Village Gamer

Recent studies indicate major discrepancies between the perception of privacy protection in Canada and the reality behind the ability of companies to protect personal information. A recent report from Advertising Standards Canada and MacLaren McCann indicates widespread willingness among Canadians to share personal information, with up to 79% exchanging their data to obtain a benefit. Trust in companies is increasing as up to 80% of Canadians believe their personal data is adequately protected. Unfortunately, the privacy landscape in Canada may suffer as a result of a false sense of privacy, according to a privacy professional and author of “Managing Personal Information: Insights on Corporate Risk and Opportunity for Privacy-Savvy Leaders” (Carswell, 2012). Read the rest of this entry »

CATAAlliance has announced that it will add an interactive On Air Broadcasting capability from Google Hangout to its digital tool kit as part of strengthening community advocacy and sharing of best practices as well as conducting thought-leadership interviews On Air, including hosting panel discussions with up to 9 different experts. Viewers will be able to tune into the CATA Speciality Channel from anywhere in the world for live interviews of these thought leaders who will share insights on topics affecting enterprise growth and innovation success. A video record will also be archived to the CATAnet TV (You Tube) Channel as part of expanding the library of educational videos available to the community. Read the rest of this entry »

Calgary’s Shelley Kuipers, Chaordix^®Founder and CEO, has announced three growth-related developments in the Chaordix executive team, effective immediately. The company provides a unique managed services offering, combining crowdsourcing processes and technologies with social sciences research methods – for market intelligence, brand development, and open innovation programs. Read the rest of this entry »

The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) today launched a dynamic new online Business Resource Centre to support young entrepreneurs and the mentors who help them along the way. Available at no cost, the new Business Resource Centre features specialized multimedia tools such as webinars, ‘how-to’ educational videos and articles that provide much-needed education and support, and the ability to connect with experts and receive valuable business advice. Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver-based identity verification startup Trulioo has announced that the company has raised two million dollars in seed funding from Blumberg Capital, and recruited Google’s Director of Identity Andrew Nash as their Chief Technical Officer. Trulioo’s “ProfilePlus” product was released in beta today, assisting websites that already utilize Facebook Connect detect fake accounts. ProfilePlus is a free SaaS product, and leverages Trulioo’s patented algorithms to analyze a user’s Facebook account and provide a score indicating how much time it would take to create the account. Read the rest of this entry »

DHX Media Ltd. has partnered with Amazon’s European digital media subsidiary on a non-exclusive SVOD UK license adding close to 1,000 half hours, to their existing offering, of DHX’s classic children’s TV shows such as Inspector Gadget and Dennis The Menace. Read the rest of this entry »

RBC has announced that the bank has removed most fees on the RBC Visa Gift Card. In addition, funds on the prepaid card will no longer expire. In a recent RBC poll, 42% of Canadians surveyed said expiry of funds, expiry fees and maintenance fees were reasons to not purchase multi-purpose gift cards. At the same time, more than a third of respondents said they choose to give a gift card because 37% want to give the recipient options and 36% are not sure of what to buy. Read the rest of this entry »

A recent survey conducted by ORC International on behalf of Ganz, the creators of Webkinz reveals that while nearly 50 percent of parents believe technology is a great way to connect as a family, the majority (70 percent) still struggle with keeping up with their kids saying it’s time consuming, expensive or endless. To help conquer this divide, and timed with National Family Week (Nov. 18-24, 2012), the creators of Webkinz suggest dedicated co-play with parents and kids via their online or social platforms to bring families together. Read the rest of this entry »

DHX Media Ltd. has signed a wide range of broadcast and licensing deals for its preschool hit property Caillou, underscoring the brand’s enduring popularity with kids and their parents across North America. Following the recent announcement of a fourth season sale to PBS Kids, DHX has executed licensing agreements across toy, storage containers, health and beauty and puzzle game categories as well as a deal which will see fans able to create their own personalized video invitations. Read the rest of this entry »

Astral Media Inc. (Astral) and BCE Inc. (Bell) today announced that they have amended their Arrangement Agreement and submitted a new proposal to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for approval of Bell’s acquisition of Montréal-based Astral. Bell also announced that it has formally withdrawn its request to the federal Cabinet for a policy direction to the CRTC. Read the rest of this entry »