Yuzoz was created in 2004 by New Yorker Jeffrey Manber and has been in development since then. YUZOZ is an entertainment business that is branding randomness by using the power of space as a marketing tool. Over the last 2 years Yuzoz has developed a Random number Generator (RNG) drawn by astronomical events.

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TAX MATTERS

Don’t be late. Tax payments not made by 31 January attract interest at 7.5%. If, for any reason, you have been unable to file your tax return by the deadline, estimate you tax bill and pay anyway to if you want to minimise the interest.

You cannot pay your tax bill by credit card. However, you can pay online using a debit card. Go to: www.hmrc.gov.uk/howtopay/debitcard

Unable to meet the payment? If so, you may be able to avoid the 5% surcharge which would otherwise trigger on the 1 March. The way you may be able to do this is by negotiating a 'time to pay agreement' with HMRC, in writing, before the end of February.

If can only afford to pay a portion of your bill and the amount to be paid includes a balance from the tax year 2005/2006, make it absolutely clear that you are paying the 2005/6 first. In this way you will minimise the amount of surcharge on 1 March.

Suppose your profits have fallen significantly from the previous tax year. It may be possible to negotiate reduced payments on account for the year 2006/7. To do this you should get some expert advice and you may need to do a 2006/2007 tax return prior to the 31 July second payment on account.

GREEN NEW YEAR RESOLUTION?

The cost of generating your own power FEWER than 100,000 properties in the UK generate their own energy. The most popular methods are solar panels, wind turbines and heat pumps. To encourage microgeneration, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced in last month's Pre-Budget Report that income from selling home-generated energy to the National Grid would be exempt from income tax.

B&Q sells the Windsave Wind Turbine System for £1,498, but many experts have questioned the efficacy of roof-mounted devices. The Centre for Alternative Technology says that wind speeds in urban areas are often low and erratic, while a turbine is noisy and can damage a building.

A larger, free-standing wind generator costs up to £20,000. They are practical only for people in rural areas and can take 15 years to pay for themselves. A potentially more practical solution is photovoltaic panels, which use silicon cells to turn sunlight into electricity. Each rated kilowatt (kW) of power costs about £7,500 to install, on which a grant of up to £3,000 is available. A 2kW installation would save a little more than half the typical household's annual electricity consumption of 3,300 kilowatt-hours, worth £270.

Another alternative is ground-source heat pumps, which take natural heat from the ground and boost it to useable levels using a small amount of electricity. The Energy Savings Trust says that a 6kW pump will cost up to £10,000 to install and will save as much as £750 a year in energy costs. However, heat pumps work best with under-floor heating, which can double the installation costs.

Easy ways to save energy and money

EACH home produces about six tonnes of CO2 a year. This is more than the average car. But by cutting down on the energy we use, we can help the environment and cut our bills.

Popping some energy-saving light bulbs in your shopping trolley can save you £9 a year for each bulb you replace, according to the Energy Savings Trust, but you will have to get handy up in the loft to make dramatic savings.

Fitting 10in" of loft insulation can cut heating costs by a third, while cavity wall insulation can save the average householder between £130 and £160 a year on heating bills.

Putting on some thermals and adding an extra blanket on your bed can also save money. Turning down the thermostat by 1C (1.8F) can reduce your bills by up to 10 per cent.

Replacing an old boiler could cut your heating costs by a third. If everyone in the UK with gas central heating installed a condensing boiler, CO2 emissions would fall by 13 million tonnes a year, saving £1.8 billion on annual energy bills - enough energy to heat 3.7 million homes.

Consigning boil washes to the past will also help to cut your bills. Using a colder wash cycle, at a temperature of 40C rather than 60C, means that you use a third less electricity. Reduce the wash to a 30C cycle and the amount of electricity and money saved is even higher.

An energy-efficient fridge-freezer can save up to £45 a year because it uses only a third of the electricity needed to run a ten-year-old appliance.

Simply turning off your television and computer, rather than leaving them on standby, can also save you cash. The Energy Savings Trust says that households in the UK now waste about 10 per cent of their electricity on standby power.

When it comes to making a cuppa, save energy and money by boiling only the water you need. If everyone did this instead of filling the kettle every time, the electricity saved in a year would be sufficient to run nearly half the street lighting in the country.

