THIS WEEK IN TECTORIA

A community blog celebrating Victoria's booming tech sector

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Got a cool story about technology and creativity in Victoria? Email stories, tips, pictures, links and anything of interest to Tessa Bousfield at: tectoria@viatec.ca

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Limbic Media: Tectorian of the Week

June 11, 2014 by Nevin Thompson

 

 

IMG_1479_resize

Our Tectorian of the week for June 13, 2014 is Limbic Media.

Limbic Media got its start 2006, combining entrepreneurship with multi-media artwork.

They call their interdisciplinary work, “Real-time Interactive Media Control Technologies.”

Why is Limbic our Tectorian of the Week?

Limbic Media is also a strong community supporter, collaborating with many people and organizations in Victoria, including PSII‘s Jake West (a fellow Tectorian of the Week) and VIATeC.

Limbic also represents the nexus of technology, art, and entrepreneurship that we think best represents Tectoria today and our community in the future.

The Limbic team has a ton of interesting art-related projects on the go including infinity mirrors for the VIATeC Awards on June 20th, a computer vision based 3D tracking/mocap system for audio/video control, and a new social wearables platform funded by CreativeBC.

Real-time interactive media control technologies

Limbic’s stated objective is to be a platform of real-time interactive media control technologies for use in multi-media entertainment markets, education, research, and the fine arts.

In other words, the team at Limbic creates interfaces and devices that allow people to interact with and control audio, visuals, lights, and machines using natural user interfaces, such as body movements, facial expressions, eye and movements with “alternative interfaces” (smart phones, wearable sensors, modified paintbrush) and even biometrics (brainwave activity, heart rate, breathing).

It’s totally cool stuff, and they do it all from their home base at the top of Discovery Street.

Audio-reactive LED Butterflies

[vimeo 91960622 w=500 h=281]

Audio Reactive LED Butterflies from Limbic Media on Vimeo.

With the creative genius of Limbic’s Gabrielle Odowichuk (an electrical engineer with a creative sensibility), a number of large audio-reactive LED butterflies were designed and built. The skeleton of the butterflies were made of soldered wire frame and then covered in white material. The butterflies were them painted by Kristin Grant.

Filed Under: Tectorian of the Week

Innovation Elsewhere: Tech Crunch Disrupt

June 11, 2014 by Tectoria

Each May, Tech Crunch hosts Disrupt New York, a technology festival with 25 discussion panels, 27 startup demos, and a hackathon.

Since this weekend is VICFest, we thought we would share some musically themed innovations unveiled at Disrupt.

Acoustic Stream

Billing itself as “the guitarist’s wireless 4-in-1 companion,” Acoustic Stream is a mobile app that is intended to be a “Swiss-Army Knife” for guitarists. Boasting four wireless features in one, it covers all bases from songwriting and live performance to instrument protection, all in a compact, snazzy-looking transmitter and an easy-to-use app for Android and iOS.

Roadie Tuner

Also unveiled at Disrupt, Roadie Tuner is “the ultimate guitarist’s tool,” and is an automated robotic guitar tuner and the first device capable of tracking the quality of strings, informing users of when strings are about to snap and need replacing.

It’s complemented by a mobile app that allows users to switch between alternate tunings, create their own custom tunings, and keep track of their instrument’s maintenance information.

Fret Pen

Apparently Fret Pen is “the tiniest guitar you will ever play,” a super portable guitar practice device you can take anywhere. Pop off the cap, snap the ball-point end into the guitar body and pluck the tiny string; a Bluetooth-connected smartphone acts as a wireless amp that can make a host of sounds, “from clean acoustic to dirty garage.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxopieB7Hoo]

Filed Under: Innovation Elsewhere

ARKYD: A Space Telescope for Everyone

June 4, 2014 by Nevin Thompson

Kickstarter is taking on space exploration. While a crowded-funded planetary probe has been in the news, there’s another Kickstarter project that is putting space exploration within reach of… everyone!

Calling asteroids “the best real estate in the Solar System,” Planetary Resources bills ARKYD as “the first private space telescope and a stepping-stone to near-Earth asteroids.”

Planetary Resources is an American company formed in November 2010, and their stated goal is to “expand Earth’s natural resource base” by developing and deploying the technologies for asteroid mining.

The first step to mining asteroids, the company believes, is launching small (30–50 kg) low-cost space telescopes for both Earth observation and astronomy.

The same telescope satellite capabilities that Planetary Resources hopes to sell to customers can be used to survey and intensively examine near-Earth asteroids.

