MBN, Monte Bubbles Network: Sony Delivers 'HD for All'

To understand the internet you have to be open to change.

Written by Joyce L Chow & William Hoehne April 24, 2006
MBN
www.montebubbles.com for more MBN news

INTERNET ADVERTISING IS THE FUTURE

First there was ABC,CBS,CNN,FOX and NBC and now there is MBN ( unofficially the sixth largest supplier of NEWS by and American company. More then 100 pages of news a day and BROADCAST NEWS COMING SOON VIA PODCAST )

SUNDAYS ARE NOW PICTURE DAY Pictures that we have taken and not published during before will be placed here on Sunday of each week for your viewing pleasure

International news from Asia and Latin news in English and Spanish here now

More exciting changes coming each day.
Watch for the MBN Politically incorrect SUV

MONTEBUBBLISM: You want to believe sports and dog shows aren’t fixed, but you also want to believe in the tooth fairy.
ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
Extending Gas per Gallon with Nitrogen, Octane Boost, and a GasBuddy
BETSY MCGOWEN JOINS THE CW AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, KIDS' WB! ON THE CW
Sony Delivers 'HD for All' at NAB 2006
DAVE.TV TO SHOWCASE CUTTING EDGE IPTV SERVICE DELIVERING CUSTOMIZED CONTENT
InPhase Technologies, the world’s leader in holographic data storage, today announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention the first holographic storage systems for broadcasters
FOTOKEM SPEEDS DAILIES WORKFLOW WITH AVD AND ZAXEL SYSTEMS’ ESCORT-DIGITAL DAILIES SYNCING AND OUTPUT SOLUTION
ZAXEL SYSTEMS INTEGRATES LOSSLESS COMPRESSION SCHEME
INTO AJA’S OEM REAL-TIME DUAL LINK HD-SDI I/O CARD
PAPPAS TELECASTING TO USE INPHASE TECHNOLOGIES HOLOGRAPHIC STORAGE
Jumpcut, a new online video sharing and remixing – or mashing – service introduced today at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas
InPhase, asm, and QStar will demonstrate the first holographic video archive system, in the Maxell Corp.
Shipping to customers in the third quarter of 2006, the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation enables broadcasters, and video professionals, to record and play back source material from a variety of formats, including videotape
Using the company’s patented Zaxel Lossless Compression (ZLC™), the Zaxel Video Server enables customers in professional video production, digital cinema, and image-intensive applications
Roland Systems Group U.S. is reporting better than expected ordering of their new multi-format live video mixer/switcher – the EDIROL by Roland V-440HD,
Roland Systems Group Reports Better than Expected Ordering of
EDIROL Affordable HD/PC Multi-format Mixer
Roland Systems Group U.S. Releases of RSS by Roland AR-200S Audio Recorder
SPORTS & AUTOS
Oakland Dodger Baseball
DOD
Three Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and two Iraqi citizens were killed
Iraq Reaches 'Important Milestone' in Forming Unity Government
Army Activates First Interrogation Battalion
VA Completes Cabinet's Push for Employer Support of Guard, Reserve
'Thunder Over Louisville' Ends With Patriotic Bang
NEWS & News In Spanish
NEWSWEEK COVER: Sex, Lies & Duke NEWSWEEK: McClellan Told Bolten He Was Feeling Wear and Tear of the

Job National Health Partners Expects Significant Member and Revenue Growth from Hispanic Advertising Campaign Featuring International Superstar Lucia Mendez

National Health Partners espera crecimiento importante en miembros e ingresos de su campaña de publicidad hispana con la superestrella internacional Lucía Méndez

NEWSWEEK: Pearl Jam's Vedder on Making a New Album: '

The Home Depot to Sponsor Univision’s Exclusive Spanish-Language Broadcast of FIFA World Cup Germany 2006(TM)
Home Depot patrocinará la transmisión exclusiva en español de Univision de la copa mundial de la FIFA Alemania 2006 (TM)
VATICAN NEWS OF THE PAST WEEK
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ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
Extending Gas per Gallon with Nitrogen, Octane Boost, and a GasBuddy

With all the grumblings about the price of gas which can be heard round the globe and probably the universe, people are searching for ways to obtain lower gas prices, stretch their gas mileage, perhaps even car pool or if they must not go out as often. If you’re curious where your state stands, see the gas temperature map on www.gasbuddy.com and view your state or city. Not surprisingly, Hawaii as an island pays the highest gas prices. California follows paying the second highest state prices.

Southern Californians have such a fondness for driving that in “LA Story” a satirical look at life in Los Angeles with Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker, he got in his car and drove several houses down to visit one of his neighbors.

Besides the obvious such as making sure your car is tuned, there are a few other tips I’ve discovered:

1) Octane booster added to your gas. While many are skeptical and I can’t quantify the difference on city mileage other than a few miles, when driving on the freeway for extended trips, the mileage increased 30%. Besides the extra mileage, it also gives your driving an extra boost.

2) Nitrogen added to your tires. Nitrogen is a inert,dry gas and as such minimizes fluctuating tire inflations pressures. Oxygen escapes from a tire 3 to 4 times faster than nitrogen. If you’re curious where in the world you can find this, check your neighborhood Costco which adds nitrogen automatically to your tires. With consistent and proper inflation pressure in your tires, your vehicle handles better, maximizes fuel efficiency and extends your tire life.

Costco traditionally has some of the lowest gas prices around. If you choose to pay less as a point, be prepared to wait or schedule your gas trips around lines.

BETSY MCGOWEN JOINS THE CW AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, KIDS' WB! ON THE CW

Betsy McGowen will join The CW as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Kids' WB! on The CW, it was announced today by Dawn Ostroff, who will become President of Entertainment, The CW, to whom McGowen will report. A joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, The CW is the new fifth broadcast television network scheduled to launch in the Fall of 2006.

McGowen, a senior executive at Kids' WB! since its inception in 1995, will oversee all series development, current programming and scheduling as well as brand, image and marketing for Kids' WB! on The CW.

"Kids' WB! is an integral part of The CW's future, and Betsy McGowen's continued leadership and vast experience make her the perfect executive to oversee this important daypart," said Ostroff. "Betsy has been with Kids' WB! since its inception, and her stellar creative and marketing track record has been instrumental in establishing a dominant programming block that kids have embraced in a major way."

Prior to joining The CW, McGowen had served as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Kids' WB! since May 2004, overseeing all programming and marketing aspects for network television's number one children's block. She had previously served as Senior Vice President, Kids' WB! Marketing and had held a top marketing position at Kids' WB! since 1995, where she helped shape the network's distinct brand image and on-air campaigns.

Before The WB, McGowen worked as a freelance writer/producer/editor for many clients, including Fox and the Disney Channel. From 1992-93, she was a staff promo writer/producer for Fox Kids Network. Prior to Fox Kids, McGowen was an offline/online videotape editor at NBC and Fox.

As previously announced, the new CW Network will consist of a six-night, 13-hour primetime lineup including Monday through Friday nights from 8:00-10:00 PM (ET/PT); Sundays from 7:00-10:00 PM (ET/PT); Sunday from 5:00-7:00 PM (ET/PT) outside of prime time as well as a Monday-Friday afternoon block from 3:00-5:00 PM (ET/PT) and a five-hour Saturday morning animation block from 7:00 AM-12:00 PM. Altogether, the network will program 30 hours a week over seven days.

Sony Delivers 'HD for All' at NAB 2006

Sony is delivering on its theme of "HD for All" at the 2006 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention here this week, highlighting applications of its high-definition technology for all levels of professional digital video production.

"Our line-up of HD systems serves the entire pyramid of customer applications, from event, documentary and corporate video at the base all the way to TV and big-budget motion picture production at the top," said John Scarcella, president of Sony's Broadcast and Business Solutions Company. "When we say, 'HD for All,' we really mean for all: All kinds of professionals, all price points, and all applications."

Sony's announcements at NAB include the continued success of its digital 24P products for TV and motion picture production, and the increasing use of its HD cameras and switchers for high-profile production installations including "Late Night with David Letterman," "Saturday Night Live," "Conan O'Brien" and "Good Morning America."

Sony is also announcing successes for its newest HD technology: the XDCAM HD(TM) line of optical disc camcorders and decks.

News 12 Networks, owned by Cablevision systems, is adopting XDCAM HD technology for all electronic news gathering (ENG) and news production applications. The group plans to roll-out 90 XDCAM HD camcorders across its channels over the next two years.

News 12 Networks operates seven 24-hour local news channels in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, and according to Norm Fein, senior vice president for news development at News 12 Networks, the advantages of Sony's optical production technology are well-suited to the daily demands of gathering and producing regional news programming.

XDCAM HD technology is also being rolled out at Gannett Broadcasting and at two PBS stations: WETA in Washington, D.C., which will start using XDCAM HD technology for its production of "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" and WYCC in Chicago, which will begin acquiring in the XDCAM HD format. Both stations are also upgrading with a range of Sony HD gear including studio and portable cameras, and production switchers.

These two PBS member stations, along with WQED in Pittsburgh, are the latest to begin their HD conversion under the joint Sony/PBS HD Pilot Program, which was created to encourage and develop high definition television production by public TV stations.

Not only TV stations are attracted to XDCAM HD technology. Veteran director of photography Mark Falstad used the new camcorders at last month's Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska. According to Falstad, the camcorders stood up to sub-zero temperatures, they were mounted onto sleds, they were dropped and weren't even enclosed in protective weather gear, but "despite the hammering the sled and the mount took, every frame was perfect."

Sony's family of HDV(TM) products for professionals has also expanded over the past year, with the HVR-A1U compact camcorder joining its larger HVR-Z1U cousin. A recent expedition up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa was documented with the Sony HVR-A1U and, as cinematographer Joanne Hock noted, the camcorder's compact size was critical "when every ounce saved meant the difference between continuing on and having to stop."

Hock also noted that the camera's durability allowed her to keep shooting in the rugged conditions encountered during the climb, including heat, cold, humidity and dust. Also, the camcorder was "a quick learn," she said, adding that "the ability to use touch-screen pre-sets was a big time-saver. It was very easy to just pull it out, quickly check and adjust the settings, get the shot you want, put it back in your pocket and continue climbing."

Sony HD technology is also establishing a growing presence of in key market segments including the house-of-worship market. For example, Lakewood Church, which now holds its services in the former Compaq Center sports arena in Houston, has purchased eight Sony high definition cameras as part of a phased migration to HDTV.

In addition, Sony HD technology is also expanding to markets beyond traditional broadcast to the medical, government and education sectors, further enhancing the definition of "HD for All."

Source: Sony Electronics Inc.

DAVE.TV TO SHOWCASE CUTTING EDGE IPTV SERVICE DELIVERING CUSTOMIZED CONTENT TO MULTIPLE DEVICES USING THE POWER OF ANY BROADBAND CONNECTION AT NAB 06

Summary: DAVE.TV, an IPTV pioneer and leader in digital entertainment distribution, will showcase its exclusive IPTV Cross Platform Digital Delivery Ecosystem throughout NAB 2006 in the "ITA Content Incubator Pavilion" (SL 2407D). Please join us on Monday morning, April 24, from 8-9:30am for a special press breakfast presentation at the ITA meeting room S-101. Who: DAVE.TV (Distributed Audio Video Entertainment Television) is the first Cross Platform Digital Delivery Ecosystem that consolidates channels of video entertainment from sources around the world into a comprehensive service that delivers them to the PC, TV, portable and mobile devices while facilitating connections between Publishers, Advertisers and Consumers of digital media.

DAVE.TV also develops Internet TV and IPTV solutions and platforms for service providers such as Telcos, CLECs, MSOs and ISPs. DAVE.TV gives consumers the ability to acquire and consume content anywhere, anyplace and on any device while empowering, publishers to reach multiple platforms by enabling them to publish to only one central point to reach multiple devices/platforms while being able to choose their pricing and business model. DAVE.TV also enables advertisers to have a one-on-one interaction with consumers by delivering highly targeted advertising based on demographics and/or geographics. DAVE.TV currently delivers over 100 channels of content from publishing sources worldwide, and that number is continuing to grow rapidly.

For more information please visit www.dave.tv.

VitalStream, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VSHI), the world leader in audio and video streaming, will launch VitalStream Media Player for Flash at booth #SL4206 at NAB in Las Vegas, NV, April 24-27, 2006.

With VitalStream's Media Player for Flash, viewing Flash video (FLV) content locally is as simple as double-clicking an FLV file. Previously, developers needed to create a Media Player within the Flash Development environment in order to view FLV content on their local computer. The VitalStream Media Player for Flash simplifies the workflow and saves development time by eliminating cumbersome steps in creating Flash video projects.

