PERSONA SE

Proton launches something special

Posted by: Andy George

There’s certainly something special for car buyers this coming festive season, what with Proton announcing that a new Persona variant is to grace the streets. It’s called the Persona SE (Special Edition), and the car was unveiled on Tuesday night at Cineleisure in Petaling Jaya, exactly a year after the Persona made its debut.

Here's that something special to all of you

The numerous enhancements should have the young and young at heart drooling, because the Special Edition now packs a more premium and sportier outlook, both interior and exterior-wise.

The interior is now dressed in black leather on all seats, extending to the steering wheel, gear knob, arm rest and door panels. The car also gets a newer meter panel, which was first seen in the facelifted GEN2.

An extra-large GPS system is also included in the SE for the driver’s convenience, and is mounted on the windscreen. There’s also cruise control as standard issue on this one.

On the outside, the Persona SE is a head-turner, and the styling of the car has been refined with a matching body kit that not only offers better aerodynamics but lends the car a unique fashion statement as well.

Luxury in leather

The door handles are finished with silver matte paint, and the same hue can be found on the front grille of the car, which is flanked by new stylish head lamps with black bezels.

As with other Persona variants, the car is equipped with a 1.6l Campro IAFM engine, and you get ABS with EBD, as well as dual front airbags.

Two new colours are being offered on the SE, and they’re called Brilliant Red and Blue Haze.

Attention is what you get on this one

The premium treatment on the Persona SE, however, does not come at a premium price – for RM59,800 (on-the-road, with insurance) you get a car equipped with a high level of luxury and enhancements.


Proton is targeting sales of the Persona SE at 500 units monthly. To date, Persona bookings have totaled 52,112 units since its launch in August 2007, and the car recently won the Frost and Sullivan 2008 Best Model of the Year award.

To see more of what's new in the Persona SE, visit our Gallery.

SOURCE: http://star-motoring.com

Curtains for pirated Windows

By STEVEN PATRICK

PETALING JAYA: From today, those with pirated copies of the Windows XP Professional operating system in their computers that are Internet-capable could find their screens going black and the icons vanishing as Microsoft Corp gets tough.

There are 8.6 million users of Windows XP Pro in Malaysia and about three million are expected to suffer the “blackouts”, according to Microsoft Malaysia.

To continue working, users will need to reset the machine’s desktop background. All will return to normal, but only for 60 minutes before another blackout occurs.

The only “cure” is to get a licensed copy of the operating system fro
m a Microsoft reseller or going online at www.microsoft. com/malaysia/genuine. Each licence costs RM580.

The initiative is part of Microsoft’s anti-piracy campaign, dubbed Windows Genuine Advantage, aimed at educating users on the benefits of using genuine software, Microsoft Malaysia client business group director K.T. Ng told The Star yesterday.

SOURCE: http://thestar.com.my

F1 DRIVER

F1 driver Massa revives title bid with European GP win

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Felipe Massa revived his world title challenge Sunday when he won the European Grand Prix and erased bad memories of his explosive exit from the last leg of the F1 championship in Hungary three weeks earlier.


The 27-year-old Brazilian had been forced out of the race in Budapest while leading with three laps to go when his Ferrari's engine blew up.
But this time, despite a strong challenge from second-placed Briton Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren-Mercedes, he was able to complete the 57 laps distance and take the chequered flag for the fourth time this season..
"I am so glad, so happy, after such a bad result in Hungary and the way it ended there," said Massa.



"Everyone did a fantastic job for me and it is a great result for the team.

"To take pole, to win the race and to clock the fastest lap, you cannot ask for more than that after such a bad experience in Budapest."



Hamilton, 23, said he felt ill through the weekend and was glad to win eight points for second place and stay in the lead in the title race after a tough race.

He now has 70 points, to Massa's 64, at the top of the championship with six of this year's 18 races remaining.



But Massa was dragged into a retrospective controversy when he was asked about his second pit stop which saw him rejoin the fray following an 'unsafe release' from the pits.

"I don't know anything about it," he said. "As far as I am concerned I did nothing wrong. It is more about Adrian Sutil than me."



In the incident, Sutil was released before Massa who came out alongside him in the pit lane and had to ease off when they approached a wall.

Race stewards held an inquiry into the incident which could have seen Massa have his victory taken away from him but in the end the Ferrari man escaped with a caution and a 10,000 euros.

In a second incident, a Ferrari mechanic was injured during Finn Kimi Raikkonen's bungled second pit stop. This also was announced as being under investigation.



