Category: Startup

Phnom Penh readies for Barcamp ASEAN 2017

Chhaly Samsokrith


The ICONIC BarCamp is back, better and stronger than ever before.

BarCamp ASEAN 2017 returns with visions to share and inspire people greater than any previous events we have ever hosted. The event will take place at ITC, A.K.A Institute of Technology in Cambodia, for 2 days, the 21st and 22th of October from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. And YES, ever when it is better, IT’S STILL FREE.

BarCamp ASEAN 2017 is not about camping, FYI, it is a community. It is a community that accumulates great talents from all over the country to share their new innovations, ideas, opinions, and so much more. In addition, the participants will have a chance to sit through discussions between big names from various industries and expertise on topics that concern social innovation, technology and entrepreneurship.

One may wonder ‘Why should I participate?’.

Participating in this event would serve you a lot of advantages. Not only can you get to share a lot of topics with people from different walk of life, but you also can be part of the conversation regarding building a better community through technology and social innovation.

One may ask ‘ What kinds of advantages?’

You will have to participate to find out. But let us give you one hint:

“Learning is not just a process from classroom alone, you learn from experiences throughout life, and Barcamp acts as a mediator for you to absorb the experiences from great personnels that have achieved a great deal of successes in their life.”

So what are you waiting for? Mark your calendar, Set a reminder, because we are coming back fiercer than ever. We are hoping to see you all on the 21st and 22nd of October, at Institute of Technology in Cambodia (ITC).

            “ Come, Experience, and Be successful.”

This event would not come into practice without the help from our partners. We would like to express our deepest gratitude toward Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Institute of Technology in Cambodia, Smart, EZECOM, and many other partners that support and sponsor our event.

Website: http://barcamp.asia
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/barcamppp/

See you at BarCamp ASEAN 2017!!!!

NextBit Robin: Android Smartphone That Tries To Solve Your Storage Woes

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

In the hopes of becoming the next big thing in the Android scene, NextBit, a company that mostly comprises of former members of Android team, took their new smartphone called Robin to Kickstarter to get some crowdsourced funding. The NextBit Robin comes with 32GB internal storage, a typical size for a mid-range smartphone. What sets […]

The post NextBit Robin: Android Smartphone That Tries To Solve Your Storage Woes appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

#DigitalNomad

Max Limpag Leave a comment
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WHILE testing Smart’s deployment of its high-speed packet access (HSPA) network in Siquijor in 2009, it occurred to me that with the connectivity, you could actually relocate there and run your business or work from its beautiful white sand beaches.

Six years later, connectivity and technology have improved exponentially. Today, HSPA is being supplanted by the higher speed LTE or long-term evolution. More and more services are now in the “cloud,” which lends well to remote work. Equipment has also improved, with mobile devices becoming more powerful. Businesses have also started to become more open to remote work or collaborating with remote workers. Financial services have become more widely available and mobile.

Have laptop, will work from anywhere. That’s the creed of the emerging set of digital nomad workers today, found in cafes, beaches, and virtually anywhere.

Alegria beach

WORK ON THE BEACH. This spot in Alegria has strong Smart mobile Internet signal, which allowed me to sneak in some work while out on the beach.

Any work, especially creative tasks, can be done anywhere. And they should be. Why spend money for offices and accompanying wherewithal for a fixed workspace when you can just allow workers to choose wherever they want to work and wherever they feel they are more productive?

Where do you go to get things done?

Jason Fried, startup founder and author of “Rework,” said in a Ted talk, “When I ask people, ‘Where do you go when you really need to get something done?’ I’ll hear things like, the porch, the deck, the kitchen. I’ll hear things like an extra room in the house, the basement, the coffee shop, the library…You almost never hear someone say the office. But businesses are spending all this money on this place called the office, and they’re making people go to it all the time, yet people don’t do work in the office.”

How many hours do you lose going to and from your office with Metro Cebu’s worsening traffic? Aren’t these better spent doing actual work at home or at a convenient location?

Telecommuting was seen as a future trend some years back. It just made sense. Still does and now more than ever. Technology and business processes are starting to catch up to encourage this new mode of working.

