Techmix Magazine Issue #2 by Digital Skills Agency

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issue 2

rizzle kicks 02 & Lost Generation

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m fil ! l a it ial Digspec our g e yakin v i G m ra m fil areetart c ks kic

MakeGetmusic videos yourself on MTV ladies of industry

Women at tech’s cutting edge

The Apprentices A real alternative to uni?

gadget Creation ◆ App design ◆ Campus Party ◆ Top apps and gear revolutionary designers ◆ Digital summer camp review ◆ Uni courses

editorial [the team] Techmix is published by: Digital Skills Agency Ltd Studio W106, Hackney Community College, Hoxton, N1 6HQ 0207 613 9194 info@techmixmag.com Editor-in-Chief Edward Baker Deputy Editor Maggie Scardifield Creative Director Angela Lyons Production Editor Richard Cosgrove Contributing Editor Jim Merrett Graphic Designer Sholto Douglas Editorial Assistants Josh Inch Jasmine Christmas Design Assistant Nathan Salmon Community Manager Stelios Alexandridis DSC Photography Matt Writtle mail@mattwrittle.com 07977 200273 Printers: Wyndeham Press Group Special Thanks: Dan Chaput Paul Alison Harry Baker The Nobles James Prosser Matt Writtle Tom Hall Ian Ashman Jon Shaw Andy Dean Gav Lucas Jamie Rankin Tony Parkin Ruth Lomax Mark Martin Martin Underwood Joanna Betts Mark McGinn Annie Blackmore Maggie Scardifield

Hello!

Hello and welcome back! Techmix is based smack-bang in the middle of London’s Tech City. Every day on our commutes Techmix’s office, our team pass hundreds of tiny offices in which brilliant ideas and plans are being hatched. Tech City is home to over 1,300 amazing start-ups, digital entrepreneurs and brave creative companies all working to redefine the idea of what business means today. We are part of that mix. As well as publishing Techmix, last August we put on Digital Summer Camp at Hackney Community College, in East London. Everyone involved in DSC worked tirelessly to make sure the festival was the best it could possibly be. With 3,500 attendees walking through the gates, we were thrilled with the outcome! Get the low down for yourself in our lookback on page 44. In this issue, we delve deep into your digital life. We want to inspire you to think outside the box – as seen in no better place than with our brilliant and talented cover stars, Rizzle Kicks. Two guys from Brighton, ‘born’ on the internet and roaring through their 20s to great applause (see page 6). Combine that with a new series of how to guides, a behind-the-scenes visit to where the first unique 3D printed doll was made (page 22), and a chat with a 16 year-old ‘appreneur‘ (page 34) – and this is one bumper issue! To those readers returning to Techmix, we thank you for your continued support. For those of you who are just now joining the mix, welcome aboard. Edward Baker, Editor-in-Chief

Say hello to… Edward Baker Techmix founder & editor-in-chief I’d like to learn… Photoshop. Images, along with words, is the core of my work. My digital hero is… Jeff Bezos – founder Amazon, who is now taking on The Washington Post. The tech I am most excited about right now is… Google Glass. Its apps will change how we interact with the world.

Maggie Scardifield Deputy Editor My digital hero is… Tavi Gevinson. At just 12 years-old, she caught the world’s attention with her blog Style Rookie. Now Tavi makes her own magazine. I can’t live without…Viber. Free international texts and phone calls with my family and loved ones. What’s in your browser’s history? AirBNB.com.

Sholto Douglas Graphic Designer When I’m not working, you can find me… planning my next trip around the world Favourite app is… DuoLingo. I’m using it to learn Spanish. My digital hero is… Edward Snowden. He showed individuals can stand up to big organisations and governments in the digital age.

ag hmixm r @tec #FF fo you’re doing ow e kn s u a d c n be s a I putting g thing amazin h work you’re c ! u how m Happy Friday :) into it! gins ig H R ie @Soph

@techmixmag your digital summer camp looks amazing !!! Glad that youn g students tod ay can get the su pport they ne ed, in a fun environ ment. @TWEuropeG rads

Thanks to MakieLabs for our excellent avatars! Stelios Alexandridis Community Manager Before I worked at Techmix I spent my time… writing my thesis on the dispute between Apple and Samsung. My next tech purchase will be… the new iPhone. I can’t live without one! My digital hero is… Steve Jobs. His ideas about tech and user experience changed the world. You can’t argue with that.

Techmix is published by Digital Skills Agency Ltd Studio W106, Hackney Community College, Hoxton, N1 6HQ. All rights reserved. Copyright © Digital Skills Agency Ltd 2013. Printed by Wyndeham Press Group. Techmix is distributed by JEM Education. Whilst every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and the publisher does not take responsibility for omissions or errors. Techmix does not take responsibility for unsolicited material. Permission to use any of the material contained in this magazine and associated websites should be obtained from Digital Skills Agency Ltd. The views expressed by contributors and advertisers in this publication and on our website do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial team or the publisher. And my word wasn’t Arkham: Origins a big old disappointment?

contents

How to be… a Digital Entrepreneur

In Cool Company

CONTENTS 32 Plus Alicia’s Girl

4 Megabites Latest tech and gadget news.

Campus Party Europe

6 Making of Lost Generation How Rizzle Kicks and O2 joined forces to make a music video. 10 How to… Create Movie Trailers Paul Noble, creative director of Wonderland, tells how movie trailers are put together. 12 Learn to… Make a Music Video Filmmaking collective Stitchthat reveals how you can make a music video. 14 Tech City Apprenticeships Follow two apprentices as they follow Hackney Community College’s training programme.

24 The Mind of an Artist We speak to Dominic Wilcox: a man mixing creative art with even more creative tech. 29 The Hot List A pick of the best gadgets around. 30 Ones to Watch Four women shaking up the tech industry. 32 Alicia’s Girl Leah Clark: one of 10 students who have been given scholarships by BlackBerry.

39 Techmix’s Top Apps Our favourite apps for Android and iOS. 44 Digital Summer Camp – In Review Look back to the summer’s majorly successful Digital Summer Camp in Hackney. 48 The Hard and the Soft Digital Summer Campers give their verdict on this modular electronics kit.

16 Learn to… Build a Weather Station How to make your own digital weather station, with .NET Gadgeteer.

34 Round of App-lause Jason Chilta has created made bestselling games on Apple’s App Store. And he’s just 16.

51 Starting Up Julia Samboma tells how she became a winner at the Digital Summer Camp.

22 The Real Toy Story The story of MakieLab: the creators of the first customized 3D toys.

37 Apprenticeship Profile: Sky Details on Sky’s on-the-job training and education programme.

57 Skills London 2013 Meet the tech companies Techmix is bringing to Skills London 2013.

60 Career Thinking How the National Careers Service can help you at school and beyond. 63 Techmix Digital Directory Find out what the top tech universities and colleges can do for you. 78 Techmix Awards The launch of Techmix Awards: your chance to show off your digital skills to top tech firms. 80 Looking Ahead Our pick of the coding camps, gadget creation meetups, and tech shows you need to know about.

M E G A BIT ES

From bionic limbs that are controlled by smartphones to mind-reading computers – our pick of the tech news you’ll want to share with your mates!

BIONIC arm app

n A teenage boy who lost his left arm to meningitis has been fitted with a bionic replacement which is operated by an iPhone. Londoner Patrick Kane (16) can control his i-limb ultra revolution using a mobile app that activates up to 24 preset grips. Developed by Scottish manufacturer Touch Bionics, Patrick’s jet-black robot arm can carry out tasks as intricate as tying shoelaces. More than 2,000 people worldwide, mainly in America, are using the invention.

A HACKERSPACE ON WHEELS

touchbionics.com

n Trafo Pop build jackets with built-in LED screens that are controlled by microprocessors, then hit the streets at dusk on bicycles! “We build our unique bicycle jackets by combining portable Arduino technology and DIY ingenuity,” says the group’s website. “Everything from grandma’s sewing needle to state-of-the-art laser cutters are used.” The group have been causing a stir in Berlin, gaining popularity through interactive DIY workshops and sustainability outreach events. “We plan to develop an online platform that would allow for the exchange of designs and hardware configurations around the world.” Wearable electronics, textiles and chain grease… it doesn’t get better than that. trafopop.com

EYE n You must have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard about Google Glass. This device gives wearers to a completely hands-free digital experience: taking pictures, recording video, accessing directions or translating speech. Google is testing the product in the US with a lucky few ’Glass Explorers’ – who each handed over £985 for a Glass – before releasing the much-hyped product to the rest of us in 2014. google.co.uk/glass/start

? 4

spy

Seeds Of Success n Gardening classes could be returning to schools in a revised national curriculum, in which young people will learn to cook. From as early as September 2014 schools will be pushed to have a kitchen garden where students can grow fruit and vegetables, and learn about the origins of food. Are you ready to learn about the differences between cucumbers and zucchinis?

The EMOJI show n Emojitracker.com displays the Emoji icons people use on Twitter in real time. The website has a health warning, as these stats rapidly climb into a headacheinducing Emoji disco. If only they knew how many we were sending by text!

Coming soon: PS4 n We’ve all been waiting with bated breath for the Sony PlayStation 4. Then in August, at the Gamescom 2013 convention in Cologne, Germany, Sony finally announced that the wait is over! Sony’s sleek console is already on sale in North America, and is due out in Europe on 29 November, along with 22 new games, including Injustice, Elder Scrolls Online and EA Sports, With the Xbox One set to be released not too far behind, this is just the kind of amp the gaming scene needs before Christmas holiday season. uk.playstation.com/ps4

news

Step aside Siri n Thought Siri was wild? Tomorrow’s mobiles will do everything to please us – even change shape! Scientists at the University of Bristol have made a prototype of Morphees: smartphones that can shift into a console-like form for gaming, bend to hide passwords, and even turn into a stress ball for when you’re having a bad day. Fingers crossed your stress ball doesn’t decide to ring when you’re sitting the GCSEs. bit.ly/Morphees-phones

CHEERS TO YOU MISS SANDÉ

n What a year Emeli Sandé has had! Her album Our Version Of Events broke the record for the most consecutive weeks in the UK Albums Top 10 chart and now pop music royalty is listening to her as well. Emeli has written a song for Katy Perry’s new album Prism and has also scored writing credits on Britney Spears’ upcoming album. Well done Emeli! emelisande.com

NOW YOU SEE ME

Bomba Socks n When David and Randy learnt that socks were the number one requested item in homeless shelters, the idea for Bombas Socks was born. When you buy a pair of these bee-themed footwarmers, another pair is donated to someone in need. bombassocks.com

▲

GOING UP GOING DOWN ▼ ▲ UP: Each One, Teach One Rapper and East London local Plan B – aka Ben Drew – founded Each One, Teach One – a university of alternative learning in Hackney arming disadvantaged people aged 14-25 with the skills needed to enter the workforce.

▲ UP: Nando’s n Great for anyone who is visually impaired, TapTapSee allows users to take a photograph and have a voiceover describe what’s in the picture. The accuracy of this app is second-to-none – and another example of the positive and powerful, wonders of technology. taptapseeapp.com

mind readers n Forget all that “passwordsmust-use-lowercase-uppercasenot-contain-anything-even-slightlyeasy-to-remember” malarkey, soon we could be keeping our stuff secure using passthoughts instead. Researchers at UC Berkeley equipped people with brainwavereading headsets and asking them to think about anything from their favourite song to a pet’s names. .The brain signals created passthoughts which work correctly 99% of the time. What’s next? Inception-style brain hackers? bit.ly/passthoughts

Your TV comes to life

n Microsoft Researchers have been hard at work on the IllumiRoom: a new, interactive TV experience. The IllumiRoom creates a light show based on what’s on your TV screen. Using a Kinect for Windows camera and a projector, the system can literally change the appearance of the room, making it seem to move along with what you’re watching, and even make what’s on the screen seem to come out into the real world – almost like having a 3D screen, without the ugly glasses. IllumiRoom creates the effects in real time, so each one is unique. research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/illumiroom

High Five Card The UK’s hungriest celebs are clamouring for Nando’s VIP card. Flash the near-mythical ‘High Five Card’ and you and your crew eat for free. Now, how do we get our hands on one?

▲ UP: A Bug’s Life A digital camera has been developed that mimics an insect’s vision. The device has 180 imaging elements, similar to ants’ and beetles’ compound eyes, with a 160° field of view. That’s some hardcore surveillance! ▼ DOWN: Full Throttle Fast and The Furious 7 has been given the goahead. Will this series ever run out of gas? ▼ DOWN: Crazy Cat Lady Alert A designated platform for four-legged friends, MySocialPetwork asks pet owners to create profiles and post pictures of their animals to get onto the site’s ‘cute box’. How about taking your dog for a walk instead? mysocialpetwork.co.uk

Making of lost

generation Jim Merrett talks to Rizzle Kicksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fans who got a start in their filmmaker careers from 02

feature

Q&A

ordan Stephens and Harley Alexander-Sule have friends in high places. As Rizzle Kicks, they’ve played with Dizzee Rascal, worked with Pharrell Williams and Fatboy Slim, recorded the number one Heart Skips a Beat with Olly Murs, and count Stephen Fry among their admirers. There’s even Jordan’s dad, who plays bass in their touring band. But more importantly, they now have an army of new friends who have just taken their first step into the creative industries. For the video of their recent single Lost Generation, the Brighton-based hip-hop duo wanted to call in some help from their fans. So they teamed up with O2 and its initiative GoThinkBig to offer a group of young people aged 16-24 the chance to gain some valuable on-set experience, with mentoring from professional make-up artists, choreographers, camera crew, producers and directors. Finding volunteers wasn’t a problem: Rizzle Kicks boast more than 1.4 million Twitter followers. More than 3,000 applicants applied, and a very lucky 70 were selected. Here, two successful GoThinkBig entrants tell Techmix about their experience behind the scenes with Rizzle Kicks.

Big up to everyone involved in the Lost Gen video! Mad couple days. Great to work with all of you! Respect to @GoThinkBig – @RizzleKicks

Ben Walton

Shadow Director of Photography What was your job? Shadowing the director of photography (DoP), who was also operating the camera and working closely with the director.

BEN

How did you feel to be picked? I didn’t think I would be in with a chance of getting on the shoot, but I got an email a few weeks after I applied saying how impressed GoThinkBig were with my work and that they were going to try and get me the Shadow DoP position. I was blown away! What was your day on set like? Long and manic, but totally enjoyable. I’ve always knew that music videos have big teams behind them, but this opened my eyes to just how much time and work goes into a four-minute video. On the first day, we were shooting for 14-15 hours. What were the high and low points? Getting a shot nailed, whether it being on the first time or fiftieth. When you get a shot and watch it back, it’s so rewarding. I was at the centre of the action all the time. The DoP has a huge role, working closely with the director to setup shots, get the lighting perfect and then actually shoot it. I was always right there when it was all happening. The lows were a lot of doing nothing between scenes, when sets or lights are changed. Do you have any funny anecdotes from your time on set? Jordan and Harley were always up for a laugh. They’re perfectly down to Earth. What have you learnt from the experience? The scale of the shoot: it’s far bigger than I would have ever thought. Also, how much of a team operation a shoot like this is. Communication is vital. Do you think this opportunity has helped your future career? Something like this is hard to come by. I’d hope that this would make me stand out from the crowd – it’s an experience that few others have had. What you think of the work O2 and GoThinkBig do? It’s awesome! They’ve given so many young people opportunities they could never have thought were possible, myself included. They’ve helped me get ahead of the game and given me a real edge when applying for jobs. What are your plans for the future? I started my current career unintentionally when I was 13 making short mountain bike videos of friends. This has developed from a hobby into making films all over the UK, ranging from wedding films to music videos, commercial films

Q&A

and of course extreme sports, where it all started. [You can see Ben’s work on his website benwaltonfilms.co.uk – Ed]

I see myself expanding on my current filmmaking knowledge, learning new techniques and getting to grips with new equipment in order to improve my own films and gain more exposure. What tips would you give Techmix readers?

Take every opportunity you can get, even if you don’t think you’ve got a chance. This turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve had.

Cara Weatherley Shadow A/V Playback What was your role on set? Shadow to video and audio playback – playing the song for the artist to lip sync to and simultaneously record the visuals for the director. I assisted my mentor setting up and carried out errands (the tea/coffee run was naturally the most frequent). I was also able observe everyone doing their individual jobs. How did you feel to be picked? It was crazy! Most of the successful applicants were in their 20s and finishing university – I wasn’t even 17! I was the youngest shadow. I didn’t have a big portfolio or relevant experience to make myself stand out, so I believe wholeheartedly that my enthusiasm got me there. What was your day on set like? Long. I had to arrive for the 8am call, then I’d meet with my mentor, find out the plan for the day and help set up. The rest of the 14hour day was spent running errands.

CARA 8

on DVDs and YouTube, so it was surreal! Seeing the video on TV afterwards was pretty special, and I really got to know my mentor and had some great conversations with him. What were the low points? Not being able to get my hands dirty, but you have to work your way up before getting to do that. Also, I relished the long hours, but you really felt tired at the end of the day. But the result is always worth it. Do you have any funny anecdotes from your time on set? Most of the best bits are in the music video! What have you learnt from the experience? It helped me learn the technicalities and narrative conventions of film. Also, how everyone manages their time and that every role is important, especially when it comes to the assistant director (AD). The director is there to direct the talent (Rizzle Kicks) and the AD directs everything and everyone else! It was also my first experience in London, and the first time I’ve been away from home, so I feel I’ve grown from it. How do you think this unique opportunity has helped your future career? It helped get me accepted in the regional BFI Film Academy programme (bit.ly/BFIFilmAcademy). It will also play a huge part in assisting my applications to top universities. It’s a great advantage given the competitive nature of the industry. And I’ve picked up a few contacts – always a great asset to have for the future. What you think of the work O2 and GoThinkBig do? What O2 and GoThinkBig do for people like me is invaluable! All-expenses paid professional experience open exclusively to young creatives: what more could you want? You just need to soak up as much as you can. I can’t thank them enough!

