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Woot!

Global PIPA / SOPA protests are a go.  #NoPIPASF

Websites all over the globe are going Dark to protest radical copyright legislation.

Tech meetup groups around the country are joining forces to rally against PIPA.

Join us for a rally in San Francisco on Wednesday starting at 12:00pm

Ron Conway will be speaking

If you are joining in having your site go down, here’s a blackout script:   https://github.com/SaraJo/SOPA-PIPA-Protest…

In detail:

Tech Startups are one of the few bright spots on the global economy.  We were under threat from SOPA, and are still under threat from PIPA, or whatever the media moguls decide to call their protectionist agenda next.

Right now, we’re being written off as a loud but unimportant vocal minority.

We need to educate the population at large, clearly and succinctly.

Our memes:

We are the job creators
Tech companies are bringing the economy back from the brink
Laws like SOPA and PIPA break the internet
If PIPA gets made into law, startups will die
Radical, protectionist copyright legislation like PIPA is terrible for the economy
We want media moguls to innovate, not legislate
These laws are job killers.

Please join us.

SF New Tech is joining forces with Hackers & Founders and other tech meetup organizers around the country.  We’ll be holding rallies in SF, New York, Washington DC, Seattle and Silicon Valley to put a public face to the online protests and blackouts that are still moving forward this Wednesday.

Silicon Valley groups involved:

Hackers & Founders,
106 Miles,
SV NewTech,
Designers and Geeks,
Hacks & Hackers,
Electronic Frontier Foundation,

invite everyone you can…

The Problem:

Even though the DNS blocking provisions have been removed from the Senate PIPA bill it is still toxic.

Both California Senators, Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein are co sponsors of the PIPA bill in the Senate.  We need registered voters to call / email Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer’s offices and voice their opposition to these bills and to voice their opposition to radical copyright laws like these.

The goals:

1. Give a human face to the online protests this Wednesday

2. Have a phone call drive to have people call their Senators and representatives right then and there.

3. Focus media attention to the largest legislative threat the internet and startups have ever faced.

4. Educate the public about how toxic this legislation would be to technology startups.

5. Be calm, respectful, stay off the sidewalks and clean up after ourselves.

To pull this off, we need:

As many people as possible to attend rallies around the country on Wednesday

Attract national media attention.

Convince as many people as possible to call / email their senators their opposition to these bills and the radical copyright agenda of the media moguls of the MPAA and RIAA.

Pro Tip:

What lobbyists do is simply convince as many people as possible to call their Senators and Representatives and register opposition to a bill.

Let’s do this.

Senator Barbara Boxer‘s contact information:

DC: 202-224-3553
District: (510) 286-8537

or email her via Contact Congress.

Instructions on what to say to register your opposition.

Senator Diane Feinstein‘s contact information:

DC: 202-224-3841
District: 415-393-0707

or email her via Contact Congress.

Instructions on what to say to register your opposition.

Majority Senate leader Harry Reid
888 291 9860 (leave a comment)

Judiciary Committee

(ask for them and leave your message)
(202) 225 3951

*** BIG THANKS TO JONATHAN NELSON AND HACKERS & FOUNDERS FOR TAKING CHARGE!  WITH THEIR PERMISSION WE LIFTED A BUNCH OF THEIR COPY FOR THIS EVENT. ***

It’s THAT easy.

Get your groove on (fast!) to score discounted or free tickets to SF New Tech on 1/25 with Tethras, IQ Engines, Capy, HeardAbout, RAVN, and more!

First 25 people to use the code 012512-isnoozed score 10% off tickets
First 25 people to use the code 012512-whatadeal score 25% off tickets
First 25 people to use the code 012512-yeahbaby score 50% off tickets
First 26 people to use the code 012512-seeyouthere don’t pay an f’in dime!

Info and registration @ http://sfnt012512.eventbrite.com/

GO!

January 25, 2012

New Year, New Tech!

Mighty @ 119 Utah

Doors open @ 5:30
Demos @ 7:30

Tethras
Brendan Clavin, CTO & Co-Founder
Tethras can prepare and localize an iOS app in 5 minutes, and increase global sales.  http://www.tethras.com  //@tethras

IQ Engines  
Gerry Pesavento, CEO & Andrew Stadlen, Director of Business Development
IQ Engines’ smart camera uses an image recognition API to power visual search applications.  http://www.iqengines.com // @IQEngines

Capy.me   
Dr. Mitsuo Okada, CEO 
Capy is a frustration free Captcha technique for mobile and tablet devices.  http://www.capy.me

HeardAbout   
Marc St Raymond, Co-Founder & CEO   
HeardAbout provides dish recommendations from local chefs and bloggers along with free offers for food+drink discounts and experiences.
http://www.heardabout.com // @heardabout

Wow!  What a party!

We rolled the dice at our big Casino Royale holiday party at Sandbox Suites in December, where over 300 of y’all joined the fun over blackjack, roulette, and craps to not only have a ton of fun and to win some cool prizes — but to try to make the world a little bit better for those less fortunate.

* Train one woman as a community health worker in Afghanistan, who will assist 9,000 women annually, in turn, saving thousands of women who would have lost their lives or the lives of their babies during pregnancy and delivery (via Creating Hope International).

