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TOP BILLIONARIES

#1 Warren Buffett

Age: 77

Fortune: self made

Source: Berkshire Hathaway

Net Worth: $62.0 bil

Country Of Citizenship: United States

Residence: Omaha, Nebraska , United States, North America

Industry: Investments

Marital Status: widowed, remarried, 3 children

Education: University of Nebraska Lincoln, Bachelor of Arts / Science
Columbia University, Master of Science
America’s most beloved investor is now the world’s richest man. Soared past friend and bridge partner Bill Gates as shares of Berkshire Hathaway climbed 25% since the middle of last July. Son of Nebraska politician delivered newspapers as a boy. Filed first tax return at age 13, claiming $35 deduction for bicycle. Studied under value investing guru Benjamin Graham at Columbia. Took over textile firm Berkshire Hathaway 1965. Today holding company invested in insurance (Geico, General Re), jewelry (Borsheim’s), utilities (MidAmerican Energy), food (Dairy Queen, See’s Candies). Also has noncontrolling stakes in Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo. Insurance operations flourished in 2007. “That party is over. It’s a certainty that insurance-industry profit margins, including ours, will fall significantly in 2008.” The Oracle of Omaha issued a challenge to members of The Forbes 400 in October; said he would donate $1 million to charity if the collective group of richest Americans would admit they pay less taxes, as a percentage of income, than their secretaries. Had long promised to give away his fortune posthumously. Irrevocably earmarked the majority of his Berkshire shares to charity in 2006, mostly to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gift was valued at $31 billion on day of announcement; donation will far exceed that sum so long as Berkshire shares continue to rise.

#2 Carlos Slim Helu & family

Age: 68

Fortune: self made

Source: telecom

Net Worth: $60.0 bil

Country Of Citizenship: Mexico

Residence: Mexico City , Mexico, Latin America

Industry: Communications

Marital Status: widowed, 6 children

Education: NA

Second-richest man in the world this year; even richer than Microsoft’s Bill Gates, at least for now, thanks to strong Mexican equities market and the performance of his wireless telephone company, America Movil. The son of a Lebanese immigrant, Slim made his first fortune in 1990 when he bought fixed line operator Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) in a privatization. In December, America Movil struck a deal with Yahoo to provide mobile Web services to 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. A widower and father of six, Slim is a baseball fan and art collector. He keeps his art collection in Mexico City’s Museo Soumaya, which he named after his late wife. In recent years, he has donated close to $7 billion worth of cash and stock to fund education and health projects, and to the revitalization of Mexico City’s downtown historical district.

#3 William Gates III

Age: 52

Fortune: self made

Source: Microsoft

Net Worth: $58.0 bil

Country Of Citizenship: United States

Residence: Medina, Washington , United States, North America

Industry: Software

Marital Status: married, 3 children

Education: Harvard University, Drop Out

Harvard dropout and Microsoft visionary no longer the world’s richest man. Blame Yahoo: Microsoft shares have fallen 15% since the company boldly attempted to merge with the search engine giant to better fight Google for Internet dominance. Gates is preparing to give up day-to-day involvement in the company he cofounded 33 years ago to spend more time focused on his philanthropic endeavors. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has $38.7 billion in assets, donates to causes aimed at bringing financial tools to the poor, speeding up the development of vaccines (for AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis), bettering America’s lagging high schools. Sells 20 million Microsoft shares every quarter, proceeds going to private investment vehicle Cascade; more than half of net worth now outside of Microsoft. Company spent $6 billion to land Web ad firm Aquantive last May. Would-be rival to Apple’s iPod, the Zune, not yet a hit. Believes Microsoft’s far-flung bets, including 10-year affair with Internet-based television, may soon pay off; says next 10 years will be the “most interesting” in software history.

#4 Lakshmi Mittal

Age: 57

Fortune: inherited and growing

Source: steel

Net Worth: $45.0 bil

Country Of Citizenship: India

Residence: London , United Kingdom, Europe & Russia

Industry: Manufacturing

Marital Status: married, 2 children

Education: St Xavier’s College Calcutta, Bachelor of Arts / Science

Heads world’s largest steelmaker, $105 billion (sales) ArcelorMittal, which accounts for 10% of all crude steel production. Just delivered 580 tons to be used in construction of the World Trade Center memorial in New York. With 44% stake, is the company’s largest shareholder. Longtime resident of London is Europe’s richest resident.

