Luxury Webblog Spot

THE largest display of precious gems, finished jewellery and luxury watches in the Middle East is set to open in Bahrain tomorrow.

Jewellery Arabia 2009 will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister valentines gifts Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIEC).

The event, organised by the Arabian Exhibition Management (AEM), runs until November 21.

More than 600 companies from 30 countries will take part, occupying a total floor area of 18,000 sqm.

Two temporary halls have also been commissioned to extend existing facilities at the BIEC for the fourth year in a row to meet the high demand for space.

Despite the current global economic climate, Jewellery Arabia 2009 has sold out to capacity, said officials.

There was no greater difficulty in selling the space this year than there was in 2008, said AEM publicity co-ordinator Joanne Blundell.

“We sold out the whole space very, very quickly. It was certainly no slower than last year and we still have a lot of companies on the waiting list,” she said.

“The Bahrain show has the best reputation in the Middle East region.

“There are other shows in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but Bahrain’s is the biggest and is key rings as the best.”

Over 40,000 industry experts from Bahrain, the GCC and other parts of the world are expected to converge on the venue, which will feature everything from finished jewellery, watches, clocks and jewellery machinery to semi-precious and precious stones, metals and fine writing instruments.

The expo features pavilions from Brazil, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia and Thailand as well as local companies Bahrain Jewellery Centre, Asia Jewellers, Al Mahmood Pearls and Al Zain.

Ms Blundell said that the expo would cover the whole spectrum in relation to jewellery in the market.

“On one side you will have branded products from well-known names and non-branded, specially-designed stuff on the other,” she said.

Ms Blundell said that visitors could spend anything from “a few hundred dollars to millions” at the event.

Since its inception in 1992, Jewellery Arabia also provided international jewellery houses with direct access to important trade buyers and private collectors from around the Middle East region.

Middle East Watches, Jewellery and Pen Awards will also be held alongside the event for the fourth necklaces year.

It will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa tomorrow.

The awards are the culmination of an online public voting system and the analysis of an elite committee comprising watch, jewellery and pen collectors, connoisseurs and aficionados with no direct commercial ties to the industry.

Jewellery Arabia will be open free of charge to trade visitors on presentation of a professional business card, and to people over 16 years by invitation.

It will be open from 4pm to 10pm daily, with an exclusive ladies-only morning being held from 10am to 1pm on Wednesday.

Arabian Exhibition Management is a member of Allworld Exhibitions, a network of exhibition organisers with 35 offices worldwide.

Note: Feb. 14 is a favorite holiday for spammers, who are relying on an old standby in these down times: male insecurities

Valentine’s Day has long been a gold mine for florists, candy makers, restaurateurs — and spammers. Valentine’s Day gift Every February, junk e-mailers send out millions of messages allegedly promoting holiday getaways or last-minute gifts for that special loved one. In the days leading up to the holiday this weekend, the amount of spam is spiking again, anti-spam experts agree.

This year, however, many spammers looking for ways to score clicks are going back to basics. According to Symantec (SYMC), the anti-spam company that has been monitoring Valentine’s-related spam traffic this month, the most popular type of spam this season tends to focus on one of the old favorites of the spam industries, appealing to men and their insecurities. “This year the top three types of spam tend very much to be related to what we call ‘male capabilities,’” says Michael Chue, managing director for Hong Kong and Taiwan at Symantec. While he doesn’t have data yet available on the amount of such spam, Chue says “in the last couple of weeks we can see this type of spam increasing.”

Are men, hurt by the worst global downturn since the Great Depression, more vulnerable to this sort of junk e-mail? Chue won’t speculate, although he does point out spammers are typically very sensitive to the free market. “The statistics tell the spammers these are very popular,” he says.

Rejiggering Malware

Spammers are also taking advantage of Valentine’s Day to push so-called malware, or malicious software, in necklaces new directions. For instance, Symantec says spammers have shifted gears for Waledac, a type of malware that in the past has hijacked computers and forced them to send spam peddling “performance-enhancing pharmaceuticals.” Ahead of the holiday, Waledac “is now distributing misleading applications,” Symantec says on its Web site, via Valentine’s Day-themed messages. Waledac is “attempting to leverage Valentine’s Day as it attempts to trick unsuspecting users into downloading and running the malicious binaries.”

