Teknovis

I have been threatening for ages to write-up some thoughts on Mobile World Congress, but at this stage I am writing less than I originally planed, and much later than originally planed! However, it is better late than never!

Mobile World Congress

The major themes this year (based upon walking around) appeared to be:

• Virtual Reality: This was probably the biggest new area, and there were many impressive demonstrations!
• Phone Cameras: Lots of advancements here, and I think that the smart phone manufacturers are finding new ways to differentiate themselves (e.g., dual lenses, dual pixels)
• Wearables: Nothing here really impressed me!
• Connected Vehicles: Every large stand had some sort of vehicle present, although very few actually needed them present!
• 5G: There was very little about 5G, which was a surprise to me!

Perhaps the show has peaked in technical terms, and it is becoming more focused on consumer products!

Some other non-technical thoughts that struck me were:

• I did not see a single booth babe!
• I think that there were less local university students than in previous years promoting products that they did not understand!
• Local model makers probably did good business!

Mobile World Congress Models

I live tweeted photos and thoughts during the event, and you can view these on my Twitter feed.

Tags: Mobile World Congress, Spain

The 6th National Data Protection Conference is taking place in Dublin next week. I do not know if there are still places available!

It looks interesting, but it is not really my area.

The ISA is organising an interesting event later this week – ISA Techbrew – When Your Market is not Big Enough, Reinvent and Grow.

It look interesting, and if time permits then I will be there!

Somebody told me about the Maker Faire Dublin today. It is probably best described on About:

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, artists, science clubs, students, authors, and commercial exhibitors. They are of all ages and backgrounds. Maker Faire’s mission is to entertain, inform, connect and inspire these thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers.

It seems like an interesting event, and there are some good people and organisations involved in it!

Enterprise Ireland are hosting an event this week relating to software for smart energy meters. Full details are available in New Niche – Software Apps for Smart Energy Meters (EI Event).

Tags: Enterprise Ireland

Morning!

Registration for the Irish Collegiate Programming Contest (IrlCPC) opened a few minutes ago!

It sounds like a really good event, and this year it is being held in UCC.  (Interestingly, last year’s photos show that the attendees all look exactly like the stereotypes you would associate with such an event. That is a pity in terms of trying to broaden its appeal!)

Tags: UCC

Smart Futures is an initiative designed to encourage students to pursue careers in technology.

Smart Futures is a national campaign for second-level students in Ireland highlighting career opportunities in information and communications technology (ICT) in association with e-Skills Week 2012. It includes a digital content competition, an online careers fair from 23-27 January 2012, and regular updates on our blog about the sector, career stories and competitions.

It is a really good idea, and I think that it is very necessary! There are some very well known companies behind it, including Cisco, Ericsson, HP, Microsoft, Openet, SAP.

Tags: Cisco, Ericsson, HP, Microsoft, Openet, SAP

Dublin Beta is on next Monday evening. It seems like a great idea, although I think that tickets are over-priced!