Reminder: Saluki App Competition Help Session Tomorrow

Anyone with questions or wanting more information about the Saluki App Competition is welcome to come and enjoy a sandwich tomorrow (Thursday) any time between 11:30am-1:30pm at Woody Hall C227.  I (Amy McMorrow Hunter) will basically hang out an wait for people to show up, so please don't leave me all alone!;)  If you can, please let me know you're coming (by filling out this form with your @siu.edu email address or by emailing techtran@siu.edu).  Hope to see you there!

Way to go RoverTown!

Among other exciting news, RoverTown reports that they'll be heading to the semi-finals of the Arch Grant Competition in St. Louis, where they could win up to $50,000!  We'll be sending good vibes!

Saluki App Competition - Help Session Feb. 28

Dear SIU Community,

As you may have heard, the Saluki App Competition is underway.  Please be sure to visit http://siu.launcht.com and read about the rules and prizes.

We wanted to let you know that there be a 'help session' lunch on Thursday, Feb. 28, from 11:30am-1:30pm at Woody Hall C227.  Please come if you have questions about the competition or need help with your entry.  Lunch will be provided; please RSVP if you can either by replying to this email or by filling out this form.

If you can't make it on Thursday, we also have the First Tuesday Tech Tran Coffee Talk from 9:30-11am on March 5th.

Have a great weekend!
Amy McMorrow Hunter

Jeff Myers

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SIU Technology Transfer Program: http://techtransfer.siuc.edu

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SIU Student and Community Inventors

Jeff Myers, Senior Technology Transfer Specialist, (618) 453-4511 
Amy McMorrow Hunter, Technology Transfer Specialist (618) 453-4556 
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
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900 S. Normal St. | Carbondale, Illinois 62901 

‘App’ competition streams to life

Matt Daray | Daily Egyptian
February 13, 2013

Read more: ‘App’ competition streams to life - The Daily Egyptian http://www.dailyegyptian.com/app-competition-streams-to-life/#ixzz2L08whJZ7

Now there just might be an app for everything. 

The university’s first Saluki App Competition, which runs Jan. 28 through Mar. 29, allows individuals or teams the opportunity to create a mobile device software application that could enhance the university and/or southern Illinois. 

Amy McMorrow, university technology specialist, said this is the first year the event is happening and the competition satisfies a growing passion around the university. The competition is designed to encourage student involvement as well as teach how to create useful and valuable apps, she said. 

“We know that there is a lot of interest around campus in app development,” she said. “We’ve just heard from a lot of faculty we’ve talked to, and students as well, that app development on campus is pretty widespread, so we kind of wanted to tap into that.” 

McMorrow said participants must apply online and answer questions about their app as well as present video presentations and photographs of their app. After apps are approved they will be posted online, and anyone can vote on their favorite. 

She said the event’s goal is to educate students on how to develop their app concepts.
“We want to also start to educate people, if they do have an app idea, how to bring it forward,” McMorrow said. “And if they want to develop it or make a business out of it, we also will be able to help them with that.” 

John Koropchak, vice chancellor for research and graduate dean, said the competition was an off-shoot of the Saluki Idea Competition, which encourages students to develop solutions for global issues such as sustainability. “It’s a popular idea for students to work on that is potentially employable and commercializable,” he said. “So, it’s a way for us to further encourage entrepreneurial spirit and innovation on the campus, particularly among students.” 

While the university will evaluate and help students convert their ideas into mobile app format, it is up to participants to mass distribute their app or make a business out of it, Koropchak said. 

Students agree the competition allows them to express their ingenuity and creativity.
Rori Speck, a freshman from Evanston studying journalism, said she would like to see an app that displays every patron at bars to help find or avoid specific people. 

She said the competition is a great way for students to show their innovation, since apps are commonplace. “A lot of people have smart phones and a lot of people use apps, so it’s kind of popular,” she said. 

Brendon Tarvin, a junior from Alton studying accounting, said app building knowledge can be beneficial when students look at potential careers. “I think that if students are in a specific major that would allow them to benefit from it so other organizations can see that, specifically on their resume, it gives them first-hand experience aside from different things like internships,” he said. “It definitely allows them to show their creativity and they can market that to future employers.” 

Competition teams may be composed of students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public, but students — undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time, according to the competition rules — must make up at least half of the team. 

The winners will be announced at the university’s annual Research Town Meeting Apr. 16.

Protecting your SALUKI APP

Hello SIU Community!  Are you preparing your Saluki App Competition entry?  Here is some information you might find useful about how you can protect others from copying your app idea.

This is not legal advice, but we can point you to some links for additional information.  If you want some additional assistance for your specific case, please contact techtran@siu.edu/(618) 453-4556.

