SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Google on Wednesday unveiled a slimmer, more powerful tablet computer on its Nexus brand and a thumb-sized device that lets popular mobile gadgets feed online content wirelessly to television sets.
The ramped-up second-generation Nexus 7 by Taiwan-based Asus made its debut along with a Chromecast dongle that plugs into television sets to let people easily route online content to big screens.
Mario Queiroz, head of Google TV, said Chromecast "won't clutter your entertainment cabinet. It simply disappears behind your TV once it is plugged in."
The new connector device went on sale for $35 online at Google play and will also be sold through Amazon and Best Buy in the United States.
"Cast" icons built into applications for online video services YouTube and Netflix let people use smartphones, tablets or laptop computers to easily direct online videos to television screens, a demonstration showed.
'If you know how to use YouTube on your phone, you know how to use YouTube on your TV," Queiroz said while describing the vision behind Chromecast.
"Any device in your home can become a remote control for the television."
Google also made available a software kit for developers to synch mobile apps with Chromecast. Online radio streaming service Pandora is among those with Cast application features "in the works," according to Google.
Google is also working to let people "cast" online content from Chrome web browsers to televisions.
Content fed to televisions is delivered directly through home Internet connections, with smartphones, tablets or laptops serving essentially as remote controls, according to Queiroz.
"We are paving the way for more apps to come," he continued. "Over time, we expect the technology to be embedded in a range of devices from our partners."
The Nexus 7 ramps up Google's challenge to Apple's iPad with a slimmer tablet to be easily slipped into a pocket or handbag and allow easy access to rich online content or services.
Nexus 7 is about two millimeters thinner and slightly narrower than its predecessor, which was released a year ago.
"It actually makes a huge difference when holding it in one hand; it fits more easily in a purse or jacket," Android vice president Hugo Barra said after pulling a new Nexus 7 from a rear pocket of his pants.
Nexus 7 has a high-definition screen and speakers that allow for virtual surround sound listening of films, games, or music.
Nexus tablets will be available in three models, all with seven-inch high-resolution screens. Two Nexus 7 models will connect to the internet just using Wi-Fi, while one will be synched to US high-speed telecom carrier networks.
Nexus 7 prices will start at $229 and top out at $349 in the US market.
Wi-Fi only versions will go on sale in the United States on July 30, with Nexus 7 tablets to be released in France, Australia, Britain, South Korean and a few other countries in "coming weeks."
Nexus 7 will be the first tablet powered by a new 4.3 version of the Android "Jelly Bean" mobile operating system.
"We from the Android team are investing a lot in tablets," said Sundar Pichai, who heads the Android and Chrome teams at Google.
"By our count, almost one in two tablets sold worldwide is based on Android."
More than 70 million tablets powered by Google's Android software have been activated worldwide, according to Pichai.
Prices are falling for most tablets as sales surge, with many analysts expecting tablets to outpace PC sales soon. ablet shipments are expected to grow 67.9 percent to 202 million units this year, according to a Gartner report.
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Sunday, 21 July 2013
World's cheapest computer gets millions tinkering
LONDON (AFP) - It's a single circuit board the size of a credit card with no screen or keyboard, a far cry from the smooth tablets that dominate the technology market.
But the world's cheapest computer, costing just $25 (£17, 19.50 euros), has astonished its British creators by selling almost 1.5 million units in 18 months.
The Raspberry Pi is now powering robots in Japan and warehouse doors in Malawi, photographing astral bodies from the United States and helping to dodge censorship in China.
"We're closing in on one and half million (sales) for something that we thought would sell a thousand," said Eben Upton, executive director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
"It was just supposed to be a little thing to solve a little problem.
"We've sold many more to children than we expected to sell, but even more to adults. They're using it like Lego to connect things up."
The device, which runs the open-source Linux operating system, was designed as an educational tool for children to learn coding.
But its potential for almost infinite tinkering and customisation has fired up the imaginations of hobbyists and inventors around the world.
-- Ways to play --
Tokyo inventor Shota Ishiwatari has created a small humanoid robot run by a Pi, which can tell you the weather, manage your diary and even make coffee.
"I wanted to create something by using a 3D printer and the Raspberry Pi - two cool items," he told AFP, adding that he also wanted to demonstrate the potential of the microcomputer.
"Many Raspberry Pi users did not know how to have fun with the chip. I wanted to present practical ways to play with it."
Upton and his colleagues first thought of creating a cheap computer suited to programming when they were teaching computer science at Cambridge University.
They noticed that children of the wired generation lacked the day-to-day experience of coding that was so formative for the computer geeks who grew up in the 1980s.
"They didn't have the grungy familiarity with the dirty bits, the hacking," Upton told AFP.
"The theory of computer science is maths, but the practice is a craft, like carpentry."
Upton reminisces happily about his childhood coding on a BBC Micro, a rugged early personal computer from 1982.
Back then, you had to know a computer "language" in order to use one at all. But home computers are now so complex that parents often ban children from interfering with the underlying code.
Upton and his colleagues saw that developments in technology meant something like the Micro could now be created for a fraction of the cost, in pocket size, with the capacity to run multimedia programmes.
The team behind the Pi grew as the project developed; it now includes David Braben -- the designer of a classic Micro game, Elite -- and tech entrepreneur and investor Jack Lang.
By 2012, with Upton now working for a chip design firm, the Pi was ready to launch.
Demand for the device, assembled in Wales, was so high that the websites of its distributors crashed.
-- Raspberry jams --
User groups called Raspberry Jams now meet monthly in cities from Manchester to Singapore to share ideas.
A Raspberry Jam brought together the team behind a Pi camera that will photograph rhinos and other endangered animals in east Africa, generating data on their habits and on poaching.
The Instant Wild system, backed by the Zoological Society of London, already operates in several countries, beaming images via satellite to park rangers and to an app that crowdsources identifications of animals.
But by replacing expensive purpose-built equipment with cheaper Raspberry Pis, Instant Wild hopes to vastly expand its work.
A grid of 100 Pi cameras will be set up in 2015 on a Kenyan ranch, while another Pi will make its way to Antarctica to record penguin behaviour.
"It used to be very expensive -- you'd have to run a laptop, with a huge car battery to power the thing. This saves countless power and it's easy for it to send out alerts automatically," said Alasdair Davies, technical advisor to the project.
Upton, however, is focused closer to home.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation is nonprofit and the design freely available, so he and his team will not be retiring on the proceeds of their success.
Instead they are working on software to make the Pi more accessible for children without expert help, and Upton remains intent on improving computer education.
The foundation is in discussions with the British government on a new IT curriculum.
For the country that invented some of the earliest computers, Upton feels that teaching coding should be a matter of national pride.
"The definition of computing is being reworked to be less about PowerPoint and more about computer programming -- the useful stuff. The real stuff," he said.
But the world's cheapest computer, costing just $25 (£17, 19.50 euros), has astonished its British creators by selling almost 1.5 million units in 18 months.
The Raspberry Pi is now powering robots in Japan and warehouse doors in Malawi, photographing astral bodies from the United States and helping to dodge censorship in China.
"We're closing in on one and half million (sales) for something that we thought would sell a thousand," said Eben Upton, executive director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
"It was just supposed to be a little thing to solve a little problem.
"We've sold many more to children than we expected to sell, but even more to adults. They're using it like Lego to connect things up."
The device, which runs the open-source Linux operating system, was designed as an educational tool for children to learn coding.
But its potential for almost infinite tinkering and customisation has fired up the imaginations of hobbyists and inventors around the world.
-- Ways to play --
Tokyo inventor Shota Ishiwatari has created a small humanoid robot run by a Pi, which can tell you the weather, manage your diary and even make coffee.
"I wanted to create something by using a 3D printer and the Raspberry Pi - two cool items," he told AFP, adding that he also wanted to demonstrate the potential of the microcomputer.
"Many Raspberry Pi users did not know how to have fun with the chip. I wanted to present practical ways to play with it."
Upton and his colleagues first thought of creating a cheap computer suited to programming when they were teaching computer science at Cambridge University.
They noticed that children of the wired generation lacked the day-to-day experience of coding that was so formative for the computer geeks who grew up in the 1980s.
"They didn't have the grungy familiarity with the dirty bits, the hacking," Upton told AFP.
"The theory of computer science is maths, but the practice is a craft, like carpentry."
Upton reminisces happily about his childhood coding on a BBC Micro, a rugged early personal computer from 1982.
Back then, you had to know a computer "language" in order to use one at all. But home computers are now so complex that parents often ban children from interfering with the underlying code.
Upton and his colleagues saw that developments in technology meant something like the Micro could now be created for a fraction of the cost, in pocket size, with the capacity to run multimedia programmes.
The team behind the Pi grew as the project developed; it now includes David Braben -- the designer of a classic Micro game, Elite -- and tech entrepreneur and investor Jack Lang.
By 2012, with Upton now working for a chip design firm, the Pi was ready to launch.
Demand for the device, assembled in Wales, was so high that the websites of its distributors crashed.
-- Raspberry jams --
User groups called Raspberry Jams now meet monthly in cities from Manchester to Singapore to share ideas.
A Raspberry Jam brought together the team behind a Pi camera that will photograph rhinos and other endangered animals in east Africa, generating data on their habits and on poaching.
The Instant Wild system, backed by the Zoological Society of London, already operates in several countries, beaming images via satellite to park rangers and to an app that crowdsources identifications of animals.
But by replacing expensive purpose-built equipment with cheaper Raspberry Pis, Instant Wild hopes to vastly expand its work.
A grid of 100 Pi cameras will be set up in 2015 on a Kenyan ranch, while another Pi will make its way to Antarctica to record penguin behaviour.
"It used to be very expensive -- you'd have to run a laptop, with a huge car battery to power the thing. This saves countless power and it's easy for it to send out alerts automatically," said Alasdair Davies, technical advisor to the project.
Upton, however, is focused closer to home.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation is nonprofit and the design freely available, so he and his team will not be retiring on the proceeds of their success.
Instead they are working on software to make the Pi more accessible for children without expert help, and Upton remains intent on improving computer education.
The foundation is in discussions with the British government on a new IT curriculum.
For the country that invented some of the earliest computers, Upton feels that teaching coding should be a matter of national pride.
"The definition of computing is being reworked to be less about PowerPoint and more about computer programming -- the useful stuff. The real stuff," he said.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Obafemi Awolowo University inaugurates N600m ICT centre
Ile-Ife (Osun) - The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Tuesday launched a centre of excellence in software engineering built and equipped at a cost of N600 million.
The construction of the N450 million building housing the centre was funded by Skye Bank Nigeria Plc.
Procurement and installation of ICT equipment at the centre, valued at $3 million (N450 million), was funded through the Step B/World Bank Project.
The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole, who inaugurated the centre, said that the mission of the university with regard to ICT was to harness modern technology for effectiveness and efficiency.
``The problem of large classes will soon be a thing of the past as lecturers and students can interact real time online,’’ he said.
He appealed to financial institutions, the private sector as well as the institution’s alumni to take a cue from the gesture of Skye Bank.
In his remark, the Group Managing Director of Skye Bank, Mr Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, said that the decision of the bank to build the centre was in line with the organisation’s philosophy.
``It is our desire to support causes that are of benefit to aid the extension of the frontiers of education.
``The application of information technology in our education has assumed a more important dimension as it confers several advantages.
``It is expected that the ICT centre will enhance the operational efficiency of the university,’’ he said.
Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, Pro Chancellor of the university, commended Skye Bank for the gesture, saying the desire of the university council was to leave the institution better than it met it.
``With this magnanimity from Skye Bank, the university should maintain its lead in ICT education with a view to developing software that is technologically advanced, but purposely indigenous.
``OAU is coming to a point where we should be able to produce indigenous computers, IPADs, IPODs and other gadgets to address the realities facing Nigeria,’’ Ndoma-Egba said.
The facilities at the centre include a tele-presence centre, cloud computing laboratory, software studio and students’ internet access laboratory.
The centre can accommodate 700 students at a time. (NAN)
The construction of the N450 million building housing the centre was funded by Skye Bank Nigeria Plc.
Procurement and installation of ICT equipment at the centre, valued at $3 million (N450 million), was funded through the Step B/World Bank Project.
The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole, who inaugurated the centre, said that the mission of the university with regard to ICT was to harness modern technology for effectiveness and efficiency.
``The problem of large classes will soon be a thing of the past as lecturers and students can interact real time online,’’ he said.
He appealed to financial institutions, the private sector as well as the institution’s alumni to take a cue from the gesture of Skye Bank.
In his remark, the Group Managing Director of Skye Bank, Mr Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, said that the decision of the bank to build the centre was in line with the organisation’s philosophy.
``It is our desire to support causes that are of benefit to aid the extension of the frontiers of education.
``The application of information technology in our education has assumed a more important dimension as it confers several advantages.
``It is expected that the ICT centre will enhance the operational efficiency of the university,’’ he said.
Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, Pro Chancellor of the university, commended Skye Bank for the gesture, saying the desire of the university council was to leave the institution better than it met it.
``With this magnanimity from Skye Bank, the university should maintain its lead in ICT education with a view to developing software that is technologically advanced, but purposely indigenous.
``OAU is coming to a point where we should be able to produce indigenous computers, IPADs, IPODs and other gadgets to address the realities facing Nigeria,’’ Ndoma-Egba said.
The facilities at the centre include a tele-presence centre, cloud computing laboratory, software studio and students’ internet access laboratory.
The centre can accommodate 700 students at a time. (NAN)
Thursday, 11 July 2013
2013 Imagine Cup: Microsoft announces winners
…awards more than $1m to student teams
By Emeka Aginam
After four days of showcasing creative ideas, innovation and passion in technology by no fewer than 309 brightest technology students from 71 countries, the global software giant, Microsoft at the historic Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, announced the worldwide Imagine Cup winners with more than $1 million in cash and prizes going to the student teams that were recognized.
With Team Code 8, from Uganda that made Africa proud in Women’s Empowerment award presented in partnership with UN women, the winners of the student technologists, developers and aspiring entrepreneurs had created innovative projects brining those ideas to market at the 11th annual Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world’s premier competition for students.
Although Team LifeSaver developed by four students from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ilefe, (OAU) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (Lautech) Ogbomoso, Oyo respectively despite their good outing did not scale through in the award categories, the wining projects were announced for the three major competition categories including Innovation, Games and World Citizenship as well as three product-specific challenges and eight special awards from Imagine Cup sponsors.
Team Nigeria which had a good showcase and presentation has developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone. It also provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor.
At the award attended by more than 800 students, judges, awards partners, Russian dignitaries and members of the media from around the world, the ceremony was the culmination of a four-day competition and celebration of bringing ideas to life through technology and teamwork.
Accordingly, Microsoft awarded cash and other prizes valued at more than $1 million throughout the yearlong Imagine Cup competition, including awards for the winning teams at the Worldwide finals that ended Thursday.
“For the past 11 years, Imagine Cup has been a place of inspiration and innovation for students around the world,” Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president and chief evangelist at Microsoft told the gathering, adding that, “The students participating in this competition demonstrate the very best in innovation from their home countries and together are creating new apps, innovations and services that will change the way the world works, interacts and learns. We are incredibly proud of the finalists who competed in Imagine Cup this year and stand in awe of the projects and technology they brought forth during this exciting week.”
For Jon Bassett, DFJ Frontier analyst and a judge at this year’s Imagine Cup, the world wide finals is a forum for exceptional students from around the world to channel their passion and creativity into thoughtful, innovative solutions that have the potential for real-world impact.
He added that their commitment to their teams and projects demonstrates these students are finding ways to address everyday problems through technology and to make the world a better place.
With excitement, Rob Miles, Imagine Cup Competition Captain told Vanguard Hi-Tech in an interaction shortly after the award that every team was a winner having participated in the worldwide finals.
“The Teams have amazing products and solution that will solve the toughest challenges in the world especially malaria which is very important to Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. The students are the leaders of tomorrow. We are proud of them. They should go home and make differences in the various countries” he said.
