“We are truly honored to have received this recognition from Electronic House magazine,” stated Alec Chanin, president of KEF America. “The KEF Universal Wireless System is the perfect addition to any home theater where consumers are looking for a stylish solution that eliminates unsightly cables and provides high-quality wireless surround sound with remarkable ease of installation.”

The engineers at KEF set out to eliminate one of the most frustrating necessities in consumer electronics – the speaker wire. Too often a challenge for homeowners reluctant to compromise their room’s décor with ugly cables running across the floor to the rear speakers, the KEF Wireless System utilizes proprietary technology to deliver CD-quality audio without the burden of drilling holes through the walls or tripping over long unsightly cables.

The KEF Wireless System, consisting of two receivers and a transmitter, has been designed to fit a variety of applications. In order to achieve robust audiophile-grade sound, KEF has developed a leading-edge 2.4GHz wireless transmission technology that uses the most advanced error-protection and sophisticated adaptive frequency-hopping to ensure an interference-free signal. This proprietary technology is pre-emptive and will change channels automatically to a pre negotiated frequency (within the best available band) before any errors start to occur. CD-quality audio won’t be affected by microwave ovens, cordless phones, or LAN routers. Homeowners have the flexibility of placing their rear speakers anywhere they want as well as moving them to different locations if desired.

Winning products were selected by Electronic House magazine editors based on reviews released throughout the year, product demos, installer feedback, innovative features and overall value. The winning products will be featured in the September issue of Electronic House magazine and at www.electronichouse.com

Talking Points:

* KEF’s Universal Wireless System has been named “2007 Product of the Year” by Electronic House magazine.

* The Universal Wireless System has been designed to transform any traditional speaker system into a wireless setup.

* CD-quality sound via leading-edge 2.4GHz wireless transmission technology using advanced error-protection and sophisticated adaptive frequency-hopping ensure optimum sound quality.

* Robust, interference-free audio reproduction, unaffected by devices such as wireless LAN routers, digital cordless telephones or microwave ovens.

* The Universal Wireless Kit (two receivers and a transmitter) is available now and retails at $599.99.

Supporting Phase Two Of MaRS Discovery District Creates Opportunities For Ontarians

TORONTO - The expansion of the MaRS Discovery District will continue to build Ontario's culture of innovation, Premier Dalton McGuinty said June 26, 2007.

"MaRS is our gateway to innovation in Ontario, our calling card to the world as a leading example of innovation," said Premier McGuinty.

"Our government is committed to research and innovation. Ontario's ability to innovate, to be first out of the gate with a new idea, and our ability to turn ideas into products will make Ontario a leader in the 21st century global economy."

The McGuinty government is the single-largest public sector contributor to MaRS. Since 2003, the government has invested almost $46 million in MaRS to help support the discovery, financing and marketing of new ideas all in the same building.

"The success of MaRS is based in large part on partnerships," said MaRS CEO Dr. Ilse Treurnicht. "Our partnership with the Ontario government has allowed us to create a world-leading commercialization facility that brings together researchers, entrepreneurs and investors from across Ontario's growing life sciences and other technology sectors to build the next generation of high-growth companies."

The Premier announced a $16-million investment last year to support the second phase of MaRS. This expansion will double the facility's capacity, adding 900,000 square feet to accommodate scientists, entrepreneurs and other collaborators in the MaRS community. Phase Two is expected to be complete in early 2010.

Over five years, the government will be investing nearly $1.7 billion in research and commercialization.

"Ontario has the people, talent and commitment to be a global leader in research and innovation," said Premier McGuinty. "That's why we not only want to make innovation possible - we want to make it inevitable."

People Prefer Self-Service to Manage a Growing Number of Everyday Transactions

WASHINGTON - On-the-go consumers prefer to handle an increasing number of transactions themselves through self-service devices, and are more likely to do business with companies that make it easier to for them to do so, according to a major new study conducted by BuzzBack Market Research for NCR Corporation (NYSE:NCR).

More than three out of four (77 percent) of the 633 U.S. and Canadian consumers polled said they are more likely to do business with organizations that offer self-service, and 92 percent value combining mobile devices - like mobile phones or PDAs - with the Internet and self-service kiosks or ATMs to improve their overall service experience.