A possible scenario might be to copyright your software code, trademark your app name, and keep trade secrets.  Read about the different types of intellectual property protection for software:

• Read about copyrights, FAQs, Wikipedia: to protect your images, text and code (computer programs are defined as literary works in the Copyright Act).
• Read about trademarks: to protect your app name.
• Read about trade secrets: trade secrets are what you never tell anyone, protect from leaving the building, and otherwise protect under non-disclosure agreements, e.g. specifics about how your invention works.
• Read about patenting software: patents for software are controversial and difficult to get; however in some cases, getting a patent might be possible (especially if you have lots of dough).

You also want to make sure that your idea is unique, and that you don't copy someone else's work without permission.

1. Do a knock-out search to ensure you won't infringe someone else's existing intellectual property. (Note: this knock-out search relates to searching for patents, but it can be adapted to work for copyright as well.)
2. If you integrate open-source code in your app, be sure to read the license agreement and make sure you have the right to use it freely.

Here are some additional links to information about apps and protecting your APP for you to read up on (for informational purposes only):

• Article about copyright and trademark for apps on Legalzoom.com: Protecting and Selling Your Mobile Application 
• How To Protect Your Mobile App Idea: Non-disclosure agreements and other best practices for protecting mobile apps
• This is mostly about security issues (protecting from cyber attacks through apps), but can probably serve as a kind of 'best practices': SANS - Protecting Your Web Apps Two Big Mistakes and 12 Practical Tips to Avoid Them

Competition seeks unique Saluki software 'apps'

By Christi Mathis, for the Southern
February 11, 2013

CARBONDALE - Is there an ‘app’ for that? 

That’s the question for experienced or aspiring software application creators who want to compete in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s inaugural Saluki App Competition. 

Students and student-led teams are welcome to participate in the event and compete for cash prizes by creating mobile device software applications (apps) that best enhance the SIU Carbondale campus and/or Southern Illinois. 

The contest will award $800, with the top five app ideas winning prizes. All entries are due by 1 p.m. March 29. Online voting is from April 1 to 15. 

“Universities across the country are creating contests like this to stimulate student innovation. This is one of several initiatives we have started, along with the Southern Illinois Research Park and Office of Economic and Regional Development, to encourage student involvement in entrepreneurial research and development activities,” Jeff Myers, senior technology transfer specialist with the University’s Technology Transfer Program, said. 

Teams may be comprised of any number of students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public, but at least half of the team must be comprised of spring 2013 SIU students -- whether undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time. 

Each entry must include short text description of the original app, a video presentation and a photograph of the working application. There are several different categories and genres for the competition. The complete contest rules and entry forms are online at http://siu.launcht.com. 

The announcement of winners is set for the annual Research Town Meeting on April 16. 

Competition sponsors include the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Dean, the Technology Transfer Program, and the Student Innovation Incubator at SIU Carbondale, along with Husch Blackwell LLP. 

For more information, email Amy McMorrow Hunter at techtran@siu.edu or call 618/453-4556. 

Information provided by University Communications at SIU Carbondale

Snaps...

...to the EcoLight team, winners of the Fall 2012 Saluki Idea Competition.  They shared their winnings and provided 12 students with memberships to the Industrial Design Society of America.  Way to go guys!

Coffee Talk NOW

Good morning!  Join us (Amy McMorrow Hunter, Jeff Myers) at the Student Center McDonald's now until 11:00am for coffee, rolls, and intellectual property.  We can talk about the Saluki App Competition, innovation, patents, whatever your fancy!

Come have a coffee tomorrow

First Tuesday Tech Tran Coffee Talk is taking place during the hours of 9:30 -11:00 a.m. tomorrow  morning (Tuesday, Feb. 5) at the SIU Student Center McDonald's.  The members of the SIU Tech Transfer team are available to answer any questions you may have about inventions and technology transfer at SIU, and for general discussion surrounding intellectual property and innovation.

Lunch Seminar Feb. 15 at Dunn-Richmond

On February 15 Dr. David Gulley will present "The Care and Feeding of an Innovation Ecosystem: What does this Mean for Researchers and Inventors?" as part of a luncheon seminar at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center. Lunch will be provided.  The event is free, but space is limited, so reservation of a space is suggested. Download the Flyer.

Get Your App On

The Spring 2013 Saluki App Competition is underway. $800 in prizes will be awarded to SIU students and student teams by votes from the crowd and our panel of judges. Go to http://siu.launcht.com for complete guidelines and to enter.

Saluki App Competition - Spring 2013

Competition Mission

The mission of the Saluki App Competition is to encourage SIU Carbondale student involvement in the technology and business of creating useful and valuable application software (“apps”) for mobile devices.

Overview

The Saluki App Competition will take place in spring semester 2013.   Individual students and student-led teams will compete for prizes by creating and submitting software applications (apps) for mobile devices that make the SIU campus and/or the southern Illinois region better.  Five teams will win prizes.  Teams can read the rules and enter on siu.launcht.com.

This competition is sponsored in part by:

• Husch Blackwell LLP
• SIU Carbondale Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Dean
• SIU Carbondale Technology Transfer Program
• SIU Carbondale Student Innovation Incubator