“It always feels good to be recognized with the best in the industry. It’s validating and rewarding, but it’s our amazingly creative and preeminent clients that inspire us to continually take our work to another level.” says Curtis Priest, CEO and President of Pixelcarve.

 The Communicator Awards are judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), a 550+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media.  Current IAVA membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including:  Condè Nast, Coach, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estee Lauder, HBO, Keller Crescent, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Tribal DDB, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, Yahoo!, and many others.  See www.iavisarts.org for more information.

“As we continue our mission to honor Creative Excellence for Communications Professionals, we were once again amazed at the high level of work we received for this year’s Communicator Awards. With this year’s entries we found an increased awareness and reflection of the digital world in which we live, and our entrants always seem to find new and creative ways to push the envelope of possibilities across all mediums” noted Linda Day, director of the IAVA.  She added, “We are honored to witness the amazing work being done throughout the industry and want to commend and congratulate this year’s Communicator Award Winners and Entrants for their hard work and dedication.  On behalf of the entire Academy – Job well done.”

For more information about the Communicator Awards, please visit www.communicatorawards.com, email the Communicator Awards at info@communicatorawards.com or call us at (212) 675-3555.

About The Communicator Awards:

The Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals. Founded by communication professionals over a decade ago, The Communicator Awards is an annual competition honoring the best in advertising, corporate communications, public relations and
identity work for print, video, interactive and audio. This  year’s  Communicator Awards received  thousands of entries from companies and
agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards of its kind in the
world. Please visit www.communicatorawards.com for more information.

The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. Please visit www.iavisarts.org for a full member list and more information.

So what’s the problem? As with all war, selfish interests, propaganda, misinformation and the unwavering entrenchment of ideologies make it difficult to dissect the real conflict. Being an innovator and leader in new media technologies, especially with the use of rich media, we have a stake in the outcome of this war. Therefore it is important for us, and you, to understand exactly what is happening and why.

So when did this all start? Well, the battlefield was set when the first smartphones were released using rudimentary web browsers. They were basic, featureless and supported very few plugins – probably the most obvious missing plugin was the very popular and desktop standard Flash player. Adobe had not yet developed a mobile version and was keeping “mum” on its progress (eventually a “Lite” version was released, but it was so weak it doesn’t deserve much more mention than this one sentence).

Then came the release of Apple’s much anticipated iPhone and iPod Touch. Devices that were expected to literally transform the way human beings interact with mobile devices. In addition to their new Touch interface they boasted a proper web browser, HTML5 support (sort of) and actually viewed most websites properly. Considering most mainstream desktop web browsers only supported HTML4, this was a significant leap forward.

But Apple’s devices were not without their flaws. The initial releases were buggy, limited in even basic features such as cut and paste, had only moderate HTML5/CSS3 support, and sported archaic single-tasking operating systems. Many of these features were added over time or are planned for future releases, but one of the biggest problems revealed itself in the web browser – people realized that using a website designed for a large monitor just wasn’t functional on a small phone. Quickly the concept of “pinch and zoom” became fodder for mockery and using websites became more of a chore than a convenience.

But the potential was there. Enterprising companies started using the powerful web browser engine within these devices to build sites designed specifically to fit the smaller screen. It was certainly a lot better, but it was not perfect. One could not help but notice that the “mobile” websites still lacked that fluid and engagingly interactive experience people were becoming used to on both desktop computers with Flash based websites, and on mobile devices with apps from Apple’s App Store. The HTML5 in the mobile devices just lacked that organic motion and user experience – and Adobe was about to step up.

With much anticipation, Adobe announced the release of Flash Player 10.1, bringing support to mobile devices and including hardware video acceleration for increased performance and battery life. They also announced that the release of their next Creative Suite (5) would support Apple App development, allowing developers currently designing applications in Flash, Flex or AIR to compile for Apple devices.

Well everything sounded fantastic and the future was looking very positive indeed. Suddenly the very restrictive model of Apple’s App development was about to get blown wide open – both in that now developers would be able to build more powerful mobile websites, and also in that it would be easier for developers to build applications in one language and compile for multiple devices – significantly reducing costs, increasing productivity and setting the stage for major innovation.

So what happened? Well, as many knowledgeable industry experts are aware, Apple has a long and sorted history with proprietary thinking. Although topic for another article completely, the critical mistakes they made during the evolution of the personal computer and their refusal to share or play nice with others resulted in their near-demise a number of times.

One would have thought Apple would have learned from their mistakes in the past, but in Steve Job’s now infamous letter posted on Apple.com recently it appears as if they have returned to their old ways – only this time they have enough market share and influence that it actually matters.

Essentially Apple is banning the Flash player from running in their mobile web browser. And what’s more, days before Adobe announced the release date of CS5, Apple rewrote a section of their developer agreement to ban anyone from using any development platform other than Apple’s for building apps. A direct attack on not only Adobe, but also every other cross-platform development tool such as Unity, etc.

The reasons for this are unclear, other than a number of inaccurate and misleading points in Steve Job’s letter. What’s even more confusing is that the Apple devices tout themselves as supporting the “full web experience”. Since Flash is used on more than 85% of all websites, that claim is preposterous. What is obvious is that Apple is trying to protect its proprietary App store and control content and its delivery on their mobile devices. It would be unfortunate if Apple was willing to destroy the entire future of mobile computing over their selfish interests, but one could make that case from their actions. Apple has proven themselves to be anti-competition, anti-developer, and anti-consumer.

Apple’s arguments seem to mainly focus on Flash’s video use (Youtube, Facebook, etc. use Flash video), which they believe can be easily replaced by another video format of their choosing (codec H.264, which ironically is also the video format standard within Flash). The problem is that Apple is neglecting the thousands of websites built entirely in Flash using Adobe’s very powerful ActionScript3 development language. Long gone are the days when Flash was simply an animators tool creating annoying flashy buttons and “skip intro” pages. Flash has grown into a robust, open and powerful tool for building highly engaging and immersive online experiences – it is here to stay as a very powerful rich-media application development platform. Apple’s arguments that the currently unfinished HTML5/CSS3 spec will replace Flash are not only absurd, but surprisingly misinformed and dangerous.

Even if HTML5/CSS3 were completely finished and implemented into all browsers today, and even if it supported the full depth of Flash’s AS3 language (which is doesn’t come even close) it would take it years to roll out across the Internet to the majority of web users. Neither of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer versions 7 or 8 support it at all, which are still the standard for web browsing on desktop computers. Firefox, Chrome and Safari support an unfinished version of the HTML5 spec, but none of them support it in the same way and therefore it is impossible to develop websites in it that are universally compatible. Considering it has taken Internet Explorer 6 over 4 years to become obsolete (and astonishingly people are STILL using it), one could even surmise that HTML5 will not be a universally supported standard on desktop computers for another 5 years or more.

Flash meanwhile is supported by over 98% of all computers on the Internet, and runs exactly the same way in every browser, and will continue to run exactly the same way in every browser. Even arguments about Flash’s lack of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are fallacy now, with HTML sublayers and new tools available to bring Flash sites on par with HTML. Flash will also be supported by every other major smartphone maker, from Blackberry to Google’s Android.

So what’s going to happen? Well, Adobe has responded in kind. They have launched their own campaign to dispel the myths being propagated about Flash by Apple, and the founders of Adobe have written their own letter in response to Steve Jobs. Once close friends and business allies, the companies have for all intents and purposes declared war on each other.

Why? There really is no good reason. Who will win? It’s unlikely there will be a victor anytime soon, but the losers will most definitely be the developers and consumers.

People have asked if we’re biased because we develop in Flash, and the simple answer is yes. But our decision to use Flash as our platform of choice wasn’t made in a vacuum. It was a conscious business decision we made due to the demand by our clients to provide a more innovative, beautiful and rich online experience. The case is made by every single award winning website on the http://thefwa.com/ , which shows the true power and influence of this platform, and there is simply no alternative.

The US Department of Justice & Federal Trade Commission have also taken notice and are now investigating Apple for antitrust violations.

It is our hope that in the interests of mobile innovation Apple releases their firm grip and decides to play nice with the rest of the industry. In the meantime, we will continue to watch the battle unfold and provide whatever mobile solutions are available to our customers at the time. We recognize the importance of mobile support, and ensure that our Flash websites get mobile add-ons built in HTML that run properly on smartphones.

For examples, please visit the following sites on your iPhone/Pod/Pad to see how it works.
http://www.pixelcarve.com
http://www.jayhodgins.com
http://www.stokelydesign.com
http://www.rhombusmedia.com/

And contact us to learn how you can get one too!

Sincerely,

Curtis Priest
Partner – President, CEO
Pixelcarve Inc.

Steve Jobs’ Letter:
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/

Adobe’s Response:
http://www.adobe.com/choice/flash.html

Adobe Founders’ Letter:
http://www.adobe.com/choice/openmarkets.html

Mashable Article:
http://mashable.com/2010/05/13/adobe-responds-flash/

Tech Crunch Article:
http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/10/adobe-vs-apple-war-generates-rage-facebook-group/

ZDNet Article Regarding the DOJ & FTC Investigation of Apple
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/report-doj-and-ftc-investigating-apple-updated/6804

This paragraph from the article does a great job of explaining it.

“This is why attention spans on the Internet are so short, and why for all the words on the Web, reading is in a state of decline. Why? Because after not very much time you’re pining for another hit of whatever sweet neural moonshine you get from pressing a button. No wonder kids prefer videogames to books or even movies. For gamers, neurotransmitters gush out of synapses the way Mentos-spiked Diet Coke spurts out of bottles in those YouTube videos.”

Check out the whole article here.

While preparing a deconstruction article of Wind Mobile’s recent entry into the Canadian mobility marketplace, Strategy Magazine’s Jonathan Paul sought the design and marketing expertise of Pixelcarve CEO and President, Curtis Priest. Utilizing his 11 plus years in the agency world, working with both icon and boutique brands, Priest offered his thoughts on the Wind Mobile stores’ design, the reflection of brand positioning as well as the digital integration.

View the magazine article here.
Or check it out online here.

For interview or publicity inquiries please contact:
Strut Entertainment
Nicola Krishna
416.861.0387
nicola@strutentertainment.com

Maritz Canada, part of the Maritz global network the largest single source of sales and marketing performance services in the world, has partnered with Pixelcarve to bring a new dimension of engagement and interactivity to the Blackberry / AT&T “A Bold Step Ahead” campaign. Pixelcarve, known for their innovative use of new technologies, worked closely with the Maritz creative team to conceptualize, create and produce multiple media banner ads that encouraged user interaction and promoted brand engagement. The ads featured Flash AS3 interactivity as well as direct social media integration through Twitter. Check out some of the ads below:

Client: Maritz Canada
Media Buy: Starcom
Artwork: Pixel Pushers

Here is a sample of the ad on Wired Magazine. Also applied to 600 x 480 page take-over.

Legendary Toronto real-estate magnate Brad J. Lamb has moved to a brand new building, featuring 3 interactive displays designed by Pixelcarve. Working with Johnson Chou, who designed the new space and conceptualized the project, the screens present new and resale properties in an innovative and revolutionary way. Users walking by his office on the street can use 1 of the 3 touchpad controllers to navigate through a comprehensive listing of properties, seeing high resolution images, location, description, price, agent, etc. It allows Brad Lamb’s office to showcase their properties in a far more interesting and comprehensive format than the usual clipboard.

Feel free to stop by his new office at 786 King St. W. Toronto to try it out.

The winners of The 2009 Davey Awards have been announced by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), and Pixelcarve is honoured to have received two awards. Avenue-Road.com took home a Gold statue in the Retail category, and SinyNY.com took home a Silver statue in the Fashion category.

“Pixelcarve is very honoured to be recognized by such a prestigious organization, and humbled to be included amongst the very best in the industry. Winning not only 1, but 2 awards, is a testament to the exceptional team we have here at Pixelcarve, and to our passion for innovation, relevance and beauty.” says Curtis Priest, CEO and President of Pixelcarve.

About The Davey’s

The Davey Awards is an international creative award focused exclusively on honoring outstanding creative work from the best small firms worldwide. The 2009 Davey Awards received over 4,000 entries from ad agencies, interactive agencies, production firms, in-house creative professionals, graphic designers, design firms, and public relations firms.

The largest and most prestigious awards competition exclusively for the “Davids” of creativity.

David defeated the giant Goliath with a big idea and a little rock – the sort of thing small firms do each year. The annual International Davey Awards honors the achievements of the “Creative Davids” who derive their strength from big ideas, rather than stratospheric budgets.

Wink Intimates Founder Andrea Clair and her bevy of beauties invaded the Dragons’ Den on Wednesday night. As one of Canada’s hottest shows, the attention to Ms. Clair’s innovative new business bra line certainly had an extremely positive effect on her website traffic and sales. Also interesting to note, almost 100% of the new visitors to the Pixelcarve built website also clicked through to check out who designed it. Pixelcarve’s traffic that night matched Wink’s almost user for user.

So how did Andrea do on the show? Well, although the male dragons had some serious moral objections to a bra that hides cleavage, Arlene, the one female dragon, loved the product and recognized it as a brilliant solution to a very common problem. Arlene Dickinson made Wink Intimates an offer, but as is common for the show, the cost of equity was too high and Andrea respectfully declined.

Check out the whole episode here, and don’t forget to check out the website to buy your very own 9to5, now available in a variety of additional styles.

The book has been released with much anticipation, as the legendary design duo is well regarded for their edgy and innovative designs.  They have garnered a significant fan base all around the world and the book is sure to please.

Having produced an award winning website for Yabu Pushelberg, as well as regular newsletters and evites, Pixelcarve is honoured to work with such a prestigious and well regarded company at the top of their industry, and encourage everyone to purchase their stimulating new book.