IT for Manufacturing Executives
U.S. Economy Graded A 'B'
June 10, 2013 10:24 am | by CNN Money | Videos | CommentsPimco CEO Mohamed El-Erian says uncertainty is keeping the U.S. economy from growing faster, but we're still doing better than the rest of the world. El-Erain discusses the factors behind economic growth and what's holding it back.
Continuous Improvement: Real Improvement Or Mediocrity?
June 10, 2013 9:59 am | by Mark Latino, President, Reliability Center, Inc. | Articles | CommentsIncremental improvements are more or less feel good measures that say to management “there was a problem and we did this to solve it.” In reality, most continuous improvements have come from technology advancements, not from employee performance advancements. Has the continuous improvement mentality caused manufacturing to settle for mediocrity?
Cyclists Take Industrial 3D Printing For A Spin
June 10, 2013 9:44 am | by Chris Hardee, a science and technology writer based in New Hampshire | Articles | CommentsAbout four years ago, Russ Kappius—mountain-bike enthusiast, winner of six Masters racing titles, and a research geophysicist/software developer—became obsessed with bicycle hubs. He wanted more speed and responsiveness, but wasn't sure how to get it.
NSA Revelations Force Question: What Do We Want?
June 10, 2013 9:29 am | by Adam Geller, AP National Writer | News | CommentsFor more than a decade now, Americans have made peace with the uneasy knowledge that someone — government, business or both — might be watching. Paranoid fantasies have come face to face with modern reality: The government IS collecting our phone records.
Exide Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
June 10, 2013 9:20 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBattery maker Exide Technologies is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it attempts to restructure its U.S. business. The Milton, Ga., company said its international operations are excluded from the filing, which it made Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
Want More Time Off? Some Employers Let You Buy It
June 10, 2013 9:15 am | by Sam Hananel, Associated Press | News | CommentsA soon-to-be released survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 9 percent of employers allowed workers to cash out unused vacation time. Five percent let employees purchase additional vacation days through a payroll deduction.
Stripped-Down Harley Rebounds From Recession
June 10, 2013 9:11 am | by M.L. Johnson, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe company made $624 million last year, the best annual profit since 2008. It also boosted profit by 30 percent in this year's first quarter, compared to the same period in 2012. With lower costs and more efficient production, analysts say Harley is in a good position to grow as the global economy improves.
American Auto Industry About To Go On Hiring Spree
June 10, 2013 9:08 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe auto industry's stepped-up hiring will help sustain the nation's job growth and help fuel consumer spending. On Friday, the government said U.S. employers added 175,000 jobs in May, roughly the monthly average for the past year and a sign of the economy's resilience.
Canada Threatens Tariffs Against U.S. Products
June 10, 2013 9:04 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsCanada warned that it may impose tariffs on everything from orange juice to bread if the United States doesn't change a meat-labeling policy that Canadian beef and pork industries say is costing them more than CA$1 billion (US$979 million) a year.
What Manufacturers Can Learn From The Commandos
June 7, 2013 10:17 am | by Damian McKinney | Articles | CommentsThe world of manufacturing and the soldier seem very far apart at first glance, but they both operate in uncertain and rapidly changing environments. The workforce goes to work, while the military goes to war. Thankfully, in the work environment, people do not often die, but companies can fail and people’s livelihoods can be destroyed through bad decisions.
How Computers Can Learn Better
June 7, 2013 10:12 am | by Larry Hardesty, MIT | Articles | CommentsReinforcement learning is a technique, common in computer science, in which a computer system learns how best to solve some problem through trial-and-error. Classic applications of reinforcement learning involve problems as diverse as robot navigation, network administration, and automated surveillance.
University Develops Mind-controlled Flying Robot
June 7, 2013 9:58 am | by CBS News | Videos | CommentsResearchers in the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering have developed a new noninvasive system that allows people to control a flying robot using only their mind. Here's a look at the new robot and the system that makes it work.
Canada Charges Nestle, Mars With Price Fixing
June 7, 2013 9:42 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe accused in a chocolate price-fixing case could face a bitter fate if convicted — millions of dollars in fines for the companies and potential jail time for the individuals.Canada's Competition Bureau said Thursday it is laying criminal charges against Nestle SA's Canada arm, Mars Inc.'s Canada division and ITWAL Ltd., a network of independent wholesale distributors.
Safety At Deadly China Plant 'Extremely Chaotic'
June 7, 2013 9:38 am | by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press | News | CommentsSafety exits were blocked at the Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Co. plant and managers neglected to hold required safety drills or worker education, State Administration of Work Safety head Yang Dongliang said in a statement posted Friday on the administration's website, confirming workers' accounts.
Icahn And Southeastern Push Against Dell Buyout
June 7, 2013 9:36 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsActivist investor Carl Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management Inc. are formally urging Dell shareholders to reject a buyout offer from the struggling PC maker's founder and investment firm Silver Lake Partners. Dell Inc. has agreed to sell itself to founder and CEO Michael Dell and Silver Lake for $24.4 billion, or $13.65 per share.
