16th August 2011

Freelance Camp September 10th In New Westminster

freelance camp VancouverVancouver Freelance Camp is having their second annual, information packed UNconference on Saturday, September 10th at The Network Hub New Westminster, which is situated at Unit 205 – 810 Quayside Drive. Experienced business personnel and successful local freelancers will be sharing their stories as well as insight on how to grow a freelancer’s business.

This is a true UNconference, the schedule is created the morning of when the attendees arrive. The camp will open at 9:00am with guests pitching to be presenters for the day and the freelancers vote on who they want to hear speak. Registration for Freelance Camp is just $10.00 +HST, with the proceeds going to charity.

Topics from landing a freelancer’s dream project to dealing with the nitty gritty details of doing business will be discussed. The Freelance Camp is the opportunity to make connections with like-minded people across many fields. Over 130 people attended last year’s event, including freelancers from Victoria, Kelowna and Seattle. The UNconference hosted 22 presentations where 196 cups of Waves Coffee was consumed. You won’t leave empty handed either because $5400 worth of goodies and $448 worth of door prizes were given to attendees last year to make being a freelancer even better. Attendees were also part of a wave of social broadcasting with 1478 tweets mentioning the event and were also a top trending topic in Canada on twitter for three hours.

The success of Freelance Camp raised $1100 last year and donated all its proceeds to Mental Health Camp – a conference on examining the possibilities of using social media to achieve and maintain mental health. It is important to Freelance Camp to give back to local initiatives and was excited to have Mental Health Camp as the benefactor.

The satisfaction of last year’s event has propelled Vancouver Freelance Camp to make this year’s event even bigger and accessible to more freelancers. We’ll be the first local event to use Google+ Hangouts to engage a maximum of 25 attendees per session off-site. Through live streaming video, participants can view and ask questions in Google+ Hangout allowing for 725 online viewings.

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16th August 2011

Social Media Monetization Saturday Workshop

I don’t know how I missed hearing about this event, but if you work in social media, Social Media Monetization is probably a workshop you’ll want to participate in. The guest speaker is Rochelle Grayson, who always delivers powerful presentations full of relevant and useful information. Presented by Social Media Unplugged, the workshop will take place at the Jewel Ballroom this Saturday, August 20th from 9:30am until 4:00pm. The Jewel Ballroom is located on the 4th Floor at 1495 West 8th Avenue in Vancouver. Tickets for this event are $179.00 plus tax if purchased online or $249.00 plus tax at the door.

Workshop Information From The Event Page:

In this seminar Rochelle will help you sort through and make decisions about your social media strategy in order for you to build and successfully monetize an online community through social media. You will learn the fundamental building blocks, such as presence, reputation, relationship and identity that define online communities, and explore business models such as advertising, digital merchandising, and branded content that best suit these different communities.

Attendees will walk away with concrete tools to help define and establish communities that match their business goals, as well as the appropriate business models to maximize success.

By the end of the workshop, participants should be able to:

· Describe the fundamental building blocks for what people pay for
· Differentiate between advertising and transactional online monetization models
· Understand which models best suit the behaviours of specific customers
· Establish a monetization strategy
· Describe monetization best practices

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16th August 2011

CIX 2011 Opens Registration

CIXThe Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) is opening with the strongest program yet, featuring a full day of live presentations from Canada’s hottest emerging companies, insightful sessions and valuable facilitated meeting exchanges. On December 1st, CIX 2011 will bring leading international investors, companies and entrepreneurs together at MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, once again showing why it’s the best place to access the most forward-thinking companies and key players shaping the marketplace today.

The CIX Top 20, Canada’s elite index of innovative companies will be showcased at CIX 2011. The culmination of a coast-to-coast search, these intensive showcases offer a realtime look at the newest developments in the information and communication technology (ICT) and digital media sectors. The CIX Top 20 showcase is a valuable platform to celebrate Canadian innovation and are designed to give you unprecedented access to Canada’s sharpest people and technology-driven ideas. The CIX 2011 Kick Off Rate ends Friday, September 23. Register today and save $200 off the Regular Rate.

