Hill+Knowlton Strategies

3D printing has long been a hot topic in the tech industry, with investors and consumers closely following the evolution of this exciting technology. The prospect of being able to design and print 3D objects or being able to doodle into thin air (something which 3Doodler is fast turning into a reality) has captured the imagination of the general public as well as technological innovators.

3D printing is already a relatively established technology in industrial manufacturing but now we are seeing the technology becoming more readily available to individuals and small businesses.  This begs the question…could 3D printing for the consumer be just around the corner?

There have been some amazing stories in the media recently illustrating how 3D printing technology could have a profound impact on healthcare; take the 3D printer which produced a jaw bone for a transplant patient, or the news that donor organs could soon be printed on demand.

The fashion industry has also followed suit, with Dita Von Teese stepping out last week in the world’s first dress produced with a 3D printer. It seems like almost everything from organs to clothing, and even garden gnomes like these showcased by Makerbot last week at SXSW, is within the realm of possibility.

Excitement around this phenomenon has reached an all-time peak, but tongues are wagging as experts question what such a shift could mean for both intellectual property rights and public safety.

Firstly from a copyright perspective, there has been concern that ability to share and print digital files will make Intellectual Property regulation almost impossible.  There are worries about the implications in terms of the repercussions for businesses; what impact could 3D printing have on the economy if we can print off products on demand?

Moreover, in the face of the recent US gun crime debate, concerns have been raised that one day it could be possible for people to download files for weapons. CNET reported that Alice Taylor, CEO of Makie Labs doesn’t believe the dangers are imminent.  She said “I feel like it’s going to be easier for at least a decade to go and buy a gun off the shelf…I think this is a problem of the future, but it’s a long way away.”

The general consensus on 3D printing seems to be – as with many technology innovations – although there are risks and challenges, the pros outweigh the cons.  The move of 3D printing to a more consumer market could help to empower entrepreneurship, innovation and creative thinking and there could be huge potential health benefits. Although there are certainly substantial flaws which need to be ironed out and regulations which will need to be introduced, we’ve already got our thinking caps on in the office as to what we’d like to try our hand at printing!

Today is International Women’s Day. As a primarily female team, we like to think we’re flying the flag for women in technology. Leaving Grant, Alex and Nick behind (just for today, sorry) we’d like to celebrate all the great women who inspire us.
Disappointed as we were to discover that International Women’s Day doesn’t entitle us to a day off work, we are still keen to embrace ‘girl power’ from a wires and cables rather than union jack dress perspective.

First on our list is Kathryn Parson, co-founder of Decoded and proof that working with computers and having fantastic hair is in fact possible. She describes herself as an ‘entrepenette’ and is certainly giving the men of silicon roundabout a run for their money. The Decoded course ‘Code in a Day’ promises to teach just that, and represents an ambition to make the world of technology accessible to everyone. Plus, you can tell they’re forward-thinking because the website URL ends in ‘.co’
www.decoded.co

Belinda Parmer is our next female tech figure, and founder of Lady Geek, a campaigning agency dedicated to changing the way tech and gaming companies speak to women. Sick of the ‘let’s do a pink version’ approach, Lady Geek is promoting a change in attitudes and urging the education sector to encourage more girls to study ICT at A Level and beyond.
www.ladygeek.com

Next up is Rhianna (no, not that one). Rhianna Pratchett is the daughter of much-loved author Terry Pratchett, and is also a talented writer, but in a very different field to her father. You may have   seen her cropping up in the press recently, promoting the new Tomb Raider game. Rhianna is responsible for scriptwriting the game, along with many others, and is proving that playing video games isn’t just for boys. In fact, 42% of gamers are female. Duh.

Inspirational women don’t have to be real, which is why our next celebrated woman in tech is She-Ra: Princess of Power. We’re pretty sure her Sword had some kind of electrical current in it, which she used along with her inexplicable physical strength to overcome all manner of threats, making her our childhood hero.

This month, H+K TechlLabs headed to Regents Street Apple store for the launch of Little Miss Geek: Bridging the Gap Between Girls and Technology. The book by Lady Geek is the start of a national campaign set to address the gap between girls and technology.

Hosted by Belinda Parmar, CEO of Lady Geek, the campaign is created to inspire girls to become the next big technology pioneer. The five-strong panel of technology professionals were challenged to pitch to a panel of 11-15 year old girls from different backgrounds on why they should consider a career in technology. Kat Grant, an ICT teacher believes that with technology, students are able to create a ‘mash-up of personal interests’, a view echoed by Olivia Solon, Associate Editor of Wired.co.uk who said, ‘tech permits every industry and disrupts every sector’.

The book is brilliantly illustrated but also includes some hard-hitting facts:

• Currently only 17% of all tech jobs in the UK are held by women
• Male students account for 92% of those taking Computer Science A-Level
• Tech companies with more women in their management team have a 34% higher return on investment

What about technology marketing?

In response to the industry’s’ “Pink it and shrink it” approach to gadgets, Anna Fielding, Online Editor of Stylist and Emerald Street says:

“Tech doesn’t need to be feminised; it needs to be de-masculinised”

Olivia also argues that the use of booth-babes at key technology trade shows is ‘not relevant today’ but not only must brands change but women themselves need to take responsibility here.

“We have to shatter the perception that people who work in I.T. are sad, eccentric, pizza guzzling nerds. Our girls must be inspired to become equal players amongst the next generation of inventors and technology leaders”, Martha Lane Fox, UK’s Digital Champion

The debate continues online, and The Lady Geek Manifesto can be found here.

We were down at the Southbank at the weekend and the atmosphere was electric. The good people at The Southbank Centre have set up Priceless London Wonderground – a retro mix of funfair rides and entertainment from Australian circus company Cantina.

Sitting atop the Royal Festival Hall is A Room for London, a collaboration between Artangel and Living Architecture. The intimate temporary venue is a meeting place for artists creating new writings, readings, performances, podcasts and live music webcasts. If you can spot a light in the boat, you know there are some creative juices flowing!

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a rainbow coloured sandpit for the kids, skateboarding and a whole host of free events outside the National Theatre (we spotted an impeccably timed juggling performance and a daring tightrope walker). And as the sun sets, you can wander over Waterloo Bridge and go for a cocktail at Somerset House’s bar, Tom’s Terrace.

Links:
- http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/
- http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/plan-your-visit/eating-and-drinking/toms-terrace

- Helen

The Tech team went to the Mizuno Performance Centre last Wednesday to attend the London Bloggers Meetup.

The Mizuno Performance Centre itself is quite impressive and decorated with paintings in Japanese style, due to the heritage of the brand itself. The different types of shoes were not only on display, people could also try them on and compare their football and handball skills to others. The Centre was even equipped with a 20 metre track and very keen people could measure how fast they were in spikes.    

Here are our recommended out-takes from the event:

- Peter Woodford from Starcount
- Colin Newlyn, who blogs about product development (www.colinnewlyn.com)
- Prad Patel, a blogger and photographer (http://uncoveringmylens.com/)
- Nick Silversides, tech & videogames blogger (http://www.theaveragegamer.com/)
- Filip Matous check this out yourself  (http://www.londonphilosophyclub.com/, http://evergreenreputation.com/)
- Laurence Borel – http://www.laurenceborel.com/
-And of course Andy Wilkes – find the London2012 blog here

One lucky member of the team even won a shoe personally signed by Sally Gunnell, for a creative picture taken (she didn’t remember which one it was, apparently she spammed the hash tag with pictures all night .

-  Eva

The H+K Tech team headed down south this weekend for the annual meeting at Goodwood celebrating all things speedy. Surrounded by helicopters, motorbikes and an array of supercars we were astounded by the level of tech.

As well as its famous hill climb race which sees old and new cars competing in a timed drive to the top of the hill Goodwood also loves all things hi-tech. Partnering with BP, the FoS-Tech arena showcased innovative cars and technology destined to shape the future of motoring, a hugely fascinating area. Packed with new concept cars and technologies the arena had an overarching theme of environmentally sustainable transport and personal mobility. Our personal favourite was the Japanese Infiniti M35h hybrid – the world’s fastest-accelerating hybrid saloon. Well… according to Guinness World Records.

We also took some time out to enjoy the amazing skills of the GAS team; who took Motor Cross and BMX tricks to a new level; finishing of the day with a ground-shaking flypast by a Typhoon Eurofighter jet.

See you next year Goodwood!

- Charlie Morgan

On Tuesday, H+K London hosted the PRCA Technology Group meeting – The Shapeshift of Tech Media: Why, How & Where to now? Leading the discussion was a panel of tech media’s leading journalists: Matt Warman (The Telegraph), Duncan Geere (Wired.co.uk), Bobbie Johnson (GigaOM), Bryan Glick (Computer Weekly) and Mike Simons (ComputerWorld UK).

How to monetise digital content and social media integration

Matt Warman kicked off the discussion with some comments on the tech websites and the challenges the nationals face in competing with them. His view was that the nationals simply can’t match the experts and ad revenue of publications like Wired so they rely on big executive interviews as their differentiator.

Duncan Geere said that the tech media are not using the technology they write about to report stories in dramatically different ways and that they should experiment more with form and content. To this, Bobbie Johnson added that more thought is needed on how stories are developed and offered, rather than just the story itself.

Bryan Glick took to the stage to tell us how he is bringing ComputerWeekly into the digital age. His view is that publications simply can’t get away with charging for content if their competitors don’t. Also, readers have never paid for content; they have paid for the platform to access that content. Everyone agreed on this point and a couple of panellists went as far as to say that technology innovation is just what tech media need to get up to speed.  The industry is in the process of learning how to adapt content to different platforms – B2B publications in particular are often tempted to chase consumer traffic and ultimately forget their readers’ needs. On social media the consensus was that it generates minimal traffic but is essential to adding a deeper social layer to the relationship between journalists and readers.

Finally, the panel discussed the growing interest of digital audiences in the availability of long form content on mobiles devices – a shift away from the previous assumption that only short-from content was suitable.

Are tech media going in the right direction? Are they equipped to win over the digital challenges they face on a daily basis? Can they master the same technology they write about to help the industry move forward?

Check out our Twitter feed for live updates at future events – @HK_TechLabs

—

Mario Morello

If you’ve been on Facebook in the last few weeks, you might have noticed a couple of worrying trends in your news feed.

The first, the rise of bogus links infiltrating the Facebook network. A false story informs us that our friend ‘likes’ a link with some type of sensational headline, for instance, a video of Justin Bieber being stabbed by a crazed fan. In reality, Bieber is alive and well, but our friend has fallen for the clever trick.

Trusting our social connections, we click through to content that we’d ordinarily question the validity of. Unfortunately, we’re now the victim of a social scam. To avoid a similar pitfall, remember it’s not possible to ‘like’ a link and it is not a typical story served by Facebook. Moreover, if it looks too good, shocking or crazy to be true, it probably is.

The second disturbing trend is the recent Ray-Ban viral scam. More than likely, you will have picked up at least one story in your feed revealing that your friend has won a pair of sunglasses for ‘liking’ a brand page. In truth, they have not been promised a brand new pair of sunglasses and it is another in the line of many cons (using a logo to appear legitimate) that is beginning to sweep our Facebook network.

Playing to our trust in the relationship with our digital contacts, the viral scam attracts more victims as it passes through feeds as a virtual bandwagon. Sadly, premium brands like Ray-Ban will never do a promotion that offers it a quick route to bankruptcy. The best way to make sure, check on the official page of the competition host – it will often give you the answer.

Other than showing us the maturity of internet cheats and the fast development of online fraud, these two trends do offer interesting observations about our Facebook behaviour and content consumption.

The bogus links trend reveals that we’re inherently curious and even slightly perverted, at least in terms of what we consume. The reason the scam really works is down to the sensational headlines and promise of never-seen-before content. This can be funny, sexy, scary or shocking – it’s the buzz of seeing something for the first time that attracts us. When creating video or online content, we need to take this into consideration. Are we generating truly compelling content that will wow and engage our audience?

On the other hand, the Ray-Ban imitation competition shows that we’re looking for not only free stuff, but good free stuff – we’re willing to trade our valuable Facebook ‘likes’, but only at the right price. Put simply, we’re more than happy to let a brand use us as a satellite dish to reach our personal network if the return is valued. You can draw two conclusions from this, the first, we’re easily bought, the second, we interact with brands on Facebook in return for stuff – there needs to be an incentive at some point in the journey.

In a nutshell, content is still king and reward is key.

Remember: Always Think. Click. Then share!

- Dan

Last weekend, we popped down to the V&A to check out the showdown, ‘Wilcox vs. 3D Printer: The Re-Match’.

Dominic Wilcox is a British designer known for his innovative creations inspired by everyday items. He recently won the battle against a 3D printer at Milan design week and challenged the machine to a re-match last weekend.

The rapid prototype machine was armed with the manufacturing specifications to create a model of the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral. On the other side, Wilcox was also prepared for battle, sporting a poker face and a T-shirt reading ‘I eat computer chips for breakfast’ as he started manufacturing his model using a photo of the cathedral and a lump of marzipan.

And at the end of it all, you’ll be pleased to hear that on this occasion, man won the battle against machine.

Keep an eye out for live updates from tech events at @HK_TechLabs.

- Ching-Han Wan

I got a chance to attend my client Tata Communications’ two-day Global Media and Analyst Summit in Dubai at the end of March. A lot of hard work went into the media outreach and organisation of the summit, but the effort the whole team put into it was all worth it, as the event turned out a great success with 34 journalists from all over the world including the UK, Germany, France, India, Singapore, South Africa and Hong Kong, as well as 38 analyst attendees from all corners of the globe.

The two days were jam packed with presentations, roundtable discussion and one-on-one briefing with Tata Communications’ executives, but we got the opportunity to chill out too and take in the sights and sounds of Dubai. It was my first visit, and I was blown away by the architecture and general grandness of everything in the city. My friends who had been to Dubai before had told me about the ice rink and underwater zoo with a shark tank – inside a mall – but all that Dubai has to offer exceeded my expectations. The feedback from the attendees was hugely positive, and in addition to the ‘official’ parts of the summit, the highlight for me was visiting the Atmosphere bar at the top of the 830-metre Burj Khalilfa, the tallest building in the world. From the 122^nd floor, a tennis court all the way down looked like a postage stamp!

For more on our recent client trips, head to Twitter! www.twitter.com/hk_techlabs

- Kersti