Thursday 27 August 2009

Barnsley Twestival Local: Tweet. Meet. Give.

Another event coming up on Thursday 10th September 2009 at the Barnsley Digital Media Centre.

The event will be an afternoon of interesting and useful seminars to help you get to grips with using social media as a tool for promoting yourself and your business. Hear from practioners in the field who can give you practical advice and tips on how to use sites like Twitter and Facebook, as well as hearing case studies from people who have successfully integrated social media into their everyday lives.

Co-hosted by Creative Barnsley and the Barnsley Digital Media Centre, the evening will finish with The Big Twitter Debate where you will hear arguments for and against the use of Twitter and other similar sites for the purpose of building contacts and networking. Follow the debate live on Twitter http://twitter.com/twestivalbsly from 5:30pm.

The event will raise funds for Action Space Mobile as part of the Barnsley Twestival Local event.

Date: Thursday 10th September 2009
Time: 3:30pm to 8:00pm
Fee: £5 (to be donated to Action Space Mobile)

Programme: 3:30pm to 4:15pm
Seminar sessions 1 and 2 4:30pm to 5:15pm
Seminar sessions 3 and 4 5:30pm
Registration for The Big Twitter Debate 6:00pm
The Big Twitter Debate 7:00pm
Refreshments and networking 8:00pm

For more information and to register your attendance either phone 01226 720 700 or email m.goodrich@oxin.co.uk

Monday 24 August 2009

Think Visibility event focused on SEO, Affiliate Marketing, PPC, Usability and Accessibility


Think Visibility is a series of conferences on "The Things that usually get left behind in the web design process"; featuring well known speakers from relevant areas, new talent and some fantastic networking opportunities.

The Think Visibility conference is on September 12th 2009 in Leeds. It costs £99 a ticket, and i've been assured by the organisers that it's a bargain :-)

Subjects to be covered include 'Maximising Universal Search', 'Have Blogs Gone Wrong', 'How to Win at the Content Network' and 'Big Site SEO - thetelegraph.co.uk'.

More information and registration can be found at:

http://www.thinkvisibility.com/

Friday 21 August 2009

Future Technologies August - Augmented Reality

I've decided to blog about Augmented Reality this month because firstly, it suddenly seems to be popping up everywhere and secondly, it's cool.

So what is it? The wikipedia definition:

"Augmented reality (AR) is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real-world and computer-generated data (virtual reality), where computer graphics objects are blended into real footage in real time."

Of course the best way to get your head round it is to see it. Here is a nice practical example of Augmented Reality in use:

http://www.vtt.fi/kuvat/projektit/imgaugasse/tty_ar_2.swf

Note that he can move the object and it moves around on the computer screen in real time and shows him where to place the next item. He can also see on the computer screen where his hands are so that he can see if his hand is in the same place as the graphic. In case you're interested, apparently this is a tractor engine's hydraulic block being assembled (I know, you already got that ;-)).

Toyota have also used AR to promote one of their cars. You can watch the demo, or even download it to try it out for yourself, at:

http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/frame_start.jsp?id=iQ_reality

Again notice how the person can move the object in real time to affect the image on the computer. It's very clear how AR can be used to generate interest in a new product in this way, no doubt marketing will continue to be one of the first main uses for the technology.

This example of AR with a business card I particularly like, I think because it reminds me of Princess Leia sending out her SOS message:

http://vimeo.com/4979525

HITLabNZ, the Human Interface Technology Laboratory in New Zealand have a very cool AR project called EyeMagic Book.

As you can see from this image the user holds special goggles in front of their eyes whilst looking at a book. The book then uses AR to deliver a 3D, moving image. Obviously the glasses are a little bulky but once they become smaller and more discreet you can easily see the commercial potential, especially with children's books, games etc.

Another area that keeps coming up is the use of AR for medical purposes i.e. surgery whereby you could have a graphical representation of a person's organs from an x-ray or scan during operations - such a great idea.

Leeds Metropolitan University are currently involved in research in augmented and mixed reality so if any businesses in the Yorkshire region are looking at investigating AR for commercial reasons, an Innovation Voucher could potentially get some time with an expert there.

I am also hopeful that this could be brought into education, a new way of teaching, especially about something that is difficult to get physically into the room but that could be demonstrated and viewed in 3D, inside and out. A much easier and more compelling way for someone to learn about something that would otherwise seem inaccessible i.e. ocean life, the solar system, large-scale architecture etc. Talk about the subject matter jumping off the page!

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Creative Networks event - Award Winning Animator, Director & Writer, Barry Purves

This months Creative Networks event, in association with Animated Yorkshire, has a fab speaker lined up in the form of award winning animator, Barry Purves.

If you don’t know Barry by name, you will certainly know of his work, from childhood classics like Postman Pat and Rupert The Bear, to Hollywood Blockbusters like King Kong and Mars Attacks.

Barry has also done numerous TV interviews, animation training courses, and documentaries. He has held workshops about animation around the world, including at major studios Dreamworks, PDI, and Pixar.

Known as one of Britain’s most celebrated animators, his six films have won over sixty major international awards, including Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Film, and OSCAR and BAFTA nominations.

A fascinating speaker, Barry will guide us on an entertaining journey through a career spanning over 30 years.

So, basically, if you love animation you have to go! It's on Thursday, 27th August at Leeds College of Art from 6pm onwards.

The event is free to creative, digital and cultural industry professionals. If you would like to attend please contact Creative Networks on 01422 399444
or email Bridget March at bridgetm@leeds-art.ac.uk

Thursday 13 August 2009

Free webinar on the preparation of a successful Framework 7 proposal

On the 31st July the EU Commission launched its largest call for proposals so far this year with over €700 Million of allocated budget. It's a lot of money, but being successful with EU bids is no walk in the park so the Digital Communications KTN are putting on a free webinar with expert advice for anyone who might be interested.

The webinar will take place on the 18th August at 10.30 a.m. There will be a 20 minute presentation followed by time for questions.

To apply for a free registration click http://www.brighttalk.com/webcasts/5162/attend

If you can't attend at the time the video will be available on the Digital Communications KTN website afterwards.

If you watch the webinar and decide that this is something you'd like to take further you can then utilise the expertise of RTC Yorkshire, who can help with completing application forms, find appropriate partners in other EU Member States etc. If you'd like to be put in touch with someone at RTC Yorkshire just let me know.

Friday 7 August 2009

Music and Media Educators Conference in Leeds

Just a quick blog to tell you about an upcoming, free (gotta like those) event on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd September being held by Leeds Metropolitan University and JAMES (Joint Audio Media Education Services).

The event takes place over two days and will include master classes, seminars, workshops, product demonstrations and lectures.

Day 1 will cover issues concerning music technology and education in areas such as Mastering and 'Long Distance Mixing'.

Day 2 will address issues relating to Film, TV and Post-Production with workshops from Foley Artists and Sound Design Editors.

Keynotes addresses will be delivered by Dennis Weinreich (Managing Director Post Production for the Pinewood Group) and Steve Lawson (stevelawson.net) .

If you're interested and want to register you can book your place by emailing innevents@leedsmet.ac.uk