What were the high points of the shoot? Being there and having the experience itself. Growing up, I watched and rewatched a lot of behind-the-scenes featurettes Stills from Lost Generation courtesy of Universal Island Records

feature

What are your plans for the future? My ultimate goal would be to direct or to be a DoP. I’ve learnt that getting into the industry is all about luck, but you don’t get that luck without trying. I’m continually looking for experiences – tomorrow night, I’ll be assisting the lighting technicians at a local theatre, and last weekend I went to Colchester Film Festival, which was a great place to begin networking. You can’t afford to be idle in the digital media industry. Next year, I’ll be going onto a degree in film and TV production. I aim to produce a short film in the next four years and get it screened at a film festival. What tips would you give Techmix readers? You’ve got to be determined. Employers will be impressed if you’ve started specialised work experience at the age of 16/17. Research is the key! You can’t turn up for work experience and not know what the job is or what the Seen the #GTBRizzleKicks basic equipment does because you’re Lost Generation less likely to be asked back or have your video? Now go details forwarded on. Google is your behind the scenes friend! at gothinkbig.co.uk/ rizzlekicks – Sadly, a common belief is that once you @topsanteuk graduate you shouldn’t have to make tea. Wrong! Unless you’ve established yourself, whatever the job is, no experience is below you. Do it with enthusiasm – that’ll get you noticed. Always write down your ideas, and keep trying!

r b r e ak Make you If you want a job in film crew, start making your own films. Need a camera? Then use a smartphone. Today’s models have built-in high-definition digital video cameras. (The iPhone’s is so good one was used to film bits of Avengers Assemble!) Smartphones and tablets are also excellent for recording sound and music: all you need is a microphone and apps like Recorder Plus HD for recording and DJ Traxtor for mixing. Turning the sound and visuals you record into a film needs editing software. This is free: Mac OS X comes with iMovie and Windows has Movie Maker. Even the pro-level editing software Lightworks is free! The O2 Learn iOS app does all of that. It’s made for teachers to create video lessons, but you can use it to make short films. It’s free from the App Store. To get your films seen putting them on your own YouTube channel is a must. But there’s also Vimeo (vimeo.com) and DailyMotion (dailymotion.com). And never forget: you’re not alone. Filmmaker communities like Shooting People (shootingpeople. org), Filmmaker.com and indietalk.com offer support, advice and feedback. And organisations like Raindance (raindance. com) and Hackney’s Mouth That Roars (younghackney.org) can give you hands-on training in film production. And when you’re ready, Creative Skillset (creativeskillset.org) can give you tailored career advice. So if you want to be a filmmaker, there’s nothing stopping you! Just don’t forget to send your films to us

at Techmix! OK?

Image courtesy of Chloe Chaplin

Q&A

Mark McGinn Head of 02 Learn and Think Big Marketing What was 02’s role in making the video? O2 is committed to help 1 million young people gain the skills for life by 2015, so we created GoThinkBig, in partnership with Bauer Media, to help young people take their first steps on the career ladder. After launching GoThinkBig, we wanted to ensure that as many young people knew about this resource for job advice and job opportunities. So we set out to create a unique work experience opportunity and asked Island Records and Rizzle Kicks if we could work together to provide every crew member on the Lost Generation shoot a shadow. They loved the idea. So, after lots of hard work, and great effort by the young people involved, the video was made and more than 70 young people had a great experience. Why Rizzle Kicks? They understand the people we’re trying to help, because they’re the same age, experienced the same challenges, and understand what’s needed to overcome them. They’re two hardworking young men who have forged their own path and embody the commitment needed to beat the challenges faced by many young people. Their story is inspiring and, importantly, they’re keen to help their peers. What were the highs and lows of shooting the video? The highs were numerous: the concentration on the faces of the shadows during

Mark the filmmaking masterclass, the set build and lighting setup by our junior crew on the shoot’s first day, and the mass dance routine on a basketball court in Deptford. But the biggest high was undoubtedly the friendship and support that grew between the crew and their shadows. The low was hour 13 of our first 16-hour shooting day! What did you learn from making Lost Generation? How committed passion can overcome any challenge. I think we also felt that the crew learnt as much from the process as their shadows. You’ve given a lot of opportunities to a lot of young people. How does it feel? Incredibly rewarding. Since, the shoot four of the shadows have gone on to full-time jobs in the music industry, which makes us very proud. What tips can you give our readers considering a job in the digital industries? Keep interested in all things digital and be a creator yourself. Your inspiration will come from places you least expect. And when your chance arrives grab it and go for it. You’ll never regret trying.

How to…

Create Movie Trailers Paul Noble – creative director, Wonderland

You’ll have seen Paul Noble's work without knowing it: he makes trailers for Hollywood blockbusters. Here's how he became the mind behind movie trailers… After leaving university 15 years ago, self-confessed movie geek Paul Noble joined a company that made adverts for films as a trainee, and began working his way up from the ground. He’s now the creative director of Wonderland, an awardwinning movie advertising agency based in the heart of London. Fancy following in his footsteps? Read on… What does the role of creative director entail? I’m responsible for the look, tone and feel of all the creative content that our company produces – movie trailers, TV spots and all sorts of digital content. The role is varied – in any one day I could be writing scripts (we won’t start on a trailer without one), reading screenplays, researching projects, working with editors, producers or motion graphic artists, meeting with clients, or attending management meetings. My role is mostly idea-based, much of which involves writing. I tend use Word and occasionally Keynote for presentations. However, there are other jobs within the company that are far more technical. For example, our specialist online editor will

work on the video in Avid DS Nitris [a high-end video editing and post-production suite – Ed], while an audio engineer mixes the sound in our Pro Tools 5.1 suite. Sound and picture are then combined, approved by the client, and then are supplied for broadcast. When I first began, editors were still cutting 35mm film stock by hand. Digital media has transformed the business – it allows us to chop up the sound, picture and dialogue in any number of ways, so studios will now explore 40 to 50 different versions of a trailer. But because the software has sped things up, deadlines have got tighter! How did you know that this was the job that you wanted to do? I’ve always loved films. After university took an MA at University College London. As I was finishing the course, my brother told me of a trainee job at a film advertising agency that he had turned down – he already had a job. It sounded perfect. I asked him to call the company back and tell them that he had an eager brother who’d love to come work for them – the rest is history.

"You never know where the next great idea could come from"

how to…

Wonderland’s team use gear from Avid to add the audio and visuals from movies with original material to create trailers.

Who do you work with? Our clients are Hollywood film studios and independent film and production companies from around the world. Within the company, everyone’s opinions are encouraged and listened to, especially during the creative process – you never know where the next great idea could come from. What’s the best part of your job? I love working on promos. These are sales trailers that are shown in places like the Cannes Film Festival, when a film – which is often unfinished – is looking to be picked up by a distributor. It’s an exciting time, and if we’re doing our job right, our promo can help clinch a filmmaker a deal and make his dream come true.

Wonderland’s trailer for WWII

film Inglourious What qualifications and experience would Basterds (above) someone need to do your job? nabbed them a major award. A true passion for film is the most important thing. You can often tell within seconds those that have it and those that are just saying they love movies. Being hardworking and committed is vital – you’ll be expected to put in long hours at work. A degree is always a bonus, though it doesn’t have to be in media studies. In fact, the film business is still very old school. The most important skill you can have in this job is discretion. Clients trust us precisely because we never talk about projects on which we’re currently working. And anyway, no one likes spoilers. You’ll find many people in the industry that started straight A runner can expect to be in that position for a couple from college. It’s very democratic that way – everyone has to of years before moving to a junior or assistant role. start as a trainee or runner and work his or her way up. However, these jobs rarely come up and they’re always oversubscribed. What do runners do at Wonderland? Runner jobs are entry-level positions. You don’t need to be Which trailers are you most proud of? a graduate to get your foot in the door, but you need to be I’ll always have a soft spot for the trailer we created for willing and happy to take on any task that’s given to you, no Juno – its success helped put us on the map. matter how boring it is. And believe me, some of them will be Another one I like is our trailer for Inglourious Basterds – it incredibly boring! Expect to be making lots of tea, delivering won Best In Show at the Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards packages, and helping out with general administration. – the trailer equivalent of the Oscars.

Learn to.. make a music video

By Giles Maunsell, Stitchthat

Want to start making music videos? Giles Maunsell tells Jim Merrett it’s simple: just grab a camera and do it

Six years ago Giles Maunsell, along with three of his friends, founded the production collaborative Stitchthat (stitchthat.tv). Since then, they’ve made music videos for Mark Ronson, Take That and Michael Kiwanuka, as well as promotional films for companies including Bulmers, Red Bull and Samsung. Here’s his guide to shooting a film. The idea If you want to make a video, you need an idea. If you have a good idea for a film, make it. For us, the video starts the moment a brief lands in our inbox — we will crack straight on with bouncing ideas off the walls of our office, and writing our treatment. Based on the track, the budget, and any brief you have from the artist, you need to get your idea

down on paper. This is important because when you shoot you’ll want to minimise any creative decisions being made on the day: you will be pushed for time – usually because of the time restrictions based on the budget or availability of the artist. The planning Once the idea is down and signed off by all parties – for us, that means the

learn to

record label, the artist and their management – it’s time to start planning. The key things to get nailed early will be your locations and your crew. Without these you won’t be getting anything made, so make sure they’re available before you make any promises to shoot on certain days. You may have weeks to plan, and only one day to shoot, so make the most of it. Ninety-nine percent of this job is planning: if you have planned everything in advance then your shoot will be a lot more fun and will run smoothly. The equipment You need a camera! Any camera. Start with a cameraphone:. But does your granddad have an old Super 8 knocking about? What about that Sharp Viewcam in the attic? If you can make any kind of image on a camera, you’re halfway there. If you can’t edit it, shoot in sequence. Otherwise, you’ll find that most computers will now come with basic editing software which is great for reordering your clips and starting to get creative with storytelling, or syncing your video to music. At Stitchthat, on the camera front, we err towards the Arri Alexa. It’s an excellent piece of kit, produces a great quality image and has an extremely quick workflow. At the other end we flit between Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere for editing, and DaVinci Resolve for grading [fine-tuning the picture and colours – Ed]. But when you’re starting out, a good idea if far more important than gear. The people You can’t do everything yourself! To be a successful filmmaker, you need to find the people who can help you. There’s always someone out there who can do certain things better than you, so don’t envy them, make friends with them – employ them! Learn from them and enjoy the process. At the bare minimum, in addition to a director and producer, you’ll need a director of photography (DoP) who will head up the camera and lighting department, and can help you with choosing the

equipment you’ll need to bring your vision to life. When selecting crew, go by personal recommendations first – there’s no greater comfort than knowing the people you’re going to be working with. The shoot Make sure everyone is briefed thoroughly and that you have allowed enough time to get everything done and all the shots you will need to take into the edit. Allow time in the schedule to shoot lots of cutaways and details. This will make things much safer in the edit when you find yourself short of a shot here and there and you can cover imperfect takes and performances with other shots – your editor will thank you for this. The experience At Stitchthat, we have only really ever had one plan, and that’s to make each video a little bit better than the last one, and that seems to have worked so far allowing us to work on bigger projects, with bigger ideas and bigger budgets. It will become much easier to win work and build relationships with people if you have something to show as a filmmaker, so the most important thing is to keep creating.

Stitchthat’s crew video shoot – like the one for High Five’s (above, right) – is just the start of the process.

The area around Old Street roundabout in East London is now world-renowned as London’s Tech City. It’s Europe’s fastest-growing tech cluster, with many household names and hundreds of small companies setting up home there. There’s Google, Facebook, Amazon and if you look hard enough you might see a Moshi Monster or two. But local youth unemployment is still high. Hackney Community College (HCC) – whose campus is in Tech City – looked into this issue and found that most Tech City vacancies aren’t advertised through job centres or other local channels. Companies were hiring the best graduates from across the world – or poaching skilled people from other companies, sometimes just around the corner. HCC discussed this with some forward-thinking people in Tech City firms. They found out that they would love to grow their own talent, just as much as HCC would love local talented people to get their foot in the Tech City door. And so the Tech City Apprenticeship (TCA) was born. “The Tech City companies told us the skills they needed in their workforce, and we worked with them to design an apprenticeship programme to fit the bill,” said Ian Ashman, principal of Hackney Community College. 2013-14 is the year of TCA 01. As with other apprentices, TCAs work four days and go to college for one day each week. They get paid and earn a qualification. The qualifications currently on offer are at level 3 (A level standard) and level 4 (university level). You can do TCAs in IT or creative roles. We met up with two TCA 01s at the start of their journey.

Obinna Uzoukwu: one of the first Tech City Apprentices.

TCA 01:

The start of a journey Douglas (Kofi) AduBoahen, TCA 01 at Poke Kofi’s talents in IT started to shine through at an early age. “Then, my interest in tech really took hold when I did a journalism training course and began to write a blog, and I realised how many people I could reach with it,” he told us. Kofi then started to explore other channels of tech that connect people. “I’d applied for a few apprenticeships but when I saw this one I knew it was for me,” he said. “It was really tough, though. First I had an assessment at Hackney Community College, then I had three interviews at Poke. “I’ll be working with a lot of people, so it was important for them to meet me and have a belief in my ability to do the job. I’m so pleased I got it. It’s a really lovely working environment and they do amazing work.” So what does Kofi hope to get from his TCA? “I’d like to get some solid experience in creating content and finished pieces – and also getting to understand how creative and technical people work alongside each other to make something new and unique.”

Obinna Uzoukwu, TCA 01 at UsTwo After his GCSEs, Obi went to Barking and Dagenham College to study business, then graphic design. “I fell in love with the subject: how design can be used to communicate,” said Obi. His portfolio clearly shows his knack for aesthetics and visual layout. When it came to looking for work, Obi searched the internet and kept an eye on the National Apprenticeship Service website (www.apprenticeships.org.uk), where he saw a TCA vacancy at UsTwo. “I’ve only been at UsTwo for a couple of weeks but already I know it’s an amazing company to work for. Everyone is creative and talented, and while they all work really hard, the working environment is incredible, with lots of fun too.” Obi hopes that his apprenticeship will enable him to develop his skills and get an in-depth awareness of how an agency works – how it all fits together to create the finished product. Look out in the next techmix mag to find out how Obi and Kofi get on… Apply for TCA02 at www.techcityapprenticeships.com

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Learn to.. Build A Weather station Microsoft gadgetman Paul Foster shows you how to make your own weather station using .NET Gadgeteer and Visual Studio

This guide will take you through the steps of making a weather station with Microsoft’s .NET Gadgeteer toolkit and Visual Studio coding software. The station will use a barometer to predict the weather and a thermometer to display the current temperature. WHAT IS .NET GADGETEER? .NET Gadgeteer is a platform that allows you to build and program your own digital gadgets using different modules: task-specific pieces of electronics. Even someone with no electronics background can build impressive gadgets: just pick your components, plug them into the mainboard, and write a program to control how they work together.

What you need…

n .NET Gadgeteer mainboard, and power supply, barometer and thermometer, and touchscreen display modules n Visual Studio software n A computer running Windows n Basic coding skills

WHAT YOU NEED… Visual Studio is used to program .NET Gadgeteer projects. Student can get the full version for free through Microsoft’s DreamSpark programme. Just register at dreamspark.com. Instructions for setting up the software Gadgeteer uses is available from gadgeteering.net/learn.

LET’S GET STARTED! The first step in making a Gadgeteer project is to plan out what you’re making in Visual Studio. Studio’s Designer window shows the Gadgeteer mainboard: the module everything connects to. You add Gadgeteer modules from Studio’s Tool Box by double-clicking on them. This project needs: l Power supply module l Barometer module l Thermometer module l Large touchscreen display Right-click in the Designer window and select “Connect all modules”. This creates a diagram showing how you link the modules together.

learn to…

1. Now you have assembled the electronics, you need to write some code to tell them what to do. Gadgeteer uses “event-driven program architecture”: when a defined thing happens, a ‘handler’ – a short piece of code that tells a module to carry out specific task – is activated and runs. Let’s assign a handler to the barometer’s ‘MeasurementComplete’ event. We do this by selecting the event from the Barometer object and using the special ‘+=’ operator to assign a subroutine to it. Don’t worry if you’re not sure what the code should say. Visual Studio’s code editor will offer to assign and create a basic subroutine. Your finished code should look like the text in box 1 (right).

namespace SimpleWeatherStation { public partial class Program {

2. Next, build up the subroutine so it will predict the weather using the barometer’s pressure readings, by adding rules using ‘if’ statements. Then use the ‘DisplayText’ function to tell the Gadgeteer to show the weather prediction and the current temperature on the display. Box 2 shows what this code should look like.

if (sensorData.Pressure weather = "Stormy"; if (sensorData.Pressure weather = "Rain"; if (sensorData.Pressure weather = "Change"; if (sensorData.Pressure weather = "Fair"; if (sensorData.Pressure weather = "Sun";

int temp = (int) sensorData.Temperature;

3. Displaying text on the Gadgeteer screen requires a font. You can select a font included with Gadgeteer by using the Resources.GetFont function. If you don’t like NinaB, pick another one. We want the barometer to update frequently. To do this you must set a timer to ask for a new reading every 30 seconds. So you need to define the timer, and then assign a handler to the timer’s Tick event. The timer counts time in 1/1,000ths of a second, so 30 seconds must be entered as 30,000. Set the Tick event handler to ask the barometer to make a new reading. Because we have a handler assigned to the barometer’s MeasurementComplete event, every time the barometer makes a new reading the handler will run and the screen will show the new weather prediction and temperature.

// This method is run when the mainboard is powered up or reset. void ProgramStarted() { barometer.MeasurementComplete += barometer_MeasurementComplete; } void barometer_MeasurementComplete(GTM.Seeed.Barometer sender, GTM. Seeed.Barometer.SensorData sensorData) { throw new NotImplementedException(); }

}

void barometer_MeasurementComplete(GTM.Seeed.Barometer sender, GTM.Seeed. Barometer.SensorData sensorData) { string weather = "";

< 970) > 970 && sensorData.Pressure < 990) > 990 && sensorData.Pressure < 1010) > 1010 && sensorData.Pressure < 1030) > 1030)

display_T35.SimpleGraphics.DisplayText("Predicted weather: " + weather, font, GT.Color.Yellow, 70, 100); display_T35.SimpleGraphics.DisplayText("Temperature: " + temp.ToString() + "C", font, GT.Color.Yellow, 70, 120); } Font font = Resources.GetFont(Resources.FontResources.NinaB); // This method is run when the mainboard is powered up or reset. void ProgramStarted() {

barometer.MeasurementComplete += barometer_MeasurementComplete;

GT.Timer timer = new GT.Timer(30000); timer.Tick += timer_Tick; timer.Start(); barometer.RequestMeasurement(); } void timer_Tick(GT.Timer timer) { barometer.RequestMeasurement(); } The completed digital weather station (right) is first planned out in Visual Studio (left). The same software is used to create the code which controls the DIY gadget.

