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INplay 2011 has announced the five successful kids interactive projects that will be showcased at the upcoming INplay Conference; the unique, international event that connects kids creative industries with insights and opportunities in the interactive space. INplay is taking place at the Liberty Grand in Toronto on May 17 & 18. For tickets, schedule and speaker information please visit the event’s web site.

INplay has partnered with the Canada Media Fund (CMF) to create an exclusive opportunity to showcase Canadian interactive projects. The Canadian Interactive Showcase presented by CMF will provide Canadian companies with a chance to share their interactive project, product or service with an audience of investors, potential partners and peers. The following five projects will be presented to the INplay audience at the conference on May 18, hosted by Mike Wise, Anchor: CBC News Toronto, and Host, iDesk

PO-MO Inc. – Meghan Athavale, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Project: Customizable projection software
PO-MOtion is a free, customizable motion-reactive projection software that can be installed on any computer. The software can be used with any projector or large display (including TVs) and any kind of web camera. The software allows childhood educators and special needs educators to install their own motion reactive floors and walls.

Soma Creates – Josh Heidebrecht, Calgary, Alberta
Project: OLIVIA Paints iPhone app
Soma Creates will showcase two iPhone Kids games. Paint like never before by mixing colours together in OLIVIA Paints, make your very own fruit smoothie with none other than Strawberry Shortcake, and catch a glimpse into their next upcoming project.

Tactica Interactive – Kevin Glasier, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Project:  Tiga Talk Speech Therapy Games for the iPhone
Tiga Talk Speech Therapy Games is an innovative iPhone/iPod app that helps children improve speaking clarity and confidence. Voice-controlled games give children a fun and engaging way to master 23 core phonetic sounds. The product was developed and tested in direct consultation with speech and language pathologists.

Kidobi – Eric Sorenson, Toronto, Ontario
Project: Kidobi
Kidobi is a revolutionary technology that creates personalized programming blocks for preschool children, helping them get the most out of their media. Extensive parental controls and reporting tools give parents peace of mind, while our subscription-based business model helps content partners generate new revenue streams.

Pixton Comics Inc. – Clive Goodinson, Parksville, BC
Project: Pixton Click-n-Drag Comics
Pixton introduces the world to Click-n-Drag Comics™, a revolutionary new patent-pending technology that gives anyone the power to create comics on the web.From fully posable characters to dynamic panels, props, and speech bubbles, every aspect of a comic can be controlled in an intuitive click-n-drag motion. Pixton Comics was named a “leading Web 2.0 pioneer” and “one of the 20 companies driving innovation and changing the way we use the Internet” by Backbone Magazine / KPMG.

The commercial value of unlicensed software installed on personal computers in Canada reached US$1.066 billion in 2010 as 28 per cent of software deployed on PCs during the year was pirated. These are among the findings of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) 2010 Global Software Piracy Study, which evaluates the state of software piracy around the world.

“At 28 per cent, Canada’s piracy rate is at an all time low, dropping six percentage points since 2006,” said Michael Murphy, Chairman of the BSA Canada Committee. “While these findings show that progress has been made in reducing the software piracy rate in Canada, there is still more work to be done on behalf of Canadian businesses and consumers alike. The further we reduce software piracy, the better it will be for the Canadian economy.”

This is the eighth study of global software piracy to be conducted by BSA in partnership with IDC, the IT industry’s leading market research and forecasting firm, using a methodology that incorporates 182 discrete data inputs for 116 countries and regions around the world. This year’s study also includes a new dimension: a public-opinion survey of PC users on key social attitudes and behaviors related to software piracy, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs.

The opinion survey found strong support for intellectual property rights in Canada, with 68 per cent of respondents saying we should reward inventors for their creations to promote more technology advances.  Strikingly, the global survey found that support for intellectual property rights was strongest in markets with high piracy rates.

The survey also found widespread recognition among Canadians that licensed software is better than pirated software when it comes to technical support (92 per cent), security (83 per cent) and reliability (81 per cent).

However, across the globe the survey found that many PC users lack a clear understanding of whether common ways of acquiring software, such as buying a single program license for multiple computers or downloading a program from peer-to-peer network, are likely to be legal or illegal. In Canada, a majority of respondents said that peer-to-peer, lending software and street markets are illegal, but 59 per cent believe that auction sites provide legal software.  Almost two-thirds said installing multiple copies at home is legal. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you a ‘Cameo’-style volunteer, who wants occasional, flexible opportunities to develop your skills?  Or are you a ‘Type A’, a highly motivated leader, driven to contribute to a cause that means the most to you?

