TelecomWorldWire
August 10, 2006

Haladjian’s Nabaztag Wi-Fi rabbit targets US consumers

TELECOMWORLDWIRE-10 August 2006-Haladjian’s Nabaztag Wi-Fi rabbit
targets US consumers ©1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The Nabaztag Wi-Fi rabbit has been unveiled by Violet, a French
company 55% owned by French entrepreneur Rafi Haladjian and 30% by
Banexi Ventures, a private equity arm of French bank BNP Paribas.

Nabaztag means ‘rabbit’ in Armenian, which is the first language of
Haladjian, the man who conceived the idea. The rabbit is able to read
out e-mails and mobile phone text messages, provide alerts to stock
news and offer traffic updates through Internet feeds from a wireless
Wi-Fi network.

Basic Internet feeds, such as certain e-mail reading, stock market
performance and weather forecasts are free, while calls and text
messages are charged to the sender, although text messages are free
for premium service subscribers.

The Wi-Fi rabbit, which is made in China, costs EUR115 in France, £80
in the UK and USD150 in the US, has already been sold in Belgium,
France, the UK and Switzerland and is now being targeted at the US.

Nabaztag is expected to prove popular among certain groups of
consumers, and Haladjian said he expects sales to reach 150,000 by
the end of 2006, 400,000 in 2007 and around 2m by the end of 2008.

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
August 9, 2006 Wednesday

AZERBAIJAN TO OPEN EMBASSY IN SWEDEN SOON

The embassy of Azerbaijan will open in Sweden by the year-end,
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said in a meeting with his Swedish
counterpart Jan Eliasson on Tuesday. Eliasson, who is also the
president of UN’s General Assembly, voiced concerns over the terrible
arsons committed by Armenians across the occupied Azerbaijani
territories. He vowed to continue closely following the developments.
The two discussed the world communitys efforts to settle the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, prospects for
Azeri-Swedish cooperation, the two countries relations within the
European Union and the EU New Neighborhood Policy, and issues
relating to Azerbaijans role in the region and its relations with
neighboring states. Also on the agenda were reforms in the United
Nations, the developments ongoing in the region, as well as the
Middle East crisis and the Israel-Lebanon stand-off. The ministers
also mulled ways of increasing the role of international
organizations, in particular, the UN, OSCE and the EU in reaching a
solution on Garabagh. Mammadyarov said his country is interested in
establishing legal framework to develop bilateral economic relations,
attracting Swedish investment and businesspeople to Azerbaijan,
conducting joint business forums and setting up an inter-governmental
economic commission. Minister Mammadyarov started his official visit
to Sweden on Monday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Australian Doctor
August 11, 2006

Risky life at the cutting edge of medicine

IN the Middle Ages reading medical hagiology was as much a part of
treatment as antibiotics are today. Every illness seems to have had
its saint, most of whom met gruesome ends for tending the sick.

Perhaps the most famous are the twins St Cosmas and St Damian, still
the patron saints of surgery. They lived in Cilicia, the ancient name
of southern Turkey, in the 3rd century.

Arabian by birth, Christians by faith and physicians by training,
they travelled extensively, preaching Christianity and curing the
sick. So far so good, but then fantasy takes over with their most
spectacular – some say miraculous – cure.

Allegedly they amputated the cancerous leg of a white man and
replaced it with the limb of a black man who had conveniently died at
the right moment. For centuries the dramatic scene was to fire the
imagination of countless artists and is usually portrayed showing
amazed penitents viewing the one black and one white pair of legs.

However, such altruistic works did not fit with the ethos of the
Roman Emperor Diocletian, so he condemned them to death. Drowning was
the chosen method, but allegedly an angel rescued them, whereupon the
story has it they were burned, stoned, crucified and sawn in half.

They survived the lot, until beheading finally did it. With such
resilience it is little wonder they were made saints and for years
have been part of the heraldic design of barber surgeon companies.

St Blaise was really the patron saint of veterinarians, but the
ancient surgeons used to invoke his name when removing foreign bodies
from the throat. The obstruction had to be first respectfully asked
to come forth "as Lazarus emerged from the grave or Jonah from the
whale". If this failed, probably most of the time, forceps could be
applied and St Blaise’s help canvassed.

Blaise was an Armenian bishop of the fourth century who opposed the
use of wild animals in the Coliseum. For his squeamishness he was
skinned alive with wool combs and then beheaded.

St Margaret of Antioch is the patron saint of childbirth. It seems
that when out walking she met a dragon who swallowed her whole. As
she entered the stomach, Margaret had the presence of mind to make
the sign of the cross, the sign materialised into a real cross that
expanded until the dragon burst open and out popped Margaret.

St Roche, born in Montpelier in the 14th century during the Black
Death, devoted his life to caring for plague victims. He caught the
disease, but an angel cured him. He was so emaciated he was not
recognised on returning to Montpelier.

Regarded as a spy, he died in prison but not before writing a letter
to those afflicted by plague telling them to use his name, along with
that of St Sebastian, in their prayers. Sebastian had died on the
orders of Diocletian in AD288, first by being unsuccessfully shot by
arrows, as seen in many paintings, and then beaten to death.

Dr Leavesley is president of the WA Medical Museum and a retired GP.

Reference

The Illustrated History of Surgery. Harold Starke, London, 1989.

MX (Australia)
August 11, 2006 Friday
Melbourne Edition

Wi-fi bunny a pet laureate

SPEAK EASY

In the Darwinian evolution of electronic companions, first came the
speaking doll, then the Tamagotchi virtual pet, then Sony’s
short-lived AIBO robot dog.

Now, it could be the dawn of the Wi-fi rabbit era.

The plastic bunny with ears like TV antennae can read out emails and
text messages, tell children to go to bed, announce a stock collapse
and give traffic updates by receiving internet feeds through a
wireless Wi-fi network.

”It gives a visual and vocal representation of what is on the
internet,” explained Paul Jackson, an analyst at US research house
Forrester.

The bunny, which stands 23cm tall and has a white cone-like body that
lights up when it speaks, is called Nabaztag, which means rabbit in
Armenian, its creator’s mother tongue. It can also wiggle its ears
and sing songs.

French entrepreneur Rafi Haladjian, who came up with the idea, says
the rabbit sometimes carries more sway over children than their
parents and can help men win forgiveness from angry partners.

”It is sad, but true,” he said.

Nabaztag, made in Shenzhen, China, costs about $195.

Since its market debut last year, 50,000 Nabaztags have been sold in
France, Britain, Belgium and Switzerland.

Wi-fi technology is the latest must-have in consumer goods, from
mobile phones to personal digital assistants, laptops and TV set-top
boxes.

Sydney MX (Australia)
August 11, 2006 Friday
SYD Edition

Wi-fi toy virtually a reality

RABBIT PROOF

In the Darwinian evolution of electronic companions, first came the
speaking doll, then the Tamagotchi virtual pet, then Sony’s
short-lived AIBO robot dog.

Now, it could be the dawn of the Wi-fi rabbit era.

The plastic bunny with ears like TV antennae can read out emails and
text messages, tell children to go to bed, announce a stock collapse
and give traffic updates by receiving internet feeds through a
wireless Wi-fi network.

”It gives a visual and vocal representation of what is on the
internet,” explained Paul Jackson, an analyst at research house
Forrester.

The bunny, which stands 23cm tall and has a white cone-like body that
lights up when it speaks, is called Nabaztag, which means rabbit in
Armenian, its creator’s mother tongue. It can also wiggle its ears
and sing songs.

French entrepreneur Rafi Haladjian, who came up with the idea, says
the rabbit sometimes carries more sway over children than their
parents and can help men win forgiveness from angry partners.

”It is sad, but true,” he said.

Nabaztag, made in Shenzhen, China, costs about $195.

Since its market debut last year, 50,000 Nabaztags have been sold in
France, Britain, Belgium and Switzerland, and Haladjian hopes to sell
150,000 by the end of this year.

The businessman is now looking to conquer the US, where he has only a
tiny presence, and is gearing up for the December shopping season.

Last December, Haladjian appeared on nationwide US television for
three minutes and received 350,000 online information requests.

”The only problem was that we had zero bunnies, we had sold them all
already and we had not even started selling them in the US yet,” he
said.

Jackson is among several analysts who predict the Nabaztag will find
favour among the well-heeled and technology-savvy as it benefits from
the spread of Wi-fi networks around the globe.

Wi-fi technology is the latest must-have in many mass market consumer
goods, from mobile phones to personal digital assistants, laptops and
TV set-top boxes.

Panorama.am

16:31 10/08/06

YEREVAN SUPPLIED WITH GAS BY 80 PERCENT

Vardan Harutunyan, head of Yerevan branch of
Hayrusgazard, informed reporters today that 80% of
total population in Yerevan has been supplied with
gas. In his words, 7, 8, 9 Nor Nork districts and the
blocks that did not have gas in the past in South West
District and Avan have not been supplied with gas yet.

