Vote for your favorite student tech innovations

Students worldwide can also create phone apps and videos to help change the world as part of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup.

Students across America have been dreaming up ways to solve the world’s toughest problems using the magic of software. They are competing in the Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition hosted annually by Microsoft Corp. Starting today and running through April 23, the public is invited to learn more about the U.S. finalist teams, view videos about their innovations, and vote for their favorite Software Design idea at http://www.imaginecup.us/peopleschoice.aspx.

“We believe that students have the power to change the world,” said Anthony Salcito, vice president of Worldwide Education, Microsoft. “Encouraging students to study science and technology is critical to developing a skilled 21st-century work force. Through the Imagine Cup, we are bringing together the brightest young minds and empowering them to use technology to make a difference in the lives of people in their local communities and around the world.”

More than 14,000 high-school and college students throughout the country registered for the competition, and 20 student teams were chosen to participate in the Imagine Cup 2010 U.S. Finals in Washington, D.C., on April 26. The U.S. finalists will vie for the chance to represent the nation among students from over 100 countries and regions in the worldwide finals this July in Warsaw, Poland.

Participants use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to design solutions to enhance education, healthcare and environmental sustainability. Student projects this year range from an educational video game that allows students around the world to interact to a business intelligence tool designed to analyze and recommend ways to lower the electrical consumption of computer networks. Competitions at the U.S. Finals are conducted in several categories including Software Design, Game Design and Web Design. The U.S. Imagine Cup finalists include the following:

Software Design U.S. Finalists
– CDSS-AI, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
– Coders Inc., Illinois Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology
– Extraplaid, Utah State University
– LifeCode, Wayne State University
– MangoBunnies, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, DePauw University
– MedRx, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
– Mobilife, University of California, Davis
– Mogollar, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
– Team Blob, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
– Tesla Project, San Jose State University

Game Design U.S. Finalists
– AwesomeSauce, Tufts University, School of the Museum of Fine Arts
– Coffee Powered Altruism, Yale University
– Cosmopolis, University of Southern California
– Darkwing Duck, Golden West College
– Fortran and C, University of California, Los Angeles
– Ifrit Salsa, University of Houston
– LeveL13, University of Houston
– Red Team, Springbrook High School, Maryland
– Team Name Not Found, Arizona State University, Tempe
– To Be Announced, Central Piedmont Community College

Although the U.S. finalists for these competitions have been selected, there are still opportunities for students in America and around the world to participate in the new Envisioning 2020 Award and the Windows Phone 7 Series “Rockstar” Award categories. Participants can extend current projects underway in the main competition categories for these special awards or can enter the awards exclusively.

The Envisioning 2020 Award challenges students to express their vision for how technology could transform people’s lives by the year 2020. Students are asked to create video submissions that are inventive, have the greatest potential for impact and are the most technically plausible to transform our lives 10 years in the future.

To win the Windows Phone 7 Series “Rockstar” Award, Windows Phones and cash prizes, teams are challenged to create a Windows Phone 7 Series application (app) in either Silverlight or XNA. Windows Phone 7 Series is a revolutionary new platform from Microsoft, and participating students have the opportunity to be one of the first developers to build an app for it. Students enrolled in the Microsoft DreamSpark program, which provides free access to some of the most advanced developer tools from Microsoft, are waived registration fees for the Windows Phone Marketplace.* Free Windows Phone Developer Tools are available at http://developer.windowsphone.com/.


World’s first dual biometric reader

Verifies Identity by Either Face, Fingerprint, RFID and/or PIN in Less Than Two Seconds

Compatible with any Platform and Application, ZK Software’s iFace 302 is the Perfect Solution for Access Control and/or Time and Attendance -

ZK Software introduced the world’s first dual Biometric Reader at ISC West in Las Vegas.

Just the touch of a finger, a one second facial scan or flash of an ID card is all it takes for the iFace to verify a person’s identity. The iFace delivers unparalleled performance, lightening fast identification, offers numerous communications options, and enables seamless integration with any software application. It can store up to 10,000 fingerprint templates, 700 face templates and 100,000 transactions.

Companies integrate their applications with the iFace to efficiently and effortlessly manage time, money, materials, people and physical access to sensitive areas. Every day ZK Software’s solutions are relied upon to enhance crowd control at concerts, bolster security at airports, manage access to certain areas at hospitals, track student meal purchases and much more.

