Archive for January, 2009

Friday Tech News Round Up

Published January 30, 2009 Knowledge Center , News , PTC Member Leave a Comment
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Believe it or not, there’s plenty of activity going on in Pittsburgh’s tech industry right now. We have some links to some pretty exciting headlines. Haven’t seen any of this in the traditional media yet. Techburgher likes giving you news right off the grill, flame-broiled!

ClearCount’s SmartSponge Named IDEA Award Finalist

ClearCount Medical Solutions, an innovator of patient safety solutions for the operating room, said its SmartSponge® System received a finalist award under the Medical and Scientific category of the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEAs). The award was submitted in conjunction with product development consultancy Bright Innovation. The SmartSponge System is the first and only system to build the highest level of accuracy into both counting and detection of surgical sponges. Individual sponge validation and continuous monitoring allows the system to both count and detect surgical sponges, improving safety, efficiency, and overall operating room performance. Learn more.

Vivisimo Partners with Taxonomy Expert WAND

Vivisimo, a leader in enterprise search, signed a technology partnership with taxonomy specialist WAND, Inc. The agreement enables Vivisimo to offer WAND taxonomies to customers, expanding the conceptual search capabilities of Vivisimo’s recently introduced Velocity Search Platform™ 7.0.

“For customers looking to add taxonomies to their enterprise search strategy, Vivisimo’s partnership with WAND provides compelling advantages,” said Stacy Monarko, product marketing manager for Vivisimo. “WAND’s comprehensive taxonomies integrate well with Vivisimo’s industry-leading search to give users powerful options for exploring their own content.”

Launched in October, Velocity 7.0 introduced a new method for delivering conceptual search, empowering users with explicit tools for expanding or refining their search parameters.  Vivisimo’s conceptual search includes a new user interface to give users direct control to fine-tune queries and personalize their search to meet specific information goals. Get the whole story here.

GSP’s Rich Overmoyer to Present at Green Jobs Expo

National “green jobs” expert and director of GSP Consulting’s Economic Architecture division will be a featured speaker at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs national conference on Thursday Feb. 5, 2009 in Washington D.C. Overmoyer will present “Realizing the Green Jobs Opportunity” at 4:20 p.m., which highlights the potential impact Green Jobs can have on every community.  During the session, Overmoyer will provide attendees with a tool kit that goes beyond the “buzz” of Green Jobs and explains how communities can seize the opportunity. With previous experience ranging from Green Jobs to Green Markets and from Energy Independence to Green Building, GSP Consulting has been at the forefront of supporting efforts for the rapidly-developing green economy nationwide. 

Guru.com Implements Site Improvements; Helps Freelancers Build More Business

Published January 29, 2009 Knowledge Center , News , PTC Member Leave a Comment
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guruAs job losses continue to escalate, freelancing is becoming an attractive option for displaced talent. While websites like Pittsburgh-based Guru.com make services contracting safe and viable, the public remains largely uneducated about core differences between freelance services sites. Guru.com  just released a site improvement that could fundamentally shift the employment landscape.

Guru.com, a Pittsburgh Technology Council Tech 50 Winner and Finalist,  took the wraps off a Quality Score Ranking, which measures freelance services on the basis of Customer Acquisition, Earnings and Retention in lieu of total earnings (size) or subjective feedback. With this system:

· Top quality freelance performance, instead of larger size, is rewarded with a higher rank;

· The rank becomes a more accurate index / indicator of the quality of work an employer can expect to receive; and

· Individual freelancers can now truly compete with larger vendors that may be of lesser quality.

Read more about it and see how you can put your talent and skills into the freelance market.

Virtual Edge to Cook Up Fresh New Website for Leading Food Management Services Company

Published January 28, 2009 News , PTC Member Leave a Comment
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virtual-edge-logo-webCouncil member, Virtual Edge Collaborative (www.virtualedgeonline.com) just announced that it will design, develop and help market a new website for West Newton, PA-based The Nutrition Group.

The new website’s objectives are to clearly showcase the company’s diverse offerings and numerous divisions through a more creative, dynamic, compelling and functional format. Virtual Edge Collaborative’s services for this project will include strategy, design, development, copywriting and search engine optimization. The site will also involve some Flash, video and Intranet-related components.

The Nutrition Group has been providing quality food management services to educational institutions throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio since 1975. The company’s extensive services include food service management, custodial/maintenance management, vending services, food service facility design and consulting. The Nutrition Group is headquartered in West Newton, Conneaut Lake, Danville and Marietta Pennsylvania, and is the parent company for Nutrition, Inc., Facilities Maintenance Systems, Inc., Nu-Vu Services, Inc. and Nu-Vu Designs, Inc. Nutrition Inc. also includes a commissary division, which provides food service management for correctional, business and industry, senior centers, head start, after school day care, charter schools and treatment centers. 