For the student winners, Imagine cup is a good beginning and a launch pad for the challenges ahead. “We hope to create a new mesh networking system between smartphones with our technology. Imagine being able to connect a stadium full of people and play music and sounds through all their smartphones at the same time!” Alex Bochenski, Team leader of Colinked from United Kingdom who won first prize in Innovation competition.
As part of this year’s awards ceremony, Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft addressed the audience via a prerecorded video announcing next year’s competition to be held in Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash.
The winners of the 11th annual Imagine Cup Competitions will include the following:
Innovation:
· First Place, $50,000 prize: Team Colinked, United Kingdom, Project: SoundSYNK · Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team DORA, Slovenia, Project: DORA · Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team MYRA, Thailand, Project: SkyPACS
Games:
· First Place, $50,000 prize: Team Zeppelin Studio, Austria, Project: Schein · Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team Solite Studio, Indonesia, Project: Save the Hamsters · Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team Banzai Lightning, France, Project: Seed
World Citizenship:
· First Place, $50,000 prize: Team for a Better World, Portugal, Project: For a Better World · Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team Omni-Hearing Solution, Taiwan, Project: Omni-Hearing Solution · Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team Confufish Royale, Australia, Project: Foodbank Local
Imagine Cup Challenge winners
This year, Imagine Cup offered three exclusively online Challenges to students, providing additional opportunities for learning, prototyping and creating apps using the newest Microsoft technologies. The top three teams in each category were awarded the opportunity to travel to Russia to compete at the finals.
The Challenge winners:
Windows Azure Challenge:
· First Place, $10,000 Prize: Team Y-Nots, from India with Zoik as project name.
· Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Team nlife, Ukraine, Project: onQuests
· Third Place, $3,000 Prize: Team LetssGo, China, Project: Get & Put
Windows Phone Challenge
· First Place, $10,000 Prize: Team vSoft Studio, Singapore, Project: Speak Reminder
· Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Team WeRule, Poland, Project: Modern Drug Test
· Third Place, $3,000 Prize: Team front, Poland, Project: Cope
Windows 8 Apps Challenge
· First Place, $10,000 Prize: Team TeamNameException, Italy, Project: Ulixes
· Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Team Wordsapp, Germany, Project: Wordsapp
· Third Place, $3,000 Prize: Team Clever Mind, Thailand, Project: Vocable World
In addition to the Competitions and Challenges, students competed for the following special awards from Imagine Cup sponsors:
AFT Excellence Award.
Five teams will receive AFT (App Fast Track) review by the Windows Team. However, in recognition of their outstanding Windows 8 Apps projects, the following teams will receive a review process to enhance their projects and deliver great Windows 8 apps:
*Team Banzai Lightning, France
*Team Flying Ship, Brazil
*Team Lumos, Korea
*Team MASKed Ninjas, Egypt
*Team TapBoarders, Poland
AppCampus Award.
Team Flying Ship from Brazil won 50,000 euros in funding, airfare and accommodations for its app Callvenient.
In recognition of their great project that could be the next big thing on Windows Phone, the team members will fly to Finland for a four-week AppCampus training event.
DreamSpark Learning Award:
Team AuThink of Croatia won $5,000 for its project focused on helping autistic children and their parents, which showcases how software creates new ways of learning and teaching.
Facebook Creativity Award.
Team AYNi from Ecuador and its volunteering social- network based project took home $25,000 in Facebook advertising credits.
KFC Russia Award:
Team Sano from Canada won $10,000 for its health and wellness project. The team’s project will be showcased in KFC Russia’s flagship restaurant in Moscow.
Mail.Ru Group Connected Planet Award:
Three teams met Mail.Ru Group’s challenge to develop a project that embraces online communication and entertainment in fun, useful and innovative ways.
The following were the winners:
*First Place, $10,000 Prize: Team Y-Nots, India, Project: Zoik It!
* Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Team TeamNameException, Italy, Project: Ulixes
* Third Place, $3,000 Prize: Team LetssGo, China, Project: Get & Put
Samsung Digital Native Award:
Team Firebird from Sri Lanka received $10,000 award that honors the fresh thinking, digital savvy and global perspective of its project.
Women’s Empowerment Award.
In partnership with UN Women, this award recognizes two student teams that created projects that best address issues impacting women globally.
The following were the winners:
*First Place, $12,000 Prize: Team Code 8, Uganda, Project: Matibabu
*Second Place, $8,000 Prize: Team Omni-Hearing Solution, Taiwan, Project: Omni-Hearing Solution Boost awards
The following Boost awards also were distributed in recognition of the outstanding
achievements of many winning teams:
* The DevExpress Boost. The first-place winning teams in the three Competitions and
three Challenges received a DevExpress Universal Subscription that includes a
comprehensive and feature-complete software development toolset for .NET
developers. The total value per subscription is $8,799.96 per team.
Windows Azure Boost. First-place winners in the three Competitions and in the Windows 8 Apps and Windows Phone challenges whose projects used Azure Cloud Services won an extra $1,000.
In addition, projects that included Windows Mobile Service won an extra $1,000, while projects that included both Azure Cloud Services and Windows Mobile Service qualified for the Double Shot bonus of $3,000.
In the Windows 8 Boost category, first, second- and third-place winners of the three Competitions and the Windows Azure and Windows Phone challenges whose projects included a Windows 8 Store App received an extra $1,000 through this boost.
By Emeka Aginam
After four days of showcasing creative ideas, innovation and passion in technology by no fewer than 309 brightest technology students from 71 countries, the global software giant, Microsoft at the historic Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, announced the worldwide Imagine Cup winners with more than $1 million in cash and prizes going to the student teams that were recognized.
With Team Code 8, from Uganda that made Africa proud in Women’s Empowerment award presented in partnership with UN women, the winners of the student technologists, developers and aspiring entrepreneurs had created innovative projects brining those ideas to market at the 11th annual Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world’s premier competition for students.
Although Team LifeSaver developed by four students from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ilefe, (OAU) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (Lautech) Ogbomoso, Oyo respectively despite their good outing did not scale through in the award categories, the wining projects were announced for the three major competition categories including Innovation, Games and World Citizenship as well as three product-specific challenges and eight special awards from Imagine Cup sponsors.
Team Nigeria which had a good showcase and presentation has developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone. It also provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor.
At the award attended by more than 800 students, judges, awards partners, Russian dignitaries and members of the media from around the world, the ceremony was the culmination of a four-day competition and celebration of bringing ideas to life through technology and teamwork.
Accordingly, Microsoft awarded cash and other prizes valued at more than $1 million throughout the yearlong Imagine Cup competition, including awards for the winning teams at the Worldwide finals that ended Thursday.
“For the past 11 years, Imagine Cup has been a place of inspiration and innovation for students around the world,” Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president and chief evangelist at Microsoft told the gathering, adding that, “The students participating in this competition demonstrate the very best in innovation from their home countries and together are creating new apps, innovations and services that will change the way the world works, interacts and learns. We are incredibly proud of the finalists who competed in Imagine Cup this year and stand in awe of the projects and technology they brought forth during this exciting week.”
For Jon Bassett, DFJ Frontier analyst and a judge at this year’s Imagine Cup, the world wide finals is a forum for exceptional students from around the world to channel their passion and creativity into thoughtful, innovative solutions that have the potential for real-world impact.
He added that their commitment to their teams and projects demonstrates these students are finding ways to address everyday problems through technology and to make the world a better place.
With excitement, Rob Miles, Imagine Cup Competition Captain told Vanguard Hi-Tech in an interaction shortly after the award that every team was a winner having participated in the worldwide finals.
“The Teams have amazing products and solution that will solve the toughest challenges in the world especially malaria which is very important to Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. The students are the leaders of tomorrow. We are proud of them. They should go home and make differences in the various countries” he said.
For the student winners, Imagine cup is a good beginning and a launch pad for the challenges ahead. “We hope to create a new mesh networking system between smartphones with our technology. Imagine being able to connect a stadium full of people and play music and sounds through all their smartphones at the same time!” Alex Bochenski, Team leader of Colinked from United Kingdom who won first prize in Innovation competition.
