Saturday, December 21

Business

US Manufacturing a ‘Rising Star’ in the World, Says New Report
Business

US Manufacturing a ‘Rising Star’ in the World, Says New Report

The U.S. has lost some 7.5 million industrial jobs since the employment sector hit its peak in 1979, in large part because companies chose to ship their manufacturing jobs to less-expensive overseas markets. However, that trend is reversing, and, according to a new report, the U.S. now ranks second in overall competitiveness. It trails only China. On Friday, the report released by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said that the U.S. was a “rising star” of global manufacturing. It also said that China’s place as the top manufacturer was, if not being explicitly challenged, “under pressure” because of increased labor and transportation costs as well as reduced productivity growth. Conversely, the U.S. is becoming a better market for manufacturing thanks to the lower cost of natural gas...
New Report Finds America Employed, but Perhaps at the Cost of the Housing Market
Business, Lifestyle

New Report Finds America Employed, but Perhaps at the Cost of the Housing Market

After spending the better part of a decade in disaster mode, the American economy has used the past four years to gradually bounce back to a relatively stable state, according to recent reports. In fact, millions of Americans are now back to work. But of course, with these numbers come a bit of good news and a bit of bad news. The good news? A bolstered economy means an enlivened workforce, with nearly 4 million jobs being created in the past few years. The bad news? The overwhelming majority of these employment opportunities have come at places like McDonald's, Taco Bell and retail shops in strip malls. In a grander sense, the economy's bounce-back has yielded far more low-paying jobs than better-paid ones. But who cares, as long as there are jobs at all, right? The housing market, ...
Chinese Company 3-D Prints 10 Houses in Just One Day
Business, World

Chinese Company 3-D Prints 10 Houses in Just One Day

WinSun Decoration Design Engineering, a Chinese construction company, has harnessed the power of 3-D printing technology to build 10 one-story houses in Shanghai in just a single day. Each of the houses is 33 feet (10 meters) wide, and 22 feet (6.6 meters) high, for an approximate square-footage of 2,100 feet. They're built layer by layer with a quick drying cement, similar to the way that bakers would ice cakes, and cost less than $5,000 to build. As each layer gets added, it's checked for quality, since there aren't any building codes pertaining to 3-D printing construction in China. "We purchased parts for the printer overseas, and assembled the machine in a factory in Suzhou," aid Mia Yihi, the CEO of WinSun CEO, to the International Business Times. "Such a new type of 3-D printe...
Google Removes Pregnancy Center Ads Violating Deceptive Advertising Policies
Business

Google Removes Pregnancy Center Ads Violating Deceptive Advertising Policies

After an investigation by the nonprofit organization NARAL Pro-Choice America, Google has decided to take down several ads for “crisis pregnancy centers” because they provided, according to a report, misleading information and that they violated Google’s policy against deceptive advertising. "We have no problem with crisis pregnancy centers advertising online; we have no problem with their existing," Illyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America said. "That is their right in America." However, she expressed concerns with how the centers’ ads are constructed and shared, saying that their text indicates that they provide abortions. According to analysis by NARAL, 79% of the crisis pregnancy centers advertised on Google indicated that they provided medical services, like abortions...
New Cake Boss Bakery Opens in Greenwich, Though Filming Not Allowed
Business, Lifestyle

New Cake Boss Bakery Opens in Greenwich, Though Filming Not Allowed

There can be a few small downsides to fame -- something Buddy Valastro Jr., better known as the "Cake Boss" of reality TV, knows well enough. Carlo's Bakery, home of the Cake Boss, has been greenlighted for opening its first shop in Greenwich, Connecticut. The agreement with the town is not without stipulations, however. The Planning and Zoning board gave a firm "no" when it came to filming any episodes at the local store, and officials also wanted assurances that special events, such as cake-decorating classes and birthday parties, would occur during non-school hours so as not to aggravate parking and traffic problems. Several zoning officials are worried that cars full of "Cake Boss" fans could create a troublesome bottleneck in an area that is already fairly congested. The bakery's or...
RDCK Administration Defends Decision to Award More Expensive Office Furniture Bid
Business, Local

