Michael Longford Archives | Research & Innovation

Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference begins Saturday

fmaquito — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Conference driven by 91��ɫ research in digital media, psychology, vision and computer science

The , a one-of-a-kind gathering of experts in stereoscopic 3D art and entertainment, takes place in Toronto June 11 to 14. Major figures from the USA, UK, Russia, Germany and Canada will convene at TIFF Bell Lightbox to address and analyze the latest developments in the field.

Speakers include renowned German director , Irish director and U2 stage designer , , co-founder of IMAX and leading international film historian . Minister , will deliver remarks.

The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference is organized by the (3D FLIC) and researchers from 91��ɫ, including the . Bridging academia and industry, the event is designed to create dynamic synergies to funnel cutting-edge research into 3D production and best practices, to continue to improve the stereo 3D experience and respond to the growing audience appetite for 3D entertainment across all platforms.

Saturday, June 11
What: Official opening night of the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference

When: 5pm (Please arrive 1 hour early for sound feed)

Where: Cinema 2, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto

Remarks:

Juana Awad, 3D FLIC Project Director
, Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Fine Arts, 91��ɫ
James Weyman, Manager of Industry Initiatives, Ontario Media Development Corporation
Awad introduces Ali Kazimi, Faculty of Fine Arts, 91��ɫ
Kazimi presents German filmmaker and keynote speaker Wim Wenders

5:30pm Keynote address by Wim Wenders, titled “On PINA”

Sunday, June 12
What: Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference, remarks by Honourable Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism & Culture.

When: 10am (Please arrive 1 hour early for sound feed)

Where: Cinema 2, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto

Remarks:

Juana Awad, 3D FLIC Project Director
Nell Tenhaaf, Professor of Visual Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, 91��ɫ
Honourable Michael Chan, Ontario Minister of Tourism & Culture
Tenhaaf introduces Bill White, partner, 3D Camera Company

10:30am Mini Keynote Canada’s lead on the Stereoscopic 3D World Stage

Dr. Paul Salvini (CTO Side FX Software)
Dr. Kevin Tuer (MD Canadian Digital Media Network)

For more details, see and a previous .

Artistic Direction and Organization Juana Awad, 3D FLIC Project Director 91��ɫ; Professor Janine Marchessault, Canada Research Chair in Art, Digital Media and Globalization, 91��ɫ; and Sanja Obradovic, PHD Candidate Communication and Culture, Ryerson University/91��ɫ.

By Amy Stewart, publicist, Faculty of Fine Arts

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Ontario Centre of Excellence's Discovery 2010 was now, not next

fmaquito — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Discovery 2010, the Ontario Centre of Excellence’s annual conference to showcase and celebrate Ontario innovation, is one of Ontario’s flagship programs that supports and promotes research at Ontario’s universities, colleges, research institutions and companies. Held May 17 and 18, Discovery 2010 was billed as “Where next Happens” for Clean Tech, Health Tech, High Tech and Digital Media.

91��ɫ's 2010 Rover rolls through the desert

91��ɫ had several different presentations at Discovery 2010. Professors , George Zhu, , Costas Armenakis, , Hugh Chesser and Baoxin Hu from the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering had several displays, including an underwater robot, a nanosatellite, computer vision and a Mars rover.

Professor Regina Lee and her students, also from the Department of Earth & Space Science, showed off their Mars rover and the massive trophy they won for placing first in the 2009 University Rover Challenge in Utah (where the land apparently resembles the surface of Mars — who knew?). The group also placed second in the 2010 competition this month.

Professor kept crowds happy playing his iPhone app, “” which debuted at . 91��ɫ’s digital media display also featured the projects funded by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (, led by Professor Nell Tenhaff in the Faculty of Fine Arts) and the Ontario Research Fund (the , led by Professor John Tsotsos in the Faculty of Science & Engineering).

Meanwhile, , a partner in the 91��ɫ-led 3D FLIC project, drew crowds who didn’t mind sharing 3D glasses to experience their stunning 3D television footage.

3D Camera Company's 3D TV display at Discovery10

, a Regional Innovation Network for biotechnology in 91��ɫ Region for which 91��ɫ is a founding partner, was also represented by Janet Leclair and Sana Mulji Dutt.

