Congratulations, you’ve made it to the 21st Century! We’ve got smartphones, smart cars, and smart mouths, but no smart batteries. Unlike our other tech, batteries lack any ability to think and they, as we have all experienced, die way too quickly. Solving this powerful problem is Watt-Learn, who just emerged from the Pittsburgh-based accelerator AlphaLab. Watt-Learn is using machine learning to give batteries the ability to think independently. So, when you need to manage power for things like getting the most out of your home’s solar + battery or have sufficient energy during a thunderstorm, batteries can make it happen without help.
To find out more about this innovative tech, we interviewed Watt-Learn’s CEO, Matt Maroon, and CTO, Matineh Eybpoosh.
Pittsburgh is home to a plethora of tech leaders, from Google to Uber, to Duolingo. But, did you know that this City home to a company that maps construction sites with drones? Yeah, drones for construction!
Nowadays, most people are familiar with drones as novelty toys and as something used by the U.S. military. But, few may know that drones are being used in other industries. For construction, Pittsburgh based Identified Technologies offers managed commercial drone solutions. To find out about how drones are being used in construction and to learn more about Identified Technologies, we interviewed their Founder and CEO, Dick Zhang.
Update Tue 12/22 12:50pm – Police Have Toy Enough Donations
The City of Pittsburgh sent out the following press release at 12:50pm.
From the City of Pittsburgh
MEDIA ADVISORY
Hundreds of Christmas Presents Stolen
Sent 12/22/2015 @ 12:50 pm
There has been an amazing response from the public to assist. We do not need any further donations. Also, Toys For Tots has stepped up with a $10,000 donation to replenish toys. Please express our heartfelt gratitude to the public and let them no that no more donations are required. We will be in touch with additional details when possible.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PITTSBURGH, PA – The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is investigating a burglary overnight in which 400 children’s Christmas presents were stolen from a community center. The toys were donated by Toys for Tots and would have been distributed to deserving families in Zone 5 neighborhoods.
Detectives are hard at work tracking down the actors. Zone 5 Cmdr. Jason Lando will discuss the details of the burglary and a plan to replace those presents at 9:15 at police headquarters, 1203 Western Avenue.
Reporters are asked to gather in the lobby.
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Early this morning, I was forwarded the following email from Officer Jason Lando, who is the Commander of the Zone 5 Police Station overnight from a Pittsburgh friend who happens to be out of the country, but wanted to see if there was any way to help.
The same message was also posted on the Zone 5 Facebook page here.
I was hoping and holding my breath that we would not have to use the #pghsavesxmas hashtag this year. I had spent the weekend following up with some of the groups that we were able to help last year to make sure everything went smoothly with toy drives this year.
But last night, toys for over 400 children were stolen from a local community center. Commander Lando is asking for donations of Gift Cards so that police can quickly replace stolen items in time for the holidays.
Here is how you can help:
Drop off gift cards at the Zone 5 Police Station, located at 1401 Washington Blvd. (this was the place where the drivers tests used to be, now next to the cycling track)
Like and share this post from the Zone 5 Police Facebook Page about how to help
One of the things that we learned last year doing the toy drive is that we never had enough toys for older kids, so gift cards are a good way to help because officers can buy exactly what they need.
We all know about TED talks: the moving, inspirational, educational videos that pop up in our social media feeds and emails from friends and family. They make us think, they make us laugh, and sometimes they even make us cry. Best of all, they explore, celebrate, and share the things, both good and bad, that make us human.
So wouldn’t you love to see some TED talks, in person, that focus on the amazing people and ideas of our beloved Steel City? Well here’s your chance– TEDxPittsburgh is this Saturday!
The 2015 theme is Bridges: Ideas that Connect Us, and there’s a stellar lineup this year– from Dr. Jim Withers, who was recently featured as a CNN Hero for his work bringing medical care to Pittsburgh’s homeless population through Operation Safety Net, to Gab Bonesso, who is tackling bullying in schools through song and comedy with her partner Josh Verbanets.
We know it’s Memorial Day weekend and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous but this really is an event you can’t miss.
A few other speakers include: Diane Turnshek, a local astronomer who helped bring Earth Hour to Pittsburgh; Michelle King, a passionate teacher and self-proclaimed Learning Instigator; and Andrew Butcher, co-founder of GTechStrategies, which works to improve the health of our communities.
You can learn more about all the speakers here. With such a diverse and talented bunch, there’s bound to be a talk that speaks to you, either personally or about our beloved Pittsburgh.
If we still didn’t convince you to not spend the day outside, then come to the after party from 5-8pm! Check out the newest exhibits at SPACE Gallery, while enjoying a performance by Slowdanger and treats from the incredible E2, plus complimentary wine and beer.