The iFace 302 is the ideal solution for:

– Time & Attendance applications for workforce management, cafeteria meal plans, classroom attendance, manufacturing project control and many others.

– Access Control for applications such as hotel check-in, airport security, crowd control and management, server cabinet access and others.

– Identification applications for fitness centers and clubs, hospitals and many other organizations.

“The iFace 302 introduces a new level of sophistication for Biometric Readers,” said Jaimin Shah, CEO of ZK Software, U.S. “It offers multiple options to quickly and accurately identify a person, and cannot be compromised by unauthorized parties. Like all ZK products, it also easily integrates with any software application.”

The iFace:
– detects the same face with 15 different facial expressions and is unaffected by varying light intensity
– boasts one of the fastest fingerprint-and facial-matching algorithms available
– includes a high definition “auto-learning” infrared night vision camera for user identification in poorly lit environments
– easily integrates with any software application
– offers optional built-in Wi-Fi or GPRS for wireless communication

One Stop R&D and Manufacturing Capabilities

ZK Software has 1,200 employees solely dedicated to the customized design and delivery of fingerprint, facial and RFID readers at our state-of-the-art 500,000 square foot, ISO-9001-certified manufacturing facility. Our comprehensive research and manufacturing capabilities, as well as price, performance, customization, reliability and speed-to-market, are why OEMs, software developers, integrators and dealers turn to us. In fact, Time and Attendance software developers account for 70% of our business.

Comprehensive Product Lines

ZK Software manufactures both Biometric and RFID Time Attendance and Access Control terminals. We also offer one of the fastest commercial fingerprint-matching algorithms on the market. Our solutions are multi-lingual and localized in over 18 different languages.


OpenTable for iPhone 3.0 is now available, with new features geared to mobile enthusiasts who often know exactly where they want to eat “without reservation” (pun intended). The new 3.0 app brings together the geo-location functionality of mobile with the functionality of the OpenTable site, including the ability to search by restaurant and save and access favorites.

OpenTable for iPhone 3.0 now includes:

  • Individual Restaurant Search – users now have the ability to find a restaurant by name either by using current location or by specifying another location that is then geocoded by Google.
  • Recents Menu now includes 11 most recent restaurant profiles viewed.
  • Most recent metro/region combination is still saved on the initial screen – the other two (if used) can now be found under “Select Location.”
  • Search Results now include restaurant images and 1,000 point “triangles” to highlight restaurants with 1000 Dining Rewards Points. Restaurant Profiles now allow users to view parking details underneath the restaurant description – this is also viewable on upcoming reservations.
  • Ability to manage Favorites from the mobile device
  • Maps enhancements:

o Times are shown when clicking on a pin
o Current GPS location is shown on the map as a point of reference
o Larger clicking area on pins to go to a specific restaurant

  • Ability to search for available tables further than 30 days in advance

Facts and Stats

  • In the last 18 months, OpenTable has launched applications for the iPhone, Palm Pre, Blackberry and Android operating systems.
  • More than 2 million diners have been seated through OpenTable’s mobile applications, generating more than $100 million for our restaurant partners through these mobile applications (at an average $50 check per diner)

An Affordable, Easy-To-Use Solution For Small to Midsize Fleets

Teletrac Inc. announced availability of a specialized solution suite — Teletrac 20/20 — for vehicle location and GPS vehicle tracking, that helps businesses gain fleet efficiencies, save fuel, improve on-time performance, and lets dispatchers and drivers be significantly more productive. Teletrac 20/20 goes far beyond traditional vehicle location and GPS tracking solutions, delivering an array of premium features utilizing today’s most advanced technologies such as Microsoft’s Silverlight and BING Maps for enhanced visualization and animation, interactive mapping, and video playback. As a result, Teletrac 20/20 technology uniquely gives dispatchers clear vision and focus for tracking mobile assets and managing operations, in an affordable, easy to use solution specifically designed for small and midsize fleets, even micro fleets.

