872, Represent?
The new area code 872 goes live on Saturday, so don't forget you'll need to dial an area code for any Chicago number -- even if it's in the same area code as your phone.
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Category
Technology
ChicagoBreakingStuff.com
The Trib launched ChicagoBreakingSports.com on Sunday, pushing Tribune property sports content out throughout the day like they do on ChicagoBreakingNews.com. Which got me wondering: what other "breaking" domains do they own?
Finding the Needle
37signals just (pre)launched Haystack, a site to help you find a web designer for your project. More background here.
Sports Reporting by Robots
Stats Monkey is a project at Northwestern's Intelligent Information Laboratory that might one day make sports reporting obsolete. Of course, that'd just mean more time for sportwriters to be columnists. [via]
What Would You Like to See on Google Street View?
Google is accepting suggestions for off-of-the-street places for its Street View trike to document. Do you have a Chicago location to suggest? Perhaps the Lakefront Path or your favorite park?
Learn to Tweet
Wondering how to best use Twitter for your business? Go to TweetCamp Chicago this Saturday, presented by the AWJ Chicago.
New Feature at Windy Citizen
The Windy Citizen just got a little more democratic with the ability to vote comments up and down.
Digging into .Gov
Stump Connolly of The Week Behind profiles the various ways people are data-mining the government.
A New Mode of Data Storage
Microsoft's suburban data center is experimenting with shipping containers as modular units to be added or subtracted with computing demands.
Calling All iPhones
Listening to a police scanner can be really interesting -- and a bit scary at times. A new app for the iPhone/iPod Touch lets you put all 13 CPD dispatch zones in your pocket. (Thanks, Dan!)
Talkin' About Design
Local designer Ryan McGovern hosts DesignChat, a live streaming video discussion for creative professionals. Check the site's blog for past wisdom from design luminaries or catch this week's discussion with the award-winning creatives behind Big Space Ship at 5:30pm on Wednesday, in the Mashable chatroom.
Cut Rate Condos
Looking to snap up some cheap property? Or maybe just get a glimpse of just how much of a discount nearby units are going for? CondoShark has your answer.
Some Help Turning Off the Bus
CTA employees who clean busses typically need to turn on bus engines to provide light, temperature controls and other power while they work in them. That will change for 80 busses thanks to a new $1.5 million federal Recovery Act grant.
Goodbye, Google
For the past four years, developers in Google's Chicago office have been working on a way for you to take your data (contacts, files, etc.) with you if you leave Google's products, like gmail. Their work has paid off in the form of the Data Liberation Front. [via]
Online Ordering Diversifies
Chicago's own GrubHub, which has been expanding into other cities, recently got a competitor on its home turf: Eat24Hours.
Cadence & Slang
Chicago-based interaction designer Nick Disabato has launched a Kickstarter project to help fund his new book, Cadence & Slang. Simply put, Cadence & Slang is a book about interaction design. Help make it a reality.
Hold Off on that Jailbreak
If you're annoyed with your iPhone dropping calls right and left, you may be heartened to hear AT&T is rolling out improved network technology in Chicago later this year.
Surfing the Municipal Web
Chicago's website may not be the best, but at least it's not Rosemont's. More.
Twitter Burner
Longtime Chicago tech guru and Feedburner founder Dick Costolo is becoming Twitter's chief operating officer, according to TechCrunch. [via]
Outfitting Your iPhone
Appolicious is a Chicago-based social networking-ish site that helps you find the right app for your iPhone -- or whatever phone you have.
Giddyup, Internet!
A national report for Internet speeds in 2009 demonstrates our fine state is falling behind in Internet performance.
MSNEveryBloCk
EveryBlock, the Chicago-based news and public information aggregator, has been acquired by MSNBC.com. Crain's has some more detail.
New Number for Tattoos
As we mentioned back in 2007, November will be the roll out time for our new overlay area code: 872.
This One Goes to 11 155
New Chicago-based microblogging service Wooxie allows 155 characters instead of 140, and offers a photo gallery. We're testing it out.
25% of the City Won't Read This
A quarter of Chicago doesn't use the Internet, a new study finds. The number is more like 39 percent in the Spanish-speaking community. [via]
Hackers Get Free Parking
Apparently the "smart" electronic parking meters used in Chicago and other cities are fairly easy to exploit by hackers. [via]
Yet Another Googlemap - Cycling Edition
CitySpokes maps out the city's bike paths, with a convenient trip planner to help you take advantage of them.
