If you are tired of working from home all by yourself in Tucson, you now have options, thanks to a recently opened coworking space in downtown.

Carli Brosseau over at tucsoncitizen.com reports that Spoke6, located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street in Tucson (Arizona) would be a nice option for those looking to collaborate and be part of a community while working.

For $150 a month, you can use a desk, a storage locker, bathrooms, showers, a kitchen, a conference room. There is also a $20 day-pass option for those that are not yet sure of taking the leap, or are visiting Tucson for a few days only.

Spoke6 was started by Tim Bowen (from web design firm Creative Slice). It seems that Tucson WordPress Meetup also takes place at Spoke6.

Meanwhile, Gangplank, a Chandler-based co-working space is also looking to expand to Tucson and are trying to connect with Tucson businesses or nonprofits with whom to work out a partnership deal. Check them out too!

[ Reference: Lonely? Check out these Tucson co-working options @ tucsoncitizen.com ]

Written by blogdoctor

I am the editor-in-chief at oObly a tech blog based in San Francisco, California.

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pariSoma will be hosting another great Mobile Mixer for startups in the mobile industry. See demos from top iOS, Android, and WP 7 developers.  Over 20 apps being demoed! If you are creating mobile tech, we want to see it!

Attendees will mix with hot bay area startups and great people. Want a demo table? Contact us to reserve one!

Demoing apps/companies include:

Soundtrackr is a free music service that blends Internet radio, social networking and location-awareness. Listen to more than 10 million songs, create & share personal stations, play music with your friends in real time, find music playing near you, and connect with friends through a built-in chat feature.

PapayaMobile is Android’s leading social gaming network offering tools and features that enable true mobile viral marketing, a diverse set of monetization tools, and Android’s fastest 2D OpenGL engine. Papaya also just recently launched Papaya farm for iPhone and iPad.

TriviaTunes for the iPhone is a version of the multiplayer musical quiz Blindtest.com, published by Chugulu in September 2008 for the French market. For the first time, music played in-game is not simply retrieved from the iPod library but actually streams from the Blindtest.com servers. This is unique in giving all players an equal footing to compete. The app has over 500,000 downloads worldwide.

Layar leads the mobile augmented reality space with thousands of developers creating layers that offer people new ways to interact with their environment. Through it’s open platform, the company is aiming to democratize physical space by encouraging people to create, play and interact with their world through augmented reality.

Box is transforming the way organizations ranging from SMBs to Fortune 500s share and manage all their information in the cloud. Box’s cloud content management platform makes it easy for its nearly 6 million end users to share and collaborate from anywhere, on any device, while also providing the security, visibility and reporting capabilities required by IT departments. The Box Apps Marketplace includes integrations with leading cloud solutions like Salesforce, Google Apps, NetSuite and Jive, making Box content accessible across business applications.

Turnstone. Space matters. It can inspire people to do great things. To engage one-another. To think more deeply. To innovate and make a difference. That’s what inspires us at Turnstone. Because great companies don’t just happen. They’re crafted. For unique culture and brand. For tech-enabled mobility. For collaboration and attracting and engaging great employees. Great spaces are part of great companies. Let us make your space matter.

LiveShare by Cooliris is a new and hyper-personal way to communicate with friends across mobile and web through live group photostreams. LiveShare makes it easy for you and your friends to snap photos at shared experiences and see them all in one place. Whether it’s a private bachelor party or seeing what your best friends are doing right now, you can create groups anytime and invite as many or few friends as you like to participate in your shared photo streams. LiveShare is available for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 7. For more information, visit www.liveshare.com.

TuneIn (formerly RadioTime) is the global leader in delivering free local, international and Internet radio. Our TuneIn applications help people find and listen to live content from over 50,000 local, international and Internet stations on over 150 products. TuneIn makes it easy for listeners to access radio through websites, mobile devices, home entertainment centers, connected desktop products and even auto in-dash receivers. TuneIn is the #1 paid iOS app and among the most popular apps on Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Palm, and Samsung. The company is based in downtown Palo Alto and scaling a world-class team.  More information is available at www.tunein.com.

Colorize. Get creative. Make your pictures unique by colorizing them! Convert an image to black and white and then bring back a pop of color wherever you choose by brushing or flooding the color back on with your fingertip. You can zoom in and rotate the image and change only the smallest details or you can enlarge the brush size and swipe across it sloppily. Your creation is sure to be unique and it’s super easy to do. You can grab an image from the Picture hub by simply viewing it and selecting the colorize option from the extras menu or you can start in the app and take a new picture or find an existing one. You can start your work and leave it half done by saving it as a project and when you get back to it, you just continue. When finished, you simply save your new creation as an image and you’ll find it back in your Picture hub. Don’t forget to email or post it for others to enjoy.

MyPad is redefining the mobile social graph and is the fastest growing iPad app, having been downloaded more than 3 million times in 10 weeks.

BuzzBox is making Android notifications better by optimizing the delivery of notifications while giving controls to the end user.  BuzzBox is the Safe Notification Company. BuzzBox has launched a Notification SDK that provides standardized settings interface, notification analytics & enhanced features like Smart Notification Engine, In-App Notification Feed & Stylized System Notifications.  In the first month since launch, BuzzBox has sent 1million notifications. Get the SDK at http://hub.buzzbox.com and read our blog at http://blog.buzzbox.com.

Gabagool Games creates premium App Store games and will be expanding to various other platforms and new unique IP’s. Our first game is Ghost Ninja: Zombie Beatdown (GNZB), a homage to classic 90′s 2D retro arcade action with various unique modes of gameplay, voice acting, in-depth storyline, vivid level art and much more. It is available at the App Store and we are working on an HD version for tablets. Our game development goal is to create a unique art form that takes advantage of our powerful mobile devices and appeals to hardcore and casual gamers. We also want to re-introduce a personal experience with our customer/users by engaging them in emails, game forums, Facebook, and Twitter, and encouraging/rewarding feedback. Essentially we provide the quality of large game corporations with the personable experience of a smaller studio.

tappr.tv is visual scratching for iOS. DJs scratch audio records, VJs make visuals to music, tappr.tv that lets you create and record your own dynamic visuals using over 100 particle-based instruments. Each instrument uniquely respond to the your touches and tilts with bursts of particles and light. Version 3 now offers you the ability to record and replay dynamic visuals to your favorite songs from your iPod library. Learn more at http://tappr.tv

Iris Kavanagh is community manager at Next Space, a coworking spaces located in Santa Cruz, California.

In this video interview (see below) Iris Kavanagh talks about her role as a community manager at NextSpace (SantaCruz) and explains why she strongly believes that her Community Manager gig is more like a Curator.

I’m like a curator. I know all the members. I’m always looking how to foster connection between them. Coworking spaces intend to get rid of the former 50′s born sterile working environments.

Iris also claims that people come to a space

…to be part of something greater than themselves.

Although that might sound like a slightly exaggerated claim, the rest of the video is definitely worth watching!

Written by blogdoctor

I am the editor-in-chief at oObly a tech blog based in San Francisco, California.

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Cross-posted from faberNovel’s blog:

Mashape describes itself as Etsy for APIs. This website makes it easy for developers to distribute and get traction with their APIs.

Mashape CEO Augusto Marietti explains his vision about the role of API in the data economy:

• Ten years ago, only large companies would develop and release APIs. Today, startup and individuals create “handmade” APIs.
• A dedicated marketplace makes sense insofar as Mashape will be place “where 100% of the users are familiar with what you’re selling”.

It would be very logical for Amazon.com to buy Mashape or at least develop a similar marketplace. The e-retailer is trying to emerge as one the main actor in the cloud computing sector, mainly thanks to its AWS offer.

• An API marketplace would join the other digital content categories: Amazon Instant Video, Amazon App Store, Amazon MP3, Audible, etc.
• Amazon Web Services still lack some high level libraries, especially when compared with Google (as shown in its API & Developers Products periodic table). Mashape would be an easy way to offer a wealth of API to developers.
• The frontier between sellers, developers and customer is blurring. Thanks to Amazon’s tools, it is increasingly easy to develop a web service, even for an individual. An API marketplace would make monetization even easier for individual developers. There are tremendous opportunities to mix Amazon’s MechanicalTurk and APIs (for instance, to help turk workers crawl data).

As for any marketplace, “trust is hard earned and easily lost”. With Amazon’s reputation (and relationships with developers), Mashape would also gain traction quicker than by being on its own.

Reference:

• Audrey Watters, Shopping for APIs, O’Reilly Radar

May 6th @pariSoma

Startup Weekend is a 54h crash course about Entrepreneurship! We are back in SF, for another great Weekend. The weekend brings together people with different skillsets – primarily software developers, graphics designers and business people – to build applications and develop a commercial case around them.

Startup Weekend recruits a highly motivated group of developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and more to build communities, companies and projects.

Founded in 2007 by Andrew Hyde, the weekend is a concept of a conference focusing on learning by creating. It is known for its quick decisions, ‘out of the box’ thinking (oh no, the buzzwords are attacking!), unique facilitation technique and letting the founders show what they can do. The program has already met with success in Boulder, Toronto, New York, Hamburg, Houston, West Lafayette, bay area, DC and more.

The participants that attend a Startup Weekend decide what they want to tackle over the weekend and come out at the end with several developed companies or projects. Attendees are responsible for bringing the same desire and passion to the project and walk out of the room with the task at hand, in a short 54 hours. Sound intense? It is!

Thursday

April 21st, 6.30PM – 9.30PM

PariSoma Innovation Loft

Come join the PapayaMobile and Super Rewards experts at our San Francisco Offices on THURSDAY, April 21st where we will be teaching you how to build profitable social games on Android. You can also showcase your games to our experts and get free consultation on how to create more engaging experiences that reach the full profit potential of your games.

The Meetup will feature:

• Free advice on building better games and generating bigger profits
• Meet PapayaMobile and Super Rewards experts
• Discuss and brainstorm with like minded developers
• Free drinks, booze and snacks
• *BONUS*The first 100 Android developers who publish the PapayaMobile Offer SDK will receive a comprehensive marketing fund to drive maximum installations of their games.

We are just about 10 days away from the first ever Startup Ping Pong Tournament set to take place here at pariSoma Innovation Loft in San Francisco next Saturday, April 30th!

Don’t be shy, sign up and kick butt! Even if you suck and expect to lose, it’s all the more reason for you to sign up.

Why? Because you will get used to failure, and that is definitely going to help you in your Startup ventures!

Get tickets here.

Meanwhile, the trash talk is in full flow at pariSoma. Here is one of our favorites

You know…ever since I was released from prison from multiple-GRAND-TABLE-TENNIS Homicides in the 1st and 2nd degree, matches, I’ve lived a quiet, unassuming life. I wanted nothing with the sport. I swore I would never touch rubber and paddle again with such violence. I became…as the French would say…an Entrepreneur!

However, I can NOT stand quietly and watch good people be threatened by a new form of darkness. I must rise with the call and I will re-apply my forehand smash on inside-spin to those that dare to destroy my people.

…And you will know my name is T-Money, when I stand, at the table, before thee!

Bring it!
T-Money

–A pariSoma member identified only as “T-Money”

If that doesn’t get you all fired up, I don’t know what will!

Finally, a BIG thanks to our startup ping pong tournament sponsors – Microsoft’s BizSpark Startup initiative!

Written by blogdoctor

I am the editor-in-chief at oObly a tech blog based in San Francisco, California.

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The 7th Founders Showcase Event is set to take place this June 15th (2011) in San Francisco. And here’s your chance to be one of the “Featured Five” startups at this popular startup event. The price for being a “Featured Five” is just $2,500.

And what does that get you? A whole lot, according to Diana Sankovic. You get exposure at the Founders Showcase event, as well as on TheFunded.com website!

“Featured Five” Special Startup Sponsorship:

At The Founder Showcase (June 15th, 2011) Conference you will get

1. Access to private meeting room for presentations.
2. Branding onscreen in Auditorium.
3. Branding and leaflet in Program (logo, short description).
4. Branding on Event Page (logo, link).
5. A table at the event
6. The ability to invite guests.
7. The ability to offer a prize to finalist(s).
8. The ability to include item in gift bags.

The discounted price for this”Featured Five” is $2,500. Please contact Diana Sankovic via phone or email (see below)

In addition to the private access and event-wide exposure that you get, you will also get the following from TheFunded.com

1. Inclusion in two event-related blog posts on TheFunded.com (includes syndication through email, RSS, and social media).
2. Two months of text advertising on TheFunded.com ($2500 per month value).
3. Opportunity to offer discounted or special service to the audience (either publicly, or in a private
   section for members only).
4. Inclusion in TheFunded.com mailings (to 16,000+ opt-in CEO subscribers).

For more information and to signup (by this Friday 22nd, 2011) , contact Diana Sankovic via phone or email (see below)

Written by blogdoctor

I am the editor-in-chief at oObly a tech blog based in San Francisco, California.

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Cross-posted from faberNovel’s blog:

GitHub‘s Kyle Neath provides us with some very useful principles used by the social coding company:

• Everyone is a product designer: during interviews, people are asked: “what would you like to see in GitHub?” By doing that, GitHub is able to see if the interviewee shares the same vision for the product.
• Write all your ideas: having a place where ideas are gathered lets excitement grow, eventually getting people work on it “because they want to see it happen so badly”.
• Experiment and iterate: “talking about a feature in a meeting and crafting a spec is one thing, but coding up a working prototype is way more effective.”
• Abandon features: by dropping bad ideas, you’re improving your product.
• Argue all the time: “being an empty cheerleader and telling everyone that their idea is great is harmful and short-sighted. Argue and make good decisions.”
• Talk to your customers and favor face-to-face communication. Then, as Tom puts it, “don’t give your customers what they ask for; give them what they want.”
• Under promise and over deliver: don’t publish roadmaps or promise features within a timeframe. What you don’t do is as important as what you are doing.
• Product design is how customers perceives your product: when you launch a new feature, make sure you describe it in a great blog post. It will frame your users’ expectations and explain your thinking.

Sources:

• Kyle Neath, Product design at GitHub

Cross-posted from faberNovel’s blog:

Why is Larry Page so worried about Facebook?

1. Web openness: Facebook is mostly closed to Google’s web crawlers
2. Business model: Facebook corners 23.1 % of the display ads market, leaving only 2.7 % to Google (source)
3. Value chain: Google and Facebook ultimately compete for users’ attention. Just as Android emerged as a competitor to Apple’s iPhone, Facebook could leverage its 500 m users and offer a search engine, a payment application (don’t forger Facebook Credits), a mobile OS etc. Google’s force lies in its ability to let others compete in all other layer of the value chain, while maintaining its grasp over search. With a competitor as powerful as Facebook, the Palo Alto firm is clearly at risk.

What are the strategic choices?

1. How could Google (further) commoditize social networking? For instance, Zynga has to pay large commissions to Facebook, which Google could get rid of. Chris Dixon notes that “not coincidentally, Google invested $100M in Zynga”. Another way would be to embrace open standards, just like Diaspora.
2. How should it tie this new offer into existing products? Google has some impressive assets: Gmail, YouTube, Android… This is a very tough question, as its failures showed: Buzz raised privacy concerns, +1′s value remains unclear from the users…
3. Buy or build? Chris argues that Google’s best new lines of business (Android and YouTube) came from outside and remain quite independent. The company supposedly tried to buy Twitter for $10 bn and Path for $100 m.

Sources:

• Chris Dixon, Google Social Strategy