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18th February 2011

Important News and Events You Should Be Following

Reminder: Final day to vote for your choice in the Independent Games Festival Audience Award
Reminder: Final day to apply for the Astral Media Emerging Documentary Filmmakers Scholarship Program
Reminder: Final day for graduates to apply to Doc U
Reminder: Final day for Early Bird Pricing on Social Media Marketing Best Practices for Small Businesses, Not-for Profits and Organizations at BCIT Downtown Campus
Reminder: Final day to submit proposals for the SIGGRAPH 2011 Dailies, Courses, Emerging Technologies, Game Papers, Panels, Posters, Talks, Technical Papers and The Studio

digital albertaDigital Alberta is hosting two mixers on March 11th – one at the Alastair Ross Technology Centre in Calgary and one at the Nexen Theatre in Edmonton. The evening’s goal is to open the door for inter-disciplinary collaboration in convergent projects, and members of both the film and interactive digital media sectors are encouraged to attend.

CanWITcanWIT BC Chapter is holding a breakfast seminar on February 23rd titled How to Get Your Tech Start-up Financed. Being held at the Segal Graduate School of Business, SFU, attendees will hear about getting a start-up company up and running, financeable and financed for future growth. Tickets for this event are $15.00 each, and Thealzel Lee of Rocket Builders, Valerie Mann of Lawson Lundell LLP and Joanne Hausch of Deloitte & Touche LLP will cover:

Investment in tech in BC
How to structure your start-up
Financing options
What makes investors invest in companies
How to attract investors’ attention
Key issues to consider in the early-days of your start-up

CIRAOne week remains before the Canadian Internet Forum takes place in Ottawa on February 25th. Hosted by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) and its partners, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Media Awareness Network (MNet), this event is an opportunity to present and examine the results of six face-to-face consultations that were held across Canada in tandem with an online discussion forum. A panel of experts will discuss the results, with topics including digital literacy, online privacy, IPv6 adoption, access to broadband, and social media, among others. Participants at the CIF will also have opportunities to provide feedback and commentary on the findings.

Experts speaking at the CIF include:

* Jacob Glick, Canada Policy Counsel, Google
* Dr. Gerri Sinclair, Executive Director, Masters of Digital Media Program at Vancouver’s Centre for Digital Media
* Marc Blanchet, Network Engineer, Viagénie
* Jim Roche, President and CEO, CANARIE
* Sally Wentworth, Senior Manager for Public Policy, Internet Society

Leading Canadian technology visionary Leonard Brody will provide the keynote address at the CIF, which is an important opportunity for Canadians to have their say on the direction the Internet should take in Canada. The results of the consultations, online discussion and the CIF will be presented to the United Nations coordinated Internet Governance Forum, a venue for stakeholders to discuss the future of the Internet, later in 2011. This event will also be webcast in English and French for those who can’t attend in person.

hotdocsHot Docs has put out a call for proposals for Doc Summit, asking Canadian producers, directors, distributors, digital and broadcast execs, and policy hawks to share their ideas on the sector’s top issues. Doc Summit is a half-day town hall forum which will be held on Friday May 6th, during this year’s Hot Docs festival, conference and market, taking place in Toronto this April 28th through May 8th.

IGLOO Online CommunitiesCongratulations to everyone at Igloo Software, who picked up the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Innovation last evening. Igloo Software was launched in 2004 as an online network, linking researchers at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Since that time, Igloo has evolved into a for-profit company and its social-networking platform helps clients improve employee productivity and build stronger relationships with key stakeholders.

teletoonTELETOON has launched a new online contest that will see one lucky Canadian viewer win a spot as a contestant on the English-language version of its hit Hollywood Squares-inspired animation and live-action show Skatoony, a TELETOON original production from marblemedia.marblemedia

Starting today and running until Sunday, March 20, 2011 at teletoon.com, eligible kids can enter to appear alongside an assortment of well-known animated characters from TELETOON’s original productions. Hosted by the animated duo of Chudd Chudders and his sidekick announcer, The Earl, skatoonySkatoony features real-life and animated contestants competing in four side-splitting trivia-based rounds to win bragging rights as well as a terrific prize. The contest winner will receive a trip to Toronto for the filming and $1,000 spending money.

TELETOON is also running the contest for the French-language version of the series from Monday, February 28 to Thursday, March 31, 2011. Full contest rules and regulations for the English and French-language contests are available online at teletoon.com.

In anticipation of their potential rise to stardom, kids can play the new Skatoony game online at teletoon.com where they can play live against their friends. Kids can register and create their very own avatar then customize its appearance in the online “store” using Skatoony bucks earned by playing the game.

bong of the deadBong of the Dead, the $5 000.00 zombie movie is in the can. Writer, producer and director of Bong of the Dead, Thomas Newman took a chance of a lifetime to complete his first feature film. Being a veteran of the special effects industry, Thomas was able to turn his love and passion for film into a movie which is now being sought after by multiple distribution companies from across the globe.

The process of creating an entire film and compositing over 350 shots himself by hand – frame by frame is typically usually the work of dozens of people. Driven by passion and fueled by his hunger for success he was able to overcome many personal and technical hurdles throughout the last two years. Along the way turning the movie into what it is today.

Here is the trailer for Bong of the Dead – while it has not been officially rated, Thomas Newman notes on the trailer title that it’s Rated R, so we caution you about the content.

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OpenText has completed its acquisition of global Business Process Management (BPM) leader Metastorm, adding complementary software solutions in the fast-growing BPM Open Textmarket. Metastorm is a key addition to OpenText’s Microsoft partner strategy and will help the company create a new generation of process improvement solutions that demand a combination of content and process management capabilities.

Baltimore, Maryland-based Metastorm is known for its leadership in BPM, but also provides Business Process Analysis (BPA) and Enterprise Architecture (EA) software—all will play a role in OpenText’s product plans. Just like BPM, Metastorm’s BPA and EA capabilities are complementary to OpenText’s and bring together comprehensive views of an organization—from the strategy and goals that drive the business, to the day-to-day systems, processes and people that run it, to the content needed to make the best business decisions. The BPM market has been a fast-growing segment of the software industry over the last few years.

Many processes involve content and thus require content management. With Metastorm, OpenText can now address any type of business process, whether the focus is content-centricity or process centricity. OpenText’s strategy is to add to existing solutions with new, uniquely powerful case management solutions used in areas such as customer on-boarding or claims processing, where the effective delivery of knowledge and content are a critical part of the overall business process.

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17th February 2011

I Want To Wajam

wajamI imagine that many of you have already heard of this new search service, but I only learned of it this morning because someone Tweeted about it, and I must say that this looks like something I would find very useful, because right now I have an unmanageably-huge bookmark file called “On Twitter” which is chock full of the interesting links I get from wajam results in Googlepeople I follow on, you guessed it, Twitter. It’s one of those folders that I keep meaning to get to and organize properly, but I just haven’t gotten there yet. It appears that with Wajam, I will be able to go back and look for further links to knowledge shared by my friends and contacts. Unfortunately the service is apparently over-subscribed at the moment, so I can’t get in right now to take a closer look at what the service offers.

In January Montreal-based Wajam launched a beta version of its ‘social search’ browser extension that works in Google, Bing and Yahoo. Wajam adds a layer of results, above the usual search engine results, where users can find content that their friends have shared on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Users can also search for their personal browser bookmarks and those from Delicious.

“We’re excited to launch Wajam and allow users to start finding results from their friends in their favorite search engine,” said founder and CEO Martin?Luc Archambault. “Using Wajam is like having unlimited access to an online library packed with your friends’ knowledge. I recently searched for information on ‘pitching startups’ in Google and Wajam added personalized results that my friends had shared on Facebook and Twitter. Wajam saves me hours of research and lets me find content from my social feeds that I Top 11 Friend Resultswouldn’t be able to retrieve any other way.”

When users download Wajam and link their personal sources (Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, and Bookmarks), Wajam starts showcasing relevant, social content right in their search engine. Wajam is certified by TRUSTe and Verisign, and each user’s content and personal information is kept confidential and secure on Rackspace cloud servers.

“What sets Wajam apart is that it takes less than a minute to get started and it brings users value without asking them to change the way they do things – they can keep using the same search engine and continue sharing content on their favorite social networks,” said Archambault.

Funded by startup lab and accelerator Bolidea, Wajam is compatible with major browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari, and works on PC and Mac. The company plans to add more social network sources to the service and support more search engines in the near future. “Wajam wants to bring your friends’ knowledge Filter By Friendswith you anywhere that you search online. The future goes beyond search engines,” said Olivier Cabanes, partner, Bolidea.

Social search is the next big trend for web search. Search and social networks are already ingrained in users’ daily life ? Google and Facebook are holding strong as the two most popular sites online. According to Compete, the average Google user conducts 5.6 searches per day and Facebook claims that their users share an average of 60 pieces of content per month. That means a lot of content gets lost in the social network cloud that Wajam can help users find.

staples canadaFor the first time ever, Staples Canada has awarded a computer lab valued at $50,000 to Dover Bay Secondary School in Nanaimo, BC, for eco-responsible improvements made within their school, community and families. Canadian students were invited to enter the contest by writing a 500-word or less online essay about the actions they took to help their school and community become more eco-responsible.

“We were absolutely delighted with the sheer number of Members of the Dover Bay Eco Club, along with Staples Canada store manager Don MacKinnon (left, blue shirt), District manager Carlo Pellegrino (kneeling, striped shirt) and 250 other Dover Bay science students. Photo: Staples Canadaresponses from schools! After pouring through all the essays, it was clear that students care deeply about preserving the environment and do want to make a difference to the future of our planet,” said Steve Matyas, president of Staples Canada. “It’s great to see students getting their hands dirty and making compost, recycling cartons, putting together solar panels for the school to use, and taking learning from the classroom into the community. I’m happy Staples can donate new technology to further develop their research and understanding of the environment.”

The office supply retailer has also awarded a second place prize of a $5,000 gift card and a collection of eco-supplies to W.C. Miller Collegiate, Altona, MB, and a $1,000 gift card to Heritage Park Secondary School in Mission, BC. Staples would also like to acknowledge their partners, Earth Day Canada, earth cycle planning inc., Green Learning, and Direct Energy for their work in judging the contest entries.

Government of CanadaHis Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston Governor General of Canada has agreed to be the Patron of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation for the duration of his vice-regal term. The Museum is pleased that the Governor General has accepted to become Patron of an institution whose vision is to inspire all Canadians to engage with their scientific and technological past, present and future.Governor General David Johnston

“We share with His Excellency the same understanding of the importance of education and innovation to Canada’s future,” says Denise Amyot, President and CEO of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation. “Every day at our museums, and across the country online and through travelling exhibitions, we inspire Canada’s youth to engage with the rich cultural connections among science, technology and society.

As stated in his installation speech on October 1, 2010, Governor General Johnston’s vision for Canada is for a Smart and Caring Nation where it is essential to support families and children, to reinforce learning and innovation, and to encourage philanthropy and volunteerism.

The Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation comprises three Ottawa-based museums: the Canada Agriculture Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canada Science and Technology Museum, all of which boast a rich and varied collections of Canada’s scientific and technological heritage as well as exhibit and interpret current and future discoveries and innovation.

jobdealsJobdeals, Inc. has launched its powerful online local services search product in Canada, focusing initially on serving the Greater Toronto Area, but its Canadian service provider database is growing and Jobdeals will expand nationally in the near future. Jobdeals enables consumers to find and book appointments online with local service providers. It goes beyond previous local search attempts by allowing consumers to receive multiple price quotes and schedule appointments with local businesses and freelancers all in one place – and the company is currently running a free promo for service providers, and consumers always book jobs free.

Jobdeals.com changes the way consumers shop for local services. “You should be able to go online to look for and purchase services from a tutor, wedding planner, dog walker, plumber or other local pro – the same way you would buy a product online,” says Robert Platek, Co-founder and CEO of Jobdeals, Inc. “You can search for a verified provider in your area that fits your schedule – all for a price that works for you.”

Jobdeals.com is an invaluable resource for both consumers and service providers. Advanced technology selects relevant service providers for specific job requests based on their schedule and work area proximity. Service providers compete for jobs by submitting a price quote; consumers receive the best value by choosing the quote that suits their budget. Both parties benefit from the convenience of booking service appointments online. Consumers can also request specific services, at which point service providers receive free job leads and have the opportunity to submit price quotes at no charge.

Safety for the consumer is of utmost importance to Jobdeals, Inc., who offer multiple levels of optional verifications for service providers, including phone and address checks, virtual verifications such as email and Facebook, and background checks from a national agency. Providers that successfully pass these verifications are rewarded with a higher search ranking as well as badges on their profile page, showing consumers that they are a trusted business.

ecobeeecobee, the award-winning green technology company, today expanded its mobile offerings with the release of a free Android app for the ecobee Smart Thermostat. Downloadable from the Android Market, the ecobee Android app will allow customers to control their ecobee Smart Thermostats anytime, anywhere from the convenience of their Android devices.

The ecobee Android app looks and operates just like the ecobee Smart Thermostat and works on any Android device with OS 2.0 and up. Users can remotely adjust the thermostat’s temperature, schedule or update a vacation event, change the system and fan operating settings, and receive important alerts.

ecobee also offers a free iPhone app which has proven immensely popular with tens of thousands of downloads to date.

toyotaToyota Canada has embraced the social media movement, launching a brand new Facebook page, plus an enhanced twitter feed and YouTube channel, and invites these customers and enthusiasts to share their passion and stories by joining the conversation. The online conversation kicks off with a new contest to find Toyota’s #1 Fan.

