Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Frontier Communications, AT&T ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL ? November 17, 2011 ? Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Frontier Communications Corp. (FTR - Analyst Report), AT&T Inc. (T - Analyst Report), Apple Inc. (AAPL - Analyst Report), Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ - Analyst Report) and CenturyLink Inc. (CTL - Analyst Report).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Wednesday?s Analyst Blog:

Frontier to Sell AT&T Line

The rural telecommunications service provider Frontier Communications Corp. (FTR - Analyst Report) will now sell AT&T Inc.?s (T - Analyst Report) wireless voice and data products to its customers. The recently inked deal however does not give Frontier the right to sell Apple Inc.?s (AAPL - Analyst Report) iPhone.

Reselling AT&T?s product and services reflects Frontiers efforts to expand its business following the acquisition of rural fixed-line operations from Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ - Analyst Report) last year. Successful integration in 14 states would provide cost synergies of approximately $600 million by the end of next year. We believe the Verizon lines would lead to higher profits and improved free cash flow.

The three-year deal supports Frontier?s strong portfolio of broadband, voice and satellite TV services. Along with AT&T?s mobile broadband network, Frontier will offer a broad range of smartphones, tablets and applications of the former.

Frontier focuses on generating new revenues through customer retention and wins, new product deployments as well as broadband expansion. Frontier offers voice, high-speed Internet, satellite video, wireless Internet data access, data security solutions, bundled offerings, specialized bundles for small businesses and home offices, and advanced business communications access solutions for medium and large businesses.

The company will resell AT&T?s products in the first half of next year and reach out to the entire population in the 27 states it covers, by the end of the next year. The deal would fuel subscriber growth while retaining the old. It would also boost Frontier?s competitive position against CenturyLink Inc. (CTL - Analyst Report), which has the similar deal with Verizon.

We believe Frontier?s ongoing expansion efforts may continue to stretch its borrowing and balance sheet. The company continues to operate with a high debt level of approximately $8.15 billion at the end of the third quarter, up from $7.98 billion at the end of fiscal 2010. Further, intense competition, regulatory pressure as well as integration risks might limit the earnings potential in the upcoming quarters.

While awaiting the initial deployment of AT&T services, we are maintaining our long-term Neutral recommendation on Frontier. For the short term (1-3 months), the stock retains the Zacks #3 (Hold) Rank.

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Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

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Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leon Zacks. As a PhD from MIT Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

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Source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/64810/The+Zacks+Analyst+Blog+Highlights%3A+Frontier+Communications,+AT&T,+Apple,+Verizon+Communications+and+CenturyLink

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Saturday, November 19, 2011

Wedding Movies: 8 Of Our Favorite Weddings On The Big Screen

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/18/wedding-movies-8-of-our-fa_n_1102334.html

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Online course got newly qualified nurses, midwives and AHPs off to a flying start

Online course got newly qualified nurses, midwives and AHPs off to a flying start [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 17-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Annette Whibley
annette.wizard@gmail.com
Wiley-Blackwell

547 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals responded to survey

Newly qualified nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who took part in an online course during their first year of employment reported increased clinical skills development and confidence. However the survey on the Flying Start NHS programme, published in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing, found that mentors needed more training and time to provide support.

Researchers surveyed 547 newly qualified practitioners who had undertaken the course, developed by NHS Education Scotland, and interviewed 21 project lead/co-ordinators and 22 mentors.

"The majority of the newly qualified practitioners reported that Flying Start NHS had been useful in terms of clinical skills development and confidence" says lead author Professor Pauline Banks, University of West Scotland.

"Those who were able to take protected time were more likely to complete the learning units and report that the support they received was good. Both newly qualified practitioners and mentors reported a lack of time. Newly qualified practitioners who took up posts in the community expressed greater satisfaction with the support received."

The respondents were nurses (61%), allied health professionals (35%) and midwives (4%). The top five occupations were: adult nursing (43%), mental health nursing (13%), speech and language therapy (9%), occupational therapy (8%) and physiotherapy (8%). Just under half (47%) worked in acute settings, 18% worked in the community and the remainder worked in both.

