Identity Theft at a Hotel

Hotel worker accused of taking guests credit cards
Updated: Saturday, 24 Oct 2009, 6:24 PM EDT
Published : Saturday, 24 Oct 2009, 6:24 PM EDT

Shannon Ross
Posted by Kate McGowan
HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) – A Hamburg man is accused of taking credit cards from guests at a hotel where he worked, and using them himself.

23 year old, Scott Achard was charged with 2nd degree identity theft, and grand larceny.

State Police said Achard made purchases and paid bills with cards belonging to hotel guests.

Investigators have not named the hotel or hotels where Achard worked.

Tests of New Energy’s Technology for Generating Electricity from Moving Cars Produce 25-Fold Increase in Energy Capture

Let me just I really like this company.

 

Next-generation prototype of Company’s MotionPower™ technology for generating electricity from moving cars to include features with 25-times greater capacity to capture energy of moving vehicles – an important breakthrough. Burtonsville, MD – October 20, 2009 – New Energy Technologies, Inc. (Symbol: NENE), a next-generation alternative and renewable energy developer, today announced that ongoing tests of the Company’s MotionPower™- Auto technology for generating electricity from the movement of cars and light trucks have produced a 25-fold increase in its capacity to capture energy from moving vehicles – an important breakthrough in maximizing the amount of electricity generated by the system. “Each step we take to produce greater output moves us one step closer to commercialization of this brand new technology,” stated Mr. Meetesh V. Patel, President and CEO of New Energy Technologies, Inc. “The prospect of capturing 25-times greater kinetic energy from a moving vehicle, without disrupting the driver experience, marks a significant step in optimizing our MotionPower™ system and builds on several advances our engineers have recently achieved, including greater durability, lower maintenance costs, reduced size, and the capacity to increase electrical output.” The capacity to increase electrical output is largely determined by the MotionPower™ system’s ability to capture the greatest amount of ‘rolling’ or ‘kinetic’ energy of a moving vehicle – without causing driver and vehicle disruption, and without ‘robbing’ a vehicle of the energy it needs to accelerate. New Energy’s MotionPower™ technology is designed to be installed in locations where vehicles are required to reduce their speed, thus ensuring that the system only makes use of vehicle energy that would be required to slow down and does not ‘rob’ vehicles of energy they would otherwise use to accelerate. The MotionPower™ system generates valuable electricity by creatively capturing and converting the vehicles’ excess kinetic rolling energy. Kinetic energy is present in a moving vehicle, much like the energy present in a bicycle, which may sometimes continue to ‘roll’ even though it’s no longer being peddled by the rider. Today’s engineering breakthrough enables New Energy’s MotionPower™ technology to capture 25-times greater kinetic energy through key design enhancements to an energy buffer and storage device inside the system. This energy buffer-storage apparatus is used in the MotionPower™ system as an efficient capture device for energy that can otherwise be lost during short ‘impulse’ loading – the event that occurs when a car quickly drives over the MotionPower™ device to create an immediate burst of energy. Engineers are also modifying the design to better manage ‘torque’ impulses created by a vehicle’s weight and rolling kinetic energy as it passes over the device. Among important design improvements to the MotionPower™ system’s energy buffer-storage device, are the following: Optimization of geometry and speed to increase the level of energy captured and delivered; Optimization of the energy storage per unit weight of the device; and Efforts to reduce friction drag. With these enhancements incorporated into the next-generation MotionPower™ prototype, engineers anticipate the system will capture and deliver more than 25 times the energy of the original prototype recently field-tested at a Burger King® drive-thru over the busy Labor Day long weekend, the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC on Columbus Day, and the Holiday Inn® Express in Baltimore, MD. These field tests of New Energy’s MotionPower™ technology have resulted in numerous engineering and design advancements, important to the Company’s development of a fully-optimized system suitable for commercial launch. Once fully optimized and installed, engineers anticipate that MotionPower™ devices may be used to augment or replace conventional electrical supplies for powering roadway signs, street and building lights, storage systems for back-up and emergency power, and other electronics, appliances, and even devices used in homes and businesses. Every day, millions of vehicles slow or come to a stop at toll plazas, rest areas, traffic calming areas, drive-thrus, and countless other roadway points. New Energy’s MotionPower™ devices make use of the energy wasted by these millions of cars, trucks, and heavy vehicles when they slow down or come to a full stop countless times throughout the day, and convert this otherwise unused energy into valuable electricity. MotionPower™ devices are engineered as a practical and useful alternative energy technology for generating valuable electricity from the millions of vehicles on our roadways. More than 250 million vehicles are registered in America, and an estimated 6 billion miles are driven on our nation’s roads every day. To-date, New Energy has filed nine new patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in order protect novel features of its MotionPower™ technology for generating electricity from the kinetic energy of moving vehicles. About New Energy Technologies, Inc. New Energy Technologies, Inc., together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a developer of next generation alternative and renewable energy technologies. Among the Company’s technologies under development are: MotionPower™ roadway systems for generating electricity by capturing the kinetic energy produced by moving vehicles. An estimated 250 million registered vehicles drive more than 6 billion miles on America’s roadways, every day; and SolarWindow™ technologies which enable transparent glass windows to generate electricity by coating their glass surfaces with the world’s smallest known solar cells. These solar coatings are less than 1/10th the thickness of ‘thin’ films and make use of the world’s smallest functional solar cells, shown to successfully produce electricity in a recently published peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy of the American Institute of Physics. Through established relationships with universities, research institutions, and commercial partners, we strive to identify technologies and business opportunities on the leading edge of renewable energy innovation. Unique to our business model is the use of established research infrastructure owned by the various institutions we deal with, saving us significant capital which would otherwise be required for such costs as land and building acquisition, equipment and capital equipment purchases, and other start up expenses. As a result, we are able to benefit from leading edge research while employing significantly less capital than conventional organizations. For additional information, please call Ms. Briana L. Erickson toll-free at 1-800-213-0689 or visit: www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com. To receive future press releases via email, please visit: http://www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com/alert.html To view the full HTML text of this release, please visit: http://www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com/NENE20091020.html For media inquiries please contact Mr. Jerry Schranz at 201-465-8020, or visit our Media Relations page for additional contact information: http://www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com/media_relations.html Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements No statement herein should be considered an offer or a solicitation of an offer for the purchase or sale of any securities. This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although New Energy Technologies, Inc. (the “Company” or “New Energy Technologies”) believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies, and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” or “project” or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to adverse economic conditions, intense competition, lack of meaningful research results, entry of new competitors and products, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, inadequate capital, unexpected costs and operating deficits, increases in general and administrative costs, termination of contracts or agreements, technological obsolescence of the Company’s products, technical problems with the Company’s research and products, price increases for supplies and components, litigation and administrative proceedings involving the Company, the possible acquisition of new businesses or technologies that result in operating losses or that do not perform as anticipated, unanticipated losses, the possible fluctuation and volatility of the Company’s operating results, financial condition and stock price, losses incurred in litigating and settling cases, dilution in the Company’s ownership of its business, adverse publicity and news coverage, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and research scientists, changes in interest rates, inflationary factors, and other specific risks. There can be no assurance that further research and development will validate and support the results of our preliminary research and studies. Further, there can be no assurance that the necessary regulatory approvals will be obtained or that New Energy Technologies, Inc. will be able to develop commercially viable products on the basis of its technologies. In addition, other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are discussed in the Company’s most recent Form 10-Q and Form 10-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports and filings may be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can obtain information about operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission also maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov.The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Direct Selling Meets the Viral Marketing Future: Pre-Paid Legal Services Partners With Blastoff to Take Legal Service Plan Sales to New Level

ADA, Okla., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — As the centerpiece of the 2009 Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, Pre-Paid Legal Services (NYSE: PPD) announced the re-launch of its marketing program through a unique and innovative partnership with Blastoff Communications, LLC of Dallas, Texas. Pre-Paid Legal will be the first company — and the exclusive direct selling organization — to utilize the Blastoff online platform, which incorporates customer rewards (discounts and cash payments for online purchases) with social networking and marketing opportunities for members.

Members who join the free, online Blastoff network are eligible for discounts from more than 400 major retailers included in the Blastoff online platform. In addition, members accrue cash payments from the purchases by other members they bring into the Blastoff network (out ten degrees). This online marketing platform offers members a fully customizable homepage populated with applications for news, music, games, widgets and other personal applications.

Pre-Paid Legal Services’ special partnership agreement with Blastoff will allow Pre-Paid Legal Services to leverage the power of its large existing network of independent sales associates with the new online Pre-Paid Legal/Blastoff network, creating an unprecedented opportunity to reach an untapped market of millions of potential Pre-Paid Legal Services members and associates.

“The Blastoff online marketing platform provides a perfect fit with the Pre-Paid Legal Services direct selling business model,” said Harland C. Stonecipher, Founder and CEO of Pre-Paid Legal Services. “When you combine the rewards-based, ‘viral’ nature of the Blastoff platform with the large, well-developed and powerful direct selling organization of Pre-Paid Legal Services, it’s a combination that offers incredible potential.”

As part of an exclusive contract arrangement, Pre-Paid Legal Services is the only company utilizing a direct selling business model included in the Blastoff network. Pre-Paid will be prominently featured on the Blastoff home page. In addition, each Pre-Paid Legal Services associate has their own homepage that offers a personalized online marketing platform and a comprehensive contact and network tracking system.

Blastoff Founder and CEO William Rodgers participated in the Pre-Paid Legal/Blastoff announcement, addressing an enthusiastic audience of more than 12,000 Pre-Paid Legal Services associates at the 2009 Leadership Summit on September 12.

Commenting on the marketing partnership, Rodgers said, “The addition of Pre-Paid Legal Services offerings to our own Blastoff suite of products adds tremendous value to our online members. In addition, the integration of the Blastoff marketing platform with one of the most dynamic sales forces in the U.S. has the potential for massive success.”

The Pre-Paid Legal Services network of more than 400,000 associates is now linked with the Blastoff network and the associates are already actively expanding their sales networks. As part of this special partnership, Pre-Paid Legal Services associates will receive cash back rewards, based on the online purchases by their existing network connections (out 20 degrees). The agreement with Blastoff provides a limited, exclusive opportunity for Pre-Paid Legal associates to build upon their network prior to the public launch of blastoffnetwork.com on October 12, 2009.

In addition to the formal announcement, the marketing re-launch also included presentations by Pre-Paid Legal Services Independent Associates Darnell Self and Brian Carruthers, an in-depth Q&A, a re-launch micro site, collateral and a planned webinar.

More information on the re-launch is available at: https://www.prepaidlegal.com/blastoff/

About PPD

Pre-Paid Legal Services was one of the first companies in the United States organized solely to design, underwrite and market legal service plans. We provide legal services to more than 1.5 million families across the U.S. and Canada. Plan benefits are delivered through a network of independent provider law firms. Members have direct, toll-free access to their provider law firm. Provider firms are carefully selected and quality of service is closely monitored to maintain the high standards of Pre-Paid Legal. The company website is: www.prepaidlegal.com.

About Blastoff Network

Blastoff is a Texas-based LLC, founded in 2007 to provide a fun, convenient, and free means to experience the best of the internet. Members of a large and expanding community each receive a customizable homepage and enjoy cash-back shopping from over 400 leading retailers, like iTunes, Walmart, Travelocity, and Gap. Members also earn rewards as they invite friends and their network grows. Featured products, such as Blastoff wireless, as well as home and legal services, contribute to the excitement and positive atmosphere offered by the company, its employees, and the personalized service they offer. The company website is: http://blastoffnetwork.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, regarding our future plans and objectives and expected operating results, dividends and share repurchases and statements of the assumptions underlying such statements, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain assumptions that may not be correct. They are subject to risks and uncertainties incident to our business that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the reports and statements filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including (among others) those listed in our Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, and include the risks that our membership persistency or renewal rates may decline, that we may not be able to continue to grow our memberships and earnings, that we are dependent on the continued active participation of our principal executive officer, that pending or future litigation may have a material adverse effect on us if resolved unfavorably to us, that we may have compromises of our information security, that during an economic downturn in the economy consumer purchases of discretionary items may be affected which could materially harm our sales, retention rates, profitability and financial condition, that we could be adversely affected by regulatory developments, that competition could adversely affect us, that we are substantially dependent on our marketing force, that our stock price may be affected by short sellers, that we have been unable to increase our employee group membership sales and that our active premium in force is not indicative of future revenue as a result of changes in active memberships from cancellations and additional membership sales. Please refer to pages 15 – 17 of our 2008 Form 10-K and pages 7 and 8 of our June 30, 2009 Form 10-Q for a more complete description of these risks. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements in this release.

SOURCE Pre-Paid Legal Services

Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc

The Blastoff Network

Pre-Paid Legal is in Forbes Top 200 Small Businesses

     So do you still think Pre-Paid Legal Services is a scam? How can you with a company that is features as one the best businesses in America? You can’t, unless you just don’t like Pre-Paid Legal. Last year we were #130 now we are #66. How awesome is that? There is nothing better than showing people who tell me day and day out that Pre-Paid Legal is a marketing scam, or a pyramid scheme. This just adds more concrete to my position and just angers people who don’t like to think for themselves. So if you are looking for a ligitmate work from home career, look no further and click the banner below.

     What does this mean for small businesses that I work with? This is just more proof that the products I can offer them are real, they work, and they can help them turn a better profit. Just think about it, you’re a small business owner, how great would it be to make this list, how much of an impact could that have on your business? Then doensn’t it make sense to have those people who can make this list help you do the same?

GoSmallBiz

Debt Collection Tops Service Requests

Debt collection was the leading nationwide service request among legal service plan members of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., during the second quarter of 2009.

Rounding out the top five most frequent requests for service were foreclosure and eviction; family law (divorce and child support, custody and visitation); bankruptcy; and employment issues, including termination, layoffs, unemployment compensation, severance agreements, and employee versus independent contractor issues.

“The Pre-Paid Legal Services Top Five List is intended to be a snapshot of the issues that legal service plan members face today. Given the economic hardships that so many Americans are experiencing, it’s not a pretty picture,” says Pre-Paid Legal Services Founder and CEO Harland C. Stonecipher.

Legal service plan members are individuals, groups, and businesses that receive legal plan benefits through a network of independent provider law firms. Pre-Paid Legal Services provides legal services to more than 1.5 million families in the United States and Canada through a network of 53 independent provider law firms.

Virginia education officials report ID data loss

By Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer
Date published: 10/15/2009

By Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer

The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk)

The personal information of more than 100,000 former adult education students may have been compromised, after a flash drive containing that information was lost in Richmond last month.

The state Department of Education said it has no indication that the unencrypted drive has been found, or that any information stored on it has been accessed.

The flash drive was lost Sept. 21, after it was given to a representative of Virginia Tech’s Center for Assessment, Evaluation and Educational Programming for research purposes.

The 77,577 former adult education students whose addresses were available will receive letters from the department this week advising them of the loss and the steps they should take to protect themselves from identity theft.

The drive also contained data for 25,693 former students whose addresses were unknown. Those who took an adult education course between April 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009, or who passed a high school equivalency test between Jan. 1, 2001, and June 30, 2009, should call the department at 877/347-5224 for information on the loss.

“I know that I speak for all VDOE employees in expressing regret over the loss of the flash,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said in a statement. “We are united in our determination to assist those potentially impacted by this incident and are committed to mitigating any risk to individuals.”

