Release of Legrand’s half-year financial report as of June 30, 2010

LIMOGES, France–(Business Wire)–
Regulatory News:

Legrand (Paris:LR) indicates that its half-year financial report as of June 30,
2010 is available as from today, at:

http://www.legrandgroup.com/EN/

ABOUT LEGRAND

Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building
infrastructures. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for use in commercial,
industrial and residential markets makes it a benchmark for customers worldwide.
Innovation for a steady flow of new products with high added value is a prime
vector for growth. Legrand reported sales of €3.6 billion in 2009. The company
is listed on Euronext and is a component stock of indexes including the SBF120.
FTSE4Good, MSCI World and ASPI (ISIN code FR0010307819). www.legrandgroup.com

Investor Relations:
Legrand
François Poisson
Tel : +33 (0)1 49 72 53 53
Fax : +33 (0)1 43 60 54 92
E-mail : francois.poisson@legrand.fr
or
Press Relation:
Publicis Consultants
Antoine Denry
Tel : +33 1 57 32 85 87
Fax : +33 (0)1 57 32 85 84
E-mail : Antoine.Denry@consultants.publicis.fr
or
Anne-Catherine Hehl
Tel : +33 (0)1 57 32 86 33
Fax : +33 (0)1 57 32 85 84
E-mail : Anne-Catherine.Hehl@consultants.publicis.fr

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Release of Legrand’s half-year financial report as of June 30, 2010

LIMOGES, France–(Business Wire)–
Regulatory News:

Legrand (Paris:LR) indicates that its half-year financial report as of June 30,
2010 is available as from today, at:

http://www.legrandgroup.com/EN/

ABOUT LEGRAND

Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building
infrastructures. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for use in commercial,
industrial and residential markets makes it a benchmark for customers worldwide.
Innovation for a steady flow of new products with high added value is a prime
vector for growth. Legrand reported sales of €3.6 billion in 2009. The company
is listed on Euronext and is a component stock of indexes including the SBF120.
FTSE4Good, MSCI World and ASPI (ISIN code FR0010307819). www.legrandgroup.com

Investor Relations:
Legrand
François Poisson
Tel : +33 (0)1 49 72 53 53
Fax : +33 (0)1 43 60 54 92
E-mail : francois.poisson@legrand.fr
or
Press Relation:
Publicis Consultants
Antoine Denry
Tel : +33 1 57 32 85 87
Fax : +33 (0)1 57 32 85 84
E-mail : Antoine.Denry@consultants.publicis.fr
or
Anne-Catherine Hehl
Tel : +33 (0)1 57 32 86 33
Fax : +33 (0)1 57 32 85 84
E-mail : Anne-Catherine.Hehl@consultants.publicis.fr

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Zertificon for B2B and B2C E-Mail Security: New Version of the “Z1 SecureMail Messenger” Available

Manufacturer caters for customer requirements by implementing quality
enhancements
BERLIN–(Business Wire)–
Businesses that work with personal data are increasingly being threatened by
data spies. But even the best e-mail encryption can be meaningless if it is
unilateral i.e. if the partner being communicated with does not have the
relevant PKI or certificate. However, Zertificon (www.zertificon.com) has a
solution for such cases in the form of the “Z1 SecureMail Messenger”. Version
2.7 of this application is now available and has again been enhanced in response
to practical user experiences.

Making use of the technical possibilities available – this is the basic
principle on which the “Z1 SecureMail Messenger” from Zertificon is designed.
The technology works entirely without a PKI as it is a purely password-based
system. In this respect there are a range of delivery methods, such as
password-encrypted via a web browser or as an encrypted attachment e.g. a PDF.
Zertificon thus offers a solution for secure communications with all virtual
discussion partners and their particular technological requirements.

New version – password and PKI capable

The solution is characterised by its hosting and client capability, the option
to operate as a cluster and the extensive opportunities with regard to (account)
management. In version 2.7 of the Messenger, Zertificon has reacted to the needs
of customers with sometimes high load and availability requirements. A key new
feature is the Global Welcome Page. This provides a summarising configuration
overview, which allows, for example, even greater optimisation of the client
administration. Further enhancements to a range of details provide increased
quality, software maturity and convenient management.

The solution is available as a stand alone version as well as in combination
with the “Z1 SecureMail Gateway”, which enables communication based on password
or PKI-based security.

Further information about the products in the Z1 SecureMail family is available
at www.zertificon.com

Zertificon Solutions GmbH
Cathleen Gottke
E-mail: press@zertificon.com
www.zertificon.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Taliban hold one missing soldier, 2nd killed – spokesman

July 25 (Reuters) – One of two U.S. soldiers who went missing in Afghanistan was a captive of the Taliban and the other had been killed, a spokesman for the insurgents said on Sunday.

The Taliban leadership would decide later on the fate of the captive, Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by phone from an undisclosed location.

The two U.S. servicemen were reported missing on Friday after failing to return in a vehicle they had taken from their compound in Kabul, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Saturday. [ID:nSGE66N02C] (Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox) (sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Taliban seize key district in Afghan east

KABUL, July 25 (Reuters) – Taliban guerrillas have captured a strategic district from the Afghan government after days of clashes in eastern Nuristan province, officials said on Sunday.

Separately, the Afghan government said it was checking reports by locals saying some 40 Afghan civilians were killed in a raid by foreign forces in Sangin district of southern Helmand province on Friday.

In Nuristan’s Barg-e Matal, dozens of Taliban fighters and up to six Afghan police were killed during days of clashes before the district fell to the Taliban overnight.

Barg-e Matal is important for the government and militants because of its location and has regularly changed hands.

Lying near the border with Pakistan, the rugged district has been used as a supply route for arms and fighters for the Taliban in three provinces, most importantly for Badakhshan where the Taliban have mounted a series of deadly attacks recently.

Afghan police forces withdrew from Barg-e Matal to avoid high casualties and in the face of sustained Taliban pressure after days of skirmishes, interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told reporters.

“Right now the police forces in Nuristan are working to recapture it,” he said.

The Taliban have yet to comment about the fall of the district and the reported losses in their ranks.

In Helmand province, where the Taliban insurgency is strongest, Bashary said provincial authorities were checking reports by residents that dozens of civilians were killed in a raid by foreign forces on Friday.

Further details were not immediately available. (Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by Sugita Katyal) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here) (sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Webcast Alert: Vale Announces 2nd Quarter 2010 Results Webcast

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Vale (NYSE: VALE & VALE.P) (BM&FBOVESPA: VALE3 & VALE5) (EURONEXT PARIS: VALE3 & VALE5) announces the following Webcast:

What:

2nd Quarter 2010 Results of Vale

When:

Friday, July 30 2010 @ 10:00 a.m. US EDT time

@ 11:00 a.m. Rio de Janeiro time

Where:

http://www.mediatown.com.br/prnewswire/player/?id=336

How:

Live over the Internet — Simply log on to the web at the address above.

Contact:

Patricia Ulrich from Vale, + 55 21 3814-4540, or
e-mail, rio@vale.com

If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived at http://www.vale.com. To access the replay, click on Investor Relations Section.

Vale is the largest diversified mining company in the Americas and the second largest company in the global metals & mining industry, with an average market capitalization of approximately US$ 123.6 billion in 2Q10. Vale shares are traded on the NYSE (VALE and VALE.P), on the Euronext Paris (VALE3 and VALE5), on the BM&FBOVESPA (VALE3 and VALE5). The ADR depositary agent is JP Morgan Chase. Vale is the world’s largest producer and exporter of iron ore and pellets, the world’s second largest producer of nickel and one of the leading producers of manganese and ferro-alloys. It also produces coal, copper, bauxite, kaolin, potash, alumina and aluminum. Vale is the largest logistics service provider in Brazil, where it owns and operates a series of railroads and ports.

MetroPCS Offers the BlackBerry Curve 8530 with $60 Unlimited Talk, Text, Web and Data Service Plan

DALLAS, July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Continuing its commitment to deliver affordable wireless service for all consumers, MetroPCS Communications Inc. (NYSE: PCS) now offers the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8530 smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM). MetroPCS has the BlackBerry Curve 8530 with unlimited talk, text, Web and data service, Wi-Fi® connectivity, e-mail, and turn-by-turn GPS navigation for just $60 per month including all applicable taxes and regulatory fees – nearly half of what consumers would pay today for comparable smartphone service plans at other carriers.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100714/DA34639LOGO-b)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100714/DA34639LOGO-b)

MetroPCS’ $60 BlackBerry service plan delivers exceptional value and all of the smartphone features that consumers care about most, including:

* Messaging capabilities through popular IM services and BlackBerry® Messenger, as well as social media networks
* Access to the latest content such as games, ringtones and wallpapers through the @Metro App Store and BlackBerry App World™
* Applications only available through MetroPCS include Metro Navigator, Metro Back-up, Premium Directory Assistance and Metro Banking
* Full-QWERTY keyboard and optical trackpad
* 2 MP digital camera with zoom and video recording
* Media player for enjoying pictures, music and videos, plus dedicated media keys integrated along the top of the handset

“The BlackBerry Curve 8530 from MetroPCS delivers the advanced features associated with a premium BlackBerry device and gives consumers no annual contract wireless service with unlimited talk, text, Web and data, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity, at an unmatched price,” said Tom Keys, chief operating officer of MetroPCS. “This is yet another smartphone addition to our portfolio` and allows us to offer more choice and value to consumers so they will be able to experience the rich range of multimedia and messaging services.”

