SYDNEY, Jan. 17 --AsiaNet/InfoQuest HARD DRIVES... TOKYO: Western Digital Corp. Monday announced that its WD Caviar family of hard drives, now available in capacities up to 320 GB, has been enhanced to significantly reduce operating temperatures. http://www.westerndigital.com VOIP CHIP... SANTA CLARA, Calif.: DSP Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in developing and providing chipset solutions for residential wireless connectivity, has unveiled its innovative Cordless Voice Over IP (VoIP) chip at the 2005 International CES in Las Vegas on January 6th - 9th. http://www.dspg.com TSUNAMI AID... HARTSVILLE, S.C.: Sonoco, the global packaging company, will contribute a total of $75,000 to relief funds in Asia helping victims of the recent Tsunami, it was announced Friday by Harris E. DeLoach, Jr., president and chief executive officer. http://www.sonoco.com OFFER REJECTED... GREENWICH, Conn.: Gramercy Advisors LLC Friday said in a statement that it intends to reject the current exchange offer by Argentina, that it noted is the nation's first official offer made to the market since it defaulted on obligations in December 2001. http://www.gramercyadvisors.com CATERPILLAR DONATES... CHICAGO: Caterpillar Inc. is proud to be the lead corporate donor in The Nature Conservancy's Great Rivers Partnership project in committing $12 million over the next five years to the endeavor. http://www.cat.com RIVER PROJECT... CHICAGO, Ill.: The Nature Conservancy, with a generous $12 million gift from the Caterpillar Foundation of Caterpillar Inc., is undertaking an ambitious project that will guide protection of the world's vanishing freshwater supply and transform the way large working river systems are preserved and protected. http://nature.org DOLPHIN EXPORTS... LONDON: The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) Friday welcomed the news that the Solomon Islands government has banned live dolphin exports, following a disastrous transfer of almost 30 dolphins to Mexico in July of 2003. http://www.wspa-usa.org FANNIE MAE... WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fannie Mae will redeem the principal amount of 15 securities issues amounting to a total of US$845 million on Jan 24, 25 and 26, 2005 at a redemption price equal to 100 percent of the principal amount redeemed plus accrued interest. http://www.fanniemae.com DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT... BEIJING: Chindex International, Inc., a leading independent American provider of western healthcare products and services in the People's Republic of China, Friday announced an exclusive, multi-year distribution agreement for the People's Republic of China with Intuitive Surgical, the innovator and market leader in surgical robotics. http://www.chindex.com DIRECTORS APPOINTED... TORONTO: Novelis Inc., the newly formed global leader in aluminum rolled products, Thursday announced its board of directors. http://www.novelis.com AVASTIN APPROVED... BASEL: Roche Friday announced that the European Commission has approved Avastin (bevacizumab, rhuMAb-VEGF), the new innovative anti-angiogenesis drug, for the treatment of patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer. http://www.roche.com http://www.gene.com http://www.health-kiosk.ch (AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited, translated news releases for worldwide clients. Visit www.asianetnews.net for full-text versions.)