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USGS hydrologic researchers have found that the movement of nitrate through groundwater to streams can take decades to occur. This long lag time means that changes in the use of nitrogen-based fertilizer (the typical source of nitrate) — whether the change is initiation, adjustment, or cessation — may take decades to be fully observed in streams, according to a recent study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. 

Water quality experts have been noting in recent years that nitrate trends in streams and rivers do not match their expectations based on reduced regional use of nitrogen-based fertilizer.  The long travel times of groundwater discharge, like those documented in this study, have previously been suggested as the likely factor responsible for these observations.

“This study provides direct evidence that nitrate can take decades to travel from recharge at the land surface to discharge in streams,” said Jerad Bales, acting USGS Associate Director for Water. “This is an important finding because long travel times will delay direct observation of the full effect of nutrient management strategies on stream quality.” 

Rivers and streams are fed by both groundwater held in underground aquifers and surface water from precipitation runoff. In low streamflow conditions, groundwater sources take a larger role. 

In this study, USGS scientists closely examined surface and ground waters at seven study sites from across the nation to determine the portion of stream nitrate derived from groundwater. They found that most of the nitrate observed in streams located in groundwater-dominated watersheds was derived from groundwater sources. To determine the time it takes groundwater to reach a stream in a groundwater-dominated watershed, an age dating tracer study was conducted in the Tomorrow River in central Wisconsin. The findings indicated that decades-old nitrate-laden water was currently discharging to this stream. Consequently, base flow nitrate concentrations in this stream may be sustained for decades to come, regardless of current and future practices. 

The slow release of groundwater nitrate to streams may also affect the water quality of large rivers. For example, increases in nitrate concentrations during low and moderate flows in large rivers in the Mississippi River Basin have been observed to be greater than or comparable to increases in nitrate concentrations during high flows. (See USGS website, Nitrate in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1980 to 2008.) These findings also suggest that increasing nitrate concentrations in groundwater are having a substantial effect on nitrate concentrations in rivers and nitrate transport to the Gulf of Mexico. Because nitrate moves slowly through groundwater to rivers, the full effect of management strategies designed to reduce nitrate movement to these rivers may not be seen for many years.

Citation 

“Vulnerability of Streams to Legacy Nitrate Sources”
Anthony J. Tesoriero, John H. Duff, David A. Saad, Norman E. Spahr, and David M. Wolock
Environmental Science & Technology; April 16, 2013 

Learn more 

• USGS Circular 1350: Nutrients in the Nation’s Streams and Groundwater 
• Nitrate in the Mississippi River and Its Tributaries, 1980 to 2008: Are We Making Progress? (USGS)
• Article and supplemental material in Environmental Science & Technology   
• Nutrient Flux for the Mississippi River Basin and Sub-basins (USGS)

The Huffington Post rolled out its Japanese site Tuesday, in partnership with the Japanese newspaper company Asahi Shimbun. This is the Huffington Post’s first launch in Asia. It also has editions in the U.K., Canada, France, Spain and Italy, and plans to launch in Germany this fall.

In a post announcing the launch, editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington noted that “when it comes to media, Japan presents unique challenges and opportunities.” Mobile permeates the market, and “the Japanese are voracious users of social media and social-networking sites — not only Facebook and Twitter, but smartphone [social messaging] services like Line, Comm and Gree.”

Along with topics like zen meditation, tea ceremonies and crying baby contests, Huffington notes that HuffPost Japan will be covering “one of my favorite subjects, sleep — from capsule hotels to the abundant photoblogs of people sleeping on trains.”

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One of the biggest challenges for social networks of any kind is the signup process: how do you show someone to use your app and create the experience your existing users love? At this point I can’t imagine life without Twitter, but when I went to teach my parents how to use it, I struggled to explain how they should find the right people to follow, what makes for a good tweet, and how to make their newsfeed look as vibrant as mine. Twitter has continually worked on this problem, Path has struggled with it, and now one of the latest new social shopping apps, called Wanelo, is tweaking its own formula in an attempt to limit the signup hurdles and quickly get more people using the app.

A few months ago I heard about Wanelo and downloaded the app to give it a spin. At its simplest, Wanelo is exactly like Pinterest — except you can click through to purchase anything posted to the site. But when I first installed the app, I was greeted with photos of cut-off shorts, backless dresses, cat pictures, sparkly nail polish, and the like. It was like a 13-year old girl’s heaven. But it wasn’t exactly my style. I couldn’t figure out how to make the main feed reflect my tastes, and I quickly lost interest.

On Tuesday, the company is altering its formula to help people get into Wanelo more quickly, changing the signup process to show people how to follow brands and people (which I struggled with on the old version), and then showing users their curated feeds as the default page of the app rather than what’s trending generally on Wanelo.

Wanelo was founded in 2010 by CEO Deena Varshavskaya but has exploded in popularity in recent months primarily among teenaged and early-20′s women. The company has grown from 1 million registered users in November to 8 million in May, which wouldn’t necessarily mean much, but the company reports that users spend an average of 50 minutes a day on Wanelo. Even among a small group of users, that’s a lot of time, when you consider people spend about 30 minutes a day on Facebook. And a Twitter search for the word “Wanelo” is essentially a feed of (primarily women) discussing their Wanelo addictions.

Varshavskaya said women in the primary age group for Wanelo were becoming obsessed with the app, and as soon as they opened it, they felt at home among the products shown on the trending page. But for anyone else who doesn’t dig sparkles, it was harder to show them the appeal of Wanelo.

“For them, the feed is an amazing, addictive experience,” Varshavskaya said. “For them it’s an awesome first experience. But the downside is that the trending feed cannot by definition work for everyone.”

It seems the re-design fixes the initial signup challenges, but the obvious question is still how Wanelo can distinguish itself from Pinterest, which has raised a lot of money at this point and is pretty much the default social network for saving images and products on the web right now.

Varshavskaya and Wanelo’s investors, which include prominent names like Ann Miura-Ko of Floodgate, Naval Ravikant of AngelList, Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures and Josh Kopelman of First Round Capital, are quick to explain their confidence in the company. Wanelo is fundamentally oriented toward commerce and transactions rather than aspirational photos like Pinterest or Tumblr, Varshavskaya said. And it’s true that if you’re looking to purchase an attractive item and want inspiration, Amazon might not be your best bet, and it’s frustrating when you click a link on Pinterest and discover that it’s broken.

