7th January 2011

Kobo Expands Educational Offerings

Reminder: Deadline to enter the Applied Arts Photography & Illustration Contest is January 14th.

Reminder: The Call For Papers submission deadline for the Canadian Games Conference is January 25th.

Reminder: The nominations deadline for the Women In Film Vancouver Spotlight Awards is January 31st.

Registration for Grow 2011 is now open. The conference, which will be held in Vancouver on August 17th – 19th, is agrow 2011 technology event designed to bring investors and innovators together under one roof for three days of inspiration. Grow 2011 opens with the invitation-only Idea Exchange Programme and concludes with two days of presentations, discussions and networking opportunities with some of the top entrepreneurs and financiers in today’s technology industries.

CloudCamp is an unconference being held in Waterloo on March 2nd, 2011. It is that here early adopters of Cloud Computing technologies exchangeCloudCamp Waterloo ideas and share experiences, challenges and solutions. At CloudCamp, you are encouraged to share your thoughts in several open discussions, as we strive for the advancement of Cloud Computing. End users, IT professionals and vendors are all encouraged to participate.

koboKobo has introduced more than 175,000 PDFs geared towards education and self-education for much less than the cost of a textbook. Content is in digital PDF format and is available to download and read through the Kobo Desktop Application, on Kobo eReaders, and for users of Adobe Digital Editions software. Kobo boasts a comprehensive selection of informational PDF content, including:

* Medical texts and dictionaries
* Economics and business manuals
* Technical manuals
* Academic and scientific texts

“Learning happens everywhere. Kobo believes that everyone should have digital access to textbooks, reference works, and academic materials anywhere in the world,” said Michael Tamblyn, EVP Sales & Merchandising for Kobo. “The simplicity of downloading PDFs to an eReader or a laptop allows increased access to educational materials and expanded mobility and reading options. Whether it’s a university text, new and relevant “For Dummies” book, or a Medical dictionary, we are allowing Kobo users in 200 countries access to the latest academic and scientific content.”

Over 2,000 participating publishers have provided titles, including Prentice-Hall, McGraw-Hill, Blackwell, Palgrave, The World Bank, Springer, Financial Times Press, Routledge, and university presses including Cambridge, Yale, Wharton, Harvard Business School, Rutgers and many, many more. Kobo’s most popular PDFs include titles from the business, health and marketing categories, including:

1. “The Art of Business Seduction”
2. “Handbook of Women’s Health”
3. “Social Media Marketing All-in-One for Dummies”
4. “Global Warming for Dim Wits: A Scientist’s Perspective of Climate Change”
5. “Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary”

Kobo continues to focus on open standards and partnering with OEMs and software companies to consistently allow users to read on any device. Kobo customers can compile lifetime libraries as they choose, and read on multiple devices by downloading the free eReading app. Kobo offers an extensive collection of free books, allows users to borrow and read eBooks from their local library and allows eReading of Kobo eBooks on other dedicated eReaders, such as the Sony eReader and Nook.

clickfreeStorage Appliance Corporation, the inventors of Clickfree™ Automatic Backup, the world’s easiest-to-use computer backup products has received funding from Intel Capital, which builds upon a recent venture round of $15 million in August 2010, bringing the total venture capital raised by Storage Appliance Corporation to more than $33 million.

“As the global market for consumer backup continues its explosive growth, we are ideally positioned to meet the backup needs of consumers worldwide with our totally automated products,” said Bryan McLeod, chief executive officer, Storage Appliance Corporation. “Our phenomenal growth of 64,000 percent over the last 5 years and number one position on Deloitte’s Fast 50 Canadian Technology Companies for 2010 demonstrates a huge demand for consumer backup and illustrates the success of Clickfree’s cleverly simple products to date.”

Clickfree’s patented automatic backup solutions provide consumers with an amazingly simple way to backup all of the content on their PCs and Macs. All the customer has to do is to plug a Clickfree device into the computer’s USB port and Clickfree’s smart technology will do the rest, automatically searching for more than 400 file types and backing them up. Clickfree customers do not have to download and install software or answer any questions about their computer settings.

“With the extraordinary growth of data and media, consumers need user friendly technologies to keep digital content safe and available,” said Bryan Wolf, Managing Director, Intel Capital. “Clickfree’s storage solutions combine ease-of-use with the latest storage innovations, helping consumers effortlessly back up digital information.”

This latest round of funding will fuel Clickfree’s continued development of its industry-leading technology as it expands its worldwide presence. Already available in 35 countries and more than 7,000 retail locations, Clickfree offers a variety of innovative backup products designed to meet a wide range of consumer lifestyle needs and budgets. Along with Intel Capital funding, the Intel PC client group and Clickfree are working on business and technical collaboration to further enhance PC backup capabilities.

covarityCovarity, a Waterloo lender solutions provider has announced the availability of their Mobile Lender Dashboard, a smartphone-ready business solution providing banks with a covarity for iphonesecure means to conduct field operations with access to customer and loan reporting data through handheld devices. The solution is ideal for client field examination or account management activities commonly conducted remotely.

“Our goal is to put the power of information in the hands of customer-facing employees to make them more effective at managing their clients at both the individual and portfolio level, no matter where they are” stated Rod Foster, Covarity President and CEO. “We’re extremely excited that the Covarity Mobile Lender Dashboard is the first solution to of its kind in commercial banking.”

Currently supported on popular BlackBerry and Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices, the Mobile Lender Dashboard provides borrower financial trend reporting, loan review summaries, as well as covarity for ipadborrowing base, ratio and covenant analysis reports. Use of the Mobile Lender Dashboard reduces the use of paper in field work, contributing to a more secure and efficient operation.

