MVTech MVTech (July 30, 2004)

By Kristine D. Dworkin

On the road again

New life has been breathed into the Mountain View Public Library's Bookmobile service thanks to a $200,000 grant from Google.

When the service fell victim to budget cuts last year, Google employees set out to save it. Now that the city council has accepted the grant, the first order of business will be to purchase a new, more economical and slightly more compact vehicle.

"The old bookmobile was 37-feet long and required a special truck driver's license," said supervising librarian Karin Bricker.

The library hopes to have it on the road and making regular stops at senior-living complexes, day care centers and companies like its benefactor by April 2005.

To keep tabs on the new bookmobile's progress or give your input on the program, visit the library online at library.ci.mtnview.ca.us.

Reality center turns 10

SGI celebrated the 10th anniversary of its launch of the SGI Reality Center immersive visualization environment. In the last decade, 670 Reality Center environments have popped up across the globe. They're used in oil and gas exploration, pharmaceutical research and development, automobile and product manufacturing, the sciences, museums and academia, as well as diverse government, weather forecasting and homeland security applications.

For more on SGI's Reality Center, visit www.sgi.com.

The packs off their backs

In order to help provide local children the tools to succeed, Synopsys is hosting its fourth annual backpack drive. Previous drives have brought as many as 700 backpacks full of school supplies to Mountain View children who wouldn't have them otherwise.

If you'd like to get involved, visit www.synopsys.com for directions to the Synopsys campus and to obtain the list of school supplies that should be included in each pack.

Hammerin' away against homelessness

It is Habitat for Humanity month at Veritas, and the software company is donating construction costs for new homes as well as volunteering the sweat of its employees. Veritas' Habitat for Humanity sponsorship was organized through the Veritas Software Foundation, which is fueled by donations from Veritas Software and its employees.

Approximately 200 Mountain View-based employees have heeded the call to donate their elbow grease since Veritas became involved with the organization almost two years ago.

If you'd like to know more about the Veritas Software Foundation and its projects, visit: www.veritassoftwarefoundation.org.

"MVTech" is a roundup of news from Mountain View's high-tech industry. Please send news items, comments and suggestions to Kristine D. Dworkin at mvvoicetech@yahoo.com.

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