DUBLIN TURING LECTURE

DUBLIN TURING LECTURE

Today I attended the Dublin Turing lecture and I was delighted to hear from their star speaker Dr Guruduth S. Banavar, VP & Chief Science Officer, Cognitive Computing, IBM Research as he explored the future of AI.

Dr. Guru Banavar is vice president and chief science officer for cognitive computing at IBM. He is responsible for advancing the next generation of cognitive technologies and solutions with IBM's global scientific ecosystem, including academia, government agencies and other partners.  Dr. Guru leads the Cognitive Horizons Network, a set of research collaborations with leading institutions.

Most recently, Dr. Guru led the team responsible for creating new AI technologies and systems in the family of IBM Watson, designed to augment human expertise in all industries, from healthcare to financial services to education.  He and his team build a range of cognitive systems that learn from massive amounts of data, reason towards specific goals, and interact naturally with people to perform a variety of tasks – from answering questions conversationally to extracting knowledge for discovering insights to evaluating options for difficult decisions.

As a matter of interest I received the following book a few days ago: The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil  and it
 presented a much more extreme version of the future discussed at today’s lecture.

Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil examines the next step in the evolutionary process of the union of human and machine. He foresees the dawning of a new civilization where we will be able to transcend our biological skills with the vastly greater capacity, speed and knowledge-sharing abilities of our creations. In practical terms, human ageing and illness will be reversed; pollution will be stopped and world hunger and poverty will be solved. There will be no clear distinction between human and machine, real reality and virtual reality. The Singularity is Near offers a view of the coming age that is both a dramatic culmination of centuries of technological ingenuity and a genuinely inspiring vision of our ultimate destiny.

MORE ...

Posted on February 22, 2017 by expression

PRESS RELEASE: Fujifilm launches the “MK lens” series of innovative cinema lenses

Fujifilm launches the “MK lens” series of innovative cinema lenses

“Delivering advanced optical performance, ultra-compact and lightweight design and excellent cost performance”

As I am developing an interest in video I am very excited about these lenses but I am not sure if I am willing to pay the asking price [which is not at all unreasonable]. My decision may be decided by what bodies Sony introduce during 2017.

I should also mention that I attended a one-to-one with Panasonic today and I was very impressed by the G5 as a suitable system for video.

February 22, 2017

MORE DETAILS ...

BRASSERIE 7 HAS CEASED TRADING

BRASSERIE 7 HAS CEASED TRADING [ IN MY OPINION IT WAS THE WRONG TYE OF RESTAURANT IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME BUT I FEEL SORRY FOR THE OWNERS AND THEIR STAFF ]

The good news may be that it would appear that it is being sold as a restaurant complete with equipment.

This location was originally launched as a 250 seater restaurant and then it was relaunched under different management as a 220 seater restaurant but the auction sign indicates that it was a 150 seater restaurant. I would be inclined to believe the auction sign but as the tables were too small and the seating was uncomfortable [to the degree that it was unacceptable] it is possible that they had seating for 250 back in 2008.

Twenty Two years ago I purchased an apartment in Bolton Street. I moved in on a Saturday. The next day was a Sunday and as I had not purchased any food I decided to find a restaurant and that is when I got a big surprise. Other than McDonalds or Burger King I could not find a restaurant that was open so i decided to return home. As I was walking along Capel Street I was stopped by an Italian who was trying to find somewhere to eat. We decided to combine resources and eventually we found Tante Zoe’s in Temple Bar. We decided to meet on Sundays on a regular basis and we met [others were added until there were about six people] up almost every Sunday for Brunch at Zoe’s for at least eight year … it came to an end when the restaurant ceased trading.

Now in 2017 on any Given Sunday there are at least thirty good options within minutes walking distance from my apartment and there are new restaurants opening almost every week.

Until today I had not noticed the Brassier 7 restaurant had ceased trading but I was not surprised because I have always believed that location was not capable of supporting a 250 seater restaurant that was not within the price range of people living, working or studying in the area. Also, for various reasons. there was no way that it could attract people from elsewhere in the city.
BRASSERIE 7 HAS CEASED TRADING

IN MY OPINION IT WAS THE WRONG TYE OF RESTAURANT IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME BUT I FEEL SORRY FOR THE OWNERS AND THEIR STAFF 





I cannot remember exactly when but a number of years ago the celebrity chef Gary Rhodes opened his restaurant, Rhodes D7, on Capel Street in Dublin. I could not believe his choice of location and I often wondered if he had in fact every visited the restaurant or the location. I must admit that I have never understand the concept of paying extra to eat at a restaurant featuring the name of a famous chef that never cooks the food.

