Home Inspections with iPad

Carson, Dunlop, a longtime customer of ours has launched an iPad-compatible web app to allow home inspectors to file home inspections online to a central repository.

Scott Hamilton and Grand Unified Theories

Scott Hamilton makes gory bodies. Not just any gory bodies. He makes REALLY gory bodies for special effects for films. And he's proud that he's researched human remains working with the Coroner and morgues to get actually right. He's almost always busy and is at work on several motion pictures as we speak, on special make-up, special effects and unusual rubber molds for skeletons and the like.

Animator Jay Boose

Jayson Boose was born and raised in the tundra of Ontario, Canada where he studied classical animation. In 1995 he got his big break and moved south of the border where he landed his first job as an assistant animator on Fox Animation’s “Anastasia.” Soon, Walt Disney Feature Animation beckoned and his adventure with the mouse began.

He started out as an assistant animator on Disney’s “Mulan”, then later as an animator on “Lilo & Stitch” and Brother Bear.” Since the untimely death of 2-D animation he has been blissfully working as an animator in a happy land called Pixar. The Chemist is his first foray into comics.


Jay and his wife Sarah moved back to Toronto after years working in the animation industry in the US. They said they're just happy to be in a place where people are friendlier. Welcome to the Beach, Sarah and Jay. Home of animators, cartoonists, special effects guys, and a whole lot of other really creative people.

Steve Ellwood and Law Practise Efficiency

Steve Ellwood has run a technology consulting operation for law firms since 1984 focusing on the legal market starting with accounting systems such as PCLaw, Peachtree, Bedford accounting, NuViews and Accpac accounting. The practice moved into word processing for these same law firms and provided training for support staff and lawyers in the transition from IBM Selectrics to WordStar, WordPerfect for DOS, MultiMate, XYWrite and a handful of other competing applications.

Document assembly and process automation then became the next frontier. Early systems for law firms included LexperText and WordPerfect's Notebook which for its time was literally 'magic'. On the same timeline firms started wanting to manage their contacts, calendaring and client data using computers. This quickly moved to into wanting to share information across staff where in the early 90’s ellwood started using and implementing Amicus and not too long afterwards, Time Matters.

Today his firm's three divisions are comprised of 14 professionals drawn from IT specialists to paralegals to forensic examiners. Our client base continues to be concentrated in the core of Toronto where he focuses on bringing major league tools to a wide variety of law firms with diverse practice areas. Their future is bright. With upcoming changes to the rules of civil procedure around the limits to the time spent in discovery, the need for accurate and efficient fact management and presentation will become even more important. His clients are prosperous because by and large they represent the subset of the profession that is aggressively seeking advantage for their clients; they are delivering superior results to their clients.

Hal Swann, InspireInc.

Beacher Hal Swann of Inspireinc.com is one of those nice guys you only expect to find in a Frank Capra film. Sort of a Jimmy Stewart character without the funny accent.

"We do end-to-end film production with flexible indie team size, for independent film makers, documentarians, and educators.

"I participate in other peoples’ teams too, when they need cinematography, camera operation, film stills, post-production coordination, editing, DVD creation, 360º VR, time-lapse and related work.

That, and unconventional photography :)"

As I rely on my csutomers to educate me, when Hal isn't bringing me new customers, he's usually educating me on some part of the Mac hagiography that I missed somewhere along the way.

VocaLinks Inc.

In May 1998, Beacher Peter Butler and Phil Huffman established VocaLinks Inc. We originally specialized in speech recognition software, particularly Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the first product to allow continuous speech dictation. It had recently evolved from the one-word-at-a-time Dragon Dictate product.

Most of their clients in those early days were doctors or computer users who had difficulty working with keyboards and mice. It didn't take very long for them to figure out that unleashing the power of speech had a very broad appeal.

Words are the building blocks of human communication, and computers have proven to be very effective tools for helping us read them and write them, whether we be doctors dictating medical reports, authors writing novels or students reading textbooks, learning the meanings of words or organizing ideas into persuasive essays.

Today, VocaLinks Inc. is a provider of tools and instruction to help people do all these things. When they help you unleash the power of speech, we are helping you to communicate with your intended audience. They are helping you to speak your ideas, to hear written words spoken aloud, to operate your computer by voice and to present your ideas to others.

Whitby Audio Video

Michael Huber of Whitby Audio Video is a friend I call upon to install high-end video and audio components for homes and business. He works with the vendors of the more popular home automation equipment.

We're on Cash Cab Tomorrow Night on Discovery Channel

Just a note to alert you to tune in to Cash Cab tomorrow night at 7pm on the Discovery Channel when I and a couple of friends take on the trivia experts to win fame and fortune. The segment includes also Jeff Barrett, the MacMedic, and Danny Lyon. It was filmed on location in the Beaches in downtown Toronto.

Meet Gary Bishop of pyrotekfx.com

Meet Gary Bishop of pyrtoketfx.com. Gary does some things some of us only dream of: he gets to play with fire. Some call it special effects, so pyrotechnics. But for Gary it's all fun.

Let him know if your planning a special event, bar mitzvah, or maybe you're divorce finally came through. He'll make it a blast.

Frank Pitsikalis Founder of ResortSuite

Frank Pitsikalis – Founder & CEO of ResortSuite

Frank Pitsikalis brings a wealth of professional and personal experience to his role as Founder & CEO of ResortSuite. He has advised Fortune 1000 companies who utilize technology at a strategic level and has worked at top international management consulting firms including, Ernst & Young, USoft (Unisys), and MERANT. Combining his knowledge of the hospitality field with his background in enterprise level technology, Frank founded ResortSuite, establishing a position as the leading provider of true integrated, guest-centric, hospitality and leisure management technology.

Frank devotedly volunteers his time to various industry associations including, The Leading Spas of Canada and The International Spa Association (ISPA) where he serves as a board of director on both boards. He was a contributing author for ISPA's Retail Management for Spas, The Art & Science of Retail, writing two chapters in the textbook. Currently he is working with The ISPA team on contribution to ISPA's Financial Management for Spas Book. Frank is an enthusiastic speaker and presents regularly at prominent industry events and forums. He can be reached at frankp@resortsuite.com.

The ResortSuite fully integrated hospitality management software provides a unique, easy to use, guest-centric offering that combines common core capabilities with rich domain expertise in every operational area. A fully integrated management software solution, ResortSuite helps you operate your property from a strong, unified base while still enjoying a complete 360o View of your entire operation and each guest's experience.

Jordan Craig and Performance Solutions

Jordan Craig and I go way, way back. In the late 1970's (yes, I'm that old) I was a young apprentice stage carpenter and lighting man for a summer theatre in Quebec's Eastern Townships working for Anne Barr, Jordan's mom. Jordan's dad, the fine classical actor David Craig was performing in the ensemble.

Jordan was handsome like his Dad, a blond-haired tall youth.

Today Jordan is owner of Performance Solutions, a special effects company specializing in unique environments for them parks, special events for feature films, and multimedia affects for art installations.

"We focus on providing unique fabrication and special effects integration solutions for the themed marketplace. Why settle for the same when your customers expect more!

"Commercial Production – Full service shop for all commercial production needs. With set construction, metal structures, special effect services, props, rigging and flying all under one roof you will save both time and money!

"Movie and Film/Video Production/Photography – our reputation is built on being a key supplier of special effects, flying, props to producers, directors and photographers worldwide. Take your shoot to the next level by using the best!

"Fire, Wind, Snow, Rain, Aerial Rigging, Props - We make your event unique by designing special effects and props and interactive that are memorable. We work with amusement parks, entertainment companies, marketing agencies, exhibit companies, theatres and TV networks. Call us when getting it right counts!"

Jordan and his Mom are still Beaches residents.

10 Good Reasons to Shop in Your Neighbourhood This Christmas

Ann Arbor journalist Paula Gardner talked to Tricia Masing, co-owner of Tree Town Toys, who offered a list of 10 reasons that Ann Arbor residents should spend their money in independent stores.

She followed up with an email, saying "One of our fellow toy retailers hands out flyers to their customers to educate them on shopping local."

The points in those flyers, as written by Masing and framed as why a shopper made the right choice:

1. You kept dollars in our economy
For every $100 you spend at one of our local businesses, $68 will stay in the community. What happens when you spend that same $100 at a national chain? Only $43 stays in the community.

2.You embraced what makes us unique
You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in the U.S. (substitute "Canada") So why would you want your community to look that way?

3. You created local jobs
Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.

4. You helped the environment
Buying from a local business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.

5. You nurtured community
We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of chains.

6. You conserved your tax dollars
Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify our community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong—right here in your community!

7. You created more choice
We pick the items we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual market.

8.You took advantage of our expertise
You are our friends and neighbors, and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We’re passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of it?

