Supply Controllers News

Source: PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung) ()

- Diodes Incorporated Mark King, 805-446-4800 Sr. VP, Sales & Marketing or Shelton Group Investor Relations Leanne Sievers, 949-224-3874 Executive Vice President lsievers@sheltongroup.com Diodes Incorporated (Nasdaq:DIOD), a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application specific standard products within the broad discrete and analog semiconductor markets, today announced the launch of a product family of Microprocessor Supervisory and

Reset ICs. This new product family provides all the critical circuit functions necessary to ensure the continuous monitoring of microprocessor and micro-controller based systems, such as computers, intelligent instruments and portable battery-powered devices. The new products include features such as a power-on reset generator, manual reset input and watchdog timer.

“This product expansion continues to leverage the synergy between our high-volume packaging and our standard linear IC technology to provide higher average selling prices and improved product mix,” commented Mark King, Senior VP, Sales and Marketing of Diodes Incorporated. “This is a continuation of our strategy to focus our expansion on commodity analog products to better serve the needs of our diversified customer base.”

APX809 and APX810 are microprocessor (micro P) supervisory circuits used to monitor the power supply in a microprocessor-based system. Their main function is to reset the microprocessor when the power supply falls below a pre-designated threshold that is critical to maintaining the systems’ integrity, accuracy and reliability during power-up, power-down, re-start, sleep mode and power outages.

APX823, APX824 and APX825 are microprocessor (micro P) supervisory circuits with additional functions, such as manual reset and watchdog timer to support higher-end electronic digital in controlling software and multiple power supplies.

With a wide input voltage range from …

Source: Seeking Alpha ()

Recent experiences have demonstrated to me the realities of a crime.

The crime is that of the naked short selling of stocks for the purpose of market manipulation (yes, it is actually a crime).

Case in point: LDK Solar (LDK).

In
brief, allegations were recently made against the company by a former accounting controller. In the first ten days of trading upon the
release of this claim, approximately 152 million shares changed hands.
It should be noted that the company was still in IPO lock-in, and so
the only shares on the market available for trade added up to around 17 million shares. Now, perhaps in the chaos, shares were traded through
an average of 9 times each in the first 10 days, but since the ticker
appeared on the naked short threshold list on October 16th, we do know
that at least some of the shares were not being delivered due to naked short selling. As of 12/21/07, LDK remains on the naked short threshold list.

Now, naked shorting of stocks “by market makers engaged in
bona fide market making” is not illegal or unethical. However, “selling
stock short and failing to deliver shares at the time of settlement
with the purpose of driving down the security’s price” is, indeed,
illegal and unethical (see here).

It should be
noted that in the process of naked shorting a stock, dilution of the
shorted stock occurs due to the introduction of virtual shares (fails)
into the system by the naked short seller. According to the SEC, “the
value of a stock is determined by the basic relationship between supply
and demand. If many people want a stock (demand is high), then the
price will rise. If a few people want a stock (demand is low), then the
price will fall.” Well, this seems pretty obvious, but it should be
reiterated. Public companies are required to follow guidelines when
altering the number of shares available for trade (dilution),
to do so alters the “supply” side of the equation. It is in the
Investor’s critical …

Source: Kentucky.com ()

Anne Hunt has every “relative, friend and people I haven’t spoken to in years” — including her ex-husband — looking for a Nintendo Wii video game system for her grandson. “I have surfed the Web, written to companies and called stores until they recognize my voice,” Hunt, of Georgetown, said.

And still, she has come up empty-handed.

More than a year after it was first released, the Wii has remained elusive for many shoppers as demand has outpaced supply. The system, which features a wand controller that gets users moving around rather than simply pressing buttons, has proven popular with people of all ages, a radical shift for an industry most commonly associated with children and young men.

That has led consumers like Hunt to resort to all kinds of strategies in hopes of snagging one.

Among the Wii tracker’s tactics:

• A handful of Lexington shoppers have learned delivery truck schedules and tried to time their store visits to when they think a shipment might arrive.

• Some have checked store circulars in the wee Sunday morning hours, then lined up outside those advertising Wiis.

• Others have been keeping an eye on chain stores’ Web sites for in-stock Wiis.

• Some have simply paid extra for Wiis being sold on eBay or through classifieds by people who bought them with the intention of reselling them at a profit.

For those content to wait, GameStop Corp. will offer a reservation program for one day — Friday — allowing customers to reserve a Wii for guaranteed pickup by Jan. 25.

The company said it will accept “a limited number” of reservations at each of its 3,800 GameStop and EB Games stores nationwide.

Customers must pre-pay the full price of the Wii, $249.99 plus tax, on Friday. They’ll receive a DVD case showing a picture of a Wii and message: “Happy Holidays! Your Wii is on the Way!”

