IT for Manufacturing Executives
Cell Phone Market Continues To Rebound
August 2, 2010 4:31 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — The number of cell phones shipped worldwide rose 14.5 percent in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, with much of the growth coming from smaller challengers like the iPhone and BlackBerry, according to research firm IDC. Manufacturers shipped 317.5 million phones in the quarter, IDC said in its report late Thursday.
China Sees Manufacturing Slowdown
August 2, 2010 4:30 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — Expansion of Chinese manufacturing activity slowed for the third month in July, as production, new orders and purchasing prices all declined, a survey showed Sunday. The state-affiliated China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said its purchasing managers index, or PMI, fell to 51.
Twitter Knocked Out Of Commission Sunday
August 2, 2010 4:28 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — The microblogging site Twitter Inc. was out of commission for a couple of hours early Sunday for some of the roughly 100 million users around the world. Instead of the usual screen that allows people to send a tweet, the home page indicated the site was down for "planned maintenance" but was expected to be back in a few hours.
Video Is The New Written Word
July 30, 2010 9:23 am | Articles | CommentsVideo conferencing has become an effective and increasingly widely-used means of communication in the manufacturing sector over the course of the last few years. The development of high-definition video and increases in Internet connection speed have led companies to adopt visual communication as a way to connect different elements of their business, reach out to their supply chain, or foster communication with customers.
Why Software Standardization Matters
July 30, 2010 9:17 am | by Vern Bolton, Program Manager, Schneider Electric | Articles | CommentsFacility managers know efficiency is crucial when it comes to discrete manufacturing processes. After all, even in a sluggish economy, there are orders to satisfy, deadlines to meet and customers to please, so any edge a facility manager can gain to keep processes moving is appreciated.
How To 'Hack' A Calculator
July 30, 2010 9:03 am | Videos | CommentsHave you ever wanted to pull a prank on an annoying co-worker? If you can't think of what to do, this video may be of some help. It explains how you can "hack" a calculator to confuse and embarrass an unwitting colleague. It's not the easiest prank to execute. However, a little extra legwork goes a long way toward a few laughs.
Improve Function And Performance
July 30, 2010 7:51 am | Product Releases | CommentsSiemens PLM Software (Plano, TX) recently released four D-cubed software components. Version 42.0 of the 3D Dimensional Constraint Manager (3D DCM), Collision Detection Manager (CDM), Hidden Line manager (HLM), and Assembly Engineering Manager (AEM) contain new enhancements to improve function and performance.
Commerce Department Report: Economic Growth Has Slowed
July 30, 2010 4:36 am | by Jeannine Aversa, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The recovery lost momentum in the second quarter as growth slowed to a 2.4 percent pace, its most sluggish showing in nearly a year and too weak to drive down unemployment. Weaker spending by consumers, less growth coming from companies restocking shrunken stockpiles and a bigger drag from the nation's trade deficits were the main factors behind the second quarter's slowdown.
Microsoft Plans To Compete With Apple's iPad
July 30, 2010 4:34 am | by Jessica Mintz, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsREDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft will compete with Apple's iPad, but it isn't saying when. Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer says the company is working with Intel Corp. and computer makers to perfect tablet touch-screen computers. Analysts attending an annual meeting at Microsoft headquarters on Thursday got few concrete details.
Justice Department Sues Oracle For Software Contract Fraud
July 30, 2010 4:32 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday it is joining a fraud lawsuit against Oracle Corp. related to software contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The agency said Oracle failed to offer government customers the same discounts on its software that it offered commercial customers, as it was required to do.
Government Access To Web Data Raises Privacy Fears
July 30, 2010 4:31 am | by Pete Yost, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Invasion of privacy in the Internet age. Expanding the reach of law enforcement to snoop on e-mail traffic or on Web surfing. Those are among the criticisms being aimed at the FBI as it tries to update a key surveillance law. With its proposed amendment, is the Obama administration merely clarifying a statute or expanding it? Only time and a suddenly on guard Congress will tell.
Infamous Malware Creator Nabbed By FBI
July 30, 2010 4:30 am | by Ali Zerdin, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsLJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — An FBI official said Friday a two-year-long multinational investigation led them to nab a 23-year-old Slovenian, who allegedly created a malicious software code that infected 12 million computers worldwide. Stephen Gaudin, a legal attache of the FBI to the U.
IBM To Open Major Infrastrcuture Lab
July 30, 2010 4:28 am | News | CommentsPITTSBURGH (AP) — Computer giant IBM is teaming up with Carnegie Mellon University on a research lab to develop technologies to help governments better manage their infrastructure. The collaborative lab announced Thursday is part of the Pennsylvania Smart Infrastructure Incubator and is expected to open in the fall at the Pittsburgh school's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Get It Poppin'
July 29, 2010 12:12 pm | Videos | CommentsHungry and in need of a quick and convenient snack? Grab your iPhone or iPod and make some popcorn. No, seriously. This video showcases a software application that actually pops popcorn kernels. Or, is this simply an entertaining hoax? I'll leave it to you to decide what's really going on in this video.
A Guide To Modern Manufacturing Methods
July 29, 2010 11:57 am | by Stephen Jannise, Marketing Manager, Software Advice | Articles | CommentsMethods of manufacturing – and the manufacturing software that enable them – have changed a great deal since the Ford assembly line, shifting from the rigid, push-oriented production principles of the early 20th century to more flexible, pull principles. If you find yourself wondering what a pull principle is, you’ve come to the right place.
