Chicago Computer Guide This Week
For December 21 - December 27, 2001

CONTENTS:
I.    This Week's Calendar of Events
II.   Broadband - Part 5
III.  Federal Circuit Protects Student Researchers
IV.   September 11 Could Change The Internet Forever, Too!
V.    Chicago Computer Company News
VI.   Chicago Computer Dealers


==============Special 
Events=============================================

Affordable Quality IT training with a  Microsoft Technical Education 
Provider!  Call I/Tech at 1-866-248-6265 or go to 
http://www.itechtraining.com!

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I. This Week's Chicago Computer Events


MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!


============================Advertisement====================================

A "Blended" Education Series Gives Executives Competitive Advantages

Just a few months ago, it was commonplace for corporations to enroll 
their executives in advanced management programs at high-ranking 
business schools. These prestigious programs not only inspire great
leadership and networking opportunities, they provide executive resumes 
the well sought-after stamp of excellence, which often comes at a cost 
in 
excess of $50,000. But recent economic challenges and the pressure to 
cut 
back, have made heavy investment in expensive executive education 
programs impractical for many companies.
Click here for more: 
http://www.thecep.com/cep.nsf/sbh/B8695B8DE29DAF7885256B13006D7BE5                               

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II. Broadband - Part 5
Wayne Krakau

It's the time for me to cover the security implications of 
having a broadband connection. But first, I'd like to 
apologize to anyone who might have been confused 
or mislead by a major mistake that I made in last month's 
article.
Click here for more: http://www.chicago-computer.com/deckrak.htm.


III. Federal Circuit Protects Student Researchers
By Larry Zanger

For years, student researchers have felt victimized by an academic 
research system that permits their supervising PhDs to steal and 
patent inventions that were actually discovered by the students.
For more go to, http://www.chicago-computer.com/deczang.htm


IV. September 11 Could Change The Internet Forever, Too!
By Ray Hanania

Just as the terrorism of September 11 has changed how American 
society looks at the rest of the world, it may also permanently 
change how we view the Internet.
Click here, http://www.chicago-computer.com/dechan.htm for more.

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V. Chicago Computer Company News


ShopperTrak And RCT Systems Merge To Form World’s Leading 
Retail Intelligence Company

    Chicago, IL-- ShopperTrak, a leading provider of retail shopper 
counting technology solutions, and retail analytics leader RCT 
Systems Inc., has announced plans for a merger to create what 
they term "world’s premier retail intelligence company". The 
newly formed company, ShopperTrak RCT, will provide market 
leaders in the retail, gaming, hospitality and entertainment industries 
with the most advanced set of specialized business information 
tools available today. The companies expect to finalize terms of 
the merger by this week’s end. 
   The combination of ShopperTrak’s traffic tracking products, 
Orbit II and Executive SandBox, with RCT’s industry standard 
traffic indices, the National Retail Traffic Index (NRTI), will offer 
retail intelligence solutions that enable companies to better 
understand retail trends and the impact of store and staff 
performance on company revenues. Additionally,  ShopperTrak 
RCT’s solutions will provide a proven means for retailers to 
gauge labor efficiencies, advertising and marketing efforts, store 
design and remodeling programs, merchandise changes,
associate training programs, and other budget-intensive strategic 
initiatives. 

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Women Technology Professionals Reveal the Top Five Tech 
Gadgets on Their Christmas Wish List

         CHICAGO, IL /PRNewswire/ -- Who better to know what 
tech gizmos to buy this holiday season for women than some of 
the country's top female technology professionals?  A special 
holiday technology gift survey, conducted by WorldWIT (World 
Women in Technology), a global online networking group for 
professional businesswomen, polled more than 12,000 female 
executives working in technology to find out which toys, gizmos, 
and gadgets they most wanted to discover under the tree this 
holiday season.
         These tech-savvy women identified which "tech toys" 
they would most like to find under their tree Christmas Day.  Of 
those surveyed:
         Receiving 28% of the votes were digital cameras. Voters 
like the features of the Canon PowerShot S110 Digital Elph, 
which offers 2.1-megapixel resolution -- enough for great 5 x 7 
prints.
         Palm-enabled wireless phones were a close second with 
24% of votes.  These hot new devices allow busy executives to 
get email, beam contact information, download presentations, 
surf the Web, and make calls while scheduling appointments 
simultaneously from one handy device.  A wireless phone like 
the Sprint PCS I-300 provides the functionality of a Palm handheld 
device, along with the convenience of a wireless phone.
         Fifteen percent of respondents chose the combination 
DVD-VCR player. Buying a DVD player usually means sacrificing 
either your videotapes or your shelf space, as you pack both 
machines under the TV.  A combination DVD-VCR player like the 
Samsung DVD-V1000 takes the space of one component, has 
one input cable, and also plays audio CDs.
         Laptop computers came in strong with 12%.  The latest 
laptop that women are raving about is the Sony VAIO(R) Slimtop.  
It's a Windows PC with a stylus and a tilting flat-panel color screen, 
on which you can draw and edit images.  Drawing directly on the 
screen makes it easy to use programs like Adobe Photoshop, which 
is already installed on the Slimtop.
         Global positioning watches found their way onto the list with 
6% of respondents feeling this was a great Christmas stocking stuffer.  
A watch with global positioning not only tells you the time, but also 
where you're going.
     The Casio PAT2GP-1V features a miniature Global Positioning 
System receiver, which downloads maps with pre-marked routes from 
a computer, and then offers directions right on the watch face screen 
to guide you to your destination.
      Rounding out the votes, 15% chose other technical gadgets, 
including Palm-Pilots, digital camcorders, and MP3 players.  Some 
respondents simply asked for "time off."
      So, if you're looking for the perfect gift for a woman who loves 
tech
gadgets, keep the above list in mind.   The survey was conducted via 
email queries during the month of December.
      For further information about the survey or details about the 
products,
contact Jennifer Bofinger or Tony DeFazio at GregoryFCA 610-642-8253.

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Venture Marketing Introduces Free Budgeting Spreadsheet for 
Marketing Services 

     DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. /PRNewswire/ -- Early-stage companies 
can easily create a realistic marketing services budget using a new, 
free software tool from Venture Marketing.
     The Reality Check planning tool offers company owners, managers 
and investors a pre-formatted budget planning spreadsheet that provides
realistic spending guidelines and assumptions across a complete range 
of marketing service categories.  Venture Marketing created Reality 
Check based on its long experience in providing marketing services to 
emerging technology-based companies whose core expertise does not 
typically include marketing management.  This tool provides useful cost 
estimates for labor and production (such as printing, advertising, 
trade 
booth rental, etc.) regardless of whether the start-up uses outside 
services or keeps marketing efforts in-house.
     The Reality Check tool is available at no charge by registering at 
http://www.venturemarketing.com/planningtool.html .  It runs on any 
Windows-based PC and requires Microsoft Excel version 97 or higher.
     "Reality Check gives a level of comfort to people who are 
unfamiliar
with planning a marketing budget, much as spell check and grammar 
check provide assurance to computer users," said John M. Fox, 
Venture Marketing president.  "It anticipates the vast majority of 
spending scenarios that most companies encounter in launching 
brands and marketing their products and services."
         Reality Check includes 40 line items grouped into four major 
budgeting categories: creative design, public relations, strategic 
consulting and event management.  Users may customize their 
planning budgets by including or excluding any of the 40 line items, 
assigning estimates of total hours per line item, and defining the 
months during which the specific line item expenses will occur.  
Reality Check automatically calculates each line item, then 
aggregates monthly and annual budgets, based on 
assumptions of hourly billing rates and third-party production 
expenses the user might expect to incur.
      "We used Reality Check in creating the marketing section of 
our business plan," said Bruce Fryer, CEO of Park City, Utah, 
startup MechVisual, a developer of 3D robotic systems.  "We're 
confident in showing these numbers to VCs and other investors, 
knowing they're based on the proven strategy of outsourcing our 
marketing services.  It helps demonstrate to investors how we'll 
keep fixed costs to a minimum."


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>From CCH, the Tax Experts: CompleteTax Online Tax Preparation, 
E-Filing Easy, Fast, Affordable

     RIVERWOODS, Ill. /PRNewswire/ -- For the growing number 
of taxpayers planning to head online this tax season, CCH 
INCORPORATED (CCH), a leading provider of tax law information 
and software, is enhancing CompleteTax, its low-cost, online tax 
preparation and filing service.
     Available for its third tax season, CompleteTax was developed 
by the CCH tax experts who developed and offer the professional 
tax preparation software, ProSystem fx Tax.
     Easy to use and secure, CompleteTax is among the most 
comprehensive online solutions for preparing and filing tax returns, 
from simple 1040s to more complex returns common for small 
business owners or individuals with special tax situations.
    Enhancements and productivity tools include an entire portfolio 
of financial calculators to help consumers evaluate investment, home 
financing, personal financing and retirement options.  These tools are 
available immediately to consumers.
      Individuals interested in finding out ahead of time how the Tax 
Act 
of 2001 will affect their taxes can log onto the site now and use the 
CompleteTax Tax Relief Saving Calculator to determine within seconds 
what the legislation's impact will be on their overall tax obligation.  
The 
site also includes a detailed summary of the tax changes.
       Certain CompleteTax planning tools are available now, with the 
site to be ready to process 2001 returns in mid-January.  The total 
cost 
for calculating, preparing and e-filing/printing both the federal and 
the 
state (if allowable by the state) returns is just $17.95.  Taxpayers 
are 
charged only once their return is complete and they're ready to either 
print and mail or electronically file their return.

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VI. Chicago Computer Dealers

Click here at http://www.chicago-computer.com/deals.htm for our list 
of computer dealers and some of the lowest prices in town!

Readers: We welcome your feedback on our newsletter. Please direct your
comments to the editor at mailto:ccg@interaccess.com. We want to make
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suggestions with us