SIMSBURY, Conn.  (Profitable.com)  With persistently high unemployment, a sluggish housing market and a slow-growth economy, the Great Recession has had a negative impact on many people’s finances. One unexpected bright spot has emerged, though, as more Americans say they are now focusing more on saving for retirement.

Consumers, especially women, are paying much greater attention to the savings within their employer-sponsored retirement plans, with nearly half saying retirement benefits are more important now than before the start of the recession, according to new research by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG).

The Hartford’s Retirement & Recession Study, conducted earlier this year, found a sharp, upward spike in the levels of understanding and participation in defined contribution retirement plans such as 401(k)s. Overall, 76 percent of respondents said they “completely” or “mostly” understood their retirement benefits in 2010 compared to 65 percent in 2009.

The biggest increase in the understanding of retirement benefits came from women, with 69 percent saying they completely or mostly understood their retirement benefits compared to 56 percent last year. Men’s understanding improved to 83 percent from 75 percent a year ago.

“Greater awareness of the importance of retirement savings is one of the few positive outcomes of the Great Recession,” said Sharon Ritchey, executive vice president and director of The Hartford’s Retirement Plans Group. “We’ve known for a long time that consumers need to save more for retirement and pay closer attention to their retirement savings. With economic issues staring us in the face every day, it appears that consumers are, at least for now, focusing more on preparing for retirement.

“It’s also welcome news that women are demonstrating greater understanding of the importance of retirement savings,” Ritchey said. “Unfortunately, fewer women say they have a solid grasp of their retirement plans than men.”

The Hartford’s study showed that consumers value their retirement plans more now than at the start of the Great Recession. Nearly half – 43 percent – said they now view their retirement plan as more important and 49 percent said they view it as just as important as before the economic crisis.

In another positive sign, consumers are more likely to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan today than they were a year ago. The percentage of those saving in a 401(k) or other defined contribution plan when offered by their employer rose to 84 percent in 2010 from 80 percent in 2009. Again, women showed the biggest jump, with 70 percent participating in 2010 compared to 61 percent in 2009. Men’s participation rate jumped to 71 percent, up five points from last year.

“The greater rate of participation in retirement plans, especially on behalf of women, is a real encouraging sign,” Ritchey said. “Compared to men, women have higher hurdles to reach a comfortable retirement. Women tend to earn less, be away from their jobs more often because of disabilities, pregnancies and family issues, and often invest less aggressively. On top of that, women tend to live longer than men and therefore need to rely on their retirement savings for more years.”

Ritchey said she encourages women to start saving for retirement as soon as possible and keep saving continuously throughout their working years. Women should find a financial advisor that they trust and work with him or her to create a long-term financial plan that includes a well-diversified retirement portfolio. The plan should include longer-term investments such as equities to help women not only reach retirement but live comfortably for many years thereafter, she said.

The Great Recession, although declared over by government economists, made it more difficult for many people to save and invest for retirement, according to The Hartford’s study.

One in five consumers (22 percent) said poor economic conditions forced them to reduce or eliminate contributions to their retirement plan. Women were twice as likely to have been affected (22 percent in 2010 vs. 11 percent in 2009) and men felt some pain as well (21 percent in 2010 vs. 15 percent in 2009).

Matching contributions from employers were reduced or eliminated for one in five consumers in 2010 (20 percent), an increase from 2009 (16 percent). Women saw a bigger impact year-over-year, with contributions being altered for 19 percent in 2010 compared with 14 percent in 2009. The impact on men was fairly stable with contributions changing for 21 percent in 2010 compared to 19 percent in 2009.

“When struggling with day-to-day economic issues, it can be difficult for many people to continue their focus on long-term financial issues such as retirement,” Ritchey said. “But many women may spend 20, 30 or even 40 years in retirement. It takes financial discipline and sometimes sacrifices to prepare financially, so stick to your retirement strategy no matter what the obstacles. Your quality of life in retirement will depend upon it.”

The Hartford’s study was conducted online this spring by Zeldis Research, polling 1,000 adults ages 18-65. The study had a margin of error of less than 3 percent.

About The Hartford

Celebrating 200 years of helping its customers achieve what’s ahead, The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is an insurance and wealth management company. Through its unique focus on customer needs, the company serves businesses and consumers by providing the products and solutions they need to protect their assets and income from risks and manage their wealth and retirement needs. A Fortune 100 company, The Hartford is recognized widely for its service expertise and as one of the world’s most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.

HIG-W

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

“Tales of Wasteland” Disney Digicomics – Based on Highly Anticipated Disney Epic Mickey Video Game – Bring Comics to the Digital Age

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.  (Profitable.com)  Disney Publishing Worldwide announced today its Disney Epic Mickey App for viewing Disney Digicomics is now available for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch on the App store. The first Disney Digicomic available in the app is “Tales of Wasteland”, which comprise 6 eight-page short comic stories that take place in Wasteland, an alternate world made up of Disney’s forgotten creative efforts. Users get a preview of Wasteland and feature characters from the upcoming Disney Epic Mickey video game, including Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first cartoon star.

The Disney Epic Mickey App expands Disney Publishing’s growing library of originally created apps for iOS and marks the first Disney comic content developed specifically for digital release.

“Disney Publishing’s launch of this Digicomics app extends the storytelling experience of Disney Epic Mickey,” said Russell Hampton, president, Disney Publishing Worldwide. “We are proud to continue delivering the very best reading experiences to families around the world across all formats.”

Disney Epic Mickey App Highlights:

• Enjoy the Disney Digicomics on a double spread when using iPad
• Readers can choose between a guided reading experience in the landscape view or a portrait view that lets users flip and pan through the comics.
• Readers can view a map to discover more details about Wasteland and can read character bios
• The Disney Epic Mickey video game trailer is featured in the Digicomics
• The Disney Epic Mickey Digicomics App will be updated later this fall with new content, including a graphic novel and six motion comics.

Disney Epic Mickey is available from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. The first comic story, “Tales of Wasteland” is free and the additional five may be bought as a bundle for $2.99.

About Disney Epic Mickey

Disney Epic Mickey is an action-adventure platforming game for the Wii™ console that sends Mickey Mouse on an epic journey of creativity and discovery. As Mickey, the player is propelled into Wasteland, an alternate world made up of Disney’s forgotten creative efforts. While there, the player is given the power to wield paint and paint thinner to dynamically change the world while determining Mickey’s path to becoming an epic hero.

Through the use of this unique paint and paint thinner game mechanic, the key components of animation and Mickey’s tools for impacting his world, players will have the ability to shape how the story unfolds as they discover the concept of “Playstyle Matters” – an innovative style of gameplay created by Disney Interactive Studios’ Junction Point, led by industry luminary Warren Spector. This unique style of gameplay encourages players to creatively tackle different challenges in the world by exploring all the possibilities and storylines – but with consequences for their chosen actions.

Disney Epic Mickey will be available this holiday season exclusively for the Wii console.

About Disney Interactive Studios

Disney Interactive Studios, part of Disney Interactive Media Group, is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). Disney Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with other interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive Studios is based in Glendale, California, and has internal development studios around the world. For more information, log on to http://www.disneyinteractivestudios.com.

About Disney Publishing Worldwide

Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world’s largest publisher of children’s books and magazines, with over 250 million children’s books and over 400 million children’s magazines sold each year. Disney Publishing Worldwide includes the vertically integrated publishing imprints Disney Book Group in the U.S., Disney Libri in Italy and Libros Disney in Spain as well as an extensive worldwide licensing structure. DPW also publishes a range of children’s magazines globally including Topolino, Le Journal de Mickey and Donald Duck as well as family titles in the U.S. including Disney FamilyFun. Disney English is DPW’s English language learning business, including Disney English centers in China and a worldwide retail licensing program. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, Disney Publishing Worldwide publishes books and magazines in 85 languages in 75 countries.

Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo.

Contact:
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Jennifer Levine, 914-288-4222
Jennifer.Levine@disney.com

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  (Profitable.com)  TextMyFood, LLC, is pleased to announce successful tests of its new service at Boston-area restaurants, Grand Canal and Charlie’s Kitchen. The TextMyFood system provides an enhanced restaurant experience for guests and helps restaurants grow their revenue.

There are now over 2.4 billion active text messaging users[1], many of whom are young professionals. TextMyFood caters directly to this group by enabling them to send quick requests to their server when their server is out of view. The requests are displayed for the server on a touch screen provided by TextMyFood.

According to Kevin Tinsley, general manager of Grand Canal, “The system has not only created a positive buzz at our restaurant, but our revenue has gone up noticeably since we installed it. The system has especially appealed to our younger guests. They have been ordering more second drinks, apps, and even desserts since it has been installed.”

“Text messaging is such an integral part of the lives of young professions today, that TextMyFood simply provides a natural extension for making quick requests for service,” said Bob Nilsson, president of TextMyFood. “Even where service is at its best, it is simply not possible for servers to be in view of their guests 100% of the time.”

The system has also come to the attention of several Boston Yelp users. One elite user called it “genius” and another posted that it “is really cool you can text your waitress from the table.”

Based on the testing, the system is shown to be best suited for restaurants with at least 100 seats. Regarding return on investment, the tested showed that the service can pay for itself in additional revenue during the first week of the month.

About TextMyFood, LLC

TextMyFood of Cambridge, MA, is in the business of improving the restaurant guest experience through emerging communication technologies. With the TextMyFood service, guests can make short requests for additional drinks, appetizers, desserts, the check, and other items, if their server is out of view. Guests simply send a text message from their cell phone to the system’s touch-screen display station. By making it easier and even fun to order that second round and additional appetizers, guests order more at the restaurants where the system is in use. The system can also send out restaurant promotional messages to guests who have opted in to receive them. For more information visit www.TextMyFood.com.

Contact: pr@textmyfood.com
(617) 444-9998

[1] Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.  (Profitable.com)  Verizon Wireless works very hard to simplify the wireless experience for customers and to ensure that customer bills are accurate. Nonetheless, internal billing processes can be complex and, in this case, we made inadvertent billing mistakes. We accept responsibility for those errors, and apologize to our customers who received accidental data charges on their bills.

We are issuing credits and refunds on our own initiative and because it is the right thing to do for our customers. Fixing this for our customers has been our aim since last year, as we stated publicly at that time. In September 2009, months before the Federal Communications Commission first contacted us, we implemented a free 50 kilobyte allowance to limit further inadvertent charges.

In a settlement with the FCC, we have agreed to a voluntary payment of $25 million to the U.S. Treasury even though the inaccurate billing was inadvertent.

The settlement acknowledges our prior announcement that we will reimburse about 15 million current and former customers who may have been mistakenly billed. The company will spend $52.8 million to reimburse those customers. We also will provide targeted information about data usage and tracking to new and existing customers, in both English and Spanish; establish a special internal team to track, identify and address customer data usage complaints; and provide additional training on data charge and credit issues to all of our customer-facing customer care employees.

We have already begun the process of repaying the 15 million customers for accidental past data charges that we discovered through our own investigation in response to customer inquiries. These inadvertent charges affect those customers who do not have data plans and choose to pay for data usage on a per megabyte basis. We are notifying eligible current and former customers that we are applying credits to their accounts or sending refunds in October and November. Current customers will be notified in upcoming bills; former customers will receive a letter and refund check in the mail. In most cases, these credits and refunds are in the $2 to $6 range; some will receive larger amounts. The rest of our customers, 77 million or roughly five out of six, are unaffected. We have taken steps to ensure this does not happen in the future.

By far the single largest problem, involving the vast majority of credits, was caused by a very small data “acknowledgment” session sent by software pre-loaded on certain phones. For customers who did not have data plans and who were not otherwise using data features on their devices, this triggered a “pay as you go” charge of $1.99. We never intended to charge customers for this “acknowledgment” data session. In other cases, we accidentally charged customers for access to website links that were not supposed to trigger data charges. Once again, this affected only some of the customers who did not have data plans, and who were not otherwise intentionally using the data features on their devices.

We have put in place additional improvements to resolve issues that caused these accidental charges. We are changing software on future devices to remove acknowledgments and prevent them from triggering the small data “acknowledgment” sessions. Other steps involve enhancing internal controls on website links that should be free to access, as well as additional software improvements.

We are a company that listens to its customers and in this case we got to the bottom of a problem and resolved the errors. We have taken this action because it is the right thing to do. We value our customers and their trust in us, and we do everything in our power every day to earn and keep that trust.

DALLAS  (Profitable.com)  Making it easier for consumers to take a “green step” at home, Kimberly-Clark today announced the introduction of the first toilet paper in the U.S. without the cardboard tube for use at home – Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue. This innovative product eliminates the cardboard tube that has been the central fixture of rolled toilet paper for more than 100 years – a simple step with major potential to eliminate millions of pounds of material from the waste stream. Scotts Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue is currently being tested exclusively at select Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the northeast U.S.

