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Imagine Cup Australiahttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/atom.aspxTelligent Evolution Platform Developer Build (Build: 5.6.50428.7875)2007-05-07T01:13:00ZAustralian Imagine Cup Finals 2008http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2008/05/29/australian-imagine-cup-finals-2008.aspx2008-05-29T07:48:44Z2008-05-29T07:48:44Z
We have a winner! The Australian Imagine Cup Software Design finals were successfully held @ Remix Melbourne last week. The theme for this years Imagine Cup competition is "Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment" and each finalist team really step-up to this challenge, creating cool and practical software solutions that help address this global issue.

The winners of this years Australian Imagine Cup competition are OZDREAM TEAM with their winning project SOAK (Smart Operational Agricultural Kit). Each member of OzDream Team is from a different University, making the challenge even harder. Team members Ed Hooper, Long Zheng, Dimaz Pramudya and David Brulea  have created a smart and efficient water management system for farmers.

-from left: Dimaz, Ed, David and Long- winners of the 2008 Australian Imagine Cup Finals

The SOAK system is designed for drought stricken farmers who have limited water supplies and need an effective water management solution. The SOAK system utilises sensors to enable field and resource monitoring of water levels. The sensors help determine moisture levels, rainfall, wind, dam depth, temperature and water flow. This information is collected and processed through the SOAK application, taking into consideration, weather forecasts and crop lifecycles to create a highly efficient water management system. For example, the system will not water if rain is predicted however, if rain prediction is small or inaccurate the system will react by compensating. All these functions can be monitored and performed from a computer or PDA.

The information is presented through a rich user interface experience, using Silverlight,  combining Virtual Earth maps and Windows gadgets

-using Virtual Earth to highlight areas of activity

The SOAK application has received endorsement from a variety of industry groups such as the Victorian Farmers Federation, government ministers and business leaders.

-OzDream Team presenting their project SOAK at the finals

As the winners of the Australian Imagine Cup finals, OzDream team will travel to France to represent Australia in the Imagine Cup World Finals on the 3rd of July. Check out this cool video of what OzDream Team will get up to in France. http://channel8.msdn.com/Posts/Imagine-Cup-2008-France-here-we-go

Stay tuned to MSOZACADEMIC for updates on OZDREAM Team and their results in the world finals. I will be posting a Video Demonstration on how SOAK works next week.

This years Imagine Cup was extremely competitive, with all teams submitting some amazing projects.

2nd place Team E-Green: The aim of the eGreen system is to give consumers information about the environmental impact of the products they buy, taking into consideration the entire supply and demand chain. Check out the Video demo here!

3rd place Team iWater: The iWater project is a smart water saving system that uses intelligent water filters to determine the level of water consumption in each individual area of the house, allowing the user to monitor water consumption and make water saving projections. Check out the video demo here!

4th Place Team Green Revolution:  The Green revolution system has designed a smart and easy to use method of accessing public transport information, encouraging individuals to use public transport and help cut down CO2 emissions by each commuter. The system has been implemented to run on PDAs and Smart Phones. Check out the Video demo here!

-iWater, presenting their project

-eGreen Presenting their project

-Karo
ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashx2008 Australian Imagine Cup Finals to be held in Melbourne @ Remixhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2008/05/12/2008-australian-imagine-cup-finals-to-be-held-in-melbourne-remix.aspx2008-05-12T07:33:00Z2008-05-12T07:33:00Z
Following the success of last years Imagine cup software design finals, Remix has again been chosen as the event/venue for this years battle ground. With 4 teams competing for glory and the chance to travel to France to compete in the world finals, this years competition is going to deliver some amazing results.

The world's premier student technology competition, Imagine Cup is one way Microsoft is encouraging young people to apply their imagination, passion and creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world today. Now in its sixth year, Imagine Cup has grown to be a truly global competition focused on finding solutions to real-world issues. More than 100,000 students from over 100 countries have entered rising to this year's challenge - "Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment."

The finals will be held on the 22nd of May, the judging will take place @ the Microsoft Office in Melbourne and the winners will be announced @ Remix. For more information please contact t-karoes@microsoft.
ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxInterview with Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals Winnerhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2008/03/04/interview-with-imagine-cup-worldwide-finals-winner.aspx2008-03-04T05:20:00Z2008-03-04T05:20:00Z
(This article is cross posted to my main blog, http://blogs.msdn.com/msozacademic)

I recently came into contact with Prachaya Phaisanwiphatpong (a member of the 2007 Imagine Cup World finals winning team from Thailand) via this blog for a chat. After emailing back and forth a bit, 'Badd' (his nickname) agreed to answer a few questions about his experiences at the world finals.

I remember watching his team's final presentation of 'Live Book' (their Imagine Cup entry) at the finals in Korea. It was very impressive in it's sheer simplicity - whilst there were more technically complex entries in the Imagine Cup World Finals, Live Book is an excellent example of a single problem solved thoroughly and expertly. Using a slick, highly intuitive user interface, Live Book quite simply helps people learn to read. The program allows users to scan or photograph books / documents, and then uses OCR to pull pictures of keywords in the scanned text from the web to give the user hints as to what the words are and to make the text more interesting.

 	 The team with their trophies at the 2007 world finals in Korea.

If you're interested in the Imagine Cup, or are entering this year, read on and see how Prachaya Phaisanwiphatpong feels about his Imagine Cup journey last year and his feelings on the BT Innovation Accelerator.

-----

N: Congratulations on the IC2007 world finals win. I was impressed with your entry, particularly the rich user experience. For those who haven't yet seen it, give us an overview of what your entry does and what technologies were used.

P: Live Book is a project which will turn any textbooks into graphical and attractive one by capture real-time frame from a web camera. Imagine this, when young children cannot read textbook, they put that book in front of the web camera. Live Book software will detect and recognize the word on the book. If there's a word 'apple', there will be images and videos of apple floating over the word, and Text-to-speech technology will read the word aloud. It aims to motivate and encourage young children to learn more from any textbooks without limitation in their reading skill. Also, it directly helps illiterate people to learn reading. Main technologies we used are our invented fast-and-tremble supported OCR, WPF for doing graphical rendering, and SpeechAPI.

 	 Screenshot 1

N: How was the BT Innovation Accelerator program? What sort of things do they do with you there?

P: Innovation Accelerator program is very a valuable experience for us. We learned business concept, the process to turn prototype into product and participate with many organization. We worked with real business professional, create a business plan and practise business presentation. In the program, we share experiences among six different countries, which each of them has an unique style of work. The lecture consist of both business and technical content. We found a good chance to see real pitch from real entrepreneur asking investment from real Venture Capital in silicon valley and listen to the success entrepreneur from previous ICIA as well.

Visit IC IA blog at : http://www.imaginecupaccelerator.com/ There are notes for many activities that we've done there.

N: Whilst on the topic of entrepreneurial-ism, there's some big success stories coming out of Imagine Cup. The 2007 Australian Finals winning team is about to hand their entry over to non-profit organisation Vision Australia to help blind people learn how to become software developers. What's next for 3KC? Have any big business opportunities opened up since the IC World Finals?

P: There are many contacts in Thailand non-profit organisation, but we didn't decide about it yet. We takes time to learn more and carefully decide to what to do when we graduated in the next few month. (Right now, we are in the last year of undergraduated study)

N: Fair enough. Your team also won a share in US$25,000. What did you spend it all on?

P: Some of us spent for invest in their current IT business. Some invests in stock market. For me, I spent with my extended family business. Yes, we love investment.

N - Having been through the process of preparing an entry for Imagine Cup, list 3 factors that you see as being crucial to success for those who are entering in 2008.

P: I will answer this with the Imagine Cup worldwide final standard. The most important factor is "sharp idea". Every entries in Imagine Cup world final are well developed and their software are well implemented. The crucial point that make each entries different is a benefit that the software will provide. The great software will directly solve the current problem in a practical and innovative way. It make an impact to the world, not just only relate or address current problem and not solve them.

The second factor is "team". If you didn't have a right team, no matter how excellent your idea is, your people will mess it up. Make sure each member has potential in their responsible function and make sure every members in team understand the idea and set goal in the same way. So, you can refine your idea and build the prototype to demonstrate your idea.

The last factor is "communication". We need to make sure that the audience, user and judge panel understand our idea correctly. Make them understand the problem clearly, your innovative way to solve and the impact. It's very important to control the audience, to make them understand everything clearly. So, they will get the accurate information within 10-15 minutes presentation, and will ask only relevant question. These three factors are the most crucial factor for me.

 Screenshot 2

N: If you were entering Software Design again in 2008, what sort of world problems would you be trying to solve, given the theme is "Sustainable environment"?

P: Personally, I think it is Global Warming. However, global warming is quite very large problem and there's a lot of specific problem to solve. I will take much time to research for the top three largest portion that cause global warming, and select one of them reasonably.

N: I think you're right - this year, the teams that will do well will be the one's who can take a large, complex and address certain parts of that. You're not going to save the world in one swoop, but together we can make a very good start. Okay, let's wrap it up... finish the following sentences:

i) My favourite technology is... Internet

ii) My favourite website is... Google.com

iii) My dream job is... owning the largest and most successful software business in Thailand

iv) The best thing about winning the IC world finals was... telling the world that Thailand is the best (at least for IC2007)

v) You can tell alot about a person from their workspace. At home, my desk is... very clean

vi) At work / uni, my desk is...clean (But for my laptop desktop, OMG, it's terrible. you don't want to see it!)

vii) If I were entering IC08, the one thing I'd do different is... I would be a mentor instead. (because there's IC rule, they don't allow me to compete in software design anymore. so, I cannot be winner twice)

viii) At the closing party for the Imagine Cup world finals in Korea, I was...very fun in the bar

Thanks for your time, Badd. Please keep us posted as to how you go with your future endeavours.

