imran*

Category: Dotnorth

  • Lovebytes 2012 | 22-24 March | directions

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    A few hours ago I received a cryptic email from Lovebytes containing a single evocative image… Following the link took me to a windswept 360° panorama high in the hills above what appears to be Sheffield. The implied adventure and mystery of this invitation is sublime. No noisy declarations of sponsors or speakers just a…

  • DIYBio UK Summit

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    This weekend sees the UK's first DIYbio summit take place at Manchester's Madlab, founded my good friends – Hwa Young and Asa Calow. The DIYbio movement intends to democratise biology and enable "citizen scientists, amateur biologists and biological engineers who value openness and safety" and the summit is part of Manchester's Science festival and includes…

  • Startup Fictions & The Link Age {1995-2010}

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    After producing four editions of BarCamp Leeds between 2007 and 2010, I figured I should finally speak at one of my own events! I'd originally planned to host a screening of August as part of the LSx2010 fringe. A little known 2008 movie starring Josh Hartnett, that chronicles the ambitions of a pair of dotcom entrepreneurs. I couldn't clear the rights in time, so…

  • Ideas for Cities

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    In establishing CARBON:imagineering, a little over three years ago, one of our goals was to reinvigorate the technology ecosphere in Leeds and more broadly, Northern England. In the course of this journey, I've come to believe that cities, and our understanding of the concept of a city, are critical to this, and other wider projects.…

  • TED and me

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    I don't really remember where I first came across the TED conference but in recent years, I've quickly become hooked on the eponymous talks and, in recent months, TED seems to be serendipitously intersecting with my career in many wonderful ways… Earlier this year, Lee Bryant and I nominated Professor Salim Al-Hassani to the TED…

  • Leeds’ Perfect Digital Day

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    Yesterday was a perfect day for Leeds' emerging digital industries… nti's Linda Broughton was interviewed about the forthcoming Leeds' Twestival, by BBC Radio Leeds. The free iTunes Single of the Week was Beeline, from Leeds-based band, Sky Larkin. Carsonified announced that the Future of Web Apps – Tour 2009 would be coming to Leeds on…

  • O’Reilly Ignite North

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    I've had a great, warm relationship with O'Reilly Media over the last half decade or so, hanging out at various ETech and Foo Camp events, striking up friendships with their people, helping plan both ETel conferences and contributing to Web2Expo Europe. Tim O'Reilly and I recently spoke about his background and it turns out his…

  • Sheffield: Made from Steel

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    The festivities of last month’s sophomore BarCamp in Sheffield, prompted sponsor Yorkshire Forward to offer a £500 prize to attendees who could best promote the city. We’ve already seen entries ranging from terror karaoke to hypnotic brain loops. So here’s my entry, paying homage to the city’s steelworking heritage, it’s celebrated celluloid child – The…

  • Our City, Our Music

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    Something interesting’s afoot in Leeds, as a group of the city’s digital artists prepare to record its first geo-located album, Our City, Our Music. We’re all accustomed to certain ‘geo-retarded’ music only being available digitally in the US, but what Ben Dalton, Megan Smith and Ben Halsall are proposing is to shoot a couple dozen…

  • OpenCoffee Leeds {August}

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    Wow, it’s almost four weeks since this month’s edition of OpenCoffee Leeds, which also happened to be the opening event of LS1, our first Leeds web festival. At last month’s event, we just had a couple dozen – albeit interesting – people, but this time around we were back at the 25-ish level of attendance…