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08/25/2010
Bloomberg - By Alex Nussbaum and Pat Wechsler UnitedHealth Races McKesson in $11 Billion Health-Tech Hunt UnitedHealth Group Inc., the biggest U.S. insurer, and McKesson Corp., the largest drug distributor, are vying for billions of dollars in added sales by bulking up their information-technology units. The companies are expanding beyond their core business to help insurers cope with the health overhaul, which threatens to swamp industry computer systems, said Joanne Galimi, a Boston- based analyst for technology researcher Gartner Inc. Bracing for added taxes and regulations, insurers are upgrading long-neglected systems used to enroll members, track care and process claims, Galimi said. They also face a 2013 switch to a new government-mandated system for classifying diseases. As a result, insurer spending on data technology will jump 24 percent by 2013, to $11.3 billion, according to a March report by IDC Health Insights, of Framingham, Massachusetts. "Every health-care payer in the world needs an upgrade," said Stephen Krupa, a founder of Psilos Group Managers LLC, a venture capital fund with $580 million invested in Click4Care and other medical companies. "You or I are talking about getting an iPad. They are still getting off mainframes." Read More
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12/07/2011
Bloomberg Tony Cappacio Obama Administration Urges Flat 2013-2017 Defense Spending Plan Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The White House and Pentagon are near agreement on a draft five-year defense budget that flattens expenditures though 2017, with the lowest war spending since 2004, according to an Office of Management and Budget document. The OMB also endorses a Navy plan to delay by two years start of construction on the Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. CVN-79 John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier, and provides $508 million to bankroll the new U.S. Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq. OMB said the White House has yet to decide on whether defense civilian employees and military personnel will get a pay raise. READ MORE
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12/12/2011
ROSEMONT, IL--(Marketwire - December 12, 2011) - US Foods, one of the country's most innovative food companies and distributors, today announced it will save more than 2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2011 by retrofitting lighting throughout the company. The energy saved is enough to fully power 174* American homes for one year. "As we continue our commitment to sustainable practices that reduce energy consumption, we've realized that even small improvements can add up to impactful savings," said John Jepsen, director of energy management, US Foods. "Our new energy efficient lighting is another step in our company-wide goal to reduce energy usage and meet customers' needs in an environmentally responsible way." READ MORE
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10/12/2010
By CHRIS KAHNThe Associated Press Tuesday, October 12, 2010; 9:51 AM Google to invest in offshore wind power project NEW YORK -- Google and a group of technology and investment firms have set aside $1.8 billion to build a network of deepwater transmission lines for future wind farms off the East Coast. The transmission lines, which would run lead to the coast from Virginia to New Jersey, would be capable of delivering 2,000 megawatts of wind energy, the companies. That could power about 500,000 homes. The network will tie into PJM's electrical grid, which serves 13 states and Washington D.C. The combined offshore project is being headed by Google Inc., investment firm Good Energies, Japanese industrial conglomerate Marubeni and Maryland transmission company Trans-Elect. Read More
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12/02/2011
Associated Press Dec. 2, 2011 Unemployment rate falls to 8.6 percent, lowest in 2 ½ years, as hiring improves WASHINGTON — The unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest level in more than two and a half years, as employers stepped up hiring in response to the slowly improving economy. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate dropped sharply to 8.6 percent last month, down from 9 percent in October. The rate hasn’t been that low since March 2009, during the depths of the recession. Read More
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10/25/2010
Treating metabolic syndrome, undergoing carotid angioplasty recommended in revised recurrent stroke prevention guidelines DALLAS, Oct. 21, 2010 — Treating metabolic syndrome and undergoing carotid angioplasty may prevent recurrent stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), according to revised American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines. Last updated in 2006, the evidence-based guidelines for doctors will be published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. "Patients who’ve had a stroke or TIA are at highest risk for having another event," said Karen Furie, M.D., M.P.H., writing committee chair and stroke neurologist. "Since the last update, we’ve had results from several studies testing different interventions. We need to reevaluate the science every few years to optimize prevention." Nearly a quarter of the 795,000 strokes in America each year happen in someone who has already had a stroke. Read More
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11/04/2010
By Cecilia Kang Washington Post FTC names Princeton computer security expert as first chief technologist The Federal Trade Commission appointed Princeton University professor Edward Felton as its first chief technologist. The enforcement agency, which oversees antitrust issues and the protection of consumers from fraud and deceit, has taken on several high-profile technology cases in recent years. Felton's expertise is in computer security and privacy. His hiring should bring technological know-how to increasing debates on what role the federal government should have over how firms such as Google and Facebook collect and use consumer data. Read More
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01/17/2012
RCR Wireless 1/16/2012 2012 Predictions For Wireless 2011 was a transitional year for the mobile space as consumers began to look at their wireless devices more as a connection to the Internet than as simply a phone. Sure, that foundation had been laid out over the previous years, but they all seemed to come together over the past 12 months to the delight to carrier’s and their bottom line, as well as to the consternation of those in charge of network quality. Without a doubt, the increased demand being placed on mobile networks by smartphones and tablet devices has those in charge of infrastructure assets on their toes. Whether it was bolstering already deployed 3G networks with more sites, more efficient technologies or greater backhaul capabilities, or rushing to get 4G networks up and running, 2011 was a year of change for industry. Read More
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01/17/2012
New technology gives aerial advantage in the battlefield FORT RILEY, Kan. (Jan. 9, 2012) -- The Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division is planning on adding a new combat strength to their capabilities in March with the addition of an unmanned aerial system company. F Company, CAB, will contribute to the brigade's mission by flying the Gray Eagle Unmanned Aerial System, or UAS. Although Fenix company is already operationally part of the CAB, their official stand up occurs this spring. Fenix Company will provide the CAB with long reaching unmanned support through the abilities of the Gray Eagle. Some of its key features are the ability to stay airborne longer than other manned and unmanned platforms, the ability to integrate with CAB attack helicopters, and the ability to engage targets on the ground. READ MORE
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08/26/2011
Washington Post By - Cecilia Kang Apple’s future and its role in Washington
Timothy "Tim" Cook, chief operating officer of Apple. (Tony Avelar - Bloomberg) Here’s our story in today’s paper about Apple’s future without Steve Jobs at the helm. Sure, the company is being left in good hands, but will the firm be able to come up with the next big thing? We’re also reminded of Apple’s small but growing presence in Washington. It’s grown in recent years to about a half-dozen employees and has added outside counsel led by vice president of government affairs Catherine Novelli. The company has focused on copyright, patent reform and online privacy issues such as the FTC’s suggested Do Not Track requirement, according to federal lobbying disclosure documents. But that doesn’t stack up to much compared with rivals Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, which have greatly fortified their lobbying and government policy ranks to deal with issues such as privacy, net neutrality, patent reform and corporate tax policy. READ MORE
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11/23/2011
The Washington Post Bloomberg Business FCC deals serious blow to AT&T and T-Mobile deal AT&T, with its powerful army of lobbyists and years of experience navigating Washington, thought it could easily persuade the government to approve its merger with T-Mobile. But regulators aren’t buying it, and the $39 billion deal is facing its biggest threat yet. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski dealt a serious blow to the merger Tuesday, moving to block the deal on the basis of findings that it would cause job losses and higher prices for consumers, officials said. It was an unusual move for the FCC, which has not tried to block a deal since 2002. Read More
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08/24/2010
Agile Communication Systems Selects XipLink for military system application Small form factor, leading optimization performance and standards-based technology provide winning combination for this leading network integrator On July 12, 2010 XipLink, the technology leader in wireless optimization announced that Agile Communication Systems has selected the XipLink optimization technology for a current U.S. military network application. The Afghanistan-based network will use a combination of XipLink’s highly portable and small-form-factor XipStick devices for remote deployment and the company’s XA-10K product for high capacity and redundancy at the hub. With this combination of advanced optimization technology in place Agile Communication Systems will see bandwidth throughput increases of more than four times. The XipLink technology will be deployed as part of Agile Communication’s MST-100 Portable Satellite Terminal kit. Read More
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11/23/2011
Relocating and want to find the best schools for your children? This tool may come in very helpful! We recently discovered Schooldigger as a web tool for researching schools all across the country. We do not know much about them as we just recently ran across them while assisting a candidate with his family's relocation. We like what we see so far and will continue to keep an eye on them. Try them out at www.schooldigger.com Good Luck!
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08/04/2011
American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report Some exercise is better than none; more is better to reduce heart disease risk Study Highlights: Researchers found that 2 ½ hours of moderate intensity physical activity per week can lower the overall risk of heart disease by 14 percent. This is the first review to quantify the amount of physical activity that is required to lower the risk of heart disease; others suggest only qualitative estimates. DALLAS, AUG. 1, 2011 – Even small amounts of physical activity will help reduce heart disease risk, and the benefit increases as the amount of activity increases, according to a quantitative review reported in Circulation, journal of the American Heart Association. People who engaged in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity leisure activity had a 14 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to those who reported no exercise or physical activity. At higher levels of activity, the relative risk of CHD was progressively lower. Researchers found that even people who got below the United States guidelines for physical activity, which recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate exercise per week, had a lower risk of CHD than those who had no activity. "The overall findings of the study corroborate federal guidelines - even a little bit of exercise is good, but more is better – 150 minutes of exercise per week is beneficial, 300 minutes per week will give even more benefits," said Jacob Sattelmair, ScD, of the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Read More
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08/10/2011
Android Launches for IPTV, Connected TV Though we knew it was only a matter of time, the first Android-based IPTV solution has hit the streets, aiming to marry up the flexibility of Android app integration with connected TVs. NetUP has launched a client for IPTV Middleware, NetUP.tv for Android, which includes a graphical user interface that includes in-stream pause and rewind options, TV on Demand, an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and all the Android features, like Web browsing, social networking, gaming and thousands of applications such as YouTube, Skype, Google Maps and others. The application can be launched on any Android-based IP set-top box. Read More
