North Adams, Mass., YMCA Director Gail Cary shows one of the signs Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2003, that has been displayed on the entrance to the Y's women's locker room banning picture mobile phones. In one of its final moves before adjourning Wednesday, Congress promised heavy fines and prison time for anyone who sneaks photos or videos of people in undress and puts them on the Internet. (AP Photo/Alan Solomon, File)
Camera phones may make great Christmas gifts, but people better not use them for peeping-Tom photos on federal property.
In one of its last moves of the year, Congress passed a bill that would levy heavy fines and prison time for anyone who sneaks photos or videos of people in various stages of undress and puts them on the Internet, a problem lawmakers and activists called the new frontier of stalking.
While camera phone voyeurism probably won't be high on the list of federal crimes the FBI and other federal agencies pursue, "at least in theory there is now federal protection available so people can't unknowingly have their private parts photographed, downloaded and transmitted around the world," said Hanan B. Kolko, a New York civil liberties lawyer.
The bill, which President Bush is expected to sign, would make it a crime to videotape or photograph the naked or underwear-covered private parts of a person without consent when the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Conviction could lead to a fine of not more than $100,000 or imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
The measure got voice vote approval in both chambers of Congress _ the House on Sept. 21 and the Senate on Tuesday.
The legislation would apply only in federal jurisdictions, such as federal buildings, national parks or military bases, but it carves out exceptions for law enforcement, intelligence and prison work.
The use of "nanny cams" and other hidden recording devices like pinhole cameras have been favorites of peeping Toms for years, lawmakers say. But the proliferation of tiny cellular telephones that can take pictures silently and shoot video has taken the crime out of bedrooms and bathrooms and into public places such as grocery stores, sidewalks and restaurants.
Some people then transfer the photos to Internet sites featuring what are called "upskirting" and "downblousing," lawmakers said.
While secretly photographing people in a compromising position is against the law in some states _ Florida and South Dakota instituted cameraphone voyeurism laws in July, for example _ "what this does is set a national standard," Kolko said.
"It's pretty narrowly crafted, and protects those parts of a person's body that they wouldn't want to be photographed or videotaped, and especially now that photography and video images can be downloaded and transmitted across the Internet within seconds around the world, it gives people protection from worldwide exposure without their consent," he said.
Although the bill limits the jurisdiction to federal property, that doesn't mean it won't be used.
Navy officials in the past few years have twice found small cameras hidden in women's rooms on ships heading out of Norfolk, Va.
In March, a female officer on the cruiser USS Monterey discovered a small wireless camera mounted in the changing area of the women's shower, and in November 2002, Navy officials charged a first-class petty officer on destroyer USS Briscoe with planting a miniature video camera in a women's room on that ship.
The Briscoe sailor pleaded guilty at a summary court-martial and had his rank reduced.
No one was charged in the Monterey incident because the camera was not yet operable and the ship was unable to establish criminal liability to the commanding officer's satisfaction, Charles Owens, spokesman for the Atlantic Fleet Naval Surface Force, said Thursday.
The United States isn't the only place cracking down on camera phones.
Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority barred the use of them for "spreading obscenity," while Australian police in November arrested a man for using his camera phone to take pictures of topless women sunning themselves on a Sydney beach.
"While it's a personal choice for female sunbathers to sunbake topless at a beach, this type of incident is clearly an invasion of one's privacy," a police spokesman said.
___
The bill number is S.1301.
By Todd Pack, The Orlando Sentinel, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Jul. 25--NEW YORK--Napster Inc.'s brand-new chief executive said Tuesday that an authorized version of the song-swapping service should be online by late summer, though he warned that won't happen unless the service can bear strict legal scrutiny.
"We're at a very critical point," Konrad Hilbers said on the final day of Plug.In, a digital-music conference.
In his first public appearance as Napster's CEO, Hilbers said he feels pressure to get Napster back online soon, before its former users "disappear into nowhere land."
But Napster's song-swapping service -- which once boasted more than 70 million users -- has been offline since July 2, when a software upgrade to prevent the sharing of pirated song files turned into a prolonged hiatus.
