MSU scientists
developing more efficient solar power with federal grant
A collaboration of chemists, mathematicians and engineers
at Michigan State University is driving to improve solar panel technology,
backed by a $1.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
The three-year grant comes
from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act monies and will focus on
developing methods for making a new class of solar cells from cheaper
materials. “For renewable energy to succeed, it has to get to
a point where it is economically competitive with current technology,”
said chemistry Professor James McCusker, the project leader. “This
means we need totally transformational technologies.” More.
Azure
Dynamics sells 248 alternative power refrigeration systems The Oak Park hybrid truck technology developer
Azure Dynamics Corp. Wednesday announced an order from the Kidron division
of VT Specialized Vehicle Corp. for 248 LEEP Freeze systems. The
systems were ordered by Idealease Inc., on behalf of its client Schwan
Food Co. The 248 systems is the largest single LEEP Freeze order to
date with deliveries beginning before the end of the year. "The
UltraTemp with LEEP Freeze product is earning a strong reputation and
gaining popularity in the refrigerated transportation industry, so we've
been anticipating incremental sales," said Jay Sandler, Azure Dynamics
vice president of sales. "However, a fleet order for 248 LEEP units
is a significant milestone that positions our product at the forefront
of industry awareness and consideration." More.
New
inventory software from Ann Arbor's LLamasoft Ann Arbor-based LLamasoft, a provider of
supply chain planning software, announced the release of a new inventory
modeling and optimization system. The
new software uses a unique approach for multi-echelon inventory modeling
that provides companies with a single integrated application to optimize
all of the primary inventory components including safety stock, cycle
stock, and pre-build stock. More.
New small
biz 'Webmaster' from Morton Marketing Canton Township-based Morton Marketing Inc.,
a full service interactive marketing firm, has announced a new fully
managed Webmaster program for small-to-medium businesses. The
new service, called WebMasterSMB, offers a turnkey package of Web site
design, development, maintenance, Web and e-mail hosting, tech support,
Web analytics and search engine marketing. WebMasterSMB, which requires
a six-month minimum term, was designed for SMBs that need professional
web resources but may not be able to justify an in-house team. More.
New
design software from Troy's DCS
Troy-based Dimensional Control Systems Inc. Wednesday announced the
availability of 3DCS Analyst Stand Alone version 7.0.0.0 for Multi CAD
on both Windows XP 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. DCS said Version 7.0.0.0
includes enhancements to increase modeling performance and accuracy
while maintaining the quality our users have come to know and expect.
More.
At
a time of tremendous economic turmoil in our country, it’s good
to know there are still some bright spots on Michigan’s horizon
and there are still companies that are committed to providing quality
service to the community.
One such company
is ITC Holdings Corp., headquartered in Novi, which is the owner and
operator of the high voltage electric transmission system in most of
Michigan’s lower Peninsula. ITC through its subsidiaries operate
a fully regulated network of approximately 8,100 circuit miles of transmission
lines and stations. And at ITC commitment to community is more than
a slogan taken from a corporate mission statement.
“If you don’t
recognize the importance of partnering within the communities, as a
service provider you’re always going to be regarded as cold and
distant to your customers,” says Joseph L. Welch, chairman, president
and CEO of ITC. “From the very beginning we have taken our role
as community stewards seriously and have been personally and professionally
enriched because of it.”
ITC took a lead
role in protecting one of the few remaining -- and only international
-- wildlife refuges left on the shores of the Detroit River and Lake
Erie by partnering with federal agencies on habitat restoration, creation
of greenways, a viewing deck and vegetation management along refuge
access roads.
Since its inception
in 2003, ITC has partnered with a number of non-profit community organizations,
including The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW), which provides energy assistance
to low income Michigan families. The company gives its employees the
day off in exchange for volunteering to answer calls for donations during
THAW Winter Survival Radiothon.
ITC is also a proud
sponsor of Cornerstone Schools, and provided scholarships for College
of Creative Studies students for their submission of artwork for the
company’s corporate headquarters. The company also supports the
American Heart Association’s annual Go Red for Women campaign
aimed at raising awareness regarding women and heart disease.
