MEXICO CITY, Jul 24, 2001
Mexican cable-TV provider Cablevision, which is 51-percent owned by media giant Grupo Televisa (BMV:TLEVISA, NYSE:TV), beginning Sept. 1 will supply Buro de Credito, a privately owned credit-history agency, with payment records of its subscribers, for consideration by banks and department stores in consumer loan authorization procedures, Mexico City daily Reforma reported. At the end of June, Cablevision had 421,000 subscribers in and around Mexico City. By the end of the year, the company's number of subscribers is expected to reach around half a million, 30 percent of whom are users of its digital service. Buro de Credito operates a database with information on the credit background of more than 25 million individuals and more than 1 million companies, according to the report. Among the company's clients are banks, retailers, realtors, auto dealerships and credit unions.
URL: www.securities.com
Copyright 2001 Internet Securities, Inc., all rights reserved. A Euromoney Institutional Investor Company.
SUBJECT CODE: Indrtv
News Provided by COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com)
Business/High-Tech Editors
Seybold Publishing 2000
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 2000
RightsMarket Inc. (CDNX:RTS.) (OTCBB:RMKTF)
Ansyr Technology Supplies PDF Viewing Tools and Expertise
in Support of RightsMarket Initiative
RightsMarket Inc. will launch its first-ever demonstration of a production digital rights management (DRM) software for Windows-powered handheld devices, Tuesday, August 29 at the SeyboldSF Conference in San Francisco.
An audience of over 35,000 technology, print and web-publishing professionals are expected to be in attendance at the three-day conference.
RightsMarket's DRM solution utilizes PDF viewer technology from Ansyr Technology Corporation, and will allow corporate and commercial content owners to seamlessly enforce digital rights for materials used on handheld computers and wireless Internet appliances.
"Through our technology partners, Adobe and Ansyr Technology, RightsMarket is demonstrating a complete wireless content acquisition experience, authentication and digital rights management technology solution for web and print publishers, media and the overall technology community at this conference," said Lindsay Moir, President and CEO, RightsMarket Inc. "The demonstration will take place within the Adobe Partner Pavilion, where users can see the ease of use, speed and efficiency of this first generation wireless DRM solution."
CEO Norm Levy from Ansyr Technology stated, "we are pleased that RightsMarket has chosen Ansyr's PDF viewing technology for this first-ever application of DRM on handheld devices. This technology provides a powerful solution for a new world of mobile professionals who desire meaningful and high value content on their personal computing devices. RightsMarket's offering ensures content control and usage rights, it also authenticates the user of the handheld device."
RightsMarket provides a complete solution for digital rights management (DRM), offering publishers and content owners the opportunity to substantially enhance current revenue streams by adding a new digital channel to existing avenues of distribution. RightsPublish allows publishers and content owners to retain complete control of their intellectual property while expanding the range of options that have traditionally governed consumer interactions with printed material. Fully supporting Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF), RightsPublish enables digital content to be sold through new flexible retail models such as partial consumption (try before you buy, view only, view and print, etc.) pay per use, expiration, and subscription.
Ansyr Technology's PrimerTM is the first product to provide PDF viewing and navigation capabilities on Windows-powered palm-size and handheld computers. Primer enables users to view, navigate, and print documents formatted in Adobe's PDF Format, a worldwide standard for electronic document distribution. With Primer, any PDF file, including blueprints, large documents, manuals, forms, images, and spreadsheets can be easily transferred to handheld devices. With Ansyr's groundbreaking software, mobile professionals have access to vital information-whatever they need-anywhere they go.
Commercial release of the products remains on schedule by year-end.
ABOUT ANSYR TECHNOLOGY
Ansyr Technology Corporation develops solutions to enhance the usefulness of handheld computers, mobile devices and information appliances by enabling access and use of mission-critical information. Ansyr Technology currently offers a PDF reader for handheld computers and Internet appliances that run on the Windows CE operating system. Ansyr is a member of the Palm Solution Provider Program, Adobe Solutions Network and is a Windows-powered Pocket PC Launch Partner. For more information, call Kelly Leso at 206-625-0252 or visit the Ansyr Web site at www.ansyr.com.
ABOUT RIGHTSMARKET
RightsMarket Inc. is a publicly traded, high technology company (CDNX-RTS) specializing in digital rights management. Its principal product, RightsPublish, is one of the first online solutions for protecting digital content on the Internet. RightsMarket dramatically increases security, reduces distribution costs and speeds delivery time to the consumer. The technology facilitates the commercial distribution of digital content by encrypting the property, authenticating users, enforcing the terms and conditions of use, and creating a transaction log for reporting and billing. The technology is "persistent" in that the digital content must be unlocked each time it is accessed by the user. RightsMarket is a trademark of RightsMarket Inc.
For more information about RightsMarket please visit our website at www.RightsMarket.com.
The Canadian Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.
Twitter has become a media agent of change, from Tahrir Square in Egypt to Iran and in the streets of Madison, Wis., where protestors both pro- and anti-union used the social media to report the latest news and information.
After Iran's disputed 2009 election, protesters gathered throughout the country, organized quickly through new, networked communication technologies, including text messaging, Facebook and Twitter. In late 2010 and into 2011, other nations in the region--most notably Egypt and Tunisia--saw similar sudden uprisings driven by the quick, decentralized flow of information across social networks.
Twitter may be the tool that does the most to disseminate information in these protests. Twitter allows users to distribute messages of up to 140 characters, including links to content on the Web via computers, mobile phones and other Internet-connected devices.
It is similar to the text-message and e-mail tools used by past protest groups, such as those of the "People Power" revolution in the Philippines or the "Battle in Seattle" anti-WTO protest, but provides much greater physical and informational accessibility. A 2010 study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project reported 59 percent of American adults are now mobile Internet users, meaning the potential diffusion of this technology into political activity can happen anywhere.
Twitter made its first big splash as an American protest tool in February, when Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) announced his intention to strip about 175,000 public employees of their collective bargaining rights. In response, tens of thousands of protesters occupied the Wisconsin capitol building and its surrounding square. Those early events led to a period of semi-permanent protest both within and around the Capitol. During the first month of protests, Twitter users--both supporters and opponents of the protests--sent more than 800,000 tweets using the #wiunion tag.
Because of the way it connects information accessibility of the Web to the physical and temporal immediacy of text-messaging, Twitter can be used as both a modernized form of protest communication and as a kind of citizen journalism. Twitter's users can act as de facto wire editors, redistributing selected commentary and news to their followers, as well as contributing their own thoughts or first-hand reporting.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
A recent study at Southern Illinois University Carbondale tested the idea of the #wiunion Twitter stream as an ambient journalism outlet. Although #wiunion was not the only tag used in discussion of the bill or its attendant protests, it was the most central and provided the broadest coverage of discussion on both sides. The analysis covered 775,030 tweets, 63 percent of which were re-tweets--that is, tweets users had received and then forwarded to their own followers.
After a while the number of links decreased, suggesting that users' behavior changed over time, from a tendency toward redistribution of information from other sources to more frequent expression of original information. Faster and more portable networking dramatically alters the ability of individuals to publish instant, live information across different media--text, images, audio and video.
Digital communication tools dramatically speed the process of communicating within any organization, including social movements.
Too, such tools make informal communication much easier between a movement and unaffiliated but sympathetic individuals, as well as decentralized communication between and among those individuals. While using social network sites and other new media to mobilize might be seen as a modernized form of protest communication, this phenomenon clearly is a still-developing kind of citizen journalism.
Aaron S. Veenstra, assistant professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's School of Journalism, co-authored the research from which this article is taken. Co-authors include Narayanan Iyer, Namrata Bansal, Mohammad Delwar Hossain, Jiwoo Park and Jiachun Hong. Their research will be presented in August at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual conference in St. Louis.
Crunch time for the six Muscateers Will it be one for all and all for one economic plan? Or will daggers be drawn in Oman at this year's GCC summit? Gulf leaders meeting in Muscat today will discuss how to use the money in their bulging treasure chests to shore up their countries' struggling economies in the face of the financial crisis. The GCC nations can afford to splash money around after crude oil prices hit record levels this year, and leaders will try to agree a joint approach when they assemble for their annual summit. "The oil countries of the Gulf will be able to cope with the crisis and to write off its impact on their economies for a year or a year and a half," said Kuwaiti expert Jassem Al-Saadoun, who heads the Al-Shall Economic Consultants think-tank. "They can finance their projected budget deficits in 2009 and probably 2010" thanks to their massive currency reserves, he added. However, the leaders attending the two-day meeting will be conscious of the impact on future revenues of the recent plunge in international oil prices to less than a third of their July peaks above $147 a barrel. Saadoun projects an average oil price between $40 and $50 next year, and between $50 and $70 in 2010. In addition, Gulf governments have seen the value of their international investments shrink sharply as stock markets have plummeted amid the credit crunch. But analysts and officials agree that Gulf countries have plenty of money left to inject into their domestic economies if they want. "The GCC has the resources to weather this crisis," its secretary general Abdul-Rahman al-Attiyah told Al-Hayat newspaper last week, noting that member states have built up sizeable reserves over the past five years. "Our leaders will discuss the question [of the financial crisis], aware they must agree on a joint approach on how to face it," Attiyah said. Henry Azzam, Deutsche Bank's chief executive for the Middle East and North Africa, estimates the GCC countries' sovereign funds have lost $450 billion in value, "equivalent to one year of oil revenues", since hitting $1.5 trillion in May. "The Gulf region has suffered from the global financial crisis and it won't come out of it until the world has overcome it," Azzam said on CNBC Arabia last week. The GCC states together sit on 25 per cent of the world's natural gas reserves and 45 per cent of global oil reserves, providing one quarter of the world's oil demands. The Institute of International Finance predicted in a study published this month that the average economic growth rate of GCC countries will shrink to 4.2 per cent next year from 5.7 per cent this year, hit by a tightening of bank loans and a reduction in oil production agreed by OPEC this month. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, announced last week it is willing to chalk up a budget deficit of $17.3 billion next year by spending heavily to support the economy. After an unprecedented surplus of $160 billion this year, the country faces a sharp drop in revenues next year but it has decided not to cut back on major public projects. Instead, it will dip into funds estimated at $440 billion. Also on the agenda at the Muscat summit will be plans for a single currency - often touted as the 'khaliji'. GCC leaders are expected to approve the monetary union project and stick to the 2010 date they announced at last year's summit in Doha, Attiyah said. Host country Oman, however, has dropped out of the plan, while another obstacle is the issue of the currency peg. All GCC states peg their currencies to the dollar except Kuwait, which pegs to a basket of currencies dominated by the dollar. Attiyah also said last week he expected the Gulf to launch a common monetary council next year. The council would be the forerunner of a GCC central bank to operate independently of member states.
2007 Al Sidra Media LLC
Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
In the EU, authors must receive fair compensation' for private copying of their protected works by consumers in the 20 member states that authorise this exception to copyright. These states consequently have an "obligation to achieve a certain result," including at internal market level. This is the gist of an eagerly awaited ruling handed down by the EU Court of Justice, on 16 June(1). The decision adds input to the stormy debate over private copying, which the European Commission is striving to rekindle.
The dispute pitted Stichting de Thuiskopie, the Dutch body that collects the private copying levy, against Opus, a German company that sells reproduction material via the internet (DVDs, MP3s, printers, etc). Opus operates in the Netherlands via websites targeting the Dutch public.
Under the legislation of the Netherlands, the manufacturer or importer of the reproduction material must pay the levy. Opus, however, which processes orders in Germany and ships them to the Netherlands, refused to pay the levies. The Stichting therefore lodged a complaint claiming that Opus must be considered as the importer' and, as such, liable for payment of the private copying levy.
The Stichting was initially non-suited in the Netherlands. Before turning to the EU Court of Justice, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands noted that it was difficult to charge the levy to the buyer - as the importer - since the individual buyer "cannot in practice easily be identified".
The 2001 EU directive on copyright does not specify who should pay the fair compensation' due to the artist, states the court. It nevertheless refers to its judgement - in the Padawan case of October 2010 - that this fair compensation must be considered as recompense for the harm suffered by the author. The private buyer should therefore have to pay. However, considering the practical difficulty identifying the private buyer, the member states are at liberty to "establish a private copying levy for the purposes of financing fair compensation, chargeable not to the private persons concerned but to those who have the digital reproduction equipment, devices and media" and who "make that equipment available to private users or who provide copying services for them".
TOWARDS HARMONISATION?
The member states that have introduced this exception to private copying therefore have an "obligation to achieve a certain result" to the advantage of the author, sums up the court. "This result must be achieved even if it means charging the fair compensation to the exporter when it proves impossible to obtain payment from the importer," explains a Brussels-based lawyer specialised in intellectual property. According to this source, "charging the levy to exporters will make much more visible the wide range of compensation mechanisms existing in the single market". In fact, the states decide the amount of the levy and which material is taxed and there is a large variety of levies - which are passed on to buyers. This lawyer therefore concludes: "There is a real possibility that the compensation mechanism may no longer seem fair to consumers and may lose credibility. Greater harmonisation of private copying in the European Union could therefore gain legitimacy".
In its communication on intellectual property of 24 May (4207), the Commission announced its intention to organise a debate on European harmonisation of private copying systems. It opted for a "dialogue" between copyright societies that collect levies, on the one hand, and the technology industry and consumer organisations seeking a reform, on the other. So far, this dialogue has been very limited. This time, the EU executive will act through a mediator, to be appointed by the end of 2011. This person's task will be to work out solutions for defining more precisely the type of material concerned and a common "methodology" in the EU for calculating rates.
(1) Case C-462/09
US President Barack Obama yesterday called for the private sector to create more jobs, but underlined the government's role in promoting professional education.
"Now, government is not - and should not be - the main engine of job creation in this country. That's the role of the private sector," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.
"But one thing government can do is partner with the private sector to make sure that every worker has the necessary skills for the jobs they're applying for," Obama said.
His comments came after Labour Department figures showed only 54,000 new jobs had been created in May - just a quarter of the February-April pace - and the unemployment rate had edged up to 9.1 per cent.
The president noted that the US economy had not got into what he called a "mess" overnight, and would not resolve its problems quickly. "It's going to take time," he warned.
Copyright 2011 www.tradearabia.com
Copyright 2011 Al Hilal Publishing & Marketing Group
Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
BRISBANE, May 26 Asia Pulse - Australian retailers should stop sulking and step up to dominate the online shopping landscape like their international counterparts, Sue Morphet says.
The Pacific Brands chief executive officer told a Brisbane business lunch on Thursday, that online shopping was both a threat and an opportunity.
But, she said, retail survival was in the hands of Australian retailers who had to embrace the online world.
Ms Morphet said seven of the top 10 online retailers in the US were also bricks and mortar stores and it was a similar story in the UK.
"In the US stores like Walmart, Staples, Sears and Best Buy and in the UK Tesco, Marks and Spencer are in the top 10 online stores," Ms Morphet said.
"In Australia we don't have any bricks and mortar retail stores in the top 10 online stores, none at all - we have eBay, Amazon, Deals Direct," she said.
"Many of the successful online retailers can continue to have their bricks and mortar presence... but we need to understand this whole phenomena and move with it.
"People shop for experiences not just for purchasing goods."
She contrasted the success of boutique bookstores with the failure of other major book retailers as the industry faces an online squeeze.
"The ones that do more than just price will be the ones that succeed," she said.
"What we are seeing now is a consumer who shops on price or on quality, they will shop for the number one brand or the price point offer.
"In order for us to justify the value of our brands our product has to be innovative, it has to have high quality and be very engaging in the needs, wants and emotions of the shopping public."
Ms Morphet said recent calls for online stores to pay GST was unhelpful and energy should be focused on thinking of clever ways to appeal to customers.
"Where the recommendation to buy used to come from traditional advertising or the sales person in the store, now it's coming from social networks," she said.
"Bonds has 60,000 Facebook fans.
"Customers have always been able to go down the street and seek a better price... (but the) street is a whole lot longer and a whole lot easier to navigate.
"We need to be frank, the problem is not the lack of a 10 per cent GST.
"Retailers have to be offering excellent range, excellent value and excellent service, if you're not doing that customers will go elsewhere and the internet as made it easier for them to do so."
She says retailers need to think about how they pitch brands, use social networking marketing to communicate and satisfy customers.
Ms Morphet explained how innovative thinking saw a 1000 per cent increase for pillow sales when Pacific Brands launched its Tontine date-stamped pillows last year.
"Innovation is what we need to redefine our categories," she said.
"People have been buying white pillows for a hundred years... but this (result) was unbelievable," she said.
(AAP) nt 26-05 1958
SunTrust Banks, Inc. (NYSE: STI) Executive Chairman James. M. Wells III announced that Kyle Prechtl Legg has been elected to SunTrust's Board of Directors.
"We welcome Kyle to the SunTrust Board and look forward to benefiting from the financial services and investment experience and valuable perspectives she brings to our organization," said Mr. Wells at yesterday's annual meeting of SunTrust shareholders.
Ms. Legg is the former chief executive officer of Legg Mason Capital Management and has more than 30 years of professional experience in the investment industry. A chartered financial analyst who began her career as a bank analyst with Alex Brown & Sons, she joined Legg Mason Capital Management in 1991 as a vice president and senior analyst, was named president of the firm in 1997, and chief executive officer in March 2006. Ms. Legg is also a director of the Eastman Kodak Company.
SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. As of March 31, 2011, SunTrust had total assets of $170.8 billion and total deposits of $124.0 billion. The Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The Company also serves clients in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services. Through various subsidiaries the Company provides mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, investment management, equipment leasing and investment banking services. SunTrust's Internet address is suntrust.com.
Keywords: ATM Network, Finance, Financial Companies, Financial Services, Industry, Investing, Investment Banking, Investment Management, Investment Services, Money Center Banks, Mortgage, Networks, Real Estate, SunTrust Banks, SunTrust Banks Inc., Technology.
This article was prepared by Real Estate Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Real Estate Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
- Latest 8 KB/Page Structure NAND Flash Memories Supported High-Speed, High-Reliability SATA SSD Controllers with Data Randomizer and Auto-Refresh Functions -
Tokyo, Apr 21, 2011 - (JCN Newswire) - TDK Corporation announced today the development of the GBDriver RS3 series of Serial ATA (SATA) 3 Gbps compatible NAND flash memory controller ICs. Sales are scheduled to begin in July.
The new TDK GBDriver RS3 series are high-speed SATA controller ICs that support high-speed access with an effective speed of 170 Mbyte/second. In addition to the existing 2 Kbyte/page and 4 Kbyte/page structures, they support the latest 8 Kbyte/page SLC (single-level cell) and MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memories and can realize high-speed SATA storage ranging from 128 Mbyte to 128 Gbyte. As a result, the GBDriver RS3 series can be used for a wide range of applications from SATADOM[1] other embedded storage to mobile internet devices such as smart phones or audiovisual devices such as smart televisions and Blu-ray disc players. The controllers are available in a 120-pin TQPF package and a 144-pin VFBGA package.
The GBDriver RS3 series controllers perform high-speed control and incorporate powerful error correction capabilities up to 44-bit ECC (error correction code) as well as an auto-recovery function (read disturbance countermeasures) and a collateral error prevention function in case of power fail, common features of the TDK GBDriver series. The design serves to ensure extremely high data reliability of NAND flash memories.
In addition, the new GBDriver RS3 series features data randomizer and auto-refresh functions, which are essential for controlling the latest flash memories, to provide sufficient flexibility for future flash developments.
The GBDriver RS3 series also incorporates an advanced static wear leveling algorithm that averages the number of times each memory block is rewritten (erased). This maximizes the life span of NAND flash memories. SMART (self-monitoring and analysis reporting technology) data determines the number of times each memory block is rewritten (erased), facilitating quantitative lifespan management of flash storage.
Data security has also been enhanced. The controllers feature an automated encryption function using AES128-bit[2] encryption. Data in the NAND Flash memory is encrypted, providing robust security against data tampering and leaks.
TDK will launch CFast(TM) compact flash drives and solid state drives (SSDs) equipped with GBDriver RS3 controllers starting in late July.
