Afternoon, y’all.
First of all, a sympathetic pat on the back to all those folks who headed out to the pub (or to Portugal) to witness the latest chapter in Newcastle United’s European adventure. It’s not over yet, but as they say, sometimes it’s the hope that kills you.
Of course, sometimes the mad backpasses and penalty-box arm-flaps don’t help either.
Anyway, it’s a lovely day, and the 9Bar Flat White’s getting cold, so onto the links…
GOING PLACES (AGAIN)
The passports are getting an airing again. Blooie and WhatUsersDo are packing an overnight bag and heading to the Big Apple as part of VentureOutNY’s British Tech Invasion.
As we mentioned on these pages a little while back, VentureOutNY is planning to introduce fine British companies like this to the people, companies and investors that call New York home. The event will take place on Monday.
For those of you that haven’t met these guys, WhatUsersDo offers online usability testing, so that companies know how to design and present their websites in the way that’s most handy for their users. Blooie emerged from the first Ignite100 accelerator, and bills itself as an intelligent chat platform which allows websites to host conversations about the stories and issues on them. It’s recently expanded its team too.
NUMBER 10 ROADTRIP
There’s going to be a little bit of a chat at Number 10 next week about all things tech, and the North East (or some of it) is going along for the ride. Ignite100 and Sunderland Software City will be represented at a discussion about how clusters and organisations can work together to give sectors like tech a real boost.
PITBULL HIRING
Sunderland-based Pitbull Studios is looking for good developers. The independent studio was founded by Robert Troughton in 2009, and offers games, mobile apps and art and code solutions. It’s recently worked with a few companies using Unreal Engine, including Vatra Games and Epic Games.
Projects include helping to resolve performance and stability issues in Silent Hill: Downpour, as well as programming and art work on Gears of War: Judgement. Give them a shout if you’re interested.
TEES ACCELERATOR?
There aren’t a lot of concrete details out there at the moment, but what we do know is that there’s a new digital accelerator taking root in Middlesbrough. Directed by Bobby Paterson, Searchcamp is offering teams a chance to get the accelerator experience on Teesside. You’ll remember Bobby from Happiest, the happy platform which was developed in Newcastle and Sunderland for a couple of years. Happiest went into liquidation at the tail end of last year.
The terms of the accelerator are yet to be fully revealed, and the website isn’t up yet, but there’s a definite plan to get the programme running from June 3 to August 31. There’s an application form for teams here, and we’ll give you more details when we get them…
MAKER FAIRE VOLUNTEERS WANTED
The Maker Faire draws ever closer, and organisers are looking for voluteers to help make it a success. The celebration of makers takes place on April 27 and 28 and will feature all sorts of amazing crafters, from hackers to coders, DIY folk and even mechanical dragon makers.
Linda Conlon, Chief Executive of Life, said:
“Volunteers at Maker Faire have the chance to take part in a very exciting and world-renowned festival as well as gaining a fantastic addition to their CV. We’re looking for people who will go that extra mile in the name of science whether that’s by befriending a knitting robot, riding a Bubble Bike or helping visitors to solder their own pin badges!
“As well as the more unusual volunteer roles, there are plenty of opportunities to gain experience in event management, science communication and marketing, as well as making new friends and having fun.”
Volunteers receive lunch and a T-shirt, and are invited to apply via the website by April 13.
HEDGEHOG BUILDS FOR BIC
Newcastle-based agency Hedgehog Lab has been working with the makers of the Bic pens on a note-taking app called My Bic Notes. It’s effectively a branded app which allows you to draw, doodle and take notes using a stylus and a range of Bic-themed styles. Hedgehog Lab was part of a multi-supplier team including Touch of Mojo and Idea Junction. For more information on the project, check out the Hedgehog Lab site or go to the App Store to download.
BLOGPOSTS THAT ROCK
Rick Waghorn of local ad platform Addiply has been out in Toyko. Here’s a blog about what’s got him thinking over there (What Did I Find On The Streets of Tokyo?)
Speaking in the Guardian, Stef Lewandowski talks about how the message a hack sends is often more important than the hack itself (We Could All Do With Getting Hacked)
What can you learn about local by failing in local? Ask Luke Stangel, the founder of ill-fated location-aware mobile photo platform Tackable (Six Things I Learned About Local By Failing in Local)
What is a technology startup? Should startups be about reinventing business culture? A post on the nature of startups by Stanwix (“Tech” Startups)
A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
JBug Newcastle is up on Tuesday at Newcastle University, looking at “productivity, reliability and testability in an enterprise environment”. It kicks off at 6pm.
Also on Tuesday, the iOS Devs group is investigating gesture recognisers, and there’s a chance for people to show what they’ve been working on and chat about ideas. It’ll take place at Clavering House from 6pm.
Mike Goodwin from Sage will be presenting at the next NEBytes on April 17, talking about changes in digital identity and what it means to a developer. It’ll start from 6.30pm at Newcastle University.
Remember, you can share your own news or list your event by emailing john@betarocket.co.uk. Bring your own bottle.
Headline photo by SJ Pinkney, used under Creative Commons