Redmond Space District, More Satellites Than Any In The World

Mayor Birney (in blue) with Redmond Space District Leaders show proclamations officially launching the Space District

Redmond, WA – Mayor of Redmond Angela Birney announced the launch of the Redmond Space District today in partnership with OneRedmond at the annual State of the City. This brand was developed to showcase the dramatic growth of Redmond’s Space Cluster. 

According to research by Alliance Velocity, Redmond-based companies produced almost half of the satellites in earth’s orbit, and are projected to manufacture more than 75% of the world’s satellites in the near future based on current and future FCC approved satellites.

“Redmond has a long history in the space industry dating back to 1967 when Aerojet Rocketdyne, broke ground on their first site in Redmond,” said Kristina Hudson, Chief Executive Officer of OneRedmond. “Today, Redmond is home to an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem alongside two of the largest satellite manufacturers in the world: SpaceX, and Project Kuiper.” 

Redmond’s innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem leverages the region’s major strengths in information technology, manufacturing, and aerospace. Along with the two satellite manufacturing giants, Redmond’s robust and growing commercial space sector also includes Honeywell Aerospace, Kymeta, Microsoft’s Azure Orbital, RBC Signals, Spectralux, and Triumph providing a rich environment for small businesses like Xplore to locate in Redmond to grow and prosper.

 "Positioning Xplore in this hub for space activity and innovation was strategic,” said Lisa Rich, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Xplore. “We are surrounded by a community of customers and colleagues including SpaceX, Microsoft's Azure Orbital and Amazon Project Kuiper, and we have fantastic vendors and suppliers." 

Washington State is positioned well to become a global leader in the space industry, with Redmond as one if its shining stars. 

Mayor Angela Birney's 2022 State of the City Address (Video)

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OneRedmond is a public-private partnership for economic and community development. Supported by local private sector businesses in close partnership with the City of Redmond. OneRedmond strives to be the difference maker in connecting our local companies and educational community with resources to keep our local economy stable and growing.

Source:  Kristina Hudson CEO, OneRedmond kristinah@oneredmond.org 

Chinese Vice Minister of Education to Visit Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Chinese Vice Minister of Education to Visit Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland, WA:

Dr. Xin Lu, China’s Vice Minister of Education for the country, will visit Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWIT) tomorrow morning, Nov. 15, 2011, 8 AM with a Chinese delegation to research workforce and technical training programs for use in China.

“This is an extreme honor for the school, and our region on a whole,” said Lin Zhou, associate dean of extended learning at LWIT who helped arrange the visit. “LWIT is the only school Dr. Lu is visiting on this trip to the United States and it is the policy her department creates that dictates higher education structure throughout China. What she learns here could have significant bearing on how the Chinese provide workforce and job skills training.”  Read More >>

Microsoft's weirdest idea ever? Altered parasites to fight disease

Microsoft's weirdest idea ever? Altered parasites to fight disease:

"We've seen unusual patent applications from Microsoft before, but this one takes things to a whole new level. Under the title of 'Adapting Parasites to Combat Disease,' it describes 'systems and/or methods that facilitate sensing, detecting, logging, or treatment of a condition or need of a living body using a controlled parasite.'

Microsoft isn't commenting, but it's pretty clearly an example of the broad interests (some might say loose focus) of the company's research unit, not an example of the company's actual product plans.

Filed in July 2009 and made public earlier this month, the patent application reads like something out of science fiction" --

 Read more

Story and graphic By Todd Bishop
Techflash Microsoft Blog

Google opens world's forests for all to see

Google opens world's forests for all to see - ContraCostaTimes.com:

A new Google tool (Earth Engine) will allow users to explore woodland conditions, monitor degradation.
.
With Google's new Earth Engine, anyone will be able to view forest conditions worldwide. When it launches next year, the online tool will provide satellite imagery of forests and will reveal where these woodlands have been razed or degraded by logging.

