Ada Lovelace Day

Today is the day when all over the world people will be using their blogs to write about women in technology - tech heroines.

Inspired by Ada Lovelace who wrote the first computer programme the idea has snowballed over recent months and started a debate about women in technology. Ada is an example of what I think many women have brought to high tech developments, the practical application of those developments.

Some years ago I wrote a regular column as part of my job as a journalist on Electronics Times. While colleagues wrote about developments in chip design and so forth, mine was more about where tech might take us, applications I'd like to see - I talked about the potential for mobile apps, e-payments and so on. Often blue skies off the top of my head, but some times they were predictive such as the one asking why all laptops had to be square and grey well before Apple launched its first laptops. But to some my stuff was fluffy - but these days some of it would be regarded as to do with monetization.

The point is that in looking for our tech heroines we must think about the ideas people, the business developers as well as the engineers and the coding ninjas.

Meanwhile I will add a mention for one of my favourites: the glamorous Hedy Lamar who managed to combine Hollywood stardom with research into frequency switching and missile guidance. How many of us could do that.

Comments

[Dominic]

- Hedy Lamarr?
- That's *Hedley*!
- What are you worried about, this is 1875 - you can sue her!