The latest technology and life sciences news in WRALTechWire’s Bulldog Blog’s roundup:

  • AT&T expands 4G in Western N.C.

WHITTIER – AT&T has expanded 4G speeds in the Western North Carolina communities of Whittier, Bryson City, Otto, Franklin, Robbinsville and Clyde.

With the expansion, AT&T says most of the mobile Internet traffic now runs at speeds up to four times faster than 3G.
AT&T recently upgraded eight cell sites to bring customers 4G speeds, including three sites in Whittier and sites in Bryson City, Otto, Franklin, Robbinsville and Clyde.

The launch is part of AT&T’s Project Velocity IP (VIP), a three-year investment plan announced in 2012 to expand and enhance its IP broadband networks. Through this investment, AT&T is supporting its customers’ growing desire for high-speed Internet access and new mobile, app and cloud-based services. As part of Project VIP, AT&T plans to add more than 10,000 macro cell sites nationwide by year-end 2015, as well as deploy more than 40,000 small cells and add more than 1,000 Distributed Antenna Systems to increase the density of its wireless network.

In the first half of 2013, AT&T invested more than $250 million in its wireless and wired networks in North Carolina, building on more than $1.5 billion the company invested in its wireless and wireline networks across the state from 2010 through 2012.

  • Sensus chairman to keynote N.C. Clean Tech Summit

CHAPEL HILL – Lou D’Ambrosio, chairman of smart meter company Sensus, will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural N.C. Clean Tech Summit on Feb. 26.

The summit aims to advance the development of the clean technology sector in North Carolina. D’Ambrosio will discuss how technology and clean tech initiatives in the Triangle and around the world are transforming the energy and water industries and enabling resource conservation for a cleaner and more sustainable future. The Clean Tech Summit is a partnership of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Center for Sustainable Enterprise, UNC Institute for the Environment, the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster and Strata Solar.

This summit will be held at the University of North Carolina’s Friday Center in Chapel Hill. For more information and to register for the event, visit http://ie.unc.edu/cleantech/.

  • Five N.C. scientists named data science faculty fellows

CHAPEL HILL – The National Consortium for Data Science has named five five faculty members at North Carolina universities as its inaugural Data Science Faculty Fellows.

The fellows will each receive $30,000 to support research projects that address novel and innovative data science issues. Their work will be expected to advance the NCDS mission of addressing the challenges related to collecting, sharing and using big data. Twenty faculty members from seven institutions submitted proposals for the Fellowships, which were reviewed by a committee of NCDS members and supporters.

“This is our first effort to support scientists involved in research that shows promise for advancing data science and unleashing the power of big data for discovery and economic competitiveness, and we are thrilled with the quality of the Fellows,” said Stan Ahalt, chair of the NCDS steering committee and director of UNC Chapel Hill’s Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), a founding NCDS member.

The 2014 Fellows are: Rajeev Agrawal, North Carolina A&T State University; Jane Greenberg, UNC-Chapel Hill; Blair Sullivan, North Carolina State University; Wlodek Zadrozny, UNC-Charlotte; and Justin Zahn; North Carolina A & T State University.

  • SciMetrika promotes Acker-Walsh to president

DURHAM – SciMetrika announced that Susan Acker-Walsh has been promoted to president.

Jean Orelien, who has served as the CEO and President since founding the company in 2001, will retain his CEO title. Acker-Walsh joined SciMetrika in the first quarter of 2013, now assumes accountability for driving corporate strategy and directly managing all corporate and programmatic departments and divisions.

“By promoting Susan to president, we are leveraging her substantial business acumen and allowing me to focus more of my time on evolving our markets and service offerings,” Orelien said in a statement.

Acker-Walsh has served in executive leadership roles in both publicly-traded and privately-held government services businesses, and has considerable experience managing corporate operations and accelerating and sustaining business growth objectives. Prior to joining SciMetrika, Acker-Walsh served as a vice president and director at SRA International, where she planned, organized, and directed business activities of SRA’s Civil Government Group unit. She earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School, and a certification through the Business Coach Institute, North Carolina State University.

  • ‘Candy Crush Saga’ maker King Digital plans IPO

NEW YORK — The maker of the blockbuster mobile game “Candy Crush Saga” will attempt to raise as much as $500 million in an initial public offering.

King Digital Entertainment PLC, which also makes the game “Pet Rescue Saga,” did not disclose how many shares are expected to be in the IPO or the projected price range.

King has replaced Zynga Inc., which makes including “FarmVille” and “Mafia Wars,” as the No. 1 maker of games played on Facebook, largely due to the success of “Candy Crush Saga.” The game was the most downloaded free app on both iPhones and iPads in 2013, beating Facebook, Google Maps and YouTube.