- Nick

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxNew Awards announced for Imagine Cuphttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2008/02/14/new-awards-announced-for-imagine-cup.aspx2008-02-14T05:57:00Z2008-02-14T05:57:00Z<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p>
Even more reasons to join Imagine Cup... In addition to the recently announced Software Design Interoperability Award, we just launched 2 new awards for Imagine Cup.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

The Software Design Windows Live Award: http://imaginecup.com/Competition/WindowsLiveAward.aspx<o:p></o:p>

<o:p>Award goes to the entry that makes best use oif the Windows Live Platform </o:p>

Due Date for online submissions: May 15, 2008<o:p></o:p>

Prize Amount: US$10,000<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

The Interface Design Accessible Technology Award: http://imaginecup.com/Competition/AccessibilityAward.aspx<o:p></o:p>

Award goes to the entry that is judged to best avoid / decrease barriers to access.

Due Date for online submission: May 2, 2008<o:p></o:p>

Prize Amount: US$8,000

Add to these 3 awards the local Aussie prizes for software design, plus the worldwide prizes plus your free software and you can make a killing from entering the Imagine Cup.</o:p>

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxFinding Imagine Cup teammates through Facebookhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2008/01/09/finding-imagine-cup-teammates-through-facebook.aspx2008-01-09T10:15:00Z2008-01-09T10:15:00Z
Imagine Cup is the world's premier technology competition just for university students - unless you've just discovered my blog, you would probably know that already, because I have been banging on incessantly about it like a man obsessed for a couple of months now :D<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

I've had a whole bunch of emails from people who are having major difficulty in finding teammates for the Software Design and XNA Games categories of Imagine Cup. I've been able to link a few people together, but it's actually quite hard to take complete strangers and try to get them to work on a project together over email alone. As such, I've set up a facebook group so you can find others in your area who might also be looking for teammates and try to form teams. I'd do it on the Australian forums at http://imaginecup.com, but those forums have not been particularly widely used and I know for sure most of you guys are on facebook from Mix ON Campus. This will also hopefully be a good icebreaker so you can meet face to face when we have Imagine Cup launch events later this month / early next month (rest assured they are still happening, I just got sick at the end of last year and had to take some time out).<o:p></o:p>

The group can be found at http://anuedu.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8218863382. My only condition is that this is for Australian entrants only. It's open for anyone to join.<o:p></o:p>

By the way, for those entering the Software Design category, if you submit your project proposal before 10th January, you receive a Microsoft promotional prize pack to reward starting work on your project early. More details can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/australia/imaginecup/sd_tandc.aspx. You can submit the project proposal here.<o:p></o:p>

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxAustralian Imagine CUp website is now Live...http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/12/09/australian-imagine-cup-website-is-now-live.aspx2007-12-10T02:06:00Z2007-12-10T02:06:00Z
Yes, the Australian Imagine Cup website is now live, and it looks AWESOME! I worked with Wunderman on this (they also did the Imagine Cup flyers that you plant and grow a tree out of) and I am very happy with the work they've done. Check it out.

The other big news to note is this - Australian Software Design category deadlines are up on this webpage. This is important if you're entering Software Design this year, becaue the new website is the only place where you'll be able to access this information (plus information about the prizes you can win). If you're entering the SD category, you've also got a chance to win a whole bunch of smaller prizes (like t-shirts and promotional prize packs) if you submit progress reports of your entry along the way. Software Design category is alot of hard work, and this is an attempt to reward students who are taking a well-planned, well-considered approach to building their entry rather than leaving it to the last minute.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A TEAM MATE FOR IMAGINE CUP? Alot of people have been asking me about the launch parties so that they can come along and try to meet ome people from their area who they can form a team with. Well, the launch parties will be early in the new year (mid Jan), but in the meantime, if you are looking for an extra one or two teammates, drop me a line.

(By the way, has anyone ever noticed that when your are trying to type 'Imagine Cup', You always have to go back and change the 'U' to a 'u'? i.e. you always type Imagine CUp? Or is that just me? And did you just read this and go and open a notepad window and type 'Imagine CUp' to see if you did the same thing? If you did, I applaud your inquisitive nature :D)

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxXNA Gamefest Presentations are now available onlinehttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/12/07/xna-gamefest-presentations-are-now-available-online.aspx2007-12-07T05:19:00Z2007-12-07T05:19:00Z

Gamefest is probably the biggest game technology event on the Microsoft calendar. The 2007 conference hapened earlier this year (in the U.S, of course), and the presentations and some of the audio from speaker sessions have now been posted online for download. There's some very useful stuff here f you've been playing with XNA. The best thing is, the content's very 'accessible' - I've never been a games dev guy (I play games, and leave the hard part to the genii) and I can still understand alot of the slides.

I'd recommend checking theses slides out if you're interested in joining the Games Development category of Imagine Cup - some very useful, XNA / DirectX specific information there which could help you out with your entries quite a bit. I know there's also a number of lecturers wanting to begin teaching XNA - these materials would provide some good teaching references (in addition to the XNA curriculum that is available at the Academic Resource Centre.)

 In other XNA news, Glenn Wilson has informed me that Dream Build Play will be starting up again soon. For those of you at the Melbourne Mix On Campus, the video that Glenn showed at the start of his demo were the finalist entries from 2007's Dream Build Play - the idea is essentially that a whole bunch of amateur/hobbyist games developers get together and build some fun stuff. I'll keep you posted with more details as they come in - Glenn is looking at get something nice from Australia included at Dream Build PLay in 2008, and will be looking for collaborators, so if you're interested, watch this space.

Glenn is also starting an XNA users group (it will be country wide). You can sign up for the group at www.virtualrealm.com.au. Joining user groups is a fun and easy way to share your knowledge with other but also to learn alot of stuff from other enthusiasts in your community. If you are serious about being a games developer, I'd sign up at Glenn's blog now - you really have nothing to lose.

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxNew Victorian Government advertisement on greenhouse gas reductionshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/12/03/new-victorian-government-advertisement-on-greenhouse-gas-reductions.aspx2007-12-04T01:53:00Z2007-12-04T01:53:00Z
You may very well have already seen this advert from the Victorian Government - it's an advert encouraging people to reduce power usage and trying to cut harmful gas emissions (if you haven't seen it, check out the ad below)

 <OBJECT height=355 width=425><PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Eg_SEAnE-M&rel=1"><PARAM NAME="wmode" VALUE="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Eg_SEAnE-M&rel=1" mce_src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Eg_SEAnE-M&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></OBJECT>

I like this because it helps make the greenhouse emission problem real. Whilst making an ad is not going to win you the Imagine CUp, it got me thinking - setting targets, and helping individuals track & visualise their progresss towards their personal targets is almost as important as actually reducing emissions. I know I'm personally guilty of the "I'm just one person, what can I do?' mentality, and a good way to save the environment is to enable collective action and to help people realise that they are indeed part of a bigger solution.

If you're still looking for an Imagine Cup idea, read on...

Social networking is hot right now (thanks Paris for tainting our language). You build a small desktop app / Vista Sidebar gadget that people punch their data into and a carbon footprint is calculated. The data is then uploaded to a server and compared with other houses across the city / world, viewable on the web. You can then compare your data with your friends, shame the people who are poor performers and rub in just how environmentally friendly you are. It's an environmentally concious social networking site!

You can flesh the idea out in all sorts if ways - green dating (find other environmentally concious people in your area), green lobbying (building a collective voice of environmentaly aware citizens to make government take action) or sharing tips about how to save on your energy bill etc. The possibilities are endless. The idea is yours if you want it... I no longer have the skills required to build such a monster (it's so sad)

 How is everyone going with Imagine Cup entries? 159 Australian people have registered so far - very exciting!

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxWord's out - Aussie Imagine Cup entrants win jobs with Readifyhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/11/07/word-s-out-aussie-imagine-cup-entrants-win-jobs-with-readify.aspx2007-11-07T10:34:00Z2007-11-07T10:34:00Z
BIG news for IMagine Cup 2008 - Software Design category entrants in Australia can actually win a job... :D

Readify are Australia's top .NET developer firm. They are also into giving back to the tech community in a BIG way - first came the Readify Developer nights (go along and check one out - they're free!) and now they've come on board as official sponsors of Imagine Cup. Now, we could get Readify to throw some cash at us and buy more prizes for IC, but after discussing it with Readify, we decided we could deliver much more value if we helped IC entrants build skills and get a job.

For those who have just signed up for Imagine Cup, there's 9 ways to enter, but Software Design is always the biggest. In fact, it's so big it is the only category where we have to have local Australian finals to screen entries before the world finals - that means another round of competition that SD category entrants have to go in. Here's the deal - Readify are hiring the first, second and third place teams in the software design category for 2-3 month contracts in their developer centre. That means (A) you get access to some of the expertise of some of the best developers in Australia and (B) give your resume a MASSIVE boost by having Readify's name on it (and who knows, you might even get a fulltime gig if you're good ;D). Many thanks to Readify for this - it's a great opportunity for Imagine CUp entrants.

So that makes the final prize pool for the local Software Design category as follows:

1st - Trip to France, 3 months paid work alpcement with Readify, share in $1000 cash

2nd - 2 Months paid work placement with Readify, Xbox 360 for each students team member, share in $500 cash

3rd - 2 months paid work placement with Readify and a HTC Touch Windows Mobile device valued at AU$699 for each team member

4th and 5th - Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate and Microsoft Office Ultimate for each team member (est. value ~AU$2000)

And then there's the other 9 categories...