“With the release of Teletrac 20/20, companies with small to midsize fleets needing to focus on tracking mobile assets, now have access to a solution offering a comprehensive feature set aimed specifically at their operations and business requirements,” said Tony Eales, CEO, Teletrac. “Further, as a result of our 22-year technology leadership and success of Teletrac’s flagship solution, Fleet Director 7, Teletrac 20/20 uniquely offers the most advanced big fleet technology in an affordable, easy-to-use solution for small to midsize fleets.”

Teletrac 20/20 fleet software is a specialized solution for tracking mobile assets that improves operations and reduces costs in numerous ways — through fuel savings, higher productivity, reduced driver overtime and unauthorized vehicle use, reduced backoffice paper work, improved preventive maintenance, and often lower insurance premiums.

Teletrac 20/20 is browser-based, enabling dispatchers to efficiently locate, track and monitor the position and operation of fleet vehicles in real time, 24×7, from any internet-enabled personal computer. Fleet managers gain unprecedented visibility into operations — a user friendly layout and easily recognizable icons make Teletrac 20/20 easy to use and intuitive from the start; advanced satellite mapping with conventional roadmaps in 2D and 3D views including live traffic give dispatchers more realistic and detailed maps on which to base operational decisions; automatically identifying nearest vehicle based on actual vehicle speed, actual distance and estimated arrival time provides the most accurate information for enhancing the customers’ service experience, and multiple and detailed vehicle reports help monitor driver performance and provides advanced decision support for more efficient regulatory compliance.

Advanced mapping gives dispatchers clear vision and focus for tracking assets

Teletrac 20/20 vehicle tracking system uses the latest BING Mapping technology, aggregating the best maps and data from an array of leading suppliers. Mapping is extremely powerful and layers location-relevant data on top of imagery taken from satellite sensors, aerial cameras, Streetside imagery, 3D city models and terrain, providing vivid photorealistic images. Satellite mapping with conventional roadmaps in 2D and 3D views plus live traffic data gives dispatchers more realistic and detailed maps on which to base complex decisions. The ability to easily overlay standard or custom data points makes it quick and easy for dispatchers to add custom landmarks to maps, places of interest and important or frequently visited addresses — enabling dispatchers to more readily assign and track vehicles and routes.

Determining nearest vehicle for more effective response

Teletrac 20/20 provides “nearest vehicle” locating, based on Teletrac’s computed combination of actual drive time, actual distance and current traffic conditions — far more accurate than as-the-crow-flies estimates. Dispatchers simply enter a street address or an unlimited number of landmarked locations. Dispatchers are immediately presented with maps showing all vehicles within the map area plus crucial information such as speed, actual distance and estimated time of arrival. Dispatchers can also apply this process to multiple vehicles, enabling them to converge on a destination.

At-a-glance dashboards and complete reporting supports decision making

Dispatchers can view real-time information and summary data in at-a-glance “dashboard” displays to support rapid, optimal decision making for most productive use of vehicles. These dashboards can drill down and include information customized to the needs of individual users.

Teletrac 20/20 generates 15 different reports for viewing via web-browser, or reports can be downloaded and printed. Up to four reports can also be automatically generated, scheduled and delivered via email — daily, weekly or monthly — according to each recipient’s needs and preferences.


Unveils end-to-end development platform with free tools for Windows Phone 7 Series and advances with Silverlight that will bring new applications, games and experiences to life.

At MIX10, Microsoft Corp. showcased advancements in its platform technologies that enable the developer and designer community to deliver compelling user experiences across a broad set of devices. Building on the excitement of the recently announced Windows® Phone 7 Series, Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president, .NET Developer Platform, and Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president, Windows Phone Program Management, detailed the opportunity for developers to use proven technologies such as Microsoft Silverlight and the XNA Framework to build new mobile applications and 3-D Games.

“As the browser, server, Web and devices evolve, a focus on delivering consistently great user experiences has become paramount,” Guthrie said. “By extending our familiar platform technologies and tools to phones, Microsoft is delivering the premier application development experience across a variety of devices and form factors.”

