Lawmakers pass the Ohio Telecom Modernization Act. Senate Bill 162 passed the Ohio House 98-0 and the Senate 31-1 on Thursday. Media coverage: Cincinnati Enquirer, Dayton Daily News. The bill awaits Gov. Ted Strickland’s signature.

Q&A: Byrd Polar Research Center’s Mosley-Thompson describes center’s role at 50. [hiVelocity via TechLife Columbus]

iPad Fans Face New Dilemma With Tough-to-Tote Gadget… [Wall Street Journal]

…Ways to Carry the iPad Redux. [Digits (Wall Street Journal)]

EDA Grant Boosts NorTech Advanced Energy Cluster Development in Northeast Ohio. NorTech has been awarded a $300,000 grant by the Economic Development Administration. [NorTech]

IT Martini Hour 10 Wrap-Up + PICS. [IT Martini]

Zuckerberg on the Hot Seat. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is grilled about latest privacy flap. [NY Times Tech Blog]

The Ohio House Public Utilities Committee passed a final version of the Telecom Reform bill 17-0 earlier on Wednesday. Please read the message below from TOT Executive Director Scott Schweitzer to TOT members… and take action!

Please Support Telecom Reform in Ohio

Dear TOT members,

As you know, the Ohio House and Senate have both passed the Ohio Telecom Modernization Act (HB 276/SB 162) and now have the opportunity to make sure the Act becomes law.

In fact, the House and Senate may have a chance to vote on a final version of this legislation as early as tomorrow, which is why they need to hear from you.

Urge your legislators to support the Ohio Telecom Modernization Act today!

TOT encourages support of this legislation because it will benefit Ohio consumers and the Ohio economy by increasing competition and investment in the Ohio telecommunications and technologies markets.

The House and Senate have both demonstrated great leadership in realizing the need to update Ohio’s telecom laws and bring greater investment to the Ohio marketplace.  Most importantly, they recognize how important this bill is for Ohio as it can bring more investment and jobs to our state.  It is time for Ohio to reap the benefits associated with the passage of this bill.

Let your legislators know that you support the Ohio Telecom Modernization Act becoming law!

Reach out to your legislators today to express that Ohio consumers support this bill because it is a driver for growth in the technology and telecommunication industry.  Let your legislators know that now is the time to take the next step in modernizing Ohio’s telecom industry’s regulatory environment.

Send an e-mail to your State Representative and State Senator today and urge them to support the Ohio Telecom Modernization Act!

Sincerely,

Scott Schweitzer
Executive Director

TOT runs ad in Dispatch urging support for telecom reform. TOT ran an ad in Monday’s Columbus Dispatch, urging the Ohio Legislature to deliver a final telecom reform bill to Gov. Ted Strickland. [Ohio Tech Bits Blog]

Ohio State Grad Invents iPhone App To Find Food Favorites. [10TV.com via TechLife Columbus]

Ohio’s Perfect Balance between Creativity and Practicality. Jackie Bassett, founder & CEO of BT Industrials, on Ohio’s innovative history. [Ohio Business Development Coalition Blog]

As Facebook Takes a Beating, a Brutal Movie Is Set to Make Things Much Worse. The Social Network, a movie about Facebook’s controversial founding, hits theaters in October . [Newsweek: Techtonic Shifts Blog]

Your Life In 2020. [Forbes.com]

Cincinnati Bell to acquire CyrusOne in Texas. Cincinnati Bull, Inc. will acquire CyrusOne, a provider of data center services, for about $525 million. [Business Courier of Cincinnati]

Cincinnati Innovates Contest. 2010 entry deadline is Sept. 1. [Cincinnati Innovates]

Ohio House passes texting-while-driving ban. The House passed legislation cracking down on text-messaging while driving, putting Ohio on track to join nearly two-dozen other states with similar laws on the books. [Business First of Columbus]

Plain Dealer poll: Do you support telecom reform? [Ohio Tech Bits Blog]

Bill would require textbooks to be offered in e-book form. Rep. Matt Lundy, D-Elyria, has introduced legislation that would require colleges to offer their textbooks in e-book form. [Ohio Tech Bits Blog]

GPS used to fight speeding ticket. An Ohio man is trying to beat a speeding ticket through an unusual defense: claiming that his cell phone’s GPS records show he was driving under the speed limit. [CNET: Politics and Law]

TECHie Camp Wants YOU. [IT Martini]

IT Martini Hour 9 Registration is OPEN. IT Martini Hour 9: IT’s Spring Again. Thursday, April 29 at Longworth’s in Mount Adams. [IT Martini]

Blockbuster Dips a Toe in the Mobile Stream. The company has released an application that allows users to watch movies on a mobile phone. [NY Times Tech Blog]

Third Frontier responsible for 55,000 jobs, report says. Ohio’s Third Frontier program helped in the formation of about 14,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state in 2009 and nearly 55,000 direct and indirect jobs through December since the program’s inception in 2002. [Business First of Columbus]

Click here to participate in the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s online poll asksing readers for their take on telecom reform.

Telecom reform passes through House. [Business First of Columbus]

First Internet .com Celebrates 25th Anniversary. The Symbolics Computer Company registered Symbolics.com in 1985, about a month before BBN Technologies scooped the next .com up. [TechNewsDaily]

User Groups Have IT. Cincinnati user groups are meeting up with presenters discussing various topics in their IT field. [IT Martini]

Catch-up on SXSW Interactive. [SXSW YouTube Channel]

Five Tech Investors Reflect On SXSW. [Digits (Wall Street Journal)]

iPad Now Available for Pre-Order. For delivery on April 3. [Apple]

Google TV: One Step Closer to Reality. [Digits (Wall Street Journal)]