Silicon Beach visits Silicon Valley
Xmas hit immedia a little early this year when our team felt the spiritual enlightenment of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco. In this month’s newsletter, we’ll be joining our Apple fanboys/girls on their post-PC pilgrimage and sharing with you our latest app dev training developments. We’ll also give you a sneak peek into what you can look out for from Apple in the near future as well as an overview of our presentation to the tourism industry at the first ever Tour & Travel Exchange in Arizona.
So without further ado, let us spread some digital cheer your way.
Silicon Beach visits Silicon Valley
This year, we were lucky enough to be South Africa’s largest delegation to the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), an exclusive event which was sold out in a record 2 hours. Our app dev team has been attending this Apple blowout since 2008 and decided that it was about time that more of us become post-PC enlightened – what better way to have a digital awakening than right there, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Our team of developers, designers, strategists and managers (many of whom attended for the first time) set off on the annual pilgrimage from Durban, Africa’s very own Silicon Beach, to WWDC and came back inspired by Apple’s ingenuity and innovation. Not only was the immersion in Silicon Valley life and culture a mind-blowing experience for the team but it also exposed us to the latest technological developments and tricks that Apple has under its sleeve.
iOS developer, Jitesh Nunnan, had this to say about his experience at WWDC: “Undoubtedly the best year yet. WWDC brought together this special camaraderie that cannot be described and and in fact, can only be experienced by the creators of apps. It’s almost like an exclusive club where the entry is the App Store. There were great talks, exhilarating parties, and above all the sharing of knowledge, ideas and everything Apple. Bring on WWDC 2013!”
App Dev Training bursaries on offer

The immedia and akosma software app dev training contingent will be coming to a city near you. This time around, we’re amplifying our goal of upskilling SA’s developers by offering bursaries to selected students and independent developers. With this offer, we aim to develop the rich untapped potential in our country and strengthen South Africa’s global positioning.
Our app dev training sessions will provide interested developers with the know-how to create their very own smartphone and tablet apps and become a part of the global app revolution. Our training courses will run in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town and provide developers with the necessary skills training to empower them in what can only be described as a fast-growing and incredibly competitive digital market.
Software engineer, Riyaad Miller, who attended our Mobile Web App Development course added, “You’ll never believe how long I’ve been looking for a course that provides this content locally. It was very beneficial and I can certainly see myself using this in aid of my development efforts. Adrian Kosmaczewski (Head of akosma software) is clearly an expert in his field…”
Tapping through Travel

Lead Strategist, Anice Hassim, was invited to speak at the Tour & Travel Exchange last Friday by Kartagener Associates Inc. (KAI), a specialist in creating marketing solutions for travel companies looking to increase sales in North America.
The Tour & Travel Exchange is a new conference exclusively targeting this segment of the market. The goal of the Exchange is to bring together qualified, motivated and focused buyers and a wide variety of international destinations and suppliers.
Our talk was an introduction to the post-PC revolution and an insight into the changes that will occur in the tourism industry, driven largely by the popularity of smartphone and tablet devices by travelers. As digital transition consultants, immedia is confident that we can help businesses and professionals amplify their service offering through embracing new technologies.
Through our competency in iBooks, as well as our strategic value and depth in mobile app development, there is a range of avenues in which businesses that are new to post-PC can get started.
A sneak peek at our tech future
We will be running a special WWDC-themed Open Night today to highlight some of the exclusive information our team were privy to as well as have them share their enriching experiences with fellow developers. We’ve been Apple inspired and we’d love to share their imaginative world of innovation with you. Here are some of the things to look forward to:
- iOS 6 for iPhone and iPad
- OS X Mountain Lion
- Apple’s flashy new MacBook Pro with Retina display
- A 3D mapping app to rival Google maps
- The Passbook app which revolutionises the way you organise
- Facebook integration on iOS 6
- Streamlined and unified view of notifications
- Gatekeeper, a new security feature
- The rise of Siri
- AirPlay mirroring on MacBooks
…and much, much more.
You should be reading…
Why Apple stores tilt the MacBook Pro exactly 70 degrees
Gizmodo – Molly Oswaks (15 June 2012)
If you thought Apple squeezes all those dollars out of you based on product and design alone, you’re giving them too much credit. Carmine Gallo, writing for Forbes, reports on an interesting bit of consumer-behavior mindf**kery the stores employ, specifically to seduce you into a love affair with their products – the MacBook Pro with retina display, in particular. Each morning, Apple Retail employees use an iPhone app as a level to ensure each screen is titled to exactly 70 degrees… more
Will the Microsoft Surface tablet redefine mobile computing?
Techcrunch – Matt Burns (18 June 2012)
Microsoft just took the wraps off the all new Microsoft Surface. Even though the name is familiar this is an entirely new product. Simply put, the Surface is a Windows 8 tablet. But it seems so much more. In fact, perhaps I’m still a little drunk on Microsoft Kool-Aid, but the Surface seems like the next generation of mobile computing. While Surface might not kill the iPad, it might revive Microsoft… more
5 Reasons mobile is the future of sustainable development
Mashable – Zoe Fox (18 June 2012)
Social media and technology hold a unique position when it comes to shaping sustainable solutions for the future or our planet. At the core of many of these possibilities for change are mobile phones. There are now 6.2 billion mobile phone subscriptions held by 4.2 billion mobile subscribers around the world – and that number is only increasing. By 2017, Ericsson forecasts 9 billion mobile subscriptions… more
Upcoming eventsGeek Patrol Coffee Catchup
Geek Patrol invites interested business leaders every month to touch base with them on the latest technical developments.
They also address the challenges which clients are facing in their work environments and assist them in managing as well as anticipating these dilemmas.
For info, email events@geekpatrol.co.za
App Dev Training
We’re hosting monthly 2-day App Dev Training sessions for anyone interested in learning how to create Smartphone and tablet apps, in Durban.
Visit www.appdev.co.za.
Tweets from the team
@anicehassim
11 Jun 2012
Incredible! #SouthAfrica & @immediaza fly high at #Apple’s #wwdc @ WWDC 2012 http://instagr.am/p/LvLIuAypnF
@anicehassim
11 Jun 2012
You are going to hear this a lot “When the iPad came out, everything changed”
@duncandee2
12 Jun 2012
Fruit loops are bought. I have done my shopping !
Tweets from the team@bevtheledge
11 Jun 2012
I just went down the escalator next to Jonny Ive! #groupie #arrived #wwdc2012
@anicehassim
15 Jun 2012
After an eventful #wwdc the @immediaza team “Drink Different!” @DavesBarSF 🙂 safe journey home lads to #Durban & Mom & Royco.
@jiteshnunnan
15 Jun 2012
“Good enough” isn’t. You should be shooting for great. #wwdc