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08/10/2011
August 09, 2011 EERE News Department of Energy Awards Nearly $7 Million to Advance Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Storage Systems Research California, Ohio, and Virginia Projects to Find Ways to Reduce Component and Manufacturing Costs The U.S. Department of Energy today announced nearly $7 million over five years for independent cost analyses that will support research and development efforts for fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems. The four projects – in California, Ohio, and Virginia – will generate rigorous cost estimates for manufacturing equipment, labor, energy, raw materials, and various components that will help identify ways to drive down production costs of transportation fuel cell systems, stationary fuel cell systems, and hydrogen storage systems. These projects will provide important data that will help the Department focus future research and development funding on the fuel cell components and manufacturing processes that can deliver the greatest gains in efficiency. READ MORE
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11/05/2010
SOURCE: Wall Street Journal McCormick Completes Investment in Eastern Condiments Private Limited Based in Kerala, India SPARKS, Md., Nov 03, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- McCormick & Company, Incorporated /quotes/comstock/13*!mkc/quotes/nls/mkc (MKC 44.52, -0.09, -0.20%) today completed the purchase of a 26% minority share in Eastern Condiments Private Limited, a leading spice and seasoning business based in Kerala, India, for $36 million. The agreement to enter into this joint venture was first announced on June 29, 2010. As indicated in this announcement, Eastern is a leading brand of spices, seasonings and other related food products in India and the Middle East which has grown rapidly since its inception in 1989. The business has operated profitably in each of the last 10 years and achieved annual sales of $67 million in the year ended March 2010 with the average annual growth rate exceeding 25% for the past three years. Read More
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09/14/2010
By Peter Svensson The Associated Press Cisco to start paying dividends by next summer NEW YORK -- Cisco Systems Inc., the world's largest maker of computer-networking gear, said Tuesday that it would pay its first dividend by July, the end of its current fiscal year. Like several other big technology companies, Cisco has a large cash balance, and analysts have speculated that it would use it for a dividend. Cisco CEO John Chambers said the annual dividend yield would be in the 1 percent to 2 percent range. The exact amount will be determined in the coming months while the company considers developments on the tax front and broader market conditions. Speaking at a conference for analysts and investors, Chief Financial Officer Frank Calderoni said the yield would be "competitive." Cisco shares rose 19 cents to $21.45. Read More
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08/02/2010
By Lawrence D. Maloney, Contributing Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 8/1/2010 12:02:00 AM Business is at last turning up for the test industry's largest publicly held firms. After suffering steep declines in revenue from one of the most severe global recessions on record, the worst is over for the test field's giant companies. Read More
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08/04/2010
New solar power plant planned for Fla. Panhandle FREEPORT (AP) — A fledgling solar power company says it plans to build its first photovoltaic plant in the Florida Panhandle. Shelton Stone, president of Energy Farm Inc., said Friday the $300 million facility capable of supplying 12,000 homes will be built on 550 acres near Freeport in Walton County. Stone, an architect, said the Grayton Beach-based company in about 45 days expects to announce a deal for selling more than half of the 74-megawatt plant's electrical output to a Florida utility he declined to name. He said Energy Farm is negotiating with Florida and out-of-state utilities for sale of the remaining capacity. Some of the solar power will produce hydrogen for fuel cells to generate electricity after sunset.
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08/09/2010
Another day another mobile web report, and this time it’s from ABI Research, claiming that 60% of mobile phones will be Internet-enabled by 2015. With so much attention falling on smart phones these days, it’s sometimes a shock to realize that in fact, most phones today are not blessed with the miracles of the mobile web, although the number is creeping up. "The mobile browser market is undergoing significant change as the mobile web makes the transition from what some would call a "poor man’s Internet" to a full-fledged web experience," declares the report’s abstract. Read More
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08/18/2010
By John Keller Military & Aerospace Electronics Air Force looks for machine autonomy to enable UAVs and piloted aircraft to work and play well together WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio–U.S. Air Force researchers are asking industry to develop autonomous control technologies that will enable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to operate together with piloted aircraft in congested airport terminal areas, and to achieve what the Air Force calls "same base, same time, same tempo" operations. Scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, have released a broad agency announcement (BAA-10-05-PKV) for the Autonomous Control of UAS Ground Operations in the Terminal Area program. The goal of the program is to enable UAVs to operate with manned aircraft by equipping unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to act autonomously and react like a manned aircraft so they can navigate the terminal area alongside manned commercial and general aviation aircraft. The emphasis of this program is on ground operations, according to U.S. Air Force officials. Read More
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08/18/2010
Florida's 2010-11 citrus crop is estimated at 154 million boxes from citrus consultant Elizabeth Steger, while Louis Dreyfus Citrus Inc. estimates 149 million boxes. Growers indicated processors and brokers were offering $1.50 to $1.60 per pound solids for early and mid-season oranges harvested from October to March and $1.70 and higher for Valencia oranges picked in March through June. The average farm price was nearly $1.41 for last season's early-mid oranges and almost $1.63 for Valencias, according to the Florida Department of Citrus, reported The Lakeland Ledger
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