It’s Friday, which means it’s time to point and coo at the latest edition of the Betanuggets.
It doesn’t come in gold, but you don’t have to queue to get it…and we’re pretty sure it’s different from the last one.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin…
AN APP FOR STUDENTS
Let’s start with a report in BDaily, which reveals that Newcastle-based VC firm Northstar Ventures has swooped in with a £250,000 investment for an app focused on students.
The short story? A cool quarter million from the Finance for Business North East Accelerator Fund will be plunged into ThreeSixty, an app created by Durham students that allows student groups and societies to organise events, manage members, track analytics and get the word out. From a student point of view, it’s plugged as an app that will allow them to find out more about what’s going on at the university, follow the right societies, make contact with the right people, and get payments over without much hassle.
It’s being marketed into Durham, York and Nottingham Universities, and is expected to be available by Freshers’ Fair later this month.
IT’S FOOTBALL…BUT SLOWER
Hey, does anyone like football around here?
In a quick break from your usual programming, here’s a quick video from St James’ Park, where long-time Newcastle United reserve goalkeeper Steve Harper celebrated his testimonial with special guest appearances from a galaxy of stars including Paulo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Faustino Asprilla, Lord Nelson, Yoda, Pinhead, and Lrrr: Ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8.
Newcastle video production company Superkrush Films was there to capture some of the action, slow it down, set it to warm, emotive music, and capture the celestial beauty of classic stars of old returning to the football pitch.
Nah, only kidding. Here you go.
THE INTERNET HAS COME FOR YOUR CHILDREN
While I was trapped in a waiting room this morning, I made the mistake of listening to a conversation about the Internet on Loose Women, the popular televised hell-pit that exists to make it look like there’s someone who thinks about issues less intelligently than our current Government.
In response to an article about the horrors of the Internet and the goblins that may lurk within it, a few popped up with suggestions about how parents and ISPs might be able to club together to shut the online world away in a big box on a high shelf until beloved Timmy is 60 and has an allotment growing out of his nose.
So that’s the plan. Stock up at B&Q, arm Timmy with a rake from the garden, jam a colander on his head and order him to stand next to that boarded-up door for 16 years in case the Internet breaks through. Personally, I’d just throw away the computer and the smartphone too, since it’s highly unlikely they’re going to benefit from coding skills, design, or anything like that in the future. We’ll definitely be back to newspapers and curly-wired rotary dial phones by then. They grow up so fast, and before you know it they’re all grown up, wandering around with some dangerously healthy view of the opportunities in the world. And then how will we sell tabloids to them?
We’re now living in a digital world, so this is ABSOLUTELY the right time to start making sure our children STAY AWAY FROM THE INTERNET.
Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that Prohibition Works. Especially when it’s our parents doing the banning.
MAKE STUFF
This brings me to the Centre for Life, where they’re celebrating the run-up to Maker Faire 2014 by organising a series of hands-on code and craft sessions for adults and young people wishing to learn.
Did that feel like a seamless link? Hmmm, maybe a little more polish needed…
Picture by Richard Kenworthy
Sjoanda Creative’s Jenny Lawson and David Hughes are putting together a series of workshops which will show young people how to develop practical skills that might well come in handy in future years. The programme will be aimed at people aged 12 and up, and will tackle skills that might not be part of the regular school curriculum.
For example, participants will learn about coding and Arduino programming. And it’s not just for children. The fact-based approach will also appeal to adults looking to discover more about how to get involved and develop their own projects.
David Hughes says:
“The session on ‘Introduction to Programming Mobile Devices’ is a case in point. Most of us don’t actually know how our smartphones work. What is an app? How do you even create one? How many of us are keen musicians but don’t know that you can record a piece of music using little more than a half-decent laptop and professional quality studio software which is legally available, for free, on the net. Six hours of friendly tutoring should get you up and running!”
The Introduction to Programming Computer Games will take place on September 21, with a Make Your Own CD session on September 28. Arduino Programming for Beginners is on October 5, and it’s all about making a digital musical instrument a week later. Introduction to programming mobile devices is on October 19, while advanced Arduino programming arrives on October 26 (ages 14+).
Each Saturday session lasts from 10am to 4pm, costs £20 and includes a working lunch. Bring your own laptop, notebook, pens and pencils. Pre booking is essential on 0191 243 8223.
Incidentally, Maker Faire UK 2014 is returning to Newcastle on April 26 and 27 (so lob that in your diary).
NYC100
You only stopped out for a couple on Friday night. But one thing led to another, and suddenly you’re 15 pints and a Sambuca down, and passed out like a bag of potatoes on the Metro. You wake up in a foggy haze, only to discover you’ve completely steamed past your stop and been transported to the Big Apple due to engineering works or a wormhole or something.
What are you going to do with yourself, so far away from the Bigg Market and the Party Pods private karaoke booths at Bambu?
New York City: Absolutely nothing to do. Pic by DoctorWho, used under Creative Commons
Well, never fear, because Ignite100 is bringing the flavour (and possibly the smell) of Newcastle to New York for a meetup on October 7. As part of their trip to meet entrepreneurs and investors on the East Coast, they’ll be hunkering down for drinks and sharing a little about what they’re all doing.
ON BETAROCKET
After just over 10 years at the helm of DigitalCity Business, CEO Mark Elliott has announced he’ll be leaving the Teesside organisation (DigitalCity Business CEO Stepping Down)
…With that in mind, we sat down for a bit of a chat with Mark about his thoughts on Teesside, and his time at DigitalCity (“Time to Move On” for DigitalCity CEO)
SOME EXTRA READING
Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian talks about how to get attention for your startup, and more (How To Get National Press With No Budget)
Rick Waghorn of Newcastle-based self-service ad platform Addiply was in Tokyo for Ad:Tech this week. Here he talks about the opportunities in mobile-local advertising (The Urgent Need to Invent New Mobile Technologies That Fit The Local Space)
A widely-shared one here, but in case you missed it, here’s a post from the founders on why they reckon their mobile app “Sonar” failed (Postmortem of a Venture-backed Startup)
Martin Bryant of The Next Web has a good ol’ rummage around in iOS 7 and reviews it…so you don’t get any nasty surprises (iOS 7 Review: A Bold Overhaul You’ll Grow To Love)
Speaking of rummaging, TechCrunch devotes a healthy amount of sentences to the burning question of what Google’s new health venture Calico might actually do (WTF Is Calico, And Why Does Google Think Its Mysterious New Company Can Defy Ageing?)
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.