So what’s the future for Wanelo? The company seems ripe for acquisition, either by Pinterest itself or another shopping site like Amazon looking to get into social shopping. Pinterest will surely add a commerce component soon, and while it will be a challenge for Pinterest to transition from a site full of photos to a site with shoppable links, it’s surely a challenge the company will try to solve.

And as much as I got into the new Wanelo app, I still found myself saving aspirational items like an $1,800 necklace. Which feels pretty much how people use Pinterest.

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With Mother’s Day just five days away, it’s already too late to send your artistic masterpiece from iPhoto for printing with Apple – the cutoff was last week. But that does not mean you’re out of options for photography-related gifts when it comes to doing something nice for Mom. The following apps can be used to tap into your creative side and make a customized gift.

Create an original photo collage – Shape Collage ($1.99, Universal, $24.99 Mac) will arrange your photos into just about any shape imaginable. You could arrange your photos to resemble a word, phrase or sentence. You can even arrange your photos into different shapes like flowers, symbols and hearts.  The Mac version will even allow you to save the collage as a Photoshop file, where you can re-arrange each photo individually.

Shape a mosaic of your own – Mosaics take every day objects and create an image by placing different size, shape and colored versions of the objects next to each other. cf/x also does this with their Mosaic ($19.99 Mac) app. Take a photo of your mom’s favorite garden or landscape and use it to creat a really cool image that looks like you put it together yourself by hand.  The controls let you choose how realistic, or artistic you want the piece to be.

Discover a photo mosaic – Take a large set of photos from your childhood and have them arranged to resemble a single more recent photo of yourself — it is a magical process to witness. AndreaMosaic (donation, Mac) has been doing just this for just over 10 years now. AndreaMosaic also has the ability to create your own library of photos to make the final mosaic from rather than use stock photos from a shared online repository.

Remember a comic moment – Take one of your favorite scenes from your life that you love to talk about and document it with Comic Life 2 ($4.99 iPad, $29.99 Mac).  You can even cartoon-ize the photos and distort the images for dramatic effect.  Comic life also has a library of speech bubbles to help you bring the photos to life.

Craft some thoughtful text – What you want to say is up to you, how you say it is another matter entirely. With Art Text 2 ($19.99 Mac) you can express yourself with an endless arrangement of textual options.  Make your words glow with style by adding layers of borders, shadows and even adda glossy effect to the font itself.

Print it all out – When all is said and done you may be looking for some place to print out your masterpiece. Using your iPhone, iPad or Safari on your Mac, you can send your photos directly to a nearby Walgreens (free on iPhone, iPad and Safari) for same-day processing. This same-day processing includes creating Posters, Canvas Prints and even Photo Books.

Any one of these apps can be used to create a single piece of artwork worthy of framing for Mom. You can consider combining several techniques together and craft your own card to accompany whatever else you are getting for Mom this year. Even when the mother on your shopping list is your spouse, the above can be great art projects you can do with the kids. Show them how they can use their iPhone, iPad or iMac to create something really special this Mother’s Day.

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Viber has been a Skype competitor of sorts for a long time, like any VoIP and messaging app for smartphones. At the same time, it’s also been a direct competitor to WhatsApp, employing the same tactic of tying itself to the user’s mobile phone number.

But now the Cyprus-headquartered startup has taken things to a whole new level with its Viber 3 version: it’s released a desktop app for OS X and Windows, making it a full-blown alternative for Skype’s core user base. At the same time, Viber has also beefed up its Android and iOS apps, while introducing support for 8 new languages (reaching a total of 27).

“Viber for desktop lets you do pretty much everything that Viber lets you do on your mobile phone, with minor exceptions such as stickers,” Viber CEO Talmon Marco explained to me. “What puts it apart from Skype is how tightly integrated it is with the mobile experience. Skype went from the desktop to the phone. Viber went from mobile to desktop — the implication for the user is amazing.”

Hello desktop

“Amazing” might be a tad hyperbolic, but Viber’s cross-platform integration is genuinely impressive.

As someone who has a greater variety of smartphones and tablets than most (hey, it’s my job), I can attest to one of Skype’s most annoying quirks – its inability to recognize on one device that I’ve already read the day’s messages on another device. This isn’t an issue with Viber.

“Another annoying thing is my wife always complained that would leave Skype running on my computer at home and every message I exchanged with somebody [while on another computer] would beep,” Marco said. “Viber doesn’t – when you get a message, it beeps at both places. Depending on where you answer the message, the next messages only beep on that device.”

Small things, but useful. A far more major advantage is the ability to quickly and simply transfer calls between devices and network types. So you want to start a call on your home desktop, then pop it over to your Wi-Fi connected smartphone, then maintain the call as you leave the house and move onto a cellular network? It should work.

Ironically, I find this all a bit reminiscent of Telefonica’s Tu Go play, which extends the functionality of that carrier’s phone number-linked mobile services to the desktop. Marco doesn’t see Viber as being in direct competition with the cellular giant’s “over-the-top” app but, as the lines between traditional and new-style messaging functionality continue to blur, I think the similarities between the two are worth calling out.

After all, both essentially extend the same services across both mobile and desktop platforms while using the mobile phone number as the key to the user’s identity. When Tu Go came out, it struck me that this number was one of the carrier’s most underappreciated weapons in the fight against third-party communications services – now that Viber’s also exploiting it on the desktop, though, I’m not so sure.

The desktop Viber app also allows video calls, in the style of Skype and Google Now. This isn’t available for the mobile apps just yet, though – it will be, Marco promised – and it also doesn’t allow group videoconferencing at this point.

Mobile revamp

Viber’s announcements today aren’t all about the desktop. For one thing, we now have the full new version for BlackBerry, which – as we reported last month — finally includes VoIP functionality. This makes Viber the first mass-market VoIP provider to offer such a feature on the platform.

However, as we noted when covering the beta, it’s only available for versions 5 and 7 of the platform. According to Marco, this is because Viber has to implement IT-based voice on BlackBerry in a slightly roundabout way (“pretty much recording and playing back”) which makes latency a serious issue on BlackBerry OS 6, but less so on 5 and 7. Even on the supported versions, “users should manually set the APN settings to do 3G – there’s no way around that,” he warned.

Users on iOS will find their updated app now includes video messaging capabilities: previously, you could send photos and locations, but not videos. “Last online” status has also been introduced, bringing Viber in line with WhatsApp on that front – Marco admitted that he himself wasn’t sure how useful this would be, given Viber’s push notifications, but “it’s there.”

