Author: Serkadis

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander answered questions on the threats of climate change to poor countries and what the UK wants from this month’s EU Council and the Copenhagen conference.

• Find out more on DFID’s climate change webpages or on the Act on Copenhagen website.

Read the transcript:

Moderator says: Thanks for all your questions so far. Douglas Alexander is still a few minutes away, but we will be getting started shortly.

Nick Hoskinson: Alexander. Do you really think you can get Global agreement on this important issue? Because I reckon you have a VERY uphill struggle.

Douglas replies: Hi, it’s Douglas here.  You are right that Copenhagen isn’t a done deal and it remains in the balance.  But we are determined to try and get the right deal. The US, China and India are now engaged and all seem to want to get a Copenhagen deal.  Timing is tight and the deadline is helping to concentrate minds.

Jason Jones: How big a setback would it be for Copenhagen were Europe not to be able to agree a common negotiating position this week at the European Council?

Douglas replies: Climate change is a defining political test for our generation.  We have a moral responsibility to the developing world to work out a fair deal on climate change.  I remain of the view that EU leadership on climate finance this week can be essential to unlocking the negotiations.

Nadav Atik: Ed Miliband, Gordon Brown and yourself are making good promises ahead of Copenhagen in regards to reducing CO2 emmissions; but to what extent are other government departments (eg those involved with business and industry, transport, food, defence, trade, housing and finance)on board with these targets?

Douglas replies: Just last Thursday I was at a meeting here in Whitehall to discuss what more we can do to secure a deal in Copenhagen.  That meeting wasn’t just with Ed, but with other Ministers from across Government.  We simply wouldn’t have been in a position for the Prime Minister to make his speech on climate financing back in June unless there was broad support right across Government to get a successful conclusion to the Copenhagen talks.

Rowena Quantrill: given the devasating affect that climate chane is already having on the lives of peole in developing countries, what will it take to get the government to take real action such as increasing green taxes and persuading voters that they may have to make lifestyle changes such as flying less and eating less meat?

Douglas replies: It’s important if we are to build the public support and momentum to tackle climate change that politicians are clear with the public about the choices that are required.  If, for example, as a society we are going to fly more in the future then we’ll have to engage less in other activities that generate carbon.  Of course, technology has a role to play, but so do the choices made by individuals, companies and governments.  I also think it’s significant that campaigners like Al Gore make the case for action in terms of opportunity rather than simply austerity.  As my colleague Ed was told recently at a public meeting “if Martin Luther King had stood on the mall and said “I have a nightmare” instead of “I have a dream” the civil rights movement might not have been quite as effective.”

Dina: What is the future plan for climate change and how can the general public have their say on their future?

Douglas replies: The public can have their say in a lot of different ways.  Encouraging retailers to source sustainable products, following the kind of advice contained in the Act on CO2 campaign, and campaigning on these issues.  On Friday evening I took part in a public meeting in my constituency that Oxfam had organised ahead of Copenhagen to discuss the need for a fair, effective and ambitious deal.  My hope is that in communities across the country we’ll see more of that engagement, not less, in the weeks and months ahead.

Joanne O’Reilly: What will be your priority in Copenhagen?

Douglas replies: As the British Government we want a deal that is fair, effective and ambitious.  As Development Secretary my focus is making sure that the voices of developing countries are heard in these negotiations, because many developing countries are already being hit first and hit hardest by dangerous climate change.

Jiesheng: Why are we so concerned with climate change’s linkage with povery? A main facto for poverty is the biased trade barriers of the EU and other Western nations as well as the neo-liberal ideas in aid packages, DFID’s included.

Douglas replies: Jiesheng, of course getting a fairer set of global trade rules is vital to tackling extreme poverty around the world.  But climate change is literally a game-changer in the battle against poverty.  Many of us came together in 2005 to campaign to make poverty history – unless we now address climate change it will make poverty the future for millions of our fellow citizens.

Eion Begley: John Prescott has said “Unless Copenhagen recognises that the agreement must be about social justice, it will fail.” Do you think that the US can be persuaded on this?

Douglas replies: I welcome the fact that there has been a real change in the approach of the American Administration to climate change with the election of Barack Obama.  Of course all countries need to make compromises to reach agreement in Copenhagen, but my sense from talking to Ed regularly over recent weeks is that there is a real willingness on the part of the Americans to work to try to secure the global deal.  I think for that deal to be acceptable to many developing countries it will need to recognise the particular responsibilities of developed countries as well as the particular vulnearbilities of many developing countries.

Joe: What will the modalities for Climate Change Adaptation finance so that it can be both additional to ODA but also complimentary to it?

Douglas replies: Additional funding is going to be key to both getting a deal and making it work.  Some ODA will meet both poverty reduction and climate change objectives, but developing countries want to know that we are also sticking to our commitments on poverty reduction.  We are working with our EU colleagues this week and in the run-up to Copenhagen to secure this extra funding to help developing countries tackle climate change.  NGOs, campaigners and civil society all have a responsibility in the weeks ahead to work on these issues both because it’s the right thing to do, and it may hold the key to a deal.

Richard Hincks: Some commentators have said that the best result from Copenhagen is that actually it would be to delay the meeting for 1 year. This would give more time for discussions about the best way forward and in the end, get a better deal in the future or get a (possibly) mediocre deal in December. Do you agree?

Douglas replies: The truth is I don’t think it’s credible to talk about a plan B given our focus is rightfully on trying to secure agreement in December.  I struggle to see why if the world fails to come together towards the end of this year it’s any more likely to happen in a year’s time.  That’s why not just political leaders, but civil society have such a key role to play in the run-up to Copenhagen.  We should be working for, planning for, campaigning for success rather than anticipating failure.

Essayas: How politically and materially (emissions) important will the voices of African countries be in Copenhagen? How is Britain partnering with Africa on climate change?

Douglas replies: We’re supporting the ability of African governments to be represented in Copenhagen and participate fully in the talks, and we’re also supporting civil society within Africa to raise awareness and campaign on these issues.  African leaders like Paul Kagame and Prime Minister Meles are already making their voices heard on these issues.

James Knight: Have you signed up to the tck tck tck campaign?

Douglas replies: Yes, and I recently spoke at a meeting organised by the tck tck tck campaign alongside Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland and climate advocates from the developing world.

Daniel Vockins: Great news that you’ve signed up to 10:10. What will your department be doing to reach 10%?

Douglas replies: The 10:10 campaign can be a powerful symbol of the commitment of individuals and institutions to tackling climate change.  I’ve signed up the Department for International Development and we have already put in place systems to monitor the carbon emissions from our buildings here in the UK and offset our air travel.  The White Paper I announced in July commits us to making all of DFID’s operational activities both in the UK and overseas carbon neutral by 2012.

While these campaigns and actions are important, so too are actions by governments internationally, which is why a global deal in Copenhagen is so important.  I’m going to have to sign off now.  Thanks for all your questions, sorry I couldn’t get to them all. I commit to keep working on these issues between now and Copenhagen.

Southern Cross Group and Evercore Mexico Capital Partners have agreed to acquire Mexican homebuilder Servicios Corporativos Javer, for an undisclosed amount. The deal is expected to close next month, pending regulatory approvals.

PRESS RELEASE
Southern Cross Group, Evercore Mexico Capital Partners (jointly the “Funds”) and Servicios Corporativos Javer, S.A.P.I de C.V. (”Javer” or the “Company”) announced today that they have signed an agreement by means of which the Funds acquire a controlling interest in the Company.

This transaction allows Javer, leader in the Mexican homebuilding sector, to incorporate strategic partners with proven financial and operating experience throughout the region. Javer, which plans to build more than 17,500 homes in 2009 and has land reserves in excess of 100,000 units, is one of the fastest growing developers of homes in the low, middle and residential segments in Mexico.

“The operating experience, strategic thinking and regional view of our new shareholders will contribute towards further consolidating Javer’s growth as we work towards becoming one of the country’s leading homebuilders and consider accessing the public equity markets,” stated Salomon Marcuschamer, founder of Javer.

This transaction does not involve any changes in the Company’s management, operating team or strategy. Roberto Russildi and Eugenio Garza, CEO and CFO respectively, will continue heading the Company’s operations as they, and the rest of the senior management team, have agreed to sign long-term employment contracts with incentives tied to the performance of the Company.

Salomon Marcuschamer, who will serve as Javer’s Honorary Chairman, will remain actively involved in the management of the Company particularly with respect to land acquisition and development. The Board of Directors will also include Ricardo Rodriguez, Cesar Perez Barnes and Sebastian Villa from Southern Cross Group, Pedro Aspe and Alfredo Castellanos from Evercore, Fernando Alvarez Neila, Joe Ackerman and independent board members to be appointed shortly after the closing. Ricardo Rodriguez will act as Chairman of the Board.

The new partners have a long-standing track record of achieving extraordinary investment returns by focusing on improving the operations of their portfolio companies while operating within very conservative leverage structures. The Funds do not intend to implement any fundamental changes in Javer’s overall business or financial strategy, especially with respect to leverage and dividend policies as the intention is to re-invest free cash flow to maximize growth. The transaction does not involve any modification of the cash balance or financial position at Javer.

Cesar Perez Barnes, Managing Director of Southern Cross, stated, “The incorporation of an investor group with long-standing, proven experience in the region will contribute significantly to consolidate the institutionalization of management and corporate governance procedures. We believe our capabilities perfectly complement Javer’s vision and that, together, we will continue maximizing the Company’s value within a general context of growth in the Mexican homebuilding sector.”

Homebuilding in Mexico is approximately a US$ 20 billion industry with annual demand for homes in excess of 800,000 units with over 720,000 mortgages granted each year(1).

“Our investment in Javer relies on solid fundamentals, in one of the most relevant sectors of the country’s economic activity. The market knowledge and business expertise of Javer’s executive management have allowed it to become a leader in the sector and is a testament of the company’s competitive position,” declared Pedro Aspe, Co-Chairman of Evercore.

Roberto Russildi, Javer’s CEO commented on the transaction, “At Javer we are honored by the fact that such well recognized investment firms chose to join us in what we foresee to be an unparalleled market opportunity. It is a true vote of confidence to what the company and our team have achieved to date. Their participation, together with that of Mr. Marcuschamer, provides a tremendous sponsorship umbrella that will guide us as we execute our business strategy which includes titling in excess of 45,000 homes over the next couple of years.”

The closing of this transaction, which is expected in November of this year, will require approval from Mexican regulatory authorities.

(1) Industry figures according to Infonavit and Softec; does not include the Vacational segment.

Southern Cross Group, a leading private equity fund in Latin America founded in 1998, has offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and the United States. Its companies are worth more than $1.5 billion dollars and participate in various economic sectors such as retail, pharmaceutical, personal care products and household production, oil and gas exploration, hospitality, food distribution, generation thermal power, natural gas distribution and water services. Of its more than 20 transactions, the best known in the Mexican market include the acquisition of MMCinemas, the sale of Telex-Chile to Telmex, the sale of Construmega to Cemex and development of MorePharma. For additional information please visit: www.southerncrossgroup.com

Mexico Evercore Capital Partners is the private equity division of Protego and manages more than $125 million dollars. Its first investment was More Pharma; the investment in Javer will represent the second joint venture in Mexico Evercore Capital Partners with Southern Cross Group. Protego, founded in 1996 by Pedro Aspe, is a leader in investment banking advice. In 2006 it merged with Evercore, a leading US investment banking and investment management firm. Evercore has a presence in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, DC, Houston, London, Mexico City, Monterrey, Japan, Brazil, France and China. Other private equity investments in which Protego has participated are Volaris, Ike Assistance and Lipu.

Javer, based in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, was founded in 1973 by Salomon Marcuschamer. It is one of the largest developers of low-income homes in Mexico. The company has a 19% market share in loans granted by Infonavit in the State of Nuevo Leon. It plans to build over 17,500 houses in 2009 and has land reserves in excess of 100,000 units. The company provides strong social support to the communities in which it participates through the installation of schools, medical centers, and sports complexes.

Disclaimer:

This press may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those regarding Javer’s future financial position and results of operations, the Company’s strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, future developments in the markets in which Javer participates or are seeking to participate or anticipated regulatory changes in the markets in which Javer operates or intends to operate.

Javer cautions potential investors that forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on numerous assumptions and that Javer’s actual results of operations, including the Company’s financial condition and liquidity and the development of the Mexican mortgage finance industry, may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. In addition, even if Javer’s results of operations are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.

Important factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: risks related to Javer’s competitive position; risks related to Javer’s business and Company’s strategy, Javer’s expectations about growth in demand for its products and services and to the Company’s business operations, financial condition and results of operations; access to funding sources, and the cost of the funding; changes in regulatory, administrative, political, fiscal or economic conditions, including fluctuations in interest rates and growth or diminution of the Mexican real estate and/or home mortgage market; increases in customer default rates; risks associated with market demand for and liquidity of the notes; foreign currency exchange fluctuations relative to the U.S. Dollar against the Mexican Peso; and risks related to Mexico’s social, political or economic environment.

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PacketMotion Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based provider of user activity management solutions for IT audit and compliance efficiency, has raised $5 million in Series C funding. Reservoir Venture Partners led the round, and was joined by return backers Intel Capital, Onset Ventures and Mohr Davidow Ventures. The company has now raised $39.5 million in total VC funding since 2004.

PRESS RELEASE

PacketMotion, pioneers of User Activity Management, today announced the closing of a $5 million Series C Round of funding. Reservoir Venture Partners led the financing, with additional contributions from all of PacketMotion’s existing investors including Intel Capital, Mohr Davidow Ventures and Onset Ventures.

PacketMotion will use the funds to expand its sales force and bolster marketing in response to strong demand for its PacketSentry Manager and Probe that help mid- to large-sized enterprises meet compliance/audit requirements and mitigate insider security threats.

“We’re backing PacketMotion because no other compliance or security product offers the same ability to look at data at the application level while operating at the network level,” said Matthew Carbonara, general partner, Reservoir Venture Partners. “Further, PacketMotion’s one-of-a-kind solution actually delivers on what others have claimed in the past–it provides deep analysis and enforcement of all transactions based on user activity, versus IP address. The market opportunity is huge, and we want to help PacketMotion capitalize on it.”

PacketMotion’s solution avoids the use of agent software or in-line appliances, both of which typically impact application availability and performance. IT and security teams are able to integrate the PacketMotion solution in less than one day, immediately lowering the costs associated with complying with regulations such as PCI DSS, SOX and HIPAA.

“Since we launched PacketSentry in early 2008, our solution has been resonating with customers who need to do more with less,” said Paul Smith, CEO, PacketMotion. “This should be our last financing round as we move towards expected profitability in 2010.”

About PacketMotion

PacketMotion, Inc. has pioneered the development of User Activity Management (UAM) to drive IT audit and compliance efficiency. Recognized by Gartner as a “Cool Vendor in Identity and Access Management, 2009”, PacketMotion’s unique approach to automating compliance and security avoids the use of agent software or in-line appliances, both of which can affect application availability or performance. IT and security teams are able to integrate the solution in less than a day, immediately lowering costs associated with complying with regulations such as PCI DSS, SOX and HIPAA. The solution also is simultaneously used to manage risks from insider fraud and protect sensitive data. For more information, visit www.packetmotion.com.

About Reservoir Venture Partners

Reservoir Venture Partners is a venture capital firm specializing in investments in seed and early stage companies. The firm typically invests in information technology, biosciences and advanced materials manufacturing devices and measurement. Within information technology, it focuses on business solutions, systems software, security communications technology, and hardware and software wireless solutions. The firm typically invests in companies with market size of $500 million. Reservoir Venture Partners was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit www.reservoirvp.com.

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Aviary Inc., a Long Island-based provider a software application suite in the cloud, has raised $7 million in Series B funding. Spark Capital led the round, and was joined by return backers like Bezos Expedition.

PRESS RELEASE

Aviary, Inc., a pioneer of a creative application suite in the cloud, today announced that it has received $7 million in Series B financing led by Spark Capital, with participation from existing investors, including Bezos Expeditions, a personal investment company of Jeff Bezos. With a suite of digital creation and editing software available as an online service, Aviary offers a simple and cost-effective solution for creators of all genres – from graphic design to audio editing – to express their creative talents and participate in the burgeoning market for digital goods. In conjunction with the investment, Mo Koyfman of Spark Capital will be joining Aviary’s board of directors.

“Aviary’s robust suite of online creative tools is fundamentally democratizing digital creation. Whereas the market for digital goods was once reserved exclusively for creators using proprietary desktop software, Aviary is delivering creative applications that allow anyone with a browser to participate,” said Koyfman. “And by doing so in the cloud, Aviary allows for seamless online creation, collaboration, distribution and ultimately monetization previously not possible. The Aviary model has the potential to exponentially increase the number of creators and collaborators contributing to the digital economy.”

Until now, the digital creation market has been largely dominated by desktop software solutions which are often cost prohibitive and involve complicated interfaces. By contrast, Aviary offers a powerful creative toolset in the cloud that enables professional and amateur creators alike to easily create their own digital works. The basic Aviary suite is available for free to users and includes an image editor, vector editor, audio editor and more. Users can also upgrade to the pro suite to gain commercial features such as unlimited private storage, as well as collaboration and community enhancements. For more information, visit http://aviary.com/.

“We are disrupting the status quo by eliminating the long-held barriers to digital creation and giving creators the tools they need to create, market and monetize their vision,” said Avi Muchnick, founder & CEO of Aviary, Inc. “We are extremely excited to have Spark Capital on board. Their broad-ranging internet, software and consumer experience will be a tremendous asset to us in furthering our mission to make creation accessible to creators of all genres.”

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Hello Kitty is 35 years old now, and she still continues to be the dream cartoon cat of millions of teenage girls. If you’re one of these people and have a penchant for gadgets on top of that, this new and strictly limited music player might be the right thing for you. The so-called Hello Kitty Music Player Crystal [JP] is the result of a cooperation between iriver Japan, Hello Kitty company Sanrio and luxury brand Swarovski Crystal.

The player is sized at 47.2×18.0×37.5mm, weighs 19g and comes with 300 of Swarovski crystals that just boost the cuteness a little more. It features 2GB of storage, which is enough for around 480 songs and can play MP3 and WMA files. It supports Windows PC only (via USB 2.0).

The player is Japan-only and will cost $150 when it goes on sale (exclusively online) on October 30. I suggest you contact the Japan Trend Shop, Geek Stuff 4 U or Rinkya in case you live outside Japan and you’re interested in getting one.

(Reuters) – Billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz will be elected to Legg Mason Inc’s (LM.N) board, the U.S. asset manager said on Monday, in a move that would avoid a proxy fight for the next two years.

Peltz’s Trian Fund Management and Legg Mason agreed to a pact where the fund will not accumulate more than 9.9 percent of Legg stock for the next two years, Legg Mason spokeswoman Mary Athridge said by phone.

Trian holds about 6.94 million shares, or 4.3 percent, in the asset manager, Legg Mason said in a statement.

“We welcome Nelson, whose firm is a significant investor in Legg Mason,” Chief Executive Mark Fetting said in the statement. “We look forward to benefiting from his insights and experience.”

Legg Mason said Peltz’s appointment reflects an agreement between the asset manager and Trian.

In June, shares of Legg Mason rose more than 10 percent on a single day after a British newspaper reported the Baltimore-based asset manager, home of famed fund manager Bill Miller, could face a shareholder challenge from Peltz. [ID:nN24222737]

Peltz is known for his bruising battles with corporate management, including his 2007 fight with Cadbury Schweppes that resulted in it spinning off a beverage division.

Legg spokeswoman Athrdige confirmed to Reuters a Wall Street Journal report that said Trian has also agreed to vote in favour of Legg Mason’s board nominees over the next two years.

Trian agreed not to do “things that could initiate a proxy fight,” Athridge said.

By Ajay Kamalakaran
(Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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Today’s headlines focus on details of the Democrats’ health overhaul legislation, including the latest on the public insurance option.

Tulsa Hospital Gives Medicare Patients Cash Back For Surgery
This story highlights a surgery done at the 691-bed Hillcrest Medical Center. It is part of an experiment testing a new “bundled” payment system. Medicare makes a single reimbursement for all the hospital and doctor care for heart and joint procedures, rather than making separate payments to the facility and physicians (Kaiser Health News and USA Today).

Fight Erupts Over Health Insurance Rates For Businesses With More Women
The Pennsylvania home health care company Linda Bettinazzi runs is charged about $6,800 per worker for health insurance – $2,000 more than the national average for single coverage. One reason: nearly every one of her 175 employees is a woman (Kaiser Health News).

Obama Needs Win, Could Settle On Bill
Costs and the political calendar are catching up with health care reform. Having bet the farm, President Barack Obama needs a win and is willing to settle for a cheaper bill and a weaker public insurance option. Democrats in Congress, increasingly worried about the 2010 elections, want stronger medicine for fear the reforms will prove to be a house of cards if working-class voters can’t afford the coverage promised (Politico).

Insurers Poised To Reap Benefits From Healthcare Overhaul
As President Obama’s push for a healthcare overhaul moves toward its final act, the oft-vilified health insurance industry is on the verge of seeing a plan enacted that largely protects its financial interests (Los Angeles Times).

Lieberman: Health Bill Concern Not Based On State’s Insurers
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), one of a handful of Senate wild cards in this fall’s healthcare reform debate, says his concern about the Senate bill is based on the national deficit — not the insurers that dominate his state (The Hill).

If You Build A Coverage Mandate, Will They Come?
People are more likely to buckle their seat belt than follow the speed limit, even though the penalties for speeding are higher. They are more likely to go along with hotel efforts to reduce linen laundry if told that other guests are doing the same (The Washington Post).

AP Sources: Health Bill May Cut Employer Mandate
Businesses would not be required to provide health insurance under legislation being readied for Senate debate, but large firms would owe significant penalties if any worker needed government subsidies to buy coverage on their own, according to Democratic officials familiar with talks on the bill (The Associated Press).

Democrats Are Optimistic That Public Option Will Be Approved
Several Democratic senators voiced optimism on Sunday that Congress would pass a health care bill containing at least the germ of a government-run insurance program. Their expectations were grudgingly seconded by Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in 2008 (The New York Times).

Senate On Verge Of Health Bill
Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure as soon as early this week that would include stiffer penalties on employers who fail to provide health coverage (The Wall Street Journal).

Next Phase In Health-Care Debate: The Art Of The Deal
With a growing sense that Democrats may have the votes to pass health-care reform, many participants are now attempting to shape the components of landmark legislation rather than to defeat it (The Washington Post).

Clock Ticking On Democrats’ Health Care Reform
Time growing short, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate still face key decisions if they are to achieve President Barack Obama’s goal of passing legislation to remake the nation’s health care system by year’s end (The Associated Press).

Dems Push For Benefits To Start By 2010
Democrats are pushing Senate leaders and the White House to speed up key benefits in the health reform bill to 2010, eager to give the party something to show taxpayers for their $900 billion investment in an election year (Politico).

Who Might, Or Might Not, Be Covered Under The Healthcare Bills
Low-income people could get federal assistance, but even a ‘public option’ may leave out some individuals (Los Angeles Times).

Politics Aside, Annual Medicare Fix Is Same Old Story
Congress is at an impasse over how to fix a perennial problem in Medicare. Just about every year a formula glitch threatens to cut payments to doctors who treat seniors and the disabled. And just about every year Congress cancels the cut. This year lawmakers are complaining about the bill because it’s not paid for. But, despite what both Republicans and Democrats are claiming, that’s nothing new (NPR).

Kaiser Health News also provides weekend news summaries. Check out Saturday’s developments with the public option and Medicare’s doughnut hole as well as headlines regarding the public option on the Sunday talk shows and Democratic infighting on abortion and health reform.

Sign up to receive this list of First Edition headlines via email. Check out all of Kaiser Health News’ email options including First Edition and Breaking News alerts on our Subscriptions page. 

So, remember last week when we wrote about how anti-net neutrality lobbyists from AT&T had crafted astroturf letters for various “special interest groups” to sign — but someone forgot to remove the boilerplate “XYZ Organization” in the first paragraph? We also noted that there was little evidence that the group — the Arkansas Retired Seniors — actually existed. However, Matt Cutts did a bit of digging and found that the name of the guy who signed the letter — Bob Sells — appears to have worked in PR for Southwestern Bell for 28 years (there appears to be only one Bob Sells or Robert Sells in Little Rock). Southwestern Bell, of course, became better known as SBC. SBC, of course, became AT&T after it bought the old AT&T and took on its name. So, if you’re an AT&T lobbyist and you want to convince the FCC that “seniors” are against net neutrality — and you don’t want it to appear to come from AT&T employees — who better to go to than an ex-employee? Still, next time you get a former employee to shill for you, remember to replace the bogus XYZ Organization you left for him in the text of the letter you sent him.

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We just got an an email from one of our connects and we’ve got some great new for all you iPhone-lovers. We’ve been told in just a couple hours, Canada’s TELUS will officially announce that its nation-wide HSPA network will go live on November 5th. Not only that, but on that very date, TELUS will start selling the Apple iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. The iPhone pricing structure for TELUS will be the same as it is for Rogers (and Bell, for that matter) with the 3G going for $99.99/$599.99 and the 16 and 32GB 3GS going for $199.99/$699.99 and $299.99/$799.99. Beyond that, TELUS doesn’t appear to be in any rush to come forward with specifics on its plan pricing and other handsets. All the presses hints at is “TELUS will offer a number of exciting new devices from HTC, Huawei, LG, Nokia, RIM, Samsung, and Sierra Wireless in time for the holidays, including some on an exclusive basis.” That’s more or less in line with the line-up we’ve already told you.

Not all big brands are using social media tools to the potential they could be. For this reason, it really sticks out when they do. There are plenty of small businesses you can learn a lot about ways to use social media from, but it is the big brands that have the truly wide reach. These are the ones that are easier to find, just because they’re brands that you know.

Take Pizza Hut for example. The company seems to appear in the social media news circles fairly often. One time it was for posting a job opening for a Twittering position. Another time it was for using Twitter as a tool to drive its efforts to help feed the hungry.

Look at Ford. They utilize all kinds of different social media channels. They go where the people are, and they interact with them in different ways. They keep it at a human level. They look for trends and try to determine what people want. They use Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Scribd, Delicious, etc.

