Sept. 5, 2008  ...

Battelle’s Midwestern Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) is about to enter a critical phase as it readies for its first true test of underground carbon sequestration. Underground carbon sequestration involves the injection of carbon dioxide captured from emissions into deep wells within the earth, as opposed to releasing the gases into the atmosphere. A year ago, MRCSP, in conjunction with the Department of Energy, drilled an underground test well at the Burger power plant near ...

As part of its Sentinel Initiative intended to monitor and provide early warnings of potential problems with medical products, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing the creation of a national database of orthopedic implant registries. The program would create a distributed network enabling the FDA to query multiple data sources with minimal data transfer and patient privacy concerns. The network would be part of the FDA’s post-market surveillance program for implants of interest ...

The importance of engaging one another to exchange ideas, create new partnerships and share in the success of Central Ohio’s accelerating technology-based economy is the focus of the latest Innovation Spotlight produced by TechColumbus and WBNS-10 TV. Sponsored by Battelle and Navigator Management Partners, the segment features interviews with tech executives from companies large and small, all of whom cite the importance of networking and sharing knowledge. “As a community, we are stronger ...

Angel groups, typically comprising cashed out CEOs and other corporate executives are increasingly looking to add the expertise of financial professionals to their ranks. CFO Magazine reports that scarcer capital, less forgiving markets and trickier exit strategies call for more rigor in vetting potential investments. CFOs are able to more critically analyze the merits of a business model and overlay pro-formas to gain a more accurate financial projection. Ken Jones, who is quoted in the ...

MIT’s Technology Review has published its annual list of top young innovators under the age of 35. The TR35 includes young scientists, researchers and technologists who are working on projects as wide ranging as bomb detection devices, to managing your e-mail to the creation of robotic insects outfitted with cameras and listening devices for use in espionage and other applications. Thirty-two-year-old JB Straubel, chief technology officer for Tesla Motors, was named 2008 Young Innovator ...

Platform Lab hosts a variety of events and activities for the Central Ohio tech community. The August line up has recently been announced and can be viewed on the Lab’s Web site at www.PlatformLab.com

Aug. 29, 2008  ...

Nominations Now Open for the TechColumbus Innovation Awards (formerly TopCAT) Innovation is alive and thriving in Central Ohio. From ground-breaking research to life transforming medical advances, inventive manufacturing processes, renewable energy and information technology – some of the world’s best and brightest minds are right here in Central Ohio addressing these and many other technology-driven solutions. TechColumbus is asking for your help in identifying and honoring these ...

R&D Magazine has announced the 2008 R&D 100. Touted as “the Oscars of Invention” this list honors the top research and development projects of the year and in 2008, five of those honors go to Central Ohio projects. The State of Ohio was recognized as having ten of the top 100 award-winning R&D projects, ranking second in the nation (California had 18). Half of the programs that helped place the state in this high ranking were from Central Ohio. These projects include: - Battelle ...

Researchers at OSU are developing a method utilizing plastic coatings that may facilitate the use of neural implants in the treatment of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and macular degeneration. Many researchers worldwide are working on medical implants that stimulate neurons to treat conditions caused by neural damage. Whereas most of this research focuses on preventing the body from rejecting the implant, the OSU study is focused on boosting the effectiveness of these ...

David Berkus, former chairman of Tech Coast Angels, an angel investment group in the heart of Silicon Valley, will present unique insights and future trends in technology at a TechColumbus exclusive event to be held September 26 in downtown Columbus. This event is open to business, technology and thought leaders across the Central Ohio region wishing to address the impact of forthcoming technology trends on their businesses. Berkus, since 1993, has invested in 68 technology ventures, ...

Providing a unique repository of references from over 200 thought leaders from the Silicon Valley and beyond, the Stanford Technology Venture Program (STVP) in the school of Engineering hosts a Web site featuring podcasts and video clips from presentations made on campus. The Entrepreneurship Corner, sponsored in part by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, is a collection of resources for teaching and learning about entrepreneurship. The site features clips from speakers as diverse as Mark ...

WorthPoint Corp. of Atlanta, an operator of an antiques Web site, will acquire Central Ohio’s GoAntiques, Inc. In an attempt to take on eBay in the online antiques marketplace, the companies will dovetail their operations and expertise to create a stronger, more concentrated presence in the antiques arena. GoAntiques runs an antiques and collectibles online price guide with over 27 million items listed. WorthPoint offers expert advice on how to preserve and sell antiques and collectibles. By ...

Central Ohio companies made quite a showing this year in the Inc 5000 list of fastest growing companies. Inc publishes the list each year to recognize the growth of privately held companies and their impact on the U.S. economy. Congratulations to all Central Ohio companies who made the list. Click here for a list of all Ohio companies on the 2008 Inc 5000 list. For the full story, see: http://www.inc.com/inc5000/index.html

Aug. 22, 2008  ...

A number of reports were published this week and include various factoids of interest to the IT community. Here is just a sampling of recent consumer and technology usage trends. A recent report from the Janco/IT Productivity Center indicates that Microsoft’s Internet Explorer may be rapidly losing market share, reporting usage of the browser has slipped to 58.5 percent. The report further suggests that Firefox now has a 19 percent share and Netscape nearly 12 percent (and climbing). The ...

Google, through its philanthropic arm, Google.org, announced it will invest $10.25 million in a breakthrough energy technology known as Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). EGS is a process that allows the replication of naturally occurring underground pockets of steam and hot water. EGS fractures hot rock, circulates water through the system and uses the resulting steam to produce electricity in a conventional turbine. MIT estimates that just two percent of the heat below the continental US that ...

Registration is now open for CIOhio 2008, the premier annual conference for business and IT leaders. Hosted by TechColumbus and organized by leading Central Ohio CIOs and business leaders, the conference is scheduled for November 21, 2008. Ram Charan, noted global business advisor and author, will serve as the keynote speaker. This year’s conference theme is Leading at the Speed of Global Business. Take advantage of early bird discounts and multi-attendee discounts by registering now. Don’t ...

Intel has announced the Inspire Empower Challenge to encourage innovative technology solutions in response to four areas of global need. Seed money in the amount of $100,000 will be awarded to one winner in each of the four categories which include education, healthcare, economic development and the environment. The challenge was issued by Intel’s Chairman Craig Barrett during the company’s developers’ forum held earlier this week in San Francisco. During his presentation, Barrett cited ...