Well, that was quick. The email below from ABB relating to the Emerson offer for Chloride appeared in my inbox this morning.

To view this email as a web page, go here.

To view this email as a web page, go here.

Here's the URL for the eNews for day 1 of Automation and Power World. Enjoy.

http://view.putmannews.com/?j=fe6e15717565057e771c&m=fecb15727c60077c&ls=fdf816787167047976127373&l=fec31d777061047f&s=fe22107973650d74751576&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe3315737466027f721171&r=0

ABB announces new generation of controller and indicator instruments
Elevates process monitoring and control to a higher level

Houston, TX, May 18, 2010 -- ABB introduces its latest generation of process controller and indicator instrumentation. Called ControlMaster, the new line-up includes four models that are highly intuitive and powerful, as well as easy to operate. A comprehensive portfolio of capabilities makes these units suitable for a wide spectrum of industries. Flexible I/O capabilities greatly simplify model selection.

For those of you following me on Twitter today, here's the blog post I promised on Peter Terwiesch's Technology Update at ABB Automation and Power World. The story he told was about integration. Integration of power sources into the grid, enabling the grid to host and compensate for those sources, like wind, solar and others.

In Houston for the 2010 edition of ABB's Automation and Power World-- the ABB user group conference. We're producing the electronic show daily for the conference, as we often do. At the same time, I'm trying to get a magazine done a week early so I can go to China in peace.

Some bad news, some good news, some neutral news, but overall, the economic picture seems to be improving. Here's the release, full-text:

　ABB Q1 results --Short cycle orders improve, infrastructure business more challenging

Thanks to the Icelandic volcano with the incredibly difficult to pronounce name (Eyjafjallajokull, pronounced like this), the normal HART Communication Foundation press conference at Hanover Fair has been cancelled.

The HART folks, however, have decided to release all the press releases, case studies, and the statements of the members of the HART Board of Directors anyway.

Back in the 1970s, the only magnetic flowmeter company that could make flowmeters larger than 36 inches (914 mm) diameter was Ludwig Krohne AG. They private labeled large flowmeter primaries to a lot of companies. Now that's changed. Here's a nice big magmeter!

From the ABB press release: