Mobile Crane Operator Training Now Available at ICMS

Our friends at Industrial Compliance Management Solutions, Inc are proud to now offer mobile crane operator training and inspections. They contacted us to add a new section to the site with the 411.

ICMS already offers a wide variety of services in assisting companies all over Kansas with safety compliance in a wide range of industries. This is just another feather in their hat. The service they provide for businesses is truly indespensable for saving both money and lives.

FamilySAFE Shelters

The FamilySAFE Shelter was built for durability and dependability. It is an all welded steel unit engineered to exceed FEMA’s performance criteria. This is accomplished by building a “NASCAR Type” safety cage and surrounding the occupants with class-three bullet resistant steel on the roof and all sides. The unit can support over 100,000 pounds stacked on top of it. That’s about 25 mid-sized cars. The unit has a very low threshold, allowing for easy entry by any person in a wheelchair or walker.

The unit has one of the strongest doors available in the industry, and incorporates FamilySAFE’s patent pending SAFE-T Door. This unique system allows the door to be opened several different ways, ensuring that getting trapped inside is next to impossible. More Info

When it comes down to it, this is what we want protecting us if a tornado ever comes! FamilySAFE Shelters is offered in multiple places throughout the nation. Contact them today so that the next time tornado season comes around, you can be worry free!

Crunching the Numbers on SJHL.com

We're happy to announce the launch of our newest website for Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd, LLC - Certified Public Accountants (sjhl.com).

SJHL came to us wanting a new design and a custom site they could update themselves. Naturally, we were happy to oblige.

The new site features a Jquery slideshow on the home page and an interesting, interactive view of the staff, where you can get a little personal with the folks who make the magic happen over there.

We hope they dig the new set-up, and we hope you'll go to SJHL for your future accounting and financial needs.

Run for the Run for the Rocks Web Site (I think that's how I meant to say it)

We're happy to announce the launch of yet ANOTHER site this month: runfortherocks.com.

Salt City Run for the Rocks is a half marathon set to happen on September 25th in Hutchinson. It will largely follow the Martinez trail through Carey Park, then ultimately ending at Hutch Community College. A map of the course can be found right here.

The event comes compliments of Hutch Rec and the Boys and Girls Club of Hutchinson. Hey, we did both of those sites, too!

The site allows those interested to sign up to run or volunteer to help you. It also has a back-end to allow the client to update information as necessary, so check back a lot!

The Heart of SoMa

This upcoming Thursday our very own Downtown Hutchinson is hosting another monthly get together for Third Thursday. While walking the streets of South Main one can indulge themselves in Art and Live Music throughout the stores, streets and Galleries. Enjoy the shops that welcome guests until late hours of the night and meet new people that come from all over the country to exhibit their art, play their music and get a little downtown feel of what Hutchinson, Kansas is all about!

Remember to mark the third Thursday of every month in your calendars. Come rain, snow, or 100 degrees of weather, we'll be out embracing our very own little culture!

See the site for a preview of what Third Thursday has to offer: thirdthursdayhutch.com

Are You a PowerUp?

According to the new PowerUps site we recently launched, PowerUps are 21-39 year olds who are rural by choice. They are the future of the rural community, and they're using new technology to discuss and plan for the future.

The PowerUps site is our first real foray into building a social media site of sorts. In the site, you can sign up for an account, post blogs, share photos and post events. This means we had to build a front-end that is just as dynamic and comprehensive as the back-end, both of which allow for the addition of content to the site.

We're as proud of the site as we are of its mission and the purpose it serves.

Another bonus of the site: we got to work with the Kansas Sampler ladies again, and LogicMaze hearts the Sampler.

Our own Cody Heitschmidt asked to speak at the 140 Character Conference in NYC

Our very own Cody Heitschmidt, the Vice President of Business Development here at Logicmaze has been asked to speak at the 140 character conference in New York City June 15th and 16th.

--------- information on the 140 character conference ---------

The #140conf events provide a platform for the worldwide twitter community to: listen, connect, share and engage with each other, while collectively exploring the effects of the emerging real-time internet on business. The take aways from this event will provide the attending delegates knowledge, perspectives and insights to the next wave of effects twitter and the real-time internet will have on business.

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Last year, Cody was involved in bringing the conference to Hutchinson, Kansas.It went so well that they are having it here again in September 2011 at the lovely Fox Theater in Hutchinson, KS.

