12/20/11 12:11 PM Page 1 Ask About Our E-mail Distribution! You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2639 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Drive Carefully—And Let A Computer Prove It To Your Insurer (NAPSA)—Welcome to the world of telematics, bringing you minicomputers connected to your vehicle. Telematics technology is the integration of telecommunications and computers—in other words, the collection and transmission of data in a seamless flow. Many drivers and others have a great interest in telematics because of what it can do, such as accurately record speed, location, number of miles, amount of time, time of day, braking and other data. Some auto insurers already offer their customers discounts based on such information. In the future, insurers may use telematics data instead of more traditional rating variables, such as age. The voluntary use of telematics offers the opportunity to reduce premiums and promote safety through improved driving behaviors. “Telematics devices can save lives because they tend to make people more aware of their driving tendencies, known as the halo effect,” said Christopher Sirota, CPCU, of Verisk Analytics (Nasdaq:VRSK) and its ISO business unit, a leading source of information about property and casualty insurance risk. “Truck fleet managers have already noticed the reduction of unsafe driving behaviors by 10 to 50 percent and the same results will probably apply to teenagers. One insurer saw a 30 percent reduction in claims for youthful drivers who opted in to a driving behavior program that applied a surcharge for after-midnight driving.” Insurers’ programs New Cable Boxes Help Save Money And Energy (NAPSA)—A growing number of consumers are getting the picture when it comes to energy and their cable box. Surprising as it may sound, a cable box uses energy even when you’re not watching TV. In fact, nearly two-thirds of energy use occurs when people are not watching TV or recording a show, costing Americans an estimated $2 billion each year. Good drivers can prove they deserve lower insurance rates with the help of telematics technology. may differ because they will design around the information they collect. He added that “a recent government study with volunteers using telematics connected to cameras showed that drivers took their eyes off the road for greater than two seconds preceding a crash or near-crash event. People take their eyes off the road for about four seconds while texting. At 55 mph, you’ll travel the length of a football field!” Drivers need to learn more about the trade-offs that telematics offers on auto insurance rates. One key source of such information is an agent or broker with the letters CPCU after his or her name. That’s proof of advanced insurance education, industry experience and a commitment to a tough and enforced professional ethics code. To find a CPCU, visit www.cpcusociety.org, click “Consumers,” then click “Find an Agent/Broker.” A new kind of cable box is designed to help save energy and money. A home with two standard boxes can use more electricity than a new refrigerator. To help, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program is partnering with pay-TV service providers to offer energy-efficient set-top boxes to their customers. Qualified set-top boxes can power down when not in use and are designed to be at least 40 percent more energy efficient than other models. Experts say if every set-top box in the nation met ENERGY STAR requirements, it would save about $1.8 billion a year and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more, visit www.energy star.gov/products. Helping Returning Veterans Find Work (NAPSA)—After serving their country, many veterans face another kind of battle when they return home—the struggle to find a job. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for recently returned veterans is more than 12 percent. Fortunately, some of our nation’s companies are making an extra effort to support veterans and help them find work. For example, Walmart has made a five-year, $20 million commitment to the military and veteran communities to address the critical needs of our nation’s heroes, with a special emphasis on access to job training and careers. A recent two-year, $750,000 grant to Veterans Green Jobs will help provide hands-on experience and educational opportunities to veteran green-job seekers, as well as job placement, preparation and training. “The idea that our nation’s heroes are being forced to transition from the front lines to the unemployment line is one of the worst realities we can imagine,” said retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Gary Profit, senior director of military programs at Walmart. “We want to help ensure our veterans have the support they need and the career opportunities they deserve.” The company is a lead sponsor of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Hiring our Heroes” job fairs, helping to put on more than 100 job fairs where employers have the opportunity to recruit veterans and those transitioning out of the military. To date, nearly 45,000 veterans have been connected to job opportunities. Veterans are suffering a 12 percent unemployment rate, but some corporations are working to make a difference. The company also recently launched www.walmartcareers withamission.com, an innovative resource that helps transitioning military and veterans match their skills to careers within the company. The Walmart Military Family Promise guarantees a job at a nearby store or club for all military personnel and military spouses employed at Walmart and Sam’s Club who move to a d i ffe r e nt p a r t o f t he c o unt r y because they or their spouse has been transferred by the U.S. military. The program also ensures that associates called away to active military duty will be paid any difference in their salary if the associate is earning less money during his or her military assignment. For more information, visit www.walmartcareerswithamission. com.
