Jivan Achreja

Eleven student members of an applied engineering team from NC State University (NCSU) made the trek out to Las Vegas for the third year to exhibit their energy-storing sensors alongside 350 other teams in CES’s University Innovations marketplace.  This team works in a mouthful of a lab: the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Nanosystems Engineering Research Center (NERC) for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST). The gist is that the students deploy nanotechnology to make low energy sensors that power and analyze data themselves. The eventual goal, says Tom Snyder, the lab’s industry liaison, is to make “completely self-powered...

Eleven student members of an applied engineering team from NC State University (NCSU) made the trek out to Las Vegas for the third year to exhibit their energy-storing sensors alongside 350 other teams in CES’s University Innovations marketplace.  This team works in a mouthful of a lab: the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Nanosystems Engineering Research Center (NERC) for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST). The gist is that the students deploy nanotechnology to make low energy sensors that power and analyze data themselves. The eventual goal, says Tom Snyder, the lab’s industry liaison, is to make “completely self-powered...

In the health and fitness world of CES, a well-known staple at the conference is local NC sensor technology company, Valencell.  For the uninitiated, Valencell is an eigh-year-old Raleigh-based company that creates the technology that powers biometric sensors and wearable devices throughout the world, helping consumers better track important health measures during fitness. In fact, it’s the only clinically-validated provider of this kind of technology in the health and fitness market. Its technology called PerformTek is found in hundreds of thousands of earbuds, wristbands, armbands and other wearable devices made by popular consumer electronics brands like Atlas, Jabra, iriver, LG, Intel, and Scosche....

This year post-CES, ExitEvent wanted to showcase NC talent that is disrupting the rest of the nation. We start with a new partner of Durham-based Validic, an example of the type of device manufacturer making the startup grow so quickly. Meet Qardio, a San Francisco and UK-based wearable device manufacturer that is changing the healthcare industry.    Qardio recognizes that people want to take control of their own health. And they want to do it with new, user-friendly personal devices rather than the old-fashioned doctor’s office ones. Qardio is betting that the devices of the future will integrate modern...

This is the first in a series of stories about NC companies and tech trends at the annual CES happening this week in Las Vegas. Writer Jivan Achreja spends a day soaking up as much of the event and energy as possible. It’s easy to describe CES as a haven for tech geeks and nerds, but this description sells short both the participants and the event. The vast array of products and services showcase applied science and engineering in a commercial mindset, meaning the hard work of intelligent and skilled people isn’t lost in a lab somewhere but made...

Annually, the biggest tech conference with the largest impact throughout the space is CES.  CES is not just a “Consumer Electronics” show. As it stands today, it serves as the intersection of the technology, fashion, automotive, software and hardware industries all wrapped into one jam-packed event. CES still stands as the pinnacle and proverbial mecca of technology events throughout the year. CES is also the best place in the world to learn about emerging advances in technology innovations.  The amount of information that can be learned is absolutely overwhelming. I am attending to bring a bit of the advances...

This week, I had the pleasure of attending Internet Summit 2014. The technology ecosystem of the Triangle was an entirely different landscape four years ago, when I first attended conference. I have seen the conference grow (to 2,200 people this year!) and adjust its offerings for the local and increasingly national community.  Outside of the showcased talent, my favorite aspect of the Summit continues to be the breakout sessions available to attendees. This year, a notable roundtable session was on the Internet of Things and a 5-Year Outlook of Disruptive Tech in the industry, helmed by Rebecca Lieb of Altimeter Group,...

This week, I had the pleasure of attending Internet Summit 2014. The technology ecosystem of the Triangle was an entirely different landscape four years ago, when I first attended conference. I have seen the conference grow (to 2,200 people this year!) and adjust its offerings for the local and increasingly national community.  Outside of the showcased talent, my favorite aspect of the Summit continues to be the breakout sessions available to attendees. This year, a notable roundtable session was on the Internet of Things and a 5-Year Outlook of Disruptive Tech in the industry, helmed by Rebecca Lieb of Altimeter Group,...

LEGOs, Competitive Gaming, Electronic Music, Trading Cards and Tech Startups came together at the Tilt Expo and Music Festival September 5-7 in downtown Durham, NC. Tilt is the first event of its kind for the area, combining two separate festivals into one weekend-long extravaganza.  The Expo was my event of choice—it featured three jam-packed days of programming, including: Podcasting 101, My First Indie Game, Women in Video Games, live taped podcasts, and so much more. Panels ranged from serious to hilarious, showcasing the 5 Worst Geek movies of 2014 and How to Be a Nerd For a Living. Panelists included industry veterans,...