here. You probably interact in some capacity with big brands on a daily basis, whether that is something as simple as getting a Coke out of the vending machine or running around the neighborhood in your Nikes. Find products you use. Find products you like and are interested in. Then see how they are using social media (if they are). This way you are placing yourself directly in the role of the customer, and you can evaluate exactly what you are getting out of their social media experience. Since you can look at this from the customer’s perspective, you can use that to determine strategies that you feel work, and those that you feel don’t. It’s not a bad way to find concepts you can apply to your own business or at least some that you can test. October 26, 2009 Obama’s H1N1 national emergency declaration could invoke FEMA response to pandemic (opinion) (NaturalNews) President Obama’s declaration of a national pandemic emergency is “no cause for alarm,” reported the mainstream media throughout the weekend. The declaration is nothing more than a “precaution,” they say. “It’s really more a continuation of our preparedness steps,” said Anne Schuchat, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in a USA Today story. In other words, there’s not really any emergency at all. So why declare a national emergency in the first place? The media reports this was done to allow hospitals to bypass federal regulations concerning the setting up of large-scale triage sites — emergency medical camps quickly constructed to deal with large numbers of sick people. But at the same time, H1N1 isn’t causing large-scale sickness. As USA Today reported, an expert on infectious disease, P.J. Brennan (the chief medical officer for the Penn Health System at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia) said, “The public ought to take some solace, some relief in this. It’s not a suggestion that things have deteriorated in any way. In no way is the virus more severe or more difficult to manage.” So let me get this straight. The H1N1 virus remains mild. The CDC reports that swine flu infections already peaked out in mid-October. There have been no new developments in swine flu that would be cause for alarm and no reason to suspect huge numbers of sick people flooding into the hospitals. And yet, for some reason, the Obama administration has declared a national pandemic emergency specifically for the purpose of speeding the ability of hospitals to process large masses of sick people through emergency medical triage tents? What are these people not telling us? Something doesn’t add up here. Why would the U.S. government need to declare a national emergency to enable hospitals to handle a flood of sick people when there is no flood of sick people (and the pandemic seems to be fizzling out)? This is more like the kind of preparation you might expect in advance of a biological terrorism attack, not for a flu that appears no more dangerous than the seasonal sniffles. The National Emergencies Act and FEMA Meanwhile, the media ignores the rest of the story about what dangerous powers a declaration of a national emergency puts into play. As reported here on NaturalNews, this declaration effectively ends many civil liberties in America and, at least on paper, puts the U.S. government in the position of having the legal authority to force vaccinations on the entire population at gunpoint (if they wanted to). The National Emergencies Act passed in 1976 has some peculiar realities attached to it. In particular, as Wikipedia reports: A federal emergency declaration allows the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to exercise its power to deal with emergency situations … Typically, a state of emergency empowers the executive to name coordinating officials to deal with the emergency and to override normal administrative processes regarding the passage of administrative rules. Got that yet? By declaring a national emergency, Obama invokes a set of laws that not only override important sections of the U.S. Constitution, but that also activate FEMA to take charge of “responding” to the emergency. Now we know why they need all those emergency medical tent camps near the hospitals. FEMA’s in charge! And if FEMA handles the swine flu pandemic in the same way the agency handled the Hurricane Katrina disaster, we may indeed need all those emergency triage tents after all. Those of you who have been following the ongoing march to destroy the freedoms of the American People already know about FEMA camps. These aren’t Boy Scout field trip camps; they’re detention centers designed to hold large numbers of people for “emergency” purposes. Many theories abound on what these FEMA camps might be used for (www.campFEMA.com) (http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7763). They could conceivably be used to quarantine people who are infected with a dangerous pandemic virus. On the other hand, they might also be used to isolated and detain people who refuse to be vaccinated against any declared pandemic. Under the National Emergencies Act and related U.S. law, FEMA would have two years of near-total control over the civilian population, during which people could be subjected to forced vaccinations, mandatory searches of their homes, gunpoint detainment and “involuntary transportation” to a FEMA detainment facility, and so on. I’m not saying they’re going to do all this, but they could if they wanted to! And that’s not freedom. Real freedom means you have the guaranteed right to be safe from being detained, or arrested without cause, or injected with a government-mandated chemical. Under a declaration of a national emergency, your “freedom” is at the whim of those who maintain police state powers over you. You’re only “free” if they decide to refrain from exercising the power they have over you. It’s the same kind of freedom you might get as a peasant in some Medieval kingdom where the king says, “You’re free to go.” Now, some of these freedom-restricting actions might conceivably be justifiable if a truly dangerous pandemic virus were sweeping through the population killing millions, causing huge disruptions in the national infrastructure and threatening the nation with a partial or total shutdown of essential services. But that is not happening here. H1N1 is a mild virus that rates astonishingly low on the severity scale. If H1N1 were a hurricane, it would be little more than a “tropical depression.” It is not a category five hurricane, nor a phase six pandemic. Virtually everyone who is exposed to H1N1 generates their own antibodies and cures themselves naturally. According to hospital reports, those who have died from the H1N1 virus are almost exclusively people who were already suffering from preexisting conditions that compromised their health such as asthma or extreme obesity. By any measure, H1N1 as currently configured appears to present no extraordinary threat to the health of the population. So once again, we must ask: Why declare a national emergency and initiate a FEMA response to something that’s not really an emergency? Why I’m concerned For the first time in this whole pandemic situation, I’m concerned. Not due to the virus itself, because that’s a mild virus that presents no real threat to the population at large. I’m concerned about what we don’t know might be going on behind the scenes here. These preparations for large-scale medical triage tents and the emergency activation of FEMA have me worried that the American people aren’t being told the whole story. Perhaps a terrorist organization is planning on releasing a wildly dangerous mutation of H1N1 in some major U.S. city. Or perhaps some vaccine maker is, in fact, that terrorist organization. (The best way to sell more vaccines would be to release a mutated form of H1N1 into the population and scare up some more sales…) Or maybe, as some creative thinkers have suggested, the vaccine itself IS a bioweapon, and the U.S. government is preparation for large-scale fatalities it expects to see soon. Or maybe these are just fleeting, dark visions from crazy people, and the U.S. government is a