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ETech 2009 Preview

Next month, Silicon Valley welcomes ETech, the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference. In it's 8th year now, the hands-on confab brings together thinkers, doers and "alpha geeks" to demo and discuss disruptive technologies and business models.
Written by Chris Jablonski, Inactive

Next month, Silicon Valley welcomes ETech, the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference. In it's 8th year now, the hands-on confab brings together thinkers, doers and "alpha geeks" to demo and discuss disruptive technologies and business models. The overarching theme for the four-day event that'll kick-off March 9th is how the way we live is changing -- through policy, technology and ideas. 'The proliferation of sensors, advances in materials and manufacturing, the changes in government and the financial market will all have a profound effect on our industry.'

There's little doubt that in his keynote talk, Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO, will bring into context the current economic climate and global resource concerns as he shares his seasoned perspectives on the latest technology trends.

The conference schedule is extensive, so here are but a few of the highlights:

  • Real Hackers Program DNA - MIT biological engineer discusses the development of technologies that allow for rapid prototyping of biological systems.
  • Low-Cost, Low-Power Computing - Mary Lou Jepsen, former CTO of the OLPC, has started a new company aimed at a low-cost, low-power screen. She will share insights gained in manufacturing, developing, and deploying this new technology.
  • Viral Forecasting -  (visiting) Standford Professor Dr. Nathan Wolfe will discuss how novel viruses enter into the human population from animals and go on to become pandemics, then discuss attempts to study this process and attempt to control emergent viruses.
  • Sustaining the American Family - Worldchanging’s Alex Steffen shows the results of his latest project about how to make us more sustainable.

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