As part of this year’s awards ceremony, Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft addressed the audience via a prerecorded video announcing next year’s competition to be held in Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash.
The winners of the 11th annual Imagine Cup Competitions will include the following:
Innovation:
· First Place, $50,000 prize: Team Colinked, United Kingdom, Project: SoundSYNK · Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team DORA, Slovenia, Project: DORA · Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team MYRA, Thailand, Project: SkyPACS
Games:
· First Place, $50,000 prize: Team Zeppelin Studio, Austria, Project: Schein · Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team Solite Studio, Indonesia, Project: Save the Hamsters · Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team Banzai Lightning, France, Project: Seed
World Citizenship:
· First Place, $50,000 prize: Team for a Better World, Portugal, Project: For a Better World · Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team Omni-Hearing Solution, Taiwan, Project: Omni-Hearing Solution · Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team Confufish Royale, Australia, Project: Foodbank Local
Imagine Cup Challenge winners
This year, Imagine Cup offered three exclusively online Challenges to students, providing additional opportunities for learning, prototyping and creating apps using the newest Microsoft technologies. The top three teams in each category were awarded the opportunity to travel to Russia to compete at the finals.
The Challenge winners:
Windows Azure Challenge:
· First Place, $10,000 Prize: Team Y-Nots, from India with Zoik as project name.
· Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Team nlife, Ukraine, Project: onQuests
· Third Place, $3,000 Prize: Team LetssGo, China, Project: Get & Put
Windows Phone Challenge
· First Place, $10,000 Prize: Team vSoft Studio, Singapore, Project: Speak Reminder
· Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Team WeRule, Poland, Project: Modern Drug Test
· Third Place, $3,000 Prize: Team front, Poland, Project: Cope
Windows 8 Apps Challenge
· First Place, $10,000 Prize: Team TeamNameException, Italy, Project: Ulixes
· Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Team Wordsapp, Germany, Project: Wordsapp
· Third Place, $3,000 Prize: Team Clever Mind, Thailand, Project: Vocable World
In addition to the Competitions and Challenges, students competed for the following special awards from Imagine Cup sponsors:
AFT Excellence Award.
Five teams will receive AFT (App Fast Track) review by the Windows Team. However, in recognition of their outstanding Windows 8 Apps projects, the following teams will receive a review process to enhance their projects and deliver great Windows 8 apps:
*Team Banzai Lightning, France
*Team Flying Ship, Brazil
*Team Lumos, Korea
*Team MASKed Ninjas, Egypt
*Team TapBoarders, Poland
AppCampus Award.
Team Flying Ship from Brazil won 50,000 euros in funding, airfare and accommodations for its app Callvenient.
In recognition of their great project that could be the next big thing on Windows Phone, the team members will fly to Finland for a four-week AppCampus training event.
DreamSpark Learning Award:
Team AuThink of Croatia won $5,000 for its project focused on helping autistic children and their parents, which showcases how software creates new ways of learning and teaching.
Facebook Creativity Award.
Team AYNi from Ecuador and its volunteering social- network based project took home $25,000 in Facebook advertising credits.
KFC Russia Award:
Team Sano from Canada won $10,000 for its health and wellness project. The team’s project will be showcased in KFC Russia’s flagship restaurant in Moscow.
Mail.Ru Group Connected Planet Award:
Three teams met Mail.Ru Group’s challenge to develop a project that embraces online communication and entertainment in fun, useful and innovative ways.
The following were the winners:
*First Place, $10,000 Prize: Team Y-Nots, India, Project: Zoik It!
* Second Place, $5,000 Prize: Team TeamNameException, Italy, Project: Ulixes
* Third Place, $3,000 Prize: Team LetssGo, China, Project: Get & Put
Samsung Digital Native Award:
Team Firebird from Sri Lanka received $10,000 award that honors the fresh thinking, digital savvy and global perspective of its project.
Women’s Empowerment Award.
In partnership with UN Women, this award recognizes two student teams that created projects that best address issues impacting women globally.
The following were the winners:
*First Place, $12,000 Prize: Team Code 8, Uganda, Project: Matibabu
*Second Place, $8,000 Prize: Team Omni-Hearing Solution, Taiwan, Project: Omni-Hearing Solution Boost awards
The following Boost awards also were distributed in recognition of the outstanding
achievements of many winning teams:
* The DevExpress Boost. The first-place winning teams in the three Competitions and
three Challenges received a DevExpress Universal Subscription that includes a
comprehensive and feature-complete software development toolset for .NET
developers. The total value per subscription is $8,799.96 per team.
Windows Azure Boost. First-place winners in the three Competitions and in the Windows 8 Apps and Windows Phone challenges whose projects used Azure Cloud Services won an extra $1,000.
In addition, projects that included Windows Mobile Service won an extra $1,000, while projects that included both Azure Cloud Services and Windows Mobile Service qualified for the Double Shot bonus of $3,000.
In the Windows 8 Boost category, first, second- and third-place winners of the three Competitions and the Windows Azure and Windows Phone challenges whose projects included a Windows 8 Store App received an extra $1,000 through this boost.
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
2013 Microsoft Imagine Cup: Hands-on judging process begins
By EMEKA AGINAM, in St. Petersburg, Russia
As the international community awaits winners for the 2013 Microsoft Imagine Cup, about thirty international judges yesterday at the ongoing competition, the world’s premier student technology competition in St. Petersburg Russia engaged no fewer than 87 finalist teams in hands-on judging process.
With brilliant showcase and presentation by Team Nigeria, the judging process which was engaging enabled the students to do a life demo about their innovative solutions to the judges.
[caption id="attachment_403132" align="alignnone" width="412"]
Team Nigeria at showcase: Oluwole Michael, Adewale Adeyinka, Adewale Adeyinka and Solomon tall on Tuesday during their showcase at the ongoing Microsoft students software competition holding in St. Petersburg, Russia; Photo by EMEKA AGINAM[/caption]
However, the hands-on judging process gave the judges more insights and details about the student’s solutions that are expected to change the world if fully deployed in their different countries.
Accordingly, the hands-on judging also enabled the judges to ask questions, clarifications about the student’s amazing projects ahead of community showcase taking place today (Thursday).
With a good outing and convincing signals about Team Nigeria brining the cup home,
it also served as a note taking and score card for the student’s innovative projects ranging from games, innovation, world citizenship, Windows Azure, Windows 8 among others.
It would be recalled that every Team had presented their solutions to the judges on Tuesdaywhich also served as a score card ahead of final results that will be announced at the award ceremony at Alexandrinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, Russia on Thursday this week.
While commending African products especially CardioLife solution which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows developed by the Nigerian Team, one major thing that is different in this year judging process, according to Rob Miles, Imagine Cup Competition Captain is that there is only one round unlike previous years that have round one to two rounds ahead of the result.
“The students have amazing technologies. The students keep on coming new ideas that will make the world a better place. This year, we want to keep the students at their booth where the judges will get feedbacks from interacting with them.
“The world will be a lot better if the solutions here are put to work. What they will do in the next 5 years will make the world a better
For Matt Smith, British Actor in a press conference yesterday told Journalists that, “Every year is better. There are more technical solution using embedded sensor to measure result. Building more hard to solve problems. The students should keep going. They will do great for the next 40 years. This is the just the beginning” he told Vanguard H-Tech in interaction shortly after the hand-on judging process.
“I was excited by what the Ugandan team did. They have a solution that can identify malaria using mobile phone. I was amazed seeing their solution during the showcase. The world will be an exciting place if all the ideas are put to work. It is a good starting point for the students.
For the students, it was an interactive experience. “We had the opportunity to talk to the judge’s one on one freely. We had the opportunity to explain more on the functionally and economic viability of solutions which will save more lives in our country especially. It was a good exposure for in the team. We will take our solution to the next level” the Nigerian team leader, Oluwole Michael told Vanguard Hi-Tech after the hands-on judging process.
For the mentors, it was amazing experience. “Africa can do it. Africa has good brains. We can develop the continent with the solutions showcased here with African teams. This is a good beginning for Africa” Josiah Kavuma, Team Mentor for the Ugandan said.
Meanwhile, in order to guard the fairness and integrity of the competitions at the Worldwide Finals in St. Petersburg, Microsoft offered the same set of benefits, services, and rules for each team within each competition.
Taking a critical look, the showcase at the worldwide finals serves a few different purposes including giving each team a common work area where they can meet, practice, and prepare.
It also helped the students meet and see the solutions that other students from around the world presented.
Additionally, it also gave an opportunity for guests, including press and VIPs to walk through and see the tremendous work the students have done on their solution.
As the international community awaits winners for the 2013 Microsoft Imagine Cup, about thirty international judges yesterday at the ongoing competition, the world’s premier student technology competition in St. Petersburg Russia engaged no fewer than 87 finalist teams in hands-on judging process.
With brilliant showcase and presentation by Team Nigeria, the judging process which was engaging enabled the students to do a life demo about their innovative solutions to the judges.
[caption id="attachment_403132" align="alignnone" width="412"]
Team Nigeria at showcase: Oluwole Michael, Adewale Adeyinka, Adewale Adeyinka and Solomon tall on Tuesday during their showcase at the ongoing Microsoft students software competition holding in St. Petersburg, Russia; Photo by EMEKA AGINAM[/caption]However, the hands-on judging process gave the judges more insights and details about the student’s solutions that are expected to change the world if fully deployed in their different countries.
Accordingly, the hands-on judging also enabled the judges to ask questions, clarifications about the student’s amazing projects ahead of community showcase taking place today (Thursday).
With a good outing and convincing signals about Team Nigeria brining the cup home,
it also served as a note taking and score card for the student’s innovative projects ranging from games, innovation, world citizenship, Windows Azure, Windows 8 among others.
It would be recalled that every Team had presented their solutions to the judges on Tuesdaywhich also served as a score card ahead of final results that will be announced at the award ceremony at Alexandrinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, Russia on Thursday this week.
While commending African products especially CardioLife solution which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows developed by the Nigerian Team, one major thing that is different in this year judging process, according to Rob Miles, Imagine Cup Competition Captain is that there is only one round unlike previous years that have round one to two rounds ahead of the result.
“The students have amazing technologies. The students keep on coming new ideas that will make the world a better place. This year, we want to keep the students at their booth where the judges will get feedbacks from interacting with them.
“The world will be a lot better if the solutions here are put to work. What they will do in the next 5 years will make the world a better
For Matt Smith, British Actor in a press conference yesterday told Journalists that, “Every year is better. There are more technical solution using embedded sensor to measure result. Building more hard to solve problems. The students should keep going. They will do great for the next 40 years. This is the just the beginning” he told Vanguard H-Tech in interaction shortly after the hand-on judging process.
“I was excited by what the Ugandan team did. They have a solution that can identify malaria using mobile phone. I was amazed seeing their solution during the showcase. The world will be an exciting place if all the ideas are put to work. It is a good starting point for the students.
For the students, it was an interactive experience. “We had the opportunity to talk to the judge’s one on one freely. We had the opportunity to explain more on the functionally and economic viability of solutions which will save more lives in our country especially. It was a good exposure for in the team. We will take our solution to the next level” the Nigerian team leader, Oluwole Michael told Vanguard Hi-Tech after the hands-on judging process.
For the mentors, it was amazing experience. “Africa can do it. Africa has good brains. We can develop the continent with the solutions showcased here with African teams. This is a good beginning for Africa” Josiah Kavuma, Team Mentor for the Ugandan said.
Meanwhile, in order to guard the fairness and integrity of the competitions at the Worldwide Finals in St. Petersburg, Microsoft offered the same set of benefits, services, and rules for each team within each competition.
Taking a critical look, the showcase at the worldwide finals serves a few different purposes including giving each team a common work area where they can meet, practice, and prepare.
It also helped the students meet and see the solutions that other students from around the world presented.
Additionally, it also gave an opportunity for guests, including press and VIPs to walk through and see the tremendous work the students have done on their solution.
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
2013 Imagine cup: We will do Nigeria proud, Arulogun assures
By Emeka Aginam, in St. Petersburg
After a good presentation and outing Tuesday before panel of international judges at the ongoing 2013 Imagine Cup software students competition, the world’s premier student technology competition holding in St. Petersburg, Russia, the mentor of team Nigeria, ‘Team LifeSaver from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Dr. O.T. Arulogun has said with optimism that the students were prepared to do Nigeria proud and bring the Cup home.
[caption id="attachment_402948" align="alignnone" width="412"]
Oluwole Michael, Adewale Adeyinka, Dr. O.T. Arulogun, mentor, Team Nigeria, Afolabi Olamide and Akinlaja Solomon doing a rehearsal before their presentation yesterday (9/7/2013) at the ongoing 2013 Microsoft Imagine student software competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo by Emeka Aginam[/caption]
Already, more than $1million in cash and prices are available to student competitors. Over the past ten years, more than 1.65 million students from more than 190 countries have participated in the Microsoft Imagine Cup annual competition.
This year, there will no elimination in rounds at the ongoing worldwide finals as all finalist teams will remain in the competition until winners are announced on the last day of the event this week.
With their amazing solution and great supports from National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dell, Nokia and MainOne, Dr. Arulogun, who is a lecture in the department of Computer Science and Engineering of the university having witnessed the brilliant presentation of the four best software incubators from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ilefe, (OAU) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (Lautech) Ogbomoso, Oyo respectively said that, “that was a good beginning.
“The students are well equipped. That was a good outing. Iam very optimistic that Team Nigeria will fly Nigeria flag well by coming out as the best team in the national finals in the category of World Citizenship. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso is among the best school of Technology in Nigeria with a strong IT resources”
According to him, with great expectations from Microsoft Nigeria, the school and Nigeria to win the finals, the students would put in their best to win the final. Nigerian team was equal to the task to win the first price, he assured.
“It is not about money. Am looking at what impact the solution will make in the lives of people in the 21st century Nigeria. We will take the solution to the next even after this competition “he said.
Speaking shortly after their presentation, the team leader, Oluwole Michael told Vanguard Hi-Tech that they were determined to make Nigeria proud by winning the cup.
The team’s solution which provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor he said can save a lot lives if deployed both private and public sector of the Nigeria economy.
Although the judges were not able to comment as the competition is still going on, the expressions in their showed that the presentation by the team Nigeria was very encouraging.
As at press time, the students were already setting up in their book where they will join other students to showcase their products and solution before the judges, mentors, international Journalists and guests who are also participating in the capacity building program that is expected to prepare the students for the challenges ahead.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian team had developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone.
Nigeria team has developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone. It also provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor.
Meanwhile, at the global contest that kicked off Monday no fewer than 309 students from 71 countries have gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia to compete in three main categories like World Citizenship, Games and Innovation.
Out of the 87 finalists teams currently competing, 10 teams were from Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Botswana , Tunisia among others
Imagine Cup has evolved into a yearlong experience for students with various opportunities to compete and innovate. Students can compete in the World Citizenship, Innovation and Games Competitions or technology Challenges that lead to the Worldwide Finals for Windows Azure, Windows Phone or Windows 8, or in themed Challenges such as the Women’s Athletics App Challenge or the Imagine Cup Kodu Challenge that result in other awards and prizes.
After a good presentation and outing Tuesday before panel of international judges at the ongoing 2013 Imagine Cup software students competition, the world’s premier student technology competition holding in St. Petersburg, Russia, the mentor of team Nigeria, ‘Team LifeSaver from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Dr. O.T. Arulogun has said with optimism that the students were prepared to do Nigeria proud and bring the Cup home.
[caption id="attachment_402948" align="alignnone" width="412"]
Oluwole Michael, Adewale Adeyinka, Dr. O.T. Arulogun, mentor, Team Nigeria, Afolabi Olamide and Akinlaja Solomon doing a rehearsal before their presentation yesterday (9/7/2013) at the ongoing 2013 Microsoft Imagine student software competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo by Emeka Aginam[/caption]Already, more than $1million in cash and prices are available to student competitors. Over the past ten years, more than 1.65 million students from more than 190 countries have participated in the Microsoft Imagine Cup annual competition.
