Minnov8

Showcasing Minnesota Technology Innovation

3M ‘Quantum Dots’ Add 50% More Color to LCDs

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3m-logoQuantum dots, discovered in the early 1980s, are semiconductors whose characteristics produce more luminance and chroma (i.e., brighter and more color). While discoveries like this are always an interesting academic breakthrough, none of us get too excited about technology until it’s close to being leveraged by a startup, established company or close to shipping.

3M is close to delivering a new quantum dot film solution to make smartphones, TVs, tablets and other devices with LCD displays “…lighter, brighter and more energy efficient.” Up to 50% more, in fact!

Here is their press release:

 

3M to Bring More Color to Consumer Electronic Devices

3M and Nanosys offer stunning visual enhancements to LCD devices

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 7:00 am CDT, ST. PAUL, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–3M announced today it is in the final stages of scale-up for its new 3M™ Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF). The new film allows up to 50 percent more color than current levels in liquid crystal display (LCD) devices. 3M has teamed with Nanosys, Inc., to produce the 3M QDEF solution specifically to deliver more color, and to make devices such as smart phones, tablets and televisions, lighter, brighter and more energy efficient.

Current LCDs typically are limited to displaying 35 percent or less of the visible color spectrum. This means the viewing experience on an LCD can be vastly different than what a person sees in the real world. Wide color gamut displays will allow consumers to enjoy more visceral, more immersive and truer-to-life color.

“One of the many advantages of the new 3M QDEF solution is the film’s ability to deliver richly-saturated colors, while minimizing power consumption – a difference you can clearly see,” said Ty Silberhorn, vice president and general manager, 3M Optical Systems Division. “We will have qualification material available to customers for design cycles starting late second quarter this year.”

Over the years, 3M light management technologies have made LCDs thinner, lighter and more energy efficient. Color performance of LCDs industry-wide has gone largely unchanged until now. 3M research data shows that devices with 3M QDEF-enabled wide color gamut will be noticeably different from other standard LCD devices, prompting the human eye to dwell on the display longer than less-saturated displays.

QDEF utilizes the light emitting properties of quantum dots to create an ideal backlight for LCDs, which is one of the most critical factors in the color and efficiency performance of LCDs. A quantum dot, which is 10,000 times narrower than a human hair, can be tuned to emit light at very precise wavelengths. This means display makers can create a highly-optimized backlight that only produces the exact wavelengths of red, green and blue light needed by an LCD for optimal color and energy performance. Trillions of these quantum dots protected by barrier film fit inside an LCD backlight unit. The new film replaces one already found inside LCD backlights, which means the manufacturing process requires no new equipment or process changes for the LCD manufacturer.

“Improving color performance for LCDs with simple, drop-in manufacturing solutions will create a stunning new visual experience for consumers,” said Jason Hartlove, president and CEO, Nanosys, Inc. “Working together with 3M and utilizing their outstanding design and supply chain capabilities will allow our quantum dot technology to be widely deployed across all product segments, ensuring availability to all customers.”

Both 3M and Nanosys, Inc., will attend Society of Information Display’s DisplayWeek, May 21 – 23, 2013, in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information: www.displayweek.org.

SOPHIA and Bill Nye “The Science Guy” Launch Operation College Success

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sophia-logoSOPHIA.org, the “social education platform that empowers students to learn in their own way, helps teachers to innovate and puts college students on a path to a lower-cost degree” just announced that they have partnered with Bill Nye, “The Science Guy,” to address the issue of college readiness and affordability with free resources and low-cost online courses for college credit.

From their press release: “It’s startling to think that two-thirds of high school students don’t have the academic skills they need to succeed in college and with the added cost of remediation, which collectively costs student billions, the goal of earning a college degree becomes that much harder to attain financially,” said Allison Gage, President of SOPHIA. “With Operation College Success, students now have more free resources at their fingertips that can help them get prepared. In addition, we also offer affordable college courses in several high-demand general education subjects that will start them on the path to a degree.”

The Bill Nye connection will certainly help with awareness and marketing. This offering will also help prospective students defray preparatory course costs at their chosen institution of higher learning since they are always expensive. With soaring student debt (see  Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream by the economist Joseph Stiglitz) the timing of this offering is perfect.