PayPal Alternative
Not a fan of PayPal or Google Checkout? Local startup mPayy might be your solution.
Lolla by Touch
Headed to Lollapalooza? There's an iPhone app for that.
CTA Tweet Gets Better
The CTA Tattler is working to improve CTA Tweet, its Twitter-based alert system.
EveryBlock for Any Block
EveryBlock's Knight grant ran out yesterday, and on that momentous occasion, they released the source code for the platform, allowing anyone to produce a similar site for their town. Read my profile of the company and their future plans in Chicago magazine.
Tipping Through Twitter
OK, so we're going to try a little experiment. We now have a Twitter tip line at @GBtips in addition to our main account. It's powered by Spotd, the retweet system behind the popular Tamale Guy Tracker. Learn how it works after the jump...
Find My iPhone Works
In one instance, at least. [via]
Hot or Not for the Twittering Masses
Locally produced Hot Tweeters should eat up some of your time on a rainy afternoon.
iPhonin' at Grand
AT&T service will soon be available in CTA subways. Gmail in the station!
Chicago's Still Got Game
Though times may be tough for local video game developer Midway Games, Chicago-based upstart Robomodo has been tapped to develop Ride, the latest entry in the highly successful Tony Hawk franchise. Tony showed off the game and its unique skateboard-shaped controller during the Xbox 360 press conference at E3 last week.
Bringing the Funny, 140 Characters at a Time
Is Twitter the new improv class? The Trib's @RexHuppke talks one-liners with a couple of Chicago's funniest tweeps.
Springfield is Atwitter
The Illinois Policy Institute has created Tweet Illinois, a service that allows you to track what your twittering state legislators are talking about. More details in Mechanics.
EveryBlock in Your Pocket
EveryBlock now has an iPhone app, so you can check on crime stats of the very corner you're standing on. (And restaurants nearby, too.)
Musicians Go to Band Camp, Designers Go to...
There are a couple good opportunities for Chicago designers and coders ahead. Camp Firebelly is coming up May 1, 2009 Innovation Summit is coming up at the end of May, FITC brings its Flash conference here mid-June, and you can already register for An Event Apart in October.
Broadway To Go
Yesterday, Broadway in Chicago became the first theater organization to offer an official iPhone application. Way to get the show on the road, guys! [via]
Still Fast
Once again, Chicago has made Fast Company's list of cities of the year. This time, the magazine highlights the I-Go + CTA Smart Card program.
Fighting Crime with T9
Remember the CPD/CPS TXT2TIP [pdf] program? Yeah, no one else did either. The program received 70 text messages since September 10, 2008, and, um, "some were hoaxes." Given its tremendous success, Huberman is reviving the program.
News on Hyperlocal News
Local startup EveryBlock was part of a story on hyperlocal news sites in the New York Times this weekend. (Thanks, Elizabeth!)
Will This Be On The iTest?
Loyola University here in Chicago is using something called iclickers to track and increase students' involvement in class.
Reach Out and Bump Someone
The latest cool iPhone app comes from our very own University of Chicago where two business school students have come up with a clever way to exchange info between users.
Get Started This Weekend
Got an idea for a new tech project? Bring it to Startup Weekend this weekend, and it might become a reality.
A Life in Layers
Can't make it down to the Oriental Institute but want to learn more about mummies? The University of Chicago Magazine created an interactive mummy dissection that combines photographs, CT scans and interviews with researchers to examine the Institute's 2,800-year-old dummy -- without cracking the seal.
CraigsList Erotic Services Drop
A week after Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart sued CraigsList to stop allowing "erotic services" ads on its site, CL reports that its listings of that type are down 90 percent. We already knew they were lower than elsewhere in the country.
Cross-reference That Cookbook
Recipe Comparison is a local site that allows you to search for recipes and compare them across several major recipe sites. Great for dishes where there's no one way to do it.
"Commissioner Tweetie"
Cook County Commissioner Tony Paraica has been live-tweeting board meetings.
The Increasing Significance of Surveillance Cameras
Thanks to a $6 million Homeland Security grant, the city of Chicago has integrated the 911 emergency response center with video feeds from the city's cameras, as well as those from 20 private institutions. An additional 17 organizations are expected to sign on shortly.
The Great Silent Lake
According to this somewhat confusing graph, Chicago is the world's third most innovative hub, behind only Silicon Valley and Tokyo, in terms of the number diversity of separate companies developing new patents. [via]
Where've You Been?
