Greetings friendly visitors.

Currently the RSS feed is semi-broken. Update Nov 5, 2006: I think the problem is solved. Please leave comments below if you observe any bugs. -JAW

It is sending out events after they have occurred. (Yea, real useful, huh?) The main page is still 100% functional, though, and I know how to fix the feed. I expect to have everything up by next weekend.

Also, you can now Submit an Event! So please do so, and share with Chicago-land your upcoming tech events.

Thanks for reading,

-JAW

• Mon. Oct 30th, 2006 @ 3:15pm - 4:15pm
• Loyola University Chicago Computer Science Colloquium
• Loyola Water Tower Campus
• Address: 25EP-110 (Rubloff Auditorium of 25 E. Pearson at the Water Tower Campus)
• Fee: Free

Speakers

Thomas H. Ptacek

Researcher, Matasano Security LLC

Cory Scott

Vice President - Technical Security Assessment, ABN Amro

Topics Covered:

• Vulnerability Research in a Nutshell: How, where, why and when security holes are found in software.
• Reverse Engineering: Why the closed-source vs. open-source security argument is irrelevant in 2006.
• Vulnerability Markets: What kinds of software vulnerabilities will make you $ 10,000, why, and why that is a bad thing.
• Web Security: Why web applications running on Java and .NET are no less terrifying than any other kind.
• Vulnerability Response: Why patches, even zero-day patches,still leave customers doomed.
• Real-World Vulnerabilities: Voting machines, ATMs, smart cards, DRM: when everything is a computer, everything is vulnerable.

Full abstract and speaker bios available at Loyola’s website.

Questions? Contact: website.

• Tue. Oct 24th, 2006 - Thu. Oct 26th, 2006
• eComXpo
• Virtual
• Free

Speakers include Chris Anderson of Wired, speakers from Google Analytics, the MarketingSherpa and more. Experience more than 7,000 Attendees, 300 Exhibitors and 40 Presenters, virtually through our online portal.

At eComXpo, Chicago GSB alumni David Dalka will discuss why mobile search marketing requires the transformation of a Chief Marketing Officer into a Chief Customer Officer. Dalka asks the Chief Marketing Officer, “Are you ready for the Mobile Search Marketing era? Meeting just in time needs via customer directed mobile search will make the difference between your brand being an adored cash machine or your brand being becoming non-existent, especially with Generation Y.” Customer directed mobile search queries combined with LBS, RFID and stored preference information in conjunction with superior execution and retention efforts will outperform tired 20th century sales pitches. The evolution of Chief Marketing Officer to Chief Customer Officer commences now! Organizations that outperform will have corporate cultures that encourage bottom up innovation, recruit based on competencies and blogs and embrace customer listening fully. Have you redesigned your organization away from product pushes and towards customer listening and real-time customer-driven innovation? Read more about it here

• October 20 - 22, 2006 (Friday thru Sunday)
• UofI at Urbana-Champaign
• Free for all, including a TShirt ($20 including food)
• Register here

The Association for Computing Machinery at the University of Illinois is hosting its 12th annual student computing conference on October 20 - 22, 2006. Registration for the conference is open to all parties interested in cutting-edge computing technology. No university or ACM affiliation is necessary.

Several of us are driving there on the 20th in the afternoon. Please leave a comment here if you’d like a ride. Also, may be able to find you a free place to stay, if you leave a comment.

Reflections | Projections brings together students and professionals from across the country to gain a broader perspective on computer science. The conference is a unique opportunity for attendees to enrich their knowledge of cutting-edge concepts from beyond the classroom. The associated job fair provides an ideal venue to meet representatives from a wide range of employers interested in computer science, MIS and electrical and computer engineering students. All in all, Reflections | Projections is an exciting weekend of learning and fun.

Speaker List:

• Thursday, October 19, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
• 55 E. Jackson, 22nd Floor, Room 2201, Chicago
• $85, refreshments included
• Register Now for “Angel Investing 101: The Fundamentals”

These are some of the questions that are answered in this seminar. Panelists will discuss how to determine whether angel investing is for you, the expectations new investors should have, and how it can help diversify investment portfolios.

• What is an “accredited investor”?
• How does one find “good deals”?
• What are angel networks, and why should I join one?

Speakers:
Raman Chadha, Coleman Entrepreneurship Center
Ronald L. Kirschner, M.D., Heartland Angels, Inc.

Angel Academy is a seminar series for new and prospective angel investors, who gain knowledge, advice, and lessons learned from experienced investors and leaders of angel groups. In addition to learning how to make educated investments in early stage ventures, participants are able to build a valuable network of like-minded professionals.

• Thursday, October 19 5:30pm-8:00pm
• Hyatt Building 71. S. Wacker Drive, 6th Floor Chicago Room Chicago, IL, 60601
• ASAP Members: $30 Advance, $40 at Door;
• Non Members: $40 Advance, $50 at Door; Student Discount Available.
• Register, or visit the event website

The Chicago Chapter of the Association of Strategic Alliances is honored to host a panel discussion this month to address practical and legal aspects of building alliances in China. The panel members will discuss ways to develop, document, and manage alliances, along with tricks for controlling the very common problem of disputes. They will address the landscape of intellectual property protection in a Chinese alliance, along with practical tips on protecting trade secrets. In addition, they will discuss cultural obstacles in doing business in a vastly different political and cultural environment. The event begins with networking followed by the panel discussion.

Panel Members:
Craig McCrohon, Partner, Holland and Knight.
Yufeng Ma, Attorney, McAndrews, Held and Malloy
Bill Liu, Vice President, NaviAsia Consulting Group

Moderator:
Ada Nielsen, Manager, Intellectual Asset Management Strategy, BP America, Inc.

• October 18-19, 2006
• Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
• May qualify for Exhibit Pass for free
• Go here and enter Priority Code: EEXCHB to qualify.

ITEC - the nation’s largest series of regional, business-to-business IT conferences and exhibitions - is adding Chicago to its schedule.

Here’s the deal, straight from their marketing-lingo-laden email:

What does that mean for you?

• Access to the ITEC SolutionFinder exhibit floor where you’ll find a combination of national vendors, regional suppliers and local solution providers with the IT products and services you need to expand, transform and upgrade your business.
• Access to two special Industry Insight sessions each looking at key issues you need to understand.
• Access to Vendor Strategy sessions - special presentations in our on-floor theaters.
• And the option to attend the all-new ITEC SolutionBuilder Conference. Based entirely on the feedback of prior ITEC attendees, the conference comprises four individual courses of detailed content and realistic advice. No fluff. No filler. No sales pitches. Just the tools, tactics and takeaways you need - now.

If you qualify, registration for the SolutionFinder Exhibit Pass is FREE. And as a special introductory offer, we’ll take $50 off the price of any conference registration option. That means you can upgrade your registration and attend the conference course of your choice for ONLY $25. Or choose multiple course options and take $50 off your conference registration fee.

Go to www.goitec.com/chi/reg and enter Priority Code: EEXCHB to qualify.

• Tue. Oct 17th, 2006 @ 6:00pm - 8:30pm
• Chicago Java Users Group (CJUG)
• Orbitz Building (Olgilvie Metra Stn), 8th floor break room
• Address: 500 West Madison, Chicago, IL 60661
• Fee: Free for first timers, membership is cheap
• RSVP to get through security and for food

Determining how your application will respond to real-world situations is not an easy task. What happens when the disk fills up, the network becomes unavailable or its latency increases, or a system administrator inadvertently removes a necessary file? Writing repeatable tests that create these scenarios can be tedious and error prone at best.

This presentation introduces fault injection as a very powerful technique for any developer to have in their toolkit. A brief introduction to Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) and other similar technologies such as Javassist is provided.

About the Speaker: Rob Grzywinski is an accomplished chief architect and senior developer with expertise in leading projects with short development cycles and limited resources. His focus is on producing quality software that incurs minimal maintenance costs and grows to meet future needs. Rob has run the gamut from content management with the Tribune Company to security with RSA and from rich clients from to embedded devices.

Enter at the Visitor desk - the third floor just one level up the escalators above the train level.

• Tue. Oct 17th, 2006 @ 5:00pm - 8:30pm
• MIT Enterprise Forum
• Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP, 37th floor
• Address: 191 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606
• Fee: free for members, $ 30 non members
• RSVP website

On the subject of technology and innovation, Chicago is as notorious for its self-deprecation and untapped potential as Silicon Valley is for its economic vibrancy.

The focus is the intersection of technology and learning. Hear six inspired leaders share the opportunities for innovation that they see, discover actions you can take to make an immediate impact, and let our local political candidates in on the future we are expecting them to help us create.

• Monday Oct 16th, 6pm
• Place: Info.com 150 N Michigan, 28th floor, Chicago, IL
• If you will be arriving PAST 7pm, give me your name and I’ll tell Security to let you up.

What’s possible in a post Web 2.0 world? Innovation continues at a mind-bending pace, and this presentation will showcase some thought-provoking new directions that Web Services are headed in. The presentation will provide an overview of Amazon Web Services, and feature a demonstration showing how developers are able to easily utilize on-demand server capacity.

Amazon spent ten years and over $1 billion developing a world-class technology and content platform that powers Amazon web sites for millions of customers every day. Most people think “Amazon.com” when they hear the word; however developers are excited to learn that there is a separate technology arm of the company, known as Amazon Web Services or AWS. Using AWS, developers can build software applications leveraging the same robust, scalable, and reliable technology that powers Amazon’s retail business. AWS has now launched eleven services with open API’s for developers to build applications, with the result that over 160,000 developers have registered on Amazon’s developer site to create applications based on these services.

