LSU iOS App Boot Camp 2013

August 5 – August 15, 2013

Learn your iOS ABCs!

The LSU Center for Computation & Technology (CCT) will host the LSU iOS App Boot Camp for its third year, August 5 – August 15, 2013, (10 day camp not including Sunday), on the LSU Campus. This educational experience will offer participants the opportunity to gain knowledge while enhancing their entrepreneurial spirit. Participants will work in groups to create their own functional iOS app and have it loaded on their personal device by end of camp. The course will be taught by LSU faculty who push the boundaries of mobile applications in computer science and digital media fields. Post-camp programs to expand and hone new skills will also be offered.

During the iOS App Boot Camp, participants will work hands on, individually, and in groups to:
•    Be introduced to the MAC Operating System, iOS Software Development Kit, and Xcode.
•    Learn iOS application development processes and techniques while working on personal projects.
•    Test, refine, and improve upon their new developer skills.
•    Create an application of their own design that will be deployed on their own iPhones, iPods, or iPads.
•    Be introduced to mobile applications’ business market, trends and opportunities.

Registration Fee:   $300.00 LSU undergraduate students
$450.00 LSU graduate students/non-LSU students/LSU Alumni
$600.00 Others
Participants are responsible for their own transportation, lodging, parking, and meal costs.

Prerequisites:  Understanding of general computer use (Windows, Linux or Mac); interest in learning and creating new technologies. Prior programming experience is beneficial but not required. Click here for a listing of pre-bootcamp guides and/or tutorial information. Participants are encouraged to bring their own Mac Laptop to class, as well as their iPhone/iPod/iPad. The CCT will provide loaner laptops for in-class use to participants who do not bring a Mac on a first-come, first-serve basis. As these resources are limited, participants must request one when registering.

Post-Camp Assistance: After the camp, you can participate in a series of Mobile App|Art|Action Group meetings, presentations, and workshops led by the LSU CCT.

For more information or to register, visit:  https://www.cct.lsu.edu/ios-abc

The Science Cafe:

Started in January 2013 and supported by the Office of Research & Economic Development, the Science Café offers a casual environment for faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and members of the community to engage and interact. These are 15-20 minute Ted-Talk style (http://www.ted.com/pages/about) approachable chats aimed at the lay audience. We’ve had approximately 70 visitors for each event so far, and children are welcome.

The fourth installment of this event will take place on Tuesday, April 30, with doors opening at 5 p.m. for free food, drink specials, networking and giveaways, and a brief talk by one of our experts at 6 p.m.

Sound Engineering: Electronic Music & Composition Camp

June 17 – 21, 2013; LSU Campus

http://cmdalsu.com/paa/day-camps/

TWO AGE GROUPS:  Ages 11 – 14, Ages 15 – Adult

Learn how to create your own electronic music.  This unique camp introduces you to creating, recording editing, engineering, and all of the basic skills for creating electronic music.  You’ll even learn how to add music and sound to video clips.  As part of the camp, all campers will receive their own free digital copy of Presonus Studio One Artist software.

iMake iMusic: Create Your Own Musical Apps

June 24 – 28, 2013; LSU Campus

http://cmdalsu.com/paa/day-camps/

(Ages 15 through adult)

Learn how to make your own iOS instruments!   In this 1-week class, you will learn how to create and manipulate sounds with the free programming language/software Pure-Data. Then we will jump into Apple’s Xcode (also free) where you will learn to incorporate Pure-Data programs and develop your own musical apps!

You do NOT need to have an iOS device (iPad, iPhone) to develop and test your apps. No previous experience in programming or digital sounds is necessary!

LSU Campus

Begin a programming journey that will unlock the power of Python!  Learn the fundamentals of this general-purpose, high-level programming language with a fun, step-by-step approach that makes coding easy and exciting for young students.

The LSU Center for Computation & Technology (CCT) and Louisiana Alliance for Simulation-Guided Materials Applications (LASiGMA) will host the PyFUN Programming Summer Camp for boys and girls entering grades six through eight (6-8) in the Baton Rouge and surrounding areas.

This 5-day camp will consist of basic concepts of programming that are used in any programming language, and will include:
•    Problem solving.
•    What the parts of a computer are and how they work together.
•    Syntax.
•    Strings and console output.
•    Conditionals and flow control.
•    Functions, lists, dictionaries, and loops.
•    Introduction to classes.
•    File input and output.

Complete fun mini-challenges throughout the week, and get a taste for real-world programming!

WHO:  Middle school age children (entering grades 6-8) in the Baton Rouge and surrounding areas. General computer knowledge required.

REGISTRATION & COSTS:  $25.00 per person.  CCT will provide computers, supplies and lunches during the camp, but participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from LSU’s campus. CCT will accept participants on a first-come, first-serve basis.

DAILY SCHEDULE: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM; two snacks and a lunch will be provided each day.