Shortly after Napster dimmed its site to make the upgrade, the federal judge who previously forced Napster to police its users said the company couldn't restart the service until its filtering system was foolproof. Her ruling was overturned on appeal, but Napster hasn't said when it plans to go back online.
It will be Hilbers' job to transform Napster from the scourge of the music industry into a legitimate business. He said tests of Napster's new song-filtering software are encouraging, but company executives still aren't satisfied.
Hilbers was appointed CEO of the Redwood City, Calif., company on Tuesday. He replaces the interim chief executive, Hank Barry, a lawyer who came to Napster from a venture capital firm to help it through its legal troubles. Barry will continue to serve on the company's board of directors.
Hilbers most recently was executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Bertelsmann AG's music arm, BMG Entertainment. Bertelsmann became Napster's primary financial backer in October.
BMG, EMI Recorded Music and Warner Music Group are partners in a proposed online service called MusicNet, which has a deal to sell songs eventually through Napster and other Web services.
MusicNet's interim CEO announced a deal Tuesday to sell songs from Zomba Recording Corp., a major independent whose artists include Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and R. Kelly.
Rob Glaser said the service will go online in late summer.
It will compete with pressplay, a music service sponsored by Sony and Universal.
Edgar Bronfman Jr., executive vice president of Universal's parent, the French media company Vivendi Universal, said Tuesday at Plug.In that pressplay plans to launch by mid-September.
But the service still hasn't worked out a licensing agreement with music publishers, he said, and it won't launch with several key features, such as the ability for users to burn songs onto compact discs.
Experts say such features will be essential if the services hope to lure users from bootleg song-swapping services such as AudioGalaxy and iMesh.
Still, "I know pressplay will be a great success," said Bronfman, whose company owns Univeral Orlando.
Bronfman said Universal also is looking for a new kind of CD, one that would discourage or prevent music buyers from making near-perfect digital copies that can be shared over the Internet.
"The idea of putting out perfect digital masters doesn't make sense," he said.
Bronfman didn't disclose details, but several companies are developing CDs that can't easily be copied.
Neither service would discuss subscription fees, but analysts expect them to charge about $10 a month for a limited number of downloads.
"Nothing will prove to be as much a value "to consumers" as stealing someone's songs and giving them away," Bronfman said, but pressplay, like MusicNet, will emphasize its ease of use and reliability as well as promoting itself as a guilt-free way to get music online.
To see more of The Orlando Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.orlandosentinel.com
(c) 2001. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
Byline: Karen McCowan The Register-Guard
CHESHIRE - Carol Neumann and Tim Benton created
Dancing Deer Mountain nine years ago as a venue for weddings and other special events.
The site,
tucked in among towering firs and lush ferns, has a grass-carpeted amphitheater and an open-sided lodge that Neumann and Benton built from trees felled on site. Neumann herself has divided, propagated and tended the mostly native plants lining the site's paths.
But things haven't been tranquil the past year for the small business the couple had carefully cultivated to provide their retirement income.
Dancing Deer Mountain bookings took a nosedive about this time last year, thanks to what Neumann and Benton say is a malicious campaign of negative - and false - reviews on Internet wedding sites.
"DO NOT USE THIS VENUE!!!!" began one post. "Upon arriving at this venue it looks perfect! WRONG!!!!!!"
"Beware! The owners of this venue are not cut out to be in the wedding business!" warned another.
"These people are insane!" said a third. "The venue itself is beautiful! However, the owner ... is absolutely crazy and in my opinion is in need of professional help."
In a series of defamation lawsuits filed this year in Lane County Circuit Court, Neumann and Benton say the posts were retribution by members of the bridal party and guests from a June 2010 wedding. The five lawsuits allege that the comments were an effort to ruin Dancing Deer Mountain financially after Neumann repeatedly confronted guests for consuming their own alcohol at the venue, violating a rental agreement signed by the bride's family.
That contract banned hard alcohol, but allowed an agreed-upon amount of beer and wine to be served by an Oregon Liquor Control Commission-licensed server.
Guests began flouting the alcohol rules during a rehearsal the night before the ceremony, the suits allege, prompting Neumann and Benton to review the contract with the bride's wedding coordinator and send a letter to the bride's mother warning her not to violate the contract.
