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Blog Entries from December 2009

Secretary Locke and Ambassador Kirk Welcome New Strategic Framework with Turkey

Submitted on December 7, 2009 - 4:00pm
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Secretary Locke, Ambassador and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan respond to press questions from the stage. Click for larger image.

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk inaugurated a new process of engagement with the government of Turkey on economic and trade issues. The new policy structure, to be known formally as the “Framework for Strategic Economic and Commercial Cooperation” (Framework), was unveiled on the occasion of the visit of Turkish Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House. (More)

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Five U.S. Organizations Announced as Recipients of 2009 Baldrige National Quality Award

Submitted on December 7, 2009 - 2:00pm
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Image of Baldrige Award medal. Click to go to Web site.

President Barack Obama and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced that five organizations are the recipients of the 2009 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest Presidential honor for innovation and performance excellence. “The road to greatness in America has been, and always will be, traveled by those who embrace change and work hard every day to be the best; the organizations we honor today with the Baldrige National Quality Award exemplify that spirit,” President Obama said. Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of Commerce, the Baldrige Award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness and performance of U.S. businesses. (More) (Program Web site)

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Commerce's USPTO to Accelerate Review of Green Technology Patents

Submitted on December 7, 2009 - 1:21pm
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Kappos, Locke, Chu and Arun Majumdar anwer questions from the press.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will pilot a program to accelerate the examination of certain “green” technology patent applications, Secretary Gary Locke announced today. The new initiative, coming days before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, will accelerate the development and deployment of green technology, create green jobs, and promote U.S. competitiveness in this vital sector. (More) (Remarks) (Energy Announcement)

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Glider Completes Historic Crossing: New Technology Advances Climate Understanding

Submitted on December 7, 2009 - 1:05pm
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Photo of the Scarlet Knight. Click for larger image.

The first-ever 7,300-mile Atlantic Ocean crossing by an unmanned underwater glider is opening up a new world of ocean technology. A ceremony on Dec. 9 in Baiona, Spain, will celebrate the partnership effort among the U.S. interagency Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) through Rutgers University, NOAA, Puertos Del Estado (Spanish Port Authority), the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, and other European partners. “It is through efforts like this that we will continue to learn more about the wonders of the ocean at a critical time for our planet,” said Richard Spinrad, NOAA assistant administrator for oceanic and atmospheric research. (More)

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Secretaries Locke and Chu to Announce Initiatives to Accelerate Green Technology Innovation

Submitted on December 4, 2009 - 3:20pm
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Secretaries Locke and Chu at press conference.

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In advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, next week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Energy Secretary Steven Chu will announce new initiatives by their respective agencies to accelerate innovation in green technology, increase America’s competitiveness in this sector, and create jobs. At the Dec. 7 news conference, they will be joined by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office David Kappos.

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NOAA: North American 2008 Cooling Attributed to Natural Causes

Submitted on December 4, 2009 - 2:43pm
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NOAA map

Cooler North American temperatures in 2008 resulted from a strong natural effect, and the overall warming trend that has been observed since 1970 is likely to resume, according to university and NOAA scientists. “Our work shows that there can be cold periods, but that does not mean the end of global warming. The recent coolness was caused by transitory natural factors that temporarily masked the human-caused signal,” said Judith Perlwitz, lead author of the study and a researcher with the Cooperative Institute for Research Environmental Sciences, and NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. (More)

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Secretary Locke Addresses Brazil-U.S. Business Council Annual Plenary Meeting

Submitted on December 4, 2009 - 11:22am
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Locke on podium with plenary meeting banner behind him. Click for larger image.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke delivered the keynote address during the Brazil-U.S. Business Council annual plenary meeting at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Locke discussed the department’s role in expanding trade and ensuring the competitiveness of U.S. companies in markets across the globe. The plenary brings together top executives from the largest U.S. investors in Brazil and Brazil's leading companies to discuss private sector priorities for the bilateral and hemispheric trade and investment agenda with top decision makers from Brazil and Washington. (Remarks)

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Secretary Locke to Attend White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth

Submitted on December 2, 2009 - 7:52pm
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Official White House logo. Click to go to www.whitehouse.gov.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will participate in a forum on Jobs and Economic Growth Thursday, Dec. 3, at the White House. The forum is an opportunity for President Obama and the economic team to hear from CEOs, small business owners, labor leaders and nonprofit heads about ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. Locke will moderate a panel discussion on competitiveness and job creation with Christina Romer, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, and make remarks at the closing session before introducing President Obama. Afternoon sessions and several discussion groups on jobs will be streamed live on the White House Web site.

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Commerce Secretary Locke Joins Vice President Biden at the 2008 Baldrige Awards

Submitted on December 2, 2009 - 3:26pm
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Biden speaking on podium with award winners seated behind. Click for larger image.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke and Vice President Biden presented three U.S. organizations with the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest honor for organizational performance excellence and innovation. The award promotes excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the achievements and results of U.S. organizations and publicizes successful performance strategies. Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th U.S. Commerce Secretary, the Baldrige Award was established by Congress in 1987. For additional information, visit www.baldrige.nist.gov. (Remarks)

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NIST Develops Experimental Validation Tool for Cell Phone Forensics

Submitted on December 1, 2009 - 5:24pm
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SIM chip image. © kenny1/Shuttercock. Click for larger image.

Image: kenny1/Shutterstock

Viewers of TV dramas don’t focus on the technology behind how a forensics crime team tracks a terrorist or drug ring using cell phone data, but scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) do. NIST researchers have developed a new technique aimed at improving the validation of a crime lab’s cell phone forensics tools. Early experiments show promise for easier, faster and more rigorous assessments than with existing methods. (More) (Report-PDF)

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