HackREGINA Spring 2013 Winners!
Thanks to everyone who came to HackREGINA this past Saturday! We had a great time hosting you and it was wonderful to see all the different app ideas using our sponsor APIs. Here’s our winners from last Saturday’s event!
1st Place – SMS Event Notification System
Using the Twilio API, Team “Why did you do this Chad?” created a system which allows participants of an event to subscribe to SMS-based updates. From there, event administrators can use the web application to send updates to all of their SMS subscribers, keeping participants up to date without the use of a proprietary app or mobile website.
2nd Place – Don’t Panic
One of our first hardware hacks, and just in time for our Saskatchewan spring, Don’t Panic is a hardware water sensor created by Team “Sunny Beaches of Sask” that contacts a homeowner if it detects a certain level of water. At a low water reading, it can start a sump pump, while higher readings use the Twilio API to contact the homeowner with a text message indicating that there may be trouble at home.
3rd Place – Prankio
Ever want to anonymously prank call someone? Now thanks to “The Other Jordan” you can! Just enter the dialog you’d like to use with appropriate pauses between, and a phone number to call. Prankio will dial that number and using Twilio’s text-to-speech capabilities have a conversation with your “friend”. Once they hang up, the entire conversation is emailed to you for your enjoyment!
Student Category – CCCID
Our student team, “For The XP”, created a hardware sensor that flashed a certain pattern of LEDs based on who was trying to call you. Trying to avoid pesky telemarketers? Have all 1-800 numbers show up with bright red lights! Waiting for your friend to call you back? Have their specific number flash green LEDs! No more pesky call display – one quick look can tell you if you need to answer the phone.
Best City of Regina App – ZONE It
Using information from the City of Regina API, Team MexiCANs created a mobile app that helps users determine the best area of Regina to open a new business. The app determines areas of the city that have the least number of those types of businesses and cross references with the commercial zones of the city to suggest the best neighbourhood to open your new business. It also provides a way for commercial relators to contact potential clients by posting open locations.
It was a great event with 10 projects using all of our API sponsors to create excellent apps. Thanks again to our sponsors, without them we wouldn’t have an event!
Location Sponsor – Innovation Place
Event Sponsors – iQmetrix Software, GB Internet Solutions
Community Sponsors – YellowAPI, DevFacto, GitHub, Adxstudio, Mailgun, Prairie Dev Con, Microsoft Canada
API Sponsors – Twilio, City of Regina
Look for our next event near the end of September!
HackREGINA Spring 2013 is TOMORROW!
Hi everyone!
Hope you’re as excited as we are about tomororw’s HackREGINA event! Here’s a few reminders for the big day:
- Tonight we have a kick off party at Beer Brothers starting at 8 PM. The party is graciously sponsored by iQmetrix Software – thanks to them, we’ll be enjoying free appetizers and one free drink per registered participant! It’s a great way to meet fellow hackers, find a team if you don’t already have one, and exchange ideas.
- The event tomorrow is at the Terrace Building at Innovation Place (Research Drive, right beside the U of R). It’s the building with the big glass atrium in the front. We do have free parking, but it’s in Lot G which is a bit of a walk – we advise you park near the doors, unload your stuff, and then move your car.
- The doors open at 8:30 AM tomorrow, with the event starting at 9:00 AM sharp. We will be providing a continental breakfast with coffee and juice. There will also be pizza, salad, and ribs served at noon from Trifon’s.
- Make sure to bring: your laptop, your power adapter, your mobile device (if you’re making a mobile app), any additional cables you may need, a display adapter that outputs to VGA, a reusable cup for coffee and drinks, a power bar
- The Wrap-up party will be right after the award ceremony in the same place as the hackathon, so stick around and get a chance to talk with other teams, judges, and sponsors. We will be providing some finger food and have a bar, with beer selling for $5. There’s an ATM in the building if you don’t have cash on you.
Any other questions? Check our FAQ, e-mail me, or give me a call at 306-520-3917.
See you all tomorrow!
HackREGINA Spring 2013 Judges & Criteria
Based on feedback from our previous events, we’ve decided to make the judging process a bit more formal for HackREGINA. Participants will be judged on the following 5 factors:
- Technical Skill – How difficult was the implementation of the app?
- User Experience & Design – Is the app easy to use?
- Business Idea – Would the app sell in today’s marketplace?
- Presentation – How well did the team present the idea and themselves?
