As a middle-class citizen in Southern California, I have been fortunate enough to grow up in a world where technology is increasingly utilized to make life easier and more comfortable. However, as someone with little to no inclination to pursue a career in the various fields of technological innovation, I feel as though it has been appallingly easy to take it all for granted. For example, I never once stared at my fridge, or a traffic light, or a churro machine and considered how life would be without them. In other words, I never once stopped to thank and appreciate the people responsible for bringing them into the world. And yet, I cannot help but benefit from these devices every day. Well, except for the churro machine; unfortunately, that’s still a work in progress. The point is, the developed, western world is built atop a foundation of technological aid. Every day, this very moment in fact, there are people pacing rooms, racking brains, and pouring coffee in an effort to keep that foundation up to date, and make our lives easier and more comfortable in the process. These people, the secret heroes of modern society, they stand as a representation of the core reasons for our success as a species: our ability to work together and for one another. It seems only inevitable then that a reality television show would someday come along and capture this process for the world to see and feel good about. Well, the wait is over; the day has come. That “day” being last Tuesday, marked by the initial airing of TBS’s latest reality show, America’s Greatest Makers (Tues @ 9/8pm c). The pilot introduced several eclectic groups of inventors / aspiring world changers and their respective inventions. And among these intellectual individuals is none other than a certain Nicole Mendoza, with whom I had the pleasure of conversing about the show, her interests, and what makes her one of America’s greatest makers. Continue reading
Category Archives: Technology
CEO of Irvine’s eGumball travels to India and visits students and orphans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/10/15
Irvine, CA: At the end of last year, eGumball, Inc. CEO John Bauer, Days of Our Lives actor Brandon Beemer, and photojournalist Gregory Schell traveled to Agra, India where they were able to connect with the community and experience the culture.
During the trip, all three spoke at an Indian middle school in Agra to inform the students how advancements in technology and education are providing opportunities for them to become successful in the future. They also encouraged them by explaining how the impact of globalization is strong enough to create equal opportunities for everyone, including those who are less fortunate and in unfavorable situations. Continue reading
Family Day at the Beall Center for Art and Technology set for Nov. 2
A Family Day is set for Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, from 11 am to 2 pm at the Beall Center for Art and Technology, located at 712 Arts Plaza, at the University of California, in Irvine.
Enjoy hands-on art and science projects and experience an introduction to new media art relating to the Beall Center’s exhibition “Sight & Sound.” Family Day offers demonstrations by local companies in manufacturing, programming, engineering, optics, and design. Continue reading
Co-founder of Irvine’s Occulus VR killed in Santa Ana high speed chase
From the New Santa Ana Blog
The pedestrian who was struck and killed during a police chase in Santa Ana was identified Friday as 33-year-old Andrew Scott Reisse. Coworkers described him as a “brilliant mind.” Reisse, a Santa Ana resident, was walking in a crosswalk when he was struck and killed at the end of a police chase Thursday, according to ABC News.
Reisse, the 33-year-old co-founder and lead engineer at Oculus VR in Irvine, Calif., ” was a brilliant computer graphics engineer, an avid photographer and hiker who loved nature, a true loyal friend, and a founding member of our close-knit Oculus family,” the company said in a statement, according to CNET. Continue reading
O.C. software firm raises $20.5 million
By By JAN NORMAN Kareo Inc., an Irvine software provider, has raised $20.5 million in equity investment from a group led by Stripes Group and including existing investor Western Technology Investments. Kareo raised $8 million in 2010 and $10 million in 2011. The…
Source: O.C. Register, Irvine News