The Unknown Studio

Many people in Edmonton know the name “Mack Male“. A young Edmontonian, one of the champions of the Open Data movement, local software developer and blogger, and social media maven, Mack has [perhaps inadvertently] asserted himself as what I’ve come to refer to as Edmonton’s prodigal digital son. “Prodigal” because he is a prodigious individual who once moved away to the Territories, but ultimately returned to the City of Champions. “Digital” because he exists nowhere but on the internets, and anyone who does meet Mack in person should know they’re interacting with an advanced robot.

I’m kidding. Mack’s no robot. In fact, he’s one of the smartest and nicest people I’ve met in this city.

My first encounter with Mack was at DemoCamp 3, I believe. He was the young dude taking photos of everyone and assisting Cam Linke and Kevin Swan with the event. He looked like any other geek. When I eventually found my way onto Twitter, I realized that in the ever-growing Edmonton online community, Mack is a key influencer. A Big Deal™, if you will.

Mack and I have become friends over the last few years, as our paths cross fairly often due to several shared passions. It made sense to have him on the show. It’s taken us too long to get him into the studio.

So, Scott and I present to you the Mack Male episode, where we discuss his views on the Open Data movement, social media, blogging and even what life up north was like. If you enjoy it or not, leave a comment and let us know!

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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It’s true! After so much joking and tongue-in-cheek referrals to Edmonton’s newspaper of record on our show, the Edmonton Journal decided to put their money where our mouths are, by sponsoring the Unknown Studio this month!

We’re helping EJ to promote their Blackberry mobile launcher. You can check it out by clicking here on your Blackberry browser. If you have any comments about the mobile launcher or the Journal’s mobile site, let us know and we’ll pass it along!

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Click here to download the latest episode of the Unknown Studio.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

Thanks to Dave Cournoyer for allowing us to use one of his photos for this post.

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Yes, this feature is supposed to be about movies. But it’s also our website and we can do whatever we want. In your face!

In this latest installment of our ongoing Watch This feature — in which Adam and I give you a rundown on shows or movies you absolutely must see — we run-down the dial on the television and give you our picks for some of the greatest cartoons…

For grown-ups.

So put the kids to bed, pull up a bowl of popcorn, and lets take a look at what you won’t see on Treehouse. Read the rest of this entry »

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Not so for local software development manager Sean Ouimet, however. Sean’s lived in Riverdale for about six and a half months and during the summertime, he uses the Dawson Bridge often. The Unknown Studio spoke with Sean over email to sort out how the bridge closure has negatively impacted his life… if at all. Read the rest of this entry »

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Sometimes it feels like no matter the choices we make — buying clothes, going out, mowing the lawn (or even having a lawn) — we’re doing something to harm the environment, indigenous group, or some animal species. It’s damn near impossible to make a purchase without discovering it’s had some negative impact on something or someone if you trace what you’ve bought back to its component parts.

However, as people become more aware of the impact of their purchasing choices, some have moved to make more prudent, low-impact buys, whether they need a new pair of shoes or want to buy a box of chocolates.

That’s where Ethical Ocean comes in. Spawned from a discussion during a road trip in 2007 and launched at the beginning of February, Ethical Ocean equips consumers with the tools they need to make ethical buying choices. Think of it as the eCommerce solution to the green, fair trade and organic movements.

The Unknown Studio had a chance to speak with Tony Hancock, one of the minds behind Ethical Ocean over email last week. Read the rest of this entry »

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