What's Web 2.0? - Opportunities

SUBMISSIONS DUE IN 5 DAYS!

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 23:47:26 -0800

What are you waiting for!?

The CNMA's have a large number of categories that are waiting to be grabbed by individuals and companies from across this country who are creating innovative and fantastic projects, making a difference in and contributing to great successes the new media industry.

Check out past winners here.

Go to the the CNMA website now and submit your nomination before Friday, March 2nd! Time is ticking - being a finalist, heading to Toronto, taking part in this great event and being recognized by peers and colleagues is an experience and opportunity that should not be missed!

CNMA Shares A Few Pictures On Flickr!

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 22:57:30 -0800

James Eberhardt, Marble Media, With His Wife

Flickr is one of the best photosharing sites on the planet, not to mention, all over the internet!

The Canadian New Media Awards has joined the masses and set up a new flickr account to share photos from years past. Check out some of the pictures added from the awards show in 2005 and 2006.

This will be one of the places online anyone can upload their CNMA pictures for this year's show in Toronto this May for all to see and experience. You'll be able to check out the Who's Who of new media in Canada and download any photo from the site as well.

Top 5 Reasons Why Past CNMA Finalists Say “Submit A Nomination!”

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:27:18 -0800

ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT!! Submit a nomination for the Canadian New Media Awards 2007 by clicking here.

Check out what past finalists have said about being included in and recognized by the CNMA's:

"Not only did the awards raise my company's profile on the national New Media front, but they also legitimized years of independent production and non-profit creative passion!"
Brooke Burgess | Executive Producer | Budget Monks Productions Inc.
"Winning a CNMA is one more thing that gives a client confidence in me. Every little bit helps."
Nate Smith | Centre Ice | The Vacuum Design
"My CNMA nomination did a lot to raise my visibility in the industry and in the company I work for. I've been booked for numerous speaking engagements and consulting jobs since."
Tim Willison | Interactive Engineering | Organic Inc.
"Thanks to the CNMA Website, a Polish executive found out about my work and invited me to work on a project in Poland which allowed me to set a foot in the eastern European market."
Tommy Ferlatte | Creator
The prestige of winning a CNMA gave me the recognition instrumental in launching my career forward. No other award I’ve won bears quite the same weight. Norma Penner | Senior Contributor Designer | Organic Inc.

Submit Here.

Raincity Studios Seeking Web Designer

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 12:07:26 -0800

Attention:

Raincity Studios is seeking an experienced Web Designer to perform work on a contractual basis. Applicant should have a sizable portfolio of their professional design work available for immediate review.

Details:

Two Positions available:

* Web Designer

* Web Designer/Developer

Web Designer Qualifications include:

* a flawless understanding of branding and design for dynamic, interaction-driven websites and web applications

* Familiarity with current and upcoming web design trends

* Creativity and problem-solving abilities a must

Web Designer/Developer Qualifications include:

* All of the above qualifications plus...

* Web Standards development techniques including CSS and XHTML

Additionally, PHP fluency will give the applicant a large leg up. Familiarity with the Drupal CMS a large plus.

If you are interested in working with Raincity, please forward your cv, portfolio URL and any other additional files or information to: inquire@raincitystudios.com

Reviews of Web 2.0 2006... And Into The Future

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:07:36 -0800

I am very much addicted to the Read/Write Web, that is to say: it's where I like to surf for all the latest and greatest. And this upcoming week is no exception.

You want reviews of 2006 and all that shook down and what it all means as we launch into 2007? Richard MacManus and his 2.0 crack team of writers always seem to hit all the issues, news, conferences, and sum them up well, with honesty and realism in their writing, reporting and critiquing.

SO - I'll be watching and reading and hopefully reporting back and linking on The Standard, as per the usual, but let's be honest, it's 11 days, yes, ELEVEN days, until the stores close and the 12 Days of Christmas (technically are supposed to, in theory) begin. So while I shop, or rather, make my homemade gifts (oh my family love me for it, really they do) and we all feast over and over again, you can always take a spin through the read/write to catch what you've missed.

That is, if Grandma's house has that wifi hook-up so you can escape away to feed your addiction between eggnog and Santa chocolates.

New Media BC Day

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:06:10 -0800

Technology Branding 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games

I’m here at Presentation Centre at the Great Northern Way Campus, the new home for New Media BC and the future home for the Centre of Digital Media. Today is all about bringing together different sectors of technology, government representatives and members of the VANOC team.

With the Vancouver/Whistler Olympic Games kicking off in a mere 1163 days, now is the time to initiate the vision and branding for how we are going to best represent ourselves to the world. With billions of people from around the globe watching in 2010, it will be a precious time to define BC and Canada for perhaps the 25 years following, so who do we want to be? Is this a time when we can take advantage of this opportunity to change the way the world views Canada?

Using the latest in digital technology is an integral aspect in branding us as a world leader in new media. Just some of the ideas that were generated and expressed today with respect to new media and technology influencing our image in the 2010 Games:

Let us shape new technology of the future, and not just be a part of it.
Make the roof of BC Place a virtual world, a projector screen – enhancing the experience of the live audience, so that in turn, the television audience is experiencing the same positive, exhilarating feeling.
Utilize real-time rendering: the ability use the computer to create characters, scenes, locations, and have each interact with one another - live imagery and computer generated imagery
Collaboration between local companies here in Vancouver is an essential aspect of contributing to best-representing ourselves as a city, a province and a country.
Bring the intense desire for community that has been found through the avenue of Second Life to connections and the possibility of virtual communities to the Olympics. One idea was to run the Torch through absolutely every location and community from coast to coast!

Scales and kk are here, of course, and are speaking to the group about how the media and therefore the coverage of the games has changed, due in no small part to new technologies and companies, and to showcase how Raincity and Bryght can be of great help and service to growing online communities leading up to 2010.

For Want: One Fly Flash Animator

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 15:31:26 -0800

Raincity Seeking Flash Animator

Raincity Studios is currently looking for a kickin' flash animator. Perhaps you? Know of such a person? Please, pass the word along.

Ideally, this candidate loves animating in flash, hence the whole flash animator slant. And we're not talking about a bouncing ball across a screen - an honest to goodness animator. Actionscript 2 guru would be the ideal as well, but not as essential.

Please get in touch with us if you are interested, with "Flash Animation Position" in the subject line, or pass this along to anyone who you think may be.

Check out our site and get a sense of who we are and what we're all about.

Microsoft Expression Web

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 10:39:16 -0800

Microsoft Releasing Standards-Based Web Design Tool

While it seems the feedback and criticism of IE7 has been predominantly on the negative side, Microsoft is getting set to launch Microsoft Office 2007 at the end of this week, and with it will come several other new web tools.

Apparently, Web Expression will be a tool that will actually be useful for designers, and not just for your average Joe, designed to be a professional-level product. It will eventually replace Frontpage, but will of course be going up against the big guns of Dreamweaver and GoLive.

Robert Scoble of Podtech recently shot a demo with product manager Wayne Smith - check it out.

Celebrity Bloggers In China Win The Audience

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 09:53:45 -0800

From information technologists, to media workers, to celebrities, blogging in China has always been a place to have the freedom of speech in a country that does not permit it in the mainstream.

Now more than ever, celebrity blogs are becoming more and more popular and has increased audiences into the hundreds of thousands for just one post.

Check out this article and celebrity post that has been translated, highlighting the progression of the blogosphere power that's rising in China.

TwinF Shares Their Tech Know-How From Barcelona

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 11:27:53 -0800

Check out our good friends Lee and Sachi LeFever's blog site as they have just posted a blog entry on their travel blog, The World Is Not Flat, that shares with the internet their ways of blogging while journeying around the world over the last year.

Raincity designed the site, while Bryght provides hosting and support. It's tough checking in on these guys cause we're all green with envy, but following their journeys and living vicariously through them over the last year has been a treat. Thanks for the video sharing show guys!

Some Industry News...

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:25:28 -0800

CRTC Blocked and No More Wires!

Many of us at Raincity are busy this week with helping out and participating in the Drupal training workshop that we're co-producing with Bryght, while continuing with our client work.

All is going great at the sessions... sooo much Drupal my head is starting to spin, but spin in a really, really good way. Collectively, we're training and learning a lot. For me, I'm on the learning a lot wave, not having used Drupal too deeply in the past. Right now, we're in the middle of looking at the neat 'views' and 'contemplate' modules: Hot stuff!

But I had a little time to spin through some tech news today, and spotted some interesting and noteworthy articles that I wanted to share, if you haven't already found them on your own:

Check out this bit on how our Conservative government is going to put a stop to the CRTC's ploy on internet phone regulation. See details here.

And what about adding more electromagnetic fields into our lives? Let's hope it's not radioactive... This one is pretty fascinating and has physicists at MIT finding the right technology for a re-charging toy that will enable users to recharge their batteries in laptops and mobiles from a laptop-sized tool at a relatively close range. If you have one of these tools in each room of your home, you'll likely be completely and truly wireless!

Read all about it here.

