Game Developers Conference to Hit BC

Building on the success of the first ever Vancouver Game Summit in 2007, the Game Developers Conference (GDC) has announced that they will be coming to Vancouver for Digital Week in May of 2009.
The Vancouver Game Summit is dedicated in bringing the Canadian sector into the forefront of game development for the new generation of consoles. For the last two years, the summit has served a diverse audience that included programmers, artists, game designers, producers and studio leads. The GDC wants to continue serving these developers by giving them quality content, and bringing in speakers who offer fresh viewpoints.
Greg Spievak, CEO of Reboot Communications, one of the companies helping to organize the event, has served the Canadian game development community for the past few years and is proud to have put in the time and effort to bring this conference to Vancouver.
"We are proud to have served the Canadian game development community over the last few years," said Spievak. "Together, we will serve this major game development region with the focus and resources it deserves."
Vancouver Digital Week, which is organized by New Media BC, will provide partnership opportunities for the digital industry that will have innovators from around the world attending. The participants at this conference will be able to get an exclusive look at the latest trends and markets in digital media.
Kenton Low, president of New Media BC, is excited that the GDC will be hosting in Vancouver next year.
"Vancouver Digital Week will be more compelling with the addition of GDC Canada," said Low, who anticipates that the inclusion of GDC in Digital Week will allow those aspiring minds attending to network and exchange ideas on future innovations.
For more information on GDC, visit http://www.gdc-canada.com/.

Nero Releases New Media Software

With the release of Nero 9 earlier today Nero is attempting to provide their customers with a product that is both an improved version of the classic software and also an all-in-one solution that will allow users to manipulate a variety of files in a multitude of ways.
Many of the features of the improved software are the result of listening in to what the customers wanted to hear, according to Juergen Kurz, a vice president at Nero AG.
"In developing Nero 9, we polled more than 3,000 of our worldwide customers to determine the functionality that they really wanted from the suite," Kurz said. "This type of feedback has been invaluable to us over the last decade and has shown us that our consumers are increasingly living digital lives where the PC is the center of the home."
With this in mind, the people at Nero decided that in addition to packing in more features they also wanted to improve the interface and make the software easier to use. Looking somewhat like the familiar start menu of Windows, Nero now uses a similar interface in order to switch from function to function, with tabs at the top that also bear similarity to the Windows Media Player.
This probably isn't a coincidence, considering that Nero 9 offers playback and review options for most media - including music, pictures, and video - and the developers wanted these functions to be easy to use and become familiar with.
One of the features that was widely requested was a form of automatic backup and data protection, which Nero 9 has. With a simple wizard-guided process, users can easily set up a backup schedule to their liking and customize it to backup certain types of files, folders or the entire system.
The second program released today was Nero LiquidTV TiVo PC. Users of digital video recorder (DVR) programs will be familiar with the function of NLTV.
After working closely with TiVo, Nero has released a product that will allow users to pause and play live TV on their computer, as well as save selected shows for later use. Recordings can also be easily transferred from the computer to an iPod or a PSP, or can easily be burned to DVD so that they can be taken anywhere.
This program has also been designed with the user in mind, with the full retail version coming with everything needed to get set up: a TV tuner card, a TiVo remote, an IR blaster for wireless connection and a 1-year subscription to TiVo.
The last of Nero's programs to be released today is Nero MoveIt, a program that takes away some of the hassles commonly associated with connecting a mobile device to a computer.
With so many mobile devices each with their own interface and software, Nero has created a program that is compatible with most current devices as part of their plan to make data as fluid and easily manipulated as possible. The program is also compatible with most digital cameras and smart phones.
"We understand that consumers want to be able to take their multimedia content with them on-the-go," Kurz said. "Compatibility for all mobile formats is built into the product for automatic, intuitive transcoding of files to the best profile without hassle, even when transferring directly from one device to another."
All three programs are available as of today, with Nero 9 retailing for ~$100, LiquidTV TiVo PC is ~$200 and Nero MoveIt is ~$50. More details can be found at http://www.nero.com/.

GSM Association to Make Broadband Ubiquitous

The advent of the Internet has made many tasks easy and convenient to perform online, from communications, to research, to banking, and even working in some cases. The steadily falling price of Wi-Fi laptops and 3G-enabled phones has helped to make the Internet a necessity, not only for all things, but in all places.
Now, the GSM Association, along with 17 of the world's leaders in technology, computing, and mobile services are joining forces in order to try and make the Internet truly ubiquitous by providing mobile broadband service pre-installed in their products.
"Mobile Broadband is like a home or office broadband connection with one crucial difference: freedom," said Michael O'Hara, CMO of the GSMA. "Freedom from hot spots, freedom from complexity and freedom from security concerns... This commitment is manifested in a service mark that we expect to see on several hundred thousand notebooks in the shops by the holiday season."
The companies that have agreed to take part in the ambitious new project range from big name computing companies such as Dell and Microsoft to LG and Qualcomm.
With WiMAX not yet implemented in most areas, but Wireless Broadband technology granting Internet access to millions of 3G iPhones, BlackBerrys and other smartphones worldwide, this may be the last mile solution that users have been waiting for to be implemented in their favourite gadgets.
And the gadgets that the aforementioned companies are talking about equipping with Wireless Internet range from the typical - computers and digital cameras - to the obscure and unexpected, such as cars and refrigerators. While the merits of having an Internet-ready car are obvious, one might wonder why anyone would need a broadband fridge.
"While there will always be a place for WiFi connectivity, the great merit of Mobile Broadband might be that it liberates the user from the spatial tyranny of the so-called hotspot," said Shiv K. Bakhshi, Ph.D., IDC director of mobility research. "The Mobile Broadband initiative is a timely one in that it leverages the increasingly widespread availability of high-bandwidth networks in both developed and developing economies."
All of the companies involved are excited about the project, although it will take some time to implement fully.
Dell, who has recently attempted to market towards "digital nomads" - those who work and conduct their lives online from a variety of locations worldwide - and it is a natural step for them to join this project and team up with the GSMA.
"Dell offers one of the widest portfolios of Mobile Broadband-ready devices because consumers demand technology that allows them to connect any place, any time. The GSMA Mobile Broadband initiative will make it easy for digital nomads to identify devices that allow them to surf the Web, chat with friends, keep updated on the latest news, share photos or connect with their social networks anytime, anywhere," said John Thode, vice president small devices, Dell Consumer Group.
Look for Mobile Broadband certified products in the near future, starting first with laptops and moving on to all sorts of devices.

HockeyStars Puts Amateur Hockey Online

Amateur hockey players will now be able to show off more goals and generate more thunderous hits with their skates off with the new web launch of HockeyStars.com.
Citizens Bank of Canada is responsible for promoting this budding amateur hockey community. Citizens Bank wants to bring awareness to the game as well as promote their small branch banks located across the country.
Jason Farris, president and CEO of Citizens Bank, says there isn't much difference of what his bank is doing now compared to decades ago when Citizens Bank of Canada first opened up to serve small communities.
"We're dedicating HockeyStars to the real stars of amateur hockey who give their time to pursue a passion and a sport this is a big part of Canadian culture," said Farris.
Hockeystars.com is equipped with many tools to help coaches, managers and hockey players run their teams online.
"Some people have asked us, 'What does hockey have to do with banking?' Well, this is about brand awareness," said Farris. "We're a relatively young bank. We want people to get to know us, and if they like what they see, we hope they'll join us."
Once managers and coaches sign up to hockeystars.com, they will be able to do the following:
Post messages to the team


View schedules for games and practices
Keep track of statistics
Upload team photos and videos
Track payments
Players of amateur hockey have the ability to:
Play online hockey games
Access game schedules
Post hockey videos and photos
Earn HockeyStars points for online activities
Open an account with Citizens Bank that will include no ATM fees worldwide
Hockeystars.com is free to join.To see for yourself, visit http://www.hockeystars.com/.

