UK Academic Team Blog : Imagine Cup

Imagine Cup Registrations

ukacademia — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:44:17 GMT

Hello Everyone,

Interest for the Imagine Cup has been strong and we can confirm the various categories are now open for competition. From experience we know that the next couple of months will be key in getting great UK representation in the Imagine Cup.

Here are just a few of the reasons for encouraging your students to compete:

- PR: The Imagine Cup attracts the attention of both regional and national newspapers, together with technology and education press and news websites such as the BBC. Having students from your university compete in the Imagine Cup is great for raising the profile of your university in two important ways. Firstly it demonstrates the quality of your graduates to IT employers and makes them more attractive as employees (e.g. Dominic Green, UK winner of the 2008 competition) and secondly, it attracts new students to your university.

- Skills Development: Fundamentally the Imagine Cup is about helping students get real world experience with Microsoft technology. The skills learned during the various competitions compliment their studies and are invaluable when students apply for jobs with IT companies.

- Students Inspiration: With every technology interest area catered for, the competition is a great way to channel students’ passion for technology out of class.

We want as many UK institutions and students to get involved with the Imagine Cup as possible, and to help you participate we provide:

- Giveaways for students: Every week we give away web cams and Starbucks vouchers. We also hold a monthly draw for a Dell laptop, providing everything a student needs to see them through their studies and the Imagine Cup competition.

- Donation of an Xbox 360 gaming lab kit for your university: The university with the most registrations will receive 4 Xbox 360s, 8 wired controllers and an assortment of the latest Xbox 360 titles. You are free to use them for XNA development or as a social/recreation area for students.

If you would like to receive regular updates on the registration numbers from your university then please let me know and I will happily send them to you. You can contact me by telephone (0118 909 3409) or if you prefer by email (mailto:ukacinfo@microsoft.com).

And just to give you an idea of how we are doing so far, here are the top fifteen universities with the highest number of registrations:

University	Registrations
Brighton	89
Birmingham City	38
Cumbria	38
Bradford	37
Reading	35
Robert Gordon	35
Derby	31
Nottingham	24
De Montfort	23
Keele	23
Cambridge	20
Hull	20
Imperial College	20
Brunel	18
RHUL	20

If you would like to know more, them please email or telephone me. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Good luck,

Allison

UK High Performance Computing Award

ukacademia — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:11:22 GMT

Hello Everyone,

The Windows Server HPC team have created a special award for UK Software Design competitors who use the Windows HPC Server in their Software Design solution of the Imagine Cup.

Microsoft want to stimulate the thinking of UK students about how HPC can change the world. We want students to think big, and to use the world’s fastest systems to solve the world’s biggest problems. That’s what the HPC prize in the Imagine cup’s about.

You know how mutli-core is about writing a program that uses more than one cpu? Well HPC (High Performance Computing) is the next step up: it’s about programming for hundreds or thousands of CPUs. This is for all the stuff that needs more compute than you can get from a single server. Think about online gaming, when you have hundreds of people simultaneously modifying a visual database – that needs more power than you can get one a single CPU. Think about calculating the temperature over 20,000 land sites in the UK and then projecting that forward into the future, one minute at a time, for 500 years. This all needs heavy duty computing – and that’s HPC. It’s the A380 of the computing world.

To win the HPC prize you don’t need to have a working system – but tell us how your design would scale-out from one CPU to a thousand. And explain how all that power would help. The award will be given to the Software Design teams who demonstrate technical competency with HPC, have a real world need for high performance computing and present the commercial viability of their implementation.

HPC is used in lots of places – last year the two winners used HPC for genetic engineering and motorway design. People in the UK use HPC for everything from theology to thermodynamics, archaeology to aerodynamics, gaming to genetics. How could you use it?

If you’ve got questions please contact your local HPC or SuperComputing Centre. Or email Michael...

Good luck and hope to see you at the finals.

Best,

Allison

Pixel Poetry

ukacademia — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:14:17 GMT

Hi,

It was our very great pleasure to sponsor and support the Microsoft Photography Competition at the Department of Engineering 2008, at the University of Cambridge.

Blue Spikes, by Sonja Findeisen-Tandel

If proof were needed, these photographs exemplify the strong connection between art and science and that engineering particularly, has an inner beauty. The winning photograph, Blue Spikes, by Sonja Findeisen-Tandel, together with other stunning entries can be viewed at Microsoft Photography Competition at the Department of Engineering.

Which puts me in mind on Imagine Cup 2009 and the category for best photo story. It isn’t too soon to get your students involved and thinking about the competition. You never know, the lucky winner could be from your university and joining us in Cairo for the world finals. The next set of photographs could be of the pyramids and feluccas on Nile.

For an overview of the photo story competition please visit Photo Story.

All the best,

Allison

The simplest New Year's Resolution to achieve

ukacademia — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:26:50 GMT

Happy New Year to all!