By the way, the new 2008 Imagine Cup Australia website will be up very soon - the mockups I've seen look great, so make sure you keep coming back to check out how the entire competition will go down when the site goes live

Oh, and one last thing, there's a launch party for Imagine Cup Australia 2008 coming up this Christmas break - it's going to be a great chance to come, meet other entrants, do some fun activities, find that elusive 2nd/3rd/4th teammate to join up the Software Design or Games Dev competition with, get a free feed (and free drinks, importantly) and just generally get happy. Make sure you're signed up, and make sure your mates are too, otherwise you don't get an invite. Watch this space for more details.

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxTips and Ideas for getting started in Imagine Cup 2008http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/10/15/tips-and-ideas-for-getting-started-in-imagine-cup-2008.aspx2007-10-15T04:25:00Z2007-10-15T04:25:00Z
"Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment".<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

That's the theme of Imagine Cup 2008. And I have to admit, it's a tricky one. How do you reduce carbon emissions with software? How do you stop deforestation using embedded design? And how do we bridge the gap between a real world problem and data that exists virtually? It seems a stretch, but it is very possible.<o:p></o:p>

My first advice to anyone wishing to enter Software Design this year is to properly define your problem. The theme means you need to have more background information than in previous years, because saving the environment obviously requires a scientific basis. But belkieve me, once you do a little bit of research and start to understand your problem, lightbulbs start flashing and pieces start falling into place. Your solution will necessarily have to take into account the science behind saving the environment. Your best bet is to go and talk to lecturers in environmental engineering subjects at your university, who will be able to give you guidance on what problems are solvable, and how to go about doing so. Alternatively, go to organisations like EnergyAustralia, Sydney Water, Queensland Conservation etc who will be able to give you insight into what they're already doing to ensure sustainability, the problems which are yet to be addressed, and maybe give you some guidance as to which of these problems you could potentially solve. There are also organisations such as The Big Switch, who might be good for some ideas.

<o:p></o:p>

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The Big Switch gives you a list of small, everyday things you can do to reduce your ecological footprint. Think of ways you can take these tips and use technology to make them faster / easier / automated / seamless.<o:p></o:p>

Secondly, START NOW! Last year's competition saw a large drop off in numbers as the competition drew to a close, as students ran out of time. Spend a couple of weeks over the Christmas holidays after exams working on this project, and look at it as an investment - last year's Australian Imagine Cup winners are about to donate their entry to the Canberra Blind Society, which is a fantastic reflection on their work and will also be a fantastic highlight in their application for any grad jobs they are now going to apply for. To even make the Australia finals is a fantastic achievement, and with Imagine Cup becoming increasingly recognised as the world's premier student technology competition, it's a major boost for your CV.<o:p></o:p>

Thirdly, check out the world final winners from 2007's final in Korea - these can be your benchmark. Whilst there were some entries that were obviously part of bigger research projects, there were world final entries that I think plenty of Aussie CS students are very capable of beating / bettering. Judges take it into consideration when there are projects that were obviously not designed specifically for Imagine Cup, which is why entries like Jamaica and Ireland did so well - they started from scratch and addressed the theme properly. Your final product doesn't have to be a PhD thesis to win; it just has to be effective, well-thought out and above all, something that solves one of the big environmental problems we are facing. <o:p></o:p>

I saw this story which I thought would have made a really good Imagine Cup entry (although I know now it has already been done). The beauty of technology such as this is that it does not rely on people to consciously focus on being 'green' - using GeoEye, organisations save money, regardless of whether they have an environmental conscience or not. For other ideas, I'd suggest you subscribe to eWEEK technology's rss feed - they've always got good stories there about tech companies who are doing really interesting and innovative things to help the world become 'greener'<o:p></o:p>

Keep an eye on this blog for ideas on how you can help save the planet - in the coming weeks / months, I'm going to be talking to a wide variety of people about how we can use software to change the world. Watch this space for inspiration!<o:p></o:p>

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxImagine Cup Australia update - register now for 2008http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/10/03/imagine-cup-australia-update-register-now-for-2008.aspx2007-10-03T09:28:00Z2007-10-03T09:28:00Z
Hi all. It's been a while, but that's because I've had my head buried finishing up IC2007 and getting ready for IC2008!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

First up, the biggest news is that anyone who wants to enter Imagine Cup 2008 are able to register now. Head to http://imaginecup.com/Registration/Default.aspx to sign up. <o:p></o:p>

Second, 2008's software design category is going to be a very different competition to last year in Australia. Microsoft Australia will be having alot more to do with teams as they move through the software development cycle, and will be holding a number of events throughout this year and in the lead up to the finals next year where you can learn new stuff, meet other students, meet professional developers and generally have a whole bunch of fun and bounce some ideas of each other. Also, finding good ideas is probably the most part of the battle here, so watch this space for interviews with environmental sustainability experts to give you ideas for your 2008 Imagine Cup entry.<o:p></o:p>

Also, for the first time this year, we've got industry involvement. Readify Consulting have come on board this year as a co-sponsor, and will be working with us throughout the year to deliver a number of events and prizes to those entering Imagine Cup. Readify are one of the top .NET consulting and training firms in Oz (if not the best), so it's great to have them on board.<o:p></o:p>

Also (and probably most excitingly), entries can be delivered in 3 separate, 'optional' phases, and with each submission, you get a rad Microsoft prize! So what do I mean by 'optional' submissions??? Well, each team needs to submit a list of deliverables, which are outlined here, in order to enter. 'Optional submission' means you can still submit all deliverables in one fowl swoop at the end of the competition like last year, but in an effort to help you balance your workload out properly, we're rewarding those entrants who take a well planned approach, who start early and who break the project down into phases. If your team submits your project proposal in late December, you get a sweet Imagine Cup t-shirt. If you submit you proposed systems architecture and screenshots of your progress in late January, you get a free Microsoft Wireless Mouse!

Finally, this year, EVERY student from every team that submits a final entry will win a copy of Office Ultimate, worth ~AU$1200 rrp! So that means that no-one will walk away empty handed from this year's software design category of Imagine Cup in Australia. Plus, the regular prizes such as cash, Xbox 360's, trips to Paris to compete in the world finals etc still stand. So get cracking, sign up today, and let's "Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment"!<o:p></o:p>

- Nick (t-nice @ microsoft dot com)<o:p></o:p>

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxImagine Cup 2008 site goes livehttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/08/14/imagine-cup-2008-site-goes-live.aspx2007-08-14T08:30:00Z2007-08-14T08:30:00Z

'Allo Frenchie! The site for Imagine Cup 2008 to be held in Paris is now up at www.imaginecup.com. You can't register or access the forums yet, but you can read all about the theme for next year (sustainability), and most importantly, read about the new XBOX 360 GAMES DEVELOPMENT CATEGORY!!! Whilst the web development category has sadly been axed for Paris, I know alot of casual games developers out there who'll be thrilled with the addition of a games category they can compete in.

If you listen to one thing I say all year, it's GET STARTED ON YOUR IMAGINE CUP 2008 ENTRIES NOW! It's amazing how quick time slips away, and the best entries are the one's who have had time to thoroughly think a problem through and talk to a number of different parties before even starting development, so to increase your chances of making it to the Aussie finals (and maybe the world finals) next year, start thinking about your project now.

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxThailand - winner of 2007 Imagine Cup Worldwide Finalshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/08/13/thailand-winner-of-2007-imagine-cup-worldwide-finals.aspx2007-08-13T05:57:00Z2007-08-13T05:57:00Z
The world finals are done for another year! Congratulations to the entry from Thailand, this year's winner. The Thai team combined an enigmatic presentation style with a slick WPF interface to form an entry that aims to combat illiteracy. "Lifebook" is a classic example of a simple idea with impeccable execution. Users need a webcam to capture text, digitize it with OCR, then learn to read by (A) bringing up pictures of certain keywords in the text that the app recognises and (B) reading the text itself out to users. The app can also forseeably have value in the teaching of foreign languages, as it has mulit-language capability. Whilst the solution itself may not be a typical example of the high complexity many of the other entries had, it was a great example of good user interface and simplicity personified. Well Done, Thailand!

Shooting a bright screen in a dark hall is tricky! Thailand's winning entry.

Second place getters Korea built a very impressive embedded device using gloves that help blind deaf people communicate. Deaf Blind people communicate using "fingerbraille", which involves touching other people's fingers in certain patterns and places to convey alphabet letters. The Korean team developed a way for blind deaf people to communicate remotely, by developing gloves that (A) read movements in a persons hand to read what they are trying to convey in finger brail and (B) transmit this same message to a remote user, who may also be blind deaf, via vibrations on the top of the gloves and though the use of an MSN like chat tool. This means you no longer need to be in the same physical location as another person to use finger brail. Seeing the user accceptance testing videos of an actual blind deaf person using it to chat online was touching and amazing.

The Korean entry, 'Finger Code'

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p>Jamaica's entry rounded out the top 3. "CADI" is a virtual learning environment, allowing people from different coutries who speak different lanaguages to use the same course materials. Effectively, this means language is no longer a barrier to education, since content can be shared and instant messages exchanged between people from different countries and speaking different languages. These guys seemed to be the people's sentimental champs, with loud cheers and cameras flashing everytime they took the stage.</o:p>

<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>

<o:p>The Jamaican team, 'CADI'</o:p>

On another note, I need to say a massive congratulations to the Australia team from University of Canberra for this year. I think that their entry was technically more advanced than many of the entries that made it through to the final 6, and I think that showing of an interface for blind people to judges who have full vision is a very difficult task. the work they have done in user acceptance and in maximising usability for blind people will make a diffference to blind people's lives and enable them to have more job opportunities than they currently do, so I congratulate them on their decision to give their entry to Vision Australia when they finish development.

On another note, thanks to everyone who ended up coming along to Imagine Cup. Hopefully you all came away feeling, like me, that this was one of the best times of your life. It was great to meet so many people with interesting ideas and personalities (and also very surpising to see how much of an international readership this blog has - I didn't realise anyone outside of Australia was reading). The Korean MSPs in particular need to be thanked, because they did an amazing job and made everyone feel so special and welcomed.

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxWrap up - day 3 and 4 of Imagine Cup world finalshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/08/08/wrap-up-day-3-and-4-of-imagine-cup-world-finals.aspx2007-08-08T18:45:00Z2007-08-08T18:45:00Z
YESTERDAY - So I was a little bit lazy with updates/recaps for yesterdays competition, but hey, I had the choice of doing a blog post or getting couple of hours sleep. I chose the latter. Yesterday (Tuesday) saw the SD teams presenting again to a different panel of judges than those they presented to on Monday. Not really much more to report except that the teams that are going on to the next round were announced - Austria, Jamaica, Greece, China, Korea, Thailand, Russia, Ukraine, Ireland, Czech Republic, Serbia and Netherlands all made it through to round 2. Having 12 teams that go through to the next round means 43 teams had to be culled. Bad news. The remaining 12 teams had to present again yesterday afternoon, and today at dinner the group was halved to leave 6 finalists. The 6 teams who will continue the competition tomorrow are Jamaica, Serbia, Austria, Ireland (go boys!), Korea and Thailand. They will be presenting in front of around 500 people, so it only gets tougher from here.

1. Austria and Jamaica get roudy when the announcement is made they will be amongst the teams to proceed to the second round

2. The full contingent of SD teams to make it through to round 2

I know alot of competitors were a little downtrodden over the abrupt end to their Imagine CUp campaign. None were more disappointed than our team from Australia. Their presentations went very well and I was quietly expecting them to go through to the next round, but then again, there were a few other entries that I thought would go through to the next round that didn't. I guess that goes to show how tight things were.

The Embedded Development category also continued yesterday, and I got a chance to check out some of the cool stuff going on there. Here are a few of the entries that didn't make it through to the next round (I will cover some of the top 6 entries tomorrow as they compete for the final prize).

3. India had developed a system to help show 2D images to blind people. Basically, the ebox reads an image, and then raises pins on the pad you see to the right to show blind people various shapes. The device is pitched as a way of adding a 'visual' element to teaching blind people. Actually, there were alot of entries this year that addressed the hardships faced by people with disabilities, which was great given the whole idea behind IC is to "Imagine A Better World".

4. For the life of me, I can't remember which country this entry came from. MY apologies to the team. Embedded design is a rad category, and this glove is a good example - it helps mute people talk. The glove is hard wired to an ebox and a set of speakers, and touching parts of the glove in certain ways helps blind people communicate through the speakers. Speaking of gloves, the Irish team has done something really cool with gloves too, but I'll leave the photos of that one until tomorrow.

TODAY - conisted of free time for all and a full tour organised by the city of Seoul... Check out my photos my IC finals Flickr stream. They're not compressed or edited, so brace yourself for a long wait on download ;)

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxWrap up - Day 2 of World Finalshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/08/06/wrap-up-day-2-of-world-finals.aspx2007-08-07T01:35:00Z2007-08-07T01:35:00Z
 The second day of proceedings saw actual competition begin. The day went like this - 55 teams are put in an exhibition hall, where they each get a booth to set up their entries and show them off to attendees and the media. They are then chosen one by one to present to one of four panels of judges in a private room (and will repeat the same tomorrow). This makes it very interesting to see some of the dynamics in the room. Whilst a few teams were obviously being very guarded about their entries, most students and their mentors were really interested in what other teams were doing and in showing off their own entries. The second day of proceedings saw actual competition begin. The day went like this - 55 teams are put in an exhibition hall, where they each get a booth to set up their entries and show them off to attendees and the media. They are then chosen one by one to present to one of four panels of judges in a private room (and will repeat the same tomorrow). This makes it very interesting to see some of the dynamics in the room. Whilst a few teams were obviously being very guarded about their entries, most students and their mentors were really interested in what other teams were doing and in showing off their own entries.

1. Got Tech? Techno Mart has 2000 stalls, including 3 levels dedicated almost exclusively to cameras and mp3 players. If you look really closely at the bottom of the screen, you can see two go-go dancers dancing out the front and trying to get customers to come in. Wow.

One thing I didn't realise about the Imagine Cup world finals is that there is a hidden, unofficial category called 'Pimp My Booth'. Whilst there is the odd hand drawn poster (obviously caught out by the same lack of prior knowledge about booth battles as I was), on the whole people were going to alot of trouble to trick their booths out. But I have to say, the Aussie team did make the largest impression with their blind kangaroo mascot! He was by far the most popular guy there! I wonder how many blog posts will he pop up in?

2. & 3. The Aussie Booth at various times during the day

Talking to a few teams about their entries, there were a few comon themes. Primarily, entries either a) made education more accessible through mobile devices / web servers / automation or b) aimed to help blind people or c) just downright looked cool. There were alot of very interesting entries, and honestly, I couldn't pick a winner from the ones I saw. Great quality. Here's a quick sample:

4. Bright background plus dark foreground equals bad photo. It's always amazing to see entries that already look set to go to market. Austria developed some apps for SmartBoard type devices that had everyone stopping at their booth to ask questions. The most interesting thing about it was it's highly unique user interface - you get an artist's 'palate' which you hold in your hand and is your key to a large variety of different commands and functions. You tap the stylus on diferent parts of the palate to activate different functions. Looking part Surface, part education tool, I think this thing has much broader applications than just education. Using more than one stylus, you can collaboratively work on the same workspace, and it reminds me a little bit of the WaCom graphics tablets that are running Expression, so I think designers and engineers are going to be all over this thing.

5. Romania's entry - "Knowledge Sense" - claims to be a modern version of the encyclopedia. Using natural language queries and an intuitive, interactive interface, users can reportedly ask the app just about any question you can think of. I wanted to ask it how to get my towels extra soft when I wash them, but I didn't get a chance to try it out.

6. I'm a very visual person plus I like gadgets, so alot of the entries that wowed me the most were the ones that integrated hardware and software. The Pakistan team invented a system for multi-point video recording of lectures. Their system automatically moves the camera to track a lecturer as they move around the room. Once the session is finished, the system automatically does a quick edit of the lecture, then uploads it to a web server, and sends alerts out to users that new content has been added. Another cool feature is that they have used directional microphones that can detect which general side of the room a question is coming from if a student asks questions a question during the lecture since, as the team points out, the learning experience is not all about the lecturer.

7. I also had a quick look at the Embedded Design category, but the day's proceedings had finished by the time I got there. But I did snap the odd photo (and I do mean odd - like extreme net surfing requiring a bike helmet ;) ) of a few entries there and in the Interface Design category.... I'll get some photos up in my next post of some of the better entries.

The Australian team presented last to a panel of (I think) very tired judges. I wasn't allowed to take photos during the presentation as per the contest rules, but the team did very well. As you might recall, they have developed a tool for helping blind people program. So for me, the coolest part of the presentation was when they cover the screen and do some cding on the fly. Phil, who was driving the demo, even made a mistake, with a button overlaping a field in a simple logon form, but was able to rectify it without looking at the screen, which is a tribute to the usability of this app.

Finally, dinner was crazy - 800 odd software designers in a room getting their grub on! In a big hall in the SHeraton with chefs in tall hats buzzing in and out of the crod wih plates of hot food. My photos don't justice to just how cool and impressive a job the event organisers have done and how rad a place Korea is. Went to the W-Hotel lobby for a quick drink (geez thats a swank place) then hit the sack around 1am for a 6am start.

I also had a quick look at the Embedded Design category, but the day's proceedings had finished by the time I got there. But I did snap the odd photo (and I do mean odd - see below) of a few entries.... I'll get some photos up in my next post of some of the better entries.

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxFirst day of the Finals - or at least the 3 hours we saw of it.http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/08/05/first-day-of-the-finals-or-at-least-the-3-hours-we-saw-of-it.aspx2007-08-05T17:57:00Z2007-08-05T17:57:00Z
The world finals began today in Korea and already the team from UC have lost some members. Nothing like a hapless airline to break a team apart. Due to massive incompetence on behalf of Australia's major airline (I'm as subtle as a sledgehammer), the team got split up at Sydney airport. So some of us are already here, whilst others are still in transit or in Sydney. Luckily there was no competition today. But thats a whole other complaint letter!

1&2. Microsoft know how to throw a party, yep yep! The hotel where Imagine Cup is being held.

We're here, and this is one of the coolest sights I've ever seen. 2 WHOLE HOTELS BOOKED OUT FULL OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPER STUDENTS. Yeh, 2 hotels. And I'm not talking Formule1 either - Sheraton and W Hotel ain't no joke. There's full size bottles of Chivas Regal and Remi Martin in the minibar for chrissakes!

It's amazing the amount of stuff thats going on as I walk through the hotels. From the chill out lounge with the fully stocked fridge full of free coke / ice tea / water / lolly water and 6 player xbox360 to the sheer size of the main hall, I think this could be the most excited I've been about anything since Jay-Z announced his retirement (language warning on that last link). If you are a software design / computing science student thinking of joining Imagine CUp next year, DO IT! I'm so stoked on IC right now and everyone is having so much fun! And the realy interesting stuff hasn't even started yet.

Tomorrow sees the kick off of the actual competition, which is probably what most of the reaaders of this blog would be interested in. Participants will then be culled from around 55 teams to the final 12. Then we have a day's sightseeing on Wednesday (topped of by dinner with the mayor of Seoul and lunch at the Seoul Olympics Gym). The final 12 teams duke it out further on the Thursday, then we wrap things up on Friday with a party! Heck yeh! Well deserved too to the students. There's some good work here this year.

Anyways, I could type all night I'm so excited but I had better pack this one in here - I have to go and organise a ride for the other team members from Incheon airport to the hotel due to our planned flights being overbooked. Thanks QANTAS!

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxImagine Cup World Finals are closing in...http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/08/03/imagine-cup-world-finals-are-closing-in.aspx2007-08-03T06:58:00Z2007-08-03T06:58:00Z
From next week, the world's top software design students will all converge on Korea to a) battle it out for the IC Crown and b) hopefully have the time of their life.

I'll be escorting the team from University of Canberra and their mentor, Dr. Dat Tran to Sheraton Grande Walkerhill, in Seoul,Korea. I've heard rumours that 250 students have been recruited by our Korean subsidiary to how the teams a good time. Hot damn it's gonna be fun. Once we get to Seoul, we will be meeting up with our Australian judge, Mr Nick Randolph, to take on the world. Thanks again for volunteering Nick R.

I've been having a stickybeak at other countries entries over the past weeks (EG. 1, 2), and golly! it's gonna be cool. (Yeh, I can't actually believe I wrote 'golly!' either). For those who will be attending, I'm looking forward to meeting you all, for those who didn't make it this year, registration will be open for next year's competition as soon as the world finals are finished. In the meantime, i'll have regular updates here and on Channel 8 as the competition hots up.

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxBill Gates's view of Imagine Cuphttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/07/25/bill-gates-s-view-of-imagine-cup.aspx2007-07-26T01:45:00Z2007-07-26T01:45:00Z
Bill Gates comments on the Imagine Cup at http://channel8.msdn.com/Posts/38/ ( I won't embed the video for those of you with slow connections). I love the way they introduce Bill with some cheesy metal band as the background music. All they need now is some jerky camera work and they've got an episode of Planet X :)

That criticism aside, I think it's always interesting to hear Bill talk. But what I wanna know is why the Australian finalists wasn't invited to show our wares of to Bill and Craig Mundie? Boohoo.

BTW, Channel 8 is the new student portal from Microsoft and there's going to be a heck of alot of Imagine Cup content up there during and after the world finals (which happen in Korea in around a week's time). Look out Seoul, here we come!

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxEric Lam takes out 'Blog for a Box' at ReMix / Imagine Cup finalshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/07/24/eric-lam-takes-out-blog-for-a-box-at-remix-imagine-cup-finals.aspx2007-07-24T05:29:00Z2007-07-24T05:29:00Z
To help generate more attention for this year's entries in Imagine Cup, I ran a 'Blog for a Box' promo at ReMix. The premise was basiclally this - ReMix attendees (truthfully) blog about this year's finalists (whether they thought they were good bad or ugly) to go in the draw to win an Xbox 360. The response was overwhelmingly positive, which is a credit to the standard of work the 3 finalist teams did.

The winner was decided based on i) providing some opinion / insight in the content they included, ii) proof that they were indeed present to watch at least some of the finals and iii) ranking in search engines and blog aggregators (we wanted to show the teams off to as many people as possible).

After all this, and reading some of the great posts people went to the effort of creating, we had a winner by a nose - Eric Lam! Eric, there's an xbox 360 in the mail for you.

The following are permalinks to a few of the other blog entries that came close to winning the Xbox:

- http://blogs.msdn.com/msozacademic/archive/2007/06/29/imagine-cup-australia-winners.aspx

- http://dotnetjunkies.com/WebLog/andrewwhitten/archive/2007/06/26/251992.aspx

- http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2007/06/27/entry-in-programming-contest-a-sight-not-to-see

- http://the-riotact.com/?p=5250

- http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2007/6/29/visually-impaired-computer-programming-a-dream-come-true.html

- http://apcmag.com/6514/now_the_blind_can_program_in_net

- http://edwardhooper.com/2007/06/29/imagine-cup-australian-finals/

- http://blogs.msdn.com/frankarr/archive/2007/06/27/imagine-cup-2007-winners-announced-lives-to-be-changed.aspx

- http://geekswithblogs.net/shahed/archive/2007/06/27/113523.aspx

- http://littlevoices.blogspot.com/2007/06/imagine-cup-2007.html

- http://www.ruthellison.com/2007/07/02/visual-studio-2005-accessibility/

- http://dpramudya.blogspot.com/2007/06/imagine-cup-2007-australia-winner-on.html

 Nick

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxUniversity of Canberra are going to the Imagine Cup world finals - again.http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/06/27/university-of-canberra-are-going-to-the-world-finals-again.aspx2007-06-27T02:27:00Z2007-06-27T02:27:00Z
Get ready - this one's a long one.

For the second year running, the University of Canberra (UC) has taken out the Australian Imagine Cup finals. Special mention must be made of the efforts that the uni's School of Information Sciences and Engineering faculty members (in particular Dr. Dat Tran and Dr. Dhamendra Sharma) put into supporting those teams that enter the Imagine Cup each year (2 teams from UC made it into the Oz finals this year). UC has a very strong focus on the student experience, which is fantastic to see. Also in attendance was a team from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), mentored by Dr. On Wong (who is one of the friendliest guys I've ever met and who educated me on exactly what it is that makes tall people tall). It was great to meet you all and shoot the breeze, aswell as see your entries this year.

"Team APA" took out proceedings this year with an entry that got the developers in the audience jumping out of their seats in excitement. Charles Sterling (Microsoft Developer Evangelist and Imagine Cup judge) virtually skipped out of the room after judging their entry. OK, maybe not, but it was an exciting entry. 'APA' is a tool for helping blind people develop in C#.NET. No easy task by any stretch of the Imagination.

Team APA were not clear cut winners though (despite how good their entry was) - after all teams had presented and as the judges were discussing a winner, I really had no idea who would take out the Australian finals and go on to compete for glory (and a share in AU$40k) at the world finals in Korea. We had three very distinctive entries compete in the Australian finals this year, and each had their own unique strengths (wow, I sound like I'm trying to build self-esteem in Kindergarten kids - "you are all special in your own way"). In all seriousness, judging was TIGHT! Having long ago turned away from the good side (geeky techy stuff) and gravitating more towards the dark side (the business side of things) I was focused more on which entries had more commercial viability, so if I was a judge, I would have chosen 'Smart Education' (UC) or 'Question & Answer Technology' (QUT) (more details on these entries found here). But thats why I'm not a judge. Team APA stuck with the Imagine Cup ethos - Imagine Cup is all about imagining a better world, and when there is 70% unemployment and incredible hardship amongst blind people, empowering blind people to become programmers is an extremely worthwhile aim.

After the dust had settled and the winners had been announced at the start of the final panel at ReMix07 (which was, by the way, deadset fabtabulous), the entrants and a motley crew of other Microsoft and Imagine Cup dignitaries went and chilled in Tonic Bar at Crown Promenade before their stretched limo's (yep, thats how we do it with the Imagine Cup) arrived to pick the entrants up and take them back to the airport. I know some of the students were a bit disappointed they wouldn't go to Korea, but please guys, take heart in knowing you are the top university software programmers in Australia, which is a great effort.

 Finally, I need to thank the judges. Tony Sarno, editor of APC magazine, volunteered to join the judging panel and his account of the finals is an interesting read. He gave alot of support to Imagine Cup this year, and his help is much appreciated.

I'd also like to make a very special mention of Mr Tony Lupton, Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation and local member for Prahran (Victoria). Mr Lupton made time in his (very) busy schedule to come and act as a judge, which is a great indication of his support for his portfolio and his desire to support ongoing innovation through education. His presence was much appreciated and added considerable value to proceedings.

To the lads - Coatesy (Andrew Coates) and Chuck (Charles Sterling), both Microsoft developer evangelists - thanks for jumping at the chance to be judges this year. Great to see such enthusiastic support for students and the Imagine Cup from within the Microsoft organisation, especially when developer evangelists have so many commitments and responsibilities.

And finally Shahed Khan, pro developer and Microsoft most valued professional. Shahed jumped on board at the very start of Imagine Cup 07 wanting to mentor a team. We didn't have a team in the area he lives, but his enthusiasm was such that I knew we'd have to make him a judge. Thanks Shahed.

Thanks to all involved - photos have been delayed but will soon follow (I loaned my camera to our PR team yesterday afternoon), and next year's theme will be announced soon (you'll know about it all the sooner if you subscribe - http://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/rss.xml) so you can get an early jump on proceedings. If you're a tertiary student and are interested in entering next year, keep an eye out for an IC launch in a uni near you in second semester this year, check out www.imaginecup.com for worldwide details, subscribe to this blog or email me firstname.lastname@example.com.

Nick

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxAustralian Imagine Cup Finalists announcedhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/06/07/australian-imagine-cup-finalists-announced.aspx2007-06-07T08:43:00Z2007-06-07T08:43:00Z
The three top teams for this year's national software design finals in late June have been decided. In the interest of ensuring hot competition in Melbourne, I won't go into the finer details of their entries, but the finalists are:

"The Intelligent Gorillas" (Queensland University of Technology) - developed an application for peer-based learning and discussion using a Powerpoint presentation as a starting point for something that becomes so much more.

