NEW YORK,- American Express today announced the launch of American Express Business Insights, a new analytics and consulting organization that draws on the power and reach of the Company's global network to help business customers develop better-informed strategies to grow their business.

Unlike conventional research that relies on static, self-reported information or surveys, Business Insights combines fresh, real world aggregate trend analysis to provide unique business planning and marketing expertise. Business Insights will identify strategic opportunities drawn from the aggregate spending patterns on approximately 90 million cards in force across 127 markets. It will work with business clients to provide data-driven insights focused on specific customer segments that will help them to develop customized marketing and growth strategies.

Business Insights will be housed within the American Express Global Merchant Services unit. In keeping with American Express' privacy principles, all data analysis is done only on an aggregate level and does not disclose any personally identifiable information to merchants or partners for marketing purposes. At American Express, aggregate data involves pooling transactional data to create customer segments such as 'ultra-affluent' or 'large corporate' to better evaluate the purchasing patterns within a business.

'Our ability to interpret trend patterns across the American Express global network represents an unprecedented reserve of competitive insights for businesses that are fighting hard every day to improve their offerings and reach their customers more effectively,' said Bill Glenn, president, Global Merchant Services, American Express. 'Using the power of the American Express network, we can help companies make smarter, more rigorous, and more customer-focused decisions – delivering a real competitive advantage in a continually challenging market environment.'

Business Insights will deliver a range of potential consulting applications that includes:

* Identifying consumer spending trends
* New product innovation
* Geographic expansion
* Customer acquisition and retention
* Improved marketing and advertising strategies
* Customer relationship management
* Improved procurement processes

'We are most excited about being able to provide our over 450 hotels with customized reports that contain invaluable insight into their customers' purchasing behavior. The reports provided by American Express Business Insights afford our colleagues the ability to strategically and effectively manage the allocation of their resources,' said Claudia Kozma Kaplan, SVP, Marketing and Communications, The Leading Hotels of the World. 'In a global marketplace where precise communications are increasingly important, this type of information is essential.'

The approximately 90 million cards in force and more than four billion transactions that take place each year at American Express serve as the foundation for analyzing consumer, small business and corporate spending patterns. Business Insights will customize its analyses and also draw on publicly available market data to provide valuable advice that businesses can act on.

'Businesses constantly wrestle with thorny questions like which markets to enter or expand, where to open new stores and how to define their ideal customer by seeking answers from research that is usually an arm's length removed from real world behavior,' Mr. Glenn added. 'Business Insights brings an entirely fresh perspective to solving these age-old questions.'

Business Insights provides a tiered offering to customers with products and services that match the needs of any sized company. In addition to large-scale, global consulting projects, Business Insights also offers a suite of quarterly benchmarking reports that provide spending trend analysis among various customer segments, vertical industry trends, and specific merchants' market share and customer mix.

Business Insights services are available immediately to companies around the world. A current selection of products for U.S. businesses is available online at: www.americanexpress.com/businessinsights.

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The fitment for the popular Prius will be Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires in size P195/65R15. The 2010 Toyota Prius is recognized as one of the top fuel-saving automobiles available in North America.

The Assurance Fuel Max features a fuel-saving tread compound that helps reduce energy loss as the tire rolls. In addition, Wet and Dry Tread Zones enhance all-season traction. The Wet Tread Zone features dual Aquachannel grooves to help evacuate water away from the treadface when driving on wet roads. The Dry Tread Zone helps enhance handling and grip for confident maneuvering on dry pavement.

Assurance Fuel Max also is available as a replacement tire choice for many popular vehicles.

The selection of the new Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max as a standard tire for the 2010 Toyota Prius follows earlier announcements of the tire also being chosen for the 2010 Ford Fusion S and the exclusive fitment for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Goodyear tires are original equipment on many vehicles from Acura, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Hummer, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercury, Nissan and Toyota. Traditionally, more new vehicles in North America are equipped with Goodyear tires than any other brand.

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The free online games portal offers gamers hundreds of games across a range of genres – from Sports and Puzzles to Arcade and Driving – and is home to classic hit games including Blast Billiards, Parking Perfection and Death Penalty, to name but a few.

Up until now MouseBreaker – part of the IPC Ignite portfolio of brands which also includes Nuts, Loaded, NME and Uncut – has been a phenomenal web-based success, with ABCe audited figures showing a monthly average of over 4.5 million unique users.*

The new partnership with Cobra Mobile will begin with the development of Blast Billiards for iPhone/Touch, due for launch before Christmas.

IPC Media head of mobile development Miles Ross adds: "Games are at the heart of the revolution that has been the AppStore on the iPhone, therefore Mousebreaker games are at the heart of IPC's mobile applications strategy. The iPhone is a phenomenal games platform and Mousebreaker has some phenomenally popular games, the two will be fantastic combination. We are lucky to be working with a company as experienced and creative as Cobra Mobile."

Cobra Mobile's Mark Ettle adds: "It's been a joy to bring the fun and crazy game-play of Blast Billiards to the iPhone and iPod Touch. The game perfectly suits the device and is going to offer all the wide appeal of the web-based version with all new features and levels coming to the iPhone version to make this a must have iPhone casual game. This includes five all-new arcade levels, five all-new trick shot levels and two game mechanics: Classic and Real Cue."