But the unapproved drinking continued the day of the ceremony, the complaints say. Some guests became combative when Neumann tried to halt it, and Benton confronted one man for exposing himself while publicly urinating, the suits charge. The evening ended with the pair struggling to get wedding guests to leave by sunset, as the contract stipulated, the suits allege.
Other Internet posts called Neumann "crooked" and said she and Benton "changed the rules as they saw fit" to find a way to keep the bride's family's $500 deposit, which the contract allowed them to do if its terms were violated.
The venue had previously hosted "really beautiful, lovely events," Neumann said. "And one nightmarish experience in all these years might not seem so bad."
But once the June 2010 party's "revenge posts" hit the Web, Neumann said, bookings for 2011 weddings dried up. Faced with only a handful of weddings during their May through October season, Neumann and Benton resorted to discounting their rates. Neumann estimates that they lost $20,000 in revenue to the spate of negative postings.
Four of the couple's lawsuits, filed last month, target unknown defendants. The suits identify the defendants only as Janice, Judy, Julie and June Doe, because their derogatory comments were posted anonymously as "wedding guest" or using screen names such as "Honeyplease" and "derm01." Another suit was filed this spring against a named defendant, Christopher Liles, because he posted the allegations about the deposit using his own name.
But days after Eugene attorney Steve Baldwin filed the Doe lawsuits as a precursor to seeking the posters' real identities from their Internet service providers, a Lane County Circuit Court judge threw out the suit against Liles.
Judge Charles Carlson granted an motion filed by Liles' Portland attorney, Linda Williams, to dismiss the suit under Oregon's "Anti-SLAPP" law. The judge has yet to rule on Liles' request that Dancing Deer Mountain pay his legal costs in the case, as allowed under the Oregon law.
Oregon is one of 28 U.S. jurisdictions with laws against what are known as "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation," according to University of Oregon journalism and law professor Kyu Ho Youm.
The term "SLAPP suit" was coined by University of Denver professors in the 1980s to describe defamation suits - typically by deep-pocketed businesses - aimed at intimidating and silencing "normal, middle-class and blue- collar Americans" who may have testified against them at a zoning hearing or spoken out politically in some other way.
In 1989, Washington became the first state to pass an "Anti-SLAPP" law. It allowed defendants to file motions seeking swift dismissal at the outset of defamation suits if a judge determines that the suit aimed to deter or punish their statements to public officials in the course of government decision making.
Neumann was devastated - and her attorney disappointed - by Carlson's application of it in the suit against Liles.
"Anti-SLAPP suits were intended to keep big business from shutting up the little people," Baldwin said. "Dancing Deer Mountain is a mom and pop business."
Youm agreed that the Anti-SLAPP concept arose before today's age of instantaneous Internet forums: "It was designed to level the playing field between big corporations and organizations and comparatively weak, vulnerable individuals who wanted to challenge them." But the application of Anti-SLAPP laws has expanded in the past two decades, said Youm, who specializes in electronic media law.
Oregon's law, adopted in 2001, was based on California's far more liberal version of the law, which applies to speech in any public forum about any issue of public interest. Oregon's constitution contains stronger free speech protections than the U.S. Constitution, Youm said.
He also said there could be "terrible implications" if judges begin ordering anonymous bloggers to reveal their identities and pay damages.
"Speech would certainly be chilled," Youm said. But he also expressed sympathy for small business owners such as Neumann and Benton, and said cases such as the Dancing Deer Mountain suits represent a new area of the law.
"The question is how to balance the free speech rights of bloggers versus the rights of individuals to defend their reputations," he said.
He questioned, however, whether litigation is the best way to counter malicious Internet posts. Rather than trying to shut down their critic's speech, business owners who feel they have been unfairly maligned could simply drown the negative comments with positive speech from satisfied customers, Youm said.
"The beauty of the Internet is that they could neutralize it," he said.
Neumann and Benton tried that, Neumann said. They wrote to the websites that hosted the harmful comments, persuading them to remove the posts as unfair and untrue.
They hired a company, "Review Boost," to survey and post positive comments from participants in other Dancing Deer Mountain weddings.
But the disgruntled folks the pair believe to be from the June 2010 wedding responded by posting new comments alleging that criticism of the venue was being censored - and posting their damaging remarks elsewhere.
"That's when we decided to take legal action," Neumann said.
Though a judge has not yet ruled on the Doe cases, they are nearly identical to the Liles suit and thus may also be vulnerable to Williams' successful argument to dismiss the Liles suit.
The Anti-SLAPP law is designed to protect defendants' rights to be quickly extricated from weak free speech cases, Williams wrote, adding: "It does not matter if the weak claim is filed by a mom-and-pop business conducted from home or filed by a multinational corporation."
Williams also argued successfully that Liles' comments were his opinion in an Internet review, a forum in which "no reader ... would have expected an impartial documentary."
"Most children hear, 'If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all' from 'Bambi,' " Williams wrote. "Internet users realize it does not apply online. ... The First Amendment allows for free-wheeling opinions."
Neumann thinks the law is out of balance, however.
"I respect First Amendment rights," she said. "But does free speech take precedence over our right to discover who these (Internet critics) are, to call witnesses, present evidence and have a trial? There has to be a balance."
Neumann said she and Benton are conferring with Baldwin, trying to decide whether to challenge Carlson's ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals, which has never ruled on the matter.
She also is pushing for a legislative remedy. She wrote a letter this week asking U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio to consider a federal version of the law that would protect the rights of small-business owners to "bring grievances to the courts, in good faith."
"The 'right to petition' is among the most precious of the liberties safeguarded by our Bill of Rights," she wrote the Springfield Democrat.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
When I was a young reporter for The Des Moines Register, an editor sent me to Fort Dodge, Iowa to follow up on a tip about a cover-up of a local police scandal. The Fort Dodge police, of course, didn't want a Register reporter snooping around trying to unearth details about trouble in the ranks. In fact, the police had done a good job keeping the scandal under wraps, confining it to rumors swapped over late afternoon long necks at the local saloon.
When hours of attempts to pry loose some details failed, I retreated to a coffee shop to grab a late lunch and considered calling the state desk to report that I would need another day. Then the community spoke to me. "Did you hear about the police scandal?" one man at the lunch counter said to another. His friend replied: "I didn't see anything in The [Fort Dodge] Messenger this morning. I'll look at the Register tomorrow. They'll have it."
I can still hear the confidence in the man's voice about the newspaper where I first worked as a daily journalist, and I can still feel my guilt at even thinking about giving up on a story that my readers clearly wanted. The Register called itself "The Newspaper Iowa Depends Upon," and generations of journalists had delivered on that pledge.
I soon hit the streets of Fort Dodge determined to live up to my newspaper's heritage, and when the next morning's Register landed on doorsteps in Fort Dodge and elsewhere throughout Iowa, the front page had a story with my byline. It was about the Fort Dodge police scandal.
Serving a Different Community
Although most of my colleagues and I didn't know it at the time, Des Moines Register reporters of the 1970's had it easy compared to their contemporaries at places like the Chicago News Cooperative (CNC), where I'm now editor. The man at the lunch counter in Fort Dodge was an integral part of a much larger and easily identifiable community that the newspaper served with good, solid, professionally edited journalism. Reporters wrote for the community, and the community of readers responded by continuing to pay for a remarkably concise account of the day's events delivered to their doorstep every morning for less than the price of a cup of coffee.
Almost every little town in Iowa had a town square but The Des Moines Register served as the community's mega town square. Today, of course, all that's changed. Reporters at newspapers, magazines, websites and on airwaves face a far more daunting challenge: The community they exist to serve is more elusive, diverse, fractured and, it seems, reluctant to pay even a small price for the news and information that journalists deliver to their laptops or mobile phones.
There are many reasons for the breakdown of the community once at the fingertips of Register reporters, and the causes of the rupture extend beyond journalism. The suburbanization that converted much of America into soulless communities lacking a center of gravity no doubt played a role. Cable television also fractured the community by dramatically expanding the range of broadcasting choices available to working men and women who once watched the same evening newscasts or read the news in their local newspapers. Fragmentation only increased with the dawn of the Internet when people could sit in front of a computer and create communities organized around narrow--and sometimes--parochial interests. Then there are our industry's self-imposed wounds, including a tendency to edit for advertisers, instead of readers and viewers.