With Covarity’s Mobile Lender Dashboard:

* Relationship Managers can now access a borrower’s profile and credit information, such as their available borrowing base during an onsite visit
* Commercial executives will receive early warning alerts via their BlackBerry
* Field Examiners can review inventory and A/R listings

“The need for mobile applications in commercial loan management reflects the importance of field activities in the lending operation,” added Susan Feinberg, a Senior Research Director with TowerGroup. “Providing secure, convenient access to data improves bank staff productivity and has the potential to enrich client interaction. “

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6th January 2011

Garage Inc Is Open For Business

Garage IncThe news all over twitter today has been the announcement that Garage Inc. has officially launched into the gaming arena. As we revealed in yesterday’s preview, Garage Inc. is a dynamic, multi-platform time-management game featuring a visually vibrant and imaginative style that will take players into 1920’s prohibition-era Chicago. The game, which is already receiving 4 star+ ratings in iTunes, revolves around the life of Garage IncAngelo Marito, a car mechanic and recent Italian immigrant who is trying to make a life for himself by opening his very own car garage. Garage Inc. will deliver to players the excitement and challenges of managing a busy repair shop through core time-management gameplay as well as through minigames. The game also features colorful characters and an immersive story, revealed in part through an innovative online social media campaign.

Garage Inc. was developed by TransGaming’s Studio Division in partnership with Breakthrough Entertainment and is based on an original concept from GlobalFun. The iPhone version is made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

“Garage Inc. taps into the popular time management genre of the growing casual Garage Incgaming market, providing entertainment value in bite-sized pieces for gamers at home or on the go”, commented Wojtek Kawczynski, Managing Director of TransGaming’s Studio Division. “We are thrilled to be able to provide quality entertainment across multiple platforms quickly and easily by leveraging TransGaming’s own core technologies.”

“Our partners at TransGaming Studios have created a original gaming experience with the Garage Inc. property”, said Dorothy Vreeker, Director, Digital Media at Breakthrough Entertainment. “We are proud to have collaborated on this very immersive and entertaining game.”

Garage Inc. is now available for purchase in the Apple Mac App Store (Mac required), iTunes App Store for iPhone and iPad, as well as GameTree Mac, as well as other retailers and distributors.

Big Blue BubbleNeed a room designed in High Definition? You’d better call the Home Sweet Home team! Big Blue Bubble Inc. is proud to announce the release of Home Sweet Home HD for the Apple iPad, available immediately!home sweet home HD

With the added luxury of bigger rooms and highly polished art, Home Sweet Home HD will give you the chance to unleash your hidden talents as an Interior Designer. You choose the furniture, patterns, and colors to create a masterpiece that will blow your client away.

With simple controls, fun graphical style, and an easy to use interface, Home Sweet Home HD allows you to nurture your creative side. Remember, a house is not a home until it is a Home Sweet Home!

THQ Inc. has announced that a collector’s edition as well as six individual race packs for its upcoming real time strategy game, Warhammer® 40,000®: Dawn of War® II – Relic EntertainmentRetribution™, currently in development at Relic Entertainment, are available now for pre-order.

Leading the charge, the Dawn of War® II -Retribution™ Collector’s Edition will give the most dedicated Warhammer® 40,000® fan access to all of the available bonus war gear for each of the six playable races in the game. It also includes an exclusive poster, six race dawn of war 2 Retributionart cards and a high-quality collector’s box all for $39.99. Gamers in North America can only get the collector’s edition by pre-ordering through the THQ store. Limited quantities are available.

Fans of a specific race can pledge their allegiance by pre-ordering one of the six available specific race packs for the same $29.99 suggested retail price as the regular version of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II -Retribution. These race packs are available for electronic distribution and are ONLY available at pre-order stage. Each race pack includes four unique ability and Wargear items that can be used to enhance the single player campaign. The Ork Race Pack is exclusive through STEAM Digital Extremesand the Tyranid Race Pack exclusive through THQ.com. The Space Marine, Chaos Space Marine, Eldar and newly announced Imperial Guard race packs are also available for pre-order through THQ.com, STEAM and other electronic distribution partners. After launch, gamers will have the option of purchasing the individual race packs digitally through STEAM for a nominal fee. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution is scheduled to be released for Windows PC in North America on March 1st, 2011.

In addition to the news about Dawn of War, THQ has released Part 3 of the Dev Diary videos for Homefront, which is scheduled for release on March 8th. The PC version of this title is under development at Digital Extremes.

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D-BOX Technologies Inc. has signed its first agreement with CineLux Theatres to equip its Morgan Hill, California theatre with 28 D-BOX MFX Seats. Cinelux Tennant Station D-BoxStadium 11 will introduce D-BOX’s technology January 14 with the debut of the 3D action-comedy, The Green Hornet. This is the first CineLux location to offer the incredibly, immersive movie experience and one of just a 49 auditoriums worldwide screening the new release in D-BOX format.

“The California market is our largest to-date worldwide with 14 theatres in the state offering D-BOX,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of D-BOX Technologies, Claude Mc Master. “As we continue to introduce moviegoers to our motion technology, expansion into new markets and demand in existing markets continues to rise at a steady pace. We look forward to announcing many more new theatres in 2011 and growing our global footprint.”

“Our theatres boast some of the most technically advanced features in the industry allowing us to provide a cutting-edge entertainment experience,” said Paul Gunsky, President of CineLux Theatres. “We’re always looking for new innovative ways to improve the movie experience and see incorporating D-BOX at our theatres as a natural progression of the future of movies”

Kik Messenger, the lightning fast, cross-platform mobile instant messaging service, has Kik’d off 2011 with its three millionth user, Kik Interactive Inc. announced today. kik interactiveRe-launched on Oct. 21, 2010, the Kik community continues to grow by 10-15,000 users a day. The growth rate, driven by Android and iPhone users, has held steady even though new BlackBerry downloads ended in late November.

“We are excited that so many people all over the world have embraced Kik and are more confident than ever of our future as the mobile community of choice for smartphone users,” said Ted Livingston, President and CEO, Kik Interactive, Inc. “We look forward to making the Kik user experience even better with new features and service enhancements.”

