Apple’s ‘Secret’ Recipe for Success: Tech Giant Is Like the CIA, Lashinsky Says

LINK: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/apple-secret-recipe-success-tech-giant-cia-lashinsky-132746382.html

The power of Apple's business model was on full display this week, when the company reported astonishingly strong fiscal first-quarter results. The company's shares surged on Wednesday, bringing Apple's market cap to over $416 billion, just a hair below ExxonMobil's as the world's most valuable company. (See: STAY STOKED APPLE FANS: This Should Be One Heck Of A Year!)

In his new book, Inside Apple, Fortune's Adam Lashinsky delves far beyond one quarter and seeks to understand what makes Apple so successful, and so unique.

His conclusion: "Think Different" isn't just a marketing slogan.

"They do things exactly the opposite from the way most companies do business and, indeed, the way business is taught in business school," Lashinsky says.

For example, while most Fortune 500 firms believe senior managers should be capable of performing multiple functions within an organization, Apple "values expertise," he says.

Similarly, while most companies focus on employee development and "upward mobility" within a firm, Lashinsky notes Apple's attitude is: "If you're really good at this, keep doing it."

Apple's famed design chief Jonathan Ive is a great example of how Apple does things different. Instead of grooming Ive to be Apple's next CEO — as some outsiders wrongly speculated in recent years — Apple let Ive do what he does best: Focus on design which, Lashinsky reports, is what he wants to do above all else.

Another way Apple is different — very different — is that while most companies value transparency and cooperation, Apple is opaque and keeps secrets, including from its own employees.

"It's not an exaggeration to compare [Apple] to the CIA or some other intelligence agency," Lashinsky says. "They believe everything that happens inside is a secret and that pertains not just to…outsiders but also internally. They don't share their secrets [and] you're expected to mind your own business."

This culture of secrecy may be off-putting to some, but Lashinsky speculates it helps limit the politicking and infighting that sometimes corrupts big companies. If you're not aware of what's going on in other departments -- or even within your department -- you're more inclined to focus on the task you've been assigned, he speculates; furthermore, intense dedication to the task at hand — even seemingly 'simple' issues such as the design of the boxes for Apple products — is also a big part of the Apple culture, and the lack of information about goings on elsewhere helps employees stayed focused.

In addition, Apple is organized along functional lines rather than product lines, meaning there is just one department for marketing, sales, finance, manufacturing, etc., instead of redundant department around different product lines as is common elsewhere. This too helps limit the creation of little fiefdoms and the "tiny kings" that often accompanying them.

As with almost everything at Apple, the firm's corporate culture flows from its co-founder Steve Jobs. A big question for Apple is whether the values Jobs instilled at the company will prevail after his passing. Lashinsky believes the culture is so deeply ingrained in new CEO Tim Cook and other Apple employees that it's destined to last for the foreseeable future, at least.

So far so (very) good, judging by the company's first full quarter since Jobs' death.

See also: Apple Reports Record Quarter: But Should the Company Heed Obama's Call to Bring Jobs Home?

Aaron Task is the host of The Daily Ticker. You can follow him on Twitter at @aarontask or email him at altask@yahoo.com.

Invest in Yourself to Retire Well

LINK:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/invest-in-yourself-to-retire-well.html;_ylt=AizxRwVp4zFZrmIjVtzRALOiuYdG;_ylu=X3oDMTRmbWo0YnYyBG1pdANGUCBGb2N1cyBvbiBMaWZlbG9uZyBJbnZlc3RpbmcEcGtnA2EyNTlmYzdmLWIyMmYtMzgwOS1hY2VjLWIxZmM3NzlkYjQ2ZARwb3MDMwRzZWMDTWVkaWFTZWN0aW9uTGlzdAR2ZXIDNWI1NTE0MTAtM2RmMS0xMWUxLWE4NDQtN2YzYWNhNDY3Zjg5;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

I have a particularly resourceful friend who lives a pretty good life, despite never having quite enough money. She is hardworking and popular with her wide circle of friends, neighbors and colleagues. She networks, barters and works for what she really wants.

A former chef turned teacher, she finessed enough grant money to pay for a two-week trip to cooking school in Italy. She knows where all the good used furniture stores are, has bartered home cleaning for a two-week stay in a vacation home in Vermont, and is working on an arrangement now that will get her free housing in France for several weeks this summer. Tres bien!

I'm pretty sure my friend will do really well in retirement, though I strongly suspect she has nowhere near the $1-million plus that you would think her lifestyle would require. She has a different kind of capital: skills, smarts, and a great social network.

"Everyone is focused on the money, but when somebody retires, they usually manage," said Larry Cohen, director of Consumer Financial Decisions, a consulting group that studies consumer behavior. "If they don't have the money, they have human capital like skills and education, and social capital in terms of friends, neighbors or a church. All these things help."

Cohen predicts that "The (retirement) solutions for the future are going to involve more of these other forms of capital."

Experts are increasingly focusing on the non-financial assets that workers can bring into retirementto help them manage on fewer dollars than might be optimal.

The Retirement Income Industry Association, a group that represents a cross section of insurance, investment and research firms, has its own program for training and certifying "retirementmanagement analysts." The training handbook used in that program includes items such as membership in religious and civic organizations, and the ability to earn money as forms of "capital" that are foundational in the new retirement world.

So what are the best non-financial forms of capital that pre-retirees can invest in now to ensure a good retirement? Here are a few.

Investing knowledge. Even (or especially) in this era of auto-enrollment in 401(k)s and the proliferation of financial advisers and products, nothing good can come of being uninformed about investing. The more you know, the more you can grow small contributions into a retirement kitty you can live off of. Break it into small bits and learn a little every month. Learning about mutual funds, stocks, taxes, portfolio management and the like will help you, at the very least, choose the right adviser. And it will also help you stretch your income after retirement.

A money-earning skill. The baby boom may well have psychological problems adjusting to the "withdrawal" era of their lives. It could be harder than you think to pull money out of a treasured 401(k) plan to go see a movie or make a car payment. So develop something now that can earn money in the future. Some popular money-earning side business include eBay sales, handyman work, cooking, babysitting and driving.

Practical money-saving skills. Gardening, appliance repair, lawn mowing, scratch cooking, vacuuming... got it? If you're the kind of person who currently pays others to do all of these things for you remember this: In retirement you'll have more time and less money. For every $100 a month you want to pull out of your tax-deferred retirement account, you need to have roughly $37,500 in assets in that account. So, save $200 a month in do it yourself activities and that's $75,000 you won't need to have saved.

Good friends and neighbors. Can you drive each other to the airport? Share big bargain packages of toilet paper and tomatoes? Check in on each other when you haven't surfaced for a while? Does someone in the crowd make their own tomato sauce and another fix cars? Or own a beach house or a garden tiller? There's no end to the savings that a supportive collective like that can generate. And, of course, people who are connected to others enjoy life more and may be able to entertain themselves more cheaply.

The best body possible. Healthcare costs for retirees will top $350,000 for their lifetimes, the Insured Retirement Institute, an industry group, reported yesterday. And that's for the healthiest folk. The better shape you are in going into retirement, the less you'll spend on pain pills, back braces and more. Of course, you can't control everything that befalls you, but moving into retirement with strong bones and muscles, a good sense of balance, and cardiovascular fitness will improve your retirement fun and cut your retirement expenses.

That hard-to-define craftiness. Retirement can be like a second chance; the rules come off and you can do things you might not have considered while you were in your main buttoned-down job. Practice creativity now, just like my friend, and you'll be ahead of the game when your new job is making that smaller-than-you'd-hoped retirement fund last a long and happy time.

The World Is Profoundly Under-Invested in U.S. Stocks: Jeff Saut

Link to News

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/world-profoundly-under-invested-u-stocks-jeff-saut-131107858.html

Like golfers and LeBron James, traders need short memories lest they become haunted by their failings in critical moments. Both life and trading are about living in the now, regardless of past humiliations.

And so it is for those who missed the stock market's screaming rally over the last two months. Those who did can't blame Jeff Saut. The Raymond James chief investment strategist went aggressively bullish the day after Thanksgiving. Since that time the S&P500 is up over 130-points, more than 11% and some 50-points above the levels at which the index started, and finished at in 2011.

Returning to today's tape, Saut has been looking for some sort of pullback to relieve our overbought condition. He's gotten something better as "all we've done is go sideways," albeit only since January 10th. It's good enough for Saut, given the relatively small number of traders caught off guard by market leap.

Saut notes that hedge funds are less than 50% long by some measures and in his view, "the world is profoundly under-invested in U.S. stocks." He has a laundry list of bullish catalysts, including Europe's ability to continue to "paper over" its growing list of woes takes the Continent off the table, at least for the time being.

Disagreeing with all but the most recent of Breakout! views, Saut says that a strong U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks, "provided it's not too strong." Too strong is relative in currencies. By implication and assertion, Saut's notion that Europe can fake it 'til they make it will keep the Euro from going to something resembling zero --the fake currency's intrinsic value.

Saut's view of the coming elections are making him more bullish still. Citing Adam Smith, the strategist contends the economy's animal spirits have been constrained by inefficient, excessive, government involvement. "The American public is angry with all politicians," he says.

Come November when the political bums get tossed from office, stocks will have yet another reason to move higher; not that Jeff Saut thinks the bulls need one.

Is the world under-invested in U.S. stocks? Let us know if you agree with Saut in the comment section below or visit us on Facebook.

Apple Macs Land on More Corporate Desks

LINK TO ARTICLE

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-macs-land-on-more-corporate-desks-.html

General Electric Co. would seem to be the last place that Apple Inc. laptops and desktops would appear in workers' offices, but the technology is slowly seeping into daily life at the 120-year-old conglomerate.

Under a year-old pilot project, GE employees can choose Apple's Mac notebooks or Mac desktops instead of a Windows PC. It now has about 1,000 Mac users and expects their ranks to expand further as more employees become aware of the program.

It is just a toehold: GE has about 330,000 computers, most running Windows-based software on PC hardware.

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Apple has been working to get its products before corporate customers, relying mainly on the pull from employees who ask their employers to support the devices they use at home. A spokesman said the company is "excited" the Mac is helping businesses recruit.

Apple has very little of the corporate computer market but is making progress, according to market researcher Forrester Research, which estimates the Cupertino, Calif., company will sell $9 billion worth of Macs and $10 billion worth of iPads to businesses this year, up about 50% from last year.

In comparison, corporate spending on PCs and tablets not made by Apple will decline 3% this year to $69 billion, the firm projects.

Expanding its presence at a large customer like GE would give a boost to Apple and could put pressure on the conglomerate's incumbent PC suppliers including Dell Inc. and Lenovo Group Ltd. The development echoes Apple's initial effort in smartphones that later became a real threat to companies like BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.

[More from WSJ.com: Need Wikipedia Today? Here's How to Access It]

GE started offering its employees the iPhone as an alternative to BlackBerrys in 2008. Now, it says about 10,000 GE employees carry the Apple smartphone, compared with 50,000 using BlackBerrys.

The Fairfield, Conn., conglomerate hasn't trumpeted the Apple option for computers and laptops internally, and as a result employee awareness is limited.

But staffers across GE businesses are eligible as long as there aren't security clearance issues, such as devices for defense work, or big compatibility problems with needed software.

"All businesses are participating at some level in making this [option] available to their employees," said Greg Simpson, GE's chief technology officer.