Key features of VitalStream's Media Player for Flash include:

* Standard media player controls like play, pause, volume controls and a video scrub bar
* At-a-glance data on file name, total running time (TRT), audio and video data rate and video frame size
* Zoom in and out functions for viewing video at 100% or 200%
* Access to a time code display
* Full support for all FLV files, including Flash 6,7 and 8 encoded Flash Video

Working hand-in-hand with Adobe (formerly Macromedia) to develop the Flash streaming platform, VitalStream leads the market as the first and most experienced Flash video streaming service provider. The VitalStream Service for Flash delivers a higher capacity service than other, non-certified CDN Flash providers.

VitalStream be available at NAB to discuss the role of content delivery in media, video streaming and the company's new Media Player for Flash.

InPhase Technologies, the world’s leader in holographic data storage, today announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention the first holographic storage systems for broadcasters.

InPhase will ship the industry’s first holographic drives to OEM customers in the fourth quarter of 2006. The company also announced its first broadcast customer, Pappas Telecasting, which will incorporate the InPhase Tapestry™ holographic drives into an archival storage system for its flagship stations, KAZR-TV/KREN-TV, in Reno, Nevada. Also, Panasonic Broadcast will show demonstrate the InPhase Tapestry holographic drive, at NAB Booth #C2518, as the ideal solution for the company’s P2 camera.

At NAB 2006, InPhase will have demonstrate a range of holographic products and systems, based on its Tapestry technology, at the Maxell Booth #C6932 in the Las Vegas Convention Center, including:

The industry’s first holographic storage drive, the InPhase Tapestry HDS-300R drive

the industry’s first video disc recorder (HVDR), the OvalRock SD Dynamic holographic video disc recorder (H-VDR)Workstation

a 9.6 terabyte the industry’s first holographic video archive solution, a 30 terabyte (TB) solution that incorporates an asm storage library, the QStar’s Data Protection archive appliance; an ASM storage library, the InPhase Tapestry holographic drive, and Maxell holographic media

a 3TB workstation archive autoloader

The InPhase HDS-300R drive records 300 gigabytes (GB) on a single disk with a transfer rate of 20 megabytes per second (MB/s), or 160 megabits per second (Mb/s). The HDS-300R will enable broadcasters to record 35 hours of broadcast-quality (19 Mbps) video on a single disk in 250 minutes (160 Mbps transfer rate). InPhase will begin shipments of the product to OEM customers at the end of 2006.

“We have followed the progress of holographic storage over the last few years, and have found the characteristics of the InPhase Tapestry drive and media to be ideally suited as an archive solution for our P2 products,” said Phil Livingston, vice president for technical liaison for Panasonic Broadcast. “Our broadcast customers have been asking for a long-life, high-density optical product with rapid access, and the InPhase HDS-300R has now arrived. We’re pleased to showcase this revolutionary technology for our P2 customers.”

The OvalRock SD Dynamic Workstation is a server emulator than can record and play back source material from standard-definition (SD), high-definition (HD), 2K (or, Academy 2K, which is 1828 x 1332 pixels), videotape recorder (VTR), data disc recorder (DDR), or act as a server emulator. Capable of videotape, Blu-Ray, and holographic record/playback functions, the workstation is agnostic of most operating systems and applications and runs most production process applications. It is compliant with x86 hardware and software and can be configured with up to 6.4 TB of hard-disk drive (HDD) RAID arrays.

The first holographic video archive solution – from asm, InPhase, and Qstar – will store more than 200 hours of HD (at 100 Mb/s) or more than 800 hours of SD (at 25 Mb/s) on 32 pieces of Maxell holographic media.

“The progress that holographic storage has made in the past year continues to answer our many questions regarding archive and production, particularly as we incorporate more high-definition programming into our networks. We are fast moving toward a file-based universe, and holographic data storage will be an integral part of this future,” said Ron Tarasoff, vice president of broadcast technology & engineering at Turner Entertainment Networks.

InPhase will also exhibit at the Maxell booth a 10-slot autoloader that holds three TB of data, or more than 66 hours of HD video (100 Mbps).

InPhase has also announced that the HDS-300R drive will be compatible with the FlashNet Archive Manager from Storage Generation, Ltd. (SGL).

“As we bring the first holographic storage products to market, we’re pleased to be aligned with some of the leading developers of next-generation recorders as well as reliable, long-term and near-term archival storage,” said Liz Murphy, vice president of marketing for InPhase. “This NAB marks the beginning of the next generation of storage for broadcasters, and we are showcasing a diverse array of solutions for this initial phase of product delivery.”

About InPhase Technologies

InPhase Technologies is the leading developer of holographic data storage (HDS) recording media and systems. Based in Longmont, Colorado, InPhase was founded in 2000, and is comprised of some of the storage industry's leading executives and scientists. InPhase is funded by venture capital investors New Venture Partners LLC, Signal Lake Ventures, Newton Technology Partners, Yasuda Enterprise Development, Japan Asia Investment Company, Nanotechnology Partners LLC, and Mr. B.J. Cassin. Corporate investors are Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., Bayer MaterialScience AG, and ALPS Information Technology Fund. For more information on InPhase, please visit the company's Web site at www.inphase-tech.com.

FOTOKEM SPEEDS DAILIES WORKFLOW WITH AVD AND ZAXEL SYSTEMS’ ESCORT-DIGITAL DAILIES SYNCING AND OUTPUT SOLUTION

TK-Digital Dailies Solution Enables Faster, Automated Transfer of

Episodic Television and Theatrical Dailies

LAS VEGAS --- AVD, a leading developer of digital video software solutions, and Zaxel Systems, a leading developer of digital video compression systems and products, today announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas that the companies have collaborated with FotoKem, a premier independently-owned film & video postproduction facility, on a new, automated system for delivering digital dailies for film and television productions.

The AVD Escort Digital Dailies solution, sold exclusively by Zaxel Systems, has enabled FotoKem to save substantial time producing digital dailies for primetime series such as “Trial by Jury,” “Criminal Intent,” “Over There,” and many other productions for both the television and theatrical market. The Escort Digital Dailies system has enhanced the company’s overall digital content workflow, providing for both increased telecine revenues and more color grading time per client.

FotoKem has used the Escort Digital Dailies system since February, 2005. The Escort Digital Dailies system involves the use of multiple DDRchitect workstations to handle the audio ingest, logging, audio-to-video syncing, tape laydown and Avid digitizing outside a telecine room.

The DDRchitect is used by FotoKem for dailies in the mornings, and can be easily re-purposed as a non-linear replacement for videotape recorders (VTRs) in the afternoon.

“The traditional VTR-based router system has evolved into a multi -functional, format-independent system, with workstations that are lower-cost and designed for parallel access via a SAN infrastructure,” said Charlie Taylor, Vice President of Sales at Zaxel Systems Inc.

Integrated with the FotoKem SAN, the Escort Digital Dailies system enables multiple workstations to work simultaneously, sharing the same storage volume so that, for example, the Escort Dailies operator will load and log audio while a colorist loads video to the same storage volume.

“Our work with AVD in the development of the Escort system has proven to be a giant step forward in the automation of the dailies process,” said Rand Gladden, senior VP of digital and data development for FotoKem. “Whether working with film elements or the new digital cameras, we have seen significant improvement in efficiencies. Integrated with FotoKem’s SAN, the Escort system allows for simultaneous sharing among workstations for specific tasks, resulting in more time for color correction and improved accuracy in audio syncing and the collection of metadata. All of this equals higher quality and faster turnaround for our clients.”

The Escort Digital Dailies workflow provides automated down conversion from high-definition (HD) source material to standard-definition (SD) video.

“The FotoKem collaboration has aided us in the development of a flexible, reliable, and very fast system for delivering digital assets in an on-demand universe,” said Richard Lyons, president of AVD Burbank and the co-developer of the Escort Digital Dailies system. “The Escort software enables parallel operation for digital dailies by decoupling the tasks in telecine and automating them in a simple fashion. We have developed a networked, automated system for what had been a very time-intensive process.”

Using the Escort system, all tasks except film transfer can be done by the operator away from the telecine room. The system is designed to export ALE and FLEX files for Avid editing, as well as picture and sound reports. The system enables DPX 2K files, or dual link 1080p RGB video source material to be converted at real-time, from storage to down conversion, with burn-ins used as an option. Users can directly import WAV files from DVD media, and conduct simultaneous lay-off of daily takes to multiple formats.

About Advanced Video Design (AVD) and Preferred Video Products (PVP)

AVD & PVP, located in Burbank CA. are leaders in the development of video solutions for the entertainment, military and space industries. Over the past nine years, AVD has manufactured broadcast and film products, authored unique software solutions and provided turn-key systems engineering, integration and service. Many years before High Definition video became a predominant post-production format, AVD developed and built an 8:8:8 (1440) Telecine which was the highest quality film transfer device of its time. AVD has built software-controlled custom video systems for NASA, the Los Angeles County Sheriff¹s Dept. and the Army/Air Force. Technology developed during Research and Development led to the DDRchitect and software for the entertainment industry. AVD has a proven track record of developing and selling innovative products to the entertainment industry and government agencies. For further information, www.avdburbank.com

About Zaxel Systems, Inc.

Zaxel Systems is a leading developer of digital video compression systems and products, from HD, 2K & 4K real-time disk recorders, servers & players to SAN and NAS real-time I/O units. The company is committed to the delivery of highly reliable, cost-effective, customer-friendly and feature-rich products to the television and digital film industry. Zaxel Systems is the exclusive worldwide distributor of Preferred Video Product’s AVD DDRchitect product line. Founded in 1998, Zaxel Systems Inc. corporate headquarters is located in Sunnyvale, California. For further information, please visit the company Web site at www.zaxel.com.

About FotoKem

FotoKem is a premier independently owned film & video postproduction facility based in

Burbank, CA. Established in 1963, FotoKem is a unique full service facility that embraces the entire sequence of motion picture and television postproduction by combining full-scale laboratory services with advanced digital finishing. See www.fotokem.com for additional information.

Zaxel Systems, a leading developer of digital video compression systems and products, today announced that it has integrated its patented ZLC (Zaxel Lossless Compression) into the AJA OEM dual link high-definition (HD) and serial digital interface (SDI) I/O card, which enables customers to compress and decompress high-resolution digital video at three times the current rate for video capture, editing, and playback in both HD and standard definition (SD). The faster compression rates enable Zaxel customers to save on storage costs, enable them to connect more than twice as many workstations to SAN, and achieve faster data transfer on network.

This technology provides Zaxel customers with the only real-time solution for lossless video compression, essentially providing the power of a full-scale video server on a single video card.

The Zaxel ZLC video codec is integrated into the FPGA on the AJA card, and provides three stages of compression and decompression that enable the prediction of the value of each video pixel, based on previously viewed pixels. The technology provides real-time record and play with no latency. Zaxel guarantees bit-for-bit restoration through multiple codec cycles.

ZAXEL SYSTEMS INTEGRATES LOSSLESS COMPRESSION SCHEME INTO AJA’S OEM REAL-TIME DUAL LINK HD-SDI I/O CARD

Zaxel Systems’ Zaxel Lossless Compression (ZLC^TM) Enables Three Times

Faster Compression/Decompression, Saves Money on Storage

This technology provides Zaxel customers with the only real-time solution for lossless video compression, essentially providing the power of a full-scale video server on a single video card.

“The ZLC technology is a cost-effective upgrade to one of the most powerful video compression technologies available,” said Nick Rashby, Director of Sales and Marketing, AJA. “This integration delivers the power of a video server in a single card and provides Zaxel customers with a powerful method of handling complex graphics and high-resolution imaging. We are pleased to have Zaxel as one of our OEM partners.”

“Now, Zaxel users don't have to invest in new hardware; they can easily upgrade to the highest level of video performance with the latest technology by installing our new solution,” said Dr. Norihisa Suzuki, President & CEO of Zaxel Systems Inc. “The ZLC is designed to provide real-time video compression that renders no loss in quality, with tremendous savings in customer bandwidth and storage capacity. We are pleased to offer this technology to our customers, which represent the vanguard of video creativity.”

ZLC compresses and decompresses digital video without any loss of data. Bit-for-bit restoration is guaranteed at any raster, any resolution, any frame rate, and at any bit depth.

About Zaxel Systems, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Zaxel Systems Inc. corporate headquarters is located in Sunnyvale, California. From HD, 2K & 4K real time disk recorders, servers & players to SAN and NAS real-time I/O units, Zaxel is committed to deliver highly reliable, cost effective, customer friendly and feature rich products to the television and digital film industry.

