myteklife People, Innovation, Technology
TM myteklife.com | SUMMER 2011
Frankie Muniz Living the Dream
ACTOR | Race car driver | MUSICIAN
2011
32
Table of Contents 8 Letter from the Editor 10 Phoenix International Raceway The famed PIR is undergoing a singular and signature face-lift. We have the details.
14 Chevy Volt Review Is Chevy’s latest innovation right for you? Find out. We took the Volt out for a test drive. The results may surprise you.
18 One-on-One with Writer/Director Chris Paine In this one-on-one interview, Paine talks candidly about the environment and the motivation behind his films.
20 The Coyotes Have Landed After months of not knowing their fate, the Phoenix Coyotes will once again be “howling” from their habitat in Glendale at Jobing.com Arena. What’s next for the Coyotes? We’ll tell you.
21 Motivator and Mentor with a “Midas Touch” Arizona’s premier signature celebrity-businessman and all-around class act, the highly respected Jerry Colangelo.
22 “Kicked” into the Pro Football Hall of Fame What is Hall of Famer Nick Lowery up to these days?
PHOTO BY CHAD KOERBER
summer
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3
24 Railroading to the Grand Canyon 25 Hearts to Heroes Motorcycle Ride
44
Home of the Apache Attack Helicopter United We Drive
26 Flying Solar The first plane designed to fly day and night without any fuel.
28 The Man Who Bridged Earth and Space America’s pioneering experimental test pilot William Bridgeman
31 Tips for Keeping It Cool This Summer 32 Frankie Muniz: Definitely Not Stuck in the Middle In this exclusive interview, Frankie Muniz shares his goals and how technology has had an impact on his life, from acting and racing to playing the drums in the up-and-coming band You Hang Up.
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41 Tekknowvations: High-Performance 2011 Cadillac SRX Crossover 2011 Cadillac CTS-V
42 Tekknowvations: Timeless A Watch that Rocks
44 Tekknowvations: Gadgets Motormouse Soundscience Rockus 2.1 Desktop Speakers SensoGlove: Hi-Tek to help your golf swing Gran Turismo 5 Revolution Game Seat A wireless keyboard for your tablet The Watt Bike
46 Tekknowvations: Computing Power Black O.P.S. Enix Review
48 Soaring to Even Greater Heights 50 The Historic and Legendary Route 66 52 Do You Suffer from P.M.A.? 54 A Novel Way to Make Movies 56 Women in Media: Onward and Upward 58 Apple Products with iStore Care 61 View and Click to Help Find Missing Kids
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t from the editor
myteklife VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ed Martinez SR. DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA ART DEPARTMENT
Leeah Otis PHOTOGRAPHERs
Chad Koerber
melding People, Innovation and Technology
John McMurray
Technology influences virtually all aspects of our daily lives. And for nearly two years, MyTekLife Magazine has brought intriguing stories about people who have been affected by technology in unique ways. It’s no wonder that our motto continues to be: Behind each innovation, there is a personal story to be told. Our editorial focus has profiled iconic figures in film, television, music, aviation, motor sports, racing, automotive technology, science and computing, with ongoing features on green technology advancements. MyTekLife remains a unique and exciting branding concept in consumer lifestyle publications. I’m excited to announce that MyTekLife will be expanding its editorial content to include people in sports, fashion and consumer trends—not just from a national and global perspective, but from a local (Arizona) one as well. And there’s more good news .… MyTekLife will be going bimonthly starting in January 2012. You can continue to expect excellence in journalism. The best is yet to come. This issue profiles Scottsdale resident, actor, race car driver and musician Frankie Muniz. Muniz sat down with MyTekLife for an interview to discuss his goals and how technology has had an impact on his life, from acting and racing a Formula 1 car to playing the drums in the up-and-coming band You Hang Up. Muniz is a remarkable young man, who, at the age of 25, has accomplished more than most people experience in a lifetime. We are so excited to share his personal story with you. He has a deep love for life, with a passion that inspires others. We also interview filmmaker Chris Paine, the director of Who Killed the Electric Car? and Revenge of the Electric Car—a great complement to the Chevy Volt review. Also inside the summer issue, MyTekLife looks at the man who bridged earth and space, America’s pioneering experimental test pilot, William Bridgeman. If you have not yet subscribed to MyTekLife Magazine, I invite you to do so today and start experiencing a wide range of interesting articles that are engaging and informative. To our subscribers, thank you for your continuing support. Enjoy this issue. Have a wonderful summer and stay safe.
Michael Merone
Ed Martinez Editor-in-Chief
m y t e k l i f e summer 2011
Mary L. Holden Leslie James Warren Jones J.J. LaBarber Jonathan Mason Celeste Noelle Lisa Wilhelm INTERN
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SUMMER 2011 - VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3 For more information, visit MyTekLife Magazine website at myteklife.com. The MyTekLife logo, slogan, and MyTekLife’s TEKKNOWVATION tagline are trademarks, which are part of MyTekLife Intellectual Property and are protected by applicable copyright, trademark and proprietary rights. Any use or duplication is prohibited without expressed written permission. Other third-party trademarks and trade names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. Contact the editor via editor@myteklife.com or via MyTekLife Magazine website at myteklife.com.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF PIR
technology & racing
phoenix
Race car driver Jeff Gordon helped get construction started for PIR’s upcoming track pavement project by making the first demolition cuts into an old racing surface at the raceway that had been in place for 20 years.
INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY BY J.J. LABARBER
According to officials, PIR’s major upgrade will allow race cars to increase their average speeds by two to three miles per hour.
10
m y t e k l i f e summer 2011
Phoenix International Raceway—the famed PIR in racing circles (no pun intended)—is undergoing a singular and signature face-lift slated for completion in September of this year. In making the announcement earlier this year, PIR President Bryan Sperber stated details relating to the NASCAR facility’s first major track paving project since 1990. Construction is ongoing, with the removal of the facility’s current racing surface and the subsequent installation of a new surface to go with a series of changes designed to promote side-by-side racing. While maintaining the integrity of PIR’s oval— including the 1-mile distance—the slight racetrack configuration changes will allow race cars to increase their average speeds by two to three miles per hour.
“When the time to repave PIR approached due to the life expectancy of our current racing surface, we wanted to make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to make a good thing even better for our fans,” Sperber said. “Our goal for this project was to not radically change a track that’s celebrated by fans and drivers alike, but to utilize new technology to ensure great moments for the next chapter of racing history for PIR.” The demolition of the old track began moments after the checkered flag was dropped after the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 in February. NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon made the first cuts in the pavement after winning that SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500.
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Since 1964, Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. With deep roots and a rich racing history, PIR entertains more than 300,000 fans each year, with two hallmark NASCAR weekends.
Since that time the demolition team has completed the removal of the track and pit road pavement areas. In addition, the exterior concrete wall between turn 3 and turn 4 has been removed. Also, the old pit road and jump wall have been demolished. Project leader Bill Braniff, who is senior director of construction for North American Testing Corporation, a subsidiary of PIR’s parent company, International Speedway Corporation, said the decision “to tweak” PIR’s layout came after spending hundreds of man-hours on computer simulations. PIR’s pavement project will be the seventh of its kind for Braniff, including last summer’s high-profile repave at Daytona International Speedway. “We’re very confident that we’ll have multigroove racing at Phoenix from day 1 because of the variable banking that will be implemented,” Braniff said.
MAJOR UPGRADES — Aside from the installation of a new, four-layer asphalt and aggregate surface, PIR will make the following adjustments: • Widen the front stretch from 52 to 62 feet • Reconfigure pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls • Push the dog-leg curve between turn 2 and turn 3 out 95 feet • Tighten the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet • Implement variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including • 10- to 11-degree banking between turn 1 and turn 2, 10- to 11-degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg and 8- to 9-degree banking in turn 4. The construction team is pleased to report that the project is on schedule and moving forward in all phases of the work. The • • • •
following work activities have already taken place: Fine-grade track subgrade and installation of aggregate base. Completion of construction of exterior concrete walls. Placement of asphalt test strips. Completion of the fabrication and installation of the phase 1 tunnel sections for the future turns 1 and 2.
“All of the changes—including the adjustment of the dog-leg— will be put in place in order to present additional opportunities for drivers to race side by side.” It’s been reported that the cost of the super renovation project will be somewhere near $10 million. A tongue-in-cheek comment that is making the rounds that the design and construction team may not move as fast as the NASCAR vehicles that speed around the facility during the racing events, but they are rapidly pushing ahead and gaining ground on the project. Upon completion, genuine pieces of PIR’s current racing surface will be available to fans for purchase. Visit PhoenixRaceway.com/repave for details. To commemorate the last 20 years of NASCAR competition on PIR’s bygone surface, fans voted for their favorite moment at PIR from 1990 to 2010. The track received anoverwhelming response from fans in an online vote to determine the most memorable NASCAR moment at PIR during those 20 years.
The winning moment: when Jeff Gordon tied Dale Earnhardt for 75 Sprint Cup wins on April 21, 2007, with a win in that year’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500. Since 1964, PIR has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. Watch the brightest stars in NASCAR take on PIR’s famed one-mile oval, including five-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and many more. Race fans will get to experience four days of on-track action and entertainment this November at PIR when the Kobalt Tools 500 returns as the semifinal race in NASCAR’s playoffs— the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The fall-event weekend at PIR, which takes place Nov. 10–13, will be the first event held on the facility’s new, reconfigured racing surface. So, be sure to get in on the excitement! For more information, visit PhoenixRaceway.com.
myteklife
summer 2011
13
AMERICAN INNOVATION PHOTOgraphy BY CHAD KOERBER
chevy volt
ROAD REVIEW
The Chevy Volt is truly a triple threat. Its combination
of eco-friendly gas mileage, sexy good looks and a plethora of ponies under the hood make just about
A SIGN OF WHAT’S TO COME? It’s easy to see why the Chevy Volt has won so many awards: 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year, Green Car Journal’s 2011 Green Car of the Year, 2011 North American Car of the Year and 2011 World Green Car of the Year. The Volt is a front-wheel-drive vehicle that is sporty, is fun to drive, handles well, yet makes infrequent stops at the gas pump—this
everyone do a triple take. —BY WARREN JONES
combination of features are truly hard
The exterior of the Volt is stylish and smooth. Transitioning from an
at MyTekLife just how well the Volt
aggressive front fascia to a five-door hatchback is nothing new for fans of sporty, compact European cars, but for an American automaker, it is quite a
to come by. It’s no surprise to us here performed during our week with this “electrified” ride.
departure from the norm. Our black test vehicle looked amazing with the optional forged polished-aluminum, five-spoke, 17-inch wheels. The rear styling looked great as well. Chevy took care not to overthink the back end, giving it elongated, all-red stop lamps that accentuate the styling of the car, while moving the reverse light to the bottom center. This creates a smooth and fluid style that isn’t broken up by multicolored bulbs or lenses. The Volt sits at a wonderful drive height—slightly higher than a sports car, but considerably lower than a crossover. However, the wind deflector under the front bumper gave us a scare as we pulled into parking spots—it hangs a considerable distance down from the car. Take a side view of the Volt and you’ll see what we mean. Other than that, the exterior of the Volt is truly a head turner. 14
m y t e k l i f e summer 2011
The 2011 Chevy Volt has two LCD screens that display speed, battery power, range to recharge or re-fill as well as an efficiency gauge that gives you real-time feedback.
