Village Gamer

Absolute^® Software Corporation has surpassed a significant IT industry milestone with over 20,000 stolen computers now recovered. These devices have been recovered using Absolute’s flagship Computrace^® and LoJack^® for Laptops products and returned to customers ranging from consumers to some of the world’s largest organizations.

“As the undisputed leader and inventor of the computer theft recovery product category, we’re very proud of our Theft Recovery Team and in turn wish to give tremendous thanks and acknowledgment to the many law enforcement professionals that count on Absolute’s Computrace and LoJack for Laptops everyday to recover stolen computers for their local citizens,” said John Livingston, chairman and CEO of Absolute. “This milestone confirms that our patented technology, process, and approach to managed theft recovery is, by far, the most successful – and only proven – theft recovery solution available to both consumers and organizations on the market today. The reason we continue to safely recover devices on behalf of our customers lies in the strength of our technology combined with our global network of Theft Recovery Investigators and trusted relationships with over 6,000 law enforcement agencies worldwide.”

“At DPS, we’ve already seen the effect of these recoveries,” said Robert Barenie, special investigator for Detroit Public Schools (DPS) Office of Inspector General. “Absolute Software’s Computrace is truly the finest investigative tool for the recovery process of stolen devices, leading us to the successful conviction of numerous individuals stealing laptops. We would have never recovered any of the 300 plus laptops stolen from our district without the aid of Absolute Software.”

As a result of Absolute’s technology being embedded in the firmware of computers from leading PC manufacturers since 2005, the recovery success rate has been increasing every year, with over 17,000 devices recovered in the last six years, and over 5,000 in the last year alone. In addition to the value of the device, the importance of data not falling into the wrong hands is critical to consumers and organizations alike.  Many of Absolute’s customers have purchased our data protection solutions that don’t include recovery. For these customers, our persistent technology has successfully performed over 8,500 remote data deletions to secure the privacy of their data.

On the heels of its 20,000^th recovery, Absolute has gathered statistics highlighting the sheer volume of hardware, software, data, and additional collateral the company has helped to recover during more than 18 years in the industry. In 2009 and 2010 alone, Absolute’s recoveries have represented: Read the rest of this entry »

New market research conducted on behalf of PayPal Canada by Leger Marketing shows that 56 per cent of Canadians are comfortable with never having to handle cash to make a purchase and many would prefer the use of a digital wallet to give money to others or pay for items when shopping. PayPal accounts have always provided digital wallet functionality. PayPal is Canada’s most trusted digital wallet and provides its more than four million Canadian customers the ability to pay and get paid using their bank account, credit cards or PayPal balance from their computer, smartphone or virtually any Internet-connected device.

Given the choice, 34 per cent of survey respondents would rather carry a mobile phone to make a payment than a pocket full of change. The survey also indicates that 36 per cent of Canadians would make mobile payments for a wide variety of purchases, on average, saying they would use their mobile device to buy something as expensive as an iPod ($272.30) or as inexpensive as a latte ($5.50). As consumers continue to transition to smartphones and get more comfortable shopping and paying with their mobile phone, PayPal, which reported $750 million in mobile payment volume in 2010 anticipates the company’s mobile payment volume should increase by the end of 2011 to $3 billion globally. In Canada, a PayPal mobile transaction happens once almost every minute.

Canadians are also looking for an easier and faster way to give money to others. Almost 40 per cent of survey respondents say using a mobile phone to make a payment would be more convenient because they can make transactions whenever and wherever they want and 60 per cent of respondents would find it appealing to not have to find a bank machine every time they need to pay someone back. Read the rest of this entry »

Redline Communications Group Inc. has reached an agreement in principle to settle the proposed class action lawsuit commenced in Ontario in September of 2010 against the Company, certain of its current and former directors and officers, and its former auditors. These claims remain unproven and the action has not received court approval.

The agreement in principle provides for the settlement, release and dismissal of all claims asserted against the Company, its former auditors and the individual proposed defendants.

Substantially all of the anticipated contribution to the settlement amount from Redline and the individual proposed defendants is to be funded through their insurance coverage, the remaining nominal amount being funded by the Company. The agreement in principle remains subject to final settlement documents and receipt of court approval. The settlement does not constitute any admission of liability by Redline or its officers, directors and employees.

Destiny Media and Yangaroo have resolved all litigation between the two parties. As part of the settlement agreement the parties agree that all allegations of infringement and invalidity on any existing or pending Yangaroo patents will immediately cease.  As a result, Destiny will drop the Canadian patent invalidity proceedings and its action for defamation against Yangaroo and certain of its former officers.  Yangaroo will drop its counterclaim for patent infringement in Canada and drop its defamation counterclaim as against Destiny and its CEO.

