This comes care of a2geeks, I though I would pass it along:

Don’t miss this global event happening in cities around the world on Friday!

http://openeverything.wik.is/Ann_Arbor

Open Everything: Ann Arbor is a one-night ‘unconference’ bringing together people interested or involved in applying the principles of openness, transparency, and collaboration to the businesses, organizations, and networks we are a part of. It’s far more than a discussion around technology and software; it’s a conversation about the community in which we want to live and the ways in which we want to get there.

Come. Be a part of this discussion. Share your thoughts on how you are making or want to make Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Detroit, or any other community you’re …read more

From the Great Lakes IT Report:

Although most technology executives do not feel Michigan is an ideal place to start or grow a business, their opinions are not simply a reaction to the economic conditions in the state, according to a survey conducted by the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s iLabs, Automation Alley and the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The second annual Michigan Technology Climate Survey assessed opinions of technology executives in southeast Michigan regarding the current business climate facing Michigan’s technology firms. This past spring, the survey queried 96 executives from Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.

“The results indicate that executives believe there are structural issues — at the state level — that hinder technology growth,” according to Timothy …read more

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), according to its website, is “the nation’s consumer protection agency” and “works for the consumer to prevent fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace.”  To that end, the FTC publishes a number of resource guides to help businesses comply with federal law and FTC regulations.  One such guide is the Guide Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials which attempts to draw a line between “endorsements” (which must always reflect the honest opinion of the endorser) and pure “advertisements” or other non-endorsements (which do not have to comply with endorsement guidelines).  The Endorsement Guide provides examples of what does and does not constitute “endorsements” by consumers, experts, and organizations, …read more