Planetary Resources is offering several versions of its space telescope.

ARKYD 100

The ARKYD 100, is, according to Planetary Resources, a low-earth, commercial space telescope “within reach of the private citizen.” According to the company:

The ARKYD 100 Space Telescope provides spectacular views of the Earth’s surface and deep space, including the rich, virtually unexplored areas between our planet and the Sun. Central to its configuration and functionality is a precision imaging system. With arc-second resolution, the ARKYD 100 spacecraft camera will provide detailed celestial and Earth observations where you want them, and when you want them. The ARKYD 100 is capable of surveying for near-Earth asteroids during one orbit, then be retasked for rain forest observation on the next. The possibilities for utility and engagement are only limited by the imagination of the user.

Planetary Resources says the telescope will be offered to the public “soon.”

ARKYD 200

The ARKYD 200 adds “propulsion capabilities and additional scientific instrumentation” to the ARKYD 100 Space Telescope to create a probe that can actually travel to an asteroid.

So far, more than 17,000 Kickstarter backers have pledged $1.5M in funding, blowing the company’s original goal of $1M out of the water… into orbit.

Filed Under: Innovation Elsewhere

Tectorian of the Week – Young Jin Chung (June 6, 2014)

June 4, 2014 by Nevin Thompson

youngjin

The Tectorian of the Week for June 6th is Young Jin Chung, a software developer at Unit4.

“Young Jin is a shining example of what every coder wants to aspire to in their career,” says Linda du Toit, a senior software designer at Unit4. “He’s also one of the best bowlers I have ever seen.”

“He has a razor-sharp mind that can see through problems and find innovative solutions that he’ll then implement without missing beat,” says e-Deliberation’s Jean-Daniel Cusin, who worked closely with Young Jin Chung when Young Jin first arrived in Victoria.

“Developers come in many styles,” says Cusin. “There are the regular ones who plod along day to day. Then there are the really good ones, who get the job done well, quickly, cleanly. And then further along that spectrum, you have Young Jin.”

But what makes Young Jin the ideal Tectorian?

Like many people who work in Victoria’s tech sector, Young Jin fell in love with Victoria, and decided to figure out a way to build a life here.

In 2007 he parted ways his successful software business in Korea, and moved with his family to Victoria.

Shortly after arriving here he (once again, like so many tech transplants) found a job in our growing technology sector.

And as so many people will tell you, Young Jin’s smarts, quiet drive, and sense of humour have helped make work more enjoyable and rewarding for his teammates.

“He’s a real team player and adds value at every step of the development process,” says Du Toit.

Young Jin has also embraced life as a Tectorian, taking up sports like curling (exotic anywhere else on the planet, but perfectly normal in Canada).

And like many tech workers in Victoria, Young Jin is a bit of a bike geek. What’s more, in spite of this fanaticism Young Jin deserves special credit for from avoiding becoming (so far) a MAMIL.

Curling

On top of Young Jin’s success, his wife Danielle is also a fledgling Tectorian.

A homemaker since her arrival in Canada (the couple have two children enrolled in local high schools), Nanyoung has spent the past two years studying with Camosun College’s Computer Systems Technology program as a mature student.

Danielle is doing a co-op workterm at JEA, another Tectoria software company.

And we’ve heard nothing but rave reviews from Danielle’s coworkers there.

So we’re glad that Young Jin and Danielle decided to make the leap, and that they chose to create a life in Victoria.

Who knows? Maybe their kids will one day (soon!) find jobs in Victoria’s growing tech sector, and become Tectorians too.

Filed Under: Tectorian of the Week

Tectorian of the Week – Trina Mousseau

May 29, 2014 by Nevin Thompson

Our Tectorian of the Week for May 30 is Tourism Victoria’s Trina Mousseau.

First, some congratulations are in order.

Thanks to the efforts of Trina and her team, Tourism Victoria has been named as a finalist for the “marketer of the year award” by BCAMA, the BC chapter of the American Marketing Association. BCAMA will announce the winner in September.

In fact, Trina and Tourism Victoria regularly win a ton of awards. Campaigns like Victoria Calling regularly receive praise and recognition… and achieve results.

It’s large part because Trina and her team are obsessive when it comes to creativity.

For example, Tourism Victoria went to Calgary and installed multiple large-scale sculptures of sea-dwelling mascots named “Sol the Seal,” “Simon the Salmon,” and “Orland the Orca.” The sculptures were then dropped in strategic downtown Calgary locations last summer.

The Calgary campaign was so popular that someone actually stole Sol the Seal. His whereabouts are still unknown.