With MetroPCS Wireless For All(SM) service plans, the days of having to worry about “bill shock” and unpredictable monthly bills are a thing of the past. Never before has it been easier for consumers to take advantage of the latest devices coupled with the affordable services and range of add-on features and applications that match their lifestyles or habits.

For more information about the BlackBerry Curve 8530 visit www.metropcs.com/blackberry or for MetroPCS’ expanding portfolio of phones, visit www.metropcs.com/shop/phonelist.aspx.

For more details on Wireless For All(SM) service plan options and pricing, please visit www.metropcs.com/plans.

For downloadable images and embeddable video, visit http://pitch.pe/76998.

About MetroPCS Communications, Inc.

Dallas-based MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS) is a provider of unlimited wireless communications service for a flat-rate with no annual contract. MetroPCS is the fifth largest facilities-based wireless carrier in the United States based on number of subscribers served and has access to licenses covering a population of approximately 146 million people in many of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. As of March 31, 2010, MetroPCS had over 7.3 million subscribers. For more information please visit www.metropcs.com.

MetroPCS related brands, product names, company names, trademarks, service marks, images, symbols, copyrighted material, and other intellectual property are the exclusive properties of MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. and its subsidiaries, parent companies, and affiliates. Copyright ©2010 MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. All rights reserved.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

Notice to Extraordinary General Meeting in Betsson AB (publ)

The shareholders of Betsson AB (publ) are hereby invited to the Extraordinary
General Meeting to be held on Monday 23 August 2010 at 10 a.m. CET at the
Company`s office at Regeringsgatan 28 in Stockholm.
STOCKHOLM–(Business Wire)–
Notice etc.

Shareholders who wish to attend the General Meeting shall:

• be entered into the share ledger kept by Euroclear Sweden AB no later than
Tuesday 17 August 2010; and

• give notice to the company of his or her intention to participate at the
General Meeting no later than Thursday 19 August 2010 at noon 12.00 CET.

Notice of participation at the General Meeting shall be made in writing to
Betsson AB, Regeringsgatan 28, SE-111 53 Stockholm, Sweden. The notice can also
be given by phone +46 8 506 403 00, by fax +46 8 735 57 44 or by e-mail
info@betssonab.com. When giving notice of participation, the shareholder shall
state name, personal identification number or company registration number,
address, telephone number along with shareholdings. If the participation is by
virtue of a proxy such document should be submitted in connection with giving
notice of participation at the General Meeting. Proxy forms, for shareholders
who wish to attend the Meeting by virtue of a proxy, will be available on the
company`s website www.betsonab.com.

Shareholders with nominee-registered shares must, in order to participate at the
General Meeting, temporarily register the shares in his or her own name at
Euroclear Sweden AB. Shareholders who wish to execute such re-registration must
notify its nominee in due time before 17 August 2010.

Proposed Agenda

1. Election of Chairman of the Meeting

2. Preparation and approval of the voting list

3. Approval of the agenda

4. Election of one or two persons to certify the minutes

5. Establishment of whether the Meeting has been duly convened

6. Resolution regarding incentive programme based on warrants

7. Resolution regarding incentive programme based on stock options for employees
abroad

8. Resolution to authorise the Board of Directors to resolve to issue warrants
and transfer of its own shares.

9. Close of the Meeting

Proposed resolutions

Resolution regarding incentive programme based on warrants (item 6)

The Board of Directors proposes that the General Meeting adopts a resolution to
establish an incentive programme, by which senior executive and other key
persons are offered to acquire warrants in the company. The programme is mainly
intended for employees within the group in Sweden. It is proposed that the Board
of Directors shall be authorised to resolve that also employees within the group
resident in other countries than Sweden shall be offered to participate in the
programme.

The warrants will be valued at fair market price. For the purpose of increasing
participation in the incentive programme, the company intends to subsidise the
holders of warrants who are still employed by the Betsson group when the
warrants are exercised by way of a bonus payment, which before taxation amounts
to the warrant premium. If not all warrants are exercised, the bonus payment
will be reduced accordingly. In connection with the allocation of warrants to
the employees, the company will reserve the right to repurchase the warrants if
the person ceases to be an employee of the Betsson group or if the employee
wishes to transfer its warrants.

The proposal entails an issue of not more than 500,000 warrants. Each warrant
shall entitle the holder to subscribe for one new Betsson Class B share during
the period from the day after the announcement of the company`s interim report
for Q3 2013, however no later than 1 December 2013, up to and including 31
December 2013 at an exercise price corresponding to 120 per cent of the average
closing price of the Betsson Class B share on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm from 16
August 2010 up to and including 27 August 2010.

