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Local tech firms try to branch out

Broader services combat downturn

Amid the recession, some local tech companies are still finding ways to grow.

360 Professional Services Group, a Web development and design company based in Amherst, recently hired its 14th employee. The company was started in 2005 by three young men whose own employer was shutting down.

While many businesses might be anxious about their prospects this year, 360 PSG is looking forward to steady growth. The company is sticking to its strategy of catering to small-to medium-size companies and nonprofits that want to create effective Web sites, and then help those customers update and expand their sites’ services over time, said Joel Colombo, president and chief executive officer.

[ Hit the jump to read the rest of the article… yes… the part about us is just another paragraph or two down…. ]
Continue reading 'JRVisuals in the Buffalo News'

We are proud to announce the public beta of our first Flash game developed specifically for the Facebook platform. Gifted! was developed for Koinonia Interactive and is a game about mastering the art of giving. Gifted! takes the worlds of social networking and online shopping and combines them into a fun and insightful blend.

With a catalog of over 300 unique gifts hand-picked from online retailers like Amazon and ThinkGeek players can not only give gifts to their friends online, they can also click a link and purchase these gifts "Fo' Real." Players are in store for some gifting fun just in time for the holidays… and who knows… maybe your holiday shopping will be just a bit easier after playing a few rounds.

Technically speaking, Gifted! brings together a variety of existing APIs such as Amazon's AWS, Google's Analytics and Facebook's ever-evolving code base as well as key aspects of PHP, MySQL and Flash ActionScript 3.0. Needless to say this was not a cookie cutter project but we have a happy client and a great foray into the world of socially networked games.

Will your friend think your gift is awesome? cool? or just plain craptastic?
Play Gifted! on Facebook and find out.

Here at JRVisuals we like our small plates… we also enjoy our wine.

When we were presented with the opportunity to develop a Flash micro-site for Triscuit, that paired gourmet recipes presented on the ever popular snack cracker with a variety of wines we were quite intrugued.

The site says it best: Tasty recipes for wine lovers. With their robust flavor, these bite-sized treats reflect everything that has made small plates the hottest new way for wine lovers to dine in America.

The site features an interactive carousel of over twenty different recipes and the five wines they pair best with. There are also pairing pointers for each wine to give you additional inspiration in your own recipes.

The recipe data is pulled in from external XML data files (for easy updates) and can be printed via a set of five PDF documents, one for each pairing. The carousel system was developed from scratch in ActionScript 3 and features dynamic shadows and layouts.

Visit Triscuit Small Plates on WineSpectator.com

Also, here is a direct link to the PDF of our favorite recipes…
those which pair with a nice Cabernet.

Triscuit Small Plates was created in collaboration with MShanken who was responsible for concept as well as account management and Silo Design who did the layout and user interface design.

500 B.C. is a new website that focuses on the connections between ancestry, mythology, and ecology. JRVisuals was given the opportunity to contribute by creating a series of Flash applications to help visualize these connections.

The Tribal Roots Finder and U.S. State Trees applications pair up to allow users to explore the trees which represent a specific region and it's indigenous peoples. Clicking on any of the 75+ map hot-spots will open a panel with an image of that location's tree as well as informative anecdotal text.

A third application, not yet live, shows the relationships between Celtic people, their trees, and their calendar.

As with much of our work, these applications combine elements of traditional design and typography with Flash ActionScript 3 and XML. The result is a dynamic experience which can be easily expanded and update by the client's staff without the need for a Flash expert on staff or an expensive content management system.

From the site:

Among the ancient threads that connect us, few things unite mankind like the tree. Trees are the oldest, largest, longest living things on Earth, and virtually every culture worldwide has a deep rooted tree mythology that resonates today. Travel the world using this map, and learn more. Then plant a tree in your community.

Click here to view the maps… and make sure to visit the 500BC.com site to learn more about your own roots and how you can help the planet which is your home.

Since its 1883 launch, LIFE Magazine has been the source of many American photographic icons. LIFE has recently begun the monumental task of updating their image and finding new venues for their content. For example, they have recently made 97% of their content (over 10 million images) available via a special Google LIFE search page. They are also preparing to launch a brand new website; LIFE.COM : Your World in Pictures.

In order to get people excited about the new site they have posted a temporary landing page which features a moving collage that includes a wealth of LIFE Magazine's beautiful and historic photos. That collage was created right here at JRVisuals.

Visit Life.com to check it out!

On Thursday, September 18th, Jose and I attended Beers Biz @ Pearl Street Sponsored by Infotech Niagara. For a nominal fee, we were able to mingle with the IT Community of Buffalo, NY as well as enjoy the fine foods and variety of great beers.

As the Executive Director of Infotech, Jeff Ross has helped the IT community of Buffalo come together, network and share ideas. This is just one example of his efforts that was well planned and attended.

Mr. Ross had also invited a musical guest, Greg Klyma. Greg's music is a combination of Rock n' Roll and Country influenced folk music. His new CD, Rust Belt Vagabond, features an anthem called Two Degrees in Buffalo. This song is a historical and touching story of Buffalo's trials and tribulations. Two Degrees in Buffalo is emotional and moving as instills a sense of pride and nostalgia for all that is Buffalo.

Greg performed the song acoustically for those that attened Beers & Biz @ Pearl Street.

Give a listen to Two Degrees in Buffalo

“It’s two degrees in Buffalo, Snow is coming down…"

In this day and age of trying to save a buck or two, coffeefair.com has created a downloadable .pdf of recipes that resemble Starbucks’ fantastic products.  There are 32 pages of free recipes for beverages, pastries and desserts, and sauces.  Being in the digital media industry and subsequently addicted to anything coffee or caffeinated, to me this is a great way to experiment and enjoy your favorite flavors without leaving the house or office (unless you need to get the ingredients).  Give the recipes a try and let us know if they come close to the real thing.  I know I’ll be trying them…they sound delicious!

Free Starbucks Coffee Recipe E-Book

A JRVisuals favorite, the Unreal Tournament III Demo was released on October 12, 2007. We have been playing the demo here and there at the office and well, we LOVE it.

The Full version is being developed by Epic Games, to be published by Midway Games in November 2007 for Windows.

In the meantime, you can download the demo here.