Lynda Weinman interviews Mansour Raad, Andy Gup, and James Killick of Environmental System Research Institute (ESRI), the largest privately held Geographic Information System (GIS) software company in the world. They talk about why vectors make better maps, and how Flash, Flex, AJAX and Breeze turn cutting-edge software into a world-class user experience. ESRI will be exhibiting and presenting a Technology Showcase session, “Build Rich Internet Mapping Applications: Spatially Enabling the Next Generation Web,” at Flashforward2006 Seattle.

Have a listen…

• iTunes — Subscribe to our Podcast via the iTunes Music Store. (enhanced AAC)
• RSS — Direct link to the RSS for other aggregators. (enhanced AAC)
• Interview with ESRI (AAC) — download the interview (enhanced AAC)
• Interview with ESRI (MP3) — download the interview (MP3)

If you’re looking for ways to experience Seattle culture while attending Flashforward, plan on sticking around the evening we conclude the conference for the First Thursday Art Walk. On the first Thursday of the month, in this case March 2nd, the art gallery district (Pioneer Square) and the nearby downtown area galleries, museums, bars, shops, etc. open their doors from 6-8 PM for the public. And often they unveil new exhibits then.

Caravans of schmoozing crowds wander from one historic brick building to the next, stopping to chat in Occidental Square’s courtyard or to grab a drink at sidewalk pubs and cafes. On pleasant evenings you might find a live jazz trio setting the mood, sidewalk artists and street vendors vying for your attention, and single people looking for the right line to start a conversation. Go for the fun, but come back to concentrate; the party ambience makes it tough to really take in the art.

So plan to take your raffle winnings back to the hotel, change socks, and hit the town! We’ll see you out there!

And to all you locals: what else should we plan to do while we’re visiting your city?

(Thanks, Kevin!)

Matt and Mike Chapman, creators of HomestarRunner.com, will be presenting “How and Why Homestar Runner Cartoons Get Made” at Flashforward2006 Seattle. Learn more in this audio interview with Lynda Weinman: what it’s like working together every day, why they still proudly use Flash 5, how they incorporate audio and video, how they are able to offer free content with no ads, the importance of interactivity, and what other projects they’ve worked on.

Twenty-two minutes and forty-eight seconds of pure Friday fun! If you enjoy this interview, let us know, and be sure to spread the word!

• iTunes — Subscribe to our Podcast via the iTunes Music Store. (enhanced AAC)
• RSS — Direct link to the RSS for other aggregators. (enhanced AAC)
• Matt and Mike Chapman (AAC) — download the interview (enhanced AAC)
• Matt and Mike Chapman (MP3) — download the interview (MP3)

We’ve had a late addition to the crew for the 2006 Seattle Flashforward Film Festival. Awards will be presented by none other than Tiffany Doorn. That’s right, Miss Washington USA! We thought it would be fun to have this glamorous local hero grace our festival stage, and Tiffany generously agreed. Here’s her bio, and you can also check out her gallery.

Tiffany Doorn, 24 years old, was born and raised in Woodinville and Bellevue. She graduated from Woodinville High School and furthered her education at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. In 2004, Tiffany completed her studies with a degree in Communications along with a Minor in Religion.

Currently, she is a pre-school teacher in Woodinville. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys volunteering at Children’s Hospital as well as with Angle Tree Foundation through her church.

With her new title, Tiffany is excited to work with terminally ill children and supporting women’s cancer research… she is also interested in pursuing the entertainment industry as an actress.

In case you’re wondering, no, we didn’t trick her into this, we admitted we were a bunch of geeks and she’s joining us anyway. How cool is that?

So please welcome Tiffany to the Flashforward community, wish her luck in the Miss USA pageant in April, and perhaps the Miss Universe pageant after that!

BusinessWeek has published a brief but interesting article, describing a “pivotal and clandestine” dinner date that took place about a year ago and set the buyout in motion. It goes on to sketch out the state of the combined company at present and what might happen next.

Read the article…

(You might notice that the article won’t actually be published for another four days, but the Internet lets you see into the future, so no problem there.)

(via ActionScript Hero via MXNA.)