Over and above user growth, the number of messages sent by active Kik users continues to increase, from less than 10 messages a day in late November to almost 20 now, on average. Kik will introduce new features including picture messaging (very soon!) and group chat (soon-ish).  Service on iPhones will also be improved with a new version that makes it much faster to retrieve messages when users first open the app. As before, once the app is open, message delivery is real-time.

To the growing number of Windows Phone 7 users, Kik is coming soon! We are now putting the final touches on development, so it won’t be long before you can join the Kik community. KiK recently released an update that adds profile pictures and a feature that lets users easily find new Kik friends. The new address book feature not only lets users check for new Kik friends, but also provides much more control over users’ contact lists. The “Find more people on Kik” button scans user contacts and lets them choose whether or not to add newly identified Kik friends to their contact list.

We also recently improved Kik’s overall stability and reliability. Further out, we will unveil an incredibly powerful and unique technology that wirelessly connects users’ smartphones to any PC or TV. Hang tight for details. And, as promised, Kik’s much-anticipated mobile streaming music service is coming up soon.

Kik works with all iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch’s, and all Android devices – anywhere in the world. All you need is a mobile data plan. Each Kik message uses only a tiny amount of data – less than 1Kb per message. Kik Messenger provides lightning-fast delivery and receipts that tell users when messages are sent, delivered and read, and when friends are typing a reply. Every message appears in real-time, making Kik feel almost like a real conversation.

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6th January 2011

Business Shorts – What Casual News Is Wearing Today

iConnectivityCalgary-based startup iConnectivity has introduced iConnectMIDI, the high performance way to connect your Apple iOS device (iPad, iPhone and iPod touch) to digital musical instruments. Professional and amateur musicians with iConnectMIDI and an iOS device can load up an app and start jamming. Enhance your creativity with this state of the art music interface for computers and handhelds. MIDI Keyboards, guitar controllers, pedals, control surfaces, drum pads, DAWs, iOS devices and computers can now all play together. iConnectivity spent some time presenting to press and media iConnectMIDI at the Startup Debut as a precursor to International CES this week. Press and media at CES had the opportunity to view iConnectMIDI in advance of the trade show – feedback on the device and its capabilities is said to have been very positive.

koboKobo has announced that its open platform pure-play global eReading service has gained access to more than 20 million consumers through securing relationships with over a dozen partners that include tablet and eReader original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), mobile operators and retail outlets. Kobo has attracted key partners including Samsung and RIM with its unique, innovative, strategy of making eReading available on any device from its open, cloud-based platform, and is demonstrating the application at CES on Freescale’s new Smart Application Blueprint for Rapid Engineering (SABRE) for Tablets based on i.MX53 running Android. By including the Kobo eReading App, OEMs have a simple path to meeting customer expectations for a compelling tablet reading experience.

Open standards are essential to giving users the freedom to build and access their lifetime libraries as they chonew koboose, something that Kobo’s partners are aligned with. Kobo’s content is accessible through more than ten platforms including most smartphones, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Android Tablets, PC and Windows Tablets, MAC and Linux. Kobo’s free applications are consistently among consumers’ favorites, regularly a top ten app in the iTunes store for 2010. Throughout 2011, Kobo will introduce support for additional platforms including QNX for the Blackberry Playbook. In addition, Kobo offers the Kobo Wireless eReader to sell through partner channels such as Walmart, BestBuy and Chapters Indigo. The new stylishly designed Kobo Wireless eReader holds up to 1000 eBooks and connects wirelessly to Kobo’s robust library allowing customers to shop on the go.

In 2011, customers will expect eReading to be available on their devices out-of-the-box. With a catalogue of more than 2.2 million eBooks, magazines, newspapers and an open platform, Kobo enables tablet OEMs and mobile operators to easily bring eReading to their customers. Kobo recently launched the Kobo Android app for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which offers a “Readers Hub” powered by Kobo – in addition to reading eBooks with the app, which was designed especially for the Galaxy Tab, users also have access to the entire Kobo book store.

Animated Media IncFinnish-based Rightware Oy, a leader in 3D user interface (UI) technology and Toronto-based Animated Media Inc. (AMI), a technology company focused on creating Adobe Flash-compatible multimedia software products, have announced a partnership that provides their customers with the best of both 3D and 2D UI development and design tools. Rightware’s Kanzi UI Solution provides rapid creation of visually rich 3D UIs with a high performance engine for embedded systems. The Kanzi UI Solution also supports stereoscopic 3D, multi-touch, gestures and physics, and porting to any smart platform that supports OpenGL ES 1.x or 2.0 is an easy and straightforward process. AMI’s VGK Platform with its innovative Flash-enabling technology facilitates rapid prototyping, compact code development and cross-platform support. The integrated solution will empower customers with more choices to create their UIs by giving them a solid path from legacy 2D to true-3D, with options to add in a mixture of Flash animations, videos and audio with 3D objects.

Both companies have extensive experience within embedded markets and understand the need for cross-platform compatibility, hardware optimization and efficient usage of CPU, GPU, and memory resources; the integrated solution meets these requirements. Another benefit of the integrated solution is that it can support a development group’s current workflow between its designers who use Flash and its engineers, enabling seamless transitions and simplifying the development process. The key markets for the integrated solution will be mobile, consumer electronics, and automotive, with a focus on supporting those platforms being adopted widely including Android, MeeGo, and several other Linux variants. Rightware and AMI will be showcasing their solutions at CES and if you want to see demos or hear more about the solutions, contact them to set a meeting time and location.

ciscoCisco has named the winners of the Cisco® Networking Academy® NetRiders Skills Challenge, an interactive contest designed by Cisco to give technical education students the opportunity to showcase their information communications technology (ICT) and networking skills and to recognize excellence among Networking Academy students. More than 1,000 college and university students from across the United States and Canada competed in the competition, which consisted of three rounds culminating Dec. 8, 2010, in a live virtual event.

