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Subhendu Guha is president of United Solar Ovonic, an Auburn Hills-based manufacturer and supplier of photovoltaic panels and systems that convert sunlight to electricity. Guha, an internationally recognized scientist, has led United Solar Ovonic to substantial growth in the last several years. More at www.ltu.edu/leaders. |
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Asterand test predicts severe reactions in drug trials: Detroit-based Asterand Monday announced a new test that may be important in predicting problems before a drug is tested in live human volunteers. The company's scientists believe that the test may have been helpful in screening the drug candidate that recently caused severe reactions in a group of six young men in a clinical trial carried out at Northwick Park in London, England. The test was developed by a team of five Asterand scientists. A summary of their work has been published recently in "Clinical Cancer Research," the journal of American Association for Cancer Research. The test uses an existing technology known as immunohistochemistry. Asterand scientists have developed a highly sensitive IHC technique for testing human or humanized antibodies being considered as drug candidates for possible side effects. The unmodified antibody under consideration is used to stain a range of human tissues -- some containing the target protein or tumor as well as normal tissue representing different parts of the body. Some of these tissues may contain the target protein and whether the target is being expressed in diseased or normal tissue can easily be determined. That way, scientists can determine whether the drug candidate will also target proteins in healthy tissue, which can lead to a severe allergic reaction. Asterand officials say the test has already been used on more than 20 antibodies being considered as drugs -- and several of them were found to also bind to normal tissues. The test can also be used to determine whether antibodies now being used as drugs will be effective in subsets of patients. More about the technology at www.aacrjournals.org. More about Asterand at www.asterand.com.
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AT&T Homezone TV service to feature on-demand Internet video content from Akimbo
| AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Akimbo Systems today are to announce an agreement to offer the award-winning Internet-based Akimbo video-on-demand service to subscribers of AT&T’s Homezone TV service, scheduled to launch later this summer. AT&T Homezone subscribers will use their broadband connections to access thousands of video programs and movies. AT&T Homezone, currently in trial in several states, will integrate AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet and AT&T Dish Network programming to provide video on demand, digital video recording, and Internet content, including photos and music, via a new award-winning set-top box. AT&T Homezone will be available to customers who purchase both AT&T Dish Network satellite television and AT&T Yahoo High Speed Internet services.
AT&T plans to offer the content available from Akimbo’s library of more than 10,000 television programs and movies on demand. Akimbo is the fastest-growing video-on-demand service in the United States, offering videos and movies from more than 165 content partners throughout the world. Each week, Akimbo adds more than 150 new mainstream and niche titles in 85 different categories, such as music, sports, independent film, anime, major motion pictures, education, children’s programming and foreign language.
“Our agreement with Akimbo is yet another milestone as we prepare to launch our AT&T Homezone service – an entertainment service that we believe will be more powerful and compelling than anything offered on the market today,” said Scott Helbing, chief marketing officer for AT&T Consumer. “Consumers want better solutions and more choices for entertainment, and we’re committed to delivering that.”
"AT&T’s innovations are legendary, and the Homezone service follows this tradition," said Joshua Goldman, CEO of Akimbo Systems. "As the first Internet video-on-demand service for TV, Akimbo is delighted to work with AT&T on its groundbreaking Homezone initiative to bring people the best in communications and entertainment, wherever they may be." <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p>
AT&T is the nation’s largest telecommunications provider. With more than 7 million high speed Internet lines in service, AT&T is also the nation’s largest DSL provider. The agreement with Akimbo focuses on maximizing AT&T’s industry-leading high speed DSL customer base and offering differentiated broadband-related services that consumers increasingly demand.
More at www.thenewatt.com or www.akimbo.com.
Note: Some sponsorships for GLITR's special sections are still available. For information on this or other Great Lakes IT Report marketing matters, contact Dan Keelan at dkeelan@cbs.com or (248) 455-7252. | |
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Metro PCS launches in Detroit: Dallas-based Metro PCS Communications Inc. is launching service today in metro Detroit. MetroPCS is a regional wireless service provider offering a flat-rate service that includes unlimited local and domestic long distance calls anytime, with no contract. The company provides service to more than two million customers in the Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, San Francisco, Sacramento, Calif., and Tampa, Fla. markets. The company says its straightforward monthly payment system removes the gimmicks, complexity, restrictions and surprises from wireless service. Its slogan: "Pay by the month, not by the minute." MCS says it will create nearly 200 jobs in the Detroit market by the end of 2006. The company's wireless plans range from $30 to $45 a month. Other services include unlimited text messaging for $3 a month, unlimited directory assistance for $2 a month, and unlimited digital picture transmission and reception for $5 a month. More at www.metropcs.com.
