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hi Rodeo.
imagine that when faced with every major decision, weisel has to decide between:
(1) being loyal to you;
or,
(2) acting in his own of self interest.
which do you think he will and does choose, time and time again?
100% JMO and FYI
re Healthcare and Intuitive Surgical
Inuitive and its DaVinci device is kinda comparable to iRobot in terms of their success in this niche IMO.
Robotics come to the operating room
Patients experience less pain, heal faster with surgeon-directed robot
By Julie Randle
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 3:13 PM CDT
Submitted Photo -- Dr. Adam S. Kibel, a surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, sits at a console and operates a robot, which is performing a surgical procedure on a patient in a separate room.
Everyone is familiar with an operating room. They can be found scattered across television screens, the central focus of TV series, reality shows and soap operas. Teams of doctors and nurses huddle beneath a large lamp. A patient lies on an operating table. The camera scans across a tray filled with scapels, retractors, saws and other arcane instruments.
Cut to the Siteman Cancer Center. There a doctor gazes intently at computer console while using hand controls to maneuver a trio of robotic arms in an operating theater in the next room.
Two of the arms hold surgical tools while the third holds a camera that is focused on the area being operated on. A surgeon stands beside the robot to assist in the procedure.
The terminal and robot make up a million-dollar surgical device known as the da Vinci Surgical System. The system has been in use since June by urologists at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
"We obtained the da Vinci System about two months ago and this is one of the first in the St. Louis area," said Dr. Sam Bhayani, co-director of robotic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine.
The da Vinci System has been used for a variety of procedures, but most commonly for prostate removal in patients suffering from prostate cancer. Other procedures include removal of small kidney tumors and removal of the bladder for bladder cancer,
"Mostly what we are using the robot for these days is prostate surgery. We will be moving into other areas such as kidney surgery and bladder surgery in the future," Dr. Adam Kibel, co-director of robotic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. Bhayani and Kibel are surgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Both doctors believe there are no down sides to the system, only positives. The minimally invasive procedure means less pain for patients and a shorter recovery time.
Instead of a long incision, the patient has six small holes through which the robot allows the surgeon to work, Bhayani said.
From a doctor's perspective, there are countless advantages. The optics allow the surgeon to closely scrutinize the organs.
Not every person is a candidate for da Vinci Surgical System. However, the vast majority of patients who can have their prostate removed with minimally invasive procedures are candidates for the da Vinci System.
"Currently, the robot only follows commands. Therefore, the robot can only do what the surgeon can do and nothing more. In the future, possibly robots will do things without supervision, but not at the current time," Bhayani said.
http://southcityjournal.stltoday.com/life_and_style/sj2tn20070724-0725sou_robot.ii1.txt
InRob Tech and Frontline Robotics Discuss Collaboration on Robotics Defense Projects
PR Newswire
July 25, 2007: 10:00 AM EST
LAS VEGAS, July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- InRob Tech Ltd. ("InRob") , today announced that it has summarized preliminary principles of collaboration with Frontline Robotics, a Canadian company that specializes in the development of systems and technologies for robot platforms. This collaboration will include marketing and joint bidding on defense-related robotics projects.
Frontline Robotics (http://www.frontline-robotics.com ) develops systems and technologies for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) that focus on perimeter security and public safety. The company develops and delivers a range of mobile robotic solutions for homeland security that are built around its core technology, the Robot Open Control(TM) (The ROC(TM)), a robot operating system that provides autonomy and cognitive collaboration for teams of mobile robots.
"Frontline Robotic's software technology and integration expertise perfectly complements InRob Tech's own remote control robotic platforms. Working together will allow us to greatly improve our MIL-STD remote controlled UGVs by allowing them to patrol autonomously, avoid obstacles and to communicate bi-directionally in real time amongst robot team members and with the base station." explains InRob Tech President, Ben Tsur Joseph. "InRob Tech offers its military standard technologies and stellar reputation, while Frontline Robotics contributes its team intelligence software, to create a genuine win/win technological and business solution for defense and security- related robotics applications."
InRob Tech and Frontline Robotics have just completed a recent round of talks exploring potential areas of collaboration and cooperation. "In preparing for these discussions, both companies have also sought the opinions of market leaders. We were very pleased to discover that the clients of both companies are very enthusiastic about the potential synergies of this collaboration," adds Jeremy James, President and CEO of Frontline Robotics. "The fact that Frontline Robotics has a permanent office in Israel facilitates our plans to bid together on local defense contracts."
"Collaboration with Frontline Robotics opens the door to InRob Tech's participation in strategically important developments in the security robotics industry. We believe that our businesses will be favorably affected since both companies wisely realize the full potential of this synergism," notes Ben Tsur Joseph, President of InRob Tech.
About InRob Tech
InRob Tech is an Israeli-based high-tech company specializing in the planning, manufacturing and service support of advanced wireless and remote control systems, operating all types of robots and other vehicles. The Company is Israel's leader in its field, and supports the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces), Israeli police, and other military and civilian companies dealing with security. Founded in 1988, the Company works closely with other high-tech companies to provide the most advanced and comprehensive UGV solutions to the market.
For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.inrobtech.com .
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release may contain 'forward-looking' information within the meaning of the Federal securities laws. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release may include forward- looking statements that may involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward- looking statements to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances or to reflect unanticipated events or developments.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/CLW05225072007-1.htm
ABB posts forecasts-beating Q2 results on across-the-board growth UPDATE
07.26.07, 3:43 AM ET
(Updating with more details on divisions, main markets, margins, cash reserves)
ZURICH (Thomson Financial) - ABB Ltd (nyse: ABB - news - people ) reported forecast-beating second-quarter results, with net profit almost doubling to 729 mln usd, from 367 mln the year before, citing continued robust demand in all regions and businesses, operational improvements as well as lower taxes.