• First Annual Chicago Hackmeeting!
• October 13 - 15 @ www.dai5ychain.net
• 2159 W 21st PL (21st PL and Leavitt) Chicago, IL USA 60608
• hackmeetingwiki.dai5ychain.net

Calling all free-wheeling free-information free-reproductionistas! Attention to the hackers who love the streets! For the activists that just want to share resources! And for the militant media makers in search of free and open access to knowledge and ideas!
This event will gather some of the regions most committed activist programmers, free software lovers, socially engaged artists, independent media makers and critical thinkers to brainstorm and develop an agenda for the technological support of radical social movements in the great lakes region.

Theme suggestions:
Intellectual Property Regimes, Creative Commons, Low Power Radio FM, Internet Law for Activists, Public Space, Non Profit, Free Labor, Electronic Security Culture, The Global Politics of the Digital Infrastructure

Collaborate and collectively develop the first Annual Chicago Hackmeeting with us by proposing themes, presentations, workshops, discussions, skill shares, swaps, etc…!

• flyer 1 and 2
  

More info:

• http://www.dai5ychain.net
• http://www.chicagolug.org/pipermail/chicago-hacktavism
• http://hackmeetingwiki.dai5ychain.net

• DePaul University Coleman Entrepreneurship Center
• kNetworking for kNowledge
• Tuesday, October 10, 2006 7:30am - 9:00am
• DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson, 8th Floor, Room 8012
• Each Session: $20 Registration fee ($15 for DEN Members) Register here for this session
• Package of 5 Sessions: $80 package ($50 for DEN Members) Buy the 5 session package here

Networking can and should be more that just an exchange of business cards and contact information. At our previous networking events, attendees have said they get the most out of networking when they have the chance to build a relationship through sharing information, resources, and what they have learned through experience. So we’ve designed a structured networking program for entrepreneurs to begin building those relationships. This program is called kNetworking for kNowledge.

It gives you the ability to grow your network using knowledge (giving or getting), which can translate into new leads, referrals, greater awareness, and a reputation as an expert. For those who are aspiring or emerging entrepreneurs, it provides an opportunity to learn directly from the experienced ones.

If you’ve attended any of our programs and seminars, you might have noticed that the content is often delivered by a panel of entrepreneurs. That’s because we recognize that entrepreneurs become experts at certain aspects of their businesses.

It’s likely that you are, too. Perhaps you have:

• developed systems or procedures that streamline operations
• found effective strategies to expand to new markets
• overcome serious start-up challenges
• learned how to network effectively

Because the “school of hard knocks” doesn’t really offer any classes, there are few opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn from others’ experiences beyond speaker-based events or formal mentoring.

kNetworking for kNowledge gives you a chance to be a resource for other entrepreneurs and, at the same time, to gain knowledge about what others have learned thorough their experiences, further helping you grow your business . Giving your expertise, or learning from another’s experience, can be the first step in building a valuable relationship with other entrepreneurs, a relationship that you and your business could benefit from for years to come.

• DePaul University Coleman Entrepreneurship Center
• Thursday, October 5, 2006 3:00pm - 5:00pm
• DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson, Room 8012, Chicago
• Free Register

Our workshop for social entrepreneurs features information about how to start up and run a non-profit organization. Attendees will learn how a business plan is still relevant in a non-profit setting and how to adapt it for unique issues such as governance, tax-exempt status, and fundraising. This workshop is an ideal fit for anyone with the entrepreneurial spirit who is looking to channel it into a social mission.

• Wednesday, October 4, 2006, 7:00 PM
• Goose Island Brewpub 1800 N. Clybourn Ave Chicago , IL 60614 312-915-0071
• RSVP Required: http://web.meetup.com/20/events/5137930/

Join us for the first-ever Beta: The Chicago Web 2.0 Mixer - where start-ups are born.

This event is for founders, entrepreneurs, developers, designers, and other technical folks who are currently (or looking to be) involved in web 2.0 start-ups. You should come if:

1. You have an idea and need to people to help you execute
2. If you are looking to get involved in a start-up

Pop-quiz: ruby on rails, tag clouds, del.icio.us, ajax, agile ?
…if these terms are familiar, this is the place for you. This is not a place to sell your services.

We’ll be meeting at Goose Island Brewery on Clyborn. Parking is available in this area. Public transporatation: take the red line to NORTH/CLYBOURN and walk 0.3 miles north on Clyborn. Turn left on Willow St, it’ll be right there.

Join us on Wednesday, October 4th at 7 - 10 pm.

Got questions? Interested in sponsorship? Send questions to Keith Schacht at keith (at) blogcoin [dot] com, or call 773-936-4945.

RSVP Required: http://web.meetup.com/20/events/5137930/