ESNC North America Challenge for Developers; Win Prizes in a Global Competition!

Do you have a great application idea based on satellite navigation? If so, this is the challenge for you!

The European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) is searching North America for applications that use satellite navigation technology in new and innovative ways.

Idea Submission is FREE! And there are great prizes to be won including the prestigious overall Galileo Masters designation.

One of MTAM’s industry partners, WIP (Wireless Industry Partnership), is the regional partner for the North America Challenge that is a part of the global competition. Submission Deadline is June 30, 2012.

Get details at: http://wipconnector.com/wipjam/entry/esnc_north_america_challenge

Mobile / Wireless Industry Economic Impact on Michigan to be Explored at July 2012 Conference

MTAM Sponsors 2nd Annual MobiDevDay Event on May 19th

The agenda for the 2012 MobiDevDay is now available, and the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM) is proud to be a sponsor of this year’s event taking place on May 19th at The M@dison in downtown Detroit.

Additionally, MTAM members are able to take advantage of an exclusive MTAM members-only discount on event registration.  If you are an MTAM member, please contact us at info@GoMobileMichigan.org for the necessary discount code before you register to attend MobiDevDay – but don’t wait to long, space is very limited and tickets are going fast!  Learn more about the event at http://DetroitDevDays.com .

The day’s list of speakers / sessions is below:

• MobiDevDay will include a day of OpenSpaces and Open Hacking. Plus, there will be a track of great sessions that everyone will enjoy.  
• Morning Keynote -The State of Enterprise Mobile - Matt Hovey – Innovation Architect and Principal Mobile Technologist at GM in Detroit, MI 
• JQuery Mobile - Bob O’Malley / Mobile Web / Lead of Sogeti’s Mobile Development Services Practice in Columbus, OH 
• Introduction to Objective-C for Java Developers/ iOS -Brian Munzenberger - Application Developer at Detroit Labs, Detroit, MI 
• Google TV Basics and Boundaries/Android -Charlie Collins -Director of Development at MOVL, Atlanta, GA 
• Connecting Millions of Devices With the Cloud / Cross Platform - Marty Schoch – Software Developer/Engineer/Architect - CouchBase, Washington DC 
• Fast and Furious: Building Mobile API’s using Rails /Cross Platform Backend - Chris Hallendy – Software Developer, Compuware Ventures, Detroit, MI 
• Games and Apps with the Corona SDK / Cross Platform - Steve Keinath – Teaches Programming at Jackson Area Career Center, Jackson, MI

Mobile Technology Impact on Education is Focus of Mobile Monday Detroit

Detroit Chapter of Mobile Monday Michigan focuses on the impact of mobile technologies on education; students, instructors, and the institutions themselves

DETROIT, MI – Mobile technology is on the minds of education professionals now more than ever before. More and more schools, including K-12 and higher education institutions, are increasingly embracing mobile technologies as a teaching tool, as a way to communicate with students for classroom projects, as a means of insuring student safety, and as a way of accessing resources. Educators are learning to use mobile tools, and students are happily engaging in using a tool they’d be using anyway – and experiencing substantial increases in their testing as a result.

It’s no mystery why the use of mobile technology is on the rise in the classroom: Studies indicate that 40% of teens plan on buying a mobile device within the next three months, and in the last three years, the smartphone penetration rate among the 18-24 year-olds has risen by nearly a fifth. It’s expected that nearly all of the Class of 2015 will have smartphones by the time they graduate. Meanwhile, studies indicate that nearly half of all college students are using their phones to access the mobile web.

In Michigan, we’re making progress on bringing mobile technology into the education environment on a variety of fronts. Mobile Monday Detroit explores some of those initiatives in its’ March 12th event at Compuware starting at 5:30 p.m. Presenters will include:

• John Sowash, High School Teacher / Director of Online Learning, Southfield Christian School
• Dr. Mary L. Waker, Director of Technology for Teaching & Learning, College of Education, Wayne State University
• Alar Elken, CEO, XanEdu
• Ted Stebbins, Business Systems Analyst, University of Michigan 

Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to: 

• The potential that can be achieved by the utilization of mobile learning, and transitioning the educational community’s thought of the technology from “nuisance” or “distraction” to “necessary” and “valuable”.
• How mobile learning in the classroom impacts teacher preparation
• Utilization of mobile devices to access a wide variety of published content; higher education’s digital transformation
• In-classroom and out-of-classroom uses for mobile technology in an educational environment  

Once again Mobile Monday Detroit will take place at Compuware headquarters in downtown Detroit, and as always, attendance is FREE, but advance registration is required at http://meetup.com/Mobile-Monday-Detroit.  Free parking is available (with ticket validation at sign-in) in Compuware’s parking deck directly behind the headquarters building, and refreshments will be served. 

