and we will be hosting an event as well:

http://iotevents.org/iot-toronto-thingtank

Funded by a FedDev Grant. Private partner Ecobee Inc.

Monitoring energy consumption has been a long time necessity for utility companies; however that data has largely been gathered at the unit of a household level. Ecobee, has developed and commercialized a WiFi enabled ecobee Smart Thermsotat (ST) for homeowners and the Energy Management System for commercial applications. These technologies, along with commercial accessories will enable more granular energy monitoring capabilities. When these granular data collection techniques are combined with rich data visualization tools there is the possibility that innovative standards of practice will emerge.

In order to explore these technologies and practices, participants constructed a cardboard dollhouse and outfitted it with a range of energy using devices. The dollhouse was then connected through an ethernet-enabled arduino microcontroller to a web interface that allowed participants to run the house through a simulated ‘day’ of energy-use.

The session was part of a larger research project on the topic of energy monitoring and data visualization within the context of Ecobee’s commercial product-line, and related academic research conducted by members of the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto.

Thing Tank: Workshop 13 – Energy Monitoring and Data Visualization from Ryan Varga on Vimeo.

You’ll be using these prototyping boards from Sparkfun: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11052 (Remember that materials are worked into the registration fee so you get to keep everything after the workshop!) In this 4-to-5 hour course (plus a 1 hour lunch break @ 1pm), we’ll look at how to hook up the supplied electronics components, how they work together, and write some Arduino code. In the afternoon, we’ll finally snap the components apart and learn how to sew the LilyPad onto a piece of fabric using conductive thread!

Note that I assume absolute beginner-level knowledge and that includes no previous programming experience and no electronics experience.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach me at pearl[at]karma-laboratory.com.

Connect Canada: Linking Companies to Innovation
Connect Canada is a federally-funded, national internship program that links Canadian companies with graduate students and post-doctoral fellows for research placements. Open to companies in any sector and students in any field, Connect Canada is a cost-effective way for companies to conduct R&D while providing students with an opportunity to enhance their graduate studies while gaining real-world experience. Connect Canada interns will apply the latest in research methods and know-how to the most pressing industrial R&D issues.

This project brings together several areas of research already underway and moves the two strands into a third, more experimental domain. One of the original strands has to do with the postwar development of University of Toronto’s building program (various architecture projects) in conjunction with changes in pedagogy and technology (Mary Lou Lobsinger). The other area has to do with the current planning and acquisition of real estate for future expansion of U of T’s “west campus” (Matthew Allen). The third thing is the making of a short video on particular spaces of the university. We started with a grand concept (political critique, private/public space etc.) and now are trying to figure out how to make a short, not too naïve, video. We are absolute novices in working with moving images. The video will be comprised of stills and drawings from the archives, current new footage, and a 3-D model that Matthew Allen has prepared for a very differently oriented study of the university.

After a quick assessment of archival materials that the undergraduate work-study students found at the Robarts Library and at the City of Toronto Archives we have decided to focus on past and present plans for the development of Huron Street. Work-study students have also found film materials prepared for television broadcast and promotional purposes.

See the video below! (and sorry for the weird frozen-face-thumbnail of myself, Marie-Eve!)

If there’s a silver-lining to tough economic times, it’s the inventiveness brought on by necessity. From new and renewed ways to make things people want and need, to how to make such ventures economically viable, The Agenda examines emerging trends forged today for tomorrow’s economy.

What is Story Planet?

Story Planet inspires kids to develop their unique voice & to make it powerful using the written word, visual arts & digital media.

Story Planet recently opened a new writing centre on Bloor Street west between Dovercourt and Landsdowne.  This dynamic Space gives kids and youth the opportunity to hang out and learn from some of Canada’s finest writers, artists and digital storymakers. There’s also an exciting shop where you can get everything for the traveling alien including some tantalizing reading!

This new, innovative centre for kids and youth is inspired by two successfully operating models, Dave Egger’s 826 National in San Francisco (which oversees eight centres in the US) and Roddy Doyle’s, Fighting Words in Dublin, Ireland. Both of these organizations are involved in supporting Story Planet through ongoing mentorship, consultation and the sharing of resources.

This year, Microsoft Canada is hosting a Canadian Imagine Cup in two categories: Software Design and Windows Phone Game Design.

On April 30th, the top three teams in each category in Canada will go head-to-head at the Canadian Imagine Cup Championship. This will be their chance to showcase their solutions, and compete for a chance to represent Canada at the Imagine Cup worldwide finals in Australia.
Join us for an electric day of student presentations and inspiration as we celebrate Canadian talent and innovation. Register to attend now!