The Obama for America Campaign took the technology used to run an election campaign a step or two forward—at least for now—by building an API-based platform to manage the campaign. Harper Reed, CTO of the Obama campaign, boiled the reason down to a two-word formula: API = Freedom. "We needed to build a platform," Reed said the January 29 Technori Pitch, a start-up presentation … [Read more...] about API = Freedom
Chicago
Wallet Wars in the Streets of Chicago
There is a war going on for your wallet. The combatants are credit card companies, banks, and tech companies both established and emerging. Until recently, most of the operations were covert: contracts, alliances, M&A, and other business activities that by and large go unnoticed by the general public. The war is now spilling onto the streets of Chicago. From cabs to … [Read more...] about Wallet Wars in the Streets of Chicago
DATA: Open Data, Transparency, and Efficient Markets
Control of information and data equates to control of people and markets. Warnings from Milton to Orwell and the ideological struggle between capitalistic and socialistic market approaches increasingly result in greater wealth and freedom. At Chicago's Techweek 2011 conference, the evolution toward freedom and away from control manifested in Friday talks through the benefits … [Read more...] about DATA: Open Data, Transparency, and Efficient Markets
INNOVATION: Why Groupon is a Perfectly Chicago Company
It's hard not to read about Groupon, currently the most mediafied of Chicago companies. It's got a What's Hot tab on TechCrunch. It's national burger weekend deals made Crain's and other media, and it's one of several pre-IPO companies cited as examples of a new tech bubble. Groupon brings a lot of tech start-up luster to Chicago. All that attention--along with discussing … [Read more...] about INNOVATION: Why Groupon is a Perfectly Chicago Company
Notes on China's Economy Today
Inflation is the top economic concern of the Chinese government, said Kok-Chi Tsim, Managing Director and Senior Relationship Executive at JPMorgan Chase Bank, Chicago. He spoke March 30 at the monthly luncheon of the Economic Development Council of Chicago on "China’s Economic and Business Environment." The concern for inflation flows from one underlying economic fact: "China … [Read more...] about Notes on China's Economy Today