Main Applications
- Audio-visual devices such as digital cameras, video cameras, smart televisions, Blu-ray televisions, Blu-ray disc players, Blu-ray disc recorders, set-top boxes (STBs), and communication satellite broadcast tuners.
- Smart phones, tablet PCs, thin client PCs and Netbook PCs such as mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs).
- Automotive devices such as car navigation systems, portable navigation devices (PNDs), digital tacographs, data loggers, drive recorders, and rearview monitors.
- Office equipment such as multifunction printers (MFPs), label printers, barcode printers, and commercial projectors.
- Amusement devices such as karaoke on demand, arcade games, and game consoles.
- Factory automation equipment such as NC machine tools, sequencers, PLCs, panel computers, touch panel systems, and embedded CPU boards.
- Railway and transport equipment such as automated ticket gates, automated ticket vending machines, commuter pass vending machines, automated air ticket vending machines, and automated check-in systems.
- Banking terminals such as POS devices, convenience store and kiosk terminals, and ATMs.
- Medical and measuring instruments such as diagnostic imaging systems, cardiography equipment, blood analysis equipment, medical PCs, and electronic records systems.
- Communications and broadcasting equipment and information system devices for base stations such as third-generation mobile phone data communications systems.
- Security terminals and security devices such as digital signage, entry control systems, and monitoring cameras.
- Disaster prevention related equipment such as earthquake early warning systems and household fire detectors.
Main Features
1. Host Interface
- Compliant with Serial ATA Standard Revision 2.6.
- Compatible with Gen1:1.5 Gbps, and Gen2:3.0 Gbps.
- Supports read access speeds up to 170 MB/sec and write access speeds up to 70 MB/sec. (measured with Crystal Disk Mark 2.2. Actual speeds depend on the flash connection structure and the system environment.)
2. Supported Flash Memory
The GBDriver RS3 controllers support the latest 2 Kbyte/page, 4 Kbyte/page, and 8 Kbyte/page structure NAND flash memories of all venders including new products.
They are compatible with SLC and MLC flash memories. The controllers make possible SATA flash storage ranging from 128 Mbyte to 64 Gbyte in the case of SLC and 256 Mbyte to 128 Gbyte in the case of MLC.
3. Static Wear Leveling Function for All Blocks
A new static wear leveling algorithm developed by TDK counts the number of times each memory block is rewritten (erased) and replaces blocks uniformly. Static blocks such as OS/FAT are also periodically replaced evenly, making it possible to maximize the lifespan of the installed flash memory and substantially lengthening the life of flash memory storage. The scope of static wear leveling can be set to any range (areas outside the scope of static wear leveling are subject to dynamic wear leveling).
4. Improved Power Interruption Tolerance
An original algorithm completely prevents collateral data errors such as corruption of data other than the data being written if power is interrupted when writing data.
5. Error Correction and Recovery
A flash identification function enables selection of 8 bit, 15 bit ECC or 30bit, 44bit ECC to provide error correction capabilities with room to accommodate future NAND developments. An auto-recovery function is also included to correct bit errors automatically when reading data repeatedly (read disturbance errors).
6. Data Randomizer Function
The data reliability of MLC flash memories is enhanced by randomizing writing data pattern, consequently maximizing MLC flash life.
7. Auto-Refresh Function
Data stored on the NAND memory is periodically read to detect bit errors and any errors are corrected as necessary. This prevents read disturbance errors, data hold errors, and other data loss. Processing is performed in the background, and there is nearly no delay in responses to commands ever during error correction.
8. Automated Encryption Using 128-bit AES
A 128-bit AES encryption function automatically encrypts data and writes it to the NAND flash memory, preventing leaks of and tampering with personal data and confidential information.
9. Other Functions
(a) Total Cluster Number-Setting Function(clipping function)
The number of logical blocks allocated to a data area can be adjusted up or down in individual sector units. For example, the number of times data can be written can be increased by reducing the number of logical blocks in the data area. Conversely, in the case of applications that do not require an extended life span, the memory capacity can be maximized by increasing the number of logical blocks in the data area.
(b) Protection Function
Incorporation of an ATA-standard protection function allows customers to set and remove a password to protect important data.
(c) SMART Command Support
The number of times all memory blocks are rewritten (erased) can be obtained using SMART Command, which allows for easy determination of the flash memory status and facilitates appropriate lifespan management.
10. Solution Support
TDK has independently developed and marketed the GBDriver series of NAND Flash memory controllers since 2000 and provides technical support to customers in Japan and overseas backed up by its advanced technologies including dispatch of field application engineers and implementation of reliability monitoring functions, for which there is strong demand in the embedded system market.
[1] SATADOM: SATADOM and SATA Disk on Module are trademarks or registered trademarks of InnoDisk of Taiwan.
[2] AES: Advanced Encryption Standard. A block encryption method registered as United States Department of Commerce Federal Information Processing Standards FIPS PUB197.
About TDK Corporation
TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762; NYSE: TDK) is a leading global electronics company based in Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize "ferrite," a key material in electronics and magnetics. TDK's current product line includes ferrite materials, electronic components and ICs, wireless computer networking products, magnetic heads for HDD, digital recording hardware and advanced digital recording media. For more information, please visit http://www.tdk.co.jp/tetop01/index.htm .
Source: TDK Corporation
Contact:
Mr. OsugaCorporate Communications Dept.Tel.: +81-3-5201-7102For product information and support:Mr. AsoEmbedded Storage Solution Business Unit,Flash Memory Applied Device Business DivisionMail: kaso@jp.tdk.comTel.: +81-47-378-9130
Copyright 2011 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.japancorp.net
Byline: FIONA YOUNG
A SOLDIER has been carpeted by top brass after a foulmouthed internet rant claiming soldiers were right to open fire on the Bloody Sunday marchers.
Fusilier John Allison, 20, is also facing disciplinary action for drumming up support for the BNP.
The dog handler serves with Fusiliers 2 Scots Bat talion and has toured Afghanistan's Helmand province.
But he's been hauled over the coals after launching a tirade on his Facebook page af ter the Savi l le Inquir y last week condemned troops for killing 14 people during a civil rights demo in 1972.
But in a message peppered with swear words, Allison wrote: "The Saville Report is a lot of s****. The soldiers were right to shoot the ***** on Bloody Sunday. Rule Britannia."
Allison went on to describe 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment, who were responsible for killing the marchers, as "legends".
Army bosses also discovered that Allison had tried to canvas votes for the BNP on his web page the day before last month's general election.
Allison, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, wrote: "Vote BNP. Keep Britain British."
Serving soldiers are permitted to be members of legal political parties but are forbidden from campaigning.
Lord Saville's report ruled all victims fired on by the Paras were innocent and condemned the troops for opening fire in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland.
An Army spokesperson said: "Neither the Army nor the Armed Forces tolerates inappropriate behaviour in any shape or form.
"Instances of unacceptable social media comments brought to the attention of the Army are investigated, and appropriate action taken."
SUNDAY EMAIL reporters@sundaymail.co.uk
CAPTION(S):
Facebook shame: Sick Allison, pictured, backed the shooting of Derry marchers Shot dead: Bloody Sunday victim
Byline: Meredith Lepore Contributing writer
When she got a call telling her she and her husband won a free wedding, Jennifer Weaver said she thought it was a telemarketer.
After all, she was already married.
And besides, why is someone giving her a free wedding?
"I had no idea," said Jennifer said, of East Syracuse . "I was completely blown away."
Jacqueline Stillitano, a close friend, had secretly submitted a letter nominating Jeremy and Jennifer Weaver for the Bellevue Manor Assisted Living Community's free military wedding contest.
The couple, who met over the Internet in 2003, were pregnant with their first child when Jeremy, a specialist with the National Guard out of Hancock Field, was called to duty in Iraq in the summer of 2004. The couple married at the courthouse the day before Jeremy left for Iraq. There were no friends or family present.
Now they'll be married again in a ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Bellevue Manor in the town of Onondaga. Thanks to donations from Bellevue Manor and from businesses and individuals in the community, everything necessary for a memorable wedding has been provided.
That includes the bride's wedding dress, photographer, videographer, wedding cake and even a wedding night room donated by the Marx Hotel.
"People in Syracuse have been so generous and supportive of this military wedding. It made it very easy for us to make this happen because people were so willing to give for this day," said Traci Niederhofer, director of community relations at Bellevue.
The ceremony will be presided over by military chaplain Brian Pidkaminy.
It's the second year that Bellevue Manor has given away a free wedding to a military couple. Just as this year, last year's chosen couple were already married and never got the chance of a formal wedding because the soldier was called to Iraq.
That situation resounded loudly with the residents at Bellevue, Niederhofer said, and may be a key reason why their letter was chosen over several other letters.
"Many of our residents that had been in World War II had to have small weddings. They were forced to move quickly with their weddings but they had dreamed of a real wedding" she said.
After his service in Iraq, Jeremy Weaver returned to Syracuse in the spring of 2005. He is now in the reserves.
Stillitano felt that her friends were the perfect candidates for the contest.
"Everything they've been through, they just deserve it," said Stillitano, of East Syracuse.
She never told either Jennifer or Jeremy that she nominated them, and the phone call from Niederhofer came as a surprise.
"Honestly, I am completely grateful and honored," Jennifer said. "Jeremy being gone for almost a year was very difficult. Now I'm the lucky one."
The residents of Bellevue Manor have been working hard preparing, Niederhofer said.
"All sorts of people get involved. There are people making the mother's corsages," she said. "The ladies from the Camillus Senior Center will be serving champagne and cake. Everyone whose been involved has been wonderful."
Niederhofer is still looking for a limousine to take the couple from Bellevue to The Marx Hotel.
Meredith Lepore can be reached mlepore@syracuse.com or 470-2190.
The winning letter
This is the nomination letter written by Jacqueline Stillitano:
I am writing to you about my good friends, Jennifer and Jeremy Weaver.
Their original wedding dream was not fulfilled as Jeremy was called to report to duty in Iraq, July 16, 2004.
To ensure Jennifer and their 4-month-old daughter Jessica were provided for, they had a small wedding ceremony July 15, 2004, at the courthouse, but never got to have family or friends enjoy the day with them.