#5 Mukesh Ambani

Age: 50

Fortune: inherited and growing

Source: petrochemicals

Net Worth: $43.0 bil

Country Of Citizenship: India

Residence: Mumbai , India, Asia & Australia

Industry: Manufacturing

Marital Status: married, 3 children

Education: University of Bombay, Bachelor of Chemical Engineering
Stanford University, Master of Business Administration
Asia’s richest resident heads petrochemicals giant Reliance Industries, India’s most valuable company by market cap. His fortune is up $22.9 billion since last year, making him the world’s second biggest gainer in terms of dollars. The biggest gainer was his estranged brother Anil, who ranks 6th in the world just behind his older brother. The sons inherited their fortune from their late father, renowned industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani. But they couldn’t get along and in 2005 their mother brokered a peace settlement breaking up the family’s assets. Mukesh is using some of his money to build a 27-story home.

TOP BILLIONARIES

Rank	Name	Citizenship	Age	Net Worth ($bil)	Residence
1	Warren Buffett	United States	77	62.0	United States
2	Carlos Slim Helu & family	Mexico	68	60.0	Mexico
3	William Gates III	United States	52	58.0	United States
4	Lakshmi Mittal	India	57	45.0	United Kingdom
5	Mukesh Ambani	India	50	43.0	India
6	Anil Ambani	India	48	42.0	India
7	Ingvar Kamprad & family	Sweden	81	31.0	Switzerland
8	KP Singh	India	76	30.0	India
9	Oleg Deripaska	Russia	40	28.0	Russia
10	Karl Albrecht	Germany	88	27.0	Germany
11	Li Ka-shing	Hong Kong	79	26.5	Hong Kong
12	Sheldon Adelson	United States	74	26.0	United States
13	Bernard Arnault	France	59	25.5	France
14	Lawrence Ellison	United States	63	25.0	United States
15	Roman Abramovich	Russia	41	23.5	Russia
16	Theo Albrecht	Germany	85	23.0	Germany
17	Liliane Bettencourt	France	85	22.9	France
18	Alexei Mordashov	Russia	42	21.2	Russia
19	Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud	Saudi Arabia	51	21.0	Saudi Arabia
20	Mikhail Fridman	Russia	43	20.8	Russia
21	Vladimir Lisin	Russia	51	20.3	Russia
22	Amancio Ortega	Spain	72	20.2	Spain
23	Raymond, Thomas & Walter Kwok	Hong Kong	NA	19.9	Hong Kong
24	Mikhail Prokhorov	Russia	42	19.5	Russia
25	Vladimir Potanin	Russia	47	19.3	Russia

"TOP CELEBRITIES"

Pay $67 million
Power Rank 1
2007 Rank: 10

Cruise returns to the No. 1 position on the Forbes Power 100, a post he held five years ago, thanks to a combination of his awesome earnings from “War of the Worlds” and the media onslaught following his pairing with actress Katie Holmes. He also generated tons of ink with his couch-jumping antics on “Oprah,” his outspoken criticism of the pharmaceutical industry and, of course, his new baby, Suri. Love him or hate him, Cruise is Hollywood’s most bankable actor.

Pay $90 million
Power Rank 2
2007 Rank: NR

Last year’s A Bigger Bang tour grossed $162 million by the end of 2005, besting the band’s prior record of $120 million grossed from 1994’s Voodoo Lounge tour. In February, the band appeared in Rio before an estimated 1.5 million fans, its largest audience ever. Three months later the Stones performed for the first time in China, where government officials banned the group from playing provocative classics like “Brown Sugar” and “Beast of Burden.” But the biggest shocker came in May when guitarist Keith Richards fell from a tree while on vacation in Fiji, prompting emergency brain surgery. But the show will go on: new tour dates for the Stones’ Bigger Bang tour already have been announced.