"Team APA" (University of Canberra) - developed a tool to help blind people program in C#.NET

"Smart Education" (University of Canberra) - think WebCT mashed up with Facebook, giving a very 'now' solution to student problems.

There was a cluster of exciting, high quality entries in this year's competition, making choosing a shortlist pretty tough. Unfortunately, only 3 teams can proceed to the finals. There's still the People's Choice Awards coming up in late June for the best national entrants, so watch this space - if you've missed out on making the national finals, you're still in the running to take out people's choice!

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxSoftware Design entries have now closed...http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/05/31/software-design-entries-have-now-closed.aspx2007-05-31T06:14:00Z2007-05-31T06:14:00Z

The mysterious midnight May 30th deadline has passed, which means entries into the Software Design component of Imagine Cup 07 have now closed.

 All students who sent in an entry should have received an email from me (t-nice at Microsot.com) confirming that I have received your entry. If you have not received such an email but definitely sent your entry in, please email me immediately so we can track down your entry.

 For those teams who I have received entries from, thankyou very much. I will have a list of the teams who will advance to the Australian finals by close of business Monday, so bookmark http://blogs.msdn.com/ausic for the latest updates.

 Good luck - the entries we've had a chance to look at so far look great!

 - Nick

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxImagine Cups Finals date is closing inhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/05/21/imagine-cups-finals-date-is-closing-in.aspx2007-05-21T05:05:00Z2007-05-21T05:05:00Z
As you are hopefully all mindful of, Imagine Cup (IC) Australian finals are fast approaching! Entries need to be received (on physical media only) by close of business on Wednesday 30th May. There's exciting times ahead, as many of you put the finishing touches on your IC07 projects. Send them to:

Nicholas Ellery

Microsoft

1 Eppping Rd

North Ryde NSW 2113

Believe me, the IC finals at ReMix this year are going to be awesome, and a great way to showcase your solutions to the world. You don't want to miss this deadline.

In other news, we're also running a "People's Choice" component to Imagine Cup this year, where selected entries will be hosted on Si-Mi, where the general public can buy your solutions. Those entries with the most number of purchases are deemed to be the 'People's Choice'. Yes, that's right, people will be buying your software! And the beautiful thing is that you set the price...stay tuned for more information.

In closing, if you are having any issues with Imagine Cup, email me at < t-nice @ microsoft dot com>

Nick

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxReMix site goes live.http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/05/08/remix-site-goes-live.aspx2007-05-09T01:57:00Z2007-05-09T01:57:00Z
As you may all be aware, the Imagine Cup finals will this year be held in conjunction with ReMix in Melbourne. And as of yesterday, the ReMix Australia site is live.

For those unfamiliar with ReMix, it is the Australian version of MIX, the Microsoft sponsored web design / developer conference held in Vegas each year. Check out the link to see what's in store for Australian ReMix attendees.

 -Nick

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxWho says developers don't party?http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ausic/archive/2007/05/07/who-says-designers-don-t-party.aspx2007-05-07T03:13:00Z2007-05-07T03:13:00Z
Certainly not Microsoft, that's for sure... the locations for the worldwide finals have been announced!

It will take place over 5th - 11th August in Seoul at the Sheraton Walkerhill (the actual finals will take place 6-10, the rest of the time is functions and free time for entrants.).

 Below is a rough copy of the itinerary so far.

Sunday, August 5 - Arrivals / Welcome Reception & Dinner<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Monday, August 6 - Official Opening Ceremony / Competitions Commence<o:p></o:p>

Tuesday, August 7 - Competitions Conclude<o:p></o:p>

Wednesday, August 8 - Seoul Cultural Tour / Sailing on Han River / SD Finalist Announcement<o:p></o:p>

Thursday, August 9 - Digital Life Experiential Program / Finalist Workshop / Official Dinner<o:p></o:p>

Friday, August 10 - Free Time / World Festival / Press Conference / Farewell Party<o:p></o:p>

Saturday, August 11 - Departures

It should be a blast.

- Nick

ausichttp://blogs.msdn.com/ausic/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashx


text:
Oldsmobile LSS Repair and Maintenance
A guide to problems, costs, maintenance and repair for your Oldsmobile LSS
Verified by mechanics, reported by drivers like you
Ask a mechanic in our community
Never overpay. Check prices with our estimator
Oldsmobile LSS ProblemsCheck Engine Light Due to Ignition Related Failures
Failure of the crankshaft position sensor, ignition control module, or PCM may cause the Check Engine Light to illuminate.
The EGR tube may develop an engine vacuum leak causing the engine to run lean. The Check Engine Light may or may not illuminate.
One or more heater & AC (HVAC) temperature and/or air delivery mode door actuator may fail, resulting in improper temperature or air delivery. If this occurs, fault code(s) should be stored in the HVAC control module which should assist in diagnoses.
Oldsmobile LSS QuestionsWhere is my fuse for fog lights (1 answer)
Fog lights
Once I put the car in drive it stays normal for 27 seconds then it flashes 60 for about 1 minute and 7 seconds. The AC never comes on.
Have a replacement relay -fuse under hood ok- but cannot find info on the relay location.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Around Town
June 10, 2016 Karaoke held at local bar MARTINSBURG —Chesapeake Bar and Grill hosts Panhandle Karaoke at 9 p.m. every Satuday. more »»
D.C. and Beyond
June 10, 2016 Takoma Park JazzFest TAKOMA PARK, Md. — Downtown Takoma Park, Maryland, will once again jump, swing and jive to the sounds of America's home grown music: jazz, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. more »»
Stars of Summer
May 19, 2016 CHARLES TOWN — The Event Center at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will present a star-studded lineup of entertainment this summer that will include award-winning music, comedy, and game... more »»
Martinsburg High School students present one-act plays
May 19, 2016 MARTINSBURG — Martinsburg High School's theatre department is presenting their annual student-directed One Acts Sunday evening. more »»
Martinsburg food, music festival makes debut
May 19, 2016 MARTINSBURG — If you're craving exotic foods or looking for a great weekend activity for the whole family, the inaugural Martinsburg Food and Music Festival occurring Saturday can provide food and... more »»
Berkeley Community Chorus to perform twice
May 19, 2016 MARTINSBURG — Two concerts this weekend will highlight choral music from the Great American Songbook, Broadway musical theatre, songs from movies, several well-known pop hits, and African-American... more »»
Swine, Wine & Roses Festival to be held in Mercersburg, Pa.
May 19, 2016 MERCERSBURG, Pa. — The Conococheague Institute will host its first-ever Swine, Wine & Roses Festival this weekend. The festival will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.. more »»
'Rapture' offers personal tales filled with emotion
May 19, 2016 Rapture by Sjohnna McCray Graywolf Press 2016, $16 Sjohnna McCray's "Rapture" is an exquisite first collection of poems by one who promises to become an outstanding voice in American letters. more »»
Those Summer Nights
May 12, 2016 CHARLES TOWN — Get ready to join the Pink Ladies and Burger Palace Boys to relive those "summer nights" as the students at Jefferson High School perform "Grease" this weekend. more »»
Four-day international guitar festival begins today
May 12, 2016 SHEPHERDSTOWN — Shepherd University's Department of Music is hosting the second annual Shepherd International Guitar Festival — the only one of its kind in the region — starting today through Sunda. more »»
'GardenFest' weekend slated
May 12, 2016 SHEPHERDSTOWN — Plans are being finalized for a "GardenFest Weekend" in Shepherdstown May 21 and 22. more »»
'Rope' explores journey through poet's life
May 12, 2016 At the End of the Self-help Rope by Ed Zahniser New Academia Publishing 2016 $20.00 Ed Zahniser is one of West Virginia's most distinguished poets. more »»
Shepherdstown 4th annual 'Dogfest' set for this weekend
May 12, 2016 SHEPHERSTOWN — Shepherdstown will hold is fourth annual "DogFest" weekend this Saturday and Sunday that will once again feature its unique parade of adoptable dogs and a long list of activities. more »»
Heritage Days includes house, ghost tours
May 12, 2016 MARTINSBURG — The Martinsburg community will celebrates Heritage Days this weekend — just 13 years after Founders Day was combined with Belle Boyd's birthday to create Heritage Days — turning a... more »»
Play along with 'Bingo!' at Apollo Civic Theatre
May 12, 2016 MARTINSBURG — The Apollo Civic Theatre has the area premiere of "Bingo! The Winning Musical" this weekend and next weekend. more »»
Quilt show and fabric art classes
May 12, 2016 BEREKELY SPRINGS — The Delectable Mountains Quilt Guild will sponsor its annual quilt show, "Serenity," through May 29 at the Ice Hous. more »»
Circa Blue Fest, a new bluegrass music festival, to debut in Martinsburg
May 5, 2016 MARTINSBURG - Martinsburg will soon hear the sound of some guitars and banjos as the inaugural Circa Blue Fest will bring some of the most prominent bluegrass musicians to the area starting Friday... more »»
World renowned Budweiser Clydesdales to appear at Hollywood Casino
May 5, 2016 CHARLES TOWN - Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will host the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, the symbol of quality and tradition for Anheuser-Busch since 1933, on Thursday, May 12 and... more »»
Texas Tenors return to Hagerstown to perform with the Maryland Symphony
May 5, 2016 HAGERSTOWN, Md. —They won the hearts of over 100 million television viewers from around the globe to become the No. more »»
Poet reconstructs his parents' lives in four parts
May 5, 2016 The Art of Forgetting by Andrei Codrescu The Sheep Meadow Press 2016 $18.95 ??? Andrei Codrescu was born in Transylvania, Romania. He came to the United States in 196. more »»


text: ..................This board now reverts to the ownership of the good people of Sheffield. The pretender howy appears to have fled the boards in disgrace...either that or he has become a QPR fan, so he can continue the Paddy Kenny worship.So, the occupation of the enemy states will cease with immediate effect. The task force have performed admirably. Well done chaps, we can all now return to our own boards with out heads held high, safe in the knowledge that once again, the dictator is beaten.The WESTbirmingHAM Razorpool flag will be taken down and once again the colours of the Bramanal Lane team will flutter over this board.Happy hunting !!


