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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
What Is Cloud Computing?
May 23, 2013 8:03 am | by Dell | Videos | CommentsDell and Intel experts discuss where cloud computing began, where it is now, and what quantitative and qualitative results it can bring to your enterprise. Smaller companies generally choose to start off with a public cloud, but as they grow, they bring those functions back in-house and create their own private cloud. Watch to learn more.
Ram 1500: Good Looks, Great Truck
May 23, 2013 8:01 am | by CNN Money | Videos | CommentsThe Ram 1500 combines great looks with fuel efficiency, air suspension, and real truck performance, reports CNN Money's Senior Writer Peter Valdes-Dapena. With nice looks both inside and out, the Ram 1500 also offers a fuel-saving eight speed transmission.
Tesla Shows Model S To Influence NC Auto Bill
May 22, 2013 2:11 pm | by Chris Kardish, Associated Press | News | CommentsNorth Carolina lawmakers and passersby stopped to take in a display of Tesla Motors' award-winning electric cars Wednesday as the company presses against a bill in the General Assembly that effectively outlaws Tesla's Internet-based sales model.
2013 Society of Manufacturing Engineers Annual Conference
May 22, 2013 11:36 am | by Society of Manufacturing Engineers | EventsSharing information, driving innovation in manufacturing and preparing an advanced manufacturing workforce will be the focus of the 2013 Society of Manufacturing Engineers Annual Conference to be held June 2-4, 2013, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Md.
Apple Case Seen As Possible Spur To Tax Action
May 22, 2013 10:19 am | by Marcy Gordon, Peter Svensson, AP Business Writers | News | CommentsNow that tech favorite Apple Inc. has been dragged front and center into the debate over the U.S. tax code, lawmakers are hoping that the spotlight on such a high-profile company could be the catalyst for Congress to take action to close loopholes or reform the law.
Connecting The Back Office To The Plant Floor
May 22, 2013 8:05 am | by Karie Daudt, Director of Marketing, TURCK | Articles | CommentsThough industrial Ethernet has been evolving for many years, it is quickly becoming the foundation for many manufacturing applications. Industrial Ethernet provides the connectivity and communication that today’s applications demand for productivity and efficiency improvement.
High-Tech Startup Wades Into Gun Control
May 21, 2013 2:18 pm | by Martha Mendoza, AP National Writer | News | CommentsA high-tech startup is wading into the gun control debate with a wireless controller that would allow gun owners to know when their weapon is being moved — and disable it remotely. The technology, but not an actual gun, was slated to be demonstrated Tuesday at a wireless technology conference in Las Vegas and was shown to The Associated Press in advance.
Is Apple Losing Its Cool?
May 21, 2013 1:22 pm | by CNN | Videos | CommentsGoogle has released a spate of new products, but tech giant Apple still leads—today—says business reporter Rocco Pendola. Now accused of losing it's innovative edge, Pendola says Apple needs to release the next new gadget within the next year and questions whether CEO Tim Cook is the right leader for the job.
Manufacturing Gangnam Style
May 20, 2013 8:05 am | by Stacey Wagner, Manager, Workforce Systems Development, NIST MEP | Blogs | CommentsBaxter’s ability to work side by side with human counterparts has many people worried. What if he and his robotic buddies stop dancing and take over all the manufacturing jobs? What if people – and the wonderful human qualities they bring to manufacturing – become passé?
Flying Car Prototypes Grounded After Crash
May 17, 2013 12:47 pm | by The Canadian Press | News | CommentsThe Transportation Safety Board says the U.S. manufacturer of flying cars has grounded all five of its prototypes until it can determine a cause for a recent crash in B.C. One of the Maverick flying cars crashed near a Vernon elementary school last week, leaving a pilot and a passenger with minor injuries.
Building U.S. Manufacturing Strength
May 17, 2013 11:19 am | Articles | CommentsDouglas K. Woods, President of The Association For Manufacturing Technology, discusses the state of U.S. manufacturing, job development, and what the industry can expect going forward. While today’s manufacturing industry is more sophisticated and high tech than ever before, he says, the industry still needs to address some critical issues to be successful in the future.
Wearable Robots Getting Lighter, More Portable
May 16, 2013 8:02 am | by The Associated Press | Videos | CommentsA wheelchair may not be the only option for people who cannot walk on their own. So-called wearable robots are becoming lighter and more portable. The devices won't replace wheelchairs, which are faster. None of the devices are speedy enough, for example, for a paralyzed person to walk across a street before the light changes, said Arun Jayaraman of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, who is testing a number of similar devices.
