Innovation News

BuzzVoice app personalizes news, gives voice to text

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Entrepreneurship
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June 19, 2012

While working in marketing and product development for various area start-ups, John Atkinson found himself most often on the road. He found it hard to keep up with the day's news as a result. "I traveled all the time, and never could keep up with news," says Atkinson, also a partner in QI Healthcare. "I didn't want to drag newspapers around. "Trying to read four-point font (on a phone) while driving was insane. My business partner Roy Georgia had been in tech for years, and we said, 'There has to be a way to solve this problem.' " That was the beginning of BuzzVoice, a mobile application that pulls from 1,700 news sources, converting text-based news you choose into audio. "We've created a real-time news engine that scours these sources based on your preferences," Atkinson says, calling it the Pandora Internet Radio of news. "It automatically collects stories from the web's top news sites and blogs, and transforms them into audio. You can listen to them while you get things done," says Atkinson, of Mason. "It's a safe way to get news; and it's just a fun product." Through BuzzVoice, you can chose the publications you're most interested in; they're organized into 59 categories, ranging from technology to gossip. Launched nearly four years ago, the BuzzVoice app costs $3.99. It's available for most smart phones including Android and iPhone, Ipod Touch, and MP3 players. There's also a desktop application. Living up to its name, BuzzVoice has generated plenty of buzz. It's been featured in top technology and innovation publications including Mashable, MacWorld, Forbes and Fast Company. It's also been a featured app in the Apple, Amazon and Verizon app stores. The growing prevalence of smart phones (they make up 50 percent of all new phones sold), and emergence of voice activated apps like the iPhones ubiquitous Siri makes apps like BuzzVoice a more natural choice, Atkinson says. "We're definitely at a tipping point," he says. "There is a lot going on in the mobile space; voice is the killer app for mobile." By Feoshia Henderson Follow Feoshia on Twitter

Latest in Innovation News
NKY Chamber pairs American business mentors, African leaders in Innovation Summit
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Diversity
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June 19, 2012

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce will be part of a nationwide Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership that pairs African leaders with American business mentors. An Innovation Summit started June 14 in Washington, D.C. and featured sessions with business leaders and entrepreneurs. The program is part of the Obama Administration's President's Young African Leaders Initiative, which identifies and fosters relationships with young African leaders. It's aim is to "promote business innovation, investment and social responsibility activities in Africa." Starting this week, the African youth with fan out across the country learning about American culture and the workplace. In addition to Northern Kentucky, they'll travel to Seattle, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Miami, Huntsville, Denver and Chicago. The Chamber, in conjunction with the Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council, will sponsor 21-year-old Mwaka Mukwasa, spokeswoman for the Young African Leaders Initiative or YALI. Her organization's mission is to "engage, support and empower Zambian youth and young leaders to enhance civic engagement through promotion of education, good governance, principled leadership and business skills." Starting June 25, Mwaka Mukwasa will be spending a few days with the Chamber and a couple of days with Junior Achievement of Cincinnati, which develops youth workplace, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills. "She'll be here learning about engaging young women and girls," says Amanda Dixon, manger of workforce talent solutions at the Chamber. "She wants to better connect them with career information and sources of education. She'll be looking at what we do at the Chamber, the resources we provide, and will have a set of best practices to take back home," By Feoshia Henderson Follow Feoshia on Twitter

Instrument Life connects musicians, instrument buyers, sellers
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Arts + Culture
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June 19, 2012