For the remainder of 2007, ABB predicts its business environment to remain in line with that seen in 2006 and during the first half of this year, although order growth is expected to moderate somewhat.
Analysts had forecast net profit to rise to 517-664 mln usd, or 570 mln on average.
Additional factors contributing to the higher net income were an improvement in net finance expenses, resulting from lower debts, as well as the non-recurrence of the year earlier period's bond-related costs.
EBIT during the second quarter rose to 1.030 bln usd, from 645 mln, also beating forecasts of 0.845-1.001 bln.
The group's EBIT margin improved to 14.4 pct, from 11.4 pct one year ago.
Sales in the period increased to 7.143 bln usd, compared to 5.641 bln a year ago, and to forecasts of 6.541-6.930 bln.
In parallel, new orders climbed to 8.666 bln usd, from 6.868 bln.
'ABB continues to benefit from increased global investments in energy efficiency, as well as power and industrial infrastructure,' chief executive Fred Kindle commented.
ABB said that its power products division once again benefited from efforts to make regional grid interconnections in Europe more efficient, along with power infrastructure expansions in the Middle East.
As a result, the volume of large orders of more than 15 mln usd almost doubled to about 1.4 bln usd compared to the year earlier period, bringing the power products division's total orders to 2.780 bln usd, from 2.411 bln.
The power systems unit also benefited from a doubling of large orders, including a subsea interconnection between the UK and the Netherlands as well as a large substation order from Abu Dhabi.
The unit's total orders during the period climbed to 2.217 bln usd, from 1.388 bln.
In the automation products division, markets continued to develop favourably, with order growth for standard products remaining strong, while engineering products and system order growth was flat, ABB said.
Geographically, the strongest growth came from China, South America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
The unit's orders reached 2.221 bln usd, after 1.957 bln.
In process automation, new orders rose to 1.937 bln usd, from 1.682 bln, with high commodity prices driving investments to expand capacity in the metals and minerals business.
Robotics also recorded a sharp rise in new orders to 392 mln usd, from 268 mln, with orders higher from both general industry as well as the automotive industry.
Orders were higher in all regions, led by Europe, ABB said.
ABB said that its financial position at the end of the second quarter remained strong, with net cash totaling 2.4 bln usd, roughly unchanged from a year ago.
andrew.ge.thompson@thomson.com
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/07/26/afx3953858.html
CoroWare Becomes Gold Sponsor of RoboDevelopment Conference
Posted in Events, Training, Robotics on Wednesday, July 25, 2007
http://edageek.com/2007/07/25/robotics-trends-eh/
Robotics Trends and EH Publishing announced that CoroWare has joined the inaugural RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition, the international technical design and development event for mobile robotics and intelligent systems industry, as a Gold Sponsor. The company will also host a Robotics Breakfast keynote session on October 26, 2007. The RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition will be held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, CA on October 25-26, 2007.
According to Dan Kara, conference chairman and President of Robotics Trends, "We are very pleased that CoroWare, a company with great industry standing and a Microsoft Robotics Partner, is supporting the RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition as a Gold sponsor. CoroWare has a great reputation within the robotics community as a leading robotics development, deployment and integration firm, and is particularly noted for its real-world experience delivering mobile robotics and business automation solutions."
Lloyd Spencer, President of CoroWare Technologies notes, "CoroWare is delighted to be part of the first technical event for the robotics industry that is focused on the design and development of commercial mobile robots and intelligent systems products. Through their events and media offerings, Robotics Trends continues to drive the personal, service and mobile robotics industry. We look forward to collaborating with Robotics Trends on the RoboDevelopment event and other initiatives as we work to together to build this exciting and rapidly expanding industry."
The RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition is a multifaceted educational forum and trade show dedicated to addressing the technical issues involved with the design and development of commercial robotic products. The RoboDevelopment keynotes and general sessions are specifically designed to impart to technical professionals the information they need to develop the next generation of personal, service and mobile robots, while the RoboDevelopment exposition provides attendees with hands-on access to the latest design and development solutions for producing mobile robotics and intelligent systems technology.
Tracks within the 2007 RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition include:
* Design, Development and Standards
* Tools and Platforms
* Enabling Technology
About CoroWare
CoroWare, an Innova Robotics & Automation company, is an innovative systems and mobile service robotics application integrator that delivers forward-looking solutions and services to help customers and communities realize their IT and business goals. CoroWare's experienced team of professionals delivers integrated solutions based on Windows and Unix midrange platforms. CoroWare has depth of knowledge and breadth of experience in robotics integration, embedded/mobile system integration and market development. The company also designs and builds software for platforms that range from mobile handheld devices to mobile service robots.
About Robotics Trends, Inc.
Robotics Trends is the world’s first integrated media firm that serves the burgeoning personal, service and mobile robotics marketplace. Robotics Trends Analyst Services serves the strategic consulting needs of leading emerging robotics manufacturers.
About EH Publishing
EH Publishing, Inc. is the information leader and resource for the home electronic industry. Serving the technology and construction markets, EH Publishing, Inc. reaches more than half a million home electronic professionals, builders and consumers worldwide. Founded in 1994, EH Publishing, Inc. has defined, cultivated and raised awareness of the $15 billion electronic/installed home industry through its products, which include print publications, on-line publications, trade shows and market studies. EH Publishing, Inc. is the industry's source for home technology information and market analysis, with the targeted print and on-line publications: Electronic House, Home Electronic Ideas, CE Pro, CE Pro Retailing, ChannelPro, TecHome Builder, Live Sound, and targeted tradeshows: Electronic House Expo (EHX), TecHome Builder Conference and Expo (TBX), Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX), RoboBusiness Conference and Expo, RoboDevelopment Conference and Expo, and the Consumer HealthTech Summit.
http://www.robodevelopment.com/sponsor/sponsors.html
http://www.robodevelopment.com/conference/speakers.html
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=21182145
maybe _anonymous can take a day off from work in late October and head south to Silcon Valley?
notice how Ft Myers consistently doesn't promote the Redmond area stepchild who earns all the money that they spend on the Gulf Coast? isn't there something wrong with that picture?