When it was first established my mother indicated that she would like to try it but when I phoned I was informed that it was booked out for at least four weeks. However, every time I passed by it was at best about 25% occupied. I tried a few more times but still there was a three to four week waiting list and and at one stage it was as high as six weeks despite the fact the place was less full every time I walked by. My mother never got to have a meal there.

Sometimes they would open on bank holidays and sometimes, at random, they were closed on Bank Holidays and Sundays [that is usually a bad sign]. One bank holiday I was passing by and as they were open I dropped in and got a table no problem and the food was good but expensive compared to other options nearby.

I think that it was Christmas 2008 and I had been invited to visit my brother for Christmas. On the 23rd. I visited the restaurant late in the evening and as I was the last customer to leave I got to have a chat with the head waiter who mentioned that he was going back to Poland the next morning for a two week holiday as the restaurant would be closed for two weeks. I asked him why would a restaurant close for two weeks at the busiest time of the year but he did not appear to think that it was odd but I certainly did.

The next day my trip to my brother’s house had to be cancelled because all the family were ill so I was stuck in Dublin for Christmas. On the 24th. I walked by the restaurant and it had a sign in the window indicating the the restaurant was closed for renovation until 17th. March [St. Patrick’s Day] and for many reasons that was an obvious lie.

The restaurant remained empty for a long time. Ta Brasserie 7 Limited was set up on Tuesday the 17th of April 2012. When it did reopen as Brasserie 7 I was the first customer and I got a excellent meal free of charge. Here is what I said back then “Saturday 8th. December 2012: [Update: I visited this restaurant today and I was their first customer. They have no connection with the previous operation which ceased trading at the end of 2008. The food was excellent as was the service]”.

I only visited twice during the following years because I considered it to be too expensive for what was on offer. It is possible that the prices dropped but I had lost interest.


In case you are interested here is an extract from the press release back in 2008:

“Welcome to rhodesD7, Gary Rhodes' first Irish restaurant venture. Situated in Dublin 7, our 250-cover venue offers Gary's unique style of European cuisine for which he has won 5 Michelin Stars. We offer a wide selection of dishes, each unique and flavoursome with Gary's distinctive touch. With a mezzanine floor and heated outdoor eating area, rhodesD7 offers a choice of fabulous dining areas. Situated on the ground floor of the landmark Capel Building, our modern, vibrant interior contains commissioned works of art by renowned Irish artist Deborah Donnelly.”

MORE PHOTOGRAPHS BY WILLIAM MURPHY

DORSET STREET FIRE STATION DATING FROM 1901 [ IS THIS THE OLD SCAFFOLDING TRICK ?]

DORSET STREET FIRE STATION DATING FROM 1901 [ IS THIS THE OLD SCAFFOLDING TRICK ?]

I last photographed this in May 2016 and the building does not appear to have changed since then. The ladder at the top left has not moved since May 2016.

Back in May I commented as follows “As you can see the building is currently surrounded by hoarding featuring the Dublin GAA colours ... usually this is a bad sign as it means that we/you are expected to support the project no matter what. If I am being unfair please let me know.”

Now I suspect that the owners are playing the ‘put a hoarding around the building in order to make it look as if you are undertaking some action’ trick.

It has taken me about ten years to discover what this building was. One of my problems was that I thought it was on Bolton Street rather than Dorset street. Bolton street is much shorter that I believed it to be despite the fact that I have lived on the street for 21 years. Anyway I have discovered that the building was "a fine fire station designed by the city architect C.J McCarthy in 1901, this was one of a series designed by the architect in the city. The others are on Thomas Street, Tara Street and Buckingham Street. None of them are in use as fire stations today."

MORE PHOTOGRAPHS

WP Engine Meet and Greet In Dublin - You Might Even Get A Free Drink

MESSAGE FROM WP ENGINE

I should mention that WPENGINE is my hosting service at present and has been for many years.

Thursday, February 23, 2017 5:30 PM
UPSTAIRS - Jack Nealons
165 Capel St, Dublin 1, Dublin

WP Engine is hosting another Meet & Greet in Dublin! We recently opened a brand new office in Limerick, building a new innovation team and get more involved in the tech community in Ireland! We’re really excited about having an office in such an amazing country and we’re very interested in connecting with top technologist in the area and the surrounding areas.

