You are invited to attend the ViewNet Showcase on Wednesday the 21st July 2010 in the Merchant Venturers Building at the University of Bristol.
As well as demonstrations of ViewNet technology, the event will include presentations from the Technology Strategy Board and Project members, providing a unique insight into the technical challenges within the project followed by a group discussion to consider the application and future development of the technology.

ViewNet is a two year collaborative project funded by the Technology Strategy Board and the EPSRC. Its aim is to develop the next generation of location based technologies - distributed systems based on mobile devices for recording and visualising information in its spatial context, integrating advanced augmented reality and computer vision with indoor and outdoor positioning and wireless communication.  For more information on the project please see www.viewnet.org

The ViewNet demonstrator allows rapid generation of virtual maps and annotations, documenting environment topology and content, and their visualization through hand held devices. Application areas range from security and crime scene investigation to distributed gaming.

Guest Speakers include David Bott, TSB Director of innovation programmes and Prof. Chris Firth, Chief Scientist, Thales Research and Technology

ViewNet partners include 3C Research, the University of Bristol, Toshiba Research Europe, Sepura, Ordnance Survey, ST Microelectronics, Thales Research and Technology, National Physical Laboratory, TRW Conekt, 1Spatial and the Home Office Scientific Development Branch.

Register at: http://viewnet.eventbrite.com

Join us TONIGHT at Watershed to experience the exciting work produced by the Pervasive Media Studio's resident artists. In a shifting media landscape finding time and resources to explore ideas augmented by new technologies can be tricky. The Pervasive Media Studio Artists Residencies were set-up as a direct response to this challenge, creating a 'safe space' for artistic development in a peer-led arena.

This event will celebrate and share the work of artists Becca Gill and Jay Kerry working in collaboration as Mercurial Wrestler; and Hazel Grian: commissioned by Watershed to develop ideas at the juncture of art, pervasive technologies and culture. It will include presentations and installations by the artists, followed by an in conversation / Q&A session with Watershed’s Head of Programme, Mark Cosgrove, and Pervasive Media Studio's Head of Research, Phil Stenton.

When: Wednesday 9th June, 6.30pm
Where: Watershed, Bristol

Watch artists Becca and Jay talk about their research project to recreate the magical illusions of the turn of the last century using modern day pervasive media technologies over on DShed: http://www.dshed.net/content/magic-jay-and-becca-interview

Watch Hazel Grian talk about Daemon, a person’s inner self-made visible in the physical world. Daemon is not just a robot or a pet; it knows your character, responds to your thoughts and follows your physical actions: http://www.dshed.net/daemon

Read more about the projects here: pmstudio.co.uk/project/artists-residencies

This is a free event, please BOOK TICKETS online or call Watershed Box Office on 0117 927 5100.

This programme is supported by Arts Council England.

Media Sandbox and Gloucestershire Media Group are pleased to invite you to attend a mini ideas lab to generate ideas and develop applications for the Pervasive Experiences strand of this year’s Media Sandbox.

When: 6-9pm, Monday 28th June 2010
Where: Board Room / Room 2. Level 4, Llanthony Warehouse, Gloucester Docks, Gloucester, GL1 2EH

Bringing together leading technology, artistic and media talent, Media Sandbox is a commissioning scheme to support South West companies/organisations to research emerging possibilities in digital media.

In 2010, four £10,000 commissions will be awarded to research projects exploring innovative Pervasive Experiences - ground-breaking ideas that dovetail mobile, wireless and sensory technologies with content and context, to create meaningful experiences.

This free event will take the form of a mini ideas lab and will offer the opportunity to examine the theme, generate ideas, find out more about the scheme and meet some interesting people.

Media Sandbox will open for applications on 30th June 2010. The application form will be available for download from 23rd June. Whilst it is not mandatory to attend, we do advise anyone considering applying to come along.

The ideas lab will be held at Board Room / Room 2, Level 4, Llanthony Warehouse, Gloucester Docks, Gloucester, GL1 2EH.

This event is free, but booking is essential. To reserve a place, please email victoria@watershed.co.uk

Find out more about this years' Media Sandbox here: http://www.mediasandbox.co.uk/

This event is organised in collaboration with Gloucestershire Media Group.

Media Sandbox  is originated and produced by iShed, part of Watershed, a cross art form organisation based in Bristol, UK. Media Sandbox is in association with Bristol City Council and Connecting Bristol's B-Open initiative and is a Creative Industries iNet programme, supported by South West Screen, ERDF and The South West Regional Development Agency.

Bristol City Council, Connecting Bristol and Media Sandbox are pleased to invite you to attend an ideas lab to celebrate, explore and develop applications for the open data strand of this year’s Media Sandbox.Details: 30 June 2010 | 1 – 6pm | Watershed, Bristol | Free, booking essential

For full details about the event and how to book, visit: http://www.mediasandbox.co.uk/b-open-launching-media-sandbox%E2%80%99s-open-data-strand/

Media Sandbox : making space for great ideas
Media Sandbox is a development programme enabling companies to research emerging possibilities in interactive, digital media, create new ideas and deliver innovation to the market. This years’ call has two project strands (pervasive media and open data) and this event is designed to give a general overview of the scheme and help develop ideas for the B-Open strand of the scheme.

B-Open
Media Sandbox will commission three £10,000 projects that utilise Open Data released by Bristol City Council and Connecting Bristol. These projects will be digital applications or experiences, with the content and context driven by data derived from the city and its environment e.g. air quality, electricity use, population information, quality of life.

Bristol City Council has been a pioneer and advocate for the positive impacts of digital technology on public engagement – with a vision of a creative, smart, green and connected City. As part of its aim to ensure that digital participation enables the whole city to realise its potential, Bristol City Council is supporting an Open Data initiative, B-Open – releasing the City’s data to generate new services and applications.

