Airpos Opens Office In Silicon Valley

From NewTechPost: Airpos has announced that it is moving on from releasing beta versions of its product to making it fully available to the public and it now has a brand new portal to its site. Airpos was one of the companies showcased at the 4th Annual Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) Awards Ceremony which … Continue reading “Airpos Opens Office In Silicon Valley”

From NewTechPost:

Airpos has announced that it is moving on from releasing beta versions of its product to making it fully available to the public and it now has a brand new portal to its site. Airpos was one of the companies showcased at the 4th Annual Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) Awards Ceremony which took place at Stanford University in April.

Marty and the guys have sweated blood over this product, ignored all of the advice from the “volauvent boys” and went with their guts. They’ve shouted at friends, infuriated officials, shot from the hip and followed their hearts. They were the “pilot” for the StartVI programme run by David Kirk and hosted by a group of passionate individuals here in Belfast.

Opening an office in Silicon Valley is a great step – getting close to the biggest market in the world.

Location: it’s a feature, not a bug

Apple came under fire this week as it was revealed (by a research paper dating back to 2010) that a file is created and maintained on the iOS system which contains location data for every time you have queried location services. For me, as you can see from previous posts), it presented a way to … Continue reading “Location: it’s a feature, not a bug”

Apple came under fire this week as it was revealed (by a research paper dating back to 2010) that a file is created and maintained on the iOS system which contains location data for every time you have queried location services. For me, as you can see from previous posts), it presented a way to map my movements. No big deal as you can also see, I publish my movements live on Latitude.

At no point is it true (at the moment) that this location data is sent anywhere. It is stored on your phone so if you lose your phone to a wily thief who cares where you drink coffee more than he or she cares about your contacts database, browser history, cookies and access to your email, then you may be in trouble. But it’s not stopped quite a few journalists from making the accusation that Apple knows where you’ve been and is obviously using this to beef up iAds or something even more sinister!

It turns out that Android does the same – the difference being that they only store the last 50 entries. This is entirely sensible and highlights an error in the way Apple was handling this data. It’s not clear whether this data is transmitted to Google (and with their recent history, it would not surprise me) but we should probably wait until it’s confirmed. A sceptic might suggest that Google only stores the last 50 entries on device because it uploads them to their secret Texan datacentre constantly anyway but I’ll not accuse here.

The bottom line is that Google is handling the caching of the data correctly and Apple is not. But it makes me really want desktop and mobile apps for visualising my location data over time and having this as an opt-in service or better still ‘an app’ is obviously what I want. Latitude does a half-assed job of recording and a worse job of reporting and it’s the reports that I’m interested in. I want to see where I go. At what speeds.

So where are the apps that really do Location well?

Language Learning for Kids?

I’m looking for resources for teaching young kids Spanish and French. In my ideal world these would be iPhone or iPad apps, with goal-based outcomes built-in. Seems like a missed opportunity. Of course, this is one of the things I’d like my new startup to build. Assisted Learning Experiences. Teaching by Asking. Learning through Play. … Continue reading “Language Learning for Kids?”

I’m looking for resources for teaching young kids Spanish and French. In my ideal world these would be iPhone or iPad apps, with goal-based outcomes built-in. Seems like a missed opportunity.

Of course, this is one of the things I’d like my new startup to build. Assisted Learning Experiences. Teaching by Asking. Learning through Play. Assessing by Doing.

That’s one of the reasons I’m pumped to be going to Learning Without Frontiers next week. I’d love to put together a group of folk interested in technology based learning and teaching. I even registered a domain for the grouping!

Musing about Learning and Teaching Technology

There’s a group of companies here in Northern Ireland who are focused on the growing educational technology market. Educational technology is, for most part, just the application of general technology to the education market without necessarily the grounding of technology with pedagogy or learning. Technology manifests as tools, as a medium and as a network. … Continue reading “Musing about Learning and Teaching Technology”

There’s a group of companies here in Northern Ireland who are focused on the growing educational technology market.

Educational technology is, for most part, just the application of general technology to the education market without necessarily the grounding of technology with pedagogy or learning. Technology manifests as tools, as a medium and as a network. We might use Photoshop to teach a certain skill, we might populate a wiki, blog or other content management system in order to store and record or we might use email or instant messenger to communicate – but none of these have any specific pedagogical or learning purpose.

I suppose the difference is whether you are using the technology to teach as opposed to teaching about the technology.

Some of the ideas I have regarding ‘educational’ technology are certainly in the tools, media and networks areas. Tools to inform parents of progress, new methods to deliver established content and the development of peer groups beyond the school all fit into these neat categories.

Applying game reward principles to learning and teaching is an enhancement that I can’t accurately describe in the context above. While the tools may be the browser or the iPad, the medium may be the web or dedicated apps (with graphics, sound, video) and the network may be the reporting of achievements (either to the peer group, the teacher or the parents), the process of matching the query to the answer, the process of imparting the techniques for research and the striving for success will be part of the pedagogical delivery.

During my schooling, knowledge was analog. It was written in books, passed on through a formalised oral tradition and collected in condensed form for schools. This meant that if you wanted to know something, you had to visit a library, open a book, ask a teacher. The answer would be both “best effort” and also subject to the local bias of a region. To find out any depth of information, you had to be truly curious. Today, the search for knowledge has become trivial. A tool (the browser) used to access a medium (like Wikipedia) across a network (the Internet) brings the knowledge of the largest encyclopedias into reach of the most casual researcher. For depth, for interest, however, we have to rely on the innately curious; the quality of wanting to know more than your peers, to become excellent at something.

We have to develop the learning and teaching curriculum to create curiosity for the curious will inherit the earth.

Vote for StartVI

So, the first news is that StartVI has been shortlisted for The Europas, in the Best Ongoing Startup Programme 2010 category. The shortlisting is the important part – the other nominees for the category are organisations like BizSpark (the innovative and amazing value startup assistance from Microsoft) and the Digital Mission (who organise trade missions … Continue reading “Vote for StartVI”

So, the first news is that StartVI has been shortlisted for The Europas, in the Best Ongoing Startup Programme 2010 category.

The shortlisting is the important part – the other nominees for the category are organisations like BizSpark (the innovative and amazing value startup assistance from Microsoft) and the Digital Mission (who organise trade missions to other countries on behalf of UKTI and other bodies). Being included here is reward enough on two counts.

  • We’re getting some recognition and eyeballs. This is always valuable.
  • We’re able to see the other organisations in this space. They’re potential collaborators.

It’ll be my interest to make links with these other organisations and see how we can help each other. Whether that’s with the formation of a “Startup VISA” where we can provide support for each others startups in our local market or whether it’s finding potential SME partners for Pan-European projects – it doesn’t matter – as long as there is some sort of interaction.

Now, run along and give StartVI your vote.

SBRI

Last week I attended a presentation on the Small Business Research Initiative or, as it is known locally, Pre-Commercial Procurement. Much of this content is cribbed from Eoin McFaddens (of the Innovation Policy Unit in DETI) excellent presentation and description and enthusiasm for the project. Pre-commercial procurement for especially for SMEs For innovative products, processes … Continue reading “SBRI”

Last week I attended a presentation on the Small Business Research Initiative or, as it is known locally, Pre-Commercial Procurement. Much of this content is cribbed from Eoin McFaddens (of the Innovation Policy Unit in DETI) excellent presentation and description and enthusiasm for the project.

Pre-commercial procurement for especially for SMEs

  • For innovative products, processes or services
  • Contracts (procurement), no subsidy and no grant
  • In competition

Goal is threefold:

  • Solving public questions/concerns , e.g. waste management
  • Stimulating innovation among SMEs
  • Exploitation of public knowledge and technology

Exempted are:

  • Products/processes/services which are not new compared to the state of the art world wide
  • Projects which were already procured

This diagram captures much of the process. The identification of the Unmet Need, the provision of first stage pre-commercial procurement, the establishment of filters to help define exactly the right process and prototype. The entire process is geared towards deliverables, not hourly rates.

The concept hinges around “Unmet Needs” – areas of development which may not be fully developed locally and where domain knowledge is not present within the public sector.

This process will build domain knowledge within local industry as well as in the public sector, it is 100% funded R&D as it is a procurement and not a grant (and therefore is not subject to EU state aid rules) and in most cases the IP will remain with the company while allowing the public sector certain usage rights. The increase in domain knowledge should bring better products to market for the public sector company and increase competition for the best product.

The most important part here is the green box – full open procurement permitted by every company, even those that were admitted earlier in the pre-commercial procurement but which didn’t make it to later stages.

Examples where this has been used in the past:

Retrofit for the Future – Department for Communities and Local Government
This competition aims to retrofit UK social housing stock in order to meet future targets in reduction of CO2 emissions and energy use.

Keeping Children Active – East of England SHA
Looking for technologies which can help and motivate children to take more exercise, to understand and monitor the amount of exercise they are taking and to incentivise them to exercise more.

Synthetic Environments – Department for Transport
This competition explores the use of synthetic environments applied to transport, in this case, modelling and managing complex traffic situations on motorways

And to finish off, some links to related reports and web pages:

They Make Games

Of course, they don’t make any yet, but they will. And I went for the retro Battlezone-type graphics because I have zero skill with Photoshop and Illustrator any more (never mind not having a copy that would run on Snow Leopard) so my varied tweets last night are generally about finding folk who can put … Continue reading “They Make Games”

AlienSalvage

Of course, they don’t make any yet, but they will. And I went for the retro Battlezone-type graphics because I have zero skill with Photoshop and Illustrator any more (never mind not having a copy that would run on Snow Leopard) so my varied tweets last night are generally about finding folk who can put together something for me (for a reasonable price).

The aim of the company (as you can tell from the Twitter profile) is to apply game-like experiences in mobile, mhealth and e-learning. I’ve a heap of ideas in this and my next steps will be to start to put together people who will be important to the development of the company.

Alien Salvage will be contributing to the Digital Circle-initiatived BLOC54 collaborative network focussing on the Games Development Industry in Northern Ireland.

Drive

This presentation was being re-tweeted a few times. It’s on the subject of what motivates us. Ten minutes long. Watch it and then come back to me. OK? So, as long as the tasks are manual, mechanical and don’t require much brain use, more money means better performance. When the job requires thought, more money … Continue reading “Drive”

This presentation was being re-tweeted a few times. It’s on the subject of what motivates us. Ten minutes long. Watch it and then come back to me.

OK?

So, as long as the tasks are manual, mechanical and don’t require much brain use, more money means better performance.

When the job requires thought, more money generally means poorer performance. People need to paid enough so that the question of money isn’t on the table – otherwise you’re demotivating them. You have to provide other methods to motivate.

Money is a Motivator, but....

Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose

I’m not going to explain more. You’ll understand it all if you took my advice and watched the presentation.

Sweat

In humans, sweating is primarily a means of thermoregulation. Hence, in hot weather, or when the individual’s muscles heat up due to exertion, more sweat is produced. Sweating is increased by nervousness and nausea and decreased by cold. – Perspiration, Wikipedia. Ignoring the weather, sweat is produced by exertion, nervousness and nausea. And this helps … Continue reading “Sweat”

In humans, sweating is primarily a means of thermoregulation. Hence, in hot weather, or when the individual’s muscles heat up due to exertion, more sweat is produced. Sweating is increased by nervousness and nausea and decreased by cold.Perspiration, Wikipedia.

Ignoring the weather, sweat is produced by exertion, nervousness and nausea.

And this helps me define sweat equity – because if you’ve been involved in the start of a business and you have not experienced exertion, nervousness and nausea, then you do not deserve equity.

In startup culture, sweat equity is often a vital component especially in economies which have low seed funding. Giving co-founders and early employees a stake in your business (often as a way of making up for below market wages or even just not paying at all) is something that should encouraged for startups without seed capital but it has to be done carefully.

When bringing someone into the company you have to examine not only their ability but their commitment and their intentions. Investigating these factors requires a lot more than technical or purely project management skills, it’s about relating as a friend but at the same time attempting to be objective. After all, as a company director you are bound by law to look after the interests of the company as if it were a child; which in many ways, it is.

My first experience with sweat equity was also my first complete failure to deal with the ramifications. This was my publishing company. Though there was a handful of us, the sweat was all mine. While minor contributions came from others, the vast majority of the work fell on my shoulders and that was in being creative, being an administrator and also, holding down a job to allow others the free time to do their small bits. We used sweat equity because what we were doing was a lot of fun; it wasn’t work in the traditional sense. End result: we didn’t lose money but we didn’t make a whole lot. It was a game, a way of making sure we had somewhere to stow our bags when we went to games conventions rather than something we treated as a business.

My second experience was in my first proper IT company. I gave everyone equal votes in the company despite the drive to succeed being mine, the initial capital being mine and the risk being all mine. And again I failed to manage the experience; my idealism left me woefully unprepared for the concept that some people think that an equal vote means they get to do what they want. Some people don’t understand democracy, I get that now. And I would hope that I have learned something. I did learn that if you start something, don’t give it away unless you get equal commitment from others. I’ve still not made back the money I invested but it’s working, it’s profitable. And it’s a legacy.

My third was in my software company. I started this with my best friend and I believe it is to his credit that we are still on good terms. He pushed himself to create two fantastic products sacrificing sleep and family time and both times we failed to make a dent in the universe. Something that I feel very personally responsible for. Time moved on and now neither of us are part of that company and to be honest I’m glad. It was tricky letting go but it was for the best – you have to trust your co-workers implicitly and after my friend left, I found I could not trust his replacements to the same degree.

My fourth is a public service value project that I feel strongly about. The aim is to create a range of projects which people can place sweat into and the whole of society benefits. There is an opportunity for the individuals and their companies to benefit financially but for the most part, this is about social conscience.

OpenTranslink takes the data from Translink, turns it into something usable, and gives it away. the opportunity for individual companies is to make something compelling from that base, open, free platform. Whether that is a better timetable app, a tour of the tourist sites, or mashups with other services around the city.

