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Digital Journal has reported a strong response to its updated content assignment and tracking technology, launched earlier this month across the Digital Journal media network. The technology allows Digital Journal to effectively manage and measure content assignments among its global group of freelance writers and bloggers, known as Digital Journalists.

“In a traditional newsroom, you have editors who work with teams of journalists to assign content and map out the content flow for the day,” said Digital Journal CEO, Chris Hogg. “But if you work with thousands of freelancers and bloggers, managing that workflow is far more difficult. Our Assignments technology improves the efficiency of a virtual newsroom and assists in executing on virtually any content goal.”

Digital Journal Assignments are editor-created content assignments that are pushed out to a network of Digital Journalists who file stories and complete assignments based on particular geography, content verticals or trending topics. Assignments can range from editorial to photographic to video. Digital Journalists who fulfill Assignments before their deadline are paid a bonus for their work, and Assignments can scale from individual to group reports around particular subjects. Read the rest of this entry »

Karta Mobile has announced the immediate availability of version 3.0 of its popular BlackBerry GTD software application Viira™. Designed for busy people who want to stay organized and get things done with their BlackBerry smartphone, Viira™ provides an easy-to-use yet powerful organizational system that makes staying on top of one’s to-dos, commitments, projects, communications and priorities a cinch.

Based on the principles of David Allen’s Getting Things Done® (GTD®) (great book, I recommend it), Viira empowers people to leverage the principles of GTD with a BlackBerry smartphone and helps them achieve an organized and productive life. Version 3.0 adds significant additions and enhancements to Viira’s feature set including an In-Basket for new or unassigned tasks, fast iterative search, task reminders, BlackBerry tasks integration and the option to quickly hide completed tasks, among many others. An In-Basket is a pivotal tool for the collection phase of GTD and enables the quick and effective gathering of all outstanding tasks and “loose ends” for their subsequent organization and classification.

The development team behind Viira has a long track record of pushing the limits of what is possible on a mobile device in order to bring the most comprehensive and intuitive portable solution for GTD on the BlackBerry platform. In addition to tasks, to-dos and reminders, Viira’s organizational system is the only one to incorporate appointments, events as well as email and SMS messages. The Viira product family is also the first to provide an integrated BlackBerry-Outlook solution for Getting Things Done. The Viira Outlook Suite is the first GTD Outlook software application to wirelessly synchronize Microsoft Outlook with a BlackBerry smartphone to provide one unified, accessible-from-anywhere organizational system for Getting Things Done.

“Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” is a best-selling time management book by David Allen that shows readers how to organize their tasks, information and commitments in an intuitive and effective way. The principles of the book have received global media attention and have been embraced by millions of professionals, entrepreneurs and executives around the world. BlackBerry smartphones are the productivity and communication platforms of choice for many busy professionals and fans of Getting Things Done.

CAD Crowd, an online matching service that helps companies hire global CAD workers, is pleased to announce a partnership with CADENAS GmbH. With CADENAS’ innovative new design catalogue technology, the CAD Crowd Part Community has successfully been launched. Pre-existing designs will allow companies to use the library of pre-constructed CAD models for reduced costs, reduced lead time as well as enhanced productivity for engineers and technologies. The CAD Crowd Part Community now allows CAD Crowd clients access to over 300 catalogues of 3D CAD standard design parts. Best of all, these drawings are provided free to engineers, architects, drafters and CAD technologists.

Toronto’s BeAnywhere Inc. a remote access and remote support technologies provider for SMB and Domestic Users, has launched its most recent version of Support Express, the Windows remote support solution for companies of all sizes.

With BeAnywhere Support Express, companies can deliver instant, on-demand remote support to any computer in the world, even through firewalls or non-standard Internet configurations. Support providers or internal helpdesk departments can manage, maintain and control unattended computers, as well as assisting several machines simultaneously to increase productivity. Support Express uses a blazing fast, proprietary peer-to-peer network protocol that is up to 30% faster than similar technologies. It is fully compatible with Microsoft’s User Account Control and Active Directory technologies, supporting every Windows operating system from 2000 up to Windows 7. It supports detailed reporting and video recording of the sessions in the cloud, as well as several methods of connection.

BeAnywhere Support Express 2 is the result of several months of development and beta testing in close contact with BeAnywhere’s community of users. “Over the last months, the response of our users has been amazing, with hundreds of comments, suggestions and requests arriving after each new beta version we published,” said Ruben Dias, CEO of BeAnywhere, Inc. “This new version combines the performance of our network with dozens of new features and enhancements that bring the remote support experience to a whole new level.”

The last version of Support Express adds several features and refinements like:

• Immediate support request notification with exclusive InstaConnect technology and a new applet, 20% faster.
• Enhanced Reboot & Reconnect with autologon allows the remote technician to perform unattended reboots and log back into Windows without knowing the system credentials or requiring a local user to log in locally, even from the support applet and without administrator permissions.
• New full screen mode, perfected with the feedback from the community of users.
• Revamped disconnect procedures now make locking the remote machine optional.

Support Express is available in four plans, including one free edition, and can also be purchased on a pay-as-you-go basis.

On Friday, May 20, family literacy practitioners in Alberta will roll up their sleeves and build their social media capacity. They’ll learn how to leverage the power of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to get connected in a digital age to other non-profit organizations and to the community.

Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton, a specialist in marketing of language and literacy programs will present at the Food for Thought conference, organized by the Centre for Family Literacy. (note: registration is now closed for this event)

Eaton will deliver a hands-on workshop designed to teach program directors, administrators, practitioners and volunteers how to leverage the power of social media in a literacy program. Participants will bring their laptops and spend time registering for and using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

“Typically, literacy experts have deep knowledge about teaching learners to read and write, and are somewhat hesitant to delve into the world of new media literacy,” says Eaton, who has presented internationally on the topic of social media in the education and non-profit sectors. “By getting them to open an account, create a Facebook page and try their first Tweet in a collaborative environment, we can engage in meaningful conversations about how to use social media constructively to promote the good work they do in literacy to help our local communities.”

Eaton, who holds a PhD in Educational Leadership,  is one of the world’s top experts on marketing and promotion of second language and literacy programs. She founded Eaton International Consulting Inc. in 2001 to help educational and non-profit organizations. She is the author of 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program and is an international speaker, who has presented on her work in seven countries.

The conference happens in Edmonton on May 19 and 20, 2011 at the FantasyLand Hotel.

Almost half of Canadian executives still say the amount of information they have overwhelms them, showing no statistical improvement from last year, though there has been some change at the provincial and industry level, with some showing improvement while others are facing an uphill challenge. These are just some of the findings from a SAS/Leger Marketing survey released yesterday. Overall, 45 per cent of executives in 2011 said they are overwhelmed by information, compared with 47 per cent last year.

This year, executives from Ontario and British Columbia are far less likely to say they suffer from information overload. In 2010, 52 per cent of B.C. and Ontario-based executives said they faced information overload, versus 38 and 44 per cent (respectively) this year.

While most provinces and business sectors showed little change, there were a few that saw things deteriorate. Those in the academic and education sectors were far more likely to say things have gotten worse – 42 per cent in 2010 versus 61 per cent in 2011 saying they suffer from information overload.

“Organizations often need to make significant procedural changes to effectively address information overload,” said Kathryn Brohman, Professor, Management Information Systems, School of Business, Queen’s University. “For organizations to be successful combating information overload they need both the right technology and the right procedures.”

Canadian executives understand that in today’s information age it is not about having all information, rather having the right information. Eighty per cent said they’d make better informed business decisions if they had the right tools in place to analyze information more effectively, yet 1 in 4 (24 per cent) say they do not have the right information to make effective business decisions about their business performance. Read the rest of this entry »

As the title says, Proof of Concept Interactive has launched their first title on Nokia’s Ovi Store. Available for $2.99, Assert Yourself is an eLearning app designed to help people build their confidence and skills. According to the POC blog, Assert Yourself teaches communication, self-worth, presentation and body language. Job hunting, speaking with managers, and of course the dreaded job interview, bring all of these skills together. A candidate needs to project confidence, keep their composure, and stay assertive.

Studio owner Marcel Barker, in talking about the new app, stated that “As we developed our course material we came to realize how relevant it was to finding work, and so a late change we made to the app was to add a module on job interview skills.”

Now the studio hopes to be able to partner with various government agencies in order to provide those out of work with free access to the app, hopefully improving upon their skills and helping them to be successful in their search for employment.

From the App’s description, the first course for Assert Yourself is Assertiveness Skills and Self-Confidence, a full-featured assertiveness training course. Assert Yourself is a fully-featured course which includes lessons on communications skills, presentations, SMART goal setting, and workplace bullying. Assert Yourself boasts a strategy of “28 days to a new you”. The course includes daily exercises tailored to the ten course modules, as well as a daily “Mirror Checklist” for daily assertiveness and self-confidence goals. For front-camera enabled smartphones, Assert Yourself also provides an “on-the-go bathroom mirror” for quick facial and body language practice or to prepare before an important presentation. The exercises range from demonstrative videos to interactive quizzes to using the device’s microphone to practice speaking clearly and professionally.

DHX Media is pleased to announce that the live-action sketch comedy That’s So Weird! has been commissioned for a third season by YTV. The Canadian broadcaster has ordered an additional 13 episodes bringing the total number ordered to 39. Nominated for a Gemini Award and Canadian Comedy Award in 2010, That’s So Weird! also airs around the globe on Boomerang Latin America, Nickelodeon in Australia and New Zealand and Canal Panda in Portugal.

Prodigy Pictures, in association with Shaw Media have announced that the supernatural Canadian drama Lost Girl, has started production on Season Two this week in Toronto. Thirteen one-hour episodes will be filmed at a west end Toronto sound stage and on location in and around the city until September 22nd. Season two is expected to premiere on Showcase this fall.

Anna Silk (Being Erica, Billable Hours) reprises her role as “Bo”, the tough yet loveable Succubus who survives by feeding off sexual energy. Kris Holden-Ried (Ben Hur, The Tudors, Underworld 4) returns as “Dyson”, the shape-shifting Fae, homicide detective, and Bo’s love interest. Other popular returning cast members include Bo’s human confidante and street-smart survivor, “Kenzi” (Ksenia Solo: Life Unexpected; Black Swan); “Lauren” (Zoie Palmer: The Guard, Instant Star, XIII), a human doctor who competes for Bo’s heart; “Trick” (Rick Howland: Billable Hours, Murdoch Mysteries), the mysterious owner and bartender at The Dal Riata tavern, with a secretive past that is yet to be unlocked; “Hale” (K.C. Collins: Owning Mahowny, Doomstown), a handsome male “Siren” who is the eternal bachelor, ultimate wingman and Dyson’s partner on the force. Read the rest of this entry »

Toronto Digifest is getting ready to highlight your best art. The show’s organizers are gathering up amazing work for both the festival’s exclusive online digital showcase and the weekend exhibitions that will take place alongside the many offerings of Toronto Digifest this October 29th and 30th.

If you’ve got a piece to show off that fits into one of these categories, or something that belongs in its own unique category, Digifest wants to hear from you. Please check the event’s web site for submission guidelines and application form.

• Interactive art
• Wearable art
• Installation pieces
• Video
• Motion graphics
• Architecture
• Graphic design
• Fashion
• Video games
• Web experience

Digifest is also looking to partner with galleries across the city to help them show off the latest and greatest digital media creations. If you are interested in a potential partnership – whether it be with the artists they source, or your own – Digifest wants to talk to you too.

Also, if you are a game studio looking for a place to mingle with fellow developers, gamers & the general public as well as have a space to show off your work, Digifest’s organizers hope that you’ll apply to join them for First Person. Taking place as part of Digifest on October 29th and 30th, First Person is a game industry trade show happening at Gaming Inc., the new gaming incubator at 333 King Street East.

Frima Studios and Bolt Creative want you to be aware that the Pygmies of Pocket God on Facebook have discovered explosive mushrooms in Episode VII: Supersize PygMe. The latest expansion for the Pocket God world introduces an all new plant power, the magic mushroom, which helps get rid of that stunted growth gene the poor Pygmies have had to endure for so long, and the update also gives players the chance to purchase real-life goods for themselves and earn Facebook Credits in the process.

Since its debut in December 2010, the Facebook version of Pocket God has grown exponentially and is attracting more players every month. More than 55 million loyal, unquestioning Pygmies have met their demise over that time—that’s approximately the number of tonnes notable asteroid YU55 weighs (talk about clever names). Another two million sacrifices can be attributed to friends on Facebook sacrificing other friends in a host of brutal and irreverent ways, including electrocution, shark attack, venus fly traps, tornadoes, tar pits, and more!

The new updates for Supersize PygMe include:

• Fungus is Cool, Fungi are Deadly: Pygmies now have a new food to eat – Mushrooms! A new plant power has been introduced to the island allowing players to grow their own mushrooms for Pygmy consumption. These aren’t any old mushrooms though, feeding one mushroom to a Pygmy will help them grow larger and stronger. Two mushrooms though, and you’re asking to get blown up. So what does this mean? Combination pizzas are out of the question.

• Challenge Smuck the Mushroom Dweller: As if blowing up Pygmies by feeding them massive amounts of mushrooms was going to be easy! A new rival god, Smuck the Mushroom Dweller, has stepped in and it’s up to you and your “friends” to defeat him. With his demise comes a cool new idol. What does this idol do though? We’re not sure, ask Smuck! No go ahead, you first, we don’t want to get near him.

• New “Deal of the Day” Helps Earn Facebook Credits: Pocket God on Facebook is now showcasing a “Deal of the Day,” where players can order real-world goods and services for their life away from torturing Pygmies, and by doing so will earn Facebook Credits that can be used to purchase in-game items for Pocket God on Facebook. With Deal of the Day, you’ll be taken care of both off and on the island, talk about a win-win!

• 500,000 Deities Can’t Be Wrong: With so many gods out there, how do all those Pygmies keep them straight? Pocket God on Facebook has reached 500,000 players and the omnipotent beings at Frima will be celebrating soon enough, with plenty of in-game rewards and more in the works for players everywhere. Be on the lookout!

Following the April launch of its paid iOS game Web Swinger, Mobile Game Studio has released a lite version of the title so that you can try it before you buy it. This new fun packed game will put you in the mind of a spider. You’ve always known that you could reach incredible heights, defeat your enemies and be at the top of the world, so you’re got going to let the fact that you’re a spider hold you back.

In the newest in arcade games, Web Swinger will take you to another world, where you become the mightiest of insects, the spider. Tackle your numerous insect enemies as you battle against time on your quest to the bottom of the barn. Click on the down or up arrow to move the spider down or up the web and drag your finger on the screen to swing the spider.  Stay alive and beat the clock to reign triumphant over the denizens of the barn. Web Swinger and Web Swinger Lite are rated 4+ and are compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 4.2 or later.