Harutunyan said 1 billion dram is needed to supply the
mentioned communities with gas. The company expects to
lay gas pipelines to the mentioned blocks by the end
of the running year. /Panorama.am/

Panorama.am

14:52 11/08/06

CONSUMER RIGHTS CENTER SAYS CONSUMERS UNAWARE OF THEIR RIGHTS

In a public opinion poll conducted by Consumer Rights Center,
respondents were asked if water, gas, electricity services are ever
cut off in their buildings. Forty-three percent of respondents
answered `often’ and 51 percent said `seldom’. Only a minor 5,7
percent was content with the utility services.

Abgar Yeghoyan, head of CRC, presented the findings of CRC conducted
surveys in a press conference today. He claimed most of the consumers
do not know their rights. For example, electricity service can cut off
the electricity if the resident has not paid the bill. However, the
electricity authority has to notify about the cut-off three days
before.

CRC engages in active advocacy program for promoting rights of
consumers in public utilities. The organization cooperates with Public
Services Regulatory Committee in its advocacy efforts. Posters on
consumer rights are posted at local self-government units,
condominiums, banks and postal services. /Panorama.am/

Panorama.am

14:59 11/08/06

EMERGENCY SERVICE RECEIVES MORE CALLS

1-03 Emergency Service told Panorama.am that more calls have been
registered at their office lately. The Head of the Service Artiom
Petrossyan said this is partially conditioned by hot weather. The
Service has been receiving calls for heart diseases. However,
Petrossyan said hot weather cannot account for most of the
cases. Anyway, he advised not to drink water from refrigerator and
stand under sun from noon until 4 p.m./Panorama.am/

Libération
10 août 2006

L’histoire veut être hors la loi;
Livre. Deux retours sur la controverse autour des législations
"mémorielles".

p ar VAULERIN Arnaud

Tout est figé. Le débat sur les lois mémorielles qui, en début
d’année, a opposé parlementaires, historiens et minorités oubliées
n’a pas abouti. Trop de passions, de pressions, d’empressements.
Quelques mois après la vive polémique, René Rémond, président de la
Fondation nationale des sciences politiques, revient sur la
controverse dans un entretien alerte et serein mené par l’historien
François Azouvi. Il examine les pièges laissés par les "lois
relatives à l’histoire" : c’est-à-dire la loi Gayssot du 13 juillet
1990 sur le négationnisme, la loi du 29 janvier 2001 sur la
reconnaissance du génocide arménien, la loi Taubira du 21 mai 2001
sur la traite négrière et le texte du 23 février 2005 reconnaissant
un "rôle positif" à la colonisation que le Conseil constitutionnel
déclassera sur injonction du président de la République.

René Rémond retrace la mobilisation des historiens qui a suivi la
mise en accusation d’un des leurs, Olivier Pétré-Grenouilleau. Au
titre de la loi Taubira, il était poursuivi pour avoir déclaré lors
d’une interview que les "traites négrières ne sont pas des
génocides". Une pétition avait été lancée, une association créée –
Liberté pour l’histoire -, les plaintes ont finalement été
abandonnées. Mais le malaise demeure, tout comme subsiste la
"contradiction objective entre l’application de la loi et
l’établissement de la vérité".

"Est-ce le rôle des représentants de la nation de se prononcer dans
un tel débat ? Sont-ils qualifiés à cette fin ?" interroge René
Rémond. Dans un "mouvement de longue durée qui vise à réécrire
l’histoire en fonction des minorités oubliées", il milite pour que la
discipline ne succombe pas au "péché d’anachronisme", ne verse pas
dans le "relativisme culturel". En chercheur prudent, René Rémond se
fait l’apôtre de l’ambivalence que "l’histoire nous apprend et que
l’enseignement doit mettre en lumière". Ainsi, "la colonisation a
produit des effets positifs et négatifs", dit-il, soulignant que le
"législateur ne rend pas justice à cette complexité".

Pis, avec la multiplication des lois particulières, celui-ci
participe insidieusement au délitement du corps social.

Dans un texte lapidaire, Emmanuel Terray se saisit, lui, avec fougue
de cette "contemplation du passé". L’anthropologue, directeur
d’études à l’Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, étrille
les "militants de la mémoire" et leur "exaltation". Et s’agace de la
prolifération des victimes indirectes qui ont tendance à "s’abriter
derrière les morts pour présenter leur propre cas". Certaines de ses
saillies sur la transmission des souffrances sont discutables.
D’autres réflexions comme le "devoir d’oubli" que prône Terray sont
plus étayées.

Quand l’Etat se mêle de l’histoire entretiens de François Azouvi avec
René Rémond, Stock, 108 pp., 12 euros.

Face aux abus de mémoire d’Emmanuel Terray, Actes Sud, 74 pp., 12
euros.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Libération
10 août 2006

Emballés par leurs papiers;
Un couple d’Arméniens et leurs quatre enfants, vivant clandestinement
à Lyon depuis 2003, viennent d’être régularisés dans le cadre de la
circulaire Sarkozy.

par BERTRAND Olivier

Lyon de notre correspondant

La mère sort la lettre, qu’elle déplie soigneusement. Elle la montre
en souriant. Dessus, il y a la signature du préfet du Rhône, qui
annonce à Gohar et Mamikon, son mari, qu’ils vont obtenir une carte
de séjour temporaire. Arméniens, ils étaient sans papiers en France
depuis plus de deux ans. Trois de leurs quatre enfants fréquentaient
des écoles de l’agglomération lyonnaise. Ils ont donc déposé une
demande de régularisation, dans le cadre de la circulaire Sarkozy du
13 juin, destinée aux parents étrangers d’enfants scolarisés en
France. Ils font partie des 200 dossiers environ déjà régularisés à
Lyon. Un sésame qui leur offre un an de répit, après un périple
éreintant.

Tailleur de pierres.

Gohar et Mamikon, 35 et 40 ans, sont nés en Arménie. Son père à elle
était azéri, ce qui les a exposés à de multiples persécutions. En
1991, lorsque le conflit a éclaté entre l’Arménie et l’Azerbaïdjan,
au sujet du Haut-Karabakh, ils ont préféré fuir. Mamikon a abandonné
son métier de tailleur de pierres et ils se sont retrouvés en Russie,
à Saint-Pétersbourg, où ils sont restés douze ans. Sans papiers, le
père travaillait au noir. Les enfants ne pouvaient pas aller à
l’école. Un professeur leur donnait des cours privés à la maison.
Leur origine arménienne leur valait le mépris et la peur de mauvais
traitements. Alors, après la naissance des deux derniers, ils ont
préféré fuir plus loin.

Le père a trouvé un passeur, en 2003. Pour "9 800 dollars", ils ont
quitté la Russie, sans même savoir où ils partaient. Le 26 novembre
2003 au matin, on les a fait monter dans un camion. Ils sont restés
quatre ou cinq jours cachés à l’arrière, puis le routier russe a fini
par rouvrir les portes. C’était le 1er décembre au matin. Il ne leur
a même pas dit où ils étaient et c’est en entendant des passants
parler qu’ils ont découvert qu’ils se trouvaient en France. Il y
avait une station de métro pas loin. La station Brotteaux. Ils se
trouvaient à Lyon.

Comme ils ne savaient pas où aller, l’aînée des quatre enfants,
Naïra, 16 ans, a demandé à un passant, en anglais, comment demander
l’asile. L’homme a pris le temps de se renseigner puis les a orientés
vers un centre où ils ont été accueillis. Une demande d’asile
politique, déposée avec l’aide de l’association Forum Réfugié, a été
rejetée, de même que le recours. Un nouveau dossier a été monté, sans
plus de succès. La famille attend désormais le résultat du deuxième
recours.

D’hôtels en foyers.

Dès leur arrivée, les enfants ont été scolarisés. Les deux grandes
ont rejoint une classe passerelle, dans un collège de Vaulx-en-Velin.
"On devait y rester un an, pour bien apprendre le Français, raconte
Naïra. Mais on a appris vite et ils nous ont mis rapidement dans des
classes normales." Comme elle maîtrisait déjà l’albanais, le russe,
le français et l’anglais, l’aînée a choisi l’allemand, en 4e. Elle
termine sa deuxième année de scolarité complète en France avec 10 de
moyenne.

Ces derniers mois, nombre d’enseignants et de parents d’élèves se
sont battus aux côtés de la famille, notamment pour obtenir un
logement. Depuis l’arrivée à Lyon, elle était ballottée d’hôtels en
foyers, de centres d’accueil en meublés : huit déménagements en deux
ans.

Certains enseignants ont expliqué dans leurs classes ce que vivaient
les deux jeunes filles, et de très nombreux collégiens sont venus les
soutenir dans les manifestations organisées. Avec la régularisation,
la famille espère se poser, s’installer.

Lorsque les parents sont allés en préfecture déposer leur dossier, on
leur a proposé l’aide au retour. Près de 14 000 euros. Ils ont
refusé. "On ne retournera jamais en Arménie, dit Naïra. Ce qu’on a
vécu était trop dur. On veut vivre définitivement en France."