Spammers are also infecting computers from more places worldwide. According to recent statistics from Sophos, a spam specialist from Oxfordshire, England, the U.S. remains the world’s largest source of spam, accounting for 20% of the total worldwide. China, including Hong Kong, is No. 2, with 10%. That’s to be expected, since the U.S. is the world’s largest economy and China the world’s largest country, says Paul Ducklin, head of Asia-Pacific technology for Sophos. “You would expect those countries to dominate,” he says.

A Lot from Small Countries, Too

What’s surprising — and troubling — is the extent to which spammers have been able to hijack computers in much silver bangles smaller countries. Vietnam, for instance, has fewer than 20 million Internet users, of whom only 2% have broadband connections. Even so, Vietnam accounts for almost 2% of the world’s spam. Looking at spam sources worldwide, “there are places where it’s not easy or cheap to get on the Internet,” says Ducklin. Yet spammers still manage. “When you take the outliers, you realize what a global problem it is,” says Ducklin.

See BusinessWeek’s slide show of the world’s biggest spam-producing countries.

Raise the ante! World Series of Poker(R) 2008: Battle for the tiffany jewellery has shipped to retailers nationwide from Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI). The game features Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth Jr. — owner of a world record eleven WSOP bracelets — in a special “Beat The Brat” Heads-Up mode and thrusts players deep into the high-stakes world of tournament poker to face off against other A-list pros such as Johnny Chan, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, and Mike “The Mouth” Matusow on the quest to win the championship bracelet for the $10,000 Main Event and over $60MM in total prize money.

“World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets allows gamers to challenge all of their favorite poker pros in one of the largest sporting events in the world,” said David Oxford, Activision Publishing, Inc. “We are proud to deliver intense poker tournament action to gamers who want to experience the high-stakes competition of championship poker from the comfort of their homes.”

In World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets, the #1 poker video game franchise returns as players challenge over 30 of the world’s top poker champions. With intense heads-up tournament play, expansive poker tutorials, and strategy clips from Phil Hellmuth’s Ultimate White to Black Belt Course as produced by iAmplifyVegas.com, players can learn from the very best in the industry and take on all opponents in real-world locations such as Las Vegas and New Orleans.

World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets is available on the Xbox 360(TM) video necklaces game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $49.99, the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, PSP(R) (PlayStation(R) Portable) system and Nintendo DS(TM) for $29.99, and the PC for $19.99. The game is rated “T” (Teen) by the ESRB. For more information on World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets please visit www.BeatTheBrat.com.

About Activision, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

This World Series of Poker game includes trademarks owned by Harrah’s License Company, LLC. and used under license. All rights reserved.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In this release they are identified by references to dates after the date of this release and words such as “will,” “will be,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes”, “may”, “expects,” “intends,” and similar expressions. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, sales tiffany accessories of Activision’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions, integration of recently acquired subsidiaries and identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, limitations on our ability to issue stock and options and foreign exchange rate changes. Other factors that could cause Activision’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, without limitation, the further implementation, acceptance and effectiveness of the remedial measures recommended or adopted by the special sub-committee of independent directors established in July 2006 to review Activision’s historical stock option granting practices, the board and Activision; the outcome of the SEC’s formal investigation and the derivative litigation filed in July 2006 against certain current and former directors and officers of Activision relating to Activision’s stock option granting practices, the possibility that additional claims and proceedings will be commenced, including additional stockholder litigation, employee litigation, and additional action by the SEC and/or other regulatory agencies, other litigation (unrelated to stock option granting practices), and the risks identified in Activision’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and recent reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision as of the date of this release, and Activision assumes no obligations to update any such forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and may cause actual results to differ materially tffany keys from our current expectations.

(c) 2007 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are registered trademarks of Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Wii and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective

What’s black, white and red all over? Yes, it’s a newspaper, but it’s being used in a whole new way for Christmas tiffany jewellery decorating that’s nostalgic, fun and inexpensive.

Black and white has been a popular home decorating trend for about three years, says Joyce Gilpin, an antiques dealer at the Jesse James Antique Mall. But this year, the trend — using things you have around the house, like newspapers and sheet music — is making a splash in holiday decor.

“It’s a way of repurposing what you have for Christmas,” Ms. Gilpin says.

NEWSPAPERS

Of course, using newspapers as wrapping paper has long been a classic money-saving idea. But when you add a contrasting bold red Christmas ribbon and pine-cone tassels, cheap becomes chic.

“I hardly ever buy wrapping paper,” says Angie Hummer, co-owner of the Rusty Chandelier. “We always use newspaper. Why waste the money and put it in the landfill?”

Old newspapers also can be used as a backdrop for vintage holiday collections by key rings covering a folding screen with them. Or make paper chains (you know those construction-paper chains you made as a kid) out of newspaper, as Debbie Dusenberry has done to decorate the black-and-white room at her shop, Curious Sofa in Prairie Village, Kan. She cut up vintage newspapers, old paperback books and sheet music in different sizes with pinking shears and scalloped scissors, then strung them on an old dowel rod and hung them from the ceiling.

“We sat down in front of the TV with a glue stick and went crazy,” she laughs.

You can see more of her black-and-white ideas in the Better Homes and Garden Christmas Ideas issue, which will be on the newsstands through December.

Or what about a newspaper Christmas wreath? In Country Living magazine, a full-size wreath made out of newspaper “flowers” and strips of newspaper streamers looks stylish hanging against a bright red door. (See instructions below.)

SHEET MUSIC

Dig out your old sheet music from the attic, because when Ms. Gilpin made her annual trek to the fall antique flea market in Roundtop, Texas, she noticed sheet music for decorating was very big.

“They kind of set the precedent on what is in,” Ms. Gilpin says.

One of the most popular ways they used it is was to print (with the computer) individual letters in red or black on each page to spell out holiday words, such as joy, peace and love. They can be hung across the mantle, by the piano, on the wall or anywhere you want to spread Christmas necklaces cheer.

“Just select the fonts you want and run it through,” Ms. Gilpin says.

If the sheet is too small, she suggests using double-stick tape to affix it to a regular piece of 8 1/2 -inch-by-11-inch paper.

Add some gold or silver glitter for extra pizazz. You also can age or antique sheet music for a more vintage look, she says. For a light patina, suite101.com suggests using hot tea: spread the pages across a clean baking sheet (with raised sides) and pour a cup of strong, hot tea over them (black or pekoe). Let soak for several minutes, then drain and dry flat on a towel or rack.

RED ALL OVER

The secret to using repurposed items — and having them look good — is sticking to a color scheme, Ms. Gilpin says. In addition to newspapers and sheet music for your black-and-white colors, display old family black-and-white photos in new black or white frames. Maybe get a black Christmas Tiffany Accessories tree and top it with a black top hat, as Ms. Dusenberry did, or gather a rookery of stuffed penguins around the tree for a little whimsy. For the red, place shiny, red ball ornaments in glass goblets. Add sparkle to anything with red tinsel. Throw in a mix of new and old Santas and other red holidays items, and it’s starting to look like Christmas.

Lifestyles reporter Sylvia Anderson may be reached at sylviaanderson@npgco.com.

Newspaper wreath

To make this wreath, cover a foam floral wreath base with newspaper “flowers.” To make a flower, cut a Tiffany Keys 4-inch-by-4-inch square from three pages of newspaper. Fold the stack in accordion fashion, trim, and then tie with floral wire in the center. Spread the petals and then hot-glue to base. Repeat steps until wreath base is covered; you will need about 40 flowers. For the bow, cut several 12-inch paper strips. Form loops with each strip, gather a bouquet, and secure with wire. For streamers, cut long strips and fold in accordion fashion. Hot-glue bow and streamers to wreath.

A sophisticated identity theft ring that counted Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s Tiffany and co wife among its victims didn’t stop at stealing money electronically. Authorities said Tuesday it also sent a woman wearing a variety of wigs into bank branches to drain their accounts in person.

Shonya Michelle Young, 38, of Myrtle Beach, was being held Tuesday at a federal detention center in Miami on a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

“She was a major check casher,” U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Barry Golden said Tuesday.

At her first court appearance Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Turnoff ordered Young held until Thursday, when another hearing will be held to determine when she will be transferred to federal custody in Virginia. Prosecutors said Young had been a fugitive for more than two months.

Hundreds of victims were targeted in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Illinois and elsewhere earrings. Among them: Anna Bernanke, whose purse was stolen outside a Capitol Hill coffee shop in August 2008. Someone started cashing checks using the Bernankes’ bank account days later.

According to District of Columbia police, the purse contained Anna Bernanke’s Social Security card, checkbook, credit cards and IDs. The amount of money stolen from the couple has not been disclosed.

When Young was arrested Monday at a corporate apartment complex near Miami International Airport, authorities said she had a fraudulent New York driver’s license and a Visa debit card under the name Deborah L. Taverna, along with several wigs.

“She had about three wigs that she would wear to mimic her victims or change her appearance,” Golden said.

Young would impersonate the victims to obtain fake IDs and cash illegal checks, draining their bank accounts, authorities said.

In court Tuesday, Turnoff listed numerous aliases and three Social Security numbers Young allegedly key rings used.

Similar scenes played out at bank branches across the country as other ring members used IDs, personal checks and bank information to impersonate victims, according to court documents.

Ten of the alleged ring’s members have been charged, and other fugitives are being sought, authorities said. The suspects were identified in an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Secret Service and D.C. police.

U.S. Marshals initially sought Young at her South Carolina home, but she had fled to Miami, authorities said. Young told the court that she is an unemployed widow who supports a 19-year-old. Her federal public defender did not return a phone message Tuesday. Authorities described her as a girlfriend of one of the alleged ringleaders but wouldn’t identify which one.

The Federal Reserve declined to comment Tuesday because the investigation is ongoing. Last week, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke thanked law enforcement officials for working to solve the case and prevent others from becoming victims.

“Identity theft is a serious crime that affects millions of Americans each year. Our family was but one of 500 necklaces separate instances traced to one crime ring,” Bernanke said.

From January 2007 through May, the ring allegedly stole more than $2.1 million, and the frauds involved at least 10 financial institutions, according to court documents.

A suspected ringleader, Clyde Austin Gray Jr. of Waldorf, Md., pleaded guilty July 22 in Alexandria, Va., federal court. Prosecutors said Gray hired pick pockets then made counterfeit IDs for coconspirators who conducted the bank transactions. Gray allegedly took a cut of the proceeds.

Another man and another woman who prosecutors say were check cashers in the scheme also have pleaded guilty.

AP Economics Writer Jeannine Aversa in Washington contributed to this report.

Audrey Jean Callas of Houston drove to the post office on June 21 to mail two checks to tiffany jewelry pay her bills. She dropped them in a large mailbox outside the postal building.

From there, the checks vanished — and Callas had no idea what became of them until Houston police contacted her several weeks ago to report her checks had been found in the hands of criminals running a large identity theft ring that has victimized 457 people and 83 businesses scattered across 25 states.

“After the policeman called me, I went to the bank and closed out my account that I had there for over 40 years,” Callas said. “It’s just been a headache.”

Houston police have arrested five people so far on allegations of taking part in the theft key rings. Authorities expect to make many more arrests before their investigation is over.

“They should be sent away for a long time,” Callas said.

The scheme operated by stealing people’s personal checks, then looking up their driver’s license numbers in an online database. Theft ring participants would then use high-quality fake Texas driver’s licenses featuring their pictures matched with the victims’ identifying information to buy things with counterfeit checks.

