FIXO app brings tenants and property managers together
Plugged drains, cold showers and other joys of urban dwelling are a constant frustration for rental tenants who rely on property managers to resolve their home issues. And the broken telephone goes both ways: superintendents and property managers, too, face a tall task when they need to communicate a message to dozens—or hundreds—of apartment-dwellers. An […]
Entrepreneurs are no accident: Perspectives from two U of T Engineering professors
Whether it’s turning canola oil into diesel fuel or a wristband that unlocks your smartphone with your heartbeat, the source of a truly transformational idea can often seem mysterious or coincidental. Do they come from mentorship and training? Timely investment? A specially designed space? Or, the right mix of diverse people working together? To engineering […]
Entrepreneurship Hatchery kicks off with record-breaking year
When U of T Engineering first opened the Entrepreneurship Hatchery two years ago, executive director Joseph Orozco had an ambitious goal: 20 student teams annually by the program’s fourth year. Now, a year ahead of schedule, the early-stage ideas factory has sailed past expectations – unveiling 37 groups at a recent Hatchery Kick Start event […]
U of T engineers use “Sperm Olympics” to help couples get pregnant faster
In vitro fertility treatments can be intensely emotional and medically invasive, not to mention expensive. But technical developments from a research group at the University of Toronto may soon be able to shorten the journey to pregnancy – and that potential has piqued interest from international investors. The research group, QSperm, is looking to turn […]
A glimpse into collaborative learning at the CEIE
In an early morning tutorial, students are racing to complete a daily challenge. But instead of working alone in a computer lab or in extended rows of lecture seating, they’re collaborating at six small tables, surrounded by the latest learning technology. Welcome to a Technology-Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) room – one of several new hands-on […]
Ten innovative apps compete for Top App title and $1,000 grand prize
Today it’s mostly our smartphones and tablets that are touch sensitive, but soon it could be our desks, car dashes or even our kitchen counters. That’s the technology behind XTouch, a new app from U of T Engineering students. “XTouch extends the tactile environment beyond the surface of that mobile device,” said app developer Amin […]
“Asia’s richest philanthropist,” major Silicon Valley firm invest in engineering alumni’s Nanoleaf light bulb
Just a year after launching a Kickstarter campaign resulting in more than $200,000 in investments, alumni startup Nanoleaf has banked support from Hong Kong business mogul and philanthropist Li Ka Shing (dubbed “Asia’s richest man” by Bloomberg News) and Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. Nanoleaf was profiled by U of T News last […]
National Engineering Month 2014: Making a World of Difference
Slogging through the snow this winter has been tough. It’s blocked roads and highways, buried entire cities and left Canadians to dream of palm trees as they frantically scrape ice off their windshields. But in some regions, where the snow can strand people for weeks and months, the situation used to be a whole lot […]
Hybrid Chew Toy/Robot Wins Global Startup Battle for Engineering Students
They howl, they chew, and sometimes they leave you unpleasant surprises on the carpet. When dogs are left alone at home, it’s easy for them to get up to no good. But what if you could visit and play with them from a thousand miles away through your smartphone? Enter Pawly, a durable digital toy […]