PAPPAS TELECASTING TO USE INPHASE TECHNOLOGIES HOLOGRAPHIC STORAGE;FIRST BROADCASTER TO INTEGRATE NEXT-GENERATION TECHNOLOGYInPhase Tapestry™ System to be Part of Pappas Archive System in Leading-EdgeBroadcast Facility at KREN/KAZR-TV in Reno, Nevada

InPhase Technologies, the world’s leader in holographic data storage, today announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention that Pappas Telecasting, the largest privately held, commercial television broadcast group in the United States, will be the first broadcaster in the world to integrate holographic storage into its facility. The new, state-of-the-art Pappas facility that serves KAZR/KREN in Reno, Nevada – the flagship stations of the Pappas group - will incorporate the InPhase Tapestry™ holographic drive and media into its archive system in 2007.

The initial InPhase Tapestry product, which will ship to OEM customers in the fourth quarter of 2006, will be a 300 GB write-once read many (WORM) drive that will enable broadcasters to record 2,100 minutes (35 hours) of broadcast-quality video on a single disk at a transfer rate of 20 MB/s (160 megabits per second) in less than 4.5 hours (250 minutes). InPhase will show the Tapestry system at the Maxell Corp. booth #C6932 at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, April 24-27, in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Pappas Telecasting is launching a new automated master control facility, called the “Crystal Palace,” at an indoor shopping mall in Reno that will originate two local high-definition (HD) news programs, for both KAZR-TV and KREN-TV, for the Reno market. The facility is an all-serial digital interface (SDI), all-HD facility that will integrate the InPhase Tapestry technology into its automated program archive system.

“The holographic system that InPhase has developed, from the broadcaster’s perspective, is the most disruptive technology since the transistor. Holographic storage enables us to develop a truly all-digital, tapeless, paperless facility that will provide the highest quality images – from acquisition to archive – on discs that fit into your pocket,” said Harry J. Pappas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pappas Telecasting Companies.

Continued Mr. Pappas, “As the leading privately-held station group in the country, Pappas has always been a technology leader for our local stations. It is fitting that the ‘last of the independents’ is in the vanguard of broadcast technology. What was once considered purely ‘science fiction’ – holographic storage – is now reality, and Pappas will help bring it to light in the broadcast market.”

InPhase recently demonstrated the highest data density of any commercial technology by recording 515 gigabits of data per square inch. Holographic storage is a revolutionary departure from all existing recording methods because it takes advantage of volumetric efficiencies rather than only recording on the surface of the material.

“We have worked closely with the broadcast and cable industry over the past few years to understand core system requirements for storage, and have worked with some of the largest players in the field, yet we’re pleased to announce Pappas as the first broadcast customer,” said Liz Murphy, vice president of marketing for InPhase Technologies. “Pappas Telecasting purchased equipment sight-unseen last yea,r even before NAB. They have demonstrated a visionary approach to local station broadcast technology, and we are pleased to be a part of their build-out.”

KREN-TV recently became an affiliate of the CW network, the new network formed by the merger of the UPN and WB networks. The move was part of a long-term affiliation agreement that Pappas Telecasting signed with the CW, which also includes eight other Pappas Telecasting stations.

“The InPhase Tapestry holographic storage will be a key component of the Pappas Telecasting stations, going forward. For both near-line and online storage, holographic makes sense, and is consistent with our move to all-digital,” said James Ocon, deputy director of engineering for Pappas Telecasting, and chief engineer for KAZR-TV.

InPhase was the first to demonstrate a holographic prototype drive, at NAB 2005, and, together with Turner Broadcasting, demonstrated the first playout-to-air of a commercial from a holographic storage system.

“Today’s broadcast facilities, as they migrate to all-HD, all-digital environments, are demanding more from their storage systems, given the size of files that are shot, edited, and played out to air, and holographic storage is now able to fill this growing demand,” said Rick Doherty, president of Envisioneering. “Now that InPhase has lined up OEM vendor agreements, and is rolling out the drives and the media, broadcasters should have little resistance to experimenting with the next generation in optical storage.”

About InPhase Technologies

InPhase Technologies is the leading developer of holographic data storage (HDS) recording media and systems. Based in Longmont, Colorado, InPhase was founded in 2000, and is comprised of some of the storage industry's leading executives and scientists. InPhase is funded by venture capital investors New Venture Partners LLC, Signal Lake Ventures, Newton Technology Partners, Yasuda Enterprise Development, Japan Asia Investment Company, NanotechPartners LLC and Mr. B.J. Cassin. Corporate investors are Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., Bayer MaterialScience AG, and ALPS Information Technology Fund. For more information on InPhase, please visit the company's Web site at www.inphase-tech.com.

Pappas Telecasting Companies is the largest privately held, commercial television broadcast group in the United States in terms of U.S. Household coverage as defined by Nielsen Media Research. The company owns 27 stations, including market-leading FOX, WB, ABC, CBS, UPN and Azteca America affiliates, and operates three other stations pursuant to local marketing agreements, in most regions of the United States.
is the largest privately held, commercial television broadcast group in the United States in terms of U.S. Household coverage as defined by Nielsen Media Research. The company owns 27 stations, including market-leading FOX, WB, ABC, CBS, UPN and Azteca America affiliates, and operates three other stations pursuant to local marketing agreements, in most regions of the United States.

Additionally, Pappas owns 15 on-air digital channels, operates three others under LMAs, and has an agreement to purchase one additional digital channel. The Company holds construction permits to build 10 additional television stations, and has an option to purchase a construction permit for a full-power, five million Watt station. Pappas also is moving KTRB-AM 860 from Modesto to the San Francisco-San Jose radio market, and is constructing KPMP-AM 840 in Modesto. According to statistics from Nielsen, Pappas Telecasting television stations serve more than 16% of all U.S. television households. In addition, the company owns or operates television stations in markets reaching nearly 36% of U.S. Hispanic households and 38% of all U.S. Hispanic persons age 2+. In total, Pappas owns or operates stations in 24 Designated Market Areas. For more information, log on to www.pappastv.com.

Jumpcut, a new online video sharing and remixing – or mashing – service introduced today at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas

enables users to upload video and still pictures and mix them together with video from friends or from other Jumpcut users to create real-time, collaborative group movies that can be shared over the Internet. Users do not need any additional software, and can instantly join the Jumpcut community. The service also enables users to use parts of other user’s movies in their works, and find content for use in movies.

Developed by San Francisco-based MiraVida Media, Jumpcut- available at www.jumpcut.com - is currently a free service and is compatible with Windows and Mac PCs. Users can upload files from a wide range of devices, including digital camcorders, digital still cameras, and PC devices. Also, users can also import images from a Flickr account to use within movies, or to make video slideshows. Once a user finishes remixing a movie, Jumpcut enables the finished product to be shared instantly.

ONLINE VIDEO MASHING SERVICE, JUMPCUT, INTRODUCED

BY MIRAVIDA MEDIA; ENABLES REAL-TIME VIDEO COLLABORATION

Users Can Upload, Create, Share and Remix Movies with Friends;

Create New Versions of Jumpcut User’s Movies Instantly Online

Making – and re-making – a movie just got a lot easier. Jumpcut, a new online video sharing and remixing – or mashing – service introduced today by MiraVida Media, enables users to upload video and still pictures and mix them together with video from friends or from other Jumpcut users to create real-time, collaborative group movies that can be shared over the Internet. Users do not need any additional software, and can instantly join the Jumpcut community. The service also enables users to use approved parts of other user’s movies in their works, and find content for use in movies.

Available at www.jumpcut.com, the Jumpcut service is currently free and is compatible with all Windows PCs and Macs. Users can upload files from a wide range of devices, including digital camcorders, digital still cameras, and PC devices. Also, users can also import images from Flickr to use within movies, or to make photo slideshows. Once a user finishes remixing a movie, Jumpcut enables the finished product to be shared instantly.

According to Alexa rankings, there are currently more than 100,000,000 users of Internet video sharing sites, such as YouTube, MySpace, Snapfish, and others.

“More and more people are capturing video and still images on digital cameras, cell phones, Webcams and other devices, and sharing clips and images online,” said Mike Folgner, CEO of MiraVida Media. “Jumpcut is the Internet version of a global home movie festival; it provides a clearinghouse for video which never gets stale, as users are engaged in continuously reinventing content.”

Once on Jumpcut, users can upload content, or browse and search for content shared within the community to include in their movies. By pressing “make a movie,” users can edit and order clips, while adding transitions, titles, effects and music to make a movie. After completion, users press “publish” and can instantly share their movie with anyone on the Internet, or post to a blog or MySpace page.

The Remix feature of Jumpcut enables users to make their own versions of any movie on the site. Users can re-order the clips, change the audio, drag in their own clips, and ultimately publish their version of a movie.

The Jumpcut community provides features for voting on a user’s work. By clicking on ‘I Like This Director,’ users can keep track of a fellow Jumpcut user’s work.

“The growth of online applications for media sharing and creation has now reached a seminal tipping point, where users can re-shape what they see online, instantly,” said Marc Scarpa, co-chairman of the Producers Guild of America East New Media Council. “The Jumpcut service is an ideal example of a collaborative consumer Internet application that hasn’t even been successfully developed for professionals. MiraVida has created a service that is inherently viral and, most importantly, is addictively fun.”

About MiraVida Media

MiraVida Media, Inc, based in San Francisco, was founded in June of 2005. The company’s flagship service, Jumpcut, enables a community of online users to quickly and easily make movies. For more information, visi the company Web site at http://www.jumpcut.com/

InPhase, asm, and QStar will demonstrate the first holographic video archive system, in the Maxell Corp.

The system will store more than 200 hours of high-definition (HD) video (at 100 megabits per second, or Mb/s) or more than 800 hours of standard definition (SD) video (at 25 Mb/s) on 32 pieces of Maxell holographic media. InPhase will ship the initial HDS-300R drives in the fourth quarter of 2006 to OEM customers, including asm.

The asm library provides a permanent and secure archive for video content. InPhase Tapestry-equipped asm libraries are scalable, offering as much as 1,095 TB or 24,146 hrs of HD at 100 Mb/s on 3,648 pieces of media.

The InPhase HDS-300R drive records 300 gigabytes (GB) on a single disk with a transfer rate of 20 megabytes per second (MB/s), or 160 megabits per second (Mb/s). The HDS-300R will enable broadcasters to record 35 hours of broadcast-quality (19 Mb/s) video on a single disk in 250 minutes (160 Mbps transfer rate). InPhase will begin shipments of the product to OEM customers at the end of 2006.

INPHASE TECHNOLOGIES SIGNS OEM AGREEMENT WITH asm;

WILL ENABLE HOLOGRAPHIC STORAGE LIBRARY SYSTEMS

Leading Holographic Storage Developer Pacts with Leading European Optical

Storage Library Developer to Help Grow Next-Generation Archive Market

InPhase Technologies, the world’s leader in holographic data storage, today announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention that it has signed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with asm, a leading European developer of optical storage library systems. The agreement will enable the roll-out of the first holographic archival systems, using InPhase’s patented Tapestry™ HDS-300R holographic drives, for customers in the broadcast, government, medical, and I.T. markets.

InPhase, asm, and QStar will demonstrate the first holographic video archive system, in the Maxell Corp. Booth #C6932 in the Las Vegas Convention Center at NAB. The system will store more than 200 hours of high-definition (HD) video (at 100 megabits per second, or Mb/s) or more than 800 hours of standard definition (SD) video (at 25 Mb/s) on 32 pieces of Maxell holographic media. InPhase will ship the initial HDS-300R drives in the fourth quarter of 2006 to OEM customers, including asm.

“The introduction of the first holographic archive systems, from asm, will provide broadcast customers, and other data-intensive enterprises, with a reliable, scalable solution for storing and accessing vital assets,” said Art Rancis, vice president of InPhase Technologies. “As our initial customers come on line, we look forward to further work with asm to provide the next generation in optical storage technology.”

The InPhase HDS-300R drive records 300 gigabytes (GB) on a single disk with a transfer rate of 20 megabytes per second (MB/s), or 160 megabits per second (Mb/s). The HDS-300R will enable broadcasters to record 35 hours of broadcast-quality (19 Mb/s) video on a single disk in 250 minutes (160 Mbps transfer rate). InPhase will begin shipments of the product to OEM customers at the end of 2006.

“asm intends to integrate the Tapestry technology throughout the entire product line,” said Johann Deters, Managing Director of asm. “The integration will be done as a parallel process, while InPhase continues to move toward developing the drive device. When InPhase releases the drives and media, asm will be ready to deliver libraries with the new technology already integrated, so units are expected to be available in 2007.”

InPhase announced its first broadcast customer, Pappas Telecasting, at NAB 2006. Pappas will incorporate the InPhase Tapestry™ holographic drives into an archival storage system for its flagship stations, KAZR-TV/KREN-TV, in Reno, Nevada.

About InPhase Technologies

InPhase Technologies is the leading developer of holographic data storage (HDS) recording media and systems. Based in Longmont, Colorado, InPhase was founded in 2000, and is comprised of some of the storage industry's leading executives and scientists. InPhase is funded by venture capital investors New Venture Partners LLC, Signal Lake Ventures, Newton Technology Partners, Yasuda Enterprise Development, Japan Asia Investment Company, Nanotech Partners LLC, and Mr. B.J. Cassin. Corporate investors are Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., Bayer MaterialScience AG, and ALPS Information Technology Fund. For more information on InPhase, please visit the company's Web site at www.inphase-tech.com.

About asm

asm is one of the leading European manufacturers of optical storage libraries. Founded in 1993 in Westerstede / Northern Germany, asm develops and manufactures libraries for all optical storage media, including CD/DVD and blue laser. Libraries are currently available from a capacity of 750 GB to 120 TB. Up to 5000 slots and 70 drives can be integrated into a single system. Tailor-made libraries are also available and are scalable with many add-ons such as iSCSI, fiber channel, integrated server / appliance or barcode-scanners. asm is presently expanding their sales activities to the U.S. market. For more information on asm, please visit the company’s homepage at www.asm-jukebox.com.
asm is one of the leading European manufacturers of optical storage libraries. Founded in 1993 in Westerstede / Northern Germany, asm develops and manufactures libraries for all optical storage media, including CD/DVD and blue laser. Libraries are currently available from a capacity of 750 GB to 120 TB. Up to 5000 slots and 70 drives can be integrated into a single system. Tailor-made libraries are also available and are scalable with many add-ons such as iSCSI, fiber channel, integrated server / appliance or barcode-scanners. asm is presently expanding their sales activities to the U.S. market. For more information on asm, please visit the company’s homepage at .

Blu-Ray disc, data disc recorder (DDR), and holographic drive. The initial workstation will ship with tape drives, with holographic drives to be added in later versions.

Representing a new generation of powerful servers that can emulate a wide variety of media source types, and is compatible with most major broadcast software programs, the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation is designed to duplicate the function of most major pieces of television production equipment. Each component of the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation can integrate data from a variety of sources, process it in real time for a variety of functions, and store it onto local or remote hard disc drives or store it to holographic disc, videotape or Blu-Ray disc for archive and transport.

OVALROCK ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR HOLOGRAPHIC STORAGE;

WORKSTATION TO USE INPHASE TECHNOLOGIES TAPESTRY™ DRIVE

OvalRock Dynamic Workstation Capable of Record and Playback of SD, HD, 2K, VTR, DDR Data; Can Act as Server Emulator, Compatible with Most Broadcast Software

OvalRock, a leading designer and developer of convergent broadcast video applications, today announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention that it will offer a holographic video recorder, the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation. OvalRock will show the workstation, which incorporates the Tapestry™ technology from InPhase Technologies, the world’s leader in holographic data storage, at the Maxell Booth #C6932 in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Shipping to customers in the third quarter of 2006, the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation enables broadcasters, and video professionals, to record and play back source material from a variety of formats, including videotape, Blu-Ray disc, data disc recorder (DDR), and holographic drive. The initial workstation will ship with tape drives, with holographic drives to be added in later versions.

“Today’s broadcast facility is experiencing a massive shift from legacy analog equipment to the latest digital systems, and the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation enables video professionals of all types to protect their equipment investments while migrating at a reasonable pace,” said Algie Abrams, CEO of OvalRock.

Continued Abrams, “Integrating the first holographic video recording capability, with InPhase Technologies, is a unique feature of the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation that enables us to provide a seamless method of integrating existing AV signal systems and workflows into high-performance IT processing and storage environments. With the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation, customers don’t have to move their data to another piece of equipment, they merely have to change the application.”

Designed with a familiar VTR controller front panel design, with jog and bump commands, the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation includes a high-quality LCD monitor to view input and output video, waveform and vector displays, and file, bin, and edit information. With full VTR editorial functions, the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation can be externally controlled by networked or SP-DIF functions. A fully-functioning virtual VTR, capable of storing both compressed and uncompressed standard- and high-definition video data, the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation operates on an x86 platform, so that all hardware, operating systems, and applications that conform to those standards can be utilized in the system.

Continued Abrams, “A facility may have many flavors of analog and digital equipment, which perform specific functions or tasks. The OvalRock Dynamic Workstation workstation can emulate VTRs, DDRs, network servers, edit and effects and character generators, and can also provide simultaneous file and signal type translations. So, for example, a customer may have an OvalRock Dynamic Workstation running a Windows-based application for one task, but may be running a LINUX-based application for another task.”

The OvalRock Dynamic Workstation SD Dynamic Workstation is a server emulator than can record and play back source material from standard-definition(SD), high-definition (HD), 2K (or, Academy 2K, which is 1828 x 1332 pixels), videotape recorder (VTR), data disc recorder (DDR), or act as a server emulator. It can be configured with up to 6.4 TB of hard-disk drive (HDD) RAID arrays.

The OvalRock Dynamic Workstation is compatible with a wide variety of broadcast software applications, including: Adobe Premier; Avid Express; Matrox; Sonic Solutions; SAI; Louth Systems; Omnibus; Adobe After Effects; Maya; 3D Studio Max; Combustion; Adobe Photoshop; Adobe Illustrator; Windows Media; Real Networks Helix; Digidesign ProTools, and all MPEG and ASI applications.

“With the OvalRock Dynamic Workstation, the broadcast industry will have a video recorder solution that incorporates holographic storage technology, and will enable cost-effective access to legacy data,” said Liz Murphy, vice president of marketing for InPhase Technologies. “The OvalRock Dynamic Workstation enables our customers to integrate holographic storage for today’s applications, in addition to a highly-reliable solution for archival material.”

About OvalRock

OvalRock is a broadcast and electronic media designer and developer that specializes in the convergence of Electronic Media, Information and Telecommunication Systems. The company’s customers are end-users and vendors that require both strategic and tactical knowledge for the development of next-generation systems that merge a wide variety of technologies. OvalRock’s services range from design consulting and manufacturing to direct marketing. The company, based in Vista, California, was founded in 2003. For more information, visit the company Web site at www.ovalrock.biz.

About InPhase Technologies

InPhase Technologies is the leading developer of holographic data storage (HDS) recording media and systems. Based in Longmont, Colorado, InPhase was founded in 2000, and is comprised of some of the storage industry's leading executives and scientists. InPhase is funded by venture capital investors New Venture Partners LLC, Signal Lake Ventures, Newton Technology Partners, Yasuda Enterprise Development, Japan Asia Investment Company, Nanotech Partners and Mr. B.J. Cassin. Corporate investors are Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., Bayer MaterialScience AG, and ALPS Information Technology Fund. For more information on InPhase, please visit the company's Web site at www.inphase-tech.com.

Using the company’s patented Zaxel Lossless Compression (ZLC™), the Zaxel Video Server enables customers in professional video production, digital cinema, and image-intensive applications

including healthcare, government, and computer-aided design (CAD) – to capture, edit, and playback the highest resolution images, including 2k (2048x1080 and 2048X1556) and 4k (4096x2160 and 4096X3112), using up to one-third the storage.

Zaxel will use a quad display, with four monitors, demonstrating the Zaxel Video Server’s 4k image output.

Video is stored by the Zaxel Video Server in a mathematically lossless format, to reduce disk cost. RGB videos can be streamed through Dual Link HDSDI interface, and videos can be presented as a part of PowerPoint presentations with clipped windows.

The Zaxel Video Server enables video to be streamed, through standard PCs, at speeds up to 500 megabytes per second (MB/s), or 4 gigabits per second (Gb/s). Using four HDSDI cards, which can capture a 4k camera output, the Zaxel Video Server offers bit-for-bit compression. The Zaxel Video Server’s compression mechanism enables storage area networks (SANs) to be built and operated more easily, and at less cost, than other solutions.

A real-time record and play system with guaranteed bit-for-bit restoration through multiple codec cycles, the Zaxel Video Server runs on standard Windows platforms, including a single CPU for serial SD video; dual Xeon CPU for HD, 2K, and 4K video. Users do not need to invest in new hardware for Zaxel Video Server upgrades; they simply install the new software on their existing Zaxel Windows platforms.

ZAXEL SYSTEMS SHIPS FIRST VIDEO SERVER WITH LOSSLESS COMPRESSION; UP TO 4K RECORDING FOR PRODUCTION, D-CINEMA, GOVERNMENT CUSTOMERS The Zaxel Video Server Uses Patented Zaxel Lossless Compression (ZLC™); Enables Three Times Faster Compression/Decompression, Saves Money on Storage

Zaxel Systems, a leading developer of digital video compression systems and products, today announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention that it is shipping the industry’s first video server with lossless compression. Using the company’s patented Zaxel Lossless Compression (ZLC™), the Zaxel Video Server enables customers in professional video production, digital cinema, and image-intensive applications – including healthcare, government, and computer-aided design (CAD) – to capture, edit, and playback the highest resolution images, including 2k (2048x1080 and 2048X1556) and 4k (4096x2160 and 4096X3112), using up to one-third the storage.

The Zaxel Video Server will be demonstrated at Zaxel’s Booth# SL637, in the lower level of the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, during NAB, from April 24-27. Zaxel will use a quad display, with four monitors, demonstrating the Zaxel Video Server’s 4k image output.

“After several years of development, and tremendous early customer feedback, we are now shipping the first transparent, lossless real-time compression server, which is compatible with any professional video production house’s workflow,” said Dr. Norihisa Suzuki, President & CEO of Zaxel Systems Inc. “The Zaxel Video Server is, literally, compression without compromise. Our customers are transferring ever-larger and more complex video and image files around their networks, and we’ve created a system that delivers the highest quality image while saving server and network assets.”

“The Zaxel Video Server offers a practical, cost-effective way to store and retrieve 4k images, without using a bank of computers, and the quality satisfies our digital distribution applications,” said Bill Feightner, executive vice president, chief technology officer of EFILM, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deluxe Laboratories.

“The compression provided by the Zaxel Video Server can be done with hardware, on an FPGA, or in a software version. The significant factor with lossless compression is that there are no component failures,” said Charlie Taylor, vice president of sales for Zaxel. “We reduce one-third of the mechanical moving devices and thereby reduce the cost of overall mechanical failure points. For our production customers, that is a critical factor in their purchase decisions.”

About Zaxel Systems, Inc.

Zaxel Systems is a leading developer of digital video compression systems and products, from HD, 2K & 4K real-time disk recorders, servers & players to SAN and NAS real-time I/O units. The company is committed to the delivery of highly reliable, cost-effective, customer-friendly and feature-rich products to the television and digital film industry. Zaxel Systems is the exclusive worldwide distributor of Preferred Video Product’s AVD DDRchitect product line. Founded in 1998, Zaxel Systems Inc. maintains corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. For further information, please visit the company Web site at www.zaxel.com.

Roland Systems Group U.S. is reporting better than expected ordering of their new multi-format live video mixer/switcher – the EDIROL by Roland V-440HD,

which began shipping in November 2005. The V-400HD offers a professional high resolution video solution for live events, community broadcast, corporate & worship installations.

Building on the success of the EDIROL by Roland V-4, the HD mixer seamlessly mixes SD video, HD video, and computer signals up to SXGA – 8 inputs in total. The output format is selectable between 1080i, 720p, 480p, and XGA/SXGA. It offers an array of transitions, dynamic Picture-in-Picture via joystick as well as two Keyers (SD and HD).

Kim Nunney, president of Roland Systems Group U.S., comments, “we are excited about offering a solution that will allow our customers to grow into HD. With the V-440HD’s ability to handle standard video and computer inputs, many users can start using it now with their current cameras and data projectors. As they acquire HD/HDV cameras or higher-resolution display technology, the mixer will continue to serve them well.”

Among its many unique features the V-440HD has the ability to cascade multiple units together. This enables a single HD image to be spread across multiple output displays – ideal for multi-screen performance and immersive environments. In addition, V-LINK allows the mixer to be controlled from any Roland/EDIROL instrument via MIDI. Traditional touchscreen or computer control via RS-232C is also supported.

The V-440HD retails for $12,995 and is available nationwide.

About Roland Systems Group U.S.

Roland Systems Group U.S. (RSG) supplies the commercial and performance audio/video industries with application specific equipment from the RSS by Roland and EDIROL by Roland product lines. These product lines address applications for houses of worship, clubs/casinos, theaters/performing arts centers and rental and staging companies. Roland Systems Group U.S is headquartered in Los Angeles with distribution and support offices in Bellingham, Washington. RSG is a member of the worldwide group of Roland companies. For more information, visit www.rolandsystemsgroup.com

Roland Systems Group Reports Better than Expected Ordering of EDIROL Affordable HD/PC Multi-format Mixer

Roland Systems Group U.S. is reporting better than expected ordering of their new multi-format live video mixer/switcher – the EDIROL by Roland V-440HD, which began shipping in November 2005. The V-400HD offers a professional high resolution video solution for live events, community broadcast, corporate & worship installations.

The V-440HD retails for $12,995 and is available nationwide.

About Roland Systems Group U.S.

Roland Systems Group U.S. Releases of RSS by Roland AR-200S Audio Recorder

Roland Systems Group U.S. announces the release of the AR-200S Audio Recorder. The AR-200S is a compact, half rack space digital audio recorder/player with RS-232 control designed for any application requiring high fidelity pre-recorded announcements and sound. The AR-200S serves as a dedicated playback device for theme parks museums, elevators, airports, buses, trains and trams.

Some highlighted features of the AR-200S include:

Simplified Panel, Specialized for Remote Control from Other Devices

Hi-Quality Recording and Playback

Audio Recording System Uses No Moving Parts

A Variety of Control Terminals for a Wide Range of Playback Methods

Compact Half-Rack Size Body

Allows DC-Powered Operation
Historically, the AR-200 has sold well in commercial audio market. However, the AR-200 does not have RS-232C control function and compact flash card features of the newly releases AR-200S. About Roland Systems Group U.S.

SPORTS & AUTOS
Oakland Dodger Baseball
LA Angels 4, Oakland 3 at McAfee Coliseum
LA Angels Record: (10-9)
Oakland Record: (8-11)

Winning pitcher - Kelvim Escobar (3-1)
Losing pitcher - Esteban Loaiza (0-3)
SV - Francisco Rodriguez (7)
LAA HR - V. Guerrero (4)
OAK HR - M. Bradley (3) N. Swisher (8)
V. Guerrero (4) M. Bradley (3) N. Swisher (8) Arizona 4, Los Angeles 6 at Dodger Stadium
Arizona Record: (8-11)
Los Angeles Record: (9-10)

Winning pitcher - Brett Tomko (2-1)
Losing pitcher - Russ Ortiz (0-3)
SV - Danys Baez (5)
at Dodger Stadium (8-11) (9-10) - Brett Tomko (2-1) - Russ Ortiz (0-3) - Danys Baez (5) ARI HR - None
LAD HR - J. Drew (3)
None J. Drew (3) DOD
Three Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and two Iraqi citizens were killed

and injured today by roadside bombs near Baghdad, U.S. officials announced. The soldiers were killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb northwest of Baghdad. The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The incident is currently under investigation. And terrorists detonated another roadside bomb today that killed an Iraqi adult and a child, and wounded seven other children south of Baghdad, military officials said. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, arrived at the scene and called for a medical evacuation unit to transport the victims to a nearby U.S. hospital. A witness to the incident told authorities the bomb struck an Iraqi vehicle, reportedly killing the driver instantly and a child playing nearby. The seven other children were also injured in the blast. The witness also reported he saw a terrorist fleeing the area shortly after the blast occurred. Iraqi authorities are investigating the incident.

Iraq Reaches 'Important Milestone' in Forming Unity Government

After months of deadlock, Iraq reached an "important milestone" in its journey toward democracy with an agreement on top leadership posts for a national unity government, President Bush said yesterday. The parliament elected a president, two vice presidents, a parliament speaker and two deputies yesterday. President Jalal Talabani then named Jawad al Maliki as prime minister-designate. "This agreement represents compromise and consensus among many different Iraqi groups and it came after months of patient negotiations," Bush said in a speech at the California Highway Patrol Academy in Sacramento. "The agreement reflects the will of the Iraqi people who defied the terrorists by voting to choose the men and women who will lead their nation forward," the president continued. "And this historic achievement, by determined Iraqis, will make America more secure."

The new leadership has 30 days to assemble an Iraqi cabinet. "Once inaugurated, the new government will hold power for up to four years," Bush said. "Unlike the interim and transitional governments that came before, the new Iraqi government will have full constitutional authority." Although the progress is promising, there is still "a lot of work to do to get the rest of the cabinet in place," said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday during a telephone briefing. "But the most important thing is they now have a government; they will now have a government of national unity that can take on the challenges that they will have." The challenges are "major" ones, the president said, adding that "Iraq's new leaders have important responsibilities to the people who chose them."

Bush pointed out a few responsibilities, to include deploying Iraqi security forces to defeat terrorists and insurgents and gain control over the militias; rebuilding an infrastructure to enable commerce and support educational and health needs; strengthening the economy; and encouraging job creation. "It's a long list," Rice said. "Obviously the security situation is key. But this is now going to be a government that needs our help in creating the infrastructure so they can ... deliver these services, and we'll be right there for them." Although the challenges are many and varied, Iraqi leaders can rest assured they will not face them alone, Bush said. "Formation of a new Iraqi government is an opportunity for America to open a new chapter in our partnership with the Iraqi people," he said. "The United States and our coalition partners will work with the new Iraqi government to reassess our tactics, adjust our methods and strengthen our mutual efforts to achieve victory in this central front in the war of terror."

Bush suggested the new government could signal the start of a drawdown of American forces from Iraq, which number more than 130,000. "As more Iraqi forces stand up, American forces will stand down," he said. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq echoed Bush's positive outlook. "As the circumstances change, the size, mission and composition (of U.S. forces) will change," Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, said in an interview today on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." "I think the political process will have a very positive effect if it goes forward." A key player in the outcome will be a "good, strong" prime minister, the ambassador said. Khalilzad said the "indications are positive" that Maliki could fill that role, as he is known as a "tough minded, strong leader" who has "taken strong positions against terrorism. "He has a reputation for being a strong leader, a patriotic leader, without being subordinate or having strong ties to any of the regional players," the ambassador said. "We look forward to working with him."

Bush said there will still be tough times ahead but the enemy "suffered a real blow" yesterday. "The Iraqis are showing the world that democracy is worth the wait, that liberty is worth the sacrifice and that freedom is the future of every man, woman and child on this Earth." "This is a good day for Iraq; it's an important day for Iraq," Rice noted.

Army Activates First Interrogation Battalion

The first joint interrogation and debriefing battalion in the Army stood up April 12 during a ceremony here. Army leaders are taking lessons learned from the 2003 Abu Ghraib detainee abuse incidents in Iraq to revamp the intelligence field. Changes include the activation of dedicated interrogation battalions and a new joint training center for the intelligence career field. The 201st Military Intelligence Battalion is the first of four joint interrogation battalions -- two active and two reserve -- to be activated in the next several years.

Its mission is to conduct detainee screening and interrogation missions in support of military operations throughout the world, such as Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. "Being the first dedicated interrogation battalion in the Army, the spotlight is on these fine soldiers and their leadership," said Col. Richard Saddler, commander of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade and keynote speaker at the ceremony. "Fortunately, they are the finest our nation has to offer, and they will do well in their upcoming missions." The 201st Military Intelligence Battalion comprises 147 active duty soldiers, all specializing in interrogation and intelligence.

The concept for the battalions came about, in part, as a result of a 2004 investigation led by Maj. Gen. George Fay into the Abu Ghraib abuse of detainees. "The Department of the Army, based on the Fay report and other weaknesses in how we conducted intelligence operations, recognized the need for dedicated interrogation battalions," Saddler said. "Prior to this, the command and control stopped at the company level. The Army needed the command and control a battalion structure can provide," explained Lt. Col. John Strycula, battalion commander, who previously served as chief of intelligence operations for U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army in Heidelberg, Germany. Also, soldiers were in smaller elements embedded in units throughout the world instead of consolidated into "highly trained units." While the Army will retain oversight and provide the manpower in theater, the battalion can plug in other services and agencies as needed, Strycula said. "We can bring on Air Force, Marines, Navy, whatever the mission calls for," he said. Strycula said he is looking forward to the challenge of commanding the first-of-its-kind battalion. "I'm honored and excited about commanding this battalion," Strycula said. "There's a lot to do, but this battalion will not fail. "This battalion will succeed because of the competency, motivation and professionalism of the soldiers you see standing before you," he added. "They are that impressive, and I am honored to serve with them." Along with the new battalion, plans for a new joint training center at nearby Camp Bullis are in the works. "This interrogation center of excellence will feature a (major training) event that all interrogation units will rotate through to ensure they are battle ready on all interrogation and warrior tasks before they go to war," Saddler said. A timeline hasn't been set, but Army leaders are taking the fast track on the initiative, Saddler said. "They are committed to improving capabilities, and doing it quickly."

VA Completes Cabinet's Push for Employer Support of Guard, Reserve

With a stroke of Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson's pen here today, all 15 U.S. Cabinet secretaries have now signed a joint statement in support of the Defense Department's Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve organization. Nicholson became the last Cabinet secretary to sign the document during a ceremony at VA headquarters. "The Department of Veterans Affairs stands foursquare in support of our Guard and Reserve troops and the ESGR mission," Nicholson said. ESGR has been a very important advocate for the job rights of returning deployed reservists and National Guardsmen, he said.

The Defense Department established ESGR in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between reserve component members and their civilian employers. The joint ESGR statement might be the only document signed by all Cabinet members, said Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs. "This is a very historic day, because today we complete the signing of the statement of support by the entire cabinet," Hall said. "I think it is very fitting, and we planned it this way, to have VA as the last signer of this, because it's the bookends. The first signer was DoD, the last is VA." Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve has more than 5,200 volunteers across the country, Hall said. "They ... make sure that when our young men and women answer the call to the colors and come back, they're able to start their education over (and) go right back to their jobs," he said. Craig W. Duehring, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, presented Nicholson with a plaque reflecting VA's support for reserve components.

'Thunder Over Louisville' Ends With Patriotic Bang

The biggest-ever "Thunder Over Louisville" festival closed out with a bang here last night, as two "Thunderators" with military ties turned the keys to start the world's largest annual fireworks show. Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Allison Barber, along with World War II veteran Bruce Voges, had the honor of setting off the gargantuan aerial display that unfolded to a medley of country music hits.

The fireworks lasted more than 30 minutes, with a finale that some observers said would have been a great show on its own. In a preamble to the show, two 60-foot American flags sailed above the Ohio River, illuminated by spotlights as they were towed by seemingly invisible aircraft, fluttering majestically against the black, cloudless sky. A narrator recounted the nation's history and heroes as the more than 800,000 spectators listened in a respectful silence that belied their numbers. The spectacular display culminated two days of Louisville embracing the nation's armed forces. On April 21, the city officially joined the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, which highlights ways everyday Americans and the corporate sector show support for the men and women serving in the nation's armed forces.

That night, any servicemember who wanted to attend the Louisville Bats baseball game was able to do so as a guest of the city. The family of Kentucky National Guardsman Master Sgt. William K. Buechele, who's deployed to Afghanistan, received free VIP passes to Thunder Over Louisville. Wayne Hettinger, who started Thunder Over Louisville 17 years ago and serves as show producer, said the patriotic theme has always been part of the event, and that the extra Defense Department involvement this year through America Supports You was a welcome addition. "It's been a very patriotic show from the start, and (the Defense Department) just took it over the edge," he said. "So how can you go wrong with support like that?" The Navy's Blue Angels performed yesterday, and the day also featured demonstrations and flyovers by dozens of military and vintage aircraft of every shape and size. Hettinger said that's always been an important part of the event, and coordinating aerial participation is practically a year-round pursuit. "We started on that yesterday (for next year)," he said. He noted that participants and planners started trading ideas already for next year's event, adding work on the 2007 show would start in earnest probably in January." Thunder Over Louisville kicks off the city's Kentucky Derby Festival, a series of celebrations leading up to the "Run for the Roses" on the first Saturday in May. "This is the opening ceremony for two weeks of fun in Louisville," Hettinger said. In an interview with Francene Cucinello of Talk Radio Louisville 84 WHAS, Barber noted that air shows featuring military aircraft have taken on a whole new meaning. "I think that when you go to an air show today, it gives you a new sense of respect for what the men and women of our military are doing in this global war on terrorism," she said. "Five years ago when you saw an air show, you just thought, 'Wow, that's pretty impressive.' Today when you see an air show, you say, 'My gosh, these men and women are committed to serving our country. They're defending our freedom across the globe, and they're using these tools, this technology, to keep our country safe.'" Cucinello noted that while support for the military peaks in the early part of a crisis, interest can wane as the situation continues over time.

