Author Archives: Megan - Page 2

Tech Week in Vancouver: Oh, You, Too, Should Really Be Here

Posted by on February 19, 2008 No comments

If you’re not already.

This week in Vancouver, er, Techcouver, is pretty jam-packed. All great stuff, some of which is already happening as I type. (As I relish in the only “free” time this the week (NOT complaining), with my wine, meat and our Canucks.)

Get your stamina and come out to each and all and support this unbelievable tech town. Or, you can read about them. At least pick one of the freebies! And if that’s not enough, there is PLENTY more up and coming in the weeks and months to follow…

  • Third Tuesday Vancouver – doh! you missed it. Check in for next month – always valuable
  • QuickLearn, also happening right now, but you’ll hear more about this, and so you should!
  • CaseCamp at the new lamplighter: Cinci from EATcomm has given new life to this marketing beast
  • Northern Voice Opening Party! – deserves it’s own bullet point
  • MooseCamp: step one on NV
  • Northern Voice: in its’ 4th year and sold out for the 4th consecutive! Don’t miss it, online, if that’s all you’ve got.

Have You Signed Up For DemoCamp05 Yet?

Posted by on January 31, 2008 2 comments

pointing handI write that title, and then I think, “What a sec, have I?”.

Boris and I are gearing up for DemoCamp FIVE!, “Wild and Woolly 2008”, held next Thursday night, Feb. 7th at the ol’ traditional, WorkSpace. (Thank you Bill and Dane!)

Battledecks will be back, oh but of course. Linda Bustos has already submitted one deck and we’re just waiting to hear back from a “potential”. Any volunteers to get up there, loosen up your Thursday evening and get into an impromptu 3 minute very fun, very funny presentation battle? Drop a note.

CALLING ALL DEMOERS!

If you are planning to demo, head over and throw your name down on the wiki, and don’t forget to add youself to the Facebook event page as well. I think Boris has likely been busy drumming up folks to demo from his perch at Web Directions North. Please, step up – we know there’s a TON happening in this town – we would all like to hear about it and support it!

Kinzin TV

Posted by on January 30, 2008 3 comments

cbcBig day across the airwaves for Kinzin. Tonight, the CBC is airing a story about online privacy and security in the wake of the MySpace breach. Michael Fergusson is featured in the story with his take on social networking and the privacy issue, and speaks in reference to Kinzin’s latest application These Are My Kids. Catch the story airing on CBC local Vancouver news tonight at 6pm. (Thanks to Tod for sending them this way!)

lab logoSticking with TV Fame, Episode 140 of The Lab With Leo Laporte airs today on G4 Tech TV in Canada (The How-To Channel in Australia). Michael does a segment with Leo, talking about designing and building applications in the era of social networking. That interview will be made available on The Lab website after it airs on television.
xposted from blog.kinzin.com

From “Launch” to “Garage”, techy event speaking.

Posted by on January 28, 2008 2 comments

Kinzin The Kinzin team spent the better part of their Friday evening at Launch Party Vancouver 03, showing off the application These Are My Kids. If you haven’t read or heard what this latest app is all about, please read more here.

It was a fantastic evening, to say the least. Michael, Frank, Julie and Paul held court all night to the many new fans wanting to find out more, take a look at the interface and have a spin for themselves. We are extremely grateful for the interest and enthusiasm for These Are My Kids from those of you who attended, and we very much appreciate the time that each person gave to learn more about it. It is an incredibly rewarding feeling to have such a great tech community come to such an event and to support the work that is being produced. It was inspiring and exciting.

A quick, but very necessary thank-you to the organizers of LPV: Maura, Danny, Dimitri; and to the sponsors as well: Sun Microsystems, Strutta, Techvibes, Layer7, QC Docs and Growthworks. This event is a treat. Looking forward to the next.

And onto the next…

Monday night, Michael Fergusson will be at the Vancouver Facebook Garage Event at the Vancouver Film School. There may just be a little room left on the event page, so add your name and come check out Vancouver’s newest and hottest Facebook applications. There are amazing things happening in this city, and this event shows off the best of what’s being developed for Facebook, and beyond…

And if you can’t make it out, just follow along on Miss 604’s live blogging rendition, and watch the night unfold before your very own monitor-watching, live-streaming eyes. :)

xposted from blog.kinzin.com

The Happiest Frog: BC’s Green Directory

Posted by on January 24, 2008 No comments

happy frog I just joined another social network, shocking, I know, but this one is different and even a little extra special.

Happyfrog.ca is a Vancouver-born network that is starting to nurture their sustainable community through conversations, knowledge-sharing and every day practical tips, with a focus on green and healthy living.

My first go at the community was, in a word, really fun. And that’s not just because that’s what their logo tells me to do. The next word I’d use to describe my inaugural experience: useful. Practical is another. HappyFrog.ca truly is a user-generated space online, with its’ members providing the knowledge that the rest of us benefit from. It’s not too long before you can’t help but give a review or cast a vote. And why not? You’re directly contributing to your community. Reviewing a yoga studio, a physiotherapist or a park not only helps other consumers, but also provides small businesses and green organizations with feedback, promotion, and no doubt helps them generate more ideas to better serve the community.

