Company develops waterproof computer
BILLINGS - In an industry with few of its own tools, THI RiverWorks Inc. has come up with a shockproof, waterproof computer just for river restoration.

Camera phone revolution: Pioneer considers gadget's impact - from U.S. to Iraq
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The chilling sounds of gunfire on the Virginia Tech campus; the hateful taunts from Saddam Hussein's execution; the racist tirade of comedian Michael Richards.

Spanish aristocrat combines technology and water management to produce world-class wines
MALPICA DEL TAJO, Spain (AP) _ In the last days of the Franco era, the Marquis of Grinon was an agricultural outlaw _ applying forbidden irrigation systems to his vineyard and importing foreign grape plants illegally.

Built-in brewers for coffee fanatics: High-tech devices installed in wall
Quicker than you can say Starbucks, appliance-makers are heating things up in the kitchen with built-in coffee brewing systems designed for the homes of espresso-lovers everywhere.

Maturing gracefully
Quality of life will drive the new economy of western Montana
The new western Montana is leaving adolescence behind.

Eye on growth
Missoula has evolved from a small, polluted, industrial city

Construction junction: Real estate market is still strong but slowing
McMansions. Condos. Kitchen remodels. Guest room additions. If you haven't noticed the recent slowdown in the real estate market, who could blame you? With million-dollar vacation homes peppering western Montana from the Bitterroot Valley to Flathead Lake's north shore - not to mention the hundreds of existing homes under remodel - it looks as though the region's real estate scene is going full-bore.

Sharing the wealth
Specialized clinics have the potential to harm hospitals by siphoning away profitable services
KALISPELL - There's a whole lot happening these days across western Montana's health-care landscape, what with telemedicine and telepharmacies and electronic medical records on demand, high-tech tools that bring big-city care to rural residents.

Baby boom
More hospitals are turning to maternity services to improve the bottom line
KALISPELL - Having a baby gives women, by definition, at least nine months to plan.

Waste not: Several Montana school districts using biomass for heat
Montana might not have been the first state to come up with the idea of using waste wood products to heat public buildings, but it's quickly becoming one of the leaders in implementing the technology.

Biomass isn't one size fits all, says report
Schools, hospitals and power plants that successfully use logging leftovers as fuel do so because the wood is nearby, readily and reliably available, and - in some cases - its use is subsidized.

Zip Beverage is soaked in history
Longevity spotlight
Business: Zip Beverage Co.

Quick Paws adds Dog Den kennel
When Charla Bitney, 28, first adopted Tannah the dog in New Mexico, she didn't realize the boxer would soon inspire her to start a business in Montana.

Big-box stores worry small towns
Some in Hamilton see Wal-Mart as an unfair competitor
It's a battle that's been fought before - local business squares off against the corporate giant Wal-Mart.

UM building for the future
If you have the opportunity to walk around the University of Montana campus in Missoula, take a good look around.