Tomorrow tuesday, we will have Mtl NewTech #37.

Why should you come?

• It’s the last NewTech of the year, probably your last social event before going to office end-of-the-year parties
• as always, it’s free, at McKibbins, and it’s a great opportunity to network, and see who’s new in Montreal. Along with StartupDrinks, it’s Montreal’s 1st startup events, open to all
• and of course, you will get to see brand new technology projects launched this month. We will have jobbook, (reviewed here), Appifier, who can do an iPhone app for your WordPress blog in a few simple steps, without coding, and tWarms

I’m excited for all these applications. There’s a long dramatic history with jobbook, I got in touch with Mike from appifier (who got me to iOS 5.0.1). I haven’t met the tWarms guys, but hopefully, will see what it’s all about tomorrow.

RSVP here. See you tomorrow!

• Quantified-Self Montreal is the local version of the global trend of self knowledge through technology devices. 3 good presentations if you want to know more about this new trend RSVP
• @party MiniDemo minideu invites everyone interested in the demoscene to check it out. RSVP
• Check out the CloudCamp Montreal monday. There’s already 160 people registered, mostly cloud apps developers, but there’s a good portion of cloud hosting companies there plus also investors interested in cloud hosting. It’s also an unconference format, so if you have something to communicate, RSVP and promote your presentation. Umissable imho
• Wednesday, there’s the #140Conf 5 à 7 with @jeffpulver up until 7.00pm. You can then go to StartupDrinks! About 50 web geeks expected at each event.
• Random Hacks of Kindness is a global hackathon planned from friday to sunday at Notman House. Another unmissable event with good people, conversations, hackers, designers expected. RSVP

Happy to see great events in MTL!

For Montréal hackers, there are already established groups such as MontrealPython, phpQuébec or Montreal.rb, which have been running for years and lets you find peers to learn about what other people are doing.

Those are popular programming languages though, and for those who are interested in more exotic languages or a brand new framework, there is no other choice than seeing what’s on the Internet. That’s the case for nodejs, scala, backbone, and even related interests such as data vizualisation.

Since we’re in Montréal, most know about the Fringe Festival, where creativity is celebrated without limits, with acceptance of newcomers, in the spirit that anyone has his/her chance. The fringe festival is then the only way a student or aspiring artists can launch a show, or for established artists to do something fun, and with that “camp” attitude where everyone (including audience) is encouraged to participate.

Now, FringeDev doesn’t have official dates or venues yet, but you can guess what the goal is: get everyone interested in learning and sharing about new technologies, in the same spirit as the Fringe Festival. For hackers, it might have a person presenting something new & exciting, and then getting everyone to hack/program/learn/show in a later workshop. Ever wanted to see what’s up with Tornado, or play with new APIs? Well, now you have an option. Previously, there was no event offering this.

Sounds interesting? If you’re a hacker, or someone interested in challenges and new technologies, then you should certainly be. There should be something up on the site soon, or you can also follow @fringedev, and also meet the rest of the group in regular tech meetups in Montreal (think MontrealPython, StartupDrinks etc.)

Montreal (QUEBEC) June 29th 2011 — iWeb Technologies, global provider of internet hosting services, and technology media site MontrealTechWatch today unveiled a program to kickstart Montréal web startups, with exclusively designed products and services.

MontrealTechWatch is Montreal’s first new media site covering local technology and innovation. With a mix of blog posts and new media coverage, a strong presence in social media outlets, and itsorganization of tech-focused events such as Blitzweekend, MontrealTechWatch has developed a strong local presence amongst web developers, entrepreneurs and designers.

Heri Rakotomalala, founder and main editor of MontrealTechWatch, recognized the need to support the next generation of technology entrepreneurs: “iWeb is in 150 countries and has approximately 15,000 servers in its 4 data centers. They also recently launched the SmartServer, a dedicated server with cloud features, at a competitive price. iWeb is a solid choice in server hosting, and we are eager to leverage this partnership to help launch hundreds of web projects in the Montreal area.”

The new program also aims to offer complementary products, such as development, design, legal and marketing services from qualified third-party providers. Thanks to iWeb’s support, technology entrepreneurs can soon consult MontrealTechWatch for free, to get close support and advice on the best way to launch their technology business.

Martin Leclair, President of Technologies at iWeb said: “iWeb started in Montréal more than 10 years ago, but has been focused from the beginning on international markets. We saw an opportunity to reach a key early-adopter audience by partnering with a new media site such as MontrealTechWatch. We want to help Montréal technology-focused entrepreneurs by giving them the tools to start up, at a very low cost”

About iWeb

iWeb is a worldwide provider of Internet hosting services and IT infrastructure. Operating four data centers, iWeb has a capacity of 34,000 dedicated servers, over 1,100 colocation racks and Internet capacity of 77 Gbit/s, divided between nine providers.
One of the 100 fastest growing companies in Canada according to PROFIT magazine, iWeb takes more than 60% of its revenues from abroad. With revenues of US$29 million in 2010, iWeb provides services to 24,600 customers in 150 countries. Founded in 1996 Montreal, iWeb is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “IWB”.

About MontrealTechWatch

MontrealTechWatch.com is operated by MTW Media Inc. Started in early 2007, it is the first new media site covering local technology and innovation in Montréal, with blog posts, analysis, photography, video and a strong social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. MontrealTechWatch also gathers web entrepreneurs through innovative events such as Blitzweekend or StartupDrinks. With more than 2000 subscribers, it has become the go-to site for technology news for tech-savvy Montréalers.

The last MtlNewTech was at Notman House. Even though we didn’t organize it this time at the House, there was a large group, such as Vincent Jean (above), the monetization specialist, who believes he can sell anything on the Internet. There was also lots of marketers and business people in the room, even a couple of early stage investors wanting to get an early look at new Montréal ventures.

Montreal NewTech is an opportunity for technology entrepreneurs to present their new product. They have 5 minutes to present their product, with often a mix of slides and live demo. Many are leveraging to get new users, launch a brand new product or a new feature, or practise their presentation skills

The team from Groupideo prepares here. They are doing a video sharing site, where you can share a video with friends, and see their reactions, mimicking the experience of renting a DVD and viewing it with friends at home.

It’s a 3-man self-funded company, with the hopes of displaying ads to make groupideo profitable.

Apart from marketers, there are also lots of developers, UI designers and “web practictionners” at Montréal NewTech. Since it’s in a bar, it’s an ideal settings to get a beer, then connect with other developers and talk about the latest technologies or share projects.

Sarah Jane Morris, seen on left, has joined dokdok, a startup currently building an API for email attachment management, and much more. She will be the first to present that evening

At around 6:30PM, McKibbins is crowded, with good conversations going on. That’s when things become interesting. You = always find a a tech guy to talk to. They should rename that McKibbins floor to McTech!

Felipe Coimbra (twtfelipe, 14Blocks, 63Squares, MtlNewTech founder) introduces the event.

For those who do not know, MtlNewTech is also doing the CoFounders event, where startup founders can connect and maybe find partners to work with.

Big thanks also to MtlNewTech sponsors (SDEVM Montréal)

Sarah unveils Context.IO, the new email API. Context.IO offers a unique set of tools for application developers to tap into their users’s inboxes. Potential applications include prioritization of emails, seeing the history with one of your contacts, and even exotic use such as building your social graph.

If you are building a CRM application, a project management tool, or an intranet, Context.IO can help you introduce seamlessly email!

Groupideo founder introduces here the video sharing site. During the demo, he started his webcam and then sent an invite thanks to Facebook. The application didn’t work though. It was perhaps due to weak wifi, although they said it uses peer to peer for video streaming.

Groupideo is worth checking out but the best use might be in conferencing and online meetings. Unless they pull something like a chatroulette success

Derek Brans (@dbrans) is a freelance HTML5 developer, who worked at many companies, including jolicloud. He presented that night LAIDE, a new in-browser IDE .

It’s a nifty app since you can change the source-code and css of the editor within the editor itself. It also supports the back button, multiple windows editing, web sockets, and desktop notifiaiton. I wish it LAIDE does more though.

