Welcome to the final InfoText of the year. 2005 has seen a great start to establishing relationships between companies and InfoLab21. The Associate Company scheme has been well subscribed and we have been pleased to welcome many of you at our events. Growing links between business and members of the academic staff have enhanced the knowledge transfer process. With your support we aim to build on these strong foundations through 2006.

All of us here at the Knowledge Business Centre would like to wish you and your families a very happy festive season and look forward to working with you in 2006!

Steve Riches - Director, KBC

InfoText will be back at the end of January so if you would like to contribute news items to future editions please contact the editor - Jane Johnson - at j.johnson4@lancaster.ac.uk

Computer Games - Outside?

If you thought computer games were all about sitting in a darkened room then think again. Lancaster University is pioneering a new form of mobile computer gaming which brings together virtual reality and the real world.

Researchers in the Department of Communication Systems, based in InfoLab21, have been developing a new game which can be played by up to five players on mobile phones. Unlike traditional mobile phone games, this game takes place in real space as well as on a mobile phone screen. Called Pac-Lan, in homage to the arcade classic Pacman, the game enables players to keep track of one another’s position through images on their mobile phones as they chase one another round campus.

To read the full story go to:

http://domino.lancs.ac.uk/info/lunews.nsf/r/30c6

Events at InfoLab21

We invite you to join us at InfoLab21 for our final Networking for Business Breakfast of 2005 on Wednesday 14 December (starting at 8.45 am), where businesses and academic staff get the chance to highlight new developments, exchange ideas and enjoy a bacon butty! These events are proving to be very popular and at our September breakfast we had over fifty people. Come along and see for yourself!

This event has been kindly sponsored by Business Link Lancashire. For further details or to reserve your free place contact Jane Johnson on 01524 510443 or j.johnson4@lancaster.ac.uk

Project Opportunities!

The Department of Communication Systems is looking for suitable projects for their Masters students. If you are interested in new technology and have the resource to support a student project, they can help you to evaluate issues, solve problems, build a prototype, test or devise theory. Previous projects have included:

• security for wireless networks
• water-marking techniques
• GPS/GSM based locating device
• e-commerce applications (front-end sales) with database solutions (CRM)

For further details of the programme, including timeframes and student skills go to:

http://www.dcs.lancs.ac.uk/studentprojects

To request an Expression of Interest template, please contact Sarah Bennett in the KBC on 01524 510441 or s.j.bennett@lancaster.ac.uk

MSc (by Research) in Communication and Information Systems

The Department of Communication Systems is offering a fantastic opportunity to study a customised, flexible part-time course designed for motivated individuals and part-time industry employees who would like to enhance their research skills. The course will focus on a specific area of research, decided on an individual basis and can be started at any time of year. The course lasts for approximately ten months.

Examples of research projects include:

• modern transmission techniques for future satellite and mobile communication systems
• advanced digital signal processing techniques for the extraction
• understanding and conditioning of signals and multimedia information
• theory and new applications in mobile and wireless communications

For further information contact the Postgraduate Co-ordinator on 01524 510390 or dcs-adm@lancaster.ac.uk

Cumbria Leads

The Government recognises the importance of effective leadership as a key to innovation and growth in small and medium sized businesses and so is investing in Cumbria to enhance the skills of its business leaders.

Fine tuning your leadership skills will enable you to drive forward your business with increased confidence and self-awareness, enhance your problem solving, communication and team working skills and develop your leadership and managerial abilities with one main aim – to make your business more profitable and competitive.

Cumbria Leads is open to Directors, managers or key leaders of all types of organisations which are privately funded and not in the public sector including companies, voluntary organisations and charities. Your organisation should employ between 20 - 250 people and be within the administrative area of Cumbria.

To learn more about this 100% grant aided initiative contact David Rowlands at Associates in Excellence Ltd on 07739 071762 or email: david@associates-in-excellence.co.uk

Firms warned of customer denial fraud

Businesses that trade online have been warned about rising levels of 'customer denial' fraud taking place on the web. The scam involves a customer placing an order, receiving the goods and then disputing their credit card bills and requesting a refund. This is charged back to the merchant through card protection schemes. Fraud protection firm Early Warning reports a 30% rise in this type of fraud over the past month, partly because of the run-up to Christmas.

Early Warning offers a database of known fraudsters and summarises this issue at:

http://www.early-warning.org.uk/viewnews.php4?id=87

Patent registration to be simplified

Submitting patents and trade marks, and registering designs, takes too much paperwork, according to the Patent Office, and it intends to streamline the procedure to make it easier. A public consultation has been launched, and the Patent Office has invited suggestions on making forms easier to use, merging forms that duplicate information and offering patent applicants more options.

You can download details of the consultation at:

http://www.patent.gov.uk/about/consultations/forms/formsconsult.pdf

The £15m InfoLab21 building was made possible with funding from Lancaster University, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Project part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund NW Objective 2 Programme 2000-06 NW Knowledge Based Action Plan www.nwua.ac.uk Delivering an Entrepreneurial and Digital Economy in North West Lancs.

For further information on InfoLab21, please see:

www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk

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