Where I've Been is a new site that allows you to track and share your travels on a variety of social networks. They're hosting a Facebook Developers Garage tonight if you're interested.
File Your Receipt in Your Phone
TextHog is a new service that allows you to keep track of receipts and other expenses by text or email.
Two-Facebook
Compare and contrast: The possibly overreaching changes to Facebook's terms of service, and the sweet simplicity of the current "25 things" meme.
They're Heeeeerre....
At the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference here in Chicago over the weekend, cosmologist Paul Davies of Arizona State University says that alien life, in one form or another, does indeed exist and may already be living here on Earth! (I thought that guy at 7-11 looked a little weird.)
Bad Economy Wins!
Chicago-based video game developer Midway Games filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today after a nearly five-year battle with their finances. The Mortal Kombat creator recently laid off 25% of their local workforce in an unsuccessful attempt to stay afloat.
Who's Representing You?
Newly launched RepSheet lists which elected officials serve you, and also shows you the latest news mentioning any of them.
Radio You
Local web firm Mightybytes spiced up its holiday party by creating an internal radio station that played in every room of its office. Here's how they did it. Bonus: listen to their very own groove-tastic playlist.
Not Encyclowikia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica's new user-generated version of its online encyclopedia debuted today, but it's nothing like Wikipedia.
Super Bowl Tickets Don't Come That Cheap
Chicago-based ticket-brokering site FirstDIBZ.com says got caught up in a Super Bowl ticket scam, in which "hackers" allegedly posted sales of tickets they didn't own.
Every Single Block
EveryBlock has introduced a feature that allows you to see neighborhood trends right down to individual blocks. Still no pothole data, though -- not that they're not trying.
Play Secretary
MiniMtg is a simple conference call collaborative note-taking service, developed by Brent Sordyl.
Listen to Your Neck
Tired of earbuds? Maybe necksets are for you. The "bizarre" headphone alternatives are made by suburban S1 Audio.
Another Mobile CTA Bus Tracker, Though Prettier
Michael Simmons releases his iPhone-ified CTA Bus Tracker. If you're looking for a more native looking app, this is it. Just point your iPhone here.
Crowdsourcing a Winner
Chicago crowdsourcing startup crowdSPRING won Wired's Small Biz Program contest.
Chicago Best 3G Coverage
Gizmodo does a citywide road test of AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Compare to the rest of the country.
Less Mortal Kombat, More Mortal Combat
Midway Games' Chicago office laid off 130 full-time employees just in time for the holidays.
Jellified Holidays
In between all the other holiday parties this weekend, here's a freebie for you: Jelly Chicago and other local tech folks (including Gapes Block) are hosting a free holiday party at Noble Tree Coffee & Tea, 2444 N. Clark St., Saturday night at 10pm. It's free; just RSVP.
Your Daily Commute
Commuting.in prettifies the CTA Bus Tracker for your mobile device, but also allows you to save favorite bus routes and stops.
ROBOTS!
If you're already thinking about the weekend, here's something a little different: IIT will be hosting a Midwest robotics tournament.
CTA Rolls Out Hybrid Buses
The CTA unveiled new hybrid buses today that plug into an electrical outlet at night and run on battery power for most of the day. The move is estimated to save the CTA almost $7 million annually in maintenance, labor and fuel costs by retiring aging buses.
Spirit of Competition
Chicago-based crowdSPRING is the front-runner in Wired's small business competiton. Watch their video and vote for the local team.
High Tech & Created in Chicago
Callpod is a local company producing some very cutting edge gadgets, including multi-device chargers and extra-strength bluetooth headsets.
Perfect Power at IIT
Yesterday, IIT announced it will build the first smart microgrid electricity system in the United States. The system promises to "virtually eliminate" power outages and allow the university to sell excess electricity, all the while saving at least $2 million a year.
Be Obama
Local artist and programmer Dubi Kaufmann created a plugin for Apple's Photo Booth called "Obamafy." The plugin is based on Shepard Fairey's amazingly popular Obama poster.
CTA Gets Smart
Looks like the trusty Chicago Card may become obsolete in the near future. The CTA is claiming that a new "smart" version of credit and debit cards will be accepted for payment of bus and train fares in about a year. Seems like a rather bold prediction, but it could mean more money for other improvements if it pans out.
Better Living Through 'Slurpees'
Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have developed a "life-saving, Slurpee-like slurry" which "rapidly cools the body from the inside out, giving doctors more time to treat patients while staving off harmful complications, saving lives." [via]
Twitter H8ter Twitter
For every trend, there's an anti-trend. Twitter has blown up ...and spawned h8ter, created by local webfolk. Sign up for a h8ter account and h8te on all sorts of stuff. Not only that, but your h8tes will be tweeted (anonymously) on Twitter.
A 'Cell' Of A Deal
A new cell phone carrier, Cricket, is coming to town, bringing $45-a-month service and unlimited texting. Just in time for the latest economic downturn.
Colorful Music
Flash artist and past GB staffer Felix Jung has created Colourful Echo, which creates a color-paletted visualizer for songs you upload. Here's an example.
The Twittering Masses
Keep your finger on pulse of the city with Chicago Tweets.
Tech Cocktailing
Chicago tech scenesters: the next Tech Cocktail will be Nov. 6. RSVP now.
Cause for Cell-ebration
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the first commercial cellular call, made to the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell from a ceremony just outside of Soldier Field. Making the call was a Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, also known as the "brick" phone. It cost $3,995, which converts to $8,787.64 in 2008.
As the Tech World Turns
Valleywag claims Google wants to buy Chicago-based EveryBlock and/or hire its founder, Adrian Holovaty. However, Holovaty himself appeared in the comments to say that it was news to him. [via] UPDATE: Valleywag follows up with more speculation.
Better Late Than...
Admitting he never thought he'd win one, University of Chicago Professor Yoichiro Nambu, 87, was awarded a 2008 Nobel Prize for his work in subatomic physics and notified via an early Tuesday phone call from Stockholm. And how did your day start?
Four Bars, No Signal
Ever wonder why sometimes your cellphone seems to be in service but you can't make a call? Here's your answer.
Crowdfunded Shirts
Cameesa has a lot in common with Threadless: it's based in Chicago, makes user-submitted designer t-shirts and all web2.0-y. The difference is, Cameesa's shirts only get printed if they're pre-sold above a certain threshold within 31 days.
Things You Don't See Every Day
Mayor Daley in a floating chair. (Check out the magnetically levitating chaise lounge and other interesting stuff at Wired NextFest in Millennium Park for the next two weeks.
The CTA is All Atwitter
If you use Twitter, you can now follow your favorite El line, buses or the CTA as a whole, and send updates to the group thanks to CTA Tweet, created ex-GB staffer Dan O'Neil, who also created the cellular CTA Alert System and works at Everyblock. More details on CTA Tattler.
Six-Ring Domain
Have you visited Chicago2016.com, when you meant to go to Chicago2016.org? The former is owned by a Northwestern grad student, and features a "fair and balanced discussion" of Chicago's Olympic bid -- and the bid committee wants to use it for their own purposes. Both sides are now suing for control of the domain.
Look Closely
In its neverending quest to save lost souls around the globe, Google Maps offered up a new version of its mobile software today (available here) that includes Street View, walking directions and local business reviews. They also recently updated their standard maps to include some building numbers if you zoom in reeeally close.
Like YouTube for Non-Profits
DoGooderTV doesn't have hot coeds behaving badly, but it does feature some pretty good videos.
Viewing the Stars from the U of C
NASA named another telescope after a U of C researcher, and this time it's Enrico Fermi. The article also provides a list of other U of C affiliates similarly immortalized, from Chandrasekhar to Hubble.
Like American Idol, But With Science
MAKE: Magazine is coming to Chicago to debut a new event: American Maker, a day-long program that will highlight innovation in the community. American Make will happen at the MSI as part of the upcoming Science Chicago celebration. If you're a local area maker and want more information about how to participate in American Maker, the full details are at the MAKE: blog.
Holovaty's Star Rising
The Tribune profiled Adrian Holovaty of EveryBlock in the Sunday Magazine.
Always Beta
Life in Perpetual Beta is a new video interview series talking with people working on the web, including a bunch of names you already know: Fried, Coudal, Skinnycorp...
37signals Gets Real Live
At 3pm today, tune to this URL for a little live discussion with the 37signals team.
Shop Talk for Chefs & Servers
If you're in the restaurant or hospitality industry, check out FohBoh, a new social network.
Bike Socially
The Chain Link is a new social network for the city's bicyclists.
Chicago: Cuil vs. Google
Cuil.com, a new search engine created by ex-Google engineers, launched today. Compare Chicago on Cuil to Chicago on Google. Better?
Now Digg This
Local members of Digg.com got together at smartbar last night; WindyCitizen has the wrap-up.
Smile, You're On Red Light Camera
The city has 104 red light cameras. They plan on installing 25 more. They expect to collect more than $50 million in fines because of them. If gas prices weren't enough to make you ditch the car, this might do it.
CTA + Fail Whale + ??? = Profit!
Introducing Where the El?, twitter-driven live tracking of CTA trains.
Hanging with Your Internet Friends
Two ways to meet your invisible friends next week: the Digg Meetup on the 23rd and Yelp Around the World party on the 24th. If you're a member of either (or both), don't forget to RSVP.
People You May Know: Barack Obama
The New York Times tells the story of one of the founders of Facebook who left it all behind to move to Chicago and work for Barack Obama.
Life on the Silicon Prairie
As a good number of our readers know, Chicago's a fine tech city, ranking seventh for the third straight year.
Super Computing
Argonne National Laboratory now has the third most powerful supercomputer in the world.
Pedal to the Tech Metal
Got an idea for a tech startup? You've got till Friday to apply for IL-Celerate, a 12-week program to get you up and running. You don't even need a business plan.
Hybrid Owners Still Being Charged
Unlike other cities, Chicago is showing no special preferences to owners of hybrid cars by giving them a break on feeding the meter and providing them with free parking spaces to encourage their use. Should we really be surprised?
CME MMC 2008
The Community Media Workshop's Making Media Connections Conference takes place next week, so don't forget to register if you're planning on going. For an outside perspective on the conference, check out Nonprofiteer's assessment.
New Local Social Network
It's called Soceeo (pronounced like "socio-economic"), and it went live today.
Yet Another Googlemap - Ancestry Edition
Chicago Ancestors helps you track down historical and genealogical info based on street address.
Video Game Inclusion = Bank
Chicago band Greenskeepers is royally reaping the benefits of inclusion in GTA IV and its advertisements.
New Blog on Chicago Tech
The newly launched Windy Wire picks up where WindyBits left off, posting up-to-the-minute news on Chicago's tech scene.
Wi-Fi? Yawn.
The "Jetsonian" WiMAX is reportedly coming to Chicago by year's end.
Not David Lightman
A New Trier Township High School senior got caught hacking into the school's computer system. How did he get caught? Staff walked around the school and looked at students' screens.
Taking the Wind Out of the May Report
WindyBits has morphed into a tech event calendar, but it does offer one bonus: a cleaned up and reader-friendly version of the May Report.
Another Conference for Your Docket
Interested in Perl but can't pay the big bucks to attend a conference? Check out YAPC, coming to Chicago in June. It'll only set you back a $100.
Cleaning Up In More Ways Than One
Chicago is on track to become the first city to have a street sweeper-mounted camera system. As the sweeper moves down the street it will take a take a photo of any illegally-parked vehicle and a second image of the license plate, relaying both automatically to the Department of Revenue. Strictly for traffic flow purposes, you understand.
A Wireless(on) at U of C Law School
The buzz is growing over The University of Chicago Law School's recent decision to cut off wireless Internet access in classrooms. Something about students chatting, checking email or playing solitare during class...
Used Electronics Recycling Made Easy
Chicago is set to be a pilot city in a new USPS electronics recycling program.
Internet Via Text Message
If you're out on the town and don't have a web-enabled phone, you can still access the Internet via a service that doesn't require calling that friend who's always online. ChaCha is a new human search service you can text with any question. So if you're wondering when the Chicago Diner closes or curious about the middle name of your alderman, they'll text the answer back to you. Also, if you don't already know, you can text GOOGL (46645) for business addresses and phone numbers.
There's a Social Network for Everything
Introducing MyCampFriends.
Commodity Exchanges, A Timeline
Starting with the establishment of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1848, Reuters walks us through commodity exchange history.
The Podcasters Are Coming
Interested in learning more about audio and video podcasting and other social media? You might want to sign up for PodCamp Chicago, an "unconference" scheduled for early June. [
Keep it Simple, Stupid
37signals was profiled in the latest issue of Wired, and were described variously as "brash" "arrogant" "demigods." Jason Fried posted a response to some of the "myths" described in the story.
Each and Every One
Everyblock, a hyper-local news aggregator from the creators of ChicagoCrime.org, has now launched.
Suburban Wi-Fi Woes
Just a few months after Chicago abandoned its effort to provide free city-wide wi-fi to residents, Naperville and Aurora have followed suit. While Chicago was just in the planning stages, the network in Aurora was 20 percent complete.
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