Pay $225 million
Power Rank 3
2007 Rank: 1

America’s richest African-American continues to expand her multimedia empire. Her production of Broadway’s “The Color Purple” garnered 11 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. (It went on to win one, for Best Musical Actress.) She also is developing a syndicated talk show for popular Food Network star Rachael Ray, in addition to a weekly radio program, “Oprah & Friends,” for digital satellite broadcaster XM. And listen closely for Oprah’s voice as Gussy, the sage mother goose, in the animated version of “Charlotte’s Web,” slated for release this Christmas. Winfrey suffered rare criticism last year when her Book Club pick, “A Million Little Pieces” by James Frey, was revealed to have been fabricated. (She castigated the discredited author on her program later that month.)

Pay $110 million
Power Rank 4
2007 Rank: NR

The Irish rockers made more money in 2005 than any other musicians on the planet. Their album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. and U.K. charts last year and earned five Grammys, including one for Album of the Year. But U2’s prominent position on the Celebrity 100 list is owed largely to the media exposure of front man Bono, who has become an influential activist on behalf of AIDS awareness and debt relief in Africa. He has enjoyed audiences with such world leaders as George W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and the late Pope John Paul II, as well as a slew of other global leaders, and has pressed them to increase aid to Africa. Last year Bono, who is rarely photographed without his trademark sunglasses, was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Pay $90 million
Power Rank 5
2007 Rank: 2

Woods, still young at 30, has earned $58 million in career tournament winnings, $12 million more than his closest competitor. Add to that lucrative deals with blue chips like Nike, Accenture, General Motors and American Express, and it’s no wonder golf’s crown prince can afford playthings like his recent purchase of 155-foot yachts and a ten-acre oceanfront estate on Florida’s exclusive Jupiter Island. He’s not hording his fortune, either. The just opened, $25 million Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Calif., features a state-of-the-art educational center and golf practice area for kids.

The Celebrity 100

1. Tom Cruise
2. Rolling Stones
3. Oprah Winfrey
4. U2
5. Tiger Woods
6. Steven Spielberg
7. Howard Stern
8. 50 Cent
9. Cast of The Sopranos
10. Dan Brown
11. Bruce Springsteen
12. Donald Trump
13. Muhammad Ali
14. Paul McCartney
15. George Lucas
16. Elton John
17. David Letterman
18. Phil Mickelson
19. J.K. Rowling
20. Brad Pitt
21. Peter Jackson
22. Dr. Phil McGraw
23. Jay Leno
24. Celine Dion
25. Kobe Bryant
26. Michael Jordan
27. Johnny Depp
28. Jerry Seinfeld
29. Simon Cowell
30. Michael Schumacher
31. Tom Hanks
32. Rush Limbaugh
33. Denzel Washington
34. Cast of DesperateHousewives
35. Jennifer Aniston
35. Angelina Jolie
37. The Olsen Twins
38. Nicole Kidman
39. The Eagles
40. Rod Stewart
41. Shaquille O’Neal
42. Jerry Bruckheimer
43. David Beckham
44. Jessica Simpson
45. Andrew Lloyd Webber
46. LeBron James
47. Neil Diamond
48. Alex Rodriguez
49. Will Smith
50. Dick Wolf
51. Dave Matthews Band
52. Tom Brady
53. Ronaldinho
54. Jodie Foster
55. Ray Romano
56. Paris Hilton
57. Adam Sandler
58. Derek Jeter
59. Jennifer Lopez
60. Rick Warren
61. Scarlett Johansson
62. Katie Couric
63. Maria Sharapova
64. Valentino Rossi
65. Halle Berry
66. James Patterson
67. Leonardo DiCaprio
68. Kiefer Sutherland
69. Jim Carrey
70. Cameron Diaz
71. Gisele Bundchen
72. Renee Zellweger
73. Carson Palmer
74. Michelle Wie
75. Reese Witherspoon
76. Bill O’Reilly
77. Kate Moss
78. Diane Sawyer
79. Sean (Diddy) Combs
80. John Grisham
81. Rachael Ray
82. Dave Chappelle
83. Larry the Cable Guy
84. Tyra Banks
85. George Lopez
86. Regis Philbin
87. Serena Williams
88. Ryan Seacrest
89. Wolfgang Puck
90. Venus Williams
91. Annika Sorenstam
92. Matthew Broderick/ Nathan Lane
93. Mel Brooks
94. Emeril Lagasse
95. Nicole Richie
96. Heidi Klum
97. Mario Batali
98. Eric Idle/ Mike Nichols
99. Adriana Lima
100. Ty Pennington

HMI gets hot in the market, more products launch

HMI market is looking bright in the market. Many manufacturers are gradually launching new products. According to a recent report of IMS HMI, HMI market is expanding incredibly on the global market and is expected to reach the output of 151 million US dollars at annual rate, with CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) reaching 25.4%, of which 7.9% is the touch screen panel products and 31.7% for Open HMI.

