LAST STAND for woodland caribou

 

Dr. Rick Schneider

The future for woodland caribou in Alberta is grim.
Indeed, according to Dr. Rick Schneider, a research associate with the Integrated Landscape Management Program at the University of Alberta, extirpation from this province is just around the corner.
Schneider told researchers and industry partners at the annual general meeting of the ILM group, “If things don’t change, we know that almost all the herds in the province will be down to less than 10 animals within three decades. There’s a couple of exceptions, but by and large, we’re looking at the effective loss of most herds in 30, 40 years.”
ILM research over the last few years indicates the direct cause of this loss is increased predation by wolves. But wolves and caribou have been on the landscape together for millenia. So what has tipped the balance?
According to Schneider, “The leading hypothesis is that it is our human change of the landscape that has led to these increases in wolf density and increased encounters with caribou. In particular, the increased number of roads and seismic lines and cutblocks that produce more forage possibilities, more access points for deer to get into systems where caribou really had it all to themselves in the past. And, now with these other prey species, we’ve got wolf densities going up and caribou end up taking the brunt of the problem.”
He says saving woodland caribou in Alberta depends on three factors. These include curtailing industrial activity, reclaiming seismic lines and roads, and culling wolves. But the costs are high. So he has developed a computer model that weighs societal values and economic trade-offs which can be used as a decision-making tool
Schneider has also developed what he calls a “triage approach” to help people decide which herds to save. As he explains, “There are some that are doing not so bad, some that are almost on the edge of extinction right now. So ranking herds on a variety of factors, beyond just where their trends are and how big their populations are, there are a number of other factors to take into account. And then there are costs. Some are very expensive—the ones that sit right atop the oil sands are literally tens of billions of dollars of opportunity costs lost there—whereas other entire ranges really have not much oil or gas value at all, and could be protected for next to no cost to the Crown. So by weighing all these factors, you can provide a ranking of the herds. Which one would be the first herd you’d pick if you could only do one?
Without following triage approach, Schneider believes we’ll lose all our caribou herds.

Health research fund gets new name & new CEO

 

 

Dr. Jacques Magnan

The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research was established 30 years ago. A hefty endowment fund from the provincial government attracted top notch scientists who helped build Alberta’s capacity in health research.
One of those people who came to Alberta from eastern Canada was Dr. Jacques Magnan. In 1994, the researcher in pharmacology joined AHFMR to look after the administration of scientific awards.
Now Magnan takes up his appointment as CEO of the new organization that replaces AHFMR. It’s called Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.
He explains, “The mandate has been defined slightly differently. The roles have been targeted a little bit more toward the innovation side of things. So we need to assess properly how the programs and activities of AHFMR are contributing to those roles… and whether there needs to be some changes. What it does, is it does free up some of the resources that the Foundation have at its disposal and it does provide us with an opportunity then to reinvest those resources into more direct research support.” Magnan says the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions will uphold AHFMR’s commitment to the Polaris prize until it runs out in 2018, as well as current support for investigators over the next six or seven years.

 

Delivering prosperity is goal of business-savvy scientist

Dr. Gary Albach

The new president and CEO of Alberta Innovates Technology Futures brings with him a strong background in both science and business.
Trained as a physicist, Dr. Gary Albach ran a successful spin-off company focused on semiconductors and advanced materials.
Now Albach will have a staff of 700 at Technology Futures. This new corporation amalgamates the Alberta Research Council, Alberta Ingenuity, iCORE and nanoAlberta.
He says, “Our job is to deliver prosperity in the province through the commercialization of Alberta technologies. That means supporting businesses in the province through the variety of tools that we have from funding through product development in our facilities.”
Albach sees Alberta’s Technology strategy focused on three pillars: energy and environment, health and bio solutions.
“Now, in addition to those, there are platform technologies that are evolving, evolving quickly in the province. And the first of those are nanotechnology, information and communication technologies, ICT, and genomics.”