“Canadian Toyota owners are proud of their trusted cars, trucks, minivans and SUVs, and there will certainly be lots of competition to find our #1 Fan. Our Toyota enthusiasts love to share their stories with one another and with Toyota Canada, and these social media outlets will enable us to better connect with our customers,” said Stephen Beatty, Managing Director at Toyota Canada Inc. “As we celebrate the sale of our 4,000,000th vehicle in Canada and a quarter century of manufacturing Canada’s most popular Toyota vehicles at our assembly plant in Cambridge, Ontario, it’s a great time to offer Canadian Toyota fans this new venue for communicating not only with Toyota Canada but also with one another.”

Toyota enthusiasts are encouraged to enter the contest by sharing their stories about why they believe they are Toyota’s #1 fan through photo or video. Finalists will be determined by the number of views of their individual submissions as well as by a panel of judges, and participants are encouraged to use their own social media channels to increase their unique entry views. Finalists will be selected for a final round of voting, after which six finalist videos will be created. One lucky entrant will receive the grand prize, a Toyota of their choice (up to $50,000 value). Two secondary prizes of a Panasonic HD camcorder will be awarded. All submissions and votes are eligible to win weekly prizes of $100 gas cards.

Toyota Canada has created a dedicated social media team to feed information and entertainment into the portal, including:

* Contests, including the “Toyota’s #1 Fan” contest, through which customers can share their stories through words, pictures and video and win prizes, including a new Toyota vehicle;
* Hot off the press vehicle and business intelligence, such as tours of the refreshed Corolla and Matrix, the celebration of Toyota’s 4,000,000th vehicle sale in Canada, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc.’s 25th anniversary, and more;
* Intriguing videos, from ownership stories and favourite Toyota commercials to information to ensure Canadians get the most from their Toyota ownership and driving experience;
* Updates on Toyota partnerships with celebrities such as Steve Nash to business partnerships with Tim Horton’s, Home Hardware, Delta Hotels, and more;
* Access to a dedicated team of Toyota experts to answer questions on Toyota forums.

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16th February 2011

A Few Examples Of Why Canada Is Creative Central

Reminder: Banff World Media Awards submissions closes on February 18th.

Note of Interest: Are you looking for funding sources? Check out the searchable database on the MaRS Discovery District website.

trainyardIndie game developer Matt Rix has put his super-hit puzzle game Trainyard on sale in the iTunes store – and 25% of February’s profits will go to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  The goal in Trainyard is simple: get each train to a goal station. Red trains go to red stations, blue trains go to blue stations, etc. You control the trains by drawing track for them to follow. There isn’t a time limit or even a score; the only thing you need to do is figure out a solution for each puzzle – which is often easier said than done, believe me. Trainyard is very much worth the price, plus for this month you’ll be helping to support a very important organization. If you haven’t bought this challenging puzzler yet, now would be the time.

xmg studioXMG Studios has released its latest title on the iTunes App Store. Cows vs Aliens is a game of bovinecows vs aliens protectionism.  Aliens are invading and amid all of the chaos, you need to get your cattle in the barn as fast as possible. Featuring a fun and unique multi-touch interface, Cows vs Aliens challenges your herding skills as you  squeeze as many cows through the barn doors as possible before time runs out. Not all cows are created equal, either – you’ll soon learn that some beefy beasts are more valuable than others, and the more heifers you herd at one time the higher your multiplier. Remember you are battling spacemen, though – Aliens are sneaky and determined to free you of your beef. Make sure you keep those visitors from the outer limits out of your barn or they’ll take off with your herd. Cows vs Aliens is currently priced at 99 cents USD and offers Game Center integration.

Congratulations to our Canadian developers on multiple BAFTA 2011 nominations:

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood topped the total number of nominations, being named to seven categories: Action, Artistic Achievement, Best Games, Gameplay, Multiplayer, Technical Innovation and Use of Audio, while Bioware’s Mass Effect 2 received nominations for Artistic Achievement, Best Game, Gameplay, Original Music and Game Award of 2010.

Toronto studio Digital Extremes developed the multi-player components for Bioshock 2, and that title is nominated in the Action and Story categories. EA Sports‘ FIFA 11 is nominated as Best Game, Sports and the Game Award of 2010. Vancouver’s Smoking Gun Interactive is the developer behind 20,000 Leaks, which is a component of Kinect Adventures, and that title is nominated in the Family category.

bootstrap awardsContinuing in the awards recognition theme, this year’s winners for the Exploriem.org 2011 Bootstrap Awards (PDF) have been announced, and receiving recognition for their achievements in the interactive, digital and social media industy were:

Favequest received Gold Best Micro Business medal
Ideavibes received Gold for Most Innovative Source Bootstrap Capital, while VirtuStructure received Silver and Purple Forge received Bronze.
Zeebu Mobile received Gold for Best Guerrilla Marketing Idea/Social Marketing, while NetGen took Silver and ContestMob received Bronze.
Select Start Studios received a Silver Medal for Best Value Proposition/Value Differentiator/Pixie Dust
Threedify took home Bronze for its corporate website
NetGen also won Silver in the Most Innovative Social Enterprise Fundraiser category, while Civiside received Bronze.
Ideavibes took Silver for Most Innovative Business Model, while Arkli took the Bronze.

There is one more Bootstrap award to be presented – the top Ottawa start-up will be named at the OCRI Awards in April. IDM nominees for that award are: Purple Forge, Dual Code, Inc., GPS To Go (who also won a Bronze medal for Best Value Proposition/Value Differentiator/Pixie Dust), Blindside Networks and Pretzil.

OMDCOMDC is reporting that Ontario’s film and television industry contributed $964.3 million to the provincial economy in 2010- an increase of almost $18 million over 2009 — despite fierce competition from other jurisdictions, a sluggish U.S. economy and a high Canadian dollar. The $964 million in production activity accounted for more than 23,000 full-time direct and spin-off jobs.

The film and television industry held and gained ground over 2009, a year which experienced dramatic growth over 2008 and marked a return to production levels not seen in Ontario since 2002. Increased spending was seen in foreign television series, reflecting the continuing influence of the Ontario Government’s 2009 enhancements to the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC), which was expanded from 25% of eligible labour to include all eligible Ontario production costs.

Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) programs also support the book and magazine publishing, music and interactive digital media industries. The entire entertainment and creative cluster supports almost 300,000 jobs and contributes $12.2 billion annually to the province’s GDP.

rare methodCalgary marketing firm Rare Method Interactive has experienced recent stock activity that prompted a statement from the company this morning, whereby “Rare Method Interactive Corp. wishes to confirm, at the request of IIROC, that the Company’s management is unaware of any material change in the Company’s operations that would account for the recent increase in market activity.Mood Media

Mood Media Corporation has acquired PELIKA Business Music Oy (Pelika) for US $9.8 M, implying an acquisition multiple of 4.9 x EBITDA. Pelika is a dominant market leader in digital business music solutions in Finland, predominantly serving clients in the hospitality sector.

endras bmwEndras BMW, one of Canada’s most innovative BMW retailers, is offering the ultimate job for a social media savvy, BMW enthusiast. Beginning today, anyone in the world who loves to be “in the BMW know” can attempt to make a career of it by applying to be Endras’ Ultimate Blogger at EndrasBMW.com. The most qualified and connected applicant will land the job of a lifetime. This in-house social media gig pays the chosen candidate $65K a year to drive a brand-new BMW, attend BMW events around the world, find the latest BMW news, and blog, Tweet and Facebook about it all. If these responsibilities aren’t enough to pique interest, the job also comes with a downtown Toronto condo for the Ultimate Blogger to call home for the duration of his or her contract. Stage One of the application process closes on April 1, 2011.

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16th February 2011

Doritos Invites Canadians To Write The End

doritosIs it The End, or only the beginning? Canadians are creative, savvy and eager for a piece of the action. They’re ready to be engaged, take control and make important decisions for their favourite brands. The Pepsico Doritos® brand is ready to take consumer engagement to a new level of awesomeness with its latest epic digital promotion, “The End” – which will bring one lucky Doritos fan behind-the-scenes like never before, to actually become a part of one of Canada’s best-loved snack brands.
Doritos The End
“The Canadian consumer landscape is really changing and we’re no longer satisfied with sitting back and being shown or told what to do,” says Ken Wong, Professor of Business and Marketing, Queen’s University. “The Doritos campaign is a really innovative new program that breaks down barriers between industry and consumers – it’s actually a harbinger of the future. It’s truly amazing that one lucky fan will have the chance to shape the course of their favourite brand.

Launched on February 4, the Doritos® The End Contest challenges Canadians to take hold of the brand in a completely new and different way. Doritos is launching two new flavours (Flavour A – Onion Rings N’ Ketchup and Flavour B – Buffalo Wings N’ Ranch) and is asking consumers in Canada to decide which flavour should live and which should be destroyed; or, put another way, be forever removed from store shelves. Until March 13, consumers can visit Write The End, and compose the ultimate ending to an unfinished Doritos commercial that will destroy one flavour in a highly creative way. The prize is worth the effort: $25,000, 1% of future sales from the flavour remaining on shelves, the unfinished commercial completed with the winning ending, and the exclusive opportunity to become a part of the Doritos 2011 brand team.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

As submissions are entered, the fate of all endings is put into the hands of voters, who will ultimately choose fourteen finalists – seven finalists from Flavour A and seven finalists from Flavour B. Then an expert judging panel, made up of a Doritos brand representative, an agency representative and the commercial’s director, will be tasked with the responsibility of critiquing and choosing the final winning ending. The winner will be announced when the finished commercial is revealed live for the first time.
Onion Rings and Ketchup
Along with some serious cash ($25,000 and 1% of future sales from the flavour remaining on shelves), the winner of Doritos® The End will hone their creativity to become the first member of the Doritos Think Tank, an exciting new extension of the Doritos brand team that engages consumer insight to keep the brand on the cutting edge of cool. This is an amazing opportunity for one Doritos fan to literally sit at the Doritos boardroom table and share their knowledge of current trends in pop culture and social media to influence brand happenings. This lucky insider will be flown to Toronto for three non-stop Doritos-filled days of brand integration and will then be given the opportunity to participate in monthly Think Tank projects for the rest of the year where they will have the opportunity to weigh in and contribute to brand decisions.

Buffalo Wings and Ranch“At Doritos, we thrive off of finding ways to break through and give consumers control of the brand,” says Tony Matta, Vice President of Marketing at PepsiCo Foods Canada. “The End is more than a contest, it’s the next evolution of consumer engagement where we’re handing over our brand to Canadians, and giving them a chance to play a role in making Doritos history, something we’ve never done before.”

The Doritos® The End Contest is supported with a custom website, Facebook fan page, Twitter account, YouTube channel, an extensive advertising campaign on national television and online, and media partnerships with MuchMusic and Astral Media.

The new Doritos flavours, Onion Rings N’ Ketchup and Buffalo Wings N’ Ranch, are available across Canada in distinctively-marked white and black bags wherever Doritos are sold. For more information, to view submissions, and full contest rules, please visit Write The End.

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15th February 2011

VenCorps and Ryerson Looking For Top Toronto Start-Up

Reminder: Economic Development Canada and Big Fish Games are holding a webinar on February 17th, the topic is Doing Business With Big Fish
Reminder: The Hand Eye Society Social #11 is on February 17th in Toronto and will feature speakers Jason Kaplan of Game Prototype Challenge and Damian Sommer from Griddle Jam as well as Miguel Sternberg and Andrew Pilkiw Spooky Squid Games.
Reminder: Interactive Ontario is hosting iLunch 9.04 on February 25th, when the topic will be Details of the Deal: Making Sense of Interactive Digital Media Red Tape

centennial collegeThe Centre for Creative Communications, Centennial College, is seeking innovative and forward-thinking proposals from Canadian media, interactive, creative, technology, business and social entrepreneurs for the next wave of children’s media and multi-platform projects to qualify for $50,000 federal development grants.

The new kidsmediacentre, an industry and creative content think-tank at Centennial College, will hold an information session to interested developers, on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 5:30 pm at The Centre for Creative Communications, located at 951 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto.

Centennial College’s Applied Research and Innovation Centre (ARIC) has received ten $50,000 Federal Development grants, some of which are available to help small and medium enterprises in the kids’ technology industry launch the next big idea in children’s media. The grants are part of a coordinated strategy between the federal government and colleges to accelerate innovation and productivity in southern Ontario by asking business partners to collaborate on projects and work “hands-on” with college faculty and students in developing new and innovative technologies and services. Businesses are asked to contribute at least $25,000 towards a project in cash and/or in-kind.

“Canada has been a leader in the creation and production of internationally successful children’s entertainment properties for many years,” says Nate Horowitz, Dean of The Centre for Creative Communications. “These federal grants represent an important opportunity for entrepreneurs in the kids’ animation, gaming and interactive industries to build competitive products here and on a global scale. We’re committed to helping nurture these businesses.”

Centennial College’s School of Communications, Media and Design is currently the only college in Canada offering a post-secondary program in children’s content development and is focused on writing, production and business management in the gaming, interactive, educational, publishing, TV and film industries. A key goal of the kidsmediacentre is to act as an innovation catalyst partnering the talents of the College’s students with children’s industry entrepreneurs.

The kidsmediacentre and Applied Research and Innovation Centre will work with qualified partners to ensure their early-stage businesses have the strategic counsel and creative brand development supports to move their innovation forward.

The kidsmediacentre is exploring kids’ media futures by investing in research critical to understanding their 21st century media interactions. Working with Centennial College’s Children’s Entertainment – Writing, Production and Management program and early childhood development specialists, the kidsmediacentre’s goal is to provide a range of R&D support to cross-platform, media and entertainment content providers to ensure the kids’ media industry in Canada is vibrant, indigenous and committed to the healthy growth of children. For more details or to register for the information session, contact: Debbie Gordon, Director, kidsmediacentre, 416-289-5000, ext. 8770.

financial fitness challengeYoung Canadians are invited to take part in the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) ‘Financial Fitness Challenge‘, an online contest that uses videos, Facebook and Twitter tips to help youth get financially fit. The contest is aimed at helping youth increase their financial literacy and offers them the chance to win an Apple® iPad or a grand prize of $2,000.

The Financial Fitness Challenge runs from February 15 to April 15, 2011 and uses interactive tools and scenarios to raise awareness of important financial concepts such as balancing needs versus wants, budgeting, saving and investing. This year, visitors to the site will see four new entertaining and informative videos on budgeting, credit cards, investing and investment fraud.

“With close to 60,000 youth actively participating in the challenge over the past four years, the CSA has presented financial literacy education in a format that resonates with youth,” said Bill Rice, Chair of the CSA and Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Securities Commission. “We encourage parents and teachers to continue to develop financial literacy skills in youth by using the Challenge as a fun and informative learning tool.”

The bilingual contest is open to Canadians ages 15 to 21 and offers youth the opportunity to invite friends to join the Challenge, and to compete and engage with contest participants at a local and national level. Classroom materials including lesson plans are available to download from the Teacher and Parent Resource Centre. At the close of the contest, 13 entries – one from each province and territory – will be randomly selected from eligible participants to win an Apple® iPad, and one national grand prize winner will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship.

Absolute SoftwareVancouver-based Absolute® Software Corporation will be expanding the distribution of its consumer solution LoJack® for Laptops in partnership with SYX Distribution, a company that is an affiliate of, and provides distribution services to, TigerDirect, CompUSA and CircuitCity.com.

“Our research indicates that 40% of consumers have more than seven computer devices in their homes – many of these are treasured laptops, MacBooks and PCs. These represent a substantial investment and target for would-be thieves,” said Mark Grace, vice president of consumer business at Absolute Software. “By making our solution widely available through TigerDirect’s trusted shopping venues customers use to purchase these devices, we are making it that much more convenient for consumers to get proven anti-theft protection.”

Beginning in the first quarter of calendar 2011, LoJack for Laptops will be available to consumers as part of their computer purchasing experience at major online, B2B and retail locations including: CompUSA, TigerDirect, and Circuit City. In addition, these retailers will offer LoJack for Laptops as part of all of their computer service offerings (for example, repair services, technical support services, and software installation services). The product may also be purchased as part of Service Warranty Plans and from the TigerDirect and CompUSA’s B2B sales teams.

“LoJack for Laptops gives computer owners a degree of peace of mind that contributes to a better experience owning a computer,” said Gilbert Fiorentino, CEO of TigerDirect. “This offering is a good addition to the value we can offer our customers.”

LoJack for Laptops is the industry’s leading computer anti-theft solution for home computer users. Powered by patented Computrace® technology, LoJack for Laptops is the chosen consumer theft recovery solution of the world’s leading computer manufacturers.

Features of the subscription-based service include:

* Geolocation – For day-to-day use (in non-theft scenarios), consumers can keep track of their computer on an internet-based map.
* Device freeze – If a computer is suspected to be simply lost and not stolen, customers can freeze their computer and display a custom message for whoever finds it. In addition, an unauthorized user cannot access the content on the computer, keeping private information safe in an effort to prevent identity theft.
* Remote data delete – To protect their personal information, customers can choose to delete a pre-set group of files or all files, including the operating system.
* Managed theft recovery – If a computer is stolen, the Absolute Theft Recovery Team will work with local law enforcement to recover it.

VenCorps is proud to announce the launch of vencorpsthe ‘Top of Toronto’ start-up challenge. The goal of the Top of Toronto Challenge is to invest $25,000 in the best tech company in Southwestern Ontario.
Ryerson University
Making the announcement at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Sean Wise, Founding Partner at VenCorps also revealed that the Entrepreneurship department at Ryerson University would support the competition. “Ryerson is clearly a hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship” said Wise “and we are interested in seeing which startup the Ryerson community tells us to fund.” Unlike other venture capital funds, VenCorps invests seed capital (typcially $25,000) based on the collective opinions of thousands of entrepreneurs, students, professional service providers and angel investors (whereas traditional venture funds rely on a handful of experts).

With one of the largest entrepreneurship departments in Canada, Ryerson students are taught by experienced entrepreneurs and venture capitalists that have themselves started dozens of companies and helped hundreds of entrepreneurs raise financing.

“Our department is committed to furthering a culture of entrepreneurship and the facilitation of start-ups in Canada” said Dave Valliere, Chair of the Entrepreneurship Department at the Ted Rogers School of Management, “working with VenCorpsis directly in line with other entrepreneurial initiatives at Ryerson University including our: StartMeUp Ryerson program and of course our incubator, the Ryerson Digital Media Zone.” Wise agrees, “With everything else that Ryerson is doing, it only makes sense that Ryerson be involved with the hunt for Toronto’s Top Startup” said Wise.

Launching on February 15th, 2011 the Top of Toronto challenge gives early stage tech companies in Ontario an opportunity to showcase their products/services in order to attract community member votes. The winner, as chosen by the community, will receive a $25,000 equity investment. VenCorps will take a 5% equity position in the winner and allow them to leverage the VenCorps community to facilitate rapid growth. Top of Toronto is one of twelve challenges VenCorps plans to pursue in 2011, with future challenges focusing on: mobile software, mass collaboration and women lead startups.

Registration is now open for members of the public to become community members. Participation through comments and votes earns members virtual points. Points which can be redeemed for real and virtual prizes or even a stake in VenCorps companies.

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8th February 2011

Storied Places Contest to Celebrate Parks Canada Centennial

Canada's HistoryYou can’t travel back in time, but you can travel across Canada to experience a wide variety of historical and interactive getaways. From the monumental struggles between the British and French and the eventual Acadian expulsion, to the Klondike Gold Rush and the sacred sites now guided by the Haida Watchmen, the crucial turning points that define our history still resonate with us today.