HMI market is growing fast in recent years. According to IMS report, the global market of HMI is quickly growing. It is expected that the production output is to reach 151 million US dollars in the year 2008. The CAGR is 25.4%, of which 7.9% for touch screen monitor interface and 31.7% for Open HMI. The experts predict that with upcoming 5 to 6 years, touch screen interface and Open HMI will be the focal point of development, which encourages many IPC manufactures to launch a series of HMI products.

IPC manufacturers indicate that although the majority of HMI architectures is pessimistic-oriented, Open HMI structure that uses PC-based system such as standardized format and communication interface is able to provide calculating and processing on the PC-based platform. Manufacturers also say that the reason for Open HMI superior to traditional HMI is that Open HMI features no hardware and fanless design and provides advanced functions such as data processing and standard interface. In the foreseeable future, Open architecture and Embedded technology will be greatly used in HMI in all industries.

The current OSs that most manufacturers use for Open HMI structure support Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows XP embedded and Windows CE 5.0 but little do they support WEPOS system. As regards to the pessimistic-designed HMIs, most manufacturers, in addition to adopting IT technology, begin to expand its applications on facilities such as intelligent Building Automation and pleasure boats, which are regarded as potential development.

Fuji Electric

Fuji Electric is a giant HMI manufacturer with a long history for being a supplier. FA (Factory Automation) business and technical supervisor He, jhen-wun says that HMI used to be thought as a press-button function that has replaced PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). But in the recent years, it has changed into a programmable device which installs with different software that increases its power by powerful CPU. Today HMI is responsible for processing calculation and reduces the burden of PLC.

Recently they launch their products of TELLUS and V-Service series. Both enhance the powerful PC capabilities. TELLUS undertakes remote monitoring, using the frontline of HMI to connect PC in the factory. You can view the screen on the HMI and can also control PLC directly from PC, which enable multiple control. V-Service can retain historical records, recording every configuration setting to help the better adjustment next time.

Figure 1: He, jhen-wun, technical and business director of FA, says that HMI used to be treated simply as a button for PLC but has gradually turned into a programmable device.

Delta Electronic

Delta is one of the few manufacturers to use TFT-LCD technology to develop 16:9 widescreen and 65536 color. The project manager of Delta, Li, jia-jyun indicates that it increases the size of the screen by 46%, using 16:9, instead of 4:3. In addition to RS-232 and RS485, DOPB200 also designs Ethernet and USB port to largely increase its expansions. DOPB200 also designs Audio output to use it as a warning system of the factory sites.

In terms of production output, Delta’s major product line focuses on 5.7 inches but this has retreated to a “red-ocean” market in which philosophy of quantity better than price. To prevent from this cause, Delta will continuously expand it screen size from 5.7 to 7 inches to avoid the red-ocean market.

Arbor Technology

Arbor used to focus on the development of traditional Panel PC. As HMI gradually becomes PC-based, its architecture has more applications and the mature technology that the giant manufacturers use low power consumption and embedded CPU architecture on the industry. Hence, Arbor further develops the research on the industrial goods, investing a great deal of research cost and labor in the Open HMI and Human Machine Controller.

There are four current product lines including FTPC (Fanless Touch Panel Computing), IPPC (Industrial Panel PC), FPM (Flat Panel Monitor Display), Arpex (Universal Engine Advance Box PC). PC-based HMI is a high-end product and certainly used for high-end industry. Arbor provides almost every size of HMI products from 5.7 to 17 inches, which belongs to the layer between control layer and management layer. In three more years ahead, Arbor will extend its applications vertically and integrate industrial internet and wireless technology based on Open HMI.

Wintek

Wintek is one of the few manufacturers that focus on HMI. Its products are available from 4.3 to 15 inches. Wintek indicates that HMI used mainly to reveal data and control monitoring. But today as there is a call for higher missions to achieve, which include product analysis, integration of data and parameter, internet applications and remote control, etc.

