Press Releases

Tokyo, Nov 20, 2008 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced the development of the Ecological Drive Assist System, which combines three functions to enhance fuel economy: the ECON Mode utilizes harmonized control of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) and engine to support more fuel-efficient driving; the guidance function uses speedometer color to provide real-time guidance on fuel-efficient driving; and thescoring function provides feedback about current driving practices, as well as feedback on cumulative, long-term fuel-efficient driving. The world's first* system to combine these three functions in a comprehensive approach to fuel economy enhancement, the Ecological Drive Assist System will be implemented for the first time on the all-new Insight hybrid vehicle in spring 2009.

Furthermore, for the Japan-market version of the Insight equipped with the optional Honda HDD InterNavi System, the Ecological Drive Assist System has an added function that enables drivers to receive advice on driving practices that enhance fuel economy.

Since driving practices have a large impact on fuel economy, Honda developed the Ecological Drive Assist System to further enhance the real-world fuel economy through controlling the CVT and engine based on the actual driving conditions and enabling the driver to learn how to drive more fuel-efficiently. In particular, the scoring function provides cumulative, long-term feedback through graphic 'leaves', which grow over time as drivers become more proficient in fuel-efficient driving. The joy of growing these leaves over a long time will encourage drivers to learn how to drive more fuel-efficiently.

* According to Honda in-house research

Key features of the Ecological Drive Assist System

1. ECON Mode which applies harmonized control on the CVT and engine to support more fuel-efficient driving

First implemented on the all-new Odyssey, ECON Mode has been advanced with added functions to control the idle stop and regenerative braking capabilities, which are unique to hybrid vehicles. As soon as the driver presses the ECON Mode button, the system will begin operating and the harmonized control of the CVT and engine will support more fuel-efficient driving. In addition, ECON Mode automatically achieves energy-saving control of the air-conditioning unit, extends the idle stop time, and increases regenerative recharging during deceleration to achieve more fuel-efficient driving.

2. The guidance function provides real-time fuel-efficient driving guidance

To increase driver awareness of more fuel-efficient driving, the ambient meter, which is a background color on the speedometer, notifies the driver of the current driving conditions. The ambient meter displays a green color when fuel-efficient driving is being achieved: a blue-green color when relatively fuel-efficient driving is being achieved with smooth acceleration and deceleration; and a blue color while the vehicle is consuming extra fuel with bursts of acceleration or deceleration. The ambient meter enables the driver to be aware of real-time fuel consumption patterns, and encourages the driver to achieve fuel-efficient driving while trying to maintain the green color display. In Honda's hybrid system, the motor assists during acceleration and performs regenerative recharging during braking; as a result, braking practices also have an impact on fuel economy. The ambient meter is the world's first* function of its kind to support fuel-efficient driving by responding not just to accel ration practices, but to braking practices as well.

* According to Honda in-house research

Ambient Meter

- Green: fuel-efficient driving

- Blue-Green: relatively fuel-efficient driving

- Blue: driving with extra consumption of fuel

3. The scoring function provides feedback about current driving practices, as well as cumulative, long-term feedback tracking progress in fuel-efficient driving

Located in the center of the instrument panel of the all-new Insight, the Multi-Information Display offers drivers a selection of informational displays, including the scoring function, in which the number of 'leaves' displayed indicates the level of fuel-efficient driving performance. When the ignition switch is on, the display scores current driving performance. When the ignition switch is turned off, the 'leaves' in the top row display the score for the latest driving cycle (startup to shutdown), while a horizontal bar in the bottom row displays the cumulative lifetime performance. The Multi-Information Display also allows drivers to view fuel economy figures for the past three trips, as well as instantaneous and average fuel economy statistics. The world's first* such function to provide real-time and post-trip assessments of the impact of driving habits on fuel economy, the scoring function encourages drivers to take interest in and develop fuel-efficient driving habits over the long term.

* According to Honda in-house research

4. Honda HDD InterNavi System displays detailed scoring function statistics and provides advice for further enhancing fuel economy

With the optional Honda HDD InterNaviSystem, a driver can access a full history of scoring function results and additional detailed scoring function statistics. InterNavi also adds an advice function that offers advice for further enhancing fuel economy based upon an analysis of their own the driver's driving practices. Useful in improving fuel-efficient driving habits over the long term, these information may also be securely accessed over the Internet by InterNavi subscribers. This aspect of the Ecological Drive Assist System function will be available only for the Japan domestic model.

About Honda

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267/NYSE:HMC/LSE:HNDA.L) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com .

Contact:Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Media Inquiries
corporate_pr@hm.honda.co.jp
+81-3-5412-1512Copyright 2008 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. 

