GLITR Thursday, September 3, 2009

Your report for Thursday, September 3, 2009

Guidepoint adds emergency aid to Bluetooth kit
GuidePoint Systems Wednesday announced that it has launched the first-ever Bluetooth kit for vehicles that offers free emergency dispatch and roadside assistance. The Pontiac-based company has begun shipping Guidepoint Connect, an in-vehicle Bluetooth system that offers hands-free cell phone, integrated music control as well as emergency services and roadside help at the touch of a button. The four-button unit, designed to be mounted on the steering column, combines the latest in Bluetooth technology with Guidepoint's award-winning safety and convenience services for drivers. More.

Adaptive materials rolls out 250-watt propane-powered fuel cell
Ann Arbor-based Adaptive Materials Inc. has added a 250-watt system to its fuel cell line up. The new product will provide lightweight power ideal for recharging batteries and powering portable electronic devices. At just 20 pounds, the 250w system can replace 13 standard military BA-5590 battery units that weigh 13 kilograms (29 pounds) each. The system joins Adaptive Materials' 50-watt portable system and 180-watt unmanned vehicle power system. More.

RouteOne announces integration with Carfax
Farmington Hills-based RouteOne LLC announced Wednesday that it has completed integration with Carfax. RouteOne dealer customers can purchase and view Carfax Vehicle History Reports directly within the RouteOne platform, simplifying and improving the dealers' workflow experience. "Dealers will be able to run reports directly from within RouteOne, eliminating double entry and use of multiple systems, saving them time and money," said RouteOne CEO Mike Jurecki. "Offering access to Carfax on the RouteOne platform provides dealer employees, especially those in used vehicle departments, an invaluable tool when it comes to completing deals efficiently." More.

UM lecture series to look at the public issues of genomics
The University of Michigan will host an interdisciplinary seminar series from September 2009 to April 2010 called "The Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Personal Genomics." The six events in the series include lectures and panel presentations from national and international experts in the field. These will provoke discussion among UM faculty and students about various issues posed by the rapid expansion of genomic services and research. More.

Online Tech simplifies SaaS, e-commerce server monitoring
The majority of user frustrations with Software-as-a-Service and E-commerce applications aren’t caused by hosting infrastructure failures, such as power or Internet connectivity. Rather, most user problems are rooted in application and server performance problems that can be proactively monitored and addressed before they impact the user experience. To overcome this issue, Online Tech introduced OTMonitor, a multi-probe monitoring service for colocation servers and dedicated servers available at all of its data centers. More.

Gov visits Compact Power to highlight energy grants, jobs

Gov. Jennifer Granholm visited the Troy offices of Compact Power Inc. Wednesday to highlight the impact that federal Department of Energy battery grants will have on jobs in Michigan as the state positions itself as a global hub for the development and production of advanced energy storage systems.

CPI recently won a grant from the DOE for $151 million for a lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facility, which will be built in Michigan.

“Our plan always has been to expand our footprint in the US starting with battery pack production and moving to cell assembly and electrode production,” said Prabhakar Patil, CEO of Compact Power. “The DOE grants combined with the tax credits we have received from the State of Michigan have helped accelerate our plans and solidified Michigan as our base. We also continue to grow the number of jobs, from a starting point of five in 2005 to over 100 today. The cell facility alone would add over 400 new jobs. It is a good time to be in the battery business and the battery business is good for Michigan.”

Added the governor: “Three years ago, we developed an aggressive strategy to make Michigan the advanced battery capital of the world. We created incentives to attract industry leaders such as Compact Power. When you factor in our skilled workforce, engineering expertise, manufacturing capacity and the recent DOE grants, Michigan is the place to be for this new green industry.”

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Verizon folds Alltel stores in Bay City, Holland, Kalamazoo
Verizon Wireless says it will begin serving Alltel customers in Holland, the Kalamazoo area and Bay City in the wake of its merger with Alltel. While the Alltel stores are closed, Verizon said its stores nearby are open more hours, and Alltel staffers have been transferred to other Verizon stores. More.

KVCC semester hours jump 28%; $12 million in construction starts
KVCC’s record fall-semester enrollment will be receiving a bonus learning experience -- the evolution of a major construction project – the first on the Texas Township Campus since 2001 when the Student Commons welcomed its initial batch of students. Scheduled to begin at the end of September, the $12-million renovation and expansion has received the green light from the state to enter the bid-seeking phase. Once that first shovel of dirt is turned, completion of the phased project should take 15 months. More.

