Flying home [float plane trip part II]

Here’s the flight home via float plane from Victoria’s inner harbour to downtown Vancouver:

As before, shot with the Kodak Zi6 and edited with iMovie ’09.

Vancouver to Victoria via floatplane

Earlier this month I went to Victoria for a conference and am just now getting around to posting some video from the trip. The floatplane flight from harbour to harbour was on a rainy and cold Sunday afternoon but I think the video turned out pretty decent despite the weather.

Shot with my Kodak Zi6 HD camera and edited using iMovie ’09 which seems to have it’s quirks but I’m giving it a shot for awhile before I go back to Final Cut. iMovie is definitely faster to pull stuff together like this but you have much more control in Final Cut. I also thought I’d try out YouTube’s HD format. I didn’t have enough upload space on my Vimeo account for the full HD version, plus it would have taken a week to process. I’m really close to dropping the $60 for a Vimeo pro account. If you like rewatching movies, check out the 720×480 version over there.

Stay tuned for part two – the trip home which was fortunately on a much nicer day.

Getting ready for SXSWi 2009

Once again, it’s time to start planning for SXSWi which is coming up pretty fast in just under two months. It’s the annual ‘geek summer camp’ held in Austin, Texas every March. Check out my previous posts about it to see why you might want to go.

Now is the time to start doing a few things to maximize your time in the Lone Star state. If you haven’t already booked a hotel room, expect to be spending a lot of time in cabs getting to and from your room out on the interstate and the Austin Convention Center….all the close hotels (walking distance) were booked up last summer.

If you haven’t already registered, you should do it soon since the price goes up the closer it gets. Peter and I booked our flights last weekend….airline prices are down thanks to the current economic situation…$100 less than last year.

If you want to use your iPhone (or any other phone not from the US at least), you’ll probably need to unlock it and acquire a US Sim card. Cheapest route I’ve found still is an AT&T Pay as you go phone which can found almost anywhere in the US (Target, Walmart, 7-11, etc.) for as little as $15 (with a $10 airtime credit). You then add the $19.99 Medianet data plan for unlimited data for a month while you’re in Austin.

When you activate your cheap phone, make sure you choose the option to pay $1 per day of use. It means that you’ll only pay $0.10/minute for most calls (plus $1 for each day you use it) and calls to other AT&T users (like say, anyone following these instructions) are completely free (aside from that initial $1/day). If you don’t use it on a certain day, you don’t pay. Text messages are still a rip off at $0.15 per (incoming or outgoing). Keep in mind you probably won’t be able to use a foreign credit card to top up these phones but plenty of places (including gas stations) sell top up cards.

Now is also a good time to order some Moo cards. I just ordered another batch and it came in less than 2 weeks….last year lots of people were upset because they ordered either too late or it took longer to deliver due to increased demand (not sure if it’s SXSW related but possibly).

I know a few people haven’t been happy with the quality of their moo cards but I’ve ordered at least 5 batches with no issues at all and have been very happy with their quality. I’ve got a few 20% off coupon codes if you’re placing a first time order so leave a comment if you want one.

Finally, now is a good time to start scoping out the activities. Sites like Upcoming already has a number of the parties listed so you can at least start RSVP’ing to those that interest you. Most things you can simply walk up to on the day while you’re there but some require being on a list of some kind in advance due to the huge crowds that get bigger every year. Hopefully Jeremy Kieth will update his fantastic Adactio Austin party list for 2009 soon too. My pals over at Raincity Studios have already booked the biggest party at Southby each year. I stumbled across an Austin Flickr meetup last year that turned out to be really special and it wasn’t on any SXSW agenda.

There is even BarCamp Austin to check out while you’re in town if you want to skip out on SXSW for awhile.

I’ll leave you with an awesome three-letter-word reason to go to SXSW:

and maybe the fried pickles at B.D. Riley’s too:

Crumpler Cork & Fork Luggage

If you’re a frequent visitor to this site, you know I’m somewhat of a big fan of all things Crumpler. They make some of the best bags for carrying all kinds of things like cameras and computers. They came out with a line of luggage a few months ago and I was very curious to check them out.

