Centric Seeks Help to Explain Second Life Incident

Fallon Winnfield Looks to Virtual World's Community (PRWeb Apr 3, 2007) Post Comment:Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/SG9yci1aZXRhLUVtcHQtQ3Jhcy1NYWduLVplcm8=

Viele US-�rzte eng verbunden mit Pharmaindustrie

Fast alle US-Ärzte erhalten einer Studie zufolge Zuwendungen von der Pharmaindustrie. 94 Prozent der 1662 befragten Mediziner hätten erklärt, "in irgendeiner Art" mit dieser in Verbindung zu stehen. (Read on Source)

Hardee's Commissions Coptix & Big Boom Town to Launch Integrated Regional Advertising

Beginning in May of 2007, a regional marketing campaign will launch for American restaurant chain Hardee's under the theme, "My Town, My Hardee's." Focusing on Hardees' popularity in small towns in the region, the campaign integrates web, print and viral marketing developed collaboratively by Big Boom Town Advertising and Chattanooga integrated design firm Coptix Inc.. (PRWeb May 23, 2007) Post Comment:Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/SG9yci1Qcm9mLVByb2YtRW1wdC1UaGlyLVplcm8=

First Drive: 2008 Toyota Highlander

Just a stone's throw from Ford's corporate headquarters, Toyota invited journalists to Dearborn, Mich. yesterday to check out the redesigned 2008 Highlander. We took the SUV/Crossover through its paces on city streets and Michigan highways. The verdict: Toyota hasn't messed up a good thing.

All Highlanders carry a 270 hp V-6 from the Camry. There is no more four-cylinder, but V-6 gas mileage improves slightly to roughly 20 mpg in overall driving, according to the EPA's stricter 2008 ratings. By the same standards, the old V-6 Highlander came in at 19 mpg.

The new engine means lead-footed parents will make it to the video store before midnight; power comes quickly as the engine revs, with enough oomph to make you forget the unremarkable response early on. The five-speed automatic allows for energetic passing ? third gear is the name of the game, as it proves a handy springboard to accelerate from around 45 mph all the way to 60 or 70.

The suspension sounds a bit crude over expansion joints and potholes, but the highway ride is otherwise quiet. We drove a 2007 Highlander Hybrid to Michigan for the event, and the '08 models exhibited none of its incessant squeaks and rattles.

That makes it easy to relax in the cabin, which is mostly a step in the right direction. The dashboard looks much like the new Camry's with sloping contours that arch toward the prominent center controls. Taking a page out of the Tundra's playbook, the Highlander has enormous circular knobs for major climate and radio functions. If this cabin is any indication, the era of Japanese cars having Mini-Me controls might finally see its end.

This Highlander is based on the latest Camry, and as in the Camry, not everything comes up roses. Toyota needs to find some better headliner materials ? the Highlander's mouse fur looks and feels downright tacky. If you opt for a moonroof, passengers get flimsy pull-out grab handles. Ironically, the cheaper non-moonroof trim levels have more desirable flip-down handles. In more expensive trims, the plain-looking leather upholstery won't fool anyone for Lexus quality.

Most Highlanders come with seven seats, with a trick center seat in the second row that stows in a hideaway compartment between the front chairs. Room is abundant in the first two rows, and six-foot adults could even endure a short trip in the third row. I can't say that for a lot of three-row SUVs. One catch: Cargo room behind the third row is dismal.

Even in its twilight years, the old Highlander sold briskly. In some areas, the 2008 model takes a step back, but in most other regards it's a healthy leap forward. With models trickling into dealerships as you read this, and a hybrid version set to arrive next month, there's little doubt that Toyota's latest SUV will be as popular as ever.

Related

Research the 2008 Toyota Highlander (Cars.com)

Cars.comparison: Three-Row Crossovers (Cars.com)

Blue eyes

Finding Audio Fingerprints Made Easier with New Technology from Sleek Audio

Become a friend of Sleek-Audio SA6 at www.myspace.com/youraudiofingerprint for a chance to win a free pair and be among the first to maximize your audio experience. (PRWeb Aug 29, 2007) Post Comment:Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/TWFnbi1IYWxmLUNvdXAtSW5zZS1UaGlyLVplcm8=

NASA Mars Odyssey THEMIS Images: August 27-31, 2007

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in co.oration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona ... (Read on Source)

Manage Your Documents with Knowledge Tree

Linux.com: "Knowledge Tree is an open source document management system that helps enterprise users categorize, store, index, and share documents..."

GPL vs BSD, A Matter of Sustainability

Numerodix: "If you haven't been living under a rock the past decade (I suppose Stonehenge qualifies) you may have walked in on some incarnation of the famous GPL vs BSD flamewar..."

Carnival of the Capitalists at The Journal Blog

Best Buy's $20 Ubuntu: Good or Bad for Linux?

