Altair offers free training, software to displaced Michigan engineers Troy-based Altair Engineering Inc. Thursday announced that it will offer free technology training courses and licenses for advanced software to displaced engineers in Michigan who want to expand their skills in computer-aided engineering as a way of increasing their marketability to employers. Altair’s Professional Workforce Initiative pilot program, which supports Michigan’s efforts to retrain and diversify the state’s workforce as the regional economy evolves into new industries, will be launched in southeast Michigan. Depending on its success, the program may become a sustained initiative to be offered to displaced engineers in Michigan and other regions of the United States. More.
Churches, ministries connect with free software from Franklin firm In these tough economic conditions, churches and ministries need cost-effective solutions to better connect their members, grow their faith and build a stronger community. Franklin-based CircleBuilder Software LLC announced this week that any church or ministry can start a free, branded circle at www.circlebuilder.com. CircleBuilder co-founder Howard Brown said the move takes the wrapper off five sites that had been in beta for faith communities to build their circles: CircleBuilder, ChristianBuilder, CatholicBuilder, MissionaryBuilder and JewishBuilder. More.
Crucial renewables meeting coming to Grand Rapids Dec. 17 Anyone interested in distributed generation of renewable energy in Michigan should plan to be in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, Dec. 17. There will be a workshop on Advanced Renewable Tariffs (feed-in tariffs) in Grand Rapids Dec. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Cascade Engineering, 3400 Innovation Court, SE. The workshop will be led off by Paul Gipe on how a system of Advanced Renewable Tariffs could power a renewable energy revolution in Michigan. The presentation will describe the success of this policy in Europe, how it works, and why it's time for Michigan to adopt a similar policy. Following Gipe's presentation, Michigan Public Service Commission staff will describe how the state plans to implement its Renewable Portfolio Standard and an innovative energy conservation program. More.
Volunteers of America still needs your help to 'Adopt A Family' Just another in our series of weekly pleas to help Volunteers of America adopt thousands of needy families across the Detroit area this holiday season with their "Adopt-A-Family" program. Remember, it costs just $150 to give a family of four a nice Christmas -- a dinner with all the trimmings and a toy and warm clothing for two kids. And you corporate gift-givers? Well, think bigger -- lots bigger. All the info you need is at http://www.wwj.com/pages/1123709.php. And thank you!
Huge new storage machines from Canton Township firm Canton Township-based Scalable Informatics Thursday introduced the Delta-V, its latest storage appliance, which the company says provides outstanding performance and reliability at an exceptional price. A Delta-V 3 unit was demonstrated at SC08, the international conference for high performance computing, networking, storage and analysis, in Austin, Texas last month. More.
Salvation Army ringing in donations with online Red Kettle
Since 1891, The Salvation Army has relied on donations through its iconic Red Kettle. This year, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit is pumping new life into the Red Kettle by embracing Internet technologies to reach out to supporters. The Salvation Army’s Online Red Kettle Campaign allows people to make donations through the organization’s secure Web site.
New to the online campaign is a component that enables people to host their own Online Red Kettle. Individuals, businesses or groups interested in helping raise money for those in need can register online to host their own virtual kettle. Hosts set personal fundraising goals for their kettles and customize their own kettle Web pages.
“The Online Red Kettle gives those who aren’t able to ring the bell another opportunity to volunteer,” said Major Norman Marshall, divisional commander for The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit. “By hosting a virtual Kettle, volunteers will raise much-needed funds to support The Salvation Army’s work in our community.”
After setting up their virtual kettles, hosts are then encouraged to e-mail their friends, family members and co-workers to announce their fundraising efforts and garner donations through The Salvation Army’s Web site. Donors can designate their donation to go to The Salvation Army in their zip code or in the zip code of the Kettle host.
The Salvation Army has recruited high-profile celebrities and local community members to help raise awareness for this new initiative. Everyone from The Jonas Brothers to The National Hockey League has created an online red kettle. All 30 NHL teams have online red kettles for fans to make donations. In addition, Detroit Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock and forward Darren McCarty have their own kettles, allowing Red Wings fans three opportunities to show their support online.
If you are interested in hosting your own Online Red Kettle or to learn more about the Online Red Kettle Contest, please visit www.salmich.org.
For information on how you can sponsor content in the Blue Box, contact Jeff Lasser at (248) 455-7319 or jeff.lasser@cbsradio.com.
UM scientists probe limits of cancer stem-cell model One of the most promising new ideas about the causes of cancer, known as the cancer stem-cell model, must be reassessed because it is based largely on evidence from a laboratory test that is surprisingly flawed when applied to some cancers, University of Michigan researchers have concluded. By upgrading the lab test, the UM scientists showed that melanoma -- the deadliest form of skin cancer -- does not follow the conventional cancer stem-cell model, as prior reports had suggested. The findings, to be published as the cover article in the Dec. 4 edition of Nature, also raise questions about the model's application to other cancers, said Sean Morrison, director of the Center for Stem Cell Biology at the UM Life Sciences Institute. More.
DuPont chief calls for 75 mpg 'Detroit project' car The United States government, domestic automakers and other major companies should collaborate to develop a super-fuel-efficient vehicle capable of getting 75 mpg, DuPont chairman and CEO Chad Holliday proposed in a speech this week to the Detroit Economic Club. AutoTech Daily reported that Holliday suggested the car could be fueled by a butanol biofuel made by DuPont and BP. More.
WorkForce Software to host first job fair in Livonia Livonia-based WorkForce Software Inc. Thursday announced its first annual career fair on Wednesday, Dec. 10. The company said that due to rapid expansion, it is hiring for several positions within our software development and implementation departments. The event runs from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Detroit Marriott Livonia, 17100 Laurel Park Drive North, Livonia. More.
THE WORLD IN TECH
Gift guide: a few tips for rocking out on the go Portable media players are almost essential for any music, video or photo fan - which could be just about anyone on your holiday gift list. Whether you're looking for a tiny player that can fit in a back pocket or something with a larger screen and memory capacity for watching videos, there are plenty of reasonable options. The Associated press offers this sampling of what is out this season. More.
Solar car completes first-ever around-the-world trip If a solar-powered car can drive 32,000 miles around the globe without using a drop of oil, perhaps it can be forgiven for not having a coffee cup holder. Or maybe that makes Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer's journey even more remarkable. Palmer rolled into the U.N. climate conference in his solar car Thursday, a man with a mission: To prove that the world can continue its love affair with the car without burning any polluting fossil fuels and still enjoy a smooth ride. More.
More shoppers were online Monday, but they spent less per capita
Online spending at U.S. retailers on Monday jumped 15 percent over with the comparable day a year ago to $846 million, comScore said Thursday, as consumers sought out bargains in a tough economy. The Monday after Thanksgiving was nicknamed "Cyber Monday" by the National Retail Federation to describe the surge in online spending when customers return to work after Thanksgiving and shop from their desks. Online shopping is popular among consumers who want to compare prices for the best deal, so usage can increase in a tough economy when shoppers are paying more attention to costs. ComScore said a 22 percent rise in the number of buyers drove the increase, even though the average amount shoppers spent declined 5 percent. ComScore attributed the drop in dollars per buyer to each buyer completing fewer transactions. More.
Viacom to cut 850 jobs, freeze some executive raises in 2009 The media conglomerate Viacom Inc. said Thursday that it will slash about 850 jobs and freeze some senior-level raises in a move to weather the global economic downturn. The owner of MTV Networks, BET Networks and Paramount Pictures said the job cuts will affect about 7 percent of its work force and hit all departments. The job cuts and suspension of some raises for senior-level executives in 2009 is expected to generate pretax savings of $200 million to $250 million next year. More.
Stocks: Layoffs, economy, retail rattle Wall Street
Technology stocks closed lower Thursday, after chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. warned that it expects to report a decline in its quarterly sales. The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) fell 46.82 points or 3.1 percent to 1,445.56, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ($SOX) fell 11.43 points or 5.8 percent to close at 186.64 and the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) fell 13.53 points or 4.1 percent to 314.52. The Dow industrials ($INDU) fell 215.45 points or 2.5 percent to 8,376.24. The The Amex Pharmaceutical Index ($DRG) fell 5.81 points or 2.3 percent to 249.64, while the Amex Biotech Index (BTK) fell 12.32 points or 2.1 percent, to 575.14. Finally, the Standard & Poor's 500 (SPX) fell 25.52 points or 2.9 percent to 845.22. General Motors Corp. stock tumbled 16.1 percent as it continued to face Congressional skepticism on a financial rescue plan. Energy and IT were the biggest sector decliners on the S&P. Consumer discretionary was the only S&P sector to finish in the black. Crude-oil futures fell for a fifth straight session to near four-year lows, with oil for January delivery dropping $3.12 to finish at $43.67 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold also fell, while the Labor Department released data showing initial jobless claims dropped to a one-month low, while a less-volatile average climbed to a 16-year high.
Tons of local extras: AT&T is cutting 12,000 jobs, but the effect on Michigan is unclear (and here's the AP version); Michigan Technological University touts its role in the state's Centers of Energy Excellence; a Plymouth firm rolls out a new in-car computer dock; Perrigo settles a patent dispute; Walsh College sets meetings for a federal information assurance scholarship; and the Nonprofit Enterprise at Work announces new corporate gifts. Elsewhere in Techland: AMD warns of a 25 percent cut in fourth quarter sales; the telecom provider Windstream will cut 170 jobs; Red Hat climbs after an analyst upgrade; Microsoft taps a Yahoo executive to lead a Web business; an Associated Press review of MiBook, an e-book reader; Fidelity Investments expands its online news focus; a new cancer scanner produces results in less than an hour; the lastest listing of technology layoffs (which also includes the Spreadsheet of Sunshine on who's hiring); NASA delays the next-generation Mars rover mission to 2011; premium LCD TV brands slash prices to compete for holiday shoppers; Microsoft gets a better answer to Flickr; Facebook Connect is officially open; sources say layoffs hit RealNetworks; WordPress 2.7 is to arrive Thursday night; new silicon may redefine Netbooks; New Hampshire law students take on the RIAA; new malware targets only Firefox; now it's Italy, not biofuels, holding back an EU energy deal; Homeland Security to get a reality show; IAC may sell some of its smaller businesses; Smartphone sales slow down in a troubled economy; and how about an Advent calendar using imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope?
All contents copyright 2008 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio & Eye logo trademarked and copyright 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. Written and edited by Matt Roush, Technology Editor, WWJ Newsradio 950, Detroit. GLITR contains material from the Associated Press, Reuters and MarketWatch.com, used by permission. For coverage comments or news tips, e-mail Matt Roush at mnroush@cbs.com or call (248) 455-7380. For marketing and advertising queries, contact Georgeann Herbert at gherbert@cbs.com or (248) 455-7299. To subscribe, e-mail Nancy Ho at nancy.ho@cbsradio.com. For questions or concerns, please email Pete Kowalski, WWJ's Station Manager.
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Salvation Army ringing in donations with online Red Kettle
If a solar-powered car can drive 32,000 miles around the globe without using a drop of oil, perhaps it can be forgiven for not having a coffee cup holder. Or maybe that makes Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer's journey even more remarkable. Palmer rolled into the U.N. climate conference in his solar car Thursday, a man with a mission: To prove that the world can continue its love affair with the car without burning any polluting fossil fuels and still enjoy a smooth ride. 
