THE TECHNOVATION CAMBODIA NATIONAL PITCH

A global technology entrepreneurship program just for girls, Technovation is a 12-week program that teaches the basics of computer programming to young girls between the ages of 10 to 19.

After learning the basic computer programming skills, the girls will create a mobile application business idea and write a business plan.

Listen closely as you watch 14 teams of talented females from across Cambodia present their business plans and mobile applications to a panel of judges and investors. Apart from winning prizes, the winners also stand a chance to make a global pitch in San Francisco, USA.

Hosted by Technovation, the Technovation Challenge aims to promote women in science. With over 5,400 girls from 28 countries developing 1,029 mobile applications and learning how to launch startup companies, Technovation is slowly but surely accomplishing its goal of offering girls the chance to become high-tech entrepreneurs.

The Technovation Cambodia National Pitch will be held on April 24, from 8am to 12pm at the Cambodia-Korea Cooperation Center.

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BARCAMP RATANAKIRI 2016

Barcamp Ratanakiri returns this year to promote the fields of education, tourism, technology and entrepreneurship. Held at the ASEAN Bridge International School, the event will gather the likes of seasoned experts, innovative entrepreneurs, civil society leaders and business owners to share their experience on their fields of expertise.

With over 20 speakers from Phnom Penh and Ratanakiri, participants will have the opportunity to hone their skills and expand their knowledge through learning more about technology, tourism and business. BarCamp Ratanakiri 2016 will host a multitude of activities, from exhibitions to product demonstrations and discussions.

This year’s BarCamp Ratanakiri will be held on April 30 to May 1, from 8am to 5pm.

BarCamp is largest annual social event that focuses on technology in Cambodia, with over 400 participants attending last year’s BarCamp Ratanakiri.

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GOOGLE WOMEN TECHMAKERS AND ANDROID STUDY JAMS

On April 30 to May 1 at the Cambodian-Korean Cooperation Center, the Google Developer Group Phnom Penh will be hosting an event that houses a Women’s Techmakers Program (WTP) and an Android Study Jams.

The WTP is Google’s global program that aims to provide visibility, community, and resources for women in technology. The hackathon is a two-day session that will hone and train women for a hackathon competition. Mentors of the hackathon include Mr Eay Uy, co-founder of Sabay Osja and one of the creators of award winning mobile game Asva the Monkey, Mr Kheng Vantha, co-founder of Biz Solution and the first inventor of Khmer Dictionaries for platforms such as Mac OSX, Android and Windows Mobile, and Ms Plong Malypoeur, developer of App Stops Near Me, the first app in Cambodia for Phnom Penh city buses.

The Android Study Jams is Google’s community program that provides code-labs with Android technology for beginners. Participants will learn more about coding for Android and will receive a certificate from Google after completion of the course with the submission of an app.

Apart from the WTP Hackathon Session and the Android Study Jam, there will also be a main event with Keynote presentations and a music performance. An established speaker at the Keynote presentation is Sacha van Ginhoven, an experienced Dutch design engineer with UX designs that has impacted the world; some of her designs include a sanitation system in the Nairobi slums and a drone network for healthcare. Survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, Thida Buth Mam, will also be giving a Keynote speech. Having studied Data Processing in college, she has worked in Silicon Valley for companies such as Symantec, Adobe, Paypal (Ebay) and HP.

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CAMBODIA ICT AWARDS 2016

On March 25, the Launching Ceremony of the ICT Awards, organised by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, was held at the MPTC conference hall.

The Launching Ceremony was focused on encouraging people to partake in the awards and to explain the application process.

The Cambodia ICT Awards aims to provide the opportunity to foster innovation in the ICT sectors, as well as to encourage the creation of new concepts among any private sector, students, or institutions.

Held annually, the ICT Awards is a national event. This year, the winner of the ICT Awards will be sent to participate in the ASEAN ICT Awards in Brunei.

The categories include the Public Sector, the Private Sector, Corporate Social Responsibility, Digital Content, Startup Company, and Research and Development.

The Public Sector encompasses any application software, hardware or a combination, that enables more efficient Government Operations at a lower cost, or any application software that provides valuable services to the public.

The Private Sector includes any application software, hardware, or a combination, that meets the needs of sectors such as the Industrial Application, e-Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Communication or Tourism and Hospitality.

Corporate Social Responsibility refers to advances made to improve the community, as well as efforts to bridge the digital divide between citizens.