"People want more control of their interaction with your business," said NCR President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Nuti. "Why wait for assistance with transactions they can more quickly and easily do themselves at guaranteed quality? Consumers increasingly expect to be served where and when they choose, and are putting pressure on businesses and government agencies to deliver seamless service through the integration of self-serve devices, including the Internet, mobile devices and multipurpose kiosks."

Some of the more frequently cited transactions respondents said they would like to see automated through multipurpose kiosks include: renewing drivers' licenses or vehicle registration (76 percent); checking the status of items ordered online (71 percent); purchasing transit or airline tickets (62 percent); making photo copies (57 percent); and ordering flowers, books and other items (54 percent). The top-three locations where respondents would like to see this type of convenience are in airports (70 percent); malls (65 percent); and grocery stores (55 percent).

Respondents also showed a strong preference for self-service when it comes to printing on-the-go. An overwhelming majority (85 percent to 94 percent) of respondents indicated they would prefer to use self-service to print items such as maps, tickets, schedules, coupons and other items while banking, shopping, travelling, dining or visiting a medical clinic.

The research also examined the extent to which consumers would prefer to wait for personal assistance when banking, shopping, dining, travelling or visiting a physician. Results showed that while respondents prefer to manage the majority of activities on their own, a significant number still prefer person-to-person interaction for complex transactions such as obtaining mortgage or investment advice.

"Proper deployment of self-service will allow business to focus personal assistance where consumers find it most valuable," said Nuti. "Companies that want to remain competitive in the future will need to understand how to deploy self-service to maximize convenience and provide the flexibility required by consumers."

Industry-specific consumer preferences for self-service:

Banking:
-- transferring funds - 78 percent
-- printing statements, mortgage or loan documents - 77 percent
-- dispensing stamps - 75 percent

Travel:
-- printing maps or directions - 94 percent
-- checking departure or arrival status - 88 percent
-- obtaining alerts such as weather delays or flight changes - 88 percent

Dining:
-- accessing entertainment content - 83 percent
-- getting information such as menu, prices, directions and reviews - 78 percent
-- receiving promotions and tendering coupons - 72 percent

Health care:
-- printing directions for finding your way around a hospital or clinic - 85 percent
-- paying for services - 83 percent
-- printing personal medical or pharmaceutical information - 77 percent

Retail:
-- printing loyalty points or coupons - 89 percent
-- printing food and wine information and recipes - 88 percent
-- picking up, signing-in or checking the status of merchandise ordered online - 84 percent

Lodging:
-- printing maps, directions, theater tickets or coupons - 91 percent
-- accessing information on amenities, prices, location and attractions - 73 percent
-- receiving alerts regarding room readiness, upgrades or changes - 68 percent

Most consumers showed a preference for serving themselves across a number of industries. However, results indicate many respondents prefer to obtain personal assistance with more consultative, financial transactions. For example, 74 percent said they would prefer to speak with someone to obtain investment advice, 73 percent would prefer this option for purchasing insurance, and 69 percent would like assistance obtaining mortgage advice.

Inmates are often released from jail with no other choice but to live on the streets or in homeless shelters because of a lack of discharge planning and support from the institutions, says a U of G sociologist.

Out of the sample of more than 100 male inmates and releasees interviewed, Prof. Bill O’Grady found that at least half had experienced homelessness.

“There is a direct relationship between incarceration and homelessness,” said O’Grady, who worked on the study with Steve Gaetz of York University’s faculty of education and John Howard Society of Ontario researchers. “It’s a vicious cycle. Homelessness can lead to incarceration, and incarceration can lead to homelessness.”

Funded by the National Homelessness Initiative, O’Grady and Gaetz conducted a study including interviews with convicts incarcerated in provincial jails. It also involved interviews with inmates who had recently been released and were living with friends, had found their own accommodations or were living on the streets. About 28 per cent of all the participants in the study didn’t have their own home before their arrest.

O’Grady said half of the people interviewed reported that they didn’t receive any type of help in preparing for their return to society. The province does have a mandate to promote successful reintegration including in-prison discharge planning, but for whatever reason, “there is a lack of congruence between policy and practice,” he said.