9. You invested in entrepreneurship
Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business en- sures a strong community.

10.You made us a destination
The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors and guests. This benefits everyone!

Your local merchant has less of an incentive to sell you something you don't need. It's true that Christmas is the big retail season of the year. And there is tremendous pressure on big box to push merchandise out the door. Their stock price is measured largely on how Christmas sales went, and thus the compensation to management. To your local merchant, a long term relationship means much more.

Moreover, returns for the independent retailer are much more expensive to process. Many merchants can't return opened goods. Minimizing returns is a really big deal. The best way to minimize returns is to "pre-qualify" the buyer and find out if the end user can really use the products. When was the last time a salesman at big box asked you what you were going to use the product for?

Your local merchant may know a lot about the person you're about to buy a present for, thus protecting you from buying another boat anchor for the old man.

In technology, timing is everything. Yes it's true that small merchants are undercapitalized and probably don't have the enormous selection of big box on the shelves, but that enormous selection comes with some strings. For example, the buying decision for these products is made six to eight months earlier, and the manufacturers have built in very lucrative incentives for big box to sell everything, and sell them fast. Thus, there is some built-in "brand bias" at big box. Independent retailers have less wiggle room to buy large quantities and thus make "large mistakes". They tend to buy from distributors more frequently, in smaller lots, but much more timely. There is a cost involved, but the price penalty for buying at a smaller shop is often offset by the time you won't waste bringing back dated products.

Also, the truth of the matter is we usually have access to just as many if not more products than big box and we usually have the flexibility to get special items on short notice. The more important point is that we usually know what NOT to sell you.

Finally, I am canvassed by between 400 and 500 parents and students throughout the year to donate to their local charities and I make available up to at least 200 gift certificates for fundraising events. Big box doesn't support your community. I do. That ought to count for something.

Update: December 23, 2009.

In the last few days I have been asked by a couple of people why they should buy iPods at my store if the box stores are offering the same products at below cost. I directed people to this blog post for some of the reasons, but there are more. I actively try to recycle everything that comes into my hands in this community. I responsibly recycle waste. I encourage people to donate their functioning if dated equipment to local schools, churches, charities, and daycares. I encourage responsible consumption of ink and paper by my printer buyers. I educate people on consumption of electricity, and how to protect their privacy on the Internet. But I spend more time educating them on how to get the most of of the equipment they have than almost anything else I do. And I am building this blog to help educate people on what their neighbours are up to. All of these things I do to help re-invigorate the commons, and for which I do not receive compensation. Are these things of value to people? Time will tell.

Tech Journalist - Mara Gulens

Mara Gulens is a writer and editor specializing in technology. 
You may know her as editor of Canada Computes or Microsoft Home Magazine, or have seen her articles in The Globe and Mail, Marketnews, The Toronto Star and other print and online publications. 
For more information on Mara’s writing and editing services, please see: maragulens.com

2012 - An Interview With Marc Weigert

eyeon software's Fusion and Generation -- made here in the Beaches -- was integral to this fall's blockbuster film 2012. Here's an interview with the film visual effects supervisor Marc Weigert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siBHQXxSSV0

Ian Justin and getconnect.com

Ian Justin reminded of the day Rob Burgess popped into my Danforth Avenue store many moons ago and introduced himself as the President of a small company called macromedia.

"Ever heard of something called Flash" Rob queried.

"Can't say as I have," I replied.

"You will" he predicted.

And sure enough, I did. Rob left toronto-based Alias/Wavefront for the relatively little known macromedia, a maker of webpage design software that introduced multimedia design suite Director, Shockwave and eventually the Flash player and Flash web animation environment. Not too long ago macromedia was bought by Adobe and today its programs form part of the Creative Suite family alongside Photoshop and Illustrator.

Ian is a partner in getconnect.com.

"By way of background, I was at Alias and Silicon Graphics for maybe 10 years managing technical teams," explains Beacher Ian Justin, "then I played in the startup world for a while and broke a few companies, then off to Macromedia as WW VP of Technical Sales and then when Adobe took over my partners and I founded GetConnect."

"At the moment I guess the 9 people in the company, only 4 of us selling cover 10% or more of the worldwide revenue for the Adobe Connect Pro suite...in my case almost everything is done from my home in the beach with cameras and a load of computers from which I present across NA and the world.

"Rather fun really, it takes me around 5 minutes to get from a meeting online, changed and into my Kayak and the lake so it’s all good."

