National News Desk

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Swarovski, the leading designer and producer of fashion jewelry, will soon feature its new retail design concept at two locations in Times Square and Penn Plaza in New York City. The Times Square boutique will open in mid May while the Penn Plaza location will open in early June. The 950 square foot Times Square space will be located at 1540 Broadway and its exterior will feature a large LED screen.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- CMI, a full-service marketing research company, is pleased to announce the addition of JD Woods to its client services team. Woods will be responsible for managing key accounts in the insurance and telecom industries, supporting account executives for new business development, and assisting project management staff.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Jack Tempchin, a pioneering co-architect of the Southern California Sound, a classic country-rock movement popularized in the 1970s by The Eagles, will play his Diamond platinum hits live for three nights in the United Kingdom on April 28th, 29th and 30th, 2010, Night River Records announced today.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Stamina Products, Inc. today introduced the Kathy Smith Kettlebell Solution, a complete kettlebell workout system designed for women. 'Everything about the product is ideal for women,' said Kathy Smith. 'The kettlebells are softer and lighter weight, and the workout effectively burns fat and builds muscle. This is what every woman wants and needs to stay lean, strong and healthy.'

PARAMUS, N.J. -- Topcon Medical Systems announced today that the mobile version of its successful EyeRoute(R) Image Management Suite is now available as a dedicated iPhone application from the Apple(R) iTunes store in North America. First presented in October 2009 at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting in San Francisco, EyeRoute Mobile sets the stage for connectivity on the go.

SANDPOINT, Idaho -- The second annual Self-Publishers Online Conference (SPOC) gives entrepreneurial writers, authors, and publishers the opportunity to learn from experts in book publishing from the convenience of their own office. At SPOC, everyone is encouraged to 'Live Long and Publish!' This three-day virtual event features expert speakers on May 12, 13, and 14, 2010.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- PYO Gallery LA is hosting an event with the Gallery Director, Heidi Chang, Jewelry Designer, Claudia Endler and Author and Speaker, Dr. Bill Saleebey. 'THE ART OF CONNECTING: Drawing Others to You' is the subject of a presentation by Saleebey, author of 'Connecting: Beyond the Name Tag' at PYO Gallery LA in Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, April 29, featuring the contemporary art of Young Ha Park and the contemporary jewelry of artist Claudia Endler of Claudia Endler Designs.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Del Mar DataTrac(R), Inc. (DMD), the leading provider of affordable mortgage lending automation solutions, and an industry pioneer in business intelligence, document imaging and management, and loan process workflow tools, is holding its annual DataTrac Client Conference on June 10 - 11 at ARIA Resort and Casino, one of Las Vegas' newest and most exciting resorts.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Southern California mortgage banker Augusta Financial selected the Del Mar DataTrac(R), Inc. (DMD) flagship solution DataTrac as its automated loan processing platform and lending system of record in September, 2009, when it transformed from broker to banker. Founded in 1995 as a mortgage broker in the Santa Clarita Valley, Augusta Financial today serves Burbank, Orange County and Ventura as a full service mortgage banker.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Senior Leader Development Program (SLD) selected Pathbuilders, Inc. to develop and deliver a structured and formal mentoring program for its civilian leaders. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, the program includes content-driven discussion guides and interactive webinars and seminars targeted at developing this next generation of Army civilian leadership.

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Smart Imagination, a creative house and publisher with a focal point of serving humanitarian efforts, today announces its debut book in the Tattoo Stories series benefiting Starlight Children's Foundation. The art of tattoos has intrigued many people in various cultures around the world. 'Tattoo Stories' (ISBN: 978-0-9842417-0-5) not only addresses taboos plaguing the art form, but draws readers in for an intimate look at journeys, experiences and cultures.

