Semantic Technology Conference 2009

Over the last two days, I spent my time at the Semantic Technology Conference 2009 in San Jose, CA. I was fortunate to be in the area and managed to get a free exhibit pass AND managed to get my manager to allow me to skip work. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the emerging Semantic Web, network with the key visionaries in the area, and finally provide an answer to myself to a question that hasn't been clear lately: What value does the Semantic Web and related technologies provide to the end user in the short term and long term? I will try to provide a simple answer for now (as it is easy to get lost in the technical jargon out there): The world is becoming increasingly data-driven and your data is adding to this transformation. The Semantic Web is about making your data more valuable as this transformation to an information driven environment takes place. There it is. Simple.

I will be blogging more about my findings and thoughts in this area as time allows.

MIT/Stanford Venture Lab - Mobile Computing Event

Today, I tagged along with a good friend of mine at work to an event at Stanford University sponsored by the MIT/Stanford Venture Lab. We had just found about the event that very day and were disappointed to see it was sold out. But we went anyways and realized we could "volunteer" our way in. We signed up as volunteers and had access to a huge dinner and an event with valuable information and fantastic people! Our job was simply to collect and recycle all the plastic name tags at the end of the event. Not a bad deal.

It was related to the future of mobile computing from applications, mobile operating systems, hardware needs, and venture capital outlooks and business models -- http://www.vlab.org/article.html?aid=275. It was a great opportunity to network with developers, VCs, and some big corporate representatives including VP of Developer Marketing at Palm and Blackberry Director of Developer Relations at RIM. And not to mention the free food :)

I am looking forward to future VLAB events this summer!