These are the last few pictures that I've just pulled off the camera. Korea seems an awfully long way away now, even though it is really less than a week.
On the way to the airport. Not sure what the red stuff is
Lottery burgers. Guess which one is for the Microsoft person....
We went to see the Simpson's Movie tonight. It was good, but not great. Around 2 episodes worth of good stuff spread over three episodes worth of time. Worth seeing though, just for some of the one liners. And I'm sure that if I watch it again I'll find a whole new bunch of things to laugh at.
Stephen put me on to this, which seems very appropriate. After some fiddling I came up with a Simpson's version of me which I'm reasonably happy with...
...perhaps because it doesn't look much like me at all.
I'm writing another book. If you want to learn how to program an XBOX 360 using C# and XNA it might be just what you want. You can find out more, and get your hands on the first chapter, here.
Wish me luck....
My biggish camera can take pictures in RAW format. This means that rather than compressing and processing the image data when it takes a picture, the camera simply dumps the output of the photo sensor into a file. It results in rather large files (around 14Mb in my case) for each picture but it does represent the epitome of quality, as you get all the data from the picture. It also means that you can do things like white balance compensation (making sure that things don't look yellow, or blue or whatever) after taking the picture, rather than at the time.
I was taking pictures of Seoul at night, and unsure about the white balance, so I took a few RAW pictures as well. The bad news was that when I got home, I now had to convert them into proper images. Fuji, who made my camera, supply a truly horrid set of programs to do this. They don't work very well on Vista, and I've lost the disks, so I thought I was stuffed. Until I found this.
These folks have written an image decoder for Finepix cameras that does everything I want. It is free and it works. If you want to play with RAW images and get the maximum quality from your camera, you should download the program and have a play.
Raw Seoul
Alan sent me this link. Check out the Steampunk LCD monitor. Wonderful.
In a previous post I mentioned "Planet Imagine Cup". I think that is the best way to regard it. When you go to the finals you enter a strange, parallel universe where everything is posh, the people are all interested in computers and what you are doing with them, living is free and someone makes your bed for you each day.
This means that returning home requires some small amount of adjustment. Fancy having to close your curtains by hand.
Everyone I've spoken to on the planet wants to go back again next year. For us in the UK this is especially interesting, as the world finals are in Paris in 2008. So no nasty jetlag or 25 hour journeys. And if the French know anything, it is how to have a good time....
The theme for the competition next year is "imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment." There are no less than 9 competition strands, including for the first time a game development one. Find out more here.
Today was the say that we had to leave "Planet Imagine Cup" and return to real life. Many thanks to Microsoft for setting up and running this amazing competition.
We got to the airport at just the right time. Found the just the right queue for just the right flight. And were told that the plane was just full. Apparently Air France use this novel technique where they sell more tickets than there are seats on the plane, on the rather strange theory that there are people out there who would spend one and a half thousand pounds on a journey and then not turn up to take it.
The charming lady at the desk told us that this would mean that either:
At the time of telling, the story sounded like a good deal. All we had to do was not make a fuss and return in forty minutes to find out which of the two options were ours. So we went off in search of breakfast and returned all hopeful to find out if it was smoked salmon and posh seats all the way back.
It was not. It was a different flight and later arrivals. By now of course it was impossible to change things, but we were offered some cash compensation and a chance to use the business lounge while we waited for our later plane.
I had the feeling that we had just been "handled" and that the mythical business class upgrade was exactly that. Never mind though, there was still the comfy chairs and free WIFI at the airport to look forward to, to say nothing of the wodge of euros that would soon be ours. Except they wouldn't let us into the lounge...
After a bit of a fight, we got in, connected to the WIFI, had a free drink and a bun and waited for our flight. We were considerably cheered when one of the VIP judges turned out to be on our flight too. If it's OK for him, it's fine for us.
We ended up using Air Korea, who provided excellent customer service and the best range of on-flight entertainment I've ever seen on a plane (even though I watched "Wild Hoggs", which I now know is a move best avoided). And I had leg room.
We got in precisely ten minutes later than our original flight and two of us managed to get our compensation euros as well (although because of another piece of daftness from "La Premiere Airline Francais" one of our party missed out on the cash).
Then it was a mad dash across town to miss the next train back. I finally got into the house at 11:15 after 25 hours traveling. I think I'll sleep tonight..
I feel rather bad about this. Rather than attend the World Fair part of the Imagine Cup awards I instead snuck out and took a trip round Seoul. I'd checked that I wouldn't be needed for anything, and it is rather unlikely that I will get to this wonderful city again in a long while, so it was into a taxi and off to the shopping district.