The topic directory has pretty much listings on everything from eco travel to naturopaths to restaurants to spas. It’s all there. And rated by all of us. So it’s real.

Be sure to visit “Ask the frog” – this is a fantastic feature. It’s the site’s community Q&A – “dark greenies” can share tips with “light greenies”. (And then we all get beamed up by Scottie.) It’s pretty cool – users can throw any question out to the masses and get thoughtful responses from random users, so you’re meeting and conversing with other people using the site as well. You can also post events, add your blog to the blogroll, and what’s even better, small businesses and organizations can post their logos, business ideas and descriptions and promote themselves to the site – at zero cost.

It’d be great to get more people on the site, contributing to a greener, sustainable community by being a member and help direct the rest of the community to a healthier Vancouver: Go Green, Frogs!

All You Parents Out There! Check Out Kinzin’s Latest Application: “These Are My Kids”

Posted by on January 20, 2008 1 comment

These Are My Kids Beta

Kinzin’s newest application, “These Are My Kids”, is ready. Almost. The latest app from Kinzin is currently in the Beta phase, soon to make the leap to full launch. The app is quite stunning as-is in every way, in design and technology – it’s easy, efficient, creative, useful, private and fun – but we’d like to perfect it, so we need your help and your feedback.

A Little Bit About The Application “These Are My Kids”:

In a few points, or less, here’s what the app is all about:

  • Resolves all of your photo headaches and problems of multiple publishing networks and accounts – it’s an all-in-one!
  • Easy access to your personal photos by invite only – no sign-ups, no accounts, no hassle for the end user (your defined friends)
  • It’s Private – Only those friends explicitly invited to view your photo books will be able to see your content
  • You’re creating beautiful photographic books of your children’s lives to keep forever (soon to be available to print as well!)
  • Photos and Comments are delivered to all of your loved ones with the greatest ease, inside of outside of Facebook, and even in the mail (coming soon!)

Add “These Are My Kids” here and let us know what you think! You can comment within the application (there is a prompt along the top of the app), or join the Beta Testers Group for the app and comment in the Discussion Board.

The Brilliance of The Onion

Posted by on January 18, 2008 No comments

God bless the intelligence and wit of the creators and writers at The Onion. I don’t look at the site often enough. But here’s yet another article worth noting, relevant to this “geeking-out” culture to which I (and many of you out there!) have a slight addiction: Half Of 26-Year-Old’s Memories Nintendo-Related

It’s scary. This could actually carry some truth to it!

post to facebook add to del.icio.us Digg it add to ma.gnolia Stumble It! seed the vine

Raincity Lads Give Props to Vancouver Lassies

Posted by on January 16, 2008 No comments

Lipgloss and LaptopsComing out of the holiday season, the women in the Vancouver Tech world were welcomed into 2008 by a gracious (and overdue) blog post, written by Krug, and compiled and inspired as a collective effort with Dave O..

While the TechVibes digi people to watch list was accurate and nice to see written, there was a big miss, in my humble opinion. It was quickly spotted and noted by the Raincity Dudes (and Romina!), hence, their follow-up list of Tech Women To Watch – thanks guys for jumping all over this! Note To Photo: Lipgloss and Laptops Lady Tech Gurus Kerry Anne and Airdrie

Speaking of “Women Who Tech”: this is a TeleSummit event happening at the end of March that I think could be interesting for all you women out there. Currently, it is only available to US residents, but the organizers have ensured me they are working on having Canadians enabled to participate as well. You can make a panel suggestion for the event here.

The Year Starts Now.

Posted by on January 8, 2008 2 comments

Snow Day
I have this “new year” block. Every year. The Birthday block. I don’t consider it a new year until January 9. How self-centred is that?! I find this somewhat strange because I don’t quite care about age. Maybe it’s just my excuse to keep the party going. Yeah, that’s it. Regardless, with each new year, or birthday, it’s reflection time.

I’ve just looked back to last year’s “goal list” post, and all the things I wanted to accomplish in 2007. Let’s just say that I will happily adopt some of them for every year, and for those things that did not get done, I’ll tack them onto every year as well. I will simplify my 2008 goal list here and now:

  • be good to others
  • don’t sweat the small stuff
  • be happy and healthy

I think the Chinese are onto something with that whole “8” luck thing – I have a great feeling about this year.

From Sunning To Shovelling

Posted by on December 30, 2007 No comments

Mexico Shangri-LaI am slowly resurfacing from a much-needed 2-week offline hiatus. In a word: lovely, but I am looking forward to exercising these itching fingers. I am delayed, again, in flight travel. The first delay was waiting for the heat to pass over Mexico. This wait is due to a blustery snow squall blowing over this glorious island in the middle of the Atlantic. It’s been a true coast to coast (to coast) whirlwind holiday. I am so fortunate. This holiday has been wonderful, filled with plenty of good: sunshine, snowstorms, plenty of bevvies, family, friends and laughter.

Up next: The big 2008 goal list…. Happy New Year and best of health and happiness to all in 2008!