Digital Content is any application software, hardware, or a combination, that provides management and technical support to the news and entertainment industry, such as Television Broadcasting, Radio Broadcasting and Newspaper.

Startups refer to any company that has been founded for less than three years from the date of the CICTA competition. The company cannot be a subsidiary of a well-established parent company.

Research and Development includes any research and creation from a university, research institution or company that discovers or invents new knowledge, processes, products and services that meet the demands of the market.

Winners of the ICT Awards will receive a trophy, a certificate and US$5,000, while first and second runner-ups will receive a trophy, a certificate, and US$2,000 and US$1,000 respectively.

Furthermore, winners and their achievements will be featured in promotional materials, and they will gain the opportunity for funding from investors.

Shortlisted candidates will be announced on May 31, while the final selection and award ceremony will be held on June 10.

Applications are currently open and will close May 25. If you think you have what it takes, apply for the ICT Awards here. Fill in your information in the online form and submit a five-minute Youtube video on your product.

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ANDROID CODE EDITORS FOR MOBILE DEVELOPERS

With Android as the leading mobile OS in Cambodia, there has been a growing interest in Android mobile development. To meet this increasing enthusiasm, we’ve round up nine Android code editors that will help mobile developers create useful Android applications with more ease.

Code Peeker

If you’re looking to read source codes with syntax highlighting, or search for snippets and cool solutions on the go, then Code Peeker is a great fit for you. Note that this app is a code reader and not an editor; it improves your coding skills and knowledge by highlighting your past coding experience.

Code Peeker supports and highlights a wide variety of new and old code languages, and requires no secret Internet connectivity.

Terminal IDE

An expandable terminal application, Terminal IDE comes with a full Java, C, C++, HTML and Android development kit that runs on your Android device.

Code Me Silly

Code Me Silly is more than it seems, it’s a syntax highlighted HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP editor. It is mostly for web developers, but supports Python, Java, C, C++, CofeeScript, Haskel and Groovy.

The app comes with search/replace functions, an undo and redo button, and some on-screen keyboard helpers.

With Code Me Silly, you will be able to create a whole website on your phone or tablet. Furthermore, you will not have to constantly deal with an FTP server.

DeuterIDE – Compiler and IDE

DeuterIDE was created with the idea of fulfilling the need of a lightweight, user-friendly way to write codes on the go. DeuterIDE is a mobile based programming text editor, online compiler and integrated development environment built for Android. To add ease to writing codes, the app comes with virtual keys for oft-used programming symbols, syntax highlighting and support for over 40 programming languages.

DroidEdit

A text and source code editor for Android tablets and phones, DroidEdit comes with several colour themes and an infinite amount of undo and redos. Furthermore, it allows for auto and block indentation, and character encoding support. It includes bracket matching and the sharing of documents with other services, such as Dropbox and emails.

Java Code Viewer

CodeViewer is a text viewer, Java viewer, C# viewer and other programming viewer for Android. It provides syntax highlighting for Java, C#, C/C++, CSS, PHP, ASP and JavaScript as well. The app can also be extended for other programming languages.

AIDE – Android IDE – Java, C++

AIDE is an integrated development environment (IDE) for developing real Android apps directly onto your Android device. Follow the app’s interactive and simple coding lessons as you make your way to becoming an expert app developer.

JavaIDEdroid

Another integrated development environment, this app runs on Android and allows you to create native Android applications without Android SDK on Windows or Linux.

Quoda Code Editor

Sophisticated yet simple to use, Quoda is a source code editor or IDE with integrated support for SFTP/FTP(S) servers and cloud storage such as Google Drive and Dropbox. It comes with features like syntax highlighting with themes, cross-session editing and Google Apps Script support.

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INTRODUCING EBOOK TECHNOLOGY

Mr Hean, co-founder and project manager of CamAnt Technology, combines his passion for fun learning with his six years of technological experience to bring interactive eBook technology to Cambodia. He will be sharing on how technology has a big impact on children’s education.

Hosted by Rotati, the talk will be held at Rotati Villa this Saturday, April 23^rd at 2pm.

With the invention of tablets and smartphones, it paved way for a new reading medium. An eBook differs from the usual printed book by being able to provide animation, audio and interaction, bringing about a different experience to learning.

CamAnt Technology specializes in providing education on a digital platform. They create digital books and mobile educational apps for Cambodian children to learn with.

