FED:Young Aussies plan South Pole trek

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2011
FED:Young Aussies plan South Pole trek

Frostbite, hypothermia and extreme weight-loss are just some of the challenges two
Australians will face on their trek to the most remote place on earth.

29-year-old JAMES CASTRISSION and 28-year-old JUSTIN JONES are hoping to become the
first people to walk from the edge of the Antarctic to the South Pole and back again.

Their journey, which is expected to take three months and will cover over two-thousand
kilometres, will begin in 75 days.

Mr CASTRISSION says it's a massive undertaking and have been preparing for this for three years.

The duo isn't new to extreme adventures - in 2008 they made history when they became
the first people to kayak from Australia to New Zealand.

AAP RTV ct/klm/sw

KEYWORD: ANTARCTICA TREK (SYDNEY)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD:Qld parliament waits on Nuttall report

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2011
QLD:Qld parliament waits on Nuttall report

EDS: Reissuing, fixing Judy Spence's name in 4th par

By Jessica Marszalek

BRISBANE, April 6 AAP - Queensland MPs will wait until a committee's report to decide
whether corrupt former minister Gordon Nuttall will face the bar of parliament for his
actions.

Nuttall is serving 12 years' jail for perjury and receiving secret commissions from
several businessmen.

The Integrity, Ethics and Parliamentary Committee has recommended Nuttall be called
before the bar of parliament and explain why he should not be fined $72,000 for failing
to disclose the payments he was convicted of receiving.

Leader of the House Judy Spence on Wednesday told the parliament that since that recommendation,
Premier Anna Bligh had referred further payments between Nuttall and another business
man to the committee.

Ms Spence said it would be best to wait until the committee reported on the latest
referral so both cases could be acted on at the same time.

"I can assure members that the government would like this issue to be resolved as soon
as possible," she said.

Independent MP Rob Messenger had raised the matter in parliament on Tuesday, tabling
a letter from Nuttall that said the former minister was "ready, willing and able to be
granted the opportunity to be heard".

Mr Messenger said he visited Nuttall in jail on Monday and he was willing to appear
before parliament at the next sitting week, starting May 10.

The independent Burnett MP has previously said Nuttall has information about widespread
government corruption.

The government has not previously called Nuttall to face parliament because of legal
advice that said such a move could prejudice court proceedings against him and others
like businessman Harold Shand.

Shand was sentenced to 15 months' jail on Friday for making a corrupt payment to Nuttall.

AAP jmm/dep/tnf/nb

KEYWORD: NUTTALL (REISSUING)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Cookies recalled in allergy scare

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-2010
FED:Cookies recalled in allergy scare

Coles supermarkets has recalled cookies which have been sold without warnings that
they may contain nuts which can cause potentially fatal allergic reactions.

Coles says the Fresh Mars Cookies six-packs which are being recalled have "baked on/best
before" dates from October 25 to December 22.

Coles has warned people with peanut or tree nut allergies not to eat the cookies but
return them to their nearest Coles store for a full refund.

AAP RTV mdg/wjf/ar

KEYWORD: COOKIES (SYDNEY)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW:Coroner report prepared on bus crash

08-09-2010
NSW:Coroner report prepared on bus crash

SYDNEY, Aug 9 AAP - A report will be prepared for the coroner following a fatal collision
involving a bus and car at Maroubra on Sydney's eastern beaches.

a Mercedes bus and a White Nissan X-Trail collided head-on on Maroubra Road near Bunnerong
Road at about 6.45pm on Sunday.

The Nissan flipped onto its roof, trapping the driver, while the bus hit with a parked
car and mounted a gutter before coming to a stop.

The driver of the Nissan, a 38-year-old Matraville man, died at the scene, while the
bus driver, a 47-year-old man from Hurstville, was taken to St Vincents Hospital for treatment
of leg and pelvic injuries.

Two men and a woman, who were all passengers on the bus, sustained minor injuries and
were taken to hospitals.

Police urge anyone with information about the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

AAP lxs/ao

KEYWORD: BUS

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Couple fight for lives after losing girls in fiery smash

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2009
NSW: Couple fight for lives after losing girls in fiery smash

By Britt Smith and Andrew Drummond

SYDNEY, Dec 29 AAP - A NSW couple remains critically ill with burns after a relative
bravely dragged them from the flaming car wreck that killed their two young daughters.

The Ulladulla family, understood to have been travelling in convoy with other family
members who witnessed the crash, was nearing the end of their journey from Victoria when
they were hit by a fully laden diesel tanker about 4.40pm (AEDT) on Monday.

David Bridge, 45, is believed to have been behind the wheel of the Subaru Forester
when the crash occurred about 20km north of Batemans Bay on the Princes Highway.

He and his 40-year-old partner Debbie had suffered burns to about 80 per cent of their
bodies by the time they were pulled free.

The rescuer, hailed a hero along with three other passers-by, was unable to retrieve
the girls' bodies from the inferno.

"He burnt his hands trying to release the children from the car, and get their parents
out," Ambulance Service of NSW Illawarra district manager Wayne Dunlop said.

Mr Dunlop said the scene was tragic and distressing.

"Everyone knew there were two deceased in the vehicle, two young children at the time,
... even the bystanders there that actually pulled people out of the vehicles."

Police confirmed on Tuesday the sisters, aged 11 and 13, died on impact, along with
the 36-year-old Narellan Vale truck driver, identified in the media as Dave Carolan.

Mr Carolan reportedly left behind three young children, the youngest just two months old.

His employer, Cootes Transport, told Network Ten their other drivers were "very saddened
by the tragedy".

The incident also involved two other vehicles and injured four other people.

A spokeswoman for Royal North Shore Hospital, where Mr Bridge was taken by emergency
helicopter following the crash, said he was in a "particularly critical" condition with
"severe burn injuries".

She said he spent several hours in theatre before being returned to the hospital's
intensive care unit about 5pm (AEDT).

"They are doing everything they can but there is no certainty as to the outcome," she told AAP.

His partner was taken to Sydney's Concord Hospital where she is in a critical but stable
condition.

Police believe the truck drifted into oncoming traffic, but the accident has reignited
debate over whether the highway is safe.

The NSW opposition on Tuesday called on the federal government to step in after criticising
the state government for 15 years of funding neglect.

"That is ultimately playing a Russian roulette with people's lives," Opposition Leader
Barry O'Farrell told reporters.

Mr O'Farrell's comments were echoed by Shoalhaven Councillor Robert Miller, based at
Ulladulla, who said he was angry the poor state of the highway had cost more lives.

"This is two local girls who have died and it just highlights the lack of funding for
roads along the south coast," Mr Miller said.

NSW Transport Minister David Campbell said the government had spent more than $350
million on upgrade projects on the highway during the past five years.

He added that an extra $30 million had gone into a safety improvement program that
was completed in 2007.

"My thoughts go out to the family and friends," he said in a statement.

The crash took the NSW holiday road toll to 17.



(EDS: National road toll figures are for the period 0001 December 18 to 2359 January
3. Some states and territories have different periods.)

AAP bzs/hn/apm

KEYWORD: TOLL NSW WRAP

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Main stories in tonight's 1800 Seven News

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2009
Main stories in tonight's 1800 Seven News

SYDNEY, Aug 17 AAP - Highlights of tonight's Seven News at 1800.

- Treasury secretary Dr Ken Henry is warning of a second economic shockwave across
the globe despite confidence the Australian economy is on the right track.

- Childcare operators are warning parents they face the prospect of paying up to $3000
more per year if providers are forced to hire more staff.

- A father has blamed his mates after being caught speeding and drunk behind the wheel
with his two-year-old child in the car.

- NSW Roads Minister Michael Daley is considering an overhaul of L-plate qualification laws.

- 2dayFM's Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O return to the airwaves tomorrow after being
accused of not paying donations to a disabled boy.

- A gas explosion has burnt out windows in Sydney's south this afternoon.

- NSW could face tougher bushfire regulations after an interim report from the royal
commission into the Victorian bushfires was handed down.

- A former Strathfield mayor has been charged with trying to blackmail a colleague.

- A major fashion festival is getting underway in Martin Place tonight.

AAP wk

KEYWORD: MONITOR SEVEN 1800

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

SA: Former Salvation Army officer found guilty on sex offences

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2009
SA: Former Salvation Army officer found guilty on sex offences

A former Salvation Army officer has been found guilty of 13 child sex abuse offences.

In the South Australian Supreme Court .. 76 year old WILLIAM JOHN KEITH ELLIS was convicted
on seven counts of buggery and six counts of indecent assault.

The offences against four boys .. occurred at the Eden Park boys' home at Wistow in
the Adelaide Hills between September 1960 and June 1971.

ELLIS has been remanded on continuing bail for sentencing submissions on May 4.

AAP RTV tjd/ka

KEYWORD: ELLIS (ADELAIDE)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Queensland hospital airlift not unusual, Della Bosca says

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2008
NSW: Queensland hospital airlift not unusual, Della Bosca says

SYDNEY, Dec 3 AAP - NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca has defended the airlifting
of a NSW car crash victim to a Queensland hospital, saying transporting patients over
state borders is not unusual.

Georgie Batterson was flown 400km to Queensland's Gold Coast for emergency surgery
when no intensive care beds could be found for her in NSW hospitals.

