Monthly Archives: September 2011

Drug Shortages in the US – other issues

Posted on September 13, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the Economist (Sept 3, 2011, pg 29) describes the increase in drug shortages from 58 drugs in 2004 to 211 in 2010 and 198 by Sept 2011.  Most of these drugs are generics whose prices are set … Continue reading →

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Managing an air traffic control tower from afar

Posted on September 8, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in WIRED magazine (http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/st_flybywire/) describes technology used in Sweden that can provide a 360 degree hid-def screen view of aircraft and detailed data around a control tower. The benefit is that a air traffic controller can be located … Continue reading →

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Manufacturing Productivity and Small Business Survival

Posted on September 8, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (Sept 7, 2011) describes the labor productivity increase for a small manufacturer with labor costs holding at $ 337 per hour from 2005 to 2010 but the number of employees dropping from 20 to 40 … Continue reading →

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Are Samsung’s Galaxy Tablet Sales real ?

Posted on September 5, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in CNN Money (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/09/04/samsung-on-the-run/?utm_source=pulsenews&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fortunebrainstormtech+%28Fortune+Brainstorm+Tech%29) describes a statement by a manager at Lenovo that suggests that Samsung’s purported 1 million Galaxy Tablet units shipped to retailers generated just 20,000 units of sales. Did Samsung stuff the channel to gain reputation … Continue reading →

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Plans to fix the US Postal System to avoid closure

Posted on September 5, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (Sept 5, 2011) describes the financial crisis at the US Postal Service, which saw volumes decline by 22 % in the alst five years and is estimated to loose another 30 % of volume in the … Continue reading →

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The “Job Creation vs Environmental Regulation” debate in the US

Posted on September 5, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (Sept 5, 2011) describes the current debate in Washington between the Federal government’s planned pollution reduction regulation and purported industry impact. Some E.P.A. studies show that regulations such as the Clean Air Act have been … Continue reading →

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Changing the mix of China’s automobile production

Posted on September 4, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (Sept 4, 2011) describes a shift in emphasis in China from increasing manufacturing volume to higher mileage cars.  Car sales increased by 5 % in 2011 compared to a 33 % increase in 2010. Officials … Continue reading →

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Posted on September 4, 2011 by aviyer2010

Amazon.com Widgets

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A new report on Apple’s China Supply Chain and associated pollution

Posted on September 3, 2011 by aviyer2010

A recent report (http://www.ipe.org.cn/Upload/Report-IT-V-Apple-II.pdf, published August 31, 2011) questions whether decisions made by Apple’s suppliers continue to have a negative environmental impact.  The report identifies suppliers who release hazardous chemicals into the river or environment, the speed of ramp up … Continue reading →

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The logic of producing more HP Touchpads at a loss

Posted on September 3, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in CNN Money (August 31, 2011)  describes a possible reason HP would produce Touchpads and sell them at a loss (for $ 99, from a list price of $ 499) even though the division is being shut down.  … Continue reading →

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