a2geeks Blog from November, 2009

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Dug Song posted on Nov 29, 2009
a2geeks weekly events update, week of 11-30-09

Monthly events back in full force this week. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

  • Monthly MI2600 security meetup, 6 PM at S. University Starbucks.
  • Weekly Tech Brewery Beer:30 drinkup, 4:30 PM at Tech Brewery. http://techbrewery.org

Saturday:

Labels: eventsupdate
Dug Song posted on Nov 23, 2009
a2geeks weekly events update, week of 11-23-09

Abbreviated geek week due to Thanksgiving - although curiously, we have events for two new groups colliding on Monday. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Monday:

  • Social Media Club Ann Arbor's "Personal Branding 101", 6:30 PM at SPARK Central. http://www.facebook.com/SMCAnnArbor
  • Mobile Monday Ann Arbor #2: "Mobile Monday Ann Arbor #2 - Monetizing free iPhone/Android apps with Tapjoy", 7:30 PM at UM Ross School of Business (R2210)

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Labels: eventsupdate
Dug Song posted on Nov 17, 2009
Detroit Urban Craft Fair, Nov 21 at the Majestic

The 4th Detroit Urban Craft Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 21st at the Majestic Theater! You can also join us the night before (Friday) in the Cafe for the DUCF Tweetup from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Majestic Cafe. Both venues are located at 4120 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

What is DUCF?

The Detroit Urban Craft Fair is an annual event showcasing the work of 50+ independent artists and alternative crafters in one of the Midwest’s most industrial cities. As Michigan’s largest and most visible indie craft fair, DUCF serves as an entry point for the state’s alternative craft scene.

What does ‘alternative craft fair’ mean?

Simply put, we aren’t your typical arts and craft fair. You won’t see country crafts, painted saws or jams n’ jellies at our fair. You will, however, see rock star nightlights, recycled T-shirt tote bags and vegan lip-gloss.

What type of stuff will be there?

Clothing, accessories, bath and body products, stationery, zines, toys, baby stuff, art, household accessories, jewelry, recycled and sustainable crafts and more.

Who is running this thing?

DUCF is run by Handmade Detroit, a DIY craft collective that aims to create community and opportunities around Detroit’s independent makers. Our web site features connective information for crafters and more about our mission. Check it out at http://handmadedetroit.com

Labels: craft, fair, ducf
Dug Song posted on Nov 15, 2009
a2geeks weekly events update, week of 11-16-09

Lots of entrepreneurially-minded events this Global Entrepreneurship Week, including our monthly Ann Arbor New Tech Meetup (featuring 4 UM student startups!) on Tuesday. Show your support for young entrepreneurs this week!

Other highlights include several monthly tech meetups, and the UM Serious Games expo, which follows February's Serious Games event in the interim to the rescheduled "Wisdom of Fun".

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

  • Weekly Beer:30 mixer, 4:30 PM at the Tech Brewery (BYOB, or RSVP to [email protected]). http://techbrewery.org
  • Monthly UM Lowbrow Astronomers meeting, 7:30 PM at UM Dennison 130. http://www.umich.edu/~lowbrows/theclub/meetings.html

Sunday:

  • ARROW (ham radio) Holiday Brunch, 10:30 AM at Sheraton Four Points Inn Garden Room, $20. http://www.w8pgw.org/
Labels: eventsupdate
Dug Song posted on Nov 12, 2009
In the Wall Street Journal - A2 Mech Shop & Current Motor Company

Fantastic article in today's Wall Street journal on hackerspaces, MakerBot, and our own A2 Mech Shop and Current Motor Company (featured in September's Ann Arbor New Tech meetup)!

http://blog.makerbot.com/2009/11/11/wall-street-journal-article-tinkering-makes-comeback-amid-crisis/

"There have always been hobbyists, but it was really hard to go from being a hobbyist who built hot rods to becoming a car company," says Erik Kauppi, a member of at A2 Mech Shop, an Ann Arbor, Mich., workshop where tinkerers pool tools they own. "But now, all of a sudden a guy or a couple of guys have a lot more leverage."

The electric scooter that Mr. Kauppi, who is 49, developed at the workshop is now in production. His business, Current Motor Co. in Scio Township, Mich., plans to begin shipping its scooter, with a starting price of $5,500, this month.