Waste Management brings solar-powered trash cans to Detroit
Waste Management Inc. will demonstrate its new solar powered trash compactors Thursday morning at Ford Field. Ford Field will become the first venue in Michigan to pilot the compactors, which aim to reduce litter and keep public spaces clean. WM Solar Powered Trash Compactors are completely self-powered, using built-in solar panels to compact trash. More.

THE WORLD IN TECH

Study finds prime time on the Internet is 11 p.m.
It's 11 p.m. Do you know where your neighbors are? Chances are they're online. According to a study, North Americans have been staying up late to do their Internet surfing this summer, so late that the peak usage for the whole day has been at 11 p.m. Eastern time. That appears to be a shift from previous years, when most Internet activity was in the daytime. The new study by Chelmsford, Mass.-based Internet security firm Arbor Networks found that people using the Internet at work and school produce a smaller traffic peak around 4 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays. Internet activity then declines as people head home. More.

AP sources: YouTube may offer online movie rentals
YouTube, Google Inc.'s online video streaming service, is in talks with Hollywood studios to rent new release movies online, according to people familiar with the talks. The move follows similar deals by Apple Inc.'s iTunes and others. A final deal would be contingent on pricing and an agreed-upon release date, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions were still ongoing. The move takes YouTube one step away from an ad-supported business model, but does not break the mold of other online rental deals already struck by iTunes, Amazon.com Inc. and Cinemanow.com, a unit of Sonic Solutions. All of them offer movie rentals for $1.99 to $3.99 each with a 24-hour viewing period. More. (And here's the CNET News.com version of the story.)

Amazon.com makes its case against Google book deal
Online bookseller Amazon.com Inc. is warning a federal judge that Internet search leader Google Inc. will be able to gouge consumers and stifle competition if it wins court approval to add millions more titles to its already vast digital library. The harsh critique of Google's 10-month-old settlement with U.S. authors and publishers emerged this week in a 41-page brief that Amazon filed in an attempt to persuade U.S. District Judge Denny Chin to block the agreement from taking effect. A flurry of filings opposing and supporting the class-action settlement is expected by Friday - the deadline for most briefs in the case. At least two other Google rivals, Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., are expected weigh in with their opposition by then. More. (And once again, here's the CNET News.com version.)

Wiretapping Skype calls: Virus eavesdrops on VoIP
Some computer viruses have a crude but scary ability to spy on people by logging every keystroke they type. Now hackers and potentially law enforcement have another weapon: a virus that can eavesdrop on voice conversations that go over computers instead of a regular phone line. The capability has been shown in a new "Trojan horse" virus that records Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls through the popular Skype service. Skype calls are free or low cost and can work between two computers or between one computer and a phone. There were 480 million Skype users worldwide at the end of June, but it's unlikely many would be hit by the new virus. It's better suited for targeted espionage rather than mass infections because criminals would have to sift through an unfathomable amount of audio recordings generated by the virus. More.

Stocks: Shares fade as traders worried about unemployment
The stock market extended its slide to a fourth day as investors worried that a weak job market will trip up a recovery in the economy. Stocks posted modest losses Wednesday, a day after tumbling on fears about the health of banks and concerns that a six-month rally of 50 percent has left the stock market overheated. The Dow Jones industrial average lost another 30 points after skidding 186 points Tuesday. A private sector report on unemployment gave investors new reason to fret about what is widely seen as the biggest problem facing the economy. The ADP National Employment Report found that employment fell by 298,000 in August following a revised loss of 360,000 jobs in July. The losses were the smallest since September 2008 but more than analysts had expected. The report shapes expectations for the Labor Department's monthly reading on jobs, which is due Friday. More. The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) fell 1.82 points or 0.1 percent to 1,967.07. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) fell 29.93 points or 0.3 percent to 9,280.67. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ($SOX) fell 1.24 points or 0.4 percent to 297.4. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) rose 2.44 points or 0.5 percent to 495.99. The NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index (DRG) fell 1.14 points or 0.4 percent to 278.83. The NYSE Arca Biotech Index (BTK) fell 12.30 points or 1.4 percent to 889.38. Finally, the Standard & Poor's 500 (SPX) fell 3.29 points or 0.3 percent to 994.75.

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