The 56-year-old suffered critical injuries in a crash on the Pacific Highway near Kempsey
on the NSW mid-north coast on Saturday night.

She was taken to Kempsey Hospital, where a doctor on the Westpac Rescue helicopter
spent two hours calling hospitals in Sydney and Newcastle begging them to take the woman,
News Ltd said.

But no intensive care bed could be found in NSW and Mrs Batterson was eventually airlifted
to a private hospital on the Gold Coast.

She is now in an induced coma.

Mr Della Bosca said on Wednesday that airlifting NSW patients to other states was not unheard of.

"It is not unusual for emergency patients to be transported and cared for between jurisdictions
from time to time, (but) it is not an absolutely regular occurrence," he told Fairfax
Radio Network.

"We do the same for Queensland, the Capital Territory, and Victorian patients, and vice-versa.

"Let's ignore the idea of artificial boundaries on the map, let's look at the need
of the patients, that's what the doctors and nurses do, that's what we support, we've
got agreements in place for Queensland and Victoria and all systems to facilitate that."

Mr Della Bosca said he would investigate why it took so long to airlift Mrs Batterson
from Kempsey, and why doctors manually called hospitals to find a bed rather than use
the NSW Ambulance Service's Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.

Mrs Batterson's son Wayne said she was admitted to Kempsey Hospital around 7pm (AEDT),
but it was not until after midnight that she was finally airlifted to another hospital,
after two hours waiting on the tarmac.

"The trauma doctor that came on the Westpac chopper was on the phone most of the time
trying to find a bed for her (somewhere in NSW)," he told Fairfax Radio Network.

"He rang places about two or three times saying, `Can we please get her in? Can we
please get her in?

"That went on for easily one-and-a-half to two hours."

Mr Della Bosca said the delays were a concern.

"The delay appears inexplicable because the ambulance service does have a CAD assistance
system, which finds ICU beds or other specialist trauma beds much more quickly than doctors
or nurses on a ring-around," he said.

"I intend to find out in the next couple of hours why it was so that there was a manual
ring-around rather than use the ambulance system CAD, which may have found an ICU bed
in NSW, and may have certainly meant that Georgie could have got her treatment much more
quickly."

Mr Della Bosca said he empathised with the trauma experienced by the Batterson family,
including Georgie's husband Ian who suffered whiplash in the car accident and had to comfort
her during the five-hour wait.

But he defended the work of staff at Kempsey Hospital, saying they did "absolutely
the best they could".

"When someone is seriously injured like their mother and wife was, that is a terrible
thing to see," he said.

"I can only say all my advice is that the paramedics in that case handled the transfer
in difficult situations with the professionalism that we would expect of them."

AAP ab/wjf/ldj/bwl

KEYWORD: BATTERSON UPDATE

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Horse owners to launch class action over EI

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2008
Qld: Horse owners to launch class action over EI

By Evan Schwarten

BRISBANE, April 30 AAP - A Queensland law firm is preparing to launch a multi-million
dollar class action against the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) over
the horse flu outbreak.

More than 300 horse owners have already registered their interest in joining a class
action with Gold Coast-based law firm Atwood Marshall.

Lawyer Jeff Garrett said the action could not be launched until the findings of an
independent inquiry into last year's equine influenza (EI) outbreak are tabled in federal
parliament.

However, after hearing evidence presented to the inquiry that problems at Sydney's
Eastern Creek Quarantine Station were to blame for the outbreak, he expected the AQIS
to be the subject of any action.

"If the findings come out as we expect, I am sure that not long after that we are probably
going to have a number of court actions which will proceed," Mr Garrett said.

"If you look at the submissions of counsel assisting the inquiry, if they are accepted
or even 50 per cent of them are accepted, it's hard to imagine that AQIS are not going
to be in the firing line."

The total damages claim is yet to be determined but Mr Garrett estimated it could total
tens of millions of dollars.

The outbreak crippled the thoroughbred industry in Queensland and NSW and resulted
in losses estimated at more than $1 billion.

Mr Garrett said he expected thousands more horse owners to join the action once the
findings were made public.

He said the outbreak had a "huge" impact on many of his clients.

"There's been people who have been completely devastated by it - right across the board
there's just been complete devastation and widespread losses," Mr Garrett said.

AAP ews/pjo/jm/bwl

KEYWORD: STALLIONS LAWSUIT

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Circus elephant crushes person at Yamba on NSW north

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2007
NSW: Circus elephant crushes person at Yamba on NSW north

A person has died after being crushed by a circus elephant at Yamba on the New South
Wales north coast.

MORE RTV pc/hn/wz

KEYWORD: ELEPHANT (SYDNEY)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Main stories in tonight's 1800 Seven News

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2007
Main stories in tonight's 1800 Seven News

SYDNEY, Aug 19 AAP - Highlights of tonight's Seven News at 1800.

- Rudd admits to strip club jaunt

- Canberra calls for tougher rules for mortgage lenders.

- NSW police Commissioner Ken Moroney wants car hoons to see the consequences of their accidents.

- Parts of NSW slipping back into drought.

- Littering on the rise in Sydney.

AAP gst

KEYWORD: MONITOR SEVEN 1800

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Tas: Greens call for corruption probe into proposed mill

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2007
Tas: Greens call for corruption probe into proposed mill

By Glenn Cordingley

HOBART, April 3 AAP - Tasmania's Greens want an independent corruption watchdog to
investigate alleged dodgy dealings over a proposed $2 billion pulp mill, amid claims timber
giant Gunns is "running the state".

Tasmania's upper house president, independent MP Don Wing, says a lawyer for Gunns
Ltd was involved in preparing government legislation to fast-track through parliament
the assessment of its controversial mill plan.

Mr Wing said the Gunns lawyer did not say whether he had been directly involved in
drafting the bill.

The legislation introduced by Premier Paul Lennon will bypass the independent Resource
Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) and replace it with a government-appointed
consultant.

The legislation was drafted after Gunns complained the RPDC process was taking too
long and costing it too much money.

But accusations that a Gunns lawyer was involved in preparing the bill have raised
questions about the timber giant's influence over the Labor government.

"Well, our concern is that it's really got to the point where Gunns are running the
state," Tasmania Greens leader Peg Putt said.

"They're in the driving seat and the government's simply acting as the navigator for
Gunns, the go-between, doing their work," she told ABC radio.

Ms Putt said the entire legislative process had been made murky by a lack of transparency.

"We need an ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) style body to look into
the concerns about the government's relationship with Gunns," she told AAP.

"This time the allegations are that Gunns lawyers were actively involved in drawing
up parts of the controversial fast-track assessment legislation, particularly given that
Gunns and the government are stonewalling about whether that actually occurred.

"Clearly, they are not saying it didn't occur. They are protecting themselves and there
is nowhere else to go in Tasmania."

State treasurer Michael Aird said Gunns' involvement in the bill was "absolutely appropriate".

"It was no greater ... than anyone else in terms of a similar piece of legislation," he said.

"They had no greater influence over government ... it's a government bill.

"It was a government legislation, and Gunns have not had any preferential treatment
at all in the development of this bill."

Mr Aird dismissed calls from the Greens to establish an ICAC-style body.

"Look, we have very strong probity processes in this state.

"We have an independent police service. We have an independent auditor-general and
we have an independent Director of Public Prosecutions.

"We are quite capable through the independence of those areas to ensure that everything
is done in a totally proper way."

The legislation is due to return to Tasmania's House of Assembly on April 17, when
it is expected to become law.

The pulp mill proposal will then go to the federal government for assessment and final approval.

Greens Senator for Tasmania, Christine Milne, said Gunns had referred the project to
the federal government, ticking the "no significant environmental impact" box in its report,
which she says makes a farce of the process.

Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull has until May 3 to decide whether the
proposal will have a significant impact on the environment.

"Minister Turnbull must recognise that a project which requires up to 4.5 million tonnes
of forest each year, and which dumps 26 billion litres of effluent into the Bass Strait
every year, has a very significant environmental impact," Senator Milne said.

AAP grc/dk/cjh/sp

KEYWORD: PULP

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: AWB expected to lose monopoly marketing powers

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2006
Fed: AWB expected to lose monopoly marketing powers

By Robin Pash

CANBERRA, Dec 3 AAP - Federal cabinet is set to sign off on a plan to strip AWB of
its key monopoly powers, but a broader overhaul of wheat marketing is unlikely before
next year.

Prime Minister John Howard is understood to be leaning towards a model pushed by West
Australian Liberal backbencher Wilson Tuckey which would see AWB lose its prized right
to veto bulk export applications by other companies.

Cabinet will consider options tomorrow before taking a blueprint to the coalition joint
party room on Tuesday.

Mr Howard made it clear last week that the single desk for wheat exports would be revamped
in the wake of the damning findings of the Cole report on AWB's payment of $290 million
in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Mr Tuckey, who has prepared a private member's bill that would hand AWB's veto power
to the Wheat Export Authority (WEA), said he was hopeful cabinet would approve changes
that give growers some certainty - at least in the short term.

"I would imagine that in protecting its own integrity the government must remove the
veto rights and the other privileges extended to AWB," he told AAP.

His bill will be introduced to parliament only if West Australian Liberal MPs and others
in the party pushing for change find the prime minister's package unacceptable.

