Month: August 2018

Digital Trust 2018 – Wellington – 30 August 2018

What

Digital Trust in 2018 – what do they know about you?

Have you ever wondered about how companies such as Google manage your information – and how you can get more control? And how secure is your bank information? And that’s just you as an individual – what about the organisations that you work for – how do you ensure that your customers feel they are safe when dealing with you?

We’ve pulled together an evening event where you can hear from the experts about these things. Our main keynote speaker is Ross Young from Google will talk about what they store but also about how to know more about that information.

Ross will join us for a panel with Serena Chen, from BNZ Digital who will offer her perspective of security online, and Ben Creet, Policy manager at InternetNZ

I can promise you that this evening will be enlightening and you’ll come away with a better sense of what’s happening when you interact online.

More about Ross : Born and bred in Wellington, Ross manages public policy for Google in New Zealand. After completing degrees in psychology and law, he worked in the public and private sectors in New Zealand and overseas – including the BBC, Vodafone Australia, Minority Rights Group International and the Commerce Commission. He lives in Wellington with his husband and exuberant 7 year old daughter.

Serena Chen is a product designer building frameworks at BNZ Digital. She is an ex-physicist/mathematician, teen magazine founder, and hacker at heart. She believes deeply in using technology to build a kinder, fairer, and better world.

Creeture (aka Ben Creet) is a policy analyst, technology geek and cybersecurity professional who has a dayjob with InternetNZ doing Internet policy stuff. Ben is a member of the New Zealand Internet Task Force, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s Reference Group, InternetNZ, a part time Master of Strategic Studies student at Victoria University of Wellington and an national expert on vulnerability disclosure policy. A tabletop & xbox gamer, a football fan and a NatSec nerd, Ben is mostly importantly parent/pack-leader to #LilCreeture, #LittlestCreeture and #CreeturePup.

Please note: The event opens at 5.00pm with the formal parts of the evening getting underway at 5.30pm.

When and Where

Thursday 30 August 2018
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

InternetNZ,
Level 11, 80 Boulcott Street. Wellington

How Much

Free. Please register here.

More

Event on TUANZ and Eventbrite.
Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand  (TUANZ)

Gitting Good with Git – Auckland – 23 August 2018

What

North Shore .NET User Group regularly meets every 3rd or 4th Thursday each month at Massey University Albany Campus.

Regular tech talks focused on Microsoft Technologies and skills relevant to developers working with Microsoft .NET.

Marcus Bristol (a Senior Engineer at Pushpay) will peek under the hood and give us all an idea of how git works under the covers.

This understanding will help us be better equipped to recover when things go wrong.

When and Where

5:45pm – 7:30pm
23 August 2018

MBS 2.15 Flexible Learning Room
Massey University
Albany
Auckland

How Much

Free

More

North Shore .NET User Group
Gitting Good with Git Meetup

Canterbury Tech Summit – Christchurch – 12 September 2018

What

The annual CanterburyTech Summit is the preeminent industry event of the year for the tech sector. This one-day conference hosts national and international speakers as well as a trade show area. The Tech Summit offers both aspirational and educational content and allows attendees to learn about new technology developments, have insight into success stories, and explore new business opportunities. The event also provides plenty of opportunity to network and share views, problems, and solutions with others working in your field.

Keynote speaker: Harold Hillman, Managing Director of Sigmoid Curve Consulting Group.

Speakers include

Pre-conference workshops

Join us for one of four workshops prior to the main conference. Our workshops provide a hands-on, deep-dive into topics including Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Innovation & team leadership. All workshops are by registration only and have limited capacity. Morning tea will be provided.

When and Where

12 September 2018
12 PM – 7 PM
Summit Schedule

9am – 11:30am Pre-conference workshops

Airforce Museum of New Zealand
45 Harvard Ave, Wigram. Christchurch, 8042

How Much

$34.50 – $402.50

Student $30+GST
Canterbury Tech Members $150 + GST
Standard $350+GST
Pre-conference Workshops: Free, $50+GST or $75+GST

Buy Tickets at http://www.techsummit.nz/

More

Canterbury Tech Summit

If you’re new to the Summit, or haven’t been for a few years, see highlights of last year’s Summit in this short video: https://vimeo.com/237312167

2018 Rutherford Lecture: Life and Times of Supervolcanoes – Rotorua – 21 August 2018

What

2018 NZ Rutherford Lecture
The Life and Times of Supervolcanoes

There is no denying that as New Zealand sits astride the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates our land is subject to tremendous natural forces. We may commonly experience this as a gentle but sometimes a severe shuddering of earthquakes. Yet with Aotearoa dotted with cones and calderas, Kiwis should also keep in mind that the Taupō Eruption was actually the world’s most violent volcanic eruption in the last 5000 years!