RDCK Administration Defends Decision to Award More Expensive Office Furniture Bid

Last week, the Regional District of Central Kootenay awarded a contract for new office furniture to Graphic Office Interior Ltd., which is based in Vancouver Island, for $182,000. The agreement has come under fire since local company Cowan Office Supply of Nelson made a bid that was around $20,000 cheaper. But chief administrator Brian Carruthers has defended the RDCK’s decision. Primarily, he cited the warranties and specifications that the two competing companies were offering. According to Carruthers, Graphic Office Interior offered a 12-year warranty on fabric panels while Cowan’s was just 5 years and did not include shipping and labor. In addition, Cowan’s proposed workstation dividing panels were not tall enough. “It was determined that 54-inch panel height was desired and that...
New Crane Safety Manual Outlines Crane Operating Guidelines to Help Battle Safety Concerns
Business

New Crane Safety Manual Outlines Crane Operating Guidelines to Help Battle Safety Concerns

Construction is one of the 10 most dangerous professions, according to Forbes magazine, causing more than 200 fatalities and several more injuries in 2012 alone. The heavy equipment involved in lifting and transporting materials, as well as the high altitudes many construction workers face, contribute to the concerns about this industry's safety. This has forced many construction companies to enhance their accident prevention measures in an effort to keep their workers as safe as possible. The Crane Institute of America recently responded to this call to safety with its 10th edition of Mobile Cranes, written to help crane operators utilize these machines safely and effectively. The book outlines all crane operating procedures from setup, to operation guidelines, to potential hazards. Th...
Workplace Accidents Decrease Overseas
Business, World

Workplace Accidents Decrease Overseas

The number of work-related injury cases in 2014's first quarter are on a down-slide in both China and Malaysia. According to China's State Administration of Work Safety, the amount of workplace accidents are down by 38.9% compared to last year. In Malaysia, work-related injuries have declined from 63,423 cases in 2002 to 33,060 occurring cases last year, which is a difference of more than 50% over the decade long period. A total of 153 people suffered fatal work-related accidents during China's first quarter, which is a 42.9% decrease from last year's first quarter. What's more, the death toll from accidents in coal mines between January and March decreased by 37.9% in comparison with last year's first quarter. According to China's administration, a serious workplace accident are inc...
One Direction Accused of Plagiarism in Latest Music Video
Business, Lifestyle

One Direction Accused of Plagiarism in Latest Music Video

While the millions of One Direction fans around the world were likely ecstatic to watch the group's latest music video upon its April 18 release, one Australian video production company was less than pleased. Oh Yeah Wow, the production company in question, has accused the British boy band of plagiarizing in its video for "You And I,"according to an April 24 NME article. Oh Yeah Wow claims that One Direction and "You And I" director Ben Winston "regurgitated" a video the company had shot for Clubfeet's song "Everything You Wanted" in January 2013. According to Oh Yeah Wow, the third act of the "You And I" video, in which the band members jump into freeze-frame shots of themselves, directly copies the Clubfeet video. On its blog, Oh Yeah Wow expresses anger that "some affluent y...
Couple Catch Kansas Security Fraudster in the Act, Police Say
Business, Local

Couple Catch Kansas Security Fraudster in the Act, Police Say

A couple in Kansas were left shaken Sunday after a man claiming to be from Protection One security services showed up at their home and asked to come inside. Kelly Billups and her live-in boyfriend said that the man arrived in sweatpants, sweatshirt, and jeans, but he did carry a folder and a badge. The story the fraudster spun to the couple was one of service. Apparently, when asked what he needed to do at the house, the man explained that Protection One, his fictional security company, was taking over for Vivint, the company that had just installed a complete security system for Billups and her boyfriend a few days prior. He wanted to come inside the house and for the couple to sign some kind of agreement. Luckily, the couple knew enough to push the issue, calling the police and sendi...