"I owe you a beer" is a phrase that's thrown around a lot with very little follow through.

UMBC Alumnus Sean Kennedy (Information Systems '06) created a smartphone application that could change that. BeerGivr allows you to virtualy send your buddy a brew. When a friend wants to buy you a drink but can't make it to the bar, he can send a text message with a code that's currency in some local bars. As of now twenty bars participate in the BeerGivr project, among them Alewife, No Idea Tavern, and Bond Street Social.

You can read about the conception of Sean's app in a recent profile on InTheCaptial.com.

Did you know that Computer Science isn’t a required course in most Maryland High Schools (or colleges for that matter)? For most students, a lack of exposure early on translates to total avoidance once they reach college. For a subject as ubiquitous as computing, it is essential to Maryland's continued success as a technology leader that we make a commitment to improve access to and quality of the computing curriculum across the state.

That’s why the folks behind Computing Education for the 21st Century (CE21) aim to do something about it. One way is through their upcoming Computer Science Education Mini-Summit, to be held August 8, 2012 throughout the Information Technology/Engineering (ITE) Building on UMBC’s main campus.

The free mini-summit invites high school teachers, college professors, and anyone else interested in expanding Computer Science offerings in Maryland high and middle schools to attend. “We hope to explore what is currently being done to increase student interest in computer science and what can be done in the future,” explains the website.

Summit attendees can expect to do the following:

1. Learn more about computer science high school education across the state of Maryland;
2. Network with others with an interest in computer science education;
3. Exchange strategies with other education professionals; and
4. Plan with others to help expand student interest and to increase the number and diversity of students studying computer science in Maryland.

Take a look at the summit schedule:

Take a look at the latest infographic from Edudemic.com. (Click here for a version that you can actually read.)

It's called "Components of a 21st Century Classroom" and it looks at how technology, like computers, tablets, and other mobile devices, are being increasingly incorporated into the classroom.

With number like "1 in 5 students have used a mobile app to keep their coursework organized" and "Almost a third of all college students take at least one online course", it appears that the trend toward supplementing teaching with tech devices, social media, and computer programs will only gain steam as time goes on.

What do you think about the role of technology in the classroom? Are mobile devices a distraction, or an asset? What type of technology is used most in your classes?

In a recent essay in the Baltimore Sun, James M. Purtilo, a professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Maryland, College Park, outlines the myriad ways that Maryland is failing to support Computer Science education at the High School level.

First, Purtilo cites the state's failure to require Computer Science as a graduation requirement–or even allow it to fulfill the required "Science" or "Technology Education" credits. Second, Maryland refuses to define CS curriculum. And, third, there is little regulation surrounding who can teach CS courses, which means that under-qualified teachers end up teaching a wide range of material.

(You can read the full essay here.)

These three problems are seriously contributing to a decline in enrollment in Computer Science classes in high schools, argues Purtilo. Which is a problem, he says, that will only get worse.

What do you think? Are high schools doing their best to encourage students to study Computer Science? Or, are curriculum and regulation changes necessary?

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

"Despite the growing numbers of successful women in once male-dominated professions like medicine and law, computer science remains overwhelmingly a boys club."

So says a recent NPR article that discusses the arrival of Marissa Mayer as Yahoo's new president and CEO. As one of Google's first employees, Mayer helped develop Gmail, Google Maps, and Google's iconic homepage. She worked at Google for thirteen years, and launched more than 100 features and products that you probably use on a daily basis.

In the NPR interview, Mayer says she never really noticed that she was the only woman in her Computer Science classes. At Stanford, Mayer studied Symbolic Systems as an undergraduate, and left with her Master's in Computer Science.

According to NPR, Mayer's success has the potential to become a source of inspiration for other women in Computer Science. What do you think? Are you inspired by Mayer's story? Why do you think there aren't more powerful women in the Computer Science field?

MS Thesis Defense

Federating Disjoint Wireless Networks
Using a Mix of Stationary and Mobile Nodes

Ahmad Abbas

12:00PM Thursday 26th July 2012, Room ITE 325b

In many applications need arises to connect a set of disjoint nodes or segments. Examples include repairing a partitioned network topology after failure, federating a set of standalone networks to serve an emerging event, and connecting a sparsely located data sources. Contemporary solutions either deploy stationary relay nodes (RN) to form data paths or employ one or multiple mobile data collectors (MDCs) that pick packets from sources and transport them to destinations. In this thesis we investigate the interconnection problem when the number of available RNs is insufficient for forming a stable topology and a mix of RNs and MDCs is to be used. We present two algorithms for determining where the RNs are to be placed and planning optimized travel routes for the MDCs so that the data delivery latency as well as the MDC motion overhead are minimized. The performance of the algorithm is validated through simulation.