Here is a list of speakers for the NY Conference
http://nyc2011.140conf.com/speakers-2

The schedule for the events are unique and fast paced. It was Jeff Pulver’s intention to provide a platform for as many people as possible to share their thoughts and engage in conversation with the attending delegates. You will find individual talks set to: 10 minutes; “Featured talks” 15 minutes and the various panel discussions are set for 15 and 20 minutes.


The 140 Characters Conference: New York City (#140conf) will be taking place June 15-16, 2011 at the 92nd Street Y. The 92nd Street Y address is: 1395 Lexington Avenue, NY NY. #140conf NYC is expected to be the largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on both business and “me” the people.

On June 15th and 16th our speakers will be visiting New York City from around the world. During the conference we will be hearing from speakers from: Europe, Asia, South America, the Pacific and from across the United States and Canada.

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We are excited that they realize the value in Cody. His knowledge and expertise in Social Media and the effects of the internet on business are utilized by many of our clients. We are proud to share him and show him off to the rest of the world.

Super Bowl Commercials 2011

Volkswagen: The Force



This was by far my favorite commercial of the Super Bowl! Here's why...

A. His outfit rocks. B. I love how he slumps when he thinks he's failed. C. When he runs past his dad to try the force on the car he melts my heart. D. His completely startled reaction when he does "succeed" is absolutely priceless. I thought it was adorable! Volkswagen won easily for me.

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Chrysler: The Finer Things In Life



Tamara's pick. It's a good one! See what she has to say about it....

What does a town that’s been to hell and back know about the FINER THINGS IN LIFE.

The wordplay is strong on it’s own – but then when you hear the words spoken while in the background the gritty, urban visuals of Detroit flash through – makes the words even more powerful. The commercial makes hardworking and tough seem cool again. I love comeback “Cinderella Man” stories and everyone loves a church choir and this commercial had both.

Here’s the Definitition of “Cinderella Man” – One that unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect. My favorite word in there… “unexpectedly”. In my opinion: It’s NOT unexpected if there was effort, hard work, lots of hours and energy put into it.

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The New Etrade Baby



Cody's insightful thoughts on why he chose the Etrade baby commercial, "I picked mine cause it has a talking freaking baby in it…"

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Carmax: Gas Station



Mitchell's pick and explanation below. He may have dogged on Tamara's commercial while he was at it, but, I'm sure it was completely unintentional!

I picked mine because it's funny and makes a point, and the fact that it does both of those things doesn't detract from either of them. It's simple, and it doesn't have Eminem in it or any form of anthropomorphizing.

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Groupon: Save the Money, Save the Rainforest



This one was Tim's favorite for the night!

"Mine was just that it was a sudden unexpected change, it really started out feeling like a "Save the Rainforest" commercial. Then it changed hysterically." He couldn't have explained it any better!

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That wraps it up! Hope you enjoyed watching!

Redesigned and Reworked Website for Hutchinson Recreation Commission

Redesign of Hutchinson Recreation Commission

The team at LogicMaze worked closely with Hutchinson Recreation Commission to redesign their website. With a good balance of graphics, tied into the existing color scheme and branding, much thought was put into the aesthetics of the website as well as the traffic received to the website. Logicmaze was able to accomplish a new design for Hutchinson Recreation Commission as well as focus on how to funnel the appropriate traffic to the correct destination quickly.
 
During the design and development phase, Logicmaze proposed designs and navigation to get users to the information that they wanted. We researched the existing website traffic and designed the site to give users the information that they are looking for quickly.

A social media app allows for the website to integrate with their existing social media marketing. To see the redesign, as well as the newest programs and services offered by Hutchinson Recreation Commission, go to: www.hutchrec.com.

This Site is More Than OK

We're happy to announce the launch of yet another new site: The Bank of Beaver City.

This site comes to us from Beaver City in Oklahoma. We gave their site a nice sprucing up, adding an admin panel so they can manage content and a flashy homepage featurette. We also provided quick links on the left for easy access to Bank of Beaver's online banking and did some Search Engine Optimization.

We hope they like their new site.

It's Electrifying!

Well, we've got another site redesign for you folks to check out.

Zenor Electric.

Zenor has maintained a reputation for outstanding service and professionalism for over 21 years now, performing a wide range of electrical services large or small. Naturally, they wanted their web site to reflect this, so they asked us to do a fancy redesign. It turned out pret-ty good, if I do say so myself.