For more energy-saving tips, visit: www.est.org.uk

Signing up to a green tariff with your energy provider does not necessarily mean that you are being more environmentally friendly. A damning report released last month by the National Consumer Council found that many "green" tariffs are misleading and complex.

Only two of the twelve green supply-based tariffs offer more than they are required to under the current law. Good Energy is the only provider to offer 100 per cent of its energy from renewable sources.

British Gas's green electricity offer came under fire for offering to plant a tree for every ten customers. The report says: "One tenth of a tree is not equivalent to the amount of CO2 emitted by an average household."

BOOM TIME FOR BRIGHTON

Brighton and Hove has one of the country's most buoyant economies, new figures show.

The city has seen a 40 per cent growth in the value of goods and services it produces between 1999 and 2004 - the seventh highest in England, according to the Office of National Statistics.

The boom confirms Brighton and Hove's transformation from a bucket-and-spade economy to a hub for creative, media and IT industries.

But despite the growth, the city still lags behind much of the South East and London in terms of the total value of its economy due to the number of low-paid jobs in the leisure industry.

East and West Sussex feature towards the bottom of the growth league table, recording increases of 26 and 27 per cent.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Simon Burgess said the figures were proof the city had turned the corner economically. He said: "I am delighted with the figures, especially because it is recognised that seaside resorts have a tougher time than most when it comes to developing the economy.

"Having the reputation of being relatively cool makes a key difference."

Concerns about the departure of one of the city's major employers remains high after a series of high profile exits abroad, but Coun Burgess said the council was working hard to retain companies such as American Express and Legal and General.

Coun Burgess said: "We have been doing particularly well with the creative and media industries but we will have to work hard to keep our major employers here."

A report by economic consultants Tym and Partners, the University of Brighton and property consultants Cluttons urged the council last year to look at the creation of "a city centre office quarter".

In the next 20 years, more than 6,600 jobs are expected to be created in business services, including accounting, architecture and engineering.

A similar number of new posts are expected in "other services," such as new media and IT.

But the investigation also revealed that Brighton's position as an employment centre has worsened over the past decade, partly because of rising house prices.

Mark Froud, chief executive at chamber of commerce Sussex Enterprise, said that Brighton and Hove was developing a booming business sector.

He said: "These figures are great news for Brighton and Hove and prove the city is a fantastic place to do business.

"Brighton and Hove has transformed itself over recent years from a traditional seaside resort into a business-focused new city.

"The past five years have seen it buck the trend from focusing on seasonal activities for its economic activity and employment to developing additional high value added industries such as the financial and business services sector and the highly successful creative and digital media industry.

"What we need to see next is this growth spreading to other areas of Sussex, particularly along the coast."

Jo Brookes, manager of JBPR, one of Brighton's biggest PR companies, said her industry was growing strongly.

She said: "Brighton and Hove is seen as an extension of London now, which is an advantage to doing business here. We have also had a lot of celebrities living here which puts Brighton in the spotlight and which has put Brighton on the national map."

Online Trading At Risk

New Trade Laws could damage UK Business'

The Confederation of British Industry has issued a warning against new cross-border trade laws proposed by Brussels which it says will damage smaller businesses and online firms, and undermine the financial services sector in the UK.

Under the proposals, known as Rome I, a UK firm selling goods and services to consumers in the European Union will no longer be governed by UK law, but rather by the laws of the country in which the consumer lives, potentially exposing businesses to as many as 27 different legal systems.

Any disputes arising would be resolved in the courts of the consumer's country and in their native language. This means that a London firm selling products to a customer in Rome under British law would actually be liable under Italian law, should any problems arise.

Meanwhile, firms providing financial and legal services would be particularly affected by changes to business-to-business contracts which would mean that a company's right to specify which legal regime applies to a contract with another company could be overridden by a court, in favour of the country which is most closely connected to the contract.

Under this system, the CBI warns, a UK bank lending money to a French construction firm to build a bridge in Nigeria could face the prospect of any dispute case being governed by Nigerian law.

The CBI has expressed concerns that the measures will leave businesses in a 'legal quagmire', and could deter many companies from doing business within the EU.

John Cridland, Deputy Director-General of the CBI, said, 'Businesses will have three choices: spend time and money getting to grips with the varied and conflicting legal regimes of each member state they trade with; chance their arm that their processes will meet the required standards; or, most worryingly, stop trading with some countries altogether'.

