SEATTLE - What happens when you connect a flock of flying drones? You get a "collective unmanned aerial vehicle" that's capable of lifting heavier burdens and flying greater distances than smaller drones can, according to a patent recently granted to online retailer Amazon. The Amazon Technologies Inc. patent describes a large and robust flying drone
ANN ARBOR - Hacks and data breaches continue to make headlines—including during the presidential election—but that hasn't seemed to worry consumers, or even many policymakers. M.S. Krishnan, the Accenture Professor of Computer Information at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, says that while security breaches haven't changed consumer behavior, it's time for a
DETROIT - AT&T is teaming with Willow Run-based American Center for Mobility to speed the development of self-driving vehicles. Working with the Center gives us the space to explore, create and safely test driverless technologies. We’ll also serve as the Center’s exclusive cellular network provider through 2020. The American Center for Mobility will transform the
WASHINGTON - A traditional infrastructure plan that invests in roads and bridges could increase employment in the short term, but the incoming Trump administration and new Congress also should focus on “innovation infrastructure” to spur long-term economic growth, according to a new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. ITIF, the leading U.S. science
DETROIT - The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index bounced back in December 2016, gaining 3.9 points to reach a value of 61.9. Despite November’s drop, the three-month average is a strong 62.0. A PMI above 50 is considered an indication of an expanding economy. “We’ve experienced a see-sawing trend over the past six months between
SAN FRANCISCO - This year’s IBM 5 in 5 explores the idea that everything will learn – driven by a new era of cognitive systems where machines will learn, reason and engage with us in a more natural and personalized way. Over time these computers will get smarter and more customized through interactions with data,
SANTA BARBARA, CA. - It was a busy and abundant year for seed, crowd, series A,B,C,D and VC funding of robotics-related startups. 128 companies got funded, some multiple times. $1.95 billion, 50% more than 2015 which was also a phenomenal year with over $1.32 billion funded. Velodyne LiDAR got the most money in 2016, $150
ANN ARBOR - As unexpected as Donald Trump’s presidential election, consumers expressed much more positive economic expectations following his victory. While the surge in confidence ended by mid-December, it nonetheless led to the highest level of the Sentiment Index since January 2004, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. An all-time record number
ANN ARBOR - Martin ZimmermanIt's been a heady couple of years for automotive companies as sales have soared to record levels, particularly sales of profit-rich pickup trucks and SUVs, as gasoline prices have fallen. But that's come with a bit of a price. A higher mix of less fuel efficient vehicles means it will be
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