Village Gamer

PadWorx Digital Media’s first eBook, Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition, has been named Apple’s iPad App of the Week! Launched only days ago, PadWorx Digital Media’s debut has clearly made good on their promise to create a new, immersive, user-driven reading experience on Apple®iPad™.

Become part of the timeless vampire story with this new App for your iPad, which features nearly 300 interactive pages of user-driven reading. Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition is available exclusively on the App Store for the introductory price of $4.99! Dracula also features an original soundtrack, as well as 21 songs from indie rock performers Adaline, Christa Couture, Emily Spiller, Eve and Ocean, and Phoebe Sharp. Each song sets the tone for a different chapter from the book, creating yet another whole new way of experiencing the classic story.

Thirty-nine BC businesses are advancing to Round 2 of the BCIC-New Ventures BC Competition: Regional after completing and fulfilling the eligibility requirements in Round 1. These businesses will be presenting to the jury over four days (Nov.29-Dec.2) onsite in Kelowna and Victoria. The regional competition was open to businesses located outside of the Lower Mainland and the breakdown of applications by place is as follows:

Island: 17 (44%)
Okanagan: 12 (31%)
Thompson: 5 (13%)
Kootenays: 4 (10%)
North: 1 (3%)

The 39 businesses who are advancing, in alphabetical order: Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver-based Sierra Wireless and Oregon company Feeney Wireless, an authorized Sierra Wireless value-added reseller, have announced that the San Jose Police Department has selected the Feeney Wireless Cellular Internet Routing Appliance (CIRA) with integrated Sierra Wireless AirLink™ 3G gateway to provide comprehensive mobile connectivity for its officers in the field. The total deployment will see 452 patrol cars equipped over a 36-month period.

Responsible for the safety of more than one million residents in California’s third largest city, the San Jose Police Department creates more than 100,000 reports per year. The deployment of the joint Feeney Wireless and Sierra Wireless solution is part of an ongoing project to decentralize and digitize the Department’s records and field communications systems.

“We needed a scalable platform that would take us into the future, including camera systems, video and remote sensors and communications equipment,” said Deputy Chief Diane Urban. “We are going to send reports seamlessly, wirelessly – via a truly integrated paperless reporting and management system.”

Ms. Urban went on to say, “Technology is the way of the future, it’s all about regionalizing services, being more efficient and more transparent. Everyone expects quicker results, and we have the responsibility to provide that to the public.” Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver’s Make Technologies, a privately held leading legacy modernization software and services company, has launched its new Partner Network Program, starting with a new strategic alliance with globally recognized firm Deloitte. The two companies will work together to develop a joint program targeting enterprise modernization initiatives.

“We are extending our success in the enterprise marketplace with this program,” said Jean-Guy Faubert, newly appointed Executive VP Global Alliances for Make Technologies. “There is strong demand for legacy application modernization solutions that allow companies to innovate and support business processes for competitive advantage, while leveraging existing investments. System Integrators play an invaluable role as trusted consultants to guide their customers through application modernization success. We’ve been successfully working with Network members and their customers on these mission-critical applications. Now we are expanding our outreach with active recruitment and strategic alliances.”

Deloitte has enrolled in Make Technologies’ newly formed Partner Network Program which provides program participants with support, specialized education and training, and access to its patented Transformational Legacy Modernization (TLM®) solutions and products. This program will help in the implementation of application modernization initiatives.

As a part of its Partner Network Program, Make Technologies has introduced categories to recognize the various needs and specialties of participating vendors. Make Technologies is looking to recruit strategic System Integration organizations focused on legacy application modernization projects and providing them with the solutions and services they need to effectively target this space today.

“Legacy application modernization is a growing market. This is a top of mind issue for most CIOs as they need assurance of project success with little to no interruption of service while transitioning from critical legacy applications,” said Ian Tait, Deloitte partner. “Organizations want to focus on their core competency, and not be in the business of maintaining custom code. Deloitte’s goal is to work with clients to ensure a strategy that can provide operational efficiencies and long term value.”

Make Technologies’ program participants will gain potential new revenue stream opportunities with this new program. They will also enjoy the benefits of marketing support, sales and pre-sales support and training programs. In addition, Make Technologies will also be offering accredited certification and training programs available through workshops and online courses.

Destiny Media Technologies, the developers of Play MPE® and ClipStream® is pleased to announce that it will be upgrading its head office to the prestigious downtown Vancouver Scotiabank / TSX Venture Exchange tower effective tomorrow, October 26th. The new secure location is centrally located and features 24/7 security guard and monitored restricted card access throughout the building and within Destiny’s headquarters. The building features both a Skytrain and Canada Line station in the basement, providing direct rapid rail access to the airport. This new location also adds another fiber optic based failover server facility to the existing three server facilities in Vancouver and the UK, ensuring the highest level of “up time” for Play MPE® users.

Longueuil’s D-BOX Technologies Inc. has signed its first agreement in the Northeast US with O’Neil Cinemas for two of its movie theatres, O’Neil Cinemas’ Lisbon Landing Cinema in Lisbon, Conn. and Apple Tree Cinema in Londonderry, New Hampshire. The two theatres will feature 27 and 26 D-BOX MFX seats respectively and will unveil D-BOX immersive movie experience Nov. 19 with the much-anticipated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

“We’re very proud to team up with O’Neil Cinemas, an established theatre brand in the marketplace, and bringing our technology to the Eastern movie fans,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of D-BOX Technologies, Claude Mc Master. “The success of D-BOX in existing markets continues to serve as a proven testament to the added value we bring and continues to drive interest from theatre companies around the world.”

“To be the first theatre company on the East Coast US to offer D-BOX is incredibly exciting,” said Dan R. O’Neil, Executive Vice-President of O’Neil Entertainment. “We pride ourselves in providing our patrons with the highest level of service and entertainment in a state-of-the-art atmosphere and the addition of D-BOX is another facet to that continued commitment. We are excited to partner with such a forward looking, cutting edge company.”

Vancouver’s TIO Networks Corp. announced today that it has expanded its partnership with IPP of America Inc.  and iSend to provide consumers with easy access to cross border bill payment services at participating convenience store and retail locations in the TIO network.

Cash-preferred customers use self-serve automated kiosks to securely and conveniently pay their families’ wireless, utility, cable and other bills, and recharge cellular phones for relatives in Central and South American countries, including but not limited to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. This service is available for a convenience fee per transaction and will be expanded with additional countries and services on a periodic basis. Content for this service is provided by IPP, a leading provider of retail payment services, through its partnership with iSend, a leading provider of international electronic payments to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Payments can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by inserting cash directly into the terminal’s bill acceptor. Once the cash is accepted, TIO uses an Internet link to ensure real time connection to the customer’s account with most payments posting the same day.

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, has announced a repayable investment of $18.6 million from the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) program to Motreal’s Mechtronix Systems Inc., an MWC company, a world leading manufacturer of Flight Simulation Training Devices (FSTD). This will allow Mechtronix to launch a $60 million investment in R&D over a period of 5 years; the aim is to increase R&D capabilities and offer new technologies for game-changing flight simulator training products. This project was named NOVA after the word “innovation” which is at the core of Mechtronix philosophy and culture. With the funding, Mechtronix will continue to offer the most innovative flight simulation solutions to the aerospace industry reinforcing their position on the market. These developments will also lead to the creation of new job opportunities in the R&D department. Read the rest of this entry »

THQ Inc. and the Random House Publishing Group today announced that a novel set in the Homefront universe and co-written by John Milius (Red Dawn and Oscar Award-winning Apocalypse Now) and New York Times bestselling author Raymond Benson (author of two Metal Gear Solid books and multiple James Bond novels) will be published by Random House’s Del Rey imprint, and arrive in early 2011 to coincide with the release of the first Homefront game.

“We’re delighted to confirm the first element of what will become a vast transmedia strategy for Homefront,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President – Core Games, THQ. “John Milius has already worked with us extensively on the Homefront game, and we’re thrilled to have him and Raymond on board as we develop our near-future world into other types of media. Random House is a great partner to help us reach an even broader audience.”

“Homefront represents a fascinating vision of the near-future,” added John Milius. “After completing my work on the game, it became clear that there were many more stories to tell, and this book will offer a chilling look at this near-future world.”

Homefront the videogame is a thrilling first person shooter set for release on the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and the Digital Extremes-developed Windows PC in March 2011.

Homefront tells the story of a stricken America, fallen to savage military occupation in the year 2027. With the country’s infrastructure shattered and military in disarray, America has fallen to a savage occupation by the nuclear armed Greater Korean Republic.

Abandoned by her former allies, the United States is a bleak landscape of walled towns and abandoned suburbs. This is a police state where high school stadiums have become detention centers, and shopping malls shelter armored attack vehicles.

Join the Resistance, stand united and fight for freedom against an overwhelming military force In Homefront’s gripping, cinematic single player campaign, and experience epic, ground breaking multiplayer action all set in a terrifyingly plausible near-future world.