The crowd at MtlNewTech – as you can see, a mix of geeks, designers, and a few dedicated to their smartphones and tablets, racing to tweet what’s hot in Montréal

Here we can see Somnom founder presents a classifieds site. Somnom features free Montréal ads, integrates nicely social media, and pretty much does anything.

Somnom has seen impressive growth since its start

Turn-Page.com is an application offered to print magazine publishers, who want to reach out a digital audience. It offers added features such as videos, ads, and also takes care of subscriptions, with the same experience as a the print magazine.

Turn Page also offer media companies to port their magazine to digital devices such as the iPad. For each magazine, a new iPad or iPhone is going to be published on the app store.

Thanks to all who’ve been at Montreal NewTech! See you all at the MtlNewTech #30. Be sure to follow @mtlnewtech for updates or the website mtlnewtech.com

Antoine Azar (@antoineazar), pictured left, is the founder of 2XM interactive, a Montréal company specialized in mobile application and touch surfaces. It’s a relatively young company, with many local corporate customers.

To the left, the 2XM development team checks out the gear installed for the evening. 2XM prides itself in having the most talented mobile developers in the city.

2XM invited the whole technology community, as well as its own network to come for the launch of umanity, a creative mix of Twitter, Google Maps and trending topics. It’s the first time that the Notman house hosts a product party launch, and most equipment installed for the evening such as the audio system, projectors and even coat hangers had to ordered and installed in just one day.

To the left, Felipe Coimbra, instigator of MtlNewTech and 63Squares, demoes his Android smartphone. Felipe and Massimo Farina (to the right) are usual suspects at Montreal tech events, being entrepreneurs and technology fans.

Events like the Umanity launch or MtlNewTech help the community get together, exchange news about current projects, or connect to new people, especially if you are new in Montréal or if you are still not sure about starting an online project.

2XM Interactive ordered whole plates of sandwich bites, veggies and cookies. It’s a cool idea, since the event started at 6pm, leaving no time for busy Montréalers to get dinner. There was also free beer and wine!

It’s just before 7pm and there is now 50 people at Notman House. 20 more people will come in the next hours, happy to check out the new Montreal app

Antoine Azar happily demonstrates Umanity to attendees. It’s fun to browse the umanity interface and discover what people are thinking about in other places. Zoom in the map and you can see what’s happening currently in an area!

There’s always 2 or more people wanting to try the glass touchscreen. Other people to the right and left are checking out the application on their iPhone.

Antoine Azar finally welcomes attendees, and tells the story of Umanity. Did you know the application was done in less than a month? It’s a cool technology showcase for 2XM, as they are now well positionned in the mobile and local space.

Attendees hear about 2XM and Umanity. You can see here the lead developer of Umanity (center left)

Sylvain Carle (@afrognthevalley) talked after Antoine to tell a few words about Notman, inviting everyone to come over to the Notman Café and spread the good word

A special celebratory cake was made for the event. It looks delicious, too bad for those who weren’t there!

After a couple of hours, attendees didn’t tire of umanity. Going through people’s pictures, checking out your favourite city and place is an endless source of entertainment.

2XM Interactive also invited many Montréalers outside of the startup community, which is a great idea. It’s time to mingle with other creatives and other industries, and leverage what they are doing.

Props, contests and photo booths are an essential part of a successful party.

At bottom left, Antoine Azar from 2XM looks for new photography angles. Hopefully, there would be a way to find again those fun photos.

At the open bar, more Notman residants are lining up for beers… or maybe it’s just because the waiters were also like-minded developers?

It’s their first time using the uManity application and there is joy, excitement and sense of wonder. Download the uManity application, folks, it’s free

This would be the poster of the next movie coming out from Notman.

Congrats to the party goer who didn’t back down for a uManity photo opportunity

Robin Ahn is Montréal’s StartupDrinks organizer. She’s not always like this, folks!

To the right, there’s Daniel Haran from recoset, and Christine Renaud (@christinerenaud) from e180

And this is why we need name tags at the Notman House.

Many attendees were curious about the Notman House, and wanted to visit the “future home of the web”. It’s always an exciting propositon. Here Godot Huard (bluetrader) and Anne-Laure Putigny from Institut du Nouveau Monde.

This young lady here has come from Paris for the party and Notman House… well almost.

Props are fun!

It’s a video opportunity for the Montreal Girl Geeks! They also have an event planned at Notman House.

That’s all folks!

Usability Fix is hosted and organized by bolidea. Lots of good startups and web apps will be featured there, such as matchfwd, taskhire, localmind, manpacks and many others. It’s a great opportunity for product owners to test their application’s usability, such as validating user flows, assumptions on user behaviour, and also an opportunity to test different ideas. There are of course lots of online services such usertesting that provides automated and/or large-scale user testing, but a live usability session is worth much more. If you are a fan or looking to work with entrepreneurs, it’s also a good opportunity to come!

Check out Usability Fix 8

Wednesday evening, devLAB montreal is a event for geeks, by geeks. Go there to meet other like-minded developers, talk about programmers’ news, discuss frameworks and software methodologies, but most importantly, code on a web application. devLab montreal is hosted by Evocatio , 388 rue st-jacques. It’s easily the most productive and innovation-inducing event of the week for programmers.

StartupDrinks is, as always, at the last wednesday of the month. A gathering of entrepreneurs, startup crowd, investors, it’s a great place to network, discuss ideas, find cofounders and partners, promote your latest venture by good word of mouth, and of course have a beer (or the drink of your choice). StartupDrinks is organized by the jolly Robin Ahn and is at Brutopia on crescent street.

Check out Startup Drinks.

Montreal Web Video is an unmissable conference for video bloggers, video production houses, video startups, and media companies. There will be speakers from large media groups as well as marketing experts. The conference is introduced as an opportunity to discuss new business models and new video distribution platforms. Expect a large crowd of executives and marketing managers looking for clues on how to tame the Internet and make it work for their existing content.

Check out the Montreal Web Video website

Mikael Cho, the instigator of Hackers and Founders has now moved the event to the third thursdays of the month. Ideally, events should complement themselves in Montréal, so I’ve also suggested tapping in the community to see if there’s any interest for a breakfast / coffee meetup in early mornings. I’ve had many emails at news@montrealtechwatch.com from readers who would like to go to events but cannot go in evenings. There are all sorts of reasons, they have a family, they live far away from Montréal, they have evening classes at business schools, or they don’t want to go a bar etc. The breakfast option is also interesting since it’s already been a success in the past, with Ben Yoskovitz doing the Montreal Tech Entrepreneur Breakfasts, which got 30 to 60 people going every month.

So what do you think? here’s a poll about doing the Hackers and Founders event as a breakfast / coffee style meetup.

If you can’t see the poll, please visit montrealtechwatch.com. Thanks also for sharing the poll!

The event was started by Mikael Cho, a young entrepreneur, recently arrived in Montréal from Wisconsin and other parts of the world, and who already saw the Hackers and Founders organized in the States.

The event was very similar to StartupDrinks, with the usual suspects: programmers, entrepreneurs, product designers, plus also a few people who were just curious about the event. As always, it’s great to grab a drink and talk about your latest projects, share problems, and discuss future opportunities.

I know StartupDrinks was organized just the day before, so the next Hackers and Founders should probably move to the 1st, 2nd or 3rd thursday of the month so as not to be redundant. Because after all, we are here to build something not spend our time drinking in bars! :)

Join the Hackers and Founders meetup group

If you’ve got a functional product, or if you are about to launch a beta version of your project, the best place currently to show it off is next week’s montreal new tech. You get a large tech-savvy audience, with programmers, designers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, tweet friends (tweeps ?!??), curious to discover what’s new in Montreal. Presenters get to demo their product for 10 minutes, with time at the end for questions and answers. Most product owners get valuable feedback, as well as their first users, and there’s also a video recorded by Felipe Coimbra about your performancepresentation (see videos of previous demos)

Like StartupDrinks, Mtl New Tech is also the city’s best place to network and meet other entrepreneurs. If you don’t have a product to present, it’s still an unmissable event. Sign up for next mtlnewtech, due next week Feb1 at McKibbins.