Mnet :: Recycling Electronic Devices

PETER VOGEL, attorney at GARDERE WYNNE SEWELL LLP: "With the promise of getting new computers and other electronics over the next few weeks, few of us stop to think of what will happen to the outdated models. Even fewer realize that getting a faster computer or trendier television could create serious troubles for millions around the world. The computer industry is not very clean. The disposal of acids used in chip manufacturing is regulated here, but not as much abroad. And old, discarded equipment is dumped as trash into poor countries because they are too expensive to recycle. This high-tech garbage is creating an environmental nightmare across the globe." News Contact: Rhonda Reddick, rhonda@legalpr.com Phone: +1-800-559-4534 (12/19/05)

LEADS

1. AIRLINES: DELTA REACHES INTERIM AGREEMENT WITH PILOTS ON PAY. STEPHEN C. STAPLETON, attorney at COWLES & THOMPSON, P.C.: "Delta Air Lines' tentative agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association to cut pilots' pay avoids a showdown between the groups in Delta's bankruptcy case, at least for now. While a 14 percent wage reduction has gone into effect, the union's rank-and-file members still must ratify the agreement by Dec. 28. If members don't ratify the agreement, Delta's previously filed motion seeking to reject the union's collective bargaining agreement and impose 19 percent pay cuts will take effect. Given the current business climate for the large carriers and the pilots' bleak alternatives, ratification is likely in this most joyous of holiday seasons." News Contact: Alan Bentrup, alan@legalpr.com Phone: +1-800-559-4534 (12/19/05)

2. AVIATION: SOUTHWEST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION WILL TAKE TIME. DAVID NORTON, aviation attorney at SHACKELFORD, MELTON & MCKINLEY: "There will be no easy answers for investigators looking into the cause of the recent accident at Chicago's Midway Airport, in which a Southwest Airlines 737 slid off the runway and hit a car, killing a child. There are just too many factors that may have played a role. It's like trying to put together a 500- piece jigsaw puzzle without having the picture on the cover of the box. Investigators have to consider the flight crew's actions, runway conditions, wind, the thrust reversers and brakes. And they have to be ready to find additional pieces they can't even see yet." Norton is an Air Force Academy graduate and former DC-10 pilot. News Contact: Mark Annick, mark@legalpr.com Phone: +1-800-559-4534 (12/19/05)

3. BUSINESS: DEMAND FOR MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS HAS COME BACK TO LIFE. DOUG JONES, senior vice president of corporate development at INTERWOVEN, a provider of enterprise content management solutions, says the convergence of low interest rates, debt availability, private equity and venture capital, cash infusions from IPOs, and the perceived lack of organic growth opportunities has led to an increasing use of acquisitions as a bona fide growth strategy: "There's no question that pent-up demand for mergers and acquisitions has come back to life. With as much demand and activity, however, there are also high rates of failure for M&As. Companies need to consider the often neglected truth: If you strip away the valuation, the stock price, products and services, the core value in an acquisition (or merger) is ultimately the people -- their skills, talents, motivations, intelligence and dedication to excellence." Jones can discuss what companies can do to be successful in fostering inorganic growth while maintaining employee satisfaction. News Contact: Chris Lalli, chris_lalli@cohnwolfe.com Phone: +1-415-365-8540 (12/19/05)

4. BUSINESS: 'TRACK CHANGES' MISHAP REVEALS MERCK GAFFE. JOE FANTUZZI, CEO of WORKSHARE, a document integrity company: "According to NEJM Executive Editor Dr. Gregory Curfman, the journal discovered that incriminating data regarding the incidence of heart attacks surrounding Vioxx use had been deleted from Merck's submission to the publication. The deletion was discovered through a 'Track Changes' mishap in Microsoft Word. This is just one of many recent highly publicized document or data leaks, leading to negative company perception or loss of business." Fantuzzi is available for immediate comment on this gaffe and others, and how to prevent them from occurring. News Contact: Jane Sinclair, janes@schwartz-pr.com Phone: +1-781- 684-0770 (12/19/05)