On the eve of the 2012 World Choir Games in Cincinnati, a virtual marketplace for musicians is makings it debut. Instrument Life, a Cincinnati start-up, links musicians, instrument retailers and vendors, repair shops and schools to pull together the music world's many pieces. "(In the industry) nobody talks to each other," says Instrument Life founder Chris Sturm. "Manufactures don't talk to retailers, retailers don't talk to repair shops. There are all these different segments that are part of the same industry, but they don't have a vehicle to communicate. "We tie them together in a Facebook style, and we have business apps to add to free accounts." Instrument Life, which is part of the new UpTech business accelerator in Northern Kentucky, is set to kickoff its membership drive at the World Choir Games July 4. Sturm moved up the launch date, originally set for the fall, to capture the worldwide audience of music performers who will be in the city for the 10-day competition. A fuller version of the site is set for the fall. Sturm has a passion for music, having played in a band in local bars around Cincinnati as a teenager. He eventually started a career in software development, and Instrument Life combines his talents. "I was into the technology side of things, but there was something about music that pulled me back in," he says. "Cincinnati used to be a very hot music scene, and it's kind of cooled off. Our ultimate goal is to remind people that music is cool, and we want to launch and grow in Cincinnati." Instrument Life musicians make a free profile where they can make lists of their instruments and devices, track instrument history, keep warranty information, upload band performances and post them to Facebook. There will be forums and other ways to meet up virtually to do everything from talking about performances to finding someone to repair an instrument. Sellers, vendors and repair shops can purchase Instrument Life apps that will help them run and promote their businesses. The company is working with some of the area's large music shops, including Willis music, to pilot the site, Sturm says. Band directors from several dozen area schools are also set to use the tool. By Feoshia Henderson Follow Feoshia on Twitter

UC Forward grants $140K for collaborative classes
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Architecture + Design
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June 12, 2012

What co-op was to the 20th century, UC Forward is to the 21st. So goes the theory, and practice, behind the latest iteration of experiential learning at the University of Cincinnati, birthplace of cooperative education. UC Forward, an initiative of UC’s Innovation Collaborative, describes a wide array of new and existing courses that combine students, and faculty, from multiple disciplines, across colleges and campuses, to work together to solve real-world problems. Some of these classes have existed for years. For example, the Niehoff Urban Studio has been tackling community problems, like increasing neighborhood green spaces and improving communities, with design-thinking since 2002. The Livewell Collaborative has been putting students on the frontline of product development for Baby Boomers—because of strict confidentiality agreements with potential manufacturers, the joke around campus is that participants can tell you all about the new ideas and products they have developed, but then they have to kill you. The Medical Device Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program has been creating partnerships between budding industrial designers and biomedical engineers and University doctors in need of new devices to address pressing needs in the emergency room and beyond. And those are just a few of the existing programs that now fall under the UC Forward umbrella. This school year, the office of the provost issued a call for proposals for new multi-disciplinary courses that include students and faculty from diverse disciplines, use collaborative teaching and learning methods and expand the educational model by focusing on real-life solutions—deliverables that not only help students learn and grow, but that can help them land jobs. Fourteen courses received first-year funding for a total of $140,000 in new funding, a significant investment in a new way of teaching, learning and preparing students for the future. It’s a move that fits with the Research 1 University’s new academic master plan, and aims at helping shift the higher education narrative to meet the needs of a new century. Look for stories about individual UC Forward initiatives, as well as new programs and certificates developed to foster creative problem-solving, in future issues of Soapbox. By Elissa Yancey Follow Elissa on Twitter.

SE Indiana entrepreneur’s station feeds abandoned kittens, puppies
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Diversity
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June 12, 2012

Matt Hess is a dog breeder whose new product – a feeding station for motherless puppies and kittens – solved his own puppy feeding challenge. "I had nine English Mastiff puppies who lost their mother due to mastitis (an infection)," says Hess, who lives in Southeastern Indiana. "I was feeding them one by one. By the time I finished with the last one, it was time to feed the first one again. I thought, 'There has got to be a easier way to do this.' " The result is Hess' Pet Nursing Station, which can feed three puppies or kittens at a time. The station securely holds baby bottles, attached to the back of a cradle where the animals lie, stomach down, to drink. The cradle is slightly angled and the puppies look up to suck their bottles. "Once I created this system, it took me a half hour to feed the puppies," Hess says. The Pet Nursing Station is for small- to large-breed puppies as well as kittens. It's designed for newborns to use up to four weeks old, or until they're weaned. "It's designed to care for orphaned puppies or kittens if the mother has passed away, or, if for whatever reason, the mother doesn't produce enough milk. The Pet Nursing Station comes in as a temporary or full-time mother," Hess says. Hess first used the station at home, then sent it to friends and acquaintances to further test. He received good feedback, and decided to start selling the stations in 2011. He, his mother and father make the metal stations in Hess' garage. He's working on a plastic mold for them, which will make the station lighter and more affordable. "When I made the Pet Nursing Station, I didn't think it would go anywhere. After I shared it with friends, who said it was good idea, it kind of took off," he says. He's sold the station to animal rescues, breeders and individual pet owners. He's talking to pet stores and catalog sellers to find a wider distribution for the product. "We have one company who is interested but wants to see the product go further before they sell it," he says. The Pet Nursing Station is one of the entries in the ongoing Cincinnati Innovates invention and business competition. You can see more ideas, or enter your own here. By Feoshia Henderson Follow Feoshia on Twitter

