Idaho Office of Science & Technology May 2007

cl.idaho.gov

In this issue:

# Idaho Cities Make Inc. ‘Boomtowns’ List

# Silicon Valley Veteran to Lead Idaho Commerce

# Micron, Intel Introduce New Joint Venture Product

# AMI Semiconductor Releases New Hearing Aid Chip

# PCS Labmentors Helps With IT Curriculum

# Micron Introduces New Aspen Memory Products

# University of Idaho Joins Chicago Climate Exchange

# Forbes.com Sponsors Small Business Contest

# Xanadu Servers Celebrates Anniversary, Expands Line

# Prototype to Profit: UI Competition Helps Start-Ups Succeed

# U.S. Geothermal CEO Testifies To Congressional Subcommittee

# Balihoo Secures Funding from Lacuna

# AMIS Receives President’s Award From Rockwell Collins

# BSU Scientist Remaps Seattle Fault Line

# Statewide Science Teachers Honored by Governor

# Startup Company Receives $1 Million Grant from NIH for Autism

# PowerGrid Communications, GridPoint Collaborate

# NanoSteel Exhibits at China Conference

# BSU Team Noted for Promising Business Launch

# Fisher’s Signs Partnership With HP

# Ideas Innovations Idaho License Plates For Sale

Idaho Cities Make Inc. ‘Boomtowns’ List

(Statewide) Several Idaho metropolitan areas showed up on Inc. magazine’s "Boomtowns 2007" list.
The list ranks what Inc. magazine calls "the hottest cities for entrepreneurs." The Boomtowns ranking is based on job growth which, the magazine says, suggests that an economy is expanding and providing increased opportunities.
The Boise-Nampa area ranked ninth among midsize cities, and Coeur d’Alene ranked 16th overall on the list as well as 10th among small cities. Idaho Falls ranked 32nd on the overall list and 20th among small cities.
St. George, Utah, claimed the number one spot on the overall list followed by Yuma, Ariz., and Prescott, Ariz.
The complete list and methodology are at inc.com/bestcities.

Silicon Valley Veteran to Lead Idaho Commerce

(Statewide) Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter has named James M. Ellick, a veteran of Silicon Valley’s phenomenal growth and sustained high-tech success, as director of the Idaho Department of Commerce.
Ellick, who now lives in Hansville, Wash., has a long history of senior management in high-tech manufacturing, marketing, sales and development.
The University of Santa Clara graduate and former U.S. Navy officer served during his career as vice president and general manager both of Fairchild Semiconductor and Applied Materials. Ellick also has been CEO of four different venture capital-backed companies, and in 1995 – leading a dynamic executive team – he took Photon Dynamics Inc. public on the NASDAQ.
Ellick has been involved in private investing and consulting since 2000 after serving as president, CEO and co-chairman of Mitsubishi Silicon America.
"Jim is the kind of energetic leader who knows not only how to get things done but to successfully enlist the most talented people in achieving their shared goals," Governor Otter said.
Ellick will officially begin his new job July 1 the effective date of the split of Idaho Commerce & Labor into separate departments as recommended by Otter and approved by the Legislature. Roger Madsen, now director of the combined agencies, will remain director of the Department of Labor.

Micron, Intel Introduce New Joint Venture Product

(Boise) Micron Technology Inc. and Intel Corp. are sampling 50 nanometer multi-level cell NAND flash memory manufactured by their NAND flash memory joint venture, IM Flash Technologies.
The new MLC NAND flash memory components feature a die and cell size suited for use in today’s computing and consumer electronics devices that are increasingly smaller and more efficient.
The new NAND product caps a year of activity in which Intel and Micron have aggressively ramped up a 300 millimeter flash manufacturing factory network and are in the midst of developing sub-40 nanometer NAND flash memory products.
Along with producing NAND flash out of Micron facilities in Boise and Manassas, Va., the IM Flash joint venture has also been manufacturing wafers since February at a 300mm facility in Lehi, Utah, that is completely dedicated to the joint venture. Additionally, the companies plan to bring a new IM Flash manufacturing facility to Singapore with their recently announced Singapore partnership.
More information is at micron.com.

