10th November 2010

Nintendo Files Trademark Application

source studioSource Studio is holding a little code hunt contest on their site this week. Galactic Treasure Hunt will give site visitors a to win a free copy of their action title, ProtoGalaxy. Sometime on Friday, November 12, a special code will be hidden somewhere on the Source Studio web site. The first person to find the code and e-mail it to the address provided on the site will win a free copy of ProtoGalaxy, which was launched on Steam in October.

Nintendo CanadaNews out of the Nintendo Canada office today is that in honour of the upcoming Nov. 21 launch of Donkey Kong Country™ Returns for the Wii™ console, Nintendo has filed a request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the pop-culture phrase “It’s on like Donkey Kong.” For those unfamiliar with the term, “It’s on like Donkey Kong” is an old, popular Nintendo phrase that has a number of possible interpretations depending on how it’s used. In addition to Nintendo’s use, it has been Donkey Kong Country Returnsused in popular music, television and film over the years, pointing to Donkey Kong’s status as an enduring pop-culture icon and video game superstar.

Donkey Kong™ is one of the oldest and most recognizable video game characters. He has been a pop-culture icon since the launch of his 1981 self-titled arcade game. Donkey Kong again rose to prominence in the 1994 Super NES™ game Donkey Kong Country – one of the games which I used to introduce the CaveChild to the world of video games oh so long ago. DK’s new game, Donkey Kong Country Returns, marks his triumphant return in a new side-scrolling adventure with new challenges amid a beautiful setting. The game features the first simultaneous cooperative game-play mode for the series, with one player controlling Donkey Kong and the other controlling his agile pal, Diddy Kong™. And yes, we have this title on pre-order at our local-ish EB Games outlet.

Nintendo Canada has a full line-up of holiday titles perfect for giving this season for everyone from the classic gamer looking for nostalgic appeal, social gamers looking for a little friendly competition or adventure seekers looking to explore new worlds Nintendo is sure they will have something for you this holiday season.

Rusty Axe GamesBC-based Rusty Axe Games has partnered with UK developer Rigzsoft to create a new value package called The Game Designers Toolkit. TGDT combines The Timeline FX Editor which is a great particle effects creation tool and Dungeon Demon which is a dungeon editing tool for both computer and RPG game designers. TGDT is available for the low price of $49.99 – that’s about $30 off the combined price of both packages!

Dungeon Demon comes with roughly 200 pieces of artwork that you can use in your games royalty free, and there are more low cost art packs available from the Rusty Axe website. Timeline FX comes with a ton of canned particle effects that can be written out directly as bitmaps or imported into games using the tools XML output format. The Dungeon Demon 1.1 release roadmap is now available – Dungeon Demon is sold with a free updates forever policy, and if you are working on a top down 2D game of any kind, you should really take a look as the canned effects and prepackaged artwork alone are going to save you money.

Rogers WirelessRogers Communications Inc. today announced it is bringing another of those new digital products that I wish I could afford to the Canadian wireless market. The Dell Streak mobile pocket tablet features a 5-inch display that combines touch screen entertainment, gaming and navigation experiences.

According to recent data by Juniper Research (Tablets & Connected Devices, Opportunities, Strategies & Forecast Scenarios 2010-2015, Juniper Research, 01/11/2010), annual shipments of tablet devices will hit 81 million by 2015. With built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth capability and available 3G wireless connectivity, the Dell Streak, while the smallest tablet available in Canada, makes no compromise in delivering a high quality viewing experience. Leveraging the strength of Rogers’ 3G reliable wireless network and joining Rogers’ high definition device lineup for gaming, photos and entertainment, the Dell Streak’s high resolution 5 MP camera and 5-inch multi-touch high quality WVGA display enables full-size web page browsing and integrated Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views.
Dell Streak
“The tablet category is changing the way people interact, transact and stay entertained,” says Raj Doshi, Vice President, Mobile Product Management, Rogers Communications Inc. “The Dell Streak represents an innovative offering, giving customers the next-generation experience of a tablet with the portability and connectivity of a smartphone. Rogers is pleased be first to bring the Dell Streak to our customers and further extend our leadership as the carrier with the most Android choices in Canada.”

Designed with the future in mind, the Dell Streak will support over-the-air updates including Android platform upgrades, Adobe Flash 10.1, video chat applications enhancements and other software innovations.

“The Dell Streak does something no other tablet does – it delivers your whole world on a 5-inch screen that easily fits in your pocket. Its unique size will help Rogers’ customers discover new ways to enjoy the web, connect with friends, and navigate their lives..” – Michael Tatelman, Dell vice president and general manager, Dell consumer sales and marketing.

The Dell Streak is available today exclusively through Rogers for $149.99 on any three year voice and data plan, backed by Rogers’ exclusive Handset Protection Guarantee Program in the event a customer’s device becomes lost, stolen or broken.

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10th November 2010

Wee Black Sheep Launches Debut Title

wee black sheepLadies, are you looking for a fun way to spice up your night? Then grab your iPhone / iPod Touch and get ready for a new type of Girls’ Night Out courtesy of new Vancouver studio Wee Black Sheep Entertainment. Part scavenger hunt, part “Truth or Dare,” this entertaining mobile game is the perfect addition to a bachelorette party, a birthday celebration, or a night out with your girlfriends.
Girls Night Out
Girls Night Out, available now in the App Store for $0.99 USD, turns a night at the bar into a wild game of chance encounters and cheeky challenges. With more than 175 virtual cards in six categories including “Truth Be Told,” “The Hunter,” and “Naughty Girl,” the app sends players on hilarious missions around the bar and awards points to those who rack up the most wins. Highly customizable, this digital party game lets you complete individual or team challenges, race against friends, and even create custom cards to personalize the game for your special occasion.

Girls Night Out is the first release from Wee Black Sheep Entertainment, a Vancouver-based company that creates entertaining apps for a variety of life’s events and celebrations. “If you’re a woman with an iPhone or iPod Touch and you like having fun with your girlfriends, then Girls Night Out is for you,” says Jenny Ramsay, Wee Black Sheep’s founder and CEO. “This app is an instant party—it turns an otherwise ordinary night out with the girls into a wild experience you’ll be laughing about for a long time afterward!”

sierra wirelessFlorida-based Accel Networks and Vancouver’s Sierra Wireless have announced a joint marketing agreement to promote secure, reliable cellular solutions for customers deploying retail transaction and networking applications. This agreement formalizes a relationship that has already enabled Accel to deploy PCI-compliant cellular fixed wireless solutions for primary and back-up connectivity. Accel Networks, utilizing Sierra Wireless AirLink™ intelligent gateways and routers, has provided reliable and secure solutions for several major national retail customers and food service chains.

By standardizing on the Sierra Wireless AirLink line of devices, Accel Networks confidently deploys business critical solutions for its customers. The combination of Accel’s proprietary antenna technology and monitoring platforms with Sierra Wireless’s best-in-class intelligent wireless gateways and routers makes cellular fixed wireless an effective enterprise-wide solution for mission-critical applications and enables enterprise customers to expand into areas where wired broadband connections are not available or not practical. Powered by ALEOS™ embedded intelligence and managed by AirLink management software, AirLink devices provide a persistent, secure data connection and can be easily configured and controlled from any location with an internet connection.

“We are extremely pleased to have been selected by Accel Networks as the preferred connectivity device for its managed network solution,” said Justin Schmid, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, Solutions and Services for Sierra Wireless. “This relationship facilitates a turn-key solution for wireless payment and business continuity applications, which is vital for the growth of the M2M business.”

According to Elaine Healy, President and Chief Operating Officer of Accel Networks, “The reliability and ease of integration offered by the Sierra Wireless devices made AirLink an easy choice for our standard connectivity platform. Formalizing and announcing our JMA with Sierra Wireless at the Customer Engagement Technology World (CETW) show is particularly timely since there is no better connectivity solution for kiosks and digital signage than Accel’s fixed cellular solution.”

Sierra Wireless provides a broad portfolio of high performance mobile computing and M2M solutions, including mobile broadband modems, embedded wireless modules, intelligent gateways and routers, as well as extensive software platforms that enable its customers and partners to deploy powerful solutions. By leveraging the AirLink line of intelligent gateways and routers from Sierra Wireless, Accel Networks is able to provide its customers a consistent and robust fixed cellular broadband experience across all sites, facilitating asset tracking as well as real-time traffic utilization and management, leveraging a private PCI-compliant gateway. In addition, Accel offers a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to its customers, providing peace of mind for those concerned about continuity of mission-critical business functions.

