Governor to sue NCAA over Penn State sanctions

 Gov. Tom Corbett said Tuesday he plans to sue the NCAA in federal court over stiff sanctions imposed against Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal.
The Republican governor scheduled a Wednesday news conference on the Penn State campus in State College to announce the filing in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg.
A person associated with the university and knowledgeable about the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the lawsuit had not been filed, told The Associated Press that it is an antitrust action.
The NCAA sanctions, which were agreed to by the university in July, included a $60 million fine that would be used nationally to finance child abuse prevention grants. The sanctions also included a four-year bowl game ban for the university's marquee football program, reduced football scholarships and the forfeiture of 112 wins but didn't include a suspension of the football program, the so-called death penalty.
The governor's office announced the news conference late Tuesday afternoon. His spokesman did not respond to repeated calls and emails seeking to confirm a Sports Illustrated story that cited anonymous sources saying a lawsuit was imminent.
Corbett's brief statement did not indicate whether his office coordinated its legal strategy with state Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane, who is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 15.
Kane, a Democrat, ran on a vow to investigate why it took state prosecutors nearly three years to charge Sandusky, an assistant under former football coach Joe Paterno. Corbett was the attorney general when that office took over the case in early 2009 and until he became governor in January 2011.
State and congressional lawmakers from Pennsylvania have objected to using the Penn State fine to finance activities in other states. Penn State has already made the first $12 million payment, and an NCAA task force is deciding how it should be spent.
The NCAA, which declined to comment Tuesday on the planned lawsuit, has said at least a quarter of the money would be spent in Pennsylvania.
Republican U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent called that an "unacceptable and unsatisfactory" response by the NCAA to a request from the state's U.S. House delegation that the whole $60 million be distributed to causes within the state.
Last week, state Sen. Jake Corman, a Republican whose district includes Penn State's main campus, said he plans to seek court action barring any of the first $12 million from being released to groups outside the state.
Sandusky, 68, was convicted in June on charges he sexually abused 10 boys, some on Penn State's campus. He's serving a 30- to 60-year state prison term.
Eight young men testified against him, describing a range of abuse they said went from grooming and manipulation to fondling, oral sex and anal rape when they were boys.
Sandusky did not testify at his trial but has maintained his innocence, acknowledging he showered with boys but insisting he never molested them.

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NHL, players' union set to meet at league offices

The NHL and the union are back at the bargaining table and seem determined to work toward a deal to save the hockey season.
A full day of talks was planned for Tuesday, one day after negotiations resumed following nearly three weeks apart. On Monday, the players' association presented a counterproposal to an offer made by the league late last week. The NHL spent Monday night reviewing the document, then got together again with the union Tuesday.
Small groups from each side met and conferred by conference calls all afternoon about provisions of a potential collective bargaining agreement. A full meeting of the negotiating teams wasn't expected at the league office before 6:30 or 7 p.m. EST, a union spokesman said. The NHL then requested that the meeting be pushed back to 9 p.m.
What is clear is that time has become a real factor.
"We've said we need to drop the puck by Jan. 19 if we're going to play a 48-game season," Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We don't think it makes sense to play a season any shorter than that."
That leaves a little less than two weeks to reach an agreement and hold one week of training camp before starting the season. All games through Jan. 14 have been canceled, claiming more than 50 percent of the original schedule.
The NHL is the only North American professional sports league to cancel a season because of a labor dispute, losing the 2004-05 campaign to a lockout. A 48-game season was played in 1995 after a lockout stretched into January.
The NHL was supposed to be celebrating its annual outdoor Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday — the 108th day of the lockout — at Michigan Stadium. But that game was canceled long ago along with the All-Star game.
Monday's talks marked the first time the NHL and union met in person since Dec. 13. Bettman says a deal must be reached by Jan. 11 so the season can begin eight days later.
When the sides met Monday, the union brought a condensed counterproposal in response to the NHL's 288-page contract offer. There were some discussions between the negotiators and some time spent apart in internal meetings.
Neither side would elaborate on what was offered in either proposal or characterize any of Monday's discussions that union executive director Donald Fehr said "weren't terribly long."
"There was an opportunity for the players to highlight the areas they thought we should focus on based on their response, and that's something we've got to look at very closely in addition to the myriad of other issues," Bettman said. "The process continues and we're anticipating getting back together."
That neither offer was quickly dismissed could be taken as a positive sign that perhaps the gap has narrowed.
"I'm out of the prediction business," Fehr said. "You get up every day and you try to figure out how to make an agreement that day, and if it fails you try and do it the next day. That's exactly where we are."
Bettman also reserved judgment when asked if progress was made.
"I think it would be premature for me to characterize it and not particularly helpful to the process," he said.
It is still possible this dispute eventually could be settled in the courts if the sides can't reach a deal on their own.
The NHL filed a class-action suit this month in U.S. District Court in New York in an effort to show its lockout is legal. In a separate move, the league filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, contending bad-faith bargaining by the union.
Those moves were made because the players' association took steps toward potentially declaring a "disclaimer of interest," which would dissolve the union and make it a trade association. That would allow players to file antitrust lawsuits against the NHL.

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Stanford holds off Wisconsin 20-14 in Rose Bowl

Although Stanford didn't score many style points in the 99th Rose Bowl, the Cardinal could celebrate because they didn't let Wisconsin score any points at all after halftime.
Stepfan Taylor rushed for 89 yards and an early touchdown, Kevin Hogan passed for 123 yards, and No. 8 Stanford won its first Rose Bowl since 1972, beating the Badgers 20-14 on Tuesday night.
Usua Amanam made the decisive interception near midfield with 2:30 to play as the Pac-12 champion Cardinal (12-2) ended their four-decade drought in the Granddaddy of Them All with arguably the biggest bowl win yet during the long-struggling program's recent renaissance.
Stanford clamped down on the Big Ten champion Badgers (8-6), who lost the Rose Bowl in heartbreaking fashion for the third consecutive season. Montee Ball rushed for 100 yards and his FBS-record 83rd touchdown, but Wisconsin managed only 82 yards after halftime.
With impressive defense of its own, Wisconsin still stayed in position for an upset in the one-game return of Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez, who was back on the Badgers' sideline in his red sweater-vest seven years after hanging up his whistle.
When Bret Bielema abruptly left Wisconsin for Arkansas after winning the Big Ten title game, Alvarez agreed to coach his fourth Rose Bowl before handing off his program to new coach Gary Andersen, who met with Alvarez on the field before the game.
But the Badgers' third straight Rose Bowl appearance ended in much the same way as the last two: With the Wisconsin offense failing to get the late score they desperately needed.
Curt Phillips went 10 for 16 for 83 yards passing and that crucial interception for Wisconsin, doing more with 64 yards on the ground. Jordan Fredrick caught a short TD pass right before halftime, but no Badgers receiver had more than Jared Abbrederis' three catches.
And though Ball became the first player to score touchdowns in three Rose Bowls, the powerful back fell short of Ron Dayne's career Rose Bowl rushing record, swarmed under by waves of tacklers from one of the toughest defenses in the nation.
Kelsey Young rushed for a score on Stanford's opening possession, and Taylor scored on the second. Wisconsin kept the Cardinal out of the end zone for the final 51 minutes, but Stanford's defense didn't need any more help.
Stanford won its first conference title and earned its first Rose Bowl appearance in 13 years with seven straight wins. The Cardinal ousted top-ranked Oregon on the way to the biggest season yet in the improbable surge of success started by Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck, and extended by coach David Shaw and Hogan, who took over as the starter in November.
Wisconsin returned to Pasadena in a much more roundabout way as the first five-loss team to make it, losing three overtime games and making the Big Ten title game only because Ohio State and Penn State were ineligible. The Badgers then steamrolled Nebraska to become the first Big Ten team in three straight Rose Bowls since Michigan in the late 1970s.
The Cardinal led 14-0 on Taylor's 3-yard TD run just 8½ minutes in, but Wisconsin finally got rolling behind Ball, who rushed for 296 yards in his first two Rose Bowls. Stanford stopped James White inside the 1 on fourth down early in the second quarter after a touchdown run by Ball was wiped out by a holding penalty, but Ball scored on the next drive.
The Badgers then mounted an 85-yard drive in the waning 2 ½ minutes of the first half, with Phillips' 38-yard run setting up Fredrick's short TD catch to trim Stanford's halftime lead to 17-14.
After halftime adjustments, both defenses dominated the scoreless third quarter, allowing just three combined first downs.
Wisconsin's personal foul on a fair-catch punt return finally sparked Stanford early in the fourth quarter. Stanford got inside the Wisconsin 5 before stalling, and Jordan Williamson's short field goal put the Cardinal up by six points with 4:23 to go.
The Badgers got to midfield, but Phillips threw behind Jacob Pedersen, and Amanam easily made the pick.

