Events

Calendar of Professional Events (2008-2009)

All Chapter meetings are held 6:00-7:30 pm, the 4th Thursday of each month (except December) at PWC Building 3109 W. MLK Jr. Blvd, Lake Pointe II, Rm. 6097

• Aug 27, 2009:  Update from Our Annual Convention
• July 23, 2009: Final Prep for High School Computer Competition
• Jun 25, 2009:  Overview of Student Computer Training Program
• May 28, 2009: Update on Florida & National Stimulus Jobs and Business Opportunities (Where to find them)
• April 23, 2009: Cloud Computing: Could it Change IT As We Know It?
• Mar 26, 2009:  Stimulus Jobs in a Digital Age
• Mar 19, 2009:  CMG-BDPA Youth Golf Charity Event
• Feb 26, 2009:  Partnering with Computer Mentors Group for Area Youth
• Feb 19, 2009:  Family Technology Awareness with IBM & CMG
• Jan 22, 2009:  Improve Your Executive Presence
• Dec 18, 2008:  How to Invest in a Post-Bailout Economy
• Nov 21, 2008:  How SOA / Web Services is Changing Business
• Sep 25, 2008:  Complex Project Management - An Overview
• Oct 23, 2008:  What IT Professionals Need to Know About Compliance

News & Ideas from Members

1. Broadband Stimulus Jobs & Business Opportunities. Keep abreast of what projects and job opportunities are being funded by the Obama Administration.
2. Google’s Wave: Could revolutionized online communications. (more)
3. Sprint's Airave: A Samsung manufactured small, desktop device designed to boost wireless dead spots in a home or office. Costs about $100, plus $5-25 per month. As long as you have a broadband Internet connection, you can use this device to make cell phone calls with unlimited minutes for a flat monthly fee.
4. iRise.com: Improves software development cycle time, quality and productivity by allowing users to test drive applications before they are built.
5. At Mobile Internet World 2008, Yankee Group advised that the mobile Internet must be open in order to thrive. The next generation of the Internet will not be limited to the traditional, fixed Internet. Instead it will be an open mobile Internet, spurring massive business opportunities for services and applications we cannot fully imagine today.
6. Google Health:  With Google Health, you can store and manage all your health information in one place free of charge. (https://www.google.com/health/) - Keep your doctors up-to-date; Stop filling out the same paperwork every time you see a new doctor; Avoid getting the same lab tests done over and over again because your doctor cannot get copies of your latest results; Don't lose your medical records because of a move, change in jobs or health insurance.
7. EditGrid.com:  Online spreadsheets. A must-try for all members. Offers the ability to create dynamic and interactive tools and applications beyond just spreadsheets can embed them on websites, blogs, etc.
8. 23andMe.com: "Genetics just got personal."  Here is an example of where DIY Web 2.0 technology meets biotech.  Wife of Google founder Sergey Brin, Anne Wojcicki, launched 23andMe to democratize genetics: Health and Traits: What do your genes mean for your health? Ancestry: Where are your ancestors from? Compare Your DNA: How similar are you to friends and family? 23andWe Research: Be part of the discovery process by participating in research
9. Opensource / Virtualization Tools. VMWare and RedHat are working jointly to certify and support Ret Hat Linux running in VMware virtual machines. This is an example of where these two technology trends are intersecting to bring greater business value to customers. Opensource, or free software, combine with virtualization, in which software is used to replace hardware infrastructure, both further reduce costs while improving business flexibility.
    
10. Phishing and Whaling. According to Wikipedia, "phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwordsand credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication." A more recent practice, dubbed whaling, is essentially phishing that targets the big fish such as top military brass, government officials and corporate executives. The most common example of whaling is where executives received an e-mail that an investigation was underway by the Better Business Bureau. The investigation statement is purportedly attached as a zip file which actually contains malware. One of our participants also noted that malware code is now being built behind images and messages, so when you click on a graphic or photo, the harmful code can attack your computer.
11. The Tandberg Mobile Video. Can be used by mid and large companies to drastically reduce costs of travel. This mobile video provides "telepresence" and allows an individual or team with scarce, expert knowledge to be in multiple places via video.
12. CrossLoop.com. A free Web 2.0 tool that lets everyone help everyone else. The website provides a very easy way in which a tech person can assist a less technically-proficient individual with any computer or software problems online.  The person seeking help grants "virtual" computer access to the person assisting him or her, but can stop access at any moment. The marketing tagline on CrossLoop.com reads, "Global Computer Support and Training...get help immediately by real people, rated by users like you."