Other tweaks on iOS include the ability to search contacts specifically for groups, rather than having to scroll through individual contacts to find them, and the introduction of a new voice engine “that provides better performance on low bandwidth or in poor network conditions.” The aforementioned ability to roam between Wi-Fi and 3G coverage is also a new feature, and the overall app design has evolved.

The Android version gets the same features as the iOS app, but also a hefty redesign. It previously looked very much like the iOS version but is now all Holo — as Marco put it, “the iOS version looks iOS and the Android version looks Android.”

Next trick

Viber now has 200 million users, Marco said. This is the same number WhatsApp announced less than a month ago, but it’s important to note that WhatsApp’s 200 million users are active on the service at least once a month, while Viber is only talking about the number of its registered users. That said, Marco claimed that the majority of those users did use the service last month.

Given the fact that Viber VoIP calls only sometimes use Skype-esque peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, often going through Viber’s servers instead, this means the company has to spend a lot of money on servers – “We’re probably one of the largest users of Amazon Web Services,” Marco said, while conceding that his firm is still generating zero revenue.

So when is Viber going to start monetizing its service, then? This year, apparently. According to Marco, the company will start selling stickers to its users, along with other, as-yet-undefined “value adds”.

How about an enterprise play? After all, the addition of the desktop app makes Viber an increasingly credible unified communications service. “We have nothing to announce at this point in time, but we think that the desktop offering gets us closer to this,” Marco said.

Whatever happens, there’s no question that 2013 will be a very exciting year for the rapidly-evolving Viber.

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With new 2014 Toyota Tundra coming out this fall, the question on a lot of journalists minds is will consumers by now or wait until the 2016 CAFE regulations start kicking in. This could be a tricky question for some consumers and could have unforeseen ramifications within the industry.

What should a truck consumer do? Buy now or wait until after the CAFE regulations.

For many Toyota fans, the 2014 Tundra is/was a bust in terms of new power train improvements. And many of these fans are predicting changes in engine offerings and transmission choices in 2016. This makes a lot of sense when you look at past Toyota product improvement roll outs, but it also makes a LOT of sense when you consider the new CAFE regulations will affect 2016 model year vehicles.

In case you didn’t know, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards got a big boost when on December 19, 2007, President George W. Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act. This act originally set the standard for 35 mpg by 2020 and was the first big step in strengthening the CAFE standards that were first enacted in 1975. In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration formally switched to a “footprint” equation to evaluate MPG standards. In 2009, President Barrack Obama directed the NHTSA to review the standards passed in 2007 and improve on them as needed. This is where we are at today. Automakers need to improve 2016 model year pickups, by 8-10 percent MPG or be hit with fines.

This begs the question, do you buy a 2014 model when the 2016 model could have significant power train improvements? Or is it foolish to think that the 2016 CAFE regulations will have any impact on the light-duty full-size Toyota Tundra? Will automakers simply use credits from other vehicles to offset full-size truck being over the limits?

We thought we would address these questions in a unique way. Here then is a Q&A with Tundraheadquarters.com editor Jason Lancaster and Associate Editor Tim Esterdahl. Tim asks the questions:

Q. The new vehicles are projected to cost a few thousand dollars more, yet with 8-10 percent more fuel savings (if not more). Payback period could be 3.5 years or so (EPA official said this). Is it worth it to wait and buy a new fuel efficient model?

A. It’s a great question. The trouble with a higher up-front costs isn’t just the cost of the vehicle – it’s the additional sales tax, additional finance charges, and the increased complexity (and subsequent increase in repair and maintenance costs).

As far as Tundra and Tacoma are concerned, now is the time to buy. The new trucks (which might not actually hit until 2018, as Toyota has lots of EPA credits built-up) will be more expensive and probably not any more capable.

Additionally, there’s never been a better time to lease a new truck. Not only are residual values sky-high, but you’ve got a chance to choose between buying your own lease return or a fancy new truck…it’s a smart option for anyone thinking about buying a new truck.

Q. If the new vehicles promise a big MPG increase, could the CAFE regulations cause a downturn in the auto industry (more people waiting, not buying)?

A. Perhaps, only automakers usually respond to cautious consumers by lowering prices, increasing incentives, etc.

Additionally, the economy is expected to be fully recovered in the next year or two, and that’s going to drive sales. People with cash in hand hate to wait.

Q.  Does anybody care about the 2015 models? Why would you buy a 2015 when in 2016 you will probably get the same model with better MPG.

A. I think we’ll see the biggest changes in 2017 and 2018 – don’t think anyone is going to come out with the new product until the very last minute. We might not even see some changes until 2020.

Keep in mind that EPA credits are available on the market (Honda can sell their credits to Ford, for example, to help offset Ford truck sales) and that paying fines might be an acceptable option for Ford, GM, and Ram (at least in the short term). If Ford coughs up $100 million in EPA fines, but sells 600k trucks, that’s a penalty of $167 per truck sold…that’s a lower cost per vehicle than using aluminum magnesium alloy, investing in direct injection, etc.

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think automakers are going to pay fines in the long run – but it might be OK to pay fines for a few years. Ram, for example, could just pay fines while Ford and GM hash out the new technology…then sweep in and buy the same technology off the shelf without investing in any R&D. Their trucks aren’t as fuel efficient, but they’re also less expensive, and some buyers prefer them because they’re “simpler.”

So in other words the timeline is still up in the air.

Q.  Are we going to see a slump in cars sales next year with the wait and see approach?

A. Probably not. Consumers buy when they have the money, not when it’s rational.

What do you think? Do you have questions for Jason that weren’t asked? Comment below and he will answer them.

Related Posts:

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• EPA: 4-Cylinder, 8-Speed Turbocharged Toyota Tundra in 2025

The post 2014 Toyota Tundra Buy or Wait – CAFE Regulations appeared first on Tundra Headquarters Blog.

EPiServer, which is backed by IK Investment Partners, has acquired Euroling. Financial terms weren’t announced. Euroling is a Swedish search provider.