Newegg Hatches

It's big news today for those looking to purchase computer supplies or equipment online, as a new e-retailer has come up from the United States looking to expand into the Canadian market.
After seven years operating solely in the States, Newegg.com will be broadening their horizons with the launch of Newegg.ca. The company has existed since 2001 and now has more than 10 million registered users.
"We are thrilled to be able to share our world-class products and services with our neighbors to the north," said Michael Amkreutz, vice president of product management, Newegg. "We have planned this expansion for some time, and now we are ready to bring our selection, pricing and overall value proposition to Canadian consumers."
Newegg sells all sorts of tech products ranging from straight-up computer hardware, to fully built desktop and laptop computers. The website also sells software, how-to books and other electronics such as printers, scanners, digital cameras and air conditioners.
"Newegg has grown dramatically over the years because of our commitment to providing the ultimate online shopping experience for our customers," said Tally Liu, chairman and CEO of Newegg. "This fall, Canadian consumers will be able to log onto Newegg.ca and discover what loyal Newegg customers have known for years: Once you know, you Newegg."
While Newegg expands, it has credited much of its success to it's commitment to keeping up to date distribution services and well-organized warehouses, and also providing their customers with reliable and efficient customer support.
To see what's cracking on the new site, go to Newegg.ca.

Online Auctions on the Go with eBay.ca

Standing in an electronics store and contemplating how much that MP3 player will set you back could put you in a pricing predicament. But, what if you could compare prices with other stores right on the spot, wherever you happen to be?
By pulling out your Internet-enabled mobile phone you can now start searching on websites such as eBay.ca for price tag comparisons and related products.
Erin Sufrin, who is the manager of public relations at eBay Canada, says that it makes sense that consumers want more buying options when they're on the go.
"With more and more consumers relying on their mobile phone for everything from the traditional voice call to making a purchase online, it only makes sense that eBay members are able to search, bid, and buy items on eBay using their mobile device," said Sufrin. "Depending on the device, members can access their eBay account either through their mobile web browser or through a dedicated eBay application. This allows them to look for new items, keep a close eye on their bids, or make purchases on the go."
According to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, more than 20 million Canadians own a mobile phone and eBay sales are reaching 30 million a year. Now, with on-the-go mobile shopping, customers can now save time and hopefully money on their next purchase.
From searching and bidding to checking their current status on auction items, to voice alerts and handset-specific applications with PayPal Mobile payments, shopping on eBay Canada is becoming more convenient for mobile users. Customer service is another important aspect for on-the-go mobile shopping.
"For eBay merchants, a dedicated eBay mobile application allows them to respond to questions from buyers, so they can provide great customer service without being tied to a desk," said Sufrin. So, the next time you're contemplating on that in-store electronics purchase, a quick check online could save headache and hassle, all from the palm of your hand.
For more information on eBay's programs and products, go to http://www.ebay.ca/

First Ever Mobile Film Festival Scheduled for '09

What if you found yourself attending a film festival and taking your seat beside Hollywood icons Robert Redford and Isabella Rossellini? And what if Redford and Rossellini pulled out a mobile phone and started watching a mini film on it? Well, that is likely what is going to take place at the inaugural 2009 Global Mobile Film Festival.
The GSMA, the largest global trade group for the mobile industry, and Mofilm, which distributes short films for mobile phones, have teamed up once again in order to bring the Global Mobile Film Festival to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Michael O'Hara, chief marketing officer of the GSMA, says showcasing mini films on mobile phones gives viewers another way to connect to the medium.
"There are already more than three billion screens in the hands of users, and with increasing sophistication of mobile broadband networks and rapidly evolving device capabilities, the time is right to create a festival devoted to small screen movies and to invite international film makers to participate for the first time," said O'Hara.
The Mofilm Film Festival will celebrate amateur and professional films that are up to five minutes in length. A short list of five filmmakers will be selected by a jury of independent experts. The winning film will then be selected by the audience using their mobile phones to vote with. The winner will then be announced by Redford and Rossellini with the winning film-maker receiving €10,000 Euros.
Andy Baker, managing director of Mofilm says he and Mofilm are proud to be working within two industries to showcase the best mobile movies available.
"I'm delighted that what started as an experimental project with leading film makers in 2007 will now become a key part of the mobile and film industry calendar," said Baker.
In collaboration with the Mobile World Congress (Feb. 16 to 19), the first Mofilm Film Festival will take place on Feb. 18 and 19. The deadline for entering films is on November 28.
For more information, go to http://www.mofilm.com/.