Hamilton said he was glad to collect his eight points and remain on top in the title race.

"We have great reliability and a great package and no worries about any of that," he said, adding that he felt pain from his neck throughout the race.



"I woke up early on Saturday morning and had a spasm in my neck," Hamilton explained.

"At one point, I did not think I would recover and be able to race, but I had injections and I made it.

"I felt it during the race and it was tough for me, but I don't think I lost any time. The team had Pedro (De la Rosa, the reserve driver) waiting to race and of course he wanted to because he is Spanish.



"I felt bad from the start of the weekend, with low energy, fevers every day and the spasms in my neck. Luckily I have a great doctor and trainer and we got through it."



Poland's Robert Kubica who finished third said he had suffered problems as well when a white plastic bag flew across the track and under his car, causing him to lose his steering controls briefly.

"It came back after a little while, but I lost confidence and it affected me," he said.

"We got this third because of our great qualifying performance on Saturday."



The win was the ninth of his career and was achieved in exemplary fashion as he drove from pole position to the chequered flag without a worry apart from a problem at his second pit-stop.

In another incident, his Ferrari team-mate defending champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen was involved in a disastrous pit stop that left a mechanic injured two laps before his engine blew and forced him to retire.



Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen of Finland came home fourth ahead of Italian veteran Jarno Trulli in a Toyota and 21-year-old German Sebastian Vettel who was sixth for Toro Rosso.



Timo Glock of Germany was seventh for Toyota and another German Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams.

SOURCE: http://www.nst.com.my

NATURAL GAS VEHICLE (NGV)

City Hall to go natural

By Pearl Lee August 14, 2008 Categories: News

AS part of its cost-cutting exercise, City Hall will install natural gas vehicle (NGV) tanks for 150 of its vehicles by the end of this year. The exercise will help City Hall save about RM70,000 a month on fuel.

For starters, Mayor Datuk Ab Hakim Borhan’s official vehicle, a Proton Perdana, was fitted with the tank. Ab Hakim said the installation cost ranges between RM5,000 and 7,000 for the 65- and 75-litre tanks.

Among the vehicles slated to be installed with the NGV tanks are 110 units of Nissan X-Trail 2.5L (A), six Nissan X-Trail 2.0 L(A), three Nissan Sentra 1.6L SG-L AT, one Naza Ria and 30 Mitsubishi Pajero V31 VNDERM.

He said City Hall had 1,500 vehicles that ran on petrol and may be converted to NGV eventually.

“We spend RM1.5million a year on fuel — RM370,000 on petrol, RM900,000 on diesel and the remainder on fuel for motorbikes,” Ab Hakim said.

“It will cost us between RM10 to RM14 for a full tank for 110-140km.”

He said City Hall was negotiating with Petronas to build a NGV station in Cheras for City Hall vehicles. This is to avoid the long queues at petrol stations. The cost of building the station, he added, could be recovered within 25 months.

SOURCE: http://www.mmail.com.my

PROTON NEEDS TO GO GLOBAL

Proton needs to go global



KUALA LUMPUR: Proton should consider working with a foreign automobile company as the way forward, and to compete globally.


Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said the committee felt this was the best way for Proton to expand its market share.


»There used to be 60 automobile companies in the world 20 years ago, but today there are only 12 left after merger exercises« DATUK SERI AZMI KHALID
He said it would be difficult for Proton to be in the competitive motor industry if it did not have a foreign partner.


Azmi said although Proton’s performance had improved, as reflected in its financial report, the company should consider working with an international carmaker.
“There used to be 60 automobile companies in the world 20 years ago, but today there are only 12 left after merger exercises.


“If Proton wants to compete in the world, PAC advises that it finds a strategic partner to expand in the industry,” he told a press conference after a PAC meeting with Khazanah Nasional Bhd managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar at the Parliament here yesterday.


Last year, Proton’s plans to collaborate with Volkswagen AG and General Motors Corp fell through; the Government felt it needed to give the national carmaker more time to turn around.
Meanwhile, Azmi also said that Khazanah should consider selling off some of its companies that were not giving any returns and had become a burden.


He said such companies had become an obstacle to Khazanah’s growth; Khazanah had to bail out four out of its 11 companies.


He added that Khazanah should invest outside the country and not limit its investment domestically as it could be seen as monopolising the domestic market.
Azmi said the PAC had proposed that the company be transparent in its procurement as well as in awarding contracts.