- Inspiration – Do you want to see this app finished and released so people can use it?
In addition, all teams will be receiving a copy of the judges’ score so you can see their comments and suggestions.
Also, we’ll be asking all participating teams to fill out some forms rating the APIs they used at the event so we can give our sponsors direct feedback.
Without further adieu, here’s the judges for HackREGINA Spring 2013!
Dr. David Gerhard, Associate Professor, Computer Science, University of Regina
Since joining the Faculty of Science at the University of Regina in 2003, Dr. Gerhard has spearheaded many initiatives in the Saskatchewan tech community including the newly formed Regina Hackerspace, CrashBang Labs. He has created courses at the University of Regina in response to changes in technology, including CS 280 (Risk and Reward in the Information Society) and CS 207 (Building Interactive Gadgets). He has given seminars to many local businesses, as well as giving the inaugural Science Pub lecture at Bushwakker Brewpub in 2011. He is co-founder of Shiverware, a small business that makes iOS apps. He is regularly interviewed by local radio and television stations on issues of technology, and he is a freelance columnist for CBC radio both locally and nationally.
Chris Street, Associate Professor, Entrepreneurship, University of Regina
Chris Street is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Paul J. Hill School of Business where he teaches courses in Negotiation and Corporate Entrepreneurship. In addition to four years on faculty at the I.H. Asper School of Business in Winnipeg, prior careers have also included time spent as a software developer and as a licensed Journeyman Electrician. Chris currently owns and operates The Open Case Project, a start-up venture in case study publishing for Business Schools using an open-source licensing model.
Nevin Danielson, Employee Development Manager, iQmetrix Software
As iQmetrix’s Employee Development Manager, Nevin finds ways to help iQers thrive and successfully contribute. Nevin is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan. His career started in advertising and marketing. After stops in a few crown corporations and the provincial government, he finally found his home at iQmetrix. In Spring 2012 Nevin co-chaired the inaugural TEDxRegina conference. Nevin and his wife Kerri have two children, Annika and Joshua. They live in Regina. When not at work or at home with the family, Nevin enjoys camping, biking and helping at his kid’s school.
It’s not too late – Register for HackREGINA NOW!
HackREGINA Spring 2013 Prizes Announced!
Here’s what you’ll be hacking for this Saturday, March 23rd!
1st Place – $1000 cash, (up to 3) “new” iPads provided by GB Internet Solutions
2nd Place – $600 cash
3rd Place – $300 cash
Student Team Prize – $600 cash (50% or more of your team must be currently enrolled in post-secondary education)
Best Use of City of Regina Data – City of Regina Prize Pack
Don’t forget about our Kick Off Party, 8 PM Friday night at Beer Brothers, sponsored by iQmetrix Software – we’ll have appetizers and a free drink for everyone registered.
Register now @ http://www.picatic.com/hackreginaspring2013
HackREGINA Spring 2013 APIs
Here’s the list of APIs for our event this Saturday, March 23rd!
GasBuddy.com is the leading source for local gas price information for North America. The GasBuddy API will allow you to search local gas prices by geo location, city, zip code or postal code. There will also be access to detailed station information. The API is implemented using HTTP and JSON.
Documentation and examples will be provided at the event.
YellowAPI (also known as the Yellow Pages API) is the go-to resource for location-based applications. Our curated local search API is built off of the strength of the Yellow Pages database of over 1.5 million geo-localized business listings and associated rich content. Not only is it free, but we offer ways for you to make money fast. We provide the tools, you provide the ideas and the talent.
To check out the YellowAPI Documentation and sign up for a developer key, go to http://www.yellowapi.com/
Mailgun is a programmable email platform. It allows your application to become a fully featured email server. Send and receive messages, create mailboxes and email campaigns with ease using your favorite programming language.
Imagination is your limit. Email is not hard anymore. Sign up for a developer account at https://mailgun.net/signup?plan=free
Twilio brings voice and messaging to your web and mobile applications. The Twilio API provides access to make and receive phone calls, send and receive SMS, manage phone conferences, manage caller queues, and record and transcribe phone calls.
Twilio’s API documentation and signup can be found at http://www.twilio.com/docs
The City of Regina is pleased to provide a number of data sets for developers to explore and use for HackREGINA. This data should provide the opportunity to create applications limited only by an imagination. The City’s data sets will provide location and descriptive information for the City of Regina’s geographic features (recreation, schools, roads, landuse, political and community boundaries), as well as cemetery data, waste disposal, transit and more.