The warrants may be subscribed for by AB Restaurang Rouletter – a wholly owned
subsidiary of Betsson AB – whereafter this company shall offer the warrants to
approximately 20 senior executives and other key persons employed within the
group. The non-executive members of the Board of Directors shall not be eligible
to participate in the incentive programme.

Allocation of warrants in accordance with the above-mentioned proposal may take
place only to the extent that the total number of warrants according to the
above-mentioned program and the incentive program for employees abroad under
item 7 below does not exceed 900,000 options. If all 900,000 warrants or options
are exercised, the share capital of the company will increase by SEK 1,800,000,
corresponding to a dilution of approximately 2.2 per cent of the company`s share
capital and 1.0 per cent of the votes.

The purpose of the proposal is to create opportunities to keep and to recruit
competent employees to the group and to increase motivation amongst the
employees. The Board of Directors considers that the adoption of an incentive
programme as described above is in the favour of the group and for the
shareholders.

Resolution regarding incentive programme based on stock options for employees
abroad (item 7)

The Board of Directors proposes that the General Meeting adopts a resolution to
establish an incentive programme (the “Plan”) for senior executives and other
key persons employed in other countries than Sweden. In order to participate in
the Plan, participants must invest in Betsson shares. These shares can either be
shares already held or be acquire on the market in connection with giving notice
of participation in the Plan. Thereafter, the participants will receive stock
options free of charge.

For each invested share the participant holds within the Plan, the company will
grant a certain number of stock options. Under the prerequisites (i) that the
participant remain in employment within the group when exercising the options;
and (ii) the participant has retained its invested shares in Betsson, each stock
option entitles the holder to purchase one Betsson Class B share at an exercise
price corresponding to 120 per cent of the average closing price of the Betsson
shares on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm from 16 August 2010 up to and including 27 August
2010.

The incentive programme is proposed to be offered to approximately 30 senior
executives and other key persons that are employed abroad. The Plan is proposed
to include a maximum of 18,193 Betsson-shares which the employees will invest in
and the granting of up to 500,000 stock options. The participants will be
divided in three different categories when determining the allocation of stock
options. Allocation of stock options may take place only to the extent that the
total number of options pursuant to this program and the incentive program
referred to in item 6 above, does not exceed 900,000 options.

The Board of Directors, or a remuneration committee appointed within the Board
of Directors, shall be entitled to decide on the details of the terms and
conditions of the Plan in accordance with the general terms and guidelines
above. In connection with this, the Board of Directors shall be entitled to make
adjustments in order to fulfil special regulations and market conditions abroad.
The Board of Directors also reserves the right to make other adjustments
provided that significant changes take place in the Betsson group or in its
markets which would mean that the terms and conditions for exercise of options
under the Plan become inappropriate. Furthermore, the Board of Directors shall
be authorised to resolve that stock options may be kept and used despite the
fact that employment in the Group have ceased, for example due to illness.

The purpose of the proposal is to create opportunities to keep and to recruit
competent employees to the Betsson group and to increase the motivation amongst
the employees. The Board of Directors considers that the adoption of the
incentive programme as described above is in the favour of the Betsson group and
for the shareholders.

Resolution to authorise the Board of Directors to resolve to issue warrants and
transfer of its own shares (item 8)

In order to secure the delivery of Class B shares in accordance with the Plan in
accordance with item 7 above, the Board of Directors proposes that the Board of
Directors shall be authorised to resolve to issue no more than 500,000 warrants
at one or several occasions during the period until the Annual General Meeting
2011. The warrants shall be granted free of charge and may be subscribed for by
the subsidiary AB Restaurang Rouletter.

Furthermore, the Board of Directors proposes that the Board of Directors shall
be authorised, on one or more occasions up to the Annual General Meeting in
2011, to resolve on transfer of the company`s own shares for the delivery of
Class B shares pursuant to any outstanding stock option plans for the employees
within the group.

The authorisation for transfer of the company`s own shares is to provide the
Board of Directors with the opportunity to use repurchased shares to meet its
obligations under any outstanding incentive program.

Miscellaneous

A valid resolution regarding approval of the Board of Directors proposals as set
out in items 6, 7 and 8 above, requires approval of shareholders representing at
least 90 per cent of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the
General Meeting.

The complete text of the Board of Directors` proposals as set out above,
together with pertaining reports and statements, will be obtainable at the
company`s premises (please note the address above) and on the company`s website
www.betssonab.com and sent to the shareholders who so request and state their
postal address.