The NetRiders is an annual competition which uses Cisco Web 2.0 technologies to create an interactive experience, enhance classroom learning, and motivate young people to further pursue technology education and training. Over the past year, more than 10,000 students across 80 countries competed in regional NetRiders competitions, with the U.S. and Canada NetRiders Theater Finale competition involving more than 45 teams representing 42 states and five provinces.

Networking Academy students competed in a variety of activities, including a timed theoretical exam, a Cisco Packet Tracer network simulation activity, and a Cisco Packet Tracer exam. The top 10 winners received prizes, including a grand-prize study trip to Cisco U.S. headquarters in San Jose, Calif., in January 2011, which was awarded to the first- and second-place teams. Other prizes included Flip™ video cameras and Linksys wireless routers.

The U.S. and Canada Theater Winners are:

o 1st Place: Carl Verge and Brian Wilson, Algonquin College (Ontario)
o 2nd Place: Jeremiah Shore and Nathan Buchholz, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College (West Virginia)
o 3rd Place: Alandra Oukrop and Kent Savage, Montana State University-Billings (Montana)
o 4th Place: Ryan Stalets and Albert Kennis, University of Illinois-Springfield (Illinois)
o 5th Place: Zachary Lichliter and Donald Block, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (Kentucky)
o 6th Place: Michael Lowry and Michael Schanck, New Hampshire Technical Institute-Concord (New Hampshire)
o 7th Place: Michael Antonette and Feng Yang, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (Alberta)
o 8th Place: Michael Eckhart and Barry Fedon, Northampton Community College (Pennsylvania)
o 9th Place: Ross Weseloh and Brian Berg, Lake Area Technical Institute (South Dakota)
o 10th Place: Nathan Miller and Stephen Mesik, Youngstown State University (Ohio)

Cisco’s Networking Academy is a global technology education program that develops curricula to provide students with networking and technical skills and prepare them for careers in the 21st century. Committed to providing the highest standard of information technology education to students of all nationalities, genders and economic brackets, the program is designed to offer students real-world skills that will position them for employment and career growth.

winmagicToronto’s WinMagic® Inc. has released SecureDoc v5, the comprehensive full-disk encryption solution that makes it easy and cost effective for organizations to seamlessly integrate data protection with existing security policies to protect sensitive data in any Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit)/Vista/XP, Mac OS X Tiger/Leopard/Snow Leopard and/or Linux environment.

SecureDoc v5 features a single integrated enterprise console for policies and profiles which provides support for Microsoft Windows (including Windows 7 64 bit), Mac OS and/or Linux support, OPAL Self-Encrypting Drives (SED), Full-Disk and File Folder Encryption, removable media encryption, portable and secure USB encryption (no additional software installation or administration access rights required) and Intel® Anti-Theft Technology. SecureDoc v5 also provides a multi-language client available in English, Japanese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.

SecureDoc makes easy to centrally-manage self-encrypting drives, including Seagate Drive Trust Momentus hard drives and Opal compliant drives and also makes it simple for organizations to deploy sector-based full-disk encryption, file-and-folder encryption, container encryption and self-extractor encryption. And, in the event that a password is forgotten or the user is unavailable, SecureDoc v5 utilizes centralized escrow and management of encryption keys to ensure critical data can be accessed. SecureDoc v5 also adds full-disk encryption and encryption management to Intel® Anti-Theft Technology (Intel® AT) – a laptop theft deterrence mechanism enabling organizations to issue a “poison pill” to disable stolen laptops whether or not they are connected to the internet – ensuring data cannot be accessed before a laptop is disabled, even if the hard drive is removed and installed on another computer.

SecureDoc v5 enables administrators to create and securely share key files (or encryption policies) as well as link SES profiles with specific users or specific Windows/Mac devices – making it easy to ensure compliance with security policies when sharing data with co-workers, clients and customers. Additionally, SecureDoc v5’s audit functionality enables administrators to track data security down to the individual user or device level and includes enhanced features for Mac OS X users, including Password Synchronization and the OS Picker, which enables access to an external recovery/repair CD/DVD from an encrypted Mac. Please see the product’s website for a full list of features.

PriceMetrixPriceMetrix, a Toronto-based software firm that helps retail wealth management firms and their advisors optimize selling efforts, manage clients, identify growth opportunities, and enhance practice management, announced today the launch of ClientCheck, a state of the art client dashboard for advisors. At the click of a mouse, ClientCheck gives advisors a complete snapshot of each client at the household level. ClientCheck, available exclusively to PriceMetrix ValueOne customers, delivers all the important vitals an advisor needs to know to better service and enhance their client relationships.  Powered by an automated search and proprietary business intelligence engine, ClientCheck:

* Instantly delivers pertinent details for a specific household, including: ranking of the household by assets, revenue, product breadth, asset, and revenue mix, historical trending compared to the rest of the advisor’s book and peer group; and key business metrics (e.g., recurring revenue, total revenue opportunity, and average ticket size).
* Reveals three revenue-generating options to support the advisor’s business and client goals.
* Is accessible through the PriceMetrix advisor Workstation and is designed to be used by advisors and their teams on a daily basis to improve productivity.

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5th January 2011

The Cavechild Previews Garage Inc From Transgaming Studios

Editor’s Note: The Cavechild does not believe in standard game reviews, and I try not to cramp his style. This review has been altered to correct his Cavechild English. 😉

Garage IncLast night I received an advance copy of Garage Inc., which I immediately took for a spin. This is a new title from TransGaming Studios that officially launches for the rest of you tomorrow, January 6th. Garage Inc. will be playable on the PC,  Mac and GameTreeTV as well as Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.TransGaming

First Impression: When starting up the game I had my doubts but I was slapped in the face right away by how visually awesome the game is, how classy the music sounds and how awesome the cutscenes are and how they describe the story.