* ABCe audited average monthly unique users, January to June 2009

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EMI is first major label group to make concerts, music videos available on Hulu

Los Angeles, EMI Music has reached an agreement with Hulu, an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites — anytime in the U.S., making EMI the first major music company to offer concerts and music videos from its artists to Hulu viewers. The deal, which will include content from artists on EMI's labels including Virgin, Capitol and Blue Note, begins today with exclusive content from Norah Jones, whose highly-anticipated new album, The Fall debuts this week.

The Norah Jones page on Hulu is available at www.hulu.com and will feature multiple concerts in their entirety, including her show at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, which featured guests Dolly Parton and Gillian Welch. Also available is the entire repertoire of Norah Jones music videos, including her latest, Chasing Pirates, videos from her 2007 release, Not Too Late, as well as those from quadruple platinum 2004 release Feels Like Home and her landmark debut album, Come Away With Me. An interview with Jones is available on the Hulu blog: http://blog.hulu.com.

"We think Hulu is an excellent, high-quality environment and a great place to connect with fans. We look forward to making more content available from other artists as well," said Ronn Werre, President, EMI Music Services and COO, EMI Music North America. "We're delighted to add Hulu to the growing number of platforms EMI is working with to give fans more of what they're looking for."

Since the release of her debut album Come Away With Me in 2002, Norah has become one of the most influential and biggest-selling artists of the decade, reaching the #1 spot in the US and across the globe for each of her three previous albums, racking up a staggering 37 million in sales worldwide, and receiving 9 Grammy Awards.

The Fall, which is being released this week around the world, finds Jones experimenting with a new set of collaborators, including Jacquire King, a noted producer and engineer who has worked with Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, and Modest Mouse among others. Jones enlisted several songwriting collaborators, including Ryan Adams and Okkervil River's Will Sheff, as well as her frequent partner Jesse Harris. King also helped Jones put together a new group of musicians to perform on the album, including drummers Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and James Gadson (Bill Withers), keyboardist James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green), and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer).

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Baltimore, Maryland, USA -- With support from the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ Youth Action Grants program, 20 youth-led initiatives in 12 countries will expand the impact of their social change work. The grants, ranging from US$7,500-$10,000, will support youth-led projects such as efforts to influence the legislative agenda in Kenya, equip disadvantaged women in the Philippines with income-generating skills, and raise awareness of solutions to climate change.

The Youth Action Grants program is a key component of the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment to communities. Grant recipients were chosen by Starbucks and the International Youth Foundation (IYF) in order to make funding available to young leaders who have completed IYF's YouthActionNet® Global Fellowship. The Fellowship seeks to develop a new generation of socially-conscious global citizens who create positive change in their communities, their countries, and the world.

'The diversity of projects led by this year's grant recipients testify to the tremendous drive, creativity, and compassion of today's young social entrepreneurs,' said IYF President and CEO William S. Reese. 'Through this much-needed support, Starbucks is enabling these youth to realize their visions of a better world – and inspire others in the process.'

'We congratulate each of these young leaders for their hard work and innovative solutions to local challenges,' said Ben Packard, Starbucks vice president, Global Responsibility. 'Through Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment to communities, we seek to celebrate, support, and spread this spirit of innovation and service in addressing community needs.'

Among the 20 projects to receive a total of US$200,000 in StarbucksTM Shared PlanetTM Youth Action Grants are:

Family in Need Trust, Zimbabwe: The Trust, established by Jack Bbabbie Mukulu, 29, will provide vocational training and HIV/AIDS prevention education to 50 women caretakers of orphans and vulnerable children.

Human Artificial Vision, Mexico: Developed by Luis Octavio Ortigoza Ayala, 27, Human Artificial Vision will train 500 visually-impaired individuals in the use of a prosthesis enabling them to perceive images.

Sri Arunodayan Charitable Trust, India: Under the leadership of Iyyappan Subramanyan, 29, the Trust will construct a physiotherapy room serving 90 children with intellectual disabilities.

Youth Action for Change (YAC), Italy: Founded by Selene Biffi, 26, Youth Action for Change will publish an online youth magazine, Young Innovations Europe, aimed at showcasing youth-led innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity.

Fired Up Media, United States: Launched by Richard Graves, 26, Fired Up Media will form seven new media teams, one from each continent, to report on the most compelling climate change stories in the world related to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.

A committee comprised of IYF staff and Starbucks partners (employees) selected the final grant recipients. To learn more about the Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ Youth Action Grants program and the planned activities of all 20 grant recipients, visit www.youthactionnet.org.

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This order is the second production contract for Rolls-Royce as part of its involvement in the JSF programme. The previous contract, for LRIP 2 and signed in December 2008, was for $131m.

The Rolls-Royce LiftSystem comprises a LiftFan, Roll Posts and 3 Bearing Swivel Module. Rolls-Royce will provide these through the propulsion system prime contractor Pratt & Whitney, with module deliveries having already commenced in July 2009 under the Long Lead provision within the contract. The scope of the contract also includes spare hardware, production investment and sustainment planning.

Simon Henley, Director for New Product Introduction at Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace, said:

'This new contract, together with the imminent first flight of the F-35 in STOVL mode, shows the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem programme is now generating real momentum and that Rolls-Royce technology is helping to bring a step change in air combat technology.

'As the LiftSystem programme continues to gain momentum on both sides of the Atlantic we are looking forward to supporting the flight trials with the LiftSystem engaged in the F-35B at the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River'.

Orders for the LiftSystem are expected to total over 600, with leading customers including the US Marine Corps, The UK Armed Forces and the Italian Navy. The F-35B variant is expected to remain in service well after 2050.

Rolls-Royce engineers in Bristol, UK and Indianapolis, US, are involved in design and assembly of the LiftSystem, with component manufacture also taking place at the Hucknall and Bristol sites in the UK.

This production contract follows on from the $1.1bn contract signed with Pratt & Whitney in 2001 to develop the F135 STOVL Propulsion System.

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KIT Munich is a project being run by the Worker's Samaritan Federation (ASB), Munich/Upper Bavaria chapter, in which specially qualified voluntary emergency rescuers help, advise and support people immediately after serious incidents. The project is mainly financed by donations and funds from the ASB. Support for KIT Munich has originated out of Qualcomm's Munich office, once again underlining Qualcomm's worldwide commitment to social responsibility.

'The previous donation by Qualcomm last year marked the inception of the KITz project, an initiative aimed at children. What's more, we were able to make long overdue investments, among them a new uniform and repairs to our emergency vehicle,' says Peter Zehentner, head of KIT Munich. 'The renewed support from Qualcomm has enabled us to finally buy a new emergency vehicle so that we are always ready to go into action. The donation also ensures that KITz can continue to provide special support and advice for children who need uncomplicated help after traumatic events, as well as for their parents and guardians.'

'At Qualcomm, we believe that by supporting worthwhile local organizations such as KIT we can have a major impact on their success,' says Thomas Nindl, business development director at Qualcomm Germany. 'As an honorary employee of the ASB, I know the organisation very well. They have done an exceptional job meeting the needs of children suffering from extreme shock and traumas.'

Qualcomm's dedication to being a socially responsible company reaches beyond company borders. Among other achievements, it has been named among FORTUNE magazine's lists of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and Most Admired Companies for 10 years in a row.

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EPIX is the leading next-generation, multi-platform entertainment service, delivering the latest movie blockbusters, new releases, library classics and original content across its premium, HD television channel, video-on-demand service and EpixHD.com Web site. Viewers with an EPIX subscription have access to everything - great entertainment anytime, anywhere, on every platform.

EPIX supported a successful public launch of its service last month by leveraging a full suite of Akamai solutions, including launching as one of the first customers on Akamai's deployment of Adobe® Flash® Media Server 3.5 with support for dynamic streaming. Also integral to the launch were Akamai Professional Services, Akamai NetStorage, Akamai's Open Video Player, Akamai EdgeScape for geotargeting and Akamai Media Analytics.

With the launch, EPIX is now delivering more than 150 full-length HD movie experiences online with the quality, speed and convenience demanded by today's consumers of digital media. With Akamai's dynamic streaming for Adobe Flash, movie playback on EPIX seamlessly adapts to end-user machines with different capabilities, such as lower processing powers or slower Internet connections, giving consumers a smooth, uninterrupted playback experience online without sacrificing viewing quality.

"EPIX is leading the next generation of entertainment and Akamai is a key technology partner for us in this mission," said Thomas Carpenter, VP Operations. "As drivers of this evolution, we have an imperative to provide seamless, high-quality video delivery in conjunction with our core brand promises of exceptional content, programming and user experience. Akamai's ability to seamlessly deliver our movies, concerts, comedy specials and events in HD allows us to fulfill on our promise of a quality, TV-like experience in the broadband medium."

"Consumers are increasingly seeking out HD video and gravitating toward the destination sites that offer them the highest quality content and experience," said Robert Hughes, Executive Vice President of Global Sales, Services and Marketing at Akamai. "Feature length movies provide the perfect opportunity to be viewed at full 1280x720 resolution content in full screen. To handle that type of resolution, our customers are increasingly taking advantage of adaptive bitrate streaming, a key requirement to ensure consistency and a high-quality, TV-like experience for viewers. Akamai's full suite of HD streaming products, including Adobe FMS 3.5, are designed to offer these benefits."

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Midland, MI.

* Insulation is one of the most important elements of green homes and buildings.
* STYROFOAM SIS™ Brand Structural Insulated Sheathing and the THERMAX™ Wall System seen by experts as contributing the most value to builders, remodelers and architects.
* Dow Building Solutions is the first company to win multiple green product awards in the same competition.

Dow Building Solutions (DBS) has brought home the "green" from Building Products magazine's second annual Green Product Awards contest.

DBS earned the coveted awards for two different continuous insulation (ci) wall systems - STYROFOAM SIS™ Brand Structural Insulated Sheathing and the THERMAX™ Wall System. This is the first time in the competition's history that a company has won for two products in the same year.