"To find out that we support Apple, we support iPhones, we support Macs, it does take away one question for people, 'Are they a contemporary company or not?'" Mr. Simpson said. "I think that is a recruiting-positive thing."

Apple is now the No. 3 U.S. personal computer vendor, with about 11% of the market, compared with about 23% for market-leader Hewlett Packard Co., according to Gartner and IDC.

Apple was the only one of the top five U.S. computer sellers to expand sales in the fourth quarter. Apple's corporate share is much smaller, at less than 1%, while H-P, Dell and Lenovo have about 25% apiece.

[More from WSJ.com: Long-Term Unemployment Ripples Through One Town]

Dell declined to comment but pointed to its ranking. Lenovo didn't comment, but has launched an expensive marketing campaign to build its brand among consumers.

H-P said it is aware that Apple is making inroads into the business market and is working to make its own notebooks thinner, lighter, smaller and sleeker.

"We'll get the best of both worlds and provide a product that wins in that space," said Carol Hess, H-P's head of commercial PC. "We do focus on the corporate and enterprise customer, and I am not so sure that is the target market for an Apple-type of product."

Cost and compatibility with existing systems continues to hold Apple back at companies, said Rich Adduci, chief information officer at Boston Scientific Corp. "The reality is they make a terrific product, but there are some compatibility challenges with our corporate computing infrastructure," Mr. Adduci said.

That isn't the case for the iPad. The medical device maker worked with Apple the day after the iPad was released to use the device for sales and has rolled out about 4,500 globally.

By the end of the year, Boston Scientific expects to be able to begin shifting entirely to the iPad. "Technically, we will be able to support everything on an iPad," he said.

GE says discounts on its PC purchases have grown less generous. Mr. Simpson points out the price gap has narrowed for more advanced machines on both sides of the divide, with the Macbook Air starting at $999 and competing ultra-light laptops running $899 to $1,400.

At this month's annual leadership meeting in Boca Raton, Fl., each of GE's top 600 officers came armed with an iPad.

"There is a learning curve, and we recognize that it may not work perfectly yet," Mr. Simpson said of the Apple computer project. "I think it will continue to grow on [employee] demand."

—Jessica E. Vascellaro contributed to this article.

Reflect Scientific, Inc. Debuts New Websites

Press Release Source: Reflect Scientific, Inc. On Tuesday July 19, 2011, 6:00 am EDT

OREM, UTAH--(Marketwire - 07/19/11) - Reflect Scientific, Inc. (OTC.BB:RSCF - News), a provider of diverse products and services for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and transportation industries launched several new websites that showcase the company's product offerings.

The original website, www.reflectscientific.com, is the landing page for corporate information and the portal for all product lines. Tom Tait, Vice President of Reflect Scientific, said, "Our original website is now the information center for the company. It has been specifically designed to keep investors and potential investors informed."

The Cryometrix and Visacon brand products have been spun off to their own dedicated websites. The Cryometrix website, www.cryometrix.com, contains all the products and information for the revolutionary CFC free cooling technology that runs on liquid nitrogen. Freezers for the Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical market can be found here as well as emissions free reefers for the Trucking Industry. The new Visacon website,www.visacon.com, contains all relevant chromatography products and information for our OEM customers. "Having brand dedicated websites will allow us to create greater marketing focus and product awareness. Our customers will be able to easily access product information. We have also incorporated extensive search engine optimization into these websites. Potential customers will have a far easier time finding Reflect products that meet their needs," remarked Kim Boyce, CEO of Reflect Scientific.

About Reflect Scientific, Inc.
Reflect Scientific, Inc., based in Orem, Utah, develops and markets innovative, proprietary technologies in cryogenic cooling for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical, and transportation markets. Among Reflect Scientific's products are low temperature freezers and refrigerated systems for laboratory, transportation and computer server room uses. For more information, visit www.reflectscientific.com.

Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, continued acceptance of the Company's products, increased levels of competition for the Company, new products and technological changes, the Company's dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Article by Gleen Ruffenach I wanted to Share

Retirement: It's Not All a Crapshoot

by Glenn Ruffenach
Thursday, July 14, 2011

provided by

Want to hear some good news about retirement? You have more control over your future than you think.

So much about retirement planning today is marked by doubt: We don't know whether our savings will see us through old age. We don't know what might happen to Social Security and Medicare. We don't know whether we'll be able to continue to work for as long as we wish to (or need to). And so we fret — a lot. In its most recent "retirement confidence" survey, the Washington, D.C.-based Employee Benefit Research Institute found that 27 percent of workers are "not at all confident" about having sufficient funds to live comfortably in later life — the highest level of gloom in the study's 21-year history.

At their worst, such anxieties can leave people paralyzed. Clark Randall, who heads Financial Enlightenment, a planning firm in Dallas, says he often sees this with his clients: "It's easy to focus on threats they can't control." And that's the point. If you're caught up in issues that are out of your hands — interest rates, changes in government programs, the markets — you're more likely to overlook those parts of retirement planning where you do have control.

So, "pop quiz": How many of the following steps — for which you're the boss — have you taken?

Setting a budget. It's among the most important steps in planning for later life, but less than half of workers have put pencil to paper, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Why are budgets so critical? Projecting expenses and income can help you pin down your "number," the amount of money you need to save for retirement. You could be pleasantly surprised. "Many people who have been diligent about building a nest egg find they spend less on themselves than they realize," says Brent R. Brodeski, a managing director at Savant Capital Management in Rockford, Ill. Any number of work sheets can simplify the process. (See the Department of Labor's "Taking the Mystery out of Retirement Planning" or T. Rowe Price's "Retirement Readiness Guide.")

Timing Social Security. If you're married, the timing of exactly when each spouse first files for benefits can translate into thousands of dollars gained — or lost — in retirement. Rather than simply jumping in the pool at age 62 (the earliest point at which you can grab a check) or trying to sort through a dozen different scenarios, take advantage of a service that can run the numbers for you. One good bet: SocialSecuritySolutions.com.

Reducing debt. Between 2000 and 2008, the average debt for households headed by a person age 55-plus almost doubled to $66,000, according to Strategic Business Insights, a research firm in Menlo Park, Calif. Again, here's where would-be retirees can take the reins. Marsha and Chris Blair, 63 and 65, both educators, were saddled with a monthly mortgage of $5,300 on their house just south of San Francisco. Knowing they wanted to travel in retirement, they recently sold it (admittedly, not an easy feat in some markets these days) and moved to a $142,500 home in Yountville, Calif. Their new monthly payment for the land lease, insurance, taxes and cable: under $800. "You have no idea how freeing that is," Marsha says. "The first thing my husband says every time we enter the house is, 'Home, sweet unmortgaged home.'"

Creating a pension. If nothing else, the recent financial meltdown underscores the need for investments that throw off income, regardless of what's happening in the markets. If you're fortunate enough to have an employer pension, great. If not, there's no excuse for failing to buy and hold products — annuities, dividend-paying stocks, bond funds — that generate cash.

Managing taxes. No, you can't control tax rates, but you can practice "tax diversification," says Randall, of Financial Enlightenment. Ask yourself: Will virtually all your money in retirement come from your 401(k) or IRA? If so, those withdrawals will be taxed as ordinary income, and you could be paying as much as 35 percent to Uncle Sam. But if you divide your dollars among more buckets — Roth IRAs, municipal bonds, even real estate — you have the flexibility to pull funds from different sources at different times. "You don't know what your effective tax rate will be in retirement," Randall says. "That's why you should diversify."

Planning for long-term care. Yes, this is a tough one. But it's also an area where failing to act could prove devastating. Among your options: self-insuring, if you can set aside sufficient funds. Long-term-care insurance, which is complicated and expensive, is another possibility, as are so-called hybrid policies that provide some long-term-care benefits and some life insurance (but perhaps not enough of either). Finally, there's the Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act, the federal government's new insurance program for long-term care (the details are still being ironed out). While it could be a case of picking your poison, just choosing means you've taken control.

