Breaking News

Report: Michigan Venture Community Growing In Size, Number of Deals ANN ARBOR - Michigan's Venture Capital community is growing, both in size and in the number of deals, according to a new report released Monday by the Michigan Venture Capital Association.

OST Offers $5000 In IT Services To Think Big Contest Winners GRAND RAPIDS - Open Systems Technologies is looking for start-ups, innovators and entrepreneurs to submit a big business idea that could win $5,000 worth of IT services courtesy OST.

Pentagon CIO Takai Says Cyber Defense Major Part of DOD’s Technology Agenda WASHINGTON D.C. – Teresa M. Takai, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration, the Department of Defense's Chief Information Officer, said in an interview that cyber defense is a major part of the DOD's technology agenda. But she declined to characterize the current climate of often state-sponsored cyber attacks as cyber war.

Gov. Snyder Meets In Canada On Proposed Bridge LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder took part in a high-level meeting with Canadian Transport Minister Denis Lebel and the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson, in Windsor, Ontario, Thursday, to discuss details regarding the proposed new international bridge between Detroit and Canada.

Michigan Senate Passes Major Changes To Personal Property Tax Reform LANSING – Michigan Senate Republicans on Thursday drastically changed legislation directing how local governments would receive reimbursement in exchange for curbing the personal property tax.

Malware Installed on Travelers' Laptops Through Software Updates on Hotel Internet Connections WASHINGTON D.C. – Summer vacationers beware. Recent analysis from the FBI and other government agencies demonstrates that malicious actors are targeting travelers abroad through pop-up windows while establishing an Internet connection in their hotel rooms.

Cyber Defense

Pentagon CIO Takai Says Cyber Defense Major Part of DOD's Technology Agenda WASHINGTON D.C. – Teresa M. Takai, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration, the Department of Defense's Chief Information Officer, said in an interview that cyber defense is a major part of the DOD's technology agenda. But she declined to characterize the current climate of often state-sponsored cyber attacks as cyber war.

U.S. Senators Seek To Stop Employers From Requesting Facebook Passwords WASHINGTON D.C. - Democrats in Washington are aiming to protect employees being asked to hand over the keys to their Facebook accounts. A new bill introduced yesterday in the U.S. Senate would seek to stop employers from requesting passwords or access to an employee's account on Facebook and other social networks.

Cloud Computing

MCWT ConnectNet Forums Cloud Computing And Virtualization SOUTHFIELD - At the April Michigan Council of Women in Technology ConnectNet Forum, attendees will learn about how cloud computing and virtualization can make an impact both personally and professionally.

Trivalent Appoints 3 To New Posts GRANDVILLE - Trivalent Group has appointed three to new posts.

Entrepreneur's Corner

Arboretum Ventures Announces The Addition of Kristin Myers As Principal ANN ARBOR – Kristin Myers has joined Arboretum Ventures as a Principal. Kristin is a former Partner at Skyline Ventures of Palo Alto, California, where she led numerous due diligence efforts for medical device opportunities.

GVSU Develops Young Entrepreneurs At Summer Academy GRAND RAPIDS – This summer, high school students from across West Michigan can find out what it's like to be an entrepreneur and get a chance to win an iPad and cash prizes totaling $1000.

CleanUpdate

Grand Valley Anchors Research Buoy In Lake Michigan For Wind Energy Project MUSKEGON – This week, Grand Valley State University anchored a research buoy 35 miles offshore in Lake Michigan to help assess the commercial-scale viability of wind generation in the Great Lakes.

Democrats Tout 'Green to Gold' Bill Creating Revolving Loan Fund LANSING - A new Michigan House bill would take federal grants given to businesses to help them retool or expand so they can create green energy products and change the system into a revolving loan fund for businesses looking to do many of the same things, but with strings attached and penalties for not creating enough jobs.

TiE Detroit

MITechNews Co-Hosts Entrepreneur Mixer March 13 With TiE Detroit GRAND RAPIDS - MITechNews.Com is co hosting an entrepreneurial networking event on March 13 at the University Club to introduce TiE's Detroit chapter to West Michigan. Clark Hill PLC is co sponsor.

Youngsoft Creates Puzzle App For Apple Products WIXOM – Youngsoft, a software developer for business, now has added an Apple game app to its product portfolio, a puzzle app called Treasure Zap.

Guest Columns

Social Media Impact Undervalued By Nearly 100 Percent: Adobe SAN FRANCISCO - The use of last-click attribution, the most common attribution model used by marketers, may cause marketers to undervalue social media's website impact by up to 94 percent, the Adobe Digital Index report contends.

Consolidation May Hurt SBA Mission GRAND RAPIDS - The federal government should pursue strategies to eliminate duplication and waste among its agencies. However, the proposal to combine the U.S. Small Business Administration with five other agencies will not achieve this objective and will harm the government's efforts to assist small businesses.

Biotechnology

VAI, Dako Ink Deal On MET4 Antibody Cancer Diagnostics Tool GRAND RAPIDS - Van Andel Research Institute and Dako, the Danish-based, worldwide supplier of cancer diagnostic tools, Wednesday announce an agreement to license, manufacture and distribute cancer diagnostics utilizing the MET4 Antibody.

Obama To Unveil Bioeconomy Program Next Week ANN ARBOR - Michael Stebbins, assistant director for biotechnology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, provided members of MichBio a glimpse of a new bioeconomy program scheduled to be unveiled in Washington next week.

Politics

MEDC Announces Brose Expansion In Southeast Michigan LANSING - The Michigan Economic Development Corporation Monday announced that auto supplier Brose North America is investing $60 million to expand in Michigan. The expansion, subject to approvals of state and local incentives, is expected to result in approximately 450 new full time engineering and manufacturing jobs.

Group Calls For Changes To Term Limits LANSING - The Michigan Society of Association Executives said Wednesday some changes need to be enacted to term limits requirements that amount to an average of 33 percent turnover each election, affecting overall decision-making.

New Products/Contracts

U-M Regents To Decide Thursday If Approve BS In Information ANN ARBOR - U-M's School of Information and the provost office are petitioning the Board of Regents during its Thursday meeting in Dearborn to approve a new bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in information.

Maximizing Your IT Investment: Business, Technology, Chamber Event COOPERSVILLE - IT Resource will be the keynote speakers at the Coopersville Area Chamber of Commerce May 17 where they will offer a program to focus on maximizing IT investment.

Webcasts

Plex Systems Hosts Food Processing Industry SQF Update May 1 AUBURN HILLS - Plex Systems is hosting a webinar for the food processing industry on May 1 to update users on the several new requirements and changes in the SQF Edition 7 certification. Ensure Readiness for SQF Change takes place at 1 pm. EDT.

Intelligence Squared Webcast: "Does The Internet Poison Politics?" NEW YORK - On April 17, Intelligence Squared U.S. will debate "When it Comes to Politics, The Internet is Closing Our Minds. Does the internet poison politics?"