Using the genetic equivalent of an ancient thermometer, a team of scientists has determined that the Earth endured a massive cooling period between 500 million and 3.5 billion years ago.

Reporting today (Feb. 7) in the journal Nature, researchers from the University of Florida, the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution and the biotechnology company DNA2.0 describe how they reconstructed proteins from ancient bacteria to measure the Earth’s temperature over the ages.

ADA, Michigan, February 6 /PRNewswire/ --

Amway Corporation (Quixtar in the U.S. and Canada) has discovered an internet scam that uses a bogus Amway charity as a lure. Amway cautions individuals to be on the lookout for e-mails from a group calling itself the "Amway Children Charity Foundation".

Please be advised that this is not an Amway-sanctioned program and the name, program and people indicated in the e-mails are not related to Amway in any way and do not have Amway's authority or support.

Hybrid electric vehicles, using both conventional gasoline and stored electricity, are at best a stop-gap and, at worst, slow development of more sustainable fuel-cell powered electric vehicles, say researchers in France.

Jean-Jacques Chanaron Research Director within the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Chief Scientific Advisor at the Grenoble School of Management and Julius Teske at Grenoble, question strongly whether the current acceptance of hybrid vehicle technology particularly in the USA is in any way environmentally sustainable.

The researchers have analyzed the spread of this technology including the non-financial drivers for its adoption. They point out that most manufacturers are rapidly integrating hybrid electric vehicles into their technology portfolio, despite the absence of significant profitability.

COLUMBIA, Maryland, February 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Islandcom brings Multi-Technology Service to Turks and Caicos Islands

- Visit Tecore Networks at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Stand 8C78

AMSTERDAM, February 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- University Uses Scopus Data to Create Management Strategy Map

Scopus(R) today announced that Kyushu University is using its data to create and test QUEST-MAP, the management strategy map it developed to plan its reorganization. The University chose Scopus for its comprehensiveness and objective data, to help capture the current state of its research activities University wide. Scopus is now playing a pioneering role in enabling metric-based analysis of the University's research output, providing Kyushu University with the information it needs to strategize for accelerated growth.

SAN MATEO, California, February 7 /PRNewswire/ --

NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N), a leading vendor of on-demand, integrated business management software suites that include Accounting / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Ecommerce software for small and midsized businesses and divisions of large companies, announced today that Inside CRM ranked NetSuite President and Chief Executive Officer Zach Nelson as one of the Top 5 CRM Influencers of 2007.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021024/SFTH024LOGO)

Mr. Nelson, along with other industry leaders including Marc Benioff of salesforce.com and Greg Gianforte of RightNow, was recognized as one who changed the CRM software landscape in 2007.

LONDON and HANOVER, February 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Technology Website heise online Launched in UK

The German publishing company Heise Media Group is taking another step in the internationalisation of its online business with the launch of heise online UK on Wednesday, 6th of February. The website at www.heise-online.co.uk features a news service covering IT, telecommunications and technology, with more channels focussing on specialised subjects: heise Security, heise networks and heise Open Source.

TORONTO, Canada, February 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Belzberg Technologies Inc. (TSX -BLZ), announced today the introduction of Deep Book(TM), the first options trading platform that sweeps the aggregate volumes of all orders and price levels, for all options contracts trading on US options exchanges. With the ever-growing list of options contracts now trading in pennies, Belzberg already has demand from customers who are eager to take delivery of the system.

"Deep Book(TM) is the only product on the market that allows traders to properly handle large orders in the new penny-increment options environment," said Sid Belzberg, CEO of Belzberg Technologies.

LONDON, February 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- By Popular Demand - All Entries for the European Shared Services Excellence Awards May Now be Submitted Until 5pm GMT 7th March 2008

The application deadline for the European Shared Services Excellence Awards has just been extended by two weeks.