ARTICLES SOURCE: http://thestar.com.my

5 STEPS TO SEMINAR MARKETING

5 Steps to Seminar Marketing


Autor: hseitz



More than likely, you've attended a seminar, workshop or live training event at some point in your life. Whether you've been to a "Tony Robbins-type" event with thousands of people or a much smaller, workshop format with only a handful of people and lots of interaction. But, have you ever thought about marketing your own seminar?


It's actually simpler than you might think to market your own seminar. You just need to know the steps to a successful seminar and, most importantly, how to get people to come to your seminar.


Here are 5 things you must know about seminar marketing before you begin marketing your event.


1. What is your seminar or event going to be about? Your seminar can be about anything on which you are knowledgeable. From health and wellness to real estate to the internet even to dog grooming or gardening! The most important thing is that you have a passion for what you're going to be teaching at your seminar.


2. When/where is your seminar going to be held?Believe it or not, this is one of the most critical components to a successful seminar. There are many things to consider such as time of year, national holidays, weather, specific hotel chains, etc. But, it's important when planning your seminar to pay close attention to this step.


3. What is your seminar format?Will you have 100 people at your seminar or will you hold a seminar suited for 10-12 people? Either way, you can have a great event, but your strategy for one is much different than your strategy for the other.


4. How are you going to market your seminar?Depending on the type of event you are having, you may want to consider local networking activities and local media or you may opt to go on a more global scale with regard to your seminar marketing and utilize the Internet, direct mail, and mass media. Marketing is probably the most critical component to a successful seminar. Without "cheeks in those seats", you have no seminar!



5. What details are important while running your seminar?Getting people in your seats is the first step to a successful seminar, but equally important is the experience attendees have while AT your seminar. You want people to go home and tell their friends they have to attend your seminar, event or workshop. You want killer testimonials FROM your seminar to use in marketing and you want honest feedback to improve with each seminar you run.Follow these strategies and you are well on your way to a successful seminar.


Source: Free Articles

ONE WORLD HOTEL

Saturday August 9, 2008

One World earns five stars

ONE World Hotel Petaling Jaya is now officially a five-star hotel after receiving the certification from the Tourism Ministry in June.

“We are proud to make a big leap forward in achieving our hotel’s vision,” hotel general manager Ho Hoy Sum said.

“We are confident that we will be able to maintain the standards of service and products that are in line with the guidelines set by the ministry. Moreover, we are committed to providing personalised service that exceeds expectations.

“Since the hotel began operations in June 2007, we have received positive feedback from our guests both local and international,” Ho added.

Good job: Ho (front row, third from left) and some of the hotel’s employees with the certificate.

The hotel has also introduced the ONE Service initiative where guests only needed to use the ONE Service button on the room telephones to connect to any department.

“Apart from the hotel’s excellent facilities for conventions and meetings, well-designed and spacious guestrooms and various food and beverage outlets, it was the staff’s commitment to excellence and consistency that earned us the rating,” Ho said.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://thestar.com.my

FASTER STORAGE

Faster storage solution





KINGSTON Technology Company, Inc, has expanded its line of USB Flash drives with the introduction of the DataTraveler HyperX (DT HyperX) model.

Designed for ultra-fast read/write speeds and lower price points, the DT HyperX drive is available in capacities up to 8GB.

"Taking its cue from our HyperX line of industry-setting high-speed memory modules for gamers, enthusiasts and overclockers, the DataTraveler HyperX offers exceptionally fast read and write speeds," said Kingston APAC region Flash memory product manager Nathan Su.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.thesundaily.com

The DT HyperX has data transfer rates of 30MB per second read and 20MB per second write, offering consumers a powerful, portable Flash storage solution.

Designed to run on any Windows platform but specifically enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost on Vista-based systems, users can expect to quickly and easily transfer photos, videos, music and data to their desktop, notebook or a fellow enthusiast’s system.

The new Data Traveler HyperX is backed by a five-year warranty and free technical support.

INTERNET AND BUSINESS ONLINE

Internet And Business Online – The Act Of Interdependence


by: Scott Lindsay



The best role of business online is that of interdependency. We’ve all heard the old saying, “No man is an island.” When it comes to online business this is especially true. If a business owner who takes their business into the online world determines they will be self reliant and never accept the help of anyone then that individual will not be in business long enough to change their minds. It is accepted fact that the greatest tool for long-term exposure to your website is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO).


Without it potential customers can’t find you. It is unreasonable to expect that you can adequately develop a website without optimizing your website for the best possible search engine ranking. Search engines also place a high value on sites that have links placed on existing sites. These ‘backlinks’ demonstrate to search engines that others trust your site. By placing your link on their website these other businesses indicate a trust and recommendation for your site. In effect the two strategies listed above rely exclusively on what others can do for you when it comes to your online business.


Shirley Temple once proclaimed in her movie Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, “I’m very self-reliant.” American westerns are filled with lines dealing with pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and holding down the fort. Many of us have grown up to believe if we want something done right we have to do it ourselves. This thinking is in opposition to the rules associated with an online business.


The online world can only exist because people share. Individuals share technology, but the also share links, reviews, blogs, forums and a wide range of other marketing strategies that find a commingling of interdependency. In online business you are as dependent on others as they may be on you. Unlike the word ‘dependent’, the term interdependent indicates a mutual dependency.


In other words you are depending on others to help provide links back to your site while they are equally dependent on you (or others) for the success of their business. Have you really taken a proactive approach to networking? It’s possible you are reading this today and you’ve never considered asking someone else to place a link to your site on his or her online business site.


It can feel awkward depending on others to achieve online success especially if you’ve been lead to believe reliance on others is also a sign of imposing on their otherwise brilliant generosity. I suppose it could be a deep-seated sense of pride that makes it hard to consider the need to ask others for help. However, the truth is depending on others is really what has made the Internet possible.


The growth of this online world is comprised of a link of computers, networks and servers that are connected in a way that provides the maximum benefit for all. Building an online business can feel a bit like trying to build a house of cards. Without the ability to rely on the other ‘cards’ around you it is virtually impossible to build. Interdependence. This is the essence of online business.


ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.articlecity.com

VITAMIN C INJECTIONS

Vitamin C injections slow cancer in mice: study

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High doses of vitamin C injections reduced the size of tumors and slowed cancerous growths by about 50 percent in laboratory mice, according to US research.
"The researchers traced ascorbate's anti-cancer effect to the formation of hydrogen peroxide in the extracellular fluid surrounding the tumors. Normal cells were unaffected," it said.


Injections were necessary because the body regulates vitamin C when ingested, so that higher doses cannot be attained.


"When you eat foods containing more than 200 milligrams of vitamin C a day -- for example, two oranges and a serving of broccoli -- your body prevents blood levels of ascorbate from exceeding a narrow range," said Mark Levine, the study's lead author and chief of the Molecular and Clinical Nutrition Section of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Scientists "injected ascorbate into the veins or abdominal cavities of rodents with aggressive brain, ovarian, and pancreatic tumors," the report said, delivering "up to four grams per kilogram of body weight daily."

By injecting mice with 43 cancer and five normal cell lines, "the researchers discovered that high concentrations of ascorbate had anticancer effects in 75 percent of cancer cell lines tested, while sparing normal cells."


Scientists involved with the study also pointed to evidence that "these high ascorbate concentrations could be achieved in people."

"In immune-deficient mice with rapidly spreading ovarian, pancreatic, and glioblastoma (brain) tumors ... the ascorbate injections reduced tumor growth and weight by 41 to 53 percent."


The researchers concluded that the findings "provide the first firm basis for advancing pharmacologic ascorbate in cancer treatment in humans."


Vitamin C was considered as a possible treatment for cancer three decades ago, but subsequent studies showed oral doses provided no benefit.

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.nst.com.my

HONDA JAZZ

Sunday August 3, 2008

Jazz is coming

THE second-generation of the feisty Honda Jazz, which is noted for its spaciousness, fuel efficiency and styling, is set to roll out in Malaysia later this year.

It is expected to be the premium model in the local five-door hatchback segment.

Jazz was first developed based on Honda’s “man maximum, machine minimum” concept, which calls for maximising the space available for humans and minimising the space occupied by mechanical parts.

Sneak peek: The new Jazz is expected to do well when it launches locally judging by response to the first-generation model.

Its development was aimed at creating an ideal compact car that had customer-driven values, such as fuel efficiency, a roomy interior, is practical and has original styling.

First introduced in Japan in 2001, the Jazz is now sold in 115 countries, and delivered to some 400,000 customers annually.

The first-generation Jazz had cumulative sales of 2.3 million units worldwide, with Japan and eight countries in the Asia and Oceania region accounting for half the units.

The latest Jazz was voted Japan’s Car of the Year 2007/2008.

Honda Malaysia is planning to make a splash at the Jazz’s launch. It is organising a fashion show featuring the works of three local fashion designers, who have been hired to promote the “spirit” of the Jazz through their clothes.

For more information, call Honda Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020, or log on to
www.honda.com.my.

articles source: http://star-motoring.com