LONDON, U.K. -- The pharmaceutical industry is facing unprecedented challenges on many fronts - a slew of patient expiries, a lack of blockbusters in the pipeline to replace the patent expiries, decreasing growth in many major markets, generic competition, constantly changing regulatory and competitive environment rendering old tools for analysis obsolete, increased pressure on CEOs to deliver shareholder growth resulting in budget cuts, downsizing, and less than optimal results.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- On Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 7:30 p.m., Opera Louisiane welcomes Spring with special guests jazz greats Bill Grimes and Willis Delony, as they join Robert Grayson and members of Opera Louisiane's Young Artists to present a new twist on both opera and jazz in the intimate setting of the Manship Theatre.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Griffin Pest Solutions announces the 'Saw a Bug' video scream contest, in conjunction with the Grand Rapids Public Museum Big BIG Bug exhibit. Museum visitors of all ages are encouraged to take a video of them screaming, while standing in front of the giant grasshopper at the exhibit. Videos may be filmed at the Museum's Big BIG Bug exhibit on April 5 through April 10, 2010 and during the hours of 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

BOSTON, Mass. -- IObit today announces the release of Random Password Generator, a new application to generate strong, not easy to crack, passwords for privacy protection - for free. Random Password Generator is developed with IObit security technology to help computer users keep privacy by generating strong and easy to manage random passwords for free.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. -- Professional Auditing Services of America (PAS) announced today that, in light of the current economic condition, they will be offering not only a Nation Wide Special 2010 Recovery Stimulus Package Discount on all recovery audits but also another special discount to all AICPA affiliated members through the end of the year.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Apple's new iPad(TM) is the best way to experience the Web. 200Linx is the best Web site to experience the iPad. 200Linx has released 200Linx.com, the home page that brings you everything that's good on the Internet in one click, at one place.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) has selected Five x Five, a marketing analytics company offering cutting edge marketing optimization technology, as one of the Top 10 Innovative Companies in Georgia. The TAG Top 10 are selected from the Top 40 list and chosen based on a number of criteria, including: degree of innovation; scope and financial impact of innovation; likelihood of success; and promotion of Georgia's innovative efforts nationally and internationally.

TORRANCE, Calif. -- For the first quarter of 2010, Publishers Newswire (PNW), an online resource established in 2004 for small publishers, as well as lesser known and first-time book authors, has today announced its latest semi-annual 'Books to Bookmark' list. This is a round-up of 13 new and recent interesting books which are often missed due to not originating from major New York book publishing houses, or 'big name' authors.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Underground Music Award winning indie band MONEY FIRST announces the release of 'Lamborghini Lifestyle' as an online promotional single this weekend to encourage tri-state hip-hop fans and families feeling the current economic pinch. Formed by high school friends Boom Blake, iLL Kayn, Tranzatick, and JP in Trenton, New Jersey, MONEY FIRST won 'Best Rap Group' at the 2009 Underground Music Awards.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Founder and inventor Yadi Moth launched her new product, Slip N' Toss - disposable biodegradable sandals made for barefeet protection - at a star-studded bash held at NBC/Universal Studios over the Oscar® weekend, creating a new kind of Oscar fashion. Convenient, disposable, 100 percent biodegradable, Slip N' Toss is designed for all shoe emergencies. This healthy footwear innovation can be a preventative measure for walking barefoot.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have stepped up enforcement to reduce undeclared and illegal hazmat shipments via airline, truck, rail, and ship. To help the regulated community understand the rules for multimodal hazmat shipping, Lion Technology, the nation's leader in regulatory compliance training, is presenting a how-to training series on the DOT, IATA, and IMDG regulations.

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Does the brain you were born with have to be the brain you end up with? If you can improve the function of every major organ in the body, why can't you upgrade the function of your brain? Those fundamental questions were the motivation that led Kelly Howell to create Brain Sync.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Lion Technology Inc., a nationally renowned regulatory compliance training firm, will present their two-day Hazardous Waste in California workshop series during the month of May. These courses are designed for industry professionals that must assure compliance with California's hazardous waste regulations. Workshops will be held in San Diego on May 3-4; Ontario on May 6-7; San Jose on May 10-11; and Sacramento on May 13-14, 2010.

FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Backbone Security is pleased to announce the latest version of their Steganography Application Fingerprint Database (SAFDB) contains 812 steganography applications. SAFDB is the world's largest commercially available hash set exclusive to digital steganography applications.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- nPulse Technologies, LLC, a leading developer of 10Gbps network sensors for monitoring, forensics and security applications, demonstrated the latest version of its HammerHead Capture and Replay appliance at FOSE last week. The Model 420 can capture traffic, record it to disk and replay it at up to 20Gbps, allowing for full duplex recording of a fully-loaded 10Gbps link.