This event, developers will have access to the city’s REST API which has been previously unavailable. The City of Regina utilizes GIS technology from ESRI and have been using REST services. The prototype is an extension of what we do internally and opens up a new world of GIS capabilities for developers utilizing the City’s data as services.
Check out the City of Regina’s Open Data Site at http://openregina.cloudapp.net/
HackREGINA Spring 2013 Schedule & Details
HackREGINA is this Saturday! Here’s everything you need to know about the day’s schedule and logistics.
Registration
Registration is still open through our Picatic page. There’s still a few spots left, but we’ll be closing registration at 5 PM on Friday.
BYO Mug
HackREGINA is a disposable cups free event! So that means you will need to bring your own mug. If you don’t have one, you still have time to head to the store and get yourself a fancy one. Make sure you can use it for both cold and hot beverages and you’ll be set for the next decade! Help us reduce and reuse!
iQmetrix Software Kickoff Party, Friday March 22nd at 8 PM
The kickoff party is this Friday at Beer Brothers, starting at 8 PM, and is brought to us by our event sponsor, iQmetrix Software. The kickoff party is a great way to meet our HackREGINA sponsors, find a team, and network and socialize with some of Regina’s finest developers. All registered participants will get a free drink at the party, and we’ll have a handful of appetizers to keep everyone fed – all thanks to iQmetrix Software.
HackREGINA Saturday March 23rd
Location: Terrace Building at Innovation Place, Research Drive. We’re set up right inside of the atrium. Parking will be freely available in Lot G, which is a bit of a walk – we advise you to drop your stuff off first and then park your car. Doors open at 8:30 AM, and we’ll start the day at 9:00 AM sharp. Thanks to Innovation Place, our location sponsor for the event.
Schedule
| Time | What’s Happening |
| 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast and introductions - We’ll introduce ourselves and give a quick rundown of the day’s schedule, and give everyone a chance to settle in and grab some breakfast. Breakfast and lunch is provided by GB Internet Solutions. |
| 9:30 a.m. | API Presentations - Each API sponsor has 5 minutes to give everyone a quick overview of their API. They’ll review their company, how their API’s work, and what they can be used for. After the presentations, the API sponsors will be available in person or via chat/email throughout the day. |
| 10:00 a.m. | Hacking! - Claim a table and get to work! The API sponsors will be around all day to help people get started with their APIs and answer any questions you may have. |
| 12:00 noon | Lunch - Grab lunch and get back to your project – it’ll be there for you. Our breakfast and lunch is sponsored by GB Internet Solutions. |
| 1:00 p.m. | More hacking! - You have until 5:00 to FINISH. Don’t get distracted! Help yourself to some drinks and snacks throughout the afternoon, and let us know if you need anything. |
| 5:00 p.m. | Presentations - Every team gets 3 minutes to present their project to our panel of judges at the end of the day. |
| 7:00 p.m. | Judging and Prizes - Our awesome judges will select the winners. Good luck! |
| 7:30 p.m. | Post Hack Wrapup - Appetizers and drinks will be served at the event in Innovation Place |
Post-Hackathon Wrapup
This event, we’ll be continuing the party at Innovation Place – we’re getting some food catered and will be serving drinks for $5 domestic /$6 import. Spend some time with our sponsors, compare notes with the other teams, and have a drink or two with your peers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I allowed to use third party APIs (APIs not provided at the HackREGINA event) to build my application?
Yes. But your application must use at least one of the sponsor APIs at HackREGINA to be eligible for prizes, in addition to any other APIs or SDKs you’d like to use. Also keep in mind that judging is partially based on usage of the provided APIs, so their use should be prominent. You can use any API you’d like during HackREGINA as long as you use at least one of the provided APIs.
What if I don’t know anyone when I get to HackREGINA or if I don’t have any ideas as to what to build?
That’s an easy one – if you don’t know anyone, that’ll last about 10 seconds once you join us. Seriously. And as to ideas: don’t worry, there will be plenty to choose from. The better question is will you have enough time to build your application and showcase it to the judges at the end of the day?
Another great opportunity is the iQmetrix Software Kick Off Party this Friday night – we’ll have a bunch of sponsors and attendees there, and it’s a perfect time to discuss ideas and find (or recruit) a team if you’re looking. And there’s a free beer and appetizers in it for ya if you’re registered with HackREGINA!
We will do our best to connect you to other developers. Have a look at the APIs provided, the API gallery for each sponsoring API, and do some research ahead of time on the APIs and what other developers have previously built.
What if I have an idea and a team already?
Perfect! Bring your team and idea, and start working as soon as you get to HackREGINA. Perhaps we’ll be able to witness the birth of your startup right there!
How large can my team be?
Teams can be as small or as large as you’d like. Solo is okay too. A 2-3 person team is ideal typically.
What should I bring?
- Your Picatic confirmation email. You don’t need to print it, as long as you can show it to us on your phone.
- Your laptop, with any SDKs pre-installed – if you’re planning on using any sponsor SDKs please download and install them in advance
- Your mobile device (or emulator) if you’re making a mobile app
- Cables, chargers, and connectors for any of the above
- A power bar – we’ll provide some, but it’s always nice to have extra!
- Your USB stick if you have one – just in case the network gets a bit crowded
- Your sense of humour and your ability to get along with everyone while in tight quarters!
- Your portable coffee cup – we try to keep disposables to a minimum
- External display connectors for our projector – we’ll have a few, but bring yours if you have them.
What will HackREGINA provide?
- Sponsor APIs, and support for all of them
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Drinks (coffee, pop, juice)
- Wireless internet access
- Projector for presentations – we recommend you bring your own connectors, in case we don’t have one for your laptop
- Smiles!
- An awesome developer community!
If I have questions who do I contact?
You can email us anytime with any question. We’re happy to help! You can also call me directly at 306-520-3917 anytime.
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend! Happy hacking!
HackREGINA Spring 2013 Community Sponsor – Microsoft Canada
Make Web Not War is a passionate community of tech enthusiasts. This group originally started as an event organized by Microsoft Canada and has grown into a diverse community of developers, technologists, business owners & students across Canada. We welcome anyone who is excited about the latest trends in web, mobile, cloud and open data. Whether you like .Net, PHP, Python, Java, Ruby, use open source or commercial software (or both) Make Web Not War is about building technology solutions that work together.
HackREGINA Spring 2013 Community Sponsor – Prairie Dev Con
The next Prairie Developer Conference will be happening May 6 – 7 2013 in Winnipeg, Manitoba!
Sessions
This year we focused on four areas: Web, Mobile, General Development, and Cloud. We’ve got sessions touching all four of those areas, with diversity in language, technology, and specialization.
Presenters
Our presenters are once again real-world experts in their field! We have local talent in addition to out-of-towners from Canada and the US!
Workshops
We’re also offering two post-conference workshops:
Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) with Donald Belcham
and
ASP.NET MVC with James Chambers
Pricing
Early Bird registration is open now! We have two rates for the conference:
|
Conference |
Conference + |
|
| Until March 31 |
$399.99 |
$599.98 |
| April 1 – May 5 |
$499.99 |
$699.98 |
As always, groups of 3 or more get an additional $50 off each registration!
Head on over to our website (www.prairiedevcon.com) to get all the details on our sessions, speakers, workshops, and how to register!
If you have any questions, please contact me at darcy@prairiedevcon.com!
HackREGINA Spring 2013 Community Sponsor – MailGun
Mailgun is the email automation engine for developers. Send, receive, parse and track your application emails via an intuitive REST API.
Mailgun is a programmable email platform. It allows your application to become a fully featured email server. Send and receive messages, create mailboxes and email campaigns with ease using your favorite programming language.
Imagination is your limit. Email is not hard anymore.
HackREGINA Spring 2013 Kickoff Party!
As is HackREGINA tradition, we’ll be having a kickoff party on Friday, March 22nd at Beer Brothers. Doors open at 8 PM. The kickoff party is a great way to meet other hackers, join a team, meet sponsors, and share ideas for projects. Of course, the first drink is paid for by our sponsor for all registered participants, and we’ll have some appetizers for everyone to munch on.
This event’s kickoff party is brought to you by iQmetrix Software. At iQmetrix, they create great experiences for retailers, their employees, and the end consumer. Their products bridge the gap between physical and virtual retail channels, offering the latest in retail management and customer experience technology.
iQmetrix has a Regina office with customer support, marketing, IT, and development staff, and they’re always looking for new talent. Check out the current job postings on their website!
Register now for our next event on March 23rd!