CIX features inspiring keynotes and meeting exchanges offering the opportunity to connect directly with key players bringing exciting new products and initiatives to the marketplace. This year’s program will include comprehensive platforms for both structured and informal networking among participants, allowing you to develop meaningful relationships that ultimately lead to partnerships, investments and other opportunities for scalable growth.

Check out who is coming to CIX 2011:

• Ossama Hassanein – Senior Managing Director, Newbury Ventures
• David Spector – Partner, Sequoia Capital
• Pedram Mokrian – Venture Advisor, Mayfield Fund
• Phil McBride – Innovation Manager, P&G Company
• Steven Xanthoudakis – Director, Merck & Co.
• Charlie Lax – Managing General Partner, Granbanks Capital
• Joe Catalfamo – Managing Director, Summerhill Venture Partners
• David Henderson – Managing Director, XPV Capital Corporation
• Amar Varma – Managing and Founding Partner/ Founding Partner, Extreme Venture Partners/Xtreme Labs
• Jordan Banks – Managing Director, Facebook Canada
• Howard Gwin – Venture Partner, Bridgescale
• Ilse Treurnicht – CEO, MaRS
• Duncan Stewart – Director, Deloitte Canada (TMT)
• John Ruffolo – Senior Vice President & Head of Knowledge Investing / CEO, INKEF Capital OMERS Strategic Investments
• Sara Diamond – President, OCAD University
• Roger Chabra – Partner, Rho Canada
• Paul Lee – Managing General Partner, Vanedge Capital Partners Ltd.
• Charles Lax – Managing General Partner, GrandBanks Capital
• John Albright – Co-Managing Partner, BlackBerry Partners Fund
• Patrick Eggen – Senior Investment Manager, Qualcomm Ventures
• Janis Koyanagi – Vice President, Business Development & Strategy, Toronto Stock Exchange/TSX Venture Exchange
• Claudia Fan Munce – Managing Director/VP, IBM Venture Capital Group/IMB Corporate Strategy
• Salvatore Tirabassi – Partner, M/C Ventures
• Paul Kedrosky – Senior Fellow, Kauffman Foundation
• CIX Co-Chair Robert Montgomery – CEO, Achilles Media Ltd. and First Maximilian Associates
• CIX Co-Chair Rick Nathan – Managing Director, Kensington Capital Partners Ltd.
• CIX Co-Chair Chris Arsenault – Managing Partner, iNova Capital Inc

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16th August 2011

Read With Gisele in Ottawa and Nepean

tvo kidsPreschoolers and their families in Ottawa and Nepean will have a chance to share the magic of reading with TVOKids host Gisèle, star of TVO’s early learning program block Gisèle’s Big Backyard, when her Read with Gisèle tour visits two branches of the Ottawa Public Library on Friday August 26 and Saturday August 27 (venues and times listed below).

The Read with Gisèle tour showcases Gisèle reading the book of the month from her Big Backyard Book Club at Giselelibraries across the province in an effort to inspire children and their families to read every day. Preschoolers can watch the Book Club on television, participate in the club online at tvokids.com, and now enjoy it in person as Gisèle reads accessible, easy-to-read-aloud books by Canadian authors.

Gisèle will read the book Augustine, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt. With inviting illustrations, the book tells the story of a shy young penguin who is nervous about moving from the South Pole to the North Pole with her family, but makes new friends by sharing her love of drawing and painting. Each child attending the reading will receive a book bag, a bookmark and a free copy of the book. Kids will also have a chance to meet Gisèle and have her autograph their book.

“I’m thrilled to be bringing the Big Backyard Book Club to life at libraries across Ontario. Reading aloud with children is a great way to develop their early literacy skills, so I hope the Read with Gisèle tour will inspire kids and their families to enjoy reading together every day,” says Gisèle Corinthios, host of Gisèle’s Big Backyard.

