Masimo Corp. (MASI): New Study Shows Pronto Has Similar Accuracy to Commonly-Used Point-of-Care Hematology Analyzer

Masimo is a global leader in innovative, non-invasive monitoring technologies that significantly improve patient care, helping solve “unsolvable” problems. One of the company’s instruments, Pronto, measures hemoglobin.

The company announced today that a new study published in Postgraduate Medicine demonstrates non-invasive total hemoglobin measurements from the Pronto have an accuracy similar to those of the most commonly used invasive point-of-care hematology analyzer, HemoCue 201+ from Quest Diagnostics, in outpatient settings.

Total hemoglobin is one of the most frequently ordered laboratory tests in hospitals, urgent care centers, physician offices, and public health clinics. Anemia, which is low hemoglobin concentration, is among the most common blood disorders in the United States. It affects an estimated 3.4 million Americans, according to the National Center of Health Statistics.

The chief medical officer at Masimo, Dr. Michael O’Reilly, said, “The accuracy of the Pronto provides clinicians a powerful, yet painless, tool to test total hemoglobin without many of the risks associated with conventional, invasive testing.” This should help all healthcare providers improve patient care and outcomes.

For additional information about Masimo, the Pronto, and other products, please visit www.masimo.com

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Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) Video Chart for Wednesday, October 24, 2012

AMD has been galloping lower for the last six months, but found a green close on Tuesday amidst a sea of red in the broad markets. With the bounce, technical traders will be watching the support at $2 to see if the chart has found a bottom and can muster some upward pressure to challenge resistance around $2.60.

To view the video chart, visit the following link: http://www.missionir.com/videos.html

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ABM Industries, Inc. (ABM) Rings NYSE Closing Bell to Celebrate Transition to New Look and Identity

ABM Industries, a leading provider of numerous integrated facility solutions, yesterday celebrated its first major rebranding initiative in the company’s 103-year history by ringing the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. ABM President and Chief Executive Officer Henrik Slipsager was joined by several ABM executive team members and divisional employees.

Representing the expanded number of services and solutions now offered by ABM through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, ABM’s rebranding initiative was launched earlier this year to mark its new status as leader in Integrated Facility Solutions. Some of the expanded core capabilities that have been added to ABM’s traditional services include Energy Solutions, Government Services, and additional building services – both domestically and abroad.

“ABM has a remarkable 103-year history, with a rich heritage of providing outstanding facility services across a variety of markets,” stated Slipsager. “In recent years, our growth organically and through a number of dynamic acquisitions has given us an incredible breadth of services. Those capabilities, matched with our deep industry expertise, enable us to continuously build value for our clients based on their unique needs – regardless of their industry, size or geography.”

To learn more about ABM, visit www.abm.com

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Rovi Corp. (ROVI) Announces European Expansion with Sony

Rovi announced that the company had partnered with Sony in Europe; namely in Germany, the UK, and Italy. Sony has agreed to add the Rovi Advertising Network to its Internet-connected televisions and Blu-ray players in those countries, such as Sony BRAVIA products.

Santa Clara, CA-based Rovi is focused on providing consumer electronics manufacturers, service providers, content producers, advertisers, retailers, and websites with digital entertainment and advertising services. Rovi currently holds approximately 5,200 issued or pending patents worldwide. In Europe, the Rovi Ad Network is on consumer electronics from Samsung, Panasonic, and Toshiba.

Rovi’s Ad Network strategy is to create advertisement campaigns that will be perceived by the viewer as entertainment, rather than as a commercial. These campaigns utilize rich graphics and videos, as well as advanced functionality such as RFI options, Click-to-Call, and social media connectivity. To participate in the Rovi Ad Network, Sony uses the Rovi Advertising Service, a cloud-based interactive advertising platform.

Jeff Siegel, senior vice president for worldwide advertising at Rovi, said, “Sony is a household brand and a leading manufacturer of connected TV devices, so they are a notable addition to the Rovi Advertising Network in Europe, which is already generating millions of meaningful impressions for advertisers on a weekly basis. We are happy to help increase Sony’s advertising revenue stream, while at the same time increasing our unique scale and inventory in the region, which will enable more brands to effectively reach TV viewers.”

To learn more about the company, visit www.rovicorp.com

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Thomas Rampone Joins SanDisk Corp. (SNDK) as Senior Vice President of SSD Business

Leading flash memory storage solutions provider SanDisk announced today that it has appointed Thomas Rampone as senior vice president of the company’s solid state drive (SSD) business. The SSD business includes SanDisk’s Enterprise Storage Solutions (ESS) and Client Storage Solutions (CSS) organizations.

Mr. Rampone joins SanDisk from Intel, where he served for over 27 years in several engineering and executive roles. Most recently, Rampone was vice president and general manager of Intel’s Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group; he oversaw all of Intel’s flash memory business, including technology and product development, operations, and marketing. He also served as vice president and general manager for Intel’s Channel Platforms Group and the Desktop Boards Business.

Rampone received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology from the Oregon Institute of Technology and holds multiple patents in the field of system development.

“Tom brings with him a strong record of leadership and management in driving leading-edge semiconductor and system solution businesses, and we are pleased to welcome him to the SanDisk management team,” said Mehrotra. “We are excited about the growth potential in our SSD business in both client and enterprise markets, and look forward to Tom’s leadership in driving our results going forward.”

For more information on the company, visit www.SanDisk.com

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SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) and Creative Energy Storage

One of the big advantages that SEFE’s groundbreaking atmospheric energy generation system brings to the table is that, unlike industry-leading wind and solar alternatives, the SEFE system is able to generate pure clean electricity any time of the day or night, in any kind of weather. The remarkable SEFE system is able to extract useable electricity directly from the earth’s own atmosphere. Wind and solar options, in addition to having a large land footprint plus requiring expensive up-front equipment and grid-integration investments, are usually tied to some sort of large-scale energy storage systems in order to bridge the gap between supply and demand. That’s because wind and solar power generation can easily be out of synch with demand, requiring an energy storage buffer to smooth out the flow.

The SEFE system can produce energy any time it’s needed. Nevertheless, energy storage technology can still be put to good use, capturing excess generation for later use. SEFE’s increasingly popular Revmodo.com site highlights several interesting technologies for the storage of electricity, including the following:

• Flow Batteries – Unlike regular batteries, where all the chemicals that react to store or release energy are contained within the battery, flow batteries contain the critical chemicals separate from the reactor, allowing them to “flow” into the battery as needed. The benefit here is that problems like battery depletion, and damage from over-depletion, are avoided. Flow batteries currently offer a conversion efficiency of between 65 and 75 percent, with the potential for increased efficiency as the technology develops, and a flow battery can remain sitting without losing any of its charge. In its modern form it’s a relatively new technology and is suited to large applications.

• Flywheels – Unlike chemical batteries, flywheel energy storage uses dynamic potential energy to hold overflow energy from large scale energy generation systems. The energy is in large but carefully balanced wheels, about the size of a small car, spinning at many thousand RPM in a sealed vacuum and frictionless environment. A flywheel can almost instantaneously be tapped to release power as needed. The system efficiency of a flywheel energy storage system is around 85 percent.

For more information on SEFE, visit www.SEFElectric.com and www.Revmodo.com

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Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACTC) Continues Clinical Trials; Receives $35 Million Funding Commitment

Advanced Cell Technology, a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, recently announced treatment of the fourth patient, the first in the second patient cohort, in its European clinical trial for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD). The patient was injected with 100,000 human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, as compared with 50,000 cells in the three patients comprising the first cohort. The outpatient transplantation surgery was performed successfully and the patient is recovering uneventfully.

“Our progress continues in our European clinical trial and both our trials in the U.S., as seen most recently with last week’s announcement of treatment of the second patient in the second patient cohort of our U.S. trial for SMD,” said Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACTC. “As I mentioned last week, we have mapped out the series of patients to complete the second cohort of both our trials for SMD, as well as for our trial for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD), pending DSMB review, and we anticipate generating patient data at a faster pace.”

ACTC, known as a biotechnology company that specializes in the development of cellular therapies for the treatment of diseases and conditions that impact tens of millions of people worldwide, is excited about the trial’s progress. Having only been initiated in January, the Phase I/II trial is designed to determine the safety and tolerability of hESC-derived RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation in patients with SMD at 12 months, the study’s primary endpoint.

ACTC also recently announced that it had entered into a $35 million common stock purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, a Chicago-based institutional investor. Proceeds from this transaction will be used to fund the company’s clinical activities, including its three ongoing Phase I/II clinical trials for forms of macular degeneration, for development of its other clinical activities, and for general corporate purposes.

“We are most pleased about this financing agreement, as it has a number of notable benefits for the company,” commented Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACTC. “Lincoln Park Capital is an excellent partner for us with a great track record and a long-term commitment to the life sciences field. This transaction offers the Company a very cost efficient and readily available form of financing. The $35 million available under the agreement equates to more than two years of funding for the Company, even assuming no other sources of capital. It was a priority for us to complete a new financing by year-end, as we never again want to be in a position to have to go looking for capital from a position of distress or weakness. This agreement strengthens our balance sheet allowing us to focus on advancing our clinical programs, pursuing strategic partnerships, and other long-term objectives.”

For more information on ACTC, visit www.advancedcell.com

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