Flipping February

Flipping for Silver

Like every year, pancake day crêped up on us (see what we did there). The atmosphere was tense as the tothepoint pancake racing team strode with purpose into the arena. Slicing through the crowds, like lemon through sugar, into the competitors enclosure, the smell of pancakes hung thick in the cool February air. There were thrills, spills and of course more than one pancake went astray.

The crack team of Will O’Byrne, Charlie Borley, Sarah Long and Lizzie Unwin stormed the heats and earned a spot in the final flip off. Sadly we were not able to secure gold and claim the prize, but with this being our 25th anniversary, our silver place was the right outcome.

Thanks to Better Bankside for putting on yet another splendid pancake race. We will be back next year for gold (or failing that another golden pancake)!

Apple FBI face-off

It’s been hard to avoid the news of Apple’s wrangle with the FBI this month, but it’s all ‘kicking off’ in the tech world over the other side of the pond.

To cut a long story short, the FBI in the U.S have found themselves in the possession of an iPhone used by the perpetrators of the San Bernardino shootings  in December. Naturally, they want to get access to the phone and it’s contents.

Simple right? Just ask Apple to unlock the thing? …not quite. Apple pride themselves on the security installed in their handsets. Ever since the introduction of the finger-print sensor, they’ve been adamant that not even they have access to a customer’s information. In an age of mass surveillance, where more and more people are permanently connected to the internet via a tiny computer in their pocket, the public would be worried if they thought all their private info was up for grabs.

Combine this with the information released by Edward Snowdon and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange over recent years, and the world is a much more paranoid place than it used to be and for good reason. Not worried? Check out this doomsaying article about the hazards of having a webcam and imagine what the [please insert your choice of government agency name here] would do if they could.

Back to Apple. They physically can’t unlock an iPhone. To do so would mean writing a bespoke version of the operating system and installing it on the handset, thus creating a ‘back-door’. To do that would set a dangerous precedent, and open a ‘pandora’s box’ that can’t be closed: open season for surveillance agencies could mean an end to the relative privacy that we enjoy today.

We’ve been interested in this area ever since we designed and built the website for the great guys at www.cybersecuritychallenge.org.uk. With their programme to identify, inspire and enable more citizens to become cyber security professionals, hopefully we’ll be a little more secure in the not too distant future.

To get more of the low-down, check out these articles:

BBC NEWS - Apple vs the FBI - a plain English guide

WIRED - Apple’s FBI battle is complicated 

QuantuMDX 

It’s good to see one of our clients getting the recognition that they deserve. This month QuantuMDX have received high praise for the strides they have made through their pioneering handheld DNA technology. This clever tech will help clinicians around the world to address global challenges by providing fast diagnosis of diseases, such as malaria, for just a few pounds. 

The appliance of bioscience and biotechnology are known as the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” due to the extraordinary impact they are having on global society and the economy, especially in the fields of medicine, agriculture and energy. Government Minister George Freeman made a visit to the Labs in the North East to show his support, which means there have been a few good shots of the logo we designed for them in the papers and on social media!

The art of contemplation

Tucked away amongst the rafts of books in the Foyles flagship store on Charing Cross Road is The Gallery. The space is currently curated and managed by Futurecity to help celebrate the work they’re doing in cultural placemaking (in other words, regenerating public areas across the UK). On first glance it might be overlooked by some, but the work of Peter Newman in particular caught the eye of our MD, who was instantly filled with romantic daydreams of enjoying the “Skystation” on a blue sky day in a quiet nook of London (chance would be a fine thing!).

“After days of looking at screens, surrounded by digital and physical chatter, it was very therapeutic to escape and enjoy a few minutes lying on the Skystation sculpture looking up at the fish eye skyscape image. Then taking a wander around this vast bookstore it almost felt that I was stepping back in time as I watched people, and some eccentric characters, browse the many beautiful books on display.”

Playing for the win…

You may remember earlier this year we began working with concussion management specialists Return2Play. We are pleased to say that R2P have been confirmed as a finalist for “Best New Concept” at this year's Sports Technology Awards, a celebration of the most exciting and innovative organisations in global sport. The company, which launched just last year, are nominated alongside sports technology giants Hawk-Eye and BT, so they’re already keeping good company.

Return2Play have developed a system to help rugby clubs and players - from school teams to professionals - comply with new safety guidelines for the treatment of suspected concussion, monitoring players' recovery and helping them to return to play safely and efficiently.

"Being nominated in this category, alongside some heavyweight names in the field of technological innovation in sport, is real proof of the value of what we are doing. It's important that we all think about how to use technology, not just to change the way in which we play and watch sport, but also to ensure the health and safety of athletes at every level of the game." said Nick Somers, CEO and Co-founder of Return2Play.

After an initial strategic discussion over a pint of Doombar with our MD, R2P realised the importance of establishing a strong identity from the start to ensure they built recognition while promoting the service. We quickly got to grips with the business and brought their vision to life with a striking identity that works across all media, including icons for apps.

R2P have also been getting some national press coverage! Fingers crossed they win, but the nomination alone is a huge achievement!