Other key changes the MPs are seeking include removing AWB's exemption from the Trade
Practices Act, along with the company's exemption from applying for an export licence.

The proposed changes have exposed deep divisions on the issue between the Liberals
and the Nationals.

The Nationals are insisting on keeping the veto power with the single desk holder,
but the Liberals favour handing the veto to the WEA and opening the system to multiple
export licences.

Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Mark Vaile today maintained his strong defence
of the current single desk structure, but acknowledged there were "extreme points of view"

in the coalition about the way forward.

The single desk had given Australian growers an edge in a world market distorted by
the huge subsidies paid by the European Union and the United States, he said.

"The structure that we've had in place has served the industry very, very well," Mr
Vaile told Sky News.

Mr Tuckey said if the general principles of change were agreed on this week, other
details - like the restructuring of the WEA - could be worked out in the new year.

But change would still have to occur quickly, he said, with early March the deadline
for most growers to decide on planting for the next season.

"The industry needs to have an absolutely clear view by then," he said.

"I think that opens the opportunity, nevertheless, in terms of the Wheat Export Authority,
for there to be some consultation over Christmas with the various interest groups as to
how it might function."

Removing AWB's veto power in the next week could allow WA grain handler CBH to revive
its plan to ship two million tonnes of wheat to its flour mills in South-East Asia at
prices around $20 a tonne better than those on offer from AWB.

The company's application for an export licence was vetoed by AWB last month.

AAP rp/cjh/de

KEYWORD: AWB NIGHTLEAD

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

National Newslist for Thursday, April 26

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2006
National Newslist for Thursday, April 26
nBRISBANE:
- Beattie says Qld growth rates necessitates two new dams, despite environmental concerns.

- Animal liberationists get naked at World Meat Congress in Brisbane.

- Peter Beattie at opening of new Xstrata coal mine in central Qld.

- Preferred tenderer to build a major traffic tunnel under Brisbane River to be announced.

- Conference hears that a lot of health workers don't wash their hands.

- More on stalking trial of mother who wanted to have sex with her daughter's school principal.

PERTH:
- Man in court after becoming the first West Australian charged under the state's new
cyber laws designed to catch people who prey on children online.

AAP jlw

KEYWORD: NATIONAL NEWSLIST

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day (1 November). Germany and England began celebrating a feast of all martyrs and saints on 1 November in the 8th century, instead of on 13 May, as was done in Rome; eventually the rest of Western Christendom also adopted the November date. Although in itself a joyous festival, it was also the eve of All Souls' Day, so in medieval times it became customary to pray for the dead on this date. At dusk, torchlit processions and church vigils were held, and bells were rung till midnight. At the Reformation the custom was forbidden, but many people were defying the ban and ringing church bells as late as the 1580s. Later still, in the 18th and early 19th centuries, some villagers in Lancashire and Derbyshire would light small fires in the fields at midnight on All Saints' Day, to see in All Souls, and kneel round them to pray for their dead.

This date falls between Halloween and All Souls, so in those areas around Shropshire and Staffordshire where souling was prevalent, All Saints did not have a separate identity but was swamped by these other two festivals. In other areas, however, a range of customs took place on this day, though none of them seems to be widespread, or at least widely reported. At Goadby (Leicestershire) in the 18th century, a children's bonfire custom is recorded. In Derbyshire it was customary to strew flowers on the graves of departed loved ones. In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight special cakes were made and eaten. A 19th-century love divination is reported from Worcestershire as special to All Saints' Day: ‘A young woman took a ball of new worsted and holding it in her fingers, threw the ball through the open window at midnight, saying “Who holds?” It was assumed that her future husband would pick up the worsted, mention his name, and disappear’ (N&Q for Worcestershire (1856), 190).

See also HALLOWEEN, ALL SOULS' DAY, and SOULING.

Bibliography

Wright and Lones , 1940: iii. 121–37.

Ex-Sox Parque comes clean on his own terms

Jim Parque could have crawled into a hole Mark McGwire-style and nobody would have gone looking for him.

A pitcher with a 31-34 career record and 5.42 ERA doesn't warrant much attention on the 'roid witch hunt that has gone on in the last four years. It would have been easy to forget about Parque - a 33-year-old former left-handed starter for the White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays - even after his name popped up in the Mitchell Report. But Parque doesn't want to fade away. He doesn't want to live with his dirty secret anymore. No one's asking, but he's telling. And he doesn't just want the world to know that he used human-growth hormone when he was drawing a major-league paycheck, he wants us to know why and - it's frightening to learn the truth - how. These days, there no longer is shock value to learning someone juiced. The shock is that Parque is choosing to come clean on his own terms. He's not writing a book for a buck or being pushed to the podium by a team Andy Pettitte-style to ease the daily pressure from the media. What stands out in his story today is how a UCLA-educated man - one of the more intelligent players on any of his teams - could do something so stupid and careless. We hear stories about major-leaguers juicing and it's easy to assume they know what they are doing. Parque makes it clear this is basically a back-alley operation that carries more dangers than simply failing a drug test. The former first-round pick by the White Sox chose to accept an unmarked package of needles - big enough ''for an elephant,'' he said - and vials of human-growth hormone that, even though they didn't look like the stuff he had researched on the Internet, he injected anyway. Six times he did this while trying to keep a job with the Rays. Parque got the desired results, feeling stronger with a little more life on his usually lifeless fastball and bouncing back quicker from his intense workouts. Even the constant pain in his shoulder seemed to vanish. But there was a side effect he didn't expect: guilt. ''The euphoric feelings that HGH provided were false and clouded my ability to think clearly,'' he wrote. ''Kids should learn from my poor and unethical decisions, as everything steamrolls downhill when one enters into the world of drugs.'' There is no reason to doubt Parque's claims. Yes, he lied to the Sun-Times the day the Mitchell Report was released. That's the major-leaguer in him. Alex Rodriguez lied about using performance-enhancing drugs - so did Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa and Manny Ramirez. Parque was just going with the flow. Parque should have cleared the air when the Mitchell Report was released Dec. 13, 2007. There he was, beginning on Page 223. Mitchell, in his report on performance-enhancing drugs to commissioner Bud Selg, even included two checks written by Parque to Kirk Radomski, the former New York Mets ''clubbie'' who was one of the major suppliers of PEDs to major-leaguers and a key witness in Mitchell's investigation. As Mitchell noted in his report, Radomski said he made two sales of human-growth hormone to Parque. There was no reason to doubt Radomski. Why would he make up a story about a relatively obscure player? But Parque, who refused to be interviewed by Mitchell and his team of investigators, denied the allegation, telling the Sun-Times the day the report was released: ''I pitched a few years in the major leagues. I worked hard, worked the right way. I'm not the guy that holds records or said, 'Look at me.' If there is evidence out there, show me. All I see is a guy I don't even know trying to save his own ass.'' End of story. In Chicago, there was more interest in the Mitchell Report fallout of another former White Sox lefty, Scott Schoeneweis, having six shipment of steroids delivered directly to Comiskey Park during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Parque was lost in that shuffle. When he made comebacks in 2004 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in 2007 with the Seattle Mariners, there was no way Parque was going to reveal his secret. After he retired, he would be left alone by the public. Parque knows he has opened himself up to possible questions from investigators and nasty looks from former teammates. He doesn't care. He wants you to know why major-leaguers make the choices they make. He's not alone when it comes to juicing. He is alone when it comes to coming clean on his own terms.

Sprint PCS, Yahoo Reach Accord on Internet Services.

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jun. 3 -- Sprint PCS said Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with the country's No. 1 Internet search service, Yahoo Inc., to provide Yahoo Web content and services to its wireless subscribers by the fourth quarter of 1999.

Under the agreement, Sprint will deliver reformatted Yahoo services -- including e-mail, calendars, news, sports scores, weather and horoscopes -- over wireless telephone displays.

Company officials said that all new phones it sold would be ready to receive and display data, and that most customers would be able to upgrade their existing phones to get the services. Prices for the services have not been determined.

"Yahoo is one of a series of deals that we'll do for access to information," said Andrew Sukawaty, president of Sprint PCS. "This is the first step to open access to all services on the Internet."

All wireless providers are racing to bundle wireless data with their existing voice services. Most require substantial upgrades to their networks before they can offer data speeds that will be acceptable for regular users of wire-line Internet connections.

But by 2004, as technology improves and handheld devices get cheaper, more people could access the Internet by handheld mobile terminals than wire-line connections, according to the ARC Group, based in the United Kingdom.

In the meantime, most wireless companies are introducing short text messaging, headlines, e-mail and introductory content such as Yahoo.

Later this year, Sprint expects to introduce a service that will let customers access the Internet, corporate networks or their e-mail at speeds up to 14.4 kilobits per second by using their wireless phone as a standalone browser or a modem for their laptop or handheld device.

"People want to access a uniform set of data wherever they are," Sukawaty said. "This really says to PCS customers that their wireless devices can be used to access the Internet in a big way."

Visit The Kansas City Star, Mo., on the World Wide Web at http://www.kcstar.com/

GTD-based Task Manager for Android and Web ActionComplete Adds Recurring Tasks, Enhances Email Integration.

Centreville, VA (PRWEB) June 28, 2011

ActionComplete for Web has just received a major feature update. Now the web application handles recurring tasks and sports full-fledged email integration.