FAST

Where to get it… .Net Gadgeteer is open source so anyone can build and distribute Gadgeteer hardware. You can purchase the individual modules you need for a project, or one the various starter kits available. The new FEZ Cerberus Tinker Kit is a great starting kit that costs around £95, It’s supported by a free ebook, available from gadgeteering.net/learn, which contains 10 projects. CoolComponents.co.uk is the main stockist of Gadgeteer modules in the UK. Specialised modules are also sold by Ingenuitymicro.com, LoveElectronics. co.uk, and loads of resellers on Amazon.co.uk. Finally, if you're feeling ambitious and want to build your own module or customise an existing module’s design GHI Electronics (GHIElectronics.com) publish each module’s design files. So if you want, you can make a Gadgeteer device from scratch.

with PAUL FOSTER:

MICROSOFT PRINCIPAL TECHNOLOGY EVANGELIST

Paul Foster started working at Microsoft 19 years ago, and in that time he has done everything from addressing 9,000 people at a conference to visiting No. 10 Downing Street after writing software to help the Prime Minister’s office manage their calendars!

When did you start using computers? I first used a computer when I was 12 at my high school. I found a Research Machine 380Z computer in an unused classroom. [See below – Ed] I begged my teacher to let me and my friends to use it during break times. We created simple programs on it using one of the early forms of the Basic coding language.

hat was your first coding job? W That was being a computer operator and junior programmer at a Nestlé factory at the age of 18. I had to load big disks and giant tapes into really big computers the size of a fridge-freezer! We don’t see these types of computers anymore: your mobile phone is much more powerful than any of them were.

3 Photo by Jon Berry

The 380Z was an 8-bit computer which had 64KB of memory and ran at 4MHz. Raspberry Pis are 32-bit computers, with 512MB of memory and run at up to 1GHz. Times have changed.

hat else can .NET Gadgeteer do? W I run a small sci-tech club at my local high school where we use .NET Gadgeteer to build robots. We recently made underwater robots called ROVs – remotely operated vehicles. We created a joystick controller very similar to a games console’s controller.

4 5

What’s the most interesting coding job you’ve done? I once helped Thames Valley Police make use of early smartphones. Our software enabled police officers to do their investigations while out on patrol rather than having to return to a station. This meant the officers spent more time out patrolling than having to be at a station doing paperwork.

How do you get a job in STEM? Most STEM jobs are in teams of people with varied skills. A team may have scientists, software programmers and engineers all working together. We live in a really exciting time as there is enormous opportunity and need for us to find solutions to improve the way we live our lives. My advice is look at the world and work out what things you think we need to make it a better place, then spend some time researching what you need to build it.

MORE INFO

Learn to.. 18

For a more complex look at what you can do with the .NET Gadgeteer visit gadgeteering.net/learn

learn toâ&#x20AC;Ś

How to be...

a DIGITAL

Entrepreneur Toby Rowland – owner of Mangahigh

Toby Rowland’s founded the online games site that made Candy Crush a hit. Maggie Scardifield asked him what it takes to be an internet success These days it’s easier to found a new company than ever. Ideas abound and there are many low-cost resources to help turn local start-up businesses into international corporations: cloud-based office systems, virtual teams and free marketing using social media, are just a few helpful perks available. But along with all these comes fierce competition, so innovators must work harder to stand out in a crowded market. Toby Rowland has done just that. Toby cofounded King.com, the world’s largest skills gaming website and home of the hugely successful Candy Crush. Since then, Toby has continued shooting goals and created Mangahigh.com, a games and resource centre where students learn maths through games which balance fun and learning. When we think of the life of an entrepreneur, ideas of freedom, creativity and lots of risk spring to mind. So what is it really like to start your own company from scratch? Did you always have the entrepreneurial bug? I always had lots of business ideas that I was working on. My first summer job was when I was 16 at a wine-bottling

factory in Bordeaux. It was about this time that I decided I wanted to be my own boss. You’ve also studied Japanese and worked at Walt Disney TV. That’s an interesting bio! Between 1994 and 1999, I worked in customer research and marketing for Disney Channels in the UK and continental Europe. I really enjoyed working there in the 1990s, and I would have stayed. However, when the internet started growing I knew I had to get involved, so I left Disney to start Clickmango.com. [This was Toby’s first venture: an online vitamins and supplements store. – Ed] As for Japanese, I really just love learning languages. Today, at lunch, I have a lesson in Portuguese! Clickmango was around for only a short time, but you bounced back. Was that difficult? Determination, sustained effort and perseverance are important, even when things get tough. But interesting ideas take a while to develop. After Clickmango, I started uDate.com, which grew to be

I have been living through boom and bust since 1999

how to...

Top 5 Tips for being an entrepreneur 1. Get work experience at a start-up You’ll learn valuable skills working in a growing team environment. As it will be a young business you might play an active part in building the company’s DNA. 2. Don’t go it alone Find a cofounder or partner in crime. Having someone to bring in a new skills set, be a springboard for ideas and help you on your off days, is a win/win. 3. Assess your risk Don’t live in a bubble, only content on just being your own boss. Money won’t stream in straight away, so be patient. Set time markers, assess the

competition, and always have a Plan B for when things don’t work out. 4. The long way is the only way Success is built in smaller pieces over time. If you’re really in it for the long haul, don’t cut corners. If you take a long-term approach to starting your business, you’ll be less likely to have to clean up later on. 5. Smile and enjoy! No one wants to wake up only to have forgotten how he or she got to where they are in the first place. Try not to take things too seriously. If you work hard and play hard, it will all be worth it in the end. Just be sure to take stock along the way.

the number two dating site for the US and UK markets. In 2002 I sold it for $150 million (£94 million). I used that profit to cofound King.com in 2003.

Toby’s Mangahigh.com site helps students develop their maths skills through playing specially designed games.

Was your family supportive of your entrepreneurial pursuits? Always. Entrepreneurship is a tradition going back three generations in my family.

[RAPID FIRE] n What’s playing on your iPod? T he News Quiz from Radio 4 with Jeremy Hardy. n Who is your digital hero? Unquestionably Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. n Can’t live without… My Nexus 4. n Favorite thing to do in your down time Horse riding. n Last app you downloaded? n Hungry Shark 3. n What keeps you up in the middle of the night? Clash of Clans. n What are you most proud of? My daughter. She has been working hard on her maths recently. I am very proud of her.

How do you go from having an idea for a business to realising it? I think you need to let ideas brew for a while and keep coming back to them. If an idea still seems worthwhile six months or a year after you had it, then you should be talking to others about it. You should also be cheeky about who you talk to, and try and speak to people who are in your chosen industry and ask them about it. How do your days usually play out? I start work at 9.15am and tend to have to reply to a lot of emails. I will divide my time between administration, sales, and working on Mangahigh to try and improve the service we provide to teachers and students. Mangahigh is well-known for its maths games, and we have some ideas for new ones that will be even more addictive. In the afternoon, I might focus on the design for a new game. What do you think is most attractive about digital entrepreneurship? For many people the internet is now a source of information and entertainment, and a tool for communication and self-expression. Because of this, it can also be the best place to do business. What advice can you give about starting your own digital business? Understand and reflect deeply about customer acquisition. Know where your first revenue is going to come from. And think about products that are not limited to the UK. The start-up scene is booming. How does this affect your approach to work? It doesn’t. I have been living through booms and busts since 1999 when I did my first start-up. It’s important for everyone to realise that the cycle will always continue. Of course,

a professional attitude towards your goals and management is the most important thing as well. It’s a crowded market. How do you get noticed? Generate original content that is fascinating and linkable, and relates to subjects people are searching for. Ideally, focus on new areas of interest where there isn’t a network of links that will shut you out. Focus on catching attention with great headings, and sustain it with content that engages. Do you think becoming a successful entrepreneur is easier than it used to be? I would say a little harder. There is a lot of competition now. What systems have you put in place to motivate your team? We have 17 in the team at the moment, and the organisation requires constant pruning and shaping to stay strong. Keeping a dynamic pace of development and introducing interesting projects keeps people focused. We have an active foosball league in the company, and there are some very good players here! Woody Allen famously said that 80% of success is just showing up… thoughts? I’d say 20% is showing up, and the other 80% is persistence. Like I said, sustained effort overcomes all obstacles. n

The real toy story 3D printing has all sorts of industrial uses, but Maggie Scardifield finds MakieLab focuses on a fun one: making unique dolls eing able to add a genuine “first ever” in front of their name has earned MakieLab the kudos that gets a highly coveted SXSW Interactive Accelerator Award and appearances on the news across the world. The MakieLab team call their MakieDolls “toys from the future!” Would-be owners create their own doll using the MakieLab website or the Makies Doll Factory iPad app. Sliders control everything about their doll’s look, from the shape its eyes to the width its nose. (If you’ve ever played The Sims or an MMORPG, you’ll know how this works.) After you pick your doll’s clothes data about your doll’s body are sent to a 3D printer and it’s made, the parts are assembled by hand and it is dressed, before

"Each MakieLab toy is unique, and is born digital" 22

being delivered. According to MakieLab cofounder Alice Taylor the result is that “each MakieLab toy is unique, and is born digital”. “We’re all unique, and yet the toys we play with aren’t, generally,” says Alice. “Customisation means we can express ourselves through our choices, and that’s a whole tonne of fun.” The idea for MakieLab came around when cofounders Alice, Jo Roach and Sulka Haro were at the American International Toy Fair in 2010. At the time, all three worked in gaming: Alice commissioned educational games for Channel 4 and Jo built them; and Sulka designed Habbo Hotel. During this time the fair James Cameron’s 3D smashhit Avatar was in the cinemas. This film got the team thinking whether a digital avatar could be turned into a doll using 3D printing. And MakieLab was born. Three years later and MakieLab’s East London workshop is bustling with activity. The MakieLab was buzzing at the time of Techmix ’s visit. There are 14 in the team, designing, making, dressing and printing the next wave of these custom-made toys. “Most folks thought we were a bit mad when we announced what we were doing. But we’re totally confident that the edge-case of today can be mainstream tomorrow,” says Sulka, “and we know we’re onto something really magical

Alice

Ben Sulka

company profile

You can design your MakieDolls on the MakieLab website (left) or on its rather neat iPad app (below).

with customisable, game-grown toys.” The team works behind large desktop machines, but the remnants of Makies are scattered about: drills and Dremels for finishing newly printed Makies, weighing machines, dye baths, glue, sewing machines, and four MakerBot Replicators – desktop 3D printers which the team use for prototyping shoes, furniture, head sizes and the like. “We’re all different, so why should our toys be carbon copies?”, Jo points out. “That’s what makes Makies awesome, you can create one that is perfect for you: happy, grumpy, glamorous, cheeky… your Makie is uniquely yours. It’s special and personal.” A large 10-inch MakieDoll starts at £69, but on average, customers spend around £105 a time: “They like to buy extra accessories!” says Jo. 3D printing is developing at a rapid rate and its only going to expand. “Speed, popularity, range of choices… it’s truly a world-changing bit of technology. We’re banking on this meaning that our products will be faster and easier to manufacture, and that we can offer up some lower priced options too,” says Jo. While currently Makies are for ages A newly assembled MakieDoll waits to be painted by her owner.

from 8-80, and skew towards female users, MakieLab’s next product will be a little more male in focus. And in an exciting development, early next year MakieLab is looking to launch a new game. “It will expand customisation into clothes and accessories,” Alice explained. “Players can care for plants and animals, harvest resources like silk and rubber, and use machines to create and share their very own fashions.” The game follows on the heels of MakieLab’s tablet app, Makies Doll Factory, which rocketed to the number one Kids’ App in the UK and Ireland at its launch. It has been downloaded over 200,000 times, leading to the creation of more than 1 million digital Makies.” But what happens to the unwanted MakieDolls? Is there an orphanage of small white dolls with broken arms and sad faces? Or are abandoned Makies recycled for the next generation? “We haven’t had a return yet: not one,” says Jo. “We reckon, once you customise something yourself, it becomes very special to you.”

Jo gives Prince Harry and David Cameron their own MakieDolls at The Future is Here show.

Making the world’s first-ever 3D printed toy is something the MakieLab team will forever be proud of. “There’s a phrase going round that says, ‘Hardware is hard’,” Jo quips, “but we’ve done it.” So is the MakieLab be the perfect mix of work and play? The votes are in, and the answer is a resounding yes. n

CONTACT makie.me facebook.com/makielab @makielab

In Focus

the mind of an artist Dominic Wilcox mixes artistic creation with technical skills to make some truly madcap pieces of tech Dominic Wilcox, wears many hats and none fits him 100% at any time. He is an innovator, an artist and a full-time imaginer – all job descriptions he calls upon depending on the project or the time of day. His choice of footwear is also interesting: they’re his custom-made, ‘No Place Like Home’ GPS shoes that can guide him to where he’s going should he ever get lost. No Toto, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore. My Days “I spend my days thinking up ideas and trying to work out how to make them in the best way I can. When I was younger I was a regular kid: I played football, athletics, read comics, played computer games, and was average at academic stuff. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do or be, but I realised I had some sort of imagination. Just after my A levels I met a tutor at Sunderland University on my art and design foundation course called Charlie Holmes. He showed me books and exhibitions that made me realise I could also do those type of things. “I’ve been on that path ever since.”

Dominic’s imagination has created inventions like the Waterfall Umbrella, Family Poncho, Name GPS, and shoes to help you walk up slopes

My Playground “ Variations on Normal is the name for my blog (variationsonnormal.com) and book, but it also explains what I do. I take normal, everyday things and try to alter them slightly to make them surprising. “My favourite project so far was Watch Sculptures. I balanced tiny sculptures of people on the hands of working watches. Some call what I do Improvised Making, but I call it a way to find surprises that you maybe couldn’t have if you just stared at a sketchbook trying to think up ideas. “My biggest ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this’ moment came when I was making a model

of St Paul’s Cathedral out of marzipan in The V&A Museum, surrounded by lots of onlookers and racing against a 3D printer. I was voted the winner! “But my greatest achievement is nominating my dad to carry the Olympic torch to mark his 25 years of coaching young athletes. It was a very proud moment for me.” My Words of Wisdom “Young people starting out should try to become an expert on something. People always need people who are able to do things other people can’t. “Try to be the best at the thing you enjoy doing.”

in focus

Try Lots of Different Things “Don’t be scared of failure. You learn from failures more than successes so do as much stuff as possible. “I was inspired to publish a book because I had always talked about it and so it was something I really needed to finish. It’s also nice to see my drawings as a collection on paper rather than just online or on a screen. It taught me to say yes to any opportunity I was offered… because you can always worry about it later.”

"Try to be the best at the thing you enjoy doing"

My Next Move “The greatest reward of what I do is the thrill of coming up with a good idea. I’m constantly excited about what’s next. Hopefully I create things that take people’s minds to a place they haven’t been to before. “I’ve never had a plan, I do things and people see them on the internet, then they ask me if I’m interested in doing something they are working on. “Albert Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge – but I think knowledge is the fuel for imagination.”

CONTACT dominicwilcox.com variationsonnormal.com

Top: Dominic races against a 3D printer in a competition to make a model of St Paul’s Cathedral at Man versus Machine at the V&A museum. Middle: Dominic’s ‘No Place Like Home’, selfnavigating GPS shoes. The left shoe points to the required destination. The right shoe’s progress bar to show how close the wearer is to the destination. Left: Making the ‘No Place Like Home’ shoes with their embedded electronics.

in review

Hot list The

Making life easier, and a whole lot more interesting – these nifty gadgets strike the perfect balance between practicality and quirk

THE NAME’S PEBBLE Billed as “the first watch for the 21st Century”, the Pebble has different faces that you can download and customise, according to your mood. Alongside a silent vibration feature to alert you to incoming calls, emails and messages – Pebble also has an inbuilt GPS, MP3 player and computer: everything you could possibly need to fulfil all your James Bond fantasies. Compatible with iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth. $150 (£95), getpebble.com

R E D A E R

ONCE UPON AN iTIME Books before bed? I can now read my pyjamas! Smart PJs are the world’s first and only interactive pyjamas. When scanned with a camera or tablet, the dots reveal stories, nursery rhymes and bite-sized bedtime adventures. £16, smartpjs.com

Image courtesy of Firebox

LITTLE BLOCKS OF LIGHT Russia might be well known for men in furry hats but its greatest achievement was Tetris in 1984. Cut to 2013, and this completely customisable mood light is the best tribute we’ve seen yet. With seven brightly coloured lights that illuminate when they come into contact with each other, being sent to bed just got a whole lot more fun. £29.99, Amazon.co.uk

3D iPHONES Stand out from the crowd with the SwitchEasy Avant-Garde Series of 3D sculpted iPhone 4/4S cases: Blossom, Chateau, PLANK, and the Clockwork range (which could’ve come straight out of The Dark Knight). These super-strong cases are made from matt polycarbonate and come in a choice of colours. €34.99 (£30), switcheasy.com

BEST ALL ROUNDER We love the tabCoosh. A perfect fit with all three iPads, as well as Samsung, Kindle, Google and Motorola tablets – this playful accessory is half bean-bag, half desk cushion and definitely our new favourite tablet accessory. The tabCoosh holds your tablet securely in place whilst comfortably shaping to suit your body. It will protect your tablet from the wear and tear and comes in a variety of colours and fabrics to boot! Techmix HQ has a Chilli Chocolate design en route – brown leather with a red and white racing stripe! £33, tabcoosh.com

GAMING EAR SHELLS The Turtle Beach EarForce X12 Gaming Headset comes with everything you need to hook up to an Xbox, PlayStation or PC. These are a versatile, well-constructed and super comfortable pick – perfect for long-term wear on family car trips! £38, turtlebeach.com

STAY CONNECTED We all know that mobile phones today are not just about talking – they are a lifestyle. Emails, photos, apps, games, movies – that’s a big pain to lose all at once. Zomm’s Wireless Leash Plus is a keyring that tethers to your phone wirelessly and will alert you if you ever leave it behind. Just don’t lose your keys as well. £50, zomm.com

Ones Maggie Scardifield meets four women who are making waves in tech industries

to watch

Name: Anne-Marie Imafidon Title: Head Stemette Organisation: Stemettes Web: Stemettes.org Twitter: @Stemettes At just 11 years old, Anne-Marie Imafidon passed her A level in computing – the youngest girl ever to have done so. Now 24, she is setting young girls across the UK a challenge: join Anne-Marie and her fellow Stemettes to explore the possibilities of careers in science, technology, engineering and maths: STEM. “Currently there are only 13% of women in STEM roles – even though girls tend to outperform boys in STEM subjects at school,” says Anne-Marie. Stemettes introduce young women to a wide range of women who work in STEM fields to help girls explore this exciting and growing industry. Inspirational panel events, hackathons and exhibitions up and down the UK are all part of the Stemettes mix. “We have lots of fun and keep things informal, so that girls are able to ask about what’s important to them,” AnneMarie told us. Anne-Marie has always loved technology and maths, often tinkering and creating stuff on her dad’s computer, keen to understand exactly how everything worked. “We help girls understand that they don’t need to worry about being the only girl in the room,” AnneMarie says, “eventually you’ll see that your uniqueness is what makes you stand out, and what will make you successful.”