Colin Wilson has gathered many accolades for studying volcanoes, and in particular, those giant examples known as supervolcanoes. He likens his work to that of a crime scene investigator, where he travels the world piecing together the dual puzzle of why such cataclysmic explosions occur and why they are joined by much smaller eruptions. He aims to forecast volcanic phenomena with enough warning so that communities can respond. But although Colin is digging deep in the Earth’s crust to find the triggering mechanisms, volcanic systems are not letting their secrets go easily…

Royal Society Te Apārangi is proud to partner with GNS Science, EQC and Victoria University of Wellington in presenting the 2018 New Zealand Rutherford Lecture. Strong support from these organisations comes from the belief that New Zealanders will greatly benefit both from learning about and gaining a better awareness of this ‘sleeping’ giant in our midst. From late July to early September, Professor Wilson will head to 22 towns and cities to explain the nature of supervolcanoes, the ways in which such volcanoes operate and can be studied, and whether the next eruption is still likely to take us by surprise.

About the speaker

Professor Colin Wilson FRS FRSNZ, Victoria University of Wellington

In 2017, geologist Professor Colin Wilson was awarded Royal Society Te Apārangi’s highest honour, the Rutherford Medal, for his research into understanding large, explosive supervolcanoes and the dangers they pose. Yet although significant eruptions are still rare, threats from volcanic activity are considered a very serious natural hazard for Aotearoa New Zealand.

The 2018 New Zealand Rutherford Lecture is proudly presented by Royal Society Te Apārangi in partnership with GNS Science, EQC and Victoria University of Wellington.

When and Where

Tuesday 21 August 2018
6pm – 7pm

Millennium Hotel Rotorua, 1270 Hinemaru Street, Rotorua

How Much

Free.
You are welcome to turn up on the day, however, due to their expected popularity, to guarantee your seat(s) please register here.

More

Press release: 2018 New Zealand Rutherford Lecture: It’s a super tour!

The Life and Times of Supervolcanoes | Rotorua.

The 2018 New Zealand Rutherford Lecture is proudly presented by Royal Society Te Apārangi in partnership with GNS Science, EQC and Victoria University of Wellington.

WITcon 2018 – Wellington – 27 August 2018

What

WITcon is a conference designed to bring students and industry together to discuss technical and social topics surrounding STEM.

VUWWIT (Victoria University of Wellington Women in Tech) exists to create a space for women and non-binary voices in STEM. We connect students to industry by running networking events and sharing job and internship opportunities. We also organise social events to build our community.

Programme:
9:30am Check in
10:00am Welcome
10:15am Keynote – Valerie Chan: Exploring the environment for female students in the Victoria University School of Engineering and Computer Science | Twitter:  @Valerie_Chan_
10:45am Diana Siwiak: What the Heck is Music Engineering Technology? | https://twitter.com/DianaSMuzyka
11:10am Chris Cormack: He waka eke noa? | https://twitter.com/ranginui
11:35am Lena Plaksina: From Mentee to Mentor | https://twitter.com/plaksina_lena
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Grant McLean: So You Want To Be A Developer? | https://twitter.com/grantmnz
1:25pm Karen Pratt: Tech at 23m Deep | https://www.projectreeflife.org
1:50pm Kate Pearce: Adversarial Engineering – What I Didn’t Learn About Cybersecurity in my Studies | https://twitter.com/secvalve
2:15pm Panel with keynote speaker and sponsors
2:45pm Closing words
3:00pm Drinks at the Hunter Lounge

Follow the Facebook event for updates and #WITcon on twitter

When and Where

Monday 27 August 2018,
9:30am-3:00pm

Memorial Theatre (SU MT228), Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn, Wellington

How Much

$50 for waged attendees
$12.50 for students / unwaged attendees

Link to buy tickets

Ticket sponsorship
We have a limited number of tickets available for those who need financial assistance, thanks to our sponsors. We never want money to be a barrier for learning and engaging in this industry. Please email us at vuwwit@gmail.com if this applies to you.

More

2018 WITcon on lilregie (Book tickets here) and facebook event.

WITcon 2018 is brought to you by Flux Federation, with support from Catalyst IT, Pik Pok, PwC, and Xero.

VUWWIT (Victoria University of Wellington Women in Tech)

2018 Rutherford Lecture: Life and Times of Supervolcanoes – Tauranga – 22 August 2018

What

2018 NZ Rutherford Lecture
The Life and Times of Supervolcanoes

There is no denying that as New Zealand sits astride the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates our land is subject to tremendous natural forces. We may commonly experience this as a gentle but sometimes a severe shuddering of earthquakes. Yet with Aotearoa dotted with cones and calderas, Kiwis should also keep in mind that the Taupō Eruption was actually the world’s most violent volcanic eruption in the last 5000 years!