“These places bring the past alive in a way books and television can’t. People young and old can get a feel for what things were like in the past. And for young people, a positive experience at a historic site will often ignite a lifelong interest in further explorations of our history and heritage,” said Nelle Oosterom, Senior Editor of Canada’s Adventure CanadaHistory magazine. “This special project is a fun way for us to do two things: draw attention to ten National Historic Sites that we feel are leaders in creating unforgettable visitor experiences and secondly, encourage Canadians to tell us how they have been impressed, enthralled, entertained, or enlightened at the historic places they’ve experienced.”

In honour of Parks Canada’s centennial, Canada’s History magazine and Adventure Canada invite you to share your stories. Whether your experience is as a visitor, an employee, a volunteer or someone who has helped to build or construct one of almost 1,000 National Historic Sites, Canada’s History wants to hear about your memories of these storied places.

Canadians of all ages are encouraged to write an essay of no more than 500 words about their favourite National Historic Site, and submit it online along with a photograph. Entries to the Storied Places Contest will also be accepted by email (storiedplacescontest@canadashistory.ca) or by regular mail at:

Storied Places, Canada’s History
Main Floor, Bryce Hall
515 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9

The grand prize is an all expenses paid cruise for two from Greenland to Newfoundland tracing the Voyages of the Vikings and visiting one of our top national historic sites, L’Anse aux Meadows. Other prizes will be awarded for runners-up and honourable mentions. Deadline for entries is July 25th, 2011.

There is also a school-based contest that will run until December 31st, 2011. Teachers and students who submit entries as part of a class project will be eligible to win the “ultimate class field trip” to Ottawa. Five regional prizes, involving a visit to a National Historic Site are also available to be won.

Canada’s History has selected its top ten places that bring history alive in Canada on the basis of historical significance and visitor experience. This is the definitive “bucket list” for Canadian historical tourism. They are:

Fortress of Louisbourg, N.S. – Shine a Light on Canada’s Seafaring Past
Louisbourg was once one of the busiest seaports in North America, thanks to the lucrative cod fishery of the Grand Banks. France spent 26 years constructing the strongest fortress on the continent. During the siege of 1758, the British dismantled every stone and brick. In 1961, the Canadian government began reconstructing the Fortress of Louisbourg and it now spans five hectares and features fifty buildings. Read the rest of this entry »

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8th February 2011

Trend Micro Launches Second Annual Story Contest

Trend MicroTrend Micro has announced the 2nd annual “What’s Your Story” video contest. The contest combines the powerful tools of Internet reach and user generated video to encourage young people to tell their stories and share ideas about online safety.

The Contest’s three entry categories mirror some of the largest challenges to being safe online: Being a Good Online Citizen, Using a Cell Phone Wisely, and Maintaining Your Online Privacy. Canadian residents (outside of Quebec) aged 13 and older can create and submit a video of two minutes or less about how best to stay safe when engaging in online activities such as texting, instant messaging, or using social networking sites.

“What’s Your Story is a creative, fun and relevant way for everyone from teachers to aspiring film makers, their friends and families to become more involved in their own online safety,” said Lynette Owens, director, Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids & Families. “The level of engagement that teens in particular exhibited last year convinced us to expand the reach of this year’s contest beyond Canada and the U.S and into the UK. We are delighted to be joined this year by some of the world’s leading organizations advocating for youth online safety. Together, we believe ‘What’s Your Story’ promotes the positive use of the very thing we are trying to keep kids safe on.”

Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids & Families has teamed with some of the world’s leading organizations that either provide access to kids online or advocate for their safety. The 2011 judging panel includes: Childnet International, Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, Facebook, JENNiRADIO, myYearbook, Q2/UK, and Webwise Kids.

Unlike other video contests that rely on static and subjective criteria, “What’s Your Story” actively engages participants throughout the entire process through an on line review process. Video makers can share their submissions and encourage others to view and vote, which means voters also become active participants in the process. Only the highest-rated and most-viewed videos will be considered for prizes by the contest judges.

Ontario teens KJ Proux and Matt Bendo were finalists in the Being Safe on Line category for their video Pull the Plug on Bullying. A 30 second version of the video was shown 18 times daily on the CBS Superscreen in New York’s Times Square during the month of November 2010. Canada is one of the most connected countries on the planet and the highest percentage of regular on line users are teens. According to Statistics Canada, close to 99 percent of teens living in Canada use on line tools in their daily lives.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

What’s Your Story 2011 will award a grand prize of $10,000.00 U.S. to the winning entry, with special $500 US categories for schools and individuals who submit entries. Contest submissions are due by April 5th and winners will be announced on April 26th.

Trend Micro also has a grant programme to provide financial, in-kind donations, or volunteer support to eligible organizations or initiatives that help educate families, parents, kids, teachers and schools on using the Internet safely and securely.

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7th February 2011

Teletoon at Night Looking For Animation Pilots

UbisoftCongratulations to the Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood writing team who picked up the Writers’ Guild of America award last night for Video Game Writing: Story by Patrice Desilets, Jeffrey Yohalem, Corey May; Lead Script Writer: Jeffrey Yohalem; Script Writers: Ethan Petty, Nicholas Grimwood, Matt Turner; Ubisoft

teletoon at nightTELETOON Canada Inc. is taking the original TELETOON Pilot Project concept and turning it into an online, user-generated contest called the TELETOON At Night Pilot Project, which began yesterday, February 6th. This initiative calls on aspiring and professional animators to put their creative skills to use for a chance to win $10,000 CDN and the opportunity to attend North America’s largest animation conference and festival, the Television Animation Conference and Ottawa International Animation Festival.

“The TELETOON at Night Pilot Project is an important initiative which offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for animation enthusiasts,” said Russell Ward, Vice President, Marketing, TELETOON Canada inc. “As an active player in the animation industry, this project gives TELETOON the opportunity to recognize and open a door of possibility to raw and undiscovered creative talent.”

From Sunday, February 6 to Friday, July 15, 2011, contestants are invited to submit original, funny and unique animation or animation-related short films. Eligible submissions must be no more than five minutes in length and can either be entered through the English-language contest on teletoonatnight.com or the French-language contest on teletoonlanuit.com. The winner of each English and French contest will be awarded:

* $10,000 CDN
* Two roundtrip airline tickets from the closest Canadian commercial airport to the winner’s residence to Ottawa
* Four nights accommodation in Ottawa
* Two delegate passes to the Television Animation Conference and Ottawa International Animation Festival

All eligible submissions will be featured in a video gallery on teletoonatnight.com and teletoonlanuit.com, where the public can select their “Fave of the Week” each week. The five final contenders selected by a TELETOON jury for each of the English and French contests will be revealed on Sunday, July 31. The public can then vote for their favourite video until Saturday, August 28. The video that receives the most votes by the end of the voting phase will be crowned the winner and revealed on-air and online on Sunday, September 18.