A user can create a task that repeats every specified number of days, on particular days of the week, or on a chosen day of the month. The recurrence can be unlimited or have a specified end date. A popup or email reminder can be automatically setup for every new occurrence of the task.

Email integration comprises several nifty features: email reminders, Nag me (TM) reminders, sending tasks to ActionComplete via email, and checking off tasks by email.

Email reminders are sent out at the time specified by the user. An email reminder is a vehicle that can be used to check off the corresponding task. It's as simple as replying to the reminder, typing the word "done" in the body, and hitting Send button.

Nag me (TM) is a smart opt-in email reminder system that automatically notifies a user about the tasks that haven't been touched for 30 days or more. Nag me (TM) is yet one more effective way to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

It's easy to send tasks to ActionComplete via email. Every user has a special ActionComplete email address that can be used to send in new tasks and check off existing tasks. The details of setting up and using email integration features are described in the user manual.

At the core of ActionComplete is management of four types of tasks: Actions (next actions in GTD parlance), Waits (Waiting for), Projects, and Ideas (Someday/Maybe).

The tasks can be assigned three types of metadata: tags, people, and places. Together the metadata form a context that can be easily filtered upon.

People are Google Contacts and the contact record linked to a task can be readily accessed right from ActionComplete applications for Android phones.

Places in ActionComplete allow to attach location context to the tasks. Vicinity view available in ActionComplete for Android shows the tasks that can be done nearby and suggests geographical features with names similar to ActionComplete place names. E.g. if there are tasks linked to places "WalMart" and "Starbucks" the Vicinity view will show all nearby WalMarts and Starbucks. From there one can view the Google map of a particular location and use a wide array of functions provided by Google Maps such as GPS-based navigation and user reviews.

ActionComplete for Web is a rich Internet application. It features sophisticated user interface characteristic of desktop applications while being available via a browser from any Internet-connected computer, notebook, netbook, or tablet.

ActionComplete for Web is sold for $19.99/year. When a user first signs in to the application, he/she is issued a license that allows access to the full product for 7 days.

ActionComplete for Android provides ActionComplete functionality on the go. It leverages a number of smartphone hardware features, such as location awareness and voice input, to enrich user experience and provide unique application features.

ActionComplete for Android supports voice entry for tasks. ActionComplete not only allows one to say the task name. It also understands places, due dates, and reminder times. E.g. saying "paper towels at walmart or target" will produce a task "paper towels" and link it to places "walmart" and "target" creating them as needed. One can also say something like "call john on March 5 at 1430". That will create a task "call john", assign it due date of March 5, and create a reminder on March 5 at 2:30PM.

ActionComplete for Android comes with a configurable widget that can be setup to show Actions, Waits, Projects, or Ideas. The widget allows the same operations as the main application right from the phone home screen.

It can be used as a standalone application or together with ActionComplete for Web.

ActionComplete for Android can be purchased at Android Market for $4.99.

For more information on ActionComplete products please visit actioncomplete.com.

About ActionComplete LLC

ActionComplete LLC develops and markets ActionComplete suite of GTD-based productivity applications for Android(TM) smartphones and the web. ActionComplete LLC is based in Centreville, VA.

# # #

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/actioncomplete/news/prweb8598640.htm

DAUGHTERS VANISH, FAMILIES DESPAIR.(News)

Byline: Christine Clarridge; Seattle Times staff reporter

Perhaps Marizela Perez is hiding out somewhere, gathering the courage to tell her parents she dropped out of chemistry, switched her major to art and got a tattoo.

At least that's what her parents hope.

The alternatives, say Jasmin and Edgar Perez, are too horrible to accept.

Marizela, an 18-year-old University of Washington freshman, was seen leaving a Safeway store on Brooklyn Avenue Northeast on March 5. She has not been seen since.

Police and her relatives say there was no evidence of an abduction, no note left by Marizela, no indication of what may have happened to the only child, whom her father called "the center of our family."

Her relatives filed a police report and put up hundreds of fliers, held fundraisers, created Facebook pages, hired a private investigator, searched woods and parks with teams of trained dogs and even had the case featured twice on television's "America's Most Wanted." Marizela's cousin, conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, has written about the disappearance in her nationally syndicated column and on the website www.findmarizela.com.

Still, nothing.

Their frustration mounting, Marizela's family believes Seattle police could be doing more to find the missing woman. But they have also learned what other families in similarly heartbreaking situations face: There are few resources devoted to finding missing adults and limited avenues for law enforcement to pursue when there's no evidence of foul play.

"It is not a crime for an adult to go missing," said Luci Stewart, manager of the State Patrol's missing and unidentified persons unit.

People over the age of 18 are legal adults and have rights to privacy that often supersede the desire of families to track down information on their whereabouts, said a spokesman for the King County Sheriff's Office.

Moreover, without evidence of a crime, police often cannot obtain a search warrant to compel Internet and cellphone companies to release information on a user's account.

This particular fact has rankled Marizela's family, who believe her email, social media and cellphone accounts could hold vital -- and time-sensitive -- information on her location.

Malkin says she was shocked to learn that parents lose access to such basic information once a child turns 18. Additionally, she said, she believes there is little coordination, cooperation or consistency among local, state and federal investigative agencies when it comes to investigating missing adults.

"When you have a child missing, you have Amber Alerts and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, but there is no public national database for missing adults," Malkin said. "It's a gray area, but as a parent you know that regardless of age, they are still your child."

At the least, she said, she would like to see Washington adopt alert programs used in other states that publicize information about missing adults who are vulnerable, elderly, disabled or suicidal.

Seattle police spokesman Mark Jamieson said he understands the family's frustration but said police don't have the resources to investigate every missing-person case as a potential criminal case.

"If we had indications this person was abducted or kidnapped, it would be a higher priority and there would be more resources and coordination, but we don't have that," he said.

Thousands of cases

According to the State Patrol, there are about 20,000 missing-persons cases reported in Washington each year. Seattle police alone receive around 1,700 missing-persons cases a year.

The majority of those cases are teens and young adults who run away from juvenile-rehabilitation centers and foster homes. Most of them go home or get caught, police said. Many others are people with mental-health or addiction issues.

"Their lifestyles can result in more danger, and some do end up as victims of crimes," Stewart said.

Then there are the stories of people who walk away from their old lives to the great disbelief of their families.

Sgt. John Urquhart, King County sheriff's spokesman, cites the case of a SeaTac man who disappeared a few years ago.

Nicholas Francisco was reported missing on February 2008 by his then-wife of seven years, who was expecting the couple's third child. Francisco's car was found abandoned in Federal Way. His wife insisted that her devoutly religious husband would never abandon their family and that she feared foul play. She criticized investigators who, without evidence of a crime, were unable to obtain Francisco's cellphone records.

Less than two years later, Francisco was found living in California under another name.

Retracing steps

There were 18 new cases on his desk when Seattle police Detective David Ogard first learned of Marizela's disappearance on March 7. Over the next three days while he worked on her case exclusively, an additional 30 cases came into the department's two-member missing-persons unit, he said.

An initial check with her bank indicated that no transactions had posted since March 3, two days before her disappearance, he said, and an abduction seemed possible.

Ogard said he spent hours retracing her steps and searching video surveillance of Sound Transit's light rail. He learned that she had purchased items at the U District Safeway. The store's surveillance video shows Marizela, 5-feet-5 and slender with an asymmetrical bob, walking out of the store and heading north. Her parents said police told them that Marizela bought orange juice, trash bags, Tylenol and an over-the-counter sleeping aid from the Safeway at around 2:20 p.m.

Marizela had been diagnosed with depression after her grandfather died and had been prescribed medication to treat it, her parents said. She was far from home, having moved from New Jersey to live with her aunt and uncle and attend college in Seattle. Shortly before her disappearance, Marizela had been distressed about a recent breakup with her boyfriend, they said.

But, her parents said, she had been happier over the first week of March, something they took to mean she had gotten over the worst of her post-breakup blues.

Marizela's parents doted on their daughter. They indulged her talent for shopping and her love of shoes, allowing her to amass a prized collection of 48 pairs of Converse sneakers.

They also guarded her welfare rigorously, keeping her on a toddler's leash until kindergarten, and instilling the virtues of excellence and hard work.

By the time she was in high school, Perez was a regular on the honor roll and president of the Key Club. She was artistic, creative and thoughtful, according to friends and relatives.

According to police, the last time Marizela's cellphone registered contact with her carrier was through a cellphone tower at 47th Avenue Northeast at 2:45 p.m. the same time a text message was sent to her. Among the family's chief frustrations is that they don't know who sent her that text or what it said. Her phone was then turned off.

Her family is disappointed that police have not been able to get information about the text messages from AT&T. They also want police to compel Google to release information about her computer activity before her disappearance.

Marizela had her laptop computer with her when she disappeared.

In an email to Perez' family, Ogard explains that text messages are usually only captured when law-enforcement officers have a warrant in hand at the time of a disappearance or they are able to recover the actual cellphone. He said AT&T told him that in Perez's case, its system did not capture complete information on the texts, perhaps because they were sent from a computer or a handheld device.

The difficulty in obtaining a warrant without evidence of a crime was underscored by Ogard's inability to get prosecutors to sign off on a search warrant he was seeking. He finally did find a judge to sign off on a search warrant to Google for Marizela's Internet activity by citing "community caretaking and emergency welfare," but the judge did so reluctantly, he said.

