GSA Technology Council

Twas’ the night of holiday splendor and all through the land, Verizon Wireless customers were buying cool apps with the DROID by Motorola in hand. This holiday season, customers can rely on the DROID by Motorola to help them ease holiday stress and manage demands of the season. Whether it’s making a last-minute dinner reservation, comparison shopping for gifts, or even coming up with an exercise routine to stay fit in the midst of holiday feasts, this genius phone with access to thousands of applications and games from Android Market™ has Verizon Wireless customers covered.

Here are a few favorites:
• Frequent Flyers: If traveling this holiday season, the FlightStats app is a great way to keep track of flights and stay up to date on airport delays. If airport delays leave you restless, try the Bubble Wrap Game to virtually pop away frustrations with an endless supply of bubble wrap.

• Hostess with the Mostess: Before hosting a holiday party for family and friends, check out the Favorite Recipes app to search through thousands of recipes by ingredients, keywords and categories to help plan the perfect meal. If cooking isn’t part of the plan, use the OpenTable app to make instant dinner reservations at more than 10,000 restaurants.

• Lost and Found: Before attending a holiday party in an unfamiliar location, use the Google Maps Navigation (Beta) feature on the DROID by Motorola to get turn-by-turn directions to the destination.

• Savvy Shopper: Use the NexTag Mobile app to help compare prices on millions of products from thousands of online retailers. Search for products by keyword or use the built-in barcode scanner to quickly look up prices with the phone’s camera. And to be sure to avoid buyer’s remorse come January, manage bank accounts through Mobile Banking by Bank of America designed specifically for mobile phones. Check balances, transfer funds and pay bills.

• Shipping Around the Corner or Across the Country: Use Mobile Package Tracker to track shipments from FedEx Basic, FedEx SmartPost, United States Postal Service, DHL, UPS and TNT packages on the phone using the tracking numbers.

• Table Talk: Holiday bowl games are always an excuse to get together with friends and relatives and customers can use the SportsTap app for sports scores, news, pictures from recent games, full team schedules, trades and standings. For those needing to distract the conversation from a losing team, check out Google Sky Map and turn the DROID by Motorola into a window to the night sky. Point the phone up to see a map of the brightest stars, constellations, and planets in that part of the sky.

• Fitness Fanatic: Looking for a creative way to stay fit amid all of the holiday temptations? Use the CardioTrainer app to keep fitness routines on track. This app comes with a real-time pedometer-guided GPS and records path, climb, pace and calories.

• Play DJ with a Personal Holiday Playlist: Create a station with Pandora Radio app – the music genome selects songs based on voting and preferences.

Access thousands of free and paid apps right at your fingertips by clicking on the Android Market icon on the DROID by Motorola. For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

via: Verizon Wireless

Innegrity LLC, a high-performance fiber manufacturer in the composites industry, has been recognized for its extraordinary technological achievement and excellence in the field of materials innovation by Material ConneXion, a global materials consultancy that helps companies innovate through smart materials thinking. The company has bestowed Material of the Year 2009 Honorable Mention on the Innegrity Innegra™ S fiber.

“The MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year is an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary breadth and scope of materials innovation today,” says George M. Beylerian, Founder and CEO of Material ConneXion. “Innegra S is recognized as an honorable mention due to the exemplary material innovation achieved in this product.”

Innegra S is the lightest high-performance fiber available, delivering exceptional hardiness in a composite while also reducing weight. The fiber provides excellent durability and strength when used in composites for sporting goods, marine and automotive applications, and military helmets and vehicles, providing the benefits of high-performance fibers, such as aramids, glass, and carbon, at a fraction of the cost. What’s more, the unique surface features of Innegra S allow for superior grip in both fabric and composites.

“We are honored to be recognized by such a highly regarded organization as Material ConneXion,” said Brian G. Morin, Ph.D., CEO of Innegrity LLC. “Our goal is to deliver a high-performing fiber that is lightweight and strong at an attractive price point. This recognition certainly is a testament to those efforts.”

Innegra S will be showcased at Material ConneXion’s MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year 2009 Exhibition, which is January 11-February 19, 2010, in New York.

via: Inntegrity

Jan. 20, 2010, Webcast for Developers will Review Specifications and Answer Developer Questions

Verizon Wireless today announced it will host a webcast on Jan. 20, 2010, to review updated specifications for wireless devices that will run on the nationwide 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network it is building on the Upper 700 MHz C-Block spectrum. Released today, the updated specifications address network access and SMS requirements and data retry test plans, as well as include new information about lab and signaling conformance, the open development device approval and introduction process and more. These documents will help guide developers into the next phase of bringing their LTE devices to the Verizon Wireless network.

