@GM Joins Center for Automotive Research at Stanford

Mary Barra, GM senior vice president of Global Product Development, confirmed the membership Friday following a visit to the Stanford School of Engineering, where she spoke to faculty, students and researchers.

“Joining the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford is a natural fit for GM,” Barra said. “In order to create the world’s best vehicles, we make every effort to remain on the cutting edge of automotive development. Our membership in CARS will allow us both to expand and share our knowledge with students, faculty and industry partners as we work together to move the industry forward.”

The Center for Automotive Research at Stanford is a community of faculty and students from a range of disciplines aimed at discovering, building, and deploying critical ideas and innovations for the next generation of cars and drivers. Unique in its infrastructure, CARS provides shared resources for research, teaching, student project teams and new educational initiatives across many research centers, including the law and business schools.

“GM is dedicated to helping develop the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals and advancing the industry,” Barra said. “The Center for Automotive Research at Stanford offers us not only the chance to contribute to the education of future leaders, but also cultivate new and creative vehicle technology solutions.”

This membership fortifies GM’s long-standing relationship with Stanford. Barra is one of many GM leaders to have earned a degree from Stanford, which is one of GM’s key engineering and business recruitment institutions.

GM and the GM Foundation are committed to improving education in America, ensuring the next generation of professionals has the skills and education necessary to compete globally. GM supports multiple industry partnership outreaches and established the Buick Achiever’s Scholarship in 2011, which has already provided $12 million to college-bound students studying in science, technology, engineering and math-related fields.

GM’s New Enterprise Data Center Transforms Global IT

The center, benchmarked against the best in the world, is the capstone of GM’s efforts to transform its IT operations to help the company work smarter and faster from the design studio to the factory to the showroom floor.

Located at its Technical Center in this Detroit suburb, the facility is the first of two Information Technology Operations and Command centers that bring in-house GM’s global IT infrastructure and consolidate a network of multiple sites. The two centers will integrate and streamline all aspects of product development, manufacturing, marketing, sales and OnStar applications to speed access to any GM employee anywhere in the world.

“Having a single nerve center for our global operations will get newer vehicle designs and technologies into our customers’ hands quicker and improve the bottom line,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “IT is back home where it should be, and it further drives unnecessary complexity from our businesses while improving our operational efficiency and better supporting our business strategy.”

For example:

• Crash test simulations enabled by super-computing generate data that is analyzed and applied in vehicle design and development or refinement of safety technologies, saving $350,000 for each physical crash test avoided.
• An application that enables Global Product Development teams to make tooling payments to suppliers at key points throughout the development cycle helps suppliers prioritize the timing of critical parts and reduce overall engineering expenses by millions.
• Chevrolet tracked sales data of last year’s Impala in markets where car buyers traded in non-GM models, enabling a jump-start to sales of the new 2014 Impala in markets where it previously underperformed.

The enterprise data center and a companion data center at the Milford Proving Ground are part of a previously announced plan to transform GM’s global IT footprint from 23 facilities to two by 2015. Construction of the $100 million data center expansion in Milford will begin this summer.

GM IT is leveraging the Warren and Milford data centers to create a secure, private cloud that allows super-computer applications, servers and data storage to be efficiently and quickly accessed among multiple users.

“Our data center consolidation is just one of the initiatives driving the transformation of GM’s business,” said Randy Mott, GM vice president and CIO. “It’s part of an overarching strategy to transform not only information technology but also allow GM’s business operations to be more responsive to our customers, quicker to market and deliver on our objectives to shareholders.”

The 5,040-square-foot IT Operations and Command Center has 48 work stations and a 955-square-foot video wall composed of 28 configurable screens that monitor data use across operations around the clock.

GM’s New Enterprise Data Center Transforms Global IT

The modular design of the facility’s “white space,” where the technology resides, enables future expansion for handling the increasingly complex computer simulations needed by GM teams working on vehicle design, fuel economy, safety, and quality requirements. A server acquisition and installation process that used to take weeks now takes hours. Data mirroring, redundant feeds and shared storage capability minimize downtime and help ensure information security. The center’s ultra-efficient electrical system has robust backup generators to provide uninterrupted service.

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference to Kick Off June 10th in San Francisco

At the five-day conference, developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X, enabling them to create incredible new apps with innovative features.

“We look forward to gathering at WWDC 2013 with the incredible community of iOS and OS X developers,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing said.

WWDC will also feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies, as well as the popular Apple Design Awards, a showcase of the most outstanding apps available through the App Store and Mac App Store. Tickets for this year’s WWDC go on sale Thursday, April 25 at 10 a.m. PDT.

“Our developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever” and “We’re excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies” and “Developer tools to help them create innovative new apps” and “We can’t wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into their hands at WWDC,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing said.

