The season is ripe for beloved Girls brand Strawberry Shortcake to star in her first theatrical movie, SWEET DREAMS.
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ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
The season is ripe for beloved Girls brand Strawberry Shortcake to star in her first theatrical movie, SWEET DREAMS.
Shakira's Hit "Hips Don't Lie" Featuring Wyclef Becomes the Most Played Song in Pop History
CBS ANNOUNCES SUMMER SCHEDULE CHANGES
3G For Everyone" - Nokia 6151 offers 3G benefits in most affordable package
ANTV Available to 50 Million US Households with Broadband Distribution Adrenaline Nation Entertainment, Inc. adds VDC to its growing list of distributors for ANTV EMI Music Becomes the First Major Music Company to Make Its Catalog Available to Qtrax: The World's First Ad-Supported, Legitimate P2P ServiceEMI Music Becomes the First Major Music Company to Make Its Catalog Available to Qtrax: The World's First Ad-Supported, Legitimate P2P Service
Nokia to demonstrate 3.6 Mbps HSDPA with MobileOne at Nokia Connection
Picture this: Pair of new Nokia CDMA camera phones deliver megapixel-plus images
KOCH Records to Release Shushybye Dream Band's "Shushybye & Goodnight" on June 27th
KOCH Records to Release "Live at the Ryman"
Brand New Live Recording From Robert Earl Keen in Stores on July 11th, 2006
SPORTS & AUTOS
New side impact crash test results: Impala, Avalon are top large car performers
NEWS
More than 65 million American women are plus-size, and it's not just their waist-lines expanding, so are their bust-lines.
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ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
The season is ripe for beloved Girls brand Strawberry Shortcake to star in her first theatrical movie, SWEET DREAMS
American Greetings Corp. (AG), creator and owner of Strawberry Shortcake, DIC Ent. (DIC), the exclusive worldwide licensing agent and production company, along with Fox Home Ent. announced today the STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE feature film will premiere in movie theaters across the U.S. in October 2006.
The all-new CGI-animated adventure feature, penned by veteran screenwriter Carter Crocker (JUNGLE BOOK 2, WINNIE THE POOH SERIES, RETURN TO NEVERLAND), will re-introduce the Purple Pie Man character who has not appeared in over 20 years.
The SWEET DREAMS release will be supported by a national advertising, marketing and publicity campaign, including trailers, advertising spots, promotional giveaways, in-theater signage and grassroots initiatives. DIC has an exclusive promotion planned with Toys ‘R’ Us and special webisodes will appear on the Strawberry Shortcake Friendship Club website promoting the movie to more than 400,000 members. American Greetings will also promote SWEET DREAMS with e-cards on www.ag.com, the #1 site in the e-card category with more than nine million unique visitors each month.
In the film, Strawberry Shortcake dreams of fresh new fields of berry bushes with enough for everyone. But greedy Peculiar Purple Pie Man rolls into Strawberry Land and decides to steal Strawberry’s dream — and everyone else’s dreams, too! In order to stop his evil plan, Strawberry and her friends must travel to the Land of Dreams and, long the way, these special friends learn the value of working together to make dreams come true.
The STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE program has evolved into a multi-dimensional, evergreen franchise that has generated more than $1 billion in worldwide retail sales (cumulative 2003 – 2005). With more than 300 licensees worldwide, the brand continues to grow in 2006 and 2007. In addition to the premiere of SWEET DREAMS, DIC and American Greetings, along with their partners, are introducing new product, including a new innovative toy from Playmates Toys, DVD releases from Fox Home Ent., new videogames, a movie soundtrack, a national QSR promotion and the debut of the Strawberry Shortcake Baby program.
American Greetings Corp. is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product lines include gift wrap, party goods, candles, stationery, calendars, educational products, ornaments and electronic greetings. American Greetings is also the creator and owner of many character properties, including STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE and CARE BEARS. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual net sales of approximately $2 billion.