Fargo Roadtrip: Midwest Mobile Summit

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midwest-mobile-summit-15There are very few reasons for me (a 6′ 5″ guy) to want to drive for four hours. Family is usually the only reason…with Iowa and (gulp) Kansas frequent destinations. With destinations like that, I’m never looking to see more flat terrain like that found heading to Fargo from Minneapolis. However, the lure of the first ever Midwest Mobile Summit was strong enough for me to caffeine up and set out Sunday for the 2 day event.

I was excited to be heading to an event with a very grassroots vibe.  Jake Joraanstad and Ryan Raguse of Myriad Devices were responsible for putting this event together that attracted some 150-200 to downtown Fargo and it appears to have been a resounding success.

The multi-site format showcased mobile technology, strategy and industry tracks and three different downtown locations. The Fargo Theater, with it’s nostalgic feel, including an organ front and center, provided homebase for keynotes as well as the setting for the strategy track. The event even started  with the organ rising to the stage. After some brief remarks we were all treated to ‘feats of yo’ from John Narum, Yo-Yo World Champion at 11 years old. It was a nice way to get everyone engaged.

The Sunday keynote from Ryan Raguse set the tone with a dramatic smashing of the “box” that represented pre-mobile technology. The rest of the day and , for that matter, the rest of conference presented an array of topics. Some presentations were ok at best but most were above average and some simply crushed it. (Johnathon Rademacher of Sundog and Livefront‘s Mike Bollinger were the clear standouts.)

Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 1.12.55 PMMany real world mobile experiences were shared throughout the Industry track. While finance and heavy equipment may not be sexy industries that represent a category that has plenty of need and opportunity for mobile solutions.

For a first-time event this was huge. Not only was there plenty of local talent  in attendance but plenty made the trip from outside the state. The chance to enjoy strolling from the historic theater to more modern and artistic spaces provided a nice transition. There was a clear passion for mobile and plenty of opportunity to learn. I look forward to next year. I can even visit my son since is heading off to NDSU in the fall. (See, family is once again I drive for hours across the plains of the heartland.)

*Many of you know I’m co-founder of Mobile March and am happy to see the birth of another mobile event with such a community focus.

Me and My Pebble

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pebbleIf you’re a regular listener to our Minnov8 Gang Podcast you’re aware that I was a major…er…one of the first…um…ok, an investor in the Pebble watch Kickstarter campaign. You also know that I get a good deal of questions like, “Have you got that Pebble yet, Phil?” or “How’s that Pebble working out?” from the rest of the Gang.

Who knew that after ponying up some of my hard earned shekels to help fund one of the most successful campaigns on Kickstarter…and to get me a nifty geek watch…Pebble would become the poster child of what can happen when you over-promise.

Well, huzzah! My Pebble has arrived and I wanted to share some first impressions. (You can see my version of an “unboxing” below. What’s up with unboxing videos anyway?)

[youtube=http://youtu.be/53_yOAF74bg]

First and foremost, the design is very slick. The screen and body are one, with no gaps or raised edges like that found on a regular watch where the crystal and body come together. While I’d like to see a band that is as wide as the square watch itself the black rubber band is of good quality.

Pairing it with my HTC Evo via Bluetooth was a breeze. I’ll have to admit there was a bit of head scratching to set up the sync with mail etc. Set up is not all that intuitive once you get past pairing and it took me a bit of time to actually locate the settings. The Pebble app relies on both it’s own visible menu bar as well as a settings function accessed by the Android menu button. It’s quite obvious once found, making me feel a bit like a dolt for not checking that first.

I was prompted to update the firmware and then was off and running. I selected the classic watch face and lashed it to my wrist. My first thought…I need a bigger wrist. Being a skinny kid from way back always becomes apparent when I try a new watch, but the Pebble really is very sleek. I’ll just have to bulk up a bit.