"Currently there are only 13% women in STEM roles"

Name: Claire Vishik Title: Security and Privacy Standards and Policy Manager Organisation: Intel Web: intel.com Twitter: @Intel_EU Claire saw the internet’s possibilities while studying for her Phd at the Schlumberger Laboratory for Computer Science: one of the first labs to work on internet technologies. Now she is a leader in cybersecurity, researching new tech and privacy systems to keep us, and our data, safe online. “Security doesn’t exist on it own. It is always part of something else – your mobile phone, your laptop or tablet,” says Claire. “The ways in which people use tech are constantly evolving, making development of security features challenging and dynamic.” Claire is excited about the evolution of tech. “This industry is multidisciplinary, requiring not just knowledge of computer science or electrical engineering, but also understanding of psychology or sociology, economics or special skills like fashion design,” she says. “Technology is changing so fast you’ll never be bored, and you’ll always have the satisfaction of seeing your ideas in the new generation of technologies.”

"Technology is changing so fast you’ll never be bored"

women in tech

Name: Belinda Palmar Title: Founder and CEO Organisation: Lady Geek and Little Miss Geek Web: Ladygeek.com TWITTER: @Ladygeek, @Belindaparmar Belinda Palmar is the founder and CEO of Lady Geek, and the inspiration behind the Little Miss Geek campaign, which is making technology more accessible and appealing to women. Its goal, says Belinda, is to end to the industry’s “pink it and shrink it” approach to tech. “When faced with the ‘problem’ of selling a product to women,” says Belinda, “companies simply make the product smaller and repackage it in pink.” Belinda started Lady Geek three years ago, and since then her team has grown to include 11 Lady Geeks. Together, they run the Female Heroes scheme, Little Miss Geek Tech Clubs, enrichment days and ‘Teach the Geek’ initiatives across the country. “This is about ensuring we improve technology’s gender divide, reaching out to girls, parents, schools, teachers, government and the tech industry itself,” says Belinda. “We bridge the gulf between the people who make and market tech products and the women who buy them. We want to change the way of speaking to women to include emotion, reassurance and authenticity.” So far, big-name brands like Vodafone, Nokia, Xbox, O2 and Samsung have been involved with Belinda’s mission. But the Lady Geek and her team aren’t stopping anytime soon.

"We want to change the way of speaking to women"

"Be the best you can be and you’ll have a great career"

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Are there any women who work in tech who inspire you? Has anyone given you hassle for being a girl who wants to work in the tech arena? Tweet us: @TechmixMag to let us know

Name: Michelle Scott Title: Lead Software Engineer Organisation: Compare The Market Web: uk.linkedin.com/in/mtscott Michelle Scott is the lead software engineer for ComparetheMarket.com, in charge of developing and testing the website, and managing a team of engineers. “I’d always been interested in computing growing up. My first computer was a Spectrum,” says Michelle, “and I’d spend hours diligently typing in Basic [an early coding language Visual Basic was based on – Ed] on our TV until it was time for my mum to watch Coronation Street!” “It’s such a rewarding career,” says Michelle. “There is no better thrill than to know customers are using something that you’ve written: to see something you’ve created move into a live environment and work as you intended.” Michelle believes that women have a huge amount to offer to the digital industry: “There are heaps of skills that a woman will bring to a tech business. We’re good at building relationships and communicating requirements, skills essential to a business analyst; we’re more tactful at delivering bad news, which is a skill needed by project managers and test engineers alike; we’re good at multitasking, as many tech teams require members to work across different disciplines; and attention to detail and logical thought is needed for software engineering.” It seems nothing slows Michelle down. Last year she earned a BA(Hons) degree through the Open University (OU). “I still managed to gain a 2:1 whilst working full time and having my children. It was hard work, but definitely worth every lunch hour, weekend and evening.” The OU’s modular courses allow people study at their own pace. So you can put your degree on hold if life is getting in the way. Despite studying by herself, Michelle didn’t feel alone: “There is such a big support community, both staff and students, who will be there to encourage you in the online forums, tutorials and day schools,” she says, “that you’ll never feel like you’re on your own.” Michelle isn’t content with one degree though: “It’s highly addictive: I’ve just started a masters degree.”

Alicia’s girl

In Focus

Leah Clarke is the UK’s only BlackBerry Scholar. Maggie Scardifield asked Leah what her future holds, now her academic career is certain

Alicia Keys: BlackBerry’s academic ambassador

Last May, Alicia Keys –singer and BlackBerry’s global creative director – stood on stage and announced the BlackBerry Scholars Program: a global four-year scholarship programme aimed at increasing the number of women studying and taking up careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Like any other 18 year-old girl, Leah Clark works hard to balance preparing for university with work, water polo training and a social life. And whilst she may be modest, there’s no denying Leah’s success, as BlackBerry selected her to become the only BlackBerry Scholar in the UK from over 500 applications. Along with nine other successful candidates from across the globe – including Canada, Vietnam and South Africa – Leah was chosen to receive a full four-year university scholarship. She’ll be studying computer science at Durham University. Techmix caught up with Leah to congratulate her, and find out what her plans for the future are. First things first Leah, congratulations! How did it feel to be announced the only UK recipient of a BlackBerry Scholars Award? I’m over the moon – especially being the only recipient from the UK. I am looking forward to pursuing my career in mobile computing and flying the flag for Wales. I wish to inspire more young women to pursue careers in STEM fields.

"I hope to become an asset in the workplace… a leader in my field" 32

You were one of 10 that were chosen among over 500 applicants from 43 countries. What did you do when you heard the news?

I was very excited when I initially heard the news. Now that it’s really sunk in, I ‘m extremely grateful for the opportunity that BlackBerry has given me, and I really appreciate the financial support towards my studies. How did you find out about BlackBerry Scholars? I heard about the programme through Twitter. I had been researching various scholarships in STEM subjects and the BlackBerry Scholars Program stood out to me, especially due to its emphasis on women in the field of technology. You had to say how you will make your mark on the world in your application. How are you going to do that? I’d love to have a career in the technology industry, as a computer programmer – solving mathematical problems on a day-to-day basis, while having the opportunity to develop new software. I hope to become an asset in the workplace by further enhancing technology and become a leader in my field. I want to represent a woman pursuing a career in computer science in the best way possible, and show, and prove, to the industry what I have to offer. How long did you spend on your application? I first heard of the BlackBerry Scholars Program in May. I spent a month preparing my application while doing my A level exams. I kept it quiet and only told my parents! What do you like to do when you’re not studying and pursuing a career in STEM? I enjoy playing water polo. I’m currently training to represent Wales in the 2014 Commonwealth games in Scotland next year. I spend my weekends watching Swansea City football matches with my family, and I enjoy

women in tech

[ [MP praise] ] The phone is ringing off the hook with congratulations for Leah! “It is “Itfantastic is fantastic that LeahLeah that has been has awarded been awarded this scholarship this scholarship to to Durham University. This is an excellent opportunity for Leah and I hope other companies will follow BlackBerry’s lead and help to encourage more women to study subjects such as maths, science and engineering at at degree degree level.” level.” – –Roberta RobertaBlackmanWoods MP, City of Blackman-Woods Durham MP, City of Durham

Alicia Keys’ first project with BlackBerry was crowdsourcing photos for a music video.

socialising with my friends.

will help me develop as a future programmer.

As well as the scholarship, you’ll get mentoring and professional opportunities. What are your professional hopes? My dream job would be to write software that makes a difference in the world. There are many ways in computer science to do this. I’m looking forward to starting my course in order to explore which field I wish to pursue a career in.

It’s well known that STEM industries are plagued by a gender imbalance. What do you suggest to young girls to make sure they make up a bigger part of this picture? Women are underrepresented in STEM subjects. This is something that is important to address in order for future developments to be the best they can be. Women can have a different perspective to problems in tech, so we should have the chance to achieve a high position in this field. Additionally, having a more diverse and balanced workforce would ensure that products, especially those in tech, will represent all users, and not just one gender. We must highlight these issues to hopefully have a positive effect on the future of women in computer science.

What are your goals? My short-term goals are settle into college, embrace university life, and excel in my studies. My long-term goal is to achieve a first-class degree and have a successful career. Who do you look up to as a young woman pursuing a career in STEM? I work at CDSM Interactive Solutions (cdsm. co.uk) a software development company in Swansea, which is co-owned by a woman. I’ve worked there since I was 16, and she has inspired me. I’ve seen it’s possible for a woman to become a leader in a male-dominated environment. This has further enhanced my drive and determination to succeed. When did your love for STEM come about? During the ages of 15 to 17, I was lucky enough to attend Women in STEM events. The amazing women who spoke at these encouraged me to apply for a STEM subject. I’d love to be able to do this for other people, whether through my writing on social media, speaking at events or going to schools and colleges to speak to younger students. Do you do anything tech-related outside of school? I’m employed seasonally as a software developer. I’m gaining experience in areas such as JavaScript and learning new skills that

"I want to show, and prove, what I have to offer"

Is there a particular piece of tech that you can’t live without? My laptop or my BlackBerry Z10. What have you learnt throughout the BlackBerry Scholars journey? I’ve learned so much during this competition. I’ve had various conversations with the other recipients through social media and BBM, and we have been supporting each other through our studies of STEM subjects and comparing courses. I also attended the Campus Party Europe in London (see page 54), where I got to speak to other women about technology and sit-in on a number of keynote speeches. I’m sure that during the course of the competition I will have the opportunity to extend my knowledge further.

To find out more about the BlackBerry Scholars Program visit bit.ly/blackberryscholars-program

Round of common misunderstanding of today’s youth is that everyone wants to grow up to be a footballer or a pop star. There’s nothing wrong with that, but what about app developers? Born and based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Jason Chitla is the mind behind App Store hits Gangnam Style or Harlem Shake? and Dummy vs Zombies. He uses terms like “indie app developer” when talking about his “app career” like it’s no big deal. But it is. Jason is 16 years-old and his app work comes second to homework. THE IDEA “It all started when I received a ﬁrst-gen iPod touch when I was 12, back in 2008. I loved the variety of things you could do with that one device, even though the App Store was still not out yet. Then the App Store was available for $20. I bought it right away and downloaded the ﬁrst app I saw: Sega’s Super Monkey Ball game. My dad saw me playing and asked me why I didn’t make apps. Until then, the thought of making your own app and publishing it for everyone to see never occurred to me.”

Jason Chitla gives Maggie Scardifield the lowdown on the highs and lows of being a teenaged appreneur

THE BRAINSTORM “While coming up with an idea for my next app, I list down ten game types I think are fun and ten themes that I think cover a huge demographic (for maximum downloads). I also have to ﬁgure out the app launch strategy (paid + no ads or free + ads, for example). “When I have my idea, I draw out all the menus, list all the rules, and come up with the game mechanics. The hard part comes when I have to make the app!”

THE ROAD MAP

“Each app I’ve made since has brought along its own set of fun puzzles and challenges to solve. My ﬁrst app, uCreate, taught me publishing; Falling Rockz, taught me game development; Dummy vs Zombies Pro taught me monetisation techniques and my last app, Gangnam Style or Harlem Shake?, taught me more about marketing. “I enjoyed developing Dummy Vs Zombies Pro the most because I am proud that I built my own swiping system algorithm for registering different swipes.”

Jason (second left) and friends

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"Even when you fail, lessons are learned" Jason’s apps –like Dummy vs Zombie and Gangnam Style vs Harlem Shake – are inspired by memes to attract buyers.

THE CHALLENGE “Once the app is done, I let my friends test it and give suggestions. I learned this step is very important the hard way! “Finally I publish the app and do whatever marketing I can. I can’t do too much, because as an indie developer I don’t have the money. I do understand the importance in having your app being noticed by the right people, so I always try and make apps that have the potential to spread by word-of-mouth. My all time favourite app would be Tiny Wings. Andreas Illiger did all of the design, code, art, and music; and it spread not by marketing but by word-of-mouth to become number one.” THE BALANCE

When I don’t have homework (which is rare since I am taking honours classes) I spend my time checking my stats (App Annie is great for this), brainstorming new ideas and ﬁxing bugs. It’s amazing how you can research the market by a click of a button on your Apple device. All the data you need is available to everyone right there. “Having schools teach app design would be great, however, I think you learn a lot more by being a selftaught app developer like myself. Even when you fail, lessons are learned. At the time I began there were only a couple of books and a scarce amount of YouTube videos so it was really hard. “By doing this I became extremely efficient in researching, multitasking and problem solving. “Setting long and short-term goals is important. I want to make at least one app a month; and longer-

term, I want to reach a million downloads and make an app that reaches number one.” THE ADVICE

“The best piece of advice given to me is the same advice I would pass on to anyone trying to be successful at something: don’t quit. “If I had quit at my failures, I would have stopped making apps when I had started and would not have learned a whole bunch of life lessons. There are still a lot of times today where I get frustrated in some parts of the process, but now when I do become mad, I realise it’s just part of the app development game. “Jason D’Aloisio is 17 and sold his app Summly to Yahoo! for almost $30 million (£18.78 million)! Now that’s pretty inspiring stuff!” THE WAY FORWARD

“I would love for people to refer to me as an ‘appreneur’. Those descriptions signify a new generation of entrepreneurs. Software developers who now also make apps are no longer just computer programmers. There are now people totally dedicated and associated with apps, and apps are cool.”

Want to be an app developer?

Well it’s good news for you. Salaries in the UK for app developers have jumped by a quarter last year, with developers now earning an average salary of £43,400, which is higher than the going rate for web designers. Not a bad salary for a job title that didn’t exist ten years ago!

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Apprenticeship Profile: Sky Want a job in the digital sector, but don’t think university is for you? Then an Apprenticeship may what you need…

f you thought that Apprenticeships were only about learning to be a plumber or electrician, you’re wrong. Since 2011 Sky has been taking employing apprentices in the company’s digital business. And this year the company aims to take on up to 100 new apprentices across the UK. As apprentices can earn degree-level qualifications they are fast becoming the preferred choice for young people who want a job but don’t necessarily want to go to university, and businesses who want fresh, new talent. Sky’s Apprenticeships last one to three years, depending on the level of qualification undertaken, and offer starting salaries of around £15,000. And your time with Sky doesn’t end when you’re qualified and your Apprenticeship ends: the job is permanent.

The Apprentice

Take the first step As skilled workers for the digital sector are in demand, many of Sky’s apprentices are software developers and engineers: “You may be working with state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities or helping to build some of our award-winning apps, including our Sky app for Android,” says Sky’s Future Talent Consultant, Poonam Chopra. “One thing is for sure, our apprentices do real work from day one.” If you want to know more about Sky’s Apprenticeships visit skyapprenticeships. com. The qualifications you need to apply for Apprenticeships vary depending on the job. To find out about other Apprenticeships in the digital sector go to apprenticeships.org.uk or download the AV Search app (it’s available for iOS and Android).

What digital skills have you learnt? I’ve learnt new programming languages and development skills, and now I can program on my own.

Name: Simran Kalsi Age: 18 Job: Apprentice Software Developer Qualification: Level 4 Diploma in ICT Professional Competence Why did you apply to be an apprentice at Sky? At sixth form I realised that I’m better at practical work, so I saw an Apprenticeship would let me make the most of my skills. Also, I knew it’d help me advance in my career faster, as I’d be more involved, earlier on.