She asked what people can do to renew and put into action their desire to support the nation's people in uniform. "We'd love people to go to the America Supports You Web site, www.americasupportsyou.mil," Barber said, "and click on the button that says 'How to Help.' You'll find over 200 ways that people can support our military members. Maybe it's sending care packages, being a pen pal, donating phone cards - all sorts of things people can do." Noting Louisville's partnership with America Supports You, Barber added that the partnership proved yesterday to be much more than a formal proclamation. "We stood at a booth today for several hours, and thousands of people came by," she said. At the booth, people were able to fill out post cards to send messages of support to deployed servicemembers. "Louisville loves the military, and we're just darned grateful," she said.

NEWS

NEWSWEEK COVER: Sex, Lies & Duke

First Round of Tests Showed Some DNA Under Woman's Fingernails, Says Defense Lawyer, But Identity Inconclusive; Prosecutor Hinted That Blood and Urine Tests of Woman Would Reveal Presence of a Date-Rape Drug

Second Dancer Roberts Says Woman Drank Half of Her Own Drink, Knocked It Over and Then Started Drinking Roberts's

Results from a second round of DNA tests in the Duke rape case are expected this week, and defense lawyer Bill Thomas tells Newsweek that in the first round, which did not implicate any of the 46 members of the lacrosse team, some DNA showed up under the woman's fingernails, though tests were inconclusive about identity, Newsweek reports in the current issue.

When the case first broke in the press, Prosecutor Mike Nifong, a white man who is running for election in a racially mixed county, hinted to Newsweek that blood and urine tests of the woman would reveal the presence of a date- rape drug. It appears from medical records that the woman was sexually abused, though the precise timing is unclear. The woman apparently told Nifong that she is "100 percent" sure of the identity of her assailants. But the aggressive lawyers defending the team were quick to point out that she was identifying them only from photos of the team, not from the usual police lineup including suspects as well as people unconnected to the case. (A source familiar with the prosecution's case told Newsweek that the woman broke down and cried when she identified one of the two players indicted last week.)

In the May 1 Newsweek cover story "Sex, Lies & Duke," (on newsstands Monday, April 24), Senior Writer Susannah Meadows and Assistant Managing Editor Evan Thomas examine the case and the potentially complicated motives of the key participants, from the athletes to the exotic dancers to the local prosecutor and his political allies and foes.

According to a timeline put out by defense lawyers, one exotic dancer, Kim Roberts, 31, appeared on time, but another dancer, who was dropped off by a car, arrived a half hour late. (Newsweek, like most news organizations, does not identify alleged rape victims). According to Roberts, who was interviewed last week by Newsweek, the boys gave each of them mixed drinks. Roberts says she did not drink hers, but the other dancer did, knocking her cup over after finishing half her drink, then imbibing Roberts's.

Roberts said that she thought the other woman arrived sober. But when the two began their strip show around midnight, the other woman began having trouble. "She started stumbling," recalled Roberts. "When I think back on it, she had a glassy look in her eyes." Roberts says she "gave her a look that said, 'C'mon, girl, what's going on?'-but got no response. The dance lasted about 10 minutes, according to Roberts; the defense lawyers say it lasted only about three minutes. (The women, who did not know each other, were supposed to put on a roughly two-hour show for the $800.)

The evening ended in recriminations. Roberts called 911 and complained to police that some students at 610 North Buchanan Boulevard were taunting her and her friend with racial epithets. She told Newsweek that she yelled out at the boys, "I called the cops, you dumbasses." The transcript of the 911 call makes it sound as though she and the other dancer were just passersby being racially insulted by students. "I was angry and I had to tell somebody," says Roberts. "I didn't want everyone to know I'm a dancer." During her interview with Newsweek, she disputed the defense timeline, but she would not go on the record to be specific about the discrepancies.

Police also questioned Roberts. It is not clear what she told them, or whether her statement to police matches her later statements to Newsweek and other media outlets. Roberts did say that, within several days of the incident, she went to James D. (Butch) Williams, a prominent local attorney, to ask his advice. She says that from the outset Williams told her that he already represented one of the Duke players. Williams asked if she believed there had been a rape, and Roberts answered no. But when Williams tried to get her to sign an affidavit, she balked. She said she later became livid when she heard that Williams had shared her story with other attorneys. Seeing Williams's face appear on a TV during her interview with Newsweek, she stood up and began punching the air in anger at him. "I feel like he preyed on my naivete," she told Newsweek. "I don't want someone to play me like I'm stupid."

Court records obtained by the AP and Newsweek show that Kim Roberts was on probation from a 2001 conviction for embezzling $25,000 from a photofinishing company where she worked, helping to keep payroll records. On March 22, eight days after the alleged rape, Kim spent two hours in jail for breaking the terms of her probation (she had left the state, her attorney says, to visit her sick father.) She posted $25,000 bond and on March 30 found a lawyer, Mark Simeon. Simeon is politically active-in 2002 he ran for District Attorney and lost. He sees Roberts's case as an opportunity for him, too. "I will be there for her if and when she decides to pursue legal remedies on her own behalf," he tells Newsweek.

Simeon has a relationship with prosecutor Nifong that may shed light on the D.A.'s handling of the case. Nifong was the protégé of Simeon's rival in the 2002 race for D.A. The two men did not get along, according to Simeon. But last year, Nifong's boss, Jim Hardin, was appointed to a judgeship, and Nifong was appointed to fill his place. Nifong's term is almost up, and in Durham, district attorney is an elected post. The voters go to the polls on May 2. One of Nifong's opponents is a lawyer named Freda Black, who was passed over for the D.A. job. Black is-or was, until the Duke case-better known around town than Nifong, largely because she won a conviction in a celebrated murder case. Nifong's other opponent is a lawyer with no prosecutorial experience named Keith Bishop. Nifong and Black are white; Bishop is African-American. Durham voters are about 40 percent black, so Nifong almost surely needs to win black votes to keep his job, Newsweek reports.

NEWSWEEK: McClellan Told Bolten He Was Feeling Wear and Tear of the Job

Josh Isn't A Guy Who Says 'You're Fired,' Unless You Do Something Wrong,' Says a Bolten Friend. 'But Did I Know McClellan Would Be Gone? Oh Yeah.'

Aides Listening For Random Applause In West Wing; Could Be A Clue That Someone Was Headed Out The Door

When Andy Card was pushed out as White House chief of staff, Press Secretary Scott McClellan started to rethink his position, Newsweek reports in the current issue. He walked over to see Card's replacement Josh Bolten, who had quietly made it known that he didn't think McClellan was up to the job, according to a close friend of Bolten's who asked not to be named because he wanted to stay close. McClellan told Bolten that he was feeling the wear and tear of doing battle with the press. "Josh isn't a guy who says 'You're fired,' unless you do something wrong," says the Bolten friend, who is also a former senior administration official. "But did I know McClellan would be gone? Oh yeah. [Bolten will] go after anything that seems like it isn't working, or isn't going to change. He is very results-oriented."

Some Bush aides learned about McClellan's resignation from cable TV, report Newsweek Senior White House Correspondent Richard Wolffe and White House Correspondent Holly Bailey in the May 1 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, April 24). Nervous aides, who knew Bolten wasn't done yet, began listening for random applause coming from West Wing offices, especially during senior staff meetings. "It could be a clue" that someone was headed out the door, says a White House aide who didn't want to be named talking about the new boss. "It's really weird right now," says another senior White House official who likewise asked for anonymity. "People are worried about their jobs."

McClellan won't be the last to go. After the Big Bang of his first week, Bolten is now trying to calm rank-and-file staffers, even as he prepares to deliver more bad news. Treasury Secretary John Snow, who hasn't made much of a mark in the job, is said to be in Bolten's sights. And Candida Wolff, the president's lobbyist on Capitol Hill, is also expected to pack up. But the last thing Bolten wants is to let the firings drag out, which would only cause more frayed nerves. "If you are going to do personnel changes, you want to do it quickly," says a former administration official who asked for anonymity in talking about Bolten. "You don't want this feeling like you are on the set of 'The Sopranos,' thinking, 'Who's next?' "

National Health Partners Expects Significant Member and Revenue Growth from Hispanic Advertising Campaign Featuring International Superstar Lucia Mendez

National Health Partners, Inc. (OTCBB: NHPR), a leading provider of unique discount healthcare membership programs, announced today that it is initiating a national advertising campaign targeting the Hispanic marketplace and that international superstar Lucia Mendez will be starring in television and radio commercials that are currently in production as the company's spokeswoman for the campaign.

"One of the markets that we want to focus on is Hispanic consumers," said David M. Daniels, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Health Partners. "Hispanics have been severely underrepresented among the members of the U.S. population who have health insurance. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the uninsured rate for Hispanics in 2004 was 32.7% compared to 15.7% for all members of the U.S. population. Of the 45.8 million Americans who are uninsured, 13.5 million are Hispanics."

"We are very excited that Lucia Mendez has chosen to represent CARExpress as our spokeswoman for the Hispanic community," continued Mr. Daniels. "Ms. Mendez is an international superstar. Her support provides a substantial amount of credibility to the benefits CARExpress can provide to Hispanics."

"I am very proud to support CARExpress," said Lucia Mendez. "I believe CARExpress provides a tremendous benefit to members of the Hispanic community who cannot afford traditional health insurance. I thank CARExpress for developing such an innovative solution to such a widespread problem."

"Lucia Mendez has always been at the forefront of her profession throughout her career, demonstrating innovation and versatility," stated David Daniels. "We believe that CARExpress is similarly situated. CARExpress is an innovative solution to the complex problems facing the healthcare industry. Through CARExpress, we are able to help uninsured people obtain the healthcare they need at more affordable prices."

Mr. Daniels continued, "We believe that CARExpress is an ideal solution for people who do not have health insurance or who have inadequate health insurance. We look forward to working with Lucia Mendez to bring the benefits of CARExpress to the Hispanic community."

The company intends to start releasing the television and radio commercials in May 2006 in select markets throughout the United States and expects to generate a significant number of additional members and revenues from its Hispanic advertising campaign beginning in the second quarter of 2006.

Lucia Mendez

Lucia Mendez is an international superstar who has been a success throughout her career as a television actress, movie star, singer and model. She is one of Mexico's unique entertaining stars and is considered a living legend for her artistic accomplishments. Her career spans over 30 years during which she has received numerous awards. She is perhaps most recognizable for the role she has played in making soap operas popular worldwide. For more information on Lucia Mendez, please visit her website at http://www.luciamendez.com.

National Health Partners, Inc.

National Health Partners, Inc. is a national healthcare savings organization that provides discount healthcare membership programs to uninsured and underinsured people through a national healthcare savings network called "CARExpress." CARExpress is one of the largest networks of hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare providers in the country and is comprised of over 1,000,000 medical professionals that have agreed to render their services and products to CARExpress members at discounted prices. The company is headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania. For more information on the company, please visit its website at http://www.nationalhealthpartners.com.

Safe Harbor Provision

National Health Partners espera crecimiento importante en miembros e ingresos de su campaña de publicidad hispana con la superestrella internacional Lucía Méndez

National Health Partners, Inc. (OTCBB: NHPR), un proveedor líder de programas singulares de atención médica con descuento para miembros, anunció hoy que está iniciando una campaña publicitaria nacional orientada al mercado hispano en la que superestrella internacional Lucía Méndez protagonizará anuncios televisivos y radiales actualmente en producción como portavoz de la compañía en la campaña.

"Uno de los mercados donde queremos centrar nuestros esfuerzos es el de los consumidores hispanos", comentó David M. Daniels, presidente y director general de National Health Partners. "Los hispanos han sido muy mal representados entre los integrantes de la población de EE.UU. quienes cuentan con un seguro médico. Según la Oficina del Censo de EE.UU., el índice de los no asegurados entre hispanos en el año 2004 fue del 32,7% frente al 15,7% para toda la población de EE.UU. De los 45,8 millones de estadounidenses no asegurados, 13,5 millones son hispanos".

"Nos complace mucho que Lucía Méndez haya elegido representar a CARExpress como nuestra portavoz para la comunidad hispana", continuó el Sr. Daniels. "La Srta. Méndez es una superestrella internacional. Su apoyo brinda una gran credibilidad a los beneficios que CARExpress puede ofrecer a los hispanos".

