It's getting be that time where summer is winding down, school is starting up, and work is---well---who am I kidding? Your work has been crazy the entire summer.
But what better reason to blow off a little steam? So why not take the chance to celebrate with a little First Thursday Portland foray? There are even a couple of tech types that are hosting gatherings for you to attend, Forkfly and Tenfour.
The gang at tenfour has had a great year so far. From a successful rebrand of our agency, our award winning work for Air New Zealand (plus recent nominations for the IAB MIXX Awards for brand awareness and the Sammy Awards) to our swank new space in Portland’s Pearl District, we’ve got a lot to be happy about. We’ve decided the best way to share our good fortune with the public was to open our doors for a First Thursday celebration on September 2nd at 6 pm.
The evening will include an interactive art show, a live DJ, refreshments and delicious eats from Koi Fusion.
But don't just take my word for it. Take a look at the artists who will be presenting works.
So swing by Tenfour between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM to get a little culture.
Well. It's not just First Thursday you know. It's also 9/02/10. (Wait for it.)
So when you start to think that maybe you're going to skip these little get togethers, just think "What Would Brenda Do?" Don't think "What Would David Do?" because honestly that dude was always a little iffy. And Brandon and Dylan? Never you mind. Unless you can grow some sweet sideburns in time.
(Image courtesy of Alex Pears. Used under Creative Commons.)Read more…
Sometimes, there is a better wheel. Sometimes, a market has an 800 lbs gorilla that could use a little toppling. And yes, sometimes, I use inane marketing drivel when I can't think of any better way to get into an article.
But see? Now we've made it through the intro. So I can tell you about PingGadget, a new Portland startup that's looking to take the best of Twitter's short format and combine it with Foursquare-esque location information to deliver a new microblogging platform.
PingGadget purports to match location information to short messages in a way that will change the way people think about sending small snippets of text.
The PingGadget service specifically focuses on location-centric benefits and use cases and includes a powerful location and category directory. PingGadget features a 493 city location directory with a custom topic directory, including location-centric topics like jobs, classifieds, recycled goods, events, nightlife, music, and volunteering opportunities.
Now, I say "purports" because honestly, I haven't seen it yet. I've just had a chance to read up on it. And you know what? You may be able to see it first. If you're available for lunch today.
PingGadget – a new microblogging site started by two 2005 University of Portland graduates (Steve Nguyen and Dennis Moulton) and based in Salem, Oregon – will be hosting a lunch and conducting a demonstration of their software. It will begin at noon, is open to all, and will be located at the Hall of Fame Room inside the Chiles Center on the University of Portland campus, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd.
So if this sounds like something you might want to see, head on over to UP at noon to get a glimpse. I'll just sit here and wait for my beta invite.
No, no. Don't worry about me. You kids run along and have your lunches. With your cool demos and whatnot. I'm sure I'll be fine.
Granted, this isn't the first foray into this type of functionality that the Silicon Forest has seen. Far from it. Most long-time Silicon Florist readers will remember that Shizzow, Simler, and CitySpeek all made similar attempts to provide folks with that type of functionality. Shizzow with its location based shouts, Simler with its topical focus, and CitySpeek with its additional features to extend the traditional 140 character format.
And---if they haven't already---the PingGagdget folks would be wise to seek the counsel of the creators of those products because they are sure to have some interesting tales to tell. (Especially that Ryan Snyder guy, who just happened to get hired on full time at Mozilla, recently.)
One thing is for sure, the market has changed---somewhat drastically even---since some of those previous forays into microblogging. And Twitter has now become a household word. Foursquare isn't far behind.
Is the time ripe for another platform? We'll have to see. Whatever the case, we'll be keeping an eye on this latest entrant into the stream of consciousness, short message world with great interest.
For more information or to get your beta invite, visit PingGadget. For more insight, see this interview from December 2009 with PingGadget CEO Dennis Moulton.
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[HTML1]If you spend any time in social media, you've no doubt been inundated over the last two weeks with requests to "vote for my panel at SXSW." Ever since SXSW instituted the crowd sourced PanelPicker, folks have taken to the airwaves to pimp their panels to their peers.
Admittedly, I'm part of the problem. But not for much longer. You see, today is the last day you can vote on the proposed 2011 SXSW panels.
What to do? What to do?
I've got an idea. Vote. Sure it won't shut us… err them up. But at least you'll assuage some of that guilt.
That's right. Get to voting. You. Yes, you. You there waiting for the work day to end. You there early to Beer and Blog. You on the motorcycle. You two girls. All of you go vote early and often for these awesome Portland panels. Right now. Do not delay. Do not pass go.
Scoot.
And with any luck, your Twitter and Facebook streams will soon return to normal. Except for the bitching and kvetching about panels not making the cut, of course. Read more…
Sure, sure. Building those apps is all fun and games until someone needs to make a living from it. And then? Then things get a little more confusing.
That's why Intel is hosting an event tonight---to help developers get more out of their apps. More money that is. It's all about learning how to turn your code into cash.
Developers, come join Intel at the Tiffany Center in Portland, OR on Wednesday, August 25 for a free event to learn about the benefits of joining the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program. Enrollment in this program is free for a limited time. We'll be discussing revenue opportunities in the Intel® AppUpSM Center app catalog for Adobe AIR* and Windows* C/C++ developers. Hear why you should develop for the Intel AppUp Center, learn about our SDKs with live coding walkthroughs, listen to other developers already involved in the program, and talk to Intel experts in our staffed open lab. Bring your code and questions! Want to see what to expect? View our videos from past Application Labs.
There'll be everything from learning about the AppUp Center to C++ to open lab time. Free beer, free pizza, free snacks, and free soda will be provided. You just need to bring you. And your desire to do a little something more capitalistic with that code you've been cranking. Just show up at the Tiffany Center at 5:00 PM tonight (Wednesday).
For more information on the event or to register, visit the Intel Application Lab. For more on what do with those apps you've built, visit the Intel AppUp Center.
Read more…
After a very successful initial event last year, the folks at Seattle 2.0 have organized another StartupDay. Filled with a---well, a day---of interesting talks from a wide variety of successful tech entrepreneurs.
And since bootstrapping your venture is all about making ends meet, we can probably save you a few pennies, as well. You see, if you're willing to make the jaunt up to Seattle, you can also cash in on a discounted conference rate. But you have to act fast.
StartupDay 2010 is the conference for pre-entrepreneurs interested in founding or joining a tech startup. Learn what’s important for creating a tech business from scratch. Meet one-on-one with advisors. Learn how to pick the right idea, build your team, fund the business, build your product, bring it to market and make a profit.
That's all well and good. But what kind of speakers are the pulling in? Some pretty darn interesting ones.
Like who? Whom? Who? Um. Who is speaking?
How about the co-founders of startups like LinkedIn, Slideshare, Posterous, and iLike? Because they are. So are folks like Dave McClure.
Long story short, it's going to a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship and what makes for a successful startup. Best of all? It's all in a single track. So you don't have to worry about missing an interesting session or trying to decide who to see when.
All that would be worth it, alone. But wait. There's more. Guess what else you get?
No. No. Nope. Hunh unh. Maybe, but no. No. Yes a pony would be nice. I'm sorry where were we? Ah yes. What else you get.
Not only do you get to see a bunch of awesome speakers, you also get some one on one time with advisors to help you work through your own startup ideas and tribulations.
During the conference, a room of experienced entrepreneurs, investors and professionals will be available to have 15-minute-long, one-on-one meetings so you can seek guidance, advice and to establish business relationships.
On the day of the event you can book up to two meetings (more if availability permits) with any of the Advisors, on a first-come first-serve basis. Just look for the Advisory Room Registration table.
Sounds pretty good doesn't it? So what would you pay for something like this? Well, that doesn't really matter does it. Because here's what they're charging: $195 for tech workers and $395 for non-tech workers.
That seems like a really good deal right? I mean, you already got $200 knocked off for being techie. But I like you, so I think you deserve a little bit more. So if you register in the next few days, you can use the discount code "siliconflorist" and that will garner you an additional 30% of the going rate.
How cool is that?
So go on. Go register. Scoot.
Oh wait. When? You want to know when? Fine. September 25. All day.
For more information on the event, the speakers, and the agenda, visit StartupDay. Or just get right to registering.
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While we all find a great deal of satisfaction and entertainment in mucking with technology day in and day out, every once in awhile, it's nice to actually do something with it. Yes, yes. Even if it's that shiny new mobile technology.
So tonight, Mobile Portland will be discussing not only something to do with technology but something very worthwhile---the use of mobile technology for education.
At Mobile Portland this month we're pleased to have a prestigious panel of educators who are on the cutting edge of using mobile technology in the classroom. The panelists will cover topics like:
What role do mobile devices have in the classroom?
When are mobile phones useful and when are they distracting?
Do mobile devices need to be issued by the school or are there ways to take advantage of devices that students own?
What are the challenges to effectively using mobile devices in education?
Look at all of the side-projects going on, the things we accomplish beyond our regular work day. This isn't a lazy community, but it's important to understand that people may be motivated by different things, and have different ways of measuring success. There's room for different approaches, as long as we recognize each others' interests.
Change has to happen on multiple sides.
What happens when the complex processes of government meet the complex processes of open source? A whole lot of frustration and confusion on all sides. Bringing open source into government requires that we listen to each other, understand how each part works, and build new connections. At a recent OpenGovWest meetup, we discussed how most software developers don't know how to get involved in government RFP processes, and how government technology decision-makers often don't understand how open source works. We need to keep working on that gap.
It's not (only) about the money.
This is good! We've shown we know how to build things of value to us, even with limited financial resources. We're interested in how we can make our communities better. Look at Free Geek: they went from "how do we keep computer monitors out of the river?" to a being part of a state-wide electronic waste recycling program and putting computers and technical training into the hands of needy Portlanders, as a non-profit, collaborative enterprise.
It is about building something of value for all parties.
That's really the key part. What succeeds does so because we share the benefit. Maybe what we're after is better health care for all Oregonians, or maybe we're just there to have fun, but we engage in these projects because we're getting something out of it.
It is about recognizing our strengths and working with them.
Portland is Portland. Not San Francisco, not Seattle. This is our own city, with our own technology communities, and we need to build models for success in this environment.
It is about having a common goal.
How else are we going to work together? Let's decide what we want to do and get moving on it.
---
That's Audrey's take on the open source community and its interactions with government and economic development in Portland. What's your take? Agree? Disagree?
Let's hear it.
(Image courtesy Selena Marie. Used under Creative Commons.)Read more…
It's that time of year again. Time for folks to be voting on the SXSW Interactive talks they'd like to see---all via the SXSW 2011 PanelPicker.
And so like we did for the SXSW 2010 submissions, I thought it might be helpful for you to have a list of the Portland people who have submitted sessions for your consideration.
Let's get to that so you can get to giving your thumbs ups and comments, shall we?
There you have it. (Unless, of course, I missed yours. If I did, please comment below and I'll link it up.)
So why don't you take a few minutes, thumb through the proposals, and then thumbs up any ideas you like. Heck, comment even. Comments are like food to these people. I mean, it's your feedback that helps SXSW pick the panels. Hence the name "PanelPicker." Get it?
For more information, visit SXSW Interactive. For all panel submissions, visit the SXSW 2011 PanelPicker.
Read more…
Yes, I realize "paperbacking" isn't a word. But you hip kids Google and Skype and whatnot. I thought you would give me a little leeway. Or something. What's that? Whoa whoa whoa. "Geogeeking" is so a word. Is so. Is so!
I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree. (Is SO!) Because I've got more important fish to fry here. You see, one of our favorite Portland tech types---Adam DuVander---has finished his tome to geogeeking (is SO!), Map Scripting 101: An Example-Driven Guide to Building Interactive Maps with Bing, Yahoo!, and Google Maps. And we're not talking any eBook here. We're talking real dead tree stuff. And that, my friends, deserves a Map Scripting 101 launch party.
What does Adam's book cover? Well, I'm glad you asked.
In Map Scripting 101, author Adam DuVander delivers 73 immediately useful scripts that will show you how to create interactive maps and mashups. You'll build tools like a local concert tracker, a real-time weather map, a Twitter friend-finder, an annotated map of Central Park, and much more. And because the book is based on the cross-platform Mapstraction JavaScript library, everything you create will be able to use nearly any mapping service, including OpenStreetMap, MapQuest, Google, Yahoo , and Bing.
You'll also learn how to: Create, embed, and manipulate basic maps by setting zoom levels and map boundaries Show, hide, and filter location markers and info-bubbles Customize your maps for visitors based on their location Use common data formats like GPS XML, Google Earth's KML, and GeoRSS Create graphical overlays on maps to better analyze data and trends Use freely available geodata from websites like Yelp and Upcoming--and public domain geodata from the US government.
Sounds cool doesn't it? Of course it does. And informative. Now, if only there were some way to meet the author to thank him for all of his work on this brilliant piece of work.
Well, ask and you shall receive.
There will be a launch party for Map Scripting 101, this Thursday, held---appropriately enough---at La Bonita, where a great deal of the book was penned. Or typed. Or whatever they do with books these days.
And word around the campfire is that you might score an awesome compass. Just by showing up.
For more, visit the site dedicated to the book, Map Scripting. Sold? Grab your copy of Map Scripting at Powell's. And then consider swinging by the launch party on Thursday to get it signed.
Read more…
It's that time again.
New Relic, providers of cloud-based tools to monitor, optimize and troubleshoot Java, Ruby and JRuby web applications, will be welcoming us into their offices this Wednesday, August 18, for a Lunch 2.0.
I hear they're hiring too, if you're interested.
There should be the usual networking with your favorite people, as well as a bunch of new people, including the employees of New Relic, whom I'm sure will be happy to tell you all about their company.
You might already know a bit about them; their client list includes companies you probably know like AboutUs, Atlassian, Engine Yard, Groupon, LinkedIn and 37Signals.
As usual, please be sure to RSVP over on Upcoming so the hosts will know how much food and drink to order, and if you're a vegan or vegetarian, make sure to drop a comment on the Upcoming event.
Upcoming Portland Lunch 2.0s
I usually have a handful of interested hosts on deck, but it's really quiet right now, not entirely sure why. If no one wants to host, we might need to take a hiatus for a month or so, or I might have to (gasp) do more promotion.
We don't want that.
So, do you want to host? Do you know a company that you think would like to host? Let me know by dropping a comment, hitting me up on Twitter (@jkuramot), or finding me at a Lunch 2.0, if you want to chat IRL.
Want to know what’s involved? Check out the how-to primer.
Big thanks to all the hosts who have hosted or plan to host Lunch 2.0. As with the majority of the tech events in Portland, sponsors make them happen. So, we humbly thank you. Read more…
Perhaps more exciting is the situation, the company, the people, the mission. In the midst of a financial crisis, during a time when everybody hates banks, we’re starting a bank. On the surface, it’s a bit crazy. But it also means that it could be a perfect time to shake things up. What if you start from scratch, with new technology, an API, a focus on mobile, and a mission to treat customers well? That’s what we’re doing.
It’s my firm belief that one of the keys to success is avoiding the artificial, uniform face that most companies present. Success means being an accessible collection of genuine people that incidentally comprise a company. That’s why the idea of joining this team captivated me. It’s not just the amazing technology, or the product ideas that will rethink banking. It’s the willingness of Josh, Shamir, and Alex to speak publicly and bluntly about tricky subjects like banking and personal finance. They speak about the world of money like real people, and that made me want to join the team.
…
Now, instead of just talking about how more humane corporate design and communication would be a great idea, I now have the opportunity to make this happen from the start of a brand new company. As BankSimple grows, aspects of our character and personality will continue to shine through, as they already have on BankSimple’s blog.
[HTML1]You've just created one of the most talked about advertising campaigns in the history of the Web. What are you going to do?
Well, if you're Portland advertising powerhouse Wieden + Kennedy, you're buying beer for folks at Beer and Blog today---and maybe seeing if you can hire some of them on to your digital strategy team.
Join us on the patio of the Green Dragon this Friday from 4pm to 6pm to chat up W+K’s digital strategists Dean McBeth, Ken Brady, and Cody Corona. They’ll have the drink tickets, so be on your best behavior.
Did you know that aside from the droves of people around Portland who adore Twitter, our fair city actually has a deeper connection with one of the most popular tools on the Web?
It's true. What's more, our Portland connection makes an appearance in the Twitter Class of HQ video. Can you spot that Portland person?
Need a hint?
Interested in appearing in the next video yearbook? You might want to follow @jointheflock or visit Twitter's jobs page. Want to work somewhere besides Twitter? Well maybe that company posted a job here. Read more…
[HTML1]Sure, sure. The world of mobile apps is in the midst of a veritable gold rush. It's a market that has the potential to make individual developers and small businesses rich beyond their wildest dreams.
But just like the original gold rush, there are a few problems with getting to that gold. The primary one is a little problem people are calling "discoverability." That is, in a world of apps, how do people find yours? The other is retention. Or once they have the app, how do you keep users using it?
Well, Portland's Urban Airship may have just solved both of those problems---for the Android platform.
That's right. The company that has become synonymous with Apple iPhone push notifications is widening their proverbial footprint in the mobile market. And they're doing it in a big way for Android developers.
Let's take a gander at how, shall we? We shall.
Let's take the last problem first: getting folks to remember that your app is there on their mobile so that they continue to use it.
One way to remind users to use your app is to send them relevant information when and where they need it. And one of the best ways to do that is through a "push notification." It's just a little message that is sent from within the app to the user of that app. A reminder, if you will, of something important.
And I'd venture a guess that no company---outside of Apple---has more experience with these types of notifications than Urban Airship. So it just makes sense that Urban Airship would start providing push notification services for Android based phones. What's more, it provides cross-platform support.
Urban Airship also gives developers more flexibility with their messaging.… the service operates across iPhone and BlackBerry in addition to Android — if your app is available on multiple platforms, you can use the Urban Airship backend to manage your campaigns across all of them.
So if the person has already downloaded your app, that's one thing. But what about finding it in the first place? Well, that's the problem with discoverability. When users have a bevvy of apps from which to choose, how do they find yours?
One way is word of mouth.
And there is no better place to start with word of mouth than your existing contacts. Your friends and family as it were. But how are you supposed to contact all of those folks to let them know about your awesome new Android app?
Introducing AirDrop by Urban Airship. It's a new offering that allows you to "Send your Android app to your friends. Enemies. App reviewers. Anyone you choose."
But that's not all. AirDrop also lets developers track the activity of their would be users. To figure out who is downloading what.
Once you upload your application to AirDrop, you can create custom redeem codes and links to share and distribute. You’ll be able to see who has redeemed codes and, best of all, we make it extremely easy to get the application onto the user’s device.
If the user clicks on the redeem link from their desktop, AirDrop provides that user with some options on how to navigate to that link from their mobile device. Options for sending the url from their browser to their device include a QR code, Google Talk (aka Jabber), and email. Once the user clicks the redeem code from their mobile device the download starts immediately.
Just to complete the trifecta of good news, it's important to note that Jason Glaspey---known around Portland for his work on Unthirsty, Bac'n, Paleo Plan, and the Portland Incubator Experiment---has joined Urban Airship.