100% JMO!
Robots, Rise Up!
03.09.06 Technology, Cover - Washington CEO
Industry leaders say military applications are the trend in robotics
Over his quarter century working at Microsoft Corp.,Tandy Trower, general manager of the company's Robotics Studio, has pitched multiple ideas to Chairman Bill Gates. The newly created department was one of the successful ones. - (Photo by Steve Sklepowich)
http://www.washingtonceo.com/index.php?id=90&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=19&tx_ttnews[backPid]=49&...
123, thought you had been an investor for a year+? there has been tons of this sort of stuff posted on this board over the last year... anyway, in this article Trower specifically cites Coroware and Innova.
please feel free to re-post this sort of DD to your heart's delight.
the first one's on me.
123, here's a bit of licensing-related history.
Area robotics company forms two alliances
Innova software firm has linked with an Alabama company and aeronautical school, increasing its potential in the robotics field and defense market, said CEO of Innova
By Riddhi Trivedi-St. Clair
Bonita Daily News
Friday, April 28, 2006
{snip}
It also will open up a whole new market for Innova’s patented software.
“It is really difficult to sell software by itself. The [Mesa] robotic vehicles [uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, nevermind] will be another method to deliver our expertise and software into a larger market and that is our number one goal,” Weisel said. “Anyone can make a robotic arm but if they are PC-controlled, they are going to have to come to us for the software license.”
http://www.bonitanews.com/news/2006/apr/28/area_robotics_company_forms_two_alliances/
the problem for me on this topic is that i just do not believe anything that comes out of this guy's mouth anymore. JMO.
you asked:
Q: "Has Microsoft ever acknowledged INRA?"
A: Yes.
i'm sorta surprised that an investor following this company for a year+ would even have to ask this question, especially as it is likely the single most compelling overall fundamental item. and btw, did you bother to review anything in the link i previously PMed you about Tandy Trower? in terms of MSFT and bots, he is Microsoft.
as for the healthcare sector research you request -- thanks but i'll pass. it underscores what i consider to be an identity crisis business model that weisel has blathered about, as in, everything to every bot, yet a glaring and pervasive absence of any honey in the pot.
the Ft Myers portion of this company is so completely screwed up IMO that it doesn't have the slightest idea what it wants to be, perhaps beyond that of serving as a means to a lifestyle end for a select few at the expense of the many. JMO.
btw, i definitely should have included David Hyams in my earlier list of Coro guys who should be considered viable board candidates, and fyi, TMC picked up yesterday's Coro PR: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-coroware-launches-infrastructure-optmization-service-help-small-mediu...
replacing the "hy-tech three" with Coro's Spencer, Harvey, and Mandrell or Calsyn is a slate that could (and should IMO) win support of a majority of SHs IMO.
what exactly do the "hy-tech three" (Conklin, McNear, Nielsen) provide the company?
the entity that generates 95% of all revs currently has no board presence -- what is wrong with that picture?
very nice work. might i suggest a few paragraphs tho?
just installed you as a mod, provided you have the time of course the young turks here should have some voice and you have already made an impression on many here, so i hope you'll accept the low pay, long hours, and little to no respect...
i don't believe everything needs to necessarily be "positive," but the dialog of late has been increasingly constructive, and that, in itself, is positive.
pleased to give you the first peoplemark and thank you for your recent series of thoughtful and analytical posts.
regards and g'night.
"I voiced my opinion...IN the hopes others would also take the time to put in their word."
no prob. post whatever you want about the company, tech, sector, marketing, management, competition, etc., etc., good, bad or otherwise -- the more the merrier IMO. and on this we are in agreement: "One thing is for sure...Coroware is key and we should be focusing highly on maximizing that potential."
the vast majority of my complaints here are connected to this idea in one way or another, and the affront that is the Ft Myers mis-managment of this incredible asset in its apparent self-preservation and irrational justification, while standing in defiance of the historic (non) results of the swamp. IMO.
here's the RE(2) biz development exec.
Steve Cary is the Director of Business Development for re. Steve joined re in 2006 and is responsible for developing and implementing corporate strategies which shape future business activities, as well as executing current business campaigns. Steve has over 10 years experience in the IT industry and has extensive experience in product development, consulting and systems integration. Prior to joining re, Steve served as a consultant for a successful startup, Landslide, Inc., developing internal product development strategy. Steve holds a BA in Communications from University of Washington and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
http://www.resquared.com/cary.html
yes, it would be a "strategic mistake" to shut down 1 of only 2 JAUS labs in the U.S., especially considering the partnership it was fostering with RE Squared. Call Jessica Pedersen @ RE(2) 412-681-6382, maybe she'll give you the 411?
now add in that the word was that just after this CTL debacle happened, and Jim Albers was rumored to have walked, weisel bought Al Fleming's Port Charlotte CNC garage for 3/4 of a million. so, there wasn't sufficient funds available to maintain the R&D presence in Pittsburgh, but there is available capital to "invest" in a company that according to its crappy website is still working with Whitney Punch Presses (World War II technology, BTW), and is actually boasting about that!