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The story for Garage Inc is pretty awesome, opening up your own car shop in a mob filled city, trying to make an honest living, although being in a city of mobsters makes things quite difficult for your character, which makes things more and more interesting to me as a player. Also, I personally love it already and I’ve only gotten to the part where your cousin “Sal” is saying “Angelo, my cousin. Any luck on the job front?”

Personal Thoughts: Just completed the tutorial stage, was easy to learn and see how things are done, the game is Garage Incrunning VERY smooth and the graphics may seem cartoonish, but it is still a very fun game and I’ve only just finished the tutorial.

Just got my first worker in my Garage which I decided to call “Olde Iron” and the game got a bit more challenging by trying to throw in a second worker, but after a few cars I was able to keep a some what steady pace going and production became a little less intense.

Oh boy! A new type of customer! The old guy! It makes things a little more interesting, not as challenging but more coordination is needed. Adding this new type of customer is quite the change, because you need to think a little more on the pattern of how you get things done.

-Sal Vists-

Sal seems to have got his ass kicked and needs money back.. apparently Angie needs to help his cousin out of a jam.

Garage IncSecond service bay.. Oh boy. This adds more challenge, which I enjoy.

A new worker! These people are starting to love me! Except some customers, which I don’t fully understand yet as to why they get mad at me and next thing you know I”ve lost a customer.

WOO! Reputation! Yeah.. that’s right, Olde Iron is getting its name out there! So by fixing cars and being awesome like me, you get reputation. With this new reputation you get special guests which take a little longer to fix up and get them on their way.

Yay! A police officer stopped by and needed some work done.. no pressure.. right?

When you’ve completed each level, you then have a clipboard with paper that tells you:

1. Successful repais
2. Overtime Repairs
3. Missed Repairs
4. Sales

and deductibles such asGarage Inc

1. Parts
2. Labour
3. Overtime

and the best part

PROFIT!

You get money for your hard work but you also get things, I suppose they’re reward type achievements and unlocks such as Goal Reached, Perfect Day, New Worker and Reputation.

Hint! Apparently making people wait brings rep and sales down.. I wish this happened in real life so bad companies would close up.

CUTSCENE! -The Pitbull-

Yay the Mafia showed up.. *Gets my baseball bat* Im’a show them who the REAL king of auto repairs is!

Bloody Mafioso… think they own me! They want me to make their cars bulletproof and they will cut my debt down some.

The side jobs for the mafia guys are quite fun, I just did the first one to install the bulletproofing for the doors. Interesting stuff it is! It’s a step by step to make your own!

Garage IncNEW WORKER! Electrical worker dude works only with electrical stuff which is indicated by RED so this adds a whole new twist to what I am able to do. OH YEAH! MORE CHALLENGES!

Final Thoughts: This game is extremely addicting. Transgaming approached a different style of play and it has worked out really, really well in their favour! If anyone likes games like Bejeweled, Tetris, and other puzzle games where they build up in challenge then this is a game you will most definitely want to check out. This is a MUST BUY for everybody in my opinion, even hardcore gamers such as myself can sit down and enjoy this game. For those of you with iOS devices, Garage Inc. is definitely an entertaining way to pass the time on journeys.

Voice Acting: From the first cutscene I was pleased to hear how wonderful the voice acting is and how clear it sounded.

Graphics: Though they are cartoonish, I think the cutscenes make the game appealing to all ages, and they still look very 1920s and 1930s. When playing the game itself, the graphics may seem a little less cartoony but none the less the way it looks is definitely worthy of the game play.

Audio: The music is pleasant to listen to as you play this wonderful game – the sounds of the cars, the repairs , customers, bells and so on are all very authentic.Garage Inc

Gameplay: The gameplay is like a new form of RTS from what Im used to, as I usually play games such as Dawn of War or Dawn of War II or even Medieval II: Total War. For a switch like this it’s quite empowering.

Replay Value: Very replayable!

Suggestions: Multiplayer? It would be interesting to see how that could be intigrated into this type of game, where one person could possibly compete against another in a race to earn more money than the other, and the one with the least amount of money gets hammered by the mob? Other than that this game is perfect.

So… When can we expect Garage Inc. 2? 😀

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5th January 2011

Behaviour Interactive President to Keynote at GameON Finance

behaviour gamesEA and Behaviour Games have released a few screenshots for upcoming movie-tie-in action-adventure game Rango Golden BulletRango, which invites players to continue on Rango’s wild journey through new adventures inspired by the movie. The game is set in the Old West town of ‘Dirt’ where players romp through a gritty, pint-sized, Wild West filled with wild rides, off-color characters and frantic shoot-outs.

“We are thrilled to be working with Paramount and the upcoming release of the video game version of its first animated feature,” said Sinjin Bain, Vice President of EA Partners at Electronic Arts. “Rango is a one-of-a-kind character that we know kids will love. We’re excited to give families worldwide the opportunity to take the humor and fun from the big screen into their living rooms.”

Tom Lesinski, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment stated that the studio is “pleased to team up with EA to deliver an exciting, action-packed adventure game that captures the spirit of the film and puts the fate of Dirt in Rango Zombiesplayers’ hands. We’ve added exciting twists and turns in the video game that will challenge players of all levels on their adventures as Rango.”

Rango is Paramount Pictures’ first full-length animated feature film. Rango the Game will be available on console platforms including the PlayStation®3, Xbox 360®, WiiTM and Nintendo DSTM in March 2011, when it will be launched simultaneously with the movie. Rango has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Speaking of Behaviour, Interactive Ontario has Interactive Ontarioannounced that Rémi Racine, President and Executive Producer of Behaviour Interactive will be a keynote speaker at GameON: Finance 2011. Don Carmody, President of Don Carmody Productions, and Dino Patti, Co-Creator of LIMBO, and co-founder of Danish studio Playdead Games will also be featured keynote interviews at the conference, taking place on January 20 & 21 at the Design Exchange, Toronto.

