Projects

There are a few current side projects that I am busy with. I am hoping to become a super Wordpress administrator/architect I guess. So have been playing around with wordpress for the past 2 years. I am also interested in php rapid development. I have not yet settled on a framework but hope to soon.

UPOD/Scratchable Devices

UPOD/Scratchable Devices is a research project at Rutgers University that is enabling end-users ("average people", if you will) to use the graphical programming language Scratch to program household devices, such as coffee makers, lamps, and alarm clocks. We have further expanded our approach to also include an "Internet of Things" interface. I am currently supervising the development of the electronics and the accompanying software. We use Arduino and a number of programming platforms for the project. We had the great opportunity to present our work at NY Tech Meetup in November 2011. Checkout the video we made for the Meetup:

Tsogo High School Alumni Directory Website (2008-Present)

This one started as an idea to find a platform for students and alumni to get in touch with each other. Tsogo does not as yet have a websites. A goal was to give Tsogo a voice on the internet as well as be able to exploit the current technologies to then get in touch with as many alumni as possible. I started off with a static html page hoping to just be able to build some sort of “Alumni Database”. Simple login, fill in and check etc. Life took its own root and the project for a number of months was collecting dust. Enter Tebogo Tamenti (Tsogo 2004). His arrival allowed me to have someone to actually discuss some of the problems as well as a buddy to work on the project together. We quickly moved to Wordpress for the website backend (Best move ever) and also then roped in the social networking websites as a way to then get alumni on our website. Right now the project is at a delicate phase we have close to 600 alumni on the Facebook group and also have a fast growing google group. We have also provided a home for the official Alumni Association. We are starting to feel the heat and in the last few months we have been scouting for some new talent to join us and assist. We used to worry about people getting interested now we worry about too many people getting interested in what we are doing. I hope this project runs for a long time and that we also find meaningful ways to give back to our Alma Mater.

IGRISE

The IGRISE website is a project I started in 2002. It has been progressing slowly but I think it is about to reach maturity. It has been fun to do it and have learnt a lot from trial and error. IGRISE is an organisation that I am part of. It runs student exchange programs. I went on a program to the US in 2002 and since then have stayed in the organisation and was head selector for the US program. I attended Camp Rising Sun in upstate New York in 2002. It was a life changing experience and I credit it with helping me see that the world is really just a big play ground. Our dreams can never be bounded by any borders!. To this end I am always involved in the selection and also mentoring of some of the students who have gone through some of the program IGRISE offers.

Social Networking Campaigns

Save the L Bus (2010)

After one of the Buses that I used was cut due to budget issues at Rutgers I volunteered to head up the social networking campaign to coordinate partitioning and information dissemination to all of the students affected. Putting together a campaign with Twitter, Facebook, Google Docs and Wordpress. It by account of reach was a success and allowed us to approach the university with a unified view from the students. I wish I could say the bus is back but it is not. I would like to elaborate here but for my own sanity I will just let it go. Project is still up but concluded.

Knockado CHOC Night(2010)

Collen Lediga who is a good friend started CHOC night in 2007 at Wits. He roped me in for another one and to coordinate their online campaign. Again here using Wordpress, Facebook and Twitter allowed for a dynamic campaign that could be controlled from an iPhone. Project is concluded.

Other Projects

ISAC website. I thought I would lend a hand to a resource I found invaluable when I started at Rutgers. Again another wordpress project but this one gave me a lot of opportunity to go into the guts of wordpress. Is a fun ongoing project. Great committee members.
TTablez.com A good friend of mine who is into music. Manage the technical part of his blog. Looking forward to the next project we have to work on together!