With Earth Engine, small nations, nonprofit groups, independent researchers and everyone else will be able to assess an environmental crisis of growing magnitude: deforestation".... Read more

By Suzanne Bohan
Contra Costa Times 12/13/2010

Bing grabs search share, rolls out new features amid Google fight

Bing grabs search share, rolls out new features amid Google fight:

Bing remains engaged in a serious battle with Google. And there's some new research indicating that Microsoft's search engine is making a bit of headway -- both in terms of market share and new innovative features.

Bing accounted for 25.27 percent of U.S. Internet searches for the four week period ended November 27th"... Read more

By John Cook
Tech Flash - Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog
"bing" link added by Yoder

7 Reason Why the Window 7 Phone is THE iPhone Killer

7 Reasons Why The Windows 7 Phone Is THE iPhone Killer

The sleeping giant is back. With yesterday’s announcement of the new Windows Phone 7 I believe we are seeing the rise of Phone 7 as the iPhone killer. Forget Android, this is the one you need to pay attention to.

Read More
Posted by Jamie Riddell on March 16th, 2010

thesledgehammer said...on 6/17

As much as I'd really like to see MS do well in this market, there's one big reason that Windows Phone 7 is doomed to be an also-ran: It should have been out at least a year ago. When it comes out it'll not only have to fight against the iPhone, but it'll also have Android (which, quite frankly, has stolen a big chunk of WP7's potential users already) to deal with. And a good chunk of the iPhone users WP7 is targeting are either a) Apple diehards (see also: MS haters) or b) people who bought their iPhones as fashion accessories. A good chunk of the people in between those have already jumped ship to Android (myself included, having purchased an EVO to replace my aging WM6 phone a couple of weeks ago)

I actually think WP7 looks quite nice, and I'd really like to see it do well. I just happen to think that it's chasing after a horse that's already long since left the barn, and it's going to be a serious uphill battle for it to ever become anything but a niche player in the market.

-Brian
http://thesledgehammer.wordpress.com/

Queen of Jordan and scores of CEO's at Microsoft campus May 19

Queen of Jordan and a number of corporate titans are on Microsoft campus today, Wednesday
 

So a queen, a secretary and a salesman walk into a conference room ... and how does the rest of it go?

More than a hundred chief executives will find out Wednesday, at Microsoft's 14th annual CEO Summit in Redmond.  (Photo:  Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer)

The attendee mix includes the Queen of Jordan Rania Al Abdullah, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and a number of corporate titans: Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos, Wal-Mart Chairman Rob Walton, J.P. Morgan Chase CEO James Dimon and IAC CEO Barry Diller.   Read More.....

Report By Sharon Pian Chan
Seattle Times Technology reporter

Redmond, WA. is the fourth largest employment center in Puget Sound.

Redmond, WA – Governor Chris Gregoire and Redmond Mayor John Marchione were among the many guests at the grand opening of Nintendo’s new state-of-the-art corporate headquarters at 4600 150th Avenue NE. While Nintendo has been a fixture in Redmond for 26 years, this new headquarters building is a very visible sign that they are committed to growing in Redmond.

Nintendo is not the only one to feel that way. Last year, DigiPen University announced they will develop their new school facility in the Redmond Willows Road area and it will open for classes this fall. Group Health located its Eastside clinic in the newly opened River Park complex and Swedish and Evergreen Hospitals are both building emergency, diagnostic and medical facilities in Redmond.

As the fourth largest employment center in the Puget Sound region, Redmond’s businesses contribute a great deal to the area by pumping annually almost $8 billion of salary into the local economy. City officials are working hard to ensure this statistic will continue to grow in the years to come.

Source:   City of Redmond, WA. press release

American Heart Assoc. endorses Nintendo - a first for video games

American Heart Assoc. endorses Nintendo, a first for video games

Sorry, couch potatoes, but video games are becoming a full-body activity. As evidence of that trend, Nintendo of America today scored an endorsement that would have been almost unthinkable five years ago.

Nintendo and the American Heart Association announced a new partnership that aims to promote video games, and specifically Nintendo's motion-based Wii system, as a way to help people become more active and healthy.  Read More.  

By Todd Bishop
Tech Flash
5/17/2010

Did you know the Redmond Senior Center has two Wii games?   See how they work to help your heart! 

Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell and Drew Carey back health care startup

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Dell Computer founder Michael Dell and comedian Drew Carey are among the new investors in Qliance Medical Management, a Seattle startup that's trying to shake up the health care industry by delivering high-quality and affordable primary care to patients by eliminating insurance companies from the process.  Read More

Jeff Cook
Tech Flash
4/27/2010

Emily Dickenson Elementary won $5000 donation from BING

http://www.10000rockets.com/ (20 sec. launch)

Emily Dickinson Elementary in Redmond, Washington is receiving a $5,000 donation from Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, as a winner of the Mission:10,000 Rockets competition, where students were asked to draw the “rocket of tomorrow.” Sixth grade teacher David Meisner encouraged his students to enter, and with more than 20 qualified entries submitted, Emily Dickinson Elementary entered and won one of eight $5,000 donations nationwide.

The school is kicking off its Science Fair and Science Celebration this week. In honor of the win, the $5,000 donation check, original student rocket designs and 3-D models for the three grand prize winner rockets* will be showcased at the school’s old gym tomorrow night, Thursday, March 25, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. You’re invited to stop by and check out the display as well as the science projects students will be exhibiting.
 
Posted by Bob Yoder
Emily Dickinson Elementary

March Madness Hogs Bandwidth

http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2010/03/march_madness_at_the_office.html

The sun is shining in Seattle. And the March Madness basketball tournament is entering its second day. That begs the question: Is anyone getting any work done today?

Well, according to a recent survey by Challenger Gray & Christmas, the NCAA basketball tourney alone could cost employers as much as $1.8 billion in unproductive wages....more

By John Cook
Venture Blog

Microsoft response to Google maneuvers in China | Seattle Times Newspaper

Microsoft response to Google maneuvers in China Seattle Times Newspaper:

To get around Web censorship in China, Google has found a hack -- by redirecting users to its search engine in Hong Kong."  read article

Posted By Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958
Seattle Times

Bing surpasses 10%, but at the expense of Yahoo, not Google

Bing surpasses 10%, but at the expense of Yahoo, not Google

Microsoft appears to be taking market share not from its nemesis Google but from its partner-in-waiting, Yahoo. Google's U.S. market share rose slightly, reaching 65.6 percent.

A Streetside View of Redmond, from Bing Maps

A Streetside View of Redmond

You can now see a street-level view of downtown Redmond using the new version of Bing Maps. While you might have used the bird's eye views in Bing Maps, the new beta version provides a ground-level, or Streetside, view.

by Redmond Library Blog

Google, Microsoft jockey for position on the environment

Google, Microsoft jockey for position on the environment

As the world gathers this week at the International Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, there's an interesting subplot playing out between Microsoft and Google. Both companies are trying to position themselves to supply technology that scientists can use to better understand the environment, and they're using the event to talk about their efforts

UPDATED: Evergreen Hospital is the only Eastside hospital with a robot-assisted system for surgery. Who paid for it?

UPDATED:  Evergreen Hospital and Medical Center today added the latest generation  of the da Vinci Surgical System, a robot-assisted surgery platform. At this time Evergreen is the only Eastside hospital equipped for da Vinci surgery.  The technology costs ~$1,750,000.

According to Sherry Grindeland, Evergreen Communications and Media official:

"using the robot-assisted system, surgeons can perform more precise surgeries in shorter time with less pain and blood loss. The minimally invasive incision (about the size of a penny or a dime) means patients recover faster and have reduced risk of complications. The experienced surgeons at Evergreen plan to use this important technology to treat prostate and gynecological cancers and to perform urology, gynecology and general surgery."  (Watch manufacturer videos here).

Opinion:  How much does the equipment cost?   A da Vinci Surgical System costs approximately $1,750,000 for the new da Vinci SI released in April 2009.
Annual maintenance and ~ $200,000 initial training are extra.  Does the technology save resources?  $9,000/ valve replacement.  Find out more here.    Advantages & Disadvantages?