While many a student is still sleeping off the effects of their festivities we are aware that a dedicated few are polishing up their ideas for their entry into the Software Design Challenge of the Imagine Cup. A minority are sleeping smugly because they have already submitted theirs. The extended deadline is January 9th - one week away - so we want to encourage all who have an idea to submit it.

Unlike previous years, we do not require working code at this stage so the idea is all that is required. A sample entry shows you what is involved and the rules and other info on the Imagine Cup Website but if there is anything else that you need to know then please get in touch. WIth competitions, I know from personal experience that taking part can bring huge rewards; past competitors in this competition who now have top jobs, memories and career-building experiences will agree.

Make it your New Year's resolution to encourage a team (or ten) to enter and by next week you can relax and know that you have started the year with success.

Claire

Imagine Cup - Software design deadline extension, new mentor service and extra prize

ukacademia — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:57:00 GMT

Students competing in the Software Design category of the Imagine Cup will be delighted to learn that the deadline has been pushed back to January 9th. This gives everyone chance to work on their submissions over the Christmas holidays.

We realise that it is in the last stages that students need the most assistance and so to take the pressure of you, their lecturers, we have a team of impartial techies on standby ready to provide a free mentoring service. Please have your students get in touch so that we can link them up.

In addition we have added an extra bonus prize for the 15 teams that make it through to the next stage: free professional training from innerworkings on a .NET developer interface that integrates directly with Visual Studio.

Claire

How much work is involved in the Software Design Challenge?

ukacademia — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:30:00 GMT

With lots of coursework and other pressures it is understandable that some students may be daunted by the amount of work required to enter the Imagine Cup. The format for the Software Design Challenge has changed this year so that round one is about the idea not code and we have produced a sample entry to show what this might look like. However we understand that at the back of their minds, the students will be wondering about the quantity of work required in the subsequent rounds. Find out more here.

And just in case your students haven't registered yet, you might want to show them these pictures of students who have already seen the benefit this year by receiving on of the XBox 360 Elites. The next draw will take place next week so have them sign up now to be in with a chance to join Tien and Stephen in the 'lucky student' gallery.

Claire

Technorati Tags: Imagine Cup

Life changing prizes to be won in the Imagine Cup

ukacademia — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Technorati Tags: Imagine Cup, Students

The Imagine cup registrations are flooding in and the competition is definitely hotting up. If you need any more compelling reasons to prompt your students into registering (apart from the chance to win an Xbox 360 Elite) I thought I would share with you the prizes that are on offer which could really make a difference to their lives and give them a great start into their chosen career.

Competition	Prize
Software Design	2 weeks in Seattle working alongside the Popfly team. A great work experience opportunity to see how Microsoft builds software that the winners can use when they apply for jobs and go into industry
Game Development	2 weeks work experience at a Microsoft Games Studio in the UK
Embedded Development	2 weeks work experience at a Microsoft embedded partner
IT Challenge	A Tranquil PC Windows Home Server
Project Hoshimi	2 weeks work experience at a Microsoft Games Studio in the UK
Algorithm	A top specced desktop PC with Visual Studio 2008
Interface Design	A top specced desktop PC with Expression Studio
Short Film	An HD video camera with tripod and accessories
Photography	A Digital SLR camera, tripod, extra lens and accessories

As you can see, some of the prizes could really make a difference to your students' future so what are you waiting for, go to the Imagine Cup Website and find out how you can get involved.

Kate

Tip: Imagine Cup registrations; if you don't tell us who you are we can't send your prize!

ukacademia — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:03:00 GMT

As more and more students are registering for the Imagine Cup I have noticed that many are not giving us factual names and addresses. We understand a person's reluctance to provide such personal info but there is a very good reason why we need it - last year we had trouble issuing several prizes because we did not know to whom and where to send them and the students involved thought that our 'You have won a prize' emails were spam. Our privacy policy states that we will only use the personal information provided in relation to this event so please make sure that your students let us know who they are. This can be done by signing in and selecting My Profile.

Technorati Tags: Imagine Cup, Students

The Imagine Cup 2008

ukacademia — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:02:00 GMT

Those of you who have already hosted the Inspiration Tour will know that the Imagine Cup is a really exciting opportunity for students this year and includes some great new categories. In the UK we are even adding extra value. The key points are:

1. There are 9 competitions for all interests and skill levels and in the UK we are providing life-changing prizes for each UK category winner in addition to them winning a trip to the global finals. See prize table below.

2. It is really easy to register this year and fun too! Have your students take the online quiz and get your university at the top of the leader-board. Each registration is automatically entered into a monthly prize draw where the prize is an Xbox 360 Elite. As last year, registration is not a commitment to enter so EVERYONE should have a go.

