29th April 2011

Starmine From Zyx Entertainment Now on iTunes

starmineStarmine, the debut title for Vancouver’s Zyx Entertainment is now available in the iTunes App Store for $1.99 USD. This colourful match 3-styled puzzle game currently features 120 levels, 3 game modes, starminemulti-touch controls,and Retina Display support as well as  Game Centre Leaderboards & Achievements to unlock. Starmine can be played for a few seconds, a few minutes or as long as you can survive, and you can  join the Facebook community for game updates, tips and tricks.

Every puzzle has multiple solutions, and with no move restrictions, players can solve each puzzle in any way that works for them. Puzzle game veterans will appreciate the fast-paced puzzle action. Special blocks keep the game fresh while the deep scoring system, achievements and leaderboards will push you to your limits and keep you coming back for more.

System requirements:

iPhone 3G+
iPod G3+
iOS 3.2+ (4.1+ for Game Center)

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29th April 2011

Star-Twine For PC Now Available

star-twine by eric billingsleyNew from game developer Eric Billingsley is Star-Twine, a strategy game with ambient sounds, unique visuals and a virtually infinite number of levels to play on.

Battles unfold on three-dimensional maps where you, a small point of light, must build structures to extract energy from the threads that make up the world. Energy can be spent on new structures, each with their own unique abilities. The enemy AI builds while you build and reacts to your play-style. This results in challenging battles that require strategic insight and quick thinking.

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As a small point of light, you travel along a sprawling three-dimensional map, building new structures as you fly around each level. The game emphasizes positioning and timing rather than micro-management, and there are many options open to you at all times. Your objective is to destroy the enemy’s structures before they destroy yours.

Features:

  • Unlimited number of procedurally generated levels
  • Skirmish mode with multiple difficulties
  • Online 1 vs 1 multiplayer and LAN play
  • Fully 3D maps where attacks can come from any angle
  • Ambient electronic soundtrack and abstract visuals which create an atmospheric, relaxing experience
  • Simple RTS gameplay that emphasizes positioning and timing rather than micro-management

There is a demo version available, and if you like Star-Twine, you can purchase the full version on Star-Twine.net, Desura or GamersGate.com.

System Requirements:

  • Operating System: Windows XP/Vista/7
  • Processor: 1.5GHz CPU
  • Memory – 256MB available RAM
  • Hard Disk – 200MB available disk space (Additional 200MB for .NET Framework 3.5 if it is not already installed)
  • Video Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible card with Shader Model 2.0 Support and 256MB VRAM (NVidia GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon x1600 or better recommended)
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29th April 2011

Going Loud Studios Presents Lair of the EvilDoer

going loud studiosGoing Loud Studios, creators of the XBLIG and WP7 title Zombie Accountant, has announced their sophomore title: Lair of the Evildoer – which leads us to a good news-bad news scenario.

First, the good news! The evil Dr. Odious has created you and given you the gift of life.

Now, the bad news! He’s decided you are not worth his time! Now you must escape his procedurally generated lair, fighting monsters and collecting loot as you go.

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Features:

  • 20 levels procedurally generated by pure evil, ensuring unique experiences with every playthrough
  • 26 types of enemies, also generated by pure evil
  • Over 15 weapons with which to destroy those enemies (phew!)
  • Weapon affix system to keep you hunting for the best loot. Seek out the “Kickass Shotgun of Haste”, avoid the “Cheap Pistol of the Chicken”
  • Stat-based leveling system, to help you escape the lair the way you want to

Lair of the EvilDoer is scheduled for release in Spring 2011 on the Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace.