Heading south

Dr. Michael Mahon

Edmonton’s loss is Lethbridge’s gain. Dr. Michael Mahon is leaving his position as the dean of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta to become president of the University of Lethbridge. Mahon succeeds Dr. Bill Cade.
When asked about the highlights of his two terms as dean, Dr. Mahon points to his academic staff. “About three-quarters of our cohort of faculty members has changed. As a result of that, we’ve had some real growth in new areas, the emergence of academic areas and others that had lost a little bit of zip over past years.”
Dr. Mahon is also proud of his efforts to internationalize the faculty and his involvement in the expansion of the U of A to the south campus.
He sees the move from a campus of 37,000 students to one with 8,000 students as an opportunity to really get to know his university community. Over the past few years, the University of Lethbridge built a strong reputation in the sciences, and Mahon hopes to do the same for the humanities.
“I am enthusiastic in terms of building in the areas of social sciences, humanities, and fine arts because I see those areas as real strengths in the undergraduate level at the university. But, from a research perspective, they haven’t built as many new initiatives in those areas. I would say it will build balance across the academy. My own research has been in the social sciences and humanities. It has been funded by SSHRC. I have always had a more interdisciplinary research approach. So I am quite enthusiastic about doing that. “
Dr. Mahon will finish his current term as dean and then head south to take up his new post starting July 1st. √

New Lead on Detecting Breast Cancer

Dr. Barry Barclay

Given the current epidemic of breast cancer, wouldn’t it be great to have an early detection system?
Molecular biologist Dr. Barry Barclay, CEO of Planet Biotechnologies Inc, believes he may have stumbled upon a genetic mechanism that could lead to exactly that.
After he read an article on genetic damage related to breast cancer and a particular gene—the TYMS gene—he realized there were connections to the research he had conducted for many years on the TYMS gene. The location of interest is on Chromosome 18.
As Dr. Barclay explains, “It took me about five years to try to figure out a potential mechanism that would throw a switch that would cause a tumour. And not only does it initiate the tumour, but the structures that are generated during the episode of the switch not functioning well, themselves become tumour drivers. So once you turn the switch, it stays permanently in the position. What causes it to be dis-regulated are the factors that we know are the risk factors in breast carcinogenesis. There are environmental factors. There are nutritional factors, and there are genomic factors.”
Dr. Barclay has presented his findings at two international scientific meetings and will soon publish an article on his research. √

Reclamation Pioneer Terry Macyk Retires

Terry Macyk

After 43 years with the Alberta Research Council, now called Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, Terry Macyk is retiring.
His pioneering work in soil reclamation earned him the title of Distinguished Scientist with ARC along with recognition from all around the world for his contributions to reclamation science.
According to Macyk, time is the most critical factor in evaluating reclamation success. “I think it is just looking more at some of the long term applications in some of the areas that we’ve worked in. You have to do a lot of long term follow-up on many of the things that we did do, just to make sure that everything is on the right path and to confirm that indeed, the reclamation that was done in the past is going to stand that longer test of time.”
Macyk goes on to say that looking at a reclaimed landscape after just five years is never enough time to judge one’s success. “Twenty-five years gives you a better idea of how successful it is. Forty years even more. But if would really be nice to be looking at some of these areas 50 years later, because realistically it takes a tree to grow and mature in most parts of Alberta 50, 60, 70 years. We haven’t reached that stage with our initial reclamation yet. It’s a very new science.”
Terry Macyk’s research on reclamation has been applied across Alberta in forestry, agriculture, oil sands, oil and gas development and, now, carbon capture and storage. For example, he helped develop a means to use sludge from pulp mills as a soil amendment. For two decades he collaborated with Syncrude to research effective ways to reclaim boreal landscapes disturbed by oilsands mining.
His pioneering research helped shape regulations for reclaiming industrial sites. And Mayck considers one of his greatest contributions the introduction of the notion of salvaging and stockpiling soil before industrial development even starts. √

