26 Oct 2009
We’re excited to announce that the Planet Argon Podcast is now available in the Apple iTunes Store. You can now subscribe to our new podcast and have episodes download automatically to your iTunes.
23 Oct 2009
After several years of talking about it, we’ve finally decided to start a podcast. We’ll be covering topics related to Ruby on Rails, Interaction Design, Agile Best-Practices, Running a small business, collaborating with clients, and anything else related to the design and development of web applications. We invite you to subscribe to our podcast and join the conversation. You can find a list of published episodes on the new Planet Argon Podcast page.
21 Oct 2009
We’ve relaunched our Ruby on Rails Code Audit service as a new flat-rate package, which we’re now calling the 8-Hour Rails Code Audit. You can receive eight hours of development time, which consists of a seven hours of review and documentation by one of our experienced developers plus an hour long follow-up phone conference (or in-person meeting if you’re local).
This new service can be an excellent tool to help your business outline an improvement strategy and roadmap for your existing Ruby on Rails application.
9 Oct 2009
Our response to the Kinderkreis: Danse Gooshers!.
12 Aug 2009
Earlier this week, our team accepted a proposal from Blue Box Group, a Ruby on Rails hosting company based out of Tacoma, Washington. With this partnership, Blue Box Group has acquired our hosting product, Rails Boxcar. For more information about the acquisition, read the joint press release.
9 Jul 2009
Trimet invited our team to ride the new Green line on the MAX.
26 Jun 2009
We volunteered at the "Rebuilding Center":http://www.rebuildingcenter.org/ yesterday.
25 Jun 2009
We’re kicking off our seventh summer in business with a party! Join us this coming First Thursday, July 2nd 2009, for Planet Argon’s first official Open House. We’d love for you to come hang out with our team, eat some food, play some games, and enjoy a lovely summer evening in Old Town. With so much great stuff going on in the neighborhood, why not make us one of your stops? Food, drinks and entertainment is on us!
31 Dec 2008
NEWSLETTER: 012009 – New Years
December 31st, 2008
We wanted to send you a quick note to wish you all a Happy New Year.
Our team had a very successful year and are looking forward to
another great year in 2009. This last year has seen the launch
of client projects that we’ve worked hard on all year, and 2009
brings with it some exciting new products that we will be
announcing in the next few months!
Planet Argon recently helped launch AlphaClone.com, a premier stock
research and portfolio simulation service for individuals and professional
investors alike. Planet Argon worked with the AlphaClone team to design
and develop the product from ideation all the way through deployment.
AlphaClone is hosted using the same technology that powers Rails Boxcar
and is being managed by our team of deployment specialists.
Planet Argon has been collaborating with Contiki, a worldwide leader in
vacations for 18-35 year olds, as the primary Interaction Design and
Development team behind their online presence for nearly two years. In 2008,
we helped grow their community base beyond the 100k member threshold and it
continues to grow as we expand on ways for their customers to connect with
each other before and after their travels through tips, photo sharing, and
planning reunion trips!
In 2008, we began redesigning our deployment and hosting services by turning
Rails Boxcar from a simple VPS into a scalable deployment platform. In addition
to 3 different Boxcar plans, we are now also offering custom managed hosting
packages on dedicated hardware for high-volume sites. These packages leverage
the same technology as our Boxcar plans allowing for simple deployments and
simple scalability. Combined with our new consulting options, we’re giving
our customers access to more ways to grow their sites without the headaches
of managing them.
To top it all off, we recently launched a new site for Rails Boxcar, sporting
a new look, testimonials, and more detailed plan information.
Remember to sign up for our new Rails Boxcar Newsletter! ;-)
Our team is currently working on a collection of internal projects and
consumer-facing products that we will be launching in the first quarter
of 2009. We are still evaluating new client projects for 2009, so if you
know anybody looking for a Design and Development team, don’t hesitate to
have them give us a call at +1 503 445 2456 or contact us online at:
You can also follow us online at:
Again, we hope that you had a great 2008 and are looking forward to a successful 2009!
