Aviation firm snaps up $30k as first recipient of Manawatu export scheme

There’s a new innovation scheme in town, and a Palmerston North aviation company has been awarded $30,000 in funding as the first recipient of a new government programme dedicated to the Manawatu. The Ministry of Science and Innovation is working with Bio Commerce Centre and Vision Manawatu to develop relationships with SMEs with export potential.

The grant means Hawkeye UAV Limited, a provider of unmanned aircraft (UAV) used in aerial survey and reconnaissance, can finish developing an ultra‐lightweight, remotely controlled aircraft to be used for collecting information on land formation. This would then be used to produce 3D terrain data for GIS analysis, a process known as photogrammetry, which Canadian and European entities have already expressed interest in.

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US dairy giant to join Fonterra’s dairy auction platform

On the back of falling dairy commodity prices, a major US player is joining Fonterra’s Global Dairy Trade auction platform as the site opens up to outside sellers. Dairy America will start selling skim milk products on Global Dairy Trade from October 4, and expand its offerings over time. In a statement, the companies said the agreement would see the single largest US provider of milk powder joining the single largest provider of globally-traded dairy products.

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Apple unleashes new products, kills off MacBook

Apple’s much anticipated release of Mac OS X Lion coincided with the launch of its updated MacBook Air—and the discontinuation of its original entry-level laptop. The company is riding high on the back of record sales, profit and stock prices and Lion, the latest version of the Mac operating system, is expected to increase interest in Apple products. Its refreshed Airs boast faster Intel processors, backlit keyboards and new Thunderbolt data ports, and Apple hinted at the impending launch of a 27-inch Thunderbolt Display.

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Wellington’s Aptimize snapped up by Californian outfit

Not so long ago Devonport-based Litmos announced plans to move to Silicon Valley after its acquisition; now Wellington’s Aptimize is headed the same way. Bought by IT firm Riverbed Technology (flush after a particularly good quarter, Riverbed picked up a British tech company at the same time), Aptimize’s 10 staff will now relocate to San Francisco.

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Innovation of the day: The electric fence

It all began in the 1930s, in New Zealand, no less, when Bill Gallagher cleverly set up an electric circuit to charge the car that Joe the Horse was using as a scratching post. Presumably Joe the Horse didn’t use the car as a scratching post for very much longer.

Do you have an innovation to share? Enter the Innovator Awards and you may be up in lights.

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