By scott
My previous team of Flash Developers at Critical Mass have recently released the start of a Flash API for the popular Google Maps API. You can read more about it here.
Currently AS2 is only supported, they mention an AS3 version will be available sometime in 2008, hopefully early 2008. I have heard from a few people that Google is about to release their own Flash API but until then we have Scott Ingalls and the entire Flash team at Critical Mass to thank.
By scott
It was a long time coming, but it is definitely worth it. The all new rolex.com site is finally live. This is the last project that I worked on at Critical Mass for close to a year. I was one of the tech leads (flash side). It wasn’t a year of programming, there was a lot of planning that went into this site. Unfortunately I left with a month and a half remaining in the schedule and had to hand the reigns over to Scott Ingalls who led one of the best teams I have ever worked with to completion. On the tech side I worked with Geoff Sowrey, Jim McFadyen, Scott Ingalls, Craig Banfill, Tim Uruski, Natalia Schmiemann, Jeff Laforce, Fraser Crosbie, Jesse Knowles, David Chambers, Jeremy Foster, Martin L’Hereaux, Lying Liu, Troy Gullage, Nick Simonsen, and David Gluzman.
This site was a true testament to team work, from the designers, to the project managers, to the executives, to the clients, to the qa team, and to the developers, I have never worked with such chemistry. Sure there were speed bumps along the way but everyone worked together to build an amazing site.
Some of the features of this project, I can’t list them all, but some key ones are, fully search engine optimized, even the flash side. Back button works in Flash. Deep linking and bookmarking works in flash, dynamic repositioning based on the size of the users browser/resolution, and the biggest challenge, or accomplishment (however you look at it) is the entire site is managed with the Red Dot content management system. Red Dot was never developed to manage a site of this size and complexity. And definitely was never developed to manage a Flash site. With a whole lot of great minds it was accomplished.
I learned a lot from this project, and not only on the programming side. I learned a great team makes a great project and that everyone contributes no matter what their role. Heck, I even provided some design ideas at one time.
Great work guys, you really should be proud of yourselves, now go get some rest and look me up next time you’re in California. I am drinking Rolling Rock right now as a tribute. The bottle is Rolex green 
By scott
I want to thank Geoff Sowrey for his kind words he left for me on his blog. Geoff was the Tech Director I worked under for most of my tenure at Critical Mass. He is a great guy, and a pleasure to work with. I learned a lot from him. However, in my next life I hope I come back as his air miles card!
By scott
Headline reads, Canadian hockey fan is leaving the great white north. That’s right, for those who know me, know I am a Team Canada superfan. I even live in the city where they train. But I recently received an opportunity to work at Yahoo! in California. A southern state where hockey is almost non-existent some would think, myself included. No more Don Cherry, no more Kelly Hrudey, no more Ron Mclean, and no more Bob Cole, well unless you have Satellite TV, which I plan to have. And the other thing is Yahoo is right outside of San Jose, home of the Sharks, one of the best teams in the league. Anyway, back to the move. In a week I start at Yahoo as a Senior Flash Engineer and I am leaving my post at Critical Mass as their Flash Development Manager. Critical Mass has been great, and always will be great. I learned a lot in my short year and a half tenure. They are an amazing group of creative people who pump out amazing work. I was amazed almost every day in some of the stuff I saw coming out of there. There is a reason they were named Foresters Interactive Agency of the Year the past two years running. If Critical Mass is so great why am I leaving you ask? I wasn’t looking, it just happened. The opportunity landed in my lap, or inbox, however you want to look at it. I was headhunted. And it is not an opportunity that you can let slide by. It’s Yahoo!
So starting December 11 I will be an official Yahoo employee, working in a new city, and in a new country. I am not 100% sure what I will be working on yet but I am sure it will be extremely cool and forward leaning. Yahoo has so many properties that would make great Flash applications. Heck, they even own that small photo site, you may have heard of them, Flickr.
So wish me luck. I will be sure to post how things are going when I get there. And thank you Critical Mass for everything. You have and always will have something special. It’s an amazing company, with an amazing atmosphere. Good luck in your future endeavours 
By scott
Here I sit in cold Winnipeg Manitoba, my hometown. I am here for the FITC conference, wearing my Jets jersey (of course). Why Winnipeg you ask? I was asking the same question myself until I got here. There are approximately 175 people here, doesn’t sound like a lot, but for Winnipeg it is. And a lot of the people seem to be very passionate about new media here. There are a few small shops, a couple larger ones, and a bunch of students who seem to be very interested in new media. Critical Mass, the company I work for, is the gold sponsor here and we are also presenting. Being a gold sponsor means we get a big booth, we stand there, and we answer the same questions over and over again all day. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I like talking to other developers or other people interested in new media. I have met a couple very interesting people, and who knows, maybe I will work with them one day. Afterall, the flash community is pretty small even with it’s astronomical growth in the past while.
Anyway, I am going to sign out now, almost lunch time here in the ‘peg. If you’re here, stop by and say hi. If not, go stand with your freezer door open and you will soon feel like you are here.