For the past 18 years, Racine has positioned Behaviour as a world leader in the video game industry. Under his leadership, the company has ranked simultaneously amongst the Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ and Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies™ from 2006 to 2008.

Carmody produced feature films Silent Hill and Resident Evil: Afterlife, which recently topped worldwide box office receipts of over $280 million – making it the most successful production in Canadian feature film history, surpassing previous box office champion PORKY’S, also produced by Don Carmody. In November 2010, Boondock Saints was released on the iPhone, iPad & iTouch.

Patti is co-creator of the critically acclaimed title, LIMBO, which has now received several international awards including two awards at the Independent Games Festival in San Francisco and 3 Milthons for Game of the Year, Best Indie Game and Best Visual Art at the European Games Awards.GameON Finance

GameON: Finance offers advice on transmedia digital game projects, and funding strategies on how to create a game or app that expands screen-based creative. GameON: Finance offers delegates the insider business and market knowledge needed to understand how to budget, build and finance your mobile, online, social, or ipad, game. Through one-on-one meetings, GameON: Finance fosters partnerships and connections needed to get a game financed, developed and distributed. Keynotes, panel discussions and interviews will cover boot-strapping, venture capital, government programs and alternate funding models.

UbisoftTwo brand new fitness programs for the Ubisoft’s Kinect exclusive fitness game Your Shape: Fitness Evolved are now available for download on the Xbox Live:

· “New Year New You”, a specific program to get back in shape after Xmas and New Year’s celebrations
· “Dance Workout: Bollywood”, a dance take on fitness, matching efficient exercise with Indian-inspired moves and atmosphere.Your Shape New Year

These 2 extra workouts are offered individually or as a bundle package. The bundle, including “New Year New You” and “Dance Workout: Bollywood” is priced at 560 Microsoft points, while each workout purchased individually costs 400 Microsoft points. In the first half of the calendar year, over 12 new pieces of add-on content for Your Shape: Fitness Evolved will be released on Xbox Live. Two other workouts, the “Toned Body Program” and the “Cardio Boxing Platinum” are already available for download.

task aveThere is a new location-based task management app available in the iTunes App Store today for $2.99 USD. Task Ave., which hails from Toronto and was the winner of Startup Weekend Toronto last September.task ave screenshot

Task Ave.’s Features Include:

? Location-aware reminders with local notifications on iOS 4.0+
? Add, edit and delete tasks on a beautiful map or list view
? Drop or drag task pins on the map with an active task count
? Find locations with a search of nearby places or add your own
? Configure reminders’ proximity from 500m to 13km
? Switch location tracking between GPS and cell tower (battery friendly with iPhone 3GS & 4)
? Disable task reminders for specific locations or everything
? Remove completed tasks at an adjustable interval
? Disable anonymous data collection
? Send feedback in one tap

vanartsVanArts is now accepting applications for its Media Arts Boot Camp, which is open to BC high school students. Applications are due January 28, 2011. Late applications will not be considered. Seats are limited, so apply early! Students will be notified of their acceptance in early February 2011. Boot Camp recruits will have the opportunity to receive 4 days of hands-on training in one of these two courses:

Media Arts Boot Camp: This course will take students through the VanArts experience, introducing them to the variety of different programs we have to offer. They will be able to see how each program is unique, while seeing how they can also complement each other in the large scheme of the industries we train for.

Monday March 7: 2D Character Animation
Tuesday March 8: 3D Character Animation
Wednesday March 9: Game Art & Design
Thursday March 10: Visual Effects for Film & TV

Acting for Film & TV: For students who have aspirations of being a professional actor for film, television, or even theater, this is a great way to learn about the lifestyle of this industry, for 4 full days. Hands-on workshops will be explored and give students a chance to learn exactly what being an actor is all about, directly from professionals in the field.

Students will be selected based on a combination of factors: relevant experience, motivation behind their interest in the program of their choice, current grade and date of application. Priority will be given to Grade 12 students but other grades will always be considered. If selected, students must send a $50 administrative fee by an established deadline to confirm their enrollment.

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5th January 2011

Gesture Controls Coming To GameTree TV

TransGamingLeading 3D gesture software and solution provider Softkinetic (Brussels) and Toronto’s TransGaming Inc. have announced their collaboration to bring gesture-based video games to TransGaming’s on-demand gaming platform, GameTree TV. TransGaming’s video game enablement technology, combined with Softkinetic’s iisu™ (“The Interface is You”) gesture recognition software, provides consumers with an innovative experience previously only available on specialized video game consoles. The integration of iisu with the GameTree TV SDK toolkit will provide game developers the ability to create and distribute their interactive gesture-controlled content through the GameTree TV Platform, reaching a global audience of millions. This new gesture-based solution will be demonstrated at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show from January 6–9 in Las Vegas.

The GameTree TV Platform is the premier on-demand video game solution for consumers, optimized for the next generation of set-top boxes and connected consumer electronics (CE) devices. GameTree TV delivers a comprehensive catalog of video games to consumers right in the comfort of their living rooms through a variety of flexible transaction and pricing models. The availability of gesture-based games will allow GameTree TV customers to enjoy an unparalleled interactive gaming experience through their next generation set-top box or CE devices, without the need to invest in a dedicated gaming system. GameTree TV is the only next generation on-demand video game platform for set-top boxes and connected CE devices to feature gesture-based video game capabilities.

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In addition to the compelling value add for consumers that gesture-based games offer, Managed Service Operators and CE device manufacturers (OEMs) can enhance their overall entertainment portfolio with the addition of GameTree TV. The Platform offers MSOs and OEMs new revenue streams that strengthen their consumer value proposition by catering to the broad family demographics represented in their customer base and improves the marketability of their product.

“Gesture-based gaming represents the next true innovation in video game interactivity,” commented Vikas Gupta, gametreetvCEO and President of TransGaming. “Our ability to offer games that allow the player to be the controller on a set-top box or CE device is a demonstration of the combined expertise of Softkinetic and TransGaming, and truly reflects the comprehensive capabilities of the GameTree TV Platform.”

iisu™ is the de facto standard in gesture recognition middleware, with over seven years of research and development behind its creation. Compatible with Adobe Flash, Unity 3D and 3DVIA Virtools development environments, its uses include video game projects as well as many other non-gaming markets including fitness, senior rehabilitation and e-learning. The versatile nature of iisu™ makes it highly compelling for developers interested in multi-platform compatibility (e.g., PC, console, set-top boxes) that allows apps to be released on Windows or Linux.

“We have been very impressed by the TransGaming team and its technologies for quite some time,” said Michel Tombroff, CEO, Softkinetic. “The combination of the our iisu gesture-recognition software and the GameTree TV platform will provide not only an enhanced experience for consumers but also a great distribution channel for our game and application developers.”

A demonstration of the gesture-based gaming experience will be available during CES at both the Intel® Consumer Electronics Network private meeting room (Central Hall #7153) and Softkinetic’s private meeting room (South Hall MP 25166). For business appointments, please contact Virgile Delporte at Softkinetic or TransGaming’s Paul Nowosad.

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4th January 2011

Look Out 2011 Canadian Devs Are On A Roll

EA MobileEA Mobile has released new screenshots for Dead Space, giving mobile gamers a look at what’s coming for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. EA has not yet revealed a ship date for the title, but I am already imagining gamers on transit playing this game and having to explain to other transit passengers why they just screamed like a little girl and jumped in their seat.

Dead Space for iPad

“Sorry, playing a game. It’s got scary bits. It’s okay, I’m not having a psychotic episode. Really.”

EA Mobile will also be launching Tetris on the PlayStation Network for North America later today, according to a behaviour gamesTwitter post by game developer Behaviour Interactive. Playable on the PlayStation 3, this iteration of the all-time favourite casual game will have 12 Trophies to be earned, including some that reward teamwork in clearing levels. PS3 Tetris is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and boasts these features:Tetris for PS3

  • Slide, rotate and drop your Tetriminos into place in Marathon Mode or any of 12 variants – you can even challenge the best Tetris replays worldwide.
  • 6 Multiplayer Modes: Up to 6 players worldwide can knock each other out in 2 minute Timed Battle or be the last person standing in Battle Mode. Play Marathon Mode or variants with up to 3 friends locally, as well.
  • Exclusive PS3 Content: Use power-ups in Battle Mode for even more fun. Clear lines together with friends worldwide in Shared Mode or experience Team Battle, the ultimate 2-on-2 competitive Tetris variant.
  • View Tetris leaderboards, watch replays of the world’s best players.

EA SportsEA Sports has released a new trailer for Fight Night Champions. Scheduled for release from EA Canada on March 1st, 2011, Fight Night Champions features a fully developed Champion Mode, which allows players to develop their character’s career while following a compelling storyline. Fight Night Champions will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

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Transgaming Studios has just announced that its latest title, Garage Inc., will be launched on iTunes this January 6th. Garage Inc., a time management game set in 1920’s Prohibition TransGamingChicago, will be available for the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac and PC. Help Italian immigrant Angelo build his Garage Inc Mobster Carautomotive repair shop while avoiding the mob, all in pursuit of the American Dream. Garage Inc. is rated Teen for T as the game involves:

  • Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References
  • Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence

Last month, Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) and LucasArts, a division of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd., in collaboration with TransGaming, Inc. launched Star Wars®: Clone Wars Adventures™, a free-to-play family-friendly online virtual world, for Macintosh® Platform users. Clone Wars Adventures is an action-packed browser-based virtual world where fans can live out the thrills and excitement of Star Wars®: The Clone Wars™ animated TV series on Cartoon Network.

clone wars“The demand for game content on the Mac platform has increased significantly, and we are excited to bring our games to this growing audience,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “Through our collaboration with TransGaming, Mac and PC players are able to play together seamlessly on both Free Realms™ and now Clone Wars Adventures, and we will continue to look for opportunities with future games to do the same.”

Clone Wars Adventures is the ultimate virtual destination for fans of the TV series where players go online to experience fun mini-games, daily activities, events, rewards, lively social environments, and competitions. Players can battle alongside their favorite Star Wars characters like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is updated every week with new content pulled from that week’s new episode.

There will be a Game Jam happening at the New Media Manitoba offices over the weekend of January 29 – 30th. This New Media Manitobaweekend jam will feature a bit of a twist – each team will develop an idea as a separate 640×480 Flash game.The idea for this themed jam came from Interactive Developer Devin Reimer, proprietor of Almost Logical. Please see the Infinite Ammo blog for complete information and the registration link.

Other upcoming NMM events this month include a two day Apple Aperture 3 Certification Course ($325.00) on January 8th and 9th, a full day seminar on Google AdWords with Google advertising expert Perry Marshall on January 11th, a three day introductory course for Final Cut Pro 7 this January 15th through 16th ($495.00) as well as a three day introductory course for Adobe PhotoShop CS5 beginning on January 25th and running until January 27th ($495.00). Game Prototype Challenge

Game Prototype Challenge is holding an informal meet-up evening for Toronto-area participants on January 18th beginning at 8pm. This event is being held at The Spotted Dick (wow, that name doesn’t conjure up bad images at all), and is open to anyone who’d like to find out more about the Game Prototype Challenge or just meet some of the other developers who participate in the Challenge. RSVP to this event’s Facebook page if Fresh Finderyou’re interested in attending.

Subway Canada has a released a new Fresh Finder app for the iPhone. Developed in partnership by teams from Veritas Canada and Endloop Studios, this free app lets you find the closest Canadian Subway® Restaurants quickly & easily. Using Facebook, Twitter or email, you can invite friends to meet you for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The Fresh Finder applications puts Subway® Restaurants in the palm of your hands with one tap of the screen. It also makes the latest Subway® Restaurant news, updates and special limited time offers easily accessible to you, even while you’re out and about.

More children around the world will soon have safe places to live, learn and play thanks in part to the support of kids Club Penguinwho play in the popular snow-covered virtual world, Club Penguin. The fourth annual Coins For Change event, conducted from December 17 to 27, 2010, allowed the children who play Club Penguin to help change the world by donating the virtual coins they earned playing games online to real world causes that matter to them.

Kids could donate virtual coins to provide medical help, build safe places or protect the earth. At the end of the event, the virtual donations to the three cause categories served as votes to determine how a $1M cash contribution from Disney Online Studios would be divided among charitable projects aimed at helping children, families and the planet.

Thanks to more than 3.4 million players who donated in excess of 12.2 billion virtual coins, Disney Online Studios will donate:

* $290,000 USD to support medical clinics in Malawi and Lesotho, Africa (conducted by Partners in Health).
* $50,000 USD to fund operations for sick and disabled children in Cambodia (conducted by Children’s Surgical Centre).
* $75,000 USD to provide school programs for kids displaced by war in Sudan, Africa (conducted by War Child).
* $75,000 USD to protect children from violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (conducted by War Child).Club Penguin Change The World
* $150,000 USD to fund projects to provide water to communities in India (conducted by Free The Children).
* $180,000 USD to teach kids and families to care for watersheds and rainforests (conducted by Rare).
* $180,000 USD to protect endangered animals in Columbia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the Andes Mountains (Conducted by Wildlife Conservation Network).

“Our players work hard to earn virtual coins on Club Penguin, but when a need is expressed they give freely and generously, and I’m always blown away by their passion for helping others and protecting the earth,” says Lane Merrifield, one of Club Penguin’s co-founders and executive vice president of Disney Online Studios. “It was particularly exciting this year to see even more kids from around the world rally together as part of Coins For Change.”

Club Penguin is one of the largest virtual worlds for children with a reputation for providing fun for kids and peace of mind for parents. Millions of children and families in more than 225 countries play Club Penguin in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Word filters and live moderators monitor chat and activity on the site and work to prevent the sharing of inappropriate or personally identifiable information.

Club Penguin is free to play, however special features such as front-of-the-line access to game features, exclusive parties and opportunities to customize your penguin and igloo require a membership. A portion of the proceeds from each membership purchased supports organizations working to improve the lives of children and families around the globe. In recent years, the kids who play Club Penguin have helped more than two million people get medical care, enabled 200,000 children to go to school and helped protect more than a dozen endangered species and their habitats.

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3rd January 2011

Check Out The Tiga Talk Speech Therapy Game for Kids

trainyardCongratulations to our Canadian representatives in the IGF Awards: Matt Rix’s Trainyard (which is an awesome puzzle game, by the way) received an honourable mention in the Best Mobile Game category, and to the team at Vblank Entertainment, whose Retro City Rampage received a finalist nod for Excellence In Audio, as well as an honourable mention for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize.

The brand new “Tiga Talk Speech Therapy Games” is now available in the iTunes store at the sale price of $1.99 USD. Developed with licensed speech and language pathologists, Tiga Talk Speech Therapy is a fun way for ctiga talk web sitehildren to develop speech sounds through playful voice-controlled games. These games are designed to improve and reward speech clarity, articulation, and instill confidence. The app is for parents and speech therapists working with toddlers and children with language delays, and features a host of benefits, building on enhanced language skills to assist children with better communication skills and confidence.

Tiga Talk Speech Therapy Games is a partner property to the APTN children’s show Tiga Talk, which premieres its new season on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) this January 6th, 2011. The premise of Tiga Talk is to entertains kids while teaching both Aboriginal and English language skills during the preschool years – an integral stage in development. By watching the series, children can learn how to make language sounds more easily, and have fun doing it! The addition of an interactive website and an iPhone application by Winnipeg’s Tactica Interactive, will provide even greater learning opportunities, offering games, crafts and videos that give children and their families the chance to explore and learn together

Digital Leisure Inc. has launched Word Searcher II on DSiWare for 500 Nintendo DSi Points. In this follow up to DSiWare word searcher 2hit Word Searcher you’ll need a sharp eye and a quick mind to complete these Digital Leisure100 themed word search puzzles in record time. Building on the success of Word Searcher 1, Word Searcher 2 contains even more fun words from multiple categories including palindromes, pirates and painting. The game is packed with a huge assortment of subjects to choose from, and there’s sure to be a puzzle that anyone will enjoy solving. Help improve your vocabulary, memory and problem-solving skills with these addicting puzzles. Keep track of your progress and try to beat your own play through times again and again as words are scrambled every time you play. Get your thinking cap on and conquer all 100 today!

yearonelabsYearOneLabs is hosting a Google hackathon on January 22, 2011. The hackathon will be hosted at co-working space RPM Montreal, with the event’s goal being the construction of new applications built atop the Google App Engine platform. Google Product Manager Sean Lynch will be attending the hackathon to offer guidance and information.

Tentative Event Schedule:

* 8am: Introductions and a presentation from the Google team
* 9am-5pm: Coding (in teams of two), with breakfast and lunch
* 5pm-7pm: Presentations with judging of the resulting apps
* 7pm-11pm: Party at RPM

There will be a Mobile App Showcase in Ottawa on Sunday, January 24th from 6-8pm at the Mercury Grove World Headquarters. Fill out the presentation application if you’d like to show off your latest app at the Mobile App Showcase.

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