Volkswagen Touareg TDI® Clean Diesel SUV. Makes New World Record!

Volkswagen Touareg TDI® Clean Diesel SUV Powers Rainer Zietlow and Team to New Record on World's Longest Highway


TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge drivers Marius Biela, Rainer Zietlow and Carlos Fernandez celebrate their record-setting trip which covered 16,000 miles in 11 days 17 hours

TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge Team Conquers 16,000 Miles in Record Time Demonstrating the Power and Durability of Clean Diesel Technology

Deadhorse, Alaska/Herndon, Va. — July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — On July 13, after 11 days, 17 hours and 22 minutes of non-stop driving, renowned adventurer and off-road driver Rainer Zietlow and his team set a new world record certified by Tüv Nord Mobility for driving the length of the Pan-American Highway as they crossed the road’s end in Deadhorse, Alaska. The TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge team covered 14 countries and nearly 16,000 miles in a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI® Clean Diesel SUV. Their journey to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Pan-American Highway’s establishment breaks the previous record by more than three days.

“Our adrenaline is still pumping after setting the new world record on the Pan-American Highway,” said Rainer Zietlow, manager of the German car event agency, Challenge4 GmbH, after finishing the Challenge. “We were able to overcome every weather challenge along the way, and our fueling and transportation stops ran like clockwork. Thanks to our sponsors, we were outfitted with a vehicle that could handle the demanding driving schedule and challenging conditions, and had amazing technical and driver support along the way.”

Zietlow and his German teammates, Carlos Fernandez and Marius Biela, started their journey on July 2 at the southern-most tip of Argentina where the Pan-American Highway begins. They traveled through 14 countries – Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada – and through challenging conditions ranging from a blinding sandstorm in Chile to muddy roads in northern Alaska. The team drove day and night, taking five-hour driving shifts throughout the trip. The TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge website, www.tdi-panamericana.com, shared the team’s experiences through blog posts and videos and tracked their progress using a live map.

This world record journey was also one of goodwill. Zietlow will donate 10 Euro cents for each kilometer that was driven this trip to two villages in Latin America managed by Plan International, a charity organization that works in 48 developing countries to promote children’s rights and lift millions of children out of poverty.

Zietlow chose the Touareg TDI® Clean Diesel for its durability, high-performance and long-range fuel efficiency. Its turbocharged 3.0L V6 TDI® engine delivers 225 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque and is designed to perform on rugged terrain and mixed road surfaces at varying altitudes. The clean diesel Touareg consumes 30 percent less fuel and produces up to 25 percent lower CO2 emissions than comparable gasoline vehicles.

“Volkswagen congratulates the Challenge4 Team on their success,” said Rainer Michel, vice president of product marketing, Volkswagen of America. “We knew that the Volkswagen Touareg TDI® Clean Diesel SUV could be pushed to unimaginable limits. The completion of the TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge in record-setting time demonstrates the vehicle’s durability, reliability, comfort and fuel-efficiency. This is a great vehicle for adventurers, driving enthusiasts and families alike.”

From August 1 through August 30, Zietlow will drive the record-setting Touareg to Volkswagen dealerships across the nation where interested public can watch a movie about his journey and look inside the vehicle. To see the tour schedule, please visit www.tdi-panamericana.com.

In addition to Volkswagen, a number of other major sponsors supported the Challenge, including 3M, Allianz, Bosch, Castrol, Continental Tire, ESL, Exide Technologies, Federal Mogul, Getac, Inmarsat, Kruse, Kuehne + Nagel, PIAA, Sonax, Tag Heuer and Volkswagen Credit.

Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Va. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Eos, Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2011 Volkswagen vehicles come standard-equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC). This is important because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

# # #

Media Contact:
Corey Proffitt
703-364-7672
Corey.Proffitt@vw.com



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Sephora Launches The Free Sephora App for iPad

Sephora Launches The Sephora App for iPad




SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sephora North America is proud to announce the Sephora App for iPad is now available on the App Store. The Sephora App offers a fully integrated digital beauty experience that brings diverse social feeds into one fun, magazine-like format.

The Sephora App includes up-to-the-minute beauty news and information from Sephora’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, its BeautyTalk community, Beauty And The Blog website and Sephora’s newly revamped YouTube Channel, providing the latest beauty trends and advice. The sophisticated and information-rich layout updates each time the app is accessed and can be tailored to only show the content individual users want for a truly personal experience.

Once you’ve read the reviews, seen the videos and posted your own comments, Sephora’s App for iPad offers a seamless online shopping experience and a special-edition, iPad-only summer catalogue that puts the hottest products and top seasonal trends at your fingertips.

“We’re extremely proud of Sephora’s App for iPad and consider it an immersive, educational and entertaining beauty retail experience,” said Bridget Dolan, Vice President of Interactive Media. “The limitless capabilities of iPad inspired us to rethink how we deliver content digitally to our clients, leading us to develop unique functionalities that will drive the entire category.”

The Sephora App is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

World Congress of Families Congratulates Beckhams on Birth of Fourth Child

DAVID Beckham looks like the proudest father as he tenderly cradles new daughter Harper Seven "Daddy's little girl!".


22 Jul 2011 18:22 Africa/Lagos


World Congress of Families Congratulates Beckhams on Birth of Fourth Child - Asks for Honest Population Debate

PR Newswire

LONDON, July 22, 2011

LONDON, July 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- British population-control fanatics and radical environmentalists are once again showing their irrationality and true totalitarian colors by using the birth of a fourth child to English football star David Beckham and his wife to climb on their over-population soapboxes.

Simon Ross, CEO of the Optimum Population Trust, calls the Beckham family "very bad role models." Ross insists, "There's no point in people trying to reduce their carbon emissions and then increasing them 100% by having another child."

If this guilt and fear mongering weren't enough, Ross then calls for changing government "incentives" to encourage smaller families despite the data that shows family-size is already decreasing in every region of the world.

World Congress of Families Managing Director Larry Jacobs congratulated the Beckhams for "giving the gift of life to another precious child. Unlike the myths propagated by radical environmentalists, feminists, secularists and socialists, the facts are that the number of children in the world continues to decrease. In fact, worldwide, there are 6 million fewer children (6 years of age and younger) today than there were in 1990."

Jacobs continued: "Groups like Optimum Population Trust play on fear and ignorance. Over-population is based on a long-discredited 1960s paradigm and Paul Ehrlich book, 'The Population Bomb.' The world's population may be temporarily on the rise, but, worldwide, birthrates have fallen by 50% since the 1960s. Today, almost half the world's population lives in countries with below-replacement birthrates – in many cases, well below replacement. In Europe, the number of children under 6 has fallen by 36% since 1960. According to the United Nations Population Division, if current trends continue, by 2050 there will be 248 million fewer children in the world under 6 than there are today."

Jacobs warned, "Optimum Population Trust won't have to worry about so-called carbon footprints when there aren't enough people (what economists refer to as human capital) to keep modern, industrialized societies functioning."

The WCF Managing Director called for a frank discussion of the realities of the birth-dearth and the importance of families. He also called on the media to present more than one side in the population debate and to present the societal benefits to encouraging the "natural family."

World Congress of Families sponsored the world's first demographic summit, "Moscow Demographic Summit: Family and the Future of Humankind" at the Russian State Social University, June 29-30. The Summit brought together demographers, economists, researchers and leaders to discuss the pending de-population crisis. Click here for more details.

World Congress of Families VI will be in Madrid, May 25-27, 2012. World Congress of Families VII will take place in Sydney in 2013. Demographic Winter will play a prominent role in both.

To schedule an interview with WCF Managing Director Larry Jacobs contact Don Feder at 508-405-1337, dfeder@rcn.com, or Lisa Youngblood at 815-964-5819, lisa@worldcongress.org.

The World Congress of Families (WCF) is an international network of pro-family organizations, scholars, leaders and people of goodwill from more than 60 countries that seek to restore the natural family as the fundamental social unit and the 'seedbed' of civil society (as found in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). The WCF was founded in 1997 by Allan Carlson and is a project of The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society in Rockford, Illinois. To date, there have been five World Congresses of Families – Prague (1997), Geneva (1999), Mexico City (2004), Warsaw, Poland (2007) and Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2009). World Congress of Families VI will be held in Madrid, Spain in May 25-27, 2012.

SOURCE World Congress of Families

CONTACT: Don Feder at 508-405-1337, dfeder@rcn.com; or Lisa Youngblood at 815-964-5819, lisa@worldcongress.org

IFJ and FAJ Hold Conference on the Welfare of African Journalists in Nigeria

22 Jul 2011 08:57 Africa/Lagos


IFJ and FAJ Hold Conference on the Welfare of African Journalists in Nigeria

ABUJA, July 22, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its African regional group, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) foundation held a two day conference on the Welfare of African journalists in the Nigerian capital, Abuja from 20- 21 July 2011.

The Conference, under the theme: “The Fruit of our Labour: A New Agenda for Improving Conditions of Journalists in Africa”, was attended by the IFJ President Jim Boumelha and IFJ Secretary General Elisabeth Costa who joined about 30 journalists leaders across the continent. It highlighted the poor working conditions of African journalists which were described as “appalling and precarious.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman said that the majority of working journalists in Africa have little or no recourse when their rights are violated.

“They have no way to improve their wages and workplace conditions. Year after year, working journalists who are union members are fired, arrested and attacked for exercising their legal right to free association and their right to organize,” he said .

Faruk added that while most journalists are working in atrocious conditions, women journalists are relegated to low wages, low skilled and dangerous jobs while retaining the primary responsibility for the care and survival of their families. “The solutions to these problems lie in our hands and we must find ways to improve the working conditions of journalists in Africa,” he emphasized.

In his address, IFJ President Jim Boumelha told welcomed the fact that the conference focused solely on journalists, their working conditions, social rights and their future.

“The essence of building strong trade unions is to defend the rights and welfare of the members and where unions are lacking or weak, the fundamental rights of journalists' workers are easily violated,” he said.

In the same vein, IFJ Secretary General, Elisabeth Costa, said that the precarious working conditions of journalists are not only unique to Africa, but common across the world. She stressed that there is need to strengthen our solidarity network to be able to improve the working conditions of journalists.

“The IFJ is fully committed to helping its affiliates in Africa to organise and work collectively.”

The Resident Representative of FES in Nigeria, Thomas Mattig, said that the working conditions of journalists and media workers across the continent are dire. “Many journalists work under precarious working conditions, they have no or almost no social security, no access to collective bargaining mechanisms and often they do not have a work contract or a regular salary.” The contrast, he said, is striking between the importance role the media play in the democracy process and the conditions under which journalists work. He denounced the profound disregard for the importance of free media.

At the end of the two day workshop, a Declaration was issued by FAJ committing the Federation to launch a campaign to improve the conditions of service of journalists and media workers in the media industry in Africa as well as to fight for the labour rights of journalists and other media workers as the fundamental basis of social justice, human rights and democracy.


Source: International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

Religious Leaders Meet with President to Form 'Circle of Protection'

President Barack Obama recently met with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the White House. July 16, 2011.


21 Jul 2011 03:09 Africa/Lagos


Religious Leaders Meet with President and Ask Him to Form 'Circle of Protection' Around Programs for Those in Need

PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2011

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a meeting this afternoon with President Barack Obama and senior White House staff, national Christian leaders asked the president to protect funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the ongoing budget debate and in any deal concerning the default crisis.

All agreed that we can get our fiscal house in order without doing so on the backs of those who are most vulnerable. The shared concern was to cut the deficit in a way that protects the safety net, protects the vulnerable, and maintains our investments in the future.

Christian leaders at today's meeting included representatives from the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Council of Churches, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bread for the World, Sojourners, the Alliance to End Hunger, the Salvation Army, the National African American Clergy Network, the National Baptist Convention of America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. They are part of the "Circle of Protection," a nonpartisan movement that insists budgets are moral documents and that poor and vulnerable people should be protected--not targeted--in efforts to reduce long-term deficits. White House staff in the meeting included Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Director of Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes and Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois.

Leaders have been urging policy makers to recognize that a commitment to protect vulnerable people is a moral--not partisan--concern. They will continue to talk with policy makers as well as educate other Christians and voters about the moral issues at stake in the budget.

"As Christian leaders, we are committed to fiscal responsibility and shared sacrifice. We are also committed to resist budget cuts that undermine the lives, dignity, and rights of poor and vulnerable people," the leaders wrote in a joint statement. "Therefore, we join with others to form a circle of protection around programs that meet the essential needs of hungry and poor people at home and abroad."

The Circle of Protection statement has been signed by more than 60 heads of Christian denominations and religious organizations, and endorsed by 45 heads of development agencies as well as leaders of other faiths. The Circle of Protection movement has worked to uphold the bipartisan consensus that has long prevailed in deficit-reduction agreements--that programs serving poor and hungry people should be protected and exempted from any automatic cuts.

"We applaud the president for acknowledging that any budget deal must protect programs vital for hungry and poor people," said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. "The best way to reduce federal deficits is to negotiate a responsible budget that includes cuts in spending as well as increases in revenues."

The Circle of Protection leaders have met with both Democratic and Republican leaders of Congress, and they have requested meetings with House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Circle of Protection leaders will host a teleconference tomorrow, July 21, at 11:30 a.m. ET. Media are invited to dial 888-296-4205 to participate. Speakers during the press call will include most of those who were at the White House meeting. For more information on the Circle of Protection and to view the full list of signatories, visit http://www.bread.org/hunger/budget/circle-of-protection/.

Bread for the World ( www.bread.org ) is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.

SOURCE Bread for the World

CONTACT: Racine Hamilton, +1-202-688-1138 office; +1-301-922-8417 cell, rhamilton@bread.org; or Kristen Youngblood , +1-202-688-1118 office; +1-202-423-7379 cell, kyoungblood@bread.org

Web Site: http://www.bread.org

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Keep shining and keep smiling like Anino Shine, one of Orikinla's Nigerian beauties.
Tomorrow is a brighter day for those who put smiles on our faces.


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Nigerian Pastor Flees from Boko Haram

Boko Haram terrorism threats chased away Nigerian Christian preacher Pastor Sunday Igbaloju Peters from his home and church in northern Nigeria.

NEWS REPORT


Boko Haram terrorism threats has chased away a Christian Nigerian preacher, Pastor Sunday Igbaloju Peters from his base in Bauchi, Bauchi State on the basis of assassination crusade and threats by Boko Haram sect to eliminate him anywhere in the country according to the police investigation report.

Barrister Chima Obinna in Bauchi stated that the said pastor is currently seeking asylum in a European country. Boko Haram a terrorist organization has carried out series of attacks and bombings in the country including Abuja, Nigeria's capital city in the recent months. Nigerians are said to now be living in perpetual fear of falling victim to the spate of bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and other acts of terrorism in the country.

According to the preliminary police report, pastor peters' problem with the sect started on 8th February 2009 when he reported what he perceived to be dangerous to the peace of the state to the police. Boko Haram marked him for assassination as seen as police informant. Police further said that Boko Haram targeted him for four major reasons:

a) For informing the police on 8th February 2009 about their intention to over turned Bauchi state. The sect sees him as police informant.

b) For criticising against their mission to Islamize the entire nation with the force of Jihad.

c) For discouraging youths from allowing anybody or sect to use them as an instrument of violence and to pursue education because, it's the best heritage any man can get.

d) To revenge the death of their leader, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf. The sect sees him as an infidel that deserves to die. No wonder they declared many people wanted including the vice president.

The Boko Haram menace has taken a new and deadly twist, with the dreaded group issuing threats to eliminate all Christians and even Muslims currently serving in the Federal government. In the statement released by the group last week, it said: “This is a government that is not Islamic. Therefore, all its employees-Muslims and non-Muslims are Infidels.

Boko Haram is more dangerous than rabid dogs and should be destroyed. The
members should be crushed and not cuddled. They should not be understood; there is no method in their madness.

The sect’s campaign of violence, at once indiscriminate and selective, has dislocated normal life in many parts of the country. Maiduguri is like a city under siege. There is fear and there may soon be a shortage of food.

Bomb exploded by Boko Haram have killed close to 100 people in the last few weeks. Many members of the uniformed forces have been shot dead in targeted killings. Boko Haram members have also enjoyed a turkey shoot in Bauchi.

Boko Haram attacked the headquarters of the Nigeria Police in Abuja in June. About eight people were reportedly killed in the bomb blast and dozens of cars were burnt.

It was gathered that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was thrown at a moving military patrol van near Fannah Dori Filling Station along Baga road in Maiduguri. The atmosphere of insecurity currently inflicted on the nation by the Boko Haram crises points to poor use of pre-emptive intelligence and a coherent strategy in the management of the security issues arising.

The group is not easy to monitor, according to Human Rights Watch researcher Eric Guttschuss. “Since 2009 the leadership has gone underground. It’s now unclear what the exact command structure is.”

A spokesperson for Boko Haram told reporters in June that members had received training in Somalia. Okechukwu Nwanguma, programme coordinator with non-profit Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), said this could indicate Boko Haram has “a link with the global terror movement”.

Other reports have suggested the same thing, saying Boko Haram already has links to international terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, and has the potential to link with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) which operates in nearby regions.



~ By Chima Emmaneul

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time

20 Jul 2011

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Mobile App for Local Content Grows 34%

Study Shows Double-Digit Growth of Local Search in Online Portals and Internet Yellow Pages

Brand Recognition and Reputation Drive 58% of Local Business Searchers to Choose Internet Yellow Pages Sites First

Mobile App for Local Content Grows 34%, Taking Share From Mobile Browsers & SMS

PR Newswire

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J., July 19, 2011

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As online search activity continues to grow in usage and intensity, new data show local searches now account for 13 percent of all core search activity on top web search portals as of January 2011. Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) and local search sites also exhibited strong growth with 5.6 billion local searches in 2010, a 15 percent increase over 2009.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110719/NY37687-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110719/NY37687-b )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110719/NY37687-c )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110418/NY84627LOGO )

The State of Local Search study conducted by comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, and released by the Local Search Association, looks at the online local search industry and explores local business search behaviors, highlighting usage trends and profiling searchers and their engagement with search options.

Brand Recognition Key Driver of Internet Yellow Pages Searches

In the survey, 58 percent of respondents who choose an IYP site first, like DexKnows, Superpages, Yellowbook and YP.com, do so due to brand recognition and reputation. Nearly a third (30 percent) indicated they chose an IYP site first because of its reputation for local business information.

Portal searchers were more likely to conduct local searches as part of broad information gathering, while primary IYP searchers reported conducting local searches to look for contact information with specific products or services in mind. Despite differences in usage frequency and site preference, over half of local business searchers choosing portal or IYP sites as primary local search sites, are highly satisfied and find success in their search experience.

"The comScore study proves that convenience, trust, and brand are all important in attracting the local searcher," said Neg Norton, president, Local Search Association. "We know that consumers consult multiple sources of information, but the local search providers that offer all three attributes to the consumer will be in a good position to deliver to the advertiser. Internet Yellow Pages retains a significant level of brand recognition and reputation among consumers – with 58 percent citing the brand as a reason for visiting – which reinforces the value of IYP sites for local businesses."

Apps Use for Mobile Search Skyrockets While Online Local Coupon Adoption Grows

The study shows significant growth in mobile local search use, which provides opportunities for local businesses to engage with potential customers via mobile. In January 2011, 77.1 million mobile subscribers accessed local content on a mobile device, up 34 percent from the previous year. Local content users accounted for 33 percent of mobile subscribers, with 87 percent owning a GPS-capable handset (up 9 percent from the previous year).

An analysis of core mobile usage behaviors showed local content dominating, as mobile subscribers increasingly turn to their mobile phones for information on maps, weather, traffic, retail and other local content.

App use for mobile local content grew 34 percent, with 56 percent of respondents using apps for local content. Browsers lead in usage of local content with 73 percent, dropping from 75 percent last year. Local content via SMS dropped to 25 percent from 30 percent.

Online daily deal offers and discounts have also emerged as an additional customer acquisition channel for local businesses. The comScore study found that primary IYP searchers were less likely to report purchasing online daily deal coupons for local businesses than business searchers on other sites (27 percent vs. 38 percent).

"Daily deals represent a big opportunity for Internet Yellow Pages," said Gillian Heltai, Senior Director at comScore. "We see many new entrants to the daily deal space, but awareness is a big issue; with IYP sites already interacting with local business searchers that are in the purchase funnel, there is the prospect of intercepting shoppers who are looking to buy and could become return customers."

"The market is changing so rapidly that small businesses need a trusted advisor to help them sort through the complexity," said Norton. "This is particularly true with trends in the mobile space and daily deals. Small- and medium-size businesses are still working to understand how to be effective and use these tools to their advantage."

State of Local Business Search Webinar

comScore and the Local Search Association will be presenting additional findings on usage and consumer experiences with online and mobile local business search activity from this study in a complimentary webinar on July 20th at 2pm EDT. To register for the webinar, please go here:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/909888976

About the Local Search Association

Formerly the Yellow Pages Association, the Local Search Association (www.localsearchassociation.org) is the largest trade organization of print, digital, mobile and social media that help local businesses get found and selected by ready-to-buy consumers. Association members include U.S. and international Yellow Pages companies, search engine marketers, online listings and review sites, digital advertising agencies and mobile search providers. The Association has members in 29 countries.

Read the Local Search Association blog at www.localsearchinsider.com and follow @LocalSearchAssn on Twitter. To learn more about Yellow Pages advertising, visit www.buyyellow.com. To choose which phone books you receive, or stop delivery of all directories, visit www.yellowpagesoptout.com.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. comScore derives its information and analysis from a representative panel of more than two million Internet users worldwide who have provided explicit permission for comScore to install its patented measurement technology on their computers to monitor their online browsing, buying and other transactional activity across the entire World Wide Web. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

CONTACT:
Doug McGraw
Fleishman-Hillard
doug.mcgraw@fleishman.com
212-453-2202

SOURCE Local Search Association

Web Site: http://www.ypassociation.org

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Co-Creation Hub Nigeria to get $245, 000 grant

19 Jul 2011 15:04 Africa/Lagos


Omidyar Network and The Indigo Trust to Fund New Social Innovation Center in Nigeria

PR Newswire

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and LONDON, July 19, 2011

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and LONDON, July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Omidyar Network and The Indigo Trust announced today their support and intent to fund the Co-Creation Hub in Lagos, Nigeria. The Hub is a non-profit, social enterprise centered around a shared work space where stakeholders from multiple walks of Nigerian life come together to collaboratively create tech-based solutions that address social challenges facing Nigerian society. It will be Nigeria's first multi-functional, multi-purpose space dedicated to the creation of social technology ventures. Omidyar Network will grant up to US$200,000, and The Indigo Trust has provided a grant of US$45,000.

The Hub will accommodate 50-60 tech start-ups at one time and will provide pre-incubation services including: advice, training, mentorship and access to funding through a network of local and international partners. The Hub will also serve as a place for stakeholders to meet, brainstorm, share ideas and collaborate through partnership events, meet-ups, focus groups, hackathons, competitions and talks by guest speakers.

The Hub founders, 'Bosun Tijani and Femi Longe, saw first-hand the impact of focused social innovation efforts through their leadership in the Social Innovation Camp Nigeria and Tech in Governance camp that took place this year in Nigeria. The camps yielded a number of technology initiatives focusing on issues such as government accountability, health information and crime tracking and reporting. Their goals for The Hub include helping to stimulate the creation of more than two dozen social ventures over the next two years. The Hub will open its doors in August this year.

