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P-C 1 • CMYK
MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2007

WHAT TO WATCH
The nation’s largest retailers on Thursday announce their sales figures for March. COMING UP
A graduate
TODAY Earnings reports: AGI Lam Research, Pier 1 Imports Inc., Rite
class at the UW
Treasury bill auction. Therapeutics, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., Aid Corp., Vimpel Communications
combines
Earnings reports: Genentech Inc., Research in Motion
CardioDynamics International, Ltd., Ruby Tuesday, FRIDAY business and
Cascade Corp., Lawson Software Inc., Commerce Department reports on social work to
Northfield Labs THURSDAY international trade for February. Labor look at how
real-world

BUSINESS
The nation’s largest retailers Department reports on producer price
TUESDAY announce their sales figures for index for March. businesses can
Earnings reports: Alcoa Inc., March. Labor Department reports on Earnings reports: CanWest help employees
Electro Scientific Industries Inc., Levi weekly jobless claims. Freddie Mac, Global Communications, General with work/life
Strauss & Co. the mortgage company, reports on Electric Co., Infosys Technologies Ltd., balance issues.
mortgage rates. Shaw Communications
WEDNESDAY Earnings reports: Cascade TOMORROW
Treasury reports on federal budget for Bancorp, Cost Plus, Krispy Kreme
SECTION C
March. Doughnuts Inc., Lakeland Industries,
CONTACT BUSINESS AT 206-448-8151

Microsoft
connects
Trimming a few pounds
PCs,
Xbox
to reduce health care costs
with IM
TODD BISHOP

SOFTWARE
NOTEBOOK
MICROSOFT CORP. WILL
further connect the worlds of
Windows and Xbox 360 by
letting people on computers
trade instant messages with
those using the company’s
video-game console.
Microsoft plans to expand
its Windows Live Messenger
service to the Xbox 360 through
a software update early next
month. The move creates a new
bridge between two of
Microsoft’s biggest user bases
and adds another PC-style
function to the game console.
However, for the best
experience with the new
instant-messaging feature, Xbox
360 users will need to buy a
small, QWERTY-style keyboard
that will attach to the game
controller for thumb typing.
That won’t be released until
summer, and Microsoft isn’t yet
saying how much it will cost.
Users of the keyboard will
be able to view and send
messages through a small
on-screen overlay, without
switching away from a game.
Without that attachment,
people wanting to send instant
messages from the Xbox 360 ANDY ROGERS / P-I PHOTOS
will need to change views and ClearPoint’s Kevin Overbey, foreground, wears a small device that tracks his exercise. The device helps employees get fit and saves companies money on health coverage.
enter characters on a more
cumbersome on-screen
keyboard, using the video-game
controller to navigate and select
characters one at a time.
Companies find new insurance program makes exercise pay off
Alternatively, Microsoft says
it will be possible to type and BY DAN RICHMAN ique, in that it provides two sep-
send messages by connecting a P-I reporter arate methods to contain health
standard keyboard to the insurance expenses.
console through a USB port. Chris Spensley was 49 pounds heavier when his employ- Those expenses, already
But a regular keyboard er, Seattle’s Cobalt Group, implemented an innovative insur- climbing at three times the rate
wouldn’t have the benefit of of inflation, represent 16 per-
attaching to the controller.
ance plan in January 2006. cent of the gross domestic pro-
Depending on the price of The fitness and wellness portions of ClearAdvantage, a duct, says the non-partisan Na-
the special keyboard new program from ClearPoint LLP insurance brokerage of Se- tional Coalition on Health Care.
attachment, the prospect of So controlling them is both diffi-
paying for another peripheral
attle, have prompted the 41-year-old manager to resume his cult and essential.
might not appeal to some Xbox running, improve his diet and engage in friendly competition “The program has strength,”
360 users. Although Microsoft’s with colleagues to get fit. said Joseph Leutzinger of Oma-
console is less expensive than ha’s Health Improvement Solu-
Sony’s PlayStation 3, owners of “I haven’t felt this good since alternatives may be available – tions consultancy.
the $300 and $400 Xbox 360 I was 25 years old,” Spensley while not penalizing them for “Providing controls on
models need to pay for add-ons said. “I think I’ve extended my deciding to use health care. spending, and at the same time
if they want features such as life a good bit.” The plan’s second compo- giving incentives and resources
HD-DVD playback, wireless One component of ClearAd- nent is knocking off up to 15 per- to improve employees’ health,
networking or a hard drive of vantage is that the employer can cent of each employee’s insur- are the two factors that can
more than 20 gigabytes. impose a high deductible fee ance premiums, depending on help” hold down costs.
But the instant-messaging ClearPoint’s Kinetic Activity Monitor while also setting aside money how actively they participate in Steven Aldana, a physician
service itself will be free, keeps track of how much daily exercise that employees can use toward a health and fitness program de- researching lifestyle medicine at
included in the basic Xbox Live an employee is getting. Workers can use paying that deductible. signed to ward off the most seri- Brigham Young University, said
Silver membership given to it voluntarily as part of a new insurance This is meant to make em- ous and costly illnesses. such programs are catching on
every Xbox 360 user. program that companies are trying in ployees more aware of what Two independent research- “in a massive trend, but glacial-
Messaging in general isn’t a order to reduce medical costs. medicine and medical treat- ers said the ClearAdvantage
new concept in the Xbox world. ment really cost – and of what program is unusual, if not un- SEE HEALTH, C3

SEE XBOX, C4

Hot data center sector Marathon fans get new tools

spawning consultants to track favorite runners
KEEPING PACE WITH THE RACE When they work,
Tiny transmitters worn by runners have simplified calculating start
THE INSIDER data centers.
“Our goal is to learn how well our real and finish times in large events. They also have given fans an easier systems can send
way to check a runner’s progress on their computers or cell phones.
WE WANT ONE OF THOSE: Like music and
estate and infrastructure is prepared for data
centers, but we also hope that Angelou finds a
updates anywhere
clothes, economic development has its hot fads couple properties that are ready for some of his
and trends that everyone chases. One year it’s corporate clients,” says New Vision President BY ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
software companies, the next biotech. Dave McFadden. The company is tracking 150 The Associated Press
So what’s the big deal in economic data-center projects around the country.
development these days? Data centers. Brendan Burke’s cell phone
Washington has been in the thick of it, with SYMETRA WHO?: Life insurance, was beeping within minutes of
companies like Ask.com (Moses Lake), Intuit retirement-plan, employee-benefit and annuity the start of his wife’s marathon in
and Microsoft (both in Quincy) and Yahoo company Symetra has kept a relatively low San Diego. A text message ar-
(Wenatchee) all building or planning data profile since spinning off from Safeco and rived with her latest time as she
centers in the state, in part to take advantage of setting up shop over in Bellevue. Figuring that a crossed the six timing mats
cheap electricity prices. national branding and image-building around the course.
It’s so hot a sector these days that there are campaign might be a bit pricey for a brand-new It didn’t matter that he was
actually consultants specializing in helping company, Symetra decided to rely on working A transponder – Special mats The antennas Data is sent to an across the country at home in
communities attract server farms. with customers such as banks, insurance or chip – with a embedded with pick up the ID off-site computer New Jersey.
The Yakima County Development brokers and employers to get its name out. radio frequency antennas trigger number, pair it for processing, Pushing to make the
Association, operating as New Vision, reports But Symetra is getting a little more identification the chip to with a time and where it is 26.2-mile races more friendly to
that consulting firm AngelouEconomics, based venturesome in establishing a national identity. number is worn transmit its ID store it in matched to a fans and runners alike, mara-
in Austin, Texas, will spend two days in the area On Opening Day, Symetra began running on a runner’s shoe number as it equipment near runner’s name and thon officials are increasingly of-
passes over the mat list of contacts
in late April evaluating it as a potential site for
SEE INSIDER, C4 Sources: ChampionChip USA; Chicago Special Events Management THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEE MARATHON, C3

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