Innovation : Buzz

Just in case you couldn't make it to the TEDxOilSpill conference held in Washington, D.C., here's what the event's two founders, Dave Troy and Nate Mook, had to say about it.

Here's an excerpt:

"There's sort of this void right now with information coming out of the Gulf," says Nate Mook. "Something catastrophic has happened. Most people don't understand the underlying issues that led to this happening. They're really not aware of the all of the complexities behind their getting into their car and driving � it's brought to the forefront a lot of things that have been on the sidelines for a long time � with our oceans, with how important the marine eco-system is, with where we are getting our energy, what are we putting at risk, and � new technologies being developed."

Read the entire post here.

Baltimore's public schools aren't the only schools teaching the city's young people about healthier eating. Charter schools like Baltimore Stadium School are also helping to spread the word.

Here's an excerpt:

"Although Michelle Obama and her Let's Move Campaign call for major top-down food policy reform, Dixon takes a different approach. While reforming food policy is of course a long-term goal, Food Is Elementary has a more immediate priority: educating kids about healthy eating by working within existing constraints and regulations. Major policy changes face a tremendous number of barriers: the federal reimbursement rate for the school lunch program, for example, has not increased since 1973. In contrast, Food Is Elementary's bottom-up strategy could lay the necessary groundwork for changes to take place and serve as a model for other nutrition programs with similar goals."

Read the entire article here.

Kinetinauts lined up at the American Visionary Art Museum for the annual Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race a few weeks ago. This year's sculptures included a platypus, a sea monster and a gingerbread house among others. The man-powered sculptures make their way through a course consisting of hard surface, knee-deep mud and water. The WSJ ponders the artistic merits of the quirky race.

Here's an excerpt:

"The 45-year-old was getting the platypus ready for 15 miles of concrete, cobblestones, water and mud. The annual Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race matched people-powered creatures made of everything from tulle mesh fabric to recycled trash can lids.

"Some people think it's trash on wheels," says Theresa Segreti of the American Visionary Art Museum, the group that organizes the race. "But it's art."

Read the entire article here.

Check the WSJ slideshow of the race here.

Watch WSJ video of the race here.

Didn't make it to the American Visionary Art Museum's 2010 Kinetic Sculpture race? We've found a few videos, so you can see what you missed.

Watch the video:

A recent MICA exhibit, A Pathway to Awareness: Quilting for Social Justice, examined the possibilities of a medium that has only recently gained acceptance as an artform, to convey messages related to social justice. One piece in particular, stood out for Art-Full Life blogger, Doreen Bolger.

Here's an excerpt:

"On a recent visit to MICA, I was surprised but delighted that A Pathway to Awareness: Quilting for Social Justice remained on view after its scheduled conclusion in April. The exhibition presented the artistic results of teaching and mentoring done by Dr. Joan M. E. Gaither, a documentary quilter who recently completed a quilt that told the story of Barack Obama's journey to the White House. As she spoke to the creators of textile work like this, she urged them to quilt "the story that needs to be told, one that only you can tell."

Demonstrating art's potential to impact society, every piece in A Pathway to Awareness had a story and a message. Perhaps the most arresting work was Sex is a Weapon (American Dream). The hand-crafted dress composed of individual quilted parts stood on an old-fashioned wire seamstress form. While its ruffles and medallions could be on any party dress, its quilted squares revealed images of objectified women, each striking a suggestive pose in a skimpy bathing suit."

Read the entire post here.

Read more about Baltimore's artsy goings-ons here!

Call it an amazing bit of serendipity or just plain luck, but for a Middletown, Maryland couple the recent campaign launched by Oprah Winfrey and other organizations around the country to get people to stop using their cellphones while they drive, could be their break. John Tsinonis, a software developer, and his wife, Joana, a business development expert, have developed software that will prevent drivers from receiving incoming calls or texts as well as sending them while the car is in motion.

Here's an excerpt:

"The proTextor software blocks incoming and outgoing text messages and phone calls while a driver's vehicle is in motion. GPS-enabled software engages when a vehicle starts moving, blocking incoming and outgoing calls and texts. The goal is to keep drivers' hands on the wheel and eyes on the road by preventing cell phone use while the car is in motion.

More than 80 percent of crashes involve some type of distracted driving, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. And although many states now require drivers to use hands-free devices, using a cell phone in any context while driving is distracting -- period, Joana Tsinonis said.

The Maryland General Assembly's recent ban on using a cell phone while driving highlights how serious the problem is, John Tsinonis said. The law goes into effect Oct. 1.

The development of proTextor has a personal side to it. The Tsinonis have six children and the thought of a texting-while-driving accident strengthened their quest to find a solution."

Read the entire article here.

Baltimore City beat cops are testing out a new mobile policing device that eliminates the need to call in to the station or use the in-vehicle laptop system to gain valuable and time sensitive information. 

Here's an excerpt:

"PocketCop, as you might expect, is a mobile policing system based on the BlackBerry platform. PocketCop is provided by InterAct. The system essentially puts all policing information at the fingertips of officers on the beat. Before PocketCop, officers had to request information either by calling and communicating with Dispatch (a time consuming approach) or by using the in-vehicle laptop system (useful, but prevents officers from getting out on the streets)."

Read the entire article here.

Watch Gayle Guildford, director of MIS, Baltimore City Police Department, talk about the device.

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A law newly passed by the Maryland legislature will enable entrepreneurs to combine their desire to do good works with their responsiblity to their shareholders.


Here's an excerpt:

"Maryland has created a new legal structure -- called a benefit corporation -- for companies that blend business with social and environmental good.

The legislation, signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley, requires that benefit corporations create a positive impact on society and that boards of directors consider how decisions will affect employees, local jurisdictions, and the environment, rather than just looking at shareholders' interests. It also offers board members legal protection for taking social and environmental issues into consideration."

Read the entire post here.

A few years ago, the Contemporary Museum asked an environmental artist, Fritz Haeg, known for his Edible Estates front lawn transformations to come to town and work his magic on a lucky recipient's front yard. Clarence Ridgley was that lucky guy. It was all part of the museum's "Cottage Industries" exhibit. Now, Haeg has included the experience in the new second edition of Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn.

Here's an excerpt:

"Here's how it went down: Clarence and Fritz conferred over what types of foods the Ridgleys would like to grow (and eat), Fritz planned the garden and organized the volunteers, then executed the documentation with the help of photographer Leslie Furlong. Haeg acts as kind of a garden party organizer, if you will: he blows into town, gets it going and then leaves. "I just kind of make these gardens happen then disappear. I want the families to feel like they're their gardens, not my gardens."

Read the entire post here.

As cities continue vying to become the city chosen as the test subject for Google Fiber's ultra-highspeed broadband network, TechCrunch takes note of the extremes and how the telecom companies have failed the U.S.

Here's an excerpt:

"A couple weeks ago, we noted the city of Topeka, Kansas' humorous attempt to get Google's attention: by rebranding their city "Google, Kansas." Why would they do such a thing? Because they want in on Google's fiber action � the search giant's proposed plan to sell 1 gigabit-per-second broadband to consumers. Now Baltimore, Maryland is getting in on the fun as well.

The city has appointed a "Google Czar" � yes, that's the actual title � to lobby the company to put Baltimore on the list of cities in the initial trial. Tom Loveland, CEO of a local tech company, Mind Over Machines, has been appointed by Baltimore's mayor to take this exalted, but volunteer position."

Read the entire article here.

While Baltimore's tech community, local business leaders, government reps and citizens make a push to be the lucky city chosen to recieve Google's ultra-highspeed broadband network, it seems our fair city is already pretty darn wired, according to Forbes' list of America's Most Wired Cities.

Out of 20 cities, Baltimore ranks no. 8 on the list just three spots behind the Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia-area, the only other city in the Mid-Atlantic region to make the list. The ranking does take into account the estimated 66 percent broadband adoption rate in Baltimore, the 18 broadband providers and 10,141 people per wi-fi hot spot. It didn't count the citywide Wifi, Clear, available in Baltimore using WiMax technology.

Here's an excerpt:

"...we compiled the list by computing the percentage of Internet users with high-speed connections in a particular city and the number of companies providing high-speed Internet in that area. Since many urban residents access the Internet by wi-fi, we also measure the number of public wireless Internet hot spots."

Read the entire article here. Read the Baltimore blurb here.

Baltimore's grassroots effort to be one of the lucky city's chosen as a test ground for Google's ultra-fast 1-gigabit per second broadband deployment is just one of several currently taking shape in city's across the country. See what the other cities competing for the prize doing...

Here's an excerpt:

"Broadband-starved cities and towns across the country are going to great lengths to grab the attention of Mountain View (Calif.)-based Google, which in February said it will set up a network that can deliver speeds of 1 gigabit per second, about 20 times faster than the speediest ones sold by Verizon Communications (VZ). Google will spend "hundreds of millions" on the effort, Richard Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel, said in a recent interview with Bloomberg News.

To set themselves apart, some municipal officials are naming cities after Google, owner of the world's largest Web search engine. The city of Greensboro, N.C., is preparing an "Operation Google" gift package for delivery to Google headquarters and has earmarked $50,000 for promoting a Google broadband effort."

Read the entire article here.

The 400 seats at fifth installement of Ignite Baltimore, held last week at the Walter's Art Museum, sold out weeks before the event. If you didn't take the chance on the waitlist but still want to check out the speakers, we have video of a few of the best.

Here's a sample:










Watch the other speakers here.

Ignite Baltimore definitely sparked conversation last week and seemed to have a lingering effect on the Twitterati...

@hanareddy says, "I loved The Wire, but Baltimore needs to reclaim the arts, culture and science as its claim to fame. thoughts from @ignitebaltimore #ib5"

@jbusteed says what many seemed to think, "#ib5 was a smashing success! Great speakers and new surrounding were excellent."

@nicoleschiavone says, "@tornow @willdavis @amygarland @ammi - #IB5 Ignited this little Baltimorean last night - definitely going again."

@concertopera says, "woke up in awe of @ignitebaltimore You just got over 400 people to come out on a Thurs. night, to listen to ideas. #ib5 how awesome is that?"

Meanwhile...

@marioarmstrong, wonders "what do u visualize when u hear the word excellence?"

@ohbaltimore, all we have to say is we hope its more than just in our heads, "Maybe it's just psychological, but there's an "it's almost springtime" feeling in the air this evening."

Some ideas time has simply come...@bmoreconnected, "Wouldn't it be nice if as soon as you had a good idea for how to make alot money that money just transferred into your account?"

Looking for an easy way to make cooking more exciting? @poofie says, "sometimes, i challenge myself iron chef style and ask the boy to pull something from the freezer for dinner. pork & peanut noodles tonight"

@NatlAquarium is having a baby boom, "Rose, one of the 3 adult two-toed sloths living in our Rain Forest, has given birth to a baby sloth! Check out the video: http://ow.ly/1dK6E"


Wanna see ur tweet here? Follow us @bmoremediame and @bmoremedia.

Necessity as they say is the mother of invention. A local Germantown teen proves the adage true with a new search engine aimed at aging baby boomers and earlier generations.

Here's an excerpt:

"Sunmee Huh does not want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates.