If you’re looking for an iPhone, iOS, iPad and/or Android mobile app maker in Alaska – look no further than Catapult Consulting.

Catapult is an Alaska based mobile app, iPhone game and Android development company with a history of making top charted apps. Founded just a few years ago, Catapult has pioneered some cool local apps, including being the impetus and brainchild behind the Alaska App which I blogged about last year. Since their earliest days of success with Tap Defense and Trenches (a top 5 app in iTunes) they’ve been working hard on many other project both large and small.

One of the most recent local Alaska iPhone apps made by Catapult is the RurAL CAP app. It’s a cute little app designed to demonstrate to potential donors the cost of living and challenges faced by low income Alaskans.

Beyond Catapult’s app development skills, they’re also growing a team of developers to provide talent augmentation for other development projects. Translated – they are outsourcing their talents for other large corporations like Apple, Overstock.com and others that need more manpower to complete their own software development projects.

The reason I wanted to call out Catapult’s talents is to highlight the fact that we CAN and should be able to attract, keep and develop great technology companies in Alaska. Beyond our obvious need to focus on resource extraction for Alaska’s economy, I believe we can develop a strong tech sector to diversify the economy beyond fishing, oil and tourism.

About Catapult Consulting
Catapult Consulting produces world class mobile applications and specializes in iOS (Apple iPhone and iPad). Catapult has both a computer gaming practice and a practice for the enterprise. Catapult’s consumer titles (our team has developed Trenches, Stenches, Tap Defense, The Alaska App, and many others) have 10′s of millions of mobile installs and have continued to achieve best-of-class ratings and reviews on The App Store.

Online
Website: http://catapultconsulting.net
Facebook: Catapult Consulting page

Contact
bizdev@catapultconsulting.net
Phone: 907-338-7812
Fax: 866-352-0164

Photo © Mike Prasad

I recently met the founders of Arxotica (a portmanteau of Arctic and Exotic) while attending a local investor, think-tank event here in Anchorage. Their story is incredible and the skin serum is absolutely a one-of-a-kind product.

First off, count me as a big fan of anyone claiming “Northen Vigor” as part of their product’s attributes! What Arxotica has created is both a thing of beauty and a very ingenius “local” Alaska business concept.

The Product
The skin serum is a patented combination of local berries, flowers and other tundra botanicals that are wild harvested by hand from the Arctic tundra near Bethel, Alaska. Each batch of serum is hand picked by the locals and sent to a reputable cosmetics house on the east coast *USA* where the botanicals are melded into a proprietary formula. Beyond the great story of how the product is sourced, the net results are a veritable superfood for the skin. Independent labs have tested the botanicals for their antioxidant levels…and frankly, they are off the chart when compared to the usual suspect of blueberries, Açaí berry and so on. So let’ see… it’s rare, made by people who really care about sustainability and has incredible antioxidant values. On top of this, the fragrance is very subtle and is said to mimic the actual fresh air smell from the Arctic tundra. By my nose, I would agree…it had a very green, fresh and light aroma. Win-win-win.

The People
Two of the Sparck triplets came by on a late Friday night session (just hanging out on the deck enjoying the midnight sun) with the folks attending [Re]:think Alaska. Their enthusiasm, commitment to the product and ultimate goal of creating a sustainable Arctic cosmetic business in their village was infectious.

They have literally built the product and business by hand, which is truly inspiring. The present business plan is to find a luxury retailer to pickup their line of skin serum for the 2011 holiday season. I for one think they will find a buyer, and once they do it’s going to sell like gangbusters!

Moving Forward
Beyond the initial launch of Arxotica, they have wasted nothing in the process and will eventually build a line of soaps, lotions, skin toners and more – all from the byproduct of the botanicals and production of their most potent skin serum. I got a sample of the soap which was great!

With a dash of great luck, good exposure and incredible products – Arxotica is going to set the standard for how to develop locally, market globally and add a dash of Arctic couture along the way. I truly wish them the best!

Where to get Arxotica?
Visit their website, it’s for sale NOW. Get it before Macy’s, Nordstrom or Neiman-Marcus gets the exclusive.
http://arxotica.com/

Photo © Mike Prasad

Having just received my “innerSquare” kit from Square, I felt compelled to write about how their mobile credit card processing is incredibly cool. My experience with Square, Inc.’s software, card reader and service came directly from real-world use during the 2011 Iron Dog Race. 

What is it?
Square is a credit card processing service, software application and magnetic stripe reader for your iPhone or Android smart phone. You can sign up for Free, get the software for Free and they even send you the card reader for Free. So what’s the catch? Nothing really, just like your standard credit card processor they will take a cut of the action. Surprisingly, Square allows you to be non-committal (read: no monthly fees) for a very competitive rate. (Under 3% at the time of writing this article)

So what?
Obviously if you are running a brick and mortar operation with millions of transactions, this is probably not the very best tool for you. If you are a small business, like a screenprinter, street vendor, artist or something like the Iron Dog…you MUST check this out. Here’s a list of the key benefits from my perspective and experience:

1. Dead simple. During the Iron Dog Race we had five of the readers being used by volunteers who were given about 1 minute walkthroughs. Everyone was up and running in no time busy selling T-shirts, raffle tickets, etc. The user interface on the iPhone and Android phone is incredibly intuitive. On the iPad, it’s dead sexy…but that’s another story.

 

2. Works everywhere. For most of our events we were using GCI provided HTC Android phones which worked amazingly well, even out on the frozen ice of Big Lake. We were able to swipe and sell all day long without phone land lines or electricity…try that with your current credit card processor. With very few exceptions (like rural Alaska), we were always able to process credit cards in real-time, any time.

 

3. Fast, simple and easy payment. No contracts or harsh penalties, just incredibly easy credit card processing with payments going straight to your bank account. What’s not to love? The backend tools are pretty slick and can be exported for use in your accounting software. Slick. Did I mention, no paper receipts or imprint machines? Just valid, authorized payments… hallelujah!

 

4. Wow factor. People were probably just as impressed with the Square credit card processing experience as they were in buying something. The user experience is great for everyone involved, I cannot speak more highly of the attention to simplicity in this process. It’s just fun to use.

Using the Square
I won’t bore you with deep details on the steps, it’s really as simple – just swipe, sign and send a receipt. Watch the video, this is just one example of Square in the real world.

 
Get one.
Want a reader right now? If you’re interested in learning more about how this worked for the Iron Dog or just want to check it out in person, come by the Iron Dog office or shoot me a note. I’ve got 50 of them (when I published this article)…come and get one, and start selling, collecting and processing. You can also order one when you sign up at: squareup.com

Found this and you’re not in Alaska? Search for #innersquare on Twitter and find someone in your area that has the innerSquare kit, I’m sure they’ll be glad to share their experiences with you!

Disclaimer. I was not paid to write this, nor was I compensated* by Square to promote their product. I just think this thing rocks. *Okay, I did get one T-shirt that came in my innerSquare kit, but that’s not enough to get me writing about something.

In another installment of Quirky ideas, this one just had to be mentioned. It’s true that Alaskans love their bungie cords and tie-downs, you see them everywhere there’s something going on (snowmachining, skiing, mushing, hunting, etc.) 

With these Quirky Bandits, you can take that strapped down ideology inside and scale it down to smaller jobs like shopping, hiking and office wrangling. For myself, I see quite a few uses for these clever little bungie cords…just like the stock photos, biking, keeping the office cables tidy, etc.

At the time of this writing, the Bandits are in a Pre-order (“In production”) phase with a price of $9.99. Visit Quirky.com for more!

My grandfather used to tell me, “always buy the best you can afford and you’ll always be happy with it”. For many years I really didn’t know what to think of that phrase. I’ve come to learn that sometimes it really is better to demand quality, even if it means dumping money into something than others may find foolish or self-indulgent.

Case in point
I recently received a package from UPS with a pair of wire Oakley sunglasses. What makes them unique (or at least relevant to this story) is the history of this particular pair of Juliet® sunglasses. This pair was returned to me from Oakley’s metallurgy team in California after a complete tuneup and new lenses. But before I go into that, let’s take a look at when, where and how much these glasses cost when I first purchased them.

Back in 2002, yes nine years ago, I bought this pair of sunglasses at a Peter Glenn shop in Anchorage. The price on the box was $285.00 and I paid $275.00 according to the original receipt. To some, that seems like an excessive price for a pair of sunglasses. Generally I would agree that $275.00 is expensive for sunglasses, but when you do the math it really isn’t all that bad. For $30 a year, I’ve had a great lens and frame to protect my eyes from the everymoredangerous rays of the sun due to global warming *ahem* climate change.

$275 ÷ 9 years = $30.56 per year

Death of the cobbler
Does anyone remember taking their Cole Haan shoes to a local cobbler to get new soles? When is the last time you hemmed your own pants or patched a tear in your clothing? In a culture of conspicuous and disposable consumption it was great to find an alternative to the landfill and a $350.oo “investment” to replace my aging sunglasses. Oakley restored my hope in the notion that you CAN find a quality product to last a lifetime (or at least a decade or two). Through their customer support I sent my sunglasses to California for restoration (or as they call it, a tune) after 9 years of ownership.