Kids can also participate in Gisèle’s Big Backyard Book Club online at tvokids.com, where they can watch videos of Gisèle reviewing books and see kids answering questions about the stories, share feedback on how the stories made them feel, and submit their own reviews of books they have read.

Read with Gisèle events are free and admission is on a first-come, first-served basis as seating is limited. Below are the details for the Ottawa and Nepean readings:

Read with Gisèle!

Friday August 26
2:00 pm
Ottawa Public Library
Ruth E. Dickinson Branch
100 Malvern Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
Saturday August 27
1:00 pm
Ottawa Public Library
Nepean Centrepointe Branch
101 Centrepointe
Nepean, Ontario

Gisele will also be visiting the Georgina Public Library Keswick Branch at 90 Wexford Drive in Keswick on Saturday September 10th at 1:30pm.

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16th August 2011

Register Now For X-Engage Merging Media Conference and Masterclass 2011

merging media conferenceMerging Media Productions Inc. and CMPA-British Columbia are delighted to launch their Merging Media Conference + Masterclass 2011: X-ENGAGE website and program for Canada’s Premier Cross-media Showcase on October 27th and 28th at the SFU Woodwards Cinema, SFU Woodwards Goldcorp Centre in Vancouver. They announced today that 38 Conference Speakers and Panelists will be participating in the highly anticipated two-day event, including world thought leaders from Lionsgate, YouTube, Amazon.com, Al Jazeera, Starlight Runner Entertainment and Microsoft.

Merging Media will offer a $10,000 Development Award for the best cross-media project at its Pitch 360 Sessions on October 28th. For information on how to apply or to exhibit at the VEDC Innovation Gallery, please contact Merging Media. Register now for the Merging Media Conference and Masterclass 2011: X-Engage – early bird pricing ends September 30th.

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16th August 2011

Wild Game Studios To Debut New Dhaila Trailer At Gamescom

Wild Game Studio…but you can see it here first!

In this latest pre-launch trailer for its open-world action game Dhaila’s AdventuresWild Game Studios invites you to travel with Dhaila as she enters a new dungeon, ready to face unknown dangers and the creatures who live there. As with all adventures, the event does not go as expected.

Dhaila’s story is set in the fantasy world of Martania, where Dysan the Tyrant has forced the people into slave labour through the influence he has over all the dragons of the kingdom. As they work to extract the precious stones of Dysan’s mines needed to enhance the Tyrant’s magical skills, the people become unwilling participants in his quest for total control of the world.

A young, orphaned fairy, Dhaila fights on the side of the resistance, developing her extraordinary powers in hopes of releasing the Martanians from Dysan’s treachery. She has special skills, including one which can absorb the energy of nature directly through its DNA. Dhaila can also absorb the DNA of other creatures, making the heroine able to acquire their shape at any time.

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You can sign up for the beta test by subscribing on the Wild Game Studios web site. Dhaila’s Adventures is scheduled for release to the PC, Mac, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in March 2012.

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16th August 2011

Nine Dot Studios Announces Brand

nine dots studioNine Dots Studio is hard at work to deliver Brand, which the studio says will be one of the most polished titles ever seen on Xbox Live Indie Games. The game will be launched before the end of September for 240 Microsoft Points. Brand is a game that offers some of the most stunning 3D graphics ever seen on the Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace and yet is rooted in old school 2D action gameplay. There are three open levels to explore, and you choose which quests suits your needs according to the powers you want to unlock.

The goal is to upgrade the sword to your liking, up to a set level. Any power changes both the gameplay and the sword’s appearance significantly. Some of these powers can be combined to create new abilities. There are nine powers which can be upgraded five times each and four hidden combos. Examples of gameplay altering powers: transform the dash attack into a teleport spell or transform the block ability into an offensive ability.

 

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Venture too far at your own risk in the vast expanse of levels. Falling in the wrong hole might force you to fight off waves of punishing monsters – unless you’ve done your homework and learned their patterns. Brand will deliver a different experience to each player. Although a typical game will be short (a few hours), it will offer a lot of replay value through the exploration of different play styles. Nine Dots is exploring the possibility of releasing the game on Steam at a later date, but has not committed to that avenue of development.

 

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16th August 2011

Commercial-Free Mobile Streaming Music Service Launches

Stingray DigitalA collective licensing agreement, representing more than 1500 major and independent record labels in Canada, has facilitated the launch of Galaxie Mobile by Stingray Digital, the first Canadian-owned commercial-free mobile streaming music service.

The agreement with Stingray is Canada’s first collective semi-interactive agreement and was negotiated by AVLA and SOPROQ on behalf of their members who represent the majority of recorded music in Canada, laying the groundwork for future agreements of its kind.

Music Canada, which represents Canada’s major record labels, spearheaded the negotiations, empowering AVLA to act on its behalf.  Graham Henderson, President of Music Canada, points out that the major labels want to see more digital services operating in Canada as quickly as possible, “We aggressively pursued this pioneering agreement because we understand how cumbersome our regulatory environment can be, and we want to help services better navigate it.  We hope the Stingray agreement sets the stage for other online and mobile services, and signals to the marketplace that Canada is open for business.”

“For digital music services who are eager to enter the Canadian market, it is an enormous benefit to be able to negotiate with one or two organizations rather than 1500 plus rights holders,” says Victoria Shepherd, Executive Director of AVLA.

“By enabling Stingray to clear all rights necessary with both major and independent music labels, we have created an accessible template for other semi-interactive services that want to come to Canada.  In addition, AVLA’s independent members benefit from being at the ground floor of a deal that may otherwise have begun only with the largest rights holders.  Developing the digital business here will remain an important priority for us in the months ahead,” adds Shepherd.

Stuart Johnston, President of the Canadian Independent Music Association welcomed the agreement, “This agreement with Stingray is an exciting and important step forward for the Canadian music industry, and we are hopeful it will serve as a template for other services going forward. Any agreement that serves to streamline the approvals process while providing a broad licensing deal for the benefit of our industry is most welcome.”

The new music service offers all of Galaxie’s 45 commercial and talk-free channels, already available online and via cable satellite and IPTV, on mobile devices.  Interactive controls allow listeners to skip songs and purchase their favourite songs directly on iTunes via the Galaxie Mobile player.  The player is available immediately in Canada for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and all Android devices.

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16th August 2011

WIND Mobile expands to Kitchener-Waterloo

wind mobileWIND Mobile has continued its national rollout and brought wireless change to the Kitchener-Waterloo region. As it does in its other regions across Canada, WIND now offers K-W residents their first real alternative to the incumbent oligopoly in years, bringing with it freedom from term contracts and real value with fair prices on advanced wireless services.

Today’s launch marks the sixth market for WIND across the country. In addition to increasing coverage areas, WIND is rolling out network upgrades to 4G speeds (HSPA+ up to 21.1Mbps). This upgrade will be available to all WIND customers at no additional cost. It will allow faster data access on smartphones and Mobile Internet enabled devices such as netbooks, laptops, tablets – making services from video streaming to access to cloud-based data and other Internet services even more accessible.

“We are aggressively expanding and enhancing our network for the long haul,” said Anthony Lacavera, Chairman and CEO of WIND Mobile and Globalive Communications, “Today’s announcement is our latest step in delivering on our commitment to Canadians to bring wireless change by offering excellent, innovative service at affordable prices.”

WIND’s Growth Highlights

  • One hundred per cent of WIND customers are data-enabled, and about half are using smartphones.
  • WIND’s network is currently capable of delivering download speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps and is being upgraded to 21.1 Mbps.
  • The latest generation WINDspeed Mobile Internet Stick E366 will be arriving in WIND stores shortly to take advantage of up to 21.1 Mbps download speeds.
  • WIND is the only HD Voice capable network in North America and is committed to adding more HD voice handsets to its existing line-up which includes the Google Nexus S, Nokia C7, Nokia C5 and Alcatel Tribe with Android
  • WIND is one of the first operators in Canada to live-test LTE.