More women, money & cyber ports… Less disease please

Dr. Margaret Ann Armour with Anne McLellan

Challenging the norm
For Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour, the launch of the WinSETT Centre is a dream come true.
It’s been six years in the gestation. And, true to her roots as a chemist, she birthed the new entity with a flurry of beakers and bubbling gases in front of an appreciative crowd at the Telus Centre on the University campus.
Dr. Armour has long been known for her tireless efforts to engage and promote women in the sciences and technologies. Back in the early 1980s, she was a founding member of WISEST—Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology. The movement spread across the country.
Now, through her efforts and vision, Edmonton is home to the WinSETT Centre. An acronym for Women in Science, Engineering, Trades and Technology, this is the hub for an ambitious national effort to significantly boost the numbers of women in the workforce and change the culture of such fields as engineering and trades.
Dr. Armour points to the statistics. “Only 12 percent of engineers are women. The kind of percentages of women in construction is dismal. It’s four percent. In the sciences, it’s probably 35 percent, which is over the critical mass which makes it sustainable.”
Research shows that one major problem is that even when women do enter these fields, they tend to leave after about 10 years. The blame lies directly with an inflexible male dominated culture in the workplace.
“An awful lot of it has to do with having a family and being able work, and trying to balance the two, says Dr. Armour. “Because, if it’s a work place which is still fairly well male dominated, it has a male culture. And the male culture is, ‘you shall work 18 hours a day and always be there.’
“And women are saying, ‘I don’t want that. I don’t want that kind of lifestyle. I want a balance.’ We’re hearing that young men are saying, ‘We want a balance, too.’ So we’re hoping that things will change. But that’s been very slow.”
That theme of changing the workplace culture to retain women and improve Canadian productivity was picked by the Honourable Anne McLellan in her stunning speech at the WinSETT launch.
Among the first programs the WinSETT Centre will undertake is leadership training. According Dr. Armour, “Leaders need to appoint leaders. And, although we know it’s very important to have more women entering fields like engineering, if we don’t have women as leaders in engineering, the culture of engineering is not going to change. So when young women come into the workforce, they’re not going to stay.” √

Robin Winsor CEO of Cybera

Expanding the cyber network
The new president and CEO of Cybera is Robin Winsor. He will split his time between Edmonton and Calgary as he runs this not-for profit, university based organization set up to extend Alberta’s cyber infrastructure. His mandate is to move Cybera to the next level—into the business community.
That’s certainly a world Winsor understands. While working in the research department at Gulf, he used his knowledge of geophysics and artificial intelligence to develop the world’s first direct digital x-ray system. That was 20 years ago. He quit the day job and grew the company into a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Now, as the head of Cybera, Winsor hopes to extend the services of the cyber network to Alberta’s entrepreneurs and business community. Cybera operates cyber ports at the University of Alberta. “There are similar facilities in Calgary, Lethbridge and, by extension, through networking all over the world,” he says. “We have lots of big screen TVs. We have cameras that track us and we can sit here and have a virtual meeting. You can see so much more when you are in what we would basically call a video conference. Others are giving it fancier names like tele-presence, virtual rooms, and so on, but it does add that extra measure. And this is just a small part of the services that Cybera offers.”
Winsor is particularly keen on making Alberta’s energy sector aware of the Cybera and the use it can make of the cyber facilities.
While current access to this cyber network is somewhat limited, he says Cybera’s future goal is make access as pervasive and ubiquitous as that of the telephone. Simply plug in and you’re connected.
You can learn more about Cybera’s services at www.cybera.ca √

Dr. Stefan Bachu

Recognizing excellence
Just before the Alberta Research Council was merged into the new agency, Alberta Innovates-Technology Solutions, its president and CEO John McDougall honoured one of his own. He bestowed the title of Distinguished Scientist upon Dr. Stefan Bachu—the fifth ARC scientist to receive this recognition of excellence.
Dr. Bachu is world renowned for his pioneering research on carbon capture and storage technology. In 2007, he shared a Nobel Prize as lead author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on CO₂ Capture and Storage. That’s the same Nobel Prize Al Gore received.
Today, Dr. Bachu continues his involvement at the international level. “To start with, I represent Canada on the technical group of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, which is an organization of 24 countries major energy producers and CO₂ emitters. It includes countries like United States, China, Brazil, Russia, United Kingdom, Norway, Australia, and so on. Secondly, I have been asked several times to give advice to various state or local governments in various countries. So yes, I am involved.”
As a distinguished scientist, Dr. Bachu intends to continue his research into the refinement of carbon storage technology. √