OWENSBORO, Ky. -- A Kentucky tradition in Owensboro, Kentucky since 1963, Moonlite was inducted into the Kentucky Monthly's Best Hall of Fame in 2008, and had previously been voted Kentucky's best barbecue by Kentucky Living. Now, Kentucky Living readers have voted again and Moonlite was selected the best barbecue in Kentucky. Add that to USA Today claiming Moonlite 'one of the ten best places to fill up your plate,' and you get a sense of the tradition smoking in Owensboro.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Students at the Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC) took home top prizes in several categories at the Chevron 57th Annual San Francisco Bay Area Science Fair this past week. Among the 13 ACLC students to bring home awards were sophomore Dylan Moore, who placed fist in the Engineering and Computer Applications category with his project Creating and Modifying a Fuel Cell System for Clean Energy.

MIDDLETOWN, Del. -- Industry leaders frustrated with high cost of inspection: push for speed in the quality department without sacrificing accuracy or adding complexity. These days, equipment is only as good as the software that runs it. According to Erik Adams, of George Products Company, 'Customers don't want a collection of parts; they want a turn-key solution to their inspection problems that includes powerful software to drive the system.'

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. -- As traditional bank loans become scarce, more small business owners are turning to alternatives like business cash advances offered by Business Cash Advance. The company has provided an attractive option to a growing number of entrepreneurs seeking business loans in this tough economy. It expects this trend to continue as credit tightens even further.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Concerned Community 4 Change and Interfaith Medical Center will host a Health Forum and Food Expo with the focus on Childhood Obesity. On March 29, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Concerned Community 4 Change an organization that addresses the issues of childhood obesity in line with First Lady Michelle Obama's national initiative, will launch its obesity initiative at Boys and Girls High School, 1700 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, New York.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Craig Rubin has never been accused of actually selling marijuana. In three hearings the only testimony from two LAPD police officers, Tracye Fields-Black and Cecil Mangrum, is that Rubin spoke to both officers about the Bible, the Ten Commandments and the testimony of Jesus Christ; and now he is going to jail for it and without a trial. This is a prime example that we are currently living in a police state, says Pastor Rubin.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The catastrophic earthquakes that hit Haiti on January 12 and Chile on February 27 left both countries struggling and in need of resources and economic relief. Local teen performers and young Hollywood celebrities are unifying their talents in an effort to make a difference. Through music, dance and laughter, Teen Artist Benefit (TAB), produced by Joe M. Loera, will become part of the worldwide movement to bring aid to the Haitian and Chilean people by raising money for the American Red Cross.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Dr. Amir M. Karam has received the 2010 Readers Choice Award and named the 2010 Best Cosmetic Surgeon by Ranch and Coast Magazine. The annual honor is awarded by readership voters of Ranch and Coast Magazine and featured in the '2010 Best of in Health and Beauty Section' of the March edition. The publication highlights practices that exemplify excellence in their specialty and have a high level of patient satisfaction.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Thirty-two-year-old Wil Fernandez calls himself 'the youngest Winnebago owner in America.' He should know, since every week or two he pulls his 31-foot rig into the outskirts of a different American town, parks, and sets up shop. Fernandez is a life photographer, embarked on a year-long enterprise to travel the U.S. from coast-to-coast and back again.

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- As a part of Business and Decision's ongoing focus in the Life Science market, today it announces the launch of a new Life Science ERP solution for Dynamics AX. This solution, which is based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, has been designed to address the primary business process needs of a Life Science / Medical Device organization.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- World Mind Network today announced a new Web site which monitors activity to help predict cultural trends. The Internet has given mankind a lot of benefits, but one that may go somewhat unrecognized is its ability to predict where Society is headed, based on tracking every day's top news stories, Twitter feeds, blog posts, music downloads, videos, books, Web searches, social network posts, and Web sites.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- 'Altar Boy Altered Life' (ISBN 978-159858-724-1, Dog Ear Publishing) is a new book released by author David Price. When he becomes depressed and suicidal in 1993 at age 28, David Price decides to seek therapy. During his sessions David begins to uncover repressed memories of being sexually abused as a teen (1979-1984) by a trusted and well-loved Catholic priest.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Data published by ForeclosureListings comparing February 2010 to January 2010 shows that Texas has witnessed the highest increase in foreclosures with a rise of 35.3 percent, followed by Michigan at 17.54 percent, California at 11.93 percent, and Florida at 4.71 percent increases. Georgia actually showed a decrease of 5.55 percent and Arkansas showed the largest drop in foreclosures down 28.6 percent.

ELKHART, Ind. -- REMIS AMERICA, a leader in energy efficient products for grocery retailers, is proud to announce that it has opened a new production line at its Elkhart, Indiana headquarters. This new 35,000 square foot facility represents a multi-million dollar investment and has created over 25 new jobs since the company's inception in February of 2009. Additionally, the company's business model forecasts an impressive 30+ new hires by year's end 2011.

DALLAS, Texas -- Pacific West Management, Inc. is pleased to announce its affiliation with U.S. Residential Group, Inc., a Dallas-based company established to provide multi-family real estate services on a nationwide scale. U.S. Residential Group is a full-service, fee-based management company for conventional and affordable multi-housing communities.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine (SIRM) is donating free In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments at upcoming seminars in New Jersey, Texas and Pennsylvania. The initiative reflects Sher Institute's desire to help patients who are in need of treatment but can't afford it during these tough economic times. Sher Institute plans to roll out the free cycle program to all of the SIRM centers around the country.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- Many IT managers ask: is a Windows Server 2008 partition manager available? Windows server 2008, which has expanded existing technology and added new features to enable organizations to increase the reliability and flexibility of their server infrastructures, is often the platform of choice for many server users. Therefore, a Windows server partition manager will definitely be an essential tool for efficient Windows server 2008 hard disk management.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- At Starlight Children's Foundation's annual 'A Stellar Night' gala, presented by California Pizza Kitchen, on Friday, March 19, 2010 at The Century Plaza Hyatt Regency Hotel, Starlight presented Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of California Pizza Kitchen, with its 2010 'Heart of Gold Award' and Noel R. Wallace, President, North America and Global Sustainability, Colgate-Palmolive Company, with its 'Jacki Carlish Humanitarian of the Year Award.'

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Author Cari Kaufman has a message: while Facebook may have increased the sheer volume of people you are in contact with, only intentional interactions will create the deep, meaningful friendships we all need to find joy in uncertain times. In her new book, 'Living Life with Strings Attached' (IBSN: 978-0-557-31564-2), Cari explains how the cultural trend of superficial and uncommitted associations has left us feeling lonely and disconnected.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Florida RV rentals are approaching the highest levels since 2006, according to Florida based RV rental dealer Allstar Coaches. 'Compared to the past few years, RV rentals across the board are way up and at the highest levels we've seen in quite some time,' said CEO Rob Tischler. Allstar Coaches is also reporting substantial increases in reservations for their California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania RV rentals.

