CNM Short Takes

QuickPlay launches Blackberry playerQuickPlay Media of Toronto has launched QuickPlayer for BlackBerry, an audio content player for Waterloo ON-based Research In Motion’s popular handheld device. Although BlackBerries are generally considered a text-based productivity tool rather than a portable media player, QuickPlay VP of marketing Mark Hyland says the profile of the average BlackBerry user is changing. "You’re starting to see them on college campuses and so on and so forth, and I think that speaks to the consumer’s desire to have more multimedia on the Blackberry as well," he says. The new service and software will feature audiocasts as well as personal content, both streaming over carrier networks and focusing on sports, news and financial data. QuickPlayer for BlackBerry is optimized for RIM’s newest offering, the BlackBerry 8700. Ailing Dose goes online onlySlightly more than a year after its launch, CanWest MediaWorks’ Dose newspaper is abandoning its treeware edition. The free paper, owned by the CanWest MediaWorks Income Fund, was launched in April last year in a bid to woo the 18-34 year-old crowd with its colorful take on news. However, the paper struggled in the five cities it published editions in – Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver – and was a late entrant to the "commuter paper" battle. "In this very competitive newspaper market, we feel the printed publication will not produce the financial results we expect over the long term," Peter Viner, president and CEO of the CanWest MediaWorks Limited Partnership – which holds three-quarters of the CanWest MediaWorks Income Fund – said in a media release. "However, we see a growing product in the Dose online and mobile offering which we will continue to develop." Dose will now be available on online and mobile platforms only: CanWest says that the Dose website is drawing more than 160,000 unique visitors each month, and that its research shows those visitors are increasingly staying longer and coming to the site more frequently. Kaboose’s kids portals ramp up in Q1Toronto’s Kaboose Inc., which operates the Funschool.com, Zeeks.com and Kaboose.com online properties, saw its revenues grow more than $1.5 million during the first quarter of the year. The company posted revenue of $2.34 million for the three months ending March 31, compared with $800,000 during the same period in 2005. Those funds have helped Kaboose acquire even more family-oriented properties in the past month, including online pregnancy and parenting site Babyzone.com and Two Peas In A Bucket, the largest online scrapbooking community in North America. Despite the growth in revenue Kaboose is still in the red, in part due to its aggressive acquisition strategy. However, those acquisitions are also helping convince advertisers to do more business with the company, said chairman and CEO Jason DeZwirek in a news release. "We are thrilled by the significant increase in support from our Fortune 500 advertising clients, who signed several six-figure insertion orders during the quarter," he said. CryptoLogic kicks off 2006 with record quarterGaming technology provider CryptoLogic Inc. reported a 33% jump in earnings during the first quarter of the 2006 fiscal and calendar year. The company, which provides front- and back-end software, services and support for online casinos, poker games and other such operations, brought in US$27 million worth of revenue during the three-month period, setting a new record for the firm. In the first quarter of 2005, CryptoLogic posted revenue of $20.3 million. The firm’s profit surged 58% to US$7.7 million (56 cents per share) on those revenue figures, setting another record. CryptoLogic president and CEO Lewis Rose said that broad geographic diversification among customers as well as exposure to the red-hot online casino and poker offerings were helping to propel the growth, as evidenced by a three-year Playboy-themed online casino development deal signed May 10. "As we welcome a new customer – the iconic Playboy brand – CryptoLogic is poised to build on growing returns to shareholders through increasing performance and an increase in our quarterly dividend," Rose said in a media release. Peer 1 claims growth in gaming ventureSpawnpoint, an online gaming provider formed in a joint venture between Lake Mary FL-based PHXX Networks and Vancouver’s Peer 1 Network Enterprises Inc., is now getting more than 200,000 unique visitors a month according to its two founding companies. Data distribution service provider PHXX is providing the technical consulting expertise and gaming background, while Peer 1 – best known for its co-location and managed hosting services – is bringing its high-speed network and dedicated servers to the table. Spawnpoint allows gamers to play against each other online, but also features game reviews, contributed content, encyclopedias related to gaming, and other information. D-Box sells GameSim chair to American UniversityLongueuil QC-based D-Box Technologies Inc. has sold its first GameSim gaming chair to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott AZ to train and educate airline pilots. "This is our first sale in this new activity sector for D-Box, a sector with considerable potential for us as our technology generates very precise motion simulation, at a lower cost than other products currently on the market," said D-Box president and CEO Claude McMaster in a news release. D-Box designs and manufactures high-technology simulators mainly for the entertainment industry. A spokesperson from Embry-Riddle added that they have been very impressed with the chair up until now. Dynasty Gaming licenses its Mahjong ManiaDynasty Gaming Inc. has entered into a contract to license its Mahjong Mania software to Microgaming Systems Ltd., a supplier of online gaming solutions to online casinos and sports book operators around the world. Under the agreement, Mahjong Systems Ltd., Dynasty’s wholly owned subsidiary, will have the potential to earn a licensing fee and share of the rake from each online operator supplied with Mahjong Mania by Microgaming. Said, Albert Barbusci, chief executive of Dynasty in a news release: "Our agreement with Microgaming holds the potential for us to efficiently and credibly create relationships with a large number of casino and sports book operators. We recognize the importance of moving quickly to realize the advantages associated with being first-to-market with a gaming product and we believe our link with Microgaming will be critical in achieving early and broad market penetration." Gamers compete for $1M at Worldwide Web GamesFUN Technologies Inc.’s subsidiaries WorldWinner and SkillJams Technologies will co-host the Worldwide Web Games, formerly known as the Skill Games World Championship. The companies are combining to bring games worldwide an unprecedented platform for interactive entertainment and an opportunity to compete for the $1 million prize at the games in Hollywood this September. Since mid May, Players at worldwinner.com have been able to enter solitaire tournaments online to qualify for the Web Games championship, with plans to add Bejeweled 2 and Zuma as other featured games. "For every online gamer who’s ever thought they’re unbeatable, this competition is truly their chance to prove it," said Peter Blacklow, chief marketing officer of Worldwinner, in a press release. RVBS launches online World Championship game for PhilipsMontreal-based Rolland Virtual Business Systems Ltd. (RVBS) has launched an interactive game on the Internet for Philips, the official sponsor of the FIFA Club World Championship. The game, which can be found at thegamefoot.com, gives online players the chance to win prizes by testing their virtual soccer skills. RVBS will have its logo displayed on the game website as well as a link from the game to the RVBS website. Math, science take off with MaplesoftWaterloo ON’s Maplesoft, a maker of software tools for engineering, science and mathematic applications, recently unveiled a series of podcasts aimed at building community of Maplesoft users. The Maplecasts, as they’ve been dubbed, will feature tips on using the company’s products as well as interviews with prominent personalities from the world of applied sciences and mathematics, such as Dr. Richard Gran, who designed the digital flight control system used in the Apollo moon landing.

CNM Short Takes

Broadcast | May 29, 2006

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