tech

Chinwag and the UKTI have collaborated on the up and coming event SME Growth Hacking. Build. Promote. Sell. Inspire. (Thurs 21 Nov) This event is completely free to attend and is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (18 - 24 Nov).

The day will be split into panels, case studies, mentoring sessions & an exhibition all focused on the 4 key themes: Build. Promote. Sell. Inspire. The ticket also includes complimentary lunch and coffee for all attendees.

This event is for SMEs and entrepreneurs with potential for fast-growing UK businesses with export potential.

Wrapping up SMW London, on Friday, September 28 2012, was our Tech 4 Good Showcase.

It featured social innovators showcasing their startups as part of our Disruptive Social Innovation Day, exploring how social media platforms, tools and technologies can be used to create social good.

Contributors included FairPhone, the world’s first ethically made mobile handset; #wewillgather, an initiative to get people together to do good things, as inspired by the upsurge of ad-hoc volunteering in response to the London riots, and DrDoctor, a start-up changing the way hospitals and patients communicate using mobile technology.

We recently announced the exciting news that the Digital Mission will be returning with its fourth expedition to New York next Spring, from 18th - 22nd February 2013. The trip is coinciding with Social Media Week New York in order to allow companies to explore the 150+ events, covering extensive topics along the vein of social media throughout the week.

We are very thrilled to announce that the first set of companies have been chosen for the mission and are all set to venture out to NYC in Feb. See below for information on the companies as well as their contact details in case you want to get in touch prior to the trip.

We have some rather good news for digital firms based in London who need a helping-hand to take part in the upcoming Digital Mission to New York, taking place from the 18th-22nd February 2013 to coincide with Social Media Week NYC. 

The marvellous people at UK Trade & Investment London have secured 15 grants of up to £500 available for digital companies based inside the M25. This contribution can be used towards the mission costs as well as the travel and accommodation expenses of taking part.

Last week Chinwag were lucky enough to be joined by Korea's top tech talent, the winners of the Google's Global K-Startup competition. The five lucky startups were treated to a week's tour of London's digital industry, including market briefings, pitch training, agency meetings, incubator tours and roundtables with industry experts. 

On Monday the group took a tour of the ever-expanding Tech City, organised by TCIO and Friday saw the group spend the day with some of the startups based at Campus London at TechHub, Seedcamp and Springboard. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were left in the capable hands of Chinwag's team.

So take a look at what they got up to...

The history of New York City is interwoven with the growth and development of Lower Manhattan. Here, merchants landed from abroad bringing with them wares to spur a new economy. Here, traders gathered beneath a cherry tree to swap goods – actions that would lead to the establishment of a stock market.

More recently, $30 billion in infrastructure investment has attracted a new type of merchant – one that harnesses intellectual capital and creative ingenuity – and has brought thousands of new residents and businesses to Lower Manhattan.

To encourage growth, Take the HELM is looking to award four $250,000 cash grants to the following types of companies:

Technology is designed to make our lives easier, faster and ultimately more fun.

Tesco is my supermarket of choice. This isn’t because it’s the nearest shop to me. Nor is it because I think they are the cheapest. It might have something to do with the fact I worked for almost all of the other big chain supermarkets in my teens and still have a little grudge about being treated poorly for minimum wage, but I think the main reason I’ll go to Tescos is the clubcard.

At the start of 2011 I purchased my first iPhone. When I got it home I immediately started downloading apps. Once I’d got Angry Birds, Facebook & Twitter I started to search for the more "specific" apps for me. I found the Tesco Clubcard app and moved straight over.

About this time last year we asked you if you could pick your most significant thing of 2010 what would it be?

We got some great results, from facebook reaching half a billion users to the one and only SXSW and one of my personal favs, the use of the word 'hacktivist' in a Daily Mail headline about WikiLeaks.

2011 has been a year full of ups and down, from the launch of the ipad 2 in March to the very sad loss of the Apple icon Steve Jobs in October. There has been technology failures, the BlackBerry network went down and left millions moving over to the i phone and you can't forget the PlayStation network hack in April.

Google+ took on Facebook and you can now ask your phone if you are going to need to take a umbrella to work thanks to the development of voice control.

Last week we promised you some exciting news about the up and coming trip to Washington and we would hate to disappoint.

Just in case the top 10 reasons to head over to DC weren’t enough, we’re excited and delighted to announce a stellar line-up of partners for the Digital Mission to DC, including the US Department of State and a range of federal government agencies, Blue State Digital, the State of Maryland, Microsoft and Deloitte.

Along with our partners, Future Gov, Bright Lemon and Kathryn Corrick we have been working away to secure some of the most influential organisations and government departments for July’s mission visiting the US capital from 11-15th July. Applications close on 10th June, with a limited number of spots available.