Labels: a2mechshop, press, a2newtech
Dug Song posted on Nov 11, 2009
48-hour iPhone Blitz!

48hr. iPhone Blitz!

When Friday, Nov. 13th 6pm - Sunday, Nov. 15th 6pm
Where Computer Science Engineering Building, Room 3725
Who Open to All Students

Students in some programs spend an entire semester creating iPhone applications, but at U-M, we do it in 48 hours. So says Professor Elliot Soloway, who is hosting a 48-hour iPhone and mobile device application development blitz for students. The event takes place at U- M's Computer Science and Engineering building and runs from Friday, November 13 at 6:00 pm until Sunday, November 15 at 6:00 pm. The event is sponsored by CSE and Apple Computer.

All students active in iPhone, Android, and other types of mobile device programming are welcome to participate. Students can work individually or in teams to brainstorm, design, and build their apps. Pizza, sandwiches, and caffeine will periodically materialize in CSE 3725 to provide fuel. Need a break, some sleep, or a hot shower? No problem, the programming blitz is open so you can come and go.

At the end of the 48-hour period, students will demo their new apps and a winner will be chosen. "I fully expect we will see some very cool apps that could have real commercial value," said Soloway. "It will be great fun!"

If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] with your team members names and UM ID numbers.
Thanks to Apple Computer for supporting this event.

Sheri Schultz
Apple Account Executive
[email protected]

Dug Song posted on Nov 08, 2009
a2geeks weekly events update, week of 11-09-09

Congrats to Ann Arbor SPARK on their new RSS calendar feed (iCal next?), and to AnnArbor.com on their new events calendar (which will eventually import iCal as well)!

To help simplify things, I'll be cross-posting this weekly events update to the a2geeks News blog with the tag 'eventsupdate' which anyone can create a filtered RSS feed for at http://a2geeks.org/dashboard/configurerssfeed.action - or use the alias I set up at Feedburner already: http://feeds.feedburner.com/A2geeksWeeklyEventsUpdate

This week's highlights include a new Mobile Monday meetup, the U-Con gaming conference (for some of the 56 Geeks in Ann Arbor) and a freshly-rebranded AHA! Shop (those of you who caught Bilal's excellent #IgniteA2 talk saw his appeal to Pie) with several related events this week (follow @AllHandsActive for more).

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

  • U-Con gaming convention, through Sunday at the Michigan Union. http://www.ucon-gaming.org/
  • Weekly Beer:30 mixer, 4:30 PM at the Tech Brewery (BYOB, or RSVP to [email protected]). http://techbrewery.org
  • For/Us Interactive Art Show (with several AHA! members), 8 PM (and again Sat 2 PM) at 531 N. Main. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162342283446
Labels: eventsupdate
Jon Baugh posted on Nov 05, 2009
Ruby-on-Rails Devs Needed

Job Opportunities

Dermanaut is seeking Ruby-on-Rails developers excited to join a young startup and take a product to market. We are primarily recruiting for our developer team positions, but there is also an opportunity for a senior developer/team lead position.

Title: Ruby-on-Rails Developer
Salary: $30,000 - $40,000 / Contract $30-40/hour
Start Date: December 1 / Contract duration: December 1-March 31
Location: Detroit, Michigan / (telecommuting possible)

About Dermanaut: Dermanaut is a web-based, software-as-a-service company developing specialty-specific electronic medical records. We are based in Detroit, Michigan and excited to be a part of the city’s future.

We are a young startup and have just received our second round of funding. We are currently assembling our development team to take our prototype to market.

Position Summary: Developers at Dermanaut will work as a team to build and maintain our SaaS application in an agile development environment. Developers will work side-by-side with the design and support teams, receiving detailed application specifications while assisting the design team with technical design decisions. As a web-based Ruby-on-Rails application, developers will be responsible for interactions with a wide variety of systems to fully administer our application.

*Position Goals:*Work with a small team of developers to develop and support application
Produce clean, secure, and efficient code for monthly code releases

*Requirements:*2+ years of Agile, Extreme Programming, or Test-driven development experience
3+ months developing in Ruby-on-Rails
3+ years of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and MySQL experience

*Additional considerations:*Other appropriate LAMP experience
HIPAA compliance
3D and other image manipulation on the web experience

*To submit resumes, or for more information contact:*Jon Baugh
([email protected])
734.604.8214