Technology Developments
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Ex-NASA Contractor Arrested On Plane To China
March 19, 2013 9:34 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Chinese national who worked at NASA's Langley Research Center has been arrested on a plane bound for Beijing on charges of lying to federal agents. Bo Jiang made his initial appearance Monday in Norfolk federal court. It wasn't immediately clear whether Jiang had an attorney.
Oji, Mitsubishi Chemical Develop Transparent Paper
March 18, 2013 4:25 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsOji Holdings Corp. and Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. said Monday they have succeeded in making sheeted transparent paper by thoroughly thinning down plant-fiber material to enable the world's first mass production of such product. The two companies will work to put the transparent paper into practical use around 2016 or 2017.
Cyber Attacks A Leading Threat Against U.S.
March 18, 2013 1:06 pm | by NBC News | Videos | CommentsFor the first time, the U.S. intelligence community says cyber attacks and cyber espionage—not terrorism—are the top threats to national security. Now the Pentagon is forming 13 teams to guard the nation in cyberspace. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reports.
Suntech Announces Bond Default, Financing Search
March 18, 2013 10:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsOne of the world's biggest solar panel manufacturers, Suntech, says it has defaulted on $541 million in payments to bondholders after a downturn battered the global industry. The announcement Monday by Suntech Power Holdings Ltd. was a severe setback for one of the renewable energy industry's most successful companies.
Boeing: Commercial 787 Flights To Restart In Weeks
March 15, 2013 2:01 pm | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsBoeing said Friday it sees commercial flights of its grounded 787 jets resuming "within weeks" even though it has not pinpointed the cause of battery overheating. Boeing Co. Chief Project Engineer Michael Sinnett outlined a fix centered on a new design for the lithium-ion battery system that has layers of safeguards to prevent overheating and measures to contain malfunctions.
Obama Wants Research To Wean Vehicles Off Oil
March 15, 2013 10:17 am | by Matthew Daly, Nedra Pickler, Associated Press | News | CommentsObama proposed the idea of an energy security trust last month in his State of the Union address, but he was putting a price tag on the idea during a trip Friday to the Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago — $2 billion over 10 years. The White House said the research would be paid for with revenue from federal oil and gas leases on offshore drilling and would not add to the deficit.
U.S. Teens Fear Risk-Taking; STEM Careers Demand It
March 15, 2013 9:08 am | by Kelton Global | Articles | CommentsWhile 95 percent of teens agree that risk-taking is required for innovation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — or STEM — careers, 46 percent say they are afraid to fail or uncomfortable taking risks to solve problems, according to an ASQ survey conducted by Kelton Global.
The Training Manufacturers Really Need
March 13, 2013 4:41 pm | by Mike Collins, Author, Saving American Manufacturing | Blogs | CommentsA recent study authored by Deloitte LLP and the Manufacturing Institute says that “for years, manufacturers have reported a significant gap between the talent they need and what they can actually find.” In fact “67 percent of manufacturers reported that moderate to severe shortages of available, qualified workers exist.
Convenience At Your Fingertips
March 13, 2013 4:16 pm | by Bernard Steppeler, Design Engineer, HAVER Filling Systems | Articles | CommentsA cake mix supplier has 12 hours to fill a 15,000-bag production order for a new customer. during the seventh hour, the filling machine shuts down with no warning. the machine operator attempts to troubleshoot and diagnose the problem but is unable to do so.
Car Tech: Toyota i-Road Concept
March 13, 2013 3:57 pm | by CNETTV | Videos | CommentsCNET's Antuan Goodwin previews the Toyota i-Road concept, which was featured at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show. The i-Road concept is a tandem two-seater that runs on electric power and uniquely maneuvers using all three of its wheels. For more information visit www.cnet.com.
The 3D-Printed Car Of The Future
March 13, 2013 3:53 pm | by Mashable | Videos | CommentsWe've already seen all kinds of 3D-printed items, from jewelry, to guitars, and even football cleats. Now, we might soon have an almost entirely 3D-printed car in the Urbee 2. The hybrid car, created by engineer Jim Kor, is designed to be light, cheap, easy to reproduce, and very efficient.
The Secret To Making Better Batteries
March 13, 2013 1:57 pm | by CNN Money | Videos | CommentsGraphene, a sheet of carbon that is a single atom thick, is being touted as the next 'it' material. Companies like Vorbeck Materials hope this thin, electrically conductive material can help cut lithium battery weight and recharge times.
Croatian Micro-Car To Electrify Mass Market
March 12, 2013 12:29 pm | by Reuters | Videos | CommentsCroatian engineering company Dok-Ing has announced plans to start serial production of its electric three-seat microcar. The company believes urban commuters will find the vehicle ideal for low-cost, environmentally-friendly motoring. Reuters' Jim Drury reports.
New BlackBerry Coming To The U.S. On March 22
March 11, 2013 2:23 pm | by Rob Gillies, Associated Press | News | CommentsBlackBerry-maker Research In Motion will launch its new touchscreen smartphone in the U.S. with AT&T on March 22. The release will come several weeks after RIM launched the much-delayed devices elsewhere. AT&T said Monday said the Z10 will be available for $199.99 with a two-year contract. Sales of the device began in the U.K. and Canada shortly after RIM unveiled the phone in late January.
Flights From NY Airport Fueled By Cooking Oil
March 11, 2013 10:21 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Dutch airliner is flying from New York to Amsterdam on a fuel mix that includes leftover oil from frying Louisiana's Cajun food. The KLM flights from Kennedy Airport are powered by a combination of 25 percent recycled cooking oil and 75 percent jet fuel.
Beechcraft Protests Air Force Contract Decision
March 8, 2013 2:12 pm | by Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press | News | CommentsAirplane maker Beechcraft said Friday it will formally protest an Air Force decision to award a competitor a contract worth more than $427 million, claiming the decision puts an estimated 1,400 jobs in Kansas and other states in jeopardy.
Apple Shareholder Drops Lawsuit On Preferred Stock
March 4, 2013 3:07 pm | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA disgruntled shareholder pressing Apple to create a new class of preferred stock has dropped a lawsuit that became a moot point after the iPhone and iPad maker changed the agenda at its annual meeting earlier this week. Lawyers for hedge fund manager David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital notified U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan in a letter sent Thursday that they no longer plan to pursue the lawsuit.
China Targets Satellite Launch Market
March 4, 2013 3:07 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChina is looking to increase its share of the global commercial satellite launching business, targeting a 15 percent share by 2020, a leading space program official said. China hopes to increase its market share by establishing strategic alliances with major launch services providers and satellite manufacturers, the deputy head of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Liang Xiaohong, said.
Innovations To Change The Way We Manufacture
March 4, 2013 3:05 pm | by SME | News | CommentsThe Society of Manufacturing Engineers announces its 2013 list of Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture. “While much of the tech world discusses the latest phone, computer, etc., the SME Innovation Watch Committee discusses what makes that new gadget possible,” said the manager of the Innovation Watch Committee. “They don’t stop at what we can do today, but look to what is possible.”
Manufacturing's Next Chapter
March 4, 2013 3:00 pm | by GEreports | Videos | CommentsAt The Atlantic's event, leading experts talk about what they think are the main challenges of manufacturing and the way forward for the U.S. manufacturing industry. Leaders talk about lasers, programming our physical world and beyond. Jamie Tarabay from Ideas Laboratory reports.
CAT B15 Android Phone Aims To Be Forklift-Tough
March 4, 2013 2:51 pm | by CNET | Videos | CommentsCAT has announced its latest rugged smartphone, the CAT B15. Using Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a grooved rubber back, and hard angles, the CAT B15 is aimed for construction and industrial workers. Aiming for durability, it is made of hardened rubber and aluminum.
Preparing A Workforce For Advanced Manufacturing
March 4, 2013 2:43 pm | by Science Nation | Videos | CommentsThe Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) focuses on the education of technicians for high technology fields. ATE supports rigorous educational programs that incorporate industry recognized skills and competencies to prepare a qualified technical workforce for industries that are vitally important to the nation's prosperity and security.
Samsung's $1B Bill In Apple Case Reduced
March 4, 2013 10:15 am | by Paul Elias, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe two biggest — and bitterest — rivals in the smartphone market will have to endure another bruising trial after a federal judge ruled that jurors miscalculated nearly half the $1 billion in damages it found Samsung Electronics owed Apple Inc. for patent infringement.
March 2013 - Robotic Efficiencies
March 1, 2013 4:42 pm | Digital Editions | CommentsIn this issue see how Starbucks' continuous improvement philosophy earns an AME Manufacturing Excellence Award, learn how mobile access to maintenance could mean easier troubleshooting, check out the 2013 Industrial Web Directory, and more.
Speedometer Top Speed Often Exceeds Reality
February 28, 2013 2:18 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe speedometer on the Toyota Yaris says the tiny car can go 140 miles per hour. In reality, the bulbous subcompact's 106-horsepower engine and automatic transmission can't push it any faster than 109. So why do the Yaris — and most other cars sold in the U.S. — have speedometers that show top speeds they can't possibly reach?
