Global Payments wins Home Credit Kazakhstan card processing deal

Global Payments (NYSE: GPN), a world leader in electronic transaction processing services, announced today that its Prague-based, wholly-owned subsidiary, Global Payments Europe, s.r.o., has entered into an agreement to provide payment card processing services to another member of Home Credit Group -- Home Credit Kazakhstan.

Global is currently providing payment processing services to Home Credit and its members in the Czech Republic and Russia.

Global Payments Europe will provide authorization and card management system services to seamlessly address Home Credit Group's desire to expand to emerging markets. Additionally, Global Payments Europe will provide Home Credit Kazakhstan with a solution for PIN generation and PIN printing. The agreement extends and enhances the long-term relationship between Global Payments Europe and the companies of Home Credit Group.

"We value our relationship with Home Credit, which has grown significantly over the years. In order to support the continued growth of Home Credit, we have developed a proven solution that can be easily adopted for any new markets Home Credit wishes to enter," said CEO of Global Payments Europe, Petr Sedlacek. "In addition, with the signing of this agreement for services in Kazakhstan, Global Payments Europe is entering a new and dynamically developing region of Central Asia."

"We very much appreciate our cooperation with Global Payments Europe. They have developed a flexible and technologically-advanced solution for our revolving credit card processing requirements, which allowed us to introduce a new, unique product to the Kazakhstani market, the Silver Card Home Credit," said General Manager of Home Credit Kazakhstan, Jiri Badr.

"Home Credit Group companies already serve two million customers with active cards, which puts Home Credit among the leading players in the field of payment cards in the Central and Eastern European region. We regard highly our relationship with Global Payments Europe, which has supported us in our expansion to Kazakhstan and in the preparation of the right platform for this achievement," said Member of the Board of Directors of Home Credit B.V., Ladislav Chvatal. Home Credit B.V. is the holding and management company for the Home Credit Group.

Euro hits new dollar record on jitters over US economy

NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro grabbed another record high against the dollar Tuesday amid credit woes in the US housing market and the prospect the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady for months to come.
The single European currency jumped at one point to 1.3852 dollars, the highest reading against the US unit since the euro's creation in 1999. On Monday it set a record high of 1.3845 dollars.

The euro was at 1.3821 dollars around 2100 GMT, compared with 1.3811 late Monday in New York.

The dollar fell to 120.23 yen after 120.99 Monday.

"The greenback's failure to hold on to much of its early gains yesterday was a negative sign, but just as important, the currency recently has even been falling against the yen," said Patrick Fearon, an analyst at AG Edwards.

Most of the market nervousness is directed at the subprime lending sector in the United States, where loans are made to people with risky credit.

Subprime lenders have suffered widespread mortgage defaults in the slumping housing market.

The latest bad news came on Tuesday when Countrywide Financial Corporation, a leading US mortgage lender, slashed its full-year earnings outlook and reported a 33 percent fall in second-quarter profit, heightening fears of a spillover effect in the economy.

US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has said the squeeze in subprime housing so far has had only a limited effect on the broader economy.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson expressed confidence Monday in the dollar's prospects despite the new highs notched up by the euro and predicted the subprime troubles would not infect the broader economy.

Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of US economic activity. Some analysts fear that just as Americans spent more during the period of rising home values according to the so-called "wealth effect," they will retrench during a period of falling property prices.

The US currency has fallen to a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar, a 22-year low against the New Zealand dollar and a fresh 26-year low against the British pound.

Analysts are now doubtful the dollar will firm in the near term.

"Given the dollar's downside momentum, all of the week's remaining US data releases must surely come through with flying colours in order to instill the market with any sense of caution in piling further pressure upon the greenback," said Neil Mellor, currency strategist at Bank of New York Mellon.

Traders were awaiting the release Wednesday of the June US existing home sales data and the Fed's Beige Book economic report.

In late New York trade, the dollar stood at 1.2026 Swiss francs from 1.2056 Monday.

The pound was at 2.0624, up from 2.0591.

Amazon.com 2Q profit more than triples ( By JESSICA MINTZ, AP Business Writer)

SEATTLE - Investors went on an Amazon.com Inc. shopping spree Tuesday after the Web retailer said its second-quarter profit more than tripled, thanks to strong sales of books, music and electronics worldwide.
may also have been cheering a slowdown in spending on technology after several years of heavy investment.

Before the announcement, shares of Amazon sank $2.49, or 3.5 percent, to close at $69.25. They skyrocketed $14.70, or 21 percent, to $83.95 in after-hours electronic trading.

The surge came on a day when Wall Street pulled back sharply as investors dealt with disappointing earnings reports and rising concerns about the mortgage market. The Dow Jones industrials fell more than 200 points.

Amazon's quarterly earnings climbed to $78 million, or 19 cents per share, from $22 million, or 5 cents per share during the same period last year. Sales jumped 35 percent to $2.88 billion from $2.14 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Both measures topped Wall Street's expectations. Analysts had forecast a profit of 16 cents per share on $2.81 billion in sales, according to a Thomson Financial survey.

"As you start on the revenue line and work your way down the income statement, I think it was just all-around strong," said Dan Geiman, an analyst at McAdams Wright Ragen. "They're in a sweet spot in terms of adding selection, adding convenience and lowering those prices, and I think it's starting to pay off for them."

In a conference call with investors, Chief Financial Officer Tom Szkutak said North America sales experienced the "highest growth rate in more than 6 years."

Revenue in the U.S. and Canada increased 38 percent to $1.6 billion. Electronics and general merchandise sales jumped the most — 66 percent to $606 million. The category also includes toys, clothing, jewelry and sporting goods, but Szkutak would not say what types of items drove sales in the quarter. Instead, the executive pointed to the company's broad selection and the appeal of its $79-per-year unlimited shipping membership, Amazon Prime, to explain quarterly growth.

Analysts have long complained that free and cheap shipping promotions cut into Amazon's earnings. The retailer said its number of Amazon Prime members rose, but did not disclose a total. Shipping set Amazon back a net $75 million in the quarter.

Worldwide, revenue from electronics and general merchandise improved 55 percent to $970 million, while sales of books, music and other media-category products grew 27 percent to $1.83 billion. The retailer said a weaker dollar helped improve sales slightly.

Wall Street has kept tabs on the blistering rise in Amazon's technology spending in recent years, in part because the company gave few specific details about where the money was going. While spending on technology and content still rose 10 percent to $201 million, it slowed significantly from a year ago.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive, declined to give analysts details Tuesday about two technology and content initiatives — a partnership with TiVo Inc. that lets people download content from Amazon and watch it on their TVs, and a yet-to-launch digital music store.

Bezos did say he was pleased with the growing Web services business, which sells data storage and computing power to computer programmers. Twenty-five thousand programmers signed up in the quarter.

Steve Weinstein, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, said it's hard to tell whether Amazon's technology spending finally paid off in the quarter.

"They didn't really call those initiatives out as major drivers for the business," he said.

Amazon upped its revenue forecast for the full fiscal year to $13.80 billion to $14.30 billion, up from its earlier outlook for $13.4 billion to $14 billion.

For the current third quarter, Amazon said it expects revenue from $3 billion to $3.18 billion.

Wall Street is currently looking for full-year sales of $13.84 billion and third-quarter revenue to reach $3 billion.

Student Loan Financial Group Announces Interest Rates on Variable-rate Loans Increasing July 1st student loan consolidation center

student loan consolidation center Student can take advantage of the lower rate if they apply before June 30th.Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) June 25, 2007 -- Student Loan Financial Group , the premier financial center specializing in Federal Student Loan Consolidation , today announced that interest rates on existing variable-rate student loans will climb eight basis points, or .08 percentage points July 1, 2007. While interest rates on new Federal Stafford and PLUS loans are fixed under federal law, students, graduates and parents who have older, variable-rate student loans can take advantage of the lower rate if they apply for student loan consolidation by June 30.

Most federal Stafford and PLUS loans first disbursed before July 1, 2006 charge variable interest rates that are set by federal formula and based on the last auction of 91-day U.S. Treasury bills in May. Interest rates on loans disbursed after that date are fixed at 6.8 percent (Stafford) and 8.5 percent (PLUS).

"This Spring 2007, college grad's who still have variable rate loans may consider applying to consolidate before their six month, post grad grace period ends," said John Wrinn, President, Student Loan Financial Group. "Students can lock in a lower rate if they lock the rate prior to June 30th. Also, parents with PLUS loans will save an eight of a percent by consolidating before July 1st, instead of waiting.

When a student decides to consolidate their student loans, the loan consolidation lender pays off the student's current federal student loans in full and creates a new loan, with a new interest rate and a longer repayment term. Federal student loan consolidation has a fixed interest rate, based on the weighted average of the interest rates of the student loans being consolidated, rounded up to the nearest 0.125 percent or 8.25 percent, whichever is less.

For existing Federal Stafford and PLUS loans that still carry a variable interest rate, the interest rates as of July 1, 2007 will be:

Stafford Loans (in school, grace and deferment periods): 6.62 percent

Stafford Loans (repayment): 7.22 percent -- PLUS Loans: 8.02 percent

In addition, there is no credit checks, no fees, no prepayment penalties as well as student loan consolidation can reduce the monthly payment amount by nearly 50 percent. That is because student loan consolidation stretches the repayment period from the standard 10 years to up to 30 years, depending on the amount of the education debt.

Student and parent customers who consolidate their Stafford, PLUS and other eligible federal student loans using a Student Loan Financial Group Consolidation Loan can also reduce their interest rate by an additional 1.25 percentage points by making scheduled loan payments on time, and by using automatic debit to make payments electronically. Combined, these benefits can provide the average customer with $4,300 in savings on a $20,000 loan.

About Student Loan Financial Group
Student Loan Financial Group (SLFG) is a premier loan service that guides clients through the options and choices of student loan financing with ease and simplicity. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, SLFG specializes in student loan consolidation and has helped thousandths of students fulfill their ambitions of high education. Through an extensive network of highly specialized products, SLFG offers low rates, great borrower benefits and the best options available to solve a wide-range of consumer-financing needs. SLFG was incorporated as a privately held company in 2006; all of its shares are currently held by officers and employees.

Contact Student Loan Financial Group Today 888-796-6480
To Apply Now click HERE.

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Student Loan Financial Group
John Wrinn
888-796-6480
E-mail Information
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Cissec Corporation announces strategic partnership with Nightingale electronic medical records

electronic medical records Nightingale integrates Cissec's wait time management functionality into its EMR offering
KINGSTON, ON, July 6 /CNW/ - Cissec Corporation ("Cissec") today announced that is has entered into an exclusive strategic partnership with Nightingale Informatix Corporation ("Nightingale") (TSX-V: NGH - News), a healthcare application service provider (ASP) of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and practice management software, that will see Nightingale integrate Cissec's Patient Care Monitor technology ("PCM") into its "Nightingale On-Demand" EMR product suite."We are pleased to be partnering with Nightingale to bring this unique technology to the healthcare market," said Mike Rimmer, President and CEO of Cissec Corporation. "With its leadership position in the Canadian EMR market and its growing footprint in the U.S., Nightingale is well positioned to successfully roll out this powerful, integrated application across North America."

PCM is a clinical management tool that enables physicians, clinics and hospitals to track patient progress through the clinical care pathway in real-time, manage the entire process and measure patient wait time at any point in the system. In addition, PCM offers standardized workflow options and creates patient timeline targets based on individual care requirements.

Physicians can use PCM to evaluate timelines on a patient-by-patient basis, or across their entire patient base. PCM also provides administrators with the ability to identify, monitor and correct suboptimal processes and resources within their facilities, thereby improving patient wait time management.

"A key component of our organic growth strategy is to maintain our technology leadership by consistently enhancing our product suite," said Sam Chebib, President and CEO of Nightingale. "Further strengthening our position in the North American EMR market by partnering with Cissec on this exciting initiative is a natural fit."

Mr. Chebib continued: "Healthcare practitioners are increasingly faced with the pressure to manage patient care cycles more efficiently, especially as governments have now begun to set wait time objectives. By integrating Cissec's PCM technology with our EMR solution, we have provided physicians and practice managers with the tools they need to automatically measure and manage patient timelines, identify bottlenecks in their processes and in turn improve upon the timeliness and quality of patient care they deliver."

About Cissec

Cissec Corporation (www.cissec.com) is an information engineering firm based in Kingston, Ontario. A privately held company, its genesis was as the technology resource at QUAIL (Queen's University Advanced Informatics Laboratory) for health care research projects at Queen's University and Kingston General Hospital. Over the past seven years Cissec's team has developed innovative solutions with local, provincial and national scope. This has been accomplished in collaboration with researchers, clinicians and administrators who share Cissec's belief that technology can play an important role in alleviating some of the challenges facing health care with the ultimate benefit of improved patient outcomes.

About Nightingale

Nightingale Informatix Corporation (www.nightingale.md) is one of North America's fastest growing healthcare application service providers (ASP). Nightingale's Internet-based Electronic Health Record (EHR), Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and practice management solutions are designed to help physicians, health centers, hospitals and other healthcare organizations more efficiently manage their operations and patient records.

Nightingale's products and services offer physicians in United States and Canada leading-edge functionality for clinical documentation, patient scheduling, resource scheduling, billing, transcription, end-to-end coding and claims processing, data management, work flow tools, laboratory interfaces, documentation management and patient portals, along with other real-time services. The Company's proprietary offerings of software include Nightingale On-Demand, RidgeMark, Medical Helper, Therapist Helper, Northern Health Anesthesia, Entity and Physician WorkStation and SecureConnect, providing physicians with fully integrated, simple-to-use systems that automate daily tasks and create a single, accessible source of patient data.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" ,"could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Nightingale to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the offering and the acquisition not being completed on favourable terms, or all, speculative nature of the medical software industry, which is affected by numerous factors beyond Nightingale's control; the ability of Nightingale to successfully integrate its acquisitions and any liabilities arising as a result of such acquisitions; the existence of present and possible future government regulation; the significant and increasing competition that exists in the medical software industry; the early stage of Nightingale's business; and therefore it is subject to the risks associated with early stage companies, including uncertainty of revenues, markets and profitability and the need to raise additional funding. In particular, there is no assurance that the Offering will be completed as it is subject to market conditions

Although Nightingale has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Nightingale does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Further information on Nightingale Informatix Corporation is available at www.sedar.com

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

For further information

Dave Mason, Investor Relations, The Equicom Group, Tel: (416) 815-0700 x237, dmason@equicomgroup.com
Crystal Quast, Media Relations, The Equicom Group, Tel: (416) 815-0700 x240, cquast@equicomgroup.com
Justin Rimmer, Director, Sales & Customer Relations, Cissec, Tel: (613) 389-2756 ext. 118, JRimmer@cissec.com

SimpleTuition Continues to Sign Steady Stream of U.S. College Partners college loan consolidation

college loan consolidation SimpleTuition Fast Becoming the Resource of Choice to Help Parents and Students Find and Compare the Best Student Loan Options

NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SimpleTuition, Inc., a company dedicated to helping students and parents make sense of education financing choices, today announced the addition of nine leading U.S. institutions of higher education to its rapidly growing list of partners. By partnering with SimpleTuition, schools are demonstrating their commitment to choice by delivering independent, up-to-date and accurate student loan information to students.
Financial aid professionals are tasked with helping families navigate the complex landscape of scholarships, work study, loans and other aspects of the financial aid package. SimpleTuition assists financial aid officers by providing families with self-service, user-friendly tools for making these critical financing decisions. Colleges and universities that work with SimpleTuition can customize a site to include information on how the loans featured were selected, providing full disclosure. SimpleTuition, an independently-managed platform, is fast becoming the resource of choice to help financial aid officers deliver this information.

For students entering Alderson-Broaddus College (WV), Coastal Carolina University (SC), Lincoln Christian College (IL), Pacific Northwest College of Art (CA), Spoon River College (IL), University of Alaska Southeast (AL), Umpqua Community College (OR), University of North Dakota (ND), and Wabash College (IN), the process of evaluating and applying for student loans is now much clearer with the help of SimpleTuition.

"Over the last several months, there has been a push for greater transparency with student loan lenders," said Jo Branson, Director of Financial Aid at Spoon River College. "Our ultimate mission is to help our students find and receive the best loans possible to meet their financial situation, which we are able to do by partnering with SimpleTuition. We can now offer families a side by side comparison of loan options, helping students make better informed choices."

SimpleTuition provides an independent, online resource to help families compare, analyze and apply for student loans. Students are able to view and use an apples-to-apples comparison for over 100 loan types including Private, PLUS, GradPLUS, Stafford and Federal Consolidation loans from dozens of lenders depending on which are appropriate to fund higher education on given campus/program. Results can be sorted by monthly payment, total cost of the loan, number of payments, first payment due date and APR, and results contain detailed information about loan pricing, borrower benefits and other attributes. SimpleTuition is not a lender.

"We are committed to supporting financial aid professionals across the country in their quest to help families get access to the right resources to make a college education possible," said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of SimpleTuition. "Paying for college is a confusing and overwhelming process for millions of families. SimpleTuition is dedicated to working with our school partners to make the process painless."

About SimpleTuition, Inc.

Founded in 2005, SimpleTuition is dedicated to helping students and parents make sense of education financing options. Recently featured as one of Fast Company's Top 12 Web 2.0 sites, SimpleTuition offers the leading independent and interactive solution for researching and comparing over 100 private, PLUS, Stafford, GradPLUS and Federal Consolidation loans from more than 45 lenders. SimpleTuition is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts and is funded by Atlas Venture, IDG Ventures Boston and North Hill Ventures. For more information, visit www.SimpleTuition.com.


Contact:

KMC Partners Public Relations
Jan Jahosky, 407-331-4699
jan@kmcpartners.com

2Insure4Less.com Makes Insurance Shopping Process Easier for Insurance Consumers auto insurance quote

ecently shortened its insurance quote questionnaire to make the insurance shopping process easier for consumers looking to compare insurance quotes.
2Insure4Less.com is a free online service that helps insurance consumers shop for insurance. 2Insure4Less.com has recently shortened its insurance quote questionnaire to make the insurance shopping process easier for insurance consumers who are looking to compare insurance quotes.

More and more people are shopping for insurance online. Some find it frustrating, because many websites require insurance consumers to fill out very long, complicated forms to get an insurance quote. 2Insure4Less.com understands that shopping for insurance should be an easy process; therefore all insurance forms were shortened to the minimum required fields.

2Insure4Less.com allows insurance shoppers in all 50 states to compare quotes on nearly every type of insurance: auto, home, renters, health, life, disability, long term care, cancer, burial, business property & casualty, business benefits, annuity.

Choosing the right insurance policy can be complicated. To help insurance consumers get the information they need before purchasing an insurance policy 2Insure4Less.com has created an insurance learning center that gets updated every week. This free insurance learning center on the site contains 1000+ useful articles for insurance consumers that can help them save money and learn about insurance coverage they need before buying.

About 2Insure4Less.com
2Insure4Less.com is a website owned and operated by Itsol Inc. 2Insure4Less.com helps insurance shoppers shop for insurance by proving them with auto, home, renters, life, long-term care, disability, cancer, burial, business benefits, health, business insurance quotes , and annuity quotes. For more information, please visit http://www.2insure4less.com

Contact:
Maksym Holovchenko
800-647-2164

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Maksym Holovchenko
800-647-2164

Applied Biosystems Helps Build Egypt's First Laboratory for Ancient DNA Analysis paternity testing

Royal Mummies Tested Through Collaboration With Discovery Channel and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI - News), an Applera Corporation business, today announced its collaboration with the Discovery Channel and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities in establishing the first laboratory in Egypt dedicated to testing ancient DNA samples. The laboratory, which is located in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, began testing samples from ancient royal mummies from the 18th Dynasty in April as part of a project to identify the mummy of Hatshepsut, Egypt's most famous female pharaoh. Initial findings will be revealed in a two-hour documentary titled SECRETS OF EGYPT'S LOST QUEEN, which premiers Sunday, July 15 on the Discovery Channel.
Discovery Channel enlisted the services of Applied Biosystems, a global leader in the development and commercialization of instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services for the life-science market, as part of a project aimed at discovering and identifying the lost mummy of Hatshepsut, one of the most important women in ancient Egyptian history. Hatshepsut was Egypt's most powerful female ruler, but she died mysteriously and her name and monuments were systematically erased. The film will chronicle the quest to find and identify the mummy of Hatshepsut and understand the mysteries surrounding her death.

The primary purpose of the new DNA laboratory is to assist in the identification of this and other mummies that have been removed from their original tombs, and to clarify familial relationships within and between Egypt's ancient dynasties. This is the first time DNA testing has been used to try to identify an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. DNA testing, combined with other forensic techniques, holds the potential to bring closure to unsolved mysteries and help Egypt fill in gaps in its significant history.

"By providing this technology to Egypt, Applied Biosystems is helping to advance science and bring our dead pharaohs back to life," said Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. "A basement that was once a maze of artifacts is now a cutting-edge scientific lab, the first of its kind dedicated to revealing the mysteries of our mummies."

Applied Biosystems provided the Supreme Council of Antiquities with DNA analysis instrument systems, reagents, software, and training. This included an Applied Biosystems 9700 Thermocycler for DNA amplification and a 3130 Genetic Analyzer for DNA analysis, as well as forensic testing reagents including its newest advance in human identification technology, the AmpF STR® MiniFiler(TM) PCR Amplification Kit. The MiniFiler kit is the world's first commercially available reagent kit for generating genetic profiles from aged, compromised, or damaged DNA samples.

For the Hatshepsut project, the scientific team is testing two mummies that are known to be related to Hatshepsut -- those of her maternal grandmother and her father -- for comparison with two female mummies that were the final candidates thought to possibly be Hatshepsut.

The Egyptian team is conducting a combination of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA testing on the mummies. While nuclear DNA provides the most straightforward way to obtain an accurate DNA profile since it contains information from both parents, it is extremely difficult to obtain in cases of degraded samples as cells contain only one nucleus. Mitochondrial DNA is only passed down through the maternal side of a family, but because there can be thousands of mitochondria in each cell, mitochondrial DNA tests can supplement the analysis in cases where nuclear DNA testing fails to yield results.

Technical specialists from Applied Biosystems in both human identification and genetic analysis worked in Cairo to train members of the Egyptian team on the new DNA analysis technology. "The analysis of ancient and degraded DNA samples provides significant challenges, but we are excited to bring our latest advances in genetic analysis to this and similar future projects in Egypt," said Nicola Oldroyd, a senior forensic specialist at Applied Biosystems. "Initial results are very promising as both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA have been retrieved and amplified for these mummies. That in itself is a major accomplishment for the first project in a brand new lab. We are optimistic that the Egyptian scientific team now has everything in place to ultimately be successful in this project and future endeavors."

A news conference announcing initial findings in the quest to identify Hatshepsut is scheduled for today in Cairo. Discovery Channel's SECRETS OF EGYPT'S LOST QUEEN premiers Sunday, July 15, 2007, at 9:00 PM (ET/PT).

More information is available at www.appliedbiosystems.com and www.discovery.com/lostqueen.

About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems

Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life-science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied Biosystems' products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as "applied markets," such as the fields of: human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, for example in food and the environment. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of over $1.9 billion during fiscal 2006. The Celera Group is primarily a molecular diagnostics business that is using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms to identify and validate novel diagnostic markers, and is developing diagnostic products based on these markers as well as other known markers. Celera maintains a strategic alliance with Abbott for the development and commercialization of molecular, or nucleic acid-based, diagnostic products, and it is also developing new diagnostic products outside of this alliance. Through its genomics and proteomics research efforts, Celera is also discovering and validating therapeutic targets, and it is seeking strategic partnerships to develop therapeutic products based on these discovered targets. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com. All information in this news release is as of the date of the release, and Applera does not undertake any duty to update this information, including any forward-looking statements, unless required by law.

Applera, Applied Biosystems, and AB (Design) are registered trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Copyright© 2007. Applera Corporation. All rights reserved.

SkyTeam members ask US for anti-trust immunity on Atlantic routes

PARIS (AFP) - Six airlines have asked US authorities for anti-trust immunity on trans-Atlantic services within the framework of an "open skies" agreement between the European Union and United States.
Approval by the US Department of Transportation would provide SkyTeam alliance members with protection against lawsuits as competition increases on lucrative routes between Europe and North America.

An application was also made for a joint venture agreement between Air France-KLM, Delta, and Northwest "that would create a comprehensive and integrated partnership among the four SkyTeam members across the Atlantic," Air France said Friday.

In addition to the four carriers, SkyTeam also includes the Italian airline Alitalia, Continental Airlines and CSA Czech Airlines, and transports a total of 373 million passengers a year.

Delta already has anti-trust immunity with Air France, Alitalia and CSA, while Northwest has anti-trust immunity with KLM.

"This application is the first under the landmark European Union-US open skies treaty which creates the largest, most important, and fully liberalized air transport marketplace in the world," an Air France statement said.

The accord took effect on March 30 and eliminated most limitations on US and EU airlines' ability to fly between the two continents.

It also lifted restrictions on EU carriers buying big stakes in US airlines, although their voting rights in a US carrier would remain capped at 25 percent.

The US Department of Transportation has approved more than 20 applications for anti-trust immunity in the past, the statement noted, including one for nine rival Star Alliance members.

Money Magazine interview with Charles Schwab

By Jason Zweig, Money Magazine senior writer/columnist
You already know Charles Schwab. But you might not know his story -which is, in large part, the story of the financial revolution that has rolled through American life since 1972.

Yet there's more to Schwab than the tale of a broker who rode a boom. So dyslexic that he passed college English only by reading classics like Moby Dick in comic-book editions, Schwab bounced from one setback to another until his company finally took off in the late 1970s.
Along the way, he acquired some strong views on persistence, luck, money and life. In the first of Money Magazine's 35th-anniversary interviews, the 69-year-old icon sat down with senior writer Jason Zweig.

Q. Some people have called you an unlikely entrepreneur.

A. I have been one all my life - having come from a time when things were pretty tough. My dad was a small-town lawyer, and our family conversations were about how limited resources were.

I did as much as I could: raising chickens, pushing an ice-cream cart, bagging walnuts, driving a tractor on a beet farm, working on the railroad. I think this eclectic career helped me a lot in life. I really encourage kids to get those kinds of jobs.

Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a business that could someday be as big as yours?

A. You know, I would never start there. You've got to start with your gut, with something you are really passionate about, for a good reason.

You won't get there by sitting in a closet and thinking, "Boy, I know the world must want this." You have to get some real-world experience that tells you what people want.

Q. Luck has been important in your career. You might not have opened your first branch office, for example, if your uncle hadn't asked you why you didn't have any branches.

A. I'm sure luck helps every successful entrepreneur. But it doesn't come [without] a lot of preparation and hard work.

Q. You've lived through at least three bad bear markets: 1973-74, 1987 and 2000-02. What lessons have you learned?

A. You've got to understand that markets go both ways, up and down. Over longer periods, stocks generally have always gone up. But any specific stock may never come back.

Buy an index fund, and you're going to have long-term growth almost to a certainty. Buy an individual stock, and you never know. You could go to zero....

And there's a whole other area, which is how you react. We get very emotional and do dumb things.

Look back at October 2002 [when the Dow sank below 7300]. Everything was going wrong, and you were feeling pretty horrible. But that was the most opportune time to invest! What kind of a thing is that?

Q. What's the best thing about wealth?

A. Well...I was going to say I don't have to worry about money, but that's not true. You've always got to worry about it. I worry in a different way now. I worry about the responsibility of wealth.

Q. Wait a minute. Was that the best thing or the worst?

A. The best part is that you can have pretty nice conveniences. If you want to fly someplace, you can. You can even do it on your own plane. Then you may feel you're moving around too much and not really focusing on what really matters.

And then it's [bangs his fist on the table] "Jesus! Will you ever slow down and enjoy what you have?"

Money is no sure recipe for happiness.

Q. What makes you happy?

A. A lot of things. But they're probably no different from when I had no money. It's my business pursuits and my personal life, a good relationship with my wife and kids and grandkids.

Q. If you could give one bit of financial advice to someone who's just starting out, what would you say? A. Buy index funds and ETFs. That might not seem like enough action to a 25-year-old, but it's the smartest thing to do. Put most of your energy into your work and learn to communicate. I think the people who become really successful are those who sense what others are feeling and how to make them comfortable.

Buy index funds. It might not seem like much action, but it's the smartest thing to do.

Search Engine Optimization Workshop Coming to Charleston, South Carolina in August 2007

The Search Engine Academy of South Carolina (SEAofSC) announces a 2-Day Beginner, 3-Day Advanced and 5-Day Mastery SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Workshop coming to Charleston, South Carolina in August 2007. SEO Professional Tracy Fredrychowski to host week long workshop.
Charleston, SC (PRWEB) July 9, 2007 -- Tracy Fredrychowski, SEO Professional announced today that a specialized Search Engine Optimization Workshop is scheduled for August 20-24, 2007 to be held at the Radisson Hotel Charleston Airport in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Tracy Fredrychowski of SEAofSC stated that, "Companies are looking for solutions when it comes to their on-line marketing efforts. In today's competitive Internet marketplace it is vital that companies can position their Web site to be found on the Internet. Being able to offer this type of workshop to area business owners and being able to teach them the latest principles and strategies needed to gain those top positions on Google, MSN and Yahoo! is very exciting."

In describing the 5-Day Mastery Workshop, Fredrychowski added, "Many companies spend hundreds even thousands of dollars monthly on PPC (pay per click) ads. Showing companies how they can achieve top organic (non-paid listings) search results can save them valuable marketing dollars previously spent on PPC ads."

In the past many companies have outsourced their search engine marketing plans. By offering hands-on, non-technical workshops, business owners can learn to optimize their Web site in as little 5 days and see results quickly.

Web site owners attending the workshop can expect to learn:

• How to Utilize User-Generated Content for Attracting New Traffic
• Social Media Marketing Strategies
• 6-Step System for Gaining Top Rankings
• Keyword Research
• Which Search Engines and which Directories are Most Important
• Advantages of Paid Inclusion
• How to Stay out of Trouble with the Search Engines
• How to Build Link Popularity
• Working with Blogs
• Converting Visitors to Buyers
• Affiliate Marketing
• In-depth Review of Google, Yahoo and MSN
• Latent Semantic Indexing
• Link Reputation
• Truth and Myths About Search Engine Robots
• Why Cascading Style Sheets are so Important
• Article Marketing
• Work Around Strategies - Frames, Flash, Databases Sites, Image Maps, JavaScript
• Pay Per Click Advertising
• Web Site Statistic and Log Analysis

Any business owner who wants to understand exactly what the search engines are looking for without guessing will truly benefit from this workshop. After class each student will receive an added bonus of 6 Months free Mentoring that will help them put their SEO skills to work on their own Web site.

Fredrychowski stated, "Students will work on their own Web site during the workshop and learn to recognize its strengths and weaknesses, along with applying their newly discovered SEO skills…putting the power of Internet marketing to work for them."

Fredrychowski concluded, "We have been offering SEO services to our clients for over 7 years and we know the significant impact good quality optimization has on a Web site. Being able to provide Web site owners SEO skills is just the beginning in making their Web sites more profitable."

The Search Engine Academy of South Carolina is the exclusive authorized training workshop to deliver SEO Training throughout the state of South Carolina.

For additional information on workshop dates and locations please contact Tracy Fredrychowski or visit http://www.searchengineacademysc.com.

Tracy Fredrychowski, CEO of Small Business Web Solutions, Inc.
Professional SEO Instructor, Search Engine Academy of South Carolina
Phone: 803-356-2995
http://www.searchengineacademysc.com

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Search Engine Academy of SC
Tracy Fredrychowski
803.356.2995
E-mail Information
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From : yahoonews

Go-ahead for cancer drug after U-turn by watchdog

Scots cancer patients will continue to be prescribed a life-prolonging drug after a watchdog performed a U-turn over whether it should be made available on the NHS.

The drug, Alimta, has been offered to Scottish sufferers of mesothelioma, a lung cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, since 2005.

But the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which advises health trusts south of the border, had originally ruled it should not be used in England and Wales on the grounds it was no better than other, less costly, treatments.
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NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) had indicated that if nothing changed, Nice's opinion would also prevail in Scotland, prompting angry protests from medical experts.

Yesterday, however, Nice announced that after a more detailed review of the drug's effectiveness, Alimta would be made available to patients who are able to carry out day-to-day tasks but whose cancer is advanced and where surgery is inappropriate.

Dr Gillian Leng, Nice's implementation director, said: "Our initial review of the evidence available on pemetrexed disodium (Alimta) suggested it was insufficient to demonstrate that the drug was better than other, far less costly medicines.

"But a number of significant factors have become apparent, which have enabled the independent appraisal committee to recommend it as a treatment option for the majority of people with (the cancer)."

In Scotland, where asbestos was used heavily, especially in Clydeside shipyards, rates of mesothelioma are 31% higher than the UK average.

Studies have found Alimta can extend survival by three months and reduce pain and coughing to give sufferers a better quality of life.

Clydeside Asbestos Group was among those campaigning for Alimta to be offered to mesothelioma sufferers, regardless of the Nice ruling.

Medical experts also backed the campaign, arguing it would have been wrong for a decision taken in England to affect Scots cancer sufferers.

In a letter to The Herald, Professor Andrew Watterson, head of occupational and environmental health at Stirling University, and Tommy Gorman, who has also researched the illness, said: "To deny access to a drug which can extend life and greatly reduce the worst features of the disease is inhumane."

Dr Mick Peake, a consultant physician and vice chairman of Mesothelioma UK, said he was "delighted" by the news.

"This is absolutely excellent news for all those patients suffering from this dreadful disease," he said. "Whilst pemetrexed is not the entire answer to the problem of mesothelioma, it can significantly improve symptoms and prolong life in suitable patients."

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from : http://www.theherald.co.uk