We would love to meet you at our event in Dublin! As WP Engine expands into Ireland, we are looking for individuals who are passionate about technology and looking to join a company that is fast paced, innovative, & dedicated to employee success. Whether you are searching for that next opportunity or just interested in learning more about WP Engine, we would love to invite you to join us for an informal meet and greet!

This is a great opportunity to learn more about our company culture and our plans for expansion!
I hope to see you at Jack Nealons (Upstairs @ The Sitting Room) 165 Capel Street, 2nd Floor. Drinks on us!

Don't forget to RSVP to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wp-engine-dublin-meet-greet-tickets-31129455038

ROSS KINGSLAND AT THE SECOND DAY OF THE DUBLIN TECH SUMMIT

Ross Kingsland is a speaker, author, and entrepreneur who writes about real psychology in real business so that everyone can understand and achieve the results they want more effectively. Ross and his licensed trainers support organizations and individuals to achieve the outcome they want using the science and art of inspiration.


MORE PHOTOGRAPHS

NOELLE O’REILLY CEO [ DUBLIN TECH SUMMIT]

NOELLE O’REILLY CEO [ DUBLIN TECH SUMMIT]

And so the event begins.

The Dublin Tech Summit (DTS) is an international technology conference held in Dublin, Ireland. The first summit took place 15 and 16 February 2017, at the Convention Centre Dublin.

The organisers plan to run the event annually, and to attract more than 10,000 attendees as well as influential speakers, startups, exhibitors, sponsors and investors, covering eight main themes:

    Business
    The Internet of things
    Marketing
    Fintech
    Medtech
    Big data and analytics
    Creativity
    Fashion

DTS was the idea of Business and Finance magazine publisher Ian Hyland and former Accenture consultant Ben English.

Irish telecoms firm eir has shown strong support for the Dublin Tech Summit, establishing itself as a founding partner and lead sponsor.

According to the local media this event is one of many hoping to fill the void left by the controversial departure of the Web Summit to Lisbon, Portugal after 2016.

Based on the long lines of people waiting to register this morning it is most likely that the event attracted more than 10,000.



MORE IMAGES AND INFORMATION

ULSTER UNIVERSITY BELFAST CAMPUS - YORK STREET

ULTRA WIDE ANGLE VIEW OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER BELFAST CAMPUS [ YORK STREET ]

The University Of Ulster Belfast campus is situated in the artistic and cultural centre of Belfast which is known as the Cathedral Quarter. Although traditionally associated with Art, the campus spans an increasing and exciting range of subjects including architecture, hospitality, event management, photography and digital animation.

The recently redeveloped campus comprises two connected buildings on either side of York Street and includes:

• purpose-built design spaces
• studios for recording and editing live and off-air television, sound recording, mixing and animation
• teaching and exhibition areas
• library

MORE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

BITTLES BAR IN BELFAST [ AN INTERESTING BAR ]

I thought that it was ‘Biddles Bar’ even though I photographed it a number of times.

Bittles Bar is one of Belfast's more curious pubs located close to the Victoria Square Shopping Centre. Red-bricked and 'flat-iron' in shape Bittles is a wonderful example of a traditional Victorian Bar. Founded in 1868 the bar was originally called the Shakespeare reflecting is theatrical clientele.

VISIT THE STREETS OF BELFAST

DUBLIN PORT AREA AND PIGEON HOUSE

DUBLIN PORT AREA AND PIGEON HOUSE [ AS SEEN FROM BOOTERSTOWN STATION TEN YEARS AGO]


The thermal station chimneys are among the tallest structures in Ireland and are visible from most of Dublin city. Number 1 chimney is 207.48m (680 ft 9in) high. Number 2 chimney is 207.8m (681 ft 9in) high. The chimneys are featured prominently in the video for the song "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" by U2. Dublin City Councillor and historian Dermot Lacey began a process to list the chimneys for preservation to safeguard their future after the Station was to close in 2010. This was later refused by the Council Planning Department.  They were subsequently listed as protected structures in July 2014.

One could easily think that the Pigeon House, which is situated near the two tall ESB chimneys and the Great South Wall in Ringsend, got its name from pigeons. However, it is named after a gentleman called John Pidgeon (later the ‘d’ in his name was dropped which explains the possible confusion).

Around 1760 John Pidgeon was the caretaker of a storehouse used by the builders of the Great South Wall. At that time sailing ships brought letters and packets as well as passengers from England and Europe to Ireland. These were called packet ships and they landed and departed from the new wall near Mr Pidgeon’s storehouse.

Imagine, at that time it could take a whole week to get to and from Wales; even longer in bad weather. So John Pidgeon had a bright idea. He started selling refreshments, tea, sandwiches, cakes and lemonade at his storehouse to hungry and thirsty passengers. ‘Pidgeon’s House’ became so popular that even Dublin people used to come out to Ringsend at the weekends for a day out. Mr Pigeon would bring them on boat trips out to his house and back to Ringsend again.

In 1793 long after John Pidgeon died a new bigger building was built which was used as a hotel for the passengers for a number of years. This building is still there today and is used by the Electricity Supply Board.

A few years later when the government was afraid that the French might invade Ireland they built a fort near the hotel to guard the entrance to Dublin Port. It became known as the Pidgeon House Fort.

These photographs were taken ten years ago using an original Canon 5D coupled with a 100mm-400mm lens handheld without any stabilisation. Until now I was not able to do much with the photographs because of underexposure, blur  and excessive noise. Also using the lens revealed that there was a massive amount of dust on the sensor … I must admit that i was surprised. To process these photographs I used Adobe Lightroom, DXO and ON1 RAW.


MORE PHOTOGRAPHS

STREET ART IN DUBLIN BY TARSILA KRUSE [PAINT A BOX]

STREET ART IN DUBLIN BY TARSILA KRUSE

I will let the artist introduce herself: “Hello! My name is Tarsila and I’m a Children’s Books Illustrator creating fun art for children! (and their parents, relatives, teachers, librarians…)”

Visit http://www.tarsilakruse.com/hello/


MORE STREET ART IN DUBLIN ...

TOSCA.EXPORT IMPORT [NOTHING TO DO WITH IRELAND]

DUBLIN TECH SUMMIT TO WELCOME 10,000 ATTENDEES TO FIRST YEAR EVENT AT THE CCD

I WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHING THIS EVENT

MORE ...


DTS will welcome an international and diverse audience from countries across the globe at the two-day conference

Dublin, Ireland - 10 February 2017 - Dublin Tech Summit will welcome over 10,000 attendees to The CCD this Wednesday, 15 February and Thursday, 16 February. The first-year event has curated an impressive and diverse lineup including Gary Vaynerchuk, Jimmy Chamberlin, Cindy Gallop, Matthew Luhn and RoboThespian.

With 66% of attendees hailing from overseas, the two-day event is an opportunity to solidify Dublin’s position as the European Tech Capital and showcase all it has to offer to a global audience. The conference will provide a chance to showcase the infrastructure, culture and talented workforce of the city. DTS CEO, Noelle O’Reilly, said, “Dublin is such a fantastic city to do business in. We wanted to provide a unique event that showcases that, as well as give the tech community in Dublin a chance to meet and learn from each other.”

The conference has placed an emphasis on B2B networking and with over 46% of attendees being Director-level or higher from companies such as Google, Intel, Microsoft, PayPal, Accenture, Adobe, Facebook, HPE, Hubspot and Salesforce. Those looking to develop professional relationships will be in the right place. DTS has attempted to facilitate and simplify this networking via a DTS App, which attendees can download to enable them to reach out to each other ahead of the event, and an online meeting scheduling platform to enable meetups at the conference. Of the network-assisting technology, Noelle O’Reilly said, “DTS at its core is about simplicity. We wanted to make our attendees experience here as simple, straightforward and enjoyable as possible. Our app and meeting scheduling platform are designed to do just that and witnessing people connect online in the lead up to the event has been incredible for our team to see.”

eir Business is one of the founding partners of Dublin Tech Summit and commenting on the upcoming event Bill Archer, Managing Director, eir Business said, “At the core of what we do is a strong desire to continuously seek out tangible ways to support and foster innovation across all spectrums of business. Ireland has a strong international reputation in technology and it’s important that we continue to build on that reputation. DTS provides the perfect platform to attract global thought leaders and influencers and that is why eir Business is delighted to partner with the event as a Founding Partner.  We want to connect global investors with new ventures, leaders, founders and influencers, and help build relationships across the two-day event. DTS has the potential to shape technology across the world and showcase Dublin as a global technology hub and we are genuinely excited to play an active part in that.”

While the DTS audience is certainly of a high-calibre this isn’t achieved by sacrificing diversity. The conference, in attempt to promote diversity in tech, provided over €400,000 worth of tickets to underrepresented groups in the industry such as women and students. Additionally, both women and students were enabled to apply right up until this week for a significantly discounted ticket.  Ticket holders for the event are 48% female.

DTS wishes to extend a big thank you to sponsors who made this event possible. Thank you to founding partners eir and Failte Ireland.  Other partners include Salesforce, Indeed Prime, Intel, Accenture, ComTrade, Atlassian, New Relic, Datahug, Oracle, Currency Cloud, Litmos, CityJet, S3 Connected Health, Equinix, IDA Ireland, Sungard, Enterprise Ireland, Aer Lingus, Wrike, Hibernia Reit, ehealth Ireland, Ankix, Engineered Arts, UNICEF, ScrumAlliance, Abtran, 3D4 Medical, Dublin Airport, CoderDojo, Dublin City Council, Monread CRM, Matheson and Samsung.

Social: @DubTechSummit  #DTS

About Dublin Tech Summit:
Dublin Tech Summit is the largest tech conference taking place in Ireland in 2017. The conference will welcome leaders and members of the tech community from across the globe for a two-day event to share insights, learn and network. To learn more visit dublintechsummit.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

EXCELLENT RESTAURANT ON CAPEL STREET [SUSHI AND VIETNAMESE]

EXCELLENT RESTAURANT ON CAPEL STREET [SUSHI AND VIETNAMESE]

This was originally Hanoi Hanoi and it was an excellent restaurant.

A few months ago the owners brought in new management and it was reorganised as two/three restaurants in one.

There is a Sushi restaurant which is very good. The Vietnamese section has been rebranded as ‘Asian Mix Food’ which, in my opinion,  is not a great name but the restaurant is still excellent. The menu has been reduced and the prices have increased but the original prices were very low so it is still good value but it would be upmarket to other restaurants in the area.

There is a third section which I have not tried but it is very popular with Vietnamese diners who come as a large party …  it serves Vietnamese Stockpot [stock pot] which is made from goat.

MORE ...

THE BOARS HEAD PUB ON CAPEL STREET

The Boars Head is owned and operated by Ann Hourican and her Husband Hugh since the purchased it back in 1994.

MORE

LUIGI MALONES RESTAURANT [ TEMPLE BAR DUBLIN]

LUIGI MALONES RESTAURANT [ TEMPLE BAR DUBLIN]


MORE BY WILLIAM ...

New Bridge Construction At Broadstone Railway Station]

Broadstone railway station was the former Dublin terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway.

It is currently the headquarters of Bus Éireann, housing most of their administration and one of their main garages. Nearby on the same property is a Dublin Bus Depot.

The station was closed to public traffic on 18 January 1937 and finally closed on 8 April 1961, having been used as the steam depot for Dublin between 1937 and this date.

The building was one of Dublin's six original rail termini, the others being Westland Row (now Pearse Station) Amiens Street (now Connolly Station), Kingsbridge (now Heuston Station), North Wall and Harcourt Street (now a bar and nightclub complex).

Broadstone will be a Luas stop on the LUAS Cross City Line between Broombridge and St.Stephen's Green. Work on building the line commenced in June 2013 and services are scheduled to begin in December 2017.

The stop will have lateral platforms and be located adjacent to the Broadstone building with access from Constitution Hill. The stop will be called Broadstone-DIT due to it location near to DIT Grangegorman Campus.


MORE ...

DUBLIN’S MINI-CHINATOWN [PARNELL STREET - CAPEL STREET AND NEARBY]

Parnell Street is located on Dublin's Northside and runs from Capel Street in the west to Gardiner Street and Mountjoy Square in the east. It is at the north end of O'Connell Street, where it provides the south side of Parnell Square.

Originally Parnell Street was part of the ancient road connecting the old city to northern coast, with Father Matthew Bridge connecting Church Street and Wood Quay in the east, to Ballybough and Fairview in the west.

During the 18th century development of Amiens Street and Annesley Bridge provided a new coast road, while Parnell Street and its continuation to the east, Summerhill, became home to Georgian architecture.

The western end of Parnell Street has been substantially redeveloped in recent years.  Virtually all of the original Georgian architecture was destroyed and subsequently replaced by buildings of much larger scale.

The eastern end of Parnell Street, having remained comparatively undeveloped, is now home to a thriving immigrant community. Most notably, a large number of authentic Chinese and Korean restaurants have lent the east side the reputation of being Dublin's "Chinatown". There is also a significant presence of African and East and Central European businesses at the eastern end.

MORE

FADO ANTIQUES [ 182 PHIBSBOROUGH ROAD DUBLIN 7]

"Fadó fadó", long long ago in Irish

20% off sale according to the notice attached to the door.


VISIT THE PHIBSBOROUGH AREA OF DUBLIN