I know: The invariable response is, "But I don't have time." Please. It never fails to amaze me how people will spend weeks planning a visit to Disneyland with the grandchildren but won't take a few hours to assemble a retirement budget that could easily last 30 years. Believe me: You can find time. Take control of what you can control — and take the anxiety out of your retirement planning.

Viper Powersports Letter to Shareholders OTCBB: VPWI The following press release is being issued by Viper Powersports (PINKSHEETS:VPWI.pk - News): Dear Fellow Shareholders: During the month of June, we have completed the Company's relocation from Minneapolis, MN to our new world Headquarters inAlabama. Our new 63,000 sq ft world class production facility is situated on 17 acres in Auburn, Alabama. We are excited to be in our new home. The facilities are large enough for us to produce up to 1000 units per year and the plant can be expanded to a maximum footprint of 163,000 square feet. In the past sixty days, we have rounded out our senior management team with several high profile additions. The additions are: Tim Kling, the former CFO of Lehman Trikes, as our new Chief Financial Officer, Dave Leysen, who has been responsible for the successful launch of numerous complex vehicle systems for several OEMS including GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, BMW, and Indian Motorcycles, as our Director of Operations, and Colbert Seagraves, former director of marketing for the All Harley Davidson Drag Racing Association, as our VP of Marketing and Racing. Andrew Broadley as our Technical Director completes the nucleus of our Management team. We have already received commitments from two leaders from the Alabama business community, Grant Lynch, Chairman of Talladega Raceway, and Tim Wellborn, owner of the Wellborn Muscle Car Museum, to join our Board of Directors. We recently completed a $1 million private placement of Series A preferred stock. This additional capital has been deployed to purchase inventory and to hire initial production personnel to commence our initial production of our motorcycle products. We believe that due to our new world class products, our joint venture with Ilmor Engineering, recent additions to our senior management team, and the closing of our financing, we are now ready to commence the launch of our products. We intend to prove that products designed, engineered, and "Made in America" mean something special as we intend to build the best high performance super cruiser motorcycles and engines in the world. In the coming months we eagerly look forward to the announcement of the members of our US and International Dealership network. By year end we intend to achieve consistent commercial scale production, with the ability to rapidly scale production consistent with our order backlog from our dealer network while maintaining outstanding quality control and dealer service. Later this year we look forward to our "Grand Opening," where we will also announce and showcase our 21st Century Model, the "Mamba," which the race version is being prepared to race in the NHRA circuit in 2013. We thank you for your continued support. John Silseth Chief Executive Officer Viper Powersports designs, manufactures and markets a line of premium American V-Twin Super Cruiser motorcycles, V-Twin aftermarket engines and other related aftermarket products through an independent dealer network. A joint venture partnership with Ilmor Engineering (www.ilmor.com), provides design, technical development and support for the proprietary 152 cubic inch Viper V-Twin engine, utilizing their 25 years of high-performance engine expertise, ensuring Viper's long-term success as America's newest domestic OEM of motorcycles. Viper Powersports and Viper Motorcycle Company's websites are www.viperpowersports.comand www.vipermotorcycle.com. The foregoing material may contain forward-looking statements. We caution that such statements may be subject to uncertainties and that actual results could differ materially from the foregoing statements. Readers accordingly should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which do not reflect anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances occurring after the date of these forward-looking statements. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Mann VP Investor Relations Viper Powersports, Inc. Tel: 512.971.1729 E: mmann@viperpowersports.com

Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC. Web Address: www.emergingmarketsllc.com Contact Us: (321) 206-6682 10724 High Crest CT Howey in the Hills, FL 34737 Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC ("EMC"), its principals, affiliates, representatives, subcontractors or agents (hereafter referred to as "EMC") prepare and/or assist others in preparing and publishing oral and written information on selected companies (the "Profiled Companies") and/or their securities (the "Securities") in various contexts, including but not limited to corporate and business profiles, summaries, stock alerts, reports, and press releases (hereafter referred to as the "Information") through various methods including but not limited to: (a) facsimile; (b) double opt-in spam compliant emails; (c) mail and courier; and (d) the world wide web, including but not limited to EMC's website at www.emergingmarketsllc.com. 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EMC does not provide stock recommendations; as such, none of the Information should be construed directly or indirectly or explicitly or impliedly, as stock recommendations and you should rely upon your professional adviser regarding such matters, including your registered broker, investment adviser or other qualified financial adviser. EMC does not endorse, independently verify or assert the truthfulness, completeness, accuracy or reliability of the Information and conducts no due diligence of the Profiled Companies; Penny stocks are subject to the SEC's penny stock rules, which may cause difficulties in liquidating micro-cap securities; Penny stocks by their very nature involve a high degree of risk and may involve the loss of one's entire investment. Energy, biotech, and other companies are subject to increased regulations, which subject them to material costs and possible fines and liabilities. Because we will sell material amounts of the Securities during the dissemination of the Information, shortly thereafter, or at anytime, our selling activities may negatively cause price volatility, stock price declines and/or increased/decreased selling volume. Because we will buy material amounts of the Securities in the open market before, during or after the dissemination of the Information, these activities may cause price volatility, stock price increases or declines or increased/decreased volume. Because we only present positive or neutral information regarding the Profiled Companies and do not provide negative information in our Profiles, it is all the more important for you to conduct further investigation, consult with outside sources, and consult with your professional adviser. Because we only present selected positive or neutral information, you should consult other recommended sources as we have referred to above, to determine what information is material or immaterial; Because EMC is a Shareholder of the Profiled Companies, it has an inherent conflict of interest with the Recipients, in which EMC may favor their own interests over that of the Recipients, by selling its compensation during the publication of the Information or at anytime. The buying and selling of the Securities by EMC and/or its principals, affiliates and representatives may negatively affect the volume or price of the Securities, including price declines or the common shares becoming unstable. Penny stock securities are often thinly traded, in which case you may have difficulties in liquidating your securities. Penny stock securities involve an extremely high degree of risk. Because the Securities are penny stocks, they are subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission&rsquos penny stock rules, and as such, any investment in the Securities involves a high degree of risk and it may be difficult for any investor or Shareholder to resell the Securities; an investment in the Securities could result in the loss of some or all of an investment. The issuance of the Securities to EMC may cause shareholders and/or investors of the Profiled Companies to experience immediate and substantial dilution of their holdings and/or investments in the Profiled Companies Future securities issuances to EMC for services may also result in a reduction of (i) the book value or market price of the Profiled Companies' securities, (ii) shareholder voting power; and (iii) each shareholder's proportionate ownership of any Profiled Company. You should consider whether the Profiled Company is a development stage company or has little or no operations or no revenues or assets, any such conditions of which increase the risk investment level of investing in such companies. You should consider the financial condition of the Profiled Company in your analysis. Many of the companies are subject to numerous risks particular to the industry that they engage in, which may be disclosed in SEC and/or Pink Sheets reports and we urge you to review. Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 requires that any person that uses the mails to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any publication or communication that describes a security in return for consideration received or to be received directly or indirectly from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, must fully disclose the type of consideration (i.e. cash, free trading stock, restricted stock, stock options, stock warrants) and the specific amount of the consideration. In connection therewith, EMC has received the following compensation and/or has an agreement to receive in the future certain compensation, as described below: EMC has a contract to provide Investor Relations services for Viper for a twelve month period. The company has paid EMC $20,000 dollars and 100,000 restricted shares. EMC has sold 124,000 shares and may sell the entire position at any time.

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