Our Stocks to Watch today include BigString Corporation (OTCBB: BSGC), Lighting Science Group (OTCBB: LSGP), CryoPort, Inc. (OTCBB: CYRX), MetaSwarm, Inc. (OTC: MSWM), Prana Biotechnology Limited (NASD: PRAN)
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BIGSTRING CORPORATION (OTCBB: BSGC)
Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/BSGC.php
Company Profile: http://www.otcpicks.com/bigstring/bigstring.htm
BigString Corporation, through its subsidiary, BigString Interactive, Inc., provides email services. It offers BigString, which is a Web-based, POP3 server email service solution that allows the user to edit, recall, cancel, and erase the email, as well as insert or delete attachments, even after the email has been sent out and opened. The company also provides BigString Beta 2.0 that offers erasable, recallable, and self destroying applications, non-printable and non-forwardable emails, set time or number of views, and masquerading to protect the sender's privacy and security. BigString Beta 2.0 also provides spam filters, virus protection, and large-storage web-based email accounts. The company's products include BigString Free, which provides the features of BigString Beta 2.0, and includes 1GB of storage and permits the user to send unlimited emails per month; BigString Premium, which offers the features of the BigString Free account, plus vanity domains, POP3 access using any email client, 2GB of storage, and 30 minute video email; and BigString Business that offers the features of the BigString Premium account, plus 10 email accounts, 20GB of storage, global filter notification, and email management. BigString Corporation also offers BigString Marketer Pro, which provides an enterprise marketing software application which allows for the sending of interactive video email commercials that can be programmed to self-destruct at a set time; and BigString Marketer SMB, a hosted video email marketing platform for small and medium size businesses. The company was founded in 2003. It was formerly known as Recall Mail Corporation and changed its name to BigString Corporation in 2005. Bigstring Corporation is based in Red Bank, New Jersey.
BSGC News:
December 18 - BigString Corporation Launches Facebook Application Enabling Users to Send Self-Destructing Videos
BigString Corporation (OTCBB: BSGC) has launched an application for Facebook that enables users to record or upload videos that can be programmed to self-destruct at a specific time or after a set number of views. This is part of a new BigString initiative to develop social networking messaging applications built around the company's core technology.
The video application will allow users to send private self-destructing video messages or to post public video messages to the recipient’s wall. Users can record a video message directly to the application or upload a pre-existing message.
Darin Myman, President and CEO of BigString Corporation, noted that "Video message privacy and security is very important in a world where you can very easily find your personal videos being put up without your permission on sites such as YouTube. Social networks such as Facebook interface well with BigString’s proprietary messaging technology. We provide added value to websites focused on social networking, online dating or user-generated content where protecting a user’s privacy is a major consideration."
LIGHTING SCIENCE GROUP (OTCBB: LSGP)
"Up 33.33% in morning trading"
Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/LSGP.php
Lighting Science Group Corporation produces lighting products utilizing optimized digital lighting technology. The company offers lowbay fixtures, display lighting fixtures, standard form factor bulbs, candles, and flashlights. It markets its products for the commercial, industrial, and consumer lighting markets. The company sells its products through lighting and electrical distributors; parking garage operators; distributors in the spa, hospitality, and leisure sectors; and retailers of energy products, as well as through its Web site. Lighting Science Group is based in Dallas, Texas.
LSGP News:
December 20 - Lighting Science Group Helps New York Ring in the New Year in an Illuminating Fashion
At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2008, New Yorkers — and people around the World — will ring in the New Year under the glow of a brighter and more energy-efficient Times Square ball illuminated by cutting edge Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology.
"For the first time in history, New Year's eve's most iconic image, the Times Square Ball, will be lit by LEDs," said Govi Rao, chairman and chief executive officer of Lighting Science Group (OTCBB: LSGP), the company responsible for making it possible.
Lighting Science Group (LSG) was commissioned by Philips Lighting to develop an LED lighting system to deliver the first environmentally friendly, brighter, more responsive New Year's Eve ball, while maintaining the core lighting elements of the old ball. The new ball is 6 feet in diameter and weighs 1,200 pounds, and consists of 9,576 Philips' LEDs and 672 of Waterford's double-cut crystals.
"Lighting Science was selected as a partner by Philips because we have a proven track record of successfully managing very complex LED projects from design to execution. In addition, we have unique capabilities to design and integrate hardware and software solutions — including optics, thermal management, power supplies and drivers — that control LEDs and provide a completely integrated solution," said Govi Rao.
The new ball incorporates both colored and white LEDs. The colored LEDs were designed to consume only 1-2 Watts of energy while delivering the same light output as last year's 40-Watt colored incandescent bulbs.