* Help provide a health worker with enough needles and syringes to provide over 1,000 vaccinations to children in clinics in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia (via Merlin’s emergency response in East Africa).

* Purchase a water treatment system for 2 families in earthquake and Cholera ravaged Haiti (via Haiti Hospital Appeal).

* Pay for books and a uniform for 1 war-torn and impoverished South Sudanese child for 1 year (via Omdurman Family Project).

* Support to civil society movements in Egypt, and protect citizen media and other independent news sources, as well as circumvent internet censorship in Egypt, Syria, and Iran by helping Access keep its servers  running on the Tor Network (via Access).

* Conserve 5 acres of the Tanzanian rainforest (about the size of 4 football fields) for one year (via Tanzania Forest Conservation Group).

We also donated food to families in need via the Marin Food Bank, and provided a box of toys for less fortunate children of Northern California.

Woot!

A big shout-out to our sponsors who helped us pull it off :   Thanks to Mediastay and OPOWER for all your support!

Our friends at Rockwall Wines invite you to use the special code “SFNEWTECH” for 15% off your next order and to enjoy free shipping.   You’re also encouraged to check out the awesome selection of wines at Cellar360 for a wonderful selection.   And, the next time you belly up to your favorite bar, please patronize Asahi Beer & Blue Angel Vodka, and your thirst will be quenched and your mood lifted!

Thanks for a great 2011!

We’re really looking forward to seeing you all in 2012!

Guest Post by Parris Khachi, friend of SF New Tech, Founder of Let’s Whoosh, and an all around tech geek with lots on his mind.

So, I only half support these OWS guys. I love that they are out there. I love that they are raising awareness about various injustices. I adore the fact that they are relentless. I just wish they were providing more solutions and demanding more tangible things. Sometimes the whole thing feels like a union strike without demands. I am all for revolution and such (being the data pirate that I am), but I still don’t know how I feel about all this.

One thing they have accomplished is a re-evaluation of standards. While I don’t necessarily think their pseudo class war of the 99% vs 1% is a very accurate picture; I do think it brings up one very fundamental point that hasn’t necessarily been discussed at great lengths. What do we do with all these entrepreneurs that actually make their way into the 1%? Perhaps the OWS movement isn’t really seeking to affect innovators but they are. Sometimes it feels like there is a double standard. In other words no one “hated on” Steve Jobs, a supplier of shiny toys that just happened to be filthy rich; although, they will hate on various bankers. Perhaps they deserve it though (just kidding, well not really, I don’t know).

In any case, consider that entrepreneurs, before any major successes, are generally part of this 99%. Most of us in this category can barely bootstrap our businesses (or can’t at all). There is generally no help for entrepreneurs looking to start something. Sure there are venture capitalists, SMB loans, government grants for certain projects and other forms of assistance; however, the risk of failure and the consequences still fall to the company founder, artist, or entrepreneur. This risk then propagates to future projects and a loss of credibility to some degree. Not to mention what the risk of failure means to all those working with you.

With that much on the line no wonder we expect the pay out to be amazing. Sure we all love what we do and we do it because we are passionate about our creations; however, there is no denying the pressure. Where is the government when people are trying to start their companies and change the world? Sure they provide some government grants, but I’m not really looking to make a missile guidance system right now, nor would I like to make airline security any more invasive. I’d say in this case the OWS is actually stifling innovation and technology rather than being redeemers of the 99%. Why should I, someone who has spent years on the side, doing something interesting, ambitious, great with my life need to pay more tax when I’ve been pouring my own money, time and even health into my company.

What is the solution then? Well, perhaps something like a review board that is part of the government that helps companies start would be useful. Turn the government into a monolithic unix kernel that has its hands in everything and assists everyone. Yes this sounds like Star Trek and I love it! The problem we have now is that both sides are right. People who start business did actually earn the right to be filthy rich and they did it on their own, and guess what most of you helped them in some way. So what are we to do? Well if we don’t want entrepreneurs to feel entitled then we, as a society, need to help them. Having them become starving artists is not a solution at all. If no one earns the right to be in the 1% then no one will be in it. One caveat though, this idea should be limited in scope. It should only seek to kill that 99% vs 1% mock class war. This should solve the tension that OWS has been addressing and it would help propagate our country’s technological fronts.

I am not saying this is the only possible solution. In fact, this is probably the solution that most benefits me (ha); however, I do think that the idea has some merit and we need more IDEAS like this not just complaints. So forum, let’s hear them, let that crazy inner voice come out!

On Wednesday, December 7th get your dose of mobile goodness at The SF New Tech & CALinnovates Amazing, Spectrum-Crunching Mobile-Palooza!

Demos and discussions with Tagwhat, CardVine, Pitchklub, PillJogger, GootNau, InTooch, CheckInOn.Me, Clover, and more!  Many surprises await!

Get your discounted tickets now … the prices on over 100 tickets are slashed!  Or Free!

26 tickets are 100% off with the code dec7-seeyouthere
25 tickets are 50% off with the code dec7-yeahbaby
25 tickets are 25% off with the code dec7-whatadeal
25 tickets are 10% off with the code dec7-isnoozed

Register @ http://mobile-sfnt127.eventbrite.com/

See you there!  Until then, Happy Thanksgiving from all your friends at SF New Tech!

Check out who hit the 60 second soapbox from our APIs Mean Business event on 11.15 here!