And yesterday, Amanda Congdon became the first videoblogger for a major news broadcaster: ABC snagged her!

What You Could Have Experienced If You Had Come To Drupal Training Day One

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:23:41 -0800

Day One of Drupal Training
... Starts with a good WorkSpace coffee, croissants and fruit. Some phones dead, others left in cars, rain on the windows, taps of fingers on keyboards... meeting the room of folks that have gathered - 14 in all!

... then an ease-into-the-day warm-up to the lovely language and ways of Drupal, from the kind, gentle voice of Bryght's Djun Kim, as we all begin to perk up from our morning hit of caffeine and starting some inspiring Drupal talk.

From the get-go, the sessions had a great flavour of sharing, as anyone in the intimate group jumped in when needed and questions were addressed quickly and easily from the level of expertise in the room. Djun, James (Bryght's James Walker made the trek from T.O. to help train as well!) and Scales conducted different parts of the workshop and provided a fluid and informative day.

Some of the topics covered:

What is Drupal and why do we need it? Short answer: Because it can do ANYTHING!

A Drupal site can be a site that is... a blog, for social change, a brochure site, an intranet, a portal, club site, web store, social networking, for media, news... pretty much ANYTHING YOU WANT!

Drupal sites don't all have to look like Drupal sites! Have a look at these: jumptv.com, ninagordon.com, zimmertwins.ca, rapspace.tv

Installing Drupal

From the ground up: Administering your new Drupal site - settings, modules, themes, enabling and disabling all sorts of fun stuff

Creating Content

At the end of our day, we had an open panel discussion Q and A where we continued with Drupal seeping into our veins...

"I just started using Drupal a few weeks ago, and it's astonishingly a slick piece of software." - Matthew Saunders from Westaf in Denver.

The overview of the day from Djun's original schedule broke down like this.

RapSpace.tv Launch Party!

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 14:17:18 -0800

Join The Nimble Company For RapSpace.tv Launch

RAPSPACE.TV IS:

A Web 2.0 social networking video site targeting the global hip hop nation.

Raincity Studios has been working on the new site, Rapspace.tv, over the past several months, and we're super stoked to welcome the official launch and join The Nimble Company this Thursday in celebrating hip hop music and the hip hop community.

More importantly, the evening is for raising funds for hip hop technology initiatives in Uganda and Kenya. Donations will be requested at the door.

Come down to The Web Cafe (map) at 8pm on Thursday, Nov. 9 to join in the festivities: live performances and online edge!

Take Back The Power

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:55:17 -0800

Cope 378 Launches New Drupal Site

Raincity Studios’ client, Cope 378, has just launched a new Drupal site called Take Back The Power.

The premise of this site is to raise awareness and create a community voice that will be strong enough to influence and effect the outcome of the BC provincial election in 2009. The goal is to encourage and inform the majority of voters to mark their ballot in 2009 for a candidate that supports the return of all BC Hydro’s operations to public control.

It is their belief that Canadians are on the verge of loosing waterworks to privatization and the BC government is responsible for selling us out to the private sector to companies like Accenture.

The site provides the public with useful and informative knowledge and statistics on the political history surrounding the privitization of BC Hydro, Accenture's "legacy", and it is a space where the public can get involved. Anyone can register on the site and join the conversation by blogging about the issue, commenting on other people’s opinions or by taking a survey to help the cause.

Erik Hermans really enjoyed heading up this project, working primarily with Lori Winstanley from Cope378, who was amazing to work with, and also in joining forces with graphic artist, Huw Evans, who delivered consistently and with some truly exceptional work.

This will no doubt prove to be a powerful tool in building a community for a just cause that effects us all. Get online and Take Back The Power!

SXNW Soiree: South by Northwest Second Annual Geek Fest Party at SXSW

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:04:13 -0800

What

Blue Flavor, Bryght and Raincity Studios are proud to present the second annual South by Northwest (SXNW) geek fest party at the Iron Cactus in Downtown Austin.

There will be plenty of free drinks and cool people to meet.

This year we have booked virtually the whole venue but please let us know you are coming so we can plan ahead.

When

Monday, March 12, 2007 - Tuesday, March 13, 2007
10:30 PM - 2:30 AM

Where

Iron Cactus

Iron Cactus is a Southwestern style grille and Margarita Bar. They pride themselves on presenting authentic Southwestern cuisine, gleaning recipes and ingredients from Southern Mexico to Utah. Plus, Iron Cactus features more than 80 Tequilas and is considered in the top 10 best Tequila bar in the world..

606 Trinity Street at 6th Ave
Austin, Texas 73301 Google map

Hope to see you there!