Press Releases

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Learning loss of academic skills and knowledge often takes place during summer months while students are on vacation. This is commonly referred to as "summer learning loss," where academic gains made during the school year may not continue across the summer and into the following school year. Students from low income backgrounds may be especially vulnerable to this loss. Several leading Texas school districts are participating in a rigorous research study, How a Summer Reading Intervention Based on Lexiles Affects Reading Comprehension, which seeks to minimize this learning loss through the use of a volunteer summer reading program. The study is sponsored by REL Southwest at Edvance Research, one of ten national education research laboratories funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Study Overview

The research study includes participation from four school districts in Texas including Cypress-Fairbanks and Klein ISDs in the Houston region as well as Austin ISD. The study commenced in summer 2009, with school participation estimated for completion in mid-fall of 2009. Eligible participants include low-income 3rd grade students with TAKS reading scores below 2262 (a score of 2100 or higher is considered passing). Students receive free books based on their reading preferences and individual reading ability.

Click here for study overview

Study at a Glance

Total number of Participating 3rd grade Students  1,790

Number of Treatment Students                      901

Number of Control Students                        889

Number of Free Books Distributed                  7,000+

What is the benefit to schools participating in the study?

"Participating districts benefitted from an organized summer reading program, while striving to make a difference through cutting edge research," states Donald Barfield, Associate Lab Director at REL Southwest. "Schools are increasingly looking to improve outcomes through the use of evidence-based strategies."

Through participation in this research study, schools will receive FREE of charge:

    --  The opportunity for students to offset summer learning loss and increase
        reading comprehension
    --  8 free books provided to all treatment and control students
    --  Research evidence based on student performance
    --  The opportunity to work with leading researchers in a Randomized
        Controlled Trial (RCT), the gold-standard in research methodology

REL Southwest serves the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas and works for the benefit of over 7 million students and 500,000 teachers in approximately 14,500 schools in grades pre-kindergarten through college in this five-state region.

Founded in 2005, Edvance Research, Inc. is a women and minority, employee owned business, specializing in rigorous product, policy and market research, in the education market. Edvance Research is dedicated to improving outcomes by supporting organizations in learning about evidence-based practices and using that information to improve their work and results. www.edvanceresearch.com

Technical assistance may be obtained through REL Southwest Research ReadySource(TM) by calling 1-877-EDVANCE (1-877-338-2623) or e-mailing RELinfo@edvanceresearch.com.

    Source: REL Southwest

Round to fund phase 2a clinical trials for lead candidate AIR645, advance R&D

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Altair Therapeutics, Inc., a privately-held, biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for respiratory diseases, today announced that it has secured $17 million in a subsequent financing round. Altair Therapeutics will use the funding to complete phase 2a trials for its lead product, inhaled AIR645 and advance research and development in new target programs. Domain Associates, LLC led the round, and AgeChem Venture Fund LP joined previous investors Thomas, McNerney & Partners, LLC, Forward Ventures and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.

"Altair Therapeutics is applying novel science to treat the unmet needs of asthma patients and patients in other respiratory disease areas. We are convinced that the strength of the unique technology combined with the experience of the team makes Altair a very attractive investment and we are glad to be able to support Altair in its further development," said Kim Kamdar, Ph.D., Domain Associates.

"We are thrilled to have Domain Associates and Agechem Venture Fund join our investor syndicate," said Joel F. Martin, Ph.D., President and CEO of Altair Therapeutics. "Our favorable phase 1 safety and biomarker data helped us secure this preeminent group."

About AIR645

AIR645 is a dual inhibitor of IL-4 and IL-13, pro-inflammatory cytokines which are implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma, allergic rhinitis and other inflammatory disorders. AIR645 is a 2'-O-methoxyethyl second-generation antisense drug targeting the mRNA that encodes the alpha subunit of the human IL-4 receptor (IL-4Ra). IL-4Ra is the signaling chain that is shared by the IL-4 and IL-13 receptors and is required for cellular responses to IL-4 and IL-13. AIR645 has the potential for less frequent administration with improved local and systemic safety. AIR645 was discovered by Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) and licensed to Altair Therapeutics.

