X

Photos: TechAmerica 2009 Innovator Awards

The TechAmerica Innovator Awards celebrate the innovators of technology for their contribution to our industry and society.

James Martin
James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.
James Martin
Picture1.png
1 of 7 Boeing

Tailored Arrivals

Since 1959, TechAmerica Innovator Awards have been honoring pioneers in the tech industry--in particular, focusing on people who've contributed to the evolution of computer equipment, telecom equipment, consumer electronics, electronic components, software, clean tech, and the Internet.

This year, the annual award ceremony was held October 6, at the Fairmont hotel in San Jose, Calif. Here are some of the technologies that won top honors--and the people behind them.

Category: Clean tech
Innovator: Rob Mead, chief architect, Advanced Air Traffic Management, Boeing
Innovation: Tailored Arrivals

Sometimes, simple innovations can yield the greatest results. This year's clean-tech innovation award went to a technology called Tailored Arrivals, which was developed by Rob Mead at Boeing. Tailored Arrivals integrates all known aircraft performance, air traffic, airspace, meteorological, obstacle clearance, and environmental constraints expected to be encountered during an arrival into a singular system. It then calculates the most fuel-efficient and minimum-noise approach clearances to aircraft arriving at an airport to land, for the entire approach from cruise altitude to touchdown.

neurosky.jpg
2 of 7 James Martin/CNET

Neuro Sky

Category: Consumer electronics
Innovator: Stanley Yang, CEO, NeuroSky
Innovation: Mind-reading headset

NeuroSky CEO Stanley Yang has created the first consumer Brain to Computer Interface Technology, according to TechAmerica's Web site. Using ThinkGear technology contained inside, the mind-reading headset provides real-time mental state information to the user, based on his or her brainwave patterns.

In this photo, Chris Dyball concentrates while using NeuroSky's mind-controlled headset to play a video game at Stanford University's Cool Product Expo in 2007.

Picture2.png
3 of 7 Pitney Bowes FireLocator

Pitney Bowes FireLocator

Category: Internet
Innovator: Arthur R. Berrill, vice president of Advanced Concepts and Technology, Pitney Bowes
Innovation: Pitney Bowes FireLocator

Developed by Pitney Bowes' Arthur R. Berrill, the FireLocator is a free, public Web site providing reliable information and timely location intelligence about wildfires to residents, government agencies, and media outlets. The FireLocator uses real-time data from a variety of sources and incorporates user-generated imagery, satellite data, and incident reports to show fire boundaries, potential danger areas, and thermal imagery.

JanUddenfeldt.jpg
4 of 7 SVC Wireless

Jan Uddenfeldt

Category: Telecom equipment
Innovator: Jan Uddenfeldt, SVP and Senior Adviser Technology to CEO, Ericsson
Innovation: 2G, 3G (HSPA) Technology

Jan Uddenfeldt won this year's award in the telecom equipment category for his contributions to the research and development of what is now widespread 2G, 3G (HSPA) telecommunications technology.

v_shtrom.jpg
5 of 7 Ruckus Wireless

Victor Shtrom

Category: Computer and equipment
Innovator: Victor Shtrom, chief wireless architect/founder, Ruckus Wireless
Innovation: Smart Wi-Fi

Victor Shtrom of Ruckus Wireless has pioneered what is known as Smart Wi-Fi, a collection of technologies that extend the range and reliability of wireless signals, and reduce the costs and complexity of conventional wireless LAN deployments.

BlueBox.jpg
6 of 7 Power Integrations

EcoSmart Energy-Efficiency Technology

Category: Electronic components
Innovator: Balu Balakrishnan, president and CEO, Power Integrations
Innovation: EcoSmart Energy-Efficiency Technology

Balu Balakrishnan was given a TechAmerica award for his work developing EcoSmart Energy-Efficiency Technology.

The technology drastically improves the efficiency of AC-DC power conversion and reduces the waste of electronics in "standby mode" to almost zero, according to TechAmerica's Web site.

Slide2.jpg
7 of 7 Initiate Systems

Initiate Systems

Category: Software
Innovator: Scott Schumacher, chief scientist, and Scott Ellard, chief technology officer, Initiate Systems
Innovation: Probabilistic searching

Scott Schumacher and Scott Ellard, both from data management software company Initiate Systems, won this year's TechAmerica award in the software category.

With increased volumes of data on the Internet, Schumacher realized deterministic search was an inefficient way to go about designing databases and instead developed an algorithm that directs a search using probabilistic principles. Ellard then built a database index that works by navigating based on experience rather than rote rules.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos