As you know I was at VidCon in LA a few weeks back, and I met the people who are making it big time on YouTube: Shay Carl, Justine (iJustine) Lisa Nova, Marina Orlova (Hot For Words), Meekakitty, Mystery Guitar Man and others all answer the same question “What are the top three tips for becoming YouTube famous?”
Archive for July, 2010
How to get millions of YouTube hits… From the YouTube famous! By on Friday July 30th, 2010 5 comments
Move over for a faster check-in! Mobile ticketing and the web at Mobile Monday Melbourne July 2010 By on Tuesday July 27th, 2010 4 comments
Last week, Bev Wilkinson and I attended our first Mobile Monday event as Melbourne’s official Techflufftv Correspondents. Bev has just recently moved to Melbourne from the Gold Coast and was keen to find out more about the digital and social media scene here. I am the official video blogger and you can watch my video report below. Bev also did a great write up of the event too!
If you are in Melbourne and have any tech-related events coming up please don’t hesitate to get in touch via Twitter.
Follow Bev’s Twitter @astrostar123. Video made by Leila Bagundol, follow me @lilleilalee.
Move over for a faster check-in
By Bev Wilkinson
You want Mo Mo More?…..the event with the quirky name attracted a crowd to its latest gathering with the topic of mobile ticketing sparking great interest.
With almost everyone having access to a mobile phone this new technology is a digital alternative to doing every day activities such as paying for concert/movie tickets, transport and even boarding a plane!
The organisers of Mobile Monday Melbourne invited computer guru Aaron Hornlimann who at the age of 23 is the CEO of the Sissit Group and Director of Strictly Tickets Tony Lotzof to share entertaining and insightful stories into the world of mobile technology.
Currently Aaron and Tony are working on a very exciting project in conjunction with Jetstar which when completed will be the first boarding system in Australia to incorporate mobile technology and scanning equipment.
This project will make it easier and more convenient for passengers boarding a flight with the process being very simple and less time consuming.
Aaron says in previous trails they have been boarding up to 200 passengers within eight minutes smashing the current record.
“With our trails we have had 99.9 percent success, we have had a perfect run and are very proud of what we have achieved, it started off with myself doing a bit of tinkering and now by the end of 2010 all 14-million Jetstar passengers will have used our sms system,” he says.
Aaron says anyone can use this technology and it does not have to be phone specific.
“The fact everyone has a mobile phone in their pockets means it is easier than relying on the printer at home,” he says.
“We see a great future in this technology and can see the mobile hand set being used in any type of ticketing coupons for sales and validation.”
Tony says the mobile ticketing system has already been successfully implemented overseas.
“At the world cup we had about a 30-70 swing towards mobile ticketing people would arrive at the bus station and scan straight on their phone and walk on,” he says
“The more consumers get used to this type of technology the more popular it is going to become,
“There are already digital coupons, gift vouchers and pay as you go petrol stations, anything that you can purchase online you can receive a digital coupon to swipe it.”
Tony says they have pitched the idea to troubled Victorian public transport system Myki.
“They are an overseas company and don’t want to listen to solutions in their own backyard,” he says.
Mark Zuckerberg visits London’s first Facebook Developers Hackathon By on Friday July 23rd, 2010 8 comments
This week Facebook reached yet another milestone, announcing that it has hit 500 million members! This comes just a few months after Mark Zuckerburg, founder and CEO of Facebook, announced the new open graph changes to Facebook at this year’s f8 conference. Zuck believes that the personalisation of the web is creating a new wave of opportunity for developers and content companies around the world.
So last month Facebook Developers Garage London hosted its first Graph API Hackathon at Dare Digital, inviting developers, designers and techie folks to participate in a 24 hour-style hackathon, challenging them to split up into teams and develop a new Facebook application from scratch. The event was organised by Facebook Developers Garage London Chairman and founder of iPlatform, Joshua March.
Each team then had the opportunity to present their idea, and the best Graph API hacks created – as chosen by a panel of judges – were given the opportunity to be showcased at a special Facebook Developer Garage the following day, including in front of Mark Zuckerberg and Ethan Beard, Director of the Facebook Developer Network.
The day kicked off with a talk on the Graph API from Mike Vernal, Manger of Platform Engineering at Facebook, then the teams got straight to work, with the venue being open all night (including copious amount of pizza to keep them going), which allowed teams to perfect their hacks until the following morning.
Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives and senior members of the development team dropped by, and although they only planned on a short visit, they stayed for most of the evening for discussions and feedback with the 60 participants on-site.
Sean Callanan voted Melbourne’s Top Tweeter & wins a great prize from Newspepper.com! By on Wednesday July 21st, 2010 4 comments
After rigorous tweeting and cyber campaigning, I can now announce that Sean Callanan, founder of Sports Geek, has been crowned Melbourne’s Top Tweeter by his peers, colleagues, followers and fans!
Since the competition’s launch at the start of July, it has caused quite a stir in the twitterverse and I have watched, as the votes came in, how other top tweeters moved up and down the Snagsta poll here – which included over 800 votes and more than 6000 page views!
Sean has won a fabulous video promotion package courtesy of our sister company, Newspepper.com, with the opportunity to work with our innovative and creative film crew for one day and produce an online video to further promote his company Sports Geek on his website and via social media platforms.
Sean is passionate about connecting sports and fans, via new technologies and we – at Techfluff.tv – think he is a worthy winner of the title of Melbourne’s Top Tweeter!
Also, a special mention goes to these top campaigners & their tweets below:
@Heath_Evans : If i win I promise to bring back Tarax Creamy Soda & NBA Jam Arcade to every workplace in Australia #melbtoptweeter
@Heath_Evans Wow! RT @JuliaGillard I am definitely voting for @Heath_Evans for #melbtoptweeter and you should too http://bit.ly/9OMmkU
@KateKendall Am I meant to ask you to vote for me in #melbtoptweeter? http://bit.ly/a85cKW If so, vote for another ranga on top (“blonde ranga” though).
@patriciadodd #blush #humbled When did I become a politician?? RT @fashion_noble : http://bit.ly/dqsgwZ Just voted for my fav @patriciadodd #melbtoptweeter
It was great to see Melbourne’s twitter and digital community get behind each other and create such a buzz around their favourite social media/tech enthusiasts. I realise that I did miss quite a few of you off the list, but if anyone are up for Round 2, just say the word and comment below why you should be included next time or even let me know anyone you think I missed this time round?
And the final word goes to Sean Callanan himself:
seancallanan Thx to The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads http://youtu.be/VAUW22XrnQw #melbtoptweeter
Congratulations Sean!
What does learning mean in the 21st century? Channel 4 focuses on youth and education in a new media world By on Tuesday July 20th, 2010 4 comments
Channel 4 held their annual Summer Education Conference last month, which brought together 300 of the country’s most inspiring and innovative teachers and educators to explore the new ideas and innovations which will shape education in the next decade. This year there was a particular focus on 14 – 19 year olds and how to reach and engage them using the latest technologies. The day also revealed Channel 4′s new education plans around citizenship, science and games.
For Channel 4′s commissioning editor for education and new media, Matt Locke, the argument around traditional teaching vs technology is a pointless debate because both the market and teen’s attention spans change so quickly that a definitive answer can not be made. For Matt, the real focus should be around how do we remain curious about the different ways people are learning and when new forms do come up, how do young people adapt and engage with these new technologies.
In 2006, college students at South Kent College in Dover were give free iPods so they could catch up on missed lectures in their own time, and just this year all new full time students at Seton Hill University in the USA, were provided with an iPad to assist them with their educational studies. Although these new media tools are innovative, and are certainly revolutionising the way young people educate themselves, it’s important to recoginse that these new technologies don’t replace traditional forms of teaching and that they only enhance the education system.
You can watch the full video report below:
How to become YouTube famous: VidCon 2010 By on Tuesday July 20th, 2010 No comments
Held in LA two weeks ago, VidCon was the first ever YouTube conference, bringing together the YouTube community who make videos for the platform on a full time basis and make up a high percentage of the platform’s most engaging and highest viewed content. Amongst the YouTube stars were iJustine, ShayCarl, Molly from RocketBoom, And the UK’s top vlogger Charlie McDonnell.
Most of these vloggers make videos for the platform as a full time job and get paid through the YouTube partner program which pays them based on their CPM.
What’s clear is that these young people are extremely media savvy whilst retaining their amateur quirks which is what seems to be their appeal on YouTube. Whist most of them are still using a bedroom video camera to film their videos it’s obvious that lots of thought goes into the idea, execution and production of the videos. Anyone can record a video and upload it, but the YouTube stars and the ones who have thought cleverly about their content and and how it will appear to their audience.
What’s also clear is that all of the YouTube stars do not like to think of themselves as ‘stars’ or ‘famous,’ they also like to call their fans, friends and say that a big part of the job is to be active in the community, that means replying to all their Twitter followers and YouTube/blog post comments, and most said being active is almost as important as making the video in the first place.
There seem to be three main tips to becoming YouTube famous:
1. Great idea or content (don’t just talk to a camera about how tough life is, make something that is engaging and offers value).
2. Be regular and keep it up (don’t give up after a few months like I did with Techfluff.tv!).
3. Be active in the community (answer as many Tweets, comments and emails as possible).
It will be very interesting to see what becomes of these young media moguls, It looks like with the help of YouTube their bedroom vloggs will turn into media empires with Google announcing $5million fund available to video makers on YouTube. I’m certainly going to keep my eye on them and you should too as it’s no doubt that YouTube is the future of TV.
Here’s a quick video interview I did with iJustine on her tips to becoming YouTube famous, thanks to Jonathan Sarno, founder of the iPhone Boot Camp for filming.
Get on the road to financial success with two new funding programmes; Gateway2Finance & Gateway2Investment By on Friday July 16th, 2010 No comments
This summer Pembridge Partners launched two new funding programmes, Gateway2Finance – aimed at companies seeking bank loans and debt finance and Gateway2Investment – which focuses on helping companies looking for business angel and venture capital investment.
They are looking for 4,500 ambitious firms that want finance to accelerate their growth and will work with more than 100 investment groups in the UK and overseas to help secure funding. Both programmes are designed to provide a significant boost to economic growth and employment in the capital.
Both programmes have the support from some of the UK’s highest profile business figures to help propel companies with high growth potential, including Brent Hoberman, founder of lastminute.com and mydeco.com and Deborah Meaden, a highly successful entrepreneur and investor who will be working closely with both programmes to ensure their success.
As part of the Gateway2Investment program, there is an upcoming intensive two day workshop for those looking for equity finance – which runs on the 29th July and 3rd August 2010. It costs £200 plus VAT to attend for up to 3 people from a business.
On Day One you will hear from the industry experts and on the second day you will have a chance to practice what you have learned, and pitch to a panel of experienced investors. You will also have the opportunity to sit in as your peers pitch to the panel and receive a video record of the experience. As they say, practice makes perfect!
I was recently travelling with our sister video production site, Newspepper.com as media partner for Innovate100′s search for the hottest startups in Europe, and host Mike Segal re-told a story about when he asked the CEO of PepsiCo, ”What is the single most important activity that you do?’, to which she responded, ”I spend about an hour a day on improving my communication skills and practicing my pitch.’
There is also a free Information Seminar – ‘your guide to funding business’ on 29th July 2010, for anyone who is looking to raise finance in London -be that debt or equity. This is a great opportunity to hear from real-world experts and practitioners who will guide you on what the different finance providers will look for in your business and what that might mean for you and your small business.
Gateway2Investment and Gateway2Finance, is delivered by consortium of private sector experts including Grant Thornton UK LLP, Pembridge Partners, E-Synergy Ltd, Quotec Ltd and East London Small Business Centre Ltd. For more information or register your interest interest please visit www.ufblondon.org
2morro2010: Inspiring the leaders of the future, today! By on Tuesday July 13th, 2010 No comments
Yesterday afternoon, I attended 2morro 2010, a festival of ideas, innovation, performance, music, and positive life stories from young people, which took place at London’s BFI. The day showcased some of the best young entrepreneurs, artists, educators, campaigners, technologists, activists and creative talent in UK.
I heard from BBC Comedian Jason Lewis, Babs Williams, Co-Founder of New Turn, Andre Campbell, Entrepreneur, Enfuse Youth and Lucian Tarnowski, founder of BraveNewTalent.com.
Jason Lewis opened his presentation with a brilliant music video parody aptly titled Big Ben State of Mind – playing the role of both Jay Z and, ahem…Alicia Keys. It’s a piece of comedy gold! He spoke about how he was an actor looking for his big break, when he recognised that no-one from the UK was doing comedy sketches purely for an online audience. And somewhere between this realisation, and working part-time at Banana Republic, he scored a slot on BBC Comedy online. Jason recommeded that for anyone looking to get ahead in life, they should study their chosen industry inside out, analyse it to the point that you know where you could fit in and bring something new to the game. He also left us with the positive thought that young people can make their own opportunities in life, and don’t need to wait for the ‘big wigs’ or ‘tv execs’ to give you a break and that with the advent of social media it has never been easier to produce your own content for a global audience.
Babs Williams experienced homeless at 17 years old, when two young men took a chance on him and eventually empowered his life when he turned to politics to change his life path. He founded New Turn, a political thinktank, to get young people truly engaged with current issues, regardless of their political viewpoints. He defined real change as something that comes from turning the seat of power upside down. And to make change, you first must be empowered with informed decisions.
Andre Campbell, Entrepreneur, Enthuse You, injected some fun and interactivity into the day, holding up an envelope with a question mark on the back, asking the audience to raise their hand if they wanted it. It’s a classic technique to expose those who think they want it, and those who take action and get it. And it worked on this fresh, young crowd – while 80% raided their hands, only two or three sprung up to grab the mystery envelope from Andre’s hand. One young man dashed on stage and revealed it has £10 inside. Though this wasn’t a freebie, it came under that the condition that he invested the money into something that could grow into a potential venture.
Andre also went through the steps to taking action and following through with your goals.
1. Action – It’s about ‘doing things’.
2. Planning – once you get going, plan your next steps carefully and make informed decisions.
3. Networking – surround yourself with like-minded people who believe in your ideas and want to conspire for your success. Use social media to get your voice heard and engage with these people.
4. TEAM – Work with people who have the same vision as you.
5. Learn your industry – educate yourself about your industry and know it better than your competitors.
6. Find a mentor – find someone who you can ask for advice, learn from their life experiences and who can give you further knowledge.
Lucian Tarnowski, founder of BraveNewTalent.com, said social media defines our generation [I thought it was reality TV 
] and that for the first time in history, Generation Y (those born between 1980 – 2000) had the authority on something that actually matters, which directly affects our socio and political environment. GenY have taken over the baby boomers and GenX, spend 16+ hours a week using the internet and 96% have joined social networks. Also, 14% trust advertisements compared to 78% who trust recommendations from a friend. They use techology everyday and that it is these digital natives who have the upper hand and can take advantage of their inherent knowledge as they move into the workforce.
Lucian said there was a real shift in how businesses and companies run, with more and more young people pursing a career as a entrepeneur and using these valuable skills. He suggested that the education system is broken, and that there is skills gap between those who understand technology and those that don’t use it in a professional capacity. He thought leading educators can not produce the talent they need for the growing economy. Interestingly, this where Lucian predicted that his platform BraveNewTalent.com could solve this problem by creating communities of talent around companies and businesses, where students would train at University of IBM or Collage of Starbucks.
But with so many young guns, with the desire, passion and commitment to determining their future, comes potential failure. Though Lucian suggested Be fast, fail fast, fix fast and learn fast, but most of all, fail forward.
Bar all the cliches used during the day, I though the session was full of positive nuggests of encouragment from those who experienced success at a young age, and a provided an excellent platform young people to listen and learn about how they can make a change in their lives using technology, social media and even by networking with their peers on the day.
There was some great tweeting going on too, [shame that there was no reception in the BFI theatre though] and I wanted to highlight my two fave tweets of the day:
Careeta Robert-Green aka @BornWithaGIFT Had a good time at #2morro2010 event in BFI some fantastic speakers and a new word for the dictionary #ideapreneur!
@ChanKayJay: Met so many amazing ppl 2day who are all working so hard to help young people! We have no excuse the help is there. #2morro2010
I think we can all be #ideapreneurs, if we harness our potential and surround ourselves with people who share the same views, values and goals to make a difference in this world. I am a GenY, @ThatGirl_Chloe, part of generation of leaders, and I want to inspire people, young and old, to embrace the digital revolution and perhaps even the new age of enlightenment 
You can listen to the speakers on Audio Boo here.
Video: Insight into Cloud Computing By on Sunday July 11th, 2010 2 comments
A couple of months ago we helped promote a free Cloud Computing seminar in London. The event was a huge success with some of London’s top people in tech gaining an insight into where Cloud Computing is now and what it will become. If you missed the live stream then you’re in luck as we filmed some interviews with attendees as well! You can watch below:
