'Stunning' start for Windows 8: Microsoft

MICROSOFT chief executive Steve Ballmer on Tuesday said the Windows 8 operating system was off to a "stunning" start with four million upgrades downloaded since its release on October 26.

"In just the last three days, we have sold four million Windows 8 upgrades," Ballmer said while kicking off a BUILD Conference for developers at the software giant's headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

"The level of embrace from enthusiasts is very, very high."

Ballmer added that tens of millions of businesses have also switched to the latest version of Windows.

Analysts have depicted Windows 8 as a bold bet for Microsoft since it dramatically changed the long-familiar user interface to adapt to touch-screen mobile devices increasingly popular in modern lifestyles.

"The level of enthusiasm seen for the new products has really been stunning," Ballmer told the thousands of developers at the sold-out event.

Globally popular one-to-many text messaging service Twitter and online file sharing hit Dropbox are among applications being tailored to Windows 8, Ballmer told third-party software developers at the gathering.

Microsoft kicked off sales of its revamped Windows 8 system and Surface tablet Friday as it ramped up efforts to compete in a market shifting rapidly from PCs to mobile devices.

Microsoft on Monday set out to win over iPhone and Android gadget devotees with Windows 8 smartphones, new devices that emphasise individualism and unify digital lives in the Internet cloud.

The global rollout of Windows 8 phones, set to begin in Europe this weekend, is the final piece in a Microsoft operating system transformation aimed at harmonising the technology titan's software and hardware for mobile lifestyles.

The operating system has a user interfaced based on "tiles" that can be personalised with people's pictures, applications, games, music and more.

Microsoft corporate vice president Joe Belfiore said that Microsoft was out to "re-invent" a smartphone experience that has for years basically consisted of a locked screen that opens to rows of icons.

"We decided not use that tired old metaphor and came up with our own way that puts people at the center of the experience," Belfiore said with a slight jab at iPhone.

The BUILD conference was also intended to inspire developers to make fun, hip, or functional "apps" for devices powered by Windows 8 software.

Microsoft's online shop is stocked with more than 120,000 applications tailored for Windows 8 phones and the number is growing, according to Belfiore.

Analysts have long contended that desirable "apps" are crucial to the success of smartphones.

Analysts said Microsoft is trying to walk a fine line by keeping hundreds of millions of Windows users worldwide while accelerating efforts to compete in the mobile world dominated by Apple and Google.

Microsoft planned a massive advertising campaign for Windows 8.

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Scientists launch vaccine against Hendra

AUSTRALIANS will be able to vaccinate their horses against the deadly Hendra virus for the first time and stop it from spreading to people.

A horse vaccine is now commercially available, in a major breakthrough in the fight against the bat-borne virus, which jumps from horses to humans.

Horses are believed to contract the virus from feed contaminated by flying foxes' urine, saliva or birthing fluids.

There's no known cure for Hendra, but the Equivac HeV vaccine breaks the cycle of transmission and will prevent human deaths, scientists say.

The project leader is the CSIRO's veterinary pathologist Deborah Middleton, who says the vaccine is the result of extensive research conducted over the past 18 years since the virus was first detected.

"For the first time, we have a specific control measure against a terrible virus which can make a healthy horse or healthy human mortality ill within 48 hours," Dr Middleton told AAP.

"Because so far all human infections have resulted from sick or dead horses, this will break that cycle of transmission."

Dr Middleton said that while Hendra was not easily transmitted, its mortality rate of 75 per cent in horses and 70 per cent in humans, ranking it with the ebola virus as the world's most severe biosecurity threats.

Four out of seven infected people have died from the virus, all in Queensland, since it was identified in 1994.

Batches of the vaccine are to be rolled out from Thursday.

Priority will be given to Queensland and northern NSW, considered high-risk areas because of previous Hendra outbreaks.

Horses will be given a shot followed by a booster within three weeks.

"Vaccinated horses that encounter live Hendra virus will have a very rapid immune memory response which will kill the virus before it has a chance to infect the animal," Dr Middleton said.

What scientists are not clear about is how long the vaccine lasts before a horse will need another booster shot.

Dr Middleton said further research was being conducted in that area.

Another unknown is if the vaccine will be effective on a horse that's unknowingly incubating the virus.

"You would have to be very unlucky for this to happen," she said.

"I do recommend all horses be vaccinated as soon as it becomes available."

Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) president Ben Gardiner is also urging horse owners across Australia to have their animals inoculated.

"This vaccine significantly decreases the risk of exposure to Hendra for horse owners, handlers and vets," Dr Gardiner told AAP.

"Horses travel over great distances for events and it would be wise for all horse owners to have their horses vaccinated."

Dr Gardiner said the virus was tricky to detect because symptoms were varied and could be mistaken for anything from mild colic to influenza.

The vaccine did not mean horse owners relax their guard and stop preventative measures, he said.

The AVA is still recommending that water and feed troughs be moved away from flying-fox roosts and that protective gear be worn, including overalls, goggles and masks, when handling sick horses.

Australia's largest animal health company, Pfizer Animal Health, will oversee the training and accreditation of vets working with the vaccine.

Vets will be required to record details of horses vaccinated for a national register to be managed and distributed by Pfizer.

Pfizer, CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong and US organisations, the Uniformed Service University of the Health Sciences (USU), and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation were the major players in developing the vaccine.

The vaccine has been released a year earlier than originally expected after a boost from commonwealth and state funding.

The virus was discovered after an outbreak of a mystery illness in a large racing stable in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra in 1994.

It resulted in the death of horse trainer Vic Rail and deaths of dozens of horses.

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Star Wars: one of the most lucrative sagas

THE Star Wars saga, set to be revived from 2015 under new owners Disney, is one of the most lucrative franchises in cinema history, with more than $US4.4 billion ($A4.26 billion) in global takings.

Only James Bond and Harry Potter can claim bigger box office success: JK Rowling's schoolboy wizard has conjured up nearly $US7.7 billion ($A7.46 billion), although that was over eight movies, as opposed to the sci-fi classic's six, so far.

Bursting from the imagination of George Lucas, the original Star Wars movie in 1977 marked the birth of a new era of blockbuster cinema, helped along by an equally young Steven Spielberg.

The two were part of the same new generation of filmmakers influenced more by televisual technique than traditional cinema, and went on to collaborate notably on another global hit series: the four Indiana Jones films.

After directing the first Star Wars movie, which helped launch the career of Harrison Ford, Lucas brought in other filmmakers for the two sequels which completed the first triology.

"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) was helmed by fellow Californian director Irvin Kershner, while Briton Richard Marquand took charge for 1983's The Return of the Jedi.

It was only in the late 1990s that Lucas decided to add a new trilogy of "prequels," directing himself this time to tell the story leading up to the action of the original movie.

The Phantom Menace came out in 1999, followed by Attack of the Clones in 2002 and Revenge of the Sith in 2005. Actors Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen starred in all three.

Last February Lucas succumbed to the temptation of 3D, releasing The Phantom Menace in the new format, having its latest attempt at becoming mainstream in the digital age.

Under the $4 billion dollar deal announced Tuesday for Walt Disney Co to take over Lucasfilm, a new trilogy will be launched with Star Wars 7 in 2015, followed by two more to complete the trilogy.

After that Disney plans to produce a new Star Wars movie every two to three years, hoping to cash in on the franchise for years, and maybe decades, to come.

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Backpackers focus of new tourism push

TOURISM Australia's biggest ever campaign aims to draw young people and backpackers from around the world to our shores.

Its multi-million dollar marketing push has a strong focus on the working holiday visa program.

Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said the visa program was an excellent platform to build a campaign aimed at enticing young people to Australia.

The move comes after a federal government decision to increase application charges for working visas by working holidaymakers.

Mr McEvoy told AAP he did not believe an $80 price hike would deter young people planning to travel for extended periods to Australia.

"The youth market contributes more than a quarter of all Australia's international arrivals and these visitors tend to stay longer and disperse widely," Mr McEvoy said ahead of the Australian Tourism Directions Conference in Canberra on Thursday.

"For many young people, the working holiday maker visa program provides the economic means to fund travel plans, and this will be the inspiration behind our future new campaign."

Nearly 1.6 million visitors aged between 15 and 29 visited Australia in the 12 months to June 2012.

New research into how global consumers view Australia and the triggers for motivating them to come here are to be revealed at the conference.

The research, commissioned by Tourism Australia and carried out by BDA Marketing Planning in 11 key international markets, identified Australia's best assets as its coastal, aquatic and wildlife experience.

Better marketing for Australia's quality food and wine offerings was needed, it said.

Mr McEvoy said the research helped identify Australia's real strengths and fine-tune its overseas promotion.

The findings suggest a lot is being done right when it comes to prioritising resources and marketing activities.