Key findings of the study included:

When it came to clinical skills development, 75% of respondents found the clinical skills module the most useful, followed by safe practice (69%), reflective practice (69%) communication (67%) and professional development (62%).

The five most useful modules for developing confidence were: safe practice (62%), clinical skills (62%), reflective practice (61%), professional development (57%) and communication (56%).

The careers pathway was the least useful module, scoring 43% for clinical skills development and 34% for confidence. Just 12% said it had helped them understand their future career options, 32% said it had not and the rest were undecided.

When it came to development needs, staff were very clear about their most and least important priorities, with 71% putting learning the job first and 75% putting commitment to the organisation and career progression in the bottom slot. The votes for the second and third priorities - becoming a member of the team and orientation/induction to the clinical area - were much more evenly balanced.

Three-quarters of the respondents were allocated a mentor in the first six weeks of employment, with nine out of ten having one by three months. They spent an average of just over two hours a month with their mentor.

More than half (57%) had protected time for the course, with an average of 3.4 hours per month. However four out of five were not always able to take it. Time was also an issue for some mentors, as was lack of training in the programme.

Eight out of ten respondents (79%) who had been in post for 12-18 months had completed less than half of the learning units, when ideally they should have completed the programme.

Community-based staff expressed greater satisfaction with the course than acute-based staff. Staff in rotational or non-permanent posts faced greater challenges, including not knowing if they would keep the same mentor.

"The findings of our study highlight the challenges that newly qualified respondents face during the transition from student to qualified practitioner and indicate that the majority found completing the online learning units useful in terms of clinical skills development and confidence" says Professor Banks.

"However, many respondents reported that they found completing the course difficult, with some believing that there was a lack of partnership or an imbalance in the expectations placed on them as newly qualified practitioners and the support provided by the NHS. This included time issues for both students and mentors.

"It is clear that newly-qualified practitioners undertaking Flying Start NHS in their first year found it increased their clinical skills development and confidence. Investing the time needed to make this course even more effective is likely to pay dividends for the NHS, patients and carers, as well as for the practitioners themselves."

###

Notes to Editors

Flying Start NHS: easing the transition from student to registered health professional. Banks et al. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 20, pp3567. (December 2011). doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.03796.x

The Journal of Clinical Nursing (JCN) is an international, peer reviewed, scientific journal that seeks to promote the development and exchange of knowledge that is directly relevant to all spheres of nursing and midwifery practice. The primary aim is to promote a high standard of clinically related scholarship which supports the practice and discipline of nursing. JCN publishes high quality papers on issues related to clinical nursing, regardless of where care is provided. This includes - but is not limited to - ambulatory care, community care, family care, home, hospital, practice, primary and secondary, and public health. http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/JOCN

Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit http://www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Online course got newly qualified nurses, midwives and AHPs off to a flying start [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 17-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Annette Whibley
annette.wizard@gmail.com
Wiley-Blackwell

547 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals responded to survey

Newly qualified nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who took part in an online course during their first year of employment reported increased clinical skills development and confidence. However the survey on the Flying Start NHS programme, published in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing, found that mentors needed more training and time to provide support.

Researchers surveyed 547 newly qualified practitioners who had undertaken the course, developed by NHS Education Scotland, and interviewed 21 project lead/co-ordinators and 22 mentors.

"The majority of the newly qualified practitioners reported that Flying Start NHS had been useful in terms of clinical skills development and confidence" says lead author Professor Pauline Banks, University of West Scotland.

"Those who were able to take protected time were more likely to complete the learning units and report that the support they received was good. Both newly qualified practitioners and mentors reported a lack of time. Newly qualified practitioners who took up posts in the community expressed greater satisfaction with the support received."

The respondents were nurses (61%), allied health professionals (35%) and midwives (4%). The top five occupations were: adult nursing (43%), mental health nursing (13%), speech and language therapy (9%), occupational therapy (8%) and physiotherapy (8%). Just under half (47%) worked in acute settings, 18% worked in the community and the remainder worked in both.

Key findings of the study included:

When it came to clinical skills development, 75% of respondents found the clinical skills module the most useful, followed by safe practice (69%), reflective practice (69%) communication (67%) and professional development (62%).

