These workshops are designed to help your business improve and grow – whether it’s by showing you how to do something new or differently tomorrow, or helping you plan for the longer term success of your business.

On our most recent workshop, every single person said that the learning would have a positive impact on their business or their role, and that they would recommend the course to others.

How to register

Contact Dan Cook (daniel.cook@codeworks.net) for further information or to book your place. Places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

As and when further workshops are finalised we will publicise full details. If there are any particular topics you feel it would be particularly beneficial for Codeworks to arrange a workshop on, please let us know.

These workshops are designed to help your business improve and grow – whether it’s by showing you how to do something new or differently tomorrow, or helping you plan for the longer term success of your business.

On our most recent workshop, every single person said that the learning would have a positive impact on their business or their role, and that they would recommend the course to others.

How to register

Contact Dan Cook (daniel.cook@codeworks.net) for further information or to book your place. Places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

As and when further workshops are finalised we will publicise full details. If there are any particular topics you feel it would be particularly beneficial for Codeworks to arrange a workshop on, please let us know.

These workshops are designed to help your business improve and grow – whether it’s by showing you how to do something new or differently tomorrow, or helping you plan for the longer term success of your business.

On our most recent workshop, every single person said that the learning would have a positive impact on their business or their role, and that they would recommend the course to others.

How to register

Contact Dan Cook (daniel.cook@codeworks.net) for further information or to book your place. Places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

As and when further workshops are finalised we will publicise full details. If there are any particular topics you feel it would be particularly beneficial for Codeworks to arrange a workshop on, please let us know.

The new regulation would bring all online marketing under the same advertising code that, for example, press and poster ads obey.

According to the Marketing Magazine, figures from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) show that nearly two-thirds of the complaints received in 2009 didn’t fall under the existing regulations, sparking concerns of insufficient monitoring.

While the ASA is currently controlling all paid-for digital advertising, companies’ own websites as well as their social media ventures have not been policed.

But this move would extend the reach of the regulation to cover social media, introducing tighter controls on how sites such as Facebook and Twitter are being used for marketing purposes.

Driven by the need to protect children, the new regulation is said to enjoy a strong industry consensus.

Rae Burdon, chief officer at the AA, said: “The industry has delivered a clear mandate that first and foremost will protect consumers and children [and] that will also protect editorial content.”

Sources: The Guardian, Brand Republic

Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, is bravely taking on the challenge of battling its biggest rival.

The multimillion-pound campaign, ‘Bing and Decide’, portrays Microsoft’s search engine as a ‘decision engine’ in juxtaposition to the information overload a Google search inflicts on its users, the Guardian reports.

Ashely Highfield, managing director and vice-president of consumer and online at Microsoft UK, made a reference to David and Goliath as he described Microsoft “taking out their slingshots” and preparing for battle.

The mythological reference is certainly not an overstatement – Microsoft’s current hold of the search market is about 3% against Google’s 90%.

Highfield said: “We are in a world where people have forgotten there is an alternative search engine.

“It is a battle not just of mind but of heart as well. We are wanting to make an emotional connection – we are ploughing a different furrow here.”

The campaign has been created by the marketing communications agency JWT and is due to run until mid-June. It will be backed up by a digital campaign using Microsoft’s networks as well as social media.

Sources: The Guardian

Visitors to the Cebit electronics fair in Germany have been shown a prototype that measures tiny electrical signals produced by the muscles. The signals can be recorded and turned into synthesised speech even if a single word is not said out loud.

While it’s unlikely to hit the mass markets anytime soon, the new technology holds some interesting opportunities.
Tanja Shultz, professor of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, pointed out that it could be used, for example, to help people that have lost their voice or as a translation tool.

She said: “You could speak in your mother tongue and the text could be translated into another language.”

YouTube to add captions to its videos

The Google-owned online video giant Youtube is also experimenting with interesting technology. Tens of millions of YouTube videos are to have captions added to them using automated speech recognition technology.

Initially, the service will cover videos that are in English, but more languages will be added in the coming months.
The technology is said to have been around for decades, but has finally become good enough for a large scale implementation. However, the company stresses that the  project is still in the experimental stage and far from perfect.

Vic Gundotra, Google executive, said: “It is not a complete solution but it is a step on the way to the real solution. It’s difficult to get every word exactly right but sometimes that doesn’t matter and other times it’s amusing.”

The project has been welcomed with largely positive feedback as it makes the huge online video content more accessible for the deaf.

Ken Harrenstien, a software engineer working on the project, has been deaf since he was a child.

He said:  “This is huge. It is what I have dreamt about for so many years. The fact that you can now go on to any video online and expect to see captions is unbelievable and the fact I had a part in this is great.”

Sources: BBC, BBC

Description:

Our Client is migrating to a new hardware platform in April and re-developing much of the systems during this migration. Therefore they require an experienced tester for approximately 3 months to carry out the following tasks:

Test the website (everything such as links, copy, content, functionality, layout etc. etc.)
Test new games / Applications (everything such as copy, content, functionality, layout etc. etc.)
Act as change implementer to ensure the daily changes to legacy production system are replicated and tested on new system
Document various systems and applications as needed.

Skillset required:

Website testing experience essential
Flash client testing desirable (game testing perfect)
For change aspects of the role, an understanding of Microsoft IIS, Microsoft SQL Server and Windows Server are required.

Other requirements:

Must be able to work un-supervised
Must have very good time management skills
Must have an exceptional attention to detail.

If you are interested in the advertised position please apply by contacting Sharpe Recruitment.

Sharpe Recruitment is a North East based consultancy with offices in Middlesbrough, dedicated to placing professionals in rewarding jobs throughout the region across a variety of disciplines including Digital Media, Creative Advertising, Sales & Marketing, PR, IT and Business Operations.

