As part of the Make, Do and Mend Tech Fair @ Wuthering Bytes on Thursday 1st October all day in the Waterfront Hall at Hebden Bridge Town Hall we are hosting the following Hackathon:
Hack the Bridge!
ALL ENTRANTS WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO PITCH THEIR IDEAS AND PROTOTYPES INTO A ‘DRAGON’S DEN’ - WITH THE WINNER RECEIVING £2,000 TO HELP THEM BRING THEIR APPLICATION INTO BEING.
MAYBE YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IN CALDERDALE VARIES BY UP TO 10 YEARS, DEPENDING ON A RANGE OF FACTORS. BUT DO YOU ALSO KNOW THAT THERE IS A RELATIVELY SIMPLE SOLUTION THAT CAN HELP CHANGE THIS?
IF MORE PEOPLE WERE MORE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, FOR MORE OF THEIR LIVES, FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE, MORE OF THEM WOULD LIVE LONGER, BETTER QUALITY LIVES. IBM AND CALDERDALE COUNCIL BELIEVE THAT TECHNOLOGY, SOMETIMES BLAMED FOR BEING THE CAUSE OF PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, MAY IN FACT HELP ACHIEVE AN INCREASE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: OFFERING RESIDENTS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISSUES - AND PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO TACKLE THEIR OWN LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
WE THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY LOTS OF WAYS THAT THIS MIGHT BE DONE: HELPING PEOPLE ACCESS & UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH DATA; HELPING PEOPLE WORK OUT SIMPLE AND EASY WAYS TO INCREASE THEIR LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY; MAYBE HELPING PEOPLE FIND A ‘BUDDY’ TO WALK OR RUN WITH; HELPING PEOPLE TO FIND OUT WHAT IS AVAILABLE… AND SO ON. WE ARE ISSUING A CHALLENGE TO ALL DEVELOPERS IN THE CALDERDALE AND WIDER REGION:
DESIGN AND BUILD A KILLER APP THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE MEASURABLY INCREASE THEIR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
Can you write code? Can you put a web page together and write applications in Javascript, Java, Python, or similar languages? Now you get the chance to use these skills and use powerful services from IBM to create a prototype for an application. Get access to IBM Bluemix to develop and run your prototype. Bring your laptop, your ideas and build a prototype with help from IBM at this all-day hackathon. Refreshments provided.
What you need to participate:
This hackathon is aimed at people with an idea they want to turn into a prototype, and who can already write code. IBM is providing access to it’s BlueMix platform for them to develop and run their prototypes
The IBM Bluemix system allows code to run without worrying about finding machines/disk/networks. This system is based on the open-source Cloud Foundry project
Attendees will need to sign up for a Bluemix trial at least one day in advance of the session at http://bluemix.net/
Participants who have signed up in advance will access to all the services on Bluemix (for a period of 30 days) to help them assemble their prototype – these services are listed on https://console.ng.bluemix.net/catalog/
Bluemix supports code written in Java, Javascript (Node.js), Python, PHP, Go, Ruby and the .NET framework
Attendees will need to bring their own laptop to work on. Good internet access is available at Hebden Bridge Town Hall.
IBM will have some of their best staff present, offering advice and technical support
Most importantly you need a good, well though out idea that could be turned into an app.
Oh - and one final thing: you need to let us know that you’re coming (we can cope with any numbers between 5 and 20 people) by sending an email to michelle.veasey@calderdale.gov.uk