UC collaboration leads to biodiesel research
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Diversity
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June 12, 2012

Fueled by a US EPA grant, University of Cincinnati faculty and students are leading an effort to transform cooking grease into biodiesel on a regional scale. This project is a collaboration among UC, the Cincinnati Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and Bluegrass Biodiesel of Falmouth, Ky. The partners will test three methods to extract oil from the grease, including one the University is planning to patent. Longer term plans are that this oil could be used in a biodiesel mixture to power diesel equipment and vehicles. Grease hauling is an industry vital to restaurants, which pay haulers to dispose of used cooking grease. But the grease has to disposed of, usually in landfills. "MSD receives grease from haulers," says project leader Mingming Lu, UC associate professor of Environmental Engineering. "The grease -- a mix of solid and liquid -- are from restaurant grease traps. MSD also has grease from the waste water it receives. The two kinds of grease are mixed, skimmed and condensed. This is called trap grease. It's stored in a pond and then sent to a landfill." The EPA awarded the biodiesel effort an $87,000 grant during the the 8th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in May. The project was chosen from among 300 presented by college and university innovators across the country. Up to seven UC students will be involved in the effort, Lu says. It's set to start in September and should last two years. It will include pilot demonstrations and a 100-gallon pilot treatment facility in collaboration with MSD. "This is technology verification. We will try several technologies and see which one is the most effective for MSD," Lu says. By Feoshia Henderson Follow Feoshia on Twitter

7 Moose Games becomes GamiGen, develops gaming-inspired training software
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Education + Learning
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June 5, 2012

Games are serious business for Cincinnati-based GamiGen, a startup founded on gaming-inspired 3D training software designed for the health, oil and gas, mining, academic, manufacturing and public safety industries. "What we do is take gaming engine technology to create training simulation technology and make efficient safe, cost-effective training programs," says company founder Brett Canter. "That is our goal: we want to simulate complex or dangerous simulations," The company, previously known as 7 Moose Games, is developing "games" to help companies train large groups of employees. One of the first is a fire extinguisher training simulation that users manipulate online. "We give them the task of putting out virtual fires," Canter says. "They have to use a sweeping motion to spray and point the extinguisher in the right place," giving employees a more real-life experience than watching a video or just examining a fire extinguisher. This form of training can be less expensive and more detailed than traditional employee training sessions, Canter says. Companies with between 5,000 and 10,000 employees can benefit from this type of training technology, he says. "Our main customers are companies that maintain OSHA compliancy, and have the need for some kind of recurring training," Canter says. The company plan to make its games compatible with motion sensor gaming systems like the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox Kinnect. By Feoshia Henderson Follow Feoshia on Twitter

CincyTech plans inaugural Great Lakes Venture Fair
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Entrepreneurship
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June 5, 2012

CincyTech is working with its counterparts TechColumbus and JumpStart in Cleveland, as well the Ohio Venture Association and the Ohio Capital Fund, to organize the inaugural Great Lakes Venture Fair, Oct. 17-18, in downtown Cleveland. The Great Lakes Venture Fair is a day-and-a-half event that will gather investors and high-potential, venture-backable companies from across Ohio and the Midwest. It builds on the success of the Ohio Capital Fund’s Early Stage Summit convention, which was held in Columbus for seven years. Early-bird conference registration, at a rate of $150, is available until July 1. The GLVF also will follow the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds’ national conference “Advancing Innovation: Seeding Tomorrow’s Opportunities,” being held at the same location, Oct. 15-17. Programming for the GLVF will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m. with a discussion on corporate venture partners, followed by a joint reception with the NASVF addressing the state of the Ohio Capital Fund. Thursday will include pitches from the region’s best startup information technology and bioscience companies, presentations on regional investment activity and conversations about building future growth in startups and investing in the Midwest. Additionally, if your company is interested in presenting at the venture fair, applications for company presentations will open in mid-June at www.greatlakesventurefair.org. Sponsors for the first Great Lakes Venture Fair include the Ohio Capital Fund, Early Stage Partners, CincyTech, Edison Ventures, Draper Triangle and Thompson Hine. For sponsorship opportunities, interested companies can contact admin@greatlakesventurefair.org or visit the website to download the Sponsor Prospectus. The conference is providing access to hotel rooms at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at a discounted rate on a first come, first served basis. By CincyTech