Committee: Professors Mohamed Younis (chair), Ryan Robucci and Tinoosh Mohsenin

MS Thesis Defense

On MIMO Channel Modeling and Capacity
Using the Channel Correlation Matrix

Anush Chandrasekaran

1:00pm Wednesday, 18 July 2012, ITE 325b

Communication systems have always been affected by multipath propagation that causes a delay and distortion in receiving the signal, with a different delay for each path. Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication systems were developed to combat this problem and use multipath propagation to their benefit. A MIMO communication system contains M transmitter antennas and N receiver antennas that are used to improve either the robustness of transmission or the throughput.

We assume an exponential channel correlation matrix R model for the MIMO channel with J = M = N and use it to compute the channel H-matrix, the receiver (RRx) and transmitter (RTx) correlation matrices, and the ergodic MIMO channel capacity (CH). We propose two algorithms to obtain RRx and RTx from R, which have been used to estimate/bound CH. We investigate and compare three ergodic MIMO channel capacity estimation/bound methods for our MIMO channel model in this thesis. The first two existing estimation/bound methods use the Kronecker model and an RRx-based bound, respectively. The third method is a novel method we propose and study to estimate the ergodic MIMO channel capacity using specific eigenvalues of RRx. The behavior of the eigenvalues of R and RRx are analyzed to identify the eigenvalues that can be used in this method. This method achieves less relative-error compared to the RRx-based bound. It is better than the Kronecker model for specific values of J and the correlation parameter r.

Committee: Drs. Joel M. Morris (Chair), E. F. Charles LaBerge, Mohamed Younis and Tinoosh Mohsenin

Mac or PC? Desktop or Laptop? Unless you plan to be a Visual Arts major, the computer you bring to UMBC doesn't have to meet any special requirements. But, the truth is that an old computer that takes twenty minutes to start-up will only multiply the stress of papers and exams. Below are our recommendations for minimum computer requirements, taken from UMBC's Division of Information Technology (DoIT) website:

Desktop or Laptop?

Laptop.

DoIT recommends laptops, stating that last year, over 90% of freshman came to campus with both a laptop and another wireless mobile device (smart phone, iPod touch, iPad, tablet, etc.). Laptops have become an essential note-taking tool in classes, plus they give students the freedom to study anywhere. Their compact size also makes them more practical for dorm-living.

If you prefer a desktop, consider a Dell All-in-One, or an iMac. Their compact size makes them more convenient in small living spaces, plus they consume less energy.

Recommended Dell All-in-Ones:

• Inspiron One 2320
• Intel Core™ i5-2400S processor (2.50GHz with 6MB Cache)
• Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English
• 6GB3 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz
• 1TB – 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache
• Nvidia® Geforce™ GT 525M
• 3 Year Basic Support

Recommended iMacs:

• 2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
• 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2x2GB
• 500GB Serial ATA Drive
• AMD Radeon HD 6750M 512MB GDDR5
• Apple Magic Mouse
• Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) + User's Guide
• AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac – Auto-enroll
• Accessory kit
• 21.5-inch widescreen

Mac or PC?

Either.

Whether you choose a Mac or a PC is a matter of preference. The UMBC Bookstore is an authorized Apple retailer, and offers students competitive pricing and on-campus technical support.

Mac Laptop Recommendations:

For Engineering and Science majors, DoIT recommends the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch. The specs are:

2.5GHz dual-core
Intel Core i5
4GB memory 1600MHz
500GB 5400-rpm
Intel HD Graphics 4000
Built-in battery (7 hours)

Also to consider:

• The Macbook Air is recommended for students who use their laptops for taking notes.
• Get a computer with at least 4GB of RAM.
• Consider purchasing VMWARE if you need to run Windows applications on your Mac.

PC Laptop Reccomendations:

• Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.
• Get a computer with at least 4GB RAM.
• Use Microsoft Forefront for virus protection.

Photo courtesy www.techcouncilmd.com

If you're tired of sifting through sketchy jobs on Craigslist, why not try the TechCounil of Maryland (TCM)'s new job resource CORE (Career Opportunities REsources).   

CORE's database is full of jobs in the areas of biotechnology, information technology, and business. "CORE will help our region's companies attract and match talented individuals, students, recent graduates and professionals in search of their next challenge," says the website.

Based in Rockville, TCM is the areas largest technology trade association in Maryland. With over 500 members, TCM's mission is to promote the area's technology industry.

Photo courtesy www.techcouncilmd.com

If you're tired of sifting through sketchy jobs on Craigslist, why not try the TechCounil of Maryland (TCM)'s new job resource CORE (Career Opportunities REsources).   

CORE's database is full of jobs in the areas of biotechnology, information technology, and business. "CORE will help our region's companies attract and match talented individuals, students, recent graduates and professionals in search of their next challenge," says the website.

Based in Rockville, TCM is the areas largest technology trade association in Maryland. With over 500 members, TCM's mission is to promote the area's technology industry.