What’s your ideal job? I’d like to work on the industry’s latest advanced projects. Sky is an innovative company so I get a chance to see the newest tech first hand! One day I hope to run a team myself using all the skills I’ve learnt here. What’s it like working at Sky? I’ve done presentations, led teams and planned projects: all of which will help me later in life. I’ve also met some of Sky’s senior people. They taught me to make the most of the opportunities that come my way. What’s the best thing about being an apprentice at Sky? I’m involved in several events, including Project TechStyle – a new initiative to encourage more young people to be involved in technology, to inspire young people to look at Sky’s Apprenticeships. I’m proud to tell people that this is my job and discuss what I do. That, in itself, is really rewarding.

reviews

Hopscotch Inspired by MIT’s Scratch programming language, Hopscotch uses the same block-based coding interface – combined with striking visuals – allowing you to create your own games and animations. Want to learn to think like a programmer? Hop to it. Developer: Hopscotch Technologies Price: Free

SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES

djay 2 djay 2 – the successor to djay – enables users to seamlessly integrate their music library and blend audio tracks and effects using a groundbreaking interface. Sliding layers combine turntables, waveforms and samplers to make a powerful all-in-one mobile DJ system. Developer: algoriddim Price: £1.99

AppShopper Social With AppShopper Social users can track the prices of their favourite apps, make wish lists and read reviews, but they can also follow friends and share app interests and lists across social media. Get the lowdown on apps from the people you trust: your mates. Developer: AppShopper.com Price: Free

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MASHUP MACHINE

READER LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

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FOR THE LOVE OF CODE

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Flipboard Heavy on photos and slick design, Flipboard arranges content from websites you visit and collates them into your very own “social magazine”. All your favourite news, videos and blogs are suddenly under the same roof. This is your content, right where you want it. Developer: Flipboard Inc Price: Free

Name here YouTube cofounders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen present MixBit, an iPhone app that lets you record, edit, share, and mix video clips from other users to create movies. You can also edit your videos at Mixbit.com and share them. Developer: AVOS Systems Inc Price: Free

BEAR GRYLLS Bear Essentials When Bear Grylls isn’t around, this app will give step-by-step advice on how to treat injuries in extreme environments, with its detailed illustrated guides and offline access. This is a wonderful emergency resource should you find yourself in a tricky situation on school camp! Developer: Chillingo Price: £1.99

AROUND THE WORLD

GET ORGANISED

Barefoot World Atlas This beautifully illustrated, magical world atlas app will have you dreaming of lands far and wide. Not just an iBook, Barefoot World Atlas presents you with a 3D globe that you can touch and explore; immersing yourself in the rich wonders of our world alongside live data and clever narration from Nick Crane, presenter of the BBC’s series Coast. Geography has never been more addictive. Developer: Touch Press LLP Price: £2.99

Grid Whether you’re working on a project or investigating universities, Grid is a place for projects and plans to take shape. The app helps to collate information in tidy little pieces that make sense to you. Create grids of images, video and text and save them for easy reference. This app could be the first step to sorting your life out! Developer: Binary Thumb Corporation Price: Free

Apps availability and prices were correct as Techmix was printed, but they are subject to change.

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Techmix’s Top Apps

It’s predicted that 70 billion apps will be downloaded this year alone – that’s 10 apps for every person on Earth. With more than 800,000 apps in Apple’s App Store alone, that’s a lot of time spent browsing for your top 10! So here are a few of our favourites to get you started.

In Cool Company

nYour Biggest Fan

BuddyBounce is a social app that creates unforgettable experiences for fans. “Bouncing”, as it’s called, is a little like bumping into someone and finding you have loads in common. Fans bounce into other fans, and with luck, could just bounce into their favourite artist too. Founders Giulia Piu and Emma Obanye were keen to create a fan club that not only fostered a real sense of community, but also rewarded fans for their loyalty: concert tickets and live video chats with your favourite artists are all up for grabs at Bounce HQ! “Fans love to prove how big a fan they are and compete with others for the Biggest Fan title,” says Giulia. Each buddy (fan) is given a heartbeat (a weekly score) and can earn badges depending on their online activity. Watching YouTube videos, listening to music on Spotify, tweeting and writing reviews all increase your score. Fans can also see what other buddies are doing around the world and bounce content to one another, raising their heartbeat. There is over 10,500 buddies and artists, such as Conor Maynard, The Saturdays and Elyar Fox, are actively rewarding BuddyBounce fans. Excitingly, music is just the beginning for BuddyBounce. “In the future, we would love to move into areas like sports and film, and help to foster online communities there.” The BuddyBounce team credit hard Diplomats wanted work as a key to their Passionate buddies can earn growing success: “Work the title of Ambassador. To hard, play hard and be get this job they must be positive. Always look active on BuddyBounce, for opportunities to promote their artist, and help accelerate your enrich to their community by ideas.” Now that’s a posting great content. In motto to bounce to. return, they get the drop on @buddybounce their artist’s latest news. buddybounce.com

nGame on

We know that young people want new ways to learn: that’s why we started Techmix! Another company answering that call is Kuato Studios, who since 2011 have been busy merging the worlds of gaming and learning to wondrous effect. Kuato is a London-based collaboration between Horizons Ventures – a company which exists to invest in start-ups – and some of the best minds in gaming and education at Stanford University’s SRI International. Kuato’s founder Frank Meehan wanted to create beautiful apps which young people would intuitively learn from. “Videogames don’t have to teach reading, writing or maths to be educational: obstacles, problemsolving and exploration are all part of gameplay, and need thought and creativity to complete them.” Hakitzu Elite: Robot Hackers, Kuato’s first product, is an iOS strategy combat game in which players learn JavaScript to control and battle robots against other online players. “The more complex your coding, the more points you win,” Frank explains. “We created an open environment where you control it, explore it, break it. This means you are learning to understand, not learning to recall. It’s completely immersive.” Hakitzu is a word the team made up that combines hacking and ju-jitsu. Currently Kuato have users in the UK, US and China and the team are busy developing an Android version of Sci-fi SRI Hakitzu to get even SRI began in 1946 as a more people playing research unit for hire: and coding. companies and governments “Learning is at the would hire SRI to develop core of everything we new tech. Nearly 70 years on do, but we also think and SRI has created artificial its important to have muscles, instant speech fun.” We couldn’t agree translators, robot surgeons, more. and even the iPhone’s Siri! @KuatoStudios kuatostudios.com

company profiles

Introducing four digital companies who are growing from humble beginnings to winning success stories…

n TIME TO GET F LUENT

Sinead MacManus is an accomplished digital skills trainer, who is using her expertise to help fast track unemployed youth into jobs in digital marketing. To do this, she has launched Fluency: an interactive learning platform helping young people aged 18-25 translate their digital know-how into paid work. “We partner digitally savvy young people who need work with companies that need up-to-date digital skills,” says Sinead. Where other learning platforms might rest on a video and multiple-choice quiz, Fluency works with the best instructional designers to design what they call ‘sticky’ learning. “We combine real-world energy and enthusiasm from face-to-face training sessions with memorable online learning experiences. Seeing that ‘ah-hah’ moment in a young person’s eyes, when something that they thought was difficult suddenly becomes easy and fluent… it’s really amazing to watch.” Videos, podcasts, interactive quizzes, content submissions and Mozilla open badges are all part of the Fluency mix, alongside classroom sessions with Sinead herself. “There are a number of areas that micro and small businesses in the UK and abroad want work done in, but don’t have the time to do it: web design, social media marketing, newsletter campaigns, SEO and Google Adwords, for example.” The platform is free, so anyone can sign up, and Fluency will help you get paid work by companies. “We’re looking for bright young people Fluency and your digital rep who have digital skills, One surprising area Fluency but don’t know how to can help you is with how you monetise them. There appear online to employers. are so many different These days potential job opportunities, no employers will Google you, matter what your so Fluency’s training can interest is, there’s going show you how you can make to be a job that’s your online life help you get perfect for you.” a job and not hinder it. @GetFluency fluency.io

n A F AS H IONA B LE F UTURE

While CuteCircuit happen to be our friendly neighbours in Shoreditch, East London, they are also an internationally renowned fashion house at the forefront of wearable technology, smart textiles and microelectronics. CuteCircuit’s creative director Francesca Rosella started out designing for the famous fashion house Valentino, but when her idea for GPS-enabled handbags weren’t met with enthusiasm, she launched CuteCircuit with her right-hand man Ryan Genz. Since starting out in 2004, CuteCircuit have been pushing the boundaries of wearable technology and over the years have earned a loyal celebrity following. Pop sensation Katie Perry is a huge fan of the fashiontech label, donning CuteCircuit designs at events like the MET Ball and when appearing on American Idol (see above), while ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger rocked their Twitter Dress at the Battersea Power Station: fans could tweet the dress in real-time and it would display their messages. They even hacked dj Bloody Beetroots’ mask, turning it into a lightshow! (Turn over for a look.) So, is digital couture the new black? Francesca and Ryan are hopeful: “Everything about interactive fashion is exciting. We are interested in innovation because it gives opportunities for new experiences. Fashion design can be thought of as a kind of experience design, where it encapsulates both the experience of the wearer and creates an The Mask experience for the CuteCircuit’s mask for punk viewer. DJ Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo “With the use of (Bloody Beetroot) has technology the breadth hundreds of paper-thin LEDs of experiences that for eyes. They’re wirelessly become possible are far controlled by CuteCircuit’s more diverse and broad. software to add “flash and This is addictively sparkle” to his lightshow fascinating.” based on his music’s rhythm. @CuteCircuit cutecircuit.com

In Cool Company C UTE C IR C UIT With Google Glass just around the corner, what’s next for CuteCircuit? CuteCircuit maintains three lines each with their own distinct forms of innovation: the Prêt-á-Porter, Haute Couture and Special Projects collections. With each collection we try to push the boundaries of what we know so that the design behind the collections becomes more complex and connected and each becomes more amazing. For us, it is very important to continue innovating the technology, but also to continue to innovate the manufacturing of these complex garments. In the coming year we will look for exciting developments on all three fronts: amazing couture that will wow people at red-carpet events, Prêt-á-Porter that will add a new kind of sparkle to your evenings, and special projects that will add new kinds of interactivity to events. What’s been the proudest moment for CuteCircuit so far? Every successful step has been a proud moment for us. It’s so amazing to see this appreciation from such a large and varied number of people: celebrities, journalists, agencies, investors, retailers… everybody seems to want a piece of this avant-garde fashion to show. In an ideal world, who would you like to see wearing CuteCircuit? Our ideal customer is a fully open-minded person willing to innovate and to experiment, that shares our interest in the beauty and language of fashion and they are not scare to go further. Someone that wants not only to wear their clothes but to share this fascinating experience.

Bloody Beetroot’s mask would make a supervillain jealous.

Do you do any work with young people? We believe that young people are the future. With all the new courses on creative design and technology in the most prestigious fashion universities, it is not difficult to find new talents that have the passion for fashion and desire to be pioneers on the sector. For these reasons, CuteCircuit is always glad to collaborate, share knowledge with universities and welcome to talented interns. We have established a deep interaction with the young fashion community, holding lessons for London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins students for example, speaking at many different conferences and congresses and participating in several fashion events. We believe that this active interaction within the fashion and digital young community can lead only to a positive results, new ideas, influences and inspirations; which is precisely what fashion and technology always will need.

"We believe that young people are the future"

Ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger wearing CuteCircuit’s Twitter Dress.

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In July 3,500 people visited the Techmix Digital Summer Camp in Hackney. Here’s how it all went down On 12 July Tech City in London was given a shake up when 3,500 digitally savvy teens, tech enthusiasts, curious teachers and innovation buffs converged on Hackney Community College for the 2013 Digital Summer Camp. If you have ever dreamt about creating your own app, building a website or being the next hot-shot tech entrepreneur Digital Summer Camp (DSC) was the place to be, with queues around the block even before it opened at 9am. Our team stood under bright blue skies, coffees and clipboards in hand, looking sharp in our Digital Hero T-Shirts. Waiting for the gates to open, the peaceful calm was broken only by the gentle whir of laptops and other tech devices booting up. More than 100 exhibitors, programmers and digital producers were at DSC, offering an array of activities and workshops for students and teachers to get a hands-on experience of digital technologies. The clock struck 9am, and the sound of running feet was heard: it was hoards of tech-hungry students and their noticeably more relaxed @MLClem – Couldn’t fit anymore teachers, blazing through school kids in the @QMEECS the gates and powering @QMUL classroom

digital summer camp

@RodLee – Yesterday, I was at the #DigitalSummerCamp hosted by @ TechmixMag. Spoke to at least 500 schoolkids about #EDEGGS. Awesome event!

through the induction. It was official: Digital Summer Camp had begun. Stelios Alexandridis, who had just completed an postgraduate degree in law at Queen Mary University of London,joined our @Gamar – #Gamar at team of Digital Heroes. #DigitalSummerCamp inspiring He joined the crew students design games; “best because he is passionate activity we’ve done the whole day” – students about IT and wanted to promote technology to young people: “I have a very strong interest in different operating systems and particularly, revolutionary devices such as smartphones and tablets.” DSC provided the perfect route for Stelios to extend his network and get more involved in the London education and technology scene. “When I found out about DSC I wanted to be a part of this incredible event, which hosted so many renowned companies, big and small,” he added. A taste of digital industry @TheDukeOfYork – Great afternoon at #DigitalSummerCamp at @HackneyUTC. Congratulations to the winners, Music Central, and to all who took part.

One of these companies was Shoreditchbased digital design agency, The Creative Arms. Director Jamie Rankin and his team were keen to give students an insight into the digital design process. The guys got to work and set up a mini Techmix cover shoot to inspire the pupils

to become our digital stars of the future. “It was mental!” recalls Jamie. “We had queues of kids behind the velvet rope, all patiently waiting for their opportunity to become digital heroes. We produced 150+ covers in four hours which must be some kind of record!” All the covers were printed out as a memento of their day, as well as posted on Techmix ’s social media. “Everyone found it very engaging,” Jamie said, “and we had a few teachers jump at the chance of having their photo taken too, much to the amusement of students.” Creative solutions

Across from The Creative Arms was Tonguesten (T10), an innovative edtech company founded by Jonathan Walton and his team to address the UK literacy crisis. On the ground at DSC, T10 used music videos to teach basic literacy skills to attendees throughout the day. It was a sight, with huge numbers of students crowded around T10’s competition table, scrawling down answers and rearranging masses of paper to form the correct lyrics from hit songs. According to Jonathan, “Over 100 students from 20 schools entered the T10 competition, and many more took part, helping their friends. One lucky student was drawn randomly from those who got all the answers correct and walked away with an iPod as a prize.”

A highlight of DSC was a very special VIP guest: Prince Andrew 45

Well done to Georgia Ingram from Clacton Coastal Academy, Essex! DIY gaming

Inside The BlackBerry Entrepreneurs Zone, positive energy and animated squeals were on offer at the Gamar stand. Gamar explored augmented reality technology with attendees and it’s role in making learning fun. Split in two sections, Gamar took students on journeys to ‘play’ and ‘create’, with students experimenting with augmented reality via iPads and mobiles as well as building their own games in a hands-on, interactive workshop. Gamar founder Venu Tammabatula @brittneybean – Being mobbed was really impressed by kids at #digitalsummercamp. It is hilarious. with the student offerings at DSC. “Gamar allows anyone, even those with no programming knowledge, to design, teaching 750 young people on the hour, each create and publish mobile games. It was hour, which is a huge number of people learning amazing to put the students in control of digital skills!” their learning experience at DSC and watch Much to the excitement of students, teachers the creative process unfold. The results were and exhibitors on campus, a highlight of DSC was a phenomenal.” very special VIP guest: none other than HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York! Techmix ’s editor, Edward Baker, was “Prince Andrew is passionate about equal just as thrilled with the turn out: “We were opportunities of all young people, and this is no different in the digital space”, adds Edward. As our VIP judge for The Silicon Skills Challenge in the 02 Make Arena, Prince Andrew joined an exceptional panel of judges that included business leaders from edtech company Pearson, BlackBerry and O2. Music Central took the first place, with an idea that Julia Samboma and her team came up with to aggregate music news (see page 51). Meeting Al, Gore and Rhythm

Martin Saunders from Zammer hosted a workshop introducing algorithms to students called “Making computers dance to your algorhythm”. The workshop tackled teaching Scratch programming via a game of Stompy Zombie Robots where two zombie robots (students) took it in turns to receive instructions from their team and battle it out, complete with tissue paper ammunition! “When students @laurakirsop – realised we had a #DigitalSummerCamp is so rad; so competition at the amazing to see kids so psyched Zammer stand their

digital summer camp

Stars of the show

Zammer

CoderDojo

Gamar

We came to Digital Summer Camp hoping to show people how much fun learning can be, especially where computing and coding are concerned. We ran workshops through the day where we played a couple of games – involving zombie robots – to help understand how computers think. We had pupils from year 4 up to year 12 but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and hopefully went away understanding a but more. The Zammer team were also hard at work telling people all about our revision game and signing schools up to work with us. We will definitely be back next year and hope to bring even more fun next time around!

At DSC, CoderDojo mentored attendees on creating start-ups, and their concepts were shown to Prince Andrew! “It was inspiring to see how the projects developed,” says CoderDojo’s Eugene McDonough. “I was very proud of the teams.” Later attendees paired up during sessions about HTML coding to do some peerto-peer programming. “This is what CoderDojo is about,” says Eugene, “young people soaking up the info given and sparking off each other. The sessions finished with me buzzing from the energy the kids gave off as they absorbed this new knowledge. Suddenly, the concept of how a web page is made was demystified and their eyes light up to the possibilities!”

Gamar make augmented reality (AR) games for museums, art galleries and historical sites. Their smartphone apps bring sculptures to life, putting you in the middle of myths and legends. At DSC, Gamar offered visitors a chance to play some of their games and build their own. “The aim of this workshop was to stimulate visitors’ imaginations,” Gamar said, “encouraging them to take notice of the world around them in a fun way. This took them through a creative process of what goes in designing a game “ Gamar left visitors excited about AR. “One of the best things we heard from a student was ‘Can you please explain to my Dad what the technology is, so I can start learning it?’”

coderdojo.com

gamar.com

zammer.co

game faces came on. No more Mr Nice Guy!” laughs Martin. From their interactions at DSC, Zammer have now developed a development and testing programme called The Zampions Programme, in which schools and teachers can play an active part in the development of new Zammer technologies. Dermot McLaughlin, of Lydiard Park Academy, Swindon, is the first member of the Zampions Programme, and Zammer’s first trials will take place in his computer science class this year. The end of the camp

After a full day of digital saturation, the DJ cranked up a celebratory Dizzie Rascal riff to signal the end of day and the hoards of students and teachers slowly started to dissipate – loading onto buses and heading towards the tube home. We’re pleased that we had a massive 3,500 attendees at DSC: an incredible feat for a first-time event.

@LisaJaneBurton – #digitalsummercamp in #hackney is AWESOME! #sounddrop is awesome! @songdropapp

Techmix and the crew at DSC would like to thank all the attendees, exhibitors and special guests who made our inaugural event such a huge success. In particular, we want to say a huge thank you to all of the DSC volunteers, who worked tirelessly to make the event what it was. As quick as it arrived, even quicker it was over. While our digital hero T-Shirts may be hung up until DSC 2014 – no doubt the skills we all learnt at DSC will be put to good use over the next year. Techmix can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Social

Were you at the Digital Summer Camp? What bits did you love? Have you kept on developing your tech skills afterwards? Tweet us: @TechmixMag to let us know

sd c 2014n July! i k c a b w e ’re mer Sum five l a t igi over n. rD e yea ll tak Londo ack t x i Ne p w ross ide b f Cam tes ac ur ins ste o o si ta ! n to or a e Tur ver f futur co the

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The hard and the soft My SenseBoard powered by

The Senseboard is small but mighty, with sensors, servos, a motor and a control slider.