benevolent organization with all our best interests in mind, and they’re jumping through these bureaucratic hoops to make sure there are plenty of hospital beds to go ’round just in case more people get really sick. But even that explanation doesn’t hold water. A “national emergency declaration” isn’t necessary to waive hospital tent rules. Obama could have easily accomplished the same thing with an Executive Order, without having to invoke the National Emergencies Act or put FEMA in charge at all. He chose the emergency declaration for a specific reason. I guess we’ll all have to wait and see what that real reason turns out to be. October 26, 2009 Herbicides and cholesterol drugs interfere with taste, could damage metabolism (NaturalNews) It’s not unusual to hear about herbicides having suspected toxic effects or prescription drugs producing side effects. But a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded study just published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry has found another negative and surprising way common herbicides and fibrate drugs (which are used to lower elevated blood lipids) impact the human body: they block a nutrient-sensing taste receptor on the tongue called T1R3. So what’s the big deal about this? It turns out there’s emerging evidence these taste receptors are also found in hormone-producing cells in the intestine and pancreas. When working properly, these internal taste receptors in the gut trigger the release of hormones involved in the regulation of normal homeostasis (the ability of the body to maintain internal physiological stability) of glucose as well as energy metabolism. Simply put, screwing up the ability of T1R3 to sense certain nutrients could possibly wreak havoc on the human body in a variety of ways — from playing a role in unhealthy blood sugar levels to causing people to gain weight . “Compounds that either activate or block T1R3 receptors could have significant metabolic effects, potentially influencing diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome,” said Monell geneticist and study leader Bedrich Mosinger, MD, PhD, in a statement to the media. For their study, Dr. Mosinger and his research team tested the ability of two classes of chemical compounds to block the T1R3 taste receptor. These compounds were selected because they have strong structural similarities to lactisole, a sweet taste inhibitor that is known to block T1R3. Specifically, the researchers investigated fibrates (a class of drugs often used to lower blood cholesterol, especially triglycerides), and phenoxy herbicides. Fibrate drugs are sold in the U.S. under several names including gemibrozil (brand name Lopid) and fenobribrate (brand name Tricor). Phenoxy herbicides are chemicals widely used in agricultural fields, on golf courses, rights-of-way and lawns to control broad-leaf weeds. The best known, called 2,4-D, is one of the most extensively used herbicides in the world. According to the Oregon State University Extension Service web site, popular brands of phenoxy herbicides include MCPA, Crossbow, Banvel, Garlon, Weed-B-Gone, and Brush Killer. They are also incorporated into a host of “weed and feed” and brush control products for use on grass. In laboratory experiments, the researchers found that both classes of compounds were very potent in blocking activation of the human sweet taste receptors. Additional tests showed that this ability of both fibrates and phenoxy herbicides to block T1R3 is specific to humans. “The metabolic consequences of short and long-term exposures of humans to phenoxy herbicides are unknown. This is because most safety tests were done using animals, which have T1R3 receptors that are insensitive to these compounds,” Dr. Mosinger said in the press statement. “Given the number of compounds used in agriculture, medicine and the food industry that may affect human T1R3 and related receptors, more work is needed to identify the health-related effects of exposure to these compounds.” For more information: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jm900823s http://www.monell.org/news/news_releases/t1r3 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/em/em8737-e/ October 26, 2009 Kava Kava has Many Health Benefits and Uses (NaturalNews) Kava is a well-known herb that originated in the Pacific. Also scientifically known as Piper Methysticum, the roots and stem hold the key ingredient that has been used for medicinal purposes both in traditional and modern times. Traditionally chewed or crushed to form a liquid, Kava can now be commonly found in capsules, teas and liquids aimed at reducing a variety of stress and anxiety related conditions and illnesses. Scientific research has pinpointed its effectiveness whereby in terms of neurotransmission, feel good vibes are sent to the brain which then aids muscle relaxation, increases concentration, decreases insomnia, lowers inhibitions and can also be suitable for pain such as back aches or hyperactivity in children. Although there is no absolute evidence, it has been suggested that Kava may affect serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters. Extracts of the Kava root have been processed to provide the population with immediate access to the various associated health benefits. Other health benefits of this herbal remedy include help for asthma, urinary tract infections, depression and menopausal symptoms. Due to its calming and muscle relaxing qualities, it has provided a health improvement to many that would have otherwise still have been suffering. In recent times, sports persons and business people, to significantly improve performance by reducing daily stresses, have used Kava. It is also interesting to note that the use of Kava has been employed by the military, in some parts of the world, to reduce anxiety and improve the focus of its soldiers. Concerns have been raised as to the safety of regularly consuming Kava. One of these main concerns involves the liver, where liver toxicity and failure occurred in some patients that were found to be taking a supplement containing the Kava extract – although, this could not be clarified as the patients had also consumed alcohol and other medications. The effects of prolonged use of this natural substance are yet to be substantiated; however, there have been suggestions that ingesting high doses of Kava can lead to headaches and skin rashes. A single dose of this herbal remedy has found little to no side effects. Scientists have advised that Kava is not to be used in conjunction with other medicines, alcohol or by pregnant women. As with anything new, it is still recommended to consult a health care provider as your first point of call. Some federal departments have sought to ban the use of Kava among the general population; however, they have since retracted their statements, due to the growing evidence of Kava related health benefits provided by scientists and researchers. Sources: http://www.healthnews.com/natural-health/kava-kava-a-natural-anxiety-reducer-3673.html http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/articles/complementary_alternative_medicine/herbs_supplements/kava_kava.php http://health.learninginfo.org/benefits-kava.htm About the author Henri Junttila is passionate about topics such as home water filters, natural skin care, omega 3 fish oil and natural supplements. His website Colon Health, provides information on topics such as candida cleanse, hemorrhoid cure, relieving constipation, colon detox, colon cleaning, the best colon cleanse and colon cleanse products reviewed by his visitors. October 26, 2009 Netflix coming to PS3 next month It appears that reports of 360 exclusivity for Netflix have been greatly exaggerated. You could always hack it onto your console, but this is a little more official. The streaming-video service will arrive on PS3s next month, and current Netflix subscribers will be able to watch to their heart’s content at no extra charge. However, in a rather absurd turn, streaming will only be enabled when you have a special Netflix disc in your PS3. What the hell is that about? Initially, watching movies instantly streamed from Netflix via the PS3 system will be enabled by a free, instant streaming Blu-ray disc that is being made available to all Netflix members. The free instant streaming disc leverages Blu-ray’s BD-Live™ technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3 system, which must be online via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. I don’t even want to speculate, it’s too weird. The content is hosted online, streamed over the internet, and the application and interface can’t take up more than a few megabytes. Yet they feel the need to next-day-air you a freaking Blu-ray disc that’s apparently the only way to access it. That’s a bit like having somebody climb the stairs in order to get to an escalator, isn’t it? Maybe this is just a temporary thing, but maybe it really is as dumb as it sounds. We’ll know next month. At any rate, it’s a pretty awesome score for Sony. Maybe Microsoft only signed up for a two-month-long exclusive? October 26, 2009 Netflix confirmed for PS3 That didn’t take too long to confirm. A mere day after word got out of the possibility that Netflix will indeed be coming to either the PS3 or the Wii… October 26, 2009 BGR v2.0 launched! No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you… we’ve just rolled out a brand new redesign of BGR! There are so many amazing things we’re proud of and it just felt time that we freshened up the site. We’ve dramatically improved comments and you can vote them up or down (lowest voted comment will be hidden with an option to view them) and we’ve streamlined how posts are displayed. But that’s not it. Check out our color-coded badges for important categories like breaking news or featured posts to help you keep track of them, an improved and redesigned gallery is coming ASAP, plus we’re also introducing a brand new feature called BGR Whispers. Think of this as Twitter for BGR. You won’t find us telling you anything personal, but what it will enable us to do is post information we’re hearing that’s not confirmed. Basically its place is between something we’d tweet and something we’d post — not confirmed enough to warrant a real post, but definitely intriguing enough to share. Expect a whole heap of those. We’re also taking this opportunity to re-brand the site as BGR. That’s how we’re referred to 99% of the time, will enable us to expand on our content while always kicking ass in the mobile/gadget space, and hey, it’s just easier to say. Special thanks to our guys at Out:think web design and development. They put up with our crazy requests, took abuse daily, and did an awesome job. Feedback is of course welcome in the comments. Enjoy! October 26, 2009 OS 5.0 now available for Verizon BlackBerry Storm 9530 Verizon Storm users have reason to celebrate tonight because they’re part of a very special user base — the first BlackBerry users to recieve BlackBerry OS 5.0. We’ve already gone over the benefits of OS 5.0 a whole bunch, so all there is left for us to do is tell you how to get the goods. Either fire up BlackBerry Desktop Manager for PC or Mac and accept the prompt to update your handheld, or visit www.verizonwireless.com/storm. We’re just in the process of updating our 9530, but in the meantime, what does everyone that has it loaded up think? Has OS 5.0 made the first-gen Storm the phone it should have been one year ago, or is it just polishing a turd since the BlackBerry 9550 is just around the corner? October 26, 2009 Chip Startup Tilera Dreams the Impossible Dream Anant Agarwal, co-founder and CTO of Tilera, is tackling the Mount Everest of chips. His goal for decades has been to figure out how to build a general-purpose chip that offers better performance and power efficiency. Those are goals that many startups have shot for and missed, or aimed for and settled for two out of three. But like Everest’s awesome heights, the new generation of cloud computing and demand for ever more resources to power social networks, online video and devices, have created challenges for data center operators that may allow Tilera to succeed. Today, the 5-year-old startup is expected to launch a 100-core version of its chip aimed at web-scale computing. Tilera scoffs at quad core machines. The company’s chips already are used by 75 customers, and come with 36, 64, and now 100 cores. Agarwal says, “The core is the new transistor.” By cramming so many cores onto its chips connected by a mesh network of interconnect that allows the cores to communicate without bottlenecks, Bob Doud, director of marketing, says that Tilera can sell its chips to folks wanting faster memcached servers or better performance at web-scale computing. The chips, which provide 1.25 GHz of performance, are no match for Intel’s workhorse Nehalem processor that can top out at 3.3GHz. But Tilera’s chips only burn 33-50 watts instead of 130 watts that top-of-the-line Nehalem silicon can. Giving folks better performance per watt has an essential place in the world of web-scale computing (GigaOM Pro subscription required), as Microsoft tests Intel’s low-end Atom chips in its servers; Dell touts servers using the low-power VIA chip; and SeaMicro creates an 80-core Atom-based box. Doud sees this opportunity and hopes that Tilera’s unique architecture can outperform efforts by other startups (and even big chip vendors) and get inside boxes made by large OEMs such as Dell and HP or smaller vendors using x86 chips in their cloud appliances. But it’s this architecture issue that’s Tilera’s biggest weak point. The difficulty for most startups in the chip space when trying to build computers that deliver the most performance for the least power is the fact that they’re competing against Intel, and huge chunks of code aimed at enterprise and personal computing are written for Intel’s x86 architecture. So even as established chip providers (such as Nivida, which has had some luck getting its graphics processors into the mainstream) try to get people to write programs for their GPUs, Tilera has to offer tools to help programmers write for its chips without learning a new programming language. Doud says he thinks 10 percent of web-scale computing jobs don’t need to keep the old style of coding for x86 chips, and if Tilera can break in there, that would be enough for now. Tilera already sells its chips to telecommunications equipment companies and for those trying to do rapid video and voice transcoding, which Doud says helps the company diversify in a manner that other specialty chip vendors, such as the shuttered SiCortex,  have not done. As Agarwal takes Tilera up the chip industry’s version of Everest, he is betting that the huge shift that’s come about as a result of web-scale and cloud computing is a good time to challenge the need to keep writing for x86 chips. The startup has made it to base camp, with an expected $25 million funding round from computer manufacturer Quanta and undisclosed investors closing later this month (bringing its total funding to about $65 million), and a plan to become profitable without any new investment, but it’s still going to be a hard, uphill slog. October 26, 2009 PlayStation Hooks Up With Netflix; Streams Follow On Friday, I was waxing eloquent about Netflix and its streaming video service, which has become part of my media consumption. And like me, many Netflix fans were accessing the new but fast-growing video streaming service via their DVD players, televisions, Rokus and Xboxes. Well, add Sony’s PlayStation 3 to this list. Netflix just announced that it is going to be supporting the gaming platform that’s already bundled with a Blu-ray DVD player. Netflix will begin streaming via the PS3 system next month at no additional cost to Netflix members in the United States who have a PS3 system. For only $8.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and computers via Netflix-ready devices. By the way, I will be chatting with Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, at our upcoming NewTeeVee Live conference on Nov. 12. You won’t want to miss it; get your tickets today! Recommended reading: “The DVR vs. Internet Video” by Mark Cuban. October 26, 2009