you're a financial analyst, do these "decisions" really add up?!? of course, IMO, you must factor in that AL_tronics is geographically close to Ft Myers, and under weisel's direct control and oversight.
sorry, don't have time to look up info for everyone else so that "we" can be satisfied, although my suggestion to everyone is always to perform regular due diligence and satisfy yourself. while you're at it, call Mesa Associates (256.772.7025) and see what they have to say!
it also looks like the company won't have any presence at all this year at the 2007 AUVSI show next month in Washington DC... http://symposium.auvsi.org/
that makes sense right? spent $10K per month on Ashcroft over the last year, plus the various signing bonus stock issuances and option grants, etc., why would the company want to be present inside the beltway at one of the industry's biggest events?
and btw 123, next month is in the future...
what happened to Steve Genova?
from today's PR:
PRESS CONTACT:
Kami Noland
Marketing Coordinator
CoroWare Technologies
knoland@coroware.com
(800) 641-2676 x 278
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=754047
prior PRs listed:
CoroWare, Inc.
4074 148th Ave. NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Steve Genova
sgenova@coroware.com
doubtful that weisel sees your cause and his as being the same thing IMO. you might consider contacting the investor education division/department of the SEC and get some info and insight on how to accomplish your objectives.
Brainerd Communicators was supposed to handle IR, but they're gone, before that was Agora, and before that was Friedman, all of them in the last year, BTW. and FWIW, from what i've heard, company management regularly reads this board.
here's the new TA contact info.
Worldwide Stock Transfer, LLC
885 Queen Anne Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: (201) 357-8650
Fax: (201) 357-8648
E-mail: info@wwstr.com
Web site: www.wwstr.com
thanks for taking the initiative on this -- giddy'up!
not sure if this is at all related, or if it's OT:
Nude blonde, gold stilettos and a Ferrari
it would seem there is quite a bit of common ground.
however, AL_tronics is more swampland IMO, and was purchased for around $750K (incidentally right around the same time that Coro Test Labs was being shuttered) that investors will NEVER see a return IMO. expensive little IP holding company here and we willl see just what kind of revs it generates in a full qtr. with the next 10Q. more commentary on that here --> http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=21225891
CoroWare is probably why most people are here i suspect. well, 'cept maybe some of our new invading force that seems to know little if anything about bots, but keeps beating that "think positive" drum!
as for your remarks about the overall retro-fit approach, yep, that has been discussed here too, and there really hasn't been anyone willing to champion that strategy because it isn't ever going to be high-growth. who really knows what if anything will happen with the announced licensing strategy. there wasn't any mention of Niro in the licensing PR, btw. a quote from him would have been a positive IMO. but of course, the retro-fit aftermarket plan is precisely what justifies weisel's corporate existence here, so damn the torpedoes!!! besides, Coro is always there to pick up the check.
so, hey, you can lead the way on this shareholder initiative. it's definitely a worthwhile idea, provided of course, that you are willing to sacrifice your time. if the end result was a proxy challenge of some sort, that really might be of some shareholder benefit in the long run. 100% JMO.
nobody is stopping you from organizing an initiative. nobody is mocking or ridiculing you either, at least not on this board. IMO.
what you call "positive news" from today, i call a fundamental problem of the Ft Myers cronyism business model. specifically, the talent at Coro has to focus on supporting the entire structure, one that is groaning under the weight of the Ft Myers excesses and years of underperformance. IMO. Coro could be focused on leading the world in JAUS, and other technologies (e.g., MSRS), but that R&D shop in "Robo-burgh" was closed recently and a noted "scruffy" mind, and the former CTL CTO, Jim Albers, was rumored to have simply walked away.
but hey, we've got the new bleach-blonde ambition!!!
here are the most recently reported rev figures:
Q1 (2007) revs - $671,679
$635,305 = CoroWare = 94.6%
$19,854 = Altronics = 2.96%
$16,520 = RWT = 2.46%
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?Message_id=19834543
you claim to be a financial analyst -- yet you apparently can't see this systemic business model problem?!? Ft Myers is quicksand where Coro revs go to be spent. IMO.
your so-called "point" wasn't "missed." it was irrelevant nonsense IMO. however, it did serve to illustrate that nepotism and cronyism are more often than not a direct disservice to shareholders.
it was your colleague RS who made the 60 employees claim.
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=21444978
yes the industry itself is indeed "exciting," yet weisel's little carnival of cronyism is not participating at all in that sector excitement IMO. perhaps that is because people, aka "the market," like you suggested, is making its own conclusions about the weisel spiel and it simply ain't buying what Ft Myers is selling, irrespective of the "Frinkinfrangleburger Award thing."
feel free to explain how the reward supposedly outweighs the risk. i can see how that works for weisel and cornell, but not for the average shareholders. can't see it for Coro either, but then again, they are more or less in the same boat as the shareholders.
speaking of boats, did weisel ever get that yacht that was rumored after the ABB settlement? HarryO has repeatedly hinted, he says only "joking," that weisel took the ABB settlement money for himself. Know anything about that? Is that rumor true?
what you call "65cents," i call $0.065, and others might even call it $0.0065 (because of the reverse split weisel sold last year with some seriously dubious claims IMO).
have a great day in sunny F-L-A!
the absurd assumptions and ridiculous rhetoric of a 123.
1) the point about weisel's tele-evangelist "church" affiliation is that it's all about the cronyism, all about the entrenchment, all about keeping the power structure in Ft Myers, and not at all about the actual qualifications that the company should consider its top priority when hiring someone to handle sales.
2) keeping the power concentrated in Ft Myers is designed to keep weisel entrenched, apparently even if it means hiring staff that have zero experience in the industry. you can speculatively claim she has all the "transferrable" skills in the world, just as i can say that any serious business person will see through this contention, and will ultimately perceive her as a glorified real estate agent who knows nothing about the technology.