PRESS RELEASE

EPiServer, a global software provider for innovative ecommerce and digital marketing solutions, today announced its acquisition of Swedish search provider, Euroling. Following the acquisition, EPiServer will continue to support the customers and partners of the wholly-owned subsidiary of Euroling. Because the two organizations have joint stakeholders, the acquisition allows for improvements to operational efficiencies and presents opportunities for consolidation.
The acquisition will serve as a strong addition to EPiServer’s current offerings, as Euroling’s search technology, SiteSeeker, will be leveraged to expand upon EPiServer’s existing set of search capabilities.
Founded in Sweden in 2000, Euroling’s SiteSeeker has been used by customers in Sweden and Norway who have integrated the solution for on-site search within the EPiServer platform. The company’s strong roots in academic research have driven continual improvements to the technology, which in conjunction with EPiServer Find for big data, presents major opportunities to grow data navigation and semantic search capabilities into next generation solutions for effective digital marketing.
The acquisition also supports EPiServer’s long-term strategy to expand the ability to deliver market leading solutions for digital marketing and ecommerce. Search continues to be a key aspect of creating a great customer experience and rich source of behavioral information. The acquisition enables EPiServer to offer its customers the ability to search across multiple data sources regardless of where the data resides and whether it is structured or unstructured.
“The search market has become increasingly competitive and in those market conditions, you either focus on improving efficiency or there is a natural drive towards consolidation. As we have joint customers and partners, it was easy to see the business case for this acquisition. In addition, EPiServer has an established market position which can be leveraged for the restructured subsidiary and for efficiently supporting the stakeholders,” said Martin Henricson, CEO of EPiServer. “From a technology perspective, we know customers have to analyze an abundance of data faster and use that information to present a unique and personal online experience to their visitors. This initiative enables us to improve the customer experience by delivering the best and most appropriate results to the visitor through advanced search functionality.”
Other details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
About EPiServer
EPiServer connects ecommerce and digital marketing to help businesses create unique customer experiences which generates business results. EPiServer’s platform combines content, e-commerce and multi-channel marketing capabilities to work full-circle for businesses online, from intelligent optimization, lead-generation through to conversion and repeat business.
Sitting at the center of the digital marketing ecosystem, EPiServer empowers online and IT professionals to create superior customer experience for more than 20,000 websites worldwide. Built on .net, and supported by a pioneering partner network of over 630 partners in over 30 countries, EPiServer’s platform gives customers the ability to deliver the right content to the right person in the right format at a time that suits them. This approach means customers can maximize their investment in digital marketing and increase ROI. The company was founded in 1994 and has offices in the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, Spain, UAE and the United Kingdom. EPiServer is controlled by the IK2007 Fund. IK Investment Partners is a European private equity firm with Nordic roots, managing EUR 5.7 billion in fund commitments.

The post EPiServer Buys Euroling appeared first on peHUB.

LMW2 Partners has recapped Kopetz Mfg. Financial terms weren’t announced. Decatur, Ill.-based Kopetz is a metal fabricator of large pressure vessels and heat exchangers to the process industries and energy sectors. Sikich Investment Banking provided financial advice to Kopetz owners.

PRESS RELEASE

Sikich Investment Banking (“Sikich”) has announced its most recent transaction: the recapitalization of Kopetz Mfg., Inc. (“Kopetz” or the “Company”) by private equity firm, LMW2 Partners, LLC. Sikich served as the exclusive financial advisor to the owners of Kopetz.
Kopetz, founded in 1976 with roots going back more than 60 years, is based in Decatur, Illinois. Kopetz is a leading metal fabricator of large pressure vessels and heat exchangers to the worldwide process industries and energy sectors. The Company has grown rapidly in recent years, nearly doubling its workforce from early in 2010. Much of this success is due to its expansion in the burgeoning Liquefied Natural Gas (“LNG”) industry. Kopetz produces custom, proprietary, LNG vaporizers for both land-based and ship-borne applications used around the world including Asia, the Middle East and South America.
Having successfully led the Company through the recession, Jim Grady, Kopetz’s owner, was looking for an investment partner to assist in taking Kopetz to the next level. Grady engaged the services of Chicago-based Sikich Investment Banking to guide him in this process. The Sikich team, led by Partner-in-Charge, Christopher Geier, and Managing Director, Bob Stutz, was able to develop numerous attractive proposals for Kopetz. Sikich, with a long history of working with private companies, quickly saw the value in Kopetz. “Kopetz is a global leader in the LNG space. With significant growth opportunities across multiple industries, LMW2 is an ideal capital partner with capacity to support that growth,” commented Geier.
“In addition to capital, we were seeking a partner that could provide strategic advice, industry connections and international expertise. Sikich helped us to tell the story of Kopetz in a compelling way, and they were able to bring us several investors interested in the Company,” said Jim Grady. “Their industry knowledge and operational experience were integral, and those strengths are not common in a financial advisor. In the end, Sikich found the right investment partner in LMW2 to help us realize the full potential of Kopetz.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About Sikich Investment Banking
Based in Chicago, Sikich Investment Banking is part of Sikich LLP, a highly integrated, multidisciplinary professional services firm with more than 400 employees working out of eight offices located in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Colorado. Sikich Investment Banking is the Firm’s corporate finance and advisory practice, and through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sikich Corporate Finance LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC, it provides capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic advisory services tailored to middle market clients in the U.S. and abroad. The Firm’s investment banking partners are known for their expertise in negotiating complicated issues and structures, and navigating through the complexities inherent in industries such as technology, life sciences, manufacturing, and others. Their strategic advisory acumen enables them to effectively guide client companies through the process of defining and honing their value proposition, understanding the competitive landscape and where they fit, and ultimately realizing maximum investment returns. Visit the Sikich Investment Banking page at http://www.sikich.com/IB for more information.
Securities are offered through Sikich Corporate Finance LLC, a registered broker dealer with the Securities Exchange Commission and a member of FINRA/SIPC.
About Kopetz Mfg., Inc.
Kopetz Mfg., Inc. fabricates custom ASME pressure vessels and TEMA heat exchangers. The Company specializes in chemical processing equipment, shell & tube heat exchangers and LNG vaporizers, offering its clients 60 years of precision fabrication experience, advanced engineering skills, outstanding quality and specialized high-tech equipment. Founded in 1976, Kopetz’s facility is located in Decatur, Illinois, and the Company’s fabrications have been shipped all over the world to countries such as China, Brazil, Japan, Turkey, Germany, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Columbia and Korea.
About LMW2 Partners, LLC
LMW2 Partners, LLC is a New Jersey-based private equity firm founded by individuals with diverse investment backgrounds and expertise. Across the group, LMW2 has successfully made investments in the middle market industrial, healthcare, real estate and professional sports sectors in the US and abroad. Through their experience and associations, LMW2 has proven to be a valuable partner for the growing companies in which they have invested.

The post LMW2 Partners Recaps Kopetz appeared first on peHUB.

Online gambling company Betfair raised its profit forecast and cost savings target on Tuesday, making its case for independence as it tries to stave off a $1.4 billion takeover by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, writes Reuters. Betfair last month rejected a potential offer of 880 pence per share from CVC, saying the price was too low and had too many strings attached, writes Reuters.

Reuters – Online gambling company Betfair raised its profit forecast and cost savings target on Tuesday, making its case for independence as it tries to stave off a $1.4 billion takeover by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.

Betfair last month rejected a potential offer of 880p per share from CVC, saying the price was too low and had too many strings attached. Its shares rose more than two percent to 863.5p after its trading statement, still below the offer price.

Chief Executive Breon Corcoran, who joined from Irish bookmaker Paddy Power last year, declined to comment directly on the takeover but said his strategy was beginning to pay off.

Under Corcoran, Betfair has withdrawn from markets such as Greece and Germany where regulations are not clear cut or tax rates punitive and has cut 500 jobs as part of a 30 million pound ($46.6 million) cost saving programme.

Betfair’s technology allows gamblers to bet online against one another at their own prices. It is also offering more conventional sports betting with odds set centrally to compete with rivals in an expanding yet highly competitive sector.

“The business is making excellent progress. We had a stronger than expected finish to FY 13 and momentum is strong,” Corcoran told reporters.

“Recent performance indicates that our strategy is working and that the combination of the exchange and sports book can be very potent,” he added.

DECLINE AFTER FLOTATION

CVC, the largest shareholder in Formula One motor racing, believes that it could turn Betfair around more quickly by taking it private. It often leaves management in place once it has done a deal.

CVC has joined forces with investors Richard Koch and Antony Ball who own 6.5 percent of Betfair. It has until May 13 to make a formal offer, although this deadline can be extended.

The company floated in 2010 at a price of 13 pounds per share. The stock has tumbled since then, with analysts saying the company had failed to clearly identify whether it was a technology or gambling business.

Analysts welcomed the statement from Betfair which was hurriedly compiled after its financial year ended on April 30.

“Management has made a good case for the defence with encouraging early signs of the strategy paying off in the UK and opportunities from regulatory changes in Italy, Spain and the US,” said Ivor Jones of Numis Securities. He increased his recommendation on the stock to “Buy” from “Add” and set a price target of 1,100p.

Betfair forecast underlying profit of 73 million pounds on revenues of 387 million for the year to end April. Previous guidance had been for profit of 65-70 million pounds and revenues in a range of 370-385 million, the company said.

Betfair raised its cost savings target to 30 million pounds from a previous 20 million.

The post Reuters – Betfair Lifts Profit Forecast to Put Off CVC appeared first on peHUB.

Hertz Global Holdings‘ private equity investors Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Carlyle Group and Bank of America Merrill Lynch have sold off their remaining shares in the car rental agency for $1.24 billion, writes Reuters. CD&R, Carlyle and Bank of America Merrill Lynch sold 49.8 million shares for $24.96 each. Before the sales, CD&R and Carlyle were the second and third largest shareholders in Hertz, respectively, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Reuters – Hertz Global Holdings Inc said on Monday that private equity firms Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Carlyle Group, as well as Bank of America Merrill Lynch, have sold off their remaining shares in the car rental agency for $1.24 billion.

CD&R, Carlyle and Bank of America Merrill Lynch sold 49.8 million shares for $24.96 each, Hertz said in a press release. Before the sales, CD&R and Carlyle were the second and third largest shareholders in Hertz, respectively, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, CD&R and Carlyle Group bought Hertz from Ford Motor Co in December 2005 for $5.6 billion. Including debt, the deal was worth $15 billion. Hertz did an initial public offering the following year.

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VirusTotal.com is a great resource, a powerful tool which can quickly check just about any file for malware with around 50 of the world’s leading antivirus engines. But if you need to submit more than one or two files then its limited browser-based interface will quickly become a problem, and so you may want to try the new PhrozenSoft VirusTotal Uploader, instead.

Once installed, the program makes it much easier to check the files you need. At its simplest, you can just select one or more files in Explorer, drag and drop then onto VirusTotal Uploader, and they’ll be uploaded for you. A straightforward interface keeps you informed on the upload process, and results are displayed as they arrive.

That’s just the start, though. If you’re manually hunting for malware then you might start by checking your running processes, so it’s good to see that VirusTotal Uploader can do that, too. If you spot something which looks odd, select it, click the Submit button and it’ll be added to your upload queue.

The program provides additional tabs to view your startup programs, services, and any process with an open network connection. Again, you can run a scan on anything which looks out of place.

And there’s even a “Download and Scan” tool; give the program your URL and it’ll download the file and get it checked out for you.

PhrozenSoft VirusTotal Uploader does also have multiple issues. It needs to be installed when we’d prefer a portable version, for instance. And by default it installs itself in your Appdata\Roaming folder, rather than \Program Files (not exactly a critical issue, but we still find it annoying).

There are several interface irritations, too. The way its functions are organised over two windows feels a little cumbersome. Its program and process displays can’t be sorted by name, path, process ID or anything else. And there’s just a general shortage of extras. So you might hope that double-clicking or right-clicking a process would let you see its file properties, say, but actually there are no double-click actions or right-click menus at all.

Still, this is the program’s first public release, so problems are to be expected. These are mostly quite minor, at least, and we’ve no doubt that usability will improve quickly. The core functionality of PhrozenSoft VirusTotal Uploader is already very good, though, and if you’re going manually malware-hunting then we’d take the program along – it’s sure to be a major asset.

Photo Credit: Tom Wang/Shutterstock

German Equity Partners IV, a fund managed by the independent German private equity firm ECM Equity Capital Management GmbH has acquired the MediFox Group. Headquartered in Hildesheim, the business is comprised of three subsidiaries: MediFox, a provider of specialised software solutions for ambulatory nursing care service providers and nursing care homes in Germany; BFS Abrechnungs GmbH an invoicing and factoring service provider in the German nursing care market and CareNavigator GmbH, a specialised web portal which facilitates the exchange of health data among care providers, physicians, patients and relatives.

