Gary reports from Pack Expo. Thoughts on automation suppliers competing for OEM business, the recent spate of government bailouts and the upcoming Safety Automation Forum.

The HTML of process control. Gary interviews Jonas Berge, Director of PlantWeb Consulting for Emerson Process Management in Singapore. He discusses EDDL (electronic device description language), describing what it is, how it is used and the overall system from intelligent instruments to how the information is displayed in a client computer. More information is available at www.eddl.org.

Gary reviews trips to the Emerson Global Users Exchange and WonderWorld conferences. He offers thoughts on changes at Rockwell Automation.

Gary interviews Geoff Wickens, systems solutions manager for Endress + Hauser and a member of the marketing committee of the FDT Group. Wickens explains what FDT does and why it is of value for users of instrumentation and asset management systems.

Gary resumes his interview series with Paul Wacker on Ethernet. Paul is a product manager at Advantech and discusses technology and application of Power over Ethernet. This interview will also be the subject of an email newsletter sponsored by Advantech. Paul's previous interviews on Ethernet have been well regarded in the industry.

Recording in the mobile studio, Gary reflects on leadership and energy issues from his trip to Las Vegas to attend the Schneider Electric customer conference. That's two straight weeks of record attendance at conferences in a supposedly down economy. He also discusses the latest Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture release. He concludes with a discussion of the Packaging Automation Forum.

Recording in the mobile studio Gary catches up with a few weeks of travels including the Siemens ExiderDome, ideas from meetings at Emerson and NI Week. He takes a look at marketing, the automation system, need for accurate information from field devices, green automation, education and selling your ideas.

Gary reviews recent news in wireless, challenges listeners to read the Bill of Rights in honor of July 4, reports on Foxboro's 100 years celebration and discusses Honeywell Users Group.

Gary reviews what he learned from trips to Siemens, Automation Direct and B&R Automation, then the Rockwell Software RSTechEd event in Orlando. He includes a look at Rockwell Software strategy and business and the high points from Alvin Toffler's keynote and Q&A session at RS TechEd. He concludes with thoughts on making manufacturing an integral part of a company's business.

Gary offers an opinion on the Microsoft/Yahoo fiasco and the HP/EDS purchase. He discusses his recent trip to Texas and the ABB User Group and visits to National Instruments and Emerson Process. He concludes with thoughts on the progress of ISA100 wireless communication committee.

On the road again with Gary as he discusses the upcoming Automation Forum in May, automation supplier financials and the impact of the declining dollar, Jeff Hawkins and "On Intelligence" and Rockwell Automation's acquisition of Incuity.

Gary reviews the Yokogawa user conference and gives a virtual tour of the Siemens ExiderDome traveling exhibit in Mexico. He also discusses the struggles of Dell and Boeing in manufacturing. A final thought about wireless and the recent Webcast on wireless concludes the podcast.

On the road again, Gary reviews the WBF meeting, Interphex and a trip to ABB to take a technology dive into its system architecture. He also reviews Nicholas Carr's "The Big Switch."

Gary discusses new software from GE Fanuc that meets the competitive challenge and raises the ante. He also extends a challenge to OMAC to keep its momentum going, discusses wireless sensor products, green automation, an upcoming Wireless Webcast and the Packaging Automation Forum.

From his mobile studio on the backroads of Indiana, Gary discusses the departure of Fred Kindle from ABB and offers news and opinions of the news from the ARC Forum in Orlando

Kris Pister, CTO and founder of Dust Networks discusses wireless sensor networks, what mesh networking is, offers evidence of reliability and security, and discusses the economics of implementing the technology.

Happy New Year thoughts about top trends in automation for 2008. Technologies--networking, wireless, information and controllers. Also, how will the strategies of the automation technology suppliers play out during the year. Will there be more sales made over the Web this year?

Gary discusses the Make2Pack committee meeting, Rockwell/Dassault collaboration for digital factory, programming and time to market for OEMs.

Gary discusses the OMAC Symposium, standards, Honeywell's equipment health monitor, NI's move to OEM volume products, The Long Tail and why you should blog.