Colin Wilson has gathered many accolades for studying volcanoes, and in particular, those giant examples known as supervolcanoes. He likens his work to that of a crime scene investigator, where he travels the world piecing together the dual puzzle of why such cataclysmic explosions occur and why they are joined by much smaller eruptions. He aims to forecast volcanic phenomena with enough warning so that communities can respond. But although Colin is digging deep in the Earth’s crust to find the triggering mechanisms, volcanic systems are not letting their secrets go easily…

Royal Society Te Apārangi is proud to partner with GNS Science, EQC and Victoria University of Wellington in presenting the 2018 New Zealand Rutherford Lecture. Strong support from these organisations comes from the belief that New Zealanders will greatly benefit both from learning about and gaining a better awareness of this ‘sleeping’ giant in our midst. From late July to early September, Professor Wilson will head to 22 towns and cities to explain the nature of supervolcanoes, the ways in which such volcanoes operate and can be studied, and whether the next eruption is still likely to take us by surprise.

About the speaker

Professor Colin Wilson FRS FRSNZ, Victoria University of Wellington

In 2017, geologist Professor Colin Wilson was awarded Royal Society Te Apārangi’s highest honour, the Rutherford Medal, for his research into understanding large, explosive supervolcanoes and the dangers they pose. Yet although significant eruptions are still rare, threats from volcanic activity are considered a very serious natural hazard for Aotearoa New Zealand.

The 2018 New Zealand Rutherford Lecture is proudly presented by Royal Society Te Apārangi in partnership with GNS Science, EQC and Victoria University of Wellington.

When and Where

Wednesday 22 August 2018
5:30pm – 6:30pm

Tauranga Yacht and Boat Club
90 Keith Allen Drive, Tauranga,

How Much

Free.
You are welcome to turn up on the day, however, due to their expected popularity, to guarantee your seat(s) please register here.

More

Press release: 2018 New Zealand Rutherford Lecture: It’s a super tour!

The Life and Times of Supervolcanoes | Tauranga.

The 2018 New Zealand Rutherford Lecture is proudly presented by Royal Society Te Apārangi in partnership with GNS Science, EQC and Victoria University of Wellington.

PechaKucha Night ChCh 37 – Women, Science and Conservation – Christchurch – 19 September 2018

What

PechaKucha Night Christchurch is teaming up with Christchurch City Council to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage and Conservation Week with a night of quick-fire talks by some amazing women!

We are proud to bring you a collection of local women including a marine biologist working with the world’s rarest and smallest dolphins, an adventurer who returned from a 29-day expedition across the Greenland Icecap, a young musician speaking on the power of rest and creativity, an entrepreneur starting a podcast focused on women change-makers, a writer working on a book about women and World II and more.

Line-up include:

María Jesús Valdés Hernández // Marine Biologist // Working with the world’s rarest and smallest dolphins

Amy Johnston Bray // Interpretation and Exhibition Designer // Conversation is about conservation-engaging the public to act

Victoria Metcalf // Scientist // Celebrating the unlovable and the unseen

Jo Bailey // Writer, Author and Editor // Writing, Women and World II

Rebecca(Bek) Tavete// Founder ARGO beach Co-working Limited // A Contribution to Sustainability

Hollie Woodhouse // Adventurer, Designer + Daydreamer // Be your own Movement Maker and more.

When and Where

Wednesday 19 September 2018
Doors open 6:30pm, event starts 7:30pm
(Ilex café open for drinks and snacks)

Botanic Garden’s Visitor Centre
Rolleston Ave, Christchurch

How Much

$18

More

Event on pechakucha.org
Event on Eventfinda

“Gopher vs Ferris [Rust]” and “Performance Considerations in Go” – Auckland – 21 August 2018

What

Auckland based group for anyone interested in Go programming language. We will try to organise regular meetups with talks by members and guests. Depending on interest we can also consider organising Go hacking sessions.

Another amazing lineup this month for us eager Gophers [and Rustaceans alike]. Thanks to Movio again for the venue, drinks and pizza.

First up, Jacky Zhen with ‘Gopher vs Ferris’:

“Both Go and Rust are categorised as a systems programming languages, but both approach it in different paradigms. I’m a big fan of Go’s simplicity and pragmatism, but have times found some of the language features to be lacking.
Recently I’ve been playing around with Rust and have discovered many interesting aspects of the language. In this talk I’d like to share what I find awesome about Rust from the perspective of someone who has worked with Go and some functional languages.
As a keen student of both languages I would like compare and contrast the two languages and talk about what I think they could take from one another.”