PRESS RELEASE

Fund managed by ECM acquires MediFox Group in ownership succession-driven transaction
 Leading software provider in German nursing care market intends to further develop its successful business model and realise growth potential under new ownership
 Founder of MediFox Group withdraws following successful strategic positioning of the company
 Second investment by the GEP IV fund which commenced investing in October 2012
Frankfurt, May 7, 2013 – German Equity Partners IV (“GEP IV“), a fund managed by the independent German private equity firm ECM Equity Capital Management GmbH („ECM“), has acquired the MediFox Group, headquartered in Hildesheim, in partnership with the company’s management in an ownership succession transaction. The founder and majority shareholder, who has successfully developed MediFox Group to become the leading software provider in the market for nursing care in Germany, will withdraw from the business. Already in 2010 he transferred responsibility for daily operations to the current Managing Directors Christian Städtler and Dr. Thorsten Schliebe. As part of the transaction the management team of the MediFox Group has acquired a significant equity stake in the company. Size of the shareholding, purchase price and further details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Overview of MediFox Group
The MediFox Group is comprised of three subsidiaries: MediFox GmbH is the leading provider of specialised software solutions for ambulatory nursing care service providers and nursing care homes in Germany. BFS Abrechnungs GmbH is the second largest invoicing and factoring service provider in the German nursing care market. CareNavigator GmbH operates a specialised web portal which facilitates the exchange of health data among care providers, physicians, patients and relatives

Market leading position through specialised software
The complexity of reimbursement regulations in Germany and requirements for documentation of care services make it increasingly attractive for nursing care service providers to use specialised software solutions. For almost 20 years MediFox has specialised on the development and marketing of software solutions for nursing care service providers in Germany. In its core product area, software, MediFox currently holds a market share of approximately 40 per cent in the ambulatory sector. In the stationary nursing care sector, in which the company has been active since 2011, MediFox has shown continuous growth and is now one of the leading software providers.
The care market in Germany is expected to realise steady long-term growth based on underlying demographic trends. There are currently approximately 2.5 million patients and roughly 23,000 care providers in Germany.
Attractive growth potential through further development of the business model
Based on its leading position in software solutions for ambulatory nursing care providers the MediFox Group has a range of growth options. Apart from expansion of its customer base, the group aims to take advantage of its strengths in product development and sales as well as its product and IT know-how to further develop its business model.
Christian Städtler, Managing Director of MediFox GmbH, welcomes the partnership with ECM and the GEP IV fund: “With the ECM managed fund we have found a partner who has invested in our growth strategy.” Dr. Thorsten Schliebe, Managing Director of MediFox GmbH added: “We have set market standards with our specialised and user-friendly software products for ambulatory and stationary nursing care homes. We are convinced of the potential for the continuous positive development of the MediFox Group. Together with our excellent team we expect to further grow the business and successfully access related markets.”
Axel Eichmeyer, Managing Director of ECM, added: “The MediFox management team has successfully developed the company in recent years. Based on its leading market position, a highly scalable business model and innovative service offerings we consider MediFox to be an attractive investment for GEP IV. We look forward to supporting this dynamic company in realising its growth potential.”
Investment and advisers
The acquisition of the MediFox Group is the second investment by the private equity fund GEP IV that commenced investing its EUR 230 million committed capital in October 2012. The fund is managed by ECM and aims to acquire majority shareholdings in mid-sized enterprises in the DACH region. GEP IV was advised in this transaction by KPMG (Finance & Tax) and SJ Berwin (Structuring). Legal advice was provided by Allen & Overy and commercial due diligence by Rothgordt & Cie. Axel Eichmeyer, Florian Kähler, Alexander Schönborn and Florian Thelenberg are responsible for the transaction at ECM. The owners of the MediFox Group were advised by ALLIANCE Merger & Acquisition and legal advice was provided by Renzenbrink, Raschke, von Knobelsdorff, Heiser (rrkh).
###
ECM Equity Capital Management GmbH (“ECM”)
An independent private equity firm, ECM is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ECM served or serves as the manager of/advisor to respectively the private equity funds German Equity Partners I-IV with aggregate capital under management in excess of EUR 650 million. The investment focus is on mid-sized companies in the manufacturing and service sectors in addition to the wholesale and retailing industries. Preferred acquisition targets are companies with revenues of EUR 20 million to EUR 250 million. The funds typically structure their investments as management buyouts. Investment opportunities arise from ownership succession situations with privately held companies and from corporate divestitures.
Further information at: www.ecm-pe.de About MediFox Group (“MediFox“)
Since the 1990s the MediFox Group, headquartered in Hildesheim, has been the partner for all questions around software solutions for ambulatory nursing care service providers and stationary nursing homes in Germany. The group comprises of MediFox GmbH, the leading provider of specialised software solutions for ambulatory nursing care service providers and nursing care homes in Germany, BFS Abrechnungs GmbH, the second largest invoicing and factoring service provider in the German care market, as well as CareNavigator GmbH, a specialised web portal which facilitates the exchange of health data among care service providers, physicians, patients and relatives. For approximately 20 years the company stands for quality, excellent know-how of its employees and a close partnership with its customers. MediFox is the most successful software for nursing care service providers in Germany. More than 5,000 customers trust the software of the German market leader.
Further information at: www.medifox.de
On behalf of ECM:
Charles Barker Corporate Communications GmbH Kornelia Spodzieja, phone +49(0)69 794090-40, [email protected] Tobias Eberle, phone +49(0)69 794090-24, [email protected].

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Nordic lower mid-market investor Segulah has made some internal changes. After 10 years as managing partner, Christian Sievert will now focus on deal generation, deal making and working with existing portfolio companies. Gabriel Urwitz will take over as managing partner and Lennart Ribohn will become chairman of Segulah Advisor AB.