“The Scott brand was the first to put bath tissue on a cardboard tube – and is now the first brand to eliminate the tube,” said Doug Daniels, brand manager of strategy and innovation for the Scott brand. “Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue performs as well as traditional rolled toilet paper – while reducing material in the waste stream.”

U.S. households use an estimated 17 billion bath tissue tubes annually, equivalent to 160 million pounds of waste – equal to the weight of more than 250 Boeing 747 airliners. The cardboard tubes can be recycled – but often are not. In fact, in a survey by Scott Naturals brand of about 1,000 participants, over 85 percent said that they throw it out with the trash most often.

“By eliminating the tube, we are making it easy for consumers to help tangibly improve the environment, without compromising on product quality or performance,” said Daniels. “We know that it all adds up, and we’re helping our consumers make a positive impact.”

Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue is easily placed on a regular tissue spindle and dispenses the same way as the traditional product. There is no change to the user’s normal routine. The product will be priced the same as current Scott Naturals bath tissue with the tube.

This newest innovation from the Scott brand builds on the successful 2009 introduction of the entire Scott Naturals family of bath tissue, towels, flushable moist wipes and napkins – delivering the performance, quality and value consumers demand while providing meaningful environmental benefits—that’s Green Done Right.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Walmart and Sam’s Club on the market test of Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue,” said Daniels. “The introduction of the first tube-free bath tissue for the home is a green step forward that exemplifies K-C’s commitment to sustainability and to developing products that meet the of today’s environmentally conscious consumers.”

“At Walmart, we know innovation that results in a more sustainable product will ultimately help save our customers money and reduce their impact on the environment,” said Al Dominguez, Walmart vice president of household chemicals and paper goods. “The Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue is another example of an item that helps Walmart move closer to its goal of selling products that sustain people and the environment.”

“We are pleased we could work with the Kimberly-Clark team on the development of the new Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue as part of our effort to make the products we offer more environmentally sustainable,” said Jill Turner-Mitchael, senior vice president, Health and Wellness. “At Sam’s Club, we believe in taking simple steps to saving green and look forward to sharing the success of this product with our supplier community to inspire others to think beyond the status quo.”

The Northeast market test of Scott Naturals Tube-Free bath tissue will be supported with a comprehensive marketing campaign including TV advertising, a partnership with MeetUp.com, FSIs, direct mail, in-store marketing and product demonstrations.

Study Methodology

The data referenced above is based on a telephone survey commissioned by Scott Naturals. The CARAVAN® Survey was conducted during the period of July 15-18, 2010 of 1,006 adults comprising of 502 men and 504 women 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States. The margin of error on the total sample is approximately +/- three percent.

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people – nearly a quarter of the world’s population – trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company’s 138-year history of innovation, visit www.Kimberly-Clark.com.

DETROIT  (Profitable.com)  General Motors Company today announced a series of actions to further reduce financial leverage.

“These actions will bring down our leverage by $11 billion by reducing debt and improving our pension funding position,” said Chris Liddell, GM vice chairman and chief financial officer.

GM has implemented the following capital structure actions:

• Repayment of $2.8 billion outstanding on the 9 percent secured note provided to the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust. The company will record a $0.2 billion non-cash gain in the fourth quarter of 2010 related to this early extinguishment of debt.  
• Completion of a $5 billion, five-year revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks, which provides an additional source of backup liquidity.  The facility is expected to remain generally undrawn.

GM expects to implement the following capital actions, conditional upon completion of GM’s public offering:

• Purchase of the $2.1 billion of 9 percent Series A Preferred Stock held by the United States Department of the Treasury at a price equal to 102 percent of the $2.1 billion liquidation amount. The company will record a $0.7 billion charge to net income attributable to common stockholders for the difference between the purchase price and the recorded value of the Series A Preferred Stock.  
• A contribution of at least $4 billion in cash and $2 billion in GM common stock to GM’s U.S. hourly and salaried pension plans. The stock contribution is contingent upon Department of Labor review and the number of shares contributed would be determined based on the public offering price for GM’s common stock.  The stock contribution will be valued as a plan asset for pension funding purposes at the time of contribution and for balance sheet purposes when the shares become fully transferable.

In addition to the above actions, and subject to completion of the public offering, GM expects to terminate a wholesale advance agreement which provides for accelerated receipt of payments made by a financial institution on behalf of GM’s U.S. dealers pursuant to wholesale financing arrangements.  Under such arrangements, GM’s U.S. dealers borrow from financial institutions to fund their inventory of vehicles purchased from GM.  Similar modifications will be made in Canada.

The wholesale advance agreements cover the period for which vehicles are in transit between assembly plants and dealerships. Upon termination, GM will no longer receive payments for vehicles purchased by the dealers in advance of the scheduled delivery date.  This action will result in an estimated $2 billion increase to GM’s accounts receivable balance, on average depending on sales volumes and certain other factors in the near term, and the related costs under the arrangements will be eliminated.

“Completion of these actions will enable us to reduce net interest cost and preferred dividends by $0.5 billion per year,” said Dan Ammann, GM vice president of finance and treasurer.  ”As importantly, we will have approximately $24 billion of total liquidity as of June 30, 2010 pro forma for these actions, our AmeriCredit acquisition, and excluding any public offering proceeds.”

Forward-Looking Statements

In this press release and in related comments by our management, our use of the words “expect,” “anticipate,” “possible,” “potential,” “target,” “believe,” “commit,” “intend,” “continue,” “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “project,” “projected,” “positioned” or similar expressions is intended to identify forward-looking statements that represent our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any events or financial results, and our actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include:  our ability to realize production efficiencies and to achieve reductions in costs as a result of our restructuring initiatives and labor modifications; our ability to maintain quality control over our vehicles and avoid material vehicle recalls; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and an appropriate level of debt, including as required to fund our planning significant investment in new technology; our ability to realize successful vehicle applications of new technology; and our ability to continue to attract new customers, particularly for our new products.

GM’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q provides information about these and other factors, which we may revise or supplement in future reports to the SEC.

ATLANTA  (Profitable.com)  Next month Porsche begins selling its 2011 Cayenne S Hybrid sport-utility vehicle through its 197 authorized U.S. dealers, giving fuel-efficiency minded consumers who also enjoy performance and handling a clear choice in the hybrid arena.

The Cayenne S Hybrid accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds on its way to a top test track speed of 150 mph, yet it delivers an impressive estimated 21 mpg city/25 highway under current EPA regulations. Its base MSRP is $67,700 (excluding destination), and like all Cayenne models, it is not subject to a gas-guzzler tax.

Like most hybrids the Cayenne S Hybrid can drive for a time on electric power alone at speeds up to 37 mph. However, it delivers efficiencies at cruising speeds through its ability to ‘sail’ or coast with the combustion engine turned off. It can do this for up to one mile, and this not only saves fuel but also minimizes emissions.

In the Cayenne and Panamera model lines the ‘S’ designation indicates a V8 under the hood. But the ‘S’ in the Cayenne S Hybrid name is there for a different reason – to indentify the true performance character of this SUV’s highly sophisticated parallel full hybrid system. With a combined power output of 380 horsepower from the supercharged V6 combustion engine and an electric motor, the Cayenne S Hybrid delivers performance nearly equal to the Cayenne S with its 400-horsepower V8 and fuel economy estimates that exceed those of the Cayenne with the V6 engine.

The all-new Porsche Cayenne has earned some significant awards since going on sale this summer. It is the 2011 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year^® and also recently received the Auto Pacific Motorist Choice Award for Best Premium Active Lifestyle Vehicle.

Hybrid Manager seamlessly coordinates the two power units  

Through continuous interaction between the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 and electric motor, the Cayenne S Hybrid focuses on maximum efficiency. Depending on driving conditions, either drive unit can operate independently or together. The 47-horsepower (34 kW) electric motor is the ideal partner for the 333-horsepower engine, which produces high torque at low engine speeds, with peak torque at 428 lb-ft at just 1,000 rpm.

Both power units are connected by a decoupling clutch, which ensures that the Cayenne S Hybrid may be driven either by the electric motor or the combustion engine alone, or by both drive units together. The Hybrid Manager constantly coordinates their complex interaction, and intelligent management of the clutch makes the transition among various driving modes seamless and comfortable.

Again, what separates the Cayenne S Hybrid from conventional hybrid vehicles is its ability to ‘sail’ or coast when it does not need drive power and the driver lifts off the accelerator at cruising and highway speeds. In this mode the gasoline engine is switched off and disengaged from the drivetrain, enabling the vehicle to move along without combustion or electric power with engine drag forces and their braking effect being eliminated to reduce driving resistance. As soon as the driver presses the accelerator in the sailing mode, to pass another vehicle for example, the gasoline engine smoothly starts within a fraction of a second and engine rpms are increased to match the current vehicle speed. Thanks to the Hybrid Manager, the Cayenne S Hybrid is able to accelerate dynamically in gears at higher speeds much like a conventional Cayenne.

The hybrid system uses a 288-volt nickel metal-hydride (NiMh) battery fitted beneath the luggage compartment and regenerative braking, the process of storing electricity regained from applying the brakes and driving under normal conditions. This energy is then available for boosting and electric drive, again saving fuel in the process.

The North American Cayenne lineup also includes the Cayenne, Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo. They are powered by a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 in the Cayenne, a 400-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 in the Cayenne S, and a 500-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 in the Cayenne Turbo. The Cayenne, Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo SUV models are on sale now, and their base MSRPs (excluding destination charges) are as follows: Cayenne, $46,700; Cayenne S, $63,700; and Cayenne Turbo, $104,800.

About Porsche Cars North America, Inc

A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing.h.c.F.Porsche, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and its 197 dealers offer U.S. customers some of the most technically advanced and high-performance vehicles in the world. Porsche is also synonymous with supreme quality and first-class customer treatment. Also, Porsche is fully and publically committed to being a leader in significantly lowering emissions, and saving fuel.  The company’s guiding credo is “Porsche Intelligent Performance” and the goal is to prove that Porsche’s high performance and efficiency are not contradictory terms. A dramatic example of this is the highly-anticipated 918 Spyder – a super sports car that is also a planned plug-in hybrid. Of course this is nothing new for Porsche, which for 62 years has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations. Obviously, one expects such achievements from the most revered race car brand in the world — one that has accumulated more than 28,000 motorsport victories. Today, PCNA imports the cars that are the product of this great history, including the iconic 911 series, the renowned Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, the high-end Cayenne sport utility vehicles and the four-passenger Panamera Gran Turismo cars.

Follow us: www.twitter.com/Porsche and www.facebook.com/Porsche

NEW YORK  (Profitable.com)  Hess Corporation today announced the newest addition to its celebrated line of toy trucks with a design that promises to fly off shelves: The 2010 Hess Toy Truck and Jet. This marks the first time in the collection’s 46-year history that a jet aircraft has been part of a Hess Toy Truck set.

Packed with fun features and value, the 2010 Hess Toy Truck and Jet takes flight Friday, November 12, at participating Hess and Hess Express retail stores retailing for $25.99 plus tax – Energizer® batteries included.

With more sounds than ever and the first use of motion-activated sound in Hess Toy Truck history, the 2010 Hess Toy Truck and Jet reinforces a long tradition of quality, craftsmanship and imaginative play. Loaded with chrome detailing, the 14-wheeler tractor trailer features a flatbed trailer with hydraulic lift and runway lights that doubles as a launch pad for the accompanying high-powered jet. The toy set’s full lineup of fun features includes:

Truck

• Tilting hydraulic launch ramp
• 42 lights
• 3 light settings with 2 flashing modes (launch ramp countdown sequence, steady and flashing mode)
• 2 Energizer ‘C’ batteries included

Jet

• Retractable landing gear
• 4 motion-activated sounds (climb, dive, left or right bank, and level flight)
• 2 button-activated sounds (engine ignition and take-off)
• 13 lights (including a front spot light and button-activated wing and cargo lights)
• Flashing light mode
• 2 Energizer ‘AA’ batteries included

The Hess Toy Truck has been a holiday tradition since 1964, and is one of the longest running toy brands on the market. As in past years, the truck will be sold exclusively at Hess retail stores in 16 East Coast states, while supplies last. For a complete list of Hess Toy Trucks through the years or to find the nearest Hess location, please visit: www.hesstoytruck.com.  

Hess Corporation, with headquarters in New York, is a global integrated energy company engaged in the exploration, development, production, purchase, transportation and sale of crude oil and natural gas. The corporation also manufactures, purchases, trades and markets refined petroleum and other energy products.

Find us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/hesstoytruck.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.  (Profitable.com)  Dodge today introduced the new Dodge Avenger, totally overhauled for 2011 with an all-new interior, a redesigned exterior and performance attributes that put the “fun” in functional. A new powertrain lineup and completely redesigned and retuned suspension mean drivers will experience Dodge’s fun-to-drive dynamics in a front-wheel-drive mid-size sedan.

The Avenger’s “fun to drive” quotient rises exponentially for 2011 with a significantly upgraded suspension to give drivers agile, confident, handling performance in all driving situations, whether it’s a spirited adventure on twisty roads or an emergency maneuver.

