(ROMER Inc.: Wixom, Michigan) -- ROMER Inc., a Hexagon Metrology company, announced today the rollout of the OMEGA portable measuring arm, their most economical tool for multipurpose noncontact measurement to date.

(FARO Technologies Inc.: Lake Mary, Florida) -- FARO, the world’s leading provider of portable measurement and imaging systems, has announced that delivery of a new generation of 3-D laser scanners will begin in the second quarter of 2009.

Hello readers, and welcome to the latest issue of CMSC World, which is packed with the latest news and features in the metrology arena.

From our distinguished white paper presentations to the Exhibition Hall packed with state-of-the-art 3D metrology technologies, the Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference always delivers a world class learning experience for our visitors each year.

The current recession is the fifth in my working career. And it is beginning to feel like the worst.

A colleague of mine made an interesting point about how we teach and learn experimental design techniques, and I thought I'd explore the subject further.

(NIST: Gaithersburg, Maryland) -- The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has received Congressional approval on its recovery plan to create jobs, strengthen the economy, and encourage innovation.

BSI Management Systems America Inc.

(Textron Inc.: Augusta, Georgia ) -- E-Z-GO, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), has been awarded the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. The international award recognizes companies that achieve world-class performance and promote lean operational concepts.

Question: How do Somalian pirates differ from some Wall Street CEOs?

Answer: A Somalian pirate takes hostages and demands money. A Wall Street CEO takes money and demands hostages.