PRESS RELEASE

Same team – a few changes. After 10 years as Managing Partner, Christian Sievert will now focus 100% on deal generation, deal making and working with existing portfolio companies – Gabriel Urwitz will take over as Managing Partner and Lennart Ribohn will become Chairman of Segulah Advisor AB.
Next year, Segulah will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Since 1994, we have successfully invested our own capital. In 1997, we launched the first fund of MSEK 200 with external investors and by 2007 we had launched the fourth, with MSEK 5,200. The 40 external investors are 95% comprised of non-Swedish institutions from all over the world. From the time the first fund was launched, the full time team has grown from 4 people to 25. In total, the funds have so far acquired 38 portfolio companies in the Nordic Region at a combined value of MSEK 16,200.
Over the last 10 years that Christian Sievert has been Managing Partner, Segulah has developed from a small informal private equity firm into a full-fledged, mature mid market private equity part- nership. During his tenure as Managing Partner, Christian has been responsible for strategy de- velopment, fundraising, investor relations, recruitment and development of employees, industrial advisors and board members, development of Segulah’s partnership structure and corporate gov- ernance issues.
To enable Christian to focus fully on deal generation, deal making and portfolio company devel- opment, Segulah’s founder Gabriel Urwitz will take over as Managing Partner. He will be suc- ceeded as Chairman of Segulah Advisor by Lennart Ribohn, former senior executive vice presi- dent and CFO of Electrolux and board member of Segulah Advisor for over ten years.
Christian: “I have enjoyed developing Segulah’s team and funds to what they are today. After 16 years at Segulah, including 10 as Managing Partner, I look forward to being able to focus fully on deal making and portfolio company development in this exciting but demanding economic envi- ronment”.
Gabriel: “I want to thank Christian for his outstanding contributions as Managing Partner and look forward to continue working with him and the rest of the team in this reconstituted team frame- work”.
For further questions:
Gabriel Urwitz, Managing Partner, +46 70 590 89 00 Christian Sievert, Partner, +46 708 66 96 94
For further information about Segulah please visit www.segulah.se
Founded in 1994, Segulah is a private equity partnership focused on lower mid market buyouts in the Nordic region with a business model of active ownership through its extensive network of industrial advisors. Segulah Advisor AB is the exclusive investment advisor to the Segulah II (MSEK 850), Segulah III (MSEK 2,356) and Segulah IV (MSEK 5,200) UK Limited Partnerships.
The funds’ current portfolio of companies includes: PMC Group (hydraulics and pneumatics), S:t Eriks (prefab- ricated concrete products), Kemetyl (car care and industrial chemicals), Almondy (frozen cakes), Gunnebo Industries (lifting, fastening, traction products, blocks), eTRAVELi (online travel agent), Scan Coin (cash han- dling equipment and service), Balco (balconies and balcony glazing systems), CCS Healthcare (personal care products) and Beerenberg (maintenance services for the oil and gas industries). In addition, Segulah IV has recently signed an agreement to sell Medstop (pharmacies).

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The MaRS Cleantech Fund has completed a venture deal with Toronto energy storage firm Hydrostor. Hydrostor’s technology converts surplus electrical energy to underwater compressed air and stores it for use at peak times.

PRESS RELEASE

The MaRS Cleantech Fund is pleased to announce the completion of a venture deal with Toronto energy storage firm Hydrostor.

Hydrostor’s technology converts surplus electrical energy to underwater compressed air and stores it for use at peak times.

“Our fund targets technologies that change the energy game, and low-cost storage is at the top of our list,” says Tom Rand, co-managing director of the MaRS Cleantech Fund. “This is grid-scale technology, meaning that it has the ability to store energy on a level that will significantly impact our electricity grid. If you combine Hydrostor’s technology with solar, or wind, you get cost-competitive base-load renewable power that will disrupt global energy markets.”

Hydrostor’s proprietary technology is based on a simple idea: Anchor a low-cost air cavity to the bottom of a lake or ocean floor, and store energy for use when it is most needed.

Surplus renewable electricity is used to drive a compressor that pressurizes atmospheric air to the pressure found at the sea floor offshore. The heat produced during compression is extracted from the air and stored in an insulated thermal reservoir. The air is stored in low-cost underwater accumulators, where the weight of the water keeps it at a constant pressure until required. When demand for electricity is again high, the system is reversed: The weight of the water forces the air back to the surface, where it collects the stored heat and drives an expander, reproducing approximately 70 per cent of the input electricity and releasing the air back into the environment.

The core advantage of this method is cost; Hydrostor can deliver grid-scale energy storage at a fraction of the price of competing technologies.

Hydrostor has two commercial projects under development. The first is in collaboration with utility host Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Toronto Hydro). The second, with the national utility of a Caribbean island, will store wind power generated at night when it can’t otherwise be used.

“Our project in the Caribbean will show renewables can compete directly with fossil fuels for island nations,” says Cam Lewis, CTO and founder of Hydrostor. “By storing wind power at night and releasing it during the day, we turn wind power into something really useful. We can replace diesel generation today.”

“The idea that wind and solar developers will be able to bid on base-load energy contracts is very exciting,” added Murray McCaig, co-managing director of the Fund. “We’ll be working with global partners, who can deliver large-scale energy projects, to bring this technology to market.”

Early-stage venture capital is in short supply in Canada, particularly in the burgeoning global cleantech sector. The MaRS Cleantech Fund targets outsized returns by filling that gap in what is estimated to be a $2-3 trillion dollar market by 2020.

“We’d like to thank the MaRS Cleantech Fund and our other A-round investors for the confidence in Hydrostor and support they have demonstrated,” says Hydrostor CEO Curt VanWalleghem. “We look forward to rapidly commercializing our scalable underwater compressed air energy storage technology.”

About Hydrostor Hydrostor Inc. (www.hydrostor.ca) is a privately owned Canadian company that has developed a proprietary, low-cost method of grid-scale energy storage using underwater compressed air. Hydrostor’s strategy is to partner with utilities and energy producers to accelerate large-scale deployment.

About MaRS Cleantech Fund LP MaRS Cleantech Fund LP is a Canadian venture fund focused on early-stage cleantech investing. The Fund has developed a unique early-stage investment model through its partnership with one of the largest innovation centers in world, MaRS Discovery District. Through MaRS, the Fund is able to provide strategic advisory services and introductions to global corporate partners. The Fund is managed by Tom Rand (Twitter: @trand) and Murray McCaig (@murraymccaig), experienced entrepreneurs who bring a wealth of startup experience to their portfolio companies.

About MaRS MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) is a mission-driven innovation centre located in Toronto. MaRS works with partners to catalyze, accelerate and amplify innovation. MaRS supports entrepreneurs building Canada’s next generation of growth companies.

SOURCE MaRS Cleantech Fund

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NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals, a company developing breakthrough therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, has raised $6.4 million in a private equity financing round. Merieux Developpement led the financing with participation from all current Neurophage investors, including Shire LLC.

PRESS RELEASE

NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company developing breakthrough therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that it raised $6.4 million in a private equity financing round. Merieux Developpement led the financing with participation from all current Neurophage investors, including Shire LLC. The new funds will help support ongoing pre-IND studies for lead compound NPT002 and will advance the development of second-generation fusion proteins with the potential for treating several neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Separately, NeuroPhage announced that current Director John F. Dee has been named Chairman of the Board and Kenneth A. Buckfire has joined as a Director.

“We are encouraged by NeuroPhage’s progress in further elucidating the mechanism of action of NPT002 and advancing the program toward clinical trials, as well as its discovery of new antibody-like fusion proteins with the potential to broadly address neurodegenerative disease markets with enormous unmet need,” said Dr. Valerie Calenda, Partner at Merieux Developpement. “We believe the company’s transformative approach to addressing protein misfolding could make a major contribution to achieving greatly improved treatments for these disabling conditions that affect millions of people worldwide.”