This year, massed voices of Sing Live UK will perform with Tony and Academy Award Winner and Broadway legend Joel Grey. He will be joined by the current Phantom in Las Vegas, Anthony Crivello, the West End’s Ruthie Henshall and members of the Cast of Avenue Q and other special guests.

The performance on Sunday May 6, 2007 will be introduced by I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Queen, Myleene Klass and is to raise funds for THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY and ADDISS

Along with the most voted-for favourites such as You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel, Superstar from Jesus Christ Superstar and The Tonight Quintet from West Side Story, there will be a major tribute to the words and music of John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Sing Live Director and vocal coach Steve Roberts says, ‘We are honoured to take part and, for many of our singers this is a dream come true! Sing Live encourages ordinary people to take up singing - both experienced and beginners are welcome. The only requirement is that you are age 16 or over, and you love to sing!’

Rehearsals in Hove start on February 6th and there is still time to join. Places are limited so call the office immediately and speak to Emma on 01609 780315 or visit: www.singlive.com for more information.

Stress: The Silent Killer

A desk space has become available in a small music management office in the Brighton Media Centre in central Brighton

To share with two independent artist managers, Patrick Spinks and Sam Smith [Brakes, Electric Soft Parade]

£40 pw inclusive of rent, vat, telephone rental and broadband. Telephone call charges are additional, payable monthly.

Friendly professional office, non smokers only please

Available immediately

Contact Patrick Spinks on 01273 648330 or email: patrick@sublimemusic.co.uk

William Shaw is a journalist and author living in Brighton, he is looking for people's stories - real stories about what they're doing in the centre of Brighton.

He's creating an artwork for The Brighton Festival 2007 which will be called 41 Places. What I'm doing is filling the centre of our city with real narritives about what peolpe do.

These don't have to be massive stories. They can be as simple as "I'm going to meet a friend / tattooist / clairvoyant", I'm trying to replace a plate / Moulinex / boyfriend I broke", or "I just had to get out of the house / office / relationship / whatever for five minutes..."

With the help of a team of artists, these stories are going to be displayed around the city during the 2007 festival - in the places where they actually happened.

So if you are interested in telling 'Your' story then email: william_shaw@mac.com or call 07841 117750.

www.unmadeup.com

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• A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.
• Interviewee wore a Walkman, explaining that she could listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.
• Candidate fell and broke arm during interview.
• Candidate announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interviewers office.
• Candidate explained that her long-term goals was to replace the interviewer.
• Candidate said he never finished high school because he was kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.
• Balding Candidate excused himself and returned to the office a few minutes later wearing a headpiece.
• Applicant said if he was hired he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm.
• Applicant interrupted interview to phone her therapist for advice on how to answer specific interview questions.
• Candidate brought large dog to interview.
• Applicant refused to sit down and insisted on being interviewed standing up.
• Candidate dozed off during interview.

  The employers were also asked to list the "most unusual" questions that have been asked by job candidates.

• "What is it that you people do at this company?"
• "What is the company motto?"
• "Why aren't you in a more interesting business?"
• "What are the zodiac signs of all the board members?"
• "Why do you want references?"
• "Do I have to dress for the next interview?"
• "I know this is off the subject, but will you marry me?"
• "Will the company move my rock collection from California to Maryland?"
• "Will the company pay to relocate my horse?"
• "Does your health insurance cover pets?"
• "Would it be a problem if I'm angry most of the time?"
• "Does your company have a policy regarding concealed weapons?"
• "Do you think the company would be willing to lower my pay?"
• "Why am I here?"

  Also included are a number of unusual statement made by candidates during the interview process.

• I have no difficulty in starting or holding my bowel movement.
• At times I have the strong urge to do something harmful or shocking.
• I feel uneasy indoors.
• Sometimes I feel like smashing things.
• Women should not be allowed to drink in cocktail bars.
• I think that Lincoln was greater than Washington.
• I get excited very easily.
• I am fascinated by fire.
• I like tall women.
• People are always watching me.
• If I get too much change in a store, I always give it back.
• I must admit that I am a pretty fair talker.
• I never get hungry.
• I know who is responsible for most of my troubles
• If the pay was right, I'd travel with the circus.
• I would have been more successful if nobody would have snitched on me.
• I think I'm going to throw-up.

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