Archive for December, 2011

Fluffy Links – Thursday 29th December 2011

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

A lunch will be held in Chapter One on Monday 30th January 2012. Executive chef Ross Lewis, who cooked for the Queen on her recent visit to Ireland is holding this lunch and all proceeds will come to Barretsown. Tickets are limited, and are priced at €100 per person to include food and wine. Bookings can be made by contacting info@chapteronerestaurant.com

Investment checklist from Dylan Collins. A very very handy checklist.

Monster list from Robin Blandford on areas of data analytics that real companies have real issues with. A whole industry of data play right there for you. Data wizards will be massively valuable in companies in the next few years.

Jersey-shoreification of programming. I’m reminded of some irish people with this.

I like this from Marc Andreessen about online shopping, up to now it’s been very clinical and now at all like the social experience of shopping in a shopping centre or city centre. How do you change that?

The new generation of e-tailers are much more appealing to normal people–people who like to go the mall, have fun with their friends and try on clothes and compare clothes, and go home and brag to their roommate what they got on sale, and all the rest of it. A lot of new startups are not only very viable but also growing very fast because they provide a very different experience.

This ain’t going to help websites at all. Encrypted search results on increase, means a website doesn’t know how they were found…

Atlantic Conference, Ireland 2012.

Speakers at the 2012 conference include Leena Gade, Chief Racing & Test Engineer with Audi Sports, Ward Van Duffel, Managing Director of LEGO® Education Europe Ltd, Tony Hill,Director of the Manchester Museum of Industry & Science … keynote speaker is Carol Lynn Parente, Producer of Sesame Street. The winner of 11 Emmy Awards, Carol Lynn Parente will be talking about Sesame Street’s work to bring STEM education to its young audience.

Read outside your bubble.

the background sound to every nerd’s house

Sunday, December 18th, 2011

24 hours of ambient sound from the Starship Enterprise.

Ban Itchy and Scratchy

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Record sales of violent video games very worrying – Mitchell O’ Connor

Fine Gael TD for Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today described reports of records sales of the new ‘Call of Duty’ video game in the lead up to Christmas as very worrying.

“In a week that saw needless bloodshed, both at home and abroad, the high sales figures of this violent video game are very concerning. Sales are estimated to have generated €1 billion in just 16 days. It is being lauded as the fastest selling entertainment product of all time, ahead of films such as the Harry Potter movies and Avatar.

“I really fear we are entering an age where such violence will be commonplace. Undoubtedly, society has become desensitized to acts of violence. There are a number of reasons for this, but violent video games certainly play a part. Life is precious and such games present people as obstacles and violent acts as having no consequence. Over exposure to such violence, be it in video games or otherwise, can distort reality.”

“Having worked as a teacher and as a principal, I am aware of how impressionable some young adults can be and I think it is really important that rules governing the sale of such games are enforced. I also think it is important that parents are mindful of buying adult games in situations where younger children might gain access to them.
“These video games provide no educational or social benefits. For me, the gift of a book will always provide real and lasting benefit. In Ireland, we are very fortunate to have exceptional authors both for children and adults and we need to support them more. It is also hugely important that literacy levels in this country dramatically improve. The Programme for International Student Achievement (PISA) shows our literacy levels have fallen from 5th in the developed world to 15th.”

ENDS

Fluffy Links – Saturday December 10th 2011

Saturday, December 10th, 2011

12 bottle wine hamper giveaway on Foodfight.ie. Competition closes on the 16th of December.

I’ve been compiling a list of Cork businesses that are on social media. Are you one and not on the list yet? Sign up so.

Lovely idea. Want Steve Blank to teach you about startups? Yes. Ok then. And free? Here you go.

Funky Christmas Jumpers, the app.

Future predictions using the Internet and specifically Twitter.

Get your essential Christmas gadgets.

Silicon Valley and racism. Direct, indirect or otherwise.

Build 3D paper letters from a nifty font.

How do you get more women to tech events?

Very Sonic Youth sounding:
Wye Oak – Holy Holy