What's up?

Posted on 15 October 2009 at 03:53 PM

The joint CDC/Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce/University of Canterbury competition to drive nationally significant projects forward, Canterbury v5, has now closed.  Organisers are choosing the top 10 to take forward to the next stage – watch this space for more details!

We see from the latest National Bank business confidence survey that NZ has taken another strong step forward. A net 49 percent expect better times ahead – levels not seen since 1999, as the post Asian crisis recovery took hold. Confidence was up across all sectors bar construction, but this sector still remains the most optimistic with a net 63 percent expecting better times ahead.

Down at the Canterbury Museum, early Māori artefacts in the Ngā Taonga gallery are being brought to life with the aid of augmented reality technology.  Developed by Christchurch company MindSpace Solutions, in association with HITLabNZ, the technology is housed in a coin-operated binocular station which visitors use to view the gallery. When the viewer focuses on certain objects they become animated and the visitor sees a story about that object.  

Last week’s ULearn 09 conference for educators, organised by the Christchurch-based CORE Education, spread more than an estimated $3.5million through the community as around 2000 delegates, staff and trade exhibitors were fed, entertained and accommodated over four days.

And brilliant new technology for the sight-impaired launched today by Darryl Sherwood around the Cultural Precinct… www.povidi.com.