Village Gamer

Gogii Games is proud to announce that an agreement of collaboration has been signed with actress and reality star, Shannon Tweed in the development of a mobile game titled Shannon Tweed: Attack of the Groupies, which is scheduled for an August 2011 release.

Appearing in over sixty films, Tweed has also had roles or made appearances in a long list of television shows including The United States of Tara, SpongeBob SquarePants, Married with Children, and Frasier. Most recently, Tweed has been a regular fixture in the home of millions, sharing the screen with members of her family in A&E’s hit reality television series Gene Simmons: Family Jewels.

George Donovan, CEO and founder of Gogii Games, decided to approach Tweed with the idea for a potential partnership only two minutes after their initial introduction. “Meeting Shannon was completely random, and she was so interesting to speak to, her personality is so vibrant. I knew her life story tied into the type of game we were already building, so I asked her if she’d ever considered being in a video game.”

Tweed was intrigued, and agreed to the idea almost immediately. The legal negotiations have just been completed, and the integration of Shannon, her daughter Sophie Tweed Simmons and her sister Tracy Tweed as focal characters in Shannon Tweed: Attack of the Groupies has begun.

A creative force, Shannon Tweed has invested herself in the process of designing the game, brainstorming potential story ideas and determining just what mechanic suits her best. Tweed says, “It’s really exciting, seeing how a game is developed. I’m new to video games, and George has very kindly given a crash course on the game and industry.”

The most interesting part for Tweed has been watching her family come to life as virtual characters. “It’s incredible, to see the sketches come in, and to be involved in determining the style and the attitude of the characters. Gogii has been very collaborative on that, which is one of the things I’ve really enjoyed about working with them.”

Donovan adds, “Shannon and her family have been fantastic. Her life story is so interesting and it’s a great partnership. We’re hoping to leverage her humor into the game, and create something that is as fun and interactive as she is, as well as allowing our customers to learn even more about her lifestyle and family.”

The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has selected 20 high-needs schools nationally to receive an annual Literacy Fund grant for the next three years. Since 2004, the Foundation has made a difference to over 29,000 students at schools nationally who have purchased nearly 900,000 books through the grant program.

The grants are vital now that some annual library budgets are as low as $2.81 per child – the equivalent of less than 1/3 of a book per student each year.  Canadians can’t get a cappuccino for what many Canadian provinces invest annually in books per student in some public schools and yet, with only a one per cent increase in literacy rates studies show we can add more than $18 billion to the Canadian economy, according to a Stats Canada study done on June 22, 2004 (Coulombe & Tremblay and Marchand, Department of Economics, University of Ottawa).

Recognizing the importance of investing in the futures of Canada’s children, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation continues to respond to this funding challenge through the Literacy Fund grants. Based on the student population, each new Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Literacy grant recipient school will receive up to $176,000 over three years to help support literacy programs, purchase new books and dramatically improve literacy rates. Through the Literacy Fund grants, schools will be able to increase their literacy budgets to an average of $76 per child per year.

“My heart breaks for Canada’s public school children who are left uninspired by libraries with empty shelves or books that are decades old,” said Heather Reisman, Chair of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. “This is a special time of year for Love of Reading when we are able to help educators end Canada’s literacy crisis. Through the Literacy Fund we know we’ll be transforming the libraries and lives of students at another 20 schools.”

Ms. Reisman advised the recipients via conference call amid joyful tears and whoops of excitement. “You’ve just changed the lives of the children we serve every day,” exclaimed Principal Jill Maar, Armadale Public School, Markham, ON, where the literacy team persevered to receive funding after their third grant application attempt.

This year’s 20 new schools receiving Literacy Fund grants from the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation clearly demonstrated a passion and commitment to literacy as an important part of their curriculum, as well as a clear need to update their libraries to help them achieve their literacy goals. Recipient schools include: Read the rest of this entry »

Telefilm Canada is proud to support the 2011 Banff World Media Festival and nextMEDIA Banff, which run from June 12 to 15, 2011. Telefilm’s support focuses on two initiatives: the Banff World Media Festival’s International Co-Production Market at Banff and nextMEDIA’s Digital Business Market.

“These activities are directly aligned with our mission to stimulate demand for Canadian content through a variety of platforms, and provides us with an ideal opportunity to forge ties with international partners and to dialogue with experts,” said Sheila de La Varende, Telefilm Canada’s Director of National and International Business Development.

The International Co-Production Market at Banff (June 13 to 15, 2011) is designed to foster international opportunities for Canadian companies. With a dual focus on learning and connecting, the program aims to educate participants on opportunities in the international marketplace, facilitate one-on-one meetings and highlight successful projects.