But there are still systems arriving at local …

Source: BBC News ()

Rat catchers say it is important to exterminate before they breed

Pest controllers are warning about the danger of the rapidly expanding rat population in Britain.

Wet weather has been blamed by experts for the 1.6m infestations reported across the country in 2006.

Some pest controllers say they have had 30% more business this year, and are urging anyone worried about a rat problem to get in touch right away.

Rats can damage buildings by gnawing through materials. They can also spread disease and illness.

Exploding population

Rats are prolific breeders and can produce 200 offspring a year.

They can soon get established and cause a tremendous amount of damage

Peter Crowden,
Rat catcher

Experts say a number of factors are responsible for the increase. Many blame climate change, in particular the wetter weather.

Peter Crowden, a pest controller in the East Midlands warned: “The rats are moving into city centres where there’s a ready made food supply for them from fast food restaurants to rubbish being left about.

“We also experience a lot of fly tipping. That doesn’t help and it’s great for the rat population.”

Disease is another major concern. Hair, droppings and urine can contaminate food and surfaces.

It is estimated between 15 and 30 % of the rat population carries the potentially deadly Weils Disease.

Professional help

Pest controllers are urging people to keep alert for rats and call the experts in immediately.

Rats like to burrow into walls to make nests. They can run up drainpipes or wall plants to get into roof space.

The creatures can cause serious damage to property by through materials and chewing through pipes and cables.

The film Ratatouille welcomed animated rats into the …

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer ()

Philadelphia’s city controller - contending Mayor-elect Michael Nutter should be assessing city services before talking tax cuts - yesterday reported dangerously slow response times on emergency-medical calls.
"Most of the departments we look at, we see gaping holes in service," Alan Butkovitz said at a news conference in which he released a performance audit by his office of the Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services Division. "We’re in the midst of this tax-cutting craze."
Nutter has pledged to enact tax reforms, including scaling back the business-privilege tax.
In response to the audit, Nutter’s spokeswoman, Melanie Johnson, said "the mayor-elect wants to review the controller’s report and will have a more detailed comment after he has seen it. In reference to the controller’s recommendation to freeze business taxes, the mayor-elect is committed to improving the business climate while at the same time improving on the delivery of city services."
The controller said the assumption behind the "tax-cutting craze" is that city services are up to snuff. But the performance by EMS ambulances is one example of a service that falls woefully short, he said.
National standards call for emergency medical personnel to arrive at an accident scene in 8 minutes, 59 seconds, Butkovitz said. Nearly one-third of EMS ambulance runs in Philadelphia last year took at least 10 minutes, according to the report on his audit, which took more than a year to complete.
He said the Fire Department generally does well at getting a "first responder" fire engine or ladder truck to the scene within the national standard. Firefighters are trained as emergency-medical technicians; they can provide basic medical care, but not transport to a hospital.
The controller said the does not lie with the EMS workers themselves, but with their inefficient deployment and the lack …

Source: CBC.ca ()

MONTREAL - Consumers are wild for Wiis. They’re also waiting and waiting for Wiis.

The frenzy to find a Nintendo Wii video game console can produce lineups at dawn outside stores, repeated telephone inquiries, online searches - and often nothing but disappointment. Nintendo Canada has said demand continues to exceed supply and the company will ship Wii consoles to retailers as soon as they become available.

“For the masses, definitely the Wii is the thing that people are looking for, and when they get one they’re pretty excited,” said Darrel Ryce, director of technology and entertainment for the NPD Group, which tracks the gaming industry.

Michelle Leblanc scoured the Internet for a Montreal store selling Wiis and scored big, getting one of only three units at a downtown GameBuzz store.

“It took me an hour to get here and I’m pretty happy,” said Leblanc, who came in from suburban Blainville, just north of Montreal, in the aftermath of a huge snowstorm.

“I am not even looking at the price,” she said Wednesday, adding it’s a gift for her 12-year-old daughter. “They told me they would hold it for me and they did.”

She paid $550 for the Wii console and four games, including Nintendo’s “Super Mario Galaxy,” the top-selling video game in November in Canada.

Leblanc was lucky - unlike many, many others shopping just before Christmas.

The Wii retails for about $269 - and in some cases, up to $30 higher. Some people are hoping to sell their new Wiis on the Internet for between $400 and $500.

“I am sure there are plenty of people standing in line who are leaving disappointed,” Ryce said.

Don Hill, manager of a Future Shop in Saskatoon, has seen people waiting outside his store at 6 a.m. to find out if there are any Wiis for sale. His store receives between six and 30 of the in a two-week period.

He has a policy of one-per-customer and first-come first-served.