I was particularly interested in the Cork & Fork which is a carry-on bag with a removable camera backpack inside. It was like getting two bags in one…although they are quite pricey, they are in line with the price of their other bags.

The Cork & Fork is basically the Period Charmer bag plus an innovative backpack (which doesn’t appear to be sold separately) meant for carrying camera gear that can be removed from the main bag.

I actually bought the Cork & Fork awhile ago but didn’t have the opportunity to use it on a trip until recently during the holidays.

Most airlines allow two carry-on bags…usually a ‘proper’ carry-on bag (for the overheard compartment) along with a laptop, camera or similar bag that can be stowed under the seat in front of you. As you can see in the photo to the right, the two bags didn’t quite fit into the guide at the airport but I never had an issue from the flight crew onboard. The main bag easily went into the overhead compartment and the camera backpack fit perfectly under the seat in front.

Thanks to a baggage mishap I had awhile ago, I’ve been extra weary of checking anything in my bags except the basics like clothes. I always try to carry on any gear I want to have on a trip.

As you can see, the camera section can carry a lot of gear. It has a large main section along with a small zippered section with a mesh cover so you can easily see inside. This little section is perfect for batteries, memory cards, cords and other small items. For those curious, this shot contains my Nikon D90 with battery grip and 50mm lens attached, SB-600 speedlight, SB-400 speedlight, Kodak Zi6 HD camera, 18-105mm lens, 10.5mm Fisheye lens, Lensbaby Composer, Rocket blower, Gorillapod and Ultrapod mini-tripods, wide/tele lens adaptors, an Airport Express, Belkin travel power adaptor, Sanyo Eneloop + Nikon battery chargers plus a pile of smaller gear in the mesh compartment.

The larger main section is divided into three areas that can be customized with the included ‘snake’ dividers and removable velcro tabs. Unlike other bags, the fact that the velcro can be moved around makes it really easy to customize the layout of the bag for all your gear. It actually took a number of attempts playing with all the options to find a layout that made the most sense for my stuff. The backpack has a number of external pockets and straps for attaching tripods or whatever to it. One external pocket contains a rain cover for the backpack and the other is large enough to fit my Macbook Air or a magazine or two. Not sure if a regular Macbook would fit.

As the backpack section is meant to fit inside the main bag, I’ve found the backpack straps to be a little on the small side and not as comfortable as the other Crumpler dedicated backpacks are to wear. But for lugging around an airport, they work great. The bag also features some very beefy and sturdy wheels.

This is the first wheeled bag I’ve owned that doesn’t fall over when upright regardless of load inside. This appears to be due to some very well placed rubber feet underneth as well as on the back so that you can lay it flat when you want to get something out of it.

The retractable handle is very strong and I used it many times as a coat holder during my unplanned and extended visit to the airport (thanks to a snowstorm). It extends quite far and never feels like it’s going to break or buckle.

The inside of the main compartment of the carry-on is lined with a number of small pockets for stashing stuff and a full size internal pocket you unfurl to cover and zip over the main cavity which I think is meant for dirtly clothes. Since it’s not removable, it can’t be washed so I didn’t use it for laundry.

The outside of the main bag has a number of slot pockets for things like a laptop (up to a 15″ at least), magazines and large, open pocket that is secured by velcro and the outer buckles. You wouldn’t want to put something like a laptop in this pocket but it’s good for a jacket or some other loose item that can’t fall out.

Overall, I’ve very happy with the Cork & Fork. My only issue with the bag is the cost…there is no denying it’s expensive. I even hesitated at first and then I went and looked at other higher quality carry-on bags and it’s actually pretty comparable for a solid bag plus you get the internal camera backpack. Take a look in any ‘outdoor’ store that carries luggage and you’ll see what I mean.

While not really an issue, I would have also liked some more color options for the luggage….baby blue isn’t my favorite color but I can live with it.

Disclosure: I purchased this luggage at a small discount when the luggage line was launched via a special offer because I’ve bought from Crumpler before.

Going to SXSWi? Part 1

If you’re planning on heading to Austin in early March to attend South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi), here’s a few tips that might be helpful to you. I’ve been twice before and this year will be my third trip to Texas. Every year it’s gotten bigger than the last and I expect this year to be no exception.