A private investigator hired by the family has concluded, according to Edgar Perez, that because of her recent breakup, the items she bought at the store and other information that the family did not care to discuss, Marizela most likely committed suicide.

Seattle police spokeswoman Renee Witt said investigators do not have definitive answers, but "it is possible Marizela took her own life."

Her mother rejects that, saying Marizela "would never do that."

"Red flags"

Even if Seattle police had done everything the way Marizela's family wanted, the outcome might not have been different, according to Renton police detective Keith Hansen, who last year investigated the April 18 disappearance of 19-year-old old Kathy Chou.

Unlike Seattle police, Renton police immediately declared Chou's disappearance an "emergent," or immediate, threat to her life and her cellphone and Internet records were preserved and released without the necessity of a search warrant.

Hansen said there are no hard and fast rules or policies about prioritizing missing-persons cases. It's as much an art as science, he said. But investigators who make those calls have usually dealt with hundreds and hundreds of cases and they're alert to the "red flags," he said.

"This kid had never run away, she didn't seem to be into drugs at all, she wasn't sleeping around and she wasn't in trouble," Hansen said. "To me, that sounded like it could be dangerous."

Hansen said Chou's computer netted little information, but her cellphone records were used to interview and polygraph all the males she'd spoken to that day.

Still, there's been no sign of Chou.

"We have absolutely no idea what happened to her," Hansen said.

Chou's father, who asked not to be named, said he and his wife searched for their daughter in Seattle, Oregon, Las Vegas and California.

During his travels and research, her father said he learned that a person disappears in this country every 20 seconds. Many are never found.

"This country is very, very big, and we don't know where to look," he said. "I feel very upset it's not easy."

But he's found a strange sort of solace and peace in remembering her when she was young and thinking of how he treated her through her life.

"I was very, very good to her; very, very nice. I liked to make her happy when she was here. I feel very fortunate I did that before it was too late."

And, as sad as it sounds, he's comforted that others have suffered as he has and understand his loss. "This has happened to thousands and thousands of other people," he said. "Its not just me and my wife."

But, he said, his search is not over.

"We are still looking for her everywhere, anytime, because she is our daughter."

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com

Database on missing adults

In an effort to create a comprehensive national database on missing adults, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is asking people with information about specific missing-person cases to enter it into a free online database, which is accessible to medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement and the general public. In the past, the only national repository of missing-persons' data was the FBI's National Crime Information Center, which can be used only by law-enforcement agencies. For more information, see www.namus.gov

Marizela Perez's family has set up a tip line for information on her whereabouts: 1-855-MARIZEL. Callers will remain anonymous.

CAPTION(S):

UW student Marizela Perez (0416097050)

John Lok / The Seattle Times: Jasmin Perez and her husband, Edgar, have been trying to find their daughter, Marizela Perez, a 19-year-old UW student. They think police could be doing more, and they're disappointed police haven't gotten details from AT&T about the last text message sent to their daughter. (0416881529)

Marizela Perez, who vanished March 5, was last seen at the Safeway in the University District. (0416966079)

John Lok / The Seattle Times: Jasmin Perez cries as she talks about her daughter, Marizela, 19, who has been missing since March 5. (0416881533)

Copyright (c) 2011 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.

Addicted to sex drugs - before they're even 30! EXCLUSIVE As more men in their 20s and 30s get hooked on Viagra, Tanith Carey asks why a drug once linked to men their fathers' age has taken over their sex lives.(Features)

Byline: Tanith Carey

At first glance, Nick looks like any other fit, healthy young man of 30.

Smartly turned-out, well-spoken and the managing director of his own small business, he is perfect boyfriend material. But throughout his 20s, Nick was concealing a very intimate secret.

In his wallet, along with cash and credit cards, he always kept a small pack of Viagra. For years the little blue pills have been seen as an essential aid for older men with erectile problems, not normally men in their 20s. But Nick is not alone. He is one of the new generation of young males turning to the drug to deal with performance anxiety.

Unable to cope with expectations raised by the easy availability of internet porn - and intimidated by the growing sexual confidence of young women, Viagra becomes a crutch some can't do without.

Therapist Raymond Francis specialises in sexual problems - and says he is contacted by about 15 patients a month who feel unable to have sex without taking the drug. And far from being men in their 50s and 60s, he says their average age is just 32.

Raymond, who is based at the Apex Practice in London's Harley Street, says: "I think that's only the tip of the iceberg. These men don't have any physiological symptoms. Instead men feel they need it because they are putting too many expectations on themselves - based on what they believe women want in the bedroom. The result is psychological impotence."

And Raymond links this feeling of insecurity to women's growing confidence. "Women are now so empowered," he says. "They want sex on demand. They feel they have just as much right as men to dictate the pace sexually.

"Yet young men can then find themselves unable to have erections on demand - and they can start to bring these performance fears to the bedroom long before any sex takes place. "

For Nick, the problem began when he started viewing internet porn at the age of 12. It left a deep impression and the message he took away was that he had a lot to live up to.

He recalls: "I found it really stressful. Seeing all these virile men with huge erections lasting for hours on end just seemed to accentuate what I couldn't do.

"Everywhere I looked I saw this expectation I had to be a great lover. I also found that a lot of the girls I met were quite sexually up front about what they wanted. I ended up panicking because I got scared I wouldn't be good enough."

At the height of his addiction, Nick was spending up to pounds 300 a year buying pills on the web, despite the risks. "I felt like I was living with a guilty secret all the time," admits Nick. "I'd cover my tracks when I ordered them and remove the history on my computer. I'd keep my supply hidden in a locked box in my desk so my cleaner wouldn't stumble across them."

But though Nick found that the pills nearly always did the trick - ultimately they did not provide an answer.

He says: "Throughout my 20s, I'd never attempt sex without taking Viagra. Timing was always a problem. I had to take the tablet a certain amount of time before I expected to need it. At the same time, I didn't want to take it too soon in case it wore off. It was like spinning plates.

"When I was in a relationship, I'd take Viagra first thing in the morning, so I'd get the sex over and done with. But it meant I could never fully commit emotionally because I couldn't be honest about this most basic thing.

"It was all getting so stressful I actually started avoiding sex altogether. Overall, it really knocked my confidence in other areas of my life. My mates started to think I was gay because I'd give up trying to pull. I felt like a failure.

"The other problem was that sometimes I would get some of the well-known side-effects of the pills. They'd make me flushed and my vision would get a bluish tinge."

It was when Nick met and fell in love with his current girlfriend Victoria, after meeting her at a wedding, that he decided to seek help.

"I took Viagra secretly the first time I slept with Victoria," admits Nick. "But the expectations were very high because she was so special to me. So that time even the Viagra didn't work.

I could see she was worried it was her fault, so I decided to be very candid - and told her everything.

"With her encouragement, I plucked up the courage to get therapy for the underlying issues. It's been difficult because Viagra's been so embedded in my lifestyle for so long. But by taking the pressure off sex and proceeding slowly, I'm changing the way I think."

Adele, an attractive bank worker in her late 20s knows what it's like to be on the other side of the problem - as the partner of a young man taking Viagra. Looking back, she admits it was partly the high sexual demands she put on her fiance which helped trigger the anxieties that contributed to his impotence.

"I was very vocal about what I wanted in bed from the get-go - and that didn't help," she says. "When the sex didn't live up to my expectations, I would also be very honest about how frustrated I was - which made the problem worse. We tried Viagra but it felt like a planned event. So now I don't want him to tell me if he's taken it or not. I just want to think the sex was naturally great." Now, getting couple's therapy has helped her recognise she needs to take the pressure off her boyfriend - and be more patient, she says. "It's difficult, but I try to remember that if my fiance doesn't get an erection, it's not because he doesn't desire me."

As a young woman growing up post "girl-power", Adele says many of her female friends have grown up believing they look confident if they are sexually forward. "I do find it important to be acknowledged as sexy. It validates who I am. My sex drive is also pretty high. Ideally, I'd like to have sex five times a week. But then my generation has grown up feeling entitled to be completely sexually satisfied.

"Women our age probably do have more of a sexual past. For example, I've had 15 partners, while my partner's had five, so that's another layer of pressure on him. Because I am quite skilled sexually, he probably wonders where I learned it from - and how he compares."

Raymond says the first line in any treatment is to throw away the Viagra - which, as manufacturer Pfizer points out, should only be taken with a doctor's prescription and is not physically addictive.

Raymond says: "The problem is that many men try and camouflage the problem with Viagra - so very often the women involved are not aware. For instance, I have one client, a professional man in his 30s, who has been married for four years and who's started coming home late so he can tell his wife he's too tired to have sex.

I"But as soon as men start to open up and relax instead of placing such high demands on themselves - it becomes possible to get to the root of the issue."

Sex and relationship expert Dr Pam Spurr (www.drpam.co.uk) says: "I hear from young men in this position quite a lot, and there are a few different strands to what's behind it.

"Young men are under immense pressure to be sex gods. We always think it's women who are under pressure to perform in bed, but whether it's a bad thing or not, women can also fake it. Men just can't.

"If they're not into it, the woman will know - they won't have an erection for a start and that's pretty difficult to disguise - and of course they feel they've got to carry on until they satisfy their partner.

"Now combine that pressure with the attitude of a lot of young people towards what they see as recreational drugs.

"A lot of the guys I hear from see sex drugs as an extension of these and they can become a psychological crutch. In the old days some young men needed a lucky charm like their pulling pants to perform, now some rely on sex drugs.

"This is worrying because of the possibility it could be combined with other medication, either prescribed or so-called 'recreational' drugs, or a lot of alcohol.

"Because so many young people now have several sexual partners, the pressure for guys to compete is greater.

"We really must start to consider more the pressures on young men when it comes to sex."

Viagra manufacturer Pfizer said: "As with all prescription medicines, Viagra should only be used when prescribed by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional, and always in accordance with the labelling information.

"Viagra is one of the most studied erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs and has an established safety profile of more than 10 years."

CONTACT THE APEX PRACTICE ON WWW.THEAPEXPRACTICE.ORG OR CALL 0207 467 8526

Your Life INVESTIGATES

CAPTION(S):

EXPERT: Dr Pam Spurr THERAPIST: Raymond Francis

VC trio blaze trail themselves; Linkner, Gilbert, Hermelin invest in tech with own cash.

Byline: TOM HENDERSON

Not waiting until they raise money from institutional investors, the founders of Detroit Venture Partners LLC are using their own substantial funds to start doing deals. They're expected to announce their first two investments today.

One is a San Francisco-based company, Flud LLC, which has developed a news-reader application for smartphones that allows users to aggregate news feeds and blogs. The company will open a sales office in downtown Detroit.

The other is in hiredMYway.com, a Birmingham-based job recruitment site that claims to simplify the hiring process for job seekers and personnel managers. It soon will move to Detroit.

Detroit Venture Partners is a venture-capital firm founded in November by Dan Gilbert, the chairman and founder of Quicken Loans Inc.; Josh Linkner, the founder and chairman of ePrize Inc.; and Brian Hermelin, chairman and co-founder with Gilbert of Rockbridge Growth Equity LLC, a private-equity firm based in Livonia.

Detroit Venture Partners also has term sheets drawn up and is awaiting signatures on five other deals it hopes to close on in the next few months, including a spinoff from the University of Michigan.

The firm is looking to invest in such sectors as the Internet, digital media, marketing, direct-to-consumer, sports and entertainment, social media, e-commerce and software. It will not invest in biotech or advanced manufacturing.

The VC firm's investment strategy is to make initial investments of between $250,000 and $750,000, with follow-on investments in each company totaling $2 million to $3 million as development milestones are met.

The investment of $1 million in Flud is in partnership with Ludlow Ventures LLC of Southfield, an early-stage investment firm founded in 2009 by Jonathon Triest that has had a very busy 2011 to date. This will be its seventh investment this year.

Flud was founded last year and currently has fewer than 10 employees, but will ramp up hiring and open a Detroit office soon, said Linkner, Detroit Venture Partners' CEO and managing partner.

"This is a hot company in a hot space. They could have taken money from Silicon Valley or Boston, but they chose to take it from us," he said.

The investment in hiredMYway is for nearly $500,000 and includes some individual investors. It, too, was founded last year and has fewer than 10 employees.

"I've been working with them the last year or so to help them refine the concept," said Linkner. He said employers won't pay any listing fee until they make a hire. He said would-be employees would pay a token fee if a recruiter reads their r%sum% resume but would be paid $100 by the website if the posting led to a job.

Linkner said requiring job seekers to pay a token fee prevents floods of applications to employers from those who are clearly unqualified.

Linkner said Detroit Venture Partners has looked at about 200 deals since Nov. 1.

"We've had great deal flow," he said. He said the firm hopes to have at least eight portfolio companies by the end of the year and add 10-15 companies next year and "and north of 15 a year in 2013 and beyond."

Ludlow Ventures and Detroit Venture Partners have also teamed up to fund a convertible note of $100,000 that will be awarded to the winner of the Funded By Night contest at the FutureMidwest Conference in Eastern Market, April 28-29.

Would-be entrepreneurs will make pitches for funding for their new businesses the first day of the event, with the winner announced that night.

Linkner said the vast majority of companies that get funding will be headquartered in Detroit, and those that remain based elsewhere will develop some presence in the city.

"I can't imagine us doing a deal that doesn't involve the city of Detroit. We're going to create a Silicon Valley in the Madison building," he said. "We want to make it a creatively rich environment. We want people running up and down the stairs, feeding on each other's energy. Dan's vision, and I support it, is if we can build some density here, we can really change the game."

Quicken Loans closed on the purchase of the 48,000-square-foot Madison Theatre building in downtown Detroit in January. The Detroit office of Gensler Architecture is the architect for an upcoming rehab, and Bingham Farms-based Sachse Construction will design and build the space.

Detroit Labs LLC, a for-profit entity recently created by Detroit Venture Partners' founders but not part of its portfolio, will be a tenant in the Madison building incubator and offer Web and smartphone-application development services for the VC firm's portfolio companies and other Gilbert-related companies.

Linkner said that while the firm has drawn inquiries from institutional investors such as pension funds and from family offices and high-net-worth individuals, the founders decided to start investing their own money right away rather than wait for months to have a formal first close from outside investors.

"We will be taking on limited partners, but we'll fund the first few deals with our own capital," said Linkner. "The approach is to do the first few deals ourselves and get our systems in place. We'll look to bring in outside investors later this year."

He said he couldn't discuss a target size for the VC firm's first fund for fear of violating U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules, "but we plan to invest more than $100 million over the next couple of years."

"We built this model to focus on three categories -- the jockey, which is the entrepreneur; the horse, which is the business; and the race, which is the market opportunity," said Linkner.

"Digital companies are very capital efficient. You don't need millions to build a plant. If they hit, you can scale them up quickly," said Linkner, whose own digital company, Pleasant Ridge-based ePrize, grew quickly after its founding in 1999, corralling a stable of Fortune 500 companies to run their online promotional campaigns.

Chris Rizik, CEO of the $50 million Renaissance Venture Capital Fund I LP, said that it was smart of Detroit Venture Partners to start investing now rather than wait for institutional partners. He said it is very difficult for first-time fund managers, even those with such entrepreneurial track records as Linkner and Gilbert, to get money from institutional investors right out of the gate.

"Fortunately, they are smart guys with their own money, and they can start investing and building a track record," said Rizik. "A track record is the first thing an institutional investor looks at.

"I'm happier seeing them out now doing deals rather than waiting for months to raise institutional money, because they can add a lot of value in the meantime."

Copyright 2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Hanesbrands Inc. to Highlight Expectations for 2010 Sales Growth of 5 Percent to 8 Percent and Earnings Per Share Growth of 25 Percent to 35 Percent at Investor Day Meeting.(Company overview)

Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) announced that it could double diluted earnings per share over the next three to four years based on expectations for 2010 net sales growth of 5 percent to 8 percent and earnings per share growth of 25 percent to 35 percent coupled with long-term annual growth targets.

Management will discuss its growth expectations and targets along with sales, marketing and supply-chain initiatives at an investor meeting to be held at 9 a.m. EST today at the Jumeirah Essex House in New York City. The meeting, which will end by noon, will also be webcast on the Internet, accessible at www.hanesbrands.com.

The company's expectation for 2010 sales growth is based on significant shelf-space and distribution gains and a potential rebound in consumer spending. Expectations for EPS growth in 2010 depend on these increased sales, continued cost reduction and effective use of free cash flow.

"Hanesbrands is at an inflection point to begin realizing its significant growth potential," Hanesbrands Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard A. Noll said. "We have spent the last few years building a strong growth platform that utilizes our big brands to drive top-line growth domestically and internationally, a low-cost global supply chain to drive margin improvement, and strong cash flow to support multiple strategies for earnings growth. We see very strong growth in 2010 and are targeting consistently strong growth for the longer term."

For 2011 and beyond, the company has long-term annual growth targets supported by its growth platform of big brands, low-cost supply chain and strong cash flow.

Annual net sales growth target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

Annual EPS growth target range of 10 percent to 20 percent.

"As we leverage our growth platform, we have the potential to double EPS over the next three to four years by increasing sales, improving operating margins and effectively using our cash flow," Hanesbrands Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer E. Lee Wyatt said.

At the investor meeting, the company will illustrate different scenarios in which it could achieve EPS of $3 or $4 using multiple planning assumptions. That compares with EPS excluding actions of $1.66 in 2009. The illustrations and the company's forward-looking expectations and planning assumptions expressed in this press release and at the investor meeting are based on a business climate of modest economic growth, moderate cost inflation and slowly increasing interest rates. Sales Growth Hanesbrands, which had sales of approximately $3.9 billion last year, has five major business segments: Innerwear, Outerwear, Direct to Consumer, Hosiery and International. Using big brands to drive top-line sales increases is the first plank of the company's growth platform.

The company has locked in shelf-space gains that are expected to generate approximately $200 million of additional sales in 2010, or 5 percent. With a consumer spending rebound, sales could increase up to another 3 percentage points, or $50 million to $100 million. Domestic Segments. In order to drive sales, Hanesbrands is using its consistent investment in its strong brands, a disciplined innovation process and integrated customer selling teams that use consumer insights.

"We have record shelf space gains for 2010 - the equivalent of 62 additional miles of shelf space as our customers look for brands and products that will help them increase sales and profits," Hanesbrands President, Chief Commercial Officer William J. Nictakis said. "By building upon this successful model and helping our retailers make these space gains more productive, we believe that we can consistently grow in 2011 and beyond."

Over the long term, the company believes that its Innerwear and Outerwear segments can sustain sales growth in the low to mid single-digit range, that its Direct to Consumer segment can grow in the high single-digit range, and that Hosiery segment sales may potentially flatten after declining by approximately 10 percent in 2010.

"Our scale and leading brands across multiple segments afford us the opportunity to meet face-to-face with our customer representatives at all levels - from buyer to president and CEO," Nictakis said. "Our focus on consumer insights and helping customers use our brands to improve their sales and profits is paying off with strong space and distribution gains across multiple customers." International Segment. The company's International segment businesses generated approximately 11 percent of the company's sales in 2009. These businesses are well positioned as innerwear product leaders in the strongest growing economies of the Americas and Asia.

"Our major International retail businesses operate in Mexico, Canada, Japan, India, Brazil and China where a substantial amount of gross domestic product growth outside the United States will be concentrated over the next 10 years," Hanesbrands President, International Business and Global Supply Chain Gerald Evans said. "We see a unique opportunity to integrate each of our international businesses into our global supply chain so that we are able to dramatically lower product costs, build share and expand into adjacent product categories."

The company has already begun using this model to integrate its Mexico retail operations into the company's global supply chain, resulting in double-digit sales growth last year and doubling of profits.

"We fully expect that our International sales will become another growth driver for Hanesbrands, growing mid single digits in 2010 and at an accelerated rate of high single digits to low double digits annually in the years ahead," Evans said. Low-Cost Supply Chain Hanesbrands has built a low-cost supply chain spanning both hemispheres that leverages its size and scale to create a competitive advantage in a global industry - the second plank of the company's growth platform. The company has three primary production centers located in the Caribbean Basin, Central America and Asia.

"The heavy lifting of building our supply chain is substantially behind us," Evans said. "We will benefit from cost savings for several more years, and there are more benefits through optimizing how it all works to drive further cost reductions and to lower working capital investment.

"Our supply chain is positioned to reach more than 70 percent of the world's GDP in a trade-advantaged manner. This becomes a powerful platform in which to continue to drive growth domestically and plug in our International businesses to create competitive advantage." Cash Flow, Leverage and Acquisitions Hanesbrands completed a debt refinancing in the fourth quarter of 2009 with the primary benefit of the new capital structure being flexibility in the use of the company's strong cash flow to create maximum value - the third plank in the company's growth platform.

"We have established a flexible long-term capital structure to support growth," Wyatt said. "Our debt structure is simpler and gives us greater flexibility to execute multiple strategies for earnings growth, including debt reduction and selective bolt-on acquisitions."

The company has generated significant amounts of free cash flow over the past three years and has the potential to increase its free cash flow over the next few years. Consistent growth at the high end of the company's long-term sales and EPS target ranges could result in $1 billion to $1.2 billion of cumulative free cash flow over the next few years as a result of increased EBITDA, lower cash interest and lower capital expenditures.

The company's goal is to substantially reduce its leverage by targeting a net debt level of 2 to 3 times EBITDA - down from 4.6 times at the end of 2009.

"We can make significant progress in achieving this target leverage during 2010," Wyatt said. "EBITDA growth alone in 2010 could reduce the ratio to 3.9 times. The use of free cash flow in 2010 could further reduce leverage to a range of 3.3 to 3.4 times through either debt reduction or a combination of debt reduction and a bolt-on acquisition. The leverage target of less than 3 times EBITDA could be achieved as early as 2011."

Hanesbrands will consider selective bolt-on acquisitions as one of its many opportunities to drive growth. Potential acquisitions would have to meet disciplined criteria of being in the core apparel essentials categories, generating cost savings that leverage the company's supply chain, providing upside revenue opportunities, involving minimal integration risk, being funded through free cash flow, being accretive in the first year, and delivering a superior cash return to shareholders.

"If we see the opportunity to purchase something at a good price that has supply chain synergies and growth potential, it could be a good way to create value," Noll said. "The ideal size would be around $200 million." Information for Business Modeling Hanesbrands is providing annual net sales and EPS growth guidance for 2010. The company also has a practice of providing an understanding of long-term targets, goals, strategies, trends, current financial performance and information that can be used to model the potential of the business.

Planning assumptions used to make forward-looking comments are based on modest economic growth, moderate cost inflation and slowly increasing interest rates. Sales. For 2010, Hanesbrands has reaffirmed that it expects sales growth of approximately 5 percent in 2010, led by significant shelf-space and distribution gains that will contribute stronger year-over-year growth in the first half. In the event of a consumer spending rebound, the sales increase could be a few percentage points higher, or an additional approximately $50 million to $100 million. Combining these two, the company would expect 2010 sales growth of 5 percent to 8 percent.

Keywords: Acquisitions, Advertising, Asia, Capital Investment, China, Consumer Spending, Economic Growth, Economics, Economies, Fashion, Finance, Financial, Gross Domestic Product, Hanesbrands Inc., India, Investing, Investment, Japan, Manufacturing, Marketing, Mergers, Retail, Textiles

This article was prepared by China Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, China Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

Strong medicine vs. viruses. (six anti-virus packages reviewed)

Product Listing

   Cheyenne AntiVirus 4.0 for Windows 95   Cheyenne   3 Expressway Plaza   Roslyn Hgts., NY 11577   800-243-9462; 516-465-4000   Fax: 516-465-5115   www.cheyenne.com 

Requires: 8MB RAM; 8MB hard drive space; Windows 3.x, Windows 95, or Windows NT

List Price: $39.95

   Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Version 7   Dr Solomon's Software   1 New England Executive Park   Burlington, MA 01803   800-960-9095; 617-273-7400   Fax: 617-273-7474   www.drsolomon.com   Requires: 5MB hard drive space; Windows 3.x or Windows 95   List Price: $49.95   IBM AntiVirus Version 2.5.2   IBM AntiVirus Products and Services   Long Meadow Rd.   Sterling Forest, New York 10979   800-742-2493; 512-434-1554   Fax: 817-962-7307   www.av.ibm.com 

Requires: 4MB hard drive space; DOS, OS/2, Windows 3.x, or Windows 95

List Price: $49

   Norton AntiVirus 2.0 for Windows 95   Symantec Corp.   10201 Torre Ave.   Cupertino, CA 95014-2132   800-441-7234; 408-253-9600   www.symantec.com   Requires: 12MB hard drive space; Windows 95   List Price: $69.99   PC-cillin II   TouchStone Software Corp.   2124 Main St.   Huntington Beach, CA 92648   800-531-0450; 714-969-7746   Fax: 714-960-1886   www.checkit.com 

Requires: 8MB RAM; 10MB hard drive space; DOS, Windows 3.x, or Windows 95

List Price: $49.95

   VirusScan Deluxe 3.0 for Windows 95   McAfee Associates   2805 Bowers Ave.   Santa Clara, CA 95051   408-988-3832   Fax: 408-970-9727   www.mcafee.com 

Requires: 8MB RAM; 7MB hard drive space; DOS, OS/2, Windows 3.x, or Windows 95

List Price: $69

These six programs offer immunity to PC viruses.

The increasing prevalence of the Internet is dramatically increasing the number of files routinely downloaded to computers, thereby raising the risk of infection.

But don't despair--many software packages can identify and correct the problems associated with computer viruses. In this feature, we look at Cheyenne AntiVirus 4.0 for Windows 95, Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Version 7, IBM AntiVirus Version 2.5.2, Symantec Corp.'s Norton AntiVirus 2.0 for Windows 95, TouchStone Software's PC-cillin II, and McAfee Associates' VirusScan Deluxe 3.0 for Windows 95.

We used a wide range of virus types to test the various programs in our group, including boot sector and file viruses such as Form, NYB, NATAS, and Stealth. We also ran an assortment of Microsoft suite-specific macro viruses such as Tedious and Johnny.A, which infect Microsoft Word, and Laroux and Sofa, which attack Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Most of the antivirus packages we reviewed are quite similar, offering basic virus protection, almost identical features, and comparable pricing. Every product in the roundup makes it easy to schedule virus scans, and all but one scan downloaded files automatically.

An antivirus program's scanning time depends on the size of your hard drive, the number of files on your drive, and the actual access speed of your particular hard drive. We performed our tests on a number of hard drives with varying file concentrations, and used the average speed reported on a percentage basis for our comparisons. For example, a half-full 1.6GB hard drive yielded speeds of about 1.2 minutes with the fastest package, and 2.1 minutes with the slowest; and a nearly full 2.5GB hard drive caused the fastest package to scan for 3.2 minutes, and the slowest to scan for more than 4 minutes.

Cheyenne AntiVirus 4.0 for Windows 95

Whether you're on Windows 3.x, Windows 95, or Windows NT, Cheyenne's AntiVirus 4.0 for Windows 95 is a comprehensive package that protects your system against infection.

Cheyenne's interface looks almost identical to Windows 95's native Explorer file-management program, making it easy to maneuver within. Several buttons (functional but simplistic in design) at the top allow you to perform tasks such as initiating a scan or changing scheduled virus scans. The program's Virtual Device Driver, WIMMUNE, provides real-time background scanning to protect your system from viruses. Cheyenne AntiVirus also scans your boot sector upon start-up.