AMI Semiconductor Releases New Hearing Aid Chip

(Pocatello) AMI Semiconductor, a designer and manufacturer of integrated mixed-signal and structured digital products for the automotive, medical and industrial sectors, has released the Ezairo 5900 series of application-specific standard products.
Targeting the hearing aid market, the new microchip features ultra-low power consumption for long battery life and 24-bit computing to enable hearing aid products with high-precision sound.
The Ezairo 5900 series is manufactured using a 0.13-micron mixed-signal process, enabling full integration of all analog and digital circuitry along with increased processing capability onto a single chip. The dual-core architecture of the Ezairo 5900 series provides flexibility for software developers to implement their own sound processing solutions.
More information is at amis.com.

PCS Labmentors Helps With IT Curriculum

(Boise, New Brunswick) PCS Labmentors, a division of Boise-based PCS Edventures!, has expanded its relationship with North Carolina’s Central Piedmont Community College to create custom laboratories for the school’s Networking Technology curriculum.
The Canadian subsidiary designs, develops and delivers Virtual Lab frameworks, offering schools a virtual e-learning environment that includes hands-on learning labs focused on information technology certifications and training curriculum.
Additional information is at http://www.labmentors.com.

Micron Introduces New Aspen Memory Products

(Boise) Micron Technology has launched a new family of memory chips that will help conserve power in areas including data center servers and laptops.
Using Micron’s new Aspen Memory modules, data centers could reduce system memory power consumption in data center servers by about 24 percent, according to the company.
If used worldwide, the company reports the electricity savings would be enough to power 500,000 households annually.
The new Aspen Memory family of products features the industry’s first low-voltage DDR2 DRAM in reduced chip count memory modules.
"There are several factors driving the need for increased memory in today’s data center server systems such as the growth of virtualization technologies and multi-core data processors," said IDC analyst Shane Rau. "Because of these advanced technologies, we predict memory power consumption will continue to grow well into 2010, and a typical data center server system will use approximately 14.8 gigabytes of memory."
More information is at http://www.micron.com/innovations/energy_efficient.

University of Idaho Joins Chicago Climate Exchange

(Moscow) The University of Idaho has joined the Chicago Climate Exchange, the world’s first voluntary, legally binding multi-sector market in greenhouse gas emissions.
As part of this commitment, the university will reduce its own emissions by 6 percent below the 1998-2001 baseline average by 2010. The university’s sustainability commitment began more than 20 years ago.
The University of Idaho is one of only six higher-education institutions that have joined the exchange. The others are Tufts University, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, Michigan State University and University of Oklahoma.
"As one of the leading academic institutions in the west, the University of Idaho will play a critical role in forming the needed human capital for the emerging carbon market and its institutions," said Richard L. Sandor, chairman and chief executive officer of the exchange.

Forbes.com Sponsors Small Business Contest

(National) Want to win $100,000 for your emerging business? Forbes.com is offering the prize to the best business plan in a contest that deadlines May 31.
To enter, contestants need to have a small business – not just an idea – and must submit a 500-word description of what it does and how you would invest the money. Entries will be judged by small-business experts and Forbes editors and readers.
To enter, or for more information, go to http://www.boost.perfectprize.com.

Xanadu Servers Celebrates Anniversary, Expands Line

(Boise) Xanadu Servers Inc., an Internet solutions firm specializing in Web hosting, design and consulting, is marking its first anniversary and will now offer SWSoft Virtuozzo-powered Virtual Private Server hosting plans.
The new hosting plans are designed to meet the needs of Web hosting resellers and other small to medium-sized businesses that require greater system resources than shared hosting can deliver but are not ready for a dedicated server.
All plans are integrated into redundant domain name system servers and have access to onsite Network Attached Storage to facilitate secure data backups. Plans are available on either Linux or Windows platforms and can be purchased in managed or unmanaged varieties.
The company also remains fully Payment Card Industry compliant through a partnership with ScanAlert and provides a year of compliance scanning to all customers at no additional charge.
More about Xanadu Servers Inc. is at xanaduservers.com.

Prototype to Profit: UI Competition Helps Start-Ups Succeed

(Moscow) University of Idaho entrepreneurial students are turning ideas into reality, and with the university’s Vandal Innovation and Enterprise Works, their business endeavors have a high chance of succeeding.
Student teams recently showcased innovative business ideas and plans to make those ideas thrive at the second annual Business Plan Competition. The competition combines multidisciplinary effort with entrepreneurial vision to create viable business plans and teach students how to promote a potentially successful business in the real world.
One of the eight plans in the competition was the Sleepsound Infant Monitor, a remote detection system that can be used to signal parents and child care providers if an infant stops breathing. The monitor’s technology was developed by a University of Idaho senior engineering design team. Its low-cost sensor is designed to monitor breathing based on changes in inductance for measuring distance changes. A U.S. patent application has been filed for the technology.
Another plan seeks to launch Smartpac, an innovative wood plastic packaging developed by three University of Idaho students. The new materials have the strength and toughness characteristics of plastic with the low cost and ease-of-use qualities of traditional paper products. BBP Packaging – named after the company’s three founders Brett Josephson, Benji Graybeal and Patrick Oar – plans to fully commercialize into the pharmaceutical packaging industry by January 2008.
Additional plans included business solutions for an Alaskan landscaping and lawn care service; EEStudySouce.com, an online database of educational materials for electrical engineering students; NanoSuppliers, a firm that will research properties of glass nanosprings and their application in the hydrogen market; and GoSleepGo.com, a travel Web site for voyagers searching for moment-to-moment activities around the world.
For information about Vandal Innovation and Enterprise Works or the business plan competition, visit http://www.view.uidaho.edu or call (208) 885-0199.

U.S. Geothermal CEO Testifies To Congressional Subcommittee

(Boise) U.S. Geothermal Chief Executive Daniel Kunz urged members of the U.S. House of Representatives to support geothermal energy during testimony before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Kunz testified in mid-April about the potential for concentrated geothermal power technologies and what challenges and issues impact development of geothermal resources on public lands.
"Geothermal projects have a unique and growing importance in the supply of green energy because they offer a consistent supply of clean, reliable, low-emission power," said Kunz. "The technology needed to convert geothermal heat to electricity is tried, true, and currently available with
low technology risk."
Kunz emphasized to the subcommittee how the pace of growth of geothermal energy can benefit greatly from federal government deployment of resources in federal land leasing programs and the extension of critical high voltage transmission infrastructure in the West.
Boise-based U.S. Geothermal is a renewable energy development company that is in
the process of constructing a geothermal power project at Raft River, Idaho, and developing Neal Hot Springs in eastern Oregon.
More information is at http://www.usgeothermal.com.

Balihoo Secures Funding from Lacuna

(Boise) Balihoo Inc., a company building a specialized search engine for media buyers, planners and owners, is working with Lacuna LLC to revolutionize the media buying and planning industry.
Lacuna, which provides portfolio companies with go-to-market experience in addition to monetary assistance, will offer Balihoo entrepreneurial, operational and strategic expertise and in-depth industry experience. Sandy Keziah, Lacuna’s chief strategist, will work closely with Balihoo as the company prepares for its market launch. "We believe the Balihoo solution will become an integral tool for media buyers and planners at companies of every size," Keziah said.
The product is being rolled out this spring for select advertising and media buying agencies, and a full product launch of Balihoo’s Web-based tool is expected this summer. More details on the company can be found at http://www.balihoo.com.

