Innovation

Impress Media Australia works with a range of innovative Australian companies and individuals. Please read the stories below for details.

Despite a chilly Friday night, diehard Apple fanbois camped overnight in Rundle Mall for Saturday’s opening of Adelaide's first Apple Store.

By 7am, about 100 people were queuing before the glass-fronted store, which has been reported to bear a price tag of $2.5 million - although where that amount of money has gone is hard to fathom.

My son Luke and I joined the excitement at a much more gentile 9.45am, giving us 15 minutes to watch the pre-opening shenanigans as Apple’s so-called Geniuses in their distinctive blue t-shirts jogged around the adoring masses, high-fiving folk on the perimeter.

About 40 minutes later, a rather disgruntled Lukey and I finally made it through the front door, with half a dozen Geniuses on each side, cheering us in, handing out more high fives along with a pair of man-sized black Apple t-shirts (Luke may use his for a tent :-).]

QCamPro founder John ConvillAustralian security expert John Convill today is watching a bright idea he had in 2010 - of a smartphone app that could monitor IP video surveillance cameras - become an international success.

John, the founder and managing director of Vision Security Services, came up with the concept after experience the clunkiness of standard security alarm alerts delivered to his mobile phone. His idea was to link IP cameras with his smartphone’s high-resolution screen to actually “see” what had tripped an alarm.

By April 2012, John’s idea was developed into a product called QCamPro, an iOS app for iPhone and iPad, followed by an Android version in April this year. This brilliant product allows you both to use your smartphone or tablet to both see anyone before the IP video camera and to talk with them in real time.

Today, QCamPro and its associated Event Monitoring Service have received global recognition, making sales to date in more than 58 countries. Already, 18 companies located in eight countries are using QCamPro to provide an Event Monitoring Service to their customers.

John Convill said customers were using QCamPro for everything from apprehending potential thieves and avoiding annoying doorknockers to remotely opening access doors for stock delivery. “It can all be done from your iPad, whether you’re in the actual premises or on the other side of the world,” he said.

Gordon WagnerAdelaide psychologist Gordon Wagner has launched a program of anger management courses for couples, sharing skills to help people build better relationships by overcoming conflict.

An experienced relationship counsellor, Mr. Wagner has designed the 10-hour program, run over five evenings, to transform the way we experience and cope with anger in relationships.

Gordon Wagner said conflict within relationships was typically intense because it arose from our most heartfelt issues. “This program aims to help people redirect the passion that fuels conflict into rebuilding communication, trust and love within the relationship,” he said.

“The lessons from this program are applicable not only to anger in our closest relationships, they can also be applied to many areas of life to improve all of our relationships.”