BUDAPEST, September 23 /PRNewswire/ --

- New Charging Model Allows Advanced Real-Time Rating and Charging for All Mobile Services Across all Payment Methods

Acision, the world's leading messaging company, announces the launch of Acision Charging Engine, a new visionary platform at the heart of its unified charging architecture. For the first time, operators will be able to unify the monetization of their services on one platform, bringing together prepaid, postpaid and bundle management, enabling the optimization of customer experience across the network.

Whether young people get drunk as a purposeful behavior or as an unintended consequence depends on what country they live in, according to new research on young people in seven countries. The research finds that young people's views on alcohol and drunkenness were influenced more by culture than by factors such as age and sex.

The research, sponsored by the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP), also finds striking similarities about drinking among young people in different parts of the world including:

Emerson looked forward to the day when America would be self-reliant and not second rate in its scholarship. In science, the U.S. has fulfilled Emerson's ambition, but at what cost to religion?

Physicist Steven Weinberg muses on religion's fate in the West as science has come to dominate our culture:

Let's grant that science and religion are not incompatible—there are after all some (though not many) excellent scientists, like Charles Townes and Francis Collins, who have strong religious beliefs. Still, I think that between science and religion there is, if not an incompatibility, at least what the philosopher Susan Haack has called a tension, that has been gradually weakening serious religious belief, especially in the West, where science has been most advanced. Here I would like to trace out some of the sources of this tension, and then offer a few remarks about the very difficult question raised by the consequent decline of belief, the question of how it will be possible to live without God.

This story caught my eye because of the 'ew' factor, so naturally I wanted to share my newfound fear of catheters (which already took up a healthy amount of time during my daily phobia-pondering) with you all. Misery loves company, so I assume that stands true for other negatively connotated emotions like disgust, fear of microbes, etc.

PARIS, September 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- Recognized for Seminal Contributions to the Science and Technology of Multiple-Antenna Wireless Communications

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that Gerard J. Foschini, distinguished scientist and innovator at Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Labs, has been awarded the 2008 IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal during the IEEE Honors Ceremony in Quebec City, Canada. The Alexander Graham Bell Medal is the highest recognition bestowed by the IEEE for contributions to the advancement of communications sciences and engineering. The IEEE is the world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology.

PARIS, September 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- New Platform and Software Bring Massive Scale and Cost-Efficiency From Core to Cell Site

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE:ALU) today announced the launch of the 7705 SAR - Fixed Form Factor (7705 SAR-F) and enhanced operating system software. This new solution demonstrates Alcatel-Lucent's strong commitment to continuous innovation and technological leadership in the IP/MPLS market for mobile service providers.

LONDON, September 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- Kenshoo Becomes a Major Player in the UK Search Engine Market

Within a few months of opening its UK office, Kenshoo is excited to share its exciting progress. In only two full quarters of operations Kenshoo UK has built an impressive client roster. With this long list of clients Kenshoo has become a dominant player in the UK search market.

SUNNYVALE, California, September 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- Spirent ULTS First to Obtain Complete Validation for All A-GPS Test Standards

Spirent Communications plc (LSE: SPT), a global provider of performance analysis solutions, maintains its leadership in Assisted GPS (A-GPS) testing by becoming the first test system vendor to validate all the A-GPS test standards on its UMTS Location Test System (ULTS). Mobile device manufacturers, chipset vendors and mobile operators now have access to a single test platform that runs all the validated A-GPS test cases required by the Global Certification Forum (GCF) and the PCS Type Certification Review Board (PTCRB).

SAN DIEGO, September 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- High Speed Serial Display Controllers and Low Capacitance ESD Protection Devices to be Highlighted