Their love has proven to be strong. Jennie had a hard time with Jeremy being so far away but their love for each other kept them both fighting.
At the time I am writing this letter, the couple is in Florida grieving the loss of a family member. Jennie and Jeremy have both stated many times over the years how they would have loved a "real" wedding with the support of friends and family but never had the money or time with Jeremy's schedule.
In June 2006, they welcomed a second daughter Julie into their lives. This would be a great surprise for them to come home to after this tragic loss in their lives and a way for me to thank them for their friendship and to show them how much they mean to others.
CAPTION(S):
PHOTO
Michelle Gabel/Staff photographer
JENNIFER AND JEREMY WEAVER, of East Syracuse, won a free wedding in a contest for military couples hosted by Bellevue Manor Assisted Living Community. They were married in a courthouse ceremony the day before Jeremy Weaver left for Iraq in 2004. Their formal wedding will be Saturday. Jeremy Weaver is a specialist with the National Guard based at Hancock Field. The couple is shown with daughters, Jessica, who will turn 3 next week, and Julie, 8 months.
Byline: Steve Rosenbloom
Usually, this column deals with no-limit hold 'em, but today's subject is pot-limit Omaha, a game that is gaining popularity.
Quick recap: In Omaha, you are dealt four hole cards instead of the two you get in hold 'em, and in Omaha you must use exactly two cards from your hand and exactly three cards from the five-card board to make your best five-card hand. In pot-limit, the biggest bet can equal, but not exceed, the amount of money already in the pot.
Two of the best pot-limit Omaha players are Robert Williamson III, dubbed "Mr. Omaha" for his many titles in the game, and Johnny Chan, the "Orient Express," and they hooked up in this hand as Chan was chasing a ninth World Series of Poker bracelet in 2003.
With the blinds at $4,000-$8,000 and three players remaining, Chan limped into the pot. Williamson woke up with pocket kings and bet the pot _ about $20,000.
"We're both deep enough that I really want to play a pot, but I don't want to get shipwrecked on one hand against Johnny because he's the other deep stack," said Williamson, who stars in the instructional DVD "From the Kitchen Table to the Final Table." "But I'd like to have his chips certainly.
"I'd already raised a lot of pots, so they're going to think, `Aw, Robert's trying to take this pot away by making a raise here.'"
Chan called. The flop came 6-6-2, rainbow. Chan checked.
"In that position, he's shown weakness before the flop and now he's showing weakness on the flop like he's ready to surrender, "Williamson said. "I have to bet. I make a stabbing bet to find out where he was. I probably bet $30,000-$35,000, about half the pot. I just wanted to find out where he was at, just in case he had A-K-Q-2 double-suited. Sometimes you wake up with a hand like that. I didn't want to lose all my chips. Johnny smooth-calls again."
Fourth street came an offsuit 8, eliminating the chance of a flush, which is an important consideration in Omaha because much of the strategy in the game involves betting on draws. Chan checked.
"Now, though, the alarm's already gone off," Williamson said. "I said, `There's something wrong about this hand.' I checked behind him."
The river came a jack of diamonds.
"Instead of checking there, Johnny makes a mid-sized bet _ about $50,000 into a $110,000 pot _ that forced me to call with two kings. He had two aces."
"He knew it was the best hand and he trapped me into the last bet because he under bet the pot," Williamson said.
"He knew if he made a big, big bet, I was gone. But he knew I was forced to call a mid-sized bet on the river. He had me so confused in the hand that I really didn't know where I was at.
"I wouldn't have been so creative at that stage of the tournament with aces. But now, to think at the higher level, I've played that hand that way several time since."
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TABLE TALK
Double-suited: Your four hole cards include two cards of one suit and two cards of another suit.
Smooth-call: To match a bet or raise with a strong hand as a way of enticing additional action.
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Steve Rosenbloom is a sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune and the author of the new book "The Best Hand I Ever Played," now available in bookstores. He can be reached at srosenbloom@tribune.com.
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Powell Industries, Inc. , a leading manufacturer of equipment and systems for the management and control of electrical energy and other critical processes, today announced results for the fiscal 2004 first quarter ended January 31, 2004.
Revenues for the first quarter of 2004 were $53.2 million compared to revenues of $71.6 million for the first quarter of 2003. Net income for the first quarter was $747,000, or $0.07 per diluted share, compared to $2.5 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, in the same period a year ago. The company generated $269,000 in free cash flow, defined as total cash flow from operations of $1.804 million less all capital expenditures of $1.535 million, in the first quarter. The company uses this measure because it believes free cash flow is a good indicator of operating efficiency.
Thomas W. Powell, chairman and chief executive officer, stated, "We continued to see weakness and depressed pricing levels in our product markets during our first quarter. While opportunities for new projects are improving and our inquiry levels are up, we do not expect to see meaningful improvements until later in 2004."
The Electrical Power Products segment recorded revenues of $46.2 million in the first quarter compared to $65.6 million in the first quarter a year ago. Income from continuing operations before income taxes for Electrical Power Products totaled $0.931 million versus $4.6 million in last year's first quarter.
