1. OTTAWA FIRMS LEADING WAY IN VIDEO GAMES, TOUCH SCREENS
Ottawa companies quietly lead the way in many areas. One firm, called Gametree, is on the leading edge of video gaming, another, You-i Labs, is helping many companies bring their mobile devices of all kinds into the age of touch sensitive screens.
Gametree's creators are trying to catch the wave of change underway in how people access games. Gametree is a sort-of access portal that would be offered by a company like Rogers, with the consumer getting video games on demand
You-i Labs has software that can equip almost any device with a touch sensitive screen interface like the iPhone. Its CEO believes this is going to be the company's breakout year.
2. TECH PRESENTS MOST WANTED CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Just over a month to Christmas eve and there is no doubt that tech is going to be a part of Christmas. In fact, it's likely to have a bigger role than ever.
Recently, the 17th annual survey of top 10 Christmas wishes was released. Once again topping the list is the wish for peace and happiness. Then it moves right into tech.
The second most popular wish is for a notebook or laptop. Wish three is for an iPad; wish five is for an e-book and wish nine a video game system.
3. TECH SOLDIERS
Canada's main military electronics school is in Kingston. The school began teaching cyber warfare courses this year.
On any given day, many national government services are under attack. Not from tanks or missiles, but an invisible assault- from all sides.
In the U.S., the military is running several contests to find thousands of teenage cyber soldiers who can battle hackers.
"We are being scanned millions a time a day," said William J. Lynn III, U.S. deputy secretary of Defense. "There are attempted intrusions that happen thousands of times a day."
Lynn is the man who has to worry about those 1000 hack attempts a day. The government is increasingly pinning its hopes on some unlikely recruits, known as baby-faced warriors –the "Green Berets" of this new age war.
America is looking for an estimated 20 to 30,000 young people skilled in hacking. A national competition was recently launched, aimed at finding them. The targets are teenagers, some as young as 16.
The Chinese have already amassed a force of young hackers and some—at this very moment—are preparing, a war force for the 21st Century.
4. TURBINES-CROPS
Wind turbines can produce energy but now it appears they can also help with farm crops by cooling them in summer and keeping them from freezing.
University of Illinois professor Somnath Baidya Roy found that wind turbines actually change local temperatures in the areas where they operate.
"At night it will be warmer by .6 C, or 1 F," he said. "During the day time, its cooler by about 3.5 C or about 6.5 F, that's the maximum."
Roy said that at night the surface air is cooler than upper air temperatures. During the day surface temperatures are warmer than upper air temperatures. The turbulence from wind turbines then mixes the warm air down at night, and the cool air down during the day.
5. BITS AND BYTES
CTV news has confirmed that RIM is proceeding with a multi-million dollar expansion of their Ottawa operations.
The company has started construction of a five-storey office building on Innovation Drive in west Ottawa. RIM won't comment on the plan but Darren Flemming of CresaPartners, a commercial real estate firm in Ottawa, said such a building would cost between $25 to $30 million.
"This is good news for Ottawa," said Flemming. "I am not surprised they would build a new building if they need that much space because there is no other place to get that much room. "
RIM originally submitted plans to the city in February 2009 for a 122,000 square foot building next to one of their other buildings. They did not pursue development until last month. Now site preparation has started while waiting for city approval.
RIM currently employs over 1,000 people located in five buildings in Kanata. Flemming said that expansion of staff is much more likely than consolidation because RIM has recently signed new leases on a couple of their properties.
Another Ottawa company is also expanding.
BTI Systems has been located in a converted grocery story for several years but now an $11 million round of investment cash will allow them to move to a new Kanata location not far from RIM.
They make gears that help speed up networks jammed with data and video. Sales last year were up 80 per cent, topping $50 million. The company sees no slowdown in its growth.
"Management is the number one factor now, with a global business, with things coming at you from all directions management is now the key element in the recipe." Said company CEO Steve Waszak. "Here in Ottawa we want to hire people with lots of brain power and innovative to make this our centre of excellence."
BTI is looking to add staff, although not a huge number. Waszak hasn't ruled out going public with the company.
6. WEBMANIA
Microsoft has rolled out its Kinect gaming system but is also working on systems that will allow you to control television access with a wave of the hand.
WIGUP an Ottawa-based system to help children learn and explore it is expanding its operations.
And the Nintendo DS has a new art-related program to let children expressive their created side rather than just playing games.