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Pennsylvania governor to sue NCAA over Penn State sanctions

 Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said on Tuesday he will file a federal lawsuit against the NCAA over sanctions it levied against Pennsylvania State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.
Corbett is scheduled to hold a news conference on Wednesday at the Nittany Lion Inn on the Penn State campus to reveal the details of the lawsuit against the governing body of U.S. collegiate sports, his office said.
Sandusky, Penn State's former defensive coordinator, was convicted in June of 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years, some in the football team's showers. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.
In July, the NCAA fined Penn State University $60 million and voided its football victories for the past 14 seasons in an unprecedented rebuke for the school's failure to stop assistant coach Sandusky's sexual abuse of children.
The university recently made the first payment of $12 million, destined for a national fund to support the victims of child abuse. Other sanctions included a ban on the Penn State football team from appearing in bowl games for four years.
NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said the organization did not have any comment as it had not yet received the lawsuit.
The Sandusky scandal sparked a national debate over child sex abuse, embarrassed the university and implicated a number of its top officials including legendary football head coach, the late Joe Paterno.
It was revealed by a state grand jury convened in 2009 by Corbett, then Pennsylvania's attorney general. Sandusky is now serving 30 to 60 years in prison on 48 charges that he sexually abused 10 youths over more than a decade.
Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane, a Democrat, has vowed to probe Corbett's handling of the Penn State case. She has told reporters that she believes that by convening a grand jury in the case that he failed to protect children by delaying prosecution for more than two years.
Corbett, a Republican, has said he welcomes an investigation into how he handled the case.

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A surprisingly good vintage as market logs gains

 If you'd told investors what was going to happen in 2012 — U.S. economic growth at stall speed, an intensifying European debt crisis, a slowdown in China, fiscal deadlock in Washington, decelerating corporate earnings growth — and asked how the stock market would perform, few would have predicted a good year.
But that's just what they got.
The Dow Jones industrial average, the Standard & Poor's 500 and the Nasdaq composite index all ended the year substantially higher, despite losing ground in the final days of year as concerns about the looming "fiscal cliff" mounted.
The Dow gained 7 percent for the year, its fourth consecutive annual advance, having started the year at 12,217. The S&P 500, which started the year at 1,257, is up 13 percent, beating the 7.8 percent average annual gain of the past 20 years. The Nasdaq also logged a better-than-average gain, 16 percent.
Including dividends, the total return on the S&P 500 index was even better: 16 percent.
Financial companies led the gains among S&P 500 stocks, advancing 26 percent, as banks continued their restructuring efforts after the recession. Bank of America more than doubled, gaining $6.05 to $11.61 and Citigroup advanced $13.25, or 50 percent, to $39.56. Utilities, the best-performing industry group last year, was the only sector of 10 industry groups in the index to decline, dropping 2.9 percent.
"There's been a lot thrown at this market, and it's proven to be very resilient," said Gary Flam, a portfolio manager at Bel Air Investment Advisors in California. "Here we are at the end of the year, and it's still relatively strong."
Stocks started the year on a tear, with optimism about an improving job market and a broader economic recovery providing the backdrop to the S&P 500's best first-quarter rally in 14 years.
The index advanced 12 percent by the end of March, closing the quarter at 1,408, its highest in almost four years, with financial companies and technology firms leading the charge. The Dow ended the first quarter at 13,212, logging an 8 percent gain.
Apple was one of the star performers of the first quarter and was probably the year's most talked-about company.
The popularity of the iPhone and iPad led to staggering sales growth that helped push its stock up 48 percent to almost $600 at the end of March. Apple also announced a dividend and overtook Exxon Mobil as the U.S.'s most valuable company.
At the start of the second quarter, the intensifying European debt crisis and concerns about the impact that it would have on global economic growth prompted a sell-off.
By the start of June, U.S. stocks had given up the year's gains. Borrowing costs for Spain surged and investors fretted over the outcome of Greek elections that had the potential to pull the euro currency bloc apart.
The outlook for growth in China, the world's second-largest economy, also began to weigh on investors' minds. Economic growth there slowed to 8.1 percent in the first quarter as export demand waned, and investors worried that it would keep falling.
The Dow fell as low as 12,101 June 4. The S&P dropped to 1,278 June 1.
The second quarter was also marred by Facebook's initial public offering.
The stock sale was one of the most keenly anticipated initial public offerings in years, but investors didn't "like" the $16 billion market debut. The social network priced its IPO at $38 per share, and the stock started to fall soon after the first day of trading on concern about the company's mobile strategy.
Facebook closed as low as $17.73 on Sept. 4 before recovering some of the ground it lost to close the year at $26.62.
Company earnings reports were also starting to make uncomfortable reading for investors. Earnings growth for S&P 500 companies fell as low as 0.8 percent in the second quarter, according to S&P Capital IQ data.
The stock market only recovered its poise after the European Union put together loans to bail out Spain's banks on June 10 and the head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, pledged to do "whatever it takes" to save the euro.
Speculation that the Federal Reserve was set to provide the economy with more stimulus to prevent it from slipping back into recession also bolstered stocks.
The rally even survived a blip when a software glitch at trading firm Knight Capital threw stock prices into chaos Aug. 1.
The firm said the problem was triggered by new trading software it installed. Erroneous orders were sent to 140 stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange, causing sudden price swings and surging trading volume.
Apple launched the iPhone 5, the latest version of its smartphone, in September, and the company's stock climbed to a record close of $702.10 on Sept. 19. That gave Apple a market value of $658 billion, and many analysts predicted more gains lay ahead.
By the time Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announced Sept. 13 that the U.S. central bank would start a third round of its bond-purchase program, which is intended to push longer term interest rates lower and encourage borrowing and investment, the S&P 500 had surged 14 percent from its June 1 low. A day later, the index peaked at five-year high of 1,466. The Dow Jones reached its peak for the year of 13,610, Oct. 5.
As is often the case on Wall Street, investors "bought the rumor and sold the fact," and quickly turned their attention to the challenges that lay ahead.
Analysts had also been cutting their outlook for growth in the final quarter of the year. At the start of the second quarter, estimated earnings growth for the period was 15.7 percent. That forecast had fallen to 3.4 percent by Dec. 27.
"One of the blessings that supported the stock market's moves in prior years was earnings growth," said Lawrence Creatura, a portfolio manager at Federated Investors. "That's true this year, but at a decelerating rate. It's not gone unnoticed that earnings growth is slowing, and many forecasts now include a full stall."
Apple's halo also began to slip in the final three months of the year. Its iPad Mini tablet, launched Nov. 2, met with lukewarm reviews, there were hints of unrest among its executive ranks. Investors began to fret that the intensifying competition in the smartphone market would crimp Apple's profits. The stock tumbled, and despite rallying in recent days is still down 27 percent from its September peak.
The year's final twist came in Washington.
Stocks wavered ahead of a presidential election that at times seemed too close to call, and while President Barack Obama ultimately reclaimed the White House by a comfortable margin, the Republicans retained control of the House.
The divided government set the stage for a tense end to the year as Democrats and Republicans sought to thrash out a budget plan that would avoid the U.S. falling off the "fiscal cliff," a series of tax hikes and government spending cuts that economists say would push the economy back into recession.
Initially, markets fell as much as 5 percent in the 10 days after the elections as investors worried that a divided government would not be able to agree on a budget plan to cut the U.S. deficit.
While the S&P 500 managed to recoup those losses by December on optimism that a deal would be reached, some investors are still urging caution. Any agreement will still be "ill-tasting medicine" to the economy, as it will almost certainly involve both spending cuts and tax hikes, says Joe Costigan, director of equity research at Bryn Mawr Trust Company.
"The question is, how much will the drag from the government be offset by business and personal spending," says Costigan. "The market has reasonable expectations for growth priced in, so I don't think we're going to see a big run-up.

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PolyU Researchers Develop Novel Treatment for People with Hemiplegic Arms

Researchers of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)'s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences have developed a novel treatment for people with hemiplegic arms because of stroke or unilateral cerebral palsy in order to speed up their recovery. Coined "Remind to move," the treatment requires the patients to wear a specially made sensory cueing wristwatch (SCW-V2), which is designed to provide pertinent sensory signals at a fixed interval.

(PRWEB) December 26, 2012
Researchers of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)'s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences have developed a novel treatment for people with hemiplegic arms because of stroke or unilateral cerebral palsy in order to speed up their recovery. Coined "Remind to move," the treatment requires the patients to wear a specially made sensory cueing wristwatch (SCW-V2), which is designed to provide pertinent sensory signals at a fixed interval.
The research was led by Dr Kenneth N. K. Fong, Associate Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, who indicated that one of the common problems with arm recovery after stroke or in children with cerebral palsy is the "learned non-use." With learned non-use, a portion of motor impairment of the patient is not resulted from the brain cell damage but from the learned suppression of the movement, and that makes an individual unable to move or develop the arm further.
Dr Kenneth Fong therefore developed a sensory cueing wristwatch to promote the attention and overcome "non-use" of hemiplegic arm through sensory cueing (e.g. vibration) emitted by a portable ambulatory wristwatch device tied to the upper limb, thereby reminding the subject to move his/her arm as instructed by the therapist.
Three initial clinical trials have been completed in hospitals and in the community settings over the past few years. Not only have the research team published their results in top international rehabilitation journals, but also obtained patents for the device in the United States and on the Chinese mainland.
The results of a randomized controlled trial done in the hospitals supported the proposition that sensory cueing using a cueing device was better than using a placebo device in improving arm functions for patients with stroke and unilateral neglect. In the community settings, participants with chronic stroke were asked to wear a ambulatory sensory cueing device on their affected arms for three hours a day and engage in repetitive task practice for two weeks; while school children with unilateral cerebral palsy were asked to wear a sensory cueing wristwatch device for five hours a day over a three-week period to remind them to perform a set of pre-determined arm exercises to enhance their arm functions. All subjects ended up with significant improvement in using their hemiplegic arms.
The device is now being used in the occupational therapy departments of five hospitals under the Hospital Authority. As the device is small, light, user-friendly and cost effective, the treatment can be carried out at home and even in the absence of therapists' supervision. This allows patients to practise more using the hemiplegic arms in real life.
More recently, PolyU researchers have been awarded research funding from the Research Grants Council to support the further development of this novel treatment. The research team will also look for business and industry partners to further develop the wristwatch device with better design and a new monitoring system.

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Home Business Owners Data Now Available on ConsumerBase

B2B files contain email, telephone, postal and firmographic data for these entrepreneurs.

Evanston, IL (PRWEB) December 26, 2012
ConsumerBase LLC, a multi-channel mailing list provider located in Evanston, IL, is updating its home business owner data on its website. Business-to-business direct marketers seeking consumers with entrepreneurial interests and burgeoning businesses are able to access firmographic, geographic and contact information data through these comprehensive files.
“ConsumerBase home business data mailing lists provide our clients with high quality data for their business-to-business marketing needs,” says Larry Organ, CEO of ConsumerBase. “Our continuous data cleansing techniques ensure we always have accurate and up-to-date data available.”
ConsumerBase home business owner mailing lists include, but are not limited to:
Direct Response Home Office and Home Business Opportunity Seekers Mailing List

Home Business Owners Mailing List

Money from Home- Home Business Owners Mailing List
ConsumerBase mailing lists contain up-to-date email, telephone, postal, demographic, and firmographic data. Daily list additions to all categories and monthly updates on existing lists ensure that the resulting high data quality gives direct marketers the advantage in a competitive marketplace.
ConsumerBase

ConsumerBase provides multi-channel direct marketing services with a specialty in postal, email, and telephone solutions. Encompassing the entire lifecycle of customer information, ConsumerBase services focus on acquiring and retaining customers, validating, cleaning, and enhancing customer data, and improving the overall performance of marketing communications.
ConsumerBase is an Evanston-based multi-channel mailing list company. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Evanston, Illinois. ConsumerBase operates as a subsidiary of Organ Worldwide LLC.