In consideration of the settlement, Yangaroo paid Destiny a lump sum amount totaling $600,000 (Canadian Funds), and granted Destiny certain intellectual property rights relating to the two patents held by Yangaroo that were the subject matter of the dispute.

Destiny will continue to provide Play MPE® in its current form with no changes or service interruptions.  As part of the settlement, neither party will pursue legal fees, court costs or royalties pursuant to the above mentioned disputes. YANGAROO is pleased with the result as it allows YANGAROO to focus on its business and to provide the best services possible to its customers and clients.

Lion-O, Tweety and Yogi, oh my! TELETOON Retro is asking viewers to vote for their favourite cartoon animals of all-time to be inducted into the TELETOON Retro Hall of Fame as the Top 5 Awesome Animals. Between now and Monday, August 1, viewers can vote online for their favourite cartoon critters and maybe a place in TELETOON Retro history. Following the voting period, the Top 5 Awesome Animals will be announced on Friday, August 5, followed by a special programming marathon featuring the Top 5 as part of the “Retro Rewind” programming block on Sunday, August 7 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET on TELETOON Retro.

TELETOON Retro has narrowed the field to 30 classic animated animals and is inviting fans to make their picks for the Top 5 Awesome Animals of all-time. The list of nominees is made up of the following classic cartoon characters:

• Alvin (Alvin & The Chipmunks)
• Astro (The Jetsons)
• Azrael (The Smurfs)
• Boo Boo (The Yogi Bear Show)
• Brain (Inspector Gadget)
• Bugs Bunny (The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show)
• Bullwinkle (The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle)
• Cheetara (Thundercats)
• The Chicken Hawk (The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show)
• Daffy Duck (The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show)
• Dino (The Flintstones)
• Foghorn Leghorn (The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show)
• Huckleberry Hound (The Huckleberry Hound Show)
• Jerry (The Tom & Jerry Show) Read the rest of this entry »

Canadian small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are hesitant to harness the power of the cloud, in large part because they find it difficult to keep pace with rapid technology advancements, according to a survey conducted by Leger Marketing and commissioned by Microsoft Canada.

The study found that although nearly 73 per cent of SMBs understand that cloud-based technology offers a cost-effective means of accessing the latest technology, just 30 per cent are currently investing in cloud services.

“We all know that with great technology, you are at a better business advantage. Yet with 83 per cent of SMBs finding it hard to keep pace and 79 per cent settling on old tech even though they know there are better options, it is clear that Canadian businesses require simple and cost-effective cloud-based services to drive productivity, efficiency and give them the competitive edge,” says Eric Gales, President of Microsoft Canada. “Three-quarters of Canadian SMB are ready to invest in their own growth, but they want to invest smartly in technology that is going to work for them. This is why we’re so excited to announce the launch of Office 365 to meet Canada’s SMB technology needs.”

Office 365 brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Lync Online in an always-up-to-date service, with a predictable monthly cost that starts at just $7 per user, per month.

Moving to the cloud with Office 365 doesn’t require a team to change the way it works, because the service is based on familiar tools people know and trust, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook and more. Employees get new ways to work together with ease, on virtually any device or mobile phone, and businesses get the reliability, security and IT controls they need in the cloud, even without a dedicated IT staff.

“I’m a road warrior and my office is a coffee shop, a hotel room or my clients’ board room” said James Won, founder of Servant4Stewards, a financial planning consultancy. “Office 365 gives me the power to work anywhere with full access to my documents on my computer and my mobile phone. The best thing about Office 365 is the fact that I can collaborate with clients and third-parties, revising, sharing and updating documents seamlessly in the cloud.”

Microsoft is building a massive partner ecosystem around Office 365, which includes new ways of partnering with service providers such as telecommunications and hosting firms around the world. Bell, Canada’s largest communications company, is the first Canadian syndication partner.  Bell will be offering Office 365 bundled with their communication services, creating a one-stop-shop for small and midsize businesses.

“Bell and Microsoft have worked closely for years to help Canadian businesses with their collaboration needs, and we’re happy to partner with Microsoft to bring Office 365 to the Bell cloud portfolio,” said Strahan McCarten, Director of Product Management, Hosting & Cloud Computing, Bell Business Markets, Bell Canada. “With Office 365, Bell customers can reduce their costs and maximize their IT productivity whether they’re starting a new business venture or enhancing their existing technology operations.”

With a selection of five debut feature films, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will be a perfect opportunity to discover Canada’s next generation of film talents. Four films will be receiving their world premieres: two of the films, Roméo Onze and Collaborator, will be in Official Competition, one, Laurentie, will be presented Out of Competition, and one, Sunflower Hour, will be screened during the Forum of Independents.

The Festival is also organizing a tribute to Denis Villeneuve, with the filmmaker himself in attendance. Denis Villeneuve first attracted attention at the Festival in 1996. Held in the city of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival runs from July 1 to 9, 2011.

“Major events such as Karlovy Vary highlight the cultural success of Canada’s film industry and also encourage the industry’s industrial and commercial development,” said the Executive Director of Telefilm Canada, Carolle Brabant, who will be attending the Festival.

“Telefilm Canada enthusiastically provides support to Canadian industry representatives and creators at the Festival. We are delighted with the retrospective of Denis Villeneuve’s work as well as with the selection of Canadian filmmakers who will be presenting their first feature films. Canadian diversity will be much in evidence at Karlovy Vary.”

Telefilm Canada is delighted that the Embassy of Canada to the Czech Republic is supporting the efforts to promote Canadian cinema at Karlovy Vary.

Official competition
Collaborator (Canada, United States) – world premiere
Director: Martin Donovan
Production companies: DViant Films (Toronto), This Is That (New York)
International distribution: Entertainment One Films International (Toronto)

Roméo Onze (Romeo Eleven) – world premiere
Director: Ivan Grbovic
Production and international distribution: Reprise Films (Montreal)

Out of Competition
Laurentie (Laurentia) – world premiere
Directors: Simon Lavoie and Mathieu Denis
Production company: Metafilms (Montreal)
International distribution: FunFilm Distribution (Montreal)

Forum of Independents
Sunflower Hour – world premiere
Director: Aaron Houston
Production and international distribution: Unpaved Productions (Vancouver)

Midnight screenings
Hobo with a Shotgun
Director: Jason Eisener
Production companies: Rhombus Media (Toronto), Whizbang Films (Toronto), Yer Dead Productions (Halifax)
International distribution: TF1 International (Paris)

Tribute to Denis Villeneuve
As Telefilm Canada announced in February, 2011, the Festival will pay tribute to Denis Villeneuve. The Tribute to Denis Villeneuve will present four of his features, Un 32 août sur terre (32nd Day of August on Earth), Maelström, Polytechnique and Incendies, and two shorts, Next Floor and REW-FFWD.

Karlovy Vary recognized Denis Villeneuve’s talent at the very start of his career: the collective movie Cosmos screened at the Festival in 1996, shortly after receiving its world premiere at Cannes. “Our festival aims to delight movie-lovers by inviting filmmakers who bring their vision to the screen with true passion,” said Karel Och, the Festival’s Artistic Director. “This year we are thrilled to shine the spotlight on Denis Villeneuve and his unique body of work. He’s never afraid of upsetting convention, and his highly personal approach and vision of society have been lauded throughout his career.”

Denis Villeneuve will be invited to meet with festival-goers and journalists during his retrospective.

A major report released today by Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC) says that harnessing an excellent talent pool is the key to lifting Canada into the top tier of innovation leaders.

State of the Nation 2010: Imagination to Innovation – the second public report from STIC – charts progress from a baseline set in 2008 and compares Canadian performance to global science, technology and innovation leaders. The report also proposes a core list of 20 indicators for future monitoring. The list covers talent, science and technology and other innovation indicators.

The report shows that Canada’s strengths are a strong talent pool and a robust public research capacity. Its two main challenges are to increase private sector investment in innovation and to improve Canada’s capacity to transfer knowledge into the marketplace. State of the Nation 2010: Imagination to Innovation shows that Canada is settling in as a mid-level player despite having an excellent talent pool.

Canadian talent and Canada’s funding for R&D and higher education research continues to rank near the top; young Canadians excel in science, math and reading; Canada is attracting international talent, and innovative excellence can be found in virtually every region and economic sector.

Our challenges include reversing the trend of Canadian industry investing less in R&D than our key global competitors.  Despite some real Canadian success stories, low levels of collaboration among companies and between companies and researchers in universities, colleges and government laboratories continue to limit our business potential.

A less innovative economy results in fewer ideas transferred into the marketplace, lower productivity rates and less economic and social benefits for Canadians.

Canada has strong public research capacity

• Canada ranks # 1 in the G7 in terms of research and development performed by the higher education sector (HERD), as a percentage of GDP.
• Canada has a strong international reputation and is attracting new talent.

Canada’s talent pool is holding its own

• Our young people continue to outperform most countries in reading, math and science.
• Among economically advanced countries, Canada has had one of the highest growth rates in university graduates in science and engineering, especially at the doctoral level.
• Canadian universities rank well in lists of the world’s top institutions.

Canada must increase investment in innovation

• Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD), as a percentage of GDP lags behind the G7 and other leading innovators. It declined from 2006-08.
• 8 out of 16 Canadian industry sectors had lower R&D intensity (BERD) than the OECD average.
• Over the 2000-07 period, machinery and equipment investment was less than 75% of US levels and ICT investment was less than half US levels.
• Although Canada is a global leader in indirect support for industry R&D (through tax credits), it ranks low in terms of direct support for business R&D.

