Archive for January, 2011

Rob Hanna & the group listening to industry presentations

Rob Hanna from the Ramblers Cymru commented ” It’s not often I leave an event feeling chipper! But I did after
attending the Inventorium innovation camp”

“No we did not light fires by rubbing sticks together but I did pick up some really useful tips on innovation development and some really useful contacts. The engagement process is sound and reminds me of some work I did a few years ago with Nottingham university. I was so inspired by the Innovation Concept, I contacted VisitWales new digital tourism programme manager and suggested it would make a useful pre application event to assist with sifting ideas which have no legs!”

Professor Khalid Al-Begain will introduce the latest development in communications and a new concept of Digital Marketplace of Services that could characterise Web 3.0/Telco3.0 era otherwise known as future Internet. Free – University of Glamorgan Event to be held 26th January 5.15 to 7pm at Treforest Campus, Pontypridd. More details www.softwarealliancewales.com.

On a sunny day in Aberystwyth Inventorium ran the second Mobile Apps Workshop in Wales, 14 participants joined us at Technium Aberystwyth to generate new ideas for mobile apps. To start the day the participants, who came from academia, tourism, craft making, web design/development and government, were given a series of presentations from industry professionals to set the scene.  Jonathan Jones-Morris of Surgery Digital Art Research described smart phones as the “Swiss Army Knife of the future”; he talked about the different smart phone platforms in use and discussed some of the most successful apps currently available. The second presentation was from Darren Morris of App Bits who talked about the best way to go about designing a mobile app and developing an appropriate user interface, Darren also advised on some of the ways to “set your app apart”. Martin Owen, Inventorium, closed the presentation session with by describing the current apps market and how mobile apps can help businesses.

The next stage of the workshop focussed on idea generation – participants were divided into teams and played a modified version of Inventorium Poker, the aim being to generate as many ideas as possible. The teams then selected two or three ideas to turn into posters to be presented to the room. These ideas included:

Letter App – a handwriting/new languages app

Appt App – a real-time appointment app

Are We Nearly There Yet? – a children’s travel entertainment app

Wildlife – a wildlife location monitoring app

I-Friend – an augmented reality game

Pocket Money Monitor – a tool to distribute and monitor children’s pocket money

Eat The View – a local produce app

On Set – a historic places role play app

I-PLOD – a health activity app

Following a 2 minute presentation on each, the ideas were voted on by the group, new teams were then formed to add details to the idea and consider strengths and weaknesses and possible stakeholders. The final activity was to create and film a 30 second advert which sold the app; this was a fun and challenging activity and a great way to end the session.

The day closed with a presentation from Caroline Thompson, Business Liaison Manager, Inventorium, who described the next steps for moving the ideas forward and how to further engage with Inventorium.

More information about the ideas can be found in the ideas section of the website and people who would like to join ideas can do so there.

The group listening to industry presentations

Voting on ideas

Discussing an idea

A game designed by a 14-year-old boy has topped the iTunes worldwide free app charts. Robert Nay, from Utah in the USA, created Bubble Ball, a “physics puzzle game” for Apple devices. He learned how to code the game from a library book, after a friend’s dad suggested he try to make an app.

The game is based around trying to get a bubble into a goal

On 19 January, Bubble Ball had been downloaded two million times and is number one free App. It is even ahead of the free version of top game Angry Birds.

Virgin Media Business have reported that Welsh organizations measure technology and how it can improve their business. Many are investing in technology to help them become a trailblazer in industry and be more tech savvy.  500 businesses were surveyed and 23% said it allowed them to operate more efficiently and provided new markets. Paul Lawrence, Head of Business markets said “it is so easy for businesses to look at cutting costs in austere times but the technology available meant nearly 1 in 4 were innovative”

WAG has a target for Next Generation Broadband for businesses by mid 2016 and aim to deliver a first class digital infrastructure through out Wales. Industry information day and meet fellow professionals at Cardiff City Stadium on 26th January at 9.30

The Big Chip Awards, open to businesses excelling in the use of digital technology, are back and this year have an international award. All Wales and Ireland Businesses please note that the closing date is 7th March. The growth of the Big Chip Awards celebrates how forward thinking digital companies and creative agencies are creating the technology that will define our future. Visit http://www.bigchipawards.com/awards/

The Inventorium team are looking for technical experts, developers, graphic/web designers and key individuals in education, entertainment, environment, health and tourism to attend the next series of Mobile Apps workshops which will take place on the 18^th January at Technium Aberystwyth on the 22^nd February at Trinity College, Carmarthen.  “It is important to get a good mix of people on the day. You may not be a ‘Techie’ but have a wealth of experience you could share.  Please look at our website for more information, and to register your interest” says Caroline Thompson, Business Liaison Manager for the Inventorium project.

“Mobile phone technology is changing rapidly and we are here to help businesses and the public sector to understand and harness this new technology,” says Caroline.

During the workshop day many mobile app ideas are generated and teams choose to expand and develop ideas they feel passionate about.  “It is important to join in, the day is very ‘hands on’ and you will be expected to think on your feet and freely contribute,” says Caroline.

“Everything is becoming digitally based so it’s important to keep up with this fast changing market and utilise the technology to drive tourism businesses in Wales.  Apps are a key part of this new phenomenon so it’s important for all sectors of the tourism industry to work together to harness new technology to keep Wales ahead of the game,” said Carole Stratin, Tourism Partnership North Wales, who attended the recent North Wales Mobile Apps Workshop which was held in Bangor.

Additionally Inventorium will be holding a Tourism workshop in Bluestones, Pembrokeshire on the 1^st February to look at how digital technologies can be utilised to maximise the tourism potential of Wales.

To register please visit the events section of the website.

Caroline Thompson, Business Liaison Manager at the Inventorium project joins in at the recent North Wales Mobile App Workshop

Carole Startin from Tourism Partnership North Wales said, who attended the recent North Wales Mobile App Workshop

Workshop team pool ideas at the recent North Wales Mobile App Workshop

Change often happens as a ‘pull response’ by market forces triggered for example by: an economic downturn, unexpected natural disasters, local outbreaks of disease such as Foot & Mouth, new tourist profiles as population age and wealth concentrations change, but most often by leaps in technology.

The travel industry is renowned for constantly changing. It segments into overseas and UK-based tourism. Inevitably overseas tourism is driven with ‘push agendas’ with industry operators focusing on: packages for new destinations, a new trend for bespoke adventure itineraries, budget airlines opening up new accessible destinations in Europe, promoting city-break attractions etc. UK-based tourism is similar, only with local perspectives. The Future of Tourism event focused on tourism in Wales and our delegates reflected the importance of the workshop, coming from diverse interests such as: local Tourist or Food enterprises, Arts and Culture and Environment and Heritage organisations, Digital Technologists, Tourism Communities, and people seeking to start a new enterprise or expand their current activity.

Over 50 people registered and 42 people attended the busy workshop in Llandudno Junction on 16th November 2010. Martin Owen spoke at the start, introducing ideas on niche markets. Technology has given the individual tourist more choice and control by increasing awareness of options, access to shopping around to take advantage of real competition, and importantly, access to information about destinations and a range of activities which might suit families, young people or mature tourists.

Innovation in local tourism is vital to the lifeblood of Wales and its local economy. The agenda for the day was explicit: to find innovative ways to address four key questions using digital technologies for maximising Wales’s assets. The four questions were:

• How will tomorrow’s customer choose their holiday?

• What will be there for them to choose?

• How will they make their buying decision?

• Why choose Wales?

The questions were addressed through a combination of a talk by keynote presenter Ed Parsons a Geospatial Technologists from Google, discussion groups and practical idea generation activities led by the Inventorium Team. Issues specifically addressed were: increasing revenue and promoting delegates’ tourist businesses, reducing the effects of seasonality, using new geographical locative web and mobile technologies to enhance visitor experience, and enhancing visitor service information and reservation facilities. Ed used many examples to illustrate his points. One suggestion was linking renowned artefacts now in national museums with their local origins to expand tourist interest. A good case is the Mold Cape, presently on display in the British Museum in London and recently featured in the BBC’s British Museum project “A History of the World in 100 Objects”. The Cape’s extraordinary workmanship and uniqueness reflected an artistically sophisticated Bronze Age society living in the Mold area nearly 4,000 years ago. Whilst the workshop focused on innovative technology applied to tourism in Wales, some delegates with business interests or ideas beyond the borders, were thinking hard about widening their view to the bigger more lucrative possibilities of overseas tourism.