Digital Summer Campers got to try out the new OU Senseboard: a package of hardware and software that work together to teach coding The Senseboard is a specialised piece of hardware, developed by the Open University (OU) to teach computer programming. It connects to computers using USB and provides a load of extra functions, inputs and outputs: seven LEDs, an infra-red sensor, four resistance sensors, a microphone, button, two servos, a stepper motor, and a slider. The OU joined us at Digital Summer Camp (DSC) and hosted rolling workshops throughout the day where you could get a hands-on experience of the Senseboard. The workshops were extremely popular and packed throughout the day with students and teachers all trying their hand at the OU’s game-building activity. A select few were even lucky enough to walk away with Senseboards as rewards! Here’s what they had to say: Zac and Rufus (9)

“Back in July we went with our school to your Digital Summer Camp to find out about new and exciting technologies that our teachers might bring into our ICT teaching at school. While we were there we looked at lots of new and exciting things, including 3D printing! We got most excited though when we had the chance to try things out for ourselves. “A highlight was when we visited the OU Senseboard exhibit and were given the chance to use the Senseboards to create a simple game. We used a version of Scratch to program the game – which was complicated! When we had succeeded in programming it we could play our own game using the slider on the Senseboard. “We really enjoyed using the software as it gave us a chance to create our own game

"Pupils like us could learn how to make fun and educational games"

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Layla Salama and Thaniya Tharmakulasinagm (13)

The Senseboard’s core module, which everything else plugs into.

from the beginning. The addition of the Senseboard brought the game to life even more, and helped improve our understanding of how programs are built and controlled. “Using the Senseboard at school, pupils like us could learn how to make fun and educational games, such as times table or spelling games, and then develop them. “We really enjoyed the challenge of using OU Senseboard, and the fact that we could create something on our own.” Etchingham, Church of England Primary School, Burgh Hill, East Sussex.

“At the Digital Summer Camp we were hoping to learn more about computers and programming as we wanted to take computing as one of our GCSE options. We also wanted to play around with the things that we found around the site, so were excited to discover the OU Senseboards! “My working partner and I used the Senseboard to program a game so that whenever you shouted BANG! a bullet would shoot at the target. “My favourite tool was the microphone because it’s cool to see something digital obeying what you say. The slider was fun to move around, as it’s a very different experience than using a typical mouse. “In the future I imagine that Senseboards will become very common and could even be a traditional thing for everyday use, maybe we will use it instead of keyboards and mice. “At Digital Summer Camp we learnt that there are still a lot of things to be invented! “Computer programming is a very interesting and amazing thing to do and we might consider it as our future career! “At the end of the OU session a team got to win a pair of Senseboards, but unfortunately it wasn’t us! Hopefully next time!” Bentley Wood High School, Stanmore, Middlesex

"In the future I imagine that Senseboards will become very common"

Lucy Langridge, Lecturer

“Two tutors and two students from MidKent College attended the one-hour OU Senseboard workshop at Digital Summer Camp. We were given a brief overview of the project, which was to make a shooting game with targets that appeared at random. “The Senseboard was used to control the gun that fired the bullets. We had to create crosshairs, targets and bullets and we had to add sounds, which was extremely interactive. “At the start we were given a coloured handout to follow. The students forged ahead with very little help, whereas us tutors required a bit more guidance! “Using Sense [a version of Scratch] with the Senseboard to drag and drop commands was quickly learnt and would, given a bit more practice, be a fun and quick way to teach students programming fundamentals.” MidKent College, Gillingham, Kent

Social

Have you created programmed a Senseboard, or created your own digital game? What was it like? What did it do? Tweet us: @TechmixMag to let us know A Senseboard hooked up to gamar.com various modules.

My Digital Life – for teachers Do you teach Computing? Do you find the new Computing Programme of Study a challenge? There is a solution! The Open University’s My Digital Life Teachers’ Pack complements the National Curriculum and provides a one-stop shop for your development needs from Key Stages 1 to 4. The resource pack is a wide-ranging and comprehensive introduction to Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy. It includes the cutting edge SenseBoard tool that enables you, and your students, to hone your programming skills in realistic situations.

• appropriate uses of information technology

How will it help me?

• 7 text books and a Programming Guide

The pack provides resources to update your knowledge on the latest topics including: • online privacy and surveillance • information security and cryptography • simple website development (using Google sites and simple HTML) • multimedia creation and editing • gaming technology • social media and online communities • virtual and augmented reality • ubiquitous and ambient computing • commoditisation of computing devices and services in the ‘cloud’

• the digital divide around the globe. All with advice on delivering this content using numeracy, information literacy, report writing and other study skills.

What will I get? You’ll receive: • 1 SenseBoard kit • access to the companion website • interactive quizzes to assist learning • peer support and discussion on forums in association with Computing At School. The pack benefits from the Open University’s world-class learning and teaching methods and is based on a relevant and highly popular Level 1 module.

How do I get it? To purchase a pack for yourself or your school, visit: www.ouw.co.uk/info/Teachers

silicon skills

SI LI CO N

SK ILL S C HALL ENGE

Julia Samboma tells us how Digital Summer Camp gave her a taste of founding a digital start-up business: all it takes is an idea

Starting up J

ulia Samboma only started at Hackney University Technical College (HUTC) in September 2012, but in the last 12 months she has already accomplished a great deal. She is a HUTC Digital Representative, a member of the school council, and an official Tweeter for the student group BrightSparks (@ Bright_Sparkz) to name just a few! She also has two concepts for new apps under her belt: Future U, which debuted at The BETT Show’s PitchFest last January – and most recently, Music Central, an app idea that took our first prize at the Silicon Skills Challenge at Digital Summer Camp 2013. During the Digital Summer Camp, Julia teamed up with Jaysharnai Francois-Harris and Fatmata Cole to turn a vague idea into a workable plan for brand-new app.

Here, Julia talks us through her Silicon Skills experience and what it’s like to present an idea for a digital start-up to The Duke of York. The first day of the Silicon Skills Challenge for us was on Wednesday, 10 July. The day was dedicated to coming up with ideas and brainstorming. We needed to come up with an idea that we wanted to develop over the next two days, and then pitch at Digital Summer Camp on Friday. This day was for us to explore our minds and think of something different. Once we had a solid idea, Music Central, we built on it and added the features. Origins of an app Music Central is an app where all the latest news from the music industry is available to you in a bite-size version, easily digestible for

GE LEN HAL S C KILL SILICON S

IN THE CLASSROOM mobile devices. I’d had the idea for a while but never really had time to expand on it, until Silicon Skills, when I worked with my teammates Jaysharnai and Fatmata to turn into a real plan for a business! Originally, I came up with this idea one day when I tried to access MTV News’ site from a smartphone and Julia, Jaysharnai and Fatmata accepting their noticed it wasn’t very award from Prince Phillip, the Duke of York. user-friendly. The second day of nothing like pitching in front of the Duke of Silicon Skills was the most important day York! We were excited, but also frightened for me. Here we finalised our idea and had at the same time as we weren’t only pitching the opportunity to discuss our new app with to the whole of HUTC, but the Duke and business professionals from Blackberry, students from neighbouring schools in the AppShed and 02. These companies helped crowd as well. Deep breaths, shoulders back, us to understand how we could develop talk slowly. and promote our app, as well as gave us constructive feedback, with enough time to make tweaks before our presentation the next day! We were up against tough competition on day three. With Jaysharnai and Fatmata as my only teammates, we were one of the smallest groups and therefore we had to come up with a unique way to stand out and make our app different from the others. Being a small team meant each of us had to deliver, but it also We won Silicon Skills. I think this was made us get the work done to the standard not only because our idea was strong, but we needed it to be at for pitching. also because we took all criticism on board and Ready to pitch worked on the weak points Everyone worked really that were discovered on hard, particularly on our day two. If we could do it all presentation skills. This was again we would polish the very important because presentation for a cleaner if we were not confident finish, but I guess practice in what we were saying, makes perfect. how would the audience Music Central is a Over the three days of believe in our app? Having smartphone app that the competition, we learnt pitched at the PitchFest gathers news from several so many new skills that we I knew what to expect which sources and generates can call upon in the future. was a bonus: I knew how to an accurate story for its Moving on, I’d like to do work interact with the audience users – similar to the experience with a company to engage them and was popular news app Summly. like SB.TV, because that’s able to give tips to my team. But unlike that app, Music a field I’m interested to go Friday – the last day of Central enables you to in myself, or perhaps with the competition – was the find concert tickets, Radio 1. I’d love to get to see best day. It was pitching information on your how much work goes on time, and the day we got to favourite artists, and behind the scenes! find out just how far all our stream exclusive content When I leave school, I’d hard work would go! Whilst by different artists. love to continue developing I did have that previous apps and start a business. experience from pitching That would be ideal. at the BETT Show, it was

"Being a small team meant each of us had to deliver"

Music Central

Caroline Thomas, HUTC digital technologies teacher, shares some pointers with Techmix on how we can delve deeper into digital at school. Use current technologies as much as possible: Continue your learning outside the classroom. Download study apps and engage with education resources online. Work with local community resources: Who is in your local area that your school or class could partner with? This autumn our students are working on a project celebrating the Geffrye Museum’s anniversary: creating oral history podcasts for an audience to tour the grounds using their mobile phones. Experiment and explore: Encourage your teachers to look beyond the classroom. This summer we created a virtual tour and the students learnt how to take a 360° photograph. We also regularly use radio podcasts, mobile phones and later in the academic year they’ll have experience working with a radio station. Take ownership: Student-led clubs and initiatives are a great way for you to put your digital skills into professional practice. HUTC runs an after-school film club, and we are about to launch our Young Enterprise Company where the students will learn web design and other skills to develop and market their apps. Call upon industry experience: Invite industry specialists to speak at your school or assembly, and don’t forget to ask your teachers about their work experiences outside the classroom! As a filmmaker, I continually call upon my industry experience when engaging students in the classroom.

Caroline shooting one of her films.

LONDON CALLING Maggie Scardifield looks back at the Campus Party: mixing hacking with camping, in the middle of London

etween 2-7 September, 10,000 young people descended on London’s 02 Arena for Telefónica’s Campus Party. campuseros – as the hackers, developers, gamers and geeks who attend are called – came from all across Europe to camp on site and immerse themselves in talks, debates, conferences, workshops, competitions and hackathons around innovation, digital entertainment and creativity. I bumped into my first campusero lining up to enter the 02. Albert Selfa Martinez had travelled to London on a digital pilgrimage with 40 of his classmates from Spain’s Universitat Politècnica de València (Polytechnic University of Valencia). A mechanical engineering student in his fourth year, Albert "Everywhere was just one of those camping in rows of you look something is tightly packed tents inside the 02. Apart from the lack of mud and the going on: machines you computer hardware, Albert was adamant can control by your brain, that this was a festival: “The atmosphere One of those speakers was Mitchel Baker, chair is wild. I met Telefónica and we discussed 3D printing, really of the Mozilla Foundation and leader of the Mozilla internships; Mozilla has made me an Project. Addressing a packed room from the 02 ambassador and I learnt to make a website incredible guest Main Stage, Baker mused on the internet and the in just 10 minutes with them, something I speakers" vast changes it has bought to our society in the last didn’t know how to do before. Everywhere you 20 years. look something is going on: machines you can “The internet was built to be open, meaning open source, control by your brain using sensors, 3D printing, open standards,” said Baker. “As long as you can speak the right protocol really incredible guest speakers. It’s all very exciting!”

in review

and plug yourself in, you’re welcome. And you don’t need permission to say ‘I want to try something new’.” Over the week, keynote talks and panel discussions took place across eight stages – with dedicated areas for gaming, start-ups, hackathons, a Digital Marketplace, and rolling interactive workshops in the MakeTheWeb zone. Outside the Arena, laptops and hardware covered tables and campuseros slept on couches, exhausted from hours of hacking and digital creation. Chargers, cables and sweet wrappers were strewn across every surface, music was playing, but much louder was the tapping of keys and the Spanish or German shouts of European campuseros. Start-up academies

On Wayra Street, a dedicated marketplace inside the Arena, start-ups were the focus. Wayra launched in 2011 to help entrepreneurs get their start-ups up and running, and there are now 14 Wayra academies across the world. One of the start-ups on Wayra Street was Songdrop (songdrop. com), a platform where users can listen to music from different sources, like YouTube, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo and MP3 files “What Songdrop is trying to do is catalogue the audio web,” said Songdrop’s CEO Brittney Bean. Brittney believed that events like Campus Party shows that the digital industry is not impenetrable. “A lot of people think you either need to be famous on the internet, or work at a really big corporation to get involved. Coming to these events you get to see a lot of people on stage who are just normal people that happen to do something pretty cool. It makes people think that they can do that too.” Teamwork and creative collaboration were displayed in the 02 ThinkBig MakeTheWeb Zone: a multi-level carnival of ideas, encouraging young people to get involved. Attendees were able to create their own apps and websites using Mozilla’s latest tools like Firefox OS; make a Heat magazine cover to win iPads and MozFest tickets; and participate in workshops at the 02 ThinkBig School. ThinkBig School ran "Teamwork workshops for those and creative wanting to kickstart their digital life. “We collaboration are around digital technologies all the were displayed in time, so much so the 02 ThinkBig that often, we can

MakeTheWeb Zone"

"The most exciting and important thing on the web is me. Not Facebook, not Twitter: me"

become a little too accustomed to them,” said Ben Plain, 02 ThinkBig’s schools project manager. “To take a step back and think about the possibilities of the everyday is a great way to disrupt the way we do things. To ThinkBig is to bring things to life!”

Real world advice Above: Campuseros attending one of the talks given in the immense O2 Arena during the Campus Party.

ThinkBig Are you 13-25? ThinkBig helps young people launch ideas and programmes that benefit the places where they live. You provide the big idea, ThinkBig provides the money, support and training to make it happen. For more info visit o2thinkbig.co.uk

Upstairs from ThinkBig school was a marketplace of ideas, encouraging young people to experiment with making, digital entrepreneurship and careers. The group at Pop Up Talent (popuptalent.org), surrounded by fairy lights and beanbags, were calling on young people at Campus Party to come and test their new platform. Lara Swansbury and the team at Pop Up Talent believe that to inspire, you must support people with opportunities to engage and network. “It’s OK to say I might do an IT GCSE, but what does it really mean to get a job at Mozilla, and how do you get that job, what do you need to know?” said Lara. “In our Talent Pool, young people can ask questions to people who are in the jobs already that they really want to do. Instead of pushing youth and industry apart, we are helping the conversations they need to have to move forward.” At the Women in Tech panel, founder of The Stemettes, Anne-Marie Imafidon (see page 14) had a similar outlook: “It’s important to show young people what is possible. Just studying maths doesn’t mean you need to be a maths teacher anymore. We need to make things more visible. What’s an engineer? Well that’s a very loaded question, and the possibilities are endless.” As I left I was reminded of something Mitchel Baker said in her keynote address that really struck a chord with me: “The most exciting and important thing on the web is me. Not Facebook, not Twitter: me. You are the centre of the experience and you have the power to create what you want to see.”

Welcome to the TechZone

skills london

22-23 November 2013

Techmix presents the TechZone: your chance to see what digital careers are on offer – now and in the future – and how you can get one

uring 22-23 November London’s ExCeL Centre will host Skills London 2013: the biggest jobs and careers event of the year! With over 30,000 visitors set to attend across two days, Skills London 2013 is taking an all abilities/all ambitions motto and everyone is invited. Over 120 exhibitors will set up shop at ready to chat with thousands of young people, their teachers and parents about finding the perfect careers – and we are hosting The TechZone at the event! As Techmix is dedicated to your digital future, we have handpicked a selection of the top digital companies to join us on our stand, and we can’t wait to introduce you to them! When you join us at The TechZone you will be inspired, entertained and, most

importantly, informed by some of the greatest digital producers and developers the UK has to offer. So if you want to learn how to build a website, construct your own mini computer, create a movie or get a job in a tech company, then come down and meet world-class tech companies on Stand 900, where we are hosting The TechZone. Get Digital In The TechZone! In The TechZone 11 tech companies – from startups to multinational corporations – will show you how they’re part of the cutting edge of innovation, and how you can become part of the digital revolution. O2 will be showing you how to become a digital maker with money, support and training. Decoded will be showcasing their

coding programs, showing you just how easy it is to learn to code. If you’re interested in creating your own apps – from games to music apps – then come and meet the AppShed team! Gensler will introduce you to the skills you need to work in design and tech industries. Come and meet BT, who create careers for hundreds of apprentices each year. Kano will be demoing the Kano Kit – a fun way to build your own computer. Tata Consultancy Services will be giving you advice about careers in the digital industries. And the Autodesk team will introduce you to their leading 3D design software and show how you can develop valuable workplace skills. Keen to explore your dream digital career? Join us at the TechZone and we’ll help you plan the best route to get there.

22-23 er b Novem13 20 The TechZone brings together the world’s leading innovators in digital skills, careers and exciting new technology! Learn how to code, create a movie or get job with a tech company!