I’m still getting a feel for the need for this watch but here are the quick observations:

  • The screen is a lower resolution than I expected with some pixelization to the graphics and fonts. However, it’s a watch, not a TV.
  • I can’t find a way to scroll through multiple emails received at the same time. However, it may exist and I haven’t found it. (See above head scratching.)
  • There’s no battery life indicator. I hook it up via the handy magnetic charging USB cable each night to be sure.
  • I like that I’m notified regularly of incoming emails and texts. I often have the phone on vibrate and I miss calls and texts because I don’t feel the phone’s vibration. The Pebble alleviates that problem. That alone is makes me a fan.
  • I love being able to control playing music on my phone. It’s great to keep the phone in my pocket and reach for my wrist when I want to skip or pause a track. I would so dig a volume control.

pulsarThe wearable technology space is growing and all in all the Pebble watch is a darn fine early entry in this soon to be competitive arena. The size and design of the Pebble raises its geek factor a little. It reminds me a bit of the early digital watches Those of you in my demographic can still remember the first digital watches from the 70’s (right). Ok, show of hands, who had a Pulsar watch? Oh look, some of you are still rockin’ one. (Sorry.)

I like this watch and many of my tech friends are a bit jealous that theirs hasn’t arrived yet…so that’s kinda fun. I’m looking forward to more apps. Soon I hope. So perhaps those who are waiting for the Pebble to arrive can take heart that more apps may be available by the time they unbox theirs.

 

 

WordPress Launches Classroom Sites

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wp-education

Educators have another option for classroom sites and blogs, “WordPress is an elegant solution for education professionals looking to create a website for their class, and today we’re excited to announce the launch of WordPress.com Classrooms. Whether you need a group blog for your high school history project, or to keep your 3rd grade students’ parents up to date about the next field trip, you’ll find the solution here at WordPress.com.”

There really isn’t any excuse anymore for districts, schools and classroom teachers to not embrace online publishing!

Though the WordPress offering looks like a solid initiative, not everyone is happy about the launch or think it’s worthy. James Farmer, the founder & CEO of Edublogs (1.6 million+ teacher/classroom blogs) wrote a pretty scathing post (Why WordPress.com for education (and portfolios, restaurants & musicians) is a big fat fail) about WordPress’ offering calling it, “…shallow, insincere, cynical, lacking in focus and flimsy” and that’s just for starters! It’s quite a rant and uncalled for in my opinion.

While I also view WordPress.com’s various vertical initiatives as middle-of-the-road and not feature rich, there’s something to be said for legitimizing various verticals: it makes the category more viable and investors sit up and take notice. Going after the education space is being driven by those who should know best about viable verticals for WordPress, Automattic (WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg’s company that manages the open source WordPress software, runs WordPress.com along with many other initiatives & technologies). That alone is good news in my book.

kidblog-logoThe other good news? Minnesota has a fabulous solution, accelerating nationwide, right here in our own backyard: Kidblog. The Kidblog team is quite passionate about their mission too, “Kidblog is built by teachers, for teachers, so students can get the most out of the writing process. Our mission is to empower teachers to embrace the benefits of the coming digital revolution in education. As students become creators – not just consumers – of information, we recognize the crucial role of teachers as discussion moderators and content curators in the classroom. With Kidblog, teachers monitor and control all activity within their classroom blogging community.”

Bottom line? Having WordPress.com enter the education is great news for schools and sharpens the competitive differentiators of Kidblog and Edublogs. If you’re in education, or know someone who is, give them a heads-up that this is available and that they have options with Kidblog and Edublogs too.

SOPHIA Partners With ‘New Classrooms’

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sophia-logoSOPHIA.org, the online education platform offering a unique Many Ways to Learn™ learning model with more than 28,000 free academic multimedia tutorials taught by a multitude of teachers, has partnered with New Classrooms – a nonprofit organization that gives students a targeted, individualized learning experience based on their unique learning needs – to provide a free resource for students focused on middle school math concepts.

As you are undoubtedly well aware, visibility of learning organizations disrupting education is growing rapidly. It is my belief that this increased awareness is only helping SOPHIA: Khan Academy is on everyone’s radar screen in K12 education (Bill Gates famously said Sal Khan is his favorite teacher); Lynda.com just raised $103M from Accel Partners; Coursera boasts 200 courses and 1.3M students; and the open courseware initiative is growing quickly in both participating colleges and universities along with the number of courses being offered.

This morning The Verge posted, “Forty public universities will offer free online courses with full credit starting this spring” and saying in part:

Forty public universities, including Arizona State, Cleveland State, and the University of Arkansas, are planning to offer free online courses that carry full credit in an effort to entice potential students to sign up for a full degree program. The new initiative, know as MOOC2Degree (MOOC stands for massive open online course), is being run in a partnership between the universities and Academic Partnerships, a commercial company that helps universities move their courses online. 