How do we pay for this technology?  According to an Evergreen Hospital executive, sick people and insurance companies pay for most of the growth of the hospital.  Taxpayers pay a rate of  $.24/thousand of assessed property in 2009.  An average home of $500,000 in 2009 was taxed $120.

Watch Da Vinci hospital ribbon cutting ceremony video. 

by Bob Yoder

Our aging city website and search engine - Is Redmond government being responsible?

In times of emergencies people go to search engines for fast answers.  Have you tried searching the City of Redmond Search Engine?  Good luck.  The first hurdle is finding it.  Look for the little box in the upper right corner of http://www.redmond.gov/ . 

With winter storms approaching,  search topics like community radio 1650  and tree removal permits are relevant and important to Redmond citizens.  I  searched  the City Search Engine and for both topics with poor results, as follows: 

NEW SEARCH:  Redmond Community Radio 1650
Link to Document Found
http://www.redmond.gov/insidecityhall/police/publicinformation/advisoryboard.asp

SEARCH RESULT:  Redmond Police. 2009 Community Police Advisory Board. Community Policing Advisory Board The Redmond Police Community Policing Advisory Board is a volunteer group of community members who assist with creating and improving problem solving strategies for the diverse problems and issues brought to the atte    5/6/2009 4:40:36 PM

NEW SEARCH:  Tree Removal Permit
Link to Document found:
http://www.redmond.gov/insidecityhall/planning/devreview/questions.asp

SEARCH RESULT:  Frequently Asked Questions. This page contains downloadable forms in the Adobe Acrobat format. In order to view or print the forms you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. (Obtain freeAcrobat Reader. Do I need a permit to build a fence? If you wish to build a fence, you do n
5/2/2007 9:25:17 PM

The above "Redmond Community Radio 1650" search result and link finds nothing about the radio.  The "Tree Removal Permit" search result is meaningless. The link is helpful, but the engine provides no reason to click on it.

Do you want to try a Search for yourself?  Click:  "City Search Engine" and good luck.

You will find, the city search engine craps out on most searches.   The Ives and Marchione Administration have been cognizant of this problem and our severely outdated city website for years, but continue to make no improvements.   To date, all that has been "done" is: 1) conduct an online website survey.  Have you taken  it?  and 2) held a few focus groups. I  attended one, without results.

The public and council authorized $300,000 this biennium to build a new website as part of a budget priority called "Responsible Government".   Almost two years later nothing of substance has been done to improve the city website.   Is this "Responsible Governement"?  Try the website and search engine and decide for yourself.   http://www.redmond.gov/   Then write the mayor and tell him what you think.  mayor@redmond.gov

Redmond moves forward with state-of-the-art electronic planning technology

UPDATED: Councilmember (CM) Hank Margeson's Committee Meeting on Planning and Public Works almost always has an agenda loaded with at least one interesting topic. I sat in on Hank's 7/16 meeting and he didn't let me down.

Staff presented a new electronic technology for reviewing land use, building, and civil permitting plans. The product was demonstrated and compared to the current, cumbersome paper planning process.

Presently, documents for each permit plan are stored as thick, heavy 4-foot rolls of paper. These permit plans are so bulky it takes two people to haul them upstairs to the Permit Center. Planning Director Rob Odle quipped at photograph of a heavy roll leaning against a desk: "and that roll was just for a single family house permit." Storing and copying these paper planning documents is cumbersome and expensive.

The proposed electronic plan system is anything but cumbersome and redundant. The digital review technology makes it possible for ALL departments (including Fire) to work together real time on project plans from it's original design to the final permit. "Stuff" isn't missed, downtime is eliminated and the complete review process moves faster and, in the end promotes economic development. Electronic copies are readily accessible. The applicants are happy because they can go on the city website to assist in moving the project forward. Nancy McCormick said "fees could go down, not up."

The "overlay tool" is staff's favorite feature. New verisons of a plan can be overlaid on older versions to highlight deletions, additions and other changes as the plan moves forward. Other digital tools help to identify problems and make it more fun for staff e.g zoom, cloud, sticky note, colors.