"It's encouraging, for example, that the highest levels of intention to visit are amongst Chinese and Indians, two of the markets we are most aggressively targeting," Mr McEvoy said.

Tourism Australia chairman Geoff Dixon said the industry was on track to achieve its 2020 goals, with a resurgence in domestic tourism and China's relentless economic.

"Tourism Australia has deliberately and significantly accelerated its strategies to pursue growth in Asia," Mr Dixon said.

While the Australian industry was fast transitioning, with international focus shifting from western to eastern markets, Tourism Australia was committed to keeping a balanced approach to global marketing.

"There is also a seismic shift from marketing through traditional mediums to digital and social media platforms," Mr Dixon said.

"It is my view that our industry's ability to capitalise on this shift will be vital to our future success."

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Bomb attack near Syrian shrine kills eight

A MOTORCYCLE bomb attack near a Shi'ite Muslim shrine southeast of Damascus has killed at least eight people and injured dozens, a watchdog says.

State television has confirmed the blast, but puts the toll at six dead and 13 injured.

"At least eight people were killed and dozens were injured when a bomb planted in a motorcycle exploded outside the Yasser hotel, near the Shi'ite shrine of Sayyida Zeinab," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday.

"A police source in Damascus province said an armed terrorist group set off an explosive device hidden in a rubbish bag ... in the Sayyida Zeinab area," state news agency SANA said.

The Sayyida Zeinab area has seen frequent violence in recent months, including a suicide bomb attack on June 14 that injured 14, according to state media.

The neighbourhood is disputed between rebels and the army.

It is home to the mausoleum of Sayyida Zeinab, the granddaughter of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed and is considered holy by Shi'ite Muslims.

On August 5, rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad's regime posted a video online saying they had kidnapped 48 Iranians from the area, claiming they were elite Revolutionary Guards.

They said three of them died a day later in government shelling.

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Bayer to acquire Schiff; reports Q3 rise

GERMAN drug and chemical maker Bayer AG says it is buying US vitamin and supplement maker Schiff Nutrition International Inc for $US1.2 billion euros ($A1.17 billion) in a cash deal it hopes will bolster the offerings of its consumer health division.

The announcement came as the Leverkusen-based company reported net income fell 17.8 per cent to 528 million euro in the third quarter due to one-off items - including 205 million euro related to costs associated with litigation over the birth control pills marketed as Yasmin or Yaz, which are claimed to cause blood clots. Bayer said it also took a special charge of 134 million euro in restructuring expenses.

Group sales were up 11.4 per cent to 9.665 billion euro, and board chairman Marijn Dekkers said the company had made good progress from a strategic perspective in the third quarter, strengthening its life sciences business through acquisitions and making progress on innovations.

"We remain on a successful path and we confirm our guidance for 2012," he said.

In acquiring Schiff, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has offices in Emeryville, California, Bayer said it would be paying 34 euro per share - well above the $23.2 Schiff closed at on Friday, it's most recent day of trading.

The sale is expected to close by the end of the year, Bayer said.

Bayer said Schiff's portfolio includes brands in three of the largest health supplement segments - joint care, cardiovascular health and immune support. Products include Tiger's Milk nutrition bars, Omega 3 supplement MegaRed, and the probiotic supplement Digestive Advantage.

"This transaction represents an excellent strategic fit for our HealthCare business," Dekkers said. "The Schiff business significantly enhances our presence and position in the United States, which accounts for more over-the-counter and nutritional product sales than any other country in the world."

Bayer shares were up 0.6 per cent in morning European trading to 66.88 euro.

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Mammogram: For 1 life saved, 3 overtreated

BREAST cancer screening for women over 50 saves lives, an independent panel in Britain has concluded, confirming findings in US and other studies.

But that screening comes with a cost: The review found that for every life saved, roughly three other women were overdiagnosed, meaning they were unnecessarily treated for a cancer that would never have threatened their lives.

The expert panel was commissioned by Cancer Research UK and Britain's department of health and analysed evidence from 11 trials in Canada, Sweden, the UK and the US.

In Britain, mammograms are usually offered to women aged 50 to 70 every three years as part of the state-funded breast cancer screening program.

Scientists said the British program saves about 1,300 women every year from dying of breast cancer while about 4,000 women are overdiagnosed. By that term, experts mean women treated for cancers that grow too slowly to ever put their lives at risk. This is different from another screening problem: false alarms, which occur when suspicious mammograms lead to biopsies and follow-up tests to rule out cancers that were not present. The study did not look at the false alarm rate.