Mobile Monday Detroit is sponsored by Mobile Monday Michigan, Compuware and the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan.

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MobileMonday (MoMo) is an open community of mobile industry visionaries, developers, influential individuals, and users fostering cooperation and cross-company business development through virtual and live networking events. The group’s programs are designed to facilitate idea sharing, best practices development, trends identification, and Mobile Industry growth locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.  The Michigan branch executes on these objectives by delivering a balanced approach of business and technical content from within the Michigan business community, as well as beyond our State, in order to insure the Michigan community is made aware of developments taking place outside our area that can aid local businesses.  Those interested in learning more about Mobile Monday Michigan can find the group’s website at http://MobileMondayMichigan.org; and information about the International organization can be found at http://MobileMonday.net.

Related articles

• Lansing Mobile Monday Michigan Chapter Kick-off Event Focuses on Privacy in Mobile Marketing (mobiletechassnmi.wordpress.com)
• Mobile Matchup: “Speed Dating” for Entrepreneurs with Need for Mobile Technology Services (mobiletechassnmi.wordpress.com)

FTC Report Raises Privacy Questions About Mobile Applications for Children

“The Federal Trade Commission today issued a staff report showing the results of a survey of mobile apps for children. The survey shows that neither the app stores nor the app developers provide the information parents need to determine what data is being collected from their children, how it is being shared, or who will have access to it. According to the FTC report, Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures Are Disappointing, in 2008, smartphone users could choose from about 600 available apps. Today there are more than 500,000 apps in the Apple App Store and 380,000 in the Android Market. “Consumers have downloaded these apps more than 28 billion times, and young children and teens are increasingly embracing smartphone technology for entertainment and educational purposes. The report says the survey focused on the largest stores, the Apple App Store and the Android Market, and evaluated the types of apps offered to children, the disclosures provided to users, interactive features such as connectivity with social media, and the ratings and parental controls offered for such apps.”

Related articles

• FTC: Lack of privacy disclosure on kids’ apps is ‘disappointing’ (technolog.msnbc.msn.com)

Mobile Matchup: “Speed Dating” for Entrepreneurs with Need for Mobile Technology Services

The Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM) and Bizdom U to Help Build Relationships Between Mobile Developers and Entrepreneurs  

The Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM), a non-profit trade association, is announcing an exciting event that it will host along with Bizdom U, a non-profit  entrepreneurship accelerator. The “Mobile Matchup” will focus on networking between entrepreneurs and/or developers of mobile technology. 

Who:      This event is free and open to the public; however the premise of the “Mobile Matchup” is to cultivate conversations and relationships between entrepreneurs and mobile developers. 

What:     ”Mobile Matchup” is much like speed dating, but instead of finding a possible mate, party-goers will have the opportunity to connect with those who could potentially fulfill business needs. MTAM and Bizdom U will help to create contacts through engaging attendees with many prospective matches in 3 minute conversations, followed by open networking. 

When:    Monday, February 27th from 6:30PM until 9:30PM 

Where:   Centaur Bar, 2233 Park Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-3426 

Why:      Entrepreneurial growth is a key to Detroit’s resurgence. A significant way to encourage entrepreneurial growth is by fostering connections between budding startups and the city’s emerging technology hub. MTAM and Bizdom U, have a shared vision for harnessing the city’s brain gain, and this event is a perfect opportunity to utilize creative talent and advance relationships that will ultimately result in business opportunities.    

Happy Hour starts at 6:30PM, matchup runs from 7PM until 8:30PM, followed by open networking. 

FREE appetizers will be provided by MTAM and Bizdom, and there will be a cash bar with $3 beers and a wide selection of martinis at a fabulous downtown Detroit establishment.  

Register on EventBrite as either an entrepreneur or a mobile developer via the MTAM website.

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About the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM)

The Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM) is a Michigan-based non-profit trade association for the mobile industry. Our mission is to grow the industry within the state by increasing demand for Michigan-based mobile technology products and services, thereby generating increased entrepreneurial and enterprise-level opportunities and creating sustainable jobs. 

MTAM sponsors Michigan-based growth of the Mobile Monday organization which to-date boasts 1500+ members in chapters located in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing; performs research for members and other interested parties; facilitates idea sharing, entrepreneurial programs, training programs and jobs creation; acts as a liaison with the mobile technology community inside/outside of Michigan; and serves as a resource for all things related to the Mobile / Wireless industry. The group’s website can be found at http://GoMobileMichigan.org. 

About BizdomU

Bizdom U is an entrepreneurship accelerator that funds and mentors aspiring entrepreneurs to launch innovative, tech-based businesses that have the potential to scale. We’re a nonprofit that was founded in 2007 by Dan Gilbert, Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans and Majority Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball team. We’re on a mission to transform Detroit and Cleveland’s economies from being over-reliant on manufacturing to economies rooted in entrepreneurship and innovation. 

Startups that partner with Bizdom U have access to the expertise and network of the entire Quicken Loans’ Family of Companies, which includes over 40 innovative, tech-based businesses in Detroit, Cleveland and throughout the country. 

In addition to Dan Gilbert’s personal support, Bizdom U has received significant funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan.

Lansing Mobile Monday Michigan Chapter Kick-off Event Focuses on Privacy in Mobile Marketing

Mobile privacy issues take center stage as Lansing launches local chapter of state-wide mobile / wireless networking and education organization 

LANSING, MI – February 19, 2012 – “Mobile marketing; what you need to know about privacy” is the topic for the kick-off event of the recently announced Lansing chapter of Mobile Monday Michigan.

The event takes place on February 27^th at 5:30 p.m. at Wireless Developer, Inc., located at 2875 Northwind Drive #200, in East Lansing, and will feature the expertise of Robert Kamal, President of Michigan-based KoHorts IT and Board Member of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan.

Mr. Kamal is an expert on privacy issues as they relate to mobile marketing and advertising, and he’ll be sharing that expertise with Mobile Monday Lansing attendees as he discusses:

• Privacy basics
• Technology issues
• Legal landscape
• Common pitfalls
• Best practices.

Networking begins at 5:30 p.m. and presentations start at 6:00 p.m. Due to space limitations, reservations are required to attend and may be made at http://meetup.com/MoMoLansing. There is no fee to attend meetings of any chapter of Mobile Monday Michigan.

Mobile Monday Lansing is the latest expansion of the state-wide Mobile Monday Michigan mobile / wireless technology networking and education organization. Additional chapters are located in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids. Mobile Monday Michigan is a branch of the international Helsinki, Finland-based Mobile Monday organization having over 100 chapters in 60+ countries worldwide.

Mobile Monday Michigan chapters are sponsored statewide by the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM), a non-profit trade association for Michigan’s mobile / wireless technology industry.

For more information about Mobile Monday Lansing, please contact Brennan Hayden at bh@wda.us or Linda Daichendt at Linda@GoMobileMichigan.org .

 

About Mobile Monday Michigan:

Mobile Monday Michigan, a division of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan, is a branch of Mobile Monday, an international community of mobile industry visionaries, developers, influential individuals, and users fostering cooperation and cross-company business development. Mobile Monday Michigan executes on these objectives thru its Ann Arbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing chapters to-date, by delivering a balanced approach of business and technical content from within the Michigan business community, as well as beyond our State. Those interested in learning more can find the group’s website at http://MobileMondayMichigan.org; and information about the International organization can be found at http://MobileMonday.net.

Mobile Monday Michigan is Expanding – to Lansing!

Michigan branch of international mobile technology education / networking group announces Mid-Michigan expansion with the addition of a Lansing chapter

DETROIT, MI – Mobile Monday Michigan today announced the mobile technology education / networking group’s expansion in Mid-Michigan with the launch of a new chapter, Mobile Monday Lansing. Mobile Monday Michigan is the state’s branch of the Helsinki, Finland-based International Mobile Monday organization.  MoMoMichigan is sponsored state-wide by the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM), the state’s non-profit trade association for the mobile / wireless technology industry. 

