Get on our cloud
Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.
Get on our cloud
As of writing this, news is in that the Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand, or REANNZ, has turned up its nose on the planned trans-Tasman data cable and funding it.
One way to understand the consequences of the country having only one major data connection to the outside world is to read Forecast: Cloudy, in the latest issue of Idealog. Matt Cooney speaks to Koordinates co-founder Robert Coup about his company’s mission to bring order to our muddled planet. You see, cloud computing is great for start-ups wanting to play with huge datasets and create something new and useful out of them.
We need access though, to computing clouds here and elsewhere for our developers as well as their audiences. More connectivity is needed, and the creative economy requires that second international cable. Matt’s story will help explain why. Read it in the latest issue of Idealog and on our website.
Hardcore
Apple makes good ads, we know that, but this Crackberry commercial that apparently never aired really hits the … well, you’ll have to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPB_kach5Lk
Tune in to Idealog TV
Check out two new Idealog TV videos this week. First up, Professor Olaf Diegel on how the future is printable.
Followed by Andy Blood and David Walden from TBWA\Whybin, on why disruption isn’t always a disaster for incumbents (like, er, TBWA).
Two Pencils for Alt
Congratulations to Alt Group for doing so well at the One Show Design awards, bringing home Silver and Bronze Pencils plus two Merit Awards from the New York show. Alt is the only Kiwi outfit to get Pencilled this year, and it won Silver award in the Corporate Identity—Campaign category and Bronze in the Collateral Promotion section for work for local IP and technology law firm Hudson Gavin Martin.
We profiled Alt and its founders, Dean Poole and Ben Corban, in Idealog #20.
Bizzone Business Expo
These are interesting times … the Bizzone Business Expo provides all the solutions for your current business issues. Get new ideas, improve your efficiency, network with other business owners, up-skill yourself on anything from smart marketing to cashflow, or find inspiration from a keynote. The Bizzone Business Expo attracts 13,000 businesses and has everything under one roof to save you time.
SIC stuff
Social Innovation Camps across the world are coming up with web-based solutions to social challenges, helping people and communities to help themselves.
Now it’s New Zealand’s turn. At a June 6 meet-up in Wellington (venue TBC), a mix of social entrepreneurs, web developers, business specialists and creatives meet to propose and vote on the best three ideas to innovate out of recession.
The Wellington SIC is a project of the nascent New Zealand Centre for Social Innovation and is inspired by the likes of Enabled by Design and the SI Camp UK. Places at the meet-up are limited, so email now for a short application form. Places will be confirmed by Friday 15 May.
Social Innovation Camp needs a balance of skills and expertise to make it work, so participants are chosen carefully. If you don’t fit in this time around, the organisers say don’t be disappointed—there will be lots more opportunities. The following SI Camp will be in Auckland in July.
Happy birthday, Webstock 
Wellington is one webby ville, and it has Webstock to show for it. Three years ago, the first Webstock was held and now it’s time to celebrate that on May 19. Gig guidesters Mukuna will provide the toons and Courtney Johnston, Richard MacManus, James Everett, Justine Munro, Lance Wiggs, Laurence Millar and others will be sharing the inspiration.
Register now.
Job of the Week
Contract Digital Account Director — Wellington (P0504)
Start Now! • 6 Month Contract • Interactive Experience Essential
My client, an International Advertising Agency is seeking an industry experienced Digital Account Director to join their Wellington digital team.
This role will work across a wide variety of digital projects, and you will need to be committed to delivering outstanding creative solutions for each and every one.
This role will report to the General Manager, working as the main digital contact for the agency — therefore you will need to have the previous pure online Account Director / Project Manager experience.
If you feel this is the right next step for you, please send your details to Louise Lawton at Portfolio Recruitment on 09 379-9303, or apply on our website.
Bayering for innovation 
Bayer New Zealand would like to hear from individuals involved in a successful innovation or innovative project, or who are recognised by colleagues as an ideas person with innovative successes.
Why is that, I hear you ask? That’s because of the Bayer Innovators Awards 2009 that recognise the top five innovators in Science and Health, Design and Engineering, Agriculture and Environment, Research and Development as well as Information Technology and Communications are open for entries now.
If you fit the above bill, head over to the Bayer Innovators Awards and get your entry in. The closing date is May 29, and the top innovators from each of the categories and winners will be announced at a special cocktail event on 25 August 2009.
Previous winners include university researchers such as Dr Johan Verbeek (Waikato University) and Olaf Diegel (AUT), manufacturers such as Ross McKenzie from Old Fashioned Foods and designers such as Ray Avery from Medicine Mondiale.
Gut-busting dance works 
Idyllic pastimes of embroidery and PlayStation punch-ups are the quintessentially Kiwi inspiration for the Footnote Dance troupe, whose 2009 Made In New Zealand showcases home-grown dance works—naturally enough, set to New Zealand music.
Some of this country’s best contemporary choreographers, including Michael Parmenter, Malia Johnston, Raewyn Hill, Deirdre Tarrant, Katie Burton and Sarah Foster have their works featured in 2009 Made In New Zealand, with a choreographic debut by company dancer Jesse Wikiriwhi as well.
Dunedin has already seen the show; next up is Wellington’s Opera House on May 20, and the tour then hits Invercargill, Auckland and Hastings before winding up on Hamilton on June 12. Tickets from Ticketek and Ticket Direct
Quote of the week
“The credit crunch means it’s going to be harder for people to raise money, and there’s this massive cloud computing opportunity. We don’t have the infrastructure to connect us to the world, and we don’t have the investment culture. There’s this huge opportunity to use brains—rather than producing stuff … we’re really missing the opportunity.”
—Rod Drury of Xero on his Clouded Computing Vision.
More at Idealog online
Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, creative directory, Idealog TV, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at idealog.co.nz.
Juha Saarinen
Ideologue, Weekly
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