"Builders, contractors and architects recognize the value of insulation in making a structure greener and more energy efficient," said Mike McGaugh, vice president and general manager, Dow Building Solutions, North America. "At Dow, we are helping to make green-built homes and buildings even better by developing and bringing to market new technologies that perform better, save more energy and are easier to install."

The winners of the 2009 Green Product Awards represent product introductions that excelled in three areas: sustainability, value to the contractor, and innovation. The ultimate award winners were those deemed to contribute the most to green-built homes and buildings, and offer the most value to builders, remodelers and architects.

STYROFOAM SIS™ Structural Insulated Sheathing from Dow combines a structural layer, a moisture barrier, and foam insulation, providing R-values of 3.0 at ˝ inch or 5.5 at 1 inch. Made of up to 80 percent post-consumer recycled content by weight, STYROFOAM SIS™ Brand Structural Insulated Sheathing is ENERGY STAR-qualified. And, at one-third the weight of OSB†, it is easier to handle and quicker to install. One judge summed up the products benefits as, "This appears to be an excellent product, providing wall bracing, energy performance, and the potential for weatherization all in one. The labor savings alone is huge."

"Builders who have switched from un-insulated sheathing, such as OSB, to STYROFOAM SIS™ like the fact that they only need one product to deliver structure, water resistance and thermal insulation," said John Hammer, residential market manager, Dow Building Solutions, North America. "It's an easier way for them to build greener homes. Homeowners benefit too, saving anywhere from $200-$500 on their energy bills‡."

The THERMAX™ Wall System by Dow is a new approach to steel stud wall design that makes it easier to minimize a building's energy usage in a cost-effective manner. The system integrates continuous rigid foam insulation and flashing on the exterior, and spray polyurethane foam on the interior. It provides an R-value of up to 28.8, blocks air infiltration, and helps prevent moisture intrusion.

"THERMAX™ is truly innovative because it reduces the number of trades involved in erecting the wall assembly and, because of the spray-applied interior wall insulation, the smallest penetrations are eliminated," said Birmingham, Michigan, architect Victor Saroki of Victor Saroki & Associates, in a testimonial.

"When we calculated the tremendous energy loss in steel stud construction that used traditional gypsum and batt insulation, we decided to create a wall system that provides thermal protection and prevents air and moisture penetration without adding steps," said Doug Todd, commercial market manager, Dow Building Solutions, North America. "With some recent projects, our customers have reported energy savings of 30 to 40 percent over the original design, and capital cost reductions for materials and labor of up to $60,000."

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Deutsche Börse is expanding the offering of its Market Data & Analytics segment by acquiring the US financial news service Need to Know News. A purchase agreement was signed on 20 November 2009. For a US$ amount in the one digit million range including a performance-related payment, Need to Know News will become a 100 percent subsidiary of Market News International (MNI), a Deutsche Börse Group company.

'The acquisition of Need to Know News reflects our growth strategy with globally relevant information for algorithmic traders. We see an increasing demand from market participants pursuing automated trading strategies to integrate financial news and other event data into their algorithms, in addition to real-time market data', said Holger Wohlenberg, Managing Director of Deutsche Börse Market Data & Analytics.

With this transaction, Deutsche Börse acquires a pioneer in the delivery of machine readable news for algorithmic trading. The acquisition allows Deutsche Börse to combine its expertise in the development of ultra high speed data feeds with content provided by Market News International and with the proven market experience of Need to Know News. Together, the businesses aim to assume a leading role in the delivery of real-time data to the growing number of market participants with automated trading applications. At the same time, Deutsche Börse is expanding its client base for its offering of real-time news relevant to financial markets.

Based in Washington D.C., Need to Know News has 25 employees and delivers trading relevant news to market participants in the US and Europe.

About Market Data & Analytics
Deutsche Börse Market Data & Analytics collects, refines and disseminates independent capital market relevant data and information. The product range includes price data, trading statistics, analyses, master data, financial news and over 3,000 indices which document market movements and bring transparency to international financial markets. With the acquisition of Market News International (MNI) in January 2009, Market Data & Analytics extended its services with trading relevant macroeconomic real-time news. MNI has employees in 12 locations in Europe, Asia and the USA.

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Will Be Central Themes of Campaign

TOKYO, JAPAN, Panasonic Corporation, the Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, announced plans for a multi-faceted marketing campaign that will focus on the launch of its new FULL HD 3D Home Theater technology as well as an online social networking contest and sponsorship of a variety of environmental initiatives with VANOC.

Full HD 3D Home Theater Pavilion

Panasonic plans to bring to market its ground-breaking Full HD 3D Home Theater products in 2010. In Vancouver, Panasonic will feature the Panasonic FULL HD 3D Theater Pavilion at David Lam Park. The 700 m2 corporate pavilion will be open throughout the Olympic Games (February 12 to 28) in cooperation with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), the City of Vancouver and Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium -- the official Canadian broadcaster of the 2010 Winter Games.

The highlight of the pavilion will be Panasonic's world-first FULL HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System which will allow visitors to experience the immersive world of 3D entertainment through a variety of sports and entertainment videos shown in FULL HD 3D movie-theater quality.