How else can we sing the praises of Trina?

  • She always wears great shoes.
  • Ever since arriving from Vancouver, it’s been apparent Trina loves this town, a love affair that has powered Trina’s mission to put us on the map.
  • Trina’s also a strong supporter of the local tech sector.

She gets that technology plays a strong role in powering our economy.

So Trina and Tourism Victoria play a key role introducing Tectoria to talented people all over world – people needed to fill the tons of high-paying jobs being created by the tech sector.

If you know someone someplace else who you think should visit Victoria, get them to try out Victoria Calling here.

 

Filed Under: Tectorian of the Week

Innovation Elsewhere – DARPA’s May “Demo Day”

May 29, 2014 by Tectoria

Fully-functional prosthetic arms. “Unhackable” helicopter drones.

Educational games that teach kids fractions while teaching scientists how to refine training techniques for soldiers.

An augmented-reality helmet with a see-through screen over one eye, showing the wearer which route to follow by superimposing it on the landscape.

All were on display earlier this month at the DARPA “demo day” in Washington.

And what was on display wasn’t just science fiction.

DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has had a hand in many of the technologies we have come to rely on every day.

Siri and GPS all owe a lot to DARPA, as does the self-driving car, which appears to be just over the horizon.

The government research institute is also using Oculus Rift to help enhance cyberwarfare – they call it Plan X.

Plan X is supposed to train a cadet for an hour, so he or she can launch a cyberattack just as easily as launching a missile or as intuitive as playing as Angry Birds.

Most of DARPA Demo Day featured projects by the organization’s I2O unit, which has a software focus.

Some of the more interesting (or, depending on your point of view, more alarming) projects on display included:

MEMEX is an ambitious plan for a next-generation search engine that indexes the deep web.

Big Mechanism will enable computers to read journals and other sources of knowledge and extract intelligence about things like cancer, economies, and the brain.

Follow DARPA on Facebook, YouTube, or Google Plus.

Filed Under: Innovation Elsewhere, Tectoria

Tectorian of the Week: Marlee Wilson

May 22, 2014 by Nevin Thompson

marlee

The Tectorian of the Week for May 23rd is Paretologic’s Marlee Wilson.

We’ve heard that Marlee is so beloved by the team at Pareto’s office on Fort Street that each May everyone in the office makes sure to wish her a happy Mother’s Day.

Says our inside source at Paretologic:

Imagine your mom was a super geek who loved to organize lunch for you and 79 of your friends, devoured everything tech, knows everything about Victoria and was revered as a true oracle of  information.

If Victoria tech companies have long known that fostering positive company culture is the key to making employees happy and creating innovative technologies, then Marlee must be Paretologic’s secret weapon for global domination.

The real reason Marlee is our Tectorian of the week is her commitment to making Victoria a better place.

Marlee has an unofficial job title as Paretologic’s de facto co-ordinator of charities.

Why?

She is a true go-getter when it comes to fundraising. Marlee loves to support a good cause – especially when it helps children and families – and likes to have a good time doing it.

With her contagious enthusiasm, Marlee has tirelessly raised funds for every charitable cause imaginable, from Our Place breakfasts, to sponsoring children through WorldVision, and more… including coordinating Paretologic’s kick-butt competitiveness during the annual Food Bank Challenge.

Although it’s like discussing Christmas in July, you’ll recall the Food Bank Challenge helps the Mustard Seed collect non-perishable foodstuffs for families each fall, and feeds over 7000 people a month in the Victoria area.

The Mustard Seed needs help throughout the year, though, so it’s never too early to to help.

Marlee has also played a strong role getting Paretologic involved in Cops for Cancer, encouraging more than a dozen members of her team to shave their heads, all in support of Camp Goodtimes.

Marlee Wilson plays a key role connecting employees in Victoria’s tech sector with the community and community causes, and we think she deserves some recognition!

 Special thanks to Alycia Mitchell, Elton Pereira, and others at Paretologic.

Filed Under: Tectorian of the Week

Innovation Elsewhere – Urthecast

May 22, 2014 by Nevin Thompson

Urthecast’s claim to fame? The Vancouver-based company offers the world’s first Ultra HD video feed of Earth, streamed from the International Space Station.

Russian astronauts installed two HD cameras on the ISS this past January. Urthecast’s cameras will broadcast images and video of Earth to viewers on the ground. So far, their images have been featured on Space.com and many other places around the web.

Urthecast updates new images here.