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Renowned Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee Appointed Professor of Practice (Wine) by PolyU

Jeannie Cho Lee, Asia’s foremost expert in wines, has been appointed by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) as Professor of Practice (Wine) at its School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) commencing 1 November 2012.

(PRWEB) December 26, 2012
Jeannie Cho Lee, Asia’s foremost expert in wines, has been appointed by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) as Professor of Practice (Wine) at its School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) commencing 1 November 2012.
The first Asian Master of Wine (MW), Professor Jeannie Cho Lee is also an award-winning author, wine and food writer, wine critic, judge, educator and consultant. A graduate of Smith College and Harvard University, Professor Lee holds a Certificat de Cuisine from Cordon Bleu. She is also a Master Sake Sommelier from Japan’s Sake Service Institute and a Certified Wine Educator from the United Kingdom’s Wine & Spirits Education Trust as well as the US Society of Wine Educators. Professor Lee was born in Korea and has lived in Hong Kong since 1994.
In her capacity as Professor of Practice (Wine), Professor Lee will be able to contribute to the School in different ways, including offering special lectures to both students and industry executives, advising SHTM on curriculum development in relation to wine studies, and facilitating the School’s collaboration with the wine industry through a number of dedicated platforms such as The Food and Wine Academy.
Speaking about the appointment, Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of SHTM said, “Professor Jeannie Cho Lee has demonstrated excellence and leadership in her field of practice. She will no doubt bring a unique depth of experience to this new position and help bridge the gap between academic and professional practice.”
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management is a world-leading provider of hospitality and tourism education. It was ranked No. 2 internationally among hotel and tourism schools based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research in November 2009.
With 65 academic staff drawing from 19 countries and regions, the School offers programmes at levels ranging from Higher Diploma to Ph.D. Currently a member of the UNWTO Knowledge Network, the School was recently bestowed the McCool Breakthrough Award by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (I-CHRIE) recognising its breakthrough in the form of its teaching and research hotel – Hotel ICON – the heart of the School’s innovative approach to hospitality and tourism education.

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Online Shopping Mall and Blog Launches New Info Site to Help Shoppers Choose Best Printer for Photos