3) despite the earlier unsubstantiated claim that there are 60 employees, i think you are wrong to assume that this person won't be making sales calls. she will almost certainly be in the field, and you write about Ballard ("the last person") like he's gone. is he? and if he is, why hasn't that been disclosed and why is this former dry cleaner/real estate agent within Innova Robotics instead of RWT? you say you aren't an insider, nor connected to one, but the little hints somehow seem to persist.
4) "do you really think the CEO of Ford is a mechanic?" okay this really is just a silly nonsense question. however, it does underscore my primary theme. the Ford family followed a course of nepotism for generations, and those chickens had finally come home to roost after years of bad decisions and mismanagement as Japanese competition continued to chip away at the market, which is a meritocracy after all. isn't Alan Mulally the first non-Ford CEO in company history? of course Ford has had to approach the praecipice of insolvency, along with the other 2 major U.S. auto manufacturers, in order to embrace such drastic change.
5) the PR today seems to be another example where revs can be created like cold fusion from the Coro knowledge base. CIOs can hire Coro and squeeze greater efficiency from their systems and networks by way of best practices that perhaps Coro knows cold. makes a CIO's job easier. however, this is also part of an overall strategy IMO, that because of all the BS in Ft Myers, Coro has to keep cranking away at day-to-day rev generation to support the Ft Myers "lifestyle," and that keeps them away from the core of the robotics developments that IMO could result in a gusher. it's just a way to keep paying their bills, and sending more and more cash down to the swamp. if Coro didn't have to carry all the extra dead weight, this easy rev stuff could/would be funding big picture R&D stuff that just might later have enormous and explosive proprietary value, instead of just being a rev generating treadmill for the bloated "parent corporation." the "think positive" crew will almost certainly whistle past that graveyard because they are either in on it, or they just don't get it. IMO.
here are your words:
"I work for a major defense contractor where i see innovation with robotics nearly everywhere"
old facts? my main theme today has been regarding this new VP Annalisa the real estate agent whatever-her-name, and how terribly inappropriate her being hired for such a senior post is, and how it serves as an example for the pervasive culture of cronyism that is rotting this company from its inside. that was announced TODAY.
post as little or as much as you like. i'll do the same. and maybe, just maybe, we will both try to actually respect the other. but i can assure you that your wallet, or actually your perception of what you believe impacts your wallet, is not and will not ever be a variable in what, when, or how i post.
posting remarks like "keep it to yourself," as if you are even in a position to demand that of anyone else, probably just increases the overall number of posts geometrically. fyi.
and the point regarding your July 2006 purchase? you likely bought it somewhere between 30 and 15 and are down anywhere from about 80% to 60%. combine that with your remarks about your wallet in my prior post.
yo Joe, i'll give ya #1-4, and #6, but #5? no way...
she is so massively unqualified for the position it isn't even funny. it's more of this cronyism BS where weisel installs a circle of sycophants that allows him to do whatever, whenever, and wherever he wants.
and the worst part is that there's a guy within the company that is vastly superior (Martin Harvey), is an experienced business development guy, totally knows the tech, knows the Softee secret handshake and he is out in Redmond.
the problem with that is weisel apparently won't allow anyone from Coro to have any real authority, i guess they are just there to keep generating 95% of the company's revs.
every penny spent in Ft Myers is a penny wasted IMO.
this former dry cleaner and real estate agent (and btw, will she continue to carry listings?) might be a lovely person, but this is also who is now in charge of sales and is a corporate VICE-FREAKING-PRESIDENT!!!!
it's so out-of-bounds IMO.
the real concern IMO is that sooner or later, the guys at Coro are gonna give Ft Myers the finger and walk.
good points chunga.
your tireless efforts on that topic led to some changes that have some real meaning for retail shareholders. and thanks again btw for your many OS reports. some people are so important that they don't have time to do any homework at all and want to just glom, and without your efforts, the OS here would remain generally unknown to people who don't bother to do any of their own DD. apparently some of these same sorts don't realize that most of the people on this board get along rather well, even when there has been disagreement.
cheers!
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=722087
SOURCE: Innova Robotics and Automation, Inc.
Apr 26, 2007 17:44 ET
Innova Robotics & Automation Appoints New Transfer Agent
Highlighted Links
Innova Holdings, Inc.
FORT MYERS, FL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 26, 2007 -- Innova Robotics & Automation, Inc. (OTCBB: INRA), a robotics technology firm, announced today that it has appointed Worldwide Stock Transfer, LLC as its transfer agent and registrar, effective immediately.
Shareholders may reach Worldwide Stock Transfer, LLC at:
Address:
885 Queen Anne Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: (201) 357-8650
Fax: (201) 357-8648
E-mail: info@wwstr.com
Web site: www.wwstr.com
About Innova Robotics & Automation, Inc.