Canada must strengthen knowledge transfer

• Business financing of R&D performed by universities has grown substantially but knowledge transfer indicators such as contract research, licence applications and spin-off companies could be better measured to benchmark future performance.
• In 2009, venture capital to support small companies was the lowest since 1996 ranking 7^th in OECD with lower rates of return than US.
• Canada must measure collaboration between private and public sector.
• Fostering research collaboration between the public and private sectors will help ensure that Canada’s world-class public research can be successfully translated into benefits for Canadians.

STIC members span business, academia and government.  Members said the following about the State of the Nation 2010 report:

“Canada’s biggest opportunity lies in our excellent talent pool. We score very highly in a number of education related indicators. The challenge is how companies and government can deploy and empower our people so we can win in the knowledge economy.” – Dr. Howard Alper, Chair of STIC. Read the rest of this entry »

The Mobile Giving Foundation Canada (MGFC), in collaboration with the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), is pleased to announce a new partnership with Videotron that will offer customers of the wireless carrier the opportunity to support registered charities through text-to-donate initiatives. Videotron customers can now respond to a registered charity’s call-to-action by texting a specific keyword to an assigned five-digit number to donate either $5 or $10, depending on the type of campaign. The amount donated by text will be charged to the donor’s wireless phone bill, and is billed as a tax-exempt transaction. The carrier then remits 100% of the funds collected from mobile donations to the MGFC, who in turn remits 100% of this amount directly to the registered charity. Donors can also obtain official receipts for tax purposes by contacting support.

“Videotron is very pleased that this partnership can end up helping so many causes and so many Canadians,” declared Videotron’s Mobile Marketing and Product Development General Manager, Marie Ginette Lepage. “We today live a life of choices, and with these kinds of partnerships, we are able to offer support, as well as touch and help so many people.”

“On behalf of the Mobile Giving Foundation Canada, I extend our appreciation to Videotron for their efforts in providing this new mobile channel for their customers to support their favourite causes,” said Bernard Lord, MGFC Chair and CWTA President. “Canadians have overwhelmingly embraced the power of mobile giving, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for more than 100 registered charities in the past year alone.”

Waterfront Toronto is interested in hearing from firms, cultural groups, creative industries and festival organizers with proposals to bring diverse, vibrant forms of culture and animation to Toronto’s waterfront.

A Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI #2011-09: Waterfront Cultural and Animation Strategy) was recently issued to solicit submissions to animate the wide range of opportunity for office and gallery uses, museums, public art, performing arts centres, cultural centres and festivals on Toronto’s waterfront.

Culture, the arts and tourism play key roles in the transformation of Toronto’s waterfront. With revitalization efforts well underway and private sector partners on board in the East Bayfront and West Don Lands, Waterfront Toronto is in a position to implement its cultural, tourism and animation strategy in the new waterfront communities.

In 2006, Waterfront Toronto commissioned a Cultural and Animation Strategy for the East Bayfront with a series of recommendations for cultural and animation uses for the revitalized waterfront.  The REOI is the next step towards waterfront animation.

Waterfront Toronto would like to hear from interested groups who have the experience, vision and financial capacity to animate cultural and tourism spaces on Toronto’s waterfront.

“Part of our mandate has always been to animate Toronto’s waterfront and create a premier destination for residents and visitors alike,” said John Campbell, Waterfront Toronto President and CEO. “We are now looking for inspiration, great creativity and purposeful action to implement this key revitalization objective.”

East Bayfront and West Don Lands will offer unprecedented cultural and commercial animation opportunities across a variety of spaces including ground floor retail, mezzanine, multi-floor and stand-alone spaces.

East Bayfront will be defined by its architectural design excellence, its direct access to Lake Ontario and signature parks and public spaces. The area is already home to the new headquarters of Corus Entertainment, the popular Canada’s Sugar Beach, Sherbourne Common and future home to mixed-use projects by The Great Gulf Group of Companies and Hines.

The West Don Lands will be one of Toronto’s next great neighbourhoods; a people focused community, environmentally sustainable and beautifully designed for urban living. First phase development is underway with Urban Capital’s River City project while the build-out of the entire area is being accelerated by the delivery of the Athletes’ Village for the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games.  Following the Games, the Athletes’ Village will become the heart of this new community.

“Our goal is to create a ‘quality of place’ for Toronto’s waterfront that will rival anywhere in the world,” said Campbell. “We are creating a legacy of beautiful, vibrant, sustainable neighbourhoods that reconnect Toronto with its waterfront.”

Interested firms are invited to submit their proposals by Friday, July 29^th before 4:00 p.m. ET. Proposals should include concept and vision, experience and qualifications, target audience and expected visitors, and space requirements and location. A supporting business plan for capital and operating costs must also be submitted since Waterfront Toronto is not in a position to provide capital or operating subsidies.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.