Still can’t make it? Try to pop in on the livestream and follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #TEDxPGH. Also follow TEDxPittsburgh on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for live updates!
Here’s an obvious fact: Pittsburgh’s identity was, and still is, deeply entwined with the steel industry. After all, we’re nicknamed the Steel City, which we’re reminded of whenever prime time football comes to town and floods our televisions with images of steel mills, by the numerous Pittsburgh-related projects that are given names referencing steel (for example, our own Steel of the Week), and whenever we pass through any of the formerly-thriving steel towns.
But those of us who have lived in, worked for, and loved this city for any significant amount of time know how very much more there is to Pittsburgh. And most importantly, we recognize the enormous potential of what it still can become.
The story of Braddock is woeful. The once-thriving town, home of both Andrew Carnegie’s first steel mill and his first public library, was hit hard in the 1970s and ’80s by the collapse of the steel industry and a rising drug and gang problem. 90% of the population eventually fled the area and much of what once was now is simply deserted. The state of Pennsylvania has declared Braddock a “distressed municipality” since the ’80s.
With an emphasis on improving the lives of the borough’s young people, Fetterman has attracted a promising creative and artistic force to Braddock. While there’s much work still to be done, testaments to his success include: the conversion of an abandoned church into the Braddock Community Center, home to the Braddock Youth Project; Braddock Farms, which grows organic produce on 10 acres of repurposed over-grown lots and is tended to by area kids; the opening of the studio UnSmoke Artspace; and much-anticipated brewery startup The Brew Gentlemen.
Sousa’s Superior Motors hopes to bring more of that needed revitalization to Braddock. Named for the former car dealership it will occupy, the restaurant is nothing short of revolutionary. Braddock currently doesn’t have any operating restaurants and Sousa is not only looking to open one in the area, but to engage and drive the community with its operation.
Superior Motors is aiming to strengthen Braddock through food, farming, art, and more. Photo from Superior Motors Kickstarter.
Truly exemplifying fresh, local, and farm-to-table, most of the produce will be sourced from Braddock Farms, as well as the thousands of square feet in planned rooftop gardens and greenhouses. The nearby apiary, which provides beekeeping training to local youth, will provide honey, and local chickens will be the source of eggs for the restaurant.
But most impressive is what Sousa plans to do for the actual community. Superior Motors will not only offer Braddock residents with substantial dining discounts but also free professional culinary training and opportunities. A hostel located next door will be used to offer no-cost housing for some employees who are selected to train and learn at the restaurant. Sousa hopes Superior Motors will feed and strengthen the current community ecosystem of local businesses, residents, and visitors.
So on Sunday, with less than a day and a half left in the Superior Motors Kickstarter campaign and still $70,000 short of a goal of $250,000, anticipation grew. Was there the possibility that this innovative project, set in a town we all want to see succeed, would not be funded?
That’s when Pittsburghers truly came together. Retweets, posts, emails, and articles. The purported power of social media, in action. “Kickstarter” was trending on Twitter in Pittsburgh, behind only “Downton Abbey” in popularity. People watched the donation figure slowly climb with the fervor of a hotly contested election. Sousa himself rightfully couldn’t sleep.
Because of this final push by the community, Superior Motors not only reached and surpassed its goal with nearly a day to spare, but has received an additional $40,000 grant from Rob Stephany of The Heinz Endowments. Sousa emotionally thanked the nearly 2,000 supporters “for reminding [him] what an altogether inspiring place it is that [he is] lucky enough to call home.” He even admitted that we made him cry.
Chef Sousa at the Braddock Youth Project training class at the community bread oven. Photo from the Superior Motors Kickstarter.
When indie rock band Frightened Rabbit came to town for the Thrival Music Festival in September, they commented on how much they enjoy playing here because Pittsburghers genuinely love their city and are so proud to be a part of it. How right they were.
We’re a tight-knit, thoughtful, and involved community that genuinely believes in bettering our city, be it through the successful and established medical and education sectors, a vibrant and innovative startup community, or the booming food and drink scene (Bon Appetit recently named Pittsburgh its “next big food town”). Even Lindsay, the creator of I heart PGH, had her cross-country train trip with the Millennial Trains Project successfully funded because of the incredible generosity of Pittsburghers.
We all see something worthwhile in Superior Motors. Something that will better Pittsburgh and Braddock. Something else to prove that we’re more than just a former steel town. And we’re helping to make that a reality.
The Kickstarter campaign is over but follow Kevin Sousa on Twitter for updates on Superior Motors.
The City of Pittsburgh sent out the following press release at 12:50pm.
