NEWS BRIEFS FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 4, 2007

NEWS BRIEFS FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 4, 2007Berkeley Regulates Nanotechnology BERKELEY, CA (Dec.13, 2006) - The Berkeley City Council has approved the nation's only municipal nanotechnology regulations, another first for the city famous for taking the lead in banning Styrofoam containers, desegregating public schools and divesting public funds from South Africa. The aim of nanotechnology in the commercial world is to develop new products and materials by changing or creating components at the atomic and molecular levels. But it's not clear whether such materials could cause environmental and health problems, say opponents. The council amended its hazardous materials law to include nano-sized particles, some as small as one-millionth the width of the head of a pin. The change was set to take effect by Dec. 31, 2006. The unanimous action compels researchers and manufacturers to report what nanotechnology materials they are working with and how they are handling them. The amendment had been two years in the making, prompted by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's plans to launch a nanotechnology department called the Molecular Foundry. City officials say the amendment is mostly aimed at monitoring nanotechnology startups and small businesses, rather than the efforts at the national lab, which isn't subject to local regulations because it's governed by the U.S. Department of Energy. The lab initially opposed the city's plans, but now it says it will work with Berkeley leaders. "We're hoping other cities will use this format and duplicate it in health and safety codes around California," says Nabil Al-Hadithy, the city's hazardous material manager.(Source: AP)Interior Innovations to Debut at NAIAS DETROIT (Dec. 22, 2006) - Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) will use the "Making It Better ... for You" theme as its key message at the 2007 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which runs from Jan. 7 to 21, 2007. JCI will serve as an exhibitor and also as a host sponsor for the AutoWeek Design Forum. In addition, JCI will unveil its latest developments, including: * The Slim Seat, a vehicle front-seat concept featuring an ultra-thin seatback that significantly expands available knee room for second-row occupants. * An all-new, environmentally friendly seat foam. * Active-headrest solutions that will enable automakers to comply with new, anti-whiplash safety standards. * The Access Floor Console, which offers expanded storage, additional feature content, improved ergonomics and an attractive finish. * The Mobile Device Gateway, a technology that enables cell phones, MP3 players, personal navigation devices and other electronic devices to be seamlessly connected to automotive controls and displays. * The HomeLink Wireless Control System, which enables the remote operation of garage doors, estate gates, locks, home-security and lighting systems, and other convenience and safety devices. * Battery power solutions for conventional, current-generation hybrid-electric and near-future plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles.(Source: JCI)Delphi's DRW Technology Moves into Suspension Subframes TROY, MI (Dec. 27, 2006) - After receiving encouraging results, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Michigan Research Institute (MRI) will grant Delphi Corp. an additional $950,000 to help fund the continuing development of Deformation Resistance Welding (DRW), with specific application to titanium cooling loops.

Deformation Resistance Welding Machine
(Photo: Spaceform Inc.)Delphi's DRW process employs new innovative ways to weld suspension subframes. The technology delivers reliable, repeatable, leak-free welds at a significantly lower cost than conventional welding solutions. Its ability to weld similar and dissimilar materials and shapes allows the technology to be applied to automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, commercial and recreational vehicles, mobile medical products, and load-bearing structural applications. The new grant will be used to fund technology in the area of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, dissimilar material joints, lean tubular structures and concepts for future manufacturing cells. Of specific interest is the advanced welding of dissimilar metal joints for integrating titanium-based cooling loops with power conversion systems, using stainless steel structures. Titanium cooling loops offer higher levels of chemical compatibility, along with greater temperature and structural capability than aluminum tubing. More information on the DRW process is available at Spaceform Inc. (Source: Delphi) M-B to Pay $1.2 Million for
CAA Violations WASHINGTON (Dec. 21, 2006) - Mercedes-Benz (M-B) will pay $1.2 million in civil penalties to resolve its failure to promptly notify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about three air pollution control defects on a number of 1998 through 2006 model vehicles. M-B must also improve its emissions defect investigation and reporting system to ensure future compliance, at an estimated cost of approximately $1 million per year. The automaker has also commenced voluntary recalls for two of the defects, and notified owners that it would extend the warranty coverage to address a third defect. The vehicles subject to the voluntary recalls and extended warranties may have defective catalytic converters or defective air pumps. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires auto manufacturers to file a defect information report with EPA not more than 15 working days after an emissions-related defect is found to affect 25 or more vehicles, so that the agency may consider whether the defect will cause emission standards to be exceeded and whether a recall is necessary. M-B will incur an estimated cost of $59 million to implement the recalls and the extended warranty. The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final approval by the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. (Source: EPA) Study Measures Driver Distractions FARMINGTON HILLS, MI (Dec. 18, 2006) - Historically, measuring driver distraction and developing ways to address it have been difficult because there are different types of distracting behaviors: visual and manual activities, such as reading a map; auditory behaviors, such as cell phone conversations; and technology-related behaviors, such as using in-vehicle audio/visual equipment.