Regardless of the cause of the problems eroding the media, though, the time has come for journalists to use their skills to help re-create community. Embracing such a strategy could be the craft's salvation.
Here at the CNC, which got off the ground in October 2009 with some grants and contributions, we are trying to use journalism to create communities organized around an interest in the news. If, for example, someone in Chicago is interested in education, we intend to provide in-depth information about the city's schools that readers and citizens can't get anywhere else. I'm not talking merely about better coverage of the local school board meeting or slapping an interview with the head of the teachers union online. That's giving the community "information" which is often free--and should be--since it is usually cheap to create and can be found on the school board's or teachers union's website.
By contrast, journalism isn't cheap, and it's not free. What journalists do is report on that information, expose contradictions, apply a skeptical eye to underlying assumptions, and bring to the community information that's not on anybody's website. In other words, they add value to what might already be known by some and give it meaning within the context of the community's priorities and the day's events.
At the same time, the members of this community are doing exactly what they should do: Demanding value if they are going to pay for something.
Creating Value
We wrestle with this situation every day at the CNC as we do this work at a time when the traditional business model for journalism is under attack as never before. For decades we've relied almost exclusively on advertising revenue to subsidize the cost of news coverage. But I doubt that advertising will remain a reliable partner or source of revenue to provide the kind of resources needed to cover the news anymore. It might remain a part of the picture, but I'm sure it will be a much smaller part.
That means journalists will have to hit the streets and create something that people in the community will actually pay for because it gives them something of value. So we should quit trying to fool everyone with vacuous, cheap content designed to justify ad stacks and start reporting, which is the backbone of journalism.
In one CNC project now under way, we are creating detailed, reported school profiles. Reporters go into schools and question principals, teachers, students and parents. We are even exploring the use of some yardsticks by which the community can judge the quality of the education that the schools provide. Our goal is to create journalism that will inject enough value into the information to entice readers to join our digital community and get access to our reporting for a nominal membership fee.
By creating numerous communities of interest organized around subjects such as politics, health, technology, science and other areas, our goal is to build a broader community and create a diverse stream of revenue from membership fees, ads and sponsorship that will finance our reporting.
This is not journalism only for those who can afford it. In one pilot project involving local political coverage, we used the membership fees from "Early and Often," the name of our paid site, to support the "Palm Card," a free public interest political news bulletin for those who couldn't--or wouldn't--pay for the exclusive detailed reporting we delivered behind a paywall. Readers of the "Palm Card" didn't get the rich detail offered in "Early and Often," but they got some news. CNC will also provide free memberships to all public libraries and will encourage those with means to sponsor memberships for those in the community who can't afford our fee of about $100 a year.
The idea animating our effort is to create the kind of civic engagement that enhances the community and serves the public interest.
Will this work? It's too soon to say. But we would rather be out there trying to figure out how we can finance quality journalism than waiting for doomsday to arrive, which is what is going to happen if we all follow the present course. All we risk is failure, a small price to pay for our ambitions.
At CNC, we believe journalism means as much to the community as the community means to journalism. The Internet has made it far easier to spread rumors, lies and propaganda disguised as news at a time when traditional news organizations are cutting back on reporting as they fight for their lives. In some cases, journalistic organizations merely pick up the official line of the company and institutions they cover and report it as news.
As a correspondent, I traveled the world and often saw communities without decent journalism. It is not a pretty picture.
If we don't figure out how to finance public service journalism, I fear the consequences. It is not as if the world of tomorrow will be one without news. We will have quality coverage, perhaps better than ever. But quality news will be for the wealthy--those who can afford to pay $2 a day or about $6 on Sunday for The New York Times or thousands of dollars a year for a subscription to one of Bloomberg's targeted services. For those of lesser means, the news could become the raw, underreported and unanalyzed information they will get from the rapidly growing "news" organizations being set up by the public relations departments at places like city hall.
To serve the community, journalists must provide deeper and better journalism, the kind that creates civic engagement and value. We must also educate the community, not only about the reporting we can deliver but also about the tangible and intangible value of quality public service journalism that holds those who serve the community accountable for their views and actions. The community needs great journalism more than ever. As journalists, we must rise to the challenge. We have an opportunity to improve our craft. We can--and should--do better.
