Imagine Cup 09 Software Development Competition Details

The local finals timeline for Imagine Cup 09s Software Development Competion have been announced.

Below are the details:

COMPETITION MILESTONES:
· Deadline for Round 1 Submissions: 20^th March, 2009
· Pakistan Finals : 25^th April 2009
· WorldWide Finals: July 2009

Please note that in order to compete in the Pakistan Finals for Software Design the participants must submit a .zip file containing the Software Specification Document (template is defined below).The deadline for the submission of this document is March 20^th, 2009. The participant should upload the document on Imagine Cup web site. Participants can also email your .ZIP file to Naveedb@microsoft.com. The .ZIP file should be named in the following format <Universityname>_<Teamname>.zip.

For further details you can visit the following URL : http://imaginecup.com/PK/SD.aspx

Best of luck …. Lets bring the Cup home….

Career Opportunities at Microsoft

Imagine having the resources to influence tomorrow’s reality today, and having fun while you do it. That’s Microsoft. Right now,they are looking for people who think big and dream big .
Below are the details about the career openings in Microsoft.

Good luck.

S.M.Umair

Options are Good. In life. And in your career.

What fuels your passion?

So, you’ve got your diploma-or you will soon enough. Now it’s time to take on the working world. We know deciding where to start your career can be as nerve-wracking as it is exciting. Maybe you don’t know exactly what you want to do. Maybe you don’t even have a technology background. The good thing is, at Microsoft, you have lots of options. Nowhere else will you have such a variety of products and technologies to get behind-or so many career paths to choose from. you’ll learn from people who have been in the industry for over 30 years. And most of all, you’ll have the resources to reach people all over the world with your work. It’s about taking your career as far as you want it to go-in any direction you choose.

“The variety of products that Microsoft develops greatly influenced my decision to work here. As my career develops I can follow my passion to apply myself to different technologies without having to leave the company.” - David, Software Design Engineer in Test, Live Meeting

Take the Leap, It’s Cool Inside

As a Microsoft employee in a full-time technical position, you’ll dive head first into meaningful work. The kind that inspires you. This is the kind of place where your goals are limited only by your imagination and motivation. What’s more, you’ll be backed by a multi-billion dollar company at the top of its game. It’s in your blood to innovate, so join others who share your passion, your talent, and your limitless energy.

“You will find no other company with the sheer breadth of technologies, from Windows kernel, to Office applications, to servers, to Live Web services, to Xbox, to games, to business solutions, to hardware. The things you get to see and learn from other people are amazing.” - John, Software Development Lead, Windows Server Performance

Not sure what full-time position at Microsoft fits you best? Have a look at the Product Development Process to get an idea where your contributions could make the most difference.

Current open opportunities within Microsoft:

1)  Software Design Engineer (SDE)

Work at the Core of Every Product We Build - This is where the fun begins for code gurus like you. As a hands-on Software Design Engineer, you’ll make decisions about design and feature implementation, using your mastery of technical tools to make a product vision a reality. If you like to write code and design efficient data structures and algorithms to develop next-generation applications or operating systems, this is the position for you. As an SDE, you’ll bring products to life by working with Program Managers to ensure strong design and Software Design Engineers in Test to ensure quality through testing. Ultimately for the SDE, it’s your code that turns concepts into new technologies and services.

Qualifications:

	Be available to relocate to one of Microsoft’s Development Centers around the world.  (Microsoft Corporation pays all costs associated with relocation)
	Fluency in C/C++/C# and a passion for writing quality code using computer science fundamentals
	Functional level English language skills, written and spoken requirement
	Ability to derive creative and innovative solutions by thinking “outside the box”
	Ability to solve complex problems, sometimes by testing and debugging code
	Experience in feature definition, design, and feasibility
	Demonstrated skill in estimating development time

2)  Software Design Engineer in Test (SDET)

Discover Life on the Last Line of Defense – As a Software Design Engineer in Test (SDET), you’ll own it, break it, fix it, and own it again. You’ll ensure a product’s quality by making sure it performs as users expect it to. Part of the fun is how creative you can be devising ways to manipulate, crush, and sabotage software into submission-while creating innovative testing technologies along the way.

Ultimately, as an SDET it’s your input that can make the difference between joy and frustration for the customers. Since you’re keen on how things work, and making them work better, you’ll work hand in hand with the Program Managers and Software Design Engineers to design, develop, and maintain automation systems for use in development and testing cycles. Using the tools you create, you’ll pour over source code for trouble spots, debugging and isolating problems, and executing creative tests to find new bugs while regression testing recent fixes.

Qualifications:

	Be available to relocate to one of our Development Centers around the world (Microsoft Corporation pays all costs associated with relocation)
	Fluency in C/C++/C#
	Functional level English language skills, written and spoken requirement
	Ability to solve complex problems and write automation systems and device drivers
	Ability to learn to author test plans and cases, conduct security and stress tests, and debug at source level after identifying, investigating, and prioritizing bugs
	Demonstrated skills in negotiation and conflict management

We have development positions across Europe, Asia and the USA!!!

Whatever position you choose, you’ll make a real impact in the dynamic world of product development at Microsoft. Microsoft has an ongoing need for exceptional recent graduates to management level from around the world to help us build the next generation of software products.

Send Us Your CV
Submitting a C.V. is the only way to get to the next stage of consideration, the interview.  Our recruiting team travels to your region regularly to meet bright and enthusiastic people like you, and we look forward to receiving your CV.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are updating your C.V. to send to us:

	Include your military status if your country mandates it. This will help us know if you are allowed to leave your country to work in the United States
	Clearly state your graduation date, degree/major and the university you attended or are attending
	Specify your technical skills (including programming languages and other development tools you know well), project details (both within university and at any jobs or internships you have held), and technologies you have used on those projects
	Describe your role in the projects that you worked on, and what you personally achieved
	Provide an active e-mail address, physical address, and current phone number where we can reach you

Send your resume to:

MSGradCV@microsoft.com for Full Time positions

InternCV@microsoft.com for Intern positions (Deadline January 1, 2009 to send CV’s for internships)

A recruiter will review it, and if interested will set up a phone interview as a first step.  And, by the way, we have many positions available, so if there is someone else you think we should know about; please share this information with them.  For more information, please see http://www.microsoft.com/college/overseas.mspx.

Top ideas for Microsoft Imagine Cup 2009 competition

If you need ideas for your Imagine Cup 2009 project, take a look here and see the list of 7 ideas for Imagine Cup invitationals. This year’s theme is “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today.” and I’d like to try and help you with some suggestions.

As you can see theme is very broad. How to step up to the challenge and pick up the theme?

Here are just few suggestions you can try experimenting with:

• World poverty – Explore some new business models targeted at deprived parts of Earth, think about revenue sharing models, micro-credits…

• Hunger – Develop and think about new concepts appropriate for smaller communities in areas with lack of water and other resources, how can they produce and sell their products and make a decent living from that?

• Sustainability – How to develop community and society in general but without making harm to environment and other resources (think about small farms, recycle ideas, responsible usage of resources, fight against erosion and mudslides with some planning, urban development…).

• Gender equality – How to empower both genders in all areas of human work, try searching for comparative advantages from both genders, inspire yourself with great figures from history, develop resources for education on this matter…

• Fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases – This is a big one. Of course it is not expected from you to deliver the whole solution by yourself alone, but think about tools that might ease the work of doctors, improve the quality of service at hospitals, engage patients in their healing process, think about mathematical models for suppression of diseases, play with numerical methods and see how to visualize them and present them in great manner that is both easy to use and to understand.

• Climate change and challenges related to that – Mathematical and (geo)physical models, simulations or just awesome education tools for raising global awareness. Think about virtualization and all challenges that might bring in in reducing power consumption but in increasing computing power and development.

Bonus hint: Do not try to invent or to create problem – just find solution to existing one. Best tip I can share with you from my personal experience – talk with real people about their real problems and challenges they are facing.

Havva great time.

