Mattel Posts Lower 3Q Profit on Charges

LOS ANGELES - Mattel Inc. on Monday reported a 1 percent drop in fiscal third-quarter profit, due to charges related to multiple product recalls by the world's biggest toy maker.

Its shares fell more than 2 percent in morning trading.

The El Segundo, Calif.-based company said net income for the quarter ended Sept. 30 slipped to $236.8 million, or 61 cents per share, from $239 million, or 62 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Latest-quarter results included charges of about $40 million related to the company's product recalls covering merchandise that contained lead magnets or bore lead paint.

Sales rose 3 percent to $1.84 billion from $1.79 billion a year …

Miles joins Covisint.(Brief Article)

DETROIT - Alice Miles, 46, the lead Ford Motor Co. executive assigned to Covisint LLC, has joined the online trade exchange as acting chief product officer. She had been director of purchasing process leadership at Ford.

Peter Weiss, 39, who represented DaimlerChrysler's stake during Covisint's initial development, has become Covisint's executive vice president of …

Sealy contract talks set to resume today.(Business)

GREEN ISLAND - Talks on a new contract, which would end the lockout of more than 360 unionized employees at Sealy Corp.'s Green Island mattress plant, will resume this afternoon. The session follows some apparent movement toward a settlement Thursday.

"We had movement again today," Dan Hige, the Sealy vice president in charge of the Green Island plant, said Thursday. …

Report Finds That Luxury Websites Are Falling Short of Chinese Consumer Expectations.(Report)

Average website loads in 16 seconds, despite the fact that online shoppers in China are some of the most demanding in the world

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- A new report, released today by Strangeloop Networks, finds that despite the fact that China is poised to become the world's most powerful online consumer base by 2015, many leading U.S. and European luxury websites are currently delivering a profoundly sub-par user experience.

"This study has implications far beyond the luxury market," said Jonathan Bixby, Strangeloop CEO. "We targeted this audience because we see it as something of a canary in the coal mine. Chinese consumers already have a strong affiliation with American and European luxury brands, so it makes sense to feel out this market with websites they are already using. What we found is that, right now, shoppers in China are receiving an abysmal user experience from these sites."

Entitled "Why Luxury Websites Are Disappointing Chinese Consumers (And Why This Matters to You)", the study tested the websites of 100 international luxury brands to determine how quickly the home pages load for a shopper in the city of Jiangsu, China. The study found that the average load time was 16.2 seconds. While brands like Halston and Givenchy loaded in fewer than 3 seconds, most other sites did not fare as well, with some taking up to 58 seconds to load.

Web usability experts state that 2 seconds is the optimal load time for internet users. By 10 seconds, most users lose interest and abandon the site. China reportedly has the most demanding web users in the world. A recent survey by Gomez found that 75% of Chinese mobile device users said that they would leave a site after just 3 seconds.

"As China's online commerce base is poised to bypass the U.S. and Japan, there is a huge opportunity for any company that chooses to pursue this audience," Bixby continued. "But to woo Chinese consumers successfully, site owners are going to have to tackle their page speed issues. Web users in China are one of the most demanding groups in the world. They expect sites to load fast, and right now, most sites are failing to meet those expectations."

The report cites research indicating why China is emerging as an ecommerce powerhouse:

* In 2009 - during the low point of the global recession - the sale of luxury goods in China grew by 16%. By 2015, China will comprise 20 percent of global luxury sales, surpassing Japan as the world's single largest luxury market. [McKinsey]

* In 2010, China had 420 million internet users - nearly twice as many as in the U.S. By 2015, that number is expected to reach 750 million. [McKinsey]

* Chinese shoppers have not yet hit their projected peak of online spending. Only a third of China's internet users currently shop online, compared with two-thirds in the U.S. As China's online population continues to grow, and as an increasing number of these internet users become online shoppers, this gap is closing quickly. [iResearch]

View the free report: "Why Luxury Websites Are Disappointing Chinese Consumers (And Why This Matters to You)" www.strangeloopnetworks.com/site-performance-in-china-report

View a high-res poster version of our China infographic here: www.strangeloopnetworks.com/china_infographic.jpg

About Strangeloop

Strangeloop is a leader in providing Web Content Optimization (WCO) solutions that enable global ecommerce companies like Petco, Travelocity and Visa to speed up the page load times of their websites and enterprise applications. An early entrant in the WCO space, the company was the first to market an automated solution - the Strangeloop Site Optimizer -- to tackle the core of today's performance problem as a service via the cloud. Strangeloop was also the first company to integrate Google's SPDY protocol into its product offerings. Site Optimizer, which is also available as a hardware appliance, simplifies Web Content Optimization from a lengthy and complex coding process into an automated function. For more information, visit www.strangeloopnetworks.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6813277&lang=en

Alexithymia, coping styles and interpersonal behavior in the context of Internet addiction.(ADDICTIONS, URGES AND CRAVINGS: TOWARDS BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENTS)(Report)

Introduction

Firstly, Internet addiction is a complex phenomenon that is not fully understood yet [1]. The hallmark of this work is a wide spectrum approach to the study of the relationship between man and technology using heterogeneous psychology tools (dependence, alexithymia, coping, assertiveness).

