O’Reilly Solid Conference: Hardware, and Software, and the IoT, Oh My!
Written by Jamie Schwarzbach, M.S., M.B.A. Candidate
Thanks to the generosity of the ladies at Women Who Code I was awarded an Expo ticket to the Solid Conference in San Francisco which took place from June 24-25. Women Who Code has provided free access to many events throughout the years and I want to give them a huge THANK YOU for allowing people like me access to expensive events like this one.
I had never been to any technology exposition before, so I decided to go in with no expectations. I was afraid that I would feel out of place because I am still a beginner coder and am very uncomfortable talking about software. However, I was determined to go in with an open mind and talk to as many people as I could to learn more about innovative technology.
I was immediately thrilled to receive a Particle Photon starter kit upon arrival; this was a great start to the day! While walking up and down the rows of companies, many would catch me eyeing their banners and actively pursued talking to me. I enjoyed speaking to people from a variety of companies about their products and services, and they all handled my exuberant questions with grace and patience. From startups to large corporations, there was a diverse and eclectic array of corporations and non-profits there, and I also appreciated the number of women that were present at this event, many of whom were interested in speaking to me about women in the technology field.
Some of my favs:
Temboo is a service that connects to hardware, is easily programmable, and can be used through the cloud. I really enjoyed talking to them and watching their demo. I’m a big fan of products that take the stress out of manual inputs by producing hundreds of coded templates.
https://temboo.com
TechShop is a maker space that is funded by their members in order to create a place for creative minds to play. They are located all over the country, but have a location in San Francisco on Howard and Mary. They actively promote women in STEM and are hosting a GirlGeek workshop at the end of September.
http://www.techshop.ws
Elemetum, is a startup tech company focused on supply chain and logistics. These guys were great! Not only is their website easy to use, their product is very much needed in manufacturing and distribution industries.
http://www.elementum.com
IBM, is a platform as a service (PaaS) using Watson services. Without a doubt, my favorite aspect of this service is Watson, the artificially intelligent computer system.
http://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/bluemix/
Smart Bear, creates tools that allow companies to do automated testing and performance monitoring. Most of the large Silicon Valley tech companies use their products to ensure reduction of code errors. Their representatives were also some of the most exuberant people representing their company at the show!
http://smartbear.com
Looksee, creates next generation fashion and technology wearables. These wearables were beautifully made and the demo showed how easy the process was to switch patterns. I would recommend preordering if you have a pretty penny to spend on fashion!
http://www.lookseelabs.com/#infinitepossibilities
Also worth mentioning:
Onewheel, had a number of one-wheeled skateboard technology products which were seen riding around the convention center. I want one of these! Hardware includes motor, battery, and sensors to enable this cool contraption to ride smoothly. They also had an app that helped to ensure that the skateboard matches your needs and ability.
Digital Lumens, is an intelligent lighting solution that is completely integrated. This company is trying to provide solutions for more sustainable building fixed lighting.
http://www.digitallumens.com
Overall, this was a fantastic experience for people with all levels of hardware and software knowledge, and I would absolutely attend next year. I was so excited after this event that I made the decision to pursue a career in technology and continue my programming education online and through Women Who Code. I encourage anybody who thinks this could be their career path to check out a local exposition in their area; what a difference it makes to actually see the commercialized products! Thanks for the ticket WWCode and excuse me while I set up my Photon for some fun light adventures!