Dodge engineers retuned or redesigned virtually every part of the suspension for 2011, including 26 of 30 suspension bushings. The suspension and the geometry were completely rethought. The track is an inch wider, tire width increased from 215 to 225 millimeters and the vehicle is 12 millimeters lower in the front and 6 millimeters in the rear for a more aggressive stance. Customers will feel more confident when driving the new Avenger because of less body roll, less vehicle shake, improved isolation, better steering precision, response and feel and the increased grip of new premium tires.

A new and improved powertrain lineup also contributes to the 2011 Avenger’s driving experience. The vehicles has a standard 2.4-liter World Gas Engine, which has been recalibrated and is now available mated to a new smooth-shifting six-speed transmission for an exceptionally fun and fuel-efficient driving experience. Avenger customers also can opt for the new Pentastar V-6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that gives customers the best of both worlds – best-in-class 283 horsepower (an increase of 20 percent compared with the engine it replaces) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (an increase of 12 percent) combined with competitive fuel economy.

New exterior styling features clean, smooth aggressive lines. The new fascia sports the new signature Dodge Brand “split crosshair” grille, while an aggressive lower fascia completes the Dodge look from top to bottom.

The Chrysler Group LLC’s Interior Design Studio also worked its magic on the new 2011 Avenger. The all-new instrument panel, bezels, gauge faces and new Dodge steering wheel transform the driver seat into a cockpit-like experience. Upgraded seats incorporate more cushion material and revised spring geometry. Dodge Avenger also features several new two-tone interior color schemes, new leather and cloth seating materials and accent stitching. Owners can select from these schemes to design a vehicle that matches their lifestyle needs.

Designers developed the 2011 Dodge Avenger with new “soft touch” armrests and instrument panels, new, premium interior finishes for touch points that are not only pleasing to the touch but also to the eye. They also redesigned the heating and cooling outlets in the instrument panel to make them more appealing and better functioning. The 2011 Dodge Avenger also offers one of the quietest cabins in the segment with 45 new or upgraded sound-deadening treatments integrated throughout the vehicle.

Clever features include new ambient interior lighting and a new multi-function three-spoke Dodge steering wheel with integrated controls that allows drivers to operate the radio, cruise control, hands-free phone and other vehicle functions while keeping their hands on the wheel. Available cool technology includes voice command functions for hands-free phones, integrated USB port for streaming music, navigation and memo record, an iPod/MP3 jack, Bluetooth streaming music; Gracenote music identification; a hard drive that stores approximately 6,700 songs and remote start.

The standard mid-size sedan segment is the largest vehicle segment in the United States, with more than 1.6 million vehicles sold in 2009. The 2011 Dodge Avenger is uniquely positioned as an alternative for consumers looking for a sedan with more style, personality and performance than the segment is traditionally known for.

The 2011 Dodge Avenger will be built at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Sterling Heights, Mich., and will arrive in dealerships in the fourth quarter this year.

Follow Dodge and Chrysler Group LLC news and video on:

Chrysler Connect blog: http://blog.chryslergroupllc.com  

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chrysler

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo  

Streetfire: http://members.streetfire.net/profile/ChryslerVideo.htm

INDIANAPOLIS  (Profitable.com)  This year’s emphasis on nationwide health care reform has cemented the health and fitness industry’s emphasis on the need for proper accreditation and certification, according to an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) survey of fitness trends published in the November/December issue of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®. The growing demand for educated and experienced fitness professionals claimed the top spot in the survey for the fourth consecutive year.

“As the market in this sluggish economy becomes even more crowded and competitive, the need for regulation, either from within the industry or from external sources, is growing,” said the lead author of the survey, Walter R. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM. “For example, a number of states and the District of Columbia are considering legislation to regulate personal trainers just as it does physicians, lawyers and pharmacists.” Thompson, an exercise physiologist at Georgia State University and a Fellow of ACSM, is also spokesperson for the ACSM American Fitness IndexTM.

The survey, now in its fifth year, was distributed to ACSM-certified health and fitness professionals worldwide and was designed to reveal trends in various fitness environments. Respondents around the world returned more than 2,200 completed surveys. Thirty-one potential trends were given as choices, and the top 20 were ranked and published by ACSM.

The most surprising findings, experts say, are the trends that have fallen off the list for 2011 – balance training, stability balls and Pilates. Pilates suffered the worst fall, disappearing after a ninth place ranking in 2010.

“It appears from this survey that Pilates may not have been a trend at all but may be considered a fad in the health and fitness industry,” said Thompson. “Next year’s survey will either embrace Pilates as a trend or will answer this question.”

New trends to the list include worker incentive programs, clinical integration and reaching new markets. These additions directly reflect some of the work ACSM is doing to globalize the Exercise is Medicine® initiative.

“Interest in medical fitness, worker incentive programs, and worksite wellness programs may be a direct result of health care reform measures and Exercise is Medicine,” said Thompson. “With an estimated 80 percent of Americans not having a regular exercise program or a place to exercise, health and fitness professionals must search for news ways to deliver their services to people who need them.”

The top ten fitness trends predicted for 2011 are:

1. Educated and experienced fitness professionals. Due to increases in the number of organizations offering health and fitness certifications, it’s important that consumers choose professionals certified through programs that are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, such as those offered by ACSM.

2. Fitness programs for older adults. As the baby boom generation ages into retirement, some of these people have more discretionary money than their younger counterparts. Therefore, many health and fitness professionals are taking the time to create age-appropriate fitness programs to keep older adults healthy and active.

3. Strength training. Strength training remains a central emphasis for many health clubs. Incorporating strength training is an essential part of a complete physical activity program for all physical activity levels and genders.

4. Children and obesity. With childhood obesity growing at an alarming rate, health and fitness professionals see the epidemic as an opportunity to create programs tailored to overweight and obese children. Solving the problem of childhood obesity will have an impact on the health care industry today and for years to come.

5. Personal training. More and more students are majoring in kinesiology, which indicates that students are preparing themselves for careers in allied health fields such as personal training. Education, training and proper credentialing for personal trainers have become increasingly important to the health and fitness facilities that employ them.

6. Core training. Distinct from strength training, core training specifically emphasizes conditioning of the middle-body muscles, including the pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen – all of which provide needed support for the spine.

7. Exercise and weight loss. In addition to nutrition, exercise is a key component of a proper weight loss program. Health and fitness professionals who provide weight loss programs are increasingly incorporating regular exercise and caloric restriction for better weight control in their clients.

8. Boot camp. Boot camp is a high-intensity structured activity program modeled after military style training and led by an instructor. Boot camp incorporates cardiovascular, strength, endurance and flexibility drills in both indoor and outdoor settings.

9. Functional fitness. This is a trend toward using strength training to improve balance and ease of daily living. Functional fitness and special fitness programs for older adults are closely related.

10. Physician referrals. Physician referrals, a key component of the Exercise is Medicine initiative, partner medical professionals with heath and fitness professionals to seamlessly integrate exercise into their patients’ lives.

The full list of top 20 trends is available in the article “Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2011.”

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 40,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal® is an official publication of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is available from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins at 1-800-638-6423.

NEW YORK  (Profitable.com)  Mortgage rates increased this week, with the average rate on the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate moving to 4.51 percent, according to Bankrate.com’s weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.33 discount and origination points.

To see mortgage rates in your area, go to http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/.

The average 15-year fixed mortgage climbed to 3.9 percent, and the larger jumbo 30-year fixed rate reversed last week’s move, returning to 5.10 percent. Adjustable rate mortgages were higher also, with the average 5-year ARM rising to 3.67 percent and the average 7-year ARM rebounding to 3.95 percent.  

Mortgage rates increased, returning to levels last seen one month ago. While the Federal Reserve is poised to announce renewed efforts to boost the economy, it doesn’t automatically mean lower mortgage rates. Investors tempering their expectations were behind the increase seen this week and if inflation worries increase once specifics of the Fed’s bond-buying are announced, mortgage rates could continue moving higher. Time will tell just what impact the Fed has on mortgage rates and the overall economy.

The last time mortgage rates were above 6 percent was Nov. 2008. At that time, the average rate was 6.33 percent, meaning a $200,000 loan would have carried a monthly payment of $1,241.86. With the average rate now 4.51 percent, the monthly payment for the same size loan would be $1,014.56, a savings of $227 per month for a homeowner refinancing now.

Bankrate’s national weekly mortgage survey is conducted each Wednesday from data provided by the top 10 banks and thrifts in the top 10 markets.

For a full analysis of this week’s move in mortgage rates, go to http://www.bankrate.com/.

The survey is complemented by Bankrate’s weekly Rate Trend Index, in which a panel of mortgage experts predicts which way the rates are headed over the next seven days. A majority of the panelists, 63 percent, expect mortgage rates to move higher. Nearly one in three, 31 percent, say mortgage rates aren’t headed much of anywhere and will remain more or less unchanged. Just six percent predict a decline in mortgage rates over the next week.

For the full mortgage Rate Trend Index, go to http://www.bankrate.com/RTI.

About Bankrate, Inc.

The Bankrate network of companies includes Bankrate.com, Interest.com, Mortgage-calc.com, Nationwide Card Services, Savingforcollege.com, Fee Disclosure, InsureMe CreditCardGuide.com, Bankaholic, CreditCards.com and NetQuote.  Each of these businesses helps consumers to make informed decisions about their personal finance matters. The company’s flagship brand, Bankrate.com is a destination site of personal finance channels, including banking, investing, taxes, debt management and college finance. Bankrate.com is the leading aggregator of rates and other information on more than 300 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, new and used auto loans, money market accounts and CDs, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans and online banking fees. Bankrate.com reviews more than 4,800 financial institutions in 575 markets in 50 states. Bankrate.com provides financial applications and information to a network of more than 75 partners, including Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO), America Online (NYSE: AOL), The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times (NYSE: NYT). Bankrate.com’s information is also distributed through more than 500 newspapers.  Bankrate, Inc. was acquired by Apax Partners, one of the world’s leading private equity investment groups, in September 2009.  Apax operates across the United States, Europe and Asia and has more than 30 years of investing experience. For more information on Apax, visit: www.Apax.com.

YONKERS, N.Y.  (Profitable.com)  Some shoppers may be loosening their financial belts a bit this holiday season, but ongoing economic turbulence continues to motivate many to insist on getting a bigger bang for their buck.  According to a new Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll, about one in three Americans plan to spend less this holiday season, down from 42 percent in 2008. The full results of this latest poll are available at www.ConsumerReports.org.

“Consumers are optimistic, but they don’t necessarily believe that happy days are here again.  Credit is tight, unemployment remains high, the value of their homes has dropped and many Americans are facing the prospect of higher taxes of all levels,” said Tod Marks, Consumer Reports senior editor and resident shopping expert. “So while it’s a bit surprising that some plan to spend somewhat more than last year, the fact is they’re insisting on value, value, value.”  

In a previous poll conducted by Consumer Reports at the conclusion of the last holiday shopping season, shoppers estimated they spent on average $811 – 16 percent higher than what they had planned.  The majority of those recently surveyed plan to use cash as often and about four in ten will cut back on credit and debit card spending.  That’s probably a good thing.  In 2009, Americans who paid with credit cards charged more than they anticipated– $180 more on average.

Another problem with using credit cards is that consumers tend to carry debt for a long time.  The latest Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll revealed some 13.6 million Americans remain saddled with last years’ leftover holiday debt.

Additional findings from Consumer Reports first Holiday Shopping Poll of 2010 include:

‘Tis Better to Give Than Receive

• Nearly a third (31%) of adults reported that they plan to cutback on gifts for themselves. Overall, they expect to spend more on charitable giving and gifts for others.

Tackling Holiday Shopping

• Most people haven’t begun shopping. As of mid-October, only about a quarter (28%) of Americans had started.  Twenty percent do not expect to finish until after December 23rd.

Budgets on the Decline

• Nearly half (47%) of Americans are planning to set a budget for their holiday purchases.  That’s down 12 percentage points from the height of the recession in 2008.
• Making a budget and sticking to it are two different things. Of the 36 percent of consumers who made a budget last year, 39 percent reported that they exceeded it; five percent said they went way over budget.

Happy Holidays Are Here Again

• Holiday optimism continues to grow. Forty percent of adults expect their holiday season to be happier than last year.  Households with kids under 12 (53%) and younger adults aged 18 – 34 (58%) are particularly optimistic about the upcoming holiday season.

Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll Methodology

The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted two telephone surveys of a nationally representative probability sample of telephone households.  1,023 interviews were completed among adults aged 18+ between January 7 – 10, 2010 for the post 2009 holiday data.  Another 1,010 interviews were completed among adults aged 18+ between October 14 – 18, 2010.  The margin of error is +/- 3% points at a 95% confidence level.