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The interior is a geek’s paradise. The dual seven-inch displays—one with touch and optional navigation and rearview camera—give you plenty of instant information about the Volt. Add in the touch-sensitive audio console, navigation controls, iPod integration with artist, song and playlist information, XM Satellite radio, DVD playback capability, 30 gigabytes of hard-drive storage—and even Dolby Digital Surround Sound—and you’ll literally be unable to keep your hands off the Volt.The seven-inch navigation screen could give you an information overload. Car diagnostics, such as how much battery versus gasoline you have used since the last charge, provide stunning graphical representations of your usage. Commanding all this high-tech equipment from the driver’s seat is a breeze, nothing is too far out of reach and getting to know and understand how it all works together took us about 15 minutes. The Volt’s interior is incredibly well thought out and executed. There’s plenty of storage space up front, with compartments behind the center console and just in front of the shifter. Dual cup holders in the front are large and can accommodate larger drinks, and the center console is decently sized and contains USB and auxiliary connections for myriad audio playback devices. In a departure from the standard bench seat, Chevy put dual bucket seats in the rear as well, making the Volt a four-person vehicle. The rear seats are as comfortable as the front seats are, and there’s plenty of leg room in the rear seating area for a six-foot-tall person, along with two cup holders and a storage bin with an auxiliary power outlet. The cargo area in the back is large, even with the rear seats in the upright position, but when the seats are folded down, the Volt has 10.6 cubic feet of cargo space according to Chevy—that’s more than enough space for a day’s worth of shopping. Driving the Volt is a breeze. Each one comes standard with push-button ignition. With the smart key anywhere inside the vehicle, just put your foot on the brake and press the start
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button located on the left side of the console. Startup is instant and insanely quiet. Most times we were unsure if the car was even on. Even from outside the car, we couldn’t hear much of anything as the Volt started up. As it initially begins movement, there is a slight electric whine as the battery begins powering the wheels, but after that the only noise is a slight purr of rubber on asphalt. The Volt is scary quiet. Unlike other hybrid vehicles that use the battery to propel the car up to a certain speed and then the gasoline engine takes over, the Volt uses its battery to propel the car, regardless of speed, until the battery is depleted. I took the Volt to beyond 80 mph using nothing but battery power. I thought it would lose some of its “oomph” running solely on the battery, but the Volt is quick. I normally drive a Lexus IS 250, and while I was driving the Volt, I frequently found a smile slowly creeping up the corners of my mouth as I wove in and out of morning traffic. Once the battery is dead, the gasoline engine kicks in, though it is still assisted by the battery—which is recharged during coasting and
braking—to help keep your trips to the pump to a minimum. The EPA claims the Volt will travel 35 miles on battery alone. My best distance was 36.5 miles during my time with the Volt, a pleasant surprise over the EPA’s rating. Charging the Volt couldn’t be simpler. Each one comes standard with a 110-volt charger that plugs into a proprietary plug just in front of the driver’s door. It’s hidden behind a circular gas door, similar to the one found on the passenger’s side at the rear of the car. The other end of the charger plugs directly into any regular household outlet, though the charging cord is quite short, at about 20 feet. Plugging it into your garage at home is probably going to be relatively easy, although plugging in elsewhere, such as at work or a friend’s driveway, might prove more difficult. You might want to pack an extension cord. Charging using a 110-volt outlet takes about 12 hours and costs about $1.50 a day, but Chevy does offer an optional 220-volt charger that can charge the Volt in about four hours. This requires a dedicated line of electricity in your garage—the same as you would use for an electric clothes dryer.
THE HEARTBEAT OF AMERICA BY WARREN JONES
For a long time, Chevy claimed to be the heartbeat of America. But, increasing pressure from foreign automakers and the rise in gas and oil prices threaten to stop the heartbeat altogether. As sales of General Motors vehicles declined, U.S. automakers got together to discuss making some changes—increasing fuel economy, creating a sleeker design, using higher-grade materials .… So what happens when a group of designers and engineers with everything to lose gather? You get the 2011 Chevy Volt.
Powered by electricity without being tethered to electrical outlets, the Volt does everything a great car does.
All in all, the Volt is a great ride. It’s smooth, sleek, sexy and most definitely a head turner. Its ability to travel 35 miles on nothing but electricity is exciting, and the fact that you still have gobs of horsepower with no emissions is just icing on the cake. Everyone I’ve talked to about the Volt has loved it. Everywhere I went, a crowd of people would gather to ask questions and look at and touch a car that everyone knows is changing the way we view hybrid cars. Gone are the days of bland cars that look like beans and get great gas mileage, but have no soul, no guts. But at what cost? The base price of the Volt is $32,780, with the extras on our test car running the total price to $43,685. The Volt truly shocked everyone in that department. Most commented that Toyota makes a hybrid (you may have heard of it—the Prius?) for about $10,000 less. My answer? Toyota has been making the Prius for about 12 years now, and the second-generation
model rang in at about $36,500 back in 2003, which isn’t much different from the price tag on the Volt. But even with government incentives, the price might be too high for mass adoption, right now. Chevy may have to take a considerable loss on each Volt for the first few years until sales pick up. We’re Americans. We want to go fast and look good while doing it. We invented six pack carburetors and 454 big blocks, and we did our best to put the biggest engines into the smallest, lightest cars. We want muscle and, in many ways, the Volt delivers. There’s no rumble, there’s no “beast” under the hood, but getting behind the wheel of the Volt just might trick you into thinking there is.
To watch a video road review of the Volt with Technology Guru Warren Jones, visit myteklife.com/volt.
PHOTO BY KELLE DEETER
one-on-one CHRIS PAINE WITH
Chris Paine is the writer/director of Who Killed the Electric Car?, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006 before its release by Sony Pictures Classics. The film went on to become one of the most successful documentaries in recent times. In his latest project, Revenge of the Electric Car, Paine takes us behind the closed doors of Nissan, General Motors, Tesla Motors and other automakers to find the story of the global resurgence of electric cars. Without using a single drop of foreign oil, this new generation of automobiles could be America’s future. In this one-on-one interview, Paine talks candidly about the environment and the motivation behind his films. MyTekLife: Can you tell me what inspired you to create Who Killed the Electric Car? And what was your objective? Paine: What inspired that film was the experience of driving the 1990s-era electric cars. Primarily the GM CV1, which came out in 1997 and was such a spectacular piece of technology that surpassed my expectations of what an electric car might be, that I thought we had sort of hit the 21st century, you know, 10 years earlier, and oh my God, it was technology designed in the U.S.! So I went from being somebody who wasn’t the biggest car guy to really being a car fanatic who was into these kinds of cars— electric cars. And when they canceled the programs—not just GM, but everybody—all the carmakers came in and beat the electric car programs up. I kept trying to get the national media—you know, the 20/20s and Nightlines of the world and the 60 Minutes—to cover the story. We were unsuccessful at getting any serious coverage of this. Maybe one story in The New York Times. So, we decided to start making a film about it. The idea of the film was to challenge the thought that the technology wasn’t very good and there was no interest in it. We knew the technology was astounding and that most people had never heard of it, and that’s why there weren’t many who stepped up to bat, because it was unknown. So, our film started off covering some of the activists’ efforts to save these cars, and we gave uncovered history as we got deeper into it. 18
m y t e k l i f e summer 2011
BY CELESTE NOELLE
MyTekLife: Got it. So, it was more of a personal experience for you? Paine: Oh, very much.You know, I think a lot of the best documentaries come out of personal experiences. Who Killed the Electric Car? is not a first-person movie, but indirectly it is, you know? The personal passion drives these projects, but I’m just not very comfortable in front of the camera, and it was easier to let other people in our film tell the story than for me to do a piece like that. MyTekLife: What do you think about cars like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf? Do you think cars like those will appeal to the general public? Paine: Yes ... yeah, I think the Chevy Volt’s a pretty terrific transition—well, not even just a transition technology. It’s a great gamechanger, because you can actually plug that sucker in. I’m about anything that will allow people to eventually drive their cars using their own energy. It’s got to be electricity to do that.You can never do that with gasoline. So, the fact that you can plug in a Volt (and certainly with the Leaf and the cars coming from almost every carmaker in the world now in the next three years—you can plug them in, finally)—it’s a huge forward in terms of getting off of oil and being able to run things more cleanly. MyTekLife: So, you have a Volt now, right? Paine: Oh, I have a Volt. I’m an educator ... that’s part of my job. And I have to pay full price. People don’t have a Southwest Airlines jet sitting in their driveway for when they want to fly from Albuquerque to Portland.They rent a seat on one. I think that the transition idea for the electric car for a lot of people—and they’ll get this in driving one—is that they’ll think, “On the days that I need to go on a big trip, I’ll rent a gasoline car just like I would rent a seat on an airplane.” What they’ll discover is that they don’t drive as much as they think they do. Some people do, but a lot of people don’t. To watch a trailer of Chris Paine’s latest documentary, visit revengeoftheelectriccar.com.
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arizona sports
PHOTO credit jobing.com
Jobing.com Arena is not only the home of the Phoenix Coyotes, but it’s also a venue for concerts, other sports events and special events.
the
coyotes have landed! BY LESLIE JAMES
The Coyotes’ home season begins Saturday, Oct. 15, with a total of 82 regular season games. Finally, after months of “everything being up in the air,” the decision was made that the Phoenix Coyotes would once again be “howling” from their habitat in Glendale at Jobing.com Arena—at least through the 2012 season. And, if all goes well with ongoing discussions between the City of Glendale and the team’s potential buyer, Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer, the Coyotes will become a permanent Valley fixture. At press time, the Coyotes’ team management group was in St. Paul, Minn., attending this year’s National Hockey League (NHL) draft and preparing for the coming season. The team has nine selections in this year’s player draft. In case you’re not already familiar with the history of the situation, here’s a little background.The NHL’s Winnipeg Jets were sold in the mid ’90s and the franchise was relocated to the Valley of the Sun, where the team’s name was changed to the Phoenix Coyotes. After years of speculation that the Coyotes might be sold again and moved back to Winnipeg, the Atlanta Thrashers were recently purchased and are being relocated to Winnipeg, which has been without an NHL hockey team since the Jets left. As for the Coyotes’ upcoming season, the eight-game pre-season schedule begins on Tuesday, Sept. 20, in Anaheim, Calif., against the 20
m y t e k l i f e summer 2011
Ducks. The Coyotes will then play split-squad games against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at Jobing.com Arena and at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Phoenix will then travel to Houston to play the Dallas Stars on Friday, Sept. 23, at Reliant Stadium. The Coyotes will then play in San Jose against the Sharks on Saturday, Sept. 24. After that, they’ll travel to Canada to play in Edmonton against the Oilers on Tuesday, Sept. 27 and in Calgary on Saturday, Sept. 29, against the Flames before returning home to close out the pre-season slate against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 1, in Glendale. The team’s regular home season begins Saturday, Oct. 15, at Jobing.com Arena—and it’s against Winnipeg! Even though at press time no official name has been given to the Winnipeg team, if I were a betting man (knowing the Canadians’ propensity for tradition when it comes to hockey), I think the team will likely take its old name, the Winnipeg Jets. Let’s hope that the Coyotes have a great season. And, let’s also hope that “the powers that be” can successfully provide Valley fans with an outstanding hockey team to cheer on for many years to come! For ticket information, call 623.463.8844.
Arizona’s premier signature celebrity-businessman and all-around class act—he is, of course, the highly respected. Jerry Colangelo.
motivator and mentor
with
A
a “midas touch”
s an executive and entrepreneur, his name is forever woven into the fabric of successful Arizona sports ownerships: the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Arizona Rattlers, hockey and WNBA’s Phoenix
Mercury. As chairman and chief executive officer of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, Jerry Colangelo relished the unique “gold” of that year’s World Champion Diamondbacks. He currently is on a “gig” as chairman of USA Basketball’s board of directors—part of the International Basketball Federation, which held its worldwide tournament in Turkey Aug. 28-Sept. 12 of last year. And, yes, you guessed it: the Colangelo-led American team (without the NBA’s celebrated superstars) came home
with “the gold.” As its chairman, Colangelo oversees the USA Basketball Men’s National Team and is responsible for the selection of the program’s coaches and players. The 2010 USA coaching staff was led by Duke University’s Hall of Fame coach, Mike Krzyzewski, and featured as assistant coaches Syracuse University’s Hall of Fame coach, Jim Boeheim, the Portland Trail Blazers’ head coach, Nate McMillan, and the Toronto Raptors’ head mentor, Jay Triano. Away from the sporting scene, Colangelo is principal partner of JDM Partners, one of the Valley’s largest owners of entitled land. Other partners in the venture are Mel Shultz and David Eaton. Together, the trio possesses more than 100 years of real estate, sports and entertainment, development and operational experience. Their primary mission: to be involved with the ownership and operation of businesses that benefit the community. One of JDM’s current projects is the re-establishment (a multimillion dollar redevelopment) of the famed and legendary Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa as a prime destination for tourists, visiting sports teams and residents. Since opening in 1929, the Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa has become a renowned Arizona landmark nestled in the city of Litchfield Park, which is just a short drive from the heart of Phoenix, and the resort remains a true representation of Arizona’s rich history. It has recently been through some difficult times, but Colangelo and his group are determined to restore the resort to its one-time heady “golden” stature as a top-ranking luxury property. Over and above his international pre-eminence, of importance to Colangelo is the way he is seen and regarded in his community as a “good neighbor.” He has done that in so many ways and has garnered numerous community awards—awards that he does not wear on his shirtsleeve. Colangelo simply lives … yes … by “the golden rule”—in everything he accomplishes. —J.J. LABARBER
hall of
fame
“Kicked” into The Pro Football Hall of Fame BY J.J. LABARBER Nick Lowery, a current resident of Paradise Valley, Ariz., in October of last year returned to Kansas City, Mo., and Arrowhead Stadium, where he was loudly cheered by tens of thousands of fans as he was inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. That signature honor was the culmination of his 14 years spent with Kansas City (1980-1993), playing in 212 regular season games. The franchise’s alltime leading scorer, Lowery scored 1,466 points in a Chiefs uniform. At the time of Lowery’s induction, Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt stated, “The entire Kansas City Chiefs organization is extremely pleased to welcome Nick into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. His penchant for making long-distance kicks and his history of last-minute heroics during pressure-packed situations made him one of the most admired kickers in the National Football League. He is richly deserving of being recognized as one of the all-time greats in Chiefs history.” Lowery was also elected to three Pro Bowls, following the ’81, ’90 and ’92 seasons. In ’90, he connected on a Chiefs single-season record 34 field goals and 37 points after touchdown for 139 points, the highest single-season total ever amassed by a Chiefs kicker. In total, Lowery played in 17 NFL seasons with the New England Patriots (’78), Kansas City Chiefs (’80-’93) and the New York Jets (’94-’96). Lowery is the first professional athlete to graduate with a master’s degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. His master’s program was a continuation of his undergraduate years at Dartmouth College. He is the lone Chiefs player to ever hail from Dartmouth. So, he is true-blue Ivy League. These days, Lowery spends his time on public-service initiatives and activities, particularly in the interest of children. The Nick LoweryYouth Foundation promotes programs such as Adult Role Models for Youth, Youthfriends, and Native Vision and Nation Building for Native Youth. The foundation’s newest effort, New Extraordinary Transcendent Leadership, is a program that will use the lessons of native American culture to reach out to all at-risk youth. “We know,” Lowery said, “that youth respond to encouragement and support as they learn how to become leaders. And that’s what we’re really excited about.” For more information, visit nickloweryfoundation.org. 22
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lifestyle
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myteklife.com
AMAZING DESTINATIONS
Railroading to the Grand Canyon BY J.J. LABARBER
PHOTO BY BRUCE ANDERSON
Railroading on a grand scale to the Grand Canyon cannot be missed. This will be one of the most exciting side trips you will ever take within Arizona. The Grand Canyon Railway is both a passenger railroad and heritage railway that operates between Williams, Ariz., and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. It also operates the legendary Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams. And, it is one of the most memorable excursions you can ever take when visiting northern Arizona. Now, for a bit of history: In 1901, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway completed a branch line from Williams to Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim. The first scheduled train to carry paying passengers of the Grand Canyon Railway arrived from Williams on Sept. 17 of that year. The 64-mile trip cost $3.95 at that time. Naturalist John Muir later commended the railway for its limited environmental impact and for the continued beauty of the area. To accommodate travelers, the Santa Fe designed and built the El Tovar Hotel, located just 60 feet from
the Canyon’s rim. The hotel opened its doors to tourists and guests in January 1905. Competition with the automobile forced the Santa Fe to cease operation of the railway in July 1968. In 1988, a Phoenix couple, Max and Thelma Biegert, purchased the property and started service once again. The railway carries hundreds of passengers to and from the Grand Canyon every day. Some 240,000 passengers made the trip in 2006. The jaunt, which takes two hours and 15 minutes from Williams to the Canyon, is a breathtaking experience that is guaranteed to last a lifetime. The restored Santa Fe station in Williams now serves the railway and is also home to a small railroad museum, which is an intriguing sidebar to a spectacular historical legacy. The Grand Canyon Depot, owned by the National Park Service, remains the northern terminus for passengers of the line. For more information on the Grand Canyon Railway or the hotel, go online to THE TRAIN.com.
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LUXURY AT ITS BEST The famous Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, nestled among the Ponderosa pine forest in Williams, represents one of the finest hotels in northern Arizona. Enjoy the luxury of a bygone era, in a comfortable and picturesque Western setting.
PHOTOS BY CHAD KOERBER
HOME OF THE APACHE Taking the Apache Attack Helicopter (AH) to new heights is what Boeing does better than anyone else. Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., Boeing’s Military Aircraft division employs some 25,000 employees in 10 locations across the United States. However, it is Boeing’s Mesa, Ariz.,
HEARTS TO HEROES Charity organization Packages From Home held its sixth annual Hearts to Heroes Motorcycle Ride and Poker Run events in April.
The nonprofit business was founded by Kathleen Lewis, whose son, Christian, a soldier with the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division, was deployed to Iraq in March 2004. She began sending care packages to him on a regular basis. When Christian called to thank her, she discovered that he was the only soldier in his squad receiving any packages from home. It was then that Kathleen decided to adopt Christian’s squad—with the help of friends—and began shipping packages to the men in his unit. Packages from Home is now one of the organizations listed and recognized by the Department of Defense for sending care packages in support of our troops. You can help Packages from Home by donating items such as food, hygiene necessities and recreational items. For more information, visit packagesfromhome.org.
facility that is home to where the legendary helicopter is manufactured.
Between 1984 and 1997, Boeing produced the AH-64A Apaches, with a tandem cockpit for a crew of two for the U. S. Army, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The combat-proven AH-64A is still in service today and incorporates (among many other features) a four-blade, twin engine with highperformance turbo shaft engines that offers a maximum cruise speed of 284 kph (over 165 mph). Additional features include laser and infrared systems (including target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensor) to locate, track and attack targets—coupled with a combination of laser-guided precision Hellfire missiles, Hydra 70 mm rockets, and a 30 mm automatic cannon (chain gun) that fires up to 1,200 high-explosive, dual-purpose ammunition rounds. The combat-proven and highly effective AH-64D Apache and AH-64D Apache Longbow are well-known as the world’s most sophisticated, advanced and heavily armed attack helicopters that share the following history and characteristics: Testing took place in the late 1990s, delivery came in 1997 and they are now produced (primarily for) the U.S. Army and its international customers. Units costs range from $18 - $20 million, with more than 1,000 produced to date. The radar-equipped (two-man) AH-64D Apache Longbow features numerous enhanced capabilities, including the ability to assimilate advancements in digital connectivity, sensors, weapon systems, advanced training devices and maintenance support systems. It facilitates longer-range weapons accuracy and all-weather /night fighting—detection of objects (moving or stationary)—all without being detected. It can also classify and assess threat-prioritization of up to 128 targets in less than a minute. –J.J. LABARBER, photo courtesy of U.S. Army.
UNITED WE DRIVE The ECCO Cannonball Run was held in March in support of Operation Homefront, which provides assistance for our nation’s wounded warriors. The race is based on the Cannonball Run movies from the 1980s and encourages participants to play any role from those movies—or other automobile-related movies or television shows. The competition spree runs through three major Arizona cities. Total mileage ranges from 200 to 225 miles, which takes approximately four to five hours of driving time with checkpoint stops along the way. If you’re interested in participating in the ECCO Cannonball Run alongside other car enthusiasts, visit tourecco.com.
>> TO WATCH MYTEKLIFETV’S COVERAGE OF THE 2011 ECCO CANNONBALL RUN, VISIT MYTEKLIFE.COM/CANNONBALLRUN.
flying solar THE INNOVATOR BEHIND THE FIRST PLANE DESIGNED TO FLY BY DAY AND NIGHT WITHOUT ANY FUEL RAISES THE SIMPLE QUESTION: WHY NOT?
T
By CELESTE NOELLE
he night prior to being asked to write this article, I found myself high in the Sierra Nevadas, gazing up at the endless sky of northern California. With little more than the grass folding underneath me, I watched as millions of stars stared gently back at me. In my complete state of bliss, the unmistakable blinking lights of an airplane far off in the distance caught my eye. It looked as though it were at one with the stars: free and shining proudly. What are they doing? Where are they going? What if the next “night-sky” plane you or I see is actually the first of its kind: the world’s first and only solar plane that can fly by night on its way to a new world record of flying around the world? In case you weren’t paying attention, I said solar, as in
no fuel. No carbon emissions. No emissions period. Healthier planet. Did I mention, no fuel? Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, our dependency on fuel is becoming more and more expensive. How many of us are truly making an effort to cut down on fossil fuels? How many of us think Earth before we think easy? When Bertrand Piccard came up with the idea of the HB-SIA prototype, he wasn’t trying to personally benefit, but rather to prove a point to the world.Why can’t we figure out ways to use renewable energies on a regular basis? Perhaps a better question than “Why can’t we?” is “Why aren’t we?” Piccard is smart, adventurous and family- and communityoriented. He loves humanity and is willing to go to the ends of the earth to help. Born in Switzerland, Piccard uses his medical degree to specialize in adult and child psychiatry and psychotherapy, is the father of three children and is chairman of Solar Impulse—the company he founded to make his dream of
André Borschberg (left) and Bertrand Piccard are the founders of Solar Impulse— the company behind the HB-SIA prototype airplane.
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What we can achieve in the air, anyone can do on the ground, in their everyday lives.
photoGRAPHY by jean revillard/rezo.ch
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The plane is not your typically shaped plane; in fact, in many ways it has a similar appearance to the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer. With a wingspan of approximately 208 feet, the plane stands at a height of about 20 feet and is roughly 71 feet long. The HB-SIA prototype is beautiful; anything that can save energy, refrain from using fossil fuels and still fully function at night is a beautiful thing. The wings are covered in solar panels from tip to tip. This aircraft was not meant to be a passenger plane; the goal was to inspire others, not to solve all of our fossil fuel problems. The HB-SIA prototype—while still a work in progress—has inspired the “takeoff ” of ideas and concepts around the world. Remember again the dream of a world of little pollution. Piccard and Borschberg’s Solar Impulse celebrates the fearless pursuit of genius that promises to ultimately guide us toward such a possibility.Their pioneering endeavors serve as models for the rest of us. The sky truly is the limit.These visionaries are giving a whole new meaning to the phrase, “Happy travels!”
