Village Gamer

To mark the start of the school year, Mobilicity has introduced back to school blog.ca– a special collection of blogs by Canadian frosh students using Mobilicity smartphones to share their own unique perspectives on going back to school.

Mobilicity’s back-to-school site features five distinct blogs from first-year students attending different post-secondary school campuses across Canada. It gives site visitors an inside account of their student lives through text, photographs and video clips as they enter college or university, attend frosh activities and their first week of classes.

“Going back to school plays a notable role in our lives because it’s at school where we typically form meaningful, lifelong friendships, learn important ideas and start to follow new paths in life,” said Chief Customer Officer Anthony Booth. “With the Back To School Blog, Mobilicity is paying tribute to these special experiences using the power of our smartphones and blogging technology to bring five Canadian students’ back-to-school stories to life.”

5 frosh bloggers + 5 smartphones = 1 helluva blog

• Toronto native Daniel Rostas is studying Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson University after three years of musical theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Blogging with a Mobilicity HTC Panache smartphone, 21-year-old Daniel says this about Orientation Week: “I say “orientation” in numerous senses, as I immediately got lost the second I arrived. The place was friggin’ huge! I guess I’m coming from what wasn’t a very large high school to studying at a conservatory that only had a few hundred students, to a bona fide university with several thousand students, and tons and tons of buildings, faculties, and departments.”
• Alberta farm girl Jennifer Wood is enrolled in the business administration program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton. Blogging using a Mobilicity Motorola Spice smartphone, Jennifer, 19, admits that city life will be an adjustment and she’s going to miss life on the farm (in addition to the animals, she loves snowmobiles and ATVs). But she adds, “I’m always up for an adventure. I’m not the type of person to turn down a challenge.”
• Vancouver amateur photographer Marko Kundicevic, 18, is studying journalism and film at University of British Columbia and is blogging using a Mobilicity Samsung Nexus S smartphone. Marko, who likes to use a lot of food analogies, says he’s “about to take a big bite of the UBC burger! There’s just something about university that makes it sound so appetizing. The lively people I am going to meet, the exciting things I am going to learn, the wild campus life… I’m thrilled to add all these ingredients to my life and share them with you.”
• Saskatoon gymnast Nicole Linzmeyer is blogging from Ottawa’s Carleton University using a Mobilicity BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone. Studying journalism, 18-year-old Nikki says she’s “most looking forward to living on residence and having a fresh start with everybody. I am also excited to see the similarities and differences between Saskatchewan and Ontario; I’m sure there are plenty (I’ve heard milk comes in bags?!).”
• University of Calgary undergrad Iain Tufts is blogging using the Samsung G-Touch smartphone. Iain, 18, is working toward his Bachelor of Commerce but doesn’t have to select a major until third year. “I am thinking of Accounting,” he says. “The idea of having a set routine, with clear rules and regulations, just seems enticing to me. A benefit of this major is its applications to real life – complete control over your own financial affairs!”

Site visitors who vote for their favourite back-to-school blogger through the end of September will automatically be entered into a draw to win a Mobilicity smartphone with one year of service on the carrier’s Ultimate Unlimited Back to School plan (valued at approximately $650, see blog site for complete rules and regulations).

Mobilicity recently introduced a number of limited-time promotions to help make going back to school more affordable and enjoyable. The unlimited carrier’s $25 Back-to-School Plan is a great deal for anyone who wants to stay connected with friends and family without breaking the bank, offering unlimited local calling, unlimited text and picture messaging, unlimited data, caller ID and unlimited Mobilicity-to-Mobilicity calling.

To provide students the most bang for their buck, the company also launched the Ultimate Unlimited Back-to-School Plan, which for only $40 a month, includes all of its $25 Back-to-School Plan features, plus unlimited North American long distance, unlimited Canada/US text and picture messaging, unlimited global text messaging, voicemail, call waiting, call forwarding and 3-way calling.

Mobilicity is also offering up to $200 off select handsets for a limited time, making it possible for students to purchase a name-brand Android smartphone for under $100.

Actor and director Adrian Grenier will walk the Ottawa red carpet with co-producer Evan Ferrante for the screening of his documentary “Teenage Paparazzo“.  The documentary film turns the camera on the paparazzi, exploring celebrity culture through the eyes of 13-year-old photographer Austin Visschedyk. The evening’s time frame is as follows:

The Press Conference will take place at the Lobby Nightclub, which is located at 158 1/2 Rideau Street. This will be followed by a screening of “Teenage Paparazzo” and Question & Answer with Adrian Grenier at the Rainbow Theatre, 1200 St. Laurent Blvd.

Directed by Grenier and co-produced by Evan Ferrante and Matthew Cole, Teenage Paparazzo documents the true story of a relationship between a 13-year-old paparazzo (Austin Visschedyk) and Adrian Grenier, the star of the HBO series Entourage.  Inspired by a chance encounter with Visschedyk during an evening in Los Angeles, Grenier turns the cameras on the paparazzi in an effort to document this unique teenager’s world.

One of 20 stops on the Teenage Paparazzo Experience’s North American Tour, the Ottawa event features a film screening, Q&A with Grenier and Evan Ferrante, an art show featuring Shepard Fairy, Banksy, Adrian Grenier and more.  Also included is a post screening party at Lobby and Mansion Nightclubs in the ByWard Market.

“The Teenage Paparazzo Experience brings a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience art, film and the Hollywood culture alongside one of the biggest celebrities in the entertainment industry today,” says Michael O’Farrell, Marquis Group. “We get the chance to explore the conception of “fame” firsthand as Ottawa becomes star struck with the anticipation of the film screening.  We are thrilled with the buzz and excitement surrounding the Ottawa stop of the Teenage Paparazzo Experience tour”.

Adrian Grenier will host a single Ottawa screening on September 10, 2011 at the Rainbow Theatre located at 1200 St. Laurent Blvd, as well as a post screening party at Mansion and Lobby nightclubs located at 400A Dalhousie Street and 158 1/2 Rideau St. respectively.  Tickets for the film screening and post screening party are $20.00 and can be purchased online. The Teenage Paparazzo Experience tour is presented by the Marquis Group, Projekt Events, A-List Entertainment, Urban Male Magazine, 105.3 Kiss FM, Madflower Creative Group and Area 32a.

Four Canadian architectural illustrators have had their artwork chosen to be part of Architecture in Perspective 26, the International Competition of Digital and Traditional Architectural Illustration. Marie Eldridge from Calgary, and three Toronto-area illustrators – Roberto Ou, Michael  Ouzikov (Forrec) and Michael McCann – will all have their work featured in the exhibition, which opens on September 26 at the Pola Gallery in Tokyo. Architecture in Perspective (AIP) is presented by the American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI), whose annual convention and exhibition will be held this year in conjunction with the UIA 2011 World Congress of Architecture, also taking place in Tokyo, from September 24 to October 2.

“Winning the ASAI Award of Excellence was extremely gratifying; there is nothing more professionally satisfying than the recognition of your peers,” says Marie Eldridge. “Attending the conference in Japan will be the icing on the cake.”

From among the 56 pieces selected for the exhibition, Michael McCann’s illustration received two major awards: The Formal Category Award and The Members’ Choice Award. The preeminent award, The Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize, was awarded this year to Swiss illustrator Marcel Schaufelberger.

With 10,000 people expected to attend the 2011 UIA Conference, ASAI President Masaaki Yamada stated that “This year’s exhibition Includes the largest international exhibition of architectural illustration ever assembled, featuring AIP26 (ASAI) and exhibitions from Japan (JARA), Korea (KAPA), Australia (AAAI) and China.”

For those not yet aware, Warhammer^® 40,000^®: Space Marine^® by THQ studio Relic Entertainment has shipped for the Xbox 360^®, Playstation^®3 and Windows PC. Combining intense melee and ranged combat, Space Marine puts players into the boots of one of humanity’s elite soldiers, genetically engineered and equipped with state of the art weapons and armor. Players are dropped right into the action as they battle to defend an Imperial Forge World, a planet sized factory, from an invasion by the savage and brutal Orks, using the most devastating weaponry mankind has at its disposal.

Space Marine also features 8 vs. 8 class-based multiplayer where players take on the role of either Space Marine or Chaos Space Marine in a battle to the death. Players can choose the balanced Tactical and Chaos Space Marine, the heavy weapons focused Devastator and Havoc or the jump pack equipped melee specialist Assault Marine and Raptor.

A free downloadable Co-operative gameplay mode called Exterminatus will also be made available to all players in early October. This mode pits a team of four Space Marine players against numerous AI controlled enemies in a fight to survive. Featuring dynamic challenges and global leaderboards, Space Marine’s co-op mode will keep players engaged for months to come.

The game includes a full progression and upgrade system tied to both multiplayer and co-op. Players will earn experience and unlock new weapons and perks which allow them to customize their loadouts to suit their play style. Progression will also unlock more options for the game’s customizer, which allows players to create a unique character to suit them, with over 1.8 Billion possibilities available at launch.

In addition to leveraging Steamworks’ Auto-Updating, Achievements, Match-Making, Leaderboards and Stats, the PC version of Warhammer^® 40,000^® Space Marine^® will support Steamworks Cloud technology.

A premium quality Collector’s Edition is available to purchase from THQ.com, featuring a 10″ Purity Seal, Art Book, Game Soundtrack, 25 foiled character cards and a premium box. The Space Marine Collector’s Edition has a SRP of $99 (console) and $79 (PC).

A demo of the game is now available to download now for the Xbox 360,Playstation 3 and Windows PC. Space Marine is available to purchase now from a variety of retailers for a SRP of $60 console and $50 PC, and is rated M for Mature.

Toronto start-up Inspirapps Inc. has launched polltogo, a web/mobile application that lets users conduct short mobile polls and receive instant feedback from various audiences, including clients, students, viewers, readers and friends, using their cell phone, smartphone or any internet-connected device.

In addition to offering the classic online polling features, polltogo focuses on real-time interaction and offers a unique, simple way of collecting instant feedback from a target audience without the need for using, installing or renting dedicated voting devices.

polltogo is a universal tool that can be used within a professional environment, such as at a conference or in customer satisfaction polls, a learning environment to stimulate the interaction between teachers and students, or during a training session. Users also may choose to poll colleagues and friends in a casual setting, asking such questions as, “Sushi or Tex-Mex for dinner tonight?” Also, its ability to work on any mobile device (voters are not required to download any application to their phone to participate) makes it the perfect tool for interaction between television producers, advertisers and viewers during a live TV show.

Creating a poll, sharing it with a target audience and viewing the results is as easy as 1-2-3 and only takes a minute:

1. Create the poll – Users can create polls in advance (or live at an event) on a smartphone, tablet or laptop using a very simple interface. Using polltogo.com or the polltogo mobile app, the user simply enters a question (e.g., “How would you rate this presentation?”), chooses a poll type (multiple choice, yes/no, rating, textual feedback), sets the duration (from 1 minute to no limit), and provides a few options (result presentation, allow comments, privacy, etc.).

Along with the launch of its fall programming season, Teletoon has officially unveiled its newly-refreshed branding for the network’s English and French daytime properties. The new, wilder branding reflects the network’s tagline: “Teletoon: It’s Unreal” as well as the network’s brand essence: “Anything is possible.”

“Teletoon is a brand with unexpected characteristics – it’s funny, surprising, playful and – like kids – a little bit mischievous. With this refresh, we want to better unify and re-establish the brand as a whole – and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Russell Ward, Vice President, Marketing, Teletoon Canada Inc. “We’ve incorporated the brand essence and personality in the logo itself, giving it infinite possibilities to take on different shapes, textures, materials, characteristics and much more.  In our world, everything begins and ends with Teletoon.”

The refreshed look takes on the characteristics of the network’s programming and overall attitude that reflects the fun, unexpected and imaginative spirit of Teletoon and its viewers. The updated Teletoon logo embodies the network’s tagline and brand essence with bold new animations, effects and colours, while maintaining its recognizable yellow colour. The new branding can be seen across Teletoon’s on-air and online platforms, including on-air promos and on-screen IDs and across teletoon.com.

In support and celebration of the Teletoon brand refresh, the network has planned a series of unreal surprises taking place at random locations that will surprise and delight unsuspecting fans while promoting the brand. The first such endeavor is the ongoing, Teletoon-branded, Unreal Ice Cream Truck that has been showing up unexpectedly all around Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area with brand ambassadors surprising fans with delicious treats. Other such surprises will be taking place in mystery locations in the coming months.

The Free Thinking Film Society kicks off its 2^ndannual film festival to celebrate liberty, freedom and democracy on November 11th in Ottawa. The Free Thinking Film Festival will feature three major events, two panel discussion and over 20 films, between November 11-13, 2011 at Library and Archives Canada and the Bronson Centre.  There will also be a Free Thinking Alley where attendees can buy books and DVDs, and enjoy food and drink.

“I love celebrating liberty, freedom and democracy,” says Free Thinking Film President Fred Litwin. “Get ready for three days of challenging films and discussions with no political-correctness.”

The Festival opens at 6:30 PM November 11^th with History Wars, a debate between Jack Granatstein (Historian and former director of the Canadian War Museum) and Michael Byers (Professor of Political Science at UBC) on the future of the Canadian military, moderated by Michael Bliss. This event is co-sponsored by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and will take place at the Bronson Centre.

The Festival will end with “Unmasked: Judeophobia and the Threat to Civilization”, the Canadian premiere of a documentary about the current political assault against Israel.  Producer Gloria Greenfield will be in attendance.

A sample of other scheduled films include:

• “Angryphone,” about English language rights in Quebec
• “The Biases of the CBC,” a film and panel discussion on CBC bias against Israel and conservatives
• “The Power of the Powerless,” a look at the velvet revolution that toppled communism in Czechoslovakia
• “The Living,” a film about the Ukrainian famine of the 1930s
• “Freedom of What?cott,” a documentary about free speech in Saskatchewan
• “Freedom Fighter,” Rev. Majed El Shafie’s campaign against discrimination against religious minorities around the world
• “The 10 Conditions of Love,” about Rubiya Kadeer, the leader of the Uyghur people and their fight to save their culture
• “Cool It,” why we should ‘cool it’ when it comes to global warming
• “3 Billion and Counting,” tells us why we need DDT to fight malaria in Africa

Open Text Corporation has acquired Operitel Corporation, a company headquartered in Peterborough that specializes in Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Enterprise Learning Portals. The acquisition adds powerful e-learning capabilities to OpenText’s solutions. Operitel’s solutions include social and mobile learning management and capabilities that integrate with Microsoft^® SharePoint.

“Given the scale of content and process management solutions we’re providing to global organizations today, integrated e-learning is becoming an integral part of the high value solution we provide,”  said John Shackleton, President and Chief Executive Officer of OpenText. “This acquisition will complement and extend OpenText’s solutions, providing award-winning LMS functionality to our global customer base. Operitel customers benefit from access to the resources and stability of Canada’s largest software company.”

With Operitel’s flagship product, LearnFlex^TM Learning Management System, customers can offer efficient learning services to their employees and customers. With additional strong mobile and social offerings, Operitel’s LMS technology further enhances and broadens functionality available to customers of OpenText’s ECM Suite. Customers can utilize Operitel’s solutions to deliver, track, and validate internal learning across their organizations. These learning services are especially critical for ensuring timely compliance with organizational and industry-specific regulatory requirements – capabilities that complement OpenText’s traditional strengths in compliance, information governance, and records management.

LearnFlex, which has received multiple awards, is built on Microsoft^®‘s .NET platform and is both a Microsoft Partner and a tier one Microsoft Official E-Learning reseller. Operitel builds solutions that support and extend Microsoft SharePoint. OpenText is a leader in providing solutions that integrate with SharePoint and Microsoft Office.  For SharePoint, OpenText offers BPM, application governance and archiving solutions. With Operitel, OpenText continues to add to its position as a leading Microsoft partner and a key provider of solutions that support and extend SharePoint.

“Operitel was built with the basic principle of putting the client first and concentrating on innovative solutions that are leading edge and enterprise scalable, ” said Michael Skinner, Chief Executive Officer of Operitel, who will continue to lead the company within the OpenText group. “I believe the acquisition of Operitel by OpenText is an excellent opportunity to provide our customers and partners assurance that we will continue to respond to their needs while at the same time leveraging the extended resources of a larger enterprise.”

Last year’s Merging Media Conference+Masterclass marked the first time that the $10,000 BC Film Development Award was awarded to the best cross-media project presented at the annual event. Merging Media will once again offer this wonderful opportunity to cross-platform content creators at its Merging Media Pitch 360 sessions during the upcoming 2011 event on October 27th and 28th.

Andrew Williamson of Off Island Films and Audrey Mehler of Paperny Films each won $5,000 last year to develop their projects. Andrew came to Merging Media with the Spiral, a web based interactive drama series that went on to become a part of another local media initiative called Melting Silos. Audrey pitched Eat St. Tweet, an innovative way to bring a Food Network show about food carts to life online as well as in a mobile app. The series and app launched earlier this year and more goodies are in store with their fall season that premiered on September 2nd. Audrey’s team offers viewers an unparalleled culinary experience by revealing new culinary carts around cities in North America, with access to information across three media platforms.

Now here’s your chance to take your project to the stage and win this year’s award! If you have an innovative transmedia or cross-media project in the works, apply before September 30 to be one of 8 participants to present at Merging Media’s Masterclass and Pitch 360 sessions and you could be the next one to win that $10,000 award! For more information, contact: coordinator@mergingmedia.ca. If you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late to take advantage of Early Bird rates.

The Toronto International Microfinance Summit announced today The MasterCard Foundation is providing 100 college and university students with financial assistance to attend its conference at Toronto’s Allstream Centre September 17, 2011. In its third year, the Summit is comprised of two events, a fundraising Gala on September 16th and the micro way Conference with a new MicroMarketplace September 17th. This year the theme is From Microfinance to Financial Inclusion: Making a Difference in our World. Topics include:

• Financial Literacy, Youth Programs and First Nations
• Mobile Banking, Technology and Investment Funds with impact
• How microfinance enables global health initiatives
• Rating Microfinance Institutions and Risk Management
• Microfinance in conflict zones

“The Toronto International Microfinance Summit brings together thought leaders in the sector with both international and domestic expertise,” says Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the MasterCard Foundation.  “The Summit is an important platform for knowledge-sharing and The MasterCard Foundation is proud to support students’ attendance.”

“Microfinance is the place where business and international development objectives intersect and social impact is achieved,” adds Jim Louttit, Vice President of Toronto International Microfinance Summit and Rotarian Action Group for Microcredit Secretary.  “For the second year, The MasterCard Foundation is partnering with us so more students can learn about this powerful poverty reduction tool, interact with experts and get involved.

The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, will attend the Gala and offer official greetings. Forty Summit speakers from thirty organizations on five continents are scheduled to make presentations,  including:

• Bob Annibale – Citi Microfinance
• Vidar Jorgensen – Grameen America
• Kadita (A.T.) Tshibaka – Opportunity International
• Philip Smith – philanthropist and author
• Joyce Lehman – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Michael Bowles – Aga Khan Foundation
• Damien von Stauffenberg – MicroRate
• Jeff Rayman – Secutor Capital
• Dr. Tanjina Mirza – Plan Canada
• Howard Weinstein – Solar Ear
• Charles Belanger – FINCA
• Francois Montour – CIDA
• Tess Bayombong – CARE Canada
• Deborah Lindholm – Foundation for Women