Abortion cuts risk of later blues

Proceeding with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy is more likely to
cause depression than having an abortion, a controversial new study
has found.

Researchers in the US questioned 1247 women who aborted or delivered
an unwanted first pregnancy between 1970 and 1992. The women were
interviewed over several years.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that going
ahead with an unwanted pregnancy was more likely to lead to
depression.

"We conclude that, under present conditions of legal access to
abortion, there is no credible evidence that choosing to terminate an
unwanted first pregnancy puts women at higher risk of subsequent
depression than does choosing to deliver an unwanted first pregnancy,"
said Nancy Russo and Sarah Schmiege from Arizona State University's
department of psychology. They said pre-existing mental health
problems were a better predictor of depression, regardless of how the
pregnancy was resolved.

Cait Calcutt, the co-ordinator of Queensland-based counselling service
Children by Choice, agreed. "Whether women are likely to suffer
depression depends on if they've had depression previously," Ms
Calcutt said. "Also, there is a greater risk of a woman not coping
well if it is a wanted pregnancy that is terminated on the basis of
fetal abnormalities.

"However, evidence over the past 30 years shows terminating a
pregnancy does not increase the risk of depression and this study
confirms that."

The researchers also found that the women in the study who had an
abortion had a significantly higher level of education, higher income
and lower total family size, all of which were associated with a lower
risk of depression.

www.theaustralian.news.com.au

US Economy Grew at a Strong 3.8% Rate in 3rd Quarter

The economy picked up speed in the third quarter, the government
reported this morning, as consumers encouraged by heavy discounts
splurged on cars and trucks and all manner of other goods.

The gross domestic product rose at an annual pace of 3.8 percent from
July to September, up from 3.3 percent in the second quarter.
Consumers and the government spent more than they did earlier this
year, making up for weaker investment by businesses.

Economists were expecting the economy to grow at a 3.6 percent pace,
according to a survey by Bloomberg News.

"This is actually fairly amazing given all the uncertainty engendered
by the effect of the hurricanes on September data that has yet to be
reported," Joshua Shapiro, chief United States economist for MFR Inc.,
said in a research note to clients.

Personal consumption was up 3.9 percent and contributed about 2.73
percentage points of the GDP growth rate. Auto purchases contributed
0.62 percentage points and furniture and household equipment buying,
which appears to be fueled in part by the roaring housing market this
summer, chipped in 0.35 points.

The increases in spending came even as disposable personal income
growth slowed to 2.8 percent from 4.9 percent. Adjusted for inflation,
disposable income fell 0.9 percent after increasing 1.5 percent in the
second quarter. Some of the drop was attributable to lost rental and
business income on the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
lashed the region.

The GDP price index, a measure of inflation, rose 3.1 percent, up from
2.6 percent in the second quarter.

The personal saving rate fell into negative territory, minus 1.1
percent, from 0.1 percent. That indicates that people were paying for
their increased spending by borrowing more money.

As for businesses, fixed investments slowed to a 5.7 percent annual
growth rate, down from 9.5 percent in the second quarter. Export
growth also flattened out to 0.8 percent after a robust 10.7 percent
jump in the second quarter. Imports, which are a statistical drag on
the GDP, were unchanged in the quarter.

The strong GDP report and the rising inflation provide yet another
indication that the Federal Reserve will continue raising its
benchmark short-term interest rates, now at 3.75 percent, when it
meets again on Tuesday, economists said.

www.nytimes.com

Design, Ease Of Use Ring Up Cell Phone Sales

In a study measuring customer satisfaction, J.D. Power found that the
physical design of the wireless phone was most important, followed in
order by ease of use, features, durability, and battery life.

Look and feel is most important to mobile phone buyers, but the
ever-increasing complexity of the devices has made ease of operation a
close second, researcher J.D. Power and Associates said Thursday.

In a study measuring customer satisfaction, J.D. Power found that the
physical design of the wireless phone was most important, followed in
order by ease of operation, features, durability and battery life.

The results, based on responses of 17,701 U.S. households with people
who owned mobile phones for less than two years, showed a major shift
from 2003. Since then, the importance of design and operation has
increased dramatically.

Consumers are looking for phones that are easier to use because of the
growing complexity, as manufacturers add video and still cameras,
music players, and software to support various data and multimedia
services.

"There are so many more features and services now that (ease of
operation) is becoming much more important," Kirk Parsons, senior
director of J.D. Power's wireless services, said. "There'll be even
more features five years from now."

Consumer attraction to design is evident in how quickly sales of
clamshell-design phones have surpassed the candy bar-type handset. In
2002, 70 percent of mobile-phone users had the latter, and 7 percent
the former. This year, the numbers are 45 percent and 52 percent,
respectively.

"People are voting with their dollars," Parsons said.

Characteristics of the clamshell-design that consumers find attractive
are the smaller size, the sleeker look and lighter weight. As a
result, customer satisfaction is significantly higher with these
devices than with the candy bar-shaped phone.

Among the handset manufacturers, LG and Sanyo ranked highest in a tie
in overall customer satisfaction. LG performed particularly well in
physical design and battery life, J.D. Power said. Sanyo received the
highest ratings for operation, durability and features.

Other vendors that scored above the industry average were Samsung and
UTStarcom.

In other study findings, the average handset purchase price decreased
this year to $89 from $99 last year, and the average replacement cycle
for the typical handset was 18 months.

