GLITR Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Your report for Wednesday, November 4, 2009

UM is nation's No. 1 college in online mojo
The University of Michigan has topped Harvard University and all other universities in the United States for the amount of public interest measured by media coverage, Internet traffic and social media mentions, according to an independent national analysis released this week. Michigan, previously ranked fourth, was followed by MIT, Harvard (previously No. 1), Columbia University, the University of Chicago, the University of California-Berkley, the University of Wisconsin, Stanford University, the University of North Carolina and Cornell University. The survey was part of Austin, Texas-based Global Language Monitor's newest Predictive Qualities Indicator survey using word analysis to measure media trends and "buzz.'' More.

Kalamazoo pharma startup to begin testing anti-rejection drug
Kalamazoo-based Tolera Therapeutics Inc., said Tuesday that it has filed an Investigational New Drug application with the United States Food and Drug Administration for its lead product candidate, TOL101, for prophylaxis of acute rejection of solid organ transplantation. TOL101 is a novel biologic protein that is designed to safely and specifically target T cells, components of the immune system that play a key role in the rejection, and ultimate failure, of transplanted organs. Organ transplantation is often the only viable treatment for many end-stage organ diseases. More.

Economics Dept.: Michigan recovery continues to build
Comerica Bank's Michigan Economic Activity Index improved two points in September, to a level of 79. September's reading marks the fourth consecutive monthly increase in the Index, which moved to its highest level since December 2008. Compared to its May low, the Index is now up 10 points, or 14.5 percent. August's level was revised from 78 to 77. More.

Plex Online supports open database community
Auburn Hills-based Plex Systems Inc., provider of the No. 1 rated ERP software for manufacturers, Tuesday announced that Plex Online supports open database connectivity for simplified data access. The enhancements make the software compatible with a range of standard reporting tools in widespread use. The new feature enhances the robust reporting capabilities available within Plex Online. The system offers especially powerful native reporting functionality related to inventory tracking, production tracking, financials, and other areas. More.

CruiseCam gets financing, buying direct from China
Birmingham-based CruiseCam International Inc., inventor of the world's first seat video and imaging apparatus, has secured its first round of private financing to produce 1,000 camera mounts by Dec. 15. CruiseCam also has negotiated a deal to buy its multi-patented, state-of-the-art products directly from factories in China to reduce its costs. More.

Guidepoint launches theft recovery system for powersports gear
GuidePoint Systems Tuesday announced the launch of an all-new version of its award-winning GPS-enabled theft-protection system for motorcycles and powersports equipment. The Madison Heights-based telematics supplier said it is introducing GPS Xtreme at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this week. The new powersport theft-recovery system is water-resistant, dustproof and features the latest in advanced power management. More.

High-tech Whirlpool washer prevents a smelly surprise
Have you ever left your laundry in the washing machine by accident, only to find it smelly and wrinkled when you finally remembered to put it in the dryer? Whirlpool brand has heard consumers' call, and in response, is arming consumers with the best defense -- a washer with the ability to keep clothes smelling fresh for up to 10 hours after the cycle ends with the new FanFresh option. The Whirlpool Duet steam washer's FanFresh option intermittently tumbles clothes in the wash drum for up to 10 hours after the cycle ends. Meanwhile, a quiet fan draws out moisture through a vent to help keep clothes smelling fresh and prevents wrinkles from setting in. More.

Altair achieves breakthrough time in virtual crash tests
Troy-based Altair Engineering Inc. Tuesday announced implementation of a new analysis process that drastically reduces the simulation time needed for virtual crash testing. Virtual crash tests are one of the most time consuming tasks in automotive development processes. Combining a new solution approach for simulating highly dynamic events, the well known scalability, quality and repeatability of Altair's crash solver RADIOSS, and Intel's expertise in high-performance computing allowed a team of research engineers to run virtual crash tests in minutes instead of hours. For the first time ever, a frontal crash simulation of a vehicle model with more than one million elements was performed in less than five minutes. More.

THE WORLD IN TECH

Best Buy embraces digital delivery of home video
Best Buy Co. is trying to nudge consumers away from its stores' DVD aisles by making it easier for them to rent and buy movies over high-speed Internet connections. The largest U.S. retailer of consumer electronics is setting up its digital delivery service in partnership with CinemaNow, which has deals with the major movie studios. The software making it possible to shop CinemaNow's video library will be included on all the Web-connected devices sold in Best Buy's more than 1,000 U.S. stores. That means consumers who buy flat-panel TVs, Blu-ray players, personal computers and mobile phones from Best Buy would be able to get downloads of videos the same day they are released on DVDs. More.

AT&T sues Verizon in Georgia over 'map for that' ads
AT&T Inc. is suing Verizon Wireless over its competitor's "There's a Map for That" commercials, saying in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the ads are misleading and amount to deceptive trade practices. AT&T filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and is asking for a temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction to stop the ads. Verizon's ads show maps of the United States with areas highlighted to depict where third generation - or "3G" - network coverage - which allows users to access data faster - is available. The maps use red for Verizon and blue for AT&T to show where each company offers 3G coverage. Areas where 3G is not available are left blank. AT&T says those maps are misleading because there is still regular coverage in areas where "3G" service is not offered. More.

T-Mobile still out of order for some customers
T-Mobile USA Inc. said about 5 percent of its subscribers are still having problems with its phone and data services as of Tuesday evening. The wireless carrier said the outage began at about 5:30 p.m. Eastern time. David Beigie, a T-Mobile spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement that the company is "making good progress restoring voice and messaging service to affected customers." Beigie did not say how widespread the problems were earlier in the day. In a previous e-mail he described the disruption as "intermittent." More.

Lawmakers seek ban on laptops in airliner cockpits
Lawmakers are moving to ban the use of computer laptops and other personal electronic devices in airline cockpits to prevent another incident like the Northwest Airlines plane that overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles. Sen. Byron Dorgan, chairman of the aviation subcommittee, said in an interview that his staff is working on a bill that he expects to introduce in about a week. He said he was surprised to learn after the Oct. 21 incident that the Federal Aviation Administration doesn't specifically prohibit pilots from using laptops, DVD players, MP3 players and other devices during flight except below 10,000 feet while the plane is taking off or landing. The two pilots of Northwest Flight 188 told National Transportation Safety Board investigators that they didn't notice repeated attempts by air traffic controllers and airline dispatchers to contact them because they were working on a new crew scheduling program on their laptops. More.

Stocks: Rising commodities, dealmaking lift markets
Stocks ended back-and-forth trading mostly higher Tuesday as a spike in the price of gold and corporate dealmaking extended an advance from Monday. The gains in commodity prices helped stocks pare early losses. Investors were encouraged by billionaire investor Warren Buffett's decision to pay $34 billion for the railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe in what he termed an "all-in wager" on the future of the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, tool maker Stanley Works struck a deal to acquire Black & Decker Corp. for $3.46 billion in stock. Investors also took cues from commodities including gold, which jumped to a new high after India's central bank bought $6.7 billion worth of the metal from the International Monetary Fund. More. The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) rose 8.12 points or 0.4 percent to 2,057.32. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) fell 17.53 points or 0.2 percent to 9,771.91. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ($SOX) fell 3.89 points or 1.3 percent to 293.48. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) rose 2.57 points or 0.5 percent to 521.26. The NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index (DRG) fell 1.89 points or 0.7 percent to 285.21. The NYSE Arca Biotech Index (BTK) rose 29.24 points or 3.5 percent to 874.27. Finally, the Standard & Poor's 500 (SPX) rose 2.53 points or 0.2 percent to 1,045.41.

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