Vertex reported a 16.6-percent rise in revenue for the second quarter ended June 30, its first-ever quarterly report as a public company. However, the company jacked up spending by 80 percent resulting in a loss of $29.1 million.

ECI Software Solutions, which owns the Macola line, has acquired ThermoGrid and Shoptech Industrial Software. Terms were not disclosed for the deals, which were announced this week.

A friend of mine was complaining that when his sat next to me after a meal, my abdomen made all kinds of noises. “It is like it’s speaking to me,” he said.