James O'Shea is cofounder and editor of the Chicago News Cooperative, former managing editor of the Chicago Tribune, and past editor in chief of the Los Angeles Times. His book, "The Deal From Hell: How Moguls and Wall Street Plundered Great American Newspapers," will be published by PublicAffairs in June.
GREEN BAY, Wis., June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Associated Banc-Corp (NASDAQ: ASBC) today announced it will release 2011 second quarter results on Thursday, July 21, 2011 after market close. The company will host a conference call for investors and analysts at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (CT) on the same day.
Interested parties can listen to the call live on the Internet through the investor relations section of the company's website, http://investor.associatedbank.com/ or by dialing 877-348-9354. The slide presentation for the call will be available on the company's website just prior to the call. The number for international callers is 253-237-1160. Participants should ask the operator for the Associated Banc-Corp second quarter 2011 earnings call, or conference ID number 75804403.
An audio archive of the webcast will be available on the company's website for one month following the call. A replay of the call will be available starting at 7:00 p.m. CT on July 21, 2011 through 11:00 p.m. CT on August 21, 2011 by dialing 800-642-1687 and entering the conference ID number 75804403. The replay number for international callers is 706-645-9291.
About Associated Banc-Corp
Associated Banc-Corp (NASDAQ: ASBC) is one of the top 50 financial services holding companies operating in the United States. Associated had total assets of $21 billion at March 31, 2011. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Associated has approximately 270 banking locations serving more than 150 communities in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. The company offers a full range of banking services and other financial products and services. More information about Associated Banc-Corp is available at www.associatedbank.com.
For more information: Janet L. Ford SVP Investor Relations Director 414-278-1890 janet.ford@associatedbank.com
SOURCE Associated Banc-Corp
Patent-pending technology can send adverse Facebook postings to parents before they reach the child, forewarning them of sexual content or potential problems
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A comprehensive web access portal specially designed for children under 10 is now available for first time users, MouseMail.com, a product of Safe Communications, Inc. (OTC: SGTB), the leading provider of technology safety applications for children, announced today. The service protects kids from online bullies and predators, a serious threat as outlined in a recent study showing that one million children under 13 were harassed or bullied on Facebook in the last year and more than five million Facebook users were under the age of 10.
"The Internet opens a lot of doors for children to learn and grow, but it unfortunately also makes them vulnerable to bullies and online predators," said John Venners, president and CEO of Safe Communications Inc. "The Consumer Reports study identifies the problem. MouseMail.com is the solution."
Safe Communications recently developed MouseMail.com, a free application that allows parents to filter their child's email and text messages for inappropriate language that is indicative of cyberbullying and/or sexting. The system blocks any outside users from contacting the child and allows communication to flow freely between approved users.
MouseMail.com may also alert parents to questionable Facebook content that indicates potential problems. When something is posted to a child's Facebook page, the child automatically receives an email notification with the posting in it. If the child is a MouseMail.com member using their MouseMail.com email address, the email with derogatory content will be diverted to the parent, alerting them to the posting to any sexual content or threats to the child, potentially before the child is even aware of it.
A Consumer Reports study released May 10 found that 7.5 million children under 13 years old have Facebook accounts, even though underage use is a violation of the site's terms of service. More than 5 million users were under age 10.
"Children are discovering the Internet at younger and younger ages," said Venners. "It's virtually impossible - and potentially destructive - to try to prevent them from using the Internet at all. The key is to teach safe surfing and networking habits from the very beginning and keep lines of communication open so parents are aware of any potential problems as or before they arise."
The study recommended several steps parents can take to protect their kids on Facebook, including monitoring the child's account by becoming their "friend" or having the account deleted entirely, because users under 13-years-old are in violation of Facebook's terms of service. It also stressed the importance of creating safe environments in which they can learn safe surfing habits.
About Safe Communications Inc.
Safe Communications Inc. operates MouseMail.com, which provides children a safe place to interact with progressive technology and social media. MouseMail provides early detection that warns parents of potential abuse and inappropriate content shared and received through electronic devices, such as cell phones, and social networking tools, such as email, text messaging and Facebook.
The system is designed to enhance the quality and frequency of day-to-day communications among family members, offering useful tools such as calendars and task lists in addition to security measures for children. MouseMail.com allows children to experience the advantages of advanced technology while protecting them from potential online threats.
www.SafeCommunications.com
SOURCE Safe Communications Inc.
THQ (NASDAQ:THQI) and Games Workshop (LSE:GAW.L) announced a multi-year extension to their successful video game license agreement, extending THQ's current exclusive rights to publish video games based on the popular Warhammer[R] 40,000[R] universe through titles across all relevant platforms including core, social and mobile rights.
Since entering the licensing agreement with Games Workshop, THQ has published several highly successful titles based on the intellectual property (IP), including the Warhammer[R] 40,000[R]: Dawn of War[R] real-time-strategy games for PC systems that have shipped 6.5 million units to date. Two fresh interpretations of the Warhammer 40,000 IP are currently in development by THQ: Warhammer[R] 40,000[R]: Space MarineTM - a third-person shooter for the Xbox 360[R] video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation[R]3 computer entertainment system and PC set to release later this year - and Warhammer[R] 40,000[R]: Dark MillenniumTM Online, a massively multiplayer online game exploring the deep fiction and myriad races of the IP.
"The complex, futuristic war-torn universe created by Games Workshop equipped THQ's award-winning development teams with the material to create one of the most loved PC franchises - Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War," said Brian Farrell, THQ President and CEO. "Our envisioning of the Warhammer 40,000 universe will continue to grow with top quality games across all platforms, including the upcoming launches of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine and Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online."
"The impressive translation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe from the tabletop to the video game space by THQ certainly highlights the potential of our most successful intellectual property in the right hands," said Mark Wells, Games Workshop CEO. "We know that the depth of the storylines, characters and imagery of the Warhammer 40,000 universe positions the IP to excel across many media platforms - and extending our agreement with THQ will help ensure that Warhammer 40,000 maintains a strong and growing presence in the video game space." About Games Workshop Games Workshop Ltd (LSE:GAW.L) is the world's largest tabletop hobby wargames company. Based in Nottingham, UK, it designs, manufactures and distributes its range of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 games, miniature soldiers, novels and model kits through more than 389 of its own Hobby centers, mail order, Internet and independent retail channels in over nine languages through more than 50 countries worldwide. Further details on the company can be obtained at www.games-workshop.com. Games Workshop, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution the foregoing marks' respective logos, and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/devices/logos/symbols, vehicles, locations, weapons, units and unit insignia, characters, products, illustrations and images are either [R], TM and/or [c] Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2011. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. About THQ THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.
Keywords: Asia, China, Electronics, Entertainment, Leisure, Playstation, Software, THQ, Video Game.
This article was prepared by Telecommunications Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Telecommunications Weekly via VerticalNews.com.
Conference Call and Webcast Scheduled for Thursday, April 28 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time/2:00 p.m. Pacific Time
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Bridge Capital Holdings (NASDAQ: BBNK), whose subsidiary is Bridge Bank, National Association, today announced that it will release financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011, after the market closes on Thursday, April 28, 2011. The company will host a corresponding conference call with a live webcast on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time/2:00 p.m. Pacific time, to discuss those results and answer questions.
Individuals interested in participating in the conference call may do so by dialing 877.477.1461 from the United States, or 973.409.9694 from outside the United States and referencing conference ID 62671568. Those interested in listening to the conference call live via the Internet may do so by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Company's Web site at www.bridgebank.com.
A telephone replay will be available through May 12, 2011, by dialing 800.642.1687 from the United States, or 706.645.9291 from outside the United States, and entering conference ID 62671568. A webcast replay will be available for 90 days.
About Bridge Capital Holdings
Bridge Capital Holdings is the holding company for Bridge Bank, National Association. Bridge Capital Holdings was formed on October 1, 2004 and holds a Global Select listing on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the trading symbol BBNK. For additional information, visit the Bridge Capital Holdings website at www.bridgecapitalholdings.com.
About Bridge Bank, N.A.