About Altair Therapeutics

Based in San Diego, Altair Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics to treat human respiratory diseases. Altair Therapeutics' lead product is AIR645, the first in a new class of inhaled drugs that incorporate proprietary, second-generation antisense chemistry. www.altairthera.com

    Source: Altair Therapeutics

New iPhone-Optimized Quick-Start Program Empowers Marketers to Quickly Deploy High-Performance Mobile Landing Pages

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ion interactive, the leading provider of landing page software, today announced the launch of iPhone-optimized quick-start landing experiences. Combining its existing state-of-the-art mobile framework into its LiveBall quick-start program allows ion's customers to launch high-performance iPhone-optimized landing pages and conversion paths within just a few minutes -- without code or help from IT.

"We're excited to extend our quick-start program to include mobile devices. There are over 30 million iPhones out there and allowing marketers to extend their ads with optimized user experiences turns the iPhone into a sales and marketing machine," said ion's CEO and co-founder Justin Talerico. "And the iPhone is just the beginning. We're committed to develop device-optimized experiences for Android and RIM as well," he said.

In addition to LiveBall's existing Quick Start features, every new LiveBall platform deployed will now include -- at no additional charge:

    --  5 ready-to-run iPhone-optimized landing experiences -- Pre-built landing
        pages and conversion paths that need only fill-in-the-blank text to
        launch. Non-technical marketers can go live with high-performance pages
        within minutes.
    --  Custom iPhone-optimized image library -- Ready-to-use, professionally
        art directed and optimized images
    --  Custom iPhone-ready forms -- Pre-built and powered by LiveBall's
        sophisticated 'no code' forms engine

"In-application, display, SMS and search advertising is exploding in this space. One need only look at Google's pending acquisition of AdMob for evidence of that. Users don't want to click through from optimized experiences to full-size, pinch-to-zoom-in web pages. That's a recipe for low ROI. LiveBall enables marketers to quickly and easily make optimized landing experiences that convert a much higher percentage of respondents into customers," said Talerico. "I can log into LiveBall and launch these amazing, sophisticated conversion paths in about ten minutes," he said.

"The demand for great user experiences in mobile is extraordinary. 19 months ago when we first announced iPhone device optimization, it was a nascent market. Today, we sold our first iPhone launch pads before we even announced them. It's an exciting time," said Talerico.

For marketers, ion's LiveBall cloud-based software platform is the leading landing page solution. It enables non-technical people to create, test and analyze campaign-specific landing pages, microsites and conversion paths. LiveBall generates game-changing return on advertising spend (ROAS). American Greetings saw its cost-per-acquisition drop by 20% in its first five months using LiveBall. Bronto Software cut its paid-search spend by two-thirds and actually increased the quality and quantity of leads it got from that spend by multiplying its conversion rate from 2% to over 18%.

About ion interactive

Founded in 1998, ion interactive is the leading provider of advanced landing page software that maximizes PPC, email and online advertising performance. ion's groundbreaking web-based platform, LiveBall, enables customers to create, test and analyze landing pages, conversion paths and microsites all without IT or developer assistance. ion's clients include Fortune 500 companies and start-ups in a range of industries including software/hardware, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, publishing, education and utilities. The company is privately held, with offices in Florida and Massachusetts.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6097979&lang=en

    Source: ion interactive

NEW YORK, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SIRIUS XM Radio today announced that for the fourth consecutive year it will launch Women's Conference Radio, a channel created to broadcast in-depth coverage of The Women's Conference 2009 hosted by California's First Lady Maria Shriver and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the annual event designed to empower women of all ages and backgrounds to be "Architects of Change" in their lives, within the communities and around the world.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080819/NYTU044LOGO )

Hosted by Maria Shriver, Women's Conference Radio will feature key speeches and panels from The Women's Conference 2009 in their entirety, as well as behind-the-scenes interviews with speakers and attendees. Women's Conference Radio is a 24-hour channel and will air November 15 beginning at 12:00 am ET on SIRIUS channel 117 and XM channel 163.

The Women's Conference 2009 featured its signature "once-in-a-lifetime conversations" led by a distinguished roster of more than 100 speakers and participants including former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Sir Richard Branson, Katie Couric, Elizabeth Edwards, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie B. Jarrett, Caroline Kennedy, Annie Leibovitz, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Robin Roberts and others.

The Women's Conference is produced by the non-profit, non-partisan organization, the California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women, which was established more than twenty years ago. Under First Lady Shriver and Governor Schwarzenegger's leadership, the annual event has blossomed into the nation's premier forum for women.

SIRIUS XM Radio is home to a diverse, powerful and exclusive lineup of programming for women including Oprah Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Cosmo Radio, Rosie O'Donnell's Rosie Radio and Barbara Walters' Here's Barbara. For more information visit www.sirius.com and www.xmradio.com.

About SIRIUS XM Radio

SIRIUS XM Radio is America's satellite radio company delivering to subscribers commercial-free music channels, premier sports, news, talk, entertainment, and traffic and weather.

SIRIUS XM Radio has content relationships with an array of personalities and artists, including Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Rosie O'Donnell, Jamie Foxx, Barbara Walters, Opie & Anthony, Bubba the Love Sponge®, Bob Edwards, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, Jimmy Buffett, The Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. SIRIUS XM Radio is the leader in sports programming as the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, Major League Baseball®, NASCAR®, NBA, NHL®, and PGA TOUR® and major college sports.

SIRIUS XM Radio has arrangements with every major automaker. SIRIUS XM Radio products are available at shop.sirius.com and shop.xmradio.com, and at retail locations nationwide, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Wal-Mart and independent retailers.

SIRIUS XM Radio also offers SIRIUS Backseat TV, the first ever live in-vehicle rear seat entertainment featuring Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network; XM NavTraffic® service for GPS navigation systems delivers real-time traffic information, including accidents and road construction, for more than 80 North American markets.

This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the business combination transaction involving SIRIUS and XM, including potential synergies and cost savings and the timing thereof, future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as "will likely result," " are expected to," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "intend," "will," "should," "may," or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of SIRIUS' and XM's management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of SIRIUS and XM. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statement: our substantial indebtedness; the businesses of SIRIUS and XM may not be combined successfully, or such combination may take longer, be more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected; the useful life of our satellites; our dependence upon automakers and other third parties; our competitive position versus other forms of audio and video entertainment; and general economic conditions. Additional factors that could cause SIRIUS' and XM's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in SIRIUS' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and XM's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and SIRIUS and XM disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.

P-SIRI

    Contact for SIRIUS XM Radio:

    Contact:
    Hillary Schupf
    SIRIUS XM Radio
    212.901.6739
    Hillary.schupf@siriusxm.com

SOURCE SIRIUS XM Radio

PLYMOUTH, Mich., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Stardock, the world leader in Windows desktop customization, released DeskScapes 3 today. DeskScapes is a unique program that allows users to customize their Windows desktop wallpaper with effects, animation and a variety of other options.

DeskScapes 3 adds support for Windows 7 and includes a host of effects that users can apply to their existing traditional desktop backgrounds.

"With DeskScapes 3, I can take a photo and use the included effects to turn it into a wallpaper I might actually use," said Brad Wardell, President & CEO of Stardock. "For example, I can add textures to my wallpaper or use sepia tone to make it less distracting."

DeskScapes 3 also includes a new configuration interface that lets users easily mix and match between different types of wallpaper. Natively, DeskScapes supports its own popular DREAM format which lets users use video or dynamically generated animated wallpaper. Version 3 extends this format to support what are called "Hybrid dreams" that let users mix and match static images and animation designed to provide easy to create animated wallpaper that are also practical and visually exciting.

Because DeskScapes uses the new Windows compositor in Windows 7 and has a native 64-bit version, users of Windows 7 are able to make use of animation and effects with no effect on system performance.

"What makes DeskScapes so compelling is that it uses your existing hardware acceleration to be able to deliver animated wallpaper and other effects without slowing down your system," said Wardell. "DeskScapes is the natural next stage in evolution for desktop backgrounds. A well done background does not distract but merely enhances the user experience of Windows."

DeskScapes 3 can be downloaded at Stardock's website. It costs $19.95 to register it or can be purchased as part of Stardock's Object Desktop suite of desktop enhancement utilities.

Visit http://www.stardock.com/products/deskscapes for more information.

Press contact: Stephanie Schopp: 323 928 2325 or stephanie@tinsley-pr.com.

SOURCE Stardock