Panasonic has been contributing to the Olympic Games with its state-of-the-art digital AV technologies since the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. The company, who recently extended its commitment to global sponsorship through 2016, will demonstrate in Vancouver the future of at-home Olympic Games viewing by displaying its Full HD 3D technology to the the public in Vancouver.

Following the initial announcement in January 2009 of plans to create a FULL HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System* using a 103-inch Plasma and 3D Blu-ray Disc player, Panasonic recently announced a 50-inch FULL HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System in September 2009. It also has been developing professional 3D production systems to improve the production environment and make it easier for content creators to create more 3D programming for consumers.

"One Winter, Five Dreams" Online Contest

On November 2, Panasonic launched a blog entitled "One Winter, Five Dreams" within its global Olympic Games web site featuring five athletes who are striving to win a place at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Using videos and photos, the five athletes will blog about their highly unique experiences including their daily training, pre-Olympic events and their passion as they pursue their dreams of becoming an Olympian. Readers can post messages on the blog to help encourage and support each of the athletes with one fan blogger winning a trip to the Vancouver Olympic Games as the 'Gold Blogger' to cheer on them at the venues.

The five athletes include Robel Teklemariam (men's cross-country skiing, Ethiopia), Clyde Getty (men's freestyle skiing, Argentina), Tugba Karademir (ladies figure skating, Turkey), Katharine Eustace (women's skeleton, New Zealand) and Kazuhiro Koshi (men's skeleton, Japan). Their blogs appear at http://5dreams.panasonic.net

VANOC Sustainability Video Contest

VANOC has made sustainability one of the main themes of the 2010 Winter Games, taking measures to reduce the environmental impacts of the Games. Panasonic supports the goals of VANOC's sustainability-focused operations and will implement various environmental programs during the Olympic Games.

A centerpiece of Panasonic's support for VANOC's environmental initiatives is a co-sponsorship of the Do Your Part – VANOC Sustainability Video Contest aimed at Canadian youth aged 13-24. The contest, promoted jointly by VANOC, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Government of Canada, will make use of Panasonic's long-term Kid Witness News (KWN) program – a hands-on video educational program started in 1989 -- in order to encourage interaction and environmental activities by children in Canada and around the world through the making of videos.

Panasonic will also cooperate with VANOC and the Official Carbon Offset Supplier, Offsetters, to contribute to VANOC's goal of having a "Carbon-Neutral Olympic Games" by offsetting 416 tons of CO2 emissions, the estimated total amount of CO2 released from various activities Panasonic will carry out during the period of the Games.

* World's first system to create true-to-life 3D Full HD images by providing full HD images to left-eye and right-eye, as of November 2, 2009.

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Three AIHA and NVLAP Accredited Labs now serving greater Los Angeles...

LA Testing has continued to make strides to satisfy their client base with the recent acquisition of a laboratory in Torrance, CA. The laboratory in Torrance provides asbestos testing by polarized light microscopy (PLM) and phase contrast microscopy. In addition, the laboratory also provides mold analysis of spore traps, tape lifts and culture plates. The laboratory is currently accredited by NVLAP and CA ELAP accredited for asbestos analysis and AIHA EMLAP for mold analysis.

Over the past several years, LA Testing has become a leading player in the Southern California environmental, indoor air quality, materials characterization and product testing marketplace. The South Pasadena, CA laboratory has built up a reputation as being the leading laboratory for soot identification testing utilized by many high end environmental professionals providing fire damage investigations throughout the state of California. The Los Alamitos laboratory is a full service industrial hygiene testing laboratory providing a wide range of analytical services to support industrial hygiene professionals throughout the west coast.

About LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, Inc.
The laboratories currently service clients internationally. Those clients include IAQ professionals, environmental consultants, abatement firms, restoration firms, environmental engineers, industrial hygienists, construction firms, engineering firms, remediation firms, contractors, mortgage companies, home inspectors, building inspection firms, carpet cleaners, duct cleaners, home owners, home builders, HVAC contractors, roofing companies, health and safety professionals, hospitals, doctors, manufacturing firms, management firms, real estate firms, landlords, mortgage companies, attorneys, testing firms, laboratories, schools, universities, forensic consultants, health departments, fortune 500 firms, and state, local and federal government agencies.

LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, Inc. currently operates 32 laboratories throughout the nation with full analytical services, including environmental microbiology (mold, bacteria, Legionella, Coliforms, indoor allergens, mycotoxins, endotoxins), DNA based polymerase chain reaction (PCR), asbestos, lead, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental chemistry, materials, forensic, failure, and mechanical testing. In addition to laboratory services, the firm provides mold management seminars, free IAQ seminars, and free sampling workshops at locations throughout the country.

EMSL Analytical currently holds accreditations with the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), including the AIHA Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program (EMLAP), the AIHA Environmental Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELLAP), the AIHA Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Accreditation Program (IHLAP), the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), the New York Department of Health (NYDOH), TX DOH, CA E-LAP, and various other state, federal, and private accrediting bodies. The labs are also successful participants in AIHA's Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT), Environmental Lead Proficiency Analytical Testing (ELPAT), and the Environmental Microbiology Proficiency Analytical Testing (EMPAT) programs. EMSL maintains a rigorous in-house QA/QC program to ensure our clients are receiving the most accurate and legally defensible results possible.