Deposits of misfolded proteins in the brain are associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. NPT002 has demonstrated the ability to safely and effectively mediate clearance of misfolded protein deposits (including amyloid-beta, tau and alpha-synuclein) in multiple animal models of neurodegenerative disease, resulting in cognitive and behavioral improvements. Following a successful pre-IND meeting with the FDA, NeuroPhage is conducting pre-IND safety studies and scaling-up cGMP manufacturing activities to support a planned IND filing next year.

“This supplemental financing demonstrates the continued confidence of our investors in the promise of our scientific platform targeted at neurodegenerative diseases,” said Jonathan Solomon, President and Chief Executive Officer of NeuroPhage. “We believe that the unique ability of our drug candidates to target multiple neurotoxic protein aggregates in the brain represents a breakthrough approach to slowing or preventing the devastating progression of neurodegenerative diseases.”

NeuroPhage scientists have recently shown that the NPT002 mechanism of action is based on a novel general amyloid interaction motif (GAIM). Motifs define distinctive and recurring components of protein structure and interaction that can have biological significance. The discovery of GAIM has allowed the creation of new antibody-like fusion proteins that have the broad neurodegenerative disease-targeting ability of NPT002.

In connection with the financing, NeuroPhage announced that John F. Dee has been named Chairman and Kenneth A. Buckfire has joined the Board as a Director. Mr. Dee brings a wealth of industry experience as the former CEO of several successful neuroscience-focused biotechnology companies that were acquired by major pharmaceutical firms. Mr. Buckfire brings extensive strategic and financial experience as Vice Chairman of Stifel Investment Banking and President of Miller Buckfire & Company, a Stifel Company.

Solomon added, “We welcome John Dee as Chairman and Ken Buckfire as a new board member. We expect their extensive experience in financing and growing successful biotechnology companies will be invaluable as we advance our unique product pipeline toward clinical testing.”

About NeuroPhage NeuroPhage is a pioneering biotechnology company, located in Cambridge, MA, whose mission is to advance the treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases associated with protein misfolding, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The company is applying its unique technology platform to develop a pipeline of drug candidates consisting of broadly acting agents that simultaneously reduce levels of multiple pathogenic protein aggregates in the brain. This technology should provide significant therapeutic advantages over single target approaches and has broad applications for treating Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other indications associated with protein pathologies of the CNS. The company was founded in 2007 by a Cambridge-based team, together with inventor Professor Beka Solomon, Chair for Biotechnology of Neurodegenerative Diseases at Tel Aviv University. More information can be found at: www.neurophage.com.

About Merieux Developpement Merieux Developpement is the private equity arm of the French group, Institut Merieux, which has 12,000 employees worldwide and generated revenues of EUR 1.7B in 2011. Merieux Developpement invests in the healthcare sector on a global basis, working alongside entrepreneurs whose products and services can bring genuine advances to the health of patients and consumers worldwide, offering them access to its industry expertise and global network.

About Shire Shire enables people with life-altering conditions to lead better lives. Through our deep understanding of patients’ needs, we develop and provide healthcare in the areas of: Behavioral Health and Gastro Intestinal conditions, Rare Diseases, Regenerative Medicine as well as other symptomatic conditions treated by specialist physicians. We aspire to imagine and lead the future of healthcare, creating value for patients, physicians, policymakers, payors and our shareholders.

Contacts:
Neurophage, Inc. Media
Jonathan Solomon BLL Partners, LLC
President and CEO Barbara Lindheim
(617) 714-4940 (212) 584-2276
[email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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Four weeks ago, Microsoft flicked the switch and officially merged Windows Live Messenger with Skype. Users of the popular IM tool were greeted with a message stating “A newer version is available. You must install the newer version in order to continue.  Would you like to do this now?”

Although Skype is a great tool, many fans of Messenger were up in arms about the forced change, and I know people who still pine for the old chat application. Fortunately, there’s a very simple way to get it back.

Messenger Reviver 2 automatically installs, repairs and/or modifies Windows Live Messenger 2012, 2011, 2009, and 2008 (as well as Windows Messenger) so you can continue using and signing in to the old service.

Run the program and it will detect installed versions of Messenger and let you revive them. It will also offer links so you can download and install a fresh copy of the chat tool.

You’ll then be able to sign in and use Messenger as if Skype never happened.

Messenger is set to be fully discontinued at some point (March 2014 is the current estimate), so this isn’t a permanent fix, but it will buy you at least ten months of respite, and give you the chance to say your goodbyes properly.

It’s not difficult to create PDFs these days. If your application doesn’t already have a “Save as PDF option”, then a virtual printer like Bullzip will generally get the job done.

These converted documents won’t always be formatted properly, though, and large or oddly-sized margins can be a real problem — but that’s where the open-source Briss comes in. If you need to crop PDFs, perhaps to remove page numbers, maybe just to make the document easier to read on a small screen, then this small free program could an excellent solution.

Briss is a compact Java-based tool, and so there’s no installation required — just unzip it, browse to and launch briss-0.9.exe. Click File > Load File, choose the PDF you’d like to crop (pressing Cancel at the “Input” screen, this time) and you’re ready to begin.

The program will open your PDF and analyze it, before displaying the results in an appropriate structure. We tried this with a PDF book, for example, and it organised all the left pages into one group, all the right pages into another. Every page in each group was then overlaid on top of the other, so we could see the extent of our document. And a blue rectangle was displayed over each group.

To define the cropping area, all we then had to do was move and resize the two blue rectangles accordingly. Everything below the rectangle would be preserved, while everything else disappears — it’s very quick and easy. If you’re unsure at any point then clicking Action > Preview will show you what your current cropping arrangement has done, while clicking Action > Crop PDF will save it for real. (Don’t worry, the original document is preserved, this only saves a copy.)

Useful though this is, it’s only part of what Briss can do. If you’ve scanned a book, say, you might find your PDF now has two book pages squeezed into one document page, which looks ugly and messes up your PDF page numbering. But use Briss and you can define regions within a document page, and split them back into separate pages, restoring the original structure and probably making the file much easier to read.

And there’s even simple command line support, allowing you to set up scripts which can process a folder of PDFs entirely automatically.

All of this is presented in a rather basic interface, which takes a little time to master. If you occasionally need this kind of PDF cropping or reorganising ability, though, it’s worth investing your time – once you’ve learned the basics, Briss becomes one of the quickest ways to crop a PDF that we’ve seen anywhere.

Photo Credit: Hitdelight/Shutterstock