In fact, the cost of software-driven machines is driving manufacturing down, as our strange rise in productivity during a recession suggests.

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Because computer-driven machines cut most of the standardized parts and joints, "we're free to be inefficient in assembly and finishing work, where the craft is most obviously expressed, " says Moser, who spends most of his time designing at the workbench.

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We have moved from viewing animals as instinct-driven stimulus-response machines to seeing them as sophisticated decision makers.

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The same will be true for appliances, which he pegs at 10% to 15% dollar growth based on demand for more fashionable and technology-driven refrigerators and washing machines.

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The narrative he builds is one that compels us to become more comfortable with math and statistics, one that suggests we should take advantage of machines where possible, and one in which we cannot lose the human element guiding the analysis if we want to avoid catastrophic chaos-theory driven failures to which machines are susceptible.

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Rather, it is driven by the quality of machines West German manufacturers have to sell.

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As the Sobig threat eased, a new profit-driven virus appeared:Mimail, which crashed machines and directly asked users to type in their credit card numbers.

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Wind turbines get bigger and more efficient, with 3-4 MW turbines becoming commonplace, offshore turbines as large as 7 MWs in trials, and larger machines being considered (this is largely being driven by companies such as Vestas, GE and Siemens).

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Even this writer's wife (ordinarily a fan of fun cars, but not particularly earnest sports machines) said she liked it, and that was after we'd driven for several hours.

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