From businesswire

NEX2U announced today that the Company has entered into an investment banking agreement with Kairos Consulting, Inc. to raise up to one million dollars in third round funding. The transaction will be in the form of a private placement of debt and equities securities. The equity component will be in the form of restricted stock. A Kairos Consulting spokesperson indicated that they feel NEX2U is a solid long term investment and they will be successful in the placement.

The Company President Doug Calaway stated, "This next round of financing will allow the company to add additional marketing and development resources to expand the company’s market presence."

About NEX2U

NEX2U is the leader in the multimedia catalog industry. Through the new patent-pending STM(TM) Technology, NEX2U takes existing print catalogs and transforms them into highly interactive, highly profitable direct mail experiences. STM(TM) Technology will not only increase sales and decrease cost, but it will also convey an impressive branding experience to the customer through a unique use of media - CD/DVDs, integrated Website development, Print-Ready PDF, and point of sale kiosks.

September 27-28, 2005

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New York City

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From Prnewswire

The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC) announced today that it has contracted with Fairway Wealth Management, LLC (Fairway) to serve as an independent registered investment advisor.  Fairway’s primary responsibility is to review the current selection of funds offered through The Guardian Advantage group variable annuity contract, and to provide ongoing information about these funds in a series of reports.  By signing an acknowledgement form, these reports are now
available free of charge to fiduciaries/plan sponsors of plans that use The Guardian Advantage as their funding vehicle to assist plan sponsors in their ongoing oversight and monitoring of the funds in their plans.  In addition, Fairway will host a quarterly conference call to review the report with
fiduciaries/plan sponsors and answer general questions.

These new services from Fairway follow shortly after GIAC’s reintroduction, through its exclusive national distribution and marketing alliance with Distribution Partners, LLC (DP) and DP’s Independent Pension Consultants, of The Guardian Advantage group variable annuity, a funding
vehicle for certain qualified retirement plans.

"As an independent investment advisory firm, Fairway provides GIAC with impartial analysis on the current funds offered under The Guardian Advantage," said Dennis Mosticchio, Senior Vice President, Group Pensions, Guardian. "These reports are now available for plan sponsors.  They can carry out their responsibilities knowing that Fairway has systematically reviewed the funds
available under The Guardian Advantage."

Fairway assisted GIAC with the current selection of funds available under The Guardian Advantage, representing a range of investment options across the risk/return spectrum.  Fairway’s ongoing responsibilities include:

     * Quarterly Report - Fairway will provide a summarized review report that
       includes an analysis of the financial markets; summarized fund, peer
       group and benchmark performance information; highlights of notable fund
       activity; and watch list updates.

     * Annual Report - Fairway will provide a comprehensive review report that
       offers an analysis of the financial markets; summarized fund, peer
       group and benchmark performance information; detailed written
       commentary on each fund; detailed quantitative and graphical reviews of
       fund performance, risk and style consistency; review of fund costs; and
       watch list updates.

     * Quarterly Conference Call - After the release of each report, Fairway
       will host a conference call with fiduciaries/plan sponsors to review
       the report and answer general questions.

From NYtimes

The online brokerage firm E*Trade Financial said yesterday that it was buying Kobren Insight Management, part of its consolidation strategy and its expansion into regionally based wealth management. The price was not disclosed.

E*Trade, which agreed to buy a rival, Harrisdirect, on Monday, is in the midst of an acquisition campaign aimed to help it compete in the midst of growing price competition and falling customer activity.

The company said Monday that it planned to announce more deals over the next three months. It had about $685 million in free cash at the end of June.

The Kobren acquisition should begin contributing to earnings in 2006, adding nearly $10 million in revenue and $2.3 million in profit, E*Trade said. Kobren, based in Wellesley, Mass., manages about $1 billion for private clients and serves as the investment adviser to the Kobren Insight Funds, an affiliated family of mutual funds.

E*Trade expects the Kobren deal to close between October and December.

E-Trade shares rose 25 cents, or 1.6 percent, to close at $16.35 yesterday.

From Hedgeco.net

IBC’s Hedge Fund Adviser Compliance Forum is taking place in only 5 weeks. This event is designed for hedge fund executives who want to receive best practices for achieving optimal compliance. In addition to learning more about the new SEC rules and their effect on your compliance processes, delegates will benefit from incisive presentations from our expert speaker faculty addressing key issues facing today’s managers:

• Status Report: Impact of Adviser Registration on the Hedge Fund Industry
• Interpreting the Current Framework for the Regulation of Hedge Funds
• Abiding by the Rules-Maintaining Comprehensive Books and Records
• Updating Existing Compliance Programs to Meet New Requirements for RIAs
• Best Practices for Chief Compliance Officers: The Year in Retrospect
• Exploring the Pros and Cons of Outsourcing vs. In-House Compliance
• How Will Increased Regulatory Scrutiny Affect the Future of the Hedge Fund Industry?
• Handling Investor Concerns and The Ensuing Operational Challenges
• What is the SEC’s Audit Approach for Hedge Funds?
• Post-Conference Workshop: Countdown to February 2006: Investment Adviser Registration & Compliance

Register for this event by calling 508.616.5550 ext. 1004.

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From Sptimes

Little known abroad, 5-year-old Baidu.com says it is the world’s sixth most-visited Internet site, thanks to a strong following from China’s 100-million-plus Web surfers.

And on Friday, the startup founded by two Chinese veterans of American tech firms followed Google’s example with an initial public offering on the Nasdaq Stock Market that saw its share price soar from $27 to $122.54. That put Baidu’s market value at $4-billion. Google’s market value now hovers around $85-billion.