5. ENERGY: HOW TO HELP PREVENT OIL AND GAS BILL STICKER SHOCK. BRUCE HARLEY, technical director of the CONSERVATION SERVICES GROUP: "You can't control the price of heating fuel or electricity, but you can control how much you use. It's barely winter and we are already experiencing harsh weather, but it's never too late to 'button up.' The most effective energy- saving installations are those that are invisible. No, you can't see the extra insulation you've installed in the attic from your living space. But more importantly, you can feel the difference in your comfort level. When you install the proper energy-saving measures, there's no need to shiver in the dark. Today's conservation measures make it so that you can turn down the heat and be comfortable." News Contact: Lisa Rinkus, lj-pr@comcast.net Phone: +1-617-965-9847 (12/19/05)

6. PERSONAL FINANCE: APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID -- A RESOLUTION YOU CAN KEEP. MARTHA HOLLER, senior director of corporate communications at SALLIE MAE: "More than $143 billion in college financial aid was awarded last year. Jan. 1 marks the day when high-school seniors can begin the financial aid application process. This is a New Year's resolution you can keep: Apply now for financial aid, and don't pay a penny more for your education than you have to." Holler can offer tips for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the student's starting point for accessing nearly all financial assistance programs. News Contact: Erin Korsvall, erin.korsvall@slma.com Phone: +1-703-984-5136 (12/19/05)

7. PERSONAL FINANCE: BABY BOOMERS START TO TURN 60 IN 2006. FRANK N. DARRAS, managing partner at SHERNOFF, BIDART AND DARRAS, LLP, and disability and long-term care attorney: "As we carefully strive to protect our children from the harmful aspects of society, we must not overlook the other people that need to be protected. Their numbers are going to increase exponentially beginning in 2006. Those people are the baby boomers, many of which are our parents. By honoring and protecting them, we ultimately protect ourselves, our children and our children's families." Darras is available to discuss America's pending long-term care crisis that is going to affect us all. News Contact: Robin M. Nolan, robin@mcdavidpr.com Phone: +1-650-279-9512 (12/19/05)

8. PERSONAL FINANCE: LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE CONFUSES LOTS OF AGING BABY BOOMERS. CELIA MASON, Certified Senior Advisor: "I hear all the time that boomers assume they already have long term care insurance or that the government will pay for it. These people don't have the insurance and the government will not pay for it. As the population ages, and as boomers confront long-term care for their own parents, people are quickly learning how important it is to have long-term care plans, including insurance. In major metropolitan areas, the nursing home care can be $300 per day. Because people don't plan ahead, they risk wiping out all of their retirement savings just when they need it -- in the future." News Contact: Erica Zeidenberg, erica@hottomato.net Phone: +1-925-631-0553 (12/19/05)

9. REAL ESTATE: DETROIT IS NOW A PLACE WHERE RESIDENTS WANT TO LIVE. JOEL LERMAN, president of LERMAN CUSTOM HOMES, is currently spearheading a luxury condominium development in Detroit called Centurion Place: "Despite the economic hardships of the region, due to the challenges of the auto industry, the Motor City is on the verge of an exciting upswing. The city of Detroit is now a place where residents want to live in the midst of the city's renaissance by living in the heart of its deep architectural and historical heritage instead of in its suburbs. It's time for us to pay genuine homage to the city's rich past and exciting future by elevating the housing choices in this dynamic and vibrant area." News Contact: Andrea Bogos, abogos@identitypr.com Phone: +1-248-258-2333 (12/19/05)

10. TAX PLANNING: YEAR-END TAX PLANNING TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. KEITH HALL, national tax advisor at THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED: "There are several things small-business owners can do to reduce their taxable income before the end of 2005. Make any major capital expenditures now in order to get the deduction this year. Hold back your invoices for a few weeks so your income will count for the 2006 tax year instead of 2005. You can also hire your kids to help over the holidays -- if they are under 18 and earn less than $5,000 a year, they don't have to file a return and you can take a deduction for money you're likely giving them anyway. Also, remember that a number of tax credits expire at the end of the year, so check your eligibility before it's too late." News Contact: Lori A. Russo, lrusso@stantoncomm.com Phone: +1-202-223-4933 (12/19/05)

11. TECHNOLOGY: EMERGING HOMELAND/ENTERPRISE SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES. STEPHEN RUSSELL, CEO and co-founder of 3VR SECURITY: "Modern homeland security challenges, combined with enterprise demand to protect critical assets like people, intellectual property and supplies, has driven unprecedented growth in the physical security markets. As cameras proliferate, the challenge facing security professionals isn't how to collect the data -- it's how to manage thousands of hours of surveillance data in a simple and cost-effective manner." Russell can discuss how taking a software/Silicon Valley approach to surveillance management can address this issue. He can also discuss future developments in the surveillance space and intelligent video. News Contact: Jenny Volanakis, jvolanakis@groundfloormedia.com Phone: +1-646-351-7404 (12/19/05)

12. TECHNOLOGY: CONSUMERS EMBRACE PODCASTING AS PART OF TECHNOLOGY'S EVOLUTION. MICHAEL BLOXHAM, director of testing and assessment for BALL STATE UNIVERSITY's Center for Media Design: "The increasing popularity of podcasting is the result of consumer behavior meeting a new technology platform. iPods enable people to acquire the content more easily and with a higher-quality result. Now that people have demonstrated a willingness to pay for podcasted content, consumers are seeing high-quality, recognized video programming becoming available alongside the 'home brew' audio content that has driven the phenomenon to date." News Contact: Layne Cameron, lscameron@bsu.edu Phone: +1-765-285-5953 (12/19/05) 13. TECHNOLOGY: SPACIAL ARRANGEMENT IN INTERIOR DESIGN. KATHY WAGNER, president of DESIGN YOURSELF INTERIORS, INC.: "It has been scientifically proven that visual tools allow the consumer to clarify their thinking, reinforce understanding of space, easily integrate new concepts and quickly identify misconceptions when decorating the interior of their home. The correct interior design product allows the consumer to save time, money and, hopefully, the heartache that comes with the realization that the wrong piece or size of furniture was purchased -- or that the room was decorated incorrectly." News Contact: Ria Romano, rromano@romanopr.com Phone: +1-786- 290-6413 (12/19/05)

14. TECHNOLOGY: MAKING INSTANT MESSENGERS IMMUNE TO VIRUSES AND INFORMATION THEFT. ANTON LEVCHUK, director of development at FAMATECH INTERNATIONAL CORP.: "In the wake of the recent epidemic of proprietary information theft from companies using instant messenger systems, there is a clear demand for a more secure system -- and first quarter 2006 will find the market flooded with options. The question stands: Which products will truly protect companies' most valuable information, and how do you test such products?" News Contact: Ria Romano, rromano@romanopr.com Phone: +1-786-290-6413 (12/19/05)

15. TECHNOLOGY: MASTERING DATA MANAGEMENT. WILLIAM MCKNIGHT, SVP of East Hanover, N.J.-based CONVERSION SERVICES INTERNATIONAL: "Despite the plethora of products and services out there, data quality remains a somewhat elusive subject that defies measurement. Yet, data quality directly impacts decision support and poor data quality can derail IT projects, strategic initiatives, or even your company as a whole. That's why it's imperative that organizations learn how to achieve data quality. Doing so improves IT solution deployments, creates a 'single version of the truth,' enhances customer satisfaction and ensures better corporate brand articulation." News Contact: Jeanne Achille, jeanne@devonpr.com Phone: +1-732-542-2000 (12/19/05)

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