DIC Ent. (www.DIC.com), a fully-integrated global brand management company, is dedicated to creating, developing, producing, distributing, marketing and merchandising family-based intellectual properties. DIC has one of the largest libraries of western-style animation with approximately 2,800 half-hours of programming. DIC is headquartered in Burbank, California with international offices in Paris, London and Cologne.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent. Llc. is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on VHS and DVD as well as video acquisitions and original productions. Each year the company introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets — from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce — throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent. is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., a News Corp. company.
Shakira's Hit "Hips Don't Lie" Featuring Wyclef Becomes the Most Played Song in Pop History
"Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean became the most played song in pop radio history last week according to Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. The song was played more times in one week beating out the previous record by Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" made in the week ending 6/5/05. Shakira's song's total of 9,657 times played on the radio, broke Stefani's previous record of 9,582. This is the song's 4th week atop the chart. Shakira also recently became the first artist in the history of the charts to earn the coveted #1 Top 40 Mainstream song and #1 Latin song in the same week and still holds the #1 spot on the Latin chart.
TOUR:
Shakira's "Oral Fixation" tour has exploded out of the gates, selling out multiple markets in the first few hours on sale. Shakira is on her way to her fastest selling tour ever and one of the best selling tours of the summer. Wyclef Jean will open for the 27-date arena tour, which kicks off on August 9th.
ALBUM:
Her latest work,"Oral Fixation Vol. 2" debuted on the charts at #4, the third Top Five debut in Shakira's career, which after the stunning debut earlier in the year of "Fijacion Oral Volume 1," made her the only artist ever to debut in the top 5 albums in English and Spanish in the same calendar year. Energized by her #1 hit "Hips Don't Lie," "Oral Fixation Vol. 2" remains high on the album charts for the last 26 weeks and has already sold well over 1 Million copies in the United States alone.
CBS ANNOUNCES SUMMER SCHEDULE CHANGES
Saturday Edition of "Big Brother: All-Stars" Moves to Sundays at 8 PM While "Cold Case" and "Without a Trace" Move to Their New Fall Time Periods at 9 PM and 10 PM Respectively, Effective July 16
"NCIS" and "The Unit" Report for Temporary Friday Duty, Beginning July 7
"How I Met Your Mother" 'Suits Up' For an Additional 9:30 PM Broadcast, Beginning Monday, July 10
The July 5 Premiere of "Rock Star: Supernova" Expands to 90-Minutes
The houseguests of BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS have a new home on Sundays, one of several summer scheduling changes announced today by CBS.
The Saturday edition of BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS will move to Sunday (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), followed by the relocation of COLD CASE (9:00-10:00 PM. ET/PT) and WITHOUT A TRACE (10:00-11:00 PM/PT) to their new fall time periods, effective July 16. The move of BIG BROTHER: ALL STARS to Sunday warms the time period for another reality series in the fall when THE AMAZING RACE moves to Sundays at 8 PM.
The Tuesday edition of BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) and Thursday edition (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) will not change.
WITHOUT A TRACE will continue to be broadcast in its current Thursday time period (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) through the remainder of the summer.
In other summer scheduling moves, the July 5 premiere of ROCK STAR: SUPERNOVA will be expanded to 90-minutes (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT), followed by a 90-minute CSI: MIAMI.
NCIS and THE UNIT will relocate to Fridays for the duration of the summer, effective July 7 with NCIS broadcast from 8:00-9:00 PM, followed by THE UNIT from 9:00-10:00 PM.
Also, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER will get two Monday airings, first in its regular 8:30-9:00 PM time period and another following TWO AND A HALF MEN (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) beginning July 10. THE NEW ADVENTURE OF OLD CHRISTINE returns Aug. 7.
CBS's Revised Lineup for Tuesday, July 5
8:00-9:30 PM ROCK STAR: SUPERNOVA (Premiere)
9:30-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI (R)
CBS's Revised Friday Lineup, Effective July 7
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM THE UNIT
10:00-11:00 PM NUMB3RS
CBS's Revised Monday Lineup, Effective July 10
8:00-8:30 PM THE KING OF QUEENS
8:30-9:00 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
10:00-11:00 CSI: MIAMI
CBS'S Revised Sunday Lineup, Effective July 16
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM BIG BROTHER: ALL-STARS (New Time Period)
9:00-10:00 PM COLD CASE (New Time Period)
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE (New Time Period)
3G For Everyone" - Nokia 6151 offers 3G benefits in most affordable package
ANTV Available to 50 Million US Households with Broadband Distribution Adrenaline Nation Entertainment, Inc. adds VDC to its growing list of distributors for ANTV
Adrenaline Nation Entertainment, Inc. (Other OTC: ADNL), one of the leading destinations in music, entertainment and adrenaline sports (http://www.antvnet.com) today announced that it has signed a contract with VDC Corporation. VDC Corporation (http://www.vdc.com) is one of the leading companies in broadband and IPTV distribution. VDC utilizes Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) technology and offers multiple cable channels live to consumers via the embedded Microsoft Media Player, without the need for additional boxes or software. VDC is available in the 50 million US households that have access to a high-speed Broadband Internet connection plus millions of additional business and office locations.
You can also watch ANTV through VDC from any Windows Powered PDA or Smartphone. Adrenaline Nation Entertainment operates ANTV one the leading IPTV and broadband television networks. ANTV (http://www.antvnet.com) connects viewers and advertisers to the tremendous purchasing power of the coveted age 18-49 demographic. Adrenaline Nation Entertainment's programming highlights the hottest cutting edge new music, independent films, extreme action, and distributed to homes by IPTV, Digital Cable, WiFi and High Definition. ANTV Programming can be viewed on the company's highlight reel at http://www.brandedentertainment.tv/antv.
About Adrenaline Nation Entertainment, Inc. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, the company trades under the ticker symbol ADNL on Pink Sheets. The company operates as an IPTV and broadband television network connecting viewers and advertisers to the tremendous purchasing power of the coveted age 18-49 demographic. Adrenaline Nation Entertainment's programming highlights the hottest cutting edge new music, independent films, extreme action, adventure and motor sports all with strong local community involvement and distributed to homes by IPTV, Digital Cable, WiFi and High Definition. Contact: CNC Associates Cathy Clarke 617-527-2089 cathy@cncassocs.com http://www.antvnet.com 4114 Sunray Drive Holiday, FL 34692 Adrenaline Nation Entertainment, Inc. Keith Dressel, CEO 206-338-2365 kdressel@antvnet.com About VDC Corporation Based in Northbrook, Illinois, VDC Corporation aims to extend the delivery of television to the desktop, making television programming accessible everywhere. Vdc.com delivers Virtual Digital Cable (hence VDC) television utilizing Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) technology to deliver multiple live channels and on demand television programming to broadband connected personal computers. For more information please visit http://www.vdc.com.
Picture this: Pair of new Nokia CDMA camera phones deliver megapixel-plus images
EMI Music Becomes the First Major Music Company to Make Its Catalog Available to Qtrax: The World's First Ad-Supported, Legitimate P2P Service
EMI Music, the world's largest independent music company, and e-commerce software developer LTDnetwork Inc. today announced that EMI is the first major music company to make its catalog of recordings available to what will be the world's first advertising-supported, legal peer-to-peer music distribution service. The service, called Qtrax, was developed by LTDnetwork, and at launch, will provide fans with free, advertising-funded access to high-quality, high-fidelity digital music files, as well as the option to subscribe to a premium version of the service or to purchase music tracks and albums on an a la carte basis.
Qtrax will offer two tiers of service: the first is a free, advertising-supported tier designed to work with and filter copyrighted content from existing peer-to-peer networks. The second tier is a premium subscription service which will require a monthly fee. The two-tiered business model is intended to attract a broad base of consumers to try out the service, and then graduate those consumers to purchase music permanently or subscribe.
