Rare earth minerals: An end to China's monopoly is in sight
Forbes
Politics aside, one thing is clear: high-tech manufacturers are at the mercy of China when it comes to the availability of rare earth minerals. The news isn't all grim for the rest of the world, though. North America is finally waking up to the consequences of a continued Chinese monopoly and has quietly invested significant money and resources into mining rare earth minerals domestically. In fact, according to advisory firm Technology Metals Research, there are currently 35 rare earth projects at various stages in development outside of China. More

Using iPad technology to save time and money for customers
Pacific Lamp Wholesale
Pacific Lamp Wholesale now uses iPads for creating energy lighting upgrade audits and projects. By using the technology of the iPad, the experts at Pacific Lamp can visit a location and directly enter all of the information, photos, and voice recording note files directly into the iPad. Upon returning to the office, the information has already been wirelessly transferred to the desktop for inputting to the engineering/design and estimation software tools. This streamlined process makes each transaction very accurate and personalized for each customer.More

Sustainable development is not possible without sustainable energy
AOL Energy
Even in today's modern world, one in five people do not have access to electricity. Their daily reality is life without light or refrigeration, without energy for water pumping or computers. Twice as many people, nearly three billion, still rely on wood, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating, breathing in smoke that harms their lungs, killing nearly 2 million people a year. This energy poverty is an enormous impediment to economic progress.More

NAILD Lighting Specialist I & II — Act now!
NAILD
Price Increase for LS Programs coming July 1!
The NAILD member price for Lighting Specialist I will increase from $249 to $299. The NAILD member price for Lighting Specialist II will increase from $649 to $699.

Take advantage of the lower pricing while you still can! More

Can you afford the cost of having your sales people learning on their own?
Dave Kahle of The DaCo Corporation
Can you afford the waste of time, the lost revenue, and the emotional frustration which comes from them trying to learn on their own? Selling is too difficult a job to try to figure it out on your own, or rely on trial and error. Take the easy way to sales success. Learn from the experts. Join dozens of your colleagues at the How to Become A Master Sales Person: The Top Gun Selling System seminars on June 22 in Newark, N.J. More

Cine Gear LA 2012: Hive Plasma Lighting
ProVideoCoalition

Hive Lighting introduces their line of plasma lighting — daylight balanced lighting solutions that draw significantly less power than standard fixtures. This is incredibly cool technology, watch the video after the jump!More

Number of business-owning families dropped during recession
Inc.
In the worst days of the Great Recession, analysts forecast a flurry of entrepreneurial activity, as laid-off workers were supposedly forced into creating their own companies. But new research shows that the number of families that owned private businesses actually dropped between 2007 and 2010, slipping a modest 0.3 percent. As part of a broader study on family finances during the downturn, released by the Federal Reserve recently, the Fed took a look at the role of small business ownership as related to a family's household wealth.More

Energy Department to fund lighting project at Michigan firm
The Detroit News
The Energy Department is awarding $7 million for three innovative lighting projects at companies in California, Michigan and North Carolina to lower the cost of manufacturing high-efficiency solid-state lighting. "Partnering with private industry, the Energy Department is driving innovation in new, more efficient lighting products and boosting our national competiveness in manufacturing," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.More

Survey: Small business owners' sentiment unchanged in May although plans to hire tick higher
The Washington Post
Small business owners remain fairly pessimistic about how business will fare in the coming months, according to a recent survey. The National Federation of Independent Business says its May index of owners' optimism was little changed, inching down to 94.4 from 94.5 in April. The NFIB, which lobbies on behalf of small business, compiled the index from a survey of its members. It stands at the same level as in February 2011.More