Number of shares and votes

As of 26 July 2010 the total number of shares in the company amounted to
39,553,720, representing a total of 88,333,720 votes, divided into 5,420,000
Class A shares, representing 54,200,000 votes and 34,133,720 Class B shares,
representing 34,133,720 votes. As at the same date the Company holds 310,000 B
shares, which can not be represented at the General Meeting.

Stockholm, July 2010

The Board of Directors

BETSSON AB`S OPERATIONS INVOLVE INVESTING IN AND MANAGING COMPANIES WHICH
PROVIDE ONLINE GAMING SERVICES TO END-CUSTOMERS. BETSSON AB OWNS BETSSON MALTA
WHICH OPERATES GAMES THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND TOWARDS END CUSTOMERS VIA
WWW.BETSSON.COM, WWW.CASINOEURO.COM AND WWW.CHERRYCASINO.COM. BETSSON MALTA
OFFERS POKER, CASINO, CARD GAMES, LOTTERY, BINGO AND GAMES. CUSTOMERS ARE
PRIMARILY FROM THE NORDIC REGION AND THE REST OF EUROPE. BETSSON AB IS LISTED ON
OMX NASDAQ NORDIC MID CAP LIST, (BETS).

This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com

Betsson AB (publ)
Pontus Lindwall, +46 (0)8 506 403 10 or +46 (0)708 27 51 55
CEO and President
Pontus@betsson.com

Bloatware Creeps Into Android Phones

Android-based smartphones are falling victim to something that has plagued PC users for years: bloatware.

Android phones are being pre-loaded with trial software and apps that can’t be deleted off the device by the user. These apps touting mobile TV, football games, location-based search and games are the new face of bloatware, also known as crapware or craplets in the PC world. The term is shorthand for non-essential software or media files bundled with a device in a bid to boost revenue and ostensibly give consumers a chance to try new services.

Samsung’s Vibrant phone that launched last week on T-Mobile is a good example. The device includes apps such as Mobi TV, GoGo Flight internet and Electronic Arts’ The Sims 3 game. Both Mobi TV and GoGo are applications that require users to pay a fee beyond the trial period. Motorola’s Backflip phone, introduced on AT&T a few months ago, includes Where, a location-based service app, and YPMobile, a Yellow Pages app. Even the HTC Evo is packed with programs such as Sprint’s Nascar app, Sprint Football and Sprint TV, among others.

“It’s different from phone to phone and operator to operator,” says Keith Nowak, spokesman for HTC. “But in general, the apps are put there to meet the operator’s business and revenue needs.”

Nowak’s comment is a surprising admission in an industry that otherwise prefers to call the idea of pre-loading trial apps and other non-essential software as a deal designed to help the consumer.

Handset makers have always added skins and custom widgets to Android phones, some of which can affect performance and battery life. But these widgets are usually basic apps such as calendar, e-mail or integrated social-networking feeds. Now phone makers are going a step further to load apps from other companies in a way that prevents users from deleting it completely off their phone without rooting the device — the Android version of jailbreaking a phone in order to gain complete control over it.

The preloaded apps “highlight the key features and performance” of the Vibrant, says a Samsung representative.They are there are to showcase the phone’s processor and display, a T-Mobile spokesperson told Wired.com.

But not all Android users are buying it. Some have taken to online forums to vent or find out ways to remove the pre-loaded apps from their phones. In May, The Consumerist published an e-mail from a Verizon subscriber complaining about non-essential software loaded on his device.

“It’s a throwback to the days of the feature phones,” says Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research. “Handset makers and carriers would bundle messaging and music clients with feature phones hoping to provide some differentiation. They are now trying that with smartphones.”

As far the inability to delete these pre-loaded apps, Golvin says, “I suspect that a lot of operators think consumers won’t notice or get to a point where they would want to get rid of them.”

Computer makers started the trend of pre-loading software apps, such as anti-virus software, search toolbars, games and internet-access services from companies like AOL. It seemed innocent enough at first: Consumers would get to try new software when they bought their machines, software makers would get a chance to reach new users and PC makers would make some money on the side through deals inked with the software companies to promote their products on the devices.

But soon, many consumers found that these pre-loaded applications made their PCs run slower by increasing startup and shutdown times for their machines and hogging memory. Many of the pre-loaded programs turned out to be trial versions and required users to pay a monthly fee to keep them going. That resulted in a backlash from consumers. Even the Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg railed against bloatware in a 2007 column. PC manufacturers have now significantly reduced the practice of adding bloatware on the devices.

Now, the practice is making a comeback on smartphones.

But bloatware isn’t a feature in all smartphones. AT&T has resisted from piling extraneous software onto Apple’s iPhone. Motorola’s Droid phone ships with just the core applications. Google and T-Mobile resisted the bloatware impulse with the Nexus One.

