The Engineer
December 2001 Online
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ACSYS technologies awarded $384 million in new contracts
21 Dec 2001
ACSYS Technologies has been awarded automotive contracts that will generate $384 million dollars in new business through to 2008 and beyond.
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Honeywell agrees to pay Northrop Grumman $440 million
21 Dec 2001
Northrop Grumman Corporation today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement in antitrust and patent infringement lawsuits filed against Honeywell.
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Lockheed Martin wins $1.3 billion F-16 contract
21 Dec 2001
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has received a contract valued at $1.3 billion for 52 F-16 aircraft from Israel under the Peace Marble V program.
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Marconi sells share in business for £121 million
21 Dec 2001
Marconi has reached an agreement to sell its 50 per cent shareholding in General Domestic Appliances Holdings to Merloni Elettrodomestici for a cash consideration of approximately £121 million.
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Raytheon to supply 115 aircraft to new company in $900 million deal
21 Dec 2001
Raytheon has signed an agreement to unite its fractional aircraft ownership business, Raytheon Travel Air, with Flight Options to form a new company, Flight Options LLC.
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A flashy worm can damage your PC
20 Dec 2001
Computer Associates International has assigned a medium-to-high risk to Reeezak, a malicious computer worm which propagates through email by masquerading as a Macromedia Flash holiday greeting.
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China Mobile awards Motorola contracts valued at $95 million
20 Dec 2001
China Mobile has awarded Motorola's Global Telecom Solutions Sector (GTSS) two major contracts valued at $95 million for its GSM and GPRS networks expansion.
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GE Industrial Systems to acquire Interlogix for $777 million
20 Dec 2001
GE Industrial Systems, a division of General Electric, has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Interlogix for $777 million.
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Harris Corporation awarded $55 million contract
20 Dec 2001
Harris Corporation has announced that it has been awarded a three-year, $55 million advanced avionics design contract by Northrop Grumman.
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IBM pushes Linux for small and medium businesses
20 Dec 2001
To speed development of Linux applications, IBM has introduced the Linux Test Drive for iSeries, which makes available a 'virtual Linux server' over the Internet.
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JDS Uniphase to acquire IBM optical transceiver business for $340 million
20 Dec 2001
JDS Uniphase Corporation has announced that it has agreed to purchase the optical transceiver business of IBM Corporation. The pending acquisition will extend JDS Uniphase's product breadth to provide optical solutions beyond its existing telecommunications markets to growing data communications markets.
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NASA scientists create robotic cliffhanger
20 Dec 2001
NASA researchers are developing new prototype robots that can drive up steep hills and descend almost-vertical cliffs. Working alone or as a team, these autonomous robotic explorers may be used to traverse the cliffs of Mars.
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Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce sign $1 billion JSF contract
20 Dec 2001
Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce have signed the contract covering Rolls-Royce's short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) development work for the F135 propulsion system for the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.
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Scientists discover a certain electric chemistry
20 Dec 2001
American scientists have found evidence that tiny electrical currents are produced when molecules interact with metal surfaces, a discovery that may usher in a new generation of chemical detectors.
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Stroking a mouse
20 Dec 2001
A nifty little program lets you control your PC by drawing symbols with your mouse. Best of all, it's free.
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Academic improves F1 telemetry
19 Dec 2001
A method of collecting data for engine performance analysis described as 'revolutionary' by industry experts has secured a Leeds academic £250,000 venture capital to develop its commercial potential.
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Boeing awarded training system contract for Canada and Australia
19 Dec 2001
Boeing has been awarded a three-year, $32 million contract by the Canadian Forces and the Royal Australian Air Force for the development and delivery of an Integrated Maintenance Training System.
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Embraer corporate jet order worth $500 million to Rolls-Royce
19 Dec 2001
Rolls-Royce has announced new business worth a potential $500 million for the AE 3007 engine, for up to 75 twin-engined Embraer Legacy corporate aircraft ordered by Indigo, a corporate jet service.
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FDA approves wearable defibrillator
19 Dec 2001
The US Food and Drug Administration today approved a vest-like medical device that is worn under clothing to monitor and treat abnormal heart rhythms in people at risk of dying from sudden cardiac arrest.
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No more winter train delays?
19 Dec 2001
A NASA-developed, environmentally friendly anti-icing fluid that can make railroad and commuter travel safer and more reliable during snowy conditions is now available for commercial applications.
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Real-time clock reduces board space
19 Dec 2001
A new real-time clock with a CPU supervisor and non-volatile SRAM offers designers a device that requires less than 50% of the board space of a traditional through-hole device.
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Rolls-royce continues offshore success with contracts worth £54 million
19 Dec 2001
Rolls-Royce has recently won contracts worth £54 million to design and supply integrated equipment packages for nine offshore service vessels for owners in Brazil, France, Norway and the USA.
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Conexant and Alpha form $3 billion wireless chip group
18 Dec 2001
Alpha Industries and Conexant Systems have announced the signing of an agreement that will combine Conexant's wireless business with Alpha to create a $3 billion wireless chip group.
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Micron Technology moves in on Toshiba's DRAM business
18 Dec 2001
Micron Technology announced today that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Toshiba Corporation in which Micron will acquire Toshiba's commodity DRAM business.
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New $4.4M investment propels speech recognition towards hitting the target
18 Dec 2001
Wavemakers, a developer of voice optimisation software, today announced that Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) will invest $4.4 million in Wavemakers' targeted speech recognition software research and development project.
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Rusty spheres help MRI to track stem cells
18 Dec 2001
Using rust-encrusted spheres to tag cells, scientists from Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have successfully used magnetic resonance imaging to track stem cells implanted into a living animal.
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Sostar awarded 85 million Euro contract
18 Dec 2001
Sostar GmbH has been awarded the contract to develop the demonstrator of the new European all-weather ground surveillance system Sostar (Stand-Off Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar) in a deal worth Euro 85 million.
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BAE Systems awarded $5.6 million contract
17 Dec 2001
BAE Systems has recently been selected by the UK's Ministry of Defence to conduct a technology demonstration program for Britain's Fast Jet Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) Laser System.
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Nevatron could keep aircraft on right path
17 Dec 2001
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated the first storage ring able to confine and guide the flow of ultra-cold neutral atoms in a circular path.
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Engineers create tiny fans to cool future electronics
14 Dec 2001
Research engineers at Purdue University are developing tiny, quiet fans that move back and forth to help cool future laptop computers and other portable electronic gear.
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Fujifilm reveals breakthrough in magnetic recording media
14 Dec 2001
Fuji Photo Film USA, Inc. has recently announced a significant breakthrough in magnetic recording media technology that will exponentially increase the capacity of magnetic media.
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GE Engine Services wins $400 million contract
14 Dec 2001
DHL Worldwide Express has awarded GE Engine Services (GEES) a 15 year maintenance and overhaul agreement valued at $400 million.
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Giving anti-personnel mines the boot
14 Dec 2001
A company in Hong Kong has created a boot that gives its wearers a fighting chance against serious injury from anti-personnel mines.
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No keyboard needed
14 Dec 2001
The Senseboard 'virtual keyboard' is a small device that attaches to the palms of the hand and allows users to type on any surface as if it were a keyboard.
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Optical amplifiers poised for growth in 2003
14 Dec 2001
The total market for optical amplifiers used as linear amplifiers on long haul and Metropolitan Area Network applications will increase from approximately $3.3 billion in 2001 to $4.7 billion in 2006.
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Scientists discover new material that expands under pressure
14 Dec 2001
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US and Birmingham University in the UK have discovered a material that could soak up chemical pollutants due to its ability to expand under pressure.
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UMass chemist working on sensors to identify bioterror agents
14 Dec 2001
Vincent Rotello, professor of chemistry at the University of Massachusetts, is working on what he calls a 'molecular nose' to sense and identify particular chemicals.
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Bad news in Bethlehem?
13 Dec 2001
The EU has forcefully condemned the recommendations issued by the US International Trade Commission to hike tariffs on steel products by up to 40%.
