Sunday, February 22nd wrapped up the weeklong Press Play: Data-Journalism Hackathon at the downtown Green Bean Cafe. Four teams, made up of St. Clair College and University of Windsor students, created four different interactive visualizations about Windsor data.
In honour of Open Data Day, we challenged teams to take on open Windsor Data. Our overall winning team, Cornelius and Clara, visualized the distance to bus stops around Windsor and the barriers it creates. Lauren and Akindele, winning Best Piece of Journalism, went around town to challenge Windsorites to understand the budget and imagined a more interactive, clear version. Best Use of Windsor Data went to Zule and Steven, who broke down election statistics from the last municipal election by number and area. And finally, Most Creative Project went to Amanda and hackathon veteran, Meghan for their exploration of accessibly to local tourist attractions by bus or bike.
Best Overall Team:
Cornelius Froese & Clara Benedek
“Transportation in Windsor”
Best Piece of Journalism:
Lauren Hedges & Akindele Faulkner
“Visualizing Windsor’s Annual Budget”
Best Use of Windsor Data:
Steven Espinoza & Zule Li
“Election Web: Windsor Municipal Election 2014”
Most Creative Project:
Meghan O’Donnell & Amanda Sinasac
“Can We Bus it to the Beach?”
Thanks to our judges: Blake Roberts, Don McArthur, Aisling Douglas, and Bob Price.
Press Play was created with support from EPICentre, Open Data Windsor Essex, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE) and WEtech Alliance.
Check below for more from today’s event:
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This Sunday, February 22nd, join us for the final reveal of Press Play: Data-Journalism Hackathon. The event takes place at the downtown Green Bean Cafe (300 Ouellette Ave) from 1-3PM. Student teams are working this week to create interactive visualization about open data from Windsor. This event is free and open to the public.
This event is in celebration of Open Data Day and encourages Windsor students to take a look at the local data available to them. Teams, made up of one coder and one journalist, are taking the data and creating news stories within interactive visualizations. This is Hackforge’s first hackathon with a journalism element.
Teams will be competing to win Best Use of Windsor Data, Most Creative Project, Best Piece of Journalism, and Best Overall Team. Our judges determining the winners will be:
Bob Price – Technical Support Analyst at the City of Windsor
Aisling Douglas – UI/UX Designer & Computer Girls Program Facilitator and Instructor
Donald McArthur – Assistant Managing Editor, Digital at The Windsor Star
Blake Roberts – Program Chair of Digital Journalism at the University of Windsor
Press Play was created by University student Lauren Hedges and Hackforge, with support from EPICentre, Open Data Windsor Essex, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE) and WEtech Alliance.
Monday, December 29th, Hackforge hosted Art in Tech / Tech in Art, bringing together various projects and creators. We had an exciting turn out of more than fifty people to the space, including many families.
Learners from all ages were encouraged to try out many of the demonstrations presented, like Nik Steel’s two cymatic rigs using water to make sound visible and Nifty Studio’s immersive Elevator Horror game. Hackforge members brought their projects, like Rob Caruso’s Magic Eye Color Organ and Terry McAlinden’s LED Matrix. From the community, we had artists like Jude Abu Zaineh, Veronica Samek, and Sherry Campeau.
Big thanks to all who presented (full list of artists and projects below). Also thanks to Paul Anderson for assisting with various projects, like 3D printing.
Projects presented:
3D printed artwork by Chelsea Greenwell
Video game concept art by Sean Liska
Cymatics rig (sound made visible) by Nik Steel
LED-ification of model trains by Shane McCarthy
Magic Eye Colour Organ by Rob Caruso
Modular Sequencer Prototype by Aaron Mavrinac and Kero
Plilk: Bioart Bacteria Series by Jude Abu Zaineh
w.a.v.e.s festival by Veronica Samek and Orb-It Project by Sherry Campeau
LED Matrix by Terry McAlinden
Click below for more photos and the CTV clip from the event!
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Monday, December 29th, Hackforge is merging art and technology. From 3PM -5PM, there will be a science-fair style open house featuring various works of art and technology. Come interact with the works and talk to the creators.
Our members will be sharing their projects as well as artists and creators from the community. After will be a roundtable where the artists and creators discuss their process and how they see art in their technology and technology in their art. This free afternoon is open to the public and suitable for all ages. There will be activities for kids.
We are located in the front of the Windsor Public Library Central Branch (850 Ouellette Ave).
Projects to check out:
3D printed artwork by Chelsea Greenwell
Video game concept art by Sean Liska
Cymatics rig (sound made visible) by Nik Steel
LED-ification of model trains by Shane McCarthy
Magic Eye Colour Organ by Rob Caruso
Modular Sequencer Prototype by Aaron Mavrinac and Kero
Plilk: Bioart Bacteria Series by Jude Abu Zaineh
w.a.v.e.s festival by Veronica Samek and Orb-It Project by Sherry Campeau
More to be added!
Check out the event on Facebook.
This month’s Maptime will be dedicated to exploring Crowd-sourced Maps – those maps that you invite a public to join in and contribute to as well as location-based texting services. Want to learn more or share what you’ve already investigated about these things? Or do you just want to learn more about maps and Maptime? Then please join us! Bring along your laptop!
Maptime is a collection of beginner-focused community groups for learning geospatial technology, techniques, and concepts, particularly using open source tools and hands-on practice and exercises. If you’ve ever dreamt of mapping the world around you, this event is for you.
Thursday, December 18 2014 – 7-9PM
Hackforge – 850 Ouellette Ave
Free event, open to the public
Bring along your laptop
Click here for the Facebook event
