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Thursday, 24 May 2012

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Lankan students win Intel sef in USA

Liyanadura Pipunika Vimanthi Silva and Liyanadura Nipun Kavishka Silva from De mazenod College, Sri Lanka were winners of a team second award in the computer science category, winning US$400 for each team member from the IEEE Computer Society for their project entitled 'NP System'ISEF in USA, a computer program for blind and visually impaired people at this year's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science and the Public.

CR-Coderz team

The NP System is a software programme that assists blind and visually impaired individuals use computers by providing voice instructions.

The programme can assist with a variety of tasks such as guiding the user through the basic functions of a computer including sending an email, crafting a word document, analyzing images and providing verbal descriptions and responding to audio commands by the user.

The winning team was accompanied by Joseph Lakshman Geramunu Nonis, a teacher from De Mazenod College.

The duo, along with two other Lankan students Chathura Saman Kumara from Pinnawala Central College, Rambukkana and Maleen Wijeyaratne from Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, represented Sri Lanka after winning the Sri Lankan Science and Engineering Fair organized by the Ministry of Education, National Science Foundation, Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka and Intel Sri Lanka, last December.

"I congratulate Pipunika and Nipun for competing in an international arena with a large number of competitors from around the world and emerging victorious. Their project will no doubt be an innovative addition to the field of NP Systems, and also is a great innovation for the blind and visually impaired," said Indika de Zoysa, Country Manager for Intel Sri Lanka.

"I also congratulate the other two students who represented Sri Lanka at the contest, for making it into the final round and competing at ISEF."

This year, more than 1,500 young scientists were chosen to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

They were selected from 446 affiliate fairs in approximately 70 countries, regions and territories. In addition to the winners mentioned above, more than 400 finalists received awards and prizes for their groundbreaking work. Awards included 17 "Best of Category" winners who each received a $5,000 prize.

Informatics Institute of Technology

The Intel Foundation also awarded a $1,000 grant to each winner's school and to the affiliated fair they represent. The overall winner of ISEF 2012 was Jack Andraka, 15, of Crownsville, USA, Nicholas Schiefer, 17, of Pickering, Ontario, Canada and Ari Dyckovsky, 18, of Leesburg, Va, USA. Andraka was received the Gordon E. Moore Award, named in honor of Intel co-founder and retired chairman and CEO of $75,000, for his new method to detect pancreatic cancer. Two other students, Nicholas Schiefer, 17, of Pickering, Ontario, Canada and Ari Dyckovsky, 18, of Leesburg, Va, USA., each received the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award of $50,000. Schiefer investigated what he calls 'microsearch,' or the ability to search the fastest-growing information medium: small amounts of content, such as tweets and Facebook status updates and Dyckovsky investigated the science of quantum teleportation."

"We support the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because we know that math and science are imperative to future global growth," said Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation. "This competition encourages millions of students to engage their skills for innovation and develop promising solutions for global challenges."

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair include some of the most promising rising student entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists from around the world.

Finalists are selected annually from hundreds of affiliated fairs.

Their projects are then evaluated onsite by more than 1,200 judges from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a Ph.D. or the equivalent of six years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines.


IIT runners up at Microsoft Imagine Cup

The Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT) produced three teams for the final round of the Microsoft Imagine Cup and the team CR-Coderz emerged first runner up at the competition in 2012 competing with the state universities and other private institutes in Sri Lanka for the second consecutive year.

The masterminds behind CR-Coderz are Thirueswaren Rajagopalan, Raathigeshan Kugarajan, Sabry Moulana, and Renien Joseph.

All participants of the Imagine Cup from IIT have endorsed the very essence of the competition which is that it gives eager young minds the opportunity to try their hand at solving problems and through this possibly have an opportunity to develop a business, learn new and varied technological skills in the process, pitch themselves against similar thinking students across the world, make new friends, and of course win the prestigious prizes.