OCTOBER 2010

The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports^® is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports,^® ConsumerReports.org^® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our permission. Consumers Union will take all steps open to it to prevent commercial use of its materials, its name, or the name of Consumer Reports.^®

MERRIMACK, N.H.  (Profitable.com)  The early results are in, and the gift experts at Brookstone today announced three hot buying trends in the developing 2010 Holiday season. The specialty retailer, which will have more than 450 stores open this Q4, is seeing a strong attraction to three key product categories among customers who shop Brookstone for unique gifts and new technology products.

Gift Trend #1: Upgrading to Mobile Tech

“Demand for mobile technology gifts continues to grow rapidly—particularly for items that interact with the Apple iPad tablet,” said Brookstone CEO Ron Boire. “We’re seeing an acceleration in sales for protective cases, wireless keyboards, and speakers for this very popular device. What’s interesting is the breadth of appeal that this product has. Moms and dads, students, professionals—everyone loves the iPad tablet. We’re also seeing a surge in sales of mobile chargers for iPhone® devices and smartphones.”

Leather Case with Bluetooth® Keyboard

This sleek leather portfolio case protects the iPad tablet and has a built-in Bluetooth® wireless keyboard for power-typing e-mails and blog posts. $79.95 (Available mid-fall 2010.)

iDesign® Power Speaker

The desktop system with the great big sound. Docks iPad, iPod and iPhone devices. Two full-range stereo speakers plus a subwoofer in an acoustically tuned cabinet.* $129.95 (Available 11/12/10.)

360 Degree Stand

This pivoting stand rotates, swivels and adjusts to hold the iPad tablet at any angle. It’s perfect for viewing movies, web surfing, reading e-books—and anytime one wants to use the iPad tablet hands-free. $39.95

Gift Trend #2: Fly Me to Planet Wow

“More than ever, we believe that people are looking for toys with a high wow factor and that’s good news for Brookstone,” continued Boire. “Many of our store managers across the U.S. have said that people are coming into our stores looking for something new and exciting – an unexpected, one-of-a-kind toy – and they’re finding it. We believe that our helicopters, including the Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter, will be very popular among all age groups.”

Parrot AR.Drone Wi-Fi quadricopter

The Parrot AR.Drone is a one-of-a-kind quadricopter that features augmented reality and is piloted using an iPod touch®, an iPhone or an iPad device. The AR.Drone combines real and virtual worlds and offers consumers an exciting new flight and gaming experience. A front camera broadcasts what the AR.Drone is seeing onto the iPod touch, iPhone or iPad screen, offering an opportunity for enhanced reality games. $299.95

Cloud Force RC Helicopter with Gyroscope

“Every year, Brookstone helicopters get even easier to fly,” said Boire. The Cloud Force is the newest member of the Brookstone flight team and features an on-board gyroscope for maximum stability and flight control. $49.95

Silver Bullet RC Helicopter

The most popular RC helicopter of the 2009 holiday season is now available at special pricing: $29.95 each or 2 for $50. Silver Bullet copters are easy to fly right out of the box and feature built-in LED lights for night missions.

Gift Trend #3: Don’t Touch That—Gifts Against Germs

“Whether it’s for themselves, their children or their co-workers, people are showing keen interest in living this cold-and-flu season as germ-free as possible,” said Boire. “We’re seeing a lot of activity for UV sanitizing lights, as well as for our CandyMan Motion-Activated Candy Dispenser, which helps people avoid sharing germs in office candy bowls.”

CandyMan™ Motion-Activated Candy Dispenser

Whose hands have been in your candy bowl? Looks like a classic gumball machine, but is perfect for all sorts of unwrapped candies and treats. Automatically dispenses an adjustable portion when hand is placed under the motion sensor. Hands-free operation helps prevent spread of germs at home and at work. $39.95  

Violight® UV Cell Phone Sanitizer

The life of a cell phone is a hard and dirty one. Lots of recurring hand-to-mouth contact, pants pockets, purses, kitchen counters, desks. The Violight® Cell Phone Sanitizer is a compact desktop holder for phones that uses UV light to kill up to 99% of certain surface bacteria**—without chemicals. Available online at Brookstone.com and at select Brookstone stores. $49.95

UV-C Sanitizing Wand

At work, in hotel rooms, even in restaurants—this cordless, portable wand kills up to 99.9% of certain bacteria on surfaces. $69.95**

About Brookstone

Brookstone, Inc., is an innovative product development company and specialty retailer of unique gifts. Brookstone operates 310 stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico, as well as 150 additional seasonal locations during the holidays. Typically located in high-traffic regional shopping malls and airports, the stores feature unique and innovative consumer products. The Company also operates a Direct Marketing business that includes the Brookstone catalog and an e-commerce Web site at Brookstone.com. Fans of the Company are encouraged to Like Brookstone on Facebook.

*iPhone/iPod/iPad devices not included. iPhone, iPod and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc. “Made for iPod,” “Made for iPhone,” and “Made for iPad” mean that an electronic accessory has been designed to connect specifically to iPod, iPhone, or iPad, respectively, and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Please note that the use of this accessory with iPod, iPhone, or iPad may affect wireless performance.

**Streptococcus, e. coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Listeria monocytogenes

Company delivers new, unique customizable game for its Canadian partners and their patrons in nearly 300 restaurants and bars

CARLSBAD, Calif.  (Profitable.com)  NTN Buzztime, Inc. (Buzztime) (NYSE Amex: NTN), a leading venue-based interactive restaurant and bar entertainment network, announces a new bar trivia game for its partners throughout Canada.  Buzztime’s new Canada Eh? game features a mix of history, politics, sports, entertainment and geography trivia specific to the country.

The one-hour Canada Eh? trivia game, launching on October 26, 2010 will air every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 5:30 PM ET, 5:30 PM CT, 8:00 PM MT and 7:00 PM PT.  To celebrate the launch of its newest bar trivia game, Buzztime is offering prize packages valued at $25 (CDN) encouraging restaurant and bar patrons to try out Canada Eh?  The more times a registered player plays the game, the better their chances are to win one of five Buzztime prize packages.

“Buzztime has been active in the Canadian hospitality arena since 1987, and we are always looking to enhance the game experience of our customers and players.  The new Canada Eh? trivia game allows our Canadian partners to attract and retain new and existing clientele with relevant, compelling content,” said NTN Buzztime CEO, Michael J. Bush. “We conducted research to develop the game and even polled Canadians on the name of the game. Starting today, Canada Eh? will be available to all of the 280 current locations utilizing Buzztime’s bar entertainment and marketing solutions and the more than 46,000 active players.”

Canada Eh? sample questions include:

Toronto’s Rogers Centre showcases the world’s first…

(Clues:  Don’t Use Bleach, Not in Left Field, Raise the Roof)

1. Revolving bleachers
2. Supersonic sound system
3. 40-story parking lot
4. Full retractable roof
5. Flip over field

He plays the lead role in the 2008 Canadian movie “Passchendaele… 

(Clues:  No Day at the Beach, No Will Power, Tall Paul)

1. Roy Dupuis
2. Adam Beach
3. William Shatner
4. Michael J. Fox
5. Paul Gross

The Inuit, a hunter-gatherer culture in Canada’s arctic, eat `kuannig,’ AKA edible…

(Clues:  No Eggs and Ham, Don’t Bark Up That Tree, Seaweed Salad)

1. Spruce tree bark
2. Pine tree needles
3. Walrus blubber
4. Seaweed
5. Arctic char fish eggs

For more information on NTN Buzztime, Inc and its restaurant and bar marketing and entertainment solutions please visit www.Buzztime.com.  Additionally, interested parties can follow Buzztime on Twitter follow @BuzztimeTrivia or via Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Buzztimetrivia.

About Buzztime

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NTN) is one of the most popular interactive bar and restaurant entertainment networks. Trusted for over 25 years by restaurant, bar and pub owners, Buzztime develops trivia, card and sports games and broadcasts them on the Buzztime Network to 4,000 locations throughout North America.  More than 1,000,000 registered players use a blue Playmaker or their Apple iPhone® to compete in more than 4,500,000 games each month.  Players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition or unwind from a hectic day.  Buzztime ups the fun factor – turning visitors into regulars and attracting new players every day of the week.  For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit www.buzztime.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management’s current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about new game offerings and content, number of locations, players and games, prizes, and attracting and retaining players. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include adverse economic conditions, failure of customer and/or player demand or acceptance of existing and new products and services, and the impact of competitive products and pricing. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.’s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.

Media Contact:
 
Don Williams
Williams Group Public Relations
760-707-4589
don@williamsgrouppr.com

High-End Openings Show Better Times to Come; Nearly One Quarter of Surveyors Report Men are Treated Better than Women at Restaurants; Diners Dis Lingering, Texting and Tweeting at the Table

NEW YORK  (Profitable.com)  Zagat Survey today released the results of its 2011 America’s Top Restaurants guide, reporting the opinions and habits of over 153,000 avid diners. The survey includes ratings and reviews of the 1,552 top restaurants countrywide. Results are available on ZAGAT.com, via Zagat’s suite of mobile products and in bookstores.

Codes of Conduct: As more and more restaurants and public spaces offer free Wi-Fi to customers, 60% of surveyors feel restaurants should restrict how long you can linger at a table during peak hours. When asked about texting, tweeting and talking at the table, 63% of surveyors say it’s rude and inappropriate, but 85% feel it’s acceptable to take pictures of food and each other. The battle of the sexes dies hard ? 24% of surveyors say men receive better treatment when dining out vs. only 6% who say women.

Sign of the Times: As expected during these tough economic times, surveyors report eating out less (3.1 times per week down from 3.3 pre-recession), being more attentive to prices (39%), eating in less expensive places (33%) and cutting back on alcohol, appetizers and desserts (17?21%). On a more positive note, 55% of respondents feel they’re getting better deals via prix fixe meals and other discounts, 41% suspect their patronage is more appreciated and 33% say that reservations are easier to come by.

Tim Zagat, CEO of Zagat Survey said, “There have been dramatic changes in surveyors’ dining habits since the economic downturn. On a national level, they are eating out less and have become more price-sensitive. The percent of meals eaten out and taken out has steadily decreased from 52% pre-recession to 47% this year. These changes are subtle yet powerful when looking at long-term behavior.”

Dollars and Sense: The national average price of a meal rose 2.2% in the past year to $35.37. New Orleans has the lowest average meal cost ($28.36), and the highest average percent tip at 19.7% (vs. the national average of 19.2%). Other high-end tippers include Denver, Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Ohio, all at 19.6%. Hawaii is at the low-end (18.4%), followed by such western cities, Sacramento, San Francisco and Seattle, each at 18.6%. When it comes to paying the check, 50% of surveyors either avoid cash-only eateries or spend less when dining there.

Back to the Big Time: In the last few years, many major restaurateurs and chefs bowed to the economic times and opened casual, affordable eateries. This year, there was a return to pricey form, signaling that high-end dining is far from dead. Among the many upscale newcomers from culinary luminaries: Simon Prime Steaks & Martinis (Kerry Simon) in Atlantic City; Uchiko (Tyson Cole) in Austin; BLT Steak (Laurent Tourondel) in Honolulu; Bistro Alex (Alex Brennan) and Valentino (Piero Selvaggio) in Houston; Sage (Shawn McClain) in Las Vegas; Bouchon (Thomas Keller) and WP24 (Wolfgang Puck) in Los Angeles; Eos (Donatella Arpaia) in Miami; ABC Kitchen and The Mark (both Jean-Georges Vongerichten) in New York; Spruce (Mark Sullivan) in the Salt Lake City area; and Benu (Corey Lee), Frances (Melissa Perello), Morimoto Napa (Masaharu Morimoto), RN74 (Michael Mina) and Wayfare Tavern (Tyler Florence) in San Francisco.

Top Irritants: A handful of restaurants have earned a near-perfect 29 for Service on Zagat’s 30-point scale, including French Room (Dallas/Ft. Worth), Inn at Little Washington (DC), Nicholas (New Jersey), Per Se (New York) and Sanford (Milwaukee). However, 67% of surveyors nationwide report that Service is their No. 1 dining-out irritant. Service woes are followed by noise/crowding in restaurants (14%). When seated next to a noisy party, 34% ask to be moved, 9% ask management to talk to the noisemakers, 4% address the party themselves and 53% simply sit and suffer in silence.

Making the Grade: Similar to a Los Angeles system that’s been in place for years, NYC restaurants, in a highly contentious move, have now been required to prominently post their grades (A, B or C) from their health-department inspections. Eighty percent of surveyors nationwide favor this practice.

Green: When it comes to healthy dining, 68% of surveyors say it is important that the food they eat is locally sourced, organic or sustainably raised, and 60% say they are even willing to pay more for it.  Moreover, 31% seek out restaurants specializing in such ‘green’ cuisine.

Details: The 2011 America’s Top Restaurants guide ($15.95) was edited by Bill Corsello and is on sale at all major bookstores. Ratings and reviews are available in a full range of formats: ZAGAT.com, ZAGAT TO GO for iPhone, iPad and smartphones, and ZAGAT.mobi (for web-enabled mobile devices). For information on Zagat’s mobile products, please visit http://www.zagat.com/mobile. Be sure to follow Zagat on Facebook and Twitter @ZagatBuzz for daily news and updates.

About Zagat Survey, LLC

Known as the “burgundy bible,” Zagat Survey is the world’s most trusted source for consumer-generated survey information. With a worldwide network of surveyors, Zagat rates and reviews restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, shopping and a range of other entertainment categories and is lauded as the “most up-to-date,” “comprehensive” and “reliable” guide, published on all platforms. Zagat content is available to consumers wherever and whenever they need it: on ZAGAT.com, ZAGAT.mobi, ZAGAT TO GO for smartphones and in book form.

NEW YORK and BETHESDA, Md.  (Profitable.com)  While highlighting its significant market opportunities and competitive advantages, Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) will tell security analysts and institutional investors in New York today, that, assuming growth scenarios of Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of 5 to 9 percent compounded annually over the next three years, diluted earnings per share (EPS) could approximate $1.90 to $2.75 by 2013, well above the highest earnings per share (EPS) achieved during Marriott’s most recent peak earnings year of 2007.

The company will say that total fee revenue could range from $1.57 billion to $1.87 billion and incentive management fees could nearly double through 2013 from 2010 estimated levels, ranging from $285 million to $440 million under those same RevPAR scenarios.  

The company expects to add at least 80,000 to 90,000 hotel rooms to its portfolio from 2011 through 2013 with additional opportunities for 22,000 rooms to open in Europe and Asia during that same period.  Marriott has plans to adapt and expand current brands, such as Courtyard and Fairfield, to meet the growing needs of customers in markets worldwide.  The company will also be expanding its new brands outside of the United States, including EDITION, which just opened its first hotel on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, and the Autograph Collection.

J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of the company, said, “We are on the threshold of extraordinary growth for our company.  As we look ahead over three years, Marriott is poised to deliver substantial gains in bottom line results, as well as meaningful returns to hotel owners and shareholders, as our industry-leading portfolio of brands both recovers from the recent recession and grows worldwide.”

According to the company, having reduced net debt by almost $1.5 billion since the end of 2008, Marriott has already reached its targeted debt levels.  The company will say that it assumes it will invest $2.3 to $2.7 billion over the next three years.  The company could return between $3.3 billion and $5.3 billion to shareholders from 2011 through 2013 through dividends and share repurchases, while still maintaining its investment grade bond rating.  As of October 21, 2010, the company has resumed open market share repurchases, making modest repurchases to date.

Marriott’s security analyst conference will be held today, October 27, 2010.  Presentation materials for the meeting will be available at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) at http://www.marriott.com/investor.  A webcast is available from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.  Presentations by senior company executives will begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET; luncheon remarks by Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, J.W. Marriott, Jr., will begin at approximately 1:00 to 1:20 p.m. ET; and additional presentations by senior company executives will resume at approximately 2:00 p.m. ET.  Those wishing to access the webcast should log onto http://www.marriott.com/investor, and click on the “Security Analyst Meeting” link under the “Recent & Upcoming Events” tab.  The webcast replay will be available online after the meeting.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws, including RevPAR, profit margin and earning trends; statements concerning the number of lodging properties we expect to add in future years; our expected investment spending and amounts we could return to shareholders; and similar statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts.  We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including the continuation and pace of the economic recovery; supply and demand changes for hotel rooms, corporate housing and our Timeshare segment products; competitive conditions in the lodging industry; relationships with clients and property owners; the availability of capital to finance hotel growth and refurbishment; and other risk factors that we identify in our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q; any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations we express or imply here.  These statements are made as of October 27, 2010 and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  

Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

Promotion Applies to Hotwire Hot Rates for Hotel and Car Bookings Made Today

SAN FRANCISCO  (Profitable.com)  Hotwire.com®, a leading travel site, turns 10 today, and while for some that might mean it’s time for hide-and-go-seek and pinata lines, in the world of online travel, that’s a birthday worthy of a more “mature” celebration. So Hotwire® is ringing in its 10th anniversary by holding a 24 hour promotion that gives travelers an extra 10 percent off any Hotwire Hot Rates® for hotel or car rental bookings.  To score the 10 percent off, consumers simply need go to www.hotwire.com/anniversary and they’ll automatically get access to the discounted rates on hotel and car rental searches from that URL. It’s so simple, even a 10-year-old can do it.

The discount is on top of the great deals Hotwire already offers through its Hot Rates. By working with hotels, airlines and car rental companies to fill unsold inventory, Hotwire is able to offer big discounts – up to 50 percent off. Since it was founded in 2000, Hotwire has paved the way in online discount travel with its no bidding, no hassle, no games approach.

“Hotwire has helped pioneer discount travel on the web,” said Clem Bason, President of the Hotwire Group. “Over the past decade Hotwire has delivered millions of deals to budget-conscious travelers, and we’ve been lucky enough to get their support in return. We’d like to thank all of our customers, both new and old, by offering them a little extra something today to make their valuable travel dollars go even further.”

Every night 1.8 million hotel rooms go unsold*, which amounts to an estimated $187 million dollars in lost revenue. So providing great discounts on unsold inventory benefits both suppliers and customers alike. It also means that travelers are sure to find a great selection of quality hotel space on any given day – all at great prices.

This promotion is only available Wednesday, October 27, from 12:00 a.m. PST to 11:59 p.m.

*Unsold hotel room figure provided by STR Global.

About Hotwire

Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Launched in 2000, Hotwire negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars. J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM) recognized Hotwire for ranking “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Independent Travel Web Sites, Three Years in a Row.” Hotwire is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. CST: 2053390-40. NST: 20003-0209. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com.

Hotwire, Hotwire.com, Hot Rates and the Hotwire logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotwire, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. © 2010 Hotwire, Inc. All rights reserved.  CST# 2053390-40.

Contact:
 
Chris Fucanan
Atomic PR
(415) 593-1400
chris.fucanan@atomicpr.com

More Than One-in-Four Employers Think More Workers are Calling in Sick With Fake Excuses due to Stress and Burnout

CHICAGO  (Profitable.com)  The work break is taking on a new meaning with workers forgoing just a few minutes away from their desks, in favor of, whole days away from the office to recharge their batteries.  CareerBuilder’s annual survey on absenteeism shows 29 percent of workers have played hooky from the office at least once this year, calling in sick when they were well.  Twenty-seven percent of employers think they are seeing an increase in bogus sick excuses from employees due to continued stress and burnout caused by the weak economy.  The nationwide survey was conducted between August 17 and September 2, 2010 and included more than 3,100 workers and more than 2,400 employers.

While the majority of employers said they believe their workers when they say they’re feeling under the weather, 29 percent reported they have checked up on an employee who called in sick and 16 percent said they have fired a worker for missing work without a proven excuse.  Of the employers who checked up on an employee, 70 percent said they required the employee to show them a doctor’s note.  While half called the employee at home, 18 percent had another worker call the employee and 15 percent drove by the employee’s house or apartment.

“Six-in-ten employers we surveyed said they let their team members use sick days for mental health days,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.  ”If you need to take some time away from the office, the best way not to cause yourself more stress is to be open and honest with your manager.”

“Just not feeling like going to work” is the number one reason why workers said they call off sick with made-up excuses followed by “just needing to relax” and “catching up on sleep.”  Other reasons included doctor’s appointments, needing to run personal errands, and plans with family and friends.

When asked to share the most unusual excuses employees gave for missing work, employers offered the following real-life examples:

1. Employee said a chicken attacked his mom.
2. Employee’s finger was stuck in a bowling ball.
3. Employee had a hair transplant gone bad.
4. Employee fell asleep at his desk while working and hit his head, causing a neck injury.
5. Employee said a cow broke into her house and she had to wait for the insurance man.
6. Employee’s girlfriend threw a Sit ‘n Spin through his living room window.
7. Employee’s foot was caught in the garbage disposal.
8. Employee called in sick from a bar at 5 p.m. the night before.
9. Employee said he wasn’t feeling too clever that day.
10. Employee had to mow the lawn to avoid a lawsuit from the home owner’s association
11. Employee called in the day after Thanksgiving because she burned her mouth on a pumpkin pie.
12. Employee was in a boat on Lake Erie, ran out of gas and the coast guard towed him to the Canadian side.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,457 U.S. hiring managers and 3,125 U.S. workers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between August 17 and September 2, 2010 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions).  With pure probability samples of 2,457 and 3,125 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.98 and +/-1.75 percentage points, respectively.  Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset – their people.  Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 32 million resumes.  CareerBuilder works with the world’s top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis to recruitment support.  More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder’s proprietary job search technology on their career sites.  Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia.  For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact:
 
CareerBuilder
Jennifer.Grasz@careerbuilder.com
773-527-1164
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

Beginning Sunday, Rewards”R”Us Members Can Take Advantage of Company’s Biggest Reward Offer Ever While Holiday Shopping at Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us®

With No Approvals Required and All Forms of Payment Accepted, Earning Rewards is Easy

WAYNE, N.J.  (Profitable.com)  Toys”R”Us, Inc. today announced that new and current members of its popular loyalty program, Rewards”R”Us®, can earn 10 percent back on purchases made in its stores and online this Christmas season.  Members can take advantage of this offer by showing their loyalty card when making qualifying purchases* at any Toys”R”Us® and Babies”R”Us® store nationwide or entering their loyalty number online at Toysrus.com beginning this Sunday, October 31 through Christmas Eve.  Customers, who are not already enrolled in Rewards”R”Us, can sign up for the complimentary program at any “R”Us® store or online to begin reaping the enhanced rewards.  

“Members of our loyalty program enjoy exclusive deals and special perks every day, and we’re pleased to offer them our biggest reward offer yet at the time of year when we know they are doing the most shopping with us,” said Greg Ahearn, Senior Vice President, Marketing and e-commerce, Toys”R”Us, Inc.  ”In addition to the incredible deals that customers can expect from us all season long, we’re tripling our usual rewards offer to give customers the opportunity to earn money back for post-holiday purchases.”

Rewards”R”Us is open to anyone with no credit approval required.  Members have the flexibility to make purchases using any payment method, including the credit card of their choice, allowing them to earn not only “R”Us Rewards but also any of the usual rewards offered by their credit card company, such as airline miles and hotel points.

The 10 percent back bonus amps up the program’s usual offering of $5 “R”Us Dollars for every $150 spent during select earning periods, providing members the opportunity to earn triple rewards during the holiday shopping season.  And, Rewards”R”Us members will be invited to attend exclusive Member Shopping Events, during which they will have special access to in-store sales.  They are also among the first to be notified when “R”Us stores receive shipments of in-demand items.

This holiday, Rewards”R”Us members will earn 10 percent back in “R”Us Dollars for every dollar spent** on qualifying purchases in Toys”R”Us or Babies”R”Us stores nationwide or online at Toysrus.com.  All members have to do is make sure their Rewards”R”Us card is scanned each time they make a purchase. “R”Us Dollars will be sent to customers by e-mail post-Christmas and can be used toward savings on future purchases made in-store.  

Becoming a Rewards”R”Us member is free, and customers can sign up at any “R”Us store nationwide or at Toysrus.com/Rewards. Once enrolled, members can begin taking advantage of a variety of exclusive benefits and promotions, including:

• Diaper Rewards and Formula Rewards, allowing members to earn free diapers and formula when a certain quantity is purchased
• Free greeting card from American Greetings® when five cards are purchased
• LeapFrog® Rewards, providing members the opportunity to receive one free LeapFrog book or game when four are purchased within a 12-month period, with certain exclusions
• Registry Rewards program, which enables baby registrants who are also Rewards”R”Us members to earn rewards for all qualifying purchases friends and family make from their registries.  Gift-givers who are Rewards”R”Us members will also earn rewards for their purchases
• Returns made easy, as Toys”R”Us store employees can look up any member’s transaction simply by rescanning the shopper’s card. All members have to do is remember to scan their card each and every time they shop in “R”Us stores***

The company will support the promotion with a comprehensive marketing program, inclusive of in-store signage and presence in television, radio, print and online advertisements, as well as social media messaging.

* Excludes purchases of gift cards, shipping and handling charges, and reward eligible greeting cards, formula, diapers and LeapFrog products.  See a store employee or Toysrus.com/Rewards for maximum rewards and complete details.

** Customers who spend $500 will earn the maximum reward of $50 in “R”Us Dollars.

*** Standard return policies apply.

About Toys”R”Us, Inc.

Toys”R”Us, Inc. is the world’s leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. It currently sells merchandise in more than 1,560 stores, including 845 Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us stores in the United States, and more than 510 international stores and 200 licensed stores in 33 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brand’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com, FAO.com and babyuniverse.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys”R”Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.