In the ad-supported, free tier, users will be able to search the network for specific tracks, and those tracks registered with Qtrax will be made available for download in Qtrax's proprietary ".mpq" file format. Users will then be able to play the downloaded .mpq file in full-fidelity sound quality for a pre-defined number of times. Each time a consumer plays a track, the Qtrax player will also offer fans click-to-buy purchase options, as well as the opportunity to upgrade to a premium subscription service for a flat monthly fee.
The premium subscription service tier uses Microsoft's Janus DRM technology, which allows consumers to pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to music in the Qtrax network. Subscribers will also have the ability to transfer content to Windows Media enabled portable devices for as long as the subscription stays active.
The service will also include consumer-friendly community-building and music discovery tools which enable fans to easily access to a vast selection of music and other content, all while generating revenues for artists and content owners.
"Working with Qtrax is just one way EMI is actively supporting emerging business models, technologies and platforms to deliver music to fans," said David Munns, Chairman and CEO of EMI Music North America. "Of course, we think that any ad-supported model should be offered in a way that maintains, or even enhances the value of music, and we believe Qtrax does that by offering a good consumer experience and significant up-selling opportunities. Our collaboration with Qtrax will give us great consumer insight and help us gauge the boundaries between sampling and purchasing music. Ultimately, the feedback we get from Qtrax will help EMI be more responsive to consumer demand. The Qtrax service will also ensure that our artists are compensated for their works and that the value of their music and integrity of our content is protected."
In addition, Qtrax will offer incentive programs that will allow fans to accrue points redeemable for additional plays for tracks acquired through the free service, or for discounts off a la carte purchases or subscription fees.
"Qtrax is an innovative approach to creating a legitimate P2P offering, so we are pleased that EMI has agreed to be the first of the major music companies to participate. In addition to offering a great consumer experience which we believe will get more consumers excited about digital music, Qtrax will ensure that artists are getting paid when their songs are accesses in a P2P environment. In addition, EMI and other music companies will share in Internet advertising revenues, which according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers reached a new record of $3.9 billion for the first quarter of 2006 in the US -- a 38 percent increase over Q1 2005," said Allan Klepfisz, President & CEO of Brilliant Technologies Corporation, parent company of LTDnetwork.
The Qtrax service is expected to enter a test phase later this year and will initially pilot the service in the United States. In preparation for the launch, EMI will immediately begin delivering and registering its content with Qtrax's filtering system, powered by Audible Magic.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About LTDnetwork Inc.
Based in New York, NY and founded in October 2000, LTDnetwork is a division of Brilliant Technologies Corporation (OTCBB: BLLNE). LTDnetwork has spent the last five years creating unique proprietary software at its Australian subsidiary in Melbourne. LTDnetwork specializes in the development of innovative technologies, software, and services for online retail, advertising, media and marketing companies. LTDnetwork is dedicated to providing online businesses and third party solution providers with innovative technologies, software, and services which target the consumer with the right message at the right time in what have now become the hottest areas for software applications: music downloading, automatic price comparison and highly targeted advertising.
About EMI Music
EMI is the world's largest independent music company, operating directly in 50 countries. Its EMI Music division represents more than 1,000 artists spanning all musical tastes and genres. Its record labels include Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, Capitol Nashville, EMI Classics, EMI CMG, EMI Records, EMI Televisa Music, Manhattan, Mute, Parlophone and Virgin. For further information on EMI, please visit: www.emimusic.com.
Nokia to demonstrate 3.6 Mbps HSDPA with MobileOne at Nokia Connection
King.com Launches Skill Game Version of TV Game Show "Deal or No Deal"
Viewer Experience Extends to the Web Starting Today, Coinciding With Tonight's Season Finale on NBC
King.com, the world's leading online skill gaming Web site, and Endemol USA, today announced a skill game version of Endemol USA's hit game show, "Deal or No Deal," which currently airs on NBC. With the creation of this interactive Web game, "Deal or No Deal" fans can go beyond a normal television experience and actively participate in the game. Players can register at King.com to compete against others for cash prizes or for the chance to share in a $30,000 prize tournament.
This deal further advances King.com's success at bringing online skill gaming to a worldwide audience, as it marks the third television show that King.com has introduced to the skill gaming community. Endemol's Jon Vlassopulos, vice president, Digital Media, Business Development and Strategic Planning commented, "With the amazing success of our on air 'Lucky Case' SMS game we were eager to offer fans of the show more new and exciting ways to interact with 'Deal or No Deal' on multiple platforms. Working with King.com, we are excited to bring the online game to market and feel it is a great addition to the 'Deal or No Deal' experience."
The online adaptation of "Deal or No Deal" tests a player's agility and memory. Similar to the television show, the new online "Deal or No Deal" features 26 briefcases with each translating to cash amounts ranging from $.01 to $1,000,000. After receiving an assigned briefcase, players must continue to open additional briefcases in an attempt to clear away the low value prizes so they end up with a single high value prize.
However, only very skillful players will be able to walk away with a high score: briefcases often contain fake values, or remain open for only a few seconds and then the chance to clear a low value prize is gone. After each round, players can either continue to clear prizes and raise their score, or they can accept the banker's deal to retain their current score and end the game there. If a player walks away with the highest value in a given tournament, that player will win the jackpot.
"Given the enormous success of the NBC TV game show, we're excited to offer 'Deal or No Deal' in an interactive online format," said Toby Rowland, COO and co-founder of King.com. "Players will be impressed with how the skill game format puts 'at home' contestants squarely in the middle of the Hollywood action."
To bring the game to life for players, King.com's "Deal or No Deal" features images and sounds from its television counterpart. It is accessible at www.King.com.
About King.com
Launched in 2004, King.com is the world's largest skill-gaming site, boasting more than 40 different games and more than 1.3 million games played every day. King.com's tournament-style games, unique content, and promotions allow players of all skill levels to compete for entertainment and possible monetary gain. Exclusive King.com partners include Yahoo! (US and Europe), AOL (Europe), Lycos (Europe), MSN UK, T-Online and RTL.de. King.com has licensed television properties including "Big Brother" (Europe), "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" (Europe), and "Deal or No Deal" (US).
About Endemol USA
Endemol USA has established itself as one of the leading suppliers of non-scripted programming in the U.S. The company's current hits include "Fear Factor," "Big Brother," and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." In 2004 "Fear Factor" made television history becoming the first prime time network reality show to make it into off network syndication. Today, Endemol USA draws on a library of more than 500 formats, 400 program series and 25,000 hours of broadcast television in 26 nations worldwide. In addition, the company develops original formats for the U.S. and international markets. Endemol USA also produces extensive content and editorial services to support online and wireless platforms.
About "Deal or No Deal"
Hosted by comedian Howie Mandel, "Deal or No Deal" is an exciting game of taking risks and playing the odds. Produced by Endemol USA, with Scott St. John serving as Executive Producer, the show is based on a series that debuted in Holland in 2002 and became an international television sensation. "Deal or No Deal" airs on NBC.
KOCH Records to Release Shushybye Dream Band's "Shushybye & Goodnight" on June 27th
-- KOCH Records, the records label home to such stellar children's brands as The Wiggles and Strawberry Shortcake, is set to release "Shushybye & Goodnight," the brand new CD by the Shushybye Dream Band, on June 27th, 2006.
Shushybye is a preschool lifestyle brand all about inspiring children to look forward to nighty-night time... and to help parents prepare their children for sleep in a fun and loving way that encourages imagination. The beauty of Shushybye is that it celebrates sleep as an activity and helps parents turn it into a nightly event.
"Shushybye & Goodnight" is the first Shushybye music CD, and it features 12 tracks performed by the Shushybye Dream Band featuring Michael North including "We Love the Shushies," "Do The Shushie Dance" and "The Shushybye Theme Song." The Shushybye Dream Band is an exciting full-on rock combo with songs that are filled with contagious melodies, fun rhythms and boundless enthusiasm. These are real musicians playing real music -- adults will love the Shushybye tunes as much as the kids.