Accel’s approach to connectivity is unique with its primary focus on the “last mile.” Accel’s innovative family of proprietary antennas and monitoring platforms was developed with the deep understanding that RF is dynamic and local. With this combined solution, customers no longer have to choose between the quality of a wireline service and the flexibility of wireless. Furthermore, the AccelView™ portal provides customers access to real-time information about the quality of each link in addition to data utilization and asset tracking.

Accel Networks and Sierra Wireless will be co-exhibiting at Customer Engagement Technology World in New York City from Nov 10 – 11. Visit them in booths # 237 and 336.

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10th November 2010

Pfizer Announces New Contest For Young People With A Vision

pfizerStarting today, young adults across the country aged 16 and up are invited to Start Something with Alesse. This one-of-a-kind Canadian initiative empowers young adults to creatively articulate their personal goals and will provide two winners with mentoring and financial support to help make that vision a reality. Entries can be submitted online until 9:00am ET on Tuesday, January 4, 2011.

Inspired by the resourcefulness and community focus characteristic of Generation Y (or those born between 1980 and 1999), the Start Something with Alesse contest is designed to solicit innovative proposals from young adults committed to bringing about positive change in their own lives and the lives of those around them. Examples include creating a charity, producing a play or film, or starting a company. The possibilities are endless. (Editor’s Note – for those who do not know – Alesse is a contraceptive prescription for women.)

Christine Ho, co-founder of Well of Change, and Marième Ndiaye, a former MusiquePlus VJ and member of the singing group CEA, will serve as both contest judges and mentors to the two winners. Both of these women have significant experience starting something unique.

As the co-founder of Well of Change, a non-profit organization that has revolutionized the way people support not-for-profit organizations, Christine, along with partner Kevin Tsoi, has created an online platform that gives people and organizations the flexibility to donate either time or money to their charity of choice.

“I’ve always been passionate about giving back to the community, and I wanted to find a way to encourage young people to support their charities of choice,” says Christine. “Kevin and I have been fortunate to see Well of Change continue to grow and to see the impact our work has had on various Canadian charities. I look forward to sharing my personal experiences and providing guidance to help the Start Something with Alesse winners pursue their goals.”

Marième Ndiaye has pursued a decidedly different, but no less important, vision. Since 2003, Marième has been singing with the group CEA, a collective in Quebec that marries urban musical genres including funk, hip hop and soul. Her motto: “You can reach more people with celebration through music and dance.”

“CEA prides itself on positive messaging and has given me the opportunity to realize my dream of being a singer while growing as an artist,” says Marième. “The Start Something with Alesse contest will open many doors for the lucky winners. It is a phenomenal chance to help them realize their dreams.”

“We want to see today’s generation change the world,” says John McKendry, Commercial Director, Pfizer Original Brands, Established Products Business Unit. “By providing resources and support to two creative and passionate individuals, we are hoping to help support them through a truly unique and self-fulfilling experience. Alesse is proud to be able to provide resources to young Canadians to help them pursue their goals and ‘start something’ of their own.”

To view the official contest rules and regulations along with an overview of how to enter the Start Something with Alesse contest, visit the Start Something With Alesse site. All proposals will be reviewed and six finalists will be chosen by Christine and Marième. Winners will be determined based on votes earned through online voting by the general public. The two winners will be contacted by Thursday, March 8, 2011. Alesse will provide each winner with a $5,000 grant to help them start realizing their dreams.

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10th November 2010

Open Text Showcases Native Client Apps for Mobile Platforms

Open TextToday at Content World 2010, Open Text Corporation showcased a new release of Open Text Everywhere with native client applications for Apple iPhone and iPad. With a growing library of business applications, Apple’s popular smartphones and tablets are quickly gaining momentum as an enterprise client platform. With client applications from Open Text, business users gain access to critical content and processes from their iPhones and iPads.

The new applications were revealed for the first time at Open Text’s annual Content World user conference where attendees were able to experience Open Text Everywhere in action on iPads and iPhones.

“By themselves, the iPhone and iPad are fantastic devices. But it’s not until you add content that they become truly transformative,” said Eugene Roman, Chief Technology Officer, Open Text. “With Open Text Everywhere, we are putting the content and business applications on these devices that will absolutely change the way people work, and result in big gains in productivity across the board.”

