 |
  |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|||||||||
| DiscoverCreate Act Cold War Story Dammed All the Smog in ChinaCharacter Sketch Brilliant! Time Out to Teach Give Them Shelter LaurelsConnectDepartments |
 |
| Photo: Ingimage |
BRILLIANT! JUMBO ENTREPRENEURS AND THEIR BIG IDEAS
GearCommons
BIG IDEA: An online resource for sharing outdoor gear. According to an Outdoor Industry Association survey, the cost of equipment is the second-biggest obstacle to engaging in outdoor activities like hiking and skiing (next to “being too busy”). GearCommons addresses that problem with a website through which people can search for products to rent from others who live nearby. Not only do users get the gear they need without paying a fortune, but they also meet people with similar interests, possibly finding their way into a real-world social network.
STATUS: The genesis of GearCommons dates back to Brown’s college days, when he became a Zipcar user and saw the potential of what has become known as the sharing economy. Then last winter, when he and Rogers were snowshoeing in Vermont, it hit them: “We said, ‘Wait, why can’t people share outdoor gear online the same way people share apartments and cars and power tools and dresses?’ ” he told Sports Illustrated. They teamed up with Joel Weber, a software developer, and GearCommons was born. So far, its services are mainly confined to the Boston area, but it has already rounded up some $50,000 worth of equipment. gearcommons.com
AutismSees
BIG IDEA: Technology to help high-functioning people on the autism spectrum maintain eye contact during public presentations. With iPresentWell software, users who are rehearsing a speech can monitor their eye movements, set a timer that prompts them to look up periodically, and save text and record videos. They can set goals and get rewards for achieving them. “Our hope is that people would want to use this not just because it would help them, but because it’s fun,” Feerst told the Lowcountry Autism Consortium.
STATUS: The current version of iPresentWell is in beta testing and available free of charge from iTunes. Meanwhile, Feerst and her wide-ranging team, with members at Tufts and Stanford as well as in Charleston, South Carolina, are already looking forward to developing new features, such as ways to track users’ facial expressions. autismsees.com
codeSpark
BIG IDEA: Educational games that introduce children aged five to eight to computer science. Hosford and his partner, game developer Joe Schochet, say they take their inspiration from “the great building toys of the past like Lincoln Logs, Erector sets, and Legos.” Kids are natural builders, they explain, and programming is “one of the most rewarding and powerful ways to build.”
STATUS: In codeSpark’s first game, players’ emerging programming skills help them manipulate fictional characters called Foos that live in computers. Like everything envisioned for the codeSpark curriculum, it’s aimed at both girls and boys and accommodates a broad range of learning styles. Kids don’t have to know how to read, since the programming language is completely visual. Beta testing began in late August with users selected from codeSpark’s email list. By fall’s end, the company, based in Pasadena, California, will have free lesson plans available for teachers. codespark.org