The feature on the phone used the most was the speakerphone, followed
in order by short-message services, gaming and cameras.

Half of all current wireless subscribers compared handset brands
before settling on one. Those who did their homework were more likely
to be satisfied overall with the product they bought.

In the future, Parson expects battery life to rank much higher with
consumers, who today have to trade features with more trips to the
re-charger.

"That's the main complaint that people have today," Parsons said.

www.informationweek.com

Taiwan plans trial production of anti-bird flu drug - health official

Taiwan is planning a trial production of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu
in December to prepare for a possible outbreak of bird flu here, a
health official said.

'We will continue efforts seeking a patent authorization from the
Swiss company Roche to mass manufacture Tamiflu but the trial
production will go ahead to meet emergency needs,' said Li Jih-heng
from the health department.

'The drug will be used to contain bird flu in the event of an
outbreak, not for commercial purposes,' Li told Agence France-Presse.

The health authorities have acquired enough material to begin trial
production for the treatment of 200,000 people in December, he said.

Taiwan is pushing for negotiations with Roche Holding AG and will also
discuss compensation if the drug is used prior to approval from the
firm, he said.

Health officials had earlier said Taiwan has acquired materials to
make enough Tamiflu to treat 2.3 mln people, or 10 pct of the
population.

Fears over a possible bird flu outbreak intensified here after eight
pet birds smuggled from China tested positive for the H5N1 virus last
week. All the smuggled birds had been destroyed.

www.forbes.com

Coach behind the wheel is best way to drive business

COACHING in business? Now we've all heard of a coach, in terms of a
football team, an athlete or even a swimmer, but for a business owner,
that's surely a new one.

But as business moves into the new millennium, and with the rapid
expansion of the communication and IT industry, it is becoming evident
that the world doesn't seem as big.

Markets are becoming global and competition is increasing as consumers
have greater choice. More and more business owners are looking for
that edge or the fine-tuning that can make the difference in their
businesses.

They are looking outside their normal resources for the information
and guidance they realise is needed for them to develop and educate
themselves and grow their own businesses.

In business, you're either growing or you're dying and a business will
only grow to the level of its owner's knowledge or beliefs. So the
business owners who succeed, are those who look to increase their own
knowledge and prepare to accept changes in the way they think.

To further emphasise this point, let's look at the different levels of
thinking in business.

Firstly, we have employees, thinking "how much do I get paid?", then
managers asking "how can I get more out of my staff?"

The next level is being "self" employed and their thinking is . . .
you guessed it "only I can do the job properly!" The next level is a
business owner who thinks "how can I get more money from this
business?" taking them from working "in" their business to working
"on" their business. This "leap" does involve a change in thinking and
in this process of change, having a coach or mentor is a valuable
ingredient.

The final level is the elusive entrepreneur, questioning "how can I
make more money with the money I have?"

These are of course general concepts, but it shows in business and in
life you can achieve much more by being open to learning, change and
the assistance of others.

What separates elite athletes from average athletes with great
potential? Only their thought processes, techniques, motivation and of
course a fantastic coach.

In business, it is the same. The business coach is not a consultant,
doing the work for the business owner. The coach teaches the owner how
to realise that potential, by giving the knowledge, the tools, the
vision, motivation and challenge to take the business and owner to the
next level, and to ultimately enjoy the financial and lifestyle
benefits that come with it.

How exactly? At Action International we have found most challenges in
business come down to just three areas - TIME, TEAM and MONEY.

Lets look at TIME first. A coach can help you work on the things to
get you out of your job and give you back your business and release
time to spend with your family, on your hobbies or take a holiday.

In order for you to have the time, you need to have the TEAM. Great
teams don't just happen. The coach can work on how to recruit, build
and motivate your team; on how to ensure they give the best customer
service - as good as you could give - every time, all the time. Then
the business can work without you.

What about MONEY - often the main reason for clients wanting to work
with a coach?

Action International has developed strategies that have been proven to
be effective in unlocking the potential within your business.

Focusing on sales, marketing and advertising, they provide the tools,
knowledge and systems for getting the business flying.

Business is simple, people are complicated and changing your business
can be the easy part - changing yourself and your team can be the
greatest hurdle.

The business coach will hold you to account for the goals you set and
will provide motivation, refine your skills, provide constructive
feedback and ensure that you attain the constant improvement and
success you deserve in your business.

Tony Hoskins, Action International business coach, is hosting a free
seminar next Wednesday evening at Edinburgh University's St Leonard's
Hall. For advance booking contact:
tonyhoskins@action-international.com.

www.business.scotsman.com

Japanese firm develops technology to transmit movie in 0.5 seconds

Kansai Electric has developed technology to transmit a two-hour movie
in 0.5 seconds, the world's fastest speed achieved with fibre-optic
cables in the field, it said.

A Japanese company has developed technology to transmit a two-hour
movie in 0.5 seconds, the world's fastest speed achieved with
fibre-optic cables in the field, it said.
.
Kansai Electric used fibre-optic cables on power-transmitting steel
towers to achieve the speed of one terabit per second, which is more
than 100 times faster than inter-city data transmissions currently in
use, a spokesman said.
.
The company, Japan's second-largest power supplier, has not decided
when to put the technology into practical use but said it was possible
that it would come in 2010 or later, he said.

www.todayonline.com