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Compuware announces $125 million stock buyback: Compuware Corp. said Monday it will buy back up to $125 million of its common shares. The Detroit-based provider of software and IT services (NASDAQ: CPWR) said it would buy back its stock on the open market from time to time based on market and business conditions. More at www.compuware.com.
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LDMI says SmarT lines top 3,000: Southfield-based LDMI Telecommunications Inc., a subsidiary of Reston, Va.-based Talk America Inc. (NASDAQ: TALK) said Monday that the number of customers using its SmarT T1 service has risen past 3,000. LDMI also said it is introducing a 30-day SmarT installation guarantee. The SmarT packages high-speed Internet connectivity with local and long distance telephone service on one T1 connection all on one monthly bill. SmarT also provides business services such as e-mail, a static IP address, Web hosting, a personal domain name, virtually unlimited calling and robust control features. LDMI said the service is for businesses with four or more voice lines that also require always-on high-sped Internet. More at www.ldmi.com.
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Terumo gets distribution deal: Ann Arbor-based Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corp. said Monday it had become the exclusive distributor for the Harvest Technology Corp. SmartPrep2 Platelet Concentration System in the United States and Canada. Harvest Technologies' equipment accelerates the wound healing process by harvesting and concentrating proteins. Harvest is based in Plymouth, Mass. Terumo Cardiovascular manufacturers and markets products used in the global cardiac surgery and neurovascular markets. It is a subsidiary of Terumo Corp. of Japan. For more information, visit www.terumo-cvs.com/for_clinicians/optimizing.
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New Web site for Washtenaw County court: The 14-A District Court, comprised of courtrooms in Chelsea, Ypsilanti and Pittsfield Township, will launch a new Web site at www.14adistrictcourt.org on Thursday, with a ceremony and a Webcast. The event will bring together members of Washtenaw County's judicial, government and legal fields to promote the use of the new Web site. Washtenaw County said it's been working with Cedric Simpson, chief judge of the court, staffers and focus groups for about a year to develop the site. It offers features that will help both attorneys and the public conduct more legal business online. The court serves all of Washtenaw County except for the city of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Township. For an interview with Judge Simpson about the new site, click here. And here's a link to the Webcast, scheduled for Thursday from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m.
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High-tech crusher developed in UP used in Katrina cleanup: A rock crusher that uses advanced technology instead of brute force to crush building debris into usable aggregate fill is being used to clean up the mess that still remains nearly eight months after Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast. Houghton-based New Dimension Crusher's equipment puts the material in tension and snaps big rocks into little ones, unlike traditional crushers, which use brute force and are massive pieces of machinery that are not portable. The New Dimension Unit, in contrast, is small enough to fit in the scoop of a small Bobcat front-end loader and requires only a 20-hp engine. "It is a great example of applying technology and design to reinvent an old product," said Carlton K. Crothers, CEO of the Michigan Tech Enterprise SmartZone, the business incubator where the company was founded. Lafayette, La.-based Bottom Line Equipment LLC is demonstrating the crusher for construction and demolition companies at its plant near New Orleans International Airport. New Dimension's founder, Bob Niemela, said his company is "proud to be a part of the cleanup and rebuilding process in New Orleans." Kurt A. Degueyter, Bottom Line's president, noted that "companies involved in the clean up efforts are faced with the problem of finding landfill areas for the massive amounts of large aggregate debris. The crusher provides an economical solution by recycling cement, bricks and blocks for use on site where crushed material can be used again. It’s a perfect solution, reducing labor time and cost while also providing a good use of waste materials.” Also assisting New Dimension in the product launch is David Weaver, a Bloomfield Hills business consultant and founder of Great Lakes Angels, an angel investing group. Weaver is a member of the Michigan Tech Enterprise SmartZone board. More about New Dimension at www.newdimensioncrushers.com. More about the SmartZone at www.mtecsmart.com.
