Hands-on with the T-Mobile myTouch 4G

My plan for this month was to purchase a new HTC HD7 Windows Phone 7 device, but after swinging by the T-Mobile store with my wife we ended up getting plum and white myTouch 4G smartphones. She was getting tired of not having access to her email and other advanced phone features so we decided to upgrade her line to include data and get her first smartphone. I had her check out the HD7, myTouch 4G, Motorola Defy, LG Optimus, and RIM BlackBerry 9700. She liked the HD7 and myTouch 4G, but after seeing that the HD7 camera was not as good as the myTouch 4G and how you could more easily customize and multi-task with the myTouch 4G she was sold on this device. I have now spent several days with the myTouch 4G and you can see some photos of the device in my image gallery. I also have a YouTube video and more first impressions below. I will be posting my personal comparison between the HD7 and myTouch 4G soon as I try to figure out which new smartphone I am going with on T-Mobile.
In the box and first impressions

The packaging of the MT4G (myTouch 4G) is similar to what we have seen before with the myTouch devices with a nice zippered case that can be used to carry around devices and accessories. In the bed of foam on the left you find the A/C adapter, stereo headset, and USB cable. On the center flap you will find several pamphlets and guides in the net pocket. The MT4G is placed in a foam insert in the right side of the case and everything is well protected and presented.

Robotics Industry Forum

The 18th Annual Robotics Industry Forum brings together top executives from robotics manufacturers, system integrators, component suppliers, end users, research groups, universities, and consulting firms. The event features insightful talks and outstanding networking opportunities, all in the beautiful surroundings of Disney's Boardwalk Resort.

For the second consecutive year, the Forum will be co-located with the AIA Business Conference and the MCA Business Conference. Combined, these events will attract some 250 industry leaders from the robotics, machine vision, and motion control industries.

Film examines robotic female fascination

A symposium on campus screened a film that called attention to sub-cultures that focus on crafted and mechanical women.

Allison de Fren, assistant professor of art history and the visual arts at Occidental College in Los Angeles, presented her film “The Mechanical Bride” on Friday as part of the “Robots and Representation: Emerging Issues in Gender, Technology, Design and Culture” symposium.

The documentary displayed a variety of sub-cultures with aspects of fixation on artificial women. It explored topics ranging from integrating sex dolls into daily routine to female robotic form fetishes.

St. Louis School to Host Regional Robotics Tournament

This year St. Louis School in Owensville, Ohio will be hosting a Regional Qualifying Tournament for the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Robotics program on December 5th. FIRST, which stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”, sponsors annual competitions for students from kindergarten through high school. The stated goal is for teams to apply math and science concepts to real-world problems. While solving the challenge, teams also tackle how to research a problem, how to work as a team, how to make formal presentations, and other related topics. The FLL part of the program is targeted at students ages 9-14.

National FLL organizers come up with a new theme each year and devise theme-related challenges. After the challenge release in September, teams have approximately 8 weeks to strategize, design, build, program, and test a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology and create innovative solutions for challenges facing today’s scientists as part of their research project.

The Political Internet Forum

After the historic sweep of the U.S. House, the approximate gain of 10 governorships and a dozen state legislatures by Republicans last Tuesday, pundits and politicians alike have conceded that the driving force behind the election was anger toward both ends of the political class for being out of touch and unresponsive to the voices of the American people. The people have spoken. What’s next?
As Scott Rasmussen wrote in the Wall Street Journal the day before the Republican victory:
“More precisely, it is a rejection of a bipartisan political elite that's lost touch with the people they are supposed to serve. Based on our polling, 51% now see Democrats as the party of big government and nearly as many see Republicans as the party of big business. That leaves no party left to represent the American people. In this environment, it would be wise for all Republicans to remember that their team didn't win, the other team lost. Heading into 2012, voters will remain ready to vote against the party in power unless they are given a reason not to do so.”
Tea Party Express Chairman Amy Kremer gave this warning a week before the electoral quake:

Agilent Technologies and Harvard's Wyss Institute Announce Collaboration to Advance Burgeoning Discipline of Biologically Inspired Engineering

"Agilent is very pleased to collaborate with the Wyss Institute as we share a strong commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary contribution, and high-impact research," said Darlene Solomon, Agilent chief technology officer. "Wyss offers access to visionary researchers and physicians collaborating on enabling technology platforms to address some of the world's most significant technological and societal challenges."

The Wyss Institute operates as an alliance among premier academic and clinical institutions in the Greater Boston area, bringing together world-renowned scientists, engineers and physicians to explore the design principles used in nature, and to apply their insights to engineer new materials and devices for medicine, industry, and the environment. Agilent is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in life sciences, chemical analysis, electronics and communications.

Under the multi-year agreement, Agilent will provide financial support, unique tools and materials to support Wyss' biomaterials evolution, programmable nanomaterials and biomimetic microsystems platforms. Agilent also will contribute its technical expertise to the collaboration.

Dansende robots te zien bij Studiebeurs Zwolle

ZWOLLE - Op de Studiebeurs Zwolle in de IJsselhallen is woensdag een bijzonder onderdeel te zien, als het Deltion College de Robotic Puppeteers presenteert.
Dat is een sprookje van vijftien minuten met dansende marionetten, gecombineerd met een licht- en geluidshow.

Deltion heeft de Robotic Puppeteers geadopteerd van het Platform Techniek Deventer, met als doel de instroom in techniek te bevorderen. Het Platform heeft samen met twee kunstenaars en het regionale bedrijfsleven het project opgestart met als doel basisschoolleerlingen warm te maken voor techniek. Het eindproduct van het Platform vormt voor Deltion het begin. De leerlingen en leraren richten zich de komende tijd op drie projecten: het technisch vermarkten van de robots, het dansen met de robots en het spelen met de robots. Bij het uitvoeren van de projecten wordt nauw samengewerkt met leverancier Art of Robotics en met leerlingen en leraren van basisschool OBS De Octopus, de Thorbecke Scholengemeenschap en Christelijke Hogeschool Windesheim.

De Studiebeurs Zwolle is woensdag en donderdag vanaf 14.00 uur in de IJsselhallen.

Raytheon MathMovesU?? Celebrates Five Years of Middle School Math Success: Launches New Website With Interactive Games, Activities and Learning Tools

WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is celebrating the fifth anniversary of the company's signature MathMovesU program by launching a new MathMovesU website Monday. This expanded resource provides an interactive online destination for middle school students, parents, educators and others interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education excellence. The new website is the latest effort in a program that has inspired more than 1 million U.S. middle school students to experience the excitement that is possible with math and science.

Launched Nov. 10, 2005, Raytheon's MathMovesU program is designed to inspire middle school students to get excited about math and science. Since its inception, MathMovesU has awarded more than $4 million to students, teachers and schools across the United States. These scholarships and grants have reached more than 1,300 individuals in the program while more than 500 hundred schools have benefited from matching grants. In addition, through Raytheon's matching gifts program, the company and its employees have contributed more than $26 million to educational institutions in the United States since MathMovesU was launched.

"Raytheon launched MathMovesU with the goal of making math and science exciting to students - to help them make the connection between studying math and science today and having exciting careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics tomorrow," said William H. Swanson, Chairman and CEO of Raytheon Company. "Over the last five years, our MathMovesU program has been expanded to include several innovative, experiential initiatives and partnerships. As we look forward to new exciting opportunities in the future, I want to thank all of the teachers, schools, Raytheon volunteers and, most of all, middle school students, who have embraced this important mission for the future of our country."Raytheon's new MathMovesU website launched Monday as an expanded online environment for those interested in math and science. The site now serves as a central repository for all of the MathMovesU program elements and reflects the scope of Raytheon's STEM initiatives and support for STEM education.

The portal provides a wealth of fun, interactive games and activities for middle school students to engage in math and see its relation to real-world applications. It also offers extensive resources such as scholarship and matching grants information for parents, teachers and schools, in addition to activities to further extend classroom learning.

Developing a nation's passion for math: More than $4 million in support for students and teachers

Since November 2005, Raytheon's MathMovesU program has provided scholarships, grants and study awards to more than 1,300 students, teachers and volunteers across the United States, totaling more than $4 million. Specific elements of the program include:

* MathMovesU Middle School Scholarships and Grants: This program invites middle school students to create multimedia presentations that illustrate the importance of math in their daily lives and answer the question: "How does MATH put the action in your passion?" Winning students are awarded $1,000 camperships or scholarships; schools receive matching grants of $1,000 for math-related programs. Since 2005, this program has awarded grants and scholarships to 850 students nationwide. These include:
o Joseph Lloyd (Torrance, Calif.): "Thank you for choosing me to receive this award. Both my school (Richardson Middle School) and I are very excited about it. I told you about my soapbox derby race in my submission. Now I am working on VEX robotics and using my math skills for the programming. MMU is a great program for kids like me."
o Larisa Kreismanis (Reading, Mass.): "I was so honored and happy to receive such a generous award, and I know that my school, W.S. Parker Middle School, is just as grateful to accept your wonderful $1,000 matching grant. I love playing my flute! When I wrote my presentation, I learned so much about how mathematics influences flute playing, and that math puts the 'action in my flute playing passion.'"


* MathMovesU BONUS Study Awards: Launched in 2009, the BONUS study program offers potential $20,000 scholarships to students who previously received MathMovesU awards. The scholarships may be applied to pursue higher education with a STEM-focus and are based on the student's academic record, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities. Fifty students have been awarded BONUS study awards during the past two years; 10 students received BONUS study awards two years in a row. Recipients include:
o Minna Chen and Denise Chen (sisters - Plymouth, Minn.): Minna is a sophomore studying mathematics at the University of Minnesota and received a BONUS Study award each year since the program's inception; Denise is a freshman pursuing a degree in information systems management and computer science at Yale University.
o Blake Stout (Aiken, S.C.): is pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.


* MathMovesU MATH HERO Awards: MATH HEROES are math teachers and volunteers who make math exciting and creative and use innovative techniques to teach math skills. Award winners were nominated by students, parents and faculty for their enthusiasm and interest in teaching math. Winners received $2,500; a $2,500 matching grant is awarded to their school or a math-related nonprofit organization. More than 160 teachers and volunteers have been named MathMovesU MATH HEROES, such as:
o Tracey Burton-Lindner (Shalimar, Fla.): "Without programs such as MATHCOUNTS and MathMovesU, many schools would not have the opportunity to go beyond textbooks for teaching math. The grant money I receive will keep math teams from Meigs Middle School, Shalimar, Fla., and Choctawhatchee High School, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., actively competing for years to come."
o Donna Krueger Phair (Fremont, Calif.): "The school award will be put to good use for additional math classroom and MATHCOUNTS resources as well as updating software for student math presentations at Hopkins Junior High School. Like many math teachers and MATHCOUNTS coaches, I have used my own money for many of these things; the matching personal grant is much appreciated."


Sum of all Thrills at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot celebrates first anniversary

On Oct. 14, 2010, Raytheon celebrated the first anniversary of Sum of all Thrills at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Since the launch, thousands of guests have enjoyed the unique experience that allows visitors to custom design their own thrill ride.

To recognize this milestone, Raytheon opened its expanded Family Technology Center at the Shades of Green Resort , an Armed Forces Recreation Center, at the Walt Disney World Resort. The center, donated by the company in February 2009, serves as guests' "home away from home" game room, offering an on-site extension of their Disney experience where they can relax, connect and enjoy one another's company. Every year an estimated 750,000 military guests visit the resort.

Volunteering and giving to support STEM learning: Raytheon employees give back

Since the 2005 launch of MathMovesU, Raytheon employees have actively supported students and teachers in advancing STEM learning. In fact, Raytheon employees have reported volunteering more than 126,700 hours - more than 14 years in total - for STEM-related activities.

Raytheon employees have also provided substantial financial support to education, contributing more than $13 million toward eligible academic institutions, including primary and secondary schools, colleges and vocational institutions. Through the Raytheon matching gifts program, an additional $13 million was delivered to these organizations.

About MathMovesU

Raytheon's MathMovesU program is committed to increasing middle school students' interest in math and science education by engaging them in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of MathMovesU include Raytheon's Sum of all Thrills experience at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot , which showcases math in action as students design and experience their own thrill ride using math fundamentals; the "In the Numbers" game, a partnership with the New England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon; the company's three-year sponsorship of the National MATHCOUNTS competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant program providing more than $1 million in annual funding to students and teachers. Follow us on Twitter @raytheonmmu.

Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide.
SOURCE: Raytheon Company

Yaskawa Electric’s y Motoman, la unión hace la fuerza

Las dos filiales de Yaskawa, Yaskawa Electric Europe y Motoman, que producen variadores y robots, respectivamente, se han unido ahora bajo una sola marca: Yaskawa Europe. Así lo anunciaron durante la feria Automatica de Munich (Alemania). Con esta fusión, la nueva firma da un impulso a su estrategia de marketing en el mundo de la automatización y un servicio más integral.

Yaskawa produce al año 1,6 millones de variadores, 800.000 servos y 22.000 robots industriales. A consecuencia de la fusión, la filial del grupo para España y Portugal –Motoman Robotics Ibérica S.L.- se denomina ahora Yaskawa Ibérica S.L.
SOURCE: INTEREMPRESAS

Carbonite Wins Mass Tech Leadership Council Private Company of the Year

Carbonite Inc., a leading provider of online backup, was selected as the Private Company of the Year by Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC). Carbonite was honored with this achievement at the Council's 13th annual Awards Gala Nov. 3 at Boston's Seaport Hotel.

"Our team is flattered to be named the 2010 MassTLC Private Company of the Year," said David Friend, co-founder and CEO of Carbonite. "We're honored to have been selected from such an accomplished group of nominees. Our whole team is proud of this accomplishment and we all look forward to driving the technology revolution in Massachusetts."

Close to 500 senior executives filled the waterfront hotel's ballroom for the event, which this year showcased the state's evolving technology landscape, as energy and robotics companies joined more traditional categories such as software and network communications in the winners' circle.