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Creative Consultants Inc.
309-344-3031
127 N Cherry St

Dr Mike Computer Therapist
309-343-6333
247 E Main St

Office Specialist
309-342-7711
143 E Ferris St
Office Specialist


R Cubed Technologies
309-342-8233
21 N Kellogg St
R Cubed Technologies

Jennings
309-342-9245
311 E Main St

Tri Lutions Computer & Internet Center
309-342-7177
755 N Henderson St
Tri Lutions Computer & Internet Center

Computers Renting & Leasing

Rent-A-Center
309-342-5111
1865 N Henderson St
Rent-A-Center

2009 Press Release: Computer Recycling Event
For immediate release
March 3, 2009

Over 250 cars visited the Des Plaines Public Works Garage where the Des Plaines Computer Recycling Event, sponsored by Public Works and PC Rebuilders and Recyclers (PCRR), was held on Saturday morning, February 28, 2009. Patrons from Des Plaines and surrounding communities dropped off computers, mice, keyboards, monitors, televisions and fax machines. The recycled goods filled four recycling trucks representing 32 palettes! Patrons were very thankful for the opportunity to discard their used electronics. The event was coordinated by Katy Hanzlik, Assistant to the Director of Public Works, and Mark Walsten, 6th Ward Alderman, who has spearheaded several of the City’s "Green" Programs.

(pictured above left to right) Katy Hanzlik, Assistant to the Director of Public Works, and Mark Walsten, 6th Ward Alderman, pose for a photograph at the very successful Des Plaines Computer Recycling Event. Hanzlik thanked the many volunteers who assisted at the event, as well as those individuals who contributed items.

State Announces Winners of 2008 Innovate Illinois Competition
Harrison Custom Harmonicas and CallPod, Inc. take top honors in state’s entrepreneurial innovation competition
 
The State today announced the two winners and two runners-up in the 2008 Innovate Illinois entrepreneurial innovation competition. The Innovate Illinois program is administered jointly by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC), a non-profit affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce that works to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurial companies.

These companies were selected to receive cash prizes to help them commercialize their product or service. The winners are: Harrison Custom Harmonicas from Chicago and CallPod, Inc., from Chicago. The runners-up are: Clipius Technologies from Murphysboro and Kim Laboratories from Champaign.

“For Illinois to remain competitive in an increasingly global economy, we must support businesses that are willing to take risks with new ideas,” said Governor Blagojevich. “The Innovate Illinois awards will help these companies create jobs and bring revolutionary new products and services to the market. Their innovations are helping to build a more vibrant and prosperous economy.”

The two top honorees at the finals each received $40,000, and the two runners-up each received $10,000. The finals, which were held yesterday at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center, brought together 12 companies from throughout the state. Each company had 10 minutes (five minutes for the presentation and five minutes to answer questions) to present to a panel of judges. Thirty-two companies were selected for the semifinals, held September 26.

Get your Callpod Chargepod or Dragon Bluetooth here!

“More than 130 companies applied to this competition,” said David Weinstein, president of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC). “All of them are either planning or implementing innovative products, services or processes that will have a lasting economic effect on Illinois.”

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Jack Lavin said, “Innovate Illinois is one of several programs in the state that was created to help funnel some of the innovative products and services that are being developed by promising Illinois entrepreneurs into the marketplace, creating jobs and helping to build the Illinois economy. I am pleased to join our partners at the CEC in honoring these individuals today.”

To learn more about the program, visit www.innovateillinois.org.

The 2008 Innovate Illinois winners are:

Early Stage (a company with an idea for an innovative product, service or process)

Harrison Custom Harmonicas produces customized, professional quality harmonicas. Harrison uses patent-pending reed technology coupled with patent-pending designs to solve the production problems many of its competitors have. There are no other harmonica manufacturers in the world producing the reeds that Harrison does.

Later Stage (a company that recently implemented an innovative product, service or process)

CallPod, Inc. is an emerging technology company that has created and patented unique audio conferencing and content sharing technologies for wireless consumer electronic devices and cellular telephones. CallPod became a finalist for its lineup of new products, which includes: Dragon, a Bluetooth headset that allows users to be 250 feet from their cell phones; Chargepod, which charges six devices at the same time; Phoenix, the first mobile conferencing device; and Drone, a Bluetooth USB antenna for computers.

The 2008 Innovate Illinois runners-up are:

Early Stage

Clipius Technologies’ subsidiary Clipius Spine creates antimicrobial coatings for spinal implants and instrumentation. Two types of novel coatings are being investigated. One is a customized silica-based coating, while the other is a novel diamond-based coating.

Later Stage

Kim Laboratories researches, develops and markets innovative diagnostic systems for the detection of food borne pathogens, such as salmonella and E. coli, and especially norovirus, which is the leading cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. Kim Laboratories has found an antigen that is common to all 150 norovirus genotypes and has developed a method to produce antibodies against this antigen, which will allow the company to detect all 150 strains.

The 2008 Innovate Illinois finalists are:

Early Stage: Ag-Defense Systems, Peoria; Autonomic Materials, Inc., Champaign; SanoGene Therapeutics, Inc., Chicago; and Vesseltek BioMedical, Chicago

Later Stage: Balanced IT Solutions, South Beloit; EVT, LLC, Springfield; NICA Corporation, Wood River; and Salare Security, Chicago.

Governor Blagojevich combined all of the small business services under an integrated system, known as the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN), to strengthen the state’s capacity to develop small businesses into market successes and help entrepreneurship act as a more dynamic engine of growth. IEN partners, which offer varying levels of expertise and access to services, include: Entrepreneurship Centers, Small Business Development Centers, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, International Trade Centers, NAFTA Opportunity Centers, Manufacturing Extension Centers and Illinois Technology Enterprise Centers. Governor Blagojevich launched the IEN Web site, which features a free business needs assessment and a referral within 24 hours for personalized, face-to-face assistance. Entrepreneurs also can call toll-free 1-800-252-2923.

Over the past four years, through the IEN, the Governor has invested nearly $47 million, which has helped small companies generate almost $3.5 billion in government contracts and international sales and secure more than $682.2 million in financing. The Network has provided counseling and training to more than 301,900 clients across the state. The 19 Entrepreneurship Centers statewide, which make up one vital component of the IEN, provide expertise and grant funding to assist entrepreneurs or small businesses with obtaining professional services for comprehensive business plan assistance, evaluation of a proposed start-up or expansion or other accelerated support purposes. The E-Centers have awarded more than $3.1 million in matching challenge grants to over 562 companies, which has leveraged another $284 million in investments.

The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center is a nonprofit affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce that seeks to make a perceptible and lasting economic impact on the Chicagoland region by helping entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses build viable, sustainable and profitable enterprises. The CEC works with entrepreneurs to create and sustain opportunities for business success, job growth and profitability. 
 

Beating the threat of spam – a ComputerWeekly podcast

Ever since the first spam email message was sent back in 1978 to 393 recipients on Arpanet, unsolicited email messages have been causing a headache for IT managers. Dealing with the constant influx of spam costs not only money but time as well.

The spam threat landscape is constantly changing as spammers develop increasingly sophisticated techniques to try and get their messages across. One recent trend has been the use of reputable online email service providers, which not only provides spammers with an unlimited source of new email accounts, but also makes it harder for spam filtering technology to weed out the rogue messages.

In this new podcast from ComputerWeekly.com looks at how spam is affecting IT managers and provides interviews with a range of IT professionals offering advice on dealing with the problem presented by unsolicited emails.

Topics discussed in this free podcast include:

•         The current spam threat landscape

•         Damage spam can do to a business

•         Case studies on how available technologies can help beat spam

•         The importance of having a best practice policy relating to spam

•         Likely spam threats in the future

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Government aims to be carbon neutral by 2012

Central government departments will be carbon neutral by 2012 as the government

promises to reduce energy consumption and offset the remaining emissions.  The government also called on private companies and individuals to follow its example set in its Greening Government ICT strategy announced today.  Government CIO John Suffolk said going green will pay for itself. The strategy outlines simple steps that businesses and government departments can take.  "IT is not a cost issue. It does pay for itself because when you turn something off and reuse technology that is a cost saving," he said.  The government has committed departments to being carbon neutral throughout the entire lifetime of IT, including manufacture and disposal, by 2020. Central government departments are being advised to take steps such as turning computers off after work, re-using IT equipment and cutting power consumption in datacentres.  The government said just turning off computers outside work time will reduce CO2 emissions, every year, by the same amount as if you took 40,000 cars off the road. The plans also include using low power CPUs in equipment, reducing the number of printers, using thin client technology and using virtualisation in datacentres.  Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson said, "It is not just about the government. I hope the steps we are taking today will be picked up by private companies and individuals." IT suppliers association Intellect will support the government with its plan."Intellect's public sector council has agreed to form a dedicated task group to focus on the issue," it said.