IT for Manufacturing Executives
Food AND Fuel
August 30, 2010 10:18 am | by Luke Simpson, Associate Editor, Chem.Info | Articles | CommentsA lot of great ideas are developed by imagining a magical black box through which you can process an input to produce a desired output. A lot of great ideas are developed by imagining a magical black box through which you can process an input to produce a desired output.
GPS Technology And Your Privacy
August 30, 2010 9:45 am | Videos | CommentsAdvancements in technology have led to increased concern about the protection of people's privacy... and for good reason. For example: GPS devices and technology have been used in law enforcement applications for some time now. However, in some states, agencies can place a GPS device on a vehicle to track a person's whereabouts -- without a warrant.
Tough Computer Industry Means Deals On Equipment
August 30, 2010 5:34 am | by Jordan Robertson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — If you're looking for bargains on personal computers, bad news from the industry could be good for your pocketbook. Computer makers are scrambling for ways to goose faltering consumer demand after a weak start to the back-to-school shopping season. That could mean deeper price cuts and other promotions beyond the incentives that the industry dangled in front of shoppers to lure them into stores during the worst of the recession.
Decision On India BlackBerry Ban Is Imminent
August 30, 2010 4:30 am | by Erika Kinetz, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsMUMBAI, India (AP) — Indian authorities are scheduled to meet Monday evening to decide whether to ban some BlackBerry services in India, one day ahead of a government-imposed deadline for the device's maker Research In Motion Ltd. to give security agencies access to encrypted data. Home Secretary G.
HP, Dell Continue To Battle Over Cloud Computing Business
August 30, 2010 4:28 am | by Jessica Mintz, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSEATTLE (AP) — Hewlett-Packard Co. boosted its bid for 3Par Inc. to $1.88 billion Friday, topping Dell Inc.'s offer by 11 percent and again raising the stakes in the bidding contest for the data-storage company. The $30-per-share offer from HP came just hours after Dell matched HP's Thursday bid of $27 per share.
Microsoft Co-Founder Sues Several Major Tech Companies
August 30, 2010 4:27 am | News | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Paul Allen is suing nearly a dozen major technology companies, including Google Inc. and Apple Inc., alleging that they infringed on four Web technology patents held by his company Interval Licensing LLC. Interval said Friday it filed the suit in a U.
Auto Industry Expected To See Sales Slowdown
August 30, 2010 4:25 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — August auto sales are expected to be much lower than the year-ago month, a time when sales were pumped up by the federal government's Cash for Clunkers vehicle trade-in program, according to analyst predictions. The seasonally adjusted annual rates for the month may also suggest that the auto industry's steady recovery in the first half of the year is losing steam, the analysts predicted.
Intel Continues To Expand Beyond Personal Computers
August 30, 2010 4:23 am | by Geir Moulson and Samantha Bomkamp, Associated Press Writers | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Intel Corp. is buying the wireless communications unit of Germany's Infineon Technologies AG for $1.4 billion in cash, the second deal in as many weeks that allows the chipmaker to spread its wings beyond the struggling personal computer market. Infineon's unit makes chips for smart phones including Apple's iPhone.
3M To Acquire Automated System Firm Cogent Inc.
August 30, 2010 4:21 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Technology company 3M Co. says it has agreed to acquire Cogent Inc. in a deal worth about $933 million. Cogent, based in Pasadena, Calif., develops automated systems that read finger and palm prints. Cogent's board of directors has agreed to the deal, announced Monday, and is recommending that its shareholders accept it.
America's Most Wanted: Skilled Workers
August 27, 2010 11:07 am | by Gerald Shankel, President and CEO, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International | Articles | CommentsThe looming skilled worker shortage is an unwelcome threat to the nation’s manufacturing base that needs to be addressed at multiple levels, from better educating the next generation of factory workers to improving the public’s image of plant work. by Gerald Shankel, President and CEO, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International Consider a manufacturing career amid media reports of shuttered factories, job losses, and the worst economy since the Depression? Although certainly counter-intuitive, the answer to that question is a resounding “Yes!” Despite the shaky economy, scores of American manufacturers are reporting a dire need for skilled labor.
More Beans To Count
August 27, 2010 11:01 am | by Jeff Reinke, Editorial Director | Articles | CommentsThe last three years have encompassed a multi-million dollar investment strategy focused on adding more efficient automation, capital equipment capable of handling more throughput while requiring less down time, and — perhaps most importantly — producing and analyzing production data to provide continual improvements to the production process, which includes a great deal of employee training.
The Death Of The Middle Class
August 27, 2010 9:46 am | Videos | CommentsThere is a lot of talk about whether the United States is seeing the death of the middle class, and that can be tied directly to the loss of American manufacturing jobs. Thom Hartmann, radio host and author, recently spoke out on why all these jobs have disappeared. According to Hartmann, our "laissez faire" trade policy has just served to create a situation where "trade" equates to "outsourcing.
RIM Looks To Fellow Tech Firms For Aid With Privacy Issues
August 27, 2010 4:47 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Research In Motion Ltd., which is facing a service shutdown in India next week over demands for access to its users' e-mails, said Thursday it is seeking to involve other technology companies in its talks with government officials. RIM, which is based in Waterloo, Canada, said it has offered to lead an "industry forum" on the use of encrypted communications, on which law enforcement can't be easily eavesdrop.
Dell Bests HP In Battle To Buy 3Par
August 27, 2010 4:45 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Computer maker Dell Inc. has matched a $1.69 billion offer from Hewlett-Packard Co. to buy the data-storage company 3Par Inc., raising the stakes in the bidding contest for the little-known company. The $27-per-share offer is worth three times the price of 3Par before Dell made its first bid last week, for $18 per share, or $1.
Boeing Sees Another Delay In Delivery of 787
August 27, 2010 4:43 am | by Samantha Bokamp, AP Airlines Writer | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Boeing Co. postponed the delivery of its first 787 to the middle of the first quarter of 2011, compounding a string of delays for the jetliner that is already more than two years past its original scheduled debut. The latest delay is the result of engine delivery problems, Boeing said in a statement early Friday.
