GigPark launches private beta

I’m extremely happy to let you all know that about 5 minutes ago we announced the launch of the GigPark private beta.

From the GigPark blog:

Pema, Paul, Tony and I are extremely excited to announce that we have a site ready. We’ve taken a page out of the brilliant book Getting Real by 37signals and kept it simple, but we think we have a fun and very useful application on our hands — a way for you and your friends to all receive great service by sharing recommendations.

Rather than start a publicity blitz, our plan is to introduce GigPark to a small group of people that we know and make it absolutely AMAZING for them. We are going to spend 100% of our time listening, building features the group asks for, and fixing problems they spot. We want to make a genuine difference in the lives of these people: hopefully giving them access to great new service people and allowing them to really help each other out.

The long term plan is that once this group is stoked on GigPark, we can take the walls down and get more people involved.

If you want to try GigPark, just ask and we’ll hook you up the next time we hand out beta codes.

And to our fantastic beta group, let the great service begin!

Come to DemoCamp

DemoCamp was kind of my introduction to the Toronto technology scene, along with the Mesh conference. It is a (sometimes) monthly get together where a passionate group, fueled by beer, demo interesting tech products they’ve been working on and share ideas. Regulars include developers, designers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, VCs, lawyers, media folk, marketing people and the general geekorati. They are great places to hear about new projects in Toronto and kick ideas around and, if you’re a startup, meet many many people that will help you along the way.

I’ve brought a few friends along to past DemoCamps and they’ve always got something out of it. So, if you haven’t been before – come along.

What: DemoCamp 14
When: September 17, 2007 6-9pm
Where: Toronto Board of Trade, 1 First Canadian Place, Toronto
How much: Free

The announcement from David is here and you can register for free here.

I’m back!

Sorry about that folks. Blogging took a little break as I ploughed my time into GigPark. I’m still a busy man, but I’m happy to say blogging is back on my to-do list. Look out.

Stencil by Banksy.

T-Mobile announce Wi-Fi calling in Europe

This sounds like a very big idea to me… (from the New York Times)

If you’re willing to pay $10 a month on top of a regular T-Mobile voice plan, you get a special cellphone. When you’re out and about, it works like any other phone; calls eat up your monthly minutes as usual.

But when it’s in a Wi-Fi wireless Internet hot spot, this phone offers a huge bargain: all your calls are free. You use it and dial it the same as always — you still get call hold, caller ID, three-way calling and all the other features — but now your voice is carried by the Internet rather than the cellular airwaves.

This functionality has been possible for a while and I have a few friends who are doing it using a combination of Skype and home Wi-Fi. Of course they need to have an (expensive) Wi-Fi enabled cell phone and have the technical know-how to load the Skype mobile client. By offering this as a default feature T-Mobile make Wi-Fi calling child’s play.

In Canada, where many of us pay the same company for our internet service and our cell phone bill, this would be extremely appealing. Sadly, I think it will be a number of years before this service graces our fair shores.