For further information, contact us at 1-800-755-1794 or for a complete list of offices, accreditations, and capabilities please visit LA Testing's website at www.LATesting.com or EMSL's at www.EMSL.com

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'We place great value in developing strong leaders throughout the company,' said Ken Powell, chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills. 'That helps us recruit and retain talented people. And it helps create a positive work culture that continues to deliver top-tier results.'

The biennial global study of more than 500 companies and the resulting list were developed by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company, in conjunction with The RBL Group, a strategic human resources and leadership systems advisory firm, and Fortune.

In an online story announcing the winners, Fortune cites General Mills' focus on developing inspirational managers and encouraging volunteerism as a way to build leadership skills.

According to Fortune, 'Leadership training also goes beyond the walls of the General Mills headquarters. The company has built community service into its culture, with 82 percent of employees doing some sort of volunteer work.'

General Mills offers career-long development opportunities for employees at each stage of their careers, including mentoring, access to leadership experts and speakers, training at the General Mills Institute, tuition reimbursement, and individual development planning.

'We've always believed that building great brands and great talent go hand-in-hand,' said Kevin Wilde, vice president and chief learning officer for General Mills. 'This recognition reinforces our commitment to growing leaders. We're honored to be ranked among the best in the world.'

An independent, expert panel of judges selected the Global Top Companies based on criteria including strength of leadership practices and culture, examples of leader development on a global scale, impact of leadership in communities in which they operate, business performance, and company reputation.

'Through our research, it's clear that Global Top Companies such as General Mills do not abandon key leadership and talent efforts in favor of short-term goals,' said Bob Gandossy, global practice leader of Hewitt's Leadership Consulting practice. 'Leaders at these organizations are passionate and committed. They have an intense focus on talent and their leadership programs are practical, relevant and aligned with business goals - in good times and in bad.'

See the full list of 2009 Global Top Companies for Leaders on Fortune's Web site.

About General Mills
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., General Mills had fiscal 2009 global net sales of US$15.9 billion, including the company's $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales.

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Headquartered in Tampa, FL, Vitality Foodservice Inc. manufactures and markets a complete range of beverage products from juices, teas, coffees and smoothies to innovative specialty drinks. Vitality's high-performance organization with 700 employees and its expertise in sales, service and dispensing innovative products, will be complementary to Nestlé Professional's North American beverage business and is well aligned to Nestlé's global commitment to the out-of-home business as one of its main growth drivers.

Marc Caira, CEO of Nestlé Professional, said: 'We are very excited to welcome Vitality Foodservice into the Nestlé Professional family. Vitality not only complements our business but strengthens our position in North America and will enable us to accelerate growth in this important out-of-home market. Additionally, Vitality's product offerings align strongly with Nestlé's commitment to nutrition, health, and wellness.'

Nestlé Professional North America employs over 900 employees and is solely focused and dedicated to the out-of-home market. Its beverages division provides the commercial and institutional restaurant industry with branded hot and cold non-carbonated beverage solutions under brands such as Nescafé, Coffee-mate, Nesquik, Nestea and Nestlé.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to be completed within 30 days from the date of this announcement.

About Nestlé Professional
Nestlé Professional, the world's leading global foodservice manufacturer with presence in over 97 countries is an inspiring growth partner that delivers creative, branded food and beverage solutions, enabling foodservice operators to innovate and to delight consumers. From innovative beverage systems under the NESCAFÉ® and COFFEE-MATE® brands, to on-trend culinary items from STOUFFER'S®, MINOR'S®, and HOT POCKETS® brand sandwiches, Nestlé Professional in North America meets the needs of foodservice operators while satisfying the tastes of the out-of-home consumer. Nestlé Professional is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland, the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company. Worldwide Nestlé employs 276,000 employees, and achieved sales of $108 billion in 2008.

— WebWireID108221 —

Dell announced a Mobile Clinical Computing (MCC) solution that is designed to eliminate the traditional trade-offs hospitals face between making patient information available to medical staff at the point of care and securing it in the data center to promote compliance with HIPAA regulations.

Data security is a legitimate concern for hospitals and patients. With an estimated average data breach cost of $202 per record1, or $4 to $20 million2 for recent hospital breaches -- hospitals must protect critical information from unauthorized access and use while at the same time sharing it at the point of care for diagnosis and coordination of patient care.

The proliferation of devices such as handhelds, laptops, tablets, carts and desktops—and applications—45 percent of hospitals manage more than 150 applications3 — adds to the complexity of the challenge and highlights the need for a solution. Hospital medical staffs can spend up to 60 minutes a day4 looking for the right workstation with the right applications to do their job. With labor accounting for almost 60 percent5 of hospital care costs and the costs to manage data breaches potentially running into the tens of millions of dollars, that's inefficiency that hospitals can no longer afford. Dell is helping members of the hospital staff work more efficiently by offering a virtual client solution that is easy for clinicians to use and IT teams to manage.