Among the event’s highlights were the awards ceremonies, including the , innovation awards and many awards for Ontario’s best researchers, students and companies. Amongst these was the award for . The winning team, lead by Armen Bakirtzian, included a 91��ɫ MBA candidate, Ara Hasserjian.

Discovery 2010 provided an excellent introduction and overview for Sarah Fuller who joined 91��ɫ May 17 as associate director, research agreements and intellectual property where she

will lead 91��ɫ’s technology commercialization group. If your research involves non-academic partners (such as community, government, industry) or if you are required to transfer research funding, information or materials to another institution, Sarah can be reached at extension 20579 or by e-mail at sfuller@yorku.ca.

91��ɫ's computer science displays at Discovery10.

So what’s next for now? 91��ɫ is actively supporting industrial collaborations for faculty and students. Through expert services, industry liaison and technology commercialization under the Office of the Voce-President Research & Innovation, 91��ɫ will help connect your research to industrial partners. Companies can also explore working with 91��ɫ researchers and grad students.

For more information, contact David Phipps, director, Research Services and Knowledge Exchange at 416-736-5813 or dphipps@yorku.ca.

By David Phipps, director, Research Services and Knowledge Exchange.

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Are seniors losing out in the cellphone market?

fmaquito — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:00:00 +0000

In February, Barbara Crow will meet with her mother-in-law’s quilting bunch in Peterborough, her mother’s synagogue friends in Toronto and a group of retirees in Duncan, British Columbia. She and co-researcher Kim Sawchuk of Concordia University want to know whether and how seniors use cellphones.

Right: Barbara Crow

“Many senior citizens use these mobile technologies, yet they are completely absent from any discussion on their use,” says Crow (BA Hons. ’84, MA ’86, PhD ’94), a communications and women’s studies professor and now associate dean of research for 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

Seventy-two per cent of Canadians have access to cellphones, and wireless carriers offer coverage to more than 99 per cent of Canadians. More than a phone, it is increasingly versatile – the communications device of choice for sending text messages, taking photos, surfing the Internet, listening to music, playing games and updating a calendar.

The industry markets almost exclusively to youth and middle-aged professionals. And researchers studying cellphone use have also focused on the young and upwardly mobile.

Left: Kim Sawchuk

Crow and (PhD ’86, PhD ’91) have begun preliminary research to find out if, how and why seniors are using mobile technologies. “We both have aging parents and we’ve been watching how cellphones are changing everyday lives,” says Crow. They have received a three-year standard grant totalling $103,903 to complete this research by 2011.

“Kim and I argue that individuals over 60 are soon going to make up a larger proportion of the population than youth,” says Crow, who has been studying digital technologies and their social, cultural, political and economic impact since the early 1980s.

“So many government services are online,” says Crow. Yet many older people, especially impoverished women, have no way to access those services. “Do we think because people can’t afford them, they shouldn’t have access to them?” The question is, “How can we ensure their needs are going to be served?”

Compared to other countries, information and communication technology services in Canada – including cellphone and Internet – cost more and deliver less, says Crow. A 2009 by Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society ranked Canada in the bottom third among 30 countries for speed and cost.

If these new communications devices are so critical and costs are high, who is being penalized? Those on lower incomes, including the elderly, suggest Crow and Sawchuk.

“With our research, we’ll be able to say to government, here’s a list of things you should think about when designing public services,” says Crow, who, believe it or not, doesn’t own a cellphone.

“This is about making a group who can provide us with wisdom and reflection a part of significant changes that are happening,” says Crow.

This research could lead to other projects. For Crow and Sawchuk, the growing popularity of cellphones raises questions around communications policy: What portion of the spectrum of airwaves used to transmit digital signals should be public and not commercial? How do we address privacy issues? Cellphones work best in urban areas, but should the government ensure rural and remote parts of Canada also have access?

Crow and Sawchuk are also co-directors of the , which supports interdisciplinary research into wireless communications and mobile technology. They are co-editors, along with 91��ɫ Professor Michael Longford, of The Wireless Spectrum: The Politics, Practices, and Poetics of Mobile Media, to be published by the University of Toronto Press this year.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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