Mobile Monday Michigan co-founder, and MTAM Executive Director, Linda Daichendt explains, “Michigan is quietly becoming a leading player in the U.S. mobile / wireless technology industry. As we have conversations with industry insiders on a national and international scale they are often quite surprised at the amount of growth and dynamic work taking place here. We’re not surprised; it’s easily reflected in the substantial growth we’re seeing in Mobile Monday Michigan chapters in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and now Lansing, as well as the increasing number of Michigan-based firms that are winning national awards and doing mobile / wireless-related work for national and international companies.” 

The Lansing chapter of Mobile Monday Michigan will be led by Brennan Hayden, Vice-president of East Lansing-based Wireless Developer Agency, Matt Tubergen, Mobile Special Projects Consultant for Okemos-based TechSmith and Patrick Hale, CTO of Lansing-based Sparrow Health System. 

TechSmith’s Tubergen states, “The Lansing area is thriving with organizations seeking to innovate in mobile. MSU, TechSmith and many other high-tech organizations understand the impact mobile is having on the way we create, share and consume content. The TechSmith team and I have fully embraced the opportunities currently and soon to emerge and we intend to help our region grow as we share our own learnings, and learn from others through MoMoLansing and surrounding chapters.” Sparrow’s Hale indicates about mobile, “Mobile technology is no longer leading edge, it is foundational. Mobile-enabled applications are critical to getting quality care to the patient bed-side. As we continue to attract top IT talent from around the world, Sparrow is very pleased to evangelize best practices in mobile right here at home through Mobile Monday Lansing.”, and WDA’s Hayden addresses an issue that many Michigan mobile firms are experiencing, “Like many vibrant, successful companies in Michigan, WDA is a well-kept secret. But who wants that? Let’s get the word out, especially to each other. Mobile Monday Michigan provides a proven, social-media driven model to connect with like-minded nearby people in the mobile industry. WDA is pleased to join with other leading firms to introduce this valuable and exciting forum.” 

The Lansing chapter expects to begin holding meetings on February 27^th. Meeting location and details will be announced soon. 

All Mobile Monday Michigan chapters are free to join, and the monthly meetings are free to attend as well. Those interested in joining the new Lansing chapter may sign up now at http://meetup.com/MoMoLansing to insure they receive meeting details directly as soon as they become available. Those interested in other chapters may go to the website at http://MobileMondayMichigan.org. 

Mobile Monday Michigan will continue its’ expansion throughout the state, with plans to add chapters in additional Michigan cities in 2012. The organization’s goal is to bring together all of those in Michigan who are working in the mobile / wireless technology industry, interested in learning more about mobile and how it may benefit their business, and those who would like to see the sector grow to facilitate increased job creation in the state. 

For more information about the organization or its’ statewide sponsor the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan, please email info@GoMobileMichigan.org.

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MobileMonday (MoMo) is an open community of mobile industry visionaries, developers, influential individuals, and users fostering cooperation and cross-company business development through virtual and live networking events. The group’s programs are designed to facilitate idea sharing, best practices development, trends identification, and Mobile Industry growth locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.  The Michigan branch executes on these objectives by delivering a balanced approach of business and technical content from within the Michigan business community, as well as beyond our State, in order to insure the Michigan community is made aware of developments taking place outside our area that can aid local businesses.  Those interested in learning more about Mobile Monday Michigan can find the group’s website at http://MobileMondayMichigan.org; and information about the International organization can be found at http://MobileMonday.net.

Labor Department Creates Contest For Software Apps To Promote Equal Pay

WASHINGTON – Seeking novel ways to eliminate the gender gap in pay, the U.S. Department of Labor and its federal agency partners on the National Equal Pay Task Force announced Wednesday a contest for creating software applications that use the department’s data to promote equal pay for men and women. 

Women are still paid less on average than their male counterparts for doing comparable jobs, and the discrepancy is even greater for minority women. Over the course of a lifetime, this “pay gap” results in lost wages, reduced pensions and diminished Social Security benefits. 

“Women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force and play a vital role in the nation’s economy,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “While progress has been made in recent decades, the pay gap continues to disadvantage many women, with consequences not only for them, but for their families and the economy as a whole.” 