This year, there will no elimination in rounds at the ongoing worldwide finals as all finalist teams will remain in the competition until winners are announced on the last day of the event this week.
With their amazing solution and great supports from National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dell, Nokia and MainOne, Dr. Arulogun, who is a lecture in the department of Computer Science and Engineering of the university having witnessed the brilliant presentation of the four best software incubators from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ilefe, (OAU) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (Lautech) Ogbomoso, Oyo respectively said that, “that was a good beginning.
“The students are well equipped. That was a good outing. Iam very optimistic that Team Nigeria will fly Nigeria flag well by coming out as the best team in the national finals in the category of World Citizenship. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso is among the best school of Technology in Nigeria with a strong IT resources”
According to him, with great expectations from Microsoft Nigeria, the school and Nigeria to win the finals, the students would put in their best to win the final. Nigerian team was equal to the task to win the first price, he assured.
“It is not about money. Am looking at what impact the solution will make in the lives of people in the 21st century Nigeria. We will take the solution to the next even after this competition “he said.
Speaking shortly after their presentation, the team leader, Oluwole Michael told Vanguard Hi-Tech that they were determined to make Nigeria proud by winning the cup.
The team’s solution which provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor he said can save a lot lives if deployed both private and public sector of the Nigeria economy.
Although the judges were not able to comment as the competition is still going on, the expressions in their showed that the presentation by the team Nigeria was very encouraging.
As at press time, the students were already setting up in their book where they will join other students to showcase their products and solution before the judges, mentors, international Journalists and guests who are also participating in the capacity building program that is expected to prepare the students for the challenges ahead.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian team had developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone.
Nigeria team has developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone. It also provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor.
Meanwhile, at the global contest that kicked off Monday no fewer than 309 students from 71 countries have gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia to compete in three main categories like World Citizenship, Games and Innovation.
Out of the 87 finalists teams currently competing, 10 teams were from Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Botswana , Tunisia among others
Imagine Cup has evolved into a yearlong experience for students with various opportunities to compete and innovate. Students can compete in the World Citizenship, Innovation and Games Competitions or technology Challenges that lead to the Worldwide Finals for Windows Azure, Windows Phone or Windows 8, or in themed Challenges such as the Women’s Athletics App Challenge or the Imagine Cup Kodu Challenge that result in other awards and prizes.
Monday, 8 July 2013
10 African teams, others battle for Imagine cup at St Petersburg
By EEMEKA AGINAM, in St Petersburg
The 2013 edition of Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition, the football World Cup equivalent in software design attracted no fewer than 309 students from 71 countries who have gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia to compete in three main categories like World Citizenship, Games and Innovation.
The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition where students to use their imagination and passion to create a technology solution in one of the Microsoft competitions and challenges.
Meanwhile, more than 60% of projects on showcase at the ongoing 2013 Microsoft Imagine students’ software competition were housed in the cloud through windows Azure,
The Windows Azure marketplace is an online market for buying, and selling finished software as a service (SaaS) applications and premium data.
This is even as four software incubators from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ilefe, (OAU) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (Lautech) Ogbomoso, Oyo respectively are flying Nigerian flag in St Petersburg, Russia in the ongoing worldwide finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup software competition.
10 African teams on showcase:
However, out of the 87 finalists teams currently competition, 10 teams are from Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Botswana , Tunisia among others
[caption id="attachment_402726" align="alignnone" width="412"]
From left: Akinlaja Solomon, Oluwole Michael, Afolabi Olamide and Adewale Adeyinka at the presentation of prizes to Team Lifesaver, National Winners of the Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition held in Lagos before their departure to Rusia. Photo By EMEKA AGINAM[/caption]
The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition where students to use their imagination and passion to create a technology solution in one of the Microsoft competitions and challenges.
More than $1m in cash and prices are available to student competitors. Over the past ten years, more than 1.65 million students from more than 190 countries have participated in the Imagine Cup.
Team Nigeria:
With great supports from National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dell, Nokia and MainOne, members of Team Life Saver from Nigeria including Afolabi Olamide, Oluwole Michael, Akinlaja Solomon and Adewale Adeyinka had competed in the national finals in the category of World Citizenship.
Application developed:
The team developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone.
The team’s solution which provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor Nigeria team has developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone. It also provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor.
Accordingly, the software incubators from Nigeria and 309 students from 71 countries who have advanced in this competition from local, online and regional finals are currently showcasing their creativity, ingenuity and technological prowess.
For one thing, African representatives will have a world stage on which to highlight the role the continent’s local developers play in addressing the most critical issues of the developing world.
It would be recalled that the Developer and Platform Evangelism Lead, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Shina Oyetosho had told the Team Nigeria during a farewell party before their departure for the competition to make the country proud by showing their best innovation.
"Do not be intimidated by students from other countries. You are the best. Do your best. Show your best. Show your passion. Make friends. Dell, Nokia, NITDA and MainOne have given you the tools. Microsoft has given you the opportunity and knowledge. Bring the Cup to Nigeria" he said.
Earlier in in his remarks during Press and Sponsor's reception, President, Central and Estern Europe of Microsoft said that students who have gathered for this competition were the winners.
According to him, the students should not relent in taking further their solution to the next level after the showcase. The competing students should be their own boss in software entrepreneurship after graduation, he said.
Highlights of projects on showcase:
Meanwhile, out of the 87 teams on showcase, 12 teams use gamification for personal improvement, including interactive learning and physical rehabilitation.
This is even as 90% of finalist games were created for the Windows OS, showing the popularity of the PC as a gaming platform for young developers.
While more than 30% of all projects focused on inspiring fun, 36% of teams use Windows, Windows phone and Windows Azure together crossing platforms and devices to show how software can make hardware interesting.
Even as 38 teams have Windows store apps that are or will soon be available for download, 15 teams use Microsoft technologies in projects that monitor the well being of people and things in real life time, such as heart ratem sun exposure and bee hive health.
Interesting, all three Windows 8 challenge apps combine education and fun, including a social tourist guide and an interactive vocabulary.
Similarly, 10 innovative projects combine the NET framework, Windows 8 and Windows Azure to boost productivity.
Health solution:
Nearly 40% of world citizenship teams use technology in innovative ways in the medical field, with more than half of those using the Kinect SDK.
What is new?:
Imagine Cup centers around three Competitions: World Citizenship, Games and Innovation. This new structure builds on the elements that have been so popular with students in the past 10 years — social impact and gaming while expanding the competition’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship
First-place prizes for World Citizenship, Games and Innovation will each be $50,000. This year, there will be no elimination rounds at the Worldwide Finals.
Instead, all Worldwide Finalist teams will remain in the competition until winners are announced on the last day of the event. In addition, students competing in online Challenges that advance to the Worldwide Finals will compete onsite for first, second and third place.
Students can compete in the World Citizenship, Innovation and Games Competitions or technology Challenges that lead to the Worldwide Finals for Windows Azure, Windows Phone or Windows 8, or in themed Challenges such as the Women’s Athletics App Challenge or the Imagine Cup Kodu Challenge that result in other awards and prizes and do not include a trip to the Worldwide Finals.
How it works:
Students compete in teams of up to four people in Competitions including World Citizenship, Games and Innovation, and in online Challenges focused on specific technologies and platforms, including Windows 8, Windows Azure and Windows Phone.
Students advance through various rounds of the competition either online or through in-person local finals events until they are selected to compete at the Worldwide Finals, where winners will be awarded travel, cash prizes and partnership awards totaling more than $1 million
Fast Facts:
This is the 11th year of Imagine Cup — it started in 2003 with just 2,000 students from 25 countries. This year’s motto is “Dream it. Build it. Live it.”
This marks the third year of the three-year Microsoft Imagine Cup Grants program. This year, teams with projects that focus on social good can apply at the end of calendar year 2013 to be part of the $3 million investment by Microsoft to help students turn their ideas into reality.
