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Register Now for the MobileCitizen Giveaway!

Laura

Connect Chicago and the Smart Chicago Collaborative are excited to announce a new partnership with MobileCitizen, an innovative organization that provides low-cost internet service to schools and nonprofits around the country.

Organizations and schools can take advantage of MobileCitizen’s super fast mobile internet for only $120/year per account, plus the cost of the equipment that works best for them: a mobile hotspot, USB modem or desk modem. Organizations can empower staff out in the field, help students do homework during long commutes or extend low-cost 4G access to clients at home.

Though available at a low price to all nonprofits, Connect Chicago partner locations have the chance to win a year of free MobileCitizen service. The Smart Chicago Collaborative and MobileCitizen are giving away a mobile hotspot device and year of high-speed internet service to three public computing centers that are part of the Connect Chicago network.

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Update Your Location on WeConnectChicago.org!

Laura

If you work in or provide computer training at the library, a workforce center, a city college, a public housing development, a public computer center or community technology center or are involved in marketing or community outreach at any of these agencies—we want your help!

If you work in or provide computer training at the library, a workforce center, a city college, a public housing development, a public computer center or community technology center or are involved in marketing or community outreach at any of these agencies—we want your help!

If you work in or provide computer training at the library, a workforce center, a city college, a public housing development, a public computer center or community technology center or are involved in marketing or community outreach at any of these agencies—we want your help!

If you work in or provide computer training at the library, a workforce center, a city college, a public housing development, a public computer center or community technology center or are involved in marketing or community outreach at any of these agencies—we want your help! Continue reading →

Some Blurbs on the Last Week of January, 2013

Smart Chicago

Here’s some new Smart Chicago items from the last week or so:

The launch of the Civic User Testing Group

Last Friday we started the CUT Group, where regular Chicago residents get paid to test civic apps. Here’s a pretty good take on the nascent program from Michael Lipkin at WTTW: Civic Hackers Want You. We’ve had a pretty good response— 54 signups from 29 wards.

Screen Shot 2013-02-05 at 5.40.28 PM

Launch of the Illinois Open Technology Challenge

Last Friday we helped launch the Illinois Open Technology Challenge, There are five $15,000 prizes, for a total of $75,000. There will be winners from each of the four pilot communities (Champaign, Rockford, Belleville, and the south suburbs of Chicago) as well as one prize for the use of statewide data.

Mobile Dev Day at U of I

Last week was Mobile Development Day sponsored by the Research Park at the University of Illinois. Great event with lots of interesting speakers and panels. I got a lot out of one panel that helped you think out platform choice (iOS, Android, Web). I wrote a talk on the importance of mobile in urban flow, below.

Dxo mobile-dev-day from Daniel X. O’Neil

Cook County New Media Council

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced the Cook County New Media Council. Along with Blagica Bottigliero, I am co-chairing the council, whose goal is “to develop a digital strategy to better engage, serve, and connect with the public”. I expect great things here!