“We would order 10,000 a …

Source: CNNMoney.com ()

Riverbed Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: RVBD),
the technology and market leader in wide-area data services (WDS), today
announced that Gartner has identified the company in its recently announced
report, “Market Share: Application Acceleration Equipment, Worldwide 3Q07″
(1) as the Advanced WOC (WAN optimization controller) worldwide market
share leader for 3Q, 2007 based on revenue. According to Gartner’s market
share report, Riverbed® sustained strong growth to maintain its lead.
This is the 5th quarter in a row that Riverbed has maintained the
leadership position in the Advanced Platform WOC category. In the same
report, Gartner named Riverbed as the market share leader in the WOC
category for the 3rd quarter in a row.

“The market for wide-area data services across all vertical markets
continues to be strong. The growing distributed workforce and mobile
workers have added a layer of complexity that companies have to address,”
said Eric Wolford, senior vice president, marketing and business
development at Riverbed. “The need to accelerate access to network assets
and applications has become critical. We’re the only vendor addressing this
challenge by providing a comprehensive solution that addresses the data
center, the remote office and the mobile worker.”

According to the report, the market grew again in 3Q07, due to a very
strong wide-area network (WAN) optimization sector and typical growth in
the application delivery controller (ADC) sector.

“We believe our leadership is reflected in our customer base of over 3,000
companies, including over 20 percent of the Fortune 500,” continued
Wolford. “For over five years, we have partnered with customers to solve
the application performance and IT control dilemma that CIOs face as they
confront the competing demands of an increasingly distributed workforce and
the need to and control data. The ability to quickly connect an
organization’s datacenter, branch offices and mobile workers …

Source: CNNMoney.com ()

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Goodrich Corporation today appointed several senior executives to new roles. Scott Kuechle, formerly Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. John Grisik, Executive Vice President, Operational Excellence and Technology is retiring from the company, effective March 31, 2008. Jerry Witowski, formerly Segment President, Electronic Systems, will succeed Grisik as Executive Vice President, Operational Excellence and Technology. Curtis Reusser, formerly President of Goodrich’s Aerostructures division, will succeed Witowski as Segment President, Electronic Systems. Witowski, Reusser and Kuechle will report to Marshall Larsen, Chairman, President and CEO. The appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2008.

According to Larsen, “Scott’s promotion recognizes his accomplishments since being appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2005, as well as his experience in a variety of finance roles in his 24 years with Goodrich. As part of Scott’s promotion, his role has been expanded to include information technology.”

Kuechle, a 24-year Goodrich veteran, has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2005. He started his career at Goodrich as a Financial Analyst and held several subsequent management positions of increasing responsibility in Finance and Accounting. In 1994, he was promoted to Director of Finance and Banking and became Vice President and Treasurer in 1998. He was appointed Vice President and Controller in 2004.

Commenting on Grisik’s retirement, Larsen added, “John has made a tremendous contribution to Goodrich during his 16 years with the company. After joining Goodrich as General Manager of our Ice Protection Systems business he held roles of responsibility including Segment President of both our Airframe Systems and Electronic Systems segments. As Executive Vice …

Source: Earthtimes ()

Copyright © 2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.

| News
Archives | Browse | Feedback

(c) 2007 Earthtimes.org, All
Rights Reserved.

The
views expressed in the articles are not necessarily of earthtimes.org and
we accept no responsibility for the views or opinions expressed in the articles
either direct or indirect.

Source: Ad-Hoc-News (Pressemitteilung) ()

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, today announced that Xinneng Energy Ltd., a leading supplier of energy-chemical products and services, has implemented its new breakthrough process control system, Proficy Process Systems, released last August. Xinneng Energy is located in Jiangsu Province, Zhangjiagang, China.

Based on GE Fanuc?s proven process control technologies, Proficy Process Systems is a fully integrated system that provides customers with improved quality and reliability, increased throughput, Performance and efficiency, and reduced total cost of ownership.

Xinneng Energy produces DME (dimethyl ether), a chemical substance that can be produced from Methanol. The product has multiple purposes including use as an aerosol spray propellant, a cryogenic freezing agent when combined with propane, and as a clean burning alternative to liquified natural gas, diesel, and gasoline.

When Xinneng Energy set up their new plant in Zhangjiagang, the company designed the plant to be able to produce one million tons of DME per year on three production lines. Proficy Process Systems will be controlling those lines and will take over two lines that they plan to bring on line in 2008.

The foundation of Proficy Process Systems is a contemporary infrastructure offering the benefits of both traditional DCS and PLC/HMI systems, without many of the historic limitations of those approaches. GE Fanuc?s multi-disciplined PACSystems controllers provide users unparalleled flexibility in their process control systems due to powerful memory and execution rates, as well as the ability to implement multiple control disciplines and programming languages in a single controller.

GE Fanuc?s Proficy SOFTWARE is architected at the core of Proficy Process Systems, allowing to leverage proven technologies such as Proficy HMI/SCADA iFIX or CIMPLICITY, Batch, Historian, and Plant Applications. …