Taxis in Seoul are ace. They are very inexpensive and very efficient. Some of their drivers can speak English too, which is nice. And they have air conditioning, which is all important.
So, all we had was two bits of paper. One had the name of the shopping district written on it, and the other had the name of the hotel written on it. Both of them contained the only Korean language that we had on us. But at no point did this seem a problem. The sun was out, the people were friendly, and away we went. Of course I had both cameras, and of course I took loads of pictures. Most of them will be up on Flickr later, for now here are a few choice snaps.
We found this little market square area. This is the layout of the stalls.
Then we found ourselves in a video game arcade. This was tucked away in a side street. Even so there were plenty of machines.
Single player
This guy was seriously good
Draw your picture, take a call. That's multi-skilled...
The old and the new
Side street
After spending a few hours happily wandering around and steadily accumulating bits and bobs we found another taxi, gave the driver the other piece of paper and headed back to the hotel. I've got some pictures of the trip, which will appear later.
By the time we got back it was pretty dark, but the air was clear and so it was time to take some night views.
The view from the 11th floor
...and another.
Seoul is wonderful. If you get the chance to go, just go. And take me along too...
I've been thinking about this post. I'm wondering if it makes me seem more brave/stupid than I actually am. We did go off without much backup, but we had made sure that people back at the hotel knew where we were going and when we were due back. We also made sure that all the taxis that we took were proper ones, stayed in sight of each other and never strayed too far off the main streets. My impression is that Seoul is no more dangerous than any big city, but that is not a reason for taking undue chances.
Thailand, Korea and then Jamaica. Wonderful stuff. And Ireland (who were also splendid) were amongst the winners of a special BT award that will help them take their idea even further. The top six teams of the Software Development Challenge all produced entries with genuine "wow" and the standard has been excellent. You can find out more here.
This morning I got to wander round and chat with the entries. I saw quite a few that had been presenting to my group of judges, and lots of other ones which I'd not seen before. There are some very clever people out there. Everyone I talked to was very keen to come back again next year and was asking out ways that they can make their presentations better. I'm going to have a trawl through the comments that I noted down and put out some general points in a later post.
I'd never heard of W hotels before I came to Korea. I have now. This place is amazing. I could (and probably will) devote an entire post to my room. I've no idea how I managed to merit such lavish accommodation, but since it will probably never happen again, I'm making the most of it.
On the way to breakfast you pass this "wooden video wall". A camera in the middle grabs a video frame which is then used to orient thousands of little wooden blocks to show the picture. It does work, and the blocks make a super trickling noise as people walk past and the picture changes. I want to build one.
This is the view from the hotel restaurant. I suspect it looks even better by night. Say hello to Dennis and Nannette.
These are made of logs which have been sliced and fitted together to make art. Amazing.
Sometimes it feels like you've strayed onto the set of a sixties spy movie.
The lift has these amazing hanging lights. They are red when you are going down....
...and green when you are going up.
I'm sure I could get tired of living here. Maybe in 100 years.
Today was the day that the top six contestants in the Imagine Cup Software Development Challenge got to strut their stuff in front of hundreds of students, a bunch of VIP judges and press from all around the world.
And by gum they were good. I was very pleased that a few of the teams that I thought were excellent had made it through to the final. Frankly, I wish they could all get first prize.
Rogerio gets things going
They guy in front of me was certainly on message.....
All the top teams at the end of the auditorium.
Very well done people. Your lives just changed a little bit....
After lunch, and an ice cream, we set off on the next stage of our trip, which was a cruise on the Han river.
All aboard
Apartments
The captain, looking cool in white gloves
This bridge has a name, but I've forgotten it
Do I get any marks for composition?
Once we got off the boat we headed for a market street.
The pastel umbrellas are Imagine Cup students. Bless.
At this point I'm ashamed to say that I deviated a little from the enlightened path of culture when someone mentioned leaving the tour and heading for the electronics district. I'm afraid that I weakened and we headed off for the nearest subway station.
Route Planning
Hmm. Or we could just buy at the window...
Thank heavens I didn't pack my heels..
Not our train.
Tube travel
branded handrail
Now this is what I call a subway station
On the way to the mart
Mobile phones anyone?
Pink is the new black
Component heaven
Gadget happy team
People in Seoul are very obliging. I got the camera out and the guy in the booth instantly struck a pose.
Indeed it is
There is a Marks and Spencer coming soon...
