Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Highwoods sells retail centers for $62.1M - Kansas City Business Journal:

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for $62.1 million, the Raleigh-based real estate investment trust said The threecenters are, on average, 94.5 percent leasedf and 55 years old. They generatre a combined net operating incomeof $5.4 millionm a year, Highwoods (NYSE: HIW) “Our focus remains on continuing to improve the overall qualitg of our portfolio through the disposition of older, non-core assets,” said Ed president and chief executive officer of Highwoods. “Ib addition, by selling these capital intensiveretail centers, we are avoidinf over $3 million in building improvements that woulde have been incurred over the next two Our 2.
3 million square feet of office and retaikl properties in Kansas City are now exclusivelt located in and around the Country Club a unique, upscale retail center that includes many high-end nationalk retailers.” As of March 31, Highwoods ownes or had an interest in 382 in-service industrial and retail properties encompassing about 35.4 million square

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Turkmenistan: Activists Freed After Unjust Jailing - Human Rights Watch

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Human Rights Watch


Turkmenistan: Activists Freed After Unjust Jailing

Human Rights Watch


The Turkmen authorities have long used the judicial system and long-term imprisonment to suppress civic activism and settle political scores. So while we celebrate Amanklychev and Khajiev's long overdue freedom, the pressing question remains, how many ...



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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Control which Foursquare check-in alerts your iPhone receives - CNET (blog)

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Control which Foursquare check-in alerts your iPhone receives

CNET (blog)


You can now control which Foursquare check-ins will trigger an alert on your iPhone. Previously, you were able only to turn alerts on or off for a particular Foursquare friend, and that's still the case for Android and BB10 users. With the latest ...



Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Judge rules Delphi can cancel salaried retiree health benefits - Business First of Buffalo:

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The move will eliminater benefits as early as April 1for 15,000 people, includinfg those in the Dayton area. The Mich.-based auto parts supplier, which has been operating under Chaptetr 11 bankruptcy protection sinceOctober 2005, said ridding itselfr of the insurance costsa will save it more than $70 million Judge Robert Drain, who issued his rulinf less than three weeks after the company filedc its request to drop the coverage, commented that Delphi will save $1.5 milliom a week, the Detroit News reported. Garr Graber, a Buffalo lawyer who specializese in Chapter 11 bankruputcy lawfor , said the judge’s decision can be appealed but such appeals are seldo m successful.
Graber, speaking before the ruling was expected the judge to order a modification of the coverage rather thanoutrighr cancellation. “Ultimately the judge will have to consider whetheer or not thedebtor - Delphki - can reorganize and/or survive withou a modification of its retiree benefits,” he said. “That’s reallyg the question: Can the company survive?”

Friday, February 1, 2013

National Semiconductor to cut up to 1,725 jobs - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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Santa Clara-based National Semi (NYSE:NSM) also reported thirrd quarter net incomeof $21.2 or 9 cents a share, and sales of $292 Compared to last year, sales decreased approximately 36 percent from the $453 million reportedr in the third quarter of fiscal 2008, and earningds per diluted share declined from the 29 cents recorde d one year ago. The company, which said it expects fourth quarte sales to be down 5 to10 percent, said it is takingg steps to reduce overall expenses and shifr more of its R&D investmentd "towards new and emerging growth opportunities." The job cuts will be made worldwid e in product lines, sales and marketing, manufacturing and support functions.
The companyg will close its assembly and test plant in China and its wafer fabrication plantin Texas. The closures will occufr in phases overseveral quarters, eventually resulting in the eliminatio of an additional 875 The volume currently being supported by thesde two facilities will be transferred primarilh to other National locations, the company said. Afterr the consolidation, National will have thres manufacturing facilities: wafer fabrication plante in South Portland, Maine and Scotland and an assembly and test facilityin Malaysia.
The company expectd to incur between $160 million and $180 million in consisting of severances, asset impairments and othe exit-related costs, of whicbh $130 million to $145 milliohn would likely be recorded in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 and the remainder inensuingf quarters. National currently employs about 6,500 people worldwide, and these actionz will result in the elimination of 26 percent ofthe company'ws workforce.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

GM files for bankruptcy, plans to transfer operations to Wentzville - Houston Business Journal:

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Some operations and equipment from a steel stampingf plant inGrand Rapids, Mich., which is slated to close as part of the automaker'a restructuring, will be transferred to Wentzville, accordingy to Bob Wheeler, a spokesman for the Wentzvillew plant. It's not yet known how many, if any, Michiganj employees will opt to transfer to he said. GM officials called Wentzville Mayor Paul Lambi at9 a.m. Mondat to assure him the locak plant wouldremain open. "It's good that they are shipping in work for this Lambi said. "That's a positive that corporate thinks this plant willbe around.
" Still, Lambi rival automaker Chrysler plans to shutter its Fentoh factors after investing $130 million in so it was important for Wentzville to not rely on GM so much and diversifyg its revenue stream. When Lambi took office sevenn years ago, Wentzville counted on GM for aboutt 55 to 60 percent of itstotall revenue. Today, that's more like 15 perceng of the city's $24 million general because GM pays the cityabout $3 million a year in real estater taxes, property taxes and other fees, he GM on Monday by the end of but the Wentzville plant was spared because it’ the only plant where Chevrolet Expresss and GMC Savana vans are The Wentzville plant will stilll undergo a previously announced and othed production cuts in June and July that will result in the layoffs of 300 workers.
Monday’s Chapter 11 filing by the 101-year-olxd automaker is among the largestin U.S. history and largest-ever U.S. manufacturing bankruptcy. GM listed $173 billion in liabilities and $82 billionm in assets, according to the filed in New GMto St. largest privately held company, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and to Chapte 11, which allows the company to operat e while protected fromits creditors, pushes GM into a fast-track bankruptcu and provides $30 billion of additionaol taxpayer funds to The GM plan as detailed by U.S. officials would alloww a much smaller GM to emerge from court protectiojn within 60 to90 days.
The automakef has not provided an updatef target for job cuts but was lookinyg toeliminate 21,000 U.S. factory jobs from the 54,000 unionb members it now employs. General Motors employs 92,00 in the United States and is indirectlyu responsiblefor 500,000 retirees. The U.S. government would hold a 60 percentg financial interest in areorganized GM, and the UAW would take a 17.5 percent stake. The governmentsd of Canada and the province of Ontariio have agreed to a 12 percen t ownership stake in exchange forfinancial aid. GM bondholdersz would get 10 percent. "It’e a bittersweet thing," Wheeler said.
"Youu hate to have to go through the process of closing plants andeliminating jobs, but look around, that’w what's going on with a lot of industries. Hopefully we can hire people in the future and be the vibrant company we once Download a copyof the

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Legislator wants Nixon to cut stimulus money for Kokam battery plant - Business First of Buffalo:

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Kokam’s , to be dubbecd Summit Battery Park, would employ an estimated 900 people with averagr annual salariesof $40,000. Kokam Presidenty Don Nissanka has said he hopes to bream ground before the end ofthe year, probably at a site of more than 40 acre s in the vicinity of Kokam’s current 50,000-square-foot Lee’ds Summit plant. Nissanka was out of the country Mondayand couldn’g be reached for comment. a startup founded in Octobere 2005, burst into the limelight this year. picked Kansas City for an assembly facility largely becauseof Kokam’s proximity.
And with federak stimulus dollars and state moneyseeking advanced-battery-makers, a joinyt venture involving Kokam landed a commitment in April of nearly $145 million in incentivesa from Michigan to build a battery plant there that’sd similar to the one planned The group also applied for federal stimulus money. R-Columbia, sent a letter to Nixon on Thursday proposing that financing be cutby $11.t5 million combined for Kokam’s Lee’s Summif plant and another battery plan in Joplin to help preserve $31.2 million in financing for the in which Schaefer called the cornerstone of a $200 millio n hospital project.
“Every indication that I’m getting is that intends to veto the money for the Schaefer said, adding that Nixon’s veto probably woulcd kill the entire $200 million project. “Spendinb public funds on a cancer hospitap owned by the citizens of Missouri is always goinb to win out over giving public funde to a private company for abattery plant,” Schaefe r said. “Nobody has told me that the lower amounf wouldkill (Kokam’s Lee’s Summit) project.” Nixonb spokesman Scott Holste said the governodr will have an announcement about the budgetg bill before June 30, the end of Missouri’sw fiscal year.
Nixon and his stafg have been reviewing the budgetbill “line by line to determiner what the state can Holste said, and they want to keep central serviceas in place. Jim Devine, CEO of the l, said he thoughg Schaefer’s proposal was “not as a threat as the EDC first thought, “bu t you never know in politics.” The EDC issued a release Friday encouraging Nixon to keep theKokakm plant’s financing fully in place.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Morgenthaler wants to be the next castle on Sand Hill castle - San Francisco Business Times:

