The Technograph

AUDIO EQUIPMENT ILLINOIS: BRINGING MUSIC TO ANY EVENT
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:18 pm

We take sound very seriously. If you don't agree, think about all of the complicated gadgets with which students surround themselves in order to improve the sounds, particularly the music, in their daily lives. People have made music more portable while focusing on the challenge of making the song sound as if the listener was there during recording. Despite all of this, music and sound at events around the University can sometimes be lacking. That is precisely the thought Josh Sutter, an electrical engineering student at the University, had when he created Audio Equipment Illinois, an audio equipment rental and sales company designed specifically for student groups.

ALBUM 2.0: DO MORE THAN PIRATE MUSIC
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:20 pm

With a lower success rate than weight loss, starting a band is probably one of the most difficult things most people will do. At least... it used to be. Like anything of importance, musical talent can now be found via the internet, courtesy of services like “Musefy”.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EATCU
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:21 pm

Open your Illinois Email account. I guarantee you that there will be an email from Eat CU at least once a month. Eat CU is a very useful resource for students, as it introduces students to restaurants of many cultures on campus. The emails from Justin Gorrell and Dan Glazer – founders of Eat CU – alert students of discounts and promotions in Champaign-Urbana.

FROM CAMPUS ORGANIZATION TO STATE-WIDE ENTERPRISE
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:24 pm

While the new M2 building in downtown Champaign isn’t home to that many businesses yet, it does hold one community-driven enterprise: the Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA), started by University of Illinois alumni in 2008. Cassie Carroll, Mara Eisenstein, and Anthony Santarelli know the ins and outs of entrepreneurship, from great ideas to growing ventures. The IGBA offers consulting to businesses on how to reduce their ecological footprint as well as spread the word about their green practices through a certification process. As of publication time, twelve area businesses are on their way to becoming certified.

HERE COMES THE BLOOM!
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:25 pm

The future of clean energy is here, and it has taken the shape of a drab green-gray box. Bloom Energy, a startup from Sunnyvale, California has created waves throughout the technology world with their unveiling of the Bloom Energy Server, which is commonly referred to as the Bloom Box. It is the brainchild of K.R. Sridhar, an aerospace engineer who has worked on projects for NASA missions to Mars. He claims that with only a small stack of his revolutionary fuel cells he can power an average American home.

THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF ILLINOIS ENGINEERS
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:28 pm

Hundreds of exhibits at this year’s Engineering Open House showcased the advancements of engineering in science, technology, and innovation. Applying well-known ideas to inventive projects (as well as creating original solutions to the common everyday problems) allows a synthesis of improvement, originality, and philanthropy to solve some of the world’s greatest difficulties. The application of engineering principles to biological, agricultural, and medical issues is an emerging pattern among current researchers attempting to utilize their knowledge for the greater benefit of society. Several student-run engineering organizations have built upon their research and experience to create methods for solving worldwide healthcare issues.

EXPLOSIONS = SCIENCE
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:31 pm

One of the fantastic things about Engineering Open House is the sheer variety of exhibits; you could be watching a presentation on high level field theory one minute and playing with bubbles the next. Two exhibits which helped to provide this variety were also the winners of both the Encore: Technical and the Encore: Non-Technical awards this year: Physics Van Lecture Demos and Liquid Nitrogen Table.

TACCHI FEELY
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:34 pm

This year’s Engineering Open House raised the bar for student projects once again. One project in particular, reigning from the Siebel Center for Computer Science, took home both the Best Undergraduate Research Award and the Lockheed Martin Award for Computer Science. The project is called Tacchi, named after the word for “touch” in Japanese, is a table-sized multi-touch screen that is designed to be operated simultaneously by multiple users. Its concept was inspired by a similar project called Reactable which is a multi-touch table designed as a contemporary musical instrument. Tacchi was built by the SIGmusic component of the University’s Association for Computing Machinery, a student organization based in the Department of Computer Science.

A GUIDE TO BECOME THE NEXT BILL GATES
Posted on Apr 27, 2010 12:38 pm

Many students at the University of Illinois own a personal computer, whether it be a laptop or a desktop. However, most of these students are unaware of the full capabilities of their computers, and nearly all have or will require tech support at some time; CITES OnSite Consulting charges $40/hour for their regular service, and there is a minimum charge of one hour for each appointment. Below is a guide on how to fix problems that you or your friends may experience. In the event you would like to make a few dollars from your new computer knowledge, the cost to charge your friends, which is based on the difficulty and length of the solution, is listed next to each solution.