3. Software Design has been split up into 3 sections –

The Idea; spend the time between now and Christmas on the this
The Innovation Accelerator; A unique opportunity for the students to learn entrepreneurship and higher level technology skills while developing their idea in the form of a 3 day event at our offices in Reading lead by business partners and key Microsoft staff . Think ‘Dragons Den’ meets ‘The Restaurant’ meets Silicon Valley!
The Code Submission

4. The UK Imagine Cup culminates in a celebration day in London in June for the top competitors in all 9 competitions to meet and hear from leading industry speakers and employers to talk jobs. There will be a prize giving ceremony and maybe even a party at a club in London.

We know that students aren't always easy to motivate so here are some ways to help get them engaged:

Point them to these URLs http://www.microsoft.co.uk/uk/academia/imaginecup/2008/quiz/default.mspx and www.imaginecup.co.uk
Order a box or two of glossy guides which explain all of the 'invitationals' (an invitational = a competition category)
Download the guide
Use our sample emails and other resources including graphics

Software Design Challenge	2 week work placement in Seattle with the Popfly team	Prizes of Xbox 360 Elites, MP3 players for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place teams
Embedded	2 week UK work placement with specialist Microsoft embedded partner
XNA	2 week work placement with UK Microsoft Game Studio	Xbox 360 Elite pack
Project Hoshimi	2 week placement at UK MGS	Xbox 360 Elite pack
Algorithm		Developer PC (top spec, e.g. Quad core, 24” LCD monitors)
IT Challenge		Windows Home Server
Photography		Digital SLR camera, lens, bag and tripod
Short Film		HD video camera, accessories and tripod
Interface Design	2 week work placement with major UK creative agency	Designer PC (top spec, e.g. Quad core, 24” LCD monitors)

(Note: Prize list was changed from the published list above. Please refer to the About section of the Imagine Cup UK website)

As always, if you have any questions then please get in touch

Claire

Tales from the Inspiration Tour

ukacademia — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:52:00 GMT

The Inspiration Tour is underway and our presenters Ed Dunhill and Ben Coley have so far presented at Manchester Metropolitan University and Staffordshire University. Check out their blogs to read comments from the students and to access links to some great accompanying resources.

Next they are off to Bradford, Hull, Essex and Aberystwyth, oh and stopping by Nottingham to help with GameCity. Those of you who have already booked a date should now have an email from me with the electronic version of the flyer and in the next few days you should receive a poster tube with some hard copies too.

Don't forget to let me know how many students will be at your session so that I can send you enough t-shirts and other items to give out. One smart university set up a simple registration system so that they would know when the event was sold out and conversely, if more marketing needed to be done.

If you have any questions about the tour or still haven't booked your slot yet then please email me i-claipe@microsoft.com. You can check date availability here

Claire

Technorati Tags: Inspiration Tour, Students

The Microsoft Inspiration Tour

ukacademia — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:38:00 GMT

Last week we announced that we are sending our team on the road from October to March to talk to your students. The response has been excellent and sadly I have to report that ALL of the Wednesday slots before Christmas have now been taken. There are still a few Tuesday and Thursday slots available this term but I urge you to get in touch with a selection of dates as soon as you can.

Claire

Technorati Tags: Students, Teaching

Inspiration Tour

ukacademia — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:28:00 GMT

We’re very excited in the Academic team, we’re just about to launch the “Inspiration Tour” and we can’t wait to go out and meet you all.

Ed Dunhill

Ed and Ben will be out on the road during the next six months, so why not take a look at our Inspiration Tour web page to find out more and beat the rush to reserve your tour date now!

Ben Coley

The aim of the inspiration tour is to bring technology to you and your students, everything from the . NET platform to some of the really cool stuff that’s around at the moment like Silverlight, XNA and Microsoft Embedded technologies.

Spaces will fill up fast so please email us if you are interested in securing a date.

And the winners of the Imagine Cup 2007 are...

ukacademia — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:01:00 GMT

Software Design

· First place: Thailand — Team 3KC Returns/Project LiveBook!
Prachaya Phaisanwiphatpong, Vasan Chienmaneetaweesin, Jatupon Sukkasem, Pathompol Saeng-Uraiporn

· Second place: Korea — Team En#605/Project Finger Code
Lim Chan-kyu, Min Kyoung-hoon, Lim Byoung-su, Jeong Ji-hyeon

· Third place: Jamaica — Team ICAD/Project CADI
Imran Allie, Conroy Smith, Ayson Baxter, Damion Mitchell

