CNM Short Takes

Rogers, Melodeo unveil mobile podcast serviceRogers Wireless and Melodeo Inc. have teamed up to launch Rogers podcast Service, the first mobile podcast service on the continent. Through Melodeo’s Mobilcast software, Rogers Wireless customers will now have the option to listen to podcasts on their cell phones covering 16 different categories, including news and sports, technology, music, and comedy. The podcasts are updated daily and listeners can access them through Rogers Wireless’ mobile Internet portal. Previously, podcasts were available only through a PC, but Mobilcast allows for direct, over-the-air downloading to a mobile phone. "As the leading wireless carrier in Canada, we know our customers are looking for relevant, timely and exclusive content and with Rogers Podcast Service we are providing them with the latest mobile innovation to feed that need," said John Boyton, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Rogers Wireless. Breakthrough for Atomic Betty on Cingular networkToronto’s Breakthrough New Media has partnered with Swedish game developer and publisher GlobalFun AB to release a mobile game based on Breakthrough’s popular Atomic Betty animated series. The Atomic Betty Mobile Game, as it’s been dubbed, will be available to users of the Cingular wireless network in the US, with a spot under The Cartoon Network’s card on the Cingular deck. The game has also been picked up by wireless carriers in the Middle East, Europe and elsewhere in North America, with expansion to the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America expected to take place this year. INIS celebrates its tenth birthdayQuebec’s Institut national de l’image et du son (INIS) is marking its 10th anniversary this year. The Montreal-based audio-video training and professional development centre registered its first students in January 1996, and since then has taught television and interactive media production techniques to more than 250 students. This month, another 20 will graduate, including three with a newly instituted specialty in project direction. INIS’ television production program has been led by veteran producer André Monette since 1996, while the interactive media option is headed by Veroniqué Marino. This is Daniel Cook on Sympatico/MSNDaniel Cook, the pre-school-aged star of the Gemini-award-nominated TV show This is Daniel Cook, now has his own feature page on Sympatico.MSN.ca. The site features high-speed broadband video excerpts from the show’s new season, which airs on Treehouse, TVO Kids, Knowledge Network, Access Alberta and SCN in Canada, and Playhouse Disney in the United States. Marblemedia, the show’s producer, is also using the site to provide fans with Daniel-related online games, as well as merchandise. Kids can buy the show’s first DVD, This is Daniel Cook Making Gingerbread, and the Daniel Cook theme song as a ring tone and MP3. The page is currently featured as the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund page of the month. Masters in gaming to be offered in Sault Ste. MarieAlgoma University College in Sault Ste. Marie ON, is set to become the exclusive North American host for the Masters of Science degree in computer games technology offered by the University of Abertay in Dundee, Scotland. The program will offer aspiring computer games designers the chance to study for one of the most prestigious degrees in this field; it will be the first such Masters-level degree available in Canada, and North America’s first in games technology. Students will receive lectures via video-conferencing as well as visits from industry experts. "The MSc Computer Games Technology offers an international experience, opening a window to European and North American enterprise," said Dr. Celia Ross, president, Algoma University College in a news release. "We know the industry is hungry for these graduates and I look forward to watching their successes in the future." The course’s first students should graduate in summer 2007. Microsoft, Kidproof stage tourBetween January 31 and February 22, Kidproof Canada will be visiting four Canadian cities to conduct seminars educating parents on how to best protect their kids online. The genesis of the tour, which is sponsored by Microsoft Canada, lies in an Ipsos Reid survey revealing that parents underestimate both the amount of time their teenaged children spend online and the types of activities they are engaged in; according to the survey, more than 50% of teens have seen inappropriate content on the Internet. "Parents are aware of threats to their families in the physical world," said Kidproof Canada founder Samantha Wilson in a news release. "Our goal is to create the same sense of awareness of the type of threats that exist in the online community." The seminars will educate parents about the Internet in general, and provide tips on how to keep their kids safe in cyberspace. Remaining stops on the tour are Ottawa on February 15, and Toronto on February 22. Mamma.com launches Copernic-powered desktop searchInternet search and online advertising company, Mamma.com Inc., has launched Mamma Desktop Search, powered by technology it acquired during its recent purchase of Copernic Technologies Inc. "Desktop search is a powerful search tool, providing users with an organized snapshot of the files on their computer, saving them time in locating documents and ultimately increasing productivity in their day," Mamma.com’s president and CEO Guy Faure said in a news release. He added that it was a natural step for the company to release this product after acquiring Copernic in December. The free, downloadable application boasts being the "first application of its kind to search the deep web." Basic functions of Mamma Search include searching computer