“If inmates don’t receive discharge planning, they are released from jail without housing, without employment and without a lot of family support. Sometimes all they have are the coveralls they are wearing and a bus token. They end up turning to crime just to survive.”

The inmates interviewed who did receive discharge planning often received the service as part of their addiction counselling program, “which means if you don’t see an addiction counsellor, you lose your chance of getting lined up with housing,” he said.

O’Grady said the system is also failing those who haven’t been convicted but are waiting months in custody for their next court date. This group makes up 60 per cent of jail populations in Ontario, and they aren’t even entitled to discharge planning unless they are eventually convicted and serve time. After spending months behind bars, these people often lose their home and face the possibility of living on the streets, he said.

In addition to housing, discharge planning can involve setting inmates up with welfare, finding them a source of employment, connecting them with family or giving them clothing, transportation and money for food, he said.

As part of the report to the National Homelessness Initiative, O’Grady recommends the government put measures in place to ensure that all inmates receive discharge planning before their release date. He also recommends that discharge planning be extended to people who are not convicted but kept in custody for months awaiting their court date.

“It’s in the best interest of the public,” he said. “They are eventually going to get out, and if they get out with little or no discharge planning, then a lot of them will end up reoffending.”

The Highly Anticipated 'Turn It On Again' Tour Kicks Off In Europe. Heading to Toronto on Sept. 7th

LOS ANGELES - The moment that Genesis fans have been waiting 15 years for, finally arrived this week, as Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford reunited for Turn It On Again - the tour. The band will trek through 10 countries across Europe before North America, kicking off September 7th in Toronto. A capacity audience of 48,000 in Hamburg's AOL Arena rocked the night away as Genesis powered their way through a set that spanned this iconic band's incredible repertoire. << >>

The sheer scale of the set for Turn It On Again-the tour is hugely impressive and a visual feast for fans, with the largest screen ever used at a concert spanning a 65 foot width and rising to 12 feet. The elite British band has achieved global success with over 130 million albums sold. Formed in 1966 by Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips, while still at school, the most successful incarnation was the late 70's early 80's line-up of Phil Collins taking on lead vocals and sharing song writing, with Rutherford and Banks.

The Duke album topped the UK charts in 1980 with the hit single, Turn It On Again monopolizing the airwaves. In 1987, Genesis played sold out stadium shows across the globe, including four consecutive Wembley Stadiums.

Statscan - A growing proportion of fathers have taken leave from work for the birth or adoption of a child since 2001, although they have been returning to work sooner than mothers, according to a new report.

The report, based on data from the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS), analyzes the supports and services families use during key transitions in their life, such as a having or adopting a child or going through a separation or a divorce.

While the proportion of women who took leave for a child's birth or adoption remained stable between 2001 and 2006, the proportion of men who did so increased. Most fathers returned to work within the month following the child's birth or adoption, well before mothers.

The vast majority (86%) of those parents who took leave from work for a child's birth or adoption reported that they were satisfied with their return to the job.

Nevertheless, women who return to work after maternity leave undergo far more stress than men who take similar time off. In fact, 6 out of every 10 mothers (62%) reported that the transition between leave and work was stressful. One-fifth described it as very stressful. On the other hand, most fathers (65%) rated the transition as not too stressful, or even not stressful at all.

GSS data showed that nearly half of parents cited balancing job and family responsibilities as the main source of stress associated with their return to work.

The report examined how two groups of people made key transitions in their lives. One consisted of people who had had a child, or had adopted one, in the five years prior to the survey. The other consisted of those who had had a separation or divorce.

In both cases, it explored the use of formal social support programs in aiding transitions. In the case of divorce or separation, it looked at the challenge of establishing parental care arrangements for children.

Over one-third of parents who had recently been separated or divorced when the survey was taken did not have agreements in place for child support or for residential custody. Among those who did, many worked out arrangements between themselves without lawyers, judges or other professionals.

The report found that, between 2001 and 2006, just under 2.0 million people went through a separation or divorce. About half left a marriage, while half left a common-law relationship. Moreover, 7 out of 10 faced these events for the first time.

These data reflect that, although common-law relationships are less frequent than marriages, representing only 17% of all couples in 2006, they have a higher rate of break-up. On average, the common-law unions that ended were of shorter duration than the marriages that ended.