Rao continued, "LED's are the most responsive, and among the most energy efficient lighting technologies ever created. Finding a way to integrate the flexibility of all the ball's elements with the vision of the lighting designers was a unique challenge for LSG. Our engineers were able to create an integrated package that highlights all the best features of each element, the Philips LEDs, and the Waterford Crystals, to generate breath-taking displays, and lighting effects."
Countdown Entertainment, owners of the Time Square New Year's Eve event, commissioned Philips Lighting and Waterford Crystal to create the new ball. Lighting Science was hired by Philips to integrate both companies' technologies — specifically designing, integrating and assembling light engines to manage the ball's power and communications signals — to guarantee that this unique structure works on queue at the stroke of Midnight.
Lighting Science worked closely with Focus Lighting, the ball's lighting designer, and Hudson Scenic, the ball's structural framework designer and manufacturer, to ensure that the overall integration went seamlessly.
"The technology platform developed by Lighting Science boasts more than 16 million vivid, vibrant, highly-saturated colors as well as billions of possible effects," added Rao. "This New Year's Eve ball highlights our unique capabilities in delivering high performance LED based solutions and we are proud to help the world usher in the New Year — in a more responsible way."
CRYOPORT INCORPORATED (OTCBB: CYRX)
"Up 25.53% in morning trading"
Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/CYRX.php
CryoPort, Inc. manufactures reusable cryogenic dry shippers for the transport of biological materials. It offers three lines of reusable cryogenic dry vapor shippers, including AR1000, DG1000, and DS650, which are capable of maintaining cryogenic temperatures of minus 150 centigrade or less, for up to 10 days. The AR1000 is utilized primarily in the veterinary and human assisted reproduction markets; the DG1000 is used for shipping biological material classified as dangerous goods by IATA standards; and the DS650 is utilized for the shipment of specimens for diagnosis, treatment, or evaluation of disease. The company also provides biological material holders for infectious and dangerous goods; and artificial insemination canisters for use with its AR1000 shippers. In addition, CryoPort develops a line of disposable dry cryogenic shippers for the transport of biological materials, including live cell pharmaceutical products, such as cancer vaccines, diagnostic materials, semen and embryos, infectious substances, and other items that require continuous exposure to frozen or cryogenic temperatures. The company offers its products for pharmaceutical clinical trials, gene biotechnology, transport of infectious materials and dangerous goods, pharmaceutical distribution, artificial insemination and embryo transfer in animals, and human assisted reproduction artificial insemination. It sells its products directly, as well as through third party resellers, distributors, and agents in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Lake Forest, California.
CYRX News:
December 20 - CryoPort Ships Stem Cells for Celprogen
CryoPort, Inc. (OTCBB: CYRX) announced that it has completed a successful shipment of stem cells for Celprogen, Inc. from Southern California to Australia utilizing the CryoPort Express® Shipper.
Celprogen's CEO, Jay Sharma commented, "The CryoPort Express shipper has provided a more secure, cost-effective alternative to dry ice as we ship our stem cell research and therapeutic products to customers around the world. In addition to Australia, we have successfully utilized the CryoPort Express shipper for shipments to many diverse locations, such as South Africa, Japan, United Kingdom and Germany and have found the extra holding time an important hedge against delays that may result from regulatory and custom holds."
Peter Berry, CEO of CryoPort, stated, "We are pleased to be able to address the challenges that biotechnology companies such as Celprogen confront as they ship high value biomaterials in the global cold chain. These successful shipments reinforce the value of the CryoPort Express business model in both Europe and the developing world."
METASWARM INCORPORATED (OTC: MSWM)
"Up 22.22% in morning trading"
Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/MSWM.php
MetaSwarm, Inc. is headquartered in California and is focused in the information technology industry. MetaSwarm specializes in personal and commercial information assurance solutions, including anti-fraud, anti-spam, and relationship analysis solutions for the Internet e-commerce markets. Specifically, MetaSwarm products provide applications for message management, message and website validation, and message and website analysis for email, cell phone text messaging (SMS), instant messaging (IM), and web pages.
MSWM News:
December 20 - Exclusive Licensee of MetaSwarm Technology in China, Beijing InfoSure Technology Ltd., Signs Mobile Video Contract with Henan Cable & Communication Co., Ltd.
MetaSwarm, Inc. (OTC: MSWM) announced that its exclusive licensee in China, Beijing InfoSure Technology Ltd. (Beijing InfoSure), has signed a contract with Henan Cable Communications Co., Ltd. (Henan Cable), a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Cable Communications Co., Ltd. (China Cable) whereby Beijing InfoSure will provide video content and mobile advertisements on the Mobile Video CGTV platform in the Henan Province of China. Henan Cable has signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with China Mobile Henan Branch to operate mobile Video CGTV platform in the Henan Province of China. The Henan Province is located in eastern central China. The total population is 97.68 million. According to the Ministry of Information Industry, there are approximately 30 million mobile phone subscribers in the Henan Province.
Marvin Shannon, CEO of MetaSwarm, Inc., said, "The number of mobile phone subscribers in the Henan Province provides a perspective on the sheer size of the overall Chinese market and illustrates the perceived value of information and communications technology (ICT). Many Chinese spend a greater percentage of monthly income on pre-paid phone cards than Americans spend on food. This says a lot about the perceived importance of telecommunications in China's society. We are proud and excited about the potential size of the contract and look forward to working hand-in-hand with Henan Cable in developing in this exciting market."
ABOUT BEIJING INFOSURE
Beijing InfoSure Technology Ltd. is the exclusive licensee in China of the HyperSwarm Engine a patent pending product of MetaSwarm, Inc. Based on the platform of the HyperSwarm Engine, Beijing InfoSure does research, development, design, and provides anti-spam and anti-phishing solutions as well as application services on message verification, information personalization, etc.
PRANA BIOTECHNOLOGY LIMITED (NASD: PRAN)
"Up 21.26% in morning trading"
Detailed Quote: http://www.otcpicks.com/quotes/PRAN.php
Prana Biotechnology was established to commercialize research into Alzheimer's disease and other major age-related neurodegenerative disorders. The company was incorporated in 1997 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in March 2000 and listed on NASDAQ in September 2002. Researchers at prominent international institutions including the University of Melbourne, the Mental Health Research Institute (Melbourne) and Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, discovered Prana's technology. For further information, visit www.pranabio.com.
PRAN News:
December 20 - Prana Provides Update on Research and Development Programs at Annual General Meeting
Prana Biotechnology Limited (NASD: PRAN) (ASX: PBT) provided an update of current and future activities of the Company at the Annual General Meeting.
Chairman and CEO of Prana Biotechnology, Mr. Geoffrey Kempler, affirmed that the PBT2 Alzheimer's Disease clinical trial continues to be on target with trial results expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2008.
Mr. Kempler said, "As we previously disclosed, we have completed the dosing of all patients as scheduled without any safety or tolerability issues identified by the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board or the clinical investigators. We are encouraged by the way the trial has proceeded to date and that the drug appears well tolerated. With results imminent, and given a positive outcome, we are planning to progress PBT2 into a larger clinical trial in 2008."
Additional Applications for PBT2:
Mr. Kempler discussed the expansion of future therapeutic targets for PBT2, including Huntington's disease for which advantages are envisioned over current therapies. According to Mr. Kempler, "A positive safety and tolerability outcome with PBT2 in the current trial will allow us to test PBT2 in a second disease indication, such as Huntington's disease, for which we have very promising pre-clinical data."
Update on Immunotherapy Program
Going further into the pipeline of activities currently being addressed, Mr. Kempler shared on-going developments with additional applications of Prana's technology, highlighting a novel immunotherapy program for Alzheimer's Disease which had started in 2003. Prana's scientists have developed monoclonal antibodies against a unique form (a conformational epitope) of abeta which is produced as a result of the oxidative processes central to the toxic pathway in Alzheimer's disease. A candidate monoclonal antibody has been selected which may be expected to commence animal trials in first quarter 2008.
The monoclonal antibodies have been designed against particular configurations of corrupted oligomers of abeta, in an attempt to avoid the adverse effects associated with the earliest generation of Alzheimer's immunotherapy, which recognized all forms of abeta.
Cancer Applications of Prana's Technology
Referring to 2008 and beyond, Mr. Kempler said, "Based on strong pre-clinical data, the Company will initiate an R&D program to develop selected MPAC's to treat cancer. Scientists have identified particular classes of Prana drugs from its library which are toxic to brain cancer cells and are well tolerated in animal models."
Prana is already regarded as a pioneer in understanding the link between metals and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease. Recently, several articles have appeared in prestigious cancer journals highlighting the relationship between metals and cancer. In vivo and in vitro studies published by independent cancer researchers shows that PBT1, Prana's Proof of Concept MPAC, can selectively kill a variety of cancer types.
According to Mr. Kempler, "In 2008, we hope to select a lead candidate to enter the development pipeline. Currently we are planning to screen our best candidates across a range of cancer types. However given that our drugs are designed to cross the blood brain barrier, in the first instance we have focused on brain cancer for which there is little effective treatment. To date we have a promising compound which has shown selective toxicity towards brain cancer cells whilst selectively sparing healthy brain cells, unlike common chemotherapy drugs. Our compounds have the advantage of being available orally."
Mr. Kempler pointed to the year ahead as a time of major value adding outcomes of the Company's research and development efforts over recent years.
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