Village Gamer

Air Canada is pleased to announce the award winners of the 2010 annual Air Canada enRoute Film Festival.

Best Short Film: Adam Shamash for La Khaima: The Tent of Mile-End (Montreal)
Achievement in Direction: Adam Shamash for La Khaima: The Tent of Mile-End (Montreal)
Achievement in Cinematography: Shervin Kermani and Aita Jason for Sofia (Toronto)
Achievement in Animation: King Mugabi for Red Snow (Toronto)

“After receiving this award, I feel very honoured to have been highlighted as an emerging filmmaker from Air Canada, enRoute and renowned jury members,” said Shamash, originally from Vancouver and a Langara College alumni. “The festival has given me an amazing platform to network and communicate my message.”

Millions of Air Canada passengers around the world will be able to view the award winners on their personal entertainment system with 8.9-inch wide digital in-seat monitors and touch-screen controls offering hours of audio and video on demand programming at every seat.

Toronto’s Scotiabank Theatre hosted a free public screening of all the nominated films yesterday, followed by the awards celebration at The Drake Hotel. The grand prize winner was awarded $5,000 courtesy of Cineplex Entertainment. All winners were awarded an all-inclusive trip for two to the Whistler Film Festival courtesy of Air Canada.

Filmmakers, jury members and industry luminaries were in attendance at the exclusive event, including celebrity presenters Kari Skogland (Genie Award-winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, director/writer, Fifty Dead Men Walking), Carlo Rota (24), Rob Stewart (director, Sharkwater), and Kathleen Robertson (A Night For Dying Tigers, 90210).

Just in time for the holiday season, Rogers Media announced the launch of Today’s Parent’s first mobile application, the Today’s Parent Gift Finder application available for iPhone, iTouch, and iPad.

The free Today’s Parent Gift Finder application lets users find the perfect gift for any child based on a child’s age, play preference and price range. Users can also create wish lists for each child they are buying for and share the list with others through email, Facebook and SMS.

The majority of the toys in the Gift Finder come from the Today’s Parent “Top Toys” list, a highly anticipated annual feature in Today’s Parent magazine. The Today’s Parent Gift Finder Application is the first iPhone application from a Canadian parenting magazine brand.

“The Today’s Parent Gift Finder application is a great tool for anyone with a child on their shopping list – anytime of the year,” says Claude Galipeau, SVP & GM, Digital Media, Rogers Media Inc. “We are excited to launch this application using the reliable reviews from Today’s Parent to help parents, relatives and friends, pick out the best presents for the children in their lives. Santa himself will want this app!”

Presented by Toys”R”Us, Canada’s Greatest Toy Store, this app not only helps gift givers find the perfect toy, but gives them the opportunity to save money while doing so. In the holiday spirit, when users download the app, they will receive a special code which entitles them to save $5 off any purchase of $25 or more at Toys”R”Us stores across Canada.

The Today’s Parent Gift Finder iPhone app will be available exclusively to Rogers Wireless and Fido customers when accessing through a 3G connection and available to all users via their wi-fi connection. The content can also be accessed on all Web-enabled mobile phones at the Today’s Parent web site.

British Columbia firefighters, paramedics and police are coming together on Friday October 22nd to launch the Helmets For Heroes campaign to raise funds to for Honour House, which will be a temporary home for military personnel and first responders and their families who come to Metro Vancouver for medical attention.

The kick-off will be at 11:00a.m. as Canadian Forces make a special appearance by repelling from a Cormorant helicopter as RCMP Air 1 and the BC Ambulance Service Helijet land next to Firehall No. 1 at 1 East 6th Avenue in New Westminster. Navy divers will be demonstrating rescue techniques and the Vancouver Police Mounted Squad will be on hand all in support of the Helmets For Heroes campaign.

On October 23rd and 24th British Columbia firefighters will be out in their communities on street corners and public areas seeking donations from residents around the province. The goal is to open Honour House on November 10, 2010.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwxFm3i1NWg]

Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan has donated her time and music in support of Honour House. On the evening of October 28th she will perform at the Honour Our Heroes Gala fundraiser at the Sheraton Wall Centre. This event is proving to be one of the largest and most popular charity events in Vancouver this year, with 800 seats selling out in less than two weeks.