Well, every once in a while something slips by the notice of even the best journalistic organization, and such appears to have been the case on a broad scale recently regarding the sale of a certain software package on the shelves of Best Buy. Fortunately, the Linux blogosphere is always on duty.

Orange France details iPhone 3G prices

Orange France, the only carrier in the initial iPhone 3G launch to miss July 11th, has officially unveiled its prices for the local release at 8AM on the 17th. In general, an 8GB phone with Origami costs ?149, while a 16GB one is ?199. These prices escalate to ?199 and ?249, though, when people pick the Zen/Star 1h & 2h package, and ?399 and ?499...

McIver keeps faith with Donegal XV

Donegal manager Brian McIver has given a vote of confidence to the team that dismissed Roscommon for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC qualifier against Monaghan in Ballybofey (throw-in 5pm).

Redlasso halts blogger service amid lawsuit (Reuters)

Reuters - News video-sharing site Redlasso said on Friday it will suspend its video search and clipping service for bloggers as it defends against a copyright infringement lawsuit filed this week by NBC and Fox News Channel.

Sun shares fall sharply on quarterly results

Shares slip as much as 14 percent in morning trading, after the company posts declining quarterly results amid a slowing U.S. economy.

NFIRS Done!

After a week without rain, and with temperatures approaching 100 degF each day, we had an opportunity for some precipitation resulting from a front moving in from the northwest. And storms did pass to the north and they did pass to the south but they did not pass over us. Lots of wind though, and that cooled things off prematurely. Should be ... (Read on Source)

IAC Parts Ways With Its Parts

Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp completed its split into five publicly traded companies Thursday -- a move intended to give each business more focus and value than the previously cluttered whole. With the split, home shopping network HSN, time-share business Interval Leisure Group, ticketing service Ticketmaster and lending and real estate business Tree.com began regular trading Thursday under their own ticker symbols.

Kevin Rose foretells iPod Nano redesign

The Digg founder offers up a sampling of details on what could be changes in store for the iPod lineup in September.

Next DFWSEM meeting is 10-15-08, 6:15 PM, Renaissance, Richardson, TX

The next Dallas/Fort Worth Search Engine Marketing Association (DFWSEM) meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 6:15 p.m., at the Renaissance Hotel in Richardson Texas. DFWSEM is sponsored by LeadMaverick (www.leadmaverick) and Business Wire (www.businesswire.com). Admission is free for association members, and $30 for non-members. ... (Read on Source)

AppDeploy Community Launches Free Windows Installer Tool

AppDeploy, an online community for both systems management professionals and application and computer administrators has released a free software tool called "AppDeploy Repackager." The tool is the industry's first free application dedicated to the complex task of Windows Installer repackaging, according to the company.

There's something about Robert Peston...

I do declare that this man is possibly my favourite BBC news reporter. He has been gracing our screens with ever increasing frequency during these disasterous financial times as he is the BBC Business Editor. (Read on Source)

What Makes A Bargain -- Find Out And Sell More!

Everybody loves to buy a bargain. Stores and services go out of
their way to come up with fresh bargains that will attract new
customers and keep old customers coming back.

Major corporations spend fortunes working to make every
customer feel like they are getting a bargain. Perception is
reality, and customers who THINK they're getting a great deal
tell others about their excellent purchase and come back to buy
more. So how do you create successful bargains to WOW your
customers? First let's take a quick look at just what a bargain
is.

Ask most business owners and managers what makes a bargain and
they'll instantly blurt a lower price is a bargain. True, a
lower price on the same product others are offering at a higher
price is a bargain.

It gets a little harder with a service. I've never seen two
services that were exactly alike. The guy who tunes up your car
for $100 may not do as thorough a job as the guy down the street
who charges $240. On the otherhand, the cheaper guy might be
better.

Usually you can charge less to create a bargain by saving the
difference in price somewhere else, either by offering a lower
quailty--no sense in customers paying for fancier than they
really need--or charging more elsewhere.

Personally I'm not a big fan of dropping prices to create
bargains. It works well for Walmart, but is hard for many small
businesses who are struggling to make payroll or keep up with
the credit cards. You can raise your prices back to normal
later, but many customers will sit on the sidelines waiting for
you to drop them again.

So how about some different ways to create a bargain?

1. It's a bargain if your customer gets the last model somebody
else wanted. That's why Amazon and others let you know "there
are only 2 left, hurry!" Try using that tactic on your web
site, in your mailer, or on your point-of-purchase signs. If
you are selling a service, let a prospect know you've got "one
more appointment open this week" OR "two appointments open:
Wednesday at 10 or Friday at 2."

Once the famous Jeffrey Lant offered me a slot in his
networking business. "I've got one position left and 3 people
want it," he wrote. Brilliant marketing. I was tempted to join
even though I sure didn't need to be working an additional
business. The urge to jump in before the other guys and get a
bargain was almost too powerful.

