CNM Short Takes

Knowledge House launches online high school Knowledge House Inc, Halifax, announced the launch of its latest online education program at its AGM this week. The company unveiled the details of its web-based high school, dubbed the Wellspring School. It will deliver traditional courses using a collaborative, problem-based approach. The Wellspring School is an independent high school that will offer courses in the areas of biology, chemistry, mathematics, English-language arts, technology and career-related studies. The school has begun to accept applications for its inaugural Grade 11 class which will begin this fall for students outside of Nova Scotia. CIPS offers up prizes for technology predictions The Canadian Information Processing Society will be awarding 14 technology-related prizes to teenage girls for their creative predictions concerning the future of technology. Predictions were derived from essays the girls submitted as part of the Technology Careers Essay Contest. The contest was launched at the CIPS Women in IT: Looking Towards the Future last March. Blast Radius builds new web portal for gamers Nintendo of America Inc has launched a new web portal for the gaming community with the help of Vancouver-based Blast Radius' content management system that supports the details for up to 650 games. The new site offers the gaming community an enhanced Nintendo Power magazine online, as well as a members area and search tools for the Game Finder. A new official news area also provides valuable information. Blast Radius' system was an integral component to being able to design an effective web site, says Dan Owsen, online manager of Nintendo of America. CAB throws support behind review of Copyright Act The Canadian Association of Broadcasters lauds both the departments of Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada in their release of a consultation paper proposing to review the Copyright Act. The CAB says that reviewing the Act isn't about curbing the potential of the Internet, but about ensuring that the Internet remains a viable tool for the distribution of Canadian content in the global marketplace. Microcell selects CMG's WSB gateway system CMG Wireless Data Solutions' WAP Service Broker solution has been selected by Microcell Connexions Inc to simplify Internet access on wireless handsets. The gateway will enable Microcell and other wireless service providers to access and manage information services and personal information tools. CANARIE and CA*net launch book of Internet history CANARIE and CA*net Institute Program have launched the book A Nation Goes Online: Canada's Internet History. The historical account of the Canadian Internet is told by the people who worked its frontlines. CA*net gave Omnia Communications responsibility for managing and preparing the book. The core team of David Ellis, Simon Cheesman and Mark Czarnecki interviewed the builders and founders of Canada's Internet. The rationale for the undertaking was to tell an exciting and groundbreaking part of Canadian history. Itemus sells interest in Personus to Cognicase Internet incubator itemus Inc has sold its interests in Personus, formerly Caught in the Web, to Cognicase Inc. Cognicase, an e-business services provider specializing in secure and scalable real-time transactional solutions, purchased the privately-owned company for approximately $1 million. Rogers unveils integrated service Rogers Cable Inc has launched a trial of a new service to integrate a family's communications and entertainment devices. The service uses a platform built by MA-based Ucentric to combine video, data and voice services across multiple devices such as a television, PC, phone and stereo system. The trial is being launched in Ajax and Pickering ON, with 50 customers. Blue Zone demos wireless app Blue Zone Inc, Vancouver, demonstrated a new wireless news-on-demand application on the Compaq iPAQ at Streaming Media West last week. The application includes wireless video, story-specific video-on-demand, a video playlist builder, personalized stock and weather, and a breaking news ticker. Shooting deals sours cash position at Itemus Shooting Gallery Inc, purchased by itemus inc, Toronto, is experiencing difficulties making payments on its debts of under US$10 million. Shooting Gallery contracts have been slow to roll in or delayed, contributing to the cash crunch. Itemus acquired Shooting Gallery's obligations in the acquisition, and is finding its available capital "strained" as a result. It is considering a number of options to remedy the situation. HRDC to fund OCRI to tune of $300,000 HRDC's Office of Learning Technologies is bolstering the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation's SmartSites project by $300,000. The project is to create a model for supporting community access sites in urban areas. The initiative hopes to prove that a suite of value-added services can be sustained through community access sites. Civil service computer strike averted The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada's computer service workers have voted to accept Treasury Board's final pay offer. The offer was submitted May 14. The total pay offer is worth between 7% and 12%. The new contract will expire April 30, 2002. SingTel chooses iMagicTV video-on-demand product SingTel will conduct a commercial trial of Saint John NB-based iMagicTV's video-on-demand product. The trial will last for six to eight months, with up to 300 households participating. Virtual Museum adds exhibits The Virtual Museum of Canada has released two new exhibits. One explores Nova Scotia's Sable Island, and the other a Yukon park in the Beaufort Sea, Herschel Island. getHOW! gets broadcasting DIY documentary makers getHOW! are producing a new cooking series with Rogers Communications Inc. The Ottawa company will make 26 episodes of "Margaret's Sense of Occasion" with Margaret Dickenson, to be broadcast late this year. The series will be shot to accommodate traditional broadcast and new streaming platforms. JAWZ pres: Legislation lacking in fight against cybercrime The chairman and CEO of secure information management solutions provider JAWZ Inc warns that cybercrime is on the rise and that it is becoming increasingly sophisticated. "To date, legislation lags far behind technology with respect to security breaches and computer crimes. Businesses have no choice but to absorb the responsibility for the security of their most valuable asset - their data," says Robert Kubbernus. JAWZ's computer incident response team, formed earlier this year, has responded to more than ten cases of computer breaches from Fortune 500 companies, and has had requests for investigation and forensics from as far as the Middle East, the company says. ArtQuest to hone online delivery of printed materials The CEO of ArtQuest International Alliances Inc, a developer and marketer of software solutions for the graphic communications industry, says industry trends indicate that quick print is a fast-growing market. "...Instead of print and distribute, we distribute documents via the Internet or telecommunications then print them at the office or at home. The main problem is that the printed document doesn't correspond precisely to what you see on your screen, which ArtQuest software can resolve," says Michel Benoit. He added that ArtQuest's long-term strategic plans involved carving out a substantial niche in the quick print market. Hemispheric downturn hurts MGI Software's bottom line MGI Software Corp last week announced that revenues in the first quarter ended April 30 have plunged to $5.4 million from $10.9 million during the same period a year earlier due mostly to declines in the North American market. There was a net loss in North America, compared to gains inj Asia where revenue rose from $1 million to $3.7 million. The provider of visual media software and infrastructure solutions aimed at maximizing the use of digital images and video reported a net loss, including a write-down of investments, amortization of acquired technology and a restructuring charge. Its loss was $22 million, compared with a net loss of $5.6 million for the same period last year.

CNM Short Takes

Broadcast | June 28, 2001

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