OpenLiveNet, which I started earlier today, is an attempt to provide some assistance to the LiveNet project which is being pioneered by Mencap. They need techies, designers and people who think outside the box. And at this point it’s all just sweat. The equity comes into play once something is discovered. They might get paid to produce something or they may see the opportunity to produce something with wider appeal.

My fifth is a new games company. I love the concept of videogames because in the modern day they encompass every discipline from music to animation to documentary film-making, programming and design, user interface experimentation and marketing: everything is needed to make something amazing. I am pretty much alone in this at the moment but I’m hoping that will change – it’s just hard to find people willing to put sweat in. It may because the risk is so high, it may be because making games is hard work. And it may be because we don’t have enough people.

But this isn’t the same the world over. The recent iPadDevCamp had groups of developers and designers working together to create new innovative products. My friend, now in Canada, has inspired a small group of developers to work with him on his next idea, interestingly enough, a game. I can’t wait to play it.

Sweat is always going to be balanced by risk. It’s easier to find someone to give you an opinion or talk about an idea than it is for them to do something more. A few years ago my postman stopped my on the street and asked me if I could look at his computer for free – he had discovered that I was a some sort of computer geek according to the magazine subscriptions I maintained. I was at a loss: this was my livelihood. Would it be appropriate to ask him to deliver some parcels for free?

As soon as you encroach on someone’s day job, then you’re into sweat equity in a big way as most people do not like their work. they may be good at it but the last thing they want to do on an evening is spend even more time doing stuff that they are forced to do on a daily basis.

But what about the rewards. Only the founders of a company can put a value on sweat and it’s important they place that value correctly not only for their own benefit but for the benefit of those early stage employees as well as the retention of enough equity to sate the initial (and later) investors.

And what if you want more than just a little bit of help – what if your needs are pretty much solid work for several months? Taking on a full time commitment is something that is hard for many to stomach. It’s going to either take a massive leap of faith, quick revenues or a sizeable seed investment to get developers to come on board to build your next wonder widget. And it’s harder here than in other regions because on average we are 20% poorer than the UK as a whole. We earn less, our cost of living is the same or higher: we are poorer than our peers. This means we tend not to have savings to fall back on because we simply cannot afford them. This limits our ability to add sweat.

But this does not mean that sweat equity does not exist here. When I see local companies like AirPOS, DataSentiment or Onotate, I am inspired. I know that these guys have worked through their exertion, nervousness and nausea. I know that their sweat was earned and not freely given or taken.

So, about that game company…

It’s been an exciting week. On Tuesday morning I met with Leo Galway, John Girvin, Conor McCluskey, Darin Smyth and Christian McGilloway regarding the formation of a local ‘games development cluster’. Everyone seemed to think it was a good idea and so now we’re looking for a good brand to help identify the cluster. This … Continue reading “So, about that game company…”

It’s been an exciting week.

On Tuesday morning I met with Leo Galway, John Girvin, Conor McCluskey, Darin Smyth and Christian McGilloway regarding the formation of a local ‘games development cluster’. Everyone seemed to think it was a good idea and so now we’re looking for a good brand to help identify the cluster.

This coming week (Thursday 25th March) I’ve organised an event with Belfast Metropolitan College called “INGAGE” which stands for “Innovation in Gaming in Education”. We’ve got an engaging calendar planned out for the day.

During the academic year 2009-2010, Belfast Metropolitan College, supported by Digital Circle and the Department of Employment and Learning, introduced a new extracurricular games development ‘club’ for students taking the games design courses at the college.

This event will serve to highlight the work undertaken by the students in the ‘l33t Creations’ club as well as highlight some work being done by other creatives in the games industry in Northern Ireland.

AGENDA

10.00 am Arrival / Registration
10.30 am BMC Welcome Trevor Smyth
10.40 am Welcome & Overview of Project
Darin Smyth / Christian McGilloway
11.00 am Guest Speaker Greg Maguire
Q & A
12.00 pm Demos
Lunch
1.00 pm Guest Speakers
Straandlooper
Mark Cullen
Brendan McGoran
2.00 pm Closing remarks – Reid Lynas

Attendance is free and refreshments will be provided. Local companies wishing to network are welcome. But you have to RSVP!

And lastly, but not least, I’ve been working on the UI for the game I mentioned the other day.

IMG_0937

I’ve spent this evening documenting the Touch Events which will need to be plugged into Unity3D. It’s my job to document the UI, then to write the story and do the research.

I’m still trying to think of a name for the games company (though I have some ideas) and I’m putting together a team of people who can actually manage to pull this together. I provide the ideas – it’s others who will provide the implementation in many ways.

Anyone want to help?