End-to-End Application Development Platform for Windows Phone 7 Series

During the keynote, Microsoft provided the first deep dive into Windows Phone 7 Series application development. By combining Silverlight features for rich application development and the XNA Framework for games, Windows Phone 7 Series empowers millions of developers and designers to build visually stunning and immersive applications and games — one of the industry’s most profitable mobile application categories — while taking advantage of device-specific capabilities. Specifically, developers will be able to take advantage of the following features:

  • Accelerometer, an intuitive control that responds to motion
  • A Microsoft Location Service to provide developers with a single point of reference to acquire location information
  • Microsoft Notification Service for pushing information to the phone, regardless of whether or not an application is running
  • Hardware-accelerated video with digital rights management (DRM)
  • Internet Information Services Smooth Streaming for the industry’s highest quality content viewing experience
  • Multitouch
  • Camera and microphone support

“Windows Phone 7 Series brings together a rich application environment, powerful hardware, a fresh approach to software and a smart new design,” Belfiore said. “It was designed to generate incredible opportunities for developers and designers to quickly and easily deliver compelling applications and games. With the best developer tools, an established ecosystem and marketplace, and a path for developers to use their Silverlight and XNA Framework skill sets, we are delivering an application platform that is simple, powerful and inspiring.”

Free Tools for Windows Phone 7 Series Developers and Designers

To further support an end-to-end development experience, Microsoft announced the availability of comprehensive tools support for Windows Phone 7 Series. The easy-to-install package includes previews of the following:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone
  • Windows Phone 7 Series add-in to use with Visual Studio 2010 RC
  • XNA Game Studio 4.0
  • Windows Phone 7 Series Emulator for application testing
  • Expression Blend for Windows Phone Community Technology Preview

A Marketplace for Windows Phone 7 Series Applications

Microsoft also showed how developers and designers will be able to bring applications and games to market with a new Windows Phone Marketplace. The Marketplace features a panoramic design and active merchandising to increase the discoverability of games and applications, and supports one-time credit card purchases, mobile operator billing and advertising-funded applications. The Marketplace will also enable customers to try applications before buying them and allow developers to cross-promote their applications through deep linking.

Several leading companies will be creating exciting applications and games for Windows Phone 7 Series. They include The Associated Press, Archetype International Inc., AWS Convergence Technologies – WeatherBug, Citrix Systems Inc., Clarity Consulting Inc., Cypress Consulting, EA Mobile, Fandango Inc., Foursquare Labs Inc., frog design inc., Glu Mobile Inc., Graphic.ly, Hudson Entertainment Inc., IdentityMine Inc., IMDb.com Inc., Larva Labs, Match.com LLC, Matchbox Mobile Ltd., Microsoft Game Studios, Namco Networks America Inc., Oberon Media Inc., Pageonce Inc., Pandora Media Inc., Photobucket Inc., PopCap Games Inc., Seesmic, Shazam Entertainment Ltd., Sling Media, SPB Software Inc., stimulant, TeleCommunications Systems Inc., Touchality LLC and Vertigo Software Inc.

Continued Innovation With Silverlight and Expression Blend

Microsoft announced a release candidate (RC) for Silverlight 4, available for download today, which builds on the beta version released at the Professional Developers Conference in November 2009. The Silverlight 4 RC provides powerful media and enterprise application and media capabilities, out-of-browser flexibility and world-class tools support via Visual Studio and Expression Blend with Sketchflow to enable robust application development and rich interactive experiences.

In addition, Microsoft unveiled the Expression Blend 4 Beta, a design and development workflow tool. New features such as Path Layout enable developers and designers to build and animate innovative user interface design via a groundbreaking visual layout mechanism, without the need to write code. Expression Blend 4 Beta also adds support for Silverlight 4, .NET Framework 4 and Visual Studio 2010.

Silverlight Customer Adoption

Silverlight adoption has continued at a rapid pace with installations approaching 60 percent of all Internet devices worldwide — an increase of nearly 15 percentage points in just four months. Customers such as Major League Soccer, BBC, eBay Inc., Netflix Inc., NBCOlympics.com and CT Corp., a Wolters Kluwer business, demonstrated how they are taking advantage of the power of Silverlight to deliver compelling consumer and enterprise experiences.

“Microsoft Silverlight technology will be the backbone of the video platform on our newly launched MLSsoccer.com,” said Chris Schlosser, director of digital strategy for Major League Soccer. “Our work with Microsoft allows us to launch cutting-edge digital and mobile experiences for our loyal fans. As part of our increased focus on digital media, we view a rich video experience as absolutely critical to accomplishing our goal of ‘super serving’ MLS supporters.”


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