SXSWi is actually only one part of the whole South by Southwest conference. Interactive happens the same time as the Film conference with the Music one starting when the film/web geeks vacate the hotels. Judging from the pictures I’ve seen, the music part is pretty amazing but I’ve never been able to stay for the full run of both conferences.

1. Pack light and bring a big suitcase.

You WILL get a lot of swag (or at least offered it) so be prepared to bring a bunch of stuff home and give it to your friends/coworkers that didn’t get to go (unless it’s cool).

Since it’s usually very warm in Austin so you can wear shorts and a t-shirt most of the time and a light jacket at night. You can even just wear the swag you get to save even more luggage space….last year I came home with about 15 t-shirts. Last year was a little cooler and it rained but it was still shorts weather.

2. Bring/wear comfortable shoes

You’ll be doing a LOT of walking between the panels, parties and your hotel so bring a good pair (or two) of comfortable shoes. Hopefully they’ve changed the panel layout this year after last year’s craziness of having a panel end at one end of the convention center and the next one begin at the other end. It is Texas and the convention center is easily the size of a small Alberta town.

3. Don’t stress about note taking

This event is easily one of most blogged/photographed/podcasted events and since you can’t expect to be everywhere at all times, you should have no problem getting the full scoop from someone else. SXSWi also publishes videos and podcasts of many panels. Although these seem to be posted over a very long period of time (like months) and not right after the event.

4. Get your DSLR tagged
kk+ gave me this tip last year (unfortunately before I had my Nikon) – if you have a ‘pro camera’ (or something that resembles one) you may be asked (but do it if not) to get your camera tagged by the Event staff. This lets people know you’re taking event photos….however they didn’t seem to care about my little Casio point and shoot. This also has the added benefit of helping you get into some places you may not normally (think Press Pass) when combined with your SXSWi lanyard. YMMV on this one.

5. Plan your power usage

EVERYONE brings a laptop to SXSWi and there are so many Apple computers there, you’d think that you were at MacWorld. Plan on charging your laptop at night for the next day. As long as your battery is decent, you should be able to last through most of the day unless you’re Twittering the whole time. If that’s the case, expect to have to share the power outlets that are strewn throughout the place with a bunch of others. Forgot your power adapter in the hotel room? No worries, as someone is bound to have the same device as you and I also witnessed some of the event staff lending cords to forgetful attendees (again it was Apple adaptors as most of the event is powered by Macs).

6. Stay in touch
If you are going to SXSWi by yourself, be prepared to meet a ton of people – you WILL leave with new friends. Chances are there are already a few people that you know going. You can find out by stalking the Online Registrants Directory, and watching Twitter/Jaiku/Pownce for SXSW messages. You might also want to get some Moo cards and be prepared to go through them all. As March draws closer, there will be a ton of online services to help attendees get organized. Panel schedules, party planners and more will be everywhere. If you want to get a head start, check out the SXSW Insider.

You’ll also want to find out about your mobile situation. Depending on your plan, make sure you understand the implications of using your cellphone in Texas. If you’re from Canada like me, prepare to get screwed on roaming charges. Even if you forward your phone to voicemail, you may be charged the roaming fees if it rings through in Austin. A better bet is picking up a disposable (don’t really throw it out when you’re done) cellphone or pay as you go SIM card if you rock the GSM. AT&T has a cheap phone you can pickup almost anywhere south of the border for $10-20 that will give you a cheap local number while down south. I got my phone/sim from Radio Shack for $10 with a $10 credit (free+tax) then added a $25 card. T-Mobile also has SIM cards you can get from ebay but they apparently don’t let you use data on the prepaid SIMs unlike AT&T. Make sure if you do get a phone down there that you can find additional add on cards for it…the first year I took a US Virgin Mobile phone with me and couldn’t find the cards anywhere and they didn’t accept my Canadian credit card to top up online or over the phone.

Unless your company is paying (and doesn’t care), the pay as you go route will be infinitely cheaper than anything a Canadian provider will charge you. Don’t forget to change/disable/reroute your Twitter/Jaiku/Facebook mobile notifications as well as those can get costly when roaming depending on your plan.

That’s all for now….more as SXSWi gets closer!