The Digital Business Market (June 14 and 15, 2011) offers an ideal opportunity for professional development and networking. This initiative favours business opportunities within the industry and enables participants to meet one another in the aim of forging business ties.

The Banff World Media Festival is a major annual event focused on content creation and a forum where television and new-media professionals have an opportunity to explore new business and creative possibilities. nextMEDIA, one of a series of major conferences on digital media in Canada, brings together professionals involved in all areas of digital-media activity and enables them to network as well as obtain information about the creation, distribution and monetization of multiplatform content and about mobile applications.

Montreal’s MultiDev eCommerce software solutions company will be at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition, the world’s largest e-retailing show being held next week in San Diego. With over 500 exhibiting companies representing 75 technology market segments, the 218,000-square-foot Exhibit Hall at IRCE 2011 will display e-commerce technologies of vendors that account for more than three-quarters of global e-commerce technology business. Like the IRCE Conference, which brings together more e-commerce strategic intelligence than any other event, the IRCE 2011 Exhibit Hall houses the largest display of e-commerce technology on the planet.

The e-comDrive solution, a first in its class, is a complete, all inclusive and fully -integrated Back-Office System that offers all of the functionality required to run a successful e-commerce business. e-comDrive’s integrated system includes; Order Management with Multi-Channel Fulfillment, Warehouse Management, Customer Relationship Management, Planning, Analytics, Accounting, 3rd Party Integration, Specialized Add-on Applications and much more; providing e-tailers with a complete suite of solutions that offers functionality designed to effectively manage and control their online business processes.

Stop by their booth #541 and discover how their revolutionary functionality and innovative features can drive your e-commerce business ahead of the competition.

and Skype today announced that they have signed an agreement that will revolutionize how Telus smartphone customers use Skype, including the ability to purchase Skype Credit through their existing Telus accounts, making it more secure and convenient for them to stay connected with loved ones both in Canada and abroad while taking advantage of Skype’s low-cost calling rates. In addition, Telus will launch the Skype edition LG Optimus Black, the first Skype edition smartphone in the Canadian market.

“We believe that by developing a deep relationship with leading global communications brands that our customers already know and enjoy, such as Skype, Telus can provide a superior customer experience that leverages the best of what those brands have to offer and empowers our customers to choose the services they want and need,” said David Fuller, chief marketing officer at Telus. “By bringing Canadians their choice of the best communication technologies we offer our customers the freedom to customize their mobile experience with the services they want, when and how they want. And when you experience these services on Canada’s fastest* coast-to-coast 4G network, it’s a perfect match.”

Through its partnership with Skype, Telus will continue to increase its participation in the rapidly growing smartphone application ecosystem by pairing its own unique value proposition with Skype’s well-known communications solutions. Telus customers using Skype will more easily and securely be able to take advantage of affordable international calling rates to both landlines and mobile phones through Skype Out calling, using Skype Credit. Only Telus customers have the ability to have Skype Credit charged directly to their wireless bill. Telus customers can also enjoy unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls and instant messaging to users around the globe. Read the rest of this entry »

The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, DC has ruled unanimously in favor of i4i in the long-running i4i v Microsoft patent infringement lawsuit. The Supreme Court did not accept Microsoft’s request to lower the standard of proof, for challenges to the validity of a properly issued patent, from clear and convincing evidence to a preponderance of evidence. As a result of this decision, i4i has won its patent infringement case against Microsoft. At trial the jury ruled in favor of i4i and awarded $200 million in damages (now upwards of $300 million with enhancements and interest). The Honorable Judge Leonard Davis entered judgment on the verdict and issued a permanent injunction against Microsoft.

Loudon Owen, Chairman of i4i, says, “Microsoft tried to gut the value of patents by introducing a lower standard for invalidating patents. It is now 100% clear that you can only invalidate a patent based on “clear and convincing” evidence.” Owen adds, “This is one of the most significant business cases the Court has decided in decades. Affirmation of the Federal Circuit on a ruling in favor of patent holders is virtually unprecedented. While this ruling maintains the prevailing standard, the innovation community must be ever-vigilant to defend its property rights.”

Michel Vulpe, founder of i4i and co-inventor, says, “This has been a 16 year journey with a clearly defined purpose – to build a world leader in managing data. It is an important stepping stone for i4i and we can now continue to build our company the way we intended.” Vulpe adds, “Our army was small but mighty and we are grateful to our team, partners, investors, legal counsel, those who filed amici briefs, and everyone supporting the rights of patent holders. Naturally, we are particularly appreciative of our shareholders who continue to support us.” i4i’s legal team includes WilmerHale, McKool Smith, Finnegan Henderson, and Sterne Kessler. Read the rest of this entry »

Laptops and desktop computers continue to grow in popularity as both graduation and Father’s Day gifts. In response to this trend, Absolute^® Software Corporation has released some timely tips to empower recent graduates and deserving dads to protect their new computers.

Last year, surveys by BIGresearch® and the National Retail Federation (NRF) revealed that 10.6 percent of consumers purchasing gifts for graduates planned to give electronics, a 9 percent increase from 2009¹. Additionally, 18.5 percent of those surveyed this year intended to buy consumer electronics or computer-related accessories for Father’s Day². To help consumers protect their new costly devices and sensitive personal information, Absolute offers the following tips:

• Don’t Rely on Free Software Trials – It’s easy to forget or ignore alerts when software trials expire, leaving the computer at risk for malicious threats or worse if the device is ever lost or stolen. From day one of use, owners should activate full subscriptions of theft recovery, anti-virus and anti-spyware software. For example, consumers who activate their subscription to LoJack for Laptops are instantly able to take advantage of a full suite of security features to manage and protect their computer.
• Choose Dynamic Passwords – To achieve strong levels of protection, passwords should be changed often, differ greatly and be difficult to guess. According to research from the Georgia Tech Research Institute, ideal passwords also consist of a mix of randomized upper- and lower- case letters, at least one number and one symbol, and should be longer than 12 characters³.
• Fill Out The Warranty Information – If the computer is damaged while it is out of the owner’s hands, the manufacturer may cover repairs as part of the warranty if the device is recovered. Agreements differ from company to company; however, taking a few minutes to submit warranty information online or via mail can save consumers from additional distress and out-of-pocket expenses.
• Designate Folders for Sensitive Files – Every second counts after a laptop is stolen. Using the Delete functionality in LoJack for Laptops, users can remotely erase all or specific files so that they are not exposed to prying eyes. To get to important files quickly, computer owners should designate files, under non-descriptive names, to contain this type of information.
• Remain Alert When Traveling – Many laptop-friendly locations that consumers encounter during travel are also areas at highest risk for laptop theft. Based on customer reports filed to the Absolute Theft Recovery Team, some of the at-risk locations are public transit, hotels, restaurants/cafes and airports. Staying alert and maintaining possession of the computer at all times during travel will help to prevent theft. Read the rest of this entry »

The fourth annual International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling is coming to Vancouver this November 28th through December 1st, and the organizers have put out a call for Workshop Proposals, the deadline for which is July 15th. The Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (IDS) brings together researchers and practitioners from a wide variety of fields to share novel techniques, present recent results, and exchange new ideas. The venue has not yet been announced.

Enabled by the advent of interactive digital media, Interactive Digital Storytelling redefines the experience of narrative by allowing its audience to actively participate in the story. As such, IDS offers interesting new possibilities for games, training, and learning, through the enriching of virtual characters with intelligent behavior, the collaboration of humans and machines in the creative process, and the combination of narrative knowledge and user activity into novel, interactive artifacts.

Within the ICIDS 2011 framework, researchers and practitioners are invited to participate in affiliated workshops/tutorials, which will be held on Monday November 28, 2011.

Workshops

We invite proposals for practical, hands-on workshops from practitioners, professionals, and academics in the interactive digital storytelling field. We particularly welcome workshops which encourage interaction between participants, or provide insight into professional practices. All workshops must be conducted in English.

Proposal Format

All workshops proposals must consist of two documents: an extended abstract (two pages maximum in LNCS format) and an information sheet (plain text).  Proposals must be in English.

A) Extended Abstract: This component of the submission must follow the Lecture Notes in Computer Science format, and be a maximum of two pages long. Extended abstracts of accepted workshops will be included in the conference proceedings. Ensure that the following sections are included:

• Workshop objectives:
  • Think in terms of knowledge gain, expected outcome, and take away.
• Complete workshop description:
  • Elaborate on the foundations of the workshop and the main activities planned.
• References

B) Information Sheet: This document should contain more information about the organization and rationale of the workshop. No LNCS format is required for the information sheet (plain text is fine), but it should cover the following sections:

• Intended participants:
  • Who is your main intended audience? Mention what skills or background (if any) the attendees should have to fully benefit from your workshop.
  • If appropriate, indicate maximum number of participants that will be required to effectively deliver the workshop.
  • Include a 250-words call for participation that would be used for promoting the workshop.
• Workshop time:
  • Indicate how much time you would need to effectively deliver the workshop, from a minimum of 2 hours to a maximum of 6 hours. You can also think in terms of half or full day workshops. Include a tentative program with your activities.
• Materials needed:
  • Indicate if you would need supplies, equipment, AV, or specific furniture to run your workshop; we will do our best to obtain the supplies that you need.
• Workshop Organizers:
  • Include a short bio for each workshop organizer (250 words max), and their contact information.
• Any other relevant information:
  • As needed.