The Planet Argon team!
Alex, Allison, Carlos, Chris, Dan, Dawn, Gary, and Robby
17 Sep 2008
Excluding the morning machine that is Robby; the rest of Planet Argon had rarely, if ever, seen the likes of the beloved office at a grisly 7:15am… until Wednesday, August 27th, that is. The day at the office began and ended before much of the team typically batted their sleep-encrusted eyes awake each morning. Backpacks in tow and jokes amok, the team trekked swiftly to the train station to board the northbound train, destination: Seattle.
For weeks, there had been mounting anticipation of this day of fun peppered with work outside the office. Most of the group had minimal time logged on a train, all were looking forward to seeing the Seattle Mariners vs. the Minnesota Twins, but an ever-so-slight sense of unease wafted about:
>"Did anyone bring their iPhone charger?"
>"Will we be near outlets?"
>"How will we ration battery power?"
>"What time is it?"
>"Who’s playing ‘I Spy’ with me?"
>"Who’s having a beer with me?"
All legitimate concerns for an eclectic team with one goal in sight: Accomplishment. The bar is never too high if fun is the mission, especially when work’s necessities are there to keep the gang’s psyche balanced.
With a projected high of a mere 64 degrees, the team wasn’t phased as they settled into the high-back Amtrak seats; various breakfast foods and their mini army of MacBooks strewn across the conveniently placed tables.
A winding 4 hours to reach the stadium which happened to be mere steps from the station left the team with ample time to accomplish tasks across the board. The lack of a true wi-fi connection didn’t hinder Allison, Robby, Chris, Gary and Alex from setting up a bluetooth network with each other.
Beers in hand and game faces on, a grueling battle of wits ensued between Alex and Dawn; Travel Scrabble style.
Upon arrival, with some lovely beers and tasty meals to follow; the posse ventured through the waves of mediocre merchandise vendors into the bowels of the manmade-strocity that is Safeco Field.
The game itself proved to be pretty fruitful, with the Mariners pulling ahead only for the Twins to ultimately reign victorious, 5 to 6. Details can be viewed here.
The game may have been over, but the day trip was in full swing. The ride back proved to be a time when everybody at Planet Argon loosened their collars, so to speak. Work was hammered through, unfortunately nobody was hammered. Games modern and classic were played, jokes too lewd for the internetz were uttered and carried on well through their peak. Observational humor stayed strong, a child with the voice of an alien and the curious name of ‘Elliot’ (E.T. anyone?) dashed through the aisles much to our amusement… Hilarity ensued when he donned a hoody just like his 1980s fictional counterpart.
Also not captured on film were shenanigans involving a suspicious program “PhotoBooth”, which many cite as the reason society is crumbling. Dubbed the “Photobooth Palz” by onlookers, the culprits allegedly were creating questionably inhuman images with nothing more than their own faces and hands. Any information or details should not be reported to authorities.
To the dismay of many, including the Argonistas, the train became delayed by approximately 1 hour; just mere tiptoes from the Vancouver, WA station after the conductor announced a freight train “left a huge mess”… Which of course prompted the team to speculate on what really happened:
>"Foul play"
>"A train surprise"
>"A drug bust"
>"Large-beaded necklaces"
>"Elllllllllllliot!"
Alex was permitted to exclude himself from the no-table discussion as he was studying Planet Argon’s bible, Still Life With Woodpecker by Tom Robbins.
Planet Argon arrived back in Portland on the heavy side of 10:00pm, reprogrammed indefinitely by the day’s happenings.
It was a bleary-eyed journey, never low on laughter or yawns. Cliches aside, the literal traveling definitely made the entire excursion worthwhile… Anybody can simply go to a baseball game, but it takes a true posse to mix business with pleasure and find solace in the transit itself.
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