Competitions:
Competitions span the full year and are the cornerstone competitions for Imagine Cup, requiring students to create complete applications built on Microsoft technology. They can be presented in person at local finals events or submitted online in countries without in-person events; finalists advance to compete at the Worldwide Finals.
World Citizenship.
The Imagine Cup World Citizenship Competition honors the software application with the greatest potential to make a positive contribution to the betterment of humanity. An entrant in the World Citizenship Competition might tackle a vexing social or medical problem, promote education or generally harness the power of technology to enrich lives. Prizes: First Place, $50,000; Second Place, $10,000; Third Place, $5,000.
Games.
The Imagine Cup Games Competition honors the best student games built on Microsoft platforms: Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit and Xbox Live Indie Games. Microsoft is looking for fun, original games that are well-made and could find an enthusiastic audience. Game themes and content are up to the students, but content needs to be suitable for a broad, diverse audience. Prizes: First Place, $50,000; Second Place, $10,000; Third Place, $5,000.
Innovation.
The Imagine Cup Innovation Competition honors apps that deliver technology innovations that advance user experiences in major categories such as social networks, search, classifieds or online shopping — or that create entirely new categories. Prizes: First Place, $50,000; Second Place, $10,000; Third Place, $5,000.
Online Challenges
Challenges provide an opportunity for students to participate in Imagine Cup by learning, prototyping and creating applications using the newest Microsoft technologies. They occur online only, and the top three teams in each category will attend the Worldwide Finals to compete for first-, second- or third-place awards
The Windows 8 App Challenge.
This Challenge will test a team’s ability to design and build a Windows Store app that takes advantage of Windows 8 features and design principles to deliver an exceptional experience on the platform. Prizes: First Place, $10,000; Second Place, $5,000; Third Place, $3,000. The Windows Phone Challenge. This Challenge seeks the best apps that feature startling functionality and device- focused utility combined with a delightful Windows Phone user experience. Prizes: First Place, $10,000; Second Place, $5,000; Third Place, $3,000.
The Windows Azure Challenge
This Challenge is about getting a team started on the “next big thing” by leveraging Azure platform features to build a Web application. Prizes: First Place, $10,000; Second Place, $5,000; Third Place, $3,000.
Brain Games Challenge:
In this Challenge, individuals compete in a monthly trivia quiz. Each quiz will have six rounds of timed questions as well as a topic such as innovation or citizenship. The top score for the month wins $1,000 and everyone who competes enters a sweepstakes where one winner will get a free trip to St. Petersburg.
Imagine Cup Grant program:
Now in its third year, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Grant program awards cash, software, and access to resources to a select number of Imagine Cup Worldwide Finalists who are looking to take the next step and bring their solution to market to realize its potential to solve a critical global problem
The Imagine Cup Grants are part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark initiative that aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth over the next 3 years. The Imagine Cup Grants highlight student creativity and innovation and provides a springboard for taking their projects to the next level.
Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition. Often referred to as the ‘Oscars of Innovation’, it serves as the platform for the brightest young minds across the world to assemble under one roof with a common motive – to create a better tomorrow with the help of software technology.
Ever since its inaugural launch in 2003, Microsoft Imagine Cup has seen ten venues (right from Barcelona, Spain to Sydney Australia), 1.65 million participants and thousands of ground breaking software applications and games committed to help improve education, healthcare, environment and more.
Over the past ten years, more than 1.65 million students from more than 190 countries have participated in the Imagine Cup. When you join the Imagine Cup community, you’ll connect with other whip-smart creative from all over the world to share ideas, have fun, and be there when the next big thing is unveiled.
The 2013 edition of Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition, the football World Cup equivalent in software design attracted no fewer than 309 students from 71 countries who have gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia to compete in three main categories like World Citizenship, Games and Innovation.
The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition where students to use their imagination and passion to create a technology solution in one of the Microsoft competitions and challenges.
Meanwhile, more than 60% of projects on showcase at the ongoing 2013 Microsoft Imagine students’ software competition were housed in the cloud through windows Azure,
The Windows Azure marketplace is an online market for buying, and selling finished software as a service (SaaS) applications and premium data.
This is even as four software incubators from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ilefe, (OAU) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (Lautech) Ogbomoso, Oyo respectively are flying Nigerian flag in St Petersburg, Russia in the ongoing worldwide finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup software competition.
10 African teams on showcase:
However, out of the 87 finalists teams currently competition, 10 teams are from Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Botswana , Tunisia among others
[caption id="attachment_402726" align="alignnone" width="412"]
From left: Akinlaja Solomon, Oluwole Michael, Afolabi Olamide and Adewale Adeyinka at the presentation of prizes to Team Lifesaver, National Winners of the Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition held in Lagos before their departure to Rusia. Photo By EMEKA AGINAM[/caption]The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition where students to use their imagination and passion to create a technology solution in one of the Microsoft competitions and challenges.
More than $1m in cash and prices are available to student competitors. Over the past ten years, more than 1.65 million students from more than 190 countries have participated in the Imagine Cup.
Team Nigeria:
With great supports from National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dell, Nokia and MainOne, members of Team Life Saver from Nigeria including Afolabi Olamide, Oluwole Michael, Akinlaja Solomon and Adewale Adeyinka had competed in the national finals in the category of World Citizenship.
Application developed:
The team developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone.
The team’s solution which provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor Nigeria team has developed an application called CardioLife, which helps prevent heart attacks by monitoring heart readings on the fly via the Microsoft Windows Phone. It also provides a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients using the Kinect sensor.
Accordingly, the software incubators from Nigeria and 309 students from 71 countries who have advanced in this competition from local, online and regional finals are currently showcasing their creativity, ingenuity and technological prowess.
For one thing, African representatives will have a world stage on which to highlight the role the continent’s local developers play in addressing the most critical issues of the developing world.
It would be recalled that the Developer and Platform Evangelism Lead, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Shina Oyetosho had told the Team Nigeria during a farewell party before their departure for the competition to make the country proud by showing their best innovation.
"Do not be intimidated by students from other countries. You are the best. Do your best. Show your best. Show your passion. Make friends. Dell, Nokia, NITDA and MainOne have given you the tools. Microsoft has given you the opportunity and knowledge. Bring the Cup to Nigeria" he said.
Earlier in in his remarks during Press and Sponsor's reception, President, Central and Estern Europe of Microsoft said that students who have gathered for this competition were the winners.
According to him, the students should not relent in taking further their solution to the next level after the showcase. The competing students should be their own boss in software entrepreneurship after graduation, he said.
Highlights of projects on showcase:
Meanwhile, out of the 87 teams on showcase, 12 teams use gamification for personal improvement, including interactive learning and physical rehabilitation.
This is even as 90% of finalist games were created for the Windows OS, showing the popularity of the PC as a gaming platform for young developers.
While more than 30% of all projects focused on inspiring fun, 36% of teams use Windows, Windows phone and Windows Azure together crossing platforms and devices to show how software can make hardware interesting.
Even as 38 teams have Windows store apps that are or will soon be available for download, 15 teams use Microsoft technologies in projects that monitor the well being of people and things in real life time, such as heart ratem sun exposure and bee hive health.
Interesting, all three Windows 8 challenge apps combine education and fun, including a social tourist guide and an interactive vocabulary.
Similarly, 10 innovative projects combine the NET framework, Windows 8 and Windows Azure to boost productivity.
Health solution:
Nearly 40% of world citizenship teams use technology in innovative ways in the medical field, with more than half of those using the Kinect SDK.
What is new?:
Imagine Cup centers around three Competitions: World Citizenship, Games and Innovation. This new structure builds on the elements that have been so popular with students in the past 10 years — social impact and gaming while expanding the competition’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship
First-place prizes for World Citizenship, Games and Innovation will each be $50,000. This year, there will be no elimination rounds at the Worldwide Finals.
Instead, all Worldwide Finalist teams will remain in the competition until winners are announced on the last day of the event. In addition, students competing in online Challenges that advance to the Worldwide Finals will compete onsite for first, second and third place.
