Microbes that break down oil and petroleum are more diverse than we thought, suggesting hydrocarbons were used as an energy source early in Earth's history, according to a presentation at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting.

These microbes can change the composition of oil and natural gas and can even control the release of some greenhouse gases. Understanding the role of microbes in consuming hydrocarbons may therefore help us access their role in the natural control of climate change.

CLOSTER, New Jersey, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Support for Parallels Virtuozzo Containers extends Ericom's lead as a platform-agnostic solution

Ericom Software, a global leader in Application Access and Virtualization solutions, today announced that Ericom's PowerTerm(R) WebConnect now provides centrally managed access to virtual desktops running on Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, an OS-level server virtualization technology that partitions the underlying operating system into multiple isolated containers, so that many workloads or virtual desktops can be run simultaneously on the same physical box.

DROITWICH, England, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Sawston Village College (UK) adopts Ericom's application access solution - The Alternative to Citrix - as an integral component in modernising the college's ICT infrastructure

Ericom(R) Software is pleased to announce that Sawston Village College has selected PowerTerm(R) WebConnect -- The Alternative to Citrix -- to deliver a secure remote access solution to its staff and students.

DELFT, The Netherlands, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Dutch Market Leader Winner of Complex Contract

PortingXS will steer the complex mobile number-transfer operations in Guernsey and Jersey in the right direction. Market leader in the Netherlands, specialised in facilitating large-scale number portability, PortingXS will supply software to the six mobile telecom operators on the two British isles, so that clients will be able to keep their telephone numbers even if they change service providers. The EUR 500,000 contract will take three years to complete.

Stringent requirements

HOBOKEN, New Jersey and MUMBAI, India, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- eglue's Real-Time Customer Interaction Management Solution is the Solution of Choice for Tata Interactive Systems' Customers

eglue, a global software company that provides unique real-time customer interaction solutions, and Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a global pioneer in workforce performance and e-learning, today announced that they signed a worldwide partnership agreement under which eglue is now the preferred provider of customer interaction management solutions to TIS customers. The two companies will initially focus their efforts on North America and India.

SAN JOSE, California, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Flash(R) Streaming Server Software Innovator Success Attributed to Unmatched Combination of Performance, Functionality, Price, and Support

Wowza Media Systems, an emerging leader in streaming media server software, today announced that their award-winning Wowza Media Server(R) Pro has surpassed the 10,000 global licensees mark in just 18 months since its launch. The key to Wowza's success: its unmatched combination of performance, innovation, price and support.

Do you ever think you might have a serious problem because you have to check your e-mail about a hundred times a day? Do you get angry or agitated when you can't check your e-mail or send text messages? Excessive e-mailing and text messaging is just one subtype of potential pathological addiction. And some people suffer from excessive gaming. But even if you check e-mail a hundred times a day and play online games 35 hours a week, don't worry: you're probably not pathological yet. "Carl" is an example of a guy who plays online games 35 hours a week. He's a 51 year old Transportation Planner from California with a friendly, down-to-earth demeanor. After work, he spends about five hours a night fighting monsters, completing quests, and talking to Orcs and Trolls in a game called 'World of Warcraft.' WoW, as it’s commonly known, is a 'massively multiplayer online role-playing game' (MMORPG) with over 10 million subscribers, set in the fantasy Warcraft universe. Carl’s record for sitting in front of the computer playing WoW is three and a half days with no sleep, few bathroom breaks, and a perfect 'level 70' avatar by the end of the campaign.

LONDON, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Yudu.com Will Let Anyone Publish, Share, Find, Buy & Sell ePublications

- "Not Just Another Document-Sharing Site" - Yudu.com Targets Creative Consumers, Professionals and Small Businesses

A UK website launched today delivers anyone the power to publish online multimedia documents that include video, audio and flash - easily and instantly. YUDU (http://www.yudu.com) also seeks to become a leading global marketplace selling ebooks, documents and other media: one that brings together creators and their audiences, to share, buy and sell their content globally.

Today's BETA launch of the new YUDU site is also the latest evidence that digital publishing as a whole is reaching a tipping point of mass adoption.

MINNEAPOLIS, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- New SocketModem(R) GPRS With Command Interface Designed for Future Applications

HATBORO, Pennsylvania, September 9 /PRNewswire/ --