The release of "Shushybye & Goodnight" follows the May 15th debut of "The Shushybye Show" airing Monday-Friday at 8:00PM on XMKiDS. Hosted by Shushies Snoozles, Dozie, and Zeez, "The Shushybye Show" on XMKiDS will feature Shushybye's critically acclaimed original rock music and lullabies, bedtime stories written for the show and read by on-air personality and Program Director Kenny Curtis, and call-ins from children sharing their Shushybye dream wishes for the night.
About KOCH Records
KOCH Records is a division of KOCH Entertainment, the fastest-growing music company and the market leader among independents in North America. The KOCH Entertainment corporate umbrella encompasses the KOCH Records label, KOCH Vision home video, KOCH Music Publishing and KOCH Entertainment Distribution with operations in both the U.S. and Canada. KOCH Records proudly claims the largest number of Billboard charting albums among independents for each of the last five years (2001-2005). For additional info on the KOCH Records label and its roster of artists, please visit www.kochrecords.com
KOCH Records to Release "Live at the Ryman"
Brand New Live Recording From Robert Earl Keen in Stores on July 11th, 2006
KOCH Records is thrilled to announce the release of a new live album by the king of the Texas music scene, Robert Earl Keen. "Live at the Ryman" will be released on July 11th, 2006. Keen has been instrumental in developing the sound of 'Texas Country' to a national level of awareness by delivering such memorable records as "Farm Fresh Onions" in 2003 and last year's "What I Really Mean."
Recorded live at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium (the longtime home of the Grand Ole Opry before it moved to the permanent Grand Ole Opry House), Keen delights a packed house with first class renditions of some of his biggest hits and best loved songs including "What I Really Mean," "Broken End of Love," and "Amarillo Highway."
"Live at the Ryman" captures the high energy experience that has made Keen a favorite of audiences all over the country. He will tour the U.S. this summer. For tour information, go to www.robertearlkeen.com.
The tracklisting is:
1. Feeling Good Again 8. Furnace Fan
2. Gringo Honeymoon 9. Broken End of Love
3. What I Really Mean 10. Long Chain
4. Shades Of Gray 11. Train Trek
5. Amarillo Highway 12. I'm Comin' Home
6. Merry Christmas From
The Family 13. The Road Goes On Forever
7. Corpus Christi Bay 14. Farm Fresh Onions
SOURCE: KOCH Records
SPORTS & AUTOS
New side impact crash test results: Impala, Avalon are top large car performers
The redesigned Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon, both equipped with standard side airbags, earn top ratings of good in side crash tests that simulate an impact from an SUV or pickup truck. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted side tests of eight large family cars. The Buick Lucerne and Hyundai Azera, also equipped with standard side airbags, earn the second highest rating of acceptable.
The Buick LaCrosse with standard side airbags is rated marginal, and so is the Chrysler 300 equipped with optional side airbags. The 300, Ford Five Hundred, and Ford Crown Victoria, all tested without their optional side airbags, are rated poor for side impact protection. (Note: The Ford Five Hundred with optional side airbags was tested last year and earned a good rating. With optional side airbags, the Five Hundred and its twin Mercury Montego earn the Institute's TOP SAFETY PICK 2006 (gold) award for good ratings in front, side, and rear tests.) According to Ford, the Five Hundred and Montego will be equipped with standard side airbags beginning with cars built in September 2006.
Side impacts are the second most common fatal crash type after frontal crashes. About 9,700 people were killed in side impacts in 2004. In crashes involving newer model cars in collisions with other passenger vehicles, more driver deaths now occur in cars struck in the side (51 percent) than in the front (44 percent). This contrasts with the past when more deaths occurred in frontal crashes.
"The change reflects the big improvements manufacturers have made in frontal crashworthiness in response to Institute and federal government frontal crash test programs," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "These new crash test results show that the same improvements are beginning to be made for protection in serious side impacts."
