Tech Tour
Day Seven: WMU tech ranges far and wide I
have a kid at Western Michigan University, so I have a rough idea that
they\'re involved in some pretty neat high-tech research. But it turns
out I knew only enough to make me dangerous, and the Broncos are involved
in a whole bunch of stuff that could eventually make our lives much
easier, better and more productive. More.
Ann
Arbor firm's fertilization technology gets human trials Ann Arbor-based Incept BioSystems Inc said Wednesday it had
initiated the first United States human clinical trial of its proprietary
SMART Embryo Culture System. Incept uses patented microfluidic technology
developed at the University of Michigan. The microscale SMART technology
platform is designed to improve the in vitro manipulation, performance,
and viability of embryos for the treatment of patients undergoing in
vitro fertilization. More.
GM
moving ahead with fuel cells The second-generation
fuel cell system being developed by General Motors Co. is half the size,
220 pounds lighter and requires less than half the platinum (30 grams
or less vs. 80 grams) of the current unit being tested in the Chevrolet
Equinox prototype fuel cell vehicle, AutoTech Daily reported Wednesday.
GM
hopes to commercialize the technology by 2015, assuming there is a hydrogen
infrastructure to support a fleet of fuel cell vehicles by that time.
The company expects to make a decision in early 2011 on whether to move
forward with a development commitment. GM has invested more than $1.5
billion in fuel cell technology to date. More.
US health
system baffles medical students too Less than half of medical students say they are adequately
trained to navigate the health care system, a new University of Michigan
study says. UM researchers report that medical students could benefit
from an intense curriculum that teaches more medical economics, better
explains insurance strategies. Less than half of graduating medical
students in the United States say they received adequate training in
understanding health care systems and the economics of practicing medicine,
according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan Medical
School. More.
Azure
sells 25 more hybrid buses
The Oak Park
hybrid bus developer Azure Dynamics Corp. said Wednesday that its dealer,
Colonial Equipment Co., has been awarded a bid with Howard County, Maryland
for 25 of the Azure CitiBus. Howard County Transit immediately ordered
eight buses from the bid and has a year-long option to place orders
for the remaining 17 CitiBuses. More.
In the Blue Box: ANXeBusiness advises preparation for flu
Southfield-based
networking and managed security provider ANXeBusiness Corp. Wednesday
issued advice for IT organizations on the importance of disaster plan
readiness, proper employee education and preparation for organizations
to maintain business continuity during the H1N1 influenza pandemic.
To maintain critical
work flow during these times and to help protect employee health, organizations
should be equipped to address the increase of employees who prefer flexible
schedules to telecommute and work from home to take care of sick family
members.
According the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 26 states are currently reporting
widespread influenza activity and this number continues to grow. To
preserve business continuity, Virtual Private Network systems, such
as ANX PositivePRO, provide secure remote access for mobile employees.
ANX PositivePRO is a hosted managed SSL VPN that quickly allows remote
access without the need to buy, install, or configure an appliance within
an organization.
“Organizations
should not be caught unprepared to deal with a widespread H1N1 outbreak
and the loss of employee availability and significant absenteeism that
may occur,” said Jim Michels, vice president of marketing, ANXeBusiness.
“To maintain business continuity in spite of employees not being
able to reach their office, companies have been increasing their purchases
of ANX PositivePRO to keep employees connected to corporate networks
and assets in a secure and efficient manner. With ANX PositivePRO, authorized
end-users can securely connect to the company network, data, applications,
and company Intranet from any location.”
Note: 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-Dearborn
undergraduate enrollment jumps Undergraduate enrollment at the University of Michigan-Dearborn
is up 2.6 percent year-over-year, with a total of 6,959 students vs.
6,778 last year. That equates to 181 undergraduate students more than
the 2008-09 academic year. Total enrollment is up by 73 students, or
just under 1 percent, with 8,642 students compared to 8,569 last year.
This is the largest number of students enrolled at the university in
the past six years. More.
UM satisfaction
survey finds new smartphones beat the older ones
Smartphones with consumer-oriented functionality score best in
a customer satisfaction study released Wednesday from Ann Arbor-based
CFI Group. A new generation of smartphone, lead by Apple’s iPhone
and including Google’s Android and Palm Pre, is bringing in a
new customer audience no longer dominated by business users. More.
