Tag Archives: Shazam

The world’s best mobile companies… according to MEF

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meffys_san_franciscoTen days ago I was lucky enough to be invited to the 10th annual Meffys awards in San Francisco. This was the first time they’ve taken place in California and probably, the seventh time I’ve attended them in a decade.

A lot, of course, has changed in ten years and the most notable change has been how mobile is now an industry that finally encompasses the greatest one of all; Africa.

The 10th anniversary Awards received entries from more than 25 countries across all five continents from both established mobile companies and innovative start-ups as well as representatives from new sectors including the internet, banks and agencies. Continue reading →

Forget the knockers, there are some very real achievements at Silicon Roundabout

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* Guest writer Dan Crow is CTO of UK startup Songkick

In Saturday’s Telegraph, blogger Damian Thompson tried to make a case that Silicon Roundabout is home to spoilt luvvies who churn out inconsequential iPhone apps, all the while whining about a lack of government handouts.

Is Thompson right, or is there something more substantial going on in London’s tech scene?

Stripped of the hyperbole, Thompson’s criticisms boil down to: the entrepreneurs of Silicon Roundabout are enthusiastic; they haven’t delivered anything of worth (but other parts of the UK have); UK tech entrepreneurs aren’t as aggressive as their Silicon Valley counterparts and spend all their time asking for government handouts instead of building businesses. Continue reading →

So farewell then, Justin Pearse… what next for trade magazines such as New Media Age?

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Some years ago I was on a table at the New Media Age Awards with then news editor Justin Pearse and several representatives of important companies. To say we were drunk would be several layers below understatement.

On our table was a callow young man who represented the at-the-time-flavour-of-the-day music company Shazam who was a little overawed by hanging out with older, more cynical hacks. Continue reading →