Industry 4.0 has arrived, which means machine shop owners and managers of large manufacturing concerns are all looking at their options for bringing about their own transformation. But what functionality does smart factory equipment really offer? And what types of equipment are worth the price of adoption?

Stars in the rapidly evolving field of wearable technology, “smart” glasses allow wearers to perform a myriad of functions while keeping their hands free. Wearers can view information, watch and record videos, summon up GPS directions, make phone calls and send texts – all by using gestures, head motions and voice commands.

Workplace safety is one of the major concerns that has been successfully driving the international industrial protective clothing fabric market. Today, from hard hats to steel-toed boots, personal protective equipment, often known as PPE, is keeping workers safe from head to toe.

Despite all our best efforts   and often those of the employees we train and advise - people have a problem with safety. It can be a hard topic to bring to life, and there’s a fine line between honesty and being accused of scaremongering.

You might recall last year the fatal accident involving a self-driving Tesla. It reinforced the need to be vigilant even as we are assured (or assure ourselves) that “the machine will handle it.”

New York City, Wyoming, and Tampa, FL will get up to $42 million to pilot next-generation technology in infrastructure and in vehicles to share and communicate anonymous information with each other and their surroundings in real time – a development that U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said will reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and cut the unimpaired vehicle crash rate by 80 percent.