"It's clear that screening saves lives," said Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK "But some cancers will be treated that would never have caused any harm and unfortunately, we can't yet tell which cancers are harmful and which are not."

Each year, more than 300,000 women aged 50 to 52 are offered a mammogram through the British program. During the next 20 years of screening every three years, 1 percent of them will get unnecessary treatment such as chemotherapy, surgery or radiation for a breast cancer that wouldn't ever be dangerous. The review was published online Tuesday in the Lancet journal.

Some critics said the review was a step in the right direction.

"Cancer charities and public health authorities have been misleading women for the past two decades by giving too rosy a picture of the benefits," said Karsten Jorgensen, a researcher at the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen who has previously published papers on overdiagnosis.

"It's important they have at least acknowledged screening causes substantial harms," he said, adding that countries should now re-evaluate their own breast cancer programs.

In the U.S., a government-appointed task force of experts recommends women at average risk of cancer get mammograms every two years starting at age 50. But the American Cancer Society and other groups advise women to get annual mammograms starting at age 40.

In recent years, the British breast screening program has been slammed for focusing on the benefits of mammograms and downplaying the risks.

Maggie Wilcox, a breast cancer survivor and member of the expert panel, said the current information on mammograms given to British women was inadequate.

"I went into (screening) blindly without knowing about the possibility of overdiagnosis," said Wilcox, 70, who had a mastectomy several years ago. "I just thought, 'it's good for you, so you do it."'

Knowing what she knows now about the problem of overtreatment, Wilcox says she still would have chosen to get screened. "But I would have wanted to know enough to make an informed choice for myself."

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Elderly man missing after house fire

AN elderly man remains unaccounted for after his home was completely destroyed by a fire in Sydney's west.

Emergency services were called to the house on Jersey Road, Bringelly, at about 8.15pm (AEDT) on Tuesday, where they found the premises well alight.

Around 10 Rural Fire Service (RFS) firefighters and three trucks battled the blaze but the house was completely destroyed by the fire.

The fire was extinguished just before 11pm, an RFS spokeswoman said.

"Unfortunately we were unable to save the house and the elderly male occupant sadly remains unaccounted for at this time," she told AAP.

"The fire has completely destroyed the house."

The home is now a crime scene, and police from Camden Local Area Command will carry out a full investigation.

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US consumer spending rises 0.8%

AMERICANS increased their spending in September at twice the rate their income rose, a sign of confidence in the economy.

The Commerce Department says consumer spending increased 0.8 per cent in September, the best showing since February.

Personal income rose 0.4 per cent, an improvement from a slight 0.1 per cent gain in August and the best gain since March.

A pickup in consumer spending helped lift economic growth in the July-September quarter to a still-modest 2.0 per cent annual rate.

The economy had grown at a 1.3 per cent rate in the April-June period.

The slight acceleration in growth is seen as encouraging, but economists are still worried the economy is stuck in a slow-growth rut.

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Wharfies to rally for safer ports

MARITIME workers are set to rally at ports across Australia to protest against industry inaction on safety issues following the death of a NSW wharfie.

Members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) will demonstrate on Tuesday calling for the introduction of a national safety code.

It comes after Greg Fitzgibbon, 56, was crushed by 20 tonnes of aluminium he was lifting while working for Newcastle Stevedores on the Chinese-owned, Bahamas-registered Weaver Arrow on September 23.

A day later, major employers such as Patricks, Qube and DP World blocked a stevedoring code of practice, which the MUA says would have improved safety standards.

"Tragically, we saw the reality of the danger of working on Australian wharves just last month," MUA assistant national secretary Warren Smith said.

"Despite the tragic death of Greg Fitzgibbon, Qube, Patricks and DP World seem to think it's acceptable to drag their heels on workplace safety."

Mr Smith said working on the Australian waterfront was dangerous, but "these companies simply refuse to behave reasonably".

Mr Smith said the union would continue to campaign until Australian wharfies received "the highest possible standard of safety".

As part of the coordinated national protest, MUA members from Newcastle, Port Kembla and Sydney will march through Sydney CBD to Shipping Australia from 11.30am (AEDT).

Mr Fitzgibbon's death was the second at Newcastle's docks in ten days.

A 55-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest and died on board the Sage Sagittarius cargo ship, docked at Newcastle Port, on September 14.

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