"Me enorgullece apoyar a CARExpress", comentó Lucía Méndez. "Creo que CARExpress ofrece un beneficio tremendo a los miembros de la comunidad hispana que no pueden permitirse el lujo de un seguro médico tradicional. Doy las gracias a CARExpress por desarrollar una solución tan innovadora para un problema tan generalizado".

"Lucía Méndez siempre ha estado en la vanguardia de su profesión durante toda su carrera, demostrando su innovación y versatilidad", comentó David Daniels. "Creemos que CARExpress ocupa una posición similar. CARExpress es una solución innovadora para los complejos problemas que enfrenta la industria de la salud. Mediante CARExpress, podemos ayudar a personas no aseguradas a obtener la atención médica que necesitan a precios más económicos".

El Sr. Daniels continuó, "Creemos que CARExpress es una solución ideal para personas que no cuentan con un seguro médico o que tienen uno inadecuado. Esperamos colaborar con Lucía Méndez para aportar los beneficios de CARExpress a la comunidad hispana".

La compañía tiene la intención de lanzar los anuncios televisivos y radiales en mayo de 2006 en mercados selectos en todo Estados Unidos y espera generar un número importante de miembros e ingresos adicionales de su campaña publicitaria hispana que empieza en el segundo trimestre de 2006.

Lucía Méndez

Lucía Méndez es una superestrella internacional quien ha tenido éxito durante toda su carrera como actriz de televisión y de cine, cantante y modelo. Es una de las estrellas singulares del espectáculo mexicano y se considera una auténtica leyenda por sus logros artísticos. Su carrera abarca más de 30 años durante los cuales recibió muchos galardones. Es quizá más reconocida por el papel que ha jugado en la popularidad mundial de las telenovelas. Para más información sobre Lucía Méndez, visite su sitio Web en http://www.luciamendez.com.

National Health Partners, Inc.

National Health Partners, Inc. es una organización nacional de ahorros para atención médica que ofrece programas de atención médica con descuento para miembros a personas no asegurados y sub-asegurados a través de una red de ahorros para atención médica llamada "CARExpress". CARExpress es una de las redes más grandes del país de hospitales, médicos, dentistas, farmacéuticos y otros proveedores de atención médico, incluyendo a más de un millón de profesionales médicos que han acordado prestar sus servicios y productos a miembros de CARExpress a precios descontados. La compañía tiene su sede en Horsham, Pennsylvania. Para más información sobre la compañía, visite su sitio Web en http://www.nationalhealthpartners.com.

NEWSWEEK: Pearl Jam's Vedder on Making a New Album: '
'

We Didn't Want to Add to the Negative Noise Pollution, But We Did Want to Do Something.' Retreated From Spotlight Because 'Sense of Normalcy as a Human' Is Threatened By Being Out There All The Time...'You Start Making Decisions Based on Public Perception of Who You Are...I Ran Screaming The Other Way'

Pearl Jam, the band that has shunned the limelight for more than a decade yet remains one of the most lucrative live acts around, has a forthcoming album with a single that already hit No. 1 on the Modern Rock charts. "There's a lot of anger and frustration in the atmosphere these days," lead singer Eddie Vedder tells Newsweek in the current issue. "We didn't want to add to the negative noise pollution, but we did want to do something. It's just not the time to be cryptic. I mean, our tax dollars for this war are being funneled through huge corporations-one of which Dick Cheney used to be head of-and there's an even greater disparity between rich or poor in this country. It offends me on a really deep level."

Senior Writer Lorraine Ali talks to the band in the May 1 issue (on newsstands Monday, April 24) about their new self-titled CD, set for release May 2. It's a compelling rock-and-roll album that still shows the band's classic-rock roots, grunge's punk base and Vedder's political conviction. The album is more than a screed against the Bush administration. "Music's at its best when it has a purpose," says Vedder. "In the days of 'Rock Around the Clock' and 'Good Golly, Miss Molly,' the purpose was, like, 'We should be allowed to do this.' We certainly haven't had to go out of our way to find a purpose now."

Vedder talks about why the group retreated from the public eye after the success of their debut album "Ten," which sold almost 10 million copies. "What's threatened by being out there all the time is your sense of normalcy as a human on this planet," he says. "You start making decisions based on public perception of who you are. I've seen people who go for it. They are that thing, and they're really good at it. They somehow made the jump still intact. Me? I ran screaming the other way."

Pearl Jam's rejection of rock stardom, their increasingly idiosyncratic records and Vedder's emerging role as an advocate for progressive causes have cost them casual fans; their last album sold one tenth of what their debut did. Does this worry Vedder? Guess. "If we can survive and play music and put out records and play live shows, and live our lives as family members, community members and friends-that's the goal," he says. "If we're able to do it within this industry, that's even better. It could even be a sign that the industry isn't too polluted."

The Home Depot to Sponsor Univision’s Exclusive Spanish-Language Broadcast of FIFA World Cup Germany 2006(TM)

Univision Communications Inc. the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States, today announced that The Home Depot(R), the world’s largest home improvement retailer, will sponsor, in part, Univision’s exclusive Spanish-language broadcast of the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006(TM)—the most important competition in international soccer and the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world. The sponsorship agreement includes World Cup matches, specials, vignettes and other branding opportunities. The FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 TM tournament will take place in 12 cities throughout Germany starting on June 9 in Munich and culminating in Berlin on
July 9.

“We are thrilled to join forces with The Home Depot on the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006(TM),” said Tom McGarrity, Univision co-president of Network Sales. “Univision historically and consistently delivers a massive audience for World Cup. This year, with seven Spanish-speaking countries in the competition, Univision and its sister networks TeleFutura and Galavision are likely to draw even larger audiences than the 2002 telecast.”

The Home Depot will be a sponsor in each of the 64 matches being televised live on Univision and TeleFutura. In addition, The Home Depot commercials will air on daily rebroadcasts on TeleFutura and Galavision networks in primetime.

“The World Cup is soccer’s pre-eminent international sporting event, showcasing the greatest talent in the world,” said Roger Adams, senior vice president, Marketing, The Home Depot. “We look forward to joining our partners at Univision in providing a vehicle for our associates and customers to watch this tremendous display of athleticism and competition.”

The Home Depot is also sponsoring a vignette series currently on the air, featuring great moments from past World Cups and focusing on assists that led to spectacular goals, reinforcing the retailer’s “You can do it. We can helpSM” tagline. The sponsorship agreement also includes two Sunday afternoon preview specials and a primetime entertainment extravaganza, “Viva el Mundial” starring “Sabado Gigante’s” (Gigantic Saturday’s) legendary host, Don Francisco.

To entice soccer enthusiasts to get their homes ready for World Cup entertaining, The Home Depot is also kicking off a “Tu Casa Es Tu Cancha” sweepstakes to run April 15–May 15. Three grand prizewinners will be awarded a $10,000 The Home Depot Gift Card to be used toward any home improvement project. To enter for a chance to win, consumers can log onto http://www.univision.com, UniClave: Home Depot; visit participating The Home Depot stores; or visit http://www.tucasaestucancha.com.

Univision Communications Inc. is the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States. Its operations include Univision Network, the most watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the United States reaching 98 percent of U.S.-Hispanic households; TeleFutura Network, a general interest Spanish-language broadcast television network, which was launched in 2002 and now reaches 86 percent of U.S.-Hispanic households; Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network; Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 62 television stations in major U.S.-Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group, which owns and/or operates 69 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S.–Hispanic markets and four stations in Puerto Rico; Univision Music Group, which includes Univision Records, Fonovisa Records, La Calle Records and a 50 percent interest in Mexico-based Disa Records labels as well as Fonomusic and America Musical publishing companies; and Univision Online, the premier Spanish-language Internet destination in the United States, located at www.univision.com. Univision Communications also has a 50 percent interest in TuTv, a joint venture formed to broadcast Televisa’s pay television channels in the United States, and a non-voting 14.9 percent interest in Entravision Communications Corporation, a public Spanish-language media company. Univision Communications is headquartered in Los Angeles with television network operations in Miami, and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States.

For more information, please visit http://www.univision.com.

About The Home Depot

Founded in 1978, The Home Depot(R) is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with fiscal 2005 sales of $81.5 billion. The Company employs approximately 345,000 associates and has 2,056 stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. Through its Home Depot SupplySM Division, the Company operates one of the nation’s largest diversified wholesale distributors, with operations in 41 states and Canada. The Home Depot has been recognized by FORTUNE magazine as the No. 1 Most Admired Specialty Retailer and the No. 13 Most Admired Corporation in America for 2006. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.

Home Depot patrocinará la transmisión exclusiva en español de Univision de la copa mundial de la FIFA Alemania 2006 (TM)

Univision Communications Inc. la empresa líder de medios de comunicación en español en Estados Unidos, anunció hoy que Home Depot(R) , el detallista de mercancía para mejoras domésticas más grande del mundo, patrocinará, en parte, la transmisión exclusiva en español de Univision de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA Alemania 2006(TM) — el campeonato más importante del fútbol internacional y el evento deportivo más visto del mundo. El acuerdo de patrocinio incluye partidos de la Copa Mundial, especiales, viñetas y otras oportunidades para destacar la marca Home Depot(R) . La Copa Mundial de la FIFA Alemania 2006(TM) se llevará a cabo en 12 ciudades de Alemania, comenzando el 9 de junio en Munich y culminando el 9 de julio en Berlín.

“Estamos encantados de unir fuerzas con Home Depot para la Copa Mundial de la FIFA Alemania 2006(TM) ”, dijo Tom McGarrity, copresidente de Ventas Nacionales de Univision. “Históricamente y de manera continua, Univision capta una audiencia masiva durante la Copa Mundial. Este año, con siete países de habla hispana compitiendo, Univision y sus cadenas hermanas, TeleFutura y Galavisión, probablemente atraerán una audiencia aun mayor que en la transmisión del 2002”.

Home Depot será patrocinador de cada uno de los 64 partidos que se televisarán en vivo por Univision y TeleFutura. Adicionalmente, comerciales de Home Depot saldrán al aire en las retransmisiones diarias de juegos por TeleFutura y Galavisión en horario estelar.

“La Copa Mundial es el evento deportivo internacional preeminente, donde se luce el mejor talento futbolístico del mundo”, expresó Roger Adams, vicepresidente senior de Mercadeo para Home Depot. “Nos entusiasma unirnos a nuestros socios de Univision para proporcionarles un vehículo a nuestros empleados y clientes para que puedan disfrutar de este extraordinario despliegue de deportismo y competición”.

Home Depot también patrocinará una serie de viñetas que están actualmente al aire, en las cuales se recuerdan grandes momentos de Copas Mundiales pasadas con énfasis en jugadas asistidas que resultaron en goles espectaculares, como una manera de reforzar el eslogan de la compañía: “Usted puede hacerlo. Nosotros podemos ayudar.SM”. El acuerdo de patrocinio también incluye dos especiales dominicales presentando avances del torneo, y un programa de entretenimiento en horario estelar, “Viva el Mundial”, conducido por el legendario animador de “Sábado Gigante”, Don Francisco.

Para estimular a los entusiastas del fútbol a que vayan preparando sus casas desde ahora para recibir invitados durante la Copa Mundial, Home Depot también está lanzando el concurso “Tu casa es tu cancha”, el cual estará en vigor entre el 15 de abril y el 15 de mayo. Tres ganadores recibirán una tarjeta de regalo de Home Depot con un valor de $10,000, que podrá ser usada para costear cualquier proyecto de mejoras domésticas. Para participar y tener oportunidad de ganar, el público puede entrar a http://www.univision.com, UniClave: Home Depot; visitar tiendas The Home Depot participantes; o visitar http://www.tucasaestucancha.com.

Univision Communications Inc. es la empresa líder de medios de comunicación de habla hispana en Estados Unidos. Sus operaciones incluyen Univision, la cadena de televisión en español más vista en EE.UU., con cobertura del 98% de los hogares hispanos del país; TeleFutura, la cadena de televisión en español lanzada en 2002, con cobertura del 86% de los hogares hispanos de EE.U.U.; Galavisión, la cadena de televisión por cable en español líder en el país; el Grupo de Televisión Univision, propietario y operador de 62 estaciones de televisión en los principales mercados hispanos de EE.UU. y Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, el principal grupo radial en español, propietario y/u operador de 69 emisoras de radio en 16 de los 25 principales mercados hispanos y de 4 emisoras de radio en Puerto Rico; Univision Music Group, que incluye los sellos discográficos Univision Records, Fonovisa Records, La Calle Records y 50% del capital accionario de la empresa mexicana Disa Records, y las empresas editoriales Fonomusic y American Musical Publishing; y Univision Online, el destino de Internet en español más importante de EE.UU. con portal www.univision.com. Univision Communications tiene un 50% de participación en TuTv, empresa formada para distribuir en EE.UU los canales de televisión por cable de Televisa, y una participación sin derecho a voto del 14.9% en Entravision Communications Corporation, compañía pública de medios de comunicación en español. Univision Communications tiene su sede principal en Los Ángeles, su centro de operaciones de sus cadenas de televisión en Miami y estaciones y oficinas de ventas de televisión y radio en las principales ciudades de Estados Unidos.