“After interviewing and receiving multiple estimates and recommendations from various marketing firms, Virtual Edge’s affordable, non-nonsense pricing combined with its flexible, down-to-earth, proactive attitude and highly creative and results-driven work really stood out. It’s not easy to find a firm like Virtual Edge,” said Pam Harney, Marketing Director for The Nutrition Group.

About Virtual Edge Collaborative:
Virtual Edge Collaborative’s (The Ad Agency Alternative) revolutionary virtual business model
makes it possible for small to mid-sized businesses to receive high-quality marketing services, on an a la carte basis, from seasoned industry pros, at a fraction of the price of what quality U.S. and Pittsburgh advertising agencies, marketing companies, marketing firms, marketing agencies, graphic design companies and Web design companies, charge, without sacrificing quality.

Look for an article written by Virtual Edge’s President Gregg Gantwarg in the March/April issue of TEQ magazine.

Watch Today’s Breakfast Briefing with the Airport Authority

Published January 28, 2009 Events , Knowledge Center Leave a Comment
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Missed this morning’s Breakfast Briefing with Brad Penrod of the Airport Authority because of the nasty weather? Don’t fret. You can watch it from your computer!

With the help of PTC member Panopto, we recorded Penrod giving his presentation complete with his PowerPoint slides. This is seriously cool stuff.  You can even search it! Talk about technology making our lives easier and more convenient.

Check out the Breakfast Briefing, gain some knowledge!

Global Game Jam Hits the Entertainment Technology Center This Weekend

Published January 28, 2009 Events , Knowledge Center , Networking 1 Comment
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gamejamYeah it’s pretty crappy out this morning — ice, slush, impending snow. Great time to stay inside and play some videogames. No signs of spring for quite a while. However, if you’re a hard-core gamer or dabble in building your own games, Pittsburgh will be paradise this weekend.

More than a thousand video game enthusiasts scattered across 14 time zones, including a contingent at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), will spend 48 hours building games as part of the first Global Game Jam. Game-building marathons, known as game jams, have grown in popularity in recent years, but this is the first time that anyone has attempted to use the Internet and its streaming video capabilities to tie together simultaneous jams around the globe. Game design themes, constraints and mechanics will be announced at the beginning of the jam, with constraints altered for each time zone to mitigate any advantage of global location.

ETC alumnus Kyle Gabler, developer of the award-winning “World of Goo” game, will be the global event’s keynote speaker. The Global Game Jam is an initiative of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Education Special Interest Group.

The ETC and the Pittsburgh chapter of the IGDA have partnered to host one of the venues, which is open to any and all comers. Participants from as far away as Cleveland already are confirmed.

When: 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 30, through 5 p.m., Sunday Feb. 1.

Where: The Randy Pausch Interdisciplinary Studio, ETC, 700 Technology Drive.

TechVibe Radio is on 1360 AM This Afternoon

Published January 27, 2009 General , Knowledge Center Leave a Comment
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prr1We’re back in the studio at 1360 WMNY at Pittsburgh Renaissance Radio this afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. The web cam will be recording the action for your viewing pleasure at a later time thanks to the great folks at Panopto. We’re working on adding a real-time set up for the near future, so hold on tight. Check out a clip of us interviewing Mike Matesic of the IdeaFoundry from the last show. We do, indeed, have faces for radio.

Here’s the rundown of today’s show:

Plextronics 2:20-2:50

Bit Armor 2:55 – 3:30

Sima 3:30-4:10

Elliance 4:14-4:45

Jonathan Kersting/Audrey Russo banter 4:45-5:00

Join the show by calling 412-333-1360 or chat with us on TalkShoe.com. Just search “Pittsburgh Renaissance Radio.”

Nokomis Awarded a Phase I SBIR by NASA

Published January 26, 2009 News , PTC Member 1 Comment
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Nokomis, Inc., a member of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, is pleased to announce the award of a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for a project titled “Slot Coupled Array Antenna Technology” in the amount of $100,000.  The six month project focuses on the development of digitally controlled “smart antennas” to be conformally mounted on the surface of aeronautical vehicles.

nokomisNokomis was founded in 2002 to provide advanced technical solutions to the defense industry.  The company is a HUBZone certified small business with headquarters located in Charleroi, PA (Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district). 

One of the company’s areas of expertise is in low profile, conformal antenna design.  Nokomis’ designs are used in military and non-military systems.  The company has a proven track record of successful execution and transition of SBIR funded technology through previous awards from NASA, the Air Force, Army, Navy, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and National Science Foundation (NSF).