2. A bargain is when your customer feels sure she will be happy
with the product or service. Maybe that is why every product
comes with a brochure saying "Congratulations on purchasing the
finest, highest quality product available, skillfully designed
to give you years of enjoyment." If you didn't feel like you
got a bargain when you made the purchase, you certainly do
after you read the brochure.

3. A bargain is when others TELL you it is a bargain. That is
the beauty of an affiliate program or testimonials where other
people tell you what a great bargain the product or service is.
This is also one of the reasons people buy popular products: so
their friends can say "oh you got one of those, they're so
cool, you'll love it!"

4. A bargain is when you throw in something extra with the
product or service. A camera is bundled with a no-cost disc of
computer software. The guitar store provides a free cord with
every electric guitar. I always offer to give extra advice, at
no charge, to anyone who buys my writing or promotion services.
Customers can feel that getting expert personal attention with
their purchase makes it an extreme bargain.

Everybody loves a bargain. Try some of these simple, proven
ideas to give your sales a quick boost both now and for the
future.

Kevin Nunley is the Net's best known and longest running copywriter. Kevin's thousands of customers value his great marketing advice, sizzling sales copy, and value-packed promotion deals. See his http://DrNunley.com and email him today at kevin@drnunley.com to find out how you can increase your sales now.

Sticky Nanotape

Carbon-nanotube adhesive outperforms gecko feet and could aid climbing robots.

Obama To End Campaign In VA

Barack Obama will end his general election campaign in the same state he started it 5 months earlier -- Virginia, the Washington Post reports. The exact location for the Monday night Northern Virginia rally has not been determined yet, though it will likely take place in the exurban city of Manassas Park or Prince William County. (Read on Source)

Devils beat Thrashers 6-1; Brodeur injured - The Associated Press

TSN.ca
Devils beat Thrashers 6-1; Brodeur injured
The Associated Press - 3 hours ago
NEWARK, NJ (AP) - Martin Brodeur's left elbow injury overshadowed the New Jersey Devils' 6-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday night.
Brodeur Is Hurt; DiPietro Has Surgery New York Times
DEVILS 6, THRASHERS 1: Winless skid extended to woeful six games Atlanta Journal Constitution
Protrade - New York Daily News - Sports Network - Seattle Post Intelligencer
all 334 news articles

For McCain, Lighter End After Years on the Trail

Senator John McCain?s aides say he is relieved that the race is almost over, and he appears just to be having a good time. (Read on Source)

An Ecommerce Internet Merchant Account

Small business owners and home based entrepreneurs sometimes reach the point where they realize their company is ready to grow, and then they begin to consider the advantages of an ecommerce Internet merchant account. Those who accept merely cash or check payments may decide to increase the ways in which a customer can pay for goods or services. A merchant account will let business owners accept credit card payments in many different ways. That is why so many business people opt to apply for an Internet merchant account.

If you do not already have an Internet Website to promote your business, this would be a good time to put one in place by opening an Ecommerce Internet Merchant account. More and more, consumers are looking to the Internet to find companies that offer the products and terms they want. Conducting business on the Internet or through technological means is called "ecommerce," sometimes spelled as "e-commerce," and it is growing at a tremendously rapid rate. Once your Website is operational, you will want to update it often with your latest product lines and descriptions and price lists. Once customers from any other computer in the world know where to find you, chances are they will return time and again if they like your site; they might even bookmark it.

To keep customers coming back, get an Ecommerce Internet merchant account that will let you accept credit card payments. That way, customers can buy things at your store locations, whether online or at a physical site, and pay for them instantly. You won't have to send out statements or wait for checks to arrive in the mail. Instead, your credit-processing feature will let them pay with a credit card, and your underwriter can facilitate the payment by converting currency and deposit profits in your account, using real time.

An ecommerce Internet merchant account can put you leagues ahead of other companies in your industry. While they still take just check or cash payments, you can be busy processing credit card payments that could push your sales volume to new record heights. Naturally, you will want to keep your store looking attractive, and your Website should offer helpful information that will make guests want to return and possibly even bookmark your site for frequent reference. When the word gets out that you are accepting credit payments, more customers may browse your Website to check out your wares and plunk down a credit card in payment. One of the nice things about using credit is its convenience. Customers don't have to worry about carrying enough cash or making an account deposit before going shopping. They can browse spontaneously, and when they find something they want to buy, they need not be constrained by a lack of cash on hand or forgetting to order new checks for the checkbook.

Why not apply for your merchant account services account soon so that you can enjoy the status and benefits of attracting customers who prefer using credit when they hear about your ecommerce Internet merchant account.

Shane Penrod is the founder of <a href="http://www.Merchant-Account-Quotes.com" target="_blank">http://www.Merchant-Account-Quotes.com</a> Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account rates and fees, please go to <a href="http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com" target="_blank">http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com</a>

Fake Lunar Photos Sent Astronomers Over the Moon

Mocked-up photos of models of the moon's surface in the 19th century were widely acclaimed for their authenticity, and inspired astronomers to do better with the real thing.