SLOUGH, UNITED KINGDOM May 16, 2012: Representing an evolution of the U3-X personal mobility concept device that Honda announced in 2009, the UNI-CUB features a compact design with comfortable saddle and offers the same freedom of movement in all directions that a person enjoys while walking. This is achievable by Hondas development of proprietary balance control technology and the worlds first omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System) inspired by robotic technologies developed for Asimo, Hondas world-famous humanoid robot.

These technologies allow the rider to control speed, move in any direction, turn and stop, all simply by shifting his or her weight. Since the rider can freely move forward, backward, side-to-side and diagonally, he or she can quickly and easily manoeuvre among other people.

Moreover, UNI-CUBs compact saddle-style packaging makes it easy for the riders legs to reach the ground while maintaining eye-level height with other pedestrians. This configuration promotes harmony between the rider and others, letting the rider travel freely and comfortably inside facilities and among moving people.

From June 2012 until March 2013, Honda will jointly conduct demonstration testing of UNI-CUB with Japans National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Staff will perform demonstrations and use the device for making their rounds, while the museums annual pass holders will have the opportunity to test ride UNI-CUB. In addition to testing the feasibility of using UNI-CUB indoors, this project will explore the practical applications of the device in a wide range of environments within Japan and other countries.

Going forward, Honda will continue its proactive research and development of next-generation mobility technologies, with the aim of continually looking for innovative yet practical ways to offer society and individuals the joy, fun and convenience that comes from the freedom of movement.

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Honda Announces New UNI-CUB Personal Mobility Device

FOSTER CITY, CA--(Marketwire -05/16/12)- Funambol, the leading provider of white-label personal cloud solutions for mobile providers, today announced the launch of its Android app with in-app upgrades using operator billing by the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC). The app allows customers to instantly purchase cloud storage upgrades by tapping a button on their smartphone or tablet for inclusion on their mobile bill. The in-app upgrade enabled by WAC makes it instant for people to acquire more cloud storage at the moment of need, eliminating the use of a credit card or other payment means. Carriers currently utilizing the WAC Payment API include AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Korea Telecom, SK Telecom and Telenor.

"Funambol demonstrated that the WAC billing API can very easily be integrated into any app," said Paul Kenny, WAC VP of Business Development. "By integrating the WAC API, Funambol has instant access to the WAC carrier membership community, without having to work independently with all of those carriers."

The benefit to carriers is they can instantly make the Funambol personal cloud service available to users and gain revenue-sharing, as the app is integrated with their billing. This makes the user experience seamless, encouraging adoption, increasing customer loyalty and reducing churn.

"Funambol is thrilled to announce our newest personal cloud app with support for operator billing from tier-1 carriers globally," said Amit Chawla, Funambol CEO. "Funambol's access to operator billing will streamline app purchase and billing for hundreds of millions of users."

About WACThe Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) is an open global alliance made up of leading communications companies including network operators, device and network equipment manufacturers. WAC is committed to making it easier for developers to innovate by using operator network APIs delivered by a single cross-operator API platform. Concentrating in Asia for now, WAC also supports a HTML5 based application platform. WAC's payment API delivers a simple, safe and easy-to-use payment experience for customers across both fixed and mobile networks that helps drive conversion rates and repeat purchases. WAC centralizes the development, testing and submission process and allows developers to reach potentially millions of customers worldwide with unified terms and conditions that covers all WAC member operators. See http://www.wacapps.net for more information.

About FunambolFunambol is the leading provider of white-label personal cloud solutions for mobile providers. Funambol solutions have been deployed by many of the top companies in mobile, including operators, device makers and Internet portals. For more information, visit http://www.funambol.com.

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WAC Certifies Funambol Personal Cloud App for Major Carriers Worldwide

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF1T0jKU7Ck

15-05-2012 05:23 Michigan State University's commitment to global engagement has led to the establishment of a strong and dynamic presence in the United Arab Emirates. Under the direction of MSU's International Studies & Programs office in East Lansing, Michigan, USA, and operating as a partner of Dubai International Academic City, MSU in Dubai is focusing on master's degree programs, custom and open enrollment executive education programs, research and consultancy, and Study Abroad opportunities.