Most digital nomads cite a better quality of life in working that way. “Forget work-life balance. Put more life into your work,” said Ben Keene in his blog Eat. Pray. Wifi. He moved to Bali with his family to work there. In his post, he includes a photo of him and his wife and kid in a co-working space that opens into a stunning vista of plants and trees.

Cheaper to bootstrap

Many startup founders bootstrapping their businesses head to Southeast Asia to take advantage of the cheaper cost of living while building their companies.

“This trend and movement is growing exponentially. Lower overhead costs, better work/lifestyle balance, access to more talent who want to work remotely and great opportunities to learn, network, and travel are just some of the reasons entrepreneurs are moving to South East Asia to bootstrap their startups,” said FoundersGrid founder Chris Osborne in a blog post.

Many local entrepreneurs are also going nomadic – working on their projects and startups or for companies abroad from coffee shops and the handful of co-working spaces here in the city.

Bert Padilla, an expert on digital ad optimization based in Cebu, works from cafes, on the beach, at home and in his car (whenever he is fetching his wife) and said he finds it a whole lot better for himself and his family compared to when he was working with multinational firms some years back. More lucrative, too, by the look of it.

Our startup, InnoPub Media, has been on the road in recent weeks forDigital Tourism work and other projects. It has allowed us to experience and test a digital nomad lifestyle for our small team and family. I will be writing more about it here.

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The post #DigitalNomad appeared first on Leon Kilat : The Tech Experiments.

Related posts:

  1. On the road, in the cloud
  2. Silicon Valley calls SpellDial
  3. Rise of the personal ‘cloud’

#DigitalNomad

Max Limpag Leave a comment
Share on Facebook Retweet this

WHILE testing Smart’s deployment of its high-speed packet access (HSPA) network in Siquijor in 2009, it occurred to me that with the connectivity, you could actually relocate there and run your business or work from its beautiful white sand beaches.

Six years later, connectivity and technology have improved exponentially. Today, HSPA is being supplanted by the higher speed LTE or long-term evolution. More and more services are now in the “cloud,” which lends well to remote work. Equipment has also improved, with mobile devices becoming more powerful. Businesses have also started to become more open to remote work or collaborating with remote workers. Financial services have become more widely available and mobile.

Have laptop, will work from anywhere. That’s the creed of the emerging set of digital nomad workers today, found in cafes, beaches, and virtually anywhere.

Alegria beach

WORK ON THE BEACH. This spot in Alegria has strong Smart mobile Internet signal, which allowed me to sneak in some work while out on the beach.

Any work, especially creative tasks, can be done anywhere. And they should be. Why spend money for offices and accompanying wherewithal for a fixed workspace when you can just allow workers to choose wherever they want to work and wherever they feel they are more productive?

Where do you go to get things done?

Jason Fried, startup founder and author of “Rework,” said in a Ted talk, “When I ask people, ‘Where do you go when you really need to get something done?’ I’ll hear things like, the porch, the deck, the kitchen. I’ll hear things like an extra room in the house, the basement, the coffee shop, the library…You almost never hear someone say the office. But businesses are spending all this money on this place called the office, and they’re making people go to it all the time, yet people don’t do work in the office.”

How many hours do you lose going to and from your office with Metro Cebu’s worsening traffic? Aren’t these better spent doing actual work at home or at a convenient location?

Telecommuting was seen as a future trend some years back. It just made sense. Still does and now more than ever. Technology and business processes are starting to catch up to encourage this new mode of working.

Most digital nomads cite a better quality of life in working that way. “Forget work-life balance. Put more life into your work,” said Ben Keene in his blog Eat. Pray. Wifi. He moved to Bali with his family to work there. In his post, he includes a photo of him and his wife and kid in a co-working space that opens into a stunning vista of plants and trees.

Cheaper to bootstrap

Many startup founders bootstrapping their businesses head to Southeast Asia to take advantage of the cheaper cost of living while building their companies.

“This trend and movement is growing exponentially. Lower overhead costs, better work/lifestyle balance, access to more talent who want to work remotely and great opportunities to learn, network, and travel are just some of the reasons entrepreneurs are moving to South East Asia to bootstrap their startups,” said FoundersGrid founder Chris Osborne in a blog post.

Many local entrepreneurs are also going nomadic – working on their projects and startups or for companies abroad from coffee shops and the handful of co-working spaces here in the city.

Bert Padilla, an expert on digital ad optimization based in Cebu, works from cafes, on the beach, at home and in his car (whenever he is fetching his wife) and said he finds it a whole lot better for himself and his family compared to when he was working with multinational firms some years back. More lucrative, too, by the look of it.

Our startup, InnoPub Media, has been on the road in recent weeks forDigital Tourism work and other projects. It has allowed us to experience and test a digital nomad lifestyle for our small team and family. I will be writing more about it here.

Share on Facebook Retweet this

The post #DigitalNomad appeared first on Leon Kilat : The Tech Experiments.

Related posts:

  1. On the road, in the cloud
  2. Silicon Valley calls SpellDial
  3. Rise of the personal ‘cloud’

Silicon Valley calls SpellDial

Max Limpag Leave a comment
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They were at a “really low point,” SpellDial founder Albert Padin said in our interview. After two years of chasing their startup dream to make the world dial names instead of numbers, Padin had to look for a job.

Padin said he could no longer stretch funding for his startup and decided to look for money. He linked up with Dave Overton of Symph, a technology solutions provider.

But weeks ago, SpellDial got a much-needed boost. It was picked by the Science & Technology Council as one of the 2012 ON3 pitching competition winners, along with Payroll Hero and NEXTIX, another Cebu start-up.

The teams will be brought to Silicon Valley for three months of immersion at the Plug and Play Tech Center, a business accelerator.

Like second wind

It’s like a “second wind,” Padin said during our interview with co-founder Nicole Macarasig. There’s still hope, we’re inspired to work again, Padin said.

SpellDial. Albert Padin and Nicole Macarasig are on their way to Silicon Valley for a 3-month immersion program.

SpellDial. Albert Padin and Nicole Macarasig are on their way to Silicon Valley for a 3-month immersion program.

The SpellDial team is among the first to emerge in Cebu’s start-up community. Padin said they started with a big team of 10 to 15 people looking to “change the world” by simplifying communications. At one point, they invaded the IT Park with a group of teenagers, friends of friends, asking businesses to sign up and then putting up SpellDial stickers. That was their “high point,” Padin recalled wistfully.

Everything unraveled with dreams of money and funding.

“We realized we could get funding,” he said. The group became excited. “We could get a million dollars for this. We forgot we were in the Philippines.”

“We saw people getting funding of one million dollars, five million dollars, idea stage 10 million dollars and we were like ‘oh we have a very nice idea, we could get at least a million dollars,” he said.

Writing proposals

Instead of working on their app and getting more people to sign up, SpellDial wrote proposals.

“Instead of trying to change the world here we were writing proposals and executive summaries and we had no idea what these were. A pitch deck, pitch presentations,” he said. “We stopped working on our product and convincing people to use it to focus on building an awesome presentation to pitch to investors, to pitch in startup competitions.”

Padin said that changed the team dynamics and some members left because they were offended by the shift in focus to making money. “We were supposed to change the world and it’s now a job.”

Padin said the biggest lesson he learned in building a start-up in Cebu was to always understand context.

Different culture

“Reading so many things online, it’s like I’m living in Silicon Valley, with the thought culture there and I forgot that I’m living in the Philippines and the culture here is different,” he said.

“For example, in Silicon Valley they say quit your job and work on your start-up and focus…I think that can apply in Silicon Valley because people who quit their jobs can live off something for the next five or six months and have enough money to do that,” he said, “But not all Filipinos have that kind of luxury to quit their job. If we quit our job now, we won’t have food tomorrow.”

Padin and Macarasig are leaving for Silicon Valley in June. Padin said he will focus on getting feedback on SpellDial and network with people during his stay there.

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The post Silicon Valley calls SpellDial appeared first on Leon Kilat : The Tech Experiments.

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