Teknovis

I attended the Nevo Electric Vehicle Show recently, and I took some phone photos while I was there. I was going to post them on Mastodon, but then I thought that I would add some commentary to them and post them here. Also, it has been a while since I posted here!

I enjoy electric cars, but I should state up-front that I am not really a car enthusiast. Actually, I do very little driving in a typical week! So I doubt that I will be sharing any insightful opinions here!

First and foremost, the show was excellent! Well done to the organisers!

I was there early in the day, so it was comfortable walking around, and I was able to get into every car that interested me without having to wait for more than one person in front of me.

However, I heard that it was uncomfortable busy in the afternoon.

Without a doubt, the vehicle that most captured my attention was the Kia EV9. IT was my first time to see it in-person, and I thought that it looked even more impressive in reality!

If I was allowed to take any vehicle home from the show, and I then I to drive it for the next two years, then I would select the EV9!

There was a very impressive Land Rover Defender just inside the main door. It looked great, but I do not think that it was a production model. Actually, I do not even know who was displaying it there!

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I think that the busiest stand that I saw was the BYD stand. It is not the type of vehicle that I like driving, but it looked extremely impressive. The outside looked very streamlined and refined, and the finish of the inside was very comfortable.

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Indeed, one of my main take-aways from the show was the bright cabin finishes and glass ceilings really makes a vehicle feel far more spacious.

In complete contrast, the VW ID.4 continues to underwhelm me. (I have been in it many times.) It looks great on the outside, but I think that the interior looks and feels uncoordinated. I really dislike the seat covers!

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I saw the Jeep Avenger for the first time. This really looked like a fun vehicle!

I loved the bright yellow finish, but I really think that this colour works best in a sunny climate!

Mercedes had (at leat two electric vehicles there. I thought that they both looked very bland and old-fashioned on the outside.

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However, I liked the contoured interior of the EQE.

It was my first time to see the MG ZS. I do not know a lot about this car, but I thought that it looked well!

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It was also my first time to sit in a Volvo C40. I have seen this car on the roads many times, and I like how it looks. However, I was disappointed by its interior. It was too dark, and it felt very small.

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Polestar was also there, but I really do not understand why Polestar and Volvo are separate brands. I thought that the Polestar 3 was nice, but nothing special. However, I thought that it was far too expensive!

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Tesla had a Model 3 and a Model Y there. I have been in both of these cars several times and I really dislike them. The interior looks cheap and unfinished, and I hate the Tesla associations. More importantly, I know a few people that bought ones and they either had to bring the car several times to get minor things fixed (e.g., rainwater accumulating inside the real light housing), or in an extreme case demanding a replacement car.

Porsche had a Taycan there. It looked nice, but it is really not my type of vehicle.

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Nissan had the Leaf and Ariya there. I am familiar with the Leaf, but I had never seen the Ariya before the show. I was very impressed and surprised with it. I liked that it was noticeably more spacious than the Leaf, and I also thought that the interior finish was far superior to the inter finish of the Leaf.

There were two brands that were not there – Audi and Cupra. This was a pity, because I was interested in seeing their offerings.

Tags: Audi, BYD, Cupra, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Mastodon, Mercedes, MG, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Tesla, Volvo, VW

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!

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!

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!