Submission Process:

Send both the extended abstract and the information sheet to Workshops Chair Veronica Zammitto.

Important Dates:

• Proposal Submission Deadline: July 15, 2011
• Notification of Acceptance: August 12, 2011
• Camera-ready Copies Due: September 12, 2011
• ICIDS 2011 Workshops:  November 28, 2011

WIFT-Toronto has announced that Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief of AOL Huffington Post Media Group, will be the Keynote Speaker at the International Women in Digital Media Summit (iWDMS), which takes place October 23rd through 25th in Stratford. Registration for the Summit opens on July 5th.

“As a groundbreaking media entrepreneur, columnist and writer, Ms. Huffington’s role as the Keynote Speaker aligns perfectly with the aims of the Summit—to provide women working in digital media with exposure to industry innovation, best practices and inspirational leadership,” says Heather Webb, WIFT-T Executive Director.

Huffington is best known for launching The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has become one of the most widely-read, linked-to and cited media brands on the Internet. Just last month, the news hub officially launched its Canadian site—the first in a series of planned expansions abroad. This year, Huffington was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people, and was previously named one of Forbes’ most influential women in media and the Financial Times’ 50 people who shaped the decade.

Featuring a mix of national and international programming, the International Women in Digital Media Summit will bring together traditional and digital media communities, as well as educational/research institutions, to explore innovation, skills gaps, policy and research in the content areas of gaming, mobile, social media and transmedia.

Topics of discussion will include content creation, applications for emerging technologies and business models, and the evolving role of women in digital media industries. Delegates will benefit from demonstrations, workshops, structured networking and mentorship opportunities, and the expertise of leading women working in digital media globally.

The iWDMS is made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, in partnership with the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, City of Stratford, Dynamix Solutions, FITC and Rhyzome Networks.

The mesh prize is awarded annually to a project or a group of projects that seek to collectively improve the Canadian Digital Media Industry. The prize, which is sponsored by Teehan + Lax, seeks to fund projects that create new understanding, capabilities or tools that the digital media community can benefit from. The prize recipient will receive $40,000 towards the successful completion of their project.

The winner for 2011 is The Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), which was founded in 2004 with the mission to catalyze social innovation in Toronto and around the world.  By providing high quality shared workspace for over 300 nonprofits and businesses CSI has created a dynamic community of professionals that have an appetite for social change.

Project Scope:

Bring women together in a creative, hands-on project where they can showcase talent, build skills and establish ongoing mentorship opportunities. Working with an advisory group, the activities include:

• Launch a competition in the fall that will invite teams of women in technology to design and develop digital game projects.
• Following the competition launch, participants will have 10 weeks to develop their digital game with access to hands-on advice and mentorship.
• At the end of the 10 weeks the projects will be judged and the winner will receive $10,000 and a permanent desk at a CSI workspace facility to further develop their project.

The launch and judging event will be open to the public. This year’s project will be piloted in Toronto with hopes of rolling out to other cities in Canada next year.

The mesh prize is a founding partner for this project and there is opportunity for more partners to be involved in this pilot year and growth to expand, both financially and with advisory support roles. If you are interested in this helping this project email Jessica Hazen, Director, Stakeholder Engagement a the Centre for Social Innovation.

Background on the Social Innovation Project:

Information and communications technology (ICT) has a lot to offer in terms of exciting new developments in digital media, creative communications tools, finding solutions to challenges in society and strengthening businesses. It’s easy to assume that this ever-growing industry would also have a lot to offer in terms of careers for Canadians. Sure, except for only half of our demographic. Women represent a very small percentage of the ICT workforce, and this number has been declining over the past two decades.

Across the ICT industry there is agreement that 1) women are underrepresented; 2) an increase of women in this field can bring a positive effect for their business; and 3) it would be nice to hire more women but finding candidates has been a challenge. In addition, there is great potential for more women to lead their own ICT businesses.

The Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) sees the gap between men and women benefiting from growth in the ICT industry, paired with the industry appetite to narrow this gap, as a perfect opportunity to make a positive change in the digital community. As such, the process of strengthening the technology community at CSI will include strategies to showcase talent and build opportunities for women in this field.

To compound the issue even further, the data currently being collected reflects only the larger organizations, while ignoring the small to medium-sized businesses, who are the primary drivers of our economy.