The original TELETOON Pilot Project launched in fall 2007, exclusively inviting Canadian producers to submit proposals to produce a pilot in either English or French to be broadcast on TELETOON. Ten projects were selected as finalists from over 200 submissions, straddling a wide range of topics, animation styles and comedy sensibilities. TELETOON recently announced that the first TELETOON Pilot Project winner, Fugget About It, has been officially greenlit for production into a 13-part series in English and French.

Sony CanadaAnd just to add to the bandwidth cap angst, Sony of Canada has launched “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity™”in Canada with titles such as “A-Team,” “Get Him to the Greek,” “Inception,” “The Last Airbender,” “Salt,” and Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story 3.”

“Video On Demand powered by Qriocity™” is a premium streaming video service that allows film fans to rent from a growing library of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters from NBC Universal Television Distribution, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, as well as films from local studios, straight to their Sony 2010 and 2011 network-enabled BRAVIA® TV, Blu-ray Disc™ player, or Blu-ray Disc Home Theatre system.

Rental prices for High-Definition content will range from CA$4.99-5.99 while those for Standard-Definition content will range from CA$3.99-4.99. After renting a film, consumers have up to 30 days to start watching their movie, and once playback is started, they have up to 24 or 48 hours to watch the film as many times as they like.

“Video On Demand powered by Qriocity” started in Japan on January 26 and is already available in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. and is an entertainment network service platform that connects many of Sony’s network-enabled devices and allows consumers to enjoy high quality entertainment across multiple devices. Via Qriocity, Sony will deliver a variety of digital entertainment content and services that are “powered by Qriocity”, including video, music, game applications, and e-books over time. Through these services, and in combination with its networked devices, Sony aims to bring new and exciting entertainment experiences to customers.

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4th February 2011

From Ducks to Pinball to Politics and A Human Revolution

Reminder: Confoo 2011 is March 9th – 11th in Montreal.

Digital ExtremesDigital Extremes, developers of the PC version for the upcoming HomeFront game is participating in a session on Video Games and the Next Generation of Literacy in partnership with the Child & Youth Network, London Public Library and the United Way of London and Middlesex. The session will take Retro Pinballplace at the Museum London, 421 Ridout Street North in London, Ontario on Thursday, February 10th from 4:30pm until 8:00pm.

There will be a Keynote presentation by Dr. James Paul Gee, Professor of Literacy Studies at Arizona State University and author of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. The event will also feature a panel discussion, networking and refreshments. Donations to support literacy initiatives are welcome.

Digital Extremes has also launched a new iOS title. Available now for 99 cents US, Retro Pinball includes three handpicked tables (Crash and Burn, Super Android, Pangea) from original creator James Schmalz, all with updated graphics and sound to enhance your gaming experience on your favorite Eidos MontrealApple iOS device.

Eidos Montreal has released a new trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Take an up-close and personal look at player character and game hero Adam Jensen.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and according to GameStop Canada, will be in-store on April 1st.

Little Guy GamesPuzzle Pond from Little Guy Games is a featured FreeAppADay game today, so hurry over to the iTunes App Store and grab this cute match-up game. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Puzzle Pondyou play Puzzle Pond by matching two creatures with a swipe of your finger to make them kiss and explode with joy. There are three game modes, Speed, Puzzle and Zen, with the ability to conduct combos and streaks for huge points and power-ups. There are currently sixty brain teasing puzzles in this Game Centre and OpenFeint-enabled game has twenty different achievements and a leaderboard.

Banff World Media FestivalMike Farah, President of Production at comedy website Funny Or Die, and key members of his creative team will deliver a Feature Panel on the future of online comedy at BANFF 2011. Farah and his team will offer an in-depth look at the production strategy behind the phenomenal success of the site, which averages 8 million unique users and over 30 million video views per month.

“In only three years, Funny Or Die has become the destination for comedy fans online, with some of the best content out there,” said Ferne Cohen, Executive Director of the Festival. “We are all looking forward to what I’m sure will be a compelling and entertaining panel.”

As President of Production, Mike Farah oversees the creative day-to-day operations of the premier comedy site, along with Funny or Die’s television and feature projects. With Funny Or Die for over two years, Farah has produced the award-winning video “Prop 8: The Musical,” the Ron Howard-directed “Presidential Reunion,” and Marion Cotillard’s “Forehead Tittaes,” among many others. Under Farah’s leadership, Funny Or Die’s creative team produces over 25 original videos each month. In November 2010, The Hollywood Reporter named Farah one of the top 35 Hollywood executives under 35.

gogo6Montreal’s gogo6 inc., a leading provider of IPv6 products, community and services has released gogoCPE version 1.0 – a small v6 adaptor for the home that can be installed and providing IPv6 within a minute. Designed to work with, rather than replace home networking equipment, the gogoCPE can be used to deploy IPv6 using IPv4 or to deploy IPv4 using IPv6 – both resulting in a dual-stack home network. Early customers of the gogoCPE include SingTel, Comcast and Globe Telecom.

The gogoCPE is plug ‘n’ play simple and designed to be installed by the end user without any support. The gogoCPE uses the same code as the gogoCLIENT which has reliably provided IPv6 to over 150,000 users of the Freenet6 service.

The gogoCPE supports the most popular transition technologies including TSP, DS-Lite, 6RD, DSTM and L2TP. It is compatible with the gogoSERVER and other manufacturer systems. Its wide technology support allows it to work in any IPv4/v6 network scenario, including:

* Providing IPv6 to existing and new customers with IPv4 home routers in an IPv4 network.
* Providing IPv4 to new customers with IPv4 home routers in an IPv6 network.
* Providing IPv6 to new customers without IPv4 home routers in an IPv4 network.

“Hands down the most difficult part of introducing IPv6 into a broadband network is the home. This is where a majority of the IPv6 costs lie and where service providers have the least control. In a vast majority of the cases the home networking equipment is either not upgradable or owned by the end user making IPv6 synonymous with installing new equipment,” said Bruce Sinclair, gogo6 CEO. “The recent depletion of IPv4 addresses from the IANA pool increases the pressure on service providers to find a simple yet effective solution to offer v6 and v4 by way of v6. Service providers can quickly introduce IPv6 into their networks with a single 1U gogoSERVER and one gogoCPE per home.”

The gogoCPE is available today after being tested by service providers around the world. In addition to being sold in volume individual gogoCPEs are available on the gogo6 website. These units are preconfigured to work with Freenet6 making them plug ‘n’ play ready out of the box. Individual units cost $99 plus shipping and handling. Volume pricing is lower.