The Equal Pay App Challenge calls on developers to use publicly available data and resources to create innovative, easy-to-use apps that educate users about the pay gap and provide tools to combat it. The apps should improve the accessibility of pay data broken down by gender, race and ethnicity, and provide coaching on early career pay, pay negotiation or career mentorship. 

“Today’s employers and employees are more resourceful and technologically savvy than ever before, but too many remain unaware of how the pay gap affects them,” said White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra. “By encouraging developers to help us solve this problem, we’re leveraging the unique ability of the federal government to provide mountains of valuable data as well as the innovation power of the private sector.” 

Applications that best satisfy the criteria for the challenge will be eligible to receive one of eight prizes, including scholarships to attend an eight-week immersive program on digital product innovation and entrepreneurship hosted by General Assembly, a campus for technology, design and entrepreneurship. The challenge will be open for submissions from Jan. 31 until March 31. Judges will announce the winners in connection with Equal Pay Day in April. 

To help facilitate this and similar challenges, the Labor Department last year launched a website that helps software developers incorporate department data into online and mobile applications through published application program interfaces and software development kits. The website and contests are part of the Department of Labor’s ongoing efforts to increase transparency, participation and collaboration through the administration’s Open Government Initiative. 

For more information, click on DOL.Gov/Open For More Information

Obtaining Funding for Your Mobile Technology Business

Have you ever wondered if outside funding might be an option for your mobile technology company? In today’s economic climate, do you wonder if sources of outside funding for your company even exist?  Now you can get the answers! 

DETROIT, MI – If you’re a mobile technology company looking for funding, then Mobile Monday Detroit on February 13^th is where you need to be! We’ll explore various options for obtaining funding and how they work, including:  venture capital, angel funding, alternative funding strategies, bank financing and more. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.

Featured speaker for the program will be Michael Liedtke, Founder and Managing Director of SME Consulting, LLC and Director at RSVP Capital who will review the types of business funding / financing options available, requirements to qualify, and how to know when the time is right to pursue outside funding.

Additionally, we will present a panel of business funding experts including:

• Paul Czarnik, Chief Technology Officer, Compuware / Compuware Ventures, LLC
• Ted Serbinski, Vice-president, Detroit Venture Partners
• Maria LaLonde, Recruiting and Development Leader, Bizdom U
• Matt Tubergen, Mobile Technology Consultant, TechSmith and former mobile investment fund manager

Once again Mobile Monday Detroit will take place at Compuware headquarters at 1 Campus Martius in downtown Detroit, and as always, attendance is FREE, though advance registration is required. Free parking is available (with ticket validation at sign-in) in Compuware’s parking deck directly behind the headquarters building, and refreshments will be served. Registration is available at http://Meetup.com/Mobile-Monday-Detroit .

Attendees at the event will also have the opportunity to apply for a FREE limited membership into the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan (MTAM), and all who apply at this event will automatically be entered into a drawing to win Exhibit Area Passes for the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain taking place February 27 – March 1, 2012. Each ticket is valued at over $850.

Don’t forget to sign up on CrowdJuice.com to arrange in advance to network with others who will be in attendance, including other business financing experts who will be in attendance @ http://crowdjuice.com/momom/events/200 .

Mobile Monday Detroit is sponsored by Mobile Monday Michigan, Compuware and the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan. 

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About Mobile Monday Michigan:

Mobile Monday Michigan, a division of the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan, is a branch of Mobile Monday, an international community of mobile industry visionaries, developers, influential individuals, and users fostering cooperation and cross-company business development. Mobile Monday Michigan executes on these objectives, thru its Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids chapters (soon to be joined by a new chapter in Lansing), by delivering a balanced approach of business and technical content from within the Michigan business community, as well as beyond our State.

Those interested in learning more can find the group’s website at http://MobileMondayMichigan.org; and information about the International organization can be found at http://MobileMonday.net. Mobile Monday Detroit is sponsored by Compuware and the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan.

Related articles

• Can Mobile Technology Jumpstart Michigan’s Economy? (michiganmobilemusings.com)
• WIP / MTAM Partnership Showcases Michigan’s Mobile Expertise on a Global Scale (mobiletechassnmi.wordpress.com)