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MSU Program In Public Health: Master in Public Health Dubai Short Video Intro - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oipQBY7F4YY

15-05-2012 13:12 Rice commencement speaker Salman Khan's address to the graduates focused on contributions of a different kind: He urged the students to do everything they can to "increase the net happiness in the world." Khan is the founder of the Khan Academy, a free online education platform and not-for-profit organization that has made waves in the field of education. In 2004, Khan's online tutorials for a young cousin gained a wider audience, and five years later he turned his collection of free educational videos into the online Khan Academy. Today, his more than 3200 online tutorials attract 6 million viewers every month, and Time magazine recently named him one of the world's 100 most influential people. For more:

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Salman Khan at Rice University's 2012 commencement - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck5VHUh8Olg

15-05-2012 18:22 Teenagers in Ohio would be able to take driver's education courses online instead of in classrooms under a proposed change being considered by lawmakers.

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Ohio Considers Letting Teens Do Driver's Ed Work Online - Video

NEW YORK and BALTIMORE, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Starting in the 2012-2013 school year, The Juilliard School and Connections Education are launching JUILLIARD eLEARNING, for K-12 students and educators everywhere. Juilliard eLearning is the world-famous conservatory's first-ever group of online courses, presenting an exciting new option for teaching music and related courses, with distribution and implementation by leading provider of online learning solutions, Connections Education, part of the global education company, Pearson.

(Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120516/SF07944LOGO-a)

(Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120516/SF07944LOGO-b)

Juilliard eLearning will be developed to the same high standards educators have come to expect of both partners. The Juilliard School (www.juilliard.edu), the nation's pre-eminent school for performing arts education, and Connections Education (www.ConnectionsEducation.com), will develop and deliver innovative online courses and resources for K-12 educators and students helping to extend Juilliardstructured learning into homes and classrooms; anywhere there is an Internet connection. Juilliard eLearning links Juilliard's acknowledged history of excellence in performing arts education and Connections Education's expertise in high-quality online learning.

The program will launch to an already-established national audience. Connections Education will offer the new arts education courses to the 40,000+ K-12 students enrolled in its national network of Connections Academy virtual public schools; it will also market the courses to educational institutions and directly to K-12 students and adult, lifelong learners.

"Providing exemplary arts education programs to youth and the community has always been central to our mission at The Juilliard School," said Joseph W. Polisi, President of The Juilliard School. "Our partnership with Connections Education will greatly enhance our ability to fulfill this mission. Juilliard eLearning will expand K-12 educators' and students' access to Juilliard performing arts educational content, delivered via the highest quality e-learning courses and materials that have become the hallmark of Connections Education over the past decade."

Educators and e-learning experts from Connections Education will collaborate with Juilliard's noted faculty, teaching artists and designated alumni to develop and manage the content of Juilliard eLearning courses.

The first courses to be offered by Juilliard eLearning in the 2012-2013 school year include Elementary, Middle and High School Music, and will be constructed around and aligned to the National Standards. In subsequent years, courses such as music theory, music history, drama history, or dance history, may expand the Juilliard eLearning offerings. Synchronous virtual music instruction courses and virtual "master classes" are also being considered.

Chief Education Officer for Connections Education, Steve Guttentag commented, "The Juilliard School is widely recognized as the quality standard bearer for performing arts education, so we're really honored to be Juilliard's partner for this initiative and to develop courses together for students in grades K-12."

Juilliard eLearning courses and learning materials will feature exclusive music, video, animations and other immersive content, plus synchronous and a-synchronous learning opportunities from both Juilliard's experts and Connections Education's certified teachers.

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The Juilliard School and Connections Education Launch Juilliard eLearning, The Conservatory's First-ever Online Courses

12/03/2011 -- Amy Sparks and daughter Samantha, 5 watch Patrick Sparks, 8 work on an online English lesson at the Sparks home Thu, Dec. 1, 2011. (Karl Merton Ferron / Baltimore Sun Staff) (Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun / May 16, 2012)

9:57 a.m. EDT, May 16, 2012

Online education is a hot trend at the moment. But within that trend, there's an increasingly hotter sub-trend: online music education.