So, why does bloatware suddenly seem to be multiplying on some Android devices? Android’s popularity means every few weeks a new device running the operating system hits the market. Wireless carriers and handset makers see the new devices as an opportunity to generate additional revenue.

“Ultimately revenue from data plans will reach the same level of saturation as voice services. So carriers see some of these services as an additional revenue stream,” says Golvin.

Nowak says HTC would prefer to have pre-loaded independent apps in one folder or just in the app store but it’s not a decision for the handset manufacturer alone to make. “We have to work with our operator partners,” says Nowak. “We would prefer to give consumers a choice or put the pre-loaded in a separate store as it is with some Verizon phones.”

If they’re lucky, consumers may not have to worry about this much. Golvin says he doubts pre-loaded apps on smartphones will ever reach a similar level of annoyance as they did on PCs.

“The real shortcoming and downfall of the bloatware on PCs was it consumed system resources,” says Golvin. “With phones, operators and handset makers understand how precious those resources are.”

For now, the bloatware on phone is more about taking up storage space than processing resources. Golvin says he doubts companies like AT&T and Verizon that are locked in a fierce battle for subscribers will go over the line with pre-loaded apps.

“We are in a saturated market,” he says. “You can’t be cavalier about losing your customers.”

Sandvik: Interim Report Second Quarter 2010

STOCKHOLM–(Business Wire)–
Sandvik (STO:SAND):

CONTINUED RECOVERY

· Order intake SEK 23,179 M
· Invoiced sales SEK 20,603 M
· Operating profit SEK 3,471 M
· Operating margin 16.8%
· Cash flow from operations SEK +2,626 M

Accounting policies

This interim report was prepared in accordance with IFRS, applying IAS 34,
Interim Financial Reporting. The same accounting and valuation policies were
applied as in the most recent annual report. New standards and interpretations
effective from 1 January 2010 have not had any significant impact on Sandvik`s
financial statements.

The phrase “Minority interest” has been changed in the financial statements to
the new designation “Non-controlling interest” according to revised IFRS 3
Business Combinations and amended IAS 27 Consolidated and Separate Financial
Statements.

The company’s auditors have not conducted a special review of the Q2 2010
report. The Sandvik Group`s interim report for the third quarter 2010 will be
published on 29 October 2010.

A combined presentation and teleconference will be held on 20 July 2010 at 14.00
CET at Operraterassen in Stockholm. Information is available at
www.sandvik.com/ir.

Sandviken 20 July 2010

Sandvik Aktiebolag (publ)

Lars Pettersson

President and CEO

Sandvik discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities
Market Act. The information is submitted for publication on 20 July 2010 at
08.00 am CET.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com

Sandvik
Jan Lissåker, Investor Relations
tel. +46 26 26 10 23
e-mail info.ir@sandvik.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Afghanistan has enough funding for next 3 years-President

July 20 (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai told an international conference on Tuesday that Afghans wanted to have responsibility for their own security by 2014.

“I remain determined that our Afghan national security forces will be responsible for all military and law enforcement

operations throughout our country by 2014,” he told the conference, called to discus how much more responsibility to give Afghanistan for its own affairs. (Reporting by David Fox; Editing by Michael Urquhart) (david.fox@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 284)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

CFIA/Health Hazard Alert: Cedar Brand Tahini may Contain Salmonella Bacteria

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Jul 20 (MARKET WIRE) —
Editor’s note: Two photos are associated with this release.

Audio clips available at
www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/relations/indexaude.shtml.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Produits Phoenicia Inc.
are warning the public not to consume the Cedar brand Tahini described
below because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The affected product, Cedar brand Tahini is sold in 450 mL jars, bearing
UPC 62356 50178 5. There is no lot code on the packages.

This product has been distributed nationally.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of
this product.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled.
Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause
salmonellosis, a food borne illness. In young children, the elderly and
people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and
sometimes deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis
may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache,
vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Long-term complications
may include severe arthritis.

The manufacturer, Produits Phoenicia Inc., Saint Laurent, Quebec, is
voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA
is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call the CFIA at
1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time,
Monday to Friday).

For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/cause/salmonellae.shtml

For information on all food recalls, visit the CFIA’s Food Recall Report
at: http://active.inspection.gc.ca/eng/corp/recarapp_dbe.asp

To find out more about receiving recalls by e-mail, and other food safety
facts, visit: www.foodsafety.gc.ca. Food and consumer product recalls are
also available at http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.