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29th April 2011

Race For Your Life in Need For Speed The Run

EA Black BoxGet ready to rip up the road! Adrenaline junkies and speed fiends will find themselves on the wrong side of the law when they race for their lives in Need for Speed™ The Run, coming this November from EA Black Box. The hottest blockbuster this holiday is a game that takes players on a heart-pounding cross-country race from San Francisco to New York. Launching on November 15, Need for Speed The Run lures players into an underground world of illicit, high-stakes racing on the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

The heat is on – and it isn’t just the fuzz who are after you. Entering the race is just the beginning as you blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds. Powered by DICE’s state-of-the-art Frostbite™ 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road even at top speeds all built around a gripping storyline. The cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story will have you at the edge of your seat… all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Empire State building.

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“This is the year that Need for Speed goes to the next level,” said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer at EA. “We think that Need for Speed The Run is going to surprise people with its intense, thrilling story and big action feel. But the game would be nothing without hot cars and crazy-fast chases. So that is what we’re delivering — explosive racing that will have players flirting with disaster at 200-miles an hour.”

Using the groundbreaking Frostbite 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run will set the bar with unparalleled visual quality and enhanced physics. Need for Speed The Run will also take immersive storytelling to a new level with cutting edge performances that will draw the player into a world with no speed limits, rules or allies. Autolog, the Need for Speed franchise’s revolutionary social competition functionality, is back and better in Need for Speed The Run as it will continue to reinvent how people play games, track career progression and compare game stats.

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29th April 2011

Micro Volts Get Zombified

rock hippo productionsRock Hippo Productions Ltd is pleased to announce that its new Zombie Mode for the anime inspired third person MMO shooter, MicroVolts will launch next Thursday, May 5th. The much-anticipated feature will allow players to become “Zombified” and take on the role of a Zombie Toy in this popular third-person-shooter currently in open beta.

With the introduction of Zombie Mode, even toys can become zombies as infected players take on the role of a Zombie Toy with unique abilities to hunt players with uninfected toys.  Uninfected players will have all weapons available but may not have as much ammo as they are accustomed to playing with which may leave them vulnerable to a “Zombie Toy.”
Micro Volt Zombification
In addition to the upcoming Zombie Mode, the MicroVolts online community hub continues to undergo updates to provide players with even more functionality.  Players now have the ability to directly compare their stats with friends and any MicroVolts player in the world!  In addition, achievements will be coming soon to the Club House along with the ability to share with friends, and competitive players can look forward to future updates taking their game to a whole new level.

“The unique style and variety of modes are some of the main components that make MicroVolts stand out from other shooters and throwing zombies into the mix makes it that much more fun,” said Howard He, President of Rock Hippo Productions. “We also know that the Club House is an important community hub for our players, so we are always striving to update it and give them features that help them interact with their fellow MicroVolts players.”

MicroVolts features fast paced, third person shooter action and pits players against each other in a secret battle that has been waged and going unnoticed right in our own backyard for years.  No one knows for sure when or where the first toy declared war but rumor has it that the uprising began with four original limited edition figures, code named MicroVolts. Battle lines were drawn when Naomi, Knox, Pandora, and C.H.I.P.-the prototypes a-were soon joined by an endless number of modified versions. Now, toy figures around the world are engaged in an all-out war for valuable battery resources and supremacy of the Micro World.  All we can do now is stay out of their way and wait for a champion to be declared!

With a ton of weapons, inventive character designs, and a huge list of customization features, MicroVolts is destined to invigorate and re-energize the Free2play space. Intuitive controls and a third person view make the game easy to play and fun for both newcomers and veterans of shooter games.  Game modes include Free for ALL, Team Deathmatch, Item Match, Capture the Battery, and many more featuring various maps designed by toy concept.

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29th April 2011

Business News and Social Media Election Updates

rtndaThe Association of Electronic Journalists and RTDNA – The Radio Television Digital News Association vehemently opposes Section 329 of the Canada Elections Act, which prohibits transmission of election results to the public in a district where polling stations are still open.

The law was initially intended to curb national media outlets from “prematurely transmitting” electoral results across time zones, theoretically preventing election results in Eastern Canada from influencing voters in the West, despite a lack of evidence suggesting that has ever been the case. The stakes are raised a bit more now with social media’s emergence as a primary reporting tool. As it stands now, if a media organization or individual tweets about or Facebook comments about Canada’s election results prematurely, a law has been broken with the offender subject to a maximum fine of $25,000, or up to five years in prison.

“Social media is emerging as a critical tool spawning new hopes for democracy in northern Africa and the Middle East. We should not see it going the other way in Canada,” said RTNDA Canada president Andy LeBlanc. “The Canadian news media has long been prevented from broadcasting election results to places where the ballots are still open. That didn’t stop people from calling friends and relatives on the other side of the country to discuss ongoing election results. Millions of Canadians using Twitter and Facebook should not risk persecution for participating in an unfolding democratic process, the kind of political engagement people in other parts of the world are dying to achieve.”

“We’re living in a breaking news, digital world,” said RTDNA Chairman Mark Kraham. “News consumers expect – and are entitled to – the most up-to-date, comprehensive information available, especially when it comes to electing a nation’s leaders. This law is archaic and? condescending to voters and should be revised as soon as possible.”

“RTDNA strongly advocates ethical and responsible elections reporting,”?Kraham continued. “Information about election results should be delivered after a strong confirmation process ensuring that voters are given accurate information.”

In a report by the Montreal Gazette, John Enright, who speaks for Elections Canada, said his agency has no choice but to administer the law as written. Citizens are allowed to phone or text friends, or send private e-mails. But posting to a Facebook wall, to a webpage or to Twitter will be considered a violation.

“The legislation is still on the books, so our role as Elections Canada is to administer the legislation that is before us,” said Enright, in the Montreal Gazette report. “If there’s a breach of the law, Elections Canada is not going to discriminate between the Mothercorp and Joe Smith down the street.”

poyntPoynt Corporation has announced the issuance of 150,000 stock options at an exercise price of 0.15 to an officer of the Company.

The options have been granted under the terms and conditions of the Company’s approved option plan. The Company has a 10% “rolling” option plan which reserves for issuance on exercise of options a maximum of 10% of the number of common shares of the Company outstanding from time to time.

mobilicityMobilicity has enhanced its leadership position as Canada’s rising new wireless carrier, announcing that it has raised $215 million through a debt offering. Canada’s premier institutions were key investors in this new offering, which was led by National Bank Financial Inc. and GMP Securities. The offering represents one of the largest capital raises for an emerging telecommunications carrier in Canada in recent years, and will provide Mobilicity with growth capital to further strengthen its customer experience across Canada.

“Mobilicity has a compelling business model and the best value proposition for consumers and we are excited about getting additional support from Canada’s financial community,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Dobbin.

“Today’s news, made just two weeks shy of the first anniversary of our Toronto launch and on the heels of our successful launch in Calgary yesterday, confirms Mobilicity’s place as the leading, innovative new entrant in Canada’s wireless industry,” Dobbin added. “We are very well positioned for future growth and opportunities.”

The company’s Chief Financial Officer Joe Prodan said, “Our strong balance sheet, best-in-class services and low-cost operating structure provide the strength and flexibility required to provide terrific value to Canadian wireless consumers.”

D-BoxD-BOX Technologies Inc. has announced a new agreement with FTT (the company’s first European distributor for commercial theatre expansion) to equip a first theatre with Austria’s Cineplexx with approximately 50 D-BOX motion seats.

The Cineplexx in Linz, Austria will boast two auditoriums with D-BOX Motion technology. This newest theatre in Europe marks the first sale of D-BOX in Austria for commercial theatre usage. Under D-BOX’s international business model, in addition to the revenues generated from the sale of the systems, the agreement will generate licensing fees payable to D-BOX in accordance with the systems’ use.

“As a result of our highly advanced international business model and collaboration with FTT, we are continuing to generate considerable interest in our motion technology from theatre companies throughout Europe,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of D-BOX Technologies, Claude Mc Master. “We are steadily increasing our presence in this part of the world and look forward to developing additional partnerships similar to our new relationship with Cineplexx.”

