TECHdotMN: News about Minnesota Startups

By Dave Berggren, Kare11

“Young minds were insprired by one of the world’s most successful companies Saturday. A team from Google stopped by to pass along skills to high school students in Minneapolis.  “With this training, I’m learning more about technology than I ever did before,” said Claire McKitrick, a high school student at Roosevelt. “The more I learn, the more it will help me.”

Seventy-five students from the city’s Step Up program took part in the all-day seminar. The students, all of which are soon-to-be summer interns at companies across the Twin Cities, heard from Google executives about various internet platforms and how to reach customers using technology. The training is a new initiative by Google.”

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By Jake Anderson, Twin Cities Business

“Google Chairman Erik Schmidt joined Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and several local business leaders on Wednesday at CoCo, a collaborative “co-working” firm that offers alternative office space to freelance professionals, small businesses, and corporate work groups.

Schmidt praised the city’s culture of entrepreneurship, saying it’s unlike anything else he’s witnessed in the United States—and he offered his two cents for how to help expand on the metro area’s strengths. The CoCo event followed a speech that Schmidt delivered at the University of Minnesota, where he discussed the future of the high-tech economy.”

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By Katharine Grayson, Minneapolis – St.Paul Business Journal

“Northbrook Digital has sold its assets and patents to Google Inc.

Mark Wolfe, CEO of Woodbury-based Northbrook, didn’t reveal the name of the buyer, though federal documents show Google now owns the patents.

The patents relate to methods of displaying advertisements in Web browser tool bars, as well as link-sharing technology, Wolfe said.”

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Today (8/17) the Minneapolis-St.Paul Business Journal posted an update to yesterdays news (below the fold) with a statement from Google:

“Minnesota is home to countless Google users and customers — big and small — who are helping drive innovation and economic growth for the state. In 2010, Google provided more than $1 billion in economic activity for Minnesota businesses. Our users, partners, developers and customers are located all over the country including Minnesota. With innovation occurring at the University of Minnesota as well as the tech sector across the state, we’re excited to be joining the Association and being a part of the working group.”

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Via Fierce Developer

“In the wake of multiple reports indicating online retailer Amazon.com is poised to roll out an Android application storefront to rival Google’s own Android Market as well as efforts like Verizon Wireless’ V Cast Apps, big-box electronics giant Best Buy said it is deliberating whether to launch an Android app store of its own.

The Wall Street Journal reports that in response to a question about the Amazon app store, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said he would consider building one of his own. Best Buy CTO Robert Stephens later clarified Dunn’s comments, stating “We are exploring this concept at this very early stage, but we have no concrete plans at this time. Google, though, is an obvious partner.”"

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By Leena Rao, TechCrunch

“When Google acquired video compression technology company On2 for $106 million last year, the search giant also got encoding SaaS Flix Cloud as part of the deal. Now it looks like Google is shuttering Flix Cloud in November (and will stop accepting new customers as of tomorrow), and encouraging users to move to newly launching encoding startup Zencoder.”

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by Bob Kelleher, Minnesota Public Radio

“Duluth, Minn. — Just days after Google pitched its nationwide offer to bring super-fast broadband to a winning community, Duluth Mayor Don Ness was elbowing for his city to be first in line.

The youthful Ness quickly formed a core team, and on Feb. 18 threw a community organizational meeting. About 50 of the city’s leading business people mingled with an equal number of largely unshaven geeks to hear the mayor’s pitch. ” (emphasis added)

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