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Community Events

Pong on FPGA: Programming hardware with high-level languages

Palmerston North Software Developers | Meetup

2026-08-27 17:30

Julie Schwartz is doing a deeper dive after her lightning talk in April: "Everything can be done in software running on a general-purpose CPU, but when would you want to use a special-purpose chip? Or a re-configurable chip, like an FPGA? And how do you write the spec for that dedicated hardware? We'll demonstrate how the video-game Pong can be written in a few short source files in Bluespec, a high-level hardware design language (HDL), and go through the process of compiling it, loading it into the FPGA, and booting up the hardware to play!" Thanks to Objective for hosting and sponsoring pizza. Please RSVP so we know how much pizza to buy. We usually walk to Aquaba or Brew Union around 6:30-7pm for the social half of the meeting.

Objective Corporation – Palmerston North Office

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Lunch & Learn: Security as an Enabler

ManawaTech Events

2026-09-03 12:30

Security shouldn’t be the “Ministry of No.” It should be the engine that enables safe, smart progress.This talk explores Yorb’s own journey from blocking to guiding, sharing the real lessons, mistakes, and wins that shifted us from rigid control to risk-based decisions, and from policy for policy’s sake to practical guardrails that help the business move faster with confidence.It’s a candid look at how security and governance can evolve from roadblocks into strategic enablers.“If security is always saying no, it’s not governance, it’s misalignment.”

Yorb Offices, 40 King Street – 40 King Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand

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Technology Breakfast at Hope Cafe

Manawatū IT People | Meetup

2026-09-10 07:30

Regular IT meetup breakfast. Come along and have a chat with some of the local IT people, from time to time we have a guest to talk on a particular topic or if you have something you would like to share please let us know. The awesome team at Hope Cafe open specially for us and ask if you could pre-order your breakfast [https://www.hopevineyard.nz/cafe](https://www.hopevineyard.nz/cafe/) this way they can start the prep. Please mark yourself as attending here on meetup.com as well as we need 4 confirmed for the cafe to open.

156 The Square

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Does your data leak? what devs need to know about data governance

Palmerston North Software Developers | Meetup

2026-09-24 17:30

Something we don't often consider when writing code is the full data lifecycle: provenance, consistency, quality, ownership, permissions, compliance, deletion. We normally just dump it in a database and use it. Heather Todd from Yorb has Opinions! (that are well worth listening to). Come along and hear the bigger picture. Thanks to Objective for hosting and sponsoring pizza. Please RSVP so we know how much pizza to buy. We usually walk to Aquaba or Brew Union around 6:30-7pm for the social half of the meeting.

Objective Corporation – Palmerston North Office

More Info & registration

Technology Breakfast at Hope Cafe

Manawatū IT People | Meetup

2026-10-08 07:30

Regular IT meetup breakfast. Come along and have a chat with some of the local IT people, from time to time we have a guest to talk on a particular topic or if you have something you would like to share please let us know. The awesome team at Hope Cafe open specially for us and ask if you could pre-order your breakfast [https://www.hopevineyard.nz/cafe](https://www.hopevineyard.nz/cafe/) this way they can start the prep. Please mark yourself as attending here on meetup.com as well as we need 4 confirmed for the cafe to open.

156 The Square

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Lunch & Learn: Contractors, Trial Periods & Everyday Employment Pitfalls

ManawaTech Events

2026-10-08 12:00

Join us for a practical lunchtime session with RYHR covering the employment issues that trip up tech businesses most often. We will be upstairs in the Mezzanine at Hope Kitchen – bring your lunch or grab something from the Cafe downstairs.We’ll walk through:  – Contractors – the Gateway and Common Law tests, and how to correctly apply the new law  – Trial periods – what still works and what doesn’t  – Recruitment – a couple of practical tips that reduce risk early  – Performance issues – how to handle them cleanly  – When an employee runs out of sick leave – what your options actually areThis is a no-fluff, real-world discussion designed for founders, managers, and anyone who hires or manages people in the tech sector.

Hope Kitchen Cafe – 156 The Square, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand

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Monthly meetup

Palmerston North Software Developers | Meetup

2026-10-22 17:30

Thanks to Objective for hosting and sponsoring pizza. Please RSVP so we know how much pizza to buy. We usually walk to Aquaba or Brew Union around 6:30-7pm for the social half of the meeting.

Objective Corporation – Palmerston North Office

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Lunch & Learn: Practical Project Management

ManawaTech Events

2026-11-12 12:30

Join Susan Philp for a practical lunchtime session that looks at Project Management Basics. We will be upstairs in the Mezzanine at Hope Kitchen – bring your lunch or grab something from the Cafe downstairs.This session is deliberately designed for two groups who need each other more than they often realise:People who are running (or have been handed) a projectSponsors, steering group members, and leaders who manage or oversee the people delivering projectsWe’ll look at the common “Project Management Trap” that catches many New Zealand organisations — capable people given projects with limited structure or support, and leaders who don’t always have a clear picture of what good delivery looks like day to day.You’ll leave with:A clearer shared language between those doing the work and those accountable for the outcomePractical ways to create clarity early (scope, realistic timelines, what “done” actually means)Simple questions sponsors and leaders can ask that make a real differenceA quick Project Health Check you can use straight awayNo heavy frameworks. Just plain-spoken, usable guidance for real projects.

Hope Kitchen Cafe – 156 The Square, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand

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