In today’s Bulldog wrapup of technology and life science news:

  • Google Fiber is expanding
  • Jim Goodnight’s new venture play is biotech
  • A proposed label for non-GMO foods
  • Instagram has a new app
  • GSK is building a new Asian headquarters

The details:

  • Salt Lake City will soon offer Google’s high-speed Internet

Salt Lake City will soon join a handful of U.S. cities in offering high-speed internet service through Google Fiber.

Google Fiber spokesman Devin Baer said the company plans to start construction for the network after several months of planning with city officials. He said they don’t yet have a definitive pricing structure, but expect to offer service similar to what currently exists in another Utah city, Provo.

Google offers three levels of service to customers who pay the $30 activation fee in Provo, one of the first cities selected for the project. Residents there can chose a free 5 megabit connection, a high-speed 1 gigabit connection for $70 per months or the high speed connection plus TV service for $120 per month.

Google Fiber will not provide the number of households connected to its service, but said Baer said things in Provo have been “really great.” Earlier this year, the company announced that it will soon introduce its service for small businesses in Provo, which is about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City.

  • Jim Goodnight’s biotech venture bet

Triangle Business Journal’s Lauren Ohnesorge has an interesting exclusive about SAS co-founder and CEO Jim Goodnight’s latest venture investment.

“The billionaire SAS CEO is among the backers of Malin, a newly formed Irish medical investor group raising more than $350 million in a public offering,” she reports.

“Goodnight’s Reedy Creek Investments LLC has taken a 13.9 percent stake in the firm,according to a public filing.”

Read more at: http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/techflash/2015/03/sas-ceo-jim-goodnights-next-big-bet-biotech.htm.

  • Bill would create organic-type labels for non-modified foods

Inspired by the popular “USDA organic” label, House Republicans are proposing a new government certification for foods free of genetically modified ingredients.

The idea is part of an attempt to block mandatory labeling of foods that include genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The certification would be voluntary, says Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., who is including the idea in legislation he plans to introduce Wednesday.

Pompeo says a government-certified label would allow companies that want to advertise their foods as GMO-free to do so, but it would not be mandatory for others. The food industry, which backs Pompeo’s bill, has strongly opposed individual state efforts to require labeling, saying labels would be misleading because GMOs are safe. The bill would also override any state laws that require the labeling.

Under the legislation, the Agriculture Department would oversee the certification, as it does with organics. But while organic foods must be USDA-certified to carry any organic label on a package, the USDA non-GMO certification would not be required for every food that bills itself as non-GMO. The idea is that the USDA-certified non-GMO foods would have a special government label that companies could use to market their foods. The bill also steps up FDA review of genetically modified foods.

  • Instagram introduces new app for photo collages

Instagram’s latest stand-alone app, released Monday, lets users combine multiple photos and post them as a single image.

Called Layout, it is the second app that Facebook-owned Instagram has released. Last August, it came out with Hyperlapse, which lets users create time-lapse videos to share on Instagram.

Layout lets users choose custom layouts for photo collages, rearranging the images and adjusting their size and shape. A feature called Faces shows users all the photos in their camera that feature people. Another tool, called Photo Booth, works like a real-life photobooth, counting down to capture photos instantly.

The app is available for iOS devices, and Instagram says it will be available for Android devices in the coming months.

  • GSK building new headquarters in Singapore

AsianSciencest reports that GSK is building a new headquarters for Asian operations in Singapore. The new site will open in late 2017. It’s close to the current building.

Sir Andrew Witty, CEO, GSK’s CEO, declared: “GSK and Singapore’s histories are entwined. Since building our first site at Quality Road in 1972, we have continued to significantly expand our footprint, capability and talent base. In our experience and my own personal experience, Singapore excels in fostering talent, supporting business growth and offers an excellent base to access Asia. This is why we are making a significant decision to further increase our presence in Singapore as we continue to modernize and advance GSK.”

Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at: http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/03/pharma/gsk-announces-major-commitment-asia/