Jim Edwards

Kick-starting industry research
When it comes to funding university research, one of the main granting agencies is NSERC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
And now the Council is making more money available to encourage research partnerships between academia and industry.
Former Member of Parliament and long time Edmontonian, the Honourable Jim Edwards, is now chair of NSERC. He explains the particular focus on small and medium-size business.
“It’s a fact that 60 percent of the 100 largest companies in Canada use NSERC collaborations, but only seven percent of the smaller companies do… we’re seeking to fill that gap. Ultimately the goal is to improve Canada’s competitiveness. We invest more in academic-based research per capita than any other country in the G7. On the other hand, we trail very badly in terms of industry-based research. And so, we’re hoping, in a modest way, to be able to kick start that and we’re hoping to double the number of partnerships that exist within the next five years.”
To learn more about the NSERC industry program, visit www.NSERCPartnerships.ca √

 

Capitalizing on datasets

Dr. Osmar Zian

With news that its funding has been renewed, the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Machine Learning is launching into its second phase. Its scientific director, Dr. Osmar Zian, says phase two brings some new directions.
One is commercialization. The other is a major focus on biomedical applications for the machine learning and data mining technology the Centre is developing.
Says Dr. Zian, “We have applications related to cancer… It can be detecting cancer. It can be providing decision support for practitioners on the treatment or the dosage we give to patients. Predicting, for example, relapse for people. But there are other examples where we will also build data warehouses to collect data from different sources and provide decision support systems that are using machine learning and data mining techniques for decision-makers, There are techniques also that we are working on for visualization of medical images. The list goes on and on. “

Robert Murakami

For Dr Zian, turning this research into tools that can help save lives is what the new commercialization component is all about. And the man who is charged with making that a reality is Robert Murakami, the Centre’s new executive director. He’s also the president and CEO of its new commercialization arm, a company called Myriad Machine Learning. It’s his job to bring researchers and investors together to help translate the science into industrial applications.
As Murakami explains, “Machine learning is really a platform technology. It is the fundamental engine for analyzing and predicting large datasets, much like predicting new investment strategies, or new trading tools for investment management… much like predicting patient movement and predictability within a hospital environment… much like predicting whether or not the existing oil wells in this province are actually being managed efficiently. And so, because it’s such a platform technology and because we know that information technology is growing at an enormous rate—and we now have a gazillion, gazillion bits of information floating around—how does all that get analyzed and how can we actually utilize it to create something better for people?”
Through Myriad and the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Machine Learning, Murakami is also setting the stage for the next generation of technology entrepreneurs, including a program that offers business bootcamps to university students. √

Dr. Norm Neumann

Zoning in with ozone
When it comes to prion research, decontamination is a huge issue. The misfolded prions that cause mad cow and chronic wasting disease are almost indestructible by traditional means.
But, according to Dr. Norm Neumann of the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, experiments with advanced oxidation and ozone treatment may hold some promise. “The pathological disease, as we know it, is caused by a misfolded protein causing another normal protein to misfold. And so there’s this chain reaction that goes on. Some of the work that we’re doing demonstrates that ozone can actually destroy that protein enough to inactivate the templating properties or the pathological process that we see.
“We’ve seen that in a test tube—and the big question for us now is can we begin to understand this and model it in an engineering context and understand complete destruction of this? Then we must cross validate that information in animal infectivity models.”
Dr. Neumann suggests that, if the advanced ozone treatment works, we may one day be able to dispose of prion infected material through something as simple as composting. √

How clean are your keys? Think infection

Randy Marsden

“The assistive technology provided is amazing in its ability to erase the boundaries of disability.”
That was what (the late) Christopher Reeve said about the OnScreen keyboard in Microsoft Windows. He and Muhammad Ali are among millions who have benefited from products developed by Randy Marsden of Edmonton.
For more than two decades, Marsden has concentrated on creating specialized computer technologies for people with physical disabilities: quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, ALS and muscular dystrophy. His career took direction with a third-year electrical engineering university project when he and another student developed a communications device for his friend, Si Peterson, a quadriplegic since a gymnastics accident in high school. Upon graduation, with funding from the National Research Council’s IRAP program and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, they started Madentec Limited.
Over the years, numerous communications products (Tracker and Discover lines) emerged that have made an enormous difference to disabled people around the world—allowing them to operate computers with blinks, tooth picks, puffs or touching of lips. Spin-off technology includes various applications for cell phones and computers. In fact, Marsden is the co-founder of Swype, the cutting edge text input software used in Samsung smart phones.
But, when a dentist from France purchased his TrackerPro, it led to major changes in focus. TrackerPro is a wireless device—a small dot of reflective tape worn on the forehead, hat brim or glasses—that replaces a mouse for users with limited or no hand movement. Curious about why someone who obviously is able to use his hands would need a product designed for head movement, Marsden called the dentist.
It turned out it was actually the time-savings that motivated the dentist, who explained that he needed to view digital x-rays on computers, right in treatment rooms. Marden learned that, “Treatment rooms have strong infection control requirements and if devices were not sterilized, the dentist would have to take his gloves off to use a mouse, and de-glove and re-glove each time.”
Forming a focus group of four veteran dentists to get their perspectives, he discovered that anything within two metres/six feet of a patient’s mouth needed to be wiped down between patients. “That includes almost the entire room.”
But while TrackerPro might be a solution to the mouse problem, the ultimate challenge was really the keyboard.
“You can’t (properly) wipe down a keyboard. And, those that did use a keyboard, had them wrapped in Saran Wrap.” It had to be changed frequently, and looked unprofessional.
“Keyboards are the number one cause of bacterial infections and are more germ-infested than public toilet seats.”
Marsden points to studies that indicate hospital keyboards are known to spread infection more than any other surface—and more than 100,00 people died last year from hospital acquired infections (in North America). Patients entered with a broken leg but caught pneumonia and died because they caught a bug.
So Marsden marshaled his team. “We’re ‘input guys’… We can do this.”
They created a proof-of-concept USB keyboard: slightly smaller than a typical keyboard (15” versus 18-20”) to save cubicle space, with a completely smooth glass top with the lettering on the underside of the glass. With no nooks or crannies, it was quick and easy to wipe down and disinfect. Adjustable touch capacitive circuitry allowed it to be sensitive to the touch even when wearing gloves, and it made a clicking sound when a key was hit. Despite its smaller footprint, it housed both a numeric keypad and an integrated oval touch pad, so no was mouse needed. The bottom was constructed from machined Corian (counter-top material). It weighed a hefty 3.2 lbs./1.48kg.
In the pilot study, 12 keys on three keyboards—silicone, glass and standard plastic—were infected. After wiping with a Cavi-Wipe (disposable disinfecting towelette), they discovered no significant difference with the amount of remaining bacteria between the plastic and silicone keyboards. However, the glass keyboard was “100 times less infected” than the other two.
“We wanted market feedback… Although we had no (actual) product to sell, we booked a booth at the American Dental Association Trade Show in Las Vegas—at the last minute in January 2008.”
Unbeknownst to Marsden, his “Cleankeys” keyboard joined 27 other innovations in the new product showcase, which featured major players like Proctor & Gamble, Oral-B and Colgate. “We shared our showcase with Crest. We won Best of Show for best new product. Even better, we won by a wide margin.”
Marsden would win other awards: The 2008 ASTech Award for Societal Impact (his second win); the 2009 University of Alberta Alumni Honour Award, and the Innovation Awards from the Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters Association in 2009 and the National Research Council in January.
Cleankeys was a hit, but it was not meant to be a mass produced device. Nevertheless, orders rolled in—selling 4,500 units in 18 months. That number may not sound significant when you consider how many dentists there are around the world. Or, not a lot compared to the over one billion on-screen keyboards shipped with every copy of Windows since 1998 that bears Madentec’s copyright credits. But, it was significant enough to see the demand.
Marsden realized that the need for a cleanable keyboard went way beyond the dentist’s office. “Most keyboards aren’t used by just one person. Think clinics, schools and airport check-ins and food services—any place people share computers.” For example, automated plants like Lucerne Ice Cream were using his product.
“You can share this keyboard without sharing your germs.” It also hits closer to the Marsden home. “We have a family computer in the house and have five kids—the keyboard is disgusting.”
The need became even more apparent with infection control and H1N1 very much in the public eye, and hand sanitizers being found almost everywhere.
So, with a broader demand, updating more suitable for a wider audience became necessary. It also prompted the change of the company name to Cleankeys Inc., with Marsden as the CEO, to reflect the primary focus on keyboard design and production.
The forthcoming second-generation glass keyboard will be a wireless USB model that’s lighter and improves performance. In addition, another wireless model, made from high-grade acrylic with molded keywells with slight indentations, will be introduced.
“Some prefer glass, because it’s inert and smoother and perceived quality, but (as an alternative), acrylic is ideal—it’s harder and less susceptible to breaking. If it’s flat, they can’t feel the keys—it’s not good for touch-typists.” They need a place to rest their fingers, a challenge with his touch sensitive keyboard. So Marsden’s acrylic model incorporates an accelerometer, an electromechanical device that measures acceleration forces like the one found in Apple’s iPhone. “It’s also like the vibration sensors in a Wii remote.”
The keyboard sells for $400—high compared to typical models—but Marsden says it’s more costly to produce, and it’s niche-market justifiable. (Although we may see a consumer model down the road)
“Look at the time it saves dentists—no wrap, no gloves on and off pays off in a month or two. In hospitals, if it cuts down days not have to be spent in hospitals—that costs $5 billion a year in the U.S., not to mention the suffering and fatalities caused.” Liability is also being transferred to hospitals. “As of October 2008, U.S. insurance companies stopped reimbursing hospitals for treatment for their insured patients, if the infection was acquired in the hospital.”
While Cleankeys is primarily sold in Europe, it will be launched worldwide this month. “It’s a world market we’re taking this product to from Edmonton and we’re making it here in Edmonton.”
Logican, a boutique electronics service manufacturing company specializing in medical, military and industrial products in Edmonton Research Park, is building them. President Harvey Sheydwasser travels the world and sees the extent of the problem He believes Marsden’s technology will be widely adopted. “We’ve worked with Randy before and are happy to be part of the solution.”
Marsden, 46, hopes to help fight infection and save lives… one keyboard at a time. √

Social Media 101 Gov 2.0 – a virtual reality

I had an interesting conversation with Doug Elniski, MLA, Edmonton Calder. We spoke about his experiences using social media and reactions he’s witnessed from some of his colleagues within government on the subject. Elniski, in his own straightforward way, suggests that the there’s definitely still resistance within the Government of Alberta. Resistance he describes as mostly coming from what he calls the “bubble in the middle”—those people in government currently not utilizing social media—“essentially waiting to see what happens. The bureaucracy watches and measures the reaction, because people don’t want to subject themselves to criticism or some form of abuse.”
As a place to start and looking to find ways to shift this reality, we expanded on how folks within the “bubble” might not want to be put in a position of testing their values daily and publicly within social media. Elniski added that in government (values) “is probably the thing you get attacked on.” He’s quite at peace with where he stands on the issues and none of this bothers him. I was interviewing him for my upcoming book, due out this spring, on Government 2.0 (Gov 2.0)—a term designed to describe the “open government movement” happening around the world. Our discussion covered opinions regarding the cultural impact of Gov 2.0 inside the Government of Alberta. What has been evident to me for some time is that it will not happen without evangelists on the inside. Even then, our premier will have to see value in doing something in this regard.
What does Gov 2.0 look like and how does it change things? In a personal e-mail exchange for my book, Tim O’Reilly—who coined the term “Web 2.0”—stated that it’s “government as an open and transparent platform, a mechanism for collaborative action.” Not exactly the way many citizens would currently describe their government (at any level) I suspect, and therein lies the opportunity.
Locally, we’re witnessing a move toward “open government” at the City of Edmonton. I spoke with Chris Moore, CIO for the City and head of the I.T. Branch. Moore and his team have gone through a positive transformation and are leading the charge with respect to another core aspect of Gov 2.0: Open Data. On January 13th, the City released a “data catalogue” which provides various types of data in machine-readable format (rather than PDF), so that developers can build interesting solutions for citizens. Also, as part of this initiative, its geographic information systems data (GIS) will soon be released for free to those who need it or would like to develop software applications with it.
I’m aware of new websites and applications already in production with local developers that will impact our quality of life for the better. For example, (shameless plug) fusedlogic’s Route 411 transit application for the iPhone, was launched on January 8th. This application allows for public transit users to identify routes, bus stops and times much more easily than traditional methods. It works with data released from Edmonton, Toronto and, just in time for the Olympics, Vancouver.
Now, here’s why taxpayers will care: The City of Edmonton didn’t spend a dime of taxpayer money to improve the ETS experience by developing Route 411—fusedlogic made the investment. Tax savings is a key benefit to the Open Data concept and why, in part, Councillor Don Iveson has been a strong advocate for Gov 2.0.
Iveson submitted initial questions regarding Open Data to Council last October. I asked him why he put these questions forward to Council. He said, “Fundamentally, it’s about transparency, empowerment and collaboration, and those are superb democratic values. Much of this data we have but we don’t do a good job of sharing it or providing access. There is an imbalance of power between government and citizens, the ‘we-know-better-because-we-have-all-the-facts’ attitude. It can be difficult for citizens to get the facts (data). Also, I think there’s been fear in government about the loss of power when data gets in the hands of people and they won’t know what to do with it.” Iveson concluded, “Let people have the info and make an argument… and, if the argument is wrong, let the process take over…”
There is simply no doubt that Government 2.0 and, by extension Open Data, is the right way to go for all levels of government in terms of direct and indirect benefits to citizens. This being the case, I believe Albertans need to call upon Premier Ed Stelmach and the Government of Alberta to hire a CIO for the province. We need to move government from a “need-to-know” mentality to one of a “need-to-share.” That CIO would coordinate with municipal level officials like Moore, as well as the feds, to bring the Gov 2.0 aspect into policy discussions enterprise-wide.
The result for Albertans would be tax savings, efficiencies for government and citizens alike. Frankly, this isn’t a question of “if” Gov 2.0 is coming. It’s already here. √

First to market Sync on demand- for small business

The PureInbox team: Pandora Lam, Ryan Akerboom, Sam Huang, Brian Henker, Hoyin Li and John Mah