On our tests, Cheyenne AntiVirus did a thorough job of identifying and eradicating all of the destructive and annoying programmed organisms we unleashed on it.It also recognized and cleaned our set of 12 test macro viruses, including several strains of the infamous Concept.

Cheyenne performed the second-fastest hard drive scan. It also had the second-fastest speed when scanning compressed files.

Cheyenne's update procedure is simple and unobtrusive and can be performed in the background. Monthly virus updates are available for free at Cheyenne's Web site, on CompuServe, and at the company's bulletin board system (BBS).

At $39.95, Cheyenne AntiVirus provides excellent virus detection and fast scanning speed, thereby protecting your system against emerging viral dangers.

Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Version 7

This latest release of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus has a new interface and provides professional medical attention for your sick computer.

Dr Solomon's interface is straightforward and simple, consisting of a list of your disk drives and two buttons--one that activates scanning and one that starts the online updating wizard. Although the interface is more sparse than all but one other package in this roundup, we did not find it functionally deficient.

In fact, Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus identified NATAS, Stealth, and all of the other viruses used in our testing. Dr Solomon's also finds viruses inside the multiple layers of nine types of compressed files, making it the leader of our roundup in this area.

The program's virus-detection engine captures and disables viral threats, but it sacrifices some speed in the process. In our tests, Dr Solomon's scanned for viruses only 15 percent faster than the slowest package, PC-cillin II. The program's background virus scanner, WinGuard, provides continuous protection against viruses by checking every file as you access it.

Dr Solomon's not only stores a large library of known viruses, but its Advanced Heuristic Analysis feature can identify unknown viruses by monitoring your system for virus-like code and activity.

For especially damaging virus attacks, Dr Solomon's provides 24-hour emergency support by phone or e-mail. The company promises a fix within 48 hours, and the service is available to any antivirus software user.

The Automatic Protection Plan, the program's update system, is currently available for $29.95 per year, though the company is reviewing this charge and says it may be reduced.

Dr Solomon's provides you with praiseworthy virus detection and outstanding technical support.

IBM AntiVirus Version 2.5.2

IBM AntiVirus Version 2.5.2 provides no-nonsense virus protection while detecting and removing more than 8,000 strains of computer viruses from Windows 95, OS/2 Warp, Windows 3.x, and DOS systems.

The interface has only one button; it activates the program to check your system for viruses. You must use the program's pull-down menus to access all other commands. The program retains a Windows 3.1-style interface to maintain consistency with various operating systems. This means that you can't take advantage of some of Windows 95's ease-of-use features, but many users will consider that a fair trade-off for the program's fast performance.

IBM AntiVirus performed the fastest disk drive scans in this roundup by an average of about 10 percent. But though its speed was impressive, the program did not deliver the same level of protection as some of its competitors. IBM AntiVirus identified the majority of our test viruses successfully, but failed to identify a Word macro virus buried within a set of compressed files.

In order to detect unknown viruses, IBM AntiVirus uses heuristics to monitor code that behaves in ways similar to typical viral patterns. Additionally, the program's Fuzzy Scanning component attempts to identify variations of known viruses by comparing byte patterns on your drives with recognized viruses.

IBM AntiVirus also scans e-mail attachments and downloaded files on arrival. But you must remember to opt for this function during setup, which some users might find inconvenient.

IBM has a refined system to safeguard against false alarms (which occasionally happen during virus checking). The procedure initially verifies the correct identification of a virus and ensures that it utilizes the proper remedy, preventing the inadvertent destruction of needed code or data--a commendable measure.

IBM's process for updating virus signature filesis cumbersome, taking more than 30 minutes in some cases; the other programs average 20 minutes. On the other hand, IBM's Computer Emergency Response Team provided quick solutions to our virus emergencies.

By the time you read this, the next version of IBM AntiVirus should be available. According to the company, version 3.0 will include 3-D buttons and borders, context-sensitive help, support for Japanese dual-mode disk drives, and alphabetized directory listings. It will also be available in eight languages, such as Spanish, French, and Japanese.

Despite its Windows 3.1-style interface, IBM AntiVirus is highly functional and among the fastest virus scanners in this roundup.

Norton AntiVirus 2.0 for Windows 95

When one considers the host of available computer utilities, the brand name "Norton" inevitably comes to mind. Norton AntiVirus 2.0 for Windows 95 is a full-featured package that includes a complete range of antivirus options. The program delivers solid protection by combining an inviting interface with robust virus-identification capabilities.

Unlike some of the more perplexing program interfaces in this roundup, Norton AntiVirus' is highly understandable and attractive. Buttons lining the top of the screen allow you to schedule virus scans, update your signature file, and alter the program's options. With its ease-of-use and flexibility, Norton works for a wide variety of users, ranging from home computer enthusiasts to corporate users.

Officially, Norton AntiVirus detects only about 7,700 viruses. Yet the package nimbly detected and disinfected all the viruses in our test group. Its new proprietary Striker technology protects your system from polymorphic viruses (those that can modify their structure each time they infect your system). Striker isolates the virus in a "safe space" to ensure that the detected code is indeed a virus and then eliminates it. The Repair Wizard scans files and e-mail attachments as you download them, shielding your system from many new Internet-savvy viruses.

Norton AntiVirus' scanning times were in the middle of the test group's range. But because its operation was so smooth and unobtrusive, it felt as if it took less time than our clocked results indicated.

The LiveUpdate feature allows you to update your software easily. Norton AntiVirus' wizard walked us through the process of updating our signature file. You can complete this process in about 20 minutes for free over the Internet, where new updates are posted once a month. Norton also offers 24-hour support services.

One drawback: If you are one of the many users of Norton Utilities, the combination of that program and Norton AntiVirus can slow down your system. In our tests, this combo stalled performance by as much as 10 percent.

The solid performance and enriched features of Norton AntiVirus 2.0 support the stronghold Norton has established in the utilities arena.

PC-cillin II

PC-cillin II is a thorough antivirus application that delivers a number of exemplary features, including an unusually informative interface and an unprecedented level of user support.

PC-cillin II identified and was able to rid our system of the traditional boot-sector and file viruses we used in our tests. The program also performed well when detecting the more challenging macro viruses. A new patent-pending technology called Macro Shield actually nabs newly created virus strains. Our only concern was that the program was slow in scanning compressed files.

Resembling a master control room, PC-cillin's highly informative interface keeps you aware of all of the parameters affecting your system's ability to fight against viral infections. Five colored meters signal the program's levels of virus-protection activity. Its Smart Monitor tells you when you last updated your virus signature file, the latest virus the program detected, and the timing of the most recent system scan.

To update virus signature files, PC-cillin II utilizes ActiveX technology to download the latest file and program updates from the company's Web site, where you can also find current virus news and expert analysis 24 hours daily.

Only VirusScan Deluxe's push-technology delivery can rival PC-cillin II's instant delivery and access. The service is free for the first 90 days and costs $29.95 per year thereafter.

these charges. The company reports that PC-cillin 3.0 will sport a new, easier interface, beefed-up macro virus protection, and free updates. It will also include a Eudora e-mail scanner.

PC-cillin II's Emergency Virus Removal Service provides users with convenient, and logical assistance in the area of unknown virus detection. If you happen across a virus that the program does not recognize, the application automatically sets up an e-mail message so that you can download the infected file directly to PC-cillin II. Their experts will respond to your emergency within three hours.

PC-cillin II is powerful and easy to use. Featuring an information-rich interface, an ActiveX link, and a three-hour response time, it is hard to beat.

VirusScan Deluxe 3.0 for Windows 95

Almost since the threats of viruses were first publicized, McAfee Associates has had an antivirus program available to wage war against them. Its latest offering, VirusScan Deluxe 3.0 for Windows 95, has a full-featured, native Windows 95 interface that helps you find and destroy viruses; in addition, the program uses push technology to deliver updates quickly and conveniently.

VirusScan Deluxe's interface is reasonably informative, though not as rich as some of the others, notably that of PC-cillin II. Nevertheless, most users will have no trouble finding their way around.

VShield, VirusScan Deluxe's virus scanner, is all but invisible to the user. It operates whenever you initiate any file activity, such as starting a file from a floppy disk. VirusScan Deluxe can perform scheduled and on-demand drive scans, and its ScreenScan feature checks your system for viruses whenever your screen saver is active. On our tests, VirusScan Deluxe's scanning speed was a little below average for the roundup. But it was more than 40 percent faster than the slowest package, PC-cillin II.

The program's new Hunter technology helped VirusScan identify all of the viruses in our test group. The program identified and eradicated old computer enemies and new Excel macro viruses such as Sofa. The program also provides protection in the Microsoft Office 97 environment.

To make updating virus signature files as painless as possible, VirusScan Deluxe has a push-technology link to BackWeb, a leading company in this area. Once you connect to the Internet and activate BackWeb, you select the McAfee channel and your virus signature file is automatically updated.

VirusScan Deluxe provides two years of free program upgrades to the antivirus engine (one year for the regular edition) and free signature file upgrades for the life of the product. Also, the program alerts you when your virus signature file needs updating by flashing a warning upon bootup.

Its innovative push method of updating virus signature files and its secure virus protection make VirusScan Deluxe 3.0 a standout.