Students can compete in the World Citizenship, Innovation and Games Competitions or technology Challenges that lead to the Worldwide Finals for Windows Azure, Windows Phone or Windows 8, or in themed Challenges such as the Women’s Athletics App Challenge or the Imagine Cup Kodu Challenge that result in other awards and prizes and do not include a trip to the Worldwide Finals.
How it works:
Students compete in teams of up to four people in Competitions including World Citizenship, Games and Innovation, and in online Challenges focused on specific technologies and platforms, including Windows 8, Windows Azure and Windows Phone.
Students advance through various rounds of the competition either online or through in-person local finals events until they are selected to compete at the Worldwide Finals, where winners will be awarded travel, cash prizes and partnership awards totaling more than $1 million
Fast Facts:
This is the 11th year of Imagine Cup — it started in 2003 with just 2,000 students from 25 countries. This year’s motto is “Dream it. Build it. Live it.”
This marks the third year of the three-year Microsoft Imagine Cup Grants program. This year, teams with projects that focus on social good can apply at the end of calendar year 2013 to be part of the $3 million investment by Microsoft to help students turn their ideas into reality.
Competitions:
Competitions span the full year and are the cornerstone competitions for Imagine Cup, requiring students to create complete applications built on Microsoft technology. They can be presented in person at local finals events or submitted online in countries without in-person events; finalists advance to compete at the Worldwide Finals.
World Citizenship.
The Imagine Cup World Citizenship Competition honors the software application with the greatest potential to make a positive contribution to the betterment of humanity. An entrant in the World Citizenship Competition might tackle a vexing social or medical problem, promote education or generally harness the power of technology to enrich lives. Prizes: First Place, $50,000; Second Place, $10,000; Third Place, $5,000.
Games.
The Imagine Cup Games Competition honors the best student games built on Microsoft platforms: Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit and Xbox Live Indie Games. Microsoft is looking for fun, original games that are well-made and could find an enthusiastic audience. Game themes and content are up to the students, but content needs to be suitable for a broad, diverse audience. Prizes: First Place, $50,000; Second Place, $10,000; Third Place, $5,000.
Innovation.
The Imagine Cup Innovation Competition honors apps that deliver technology innovations that advance user experiences in major categories such as social networks, search, classifieds or online shopping — or that create entirely new categories. Prizes: First Place, $50,000; Second Place, $10,000; Third Place, $5,000.
Online Challenges
Challenges provide an opportunity for students to participate in Imagine Cup by learning, prototyping and creating applications using the newest Microsoft technologies. They occur online only, and the top three teams in each category will attend the Worldwide Finals to compete for first-, second- or third-place awards
The Windows 8 App Challenge.
This Challenge will test a team’s ability to design and build a Windows Store app that takes advantage of Windows 8 features and design principles to deliver an exceptional experience on the platform. Prizes: First Place, $10,000; Second Place, $5,000; Third Place, $3,000. The Windows Phone Challenge. This Challenge seeks the best apps that feature startling functionality and device- focused utility combined with a delightful Windows Phone user experience. Prizes: First Place, $10,000; Second Place, $5,000; Third Place, $3,000.
The Windows Azure Challenge
This Challenge is about getting a team started on the “next big thing” by leveraging Azure platform features to build a Web application. Prizes: First Place, $10,000; Second Place, $5,000; Third Place, $3,000.
Brain Games Challenge:
In this Challenge, individuals compete in a monthly trivia quiz. Each quiz will have six rounds of timed questions as well as a topic such as innovation or citizenship. The top score for the month wins $1,000 and everyone who competes enters a sweepstakes where one winner will get a free trip to St. Petersburg.
Imagine Cup Grant program:
Now in its third year, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Grant program awards cash, software, and access to resources to a select number of Imagine Cup Worldwide Finalists who are looking to take the next step and bring their solution to market to realize its potential to solve a critical global problem
The Imagine Cup Grants are part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark initiative that aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth over the next 3 years. The Imagine Cup Grants highlight student creativity and innovation and provides a springboard for taking their projects to the next level.
Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition. Often referred to as the ‘Oscars of Innovation’, it serves as the platform for the brightest young minds across the world to assemble under one roof with a common motive – to create a better tomorrow with the help of software technology.
Ever since its inaugural launch in 2003, Microsoft Imagine Cup has seen ten venues (right from Barcelona, Spain to Sydney Australia), 1.65 million participants and thousands of ground breaking software applications and games committed to help improve education, healthcare, environment and more.
Over the past ten years, more than 1.65 million students from more than 190 countries have participated in the Imagine Cup. When you join the Imagine Cup community, you’ll connect with other whip-smart creative from all over the world to share ideas, have fun, and be there when the next big thing is unveiled.
Monday, 1 July 2013
Airtel emerges fastest growing data operator in Nigeria
Lagos - merged the fastest growing Internet/data operator in Nigeria based on a recent study carried out by industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
According to the report, covering the period of June 2012 to March 2013, and published on the NCC’s corporate website, www.ncc.gov.ng, Airtel recorded a 92% increase in its internet customer base while the closest operator grew only by 41%. Two other major operators recorBased on a recent study carried out by industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Airtel Nigeria has eded de-growth of 35% and 2%.
Commenting on the report entitled Internet Subscriber Data (June 2012 – March 2013), Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said the report confirms the company’s leadership position as a provider of reliable and fast 3.75G network coverage to telecoms consumers, adding that Airtel currently has the widest data/internet footprint in the country.
“It is a greatly satisfying to see that telecoms consumers in Nigeria are beginning to realize that Airtel has the widest and most reliable 3.75G network in the country. I want to specially thank all our customers for the confidence they have reposed on us. As a network, we approach service delivery with a sense of constructive discontent. This means that we are not carried away by our excellent performances, we always seek new ways to make our customers feel better,” he said.
In the last 33 months, Airtel Networks Limited has invested over $1.7bn dollars to expand and deepen its network capacity and quality in Nigeria, in pursuit of world class Quality of Service (QoS). Consequently, the Telco had taken a significant step to deepen its network capacity and coverage with the roll-out of 3.75G platforms, offering high speed mobile Internet, across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja. Airtel is the only operator that has 3.75G network coverage in every state in Nigeria.
Airtel also holds the singular distinction of being the first Telco in Nigeria to complete LTE (Long Term Evolution) field trial in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt with a resounding throughput as well as the first to introduce High Definition (HD) Voice Service across the 3G network in Nigeria.
According to the report, covering the period of June 2012 to March 2013, and published on the NCC’s corporate website, www.ncc.gov.ng, Airtel recorded a 92% increase in its internet customer base while the closest operator grew only by 41%. Two other major operators recorBased on a recent study carried out by industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Airtel Nigeria has eded de-growth of 35% and 2%.
Commenting on the report entitled Internet Subscriber Data (June 2012 – March 2013), Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said the report confirms the company’s leadership position as a provider of reliable and fast 3.75G network coverage to telecoms consumers, adding that Airtel currently has the widest data/internet footprint in the country.
“It is a greatly satisfying to see that telecoms consumers in Nigeria are beginning to realize that Airtel has the widest and most reliable 3.75G network in the country. I want to specially thank all our customers for the confidence they have reposed on us. As a network, we approach service delivery with a sense of constructive discontent. This means that we are not carried away by our excellent performances, we always seek new ways to make our customers feel better,” he said.
In the last 33 months, Airtel Networks Limited has invested over $1.7bn dollars to expand and deepen its network capacity and quality in Nigeria, in pursuit of world class Quality of Service (QoS). Consequently, the Telco had taken a significant step to deepen its network capacity and coverage with the roll-out of 3.75G platforms, offering high speed mobile Internet, across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja. Airtel is the only operator that has 3.75G network coverage in every state in Nigeria.
Airtel also holds the singular distinction of being the first Telco in Nigeria to complete LTE (Long Term Evolution) field trial in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt with a resounding throughput as well as the first to introduce High Definition (HD) Voice Service across the 3G network in Nigeria.
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