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Boeing awarded $37.6 million contract to upgrade NATO AWACS fleet
13 Dec 2001
Boeing has received a $37.6 million contract to enhance the flight deck of NATO's fleet of 17 E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
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Chicago physicists pioneer method for nano fabrication
13 Dec 2001
An experiment that University of Chicago physicists conducted just for fun has unexpectedly led them to a new technique for producing nanoscale structures.
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Computer modelling tools assess chemical attacks
13 Dec 2001
Researchers from the US Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories has developed modelling and simulation tools for assessing the threat and vulnerability of buildings to chemical and biological attacks.
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Limited information helps computer guess gender identity
13 Dec 2001
A new computer classification system developed by Penn State computer scientists can correctly identify a person's gender - based only on eyes, nose, mouth and voice cues - better than human beings can.
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New device muscles in on medicinal leeches
13 Dec 2001
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have gone some way to make medicinal leeches redundant with the creation of a mechanical leech.
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Northrop Grumman wins $81 million contract
13 Dec 2001
Northrop Grumman has won an $81 million contract to provide scientific, engineering, logistic, administrative, acquisition and ancillary support to the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC).
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Superconducting metals research breaks the law
13 Dec 2001
Scientists who thought they were one step closer to solving the mysteries of superconducting metals may find themselves back at the theoretical drawing board.
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Wilson unveils plans for Europe's largest windfarm
13 Dec 2001
Brian Wilson, Minister for Energy, today unveiled ambitious plans led by two British companies to create Europe's largest windfarm on the Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland.
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An 'always on' experience
11 Dec 2001
The next version of the Windows Media Technologies platform, code-named 'Corona,' delivers what Microsoft call an 'instant-on, always-on' experience.
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Czech Republic chooses Gripen
11 Dec 2001
The Czech government has chosen Saab-BAE Systems' Gripen supersonic, multi-role fighters to replace its fleet of Mig 21 fighters in a deal worth an estimated $2 billion.
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Ericsson and Sichuan Mobile sign $143 million GSM/GPRS contract
11 Dec 2001
Ericsson and Sichuan Mobile Communication Company have signed a contract valued at $143 million for expansion of the GSM/GPRS network in Sichuan Province, China.
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Lightweight printers for portable devices
11 Dec 2001
Targeting the portable device market, Fujitsu Components America has released a series of high-speed, battery-powered thermal print mechanisms.
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Rolls-Royce wins £360 million submarine support contract
11 Dec 2001
Rolls-Royce has won a second service contract from the Ministry of Defence to ensure the safety and power performance of Royal Navy nuclear submarines, in a deal worth £360 million.
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ABB divests air handling for $225 million
10 Dec 2001
ABB said today it will sell its air handling equipment business to Global Air Movement (Luxembourg) SARL for US$ 225 million.
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Fine images from fusion machine
10 Dec 2001
Scientists at Cornell University's Laboratory of Plasma Studies are creating high-resolution images of minute objects using machinery originally designed to generate energy from hydrogen fusion.
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New system allows underwater communications
10 Dec 2001
France Telecom and Amphicom have recently invented a system that allows telephone communications with a diver working underwater.
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Seeing the world in a new light
10 Dec 2001
Cornell's James Ferwerda is developing simulations of the ways in which people with several kinds of low vision see the world. Eventually, he hopes to help them see better.
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Verizon Communications sells subsidiary for $800 million
10 Dec 2001
Verizon Communications has agreed to sell its subsidiary TSI Telecommunication Services to GTCR Golder Rauner for approximately $800 million.
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Millennium Pharmaceuticals makes $2 billion acquisition
7 Dec 2001
US company Millennium Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has bought COR Therapeutics in a stock-for-stock exchange valued at $2.0 billion.
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New technology offers unique view inside small intestines
7 Dec 2001
Researchers at Stanford School for Medicine in the US have tested an ingestible, pill-sized camera dubbed the M2A that detects bleeding in the small intestine.The device, developed by Israel-based Given Imaging, Ltd., is said to provide doctors their only glimpse inside this hard-to-view organ without invasive surgery.