To view the photos associated with this release, please visit the
following links:

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20100720-cedar2_800.jpg

http://www.marketwire.com/library/20100720-cedar1_800.jpg

Contacts:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media Relations
613-773-6600

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

After worm, Siemens says don’t change passwords

Although a newly discovered worm could allow criminals to break into Siemens’ industrial automation systems using a default password, Siemens is telling customers to leave their passwords alone.

That’s because changing the password could disrupt the Siemens system, potentially throwing large-scale industrial systems that it manages into disarray. “We will be publishing customer guidance shortly, but it won’t include advice to change default settings as that could impact plant operations,” said Siemens Industry spokesman Michael Krampe in an e-mail message Monday.

The company plans to launch a website late Monday that will provide more details on the first-ever malicious code to target the company’s SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) products, he said. The Siemens WinCC systems targeted by the worm are used to manage industrial machines in operation worldwide to build products, mix food, run power plants and manufacture chemicals.

Siemens is scrambling to respond to the problem as the Stuxnet worm — first reported late last week — starts to spread around the world. Symantec is now logging about 9,000 attempted infections per day, according to Gerry Egan, a director with Symantec Security Response.

The worm spreads via USB sticks, CDs or networked file-sharing computers, taking advantage of a new and currently unpatched flaw in Microsoft’s Windows operating system. But unless it finds the Siemens WinCC software on the computer, it simply copies itself wherever it can and goes silent.

Because SCADA systems are part of the critical infrastructure, security experts have worried that they may someday be subject to a devastating attack, but in this case the point of the worm appears to be information theft.

If Stuxnet does discover a Siemens SCADA system, it immediately uses the default password to start looking for project files, which it then tries to copy to an external website, Egan said.

“Whoever wrote the code really knew Siemens products,” said Eric Byres, chief technology officer with SCADA security consulting firm Byres Security. “This is not an amateur.”

By stealing a plant’s SCADA secrets, counterfeiters could learn the manufacturing tricks needed to build a company’s products, he said.

Byres’ company has been flooded with calls from worried Siemens customers trying to figure out how to stay ahead of the worm.

US-CERT has put out an advisory (ICS-ALERT-10-196-01) for the worm, but the information is not publicly available. According to Byres, however, changing the WinCC password would prevent critical components of the system from interacting with the WinCC system that manages them. “My guess is you would basically disable your whole system if you disable the whole password.”

That leaves Siemens customers in a tough spot.

They can, however, make changes so that their computers will no longer display the .lnk files used by the worm to spread from system to system. And they can also disable the Windows WebClient service that allows the worm to spread on a local area network. Late Friday, Microsoft released a security advisory explaining how to do this.

“Siemens has started to develop a solution, which can identify and systematically remove the malware,” Siemens’ Krampe said. He didn’t say when the software would be available.

The Siemens system was designed “assuming that nobody would ever get into those passwords,” Byres said. “It’s an assumption that nobody will ever try very hard against you.”

The default username and passwords used by the worm’s writers have been publicly known since they were posted to the Web in 2008, Byres said.

FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, July 18

July 18 (Reuters) – Following are security developments in Afghanistan reported at 1000 GMT on Sunday.

KABUL – A suicide bomb blast aimed at a convoy of foreign forces killed four Afghan civilians in a crowded part of the capital on Sunday, a police source said. There was no immediate word about casualties among the troops.

KANDAHAR – A roadside bomb killed a police officer and an Afghan civilian in the southern city of Kandahar on Sunday, an official said.

FARAH – Taliban guerrillas staged a series of attacks on police posts before blowing up the gate of a main prison in western Farah’s town on Sunday, an official said. Twenty-three inmates initially managed to escape, but some were rearrested, he said.

FARAH – Afghan police killed a would-be suicide bomber before he could ram a car laden with explosives against a convoy of Afghan police in an area of Farah on Saturday, the interior ministry said.

BAGHLAN – Afghan and foreign forces killed five insurgents during an operation on Friday to the north of Pul-i-Khumri, the provincial capital of northern Baghlan, the ministry said.

ZABUL – Taliban guerrillas killed four police in an attack in an area of southern Zabul province on Friday, the ministry said separately.

(Compiled by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)

(For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here)

(sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285))

If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Suicide bomber kills four civilians in Kabul

KABUL, July 18 (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed four civilians in an attack apparently aimed at a convoy of foreign forces on Sunday, security sources said.

The attack happened opposite a clinic on a road often used by foreign troops, one said, adding four more civilians were wounded.

There were no immediate word about casualties among the foreign forces, he said. The site of the attack was cordoned off.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said they were aware of the incident but had no details immediately.

The blast took place just two days before dozens of foreign ministers — including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton — were due in the capital for an international conference of Afghanistan’s future.

