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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Inside The Ford Fusion, Motortrend's 'Car Of The Year'
November 19, 2009 4:03 am | Articles | CommentsEarlier this week, Motortrend magazine named the 2010 Ford Fusion as its "car of the year," beating out more than 20 other vehicles from around the world. It's a big deal for the American automaker who has emerged from the recession stronger than ever, and bailout-free. See what makes the Ford Fusion, and in particular its hybrid model, the best car of the year.
M&Ms Just Got A Little Bit Greener
November 19, 2009 3:43 am | Articles | CommentsLast Tuesday, Mars Chocolate unveiled a 28,000-panel solar garden, which provides 20 percent of peak energy consumption at its New Jersey manufacturing plant. Are you surprised New Jersey is second in solar capacity only to California? I was. Have any comments or questions about our Thursday video editions of IMPO Insider? Or do you have a video you'd like to see featured in one of our deployments? Email me at Joel.
Instructional How To Lose Your Job
November 19, 2009 3:34 am | Videos | CommentsFull disclosure up front: remarkably, no one was hurt in this incident. And that's why forklifts have cabs. That said, this warehouse worker takes his forklift driving a little to vigorously, and has a little mishap with some shelves absolutely filled with bottles of vodka. In his defense, I don't think good steel is supposed to bend over like a twig as these shelves did.
Apple Industrial Designer: We're Cool, You're Not
November 19, 2009 3:21 am | Articles | CommentsApple computers are well-recognized around the world, despite having a small market share in comparison to the plethora of Windows-based computers from manufacturers such as Dell, HP, Sony, and countless others. So, what makes people tick when they get an iPod or a MacBook in their hands? Easy: industrial design.
Calif. Electricity-Hungry TV Ban Angers Manufacturers
November 18, 2009 9:54 am | by Samantha Young, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Power-hungry TVs will be banned from store shelves in California after state regulators Wednesday adopted a first-in-the-nation mandate to reduce electricity demand. On a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission required all new televisions up to 58 inches to be more energy efficient, beginning in 2011.
Head Of U.S. Military Celebrates Wisconsin Trucks
November 18, 2009 6:50 am | Articles | CommentsLast week, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Corp. to check out the production of the company's M-ATVs, which are currently being used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Take a peek at Gates' speech to the workers who build the trucks on a daily basis, and why they're so important to the military.
GE To Develop Wearable Sensors With Federal Grant
November 18, 2009 4:29 am | News | CommentsNISKAYUNA, N.Y. (AP) — GE Global Research, the technology development arm of General Electric Co., said Tuesday it will get $2 million federal grant to develop wearable sensors that alert people to chemical weapons and diseases. Radio-frequency identification sensors are commonly used to track materials, including in baggage at airports.
Costco Axes Coca-Cola Over Pricing Disputes
November 18, 2009 4:14 am | by Emily Fredrix and Sarah Skidmore, AP Food Industry Writers | News | CommentsATLANTA (AP) — Costco customers may have to look elsewhere for Coca-Cola products now that the retailer has stopped carrying them because the pair are fighting over prices. The public squabble between one of the nation's largest wholesale club operators and the world's largest soft drink maker is likely to fizzle quickly.
GM Takes Tax Credits To Stay In Detroit
November 18, 2009 4:05 am | by Kathy Barks Hoffman, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsLANSING, Mich. (AP) — General Motors Co. is promising to keep its headquarters in Detroit in return for expanded state tax credits approved Tuesday. The Michigan Economic Growth Authority gave the go-ahead to extend tax credits the company won in June for agreeing to build a new small car at its Orion Township plant near Pontiac.
The Supercomputer That 'Thinks' Like A Cat
November 18, 2009 4:04 am | by Jordan Robertson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Scientists say they've made a breakthrough in their pursuit of computers that "think" like a living thing's brain — an effort that tests the limits of technology. Even the world's most powerful supercomputers can't replicate basic aspects of the human mind.
Poll: Being 'Green' Means Lots Of Talk, No Walk
November 18, 2009 3:52 am | by H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — A solid majority of Americans recognize the need to help the environment, although there are some things — like buying a hybrid car or taking mass transit — that people often talk about, but don't necessarily act on. That's shown in a survey of more than 1,000 adults that sought to gauge attitudes about the environment.
Cold Weather Straining China's Energy Resources
November 18, 2009 3:47 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsSHANGHAI (AP) — Unusually cold weather has caused shortfalls of power and natural gas in Shanghai and parts of central China, local government reports said Wednesday. The surge in energy consumption due to the cold snap, which began last week, is typical of the challenges the country is facing as it struggles to meet demand from consumers whose growing earning power enables them to adopt more modern lifestyles.
Feds Raid Gibson Guitars Over Hardwood Rumors
November 18, 2009 3:38 am | News | CommentsNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal agents on Tuesday raided a Gibson guitar manufacturing plant and seized guitars amid concerns about where the Nashville-based company obtains the fine woods that go into its instruments. Television stations reported that authorities seized wood guitars and other items, but no one was arrested.
Hershey, Ferrero Consider Bids For Cadbury
November 18, 2009 3:32 am | by Robert Barr, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsLONDON (AP) — Chocolate makers The Hershey Co. and Ferrero International SA said Wednesday they are considering a possible offer for Cadbury PLC, already the target of a hostile bid by Kraft Foods Inc. The move raises the possibility of a takeover battle for the British maker of Dairy Milk and Creme Eggs.
Notes From The Real World
November 18, 2009 3:25 am | by Mike Rainone, Co-Founder of PCDworks | Articles | CommentsTo offer an alternative to my usual rant, this month I thought I'd share some hard-earned insights with those of you who have an insane itch to develop, manufacture, and sell your own products. Until now, I have been shielded from the vagaries of actually manufacturing something in the real world.
