From January to March this year we ran a project for Nesta called Jailbrake to try and create new tech based ventures that reduce youth offending and reoffending. Although we gave it a different name It was essentially based on the pattern of a Social Innovation Camp and the result – yet again – was that the methodology worked. One of the best things about [...]
Charlie Leadbeater’s hacking education TED talk
I was lucky enough to be in the audience when Charlie Leadbeater gave this talk at the TED Salon in London a couple of months ago and I thought at the time it was one of the best explanations of why we need to think differently about education. As a side note I was reading Matt Ridley’s The Rational Optimist today where he points out [...]
Beware the Leopard
When it comes to getting information out of local government I’m always reminded of this story from the ever prescient Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: “But Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months.” “Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn’t exactly gone out [...]
Bye bye BedZed
After five years I’ve moved out of BedZed and into a new flat in Bethnal Green. What started as an experiment in sustainable living is now a pretty well known case study in eco building and overall can be considered a massive success. Technically, the flat that I lived in was flawless. Billl Dunster’s belief that “sunlight falling on your living room floor should be [...]
The Third & The Seventh
Just amazing. I’ve always been a sucker for ‘animations’ but this makes you realise quite how powerful computer generated techniques have become. There is apparently no ‘real’ footage in this film. The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo. (via Alfie)
My favourite things from 2009
Films Moon – Duncan Jones’s debut is just stunning. I’ve watched it again on DVD now and there are so many clever bits you don’t notice first time around. Also best original soundtrack for quite some time by Stourbridge’s finest Clint Mansell. It’s been adopted as favourite coding music at Everything HQ. Anvil – this one surprised me and I basically went along just on [...]
All conferences are basically rubbish
Except Interesting. Roo Reynolds has done a nice little write-up.
Us Now – whole film available for free online
Ivo and the team have put the whole of Us Now up online for everybody to watch. So you’ve got no excuses for not watching me in slightly soft-focus. Us Now from Banyak Films on Vimeo.
BedZed at dawn
BedZed at dawn, originally uploaded by Paul Miller.
Social Innovation Camp gets rolling
Social Innovation Camp Meetup last week was great fun. The guys from Decisions for Heroes presented what they’re up to. Not much doubt about their social purpose – “We Save Lives” is their tagline. John Grant then set everybody thinking about how to reduce junk mail. I hope we’re going to get some ideas sent in on that subject. Just a reminder that the Social [...]