In today’s fast moving, globally connected work environment, business doesn’t stop when users walk away from their desks. According to a recent Forrester Research survey (Workforce Technographics US, Canada, and UK Benchmark Survey, Q3 2009), workers are much more likely to use their smartphone – or instant-on tablets like iPads – while travelling, commuting, in coffee shops or even in different buildings than laptops. While the productivity benefits of delivering enterprise content to smartphones can be substantial, information technology managers face steep challenges to maintain security, control costs and deliver sophisticated applications.

Open Text Everywhere lets users natively and securely access a full set of Open Text ECM Suite 2010 capabilities from both RIM BlackBerry and Apple iPhone and iPad devices. It provides secure end-to-end communication between the ECM Suite and mobile devices, and pushes the permission model and audit capabilities of the ECM Suite right to the device.

Open Text Everywhere provides a comprehensive view of business processes, content and social collaboration tools. On the device side, it gives users a native application that delivers a rich, intuitive and fast user experience. On the server side, Open Text Everywhere is fully integrated with Open Text Content Server, the heart of the ECM Suite, for rapid deployment and minimal impact on IT, with low ongoing maintenance and support requirements.

By marrying mobility to content management, Open Text makes it possible for employees to access and act on the information they need in a variety of scenarios. It provides them not only with core content, but provides search and workflow that enables them to complete tasks using only their smartphones.

In the coming months, Open Text will be adding more features, capabilities and mobile platform support to the Open Text Everywhere offering. This will include:

* A mobile email management application that lets customers manage email for legal, regulatory or corporate governance rules.
* A new social interface for smartphone devices that incorporates access controls, auditing, and other ECM Suite capabilities while enabling new levels of collaboration.
* Integration with Web Experience Management (formerly Vignette) that will provide an on-demand mobile application platform enabling organizations to deliver fast and reliable mobile solutions that are as rich and interactive as advanced Web solutions found on the fixed internet.

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10th November 2010

Cisco Announces New Designed For Flip Product Line

ciscoCisco’s Flip Video® has launched an all-new accessory program available to Canadian consumers called Designed for Flip™ to expand the Flip Video experience for consumers. New Designed for Flip accessories announced today include a range of products including: wide angle lens, two different types of enhanced external microphones, waterproof cases, battery chargers and a pocket projector.

“People choose Flip because it makes capturing and sharing video simple, affordable, and most of all, fun,” said Simon Fleming-Wood, senior director of marketing for Cisco’s Consumer Products. “The new Designed for Flip program extends the fun with more choices from leading accessory companies so Flip users can do more and go more places with their Flips.”

The all-new Designed for Flip line will debut several products planned for availability in Canada in 2011. A key component of the Designed for Flip initiative is a new Flip Video feature called FlipPort™. The FlipPort is a uniquely developed connector found on the bottom of the new Flip UltraHD 8 GB/2 hour video camera — Flip Ultra HDalso announced today — that will become a standard feature on future generations of Flip video cameras. The FlipPort, will allow a range of specialized accessories to easily plug right in to Flip video cameras and open up a world of new uses and creativity for consumers.

New Designed for Flip products using FlipPort include Mikey for Flip, from Blue Microphones™, a professional quality external microphone that lets Flip users capture even better sound quality ranging from a whisper to a rock concert. Scosche™ also plans to offer a wireless lavaliere microphone that will enable up close audio ideal for interviews. iGo™ is scheduled to provide three new products: the Overtime Battery extender which doubles the Flip Video battery life; the Charge Anywhere power adapter can charge two products at once such as a Flip video camera and another USB accessory; and finally a new Pocket Projector will allow Flip owners to instantly project and watch their Flip Video clips directly from the video camera anywhere and on any flat surface up to the size of a 70″ TV. In addition, Seagate has plans to support Flip video cameras with FlipPort in the coming months.

For all Flip Video cameras, the Designed for Flip accessory line also features a growing assortment of products to let users do more with their Flip. New accessories planned for availability include Flip Waterproof cases from Aquapac®, which allow consumers to use their Flip video camera for activities such as sailing, snorkeling and skiing, a line of underwater cases from Ikelite™, ideal for scuba diving and a new magnetic Wide Angle Lens, from Bower™, that makes it easy to capture wide-angle video footage.

Cisco is also looking for other product developers who may be interested in becoming a Flip Video developer. Interested companies are welcome to contact their dev department.

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