Sandra Guy: Chicago Sun-Times

New beer made from pre-Prohibition recipe

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00 CST

MillerCoors will test a new full-bodied beer based on an unexpectedly unearthed pre-Prohibition recipe in select historic bars in Chicago, possibly including Lottie's in Bucktown, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

S. Side science students 'Future City' champs

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:00 CST

Imagine living in a city powered by geothermal energy from hot springs, where trains run on solar energy and where all of the children own a computer. The city, Tsumefang, is the brainchild of students at the IIT Math and Science Academy/Perspectives Charter school at 3663 S. Wabash, who competed in this year's Chicago Regional National Engineers Week Future City competition. This year's Future City competition had a depressingly prescient assignment for the students: Design an affordable living space for people who have lost their homes because of a disaster or financial emergency.

Library site a hot new social media hangout for teens

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 04:00 CST

Sandra Guy: Yves Capitaine, a 16-year-old resident of South Chicago, can be found daily on YOUMedia's online community, posting his photography and freestyle poetry and delving into haiku battles with his sister. "My sister [14-year-old Rachelle] and I have more than 100 comments on my poetry blog," Yves said. "It's fun." Think YOUMedia is the latest social media teen hangout? It is, and it's housed on the main floor of the Harold Washington Public Library, 400 S. State St., in the Digital Space for Teens.

ComEd puts solar energy to the test

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 04:00 CST

Later this year, ComEd will mount solar panels on the roofs of 100 homes in the near west suburbs and possibly the city's Near West Side. The utility will outfit 50 of those homes with smart electric meters, hourly electric pricing, battery solar-power storage and the ability to gain credits for emitting excess solar power back to the electric grid for others' use.

High-tech dance show a special test for performers

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:00 CST

Sandra Guy: The leaders of a dance group performing March 4-6 at Columbia College are pioneers of combining computing, software, video and interactivity with dance. Mark Coniglio, composer and artistic co-director of Troika Ranch, created a first generation motion-sensor-tracking system, called MidiDancer, in 1989.

Girls test out science at Argonne career day

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:00 CST

Sandra Guy: Kaylee Jamison of St. Charles credits Argonne National Laboratories' "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" with giving her a big-picture look at the varied career choices she could have. Jamison, now pursuing a bachelor's degree in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, said the program reaffirmed her attraction to science. The career day, now in its ninth year, took place Thursday and enabled 52 girls in grades 6-8 to see the variety of science jobs filled by women at the laboratory.

Kmart to close 2 area stores

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:00 CST

Kmart will close two Chicago-area stores, cutting 128 jobs, by May 9, according to Kmart's parent company, Sears Holdings Corp.

Walgreen takes giant bite into Big Apple

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:00 CST

Walgreen Co.'s acquisition of New York drugstore chain Duane Reade will give Walgreen a loyalty-card program, a cosmetics boutique and a store redesign, as well as an overwhelming presence in the nation's biggest drugstore market.

Life's important documents stored safely online

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:00 CST

Sandra Guy: Liz Robinson, head of planning for a major ad agency, and her actor husband, John, find themselves on the road frequently, and their three grown children in constant need of information. Robinson has stored her important documents -- account log-ins, passport data, last will-and-testament and credit-card information -- into a secure Web site with the odd name Orggit -- short for organize it. Liz Robinson said anyone who wants to do the same must summon the discipline to scan documents and type in data for about half a day, but then it's finished.

Cute puppies in Valentine e-mail carry nasty surprise

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:00 CST

Fewer people are sending old-fashioned Valentine's Day cards, and experts warn that the e-cards that are replacing them might include fakes that will infect your computer with malware.