FED: Banks pledge more than $3m in bushfire assistance

AAP General News (Australia)
02-08-2009
FED: Banks pledge more than $3m in bushfire assistance

By Alison Bell

MELBOURNE, Feb 8 AAP - Four Australian banks have pledge more than $3 million to help
victims of Victoria's bushfires.

The National Australia Bank (NAB), Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and ANZ have
stumped up $1 million each in funds or donations, while Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, through
its Community Enterprise Foundation, launched a Bushfire Appeal with an immediate $100,000
donation.

NAB was the first of the majors to establish a relief fund of $1 million for bushfire victims.

It was followed by CBA, …

KASPERSKY CHINA SUFFERS FROM SLIDING OPERATING REVENUES

AsiaInfo Services
06-29-2011
Kaspersky China Suffers from Sliding Operating Revenues

BEIJING, Jun 29, 2011 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- Kaspersky yesterday launched 2012 Internet Security and anti-virus software. At the release conference, the company's managing director for Asia Pacific Region Zhang Lishen told reporters that its operating revenues fell 60% in China Region in recent year, affected by the free policy kicked off by its Chinese peers.

In the past, China Region accounted for 65% of the operating revenues got by the Asia Pacific Region of Kaspersky while the proportion has by far sunk to around 25%.

In contrast to the lofty tone of its Chinese peers, Kaspersky tends to be reserved. Zhang points out that the company's top priority in China is still research and development. The R&D center to be built up in Shanghai next week will focus on localization of its products.

Talking of the free policy of Qihoo 360, a top executive of Kaspersky believes that free policy could not support the long-term operation of Internet security companies, since the R&D costs of anti-virus software are rather high.

Source: www.163.com (June 29, 2011)

KEYWORD: BEIJING INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Internet & Online Services & Media SUBJECT CODE: Internet & Online Services
Portal Software
SinoCast China Business Daily news
Internet security
anti-virus
Asia Pacific
China
R&D

Copyright 2011 AsiaInfo Services (via Comtex). All rights reserved

NSW:Asian man with silver gun confronted cops

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2011
NSW:Asian man with silver gun confronted cops

SYDNEY, Dec 6 AAP - A detective who accidentally fatally shot a colleague during a
drug search told police they were confronted with an Asian man pointing a silver pistol
at them.

Detective Senior Constable David Roberts, 41, is in the witness box at Burwood Local
Court at the committal hearing of Philip Nguyen, 55, who is accused of the manslaughter
of Constable William Crews.

Before giving evidence on Tuesday, the detective's interview with police, recorded
on September 10, 2010, was played in the courtroom.

In the recording Det Roberts said he, Constable Crews and other officers entered the
basement of a unit block in Bankstown, in Sydney's southwest, at about 9pm (AEDT) on September
8 to execute a search warrant for drugs.

"As we were walking towards a garage, I heard Constable Crews yell out `Gun'," he said.

He said a grey-haired Asian man wearing glasses, aged between 50 and 60, was in a crouched
position holding a silver pistol in both hands.

The man was pointing the gun in various directions "at myself, Const Crews and the
police behind".

"We were yelling `Police, put down the gun'."

Det Roberts said he drew his firearm.

"I saw and heard shots fired in the direction of police ... I also saw muzzle flashes...

the Asian male fired at least one shot," he said.

The detective said he fired in the direction of the Asian man and at the same time
heard other shots.

Nguyen is charged with the manslaughter of Constable Crews, a 26-year-old trainee detective,
on the grounds of "excessive self-defence".

The hearing is continuing.

AAP mss/ra/tr/mjs/jmt

KEYWORD: LEGAL: NGUYEN

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

HighLights of the AAP National Wire = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-01-2011
HighLights of the AAP National Wire = 2

AUCKLAND - All of those charged over the horror sinking of the Tongan ferry Princess
Ashika have been found guilty in the kingdom's biggest ever criminal trial. (Tonga Boat)

MELBOURNE - Pre-sentence hearing for Arthur Freeman who murdered his four-year-old
daughter by throwing her off the West Gate Bridge (Freeman to come with pix)

MELBOURNE - Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has denied that his welfare reform proposals
are recycled old measures. (Welfare)

CANBERRA - The UN's assistant higher commissioner for refugees says a regional approach
to processing asylum seekers could result in fewer people travelling to Australia by boat.

(Bali)

PERTH - People who share bongs to smoke marijuana may be at risk of contracting pulmonary
tuberculosis, Australian medical researchers say. (Bongs)

SYDNEY - It's been 20 years since the secrecy surrounding adoption has been lifted
and many long lost family members have been brought together in NSW. (Adoption)

SYDNEY - Two women who were forced to have sex to lift supposed black magic curses
have broken down while telling a judge of the ensuing horrific consequences on their lives.

(Golossian)

Golossian Wrap to come.

SYDNEY - A young vision-impaired woman has lost much of her remaining sight as well
as her independence after what police have described as a robbery gone wrong. (McCulloch)

McCulloch Wrap to come with pix.

SYDNEY - Teenager Trudie Adams, who disappeared 33 years ago from Sydney's northern
beaches, most likely fell victim to foul play, a coroner has said. (Adams)

Adamas Wrap to come.

SYDNEY - A missing toddler has been found safe and well on the NSW mid-north coast.

(Search Update)

Search Wrap to come on merit.

SYDNEY - The husband of former NSW education minister Verity Firth has been placed
on a 12-month good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to possessing one tablet of ecstasy.

(Chesher)

Chesher Wrap to come.

SYDNEY - Police will investigate if the shooting of a man in Sydney's southwest is
bikie or gang related. (Shot 2nd Update)

Shot Wrap to come.

SYDNEY - A 20-year-old man has been seriously injured after a pitbull dog latched on
to his groin in southwest Sydney. (Pitbull) More on merit.

MELBOURNE - A Victorian who claimed he was sleepwalking when he raped a sleeping woman
could be free from jail by Christmas after a judge "reluctantly" reimposed a previous
sentence given to him. (Coulson)

MELBOURNE - A former nurse who murdered a Filipina cleaner whose remains were found
wrapped in garbage bags in the front yard of a vacant house has been jailed for 17-and-a-half-years.

