Global Semiconductor Revenue Increased by 5% in 2013
Gartner, Inc. recently released results from its market share analysis for semiconductors that showed some positive signs in the midst of some challenges. Total global semiconductor revenue hit $315 billion in 2013 which is up 5% from 2012. The aggregated revenue of the top 25 semiconductor companies increased by 6.9% in 2013 which was substantially [...]
Blood Test to Predict Obesity
U.K. researchers have figured out a blood test that provides a better argument for a genetic predisposition to obesity in addition to environmental factors (e.g., a lack of exercise and unhealthy diet). At the Universities of Southampton, Plymouth and Exeter, scientists have used a blood test to measure the levels of epigenetic switches in the [...]
Valuing the “How” and “What” of Results
Are the “what” and the “how” really that important to organizations? The “what” and the “how” are abbreviated descriptions for two critical elements organizations (and the leaders and employees who drive them) need to function. The “what” represents results that come from the performance of work done at the individual, team or organizational level. Examples [...]
Insurance Claims for Disasters Dropped to $45 Billion
According to Swiss Re Ltd., one of the largest reinsurers in the world, global insurance industry losses due to man-made disasters and natural catastrophes plummeted by 44% in 2013. In 2012, global insured losses reached $81 billion, but these losses fell to $45 billion in 2013. Of this $45 billion, $37 billion was a result [...]
Damaged Wing Delays Boeing 787
As if Boeing has not received enough attention for manufacturing issues with its 787 Dreamliner in the past, it now has another opportunity to address potential concerns regarding this airplane. The Wall Street Journal reported that aerospace giant publicly confirmed that its wing supplier, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, discovered that its re-designed manufacturing processes may have caused small [...]
Mobile Devices Lead Global Connectivity
With sales of mobile devices leading the way, global consumer technology spending reached a new high of $1.07 trillion in 2013 and is expected to remain around that mark in 2014. According to the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) Global Consumer Technology Trends study, smartphones are one of the top technology products owned or used. Furthermore, [...]
Medical Device Tax Survey Shows Substantial Job Losses
Since the beginning of 2013, medical device manufacturers have paid a 2.3 percent tax on the sale of medical devices such as artificial hips and pacemakers to help finance the cost of the Affordable Care Act. According to the results from a recently released survey by the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), the medical device [...]
Is Conflict Good or Bad?
According to the National Institute for Advanced Conflict Resolution, up to 30% of a typical leader's time is spent dealing with conflict. Further research found that over 65% of work performance problems are due to strained relationships between employees as opposed to deficiencies in employee skill or motivation, and CEOs and senior vice presidents reported [...]
Mobile Wallets: Monopoly or Real Money for Banks?
The term “mobile wallet” has been thrown around quite a bit in recent months. Although it is sounds intriguing in concept, there does not seem to be a clear definition of what it actually looks like in reality. As pointed out in American Banker, no one can definitively say how it will impact banks, merchants [...]
GM’s Soon-To-Be Aluminum Trucks
General Motors (GM) realized that Ford was onto something when Ford used aluminum in the body of its 2015 F-150 pickup. The use of aluminum enabled Ford to reduce the fullsize truck’s weight by 700 pounds which undoubtedly is going to impact its gas mileage in a positive way. Not wanting to be outdone, GM [...]