Impala and Avalon are star performers: The side structures of these two cars performed reasonably well in resisting intrusion from the striking barrier during the crash test. Both cars are equipped with standard curtain-style side airbags designed to protect the heads of people in both front and rear seats.
The side structures of these two cars performed reasonably well in resisting intrusion from the striking barrier during the crash test. Both cars are equipped with standard curtain-style side airbags designed to protect the heads of people in both front and rear seats.In the test of the Impala, intrusion into the occupant compartment was minimized by the strong pillar between the front and back doors. The side airbags deployed from above the window frames and inflated between the heads of the crash test dummies and the intruding barrier.
"This is why side airbags with head protection are critical," Lund points out. "Without them, people's heads are vulnerable to being struck by the front ends of striking vehicles or trees and poles."
Both the Impala and Avalon earn acceptable ratings for side structure. Nearly all injury measures on heads, chests, and other body areas of the test dummies were low.
Side airbags are standard in more cars: Growing sales of SUVs and pickup trucks have exacerbated height mismatches among passenger vehicles, and these mismatches increase the risk of serious head injuries among occupants of side-struck vehicles. SUVs and pickups made up 31 percent of new vehicle sales in 1994, but the proportion had increased to nearly 47 percent by 2004.
Growing sales of SUVs and pickup trucks have exacerbated height mismatches among passenger vehicles, and these mismatches increase the risk of serious head injuries among occupants of side-struck vehicles. SUVs and pickups made up 31 percent of new vehicle sales in 1994, but the proportion had increased to nearly 47 percent by 2004.When the Institute began its side impact test program in 2003, simulating an impact in which a vehicle is struck by a pickup or SUV, few of the vehicles that were tested had head-protecting side airbags as standard equipment. This has improved so that such airbags are standard in half of the large family car models the Institute recently tested.
"Manufacturers are responding to this test in two significant ways," Lund explains. "They're beefing up the designs of their vehicles' side structures, and they're adding side airbags with head protection to more vehicles as standard equipment."
Side airbags with head protection became standard in 2005 Avalons, 2006 Impala and LaCrosse models, and in the Lucerne when it was introduced to replace the LeSabre and Park Avenue models in 2006. The predecessor to the Azera, the Hyundai XG350, had standard combination head/chest side airbags for front-seat occupants. The replacement Azera was upgraded in 2006 with standard curtain-style airbags as well as chest airbags that protect both front- and rear-seat occupants.
Side airbags once were exclusively found in luxury models, but now they're increasingly standard even in inexpensive cars. Overall nearly 40 percent of 2006 passenger vehicle models have standard side airbags with head protection. In contrast, only 23 percent of 2003s did.
Side airbags aren't mandated by the federal government like frontal airbags have been since the 1990s. However, manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to make side airbags standard in all vehicles by the 2009 model year.
"The market is demanding them," Lund says.
Worst performers don't have side airbags: All three cars that earned the lowest rating of poor, Chrysler 300 plus Ford Five Hundred and Crown Victoria, were tested without their optional side airbags. In the Five Hundred, the driver dummy's head was hit by the intruding barrier. This produced high head injury measures. In a real-world crash of similar severity, the driver could have sustained a serious skull fracture and brain injuries. Rib fractures and internal organ injuries also would be possible.
All three cars that earned the lowest rating of poor, Chrysler 300 plus Ford Five Hundred and Crown Victoria, were tested without their optional side airbags. In the Five Hundred, the driver dummy's head was hit by the intruding barrier. This produced high head injury measures. In a real-world crash of similar severity, the driver could have sustained a serious skull fracture and brain injuries. Rib fractures and internal organ injuries also would be possible.The driver dummy's head was struck by the barrier in the 300 without side airbags, although this did not produce high head injury measures. Equipped with its optional side airbags, the 300 improved to marginal and head protection was good. However, injury measures from the dummy's pelvis and chest kept this car from earning a higher overall rating.
The Crown Victoria without side airbags is rated poor. It earned the worst structural rating in this group of large cars. Although the driver dummy's head was not struck by the intruding barrier, a high acceleration occurred when the head struck the window sill. High forces were recorded on the driver dummy's chest, indicating the likelihood of rib fractures and internal organ injuries. The Crown Victoria is available with optional combination head/torso side airbags for front-seat occupants. Ford is making design changes to improve this car's protection of occupants in side impacts and has asked the Institute to test a Crown Victoria with its optional side airbags. When the changes are made, the Institute will conduct the test and report the results.
The side impact test is only one measurement of vehicle crashworthiness. The Institute also conducts 40 mph frontal offset crash tests and evaluates vehicles' seat/head restraint designs for protection in rear crashes. All of the cars in this group except the Impala earned the highest rating of good in the frontal offset test. The Impala is rated acceptable. The seat/head restraints in all but three of the cars in this group also have been rated for rear crash protection.
Nearly every passenger vehicle now earns a good rating in the Institute's frontal crash test, but performance varies widely in side and rear tests. These differences can help consumers choose vehicles that offer the best overall crash protection. For comparative evaluations of hundreds of passenger vehicles, go to our ratings section.
How the side impact test is conducted: A vehicle's side evaluation is based on performance in a crash test in which the side of the vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Overall ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the test. Injury measures obtained from the two dummies, one in the driver seat and the other in the rear seat behind the driver, are used to determine the likelihood that a driver and/or passenger in a real-world crash would sustain serious injury to various body regions. The movements and contacts of the dummies' heads during the test also are evaluated. Structural performance is based on measurements indicating the amount of B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment
A vehicle's side evaluation is based on performance in a crash test in which the side of the vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Overall ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the test. Injury measures obtained from the two dummies, one in the driver seat and the other in the rear seat behind the driver, are used to determine the likelihood that a driver and/or passenger in a real-world crash would sustain serious injury to various body regions. The movements and contacts of the dummies' heads during the test also are evaluated. Structural performance is based on measurements indicating the amount of B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment
NEWS
More than 65 million American women are plus-size, and it's not just their waist-lines expanding, so are their bust-lines.
Ten years ago, the average bra size was 34-B. Now, it's 34-C, and there's an entire store where plus-size women can find sexy lingerie exclusively in their size. It's the first time plus-size women have a lingerie boutique all their own. Ketha Reeves loves wearing sexy lingerie, but she never enjoyed shopping for it. "I dread shopping for lingerie because it's all too small," says Reeves. But that's all changing for the 65 million plus-size women in America. Now there's a store that features intimate apparel specially designed for plus sizes. Fashion powerhouse Lane Bryant is opening the plus-size lingerie boutique called Cacique (kuh-SEEK) in cities across the country. "Never before has there been one place where a plus-size woman can go to fill all her lingerie needs. Everything from thongs, panties, and g-strings to the best-fitting bras that she'll ever find," says Lane Bryant spokesperson Catherine Lippincott.
In fact, the store itself is designed with plus-size women in mind. It features larger dressing rooms, lighting that's more flattering, and a private "fit salon." Here, customers get one-on-one attention from a plus-size intimate apparel specialist. Lingerie experts say the right bra can change the shape of your body, so get measured once a year. Be daring! Trade in your minimizing bra for a cleavage-enhancing style instead. "These days, plus-size women are really trying to embrace their curves, instead of hide them. And that goes for lingerie as well. A woman wants a bra that is going to enhance her looks and not necessarily cover it up," says Lippincott. Experts say plus-size women should never go without a bra. Find one with invisible straps to wear with backless or strapless tops. Get out of the black and nude lingerie rut. Don't be afraid of bright colors and sexy prints. Then, flaunt as many curves as you dare. Lane Bryant is opening 50 new Cacique plus-size lingerie boutiques across the country this year. If it's not open yet in your city, you can find the sexy Cacique collection at http://www.cacique.com, http://www.lanebryant.com and in Lane Bryant stores nationwide.