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WAYNE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Grabbing hot deals is on everyone's "must-do" list. To the delight of sale-seeking shoppers who look to Toys"R"Us for unbeatable Black Friday doorbusters and discounts, today the company announced it will offer an unprecedented lineup of more than 150 doorbusters from 5am to 1pm on Friday, November 28, giving shoppers one more hour to take advantage of these doorbuster deals than last year. Whether a trip to stores on Thanksgiving weekend is part of a holiday tradition or a money-saving tactic, savvy shoppers can't afford to miss an early stop at Toys"R"Us.

Appearing in select newspapers and online at www.Toysrus.com on Thursday, November 27, this year's Toys"R"Us Thanksgiving weekend circular will launch the company's BIGGEST 2-day sale, while offering the lowest prices of the season. More than 100 doorbusters can be found in the 24-page circular, along with more than $6,000 in total additional savings on some of the season's hottest toys, games and electronics. Customers plotting out their Black Friday shopping strategy in advance can log on to www.Toysrus.com beginning Wednesday, November 26 at midnight for a sneak-peek of more than 50 additional unadvertised "Mystery Doorbusters" that will be available only in Toys"R"Us stores on Black Friday.

"We know this year parents are looking to us to provide exceptional values on great toys for the children on their holiday shopping list," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "Beyond offering the broadest selection of toys at our stores year-round - with more gift options per price range - we will feature the lowest prices of the season throughout Thanksgiving weekend. Whether customers want to start their holiday shopping early or simply shop within their budget, they will undoubtedly find the right presents at the right prices at Toys"R"Us."

With families and friends on the hunt for the best deals this year, waking up early the day after Thanksgiving will be more than a fun experience - it will be a can't-miss opportunity. The doors at Toys"R"Us stores nationwide will open at 5am on Black Friday to welcome early risers eager to jumpstart their holiday shopping. The following select examples of great doorbusters available at Toys"R"Us are valid on Friday, November 28, from 5am - 1pm, while supplies last:

    --  FREE Play Station 2 Deal - 6 FREE Games, FREE "21" DVD and FREE Play
        Station 2 DVD Remote with the purchase of the Play Station 2 System
    --  FREE $50 Toys"R"Us Gift Card with the purchase of a Black 16GB iPod nano
        (R)
    --  FREE Nintendo(R) DS(TM) accessory with the purchase of Nintendo(R) DS
        (TM) Brain Age Bundle or Nintendo(R) DS(TM) Super Mario Bros. Bundle
    --  More than 80% off Xbox 360 Wired Guitar Hero Game Controller
    --  60% off TOYMAX EyeClops(R) from JAKKS Pacific(R)
    --  60% off Disney(R)High School Musical 2Figures 3-Pack
    --  More than 50% off Littlest Pet Shop VIP Plush Pets from Hasbro(R)
    --  Up to 50% off Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle for Wii, PS3 and
        Xbox 360
    --  50% off Little Tikes(R) Diggers
    --  50% off Jumbo Talking Elmo from Fisher-Price(R)
    --  50% off Huffy(R)Scooters (Power Rangers and Cinderella, sold separately)
    --  33% off V-Tech(R) Learning Laptop
    --  More than 30% off Thomas & Friends(R)Train Sets (Thomas & Percy Wooden
        Starter Set and Great Race Take Along Set, sold separately)
    --  $60 off iHome(R) Portable iPod(R) Docking Station (iPod(R) sold
        separately)
    --  $50 off Sony(R)7.2MP Pink Cybershot Digital Camera

Catering to those who want to sleep in and still save big, Toys"R"Us stores nationwide will offer great savings on more than 150 additional items on Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29. Following are select examples of the hottest deals available during the company's biggest 2-day sale ever, valid all day Friday, November 28, and Saturday, November 29:

    --  FREE Smart Animals 2-Pack with the purchase of Smart Animals Scanopedia
        from Discovery Kids(R)
    --  FREE Spiral Train Set with the purchase of Arch Train Table from
        Imaginarium(R)
    --  More than 70% off Nick(R)Scene It? and Pirates of the Caribbean Scene
        It?
    --  More than 65% off Dance Dance Revolution DVD Game and Twister(R)DVD Game
    --  Up to 55% off Select Hasbro(R) Games
    --  50% off Star Wars10" Transformers Millennium Falcon from Hasbro(R)
    --  50% off Barbie(R)Princess 2-Pack Dolls from Mattel(R)
    --  50% off Infrared Mini R/C Helicopter from Fast Lane
    --  50% off iPod(R) Dock & Clock Radio (iPod(R) sold separately)
    --  $9.99 Sale on ALL Skateboards, Helmet & Pads from Channel One(R)
    --  $20 off Disney(R)High School MusicalAlarm Clock with iPod(R) Dock (iPod
        (R) sold separately)
    --  More than $40 off Electric Guitar Pack from First Act(R)
    --  $70 off Woodland Climber from Step 2(R)
    --  $80 off Picnic on the Patio Playhouse from Little Tikes(R)
    --  $500 off Easton 7-foot 2-in-1 Swivel Combo Table

To discover all of the savings available throughout Thanksgiving weekend, holiday shoppers can check out the Toys"R"Us Thanksgiving weekend circular in select newspapers across the country or at www.Toysrus.com beginning Thursday, November 27.