If you are interested in the advertised position please apply through the requested method and we will be in touch shortly with regards to your suitability for the role.

Description:

We are looking for a keen computer science graduate to join our Client’s highly successful and dynamic team within their award winning marketing agency in Newcastle. Working as a developer within the Digital department, the work will be varied and challenging providing an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience and skills.

This job specification sets out some of the main areas of responsibility together with some of the qualities that are required to be successful within the role.

Job Specification

The ideal candidate will have completed a BSc in Computer Science (or equivalent) within the last 2 years and must have a good foundation in ASP.NET, C#, as well as knowledge of HTML/CSS and JavaScript; other internet technologies would also be desirable (candidates with experience in programming languages other than C# will also be considered). In addition, any exposure to databases (SQL) and other data storage  technologies will be advantageous.

Reporting to the Software Development Manager you will be expected to work as part of a multi-discipline team to design and develop web applications that run on our own Content Management System (CMS); in addition, you may also be required to develop completely bespoke applications as well as being actively involved in the continuous development of the CMS itself.

Person specification

This role will suit a highly motivated, well organised individual with excellent communication skills and the ability to work under pressure whilst problem solving. You will need to be self disciplined with a strong work ethic able to meet tight deadlines while still producing high quality work.

This is an opportunity to become part of the core development team for a highly regarded agency with the region.

If you are interested in the advertised position please apply by contacting Sharpe Recruitment.

Sharpe Recruitment is a North East based consultancy with offices in Middlesbrough, dedicated to placing professionals in rewarding jobs throughout the region across a variety of disciplines including Digital Media, Creative Advertising, Sales & Marketing, PR, IT and Business Operations.

If you are interested in the advertised position please apply through the requested method and we will be in touch shortly with regards to your suitability for the role.

MediaCityUK is located at the old docklands in Salford Quays. Image courtesy of Peel Media

The huge media development site in Salford Quays, Manchester, is getting ready to welcome five of BBC’s departments in 2011 – Radio 5Live, Children’s, Sport, Learning, and Future Media & Technology.

Designed specifically around the media industry, the development site is currently under construction and already has a buzzing feel to it. The overall site will extend over 200 acres and will accommodate a vast number of creative and digital businesses alongside the BBC, University of Salford and regional screen agency Northwest Vision and Media.

The move will mean a significant job boost for the Northern region as the BBC’s London-based employees are reluctant to move up North. According to The Guardian, almost 60% of the company’s middle managers have refused to relocate. In total, 42% of the staff have agreed to move.

Together as one Northern region?

It is thought the new creative hub, named MediaCityUK, will invigorate the industry in the North but the move has also raised some concerns. The Journal reported earlier this month that city leaders in the North East fear the region might lose out if a pan-regional approach is widely adapted – creating one northern region.

Screen agency Northern Film & Media’s chief executive, Tom Harvey, has also expressed fears that a number of broadcasting professionals could in the future be ‘lured’ from the North East to Manchester.

Mark Thompson, BBC director general, answered the concerns by emphasising that MediaCityUK is only one part of the project aiming to engage people from across the whole of the North of England. He added that there were no intentions to undermine television production in the North East.

He said: “We want to go on building network production in the North East and commissioning more network programmes.”

The Northern Way initiative, launched in 2004 in collaboration with regional development agencies, has been working towards promoting the North as an exceptional region and a considerable challenger to the South.

Hugh Morgan WIlliams, chair of The Northern Way, said in The Journal that the North East will benefit from the collaboration as long as it’s entered in our own terms.

He said: “I’m not in favour of a pan-Northern approach, I think that could be dangerous, but we have to recognise the benefits of working together.”

@North initiative leading the way

As part of its ‘out of London’ campaign, the BBC has commissioned an initiative to engage creative people across the North of England.

Launched in November last year, @North is aiming to uncover the next big interactive content for children. A budget of £500,000 is up for grabs for up to four projects to be commissioned by CBBC and CBeebies.

Whether it’s in the form of web content, mobile content, gaming or applications, the aim is to “find the kind of creativity that sets standards for children’s content in the future”, a BBC statement read.

Peter Salmon, the director of BBC North, described @North at its launch event in the region as “the first tangible tranche of cash going into key developments” which will allow Northern England to work with CBBC – a key part of the corporation.

He said: “This shows the kind of plans and potential that we want to bring to the North and we might be able to deliver in the region.”

The initiative is engineered in close collaboration with the Northern regional screen agencies – North West Vision and Media, Northern Film and Media and Screen Yorkshire. It is hoped that @North will establish good practice that will set the basis for the BBC’s future collaboration with companies in the North.

Applications for the project have already been submitted and, during the spring, the ideas are to be developed and commissioning briefs drawn up. Pitching will take place from July to September.

In the ideas put forward in these coming months, the North has an opportunity to demonstrate its true worth to the BBC.

According to a Brand Republic article, Apple’s newest gadget would feature digital versions of GQ, Wired, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Glamour magazines.

A test version of the technology magazine Wired is already been published but the first magazine to be available on the iPad will be men’s magazine GQ in April.

In May, users are expected to be able to download the June issues of Vanity Fair and Wired. IPad schedules for the remaining two magazines have not yet been confirmed.

The company is keen to find a perfect ad model and is hoping the iPad experiment will follow the digital success enjoyed by the Glamour.com website.

Several different pricing and advertising models are expected to be tested in search of the best way to advertise on the iPad.

Condé Nast’s plans follow the findings of a recent survey showing that the web has beaten newspapers in popularity in the US

The Pew Research Center report placed the web as the third most popular form of news after local and national TV.

The report said: “News awareness is becoming an anytime, anywhere, any device activity for those who want to stay informed.”

Source: Brand Republic, BBC