Update: 26 May 2009
Reports are beginning to come in that 3G is now active in the Anchorage and Wasilla areas. Karen Whitworth mentioned via Twitter that she is now getting 3G in Wasilla.

The debate (and wild guesstimates for the launch date) rage on about whether 3G will ever arrive in Alaska. We’re approaching the 3rd generation of the iPhone and yet we in Alaska haven’t even experienced the first generation of 3G. Check out the original post and comments here.

I spent nearly the entire day at the Wild Berry Theater in Anchorage today geeking out over amazing high end video cameras. It was also a great time to visit with some great people from around the state and those who are now making Alaska their new filmmaking home. Below are a few snapshots from the Alaska Filmmakers Clinic that included a great presentation by Ted Schilowitz of RED camera and other great presentations by Apple (ProRes), Sony cameras and Fujinon lenses.

The attendance was very strong and I believe this event ignited the “real” filmmaking industry in Alaska. Time will be the judge, but it really felt like Alaska may be breaking into the what-was-once-only-Hollywood kind of productions.

After the Clinic, hands-on with the cameras (including the amazingly Transformer-looking 3D rig) and presentations, many more people crowded into the theater to catch the “premiere” of Evergreen Film’s release of ICY KILLERS. This great movie about Alaska’s salmon sharks can be seen on National Geographic channel, check it out.

There’s lots more to say, but I wanted to share the photos right away while the rest of the experience sinks in. I’m personally grateful for the Alaska Film Office, Alaska Film Group, RED, Sony, Fujinon, Evergreen Films, AlaskaUSA (my credit union, yay!) and all the rest who made the event possible. Truly inspiring, thank you!

(Plug: We use Apple and Final Cut Studio for all our editing and are extremely grateful for the support that MacHaus has shown us over the last year. Seriously, if you are in Alaska and want help with your Apple and Mac products, you really need to visit MacHaus. They’re in Anchorage, Wasilla and Fairbanks. Thanks, Ben!)

Apparently the Iditarod is a weeks long camping trip. The Fur Rondy World Championship Sled Dog Races are apparently the cats meow when it comes to competitive dog sledding. Kudos to the cameraman and the director of photography for making Tozier track look so sexy. Nice editing and coloring of the sky. Enjoy the trailer, then check your pulse.

Just a few weeks ago, my sister-in-law finally traded up from a dying Toshiba (Windows XP) laptop after about a year of cajoling and incessant praise for the Apple computers that we have in our home/office. Fast forward to the day she takes home her shiny new Apple Macbook (unibody) – everything is as beautiful and flawless as expected, until later that night.

10:00PM
I get the call later that night from a very frustrated and obviously disillusioned new Macbook owner. As she’s telling me how the mouse won’t move and one of the keys has popped of the keyboard, I’m thinking to myself, “Great! She finally makes the investment and it turns out to be a turd.” Now, it’s up to me to convince her that it’s a fluke, this never happens and I’ll find a way to make it right. Nothing ruins your new purchase experience more than having to immediately pack it up and mail it off for service!

The next day, I pick up the Macbook from her hoping I’ll find some magical solution to fix the broken keyboard without having to send it all back to Apple. (The mouse was fine, she was just getting used to the multitouch trackpad.) After taking a look at it myself, I immediately called MacHaus to see if someone was available to look at the Macbook and gauge whether or not they could do something about it. Their service tech quickly answered my questions and suggested I bring it by to see what they could do.

2:00PM
Stopped by MacHaus to see if they could fix this day old Macbook with a broken keyboard. The service tech was super friendly and sympathized with the situation while trying to evaluate the root of the problem. As it turns out, the key was in fact broken, likely due to manufacturing issue. Normally, this means a round trip flight to some Apple repair facility and a further delay in gratification for a new Macbook owner.

2:10PM
Problem solved, permanently. I won’t give you all the details on how he managed it, but MacHaus just happened to have what was needed to make a permanent fix to the broken key! This had to be one of my single most painless visits related to any sort of repair.

Okay, so maybe it was luck or maybe MacHaus really is that good. What dawned on me at that moment was the real value of supporting a local business that has the products, the know-how and positive attitude. Had MacHaus not been around, the overall experience would have been significantly marred for someone brand new to Apple products. 

Mostly I wanted to just say thank you to MacHaus for making an otherwise blemished Macbook feel new again! I also think this example illustrates the value of supporting local businesses that take pride in their service and support. This experience has definitely restored my interest in supporting the “Buy local” ideology.

On that note, be sure to check out Buy Alaska’s website: http://www.buyalaska.com

You can search for almost anything here and find a local company in your area. Look them up, buy local – it really pays to keep the business in Alaska!

Disclaimer: We did order this Macbook from an online retailer, only after we had shopped every store in town to find they didn’t have this model in stock. Even then, MacHaus took the time to make it right regardless of where it was originally purchased.
 

MacHaus
Alaska’s Apple Specialists
www.machaus.net

The Alaska online classifieds world has been divided yet again with the introduction of AlaskasList.com. According to the founders and the catch phrase on the website,

“That guy in California has his list. Now Alaskans have their own…”

I suppose the real question is do we need another classified ad service in Alaska? We already have Craigslist, local newspapers and one of my personal favorites: Oodle.com  

With the ever withering newspaper decline, I’ve often wondered why they haven’t picked up on how easy it would be to build a free online classifieds service to keep their readers coming back?  There are a few reasons why Alaska’s List could be a better option for Alaskans.

Guns!
Let’s just throw out the biggest reason that Alaskaslist.com has unique and local appeal. We love our firearms up here in Alaska. Leaving the obvious political debate aside, it’s nice to have a marketplace to list your guns for sale. There are a few other resources that I’ve used or seen where people can buy/trade and sell firearms to each other, but most are niche community sites like the Alaska 4×4 forums.

Animals
You can find pet and animal listings on most other classifieds, but according the Alaskaslist.com, Craigslist has notoriously been under attack by animal rights activists, etc.  I tend to agree with the author of the About Us where they state “The creators of this Web site know first-hand how frustrating it is to place a classified ad at Craigslist, only to have it flagged-down moments later.”

Who is behind this?
At the time of this post, I have an email out to the webmaster at Alaskaslist.com and did a little investigative digging of my own. I’ll save the final WHOIS until I’ve heard back from the site’s creator(s). The best I can do right now is guess that the founder of the site is a local in Anchorage that runs a small web design shop and currently uses GoDaddy to host the domain. 

Update: I was close. The guy behind Alaskaslist.com is a local in Chugiak (just down the road from me) who I’ve met in person a few times in the past. Mike runs a few other Alaska sites, like akweb.com which is a sort of local portal with an emphasis on Alaska weather.

In their words…

“What we promise you at AlaskasList is freedom from the anarchy that you get at Craigslist.”

My tips for the founders

• Get your RSS feed setup through Feedburner
• Make money off the traffic, even if it’s cleverly and tastefully done with *gasp* Google ads
• Offer some widgets for people to easily embed searches on their PC or own blogs
• Offer an automated “watch” feature that emails alerts when a new listing matches keywords
• Drop the fee for 365 days ads – who wants to see an ad that’s 6 months old, make them come back and update it for free
• The $1.99 fee for being featured – I dunno, okay I guess, PayPal option is nice

Will I use Alaskaslist?
Probably not. At least not in its current form. There’s a certain aesthetic and simplicity to Craigslist that makes it super functional and a more pleasing and rich experience using Oodle.com.  That being said, if the local adoption of the service picks up and they manage to keep the spam like “Yorkies for sale” out of the mix…I could be persuaded to add it to my bookmarks.

As the economics of decline take hold, I’m sure many are looking at their technology spending very closely. I’ve personally been treading water for more than three years as a small business owner/entrepreneur and can tell you from first hand experience that some things are worth buying!  I’m not a Mac fanboy, but I’d like to explain my reasons for making the leap to Apple and Mac OS X.

PC History

My design and layout experience goes back to the early 1980s in the printing business where I also started using PCs for typesetting and simple layout. The first time I used Photoshop was on a then super fast 486sx PC running Windows 3.1. To make a long story short, I stayed with PCs and continued to amass huge investments in Windows software from Microsoft, Adobe, Macromedia and plenty of others. No doubt, I was heavily invested in Windows applications, literally thousands of dollars (maybe even tens of thousands).

I’ve always appreciated the Macintosh (Apple) systems, but had been too heavily vested in the PC world to ever justify the expense of “starting over”. All of that argument went out the window the first time I got my hands on the Leopard operating system. About the same time, we had some failing PCs and were considering whether to upgrade and move to Windows Vista. We had an opportunity in one of my small businesses to buy an entry level Apple computer  for a very good price right about the time Mac OS X Leopard was released- so we made the leap.

Converting to Mac

It only took me about 2 weeks before I decided I needed a Mac for myself, so I bought a Macbook to “compliment” my regular PC. In less than a month, I had completely stopped using the PC in favor of using my Macbook plugged into an external monitor. This laptop and the latest Mac OS was so much faster and more productive it truly made using the PC feel like a chore. Since those first baby steps, I’ve made a complete conversion to the Apple/Mac platform both personally and professionally. The heavy reinvestment in new software was not as bad as I had expected and came with a few hidden benefits.

One example: In all my PC days, I used the Adobe suite of video editing tools such as Premiere and After Effects which were fairly expensive and in many ways very difficult pieces of software to maintain. The number of crashes, hardware issues and general user interface (especially After Effects) was a huge time wasting event. Since reinvesting in Apple’s Final Cut Studio, I’ve experienced almost zero problems and have been vastly more functional with tools that were completely brand new to me at the time. My abilities in Motion, for example, are far more advanced in less than a year than what took me more than three years to figure out in After Effects. 

The old PCs are still around, mostly used for test platforms to check PC (Internet Explorer) user experience for websites and videos that we produce in either of my small businesses. 

Every time I fire up one of the old Windows XP machines, it’s like watching paint dry and I am instantly reminded of how much time I must save daily just in startup time. My current MacPro boots and I’m checking emails in less than 30 seconds!

It’s really difficult to capture all of the benefits that I’ve personally experienced by working on the Mac OS platform. Some of the most simple and powerful tools such as Quick Look, which allows you to view almost any document, image or video without having to actually launch the application, is an enormous time saver over the span of even just a week. I spend far less time opening and closing applications, restarting or any of the annoying time wasters that typically come with the “normal” PC experience.

Bottomline

Lots of people argue that Apple is overpriced, the cost to convert is too high and right now it’s just not feasible. I said the same thing for years! Not only are the Apple products generally 10x more stable – they look good, they last a long time and age very well. You can buy lesser expensive computers, but I guarantee you’ll waste more of your productive time and ultimately end up replacing that cheaper PC with another one long before you replace a Mac purchased at the same time!

The sheer productivity increase has easily more than made up for the cost, reinvestment and mental switch from Windows to Mac OS. All I can say is, if you’re in Alaska, you really need to go visit MacHaus in Anchorage, Wasilla or Fairbanks. Seriously, they know their stuff, have the expertise and know how to set you up with the right computer including keep you up and running for years to come!

Final thoughts

As much as I enjoy my Apple computers, I’ve still not been able to justify the purchase of an iPhone. As much as I’d love the integration, the mobility of the Mac OS and all the cool factor that comes with it – I can’t endorse the iPhone as I would Apple’s computers. The iPhone has lots of room for improvement including detangling from AT&T, opening the OS, killing the “app store” and letting people develop in a free market environment…but, I digress. The iPhone is an entirely different topic really, but it illustrates that I’m not just a Mac fanatic out to evangelize all things Apple.

Blogging is by no means a new thing these days, nor is it really all that novel. The topic of backlash from bloggers has also been talked about for at least four years now. So why an article on “blogger backlash”? I’d like to share my own experiences about how blogging can have local implications and express my views about the backlash I’ve received as a result of this website.

You said something we don’t like 

Earlier this week, I was summarily ostracized by the current chairman of a local club when he informed me he would be actively barring me from volunteering my time to promote their club and the upcoming events. I had offered and already started giving my time, expertise and resources to build them a new website, produce a series of video podcasts, shoot video of the events and create a social media buzz to drive attendance. There was just one issue…the big event was sponsored by a couple of prominent Alaska companies.

Here’s what I received in reply to my offer to help promote the event, he wrote:

“I can not give you permission to shoot video of the participants, the events, place cameras or any other such thing when it come to the sponsored event.. as you can see by the name of the event I do not represent any of the title entities. Your history with both sponsors and your outspoken detractions of sponsor name in particular, make things difficult for me. I can not and will not jeopardize the relationship between sponsor 1, sponsor 2 and sponsor 3 let alone my club.”

Man, all I wanted to do is help! Obviously, I was both angry and disappointed by this reply. In the end, my response was a very cordial and simple reply.

“Too bad, I would have enjoyed helping out. Good luck in the future.”

Is there a moral to the story?

As a result of this exchange, I did some soul searching, reviewed what I’ve written or said about certain Alaska companies and other entities in the past to see if I had somehow “crossed the line”. What I concluded is that some people just aren’t ready for transparency, open dialogue and public discussion about the good, the bad or the ugly.

Whether or not I was right or wrong is really not the issue here. Companies, organizations and individuals are already talking behind your back, spreading both truth and lies. Should I be shunned for simply starting the conversation about local company business practices or the critical opinions I might have about any product, service or customer experience?

In short, the lesson to be learned is that speaking out about established networks of friends, businesses, politicians or individuals can have negative implications for the author.

Separation of personal and professional

One thing that seems obvious is that our personal and professional lives are separate, but connected when convenient to further some sort of agenda. I could just as easily point that statement right back in my own face, and I do. That said, there is an ongoing and ugly trend to actively silence naysayers or those who would call a turd a turd. Sorry folks, but if it stinks, I’m not about to call it a rose.

