New technology

CompanyX have just finished the redesign of the microfinance charity Deki. Check out http://www.deki.org.uk

This has to be one of the most amazing examples of how best to promote 3D technology without wearing silly glasses.

This article first appeared in the Guardian 08.04.10 http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/apr/08/iphone-advertising

Apple is taking on the might of Google in the digital advertising industry, hoping to see-off the search engine giant's attempts to build a powerful position in the burgeoning mobile advertising market.

The move, however, is unlikely to thrill Apple's mobile phone network partners, such as O2, Orange and Vodafone in the UK, as it looks set to undermine their own embryonic attempts to try and grab a slice of the mobile ad pie.

Unveiling the latest version - OS 4 - of the software for its highly successful iPhone, which finally brings multi-tasking to the device, Apple boss Steve Jobs also announced the launch of iAd.

The new mobile advertising platform is designed to allow iPhone app developers to create in-app advertising. Currently anyone who clicks on an advert in a downloadable app is bounced out of it and onto the advertiser's webpage. As a result, Apple reckons many users are put off clicking on adverts. In contrast, iAd will allow full-screen video and interactive advertising content to be served within an application. The adverts are dynamically and wirelessly delivered to the device. Crucially, Apple will sell and serve the adverts and developers will receive 60% of their iAd revenue. The videos, by the way, are of course in HTML5 and not Adobe's Flash which Apple is still waging war against.

Chris Street gives CompanyX his take on how to make Social Media work for you

One of the toughest challenges facing marketers, based on the conversations we have with our clients, is not only of how to utilise social media tool and techniques to benefit their businesses, but also how to integrate social media into traditional marketing campaigns.

Integration appears to be an issue. We think the subject should be tackled slightly differently.

Consider making social media a key platform for all marketing messages, rather than sitting it on top of traditional marketing hierarchies

Maybe a more productive way to tackle the issue of incorporating social media tools into the marketing mix is to consider making social media a key platform for all marketing messages, rather than sitting it on top of traditional marketing hierarchies.

Hello and welcome to our new website. It's finally ready to be unveiled to the outside world. Massive thanks to the developers for doing such a good job (and Ian in particular) and bearing with us with our never ending list of fiddly tweaks. We are designers, what did you expect! Have a look around and a play and hopefully you'll like what you see. If you do, then drop us a line and say hello.

If you see something that is brilliant that you want to share then send it to us and we could put it on the noticeboard (with a name check of course!).