Jetlagged Software

I'm trying a new trick to deal with jetlag. The name of the game is "get enough sleep to stay sane". This means that if I find myself wide awake at, say 2:00 am in the morning, the trick is to go with the flow, work on something for a little while and then go back to bed.

Snag is, this means that I need something to do in the time. So I've decided to start writing silly software in this situation. I've written a daft little application that I'm now using in Korea on the wonderful Smartphone (which gives me another advantage for the device - if I find something I need to make it do, I can just write a program).

You can find out more here.

Note: I nearly bought "jetlaggedsoftware.com" to go with the product but in the end I backed off. Perhaps I'm (gulp) growing up....

Welcome to Jetlagged Software

What do you do when you wake up at 2:00 am in a strange (but wonderful) hotel in South Korea? You write software for two hours of course.

At least that's what I do.

Last night I wrote a little mobile application to solve a couple of problems that I have at the moment. I need to know the time in Korea, the UK and California, so I know when to get in touch with various people.  Also I wanted a quick way of converting from the Korean currency (the won) to the pound and back again.

So, here is the first "Jetlagged Software" product. You  can run it on any Windows Mobile device which has the Compact Framework Version 2.0 or later.

You can download the compiled code from here. Just unzip it and copy the executable onto your mobile device if you happen to have the same strange needs as me.....

I'll post the source later.

Imagine Cup 2007 Launch

I feel a bit of a fraud. I'm here at the Imagine Cup Finals in Seoul, in the poshest hotel I've ever stayed in (the room itself is worthy of a whole bunch of pictures - and it will get them) and all I have to do is watch some student presentations and write down how good I think they are.

I was lucky enough to go to the world finals last year in India, and they were incredible. The place and the people combined to give a once in a lifetime experience. And here I am again in the same position, but as a judge this time. I wonder if this means I'm getting two lifetimes?

We given a warm welcome when we arrived and that has continued right through the day. The organization has  been faultless and, like last year, everyone you meet is determined to do everything they can to make this a special occasion.

Imagine Cup 2007 Welcome Reception

Things got formally under way with a welcome reception. Joe and the rest of the team set the scene for the next few days. Wednesday looks like a particular highlight, with all kinds of cultural events planned, ending with dinner with the mayor.

Joe Wilson gets the party started...

 When a student competition is invited to eat with the mayor of a city of over 10 million you know you are in the middle of something special.

Competition proper starts tomorrow, with teams from the 100 countries taking part getting down to the serious stuff. The Seedlings will begin their progress through the Software Development Challenge with a presentation tomorrow.    

Gadget Trip

What do you do if you are in a strange city thousands of miles from home, you've had two hours sleep over the last day and you take twenty seconds to answer a hard question like "How are you?"

Well, we went gadget shopping. Having checked in, grabbed some food (in the most amazing place - pictures tomorrow) and sorted out a few bits and bobs we boarded bus "B" to the Techno-Mart. Apparently this is not the biggest one - only 10 floors of hardware -  but it is pretty darned huge. Think Harrods but with technology and you are about there. Although, unlike Harrods, there are actually lots of individual traders in there  - we saw a huge number of somewhat identical displays of hundreds of cameras.

The place to be

10 floors.

After a while we found two solid floors of computer stuff; including brand new, original copies of Windows 98. I wonder how many of them they sell a day...

These girls were outside. No idea what they were selling, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Sculpture

Seoul street

View from Bus B

Street corner

After an hour the jetlag was really getting to everyone and we staggered out onto the bus again. And I had bought nothing. I'm so proud of myself. Lots of tempting toys and and the credit card stayed firmly in the wallet.

But we are here for the next few days. And I know where it is.....

And So to Seoul

(For the next few days you are going to get some graphics heavy posts. But I hope you like the pictures people...... There are even more on Flickr.

We took off from Heathrow on time, which was nice.

Name that town, and win a prize

Leaving the White Cliffs of Dover behind...

La Belle France. Look closely to spot cars driving on the wrong side of the road....

The team make some last minute changes

Very cute airport terminal at Paris

Cactus at Seoul airport

We all wanted a go on this

Boarding the bus

The team on the poshest bus I've ever been on

Nice Bridge

Amusements

Riverside

Shiny building

Why we are here. I'm off for lunch now, more later