GetConnect (formerly GetBreeze) was founded specifically to provide the award-winning technology and web communication software known as Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Pro (formerly Macromedia Breeze). Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Pro is redefining business training, sales, marketing, branding, and communications. Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Pro sets new standards for producing and delivering content and communications that engages people anywhere at anytime.

Prior to Macromedia, Ian spent time managing professional services and support teams building Interactive TV experiences. Ian also spent 10 years in a variety of senior technical management roles with Alias|wavefront working with high-profile clients such as Disney, General Motors, Industrial Light, Magic and on the Oscar-winning Maya software. Ian is a native of the UK and lives with his family and a web-camera TOAC in Toronto, Canada.

Future Shop Convert

One of my customers' fathers came in today to replace the battery on his son's MacBook Pro. His son is an employee at Future Shop and previously a PC owner. He converted to Mac a while ago when he became disgusted with the quality of PC's he saw people bringing back for repair. He put Windows on his Mac to play some video games, but he now has an iMac to go along with his MacBook Pro and is much happier he made the switch.

Funny how Future Shop employees never try to promote their Mac's to me when I go in.

James Marshall of Crestron

Another of our neighbours is James Marshall, a regional rep for Crestron Electronics, a company I hadn't heard of until James explained what he did for a living.

Crestron is the world's leading manufacturer of advanced control and automation systems, innovating technology and reinventing the way people live and work. Offering integrated solutions to control audio, video, computer, IP and environmental systems.

It was started in 1975 in New jersey and its current sales are around $500m.

Here's what they do with Mac products:

"Crestron integration with Apple is the perfect marriage of content and technology to create the perfect home entertainment system. Control audio, video, lights, shades and thermostats directly from your iPhone® or Mac. Connect your iPod to the home network for a seamless, elegant solution to manage your iTunes® library and enjoy music and more throughout the home.

"Crestron Software Development Kits (SDKs) provide a world of possibilities for GUI design and control. Create cool Flash animated interfaces, and enjoy the power of whole house network control from any Mac

"Crestron Mobile™ harnesses the power of 3G and Edge networks to stay connected to the home or office when you’re on the go. View alarm status, adjust lights and room temperature while lying on the beach or sitting in traffic. Crestron Mobile Pro™ provides even greater power and flexibility to control your whole house, including pre-set audio and lighting scenes, home entertainment and more. Both apps are compatible with the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod touch®.

"Crestron CEN-IDOCV (-DSW) provides full iPod functionality, allowing users to do everything that they can do from their iPod and more from a whole house audio system via a Crestron touchpanel or APAD wall mount controller. IDOCV is a PoE network device that enables family members to dock personal iPods throughout the home for convenient charging, automatic syncing with iTunes and playing content. Desktop and in-wall models are available in black or white.

" Multiple "Product of the Year" award-winning Crestron iServer is the only audio server that uses an iPod as its internal hard drive. Exclusive built-in technology transmits USB communication over Ethernet, enabling iServer to seamlessly connect to the home computer network and automatically synchronize with the iTunes library whenever new content is added or playlists are created.

Balbinder O'Neil and Quickplay Media Inc.

Another Beacher, Bal O'Neil is Director, Client Services Delivery, for Quickplay Media Inc. She manages delivery of mobile TV solutions to mobile operators.

QuickPlay Media Inc. is a Toronto-based provider of solutions to manage the business of mobile video. Successfully used by the world’s leading communications providers, QuickPlay provides the fastest and most flexible way for companies to deliver mobile video worth watching.

Quickplay's customers include Bell Mobility, fido, Rogers Wireless, NBC, MTV, SONY BMG, CBC-Radio, and the NBA.

Bal demonstrated video streaming on her iPhone for us at BeachMac. Quickplay does more than stream video. Its solutions also manage media and help their customers manage the media profitably.

There are many other video streaming technology companies. In the past we have demonstrated Apple TV in the store, slingbox, and most recently elgato eyeTV, which also has a new iPhone ap for playing video on your iPhone as well as scheduling and recording programs on your home Macintosh remotely.

One of Apple's Least Noticed Assets

At least a few of my customers seem to be obsessed with the rise and fall of Apple Inc. shares on the stock market. They assume that because I sell the company's products I must own the stock. In fact I own no Apple shares to my knowledge. Maybe I own some indirectly through mutual funds, but if I do I've never taken the time to find out.

My attitude on this subject is that I take plenty enough risks purchasing their products and hoping I can sell them for a modest profit. In the current competitive environment, and given the cost of doing business these days, there are no guarantees even of that.

If anything, my attention is drawn to the extraordinary rise of Apple's website.

I do spend a lot of time looking at websites all day long: distributors' websites, manufacturers' websites, news websites, and my customers' business and informational websites.

Nowhere have I seen a website that even comes close to accomplishing what Apple's website does.

Like most major businesses, apple.com advertizes and promotes its products. And it does so in about 20 languages. It also sells its products in so many languages, and has parallel online stores for students and teachers....again, in multiple languages.

Behind the scenes it has another ordering system for parts to supply its vast network of independent Apple service centres and independent dealers.

For Apple users it has another section of its website for technical support, forums for resolving technical issues, an area to enter the serial number of any Apple computer purchased and find out its specifications. You can download product manuals. You can take courses on how to operate a Macintosh, and how to operate the many computer programs Apple publishes.

Then there is the enormous iTunes store which sells millions of songs by download, rents and sells movies and television programs, sells audio books, and now millions of downloads of games and software applications. Then there are the growing podcasts, some for sale, some for free.

I listen and watch podcasts as far flung as programs from the CBC, TVO, the New York Times, National Public Radio, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Guardian, Al Jazeera television, the New York Review of Books, New Yorker Magazine, the London School of Economics, the Council on Foreign Relations, Slate Magazine. fora.tv. I listen in on courses given at Yale, Duke, Cornell, and special lectures at Princeton, Stanford, and Oxford. I even listen to lectures given by authors at the University of Minnesota bookstore. I listen to new programs every week and, so far, I listen to all of this for free on iTunesU while I commute to and from work, and while I exercise.

It entertains me and, equally important, it constantly upgrades the formal education I received 30 years ago and more.

No wonder newspapers and magazines are struggling to survive.

iTunes also helps me sort through the thousands of radio stations worldwide that now stream on the Internet, so now I listen to hours of uninterrupted commercial-free music, and so do my customers.

If you haven't looked lately, there are some truly remarkable applications for sale on the App Store. One to open your car. One to help you identify bird calls. One to bill customers for your labour. One to jot down that tune that's floating through your head. In my years of selling general interest software I have seen many, many different kinds of software. And today most of them -- or varients of them -- are for sale on Apple's website for use on its iPhones and iPod touch.

On Apple's website you can find links to software built on its OS X platform, and you can find calendars built for its scheduling program, iCal. I downloaded the Toronto Maple Leafs schedule for my iPhone. You can find widgets galore.

Apple's website builds communities like no other I've seen. Not amazon.com. Not facebook. Not eBay or craigslist. Not even google. Each of these goliaths has their specialties, and each influences my life. But none in ways so profoundly as apple.com.

And that only scratches the surface. More later on what's behind the scenes.

Intelligent Creatures

Between us and Ed's Real Scoop you will find a quiet unassuming building housing Intelligent Creatures, one of the most innovative creators of computerized special effects in the feature film industry.

Intelligent Creatures is a Visual Effects studio dedicated to helping cinema's finest directors tell their most compelling stories; working on such films as Watchmen, Hairspray, Babel, Stranger Than Fiction, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The Company stands among the industry's most progressive Visual Effects creators.

With fully integrated 2D & 3D compositing and animation pipelines and a wealth of on-set experience, the Company stands among the industry’s most progressive VFX creators. Intelligent Creatures relentlessly pursues its mission to be the leading company in the world providing Visual Effects that plays a strong supporting role in high-end creatively driven feature films.

The current owners and co-founders of IC, Michael Hatton and Lon Molnar met while working in the Visual Effects Industry in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, both of them holding senior positions, covering all aspects of visual effects production: visual effects supervision, digital compositing, 3D animation and production management.

Officially opening its doors in 2003, Intelligent Creatures has attracted such clients as Warner Brothers, Miramax Films, MGM, New Line Cinemas, and Twentieth Century Fox. IC’s portfolio spotlights the visual effects its partners set out to achieve. Working on such films as Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Stranger Than Fiction, Babel, Number 23 and Watchmen, Intelligent Creatures continually raises the bar when it comes to seamless visual effects and creative design.

I asked Donovan Zulauf, New Business Development Manager for IC what brought the company to Queen St. E.: "As for what brought us to the Beach? I would say that Lon and Michael just really liked the neighbourhood, and thought it would be a great place for the studio out of the craziness from downtown."

Keep in touch with Intelligent Creatures by becoming their fan on facebook.
Here are some examples of their work.