The News:

* Dell Mobile Clinical Computing (MCC) Simplifies Management for IT and Info Access for Medical Professionals and helps improve information security, staff productivity and care quality.
o Data Security: Patient info and applications are protected and managed centrally in the data center
o Hassle-free, Convenient Access: MCC enables access to role-based applications and data from any device anywhere in the hospital. Single sign-on, session roaming and location awareness simplify interaction for clinicians. Silver Cross Hospital's 1,000 medical professionals are saving up to one hour a day per professional with convenient access to the applications and info they need to do their jobs
o Simplified Management: Applications are updated in minutes instead of hours. Silver Cross Hospital cut update time from 80 hours/application to 20 minutes. IT manages digital identities in the data center, not mobile devices on the hospital floor
* Shift from Managing Devices to Managing Identities. MCC simplifies info security and management for IT and information access for medical professionals by locking applications and patient info in the data center and shifting IT focus from managing a growing number of end-user devices to managing user 'digital identities.' Digital identities are a combination of user profile, preferences, applications and privileges that give medical professionals authorized access to applications from any device anywhere in the hospital. Medical professionals perform rounds without hunting for patient paper records or the right device for the job.
* Right Infrastructure for the Job. Dell creates a practical blueprint for the design, implementation and management of a virtual client network that works for the medical professional and for the hospital with the right combination of thin client, virtual desktop, laptop or handheld. IT and medical professionals are no longer locked in to a 'one size fits all' model of client computing.
* A Complete Information-Sharing Solution for Hospitals. Dell is providing a complete solution from design, validation and implementation of the MCC infrastructure, to integration of clients, servers and software with training and 24/7 service and support.
* Managed/Hosted Services. Dell Services, which includes the former Perot Systems, provides end-to-end MCC services including management and hosting to assist clients with any operational scenario. Private cloud solutions can be deployed via traditional capital or utility based expenditure models to optimize resources consumed rather than building idle capacity.
* Availability. MCC is available to hospitals in the U.S. and in Europe.

Quotes:

'A proliferation of applications, passwords and end-user equipment throughout the hospital challenged our caregivers and complicated IT's trouble shooting and technical support. To increase the simplicity and reliability of our technology, we needed a new approach,' said David Hillenmeyer, CIO of Silver Cross Hospital, a 300-bed acute care facility located in Joliet, Illinois and a Top 100 Hospital National Award winner five years in a row.

'With MCC, we enjoy five-nines application availability. We can push application updates to these 200 desktops in 20 minutes; a huge savings from the 80 hours it took previously,' said Mr. Hillenmeyer. 'Shorter logins and access to a complete application suite on each workstation is helping our medical professionals reclaim nearly 20,000 hours for patient care this year alone. The solution's roaming capabilities have simplified physician and nurse rounding and documentation. Single sign-on coupled with the swipe cards and proximity detectors enforces password compliance and provides another level of access controls. These added protections help ensure Silver Cross' commitment to patient confidentiality and data security.'

'It's not enough to digitize patient information. We must make it available to medical professionals at the point of care, whether that's in a hospital or in an affiliated physician practice,' said Dr. Jamie Coffin, vice president, Dell Healthcare and Life Sciences. 'Dell is focused on transforming HIT to harness the power of information across our healthcare system to better coordinate and improve patient care and reduce its cost.'

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1 Ponemon Institute: 'Annual Cost of Data Breach Report,' 2009

2 Credant: 'Data Security & Compliance in the Healthcare Market,' 2009

3 HIMSS: 'Healthcare and Integration Survey,' 2008

4 Dell Silver Cross Hospital Case Study, April, 2009

5 American Hospital Association: Trendwatch Chartbook 2009

— WebWireID108216 —

Secaucus, NJ Popular Science Magazine has named two Panasonic products, the TC-P54Z1 Ultra-thin VIERA Plasma and the LUMIX GF1 digital camera, the magazine's 2009 'The Best of What's New' winners in the Home Entertainment and Gadgets categories, respectfully. Both Panasonic products will be featured in the December 2009 issue of Popular Science Magazine.

'For 22 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us − those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what's possible in the future.' said Mark Jannot, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science. 'The Best of What's New Award is the magazine's top honor, and the 100 winners − chosen from among thousands of entrants − represent the highest level of achievement in their fields.'

The Panasonic TC-P54Z1 VIERA Plasma uses innovative wireless technology and features an ultra-thin 1' profile, making this HDTV Plasma a truly unique High Definition display. The wireless technology allows for flexible installations and the thin profile makes it easy to fit in any setting. The Panasonic TC-P54Z1 Plasma uses millimeter wave wireless technology established by the Wireless HD Consortium and has a maximum transmission rate of approximately 4Gbs, which enables full-HD uncompressed video and audio signals to be transmitted up to 30 feet from the TV.

Furthermore, the remote is RF, so the external box that houses all the electronics and connections can be placed out of sight. The TC-P54Z1 also features Panasonic's proprietary VIERA CAST™ technology that provides targeted internet content, including Amazon VOD and You Tube™. The TC-P54Z1 also includes 600Hz Sub-field drive that produces full 1080 lines of motion resolution - in prior years, Plasmas produced approximately 900 lines of motion resolution. The TC-P54Z1 is also one of a select few high definition displays to achieve THX® certification, an audio and video standard set by THX Ltd., a company founded by George Lucas to recreate the audio and video ambiance that filmmakers intended.