WWDC 2013 activities include:

• More than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers on a wide range of topics for developing, deploying and integrating the latest iOS and OS X technologies;

• more than 1,000 Apple engineers supporting over 100 hands-on labs and events to provide developers with code-level assistance, insight into optimal development techniques and guidance on how they can make the most of iOS and OS X technologies in their apps;

• the latest innovations, features and capabilities of iOS and OS X, and how to enhance an app’s functionality, performance, quality and design;

• the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iOS and OS X developers from around the world—last year more than 60 countries were represented;

• engaging and inspirational lunchtime sessions with leading minds and influencers from the worlds of technology, science and entertainment; and

• Apple Design Awards which recognize iPhone®, iPad® and Mac apps that demonstrate technical excellence, innovation and outstanding design.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

To purchase tickets, get updates and more information, developers can go to the WWDC website: (developer.apple.com/wwdc).

Facebook Adds 4th Data Center

Facebook has over 1 billion user/bloggers every month and every day there are more than 2.7 billion Likes and over 2.4 billion content items shared with friends. Facebook’s mission is to connect the world, by building the global infrastructure to bring the next billion people online!

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@Chango Continues Talent Acquisition, Adds Leaders From Disney, Facebook, Google & More

Revenue increased by 700% last year through organic growth, fuelled by full-serve clients continuing to adopt Search Retargeting as their core prospecting solution, and self-serve partners adopting the technology as their programmatic backbone.

Over the last 12 weeks, hires have arrived from Disney, Facebook, Google, Dotomi, Pubmatic, AdBrite, Exelate, GMMB, Specific Media, Paypal Media, Phulant Mobile, Connections Media and Federated Media.

Chango has always been focused on providing outstanding Client Services support to its client partners, and these new hires further cement that goal by surrounding each its clients with Account Managers, Data Scientists, Strategists and Optimization Managers. The company recently opened offices in Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta and Dallas to serve more than 75 top 500 retailers across the U.S.

Chango also expanded its presence in the UK and Canada.

In an industry obsessed with algorithms and data, Chango is committed to marrying innovative technology with outstanding customer service. “A customer renewal rate of over 90% comes from a combination of technology and people”, says Dax Hamman, Chief Revenue Officer “this is only possible by supplementing algorithms with very smart people, and the caliber of these new team members represents that”.

It starts with algorithms: Marketers, agencies and publishers can leverage the world’s first end-to-end Programmatic Marketing Platform (PMP) to better organize their data and execute highly targeted marketing campaigns. The Chango platform combines the data management capabilities of a DMP (Data Management Platform) with the media buying capabilities of a DSP (Demand Side Platform).

And then come the people who make the technology work for clients and partners.

Premal Shah joins Chango as Vice President of Strategy, a newly formed group that is responsible for leading best practices and partnership strategies across all media solutions and the Programmatic Marketing Platform (PMP). Premal brings to Chango a diverse background in Business Development and Strategy, most recently responsible for Business Development and Strategy efforts at Disney Interactive Media.

Paul McIntyre arrives from Dotomi, and leads Chango’s Platform Solutions group. He will be leveraging over a decade of experience as a data driven marketer to provide clients with an industry leading solution for programmatic buying.

Any good digital platform relies on its partnerships and relationships, and as such Emily Spence brings her 10 years of experience from Exelate and other media companies. She reports to Ben Plomion, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development, who was formally of GE Capital. Emily handles Chango’s business development initiatives with a focus on managing and growing strategic partnerships.

With investment from iNovia Capital, Rho Canada Ventures, Metamorphic Ventures, Mantella Venture Partners and Extreme Venture Partners, Chango is very well-positioned to help marketers grab control of their data and run highly targeted marketing campaigns.

About Chango

Chango provides simple and effective Solutions for marketers in an era of real-time media and big data. Our proprietary platform, Chango Madison, combines the data management capabilities of a DMP (Data Management Platform) with the media buying capabilities of a DSP (Demand Side Platform) allowing for a truly Programmatic approach to both segmentation and media buying across Display, Mobile, Social & Web.

Our clients include the world’s largest brands & agencies, including 75 of the top 500 retailers, which has helped fuel 600%+ growth year over year for the last 2 years. We have offices in New York, Toronto, London, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta and Dallas.

SWEDEN (Éurope) —

The all new Samsung Galaxy S4 will hit boutiques all across Europe on April 27th. It comes with a pricetag of 6300 kronors (Sweden) for all those interested in taking a chance on one of the hottest smratphones on the market.

In Sweden and Need Info On The Galaxy?

More information on the  Galaxy S4 right here.

Written by Andrew Mitchell for Woodlawnpost

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Apple CEO Tim Cook Spoke About The Business & Road Ahead During Q2 Results

Apple will review cash allocation strategy each year according to Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

Apple announced quarterly revenue of $43.6 billion and quarterly net profit of $9.5 billion. International sales accounted for 66 percent of the quarter’s revenue and Apple sold 37.4 million iPhones in Q2 of 2013. Apple sold 19.5 million iPads during Q2 of 2013 and Apple sold nearly 4 million Macs.

Apple CEO Tim Cook  spoke about the Business & Road Ahead: ”Accomplished a tremendous amount” and “We introduced and ramped production of a un-presidented amount of new products” and “Revenue over 98 billion; net income over 22 billion” and “Set many new sales records,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

Growth rate has slowed as revenues grew about 13 billion dollars for the first half of the year, 19% growth for 2012. Low cost and favorable currency exchanges.

“We are pleased to report record March quarter revenue thanks to continued strong performance of iPhone and iPad,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software, and services and we are very excited about the products in our pipeline.”

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the decline in stock price over the last couple of quarters has been very frustrating to all, but Apple will continue to create innovative products and focus on the long term.  Apple CEO Tim Cook, is excited about the Smart phone market that is projected to grow to 1.4 billion(EST) unit by 2012-2016. Apple CEO Tim Cook believes that Apple has the strongest ecosystem and highest customer loyalty rates.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Spoke About The Business & Road Ahead During Q2 Results

“Our cash generation remains very strong, with $12.5 billion in cash flow from operations during the quarter and an ending cash balance of $145 billion,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO.

Apple experienced an all-time record for iTune sales. Apple’s guidance for its fiscal 2013 third quarter will include revenue between [$33.5 billion and $35.5 billion], gross margin between 36% and 37%, operating expenses between [$3.85 billion and $3.95 billion] and more.

Apple provided a  live streaming of its Q2 2013 financial results conference call on April 23, 2013.

Apple numbers:

Sales: $ 43.603 billion, up 11.3% year over year
Net profit: $9.5 billion, down 18.3%
EPS: $10.09, down 18%
iPhone:  37.43 million units, up 6.7%
iPad:  19.5 million units, up 65.3%
Mac:  3.952 million units, down 1.6%, compared with 14% for the industry
iPod: 5.633 million units, down 26.6%
iTunes sales: $2.4 billion, up 28%
Cash: $144.7 billion, up $7.6 billion from Q1; $102 billion overseas

Written By Adrian Mitchell

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DETROIT – Paddle shifters take on new meaning in the Cadillac ELR, the brand’s first electric vehicle with extended range capability that goes on sale in early 2014.

2014 Cadillac ELR

Unlike traditional performance vehicles where the steering wheel-mounted paddles allow drivers to upshift and downshift the mechanical transmission, Cadillac ELR’s paddle shifters enable the driver to temporarily regenerate energy and store it as electricity in the battery pack for later use.

ELR’s Regen on Demand feature is unique to the compact luxury coupe and builds on Cadillac’s performance-bred heritage.

“Regen on Demand enables ELR drivers to actively re-capture energy when slowing down, such as when approaching slower traffic or setting up for a tight turn,” said Chris Thomason, ELR chief engineer. “This allows the driver to take more active role in the electric vehicle driving experience.”

To engage Regen on Demand, the driver simply takes his or her foot off the accelerator and pulls back on either the left or right steering-wheel paddle to begin regenerating electricity. When engaged, Regen on Demand provides vehicle deceleration that is more than what a typical vehicle experiences while coasting, providing control and dynamic performance characteristics similar to downshifting in a manual-transmission vehicle. The feature does not bring the vehicle to a full stop.

Releasing the paddle disengages Regen on Demand, allowing the vehicle to coast normally. The driver can engage and disengage Regen on Demand as desired and as traffic conditions allow.

“Pulling back on the paddle to slow down allows the ELR driver to keep their foot close to the throttle, ready to accelerate,” Thomason said. “It provides a more engaged, satisfying driving experience, and when you consider the added benefit of re-capturing energy, it’s also a smart thing to do.”

During regenerative braking, the system converts the vehicle’s momentum to electrical power and stores the energy in the T-shaped battery pack located along the centerline of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels for optimal weight distribution.

The pack supplies energy to an advanced electric drive unit capable of 295 lb-ft of instant torque (400 Nm) to propel the vehicle. Using only the energy stored in the battery, the ELR will deliver an estimated range of about 35 miles (56 km) of pure electric driving, depending on terrain, driving techniques and temperature.

ELR includes a blended regenerative braking system that will recapture a majority of the energy in a vehicle’s momentum rather than losing it as heat in the brakes, which is common with conventional vehicles. When the brakes are applied, energy is recaptured, as the vehicle slows. If more brake force is applied, ELR automatically blends in friction brakes to apply greater stopping power for more urgent stops.

The system has a standard 4-channel anti-lock braking system and includes electronic Brake Force Distribution, which uses independent rear control for improved stability and braking during cornering, as well as more effective use of the rear brakes as vehicle loading occurs. Also, the disc brake system features vented front and solid rear Duralife rotors with Ferritic Nitro-Carburizing (FNC) finishing technology to reduce corrosion and deliver longer life.

Charging the ELR’s battery can be done with a 120V electrical outlet or a dedicated 240V charging station. The vehicle can be completely recharged in about 4.5 hours using a 240V outlet, depending on the outside temperature.

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology.

2014 Cadillac ELR

More information on Cadillac can be found at media.cadillac.com.