And, to accommodate shoppers, Toys"R"Us stores nationwide will offer the following expanded hours, providing even more time to shop and save than last year:

Toys"R"Us Store Hours for Thanksgiving Weekend:

Friday, November 28 from 5am* - 10pm

Saturday, November 29 from 6am - 10pm

*Please note, on Friday, November 28, Toys"R"Us stores in Phoenix, AZ and Las Vegas, NV will open at 12:01am, while Toys"R"Us stores in Paramus, NJ will open at 7am.

About Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer. Currently it sells merchandise through more than 1,500 stores, including 586 Toys"R"Us stores and 262 Babies"R"Us stores in the U.S., more than 700 international stores in 33 countries, which includes licensed and franchise stores, and through its Internet site at www.Toysrus.com.

    Source: Toys"R"Us, Inc.

OTTAWA, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In the U.S. alone, more than 20 million children are growing up in single-parent homes with the overwhelming majority of them being father-absent homes.

Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be living in poverty, are at greater risk for drug and alcohol abuse and more likely to get pregnant as teenagers than their peers who are growing up with two parents.

On November 20th, a new website called WithoutaFather.com will launch to coincide with the United Nations Universal Children's Day. This day is meant to actively promote the welfare of the world's children.

The website was the idea of Sam Berns, a management consultant who himself grew up for much of his life without a father and was made possible with the help and generosity of one of the world's leading interactive studios, Fuel Industries.

"The idea came to me when I was volunteering at a high school. I found I could spot the kids growing up without a father. It made me think of my own struggles at that age and I knew that there was something I could do help them" explains Sam, founder of WithoutaFather.com.

"When he told us about his idea we instantly believed in it and saw how it could reach and help a lot of kids out there" said Warren Tomlin, Chief Creative Officer at Fuel Industries.

The website, www.WithoutaFather.com will help teens by providing:

Real advice: Everything a teen would want to know before making their own decisions about health, relationships, education, careers and money.

A resume builder: A step by step tool that makes it easy for teens who want to create and save their own resumes.

A budget builder: A simple tool that lets teens enter how much they make and how much they spend and shows their resulting debt or savings over different periods of time.

Online mentorship: A program that lets visitors sign up as proteges and ask questions to online mentors who volunteer advice, support and encouragement.

Combined, these resources will offer teens growing up without a father the advice and encouragement that every teen needs and deserves to make their own wise decisions.

About Sam Berns

Sam Berns is an Ottawa based consultant specialized in application design and financial modeling. His financial models have helped organizations save millions of dollars and have helped over 100 high school entrepreneurs successfully start their own businesses.

About Fuel Industries

Fuel Industries is a multiple award-winning interactive studio that lives at the intersection of marketing and entertainment. With offices in Canada, the US, and the UK, Fuel has built audiences by creating entertaining online experiences both for major international brands and its own licensed entertainment properties.

SOURCE WithoutaFather.com

Postal Service to Honor Bob Hope With Stamp

Postmaster General John Potter has announced that celebrated entertainer Bob Hope will be immortalized on a First-Class commemorative stamp next spring. The stamp image will be previewed next week in New York City at Ellis Island. Bob Hope enjoyed a lifetime of success on stage and in radio, television and film. He moved to America from England in 1908 and quickly exhibited a natural talent for making people laugh. Hope traveled around the globe performing for U-S troops and hosted numerous highly rated TV specials.

    Full story at:
http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=3869660

Survey Reveals Unusual Gifts Exchanged on the Job

Santa's not the only one delivering presents this holiday season. Nearly eight out of ten marketing and advertising executives polled said some form of gift giving occurs in their offices. And creative folks may give the man in red a run for his money when it comes to being innovative. When asked to name the most unusual or unique gifts exchanged in the office, responses ranged from a fully stocked aquarium to hair extensions to personalized bobbleheads. The national study was developed by The Creative Group, and conducted by an independent research firm.

    Full story at:
http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=3869282

Thanksgiving Eve Ranks as One of the Busiest Nights for Domino's Pizza

Pizza before turkey? It's an American tradition. Before families across the nation enjoy their Thanksgiving Day feast, many fuel up the night before on America's other favorite food - pizza. This year, families are making Domino's Pizza their number one meal choice on Thanksgiving Eve. As families get ready for turkey day and travelers arrive at their destinations, Domino's Pizza will be delivering more than one-point-one million pizzas to homes across the nation on November twenty-sixth. That's more than a fifty percent increase over a typical Wednesday.