Stand 1

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Stand 1 Autodesk Autodesk delivers worldleading 3D design software for free to UK secondary classrooms, to help pupils develop valuable workplace skills. www.autodesk.com Stand 2 O2 Think Big O2 believe young people will power our digital future. They’ll be showing how to become a digital maker with money, support and training. www.o2thinkbig.co.uk Stand 3 Toshiba Toshiba will be demonstrating its latest

innovative TV, laptops and tablets. They’ll be showing off the latest glassesfree 3D TV, lightweight ultrabook laptops with incredible performance and Windows and Android Tablet Technology with the latest convertible tech nology and super high-resolution screens. toshiba.co.uk Stand 4 Kano Kano makes tools for kids of all ages to take control of the world around them. At the show they will demo their first product: Kano Kit – a radically fun way to build a computer. kano.me

Tata Consultancy Services Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization with more than 250,000 employees worldwide. Join them for a professional experience spanning countries, industries, technologies and domains. careers.tcs.com Decoded Decoded is a tech start-up from East London, which aims to teach the world about code, data and digital enlightenment. decoded.co AppShed Have you ever thought about making your own app? Think it’s too difficult? Rubbish! Visit AppShed to find out how to make apps for bands, events, games and more! appshed.com Stand 5 Gensler Gensler is one of the world’s leading design firms with 44 offices across four continents. Technology and design coexist everyday in our lives. Come and see how. www.gensleron.com

Stand 6 Clickteam Clickteam develops tools for creating games and apps. Their flagship product is Clickteam Fusion 2.5 which enables PC and Mac users to develop for desktop, iPhone, Android and HTML5 with no coding experience required. www.clickteam.com ‎ Stand 7 BT BT creates careers for hundreds of apprentices and graduates each year. Find out how they bring together the best networks and technology with the expertise of our people. btplc.com/careercentre Stand 8 Microsoft Light your imagination with Microsoft DreamSpark! DreamSpark is a Microsoft programme that supports tech education by providing access to Microsoft software for learning, teaching and research purposes. Come over to collect a voucher code to enable your school and see how you can build your app and device ideas easily. microsoft.com

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Career thinking

What does the National Careers Service do? The NCS helps everyone aged 13 to find courses and opportunities that get them started on their careers. Advisers help callers to figure out their options, and make plans for the future. NCS has advisers who specialise with working with young people and their parents and carers. You can talk to us through the telephone helpline, SMS, email or webchat on our website. How many advisors do you have? How many calls do you get? We have more than 2,500 advisers, who help more than 800,000 people every year.

Not all careers need a degree. And now some companies offer on-the-job training through apprenticeships

What tech-based jobs do you cover for young people? We have details on more than 35 different tech careers, and can discuss hundreds of job options within them, such as network engineer, forensic computer analyst, web developer, or even computer games designer. Is there any funding available to young people looking for training or education in tech? Yes. There are bursaries, student finance for higher education, funding for apprenticeships and support from employers. Some charities, The Prince’s Trust and private enterprise also help young people. What steps can a 13-18 year-old take towards finding a career? Is university always the best option? You need to research the roles you’re interested in, and get the qualifications and experience the job needs. This is best done before you choose your GCSEs or A levels, as some jobs need you to take specific subjects or get particular grades. Not all careers need a degree. And now some companies offer on-the-job training through apprenticeships. And don’t forget interpersonal and communication skills, and understanding business and the wider tech industry, are important too.

The National Careers Service is here to help you get the job you want and build the future you deserve

Where can young people find out about apprenticeship schemes? They can use the National Apprenticeship Service website (apprenticeships.org.uk) to research types of apprenticeships and find out what they involve. What should someone do if they don’t know what career they want? Use Careers Match Quiz or Skills Health Check on the NCS website, talk to people who work in careers that sound interesting, and with teachers, family and friends. How can someone contact the NCS? Call our helpline on 0800 100 900. Advisers are available 8am to 10pm, seven days a week. The calls are free, so you can talk for as long as you need. You can also contact us using SMS (text ‘Advice’ to 07766 413219 and an adviser will call you), email, and webchat through our website nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk.

Skills London 2013 The National Careers Service will be at Skills London 2013 in November (see page 56). Advisers will be on hand help you make the right choices. Our careers advisers understand the working world and offer straightforward, impartial advice to help you towards a great career. You’ll also be find out about the tools available on our website to enable you to assess your skills, search for courses and jobs, and write a winning CV. The Skills Health Check shows you what you’re good at, the CV Builder helps you sell yourself to potential employers, and Job Profiles and the Course Finder will help you find the path that’s right for you. We can also advise on interview techniques will give you the confidence to shine when you meet your new boss.

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DIGITAL DIRECTORY Computing Science & App Design This year 17 year-old Jason D’Aloisio sold his App Summly to Yahoo! for $30 million! Have you ever considered learning to build and make your own app? Salaries for developers in the UK have jumped by a quarter during the last year, with devs now earning an average salary of £43,400 – higher than the going rate for web designers! Learn the inroads and gain practical and technical skills for a successful career.

Digital Careers & Entrepreneurship Fancy yourself the next Jamal Edwards? These days, you are your own brand, so we need to think big – and build our own brands at every step. Toby Rowland (see page 20) decided he wanted to be his own boss at 16, and went on to start one of the world’s best online gaming platforms. So is being your own boss and building a company from the ground up, a career as a digital entrepreneur could be your calling.

DIGITAL DIRECTORY disciplines

Digital Filmmaking, Production & Editing

The UK creative industries are a real success story. Worth more than £36 billion a year, they generate £70,000 every minute for the UK economy and employ 1.5 million people! Interested in a career in production? Imagine getting to explore voiceover, physical animation, basic stunt work, green screen and motion capture with industry professionals as part of your coursework! Step aside Spielberg.

Web Content Creation The web is hungry for your words. The term “blog” was coined in 1997 when John Barger called his site a “weblog”. In 2013 there are over 6.7 million people publishing content on blog sites. Online content now rivals traditional news media and brands and businesses are clamouring for content in order to connect with, and satisfy their audiences. Everyone has story to tell, so why not share it online?

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Techmix’s goal to continually harness the power of technology across all platforms to inspire you to delve deeper into digital life. Our motto – “Your Digital Future” – is at the forefront of everything we do. We want to encourage you to extend your skills, champion the power of tech and do great things!

Excitingly, there are loads of educational institutions who share the same goals: universities and colleges offering courses where you can learn the skills to advance your digital career. The Techmix Digital Directory gives you a rundown on some of them here to help you .So read, explore, and investigate.

Digital Design & Animation Learn how to turn your rough sketches into real products and designs. Animated TV, advertising graphics, computer games design and architectural modelling are some of rapidly expanding areas of creativity and technical development. The explosive growth of digital media and the computer arts industries have created global demand for designers and animators. Could it be you they’re looking for?

Computer Games & Design I bet you didn’t know that 50% of all visits to Facebook are to play games? The interactive entertainment and gaming industries are another huge growth industry of the future, and a huge part of the UK’s creative industries. Gaming is more popular than ever before, played by people of all ages at home and on mobile phones. Combine that with the rapid development of tech like Google Glasses means gaming’s future is blinding bright.

Digital Music Dylan Kwabena Mills grew up in Bow in London’s East End, raised by his Ghanaian mother Priscilla. Sound familiar? It’s the story of Dizzie Rascal: rapper, songwriter and record producer best known for his number 1 hits Dance Wiv Me, Bonkers and Holiday. Dizzie soared to megastar status largely due to his ability to create music that explored new soundscapes and digital technologies. Why not give Mr Rascal a run for his money?

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Punk Science, Hardware & Robotics Are you into building your own inventions? Fascinated by 3D printing and what this means for science and engineering? Why not explore mechanical design and construction: you could build and program robots with intelligence, explore cutting-edge equipment and play a first-hand role in the development of digital technologies. Go on, help shape your future, and ours.

Hackney 72 Community College De Montfort 73 Abertay 74

Surrey Goldsmiths

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DIGITAL CAREER & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Name: Angus Rigby Course: Computer Science Why did you get involved in Computer Science? I’ve been interested in computing since I can remember. I spend a lot of my spare time either programming or doing other computer-related activities. I’ve used them most of my life and started programming at 11, from there onwards computing and computer science seemed to be the logical direction to take for further education and subsequently a career. There’s so much diversity surrounding it that there are always going to be different areas to work. What is the most exciting part of building and developing new programs or apps? The initial stage of development – coming up with ideas – can be very exciting: coming up with an idea, researching online, finding a gap and filling it. However the most exciting part of development is the problem solving after the conception of the idea: either learning or figuring out solutions when working on new concepts, ideas or features, especially when the end result works as expected!

There’s a great sense of achievement when you manage to connect a persistent database layer written in Python to your game servers written in C++ and subsequently communicating correctly with your client. How much of what you do is solo work; do you get to work much in creative teams? It can vary, the majority of my projects tend to be solo work due to them being small, however a couple are worked on by a groups of people. I don’t think it’s possible to give a definitive answer as to which I prefer (group vs solo) because it varies on a per-project basis. Developing a program in a group has the potential to be more interesting, having others to bounce ideas from and to share enthusiasm is always good and it can be fun coming across random witty comments. I haven’t had much experience where I’ve been able to work in a creative team directly, normally it’s a case of keeping up to date and communicating with them.

What inspires you when you are developing? How do you come up with new ideas? The idea of having a finished project or at least something that works (a few of mine are in a state of limbo – working but unfinished) keeps inspiration pumping. New ideas can be difficult to come up with, especially trying to find things that haven’t been done before. Many of my smaller projects have come around because of a need for them or alternately just convenience, for example last year I wrote an app to sync the university timetable to Google Calendar. What is your dream job? At this point in time I’m not really sure what I would call my dream job. Computer security interests me considerably, so I suppose something surrounding that. I would be happy anywhere with a positive working environment and a nice team of people.

Computer Games & Game Design

Name: Adam Clayden Course: Computer Gaming Technology What does a typical day in games design look like? Interesting to say the least. There is never a moment where you feel as if you’ve done enough work because being part of a team means that you focus on your specialised role and also take on others’ roles. What programs do you use when building a game? Microsoft Visual Studio and MonoDevelop are the two main software packages that I use, along with the desired game engine: Unity or the Unreal Development Kit to name a couple. Over a broad spectrum, software such as Autodesk’s 3DS MAX, Pixologic’s ZBrush and Adobe Photoshop are all excellent programs to use when developing games. Were you always interested in gaming growing up? I always had an interest in computer games ever since my friend in primary school mentioned them to me. Over the years, I took a particular interest in the development process of games and wanted to study it further. This

sparked new interests and before I knew it, I became immersed in the innovative discipline of computer science. I quickly grew an interest for maths and computer programming so that I could finally learn how to develop games myself. What skills does a games designer need? Being able to meet deadlines and taking the initiative to present concrete ideas and sound pieces of work is what I find to be extremely important. If someone misses a deadline for an assigned piece of work then not only does that look bad on the individual, but that also halts all forms of progress to the development of the game. Also, I should stress the importance of the fact that a games designer should understand the roles of others in their team. They should be aware of what a programmer does and what an artist does, with an awareness of the technical terminology used as simply knowing what another member of the team is talking about can help quicken the development process.

What is the best part of studying/working in games design? Aside from always improving the skills I already possess as well as acquiring new ones, I would say the opportunity to work with intelligent and innovative people. Collaborating with a team who want to turn a game from its initial concept to fruition not only motivates me, but it makes me want to challenge myself further to develop even greater projects. What advice can you give anyone wanting to be a games designer? Make yourself known. There are various societies and forums that specialise in various roles within the games industry and to be an active member of those can really make you stand out. If a particular person has a concept for a game, rather than letting that idea dissipate, write it down. Draft more ideas and expand on them. Or, better yet, pitch the idea to one of the societies as an open-source project for everyone to work on. Collaborating in this way will develop skills for you to use on other projects.

COMPUTER GAMES & GAME DESIGN

Name: Joe Garbutt Course: Games Design What does a typical day in games design look like? Designers can specialise in particular roles: for example, mission scripting, level design and gameplay balancing. Each of those jobs has a different set of tasks in a typical day. However, on a daily basis every designer’s job should be to facilitate the games development and really understand what the team is building. A designer should communicate across disciplines and bridge gaps in ideas to define the games direction, when it’s done well it really helps the team. What programs do you use when building a game? The variety of software for building games is pretty vast, as a designer I spend most of my time within a game engine. That could be in the Unreal Development Kit, Unity, or something completely different; it all depends on the project. For artists, it’s usually Photoshop and a 3D modelling package like Maya or 3DS Max. However, I wouldn’t say there is a particular set of software for building a successful game. Every

game has different requirements and you need the right software for that job. There really isn’t an all in one solution and that’s kind of what makes games interesting. Were you always interested in gaming when growing up? Strangely, I wasn’t hugely interested in games as a child, certainly when compared to most people I know. It was only as I got older that I began to realise why games were so great and the huge potential they have to entertain, move and inform their players. What skills does a games designer need? A designer should always bring some technical ability to the team, especially on smaller projects. Everybody has ideas but the ability to successfully realise an idea is rare. Most importantly though a good designer should be able to communicate clearly and lead people towards a common goal. You’re not expected to be the source of all the project’s ideas, nor should you be,

you’re there to make the best use of the teams’ ability. What’s the best part of games design? For me it’s the people and their talent. You meet so many passionate, creative and skilled people, all working for their fans and the love of the game. I am amazed every day by the work I see other students producing and that’s what really drives me to be better. What advice can you give to young people who want to test their skills as a games designer? Create your own small mods and start using games engines. Learn about what it takes to make games and what you like about making them. The best way to do that, when you’re playing start to analyse games mechanics, what is it that makes your favourite games fun? Finally, learn about the industry and the business of games, it’s really important to understand it if you want to make a living developing them.

DIGITAL MUSIC

Name: Joseph Murray Course: Creative Music Technology What’s in your toolbox? For composing my music I use Logic Pro as it’s so portable and great for when I get compositional ideas on the go. For my larger scale recording projects I use Pro Tools. I’ve found it useful to have extensive knowledge of music software when talking with other artists, producers and engineers; being confident with them has allowed me to get more heavily involved with projects, and do so with complete conviction. How have digital technologies changed music production? Digital technologies evolve so quickly so there is always something new to learn or experiment with. Music recording and production are expanding and the possibilities of what can be musically achieved are never-ending. The cost of things like home studio setups that anyone can record, compose, mix and master tracks to a professional standard. What have been the highlights of the course for you? I’ve gained the creative tools I’ve needed to get myself out into the

world of digital music and do so with confidence. I was able to secure a placement at Karma Sound Studios in Thailand, which is part of a module I’m currently working on called Practice in Context. In my time here I have been involved with all manor of tasks such as composing, recording and producing. Alongside this I have met a multitude of great bands, engineers and producers, such as Grammy award-winning producer Steve Lillywhite, who has been so incredibly insightful for my work, not only with his production methods, but also with his general approach to the music industry as a whole. Does collaborating over the internet help your work? Collaborating is the best way of sharing music and often leads to some great music. Sometimes I’ve found those I’m working with have been lazy with their input and on the other hand others have been incredibly dedicated and talented musicians. Finding people who are hard-working and committed is invaluable. As long as your voice is being heard and that you aren’t on

the sidelines then collaborations can make your music thrive. What should people wanting to get into digital music do? Find a software or instrument you’re comfortable using and just play with it nonstop. I personally prefer a much more reserved approach with my music, as I don’t see myself as a performer, so an important thing to remember is that because music is so vast in its opportunities if you prefer being behind the scenes then don’t force yourself to be in the limelight. In forcing yourself your approach to music can be artificial as opposed to instinctual. People appreciate effort and if you can match your effort with ability then you should do well.  Where do you see digital music heading? The music scene is so much easier for people to get involved with now and that’s completely down to the digital world we live in today. With complete online access to music, fans can really connect with their favourite artists in a completely new way. And that can only be a good thing.

COMPUTER SCIENCE & APP DESIGN

Name: Kyle Davidson Course: BSc (Hons) Computing What inspired you to pursue a career in computing? I originally planned to be an IT teacher but when I started learning about programming I was totally blown away by it and would spend hours writing various Java applications for fun. My lecturer, Michaela Black, encouraged me to take up any opportunity to get experience in software development, so in my first year I represented the University of Ulster’s Microsoft Imagine Cup entry in Dublin as team leader. I became a Microsoft Student Representative for the University and then for the UK. I also applied to the first Kainos AppCamp, an app development course, in Belfast. I was short listed to attend the two week training course in Objective-C and iOS application development and I pitched an Autism assistance application called MakeSense. I was then invited to spend the summer developing the app which received a number of awards and was my stepping stone to becoming a software developer.

What is the most exciting part of building and developing new programs or apps? I think the highlight of app development is building something yourself and watching it come to life on a device. Thinking of a cool idea for an app and then creating it is awesome. What inspires you when you are developing? How do you come up with new ideas? The biggest inspiration for me is knowing that there is value in the end result. If it’s a personal project it’s much easier because it’s almost always my own idea. MakeSense was inspired by my younger brother Bailey who is autistic. I wanted to create a series of simple guides, such as using public transport, to make his life a little easier and in turn help other children with autism. The app is really useful for any family affected by autism.

How much of what you do is solo work; do you get to work much in creative teams? Unless you’re making a living from freelance development or get to be the solo developer on an industry project, you’re going to be working with a team. I’ve been lucky – all my industry projects have involved working with great development models, such as Agile, which give the team members flexibility on what is built. What is your dream job? Working as a game designer in California.

DIGITAL DESIGN & ANIMATION

Name: Annie Wilson Course: Digital Media At what point did you decide you wanted to pursue a career in Digital Media? I’ve always been content when working on a computer but also knew that I was a creative person, with a career in digital media you can work within so many different career options – from motion picture to web design – and it never limits you to what you can create, design and develop.

How much of your job is storytelling? What other skills are required? Narrative can be an important factor in a digital media application, but key elements across all developments are the aesthetics and usability of the final artifact. If people are not attracted to it, or find they cannot engage with it in the ways they want to, they will quickly switch away and try another solution.

What jobs are out there nowadays for digital media experts? With the continued growth in the web, and mobile computing developing massively, the need to be able to manipulate and embed digital media elements to create new applications is even more in demand. Its not just about developing websites or apps. For example developing motion graphics for marketing or creating online interactive TV applications using web technologies.

What tips and tricks can you give to young people wanting to pursue a career in this field? Make sure you keep up to date with all of the latest developments in technology and how they are being used, not only to keep yourself current, but also see what sparks your interest and may lead to new ideas for innovation. What programs and tools are used in your studies? We use software from across the digital domain, such as AVID Media Composer, Pro Tools, Adobe

Photoshop and Dreamweaver, as well as development kits like Phonegap. How do your see this career developing and changing over the next five years? Its a really exciting time with advances in displaying data like Google Glass, 3D and VR, as well as interconnectivity of devices and systems allowing applications to be more pro-active and helpful to users, as well as enriching the way information can be presented. My particular interest is in project management and how to work with teams of digital media experts to harness current and new technologies. I think the hardest part for me will be keeping sufficiently current in my understanding to enable me to work effectively with interdisciplinary teams and ‘speak their language’.