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. -- Live-At-Home.com, a free Web site designed to assist seniors with aging at home, announced this week a recent expansion of its site's resources and content. Live-At-Home places an emphasis on health care and related issues of aging in place. Practical information is provided in an easy-to-use format and experts are available to answer individual questions.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Rob Katz, president of Del Mar DataTrac, Inc. (DMD), the leading provider of affordable mortgage lending automation solutions, and an industry pioneer in business intelligence, document imaging and management, and loan process workflow tools, will be a featured guest of the Lykken on Lending Internet radio program on Monday, March 29 at noon Central Time. Katz will discuss the role that automated mortgage lending technology plays in supporting mortgage banker hedging strategies.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Tuberculosis (TB) is still a global and local threat. Hear the latest global, U.S., California, and local trends in TB, and recommendations from the experts. Breathe California is hosting a state-wide Media Call on Tuberculosis on Tuesday, March 23, 10:30 a.m. PDT. March 24th is World TB Day.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- One year after unveiling its new dax|D3 digital production workflow system, Sample Digital announces full adoption by its production clients, including the industry's major film studios, broadcast networks and production companies. The platform now supports a community of more than 7,500 individual users, and more than 50 companies, making Sample Digital the leader in its field and dax|D3 the most widely used digital production workflow system.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- K. Gabriel Heiser, attorney and author of the best-selling book 'How to Protect Your Family's Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets' (Phylius Press 2010; ISBN: 978-0979080159), will be interviewed on the John Stossel Fox TV show Stossel, on Thursday, March 25.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- KnowledgeAdvisors, the world's largest provider of learning and talent measurement solutions, today announced it has been named a finalist for the 2010 Blue Ribbon DREAM BIG Small Business Award as named by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- International Document Services (IDS), a mortgage document preparation vendor for closing documents, initial disclosures and reverse documents, announced that Ali Knudsen has joined the company to lead its marketing communication efforts. As marketing communications manager, Knudsen is responsible for internal and external communications, tradeshow marketing, public relations and media relations.

BOONTON, N.J. -- Capital expenditures (CAPEX) by telecommunications service providers globally is expected to increase at a compounded rate of 2.4 percent, from $199.6 billion in 2010 to $224.5 billion in 2015, says a new market analysis report from The Insight Research Corporation. According to the new market study, CAPEX in the various global regions will be very uneven with major sectors slowing or declining. However, the global spending picture is expected to remain positive.

MAPLE GLEN, Pa. -- iConcepts, Inc., makers of leading Offer in Compromise software, announced today the release of OIC Tax Planner 2010. More comprehensive, powerful and flexible, the software has been completely redesigned. Dynamic updates can be made directly from the Web. And for tax offices with multiple users, an easily installable network version is also available.

WARWICK, R.I. -- EduTyping, a new and innovative keyboarding software for schools, is rewriting the rules for students and teachers' keyboarding classrooms. B.E. Publishing's EduTyping requires no textbooks or paper; it's strictly online technology that provides students with the flexibility of doing assignments at school or home by simply logging in with a user name and password.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Del Mar DataTrac, Inc. (DMD), the leading provider of affordable mortgage lending automation solutions, and an industry pioneer in business intelligence, document imaging and management, and loan process workflow tools, will exhibit and demonstrate its 'zero defect' mortgage lending workflow automation platform and electronic document management system, DataTrac, at the 2010 ICBA National Convention in Orlando.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Based on feedback received at the Lenders One Mortgage Cooperative Winter Member Conference in Orlando earlier this month, mortgage document preparation vendor International Document Services (IDS) learned that when it comes to doc prep functionality, compliance review capabilities and document delivery mechanisms are at the top of lenders' wish lists.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- It was the Clinton Global Initiative in New York that inspired Jane Siebels, founder iGivingWorld, to create an invitation-only, secure social media Web site to connect philanthropists and foundations around the globe. While there were so many people who attended the Global initiative, there were still so many more people to connect.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- SecuGen, the world's leading optical fingerprint device vendor, is pleased to announce the availability of the SecuGen iD-USB SC, a combined fingerprint reader and smart card reader. The iD-USB SC is a ready to use USB device that facilitates dual-factor authentication right out of the box. The new unit is targeted at the rapidly growing number of projects and applications that combine fingerprint biometrics with smart cards.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, George M. Israel III, will speak on March 30 to the state's largest association of business brokers, GABB, on ways Georgia can recover economically by remaining a place where businesses can thrive. The Georgia Association of Business Brokers (GABB) is the state's only professional organization and Multiple Listing Service dedicated to buying and selling businesses and franchises.

NAPLES, Fla. -- Naples Hotel Development and Management Co. announces the formation of Naples Hotel Group (NHG), a fully integrated Hotel Management, Turnaround, and Development company with offices in Naples, Houston and Vero Beach. The new company will provide years of experience, expertise, and proven abilities to hotel owners and operators throughout the United States.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Authernative, Inc., a leading developer of innovative user authentication and identity management technologies, announced today that it recently has been granted three patents, two from the United States Patent Office and one from the Japanese Patent Office for its user authentication methods.