MyReviewsNow.net, a leading online shopping mall, blog, reviews and information hub, has launched a new website designed to help people choose the right photo printer when they shop online. There is no cost to access the new website, and no membership or registration is required.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) December 26, 2012
For parents to students to professionals and everyone in between trying to shop online and choose the best printer for photos can be a challenge – especially when many products look the same, and trying to separate apples from oranges is easier said than done. Fortunately, online shopping mall and blog MyReviewsNow.net has a helpful solution with the launch of their new, no-cost information website.
The new website, located at bestprinterforphotos.com, provides simple, jargon-free information and tips on how to choose the best printer for photos. In particular, the website reminds shoppers that new, portable and lightweight battery-operated photo printers are available that rival many larger options in terms of print quality, speed and performance – yet at a fraction of the size.
“At the end of the day, there is no single best printer for photos,” commented a Spokesperson from MyReviewsNow.net. “Ultimately, it all comes down to finding the right mix of features and specifications, and of course, ensuring that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and makes it cost-effective over the long term to print photos at home or the office, instead of visiting a professional print shop. Our website provides helpful information that people – from homemakers to a small business owner – can trust to choose the right solution that works for them and their needs.”
People who want to learn more about choosing the best printer for photos can access MyReviewsNow.net’s new information website now. There is no cost, and no membership or registration is required.
People are also encouraged to visit MyReviewsNow.net’s giant shopping mall, and browse for a variety of products and services from the convenience of their home, office, or wherever their busy lifestyle takes them. Shoppers can also read hundreds of helpful reviews, leave their own feedback and ratings, explore the informative shopping blog, sign-up for the e-newsletter, and more.
For more information or media inquiries, contact Lina Andrade at info(at)myreviewsnow(dot)net. Press release issued by SEOChampion.com.
About MyReviewsNow.net Shopping Blog and Mall
A shopping blog, gift ideas hub and online shopping superstore that features thousands services, products and publications available online, MyReviewsNow.net is a business directory that sets itself apart from similar sites by offering both professional reviews and consumer reviews on the Internet’s hottest offerings in a fun, simple format that is easy for visitors to shop online and enjoy. Plus, MyReviewsNow.net is 100% free, open 24/7, and the best way avoid crowded shopping malls and parking lots.
About SEO Champion
SEO Champion was started in 1999 and is owner operated by Michael Rotkin, SEO Specialist for over 17 years. Michael Rotkin’s goal for his clients is to “own” keyword placements for the top 3 slots organically, so that his clients can earn a higher return on investment from their advertising dollars. Rotkin realizes the value of SEO over Pay-Per-Click campaigns, where click-throughs are generally more expensive and harder to convert into sales. SEOChampion’s intense work ethic can be seen in daily and weekly reports that show progress through organic keyword gain. This effort is the reason his SEO firm has been able to build a loyal client base for many years. Learn more at SEO Champion.

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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University promotes knowledge enterprises through MAKE Award

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)'s Knowledge Management and Innovation Research Centre (KMIRC) has successfully run the Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE) Award in Hong Kong for five years. This Award has encouraged more Hong Kong enterprises to keep abreast of best practices in knowledge management (KM) and provided a platform for local enterprises to benchmark their KM performance for further improvement.

(PRWEB) December 26, 2012
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)'s Knowledge Management and Innovation Research Centre (KMIRC) has successfully run the Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE) Award in Hong Kong for five years. This Award has encouraged more Hong Kong enterprises to keep abreast of best practices in knowledge management (KM) and provided a platform for local enterprises to benchmark their KM performance for further improvement.
This year's MAKE Award Presentation Ceremony was held at Cyberport on 18 December, followed by a sharing forum jointly organized by KMIRC and Cyberport. The event has won support of government officials, educational and business leaders. Officiating at the ceremony were Mr Kim Salkeld, Head of the HKSAR Government's Efficient Unit; Ir Professor Choy Kin-kuen, President of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers; Mr Herman Lam, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Ltd; and Mr Nicholas W. Yang, Executive Vice President of PolyU. Mr Stephen Selby, Former Chair of the APEC Intellectual Property Experts' Group also delivered a speech on behalf of the judging panel.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Nicholas Yang said, "To compete in the knowledge-based economy nowadays, enterprises should adopt a new business model, i.e. to effectively manage the intangible assets and intellectual capital for enhancing the competitive advantage and the innovation capability which are the key factors to productivity, competitiveness and sustainability."
All winning enterprises have exhibited outstanding knowledge management achievements with mature and humanistic KM strategy. This year's top prize went to Hong Kong Productivity Council. Other winning enterprises included Arup; Ernst & Young, Hong Kong; Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited; MTR Corporation Limited; and Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited.
A sharing forum was organized after the ceremony during which Mr Neil Salton of Woods Bagot, winner of Asian MAKE Award, Mr Jiejia Lin of Kingdee Software (China) Co. Ltd., winner of MAKE Award (Chinese mainland) and Mrs Agnes Mak of Hong Kong Productivity Council (Top winner of Hong Kong MAKE Award) shared their KM experiences with the audience. In the panel discussion session, local winners also shared their successful experience in KM implementation.
The Global MAKE award is an international benchmark of best practice knowledge management. It was launched in 1998 by KNOW Network, an international web-based professional knowledge sharing network and Teleos, a research firm specializing in knowledge management. Since 2008, the MAKE Award has been introduced in Hong Kong and Chinese mainland by the PolyU Knowledge Management and Innovation Research Centre.

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