(Graphic: NHTSA) The Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership (CAMP) recently completed a four-year study, the "Driver Workload Metrics Project," which was funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Working with automakers Ford, General Motors, Nissan and Toyota, the study evaluated how drivers balance their attention between the road and other activities that are physically, mentally or otherwise distracting. Subsequently, the results will provide automakers with tools that can help them prioritize and design vehicle innovations that do not overly distract drivers, and thereby help to make driving safer. Examples of solutions already in the marketplace include hands-free cell phones, navigation systems with auditory direction instructions and steering wheel-mounted entertainment system controls. "Today's drivers face competing demands for their attention," says Dr. Linda S. Angell, one of the CAMP-DWM researchers and a General Motors Corp. technical fellow. "We want to help ensure that vehicle technologies are not distracting drivers from what should be their first priority: keeping their eyes and their minds on driving." (Source: Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership) Congress Approves Tax Breaks WASHINGTON (Dec. 12, 2006) - The New York Times and The Washington Post report that House and Senate committees within the U.S. Congress had agreed on a number of tax breaks that would go before the two bodies before the current 109th session adjourned until reconvening in the 110th Congress on Jan. 4. The tax breaks would extend a number of expired tax breaks for education, research and development, hiring welfare recipients and other popular causes. It also includes tax breaks for energy conservation, the use of alternate energy and expanding offshore drilling opportunities in the eastern Gulf of Mexico; and cancels a scheduled pay cut for doctors in the Medicare health-care program for the elderly. The package would cost about $45 billion over 10 years. (Sources: The New York Times, The Washington Post) Timken Sells Latrobe Steel CANTON, OH (Dec 18, 2006) - The Timken Co. completed the sale of its Latrobe Steel subsidiary in Latrobe, PA, to a group of investors led by the Watermill Group, Hicks Holdings and Sankaty Advisors. Timken received approximately $215 million in cash that will provide resources for general corporate purposes, including strategic growth initiatives and pension funding. Latrobe Steel manufactures and distributes vacuum remelted, high-strength specialty steels and alloys for the aerospace, high speed, tool and die markets and other technical niche applications. Salvatore J. Miraglia Jr., president of Timken's Steel Group, says that the sale of Latrobe Steel and other precision steel business units in Europe would allow Timken to focus on its alloy steel business. (Source: The Timken Co.) EPA Takes Step to Reduce Burden on Small Business WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reducing the paperwork burden for small businesses by reforming the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) rule. The rule's reform is designed to help small businesses remain competitive while still informing communities of the use of toxic materials by local firms. "EPA's reformed TRI rule rewards firms that take aggressive steps to prevent any leaks or emissions of toxics by allowing them to use a short form to notify the community that the firms use toxics in their manufacturing process," says Thomas M. Sullivan, chief counsel for the Small Business Association's Office of Advocacy. (Source: Small Business Administration) iATN Upgrades Web Forum BREA, CA - For those who haven't been in the International Automotive Technicians Network (iATN) Web forums lately, the group announced it has completed a number of improvements. Upgrades include an improved navigation system, including the addition of keyboard navigation. Files uploaded by members are embedded into the post in an unobtrusive way that makes it easy to preview them inline or view their full details separately. In addition, the date-sorted view has been replaced with a "summary view" of the forums, for those who prefer reading in chronological order rather than in threaded fashion. (Source: iATN)Are Your Employees Job Hunting?

ALEXANDRIA, VA (Dec. 19, 2006) - More than 75 percent of employees are looking for new jobs, according to the 462 employees and 367 human resources (HR) professionals surveyed in the "2006 U.S. Job Retention Poll" released today by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and The Wall Street Journal's CareerJournal.com.

According to HR professionals, on average, 12 percent of their organizations' workforce had voluntarily resigned since the beginning of 2006. Non-management employees were the most likely to resign, according to 71 percent of the HR professionals surveyed.

Seventy-three percent of HR professionals indicated that they were concerned about the voluntary resignations at their organizations. In an effort to retain employees, nearly 50 percent of the HR professionals reported that their organizations had implemented special retention processes.

"As the economy and job market continue to improve, employee retention poses a greater challenge for HR professionals," says Gail Griffin, general manager, CareerJournal.com.

Employees and HR professionals agreed on the Top 3 reasons why employees choose to leave their organizations:

1. Better compensation elsewhere (30 percent of employees, 40 percent of HR professionals).
2. Better career opportunity elsewhere (27 percent of employees, 48 percent of HR professionals).
3. Dissatisfaction with the potential for career development (21 percent of employees, 29 percent of HR professionals).

(Sources: SHRM, CareerJournal.com)