Digest #21

It's been a pleasure hearing from readers who like the new Features section so I'll keep that going. If you'd like to share a feature article with readers of Santa Cruz Tech Beat, please let me know.

Thank you to the newest sponsor: UCSC.

Thanks,

Sara Isenberg, Producer, Editor, Curator

Santa Cruz Tech Beat
http://santacruztechbeat.com

UC Santa Cruz

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Sara Isenberg Web Consulting & Project Management

Features:

The Startup Challenge 2014: an acceleration program for startups
Now in its fifth year, the competition, formerly known as the Monterey Bay Regional Business Plan Competition, is being morphed into an acceleration program for startups, with an increased emphasis on working with entrepreneurs to help them with the business end of business.

iotaGift Founder, Karla Hawkins, Credits suport from the Santa Cruz Tech Ecosystem

"As the idea of iotaGift grew, I started looking at micro-giving and crowd funding websites wondering if a similar idea already existed. It turned out that nobody was offering what I hoped to offer: fund raising for a specific item and the option to remain anonymous in the request."

News:

Events coming up:

Rock star game developer, Graeme Devine, recalls when his Full Deck Solitaire deviation began... Read Polygon's profile on how one simple game helped our local veteran developer re-examine the meaning of success and of failure

In case you missed it, Santa Cruz Tech Beat broke the story about Central Coast Angels in a feature last Tuesday, and the Santa Cruz Sentinel then published it on the front page the next day. Yesterday, Dice.com published their coverage. The word is getting out. Stay tuned to Santa Cruz Tech Beat for more news on Central Coast Angels as soon as we have it.

Nearly 60 UC Santa Cruz engineering students participated in the 10th annual Slugs vs. Bugs robotics competition, the capstone of associate professor Gabriel Elkaim's Introduction to Mechatronics. Watch KSBW's coverage here, and read the Sentinel's coverage here.

One of the Central Coast Broadband Consortium's (CCBC) major efforts this year is to develop a set of model policies promoting broadband improvement that local agencies can consider. Read Steve Blum's post: Broadband, business and jobs come together in Monterey County

SC New Tech Meetup's December event packs the room
Highlights included live music, search engine for apps, smart device charger, and digital signage. Next month's meetup is Wed, January 8, 2014.

Described as a modular digital caf� housed on 2,400 square feet of open space with no cubicles, Branciforte Middle School's new tech center has a room for music and video production, and another for television projects.

Noteworthy, but not brand new

Geek chic: big brains and great camaraderie in supercomputer lab for undergrads
SLUG is the brainchild of Enrico Ramirez- Ruiz, professor of astronomy and astrophysics. The three-year-old lab is designed for physics and astrophysics majors who want to learn to become independent scientists.