Google Apps Developer Challenge 2012

Last week, Google announced the Google Apps Developer Challenge 2012. Using Google Apps and Google Drive APIs, entries can be submitted in any of the following categories: Enterprise / Small Business Solutions, Social / Personal Productivity / Games / Fun, and Education / Not for Profit / Water / Food & Hunger / Health. The submission of entries are due on August 24, 2012. Prizes include Chromebooks and up to $20,000 USD. There are also special prizes for students and female developers.

To know more about the contest, you may check out the official website at http://www.google.com/events/gadc2012/index.html and follow the hashtag #gappschallenge on Google+.

And as Google Developer Groups are partners in the challenge, GDGs will be conducting workshops and/or hackatons. In the Philippines, the target venues are Manila, Bacolod, Cebu and Zamboanga. More details about this will be posted in the GDG Philippines blog and Google+ page.

Update:
The Google Apps Meetup organized by GDG Manila will be on July 6-7 at the Codeflux office. More details can be found here.

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Transitions

In the past weeks, I have been into some major transitions in my life.

I have moved to a new company and am now working as a mobile apps developer. I've been doing some Android apps before but this time, it is for full-time. Despite this, I'll still continue with the other non-mobile projects I have been working on.

As I transfer to my new work, I have to move from Makati City to Alabang, Muntinlupa City. As it still is far from where I live, I looked for a boarding house in Las Pinas City.

But still, the most major adjustment I am facing now is using the Macbook work laptop. I haven't really used a Mac and it's totally different from Windows and Ubuntu. Even the keyboards have differences so I cannot use the keyboard shortcuts I know.

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Cebu Weekend

Last May 5 to 6, 2012, we went to Cebu for the Pre-Startup Weekend Bootcamp, in preparation for the Startup Weekend Cebu on May 11-13, 2012.

On May 5, 2012, we went to the ILC-AVR of University of the Philippine Cebu for the event. Mark Abella, lead organizer of Startup Weekend Cebu gave a talk about Startup Weekend Cebu. Vanessa Orendain, community manager of GBG Philippines talked about Pitching, Marketing, and Monetization. Albert Padin talked about HTML5 Development while Rico Sta. Cruz discussed Turning Ideas into Buttons. Anne Olvido, GDG Bacolod community manager, Jerome Locson, GDG Zamboanga community manager and I talked about Android Development.

The speakers and participants (photo from the GDG Philippines blog)

After the event, we took a rest, went to Cebu IT Park and had dinner at Chicken & Beer. We went to a bar afterwards but then we transferred to a karaoke bar. The next morning, I went to Tabo-an Market to buy danggit, pusit, longganisa and some keychains. I went back to the hotel and had to change my clothes because I smell fishy. We then had late lunch at Balamban Liempo in Ayala Center Cebu. After lunch, we had a smal tour around Ayala Center and SM Cebu. We bought some pasalubong at the SM Department Store and had dinner at Mooon Cafe. Then, we went to the airport to fly back to Manila.

Even if weren't able to roam around much and I wasn't able to try Lechon Cebu, the experience was good. I would love to come back there again, especially for vacation.

Lechon Cebu!