Volunteer Canada, together with Manulife Financial, is introducing a new digital tool that categorizes Canadians into six distinct volunteer types and recommends available roles suited to their volunteer profiles and specific interests. The Volunteer Quiz, or VQ, is the latest addition to a suite of digital assets that is part of a national two-year campaign. This national campaign is aimed at enriching the volunteer experience of Canadians and strengthening the country’s voluntary sector in order to build and sustain healthy communities.

According to the landmark Bridging the Gap research study, led by Volunteer Canada in partnership with Manulife, technology is creating an opportunity to address a disconnect between what Canadians look for in volunteer experiences and what organizations offer.

“Today’s volunteers are more goal-oriented, autonomous, tech-savvy, and mobile,” said Ruth MacKenzie, President and CEO of Volunteer Canada. “It’s essential that organizations recognize the changes that technology brings and adapt to meet the needs of the next generation of volunteers.”

Rookie, Roving Consultant, Type ‘A’, Groupie, Juggler, and Cameo are the six volunteer types identified by the VQ, and are based on the Bridging the Gap research findings. The VQ is the first online tool in Canada to provide volunteer opportunities best suited to the individual’s profile. The ‘Groupie’, for example, enjoys the camaraderie of group volunteering activities, and is best suited to large organizations with short-term or one-day volunteer activities, while the ‘Roving Consultant’ is better suited to work on specific short-term projects with real need for a specialized skill set.

“All Canadians have a role to play along a broad spectrum of engagement – everything from quick bursts of volunteering on mobile handsets to front-line volunteer aid in war-torn regions of the world,” said MacKenzie. “The VQ can help boost volunteer engagement, but it’s essential to maintain a balance between episodic and long-term volunteering.”

“As the leading corporate supporter of this campaign, Manulife is committed to building tools and resources that inspire Canadians to get involved in their communities and help the not-for-profit sector respond to the unique needs of today’s volunteers,” said Nicole Boivin, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Communications at Manulife Canada.  “The VQ is an interactive tool that helps people identify their unique volunteer style, which in turn allows them to focus their search on experiences that they’re likely to find most rewarding.”

Canadians can access the VQ as a feature on the interactive campaign website. The resource connects individuals to suitable volunteer opportunities made available through a powerful volunteer matching tool, sponsored by Manulife Financial.

Reminder: You have one more day to get your vote counted for the Canadian Video Game Awards Game of the Year. Note: Use of Facebook Connect is required to vote.

On May 2, 2011, the Ontario court approved settlements in a copyright class action involving freelance writers who wrote for Canadian publications. The settlement funds total C$7.9 million. The freelance writers are represented by Heather Robertson, a freelance author, and by Koskie Minsky LLP, a leading Canadian class action law firm.

The case involved allegations that the defendants infringed the copyright of freelance writers who wrote articles and other literary works that were published by Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., Rogers Publishing Limited, Canwest Publishing Inc. or their affiliates. The plaintiff alleged the defendants disseminated these literary works in online databases without permission.

“This is a tremendous result for Canadian freelance writers”, said Kirk Baert, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs. “Class members saw their articles appearing in online databases without their express permission. This settlement provides compensation for that unexpected use.”

In the next few weeks, there will be an official notice appearing in certain newspapers and magazines explaining how freelance writers can make claims from the settlement funds. The notice will also be available on Koskie Minsky’s website.

SIGGRAPH has released the list of courses that will be available during this year’s conference in Vancouver. According to the SIGGRAPH site, the spectrum of courses ranges from an introduction to the foundations of computer graphics and interactive techniques for those new to the field to advanced instruction on the most current techniques and topics. Conference organizers have also partnered with Vancouver’s UniGlobe Vision Travel to help you Make It Home to Vancouver this August for SIGGRAPH 2011.

The next BCTIA TechForum – Voices of Experience event is taking place on May 19th at the Sutton Place Hotel. Innovation, Productivity and Jobs: Why BC Should Care with speakers David Emerson and Jock Finlayson will examine the impact of innovation on British Columbia’s economy, and explore what BC must do to earn its place among the most innovative, growing and prosperous economies today. Tickets are $55.00 for BCTIA Members and $80.00 for Non-members or $36.00 Students.

The Hamilton community of the TeamBiz network invites local entrepreneurs and business professionals to attend its first networking event. Organized in partnership with the Hamilton Small Business Enterprise Centre, the event will take place at the Hamilton Small Business Centre (Hamilton City Hall) on May 25, from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.

The purpose of the event is to help small business owners from Hamilton and surrounding areas explore new opportunities for contacts and potential partners in increasing business. You can register online for this event. Seating is limited to 75 people on a first come first served basis. The cost to attend is $15 + HST.

“Our community is based online, but in the past few months, many Teambiz members expressed interest to meet each other in person as well”, says Ruxandra Bucataru, Teambiz co-founder.”We recognize that face-to-face interaction enhances online relationships, so we want to create a social and enjoyable pure networking evening, where people have plenty of time to connect, and we are keeping it simple and to the point”.

Several promotional opportunities are also available at the event, from exhibitor tables, to door prizes and contributions to goodie bags, handed to all participants. TeamBiz is a network of entrepreneurs with over 1,000 members Canada-wide. Started as a small peer mentoring group at the Hamilton Small Business Centre several years ago, the network is spreading at a rapid pace, with new members joining every day.

Best Buy Canada is now offering customers the option to purchase previously played games online for as low as $4.99 per game. The online selection can be found in the preplayed games section of Best Buy’s web site and includes games for several popular game consoles including Playstation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PSP and Xbox 360.

All used games are thoroughly inspected for quality assurance and are backed by a 30-day exchange policy. Best Buy will exchange damaged games for the same title (pending availability) or in-store credit. Customers can also search online for title availability at their local Best Buy using the “check local store availability” feature. Previously played games are not available in Nanaimo, Winnipeg and select Ontario Best Buy Stores. Customers are these regions are invited to shop online for all of the latest titles.

Yangaroo Inc. has signed a multi-year agreement with Black Entertainment Television (BET Networks) to power online review and professional member voting for the forthcoming BET Awards to be held in Los Angeles in June and The BET Hip Hop Awards to be held in Atlanta in October. BET will employ Yangaroo’s patented Digital Media Distribution System (DMDS) Awards solution to securely distribute ballots in digital formats to its voting members. Through DMDS, members will be able to review materials online and vote electronically at the time that is most convenient for them. The agreement with BET follows similar, previous deals Yangaroo has inked with The Grammy’s, The Juno’s, The Academy of Country Music Awards and others to provide award shows with a cost-saving and digitally-streamlined solution.

The research is in and the message from Canadian shoppers is clear – Hell hath no fury like a consumer scorned. According to the Colloquy Word of Mouth (WOM) study of 2,960 Canadian shoppers, bad news about bad brand experiences travels fast — even faster among Canadians than Americans, in fact. More than eight in ten (84 per cent) Canadian consumers say they advise family or friends about a bad experience with a product or service, compared with three quarters of American consumers who do the same.  Comparatively, just six in ten Canadian consumers say they recommend products or services to others.

“The best managed brands know exactly who their advocates are, and they’re usually found in the membership rolls of a loyalty program,” said Colloquy Managing Partner Kelly Hlavinka.  “But this study shows that advocates can just as easily become “madvocates” if their experience with a brand turns sour. Like a guard dog, these advocates are loyal until the owner gets careless, and then they bite.”

Advocates and Madvocates

According to Colloquy’s study, consumers can be broken into three categories or mind-sets:

• Three in ten (31 per cent) are word of mouth super-Advocates, or “WOM Champions,” who intend to recommend their favourite brands.
• Almost one quarter (24 per cent) are described by Colloquy as “Madvocates,” who are predisposed to engage in negative word of mouth practices after suffering a bad experience.
• Fortunately, “Pure Madvocates” — consumers who say they will never be advocates and are oriented to negative word of mouth only – are a rare breed, making up just seven per cent of the general population.

The Loudest Voices

• Canadian women are the most likely to be word of mouth champions (47 per cent); and twice as likely to advocate as “madvocate” (22 per cent).
• Almost half (44 per cent) of all affluent consumers earning $125,000 are word of mouth Champions, but an almost equal portion (38 per cent) are Madvocates.

In 2011, word of mouth Champions made up 31 per cent of the Canadian general population. This group is especially important to the marketers looking to arm themselves against the large proportion of the Canadian population prone to sharing their negative experiences. Marketers trying to locate these brand Champions should look no further than their own loyalty database. WOM Champions make up a third of total reward members, and only account for 18 per cent of those not participating in any program. In essence, there are almost double the Champions within reward programs members then there are among non-member population.

“Loyalty marketers must accept the responsibility for the impact their programs can have on generating both positive and negative word of mouth,” said Hlavinka.  “The best defence against negative conversations about your brand is a good offence – engage and empower the Champions within your own rewards programs”

Colloquy’s study also focused on how Champions differed in their communications methods from less engaged consumers, as well as Madvocates, by examining loyalty programs members. The following trends emerged:

• For both general members and Champions, there is a lot of staying power in “old school” methods — with face-to-face communications, phone calls and email topping the list of communication methods used by reward program members.
• However, the study also showed that Champions are much more engaged than regular consumers when it comes to “new school” methods, which include social networking communities, mobile messaging, and product review sites. Overall, Champions are 50-100 per cent more engaged across these platforms than other non-Champion members, making their involvement in a word-of-mouth campaign essential to its success.

“Marketers need to know that Madvocates are just as connected across multiple communication platforms as Champions,” said Hlavinka. “Madvocacy is an attitude possessed even by a proportion of a brand’s best customers. So, while you have a highly connected group of Champions engaged in word-of-mouth, you also have those ready, willing and able to discuss negative experiences within your program.”

Advice for Marketers

1. Find the word of mouth Champions and treat them well. Your Champions are also your potential Madvocates.
2. Don’t abandon traditional communications. While social media platforms are popular, email and good old phone calls and conversations top the list for brand discussions.
3. Concentrate on delivering on your brand promise. Please customers with excellent products and a rewarding experience and they’ll talk about you – in their channel of choice.
4. Don’t discard the Madvocates. They have the energy and inclination to tell positive stories if treated right.
5. Build community forums. Build a single, authoritative go-to place where customers can talk about your brand.

Colloquy is a provider of loyalty marketing publishing, education and research and is owned by Toronto-based LoyaltyOne.  Colloquy’s WOM survey, featuring completed responses from 2,960 Canadian consumers nationwide, was conducted in December 2010.  A white paper presenting the complete results of the study, as well as additional tips, is available online free of charge.  Colloquy previously published a 2009 study titled The New Champion Customers: Measuring Word-of-Mouth Activity Among Reward Program Members.

Reminder: Today is the final day for submissions to apply for the Shaw Rocket Fund Digital Progam.

A new survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) of 8,900 businesses shows that, if given the opportunity to start over, the vast majority (83 per cent) of entrepreneurs would choose the same career path.

It should come as no surprise then that 78 per cent of business owners would recommend small business ownership as a career option for young people. Unfortunately, business owners’ comments all point to the same common denominator: Schools are not promoting entrepreneurship as a career option. “Schools are set up for kids to start a career, not start a business,” said one member from Alberta.

And, according to CFIB research, the education system hasn’t fully embraced entrepreneurship as a viable career option for young people, with 56 per cent of business owners indicating that they did not feel as though there was enough of an emphasis on starting a business as a career option in schools today. “Given the many opportunities and rewards that entrepreneurship has to offer, it is only natural that business owners would recommend it as a career option and believe that schools should do more to encourage it,” reasoned CFIB’s vice-president of research, Doug Bruce.

CFIB Sr. VP of Research, Economics and Western Canada, Laura Jones, was also quick to point out that 92 per cent of business owners indicate running a business is a rewarding career. “Entrepreneurs are happy to go to work every day because they have the freedom to be their own bosses and tailor their line of work toward their own strengths and interests,” she explained. Adding, “If entrepreneurial skills and aptitudes were sufficiently encouraged in the education system,  the next generation of business owners will be in  for a great career which not only permits them to build on their talent and expertise, but also fulfill them personally and professionally as well.”

Entrepreneurs have no regrets is the second in a series of short reports on entrepreneurship. The first report is titled “The Secrets of Entrepreneurial Success” and the series commemorates CFIB’s 40^th anniversary and celebrates 2011 as the federally designated Year of the Entrepreneur.

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is launching a unique program in June to help Okanagan companies develop solid marketing strategies. The BDC’s Marketing Booster Program is an affordable, results-oriented program designed specifically for growing businesses with limited marketing resources that will be offered at BDC’s Kelowna office beginning on June 15.

BDC chose the Okanagan to deliver the Marketing Booster Program because of the large number of entrepreneurs and growth-oriented businesses in the region. “A business will initially grow using an ad hoc marketing approach. But eventually, it will need a structured marketing strategy to gain market share, access new markets and ensure long term profitability,” says Luanne Chore, BDC Consulting Partner for the Okanagan. “A solid marketing function is vital to any organization, especially when businesses must confront such challenges as economic uncertainty, intense global competition and rapidly changing technology.”

The 12-week Marketing Booster Program combines small group sessions with extensive one-on-one coaching. It begins with three, half-day group sessions held at weekly intervals during which a BDC marketing consultant leads training and discussions on nine key areas:

• Customer Relationship Management
• Competition
• Positioning
• Creating a Marketing Action Plan
• Managing Products and Services
• Managing Communications
• E-Business
• Managing Distribution
• Managing Your Sales Team.

By the end of the nine workshops, participants will have practical tools to grow their businesses, including customer satisfaction surveys, value propositions and action plan templates. BDC’s marketing consultant will then provide one-on-one coaching and guidance to help each company develop and implement a marketing strategy.

Enrolment in the Marketing Booster Program is limited to 10 businesses. Participants are expected to be either the business owner or the individual responsible for marketing.

The group format is cost-effective and allows participants to share experiences and brainstorm with like-minded entrepreneurs. “The principles of marketing are the same for all industry sectors,” says Chore. “Group synergy is one of the most effective aspects of the Marketing Booster Program.”

For more information or to register please contact Luanne Chore, BDC Consulting Partner, at (250) 470-4804.

Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a, the Nisga’a Museum, opens today in a dedication ceremony for Nisga’a people, dignitaries, and special guests. Opening on the 11th anniversary of the Nisga’a Final Agreement, the museum is the permanent home of the Ancestors’ Collection—over 300 Nisga’a artifacts that have been repatriated through British Columbia’s first modern treaty. Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a is located in Laxgalts’ap, which is approximately 140km northwest from Terrace, BC.

“Our scattered legacy has come home,” explains Mitchell Stevens, president of Nisga’a Lisims Government. “These treasures connect us directly to this place and yet tell stories with universal themes. I invite everyone to come up and have a look for themselves. You will be moved by the power and spirit encountered here.”

Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a means “The Heart of Nisga’a House Crests,” a name that celebrates the importance of Nisga’a tribes and tribal crests in Nisga’a society. With a design inspired by traditional Nisga’a longhouses, feast dishes, and canoes, the 10,000 sq. ft. facility contains exquisitely carved masks, bentwood boxes, headdresses, and soul catchers acquired from the Nass Valley during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At that time of radical change, many Nisga’a possessions were destroyed; others were acquired by outsiders and eventually sold to museums. Now, for the first time, these Nisga’a treasures are displayed together in their place of origin.

“The development of the world-renowned art style that typifies the First Nations of the north coast of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska had its origins at the mouth of the Nass River,” explains George MacDonald, Director Emeritus, Canadian Museum of Civilization. “The Nisga’a Museum houses one of the finest collections of Northwest Coast aboriginal art in existence. It will attract international attention and redraw the map of cultural tourism in British Columbia.”

Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a continues to evolve. Future exhibits will take visitors from the Ancestors’ Collection to the recent struggles for Nisga’a territory and self-government, to modern Nisga’a life on the land, river, and sea. The museum will be open to the public on an interim basis to the end of June. During July and August, opening hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Group tours can be arranged in advance.

“This is a proud day,” declares President Stevens. “Our ancestors’ treasures are back where they belong, housed in a place of honour. Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a is our gift to each other, our fellow Canadians, and all humanity.”

US-based Black Duck Software has partnered with Toronto-based Softworx Technology Group in order to expand the delivery of its software and services in Canada.

Softworx is a provider of ALM development tools and platforms designed to increase developer productivity, provides products and services that speed collaborative development in multi-source development environments. Under terms of the agreement, Softworx will offer products and services for open source governance and management with the Black Duck® Suite.

“The strategic use of open source software is fast becoming a measure of development competency,” said Phil Odence, vice president of business development, Black Duck. “We are pleased to add Softworx, a leader in delivering ALM products and services, as a partner as we expand our offerings to Softworx customers in Canada.”

Black Duck recently announced the availability of the Black Duck Suite 6, the company’s enterprise-class management and governance platform, which enables enterprises to realize the compelling benefits of free and open source software (FOSS) use in development. The Black Duck Suite 6 mitigates the challenges and complexity associated with enterprise-scale multi-source development via “learned” code matching and automated identification of FOSS, among many other features.