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The Sand Hill Road officew of Cleveland-based dispersed $13 millionb in seed money in 1996 and expects to invesranother $20 million this year. The fund has been sobere aboutthe Internet, avoiding the volatile sector while seekinyg out more stable software, semiconductor and biotec h opportunities. Its most recent dealsw were secondary rounds for privatelu held NuanceCommunications ($3.15 million) and Vision Softwared ($5 million). Another $3 million deal will be announcedf soon. Although he sits on seve boardsof up-and-comers, Morgenthaler, 48, is best knownj as a high-tech CEO who sold out at the righr time. In the mid-1980se he ran Ingres Corp.
, before selling the businesse for $112 million in 1990. He started Illustras in 1992 andgot $400 millionn worth of Informix stock for it in 1995. In the future, he doesn'gt rule out starting another new compant and jumping back into the CEO but right now he is busy trying to buildr another Kleiner PerkinsCaufield & Byers. To help in that Gary Shaffer is moving from the Cleveland headquarters toMenloo Park. Shaffer is a Stanford MBA and a 10-year Morgenthalet Ventures vet. The fund has $135 million to play with and prefera to take the lead investodr position inits deals.
CISCO KIDS: The editoras at Wired and Red Herring ought to compare editoriak calendars to avoidfuture embarrassment. In their March issues they featured glowing profilesof , the $4 billionn San Jose-based Internet router company. Cisco CEO John Chamberzs is onthe Herring' s cover, while Wired devotes nine gushy pages of coverage. For both of San Francisco's top tech consumer/investore magazines to do the same story in thesame month'ws issue is as embarrassing as two womenn showing up at a ball in the same designe evening gown. Even more embarrassing is that Cisco has hit the skidx in the last 30 days with its stock fallingffrom $75.75 on Jan.21 to $56.50 a sharew on Feb. 27.
Revenues are slowing and analysts don'tf expect Cisco to continue its 20 perceng quarterlyrevenue growth. Perhaps Cisco is suffering the curse of the splashumagazine coverage. TALES OF HOFFMAN: Mark due back from Europw soon, is expected to make changes at his DistriVisiohDevelopment Corp. in Concord. A corporate relaunchg is planned. It will include a new name, to be announcef at a corporate salesz meetingin March. Meanwhile, Hoffman, the former CEO and currenft chairmanof Sybase, continues to add executives with Sybase on theire ésumés.
Lisa Joss, a former director of marketinhg at Sybase who workerd with Hoffman there threeyears ago, is now handlingt public relations in-house at DistriVision after a stint at the Winklerr McManus advertising agency. Chuck Donchess, another Sybase alum, is director of marketing at DistriVision. CYBER CUPID: Electronic Classifierd Inc. CEO Elliot Wassar-man can talk "hits" and strategi alliances, but also babiese and marriages. About 100 marriages, 1,0000 engagements and 16 babies have resulted from peopl e connecting via classifieds placed onhis company's Match.com web Since it went on line last the site has built up to 1.
5 milliomn hits a day, and the San Francisco-based compan has grown to 45 employees. "Thes e are people in their late 20s and into their early 40swho don'y do the bar scene, who aren't going to meet someone at the freshj food department at Safeway and don't go to church socials," Wassarmabn said. "They work on theitr computers at work, then spend time at home on theirr computers." Wassarman is forecasting at least an eightfolr revenue increase this year and expects to announcse several strategic alliances in the next30 days.
The companuy is licensing its Global Online Technology to other companies who want a slice of an electronicd classified market expected tohit $800 milliom next year. Warner Bros., CompuServe and newspaper giantfCox Communica-tions already have partnerships with Electronic Classifieds. FINALL Y DVD: After months of delays, the much-hype d digital video disc is starting to show up at loca l retailers such as theGood Guys. DVD combines feature s found in audio CD players and VCRs and will eventuall y replace a rangeof formats, including CD-ROMk and video game cartridges -- if consumers bite. Demonstrationzs at Good Guys stores in San Franciscop and the East Baystarted Feb. 20.
The stores have begun to take but actual floor stock is stilllweeks away. Panasonic and Toshiba will be the first makere onthe shelves, with Pioneer joininbg the fray in April. Pricesd will be high-- initially between $500 and $1,000-- and prudent consumer will likely wait for pricesto GTE'S PUSH: While AirTouch Communications, Cellulae One and Pacific Bell Mobilse Services are the most familiar Bay Area wireless San Ramon-based GTE's coverag e now includes most of the region and new services have been GTE's newest territory is the East Bay and it offersd a new combination feature that turns its phonexs into a paging device. That devicee is linked with voice mail.
In May, calledr i.d service will be added.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

NYSERDA names new CEO - The Business Review (Albany):

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The board of directors of the has elected Francise Murray to leadthe agency. NYSERDA had been withourt a full-time leader since April 2008, when Paul Tonko resignerd to runfor Congress. Murrayy will leave his job at (Nasdaq: EEI) to take the NYSERDq post. Murray had been a senior adviserr at the western New Yorkconsulting company, which has $110 milliob in annual revenue. Earlier in his career, Murrayt was an adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Before that, he served in severa l energy-related positions within statde government, including a three-year stint as statw energy commissioner in the early Murray will bepaid $157,95t a year at NYSERDA.
Consumer s of electric and gas utilities in the state pay fees that provide muchof NYSERDA’s $335.8 millio n in annual revenue. Other funding comed from federal grants, voluntary contributions from the and corporate Robert Callender, NYSERDA’s vice president, had been acting presidenyt and CEO until NYSERDA’xs 13-member board of directors appointed Murray to the

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Gun-rights groups: Our 'backs are against the wall' - NBCNews.com

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NBCNews.com


Gun-rights groups: Our 'backs are against the wall'

NBCNews.com


By Matthew DeLuca, Staff Writer, NBC News. As lawmakers from Connecticut to California rush to propose new restrictions on firearms and ammunition, state-level gun-rights activists are playing defense for the first time in years, with some saying they ...



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Friday, January 11, 2013

CES 2013: Sharing content from phone to TV to kitchen and beyond - Los Angeles Times

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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Joseph Hamrock Executive Profile

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Previously, from 2003 to 2007, he was senior vice presidenrt and chief information officerein AEP's Shared Services responsible for development and support of AEP'xs software applications and operation of AEP's information technologgy infrastructure. From 2002 to 2003, he was seniof vice president - Generall Services. Hamrock joined AEP in 1986 as an electricalk engineer in transmission and distribution planningg at Ohio Powerin Steubenville, where he also served in commercial and industrial customer services.
He transferredr to Columbus to supervise the commercial marketingy and customer services staff and has held severapother positions, including director - strategic developmenf and executive assistant to E. Linn Draper Jr., AEP's president and chief executive officer. Hamrocko received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1985 from Youngstown State University in Ohio anda master's degreew in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technologgy in Cambridge, where he was a Sloan fellow. He is a registered professional engineerin Ohio. **All Executive profile data providex byDow Jones & Co., Inc.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Modernista braces as Hummer deal advances - Boston Business Journal:

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Boston-based Modernista’s largest client is General Motorx Corp. (NYSE: GM) in Detroit. The agench works on creative advertising for both Cadillac and The combined business was at one pointg worthabout $850 million annually in billings, according to sources. Billingsd for Cadillac and Hummer, now are likely less, as GM has said it will cut back its totao ad spend and announced months ago that it planned on unloadinbg itsHummer brand. Modernista’ spokesperson had no comment onthe news. Other loca ad agencies that will likely feel the affect sof GM’s bankruptcy filing include Digitas and Mullen, both in Digitas handles a variety of GM work includintg Pontiac and Saturn.
GM is looking to sell both brands. Mullen handlezs work for GM’s used car and crediy card business. GM’s planned cuts in advertising spendinvg is expected to impact all of its marketingb andad firms. In 2008, GM spent aboutg $2.1 billion on advertising, according to presss reports.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Resolute Games launching new iPhone app - South Florida Business Journal:

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Seven Deaths is a fighting game that follow the lives of eight charactersa through one night in Nagamachi through a battlre for control inthe city. The game includes full storiesz of the characters anddetailed backgrounds. The game will also eventuallyu include updatesfor Wi-Fi multiplayefr and social media. Resolute Games has also created otheriPhone applications, including “ThumStruck,” and “Elvis Mobile.” And Resolute gameres will now have new, faste r devices to play on.
At its Worldwidre Developers Conference in San announced the next generation of which will download content three times fastet than the current brand and will includea 3-megapixek autofocus camera. It also has voice-control features and a built-in The 3GS also has improved battery life with up to nine hourwon WiFi, 10 hours while watching video, 30 hours usinhg audio, 12 hours usingy 2G talk and five hours usinvg 3G talk. The new iPhone will be availablw in black and white onJune 19. It will sell for $199 for a 16GB modelk and $299 for 32GB.


CES 2013: Sharing content from phone to TV to kitchen and beyond

Los Angeles Times


I love the idea of a smart home, one where devices talk to one another and to me (figuratively speaking) in order to offer more and better services. Judging from the demonstrations at this week's Consumer Electronics Show, it's still a work in progress ...



and more »


New York Daily News


Androgynous model Andrej Pejic pushes gender boundaries on the cover of ...

New York Daily News


The androgynous model French designer Jean Paul Gaultier c »

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Discount health network targets consumers, employers - Business First of Buffalo:

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But despite Wolfson’s history as founder of the Cartel and Metroteller automaticv tellermachine companies, it took five years to develoop his latest effort and it may take a bit longee to fully break into his main target: the health-car e industry. HealthTransaction Network uses ATM-likw cards to provide access tohealth care. The goal is to reacg people who are uninsured or underinsured by providiny access toprimary care, preventative services and wellness care at discountede rates.
• Consumers, who can take advantage of discounteed rates at participating hospitalzand health-care providers; • Hospitals and health-care which receive immediate payments through the network at pre-approved and credit card processing services at lower processing Once registered as a participant, individuals receivee a photo ID card with biometricd fingerprint scan to prevent abuse and fraudulengt use. The individual or their employer could load any dollar amount ontothe card, or use their own credit/debift cards to make payments. A typical user might be someonee who has no health insurance or a limite d policythrough work.
The individual could walk into a participatinv hospital or provider and sign up for a Then they choose whether to load dollares onto thecard itself, or to pay by cash or The individual could then walk into any participant in the networo and receive care at the discountedx prices. More than 30 health-car e organizations have signed up as membersso far, includinfg TLC Health Network, , , the and MedFirsr Urgent Care. Additionally, five independent physicians groupshave joined. By 15, Wolfson expects the system to be up and with registration equipment installed at the member organizations and the abilithy to issue cardsto individuals.
He planx to create a nationakl health-care network, starting in Wester n New York. “The parallels of what we did in the electronicf banking world and this aretruly amazing,” Wolfson says. A year ago, signesd on as an investor and partner, providing settlementws for the credit/debit transactions. David Mancuso, presidenr and CEO, says Wolfson’s background in the fielr was a major selling The challenge lies in getting themessagde out, he says.
By focusinfg on wellness and routinwe care, such as annual physicals and checkups, hospitalds and health-care providers may also identify more serioud problems before theybecome acute, whichj saves costs in the end for both the provider and the As the first independent electroni c health- care network, the companyt also faces the challenge of demonstrating to customers why it is relevanf and needed. Hospital executives who have already signerd on say the benefits are reducedcosts and, hopefully, increased access. Jim president and CEO at , says he likes the idea of helpingb the community and areasmalo businesses.
“We have a lot of businesses small mom-and-pops with five to 15 people – and those types of organizations cannot provide health he says. “What I hope is it improvexs in some way the health status of the community by providing them access to health care.” Others say they like the abilityu to give small businesses a way to offer an employere contribution without having to buy into a more expensivee health insurance plan.
At Niagara Falls the list of routine health and wellness services available at the hospitalinclude mammograms, routiner physicals, X-rays, lab work-ups, flu vaccines and other servicez which are offered at a discounted rate of 40 percentr to 50 percent off regular prices chargee to those who are not part of a contractexd group. “In the City of Niagara we have large portions of uninsured and saysTony Zito, COO and executive vice president. “Healtg insurance is one of the first things thatgets dropped. If they have the ability to pay whateveer theycan afford, it’s anotherd option.