‘‘
influencing mankind come to life.What exactly did Piccard have in mind when he began this new journey? He wants us to look at our everyday lives and find a way to reduce our use of nonrenewable energy as much as possible. While Piccard has helped put the HB-SIA project in motion, André Borschberg has one job in particular that is paramount to its success: flying the plane. As chief executive officer and co-founder of Solar Impulse, the Swiss native’s credentials are impressive. Having earned a master’s degree in management science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, served five years as a consultant at one of the world’s leading business consultancies and undertaken multiple entrepreneurial projects and investments, Borschberg is no novice. Add to all of that his training as a pilot in the Swiss army and the fact that he is also a father of three, and Borschberg is indeed a compelling individual. Anyone able to fly the HB-SIA prototype for a duration of 26 hours, 10 minutes and 19 seconds would have to be.
the man who bridged by mary l. holden
B
HISTORY & DISCOVERY
The Douglas X-3, known as the Stiletto, was built to investigate the design of an aircraft suitable for sustained supersonic speeds—above Mach 2. The X-3 (shown here) was one of the many experimental planes flown by American test pilot William Bridgeman.
So, who was this man who broke the world record for speed and helped usher in the era of supersonic flight? William Bridgeman was born in Iowa in 1916 but was raised in Malibu, Calif., where it was likely he saw some early airplane types flying over the coastline. As a teen, he joined the U.S. Navy and was present at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1945.
ooks are also time machines, be they paper or electronic.
After leaving the Navy in 1947, he joined Douglas Aircraft
Let’s say you want to know what it was like to be the
Company as a production test pilot, a job in which he flew and
first man to fly an airplane higher and faster than
certified for flight A-1 Skyraiders as they came off the assembly
ever before. You could pick up the book The Lonely Sky:
line, before they were sent to the Navy. After only a few months’
The Personal Story of America’s Pioneering Experimental Test
experience, he got a chance to test fly the D-558 II Skyrocket,
Pilot, start reading and be transported into the life and experience
a prototype airplane used in the new field of supersonic
of William Bridgeman.
research.
bridged earth and space Flying was in Bridgeman’s blood. After several hair-raising
usually are. He was handsome and had lots of girlfriends when
test flights, in May 1951, he took the Skyrocket to Mach 1,
I wrote an article about him for our local newspaper. He saw my
or 1,245 miles per hour. Shortly thereafter, he took it to
article and asked me to ghostwrite a book about his life. He was
Mach 1.88 or 1,992 miles per hour. As if speed was not
flying during the day out of what was then Edwards air force base,
enough, reaching record height was also in Bridgeman’s
and at night I interviewed him, asking questions that I already
veins. He took the Skyrocket to an altitude of 79,494 feet—
knew how he would answer. All the time I was writing it, I was
higher than any human being had ever flown before—on
in love with him, but he showed no interest. When the book was
Skyrocket’s final test flight. And just after that flight, NASA
finished, I set sail for France to visit my ex-husband.” Absence did make Bridgeman’s heart grow fonder, and
Another pioneering test pilot from the U.S. Air Force—
Jacqueline became his bride. She says that she had never flown in
Chuck Yeager—worked with Bridgeman as a chase pilot in
an airplane until the book was published, and she had to overcome
1950. There are several breath-taking passages in the book
quite a bit of fear. But William took her up for a spin over Malibu,
in which Yeager helps Bridgeman fly and land the Skyrockets.
and from that day forward, Jacqueline lost her fear. “Actually, Bill
In one instance, Bridgeman’s plane caught on fire and
was fearless,” she said. “He taught me to be fearless.”
Yeager’s cool head helped accomplish a safe landing. On the
In addition to William Bridgeman’s pioneering efforts in super-
day Bridgeman hit Mach 1.02, Yeager asked, “Did you make
sonic flight, he loved the ocean and was an accomplished surfer.
it, son?” After Bridgeman replied in the affirmative, Yeager
Makaha, in Honolulu, was his favorite place to surf because he
said, “Terrifying, wasn’t it?”
claimed the waves in Malibu were not high enough. But it was in
The word “terrifying” is not a usual word in the banter of test
the water that Bridgeman met his untimely death in 1968 while
pilots, and in the book, Bridgeman does not indicate whether
flying a twin-engine seaplane to Catalina Island. His remains were
he felt fear. Bridgeman’s widow, Jacqueline, still lives in
never recovered.
Malibu. She described William as “pragmatic, as test pilots
The book itself has a history. The memoir was first published in 1955. It got great reviews in The New York Times and in Time and Life magazines, and it belongs in the category of aviation classics. When Jacqueline Bridgeman realized that the book had become hard to find, she had it reprinted in 2009 in hardcover, in paperback and as an eBook. Proceeds from the sale of the book benefit Jacqueline’s favorite charity, Doctors Without Borders. To view a photo gallery of other planes tested by William Bridgeman, visit myteklife.com/bridgeman.
photoS by nasa
took delivery of the craft.
JANUARY JONES IS SCARED OF THE BIGGEST SHARK IN THE WORLD. And you should be scared for whale sharks, too. Shark populations are crashing around the world. Healthy oceans need sharks. Join January and Oceana in the fight to save them.
www.oceana.org/scaredforsharks
January Jones and Oceana scientists snorkel with Whale Sharks in Gladden Spit, Belize. Photo © Tim Calver
Protecting the World’s Oceans
did know? you
KEEPING IT COOL THIS SUMMER
ARCADIA VINTAGE COLLECTION
BY Leslie James
We all know that we can escape the Valley’s summer heat by hopping in the car and heading to northern Arizona. Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff … all are areas where one can “beat the heat” and relish in a temperature reduction of at least 20 to 25 degrees. But, did you know that within a short drive of the Greater Phoenix area there are many local water parks and attractions and just as many refreshing lakes that are guaranteed to help you really stay cool during our HOT (!) summer months? For example, you can enjoy a day at three great water paks conveniently situated around the Valley. Wet ‘n’ Wild (623.201.2000), located near Loop 101 and I-17 at 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Rd., offers cabanas, fabulous rides and plenty of excitement. In the East Valley, you have two choices: Golfland Sunsplash (480.834.8319) at 155 W. Hampton Ave. in Mesa and Big Surf Waterpark (480.994.2297) at 1500 N. McClintock Dr. in Tempe. Both offer lots of fun and exciting rides. And, let’s not forget Salt River Tubing and Recreation (480.357.9192), 1320 N. Bush Highway in Mesa. Tubing down the Salt River is a long-standing tradition for Valley residents and visitors alike, and during our HOT summer months, it’s something that should be on everyone’s “bucket list.” If you have a boat or some other type of watercraft, there are five big lakes to enjoy just outside your front door—six if you include Tempe Town Lake, just off Loop 202. Many of Arizona’s lakes provide excellent campgrounds, bathroom facilities, swimming, fishing and boating. All offer plenty of fun in the sun. Roosevelt Lake (602.977.7170); Apache Lake (928.467.3200); Canyon Lake (480.610.3300); Saguaro Lake (928.467.3200); Lake Pleasant (602.372.7460) Whether you’re basking next to your backyard pool, enjoying a local water park or boating on one of the state’s fabulous lakes, be smart, stay safe and take precautions. As every local TV weatherman admonishes, “Always watch your kids around water!” Drink plenty of water, stay well-hydrated, avoid drinking alcohol and boating at the same time (it’s against the law), always wear a life preserver when boating (small children should wear a life-vest whenever they are around water) and make sure to have a small first-aid kit handy at all times for those summer burns and scratches. Have a blast! Stay cool and stay safe.
living the dream PHOTOgraphy BY CHAD KOERBER
definitely not
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
BY LISA WILHELM
frankie muniz considers himself extremely lucky because he’s had the opportunity to follow his dreams. Some of us dream of making it big in Hollywood. Others fantasize about playing on stage in a rock band. Still others daydream about becoming a professional race car driver. And then there’s Frankie Muniz, who, at the age of 25, has already done it all. In most circles, Muniz is best known as Malcolm in the long-running hit TV series Malcolm in the Middle. He also has starred in numerous films, including My Dog Skip and Agent Cody 32
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Banks and has lent his voice to characters in animated films such as Racing Stripes and The Legend of Secret Pass. And, in a departure from his typical good-guy role, he portrayed a serial killer in a 2007 episode of the TV show Criminal Minds. “I had such a great time doing that,” he told MyTekLife about his role on Criminal Minds. Yes, Hollywood has been good to Frankie Muniz, but after
Lost in an ocean of eco-initiatives? Try wetlands.
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more than a decade in showbiz, he decided to take a break from acting and try his hand at another of his passions: open-wheel racing. Many actors might be hesitant to walk away from acting while they’re on top, but Muniz said he didn’t really make the decision based on what impact it would have on his career. Instead, he thought of it this
way: “I’ve done [acting] for the last 12 years, and I have the opportunity to pursue another one of my dreams, my passions, which is driving race cars professionally, and I’m gonna go do it.” He said he had to choose between the two because they’re both full-time jobs and because “nobody will insure you [as an actor] … when you’re racing cars.”
many actors might be hesitant to walk away from acting while they’re on top, but Muniz said he didn’t really make the decision based on what impact it would have on his career.
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“I wanted to pursue racing and see where I could get. To do that, I had to put acting on the side,” he said, adding that he was ready to do something new at that point. Muniz said he has “always been obsessed with cars.” He can remember waking up early on Sunday mornings when he was much younger and turning on Formula 1 and IndyCar racing. He said he didn’t really know what it was all about at the time, but he liked watching. In 2004, he was able to participate for the first time in the annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, Calif. The next year, among the celebrities who competed in the 10-lap race, Muniz took first place. He said when he crossed the finish line and knew he’d won, he’d never felt that much joy in his life. “It was the greatest feeling I’d ever felt,” he said with a huge grin,“and I’ve experienced some really cool things.” “I was like, I love this! I want to do it!” Jensen Motorsport approached him after that and asked him to race professionally for them. He signed a two-year deal with Jensen, and during that time, he raced in the Formula BMW USA championship and in the Champ Car Atlantic series. More recently, he drove for the Pacific Coast Motorsports/US RaceTronics team. He was in fourth place in the championship points in 2009 when he shattered his hand in a crash while racing. The ligaments connecting to his thumb were all torn, and a bone in his thumb was chipped as well. He underwent surgery knowing that the recovery process would take an extremely long time. “I still want to continue racing. It’s just, uh, I gotta get healthy,” he told MyTekLife.
