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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.

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.”

Hootsuite has released the first in a 5-part series of White Papers exploring the ROI of social media. Aimed at Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the white papers are co-authored by HootSuite and Nichole Kelly of FullFrontalROI.com and will be valuable for anyone seeking to align social media with traditional metrics like conversions, acquisition cost, and revenue.

“Marketers want to measure social media in a way that is meaningful to the organization, but unfortunately most of us aren’t metrics junkies and there isn’t a silver bullet answer. This White Paper series is about showing marketers how they can finally tie their results to financial metrics like sales, revenue, and cost,” states Ms. Kelly. “I partnered with HootSuite on this project, because my analysis of their Custom Social Analytic Reports shows that it isn’t about giving you a pretty set of social media metrics. It’s about data that will drive better decision making in your organization.”

The first White Paper, “Introduction to Social Media Measurement“ is available now, opening the door into the strange world of marketing and social media. The full series will give companies a better understanding of the many facets of measuring campaigns for lead generation, customer retention, brand awareness and other business aims. The white papers will be available sequentially at two week intervals for free download. HootSuite will also be hosting two public webinars with Ms. Kelly following publication of the 2nd and 4th installations.

A $3.5-million grant announced today by Premier Christy Clark will generate jobs and promote innovation by creating new research opportunities in the province.

The grant – awarded to MITACS, a Vancouver-based research network which creates and manages unique research and training programs – will enable B.C. graduate students and new PhDs to connect with businesses and apply their research to real-world challenges and attract top international undergraduate students to local universities.

“Research and innovation are key to economic growth in our province, and to providing jobs for B.C. families into the future,” Premier Clark said. “With this announcement, we are working with our partners to take great ideas from our university labs and turn them into excellent jobs, driving progress in every sector of our economy.”

The funding will create up to 300 new graduate internships through the MITACS-Accelerate program and 19 fellowships for recent PhD graduates through MITACS-Elevate, as well as foster better linkages between BC’s universities and some of the brightest international talent through the Globalink program.

Established in 1999, MITACS is a not-for-profit research organization which partners with government, universities and industry to recruit, train and retain graduate students in B.C.

“MITACS has far exceeded our expectations by connecting almost 1,000 graduate students with B.C. businesses and organizations to create innovative products and practices,” said Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation. “Today’s investment will help build the highly-educated workforce we need to be a leader in innovation and commercialization.” Read the rest of this entry »

TVOKids is calling on students across Ontario to nominate their favourite teacher in its fifth annual Best Teacher Ever Contest, presented by Scholar’s Choice and in partnership with City Parent magazine. With the chance for both teachers and students to win great prizes, the contest is a perfect way to end the school year on a high note.

From May 2 until June 12, the contest gives kids in Junior Kindergarten up to Grade 6 an opportunity to recognize their teachers for the valuable work that they do. Last year’s contest received over 9,900 entries.

Both teachers and the students who nominate them have a chance to win. One teacher from each of three grade categories will win a $400 gift card from Scholar’s Choice and a netbook computer, and the students who nominated them will win a $100 gift card from Scholar’s Choice, an iPod Shuffle and a pizza party for their class. Five other entrants in each grade category will also win TVOKids prize packs.

To enter, kids must write to TVOKids describing what makes their teacher so special. Is it because they make every kid feel welcome and at home in the classroom? Do they go out of their way to give extra help after class? Or do they just make learning fun? Children from across the province can nominate their teacher in one of three categories: Junior and Senior Kindergarten; Primary (grades 1-3); and Junior (grades 4-6).

Entries can be submitted online or kids can send their submission by mail, being sure to include the name of the teacher they would like to nominate and their reason for nominating them, their school’s name, the child’s own name, grade level and phone number, and an original drawing showing why their teacher is the best teacher ever. Mail should be addressed to:

TVOKids The Space
Attn: Best Teacher Ever Contest
Box 200, Station Q
Toronto, ON
M4T 2T1

Winners will be chosen in a random draw and announced the week of June 12. Throughout the contest, a “Teacher of the Day” will be featured on tvokids.com. For complete rules, submission requirements, and prizing information, please visit tvokids.com.

Toronto-based GoGoNews, the online news resource for children, has launched GoGoNews.com, an interactive web site featuring daily news for school children ages seven to 13 years old. GoGoNews.com features popular headlines from mainstream media with filtered content, informing children of global events while simultaneously protecting them from images and story details appropriate for more mature audiences. In addition to breaking news, GoGoNews covers Science, Art, Government, Politics and Geography, offering fun facts and stories that capture children’s attention and encourage exploration of new subjects.