    Full story at:
http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=3869441

Mysterious Source of High-Energy Cosmic Radiation Discovered

Scientists have announced the discovery of a previously unidentified nearby source of high-energy cosmic rays. The finding was made with a NASA- funded balloon-borne instrument. Researchers from the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter collaboration, led by scientists at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, published the results in a recent issue of the journal Nature. The new results show an unexpected surplus of cosmic ray electrons at very high energy that must come from a previously unidentified source or from the annihilation of very exotic theoretical particles used to explain dark matter.

    Full story at:
http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=3869647

The Broadcast Minute is available by email at no charge to members of the media who sign up for PR Newswire for Journalists, http://www.prnewswire.com/media . For more information, contact Rob Fisher at 408-365-8793 or rob.fisher@prnewswire.com.

SOURCE PR Newswire

LAUSANNE, Switzerland and BANGALORE, India, November 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm), a global biopharmaceutical development specialist that focuses on serious medical conditions and particularly oncology, and Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd (Aurigene), a Bangalore-based fully integrated, global biotech focused on small molecule and peptide drug discovery and development from target identification and validation to pre-IND drug candidates, signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement, excluding the territories of Japan and the rest of Asia, to develop and commercialise Debio 0617, a novel inhibitor of an undisclosed oncology pathway. Utilising its know-how and fragment-based drug delivery technology platform, Aurigene has generated potent leads against the target. Under the terms of the agreement, Debiopharm will pay Aurigene an upfront fee, as well as further payments according to predefined discovery, development and sales milestones.

"We are very excited to continue our collaboration with Aurigene. Their business model offers a one stop solution for structure guided drug design, lead optimization and preclinical work. The Debio 0617 project aims at developing inhibitors targeting a key oncology pathway, which plays essential roles in various solid tumors and haematological malignancies," said Rolland-Yves Mauvernay, President & Founder of Debiopharm Group.

"Partnering with Debiopharm, a highly focused and successful drug development company, is highly synergistic for Aurigene, a drug discovery biotech. Aurigene has been collaborating with Debiopharm on two other programs for three years now, and the current licensing agreement with Debiopharm serves to reiterate the high quality of science and competence at Aurigene. This further strengthens the relationship between the companies," added CSN Murthy, CEO of Aurigene.

About Debiopharm Group

Debiopharm Group is a global biopharmaceutical development specialist that in-licenses promising biologics and small molecule drug candidates. It develops its products for global registration and maximum commercial potential for out-licensing to pharmaceutical partners for sales and marketing.

Debiopharm independently funds the worldwide development of all of its products while providing expertise in pre-clinical and clinical trials, manufacturing, drug delivery and formulation, and regulatory affairs.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Debiopharm has developed three products with global combined sales in excess of $2.65 billion in 2007.

For more information on Debiopharm Group, please visit: http://www.debiopharm.com.

About Aurigene

Established in Bangalore, India, in 2002, Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd., is a drug discovery biotech focused on small molecule and peptide drug discovery and development from target identification and validation to pre-IND drug candidates in oncology, metabolic disorders and autoimmune diseases, with a proven track record of successful partnerships with big and medium-sized pharma and biotech companies globally. Aurigene has 10 drug discovery collaborations and a pipeline of 15 discovery programs at various stages, from Hit Generation to late-stage Pre-Clinical Optimization, and has filed 14 patents across 6 programs over the last 12 months.

With proprietary Structural Biology and Fragment-based Drug Design technology platforms, and experienced scientific leadership, Aurigene is a fully integrated operation with expertise in Hit Generation to Drug Development Candidates for IND nomination.

    Debiopharm S.A. Contacts
    Maurice Wagner
    Director Corporate Affairs & Communications
    Tel.: +41(0)21-321-01-11
    Fax:  +41(0)21-321-01-69
    mwagner@debiopharm.com

    Additional Media Contacts
    In London
    Maitland
    Brian Hudspith
    Tel: +44(0)20-7379-5151
    bhudspith@maitland.co.uk

    Jo-Anne Lutjens
    Communications Manager
    Tel.: +41(0)79-370-27-15
    Fax:  +41(0)21-321-01-69
    jalutjens@debiopharm.com

    In New York
    Russo Partners, LLC
    Wendy Lau
    Tel: +1-212-845-4272
    Fax: +1-212-845-4260
    wendy.lau@russopartnersllc.com

    Aurigene Contacts
    Sonita Chada
    Manager, Corporate Communications
    Tel: +91-80-2852-1314
    Sonita_c@aurigene.com

SOURCE The Debiopharm Group