This strand of activity is open to applications from projects whose lead partner is based in Bristol.

Who is this workshop for?
We believe that bringing people together from different disciplines creates the most interesting ideas, so we’re looking to get a good mix of people in the room including: technologists; creative industries practitioners; artists; eco and social innovators; businesses; community organisations; commissioners; and anyone else with an interesting idea.

Learn more about the scheme, this year’s themes and how to apply at: http://www.mediasandbox.co.uk

Media Sandbox is originated and produced by iShed, part of Watershed, a cross art form organisation based in Bristol, UK. Media Sandbox is in association with Bristol City Council and Connecting Bristol's B-Open initiative and is a Creative Industries iNet programme, supported by South West Screen, ERDF and The South West Regional Development Agency.

This webinar will be of particular interest to those content developers or rights holders looking to explore new ways to monetise or increase revenues from their content. Join us to hear more…

The webinar will take place at 12 noon on Tuesday 1st June for 15 minutes and will be linked from:
http://www.innovateuk.org/ourstrategy/application-areas/creativeindustries.ashx

Sian Brereton
Lead Specialist Creative Industries

Technology Strategy Board

A1, North Star House, North Star Ave, Swindon, SN2 1UE www.innovateuk.org
Twitter: SCBrereton

The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led executive non-departmental public body, established by the Government. Its mission is to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve the quality of life.

Bristol is fast gaining an International reputation as a hotbed for creative talent and groundbreaking projects. From networks to mobile delivery, content to coding, Bristol is firmly placed at the leading edge of change.

This free event will be an opportunity to learn more about Bristol’s groundbreaking projects from the people who delivered them. Discover Mobile Pie’s latest augmented reality app; ARKive’s innovative approach to online aggregation and distribution; Powerline Technologies’ solution to deliver broadband services over an electricity infrastructure; and more.

The event will offer insight into the process of bidding for technology-focused R&D projects and a chance to meet some interesting people. As part of the event, we’ll also open a conversation to discover new collaborative potential and create strong, joined-up responses to funding opportunities in 2010 and beyond.

When: 15th June 2010, 18:30-20:30hrs
Where: Watershed, Bristol

To book a place at this event, please visit: http://www.watershed.co.uk/exhibits/2382/

Drinks and snacks will be provided.

This event is sponsored by the Bristol BBC Anchor project, in collaboration with Science City, Bristol Media, Connecting Bristol, Watershed and the South West RDA.

Dr Mark Gasson, from the School of Systems Engineering, contaminated a computer chip which had been inserted into his hand as part of research into human enhancement and the potential risks of implantable devices.

These results could have huge implications for implantable computing technologies used medically to improve health, such as heart pacemakers and cochlear implants, and as new applications are found to enhance healthy humans.

Dr Gasson says that as the technology behind these implants develops, they become more vulnerable to computer viruses.

"Our research shows that implantable technology has developed to the point where implants are capable of communicating, storing and manipulating data," he said. "They are essentially mini computers. This means that, like mainstream computers, they can be infected by viruses and the technology will need to keep pace with this so that implants, including medical devices, can be safely used in the future."

Dr Gasson will present his results next month at the IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society in Australia, which he is also chairing.

Read more at Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100526095830.htm

Date: Wednesday, 2nd June 2010
Time:  9am - 5pm (includes buffet lunch)
Venue: Watershed, Bristol

Partnering for Innovation events are being held across the UK including in Bristol on the 2nd of June. This event is supported by South West Screen as part of its new ERDF/ South West RDA funding programme ‘Creative Industries Innovation Network’.

The event will cover:

•    How to enter the Collaboration Across Digital Industries competition
•    Detailed information on deadlines & eligibility
•    The chance to quiz the TSB on specific proposal issues
•    An introduction to the Creative Industries Innovation Network and
information on how it can support and develop your company and help you access further funding.
•    Networking and collaboration opportunities
•    Workshops on proposal writing and pitching
•    What to expect from the application process

The events are free to attend but please sign up to secure your spot.

More info & sign up: http://chinwag.com/events/pfi

Event contact: Anita Onwuegbuzie at Creative Industries KTN
Email: a.onwuegbuzie@arts.ac.uk
Web: www.creativeindustriesktn.org

The Partnering for Innovation programme is produced by the Creative Industries KTN with support from the Digital Communications KTN.

When: Wednesday 9th June 2010 9am registration for 9:30 kick off followed by lunch
Where: WATERSHED, 1 Canon’s road Bristol BS1 5TX

What will creative professionals - from architects to fashion designers to games developers and others - be using to create and produce content in the future? How can digital tools cut production costs and improve efficiencies? What can the different creative sectors learn from each other?

The Creative Industries KTN would like to invite you to contribute and influence our latest Beacon Project, Exploiting Digital Tools, which will examine the potential these tools have to transform the creative and production processes. We are holding a workshop at the Watershed on Wednesday 9th of June. This is a unique opportunity to share your expertise and to influence this exciting project along with other innovators from across the creative and technology sectors. Working with leading innovation company Whatif we will be carrying out some initial research including an online survey and expert interviews. The workshops will then create and validate a number of future scenarios.

The event is also a great networking opportunity to meet people from across the creative industries. We will show you some of the digital tools and how they are being used in different creative sectors. This work will link closely with future funding opportunities from the Technology Strategy Board.

If you would like to help shape the future of digital tools in the UK by attending this workshop, please visit the following link, to join the Exploiting Digital Tools community on our website and register for this event: http://creativeindustriesktn.org/beacons/pg/event_calendar/view/18357

When: 9–13 June 2010

Find out more by visiting the Cheltenham Science Festival website: http://cheltenhamfestivals.com/science/