(Guingab)

MELBOURNE - Victorian motorists have been urged to take more care on roads after a
jump in fatalities last month. (Fatalities)

MELBOURNE - Encouraging people to live in regional centres and parts of metropolitan
Melbourne would help prevent the city's population explosion creating urban sprawl, the
Victorian government says. (Population Vic)

MELBOURNE - The first of the victims' funerals from a week of fatal car accidents has
been held for a 22-year-old man. (Funeral to come with pix)

MELBOURNE - A flagged $2.5 billion reduction in Victoria's GST funding means about
$700 million will have to be scrapped from the health budget, Health Minister David Davis
says. (Tax Vic Health with video to come)

BRISBANE - Queenslanders have a clear choice of the leader they want, but Liberal
National Party MPs will decide who'll be their deputy leader if they win office, opposition
treasury spokesman Tim Nicholls says. (LNP Update pix and video)

BRISBANE - A disaster has been declared in the north Queensland township of Hideaway
Bay which has been partially smothered by massive mudslides over the last few days. (Storms
Qld)

BRISBANE - A farmer who cut the ears off two calves with a butcher's knife will learn
whether has been found guilty of animal cruelty charges on Friday afternoon (FrANCIS -
to come)

BRISBANE - Queensland Education Minister Cameron Dick says daily weapons searches on
students would "Americanise" the state school system. (Stabbing)

PERTH - Three men have been held up at gunpoint and forced to lie on the ground in
a Perth carpark, while their car was searched and items stolen. (Carpark)

ADELAIDE - South Australia's Public Service Association (PSA) has confirmed plans to
take its fight against cuts to public sector jobs and conditions to the High Court. (BudgetSA)

BudgetSA Wrap to come.

ADELAIDE - A man who tried to pass off his wife's stab wounds as suicide has been jailed
for almost a quarter of a century for her murder. (Cocks)


ENTERTAINMENT

AUCKLAND - One half of New Zealand's hit television comedy duo could soon be gracing
the big scene as a character in The Hobbit. (NZ Hobbit)

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL 2 SYDNEY

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD:Continuing support campaign for Assange

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-2010
QLD:Continuing support campaign for Assange

Demonstrators in Brisbane have promised a continuing campaign on behalf of imprisoned
WikiLeaks founder JULIAN ASSANGE .. after a second rally in the city in two days.

About 350 people have gathered outside the Brisbane office of the Department of Foreign
Affairs to support Mr ASSANGE .. who's being held in Britain on an extradition application
to face allegations of sexual assault in Sweden.

After a series of speeches objecting to the detention and the Australian government's
response .. the protesters marched peacefully through central Brisbane.

Many see his detention as an attempt to hinder the continued release of government
files through WikiLeaks.

The rally coincides with International Human Rights Day.

AAP RTV stg/crh/tm

KEYWORD: ASSANGE QLD (BRISBANE)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA:Policeman faces jail over website=2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2010
SA:Policeman faces jail over website=2

Police laster issued a statement saying they had suspended him without pay after his
guilty plea and were assessing the matter for any appropriate disciplinary action.

AAP lk

KEYWORD: CLOHESY 2 ADELAIDE (REOPENS)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Police investigate death of woman found slumped in doorway

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2009
Vic: Police investigate death of woman found slumped in doorway

MELBOURNE, Dec 21 AAP - A woman's body has been found slumped in the doorway of a home
east of Melbourne.

Police said homicide detectives had been called in to investigate after the woman was
found dead at the Traralgon property early on Monday morning.

The woman, believed to be aged in her 30s, had no external injuries.

A post-mortem examination will be conducted to determined a cause of death.

Police are interviewing the woman's friends to determine her last known movements.

AAP sbl/cdh

KEYWORD: DOORWAY

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Main stories in today's The West Australian

AAP General News (Australia)
08-12-2009
WA: Main stories in today's The West Australian

PERTH, Aug 12 AAP - Main stories in The West Australian:

Page 1: Nine Australians are feared dead after a plane they were in went missing in
a storm in a remote area of Papua New Guinea.

Page 3: Quadriplegic Christian Rossiter, who will fight the courts to be allowed to
die reveals he had tried to commit suicide.

Page 5: AirAisa X has launched the biggest and cheapest seat sale, with return flights
to London only $554.

World: There's been worldwide condemnation after Burmese democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi was sentenced to 18 more months of house arrest.

Business: A senior Clive Peeters manager allegedly siphoned $20 million from company
coffers to buy and sell more than 40 residential properties around the country during
a two-year investment spree.

Sport: West Coast champion Glen Jakovich has urged his old club to allow retiring player
Chad Fletcher one last AFL home game.

AAP ap

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTER WA

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Cash handouts paid regardless of High Court decision:expert

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2009
Fed: Cash handouts paid regardless of High Court decision:expert

A legal expert says millions of taxpayers will eventually receive cash bonus payments
.. even if the High Court rules the stimulus measure's invalid.

The court's expected to rule tomorrow on whether the RUDD government's exceeded its
constitutional powers in legislating for the payments .. up to 900 dollars each for eligible
taxpayers .. due to sent out from next Monday.

But GEORGE WILLIAMS .. senior law lecturer at the University of New South Wales ..

has told ABC radio taxpayers will get their money one way or another .. because the government
will simply use another avenue.

AAP RTV sld/rl/rt

KEYWORD: BONUS (CANBERRA)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Inspectors yet to learn cause of Qantas cylinder explosion

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2008
Fed: Inspectors yet to learn cause of Qantas cylinder explosion

Air safety investigators have yet to find out why an oxygen cylinder exploded mid-air
on a Qantas international flight last month .. blasting a hole in the fuselage and causing
mayhem on board.

A preliminary report into the incident .. released today .. says it's extraordinary
that nobody on the Hong Kong-Melbourne flight was killed or injured by the cylinder when
it burst into the cabin.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau report has blamed the gas bottle for the 1.74-square-metre
rupture in the Boeing 747-400 .. which led to an emergency landing in Manila.

All 346 passengers and 19 crew aboard the plane escaped injury.





The ATSB has found the cylinder .. one of seven in the cargo hold .. blew a hole near
the wing and broke through the floor of the cabin near the foot of an exit door.

It says the cylinder hit the door .. knocked its handle almost to an open position
.. and hit overhead panelling before falling out of the aircraft through the ruptured
fuselage.

The bureau has issued safety advisories to airlines to undertake inspections .. testing
.. maintenance and any required repairs of oxygen bottles.

The team plans to look into the design and manufacture of the cylinders .. any recorded
failures and the adequacy of inspections and maintenance.

Qantas chief executive GEOFF DIXON says the airline's own investigations agree with
the ATSB's preliminary conclusions.

AAP RTV pw/mfh/tm/ibw

KEYWORD: QANTAS (CANBERRA)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Olympic flame starts relay = 21

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2008
Fed: Olympic flame starts relay = 21

THORPE looked slightly sheepish after the cauldron went out so soon after he lit it
with his torch.

