Portland's InnoTech Tech Conference May 6 -- Free Pass!

InnoTech – The Business & Technology Innovation Conference & Expo returns to the Oregon Convention Center May 6th (with the eMarketing Summit starting the day before). The annual event brings together the area's business, IT, and social media leaders for a series of compelling sessions and thought-provoking discussions. I've personally attended most of the last dozen or so years.

For details visit their website: http://www.innotechoregon.com.

To make it even more compelling-- I convinced conference organizers to pass along some free passes to give away:

• A limited number of complimentary passes are available.
  
• Register at http://www.innotechoregon.com
  
• Use BMWKXL in the Discount Code field for complimentary admission.
  
  (This pass does NOT include the NW CIO Summit, NW ISSA Security Conference or eMarketing Summit, extra registration fee is required.)

There are a lot of great speakers... including some local rockstars such as Rick Turoczy, Jason Harris, and a host of others... Will you be attending or speaking at this year's InnoTech? Speak up!

From the conference schedule, a few of the InnoTech conference tracks & special events:

• Microsoft Technology Symposium including SharePoint 2010 and Office 2010 demos
• 
  Wireless/Mobile Applications Track including Native vs. web, mobile application panel
• Talks on Cloud Computing, iPad Demos, Social Computing, Augmented Reality, and much more
• Green IT/Clean Technology Track
• InnoTech Happy 45-Minutes (the perfect place to mingle over complimentary beverages, appetizers, live music and exhibits)
• And more!

See you at InnoTech!!

Donate Old Cell Phones -- Save the Earth! ... Save A Life?

Seems each week we're talking about the latest and greatest new mobile gadget to save you time, increase your producticitiy and keep you in contact with friends and family. With the constant incentive to upgrade, what about your unused phone?

Cellular carriers are providing an easy option to donate your unused phone to benefit organizations that help victims and survivors of domestic violence. You can participate by taking your phone to any Verizon Wireless store (other carriers offer similar programs, be sure to ask when you buy your new phone for details!).

From a Verizon Wireless Press Release:

In 2008, Verizon Wireless donated wireless phones with prepaid service to several Oregon based non-profit agencies including:

• Eugene— Domestic Violence Clinic - Lane County Legal Aid
  
• Milwaukie— Clackamas Women's Services
  
• Portland— Bradley-Angle House
  
• Portland— IRCO’s Refugee and Immigrant Family Strengthening Program
  
• Portland— Raphael House of Portland
  
• Portland— Volunteers of America
  
• Portland— YWCA of Greater Portland/Yolanda House

For more information, visit Verizon Wireless' HopeLine website here.

Donated phones are not tax deductible.

Help Save ORBlogs!

It began, as many such projects do, as a hobby by one blogger. Now, after five years as a defacto resource on Oregon's blogging community, a guide, directory and inspiration ORBlogs is closing its doors. Site founder Paul Bausch writes:

I'm shutting ORblogs down now because the site continues to grow and the job of maintaining the site at the level I feel is necessary to keep it valuable has grown with it, putting it out of the bounds of a hobby. I wasn't able to make ORblogs self-sustaining financially (let alone turn it into a job), and I can no longer devote the time to the site that it needs to grow.

This, obviously, doesn't sit well with bloggers such as Rick Turozcy over at Silicon Florist. He writes, "I mean, I was always taught the whole 'if you love something, let it go' thing. But, quite frankly, I’m not willing to let this one go."

I strongly encourage you to hop on over and read this comprehensive post by Rick describing what's at stake here.

The conversation continues this morning on Twitter and in this FriendFeed room created by J-P Voilleque.

Earlier this morning my friends at KATU.com gave the fight to save ORBlogs some extra visibility.

I, for my small part, join Rick and the dozens of others rallying in support of ORBlogs (I've also put a bug in the ear of some key execs who may be able to pitch in)... won't you join us?

Rick has even created a web banner to help spread the word... feel free to post on your own site:




UPDATE 1 (10:30): Mettadore weighed in lengthy analysis of what is needed to save the site (and how you can help), and proposed next steps. Great work! The Oregonian has a write-up on their site as well.

UPDATE 2 (11:30): We ran a story today on KXL-AM about the campaign to save ORBlogs -- take a listen to the story from KXL's Lacey Evans and myself (MP3)

If you'd like to join the campaign, drop me an email (tech AT brianwestbrook DOT com), or leave a comment and I'll pass your details on to the appropriate contacts... This includes, especially, potential future sponsors from across the great State of Oregon!

Did stranded Oregon family use online mapping?

I did an interview today with Newsradio 750 KXL about online mapping sites and how GPS technology may have helped the family stuck in Oregon for a week. (The father remains missing as of this post.) In preparation for the interview, I looked up the route the stranded family took from Grants Pass to Gold Beach. Curiously, Google (shown at left, top) sends travelers on a more direct (albeit closed during the winter months) route while Mapquest (middle) and Yahoo (bottom) send drivers south through California. This must be what they mean when they say "this information is for reference only" ... bet the Google lawyers are glad they insisted on *that* disclaimer today. :)