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IPIC’s BioWorksU virtual effort wins acclaim:

A new Web site developed locally and designed to attract youngsters to careers in the life sciences sector now shares something in common with the wildly popular Club Penguin site. The Indianapolis Private Industry Council, with assistance from locally based Creative Street Media Group, created BioWorksU.com. And while more educational and likely more appealing to a larger age group than Club Penguin, the two were among recent Webby Awards finalists. Called the “Oscars of the Internet” by The New York…

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Evolving mobile phones indispensable for on-the-go technology ‘addicts’

Mitch Roob oversees a state agency with a $6.5 billion budget and thousands of employees who deliver a range of services to
more than a million Hoosiers. And he’d be lost without his BlackBerry. He is just one of the many Indianapolis professionals
who use enhanced mobile devices, or smartphones, to keep tabs on their work and increase their productivity away from the
office.

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SURF THIS: Radio Free Me: Opening Pandora’s musical box

If you’re a parent of a pre-teen, you’ll both understand and appreciate the following sentiment: I’m really sick of Radio Disney. This is why I normally listen to talk radio. But there are times when I can’t take any more of the right (Boortz, Beck, etc.) the left (NPR) or the egos (you know who you are.) That’s when I found Pandora and now that I’ve opened the box, I just can’t see going back. First, a little background. Way…

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Selling a sabbatical: Few companies let workers take lengthy vacations, but some make exceptions

If you were to approach your boss about taking a prolonged leave of absence-say, for seven weeks-would he or she respond with understanding, or amusement? One particular boss, Matt Haab, founder of the south-side financial planning firm Veros Partners, was faced with that very decision. He chose to let wealth management adviser Charles Miller take his family on a lengthy trip to Honduras earlier this year. Miller, 46, joined Veros in 2004 and had been to the Central American country…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Jump drives can rescue you or get you into trouble

I’ve seen a lot of computer oddities in my career, but a piece of sushi sticking out of the computer case was admittedly a new one. And then there was the squid, the Lego block, and the strawberry. They were all flash drives from a Japanese company called SolidAlliance (www.solidalliance.com). You can go to its site, but don’t expect to read it unless you’re fluent in Kanji. “Flash drive” is just one name for the little devices you plug into…

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Electronic record system results from frustration: Doctor, partner hawking technology they developed

For Dr. Tim Story, frustration was the mother of invention. The Carmel internist didn’t like the cost or complexity of the electronic medical record systems he had seen. So he created his own. And now he’s trying to sell it to other doctors. “I wanted an EMR that I could use, that I could understand,” said Story, 55, who also chairs the largest group of physicians at Clarian North Medical Center. Story is by no means alone. Hundreds of doctors…

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Revival in nuclear energy puts engineers in demand: Purdue concerned about possible shortage in field

A renewed interest in nuclear energy coming at the same time aging workers are leaving the industry has created the elements for a shortage of nuclear engineers. Nuclear energy as an electricity source is enjoying a resurgence nearly 30 years after a reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania severely tarnished the industry’s image. Escalating oil prices and stiffening environmental regulations on coal-based systems are helping to spawn the rebirth of nuclear technology. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in…

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EDITORIAL: Pricey fuel isn’t all bad: Pain at pump creates opportunity

Pricey fuel isn’t all bad Pain at pump creates opportunity The high cost of fuel hurts everyone, from commuters to business owners to not-for-profits whose volunteer drivers deliver meals to shut-ins. Our whole economy suffers. But there’s a silver lining to gas for $4 a gallon: opportunity. If the price of fuel isn’t coming down, and that seems to be the prevailing wisdom, the only thing to do is adapt. It’s in adapting that there’s opportunity to be found and…

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VIEWPOINT: What is that buzzing in my ears?

Have we lost the desire for genuine conversation? Or maybe it’s more that our opportunities are being robbed. I ponder that statement whenever I find myself meeting a colleague or friend in a restaurant these days. What lengths proprietors go to to create the right first impression with furniture, lighting and finishes. (I work for a design firm, so I notice these things.) In the best situations, these elements create a sense of welcome. They can make you feel cozy…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Are Google photos an invasion of your privacy?