Designed to provide parents and teachers with interesting topics to engage children in conversation and expand their knowledge, GoGoNews provides a safe means for addressing the harsh realities of today’s world. The site is organized in stories that are packed with facts but concise enough to keep young readers engaged and hungry for the next article. The news articles can be readily accessed with the site’s simple and intuitive navigation:

Headlines – covers breaking news
Cool & Fun – contains items like brain teasers, puzzles and jokes
Picks – is filled with editor’s and children’s recommendations on top books, toys, and gift ideas
Planet – feature interesting facts about space and the environment
Talk – provides a forum for kids and parents to post feedback, comments and ideas
Teach – offers  suggestions for parents and educators on how to approach difficult news topics and innovative ways to introduce new lessons

“We created GoGoNews to inform kids about world events in a safe manner, feeding their young, inquisitive minds with real news, while also protecting them from content that is too sophisticated or beyond their

Golnar Khosrowshahi

comprehension,” said Golnar Khosrowshahi, founder and editor in chief of GoGoNews. “As a parent, I want my children to grow up and be educated in a global context; to think of countries near and far as their neighbors who do things just a little differently. I believe that the next generation of leaders will be those who have grown up connected to the world around them intellectually, academically and socially. With GoGoNews, we are creating the opportunity for children to improve their literacy, gain a new vocabulary and learn about different people, countries, and cultures in a fun and entertaining format.”

Khosrowshahi started GoGoNews in 2007 for her then five-year-old twin daughters after they saw a newspaper cover with a devastating photograph of a little girl after an earthquake in Pakistan. Rather than ignoring her daughters’ ensuing questions and finding them an alternative distraction, Khosrowshahi explained earthquakes and the types of damage they can cause.

The interest, emotions and discussion that followed inspired Khosrowshahi to create a daily online newsletter for her girls. The result was a compilation of culled headlines and relevant data that encouraged conversation about what they read, learned and felt about the news. The newsletter quickly gained a following among family, friends and elementary schools and led to the creation of GoGoNews.com, which, unlike other similarly branded news sources geared for children, is updated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Today, GoGoNews is compiled by an editorial team, with consultation and input from an advisory board that includes teachers, child psychologists, curriculum specialists and various educators who guide classroom discussion and materials and advise on the treatment of stories about natural disaster. GoGoNews is currently being syndicated to elementary schools throughout the United States and Canada via the newsletter, GoGo On The Go.

From Black Swan to Bones: The Work of LOOK Effects is an evening session event being presented by the Vancouver chapter of ACM SIGGRAPH. Being held at the VanCity Theatre on May 18th, the evening will feature a cash bar networking reception when the doors open at 6:30, prior to the main event, which begins at 7:00. Tickets are $15.00 for SIGGRAPH members, $25.00 for non-members, with Group Pricing available at a cost of $20.00 per ticket for groups of 5 or more. Please note that Group Pricing is available only through advance on-line purchasing.

The evening’s presentation will offer insight’s into the company’s most recent work, including Black Swan, Limitless, Bones. LOOK Effects co-founder and visual effects supervisor Henrik Fett will give attendees a peek at how and why LOOK does what they do so well. Mr. Fett supervises digital effects production both on-set and in post production, and he is highly-accomplished in live-action production, 3D animation and digital post production.

Among LOOK’s other film credits are The King’s Speech, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Step Up 3D, Just Wright, and Bounty Hunter. The studio’s television credits include Harry’s Law, No Ordinary Family, Bones, Lost, and the Emmy-nominated effects for Life After People.

This event is sponsored in part by Annex Pro.

At last night’s opening celebration of OCAD University’s 96th Annual Graduate Exhibition, the university unveiled its new visual identity to students, faculty, staff and guests. The university’s new logo was developed in collaboration with the internationally respected firm Bruce Mau Design (BMD).

“This dynamic new identity asserts OCAD U’s catalytic role within the creative sectors, the research community and industry,” said Dr. Sara Diamond, OCAD University President.

BMD worked with the OCAD U community to design an innovative and collaborative process that included participation from students, faculty, staff, community members and alumni from across Canada and around the world. The design process included a series of workshops last fall, where participants were invited to share their stories, experiences and ideas about OCAD U and what they envision for the university in the future.

“We are honoured to have had the opportunity to develop a new brand identity system that builds on the rich legacy of the school and projects the image of a dynamic and multivalent future for the institution,” said Hunter Tura, President and CEO, Bruce Mau Design. “What’s even more exciting is the partnership we have established with OCAD U, the epicenter of creative thought leadership in Canada.”

Inspired by OCAD U’s iconic and transformational Alsop-designed Sharp Centre for Design, BMD created a base of

black and white pixel ‘windows’ — modular frames to hold actual student art and design work. Through these ‘windows’ the core of OCAD U is presented — conceptually strong, relevant, diverse, and compelling. “As we push the boundaries of art and design practice, education and research, so too does our new identity, giving the world a window into what we do here,” said Dr. Diamond. The identity is dynamic and modular in design. Every year, graduating student medal winners will be invited to design a logo within the basic window framework, providing the university with a set of logos for that year. As OCAD U grows and matures, a living library of identities will emerge, recording the ideas and aesthetics that have shaped our culture over time.

Last night’s unveiled logo ‘window’ featured works by 2010 medal winners Adrian Forrow and James Gauvreau. This year’s medal winners were announced earlier this week as part of the lead up to this weekend’s Graduate Exhibition, which continues until Sunday at 6 p.m. Each medal winner will be invited to participate in the program to feature their work in the new identity going forward.

The unveiling kicks off a summer-long implementation process for the new identity. “We plan to welcome our next cohort of new students this September with our new look fully realized across campus,” said Dr. Diamond.