technology

Extending The Life Of Wind Turbines

By • Dec 16, 2016
RIPR File Photo

It’s been a big week for wind energy. The nation’s first offshore wind farm is up and running off the coast of Block Island. And another Rhode Island wind company just scored a grant from the National Science Foundation. Aquanis is a tech company trying to improve the efficiency of wind turbines. We introduce you to the wind energy company you may not know about.

New Effort Underway To Ramp Up Marine Tech Development In RI

By • Aug 18, 2016

A group of defense companies and local universities have announced a new partnership aimed at creating a hub for undersea technology. Dubbed the Undersea Technology Innovation Center, the project is still in the early stages. 

It will be organized by the Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance, which has announced partners including the University of Rhode Island, the Navy and Salve Regina University. SENEDIA spokeswoman Molly Magee says the center would provide a hub for marine and defense technology.

Federal Tech-Training Program, Aims To Train And Place 2K RI Workers

By • Mar 9, 2016
RIPR FILE

The state is moving ahead with a new program meant to connect out of work Rhode Islanders with tech sector jobs. The Ocean State was among the states selected last year to take part in the federal Tech-Hire initiative.

Governor Gina Raimondo said more than 30 employers, including Hasbro and Citizens Bank, have signed on to take part in the Tech-Hire program.

Three School Districts Chosen For New Effort To Grow STEM Sector

By • Dec 23, 2015
taylor.a/creative commons license

Three Rhode Island school districts have been chosen for a new state initiative aimed at preparing students for jobs in high tech industries. Newport, Providence and Westerly will be part of the program known as P-TECH; short for Pathways in Technology Early College High School program.

The Bottom Line: Women In Technology

By & Mark Murphy • Oct 16, 2015

Providence Business News Editor Mark Murphy joins Rhode Island Public Radio's Dave Fallon for our weekly business segment, The Bottom Line.

This week Mark and Dave discuss the barriers to women in the sciences with Johnson & Wales Dean of Engineering and Design Frank Tweedie, and Department of Engineering and Computer Science Chair Kathryn Parchesco.

  

Newport's Cliff Walk Gets High Tech Upgrades

By Emily Wooldridge • Apr 29, 2015
RIPR FILE

Newport’s famous Cliff Walk is now smart-phone friendly. The tourist attraction has added 16 trail markers with quick response codes. Visitors can get historic and geological information with a quick smartphone scan.

Salve Regina University Professor Jon Marcoux worked with students to create the app.

“This is a great example of something that was doable for an undergraduate, and they did it, but hopefully it will have a big payoff for folks who are visiting.”

Marcoux said using technology increases the breadth of information available to tourists.

New Push To Teach Students How To 'Code Like A Girl'

By • Jan 22, 2015
Elisabeth Harrison / RIPR

Women make up nearly 60 percent of the U.S. workforce, but Federal Labor Department Statistics show they account for less than a quarter of all software designers. So how do you change that? One national program thinks it has the answer. It’s called Girls Who Code. Rhode Island Public Radio’s education reporter Elisabeth Harrison visited a chapter at Lincoln School in Providence.

Brown University Scientist Uses Time-Lapse Photography To Study Change In Antarctica

By • Dec 24, 2014
Jay Dickson / Brown University/University of Texas/National Science Foundation

Monitoring how the climate is changing in Antarctica’s most stable environments, the desert valleys, is very difficult. But that’s what Jay Dickson, a staff scientist at Brown University’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, is trying to do, using time-lapse photography.

Swipely Says $20M Infusion Will Enable It to Grow, Keep Adding Jobs

By • May 29, 2014
Ian Donnis / RIPR

Providence tech startup Swipely, which has grown significantly since it was launched in 2009, says a new infusion of $20 million in venture capital funding will enable it to continue expanding a small spark of Silicon Valley in Rhode Island.

"The intent is to use those funds to continue to aggressively growing the team in all our areas, including our engineering team, our marketing and sales team, and other departments within the company," Swipely founder Angus Davis said during a news conference Thursday morning.

Another App-based Transport Service - Lyft - Coming to RI Later This Week

By • Mar 18, 2014

In a sign of the growing battle between app-based transportation services, Lyft -- which lets consumers decide how much they want to pay for a ride -- is launching in the Providence market on Friday.

While Lyft bears a few strong similarities to Uber, which came to Providence last September, Lyft spokeswoman Paige Thelen says the company emphasizes an "in-person experience" and is about "building a community."

Newport Tests Crowdsourcing Safety App for St. Patrick's Day Parade

By Ben Becker • Mar 14, 2014

  The Newport Police Department is trying something new for tomorrow’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade-- they're giving citizens with smart phones another way to help keep the city safe.

Cranston Public Library Offering 3D Printing Services

By Flo Jonic • Sep 23, 2013
RIPR FILE

Cranston has become the first public library in the state to offer its patrons the use of a 3D printer.  The printer turns digital images into objects made of plastic. The machine cost about three thousand dollars but will be free to the public to use.

Cranston library director Ed Garcia says training sessions are filling up fast.

On-Demand Car Service Uber is Ready to Disrupt Providence

By • Sep 3, 2013

Uber, the on-demand car service that lets users summon a ride via a smart phone app, is set to formally launch in Providence on September 12 (5:30 pm at Tazza, on Westminster Street).

As I recently tweeted in reporting the company's arrival in RI, Uber is a favorite of techies and its origin points to the creative power of the Internet:

School Highlights Tech-Based Learning

By Flo Jonic • Apr 1, 2013

Online learning is a tool in many Rhode Island classrooms. But a charter school opening next fall in Providence takes high tech to a whole new level.

The Village Green Charter School bills itself as Rhode Island’s first virtual learning school.  The high school will be located in Providence, near Classical High. Students will spend 60 percent of their time online or in small groups; 40 percent in traditional classroom time. School superintendent Robert Pilkington says applications for the 9th and 10th grade are pouring in.

General Assembly Web Site Adds Streaming Video

By • Mar 20, 2013

The General Assembly Web site is adding live video streaming that will allow viewers to watch up to four committee meetings at the same time, as well as House and Senate sessions.

The content will be archived for viewing through the Web site, according to a news release:

Currently, Capitol TV airs a live House session and taped the Senate session to broadcast after. Without web-streaming, the channel could only broadcast one live committee meeting at a time.

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