Perhaps ITC’s largest
and most logistically challenging demonstration of its community focus
is the annual lighting of transmission towers located throughout the
state.
“It started
as just a suggestion (lighting the towers), but the field guys thought
they could pull it off,” says Welch. “It’s just our
way of spreading a little good will during the holidays.”
Today, ITC Holdings and its
three operating companies share a focus on building, maintaining and
operating a reliable electric transmission grid that benefits the customers
directly and energy consumers throughout the region by improving reliability,
reducing congestion and paving the way for the entrance of renewable
resources. ITC is at the forefront of investing in a foundation to better
serve communities, your families and you.
Note: Today's
Blue Box was sponsored by ITC Holdings Corp. For information on how
you can sponsor content in the Blue Box, contact Jeff Lasser at (248)
455-7319 or
jeff.lasser@cbsradio.com.
Oneupweb
study: Social media key to holiday retail sales Social media could be king this holiday
season. A new study from the
Traverse City search engine and Web marketing firm Oneupweb found that
social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are contributing more
and more traffic to retailers' sites, especially during and after the
holiday shopping season. Oneupweb officials say the findings came in
a study originally intended to detail the effects of the recession on
consumer holiday shopping trends. They found that people are now looking
to conventional and social search engines for information about important
holiday purchases. More.
Somanetics
licenses new modeling technology
Troy-based Somanetics Corp. Wednesday announced
that it has obtained exclusive
rights, subject to specified rights of the United States government
and rights retained by The Johns Hopkins University, to new cerebral
autoregulation technology developed at The Johns Hopkins University.
Integration of this technology into Somanetics' INVOS Cerebral/Somatic
Oximeter would yield the first noninvasive monitor providing cerebral
autoregulation data for routine clinical use. The price was $1.8 million
plus future royalties. Cerebral autoregulation refers to the body's
ability to maintain constant blood flow to the brain despite changes
in blood pressure. In many critical care situations, the brain's autoregulation
can become impaired, making it vulnerable to changes in blood pressure
and to potential brain injury due to loss of this critical protective
mechanism. More.
KMT
Robotics offers new tools for wind turbine manufacturing Auburn Hills-based KMT Robotic Solutions
Inc. Wednesday introduced its Root End Cut and Drill Wet Processing
Robotic Automation System for utility-scale composite Wind Turbine Blades.
KMT's new wet processing system
provides further improvements in both cycle time and dust management
while continuing to build on its proven RCD technology. KMT has multiple
RCD systems installed and successfully producing wind turbine blades.
More.
THE WORLD
IN TECH
NY state
seeks to rein in wayward truckers using GPS New York state wants to
crack down on truckers who rely on satellite devices to direct them
onto faster but prohibited routes and end up crashing into overpasses
that are too low for their rigs. Gov. David Paterson on Wednesday proposed
penalties including jail time and confiscation of trucks to come down
on drivers who use GPS -- global positioning systems -- to take more
hazardous routes and end up striking bridges. A truckers' group called
the measure unfair and unnecessary.More.
AP
review: Windows 7 strong, but don't pay to upgrade Next
week, Microsoft is releasing Windows 7, a slick, much improved operating
system that should go a long way toward erasing the bad impression left
by its previous effort, Vista. If you've been holding off on buying
a new computer, Windows 7 will be a good excuse to get back into the
game. And if you've been weighing a Mac versus a Windows PC, then you
should know that "7" makes Windows more attractive, though
not a clear-cut choice for everyone. Windows is now easier to use and
better looking than it was before, while maintaining its core advantage
of cheaper, more diverse hardware. However, most PC users should not
take the release of Windows 7 as a call to action, or feel that they
have to run out and buy the software for use on a computer they're planning
on keeping. More.
PC
shipments gain in 3Q, a good sign for holidays Worldwide shipments of personal
computers edged back up in the third quarter, according to researchers,
a promising sign for the industry as it heads into the holiday shopping
season. Last year's holiday quarter was the worst in six years, and
PC shipments declined in the first half of 2009 as the recession inhibited
spending by consumers and businesses. On Wednesday, however, analysts
at research group IDC said PC shipments from July through September
rose 2.3 percent from the same period of last year, as consumers kept
buying the low-cost laptops and tiny netbooks that have been the bright
spot in the industry. More.
PepsiCo
app draws fire for stereotyping PepsiCo
Inc. is facing criticism for an iPhone application that promises to
help men "score" with two dozen stereotypes of women by giving
users pickup lines and a scoreboard to keep track of their conquests.
An apology by the company -- which is using the app "Amp up before
you score" to market its Amp energy drink -- is igniting more online
criticism. But the company is sticking by the app. Spokeswoman Nicole
Bradley said the application is available only to people 17 and older
who "choose to opt in to the experience." "The application
was designed to entertain and appeal to Amp's target. We'll continue
to monitor the feedback from all parties and act accordingly,"
she said. More.
Stocks:
Dow passes 10,000; recession may be over but threats remain When the Dow Jones industrial average first
passed 10,000, traders tossed commemorative caps and uncorked champagne.
This time around, the feeling was more like relief. The
best-known barometer of the stock market entered five-figure territory
again Wednesday, the most visible sign yet that investors believe the
economy is clawing its way back from the worst downturn since the Depression.
The milestone caps a stunning 53 percent comeback for the Dow since
early March, when stocks were at their lowest levels in more than a
decade. If stocks follow historical patterns, they could be nearing
their peak. Assuming the recession technically ended this summer, as
many economists believe, the Dow's surge since March puts it near where
past rebounds have started to fade. On top of that, there are still
plenty of problems that could trip up the market. Companies posted better-than-expected
earnings in the second quarter, but mostly because of cost-cutting,
not the sales increases needed to keep growing, and job growth remains
nonexistent. Earnings reports from chip maker Intel Corp. and banker
JPMorgan Chase & Co. gave the Dow its final push past 10,000. More.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP)
rose 32.34 points or 1.5 percent to 2,172.23. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average ($INDU)
rose 144.8 points or 1.5 percent to 10,015.86. The Philadelphia Semiconductor
Index ($SOX)
rose 4.51 points or 1.4 percent to 334.51. The Morgan Stanley High Tech
35 Index (MSH)
rose 8.72 points or 1.6 percent to 552.02. The NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical
Index (DRG)
rose 4.9 points or 1.7 percent to 294.67. The NYSE Arca Biotech Index
(BTK)
rose 19.71 points or 2.2 percent to 924.77. Finally, the Standard &
Poor's 500 (SPX)
rose 18.83 points or 1.8 percent to 1,092.02.
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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ITC -- Commitment to the Community
Next
week, Microsoft is releasing Windows 7, a slick, much improved operating
system that should go a long way toward erasing the bad impression left
by its previous effort, Vista. If you've been holding off on buying
a new computer, Windows 7 will be a good excuse to get back into the
game. And if you've been weighing a Mac versus a Windows PC, then you
should know that "7" makes Windows more attractive, though
not a clear-cut choice for everyone. Windows is now easier to use and
better looking than it was before, while maintaining its core advantage
of cheaper, more diverse hardware. However, most PC users should not
take the release of Windows 7 as a call to action, or feel that they
have to run out and buy the software for use on a computer they're planning
on keeping. 
PepsiCo
Inc. is facing criticism for an iPhone application that promises to
help men "score" with two dozen stereotypes of women by giving
users pickup lines and a scoreboard to keep track of their conquests.
An apology by the company -- which is using the app "Amp up before
you score" to market its Amp energy drink -- is igniting more online
criticism. But the company is sticking by the app. Spokeswoman Nicole
Bradley said the application is available only to people 17 and older
who "choose to opt in to the experience." "The application
was designed to entertain and appeal to Amp's target. We'll continue
to monitor the feedback from all parties and act accordingly,"
she said. 