Be sure to contact Zenor for your electrical needs. They'll keep the lights on for you.

And, of course, contact LogicMaze if you want a fancy new web site like Zenor's.

After Working So Hard On This Website, We Could Use A Spa Day

Be sure to check out the new web site for Beau Monde Spa in Wichita.

We gave their web site a facial and a full deep tissue massage and...a bunch of other stuff. I'm a guy, so don't really know what I'm talking about here, but I know that we gave them an awesome new web site.

If you're looking to find a way to relieve some of the stress of the holiday season, then Beau Monde Spa is the way to do it, and their re-designed web site is the perfect place to start. We've built them a back-end admin panel that allows them to keep visitors of their site to stay up-to-date on products and services offered.

Be sure to take a look. And, for Pete's sake, please do something about those pores.

What's Your OPA?

If someone is looking for you online, will they find you, know where you are, what's going on and if you've got any deals or sales happening?

Does your business/organization have a Facebook account or Twitter? Do you know what you're doing on there?

Did you know that there is a difference between a Facebook account and a Facebook page? Well, if you don't pay attention and you do it wrong, your account could get shut down. That would be a lot of work for nothing.

With so many options for promoting your business or organization online, it can be easy to get confused. It's difficult to tell if you're getting the most bang for your buck (on free services) and properly engaging customers and potential customers.

It's OK. We want to help you.

With LogicMaze's Online Presence Assessment, we can help you sort through the different kinds of online marketing and social media, decide which ones are right for you and help you use it to not only spread the word about your business, but maybe even make some friends along the way! It's really not that tough, and it can be a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. Your first step is to go to our online form here and receive your free Online Presence Assessment. It's FREE, so there's no reason not to do it, right?

Happy Thanksgiving from LogicMaze!

Many of you are probably daydreaming about your long Thanksgiving weekend as the day winds down. Certainly everybody here at LogicMaze HQ is.

But we also like to take this time to think of what we, as a company, are thankful for.

We're thankful for gainful employment, for sure.

We're thankful for excellent clients who are both appreciative and understanding.

We're thankful for a talented, dedicated staff who make the amazing products you've no doubt found yourself awestruck by. Because we're awesome like that.

We're thankful that we've never had to stoop to making porn sites to pay the bills...not that there's anything wrong with that!

Most of all, though, we're thankful for a fun job that gives us the opportunity to make things like this and still consider ourselves being productive.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

FSRLegal.com is now Online

Forker, Suter, and Rose were looking to make an online presence for their law firm. They practice a variety of Areas of Law, such as Taxation Law, Estate Planning, Real Estate Transactions, Criminal Law, Domestic Law, Personal Injury/Tort Law, and Bankruptcy. They wanted to be able to advertise their wide range of law practices, through the website.

The site also includes biographies of all their Lawyers, so people can learn about the Lawyers background, including Jon Suter, Dan Forker, and Trish Rose.

A Big Ol' Box of Awesome

LogicMaze is proud to announce the launch of the brand spankin' new American Packaging redesign.

Ampack was one of our first clients way back in the day, and they were due for a site with a new look, as well as one which utilized all of the capabilities we've picked up along the way since we designed their previous site.

The new site allows the folks at American Packaging to update their site themselves via database-driven admin panel, which means their site can stay fresh and up-to-date, making it even more useful for prospective customers just like YOU!

Be sure to visit the shiny new ampackcorp.com today to see what custom packaging solutions they can offer you!

Ready for Some Salthawk Football!!

LogicMaze had the pleasure of designing and programming the new Hutchinson High School Salthawk’s website. In this project we pushed a new technology known as Light boxes. These light boxes remove the need of having multiple windows or tabs to view pictures and other content. Check it out on the photo gallery and roster.

Also on this site we created a system to allow a listing of alumni. Alumni can sign up on the site if they wish to be listed; of course it has to be confirmed before it is listed publicly on the website.

The Salthawks have been on a record breaking streak and our looking to add their 7^th Consecutive State Championship in this upcoming season.

Forker, Suter, & Rose Admin Panel

We are currently working with Law Firm Forker, Suter, and Rose on their website to advertise their services on the World Wide Web. We created an fancy admin panel for them to be able to add a list of Attorneys, be able to post legal updates, created a Frequently Asked Question System, created a section to where they can control there 4 featured services on the home page, and created the ability to add as many pages they wanted to their current sections.