Baltimore's Connections Academy, one of the bigger players in online K-12 education in the country, today announced that it's partnering with the Juilliard School in New York City to deliver online music education to pre-college students beginning this fall.

The program is called Juilliard E-Learning.

[My observation: This is a heckuva smart move by Juilliard, to extend its brand online to youngsters in K-12. I wonder if Baltimore's Peabody Institute would consider doing something like this?]

Connections operates its own network of private virtual schools around the country, and it also runs online education programs for public school systems. (I profiled the company in December.)

Connections and Juilliard will offer the online music education courses to the 40,000-plus students in its network. But it will also market the courses directly to students and educational institutions interested in partaking in an online Juilliard education experience, the company said in a news release today.

Connections and Juilliard will develop courses at first based on the national standards in elementary, middle and high school music. And Juilliard has left open the possibility that more courses and features will be added in coming years, such as music theory, music history, drama history, or dance history. And live online music lessons and virtual "master classes" could come to the platform too.

Connections is a growing Baltimore company that was bought for $400 million last year by Pearson Plc, a British publishing conglomerate.

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Juilliard and Connections Academy partner for online learning

12/03/2011 -- Amy Sparks and daughter Samantha, 5 watch Patrick Sparks, 8 work on an online English lesson at the Sparks home Thu, Dec. 1, 2011. (Karl Merton Ferron / Baltimore Sun Staff) (Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun / May 16, 2012)

9:57 a.m. EDT, May 16, 2012

Online education is a hot trend at the moment. But within that trend, there's an increasingly hotter sub-trend: online music education.

Baltimore's Connections Academy, one of the bigger players in online K-12 education in the country, today announced that it's partnering with the Juilliard School in New York City to deliver online music education to pre-college students beginning this fall.

The program is called Juilliard E-Learning.

[My observation: This is a heckuva smart move by Juilliard, to extend its brand online to youngsters in K-12. I wonder if Baltimore's Peabody Institute would consider doing something like this?]

Connections operates its own network of private virtual schools around the country, and it also runs online education programs for public school systems. (I profiled the company in December.)

Connections and Juilliard will offer the online music education courses to the 40,000-plus students in its network. But it will also market the courses directly to students and educational institutions interested in partaking in an online Juilliard education experience, the company said in a news release today.

Connections and Juilliard will develop courses at first based on the national standards in elementary, middle and high school music. And Juilliard has left open the possibility that more courses and features will be added in coming years, such as music theory, music history, drama history, or dance history. And live online music lessons and virtual "master classes" could come to the platform too.

Connections is a growing Baltimore company that was bought for $400 million last year by Pearson Plc, a British publishing conglomerate.

See original here:
Juilliard, Connections Academy partner for online learning

BEIJING, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ --China Distance Education Holdings Limited (DL) ("CDEL", or the "Company"), a leading provider of online education in China focusing on professional education, reported today its unaudited financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 ended March 31, 2012.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2012 Business and Financial Highlights:

Commenting on the results, Mr. Zhengdong Zhu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, "We are very pleased to report another quarter of healthy top- and bottom-line growth, building on the momentum we have gained in recent quarters.Supported by steady enrollment growth across our core online education courses and increasing pricing power, revenue for the quarter again exceeded guidance.Our results demonstrate the robust underlying demand for high quality online training and educational services and the growing strength of our brand power in China's education market.We are also pleased to see that our recent initiatives, including our newly launched high definition courseware and mobile learning platform, are helping to drive incremental enrollment growth across our course offerings, while also supporting growth in average student payments.These new services highlight our innovative and student-focused approach which we believe will help to further strengthen our industry leading position for years to come.

"While overall market conditions and student demand remain healthy, some major Accounting Professional Qualification Examination, or 'APQE', originally scheduled for May have been delayed to October. At the same time we are still awaiting the release of the official policy on this year's CPA exams, including the exam dates, registration timeline and text books. The release of this information is already more than six weeks behind the usual schedule.Consequently, we anticipate a shift in the timing of enrollments and revenue recognition for APQE and CPA exams. Specifically, a significant portion of APQE revenue that we had expected to record in the third fiscal quarter will shift into next fiscal year, and post-exam APQE enrollment will also be delayed until next fiscal year. The delayed release of CPA exam policy for this year may also affect both the timing and the amount of revenue we may earn in the remainder of this fiscal year. While the delayed timing of these exams will impact our results, we believe that these regulatory changes are a one-time event and such changes will only affect the timing of the revenue contribution related to these exams.

"We believe that the continuing strength of our other accounting and non-accounting courses will help to partially offset the near-term impact from these delays.The continued diversification of our business in recent years and the growing momentum of our recent initiatives have helped us to develop a more robust platform with multiple sustainable revenue streams. As a result, we still expect to achieve our revenue guidance for the full year of 20-30% revenue increase year-over-year."

Ms. Ping Wei, Chief Financial Officer of CDEL, commented, "Our performance in the second quarter has again demonstrated the scalability of our business model as we registered another quarter of strong top- and bottom-line growth. Both our gross and net margin continue to expand at a healthy pace while cash flow has also continued to increase, registering a US$4.8 million increase in the second quarter.

"The delayed timing of the AQPE exams and the delayed release of CPA exam policy will result in about 15-20% of third-quarter revenue being delayed to later quarters. On a fiscal year basis, APQE alone will result in the delayed recognition of at least US$1.8 million in revenue into fiscal 2013. As most of our costs and expenses are fixed, the impact to our bottom line for the next quarter and for fiscal year 2012 will be even more significant.

"Nonetheless, as most of our other education verticals are growing at a particularly high rate, and as we continue to tightly control our costs and expenses, we remain confident that despite these unexpected delays, we will still maintain net profit growth in-line with our revenue growth in fiscal year 2012."

Fiscal Second Quarter 2012 Unaudited Financial Results

Net Revenues. Total net revenues from continuing operations for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 were US$12.3 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 36.7% from US$9.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

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China Distance Education Holdings Limited Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

Stott Pilates instructor-trainer Anjali Sareen converted her fascination for fitness into her job

Fitness is my passion. It must have rubbed off on me from my elder brother. Even my husband, Sharat, is into sports, starts Anjali Sareen, the only Stott Pilates Instructor Trainer in India. Anjali is also the co-founder of The Zone, Mind, Body Studio, which she runs with her husband in Kormangala.

She not only trains lay people but also conducts intensive training and education programmes for potential Pilates instructors.

We lived abroad for quite some time. I was not working and that gave me a chance to follow up on my area of interest. I started looking critically at various gyms and health clubs there and realised that most gyms were intimidating. You walk in and you find sculpted bodies working out and that itself can turn off some one who is obese and be a negative influence on them, says Anjali who looks really trim and fit.

Another thing that I did not like was the non refundable' registrations. I did not approve of it. So when we returned to India, I decided to have my own place and run it the way I wanted to, she explains. Her studio is designed in such a way that the work out area is not visible to the visitor but has a helpful front desk and an office where they can speak to the instructors.

Anjali trained in Pilates for 15 years and has been an instructor trainer for the last six years.

It has been a long journey. I started off as a group instructor, did kick boxing, cardio boxing, yoga, Tai chi, karate and kalari, but did not teach them formally.

Talking about the history of Stott Pilate, Anjali says: It was started by Joseph Pilate, who created this style 100 years ago. He died in 1967. His students did not copyright the technique but started training people.

The best thing about this style is that it allows you to refine the information of the past and incorporate it to the modern day research. The style is not stuck in a time zone. It is designed in such a way that it can be used as rehabilitation therapy, for athletes, geriatrics or anyone else.

The exercises are designed for each individual's need and strength. Stott Pilates is good for the elderly as they tend to lose focus with age and these exercises require them to concentrate. That's one of the reasons for Pilates' popularity.

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Going with the flow