New Media = Public Good -- NMIX 2020 Projects

Every fall semester I teach a large lecture class (about 25 students) called Intro to New Media (NMIX2020 – http://www.nmi.uga.edu/shamp/2020). This class is an absolute blast – we learn about a host of new technologies and have a lot of fun. For the final project, I divide students into teams and tell them they have to come up with a product. Then the whole class acts like a venture capital company and invests in the ideas. This semester the class had to come up with products that would serve the public good – as well as maybe making money. They have been coming up with some great ideas that have blown me away. Here are some of the ideas they have been presenting in class this week. And if you want to come hear about them they will be doing 12 minute presentations on Friday (11/30), Monday (12/4), and Tuesday (12/5) in Room 101 of the Student Learning Center.
• Safe.T.Net (http://eric4122.googlepages.com/safetynet) – a Facebook App for alerting campus about emergencies.
• InsuLend (http://www.lindyshoots.com/nmix2020/) a fashion diabetes wristband (in sharp colors) that tests glucose levels and uses Bluetooth.
• Transl8 (http://2020immigration.weebly.com/) a cell phone translation system to help new immigrants.
• SecondChance (http://www.secondchancesecondlife.org/) a domestic violence counseling system in the virtual world Second Life.
• BITtop (http://web.mac.com/gecsolutions) the Back In Time multimedia tablet that helps senior citizens download pictures and music.
• Food Health Alert (http://www.foodhealthalert.org/) a system that notifies consumers about food borne health dangers.
• iCare (http://pmclean.myweb.uga.edu/) is a wireless energy monitoring system that will help fight climate change.
• Election Island (http://capndurk.myweb.uga.edu/) is a virtual world portal for campaign and political info.
• Healthy Psyche (http://healthypsyche.blogspot.com/) provides an online identity-free way of sharing mental health experiences and resources.
• UNIFI/Fitbook (http://www.nutricomlabs.com/) is a wireless exercise assistant.
• Ikwit.org (http://ikwit.org/) a social network designed to help people quit smoking.
• STI (http://web.mac.com/elliottanderson/STI) Students Transmitting Information is a Facebook application designed to educate students about sexually transmitted infections.
• Yourasep (http://newmedia.co.nr/) a substance abuse education program in the virtual world Second Life.
• MOLR (http://www.molr.org/) My Online Legislative Resource is an online source of information about elected officials and campaign issues.
• moBAC (http://freewebs.com/mobac) the Mobile Blood Alcohol Content system is a Bluetooth device designed to stop underage drinking.