Most recently, D-BOX announced that theatres in Germany and the Netherlands will soon feature its immersive motion technology adding to a growing list of countries that also include Japan, China (Hong Kong), Canada and the U.S.

YANGAROOYANGAROO Inc. has announced its results for the year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2010. Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2010 was 44% higher than the revenue for the same period of 2009 and revenue for the fiscal year of 2010 was 3% higher than the revenue in fiscal 2009.  The increase in revenue is a result of greater use of DMDS for music video delivery by the major labels and the independent sector.  Revenue is expected to continue to increase as billable US music audio and video deliveries grow, independent sector usage increases, and billable advertising delivery volumes rise. Read the rest of this entry »

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29th April 2011

National Gallery of Canada Unveils New Site

National Gallery of CanadaThe National Gallery of Canada (NGC), home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art, including the extensive collection of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, has launched a completely restructured website. Using a powerful new search engine that makes its collections, exhibitions, events and touring programs much more easily accessible to Canadians and international visitors alike, making a visit to the NGC’s website both more informative and more fun.

The NGC’s five previous sites – the corporate website, the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, CyberMuse, the NGC Foundation and Shop NGC – are now integrated into one at gallery.ca. In excess of 30,000 pages of content-rich information in both official languages have become simple to navigate and easy to use. Social media and a new mobile website are other key components that enhance public accessibility to the Gallery.

“This new site gives our audiences a “one-stop-shop” for everything that is happening at the Gallery,” said NGC Director and CEO Marc Mayer. “Now, an extraordinary wealth of information on the Gallery’s programs and collections are just a few mouse-clicks away.”

Simple and elegant in design, the Gallery’s new site is loaded with exciting features that will appeal to experts and neophytes alike:

Navigation is intuitive. A series of simplified tabs and section signs guides visitors seamlessly through the site. New headings that invite them to Visit, See, Learn, Shop, Give and Join are just the start of unlocking a treasure trove of information.  A new collections’ application allows visitors to search by artist, by category and by century. Art aficionados and researchers will appreciate the enhanced Library and Research functions.

The Visit section of the site offers comprehensive information on everything that the public needs to know before coming to the Gallery. This ranges from admission fees to hours of operation, from accessibility to amenities and much more besides. The calendar function is one of the site’s great features. It gives visitors a complete and up-to-the-minute guide to the Gallery’s exhibitions and programs. A new i-Calendar function allows them to save events they would like to attend directly into their computers or smart-phones.

Retooled for the social media age, the new corporate site features a blog written by staff from all parts of the Gallery which is designed to not only keep people informed but also to let them peek behind the scenes. Public comments can now be posted. The new site enables users to share pages with friends and family and tell the Gallery if they “like” what they see.

The National Gallery of Canada boasts one of the largest On Tour exhibition programs in the world and showcases over 20 exhibitions in 11 cities or more across Canada in any given year. Also, as a result of recently-formed partnerships with museums in Edmonton and Toronto – the National Gallery of Canada@the Art Gallery of Alberta and the National Gallery of Canada@the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art – the NGC also showcases works from its collection on a longer-term basis. Through the new website, the public can now easily find out which exhibition is on view at their nearest geographic location.

In addition to accepting credit cards, a new PayPal service makes it easier to purchase items online, whether it is for merchandise at the Bookstore or a Gallery membership. Tickets for special exhibitions are available through ShopNGC which links directly to Ticketmaster.

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29th April 2011

Youth Music Movement Takes To The Road

Northern VoiceReminder: Get your tickets now for Canada’s oldest social media conference, Northern Voice because there are fewer than 100 tickets left. Northern Voice takes place at the UBC Life Sciences building this May 13th and 14th. Tickets are only $90.00 for two days’ worth of sessions on the very latest in social media trends and how-to presentations.

Youth Music MovementEvery successful musician remembers the long and hard road travelled on their journey to get noticed. This summer, a group of four, passionate, fresh-out-of-school cultural aficionados from Québec are about to give 11 budding young musicians their first big break.