Process Control Systems revenues for the first quarter were $7.1 million compared to $6.0 million for the same period a year ago. Income from continuing operations before income taxes for Process Control Systems totaled $249,000 versus $215,000 a year ago.
The company's order backlog as of January 31, 2004, was $137.3 million, compared to $157.5 million at fiscal year-end 2003 and $168.5 million at the end of the first quarter one year ago. New orders placed during the first quarter totaled $33.1 million versus $36.3 million in our fourth quarter of 2003 and $50.7 million in the first quarter a year ago.
OUTLOOK
The following statements are based on the current expectations of the company. These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially as further elaborated in the last paragraph below.
Based on current booking trends, Powell Industries now expects fiscal 2004 second quarter earnings to range between $0.04 and $0.09 per diluted share, and full year 2004 earnings to range between $0.35 and $0.50 per diluted share. Fiscal 2004 revenue is expected to range between $205 million and $220 million, and free cash flow, defined as total cash flow from operations less all capital expenditures, is expected to range between $5 million and $10 million.
CONFERENCE CALL
Powell Industries has scheduled a conference call for Wednesday, February 25, 2004, at 11:00 a.m. eastern time. To participate in the conference call, dial (303) 262-2075 at least 10 minutes before the call begins and ask for the Powell Industries conference call. A replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after the live broadcast ends and will be accessible until March 3, 2004. To access the replay, dial (303) 590-3000 using a passcode of 570572.
Investors, analysts and the general public will also have the opportunity to listen to the conference call over the Internet by visiting http://www.powellind.com/ . To listen to the live call on the web, please visit the website at least fifteen minutes before the call begins to register, download and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot listen to the live webcast, an archive will be available shortly after the call and will remain available for approximately 30 days at http://www.powellind.com/ .
Powell Industries, Inc., headquartered in Houston, TX, designs, manufactures and services equipment and systems for the management and control of electrical energy and other critical processes. Powell provides products and services to the transportation, environmental, industrial and utility industries. For more information, please visit http://www.powellind.com/ .
Any forward-looking statements in the preceding paragraphs of this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward- looking statements involve risks and uncertainty in that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. In the course of operations, we are subject to certain risk factors, including but not limited to competition and competitive pressures, sensitivity to general economic and industrial conditions, international political and economic risks, availability and price of raw materials and execution of business strategy. For further information, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available from the Company without charge.
- Tables to follow - POWELL INDUSTRIES, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Three Months Ended January 31, 2004 2003 (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Revenues $53,227 $71,580 Cost of goods sold 43,672 57,348 Gross profit 9,555 14,232 Selling, general and administrative expenses 8,540 9,409 Income before interest and income taxes 1,015 4,823 Interest expense 27 86 Interest income (192) (92) Income from continuing operations before income taxes and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle 1,180 4,829 Income tax provision 433 1,795 Income from continuing operations before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle 747 3,034 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax --- (510) Net income $747 $2,524 Net earnings per common share: Basic: Earnings from continuing operations $0.07 $0.29 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle --- (0.05) Net earnings $0.07 $0.24 Diluted: Earnings from continued operations $0.07 $0.28 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle --- (0.04) Net earnings $0.07 $0.24 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 10,653 10,574 Weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding 10,758 10,676 SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA: Capital Expenditures 1,535 $1,840 Depreciation and amortization 1,142 $1,267 POWELL INDUSTRIES, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS January 31, October 31, 2004 2003 (In thousands) (Unaudited) Assets: Current assets $140,395 $141,313 Property, plant and equipment (net) 44,453 43,998 Other assets 5,167 5,029 Total assets $190,015 $190,340 Liabilities & stockholders' equity: Current liabilities $42,690 $44,424 Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current maturities 6,864 6,891 Deferred and other long-term liabilities 2,531 2,421 Stockholders' equity 137,930 136,604 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $190,015 $190,340 POWELL INDUSTRIES, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES BUSINESS SEGMENTS Three Months Ended January 31, 2004 2003 (In thousands) (Unaudited) Revenues: Electrical Power Products $46,159 $65,561 Process Control Systems 7,068 6,019 Total revenues $53,227 $71,580 Income from continuing operations before income taxes and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle: Electrical Power Products $931 $4,614 Process Control Systems 249 215 Total income from continuing operations before income taxes and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $1,180 $4,829 January 31, October 31, 2004 2003 (Unaudited) Assets: Electrical Power Products $126,628 $127,721 Process Control Systems 14,099 14,269 Corporate 49,288 48,350 Total assets $190,015 $190,340 Backlog: Electrical Power Products $81,092 $96,986 Process Control Systems 56,237 60,473 Total backlog $137,329 $157,459 Contacts: Don R. Madison, CFO Powell Industries, Inc. 713-947-4422 Ken Dennard / ksdennard@drg-e.com Karen Roan / kcroan@drg-e.com DRG&E / 713-529-6600
CONTACT: Don R. Madison, CFO of Powell Industries, Inc., +1-713-947-4422; or Ken Dennard, ksdennard@drg-e.com , or Karen Roan, kcroan@drg-e.com , both of DRG&E, +1-713-529-6600, for Powell Industries, Inc.
Web site: http://www.powellind.com/