Again, this only validates SOPHIA’s approach since they already offer college credit through Capella University.

For more read the press release here.

Stratasys Goes Far Beyond With 3D Printed Clothing

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If you think that 3D printing is only for making prototypes, then you’re undoubtedly not seeing the exponential increase in its use. Sites like Mashable have this 3D printing category with lots of stories, MAKE magazine has their Ultimate 3D Printing Guide, and there are even videos about this printing revolution like this one from Christopher Barnatt, a futurist in the UK.

But it wasn’t until this morning’s news feed that I first realized that 3D printing has gone far beyond typical object creation and now toward flexible, wearable, 3D printed clothes!

3D Printed Cape & Skirt

3D Printed Cape & Skirt

Stratasys is the world’s leading 3D printing technology company behind this new wearable 3D printed clothes proof-of-concept. They are right in our back yard here in Eden Prairie and they’re one company I’ve kept a close eye on for some time. (Note: check out this press release here on Minnov8 about Stratasys and dentistry).

Stratasys completed their merger in December of 2012 with Objet, Ltd., a company that provides, “…3D printing systems, resin consumables, and services worldwide. The company’s printers use its proprietary PolyJet inkjet-based technology, resin consumables, and integrated software to create 3D models directly from computer data, such as 3D CAD files.” Basically they had an industrial-strength, world-class capability to deliver 3D printing at scale.

3D Printed Dress

3D Printed Dress

Of course, the next phase of this 3D printing revolution is for designers and creatives to build products, prototype them on desktop 3D printers, and send the files to a service bureau…just like the “old days” of desktop publishing where files ended up at a printer who would print, bind and box publications by the thousands or millions. Same concept here: if Stratasys can turn their 3D printing process from design-to-prototype-to-manufacturing (with full service and support Objet offers) then they will “own” the process like Heidelberg did for hundreds of years with printing presses.

Wearable Stratasys and Materialise 3D Printed Pieces Hit Paris Fashion Week at Iris van Herpen Show

MINNEAPOLIS, REHOVOT, Israel and LEUVEN, Belgium, January 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/

Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS), a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems for prototyping and manufacturing and Materialise, a Belgian-based pioneer in Additive Manufacturing software and solutions, today announced the unveiling of 3D printing collaborations on the catwalks of Paris Fashion Week as part of Iris van Herpen’s Haute Couture show, ‘VOLTAGE’.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/589134-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/589134-b )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/589134-c )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/589134-d )

Dutch designer van Herpen’s eleven-piece collection featured two 3D printed ensembles, including an elaborate skirt and cape created in collaboration with artist, architect, designer and professor Neri Oxmanfrom MIT’s* Media Lab, and 3D printed by Stratasys. An intricate dress was also designed in collaboration with Austrian architect Julia Koerner, currently lecturer at UCLA Los Angeles, and 3D printed by Materialise, marking the second piece created together with Koerner and the ninth with Materialise.

The 3D printed skirt and cape were produced using Stratasys’ unique Objet Connex multi-material 3D printing technology, which allows a variety of material properties to be printed in a single build. This allowed both hard and soft materials to be incorporated within the design, crucial to the movement and texture of the piece. “The ability to vary softness and elasticity inspired us to design a “second skin” for the body acting as armor-in-motion; in this way we were able to design not only the garment’s form but also its motion,” explains Oxman. “The incredible possibilities afforded by these new technologies allowed us to reinterpret the tradition of couture as “tech-couture” where delicate hand-made embroidery and needlework is replaced by code.”

Van Herpen adds, “I feel it’s important that fashion can be about much more than consumerism, but also about new beginnings and self-expression, so my work very much comes from abstract ideas and using new techniques, not the re-invention of old ideas. I find the process of 3D printing fascinating because I believe it will only be a matter of time before we see the clothing we wear today produced with this technology, and it’s because it’s such a different way of manufacturing, adding layer-by-layer, it will be a great source of inspiration for new ideas.”