Wintek recently launches MT 8000 as its main product which is both HMI and data exchange center. It connects all kinds of MT 8000 to process information exchange via Ethernet and retrieves data from SCADA that runs on HMI. As for software products, Wintek promotes a new compiler, EasyBuilder 8000, to allow customers to quickly compile the software they need.

Pro-fibus

Pro-fibus is a professional HMI manufacturers. The general manager, Song ben, jhih ji, says that HMI used to work independently in different automation process facilities. But in recent years, the integration makes automation system to connect via Ethernet and helps expedite the data flow. HMI makes information more clear and easy to understand. Pro-fibus has long acknowledged this fact.

As for GP 3000 as its hit product, this series of products has been in the market in Japan for three years. The production line is pretty complete. GP 3000 is built with 64 bit RISC CPU that reaches good performance both on dustproof and shake proof. Alternatively, it also provides all kinds of software development kits that allow the system integration suppliers to reduce the time on product design. There is a specific function that connects to the camera that allows 60-minute recording the occurring event for reference in the future.

Figure 2: Song Ben Jhih Ji, the general manager of Pro-fibus indicates that the trends for automation process integration in recent years make the data flow move even faster, thanks to Ethernet connection, in particular, the role that the HMI plays on the information transparency.

Siemens

Siemens has always been a key player in the industrial control and HMI market. The hardware provides 3 to 19 inch products that include dust-proof IP65 with two different types to choose from: touch screen and button types. The software is the WinCC product with its SCADA runs on PC-based system.

Siemens launches a handheld mobile HMI that is rarely seen in the market. The PM Luo, long siang says that HMI is generally fixed on the machines but is unable to fix on the robotic hand. However, with handheld mobile HMI, operators may conduct surveillance and operation, using this device. This device has a hot swap function that allows removing from one machine to another without disconnecting the on-going operation.

Aplex technology

Aplex is an IPC manufacturer itself, responsible for the market of Panel PC and industrial computer. In the realm of HMI market, Aplex targets its HMI on open architecture. Chad Lee, the general manager, says that Aplex uses two kinds of processors: RISC and X86. The recently launched product uses ARM processor on PXA255 architecture with resolution from 800*600 to 1024*768, I/O connection ports ranging from RS-232 Serial Port to the built-in Ethernet and USB ports. The storage devices of CF and SD cards that display CCD images can be arranged by a modular design, which allows users with an alternative solution.

Cermate Technologies

Cermate’s HMI has a wide range of product applications on industrial control as well as architecture, building automation and factory automation. Cermate is mainly an OEM company with its customers as Honeywell and Siemens. Cermate furthers its corporation with Italy manufacturer EXOR. Both cooperate on the mutual-benefit basis. Cermate is both an OEM company and sole agent in the European market.

The regional marketing director, Li, wan lin indicates that Taiwan IT products are reputable worldwide. We hope to enter the global market starting from Taiwan market. As for the market share, Taiwan, China and the US account separately for one third market share. China is not so demanding the quality and there is low entry barrier to the market. Both Taiwan and the US are responsible for high and middle end market.

Figure 3: Kevin, regional chief of sales department at Cermate Technologies indicates that we insist on our products manufactured in Taiwan because Taiwan has enjoyed a reputation worldwide in this field. We hope to enter the market from Taiwan perspective.

Hitech Electronics

Hitech was acquired in 2005 by the giant European company of Beijer Electronics AB but it remains the original title of the company and has an independent ownership. ChiChie Hsu indicates that European companies prefer the exterior design of the product while Taiwan has more emphasis on the internal functions. Once there is an acquisition, it may achieve a synergy effect. Hsu points out that Beijer has won iF award on product design in Germany, which is a leadership of the industry.

In addition to appearance, Beijer’s HMI has full and complete functions such as RS-232, Ethernet, USB that are the main specs in the market. Because of little differences in internal technologies among the competitors, Beijer has moved its strategy to the exterior design of the product. Hsu further remarks that HMI has extended its applications from industrial control to building automation and pleasure boats. These realms of applications are specifically demanding the product design that has always been a competitive advantage for Beijer Electronics.