Federal
funding OK'd for projects in 35 Mich. communities Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm announced that
35 Michigan communities will receive more than $18.1 million in federal
funding to support public infrastructure projects and create jobs while
building the foundation for a stronger economy. The Community Development
Block Grant funding is made available through the Michigan Economic
Development Corp. Grant
recipients were selected on their overall eligibility and the impact
the project would have on the community. Priority was given to projects
that have sufficient local matching funds, completed preliminary cost
estimates and are ready to begin construction. More.
THE WORLD
IN TECH
AP source:
ViaSat to buy Wild Blue for $568 million ViaSat
Inc. is acquiring Wild Blue Communications Inc., a provider of high-speed
Internet access via satellite, for $568 million in cash and stock, according
to a person familiar with the situation. Privately held Wild Blue, in
which Liberty Media Corp. holds a 37 percent stake, will become an operating
subsidiary of ViaSat, said the person who requested anonymity because
the deal hasn't formally announced. Carlsbad, Calif.-based ViaSat will
buy Wild Blue for $443 million in cash and $125 million worth of new
common stock. More.
Microsoft
video gets a little too much attention You
almost have to feel bad for Microsoft. The software maker isn't known
for hip marketing tactics, and now that a Windows 7 video has hit it
big online, people are laughing at the company, not with it. Few details
for the launch of Microsoft Corp.'s next PC operating system have been
made public, though it's a safe bet Oct. 22 won't feature acrobats climbing
buildings and unfurling banners in New York, as was the case for Windows
Vista in 2007. More.
Dramatized
ads weave plot lines around products In
television's latest quest to discourage viewers from skipping ads, actors
from NBC and ABC shows are appearing in character in commercials to
interact with products in parallel story lines. This new kind of commercial
further blurs the line between program and advertisement and comes as
traditional product placements within shows, an early response to fast-forwarding,
have become common. A series of spots that debuted this week weaves
Palm Inc.'s Pre phone more deeply into the story line of two prime-time
dramas. More.
AP
review: 10 ways to save on calling costs The
cost of making phone calls has been dropping rapidly in the last few
years. If you want take full advantage of that, you'll need to try some
new things, because the phone companies aren't going to thrust savings
on you. Here are 10 tips on how to cut the cost of your phone service.
More.
Stocks:
Shares slip but still have best quarter since 1998 The stock market had a fitting end to a stellar but erratic
third quarter as investors still ambivalent about the economy shuttled
between bouts of buying and selling. Wall Street's major indexes ended
the July-September period with big gains Wednesday as investors placed
more bets that the recovery will keep gathering momentum. The gains
didn't always come easily during the quarter, and the Dow's performance
is proof. The average, which had its best three-month showing in nearly
11 years, came within 82 points of reclaiming 10,000, only to fall back
as investors' optimism was chilled by news that housing and manufacturing
weren't as strong as many had thought. ON the quarter's last day, stocks
got an early lift from an improvement in the government's report on
the second-quarter gross domestic product, then tumbled on news of a
surprise drop in the September Chicago Purchasing Managers index, which
measures Midwestern manufacturing. More.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP)
fell 1.62 points or 0.1 percent to 2,122.42. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average ($INDU)
fell 29.92 points or 0.3 percent to 9,712.,28. The Philadelphia Semiconductor
Index ($SOX)
rose 2.75 points or 0.9 points to 325.75. The Morgan Stanley High Tech
35 Index (MSH)
rose 4.36 points or 0.8 percent to 535.05. The NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical
Index (DRG)
fell 1.01 points or 0.4 percent to 287,13. The NYSE Arca Biotech Index
(BTK)
fell 2.44 points or 0.3 percent to 922.95. Finally, the Standard & Poor's
500 (SPX)
fell 3.53 points or 0.3 percent to 1,057.08.
All contents copyright 2009 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio & Eye logo trademarked and copyright 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. Written and edited
by Matt Roush, Technology Editor, WWJ Newsradio 950, Detroit. GLITR may contain material from the Associated Press, CNET, News.com, MarketWatch.com or Reuters, used by permission. For coverage comments or news tips, e-mail Matt Roush at
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I
have a kid at Western Michigan University, so I have a rough idea that
they\'re involved in some pretty neat high-tech research. But it turns
out I knew only enough to make me dangerous, and the Broncos are involved
in a whole bunch of stuff that could eventually make our lives much
easier, better and more productive. 
In the Blue Box: ANXeBusiness advises preparation for flu