My personal feelings toward anyone may be negative, neutral or positive, but it does not restrict my interest in doing business with them. Additionally, if the entity or person I have negative opinions toward were to come forward and engage in a discussion – I’m even more likely to adjust my opinion once there’s been an effort to reach some level of understanding!

It’s all about relationships. If you receive criticism or negative feedback, consider it an invitation to share your side of the story. Adversity only strengthens you! (well, it does me anyway)

Moving on

I strive to never to lash out or criticize indiscriminately. The opinions, stories and information I share here are based on my experiences which do not necessarily reflect or represent the “final word”. That is the very reason for a blog – to initiate dialogue, to open a forum for EVERYONE to share in the conversation. We, the viewing, consuming and sharing public now control the conversation – it’s up to the businesses, organizations and committee members to get involved in this public discussion.

Will this sort of blackballing or shunning cause me to change my opinions, reduce or filter my comments or discourage my interest in sharing my point of view? Absolutely not. In fact, it’s exactly this sort of nonsense that strengthens my resolve and encourages me to keep doing what I’m doing.

Excuse me as I step down from my pedestal.

In other news (and something that I’m excited about), Alaska’s oldest road race, the Grand Prix is officially returning to the Fur Rondy roster of events in 2009!  For me, this was the single most exciting event at the Fur Rondy in the previous years and likely the only reason I would even attend the winter festivities in downtown Anchorage.  Unofficially, I know that the Alaska Sports Car Club (ASCC) is planning to introduce some new rules and a slightly different format for the races this year.

Since the event has been scheduled for a Friday and Sunday, intentionally surrounding the ceremonial start of the Iditarod – this will change the nature of how the race is conducted.  Details are still being planned and the ASCC has several volunteers working to bring it all together.  Although the official press release and event is not scheduled until the first week of December, the ASCC has posted a special announcement and I just had to share my excitement about the return of the Fur Rondy Grand Prix!

History of the races

One thing that I found to be a huge disappointment was the lack of historical information available online about this road race.  Only the ASCC seems to have a good summary of when this event began back in 1960. Several famous racing names such as Bob Bondurant and Chris Cook have even taken part in this race.  I’m hoping to do a little more digging on the history of the race, but until then check out the history on the ASCC site.

Video

Here’s a little taste of the race from inside and outside the car. Thanks to Daniel Hertrich for posting his video online!

Race Course

It appears the Alaska MacStore has hijacked the MacHaus dot com address. The details of this Alaska Apple MacHaus / MacStore feud are unknown. What is obvious, is that in recent days the domain name www.machaus.com has come to life with MacHaus’s competitor, the Alaska MacStore. At the time of writing this article, MacHaus’s website at www.machaus.net was also completely unreachable.

I made a few calls to MacHaus to see what was going on and simply found out they are aware of the situation and taking “appropriate steps” to deal with the situation. Once I get some details from the owner of MacHaus, I’ll update this story.

One thing for certain is that we are witnessing what appears to be a clear violation of ICANN rules and the law. Unless there is a legal debate over the name MacHaus itself, the fact that the Alaska MacStore is using MacHaus.com is a clear ethical and legal step over the line.

It’s also fitting and ironic that MacStore is using a giant pirate symbol on the new MacHaus.com website.

Update:  

September 22, 2008
Now, the day after I posted this story, MacHaus.com is redirecting to akmacstore.com.  Someone is trying to obscure and redirect traffic. Tsk tsk, naughty. 

September 23, 2008
It appears the fault of the Machaus.net disappearance was purely coincidence and more the fault of ACS than anyone else.

I’ll keep digging on this story.  More to come…

A little birdy told me that 3G should be coming to Anchorage in August 2008. Doing a little reading between the lines and based on some subtle hints, my estimation is that Anchorage and perhaps several other areas around Alaska will have 3G by August 11, 2008.

Enabling 3G will provide a much needed boost in AT&T’s arsenal of connectivity options for Alaskans. It will also mean for travelers to Alaska that their experience will be more like home. While I am usually fairly critical of all things connectivity in Alaska, having 3G implemented gives me a glimmer of hope.

Now that I have talked up AT&T and shown them some appreciation for rolling out 3G, I look forward to the decoupling of Apple and AT&T. I still believe some strong competition for the iPhone 3G would benefit everyone. Sure, the device is cheaper, but the plans are extremely expensive in my opinion. I’m still hanging on to my old CellularOne $60/month unlimited voice plan – that’s the number one reason I don’t have the iPhone.

So, hooray for Alaska and AT&T – let’s see if my predictions are correct! In my next post, I have a little more information about the number of available WiMax sites around Anchorage. I love the potential for WiMax and hope it can really create a competitive environment in the ISP market.

That is all for now.
-Kevin