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!!

iPad Launch Day at University Village 3 April 2010 (KXL-AM)

My live report with KXL-AM's Chris Brown on Portland's Weekend Morning News on iPad Launch Saturday.

List of Riskiest Cities: Seattle #1, Portland #10

The 50 riskiest cities, according to a Norton from Symantec survey:

1. Seattle	18. Oakland, Calif.	35. Chicago
2. Boston	19. Nashville-Davidson, Tenn.	36. Baltimore
3. Washington, D.C.	20. San Jose, Calif.	37. Oklahoma City
4. San Francisco	21. Columbus, Ohio	38. Philadelphia
5. Raleigh, N.C.	22. Dallas	39. Jacksonville, FL\la.
6. Atlanta	23. Kansas City, Mo.	40. Tulsa, Okla.
7. Minneapolis	24. New York	41. San Antonio
8. Denver	25. Indianapolis	42. Milwaukee
9. Austin, Texas	26. Albuquerque, N.M.	43. Cleveland
10. Portland, Ore.	27. Miami	44. Tucson, Ariz.
11. Honolulu	28. Omaha, Neb.	45. Long Beach, Calif.
12. Charlotte, N.C.	29. Virginia Beach, Va.	46. Fort Worth, Texas
13. Las Vegas	30. Los Angeles	47. Fresno, Calif.
14. San Diego	31. Cincinnati, Ohio	48. Memphis, Tenn.
15. Colorado Springs, Colo.	32. Houston	49. El Paso, Texas
16. Sacramento, Calif.	33. St. Louis, Mo.	50. Detroit
17. Pittsburgh	34. Phoenix

Google to buy Seattle's own Picnik

Word today is that Google is buying up Seattle-based Picnik.com.

More on the Picnik blog and the Official Google Blog

You may recall we've talked about Picnik on this blog before, first in Fall 2007 when they had announced Premium features. Since then, I've enjoyed meeting CEO Jonathan Sposato at various events around town and have enjoyed watching Picnik grow.

The team has been nominated for a 2010 WTIA Industry Achievement Award-- the awards are this Thursday. Will Picnik win one last award for their online photo editing software as Bitnik, Inc? Certainly the acquisition will be the talk of the town for a few days.

Congratulations to the entire Picnik gang!

Updated 1:00PM: to include additional information, link to Google blog, and a look back at previous posts.

Disclosure: I have a personal relationship with a Google employee. This person didn't contribute to this -or any- report, nor would this employee probably even read this blog. *sigh*

Dear Google, I'm Confused.

Now, I'm (mostly) a smart guy. I consider myself fairly technical. But I have no idea what Google wants me to do in this situation. Perhaps I'll search for a solution. (Or if you can bail me out of this apparent no-winner, drop a comment.)

The Square Live at 7 - Tech Box: CES 2010 Gadgets 18Jan2010 (KGW-TV)

Sony Bloggie MP4 1080p 360degree camera Sony debuted this Flip-wannabe at CES, but not without adding useful features. Swivel head for recording your own clips, and a bundled attachment for 360-degree video after software processing. The camera uses USB to transfer videos and charge. (Buy: Amazon | SonyStyle)

Samsung TL225 Dual-view camera Taking self-portraits has never been easier. This digital point-and-shoot sets itself apart from the rest by offering a screen on the front. Tap the camera and a forward-facing screen lights up to get the perfect shot of you and your friends! No more guesswork. (Buy: Amazon)

Casio EX-G1 rugged digital camera It’s waterproof and shock-resistant. The Casio G1 takes all the benefits of the Exilim series and goes underwater! The ultimate cruise or beach camera it’s also quite slim, unlike many waterproof models. (Buy: Amazon)

Verbatim Insight Hard drive Want to know how much space you’ve got left? The integrated two-line display will title this portable drive and show you how much space you’ve got to backup your photos, videos, and other files. (Buy: Amazon)


Verbatim Tuff N Tiny memory stick Barely larger than your thumbnail and up to 8GB capacity. Built to resist dirt, water, and other elements. (Buy: Amazon)


PogoPlug at-home network attached storage Plugs into your home network, then attach any USB hard drive or flash memory stick and access those files securely from anywhere in the world. (Buy: Amazon)


Sprint Overdrive 3G/4G portable hotspot battery powered WiFi router now offers 4G speeds. Home-connection speeds from a go-anywhere device! (Buy: Amazon)

Google Nexus One Android 2.1 mobile phone $179 with T-Mobile service, $530 without. “THE” Android phone to own, it sports the latest version of Google open-source Android operating system complete with real turn-by-turn navigation. Favorite feature? “Car mode” for driving. (Buy: Google)

BlueAnt headset One of the first handsets to offer downloadable firmware, when the headset technology improves, you don’t need to buy a new one. (Buy: Amazon)

Plantronics 975 This handsfree headset comes with a battery-pack case. Slide the comfortable noise-cancelling headset into it’s cradle and it’ll top up the juice so you can talk longer. (Buy: Amazon)

Christmas Survival Guide: Kid Sites & Tech Support Tips

With Christmas morning mere hours away, there's two things on your mind: Keeping the kids occupied while you cook dinner, and figuring out that fancy new gadget gift.

I'm here to help!

First, with some kid-friendly websites:

Nickelodeon -- My own niece & nephew showed me this one... an assortment of educational, but fun, games will keep them occupied with characters they recognize and age-appropriate skill development.
Crayola -- As one might expect from the crayon-and-crafts maker, lots of activities and exercises to download and print. Great for the "road trip activity" resources.
Fisher-Price -- Proof it's never too young to get your child computing, the younger set will enjoy FP's simple colors and easy-to-manage colors, shapes and basic skills games. Enough fun the adults will want a turn!
PBS Kids -- One of the better kid-friendly sites, look for extensions of television programming they may already be used to with learning and activities in a variety of areas.

There are literally THOUSANDS more. Before setting your kid loose on any website, give them some guidance:

• Know where they're going
• Check out the websites in advance
• Keep a watchful eye

If you're receiving a new Blu-Ray player, computer, or other gadget this holiday... it might be overwhelming. It doesn't have to be.

Some general tips to keep you from total frustration:

• Take it easy. It's natural to want instant-gratification-- but take your time. Missing a set in setting up electronics can result in disappointment and frustration. Take the time to follow the instructions, complete the setup and learn how to work the device. It will save you headache and fatigue later on.
• Don't return electronics to the store if they're "not working". There's a decent chance your gadget is not defective, rather you were just not properly trained in how to use it. (Blame the manual, not the user!) Call for tech support, ask someone else to take a look, or set it aside for a few hours and get a fresh look.
• Take advantage of warranty support-- you might even have warranty support from the buyer's credit card. This is also a good time to mention extended warranties. Actual needs vary by owner, but generally I discourage buying extended service plans. (There's a reason they are sold aggressively.) A notable exception and a must-buy: AppleCare.
• Tell your insurance company. Often your Home Owner or Renter's policies will cover new, often expensive, gadgets-- but only if they have logged serial number and purchase (or gift receipt) dates. This is especially relevant for high-end digital cameras, computers, and in-car electronics.

Still frustrated? Need some help? I'll be monitoring this blog on Christmas Day-- feel free to ask your question here and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction!

Merry Christmas!