CNM Short Takes

Indiqu announces mobile gaming with Bell MobilityMontreal-based indiqu.com Inc has announced a new partnership with Bell Mobility that will see its games available to Bell’s Internet-ready subscribers. The company’s games are interactive and will be available immediately using the Bell Mobility wireless browser. The privately-held company is based in San Diego with a Canadian headquarters in Montreal, and supports a "global organization" as a wireless developer of applications. Consumers’ association surveys Canadians ecom attitudesThe Consumers’ Association of Canada is in the midst of measuring Canadians’ attitudes about online shopping and privacy. An online survey sponsored by the association, and funded by Industry Canada, focuses on consumer attitudes about "seal of approval" programs, consumers’ online shopping experiences and the steps users take to protect their privacy while shopping on the Internet. The poll continues through September 15 at http://www.consumer.ca/csurvey. Results are expected to be released at a later, undisclosed date. Imax buys digital projection technology from CintelToronto-based Imax Corp has bought the rights to digital, analog and video processing electronics for digital projection from Cintel International Ltd. The technology is said to render images approaching the quality of 35mm film projected images. Imax officials say the purchase is an important one, allowing the company to streamline manufacturing and development processes and reduce the cost of building projectors. The deal was funnelled through Imax’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Digital Projection International Ltd.The Hip offer customizable band merchandise onlineThe Tragically Hip rock band has unveiled a digital image gallery with band photos so that fans can order customised posters and t-shirts. Visitors can personalize images with band graphics and logos to create their own original designs. Posters and photos can be created from $8.00 up to $180.00. The site was designed by Memories on Demand based in London and Toronto ON and Texas. CRTC orders a level playing fieldUnconvinced by Vidéotron Communication Inc’s stalling tactics, the CRTC has ordered the company to resell access to its cable modem networks for $22.46 per month to interested parties in Order 2000-788. The decision follows months of arguments by the Canadian Association of Internet Providers that the cableco was unfairly basing its resale price on the prices charged to long-term cable modem subscribers. Finding that $29.95 was the lowest price Vidéotron charged its customers, the commission has mandated it to charge $22.6, or 75 per cent, as its original Decision 99-11 mandated. The commission also released Decision 2000-81 and 2000-81-1 approving the terms and rates for the provision of higher speed access services to ISPs by Cogeco Cable Canada Inc, Rogers Communications Inc, Shaw Communications Inc and Vidéotron ltée. Dot Com Entertainment boosts bottom line to black in Q2Dot Com Entertainment Group Inc, traded over-the-counter, has generated a positive earnings picture in Q2 this year. The Internet-based gaming company, located in Oakville ON, increased revenue by 465% to $436,312 from $77,215 in 1999, and improved the bottom line to $41,074 from a loss the year prior of $96,218. The company has recently expanded its product line of Java-based games such as Bingo and casino games, with sales concentrated in Antigua, Costa Rica and abroad. Brampton ON to put municipal election information onlineBrampton ON is posting up-to-date election information online in preparation for the Ontario-wide municipal balloting on November 13. The site, http://www.city.brampton.on.ca, includes a voting station locator, descriptions of the offices, election worker applications and candidate email/web site locations. IMAT presidency up for grabsInteractive Multimedia Arts and Technologies, an Ontario-based new media producers’ association, is gearing up to elect a new president. Four board of director positions are also up for grabs at the company’s AGM in Toronto on September 26. Funcow begins aggressive Canadian expansionFuncow.com Inc, a free Internet service provider, announced that it’s set to expand to over 100 Canadian cities beginning immediately and continuing through September 30. No specific cities were disclosed. The company will depend on ecommerce features to offset the cost of providing the service. Salter New Media to offer collectibles information on siteSalter New Media has announced the launch of CollectorCanada.com, a service to be offered on its Bargoon.com auction web site. The service will offer collectors of such items as coins, toys, plates and other collectibles a thrice-weekly webcast offering tips and news. The new service will also feature links to items up for grabs on the Bargoon site. Also at Salter, subsidiary Q1234.com has signed a co-marketing agreement with Torstar Electronic Media’s torontostartv.com. PixStream and Kasenna partner on broadbandWaterloo ON-based PixStream Inc and Mountain View CA-based Kasenna Inc have joined forces to provide on-demand and real-time video over broadband and private networks. PixStream’s technology, which adapts audio and video signals to MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 formats, will be combined with Kasenna’s infrastructure software. The two companies are targeting telcos for the service. The partnership agreement calls for product integration, joint marketing and sales activities. Evirus buys CIPLOCKS anti-hacking softwareEvirus Corp, Vancouver, has bought a 51 per cent interest in CIPLOCKS Inc, makers of the Virtual Air-Gap anti-hacking technology. The product eliminates the need for a separate hardware device to sit between a PC or local network and the Internet to provide security. Instead, it works as a virtual switch. As part of its acquisition, eVirus is committed to a minimum of $250,000 and a maximum of $1.2 million to the development of the CIPLOCKS software. Cyber hide and seek is prevalentAccording to a recent survey of BC residents, 37% of those who have provided personal information to web sites have made it up. The little white lies are designed to protect their real identity, reflecting a significant concern that legislation governing privacy is inadequate. The survey found that only one-quarter of respondents believed there are adequate laws protecting personal information. Only one-third of BC adults have ever provided personal information – a statistic that declines dramatically in higher age groups. Telexis now March Networks with new focus on IP videoTerry Matthews, CEO of Telexis Corp, now renamed March Networks, hopes his company will emerge as a leader in the IP video market. The company has completed a $16-million financing round led by Matthew’s Celtic House with Royal Bank Ventures Inc, the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board, Comverse Technology Inc and others. The company has, until now, concentrated on video applications for the security market. Now, it will focus on corporate and consumer multimedia. CIRA now certifying registrarsThe Canadian Internet Registry Authority (CIRA) has begun certifying registrars which will act as intermediaries between the public, applicants, registrants and the CIRA registry under the new model for the .ca domain name. CIRA has also announced that early this fall it will begin the process of pre-registering existing holders of the Canadian top-level domain. Enblast licences satirical Frank magazine contentEnblast Productions Inc has struck a licensing deal with the Ottawa-based satirical magazine Frank. Coincident with Frank’s publishing dates, eNblast will post some material on its Truth and Trash channel on www.enblast.tv. Frank’s biting satire will join other content including gossip about stars such as Britney Spears, interviews with politicians and footage of the CHIN Bikini Contest. Producers are considering making a television show from the magazine’s material. Frank’s content has already begun to be posted to the site. Loyalist College/ITG Cybernews 2000 Survey: Canadian Journalism and the WebAccording to a new survey by Loyalist College examining journalists’ use of the Internet: The number of newsrooms that go online to look for news at least once a day has jumped 10 per cent from 1999 to 53 per cent in 2000. The number of media outlets with a Web presence has increased nine per cent to 64 per cent in 2000: 80 per cent of magazines, 66 per cent of newspapers, and 53 per cent of broadcasters are now online More than 75 per cent of respondents said original news content went on to the web site. However, 59 per cent of them said less than 10 per cent of total content was original. Content, being posted by regular newsroom staff, dropped from 74 per cent last year to 66 per cent in 2000. On the financial success of the web site, 28 per cent of the respondents said their site was losing money, a third stated they were breaking even or making some money. Only 15 per cent of respondents said that it would be extremely important for future reporters and editors to be proficient in using the Internet. Francophone virtual community award winners named by Industry CanadaThe secretary of state for science, research and develpment has announced the winners of the third Francommunautés virtuelles contest. The program is designed to put more French-language content, applications and services to the ‘Net. Held since 1998, the initiative has now helped 53 French-language information and communications technologies projects, including 21 this year. Projects are carried out in partnership with government and non-government agencies with an overall budget of around $1 million until 2000-2001. This year’s award winners include the planning and implementation of tele-health programs, portals to offer information about the web in French, and region-specific Francophone sites. More information can be found at http://francommunautes.ic.gc.ca.

CNM Short Takes

Broadcast | August 23, 2000

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