Embedded Development

· First place: Brazil — Team TriventDreams ED

Carlos Eduardo Rodriques, Andrew Wilson Furtado, Ivan Cordeiro Cardim

· Second place: Romania — Team Aether

Alexandru Vranescu, Bogdan Tanasa, Ionel Vuza, Bogdan Holmanu

· Third place: China — Team SEED

Huning Dai, Zhou Xue, Ziqing Ye, Dai Tang

Web Development

· First place: France — Team APB

Benjamin Talmard, Thomas Albisser, Pierrick Blons, Sebastien Lam

· Second place: Ireland — Team Red Dawn

Mohammed Al-Tahs, Marouf Azad

· Third place: China — Team Frontfree Studio-Web

Jiasheng Guo, Weining Sha, Xia Xiao, Zhenda Zhao

Project Hoshimi (Programming Battle)

· First place: Argentina — Team OIA

Pablo Gauna, Nicolás Rodríguez Vilela

· Second place: France — Team Arenium

Laure Portet, Régis Hanol

· Third place: Serbia — Team vladan.simov

Vladan Simov

IT Challenge

· First place: China — Zhifeng Chen

· Second place: France — Romain Larmet

Third place: Romania — Ilie Cosmin Viorel

Algorithm

· First place: Poland — Przemyslaw Debiak

· Second place: Ukraine — Roman Koshlyak

· Third place: Hungary — Szilveszter Szebeni

Photography

· First place: Poland — Team Maraqja

Iwona Bielecka, Malgorzata Lopaciuk

· Second place: Croatia — Team Black and White

Aleksandar Kordić, Igor Matoša

· Third place: Canada — Team Awesome

Patrick Struys, Ryan Marr

Short Film

· First place: Poland — Team Skylined

Julia Górniewicz, Jacek Barcikowski

· Second place: Taiwan — Team Circle

Chang Hao-Jan, Chang Shu-Wei, Tseng Yen-Chi, Lin Di-Er

· Third place: Brazil — Team Papa

Paçoca Alexandre Nacari, Arthur de Pádua, Felipe Pellisser, Wendel Yokoyama

Interface Design

· First place: Austria — Team OOT Graphics

Verena Lugmayr, Claudia Oster

· Second place: China — Team Frontfree Studio UI

Dongjing Yao, Yushi Ma

· Third place: France — Team Atomnium

Manon Gaucher, Flavien Charlon

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the above! Their achievement is incredible and will change their lives, their submissions were inspiring!

Read a retrospective about the finals, watch the video blog and watch this space for more news on the competitors and their entries.

Claire

Meet the Imagine Cup teams in Second Life

ukacademia — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:34:00 GMT

As I'm sure you're aware the WorldWide finals of the Imagine Cup Korea are just around the corner. So I wanted bring to your attention that the Imagine Cup Gallery is now live in Second Life and is showcasing 21 of the Software Design teams and their applications from Europe, the Middle East and Africa before they head off to compete.

Why not come along and meet the teams, check out their presentations and videos or even hang out at the Korean bar and pavilion.

The Imagine Cup Gallery in Second Life runs until August 5th 2007 so you can visit anytime. However we’re holding two open events for you to come and meet the different teams and these will be held from 18:00 – 20:00 GMT on July 19th and 26th 2007.

Find out more, watch the video or if you already have a Second Life Avatar teleport directly to the Microsoft Island. Otherwise simply sign up for a Second Life ID and Avatar and install the Second Life application today. We look forward to seeing you at the Imagine Cup in Second Life soon.

Introducing Computer Science with Project Hoshimi

ukacademia — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 11:56:00 GMT

Last December we had the pleasure of meeting many of you at the XNA worldwide launch held at Warwick University. Games Development has become one of our hot topics with many requests for talks, books, resources and advice. At the same time we also had the pleasure of working with many of you and your students with the Imagine Cup.

It will therefore come as no surprise that more and more universities are linking the Imagine Cup into Games Development courses. If you are thinking along these lines then I can recommend you read IntroducingCSWithProjectHoshimi. by Berrelleza Perez, Ramiro, Chavez Echeagaray, Maria Elena and Gonzalez Sanchez, Javier.

Claire

UK Academic Team Blog : Imagine Cup

Imagine Cup Registrations

UK High Performance Computing Award

Pixel Poetry

The simplest New Year's Resolution to achieve

Imagine Cup - Software design deadline extension, new mentor service and extra prize

How much work is involved in the Software Design Challenge?

Life changing prizes to be won in the Imagine Cup

Competition

Prize

Tip: Imagine Cup registrations; if you don't tell us who you are we can't send your prize!

The Imagine Cup 2008

Point them to these URLs http://www.microsoft.co.uk/uk/academia/imaginecup/2008/quiz/default.mspx and www.imaginecup.co.uk

Order a box or two of glossy guides which explain all of the 'invitationals' (an invitational = a competition category)

Download the guide

Use our sample emails and other resources including graphics

Tales from the Inspiration Tour

The Microsoft Inspiration Tour

Inspiration Tour

And the winners of the Imagine Cup 2007 are...

Meet the Imagine Cup teams in Second Life

Introducing Computer Science with Project Hoshimi