The Big M review – Future innovations in mobile technology
Over 200 mobile professionals and developers gathered in Bath for the Big M conference on Monday, looking at a range of key issues for the mobile industry.
David Simpson has written a great review here: http://davidsimpson.me/2011/03/23/the-big-m-conference-bath/ and highlights Paul Golding’s presentation on future innovations.
Paul, the lead Innovation Architect and CEO of Wireless Wanders in Swindon, is a great example of the strength of the region – he has been on the leading edge of the mobile industry for 20 years, defining, designing and implementing many new products and services. He is the inventor of the first ever mobile internet portal (Zingo), designed for Lucent Technologies in 1997 and developed further for NTT DoCoMo in 1998. He was recently consulting as Motorola‘s Chief Applcations Architect and now resides at O2 as a founder member of “The Lab,” which is an “intrapreneurial” venture to exploit new business opportunities using Web start-up methodologies. He also founded the O2 Incubator. He is also a mentor in the Springboard Incubator program.
His presentation from the Big M is here and well worth a read: http://www.slideshare.net/pgolding/big-m-conference-future-mobile-innovations
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Bristol hosts its first Wiki Academy
Image via CrunchBase
When: Saturday 19 March 2011 from 10am
Where: Room 1.06, Merchant Venturers School of Engineering, Woodland Road, University of Bristol, BS8 1UB
The first Wiki Academy in Bristol is being held tomorrow at the Bristol University School of Engineering with a range of volunteer speakers, including Steve Virgin, a member of the Wikimedia UK board. The Academy is using a room with a networked Windows PC and Powerpoint and will make the slides available online afterwards. Use of slides isn’t mandatory: talk through the relevant WP pages if that’s more informative.
The Academy looks at the different ways to use Wikipedia and includes a discussion on microgrants. The agenda for the day is here
iPad app helps optical tweezers
Optics researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Glasgow have developed an iPad application for accurate, easy and intuitive use of optical tweezers.
Optical tweezers are used to manipulate tiny particles through the use of highly focused laser beams and are at the heart of much molecular biology. The team of researchers overcame the limitations of computer mouse and joy-stick controlled systems by designing of an iPad app to make it much easier to manipulate multiple particles in more directions.
The new multi-touch-based application allows researchers a clear representative 3D view of particle systems and offers a range of techniques, like pinching the screen or tilting the iPad, for moving single and multi-particles left and right, up and down, and to rotate them.
Due to the iPad’s wireless capability, the app will also help with regards laser safety and avoiding experiment contamination.
“Our iPad-based interface allows intuitive control of a holographic optical tweezers system using a dedicated application on the iPad and a modified version of our tweezers’ control software running on a host PC,” said the researchers in their paper published today. “The interface is responsive and easy to use, so even inexperienced users can trap particles, move them around and translate the microscope stage.”
SW innovators at heart of £18m digital collaboration project
The government is to invest £7 million in strategic research and development projects and ground-breaking trials to improve co-operation between infrastructure providers, content producers, users and software developers including key innovators in the South West.
Bristol research group 3C Research, computer giant HP, The Met Office in Exeter and we7 in Oxford are all part of the Collaboration Across Digital Industries (CADI) scheme run by the Technology Strategy Board.
The investment follows a competition for funding managed by the TSB which sought to encourage new collaborations between people and organisations from areas of the online world that are looking for better ways to cooperate in delivering digital services. The collaborators in each project will address two or more of three major challenges – developing an internet trusted by users, evolving hardware and software infrastructure, and proving new business models for digital content and services.
“Co-operation between infrastructure providers, content producers, users and software developers is vital if we are to extract true economic value from the Internet,” asid Nick Appleyard, the Technology Strategy Board’s Head of Digital. “Such innovative, collaborative thinking will help to create a world-leading platform for UK business in the future and will allow the UK’s digital economy to grow and thrive.”
Other companies running project include AIMES Grid Services CIC, Avanti Communications, Cybula, Mirriad, Steepest Ascent and Totally Radio. The total value of all the projects, including contributions by the industrial partners involved, is £13.75 million.
The CADI funding competition will see a total of £18 million invested by the Technology Strategy Board over 12 months with a second round of funding will open in March 2011.
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SW hosts Sustainable Design conference
A landmark conference on Sustainable Design and what it means for their business and industry as a whole is being held in the SouthWest. It will be a key opportunity for designers, businesses and the public sector to fully understand what sustainable design is, how it can be harnessed, how design professionals can extract maximum benefit from it, and how to communicate this value to clients.
The Somerset Design Enterprise Network is hosting the Sustainable Business by Design conference on 22nd March 2011, at Somerset College, run in association with the Creative Industries iNet and also funded by The Design Programme, Design Council, Somerset Design Enterprise Network, South West Design Forum, Arts Council, ADK Design, Business Link and Exeter College.
Speaking at the event will be a range of industry experts, including David Kester, Chief Executive of the Design Council, and Mark Shayler, Design Advisor & Eco-Designer, as well as Lynne Elvins, a Design Consultant and Advisor on Sustainable Innovation and John Boult, Associate Professor Design Strategy at Brunel University and Designer.
“Somerset & the South West has a vibrant business and design community, and its clear that early adoption of sustainability can provide a competitive advantage and offer commercial opportunities,” said Andrew Knutt, Chair of the Somerset Design Enterprise Network. “Design plays a key role in helping industry achieve this and our ‘Sustainable Business by Design’ programme will explore and demonstrate how organisations can improve their brands, products, processes and services.”
To register attendance and find out more information please visit www.sustainable-design-uk.com.
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