AAP RTV cb/sb/ibw

KEYWORD: OLY08 FLAME LIT 21 CANBERRA

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: COAG to establish working groups to drive reform=4

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2007
Fed: COAG to establish working groups to drive reform=4

Premier ANNA BLIGH says the Queensland government will consider introducing a prohibition
on alcohol in Cape York indigenous communities.

Ms BLIGH says after three years of alcohol-management restrictions in every community
in The Cape they're not seeing change at the pace that's needed.

And she's thanked the federal government for contributing funding to future alcohol-reduction
resources.

Ms BLIGH says COAG's also agreed new tactics are needed in dealing with indigenous disadvantage.

She says a lot of good people have done a lot of work that has NOT benefited Aboriginal
people .. and governments need to be honest about that.

MORE RTV sld/rl/tm/bart

KEYWORD: COAG RUDD 4 CANBERRA

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Rate hike not the states' fault: Allison

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2007
Fed: Rate hike not the states' fault: Allison

CANBERRA, Aug 8 AAP - The latest interest rate rise has nothing to do with state government
borrowings, the Australian Democrats say.

Prime Minister John Howard has tried to partly blame the states' debt for today's 0.25
percentage-point rate increase - the fifth since he was re-elected on a platform of promising
to keep interest rates low.

But Democrats leader Lyn Allison today rejected the prime minister's assertions and
accused the federal government of misrepresenting the commonwealth's debt.

"The prime minister's contention that the states are to blame for this rate rise is
deceitful propaganda," she said.

"States' spending on infrastructure is not inflationary and, in any case, the Howard
government is not ... debt-free as it claims."

The commonwealth had large debts in bond markets and superannuation, Senator Allison said.

"Today's interest rate rise is primarily a reaction to a buoyant economy, the strength
of the private sector and consumption spending," she said.

"The reality is that neither commonwealth nor state debt is adding substantially to
interest rate pressures and another tricky sleight-of-hand explanation won't alter that
fact."

AAP dcr/sb/jm/jlw

KEYWORD: RATES DEMS

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Man in court over service station shooting

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2007
Vic: Man in court over service station shooting

A man has faced court charged with attempted murder .. for a shooting at a service
station in Melbourne's west.

20-year-old BEN HILLS of no fixed address .. was accused of firing a gun at a group
of people in the Heaths Road service station carpark in Hoppers Crossing .. on November
19 last year.

He was also charged over a burglary in Werribee on January 10 this year and the theft
of two motorbikes .. worth five thousand dollars in total.

HILLS has faced the Melbourne Magistrates' Court charged with 28 offences .. including
attempted murder .. reckless conduct endangering life and assault.

He didn't apply for bail and he wasn't required to enter a plea.

Magistrate CLIVE ALSOP has remanded HILLS to reappear in the same court for a committal
mention on May 10.

AAP RTV mj/gfr/cp/bart

KEYWORD: HILLS (MELBOURNE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: ATO privacy breaches raise further Smartcard concerns: ALP

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2006
Fed: ATO privacy breaches raise further Smartcard concerns: ALP

The Labor Party says Australians will lose confidence in the government's planned Smartcard
.. after another episode of bureaucrats accessing personal records they shouldn't have
looked at.

The Australian Taxation Office has confirmed it's taken disciplinary action against
27 employees for breaches of privacy.

Four have been sacked.

Treasurer PETER COSTELLO's described the privacy breaches as unacceptable .. praising
the Tax Office for punishing the offending staff.

Labor says the case again raises concerns about the government's planned Smartcard
.. which would contain the cardholder's personal health and welfare details.

AAP RTV dcr/so/meh/bart

KEYWORD: PRIVACY (CANBERRA)

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Cyclone Monica upgraded to category five

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2006
Qld: Cyclone Monica upgraded to category five

Severe tropical cyclone Monica has been upgraded to category five as it descends on
the the Northern Territory coast.

The system .. which has several aboriginal communities in its path .. was upgraded
at 5pm (AEST) today.

The Northern Territory Bureau of Meteorology (NTBM) says it's sweeping north west at
5 kph from the northern Gulf of Carpentaria and is about 260 kilometres east of Nhulunbuy.

The bureau says the cyclone should maintain its current intensity as it moves towards
the coast overnight.

Weather maps of the region show that the cyclone has slightly changed course in the
past two hours and is moving north west .. away from the mainland.

However .. coastal tips are still in its path.

AAP RTV sjk/jv

KEYWORD: MONICA (BRISBANE)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Investigation called into HSC results website bungle

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2004
NSW: Investigation called into HSC results website bungle

SYDNEY, Dec 17 AAP - An investigation has been launched into a website glitch that
allowed some NSW Year 12 students to see other students' final school results.

NSW Board of Studies General Manager John Bennett said today two students had told
the board they saw other people's results when they logged into the website to check their
own Higher School Certificate results.

NSW Nationals MP Andrew Fraser said earlier that when he had logged onto the internet
to check his son's HSC results, he saw another student's results.

Dr Bennett said the Students Online website had been shut down but HSC results could
still be accessed from the Board of Studies website, www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au.

"Students have been able to access or see the results of other students," Dr Bennett
told reporters.

"We started an investigation immediately and we're bringing in outside technical experts
to help us on this task."

Earlier this week, police were called into investigate how 101 students used an internet
link to view their HSC results early.

AAP pj/kp/lma/de

KEYWORD: HSC SECURITY BOARD

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

A CANDIDATE CAN WIN, BUT STILL LOSE

The presidential race is the one political competition in America where being the most popular isn't necessarily the goal.Polls taken over the last few weeks show the race between George W. Bush and Al Gore to be a dead heat.

Depending on who you listen to, either one could receive 1 or 2 percent more votes than the other.

But winning the popular vote isn't how a person gets elected president.

The president is eventually determined by the vote of the Electoral College.

If you harken back to your civics classes, you probably remember that each state has a designated number of votes that corresponds with the number of representatives sent to Congress.

Whichever presidential candidate carries a state gets that state's electoral votes.

So, a candidate could win the popular vote (that is, the votes cast by folks like you and me) and still lose the election.

It's happened a couple of times and nearly happened as recently as the Kennedy-Nixon race of 1960.

An internet site -- Hotline, which is a destination point for political junkies, -- keeps a running tabulation of the polls conducted in each state and figures the results of the electoral vote based on those polls.

How do things stand so far? Gore leads Bush 281-227. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win.

According to Hotline, Bush would win 26 states but lose the election.

He could win the popular vote and lose the election.

Does one vote count? In Illinois, where Gore leads the polls but barely ahead of the margin of error, every vote counts.

SATELLITE SPOTLIGHT: DALLAS TELEPORT ACHIEVES RECORD RESULTS.

Dallas Fort Worth Teleport attained another record year of revenues and profitability in 1998 as the company's revenues rose over 1997 levels and spurred significantly improved profitability. The results demonstrate 15 straight years of continued growth and show new international data business offerings to Latin America are helping, said Dean Popps, the Teleport's CEO. "We are delighted by these results and we feel very confident about the future of our business. The prospects for sustained growth and profit margins such as those realized in 1998 are very achievable and attributable to our unique business strategies - and our dedicated staff," Popps said. "We are also very grateful to our customers who have exhibited trust in our operation through many years." Dallas Fort Worth Teleport is a privately held Texas partnership with full service satellite telecommunications that provides transmission services to commercial satellites. The Teleport's Internet web site is www.dfwteleport.com.

iGoDigital Achieves Record Account and Company Growth.

Company completes 100 customer projects in 30 days, doubles Q2 2011 revenue year-over-year

INDIANAPOLIS -- iGoDigital, the market and technology leader in personalized product recommendations and guided selling tools, today announced record client growth as the company launched 100 customer projects in the last 30 days. The steady client growth and high client retention rates resulted in a record second quarter as iGoDigital doubled Q2 2011 revenue year-over-year. To support the company's growth, iGoDigital has doubled the company's employee count year-over-year, with plans to double again by this time in 2012.

iGoDigital's customer growth includes major retailers and manufacturers spanning more than 25 countries. Over the last 30 days iGoDigital added numerous retail clients from Internet Retailer's Top 500 Retailers list including: BuySeasons, Inc. (No. 8), OnlineShoes.com (No. 148) and eCampus.com (No. 225). Other new clients include Philips Electronics, Shoe Metro, ZIRH and PexSupply.com. The company also continues to see current clients adding additional projects to their account with iGoDigital. iGoDigital expanded with new web and mobile projects for current clients including: Energizer, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Olay, Wella and SK-II.

"We are extremely proud of our team's accomplishments and growth. iGoDigital's client retention rates are at unprecedented levels due to the best-in-class service and measurable results our staff delivers every client," said Eric Tobias, president, iGoDigital. "In a crowded market, our clients continue to re-affirm what separates iGoDigital from others in this space: our holistic approach to personalization, our extensive tool set to address a variety of needs in multiple channels (mobile, web, social media) and tactics to implement (guided selling, product recommendations, etc). We're well positioned for continued growth in the second half of 2011."

Additional 2011 company highlights include:

* Many enhancements to personalized recommendations platform including a new mobile platform, deeper integrations into social commerce tools like Facebook and Twitter, new recommendation algorithms and augmentations to the reporting platform for recommendations

* Helped clients deliver 750 million recommendations (across both guided selling and product recommendations combined) in the last 30 days

* Currently working on client projects in over 25 countries

* Named a TechPoint Mira Awards Program Finalist

* Selected to join the New England Mail Order Association (NEMOA),one of the nation's most active multichannel merchant associations dedicated exclusively to the catalog/multichannel industry

Used by many of the largest online retailers, iGoDigital's personalized product recommendation solutions exposes customers to relevant and desirable products at multiple interaction points during the shopping process. The platform analyzes individual shopper behavior, the wisdom of the crowds, and individual product attributes to show the most relevant products, in real-time, to each shopper. Because each tool is powered by iGoDigital's Customer Intelligence Engine, retailers can leverage their investment across multiple personalization solutions.

To learn more about iGoDigital, visit www.igodigital.com.

About iGoDigital

iGoDigital is the leading provider of personalization and product recommendation tools that guide smarter retail. Powered by a customer intelligence engine, iGoDigital delivers accurate, predictive and actionable real-time product recommendation tools that guide a retailer's shoppers through a personalized multi-channel shopping experience. The company currently serves many of the world's most successful and respected retail brands, including Best Buy, Wal-Mart, P&G, Lids and Scholastic. iGoDigital is headquartered in Indianapolis, IN and was named to the "Inc 500" list of the fastest growing private companies. For more information, visit www.igodigital.com.

Scientists at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Release New Data on Sexual Health.

Investigators publish new data in the report "Use of the internet and self-collected samples as a sexually transmissible infection intervention in rural Illinois communities." According to recent research from Springfield, United States, "In the USA, reported cases of chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) continue to rise despite substantial funding for screening. National gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) rates have remained relatively stable, with clusters associated with metropolitan areas."

"Rural areas are no exception, as every county in Illinois reported cases of chlamydia in 2007. Morbidity associated with infection remains a public health concern, with costs of $US2.5+ billion annually," wrote W.D. Jenkins and colleagues, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (see also Sexual Health).

The researchers concluded: "Novel screening interventions must be examined for their ability to reach those at risk who are missed by traditional methods."

Jenkins and colleagues published their study in Sexual Health (Use of the internet and self-collected samples as a sexually transmissible infection intervention in rural Illinois communities. Sexual Health, 2011;8(1):79-85).

For additional information, contact W.D. Jenkins, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, Springfield, IL 62791-9671, United States.

Keywords: City:Springfield, State:Illinois, Country:United States, Region:North and Central America, Sexual Health.

This article was prepared by Science Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Science Letter via NewsRx.com.

ServiceChannel Named 2011 Vendor of the Year at PRSM National Conference.(Conference news)

The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) named ServiceChannel as 2011 Vendor of the Year at an awards ceremony during it's National Conference here on Monday night, April 4, 2011. According to PRSM, the award is determined each year by a vote of retailers and industry vendors who select the company that they feel best exemplifies excellence in the retail facilities maintenance profession.

ServiceChannel provides retail facilities managers with a technology platform across which they can identify, register, manage and even pay service contractors. "ServiceChannel's vision for more than 10 years has been to innovate this collaborative relationship, offering valuable tools to both sides of the facilities maintenance equation," said PRSM Association Board President, Paul Walsh.

ServiceChannel was founded in 1999 as a response to the burgeoning need for retailers to have increased and immediate access to facilities service data. With a history in contractor management software, ServiceChannel evolved their products to the Internet offering retailers online access to a comprehensive database of service information and performance metrics.

Steven Gottfried, co-founder of ServiceChannel and a PRSM member for more than 10 years, was on hand to receive this year's award. Mr. Gottfried remarked, "We are proud to receive this recognition from PRSM. The retail facilities maintenance industry is constantly evolving and we're excited to be part of driving that process." Mr. Gottfried was also elected to the PRSM board during the National Conference.

Keywords: ServiceChannel, Software, Technology.

This article was prepared by Computer Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Computer Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

We miss our beds; IN BRIEF.(Sport)

WELSH holidaymakers miss their beds more than anything else, according to a survey.

Beds beat family to the top spot of things people miss most while abroad, according to holiday rentals website WhereToSleep.co.uk Other items in the top 10 included pets, friends and the internet.

Q&A; A failure to communicate: How to make Word 'get' it.(BUSINESS)

Byline: STEVE ALEXANDER; STAFF WRITER

STEVE ALEXANDER^$^Q I recently developed a problem while attempting to click on an e-mail attachment. The screen becomes gray, and a message says "File conversion ... select the encoding that makes your document readable." This happens with new e-mails and even those a couple of months old. What can I do?

LARRY CHRISTENSON, BLOOMINGTON

A This happens when Microsoft Word doesn't recognize the file format of an e-mail attachment. It could happen if the person who sent the e-mail also writes in other languages, and as a result has the file encoding software on Word set differently.

Microsoft offers free software updates that should fix the problem. If you have Microsoft Word 2007, see tinyurl.com/ydqmtmp and read the section "Choose an encoding standard when you open a file." For Word 2002, see tinyurl.com/y8cpsww. For Word 2000, see tinyurl.com/y92yqhz.

Another possibility is that someone sent you a file in the new Word 2007 file format, which earlier Word programs can't read. You can fix that by downloading a free Microsoft conversion program at tinyurl.com/y5a879.

Q I'm having a problem connecting to the Internet by cable modem. I keep getting error messages that say the computer is trying to connect via a dial-up modem instead. When I cancel the error messages, I can connect to the Internet with the cable modem. How can I solve this problem?

LEON LEBOLDUS, OTTAWA, CANADA

A It appears that your Windows broadband connection has not been set up properly. Use the following steps to tell Windows to use your cable modem rather than a dial-up connection: Go to Start, choose Control Panel, click "Network and Internet," then choose "Network and Sharing Center." Click "Set up a new connection or network," then click "Connect to the Internet."

Q What is the best way to set up a Windows 7 swap file (a space on the hard disk that temporarily stores information when the PC's memory is nearly full)? I have 2 gigabytes of RAM, and two swap files: a 5-gigabyte file on my C drive and a 5- to 10-gigabyte file on my D drive (a section of the C drive set aside for special uses).

BILL KARKULA, ST. ANTHONY

A The rule of thumb is that your swap file should be 1 1/2 times the amount of RAM you have. That means the 5-gigabyte swap file on your C drive should be more than adequate. You really only need one swap file; keep it on the larger C drive so it doesn't get in the way of anything else.

E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander@gmail.com, or write to Tech Q&A, 425 Portland Av., Minneapolis, MN 55488-0002. Include name, city and phone number.

Proposed procedures for simplifying employer-provided cell phone substantiation rules.

In June 2009 the IRS published Notice 2009-46, requesting comments on several proposed procedures for simplifying the substantiation and reporting requirements of employees' personal use of employer-provided cellular telephones.

Under the current provisions of the Code and regulations, employees must substantiate, for each separate use of their employer-provided cell phones, the cost, date, and business purpose of the telephone's use. An employee's failure to comply with the substantiation requirements in a timely manner may result in the inclusion of the full fair market value (FMV) of the employer-provided cell phone in the employee's gross income without an exclusion for business-related uses.

Background

Congress added Sec. 280F to the Code with the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, P.L. 98-369. The intent of Sec. 280F was to identify certain personal property items that were acquired for business use but inherently lent themselves to personal use. The enumerated property, defined as listed property in Sec. 280F(d)(4), originally included passenger automobiles, computer equipment, and other property generally used for transportation, entertainment, and recreation. Congress added cellular telephones to the definition of listed property with the enactment of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, EL. 101-239.

While the provisions of Sec. 280F identify and generally limit the use of accelerated depreciation for listed property, a companion provision, Sec. 274(d)(4), which also became law under the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, prohibits any deduction or credit with respect to any listed property as defined by Sec. 280F(d) (4), unless certain substantiation and record-keeping requirements are met by the taxpayer. Congress's intent with the codification of these measures was to tax the personal-use component of those specific property items identified in Sec. 280F(d)(4).

Twenty years ago, cell phones were relatively bulky and prohibitively expensive for most taxpayers. Use of cell phones was not widespread, and Congress did not envision their pervasive use in today's business environment. Over the past two decades, technology and competition have reduced the size and cost of cell phones as well as their monthly service cost. Cell phones featuring internet and e-mail access, instant messaging, cameras, and GPS navigation have facilitated the extension of the workplace to almost anywhere and have effectively stretched the length of the workday to 24 hours. However, the substantiation and record-keeping provisions of Sec. 274(d)(4) have not kept pace with the cell phone's role in today's business environment, where the administrative burden of complying with the substantiation provisions of Sec. 274(d)(4) is disproportionate to the low operating cost and the pervasive use of the cell phone.

Many members of Congress have recognized the burdensome administrative cost of the existing substantiation and record-keeping provisions with respect to business cell phone use. In 2008 several bills were introduced in both the House and the Senate that would have either removed cell phones from the definition of listed property or ameliorated the burdensome substantiation requirements. None of the bills has become law.

In this context, Douglas Shulman, the IRS commissioner, expressed support for easing the substantiation requirements earlier this year and urged Congress to "make clear that there will be no tax consequence to employers or employees for personal use of work-related devices such as cell phones provided by employers" (www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=209795,00.html).

Notice 2009-46

The stated purpose of Notice 2009-46 was to solicit comments from the public regarding three proposed simplified methods of substantiating employees' business use of employer-provided cell phones, in addition to methods of determining the FMV of any taxable fringe benefit that accrues to employees for their personal use of employer-provided cell phones.

Simplified Substantiation Methods

The three proposed simplified substantiation methods listed in Notice 2009-46 are:

* A minimal personal-use method with two variants;

* A safe-harbor substantiation method; and

* A statistical sampling method.

Both variants of the minimal personal-use method would allow employers to deem all an employee's use of an employer-provided cell phone as business use. Under the first variant, the employee would be required to provide the employer with sufficient records to establish that the employee maintains and uses a personal cell phone for personal use during business hours. The alternative minimal personal-use method proposed in Notice 2009-46 adopts a de minimis approach in which a certain amount of personal use would be disregarded and the entire amount of cell phone use would be deemed business use. The notice does not specify the amount that would be considered minimal personal use but suggests that the amount would be determined by a set number of allowable personal-use minutes.

Under the safe-harbor substantiation method, a flat percentage of each employee's use of an employer-provided cell phone would be deemed as business use. The balance would be treated as personal use. In Notice 2009-46, the IRS and Treasury proposed a safe-harbor business use percentage of 75 %.

Both variants of the minimal personal-use method, as well as the safe-harbor substantiation method, would significantly reduce the substantiation and record-keeping burden of employers and employees alike. However, the de minimis approach would still require a certain amount of record keeping to determine whether the de minimis number of minutes had been exceeded.

The third simplified substantiation method enumerated in Notice 2009-46, the statistical sampling method, would allow employers to use statistical sampling techniques to determine an employee's personal use of an employer-provided cell phone. Notice 2009-46 provides that methodologies similar to those outlined in Rev. Proc. 2004-29 (used to establish a taxpayer's substantiated expenses paid or incurred for meals and entertainment that are not subject to the 50% deduction limitation) may be used to establish personal cell phone use. The remaining portion would be deemed business use.

Sampling methods have been available to taxpayers since 1986 but apparently have fallen short in addressing the simplification issue for employers providing cell phones to a large number of employees. Temp. Regs. Sec. 1.274-5T(c)(3)(ii) (A), effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1986, provides that sampling may be employed to substantiate the business use of listed property. However, the sampling methodologies suggested in the examples cited in Temp. Regs. Sec. 1.274-5T(c)(3)(ii)(C) are more applicable to small businesses because they would require sampling for periods for each employee rather than sampling from the entire employee population. Rev. Proc. 2004-29 provides very specific guidance as to what sampling applications a taxpayer may use, including sampling techniques, population size, and others. Calculation of confidence limits is also required.

Determining FMV of Personal Use

To the extent any employer-provided cell phone use is not substantiated business usage, which would make it excludible from the employee's gross income as a working condition fringe benefit, the FMV of the cell phone use is included in the employee's gross income. Because the cost incurred by the employer is not determinative of the FMV of a fringe benefit under Regs. Sec. 1.61-21(b)(2), the IRS and Treasury have expressed interest in understanding the methods employers were using to determine the FMV to the employee of employer-provided cell phones.

Conclusion

With the increasing utility and decreasing costs of cell phones, they have become an integral component of business communications. When cell phones were first included in the listed property and subjected to stringent substantiation and record-keeping requirements, they were relatively costly and novel items. However, today their use has become pervasive, which means that the burden of substantiating the business use of cell phones and maintaining records as required under the current tax laws has increased relative to the cost of the cell phone use. The fact that members of Congress and the IRS have recognized the problem, and that the IRS has taken steps to remedy the issue by suggesting simplified methods and seeking public comment, will hopefully mean that more reasonable methods for determining business versus personal use as well as FMV are on the horizon.

From Michael Coley, MST, CPA, Irvine, CA

Always be prepared: brooks institute has programs in place to help you land a job.(Higher Learning)

SANTA BARBARA, CA -- For students, training and talent are a huge part of the equation, but without the ability to market themselves, finding an in-field job could be difficult.

Brooks Institute (www.brooks.edu), with six campuses throughout Southern California, knows that competition is fierce, and before letting its students--working toward degrees in video production, graphic design, professional photography and visual journalism--graduate, they make sure they have all the tools they need to make themselves hirable.

Brooks does this in a number of different ways: offering required seminars and courses geared toward finding an internship and helping with a job search after graduation.

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

While internships themselves aren't required at Brooks Institute, the faculty strongly encourages students in that direction, having career services advisors visit classrooms and talk to students who are eligible for full-time, for-credit internships about how the process works.

"Students are learning all the technical tools they need here, but internships coupled with our business curriculum teach students the real-world business aspects to this industry," says Brooks's director of career and student services, Maggie Tomas. "Internships are such a valuable opportunity for the students. They help the student begin networking in the industry and can sometimes lead to continuing positions."

One way the school assists students in obtaining internships is through organized, on-campus interviews--held at least six times a year--that benefit the students as well as the companies involved because it allows them to meet a handful of students at one location in one day. With just a few companies participating, how are students chosen? According to Tomas, "Sometimes the employer wants to see all interested applicants, sometimes they request career services to screen the best candidates, sometimes they require a certain GPA, and sometimes they ask for faculty recommendations."

A full-time internship has to be approved through the faculty and the academic affairs office. The student and the internship host company must create an eight-week agenda, including their learning objectives. "This ensures the internship is a learning experience for the student," says Tomas.

Internships can be a pretty eye-opening experience for some artists who hope to be doing high-end work from the start. "We prepare students and let them know that they will be assisting in entry level assignments while observing the photographer's or filmmaker's process."

REQUIRED TO PREPARE

Before a student can graduate, they are required to complete a professional development seminar called Business Launch. "This seminar teaches professional behavior, cold calling techiques, resume and cover letter writing, and interview skills," explains Tomas. "Students need to know this is a competitive industry that relies on networking, meeting people, and marketing your work."

In addition to bringing in guest lecturers who are professionals or alumni in the industry, Brooks recently held a "Graduate Success" panel. "We brought in graduates from the past two years who have found success in varying ways and they spoke to the students about how to get started in the business," explains Tomas, who says that the closeness in age of these panelists hits home with the students. "We invite experienced photographers, but that level of success may seem unobtainable to an undergraduate, whereas stories and advice from more recent graduates can be motivating and inspiring."

Another requirement of the school is the Graduation Review, which prepares students for a professional interview. "Film students, for instance, submit their reel, resume, cover letter and contact list," she explains. "Faculty and career services review the materials and the student must pass this process in order to graduate."

AFTER GRADUATION

Brooks Institute's careers service advisors work with all graduates, assisting in their job search. Each student has a career services advisor who will actually make cold calls all over the country on behalf of their graduates. Career services advisors search databases and start dialing, trying to find job leads and opportunities for the graduates. They also search the Internet and network with their alumni--to find specific opportunities for the graduate.

"So much of this business is self-promotion," sums up Tomas, "who you know, who you meet and how you market yourself. Our office tries to teach students that they need to promote their work in order for others to see the value and talent behind it."

By RANDI ALTMAN

raltman@postmagazine.com

Alerts for Thursday, August 17, 2006 - Featuring Alberta Star Development, YP Corp., Bioelectronics, Williams Controls and More.