Top 10 Coolest Things At AMUG 2013
May 16, 2013 8:01 am | by IMTSTV | Videos | CommentsiSpy Jake Ervin attended the AMUG (Additive Manufacturing Users Group) Conference in Jacksonville, Florida this year. Vendors displayed some very exciting parts manufacturing with additive technology. Jake shows us the top 10 coolest parts exhibited at the event.
Inside BMW's Design Lab
May 14, 2013 1:46 pm | by CNN Money | Videos | CommentsAn inside look at BMW's North American design lab, where the company works on everything from cars to coffee makers. Designworks is an independent creative agency owned by BMW that is always working on the next generation of cars.
GM: Supercomputers To Keep Recalls In Check
May 14, 2013 10:22 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsGeneral Motors Co. says a new supercomputing data center and a fledgling shift to bring software development in-house should help it limit the size of future safety recalls. The Detroit automaker, which formally opened the giant data storage center in suburban Warren, Michigan, said the changes are examples of how it is moving faster to cut costs and serve its customers better by bringing more computer technology inside the company.
Natural Gas Export Plans Stir Debate
May 13, 2013 2:28 pm | by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | News | CommentsA domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy companies seek permits for proposed export projects that could set off a renewed frenzy of fracking.
Don’t Wait ... Automate!
May 10, 2013 3:02 pm | by By Jeff Burnstein, President, Association for Advancing Automation (A3) | Articles | CommentsRecently, there has been a large amount of media coverage on the issue of automation technologies taking jobs, especially in manufacturing. Though we appreciated the focus on how technological advances in automation and robotics are revolutionizing the workplace, we were very disappointed in how they characterized the segment as “robots taking jobs” in America.
Google Glass: A First Real Life Look
May 10, 2013 12:34 pm | by ABC News | Videos | CommentsABC News' Joanna Stern shares what life is like behind Google's connected glasses. With 16 gigabytes of storage, a 5 megapixal camera, Bluetooth radio, and more, Google Glass is making it's debut into the real world.
Why Manufacturers Need To Bulletproof Their Virtualized IT Environments
May 10, 2013 8:00 am | by Frank Hill, Stratus Technologies | Articles | CommentsToday, many popular manufacturing applications are certified for virtualization and with good reason. The benefits of virtualization, including cost control, higher productivity, and better long-term planning, are indisputable. Yet, some manufacturing engineers and plant IT departments are missing out on these benefits because they think virtualization involves too much risk — a point of view that is not entirely without merit.
Tesla Model S Gets Consumer Reports' Top Score
May 9, 2013 2:15 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe Tesla Motors Inc. Model S electric car has tied an older Lexus for the highest score ever recorded in Consumer Reports magazine's automotive testing. The Model S, which starts at $62,400 after a federal tax credit, scored 99 points on a scale of 100 in the magazine's battery of tests.
Robots As Pharmacists?
May 9, 2013 8:03 am | by CNN | Videos | CommentsA robotic pharmacy at the UCSF Medical Center could be the next big thing for hospitals. The robot counts, dispenses and packages pills with perfect accuracy. Doctors at the Medical Center say the machine has been a game-changer – eliminating errors and mistakes.
Flying Disc-Throwing Robots Teach Kids Tech
May 9, 2013 8:02 am | by The Associated Press | Videos | CommentsThousands of high school students from around the world have put their engineering skills to the test at an international robotics contest. "FIRST" is compared to a "Superbowl of the Mind" mixing math, science, and technology with competition.
How Audi Sees The Future Of Cars
May 8, 2013 1:18 pm | by CNN Money | Videos | CommentsWe've seen a number of concept cars from Audi, but when will we be able get behind the wheel of a fully plug-in electric car from Audi? Audi of America president Scott Keogh talks about Audi's technological breakthroughs in plug-in and self-driving vehicles.
Solar Plane Lands In AZ, First Leg Of U.S. Trip
May 6, 2013 10:18 am | by Bob Seavey, Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press | News | CommentsAlone in the single-seat cockpit and high above the American Southwest, pilot Bertrand Piccard could hear only his plane's gear box and the quiet whine of four electric motors. No noisy jet engines. He's flying Solar Impulse, considered the world's most advanced sun-powered plane.
An Opportunity For Intelligent Device Manufacturers
May 6, 2013 8:00 am | by Steve Schmidt, Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy, Flexera Software | Articles | CommentsOpportunity beckons intelligent device manufacturers. They must evolve their products from fixed function and disconnected systems to flexible and seamlessly connected devices. Making products smarter will provide a wide array of benefits.