text:
Opening hours:
Useful Info:
We are located on Church Road next to Corals betting shop and a few doors away from The William Tyler pub. There is free parking up to a hour on the side roads and free parking on the road behind the shop. There is also a Pay and Display parking at Lloyds TSB bank further down.


text:
The IMAP4 Component COM Object fully supports the latest
revisions of the IMAP4 protocol for retrieving Internet email. With just a few lines
of code you will be able to inspect and download Internet email messages
from a IMAP4 server. Click here for sample code and see for yourself.
Full Control of IMAP Server
Fully conforms to all the latest RFCs for IMAP allowing full control of any IMAP server.
Access Every Message Part
Integrates with included Message object to parse downloaded messages and expose every message part including, all header fields, text, HTML, XML and other body parts, every recipient, every attachment, every MIME part, and more. Checkout the Message object for more information.
Search and Sort Messages
Sort messages on key fields, and search for messages by subject, date, or any other header field.
Preview Message Structure and Attachments
Preview message structure and attachments without downloading the message.
Scales Easily
Scales easily to multi-user systems.
Manipulate IMAP folders
Create, delete, share, subscribe/unsubscribe folders on the server.
Manipulate Message Flags
Read and set IMAP message flags.
Receive IMAP Notifications
Receive real time IMAP notifications of changes to a mailbox.
Interfaces with SMTP
Interfaces with the EasyMail SMTP object for replies, forwards, etc.
Plain, CRAM-MD5, Auth Login and NTLM authentication
Upload Messages
Upload messages to IMAP server (append)
Download Message Envelopes
Message envelopes give you access to important message information and headers.
SSL Connections
SSL connections (with optional SSL plug-in)
User Definable Ports
Change the port used for IMAP communications if required by your server.
Event Notifications of Operations
Events enable you to monitor the progress of the commands you issue to the server.
Easy to Understand and Use Object Model
Intuitive object hierarchy and use of collection objects makes working with IMAP much easier.
IMAP Conversation Logging
Optionally outputs entire IMAP conversation to log file for archival or debugging purposes.
Integration with Windows Event Log
Can output errors to Windows event log.
View sample code...


text:
Which sex is the worst about washing up? Why is it so important? We've got the dirty truth on how and when to wash your hands.
Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)
An intravenous pyelogram (IVP) is an X-ray test that provides pictures of the kidneys, the bladder, the ureters, and the urethra (urinary tract ). Your doctor may be able to talk to you about some results right away. Complete results are usually ready in 1 to 2 days.
The kidneys, ureters, and bladder are normal in position, size, and shape.
The contrast material reaches the kidneys in a normal amount of time.
No blockage can be seen in the kidneys, ureters, or bladder.
In men, the prostate gland looks normal in position, size, and shape.
The kidneys, ureters, or bladder may be abnormal in position, size, or shape. A kidney may be absent, or an extra kidney or ureter may be present.
The kidneys are too large or too small.
The contrast material takes longer than normal to reach a kidney.
An abnormal growth (such as a tumor), one or more cysts, an abscess, or a kidney stone is seen.
A kidney is swollen with urine from a blockage such as a tumor or kidney stone.
Injury to the kidney, ureter, or bladder is seen.
The kidney contains scarring.
In men, the prostate gland is too large.
What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:
- Being unable to remain still during the test.
- Having a large amount of stool (feces) or gas in the large intestine (colon).
- Having a recent test with barium (such as a barium enema).
An intravenous pyelogram (IVP) is not usually done for a pregnant woman because the X-rays could damage the growing baby. If a view of a pregnant woman's kidneys is needed, an ultrasound test may be done instead.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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It's nothing to sneeze at.
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text:
Isn't this essentially a failure of the Wikipedia project?
August 5th, 2005
Seems like good quality administration to me.
August 5th, 2005
His name is Jimbo, not Jimmy. Now if only I could correct Yahoo's editorial content....
Colm O'Connor
August 5th, 2005
hm... apparently it's both.
Colm O'Connor
August 5th, 2005
Damn, I'm pretty sure Jimbo's a dude I used to argue with a bit many years ago when I used to hang around an Objectivist newsgroup (anthropologically, of course).
One of the very few really smart ones I've encountered.
So get in your updates now while you have a chance.
Why not just send the frozen articles through an administration process when they're updated?
Yes, it's a failure of the concept. But seriously - anyone with half a brain would realize that having a blank slate for an internet encyclopedia would fall victim to the tragedy of the commons at some point.
However, it's not a failure of wikipedia in and of itself - it's a natural evolution of the wikipedia. The next step in a proper internet evolution should be a massive flamewar somewhere over a political difference regarding moderation.
Yes. They have failed to patent the editing of online content to prevent counter organizational goals.
Wikipedia's organisation based on aristocracy is just creaking at the seams a little because its growing faster than new aristos can be trusted and elevated to police the content and disputes.
Hence Jimbo's proposal (interesting its a proposal he's maintaining his philosophy of not simply imposing his will).
Simon Lucy
August 6th, 2005
Oops, you found an error!


text:
Super Easy Black Bean, Corn, and Zucchini Salsa
Total Time
Prep 10 mins
Cook 0 mins
I love black bean and corn salsa, but almost everyone makes it with onions (which I won't eat raw). I found Black Bean and Corn Tacos and ran with it for this salsa. The key is having good salsa. If you don't like it hot omit the pepper and use mild salsa. Experiment with jalapeno, serrano, habanero, the possibilities are endless. If you do, use hot salsa and add peppers one at a time until desired heat. This is also great with 3/4 cup Mexican cheese blend. I hope you enjoy. TIP:Always rinse canned beans, it drastically reduces the sodium.
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 lb frozen corn (thawed and drained)
- 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 small zucchini (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
- 1 1⁄4 cups salsa
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 jalapenos (optional)
- Mix the above.
- Refrigerate.
- Enjoy.


text:
ActiveState Releases Komodo 7.1
ActiveState announces the release of Komodo IDE 7.1, an award-winning multiplatform integrated development environment (IDE) for Python, PHP, Ruby, JavaScript, Perl, and web development.
Bart Copeland, ActiveState President and CEO, says "Komodo has long been a hallmark of efficient application development. With its seamless Stackato integration, Komodo 7.1 makes it easy for developers to innovate using the language that's right for their enterprise, and then – with Stackato – deploy effortlessly to the cloud."
According to the announcement, Komodo IDE 7.1 offers improved performance to facilitate faster web application development, including: automatic variable highlighting; new Source Code Control push capabilities; debugging of cloud-deployed apps within the ActiveState Stackato Platform-as-a-Service environment; and support for PHP 5.4, Node.js 0.8, Python 3.3, Perl 5.16, and Ruby 1.9.3. Additionally, the Komodo IDE 7.1 language extension feature lets users add their own language or improve on an existing one.
Visit the ActiveState website for Komodo 7.1 release notes and to download a 21-day free trial.
Issue 26: Linux Shell Handbook 7th Ed./Special Editions
Buy this issue as a PDF
SUSE Joins the Microsoft Test Drive Program
Customers can take a free test drive of SLES for HPC on the Azure Cloud
SiFive Launches a Line of Open Source Chips
San Francisco-based chip company announces their first fully open source chip platform.
Fedora 24 Released
The whole distro gets rebuilt on glibc 2.3
Canonical Announces Cross-Distro Support for Snaps
Ubuntu Vendor tries to solve app packaging and distribution problem across distributions.
ownCloud Forked
Founder of ownCloud launches the Nextcloud project.
HP Enterprise Unveils a Futuristic Computer
Will The Machine change the way future programmers think about memory?
CoreOS Announces Distributed Storage System
The new Torus distributed storage system is available under an open source license on GitHub
Google Beats Oracle in the Android Lawsuit
Juries decides Google's use of Java APIs Was Fair Use
Linux is the Largest Software Development Project in History
But if you are not using the latest Linux kernel, your system is insecure.
Linksys Says Yes to Open Source Firmware
Home routers will give room for custom firmware but still comply with FCC rules


text:
Programs and Education Subcommittee
The Programs and Education Subcommittee (PEDS) is the primary educational arm of COS. PEDS is responsible for evaluating and making recommendations to the Steering Committee on integrating academic programs, student body, and staff into the effort to promote a sustainable campus. PEDS is co-chaired by Professor of History Andy Fisher and student Jessica Evans '16 [[e|jcevans03]].
The COS Celebrates Working Group is lead by student Aiyana Bodi '16 [[e|albodi]]
This enthusiastic outreach group chooses one relevant sustainability topic per month to recognize through educational games and activities on the Sadler Terrace.
The Sustainability Summit Working Group is lead by student Anna Klompen '17 [[e|amklompen]]
The Sustainability Summit takes place every fall and is an opportunity for the William and Mary community to gather and learn around the topic of sustainability. The two main goals of the Summit are to create a space where those already active in sustainability can meet and coordinate as well as to give others a chance to participate. Historically the format has been a half day program of panel discussions and breakout sessions that include breakfast and lunch. Admission is free.
The Earth Week Working Group is led by student Shannon Henris '16 [[srhenris]]
Earth Week takes place in April the week prior or the week of Earth Day and is 7 whirl wind days of activities, speakers, movies, events, games, exhibits, and more, all capped off with an Earth Day Festival that Saturday! The planning of this event starts in the fall and provides the opportunity for collaboration with many student, faculty, and staff, as well as community members.
The Tribe Truck Farm Working Group is lead by students Anna Kenan [[e|ackenan]] and Vincenza Montante '17 [[e|vhmontante]]
You might have seen this truck parked in various locations on campus! The Tribe Truck Farm is a biodiesel truck with a garden in the bed that was funded by both a kickstarter campaign and Green Fees in 2013. This outreach group visits local schools, daycares, and more, spreading the word about gardening, biodiesel, and other sustainability topics with a set of interactive lessons.