Obligatory taxi shot
... and when we arrived
We found this amazing Italian place for tea. With the most wonderful artwork on the walls.
..and the calzone was wonderful too
Finally we got a taxi back to the hotel (taxis are amazing value here) and staggered into bed.
(This is a very graphics heavy post. And there are literally hundreds more pictures on Flicker if you want to see them)
Today was culture day. So early in the morning we headed off to the Seoul Museum of History in a bus with very funky ceiling
Rather sadly it was raining heavily, but fortunately we had each been provided with an umbrella. When we got to the museum they had set up a super little machine which provides you with a little bag to put your wet umbrella in, which was very cute.
Students in search of culture (shurely shome mishtake?)
The museum was great, although we didn't really have time to do it justice. In Europe we like to lord it over our American cousins, because we have stuff which is hundreds, nay thousands of years older than most of the history that they've got. Well, the Koreans have got us beat hands down. On the evidence of the museum they were building rich and complex civilizations whilst us brits were living in caves and running around painted blue.
Next stop was Gyeong Bok Gung. This is a royal palace of the Jaseon Dynasty (it says here). All I know is that it was fantastic, and I got some lovely pictures.
Mist on the mountains
The team with their new best friend
Courtyard
Perhaps my favourite picture so far
I don't know what they are, but they look nice
After the palace we moved on to Bibimbob Olympic Stadium for lunch.
Big place....
The food was prepared in an enormous wok, big enough for the chef to actually get into.
I cooking with a step ladder...
Then some of the competitors were invited to have a stir with the biggest wooden spoons I've ever seen.
Stirring stuff
While we waited for the food too cook the Egyptian team managed amazing feats of balance...
Big Wok Lunch
Now, anyone who knows me well will have encountered my massive conservatism where food is concerned. I'm just not adventurous when it comes to eating habits. Steak and chips is about as exotic as I get most of the time. Having said that, I did my best and Matt Steeples from our team managed to excel himself by just about clearing his plate. Then it was on to the boat trip.
It is now Wednesday morning. Except that it isn't where you are reading this. Probably. Because of the time difference thingy I find that I'm in tomorrow, whereas the readers of this might blog not be. Until you catch up of course.
Very confusing, and yet somehow appropriate for Korea. I've had time to take a few happy snaps around the place.
Korean ganja fizzy grape juice.....
...with Korean ingredients (I wonder which one is sugar?)
the longest bar in South Korea. So they say.
Future phone, and a more traditional one
What we are here for
We are going out today (or is that tomorrow) for some culture. I hope that too much doesn't rub off on me. I'll post some more pictures from the future later.
Korea is an amazing place. I know we are getting 90% posh hotel and 10% Korea, but it is still amazing. Tomorrow we take a break from the competition and go for a look around Seoul, so that will be a chance to try and see what the real place is like.
For me, formal involvement in the Imagine Cup 2007 is pretty much over. Today, after a very intense but hugely enjoyable set of judging rounds I've completed my duties. In all I've sat through 22 team presentations, and I've enjoyed every one. I've a whole bunch of comments for each team and I plan to go round and try to have a chat with each at the World Fair at the end of the week.
Sadly,"The Seedlings" are also out of the competition. I've not seen their final presentation but I do know how hard they have worked and how much they put into their entry. Very well done guys for getting this far. It is a perhaps a bit of a cliche to say that "Nobody leaves the competition empty handed" but, in terms of the value of the experience and the way that having taken part in will change their lives, I reckon that for the Imagine Cup it is definitely true.
"The Seedlings" - Master of Complications all
I've got a garden shed full of respect for you guys, and your mentor from Black Marble, Robert Hogg. (You must come round and get it soon - I can't reach the lawn mower).
First day of judging today. I've watched 9 presentations in the Software Development category of the Imagine Cup. Wonderful stuff. So many keen people with the nerve to stand up in front of an audience and make their pitch.
I think I get involved with these things as a kind of assurance. I want to be able to convince myself that the future is in capable hands. Well, on today's evidence it is. Well done people.
I was a bit nervous, since I've never judged at one of these events before. Fortunately, thanks to detailed briefing, being in pool with a bunch of great judges and the fact that I've had a bit of a practice at this kind of thing in my time at Hull it all went swimmingly.
If you want to pick up some presentation tips you can find some words of wisdom here.
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....
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.
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.
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.....
Rob Miles is technology author and educator who spent many years as a lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Hull. He is also a Microsoft Developer Technologies MVP. He is into technology, teaching and photography. He is the author of the World Famous C# Yellow Book and almost as handsome as he thinks he is.
