Flybits

Flybits Exhibiting at Mobile World Congress 2013 and Officially Launching Flybits LITE

rachel — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:42:31 +0000

Context-Aware and Intelligent Mobility Solutions by Flybits
February 25-28th in the Canadian Pavilion (Stand 7F50, Booth 14)

Toronto, Canada, February 14, 2013 – Flybits, an innovative company in the development of context-aware and intelligent mobility solutions, has announced today that they will be exhibiting at Mobile World Congress 2013 and launching a revolutionary mobile product called Flybits LITE. Flybits LITE is an innovative Platform as a Service (PaaS) that enables the quick creation and deployment of context-aware mobile computing applications for enterprises without the dependency of dedicated infrastructure.

The Founder and CEO of Flybits, Dr. Hossein Rahnama, was recognized in 2012 by the MIT Technology Review for his work on the Flybits platform, which focuses on context-aware and cloud computing platforms that can provide relevant information to mobile users while giving them full control on their privacy. With a growing corporate and public interest in Flybits technology, Rahnama was identified as one of the world’s top innovators under the age of 35 (TR35) along with the founders of Dropbox, Spotify and Pinterest.

Employing a suite of patent-protected context-aware technologies, the Flybits platform and applications deliver relevant, timely and location-based information to targeted mobile users in real-time. Flybits LITE is an instance of the Enterprise Framework that empowers consumers to create and consume information in new ways with social and local functionality. Using Flybits LITE, mobile users can create zones instantaneously in order to provision mobile applications and services using an intuitive and visual web-based interface. Flybits LITE follows a social-driven architecture that allows enhanced collaboration and interaction between users.

The Flybits platform, FARE (Flybits Activity Recognition Engine) enables Ubiquitous Relevance™: whereby any location on earth – whether building, city or country – can become smart and relevant spaces. This newfound layer of connectivity identifies each physical location or zone as a geo-fenced app store that can deliver relevant and customized information to its associated users, the public and private application repositories.

Core features of the Flybits platform include:

Disseminating information to users in real-time through the creation of semantic-driven, rule-oriented geo-fences (known as Zones)
Associating business rules, content and logic with Flybits Apps through intuitive drag-and-drop functionality
Safeguarding user privacy in accordance with Privacy by Design Guidelines
Customizable real-time and passive mobile analytics, resulting in the delivery of improved content, services and user behavior insight

“Flybits technology is changing how people use their mobile devices and helping them to address the issue of information overload by understanding their surrounding context and respecting their privacy” said Dr. Hossein Rahnama. I am proud that this redefinition of innovation is emerging from the Flybits portfolio and look forward to the industry’s response at Mobile World Congress.”

Flybits will be stationed at stand 7F50, booth 14 in the Ontario, Canada pavilion at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona (February 25-28, 2013). Flybits LITE – a unified and scalable platform that provides personalized and relevant content to mobile users – will be officially launched and showcased throughout the duration of the event.

About Flybits

Flybits was founded by Dr. Hossein Rahnama, along with a team of Computer Science graduates, to commercialize a cloud-based platform for creating applications that deliver the ultimate mobile user experience. The company’s core middleware platform, FARE (Flybits Activity Recognition Engine) enables enterprises to benefit globally from Ubiquitous Relevance™: customers, employees, supplier – everyone receives timely and tailored information when needed. Flybits creates opportunities – connecting people and places to possibilities™.

Flybits is a spin-off company of Ryerson University with the participation of MaRS Innovation. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with an office in the United Kingdom. For further information, visit www.flybits.com.

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Rachel Miadovnik at +1-416-979-5000 ext. 2045 or email at Rachel@flybits.com

What is Flybits LITE?

rachel — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:20:23 +0000

Flybits leverages the concept of a zone in order to actualize the true sensing capabilities of mobile devices. Flybits LITE is a social network enabling real-time engagement and collaboration inclusive of locations such as buildings, physical spaces and the world. Flybits LITE creates opportunities – connecting people and places to possibilities™.

By leveraging an instance of Flybits’ advanced technology, users of Flybits LITE can create and own zones, communicate with visitors/friends, generate customizable and valuable mobile apps and interpret real-time analytics regarding their interactions.

Zones can be viewed as virtual real estate with inherent value. Technology is currently in beta mode and accounts are being released in small sets of 100. Request yours today.

The Making of Flybits LITE

rachel — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:16:08 +0000

Flybits LITE was founded by Dr. Hossein Rahnama and a group of forward-thinking Computer Science graduates from Ryerson University, to commercialize a cloud-based platform for creating applications that deliver the ultimate mobile user experience.

Available Now! Flybits LITE

rachel — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 06:59:04 +0000

Claim your zones now! Flybits LITE, an instance of Flybits’ context-aware mobile technology, has launched a limited number of accounts. Only 100 accounts have been created, so act fast. Users to claim zones first, are equipped with high-value virtual real-estate and can deploy their own apps and services with ease.

Download Flybits LITE today on Google Play.

It’s your world – own it.

Post City Dubs Founder “King of the Apps”

rachel — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:48:06 +0000

Post City Magazine has selected and highlighted 12 profound Canadian innovators with “game-changing inventions.” Flybits’ Founder and CEO, Hossein Rahnama was named “King of the Apps” for the technology’s revolutionary approach to the usage of mobile cloud-driven apps.

Flybits allows users to create zones of any shape or size, over their house, their work or any point of interest, and these zones become distributors of applications, services and notifications for other Flybits users. A context-aware middleware engine, Flybits accounts for a number of contextual parameters beyond location and determines the most personalized content for each user.

Look for Hossein Rahnama of Flybits in the article, 2012 INNOVAT.O.RS and learn about the company’s success to date developing context-aware transportation apps.

Exclusive Flybits Demo on Discovery Channel

rachel — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:53:58 +0000

Discovery Channel’s The Daily Planet host Lucas Cochran, visited the Flybits team for an exclusive demo of Flybits’ context-aware technology before the launch of Flybits LITE. Founder and CEO, Hossein Rahnama showcased how the application delivers relevant and targeted information to users on their mobile device including the recommendation service, indoor navigation and augmented reality. The platform includes an easy-to-use web interface where users can create their own zones over buildings, neighbourhoods, cities and so on in order to build and deploy intelligent mobile services for friends and other users in the proximity.

Rahnama also introduced Cochran to the Flybits context-aware Naobot who is aware of his surroundings and behaves accordingly. Watch the video on our YouTube channel

Flybits: A “Cool New Tool” says What’s Your Tech.ca

rachel — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:27:47 +0000

Following the announcement of Flybits Founder, Hossein Rahnama’s honour by MIT Tech Review as one of the World’s Top Innovator under the age of 35, Flybits technology was featured in What’s Your Tech magazine.

Referenced as “Rahmama’s cool new tool…” Flybits features and applications including Flybits Air, accessibility and artificial intelligence were described in great detail. The article made evident how Flybits views the future of mobile computing: a calm environment where privacy is always protected. With Flybits, information is powered through the Flybits Activity Recognition Engine (FARE) and is no longer sought after, but finds the user when, where and when they need it most.

Flybits on CBC’s Lang & O’Leary Exchange

rachel — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:24:19 +0000

Hossein Rahnama, Founder and CEO of Flybits was invited to partake in an interview on CBC’s Lang & O’Leary Exchange following the public announcement of his TR35 award. Published by MIT’s Technology Review, the TR35 honours 35 innovators under the age of 35 who are re-thinking technology and its involvement with the world.

Watch Rahnama’s interview on CBC’s Media Player. The interview begins at the 13:40 mark and runs to 19:30.

Flybits leverages the popularity and proliferation of mobile devices by connecting people and places to possibilities. Beyond just an app or a social network, Flybits connects users with their surroundings, serving up relevant content, events, opportunities and information wherever they may go. At an airport, Flybits is a helpful and reliable concierge. The same system creates an improved and in-the-know shopping experience. Any building, any place, any region, country, etc. can become a zone and Flybits zones live and breathe intelligence. Read more as outlined by MaRS Innovation

A TR35 Award Recipient – Flybits Founder Hossein Rahnama

wesbos — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:00:56 +0000

TORONTO, August 21, 2012 —- Ryerson University today announced that Dr. Hossein Rahnama has been recognized as part of MIT’s Technology Review magazine’s 2012 list of the world’s top innovators under the age of 35. He is honoured for his groundbreaking work in context-aware and cloud computing platforms that can provide relevant information to mobile users while giving them full control on their privacy. Rahnama was selected as a member of the 2012 TR35 by a panel of expert judges and the editorial staff of Technology Review, who evaluated more than 250 nominations from around the world.

The TR35 recognizes the world’s greatest young innovators, spanning biotechnology, computer and electronics hardware and software, energy, the Web, and nanotechnology, among other emerging fields. Past winners of the award have included Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, creator of Twitter. All of the TR35 winners for 2012 will be featured the September/October issue of Technology Review and online at www.technologyreview.com/tr35/.

“We are extremely proud of Hossein’s well-deserved recognition by MIT’s Technology Review. This is a great example of an innovative entrepreneur who applies his academic research not only to teaching and helping students, but also in pursuit of economic opportunities,” said Sheldon Levy, president of Ryerson University. “One of our goals as a university is to create an environment where our graduates can stay in Toronto and compete in the global economy. Hossein’s success demonstrates that by connecting our best, brightest and most passionate innovators to each other and to business, we can create an environment of unparalleled experiential learning and world-leading innovation.”

Whereas now we search for information on the Internet, Flybits technology creates geographical areas that intelligently understand the user’s location, context, needs and preferences then proactively provides helpful information exactly when the user requires it. For example, Flybits can create a zone at an airport. Once travelers enter that area, their smartphones recognize their location, context and intentions and deliver real-time, personalized information they need—be it about parking, flight times, gate directions, or nearby dining options. The Flybits app, being context aware, can easily shift to become a shopping concierge when the same user visits a mall and a transit assistant as they enter a train or subway station.

“I’m very honoured to be recognized among my distinguished peers as part of the TR35,” said Dr. Hossein Rahnama. “Flybits technology is changing how people use their mobile devices and helping them to address the issue of information overload by understanding their surrounding context and respecting their privacy. I am proud that this redefinition of innovation is emerging from Ryerson in Ontario.”

The patent-protected Flybits engine works to understand the user’s intentions and adapts accordingly using artificial intelligence techniques. Under this framework, every single building in the world can become an intelligent application store, delivering ubiquitous relevance to each user. Personal information is always kept confidential and privacy is respected. Flybits adheres to the principles and guidelines of Privacy by Design, a globally recognized Ontario program that puts privacy first.

“This year’s TR35 recipients are applying technology to some of our generation’s greatest challenges, and innovating to improve the way we live and work,” said Jason Pontin, editor-in-chief and publisher of Technology Review. “We look forward to watching these young technology leaders grow and advance over the coming years.”

Rahnama is a Ryerson professor in the RTA School of Media in the Faculty of Communication & Design as well as the Director of Research and Innovation in the Digital Media Zone (DMZ), Ryerson’s hub of digital media entrepreneurship and innovation. He is also the founder and CEO of Flybits, a Ryerson/MaRS Innovation software company. Rahnama’s work has received extensive support from prominent industry partners such as Cisco Systems and Apple Canada Inc. as well as government entities including the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. In February 2012, Flybits was selected by the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation as a promising company in Ontario to present at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Additionally Wavefront and the UK Trade and Investment are enabling Flybits to enter Asia and the United Kingdom, respectively.

Additional information about past and present TR35 winners and judges is available at www.technologyreview.com/tr35/. For more information about EmTech MIT 2012 please visit: http://www.technologyreview.com/EmTech

About Technology Review, Inc.

Technology Review is leading the global conversation about technologies that matter. An independent media company owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), more than 4.5 million business leaders, innovators, thought leaders and early adopters around the globe read our publications, in five languages and on a variety of digital and print platforms. We publish Technology Review magazine, the world’s longest-running and most respected technology magazine (established 1899); daily news, analysis, opinion, and video; and Business Reports, which explains how new technologies are transforming companies, disrupting markets, or creating entirely new industries. Technology Review also produces live events such as the annual EmTech MIT and international EmTech conferences, Technology Summits and Salons. The publication’s entrepreneurial community organization, the MIT Enterprise Forum, hosts events around the world.

About Flybits

Flybits was founded by Dr. Hossein Rahnama, a researcher, educator and entrepreneur, to commercialize a cloud-based platform for creating applications that deliver the ultimate mobile user experience. The company’s technology engine, FARE (Flybits Activity Recognition Engine) enables enterprises to benefit from ubiquitous relevance: customers, employees, suppliers—everyone receives exactly the information they want or need exactly when they want or need it. A personal Flybits application for crowdsourcing Ubiquitous Relevance will be launched in the fall of 2012. Flybits is a spin-off of Ryerson University, supported by the Digital Media Zone with the participation of MaRS Innovation. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with a location in the United Kingdom. For further information on Flybits, visit www.flybits.com.

About the Digital Media Zone

Opened in April 2010, Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone is a multidisciplinary workspace for young entrepreneurs infused with the energy and resources of downtown Toronto. Set atop Yonge- Dundas Square, this hub of digital media innovation, collaboration and commercialization is home to both entrepreneurial startups and industry solution-providers.

About the Faculty of Communication & Design
Canada’s premier school of broadcasting & media production, the Ryerson University Faculty of Communication & Design combines content creation for multiple platforms with media theory and business studies to create media leaders of the future.

Ryerson University is Canada’s leader in innovative, career-oriented education and a university clearly on the move. With a mission to serve societal need, and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community, Ryerson offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. Distinctly urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to more than 28,000 students, including 2,300 master’s and PhD students, nearly 2,700 faculty and staff, and more than 140,000 alumni worldwide. Research at Ryerson is on a trajectory of success and growth: externally funded research has doubled in the past four years. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada’s leading provider of university-based adult education. For more information, visit www.ryerson.ca.

Interviewed on Venture Cap TV

rachel — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 16:24:12 +0000

Venture Cap TV stopped by Ryerson University‘s Digital Media Zone (DMZ) to meet Flybits Founder and CEO, Hossein Rahnama. Flybits is currently incubating in the DMZ among many other digital start-ups in Toronto, Canada.

Following the announcement of Rahnama’s TR35 award from MIT’s Technology Review, Venture Cap TV shot this webisode to learn more about Flybits and how the company came to be.