Ruby Ruby Ruby Neeewbie

All posts tagged Glasgow

Posted:
April 15, 2013
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callum-1[1]

Ruby Ruby Ruby Neeewbie

This week we are very happy to welcome the newest member to our team, Callum Henry, as he joins MadeBrave for a 3-month internship as a Junior Web Developer. We’ve got him nicely set up with desk space, computer and easy access to the Teacake supply…

So in between arrival, starter forms, introductions and all the other stuff that comes with your standard first day, we’ve managed to pester him with some quick fire questions to find out a bit more about the man behind the Mac.

They call me:
Callum Henry

Skilled in:
My skills are mostly in Web Development but pretty skilled at whipping up some Cheesecakes when the need comes!

Always with:
My phone, feel totally naked if I leave home without it.

Laughing at:
Cats in funny poses.

Listening to:
The sounds of the MadeBrave office: whirring, printing, clicking, coffee being made and I think I can hear Dancing in the Street coming from somewhere…

Dreaming of:
The sun, and warm weather… please come back!

Could do without:
Could probably do without spending all my money on video games.

Want to say:
Just want to say thanks guys for the welcome to MadeBrave, I’m sure it’ll be a fun 3 months!

Thank you Callum, we’re looking forward to getting you settled and started on a bright and prosperous future. We’re also looking forward to sampling this cheesecake…

Posted:
April 3, 2013
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Apple WiFiSlam

Indoor Mapping. Like outdoor mapping but, err…indoors…

Here at MadeBrave HQ we have a lot of Apple lovers (and one PC loyalist), so it is with a mixture of scepticism and intrigue that we digest the news from last week, that Apple has acquired an indoor mapping company. And considering the Apple Map fiasco of 2012, surely we’re right to be a little apprehensive? But we’ve gotta ask the question… do we need, or even want, indoor mapping?

The idea is that large, complicated indoor areas like shopping centres, airports, universities and public transit hubs, would be mapped the same way that cities are. It’s a lot trickier than outdoor mapping; your location needs to be much more precise, along with which direction you’re facing, because the hallways and rooms are smaller and more intricate per square foot than large cities. If your phone is off by half a street in a city, that’s OK; you can still figure out where you are. If you’re wandering through a university trying to find the Maths Department and your phone is off by that much… you might as well not be using it.

Not only is it hard to get the kind of detail you need for indoor mapping with existing tools, but when you’re indoors, you often have to deal with a new problem: walls blocking your GPS signal.

The company acquired by Apple is called WiFiSlam–less a mapping company than a location company, dedicated to overcoming those difficulties. The company claims they have “2.5m accuracy using only ambient WiFi signals that are already present in buildings.” Quite how they can use ambient Wi-Fi signals is still unclear, but Apple must have faith in their abilities, given that they just paid $20 million for them… *queue mini heart attack*

For the non-designers out there, not to worry, Google is also pouring resources into an Indoor Maps Initiative, intuitively called “Google Maps Floor Plans”. The company claims to have indoor maps for over 10,000 locations worldwide including airports, hotels, libraries, museums and even Ikea Stores. That means no more scouring the ‘You are HERE’ boards in shopping galleries, taking wrong turns down endless hotel corridors and bumping into freaky twins, or getting stuck in the soft furnishings department at Ikea when all you really want is a hot dog and packet of Dime bars…

And for the non-designers, non-developers, and non-interested in geeky computer stuff readers, here’s the really good news – indoor mapping is gonna add a whole new level of fun to games of hide and seek.
SOLD.

Source : New York Times

Posted:
March 26, 2013
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Susan likes to stare at the MadeBrave logo for a good few hours every day...

Hey, Freelancers! Yeah, we’re talking to you…

MadeBrave are getting bigger, and not just from the cakes that have been arriving on our doorstep (though that does explain the expansion in waist size) but from the ever-growing list of jobs that have been filling up our inboxes.

Yup, we’re pretty busy just now and as such, are often on the lookout for a friendly face with a creative eye and a clever computer head to jump behind a desk and give us a hand. Someone who might not be with us all the time but is happy and willing to help out with some design work here and there.  Someone self motivated, hardworking and reliable. Apparently there’s a name for someone like that.