Last night, Youth Music Movement (YMM) and members of Montréal’s renowned pop punk band Simple Plan announced the launch of a cross-country tour designed to discover Canada’s brightest up-and-coming musical stars.

From May 1 to July 31, the Youth Music Movement Powered by Pepsi tour will make 11 stops across the nation, where the YMM team – armed with a mobile recording and film studio – will produce a sound recording and a video for free, featuring young Canadian musicians on the cusp of making it big.

One song from each band will be featured on a CD that will be released at the end of the tour highlighting the diversity of musical talent across Canada. A portion of the proceeds from the compilation will go to the Simple Plan Foundation, an organization that encourages the practice of music to help young kids find a passion in life.

Canadians can follow the movement on Twitter (using the #YMMove hashtag and the @youth_music handle) and on Facebook. While on the road, Youth Music Movement will also produce 12Tracks.tv, 12 weekly webisodes that document their adventure across the country and feature the music videos and songs of each act they record. Read the rest of this entry »

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29th April 2011

VIATeC Announces 2011 Technology Award Finalists

2011 VIATeC Technology AwardsThe 2011 VIATeC Technology Award Finalists were announced last night at a gala ceremony interspersed with cheers for the Canucks as they won the first game in their second round series against the Predators. VIATeC also announced a new branding campaign in Victoria’s Times Colonist newspaper which will see the capitol region using the moniker “Tectoria.”

The VIATeC Technology Awards will be held on June 2, 2011 at the Victoria Conference Centre. You are invited to help celebrate the achievements of technology companies responsible for making Greater Victoria the fastest growing technology region in British Columbia. Now in its tenth year, the awards provide well deserved recognition for some of Victoria’s most innovative firms and a great opportunity for the local tech community to gather and celebrate each other’s successes.viatec

“We look forward to another exciting night of recognition and networking. We are proud that so many look forward to this event and honoured to play a role in highlighting the people, companies and innovations that make technology Victoria’s largest revenue producing industry,” explains Dan Gunn, Executive Director of VIATeC. “We’ve received a record number of nominations this year and we are thankful to everyone who takes the time to nominate and get involved.”

The finalists for the 2011 VIATeC Technology Awards are:

Technology Company of the Year:

-Backstage
-Contech Enterprises Inc.
-GeoDigital International Inc.
-HP Advanced Solutions Inc.
-Terapeak
-UNIT4 Business Software

Emerging Technology Company of the Year:

-Bet Smart Media
-Checkfront Inc.
-EvoShift Communications Inc.
-Reef Safe Fish Inc.
-Wifarer Inc.

Product of the Year:

-Contech Enterprises Inc.
-northStudio.com
-ParetoLogic
-ShipConstructor Software Inc.
-Terapeak

Executive of the Year:

-Alex Mendelev, CEO, Backstage
-Darren Larkins, CEO, ShipConstructor Software Inc.
-Scott Phillips, CEO Starfish Medical Inc.
-Phillip Stanger, CEO, Wifarer Inc.

Innovative Excellence:

-cebas Visual Technology Inc.
-NetroMedia Streaming
-RaceRocks 3D
-UNIT4 Business software
-Wifarer Inc.

Environmental Excellence:

-Carmanah Technologies Corporation
-Hydra Cat Performance Systems

Online Strategy of the Year:

-AdviceScene Enterprises Inc.
-Atomic Crayon
-Business Performance Solutions Inc.
-bWEST Communications Inc.

Member’s Choice for Service Provider of the Year:

-Adamek Financial
-Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP
-LL Brougham Inc.

Employee/Team of the Year:

-GeoDigital International Production, Project Management & Innovation Team
-Denis Morais, ShipConstructor Software Inc.
-Terapeak – Development Team

Employer of the Year:

-Backstage
-Edoc Systems Group Ltd.
-Reliable Controls Corporation
-RevenueWire

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