Over 3 million had a child, or adopted one, since 2001

According to the report, more than 3.2 million Canadians aged 15 or over, about 12% of the total population, had a child, or adopted one, between 2001 and 2006. A little more than 9 out of 10 of these children were born or adopted into a two-parent family.

Two-thirds of all recent parents in both single and two-parent families received at least one type of formal service or support, such as parenting skills, breastfeeding support services, nutrition information and home care.

The report found that parents increasingly made use of formal services. In 2001, about 59% who had or adopted a child reported receiving some type of formal support. Five years later, this proportion had increased to 71%.

Just under half (48%) requested services related to breastfeeding, while about 44% sought help with questions about nutrition. Four-fifths of first-time parents sought help, compared with only about half of those who already had a child.

The GSS showed that 9 out of 10 Canadians who received such services rated the support as helpful.

Increase in the proportion of fathers taking leave from their job

Among respondents who were paid workers or self-employed before they had a child, or adopted one, between 2001 and 2006, two-thirds (65%) took a paid or unpaid leave from their job.

The vast majority of mothers, nearly 90%, took a leave of absence from work, a proportion that remained stable during the five-year period.

After government increased eligibility for benefits and extended parental leave in 2001 to 35 weeks, the proportion of fathers who took any kind of leave for the birth or adoption of their child, including parental leave, rose from 38% in 2001 to 55% five years later.

The more than one-third (35%) of parents who did not take leave, either paid or unpaid, from their job cited one or more reasons for not doing so. About 4 in 10 reported they could not afford it and 37% cited working conditions that did not allow them to take it.

Among men, factors related to finances, employment and career played a dominant role in the decision not to take leave. In fact, men were twice as likely as women to cite their financial situation as a reason.

More than three-quarters of parents returned to the labour force

Following a more or less prolonged leave of absence to care for a child between 2001 and 2006, more than 77% of parents returned to the labour market, the report found.

Most fathers returned to work in the month following the child's birth or adoption. Nearly half of mothers returned to work between 12 to 47 months following the child's arrival.

However, almost one-quarter (23%) of parents who took leave did not reintegrate into the labour market, the report found.

Among those who decided to stay at home, more than half (54%) said their decision was motivated by a desire to raise their child themselves. Many parents indicated that they stayed at home because of a subsequent pregnancy.

Nearly 24% of parents who did not return to work said it was for financial reasons, stating that child care services were too expensive to be worth the cost. These parents were likely to be working part-time and to have accumulated less seniority in their most recent job worked. About 8% of parents cited professional reasons.

Divorce and separation: Common law couples more likely to break up

Of the 2 million Canadians who ended a union between 2001 and 2006, just over half underwent a separation or divorce and just under half ended a common-law relationship. This was despite the fact that common-law relationships represented 17% of all couples in 2006.

Age is a factor for break-ups. Nearly 60% of persons who ended a common-law relationship did so before the age of 30, compared to only 12% of the divorced and 15% of persons separated from a marriage.

People in common-law relationships that ended between 2001 and 2006 had remained together for an average of 4.3 years. This was 10 years less than the average duration of 14.3 years for marriages that ended.

Majority of common-law partners do not use formal services during separation

The report found that an individual's use of formal services for separation and divorce varied substantially according to the type of union they were ending.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of those who left a common-law relationship between 2001 and 2006 did not make use of any formal program or service during the breakup. This compares with only 31% of people who recently separated from a marriage, and 18% of those recently divorced.

More specifically, three-quarters (76%) of people who divorced used legal services, including lawyers, alternative dispute resolution such as mediation or conciliation, and family law information centres, compared with just 25% of individuals who left a common-law union.

In terms of social support services, 39% of people who divorced used some form of them, compared with 19% of individuals dissolving a common-law relationship.

People under the age of 30 were less likely to use services regardless of whether they were leaving a marriage or a common-law relationship. Only 3 in 10 used services of some kind compared to 7 in 10 people aged 30 and over. A somewhat greater proportion of women (60%) than men (53%) made use of legal, social or other services.

The report showed mixed results for parents as they tried to make arrangements for their children in the aftermath of a separation or divorce. While a majority had agreements for child support, residential custody, or major decision-making for children, 20% did not.

Among those who did have agreements, over one-third worked them out between themselves, without lawyers, judges or other professionals. Non-users were sometimes unaware of services, but among those who were aware, most (73%) declared that they did not need any. Others were prevented from finding solutions as a result of persistent conflict with their former partners or dealing with an absent or uninvolved parent.

Financial arrangements for children were the most likely to involve legal input, either from a lawyer or court services such as mediation, or from a hearing or a trial with a judge. Even so, 34% of financial support arrangements for children were based on verbal agreements or on written agreements made without legal counsel.

Note to readers

This release is based on the report Navigating Family Transitions: Evidence from the General Social Survey, available today.

Between June and October 2006, the General Social Survey interviewed 23,608 people aged 15 or older living in a private household in the provinces.

The survey collected detailed data on various aspects of the family, namely the transitions experienced by respondents: leaving the parental home, marrying or entering into a common-law union, having or adopting children, moving or buying a home, and separating or getting divorced.

The survey also addressed important topics about the family, such as assistance and care provided to relatives as well as work-family balance.

Power Big Meet July 5-7 in Vasteras, Sweden, celebrates 30th anniversary this year expecting 15 000 cars and more visitors than ever before from 40 countries. The biggest news so far is the collaboration with the high-profile car collector and talk show host Mr Jay Leno.

Jay Leno, the owner of Big Dog Garage, one of the world's largest private car collections is this year instituting the Jay Leno Car Award for Power Big Meet. The prize will be appointed by representatives from Leno's Big Dog Garage and presented by his mechanic Per Blixt.

Mr. Leno himself will not be able to be on location due to his demanding work schedule, but will follow the event from L.A. and send a greeting by a pre recorded video message.

- Per and I often speak about Power Big Meet, so I'm happy to be a part of it. Unfortunately I won't be able to be on location this year, but I'll follow the event from L.A and make sure Per and the guys does a good job appointing the winner of the award, say Jay Leno

- I've been to Power Big Meet many times times and it's really the place to be for those of us who likes classic cars. There's a lot of prestige in the awards, especially for us swedes who are well known worldwide for our skillfulness in car restoration and automotive engineering, say Per Blixt.

2007 is the first year with press accreditation. To enroll, please visit www.careofhaus.se/powermeet, For more information, write to Jenny Hahre, press officer, jenny.hahre@vasteras.se or call +46 213 901 04, +46 739 106 469.

The Big Dog Garage

Started in 1992 when Jay acquired his first garage building adjacent to the Burbank, California airport to store his small collection of cars and motorcycles that outgrew the garage at his home. The Big Dog Garage now holds Jay Lenos 98 cars and 83 motorcycles, The oldest a car is a 1906 Stanley Steamer. All the cars and bikes are driven on a regular basis as Jay drives a different car every day. The garage has a team of mechanics and experts who daily runs the CNC equipped machine shop, a sheet metal shop including a water jet cutter, a welding shop with TIG and MIG capabilities, a paint department with a State of the Art Spray Booth.

About Vasteras

Västerås is Sweden's sixth largest city. It's situated in the heart of the well-populated Mälardalen region, beside a lake and just a one-hour drive from Stockholm, the capital. In 2006, Västerås grew the most - of all cities in Sweden. Västerås is renowned for its business enterprises and entrepreneurs - it's the birthplace of the H&M retail chain and the ABB company's hometown (ABB is a global leader in power and automation technologies). Mikael Genberg's (local artist) surreal art installations and hotels have attracted worldwide attention.

Despite the stereotypical image of nonchalant, lounging teenagers, many teens carry a heavier load than people give them credit for, according to a new study.

In fact, compared with nine other countries (with time-use surveys) from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canadian teens ranked first in terms of average hours spent on unpaid and paid labour during the school week.

Furthermore, averaged over the week, including school and non-school days, teens did an average of 7.1 hours of unpaid and paid labour per day in 2005. This 50-hour workweek was virtually the same as that of adult Canadians aged 20 to 64 doing the same activities.

The study, published today in the online edition of Perspectives on Labour and Income, is based on time use data from the 2005 General Social Survey. The data allowed a detailed examination of one 24-hour day.

The study found that the vast majority of teens aged 15 to 19 living at home with their parents attend school. In 2005, these teenagers did an average of 9.2 hours of school work, homework, paid work and housework on school days and 3.5 hours on weekends.

The time teens spent on these skill-enhancing activities is arguably a positive investment in their long-term personal and economic well-being. However, not surprisingly, the relatively high workloads involved do result in some stress.

For example, 16% considered themselves workaholics, 39% felt under constant pressure to accomplish more than they could handle, and nearly two-thirds (64%) cut back on sleep to get things done.

Also, only 45% of teens with high stress reported being very happy and/or very satisfied with life, significantly lower than that of teens with little or no stress (around 72%).

After school attendance, homework was the most time-consuming unpaid activity for teens, with 60% doing an average of 2 hours and 20 minutes every day.

Family environment is a strong predictor of this activity. Teens were significantly more likely to do homework and more of it if both parents had a university education, if they lived in a two-parent intact family (where a divorce has not taken place), and if their parents were foreign-born.

Interestingly, boys with Canadian-born parents did significantly less homework than girls in similar families, and less than either girls or boys with immigrant parents. Also important, teens with demanding paid jobs (20 hours or more per week) did significantly less homework than those not employed.

Age and type of day (school versus non-school) were strongly significant predictors of teens being involved in daily paid work. Paid work was the only productive activity that increased over time.

Although some studies have shown part-time student employment to be positively linked with personal responsibility, dependability and future productivity, an excess of it can interfere with school. Furthermore, this study shows that teenagers with long paid workweeks reported higher levels of personal stress.

Nearly 4 in 10 teens did some housework daily, averaging about one hour. Although overall gender differences have narrowed over the past 20 years, in 2005, girls with immigrant parents did significantly more housework than boys in such families.

Time spent on housework was also higher in rural areas and in two-parent blended families.

Men and women whose marriage has broken up have a higher risk of being depressed than people who remained with their spouse, according to a new study. However, men appear to take the separation harder.

The study, based on longitudinal data from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), examined the association between marital dissolution and subsequent depression.

Both men and women had higher odds of having an episode of depression in the two years following the end of a marriage or common-law relationship, compared with people who stayed with their spouse.

The study determined that men who experienced a break-up were more at risk of depression than were women.

It also found that marital break-up was independently associated with depression. That is, while other factors that often accompany a break-up were associated with an increased risk of depression, they did not completely account for it.

These other factors included a change in household income, in social support, or in the number of children in the household. The association between marital break and depression persisted even when these events were taken into account.

The study found that most people who experienced depression in the post-relationship period were no longer depressed four years after the break-up. But for a sizeable minority, depression remained a problem.

Marital dissolution and depression

The NPHS, which began in 1994/1995, collects information about the health of Canadians every two years.

Since 1994/1995, an average of just over 4% of people aged 20 to 64 who had been married or living with a common-law partner at the time of their first interview were no longer in a relationship when they were re-interviewed two years later.

The survey found that 12% of people whose relationship had ended reported a new episode of depression. This compared with 3% among people who remained in a relationship.

Men aged 20 to 64 who had divorced or separated were six times more likely to report an episode of depression than were men who remained married.

Women who had undergone a marital break-up were 3.5 times more likely to have had a bout of depression than were their counterparts who were still in a relationship.

Life changes disruptive

The end of a relationship brings other disruptive life changes, which, in themselves, might increase the risk of depression.

For example, financial difficulties often follow marital dissolution, particularly for women. In fact, 43% of women who went through a break-up had a substantial drop in their household income, compared with 15% of men.

Men and women who divorced or separated were more likely than those who remained in a relationship to report a decline in social support. Whereas 19% of men and 15% of women who were no longer with their spouse reported a drop in social support, the figures were 6% and 5% respectively for those who remained with a partner.

Research has suggested that for men the loss of custody or a change in parental responsibilities is one of the most stressful aspects of a break-up. According to the analysis of NPHS data, 34% of men, compared with 3% of women, whose relationship ended experienced the departure of children from their household.

Marital breakdown independently associated with depression

However, even when taking these other factors into account, the end of a relationship was independently associated with the risk of depression among both sexes.

The odds of subsequent depression for men whose relationship ended were still 3.3 times higher than those of men who remained with their spouse. Among women, the odds of depression after a break-up were about 2.4 times higher.