For a reasonable $124.99, my original frame was restored with new rubber components, fitted with new lenses and generally given a solid tune up. Compared to the cost of buying a new pair today for nearly 30% more than what I paid new in 2002, the tune up was a major savings. Considering the other positive aspects of having something restored vs. replaced, I confess I am somewhat smug about my part in saving the planet…or whatever. What’s more likely is that I’m self-congratulatory knowing that I made a good decision – even if it is just a pair of sunglasses.

What’s the point?
First, I say kudos to Oakley for making this service available and for building a product that lasts. Second, my hope is that more manufacturers develop a sense of longevity in their products…surely it is better for business, the brand and ultimately our landfills. When you invest in something of quality (even if it may at first appear to be expensive) it may actually cost less in the long run, but most importantly you’ll always be happy with your decision.

Fresh from Alaska.org is a shiny new Alaska iPhone app for your next visit to the 49th State! This is without a doubt the most featured rich iPhone app dedicated to the Alaska experience! There are loads of features packed into this app, but the most striking of all is the price…it’s FREE!
Download the Alaska App via iTunes.

So, what can this app do?

GPS Location Aware Guide & Map
My vote for the coolest feature has to be the built-in map that recognizes your location via GPS then displays cool sightseeing opportunities, places to eat and things to do nearby. It’s claimed to include more than 30,000 hand-picked locations to choose from all around Alaska. Pretty cool! My personal experience showed hundreds of options all around the Anchorage to Eklutna areas. For a local, this feature is actually pretty slick…I bet you’ll find a park nearby that you never knew about!

Audio Tours
If you’re looking for some historical background or just curious about places, buildings and wildlife in the area – the audio tours are a neat addition for the tourists. (Some locals could learn a thing or two also!)

Great Videos
Alaska Channel (Alaska.org) is already well known for their travel videos. Basically you get high quality previews of Alaskan scenery in the palm of your hand. Great eye candy.

The Alaska Postcard
For travelers and locals alike, the Alaska postcard feature built into this app is pretty cool. Basically you can take a photo with your iPhone and attach it to a cool looking template that resembles an old school postcard. Type in a message and send it to friends, family and jealous coworkers. If the recipient has a somewhat modern email application, they’ll get a really gorgeous email with your photo (theoretically taken in Alaska). Nicely integrated and great feature targeted primarily at Alaska visitors.

The Library and Ask Bob
These features are really aimed at people simply trying find out more things to do as a tourist or looking for the inside scoop on traveling around Alaska. There’s a solid list of categories to choose from in the Library. If you’re looking for a personal travel guide just Ask Bob!

Conclusion (at least for now)
I’ve only had the app installed for a few hours, but I can tell you that this is definitely an impressive effort – not just for Alaska, but for ANY free iPhone app. Kudos to the developers and to Alaska.org for putting together such a great application! It was definitely a hefty download at more than 260MB, but for what it can do I am not surprised at the file size. Go check it out!   Download the Alaska App via iTunes.

The Alaska App was originally developed by Catapult Consulting.

Another cool idea from Quirky is the new Pivot Power, a clever “twist” on flexible power outlets. I can definitely see the application for this in my home and office. It’s amazing how many outlets go unused due to awkward AC/DC converters and ridiculously large chargers for cell phones, etc.

At the time of this writing, the Pivot Power is in the Pre-sale (“Commitment”) phase with a price of $25. Visit Quirky.com for more!

It’s not very often I stumble upon a press release, new product or demo video that truly rattles my cage. What you see in this demo of Time Magazine’s new tablet application is a glimpse of what the future of news and media will look like for the foreseeable future. Watch the video after the jump.

For the first time in a long time – I’m blown away. The copycats will be fast on the heels of this app, and I believe that’s a good thing. Funny…maybe Steve Jobs did know something about the future.

Here’s a “making of” video which demonstrates the app on the Apple Ipad.

1. Time Magazine App | app.time.com
2. Get an iPad locally | www.machaus.net

Here’s what it looks like when you land on soft ground in a 1954 Cessna 180. Not pretty.

I saw this on the airfield a few days ago and more or less forgot about it, until I came across the story posted online. More about what happened can be found on the Alaska Bush Pilot Blog at Alaska Dispatch.

P.S. I was not involved in the crash at all. Just sharing what I saw!

Every once in a while I am reminded how Alaska is such a unique place. While I’m certain it’s not all “that” unique to have coupons for firearm purchases, I’m guessing you won’t see this same circular floating around the Seattle or Portland area Fred Meyer stores.

My favorite part of these coupons is the limitations. For rifles and shotguns, Limit 4 per customer and Limit 2 for all handguns $299.99 and up! Maybe they’re trying to tell us something…should I be stocking up on my firearms? Haha. Anyway, just a funny and random thing that I felt would be fun to share.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.