Some 150,000 foreign troops are squared off against a Taliban insurgency at its strongest since the hardline Islamists were overthrown by a U.S.-led force in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

(Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here) (sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Bomb kills four civilians in Afghan capital

July 18 (Reuters) – A bomb killed four civilians in a crowded part of the Afghan capital on Sunday, security sources said.

It happened opposite a clinic on a road often used by foreign forces, one said.

The blast took place just two days before dozens of foreign ministers — including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton — were due in the capital for an international conference of Afghanistan’s future.

Some 150,000 foreign troops are squared off against a Taliban insurgency at its strongest since the hardline Islamists were overthrown by a U.S.-led force in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. (Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox and Jonathan Thatcher) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here) (sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

Taliban hit Afghan police posts; free 23 prisoners

HERAT, Afghanistan, July 18 (Reuters) – Taliban guerrillas staged a series of raids in western Afghanistan on Sunday, blowing up the gate of a jail and freeing 23 insurgent prisoners, officials said.

Ousted in a U.S.-led invasion in 2001, the Taliban have made a comeback in recent years, dealing heavy losses to Afghan and foreign forces and carrying out brazen attacks on key locations, including in the capital.

Insurgents attacked four police posts leading to the centre of Farah town early on Sunday, said Mohammad Younus Rasooli, the governor of western Farah province, bordering Iran.

“They kept the police preoccupied and the same time blew up the gate of Farah’s jail, which resulted in the escape of 23 prisoners,” Rasooli told Reuters by phone.

Four of the inmates were immediately arrested because they had suffered wounds in the escape, he said, adding seven more were captured.

A policeman was killed during the incident, which lasted several hours, he said.

A spokesman for the Taliban, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, confirmed that members of the movement were behind the attacks. (Reporting by Sharafuddin Sharafyar; writing by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here) (sayed.salahuddin@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 285)) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

With fix now out, Microsoft sees jump in XP attacks

Microsoft urged Windows users to update their software Tuesday, saying it’s now seen more than 25,000 attacks leveraging one of the critical bugs fixed in July’s monthly security patches.

Microsoft researchers tracked a “fairly large,” spike in Web based attacks that exploit the problem over the past weekend, the company said in a blog postingTuesday. “As of midnight on July 12 (GMT), over 25,000 distinct computers in over 100 countries/regions have reported this attack attempt at least one time.”

On the busiest single day, Microsoft researchers tracked more than 2,500 attacks, a small number considering Windows’ massive user-base. Still, Microsoft and security experts are worried about this flaw because it’s been publicly known for more than a month, and has shown up in real-world attacks.

Users in Russia are now the most-targeted, Microsoft said. They have accounted for 2 percent of all attacks, which translates to about 10 times the total number of attacks per computer as the worldwide average. Portugal is the number-two most-targeted region.

Successful attacks secretly install malicious software on the victim’s machine, often a program called Obitel. Once Obitel is on a PC, it enables other malware to be loaded, such as malware that can log keystrokes, send spam, or perform other nefarious task.

Two weeks ago, the total number of attacks logged by Microsoft was 10,000.

Security experts say the flaw is being exploited in drive-by Web attacks that are triggered by malicious code placed on hacked or malicious Web sites, although it could also be triggered in other applications — e-mail readers, for example — that can interact with Web pages.

To protect themselves from these attacks, Windows users need to install the MS10-042 update, released Tuesday. It fixes a bug in the Windows Help and Support Center, which ships with Windows XP. Although this flaw also affects Windows Server 2003, Microsoft has only seen Windows XP attacks used by criminals.

More-recent versions of Windows such as Vista, Server 2008 and Windows 7 are not affected.

Robert McMillan covers computer security and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Robert on Twitter at @bobmcmillan. Robert’s e-mail address is robert_mcmillan@idg.com

Saab: Invitation to Press and Analyst Meeting

Presentation of half-year report 2010
STOCKHOLM–(Business Wire)–
Defence and security company Saab is pleased to invite press and financial
analysts to a press and analyst meeting where CEO Åke Svensson together with CFO
Lars Granlöf will present the Saab half-year report 2010.

Friday, 23 July, 10.00 am C.E.T World Trade Center Conference Center, 4th floor
Entrance: Klarabergsviadukten 70 or Kungsbron 1

The report is published at 7.30 am C.E.T the same day.

Live webcast

If you are unable to attend in person, please visit
http://www.saabgroup.com/en/InvestorRelations where a live webcast of the
presentation will be available together with the presentation material. All
viewers will be able to post questions to the presenters. The webcast will also
be available at Saab`s website afterwards.

R.S.V.P

This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com

Annika Widell
E-mail: annika.widell@saabgroup.com
Fax: +46 8 463 01 52
Tel: +46 8 436 01 47

Copyright Business Wire 2010