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Kalamazoo company's software helps auto suppliers evaluate RFQs: Kalamazoo-based Configuration Solutions Inc. said Monday it had added the ability to evaluate new business opportunities to its product configuration and selling software. The addition is called CS-NBO, for New Business Opportunity management. It is designed to assist auto suppliers in determining which of the many RFQ opportunities offer strategic value and profit potential, and which are not worth the investment of response. The software accomplishes the task by performing fast and easy evaluation of strategic goals, various risk factors and financial uncertainties. Configuration Solutions CEO Dale Colosky said recent studies show suppliers spend between $50,000 and $200,000 to respond to a single RFQ. Knowing which to let slide without spending any additional dollars can spell the difference between profitability and loss. Configuration Solutions' overall system, called CS-PPLM, is a Web-enabled suite of interactive application software modules connecting technology and business strategy to address the entire lifecycle of the quote-to-award business process, real-time program management and ongoing product lifecycle management. It streamlines and automates workflows and procedures from cost estimating, engineering, manufacturing process generation, quoting, financial review, documentation and submission of bids and more. More at www.configsc.com.
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Mid-Michigan gets $15 million grant for biofuels, economic development: An event in Lansing Monday kicked off the Mid-Michigan Innovation Alliance, which will implement a three-year, $15 million Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (yep, WIRED) grant from the federal Department of Labor. Michigan State University president Lou Anna K. Simon also announced that David C. Hollister, CEO of the Prima Civitas Foundation, will coordinate the alliance and implement the grant. The WIRED grant was one of only 13 made nationally. A key element of the mid-Michigan proposal is to refocus auto supplier firms to emerging and growing manufacturing markets as well as the development of an alternative energy sector, including preparing workers for jobs in a biotech-based, post-petroleum economy. Hollister is a former Lansing mayor and former director of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth. Among the initiatives under the grant include media-based training materials to assist worker retraining on everything from desktop computers to IPods, and the deployment by MSU of biorefinery equipment for hands-on experiences. Other participants in the effort include Kettering University, which will provide teachers with fuel cell training and provide graduate education in hybrid technology; The Greater Flint Health Coalition and Lansing Community College, which will prepare workers to meet the growing demands of the health care sector; Mott Community College, which will offer training in the building and construction trades and in advanced manufacturing; Saginaw Valley State University, which with LCC will offer entrepreneurship training; and the Center for Automotive Research, which will help prepare Michigan business for diversified, global automotive marketing. The Mid-Michigan Innovation Alliance includes 13 counties around Flint, Lansing and Saginaw. The WIRED grant proposal was developed under the leadership of MSU, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Genesee County Economic Development Agency. More at www.michigan.gov/cis/0,1607,7-154--137670--,00.html.
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Also winning was the West Michigan Workforce Innovations Lab, a seven county region anchored by Grand Rapids and led by the West Michigan Strategic Alliance at Grand Valley State University. The West Michigan proposal centers on an “innovations lab” designed to advance and spawn a wide range of innovations in its regional workforce development system focusing on four areas of innovation. Michigan was the only state in the nation to get two of the grants.
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Growth capital event announces presenting companies: The Michigan Growth Capital Symposium Monday announced the 45 companies who will make presentation at the event, being held May 16-17 at the Eagle Crest Conference Center in Ypsilanti. The companies are in the IT, alternative energy and life sciences companies, and are in three stages of corporate growth -- early commercialization, A-B round, and expansion-growth round. Included among the presenting companies in the commercialization track:: 10x Technology, which produces micro- and nano-scale polymers used for a variety of applications; CheckTheCrib Corp., which provides an Internet-based procurement system for manufacturers requiring mission-critical spare parts; and Rapid BioSense, which designs and markets a sensitive, affordable and rapid biosensor that can detect viruses and bacteria. In the A-B track, companies include GPSi LLC, a supplier of vehicle telematics hardware, software and services; STM Power Inc., which designs, develops and sells low-emission external combustion engines and integrates them into 55-kilowatt generator sets that can burn a variety of fuels; and ZyStor Therapeutics Inc., a drug therapy developer. On the expansion-growth track, presenting companies include Avidimer, a biopharmaceutical company working on cancer drugs; HealthMedia Inc., which builds systems that deliver individualized online and offline health promotion programs to the insurance and medical markets; Molecular Therapeutics Inc., a developmental stage biotechnology company; Plextronics, which provides polymers and inks for printed electronics; and Velocys Inc., which is developing processing systems and nano-scale catalysts to boost product yields for energy and chemical companies. More at www.michigangcs.com.
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Media Genesis redesigns ArvinMeritor site: The Madison Heights Web design and development firm MediaGenesis announced Monday that it had been selected by Troy-based auto supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. (NYSE: ARM) to redesign the commercial vehicles systems portion of its corporate Web site. The redesigned site can be found at www.meritorhvs.com. The new site offers improved online customer support, information retrieval, and brand positioning. Specifically, the new site offers an administration function that allows designated ArvinMeritor staff to add, delete and edit content, the ability to highlight and change featured products and news on a realtime basis, images of all product parts, along with features and benefits information for each, payback calculators and other sales and service tools, and an extensive "literature on demand" application that allows users to search, order and download brochures, manuals and other product publications online. More about the vendor at www.mediag.com.
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Student auto techs compete next week: Teams of two students each from 10 Michigan high schools will compete to be first to diagnose and fix electrical and mechanical "bugs" deliberately placed on new Ford automobiles by Ford engineers in the Ford-AAA Student Auto Skills Michigan Competition, April 26 a the Macomb Community College Expo Center in Warren. The event runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The winning team will receive more than $20,000 in scholarships and automotive merchandise. It will also represent Michigan in the 2006 Ford-AAA Auto Skills National Finals June 27 in Dearborn.
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Okemos health IT consultant working with electronic health records group: Rick Brady, president and CTO of Okemos-based consultants BSTI, has been selected to serve on the national Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology. CCHIT, under contract from the federal Department of Health and Human Services, has been charged to develop a process to certify electronic health record application. Certification will make it easier for healthcare providers and payers to adopt EHR technology. Brady will be attending the HIMSS PACT conference on EHRs to be held Saturday in Dearborn. BSTI is an IT consulting firm with more than 13 years of experience working with health care providers and payers. More at www.bsti.com. More about CCHIT at www.cchit.org.
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First regional .Net developer conference to be held in May: Ann Arbor-based SRT Solutions said Monday it had signed on as a platinum partner of Day of .Net, to be held May 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Washtenaw Community College Business Education Building in Ann Arbor. Day of .Net is a software developer conference focused on an array of topics related to .Net technology. Limited to 200 attendees its first year, the groups plan to expand and hold the event on an annual basis. It's a collaborative effort of the Great Lakes Area .Net Users Group, www.migang.org, the Ann Arbor .Net Developers Group, www.aadnd.org, and the Northwest Ohio .Net User Group, www.nwnug.com. The event features special guest speaker, Mark Miller of Developer Express and Mondays, as well as 20 individual sessions organized into four tracks -- introduction to .Net, ASP .Net, smart client and miscellaneous topics. Lunch will be provided free, and items donated by event partners will be raffled off. More at www.dayofdotnet.org. More about SRT at www.srtsolutions.com.
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Inside Muskegon offers another podcast: The Inside Muskegon series of podcasts with technology, business and cultural leaders in the Muskegon area continues with edition 21, which features an interview with Bob Scolnik with Mona Lake Productions, a commentary on the interview, listener feedback and information on contacting Inside Muskegon. Listen to Inside Muskegon No. 21. More at www.insidemuskegon.com.
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Portal event reminder in GR: GlimaWest, NuSoft Solutions and KForce are offering an event on "Intranet Portal Strategy" April 27 at the Steelcase University Learning Center, 1111 44th St. S.E. in Grand Rapids. The event is free to GlimaWest members and $20 for non-members. To sign up for this event, click here. To become a member online, click here.
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Japan grants key silicon patent to Dow Corning: Midland-based Dow Corning Corp. said Monday it had been granted a key patent in Japan covering the use of silicon carbide barrier films between dielectric and metal layers found in the world's most advanced semiconductor devices. Dow Corning pioneered the use of silicon carbide barrier technology over 10 years ago, filing the original invention with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in February 1995. The barrier layer allows chip manufacturers to continue building devices that are smaller and faster than preceding generations. Dow Corning now holds Japanese patent No. 3,731,932 B covering the technology. Dow Corning is a joint venture of Midland's Dow Chemical Co. and Corning Inc. and provides thousands of types of silicon technology, including much of the basic building materials for modern electronics.
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Intelligent Connections, Cisco host security showcase: The Royal Oak-based network security provider Intelligent Connections LLC said Monday that it would be a host at the Cisco Security Showcase event May 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. The event will be held at the Cisco office in Southfield. On the agenda: the Cisco Self Defending Network architecture, security products and services, and design considerations for securing data, voice and wireless networks. To register for the free event, e-mail eregister@intelligentconnections.net or call (248) 837-1411. More about the company at www.intelligentconnections.net.
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EDS wins Medicare, Medicaid deal: Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS: News, chart, profile) Monday said it has been awarded a contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services worth up to $29 million if all extension options are exercised. EDS is one of three companies competing for task orders under the 10-year, $1.9 billion contract that CMS is using to consolidate data center operations supporting mainframe and client server applications. The contract includes a 1-year task order with four additional 1-year options.
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Software aims to cut sun exposure: Here's another nifty tech news video from the Associated Press, covering something very timely as summer nears. (And for me, yet another medical procedure to remove a piece of a fairly benign type of skin cancer from my neck.) New software is out that will help people decide what type of sun block they should wear, or how long they can remain in the sun before getting burned. Here's the video.
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EarthLink wraps up New Edge acquisition: Atlanta-based Internet service provider EarthLink Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK) last week wrapped up its purchase of Vancouver, Wash.-based New Edge Networks, a privately held broadband provider. The purchase price was $114.3 million in cash and 2.6 million shares of EarthLink common stock. About 250 New Edge Networks employees will also get stock options in EarthLink. More at www.newedgenetworks.com or www.earthlink.net.
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Oracle studying Novell acquisition: Business software provider Oracle Corp. is considering plans to offer its own version of the Linux operating system and has studied an acquisition of Novell Inc., the open-source operating system's No. 2 distributor, according to a newspaper report Monday. Novell shares rose 2.3 percent in Monday trading, while rival Red Hat Inc. fell 6.7 percent. Oracle sells databases and other business applications, and by offering a version of the Linux operating system, it would be able to provide customers with a more complete suite of software. Rivals such as Microsoft Corp. and IBM Corp. commonly tout the benefits of these packages, called "stacks." Oracle's chief executive, Larry Ellison, told the Financial Times that the company might launch its own version of Linux and has considered buying Linux distributor Novell. That could help counter leading Linux vendor Red Hat, which just announced a $350 million acquisition of JBoss Inc., a maker of open-source "middleware," which connects varying applications. More.
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AOL to show programs from Shanghai unit: AOL this week will begin broadcasting news programs supplied by Shanghai Media Group's broadband unit, the companies said Monday. Shows will be broadcast on AOL's Chinese language Web site and will focus on Chinese social, business, sports and entertainment topics, said Wang Xiaotang, a spokeswoman for SMG Broadband Co. "AOL aims to broadcast that content to Chinese all over the world," she said. AOL is the Internet unit of Time Warner Inc. The programs will be available to users of http://aol.com/chinese, which carries news and programming, Webcasts of sports events and other Internet services related to China. More.
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Professional video gaming set for TV debut: Professional video gaming is set to debut on cable television later this year, potentially paving the way for the kings and queens of game controllers to become as familiar to American households as the faces of Johnny Chan or Annie Duke in televised poker. Major League Gaming, the world's largest organized video gaming league, on Monday will announce a programming deal in which USA Network will air seven one-hour episodes in the fall, featuring the pro circuit and its players. Though video gaming fans have been able to follow competitions on game Web sites for years already, MLG's television deal marks the first time regular TV viewers would be able track the ups and downs of a pro tournament, watching video gaming as a new kind of extreme sport. More.