"The Co-Creation Hub promises to foster the development of technology-driven social enterprises that will address many of Nigeria's most pressing problems," said Stephen King, Omidyar Network investment partner. "The Hub will provide the environment, stimulation and connections to capital and expertise necessary to help Nigerian entrepreneurs launch their social missions to improve the lives of millions of Nigerians."

The grant represents Omidyar Network's latest investment in innovative uses of technology for development and support of entrepreneurship in Africa. It follows the recent creation of the Africa Transparency and Technology Initiative and support of the African Leadership Academy and the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship.

"We are delighted to support a venture which will create an enabling environment for African-led innovation, contextualized to local needs," said Francesca Perrin, founder and director of The Indigo Trust. "The Hub will bring together developers, innovators and business professionals, creating the right conditions to stimulate innovation and generate technology-led solutions that improve governance and support development objectives across Nigeria. We're excited about the potential of Hubs. It seems natural to us that people should come together to share technical, human and social bandwidth."

About The Indigo Trust:

The Indigo Trust is a grant making foundation that funds technology-driven projects to bring about social change, largely in African countries. The Trust focuses mainly on innovation, transparency and citizen empowerment. The Indigo Trust makes grants to African projects or programmes, or to organisations which operate at least partly in African countries. We believe that access to information for all empowers people to change their own lives and communities. Fran Perrin founded the trust that she now runs with her husband William. The Indigo Trust is one of the 18 Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts (SFCT). The Trusts work and fund autonomously across many different sectors and geographic regions but share offices and administration. For more information see The Trust's blog: http://indigotrust.wordpress.com

About Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $448 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including microfinance, entrepreneurship, property rights, government transparency, consumer Internet and mobile. To learn more about Omidyar Network, please visit www.omidyar.com.

SOURCE Omidyar Network

CONTACT: Greg Pershall of Omidyar Network, +1-360-607-8901; or Dr Loren Treisman of The Indigo Trust, +44 (0) 20 7410 0330

Web Site: http://www.omidyar.com



Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time

19 Jul 2011

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13:32 Omidyar Network and The Indigo Trust to Fund New Social Innovation Center in Nigeria

13:27 Omidyar Network Commits $5 Million to Government Accountability in Africa

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New ADP Mobile Application for HR

NEW ADP MOBILE APPLICATION USHERS IN ERA OF ANYTIME HR

Free Application Spurs Collaboration and Provides Employees with Fast, Easy Access to HR, Payroll, Time & Attendance and Benefits Information via their Mobile Devices


ADP Chief Strategy Officer Jan Siegmund unveils the new ADP Mobile Solutions app (Credit: Feature Photo Service)

ROSELAND, N.J. — July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — ADP®, a leading provider of human resource outsourcing, payroll services, benefits administration and integrated computing solutions for vehicle dealers, today added another tool to empower employee productivity: the ADP Mobile Solutions application, a free, easy-to-use app that gives employees access to their vital HR, Payroll and Benefits information via a mobile device.



Using the ADP Mobile Solutions app, employees of ADP clients in the United States can view recent pay statements, access corporate directories and company news, manage time and attendance remotely, and review ADP Retirement Savings information.

Available on the iOS, Android and RIM smartphone platforms, the app’s easy-to-use format and highly intuitive design provides a new connection between Human Resource managers and employees in the workplace. Here is how it works:

* Virtual Payroll Info: Employees can view pay statements from up to five previous pay periods, toggling between Net Pay and Gross Pay year-to-date.
* Retirement Savings: Employees can view their current 401(K) allocations, distribution percentages, account balances and rate of return.
* Time and Attendance: Employees can clock in, clock out, indicate a late arrival, and create timesheets.
* Corporate Intranet On-The-Go: The corporate directory provides the ability to view, search, and contact employees listed in the directory. The company news section allows employees to read news and events posted by management.


“The ADP Mobile Solutions app is the most comprehensive and compelling mobile HR solution available to organizations seeking to provide their mobile workforce with access to the tools and information they need to be more productive, wherever they are,” said Mike Capone, Chief Information Officer, ADP. “ADP has leveraged its human capital management expertise and technology prowess to help ADP clients drive enhanced productivity, efficiencies and employee engagement across their enterprises. ADP is poised to revolutionize the way employers and employees collaborate inside and outside the workplace.”

In today’s dynamic business environment, employers are seeking new methods to personalize and empower their workforce to suit an increasingly mobile lifestyle. Innovative companies see an engaged workforce as a productive workforce and the ADP Mobile Solutions application helps them ensure their employees stay connected and engaged while away from the traditional office.

The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television stations and syndication. Scripps operates daily and community newspapers in 13 markets, and 10 broadcast TV stations. Scripps also operates Scripps Howard News Service and United Media.

“As an ADP client for payroll and its broad spectrum of HR services, Scripps has been utilizing the new ADP Mobile Solutions application in pilot mode over the last several months,” said Joe Carpenter, manager of HR operations for The E.W. Scripps Company. “We have been impressed with the ease and functionality of the app, most notably in accessing our payroll information. In today’s mobile world, an application like ADP Mobile Solutions can help free managers’ and employees’ time to focus on what they do best.”

“The ADP mobile app’s robust functionality and intuitive interface is impressive,” said Jayson Saba, research analyst, human capital management at Aberdeen Group. “While we have seen other mobile apps that can perform a few of these functions, ADP’s application does a great job combining payroll, time management, benefits, and other relevant information. Our research found that adopting a strategy that leverages real-time access via multiple channels, including mobile devices, improves manager productivity and employee engagement.”
Study Indicates Employers are Seeing Strong Benefits from Mobile HR Solutions

A recent study conducted by VDC Research and the ADP Research Institute (ADPRI), a specialized group of market research professionals within ADP, found that early adopters are experiencing strong benefits from mobile HR solutions, ranging from workforce productivity and easier recruiting to increased employee satisfaction. Organizations are also increasingly viewing mobile HR access for employees as a critical function when evaluating the capabilities of next-generation HR solutions and services. Conducted across 400 mid-sized and large U.S. organizations, the study found that mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are proving to be an effective means to achieve improved worker productivity, real-time decision making, and workforce satisfaction. Moreover, employers are increasingly seeing real value in allowing employees to access their payroll and HR data via mobile devices. A full copy of the whitepaper, entitled “Mobile HR Solutions: Connecting & Empowering Your Workforce” can be downloaded for free by clicking here.
ADP Mobile Solutions Application Eligibility and Technical Requirements

The ADP Mobile Solutions app is currently available to ADP clients who operate in the United States and meet certain eligibility requirements, including utilizing one or more relevant ADP solution offerings, such as payroll, time and attendance, and benefits. In order to use the ADP Mobile Solutions app, employees of ADP clients will need to have one of the following compatible mobile devices:

* iPhone 3G
* iPhone 3GS
* iPhone 4
* iPad
* iPod touch
* Android v2.0 (or higher)
* Blackberry v4.6.1 (or higher)


There is no additional charge to use the ADP Mobile Solutions application. It is available for download through the Apple App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. It is also available using the browser of Android and Blackberry OS devices from the following URL: https://mobile.adp.com.

Editors’ Note: A photo of the ADP Mobile Solutions app is available via the Associated Press Photo Network and on the Internet at Feature Photo Service’s link on NewsCom at: http://www.newscom.com.

For more information on the ADP Mobile Solutions app, please visit http://www.adp.com/mobilesolutions.

About ADP

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADP), with nearly $9 billion in revenues and about 550,000 clients, is one of the world’s largest providers of business outsourcing solutions. Leveraging over 60 years of experience, ADP offers a wide range of HR, payroll, tax and benefits administration solutions from a single source. ADP’s easy-to-use solutions for employers provide superior value to companies of all types and sizes. ADP is also a leading provider of integrated computing solutions to auto, truck, motorcycle, marine and recreational vehicle dealers throughout the world. For more information about ADP or to contact a local ADP sales office, reach us at 1 (800) 225-5237 or visit the company’s website at www.ADP.com.


For more information, contact:

Jim Larkin
ADP
(973) 407-9714
Jim_Larkin@ADP.com