The curriculum structure of the BEng (Hons) Software Engineering programme at IIT incorporates assignments that involve team building, presentations and communication activities. This degree offered by the University of Westminster (UOW) is not just taught but students are fully immersed in the practical aspects of the subjects. The placement year in the third year of study really puts the knowledge they gained into perspective when working in a real business environment. Students are able to execute what they learnt in their first and second year of study during their placement and thereby gain insight into the real business world.

Today's 21st century world is a competitive one where discoveries and technologies are made obsolete almost immediately. In this environment, the younger generation has a greater sense of urgency to establish and prove themselves.

The Microsoft Imagine Cup is an International Competition that paves the way for such ambitious and keen minded young students to establish themselves.

In operation for the past 10 years, the Imagine Cup is a global premier student technology competition that encourages and motivates students to 'imagine'. Students must use their creative genius to come up with a technological solution for problems prevalent in society. This is in keeping with the Competitions' basic theme of 'Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems'.

In its 10 year existence the Imagine Cup has seen over 1.4 million students compete from across the globe.

Each of these students has contributed imaginative ideas that have gone on to revolutionize certain approaches and technological reforms. In 2012 alone, the competition saw 358'000 students from 183 countries participate.

In 2011, team CR-Coderz developed an interactive scientific learning software for primary school students, titled V-Lab (Virtual Lab) which made use of a host of cutting edge technologies including Augmented Reality with Fiducial Markers. More details could be obtained from, Web: www.iit.ac.lk


Sala launches Gigaset cordless phones

Sala Enterprises, the leading supplier in customer premises equipment in Sri Lanka, has been appointed as the distributor for Gigaset Cordless phones for the retail market segment.

Informatics Institute of Technology

Sala Enterprise known for its excellent customer service and strong technical expertise in the field of communication and IT products .The Company is currently the official distributors for well-known brands such as Prolink, Alcatel, Delux, Divoom, Seiko Instruments, E Marc and Fujitsu. It has now expanded its portfolio by launching Gigaset's latest cordless phones A490 and A590 in Sri Lanka.

Gigaset one of the world's largest manufacturers of cordless phones and the clear market leader in Europe and in the Middle East. With its headquarters in Munich, the company develops, manufactures and distributes high-quality products under the brand Gigaset. Its portfolio includes fixed-network phones, Voice over IP devices products.

The primary production site is in Bocholt, Germany, where the Gigaset products are manufactured under the most stringent quality and environmental standards.

As the European and Middle East market leader in cordless phones and a premium manufacturer, Gigaset look forward to providing innovative and high quality products to a discerning and growing SriLankan consumer base.

While being optimistic on further gaining significant market share, Gigaset gears up to launch many more exciting and innovative models to benefit the Sri Lankan customers. SJ


Weekly return air tickets with SLT IDD

Across Sri Lanka the telephone remains the most accessible and popular method for reaching out and reconnecting with a friend or family member in a far away land. Hearing, naturally though, is no substitute for seeing a loved one's face and holding them close, thus the National Telecommunications Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) IDD has introduced a unique and rewarding offer for all its customers.

Greg Young - Chief Executive Officer, SLT added "Sri Lanka is a country which has a significant economic contribution from foreign employment and as a nation we are well acquainted with the difficulties these separations cause. With the high call quality provided by SLT fixed services, at very competitive rates, our customers can enjoy long conversations with their family and friends overseas. Customers are automatically entered into the draw by making a call from any SLT connection".

The promotion will run from May 24 to August 31 2012 and weekly lucky winners will be selected. Calls must be a minimum of 4 minutes in duration and each call is valid for the draw only during the week in which it is made. The more calls made, the greater a customer's chance of emerging a winner.

"The powerful insight about the strain of long distance relationships is what prompted the SLT IDD offer" explains Roshan Kaluarachchi, Chief Marketing Officer, SLT "Over the next three months we will be running weekly raffle draws among those of our customers who make IDD calls.

The criteria for eligibility are simple and winners will receive a return air ticket to the country they have called, thus giving them the opportunity to be with their loved one".

The SLT IDD draw will be conducted every week during this period and return air tickets will only be issued to registered SLT customers.

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