Tom Perski: A visually impaired pioneer serving the blind at the Chicago Lighthouse
By Hannah Gebresilassie When Tom Perski turned 19 years old, he noticed something was off with his vision during a baseball practice. “I saw the ball go up in the air and then it disappeared completely and then reappeared again,” Perski says. Perski was later diagnosed with a rare case of Stargardt macular dystrophy, a […]
Why ‘Girls Who Code’ is just for girls
By Lucia Maffei “You know, first prize is $10,000. It could be the first share of your college tuition.” The 10-something girl with a cat ear headband sits at a computer desk at DePaul University’s downtown campus. Two friends of hers work side by side. It’s Saturday morning and every Saturday, Nancy and her friends […]
Yik Yak complicates Model UN conference
By Colin Mo The technology that millennials use to pursue their desires improves over time, and the latest trend is for public anonymity, broadcasting the user’s thoughts to others nearby. Apps like Yik Yak, Kik, Snapchat, or WeChat are in vogue, parents are often clueless, and school supervisors are being trusted to know the territory. […]
Want to store more gasoline in your tank? Startup hopes to help
By Kaitlin Schuler What if there was a way to make vehicles’ gas tanks more efficient and safer for the environment? A way to make portable oxygen tanks more practical and manageable for those who need them? NuMat Technologies Inc., a startup in Skokie, is engineering a way to make both a reality. The company aims […]
FDA gives top priority to protecting the blood supply from Zika virus
By Neil Murthy The Food and Drug Administration is turning to technology to protect the nation’s blood supply from Zika, as the virus continues to sweep across the Americas and Chicago reported the first case here last week. Currently there have been no confirmed cases of Zika virus transmission through blood transfusions in the United […]
A Riveting Enterprise: Rivet Radio Inc.
By Poroma Pant “There’s an audio renaissance coming,” said John MacLeod, chief executive officer of Rivet Radio Inc., a Chicago-based digital news radio broadcaster that aims to replicate Pandora’s success with online music streaming but for news.
VIDEO: Chicago Hack Night gets involved in Illinois’ use of technology
By Lucia Maffei Hardik Bhatt needs help. The Chief Information Officer for the State thinks that Illinois should complete “a 45-year journey in four years” to reach a level comparable to its peers in using technology to make everyday tasks easier for residents. To accomplish this goal, Bhatt asked for the help of the participants in […]
State budget deadlock jeopardizes manufacturing industry
By Lawrence Rigby Springfield’s inability to pass a budget for fiscal 2016 threatens to make life harder for the already hard-pressed Illinois manufacturing industry. The deadlock could cause manufacturers to lose a Research and Development tax credit that encourages the innovation of new R&D projects. The possible loss of the 6.5 percent tax credit, due […]
Small business owners say they need technology support: survey
By Lucia Maffei Technology support is the third top-of-mind need among small business owners in the Chicago region, according to an online survey presented on Thursday and conducted by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the Quinlan School of Business. Companies in any industry and with less than 500 employees filled in a questionnaire about […]