New loan funding helps property owners increase energy efficiency
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Architecture + Design
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June 5, 2012

A $3 million boost from a national foundation may soon help make local church pews and nonprofit offices a lot more comfortable, and a lot more energy-efficient. The innovative new approach to making energy-efficient upgrades profitable for both loan recipients and lenders combines the efforts of the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, the Cincinnati Development Fund, and the Calvert Foundation, which typically invests in real-estate secured loans and has never before invested in Cincinnati. The new fund, the Better Buildings Performance Loan Fund, leverages federal and foundation money for loans at competitive interest rates that can help institutions renovate buildings and increase their energy efficiency at the same time, says Al Gaspari, GCEA finance director. While GCEA's focus has been on helping homeowners with energy-efficient upgrades, this new initiative expands its role in the region. "We're initially targeting nonprofit organizations and multi-family dwellings," Gaspari says. Churches, arts organizations and schools rank high on the list of prospective loan applicants. For example, an inner-city church with a 60-year-old furnace could apply for a loan, invest in a new energy-efficient furnace and save 20 percent on energy costs. Plus, the new system could make existing spaces accessible year-round--even during hot summer and cold winter months--thus allowing for expanded programs and services. "From our perspective, our grant is not dollar-in, dollar-out," Gaspari says. "The goal of our grant is to get people involved and lower their initial risks." For lenders flirting with the idea of investing in energy-efficiency, the new fund provides a potential sustainable model. "Our overall goal is to show that there is a market for these loans and show that they do perform," Gaspari says. While the new fund is not yet up and running, he says the GCEA expects to underwrite loans, which will be offered through the Cincinnati Development Fund, before the end of 2012. As part of the fund, the GCEA will track the energy savings that improvements allow. For investors at the Calvert Foundation, the forward-focused program offers a chance to invest in a program that ultimately conserves energy, reduces pollutants and saves money. By Elissa Yancey Follow Elissa on Twitter

Cincinnati’s CrowdSpark makes online contest creation easy, affordable
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Architecture + Design
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June 5, 2012

Online contests allow businesses and brands to find new customers, increase awareness and engage with followers through social media. "This is a really a fast-growing space used to create media exposure to engagement," says Cincinnati entrepreneur Elizabeth Edwards, founder of the Cincinnati Innovates business competition. But paying someone to create a custom contest can get pricey, and there's not much guarantee you'll get the results you want. So Edwards launched a new web product, CrowdSpark, designed to make contest creation more effective and accessible for businesses on tight budgets. "A custom-designed platform and a management platform could cost $15,000 to create," she says. "Instead of paying a web developer to create a contest, for as little as $250 you could create your own." Developers can also use CrowdSpark so that they can spend less time on code, and more time on creating a great contest, Edwards adds. "We make it easy and economical to create and run those contests," she says. Edwards is using CrowdSpark, now in Beta, to run the ongoing Cincinnati Innovates Contest, which wraps up July 15. "I've learned a lot in the last four years of running Cincinnati Innovates, which has become of the most successful regional online contests in the world," she says. "But one of the things I learned not to do is spend a lot of money to get the results you want." CrowdSpark offers social media plug-ins, analytics, contest entry forms, custom legal rules, tech support and options to create a custom domain and accept paid entries. There will also be a best practices guide focusing on creating and managing contests. It costs between $250 and $2,000 to start using CrowdSpark, depending on the options it includes. Hosting fees range from $100 to $200 each month the contest runs. By Feoshia Henderson Follow Feoshia on Twitter

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