Rob Odle's Planning & Development Department took four bids and surveyed Bend, OR, Bellingham, WA, and Beaverton, OR for product satisfaction and economy. Implimentation costs for the program are $232,000; ongoing maintenance fees are $18,000/year. However, technology efficiencies lower departmental costs 20% on average for most cities. Bend, OR has saved 50% with their electronic planning technology.

Councilmembers Margeson, Cole, Allen, and McCormick appeared elated with the technology and staff's presentation. Redmond would be the first city in King County to employ the new digital permit planning technology.

Bend, OR. Electronic Plan Review e-plan website

An Influence of Technology: What ever happened to courting?

Contributed by Jordon Scheibe, Junior at Redmond High School

Oh my gosh! So I texted him saying “Hey,” then he texted back saying “What’s up?” and I said I was “just chilin’ at home on Facebook, you?” and he texted back saying “sweet.” What does that mean!? Is it sarcastic, does it mean he doesn’t want talk to me? Does it mean he really thought it was sweet that I was on Facebook? Did he not see the “you?” Maybe he is really busy and can’t talk right now, but I don’t want to be nosy and text him again. That would be TOTALLY against the rules.

Right now I would just like to say the previous scenario is not an actual conversation, It is so impersonal that you can’t really consider that any form of talking. Our present day life is filled with technology. It does almost everything for us. What ever happened to waking up when the sun came through the window and the rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed? We have alarm clocks now that get us up at ungodly hours. And as much as I love the light bulb and Tom Edison, if we didn’t have light bulbs we wouldn’t stay up late, and we would all be rested.

When my father was a young lad, he lived ear Audubon and Idylwood Park and his good friend Danny lived over on the Plateau near Eastlake. When he wanted to go hang with Danny he would put all his clothes and shoes and whatever else he needed in a plastic bag and swim across the lake. Now that is true dedication. My father was born in this era, he probably would have texted Danny, told him to get on Xbox Live to play COD (Call of Duty), put on the ridiculous headset and sat on his behind for four hours.

Where is the sincerity in today’s relationships? It takes no work to talk to someone, so what does it mean if they just flip open their phone and send a text, its almost meaningless. It really gives the saying, “it’s the thought that counts,” a whole new meaning. It literally is a thought, plus a few quick movement to get the phone, whip it open and push little buttons a few times to get in contact with anyone.

Everyone has cell phones now a days. Even my great grandfather has one! Granted he only knows how to dial and call; the rest of the features on the phone are just to much for him. Every single one of my friends has a cell phone and will usually have it on them at all times. Whenever someone wants to bet a hold of friend, it takes a few moments and you are in contact. The call is so instant. There is no checking the mailbox and waiting for a letter. Where is the fun in cell phones? It has been said that the wait is half the journey. If we keep getting everything we want it in an instant, then we have nothing to look forward to. No excitement or suspense. And no, the three long minutes you have to wait for a text message back doesn’t count.

What ever happened to courting? Young men who were interested in a certain girl would write her letters and spend time with her family. Now a guy will text multiple girls at one time with no sincerity. A by-product is now there are these semi-relationships called “thing,” where they like each other and are off limits, but there isn’t any attachment??! I call that confusing. Every person I’ve talked that says they are in a “thing” is just plain confused. There is no clarity in the guy’s intentions if he hasn’t asked her out by now. But there is instant gratification you are together with someone, even if it isn’t official; and these things unusually happen quick and end quick. It’s an empty relationship because neither people have spent time together getting to know each other and are shocked when the infatuation fades away and they see they really didn’t know this person after all.

Technology can be a very helpful thing, and with the right mindset it can be used to help form lasting relationships. But, if we let technology keep taking over our lives, we will end up like the people on Wall-E: fat on floating chairs on a space cruise drinking our liquidated food in a cup and playing virtual golf with the guy in the next chair over from us. (755 words)

-- Jordan Scheibe,
Feature Editor of Redmond High School’s “The Blaze” , January 30, 2009
Blaze Advisor: jmauck@lwsd.org
Published in "The Blaze", Volume 44 Issue 4