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TIPS FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS TO ENSURE SUCCESS

Adults have dominated the business world, but youths have proven to be a formidable force. From a 13 year old debuting her line at New York Fashion Week to a teenager turning her childhood to aglobal business, young entrepreneurs have developed a standing in the business scene. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a teenager with an innovative idea, we’ve crafted a recipe for the longevity of your success.

Find Guidance

Being mentored is crucial, even experienced adults look for mentors. Is there anyone in your family who is business savvy? Think about friends of your family, is there an adult that you can reach through social media? Having someone who could provide valuable counseling and advice could prove to be incredibly beneficial for your business venture. If there’s no one you can approach in the immediate circle of people you know, consider asking your friends and family if they could introduce you to someone that could mentor you.

Communicate to Convince

From the moment you begin your business venture, you will be practicing the art of persuasion. As a young entrepreneur, you have to pitch your business idea to people and above all, get them to believe in it. This requires a lot of writing and speaking, and an eloquent presentation will be beneficial for your business. Don’t forget to be personable and sincere as this builds trust quicker.

Build Credibility

While your youth may give you fresh eyes and new approaches to issues, it also paves the way for doubt. It takes a longer time for people to take a teenager’s business venture seriously, so you have to work harder to prove yourself and your product or service.

Start by working on your branding on your social media. Post, tweet or blog about topics related to your business, and ideas that you have that could improve how things are done.

Boost the credibility of your product or service by showing customers what it can do for them. Whether it’s promoting its features on social media or allowing people to use your product or service for free, find ways to show its value. The longer you stay with your business venture and the more positive reviews you gain, the more credibility you’ll gain.

Unwind 

By juggling homework, extracurricular activities, your family and friends, and finally your business venture, you’ll have to find a way to handle your stress. Unhealthy levels of stress and anxiety will affect your schoolwork and your business, as well as your mental wellbeing. Take time to unwind by spending time with the ones you love, or engage in relaxing and fun activities. If you’re far too overwhelmed, consider taking a break from your entrepreneurial ventures. It’s not worth putting your mental health and schoolwork at risk.

Innovate, Innovate, Innovate 

There will be many businesses out there similar to yours. Find a way to distinguish your brand from the rest. Do some research on your competition. What are they lacking and how can you make up for it? Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter. Furthermore, when two brands are incredibly similar to one another, people tend to favour the one with better customer service.

Treading the path of entrepreneurship isn’t easy, but follow these tips and you’ll go a long way. Failures are a part of the journey, but it’s about learning and getting back in the game. Work hard and work smart. If you play your cards right, you’ll carve a life your future self will be thankful for.

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RETROSPECTIVE: TECH IN ASIA SINGAPORE 2016

Held at the Suntec City Convention Centre on April 12 and 13, the fifth Tech in Asia Singapore hosted 200 startups, 4,000 attendees and six conference stages. The stages included the following: the Main Stage, Developer Stage, Investors Stage, AdTech Stage, Product Stage and FinTech Stage. The stages were graced with key industry players such as Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, Takeshi Idezawa, CEO of Line, and David Yin, Business Development Manager for Google Play Apps and Games.

Some of the highlights include the speech by Khailee Ng, managing partner at 500 Startups. His no holds barred, opinionated speech “Southeast Asia funding in 2016: What founders need to know” discussed the approaching winter and funding slowdown. His take on the funding slowdown? “I don’t give a f*ck”.

Line CEO Takeshi Idezawa gave insights on his messaging app and plans for expanding into markets out of Asia. He revealed his company’s strategies and how Line’s services are adapting to different regions around Asia.

Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, discussed what’s on his mind when it comes to investing, and the expansive opportunities in Asia. “Soon a young girl in rural Indonesia will have more information at her fingertips than I had when I started at Harvard,” he mentioned.

Tech in Asia Singapore 2016 also held the Arena Startup Pitch Battle, where six handpicked startups pitched onstage for a chance to win US$10,000. The finalists were Pouch, Z-works, Docquity, Merlin, GliaCloud and BitMex. BitMex, a startup focused on being a platform for anyone to bet on anything anywhere, won the startup pitch and took home the grand prize. Find out more about the competing startups here.

Tech in Asia Singapore 2016 was a hit with many, showcasing the various industries and providing much insight to attendees. If you missed this year’s Tech in Asia Singapore, be sure to catch next year’s.

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