PHOTO BY MCKAY JAFFE
“There’s still more unfinished business I want to get back and do, but the days aren’t long enough,” he said. “I need more time.” Not satisfied with “just” his accomplishments on camera and on the racetrack, Muniz also plays the drums in an Arizona-based band called You Hang Up.When asked about the name of the band, he confessed with a laugh that it came from the playful banter that callers sometimes engage in: “You hang up.” “No, you hang up.” “No, YOU hang up.” Muniz described You Hang Up as a pop rock/Top 40 rock band that plays the kind of music that “everyone can enjoy. It’s pop-y enough that it could be played on the radio, but rock-y enough to where people who like rock music would like it.” The band has been touring this year and has done several shows with the
Plain White T’s and 2010 American Idol winner Lee DeWyze. The four members of You Hang Up just finished recording their first full-length album earlier this year. We asked Muniz about learning to play the drums from Zac Hanson, of the ’90s pop group Hanson. He confessed that he was a “huge Hanson fan” back before his stint on Malcolm began, and he thought it was cool that these kids who were his age were making hit music. He wanted to play music like that too, so he watched Hanson music videos and taught himself to play the drums. Later, he had the chance to meet the Hanson brothers and became good friends with Zac Hanson. He even went on the road with the Hansons for a while and continued to hone his skills under Zac’s tutelage. “I learned a lot of what I know behind the drums from [Zac], for sure,” Muniz said. While talking about the band, Muniz plugged the company that made his drums, SJC Custom Drums, with obvious enthusiasm. “You … tell them what you want, and they can do anything.”
YOU HANG UP The band began as a solo project for founder Aaron Brown. Muniz joined the band in 2007 as the drummer. You Hang Up’s music, according to Muniz, is “pop-y enough that it could be played on the radio, but rock-y enough to where people who like rock music would like it.” You Hang Up released an EP in 2010 and is expected to release a full album later this year. To get the latest news and updates from You Hang Up, visit the band’s website at youhangup.com. myteklife
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Fans who want to see more of Muniz on the screen will be happy to know that he hasn’t put his acting days entirely behind him. He played the title role in Pizza Man, a small, independent movie filmed last year about a pizza delivery guy who becomes an unlikely superhero. Muniz said he had “an amazing time” making the movie. “I came home from the set one day and I went, ‘Wow. I think I’m supposed to be acting!’” He said he believes Pizza Man is close to getting distribution worldwide. He also has two other movies lined up, which are to begin filming later this year. When asked if he had ever thought about getting into directing or producing, he said he never did while he was on Malcolm, that he always enjoyed just being in front of the camera. While filming Pizza Man, though, he discovered that he would like to take a shot at directing because it would give him the chance to implement some of his own
playing live music,” he commented. “When we go and play shows, you see people enjoying it right then, and you get the energy from them.” We asked him if he ever feels locked in by being so well-known as Malcolm. He told us he was fortunate in that he was always working on movies during his hiatuses from the TV show, which gave people a chance to identify him with other characters. Nonetheless, he said if he is remembered as Malcolm for the rest of his life, “that’s still pretty cool … The fact that people can remember me as something, that’s a good thing.” Technology touches everyone’s life these days, and Muniz is certainly no exception. He shared with MyTekLife how technology is integrated into all areas of his professional life. In terms of his acting career, he noted that everything is now digital. “I watch movies from 10 years ago, and the CGI looks so fake in comparison to now,” he remarked. “We turned on Ratatouille the other day, and we’re like, ‘How is this a cartoon? How is this not real? The hair looks so real on the rat!’”
Photo by allan hack
ideas—to see his vision, as he put it. Muniz talked about the differences between performing for the camera and performing his music. He explained that with acting, you can spend 15 or 16 hours a day filming and then it’s months, or even a year, before the finished product is aired. “You don’t really get any of that gratification from the fans like you do when you’re
“THe fact that people can remember ME as something, that’s a good thing.”
Muniz raced car #13 in the 2007 Champ Car Atlantic Series.
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Technological advances in filmmaking are good and bad, Muniz believes. They’re good in the sense that it makes the movie more enjoyable to watch, he said, but bad in the sense that you can’t watch older productions because they now look so fake. With regard to racing, he remarked that “racing is technology.” Manufacturers are developing all sorts of components to make the cars go faster, he explained. As an example, he said hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to develop a front wing that will create more downforce. “The cars I was driving had 430 different sensors, so as I was driving my engineer could be looking at the live data on his computer to see everything—my steering input, how hard I’m hitting the brakes, fuel, oil temp,” he told us. He also noted that efforts have been made to ban some of the technology, in an attempt to slow down the cars. As far as playing music goes, Muniz said You Hang Up plays to live backing tracks, and he’s in charge of that. He described for us how he runs the tracks from his MacBook into a small mixer and then into a wireless in-ear system. “There’s a lot of electronic components that go into making the live show happen,” he noted. Having recently completed his first fulllength recording with fellow You Hang Up band members, Muniz was noticeably impressed with what recording engineers can do these days. “They can cut anything they want, you know, just on the computer, two clicks, and make it sound like something completely different.” He commented about the enormous amount of progress that’s been made in technology in the last 10 years compared with the 2,000 years before that and said he’s eager to know what it’s going to be like 10 years from now. Just for kicks, we asked him to choose the one gadget he couldn’t live without.
PROFILE — Name: Frankie Muniz Born: December 5, 1985 Birthplace: Woodridge, NJ Height: 5’5” (1.65 m) Weight: 122 lbs. (55.3 kg) Muniz got his driver’s license in 2001 and quickly developed a love of fast cars. Over the last few years, he has bought and sold several cars, including the Volkswagen Jetta from the movie The Fast and the Furious and a Porsche Speedster from the 1950s.
In 2004, Frankie got the chance to race in the Pro/Celebrity race at the Long Beach Grand Prix in California. One year later he was back to take first place, and in 2006 he returned a second time to compete as a professional driver. Later, Muniz signed a 2-year contract with Jensen Motorsport and took part in the Formula BMW USA championship. In 2007 he raced in the Champ Car Atlantic series. Muniz drove for the PCM/USRT team in 2008 and saw his progress skyrocket to new heights by finishing in the top 10 spot in 3 races and narrowly missing a spot among the top 10 in terms of points. He returned to racing and signed with US RaceTronics under the banner of Team Stargate Worlds—that was the last time Muniz raced because of injuries. myteklife
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the new elegance.
urbane. distorted.
photography.
www.urbanedistortions.net 38
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“I WANT TO SET GOALS AND GO GET THEM. THAT’S WHAT I’M DOING, and I’m having THE the time of my life doing it.” Despite all of the highly technical gadgetry he’s been exposed to in his many endeavors to date, he laughed and gave us a surprisingly simple response. “This is going to be really cheesy, but … a microwave … ‘cause everything I eat is microwaved!” With all of the changes Muniz has made in the last decade, we wondered what might lie ahead for him. “Right now my focus, it kind of changes every six months,” he admitted, “‘cause there’s so many things I want to do.” “I want to pursue the band, I want to pursue racing, I’m getting back into acting and … I want to be on the PGA Tour, so I’m trying to play golf at least three times a week.” “I like keeping busy. I don’t like having any time off. I don’t like sitting at home. I don’t want to waste any time. I want to experience as much as I can in my life.” Clearly, he’s doing everything he can to make that happen. Muniz considers himself extremely lucky because he’s had the opportunity to follow his dreams, to do everything he’s wanted to do. “There’s no point in living your one life just floating … you know, doing [only] what you need to do. I’m so happy, and
that’s one thing I want to get across.” He said people might think he has switched from one career to another because he couldn’t make it at whatever he was doing at the time, but that’s simply not true. He made it clear that he’s doing exactly what he wants to be doing. “I love it. I’m having fun. I hope people maybe look at me and go, ‘You know what? I want to do that! I want to set goals and go and get them.’ … That’s what I’m doing, and I’m having the time of my life doing it.” As the interview drew to a close, he offered a few simple words of advice to anyone who cares to heed them: “Enjoy your life,” he said. “Be happy. Have fun.” And there you have it. Pearls of wisdom from the one who once was in the middle but now blazes ahead, going after whatever it is he wants.
Muniz Video Interview
To see the complete interview between MyTekLifeTV’s Cathy Rankin and Frankie Muniz, go to myteklife.com/frankiemuniz.
myteklife
summer 2011
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Want a taste of my Pink Bikini?
For the Pink Bikini recipe, visit SenorRio.com Sip Responsibly.
TEKKNOWVATIONS
HIGH-PERFORMANCE
2011 Cadillac SRX Crossover The Cadillac SRX is the No. 1 crossover in the world—and what luxurious model it is + Direct injection 3.0 V6 (with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive) Optional 2.8 liter turbo V6 with all-wheel drive + Transmission: 6-speed automatic with shift control + Bose eight-speaker sound system with radio data system + Drivetrain: front-wheel drive + Fuel tank: approximately 21 gallons + The SRX Crossover offers great performance, super good looks and a great price tag + Many significant features are standard on the SRX + While upgrades are available, even the base model screams Luxury! This is more than just a look-see
+ The SRX Crossover is a must-see!
2011 Cadillac CTS-V sedan The fastest production sedan in the world, with a 0-60 time of just 3.9 seconds. + 6.2 liter OHV supercharged LSA V-8 motor + A rating of 556 hp with 551 pound-feet of torque + Transmission: automatic or 6-speed manual + BOSE 11-speaker sound system with Surround Sound + Drivetrain: rear-wheel drive + Fuel tank: approximately 18 gallons + Awesome looks, great styling and raw power —all at an affordable price + This model is guaranteed to satisfy (and exceed) the expectations of Cadillac’s most demanding customers + The CTS-V Series elevates the CTS brand into a new world-class category of highperformance automotive sedan + Buckle up!
Legends Cadillac Scottsdale-Arizona legendscadillac.com.
TEKKNOWVATIONS
TIMELESS
A WATCH THAT
TAG Heuer, Rolex, Movado, Fossil, Citizen, Br BY WARREN JONES
Almost a year ago Apple Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs stood on stage and introduced the sixth-generation iPod Nano. Apple often comments that the Nano is the most popular iPod, which makes sense because it seems like everyone and their grandmother has one. However, instead of doing the expected and adding more memory, or making it smaller, or increasing the screen size, Apple went in an all-new direction. They redesigned it from the ground up, adding a multi-touch screen and a clip-around back like the iPod Shuffle. The excitement was palpable, and I’m sure Jobs could see cartoon dollar bills with wings flying out of the pockets of those in the audience. Then, in a seemingly off-the-cuff comment while talking about the new Nano’s features, Jobs uttered, “We’ve got a clock. We’ve got ... one of our board of director members is gonna clip it onto an armband as a watch ....” And there it was, the birth of an idea—an idea that some people wouldn’t allow to pass them by. One such person was Scott Wilson, former global creative director for Nike Watches and founder of MINIMAL. The creation of the LunaTik and TikTok was “an obvious one,” Wilson wrote on the LunaTik website. “The Nano is an incredibly complex technological breakthrough, and Apple’s sheer ability to offer a multi-touch full color display and battery in such a small package is no small feat. Watch companies have been chasing this for years. I know, I’ve worked with them. They are all scratching their heads now saying, “we can’t touch that.” M.C Hammer jokes aside, Wilson’s right. The LunaTik isn’t a cheap band you simply strap the REVIEW VIDEO: Watch Technology Guru Warren Jones review the LunaTik at myteklife.com/myteklifetv > For more information about other products from
T ROCKS
reitling, Nike, Cartier... Apple? Nano into; it’s a “conversion kit” that upgrades
sent right from your wrist. How about controlling
your Nano from mere music player to high-end
your Apple TV from the Nano or even using AirPlay?
fashion accessory. Wilson and his team have cre-
How about adding a jukebox feature to the Nano
ated a watch that some have described as a “laptop
and Apple TV that allows partygoers to add songs
on your wrist,” and you can have one for about $80
from their personal libraries to the queue of songs
on top of the cost of an iPod Nano.
playing at the party? The possibilities would be
The design is flawless, the materials feel phe-
almost endless if the Nano were able to speak to the
nomenal and the look is unlike anything else.
iPhone or other Apple devices through Bluetooth
Even Apple would have a hard time creating
or some other form of wireless communication. But
something that tops the design and craftsman-
until then, the LunaTik is still a sexy addition to any
ship of the LunaTik. The straps are made from a
geek’s wardrobe.
high-grade silicone rubber to ensure that ripping or tearing won’t be an issue, the body is made from CNC aerospace-grade aluminum, so it looks at home with the aluminum iPod, and holding it all together are solid stainless steel screws. Wearing the watch will get you plenty of looks and inquiries as to what exactly is on your wrist, Mr. Dick Tracy. If silver aluminum isn’t your bag, there are also red and black aluminum versions; the black LunaTik costs a little more. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge of dedicating your Nano to being a watch, MINIMAL also offers the TikTok, a watch kit that allows you to simply snap your iPod Nano in and out. The TikTok comes in black or white and costs about $40. Either way, you’ve got yourself a fantastic watch that’s stylish and just might drive your tech friends crazy. I’d love to see Apple run with the idea of the Nano being a watch. Right now the clock face times out after a few minutes as the Nano goes to sleep. The quick fix would be to enable a setting that allowed the clock face to stay visible, even if it isn’t constantly backlit. What about adding Bluetooth and syncing your iPhone to the Nano to get caller ID or text message information? A set of predetermined SMS replies could easily be swiped through and LunaTik, visit lunatik.com.
TEKKNOWVATIONS
GADGETS
computer accessories
MOTORMOUSE
There are many novelty computer accessories on the market today. Most can be described as cool, fun and, in some cases, humorous. It’s no wonder they make unique gifts. The Motormouse is in a league of its own with its elegant design and
sports
SENSOGLOVE
SensoGlove is the first and only golf glove with
great functionality. Inspired by the Porsche 911 series luxury automobile,
built-in sensors that constantly read the pressure of
the mouse works very well.
your grip. Practicing with a SensoGlove will teach
The Motormouse is available now for $49.95 and can be ordered at motormouse.us.com.
you the correct grip pressure for a smooth, consistent swing that delivers greater distance, enhanced precision and lower scores. Available
audio
ROCKUS
online at shop.sensoglove.com for $89.00.
Antec, a leader in PC components, has taken on a new challenge. The company has entered the speaker market with the soundscience rockus 2.1. The new desktop speaker system offers: Anodized aluminum satellites that reduce vibration and minimize distortion, resulting in clear mid- and sparkling high-range sound. Active subwoofer with passive radiator technology, delivering an expansive range of bass comparable to larger footprint subwoofers. 3-D-tuned drivers to deliver audio optimized for soundscience’s 3Dsst technology. Dual-mode operation: 3-D mode for enveloping games and movies, and music mode for faithful stereo music playback. Optical input for playback of digital audio from game consoles (such as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) and other, similarly equipped devices. Remote control pod for volume adjustment, 3-D/ music mode selection, muting and digital/analog input selection. $199.00 MSRP. Available at Amazon.com and Newegg.com.
VIDEO REVIEWS: Tune into MyTekLifeTV at MyTekLife.com to watch Technology Guru Warren Jones review some great products. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
gaming
GRAN TURISMO 5 REVOLUTION
With its true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and design, the award-winning Gran Turismo franchise could be the best, and most authentic, driving simulator ever created. Playseat America, a manufacturer of gaming furniture for several gaming platforms, released the limited-edition Gran Turismo 5 Revolution racing game seat. Like Playseat’s original Evolution Racing Game Seat, the Revolution seat offers ultimate comfort and a more realistic racing experience. Consisting of several enhancements and modifications not found on the Evolution, the Gran Turismo 5 Revolution includes a new, leg-friendly design for free range of leg movement and center mount wheel support, with a Logitech wheel/pedal set of choice for PlayStation 3. This dynamic race seat is modeled after real rally and stock car seats, complete with helmet stabilizers and a new, patented, fully adjustable steering wheel support with an aluminum quick-release handle for easy slide adjustment for height and depth. The Playseat Gran Turismo 5 Revolution takes the Gran Turismo experience to a new level, making it the perfect gaming performance enhancer. Like the Evolution, the Revolution is compatible with most third-party wheel/pedal hardware sets on the market. Multiple accessories are also available. Estimated cost, $599.00. For more info, visit playseatusa.com. — JONATHAN MASON
portability
Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard
Verbatim’s Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard is now compatible with the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy, Blackberry Playbook and any other tablet with HID keyboard support and Bluetooth connectivity. The keyboard makes it quick and easy to compose e-mail and other documents on tablets and mobile devices. It features an ultra-compact design that folds for maximum portability and comes with a premium carrying case. For more information, visit verbatim.com. $104.00 MSRP.
health & fitness
WATTBIKE
The Wattbike Trainer and Pro bikes measure power in watts, which allows athletes to see how much power they are producing versus waiting on their heart rate to reach a certain point. The bikes are designed to replicate the sensation of “real” cycling and deliver accurate, repeatable and comparable results. They allow users to train harder in a shorter period of time because they allow each session to be tailored to a specific intensity and training goal, and they eliminate any down time that actual outdoor riders would encounter. With a Wattbike, you can analyze and fine-tune your cycling technique, and monitor and record key performance parameters in real time with an unrivalled level of accuracy. Capturing results at this level of detail encourages you to train smarter and helps you to adhere to training programs that achieve performance, health and/or fitness goals with a minimum commitment of time. Great for rehabilitation, general fitness, high-level training, scientific testing, cross training and competition, Wattbikes include a variety of technical features such as: The Wattbike features both air and magnetic braking systems, allowing you to replicate any desired training session—from low-intensity recovery riding to maximum-intensity sprints. Accuracy and factory calibration – Wattbikes deliver accurate, repeatable and comparable results, as each one is factory calibrated and will not need to be recalibrated throughout its life. The Wattbike is available in Pro and Trainer models for $2,995.00 MSRP and can be purchased directly from wattbike.com/us.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
TEKKNOWVATIONS
COMPUTING POWER
BLACK O.P.S. ENIX performance, support and value—and it doesn’t disappoint in any way. BY WARREN JONES There are myriad PC makers out there, and the choices at your
service. Digital Storm is quick to tell you that the company operates
local electronics retailer are enough to make your head spin. But
on three basic principles: performance, support and value—and it
for those of us who are looking for something a few levels above
doesn’t disappoint in any way. The first thing we noticed about our
the preconfigured mess littering stores shelves and the limited
review unit, a Black O.P.S. Enix system with Windows 7 Home Premi-
configuration options found at most online PC retailers is a
um 64 bit on board, was the gorgeous design. Had the case been a gray
company called Digital Storm. Since 2002, Fremont, Calif.,’s own
aluminum, we would‘ve thought the guys in Cupertino did the design
Digital Storm has been specializing in creating the most
work. The attention to detail was plainly obvious. Using a sexy, matte
technologically advanced systems without sacrificing customer
black aluminum exterior instead of plastic, the designers elected to
The Enix system was designed with innovative cooling schemes which help maximize performance and stability.
46
m y t e k l i f e summer 2011
move all the requisite ports from an exposed rear panel to a red, honeycomb-covered top panel. This left four sides of this beast flat and clean, save for a single slot-loading Blu-ray drive below the Digital Storm badge on the front. It also aids in heat dissipation, due to heat’s natural tendency to rise. On the downside, all that aluminum is awfully heavy. Taking off the three removable panels gives you a great look at the innards, and what meticulous craftsmanship Digital Storm put into the system as a whole! Two large, 120 mm fans blow across the Corsair high-performance CPU cooler, creating a pocket of cool air for the 3.4 GHz Quad-core Intel i7 to do its work without fear of overheating. These systems are designed to be pushed to the limit, so creating a cool space for the CPU is crucial. Also inside we found 8 GB of hand-tested DDR3 RAM, a 1TB 7200 RPM Western Digital hard drive (with space for two more hot-swappable expansion bays), dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580s with 1.5 GB RAM per card
you have enough juice to keep the whole thing running. Up top are the usual
and a 1000 W Stryder Gold power supply to make sure
suspects as far as peripheral ports go: six USB 2.0, FireWire 400, eSATA, gigabit Ethernet and two USB 3.0s nestled next to serial ports for a mouse and keyboard in case you’re rocking and older an older setup you just can’t let go of. Customization options abound, with several paint and accent color options, interior LED lighting and custom H20 tubing for liquid-cooled systems. All this makes for an insanely fast machine that is no slouch. You’d already expect an i7 machine to be pretty quick and powerful, but we ran it through the paces using Maxon’s Cinebench, a benchmarking tool specifically designed to take advantage of multi-core processors using 3-D graphics, which is where gaming machines excel. The Enix scored very well when compared against other systems running 2.92 GHz Xeons and 3.99 GHz Core 2s at a respectable 9.25 points. (A full listing of scores can be found at cbsscores.com.) In short, Digital Storm has found a great balance of performance and price. Our review unit rang in at $3,000 with all the options and upgrades provided. If you’re looking for a completely customized PC but don’t want to put in the work yourself, Digital Storm is just a few clicks away, at digitalstormonline.com.
For more product reviews from Technology Guru Warren Jones, tune in to MyTekLifeTV at myteklife.com/myteklifetv.
myteklife
summer 2011
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PHOTOgraphy BY CHAD KOERBER
++++++++++++++++
DISCOVER FLIGHT Sawyer’s Discovery Flights have become extremely popular with the firm’s clientele.
Soaring to Even Greater Heights
The toughest thing about success is that you’ve got to keep on being a success! -- Irving Berlin “We must be doing something right,”
suggested Chad Verdaglio, chief executive officer and president of Sawyer Aviation, an aviation company with headquarters at Scottsdale Airport. “For the past 50 years, Sawyer has, indeed, been avant-garde in its approach to becoming the oldest, most established, full-service aviation company in the Southwest, servicing its clients in the areas of charter, training, aircraft sales and aircraft management.” With the current angst concerning commercial aviation (with its seemingly never-ending threats) and all the airport fuss prior to boarding a plane, has Verdaglio seen an increase in the number of requests for information dealing with private aviation training or charter-jet service? “Definitely,” was his response, given with notable emphasis. “Our charter service has access to a full spectrum of aircraft we can utilize to meet a client’s travel needs. And we feel the price is extremely competitive. For instance, an eight-passenger charter jet for a three-day business trip—or an aircraft for a weekend getaway to Las Vegas—is available for as little as $2,000.” With its recent addition of a 2011 Hawker-Beechcraft G58 Baron, Sawyer Aviation can now claim it has the newest charter aircraft in Arizona, maintaining a long-standing reputation of being “ahead of the curve at all times.” Current destination favorites, according to Verdaglio, are “Southern California, Cabo San Lucas,Vancouver, Las Vegas and other locales in the United States. And we’re looking to expand our service to the European market in the near future.We have the right aircraft to fit one’s mission—and his or her budget.” That mission can, from time to time, belong to a well-known political figure, a prominent business executive or a celebrity. Given its 50-year legacy, Sawyer can gently boast that pilots of Air Force One are former graduates of its pilot-training program, which has the newest fleet of aircraft in Scottsdale. Most of its state-of-the-art aircraft are well-equipped, with synthetic vision and autopilots capable of coupled approaches. Even the 48
m y t e k l i f e summer 2011
FAA chooses Sawyer Aviation when its personnel need to fly somewhere. Sawyer’s Cessna Pilot Center, a certified FAA testing center, offers an online training course, which allows for vivid, flexible, interactive ground training to make learning much easier. Plus, Sawyer’s flight training department offers all airplane pilot and instructor ratings. Ever thought about owning your own plane to fly when you want, where you want, to enjoy being above the clouds heading for your singular destination? If so, you’ve come to the right place—as the saying goes. Sawyer Aviation has accumulated years of experience in arranging for the sale of an aircraft to its clients.The business has a unique and singular ability when it comes to acquiring aircraft for its clientele and offers professional financial guidance so clients can take full advantage of available tax benefits. Once you have a plane, Sawyer doesn’t forget you. “We make it easy to own an aircraft,”Verdaglio said, “by taking care of everything from crew hiring, hangar space, a fuel discount program, maintenance tracking and scheduling and managing warranty claims, to keeping the aircraft databases and subscriptions up to date.” One of Sawyer Aviation’s notable achievements has been its media thrust, as an aviation expert, in extolling the safety of current-day aviation as the safest form of transportation. Another notable achievement is the company’s Internet presence. Sawyer is No. 1 in the world for gift certificate sales through a combination of marketing presentation, a wider range of options and ease of purchase with an online option. In addition, the firm’s social media activity connects charter clients and students to create awareness and broaden horizons. The Internet also makes private aviation more attainable and provides a vivid glimpse into that aspect of flying. And Sawyer Aviation’s blog addresses various topics within aviation. Sawyer Aviation is a prime example that success does, indeed, breed success. —J.J. LABARBER
EXPLORER DISCOVERY FLIGHT has become what the name implies. One of the reasons we fly is to explore and travel effortlessly by air. To actually go somewhere without being bound by roads. What better place to go from the Scottsdale Airport than one of the most famous airports in the world—the Sedona Airport, located on a majestic sandstone plateau in the middle of Oak Creek’s red-rock canyons. CAPTAIN DISCOVERY FLIGHT is Sawyer’s most popular and best-selling discovery flight. The Sawyer instructor will take you through the wide world of aviation, showing you how an airplane works and why you see contrails in the sky in the same place day after day. CADET DISCOVERY FLIGHT is Sawyer’s most economic aviation experience. It’s perfect as a first step for a budding young aviator, and it makes the world of aviation accessible to nearly everyone. For more information, visit sawyeraviation.com.
Chad Verdaglio, CEO and president of Sawyer Aviation.
Family Owned and Operated in the Valley Since 1955
2011 CHEVY VOLT
“THE FUTURE IS HERE, AND AMERICA IS BACK IN THE GAME.” The 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Powered by electricity without being tethered to electrical outlets. It drives gas - and emissions - free for most commutes. But if life takes you a little further, as it tends to do sometimes, the gas-powered onboard generator can take you wherever you need to go. Isn’t that what cars are for? Volt Mobile App Anywhere you get a signal on your smartphone, you can have total control of your Volt. Tap away and, with the OnStar mobile app(12), you’ll be able to check the battery charge level, available range, tire pressure, remote lock and unlock and even activate the remote start to heat or cool the interior to your preferred temperature.
THE MOST AWARDED CHEVROLET EVER! 2011 Green Car of the Year
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summer 2011
49
THE HISTORIC and le by j.j. labarber
I
’m a frustrated piano player. I longed and still yearn to rep-
other veterans. His travels inspired him to write the song,
licate the talents of Teddy Wilson, Oscar Peterson, Erroll
which suggested that the “get-your-kicks” journey was an
Garner and Bobby Troup, whom I was fortunate enough to
end in itself.
see perform three or four times with his trio at a trendy,
up-scale restaurant in the San Fernando Valley.
Route 66 became a huge hit for Troup. It also popularized the two-lane highway that commenced in Chicago and
The requests during the evening would always flow: “Route
ended in Los Angeles. From its starting point in the Windy
66, please, Bobby!” Troup would swing into a smooth rendition
City, the road headed southwest to Oklahoma City, then due
of the song. It became his signature work, much the same as
west to the sun and surf of the Pacific Ocean. It crossed
Tony Bennett’s I Left My Heart in San Francisco did for him.
eight states—Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas,
Once, his wife, actress Julie London, joined him and sang the
New Mexico, Arizona and California—and three time zones.
piece.
Established in the 1920s, at a time when the automobile
Formerly a pianist with the renowned Tommy Dorsey Or-
was rapidly becoming the main preference for family vaca-
chestra, Troup headed west after World War II with millions of
tion travel, Route 66 was officially designated a U.S. highway
egendary ROUTE 66 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
lonely and stark portions of the route … whatever gripped
Officials in 1926. Its lifespan, however, was short—less than
him. A classic was his photo of a bright red Corvette (made
50 years. It was decommissioned in 1985, with some sections
famous in the ’60s television show Route 66) outside an old
becoming part of the Interstate Highway System.
gas station and motel.
Artist Zack Jones escaped the summer heat of the Valley in
A scene from the film version of The Grapes of Wrath that
2005 by spending a great deal of time at a friend’s ranch in Parks,
will always be etched in my mind is the one in which Henry
which is located in the northern part of Arizona. He soon discov-
Fonda sits at the wheel of a broken-down automobile laden with
ered that the fabled Route 66 was the main road that ran between
his family and all of their belongings as they leave the Dust
Williams and Flagstaff, where he would go to buy groceries and
Bowl to head for California. During the Great Depression, Route
other necessities. The lure of “66” got to him and, enchanted by
66 served as a main passage for more than 200,000 poverty-
the history of “The Mother Road” (so named by John Steinbeck in
ridden rural inhabitants to their Garden of Eden, California.
old homes and buildings, abandoned gas stations and garages,
Very few highways in America, if any, will hold an everlasting allure for so many as has Route 66.
photo by nuahs
his classic novel The Grapes of Wrath), Jones began photographing
THINK ABOUT IT
P. M. A. BY JAMIE COPLAND
PHOTO BY A.J. WILLIAMS
Do you “suffer” from P.M.A.? If not, then perhaps you should. Why? Because P.M.A. is a personality trait with a signature thrust that goes … “Yes. I can! Yes, I can!” P.M.A. (Positive Mental Attitude) or, as others may define it, “the power of positive thinking,” is not only thinking positively, but being positive and acting in a positive manner. It makes a significant difference in how one experiences life—how the world sees you—and what you, ultimately, achieve in everyday life. And P.M.A. is also one character trait that always has a huge impact when interacting with others.
The Thinker, a bronze and marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin, depicts a man in sober meditation battling with a powerful internal struggle. It is often used to represent the concept of philosophy.
Now, I’m no superstar, public speaker or millionaire. In simple terms, I am just “an everyday working guy” who is coping with all that life hands out. I aspire to work harder, to do better, to be better at what I do and to be a better provider for my family. I, along with everyone else, suffered (or perhaps should say, I’m still suffering?) through the lasting effects of our recent economic meltdown. It has impacted my business, my life, my family, my friends and many of my business associates—just as I know it has done the same with so many others. However, when times were tough, daily challenges were overwhelming, walls seemed to be closing in on me and the next mountain to climb seemed insurmountable, I had a simple choice to make. It was (as compared with any other options) a simple decision: I could join the “get me down ragtime band” and belt out my own special version of the “Oh, woe is me, anthem!” Or, I could beat the drums and flip my own “P.M.A. switch” into high gear and make a formidable effort to succeed. It’s not always easy. But it sure is more productive to see the positive side of what life is dealing me. One visual image that always hits home with me is driving around the Phoenix area and watching the growing number of homeless individuals that adorn our streets. I see mothers with children in tow, and older—much older—citizens standing with signs asking for help. And, I experience this while driving in my air-conditioned Cadillac drinking a chilled bottle of water. Those sights, compared with my own life’s happenings, are always a game-changer for me—a great dose of reality. Truthfully speaking, it was a good old “kick in the butt.” It flipped my P.M.A. switch into full gear. How? I have actually started carrying a case of water in the trunk of my car, and some $5 bills. When the opportunity arises, I pull over to the curb and offer water some money to those in need. Many things contribute to a great P.M.A—helping others is certainly one of them. So, whenever you think you’re having a bad day, think about changing places with those people holding the sign! Many years ago, a former mentor of mine once told me that one should always strive to be positive, look to the good in life and stay focused on the road ahead, adding that there would be others, always, ready and eager to pounce on all the negativity we confront on a daily basis. He was right, of course, and it was a revealing life lesson.
Respected author and public speaker Stephen Covey tells people to discover the “90/10 Principle,” emphasizing that it’s a lifechanger. Covey’s principle is simple: 10 percent of life is made up of what happens to you—good or bad.The other 90 percent of life is decided by how you react to that 10 percent. Amazing, isn’t it? When you drive down life’s ever-changing highway, you are sure to experience a “flat-tire” from time to time. How you handle the (changing of the tire) event, how you proceed on your travels, will have everything to do with how you will arrive at your final destination. A race car driver and friend of mine once said to me, “How you go into a situation will also determine how you exit it.” He continued, “On a super speedway, when you enter a turn at 210 miles
per hour, and you are off-line going into the turn, chances are you will run out of track at the other end and hit the wall on the exit! You always need to be focused and must remain positive to avoid hitting the wall.” It’s like anything else in life. If you think you can, you likely will; however, if you think you can’t, chances are you won’t. It all comes down (at least for me) to “mind over matter” and P.M.A. I am also a firm believer that good things happen to good people, and greater things happen to those who practice PMA. Integrating P.M.A. into your daily life will make a meaningful difference to you and to everyone else around you. Editor’s note: Jamie Copland is a successful Phoenix entrepreneur, author and firm believer in the power of P.M.A.
thinking outside the box
a novel way to make MOVIES
“This is the first interview I’ve given from an RV parking lot. Hope you’re ready!” The man’s voice on the phone had one of those pretty boy/skaterdude tones—a mixture between “I’m all that” and “Yeah, brah, that was gnarly!”Yet, there was an exuberance that carried throughout the conversation with all the intelligence one would expect from a well-educated individual. Twenty-seven-year-old Sean Hackett is not one to put up with nonsense; he exhibits straight talk with a dry sense of humor. And he does all of this with a laid-back, subtle charm. It’s hard not to like the writer and director of the award-winning film Homecoming. Hackett grew up in Kansas City, Kan., where he went to an all-boys private school. When I asked him about attending an all-boys private school, he explained that it led to fewer distractions during that awkward stage of puberty. After majoring in creative writing at Pennsylvania State University, Hackett didn’t know if he could make a living that way. “Being a creative writing major is just a nice way of saying, ‘I can work at Barnes & Noble or Starbucks,’” he joked. Then, “the call” came: the one in which he was offered an internship on the set of David Fincher’s film Zodiac. He moved to Los Angeles within 24 hours, where he fell in love with the film industry and has stayed ever since. Homecoming is about a soldier, but it’s not your typical soldier story. Hackett switched things up. The lead character, Estelle Szymanski 54
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(played by Brea Grant), is a female soldier who returns home while on leave in the middle of three tours of duty. During that time, she decides to tell one of her closest friends something that’s been on her mind for a few years. Hackett was aiming for a nonpolitical, real story. He and his military friends felt that no movie ever seemed to truly capture a soldier’s spirit. Hackett has eloquently created a purposeful and thought-provoking film with a great message. The film was shot using a single Canon 7D DSLR camera—a camera that can do virtually everything you could possible ask a camera to do. “The Canon 5 and 7 were both happy accidents—fairly inexpensive cameras that you can also shoot video in,” said an enthusiastic Hackett. “‘The Force’ (because you always have to name the camera!) was perfect for a multitude of reasons, but one of my favorite aspects was the weight. The 7D is so light, and it’s always important to remember the physical welfare of your crew as a director. It’s definitely one of those life-saving inventions … and I had a great person doing the post color.” During this interview process, I also had the pleasure of speaking with the film’s colorist and chief editor, Art Freed, who is the president and chief executive officer of HotPixel, Inc. During the 35-plus years Freed and his co-worker, Bruce Goodman, have been in the industry, they’ve had the opportunity to get to know quite a few directors. “On or off the record,” Freed began, “Sean is just an all-around good guy. We loved working with him. Bruce even said to me one day after we’d watched a clip of Sean’s movie, ‘We have to do this movie.’We fell in love with Sean and his message.” The Homecoming cast would love to see their movie in theaters. But for now, “We’ve put the movie on Eventful. com so you can demand it in your city,” Hackett shared. “We’re trying to locate the cities where people have interest in watching the film.” You can request the film by going to eventful.com. Type in Homecoming–Film in the Demand your favorite performer box and Demand it! Then, ask all of your Facebook and Twitter friends to do the same. To preview some of the film’s clips and bios, visit the film’s official site at homecoming-film.com. It’s going to be a pleasure watching this up-and-coming director as he continues on his path of success.The goodhumored, quick-witted Sean Hackett is well on his way. The dream of creating significance and intention is now his reality. Don’t miss Homecoming! —CELESTE NOELLE
Technology insight on demand on IEEE.tv If you’re involved in any aspect of technology, you owe it to yourself to discover IEEE.tv. This Internet television network gives you insightful, engaging programming that brings you face-to-face with the what, who and how of technology today. On demand, you’ll gain insight from a generation of industry giants, explore the inner workings of the newest innovations, and see the trends that are shaping the future. Best of all, IEEE members can access exclusive content—and download award-winning programs at their convenience. So take a moment to tune in to where technology comes alive—IEEE.tv. We think you’ll agree it’s the smartest thing on Internet television.
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PHOTOgraphy BY CHAD KOERBER
WOMEN IN MEDIA: Onward and Upward
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echnology has already changed the face of all media, that audiences can stream movies to their iPads and iPhones and that the studios of the future will be Netflix and Google. She knows high definition is the new medium for shooting, that editing can be done from your smartphone and that social networking has become an integral part of distribution. And, with three films in development and a TV series in the works, she knows having tech-savvy colleagues to collaborate with is a must. “She” is Gay Gilbert, producer at InWithMediaStudios in Scottsdale, Ariz. With more than 30 years spent working in the entertainment industry from Hollywood to the Philippines, Gilbert knows the changes in filmmaking and other media are centered in an integration of formats. A magazine is no longer just a periodical that comes out in print once a month—it is also a digital magazine, an interactive website and a social media project. And the company producing that magazine isn’t just a publishing house, but rather a video production, event–planning and public relations/marketing firm as well. It’s companies with a multimedia platform, such as InWithMedia, that are leading the way to the future of media relations and production. For this particular business, five very different—but equally talented— women are holding the reins. A typical project at InWithMedia begins with a brainstorming session amongst InWithSkin Managing Editor Kimberly Stredney and her team. Coming from a background in both cultural anthropology and journalism, Stredney likes to add a little international flair to the content whenever possible.Whether it’s
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an article or ad for the magazine, or a blog for the website, the IWS editorial staff throws out ideas … and then conceptualizes the piece from start to finish. Then the torch is passed to Senior Beauty Editor and Writer Meghan Walsh, who uses her background in investigative journalism and her love for all things health and beauty-related to deliver descriptive and informative prose to readers. She works closely with Stredney to make sure the “idea thread” stays woven throughout the project and that the content she provides, which in many cases is scientific, is accurate and up to date. Once the text is written, it’s time to give it the visual imagination it needs to really capture the reader’s attention. This is where InWithMedia Graphic Design/Art Director Jamie Denke comes in. With her raw talent and design skills honed at The Art Institute of Phoenix, she gives life to articles and ads by translating tends in beauty and fashion into electrifying graphics. She also works closely with Gilbert to design Web-based and motion graphics for television/Web spots and embedded video ads. The anchor of the team, who brings the fruits of everyone’s efforts into the world, is Web Editor/Social Media Director Cassie Cavan. Once the finished product is ready to reach the masses, Cavan steps in to make sure it gets there, from devising creative Facebook and Twitter contests to organizing giveaway e-blasts. Gilbert, Stredney, Walsh, Denke and Cavan … for these five women in media, it’s all about expanding the new frontier in digital media and delivering content across a multitude of TV/Web/mobile/ print delivery systems for the diverse needs of today’s clients and customers. –J.J. LABARBER
myteklife
summer 2011
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ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT
by j.j. labarber
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or more than a decade, iStore has been providing Apple solutions to Arizona residents, businesses and school districts. In 1994, STEVE WALKER, iStore founder, began selling and servicing pre-owned Macintosh computers from his home. He soon realized that to more effectively serve his customers, the company needed more space for a service center and a showroom to display the used computers. So, in 1995, Re-Mac Computers opened in Mesa, Ariz. Below is a recent Q & A session between STEVE WALKER and MYTEKLIFE. MYTEKLIFE: Steve, tell us about how the iStore was founded. What were some of the barriers you encountered before opening the store? What is your background that led you to where you are today? STEVE WALKER: It’s actually not that exciting. I started back in 1995. I worked for a friend of mine and his family who had a little independent Apple store 15 years ago. They ran into some tough times, so I went out on my own. I put an ad in the Yellow Pages and sold computers out of my garage. People would call and I would qualify them over the phone, drive a bunch of computers out to their house—whatever two or three models I thought they would be interested in—and sold them used Macs. MTL: This was, obviously, way before Apple had retail stores? SW: Well, they had re-sellers. But, yes, this was before Apple retail stores. Apple retail stores were established around 2001. In 1995, I opened a little store over by Fiesta Mall, and in 2001 I opened our Scottsdale store. MTL: Did you name them iStore
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right away? SW: No, we were called Re-Mac initially. We re-branded to iStore in 2008. MTL: Did you encounter any problems with Apple licensing? Tell us a little about that transition and the relationship you have with Apple. SW: The relationship is good. Apple has a lot of resources in place to support their re-sellers and Apple specialists, which is what we are. The biggest challenge is that they have their own corporate Apple retail stores, and there’s a lot of competitive “air” between our channel, the Apple specialists, the independents and the Apple retail stores. Apple is a “big monster.” Many different divisions and “almost companies” within a company, so to
provide all the service and support you need to keep that technology running as efficiently as they can be running, whereas, the Apple stores don’t venture outside of their stores for any services.You have to go to the Apple retail store, get what you need, and that’s it. We offer that, plus anything on-site. MTL: What about training? SW: Historically, we’ve offered one-onone training here in our store. So, you buy a package of training. You can buy time with our trainers and learn at your own pace. Learn whatever the content is you need to learn. If you want to learn how to edit a home movie, you can use your training time to do that, or maybe you’re trying to figure out GarageBand. We have actually recently released a new software product, AIR CARE, in which we’ve taken the in-store oneon-one training experience and we’ve taken it to remote service. So, you no longer need to come into the stores to get personalized training. You can stay at
speak. It’s highly competitive. We’re in direct competition with our supplier, which makes it challenging. MTL: So what are a few of the differences between the iStore and Apple, from a customer’s perspective? SW: We actually do a lot of the same thing. We provide a lot of the same services as far as the general sales go and the products and so forth. We get a broader range than Apple performs.We do on-site service. We can come out to your home and fix any problems, set up your computer, business consulting, IT support. If you have a business and you need someone to manage your technology, we become your outsourced help desk. We can
home in your pajamas, or at your office, and connect directly with one of our trainers. We can conduct that same oneon-one training. MTL: Have you always been an entrepreneur? Obviously you started, as you said, in your garage selling custom Mac systems to businesses and people. SW: I grew up here in Mesa. I started a two-year mission for my church after high school when I was 19. After that, I dove right into the computer industry. I was 23 when I started Re-Mac. MTL: Interesting story, Steve.Thanks for your time. SW: You’re welcome.
PJHOTO BY MICHAEL MERONE
Apple Products with iStore Care
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View and Click to Help Find Missing Kids A new public service initiative aims to bring information about missing children to millions of consumers. The technology used to find children who go missing,
get lost or are abducted has changed a lot since 1993. That was the year when 12-year-old Polly Klaas was abducted from her bedroom during a slumber party. Widespread use of the Internet in that year was less than 10 years old, but in the two months during the time she was missing, more than 2 billion photos of Klaas were posted on computers worldwide. Her abductor was arrested and charged with murder by police. The search for Klaas ushered in the era of using technology to get the word out about missing children. According to statistics issued by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), nearly 800,000 children go missing in the United States every year. The center, which was created by an act of Congress in 1984, runs a 24-hour hotline (1-800-THE-LOST) and website, missingkids.com. The reasons children go missing are many: Some are taken when a divorce or custody situation turns ugly, some run away from abusive environments and a smaller percentage are kidnapped by strangers. “The best way to help find a missing child is to get the message out as broadly as possible,” said Ernie Allen, president and chief executive officer of NCMEC. Early in 2011, the Comcast Network partnered with NCMEC to host “Missing Kids On Demand,” a TV show and online service located at xfinity.com/news/missingkids to millions of viewers. Now it is possible for a much wider audience to assist law enforcement with missing child cases. “Our On Demand and online platforms have a strong track record of helping raise awareness for important issues,” said Diana Kerekes, vice president of entertainment services for Comcast. “We’ve seen real success with other public service initiatives available on our platforms, such as ‘Police Blotter’ and the ‘Pink Ribbon Campaign,’ and we hope this partnership can help drive awareness of missing children.” Allen said, “Our partnership with Comcast enables us to reach millions of homes across the country we may not otherwise reach and empowers viewers with the resources they need to help solve cases.”
Prior to Comcast’s efforts, the AMBER Alert system began in 1996 when broadcasters in Dallas-Fort Worth teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. The system was created in memory of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman of Arlington,Texas, who was abducted while riding her bicycle and was later found murdered. AMBER Alerts are emergency messages broadcast when a law enforcement agency determines that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger. For more information about the AMBER Alert program, visit amberalert.gov. Last fall in Phoenix, the seventh annual National AMBER Alert symposium met to discuss expansion of the AMBER (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) Alert system in tribal communities and along the U.S. southern border, Child Abduction Response Team (CART) updates and specialized investigative techniques in child abduction cases. Information about missing children may also come by way of a new smartphone app. Amber Central for the Windows Phone 7 is designed to help in the search for, and safe recovery of, missing children. It includes a real-time feed of active AMBER Alerts from the NCMEC with information about the victim, when and where the child was reported missing and the type of alert, a list of missing children organized by state or locality and the ability to share active AMBER Alerts via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail and SMS messages. Although this application includes a listing of all active AMBER Alerts, it does not actively notify the user when a new AMBER Alert is issued. For active notification, NCMEC encourages all wireless subscribers to register to receive wireless AMBER Alerts. Sign up at wirelessamberalerts.org to receive text message notices about AMBER Alerts that have been issued in your area. Thanks to the up-to-the-minute information about missing children made possible by television, the Internet and telephones, concerned citizens can support the lives and safety of children who need it most. –MARY L. HOLDEN myteklife
summer 2011
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Whenever our troops have gone to war, orthopaedic surgeons have been there to serve with them. While treating horrific extremity war injuries, these physicians pioneered a long list of resourceful procedures now standard in trauma care. We salute America’s combat troops, and our own orthopaedic surgeons, so dedicated to bringing them back home safely. For more on wartime surgical advancements, visit aaos.org/warinjuries.
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