The legal updates are displayed in a fancy news ticker that lists the top 4 Legal Updates Headlines. The Frequently Asked Questions system creates a page that will List all the questions first as links to link down to their answers on their page. Also the Bios section is completely customizable, they can upload a photo of the attorney and edit the bio in anyway they wish.


This is only a portion of what we have to offer here at Logicmaze. Interested in a website with these or more functions, check us out at www.logicmaze.com

I'm Kiley. A.K.A. - The New Girl

­­Hello, hello! I’m Kiley Loesch and I’ll be taking over for Doug here at Logic Maze while throwing in some design work as well. Here’s a little about me:
Born and raised in Lyons, Kansas I thought I would pack my bags and head east after I graduated high school. My extreme destination towards the east coast lasted a good thirty miles, landing me in McPherson…where I then ended up staying all four years for college. So, as I was on my last semester before graduating I decided I wanted to officially make my big move and "get out of here." This time I decided to head south. Ironically, I made it thirty miles once again. Found Logicmaze. And…couldn’t be more grateful! Within the last three days of work I have met some of the wittiest, most down to earth people and I LOVE it. I can tell this workplace is going to turn into a second little family for me, with my own family only thirty minutes away. What more could I ask for?!? Like I said, I love it and I’m excited to be working for a company that only continues to progress and has such an amazing group of employees!

KC's Home Remodeling

K C's Home Remodeling is a home contractor in the Hutchinson area. We created a website that lists their wide variety of services that they can do stay within any persons budget for remodeling their home. We also created a gallery to showcase some of the projects they have worked on, using before and after photos.

K C’s Home Remodeling offers comprehensive services that are specifically designed to cater to your particular remodeling requirements. Every project is different. That’s why their craftsmen are versatile and flexible, able to apply their talents to meet the needs of their diverse clientele and varied project assignments. Whether you have a specific project in mind or are still in the brainstorming phase, give us a call and let our knowledge and expertise take over. Their Services can be tailored to meet your particular goals, and our rates are designed to accommodate any budget. (K C’s Home Remodeling)

Cause for Paws Revamped!

I have been working with Cause for Paws to give them more control over their website, but to keep their current design. We gave them control over everything they needed plus added a system for them to monitor volunteers, memberships, and gift memberships.

Also I set up for them a calendar and RSVP for events.

Cause for Paws, Inc. is committed to ensuring the well being of all cats and dogs, reducing pet overpopulation, building a strong base of animal advocates and supporting the Hutchinson Animal Shelter. (Cause for Paws)

Cause for Paws has been instrumental in several projects for Hutchinsons Dogs and Cats. Such as the programs of Stop The Overpopulation of Pets, Meals on Wheels, Precious Paws, and the Rescue Transports, and in the special events of the Salty Dawg Festival and Dogs' Day at the Splash and in the Creation of the Dog Park.

Introducing Category Search for the Hutch News Event Calendar

We have just introduced a new feature into the Hutch News Calendar. We added the ability to search and link to specific category listing. This feature makes it easier to go in and find specific events you’re interested in. If you’re interested in just seeing Art, then just select that category. Same goes with any other category, this new function makes searching the Calendar much simpler. Check out Todays events for all the categories.

Art

Car Show
Church and Religion

Classes and Workshops

Dance

Festivals and Celebrations

Food and Drink

Fundraiser

Kids and Families
Meetings and Lectures

Misc.

Movies

Music and Concerts

School

Sports

Support Groups

Theater

Volunteer

Another feature we added was the ability to limit selection to being “In Hutch.” Once you select a category you can limit it down even further by clicking on the “In Hutch” Link in the top right of the page.

Not So Fast, Tricky McTrickster

I received an email yesterday that seemed very official and legit regarding the transfer of a domain which we manage for a client. To my knowledge, this client had not requested a transfer of their domain from our registrar. That was red flag number one. But sometimes a client will talk to a competing company about taking over hosting/domain management of their site, which is just something that happens in the business world. And sometimes, rather than contact us to let us know what's going on, they will attempt to transfer their domain out of our registrar where we manage it without giving us a heads up, so we can send them the Auth Code and turn off the Domain Protect to allow them to transfer. I guess they don't want to break our hearts, which is commendable, and we sure hate to see them go.

BUT!

More often than not, when we receive an email regarding a domain transfer about which we had no prior knowledge, it's a scam. Take a look at this email I got:


Pretty sneaky, sis.