To take advantage of WIND’s improved network, WIND is currently offering unlimited local talk, global text, and data, plus voicemail on smartphones for the unbeatable price of $29 per month. WIND is also offering unlimited mobile Internet for laptops, netbooks and tablets for only $29 per month.

In addition to these offers, WIND customers can now save more than $350 on the latest smartphones or mobile Internet sticks without signing a term-contract on the amplified WINDtab+. Customers that take advantage of WINDtab+ will also receive WIND’s Pay-Off Promise – a commitment that once a customer has been with WIND for three years any remaining WINDtab+ balance will be cleared away. This is an entirely new concept in the wireless market and is only available at WIND.

As part of its launch initiative and to introduce its service to residents in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, WIND awarded a $10,000 WINDthanks KW Community Grant to Mosaic Counselling and Family Services’ Pathways to Education program for their Mobile Education Project (MobileED).

“Our launch in the Kitchener-Waterloo region marks our continued pursuit to bring more wireless choice to all Canadians,” said Lacavera. “We’re also introducing ourselves to the community by helping to facilitate more positive change through our $10,000 grant to Mosaic’s MobileED project to help students gain access to the Internet for schoolwork, applying to jobs and completing university and college applications.”

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16th August 2011

BLG Offers More Ways To Be Prepared For Bill C-28 CASL

Borden Ladner Gervais LLPFrom Canadian legal firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP: Expected to come into place this fall, Canada’s new Anti-Spam and Online Fraud ActB (Bill C-28) is one of the most rigid in the world, and will have serious implications for any business that sends commercial electronic messages, including e-mails, texts, instant messages, or social media messages, to customers or suppliers in Canada.

Also affected are businesses that route data through Canadian servers, whether or not that information is intended for Canadian consumers. The new act, which is designed to prohibit unsolicited and misleading electronic communication and online fraud, outlines a number of new offences, enforcement mechanisms, and severe penalties of up to $1 million for individuals and $10 million for organizations. Businesses must move swiftly to ensure compliance and reduce risk.

“This new legislation will impact any American business that communicates with Canadian customers or transmits data through Canadian servers. For most organizations, the key part of the act is the new rules of consent around almost every commercial e-mail, text or social media message a business sends,” said Barbara McIsaac, counsel in BLG’s Ottawa office who specializes in privacy and access to information law. “Unless the recipient has given consent – or opted-in – to receive the communication, and the message complies with very specific formalities, businesses are going to find it much more difficult to send electronic messages with commercial content. Businesses, including directors and officers, are facing much greater risk.”

In many countries, including the U.S., recipients are offered the option to “opt-out” once an e-mail message is received. When e-mailing Canadian customers, businesses will be required to obtain recipient consent prior to sending the message. What may prove challenging for many businesses is the need to obtain consent without the ability to send a message requesting consent.

To reduce risk once the act comes into place, BLG recommends that businesses begin preparations now, and offers the following tips:

1. Conduct an internal audit to account for all external-facing electronic communications distributed by the organization. Consider relevant third parties such as distributors or marketing agencies, and the location of any external servers.

2. Establish procedures to ensure that all customer or supplier-facing messages are accurate and comply with new requirements, including information disclosure language and an unsubscribe mechanism that is promptly implemented.

3. Obtain and maintain an accurate and current list of recipients’ consent to receive messages. Instances of express and implied consent should be handled separately to ensure clarity and compliance.

4. Revise contracts with any relevant third parties that distribute electronic messages on behalf of the organization to require compliance with the act.

5. Clearly communicate and educate relevant employees on policies that need to be implemented as a result of the act. Consider holding staff training programs to ensure everyone is clear on both the guidelines and the risks.

6. Put into place a gate keeping process to ensure that established procedures for monitoring compliance are being followed.

7. Obtain insurance to protect the business, corporate directors and officers from liability.

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