The digitally controlled antenna arrays for this NASA SBIR enhance the ability to develop and steer antenna beams using antenna structures that are conformal to aeronautical vehicles.  A focused beam reduces signal to noise ratio which increases signal quality.  This provides greater communication range and bandwidth for a wireless system.  Aside from a physical antenna design that will need to perform in both launch and deep space environments, algorithms that perform the beam forming will be developed by Nokomis.

The SBIR program provides funding to small businesses for exploring high return on investment technologies.  The research conducted during this SBIR program will result in a technology that not only provides advanced conformal antenna capability for aeronautical vehicles, but will also have potential applications in areas like cellular base stations, WiFi systems, and airport infrastructure and safety.

Art + Tech Initiative Takes Off

Published January 26, 2009 Events , Knowledge Center , Networking , Regional Impact Leave a Comment
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More than 60 folks showed up to celebrate the launch of the Art + Tech Initiative.

More than 60 folks showed up to celebrate the launch of the Art + Tech Initiative.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council officially got its Art + Tech Initiative off the ground last week convening its Advisory Board at the Council’s 15 Minutes Gallery to set direction and objectives for the coming year. Learn more about the initiative here and check out pics from the launch.

If you’d like to get involved or learn more, contact Kim Harvey at kharvey@pghtech.org.

Fortune 500 Company Filling 150 Tech Positions

Published January 23, 2009 Events , General , News , Personnel News Leave a Comment
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It’s Friday, the sun is actually shining and there’s a local company looking to hire 150 people. Not too shabby! Here’s the pertinent info:

ServiceLink, part of the Fidelity National Financial Family and one of the largest mortgage settlement companies in the country, is offering full-time positions to IT professionals and entry to mid-level operations personnel. The company is looking for immediate support in their Moon and Hopewell Township offices. Those hired will receive a complete benefits package to include on-the-job training, medical coverage, life insurance, paid time off and more.

To promote and expedite the hiring process, ServiceLink is hosting their own job fair on Friday, January 30th and Saturday, January 31st where qualified applicants will be interviewed on the spot. The job fair will be located at the Doubletree Hotel at the Pittsburgh International Airport from 10 A.M. to 8 P.M. on Friday and 8 A.M. to 2 P.M. on Saturday. Those interested should visit www.servicelinkcareers.com for more information and early submission of their resume.

“Anyone interested in starting a new career – whether you have experience in the industry or not – is encouraged to attend the job fair. We are offering a competitive salary with career advancement opportunities. We are confident that we will be able to find qualified candidates right here in Pittsburgh,” stated Robert Dunn, Executive Vice President, Finance and Human Resources at ServiceLink.

Creepy But Cool: Baby Beetles Inspire Pitt Researchers to Build “Mini Boat” Powered by Surface Tension

Published January 21, 2009 Knowledge Center , Something Cool 1 Comment
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I’m a sucker for research. It’s amazing to think of all the completely insane projects going on behind the scenes at our local universities. Innovation is bubbling everywhere. You never know where it’s going to come from. Here’s a total case in point at the University of Pittsburgh:

creepyInspired by the aquatic wriggling of beetle larvae, a University of Pittsburgh research team has designed a propulsion system that strips away paddles, sails, and motors and harnesses the energy within the water’s surface. The technique destabilizes the surface tension surrounding the object with an electric pulse and causes the craft to move via the surface’s natural pull. The researchers will present their findings Jan. 26 at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ 2009 Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) conference in Sorrento, Italy.
 
This method of propulsion would be an efficient and low-maintenance mechanism for small robots and boats that monitor water quality in oceans, reservoirs, and other bodies of water, said Sung Kwon Cho, senior researcher and a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering. These devices are typically propeller-driven. The Pitt system has no moving parts and the low-energy electrode that emits the pulse could be powered by batteries, radio waves, or solar power, Cho added.
 
Cho envisioned the system after reading about the way beetle larvae move on water, he said. Like any floating object, larva resting in the water causes the surface tension to pull equally on both sides. To move forward, the larva bends its back downward to change the tension direction behind it. The forward tension then pulls the larva through the water.
 
Cho and his team—Pitt engineering doctoral students Sang Kug Chung and Kyungjoo Ryu—substituted the larva’s back bending with an electric pulse. In their experiments, an electrode attached to a 2-centimeter-long “mini-boat” emitted a surge that changed the rear surface tension direction and propelled the boat at roughly 4 millimeters per second. A second electrode attached to the boat’s front side served as the rudder.
 
Read an abstract of Cho’s mechanism. Footage of the boat is also available with a film of the rudder capability, too.

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