72 Hackney Community College With its Shoreditch campus on the doorstep of Tech City, Hackney Community College is fast becoming known as the college for the digital sector. So when Octopus Group approached HCC to put together a young people’s panel for the industry’s renowned Brand Republic Future 5 Awards we jumped at the chance. This was a superb opportunity for our first year level 3 interactive media students to visit a top media agency and contribute opinions on the effectiveness of campaigns – with a significant outcome for the industry. The short listed campaigns were presented to the 16 media students, who discussed how their elements ‘spoke’ to the young people’s market and their overall effectiveness. Our students’ vote resulted in the charity Refuge’s campaign “Don’t Cover It Up” being presented with the Young People’s Award. Octopus Brand Manager Alexia Scilpino, said, “We were so pleased with HCC’s input. People were genuinely interested to hear the comments from the students.”

Digital Film making, Production & Design

Name: Natalie Murray Course: Media Production Is there a typical road map for a career in filmmaking? Many people have told me I have to start from the bottom in a TV studio or on a film set and work my way up to achieve my career goals, just like in any job. Some people have degrees, some people do internships and some people get a job, all with the same career in mind, so I don’t think that there is a typical road path. However, I think my degree has made me a much more knowledgeable and confident person and I have gained many skills throughout my time at university which will help me in my career path. What’s in your toolbox? The university has an amazing bag of goodies which are available for our use. I’m a big fan of digital SLRs (DSLRs). The DSLR is going to be my camera of choice for my film module. Last year I used a bulky film camera which limited filming as I had to carry it around and restricted some of my shots but the lighter, more agile DSLR will be the tool for the job again allowing me to experiment with

a range of shot types using a variety of lenses. I’m hoping to invest in a DSLR once I graduate and some good lenses to go alongside which will hopefully support both my film and photography projects. How do you balance the artistic and technical sides of your studies/role? Before coming to university, doing media studies at school and sixth form always meant being creative, meaning I didn’t have the opportunity to study the technical side of media before. Coming to university was a challenge where I had to learn a lot of technical things about equipment, the ins and outs of a working TV studio and how the technical kit all functions. I have always been comfortable with my creative side and knowing how to express my creativity and despite not being used to the technical side of the degree I fell into the work naturally. It was both challenging and interesting and learning about technical sides of the degree has helped me significantly

throughout my studies. Balancing the two came easily, as I feel they both support each other in a way, being good at the technical things only enhanced my creative abilities as I knew the full extent of the software and hardware and what I was capable of achieving. How do you go about learning Post-production skills? Post-production has always been an area I’ve been interested in since studying media as far back as GCSE. For me it is about piecing together a story and deciding how a narrative will best be represented and how an audience will react to it. I have learnt skills for postproduction in the conventional way: tutorials, being taught by others, trying out other editing styles, but for me it is about taking the materials and trying to present them in the best way possible so trial and error and experimentation. This for me is always a good way to both learn new skills and have the best possible outcome as it means making the best out of the footage and software.

Computer Games & Game Design

Name: Zoe Sams Course: Computer Games Technology What does a typical day in games design look like? It typically involves a lot of change. Designs, art assets and mechanics go through constant iteration to improve playability, appeal and, most importantly, to make sure the game is fun. As a programmer, I’m constantly learning about new tech and tools being released to make creating games an easier process. What programs do you use when building a game? There are many different tools available to developers which have different uses depending on the platform the game is aimed at. I used Unity over the course of a summer internship, and it’s a really useful tool to create fast prototypes for a range of platforms. We are mostly taught to code using C++ in Visual Studio, as it’s a widely used when developing blockbuster games. Were you always interested in gaming growing up? Of course! I think to work in games you have to be interested in playing

them. I was brought up with Spyro the Dragon and Pokémon, and I played those games for hours on end. It wasn’t until my fourth year of secondary school that I really thought about creating games as a career, however it made perfect sense with my love of both art and mathematics and I’m now particularly interested in pursuing a career as a technical artist when I graduate. The main roles of a technical artist vary from creating rigs for characters and vehicles, to scripting tools to help artists. What kind of skills do you need to work in games? I believe one of the most important skills for any game designer or developer is communication. Good communication skills mean games can be pushed forward, noone is waiting for assets or waiting for something to do. Developers and programmers should focus on maths skills, as well as continually looking into new coding languages and brushing up on old ones.

What is the best part of studying and working in games design? Studying the latest trends in technology is always interesting, however seeing people play a game you have worked on and enjoy themselves really puts a smile on your face. It makes the hard work worthwhile when you see someone interacting and engaging with your application. What advice can you give to young people who want to test their skills as a games designer? Start looking into the games you play in more detail: why do you enjoy this game? Is it the story, the characters, the mechanics, the style, or something else entirely? When you start putting these together, you begin to have a better understanding about what’s really fun. From here, you can begin to see which area you’d like to work in, whether it be design, programming or art.

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Digital Music

Name: Oliver Jacobs Course: Music and Sound Recording (Tonmeister) There’s a wide array of apps to produce and record music. What’s in your toolbox? On the Tonmeister course at Surrey (iosr.surrey.ac.uk), we use many apps for recording. Pro Tools and Logic Pro are generally the first choice for pop recording, while Pyramix and SADiE are better suited to classical work. The course includes a placement year and I spent mine working for Peter Gabriel at Real World Studios. Here, I used Pro Tools nearly every day and it is now my go-to software for recording. How has digital tech changed music production? It has drastically changed the way that engineers work. Thirty years ago it would have been impossible to make music as a ‘bedroom producer’. Even so, large studios such as Abbey Road, Air, and Real World, are still needed to record big productions and film scores. On the Tonmeister course, we have three recording studios, which are all differently equipped to mirror different types of production techniques in the industry. Studio 3

contains a new Neve digital console while studio 2 has an analogue SSL. It’s easy to scale down from here to a bedroom setup, but very difficult to scale up. What is a typical day studying music production like? My studying day often switches between engineering (the maths and physics behind how hardware and software work) and recording (how to operate it). Not only does this mean I can get the best out the gear, but I also have an idea of how to fix it if it goes wrong. Does collaborating over the internet help your work? The internet revolutionised the way we listen to and share music. I use services such as Soundcloud and Mediafire to send mixes to bands to receive feedback on them. This means that I can work with musicians as far away as Australia. What advice can you give to young people wanting to get involved in digital music? Get a computer and software and

just start making music. Get some local bands in, record them and give them a CD. This process taught me a lot. Get some work experience in your local music venue, studio or theatre. Convince them to let you stand behind them as they work: ask questions and try to learn from them – without getting in the way of course. Then come and do the Tonmeister course. The contacts you will make and the skills you will learn could set you up for life (just look at the long list of award-winning graduates). I’ve worked on music tours, recorded some amazing musicians and met some of the most influential people in the industry. Where do you see digital music heading in five or 10 years time? With future advances in technology it is likely that music consumption by streaming will continue to increase in popularity. Services such as YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud are at the forefront.

Computing at Goldsmiths Goldsmiths, University of London, is acclaimed as one of the UK’s top creative universities (Which? University), and home to the best computing department in the UK in terms of student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2012). Computing at Goldsmiths is hands-on. From the start, you will create your own software and work on your own projects – both in teams and solo – in ways that mirror industry practices. You will develop the skills today’s creative industries demand, and will have access to the cutting-edge tech in labs fitted out with the latest software. You will also benefit from the department’s partnerships with a range of organisations and companies including UK games developer Rebellion, Creative Assembly, Supermassive Games, M&C Saatchi, and the National Film and Television School. We also offer you an optional industry work placement year. So our graduates often take their skills straight into the industry: employers include Atkins, Disturb Media and Sony. Join our Virtual Open Day Our Virtual Open Day lets you to explore Goldsmiths from any location: you can learn about Goldsmiths’ campus, student accommodation and facilities, academic life and social scene. You can also take part in live webchats with our academics and advisors about various topics, including fees and funding, accommodation and student life. Visit www.gold.ac.uk/open-days/virtual/ to check upcoming dates and book your place. To find out more about Computing at Goldsmiths visit www.gold.ac.uk/computing, send an email to computing@gold.ac.uk or phone 020 7919 7766.

Student profile Eric Brotto graduated with a BSc in Creative Computing in 2011. He’s now an account director at Smile Machine. How did studying at Goldsmiths prepare you for the future? The academics at Goldsmiths were top notch, and I really felt the sky’s the limit! I created an iPhone app which allows users to simulate the experience of being a rap artist. My professors helped me to develop it and it led to my job at Smile Machine. Goldsmiths Careers Service helped me secure a job before I graduated and gained valuable work experience at an agency working as a new media coordinator. What elements of your degree did you enjoy? Goldsmiths is not just about learning new skills but learning what to do with them and how to be innovative. It was exciting to be surrounded by other students with strong ideas of their own. Undergraduate degrees at Goldsmiths: Foundation Year in Computing BSc (Hons) Business Computing BSc (Hons) Computer Science BSc (Hons) Creative Computing BSc (Hons) Games Programming Interdisciplinary computing degrees: BSc (Hons) Digital Arts Computing BMus/BSc (Hons) Music Computing BA (Hons) Journalism

AWARDS 2014 THE TECHMIX AWARDS 2014 IS ALMOST OPEN! Techmix is the UK’s leading digital skills and digital careers magazine for young people. Each month Techmix helps young people, schools and community groups learn new digital skills and connects you with the world’s most innovative companies and experts: leading digital companies, fast-moving tech start-ups and industry superstars!

The Techmix Awards series is designed to help you connect with industry and inspire digital creativity in young people. The briefs set by leading companies: challenges involving idea generation and team collaboration – testing your tech abilities from coding to digital design, music to video production, digital marketing to digital entrepreneurship!

Techmix Awards are CV friendly! Your can use your experience in our annual awards to build your online portfolio and gain industry experience towards employment and your digital future!

2014 AWARD PROGRAMME: Our 2014 Awards are set to roll out from January 2014. Each edition of Techmix will contain a series of awards set by leading UK digital companies – challenges specific to each company and their business. From digital marketing to video production, programming to app design – each award will be different and your school is free to enter each award! Supporting materials will be available on Techmix online and participating companies will be videoconferencing with school teams to support and guide their ideas and innovations.

JUDGING & AWARD CEREMONY – AT DIGITAL SUMMER CAMP Each July, Techmix hosts Digital Summer Camp in the heart of Tech City, East London! The 2014 Awards series will be judged at Digital Summer Camp, with shortlisted school teams invited to present their ideas to participating companies, with the winners receiving the Techmix Awards trophy – and industry recognition of their hard work!

PRIZES: The Techmix Awards series is design to inspire digital creativity in young people and provide a meaningful experience towards employment in the digital industries. Each participating company will offer prizes and opportunities specific to their organisation: paid work experience, prizes, mentoring – and of course the Techmix Awards trophy!

GET INVOLVED

Interested in running an award? Please get in touch: awards@techmixmag.com

AWARDS 2014

EDTECH INNOVATOR

Award INTRODUCTION How do you use technology in your school? Do you use tablet computers in science class, interactive games in maths, language software in French, or an e-reader in English? Technology can make life easier, but what if you had a tech idea that changed your school life? A website to help you plan your study time, an app for collaborating with classmates, or a tool for teachers to keep track of your progress online and reward your hard work!. Student Edtech Innovator Award is your chance to develop an idea that could make your school better, and win the support you need to bring your digital innovation to life!

innovator! student

The Challenge

Your idea

Edmix is the UK’s largest community of education technology (edtech) companies; each year we host the Edtech Innovator Award at The BETT Show at London’s ExCel centre – and this year we’re opening the competition to schools around the UK! We are challenging student teams to collaborate and devise digital ideas to transform how young people study and learn.

Edmix and our industry judges want to hear from students and educators with digital ideas that will have a positive impact on learning in school and at home – tech ideas to improve your grades and give you more free time! These could be websites, mobile app ideas or hardware concepts.

ENTER YOUr Idea & school team Student Edtech Innovator is open to teams at secondary schools in the UK. Your teacher will need to enter your school and submit your idea at edmix.com

Judges and Prizes Edmix is proud to be working with some of the world leading education technology companies:

PEARSON

Pearson is the world’s leading education company. From preschool to high school, early learning to professional certification, our curriculum materials, multimedia learning tools & testing programmes help to educate millions of people worldwide.

More great companies to be announced soon.

PITCH YOUR IDEA – AT THE BETT SHOW 2014! Two shortlisted school teams will be invited to January’s The BETT Show in London’s ExCel to present their ideas to our industry expert on the Edtech Pavilion! If you’d like to enter your school and digital idea – and be in with a chance of winning Student Edtech Innovator 2014 – please go to edmix.com

The BETT Show is Europe’s gathering of education technology professionals: 40,000 people interested in edtech and digital skills. Edmix.com is running the EDTECH PAVILION, helping 32 of the world’s best edtech companies get to this huge event!

AWARDS 2014

DIARY

Looking ahead

Make Things Do Stuff is a campaign and website to help young people to be makers, not just users, of digital tech. As well as activities and events happening across the UK, you’ll find lots of projects to ‘make things’ and ‘do stuff’ at makethingsdostuff.co.uk

November

December

January 2014

Freeformers TechJam When: Every Tuesday Where: Timberyard, Old Street, London Web: freeformers.com Freeformers run a TechJam every week. At these casual meetups makers get together to create web projects using the Digital Missions site – a compilation of tutorials mashed together from the best stuff on the net.

Junior Hack Jam When: 1 December Where: The Media Factory, UCLan, Preston Web: bit.ly/junior-hack-jam Junior Hack Jam is aimed at 8-14 year olds. These meetups give kids and young teens a chance to play with games, apps and electronics and learn coding. The organizers aim to run jams every week from January.

Dundee Mini Maker Faire When: 10 November Where: Chamber East, Panmure St, Dundee Web: makerfairedundee.com The Mini Maker Faire is a friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the high-tech DIY Maker movement.

Raspberry Jam When: 7 December Where: Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge Web: facebook.com/cambridgeraspberryjam Raspberry Jam is a growing network of groups that meet to support hobbyists, developers, teachers, students, children and families – anybody that would like to put their Raspberry Pi to good use.

EDTECH PAVILION – The BETT Show When: 22-25 January Where: ExCel Conference Centre, East London Web: edmix.com/ events/15 The BETT Show is Europe’s gathering of education technology professionals: 40,000 people interested in edtech and digital skills. Edmix.com is running the EDTECH PAVILION, helping the world’s best edtech companies get to this huge event!

Coder Corner When: 12-13 November Where: Google Campus, London Web: facebook.com/CoderCorner Coder Corner is deliberately timed for after school but before bedtime, it’s a one-hour roller coaster primer that will help you know your Raspberry Pi from your Scratch and your Lego WeDo from your Mindstorm. Technology Will Save Us When: 16 November Where: London Web: technologywillsaveus.org Join this great easy and fun workshop, using basic circuitry to create an amazing DIY electronic synth to impress your friends and make sweet music.

CoderDojo Manchester When: 2-5pm, 8 December Where: MadLab, Manchester Web: zen.coderdojo.com/dojo/347 Learn how to code, or if you already can, improve your skills. Build cool stuff, from games to websites to animations to apps, along with fellow coders. CoderDojo have dojos across the country – visit the site to find the nearest to you.

Edtech Innovator Awards at The BETT Show When: 23 January Where: ExCel Conference Centre, East London Web: bettshow.com Edmix.com is running Europe’s largest edtech pitching event: Edtech Innovator Awards – encouraging edtech startup and early-stage SME companies to present their businesses to a panel of industry experts at a huge industry audience. And this year, they have created a new student award!

CoderDojo Scotland When: 8 December Where: Old Town Jail, Stirling, Scotland Web: coderdojoscotland.com/clubs/ livingston This new CoderDojo is to inspire young digital makers to code, develop websites, build apps, games and more. All they need to bring is a laptop and a parent.

Make Things Do Stuff Running a digital making event? Want to learn about digital skills near you? Then you need to become part of the wonderful Make Things Do Stuff! Techmix magazine is a proud supporter – get involved now! makethingsdostuff.co.uk

Digital Summer Camp 2014 – 3-5 July 2014 Building on the huge success of Digital Summer Camp 2013, Techmix magaine is returning to Tech City in East London in July 2014 for three days, over five fantastic future themed sites! If you’re interested in learning the latest digital skills, meeting some of the hottest tech companies, listening to the best in the tech business and exploring digital career paths come down to Tech City – home to Europe’s largest community of digital companies!

Futu re: H ome What would your bedroom look like in 2020: will you be calling your friends on your 3D video phone, while Hollywood’s latest blockbuster beamed directly onto your bedroom wall – which is really a massive cinema screen? This is your chance to see what the future holds for your home from the companies who will design it.

Futu re: Play We will give you the chance to see what gaming of the future be like? Perhaps consoles will be a thing of the past, as you load up Call of Duty 12: AR in your third-generation Google Glasses ,and play at war in your streets. Or maybe you’ll use them to get football coaching from Becks.

Futu re: Hig h Street In 10 years time will the high street just be pound shops and Starbucks, or will online brands help reinvent it, with stores where you can interact with them in the real world? Find out in Hoxton Street Market!

Futu re: Fas hion Clothes keep us warm and dry and help us stand out from the crowd. But in the future, will wearable tech change change how we interact with the world and the people in it? The Twitter dress and GPS-equipped shoes that direct you home are just the start. Find out what’ll be next.

Futu re: Schoo l Classrooms haven’t changed for 200 years. But now that we have the ability to study from anywhere in the world, thanks to tablets, 3G, 4G and WiFi, tech is going to revolutionise how you learn and how teachers teach. Come and learn new digital skills and see how they will be part of the school of the future.

Thursday 3rd: Schools Day Friday 4th: Schools day Saturday 5th: PUBLIC DAY

OVER 15,000 visitors! SAVE THE DATE! DIGITAL SUMMER CAMP 2013 SOLD OUT in just THREE WEEKS!