As many as 191 people were looking to get fake identities and checks, based on passport-size photos seized from the business earlier this month, police said. Investigators are now trying to identify all 191 in those photos with hopes of arresting them as well, said Lt. Robert Manzo of the Houston Police Departments financial crimes unit.

Arrest was a surprise

The accused ringleader of the operation is Robert Lee Lyles, 65, who is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony. He was arrested Sept. 2 when Houston police served a search warrant at his rented office space at 440 Benmar. Police said they found Lyles sitting at his computer necklaces, printing a counterfeit check and a fake Texas driver’s license, when officers stormed the building.

“He was definitely surprised when we showed up,” said Houston Police Department financial crimes unit Sgt. Tom Wood.

Lyles is not cooperating with police, but investigators believe he had a large network of people working for him.

“We have very good reason to believe he may have been paying employees (at some businesses) to provide copies of checks written to them,” Manzo said. “We’ve contacted those victims — almost 500 of them.

“We recovered hundreds of checks. … A good number of them had actually been legitimately processed for payment. Some of them had been mailed to various businesses and never made it to their destination. And some of them were simply copies of checks that Lyles had somehow obtained,” Manzo said.

Also arrested Sept. 2 were two of Lyles’ business associates, William Douglas Jackson Jr., 45, and Derald Lane Desso, 42, who are each charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony. Evelyn Dixon, 46, who is believed to be Lyles’ “runner” — the person in charge of delivering the fake documents to participants who did not want to go inside the office — was arrested on the same charge, police said.

A rented mansion

In June, Houston police arrested Bobby Lee Harris, 31, after serving a search warrant at his Tiffany Accessories rented millon-dollar home in Spring and finding identification information belonging to more than 50 victims and a number of fake Texas driver’s licenses. Harris was charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, a second-degree felony.

Police said Harris had furnished the entire mansion in the 16100 block of Chasemore near the Raveneaux Country Club with electronics and furniture purchased with stolen money. Investigators said they have since determined Lyles provided Harris with the documents he used.

All five suspects remain in the Harris County Jail, and all of them have prior criminal records, police said. Lyles, Jackson and Desso have been ordered held without bail, while Dixon and Harris are being held on $50,000 bail each.

A tip from police

Investigators have recovered pictures and other information from Lyles’ extensive list of clients looking to cash in on the scheme. They seized two of his vehicles, including a Mercedes, his computers, his cell phone and a large amount of cash.

“We want to remind citizens that anyone with criminal intentions can take one of their checks and make a copy of it and make them a victim of this type of crime,” Manzo said. “Because of that, it is imperative that citizens check their bank accounts at least once a week and immediately report any unauthorized transactions to their financial institution, as well as to the police department.”

Central Railway, Mumbai, said it had a requirement for supply of set of copper ring terminals.

According to the description: “Tenders are invited for supply of set of copper christmas tiffany sale terminals, 1) 1.5 sq.mm as per BRACO Catlog no. R 005 or equivalent Qty – 12 nos per set. 2) 2.5 sq.mm as per BRACO Catlog No. R 014 or equivalent qty – 12 nos per set. 3) 6 sq.mm. as per BRACO catlog No. R 023 or equivalent qty – 2 nos per set 4) 6 sq.mm as per BRACO catlog No. R 050 or equivalent qty – 2 nos per set. 5) 16 sq.mm. as per BRACO Catlog No.R 126 or equivalent . qty – 3 nos per set set. 6) 16 sq.mm as per BRACO Catlog No. R 030 or equivalent . qty – 3 Nos per set. Make: Braco Or Fixwell Or Kamlesh Or Dowell ( For All Ring Terminals) Qty : 200 Sets.”

Bidding type is a domestic competitive key rings bidding.

The tender notice no. is 48.09.5763.

The last date for the submission of tender is Oct. 26.

The opening date of tender is Oct. 26 at 11:30 a.m.For more information about necklaces US Fed News contract awards please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, US Fed News, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

For more information, contact Dy.Chief Material Manager at Central Railway, O/o The DYCMM (M), Parel, Mumbai – 400 012, Maharashtra, India Tiffany Accessories