Dear Vishnu, Welcome back to the list.
Your absence was keenly felt. Regards Sameer Latey Mumbai, India ----- Original Message ----- From: "vishnu ramchandani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 8:23 AM Subject: [AI] Tech 'geniuses' make pilgrimage to Microsoft > Tech 'geniuses' make pilgrimage to Microsoft > > AFP > > Mohamed Radwan came from Egypt to Microsoft's US > campus to show Bill Gates a way software can strip > away the stigma of being disabled. > > Radwan, his sister, Noha, and fellow Cairo college > students Tarek Elgaaly and Ahmed Fathallah created > computer software that uses artificial intelligence > to customise school programs for those with mental or > physical challenges. > > "I have a good friend and one day I found out he had a > brother who is handicapped," Radwan said of the > inspiration for the invention that put his team among > the finalists in this year's Microsoft Imagine Cup > innovation contest. "It was as though the family was > ashamed and kept him a secret." The Imagine Cup > theme this year is, "Imagine a world where technology > enables a better education for all." > > Read latest news at DNA > > Ten of the teams that will vie in August at the > Imagine Cup finals in Seoul were at Microsoft's US > headquarters on Tuesday, showing their work to the > software > giant's legendary co-founder Bill Gates. "It's a great > area and I completely agree with your vision," Gates > told Radwan and his team, which boldly suggested > that Microsoft more aggressively develop ways to make > computing easier for people with disabilities. > > Gates and Microsoft chief research and strategy > officer Craig Mundie lingered at student > presentations, asking questions and trying programs. > "I'm very > nervous and excited," Byoung-Su Lin said as she and > fellow students from South Korea readied a program > that lets deaf and blind people read, write and > participate in classes. > > The invention features a glove embedded with sensors > with software that translates Braille into and out of > text and speech. A team from China demonstrated > a program that links students in remote villages with > teachers, volunteers, research and other education > resources. > > "In front of you today are this generation's > geniuses," Microsoft director of initiatives Joe > Wilson told news reporters at the demonstration event. > "The > thought leaders of tomorrow." > > French university students built a joy stick that > people with motor skill difficulties can use in lieu > of a computer mouse, while a team from Japan made > software to organise class notes and send feedback to > teachers. > > "This is a fun event," Gates said. "The point is to > show how the magic of software can do far more amazing > things than most people understand." > > This is the fifth year for the Imagine Cup and it drew > entries from more than 5,800 teams from more than 100 > countries. > > "I'm always excited by the kids," said Mundie. "This > is the Olympics of collegiate problem solving. We've > upped the bar in recent years and they respond > extremely well." > > The Imagine Cup victor gets a 25,000 dollar prize and > likely attention from investors looking to bankroll > promising new technology. "Just that approving > look from Bill Gates is worth all of it," Mohamed > Radwan said. "It's about much more than the Imagine > cup," Fathallah said. "It's about changing the world." > > Send free SMS to your Friends on Mobile from your Yahoo! Messenger. > Download Now! http://messenger.yahoo.com/download.php > > To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, > please visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/ To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