text:
Mike Sorensen: Pac-12 may get more than its share of bowl berths
The Cougars definitely won't be facing Oregon or Stanford and probably not UCLA or Oregon State or Arizona State. That leaves Washington, Arizona, USC or Utah as their most likely opponent.
- Oldest first
- Newest first
- Most recommended
Right now (10/27) the top 8 PAC 12 teams are:
OR St 6-2
AZ St 5-2
It looks like, based on the above records, BYU's opponent would be AZ, AZ St, or UCLA, as the three are tied for 4th place. So whichever of those teams ends up 6th would be the opponent. Of course, there are several games left and things could change. We'll have to wait and see.
- 1:35 a.m. Oct. 28, 2013
- Like
- Report abuse
The better list would be:
Oregon 5-0
Stanford 5-1
Oregon State 4-1
Arizona 2-2
Washington 2-3
Washington St 2-3
Utah 1-4
Colorado 0-4
California 0-5
Based on these records, who is really the most likely 6th seed? Keeping in mind all the games still to be played and the effect they will have on the list as it is today? All the state and city schools will play each other. Based on that game alone the standings will either be solidified or modified accordingly. It is too early to even contemplate who the 6th seed is.
- 10:33 p.m. Oct. 28, 2013
- Like
- Report abuse
You are right. My list is all games. Yours is the team's PAC 12 records, which is the criteria that will be used to determine who will be the 6th seed. Thanks for the correction.
- 8:58 a.m. Oct. 29, 2013
- Like (1)
- Report abuse
Pretty sure the PAC-12 teams are not seeded for the postseason. Rather, various bowls have contracted for the conference champ, then first pick, second pick, and so forth, for which pick they can select from any bowl-eligible team. "Sixth seed" is actually sixth pick, if I'm not mistaken.
- 8:25 p.m. Oct. 29, 2013
- Like (1)
- Report abuse
DeseretNews.com encourages a civil dialogue among its readers. We welcome your thoughtful comments.
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text:
MCM wanting more informatio
n instead of processing dispute.
Hey yall,, MCM sends me requests for more info instead of processing online disputes. I know enough not to send them anything. But fcra says they can either update, delete or block info regarding disputes. I cant find ANYWHERE that says they can refuse and request more info instead. Do they have legal standing? Or is it a fcra violation? Thanks):
(1,546 Views)


text:
ODT Online
ODT /directory
Dunedin City Council critic Calvin Oaten, in a piece he
has also sent to the mayor and incoming council, proposes the
city should be run on a ''no-growth basis''.
Maybe a good starting point would be to review some recent
history. The health of any community is unarguably based on
its financial stability and its leaders being fully mindful
of the need to protect the citizens' treasure, spending it
wisely, and quietly maintaining and improving their
Has this been the priority of our leaders over time? Recently
it seems not. In fact one sometimes wonders if there is any
comprehension at all of what is meant by good governance and
When I look at the long-term annual plan of 2003-04 I found
the city's net debt was $53.463 million and was scheduled to
peak in 2011-12 at $147.466 million. Looking at it 10 years
later, the 2013-14 plan shows the debt at $270.290 million.
If we include stadium debt of $146 million, this comes to a
total of $416.290 million. So, an increase over 10 years of
$362.82 million. Does that indicate financial prudence?
Oh, and we should not forget DCHL's contribution to our
malaise. It has been extorted and mismanaged to the point
where it and the DCC's combined consolidated debt amounts to
about $623 million. As shareholders, this by extension is
ours. Think about that.
So after all that spending why do I not feel substantially
better off? What has changed in my life in 10 years, indeed,
what has changed in any citizens' lives? We have a stadium,
(but we already had one before), we have a revamped Town Hall
Conference Centre and a seriously upgraded Settlers Museum.
All good stuff we are told.
How did we arrive at this position? It seems it all started
when the council basically ceded all development and
strategies to the bureaucrats. This resulted in management
structures which took off on ''planning'' schemes and
''visions'' of taking Dunedin to places it had no business in
going to.
We had a ''Choices, towards 2021'' plan, followed by
''Embrace the Opportunity'' new ''greenfields'' stadium in
2007. Now, we have the ''Spatial Plan for Dunedin''. This
latest plan is a product of this current council and
mayoralty and is ambitiously aimed at the next 30-plus years.
It is all full of grand aims and feel good ''strategic''
directions, such as ''an environmentally sustainable and
resilient city''!
It cites the city's population in 2006 at ''about'' 122,300,
and usually on a peak day a population swells to about
146,900 with visitors. Not true.
The official census for 2006 was 118,683 residents. It then
projects a modest growth to 139,000 by 2061. This is just a
part of the ''vision'' outlined. Is this likely?
I decided it was time for some research to see how they
arrived at these plans. I found it on the top floor of the
Central Library (a wonderful institution), and the answer
appears not to be aligning the stars at all. It all lies in
the ''demographics'' of Dunedin.
Dunedin, we all know was a seriously robust city in the late
19th and early 20th centuries. This was founded on the
discovery of gold in the province. From this, Dunedin became
quite rich and entrepreneurs were attracted here. They
established commerce and industry to such a scale as to be
the centre and suppliers to much of the country. Engineering,
woollen mills, clothing manufacturing, importing and
warehousing operations all abounded. Jobs were abundant and
rich people got infinitely richer.
But about 1900 it plateaued. Since then, Dunedin has been in
a slow, inexorable decline, whether we acknowledge it or not.
The statistics demonstrate this clearly and concisely. The
1901 census shows Dunedin's population was 70,000 while New
Zealand's was 815,862. We were 8.5% of that total. In 1921 we
were 81,848 souls and New Zealand 1,284,873. We were 6.3% of
that total. Then in 1936, 82,000, 1950, 91,200 and in 2006,
118,683. Meanwhile, New Zealand in 2013 is 4,480,182. We are
just 2.64% of that. Put another way, in 105 years Dunedin
grew by 69%, while the country grew by 450%.
Need any more? Look at the University of Otago and we find
FTS (full-time students) in 1961 numbered 3000. In 2007 they
numbered about 18,000. We could extrapolate this as meaning
the difference is largely made up by outsiders, or transient
citizens. If this difference of 15,000 was subtracted from
the census total, that would give a true population figure of
around 103,683.
The question is, how much cognisance of these figures was
taken into account before spending $260 million establishing
a stadium with the capacity to hold a ''third'' of the
population on any given day? How many non-paying people would
be expected to regularly visit the Settlers Museum? How many
international conferences could we reasonably expect to come
to Dunedin?
Should we have a different approach, to running our city on a
''no-growth basis'' economically, cutting costs to give a
point of difference if we ever wish to attract substantial
Spending ourselves into bankruptcy will attract no-one and
only accelerate the real decline. Is it too late? Maybe it
is, but if there is no change in direction urgently it most
certainly will be.
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.
What the last DCC failed to realise is that there are
examples in the richest counties in the world of cities
actually dying. Chicago and some Western Euorpean ciries are
at serious risk. If we are on that path as Calvin Oaten has
researched and highlighted we must insist that the new
council change tack and forget "visioning" and other
non-productive excercises so that we can consolidate, pay off
our debt or at least have that as a main goal, and leave the
visioning of the future to the next generation who unlike us
old fuddy duddies will have to make the best of it for
themselves. Remember this: the present DCC will be long gone
before the debt the city has built up is still to be
completely paid off. Oh my goodness! There's another rates
bill getting put into my mailbox right now!
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West Coast, Queenstown Times - Queenstown, Mountain Scene -
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text:
PREVIEWS: "Daredevil," "Uncanny X-Men," & More Marvel Comics On Sale August 3, 2016
Comic Books
Showing results 1-2 of 2
A secret society of women will fight for their rights in Jet City Comics' "Suffrajitsu: Mrs. Pankhurst's Amazons" #1 from Tony Wolf and Joao Vieira.
"Five Ghosts" writer Frank J. Barbiere joins in on the movie tie-in action with BOOM! Studios' "RoboCop: Memento Mori."
Archives: All | Comic Books | TV/Film | Video Games | Web Comics


text:
Double Take 'Toons: Obama Cabinet Shape-Up
President Obama continues to roll out his cabinet picks for his second administration. Jeff Darcy wonders whether Jack Lew, nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, is a little too prepared to follow the President's lead, while Mike Luckovich thinks the president is heading pale-male into his second term.
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ODT Online
ODT /directory
A man who admitted beating and robbing two French tourists
has had his sentencing delayed until next year.
Bo-Tamati Rawiri was to be sentenced in the Tauranga District
Court today but Judge Peter Rollo adjourned the matter until
January 21 for further information to be obtained from legal
Police say two French tourists were hitchhiking from Tauranga
to Rotorua on the afternoon of July 7 when they were picked
up, beaten and robbed.
Bo-Tamati Rawiri, 26, from Ngaruawahia pleaded guilty to
aggravated robbery charges.
- Bay of Plenty Times
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