Team Cosmic photo during Imagine Cup 2008 at Paris

Preparations for IC 2008 Local Finals

14 May 2008 - The morning was sunny and everything looked bright for us. It was a day before the local finals. Since none of us could drive to KL from Penang for the competition, our last resort was to take a bus to KL. The others depended on me for directions as it was their first trip to KL. With optimism and a lot of determination, we set out at 10.30 a.m.

Along the way. we bought some snacks and crapped for a really long time before we fell asleep. It was evening when we finally reached KL. What took me by surprise was the fact that the Pudu Raya's building colour had changed but other than that, KL was still the same city I remembered it to be=)

We made our way to the Microsoft local office at KLCC. There was supposed to be a short briefing and we had to set up our equipment a day before the competition. Had a quick bite at KFC. Keng Siang actually bumped into his friend! What a coincidence!

As we arrived at the Microsoft local office at KLCC with our bags, we were more than happy to relax on the comfortable couch. Best part of all, there was a mini bar that provided free flow of drinks. Really smashing!

We met up with Ian, the Microsoft representative in-charge of the competition. After we set up and tested our application, we grabbed a simple take-away dinner from Cold Storage and headed straight back to the hotel for shower and practice.

Practice was very important to make sure that the presentation would run smoothly. One small mistake would have compromised our chances of winning so we ran through few rounds of presentation before retiring to sleep. Well, getting enough sleep was another very important point to take note of. Without adequate sleep, we might ended up presenting like walking zombies...That was a really scary thought!

Jasy

Virtual Paper

Let me first tell you more about our project...Virtual Paper. The name says it all. Virtual Paper is a very simple and cool application created with the aim to substitute the core functions of the generic papers. With less paper consumption, then more trees can be saved. At the same time, energy consumption, water pollution and air pollution can be reduced indirectly. So, Virtual Paper will finally materialize the concept of a truly paperless environment.

The basic functions will cover the ability to allow users to write, draw and sketch, thus giving the users freedom to express their thoughts freely. With VP in hand, there is no need for one to search high and low for papers when taking down notes, sketching a picture or creating a colourful mindmap.

What is so special about Virtual Paper? VP is unique in the sense that it has a certain level of intelligence built-in. The ability to automatically calculate mathematical equations within miliseconds, convert contorted shapes into beautiful geometry shapes and translate words into multiple other languages.

VP is not like any other applications in the market. To create a sustainable environment, we believe that developing an application alone is not adequate. We also have to create the motivation for people to embrace Virtual Paper. Some of our efforts include providing statistical information upfront to push environmental details to users and creating a VP Web Community, thus creating awareness of how significant the contribution of VP users are to say no to paper and switch to Virtual Paper.

Jasy

Back with Truckful of News

Sorry...haven't been blogging for a long time but I have made up my mind to relate to the world how cool our Imagine Cup experience in Paris was this year. So I will have to start with the competition at national level all the way to the worldwide finals in the City of Lights. Sit back and relax...this is going to be an amazing story!

Jasy

Virtual Paper: The Trailer

Imagine Cup 2008 Finals is just around the corner...and I hope it's not too late to give you guys a sneak peek into Team COSMIC's Virtual Paper. Check out the much-awaited trailer below:

Virtual Paper Trailer (Featuring: Matt)

You will definately get the chance to meet the team and also Virtual Paper in three more days! So, see you guys in Paris =)

P.S. Remember the guy in the video...it's me!

Matt

A Paperless Society...

Imagine a world where we can use computers to substitute the functions of the conventional paper. Then, there is no need to make papers from trees anymore. As a result, the trees in the forests will be left to its natural habitat without being disturbed by the noises of people shouting "TIMBER".

Sounds like a great start to our project. We are focusing on a problem that has haunt our universe for hundreds of years. So, our new vision is to reduce the consumption of papers with the use of technology. Got to do more research on this problem space...

Team COSMIC Born...

Four young friends from USM (Universiti Sains Malaysia) decided to put their skills to practical use and utilize the wonders of advanced technology to help create a sustainable environment. These four are no other than Jasy, Koe Koe, Matthew and Keng Siang. We are simply known as team COSMIC. Why the name COSMIC? First, we are proud to be given the opprtunity to make a difference in the universe especially in the natural environment. Second, we liked the simplicity of the name=)

With drive and passion, we were determined to enter Microsoft Imagine Cup 2008 and set our minds to tackle the theme this year, 'Imagine a world where technology can help create a sustainable environment'. The theme itself is salutable but challenging. Initially, we cracked our heads to come out with a practical solution in preserving Mother Nature for more generations to come. Easier said than done...How can we use computers to help the natural environment when many fingers are pointing towards technology for the main reason behind pollution and global warming?

This was the question that crept into our minds in every single waking moment when we were brainstorming for ideas. Mother Nature, please inspire us...