According to van Herpen, motivation to collaborate with Oxman came after seeing her ‘Imaginary Beings : Mythologies of the Not Yet‘ collection – 3D printed by Stratasys’ matchless  Objet Connex multi-material 3D printing technology – that featured in the Multiversités Créatives exhibition at the Centre Pompidou,Paris, last spring. Oxman explains that the joint venture is very much an extension of the series:

“This project has taken ‘Imaginary Beings’ to ‘Wearable Beings’, myths that one can wear. The original collection includes 18 Stratasys 3D printed prototypes for the human body inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’Book of Imaginary Beings. They are human augmentations inspired by nature; but not all wearable. For Iris’ collection at Paris Fashion Week it was important to take the series to the next level, thinking not only about form and materials, but also about movement and wearability. This was a new challenge for me and for my colleagues – Prof. W. Craig Carter (Department of Materials Science & Engineering) andKeren Oxman. It inspired us to design algorithms that could map physical movement and material behaviour to geometrical form and morphological variation in a seamless and continuous wearable surface.”

Van Herpen, Koerner and Materialise have continued testing the limits of 3D printing with this 3D printed dress, proving once again that normal rules don’t apply when fashion and high technology combine. In last season’s ‘Hybrid Holism‘ collection, they first introduced the use of Materialise’s Mammoth Stereolithography machines for a stunning semi-transparent dress that one spectator compared to liquid honey. For this latest collection, ready for an even greater challenge, an experimental new material was put to use in the creation of a flexible, soft dress of stunning complexity. The piece’s intricate lace-like texture was created with precision by lasers (in a process known as Laser Sintering) and would have been impossible to realise any other way.

Julia Koerner explains, “My collaboration with Materialise for the 3D printed dress for Iris van Herpen’sHaute Couture Show ‘Voltage’ 2013 reveals a highly complex, parametrically generated, geometrical structure. The architectural structure aims to superimpose multiple layers of thin woven lines which animate the body in an organic way. Exploiting computational boundaries in combination with emergent technology selective laser sintering, of a new flexible material, lead to enticing and enigmatic effects within fashion design. New possibilities arise such as eliminating seams and cuts where they are usually placed in couture.”

Following the Paris Fashion Show, the skirt and cape will be exhibited at MIT’s Media Lab.

*MIT = Massachusetts Institute of Technology

About Stratasys Ltd.
Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS) is the corporate entity formed in 2012 by the merger of 3D printing companies Stratasys Inc. and Objet Ltd., based in Minneapolis, Minn. and Rehovot, Israel. The company manufactures 3D printers and materials for prototyping and production. Prior to merging, the two companies’ revenues totaled $277 million for 2011. Its patented FDM® and Inkjet-based processes produce prototypes or manufactured goods directly from 3D CAD files or other 3D content. Systems include affordable desktop 3D printers for idea development, a range of systems for prototyping, and large production systems for direct digital manufacturing. Since June 2012, the company’s range of over 130 3D printing materials is the widest in the industry and includes in excess of 120 proprietary inkjet-based photopolymer materials and 10 proprietary FDM-based thermoplastic materials. Stratasys also manufactures Solidscape 3D Printers and operates the RedEye On Demand digital-manufacturing service. The company has over 1100 employees, holds over 500 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally, and has received more than 20 awards for its technology and leadership. Online at: http://www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com / http://www.objet.com orhttp://blog.objet.com .

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements regarding Stratasys’ beliefs, intentions and expectations, including statements regarding the management of Stratasys, Inc. and Objet Ltd. as a combined company, the benefits of the combination of the companies, and the future financial performance of the combined company after their merger, are forward-looking statements. The statements involve risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including the risk and uncertainty that the businesses of the two companies may not be integrated successfully; the risk that the merger may involve unexpected costs or unexpected liabilities; the risk that synergies from the merger may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the risk that management’s focus on and disruptions arising from the merger make it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees, or suppliers. Stratasys’ ability to achieve the results presented in any forward-looking statement will depend on numerous factors, including its ability to penetrate the 3D printing market; its ability to achieve the growth rates experienced in preceding quarters; its ability to introduce, produce and market both existing and new consumable materials, and the market acceptance of these materials; the impact of competitive products and pricing; its timely development of new products and materials and market acceptance of those products and materials; the success of Stratasys’ recent R&D initiative to expand the DDM capabilities of its core FDM technology; and the success of Stratasys’ RedEye On Demand™ and other paid parts services. These and other applicable factors are discussed in this presentation and in Stratasys’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings include the definitive proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC on August 8, 2012, as well as the filings that Stratasys, Inc. has made with the SEC and that Stratasys Ltd. has made and will make with the SEC in the future, including its report on Form 20-F to be filed for the year ended 12/31/2012. Any forward-looking statements included in this presentation are as of the date they are given, and Stratasys does not intend to update them if its views later change, except as may be required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Stratasys’ views as of any date subsequent to the date they are given.