The still camera has a resolution of five metres, while the Ultra HD video camera has a resolution of one metre, meaning that each pixel in the imagery represents one square metre of the earth’s surface.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSvSDja1OuM?list=UUKW4yDaYCtfWkUjRAeRAMiQ]

The still camera has a resolution of five metres, while the Ultra HD video camera has a resolution of one metre, meaning that each pixel in the imagery represents one square metre of the earth’s surface.

Images from the two HD video cameras will be made available just a few hours after they’re captured, providing what the company calls the “world’s first near-live HD video feed of Earth.”

UrtheCast customers are able to hire one of the two cameras to look at a particular spot on Earth for a fee. Companies like Google Earth would be possible customers, as well as governments wanting to track forestry, animal migration, environmental borders.

Urthecast is also working with universities, researchers, technology startups, and more.
If you have a proposal about how you would use Urthecast, request an invitation here.

Urthecast is also a finalist for a BCTIA Technology Impact Award… Wish them luck!

 

Filed Under: Innovation Elsewhere

Innovation Elsewhere – Imogen Heap’s Wearable Technology

May 14, 2014 by Tectoria

English singer-songwriter and composer Imogen Heap is working hard to create wearable technology that allows musicians to use motion and gesture to play music – think minority report for musicians brought to you by the DIY/maker revolution.

rukavice-1

 

Imogen Heap’s Gloves are a “cutting edge experimental gestural music hardware” being developed for Imogen Heap’s studio and stage work.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhy-iPKnw_Y]

Using cutting-edge haptic technology, the Gloves feature an entirely unique “gestural vocabulary”, motion data-capture systems, and user interfaces developed by Imogen Heap and her team, to allow artists and musicians to use motion to guide computer-based digital creations.

The Gloves are both an instrument and a controller, designed to connect the user fluidly with gear performers usually use on stage, such keyboards and computers.

Why wearable tech?

Says Imogen Heap:

Most of us on our small team are musicians who are tired of being stuck behind computer screens, keyboards, faders, knobs, and buttons to make our music.  We feel there could be a better way that is more like the experiences we have with traditional instruments: using the dexterity and mobility of the human body.

Via their Kickstarter project, the team is seeking backers big and small to support the project.

Although the team has stopped making gloves for Kickstarter supporters for now, larger backers could pony up for a tailor-made set of gloves of their own.

The intent of the project is to make something open source, and they have promised even backers at entry levels access to information; other rewards include in-person workshops and kits, some friendly to people doing their own experiments in wearable tech.

The number of Kickstarter gloves is limited, but the team hopes to make more in future.

Filed Under: Innovation Elsewhere

Tectorian of the Week – Harry Weiler

May 14, 2014 by Nevin Thompson

photo (1)

The Tectorian of the Week for May 16 is Harry Weiler.

Harry recently successfully exited AXYS Technologies after leading the stable, high-growth North Saanich technology employer for more than a decade.

Harry and his team have helped AXYS capture about 40 percent of the global market (so far!) for ocean measurement devices, building and commissioning more than 400 meteorological and oceanographic stations of various types around the world, in over 30 countries.

axys

As a result, AXYS’s distinctive bright yellow wave monitoring buoys bob among the waves all over the world, putting Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula on the map as a hotspot for ocean monitoring and clean energy.

Click here for this amazingly cool infographic that explains different AXYS products made right here in Tectoria.

Known for his wicked sense of humour, curiosity, personal integrity, and gregarious sense of fun, Harry has always been there for the tech community.

Besides volunteering on the board of VIATeC and playing a strong role as a cheerleader for the cluster of ocean technology companies that provide so many high-paying jobs on the Saanich Peninsula, Harry has always been willing to pitch in at a moment’s notice to help promote Tectoria.

If you’re organizing a bus tour of investors from Silicon Valley and need a place to showcase Victoria’s tech capabilities, but have no idea when you’ll show up, you can count on Harry to provide a spectacular space to crack open a few cold beers.

And Harry’s can-do attitude is not limited just to work.

“Whether it be troubleshooting a dragging anchor situation on a boat at 3AM or cooking up breakfast at the campsite, you can place your faith in him to make sure you are, respectively, saved from capsizing onto a reef, and that your bacon will be crispy enough,” says a long-time friend.

This same friend tells us that, following his tenure at AXYS, Harry will be mostly kiteboarding and travelling with his wife Laurie. Time in town will be spent on his fishing boat with his faithful dog Brodie.

“He won’t have to unicycle to work any more.”

With special thanks to Greg Caws and Laurie Clarke.

Filed Under: Tectorian of the Week

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