Tech stories for Xmas
I hope everyone in blogland is having a great Christmas. Try not to get too caught up in the commercial aspects of gift seeking, shopping, madding crowds and all. Try instead to reflect on the meaning of the holiday, its rich traditions and its ties to family and friends. And the food ... don't forget the food. This blog posting will cover some local tech stories that deserve mention. I consider them our Christmas presents to the community.
SURFCAM
The first in our Christmas tales is the story of the Surfcam. A local talented teleworker named Kevin Arndt is an avid surfer. Somehow, he got connected to the CEDAR academy at Arcata High School where students in the EAST program got involved in planning and implementing a SURFCAM project to remotely monitor the surfing conditions at Camel Rock. Kevin found grant funding through his employer, passed it through the Redwood Technology Consortium as a project sponsor and enabled the students to purchase the equipment needed to complete the project. Now, anyone can fire up their browser and check out the waves before deciding to grab a wetsuit to ride the curls. Check it out yourself:
Surf cam address http://75.111.40.33:3398/
Surf cam reset address http://75.111.40.33:3397/
CARLSON WIRELESS
There once was a company in Redway that became a world leader in wireless telecommunications infrastructure. Under the leadership of Jim Carlson, Carlson Wireless landed contract after contract in the US and internationally to furnish and install state of the art point-to-point wireless relays to support telephone and Internet connectivity without the need for poles and wires. CW has now grown to the point where they have to move in order to have the room and workforce to support their customer base. Instead of pulling up stakes and leaving Humboldt County, CW has moved into the old Yakima / Watermark space in Arcata and is partnering with Humboldt State University to collaborate with research, internships and spin off business development. The Times-Standard recently ran a story on the move.
HUMBOLDT COUNTY LINES MAGAZINE
A sure sign of a vital community is one that not only has local daily newspapers, television and radio, but also has a magazine dedicated to local events and news. 2006 brought us Humboldt County Lines magazine, an online 'zine hosted by Ferndale's Jill St Claire at JSC Marketing. The publication is coming of age and it's online subscriber base is growing. I suspect you'll see paper versions appearing as soon as they reach critical mass. Drop by, check them out and become a subscriber yourself.
So amid all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, take the time to reflect on our many blessings. These local tech heroes are helping us flex our technology muscles and will form the base for a strong local economy. I lift my glass of eggnog (hmmmm ... eggnog) and toast their commitment.
Merry Christmas!!
Chris Crawford
www.justiceserved.com