For more information or to register, visit:  https://www.cct.lsu.edu/PyFUN13

EnOvation Workshop – Today 4:30-6 PM

For more information, go to: http://enovation.lsu.edu/

LSU Computer Science Professor Combines Research Interests with Practical Application

It’s not everyday that someone other than an astronaut or planetary scientist can observe the “footprints of astronauts” on the moon. Robert Kooima, assistant professor of computer science in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer science, can do just that.

Kooima collaborated on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera—a project funded by NASA to send a new probe to the moon to collect hundreds of terabytes of data. The scientists were then charged with taking the raw data collected from the probe and distilling, reorganizing and restructuring it into an interactive format that displayed a believable image of the moon for both children and adults.

Located at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, the Moonwall exhibit provides a high-resolution interactive fly-over of the moon and allows visitors to maneuver the moon with a joystick. Kooima hopes to bring a similar exhibit to the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, or LASM, with additional interactive tools such as a QR code connecting their mobile phone to the exhibit.

Museum exhibits like the Moonwall aren’t always associated with computer scientists, and the field of computer science isn’t always easily understandable. Kooima’s research interests – computer graphics and interaction – bridge the disconnect between the academic and practical sides of computer science and help to illustrate the growing importance and relevance of digital media.

The digital media industry in Louisiana has seen tremendous growth in recent years and is projected to continue growing due to Louisiana’s Digital Interactive Media and Software Development Incentive program, which is one of the strongest in the nation. According to the Louisiana Economic Workforce Development, Louisiana could create up to 23,000 direct and indirect jobs focused in the digital media and software industry in the next 20 years.

“When I came to LSU, the state was already doing a great job with growing the digital media and software industry,” Kooima said. “I came to LSU because taking part in the growth is exactly what I want to do.”

With continued growth, the workforce demands for computer science degrees continues to increase, so as the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science addresses the increased demand, Kooima believes that one of the key skills graduates need is computer programming.

“I want to teach students how to not be afraid of technology,” Kooima said. “Technology changes so quickly that we have to teach students to ravenously consume information – always consuming new technology and applications.”

New classes, such as Introduction to Digital Media Programming, bring students from art, music, mass communication, computer science and electrical engineering together and expose them to the more “fun” side of computer science. These classes help with retention as students are less intimidated by the material but inspired by the integration of graphics, audio and interaction.

One of the first things Kooima did when he arrived at LSU was convert a high definition TV screen into a TacTile table – a digital interactive display that students in the Video Game Design class would later used to develop interactive games.

The TacTile table is one example of what Kooima refers to as a “weird platforms,” which he continually pushes his students to explore.

“I want students to think about the properties and interaction capabilities of these ‘weird platforms,’ so they can they can also think of game design in a new context,” Kooima said.

Students enrolled in the video game design class—taught in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago, where Kooima completed his doctorate—work in teams with UIC students to design and produce video games that are judged by a panel of gaming industry experts. This semester, students are designing violence-free games—an initiative brought on by the Sandy Hook tragedy.

Although Kooima has close ties to the video game design and introduction to digital media programming classes, his focus continues to be on strengthening the computer graphics component of the curriculum including interactive and applied classes. But this isn’t to say he doesn’t stop to look at “footprints of astronauts” or create new “weird platforms” that push his students’ boundaries.

“I couldn’t imagine a better environment for doing what I do,” Kooima said.

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 For more information, contact Cassie Thibeaux, College of Engineering, carcen6@lsu.edu or (225) 578-0092.

Open to all:

Please join LSU’s College of Engineering to discover how they are breaking new ground through interactive experiences with LSU Engineering students and faculty on April 20, 2013.

http://www.lsubreakingnewground.com/alumni-open-house

enOvation is a joint initiative of the LSU College of Music & dramatic Arts (CMDA), and the LSU College of Engineering (CoE). Its purpose is to develop a strong positive relationship between the CoE and CMDA that draws strength from and expands our mutual pursuit of innovation and creativity, through an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and collaboration in community events, student & faculty projects, and research.  For more information and upcoming workshop dates, go to http://enovation.lsu.edu/enOvation%20Poster.jpg.

Have you heard the big news? IBM has partnered with the State of Louisiana to create 800 new technology positions in Louisiana over the next four years. They have immediate opportunities for forward thinking computer science and other related majors.

Take action today:

1. Visit http://www.ibmlouisiana.com/jobs for more information

2. Mark your calendars!!
   

   • IBM Information Session
   • Date: Thursday, April 11th
   • Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm
   • Location: Patrick F Taylor Hall Room 1106

EA Incubation

“Brainstorming & Prototyping New IP for Games”

Monday, March 11 at 5 PM

LSU Union – Vieux Carre 325

Tech talk presented by Developer and LSU alum, Kyle Prather

Free pizza and swag – All are welcome!

www.jobs.ea.com/students