Jacky is a prolific full stack engineer on Movio’s Numero team. Jacky is super-cool and squeaky-clean. Funnily enough, the only time I’ve heard Jacky swear was 15 hours deep into a hackathon, fighting with the Rust compiler for the first time. Naturally, he’d tamed it before the day was done.

Second up will be Taco de Wolff, with “Performance optimization in Go”:

“I’ll discuss various ways to optimize Go programs and dive into some of the underlying details. I have been giving introductory talks about Go lately, and I’d like to talk about something more in-depth.”

Taco currently works at the University of Auckland within the bio-engineering institute, where he does modelling on lungs. Previously worked for TixTrack, which is a software development company for ticketing software using Go. He’s also known for github.com/tdewolff/minify, which is a high-performance minifier in Go.

When and Where

Tuesday 21 August 2018
6pm – 8pm

Movio
2.4 / 30 St Benedicts St
Auckland

How Much

Free

More

Meetup page for 21 August 2018 meet
Go AKL meetup group

Games and Politics exhibition – Christchurch – 16 August – 23 September 2018

What

An interactive exhibition by the Goethe-Institut, in cooperation with ZKM | Center for Art and Media

Games and Politics has been touring worldwide and features 18 significant politically-ambitious video games, it encourages viewers to examine how they each unfold their unique political potential.

The exhibition offers numerous materials which allow the visitor to explore the connections between computer games and politics. Visitors are encouraged to get first-hand experience and are welcome to play themselves – to slip into the different roles and try their luck in the virtual worlds unfolding in the games.

A game is always more than just a game. Without considering the influence of the society that plays it, it remains just as impossible to understand as without considering its influence on that society. And yet, chants of euphoric praise for the immersive potential of pedagogical propaganda are as inadequate vis-à-vis the diversity of contemporary computer games as are undifferentiated media debates about ego-shooter games that glorify violence and ought to vanish from the bedrooms of young people. Because they aren’t vanishing. The apparent riffraff among the newer media have long since turned into formidable giants, about to create, in their numerous guises, a new leading medium.

This development has come to include the political sphere as well and games are increasingly used as propaganda for various political factions and often express a certain political stance. In contrast to representational media such as painting and photography, computer games conceive of themselves not merely as a (re-) presentation of social conditions and conflicts, but attempt to simulate the processes and rules that give rise to these conflicts.

All of the games in this exhibition share this political approach, which is intended by the games’ designers to set them clearly apart from both the conventional market as well as from computer games as an entertainment medium. They explore a wide range of topics.

Aside from the contingencies of political decision-making (Democracy 3), they grapple with problematic aspects of gender (Perfect Woman), of the surveillance state (TouchTone and Orwell), of drone warfare (Killbox), the treatment of refugees (Escape from Woomera), uprisings against totalitarian political regimes (Yellow Umbrella), the power of the media (The Westport Independent) or historical and current political events (The Cat and the Coup and Madrid).

When and Where

16 August – 23 September, 2018
10am -5pm Weekdays
11am – 4pm Weekends

The Physics Room,
49-59 Worcester Boulevard,
Christchurch

How Much

Free

More

Eventfinda Page
Homepage of Games and Politics Exhibition

 

Week of Engineering: Open Day! – Akl, Wel, Chch – 18 August 2018

What

Get involved with the Week of Engineering!

Tomorrow’s engineers will have jobs that don’t even exist today. The Week of Engineering is an annual event that will inspire young minds to think about those future possibilities. From 13-18 August, Engineering New Zealand will be hosting a variety of events that showcase amazing engineering across the country, feeding children’s natural curiosity about the world and how it works.

Engineering Expos:

As part of the Week of Engineering, there will be three free public expos in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Over 70 exhibitors from around the country will give visitors a hands-on look at what engineers do – perfect for kids and anyone who wants an inside look at how things work. There’ll be virtual reality, robots, rockets and lego, along with interactive activities, competitions and spot prizes.

Last year more than 5,000 people attended the expos and this year Engineering New Zealand are expecting 10,000 people.

Come along and get inspired!

When and Where

10am – 4pm
Saturday 18 August 2018

University of Auckland Science Centre
23 Symonds St, Auckland

Shed 6
4 Queens Wharf, Wellington

Canterbury University’s College of Engineering
69 Creyke Street, Christchurch

How Much

Free

More

Week of Engineering: Engineering Expos
Eventfinda pages: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch