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The Lead
Google Begins Launching Internet-Beaming Balloons
June 17, 2013 | by Martha Mendoza and Nick Perry, Associated Press | Comments
Eighteen months in the works, the top-secret project was announced Saturday in New Zealand, where up to 50 volunteer households are already beginning to receive the Internet briefly on their home computers via translucent helium balloons that sail by on the wind 12 miles above Earth.
Chrysler Freezes Some Pension Plans
June 17, 2013 9:45 am | by Sarah Skidmore, AP Business Writer | Comments
U.S. companies in general have moved away from traditional, or "defined benefit," pensions due...
Long-Haul Jets Get Boost At Paris Air Show
June 17, 2013 9:43 am | by Lori Hinnant, Associated Press | Comments
The global aviation event at Le Bourget airfield north of Paris is once again showcasing the...
China Announces New Measures To Curb Air Pollution
June 17, 2013 9:26 am | by Louise Watt, Associated Press | Comments
China's growing middle class has become increasingly fed up with air, water and soil pollution...
Apple Details Government Requests For Data
June 17, 2013 9:56 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsApple says it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement for customer data for the six months ended in May. The company, like some other businesses, had asked the U.S government to be able to share how many requests it received related to national security and how it handled them.
Starboard Says Smithfield Sale Undervalues Company
June 17, 2013 9:53 am | by Michael Felberbaum, AP Business Writer | CommentsOne of Smithfield Foods' largest shareholders says a $4.72 billion takeover bid from China's largest meat producer falls short of what the company would be worth if sold off piece by piece. New York-based investment firm Starboard Value LP estimated the pork producer's value at $9 billion to $10.8 billion.
To Ease Shortage Of Organs, Grow Them In A Lab?
June 17, 2013 9:19 am | by Malcolm Ritter, AP Science Writer | CommentsGrowing lungs and other organs for transplant is still in the future, but scientists are working toward that goal. In North Carolina, a 3-D printer builds prototype kidneys. In several labs, scientists study how to build on the internal scaffolding of hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys of people and pigs to make custom-made implants.
GAO Rejects Beechcraft's Protest Of Lost Contract
June 14, 2013 9:14 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsBoth companies issued statements Thursday announcing the decision by the Government Accountability Office. It's the latest development in a high-stakes competition that has taken nearly three years with legal challenges from both sides.
IBM Lays Off Workers As Company Eyes New Markets
June 14, 2013 9:12 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsIBM has laid off an undisclosed number of workers this week as the company intensifies its focus on some of some of the technology industry's hottest markets. The cutbacks are part of a reorganization that IBM Corp. executives disclosed in April during a conference call discussing the Armonk, N.Y., company's first-quarter earnings.
First Flight Of Airbus A350 Reopens Wide-Body Race
June 14, 2013 9:07 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsFriday's flight from Toulouse is to last about four hours and marks a key step on the path to full certification. More than half of the A350 — Airbus' first all-new plane in eight years — is made up of lightweight carbon-fiber designed to save on jet fuel, which makes up half the cost of long-haul flights.
New Hostess Owner Prepares To Restart Ga. Plant
June 14, 2013 9:05 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsThe smell of snack cakes could soon return to the Dolly Madison plant in Columbus as Hostess Brands LLC prepares to relaunch production.Hostess Brands LLC spokesman Michael Cramer said workers will be resuming production by July. He said crews are now getting the facility ready to bake goods again, including testing equipment that's been idle since November.
Businesses Increased Stockpiles In April
June 14, 2013 9:02 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | CommentsU.S. businesses increased their stockpiles in April but their sales fell for a second straight month, held back by a decline in orders to American factories. The Commerce Department said Thursday that business stockpiles rose 0.3 percent in April from March.
Lightweight Microsoft Office Available On iPhone
June 14, 2013 8:56 am | by Anick Jesdanun, AP Technology Writer | CommentsMicrosoft's Office software package is coming to the iPhone for the first time Friday, offering people the ability to read and edit their text documents, spreadsheets and slide presentations at the doctor's office or at a soccer game.
hybris Announces Partnership With LivePerson
June 12, 2013 4:38 pm | Commentshybris has announced that it will partner with LivePerson, a leading provider of intelligent engagement products, to offer an integrated solution that will enable businesses to optimize the online commerce experience and drive greater ROI to their digital properties.
HS Motion Group Introduces Servotronix PRO Series Servo Motors
June 12, 2013 2:44 pm | by HS Motion Group | CommentsHS Motion Group announces the launch of PRO Series Servo Motors. This series is the latest offering for high performance servo motion applications. The PRO Series couples a new family of precision rotary brushless servo motors with the company’s flagship CDHD servo drives.
GE Intelligent Platforms Joins The PTC PartnerAdvantage Program
June 12, 2013 2:39 pm | by GE | CommentsGE Intelligent Platforms has announced that it is joining the PTC PartnerAdvantage program. The two companies will work to integrate GE’s Proficy software applications with PTC’s technology solutions to help manufacturers close the loop between product design and production execution on the shop floor.
Yamaha Expanding Vehicle Production In Georgia
June 12, 2013 9:29 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsOfficials at Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. say they've opened a second assembly plant in Newnan and will hire 100 employees to work on a new utility vehicle. The Japanese company also said this week that it has completed transferring all of its ATV production to the Coweta County plant south of Atlanta.
Rambus To Get $240M In Settlement With Hynix
June 12, 2013 9:24 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsMemory chip designer Rambus Inc. said Tuesday it resolved a decade-old patent dispute with South Korean chipmaker Hynix, and said Hynix will pay it $240 million over the next five years.Rambus said SK Hynix is licensing memory-related patents and the right to certain dynamic random access memory products.
Google Asks To Publish More U.S. Gov't Information
June 12, 2013 9:20 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | CommentsGoogle is asking the Obama administration for permission to disclose more details about the U.S. government's demands for email and other personal information transmitted online in an effort to distance itself from an Internet dragnet.