The support offered by BC Housing and the City of New Westminster was instrumental in acquiring the Honour House property. Members of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association and the Royal Canadian Legion along with corporate and community associations have generated enough funding and in kind contributions to enable Honour House Society to commence the extensive renovation of Honour House.

Honour House is the first home of its kind in Canada, a $5-million initiative by a group of grassroots Canadians wanting to build a temporary home-away-from home for military personnel, first responders and their families. The building of Honour House is thanks to the generous efforts by British Columbians who have donated their money or time. Efforts to raise funds for the project, as well as an endowment, continue.

On October 23rd and 24th British Columbia firefighters will be holding out their helmets for donations to support Honour House. Sometime heroes need a home. Now we’ve built one for them. Honour House Society thanks you all.

Where You Can Make Your Contribution:

* October 22nd: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Firehall No. 1 in New Westminster. Hundreds of firefighters, veterans, ambulance and paramedics ring the bell to start the Helmets for Heroes campaign.

* October 22nd: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Firefighters and other 1st responder groups visit Honour House to meet the work crews and get ready for two days of campaigning.

* October 23rd: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Firefighters will be stationed IN New Westminster at 6th and 6th, in Vancouver at Granville and Georgia, Robson and Burrard, Denman and Davie, Robson and Thurlow, 41st and Yew and Commercial and Broadway and for all other participating fire departments and locations; contact Chief Tim Armstrong. For BC Ambulance Services and their locations contact B.J. Chute (President of Local 873) 604-218-6169.

* October 24th: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Firefighters will be stationed at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver; Metrotown Shopping Centre in Burnaby; and 6th and 6th in New Westminster.

A new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll shows very clearly the recognition by Canada’s small and medium business sector (SMB) that the Internet is a key element of business strategy. However, the study also suggests that the country’s SMB sector may be reluctant to expand capacity to use the Internet and to hire or train people with the appropriate skills.

The survey, commissioned by Intel Canada, indicates that 90% of companies employing less than 100 people conduct at least some of their business with customers or suppliers over the Internet (with 38% saying they do “all” or “most” of their business using the web). Furthermore, 2/3 (67%) of companies believe that universal access to the Internet is “important” to their business.

“Clearly, we’ve passed the point where the Internet is a luxury or an add-on to a business’s operation,” said Doug Cooper, Country Manager, Intel Canada. “Canada’s small business segment wants, needs and uses the Internet to advance their company goals. The SMB sector is an absolutely crucial economic driver whose increased Internet adoption will, ultimately, benefit all Canadians.”

“For my business to succeed, I need fast, reliable, uncapped internet capabilities to move huge amounts of data into the cloud and deliver our creative work to clients,” said Chandra Clarke, owner of Chatham, Ontario-based Scribendi Inc. “Having my business located in a small community, I often feel the effects of the lack of digital infrastructure in Canada.”

The survey also points out a possible disconnect between companies wanting to offer more Internet-based services and investing in acquiring the skills to do so: More than 8-in-10 (82%) company owners said that hiring for or training people to improve either digital skills or the ability to do business on-line was “not a priority”. At the same time, almost 2/3 (63%) of all small and medium business owners surveyed believe they are currently spending “enough” on Internet-based technology with just under 2-in-5 (19%) believing they should be spending more.

Interestingly, almost 9 out of 10 (89%) respondents were not aware of Canada’s “moon shot” goal of ensuring that: “Anyone can do anything online in Canada by 2017”. This moon shot goal arose from the Canada 3.0 Forum this past spring which brought together industry players and entrepreneurs, government, academics, creators and journalists to discuss the future of the digital economy in Canada. Read the rest of this entry »

Bridgescale Partners, a California- and Toronto- based growth equity firm providing equity to high growth information technology companies, today announced Derek Smyth joined the firm as Managing Director. Smyth, a venture and technology industry veteran with an extensive operating background as a CEO, will leverage his company building experience and broad network to originate, source and manage new investment opportunities for Bridgescale Partners throughout Canada and the United States. Smyth has served on the board of many of Canada’s leading early stage companies and complements Bridgescale Partners’ Howard Gwin in Canada as well as the U.S. investment team.

“Derek’s operating expertise in both Silicon Valley and Canada as well as his excellent venture capital track record make him a great addition to the Bridgescale team,” said Robert Chaplinsky, Managing Director, Bridgescale Partners. “He complements our existing team of experienced investment professionals. We expect Derek to hit the ground running and make an immediate impact to the firm.”

“Derek brings a diverse network of relationships to the Bridgescale platform, which will enable us to attract exciting new investment opportunities in the U.S. and Canada,” said Matthew Cowan, Managing Director, Bridgescale Partners.
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Each year companies innovate, overcome obstacles and systematically defy the odds. The Technology Fast 500™ program recognizes these efforts in its annual ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology companies in the United States and Canada. The program is based on percentage revenue growth from 2005 to 2009 and recognizes all areas of technology and includes both public and private companies.

Last month Deloitte also named the Canadian Technology Fast 50 companies, and I am sure you will see many of the same names listed below.

Congratulations to the Canadian technology companies who were named to the Deloitte 500 Fastest Growing Companies List:

#6 – Varicent Software – Toronto
#14 – Prosep – Montreal
#24 – OmniGlobe Networks, Inc. – Pointe-Claire
#40 – GuestLogix, Inc. – Toronto
#46 – ARISE Technologies Corporation – Waterloo
#58 – Strategic Connections Incorporated – Markham
#59 – Impact Mobile – Toronto
#83 – Pareto Logic – Victoria
#99 – KineticD – Toronto
#103 – PNI Digital Media – Vancouver
#106 – ViXS Systems Inc. – Toronto
#107 – Allegro Mobile Solutions – Mississauga
#108 – H2O Innovation – Quebec City
#109 – Opale Net Incorporated – Montreal
#110 – RuggedCom Inc. – Woodbridge
#133 – DragonWave – Kanata
#144 – Research In Motion – Waterloo
#159 – Averna – Montreal
#164 – Diversinet Inc. – Toronto
#167 – Corinex Communications – Vancouver
#178 – iBwave Solutions – St. Laurent
#190 – Absolute Software – Vancouver
#208 – GEOTAB Inc. – Oakville
#236 – Wellpoint Systems Inc. – Calgary
#242 – MAKE Technologies Inc. – Vancouver
#269 – NetShelter Technology Media – Thornhill
#274 – Sandvine Incorporated – Waterloo
#287 – Creaform – Lévis
#295 – Intelex Technologies – Toronto
#312 – The Code Project – Toronto
#344 – Complete Innovations – Markham
#347 – Klick – Toronto
#351 – Intelerad Medical Systems Inc. – Montreal
#352 – Healthscreen Solutions Inc. – Toronto
#360 – Protus IP Solutions – Ottawa
#375 – Dyadem – Toronto
#382 – Digital Payment Technologies – Burnaby
#384 – Sangoma Technologies Corp. – Markham
#392 – Solium Capital – Calgary
#395 – Bridgewater Systems – Ottawa
#425 – Genetec Inc. – St. Laurent
#426 – MyThum Interactive – Toronto
#443 – PointClickCare – Mississauga
#458 – Wmode Inc. – Calgary
#466 – WebTech Wireless Inc. – Burnaby
#470 – TIO Networks Corp. – Vancouver

Waterloo’s Open Text Corporation has announced that Idaho-based The Stelter Company is now using Open Text Social Communities to foster communities and encourage collaboration and communication with its clients.

The Stelter Company takes a leading role in marketing communications to help more than 2,600 charities with campaigns that identify, educate, and motivate donors to make planned gifts. As part of its communication management strategy, Stelter distributes information using a variety of old and new media, such as direct mail and email newsletters, while managing the gift-planning content of more than 1,200 charity websites.

In order to better assist its clients and in an effort to reach a more tech-savvy audience, Stelter increased the number of channels it uses to communicate its clients’ messages and develop its expertise in online communication. In 2010, the company established Bestow, a community space for those who have a passion for nonprofit fundraising. Its efforts to embrace social media Stelter faced several challenges, including its limited marketing resources and a lack of social media expertise. Its clients faced similar difficulty adapting to new digital media.

To resolve this, Stelter approached Open Text to implement Open Text Social Communities, a social media platform that offers social portals and communities through drop-in, easy-to-configure portlets.

“We approached Open Text to use the Open Text Social Communities product, which we essentially implemented pretty much out of the box. It was implemented by the Open Text Professional Services team, which for us was just a real turnkey and simple process,” said Bev Hutney, Director of Innovation and Research at The Stelter Company. “The new community has provided the company with an opportunity to enhance its social networking, demonstrate its lead in innovation, and exchange communications with other professionals in the industry.”
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As a global hub for entrepreneurial success stories, Toronto will be host to the first MaRS Innovation Summit. Confirmed participants include entrepreneurs and thought leaders from Canada, Israel and the United States who are all actively engaged in financing, marketing and supporting innovation and start-ups in the knowledge economy.

This one-day event uniting industry leaders with innovative entrepreneurs will take place on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at the MaRS Collaboration Centre, 101 College Street.

The day of discussion and networking will be co-hosted by Dr. Raphael Hofstein, PhD, of MaRS Innovation and The Hon. Jerry Grafstein, QC, of The Toronto Institute of Public Policy.

Special keynote presentations by:

Gordon Nixon, President, Royal Bank of Canada
John Kunschner, Senior Partner and Managing Director, Landmark Ventures
Dr. Michael S. Perry, Venture Partner, Bay City Capital; President and Chief Medical Officer, Poniard Pharmaceuticals
The Hon. Glenn Murray, Ministry of Research and Innovation, Province of Ontario

Panel discussions and showcases include:

Successful Start-Ups: Successful Job Creators Tell Their Story
New Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Opportunities
Modern Approaches to Technology Transfer
Three Canadian Start-Up Case Studies

Panel discussions and showcases will feature presentations by:

Loudon Owen, Managing Partner, McLean Watson Capital
Jane Harvey, President, Jane Harvey Lawyers
Stuart MacDonald, President and CEO, Tripharbour; Founder, Expedia.ca
Peter van der Grinten, General Manager US/Canada, dbMotion
Ram Liebenthal, VP Marketing & Sales, Early Sense: Innovation Patient Technology
Paul Chipperton, CEO, Profound Medical Inc
Yigal Erlich, CEO, Yozma Ventures
Nissim Darvish, CEO, Orbimed
Yaakov Michlin, President and CEO, Yissum, Hebrew University
Jonathan Levy, Consul for Economic Affairs and Trade Commissioner, Government of Israel, Economic Mission to Canada
Dr. Ted Sargent, Xagenic
Michael Kraft, Chairman and CEO, Lingo Media
Amar Varma, President and Co-Founder, Xtreme Labs, Xtreme Venture Partners
S. Morry Blumenfeld, Chief Investment Officer, MediTech Partners
John Varghese, Managing Partner, VentureLink Group of Funds
Mark Usher, Partner, Wellington Financial LP

“The goal of our inaugural MaRS Innovation Summit is to bring together dynamic entrepreneurs with industry innovators and thought leaders of today, as we examine the aspects of economic growth in tangible terms,” says Dr. Hofstein, PhD.

Registration is open to the public and is expected to attract leaders and entrepreneurs on the front lines of economic growth, along with those behind the scenes as investors, innovators, deal-makers, deal-brokers and agents of change.

“We anticipate a prosperous day of networking and sharing ideas as we showcase start-ups in the bio-tech, pharma and hi-tech industry,” states The Hon. Jerry Grafstein, QC. “It will be a practical guide for venture capitalists and start-up entrepreneurs alike to navigate their way to capital and markets in order to create jobs in the knowledge economy that knows no borders.”

MaRS Innovation Summit is a collaborative partnership between MaRS Innovation, The Toronto Institute of Public Policy, MaRS Discovery District and Yissum Technology Transfer.

MaRS Innovation Summit 2010 appreciates the generous support of its many sponsors. A special thank you to Summit Sponsors Rogers Communications and Minden Gross LLP.

Google Inc. contravened Canadian privacy law when it inappropriately collected personal information from unsecured wireless networks in neighbourhoods across the country, an investigation has found.

The Privacy Commissioner’s investigation also concluded that the incident was the result of an engineer’s careless error as well as a lack of controls to ensure that necessary procedures to protect privacy were followed.

“Our investigation shows that Google did capture personal information – and, in some cases, highly sensitive personal information such as complete e-mails. This incident was a serious violation of Canadians’ privacy rights,” says Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart.

“The impact of new and rapidly evolving technologies on modern life is undeniably exciting. However, the consequences for people can be grave if the potential privacy implications aren’t properly considered at the development stage of these new technologies.”

The personal information collected included complete e-mails, e-mail addresses, usernames and passwords, names and residential telephone numbers and addresses. Some of the captured information was very sensitive, such as a list that provided the names of people suffering from certain medical conditions, along with their telephone numbers and addresses.

It is likely that thousands of Canadians were affected by the incident. Technical experts from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner travelled to the company’s offices in Mountain View, Calif. in order to perform an on-site examination of the data that was collected. They conducted an automated search for data that appeared to constitute personal information.

To protect privacy, the experts manually examined only a small sample of data flagged by the automated search. Therefore, it’s not possible to say how much personal information was collected from unencrypted wireless networks.
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Montreal-based Mad Science Group® has launched the Mad Science Kids Club powered by Everloop, becoming the first-ever science social network platform created specifically for kids.

A “virtual science playground,” the Mad Science Kids Club offers children a unique science-based platform for connecting, exploring and learning with peers online through the company’s signature science enrichment programs. Mad Science Kids Club offers applications including:

— Lab Rat: A panel of experts answers kids’ real science questions
— Science Zone: Offers kids and parents fun, do-at-home science experiments
— Brain Busters: Brain teasers, puzzles, and optical illusions
— Around the Word: An online kids’ book club

In addition, the Mad Science Kids Club gives kids a rich array of social media features including real-time communications: Instant Messaging (IM); email; Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a Skype(TM)-like application for kids; a friend post stream where kids can share their favorite content including videos, music, and photos; a robust game arcade and much more.

“We are so thrilled to launch the Mad Science Kids Club, furthering our mission to spark children’s imagination and provide them with a tangible, fun and highly interactive way to extend their experience with science outside of the classroom,” said Kathy Muloin, President of The Mad Science Group. “We are pleased to partner with Everloop in this effort – a full-featured, expressive platform known for its expertise in online safety – so we can offer parents a fun, and safe, social medium for their children that also promotes science enrichment.”

The Mad Science Kids Club is powered by Everloop’s COPPA-compliant Private Label solution, which provides partners with fun features designed for kids and an unprecedented level of privacy protection. Parents can also monitor their child’s online activities through the parental control dashboard.

“The Mad Science Kids Club is the perfect partner for Everloop, as it joins two of the most important features parents seek in a social platform for kids: educational value and safety,” said Everloop CEO, Hilary DeCesare. “We are excited to be on board with Mad Science and contribute to creating a secure and interactive environment for this revolutionary science platform.”

At today’s official opening of THQ Montreal, THQ Inc. announced that talented game developer Patrice Désilets will join the company next summer to form a new THQ owned development studio housed within its newest Canadian video game development studio.

“The best way we can deliver fresh, high-quality gaming experiences is by working with the best talent. THQ is delighted to have the opportunity to make a brilliant addition to our team next year with Patrice Désilets,” said Danny Bilson, THQ Executive Vice President, Core Games. “We expect calendar 2011 to be a watershed year for THQ, and adding developers like Patrice helps ensure our focus on new IP and great games charted by leading industry artists.”

Désilets previously served as creative director on the Assassin’s Creed franchise, as well as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. THQ has the exclusive option to have Désilets work from the new Montreal studio beginning summer 2011. When he joins the studio, Désilets will be charged with the hiring of a new team that will develop new intellectual properties for THQ.

Bilson added, “Simply put, we can’t wait for Patrice to join THQ. Patrice brings a passion for games rich with action-packed sequences, gripping characters and cinematic flair, and we’re all looking forward to having him and his newly formed team develop an all new franchise with us.”

Montreal is recognized for a high concentration of media talent and will serve as a hub for the latest location in THQ’s expanding studio system. Its selection reflects THQ’s strategy to grow development talent in highly skilled locations. Through the opening of the Montreal office, THQ expects to strengthen its internal creative development expertise, furthering its commitment to developing new intellectual properties.