AMIS Receives President’s Award From Rockwell Collins
(Pocatello) AMI Semiconductor, a designer and manufacturer of integrated mixed-signal and structured digital products, was presented the President’s Award for 2007 by Rockwell Collins.
AMI was recognized for its extraordinary support in the development and first production delivery of key digital application-specific integrated circuits for the Boeing 787 Program. AMI led design activity and manufacturing of two high reliability data networking, 180-nanometer standard cell circuits crucial to the Rockwell Collins program.
AMI was also named ASIC/MMIC/FPGA Commodity Supplier of the Year application specific integrated circuits, monolithic microwave integrated circuits and field programmable gate arrays.
The Supplier of the Year award is an acknowledgement of significant contributions based upon quality, delivery, total cost of ownership, lead time and customer service.

BSU Scientist Remaps Seattle Fault Line
(Boise) Four years of geophysical experiments in the Seattle area by Boise State University researcher Lee Liberty have yielded new information about earthquake hazards in the region including the length of a major fault running directly beneath the city.
Liberty discussed his field work and the next phase of his project during a section meeting of the Geological Society of America for 700 geoscientists from the Pacific Northwest, California, Hawaii and Alaska. Liberty’s talk was titled "Recent High-Resolution Reflection Studies of Active Faults in the Puget Lowland."
Liberty, a research scientist at the Center for Geophysical Investigation of the Shallow Subsurface at Boise State, conducted seismic reflection studies along residential streets in Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah, Woodinville and other Washington communities during the past several summers to obtain subsurface images of the Seattle Fault, a major active fault directly beneath Seattle that caused a major earthquake 1,100 years ago. Liberty has also studied other faults and subsurface geological structures including the Tacoma and South Whidbey Island faults.
Among other things, Liberty found that the Seattle Fault zone is much longer than previously mapped.
Mapping the location of the complex network of faults and understanding how different faults might interact with each other helps scientists and public officials better assess earthquake hazards. The information could be used to site road and other infrastructure and design buildings to minimize the risks.
Thomas Pratt, a U.S. Geological Survey research geophysicist, has worked with Liberty on the project, and geosciences students from Boise State, the University of Washington, Portland State University, Pacific Lutheran University and community volunteers have also assisted.
The project is funded by the Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.

Statewide Science Teachers Honored by Governor
(Statewide) Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter honored three Idaho science teachers with the Governor’s Industry Award for Notable Teaching in Science.
Given the award were Lewiston High School teacher Gregory Thompson, Clair E. Gale Junior High School teacher JoAnn Bodell of Idaho Falls and Bellevue Elementary School teacher Krista Jones. They each received $2,000 as part of the award.
The program was initiated by the governor’s office and sponsored by the Science and Technology Roundtable, a group of Idaho industry leaders. With support from the Idaho Commerce & Labor’s Office of Science & Technology, the state Department of Education, the State Board of Education and the Discovery Center of Idaho, the program recognizes teachers for their efforts to link industry and the economic future of Idaho to the classroom through the enhancement of science and technology education.
Honorable mention awards of $500 each were presented to Tammy Sewell from West Park Elementary School in Moscow, Norma Johnson from Jerome Middle School and Judy Wages from Bonners Ferry High School.
All the participating teachers were nominated for bringing science to life in the classroom by the student councils or parent groups at their schools. A cash prize of $500 goes to each school or student council nominating an award recipient $100 for nominating an honorable mention recipient.

