WHO: University of Pennsylvania students

WHAT: "2nd Best Idea Slam"

WHEN: Feb. 16, 2007

1-2:15 p.m.

WHERE: University of Pennsylvania

Levine Hall

3340 Walnut St.

Weiss Tech House, Room 266

Ten Penn student teams will be showcasing their ideas at the "2nd Best Idea Slam" for innovative products and services for future product development.  The competition is run like a "poetry slam," in which each finalist will have three minutes to pitch an idea to a panel of judges and an audience of potential collaborators.  The contest will connect students who have good ideas with people who have the skills, time and inclination to help make the products and services a reality.  Audience members will be able to vote for their favorite idea.  

The innovations include a service that allows students living in dorms to be informed by e-mail when a washing machine or dryer is available, a plan to turn newspaper and journal articles into podcasts and a proposal to develop a radio frequency probe to improve the sharpness of magnetic resonance imaging which could lead to earlier detection of some diseases.

Additional information about the Weiss Tech House is available at www.tech-house.upenn.edu.