SYDNEY--30 Sep--AsiaNet/InfoQuest ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE... WELLINGTON: Xero Limited (XRO) Tuesday announced its award-winning onlineaccounting software is now available for the two and a half million smallbusinesses operating in Australia. HK OFFICE... HONG KONG: Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Tuesday announced the opening of aHong Kong office by entering into an association with Hong Kong law firm ListerSwartz effective 1 October.http://listerswartz.hkhttp://www.eapdlaw.com OMNIVISION LAUNCHES... TOKYO: OmniVision Technologies, Inc., a leading independent supplier of CMOSimage sensors, Monday introduced the world's first 1/4 inch, 5 megapixelsystem-on-chip (SOC) image sensor based on OmniVision's new OmniBSI technology.http://www.ovt.com COMSCORE RELEASES... TOKYO: comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, Tuesdayreleased its August 2008 rankings of the largest and fastest-growing Internetproperties and site categories in Japan, based on data from the comScore WorldMetrix audience measurement service.http://www.comscore.com SYNAPTICS ADDS... TOKYO: Synaptics Inc., a leading developer of human interface solutions formobile computing, communications and entertainment devices, Tuesday announcedthe availability of two new advanced gestures -- ChiralRotate and Two-FingerFlick.http://www.synaptics.com MECHTRONIX RECEIVES... MONTREAL: Mechtronix World Corporation,the world's third largest and fastestgrowing provider of flight simulation equipment, Monday announced that it hasreceived an initial $39 million equity infusion from Richardson Capital Limited(RCL), a leading investor in Canadian growth companies.www.mechtronix.comwww.jrsl.ca ANNUAL CELEBRATION... NEW YORK: For the second year, the Empire State Building will shine itsworld-famous tower lights in green on Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday,October 1, 2008 for its annual celebration of Eid-al-Fitr, theFestival of Fast-breaking, which marks the end of Ramadan.http://www.esbnyc.com YOTEL EXPANDS... LONDON: YOTEL is launching the start of its international expansion plan byopening its first international hotel at Schiphol Airport Tuesday.http://www.yotel.com SERVICE CENTRE... BUTLER, Pa.: Future Metals, Inc. of Tamarac, Florida, has announced plans toopen a service centre in Singapore, marking its eighth global distributionfacility, according to Mark G. Borland, Future Metals president.http://www.futuremetals.com API SOURCING... BERLIN: CPhI Conferences will present API Sourcing Strategies from 24th to26th October, 2008 at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol, Berlin, Germany to addresspressing issues related to sourcing high quality APIs at cost competitiveprices.http://www.api-source.com PHARMASRM 2008... FRANKFURT: CPhI Conferences will present PharmaSRM 2008 from 27th to 29thof October, 2008 at the Frankfurt Marriott Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany to providesenior sourcing strategists with the perfect opportunity to address the uniqueissues and challenges associated with developing and implementing a pharma SRMstrategy.http://www.pharmasrm.com SAE HOSTS... ULSAN: SAE International is teaming with the Auto Parts Innovation Center(APIC) and the City of Ulsan, South Korea, to host a technical event to exploreautomotive energy issues at the Lotte Hotel in Ulsan, Oct. 6.http://www.sae.org POPCAP ANNOUNCES... DUBLIN, Ireland: PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casualgames, has announced that it will launch in October, an all-new installment ofPopCap's flagship franchise Bejeweled - the most popular casual game of the21st century.http://www.popcap.com TASK FORCE... NEW YORK: To assist clients as they navigate the largest financial bailoutin American history, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP announcedMonday the formation of the Financial Services Task Force comprising seniorattorneys from the firm's banking, bankruptcy & restructuring, corporate,government contracts, litigation, real estate and securities practices.www.friedfrank.com FANNIE MAE... WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fannie Mae will redeem the principal amount of twosecurities issues amounting to a total of US$450 million on Oct 9, 2008 at aredemption price equal to 100 per cent of the principal amount redeemed plusaccrued interest.http://www.fanniemae.com STRONG INTEREST... WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass.: Joseph F. Finn, Jr., Assignee of the assets ofSpherics, Inc. for the benefit of creditors, said in an interview Monday thatinterest in the company's therapeutic drugs and technology platforms was strong. TATA EXPANDS... MUMBAI: Tata Communications, a leading provider of a new world ofcommunications Monday announced another key milestone in the global expansionof its MPLS network into the Middle East through a partnership with BahrainTelecommunications Company (Batelco).http://www.tatacommunications.comhttp://www.batelco.com COVANCE ANNOUNCES... PRINCETON, N.J.: Covance Inc. Monday announced it will no longer pursue a50-50 joint venture with WuXi Pharmatech to provide preclinical contractresearch services in China.http://www.covance.com ENVIO DELIVERS... ANDOVER, Mass.: envIO networks Monday announced its envIOWorks platform fordelivery of social marketing applications over mobile and social networks isnow commercially available, and deployed by both Bharti-Airtel of India andVerizon Wireless of the USA.http://www.envionetworks.com GLOBAL BRAND... QINGDAO: Haier, the world's fourth largest white goods manufacturer, closedwith success its sponsorship of the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games,and is on track to reach its goal of becoming a truly global brand.http://www.thenewsmarket.com/haier AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited,translated news releases for worldwide clients. Visit www.asianetnews.net forfull-text versions.