TiVo adds Domino's Pizza to the menu TiVo Inc. and Ann Arbor's Domino's Pizza Inc. Monday announced a partnership to give broadband connected TiVo subscribers the ability to order pizza for delivery or pick-up, and track delivery timing, right from their TV sets using the TiVo service. TiVo subscribers can order pizza through several advertising entry points on the TiVo user interface including Gold Star Sponsorship, Program Placement, Interactive Tags in live TV spots, and through Music, Photos, Products, & More by clicking on "Order Your Dominos Pizza Now." More.
Warren Schools to consider renewable energy curriculum A unique vertical-axis wind turbine would be installed at the Macomb Math, Science and Technology Center under an agreement to be considered Wednesday night by the board of the Warren Consolidated Schools. The Windspire wind turbine would be installed by Southern Exposure Renewable Energy Co. of Ortonville. It's manufactured by Nevada-based Mariah Power. The turbine is part of a larger proposal to create a "renewable energy institute" at the math and science magnet school, with the company and the school district working together to develop a new renewable energy curriculum. Mariah Power recently completed a deal to begin building its wind turbines at a Mastech plant in Manistee. A typical Windspire residential installation is pictured at right. More.
Sequenom completes buyout of GR's Center for Molecular Medicine
San Diego, Calif.-based Sequenom Monday announced it had completed its previously announced acquisition of the Center for Molecular Medicine in Grand Rapids. The center is a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act-certified clinical diagnostics laboratory. As part of the acquisition, Sequenom has formalized collaborative agreements with Spectrum Health and the Van Andel Research Institute. The two Grand Rapids institutions were joint venture partners in the laboratory. More.
MSU scientist helps lead climate change study for next Congress
A Michigan State University scientist will help lead a climate-change study charged with advising the next United States Congress on environmental policy. Supported by mounting evidence -- and a more sympathetic U.S. administration -- the national global warming debate is expected to quickly shift toward action, according to Thomas Dietz, director of MSU’s Environmental Science and Policy Program. The National Academy of Sciences appointed Dietz to the leadership committee for the $6 million America’s Climate Choices study, which gets under way Tuesday. More.
New grid computing software from Troy firm goes green
Troy-based Altair Engineering Monday unveiled PBS Professional 10, the industry-leading on-demand computing software environment for grid and cluster computing, delivering customers improved performance, greater administrator control and reduced power costs. The new software features green computing, which provides the ability to schedule jobs to minimize the use of electric power, and provides a shutdown service when computing resources are not in use. More.
New biz group helps plan Granholm's high-tech itinerary in Israel Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is in Israel and Jordan this week to meet with business leaders to encourage them to invest and grow in Michigan. The trip to Israel was arranged by a group called the Michigan Israel Business Bridge -- a non-profit, non-religious business development group. Its mission is to connect Michigan companies with Israeli companies. More.
Viastore buys another Grand Rapids materials handling firm
Viastore Systems Inc., the German materials handling technology firm with its United States headquarters in Grand Rapids, has purchased Grand Rapids-based Blesco Inc., an engineering firm specializing in material handling systems design and turnkey integration, customized software development, manufacturing processes, robotics systems and more. More.
Simple new method detects contamination in life-saving drug The blood-thinning drug heparin is highly effective when used to prevent and treat blood clots in veins, arteries and lungs, but earlier this year its reputation as a lifesaver was sullied when contaminated heparin products caused serious allergic reactions that led to a large number of deaths. Now, University of Michigan researchers have demonstrated a simple, inexpensive method for detecting contaminants in heparin, a development that could prevent such tragedies in the future. More.
Rupesh Srivastava ischairman, president and co-founder of H2H Solutions, Inc.; president and CEO of Youngsoft Inc.; and founder, president and CEO of Youngtronics LLC, all in Wixom. H2H provides people, products, and services that enable entities involved with all aspects of the health care industry to use digital technology and achieve HIPAA compliance. The company works with organizations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the University of Michigan, and is ranked 2,792nd on the Inc. 5,000 and 39th in the Detroit area with 130 percent revenue growth from 2004 to 2007. H2H has 10 employees and $8.1 million in revenue. Youngsoft Inc. is a software development and consulting services company with more than 130 employees and $14.7 million in revenue. Youngtronics, founded in 2005, manufactures electronics assembly products in Wixom. Read more.
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Dewpoint says IT can help companies fight slowdown
There's plenty of gloom and doom around these days. But when it comes to the IT industry in the current economic climate, with the incoming Obama administration, count Frank Gall as a ray of sunshine.
"I personally think that it's only going to get better, that this industry is only going to get stronger, in particular if there are incentives involved," said Gall, vice president of sales at IT consultants Dewpoint.
Why? Gall points out that the tech industry has always been about efficiency. And the Obama administration promises more incentives for all things green.
"All the (computer) manufacturers are pushing some kind of green computing," Gall said. "Just start with power. That's always been the No. 1 issue -- use less power, keep things from overheating. No. 2, it's always been about using less space."
Gall said Moore's Law -- the statement by Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel Corp., that computing power doubles and costs fall by half every 18 months -- is itself a green concept. "And now that there are green incentives around it, that trend will only accelerate," Gall said.
Another reason Gall is optimistic about IT's fortunes: companies are more interested in cost-cutting than ever when times are tough.
"Let's take the medical industry," Gall said. "There is so much waste locked up in there, so many dollars that IT can help unlock." He said simply moving to efficient, secure, universally accessible medical records could eliminate major costs in duplicate medical testing and "defensive medicine."
Gall pointed to the example of the banking industry, which has replaced branches and tellers with IT and online banking. "Financial services uses IT as a competitive weapon," Gall said. "They're cutting costs and offering better value."
Gall said some clients' IT projects have been put on hold due to "FUD," for fear, uncertainty and doubt, surrounding the present fiscal crisis, but none has been killed completely. He said getting over that FUD will require presidential leadership.
"It's a bully pulpit, and if you go out and project optimism, people will follow," Gall said. "Go back to Reagan -- in the worst recession since the Great Depression, he always said our best days were ahead of us, and it happened. If people believe it will get better, it will get better."
Gall is one of four speakers at a Thursday morning event at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield. The event will cover the impact of the Nov. 4 election on Michigan's high-tech industries of the future -- IT, the life sciences, green tech and advanced automotive.
More about Dewpoint's solutions for green computing at www.dewpoint.com.
Note: Today's Blue Box was sponsored by Dewpoint. For information on how you can sponsor content in the Blue Box, contact Jeff Lasser at (248) 455-7319 or jeff.lasser@cbsradio.com.
THE WORLD IN TECH
Spansion sues Samsung over flash memory patents Spansion Inc. wants to block U.S. sales of iPods, BlackBerry gadgets and other devices because memory chips made by Samsung Electronics Co. and used in those products allegedly violate Spansion patents. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Spansion, the world's No. 3 maker of flash memory chips by revenue, sued South Korea's Samsung on Monday. Spansion claims more than "100 million mp3 players, cell phones, digital cameras and other consumer electronic devices" are made with Samsung flash memory chips that violate Spansion patents. More.
Yahoo to replace Yang as CEO, ending rocky reign Yahoo Inc. co-founder Jerry Yang is stepping down as chief executive, ending a rocky reign marked by his refusal to sell the Internet company to Microsoft Corp. for $47.5 billion - more than triple Yahoo's current market value. The change in command announced Monday won't be completed until Yahoo finds his replacement. The Sunnyvale-based company said it is interviewing candidates inside and outside Yahoo in a search led by its chairman, Roy Bostock, and the executive recruitment firm Heidrick & Struggles. "Jerry and the board have had an ongoing dialogue about succession timing, and we all agree that now is the right time to make the transition to a new CEO who can take the company to the next level," Bostock said. Yang, who started Yahoo with Stanford University classmate David Filo in 1994, will revert to "Chief Yahoo," a titular role he filled before replacing former movie studio boss Terry Semel as CEO in June 2007. He will also remain on Yahoo's board of directors. More.
Spammers sent packing -- for now -- by Web shutdown E-mailers, enjoy the early holiday gift: Spam volume has been cut by more than half because Internet providers pulled the plug on a Web hosting firm that was allegedly helping some of the world's most dastardly junk e-mail gangs. The break won't last long. Garbage e-mail levels are already swelling again, and are expected to return to normal in a matter of days. 'Tis the season, after all: The holidays are the busiest time of the year for spammers, and criminals are hustling to reconnect with potentially millions of virus-infected PCs that they once used to send spam -- which accounts for 90 percent of the world's e-mail. Spam fighters scored big last week with the takedown of McColo Corp., a U.S.-based company apparently catering to bulk e-mailers. But the battle against McColo also highlights the difficulty in squashing spam-sending operations. Slapping one down means it just pops up somewhere else. More.
NY judge tentatively OKs Google copyright deal
A judge has tentatively approved a settlement of lawsuits between Google and book authors and publishers that may put millions of out-of-print texts online. The settlement was announced by Google and the publishing industry in October. Final court approval is still needed. Federal Judge John Sprizzo in Manhattan gave initial approval Friday. His order was put in the public record on Monday. Sprizzo set a June hearing date for a final settlement and hearing to decide if the deal is fair, reasonable and adequate. More.
Stocks: Dell downgrade highlights weak trading session
Technology stocks put in a largely downbeat day Monday as investors assessed new analyst downgrades on PC giant Dell Inc. and hard disk-drive maker Western Digital Corp. amid uncertain prospects for the computer market next year. The Nasdaq Composite Index ($COMPQ) fell 34.8 points or 2.3 percent to close at 1,482.05. The Dow industrials ($INDU) fell 244.73 points or 2.6 percent to 8,273.58. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) fell 8.41 points or 2.6 percent to 316.9, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ($SOX) fell 5.67 points or 2.8 percent to 195.72. The Amex Pharmaceutical Index (DRG) fell 4.9 points or 1.9 percent to 255.78, while the Amex Biotechnology Index (BTK) fell 5.71 points or 0.9 percent to 608.99. The S&P 500 ($SPX) fell 22.54 points or 2.6 percent to 850.75. "Investors continue to worry about the near-term fundamental weakness of the global economy and the continued need for capital by banks, brokers and now insurance companies and automakers," said Robert Pavlik, chief investment officer at Oaktree Asset Management. General Motors Corp. rose 5.7 percent on bailout hopes. Also rising -- Nokia Corp. and Research in Motion, Nokia on the thinking that all the bad news is baked into the price, RIM on strong sales for a new phone.
Once again lots of local extras: Thomson Reuters finds health care that looks like waste; the University of Michigan invests in student ventures; the U.S. Census Bureau is hiring in Michigan; Oakland County robots in a 'Football Frenzy;' a new Web site for Novi's BrassCraft; Michigan State University's Land Policy Institute looks at offshore wind power; and a Nissan exec says in Detroit that recharging tomorrow's electric car will be as simple as swapping a battery. Elsewhere in Techland: Zune could lend Microsoft a rare rhythm infusion; green at the heart of Panasonic's bid for Sanyo; an online startup aims to improve patent quality; the One Laptop Per Child project reboots its Give One Get One program; Germany's Wikipedia is back online; the text of the Yang resignation memo; Microsoft in a patent battle over Visual Studio; a workplace murder has Silicon Valley on edge; more holiday time off at HP and Micron; in the Nerd Alert Dept., the full trailer of the new Star Trek movie is now available; also, DVD rips of 'The Dark Knight' appear online; and entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is charged with insider trading in a dot com.
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A unique vertical-axis wind turbine would be installed at the Macomb Math, Science and Technology Center under an agreement to be considered Wednesday night by the board of the Warren Consolidated Schools. The Windspire wind turbine would be installed by Southern Exposure Renewable Energy Co. of Ortonville. It's manufactured by Nevada-based Mariah Power. The turbine is part of a larger proposal to create a "renewable energy institute" at the math and science magnet school, with the company and the school district working together to develop a new renewable energy curriculum. Mariah Power recently completed a deal to begin building its wind turbines at a Mastech plant in Manistee. A typical Windspire residential installation is pictured at right. 
Yahoo Inc. co-founder Jerry Yang is stepping down as chief executive, ending a rocky reign marked by his refusal to sell the Internet company to Microsoft Corp. for $47.5 billion - more than triple Yahoo's current market value. The change in command announced Monday won't be completed until Yahoo finds his replacement. The Sunnyvale-based company said it is interviewing candidates inside and outside Yahoo in a search led by its chairman, Roy Bostock, and the executive recruitment firm Heidrick & Struggles. "Jerry and the board have had an ongoing dialogue about succession timing, and we all agree that now is the right time to make the transition to a new CEO who can take the company to the next level," Bostock said. Yang, who started Yahoo with Stanford University classmate David Filo in 1994, will revert to "Chief Yahoo," a titular role he filled before replacing former movie studio boss Terry Semel as CEO in June 2007. He will also remain on Yahoo's board of directors. 