Startup Company Receives $1 Million Grant from NIH for Autism
(Boise) Caring Technologies/TalkAutism has received a $1 million National Institutes of Health grant to further develop its new imaging solutions for special needs children.
The Boise firm collaborated with the Georgia Institute of Technology on a digital video recording system that lets professionals, caregivers and parents capture and then securely replay the last few moments before an autistic child behaves in a manner of interest or concern.
A small business grant from the National Institute of Child and Human Development is intended to help the company further develop and research its special behavior imaging system in schools. BI Capture™ allows users to selectively archive an incident via specially generated video clips. Although the camera is always on, the system only saves a pre-set amount of the video prior to and during the incident once the user presses a remote control button. With the company’s telemedicine expertise, the video clip can then be archived online and shared discreetly with an expert who may be anywhere in the world. The company also will introduce applications for the home.
Chief Executive Ron Oberleitner moved to Boise from the East Coast because "it’s an excellent environment to run our technology-based company."
More information about the company is at http://www.caringtechnologies.com.

PowerGrid Communications, GridPoint Collaborate
(Boise) PowerGrid Communications, a Boise-based integrator and operator of broadband-over-power-line networks and Smart Grid applications, and GridPoint Inc. collaborated at the Utilities Telecom Council Expo 2007 conference in Texas.
The companies demonstrated a package of Smart Grid services that enable consumers and utilities to meet the challenge of rising energy costs, the need for power demand management and the growing call for lower carbon emissions.
Broadband-over-power-line networks add high-speed communications capabilities to existing electric power grids and provide a broadband connection anywhere on the grid and to every electric outlet. Through this network, utilities will be able to monitor the electric grid to rapidly detect faults and outages or equipment problems, read meters, monitor and control electric usage, deliver important services and increase the overall reliability and value of their service to customers.
At the expo, PowerGrid and Austin Energy demonstrated one of the largest groupings to date of broadband-over-power-line network applications and services. Through the GridEye™ portal, PowerGrid provides grid and network management for the broadband network and for clean technology, Smart Grid services. A key service centers on the GridPoint SmartGrid Platform™, which offers utilities direct control of an intelligent network that integrates energy storage technologies, load measurement and control devices and renewable energy sources at the edge of the grid. Utilities can deploy stored power during peak periods, reduce customers’ peak loads, optimize existing baseload generation assets and relieve stress on transmission and distribution lines.
PowerGrid integrated the GridPoint SmartGrid Platform with a solar electric system provided by Meridian Energy Systems to deliver a complete renewable energy storage and load management system.
More information is at http://www.powergridcomm.com.

NanoSteel Exhibits at China Conference
(Idaho Falls) The NanoSteel Co., a leading producer of nano-structured steel alloy materials for industrial applications, exhibited at the International Thermal Spray Conference & Exhibition at the Beijing International Convention Center in China in May.
The conference is an opportunity for NanoSteel to feature its patented Super Hard Steel® high velocity oxygen fuel powder and wire arc thermal spray alloy products. The event is the largest international gathering of manufacturers, suppliers and end users from countries in Asia and the Southeast Pacific Rim, the largest emerging thermal spray market in the world.
"By the end of the next decade, China will have more than doubled the size of its current 25,000-mile, multilane highway system and become the largest carmaker and car market in the world," NanoSteel President Dave Paratore says. "Exponential growth in heavy materials processing and steel production is already occurring because of this and creating a tremendous opportunity for NanoSteel to increase the volume of SHS thermal spray product sold in this part of the world."
Paratore says that when industries experience rapid growth, manufacturers look for new technologies to improve operational efficiency and their financial bottom line. NanoSteel’s thermal spray alloys produce very hard, remarkably tough coatings to protect against wear, corrosion, erosion and high-temperature oxidation. The resulting protective barrier reduces the likelihood of mechanical damage and increases the service life of critical industrial equipment and system components.
The NanoSteel Company Inc. is headquartered in Providence, R.I., with its research facilities in Idaho Falls.

