http://t.co/Aa0cTO3lFor up-to-date information on the latest changes to us and our site |
posted 13 Jan 2013 23:12 by Alistair Kelman
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updated 13 Jan 2013 23:15
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We are beginning a re-organisation at Playback Holdings Ltd. While our core membership will remain the same we will be getting in some new technical support and personnel. So please bear with us until early February 2013 when I hope we will be able to announce our revised plans. |
posted 22 Nov 2012 08:30 by Alistair Kelman
Following an application made at the beginning of October 2012 I today learnt from HMRC that PBR has been given SEIS pre-approval. Pre-approval required us to lodge a substantial amount of information concerning the company with HMRC which binds us to using funds received for the approved business activity and agreeing that no shares issued to qualifying investors will carry any preferential right to the company's assets.
SEIS is an very generous scheme and qualifying investors are entitled to income tax relief of 50% on their investment in the year of the investment, there is a complete capital gains tax exemption on gains made in 2012/13 which are re-invested in the same year under the SEIS scheme, and gains arising on shares on which SEIS relief has been claimed are exempt from capital gains tax.
We will shortly be opening up an invitation to SEIS investment. For further information please e-mail me. |
posted 27 Sep 2012 11:42 by Alistair Kelman
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updated 8 Oct 2012 05:47
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By mutual agreement with Seedrs on 28th September 2012 we ended our listing on Seedrs, the FSA approved crowd funding site, and all the people who were going to fund us by that route got their funds back during the afternoon from Seedrs. The reason for this decision was because we formed the view that Seedrs were not going to be able to raise the SEIS funds that we were seeking in the remaining week of our listing.
But the opportunity to invest in PBR is not going away. Soon we are going to be opening our own SEIS investment opportunity. Last week we filed the Advance Assurance paperwork with Inland Revenue and anticipate getting HMRC's written assurance by around the end of October. We are formalising a new early stage investment opportunity for PBR which, we believe, will be just as good as the investment opportunity presented to our investors but without the 7.5% fees being deducted by Seedrs from all our early stage investors. Equivalent protections for small investors to those given to Seedrs investors under their FSA approved scheme will be offered by us directly under a Shareholder Agreement.
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posted 30 Aug 2012 13:29 by Alistair Kelman
On the 12th floor of the high security Media Centre in Stratford overlooking the Stadium and the Games complex the launch event of the StartUp Games took place last night (Wednesday). A heavy night's networking ensued while the Paralympics Games Opening Ceremony took place. Here is a YouTube video from the event which contains a short session where Diana and I talk about PBR and networking. Enjoy. |
posted 7 Aug 2012 00:43 by Alistair Kelman
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updated 7 Aug 2012 00:45
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Back in the depths of early January plans ware drawn up for a StartUp Games for “the world’s most exciting new businesses”. The plan was developed by the Government for start-up companies to come to London for the Paralympic Olympics and compete to be “recognised amongst the world’s highest potential start-ups”. The event takes place between Wednesday 29th to Friday 31st August 2012 at Hackney House in the heart of Tech City, London.
PBR is now a competitor in The StartUp Games. So come and cheer us on at the end of August. |
posted 6 Aug 2012 00:14 by Alistair Kelman
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updated 6 Aug 2012 00:14
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Off to City Hall today for TradeUp Britain with Kit Malthouse, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Enterprise, Emma Jones and lots of other key networkers. Just seen that NASA has got a Gold Medal in the 563 billion metre event having put Curiosity in the right place. Success. Asked the way to City Hall and was told by some police that it was on my right. At least I think that was what they were saying ... |
posted 4 Aug 2012 01:35 by Alistair Kelman
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updated 4 Aug 2012 02:38
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An exhausting but thrilling day is now behind us. The staff at Lancaster House were wonderful - an extraordinary effort by Team GB, this time made up by people from UKTI and all the Government and Civil Service staff who got behind entrepreneurs at this event. Nor forgetting those nice people from 6Connex who made our Virtual Exhibition possible and will keep it circulating around all the UK's Embassies and Consulates around the world for the next six months. We made lots of new friends and even got to speak to Dr Vince Cable at the Reception.
So now this event is over (phew) I have updated this site so that Stephen Fry's video for the BBE event is on the front page and our final edited version of "Magic in Your Pocket" with our Chairman's address is linked to our logo at the bottom of the page.
One of the best jokes of the day was from Bob Schukai who is London Tech City's Ambassador to New York. He congratulated Locog for building Lancaster House as the Special Olympics Pavilion for the British Business Embassy saying it was a building made of solid gold to represent our medals and enterprise success. We looked around at where we were and felt that Bob had really captured the moment. A beautifully generous and happy moment for everyone. |
posted 2 Aug 2012 12:55 by Alistair Kelman
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updated 2 Aug 2012 13:14
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I finished the final editing of our videos, put the transcripts of David's address and Stephen Fry's address into our Virtual Exhibition for tomorrow (Friday) and then turned to what had appeared to be an impossible task - turning the videos into 'auras'.
'Auras' are the latest virtual reality marketing device. Aurasma was created out of technology that is capable of recognizing images, symbols and objects in the real world and understanding them. It can then deliver digital content in real time, including videos, animations, audio or webpages. Rory Cellan-Jones did this piece on Aurasma technology back in May but tomorrow is the first time they are going to be deployed in a major technology event anywhere in the world. I wanted PBR to be part of this, not just huge companies - to prove Britain in GREAT !
So since Sunday evening I have been trying to turn our videos into 'auras" and finally today, after help from some technicians at Aurasma and Autonomy, I got them done.
PBR now has four 'auras' all triggered by physical photographs. Aurasma and Autonomy were so pleased with them that PBR has been elevated to become part of the official UKTI GREAT App which is being deployed tomorrow at Lancaster House. WOW !
So when someone in Lancaster House points a smart phone or a Samsung tablet running the Aurasma app at this picture of Stephen Fry umpiring a cricket match the picture will magically dissolve into Stephen video which is here on YouTube. Similarly when someone in Lancaster House does the same with this picture of David Elstein at the British Embassy in Hungary it will magically dissolve into his video address. |
posted 31 Jul 2012 13:03 by Alistair Kelman
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updated 4 Aug 2012 01:06
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Last Monday in the late morning we managed to record a short piece to camera from David, explaining in a few words, the core concepts behind Playback Rewards. On the way to meet him I suddenly realised I did not have an auto cue for the filming. So I downloaded a free one onto my Google Chromebook from the Chrome Store while on the Overground train into a West London station over the 3 mobile network and set it up over coffee in Starbucks in Holland Park. a few yards from David's offices. It all worked perfectly and made be glad to be in the 21st century. David address will be uploaded on YouTube by Friday but you can read a transcript in the attached file |
posted 28 Jul 2012 02:28 by Alistair Kelman
Another July day - and overnight we are up on Seedrs. A good question in our listing on Seedrs "This concept seem not unlike the paid survey sites such as Toluna. In my experience, people would do it for a while then get bored, or realise the opportunity cost is just not worth it - how would you ensure that people would stay engaged?" It gave me an opportunity to explain exactly how we get around this problem. My answer (which you can read on the Seedrs site) seemed to be accepted because a few hours later we had several more anonymous investors. And the Olympics are only just getting started - with all the opportunities that that will bring. |
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