Laptop containing Halifax patient information stolen

By ANNE GEGGIS Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH

– About 33,000 Halifax Health patients were sent letters this week notifying them that their personal information might have been compromised — and that they should call a credit agency to put a “fraud alert” on their identity. The notice is the result of the Aug. 28 theft of a laptop computer from a Halifax Health employee’s vehicle in Orange County, hospital officials said. Attempts to retrieve the stolen computer — which might have contained password-protected patient information — have not been successful, so notification began this week. “We have no reason to believe that any identity theft has occurred,” said Ann Martorano, chief marketing officer for the area’s largest health care provider, in a written statement. “However, we are advising patients of the steps they can take to protect themselves from that possibility.” The letter lists credit reporting agencies that will monitor any fraudulent credit activity, and a toll-free number that’s been set up to answer questions. Each patient is urged to review his or her credit reports carefully for any new accounts they did not set up. At least one patient whose identity might have been compromised was annoyed. “They are telling me that there’s a whole bunch of (stuff) I got to go through,” said Robert Lyons Sr., 77, of Holly Hill, a retired U.S. Postal Service worker. He said he was hospitalized at Halifax Health Medical Center late last year and that his primary care doctor is based there. Others include surgery patients, but there was no common denominator among the group except they all received some kind of Halifax service, a spokeswoman said.

They try to scare Fox News again

What is it about people having a different opinion than the democrats that scares them so much?  Seriously, is it that hard to believe that someone honestly disagrees with what you think, and it only has to do with what you think and not you as a person?  I love how every time someone opposes what President Obama wants to do, they are automatically a racist, and thats it.  Never mind that his party and him have destroyed our economy, driven companies out of the US and scared new ones away.  HP, Facebook, Citi, Google, GlaxoSmithKline, dts, Intel, and Merck just to name a few companies that are setting up an international headquarters in Ireland.  Why would lots of these huge American owned companies have an international HQ in another country? Why not here? I don’t know about you, but I can think of one good reason. Taxes, it’s that simple.  We tax ourselves to death, and anyone who wants to make a better living for themselves (I know it’s a horrible idea wanting to have a better life) has to either make a quantum leap in how much they pull in each month, or find some place that takes less of their money to begin with.  It’s a lot easier to save more money, than to make more money, so these large companies are doing what most small businesses wish they could do, and move.  Can you blame them?  Why would you pay 35% in taxes when you could pay 12.5%?  You wouldn’t, that’s like telling your boss to take 20% of your paycheck away, and burn it.  It doesn’t make any sense at all.  As a small business owner myself, I feel the same sting that 80% of the other business owners in the US feel.  Yes I know we are allowed to use tax write-offs, and other “loop holes” to pay less in taxes.  It doesn’t help much, I still have to pay taxes on everything I buy for my business.  Trust me, the government is going to get its money any way you look at it.

Good News & Bad News For You

I guess it depends on how you look at it, but the Blastoff Network has postpones for a little bit.  What does this mean?  You can still sign up for Blastoff, you just have to do it through this website  The Blastoff Network Once you click on this link, it will take you to a page on Blastoff that shows you legal services.  Currently the only way to ge on board with what will be changing the way you shop and the way you interact on the internet.  Imagine if Facebook payed you to buy items from stores on their website, how many friends do you have on facebook, myspace, twitter, and other networks?  Now Imagine being one of the first few people allowed to join this network, and bringing to all your friends and all of their friends, coworkers, and people you randomly talk to throughout the week.  This video explains the money making side of Blasoff.  Check it out, what do you have to lose?

The Blastoff Network, don’t wait to sign up for something you are going to get anyways

Blastoff Network, the Internet’s latest darling, is in PRE-LAUNCH and looking for people like you and me. Blastoff is being promoted by some huge corporations such as Pizza Hut, the NFL and Pre-Paid Legal. But regular folks like you and me have a chance right now to get in on the ground floor before the rest of the world and make money. Plus it’s free!

Blastoff offers real value and quality services in some of the Internet’s hottest markets, combining social networking, entertainment, shopping and a host of great things you’re already using. Blastoff definitely passes the Mom Test – this is something you can be proud to be part of.

It doesn’t cost one dime to get started during the PRE-LAUNCH, and there are no monthly fees. However, the window of opportunity is about to close. Get details at www.Squidoo.com/BlastoffOnline. (That’s my Squidoo lens.) Or better yet, EMAIL ME, Liv Montgomery, at MyWorldOnline@OnlineBusinessPromoters.info. I’ll get back to you right away.

This is definitely one of those you-snooze-you-lose opportunities. Well? What are you waiting for!

Email me at MattPPL@GMail.com for and invite to join