Herald staff
EVERETT — Intermec Technologies Corp. formed a new business group Tuesday to focus more attention on its wireless products and technology.
Gregory Smith, previously vice president of technology and programs for Intermec’s Systems and Solutions Division, will lead the new group. The change means all of the company’s wireless engineering, marketing and production resources are based in Everett.
Smith said the change will help the company explore new markets for its products, which include a wide range of handheld computers and computer terminals that can be used for inventory control, supply chain management and other applications.
Hughes purchase OKd: The Federal Trade Commission will allow the Boeing Co.’s $3.75 billion purchase of Hughes Electronics Corp.’s space and communications division. But it is requiring that measures be taken to prohibit a competitive advantage. Under the agreement, Boeing could no longer provide systems engineering and technical assistance to the Defense Department for a classified program. Boeing must also "erect firewalls" to keep its satellite and launch vehicle divisions from learning nonpublic information from each other.
New corn shelved: The developer of a gene-altered variety of corn linked to a massive recall of taco shells is stopping sales of the seed until the government approves its use in food. Aventis CropScience said Tuesday that it will take steps to assure that the corn being harvested this fall does not get into food channels. The corn, known as StarLink, is allowed only in animal feed because of unresolved questions about its potential for causing allergies in humans. It is one of eight varieties of biotech corn now on the market and the only one not approved for food.
Biotech firms team up: Rosetta Informatics Inc. and Sangamo BioSciences Inc. executives Tuesday announced that they plan to use their complementary technologies to study certain genes or proteins that may be candidates for new drugs. Rosetta, with facilities in Kirkland and Bothell, is combining information technology and genomics to create new ways to speed up the drug discovery process. Sangamo, which is developing proteins aimed at regulating cell function, is based in Richmond, Calif.
Tuesday prices: Gold sold for $274.85 a troy ounce, silver sold for $4.97 and platinum sold for $568.
E-mail compatibility: The Internet’s two leading instant messaging services, both owned and run by America Online, Inc. have taken at least a nominal step toward compatibility. Users of AOL’s ICQ instant messaging service can now access that network by entering their password into AOL’s AIM instant messenger.
