Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of the Betanuggets.
As writers, designers, coders, late-night workers and early-risers, many of us are on board with the awesomeness of tea. But when was the last time you spent some quality time with a tea cosy?
There are all sorts of different ways to create a nice brew in this wonderful 21st century world. But all too often the pace of innovation and the speed of our daily lives leaves the beautiful, warm tea protector alone and neglected, sitting at the bottom of kitchen drawers or gathering unsightly stains in a forgotten corner.
So take the time to seek out your tea cosy this weekend and spend some time together. It misses you.
GAMEHORIZON RETURNS
Last year marked the debut of “New” GameHorizon, as the games industry event returned to Sage under fresh ownership. GamesIndustry International took over the conference from Codeworks in 2012, and set up an event that included Danny Bilson and Will Wright (amongst others).
It’s now been confirmed that the conference is returning to Gateshead on May 7 and 8.
It’s good to see the event back in town, for another year or two at least. GameHorizon has been a great place for games industry professionals to meet up and discuss trends for the last few years, and while it’s undoubtedly a global industry, it’s nice to see the gathering take place a short hop from firms such as Ubisoft Reflections, Eutechnyx and Double Eleven.
GamesIndustry International has already said that it’s hoping to boost the audience for the event beyond the capacity of the smaller hall in The Sage, and that may move it to another venue or another northern city in the medium to long term. However, it’s good to be able to enjoy talks like this one without straying too far from the house (and it’s an important reminder that the North East can certainly hold its own in the UK gaming ecosystem).
Interestingly, there’s also a GameHorizon Investment Summit coming up in London on September 26, which allows small and medium games and tech companies to find out about the opportunities for public and private investment. It’ll feature talks from folk such as Kickstarter, and Creative England will invest £20,000 in one UK games developer from the North, West Midlands or South West on the day.
MEET RACKSPACE AND STRIPE
How do developers help out with marketing?
Thanks to Ignite100, you can digest questions like this over fine coffee at Pink Lane Coffee on September 11. The accelerator is sharing the nous of a couple of its visiting mentors with the wider tech community next month, in an event entitled An Evening With Rackspace and Stripe.
Starting from 6.30pm, attendees will be able to hear from John Webb of open cloud company Rackspace, who’ll be discussing how developers can think and act like marketeers to boost growth. Andy Young will also be on hand to answer questions about Stripe, which helps people accept payments online.
The event is run with programme co-sponsor Rackspace, and the first batch of tickets are on sale now at £3.73 each.
GIVEY’S GROWING (BUT NICK’S GOING)
A few changes at Givey, the social charity startup which aims to give people the chance to share what they’re backing with their social circles. CTO Nick Reavill moved to San Francisco with his family a little while back, and he’s now going to be looking for opportunities closer to his new base. Nick was the driving force behind the creation of Givey’s API, and he’ll be a great fit for some lucky company in the Bay Area. In the meantime, the Givey team’s going to be on the lookout for a range of roles in the near future, starting with a client-side Javascript developer.
Here’s an example of one of their recent campaigns, a link-up with Acorn Overseas, who are working to help out a small children’s orphanage in Thailand…
DEMO (ON A DIFFERENT) DAY
In a bit of an update/correction from the previous Betanuggets, the Searchcamp demo day in Middlesbrough will be taking place on September 3 from 5.30pm, at Teesside University’s Centuria Building. It was announced at Refresh Teesside this week…
IGNITE IS BACK (NO, NOT THAT ONE)
Ah, well this is a bit confusing. No, this isn’t the accelerator, but it is about entrepreneurs. Bear with me here.
Not to be confused with Ignite100, Ignite is a global network of events set up by O’Reilly Media’s Brady Forrest and MakerBot’s Bre Pettis. It features “lightning talks” from presenters on a theme, with 20 slides that advance every 15 seconds.
It’s being brought back to the region by Digital Union, and this year’s theme is entrepreneurial advice. From 5.30pm on September 19, speakers will gather at the Northern Design Centre to share a nugget of wisdom or two that they wish they’d known when they started out, or that they picked up on the way.
Pop over here for more information about how to attend.
ICE CREAM CAPER
There is nothing in the world that gets people moving like an ice cream van.Even the biggest and scariest people can’t resist.
So was Newcastle film production company Superkrush Films onto a winning idea when they commandeered an ice wagon and launched around Newcastle’s digital agencies?
Today’s “Superkrush Summer” tour has certainly won over folks ranging from AYO Media to Sumo. But for the rest of us, it’s a painful and bitter reminder of how bleak and empty the world is without the off-key chimes of a van carrying cones and Flakes. Thanks, Superkrush. You’ve just made us all cry. You monsters.
ON BETAROCKET
Middlesbrough-based Bible discovery platform Audacious has released an iPhone app. We find out how Christians can use it to explore and discuss the Good Book (A Trip Through The Bible)
BLOGPOSTS THAT ROCK
Rajat Harlalka shares a few tips on how to make sure your mobile app isn’t an infuriating drain on the battery (How To Stop Your Mobile App From Being A Serious Battery Drain)
New Scientists looks at the communities that are building user-owned “mesh networks” from scratch, in places ranging from Seattle to Catalonia (Meshnet Activists Rebuilding the Internet From Scratch)
GoPixel pulls together an example or two of how teachers are using Pinterest (Bucking a Trend)
Sqwiggle c0-founder Matt Boyd looks at some ways to make communicating with a remote team a bit easier (7 Ways To Increase Communication With Your Remote Team)
Jon Evans peers into the jealously-guarded cave of the NSA, and asks if it’s more about fear than security (The Business of Fear)
Elizabeth Valentine-House talks about her research into how toddlers use mobile touchscreens (Toddlers and Touch Screens)
Tom Cheesewright discusses how innovative companies can cut into services typically controlled by banks (Death By A Thousand Cuts)
HEY YOU…
Check out the latest technology events in the North East by dashing off to Tech Diary. NOW.
Remember, you can share your own news or list your event by emailing john@betarocket.co.uk.