SAN FRANCISCO  (Profitable.com)  With its fifth edition out today, the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2011 shines the spotlight on one of the world’s most diverse culinary regions. The MICHELIN Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2011 goes on sale Wed., Oct. 27, at $18.99.  

As the name indicates, the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2011 covers San Francisco proper, and from Sonoma County to the South Bay. A total of 519 restaurants are selected for inclusion this year. Of those, 74 are categorized as “Bib Gourmands,” otherwise known as “Inspectors’ Favorites for Good Value.” Bib Gourmands offer two courses plus a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less. The selection includes 29 new restaurants earning Bib Gourmand status this year.  For the list of Bib Gourmand restaurants, please visit www.facebook.com/MichelinGuides.

Two Bay Area restaurants earned three stars in the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2011. Three stars represent the highest honor Michelin bestows. Only 91 restaurants worldwide currently have the three-star designation. French Laundry earned three stars for the fifth year in a row, while The Restaurant at Meadowood earned its third star for the first time. Meadowood had earned two stars in the 2010 Guide. Three restaurants – Coi, Cyrus and Manresa – earned two stars in this edition, while 39 restaurants earned a single star. A full list of star recipients appears below.

“San Francisco is famed for its diversity – its people, its politics, its scenery and of course its food,” said Jean-Luc Naret, director of the MICHELIN Guides. “The Bay Area is also a particularly fertile farming region. There is so much to choose from – we spend a full year studying this region to produce our Guide and the effort is immensely satisfying. This is quite simply one of the finest culinary regions in the world.”

The MICHELIN Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2011 offers a wide assortment of categories for discerning diners. Among them:

• “Small Plates,” defined as restaurants with a unique style of menu, ambience and service. Sixteen restaurants joined the Small Plates category in the 2011 Guide.
• MICHELIN pours out the drink accolades, designating a special symbol for restaurants with excellent wine lists, and for those with noteworthy sake lists. In this Guide, 81 restaurants were celebrated for their wine selection and 15 for their sake selection.

Michelin divides the guide into six sections: San Francisco City, East Bay, Marin, Peninsula, South Bay and Wine Country. Forty-three distinct cuisines are represented in the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2011, which showcases the region’s spectacular culinary diversity.

Michelin has done as much to enhance mobility as any company in the world. The company patented the pneumatic, or air-filled, automobile tire in the late 1800s. This was a milestone moment in mobility; it permitted automobile owners to travel at great length in a single journey. Then, in an effort to prompt travelers to enjoy their newfound mobility, the company created guides – and detailed maps – to steer travelers on their way. More than 1 million copies are sold each year.

San Francisco is one of only three U.S. cities where Michelin publishes a guide annually. The other two are New York City and Chicago. The MICHELIN Guide New York 2011, the city’s sixth edition, was introduced Oct. 6. And Michelin plans to introduce its first-ever Chicago guide, MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2011, on Nov. 17.

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently worldwide, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in gourmet dining. 26 MICHELIN Guides cover 23 countries and three continents, and feature more than 45,000 addresses. The selection is made by anonymous, professional inspectors who are Michelin employees. Inspectors pay all their bills in full. To find out more about the MICHELIN guide inspectors and the history of the MICHELIN Guide, visit www.famouslyanonymous.com.

Michelin’s San Francisco Michelin inspectors also share insider secrets on Twitter at @MichelinGuideSF.

See attached for 2011 MICHELIN Guide listing of starred establishments

ROSELAND, N.J.  (Profitable.com)  Despite concern about ongoing economic challenges, a new survey released today indicates that small business owners are optimistic about business prospects in the year ahead, but closely link anticipated growth with the implementation of new operational efficiencies.  Specifically, respondents suggest a desire to acquire new tools and resources designed to help them run their businesses more efficiently, and from more locations.

The survey, commissioned by ADP ®, a leading provider of HR, payroll and benefits administration services, looks at a broad cross-section of the small business sector and assesses the views of small business owners on a variety of topics related to the economy, business outlook and opportunities for growth. The survey is the first in a series of research topics to be published by the ADP Research Institute, a specialized group within ADP that conducts studies on topics of current interest to HR and payroll professionals.  

“In today’s economy, small business owners are watching cash flow more closely than ever. That reality, combined with ever-growing time pressures, means small business owners are looking to spend more time growing their businesses and less time on the administrative burdens of running them,” said Regina Lee, President of ADP’s Small Business Services and Major Account Services.  ”To best serve the needs of today’s business owner, companies serving the small business sector need to adapt with them, leveraging new technologies like Smartphones and faster networks to bring trusted resources to clients wherever they choose to work.”

While a majority of small business owners (80%) indicate that they have been negatively impacted by the economy, more than 50% expect their businesses to expand in the coming year.  In the survey, respondents identified several key areas where improving operational efficiency can help grow their business:

• RUNNING PAYROLL: Small business owners spend a significant amount of time on administrative tasks (e.g., payroll, HR and benefits administration)—time they believe would be better spent on tasks related to running and/or growing their businesses; they are also embracing technology as a means of reducing administrative burdens.
  • A majority of small business owners say they would dedicate time saved on administrative functions to running their businesses (50%) or growing them (42%).
  • More than one-third believe that redeploying time spent on payroll to other activities would lead to an increase in company revenue.
  • More than half indicate that they’d be interested in using their mobile devices to aid with administrative tasks (e.g., payroll).
• LIFESTYLE: The definition of “the office” is changing and small business executives are spending a significant amount of time outside of the office.
  • Nearly all respondents (90%) say that they spent at least some time outside of the office, with an average of 9 hours per week—23% of a 40-hour work week.
  • Thirty percent (30%) of those respondents indicate that the amount of time spent outside of the office is increasing.
• MOBILE USAGE: Smartphones are currently a frequent companion to small business owners nationwide due to their ease of use and functionality.
  • Six out of 10 executives surveyed own a Smartphone and 80% of Smartphone users use them for business.
  • Respondents using mobile devices for business do so primarily to aid with customer relations (77%) and time management (53%).

To meet the changing needs of its small business clients, ADP is investing heavily in solutions that help business owners do more with less, quickly and from wherever their business—or their lifestyle—takes them.  The most recent example is the launch of RUN Powered by ADP® mobile payroll, the first mobile version of its popular payroll platform, which allows small businesses to manage their payroll remotely from an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.  For more information on RUN Powered by ADP® mobile payroll, or the survey referenced in this release, visit www.adp.com/mobilepayroll or call 1.800.CALL.ADP (1.800.225.5237).

Methodology

A representative sample of small U.S. businesses with 1-49 employees was targeted for the recent online survey sponsored by ADP and was conducted using the online panel of eRewards.  Qualified respondents were the final purchase decision-maker in the company for systems/services in payroll, HR, and benefits. Respondents included Presidents/CEOs/Owners/Partners, CFOs/Controllers, EVPs/SVPs/VPs/General Managers and Directors/Managers.  Quotas were set by employee size groups to ensure that the sample reflected the profile of all small businesses in the United States, as reflected in ADP’s in-house database, which combines Dun & Bradstreet and the Yellow Pages.  Once the data came in, the industry profile of the study sample was compared to ADP’s database to ensure that no industry group was over- (or under-) represented. 

About ADP

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADP), with nearly $9 billion in revenues and about 550,000 clients, is one of the world’s largest providers of business outsourcing solutions.  Leveraging over 60 years of experience, ADP offers a wide range of HR, payroll, tax and benefits administration solutions from a single source. ADP’s easy-to-use solutions for employers provide superior value to companies of all types and sizes.  ADP is also a leading provider of integrated computing solutions to auto, truck, motorcycle, marine and recreational vehicle dealers throughout the world.  For more information about ADP or to contact a local ADP sales office, reach us at 1.800.225.5237 or visit the company’s website at www.ADP.com.

NEW YORK  (Profitable.com)  The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in September, increased slightly in October. The Index now stands at 50.2 (1985=100), up from 48.6 in September. The Present Situation Index increased to 23.9 from 23.3. The Expectations Index improved to 67.8 from 65.5.

The Consumer Confidence Survey® is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households. The monthly survey is conducted for The Conference Board by TNS. TNS is the world’s largest custom research company. The cutoff date for October’s preliminary results was October 19th.

Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center: “Consumer confidence, while slightly improved from September levels, is still hovering at historically low levels.  Consumers’ assessment of the current state of the economy is relatively unchanged, primarily because labor market conditions have yet to significantly improve. And, despite the uptick in Expectations, consumers continue to be quite concerned about the short-term outlook. Both present and future indicators point toward more of the same in the coming months.”

Consumers’ appraisal of current conditions was somewhat mixed in October. Those claiming business conditions are “bad” decreased to 41.9 percent from 46.0 percent, while those claiming business conditions are “good” edged up to 8.5 percent from 8.2 percent. Consumers’ assessment of the labor market, however, was less favorable in October. Those claiming jobs are “hard to get” rose to 46.1 percent from 45.8 percent, while those stating jobs are “plentiful” decreased to 3.5 percent from 3.8 percent.

Consumers’ expectations, while still quite bleak, were less pessimistic in October. Those expecting an improvement in business conditions over the next six months rose to 16.0 percent from 15.0 percent, while those expecting business conditions will worsen declined to 14.1 percent from 16.6 percent.  

Consumers were mixed about future job prospects. The percentage of consumers anticipating fewer jobs in the months ahead declined to 22.0 percent from 22.6 percent. However, the percentage anticipating more jobs declined to 14.1 percent from 14.5 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting an increase in their incomes declined to 9.1 percent from 10.3 percent.    

Source:

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Survey®

October 2010

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world’s leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.

http://www.conference-board.org/

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NEW YORK  (Profitable.com)  In the fourth quarter issue of the Global Economic Outlook, Deloitte Research economists examine the current economic environment and, in particular, the varied pace of growth and global imbalances impacting nine of the world’s major markets: the United States, Eurozone, China, India, Japan, United Kingdom, Russia, Brazil, and Australia.

“The global economy is imbalanced,” says Ira Kalish, Director of Global Economics, Deloitte Research, part of Deloitte Services LP in the United States. “The money is flowing out of developed countries that have been supporting unusually low interest rates for some time into higher interest rate emerging countries. At the same time, rapid growth in emerging markets is creating new inflationary pressures. Many governments are intervening in their currency markets to improve export competitiveness, further exacerbating inflation.

“Additionally, countries that have traditionally relied on exports—China, Japan, Germany—and need to move toward domestic-led growth continue to depend heavily on exports. Meanwhile, countries that have relied heavily on consumer spending (the U.S. and UK), and need to export more face competitive devaluations in their target export markets. Even though the adjustments needed to address these new realities will involve short-term pain, the failure to do so will only delay the day of reckoning.”

Highlights of the Q4 issue include:

• The United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of thrift as banks, non-financial corporations, and households hoard cash. Expanding the money supply and sparking inflation can result in stronger spending. While embracing higher inflation is a high risk strategy, it’s also the path of least resistance out of the post-credit crisis liquidity trap that is currently inhibiting growth.
• The economic imbalances in the Eurozone continue. Strong export-driven growth in Germany and France is spilling over to the domestic sector, but fringe countries are still struggling as a result of financial market stress. The imminent move toward tighter regulation and stricter controls will be painful in the short run, but is ultimately likely to help the Eurozone to become a truly integrated economic region.
• The Chinese economy appears headed for a soft landing, as opposed to a full blown deceleration, which is good news—both for China’s trade partners and China. Yet, China’s shifting demographics—starting in 2011, the number of dependents (mainly retirees) will rise faster than the number of workers, reversing the trend of the past two decades when the ratio of dependents to workers has been declining—is likely to lead to slower future growth.
• The outlook on the Indian economy is generally positive. A good harvest season is expected to help feed the substantial appetite for consumption in the domestic sector. But policymakers will have to address the appreciating rupee and rising inflation.
• The Japanese economy remains weak due to stagnant consumer spending and decelerating business investment amidst a small surge in imports. Moreover, the current political turmoil in the country is not conducive to economic success. Reviving consumer and business confidence will be keys to Japan’s success.
• In the United Kingdom a surprisingly strong recovery will likely be followed by a slowdown in growth. As the United Kingdom rebalances the economy toward industrial production, exports and capital spending, consumers and government will likely play less of a role as drivers of growth.  
• Policymakers in Russia are facing significant disparities. They must balance concerns about growth and currency values with worries about potential inflation. They must also weigh the desire to invest in new infrastructure with aspirations to limit government debt. Longer term, the possibility of joining the World Trade Organization could help Russia diversify away from an excessive dependence on commodities.
• Brazil’s economy is rapidly growing. Cooling down the economy may not be an easy task. The country’s next president will have to safeguard against hyperinflation and a rising currency.
• In Australia, the growth that was punted by government funding and healthy export volumes may not carry forward to future quarters. A slowdown in global economic conditions hint at some deceleration ahead.

For additional quotes and to read the full report, please visit www.deloitte.com/economicoutlook.

Deloitte Research is a part of Deloitte Services LP in the United States

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms.

Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 140 countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and deep local expertise to help clients succeed wherever they operate. Deloitte’s approximately 170,000 professionals are committed to becoming the standard of excellence.

ATLANTA  (Profitable.com)  Small business bankruptcy filings declined more than 11 percent in the third quarter of this year compared to a year ago and have decreased nearly 19 percent since their peak in Q2 2009, Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) announced today.  The decrease is the fifth consecutive quarter in which commercial bankruptcies have declined based on data from the company’s quarterly research on small business activity.  

Analysis from the Equifax study shows that the number of small business bankruptcy filings peaked at 37,299 during Q2 2009, compared to 30,392 during Q3 2010.  There were 34,257 bankruptcies in Q3 2009.

“For more than a year, we have seen a decline in the number of small business bankruptcies but this is the biggest percentage decrease during that period,” said Dr. Reza Barazesh, senior vice president, Equifax Commercial Information Solutions.  ”Small businesses are still having a tough time.  But the numbers are beginning to indicate that some of the stresses may be abating.”

For its quarterly study, Equifax analyzes Chapter 7, 11 and 13 filings as well as its data on the more than 24 million small businesses in the U.S.  The company considers commercial enterprises with 100 employees or less as a small business.  

About Equifax (www.equifax.com)

Equifax empowers businesses and consumers with information they can trust. A global leader in information solutions, we leverage one of the largest sources of consumer and commercial data, along with advanced analytics and proprietary technology, to create customized insights that enrich both the performance of businesses and the lives of consumers.

With a strong heritage of innovation and leadership, Equifax continuously delivers innovative solutions with the highest integrity and reliability. Businesses – large and small – rely on us for consumer and business credit intelligence, portfolio management, fraud detection, decisioning technology, marketing tools, and much more. We empower individual consumers to manage their personal credit information, protect their identity, and maximize their financial well-being.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax Inc. operates in the U.S. and 14 other countries throughout North America, Latin America and Europe. Equifax is a member of Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500(R) Index. Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EFX.

LEXINGTON, Ky. and LOS ANGELES  (Profitable.com)  Today from the Adobe MAX conference, Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) is calling on third-party developers to expand the company’s offering of all-in-one (AIO) printer-based applications for small and medium businesses (SMBs) and to publish them on Lexmark’s SmartSolutions Center, for users to download to their Lexmark AIOs. SmartSolutions are increasingly popular among business users looking to save time and money.

“Last year, Lexmark introduced three AIOs that let small business customers  take their devices way beyond printing by enabling them to download and customize cloud-based and other applications, which we call SmartSolutions, that save them time and money,” said Paul Rooke, Lexmark executive vice president and president of its Imaging Solutions Division. “By opening our SDK to developers, Lexmark can build and provide a more dynamic and robust library of SmartSolutions to enable customers to better manage the constant flow and mix of hardcopy and digital content that co-exists in today’s modern office.”

Lexmark is now soliciting developers who have a strong background in developing Web applications using Adobe® Flash® technology. To register to participate and begin creating new SmartSolutions using the SDK, go to Lexmark’s Solutions Development page.

Additionally, Lexmark today is announcing the newest SmartSolution, Google Analytics, which analyzes and reports on Web traffic right from the AIO. Google Analytics will be available for download early next month.

Other current SmartSolutions include applications that range from one touch solutions such as scan to e-mail and eco-copy, to Google Calendar, Stamps.com shipping, Twitter, Scan to Evernote, TripIt, Scan to Box and Facebook. For a complete list of Lexmark SmartSolutions, click here.

For more information, see the “Lexmark” Facebook page, the “LexmarkNews” Twitter feed, or the “LexmarkNews” YouTube channel.

About Lexmark

Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) provides businesses of all sizes with a broad range of printing and imaging products, software, solutions and services that help them to be more productive. In 2009, Lexmark sold products in more than 170 countries and reported approximately $4.0 billion in revenue. Learn how Lexmark can help you get more done at www.lexmark.com.

Lexmark and Lexmark with diamond design are trademarks of Lexmark International, Inc., registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.  Adobe and Flash are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CHICAGO  (Profitable.com)  Orbitz for Business, the corporate travel business of Orbitz Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: OWW), today unveiled new tools that give travel managers and senior business leaders the ability to provide increased traveler security and ensure greater business continuity while mitigating the financial exposure caused by unexpected global events.  With the launch of Traveler Limit(SM), travel administrators can now restrict the number of employees or company officials that book on any single flight.  Additionally, the Orbitz for Business Traveler Locator(SM) enables companies to quickly search for, identify and communicate with travelers impacted by unforeseen travel disruptions, such as natural disasters, labor strikes, and civil/political unrest.  

Employee safety and security policy management continue to be top of mind for travel managers and administrators.  And according to a recent National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Foundation study of its membership, the financial impact of disruptions like the Icelandic volcanic eruption can be significant.  The study found that the resulting ash cloud caused 5,600 meetings to be cancelled, impacted 310,000 travelers and cost the surveyed companies more than $367 million collectively*.  

“At Orbitz for Business, our customers tell us that employee safety and business continuity are increasingly important components of their travel programs,” said Frank Petito, president, Orbitz for Business.  ”It’s critical to know where your travelers are at any given time, and be able to reach them immediately in the wake of unforeseen disruptions.  Orbitz for Business Traveler Locator is designed to be a travel manager’s first response tool, where Orbitz for Business Traveler Limit provides a proactive, preventative measure that mitigates the safety and financial exposure for a single flight.  All managed travel programs, regardless of size or scope, can benefit from having these tools in place.”

Traveler Limit(SM) ensures that all flights booked through Orbitz for Business are compliant with company policy. Travel managers and administrators can now restrict the number of employees or company officials that can make a reservation on any single flight before it is booked.  These policy restrictions can be set by individual group leaders and/or instituted as a company-wide policy.  The tool also automatically reviews codeshare flights against travel policies to ensure all flights are treated the same, regardless of the operating or marketing airline.  Previously, travel managers were forced to manually identify at-risk flights, often incurring change or cancel fees, in order to mitigate their company’s financial exposure.  

The Traveler Locator(SM) search tool makes it easier to identify and more quickly communicate with both pre-travel and in-transit employees by giving travel managers comprehensive search capabilities and detailed reservation tracking.  Once located, travel managers and approved arrangers can send an individual or mass e-mail to impacted employees through their customized Orbitz for Business interface.

Traveler Limit(SM) and Traveler Locator(SM) are now available for all Orbitz for Business customers.

*NBTA Foundation Iceland Volcanic Ash Cloud Member Survey, April 2010

About Orbitz for Business

Orbitz for Business (http://www.orbitzforbusiness.com) is the corporate travel brand of Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW).  Launched in 2002, Orbitz for Business offers a complete portfolio of travel products and services that help corporate customers plan, search and book business travel. Orbitz for Business leverages the Orbitz Worldwide technology platform, customized for corporate travelers. In addition to its leading technology, Orbitz for Business delivers full service, cost effective travel management solutions including 24×7 customer support; expense reporting and policy management tools; and comprehensive choice in travel inventory.

About Orbitz Worldwide

Orbitz Worldwide is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to research, plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com), RatesToGo (www.ratestogo.com) and the Away Network (www.away.com).  Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Worldwide Distribution (http://corp.orbitz.com/partnerships/distribution) delivers private label travel solutions to a broad range of partners including many of the world’s largest airlines, and Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed corporate travel solutions for corporations. For more information on partnership opportunities with Orbitz Worldwide, visit corp.orbitz.com.  Orbitz Worldwide uses its Investor Relations website to make information available to its investors and the public at http://www.orbitz-ir.com. You can sign up to receive email alerts whenever the company posts new information to the website.

SEATTLE  (Profitable.com)  Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) today announced the expansion of its Starbucks Card Mobile payment test to nearly 300 company-operated stores in New York City, and Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. This builds on the successful launch of Starbucks Card Mobile App for select BlackBerry® smartphones, iPhone® and iPod® touch, and the Starbucks mobile payment test which started in fall 2009. Now, Starbucks next mobile move will offer customers in the New York City area an enhanced Starbucks Experience, including the ease and convenience of paying for their favorite Starbucks® beverage with their mobile phone.

“Mobile technology is part of our customers’ daily routine and with the expansion of mobile payment in our test cities, we’re seeing more and more customers using their smartphones as their mobile wallets,” said Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Loyalty. “We’ve heard from our customers on My Starbucks Idea that they want a faster, more convenient way to pay. Now we’re inviting customers in New York City and Long Island to experience mobile payment and the fastest way to pay at Starbucks. Mobile is just one of the ways we continue to innovate and enhance the experience for our customers.”

In response to customer feedback, the Starbucks Card Mobile App was first developed for select BlackBerry smartphones and iPhone as these devices are used by more than 71 percent of Starbucks smartphone-carrying customers. To experience mobile payment at participating New York City-area Starbucks, customers just need to download the free Starbucks Card Mobile App on their supported BlackBerry smartphone, iPhone or iPod touch. In addition to the mobile payment feature, the app allows customers to manage their card account, reload their card balance directly from their smartphone with a major credit card, check their My Starbucks Rewards status, or find nearby Starbucks stores. With the Starbucks Card Mobile App, customers will have a barcode on their screen that they’ll hold in front of a 2-D scanner on the counter to pay for their purchase.

The expansion of mobile payment into New York City builds on the successful test program currently in 16 stores in Seattle and Northern California and at more than 1000 Starbucks in U.S. Target stores. The overall Starbucks Card program is experiencing impressive growth and performance, and currently almost one in five of all in-store transactions are paid for with a Starbucks Card, an activity made even more convenient with the introduction of Starbucks Card Mobile App. Customers are on track to load more than $1 billion on Starbucks Cards this year, and at the end of the third quarter, sales of cards were up 17 percent over last year and the reload on existing cards was up more than 59 percent compared to last year.

“With the expansion of mobile payment to New York City, we expect to see more and more customers trading their plastic Starbucks Cards for the digital version on their mobile phone. In addition to the payment capability, customers can also keep track of their My Starbucks Rewards status and reload their card while they are on the way to Starbucks or in line,” said Brewer. “Expanding our mobile footprint gives our customers a new way to connect with Starbucks on the go and transforms the way customers experience their Starbucks Card through the mobile app.”

iPhone and iPod touch users can download the app from the App Store at www.itunes.com/appstore/. BlackBerry smartphone users can text the word “GO” to 70845 or visit http://http//www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/mobile-apps/starbucks-card-mobile-bb from their device. It’s available for a variety of BlackBerry smartphones including BlackBerry® 8800 series; BlackBerry® Bold series; BlackBerry® Curve™ series; BlackBerry® Storm™; BlackBerry® Storm2 and BlackBerry® Tour.

Visit www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/mobile-apps for more information about the Starbucks Card Mobile app and payment system for supported BlackBerry smartphones and Apple® iPhone®, iPod® touch.

About Starbucks Corporation

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest-quality arabica coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. Apple, iPhone and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Apple, iPhone and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  (Profitable.com)  Accidents do happen, but many times the incident could have been prevented when it is a result of prescription drug abuse.

According to the American Council for Drug Education, more than 70 percent of substance abusers hold a job, which increases their risk of work related injury to them or others.  While this statistic includes abuse of both legal and illegal drugs, Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic testing company, reported the use of prescription opiates by American workers and job applicants has increased by 40% since 2005.

The Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (FSIPP), the group behind The Pain Truth, a statewide educational campaign dedicated to fighting prescription drug abuse; wants to educate employers and employees on ways to help reduce the risk of accidents precipitated by prescription addiction.

FSIPP pain physicians, located throughout the state, have drawn up some recommendations to help employers and employees raise awareness of prescription drug abuse in the workplace.

For Employers

• Provide materials that will educate employees on the harmful effects of prescription drug abuse.
• Be sure to have clearly stated rules in place outlining the disciplinary actions should prescription drug abuse be present in the workplace.
• Train managers, human resource personnel, and others to identify and handle substance abusers.
• Look for abuse among the workforce; some signs of abuse include increased absences, decreased productivity and involvement in accidents both on and off the job.

For Employees

• Take responsibility – whether legal or otherwise, prescription pills do have side effects so be sure to be aware of the implications for both employee and employers if accidents do occur.
• If affected by prescription drug addiction, take advantage of the programs and information available.

“Being under the influence of prescription drugs can hinder an individual’s mindset especially when operating heavy machinery,” said Deborah Tracy, MD, president of FSIPP. “Safety and precaution are important first steps to take in order to start turning the tide on this current downward trend.”

About the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (FSIPP)

FSIPP is a not-for-profit organization whose members promote the development and practice of safe, high quality, cost-effective interventional pain management techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of pain and related disorders. Members are advocates for the health of their patients and uphold the high principles, policies, and practices of their medical specialty. They also pursue to educate all stakeholders about pain, pain management techniques, pain medications, and the credentials a qualified pain physician holds. FSIPP was an integral part in getting the Prescription Drug Monitoring Legislation passed in the state.

OCEANSIDE, Calif.  (Profitable.com)  One by one, the major players in the mortgage industry have put a freeze on foreclosures in the past several weeks. Bank of America, CitiMortgage, Chase, GMAC and PNC all have halted foreclosures – for now. What this means to homeowners possibly facing foreclosure and/or bankruptcy is that previously unattainable loan modifications may now become a long-awaited reality.

“This is truly a win-win for everyone,” says Matthew Smith, founder of ModPilot consumer guides. “The homeowners get to stay in their homes, and the bank turns a bad loan into a performing asset.” When banks offer loan modification agreements, he explains, they are opening up a stream of revenue for loans that had previously not been generating any interest income.

Homeowners can use this situation to their advantage, says Smith. Even homeowners who already have been turned down for a loan modification agreement may now be considered good candidates. “In fact,” he says, “this is exactly what happened in most of the cases affected by the foreclosure freeze now in effect. Now that the foreclosure option has been taken off the table in many areas, the banks are much more willing to work with borrowers to find some type of loan workout solution. We’re talking thousands of stalled transactions they want to get off the books.”

He warns homeowners previously rejected to make sure their applications are prepared and submitted correctly. Consumers should learn how to fill out application forms to ensure they meet approval criteria, Smith advises.

ModPilot is a program designed specifically for this purpose. The program was created by a team with more than 50 years of combined experience in the real estate and financial services. With ModPilot, the homeowner inputs his or her monthly income and bills, and all the calculations are done immediately and accurately.  

ModPilot packages – available for mortgages, auto loans and consumer credit card debt can save consumers thousands of dollars. “All of our systems,” says Smith, “are built to give consumers an edge in the negotiation process by giving them written best practices with their specific lender in mind and direct phone or email support from professional negotiators.”

To learn more about ModPilot, visit http://www.ModPilot.com

About the founder

Matthew Smith founded ModPilot to help his past mortgage clients quickly and efficiently modify their mortgages on their own terms according to their specific needs. Smith has been in the mortgage and homeowner advocate industries for more than a decade. His companies have funded more than $1 billion in loans and helped thousands of clients obtain and maintain the American dream of homeownership.

Contact:
 
Matthew Smith
ModPilot(TM) Inc.
760-543-0219

ARMONK, N.Y.  (Profitable.com)  Holiday sales of consumer electronics and appliances in U.S. retail stores are expected to get an early start this year, with consumers spending a larger-than-usual share in November, according to an analytics-based forecast produced by IBM (NYSE: IBM). The findings have important ramifications for retailers preparing for their most important season of the year.

Proven to be accurate to 99 percent, the forecast relies on 19 years of historical data and sophisticated analytics software developed by IBM to analyze both long-term trends and seasonal peaks. IBM consultants use these predictive techniques to help clients improve performance by addressing complex issues of supply and demand. These techniques also aid clients in planning product mix and new store locations.

According to the forecast, sales of consumer electronics and appliances are predicted to total $10.164 billion this November, representing a four percent increase over November 2009. Consumer electronics is expected to total $8.688 billion with appliances coming in at $1.476 billion.

In December, sales of consumer electronics and appliances are predicted to total $13.800 billion, representing a four percent increase over December 2009. The December 2010 forecast breaks down as follows: $12.197 billion for consumer electronics and $1.603 billion for appliances.

Especially important is the forecast’s analysis of the change in sales from month to month, a strong predictor of relative strength. This year, the sales momentum going from October into November is expected to be much stronger than in previous years, while the momentum from November to December is forecast to be weaker than in the past.

“The forecast indicates that retailers should be ready for a robust Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” said Global Business Services partner and IBM retail analytics leader Michael Haydock, referring to the Friday and Monday following Thanksgiving. “Retailers that staff up and stock up for November and invest in advertising are likely to have a substantial advantage in the marketplace.”

Following is the month-to-month breakdown of the November/December forecast for consumer electronics and appliances (numbers in billions):

Retail electronics and appliances

Following is the month-to-month breakdown for consumer electronics only (numbers in billions):

Retail electronics

Following is the month-to-month breakdown for appliances only (numbers in billions):

Retail appliances

Haydock noted that disposable income, as reported by the U.S. Commerce Department is on the rise, as is the household savings rate, perhaps indicating pent-up consumer demand.

In producing the forecast, IBM uses economic data gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data is derived from a survey of retail store establishments engaged in electronics and appliances as their major line of business.  These store establishments are a representative sample and are not inclusive of all industry activity in this category. Products include TVs, cell phones, personal computers and tablet computers, radios and stereos, refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, and other devices.

For more information, visit www.ibm.com/gbs/bao.

WAYNE, N.J.  (Profitable.com)  Just in time for Christmas, Toys”R”Us, Inc. today announced new and enhanced multi-channel services to streamline the company’s in-store and online experience, helping time-strapped parents and gift-givers receive items more quickly, save on shipping costs and provide peace of mind about product availability.  Beginning next week, “R”Us® customers will have the ability to order from among thousands of items online and pick them up the same day in any Babies”R”Us® store nationwide* or in designated Toys”R”Us® stores in major U.S. markets from coast-to-coast.    

In addition, Toys”R”Us has expanded a number of services to help ensure items are available when and where customers want them.  Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us shoppers on the hunt for that special gift can now check product availability in stores nationwide or on Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com without ever leaving their homes.  ”R”Us store associates can also help locate sought-after gifts in nearby stores or order them online to be shipped to a customer’s home free of charge.

“We know that an increasing number of customers are using our e-commerce site not only to make purchases but to research products available in our stores, and we are pleased to offer streamlined services to help busy parents and gift-givers save time and shop more efficiently,” said Greg Ahearn, Senior Vice President, Marketing and e-commerce, Toys”R”Us, Inc. “These enhanced services let time-strapped shoppers know we will assist them in securing items they are searching for, from that special crib to welcome a newborn to that must-have gift at the top of a child’s wish list.”

Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store Offers Same-Day Access to Thousands of Products Online

Beginning Tuesday, October 26, online shoppers can begin to take advantage of Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store, giving them the ability to browse and shop for from thousands of items from the comfort of their own homes, while offering them the flexibility to pick up their purchases conveniently at the Guest Services desk at a nearby “R”Us store.  Appealing to customers who want to avoid shipping costs or those who simply need their items right away, Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store is a complimentary service and guarantees in-store access to more than 7,500 items within two hours of ordering.  

This service will be available at nearly 260 Babies”R”Us stores nationwide, as well as at targeted Toys”R”Us stores in major U.S. markets and metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle and Washington, D.C.  The company plans to expand Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store to include all Toys”R”Us locations nationwide by the middle of next year.

Items eligible for Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store will be indicated as such on their product pages on Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com.  Customers can enter their zip code to find the five nearest stores with inventory to determine where the item is available for pick up.  

The company will support the launch of Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store with a comprehensive marketing program inclusive of in-store signage, as well as print and online advertising.  

Additional Enhanced Services Help Busy Holiday Shoppers Locate Items at Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us with Ease

Beyond Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store, the company has enhanced a number of its cross-channel services to help customers locate and secure the gifts they seek:

• Find It In Stores – Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us customers have the ability to check whether their local stores have the in-demand product they’re searching for in-stock, with a few simple clicks of their mouse on Toysrus.com.  Once they choose an item and arrive at the product description page, customers can check for inventory at stores up to 50 miles from their home by clicking “Select a Store” and entering their zip code.  
• Place an Online Order from an “R”Us Store for Free Home Delivery – To accommodate customers who are already shopping in a Toys”R”Us or Babies”R”Us store that may be currently out-of-stock on a certain item, or the item they wish to purchase is available online only, store associates can determine availability of the item on the expanded catalog on Toysrus.com and have it shipped to the customer’s home – free of charge.**
• Locate Stock in a Nearby Store – Store associates can also locate inventory of out-of-stock items at a nearby store.  Depending on the customer’s preference and when they need the item, the product can either be sent to the customer’s home or placed on hold for same-day pickup at an alternate store.
• E-mail Notification When an Out-of-Stock Item on Toysrus.com Becomes Available Online – Online shoppers searching for that specific blue bike or Barbie doll to round out a little girl’s collection only to find that the item is temporarily out-of-stock on Toysrus.com can take advantage of the “Notify Me When Available” option.  By signing up for notification, the customer will receive an e-mail alert as soon as the item becomes available online for purchase.

Toysrus.com will offer free shipping deals throughout the holiday season.  For the most up-to-date information on free shipping offers and the services listed above, customers should check Toysrus.com.

* Does not include integrated stores.

** Some exclusions apply.

About Toys”R”Us, Inc.

Toys”R”Us, Inc. is the world’s leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. It currently sells merchandise in more than 1,560 stores, including 845 Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us stores in the United States, and more than 510 international stores and 200 licensed stores in 33 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brand’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com, FAO.com and babyuniverse.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys”R”Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.  (Profitable.com)  In its latest edition of the Application Usage and Risk Report, Palo Alto Networks™, the network security company, draws attention to several realities that typically fall outside of the approved enterprise communications mechanisms.  These applications can enhance business responsiveness and performance – but, conversely – introduce inbound risks such as malware and vulnerability exploits, and outbound risks such as data loss and inadvertent sharing of private or proprietary data. The report advocates for assigning an action to these saying, socializing and sharing applications, and fostering discussions and creating viable policies around acceptable use.

Now in its 6th edition, the Application Usage and Risk Report (October 2010) consists of real-world traffic from 723 organizations worldwide, and examines user and application trends in the enterprise. In its analysis, Palo Alto Networks identified several patterns related to users’ applications to collaborate with others. These applications were pervasive among these participating organizations, and can be summarized as “saying, sharing and socializing applications.” In fact, the applications present are in up to 96% of the participating organizations and consume nearly one-quarter of the overall bandwidth.

Saying: unmonitored, unchecked, and very risky

Saying applications, including webmail and instant messaging applications, are still being used in a largely unmonitored and uncontrolled manner, which introduces significant inbound and outbound risks. Palo Alto Networks found that all of these saying applications either hop ports or use fixed ports that are not TCP/80 or TCP/443, which means that these applications cannot be easily monitored to control the related business and security risks. Furthermore, 60% of the saying applications discovered are capable of transferring files, thus opening organizations up to data leakage and the delivery of malware via attachments.

Sharing: users have found a better way to move and broadcast data

Since 2008, browser-based file-sharing applications have steadily grown in popularity to the point where they are now used more frequently than P2P or FTP. Now seen in 96% of organizations, these applications simplify file sharing but can also be broadcast-oriented (similar to P2P) in their distribution model. Using RapidShare, MegaUpload, or MediaFire, users can now upload their content and allow it to be indexed by one of the many affiliated search engines.

Socializing: when at work, Facebookers are voyeurs

Traffic patterns of Facebook may contradict certain assumptions about its use in the workplace. The bulk of the traffic (88%) is users watching Facebook pages. The risks that voyeurism represent include a potential loss of productivity and the possibility of malware introduction by clicking on a link within someone’s “wall.” Comparatively speaking, usage of Facebook apps (including popular games such as FarmVille) only represents 5% of Facebook traffic. Facebook posting represents an even smaller 1.4% of the traffic, yet the small amount of use should not minimize the risks in terms of what users are saying about work-related subjects such as current projects, travel plans and company status.

“IT teams are looking for ways to retain control within their organization at a time when non-IT-supported projects are pervasive,” said Rene Bonvanie, vice president of worldwide marketing at Palo Alto Networks. “In fact, we’re starting to see more trending of IT teams themselves embracing more progressive enterprise applications, which is indicative of these disruptive forces at work.”

Cloud-based computing: adoption driven by users and IT?

Results indicate that IT organizations may be moving beyond debating the pros and cons of enterprise-class, cloud-based applications to actual deployment. The traffic usage patterns for select Microsoft and Google applications indicate both top-down and bottom-up adoption, especially in the last months. For example, enterprise versions of Google Docs and Gmail were found in 30% of the 723 participating organizations. In other words, the high use of “free” versions of the Google applications by the end-user may be forcing IT to consider these tools as licensed and fully supported alternatives–or replacements–for existing tools. As more tech-savvy users enter the workforce, their work patterns and requests for more application alternatives will likely accelerate the adoption of a wider range of enterprise-class applications.

Application and Threat Information

Information on the more than 1,100 applications that are identified by Palo Alto Networks can be found in Applipedia, part of the company’s Application and Threat Research Center. Visit the online resource to find the latest news, commentary, and discoveries on applications and threats at http://www.paloaltonetworks.com/researchcenter/.

To download the Application Usage and Risk Report (October 2010), please visit: http://www.paloaltonetworks.com/literature/forms/aur-report.php

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks™ is the network security company.  Its next-generation firewalls enable unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content – by user, not just IP address – at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID™ technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications – regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption – and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks, “The Network Security Company,” the Palo Alto Networks Logo and App-ID are trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States. All other trademarks, trade names or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.