RIT Information Technology Faculty Helps Develop Breakthrough Software

New CD-ROM Gets High Marks from Macworld Magazine


New CD-ROM software using breakthrough technology developed with information technology faculty at Rochester Institute of Technology recently received high marks from Macworld magazine.

The "dual-format" CD-ROM software, Break It, Fix It, Ride It 1.0, which offers help with mountain bike repair and maintenance, received a rating of 4.5 out of five.

Working with the Rochester firm Break It, Fix It, Ride It Inc. and sister firm Anabasis Software, RIT information technology faculty members Nancy Doubleday, Stephen Jacobs, Steve Kurtz and Elouise Oyzon and co-op student Jeff Driscoll developed interface design and software tools for the interactive, multimedia CD-ROM.

Macworld praises it for its comprehensiveness, "friendly and highly intuitive" interface, ease of navigation ("a breeze"), tutorial and price. Describing it as a "toolkit in a CD," the magazine’s review says, "Break It, Fix It, Ride It . . . is one of the most practical and worthwhile investments for the mountain bike enthusiast"—even for those whose biking takes them no farther than an urban park.

The software, the first project for the companies, was unveiled at the International Bicycle Expo, Sept. 30–Oct. 3 in Las Vegas. A second version, for road bikes, is scheduled for release next April.

"We’re really happy with this first product and we expect to involve RIT co-op students in more projects as we move forward," says RIT assistant professor of information technology, Stephen Jacobs.

Also at the Expo, Break It, Fix It, Ride It Inc. and Eastman Kodak Co.’s Digital and Applied Imaging unit announced a new partnership to integrate Kodak’s programmable CD-ROM technology into digital multimedia marketing and training projects. The alliance is expected to lead to the production of bicycle-specific CD-ROM manuals that can be activated by bicycle manufacturers after bicycle sales.

Jeff Sonstein, RIT assistant professor of information technology, is working with Anabasis Software to develop next-generation software tools that enable developers to edit or reuse content efficiently and inexpensively for instructional multimedia.

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Note: Break It, Fix It, Ride It 1.0 is available for Macintosh and Windows computers. It retails for $29.95.

For more information, visit www.bfr-it.com. To read the complete Macworld review, visit www.macworld.com/2001/11/reviews/breakfixride.html.


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