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Recreating sound in three dimensions
7 Dec 2001
Realistic computer sound, specifically tuned for each listener, could get a little closer using a new, free public database of acoustic measurements developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis.
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Sonic flashlight gives users a new form of ultrasonic vision
7 Dec 2001
A 'sonic flashlight' developed by a biomedical engineer at the University of Pittsburgh makes the human body seem translucent right in front of your eyes.
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Ericsson wins $55 million B-GAN contract
6 Dec 2001
Ericsson has been selected by mobile satellite operator Inmarsat Ltd to develop its next generation core network for the company's Broadband Global Area Network (B-GAN).
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Gulfstream wins $206 million order
6 Dec 2001
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation has been awarded a contract with a potential value of up to $206 million to supply and support three Gulfstream V business jet aircraft to the Israeli Ministry of Defence.
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Upgrade gives Exostar full e-commerce lift-off
6 Dec 2001
Exostar, the aerospace and defence online exchange, said the latest release of its marketplace technology gives it full e-commerce capability for the first time.
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e-businesses get together
5 Dec 2001
Omnexus, the global eMarketplace created by the plastics industry, and Elemica, the network founded by twenty two of the world's largest chemical companies have formed a strategic alliance.
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Kodak and Sanyo go organic
5 Dec 2001
Eastman Kodak and Sanyo Electric have formed a global joint venture, the SK Display Corporation, to manufacture OLED displays for consumer devices such as cameras and PDAs.
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RF Micro Devices to purchase IBM's GPS operation
5 Dec 2001
RF Micro Devices has agreed to purchase IBM's GPS development operation and ultimately will use the technology to provide GPS solutions to handset manufacturers.
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Security standard gets approval
5 Dec 2001
US Secretary of Commerce Don Evans has approved a new IT encryption standard for the US federal government at a meeting with members of the Business Software Alliance.
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Alexander unveils next steps to broadband Britain
4 Dec 2001
Government minister urges small enterprises to take advantage of tax breaks, which could cut fast Internet bills by 20%.
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Boeing completes 'Cool Chip' evaluation
4 Dec 2001
Boeing has recently completed an evaluation of a new technology called Cool Chips that could provide lighter, more efficient and more affordable chip cooling systems in the future.
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Boeing signs $400 million foreign military sales agreement
4 Dec 2001
Boeing has signed a foreign military sales (FMS) agreement with the US government to upgrade 35 Egyptian AH-64A Apache helicopters into next-generation AH-64D Apaches.
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German army takes a closer look
4 Dec 2001
Researchers in Germany have created the RecceMan interactive identification assistant to help the German army tell friend from foe on aerial or satellite photographs.
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New sensor gets to grips with whiffs
4 Dec 2001
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute of Physical Measurement Techniques have created a new generation of semiconductor-based gas sensors that can detect a host of gaseous anomalies.
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Enron files for chapter 11 and sues Dynegy for $10 billion
3 Dec 2001
Enron Corporation announced yesterday that it has filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11re-organisation with the US Bankruptcy Court, which includes a $10 billion damages suit against Dynegy for an alleged breach of merger contract.
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Keyence launch intelligent micrometer
3 Dec 2001
With a resolution of 0.01m and a 2400 per second sample speed, Keyence's new range of intelligent micrometers is said to be a breakthrough in optical technology.
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New sensor detects biological and chemical agents
3 Dec 2001
Researchers at the University of Delaware have developed a portable detection platform that could provide real-time recognition of chemical and biological weapons using infrared spectroscopy.
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Size does matter in tiny world of nanoparticles
3 Dec 2001
Scientists at Northwestern University in the US have created a nanoparticle with a new shape that could be a useful tool in the race to detect biological threats.
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Smiths acquires US specialist in communications test equipment
3 Dec 2001
Smiths Group has acquired Summitek Instruments Inc. a US supplier of interference test equipment used by the wireless telecoms industry, for $10 million.