Para más información, por favor visite http://www.univision.net.

Sobre Home Depot

Fundada en 1978, Home Depot(R) es la mayor red de tiendas al detal del mundo especializada en mercancía relacionada con mejoras del hogar, y el segundo detallista más grande de los Estados Unidos, con ventas fiscales de $81.5 mil millones. La compañía tiene aproximadamente 345,000 empleados y 2,056 tiendas en los 50 estados, el Distrito de Columbia, Puerto Rico, las Islas Vírgenes de EE.UU., 10 provincias canadienses y México. A través de su división Home Depot SupplySM, la compañía opera una de las distribuidoras diversificadas al por mayor más grandes del país, con operaciones en 41 estados y Canadá. Home Depot ha sido reconocida por la revista FORTUNE como “la empresa detallista especializada más admirada de todas (#1)” y “la corporación más admirada de Estados Unidos #13” del año 2006. Sus acciones se comercian en la Bolsa de Nueva York (NYSE: HD) y están incluidas en el promedio industrial Dow Jones y el índice Standard & Poor's 500.

VATICAN NEWS OF THE PAST WEEK
EASTER SUNDAY: RISEN CHRIST QUENCHES THIRST FOR PEACE

VATICAN CITY, APR 16, 2006 (VIS) - Benedict XVI celebrated the Easter Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at 10.30 this morning in St. Peter's Square, which was decorated, as has become traditional, with flowers, shrubs and flowering plants from Holland. At midday, from the central loggia of the basilica, he pronounced his first Easter Message, expressed Easter greetings in 63 languages and imparted his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing.

On the day of his own 79th birthday and three days before the first anniversary of his election as Pope, the Holy Father said: "Today, even in this modern age marked by anxiety and uncertainty, we relive the event of the Resurrection, which changed the face of our life and changed the history of humanity. From the risen Christ, all those who are still oppressed by chains of suffering and death look for hope, sometimes even without knowing it.

"May the Spirit of the Risen One, in particular, bring relief and security in Africa to the peoples of Darfur, who are living in a dramatic humanitarian situation that is no longer sustainable; to those of the Great Lakes region, where many wounds have yet to be healed; to the peoples of the Horn of Africa, of the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Zimbabwe and other nations which aspire to reconciliation, justice and progress."

Turning to the situation in Iraq, he expressed the hope that peace may "finally prevail over the tragic violence that continues mercilessly to claim victims. I also pray sincerely that those caught up in the conflict in the Holy Land may find peace, and I invite all to patient and persevering dialogue, so as to remove both ancient and new obstacles." In this context, he called on the international community, "which re-affirms Israel's just right to exist in peace," to "assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future, moving towards the constitution of a State that is truly their own."

"May the Spirit of the Risen One enkindle a renewed enthusiastic commitment of the countries of Latin America," he went on, "so that the living conditions of millions of citizens may be improved, the deplorable scourge of kidnapping may be eradicated and democratic institutions may be consolidated in a spirit of harmony and effective solidarity.

"Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power, may an honorable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations, and may the leaders of nations and of international organizations be strengthened in their will to achieve peaceful coexistence among different races, cultures and religions, in order to remove the threat of terrorism."

The Holy Father concluded by calling on humankind in the third millennium not to be afraid, but to open their hearts to the Risen Christ. "His Gospel totally quenches the thirst for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart. Christ is now alive and He walks with us. What an immense mystery of love! 'Christus resurrexit, quia Deus caritas est! Alleluia!'."

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REGINA COELI: BE "LIVING STONES" TO BUILD THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2006 (VIS) - At midday today, the Pope appeared at the balcony of the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo to pray the Regina Coeli with the faithful gathered in the square below. The Pope travelled to his Castelgandolfo residence yesterday evening to rest after the Easter celebrations.

After recalling how the Regina Coeli prayer substitutes the Angelus during the period of Easter, the Pope affirmed that "Mary guarded in her heart the 'good news' of the resurrection - source and secret of true joy and authentic peace - that Christ, Who died and rose again, has conquered us with the sacrifice of the cross."

He went on: "We ask Mary, just as she accompanied us in the days of the passion, to continue to guide our steps in this time of spiritual joy, that we may grow ever more in the knowledge and love of the Lord, and become witnesses and apostles of His peace."

Benedict XVI then recalled how tomorrow, April 18, marks the 500th anniversary of the day Pope Julius II laid the first stone of the new Basilica of St. Peter's, "which the world entire admires for the powerful harmony of its lines."

The Holy Father also gratefully recalled "the Supreme Pontiffs who commissioned this extraordinary construction over the tomb of the Apostle Peter," and "the artists who with their genius contributed to building and decorating it." He also had words of thanks for the staff of the Fabric of St. Peter's "who oversee the maintenance and protection of this unique masterpiece of art and faith."

May this anniversary, he concluded, "reawaken in all Catholics the desire to be 'living stones' for the building of the holy Church, in which the 'light of Christ' shines out" through works of charity witnessed by the world.

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FAITH, A FORCE FOR FREEDOM AFTER THE MEETING WITH CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 2006 (VIS) - The meaning of Easter was the theme chosen by Benedict XVI for today's general audience, which coincided with the first anniversary of his election to the pontificate. The Pope arrived by helicopter for the audience - held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of more than 60,000 people - from his residence at Castelgandolfo where he is spending a few days following the Easter celebrations.

"How quickly time passes," said the Pope to the faithful. "A year has already gone since ... the cardinals meeting in conclave chose me to succeed the much mourned and beloved Servant of God, the great Pope John Paul II. With emotion I recall the first impact I received from the loggia of the Vatican Basilica ... with the faithful gathered in this same square."

He continued: "That meeting, which remains impressed upon my mind and heart, was followed by many others, giving me the chance to experience how real the words were that I pronounced during the course of the solemn concelebration with which I began my exercise of the Petrine ministry: 'I feel with renewed conviction that I do not have to carry alone what in truth I could never carry alone'." Apart from God's celestial protection, the Pope mentioned the closeness, understanding, love and prayers of the faithful. "I ask each of you to continue to support me, praying to God to enable me to be mild and firm pastor of His Church," he said.

"Immediately after His resurrection, Jesus called Peter to tend His flock," Pope Benedict added. "Who then could have humanly imagined the development that, over the centuries, would mark that small group of the Lord's disciples? Peter, together with the Apostles and later their successors, ... courageously spread the evangelical message, the fundamental and indispensable core of which is constituted by the Paschal mystery: the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. This is the mystery the Church celebrates at Easter: Christ's triumph over evil and death."

"The Gospel accounts narrating the appearances of the Risen One usually conclude with an invitation to overcome all uncertainty ... and to announce that Jesus, beyond death, is eternally alive, a source of new life for all those who believe. ... Faith is born from the personal meeting with the Risen Christ, and becomes a force of courage and freedom that brings us to cry out to the world that Jesus has risen and lives forever. This is the mission of the Lord's disciples in all ages including our own."

At the end of the audience, Benedict XVI returned to Castelgandolfo. In the first year of his pontificate, more than four million people have participated in his general and special audiences, his Sunday Angelus and liturgical celebrations celebrated by him.

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POPE CONDEMNS TERROR ATTACK IN TEL AVIV

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 2006 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, the Pope said: "With great anguish I learned the news of last Monday's terrible attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, and I feel the need to express my most firm condemnation of that terrorist act. It is not by such abominable acts that the legitimate rights of a people can by protected."

"May the Lord, Prince of Peace, remain close to Israelis and Palestinians, that they do not abandon themselves to a tragic undercurrent but resume the journey that will bring them to live in peace and security, one next to the other as children of the one Father in heaven."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Jose Mauro Pereira Bastos C.P., of Janauba, Brazil, as bishop of Guaxupe (area 13,953, population 857,374, Catholics 600,161, priests 100, religious 169), Brazil. He succeeds Bishop Jose Geraldo Oliveira do Valle C.S.S., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

On Thursday, April 13, it was made public that he:

- Appointed Bishop Luigi Conti of Macerata-Tolentino-Recanati-Cingoli-Treia, Italy, as metropolitan archbishop of Fermo (area 1,318, population 282,534, Catholics 276,921, priests 244, permanent deacons 17, religious 443), Italy. The archbishop-elect was born in Urbania, Italy in 1941, he was ordained a priest in 1965 and consecrated a bishop in 1996.

- Appointed Msgr. Leopoldo Girelli, counsellor at the apostolic nunciature to the United States of America, as apostolic nuncio to Indonesia, at the same time raising him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Predore, Italy in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1978.

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SPECIAL ENVOY TO CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS FOR ST. TORIBIO

VATICAN CITY, APR 20, 2006 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from the Pope, written in Latin and dated March 4, appointing Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, archbishop of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the fourth centenary of the death of St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, patron saint of the Latin American episcopate.

Accompanying the cardinal to the celebrations - due to be held in Lima, Peru from April 24 to 29 - are Msgrs. Pedro Rufino Hidalgo Diaz, rector of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Lima and member of the cathedral chapter; Alberto Maravi Petrozzi, rector of the major seminary of St. Toribio and member of the cathedral chapter; and Angelo Accattino, secretary of the apostolic nunciature to Peru.

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BASILICA OF ST. PETER'S CELEBRATES ITS FIFTH CENTENARY

VATICAN CITY, APR 20, 2006 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at midday today, a press conference was held to present the celebrations being organized to mark the fifth centenary of St. Peter's Basilica.

Participating in the event were Cardinals Francesco Marchisano, archpriest of the basilica, and Albert Vanhoye S.J., rector emeritus of the Pontifical Biblical College; Archbishop Angelo Comastri and Bishop Vittorio Lanzani, respectively president and delegate of the Fabric of St. Peter's; Antonio Paolucci, superintendent of the Florentine Museums and curator of the exhibition, "Petros Eni;" and Maria Cristina Carlo-Stella, bureau chief at the Fabric of St. Peter's.

In his talk, Cardinal Marchisano traced a brief history of the basilica, beginning with the emperor Constantine's original fourth-century construction. By the end of the 14th century, in light of the frailty of the Constantinian structure, pontiffs were desirous of building a new church, a project that finally began on April 18, 1506 when Pope Julius II placed the first stone of the current basilica. Work continued for a further 130 years and involved such artists as Bramante, Sangallo, Michelangelo and Bernini.

The basilica, said the cardinal, possesses an extraordinary archive composed of 3,050,000 documents concerning the work carried out from the beginning to our own times. It is, he added, one of the most visited sites in the world, with between five and 20 thousand people crossing its doors each day.

For his part, Archbishop Comastri recalled that in 1939, "by decision of Pope Pius XII, excavation work began under St. Peter's Basilica. To great astonishment, the ancient necropolis interred by Constantine's architects in the year 320 came to light. Moving up the slopes of the Vatican hill, a small monument was found, identified as the 'Tropaion of Gaius;' this discovery was followed by that of the famous red wall with the graffiti 'Petros eni' and a series of other graffiti all testifying to the devotion to Peter in this place."

Bishop Lanzani's talk concerned the issuing of stamps and coins to commemorate the anniversary.

"The Governorate of Vatican City State will issue a series of commemorative stamps of the value of 0.45 and 0.60 euros," he said. "The first represents the commemorative medal of Bramante, produced by Cristoforo Foppa between the years 1505 and 1506. ... The second depicts the medal placed in the foundations of the new St. Peters, also the work of Cristoforo Foppa." Both stamps bear the inscription: "Templum Divi Petri in Vaticano 1506-1606."

The Fabric of St. Peter's will also mint two medals for the occasion, one in silver and one in two different metals, the work of the Italian engraver Sergio Giandomenico. One side shows the consignment of the keys to St. Peter against the background of the basilica, with the emblem of the Fabric of St. Peter's underneath and the inscription "Patriarcalis Basilica Principis Apostolorum 1506-1606" around the edge. On the other side is an image of the Holy Father with the phrase "Benedictus XVI, Pontifex Maximus."

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