There it was, by golly. I’m a tourist as much as the next guy, so of course one of the first things I did was look up my own house on Google Street View. And there it was. Sometime in the past several months, a car with a Google cameraman in it drove through my neighborhood taking shots every few yards. I could “fly” through the whole area, albeit rather jerkily. All the overhead shots on Google, all the satellite…

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Firm helps clients blog easier: Compendium sees huge market in making business Web sites more interactive

The number of blogs operating on the Internet outnumbers the inhabitants of California, New York, Texas and Florida combined. With a market like that, it’s no wonder Chris Baggott and Ali Sales are so excited about the potential of Compendium Blogware, an upstart firm the two formed in January 2007. Baggott is best known for founding, along with co-owner Scott Dorsey, fastgrowing local e-mail marketing firm ExactTarget Inc. in 2000. The company brought in $48 million in revenue last year….

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Companies prepare for tougher breach law: Writer of security bill wanted more protections

Imagine a busy local bank that signs several new accounts weekly. With each new customer, the bank receives that person’s Social Security number, home and business addresses, and entire financial history. But what if a computer containing all that personal information-so useful for identity theft-is stolen from the building? Should the company notify its customers of the possible danger or hope the information itself is safe and keep quiet to avoid scandal? To answer those questions, the Indiana General Assembly…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Despite some perceptions, future for IT workers bright

In mid-March, Bill Gates traveled to Washington to carry an unpopular message to Congress: Raise the limits on visas for foreignborn tech workers, or Microsoft and other high-tech companies will be forced to move more jobs overseas in search of a skilled work force. Gates’ testimony to the House Committee on Science & Technology wasn’t groundbreaking-the shortage of tech workers is well-documented. But it begs an obvious question: Why have computer science enrollments at U.S. colleges and universities fallen by…

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Ex-food chief: Crops for fuel is OK

In his five years as executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Jim Morris saw global
hunger from an uncomfortably close vantage point.

So, one might expect him to criticize the idea of turning corn and soybeans into alternative…

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Angels invest where others fear to tread: Wealthy entrepreneurs join forces to create HALO Capital Group

Some high-tech companies are so risky that even venture capitalists quiver. That’s when they turn to angels, who aren’t afraid to fly to the rescue of cash-strapped innovators with chancy yet possibly lucrative ideas. Last year, two dozen of central Indiana’s most successful business veterans decided to intercede on behalf of Hoosier entrepreneurs. They formed HALO Capital Group, a network of angel investors who seek to speculate on promising Indiana startups. Every other month, the HALO group meets at a…

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Networking key for Heron: Life sciences venture capital firm has invested in four startups

Four years ago, attorney Greg Maurer decided he wanted to try his hand at venture capital. So he began calling everyone he knew in Indianapolis for help. It took several years. But eventually, Maurer attracted a team of experienced venture managers to his side. He also assembled two expert boards: one filled with scientists to help analyze the technical side of new business plans, and another composed of veteran investors to consider their market potential. Maurer, 31, is the son…

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EDITORIAL: Leadership has its rewards: Health info exchange is exhibit A

Leadership has its rewards Health info exchange is exhibit A Being the best isn’t everything, but it goes a long way when you’re trying to attract money and expertise. That’s why it’s significant that the Indiana Health Information Exchange is taking its show on the road. As IBJ reporter J.K. Wall reported last week, those who oversee the platform for sharing patient records and test results electronically are preparing to make it available in other states. Hospitals and physicians in…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Microsoft Office 2007: ‘Gamey’ but challenging

As I write this, I’m learning to use my new Microsoft Office 2007. I’m finding out that having Office 2007 is kind of like being the first guy in town with a fax machine; it’s shiny, exciting, hard to use, and it can’t be shared with anybody else. There are several problems with Office 2007, but one of the most irritating is the new file format. Word documents, for example, used to have a .doc extension, and most sentient beings…

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SPORTS: How big was Patrick’s win? Let the debate begin

Like most of the rest of the sporting world and to some extent beyond, I had awakened on that Sunday morning to the delightful news that, overnight in faraway Japan, Patrick had broken through to secure her first Indy Racing League victory in 50 tries. She now is something more than a pretty face and, to some, a sexual object who also just happened to drive race cars. She is a champion. Now this isn’t, as one gearhead suggested, along…

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