files, multimedia and email. "To be able to offer a tool powered by technology that has received numerous rave reviews and awards… is a great moment for us," said Faure. Manufacturer certification program created by D-BOXD-BOX Technologies Inc. has created a seating manufacturer certification program for its motion simulation technology. The Longueuil QC-based company, which develops motion simulation systems that generate movements synchronized to images and sounds, also announced its first certified partner, Continental Seating of Dallas. All seating manufacturers who partner with the D-BOX Inside program receive access to, and technical support for, the D-BOX components. They will also have their company names posted on the D-BOX website and will be able to affix the D-BOX Inside logo to their seats. The company sells the program as an opportunity for seating manufacturers to move into the entertainment industry motion simulation market. "This new initiative is in line with our growth plan," said D-BOX president and CEO Claude McMaster in a news release. "The goal is to increase the number of seating manufacturers who offer our motion simulation technology while providing outstanding service and technical support." UK mahjong deal for Montreal’s Dynasty GamingLeading UK bookmaker and online gaming destination Ladbrokes has inked a deal with Dynasty Gaming Inc. of Montreal. Under the terms of the agreement, Dynasty Gaming will provide its Mahjong Mania software to Mahjong Systems Ltd., a subsidiary of Ladbrokes. A media release from the Quebec firm states that mahjong is the most widely played game in the world, and considered by many to be China’s national game. "This development with Ladbrokes represents a major milestone in our primary business as Ladbrokes has access to a large Asian customer base," Dynasty Gaming CEO Albert Barbusci said in the media release. ATI launches mobile video receiver chipGraphics processor designer and manufacturer ATI Technologies Inc. of Markham ON has launched a new line of single-chip mobile TV receivers for wireless phones and other portable devices. The WTV100-M family of receivers for handhelds is compliant with the DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting, Handheld) standard, and features a dual-band RF tuner to accommodate services in both the US and Europe. When coupled with members of the Imageon line of media processors, the two processors offer flawless execution and an engaging user experience, ATI says. AirG launches The Lounges with SprintVancouver wireless community developer AirG has signed another deal, this time to provide US network operator Sprint with three niche communities dubbed The Lounges. The three interest segments – Sports, Latino and Friends – will be available to users of Sprint’s PCS VisionSM and Power VisionSM phones, but will also feature interaction with members of other AirG communities around the world. The Sports lounge will be a meeting place for fanatics of all sports, the Latino lounge is a Spanish-language community, and the Friends lounge is for users looking to meet other users. All three lounges feature AirG’s usual mix of public interaction, private messages, contests and other features, and will also be free for a limited time for all Sprint customers with Web- or Java-enabled handsets. PhotoChannel Networks wraps up fiscal yearPhotoChannel Networks Inc., a Vancouver firm that supplies online photo processing and other e-services to bricks-and-mortar retailers, released its financials for the 2005 fiscal year recently. PhotoChannel Networks booked a record-setting $2.1 million worth of revenue during the 12-month period, a considerable improvement over 2004’s $763,000. The firm’s gross margins also improved to nearly 60%, while research and development spending totaled more than $1.6 million. "PhotoChannel is pleased to report the strongest year in its history, as we continue to experience triple digit revenue growth year over year," said company chairman and CEO Peter Fitzgerald in a media release. Immersive Media launches US city versionCalgary’s Immersive Media Corp., a provider georeferenced immersive (or "geoimmersive") imaging systems, announced the launch of its new city data product at a recent conference catering to US federal government subcontractors. A richer alternative to traditional two-dimensional overhead mapping, the product allows public utilities and other organizations to harness omnidirectional video when making inspections, repair calls and in other scenarios where two-way multimedia communication is important. The new city data modules feature representations of 19 of the largest US cities, including Seattle, Las Vegas, Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta. INTERNATIONALNareos launches legal P2P music serviceBeverley Hills CA’s Nareos has launched Peerbox, an offering the firm is calling "the world’s first legal mobile P2P file-sharing service." The service allows mobile device users to search for and download tracks from such open P2P networks as eDonkey 2000 and Gnutella – songs with copyright information embedded in their tags available as paid downloads, while independent artists looking to raise their profile can offer their creations for free downloading. Peerbox will be offered as both a subscription service, with monthly charges appearing on users’ post-paid bills, and a pay-per-download model using post-paid billing or credit card payments. Search commands can be entered either through the keypad or by voice command, and users can also play songs they can’t identify into their handset for 15 seconds and get an artist name and song title, as well as a download price.

CNM Short Takes

Broadcast | February 3, 2006

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