Fort Myers, Fla.-based Innova Robotics & Automation (OTCBB: INRA) pioneers innovative control and communication solutions that make robotics and automated systems more productive, powerful and profitable for customers in the telecommunications, manufacturing, aerospace, research, and service industries. The company is chartered to continue expanding its growing suite of technologies through acquisitions and organic growth. Innova operates through four subsidiaries, Robotic Workspace Technologies (RWT), CoroWare Technologies, Innova Robotics, and Altronics Service, which offer convergent technology and expertise that bridge robots, facilities and business systems for greater functionality and ROA. Visit Innova online at www.innovaroboticsautomation.com.
not trying at all... you did ALL the heavy lifting. you admitted knowing nothing about bots, then i demonstrated where you had previously claimed that you worked for a defense contractor and you were just surrounded by 'em every day. okay, whatever dude, you've been caught lying and it was easy to do. you also claimed you bought your shares in July 2006 ("i invested in the company in july with a reasonable amount of money") http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=16098344
and with that, we arrive at your apparent motivation for posting:
"i like to talk crap in fantasy football too. just don't do it in a place where you are affecting the peoples pockets around you."
you and your ilk can continue to try to bait me, try to bully me, whatever. i have forgotten more about this company than you will ever know, and can easily continue to bring up items of Ft Myers dirty laundry every time one of you tries to shut down posts by the people who have been here all along. some of us actually use this board to share info and knowledge. now some of you might think these boards are solely for pumping and convincing others to buy your stock, but maybe others don't see things your way? we're all just going to have to find a way to co-exist. and btw, iHub posts have zero effect on the pps IMO.
take notice though, that nobody is trying to stop you from posting whatever you want (within the TOU) and none of your posts have been deleted, nor anyone else's, except for duplicates. you can do it here, or on your new google board, HSM, silicon investor, RB, whatever and wherever. and btw, tonight's banter, while worthwhile for exposing certain inconsistencies, pushes the TOU too far IMO.
please don't think the regular residents wish to deny you the ability to post here, but by the same token, efforts to suppress the regulars who post here only increases the volume and frequency, and perhaps the noise to frequency.
future posts should stay on the topic of the company, or stuff related to the company. your cooperation on that effort would be really appreciated -- tia!
a "robo-knowledge" contest? geez. i should lose that contest in a heartbeat. YOU work for a major defense contractor... now, where are those cheetos?
Posted by: _anonymous
In reply to: None
Date:1/10/2007 3:10:57 AM
Post #2322 of 8653
"I work for a major defense contractor where i see innovation with robotics nearly everywhere, along with a budget from agencies like DARPA and DoD that are driving new technologies to replace soldiers on easy yet extremely dangerous missions."
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=16098344
Talking with ... William Thomasmeyer
Defense robotics center chief points to 50 funded projects
William Thomasmeyer
Job: President, National Center for Defense Robotics, and executive vice president, The Technology Collaborative.
Age: 53
Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y.; resides in O'Hara.
Education: Bachelor of science, computer science, University of San Francisco, 1976.
Career: 1976-77: programmer analyst, On-Line Systems, Pittsburgh; 1977-83: vice president, marketing, Ross Systems, Palo Alto, Calif.; 1983-86: co-founder, Software Illustrated, Pleasanton, Calif.; 1986-95: president, Virtual Microsystems, San Mateo, Calif.; 1995-97: president, Logicraft Information Systems, Amherst, N.H.; 1997-98: president, Mestek Technology, Westfield, Mass.; 1998-2000: president, MCS, Pittsburgh; 2000-01: senior vice president, sales and marketing, CareCentric, Atlanta; 2002-present: co-founder and president, National Center for Defense Robotics, Pittsburgh; 2005-present: executive vice president, The Technology Collaborative, Pittsburgh.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
By Joyce Gannon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
When William Thomasmeyer moved to Pittsburgh in 1998 to run MCS, a Mestek subsidiary, he was struck by similarities between the role the U.S. Department of Defense had played in the early days of the semiconductor industry and the role it was playing in Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute.
He said he had a sense "that maybe the technology was evolving to the point it was now feasible to think about commercializing some of it."
"We thought the best way to get some momentum would be to pursue federal funding and use that to help some local companies advance their technology," he said. "Our initial federal funding was $1.5 million in 2002." U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, was the initial sponsor.
Now Mr. Thomasmeyer is the president of the National Center for Defense Robotics and executive vice president of The Technology Collaborative, both based on the North Shore.
Q: What progress has the center made since its inception? .....
A: Since [2002] we've procured a total of about $18.5 million in federal funding. We've got 50 projects totaling about $14 million either completed or under contract or in progress.
Q: Has Pittsburgh lived up to the title "Roboburgh" bestowed upon it in a Wall Street Journal article some years back?
A: Reflecting on the business climate and growth strategy for the region's robotics sector.
Of that $14 million, about $12.5 million is being subbed out to about 25 different companies and organizations that are developing projects related to unmanned ground systems for the Defense Department.
We try to get very close to the defense customer and try and understand what their unmet needs are and where are the gaps they're looking to fill. Then we take the funding and seek companies ... members of our Agile Robotics Alliance ... that are best positioned to address those particular needs and use the funding to develop projects.
Q: What are some of the promising companies or ventures you're working with?
A: We're fortunate here in the [Pittsburgh] region that we have a good mix of companies involved with defense robotics -- which are developing unmanned systems for the military customer -- and companies developing applications for the commercial markets.
We have two large established companies: McKesson Automated Healthcare, which uses robotics technology to automate prescription fulfillment in hospitals, and Bombardier Transportation, which makes unmanned people transportation systems for airports and for certain urban environments.
And there is a group of companies finally hitting their transition point where they have established products, identified markets and small, established customers ... [such as] Seegrid Corp., which makes unmanned material handling solutions for warehouses and manufacturing. ... And there is HyperActive Technologies, which makes an intelligent solution for fast-food restaurants to recognize traffic flow.
Q: Does the recently created Congressional Caucus on Robotics have special significance for our region because Mr. Doyle is a co-founder?
A: One of the aspects of these caucuses is they really should be, and are by nature, bipartisan. ... The nature of these things is to be forums for education. For the first few years we're going to focus on educating [the caucus] on Capitol Hill by bringing in guest speakers to talk about industry-type issues ... and prioritizing the issues a little bit.
One of the things Mr. Doyle was very firm about from the beginning is this shouldn't be just about defense robotics, and he's right. ... Industrial robotics is an important element of our economy. That's an industry that's been around 40 or 50 years; so we reached out to the Robotic Industries Association, and they recently voted to support the caucus as well.
