| Texas Motors Ford Launches Wi-Fi TV Station Today With Ford Cars ...
FORT WORTH, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 12, 2007 -- Texas Motors Ford (www.TexasMotorsFord.com) and Wi-Fi TV Inc. (PINKSHEETS: WTVI) today launched Texas Motors Ford TV, a landmark development in automotive marketing. Texas Motors Ford TV is Wi-Fi TV Station 33 and can be viewed globally for free by going to www.Wi-FiTV.com and selecting Station 33 or by going to the Ford category. "From the 2007 Ford F-150 trucks to the entire line of Ford products, you can see the Ford line-up in professional videos on Texas Motors Ford TV. We have some exciting surprises planned for the TV station. We will be adding fresh content, going live, and doing a lot of fun things to stimulate the interest of all auto enthusiasts in watching Texas Motors Ford TV," said Bobby Hedge, Parts Manager, Texas Motors Ford.
'Virtual Humans' Sought for Crash Tests
DETROIT -- An international consortium of nine automakers and two parts suppliers is asking researchers for proposals to develop "virtual humans" -- computer programs that will help them design safer cars and trucks. The Global Human Body Models Consortium LLC says the computer models will provide better simulations of crash injuries than current crash dummies. In an announcement scheduled for Sunday at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit, the companies say they have requested proposals from 40 research and university groups worldwide, and plan to create five centers of expertise for different parts of the body and two centers for full body models. The companies which formed the consortium a year ago are DaimlerChrysler AG, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Honda Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Co., Nissan Motor Corp., PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Renault SA, Takata Corp., Toyota Motor Corp.
Asian trade progress
Two-way commercial agreements such as the proposed free-trade pact with South Korea are not as valuable as a larger global deal would be. But they are clearly preferable to paralysis on the trade front. Exports are increasingly important to the U.S. economy, and bilateral deals help open doors overseas for American products. If approved by Congress, the pact with South Korea would be the first free-trade agreement with a major Asian economy. Analysts estimate that the deal would boost two-way trade by $20 billion and add up to $43 billion to the U.S. economy. Nearly 95 percent of the commerce between South Korea and the United States would become duty-free within three years. Most remaining tariffs would phase out over the ensuing decade. The pact would increase markets for key products from the Midwest, including corn, soybeans, processed foods and autos.
Ford wants workers to 'become walking advertisements'
In all of recorded employment history, it has never been a good thing when the boss "requests" that employees talk up the company, especially when non-employees know that those workers are operating under orders. Nevertheless, that is exactly the road Ford appears to have taken as part of the "Way Forward," asking each employee to become a "walking advertisement" for the blue oval. Ford's Executive Director of Automotive Communications, Ray Day, petitioned employees in a webcast earlier this week, and that was followed by an e-mail to managers from Mark Fields, president of Ford's Americas group. The mission, should they choose to accept it, is to say good things about the company to absolutely everyone. Fields wrote, "An improving reputation leads to higher purchase consideration among our customers and, ultimately, more vehicle sales.
Revved-up students
Ariel Pedrina, left, Manuel De La Torre and Michael Shoemaker rebuild a small-block engine as part of their program at Sacramento's Universal Technical Institute. Students receive a tool kit, job and housing assistance while they attend classes, and can take free refresher courses after graduation. A year's tuition ranges from $22,750 to $37,500. Sacramento Bee/Michael A. Jones See additional images .
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