I Googled the company requesting the Auth Code and got this, via Wikipedia:
"In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with the company for practices such as transferring domain registrations to their service under the guise of domain renewal, a practice known as domain slamming, and having hidden fees."

That was the second, and final red flag.

What these people are counting on is for the person in charge of managing the domain to be confused and assume that, if they don't comply with the instructions listed, they will lose their domain. The sad part is that it often works. All these folks have to do is send an email that looks official, and they trick people into GIVING them their domains.

Are you ready for the pitch now? While I'm all for folks taking an initiative and grabbing this new medium that is the internet by the horns, there are definitely advantages to allowing the professionals to handle some things. We at LogicMaze get calls about emails clients have received that are nearly identical to this a few times a year, and we've been able to stop companies like Domain Registry of America from stealing a few domains. Because we have dealt with this kind of stuff before. We're happy to keep an eye on things for you and make sure these slimy sleazeballs don't try to trick you out of your property.

Of course, if you want to register your domain yourself, just please please PLEASE make sure you do your homework first.

Right In Your Own Back Yard

Have you ever had one of those moments when you're driving down the street on your way home and you see a business and wonder, "How long has THAT been there?". Then you decide to stop in, find out the place offers exactly what you've been looking for, AND they've been in business at that location for almost a decade.

Maybe I'm the only one that happens to, but I doubt it.

Sometimes we're not aware of the possibilities around us - the tools and the talent that may be right around the corner or down the street that enable us to do some amazing things. In the areas of web development and advertising media, we largely see two reasons for this.

Sometimes the reason is a "can't see the forest for the trees" mindset; people come across a specific tool or technology and focus on that instead of the bigger picture. They may focus on that individual tool instead of viewing it as part of a set of tools that work together.

And sometimes the mindset is that you have to look to a larger city to find businesses to meet your needs or offer cutting edge technologies. The origins of this mindset are understandable, but it doesn't accurately reflect the world we live in anymore - where people with the skills and creativity to forge and wield these tools can be found in places that may surprise you.

Sometimes in your own back yard.

LogicMaze is a perfect example of these kinds of resources that people don't always realize are right around the corner. For example, did you know that you can have a custom website made to suit your exact needs and standards? As just a few examples, check out Kidron Bethel, Carl's Bar, Adventure Sports, Kansas Wheat, or Power Plant Equipment.

Did you know that you can get custom production process animation done right here in Hutchinson? Check out the Seed Planter Demo page at SRES to see for yourself.

What if you are a civic or social service organization and you're needing a professional web presence for a reasonable price that fits your budget both now and for years to come? That's right here, too. See examples at Interfaith Housing Services, HutchRents, United Way of Reno County, or the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Center.

Or perhaps you already have a web presence for your business or organization but are wanting to add some custom video production or interactive content like games to attract and retain your audience. You guessed it - we've got you covered there, too. Take a look at product videos for Iron Pals here and here. Then check out a few of our branded games hosted on WhatsUpHutch.com located here and here.

Those are just a few examples of what can be accomplished with the skills and creativity located right here in Hutchinson, right here at LogicMaze. So don't just drive by - stop in and take the time to explore this marketing and advertising treasure... right in your own back yard.

Kansas Cottonwood Quilts Redesign

Cottonwood Quilts is a shop located in Hutchinson KS. Cottonwood Quilts is a school and resource center for the art of quilting with products such as Needles, Sewing Supplies, Quilting Supplies, fabrics, The Lint Eater, etc.

“Our mission is to educate, to keep the heritage of quilting alive, to provide quality merchandise and supplies, to give knowledgeable assistance, to promote the art of quilting, and to encourage others to share our passion.” (Cottonwood Quilts)

There website also showcases their several of their in store deals, for their “Material Girl” Discounts and their special Birthday deal.

I had been assigned to create the administrative control panel for the Cottonwood Quilts website. They wanted the ability to update their website from any location, and to be able to update it easily by multiple people without the need of specialized software. Now they can completely manage their own website and create their own pages with our easy to understand content management system.

They can also upload their own images through a specialized file management system.

It has a featured item system that will display products from their Hutch Shops Shopping Cart. They can choose up to 5 items, upload images of those items and activate them to display randomly in the website.

Also they will have complete control of an events management system to control their special events. These events will display until the day of the event has passed.