February « 2011 « Summa Real Estate Group Blog

Video: Mobile Search, Internet Use Growing Faster Than Predicted

February 28, 2011 | tech corner | Comments (0)

Mobile internet growth is increasing at much higher rates than was originally forecast. That was the subject of Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s keynote address at the Internet Advertising Bureau’s Annual Leadership meeting. Schmidt cited several stats as evidence of this fact, including that mobile searches for Chrysler jumped to 102 times the normal level during the Super Bowl (Chrysler aired an ad), compared to only 48 times the normal level for desktop searches. Likewise, mobile searches for GoDaddy increased 315 times on mobile, compared to 38 times on desktop. Read More +

Italian “Carnevale” March 6th is Family Fun, Benefits Good Cause

February 25, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (0)

Whether you’re Italian or you just like the food—and the celebration, for that matter—the festival March 6th in Lake Oswego may just be up your alley. The Italian School of Portland will host the sixth annual “Carnevale,” at the Mountain Park Clubhouse beginning at 2:30pm. The $15 admission grants access to plenty of kid-friendly activities such as a costume party, clowns, games and the like. For $30, a traditional Italian dinner kicks off the evening, followed by a silent auction and Wine Wall. Read More +

Census Data Indicates Oregon Population Shifting to Central, South

February 24, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (0)

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The 2010 Census numbers are being released today for Oregon, and the initial data released so far, for the most populous cities and counties in the state, paint Oregon as undergoing a somewhat significant population shift. Multnomah County—which, along with Clackamas County, grew by 11 percent— is still the state’s largest county with a population of 735,334. In spite of the modest gains up north however, the biggest growth has come in cities and counties in central and southern Oregon. Read More +

Conference Will Teach Social Media, Focus on Uses in Public Sector

February 23, 2011 | Portland Living, tech corner | Comments (1)

While social media solutions like Twitter and Facebook are becoming necessary components of everyday business for many individuals and organizations, both large and small, such services tend to lend themselves to a younger demographic, proving intimidating to and occasionally entirely alienating the older set. If that describes you, the Clark Emergency Services Agency in Vancouver, Washington has organized the perfect event to attend. Read More +

New York City to Embrace QR Codes on Permits

February 22, 2011 | tech corner | Comments (1)

Jimmy Fallon is changing the world, one QR code at a time. Well, the Late Night host may not exactly be responsible for the upcoming boom of QR codes in New York City, but the timing is coincidental, anyway. Just a week after Fallon used an LP-sized QR code (“quick response” code—a barcode readable by smartphones) to publicize a band appearing on his show, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that the city will begin putting QR codes on all building and construction permits. Read More +

SoloPower Plant Could Add 500 Jobs in Wilsonville; Is it Worth it?

February 21, 2011 | Financial, Portland Living, tech corner | Comments (0)

Oregon is already known as a pro-“green” state, and solar panel manufacturer SoloPower is trying to further that reputation. Thursday, the California-based firm received a $197 million federal loan to develop a manufacturing facility in Wilsonville. Oregon’s energy department has already loaned SoloPower $20 million, and another $20 million in business energy tax credits is expected. Wilsonville officials are also considering the creation of a one-building urban renewal district, which would result in advancing SoloPower another $4 million. The manufacturing plant would be created by retrofitting an old Nike distribution center. Read More +

“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” Showcases QR Code Uses

February 18, 2011 | tech corner | Comments (2)

Wednesday night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the band Odd Future performed. However rather than Fallon holding up an album cover to introduce the group, as has been the norm almost since talk shows have featured musicians, he held up an LP-sized QR code. That code, when scanned by a smartphone with the appropriate app, took the viewer to OddFuture.com, which of course “captures” the viewer a little more than simply showing an album cover. Read More +

Obama Pledges $200 Million in Next Year to Portland-to-Milwaukie MAX Line

February 17, 2011 | Financial, Portland Living | Comments (0)

On Tuesday, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced 10 new transit projects that the Obama administration plans to help fund with federal dollars. Tri-Met’s new Portland-to-Milwaukie MAX line was among the project mentioned, with President Obama wanting $200 million in the next fiscal year to go toward a full-funding grant that would help pay for the new additions. Read More +

Supercomputer Showcases Knowledge, Uses on Jeopardy!

February 16, 2011 | tech corner | Comments (0)

If you haven’t been watching Jeopardy! in all its glory lately, you may be unaware of the I, Robot-style happenings going on in the game show industry. Over the last two nights, and again tonight, super-champions Ken Jennings (74-time winner) and Brad Rutter (20-time winner) have faced off against Watson, an IBM supercomputer. The competition has been set up as yet another man-versus-machine showdown, similar to chess champion Gary Kasparov’s duel with Deep Blue in 1997, but it’s also showcasing Watson’s functionality. So far, the computer has been able not only to parse through scads of data, but also make judgment between different answers based on probabilities. The possible uses for Watson in just about any industry are endless, especially in extremely specialized fields where experts are few and far between. Read More +

Home Depot to Add 500 Jobs in Portland-Area, 600,000 Nationwide

February 15, 2011 | Portland Living | Comments (1)

To prepare for the busy summer months, home improvement behemoth Home Depot will hire 60,000 new employees nationwide. Included in those numbers are 500 new employees for the 12 stores in the Portland area. With expected hires in every single market the retailer is in, this is the second year in a row that Home Depot will add net new permanent full- and part-time positions. Read More +

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