Verizon Wireless plans to launch its 4G LTE wireless network in 25 to 30 markets next year and cover virtually all of its current nationwide 3G footprint with the next-generation network by the end of 2013. The company’s 4G LTE network will ultimately connect a full range of electronics devices and machines.

The webcast will begin at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010. Registration for the webcast is available now at http://www.verizonwebcasts.com/vzw/10027/registration.html . Developers can access the Verizon Wireless 700 MHz LTE Specification updates from the open development Web site at www.verizonwireless-opendevelopment.com . To view which sections of the specifications have been updated, developers can check the Revision History. Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE wireless network.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving 89 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NASDAQ and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com . To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

via: Verizon Wireless

The South Carolina Department of Commerce, SCRA, Nexus Medical Partners, the Greenville Area Development Corporation, the City of Greenville and NEXT today announced that Lab21 Inc. will locate its new U.S. headquarters, a diagnostics service laboratory and product distribution operations, in Greenville County.

The new diagnostic service laboratory, which will conform to U.S. CLIA regulatory requirements, will have a particular focus on oncology and is expected to open early next year.

“We are pleased to move forward with Lab21’s growth plans outside of Europe and look forward to opening our new U.S. facility as Lab21 Inc. Greenville County provides us with an excellent business environment and skilled workforce. We seek to provide our diagnostic testing products and services to a wide range of clients across the U.S. market, and our partners in South Carolina will help us do that. We appreciate all the support we have received from state and local officials,” said Graham Mullis, CEO of Lab21 Group Ltd.

Lab21 Inc. is the result of the merger of Selah Technologies, located in the Upstate of South Carolina, and Lab21 Ltd., a rapidly growing United Kingdom-based medical diagnostics firm. Selah Technologies originated to commercialize basic research in advanced materials from Clemson University. Michael Bolick, CEO of Selah Technologies, said, “I have been looking for a partner in the diagnostic industry for some time in order to drive the development and commercialization process for the Selah technology. I expect Lab21 to be a great means to achieve our objectives. We are excited to become part of such a fast-growing and dynamic diagnostic company.”

Lab21 has received funding from SCRA’s SC Launch program, Nexus Medical Partners and other private investors. Nexus Medical Partners received capital from InvestSC, which is under contract with the S.C. Venture Capital Investment Authority to make investments pursuant to the Venture Capital Investment Act. The Venture Capital Authority is composed of individuals appointed by Governor Mark Sanford and is under the control of the S.C. Department of Commerce.

Nexus not only invested, but also helped recruit Lab21 to South Carolina. Dr. Edwin Snape, a co-founder of Nexus Medical Partners, and a member of the Board of Directors of Lab21, commented, “The Selah merger with Lab21 is an excellent example of Nexus’ ongoing commitment to bring quality companies into South Carolina. Nexus is pleased to support the establishment of Lab21’s South Carolina operations to facilitate its entry into the U.S. market.”

“South Carolina continues to see strong growth in the life science industries and the Lab 21 Inc. announcement brings another such company to our state. The company’s decision reflects well not only on our business-friendly climate, but also and most importantly on our state’s skilled workforce. We appreciate Lab 21’s decision to invest in South Carolina and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them in the years ahead,” said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.

“SCRA views the Lab21-Selah integration as a prime example of how effective public-private partnerships are achieving outstanding knowledge economy development results in South Carolina today. The event sequence from Clemson discovery, then licensing to Selah, investments in Selah by SCRA’s SC Launch Inc. affiliate and private investment partners, leading to premium acquisition by Lab21, and their ultimate landing of U.S. operations in S.C., demonstrates exactly how the knowledge economy development playbook works,” said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO.

“Lab21 is a great example of how a company that combines world-class life science technology with an Upstate base can grow their business in North America,” said Mike Buiter, Chairman of the Greenville Area Development Corporation Board. “The company is research-based, innovative and a case study of our area’s plans to expand the knowledge economy, and is a wonderful reflection of the opportunities to be found in Greenville County and South Carolina.”

“This is a tremendous day for Greenville. Lab21 will be an excellent addition to our growing community of knowledge-based companies and we look forward to supporting their success here for many years to come,” said Andrew Kurtz, Chairman of NEXT.

A key reason Lab21 executives selected Greenville for the operation was the collaborative effort of numerous parties within the region that supported the project, officials noted. Entities cited included the City of Greenville, the Greenville Hospital System, Hughes Development, NEXT and the Upstate Carolina Angel Network. Assistance also occurred through commitments from the Greenville Local Development Corporation and Duke Energy’s Carolinas Investment Fund.

“We are thrilled that Lab21 has selected downtown Greenville as the location for its new U.S. headquarters,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White. “This decision speaks to our exceptional climate for entrepreneurship and support of the life science industries.”

The company intends to begin hiring in January. Phase one hiring plans include 65 positions over the first five years. For more information, contact Lab21 Inc. at Lab21Opportunities@SelahTechnologies.com.

via: Greenville Area Development Corporation

Jennifer Cunningham, of Tech Enablers, will present “Guaranteeing ROI for your technology investment” at an upcoming seminar at Immedion. At the event she will review some key business analysis approaches for determining whether the benefits of an initiative are worth the associated costs. Also, she will cover some approaches to better managing in-process initiatives.

Event Details
Date: January 5
Time: 11:30 – 1:00 pm
Location: Immedion (map)

RSVP to Natalia Muska at 864.908.3000 or natalia.muska@immedion.com.

via: Immedion

The Upstate Chapter of the ISSA, a group of dedicated Security Professionals, meets for lunch on Friday, December 18th to ask and answer Information Security questions, hold chapter elections, and generally help each other in the area of Information Security. The group meets monthly and Continuing Education Credit is available to members. See the Upstate ISSA website for details.

via Upstate ISSA

Thank you to everyone who participated in Tech After Five in 2009. Our second year for the program exceeded all of our expectations.

Attendance was record breaking, the reports of those who attended were glowing, and we also learned that startup entrepreneurs, tech professionals, and sponsors were able to make valuable connections. In short, everyone got more out of this event than we could have imagined. Thank you all for making it a success.

We wanted to make sure that you knew that we are taking the month of December off for Ta5 to give Santa and his elves time to recharge (and to free up Barley’s Taproom for someone else’s company party.)

Tech After Five is booked for January through December of next year at the same time and place. We will meet at Barley’s Taproom from 5:30 until 7:30 on the third Wednesday of the month. We’ll see you then!

Zipit Wireless is a Greenville, SC based, venture backed company that focuses on delivering fully connected, wireless IP devices that use the company’s unique strengths in wireless connectivity, user-friendly device software, and server infrastructure to enable administration, and access to Internet services. Their latest product leverages their platform to connect social media to a real world appliance. It’s a photo frame that operates via WiFi, and is controlled over the web to bring all of the largest photo sharing sites including Facebook, Flickr, and many others to something that can hang on your wall. We’ll talk about the technology, get an in-depth demo, learn about the Main Street Greenville company that created it, and learn where they plan to go next with it all. Come see us in January for a powerful presentation.

Online Sales have ended.

You may still register at the event. Onsite registration is $25. Cash or Check gleefully accepted. We will also accept credit cards, but it will require a bit of extra effort on your part.

What
Learning Lunch: How Zipit Framed Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr

When
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (ET)

Where
Embassy Suites
670 Verdae Blvd
Greenville, SC 29607

View Event Details

The Technology Center at the Hughes Main Library is now offering free resources for web and graphic design. The Self-Service Design Station is available for public use through generous funding from the Friends of the Greenville County Library System.

The Self-Service Design Station includes the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium software, as well as additional complementing software. For those who are unfamiliar with the Adobe Creative Suite programs, online video tutorials, provided by Lynda.com, may be viewed on an adjacent computer.

Greenville County Library System library card holders may use the new design station at no charge for a three-hour time limit, which may be extended if no other patron is waiting to use it. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own removable storage device, such as a flash memory drive or card, to save their work.

Additional Adobe Suite Premium CS3 programs:

Adobe Acrobat Distiller
Adobe Acrobat 8 Pro
Adobe Bridge CS3
Adobe Device Central CS3
Adobe Dreamweaver CS3
Adobe ExtendScript Toolkit 2
Adobe Extension Manager CS3
Adobe Flash CS3 Pro
Adobe Flash CS3 Video Editor
Adobe Illustrator CS3
Adobe InDesign CS3
Adobe Live Cycle Designer 8.0
Adobe Photoshop CS3

via: Greenville County Library

Our December event was Gadgetfest 2009. Quite a few members of the GSATC showcased various tech gadgets from online services like Goog411, the Android Smart Phone and inventions by local entrepreneurs.

View photos as a slideshow

Photos by Patrick Greer. See the entire collection on Flickr.