About Materialise
With its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium, and branches worldwide, Materialise has been playing an active role in the field of Additive Manufacturing (AM) since 1990. In addition to having the largest capacity of AM equipment in Europe, Materialise also enjoys a stellar reputation as a provider of innovative software solutions. They have used their experience and expertise to create a better and healthier world through their involvement in AM for industrial and medical applications, and by providing bio-medical and clinical solutions such as medical image processing and surgical simulations. Materialise has developed unique solutions that make a world of difference for its many customers with their prototyping, production, and medical needs. These customers range from large companies in the automotive, consumer electronics, and consumables sectors; to famous hospitals, research institutes, and clinicians; to individual consumers interested in bringing their own unique creations to life through i.materialise or who want to purchase a celebrated .MGX design. Discover more at:http://www.materialise.com/

Stratasys Media Contacts:

USA 
Todd Graff
Conover Tuttle Pace
Tel. +1-617-412-4000
Email. tgraff@ctpboston.com

Europe 
Claire Russell-Jones
UK Bespoke
Tel. +44-1737-215200
E-mail. stratasys@bespoke.co.uk

Stratasys
Arita Mattsoff / Joe Hiemenz
Stratasys
Tel. +972-(0)74-745-4000 (IL)
Tel. +1-952-906-2726 (US)
Email. arita@stratasys.com
Email. Joe.Hiemenz@stratasys.com

Korea
Jihyun Lee
The Hoffman Agency Korea
Tel. +82-10-3408-1609
Email. jhlee@hoffman.com

Japan 
Objet Japan
Aya Yoshizawa
Tel. +81-90-6473-1812
Email. Aya.yoshizawa@stratasys.com

Asia Pacific 
Objet AP Ltd
Vicki Kei
Tel. +852-3844-8813
Email. Vicki.kei@stratasys.com

Brazil 
Tatiana Fonseca
307 Nova Cidade, Sao Paulo
Tel. +55-11-3846-9981
Email. tatiana@gadcom.com.br

Mexico 
Patricia Tawil
IDESA
Tel. +52-55-5253-9670
Email. ptawil@idesap.com

South Africa 
Alison McDonald
PR Connections
Tel. +27-(0)11-468-1192
Email. alison@pr.co.za

Materialise Media Contact
Vanessa Palsenbarg
Corporate Communications Specialist, Materialise
Phone: +32-16-39-66-37
Fax: +32-16-39-66-00
Email: Vanessa.Palsenbarg@materialise.be
Twitter: @belgiancanuck or @MaterialiseNV

SmartThings Closes $3M Seed Round

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SmartThings, the Minnesota startup focused on the “internet of things” with its smart hub and connected devices, has announced they have closed a $3M seed round.

One of the key aspects of SmartThings’ value proposition is their API and developer-centric positioning. So far they have more than 1,000 developers who have signed up to participate in making connected devices to work within the SmartThings ecosystem.

They also scored this great post on TechCrunch, visibility that only helps.

Wow…congratulations you guys and your hard work is paying off! Check out their press release below:

An Open Physical Graph

SmartThings Announces $3M Seed Round and Developer/Maker Contest to Drive an Open ‘Internet of Things’

At SmartThings, we believe the next and perhaps most life-altering evolution of the Internet will be the creation of the physical graph; the digitization, connectivity and programmability of the physical world around us. Whether you call this the Internet of Things, sensor networks or home and life automation, the implications for how we live, work, and have fun are profound. At our core, we also believe that for the ecosystem to be healthy, it must be open. An open physical graph is the only way to bridge the innovation, inventions and brilliance of the many device manufacturers, hardware makers, developers, and everyday people who are working to change our lives today and in the future.

SmartThings sits at the center of this open ecosystem. We provide a platform that enables developers and makers to build smart and connected devices, an interactive and mobile user experience for consumers to manage and install apps into their physical world to make it behave more intelligently, and unique combinations of SmartThings and SmartApps packaged to solve real world problems, out of the box, with no professional installation required.

