chains. We believe combining with Bluehill ID will accelerate our development of a leadership position in contactless markets and technology and further diversify our business geographically,” continued Marx. Third Quarter Results On April 30, 2009, SCM completed its merger with Hirsch Electronics Corporation, and SCM’s financial results have included operating results for the Hirsch subsidiary since the date of acquisition. All figures are reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP, except as noted. SCM’s primary business segment, which includes operations from the Hirsch subsidiary, is Security and Identity Solutions, which provides contact, contactless and mobile smart card reader technology, digital identity and transaction platforms and access control systems to enable security, identity, contactless payment, e-health and electronic government services. Revenue from the Security and Identity Solutions business was $12.5 million in the third quarter of 2009, up 113% from $5.9 million in the third quarter of 2008. The primary reason for this increase was the inclusion of revenue from the Hirsch subsidiary. Sales of Hirsch products and services in the third quarter of 2009 were up year over year . In addition to strong sales in the U.S. for government agency deployments, focus on building channels and relationships in Europe and Asia resulted in new revenue streams for Hirsch in these regions in the 2009 third quarter. Sales of SCM smart card reader products in the U.S. and Asia remained relatively strong and rose sequentially in the third quarter of 2009, but were lower compared with the same quarter of the previous year. Sales of SCM smart card reader products were higher year over year in Europe and benefitted from a large order for an ID project in Spain. At the same time, sales of eHealth terminals for the electronic healthcard program in Germany were lower than expected, due to slower than anticipated adoption within the initial test region and the transition in governmental administration following the country’s recent national elections. Revenue from SCM’s Digital Media and Connectivity business increased 59% to $0.8 million in the third quarter of 2009, compared with $0.5 million in the third quarter of 2008. In aggregate, total revenue in the third quarter of 2009 was $13.3 million, up 109% from $6.4 million in the third quarter of 2008. Gross profit margin was 48% in the third quarter of 2009, compared with 46% in the third quarter of 2008, and was positively impacted by sales of higher-margin products made by the Hirsch subsidiary and in the Digital Media and Connectivity business. As expected, operating expenses in the third quarter increased year over year as a result of the addition of expenses for the Hirsch subsidiary, from $5.0 million in the third quarter of 2008 to $8.0 million in the third quarter of 2009, an increase of 61%. Operating expenses in the third quarter of 2009 included approximately $0.8 million in transaction-related costs related to the proposed combination with Bluehill ID and $0.5 million in severance expenses, offset by a pre-tax gain of $1.2 million from the sale of SCM’s office building in India. Excluding the incremental expenses from the Hirsch business and the one-time expenses and credits described above, operating expenses decreased year over year and were flat with the previous quarter. Operating loss was $(1.6) million in the third quarter of 2009, compared with operating loss of $(2.0) million in the third quarter of 2008. Loss from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2009 was $(2.3) million, or $(0.09) per share, compared with loss from continuing operations of $(3.3) million, or $(0.21) per share in the third quarter of 2008. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the third quarter of 2009 were $6.2 million, up from $5.3 million at the end of the previous quarter. The increase in cash in the 2009 third quarter resulted from the gain on the sale of SCM’s office building in India during the quarter. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the third quarter of 2009 was $(1.3) million, compared with EBITDA of $(3.3) million in the third quarter of 2008. (EBITDA is not reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP. See reconciliation of EBITDA to GAAP accounting contained within this press release.) Business Outlook Due to the severity and unpredictability of the global economic downturn and the resulting disruption in forecasting of future financial results, SCM will not provide financial guidance until it feels visibility has improved regarding the economic environment and its impact on SCM’s business. Additional Information SCM does not plan to hold a conference call or webcast to discuss the results of its 2009 third quarter. For more information on SCM’s third quarter results, please see the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. About SCM Microsystems, Inc. SCM Microsystems (Nasdaq: SCMM; Prime Standard: SMY) is a global leader in security and identity solutions for secure access, secure identity and secure exchange. Together with its Hirsch Electronics subsidiary, SCM provides complete, integrated solutions that secure digital assets, electronic transactions and facilities. The company offers the world’s broadest range of contact, contactless and mobile smart card reader technology; physical and logical access control systems; digital identity transaction platforms; biometrics; and digital video. SCM’s solutions enable a wide variety of applications including enterprise security, identity management, contactless payment, e-health and electronic government services. For additional information, visit www.scmmicro.com and www.HirschElectronics.com . Important Information In connection with the proposed business combination transaction involving SCM Microsystems and Bluehill ID, SCM Microsystems has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a proxy statement and prospectus for stockholders of SCM Microsystems, and may be filing other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC as well. Stockholders of SCM are urged to read the Registration Statement, Proxy Statement and Prospectus, and other documents filed with the SEC regarding the proposed business combination carefully and in their entirety when they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. The definitive proxy statement and prospectus is being mailed to SCM’s stockholders on or about November 18, 2009. Stockholders of SCM may obtain a copy of the proxy statement and prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about SCM, without charge, at the SEC’s Internet site ( http://www.sec.gov ). Copies of the proxy statement and prospectus can also be obtained, without charge, from the SCM corporate website at www.scmmicro.com , or by directing a request to SCM Microsystems, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 1900-B Carnegie Avenue, Santa Ana, California 92705, Attention: Secretary. In addition to the documents described above, SCM files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC, which are available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or at SCM’s website at www.scmmicro.com . THIS COMMUNICATION IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY SECURITIES, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. SCM Microsystems and its directors, executive officers and other employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of SCM in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about SCM’s directors and executive officers is available in the proxy statement and prospectus and other materials referred to in the proxy statement and prospectus. NOTE: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These include, without limitation, the statements by Felix Marx; our statements about the expected future benefits of our proposed combination with Bluehill ID, including the acceleration of our development of a leadership position in contactless markets and technology, the further diversification of our business geographically and our ability to replicate in the proposed combination with Bluehill ID the positive results from our merger with Hirsch . These statements are based on current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events that are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated herein. Our financial results may not meet expectations. Readers should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties , many of which are outside our control, that could cause our actual business and operating results to differ , including, but not limited to, our ability to grow market share and revenues based on a strategy of participating in early stage markets for contactless products; the combination with Bluehill ID may not occur, and we may not be able to successfully integrate the Bluehill ID business into ours; our ability to successfully develop and introduce new products that satisfy the evolving and increasingly complex requirements of customers; the markets in which we participate or target may not grow, converge or standardize at anticipated rates or at all, including the government, payment and enterprise security markets that we are targeting; sales to a relatively small number of customers historically have accounted for a significant percentage of our revenues; we may not successfully compete in the markets in which we participate or target; competitors could take market share or create pricing pressure; the current economic conditions could negatively impact customer demand, the ability of our suppliers to produce and sell to us key components of our products, and/or our ability to access capital; and we may not be able to successfully maintain operating expenses at current or reduced levels. For a discussion of further risks and uncertainties related to our business, please refer to our public company reports , including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and subsequent reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. SCM and the SCM logo are registered trademarks of SCM Microsystems, Inc. All trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. – FINANCIALS FOLLOW – SCM MICROSYSTEMS, INC. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2009 2008 2009 2008 —- —- —- —- Net revenue $13,334 $6,393 $29,450 $19,377 Cost of revenue 6,940 3,483 15,371 10,961 —– —– —— —— Gross profit 6,394 2,910 14,079 8,416 —– —– —— —– Operating expenses: Research and development 1,518 980 3,776 3,058 Selling and marketing 4,653 2,280 10,635 7,010 General and administrative 2,978 1,697 7,665 4,718 Gain on sale of assets (1,168) – (1,417) – ——- — ——- — Total operating expenses 7,981 4,957 20,659 14,786 —– —– —— —— Loss from operations (1,587) (2,047) (6,580) (6,370) Loss on equity investments (225) – (795) – Interest and other income (expense), net (71) (1,117) (5) (293) —- ——- — —– Loss from continuing operations before income taxes (1,883) (3,164) (7,380) (6,663) Benefit (provision) for income taxes (434) (103) 1,307 (151) —– —– —– —– Loss from continuing operations (2,317) (3,267) (6,073) (6,814) Gain (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes 39 424 190 273 Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of income taxes 41 44 115 553 — — — — Net loss $(2,237) $(2,799) $(5,768) $(5,988) ======= ======= ======= ======= Basic and diluted loss per share from continuing operations $(0.09) $(0.21) $(0.29) $(0.43) ====== ====== ====== ====== Basic and diluted income (loss) per share from discontinued operations $0.00 $0.03 $0.01 $0.05 ===== ===== ===== ===== Basic and diluted net loss per share $(0.09) $(0.18) $(0.28) $(0.38) ====== ====== ====== ====== Shares used to compute basic and diluted income (loss) per share 25,135 15,744 20,972 15,743 ====== ====== ====== ====== SCM MICROSYSTEMS, INC. Reconciliation of EBITDA Calculation to GAAP Accounting (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, ——————– ————- 2009 2008 2009 2008 —- —- —- —- EBITDA $(1,329) $(3,273) $(6,376) $(7,089) Interest income (expense) (194) 173 (293) 642 Provision for income taxes (434) (103) 1,307 (151) Depreciation and amortization (360) (64) (711) (216) Net loss from continuing ——- ——- ——- ——- operations $(2,317) $(3,267) $(6,073) $(6,814) ======= ======= ======= ======= We conduct a significant amount of our business in Europe, we are dually traded on the U.S. NASDAQ and Frankfurt Prime Standard stock exchanges, the majority of our executive management are located in Germany and a significant portion of our investors are German-based. In addition to presenting net income in accordance with GAAP, we have determined that EBITDA is a relevant measure of performance for our company, as it is a metric commonly used among technology companies, particularly those doing business in Europe, and provides a meaningful perspective on the Company’s operating results and underlying cash flow dynamics. As a result, we believe it is a helpful tool for communicating our performance to our investors and analysts and for comparisons to other companies in Europe and within the technology industry. EBITDA should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, other measures of financial performance determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. While we believe that EBITDA is useful within the context described above, it is in fact incomplete and not a measure that should be used to evaluate the full performance of the Company or its prospects. Such evaluation needs to consider all of the complexities associated with our business including, but not limited to, how past actions are affecting current results and how they may affect future results, how we have chosen to finance the business and how regulations and the other aforementioned items affect the final amounts that are or will be available to shareholders as a return on their investment. Net income determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP is the most complete measure available today to evaluate all elements of our performance. Similarly, our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, as presented in our most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, provide the full accounting for how we have decided to use resources provided to us from our customers, lenders and shareholders. SCM MICROSYSTEMS, INC. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) (unaudited) September 30, December 31, ASSETS 2009 2008 —- —- Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $6,162 $20,550 Accounts receivable, net 9,083 8,665 Inventories 6,587 5,065 Other current assets 2,661 1,139 —– —– Total current assets 24,493 35,419 Equity investments 1,449 2,244 Property, equipment and other assets, net 1,621 3,168 Goodwill 21,895 – Intangibles, net 22,738 307 —— — Total assets $72,196 $41,138 ======= ======= LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $5,207 $3,555 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 8,841 7,933 —– Total current liabilities 14,048 11,488 Long-term liability to related parties 7,959 – Long-term income taxes payable 503 184 Deferred tax liability 3,585 1,340 Stockholders’ equity 46,101 28,126 —— —— Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $72,196 $41,138 ======= ======= Go here to see the original: SCM Microsystems Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results (PR Newswire)

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SCM Microsystems Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results (PR Newswire)

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ — Research projects in the areas of materials science and mathematics scored top marks this evening, as Peter Hu of Denton, Texas and the team of Sean Karson of Winter Park, Florida, Dan Liu of Austin, Texas and Kevin Chen of Missouri City, Texas received the highest honors at the Region Two Finals of the 2009 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation’s premier high school science competition. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO ) Tonight’s winners will receive thousands of dollars in college scholarships and be invited to compete at the National Finals in New York City on December 3-7, where the winners of six regional competitions across the United States will vie for scholarships ranging from $10,000 to the top prize of $100,000. The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board. “These students have just earned their place among the nation’s greatest high school scientists,” said James Whaley, President of the Siemens Foundation, based in Iselin, New Jersey. “Each year, the students’ work becomes more impressive, and in a record-setting year such as this one, their achievements become even more outstanding. We are proud to welcome them into our family of Siemens Scholars and look forward to their participation at the national finals in New York City.” The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges from The University of Texas at Austin, host of the Siemens Competition Region Two Finals. Individual Winner Peter Hu, a senior at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science in Denton, Texas, won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for his materials science project that aimed to develop a novel and biologically compatible material for protein drug delivery. While similar delivery systems for therapeutic proteins are known in scientific literature, many of these materials were found to be carcinogenic. Mr. Hu’s research, titled Novel Thermogelling Dispersions of Polymer Nanoparticles for Controlled Drug Delivery, focused on an alternative FDA-approved material to mimic the behavior of these previous delivery systems, effectively avoiding prior toxicity issues. “While all of the projects were very impressive today, Mr. Hu’s research was successful on many levels,” said Dr. Christopher Bielawski, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at Austin. “This research project established a key proof of concept in the laboratory and the materials presented are poised for examination in living systems. Mr. Hu’s work is very advanced and comparable to that of a second or third year graduate student; with minimal tweaks, this research project stands an excellent chance at being published in a top-tier scientific journal and will likely make quite a splash in many scientific communities.” Mr. Hu is a senior who aspires to one day lead a research team at a university or facility, such as the National Cancer Institute. Currently, he is the Vice President of the Junior Engineering Technical Society, and is organizing a science demonstration team in order to promote interest in math and science among elementary and middle school students. Mr. Hu is also a member of his school’s Research Organization. Both of Mr. Hu’s parents are physicists, spurring his interest in science at a young age. In addition to his academic pursuits, Mr. Hu plays piano and violin, as well as basketball and table tennis in his free time. His mentor for this research project was Professor Liping Tang of the Department of Bioengineering at The University of Texas at Arlington. Team Winners Sean Karson, a senior at Trinity Prepatory High School in Winter Park, Florida; Dan Liu, a junior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School in Austin, Texas; and Kevin Chen, a junior at William P. Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, won the team category and will share a $6,000 college scholarship for their mathematics project entitled Relating Missing and Decycling Edges in Directed Graphs . The team’s mathematics project has the potential to increase efficiency in real world networks by establishing an upper bound on the minimum number of connections that must be removed to destroy all cyclic pathways in systems like the World Wide Web and transcontinental trade routes. “The team’s work was truly impressive in that it focused on a topic in pure mathematics,” said Dr. Haskell Rosenthal, John T. Stuart III Centennial Professor Emeritus in Mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin. “With new and delicate techniques, they have advanced the infrastructure and knowledge of graph theory by providing better bounds, which is of fundamental importance to the mathematics community. Their depth of knowledge was remarkable, and their work was on the same level of that of a Ph.D.” Mr. Karson is a senior who has received Excellence Awards for Honors Computer Programming C++, Graphics I, Honors Chemistry, Honors Precalculus, AP JAVA and AP Chemistry. He has also received the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Math & Science Award, and is recognized as a National Merit Semifinalist. Mr. Karson is Captain of the Quiz Bowl Team, President of Mu Alpha Theta, a member of the Spanish Honor Society and the National Honor Society and volunteers for the Center of Math, Arts and Science Achievement. He has also received the Varsity Baseball Coach’s Award and the Most Valuable Defensive Player Award, and has been the starting third baseman on the Varsity Baseball Team since his sophomore year. Mr. Karson has also leveraged his love of puzzles to create a club called Rubik’s Revenge, aimed to teach middle school students how to solve Rubik’s Cubes. Mr. Liu is a junior who aspires to one day become a computer or electronics engineer or programmer. He is currently Vice President of the InvenTeams Club, Co-Director of his school’s Math Team, and a member of the Liberal Arts and Science Academy’s (LASA) National Honor Society Chapter. Mr. Liu is also a part of the LASA Camerata Orchestra and Science Olympiad Team. He is a part of the Circle C Swim Team, and also plays badminton and ping-pong. Mr. Chen is a junior and is a member of his school’s Mu Alpha Theta, Junior Engineering Technical Society and Computer Science Team. He is also an active volunteer at a local middle school Math Club. Mr. Chen’s dad is a computer engineer and has taught mathematics and physics in the past, playing a large role in sparking his interest in math when he was young. His mother is also very encouraging and supportive of his passion for math and science, helping to foster his current academic interests. He enjoys practicing piano, playing tennis and programming games in his free time. The team’s mentor was Dr. Jian Shen, Professor of Mathematics at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. Regional Finalists Regional Finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. Regional Finalists in the individual category were: Sai Achi, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, Denton, TX Somak Das, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, Denton, TX Prianka Ghoshal, Westlake High School, Austin, TX Sahil Khetpal, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, Denton, TX Regional Finalists in the team category were: Fayen Bastani and Jonathan Lin, Jasper High School, Plano, TX Sumit Gogia and Patrick Kim, The Science Academy of South Texas, Mercedes, TX; and Vincent Yu, Sha Tin College, Sha Tin, Hong Kong Sunil Pai, The Kinkaid School, Houston TX; and Aneesh Sampath, Ward Melville High School, East Setauket, NY Tianjiao (Tom) Zhang and Liang Gu, Bellaire High School, Bellaire, TX The Siemens Competition The Siemens Competition was launched in 1998 to recognize America’s best and brightest math and science students. In another record-setting year, 2,151 students registered to enter the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology in 2009 – more than ever before – for a total of 1,348 project submissions – a 14% increase in project submissions over 2008 figures and more than a 12% increase in the number of registrations. Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists at six leading research universities which host the regional competitions: California Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Notre Dame; and The University of Texas at Austin. Winners of the regional events are invited to compete at the National Finals at New York University in New York City, December 3 – December 7, 2009. Visit www.siemens-foundation.org on December 7, 2009 at 9:30 am EST to view a live webcast of the National Finalist Award Presentation. You can also log into and follow the Siemens Foundation on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/SFoundation ) for the latest information and announcements throughout this year’s competition. About the Siemens Foundation The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math in the United States. Its signature programs, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, reward exceptional achievement in science, math and technology. The newest program, The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, encourages K-12 students to develop innovative green solutions for environmental issues. By supporting outstanding students today, and recognizing the teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, the Foundation helps nurture tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. The Foundation’s mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens’ U.S. companies and its parent company, Siemens AG. For further information, visit www.siemens-foundation.org . The College Board The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of more than 5,700 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT® and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns. For further information, visit www.collegeboard.com . Follow this link: Materials Science and Mathematics Research Honored at Nation’s Premier High School Science Competition (PR Newswire)