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Web site rates health journalism: Newspaper and magazine health coverage will be reviewed online at a new Web site beginning Monday. Access to the site and its findings, http://www.HealthNewsReview.org, is free and open to consumers. It was created by University of Minnesota journalism professor Gary Schwitzer, who fashioned the site after similar efforts in Australia and Canada. The reviewers will monitor top newspapers, magazines and other media outlets, including The Associated Press, and rate their coverage of health issues. Articles will be rated on a scale of one to five stars, and the reviewers also will post comments. More.
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CNet launches video network: CNet Networks Monday said it will launch "CNet TV", a new video on demand network over cable, on digital video recorders made by Tivo and on the Internet as it broadens its reach to viewers. The company, known for its gadget reviews and technology industry news, said it has signed a deal with cable operator Cox Communications, Tivo Inc. and TVN Entertainment to distribute its videos. TVN provides on-demand videos to the cable industry. Best Buy Enterprises Inc. will be the service's first advertising sponsor, CNet said in a statement.
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Vivendi CEO says mobile phones to be Swiss knives of digital age: Mobile phones are the Swiss Army knives of the digital age, but French regulators are holding back functions such as television, the head of Vivendi Universal was quoted as saying on Monday. Jean-Bernard Levy, chairman of the French telecoms and media group, told Le Parisen newspaper in an interview that its mobile phone arm SFR already had 30,000 subscribers to its television service and could overtake Apple Computer Inc.'s ITunes as the leading mobile music download site in France by year end. "The mobile phone is the Swiss knife of the digital age. It is appreciated for its user friendliness and interactivity," Levy was quoted as saying. New functions have developed as download speeds increase and memory capacity grows, but if regulators did not respond, France risked losing ground to other countries in developing new services, he said. "At the moment, one frequency is blocked by each (mobile television) communication toward a subscriber. We need to move to having one frequency per television channel, which would be more efficient and reduce prices," he said in the interview. More.
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PBS considers putting shows online: The U.S. Public Broadcasting System is considering making its television shows available on the Internet or portable devices like MP3 players, its new president and CEO said Monday. PBS is also weighing whether to partner with technology companies, in the same way that Walt Disney Co. has teamed up with Apple Computer Inc. to sell episodes of some of its ABC television network series on ITunes for downloading to IPods, CEO Paula Kerger said. She also pointed to PBS's archive of educational shows like "Nature," "Frontline" and other documentaries as a possible resource that could be accessed "anytime, anywhere." More.
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Former Greenpeace chief now backs nuclear power: One of the founders of Greenpeace wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post saying he's changed his mind about nuclear power. Patrick Moore now argues that nuclear power is the only feasible, affordable power source that can solve today's growing environmental and energy policy issues, and head off catastrophic climate change. More.
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Symantec gets $1 billion tax bill: Shares of Symantec Corp. lost nearly 4 percent in after-hours trading Monday, following an IRS claim that the company owes $1 billion in additional taxes. Symantec (SYMC: News, chart, profile) lost 3.7 percent to finish at $15.79 after the maker of the Norton family of antivirus and security software said that it received a notice from the Internal Revenue Service claiming the company owes $1 billion in additional taxes, mostly related to Veritas Software Corp. Symantec acquired Veritas last July. Symantec, which plans to contest the claims, said it "strongly believes the IRS positions with regard to these matters are inconsistent with applicable tax laws and existing Treasury regulations." See full story.
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Stocks: U.S. stocks ended lower Monday as the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell to their worst levels in more than a month after oil prices topped $70 a barrel, raising concern high energy costs will fuel inflation and hurt corporate profits. The Dow industrials ($INDU: News, chart, profile) fell 63.87 points to 11,073.78, its lowest closing level since March 9. Of the Dow industrials 30 components, 25 contributed to losses. See performance of Dow stocks. The Nasdaq Composite Index ($COMPQ: News, chart, profile) fell 14.95 points to 2,311.16. The S&P 500 Index ($SPX: News, chart, profile) dropped 3.79 points to 1,285.33, its worst close since March 13. The Amex Pharmaceutical Index ($DRG: News, chart, profile) inched down 0.2 percent to close at 321.63 and the Amex Biotechnology Index edged down 0.6 percent to 680.72, following a relatively calm session for the sectors on Wall Street. Semiconductor ($SOX: News, chart, profile) and computer hardware ($GHA: News, chart, profile) stocks also sold off.
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