The Panasonic LUMIX GF1 is the world's smallest and lightest system digital camera with built-in flash* and packs powerful DSLR-like features and High Definition video capabilities into a sleek and easy-to-use compact body. The LUMIX GF1 builds on Panasonic's success with the revolutionary LUMIX G Series of digital interchangeable lens system cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard. The Micro Four Thirds system boldly removes the very same mirror box that traditionally defined a 'Single Lens Reflex' camera, thus resulting in a much smaller camera body and lenses; while not compromising photo quality or performance. The LUMIX GF1 is Panasonic's most compact LUMIX G Series digital camera and offers features appropriate for both new and more advanced photographers.

For instance, the LUMIX DMC-GF1 includes the new My Color mode, which includes seven preset effects – Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, Silhouette and Custom – all of which let users manually set the color, brightness and saturation levels. With the Live View function, users can see how these settings will affect the photo before they shoot, making it easier to capture the exact mood or atmosphere desired. For even more elaborate effects, users can choose from a total of nine Film modes, and set the contrast, sharpness and saturation levels for each. A custom function lets users store their favorite settings in memory. Furthermore, the exposure meter can be displayed in other shooting modes and the correlation between shutter speed and aperture is shown, with a color-coded warning that alerts users when the settings are not in the proper range.

'Panasonic has a longstanding history of being an innovative company that provides cutting-edge products and because of that, has been a consistent industry leader, so the Popular Science 'Best of What's New Honor' provides great validation that we are indeed leaders in two important categories for our company: High Definition Plasmas and digital cameras,' said Robert Perry, Executive Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. 'We are honored by the recognition and will continue to manufacture products that are not only innovative, but also benefit the consumer who will be using them.'

For more information on the TC-P54Z1 and the LUMIX GF1 visit www.panasonic.com.

— WebWireID108215 —

The church's core beliefs and practices, including those related to Christ, the Bible, women's ordination and relationships, are featured in the ad on page 9A of the newspaper and on the Episcopal Church's website, Anne Rudig, director of communication, said in a Nov. 20 news release.

"We want to herald and share our welcoming message," she said.

"In the past few weeks, news about various religions has focused more about who's excluded from certain practices than who is included," Rudig noted. "We follow Christ and believe that he's very clear that all are welcome. We strive to 'love our neighbors as ourselves.'"

The Rev. Canon Charles Robertson, canon to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, said in the same release that "we are celebrating the fact the Episcopal Church recognizes that God doesn't differentiate between the gifts of men or women, lay or ordained. We want people to know who we are and to make their own, informed decisions."

The ad is the first in a series of materials that will be made available to dioceses, congregations and provinces as an overall communication strategy for the church is developed, Rudig said.

Centering on the theme "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You," various sizes of the ad are available in English and Spanish here to dioceses, congregations and provinces at no cost. Space is provided in the ad for customization of church and web site address.

Additional print, radio and other materials will soon be made available to dioceses and congregations, the release said.

Rudig called the ad an important tool "in our efforts to tell our own story," while Robertson said "we want to be bolder and more proactive about letting people know that the Episcopal Church has so much to offer."

"Our message continues to be that we welcome you into this adventurous life and reasonable faith in Christ...whoever 'you' may be," Robertson said.

— WebWireID108214 —

The Carbon Trust Standard is a UK Government certification that recognizes achievements in carbon management and reduction. Recipients of this prestigious award number less than 100 in the entire UK with only a handful of those being manufacturing-based companies. Delphi is the first automotive company to achieve this standard.

"We are very proud to be the first automotive company in the UK to be accredited with this prestigious standard" said Mark Andrews, Operations Support Group (OSG) Director for Delphi Europe, Middle-East and Africa. "This is further validation of Delphi's ability to apply its safe, green and connected philosophies not only to the products we sell but also to the facilities in which they are designed and manufactured."

Led by Peter Vallance from Delphi's OSG, this project involved a team of UK facility management personnel at Delphi sites in Gillingham, Stonehouse, Liverpool, Park Royal, Leamington Spa and Sudbury.

The Carbon Trust Standard recognises organisations that have genuinely acted on climate change and committed to ongoing emission reductions. The Standard also positions Delphi at the forefront of tackling climate change and related measures to reduce carbon emissions directly, rather than off-setting emissions through other means.

Some of the projects that have enabled Delphi to receive the Carbon Trust Standard are:

* Sudbury automated workplace shut off device
* Leamington and Gillingham Lighting projects
* Liverpool — HVAC (heating ventilation air conditioning modules) variable speed drives
* Stonehouse lighting, machine cooling and general awareness improvements

The total carbon reduction for all projects was 2,000,000 kilograms over a 2-year assessment period (January 2006 to December 2008).

As a responsible corporate citizen, Delphi is dedicated to protecting human health, natural resources and the global environment and will continue to seek to proactively minimize the environmental impact of its manufacturing processes through the implementation of innovative solutions.

— WebWireID108213 —