THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN IS WORKING TOWARDS
WATER SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE FUTURE
UCT

Bigger and better ICTS Techfest

20 March 2018 | Story Helen Swingler. Photo Michael Hammond. Read time 2 min.
Students getting to grips with a virtual-reality headsets at the launch of UCT’s Innovation Lab last year.
Students getting to grips with a virtual-reality headsets at the launch of UCT’s Innovation Lab last year.

UCT’s Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) Techfest will be held in Memorial Hall on 17 and 18 April to showcase the latest in tech goodies.

All staff and students are invited and all attendees stand a chance to win some eye-catching tech prizes. But more on that later.

This annual event, hosted by ICTS, will feature all UCT’s approved vendors, such as DigiCape, Microsoft, Pinnacle and First Technology. These vendors will be showing off and talking about their latest products and technology. For the first time, non-UCT tech companies Cell C and SMG Technologies will join the line-up of exhibitors.

Says ICTS’s communications coordinator Niki McQueen, “We hope to have many more [non-UCT tech companies] joining us next year.”

Cool technology on display

ICTS has also joined forces with the School of IT, launched as UCT’s Innovations Lab, which will be bringing along some “very cool technology”, such as a drone, 3D printer, 3D virtual-reality goggles, an Amazon Echo speaker and an Emotiv headset.

“We see artificial intelligence playing a large role in the technology of the future, and some of these gadgets are fantastic examples of that,” says McQueen.

“Our goal with Techfest is to get students engaged with and passionate about technology and to highlight the services that ICTS provides to campus.”

UCT’s eResearch team will also be on hand to answer any IT queries or suggestions students or staff may have.

Oh, and there will be freebies too: popcorn for all, and the chance to enter a draw to win a prize. These include:

  • an iPad mini
  • an HM Jamoji bluetooth speaker
  • Skullcandy STIM headphones
  • a Go-Rock Cube bluetooth speaker
  • a Western Digital Live media player
  • an HP laptop bag

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Cape Town water crisis

Cape Town water crisis



At UCT our researchers have been analysing the causes of the current drought, monitoring water usage on campus and in the city, and looking for ways to save water while there is still time. As part of UCT’s water-saving campaign, all members of the campus community are encouraged to reduce their water use by half, which will help Cape Town to meet its water-use goals and ensure a water-sustainable university in the future.

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