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Materials Science and Mathematics Research Honored at Nation’s Premier High School Science Competition (PR Newswire)

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ — Research projects in the areas of biology and mathematics scored top marks this evening, as Marissa Suchyta of South Barrington, Illinois and the team of Randy Jia of Rochester Hills, Michigan and David Lu of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan received the highest honors at the Region Three Finals of the 2009 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation’s premier high school science competition. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO ) Tonight’s winners will receive thousands of dollars in college scholarships and be invited to compete at the National Finals in New York City on December 3-7, where the winners of six regional competitions across the United States will vie for scholarships ranging from $10,000 to the top prize of $100,000. The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board. “These students have just earned their place among the nation’s greatest high school scientists,” said James Whaley, President of the Siemens Foundation, based in Iselin, New Jersey. “Each year, the students’ work becomes more impressive, and in a record-setting year such as this one, their achievements become even more outstanding. We are proud to welcome them into our family of Siemens Scholars and look forward to their participation at the national finals in New York City.” The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges from University of Notre Dame, host of the Siemens Competition Region Three Finals. Individual Winner Marissa Suchyta, a senior at the University of Chicago Laboratory High School in Chicago, Illinois won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for her biology project. She researched the mechanism by which the protein Geminin prevents DNA from replicating more than one time before a cell divides. Over-replication of DNA will lead to genetic instability, which in turn gives rise to cells exhibiting uncontrolled cell division. The project, titled, Geminin mutant reveals the mechanism to inhibit DNA re-replication, has implications to develop new approaches to treating diseases like cancer. “Ms. Suchyta understood that the research was a great approach to study the replication process. By studying a modified Geminin protein she could investigate how Geminin structure affects its function,” said Dr. Joseph O’Tousa, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. “It is important that the replication machinery allows one and only one start during the S phase of mitosis, and Geminin regulates this. The work adds to our knowledge of how DNA replication is controlled, a fundamental process involved in the development and proper maintenance of tissues and a potential target in managing disease conditions,” he said. Ms. Suchyta is taking college courses in addition to her full high school schedule. Even with this rigorous course load, she has maintained straight A’s throughout all of high school. In college, she would like to double major in Neurobiology and Molecular/Cellular Biology, eventually becoming a neurosurgeon with a PhD in molecular oncology. She placed second at Nationals in the National History Day Competition and was named a Regional Winner in the Discovery Young Scientist Challenge. Ms. Suchyta competes on the Model United Nations and Varsity Science Olympiad Teams. Ms. Suchyta founded the first Midwest chapter of the American Cancer Society’s “High Schools Against Cancer” campaign and began her own nonprofit organization that donates gift buckets to teenage oncology patients. Through her work with the American Cancer Society (ACS), she has been invited to be on the organization’s board and has presented research at the ACS Annual Meeting. Additionally, Ms. Suchyta has been the President of the Gavel Club, Captain of the Forensics Team and the Captain of the Mock Trial Team. She is also a Peer Leader and is near completion of earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. Furthermore, Ms. Suchyta is a competitive ballroom dancer, specifically in the Latin division. She plays the violin as well as the mandolin and speaks French. Her mentor for this project was Dr. Thomas McGarry, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Team Winners Junior Randy Jia and sophomore David Lu, both students from the Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Michigan, won the team category and will share a $6,000 scholarship. Their graph theory project, titled Matching Preclusions for Augmented Cubes, presents a way to measure the strength of a network in the event of link failure. This study examines the matching preclusion number as it relates to the augmented cube graph. The augmented cube has been proposed as an example of a network that is resistant to link failure. “In certain instances a desirable property of a network is that each node can pair up with a partner. The team answers the question of how many links need to be broken until it’s no longer possible to pair up the node in the augmented cube,” said Dr. David Galvin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Notre Dame. “Their project uses clever mathematical techniques and extends our understanding of an important and natural network parameter.” Mr. Jia is a three-time United States Math Olympiad Qualifier and also placed tenth in the Michigan Math Prize Competition. He is a member of the Detroit Country Day School’s Investment and Math Competition Clubs. Mr. Jia serves as a helper for his school’s Math Invitational and a scorer for the Oakland County Mathcounts program. He enjoys studying both math and physics most in school, and his older brother was a Siemens Competition Semifinalist three years ago. He participates in various school volunteer opportunities, such as Open House, and also serves as an Auction Volunteer. Mr. Jia would like to go to college for finance/economics, and hopes to one day become a fund manager on Wall Street. Mr. Lu is a Science Olympiad participant and active member of Quizbowl. He participated in several mathematics competitions before, and also attended the USA Mathematical Olympiad program in the ninth grade. His favorite subjects to study in school are math and the sciences, and he aspires to be a mathematics professor. Mr. Lu is a runner and is a member of the Detroit County Day School’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams. The team’s mentor for this project was Eddie Cheng, a Professor at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Regional Finalists Regional Finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. Regional Finalists in the individual category were: Angela Ma, Carmel High School, Carmel, IN Arjun Puranik, William Fremd High School, Palatine, IL Dennis Tseng, William Mason High School, Mason, OH Kevin Wang, Wylie E. Groves High School, Beverly Hills, MI Regional Finalists in the team category were: Qingyuan Chen, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, IL; and Fred Schmitt, Naperville Central High School, Naperville, IL Renjay Liu and Bingjie Qiu, Troy High School, Troy, MI; and Lucille Zhang, Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, MI Qinqin Yu and Sarah Kang, Rock Bridge High School, Columbia, MO David Zheng and Michael Luo, Carmel High School, Carmel, IN The Siemens Competition The Siemens Competition was launched in 1998 to recognize America’s best and brightest math and science students. In another record-setting year, 2,151 students registered to enter the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology in 2009 – more than ever before – for a total of 1,348 project submissions – a 14% increase in project submissions over 2008 figures and more than a 12% increase in the number of registrations. Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists at six leading research universities which host the regional competitions: California Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Notre Dame; and The University of Texas at Austin. Winners of the regional events are invited to compete at the National Finals at New York University in New York City, December 3 – December 7, 2009. Visit www.siemens-foundation.org on December 7, 2009 at 9:30 am EST to view a live webcast of the National Finalist Award Presentation. You can also log into and follow the Siemens Foundation on Twitter ( http://twitter.com/SFoundation ) for the latest information and announcements throughout this year’s competition. About the Siemens Foundation The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math in the United States. Its signature programs, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, reward exceptional achievement in science, math and technology. The newest program, The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, encourages K-12 students to develop innovative green solutions for environmental issues. By supporting outstanding students today, and recognizing the teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, the Foundation helps nurture tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. The Foundation’s mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens’ U.S. companies and its parent company, Siemens AG. For further information, visit www.siemens-foundation.org . The College Board The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of more than 5,700 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT® and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns. For further information, visit http://www.collegeboard.com . See the article here: Exceptional Teens from Illinois and Michigan Celebrated for Biology and Mathematics Research in Nation’s Premier High School Science Competition (PR…

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Exceptional Teens from Illinois and Michigan Celebrated for Biology and Mathematics Research in Nation’s Premier High School Science Competition…

MONTE CARLO, Monaco, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Microsoft Advertising has unveiled two new exclusive branding opportunities available on Windows 7. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO ) Microsoft is enabling global marketers to utilize the desktop or Internet browsing experience exclusively for their brand, with Windows Theme Experience and Windows Personalization Gallery. The announcement was made at the Monaco Media Forum in Monte Carlo. Both of these Windows 7 theme experiences are being tested by a handful of brands as part of a pilot program that runs until October 2010. The themes allow new consumer engagement opportunities across Microsoft’s unique product portfolio and let consumers connect with their favorite brands outside of traditional online advertising. The themes are opt in for consumers, who have the choice to download the branded themes they are most passionate about. The global advertisers already on board include Ducati, Infiniti, Porsche and Twentieth Century Fox. In addition to these global brands’ themes, there are seven Microsoft themes: two for Xbox “Gears of War”; three for Zune: Characters, Elements and Zodiac; and Bing’s Best and Lugares Coloridos . Windows Theme Experience Windows Theme Experience is a robust sponsorship opportunity that offers engagement beyond the desktop with a combination of elements including Internet Explorer 8 add-ons, Windows 7 and Windows Vista Web-connected gadgets, Windows 7 backgrounds and borders, and operating system audio elements making up the offer. In addition, brands will be able to maximize their presence on Microsoft properties worldwide, including MSN and Windows Live, and have the potential for inclusion in Windows Galleries and the new desktop gadgets and add-ons that will ultimately drive consumers to a sponsor’s dedicated download page. These new themes are intended for a brand’s most passionate fans and allow for a deeper engagement by letting consumers embed their favorite brand into their PC experience. Windows Personalization Gallery The Windows Personalization Gallery offers a desktop branding experience for users throughout the operation of their Windows 7-based PC including backgrounds, slide shows, borders and application audio elements. “The new Windows Theme Experience and Windows Personalization Gallery in Windows 7 allow consumers to customize their technology to reflect the things in life they are most passionate about,” said Darren Huston, corporate vice president of the Consumer & Online organization at Microsoft. “These are great examples of Microsoft innovation and technology coming together to enable top global brands to reach audiences in new and interesting ways.” “Microsoft is a key partner in our global advertising strategy; they constantly provide new ideas and opportunities which are tailored to our brand and exciting for our customers,” said Jon Brancheau, director, Global Infiniti Marketing. “At Infiniti, our vehicles are a personal expression of the driver, much like computer personalization is an expression of its user. The Windows Personalization Gallery and Windows Theme Experience are unique offerings that will provide Infiniti with a new set of tools to integrate our brand elements into the lives of consumers everywhere.” “People connect emotionally with films and the stories they tell,” said Bettina Sherick, vice president, Digital Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox International. “These are the same people who personalize their digital experience. We are thrilled to be able to bring our film properties to consumers and let them engage more deeply with the stories that move them.” “We pride ourselves on innovation and groundbreaking technology at Porsche, as well as customer service where we strive to listen to our clients,” said Scott Baker, advertising manager for Porsche Cars of North America. “That’s why we are excited to partner with Microsoft, a company known for constantly providing new ideas and opportunities for its customers. We know that to engage with consumers, you have to integrate with their lives. The Windows Personalization Gallery and Windows Theme Experience do exactly that.” “We pride ourselves on listening to our clients and developing the most innovative, accessible and relevant products based on their feedback,” said John Nicol, general manager, Last Mile Innovation, Microsoft Consumer & Online. “Windows 7 is your PC simplified, and the personalization options are a unique and valuable experience for consumers. We know that traditionally 50 percent of PC installations are personalized.(1) For brands that are looking to engage on a deeper level with their consumers, personalization is one of the most effective and well-received methods of increasing brand awareness.” The Windows Theme Experiences and Windows Personalization Gallery are available globally. The various themes for download can be viewed at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=109286 . Advertisers who are interested in the pilot should contact their local Microsoft Advertising sales representative. For More Information The Windows Theme Experience and Windows Personalization Gallery are pilot initiatives, in partnership with seven global launch partners. Themes to download are at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=109286 . More information about Windows 7 is available at http://windows.microsoft.com/ . In the U.S. only, the link is http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/personalize . About Microsoft Advertising Microsoft Advertising provides advertisers and publishers with media, tools and services designed to drive deep and profitable engagement with their audiences. This includes a global media network of Microsoft properties such as MSN, Windows Live, Xbox LIVE, and partner properties such as Facebook, WSJ.com and Verizon. The Microsoft Advertiser and Publisher Suites simplify planning and management of campaigns and content, offering a range of services that help advertisers and publishers untangle the complexities of digital media and get more out of their marketing and content investments. Microsoft Advertising makes buying and selling media simple, smart and cost-effective across media and devices spanning 42 markets and 21 languages. Visit http://advertising.microsoft.com for more information. About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT – News ) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. (1) Source: Microsoft internal usability testing More: Expressing Brand Passion With Windows 7 (PR Newswire)

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Intel Corp. will pay $1.25 billion to make peace with Advanced Micro Devices Inc., as the companies whose microprocessors run nearly all personal computers finally found common ground in a bitter and colorful dispute that caused international antitrust trouble for Intel. AP – FILE – In this Oct. 14, 2009 file photo, an Advance Micro Devices (AMD) logo is shown on … The settlement announced Thursday sent AMD stock soaring and ended a 4-year-old lawsuit in which AMD accused Intel of abusing its dominance of the chip market to keep a lid on AMD’s share. Intel has about 80 percent of the microprocessor market, and AMD has about 20 percent. According to the lawsuit, Intel penalized computer makers for using AMD’s chips or offered them financial incentives — payments that a Toshiba Corp. manager likened to “cocaine.” Executives from Gateway complained that Intel’s threats of retaliation for working with AMD beat them “into guacamole.” Intel has defended its practices, saying it simply offered rebates to big customers, which allowed them to pass lower PC prices to consumers. A microprocessor can account for 15 to 20 percent of the cost of a computer, according to Martin Reynolds, a vice president with the Gartner Inc. research firm. But despite Intel’s stance it did nothing wrong, the AMD lawsuit, which was scheduled to go to trial in Delaware in March, was one of Intel’s biggest headaches. Squashing the case removes the possibility Intel would be on the hook for even more if it lost at trial, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said. “While it pains me to write a check at any time, in this case I think it was a practical settlement,” Otellini said on a call with analysts. Intel shares fell 16 cents, 0.8 percent, to close Thursday at $19.68. The settlement will help AMD whittle its $3.7 billion in debt. Its shares jumped $1.16, or 22 percent, to close at $6.48. But even before Thursday, AMD’s complaints had their desired effect: Antitrust regulators in several countries have filed cases against Intel based on AMD’s accusations — cases that won’t disappear because of the settlement. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating Intel, and regulators in Europe have fined Intel a record $1.45 billion. Intel has paid the fine but is appealing it. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said Thursday that the European Commission “takes note” of Intel’s settlement with AMD but that it does not change Intel’s duty to comply with European antitrust law. Regulators in Korea have fined Intel $18.6 million — Intel is appealing that as well — and last week New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed a federal lawsuit accusing Intel of using “illegal threats and collusion” to dominate the chip market “with an iron fist.” In 2005, Japan’s Fair Trade Commission found that Intel violated antitrust rules there. Intel accepted that ruling without admitting wrongdoing. Intel can easily absorb the latest penalty. The company made enough money in just the first nine months of this year to pay the European fine and the AMD settlement and still have nearly $1 billion left over. Since AMD sued Intel in 2005, Intel’s profit has totaled $28 billion. In that same time, AMD has lost more than $7 billion. Some of AMD’s problems have been of its own doing, such as its $5.6 billion acquisition of ATI Technologies in 2006. That made AMD a player in the market for graphics chips, but saddled AMD with loads of debt. AMD also lost billions trying to keep up with Intel in the companies’ equivalent of the arms race — the effort to constantly build chips with the most advanced manufacturing techniques. But AMD has long blamed many of its problems on Intel’s behavior. It’s not clear how much Intel’s tactics will change under Thursday’s pact. Intel agreed to “abide by a set of business practice provisions,” and AMD said the changes resolve its concerns “to a great extent.” But Intel says that as part of the deal it will refrain from giving financial incentives to companies that limit their use of AMD chips — which the company had always said it wasn’t doing anyway. The settlement has precedent. In 1995 the companies, which are headquartered mere miles from each other, reached an accord that gave AMD the right to keep producing chips based on a design known as the “x86 architecture,” which both companies still use today. In fact, that 1995 deal was important in the new settlement. As part of its restructuring, AMD has spun off its factories into a separate company, to cut costs. Intel said the move violated the x86 licensing agreement, while AMD held that the spinoff didn’t need a new license to make chips that incorporated Intel’s technology. Under the terms of the new agreement, AMD and Intel entered into a new, five-year cross-licensing deal. Intel dropped claims that AMD breached the earlier agreement. And AMD is dropping all litigation against Intel. “It is a pivot from war to peace,” said Tom McCoy, AMD’s top lawyer. Intel said that with the $1.25 billion settlement, its spending in the current quarter will now be $4.2 billion rather than the $2.9 billion it had previously forecast. But it also expects its tax rate to be 20 percent rather than 26 percent because it says legal settlements are tax deductible. AP Technology Writers Joelle Tessler in Washington and Peter Svensson in New York and AP Business Writer Aoife White in Brussels contributed to this report. The rest is here: Intel settles AMD claims but isn’t off the hook (AP)

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The market seemed like it would open positive today. And it did; for all of five minutes. A small dip in the indices turned into a full on drop as an IEA report on crude oil detailed rising supply and lessening U.S. demand. That and a rising U.S. dollar didn’t help much either. Crude oil closed down $2.34 at $76.67 a barrel. The Dow ended down 93 points, the NASDAQ 18 points, and the S&P 500 finished down about 1 points. And while the indices swam in a blood red sea today, sectors that really got hit include energy, financials, utilities, and industrial goods. Gold took a hit as well due to the rising dollar, ending at $1107 an ounce, down $8. Since most of the companies in the S&P took a nosedive, let’s focus on companies that ended on a positive note. 3Com (COMS) shares shot up, thanks to HP’s acquisition, ending at $7.49 a share, up 31%. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), better known as AMD, also benefitted from another technology company: Intel (INTC). The popular chipmaker will pay AMD a $1.25 billion settlement fee, which in turn propelled AMD’s stock up 23% to close at $6.50 a share. JDS Uniphase Corp. (JDS) also had a good day, up nearly 8% to close at $7.77. And after all the noise today, Goldman Sachs still saved a bunch of kittens . See original here: Stocks And Oil Drop Sharply, Dollar Climbs

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LEXINGTON, Mass., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ – Highland Capital Partners, a leading venture capital firm with a twenty-year history of helping great people build great companies, today announced the firm’s eighth fund, Highland Capital Partners VIII Limited Partnership. The new $400 million fund will continue to fuel the firm’s focus on early through growth stage investments in exceptional healthcare, internet & digital media and technology companies. “We are very appreciative for the continued backing of our limited partners,” said Bob Higgins, general partner at Highland. “We are pleased to raise a fund in this challenging environment that will allow us to continue to partner with the world’s best entrepreneurs and management teams in building high-growth and successful companies.” Since its inception, Highland has focused on building early and growth stage companies into world-class leaders. During this period the firm has partnered with over 200 entrepreneurial enterprises, 90 of which have gone public or been acquired to date. Recent Highland-backed companies with valuations in excess of $1 billion include Conor Medsystems (IPO/acquired by Johnson & Johnson), lululemon athletica (Nasdaq: LULU – News ), Starent Networks (Nasdaq: STAR – News ) and VistaPrint (Nasdaq: VPRT – News ). About Highland Capital Partners Highland Capital Partners was founded with the mission of helping great people build great companies. For over twenty years, the firm has taken a sector-focused approach to investing in exceptional healthcare, internet & digital media and technology companies. With 3 billion of committed capital and offices in Boston, Silicon Valley, Shanghai and Geneva, Highland has invested in and worked to create such firms as Ask Jeeves, Avid Technology, CheckFree, Conor Medsystems, Continental Cable, lululemon athletica, Lycos, MapQuest, Navic Networks, Ocular Networks, P.A. Semi, Quigo, Starent Networks, Sybase, Telica and VistaPrint. For more information, visit Highland’s web site at www.hcp.com . See the rest here: Highland Capital Partners Announces $400 Million Fund (PR Newswire)

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Results from a new survey suggest IT professionals must be constantly vigilant in watching for employee reprisals against company systems, thanks to the uncertain economy and, in some cases, multiple rounds of layoffs. The 12th annual Ernst & Young Global Information Security Survey of nearly 1,900 senior executives found that 75% of respondents were concerned with the possibility of reprisal from employees who have left their organizations. While many of those surveyed were concerned about malicious former employees, far fewer were doing anything about it. Less than half (42%) were weighing the risks and only 26% were taking steps to address insider threats. The report, issued Tuesday, is the result of a survey conducted among senior IT professionals between June and August 2009. Ernst & Young conducted field interviews with executives in 60 countries. The report supports earlier industry surveys warning how the sluggish economy could result in increased threats, reduced budgets and delays on IT security projects at many enterprises. Senior IT executives indicated they were under pressure to cut costs, relied on current security systems and struggled to attract and maintain skilled and trained information security talent. They said finding adequate budget for security initiatives will be a major challenge for the coming year. “These are clear indicators that information security is not immune to external economic forces and must find ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness while keeping spending to a minimum,” according to the report. The result is a renewed focus on understanding potential threats and addressing them over time with a minimal investment in technology. Fifty percent of survey respondents indicated that they planned to spend more on security risk management , and 39% planned to spend relatively the same amount on this initiative over the next year. Meanwhile, regulatory compliance is taking a back seat, with 60% indicating spending would remain the same. For those spending on new technologies, data leakage prevention (DLP) software and appliances seem to be the top choice. About 90% of those surveyed said they would spend either the same or more on DLP related technologies. DLP also ranked as the second-highest priority of organizations during the next 12 months, behind regulatory compliance activities. DLP focuses on employee behavior as it relates to data changes and movement in the environment. Companies can use the technology to detect policy violations by monitoring traffic. Some firms have found it to be an effective way to enforce security policies and user awareness programs. Despite an increase in virtualization technology deployments as a result of the cost savings associated with pooling resources, senior IT executives didn’t see it as a major security concern, according to the survey. Seventy-eight percent of respondents indicated they implemented virtualization, but only 19% said virtualization was a security priority. “Clearly, our survey respondents do not recognize the same level of risk with virtualization as would be expected with such a significant and extensive change effort,” the report stated. “More alarming is the fact that virtualization security should be a concern, but the majority of organizations and security leaders are ignoring its implications.” One recent survey by Nemertes Research indicated that companies are avoiding spending on virtualization security technologies until the market matures. The survey also found senior IT executives perceived an increase in external and internal threats. Forty-one percent of respondents noted an increase in external attacks and 25% of respondents said they witnessed an increase in internal attacks. The concerns ranged from phishing and website attacks to employee privilege abuse and theft of proprietary data. A number of security studies have documented a rise in Web-based attacks , fueled by an increase in employee use of social networks, blogs and Web applications. Others have documented the need for a greater emphasis on maintaining updated patches on employee productivity tools such as PDF viewers, media players and browser components, which include Flash and Java-based tools. Compliance remained the top priority of enterprises. When asked about the importance of specific security activities, 46% of respondents indicated that complying with regulations was very important, with an additional 31% considering it important. The report also found that compliance costs continue to rise; 55% of those surveyed indicated moderate to significant increases in compliance-related costs as part of overall security costs. “This may be an indication that organizations are spending too much of their security budgets on demonstrating point-in-time compliance as opposed to implementing a comprehensive information security program where compliance is a by-product and not the primary driver,” the report stated. View original post here: Layoffs prompt insider threat fears, cybersecurity survey finds

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About WanderPort Corporation WanderPort Corporation is a publicly traded company specializing in the development, marketing and distribution of Eco-Friendly Technology and solutions. The company’s main focus is the preservation of clean fresh water as well as the reduction and elimination of fossil fuel uses. WanderPort owns the global exclusive manufacturing and Read more…

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EMC Corp. wants you to trust them when it comes to cloud computing data security. The data storage vendor recently released a paper via its RSA security division substantiating that enterprises give up some control over data when systems are outsourced to the cloud. EMC’s Eric Baize, who was part of the team overseeing the company’s security strategy that led to the acquisition of RSA in 2006, acknowledges that security has consistently played catch up to disruptive technologies. But not this time, Baize said. Whether it’s EMC, Cisco Systems Inc. or Oracle Corp., cloud infrastructure providers want enterprises to build in security early, he said. “There’s a certain amount of disruption with cloud [computing], but we also believe we need to create a disruption on security thinking and make security a feature of the cloud,” Baize said. Experts have boiled down cloud computing to essentially three areas: Infrastructure as a Service, in which an enterprise’s data center or certain servers could be hosted outside the company walls, Platform as a Service, in which a company hosts certain business applications beyond its boundaries, and Software as a Service, in which a software suite is contracted out for employee use, such as Salesforce.com’s customer relationship management software. Each of the cloud computing use cases come with their own security challenges for enterprises. The EMC RSA paper, “Identity and Data Protection in the Cloud: Best Practices for Establishing Environments of Trust,” identifies some of the general issues slowing adoption of cloud computing. The federal government is also getting involved to help companies better understand the cloud. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has written a publication explaining how cloud computing security can be applied. Perhaps the most important piece of advice from experts is: Be mindful of the terms and conditions of your cloud contract, said Robert Whiteley, vice president and research director at Forrester Research Inc. Not all cloud providers guarantee security controls, he said. Many are happy to add security controls at additional cost. “Some companies are making the mistake in assuming there’s a certain amount of security,” Whiteley said. “Many [cloud providers] say security is still up to you and most have data retention policies that are not very friendly.” Enterprises need to demand more from their infrastructure provider, said EMC’s Baize, because boundaries within the cloud are much more fluid. In some cases, companies may share the same hosted space in a data center. This loss of control over infrastructure and processes can be made up if enterprises make their provider aware of their security policies and the level of control it expects, Baize said. Many of the same physical assets in the company’s internal data center can be applied to the cloud infrastructure. Firewalls and data leakage prevention appliances can be applied in a virtual environment to monitor and maintain the same level of security. The threat landscape remains the same. The standard defense-in-depth approach of deploying multiple technologies to detect and defend against attacks on sensitive data is essential, said EMC’s Baize. While cloud computing prompts some security concerns, infrastructure providers apply a virtualization layer, which provides additional visibility into how company data is being accessed and used. Compliance is another major challenge for many enterprises. Monitoring capabilities can greatly improve reporting processes for auditing and compliance within the cloud, but companies need to address how the data is reported when selecting a cloud computing vendor, Baize said. “Enterprises need to communicate where they stand in some critical security issues,” he said. “Our goal is to provide some direction for customers to consider and [start] the conversation about security early on in the process.” Forrester’s Whiteley said most companies are choosing a hybrid approach, maintaining an internal cloud using virtual infrastructure while outsourcing certain processes, such as testing and development. It’s a three-tiered process that begins with building enough virtualization and storage provisioning in-house to develop an internal cloud. Then companies begin to outsource certain processes followed by moving more business-critical workloads into the cloud. “A lot of CIOs are in that second tier, trying to figure out how to begin to truly augment the economics of IT by relying on more cloud services,” Whiteley said. Earlier this year, a Forrester report urged companies to take a cautious approach to cloud computing . In some cases, employees may already be using cloud-based services without the consent of IT, according to Chenxi Wang, a principal analyst at Forrester. Wang said companies need to conduct a thorough assessment of their cloud provider, which includes a review of the provider’s network and security policies. The goal is to understand who actually has access to the data on the backend. Establishing security into service-level and contract agreements is essential, Wang said. The rest is here: Cloud computing data security starts with internal strategy, experts say

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(Money Magazine) — The Dow tumbled last week, and the bad news is spreading. Sectors that haven’t been badly affected until now are dropping along with long-troubled groups like the financials. Technology stocks, for instance, which remained close to a 52-week high until a few days ago, are now down 9 percent from recent peaks. Concerns are mounting that a recession is already under way and that a bear market is inevitable. In times like these, it’s more important than ever to have a focused investing strategy and to stick with it. You can destroy your long-term returns by dumping stocks after the worst of a decline is already over and missing the rebound. And it’s equally easy to hurt your returns by going bargain hunting too soon and being blindsided by a second wave of share price declines. In fact, it’s foolish to try to outguess short-term fluctuations. Very few investors can do it consistently enough to beat the market over the long term. Instead, you should concentrate on positioning yourself to maximize your long-term profits. The good news in today’s turmoil is that you’ll get plenty of opportunities to buy top-quality stocks at bargain prices over the next few months. So think carefully about the gaps in your portfolio, and wait for the right opportunity to fill them. The one sure strategy is to wait until share prices are depressed and then buy the stocks you know you want to own. At the moment, we’re experiencing the stock market version of a perfect storm, where everything seems to be going wrong at the same time. That always looks scary, but it also means that an awful lot of bad news is already reflected in share prices. If you’re an optimist, you can take heart from the fact that share prices have held up remarkably well. The daily news is so bleak that you would expect stocks to be down a lot more than 9 percent from recent highs. And it’s possible that current problems are overstated. A weak dollar boosts exports and the overall economy. It’s only a problem if it encourages inflation, which so far hasn’t happened. Today’s oil price has been bid up a lot by speculators, well above a fair market price. With a slowing economy, we could see the price of a barrel of oil suddenly drop by $20. Falling home prices and subprime loan defaults are localized and can be absorbed, when compared with the overall real estate market or the total volume of outstanding mortgage loans. If you’re a pessimist, of course, you believe that share prices have a lot further to fall and that many stocks still face whomping losses. There’s no way to tell which view is right. There are really only two things you can be sure of in a situation like this. The first is that stock prices already reflect all the bad news we know about. The market will fall further only if earnings are even worse than expected, if oil prices keep going up more than expected, or if losses on bad loans are even bigger than expected. In fact, sentiment is currently so negative that it wouldn’t take much good news to spark a rebound. The second is that no one really knows how bad things are going to get. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress last week that the economy is slowing but that it will likely pick up again by Spring. He acknowledged, however, that it’s hard for economists to identify turning points. If you accept that you can’t outguess the market, then it makes most sense to manage down your risk as much as possible and then turn your attention to long-term prospects. Traders may have to worry about short-term market risks. But if you’re investing for retirement or any other major financial goal that’s a decade or more away, you’ve got a much easier job. The key ways to minimize your investing risk are well-known ? you’ve heard them a hundred times before. Buy high-quality stocks and diversify as broadly as you can, owning shares of companies in a variety of industries. If you don’t have enough money to buy lots of individual stocks, consider using index funds or ETFs for specific sectors. They’re typically cost-efficient and well diversified. There are lots of good buys among large, high-quality growth stocks. They have never fully recovered from the tech wreck of 2000-2002. And now that they’re dropping along with the Dow, they’re getting underpriced again. The easiest choices for tech investing are two ETFs – Technology Select SPDR (XLK) and iShares Dow Jones U.S. Technology (IYW). Financial stocks are dangerous to buy until all the bad news is out. But when the troubles end, the best quality banks and brokerages are likely to be great deals. Historically, financial stocks have dropped for six-to-nine months after a credit crisis developed. That suggests that this decline may not be over until February. That’s also a good target date because the banks will have completed their audits for full-year earnings by then. Attractive ETFs for this sector include Financial Select SPDR (XLF), Vanguard Financials (VFH) or one of the iShares Financials (IYF and IYG). A smart alternative is to play the financial stocks indirectly, through a high-yield equity ETF. The S&P Dividend SPDR (SDY) tries to match the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats. That index consists of the 50 highest-yielding stocks in the S&P Composite 1500 that have increased their dividends for 25 consecutive years. Currently, the S&P Dividend SPDR is only about a third financial stocks. Half of the portfolio is split among utilities, consumer goods and industrials. The ETF yields almost 3.3 percent, and that kind of payout provides share price support that couldn’t be more welcome. 

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