Bridge Bank, N.A. is Silicon Valley's full-service professional business bank. The Bank is dedicated to meeting the financial needs of small, middle-market, and emerging technology businesses. Bridge Bank provides its clients with a comprehensive package of business banking solutions delivered through experienced, professional bankers. Visit Bridge Bank on the web at www.bridgebank.com.
Company Participated in Industry Task Force That Drove New IEEE Standard Supporting 100 Gbps and 40 Gbps Ethernet Speeds
MINNEAPOLIS -- ADC (NASDAQ: ADCT) (www.adc.com) today announced that it supports the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ba standard that was ratified last week and has participated in the industry task force that helped to define the new standard. This standard represents a major advancement in these emerging technologies, and is the first specification that supports both 100 GbE and 40 GbE throughput speeds over fiber-optic cables for telecom carriers and enterprise data centers.
With Internet traffic volumes expected to grow by nearly 50 percent every year, carriers and data centers are already preparing for next-generation 100 Gbps and 40 Gbps Ethernet technologies to support the surging demand for broadband applications and content. In anticipation of the new standard, ADC has prepared its fiber optic portfolio to handle the new speeds so customers can take advantage of fiber cabling solutions that are fully compatible with the new standard today.
"The move to 100 GbE technology will drive an exponential expansion in throughput capacity for carriers and data center operators, over time replacing the existing 10 Gb and 1 Gb Ethernet connections that are in place today," said Jaxon Lang, vice president of Global Connectivity Solutions - Americas for ADC. "With 100 GbE technology, providers will be able to move the equivalent of a full-length DVD movie in less than a second over a single channel of a single fiber-optic connection.
"As carriers and data centers plot their upgrade strategies to take advantage of the new standard in the months and years to come, ADC is ready today to provide fiber-optic cabling and interface solutions that are fully compatible with 802.3ba, as well as existing 10 Gbps technology," said Lang. "Our advance work will help to ensure that our customers are well-positioned to move to 100 GbE or 40 GbE platforms whenever their traffic needs dictate."
As global enterprise requirements continue to evolve, the volumes of data needing to be transmitted and stored will continue to grow exponentially. According to analyst firm IDC, storage growth is continuing at a compound annual growth rate of more than 35 percent, and a recent Cisco Systems study predicts overall annual data traffic growth of 46 percent - a six-fold growth in traffic between 2007 and 2012.
The new technologies as a result of the standard are expected to lead to the development of new data center ecosystems, including a common network interface, servers and other gear, to help providers more effectively and efficiently meet the demands.
"From triple-play entertainment services to enterprise applications on demand to the proliferation of smartphones, there's no question that data volumes will continue to grow at a strong pace in the years to come," noted Lang. "Even as many data centers are just moving to 10 GbE today, it's critical for operators to plan ahead for the next generation of technology, and that's why ADC is ready to deliver fiber cabling for tomorrow's 802.3ba equipment."
For more information about ADC's solutions to support 100 GbE and 40 GbE go to http://www.adc.com/us/en/Library/Literature/108956AE.pdf
About ADC ADC provides the connections for wireline, wireless, cable, broadcast, and enterprise networks around the world. ADC's innovative network infrastructure equipment and professional services enable high-speed Internet, data, video, and voice services to residential, business and mobile subscribers. ADC (NASDAQ: ADCT) has sales into more than 130 countries. Learn more about ADC at www.adc.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include expectations and beliefs related to ADC's future financial performance. The statements made by ADC are based upon management's current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those identified in the section captioned "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of ADC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2009, as may be updated in Item 1A of ADC's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or other filings ADC makes with the SEC. ADC disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
ADC-G
Intelimax Media Inc. ("Intelimax" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of a merger with Cicero Resources Corp., a company quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board. The resulting company is named Intelimax Media Inc. and will be engaged in the business of Internet media, content, advertising, publishing and software development.
"We are very excited about the closing of this merger as it provides Intelimax with access to the "capital markets" to further business objectives and long term growth strategies. With the merger now complete, we are in an excellent position to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead." said Charles Green, CEO.
Keywords: Intelimax Media Inc., Acquisitions, Advertising, Capital Markets, Finance, Investing, Investment, Mergers, Software
This article was prepared by Mergers & Acquisitions Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Mergers & Acquisitions Week via VerticalNews.com.