The five most useful modules for developing confidence were: safe practice (62%), clinical skills (62%), reflective practice (61%), professional development (57%) and communication (56%).

The careers pathway was the least useful module, scoring 43% for clinical skills development and 34% for confidence. Just 12% said it had helped them understand their future career options, 32% said it had not and the rest were undecided.

When it came to development needs, staff were very clear about their most and least important priorities, with 71% putting learning the job first and 75% putting commitment to the organisation and career progression in the bottom slot. The votes for the second and third priorities - becoming a member of the team and orientation/induction to the clinical area - were much more evenly balanced.

Three-quarters of the respondents were allocated a mentor in the first six weeks of employment, with nine out of ten having one by three months. They spent an average of just over two hours a month with their mentor.

More than half (57%) had protected time for the course, with an average of 3.4 hours per month. However four out of five were not always able to take it. Time was also an issue for some mentors, as was lack of training in the programme.

Eight out of ten respondents (79%) who had been in post for 12-18 months had completed less than half of the learning units, when ideally they should have completed the programme.

Community-based staff expressed greater satisfaction with the course than acute-based staff. Staff in rotational or non-permanent posts faced greater challenges, including not knowing if they would keep the same mentor.

"The findings of our study highlight the challenges that newly qualified respondents face during the transition from student to qualified practitioner and indicate that the majority found completing the online learning units useful in terms of clinical skills development and confidence" says Professor Banks.

"However, many respondents reported that they found completing the course difficult, with some believing that there was a lack of partnership or an imbalance in the expectations placed on them as newly qualified practitioners and the support provided by the NHS. This included time issues for both students and mentors.

"It is clear that newly-qualified practitioners undertaking Flying Start NHS in their first year found it increased their clinical skills development and confidence. Investing the time needed to make this course even more effective is likely to pay dividends for the NHS, patients and carers, as well as for the practitioners themselves."

###

Notes to Editors

Flying Start NHS: easing the transition from student to registered health professional. Banks et al. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 20, pp3567. (December 2011). doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.03796.x

The Journal of Clinical Nursing (JCN) is an international, peer reviewed, scientific journal that seeks to promote the development and exchange of knowledge that is directly relevant to all spheres of nursing and midwifery practice. The primary aim is to promote a high standard of clinically related scholarship which supports the practice and discipline of nursing. JCN publishes high quality papers on issues related to clinical nursing, regardless of where care is provided. This includes - but is not limited to - ambulatory care, community care, family care, home, hospital, practice, primary and secondary, and public health. http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/JOCN

Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit http://www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/w-ocg111711.php

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Futurity.org ? How estrogen turns on genes in breast cancer

To activate the genes in breast cancer cells, a protein recognizes when a common chemical process called methylation occurs in chromatin and then binds to the signal. "It?s like when you?re in your car and come to a red light," says study author Michael Stallcup. "The light doesn?t make you stop, but it is a signal that you have to interpret and then decide to stop." (Credit / Artist's rendering of breast cancer cell: MichaelTaylor / Shutterstock)

USC (US) ? New research has determined the key process by which estrogen, the female sex hormone, activates genes in breast cancer cells, a finding that could eventually lead to new treatments for the disease.

Researchers found that a protein, TIP60, recognizes when a common chemical process called methylation occurs in chromatin, the material that enfolds all genes.

Methylation controls how genes are folded in the complex structure of chromatin, which determines whether the genes are active or inactive.

After recognizing the methylation signal, researchers discovered TIP60 then binds to the signal, connecting TIP60 to the chromatin and changing the chromatin?s structure?which helps to activate the gene. The methylation that TIP60 recognizes is generated by another protein, MLL1.

?It?s like when you?re in your car and come to a red light,? says Michael Stallcup, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at University of Southern California.

?The light doesn?t make you stop, but it is a signal that you have to interpret and then decide to stop. In this case, the methylation modification that TIP60 recognizes is one of those signals, and then TIP60 acts on that signal.?

Published online in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the findings build upon previous work of Stallcup?s lab that revealed that the methylation of chromatin and other proteins plays several important roles in controlling the activities of genes.

While the recent findings are significant, Stallcup stressed that there is much more to be discovered.

?We want to understand more about other steps in the process of gene activation,? Stallcup says. ?In particular, we?re interested in the function of the MLL1 protein because we think it plays a key role in controlling chromatin structure and folding, which we think is critical for activation of genes by estrogen.?

While estrogen regulates just a few hundred of the tens of thousands of genes in every human cell, the research has broader implications, Stallcup says.

?While the process we?re studying is the regulation of gene activity by estrogen, the findings have potentially global significance,because the methylation modification of chromatin that TIP60 recognizes is found in all active and potentially active genes in human cells.?

Kwang Won Jeong, a postdoctoral student in Stallcup?s lab, is the paper?s first author.

More news from USC: http://uscnews.usc.edu/

Source: http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/how-estrogen-turns-on-genes-in-breast-cancer/

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Friday, November 18, 2011

APNewsBreak: Demi Moore to divorce Ashton Kutcher (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Demi Moore is ending her marriage to fellow actor Ashton Kutcher, she told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Moore, 49, and Kutcher, 33, were wed in September 2005.

The couple's relationship became tabloid fodder in recent months as rumors swirled about Kutcher's alleged infidelity.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton. As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life. This is a trying time for me and my family, and so I would ask for the same compassion and privacy that you would give to anyone going through a similar situation," she said in her statement to the AP.

The pair frequently used Twitter to communicate with each other as millions of fans followed along.

"I will forever cherish the time I spent with Demi," Kutcher tweeted Thursday. "Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail."

Moore said in 2007 that her relationship with the star of "That `70s Show" and "Punk'd" ? who is 15 years younger than Moore ? "caught us both by surprise."

"If somebody would have said, `OK, here is the prediction: You're going to meet a man 25 years old and he's going to see being with you and having your three kids as a bonus,' I would have said, `Keep dreaming,'" Moore said in a 2007 interview with Vanity Fair. "I think it caught us both by surprise, and particularly him."

Kutcher became a stepfather to Moore's three daughters ? Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Belle ? from her 13-year marriage to actor Bruce Willis. Moore and Willis divorced in 2000 but remained friendly. Moore and Kutcher were photographed socializing with Willis, and the couple attended Willis' wedding to model-actress Emma Heming in 2009.

Moore and Kutcher created the DNA Foundation, also known as the Demi and Ashton Foundation, in 2010 to combat the organized sexual exploitation of girls around the globe. They later lent their support to the United Nations' efforts to fight human trafficking, a scourge the international organization estimates affects about 2.5 million people worldwide.

Moore can be seen on screen in the recent films "Margin Call" and "Another Happy Day." Kutcher replaced Charlie Sheen on TV's "Two and a Half Men" as is part of the ensemble film "New Year's Eve," set for release next month.

Kutcher's publicist did not immediately respond to an e-mail and phone call seeking comment. No divorce papers had been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court as of Thursday afternoon.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/APsandy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111118/ap_on_en_mo/us_people_moore_kutcher

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Nov 17th: 12pmPT | 3pmET: Impact Investing Online for Accredited ...

?All 15 of presenting companies from the Investors' Circle Fall 2011 Venture Fair elicited investor interest -- a testament to the high-quality companies that continue to come to IC seeking capital.

Five of the most appealing enterprises across a variety of tracks have been selected to participate in this next Virtual Venture Fair. Each of these companies has a sizable group of members that are currently considering an investment, and with whom you may engage in the due diligence process.

Source: http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/Nov-17th-12pmPT-3pmET-Impact-Investing-Online-Accredited-Investors

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Android malware problems continue to grow

There's an alarming amount of malicious software targeting Google's Android smartphone platform, but experts say the problem will only get worse until a large share of Android customers experience firsthand the frustration, inconvenience and damage the malware can cause.

"Android malware is growing at an exponential rate, but until a large and significant user base is affected by malware, I fear we won't see any major changes in user behavior," Tim Armstrong, malware researcher for the anti-virus firm Kaspersky Lab, told SecurityNewsDaily.

Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor with Sophos, put the issue in terms nearly every smartphone customer can relate to: "Most consumers don't care until they get their first $1,000 phone bill because their pirated Angry Birds has been calling Estonia all month."

Both Armstrong and Wisniewski were commenting on a new report from Juniper Networks showing that Android malware has jumped 472 percent in the four months since July 2011.

Despite this astounding uptick in harmful, corrupt software, Android has captured 52.5 percent of the global smartphone market share, according to technology research firm Gartner, with more than 440.5 million units sold in the third quarter (July through September) alone.

So Android malware is clearly a problem. But, like car theft, it's not a real problem until yours is the one that's stolen.

"The average mom and dad don't care," Harry Sverdlove, chief technology officer for Massachusetts-based security firm Bit9, told SecurityNewsDaily. The rise in malware will only become a real issue, he said, when a customer "gets a $300 phone bill from premium-rate SMS messages or their identity gets stolen."

[How Your Android Phone Data Could Be 'Gone in 60 Seconds']

Armstrong echoed Sverdlove's assertion, and said that a majority of users are simply unaware of Android security flaws because they haven't been caught in an attack. Yet customers continue to blindly let Android apps access their computer without exercising any of the same precautions they would on a computer.

"Take permissions, for example," Armstrong said. "For years, we've been taught on the desktop to click and click through screens until an application finally installs. Compare this with the permission-request screen of an Android app install. Most users will not take the time to read or understand every permission and its consequences. They'll just click through to start using the app. EULAs [End User License Agreements] are a good example of this. Who has ever read a whole one?"

Too many cooks in Android kitchen
Unlike Apple, which makes the iPhone, owns and maintains complete control over the iOS operating system and pushes out updates to all its customers at once, several manufacturers build Android phones, often tweaking the software. It falls on the carriers (Sprint, Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile, to name the big four in the United States), not Google, to release security updates to their millions of customers.

"This is a flawed distribution model," Sverdlove said.

He likened the process to buying a personal computer from Dell, and then expecting Dell to update a Microsoft Windows program.

"I don't think people realize how chaotic this ecosystem is," Sverdlove said.

Between carriers, manufacturers and software providers, he said, "There are too many cooks in the kitchen."

Another cook, or at least another ingredient in this messy recipe, are the app developers and the ease with which anyone can put a flawed product in the Android Market or a third-party app store.

"It's just too easy at this point to upload virtually anything within an app," Armstrong told SecurityNewsDaily. "There appears to be no review system at all, so, as users, we are dependent on reviews which come from other users."

New phones, same old problems
Sverdlove said Android phones, unlike iPhones, are "not end-of-life phones." Android customers are likely to buy new handsets every 12-to-18 months, as opposed to iPhone owners, who typically keep their phones until the units die.

To that end, the carriers and phone manufacturers are consistently focused on bringing out the next, newest model, not on fixing security flaws that already exist.

"We go out and buy the phone that has the prettiest touchscreen or the best color and we don't care," Sverdlove said.

Armstrong and Wisniewski are in the same camp. They both said they would like to see more research on existing software flaws rather than a constant stream of new phones.

"The major issue for Android users is the inability to patch their phones with fixes for known security vulnerabilities," Wisniewski said.

"Continued improvements on securing and patching the existing models would do wonders for creating a safer experience for users," Armstrong said. "Unfortunately, carriers and manufacturers need to keep selling new phones, and need new and exciting features to drive this demand, so many times resources are spent in places that do not best benefit user security."

Ice Cream Sandwich
Even with the release of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which includes some built-in security measures such Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) and Data Execution Prevention (DEP), both designed to prevent malicious software from damaging users' phones, the problem is too vast for the new OS to tackle.

"The problem is endemic in the whole infrastructure," Sverdlove said. "I think the problem will continue. Something has to change in the Android ecosystem, not the OS."

"I'd love to say there's a magic answer," he added. "This is a tough problem [that] requires tough changes. Manufacturers need to prioritize security as much as they prioritize selling phones, and there's no question in my mind carriers need to step aside."

Wisniewski told SecurityNewsDaily he doesn't see the Android Market ever becoming as locked down and secure as the iTunes App Store, but he said he expects Google to partner with security organizations that can alert Google about malicious Android apps.

With other companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble now in competition for Android customers, he said Google "will need to step up their game."

? 2011 SecurityNewsDaily. All rights reserved

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45345981/ns/technology_and_science-security/

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