Microsoft CanadaIf I owned a Mac, I would be downloading the trial version of Office for Mac from Microsoft Canada right now, because they are holding a contest in partnership with LiveNation. Entrants could win a chance to see any band in the Canadian city—and seats—of his or her choice. Please see the contest rules for complete prize and entry details.

Roaring PenguinRoaring Penguin Software has updated its CanIt Reputation List, which collects IP reputation data on e-mail servers from a worldwide network of sensors. Roaring Penguin currently aggregates this data into four DNS-based block lists:

Spam Source: A list of IP addresses that have sent mostly spam and very little non-spam.
Dictionary Attackers: A list of IP addresses that have sent to many nonexistent recipients and very few valid recipients.
Greylist Stumblers: A list of IP addresses that have been thwarted by greylisting. Such machines are typically compromised personal computers.
Good: A list of IP addresses that have passed greylisting, have sent to very few nonexistent recipients, and have sent mostly non-spam. These machines are very likely legitimate mail servers.

To these block lists Roaring Penguin has added a new list called “Mixed” for hosts that send a mixture of spam and non-spam. Roaring Penguin found that the old “SpamSource” list would often list outbound mail servers for large e-mail providers. These servers tend to send a lot of spam, but they also send a lot of non-spam e-mail. The change to Roaring Penguin’s Reputation Lists means that about 5600 machines formerly listed on the “SpamSource” list are now listed on “Mixed”. This still leaves almost 1.9 million machines listed on the “SpamSource” e-mail reputation list.

CanIt 8.0 is available as:

* CanIt-PRO, an anti-spam / anti-virus appliance or a soft appliance.
* CanIt-Domain-PRO, spam filtering software that allows service providers such as MSPs to host anti-spam for their customers.
* Hosted CanIt, a fully outsourced anti-spam solution.

online party of canadaThe Founder of the Online Party of Canada, Michael Nicula, will be holding a press conference on Saturday February 5, 2011 in the Art Room of the Gladstone Hotel to discuss CRTC policies in the context of decision 2011-44 to impose User Based Billing (UBB) on the whole Canadian market. Nicula will be joined by Iain Calder of TorFree.Net as well as affected consumers and small ISP providers.

In a move aimed to calm angry consumers, already dissatisfied with the internet service market in Canada, the CRTC president as well as many senior MPs vowed to review or strike down decision 2011-44. Internet service quality in Canada is not a new issue; it just happened that the latest CRTC decision has touched a nerve, as consumers are now enjoying data-rich social networking, livestream and television programs more than ever before.

Online Party of Canada wants to take the opportunity to broaden this discussion. Why has Canada slipped in the world ranking of country infrastructures in terms of speed and service quality? Countries like Romania and Bulgaria clock more than twice the average speed, and the leaders Korea and Japan boast speeds as much as three times faster. Is government intervention into the CRTC the right thing to do?

Online Party of Canada (OPC) is an Internet-based Political Party, pending registration. OPC is a non-traditional political party; it focuses on issues instead of platforms or individuals. OPC operates exclusively online and promotes an innovative voting system inspired from today’s popular technologies such as like/dislike, share, tweet, comment.

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4th February 2011

Canadians Can Join The Quest For The Hallows This February

Warner Brothers Interactive EntertainmentEverything has led to this moment. The epic finale begins with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1”, which arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download this April 15th from Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. Setting the stage for the much anticipated theatrical release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” this summer, the entire ensemble cast is back for this must-see seventh installment of the top-grossing motion picture franchise in history, based on the best-selling book series by J.K. Rowling.

Beginning February 1st, Harry Potter fans old and new can sign up to join the “Quest for the Hallows“, an exciting global online adventure throughout the year. The “Quest for the Hallows” allows participants to unlock exclusive content, including videos, photos and other exciting, never-before-seen materials, and also enter sweepstakes featuring spectacular prizes. Quest for the Hallows

From celebrated director David Yates (Harry Potter series Years 5-7), “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” brings back the highly-acclaimed cast including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as well as Academy Award® Nominee Ralph Fiennes (Clash of the Titans, The English Patient), Academy Award® Nominee Helena Bonham Carter (The Kings’s Speech, Sweeney Todd), Academy Award® Nominee Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), Alan Rickman (Sweeney Todd, Love Actually), and Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Gosford Park). “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” also introduces Golden Globe® Winner Bill Nighy (The Constant Gardener, Love Actually) as Rufus Scrimgeour.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, featuring a hi-definition, a standard definition, and a digital copy of the film, for $39.99 and on Single Disc DVD in widescreen format for $31.98 SRP.

On April 15th, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” will be available for rent On Demand through Digital Cable, Satellite TV, and select game consoles. It is also available to buy through Digital Download from digital movie retailers and select game consoles.

Also on April 15 from Warner Home Video, the adventure multiplies with the release of “Harry Potter Years 1-7 Part 1” Giftsets on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. The giftsets feature the first seven films in the franchise (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1”); the Blu-ray giftset includes an abundance of spectacular special features on each movie. The “Harry Potter Years 1-7 Part 1” Giftset will be available on Blu-ray for $134.99 and DVD for $79.99 SRP .

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” contains the following special features:

3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack includes:

* Exclusive Sneak Peek of a scene from the highly anticipated upcoming film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
* Maximum Movie Mode – Join host Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), and other members of the cast and crew, on an interactive journey through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Plus, revisit important moments from the previous films to prepare for the final battle that takes place in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
* Dan, Rupert and Emma’s Running Competition – While filming the escape scene from the Snatchers in Swinley Forest, Dan, Rupert and Emma engage in a little competition of their own. With colorful commentary by Director David Yates, see the competitive spirit on set and this hilarious rivalry between the three leads.
* The Seven Harrys – See how Daniel Radcliffe recreated the personalities of the different characters that transform into Harrys in the hilarious Privet Drive scene.
* On the Green with Rupert, Tom, Oliver and James – Accompany Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley) and James Phelps (Fred Weasley) for a round of golf and get a glimpse into their 10-year friendship that developed while making the Harry Potter films.
* The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Promotional Trailer – Join Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and other cast members from the Harry Potter films on their first visit to the Grand Opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
* Additional Scenes
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: Behind the Soundtrack
* Standard Definition DVD of the feature film
* Digital Copy of the feature film

DVD Includes:

* Additional Scenes

Consumers who buy or rent the movie digitally will receive special bonus materials:

* iTunes – Fans that purchase the title from iTunes will receive extras including a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” soundtrack, eight deleted scenes, and an interview with Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Oliver Phelps and James Phelps discussing growing up on set and life after Potter.
* On Demand – Consumers that rent the film On Demand in Hi-def will have access to great bonus content where available, including Dan, Rupert and Emma’s “Running Competition,” an exclusive video that gives a glimpse of the new cast members on the set, and a deeper look at the making of the soundtrack for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.”

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