EL PASO, Texas, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ, NM: HELE), designer, developer and worldwide marketer of brand-name household, personal care and healthcare/home environment consumer products, today reported record first quarter net sales revenue and record operating income for the quarter ended May 31, 2012.

Fiscal first quarter net sales revenue increased 10.6 percent to $300,211,000 from $271,467,000 in the same period of the prior year.

Housewares. First quarter net sales revenue in the Housewares segment increased 13.8 percent to $60,249,000 compared to $52,946,000 for the same period last year, demonstrating the continued strength of our OXO brands.

Personal Care. First quarter net sales revenue in the Personal Care segment decreased 4.2 percent to $117,552,000 compared to $122,718,000 for the same period last year, resulting from a difficult retail environment in the U.S., Latin America and Europe, increased competitive trade promotional activities, product availability issues with certain suppliers, and the impact of foreign currency fluctuations.

Healthcare/Home Environment. First quarter net sales revenue in the Healthcare/Home Environment segment increased 27.8 percent to $122,410,000 compared to $95,803,000 for the same period last year, reflecting the addition of $24,291,000 of incremental sales from our recent acquisition of the PUR water filtration business on December 30, 2011.

Net income for the fiscal first quarter was $23,472,000, or $0.74 per fully diluted share, compared to $24,605,000, or $0.78 per fully diluted share, in the prior year first quarter, a decrease in net income of $1,133,000 or 4.6 percent.

Consolidated gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales revenue for the fiscal quarter ended May 31, 2012 decreased 0.1 percentage point to 40.4 percent compared to 40.5 percent for the same period last year. Our consolidated gross profit margin was unfavorably impacted by the effects of foreign currency exchange rates on sales, increased air freight costs incurred in the Personal Care segment, higher closeout sales in the Housewares segment and general product cost increases across all segments. These unfavorable impacts were mostly offset by the PUR water filtration acquisition.

Selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of net sales revenue increased by 0.8 percentage points to 30.0 percent for the three months ended May 31, 2012 compared to 29.2 percent for the same period last year. The factors that contributed to the increase in SG&A include additional advertising spending, transition service fees incurred in connection with the PUR acquisition, higher depreciation as a result of an upgrade of our enterprise resource planning system, higher amortization as a result of the PUR acquisition, the impact of revaluation losses from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, and higher incentive compensation expenses under new performance compensation arrangements.

Operating income for the fiscal first quarter was $31,148,000 compared to $30,654,000 in the same period last year, an increase of 1.6%. EBITDA without share-based compensation for the fiscal first quarter was $41,846,000 compared to $38,253,000 in the same period last year, an increase of $3,593,000 or 9.4%. The increases in operating income and EBITDA without share-based compensation reflect the impact of the PUR acquisition and organic growth in the Housewares segment and the Healthcare/Home Environment core business.

Net income and earnings per fully diluted share were unfavorably impacted by a year-over-year increase in tax expense of $1,624,000, to $4,387,000 for the fiscal quarter ended May 31, 2012, which equates to 15.7 percent of pretax earnings compared to 10.1 percent for the same period last year. The increase in tax expense is due to an increase in the proportion of taxable income in higher tax rate jurisdictions, resulting primarily from the Kaz and PUR acquisitions.

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Helen of Troy Limited Reports Record Net Sales Revenue And Record Operating Income For The First Quarter Of Fiscal 2013

Top industry leaders aim to transition demand and direction of commercial spaceflight

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -The 2012 International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS), the most relevant, high-value global space conference of the year, opens its registration today. Taking place Oct. 17-18 in Las Cruces, N.M., the event will bring together more than 450 people from across the space community, including thought leaders from private industry, government and academia, to collaborate on key issues and trends to help grow the industry and increase demand for commercial spaceflight. The event will also showcase cutting-edge technologies and emerging commercial applications for military, scientific and personal spaceflight.

"There is no event quite like ISPCS, where high-profile industry players explore complex topics before an intimate, captive audience eager to expand their knowledge and participate in vibrant dialogue," said Patricia Hynes, Ph.D., chair of ISPCS. "Over the years, we have built a close-knit community of thought leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, astronauts, space industry workers and more who make this event a top priority in their busy schedules. This year's ISPCS is truly going to be an event not to miss."

ISPCS 2012 is themed "Commercial Spaceflight: The Demand-The Direction." The event will feature 12 sessions, including keynote addresses from Roger Krone, president of network and space systems for The Boeing Company and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver.

In addition, more than 30 noted speakers will dive head first into compelling subjects surrounding commercial spaceflight, such as:

- How suborbital flight experiences can optimize future orbital mission success - NASA's Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative and the valuable impact of public/private partnerships on commercial space transportation - Protecting supply and demand for commercial spaceflight through cyber solutions

Some of the prestigious speakers and panelists confirmed for ISPCS 2012 include:

- Brigadier General Jim Jaeger (ret.) - Director, Commercial Cyber Systems, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems - Dave Mackay, chief pilot for Virgin Galactic - Major General Robert Dickman (ret.) - Executive Director. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Register online at http://www.ispcs.com/registration_2012.php. Early bird registration is available now through September 14, 2012, allowing attendees to save $200 on full conference registration. This year's registration process is also more personalized, designed to connect like-minded ISPCS attendees in order to spur partnerships and collaborations.

Sponsorships and exhibitor packages are still available.

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International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight Opens Registration

Ted Livingston didnt set out to build an instant messaging app. Like something from a John Lennon song, it happened while he was busy making other plans.

When he began Kik Interactive in 2009, his first idea wasnt instant messaging, but music. His company spent its first year building an application for finding and sharing music using a smartphone. Originally, the app was to be integrated with Research In Motion Inc.s BlackBerry Messenger and be designed just for the BlackBerry.

Mr. Livingston had an early introduction to the smartphone industry thanks to three terms as a co-op student at RIM while he was an engineering and mechatronics student at the University of Waterloo. Seeing that the technology focus was moving from the desktop computer to mobile devices, he started thinking about what desktop activity he could move to the smartphone.

This is where events started taking Kik in a different direction. First, Apple Inc.s iPhone and phones based on Google Inc.s Android operating system began gaining popularity. Kik realized that its application needed to work on those platforms, too. So the company built its own cross-platform technology.

Having done that, Kik was still waiting to settle licensing issues that would allow it to offer music sharing. But the technology it had developed could also be used for messaging company employees were already doing that internally so in October of 2010 Kik launched a cross-platform messaging tool, Kik Messenger.

It was totally reactionary, Mr. Livingston says of the series of moves that led to his company becoming an innovator in messaging. But they were good reactions.

Of course any phone can send text messages. What Kik Messenger adds to that is speed, the ability to see when your messages are received and read, and when someone is typing a reply. It also gives a view of the whole exchange rather than just individual messages, and the ability to send pictures and other content. And because Kik Messenger doesnt use the Short Message Service (SMS) infrastructure that ordinary text messages rely on, there is no per-message charge.

Apps from other developers build on Kik Messenger, allowing users to share video clips, music and drawings, inform each other of their locations and so on.

BlackBerry users have long been able to exchange messages instantly using BlackBerry Messenger, but only with other BlackBerry users. Kik Messenger works with iPhones, Android, Windows Mobile, Nokia Inc.s Symbian and all phones based on the Java programming language (which includes BlackBerries).

It hasnt all been smooth sailing, though. Late in 2010, RIM filed a lawsuit against Kik, alleging it infringed RIM patents and misused trademarks. Thanks to this still-unresolved dispute, Kiks app is not available from the BlackBerry App World online store. The Java version that supports BlackBerries is available through Kiks website, though.

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Success happens when you’re making other plans, entrepreneur finds

DETROIT, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Three short years after opening its digital doors, Detroit-based Quizzle LLC, the place for consumers to gain a complete understanding of their credit, has grown to more than one million users. To celebrate, the company is rewarding the people who make Quizzle a success -- the users -- with the "Quizzle One in a Million" challenge.

To enter, contestants are asked to visit http://www.quizzle.com/millionand submit a video telling Quizzle about a financial triumph, such as how they saved for their dream home, eliminated debt, finally bought that stunning engagement ring or collected enough for a tropical vacation. The winner of the contest, which ends September 3, 2012, will be chosen based on the quality of the story and the creativity put into the video. Seven semi-finalists will each win $500, and the grand prize winner will receive an additional $1,000 for a total of $1,500. Everyone, not just Quizzle members, is eligible to win.

"Our users are the reason for Quizzle's success; this exciting contest is a great way for us to show how much we appreciate them," said Todd Albery, CEO of Quizzle. "Getting your finances in order is hard work that is rarely celebrated -- until now."

At Quizzle, consumers learn the specific actions to improve their financial health with helpful tools and information, including a free credit report and score, credit improvement resources, home loan recommendations and debt management plans. In addition to offering their users a free credit report every six months, a rarity in the free credit score marketplace, Quizzle offers personalized recommendations that give users the knowledge they need to take control of, and improve, their credit. Consumers can sign up for a free Quizzle membership at http://www.quizzle.com.

"Education comes first at Quizzle, and it is our priority to give our users the most complete understanding of their credit, how it works, and how it affects their lives," added Albery. "More than 27 percent of Americans have never seen their credit report and score, and Quizzle is determined to change that."

Join the Quizzle Community:

Want to connect with other Quizzle fans and credit lovers on Facebook and Twitter? Log on to http://www.facebook.com/Quizzle, or follow @Quizzle to receive the latest credit and finance news, tips, offers and more.

About Quizzle:

Quizzle LLC is an innovative website that helps consumers get a complete understanding of their credit and have a little fun doing it. Located in Detroit, Quizzle.com began as a project inside of Quicken Loans, the nation's largest online home lender, and spun off into its own company in September 2009. At Quizzle, consumers learn the specific actions to improve their financial health with helpful tools and information, including a free credit report and score, credit improvement resources, personalized home loan recommendations and debt management plans. Quizzle ranked #1 in the Detroit Free Press' 'Top Workplaces of 2010' and 'Top Workplaces of 2011' lists.

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Personal Finance Site Quizzle LLC Surpasses 1 Million Users, Holds Contest to Celebrate

23andMe has named Andy Page to its board of directors. He currently serves as president of Gilt Group. Previously he served as chief operating and financial officer at PlayPhone; chief financial officer and senior vice president of business strategy at StubHub; and has held senior executive positions at Panasas, ONI Systems, and Robertson Stephens & Company.

Sera Prognostics has named Sherree Frazier to be VP of sales and marketing. Frazier will head the company's commercial activities, including development and launch of the ProNid diagnostic test to predict preterm birth risk. Frazier formerly was senior director of molecular diagnostics and head of North American clinical sales at Qiagen, and prior to that she was women's health manager at Adeza Biomedical, before it was acquired by Cytyc.

Douglas Kell has been reappointed as chief executive and deputy chair of the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said this week.

Kell has held the top post at BBSRC since 2008, and before that he was director of the Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology. He also has served as director of research at the Institute of Biological Sciences at the University of Aberystwyth, and he was a founding director of Aber Instruments. His research has included a range of topics including systems biology, analytical chemistry, and biochemical and data modeling.

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Personal Genome Project Members Report on Genome Interpretation Resource

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/wsrx7g/emerging_opportuni) has announced the addition of the "Emerging Opportunities in the Indian Personal Loan Industry: Market Size, Strategies, Products, and Competitive Landscape: Market Profile" report to their offering.

The report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Indian personal loan industry, including:

- Current and forecast values for the personal loan industry in India

- Comprehensive analysis of the personal loan industry attractiveness and key trends and drivers supporting the growth of the consumer finance market in India

- Detailed analysis of the marketing strategies adopted by banks in India for selling personal loans

- Detailed analysis of the challenges affecting the personal loan industry

- Company profiles of the major banks in the personal loan industry in India

Reasons to Buy:

- Make strategic business decisions using historic and forecast market data related to the personal loan industry in India

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Research and Markets: Emerging Opportunities in the Indian Personal Loan Industry: Market Size, Strategies, Products ...

OPINION: In higher education, weve been talking about e-learning for years. But, in practice, we have mostly been teaching in the same way just through different mediums; that is, delivering one-way lectures online, posting digital lecture notes and occasionally innovating with quizzes.

Instead of students passively learning from a lecturer, imagine immersive online serious games where students can learn through practice.

Virtual patients now allow medical students at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to develop diagnostic and clinical skills through online scenarios. They can learn from their mistakes with no adverse consequences for real life patients and without the need to be at the university.

This is the kind of big leap in higher education that adaptive e-learning can provide.

New generation of thinking

Its funny to think that the same basic idea that lets online gamers score points by shooting weapons in sci-fi worlds is the same that can now help medical students learn how to save real lives online.

Many of the next generation of our graduates will have honed their skills in simulated learning environments in much the same way that pilots train on simulators before they fly.

New technology is enabling students to learn in an interactive way, which will leave the YouTube clips and web course papers of todays online education light years behind.

Rapidly evolving online technologies, ubiquitous connectivity and powerful mobile devices mean educators all over the world are now scrambling to understand the profound disruption web-based mass online learning is ushering in.

And Australian universities are no exception. At UNSW, were starting to use an Adaptive e-Learning Platform which allows students to learn exactly the same things they did in a conventional laboratory, but more conveniently and cheaply. Teachers can now create their own lessons in interactive virtual worlds with different online scenarios.

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Online universities are the future of higher education

Ben Cousins ... 'I do miss it, I miss going to the footy club every day and knocking around with your mates.' Source: News Limited

Troubled former AFL great Ben Cousins has broken his silence after his latest run in with the law and spoken of his hope for a future coaching role with a footy club.

Cousins was last month fined $500 for possession of methamphetamine after an incident at Esperance Airport in Western Australia on March 27.

The one time West Coast Eagles star was in possession of 4.56g of methamphetamine when he flew into the town to return to a drug rehabilitation facility.

He was also fined a total of $300 for possession of cannabis and a smoking utensil.

An upbeat Cousins, 33, told Seven News he still loved football, missed being involved in the game, and said a future in coaching appealed to him.

"I do miss it, I miss going to the footy club every day and knocking around with your mates,'' he said.

"I guess the next best thing is probably having a coaching involvement with one of the sides.

"But whether that happens we'll have to wait and see.''

Perth-based Cousins, who has had a long and well-publicised battle with drugs, said he was trying yet again to rebuild his life.

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Cousins eyes coaching role

Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Mike Pollitt is pleased with his new 12-month deal.

The Farnworth-born custodian has refused to confirm his latest deal will be his last, although he does admit he is already planning for life after playing.

"I'm no spring chicken anymore, I'm 40 now, and those things are at the back of mind increasingly," he told Wigan Evening Post.

"When I first joined Wigan, at 33, I thought I'd give it two years and then see what happens - and seven or eight years on I'm still here.

"Ideally I want to stay in the game when I do call it quits, but all I'm thinking about at the moment is keeping on playing for now.

"I've done my Level 3 coaching now, next up is the A-Licence, and I am enjoying it.

"It's a lot different from being a player - instead of just turning up for training, a coach has to plan the session, keep it fresh and so on.

"There's obviously a lot more responsibility being a coach, but it's something I'm looking forward to pursuing one day."

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Wigan keeper Pollitt has coaching plans

NEW YORK, July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --David J. Pecker, Chairman, President and CEO of American Media, Inc. (AMI), today announced the appointment of Dr. James Stray-Gundersen, M.D., as Executive Fitness Director of SHAPE, the leading active women's lifestyle magazine and global authority on fitness, nutrition and health.

A member of the American College of Sports Medicine, Dr. Stray-Gundersen is a world-renowned expert in the areas of exercise and sport performance, altitude training, anti-blood doping efforts, recovery and nutrition. For over 30 years, he has dedicated much of his career to working with numerous Olympic athletes across various sports, from skiing and speed skating to cycling, running and swimming. He holds multiple patents, including one for a fluid- and electrolyte-replacement beverage, and has also pioneered Human Performance Centers that focus on exercise and nutrition. Some of Dr. Stray-Gundersen's additional accomplishments include being the recipient of nine grants and awards, receiving merits from the Olympic Committee and the American Heart Association, and authoring more than 75 health and fitness articles in leading medical and scientific journals.

"Naming Dr. James Stray-Gundersen as the Executive Fitness Director of SHAPE is the first step in a major investment in the revitalization of the brand," says David Pecker, President, Chairman and CEO of AMI. "His extensive credentials, vast medical experience, and strong roots in sports will help take SHAPE to the next level."

Dr. Stray-Gundersen will be working hand-in-hand with the SHAPE's Editor-In-Chief, Tara Kraft, to continue to produce compelling editorial that's jam-packed with the latest fitness news and trends, plus dynamic workouts.

"At SHAPE it is our goal to deliver cutting-edge editorial," says Kraft. "With Dr. Stray-Gundersen's wealth of fitness, nutrition and health knowledge, as well as his incredible experience with Olympians, professional athletes and military Special Forces, I have no doubt that he will be a great asset to our team and the SHAPE brand."

"It is truly an honor to be named Executive Fitness Director of SHAPE Magazine, a landmark wellness and lifestyle guide," says Dr. Stray-Gundersen. "I consider it a privilege to work for the ultimate women's lifestyle publication."

About American Media, Inc.:

American Media, Inc. owns and operates the leading print and digital celebrity and health and fitness media brands in the United States. AMI's titles include Star, OK!, National Enquirer, Globe, Soap Opera Digest, Shape, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health. AMI also manages 18 different digital sites, including RadarOnline.com, OKmagazine.com, Shape.com, MensFitness.com, MuscleandFitness.com and FitPregnancy.com. AMI's magazines have a combined total circulation of almost 7 million and reach more than 55 million men and women each month. AMI's digital properties reach an average of 10 million unique visitors and 80 million page views monthly.

About SHAPE:

SHAPE, the flagship brand of AMI's Women's Active Lifestyle Group, reaches 6.2 million active readers and is number one in circulation, ad pages and worldwide editions. SHAPE connects with women throughout their daily lives with its innovative brand extensions, including online, email, mobile efforts and award-winning consumer events.

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SHAPE Magazine Names Dr. James Stray-Gundersen, M.D. Executive Fitness Director