S.M.Umair

Imagine Cup 2009 What’s New in IT Quiz ?

Well..

I ‘ve noticed three main changes:

. The system is slightly changed. There are 8 quizzes for round 1 with 4 different themes.

. Round 2 has changed too.

. I ‘ve just finished my Quiz 1B. I ‘v noticed that you have 60 minutes the moment you start the quiz. And not 60 minutes from the main start time like the previous times, especially when you have a 5 or 10 minutes delay due to the high traffic on the servers.

. The thing i liked most was that , the regulations for imagine cup have changed. You can still compete if you have graduated recently.

. Also, there are new challenges like the MashUp.

. There is a big improvement on making the preparation plan. This will help people who aren’t that good in making a study plan for themselves by giving links for suitable online clinics.

If you didn’t sign up yet, plz do.

Good Luck for all…

Imagine Cup 2009

Imagine Cup for 2009 has been started . Imagine Cup is an global student technology competition from Microsoft , which enables the IT students to excel in their favorite technology . Every Time Imagine Cup comes with a new Theme .This time the theme is “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today” . Students are invited to excel and innovate in this theme .

Categories for Competition :
•    Software Design
•    Embedded Development
•    Game Development
•    Robotics and Algorithm
•    IT Challenge
•    Mash Up
•    Photography
•    Short Film and
•    Design

What You get if you Participate ?

You get lots of Prize from Microsoft , other than that you get recognized from Microsoft . You can help your community to serve  better , if you find a solution for Worlds toughest problem , which is a theme of the contest. You get more friends from different part of the world . What more ?

•    First Place: $25,000 USD
•    Second Place: $10,000 USD
•    Third Place: $5,000 USD

This theme for Imagine cup 09 is aligned with UN’s Millennium goals . Then what are you guys waiting for ? be a better citizen to serve for better society

http://imaginecup.com – Official Website

Digital Eyez

Digital Eyes , an old but worth wile experience . Most of you know about it well but want to view the pics I took . An unexpected win , cuz I was there for the scholarship ceremony which was planned in the morning . Then I was free, wondered what to do , and ye Amir has got his cam so I took and it and off to take some shots. And yes met Rafi Bhai after that “ lage raho , prize ghar pe (apni uni mein) aana chahiye “.

And yes till night I knew the third was at home .

Here are the pics I submitted . The initial three are for the 1^st round with captions :

“We fishes are pure vegetarians”, “Migration “Tower of Pisa; who says I am inclined, its just that the world isn’t aligned with me “

And the next three are the on day shots.

And this one for our Webmasters. Decode it :

“Khayamat ka din aa giya rafta rafta

Mulaqat ka din badalte badalte”

And yes I know the expected cipher text reply:

“Wo waada hi kya jo nibha ho gaya”

Open to comments …

 

Just wrote something for a purpose that will be apparent soon..

Want your quick genuine comments or if you like to add to it .

 

” What do you consider to be the Key challenge in your country to improve the well being of all people , and how might young people such as yourself use information and communication technology to surmount that challenge and help bridging the digital divide “

 

“Digital Divide “to me is a perceptual phenomenon. If one thinks, it could prove to be a huge gap between the 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd world as we perceive it or it is just a blurring line which we can cross and surpass with our motivation and direction of our energy in the right path.

So what is this right path and where does the energy come from (not from an instant drinks) ?

In Pakistan we see daily in the news headlines, in magazines, in public forums ingenious technologies and gadgets are coming up. Solar powered street lights, revolving restaurants and a lot of more things. So the problem is not with the pace of technological advancement it’s with the right utilization of it and sufficient knowledge of it to the people. These days discoveries are there but inventions are the ones which benefit us most. GPS devices and calling systems are there for decades but the right utilization of it for your refrigerator to give a call to the grocery store when your milk ends, it’s just its application. I think constructive day dreaming could be really productive, I just saw a mobile vacuum cleaner 2 years back in a movie and its in production line now by some Korean company.

A very small problem which comes here is the research we do instead of search. We need to inform people that technology isn’t a luxury tool, its something which benefits the society. Tele conferencing is what we know most about but its implementation in remote areas with a doctor at Agha Khan or Liaqat National Hospital diagnosing and prescribing medicine to patients in remote rural areas would be a new reflection of the same technology in this domain. This could save those people thousand of rupees of traveling and getting diagnosed. So there`s a little perception we need to change a and it could be done with communication technology whose infrastructure now exist in our country. Universities are there for research, they could come up with new projects where culture serves as a stepping stone, not a barrier. The release of Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi and other versions of Windows XP is a constructive effort which is being done these days.

Life style is what comes as a combination of your culture, prevailing technology and a lot of other things. Education is one thing which makes people understand there’s no Technology VS Culture thing. Even in Japan whom we consider as a technological giant I was really amazed to see that bi cycles outnumbered cars and bikes in multiples. There was rarely anyone younger than 22 whom I saw driving a car. They were all on bi cycles, even business owners who were in there late 60s. And that was to save fuel, toxic emissions and have a healthy life style. And there’s always a benefit that need to be advertised, Japanese have the highest average lifetime.

I see the youth has an unimaginable energy only the application of it in the right path is needed. Applications and these dimensions too exist there in kind of competitions like Imagine Cup, IEEE youth and Youth forums. And from our trend setters whom we see making public policies realistic targets and their achievements are the things which motivate us like little jets. To sum it all “ Its better to aim high and to miss your goal then to aim low and to make it “.

 

Tripple I … a new vision under INETA

Summers were in , vacations had started and I was just done managing Open House 2008 with my mates of SIBSS. It was the right time to plug in an idea of which I have been planning months before . A platform where we and our upcoming batch mates could use their senior`s experiences as stepping stones in their careers to come.
This what led to the start of Tripple I. A group where one could bring trickling ideas to life , can share his valuable experiences , and can discuss what contributes to the society.
Just the same time I got a call from Microsoft to formalize my activities under the banner of INETA (International .Net Association ) . And what else could be better than Tripple I which was an active platform at the time . So I registered it under INETA and provided required details to Goksin Bakir , a really helpful person who gave me a great news a week later that Tripple I was approved to be a member of INETA community.
Well … having vacations now … so time to chill and brings some new ideas to live. Been buzzed for FYPs so many times a week (thanks god not daily).
If you get some new thing to share you are welcome (bonjour ,Kon Nichiwa, Khush Amdid ) in all ways.
Here are a few links that might help you out :

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/TrippleI/
http://mea.ineta.org/Home

LUMS Olympiad 2008 ….. a nice break

Well, LUMS Olympiad was a complete package to compete, to learn, to
socialize and to enjoy scenery. During competition it was a test of
our stamina when we cleared the 1st round by being the top scorer. It
was quite an enjoyable scene to see FAST Khi 1 and FAST Khi2, both
competing with each other and scoring the top ranks among 5 teams. The
thing continued till we found in semi-finals that some times small
mistakes have big influences when we lost by 1 question and that too
was a previously deducted score from our wrong answer. So Mind Quest
was done and it was time to assist the Fast Filming team with editing.
Here onwards was time to enjoy singing rounds, scavenger hunt,
thematic arts, live arts and backing up our singing team who was
clearing rounds with a bullets impression. How can one forget about
the calm night which was time to socialize at Carnivals and Concert?
And midnights were there to actually check if “Lahore Lahore Hai “.On
the last day we were packing up and collecting memories with our
brothers from Peshawar . So that was the socializing experience ,
competition and scenery (different meaning for different people) .Well
learning was an ongoing process throughout the visit but there were
some everlasting impressions of Olympiad Team , expert organizers ,
appreciators of arts and big time hometown supporters.

Giving every child a laptop

This is not a crazy idea: What would the world be in 20 years if each child growing up in today’s developing countries had access to a computer and internet, and being connected to knowledge sources locally as well as across the globe? Is it possible? Is it even affordable? and what good can a computer bring to communities where roti, kapra, makan are still the fundamental unmet needs.

Well, one visionary has an idea, and his idea is gaining popularity across the globe. That visionary is Nicholas Negroponte, a professor at MIT’s Media Lab, who envisioned an educational eco-system for children in the developing parts of the world that revolves around the use of computers and connectivity.

He wanted to see a future where children in developing countries were not left perennially behind because they simply did not have access to the tools that others in affluent countries did. Aware of the economic situation in most parts of the world that has given the term digital divide a new meaning, Negroponte envsioned a laptop that would be available to children at a cost of less than 100 dollars.

The vision pf Negroponte, and the non profit organization One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) that he created, is not just to promote another tech tool with overpromises of benefits – but to boldy address the critical technical and economic research areas that have hampered the availability of digital tools for the developing world. Ever since the first declaration at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2005, OLPC has set out to create a world class performance laptop that is not only unbelievably cheap, also creates a system for education and development of children who use them.

The $100 laptop is a mobile platform for kids, complete with a rugged weather proof casing, a color & black and white sun-light reable screen, 500 MHz processor, 128MB of DRAM and 500MB of flash memory. The laptops will have wireless internet, which will allow them to link up with mesh networks, allowing neighboring users to ‘talk’ to each other and create networks.

Nicholas Negroponte and the OLPC organization believe that “Laptops are both a window and a tool: a window into the world and a tool with which to think. They are a wonderful way for all children to learn learning through independent interaction and exploration.” OLPC learnt that it would be possible to reduce the cost of the laptop to $100 only if millions of them were made (not to mention the many innovations in technologies that had to be done along the way). The mode they have adopted for reaching millions of children was by targeting a few countries that had large populations and represented different parts of the world: India, China, Egypt, Nigeria, Brazil, Argentina and Thialand were chosen as the initial partner countries.The laptops would be sold to the governments in these countries and then issued by the governments to schools on a One Laptop Per Child basis.

This initiative has gained a lot of momentum, but has also seen some opposition. The largest opposition came from what the OLPC members sometimes fondly call the Microsoft/Intel block which was unhappy that OLPC chose to go with a Linux system software and AMD chips. The reality is that Microsoft and Intel were also given a chance to join the movement early, but they passed on it, thinking it was just a crazy idea. Now they sense competition in some of their largest markets and are fircely lobbying governments against OLPC. In a recent move, India announced that it was withdrawing from the project, citing unsatisfactory expectations from the pedagogical theories.

However, some recent successes have bolstered the committment of OLPC core team members. Other countries are willing an dready to sign onto the project and the first prototype units (displayed in the photo attached here) are going to be tested in Thailand very soon. Argentina, Nigeria and Brazil are also signed up up for the delivery of millions of laptops. China and Egypt are still negotiating, and guess what, OLPC team has recently showed interest in talking to Pakistan as well. Some of us are trying to reach out to government officials to get them interested in at least learning from OLPC. I hope it will be given a serious thought by them.

I am very interested in hearing what the development community in Pakistan thinks of such projects, and if they have any experiences with introductions of digital gadgets into the hands of people from less-developed and more rural areas of the country. Do we need more tree-schools, or better training for teachers, or laptops with internet connectivity for both generating and accessing local knowledge? Gervase Merkham of Times Online, I think, sums up the OLPC philosophy and intent quite well:

Being connected changes the way people use computers. Before the internet, the data on a computer was mostly either there when it arrived, or created by the owner. Today, the vast majority of the information which flows past our eyes comes from somewhere else – which could be a different country, a different culture, a different perspective. Our biggest problem has changed; it used to be tracking down the oases of information. It’s now working out how to drink from the water cannon of knowledge. But given tools to manage the flow, no child should ever waste their time trying to turn lead into gold.

OLPC’s greatest gift to those children will not be the computer itself, but the ability to document, publish, share and build. When every child has a laptop, the chatter of a hundred million keyboards will deafen the world.

For additional information, visit:
OLPC; PCs for the poor: which design will win; Getting the World’s poor logged on
Podcast of Walter Bender’s (OLPC President) MURJ lecture on One laptop per child