CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES OF 2014
Some of our Graduating students at Swansea’s Grand Theatre Graduation Ceremony. Well done & Congratulations to you all! 🙂
Please click below for more photos 🙂
Archive for July, 2014
Image
Graduate Success : Andrew Thomas @ BrightSeed Ltd.
What was your HE course? BSc Software Engineering
What is your job title and role? Technical Director – My role is to manage the development team, to design and build scalable and secure web applications for Brightseed Ltd. and our clients, with focus on delivering high performance digital products ranging from bespoke applications to eCommerce and CMS applications.
Could you briefly describe the organization you work for? Brightseed Ltd. – We are a small highly skilled team with a strong development and design department. We are building a team that wants to work on some of our industries leading techniques used within software development whilst also keeping a focus on training our team to be recognised leaders in our field.
Which skills learned at University are helpful to you in your job? The degree set me out to cover the core fundamentals of programming and project management. I took these values to earn my first position as a junior developer at a local agency and continued to learn whist moving into a large national corporate.
Do you have a typical day and how would you describe it? Each day varies from working on a large project used by a global insurance company to working with a local SME that would like to develop a new application to help streamline their internal business processes.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy most? When a client goes live with a new site and their business grows from it.
Do you have any advice for students who would like to start a Career? Try to gain valuable and relevant industry experience over several years – then the choice is yours with what you want to do.
Believe in yourself and set no boundaries.
Publishing Success: Archie Watt
Congratulations to final year student Archie Watt from the B.Sc.(Hons) Computer Networks degree who has successfully published a journal article in the University’s journal of undergraduate research. The main focus of the paper is on security policies for a BYOD network, and the additional challenges that can be faced when developing a security policy for such a network. From the Abstract:
The paper emphasizes the importance of security policies and also studies some of the main factors that can hinder their effectiveness, including insufficient security training for employees. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is also examined in detail, including the various advantages and disadvantages that it can bring to an organization supporting it, and the various factors, such as advances in wireless network technologies and the greatly increased use of mobile computing devices, such as tablets and smartphones, that have led to its growth over the last few years.
“The aim of publication is to promote research at undergraduate level and showcase achievements of all undergraduates across all levels and disciplines of the University. … The journal offers an opportunity for all undergraduates to publish work from all Schools. As a multidisciplinary journal currently it is one of only a few in the UK and the only one in Wales.” (ref)
Archie I was also invited and visited Google’s TC Summit in California earlier this year and was asked to join the Top Contributor (TC) programme.
Computing & Technology – to infinity and Beyond
Technology has and is revolutionising the way we live and work – but believe it or not, it’s just getting started. Technology is getting better and better and in the future – the possibilities are infinite.
Technology is a very exciting area. As new technology emerges and evolves it continues to enrich and enhance our lives, such as:
- Helping us to share and communicate with family friends or work colleagues;
- Empowering us to bring our ideas to life and create in an infinite number of ways;
- Entertain ourselves with music movies games or various social-media platforms.
Computers operated by the mind motion and emotion, wearable technology, environmental technology and advanced medical treatments are among the emerging technologies that will enhance our lives and reshape the future. Some recent developments include:
- The internet of things in which the physical objects around us are connected to the web will make our environment more interactive including such things as Smart Homes Cars, Offices, Cafes, Public and Community Spaces.
- Google Glass that allow us to live in an Augmented Reality, being able to view social media feeds, text, play games, navigate with Google Maps, take photos etc… other tech companies are bound to innovate and create different versions with increasing features and possibilities soon.
- Virtual Reality gaming is here in the form of Oculus Rift – this 3D headset lets you feel that you are actually inside a video game. This is the beginning of the revolution for next-generation gaming.
- 3D printing technology allows us to print our design ideas into a solid real-life product.
- Wearable Computing, recent developments include gadgets with flexible displays, making it possible to wrap a handset around your wrist, turning it into a bracelet that plays your favourite music or displays Social Media updates. Many forecast that flexible electronics will give rise to smart fabrics, making clothing items with built-in music-players, changeable colours and patterns, or heaters (for the colder months) a reality.
- Robotics will see intelligent machines or robots expand beyond manufacturing and enter our lives to assist our working and personal lives. Maybe someday soon, your new robot friend will help you to complete tasks, will help around the house and help you make a delicious meal.
Advances in electronics and nanotechnology will continue to make computers ever smaller, slimmer and multi-functional. Increasing Philanthropic initiatives coupled with low-cost Smartphone’s tablets and communication methods will continue to reach developing parts of the world, providing hard-to-reach community’s access to the Global Connected Community.
The World Economic Forum has compiled a list of the most potentially influential technologies currently being developed. Each innovation was selected for its capacity to have a real and positive impact on the world, according to the WEF’s Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies topping the list is “brain-computer interfaces” which would build on the already available technology which allows people to type by monitoring their electrical activity in their brain. The technology could make it possible for people with disabilities to operate wheelchairs and other equipment using their thoughts. In its report the council stated:
Technology has become perhaps the greatest agent of change in the modern world. While never without risk, positive technological breakthroughs promise innovative solutions to the most pressing global challenges of our time.
The council wants to see governments working with researchers and businesses to promote the emerging technologies which could bring great improvements to many people’s lives. Martina Larkin, senior director and head of the Network of Global Agenda Councils, said: “Close cooperation between governments, industry and academia is essential to harness their potential.” And Noubar Afeyan, chair of the Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies and CEO of Flagship Ventures, said:
“These breakthroughs show the boundless potential for technology to have a positive impact on society.”
UWTSD Applied Computing Blog 
Written by jameswilliams
on 2014
Comments Off on CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES OF 2014