Sam C. Huang’s business took him from Edmonton across the globe. While in China and Taiwan to market his own software, he realized that although he used a smart mobile device, he didn’t have access to some information back home.
“We’re in the world of communication and I don’t have it.” It took the frustration of not having all his information at his fingertips to have a sudden realization. “So, why don’t we just build something?”
What Huang needed was for all of his data to be synchronized regardless of where he was and what device he was using. “When we step away from our desktops, we only have a snapshot of our world.” A picture is still—static in nature, not dynamic—and Huang treasures the sense of being connected.
“We think we have total access… we have our contacts and our calendar. We don’t get the whole thing. We don’t have everything in our palm (of our hand).”
As a businessman, Huang saw having information in multiple places at different points in time as a false sense of connectivity. “It’s unproductive. It doesn’t have to be that way.”
So, for a couple of years, Huang carried a Windows mobile device using ActiveSync, an application developed by Microsoft. His attitude at that time: Who needs a Blackberry? “But then I switched over and sold myself to the dark side,” he says jokingly.
Even then, what he thought he really needed was only affordable to larger organizations. “Enterprise people have access to all kinds of technology and it’s expensive.” He adds that Research in Motion’s BES (Blackberry Enterprise Service) is used by banks, FBI and government requiring staff, server hardware and software, and needs to be maintained. “BES also charges you through the roof. It doesn’t make sense for small companies; it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars—very expensive.”
And, while Huang says RIM offers a consumer version called Blackberry Internet Service, he feels it’s not adequate for today’s small business needs.
Huang knew something needed to be done, so he created Syncamatic, selecting the Blackberry as his mobile platform of choice. “No sense doing another MobileMe,” he says referring to Apple’s answer to synchronizing data. “Why would you even try?
“Syncamatic will use a totally wireless solution that maintains synchronization of the data through the Amazon cloud computing server.” It will not only allow users to free themselves from their USB shackles, it will also be platform independently. It will allow most Blackberry models running OS 4.6 to talk to a Mac and a PC over the air… to synchronize, not through a USB cable, but over the air.
“It has never available before to consumers.”
Even RIM couldn’t do that, Huang states. In fact, just two months ago, RIM released its software to connect a Macintosh to a Blackberry—via cable.
Huang’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for Syncamatic is the automatic way to synchronize, protect and transfer data for the mobile user. His program will also be affordable as both a free and a premium version. The free version will allow you to sync on demand but you would need to log in to the application and select the option to perform the synchronization.
“It’s a manual process. The secret—or what you give up—is that below the button, there will be some advertising to offset some development costs.”
The premium, or commercial pay version as Huang calls it, differs in the sense that the program sits in the background. If you make changes on one device, it checks on a regular basis and will automatically update in the background. It constantly checks both ways: For example, if you simultaneously punch in a contact on the desktop and add a calendar event on your phone, Syncamatic will bring them all together.
“It’s simple: Every device will look up to the cloud. The program will ask ‘What’s the latest change? What am I missing?’ Then it will update each device.”
The product is currently in Private Beta and the consumer downloadable version was scheduled to be available at Syncamatic.com just prior to Christmas. “This version will be free. They can download it for free and use it for free—forever.”
Huang, 31, downplays his humble beginnings as well as his success. His family came to Edmonton before he was 18. He attended Jasper Place Composite High School and studied general science at the University of Alberta. In 1997, he took home a Business Chamber Trophy and was recognized as the Best Student in Computer Programming.
His current venture, Pure Inbox, was incorporated in 2008. Prior to the development of Syncamatic, the company offered an application that allowed you to use your existing phone just like Gmail. Although PureInbox is no longer accepting new sign-ups for that app, it continues to support existing users.
Huang’s original claim to fame was his first start-up five years prior, as president and CTO of Gennux Microsystems. In a short time, it became one of Alberta’s fastest growing technology companies, providing unique cost-effective IT solutions and systems to businesses, as well as a unique anti-spam product.
In 2005, the company took home the Alberta VenturePrize and was identified as one of the “global up-and-coming companies” to watch. Huang was heralded as one of rising stars in the Alberta IT industry.
Pure Inbox is happy to call the Edmonton Research Park home. “They have the services we need, so we can focus on what we need to do.”
The landlord is equally happy about the success of its tenant. “I am thrilled that Syncamatic, a product developed at the Edmonton Research Park, is being sold and distributed around the globe,” says Candace Brinsmead, vice-president of technology.
The majority of staff is also from Edmonton. Having traveled to China, Huang knows how cheap it is to hire developers from there, but prefers to stay local. He is impressed with the quality of work being performed by graduates of the University of Alberta, his Alma Mater.
One recent hire is Ryan Akerboom, 23, who graduated with distinction from the computer engineering, software co-op program. “I’m happy to be working here. It’s a relaxed atmosphere and it’s the exact type of thing we studied for.”
Huang is also excited about the future and is confident that with Syncamatic, Pure Inbox is heading in the right direction. “We’re the first there—first to market.”
“Anyone, even the Chinese, can make phones. Right now, it’s about the apps. They are beginning to flood the market. We have 10 flashlights… we’re in the app world 1.0 era.” In the next few years it will be contextual, location based—not about dumb apps but rather about apps and services.
“You need services to drive the application. Everyone is watching Apple and Blackberry.” And Syncamatic will be right there with them.
Huang is heading off to Barcelona in February as part of the Alberta contingent to world mobile conference where Pure InBox will be setting up a booth on an international stage. “I’m excited to see how the European market will react.” √