ATDC showcases high-tech optimism
The Advanced Technology Development Center’s Entrepreneurs Showcase, held today at Midtown’s Biltmore, wasn’t exactly a hot spot for bellyaching about the recession.
That’s because optimism rules at the annual event, where the Georgia Tech high-tech incubator “graduates” some of its babies, and showcases more of them to potential investors and business partners. The glass-is-half-full mentality is refreshing to an out-of-work journalist.
Of the 30 ATCD show-casers, the one’s that immediately grabbed my interest were (naturally) the handful that could enhance blogging, social networking and other communication enterprises. One that appears to be pretty far along is Evoca, which allows bloggers, business people, political activists — whomever — to create digital audio recordings via telephone and to post them on websites.
Then there’s Balaya, an earlier-stage Savannah-based company that has developed a tool, called Tick-It, designed to integrate social networks, e-mails, feeds and IM onto a ticker that scrolls along the bottom of the computer screen. CEO Bob Nunnally is a retired fighter pilot who worked after the military for futurists Alvin and Heidi Toffler, of “Future Shock” fame. He’s hoping that gave him a good eye for what the next big thing might be.
“[Nunnally and his fellow cofounders] thought there was a space where social media was going that we could slip into,” Nunnally said.
The other interesting area to me was the environment. Suniva, one of four company’s that graduate this year from ATDC, is producing photovoltaic cells for solar energy — and claims to have developed processes that will drive the cost for solar energy down and make the products more efficient.
None of this year’s showcasers quite so squarely fit the bill as green technology. But several will have environmental benefits if they’re successful. QOil Technologies VP Allen Vance stressed that his company, which operates out of ATDC lab on Fifth Street, has a “clean and green story.” QOil has developed a device, which it plans to market to buses and other fleet vehicles, that monitors the quality of motor oil as it goes through the system.
Using cell-phone technology, the device in the field tells QOil’s server when the vehicle needs an oil change or whether there’s an unknown mechanical problem. That saves money and can prevent breakdowns.
But QOil also might save petroleum because it would allow the fleet manager to put off an unnecessary oil change, which might have been scheduled otherwise whether the oil actually was dirty or not. The connection to saving energy may sound mundane, but it’s also kind of elegant that a business solution would go hand in hand with environmental efficiency.
When President Obama, Al Gore and, for that matter, Newt Gingrich talk about the transformative power that technology might have on our economy, they tend to evoke images of hydrogen-fueled cars and windmills. But small steps by “baby” companies could play a role as well.
Johnson now in guv’s race
With Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle out, longtime state Sen. Eric Johnson jumped this morning into the 2010 governor’s race.
State Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah
Johnson has an all-over-the-place reputation as one of the Republican leaders in the Senate. Sometimes, the Savannah architect sounds — even acts — like a smart guy with a good sense of humor. But he also can get a bit prickly and has a penchant for saying the stupidest things.
Overall, conservatives are likely to be pleased Johnson has thrust himself into the race. Many are a bit mistrustful of the three leading Republicans already in the contest (Karen Handel, John Oxendine, and Austin Scott), because each has strayed from ultra-conservative orthodoxy at one time or another.
Johnson was going to run for lieutenant governor in 2010. That changed when Cagle dropped out of the race last week because of health problems. Cagle certainly gave him a push by announcing that he’d instead make the less demanding run for re-election as lieutenant governor.
Johnson has lined up a lot of GOP establishment support. Among the folks working on his campaign: rich guy Jamie Reynolds as finance chairman, former Perdue press aide Derrick Dickey, former state party staffer Ben Fry, and Randy Evans, who was the state party’s expert at disenfranchising minority voters, as legal counsel.
Democratic candidates Thurbert Baker, DuBose Porter and Randy Poythress are still a bit frozen in lining up support, because many Democrats are waiting to see if former Gov. Roy Barnes will run.
From Johnson’s press release come the blah-blah things that politicians always say:
“As I traveled the state campaigning and visiting with Georgians from all walks of life, I was thrilled to see the support and encouragement we received in every corner of this state,” said Johnson. “Georgians recognize that we need a steady, tested, and experienced leader to address the challenges we face as a state and to build on the progress we’ve made under Republican leadership. My vision for our future focuses on how we can create new 21st Century jobs, reform education to improve student achievement, and ensure effective and ethical government. Effective leadership is about trust. I hope to earn the trust of the Georgians and the opportunity to serve as their Governor.”
Hmmm … “to build on all the progress we’ve made under Republican leadership?” Like I say, the guy does have a good sense of humor.
Georgia’s rivers & trails
My friends and I have been exploring Georgia’s trails and especially its waterways for more than three decades, now.
One friend’s son, Alex La Rotta, is encouraging me to get out there more often — mainly because he needs me to drive. OK, Alex. You win. Let’s go boating.
And I’ll document the stories here in a words and pictures, with an eye toward pointing others (and getting pointed by others) toward great diversity of places that this state has to offer .
Ethics probe on Borders
From Atlanta Unfiltered:
A state ethics investigation is trying to find out whether Lisa Borders, president of the Atlanta City Council and one of the leading candidates in this year’s Atlanta mayor’s race, lobbied state legislators on behalf of her employer without registering as a lobbyist.
A complaint filed with the State Ethics Commission alleges that Borders, then a vice president of Cousins Properties, lobbied in 2007 for passage of the Georgia Smart Infrastructure Finance Act, commonly known as the “private-cities” bill.
Rest of story here.
CL reality show: next week!
A friend (and former Loaf employee) writes:
I’m so confused…So we won’t know anything about what will happen to CL until next week? I’m starting to feel like I’m missing episodes of a reality show.
That’s right my secret admirer. CL/Tampa’s Wayne Garcia reported last night that Ben Eason was to testify in Bankruptcy Court today:
The hearing will then be continued until Tuesday of the following week to hear from the company’s CFO and a Tampa Bay business valuation expert, after which Judge Caryl E. Delano (at some point) will rule on Atalaya’s motion to gain control of the company. Atalaya is owed $31 million from its f[i]nancing of CL’s 2007 purchase of the Chicago Reader and Washington City Paper.
Those of us weren’t in the courtroom, don’t know what happened today yet. I’m hoping that Wayne will file somethng later about Ben’s day on the stand. Will link here if I see it.
NON-UPDATE: I haven’t gotten any reports of what happened in court today. Will try to find out tomorrow and if so will pass it on.
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