We appreciate the immense support we’ve received to date in making that open vision a reality. Our Kickstarter backers embraced this vision and made us the second largest technology project of all time, and the largest Internet of Things project by more than 2x when we closed. This momentum continued across the globe with SmartThings winning the Spark of Genius award at the 2012 Dublin Web Summit against a field of over 4,000 original startup competitors from 36 countries.

Today we’re announcing 2 significant events in our continued success and progress in bringing the open physical graph to the world.

The SmartThings vision is a big one. But it’s clear the world is ready. The entire Le Web conference in Paris this week is based around the Internet of Things, and new projects aiming to connect our physical world are emerging almost daily. It will take a significant ecosystem and the participation of many of these innovators to realize the full potential of the physical graph.

Fortunately, some of the best and most dynamic investors and entrepreneurs out there believe in our vision as well. Today we’re announcing the successful close of a $3 million funding round lead by First Round Capital and including SV Angel, Lerer Ventures, CrunchFund, Max Levchin, Yuri Milner’s Start Fund, David Tisch, A-Grade Investments, Chris Dixon, Vivi Nevo, Alexis Ohanian, Loic Le Meur, Martin Varsavsky, Kal Vepuri, Ryan Sarver, Jared Hecht, Steve Martocci, Emil Michael, Aaron Levie, Zorik Gordon, and Nathan Hanks.

This is the perfect group to both help us in our direct growth and to make investments in the ecosystem of developers and makers who will create a breathtaking array of connected devices, intelligent and learning applications, and breakthrough innovations.

With this funding, and in direct support of the open ecosystem vision, today we’re also announcing the first SmartThings Developer and Maker Competition. Based on community feedback and more than 1,000 developers and makers that have signed up on the SmartThings platform, we’ll be choosing 5 key themes representing the most exciting areas of innovation on the physical graph. In each theme, we’ll be awarding a winner for the best software developer / SmartApp, and the best hardware/device maker. In April 2013, we’ll announce the overall winner.

The judging panel for this contest includes First Round Capital, SV Angel, Lerer Ventures, Matt Williams, EIR at Andreesen Horowitz, Loic Le Meur, David Tisch, and Alex Hawkinson, CEO of SmartThings.

Winners will receive cash ($100,000 overall including $25,000 each for the top app and top new connected Thing), investor exposure, media coverage, manufacturing and design consulting and be featured across the SmartThings customer base and ecosystem. You can learn more about and sign up for the competition at build.smartthings.com.

We expect this to be the first of many competitions driving an explosive growth in innovation on the open physical graph. Thank you so much for your continued support. Together we will create an open physical graph and a smarter world!

– The SmartThings Team

Da Vinci Fest – Science, Art & Technology

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Exciting our kids about the world they will inherit — not just the future but their future — means that getting them engaged and excited about science, art and technology will enable them to invent it. A unique festival in Stillwater on January 5, 2013 is one that sets up a venue for kids to showcase and demonstrate what fills them with passion and motivating them to think about, and work toward, the possibilities of what they can create.

For a long time Minnesota has been a leader in educational uses of technology and has a high degree of focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and many, like the US News and World Report tout that STEM Education Is the Key to the U.S.’s Economic Future and even have this dedicated site about STEM.

The Stillwater school district has a unique, community-driven non-profit called The Partnership Plan whose focus “…is to be a catalyst for exciting and innovative learning for students of Stillwater Area Public Schools by forging community partnerships of time, talent and resources.” Driven by parent and community volunteers, they are the ones who put on the event alongside the teachers and school administrators engaging our kids.

Click to view the Da Vinci Fest poster

Click to view the Da Vinci Fest poster

The DaVinci Fest, named after Leonardo Da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance genius who was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer, is an annual educational fair highlighting art, science and technology projects by the Stillwater District’s students in grades 4 through 12. Last year, over 700 student projects and 60+ interactive exhibits and demonstrations by businesses, clubs and organization were on display for more than 3,000 attendees!

But did you also notice the word “art” in their event’s title? Let’s face it: without deep design thinking — and the depth and texture an artist brings to our human perceptions of just about everything we see, hear and touch in the world — even the best science and technology functionality falls flat. One of the reasons Microsoft founder Bill Gates gave for purchasing Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘codex’ for $30M was that this genius Da Vinci not only invented, engineered and analyzed, he could articulate his vision and communicate it in a beautiful and highly useable way. It’s one reason why having art within this event seems both logical and insightful.