Oh yeah, there is. It’s a freelancer. So I guess you could say, we’re looking for a freelancer. Or two…

We’re on the hunt for some middleweight to senior designers who are happy to add their names to the MadeBrave directory of super awesome talent. Working on big projects with a small turnaround time, we need folk who can handle large jobs with speed, efficiency and creative flair.

Sound like you? Send us over your CV along with a recent portfolio of work and we’ll see if you fit the MadeBrave bill.

NB Those who lack a positive attitude, good sense of humour or serious appreciation of Disney’s The Lion King need not apply.

 

Posted:
March 20, 2013
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rivergat_nfc

We’ve been playing with NFC at MadeBrave HQ… and no, that’s not a Football Club

NFC is getting a great deal of attention as it becomes included in more smartphones, laptops, and other devices. It’s being hyped as ‘The Next Big Thing’ that will change how we use our mobile devices: everything from shopping to interacting with your home and unlocking your car.   So is this new development a “flash in the pan”, or do you foresee real world uses for such a technology?

Well, what is NFC?


NFC stands for Near Field Communication and, as the name implies, it’s a set of close-range wireless communication standards. NFC equipped smartphones and other devices can exchange information with each other with a simple tap or a wave; simply hold your NFC enabled device in the proximity of an NFC enabled media, such as a sticker, or poster.  There are many uses for such a technology ranging from the basic launching of a browser on your target device to sending an email, or to more complex actions such as controlling the lights in your house, unlocking a door or starting a car engine. Essentially, anything that can be automated electronically can be interacted with via NFC.

Which Devices Have NFC?

Many smartphones, tablets and new laptops now have NFC chips. NFC World  has an extensive list of all the phones around the world that are NFC-equipped.  Google Nexus variants have NFC, as do several BlackBerries, HTC phones, and others.

What Exactly Can I Do With NFC

NFC is most commonly associated with the “mobile wallet”—the idea that your smartphone will replace your cash and credit cards. In one tap or wave of your phone, you can pay for your shopping or redeem offers or coupons.

Beyond mobile payments however, there is a world of uses for NFC, including:

  • Providing interactive tickets or entry passes to your event.  This can be in the form of a standard ticket, or embedded into wristbands, worn by the attendee.
  • Downloading information. Advertisers and marketers can use NFC chips in posters and other promotional materials so all you have to do to get more information is tap or wave your phone (quicker than scanning QR codes, and certainly easier on the eye).
  • Ease of company travel. NFC technology can enable ‘car mode’ when your employees get into a vehicle, launching satellite navigation and disabling mobile phone capabilities, thereby increasing productivity and promoting safe driving within your organisation.
  • Provide offers, or promotions to customers via an NFC enabled key ring or badge. Free product offers or promotional codes can be programmed onto the media, which can then be redeemed in store using an NFC enabled device to scan the media.

Right now, NFC hasn’t hit the mainstream in terms of usage, but it’s the potential that’s making it pretty interesting technology.
..

NFC enabled product packaging

Why are MadeBrave talking about NFC?

Here at MadeBrave HQ we’ve been watching closely the advancements of NFC technology and techniques and, being a full-service agency, we feel this is a package we should be offering our clients.
Working with The Rivergate Shopping Centre we have recently launched NFC enabled posters in the centre – the first Shopping centre in Scotland to use this technology. If you have an NFC enabled device and you’re in the area, pop in and have a look.  We’ve also been working with TPL-Labels to create  NFC enabled product labels and packaging and an NFC enabled Exhibition Stand, where visitors were invited to dynamically enter a competition, with a chance of winning the latest NFC Enabled Google Nexus tablet.

What can MadeBrave and NFC do for my Business?


There are multiple ways in which MadeBrave can enhance your business utilising NFC technology.  Interactive posters and stickers, interactive exhibition stands, interactive business cards, key fobs, wristbands, labels, tickets, beer mats, badges, magnets … even NFC enabled interactive pens! All of these can be branded to suit your project or company branding, and programmed to your unique specification. If you’d like to know more, or have a specific project in mind, then give us a call, or drop us an email, and we’ll be happy to discuss your requirements.

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