The main hypotheses of this study are:

* H1--Whether there is a positive correlation between Internet abuse and alexithymic behavior

* H2--Whether there is a positive correlation between Internet abuse and interpersonal behavior discomfort

* H3--Whether Internet-addicted and non-addicted subjects show a substantial difference in the use of coping strategies

* H4--Whether a different attitude towards the "virtual environment" correlates with the risk of Internet addiction.

Methods

The study was carried out on a sample of 200 university and professional school students of aged between 18-34 years (mean=22.11; standard deviation= 2.99).

The subjects were administered the following tests:

* TAS-20 [2];

* IAT (Internet Addicion Test) [3] [4];

* COPE-NVI (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced--Nuova Verione Italiana) [5];

* SIB short version (Scale for Interpersonal Behavior) [6].

Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS software. Correlation among IAT, TAS-20 and SIB scores was assessed with the Pearson correlation coefficient. For the differential analyses significance was assessed with the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis H test.

Results

Our results confirm the existence of a correlation between Internet abuse and alexithymic behavior (H1) (r=0.363, p< 0.01) [7] and between Internet abuse and interpersonal behavior discomfort (H2) (r=0.172, p< 0.05). We found a positive correlation between IAT and SIB scores in discomfort (r=0.172, p< 0.05), in particular in expressing and managing personal limits (r=0.196, p< 0.01) and in initiative assertiveness (r=0.172, p< 0.05). Comparison between Internet-addicted and non-addicted subjects confirmed the existence of characteristic coping strategies (H3) in an addictive use of the net. The subjects that showed an addictive use of the net preferentially use avoidance strategies when challenged with stressful events (U=1107.5, p< 0.01) and refrain from a problem solving approach (U=1553, p< 0.05). By grouping the subjects by their attitude towards the "virtual environment" (attraction, fear or neutral) we identified significant differences in Internet abuse and addiction (H4) (H=15.310, p< 0.01): those attracted by the "virtual world" show increased tendency towards Internet abuse and avoidance strategies (H=13.799, p< 0.01) and show decreased tendency towards strategies such as humor and religion (H=13.799, p< 0.01).

Conclusions

We find that alexithymic behavior is associated with Internet abuse. In the net, alexithymic subjects may find a means of encapsulation and neutralization of their own emotional states: techno-mediated experiences may function as an external regulator of feelings. As far as coping strategies are concerned, there is an evident correlation between addiction and avoidance strategies. This correlation is well documented in the literature about drug addiction and appears to be pertinent to addictive Internet usage as well.

Those who abuse the net show increased discomfort in managing their relationships with other people and in expressing limits, needs and wants from a verbal and a behavioral point of view. Such discomfort is shown independently of the number of daily interactions the subject actually experiences. Such discomfort is not linked to an actual failure in social interactions but rather to a systematic negative opinion of one's own role in interpersonal relationships.

Clinically, our evidence suggests that Internet addiction should be approached by keeping in mind both the subject's personality and his social adaptation. Future studies will address the correlation between these two variables.

References

[1] Mark Griffiths, Does Internet and Computer "Addiction" Exist? Some Case Study Evidence, CyberPsychology & Behavior 3 (2000), 211-218.

[2] Cinzia Bressi, Graeme Taylor, James Parker, & al., Cross Validation of the Factor Structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: an Italian Study, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 41 (1996), 551-559.

[3] Kimberly S. Young, Internet Addiction: the Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder, CyberPsychology & Behavior 1 (1998), 237-244.

[4] Giovanni Ferraro, Barbara Caci, Antonella D'Amico, Marie Di Blasi, Internet Addiction Disorder: an Italian Study, CyberPsychology & Behavior 10 (2007), 170175.

[5] Claudio Sica, Cristina Magni, Marta Ghisi, & al., Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced--New Italian Version, Psicoterapia Cognitiva e Comportamentale 14 (2008), 27-53.

[6] Willem Arrindel, Cristiana Bartolini, Sanavio Ezio, Italian Version of the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior, Psicoterapia Cognitiva e Comportamentale 5 (1999), 99-107.

[7] Domenico De Bernardis, Alessandro D'Albenzio, Francesco Gambi, & al., Alexithymia and Its Relationships with Dissociative Experiences and Internet Addiction in a Nonclinical Sample, CyberPsychology & Behavior 12 (2009), 67-69.

Francesco Conti (a), (1) and Ivan Formica (a)

(a) Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, University of Messina, Italy

(1) Corresponding author:

Francesco Conti

Department of Pedagogy and Psychology

University of Messina, Italy

E-mail: fconti81@gmail.com

UMD-LED PROGRAM RECOGNIZED AS BOOST TO STATE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARYLAND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIPS HONORED BY MEDA.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The following information was released by the University of Maryland - College Park:

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships program (MIPS) - an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) at the University of Maryland - has received a major award for its nearly quarter-century efforts to help state businesses research and launch new ventures.

The Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) is honoring MIPS with its Economic Impact Award. MEDA is making the one-time award as part of its 50th Anniversary. The prize was announced on June 6 at MEDA's annual conference in Cambridge, Md.

MIPS is a technology and biotech grant program that supports Maryland companies, teaming them with researchers at University System of Maryland institutions.

The marriage of academic researchers and businesses is intended to result in the development of marketable products or services. Both companies and MIPS contribute money, which is used to support the work of the faculty and graduate students participating in the research.

The Economic Impact Award celebrates a project or program "bringing lasting investment and momentous impact to a region and to the state at large," according to MEDA's guidelines. Honorees "create and nurture economic growth, prosperity, and renewal on a sweeping scale, improving Marylanders' lives far beyond regional borders."

"MIPS has certainly proven its value as an enlightened partnership of academic expertise and business creativity," says University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh. "Pairing our top experts in a field with private industry at a critical moment in the innovation life cycle just makes good sense, as MIPS record demonstrates. We're very honored to receive this recognition from Maryland's development professionals."

Current MIPS projects are tackling cancer, pollution, renewable energy, faster Internet via satellite, unmanned aerial vehicles, anthrax, malaria and staph infections.

"We are extremely pleased to recognize these initiatives and individuals as the winners of the 2011 MEDA Awards, says Laurie M. Boyer, president of MEDA. "They support and enhance Maryland's economic environment, and MEDA is proud to honor them."

More than 450 companies in Maryland have benefitted from MIPS since its inception in 1987, adds Martha Connolly, the program's director. Commercial products benefiting from MIPS projects have generated more than $21.6 billion in revenue, added thousands of jobs to the region, and contributed to successful products such as Martek Biosciences' nutritional oils, Hughes Communications' HughesNet", MedImmune's Synagis[R], and Black and Decker's Bullet[R] Speed Tip Masonry Drill Bit.

"MIPS works," Connolly says. "Consider these companies, all of which leveraged MIPS funding to develop products: in addition to the above-mentioned MedImmune, Martek, Digene, Black and Decker and HughesNet, you also have Quantum Sail, WellDoc, CSA Medical, Northrop Grumman, PAICE and Lockheed Martin. Many of these companies were small at the time. MIPS funding helped them grow. This is a long-standing, best-practice program with big impact. Maryland is fortunate to have had it here for so long."

Evaluation criteria for the MEDA award included: contribution to economic development best practices; innovation and creativity; significance of impact on employment; impact/expansion of the tax base; diversification of the area's economy; community revitalization; enhancement community life; environmental stewardship; a strategic approach, including purpose, intended outcomes, and targeted audiences; innovation, originality, and cost effectiveness; and the achievement of stated objectives and method of measuring results.

Voice-Over Industry Insider Launches Consulting Service.

Marc Guss Offers Career and Voice Training Expertise to Performing Artists and Business Professionals

NEW YORK, May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Voice-over talent specialist Marc Guss, a top William Morris voice-over agent for more than a decade, has launched Alpha Voices, a NYC-based voice consulting service.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110524/NY07694 )

As an entertainment industry veteran, Guss has represented many of the industry's prominent voice-over performers including Lauren Bacall, Whoopi Goldberg, NFL Films' voice Harry Kalas, and Jim Birdsall, the voice of CNBC. Guss has worked directly with these and many other celebrity artists to develop their distinctive talent into a marketable, valued commodity.

Guss offers an elite and comprehensive repertoire of industry knowledge to actors and artists working within the voice-over industry. His services provide voice-over training and technique as well as the critical insight needed to give artists the career guidance they require the most.

With Alpha Voices, one-on-one training is now also being extended to business professionals, communicators and leaders in virtually every field who rely on their public speaking and verbal communications skills.

"In addition to working with actors and voice-over artists, as a one-on-one consultant, I am now able to share my training approach as an enhancement for anyone whose livelihood depends on the spoken word," said Guss.

"The need to speak with clarity and confidence is an important asset. By mastering voice-over technique, people can communicate their message with greater control and effect, a skill that will deliver tangible rewards," he added.

In addition to the commercial voice-over industry, Guss points out that the business world relies on a wide range of digital media to communicate, including podcasts, website and intranet announcements, YouTube presentations, internet conferencing, and even voice mail greetings and phone calls.

About Alpha Voices

Founded by veteran William Morris talent agent Marc Guss, Alpha Voices is a New York City-based voice consulting service that helps to hone the communication skills of its clients through intensive, one-on-one consultations. Alpha Voices provides a high-level of skilled, professional guidance to artists in the voice-over community as well as to the burgeoning field of business professional communicators. For more information about Marc Guss and Alpha Voices, visit www.AlphaVoices.com, twitter @marcguss, Alpha Voices Facebook.

SOURCE Alpha Voices