Q: There was a fair amount of hype about Pittsburgh as a robotics center after the Wall Street Journal dubbed the city "Roboburgh" in 1999. Has it lived up to that hype?
A: I think the promise that was held out in that article still exists. I think the rate at which the promise is likely to be fulfilled was optimistic. ... And I think, yeah, Pittsburgh is definitely one of the regions that's generally identified as one of the areas that's likely to be a leader in this as it continues to grow.
I started five years ago with a call from a venture capitalist maybe once or twice a year. And I'd say now I'm getting those calls just about every quarter from a new venture capitalist inquiring about what's going on, what companies are doing what, what opportunities there might be.
Q: What are some of the drawbacks to developing the region here compared with the other robotics hotbeds -- Silicon Valley and Boston?
A: I think probably our greatest shortcoming is we don't have the critical mass of experienced entrepreneurs that you see in Boston or the [San Francisco] Bay Area.
People will also point to the funding issue, the amount of venture capital available here compared with those regions. But I actually think that critical mass of entrepreneurs is probably the greatest obstacle we have to overcome. ...
The real issue isn't competition between Boston and Pittsburgh or Silicon Valley but that we should really be looking at what's going on in Japan or Korea and other countries. In the industrial side of robotics, a lot of activity in fact did move offshore. Some of the leading industrial robotics companies are based in Japan or Europe.
Foster-Miller, a Boston-based robotics company and leading provider of defense robots, in April acquired two [Pittsburgh] companies: Applied Perception and Automatika. One of their primary motivations beyond access to the technology those companies offer was that they recognize Pittsburgh as a leading center for this technology and this was the best way to establish a strong, initial presence. They're intent on growing here in the region and forming partnerships and relationships with the researchers at the Robotics Institute.
Q: So how can Pittsburgh attract more entrepreneurs to run companies?
A: We've started the Venture Executive Database Program. We're trying to identify people who have connections or roots in Pittsburgh and who might have an interest if the right opportunity came along in locating back here to head up a company or new venture or as an adviser or as a mentor. ...
We're certainly starting to see progress in terms of "newbies" -- new graduates wanting to stay in the region. But a certain percentage of graduates I think are always going to want to go off and experience the big city lights of a New York, a Chicago, a Washington, D.C., a Boston, or wherever.
But I think there are a lot of people with connections to Pittsburgh in their late 20s or early 30s with young families who want to return here for all the usual reasons we cite, including cost of living and quality of life. Our belief is if we can start to identify some of those individuals and are successful in growing some of those companies, we can make some of those marriages happen.
Q: What is The Technology Collaborative?
A: The Technology Collaborative is the result of a merger in January 2005 of the NCDR and Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse. The Digital Greenhouse was formed to help facilitate the formation and growth of a digital technology cluster here in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Really, one of the keys to the development of the robotics industry is the continuing advancement in digital technology: increasing the speed and power of the underlying electronics and computers and reducing their cost.
Q: How do you like living here compared with the San Francisco area and New England?
A: I guess I have a little bit of a unique perspective having lived in the Bay Area and up in New England. I often think that people who are native to Pittsburgh or never lived or spent considerable time anywhere else can't really appreciate in many ways just how good it is here and appreciate some of the real strong assets and strengths that we have.
I don't know whether Pittsburgh is a big small town or a small big town. It's one of the few places you have the dual benefit of a relatively small community -- it's a collection of small boroughs and townships -- and yet has big-city amenities. And it's convenient and affordable.
I don't think the weather is nearly as bad as people tend to think it is either.
Joyce Gannon can be reached at jgannon@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1580.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07203/803293-28.stm
how is it you propose to understand an industry, let alone a single business within that industry, without even a meager understanding of the technology or the players, alliances, etc. do "senior" financial analysts always demonstrate this much disregard for the industry, business, and model(s)?
how many internet cliches do you think you can stack up in a single post? i think you have more in you! and yeah, it took less than 5 minutes. time well spent imo. of course, you don't have any.
if you ever do get some time, you might consider a drive through Muir Woods... or perhaps a surf at Stinson Beach or Half Moon Bay.
yep, it takes so much time to monitor those boards. and of course, your (singular) false bravado and ad hominem approach to literally almost every subject belies your supposed brilliance. and you claim to be such an insight "senior" financial analyst, yet you also have not demonstrated any proficiency in that area as well, despite the abundance of relevant financial data at http://www.sec.gov
but of course it takes time to interpret SEC filings, and well, you're you!
who are you kidding? you're a quant in a cubicle. i'm sure it's a very nice and well appointed cubicle though.
"information that we don't have time to look up ourselves" -- is trying to sell that used audi taking up every waking moment of your fantasy life as a "senior" financial analyst and preventing you from scaling Maslow's heirarchy as you certainly so richly deserve? you seem to have all sorts of time to display what you consider to be wit. but for some reason, you haven't posted a single thing that demonstrates you have any real knowledge of robotics.
maybe you just haven't had the time to look up any information?
they don't seem to know a thing about bots between 'em, but this they do know like 123:
pumping=good
SPIN=bad
INRA=Moon
these appear to be the 3 new laws of robotics, per our new friends.
c'mon Joe, don't be crazy... the company might actually end up wildly profitable some day and the stock might end up on the Nasdaq or something.
and where was VanDelay during this incredible display of executive brio?
hey thar! thanks fer stoppin bye... an thanks fer tellin us folks 'bout the magic robot at that fancy hosspitall, and how yer high-fallutin' kinfolk and his'n is all fired up about that magic robot.
how's come none of you new "invessors" don't know nuthin 'bout no magic robots or nuthin' like that thar? ain't those dockter robots takin' over all them hospitals? how's come it ain't yet on the talking box?
golllll--eeeeeeeeee, 100,000 people visiing this here board?!?! mehbee this is cuz of are new super star vee pee?
i reckon...
yeah, but all he had ever done was serve as a U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and as Missouri Governor.
this new super-duper-star that weisel selected also became a real estate broker in 2006 and according to D&B reports, she used to run a dry cleaner and owns an LLC called "Blonde Ambition" that does something or another, and she is also a co-owner in something exciting called "Supreme Liesure U.S., Inc."
weisel is the master, and if/when she ever gets in a purchasing exec's office and the all that nerdy tech jargon gets a little confusing, she can just throw all those fun curly blonde locks all around and create a dazzling effect that will cause the exec to immediately sign any contract, no matter the price or terms! hey, maybe she can teach Ballard a thing or two. plus, she can handle all of weisel's real estate transactions on the side and play a piano concerto during bot conventions!
Aschroft, smashcroft... to da moon baby!!!
well, my posts are about the company, and yours are apparently about other posters that possess opinions you seem to dislike. you have used words such as bully, childish, immature, etc., etc. now, do you really think any of that advances the dialog? have you actually provided ANY real information? ridicule me all you want, i won't even censor it even though you keep swerving over the TOU.
and if you haven't noticed, despite all the ad hominem phlegm this recent invasion of the "non-insider" newbies has flung, only duplicate posts have been deleted. you have a full-blown platform to espouse whatever you want within reason. yet for someone who seems to boast of such a depth of knowledge in all things bots, you haven't demonstrated one bit of that supposedly superior knowledge so far.
if you had been following along over the last 6000 or so posts, you'd note that the resentment isn't necessarily related to this person's affiliation with Mrs. Weisel's so-called "church," it's that she was hired to do a job that is handled more or less by Bob Ballard (though the results have sucked imo). And there is already a biz development guy in CoroWare with deep MSFT ties that in a meritocracy, should rightfully be in charge of all sales, and she seems grossly under-qualified, and as was noted earlier, the hiring smacks of nepotism. that is rarely something good for shareholders IMO.
in fact, IMO there should be no further "investment" whatsoever in Florida, it's pure quicksand IMO. All future capital should be deployed to further CoroWare and a corporate culture of meritocracy. that's what weisel's "friend" Bill Gates would endorse. that's the culture he used to build MSFT. not cronyism.
but you see kev, the problem is that weisel's little fiefdom is not a meritocracy, and weisel apparently won't allow anyone who isn't from within his special circle to have any measurable authority in the company.
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=753819
geee, i wonder why that is. could he be hiding something?
yeah, maybe so, but you still caught that little alias "slip-up."
save all the SW Florida strippers from themselves!
http://pentecostalevangel.ag.org/articles/4477/reigel.cfm
ugh chung...
watch it rockstar. we must remain positive.
well, i for one am positively of the opinion that the guy running the show doesn't care one bit about creating shareholder value.
yeah, why would promoting Harvey to head up all company sales (and have him do so from Redmond) make any sense at all? except that weisel wouldn't be breathing over his shoulder.
have you noticed that CoroWare is the "gold" sponsor (just below MSFT) for the San Jose bot expo, and Calsyn's MSRS book should be out soon, but there haven't been ANY PRs about any of that.
instead we get - Former (continuing?) real estate agent climbs the charts with penny stock outfit, gives thanks to CEO's wife, Minister Connie!
agoracom was a ghost town and Brainerd lasted all of a few months, that St. Onge guy fielded a handful of calls from people on this board on the heels of the few PRs issued.
nice try. maybe those two companies quit due to non-payment?
of course, we don't know because the company likes its secrets.
there is already someone with the same job description - Bob Ballard. why have a redundancy while cutting resources for CoroWare?!? why make further investment in the quicksand swampland that is Lee County Florida?!?!
and if she is there to sell technology, how is that Fla State Spanish degree going to convince anyone that they should buy tech from her?
and why not have Martin Harvey oversee all of the company's technology marketing and sales? do you even know who that is?
credit to you for making lemonade from every lemon weisel throws at you, but seriously, this is just one in a long series of these sorts of "decisions" that are a joke, and an affront to the concept of good management.
maybe the Women's First Assembly Ministries church or whatever it's called, also has a few engineers, maybe some artificial intelligence programmign specialists, perhaps a few new directors while we're at it?
the chart is filled with those sorts of moves.
nobody ridicules the "whole state of INRA," only the whole state of Florida as it relates to INRA. many of us hold CoroWare in high regard, and the state of Washington as it relates to INRA.
i submit that if Lloyd Spencer was CEO, the Innova name dropped altogether, the HQ in Redmond, Wash., and the ticker symbol CORO, you would really have something to be excited about with this company and stock.
good catch Arrow -- BASHER!!!
i read that quote, "make the impossible a commercial reality," and my first reaction was -- Gawd, she sounds like some Florida real estate agent's advertising copy. so i put her name into google, and yep, there's a reason she sounds like real estate agent advertising...
http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all&q=%22Annalisa+Xioutas%22&a....
and yep, "First Assembly Ministries" is weisel's wife's, ummm, "church." here's the google for "First Assembly Ministries" + weisel:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22First+Assembly+Ministries%22+and+weisel&btnG=Google+....
walt weisel's wife is a TV evangelist in Ft Myers, and the newest VP is somehow connected to the "ministry," at least according to her real estate bio. wish it wasn't true, but it is...
closed at the bid $0.065.
well, if you ever should decide to sell your house, Innova has a new VP that can really work wonders!
she can even "make the impossible a commercial reality."
awesome.