BSU Team Noted for Promising Business Launch
(Boise) A Boise State University College of Business and Economics student team continues to gain recognition in business plan competitions across the United States and Canada.
Operating as ROCAS International Inc., the team will develop, manufacture and market a patented dependable and durable laser-based radar electronic device called the Rotor Obstacle Collision Avoidance System, which detects wires, trees, structures and other obstacles encountered by helicopters during take-off and landing and while hovering and performing other low-speed maneuvers.
The team received an honorable mention in early May at Moot Corp, "the Superbowl of business plan competitions," in Austin, Texas.
It was noted recently for innovative technology at the University of Oregon’s New Venture Championship, placing second in the Most Innovative Technology category out of field of 20 from across the U.S., Canada and Thailand.
Earlier, the team won the Elevator Pitch competition in a field of 15 at the Stuart Clark Venture Challenge business plan competition hosted by the University of Manitoba. That victory secured a place in the Moot Corp. competition.
The concept and team were developed by Boise State’s College of Business and Economics, the Idaho Small Business Development Center and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE, in working with a local inventor to commercialize the new obstacle-detection technology.

Fisher’s Signs Partnership With HP
(Boise) Fisher’s Document Systems, based in Garden City, has signed a new partnership with Hewlett-Packard Co., becoming the exclusive Idaho source for the new Edgeline color multifunction printer.
Fisher’s is an established partner of Hewlett-Packard, whose Edgeline printers combine the functions of mono and color copiers in a single device.
Edgeline produces professional color copies at costs, speeds and reliability rates competitive with mono copiers, increasing the impact and professional look of documents ranging from basic brochures to product data sheets. The device is the result of a $1.4 billion investment in scalable printing technology.
Fisher’s is preparing to move to a new 20,000-square-foot building in Garden City.

Ideas Innovations Idaho License Plates For Sale
(Statewide) Specialty license plates that support Idaho’s science and technology industry are for sale through the Idaho Transportation Department.
A portion of the proceeds from each plate sold goes to a fund that is used to develop programs and market the state’s technology sector.
A picture of the license plate, and information on how to purchase one, can be viewed at technology.idaho.gov/license.

Have an Idea/Submission for this Newsletter?
Contact Julie Howard at the Idaho Commerce & Labor’s Office of Science & Technology at (208) 334-2650, ext. 2147, or at [email protected]

Read More Idaho Technology News
Miss last month’s Science & Technology newsletter? Find the complete newsletter archives at technology.idaho.gov and click on "news."

2007 Events Calendar

June
Second Annual Idaho Innovation Awards Nominations Period
Statewide
Annual innovations awards program begins taking online nominations. Finalists and winners to be named at a special awards event in the fall.
To learn more, go to http://www.stoel.com/innovation.

June 25-30
Natural Resources Workshop
Ketchum
12-14 year-olds who would like to learn about their natural environment and how to protect it and use it wisely will find opportunities at the 48th Natural Resources Workshop. Program is held at Central Idaho 4-H camp and sponsored by University of Idaho Extension and the Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts.
Participating teachers can earn graduate credits.
Cost is $175 and limited to first 90 students who register. Call Steve Hines at (208) 886-2406 or [email protected].

July 10
Governor’s Science & Technology Advisory Council Meets
Idaho Falls
Quarterly meeting of the Council will be held at the Shilo Inn in Idaho Falls. For information, contact Karen Lewis at (208) 334-2470. Meeting will be webcast live at http://www.technology.idaho.gov.

July 11-12
TechLaunch
Boise
Annual TechLaunch competition educates start-up companies on how to seek seed and venture capital. Information and registration is at http://www.idahotechconnect.com.

For more calendar information, visit Conferences and Events at cl.idaho.gov

"We Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities and Market Idaho."

IDAHO COMMERCE & LABOR
PO Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0093
Tel: 208-334-2470; Fax: 208-334-2631
Web: cl.idaho.gov
06-62000-250

C.L. "BUTCH" OTTER, GOVERNOR
ROGER B. MADSEN, DIRECTOR
KARL TUELLER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR & OST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Idaho Commerce & Labor is an equal opportunity employer.
This document is available upon request in alternative formats for individuals with disabilities.
[email protected] • Idaho Commerce & Labor

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