The best part? You can attend on Saturday, January 5, 2013 held at Stillwater High School (map) and also participate as an exhibitor by contacting Paula Thrall by email. Take a peek at some of 2012’s exhibitors here and see that you would be in good company as an exhibitor, support this cause, and help build a future smart population that will keep Minnesota and the U.S. great.

Take a peek at their 2012 promotional video which will give you a good overview:

[youtube=”http://youtu.be/qnF4gD12vpQ”]

Another Cool Minnesota Kickstarter Project: 3D Multi-Player Aerial Gaming @QFOlabs

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Maybe you caught the talk by the Kickstarter cofounder at the Walker Art Center the other night?  If so, perhaps you ran into one of the team members of Minneapolis-based startup QFO Labs  — the latest Minnesota product gurus to launch an ambitious project on Kickstarter.  The trio seeks to raise $230,000 on the site by November 13. And it’s off to a great start, with backers including Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief of WIRED, and the very successful Kickstarter projects Pebble (which has now raised $10.2M) and SmartThings (our coverage here), along with WIRED’s Geek Dad, who published an awesome post about QFO Labs recently.

What’s it all about? QFO Labs describes its project as “real-life aerial gaming with a flick of the wrist.” The product combines a single-handed controller that makes a palm-sized quadcopter mimic your movements. But this is no ordinary copter. I had the opportunity to meet one of the team members, COO Jim Fairman, and learned this group has been developing and perfecting its remote control quadcopters for more than five years.

From left: John Condon, CTO; Brad Pedersen, CEO; Jim Fairman, COO.

From left: John Condon, CTO; Brad Pedersen, CEO; Jim Fairman, COO.

The three-member team has skills that include electrical engineering, software development, estimation and control systems, material science, product management, and intellectual property management. The three first met through a new product development course at the University of Minnesota in 2007. “We have a broad range of experience in areas such as unmanned aircraft systems, manufacturing process improvement, medical device design, and even running a science museum,” said Fairman.

The controller, called “Mimix,” was designed to provide an intuitive experience. And what it also means is no more two-handed flying! As it is tilted forward, back, left, or right, the “NanoQ” copter responds “just like you think it should, so you feel engaged and in control,” says the Kickstarter page. QFO Labs says the ergonomic design of the Mimix controller is based on U.S. Air Force Human Factors data for aircraft controls. “By using the latest sensors, radios, and processors, Mimix puts you in command with precise, crisp control … so simple that flying becomes second nature.”  The other cool description QFO uses is this: “Now you can fly by feeling instead of thinking.”

QFO says its product will enable real-life, multi-player aerial games – indoors or out.  Think multi-team dogfighting. You select your team through the Mimix controller, and the LEDs then display your team colors on both the NanoQ and the Mimix. With a pull of the trigger, you unleash a photon burst at your opponent. If you hit their sensor pod, you score.

Here’s the video the team posted on Kickstarter:

Follow QFO Labs on Twitter here, and Like them on Facebook here.

QFO Labs says this first product is just the beginning. Ship date is projected to be March 2013. The company plans to introduce a series of products for real-life 3D gaming, and wants suggestions from its Kickstarter backers on what they’d like to see for future games. Beyond gaming, “our team has many more ideas about what to do with the technology behind the Mimix and NanoQ,” it says.

Hackers Take Note!
The NanoQ uses an open communications protocol. You can connect your computer to the Mimix through the USB port or optional USB RF dongle and communicate wirelessly with the NanoQ to:
• Tweak the control parameters
• Update the NanoQ firmware
• Send control commands directly from a laptop
• Send customized signals out of the IR transmitter
• Receive craft telemetry such as attitude, control commands, and even raw sensor data

You can even connect your own electronics payload, like an Arduino, camera, or home-brewed project to the auxiliary serial (UART + power) port on the NanoQ.  And QFO promises a Developers Forum on its web site where everyone can share in their achievements.

How to Back the QFO Labs Project
Just go to the Kickstarter page here and select your Reward Level.  I did — I’m a backer!  And I encourage the Minnesota tech community to do the same…

Help support more awesome Minnesota tech innovation — help the QFO Labs team reach their goal on Kickstarter. Their deadline of November 13 is only 16 days away!