In his new role, Jason will be helping the Urban Airship crew with product strategy and management, ensuring that the company continues to build apps that make developers' lives easier.
It's a big move for Glaspey and a win for Urban Airship.
"It's an amazing company, full of people I know and respect," said Jason. "And I'm looking forward to helping them continue to kick ass with whatever that phone stuff is that they do. Oh. I mean WE do."
Read more…
When you think of Webtrends, you likely think of Web analytics. And that's no surprise. The Portland-based company has been a leader in the world of Web analytics for more than a decade.
But it's not highly likely you think of social or mobile apps. Well, until today. Meet Webtrends Apps, the results of acquiring San Francisco based Transpond.
That's right. Webtrends has picked up another company. And this time, it's a little off the beaten path of what we've expected from Webtrends in the past.
So what does the company they snagged do? Well, they provide a WYSIWYG editor that allows practically anyone to develop and deploy applications for Facebook, iPhone, iPad, Android, Nokia, and the mobile web.
Great. But why would Webtrends be interested in this? Because Webtrends sees where the Web is going. And they've got a pretty good hunch that people these days may be---just maybe---spending some time in social networks and on their mobile devices.
I know. Call them crazy.
So by buying a company that allows people to easily build social and mobile apps AND baking Webtrends analytics into the application platform, Webtrends suddenly has the ability to track more relevant activity. And in so tracking that activity they gain the ability to allow Webtrends' users to divine more insights about their customers.
Bundled with their Facebook apps is a Facebook analytics tool Webtrends released in February that improves on deficiencies of Facebook’s native Insights. It allows clients to see up to date statistics about custom Page tabs and applications such as time on site and what content was shared, as well as integrate Facebook analytics into their web-wide analytics solution.
Webtrends saw brands from all industries looking to make custom apps, but found existing developers to be too slow, complicated, and overworked. The acquisition of Transpond makes Webtrends a good start-to-finish solution for companies trying to break into Facebook or other app platforms. While the apps themselves are relatively basic, the ability to create, publish, and track them with just one set of tools offers simplicity those new to the app scene will appreciate.
That's a lot of analytics. From a lot of different sources. What's more, it's something for which many folks have been clamoring.
What kinds of folks? Marketing folks, of course. Especially marketing folks who are still busy watching data sources that don't give them a clear indication of what their users are doing.
Despite the two year trend of social dominance, marketing dollars are not right sizing. Search, email, & website command 77% of the budget today. That makes the current allocation is a ratio of dollars to user time spent is 6.5:1 The allocation for social is 0.5:1. Mobile doesn’t even show up as a category. If businesses spent a ratio of 6.5:1 on social it would command 150% of the budget. Assuming social is as effective as search, email, & website, then a ratio of 3:1 or 2:1 on search, email, website, social and mobile would right size the budget.
Interesting. Suddenly, acquiring a WYSIWYG app company doesn't seem so off kilter after all.
What's more, while this move is important for Webtrends, it also proves to be an important move for Justin Kistner---known in the Portland tech startup community as the creator of Beer and Blog---who works for Webtrends full time. With the acquisition, Justin moves into the role of social media product manager.
And that could mean some pretty cool things for him. And for Webtrends. Read more…
So Silicon Florist turned three years old. And in those three years, it has featured more than 1500 posts. But what have you, gentle reader, found most appealing in those three years?
Don't remember? Well, luckily, through the magic of analytics, we can tell. After taking a gander at the stats throughout Silicon Florist's existence---both Web traffic and RSS traffic---30 stories bubbled to the top. What were they? Let's take a look.
I welcome any tips, product announcements, stories, or rumors that involve Portland, Oregon, or Silicon Forest technology. Please send tips to siliconflorist@gmail.com.
![Good [Urban Airship] things come in threes: Push for Android, AirDrop pushes your Android apps, and Glaspey pulls up a chair](http://siliconflorist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Urban-Airship-AirDrop.jpg)