M2 PRESSWIRE-17 August 2006-TalkingStocks.com: Alerts for Thursday, August 17, 2006 - Featuring Alberta Star Development, YP Corp., Bioelectronics, Williams Controls and More(C)1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:17082006

Dallas, Texas - Talking Stocks Pre-Market Updates for Thursday include Alberta Star Development Corporation (OTCBB: ASXSF), Campbell Resources Inc (OTCBB: CBLRF), Williams Controls Inc (OTCBB: WCON), YP Corp. (OTCBB: YPNT), Bioelectronics Corp (OTC: BIEL), Network Installation Corporation (OTCBB: NWKI). Talking Stocks Pre-Market Updates feature companies with significant moves in either volume or price in the past two trading sessions. In our update we analyze recent news about the companies featured and detail the movement in the stock.

If you would like to feature your publicly traded company in our alerts or on TalkingStocks.com, email john@talkingstocks.com or call (469)252-3031.

Alberta Star Development Corporation (OTCBB: ASXSF) Wednesday's market closed at a 4.95% increase at $1.4599 per share. There were 47,820 shares traded. Alberta Star Development Corp. is pleased to announce that Terraquest Ltd. has started performing a Regional High Resolution Aeromagnetic Gradiometer-Radiometric Survey over the Eldorado uranium belt. This powerful airborne geophysical survey will consist of 16,708 line-kilometers at 100 meter line spacings and will be concluded by the beginning of August. The airborne high resolution radiometric survey is considered one of the industry's finest tools to enhance uranium exploration capabilities by showing high definition conductive uranium targets. The airborne survey is being conducted using a King Air 90 gradiometer radiometric equipped aircraft, and is covering a large regional area from south of Contact Lake belt and north of the Eldorado uranium belt.

Alberta Star is a Canadian mineral exploration company that identifies, acquires, finances advanced stage exploration projects in Canada. Alberta Star is focused in the discovery of base and precious metals and uranium.

Campbell Resources Inc (OTCBB: CBLRF) Wednesday's market closed at a 6.09% decrease at $0.145 per share. There were 9,820 shares traded. Mr. James McCartney, Chairman of the Board of Campbell Resources Inc., is pleased to announce the appointment of Messrs. W. Warren Holmes and Rene R. Galipeau as directors of the Corporation. Rene Galipeau has also been appointed as a member of the Audit Committee in replacement of Mr. James C. McCartney. W. Warren Holmes, B.Sc., P.Eng., MBA, is the current Chairman of the Board and Director of Nuinsco Resources Limited. He formerly worked for Falconbridge as Senior Vice President, Canadian Mining Operations. He serves on the Boards of a number of public and private corporations.

Campbell is a mining company focusing mainly in the Chibougamau region of Quebec, holding interests in gold and gold-copper exploration and mining properties.

Williams Controls Inc (OTCBB: WCON) Wednesday's market closed at a 0.00% change at $12.05 per share. There were 666 shares traded. Williams Controls, Inc., announced it has applied for listing of its common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market. The listing application must be reviewed and approved by NASDAQ before the stock can be traded on the Global Market. Until that time, the Company's stock will continue to be traded over the counter.

Williams Controls is a leading designer and manufacturer of Electronic Throttle Control Systems for the heavy truck and off-road markets. For more information, you can find Williams Controls on the internet at www.wmco.com.

YP Corp. (OTCBB: YPNT) Wednesday's market closed at a 3.23% increase at $0.96 per share. There were 82,900 shares traded. YP Corp., a leading provider of nationwide Internet Yellow Pages and related services, announced its financial results for its 2006 fiscal third quarter, ended June 30, 2006. Net revenues for the quarter were $10,172,705, up 13% from the $8,999,196 reported in the previous quarter ended March 31, 2006 and up 56% from the $6,517,158 reported for the same quarter in the previous year. Operating income rose to $1,876,022, up 55% from $1,214,002 in the previous quarter and almost six times the $321,880 for the same quarter in the previous year. Net income rose to $1,231,987 ($0.03 per share) in the quarter, up 51% from $814,140 ($0.02 per share) in the previous quarter and vastly outperforming the $149,784 loss for the same quarter in the previous year.

YP Corp., a leading provider of Internet-based Yellow Pages services, offers an Internet Advertising Package(TM) ("IAP") that includes a Mini-WebPage(TM) and Preferred Listing through its Yellow Pages Web site at www.yp.com. The company's Web site contains listings for approximately 17 million businesses in the United States. YP Corp. also provides an array of other Internet services that complement its Yellow Pages Web site, including an Internet Dial-Up Package(TM) (dial-up Internet access) and QuickSite(TM) (Web site design & hosting services). YP Corp. is a longstanding member, exhibitor, and sponsor of the two major Yellow Pages trade associations -- Yellow Pages Association (YPA), the major trade association of Yellow Pages publishers throughout the world, and the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP), which mostly represents independent Yellow Pages publishers. YP Corp. is based in Mesa, Ariz., and Las Vegas. For more information, visit the Web site at www.yp.com.

Bioelectronics Corp (OTC: BIEL) Wednesday's market closed at a 10.00% increase at $0.165 per share. There were 60,000 shares traded. BioElectronics Corporation, announced recently that it has signed an Agreement with Adams BioMedical, Inc., Bremerton, Washington, to establish a national network of independent sales agents and distributors in the Podiatry, Orthotics and Prosthesis Markets. David Adams, President & CEO of Adams BioMedical has extensive experience and contacts in the podiatry, orthotics, and prosthesis markets having been the Executive Vice President - Marketing of Trulife, Inc. an international leader in rehabilitation products. Prior to Trulife's acquisition of Seattle Systems, Mr. Adams led Seattle Systems to a premier position in the rehabilitative medical device market.

BioElectronics Corporation is the developer and marketer of advanced, inexpensive, disposable, drug-free, medical devices cleared by the U.S. FDA, the European Union and the Canadian regulatory authorities. The company's primary suite of products is the ActiPatch(tm) Therapy medical devices. These devices are miniaturized, battery operated and delivers pulsed electromagnetic frequencies, which are embedded in a dermal patch for continuous therapeutic treatment for a few dollars a day. The company's patented technology provides therapy designed to reduce swelling, relieve pain and enhance healing of surgical incisions, chronic wounds and orthopedic conditions. BioElectronics announced that the company is now profiled on Market-Pulse.com. Market Pulse's profile focuses on the company's products and technology, the markets, BioElectronics' strategic partnerships and the company's future outlook and recent developments. Individuals interested in more information on the company can view the profile at http://www.market-pulse.com/bielprofile.htm.

Network Installation Corporation (OTCBB: NWKI) Wednesday's market closed at a 0.00% change at $ 0.40 per share. There were 4,300 shares traded. The board of Network Installation Corp. has unanimously approved the restructuring of $9.1 million of convertible debentures and the retirement of the attached 5.7 million warrants to purchase the company's common stock. This action allows Network Installation to recognize an extraordinary gain on the restructuring in the amount of more than $900,000 for its second quarter ending June 30, 2006.

Network Installation Corp. is a single source provider of communications infrastructure, specializing in the design, installation, deployment and integration of specialty systems and computer networks. Through its wholly- owned subsidiaries Com Services and Kelley Technologies, it provides its services to the following customers and industries; Gaming & casinos, local and regional municipalities, K-12 and education. To find out more about Network Installation Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: NWKI) or its subsidiaries, please visit www.networkinstallationcorp.net, www.kccinc.com. The Company's public financial information and filings can be viewed at www.sec.gov.

About TalkingStocks.com:

TalkingStocks.com is a leading destination for those seeking information on small cap and microcap companies. The website feature companies in Profile Campaigns, Key Executive Interviews, email alerts and special reports authored by our financial writers. The web site set the standard for communication with investors. To feature a company or to get more information, please contact the Publisher, John Pentony, for more information (Tel: +1 469 252 3031 e-mail: john@talkingstocks.com).

The statements in this press release that relate to the Company's expectations with regard to the future impact on the Company's results are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements in this document may also contain ''forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Since this information may contain statements that involve risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from expected results.

CONTACT: John Pentony, PublisherTel: +1 469 252 3031e-mail: john@talkingstocks.com

((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

Cybersurf announces launch of Cable Internet Access in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Victoria.

M2 PRESSWIRE-21 July 2004-Cybersurf Corp.: Cybersurf announces launch of Cable Internet Access in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Victoria(C)1994-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:07212004

Calgary, Alberta CANADA, /FSC/ - Cybersurf Corp. (CY - TSX Venture), ("Cybersurf") one of Canada's leading Internet services and technology companies, announced today it is launching high-speed cable Internet access in Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Victoria, BC. This service offering represents an aggressively priced alternative to the incumbent carrier's high speed Internet service, over a cable delivery system.

Under the Company's 3web brand, consumers can expect a value priced service for high-speed cable access. The service will be priced as low as $24.95 per month for connection speeds equal to those delivered by the incumbent cable Internet provider for a comparable service. Similar services offered by the incumbents are regularly priced between $32.00 and $37.95 including discounts from bundling.

Launching service in Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Victoria is part of Cybersurf's ongoing commitment to providing Canadian consumers with a low cost alternative to the incumbent cable Internet provider. In May of this year Cybersurf announced the opening of the Calgary area as its first Western Canadian high-speed cable offering and in June added Edmonton and Vancouver Lower Mainland high-speed cable offerings.

"For the first time consumers in each of these markets will have the freedom to shop and compare. They will now have the consumer right and freedom to choose what Company will be their high-speed Internet service provider", says Paul Mercia, Cybersurf's President and CEO.

About Cybersurf Corp. and 3web Corp.

Cybersurf is an independent Internet and communications company providing Canadians with a value-driven alternative to large incumbent carriers.

Cybersurf prides itself on providing the highest possible quality of services at the lowest possible prices.

Through innovation and industry, Cybersurf develops and deploys advanced technology software applications for Internet Service, Internet Portal and New Media ventures. These applications are designed to maximize available resources, reduce operating costs and create new revenue opportunities.

Cybersurf's technology solutions are transferable and provide a cost-effective structure to companies that use them, whether their customers use dial-up, ADSL or Cable.

Cybersurf believes many Canadians want 'The Freedom of Choice' that comes with having a truly independent provider as an alternative to Canada's larger incumbent Telco or cable carriers - a choice that allows users to connect to the Internet how they want and with an independent provider that focuses on the needs of today's average user by providing quality service at the best possible price. Cybersurf is that choice.

3web Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cybersurf Corp., is one of Canada's largest independent Internet service providers. Through its 3webXS service, 3web provides its subscribers with premium, unlimited Internet access across the country at a fraction of the cost of competing services.

Canadians are invited to visit www.get3web.com to download the latest version of the 3webXS software. 3web also operates a national long distance service under the brand 3webLD.

Forward Looking Statements: This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and Cybersurf does not undertake an obligation to update forward-looking statements should conditions or management's estimates or opinions change.

For more information about Cybersurf and 3web, please visit www.cybersurf.com and www.3web.com. Cybersurf's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX Venture: CY).

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

CONTACT: CybersurfTel: +1 403 777 2000Fax: +1 403 777 2003e-mail: investor.relations@cybersurf.com.Maximum News Dissemination by Filing Services Canada Inc.Tel: +1 403 717 3898Fax: +1 403 717 3896WWW: http://www.usetdas.com

((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

Solihull-Severn Trent link off.(News)

Byline: Paul Dale

A planned pounds 150 million link-up between Solihull Council and Severn Trent, aimed at importing private sector thinking into the delivery of local authority services, has collapsed.

Solihull Council announced last night that year-long talks between the two organisations had failed to resolve outstanding financial issues. The proposed moneyspinning joint venture company would have provided payroll handling, billing and Internet-based services for Solihull Council, other West Midlands councils and the private sector.

Severn Trent beat 36 companies to become Solihull Council's preferred joint venture partner last year.

BT and W S Atkins were also on the short list.

The new company was to have been in business by Christmas2002, but negotiations between the two sides dragged on.

Katherine Kerswell, Solihull Council chief executive, said reasons of 'commercial confidentiality' prevented her from explaining why the link-up would no longer take place.

Mrs Kerswell added: 'Our staff have worked very hard on the plans for a joint venture company and I commend them for that. However, despite working very hard to reach contractual agreements, we face real difficulties in coming to an agreement on the financial aspects of the venture.

'I am therefore going to be recommending to the council that we draw a close to the negotiations.'

Mrs Kerswell said the council would look for alternative ways to boost its services.

Involvement in a joint venture company would have given Solihull an opportunity to take advantage of recent legislation permitting public authorities to sell their services.

After winning the right to hold talks on the issue, Severn Trent identified the Government's eagenda, which promotes online and 24-hour telephone access to local authority services, as a business opportunity.

The two sides agreed in principle that once the necessary IT investment had been made the joint venture company would look to market its services beyond Solihull.

CAPTION(S):

Katherine Kerswell